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Friday 30 December 2011

Top Video Cards of the Year 2011| an Overview



THE GRAPHICS CARD INDUSTRY IN 2011 SAW BOTH AMD, ATI & NVIDIA| POWER USER MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2011



Top Video cards of the Year 2011 nVidia and AMD fleshing out their second generation DX11 lineups. There weren�t any major shakeups to speak of, but  the competition was as fierce as ever.


The current generation of GPUs actually launched towards the end of 2010. In later October, AMD was the first out of the gate with the Radeon HD 6870 and 6850. Although these cards shared the X870 and X850 suffix with the 5000 series, they had some key architectural differences that complicated comparing generations side by side. Between Evergreen and Northern Islands, AMD rebalanced the chip to focus more on resterization, tessellation, and ROP-heavy workloads at the expense of compute, shader, and texture performance. The end result is a chip that�s better equipped to play modern games.


Sounds great, right? The tricky part came when the 6870 and 6850 rolled out with 1,120 and 960 stream processors, respectively. The Radeon HD 5870 and 5850, by contrast, had 1,600 and 1,440 stream processors. Yes, a Northern Islands SIMD is more efficient than an Evergreen SIMD, but sheer brute force enabled the 5800 to beat the 6800 in most benchmarks. Despite the model number muddling, the 6800 cards were a hit with reviewers and gamers alike. But AMD didn�t get to spend much time in the sun.



nVidia broke cover with its flagship GeForce GTX 580 in early November and the GTX 570 about a month later. In our review of the GTX 580, we lauded it as finally making good on all of Fermi�s promises. The GF110 at the heart of the 580 has all 512 CUDA cores enabled, 64 texture units, and the same ROP count as the GTX 480. Nividia back-ported the GTX 460�s improved FP16 texture filtering and Z-culling/refection engine to the GTX 580 and sufficiently stopped up the leaky transistors, improving overall power consumption.


A week after the GTX 570 launched, AMD christened its own flagship, the Radeon HD 6900. The Radeon HD 6970, codenamed Cyman XT, is characterized by 1,536 stream processors, 96 texture units, and 32 ROPs. With the new GPU, AMD made a dramatic design shift by abandoning the VLIW5 (very long instruction word) of Evergreen and the 6800s in favor of a more simplified VLIW4 design. AMD axed the underutilized special function unit to dedicate more transistors to stream processing units. According to AMD, this change alone accounts for a 10% performance boost per square millimeter. Despite all this, the Radeon HD 6970 was not enough; nVidia was king of the graphics card hill as 2010 came to a close.


nVidia kicked off the new year with the GeForce GTX 560 Ti, which targeted the sweet spot at $520. In Match, AMD unveiled Antilles (the Radeon HD 6990), the dual-GPU monster that we meant to wrest the crown from nVidia�s grasp. nVidia answered with a dual-GPU beast of its own, the GeForce GTX 590, a couple weeks later. When the smoke settled, AMD claimed victory. And so did nVidia. Our own testing showed that AMD�s over-the-top option was slightly faster in most tests, but nVidia found enough benchmark wins that a clear winner was hard to crown. As we went to press, however, AMD�s Radeon HD 6990 was readily available online, whereas the GTX 590 was in much more limited supply. You be the judge.


Throughout the first half of the year, both AMD and nVidia fleshed out their lineups and staked out their territory. In the last six months, however, it�s been all quiet on the Sunyvale/Santa Clara front. Although there�s nothing new to get excited about until next year, prices have dropped considerable since launch.

Wednesday 28 December 2011

5 Smartphons that suits your needs



Smartphone that suits you wellChoosing a smartphones for your initial and entertainment needs is still not so easy to compromise with, because all the latest phones are ingenious, but make sure you get the right one to suit your needs, which are reviewed underneath category wise. Read and share if you like it.





Best for Apps






Apple iPhone 4s | �499 approx.



Apple is renowned for its huge app store � far bigger than those for Android and Windows � and its latest feature is another iPhone exclusive.


Siri, the voice controlled assistant, can intelligently recognize your spoken requests and source information from the web, working with WiFi and 3G. You can also dictate messages or notes with a simple tap of the microphone button, while future upgrades should enable Siri to locate nearby businesses such as restaurants and more.





Best for Business






BlackBerry Bold 9900 | �420 approx.



A 71mm touchscreen and an easy-to-use Qwerty keyboard make this BlackBerry, powered by a 1.2GHz processor, essential kit for business. Its notifications are configured to keep you on top of your workload and with BlackBerry Desktop Manager software, you can easily restore all your vital contacts from a previous model. It also has a chip for contactless payments � common in the US and growing in the UK � making it perfect for lunchtime meetings on the move.






Best for Adventure






Motorola Defy+ | �244.99 approx.



Now upgraded to be faster and last longer, the Defy+ remains the stand-out choice for any adventurer. It can survive being immersed 3ft (91cm) in water and its Corning Gorilla Glass is scratch and dust-proof. To further support your outdoor experience it comes with a preloaded Cardio Trainer app to monitor your progress, and with Motorola Media Link you can stream workout playlists from your desktops at home or work to enjoy wherever your travels take you.





Best for Music






HTC Sensation XE | �465.95 approx.



HTC has collaborated with Beats Audio to set the standard in mobile phone sound quality. The Sensation XE comes with bespoke earphones, which, when plugged in, tailor the phone�s EQ settings to the optimum sound profile for the music that�s playing. The result is a deeper bass and sharper vocals. The noise-cancelling microphones also improve cal quality and a 32GB microSD card adds to the phone�s 4GB of storage for your music collection.





