The REAL X-Ray spex: New 'terahertz' scanner lets mobile phones see through walls - and through clothes

Scanner uses 'terahertz' spectrum - between infrared and microwaves
Can see through walls, wood and plastics
Doctors could use small, cheap devices to see tumours inside body

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Comic-book superpowers could become reality as scientists have designed a phone that works as 'X-Ray spex'.

A hi-tech chip allows a phone to 'see through' walls, wood and plastics - and (although the researchers are coy about this) through fabrics such as clothing.

Doctors could also use the imagers to look inside the body for cancer tumours without damaging X-Rays or large, expensive MRI scanners.
The researchers claim it could allow DIYers to detect studs within walls, or allow businesses to detect counterfeit money.

At present, it's designed to work over a short range - and works with a normal-sized microchip that could fit into phones or other handheld electronics.

The team's research involves tapping into an unused range in the electromagnetic spectrum.

But the terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum, one of the wavelength ranges that falls between microwave and infrared, has not been accessible for most consumer devices.

‘We've created approaches that open a previously untapped portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for consumer use and life-saving medical applications,’ said Dr. Kenneth O, professor of electrical engineering at UT Dallas.

‘The terahertz range is full of unlimited potential that could benefit us all.’
Using the new approach, images can be created with signals operating in the terahertz (THz) range without having to use several lenses inside a device. This could reduce overall size and cost.

The second advance that makes the findings applicable for consumer devices is the technology used to create the microchip.

Chips manufactured using CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) technology form the basis of many consumer electronic devices used in daily life such as personal computers, smart phones, high definition TV and game consoles.

‘CMOS is affordable and can be used to make lots of chips,’ Dr. O said. ‘The combination of CMOS and terahertz means you could put this chip and receiver on the back of a cellphone, turning it into a device carried in your pocket that can see through objects.’

Due to privacy concerns, Dr. O and his team are focused on uses in the distance range of less than four inches.

Consumer applications of such technology could range from finding studs in walls to authentication of important documents. Businesses could use it to detect counterfeit money.

Manufacturing companies could apply it to process control.

There are also more communication channels available in terahertz than the range currently used for wireless communication, so information could be more rapidly shared at this frequency.

Terahertz can also be used for imaging to detect cancer tumors, diagnosing disease through breath analysis, and monitoring air toxicity.

‘There are all kinds of things you could be able to do that we just haven't yet thought about,’ said Dr. O, holder of the Texas Instruments Distinguished Chair.

The research was presented at the most recent International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). The team will work next to build an entire working imaging system based on the CMOS terahertz system.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2131932/The-REAL-X-Ray-spex--new-terahertz-scanner-lets-mobile-phones-walls.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
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Safety regulations for landlords

Many landlords who carried out Portable Appliance Test (PAT) tests when letting their properties for the first time have since failed to re-apply for this crucial check since they expired, new figures show.

Although gas safety regulations put strict legal obligations on landlords, there is no electrical equivalent even though such appliances can present similar levels of danger. Research carried out by INEX Property Solutions, property and maintenance service providers, also showed that of 500 landlords contacted over a four week period, more than 50% then signed up for a re-test. “Landlords need to be reminded that whatever appliances they are providing as part of their tenancy agreement, be that a fridge/freezer, microwave, washing-machine or lamp, they have a duty of care to their tenants to ensure these are maintained to a safe standard,” said Oli Kavanagh, Director of INEX Property Solutions. “Any of these appliances could cause an electrical fire. When a tenancy agreement is renewed it is easy to forget about carrying out thorough and regular due diligence and the response to our recent client reminder is evidence of this.”

Periodic inspections should be made on both gas and electrical appliances as well as fixed wiring and INEX advise landlords to carry out PAT tests between tenancies when the property is empty to make it easier to establish which appliances are the landlord’s responsibility.

Source: http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/04/19/safety-regulations-for-landlords/
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Laptop Computers Stolen From DC Auditor’s Office

WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — Authorities are investigating the theft of two laptop computers that were stolen during a burglary at the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor.

The break-in occurred over the weekend at the auditor’s office on 14th Street in Northwest. D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown’s office said in an email Wednesday night that the laptops and several other items were stolen. The crime has been reported to police.

The auditor examines the accounts and operations of the D.C. government with a focus on economy, efficiency and accountability.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Source: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/04/18/laptop-computers-stolen-from-dc-auditors-affice/
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Nikon introduces D3200 entry-level DSLR

24.2 MP camera not replacing D3100
Nikon has introduced a new DSLR to sit within its entry level range of cameras, featuring a 24.2 million pixel sensor, which it says it will sell alongside the camera's predecessor, the D3100.

The headline grabbing specification of the D3200 is of course the 24.2 million pixel sensor, Nikon's second high resolution camera to be introduced this year and the second highest in its current line-up (behind the Nikon D800's 36 million pixels).

It is designed to sit above the D3100 in the entry level range of DSLRs, but is not intended to be a direct replacement.

The native sensitivity ranges from ISO 100 up to ISO 6400, and is expandable up to Hi1, which is an equivalent of ISO 12800.

Eleven autofocus points are provided by the Multi CAM 1000 autofocus sensor for phase detection focusing when shooting through the optical viewfinder. A contrast detection system is also available when using Live View.

Processor

The D3200 uses the same Expeed 3 processor which can be found in Nikon's more expensive bodies, the D800 and D4. This promises to offer considerably faster speeds than the Expeed 2 processor, allowing for better noise reduction and full HD video recording.
1080p video recording is available at 24, 25 and 30fps, while 50 and 60fps can be achieved when recording in 720p HD. A stereo mic jack is included for adding an optional external microphone.

Big improvements have been made to the Guide Mode, which Nikon says has proven to be popular on its previous D3000 and D3100 models. This acts as an in-camera guide to achieving popular results. New additions, such as "Reds in Sunsets" have been added for the D3200.

Design

Slight changes have been made to the ergonomics of the camera, including the addition of a dedicated Live View button, a movie record button and a drive mode option.

The rear LCD is now a 921k dot device, compared with the 230k dot screen of the D3100.

Available as a separate accessory, the Nikon D3200 can have Wi-Fi functionality added via the WU-1A adapter. This allows for images to be shared on social networking sites and other options via a connected smartphone. A free app for Android will be available to download from sales start date, while an iOS version should be ready in the autumn.

The Nikon D3200 price is set to be around £559.99 body only (around $895), or £649.99 (around $1,039) with the 18-55mm kit lens. It will be made available in both red and black from the middle of May. Meanwhile, the Nikon WU-1A wireless adapter price will cost around £54.99.