Best for Camera






Samsung Galaxy SII | �409.99 approx


With its vast 109mm touchscreen and lightning fast dual-core 1.2GHz processor, this handset gets the best out of its camera without compromising the rest of its impressive features.


It has full HD video-recording capability and an 8-Megapixel camera with LED flash, assisted by a touch-to-focus function and multiple scene modes. It even has Flash-supported web browsing, so you can watch your clips on YouTube. It�s available free on a Vodafone contract.



Wednesday 21 December 2011

5 Low Budget Digital Cameras | for Professionals

5 Most worthy and stylish Digital Cameras review this year, you can gift someone | PC Supporter

cameraDigital cameras are set to be the most beautiful and popular gifts this Christmas. As photography is a very common interest, selecting a perfect budget camera to gift someone, is still a hard work.

Here we shortly reviewed some of the best cameras of the market, which stands very worthy in the gift markets specially. Prices of all the cameras are taken from PC Advisor magazine of this month.

So here we select 5 digital cameras, most worthy in the market to date, for this review.

FujiFilm FinePix X100 | � 999 inc VAT

fujifilm-finepix-x100-camera-review-PC-Supporter2The FujiFilm X100 is expensive, but there are enough committed camera fans out there for FufiFilm to have judged it worthwhile investing development resources in this fixed-lens camera.

The fully manual 12.3Mp camera is built from magnesium-alloy and has an APS-C sensor crammed in. The aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation settings can all be checked before you switch on the X100. A 2.8in LCD offers an alternative viewing and composition option. There�s also a dedicated RAW button, which lets you switch between uncompressed shooting and processing mode.

fujifilm-finepix-x100-camera-review-PC-SupporterThe camera weighs 445g and is chunky 54mm thick, so you won�t want to take it out and about on the off-chance it will get used. It�s anything but a point-and-shoot model, and has plenty of quirks.

A less complex (and less expensive) model, the � 560 FujiFilm FinePix X10, is also available in the market, but because of better output results, the FujiFilm X100 amply rewards.

Canon lxus 230 HS | �200 incl VAT

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe Canon lxus is as beautiful a compact camera as you�re ever likely to searching for. It comes in black, silver, purple, brown or red colors, and physically is very slim, given the mechanics inside.

The follow-up model to last year�s popular 220 HS, it�s a 12.1Mp compact with a 28mm wide-angle lens and an 8x optical zoom. Compared with the zoom range of some of the compact cameras, the Canon�s is modest. However, the HS in its name refers to its combination of high speed and high sensitivity something that wouldn�t work well over a 15x zoom. The 22mm thick body would be hard pushed to accommodate a larger lens anyhow.

Controls are geared towards point-and-shoot photography, with a simple dial to adjust the zoom and an onscreen indicator if your hands are shaking. Video can be taken at 720p and has a dedicated record button. A switch that lets you change from automatic to manual operation resides on the right-hand side, while flash and macro options can be adjusted via a navipad on the rear. Other settings are changed via the onscreen menu.

As with other HS cameras (Canon offers lxus and PowerShot models with this feature), the 230 is capable of capturing blur-free photos under challenging low-light conditions, so you can take party shots without blinding everyone with the flash. Canon cites 210 shots before the battery needs to be recharged. Expect around 40 minutes of video footage to deplete the battery.

Kodak EasyShare Touch M5370 | �129 inc VAT

Kodak-EasyShare-Touch-M5370-PC-SupporterNot everyone wants to spend hundreds of pounds on a digital camera. The Kodak EasyShare M5370 packs in plenty for its �129 price tag. You get a 16Mp CCD, video capture, support for direct uploading to a range of photo-sharing websites and social networks, plus in-camera editing to finesse your images.

EasyShare software can automatically recognize that there�s someone in shot that looks a lot like a person in a pervious photo and suggest they might be one and the same. If so, the face detection and tagging beloved of Facebook form a formidable alliance and pre-tag your photos ready for uploading. When you next turn on the camera, it�ll group photos in the gallery by subject, making it faster to find the best photo of a particular person.

A 5x optical zoom, image stabilization and 20 scene presets all features on this likable budget and worthy and stylish camera.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 | �360 inc VAT

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 is a great-value 12.1Mp Micro Four Third camera with a tilt-able 3in LCD touchscreen for image composition. This makes it easy to specify what you�d like the focal point of your photo to be.

A good range of scene presets and an intelligent Auto setting make for a shallow learning curve, while advanced options span aperture priority � from f3.5 to f5.6 � and adjustments to light levels. ISO settings from 100 up to 6400 are supported. For unusual compositions, in-camera effects can be applied.

The DMC-G2 can record video at 720p to the Blu-ray-compatible AVCHD format. The standard camera kit includes a 14-42mm lens.

Sony Cyber-Shot HX9V | �250 inc VAT

Sony Cyber-Shot HX9V The best of the advanced compact cameras crop, the Sony Cyber-shot HX9V eschews manual settings, such as aperture priority and user controlled shutter speeds, and doesn�t support RAW file formats. Nonetheless, it produces excellent digital photographs the most important factor in any camera.

The Sony�s 16Mp CCD promises plenty of detail (we don�t advise buying a camera based on megapixel count alone, but this model is a safe bet) and there�s also a 16x optical zoom so you can capture extreme close-ups even from over the road. Dual-image stabilization helps ensure shots are crisp.

All that zooming in ought to pound the batter but the CIPA rating for the HX9V is an outstanding 410 shots between charges. Really, though, it�s the 3D capabilities of this camera that will astound.

Rounding this off are support for geo-location tagging and some clever in-camera trickery to make the most of your photo artistry.

Saturday 17 December 2011

Rainbow 6 Patriots | Xbox�PC Game




Ubisoft presents Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriots, a self-motivated single-player action and ground-breaking co-op and multiplayer experiences for fans of the strategic shooter progression.  



Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriots Team Rainbow countenance a new and very real hazard called the "True Patriots," a highly-trained, well-organized innovative cluster that says the American government is permanently ruined by greedy politicians and corporate special benefit. The True Patriots will do whatever it takes to retrieve their country. Playing as Rainbow, players will face serious set-ups that will require them to make tough principled judgments in order to stop this new strain of terrorists.


In calculation to the immersive single-player action, Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriots will bring-in a huge variety of new innovative co-op and multi-player experiences. Players will be pleased for working as a team and mastering the game�s new skin tone that enhances communication and strategic implementation between team-mates. Victory will come from a blend of split-second conclusion making and working to synchronize attacks against the enemy.




According to the Ubisoft target footage of Rainbow 6 Patriots, the game will be release in 2013. As Ubisoft reveals target footage of the new tactical shooter game �Rainbow 6 Patriots� and shows off gameplay, here is the IGN�s Game footage video.


As progressing-up we will update you with more reviews & videos related to this big blast game of the year 2013. But one thing for sure, revealing the game�s footage so earlier can make this game very popular in-between the gamers on PC & Xbox both. I will also recommend you all the fans to Register here for updates of the game.


Here is the Game footage video from IGN.







Rainbow 6 Patriots | Xbox�PC Game



According to Ubisoft, The Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriots is due for release on the Xbox 360� video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation�3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC in 2013. Ubisoft is mentioning in the official website of the Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriot�s that �Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 franchise has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and has been hailed as one of the best first-person shooter series of all time. The games are known for depicting high-tech counter-terrorist operations set within the Tom Clancy�s game world. With Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriots, Ubisoft is building upon the success of the franchise while also taking it in a bold new direction.�


They also mentioned that  �Terrorism has evolved, and so has Rainbow 6. In Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriots, all the team play, tactics, and realism that fans of the series love have been coupled with an exciting new narrative direction,� said David Sears, creative director at Ubisoft. �This adds an unprecedented level of humanity that will make Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriots an extremely tense and immersive experience.�


Still some fans are searching for the Game Requirements for Tom Clancy�s Rainbow 6 Patriots, but nothing is officially published by the developers of the Game, and do not believe anyone who is trying to advise you to upgrade your PC for the Game, so stay tuned.


If you like this, Please share with others.



Friday 16 December 2011

The Future of Malware | News





The future of Malware | News from �PCadvisor.com�





Future of MalwareSecurity breaches look set to bet worse as hacker groups target smartphones and social media and release more information online. Jeff Vance reports.



Personal information leaked online is becoming an all too common occurrence. For example, Sony suffered a massive breach of its PlayStation Network earlier this year that led to the theft of names, addresses and possibly credit-card data belonging to 77 million users.


If you think the situation is bad now, just wait. Things will get worse as more information is dumped online by mischievous hacker groups such as Anonymous, and cybercriminals begin to target smartphones and social media.




In August, AntiSec (a collaboration between Anonymous and the disbanded LulzSec group) released more than 10GB of information from 70 US law-enforcement agencies. According to Todd Feinman, CEO of DLP vendor Identity Finder, AntiSec wasn�t motivated by money.


�AntiSec doesn�t like how various law-enforcement agencies operate and it�s trying to embarrass and discredit them,� he said.


But, he added, what it doesn�t realize is that when it publishers sensitive persona information, it�s helping low-skilled cybercriminals commit identity theft. Every week, another government department or business has its records breached � some 250,000 to 500,000 each year, estimated Feinman. Few details from those breaches are published online for all to see, however.


While certain high-profile attacks, such as the one on Sony, are intended to embarrass and spark change, the US law-enforcement breach could represent a shift in hacker thinking. AntiSec�s motivations appear to have a key difference, with the attackers consciously considering collateral damage as a strategic weapon. According to Feinman, AntiSec wrote online; �We don�t care about collateral damage. It will happen, and so be it.�




Social Networking




Facebook Malware

Experts say the future of malware is more about how potential victims will be targeted than how it will be engineered. Collateral damage won�t be limited to innocents compromised through no fault of their own.


Have you ever accepted a friend request on Facebook or connected to someone on Linkedin you don�t know? Perhaps you thought it was someone from school you�d forgotten about, or a former colleague whose name had slipped your mind. Not wanting to seem rude, you accepted them as a friend and quickly forgot about it. �When people make trust decisions with social networks, they don�t always understand the ramifications. Today, you are far more knowable by someone who doesn�t know you than ever,� said Kr Hugh Thompson, program chair of RSA Conferences.


We all know people who discuss everything they do on a social network or blog, from eating their breakfast to clipping their toenails. While most of us consider these people a nuisance and may hide their status updates, cybercriminals love them.


�Password-reset questions are easy to guess, and tolls such as Ancystry.com, while not created for this purpose, provided hackers with useful information,� said Thompson.


There are a few areas he believes the IT security industry needs to concentrate on: security for social media, ways to manage the information shared about you, and better methods for measuring evolving risks.




Enterprise Targets



mobile malware and your businessFake security software is the most common type of social-engineering attack that researchers at Blue Coat Systems come across. Chirs Larsen, head of the lab, explained that social network�s aren�t being used only to target individuals.


Larsen outlined a recent attack attempt where hackers targeted executives of a major corporation through their spouses.


The chances were at least one of the businessmen would have a poorly secured home PC that he shared with his non-tech-savvy wife. This would provide the backdoor needed to gain access to the company.