Source: http://www.techradar.com/news/photography-video-capture/cameras/nikon-introduces-d3200-entry-level-dslr-1076604
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How chips, PCs, services companies are faring

A look at how selected companies providing computers, components, services and related software are faring:

April 11: Research groups Gartner and IDC estimate that PC shipments in the first quarter were ahead of their expectations, though growth was modest in light of competition from smartphones and tablet computers. Hewlett-Packard Co. appeared to have regained some of the business it had lost as it was weighing whether to dump its PC business. Lenovo Group Ltd. showed strong gains over last year. Dell Inc.’s market share fell as it focused on higher-end, higher-profit machines.

Tuesday: IBM Corp. reports flat revenue, falling short of analysts’ expectations. Software and services revenue grew, but IBM’s hardware and financing segments saw a decline.

Intel Corp. reports first-quarter results that were held back by a shortage of hard drives, which meant that PC makers had to curb production and needed fewer Intel chips. The scarcity was caused by flooding of hard-drive factories in Thailand last year. The company says hard-drive supplies improved during the quarter and the shortage is now over.

Seagate Technology PLC reports that its earnings in the latest quarter surged and revenue almost doubled. CEO Steve Luczo says the company benefited from a general recovery in the market for hard drives. But Seagate says it also shifted its product line to “industry-leading products’’ across all of its markets.

Coming up:

Wednesday: Qualcomm Inc.

Thursday: Microsoft Corp., EMC Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., SanDisk Corp., Altera Corp.

April 23: Texas Instruments Inc., Xerox Corp.

April 24: Apple Inc.

April 26: Western Digital Corp.

May 22: Dell Inc.

May 23: Hewlett-Packard Co.

Not yet known: Lenovo Group Ltd., Nvidia Corp., Salesforce.com Inc., Oracle Corp. (June), Micron Technology Inc.

Source; http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-17/business/30290355_1_pc-business-pc-makers-hard-drive
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What Can Tablets Learn from Netbooks?

High tech’s fickle nature is clearly illustrated in the life of netbooks. The devices emerged with a great deal of hoopla a handful of years ago. But once tablets took off with the introduction of the Apple iPad, the hype died down, so why would a businessperson turn to a netbook now?

Netbooks emerged as lower cost, highly functional laptops. “Initially, netbook sales were buoyed by the recession; buyers were looking to spend as little as possible,” noted says Jeff Orr, group director, mobile devices at ABI Research Inc., which found the average sales price for a netbook to be $290.

The devices are based on the standard WinTel architecture (Intel Corp. microprocessors and Microsoft Windows operating system). “Netbooks provide users with lots of headroom,” explained Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst at the Enderle Group. Users have lots of RAM and storage space, for instance, the HP Mini 1104 features up to 2GB of main memory and 320GB of disk storage. Consequently, the devices are compatible with standard corporate Windows applications. 

The keyboards are a plus. “A person would feel comfortable entering a lot of information - say a report or term paper, on a netbook,” noted ABI Research’s Orr.

Long battery life is another attractive feature. ASUS claims that its Eee PC 1011CX operates for 11 hours a day -- although users typically experience less functionality than benchmarks touted in vendors’ ads. In sum, they are a good fit for road warriors who spend a lot of time away from the office and work with business apps.

Consumers Choose Tablets

While netbooks have had a business feel, tablets are clearly geared to consumers. The slick marketing and coolness factor of the iPad created buzz about these products.”Tablets are trendy at the moment,” stated Enderle Group’s Enderle.

Ease-of-use has been a major plus for tablets. “Consumers find touchscreens much simpler to manipulate than keyboards and mice,” stated Sarah Rotman Epps, a senior analyst at Forrester Research Inc. Recent movement to speech recognition technology has made their use even easier.

Convenience is a factor also found with tablets. In today’s busy world, consumers sometimes have to access the internet when they are standing. They can hold a tablet in one hand and use the other hand to surf.
And tablets are great for watching video content. The third-generation iPad features a 2048 x 1536 resolution with 3.1 million pixels, a million pixels more than an HDTV.

While the devices are great at displaying content, they do not mesh well with content creation. “A tablet still isn’t as good as netbook for tasks, such as video editing,” said Enderle Group’s Enderle. They often lack the storage space needed to manipulate content: the HTC Flyer tablet comes with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Estimates on any given day, content creation only takes up 25% of users’ time while content viewing usurps 75% of the day.

Tablets can be expensive though. ABI Research found that the average tablet sold for $480, 65% more than a netbook.

Market Killer

Despite the limitations, tablets have had a chilling impact on the netbook marketplace. “In developed markets, netbooks are seen as crippled systems and devices that should be avoided,” said Enderle at Enderle Group.

In December of 2009, netbook sales were flying high. Sales increased by 70% year over year, according to NPD, and Acer chairman J.T Wang predicted that unit sales would reach 50 million by the end of 2010. That did not happen. The Apple iPad was announced in January 2010, and by August of that year, netbook sales fell by 4%, according to NPD.

The decline continued in 2011. In the fall quarter of 2011, tablet shipments surpassed netbook sales for the first time, reaching 13.6 million tablets compared to just 7.3 million netbooks.

Blurred Lines

So what does the future hold? Well, it may be murkier than those who view netbooks as dead end technology. Increasingly, the dividing lines between netbooks and tablets have been blurring. While Apple has been slow to add USB features to its iPad, Google Inc. adopted USB hosting in Android 3.1, so devices, like the Toshiba Thrive feature full-sized USB inputs. Tablet vendors are adding functions so their devices are better able to create content. ASUS offers a keyboard dock for its Transformer tablet, and Windows 8 on ARM will bring a near full version of Office to tablets along with other productivity features.

Suppliers are bringing their product lines together, Apple is moving to meld the features of its Mac and iPad systems and Microsoft plans to do the same with Windows 8. “Windows 8 will largely shine on a hybrid configuration of a notebook/tablet that could eclipse not only these two device classes, but much of the notebook market as well over time, if it is successful” concluded Enderle Group’s Enderle. So while there are significant design differences between the two now, that may not be the case moving forward.

source: http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3222&news=apple+ipad+netbook+tablet
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Nokia hits new low as Moody's cuts rating

 
HELSINKI (Reuters) - Moody's dealt a fresh ratings blow to Nokia on Monday, dragging its shares to their lowest level in 15 years and reflecting the Finnish handset maker's struggle to compete with Apple and Samsung.


Moody's cut Nokia's long-term credit rating to Baa3, one level above speculative grade, sending the already battered shares to a historic low of 2.948 euros. Standard & Poor's announced a similar downgrade in March.

The shares have been on a declining trend since a profit warning last Wednesday, and they broke through the technical and psychological barrier of 3 euros earlier on Monday for the first time since 1997.

Nokia said last week that it would post losses for the first and second quarters.