�Whaling is definitely on the rise,� said Paul Wood, senior intelligence analyst for Symantec.cloud. �Just a couple years ago, we saw one or two of these sorts of attacks per day. Today, we catch as many as 80.�


According to Wood, social engineering is by far the most potent weapon in the cybercriminal�s toolbox (automated, widely available malware and hacking toolkits are number two). Combine that with the fact that many senior executives circumvent IT security because they want the latest and trendiest devices, and cybercriminals have many valuable, easy-to-hit targets in their sights.


�Attacks on small businesses are increasingly dramatic because they are usually the weakest link in a larger supply chain,� said Wood.


There�s no sure way to defend against this. Until companies start scrutinizing the cyber-security of their partners and suppliers, they can�t say with any certainty whether or not they themselves are secure. While it�s common for large firms to keep a close eye on their suppliers, with factory visits that result in the implementation of an array of �best practices�, companies aren�t doing this when it comes to cyber-security.




Smartphone Threats



AndroidMalwareSmartphone threats are on the rise, but we�ve yet to see a major incident. This is partly due to platform fragmentation. Malware creators still get better results by targeting PCs or websites.


Larsen believes that platform-agnostic, web-based worms represent the new frontier of malware. Platform-agnostic malware lets legitimate developers do same of the heavy lifting for malware writers. As developers re-engineer sites and apps to work on a variety of devices, hackers can then target the HTML, XML, Jpegs and so on that render on any device anywhere.


Mobile phones are serving as a second identity factor for all sorts of corporate authentication schemes. Businesses that used to rely on hard tokens, such as RSA SSecureID, are moving to soft tokens, which can reside on mobile phones roaming beyond the corporation as easily as on PCs ensconced within corporate walls.


Two-factor authentication originally emerged because people couldn�t trust computers. Using mobile phones as an identity factor defeats two-factor authentication,� said Marc Maiffret, CTO of eEye Digital Security.


Today, Android is the big smartphone target, but don�t be surprised if attackers soon turn their attention to the iPhone � especially if third-party antivirus programs become more or less standard on Android devices. iPhone demographics are appealing to attackers, and security experts will tell you that Apple products are notoriously insecure.


Apple is reluctant to provide third-party security entities with the kind of platform access they need to improve the security of iPhones, iPads, MacBook Airs and so on. �Apple is very much on its own with security,� said Maiffret. �It almost mirrors late-90s Microsoft, and it�ll probably take a major incident or two to incite change.�


If we�ve learned anything about security in the past 20 years, it�s that another major incident is always looming just over the horizon. With the number of IP-connected devices climbing to anywhere from 50 billion to a Trillian in the next five to 10 years, tomorrow�s hackers could target anything from home alarms and air traffic-control systems to flood control in dams.




Wednesday 7 December 2011

ARM Processors to increase Smartphone efficiency



ARM Processors to increase Smartphone efficiency | PC Supporter



ARM ProcessorSmartphones will no longer have to compromise between performance and battery life. ARM�s A7 microprocessor uses the company�s most energy-efficient chip design to date, and will bring improved performance to entry level smartphones.


Used alongside the forthcoming Cortex A15 in the �big.Little� power-saving architecture, the A7 will also feature in high-end smartphones.


By combining two types of core on the same chip, and assigning different applications to each depending on their requirements, ARM said it can resolve the conflict between the need for both higher performance and longer battery life.




big.Little can reduce power consumption by 70 percent, according to ARM. Gaming and video playback is performed on the more powerful A15 chip, while tasks that require less power, such as making a phone call, are assigned to the A7 to conserve power.


The A7 will be manufactured using a 28-nanometer process; combined with architectural improvements, this will make the processor one-fifth the size, with one-fifth the power consumption, compared with today�s Cortex A8 processor. But the A7 will still give a 50 percent performance boost compared to the A8, according to the company.


The big.Little architecture will have a die size of less than 0.5 square millimeters and draw less than 500 mill-watts of power, said Nandan Nayampally, director of marketing for the ARM processor division.


Furthermore, the A7 and the A15 will have identical features sets, so software applications will run on both cores without modification.


ARM�s designs are licensed and manufactured by companies such as Texas Instruments, Broadcom and Freescale. The chip makers are expected to produce the first A7 parts next year, and smartphone makers will begin fitting them to devices soon after that. It may take chip makers a little longer to implement the combined A7-A15 design, but ARM said this could also appear in smartphones by 2013.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Top 20 Free Android Apps | Download Now



If you are a long-time Android user,



Some of these apps will look familiar, although in a few cases, the best apps in a certain class aren�t necessarily the ones that have been most popular for a stretch of time. New comers are supplanting some tried and true favorites.


As Android apps grow, so will our list, so stay tuned for updates to the Blog. http://software-review2010.blogspot.com



Dolphin Browser HD | Download Now



Dolphin browser HD for Android - PC Supporter Dolphin Browser HD is a veritable trickster of a mobile browser. You can change this Android app�s look and feel through custom themes, add capability with Add-ons, or even navigate by gesture. When you encounter a pesky mobile site, you can don a disguise, for example, you can masquerade as an iPad � to unlock the un-cropped page. Flummoxed by Flash? No more, so long as you�re running Dolphin and Android versions 2.2. The browser lacks a full syncing service, but it does support Google Bookmarks.


 



Google Maps | Download Now



Google Map for Android - PC Supporter Whenever I ask people to name their five favorite Android apps, �Google something� almost always makes the list. Google Maps may be one of the most popular of the Android apps from Google. A few of its signature features, such as navigation and layers, work better on Android than most other mobile operating systems. It�s indispensible for finding addresses, service providers nearby, and just for simply getting around.