"Moody's believes that the structural challenges facing Nokia's mobile phones segment may not be easy to address, such as the market share gains recorded by makers of very low-end phones or new phone promotions by Chinese carriers," the U.S. ratings agency said.

Nokia quickly defended its financial position, saying it had gross cash balances of 9.8 billion euros ($12.8 billion) and a net cash position of 4.9 billion euros as of March 31.

"Nokia will continue to increase its focus on lowering the company's cost structure, improving cash flow and maintaining a strong financial position," Timo Ihamuotila, Nokia's chief financial officer, said in a statement.

In the first quarter Nokia's cash flow was 700 million euros negative.

In the second quarter, when losses from the phone business could widen, the firm is also due to pay out dividends of around 750 million.

Nokia is in the midst of a restructuring program to cut annual costs at its phone unit by more than 1 billion euros, and is expected to unveil further cuts over coming months. The latest round of 4,000 job cuts was announced in February.

The once-dominant mobile phone maker lost the top spot in the lucrative smartphone market last year to Apple and phones running Google's Android system. It also faces tough competition from nimble Asian competitors at the low end.

The stock had already crashed more than 50 percent since Nokia announced in February 2011 that it was dropping its own Symbian operating software and switching to the largely untried Windows Phone system developed by Microsoft.

Sales of Symbian phones have been falling faster than originally expected, and sales of new Windows phones have yet to make up for those losses.

Nokia is due to report first quarter results on April 19. ($1 = 0.7644 euros)

(Reporting by Helsinki Newsroom; Editing by Helen Massy-Beresford and Hans-Juergen Peters)

Soutrce: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-16/features/sns-rt-us-nokia-moodysbre83f0h9-20120416_1_cash-position-finnish-mobile-phone-moody
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12 Pounds of Gaming Love

It’s been quite a while since I attended my last LAN party, but I was under the impression that most gamers have moved on to laptops like these folks, if for no other reason than to quit it with all the lugging, loading, and hauling of gear. A laptop makes things easy: Bring your power adapter and a laser mouse and you’re ready to frag.

But every gamer knows that laptops — even so-called “gaming laptops” — have limitations. Namely, they suck at gaming. And they are ridiculously expensive, and if there’s one thing the typical gamer doesn’t have, it’s lots of money.

And so “real gamers” continue to soldier on, lugging their home-built desktops, a keyboard, mouse, monitor, cables, and gumption to every LAN party.

To them, Alienware offers this proposition: Give us $1,000, and we’ll give you a gaming desktop in a pint-sized design that’s easier to lug around. At a bit over 12 pounds (not including the 3-pound power brick) and a bit larger than a gaming console, the Andromeda X51 is easily toted under one arm, leaving the other free to carry the Keystone Light.

Our tester was spec’d a little higher than the $700 base model. Here’s what $1,000 gets you: a 3GHz Core i5, 8GB of RAM, a terabyte of hard disk space (7200 rpm), an Nvidia GTX 555 graphics card (with dual outputs), and slot-loading DVD. Loads of ports are available, including two front-mounted USB 2.0 and audio jacks. In the rear, you get four more USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, HDMI, Ethernet, SPDIF TOSLINK and coaxial ports, and, on the graphics card, dual DVI and one mini-HDMI port. Certainly a workable configuration either as a gaming luggable or as a pint-sized computer for, say, a dorm room.

Of course, it’s the benchmarks that really matter on a gaming machine, and the Andromeda doesn’t disappoint. It didn’t stutter on any game we threw at it, delivering well into the 60fps-plus range on every gaming benchmark we use. Perfectly playable, and with a P3166 rating on 3DMark 11, vastly superior to any laptop you’re going to find at video operations. General performance was exceptional but not record-breaking. Most computers with Core i7 chips will do better with CPU-intensive operations if that’s on the menu.

Gaming on a laptop is no picnic, but hauling gear to an event is no fun either. There’s no denying the X51 will provide a far better gaming experience than any laptop — even a machine three to four times the price. But only you know your tolerance for attempting to strap a desktop into your car’s passenger seat with the seatbelt.

That’s probably why they invented online multiplayer.

WIRED Plenty of ports and power for most gaming needs. Super portable: 15 percent the size of a regular Alienware tower. Modular internal design makes replacing or upgrading parts easy. Sturdy build. Reasonably quiet.

TIRED Necessarily limited expansion options: 330-watt power supply and physical issues mean replacing the video card is tricky. Still more expensive than a DIY system. Power brick is the size of a man’s shoe.

Source: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/04/alienware-x51/
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Canon Cinema EOS C500 camera hands-on (video)

The familiar EOS-1D C isn't the only Canon camera to make its public debut ahead of NAB. The Cinema EOS series welcomes a third model to the collection this week, with looks that nearly match last year's C300. Unlike that model, which you can already pick up through e-tailers and at specialty shops, the C500 has a long way to go before it gets a shipping nod -- it may not even make it to market in 2012. The $30,000 price tag may pose an even greater barrier to entry than its to-be-announced availability date, however, and may in need of some tweaking before it's ready to compete with already established models, like the much less expensive RED Scarlet. Like the 1D C, the C500 can shoot 4K video -- the most apparent upgrade from the $16,000 C300. To that end, boosting its price tag may be the only way for Canon to avoid cannibalizing that less-abled flavor, since many cinematographers would otherwise pay little attention to the C300, due in part to its 1080p-limited shooting capabilities.

It's been a few months since we've last seen Canon's first Cinema EOS model, but the C500 has a look and feel that seems to be only subtly different from the C300. It is noticeably heavier, likely due to the additional cooling gear on board to accommodate 4K shooting. Both flavors include dual CF card slots, which you'll only be able to use for snapping 1080p video -- 4K is fed to an external recorder through the dual 3G-SDI ports, which for obvious reasons you won't find on the C300. There's also a larger grip on board, now a permanent fixture on the C500, which should aid with bare-bones handheld shoots -- but if you're dropping 30 grand on a digital body, some sticks and a dolly shouldn't be far behind. Like its sibling, this year's model ships with either a Canon EOS or industry standard PL mount, so if you have a need for both, you'll need two cameras. Overall, you're looking at the same sleek, albeit slightly unconventional body design, with a price tag that's likely to make amateurs weep and pros run for the rental house. As always, there's a hands-on video waiting just past the break.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/15/canon-cinema-eos-c500-hands-on/
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Barbecue Grills Assortment at Karl’s Appliance Store Expands with Alfresco Brand

Karl's Appliance, a well-known New York City Metro Area based home appliances retailer, has added Alfresco BBQ grills to its outdoor appliance product assortment & will be displaying the brand’s 42 inch wide grill in the Fairfield and Paramus, NJ appliance stores.