 



 



Wikidroid for Wikipedia | Download Now



Wikidroid for Wikipedia Looking up information on a smartphone should not only be easy, but also something you do frequently. Otherwise, what�s the point of having so much data at your finger tips? Wikidroid pulls articles from Wikipedia and optimizes their display for easy reading and searching from your mobile phone. The app has elegant search functionality, too.


 



 



 



LastPass Password Manager Premium | Download Now


LastPass App for Android - PC Supporter LasPass manages and fills in your user names and passwords for you automatically. You�ll only have to remember one password ever again: the one to get into LastPass, so make it strong. Another advantage of using a password manager is it ensures you use a different password for all the sites you visit, as recycling passwords leaves you prone to identity theft and other online crimes.


 



 



Wheres My Droid | Download Now


Where's My Droid - PC Supporter How many times have you claimed your phone was stolen, only to find it, days later, wedged between the couch cushions, muffled from ringing loud enough to hear when you called it? If you are prone to losing your phone, Wheres My Droid will put your mind at ease. The app helps people find their lost or stolen Android phones by forcing it to ring at maximum volume or vibrate when the phone receives a text message containing a specified phrase, such as �Where�s my Droid?� The app can also tell you the phone�s location, as long as its GPS is enabled.


 



Dropbox for Android | Download Now


DropBox for Android - PC Supporter If your files live all over the place, your office computer, home desktop, laptop � having a dependable syncing program is a must. Dropbox, the service that lets you store your files in the cloud and access them from anywhere you have a signal, fills that role nicely with an Android app. It has a simple interface, easy uploading, and swift syncing across all accounts.


 



 



Astrid Task [Todo List] | Download Now


Astrid Task [Todo List] - PC Supporter Many Android users gravitate to Astrid because it is, quite simply, the best list maker and task manager that exist for Android phones. Astrid has all of the features every list-maker needs, including due dates and alarms, and it also conveniently syncs with Google Tasks. Unfortunately, it doesn�t sync with Remember the Milk, although it used to.


 



 



Yelp for Android | Download Now


Yalp for Android - PC Supporter The most comprehensive review app, Yelp turns out to be a pretty invaluable tool for finding businesses nearby, especially when you�re in a town you don�t know well. Yelp�s mobile app has helped me find a hairdresser when I was in a pinch in Washington D.C., and a suitable lunch while driving through Ohio. The quality of the reviews can be touch and go but for finding businesses and services, and vetting out ones that are very poorly received, Yelp�s the app you need.


 



Facebook for Android | Download Now


Facebook for Android - PC Supporter Social networks thrive with a reliable app, and Facebook for Android is undeniably solid. The Android app has the quintessential, familiar, Facebook-branded interface, but it also offers some unique functionality that�s absent in Facebook�s iPhone app. This includes a side-scrolling preview pane of recently shared photos in the dashboard area. Very cool.


 



 



Twitter for Android | Download Now



Twitter for Android - PC Supporter The best app for Twitter is Twitter. Plenty of third-party Twitter apps and social media aggregators have graced the Android Marketplace, some with pretty terrible performance track records, but the one that works best is Twitter�s own. Starting with version (2.1.2), Twitter for Android adds support for multiple accounts as well as optional push notifications (alerts that appear on your phone similar to an alarm or incoming text message), two features that had been sorely lacking prior to this release. A clean user experience and smart design doesn�t hurt either. Best of all, if you don�t have a Twitter account and aren�t interested in joining, you can still use the app to search and read the site.


ooVoo Video Calls | Download Now



ooVoo Video Calls - PC Supporter Stable and reliable video chat apps for Android aren�t easy to come by, but ooVoo is terrific. The Android video chat app supports group video, voice calls, and instant messaging � across iOS, OSX, Android, and Windows! Not only do you get solid Android video calling, but you can practically video chat with anyone.


 



 



IMO Instant Messenger | Download Now



IMO Instant Messenger - PC Supporter Multi-purpose instant message apps can falter on mobile phones, crashing frequently or draining the phone�s battery. While it�s not perfect, IMO Instant Messenger is by far one of the lesser offenders. Android reason it�s better than some others is it supports instant messaging across an impressive 11 networks: MSN, Yahoo!, AIM/ICQ, Google Talk, Myspace, Skype, Facebook, Jabber, imo, VKontakte, and Hyves.


 



 



Movies App for Android from Flixter | Download Now



Movies App for Android from Flixter - PC Supporter Movies, by Flixster (some people know the app better by the developer�s name), puts theater times, release dates for movies and DVDs, film reviews, and trailers in the palm of your hand. If, for example, you need to know the exact date that A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas will be hitting theaters, Movies can confirm the November 4, 2011, release. By default, the app pulls movie ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, although you can override this feature if perhaps you don�t think The 400 Blows deserves a 100 percent critics� approval rating. You�d be wrong, but you can do it.


 



Angry Birds for Android | Download Now



Angry Birds for Android - PC Supporter There�s just no denying that Angry Birds has been the hit game across mobile devices. The casual puzzle game challenges you to destroy structures by flinging crotchety little birds at it using a giant slingshot. The franchise has dozens of titles, like Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Seasonal, but the original Angry Birds is the one to download to your Android phone first. (Also see The Best Free Android Games.)


Words with Friends Free | Download Now



Words with Friends Free - PC Supporter The Scrabble-like game from Zynga, Words with Friends, is among the most popular mobile social games around. If you own an Android phone but your friends are on other devices, such as iPhones or iPads, you can still challenge them to head-to-head wordplay, as it doesn�t matter on which platform your opponents are playing. While some Android users have reported stability problems with the game, Words with Friends is in such high demand that most people will grin and bear it, especially since it�s free.