Fairfield, NJ, April 15, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Karl's Appliance, a leading dealer of high-end built-in and freestanding outdoor grills including Lynx Professional Grills, Viking Outdoor, DCS, Weber, and more, will be welcoming the line of Alfresco into the product assortment for select stores. Alfresco, a recognized pioneer in the outdoor kitchen industry offers a full selection of professional grade outdoor barbeques, side burners, refrigerators, beer coolers and kegerators, access doors, and more. Built in versions of the 42 inch wide grill are expected to be on display in the designer appliance showrooms located in Fairfield, NJ and Paramus, NJ.

"Alfresco is an ideal fit into our barbecue grill product assortment," says Glenn Julian, Ecommerce Merchandising and Marketing Manager for Karl's. "Alfresco’s passion for the open air kitchen is obvious.”

Alfresco was founded in 2000 with the goal of bringing products with features professional chefs demand to the outdoors. The founder’s 30 plus years of experience designing and building cooking equipment for restaurants and hotels proved helpful when developing the first priority – a professional quality gas grill. The company welds and polishes every seam which proves to hold better than mechanical fasteners which can be prone to loosening over time. Alfresco developed a unique and industry leading 27,500 BTU dual-row, dual-port gas burner using an exclusive high heat stainless steel that offers a lifetime warranty. Finally, the Sear Zone hybrid infrared system was developed bringing intense searing power offered in commercial appliances to the home.

About Karl’s Appliance
Karl's Appliance is a specialty retailer of indoor and outdoor major appliances and operates six home appliance stores serving New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Karl’s also offers online shopping for large appliances with nationwide shipping available.

Source: http://www.pr.com/press-release/405584
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snarky-much

snarky-much

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Marketron Introduces Its Mobile Marketing and Advertising Technology to the TV Industry KLWB-TV and KDCG-TV are Among Marketron's Initial Customer Wins

HAILEY, Idaho, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Marketron, the leading provider of business software solutions and services for the media industry, today announced the introduction of its Mobile Marketing and Advertising technology to the television industry. Already in extensive use by more than 2,200 radio stations, KLWB-TV and KDCG-TV are among the first TV stations to adopt Marketron's mobile engagement and advertising platform.

"Mobile advertising is taking on a larger role in the marketing mix for many of the advertisers that we work with," said Chuck Wood, General Manager, Delta Media. "Developing creative and well-targeted mobile campaigns has become an essential part of our business, and Marketron's Mobile solution offered us an easy to use and accessible application that provides us with greater efficiencies in development and rollout of campaigns. This has opened up a completely new revenue channel for our organization and Marketron's expertise allowed us to get this initiative off the ground and profitable immediately."

Marketron Mobile provides a highly scalable mobile marketing and advertising platform designed to reinvigorate traditional media, make broadcast programming more interactive and rapidly grow both traditional spot and new advertising revenue. Employing Marketron's mobile solution allows media organizations to create highly targeted mobile ad campaigns on both a local or national scale through demographic and interest-based data.

"Our mobile solution offers media organizations the opportunity to tap into digital advertising budgets by opening up a new revenue stream at a price local TV stations can afford," said Martin Kristiseter, Vice President of Mobile Solutions at Marketron. "After the explosive growth and incredible revenue uplift we have created for our radio customers, expanding our solution to local television was the natural next step. Radio has embraced this technology and now nothing is standing in the way of television stations leveraging the power of mobile to add exceptionally valuable, high-touch and measurable advertising to their sales programs."

Marketron Mobile has already become the mobile technology standard for radio. Television stations will be able to use the technology to encourage their audiences to engage in text-to-win contests, polls and voting, news updates and loyalty programs. With 98% of text messages being opened within five minutes and tools such as the mobile website builder ensuring an excellent user experience, the opportunity to create immediate and highly measurable results for the station and its advertisers that eclipse other forms of digital and social media are apparent.

About Marketron

Marketron is the leading provider of business software solutions and services for the media industry. Marketron's traffic, digital, business intelligence and exchange platform and services drive innovation to create new growth opportunities that produce the maximum value for our clients and facilitate their evolution into digital. Relied on by more than 7,000 media organizations, Marketron solutions are the most widely-used media solutions in the world, managing an estimated $15 billion dollars of annual advertising revenue. Marketron is an affiliate of The Wicks Group of Companies, LLC of New York, which specializes in communications, information and media businesses.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/marketron-introduces-its-mobile-marketing-and-advertising-technology-to-the-tv-industry-2012-04-12
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Google CEO hints at low-cost tablet

When asked during today's Google earnings call about Google's future plans with tablets, CEO Larry Page furthered the rumor that Google is working on its own low-cost tablet. Or at least working with other vendors to bring them to market.

"We're very excited about tablets," he said. "Obviously there's been a lot of success on some lower-price tablets that run Android, maybe not the full Google version of Android. But we definitely believe that there's going to be a lot of success at the lower end of the market as well with lower price products... It's definitely an area we think is important and we're quite focused on. "

Google could be setting up to follow a similar playbook as it did with smartphones: In addition to supporting developers and manufacturers who release their own products, the company also has one smartphone product that it takes a special interest in and controls more carefully: The Nexus.

CNET Executive Editor Roger Cheng believes that Google's entrance into the low-cost tablet market would cast a pall over the segment for other manufacturers. However, these other manufactures (with the exception of Amazon, with its Android-based US$199 Kindle Fire), have not be wildly successful in the Android tablet market. A burr under their saddles, courtesy of Google, may help the market as much as it confounds manufacturers--except for Asus, with whom Google is thought to be partnering for this product.

Source: http://asia.cnet.com/crave/google-ceo-hints-at-low-cost-tablet-62214276.htm
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Mobile phone carriers band together to stop cell phone theft

 


Major mobile phone carriers have agreed to a plan to track and shut down cell phones reported stolen.

The carriers have teamed up with the US government and the Federal Communications Commission to build a database of stolen cell phones in order to track and even shut them down remotely.

Each cell phone will have a serial number like a car license plate that will be stored in the database if reported stolen.

“Any system that can prevent a theft or a thief from reselling a device will be a welcome tool to make our system safer,” said Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn, said the Washington Post.

The effort is to crack down on the rising numbers of cell phone theft around the country by making the resale value on the phones nil.

According to the Wall Street Journal, there were more than 26,000 reported incidents of electronics theft in 2011, with over 80 percent involving mobile phones.

In Washington, DC, cell phone theft rose 54 percent between 2007 and 2011, and are now taken in nearly 40 percent of all robberies in the district, according to FCC statistics.

Verizon and Sprint already block stolen mobile phones from being activated leaving AT&T and T-Mobile to do the same by the end of October.

"Today iPhones and smartphones are catnip for criminals. They're valuable, they're exposed, they're easy to steal. They are ripe for the picking," Senator Charles Schumer, a key backer of the plan, said reported the Chicago Tribune.

Source: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/business-tech/120411/wireless-carriers-band-together-stop-cellphone-theft
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Sears Appliance Repair Service is Announcing Big Discounts and Guaranteed Savings for Customers Nationwide, on All Sears Appliances, Don't Call Just Anyone to Fix That

Sears Appliance Repair Service is a nationwide Appliance repair service provider. With new low discount prices on appliance repair and service anywhere in the USA. Employing only the best Sears Kenmore authorized factory trained repairman. Technicians are trained to repair all Sears appliances from newer models to classic appliances.

(PRWEB) April 11, 2012

Visit Sears Kenmore Appliance Repair Service at http://www.searsapplaincerepairservice.com. Sears Repair is a nationwide sears repair service provider. Offering new lower prices on Sears appliance repair and service on all Sears appliances anywhere in the United States. Sears Technicians are standing by locally to help. Sears Appliance Repair technicians are factory trained and, waiting to handle any and all Sears appliance repair and service problems.

Sears Appliance Repair Service has been serving communities all over the United States since 1995. With a commitment to quality and service that sets Sears Appliance Repair Service apart from the competition. For all Sears Kenmore appliance repair and service, Sears Appliance Repair Service is number 1 in customer satisfaction. With a commitment to quality that exceeds the industry standard in customer service. Sears Appliance Repair Service has expanded operations recently providing even more trained service technicians in all areas of the

For the original version on PRWeb visit:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/4/prweb9385926.htm

Source: http://www.chron.com/business/press-releases/article/Sears-Appliance-Repair-Service-is-Announcing-Big-3473481.php
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Red-light camera firm in talks with Jacksonville has been kicked out of other cities

The company in talks with the city was abandoned by 3 Western towns.

The company Jacksonville is negotiating with to install at least 25 red light cameras at intersections around the city has been kicked out of several U.S. cities because revenues didn’t equal projections.

Jacksonville is negotiating with Redflex Traffic Systems, an Arizona-based subsidiary of Australian Redflex Holdings. The company’s contract with Albuquerque, N.M., was shot down late last year by voters and the City Council, and two West Coast cities canceled their deals.

Albuquerque Councilman Dan Lewis said he was neutral about the cameras at first but eventually came out against them when he learned more.

The city asked the University of New Mexico in December 2009 to study the effects of the cameras on crashes. It found the number of crashes at intersections with cameras increased 3.5 percent, mostly due to a jump in rear-end collisions.

Also, Lewis said, the city was running in red ink.

“The program began to lose about $100,000 a month,” he said. Although the company renegotiated, the City Council followed the non-binding vote of the people to end the contract.

Redflex billed the city $4.5 million shortly thereafter, claiming the city had to pony up its share of revenue from tickets that were still outstanding even after the program was canceled. The city is currently disputing the claim in court, the Albuquerque Journal newspaper reported.

Lewis also pointed out that the cameras create a perverse incentive for cities to make sure the number of violators remains high, noting that if driver behavior actually changed, the number of violations would decrease over time and the cameras would produce less revenue.

He argues that other, more inexpensive safety measures, such as extending yellow light lengths, would be more effective.

Andrea Aker, a spokeswoman for Redflex, disagreed.

“It isn’t true,” she said. “Data is indisputable that safety cameras change driver behavior.

“Cities that operate safety camera programs consistently show a reduction in red light running and violations.”
Albuquerque isn’t the only city that has kicked Redflex out of town: Burien, Wash., and Glendale, Calif., both abandoned their Redflex-operated camera systems this year.

The details of the agreement between Redflex and Jacksonville, including payment terms, have yet to be finalized, but Redflex’s bid submission proposes a fixed monthly cost to the city of $3,999 per approach at the 25 intersections.

The company says its pricing model is designed to require “zero out-of-pocket expense and zero financial commitment,” and that the city would be able to address its overhead expenses before addressing the Redflex invoices.

If Jacksonville’s ticket monthly totals exceed $3,999 per approach, the excess is split between the city and state. If it’s less, the city owes that amount to Redflex.

The only city in Northeast Florida with red light cameras is Green Cove Springs, which has a contract with American Traffic Solutions, one of Redflex’s competitors. ATS submitted a bid to install and manage Jacksonville’s proposed system but ultimately lost out to Redflex.

Like Redflex, ATS has had contracts ended in cities across the country, including Houston in 2010 and Los Angeles this year.

Academics and traffic safety experts remain divided on the cameras’ efficacy.

A 2004 study by North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University claimed that the cameras’ presence increased the total number crashes by more than 40 percent.

On the other hand, a 2005 study by the Federal Highway Administration showed a decrease in the number of right-angle crashes but found evidence for an increase in rear-end collisions — ostensibly because of more people stopping abruptly at traffic signals.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit group funded by auto insurance companies, is a staunch supporter of red light cameras.

Russ Rader, a spokesman for the group, noted that while some studies showed that cameras caused an increase in rear-end crashes, the Institute believes this is more than offset by reductions in side impact crashes, which it characterizes as more dangerous.

Source: The company Jacksonville is negotiating with to install at least 25 red light cameras at intersections around the city has been kicked out of several U.S. cities because revenues didn’t equal projections.

Jacksonville is negotiating with Redflex Traffic Systems, an Arizona-based subsidiary of Australian Redflex Holdings. The company’s contract with Albuquerque, N.M., was shot down late last year by voters and the City Council, and two West Coast cities canceled their deals.

Albuquerque Councilman Dan Lewis said he was neutral about the cameras at first but eventually came out against them when he learned more.

The city asked the University of New Mexico in December 2009 to study the effects of the cameras on crashes. It found the number of crashes at intersections with cameras increased 3.5 percent, mostly due to a jump in rear-end collisions.

Also, Lewis said, the city was running in red ink.

“The program began to lose about $100,000 a month,” he said. Although the company renegotiated, the City Council followed the non-binding vote of the people to end the contract.

Redflex billed the city $4.5 million shortly thereafter, claiming the city had to pony up its share of revenue from tickets that were still outstanding even after the program was canceled. The city is currently disputing the claim in court, the Albuquerque Journal newspaper reported.

Lewis also pointed out that the cameras create a perverse incentive for cities to make sure the number of violators remains high, noting that if driver behavior actually changed, the number of violations would decrease over time and the cameras would produce less revenue.

He argues that other, more inexpensive safety measures, such as extending yellow light lengths, would be more effective.

Andrea Aker, a spokeswoman for Redflex, disagreed.

“It isn’t true,” she said. “Data is indisputable that safety cameras change driver behavior.