 



Kindle for Android | Download Now



Kindle for Android - PC Supporter Read books, magazines, and newspapers right on your Android phone without ever buying an e-reader. The Kindle app is by far the most popular reading app in the Android Marketplace because it gives you access to buy or download for free hundreds of thousands of books, and more than 100 different newspapers and magazines. And while some users have complained that they can�t uninstall Kindle once they�ve downloaded the app, it is possible (but it takes a little effort).


 



NOOK for Android by B&N | Download Now



NOOK for Android by B&N - PC Supporter Anti-Amazon book lovers might prefer an app by Barnes & Noble for reading on their Android phones. NOOK and Kindle largely do the same thing (give you access to an impressive library of books newspapers, magazines, and other things to read), although their interfaces and experiences are different. Whether you like Amazon or B&N is largely a matter of personal preference. The NOOK feels a little more graceful in its design, whereas the Kindle app looks more utilitarian.


 



 



Pandora Internet Radio for Android | Download Now



Pandora Internet Radio for Android - PC Supporter Of the music streaming apps available to Android phone owners Pandora steals hearts for having very good quality streaming even over a 3G signal. Newcomers to the Android arena, including Slacker Radio and Spotify, are earning more and more market share every day, but Pandora tends to be the most reliable, likely because it has a longer history running on Android.


 



 



FxCamera App for Android | Download Now



FxCamera App for Android - PC Supporter Not every smartphone running Android has a great camera, so get better photos with the help of software. FxCamera adds filters and effects, like �toy� and fisheye lens, to enhance even modest pictures. It also helps to arm yourself with some additional tips for getting better photos from your phone.


 



 



ESPN Score Center for Android | Download Now



ESPN Score Center for Android - PC Supporter ESPN�s free app lets you check the game quickly, and discreetly when necessary (with your phone under the dinner table, (for example). Sports fans of all stripes will find this app useful; it covers more sports types than most other sports and news apps out there. It can pull game data from baseball, basketball, American football, the sport the rest of the world calls football (soccer), ice hockey, cricket, rugby, and more. For stat lovers, ScoreMobile is a fine option, but only if it has the sport you follow, as it misses a few, like rugby and boxing.





App�s reviewed by PC Mag � 2011


Selection and Published by PC Supporter � 2011


Monday 21 November 2011

Nikon Coolpix S6150 | Imaging Device Review



Touch Screen Controls, fantastic value and great features make the Nikon Coolpix S6150 a tempting buy.








Key features:nikon-coolpix-s6150
16MP
Optical 7 x zoom, 7.5 cm (3in), approx 460k-dot
Wide-viewing angle TFT LCD screen
720p video







Peer into the core of the Nikon Coolpix S6150 and you�ll find a 16MP CCD sensor with Nikon�s Expeed C2 image processing system, which promises enhanced 720p HD video recording and high sensitivity performance.


Motion detection and lens-shift vibration reduction help to compensate for camera shake, and Nikon�s Best Shot Selector choose the sharpest image from a swquence of 10. The emphasis here is on automatic operation 19 scene modes and a scene auto selector will appeal to those who prefer to simply point and shoot. The Smart Portrait mode offers a range of useful features, including skin softening, blink warning and smile shutter. You can further improve shots via the Retouch menu, Nikon�s D-Lightning contrast adjustment is probably the most useful.


As you�d expect from Nikkor ED glass, the versatile 5-35mm zoom on the Nikon Coolpix S6150 delivers sharp images with plenty of detail.


Images exhibit a hint of grittiness even at the lowest ISO settings when viewed at 100 percent, although you won�t notice it unless printing is pushed to extremes.


Colors are generally accurate, occasionally erring on the warm side. 720p movies from the Nikon Coolpix S6150 are good, appearing smooth and finely detailed. Filming controls are limited though you can only change autofocus, white balance and wind noise reduction. The stereo microphone has a tendency to pick up the sound of the zoom.


It�s slim but sturdy build, rubberized finish, raised lens mount and thumb rests provide confident, assured handling. The touch screen is less tactile, although it does make pictures look glorious. Most importantly, the Nikon Coolpix S6150 can produce detailed, balanced images.


PC Plus [Marcus Hawkins]

Sunday 20 November 2011

Nikon J1 | Compact Size



Source: PC Magazine - November 2011



It�s Compact, But Focuses and Fires Like a D-SLR.



Nikon J1 With Flash ~ PC Supporter Nikon�s J1 marks the company�s entry into the compact interchangeable lens camera market. Nikon�s J1 is not that much larger than a point and shoot, but manages to capture sharp images and focuses and fires faster than many D-SLRs, even though its image sensor and lenses are much smaller.


The J1�s included zoom lens covers a 3x zoom range, matching the field of view of the lens included with our Editor�s Choice Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The NEX-C3�s larger sensor packs more pixels and delivers best in-class low-light performance, but if you are put off by its larger lens, which is closer in size to that bundled with most D-SLRs, the J1 is worth a close look.




The J1 measures 2.4 by 4.2 by 1.2 inches (HWD), and weighs 8.3 ounces without a lens. The included 10-30mm kit lens is collapsible, which helps to conserve some room in your bag. Thanks to the compact optics, J1 is also noticeably smaller than the Sony NEX-C3, which features a kit lens that is the same size as that of a standard D-SLR.


The J1 is a compact speed demon. Although it is hindered by a just-ok 1.8 sec and start up speed, autofocus speed is excellent, the camera is able to lock onto a subject in about three-tenths of a second.