“Cities that operate safety camera programs consistently show a reduction in red light running and violations.”
Albuquerque isn’t the only city that has kicked Redflex out of town: Burien, Wash., and Glendale, Calif., both abandoned their Redflex-operated camera systems this year.

The details of the agreement between Redflex and Jacksonville, including payment terms, have yet to be finalized, but Redflex’s bid submission proposes a fixed monthly cost to the city of $3,999 per approach at the 25 intersections.

The company says its pricing model is designed to require “zero out-of-pocket expense and zero financial commitment,” and that the city would be able to address its overhead expenses before addressing the Redflex invoices.

If Jacksonville’s ticket monthly totals exceed $3,999 per approach, the excess is split between the city and state. If it’s less, the city owes that amount to Redflex.

The only city in Northeast Florida with red light cameras is Green Cove Springs, which has a contract with American Traffic Solutions, one of Redflex’s competitors. ATS submitted a bid to install and manage Jacksonville’s proposed system but ultimately lost out to Redflex.

Like Redflex, ATS has had contracts ended in cities across the country, including Houston in 2010 and Los Angeles this year.
Academics and traffic safety experts remain divided on the cameras’ efficacy.
A 2004 study by North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University claimed that the cameras’ presence increased the total number crashes by more than 40 percent.

On the other hand, a 2005 study by the Federal Highway Administration showed a decrease in the number of right-angle crashes but found evidence for an increase in rear-end collisions — ostensibly because of more people stopping abruptly at traffic signals.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit group funded by auto insurance companies, is a staunch supporter of red light cameras.

Russ Rader, a spokesman for the group, noted that while some studies showed that cameras caused an increase in rear-end crashes, the Institute believes this is more than offset by reductions in side impact crashes, which it characterizes as more dangerous.


Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-04-11/story/red-light-camera-firm-talks-jacksonville-has-been-kicked-out-other#ixzz1riCM0ViK
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Intel chip tests surface ahead of Apple, Windows laptops

Quad-core Ivy Bridge Apple and Windows laptops will likely appear first. New benchmarks offer a preview of Intel graphics performance in these systems.

New benchmarks point to decent performance jumps for upcoming Intel Ivy Bridge mobile processors. That should translate pretty directly to faster Apple and Windows laptops.

To date, we've seen plenty of Ivy Bridge desktop benchmarks but few hard numbers for mobile. Ivy Bridge is Intel's next-gen processor packing 3D transistors, improved graphics, and USB 3.0 via the accompanying chipset.
So, let's get right to the nub of the matter. Benchmark tests were conducted with a quad-core Core i7-3820QM Ivy Bridge chip and a current-generation Sandy Bridge Core i7-2960XM.

Testing based on 3DMark Vantage (entry, overall) yielded a score of 19,097 for the Ivy Bridge HD4000 graphics processing unit (GPU). By comparison, the Sandy Bridge HD3000 GPU posted a score of 11,583, according to Computer Base. That's a 65 percent performance boost for Ivy Bridge.

On 3DMark Vantage (overall, performance), the Ivy Bridge HD4000 racked up a score of 4,431 against Sandy Bridge's 2,179. That's a gain of 103 percent.

Both chips had a base clock speed of 2.7GHz and a Turbo Boost speed of 3.7GHz, according to CPU World.

As has been demonstrated in the past, performance gains for Ivy Bridge's central processing unit (CPU) were much more modest.

The first Ivy Bridge mobile processors are due to be announced later this month. Typically, Intel announces quad-core mobile chips first. MacBook Pros and high-end Windows gaming laptops use mobile quad-core processors.

Needless to say, quad-core Ivy Bridge laptops will almost invariably come with "discrete" standalone graphics from Nvidia or Advanced Micro Devices. But today many systems are designed to use both Intel and discrete graphics -- so Intel GPU performance is not irrelevant, even in these brawny laptops. And Intel GPUs will be very relevant with thin laptop designs that use only Intel graphics.

Power-efficient dual-core Ivy Bridge chips that are expected to land in the MacBook Air and ultrabooks should appear later in the spring.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57412178-64/intel-chip-tests-surface-ahead-of-apple-windows-laptops/
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Microsoft retires Vista, Office 2007 from mainstream support this week

Microsoft will shift Windows Vista and Office 2007 into what it calls extended support over the next two days.

Vista, the problem-plagued operating system that never really took hold among users, will exit mainstream support on Tuesday, April 10. According to Microsoft, Office 2007 leaves mainstream support today.

In a product's extended support phrase, Microsoft continues to provide security patches to all users, but offers other fixes -- such as reliability and stability updates -- only to organizations that have signed support contracts with the company.

Just seven weeks ago, Microsoft quietly extended support for the consumer versions of Windows Vista -- as well as Windows 7 -- by five years to synchronize their support lifecycle with that of the comparable enterprise editions.

Previously, Microsoft had committed to supporting consumer software with security updates for just five years, not the 10 granted to business software.

Vista's last major update was Service Pack 2 (SP2), which debuted in May 2009. Microsoft shipped the third and final Office 2007 service pack, SP3, last October.

Windows Vista's share of in-use operating systems has fallen dramatically since Microsoft introduced Windows 7 in October 2009. By the calculations of Web metrics firm Net Applications, Vista now accounts for just 7.7% of all operating systems, and 8.3% of the machines running Windows.

Vista peaked at 19.1% in October 2009 and has been falling ever since. At the rate of its decline over the last 12 months, Vista will slip under the 5% bar in January 2013.

Both Vista and Office 2007 will continue to run, of course: The migration into extended support does not make them inoperable. Microsoft will deliver security updates for Vista and Office 2007 until mid-April 2017.

Vista users will be able to upgrade their PCs to Windows 8 when it ships later this year.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed. His email address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.

Source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/software/3349903/microsoft-retires-vista-office-2007-from-mainstream-support-this-week/
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Lenovo unveils Android 4 tablet IdeaTab S2019

New Delhi: Lenovo has unveiled its upcoming tablet IdeaTab S2019 through a teaser video on its Youtube channel. The company has not yet revealed the launch date or price of the tablet.

We reported last month that the tablet had passed testing with the FCC (Federal Communication Commission of USA,) and is listed for launch in India too.

IdeaTab S2019 is based on the latest Android 4.0 operating system, and comes with a 9.7 inch IPS display. It will also have four SRS-ready speakers for superior sound output.

The tablet will have a voice activation feature similar to the famed Siri on iPhone. Apart from that it will get a USB port, mini HDMI port and a hot-swappable microSD slot.
The teaser video claims better battery life of ten hours, though it fails to give details about the exact size of the battery or the processor's speed.

Lenovo IdeaTab S2019 boasts of a unibody design with gunmetal finish, though we do not know if the body is made of metal or not.

Currently, Lenovo sells three tablets in India - ThinkPad, IdeaPad K1 and IdeaPad A1, which runs Android 2.3.x. ThinkPad is for enterprise users and IdeaPads are meant for general users. And all of them will be getting Android 4.0 updates starting May this year.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/lenovo-unveils-android-4-tablet-ideatab-s2019/247416-11.html
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Hands-on: Lumix GF5 clears up Panasonic’s mirrorless camera strategy


Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are all the rage right now, and the market is heating up with an even greater variety of brands producing their own take on the format – such as the Fujifilm niche X-Pro1 and Olympus OM-D.

Not to be left behind, Panasonic, which introduced the very first micro four thirds (MFT) camera back in 2008, just unveiled its latest addition to its MFT family: the Lumix GF5. We got our hands on pre-release prototypes to see just how well it’ll stand up against the competition.

What’s in a name?
Before we jump in, some of you might be a little confused about the name GF5. Didn’t Panasonic unveil the GF3 just nine months ago? And what happened to the GF4? It doesn’t help that the company has a truck load of MFT camera models, and it could feel like they’re just throwing out cameras on to the market without thought.

But the GF5 helps to clear things up. For one, it’s called the GF5 because the number 4 is considered really unlucky in Japan, and with the GX1 launched last November, Panasonic now has four classes of MFT cameras: the G and GF series for beginners, and the GH and GX for pros and amateurs who know their way around a camera.

Beginner-friendly

The GF5 is aimed squarely at beginners, and includes a new tutorial of sorts in camera. This programme lets users choose from several pre-loaded photos they want to emulate, then relays the instructions step-by-step so they can attempt to produce a similar shot.

Fourteen filter effects let shooters express their creativity, and these effects can be previewed on the 3-inch, 920k-dot LCD touch screen before the photo is actually taken. The camera can also recommend filters based on the user’s selected shooting mode.

GF5 vs. GF3

Panasonic just made the GF3 obsolete within a span of nine months, and that’s bound to make some people unhappy. Just how different is this new model?

Different enough, as it turns out. The GF5 has a new sensor which produces 30 per cent less noise than the GF3, but it still has the same 12.1 megapixels. There’s also a new image processing engine and a graphic engine to boost performance.

The GF5 can push ISO up to 12,800, while the GF3 can only do up to 6,400. But from my hands-on, the picture quality starts to really deteriorate from ISO 1,600 and it’s really not recommended unless you want unsightly grain in your photos.

Autofocus has been tweaked to be slightly faster in the GF5, and the camera can lock on to its subject in 0,09 seconds. It’s also capable of shooting 4 frames per second at full resolution, an improvement from the GF3’s 3.8fps.

If you’re into shooting video, the GF5 can now do full HD (1080p) video at 30fps in stereo sound. You can also choose to record in the MP4 format, while the GF3 could only do AVCHD at 720p and mono sound.

Externally, however, not much has changed. The GF5 is a tad heavier, but you won’t even notice it. I also like the enlarged grip for the right hand, which is certainly more comfortable than the GF3.

Lenses and accessories

No big surprises here. The GF5 is compatible with all existing X series lenses, although the selection is a bit limited at the moment. It ships with the 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens, which is amazingly tiny and has a unique zooming and focusing mechanism.

Hands-on: Lumix GF5 clears up Panasonic’s mirrorless camera strategy

Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are all the rage right now, and the market is heating up with an even greater variety of brands producing their own take on the format – such as the Fujifilm niche X-Pro1 and Olympus OM-D.

Not to be left behind, Panasonic, which introduced the very first micro four thirds (MFT) camera back in 2008, just unveiled its latest addition to its MFT family: the Lumix GF5. We got our hands on pre-release prototypes to see just how well it’ll stand up against the competition.

What’s in a name?

Before we jump in, some of you might be a little confused about the name GF5. Didn’t Panasonic unveil the GF3 just nine months ago? And what happened to the GF4? It doesn’t help that the company has a truck load of MFT camera models, and it could feel like they’re just throwing out cameras on to the market without thought.

But the GF5 helps to clear things up. For one, it’s called the GF5 because the number 4 is considered really unlucky in Japan, and with the GX1 launched last November, Panasonic now has four classes of MFT cameras: the G and GF series for beginners, and the GH and GX for pros and amateurs who know their way around a camera.

Beginner-friendly

The GF5 is aimed squarely at beginners, and includes a new tutorial of sorts in camera. This programme lets users choose from several pre-loaded photos they want to emulate, then relays the instructions step-by-step so they can attempt to produce a similar shot.

Fourteen filter effects let shooters express their creativity, and these effects can be previewed on the 3-inch, 920k-dot LCD touch screen before the photo is actually taken. The camera can also recommend filters based on the user’s selected shooting mode.

GF5 vs. GF3
Panasonic just made the GF3 obsolete within a span of nine months, and that’s bound to make some people unhappy. Just how different is this new model?

Different enough, as it turns out. The GF5 has a new sensor which produces 30 per cent less noise than the GF3, but it still has the same 12.1 megapixels. There’s also a new image processing engine and a graphic engine to boost performance.

The GF5 can push ISO up to 12,800, while the GF3 can only do up to 6,400. But from my hands-on, the picture quality starts to really deteriorate from ISO 1,600 and it’s really not recommended unless you want unsightly grain in your photos.

Autofocus has been tweaked to be slightly faster in the GF5, and the camera can lock on to its subject in 0,09 seconds. It’s also capable of shooting 4 frames per second at full resolution, an improvement from the GF3’s 3.8fps.

If you’re into shooting video, the GF5 can now do full HD (1080p) video at 30fps in stereo sound. You can also choose to record in the MP4 format, while the GF3 could only do AVCHD at 720p and mono sound.

Externally, however, not much has changed. The GF5 is a tad heavier, but you won’t even notice it. I also like the enlarged grip for the right hand, which is certainly more comfortable than the GF3.

Lenses and accessories

No big surprises here. The GF5 is compatible with all existing X series lenses, although the selection is a bit limited at the moment. It ships with the 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens, which is amazingly tiny and has a unique zooming and focusing mechanism.

You can also play around with Panasonic’s conversion lenses, which look like cute tiny caps you can screw onto the 14-42mm, bringing with them various capabilities such as macro or fish-eye shooting. I spent quite a while fiddling with these conversion lenses, and found it a challenge to screw them on and off. They definitely need more work on the usability front.

Round-up

The GF5 is a nice piece of kit, and could be a good choice for photographers looking to pick up photography as a hobby. But I still recommend picking up an entry-level DSLR for a better experience.