PC Supporter-Sony-NEX-C3z


Shutter lag is virtually non-existent; we measured it at 0.04 seconds when the lens was pre-focused.


Nikon�s J1 is a very good choice if you are looking for a compact camera that delivers D-SLR-level performance. It offers a manual shooting mode that will satisfy serious photographers, and its burst-shooting capability and Smart Photo Selector mode make it possible for almost anyone to capture the perfect shot. But some shooters may feel limited by its fixed rear LCD and lack of a hot shoe or accessory port, which makes it impossible to use an EVF or a better flash. The same-priced Sony Alpha NEX-C3 offers a larger image sensor, and accessory port, and a tilting LCD.


Jim Fisher



Good Bye Start Menu | Windows 8



Windows 8 | Start Screen


another_windows_8_start_screen_by_PC Supporter


The Windows Start menu, a �universally recognizable element of the Windows interface� has left the building, because no one used it anymore.


Microsoft said it replaced the Windows 7 Start menu with a Start screen in Windows 8 because the menu�s usage dipped by 11 percent between Windows Vista and Windows 7, with many specialized Start functions-such as exploring pictures declining as much as 61 percent. The Start screen is full of live files that are either application launchers or widgets containing information.


Saturday 19 November 2011

Photo Printer Shopping Guide






Inkjet Dye sublimation Multifunction Inkjet

Photo printerDye sublimation printerMultifunction printer





Inkjet printers create your own great-looking custom prints at home. Tiny dye sublimation printers like this offer exceptional portability and picture quality. Multifunction inkjet printers deliver sharp photos and pages of text, plus they let you scan, copy, and even fax documents.



Photo Printer Shopping Guide



Photo printers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they all do one thing: they transform your brilliantly colored digital pictures into high-quality photo prints. Thanks to the popularity of digital cameras, most photo printers are now surprisingly affordable and easy-to-use -- and many of them don't even need to be connected to a PC.




Will it work with your camera?

You can choose a photo printer with a media slot that accepts the same kind of memory card your camera uses, or a printer that connects directly, via a proprietary cable, to your camera. Then you can print photos directly from your camera without using a computer. If you do prefer to use your computer though, simply connect it to your printer via a USB, drop the photos onto your hard drive, edit them as needed, and print them from there.


 

What printing technology do you prefer?

The two main kinds of technology you'll see in photo printers are dye sublimation and inkjet. Both can produce stunning images, but there are some key differences between them:



  • Dye sublimation printers use heat to vaporize and deposit solid dyes onto the surface of a sheet of glossy photo paper. These dyes permeate the paper's surface, creating smooth, lifelike gradations of color before returning to a solid form. The printer then applies a special coating to the paper to protect your photos from fading and provide resistance to moisture and fingerprints. Lots of folks prefer dye sublimation printers because they excel at producing realistic colors with even, continuous tones.



  • Inkjet printers, on the other hand, "paint" the image onto photo paper with a series of tiny dots using ink from a number of small cartridges. These printers remain popular because of their relatively inexpensive supplies and ability to print photos in a wider variety of sizes than most dye sublimation models. Most inkjet printers are also capable of printing crisp-looking text on plain paper at high rates of speed; many even come as part of a "multifunction" component that can scan, copy and fax your documents.




If you only plan to print a few photos here and there -- sending a few to relatives during the holidays, for example -- then a dye sublimation printer could be your best choice. If you'll be printing lots of photos, or want the versatility of printing text documents too, consider an inkjet model. Just remember that a printer optimized for photo printing will do a significantly better job at that than a general-use printer.




How much resolution do you need?

The higher the resolution, the crisper your print. For example, 300 dpi (dots per inch) resolution is finer than a 200 dpi resolution. Today's dye sublimation photo printers typically offer 300 dpi resolution, while inkjet printers feature 1200 to 9600 dpi. From those numbers, it might sound like inkjet printers will always produce finer-quality prints. But keep in mind that resolution cannot be accurately compared between dye sublimation and inkjet printers -- a dye sublimation print made at 300 dpi often looks as nice as a 4800 dpi print made on an inkjet printer.

Other features to consider:



  • Portability -- Some printers work with optional batteries, so you can take them with you to parties, family reunions, and other get-togethers to print and share your photos on the spot.



  • Editing capabilities -- Some printers actually let you edit your digital photos, and printers with built-in color LCD screens make this especially easy. These editing capabilities can range from simply adding a time/date stamp or text caption to your photos, to cropping image sizes and performing multiple picture enhancements before printing. The type you choose depends on whether you want to do any editing at all, and if so, whether you'd prefer to do sophisticated edits on a computer, or make quick, simple adjustments from the printer.



  • PictBridge direct printing -- A common format called PictBridge� makes it possible for cameras and printers of any brand to work directly with one another by way of a simple USB connection. Using PictBridge, you can connect a compatible camera to a compatible printer and print photos without having to send them through your PC. If your camera has this feature, you may want to look for a printer that offers it as well.



  • Print sizes -- We generally recommend choosing a printer that can handle at least two different print sizes, such as wallet and 4" x 6". Keep in mind that printers capable of making large prints, like 8-1/2" x 11", will offer a wide range of smaller prints to choose from as well.



  • Cost of paper and ink -- Dye sublimation photo printers usually require special paper and ink cartridge kits made specifically for them. This gives you excellent color accuracy and photo print longevity, but the price of these kits often mean a higher per-print cost. If you're going to be printing a lot of photos, an inkjet printer can sometimes offer less expensive alternatives when it comes to paper and ink options.



  • Printing speed -- Most dye sublimation photo printers can produce a 4" x 6" borderless photo in about one minute. Inkjet printers' speeds tend to vary quite a bit depending on the number of ink nozzles in the print head and the quality level selected for printing. You can expect speeds that range from as little as roughly 20 seconds to as much as a minute, or more. If you plan on printing a lot of photos, a high-speed inkjet model might make a sensible choice.



  • Wireless network printing -- Some newer printers feature built-in Wi-Fi�, so multiple users on a wireless PC network can enjoy easy access from anywhere in a home or office. These models can also be hooked up to a wired network via an Ethernet port for shared printing capabilities with connected computers.




by Dave Bar, Crutchfield.com. All rights reserved.

Friday 18 November 2011

Nikon D5100 - Imaging Device Review


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Nikon D5100 �Creativity from any point of view.�



Imaging Quality



A high-resolution Nikon DX-format CMOS image sensor with an effective pixel count of 16.2-million pixels, an image-processing engine that provides superior image quality and rich expression of tones, and the new High Dynamic Range (HDR) function
The D5100 is equipped with the same DX-format CMOS image sensor and EXPEED 2 image-processing engine as the high-end D7000 digital-SLR camera. These features enable capture of high-resolution images with excellent expression of tones. With standard sensitivity settings of ISO 100 - 6400 and additional increases up to Hi 2 (ISO 25600 equivalent), the camera offers improved capability with shooting under dim lighting, such as in the evening or indoors, and also produces better results with capture of rapidly moving subjects.


Image result in low lightning conditions
The High Dynamic Range (HDR) function captures two shots of varying exposure each time the shutter-release button is pressed, and then combines the two shots into a single image with a broad dynamic range. Resulting images beautifully recreate the scene as seen with the naked eye, even with shooting of backlit scenes, with little or no loss of detail in shadows or highlights.


Vari-angle LCD monitor lets you take pictures from unique viewpoints.



The new, large 7.5-cm (3-in.) vari-angle LCD monitor opens horizontally up to 180� and flips up and down from +180� to -90�. Now you�re ready to view, shoot and record your subjects from unique perspectives. Try angle for overhead shots, waist level for candid Live Vie and movie shooting, or a low vantage point for a look from ground level. You can also place the D5100 on a tripod or other stable surface and still see yourself while composing self-portraits.


Vari-angle LCD monitorVisibility has been increased with the large 3-inch, approximately 921k-dot high-resolution vari-angle monitor adopted for the D5100. In addition, the range of colors that can be reproduced by the monitor is equivalent to that of the sRGB gamut.
Adoption of a side hinge for the vari-angle monitor prevents the monitor from hitting the tripod when it is opened while the camera is mounted on a tripod. The vari-angle monitor opens from 0 to 180� to the side, and can be rotated up to 90� clockwise and up to 180� counter-clockwise when it is open. This enables shooting from a wide variety of angles, from low to high, making even self portraits possible.


D-Movie for recording and editing of Full-HD movies



The D5100 is equipped with the D-Movie function that enables recording of high-definition imagemovies (1920 x 1080p, 30p) exhibiting superior video quality. Autofocusing during movie recording is possible using contrast-detect AF. When the focus mode is set to full-time-servo AF (AF-F) and the AF-area mode to subject-tracking AF, the camera automatically maintains focus on a subject moving throughout the frame. The D5100 imagealso offers in-camera movie editing functions that allow users to save a single frame as a still JPEG image or delete unnecessary portions from the beginning and/or end of movie files. What's more, the D5100 is equipped with built-in support for stereo audio recording via the Stereo Microphone ME-1 (available separately), and the mode dial and live view switch have been positioned on the same spindle in consideration of operational ease.


The optional Stereo Microphone ME-1 can be used to record sound in stereo while also preventing noise caused by lens vibration being recorded during autofocus.


The first Nikon digital-SLR camera to offer Special Effects mode.



The D5100 offers special effects that can be selected and applied with both shooting of still images and recording of movies. Special effects are displayed with the view through the lens in the monitor before shooting or recording begins, allowing users to confirm the desired results in real time. Users can easily enjoy adding special effects to movies. This mode was adopted to respond to the creative intent of users searching for a way to express their own unique style and creativity. The Special Effects mode built into the D5100 offers seven special effects, including Selective Color and Color Sketch.
Favorite Special Effects


Selective color All colors other than those selected by the user are recorded in black and white. Up to three colors can be selected at a time.


Color sketch The camera detects and colors outlines for a color sketch effect. Users can use the monitor display to adjust the vividness of colors and the thickness of outlines.


Miniature effect Distant subjects appear as miniatures for a diorama effect. Users can choose the orientation (vertical/horizontal) and width (narrow/normal/wide) of the area that will be in focus.


Night vision When this option is selected, extremely high ISO sensitivities are used (up to ISO 102400 equivalent). This enables shooting under conditions of darkness while verifying the subject and composition in the monitor.
* RAW recording is not possible. Still images can only be recorded in JPEG (black-and-white) format. Only contrast-detect AF can be used.




Additional Features and Functions



High-speed continuous shooting at up to approximately 4 fps1, and a very precise and durable shutter unit that has passed testing for 100,000 cycles.


Equipped with Quiet shutter-release mode for shooting in situations in which quieter shutter operation is desired. Infrared receivers for remote control operation on the front and back of the camera enable wireless control over the shutter from both in front of and behind the camera (optional ML-L3 wireless remote control supported).


Equipped with 16 scene modes that enable the simple capture of beautiful photos of the desired scene with automatic optimization of camera settings.


Built-in HDMI-CEC compatibility enables control over playback of still images and movies using the television's remote control when the camera is connected to a high-definition TV via the HDMI connector.


For more information Download Complete Boucher.