The only crucial unknown factor left is the price – the GF5 better be well-priced, or it might very well flop in a country saturated with DSLRs and other mirrorless cameras.

Source: http://www.techgoondu.com/2012/04/05/hands-on-lumix-gf5-clears-up-panasonics-mirrorless-camera-strategy/#.T32BtMUgcfV
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Toshiba Tablet (AT200) Android tablet

Marketed as "the world's thinnest and lightest 10.1in tablet", Toshiba's AT200 certainly looks the part. Despite its razor thin credentials, however, the AT200 isn't as well built as it looks and is still waiting for the latest Android software update to address a number of issues.

Ultralight and super-thin

Ultralight and super-thin. That's how Toshiba describes the AT200. While this is definitely marketing speak, it's hard to argue with the company once you've held the AT200 in your hands. At just 535g and only 7.7mm thin, the tablet is simply a featherweight to hold. It is without a doubt the most comfortable tablet we've ever used single-handedly. While the weight difference may not sound like much compared to the new iPad, the difference is immediately noticeable and something you'll quickly come to love.

Aiding the design is the fact that the AT200 looks the part, too. It has an attractive magnesium alloy finish on the rear, a gloss black bezel surrounding the screen on the front, and a recessed edge that has a gloss silver strip running through it. The latter in particular immediately sets is apart from the many bland, black slabs that make up most other Android tablets on the market.

Sadly, there are a number of flaws with the design of the AT200 that detract from its overall appeal. The rear casing noticeably creaks towards the bottom when pressed. The metallic finish scratches way too easily. Worst of all, the outer rim on the back of the device has a sharp edge that digs into your fingers when holding the tablet. If you look closely along the edges you'll see that this finish is uneven, with the gap noticeably wider in some areas than others. This lack of attention to detail simply isn't good enough on a device commanding almost $600.

The Toshiba AT200 does have some other redeeming features. Users looking for flexibility will be pleased with the microSD card slot, a micro-HDMI port and a micro-USB cable. We like how none of these ports are hidden behind annoying plastic flaps or doors. What we don't like is the ungainly, chunky charger Toshiba includes. The charging connector is thicker than the tablet itself and seems overkill when many other tablets charge via a regular micro-USB connection. You can at least choose to charge the Toshiba AT200 via its micro-USB port, but charging time is significantly slower.

The Toshiba AT200 has a 10.1in Gorilla glass screen with a resolution of 1280x800. The screen isn't going to win any awards and certainly isn't as bright or crisp as the new iPad, or even the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime. We also dislike the small, visible square shapes all over the screen. This imprint appears to be on the layer directly below the outside of the screen and is very noticeable at certain angles, particularly if there is light shining on the screen.

Source: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/tablets/toshiba/at200/420694
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Kenya: Can Mobile Phones Be Used to 'Bank' the Poor?

OPINION

The phenomenal success of Kenya's M-PESA system, which allows people to store and transfer funds via electronic accounts that they access via mobile phones, has raised hopes that mobile money may provide a way for the poor to access basic banking services.

In an earlier post, I presented findings from my recent working paper with Aaron Thegeya, showing that a remarkable 73pc of Kenyan adults use mobile money, and nearly a quarter use it every day.

We also show that savings with a simple M-PESA account is common, with 2/3 of M-PESA users reporting that they save in some form with M-PESA. We see some mild evidence that M-PESA may increase savings: controlling for various characteristics, those who are registered for M-PESA are 32 percent more likely to report some savings activity.

Why do people save with M-PESA when it doesn't pay interest? A possible explanation comes from an experimental study on health savings (not involving M-PESA). In that study, just providing participants with a simple metal box with a lock and a deposit slit in the top increased savings by 68 percent.

The authors conclude that this effect was due to "mental accounting," meaning that with the funds set aside, it was easier to refuse requests or limit consumption knowing that the funds were mentally allocated to savings. M-PESA may serve a function similar to the box. This matches the results from a focus group study in which Kenyans highlight the value of M-PESA as a place to store funds, safe from the dangers of theft and inaccessible to family members.

M-PESA's success has inspired efforts to go beyond simple no-interest money storage and provide more sophisticated "branchless banking" services via mobile phone. In our paper, Aaron and I look at one prominent attempt to launch such a system in Kenya. M-KESHO provides an interest-bearing savings account as its core feature, supplemented by microloans and small-scale personal accident insurance. All of this is accessible through a simple mobile phone, and customers can sign up at agents across the country. M-KESHO was launched in mid-2010 to a barrage of excitement.

We examine the experience of M-KESHO six months after its launch. We show that actual use of M-KESHO was very low in a national household survey: just 0.6pc of Kenyan adults said they saved with M-KESHO, and these savers were concentrated at the high end of the wealth distribution, with almost none among the Kenyan poor.

M-KESHO may not have caught on because the marginal gain to using it versus saving with M-PESA is low. M-KESHO currently pays a maximum interest rate of 3 percent, which is better than zero, but not that impressive when overall inflation in Kenya is over 16 percent.

This begs the question of why M-KESHO's interest rates are so low. We speculate that the answer may lie in part in the complex technical and institutional arrangements the system requires. Bank-integrated savings products such as M-KESHO require two players in order to operate: a mobile phone service provider and a bank. (Mobile survey providers are not licensed by Kenyan law to provide banking services, and similar restrictions are found in other countries.) The cooperation required between the bank and the mobile service provider has two likely outcomes.

First, the fact that both organizations must profit out of the arrangement reduces the surplus for consumers and in the case of M-KESHO may explain why the interest rates it offers are so low. Second, the shared arrangement between the two companies may create challenges for the two to work together. Although released to much fanfare, M-KESHO has not been widely promoted subsequently, which may reflect difficulties Equity Bank and Safaricom have had in managing the partnership. The bottom line is that sophisticated "branchless banking" via mobile phone remains an unproven approach in Kenya. This is not to say that such efforts are doomed: other similar experiments are under way, and we may eventually see one succeed.

Demombynes is Senior Economist in the Nairobi office of the World Bank.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201204040165.html
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Kitchen appliances help observant Jews keep kosher

A $50 kitchen appliance feature has become the answer to a millennia-old challenge for observant Jews.

The so-called “Sabbath mode” for most stoves and some fridges allows owners to warm food and use their fridge between Friday and Saturday nights, because Jewish law prohibits working on the Sabbath.

When the eight days of Passover begin on the Sabbath, as it does this year, modern appliances make it possible for Orthodox Jews to serve preprepared, labour-intensive Seder meals without breaking the rules.

Michael Gnat of the wholesaler Midnorthern Appliances says almost all popular brands of stoves and ovens have a Sabbath mode feature – essentially a switch that disengages automatic safety shut-offs, allowing ovens to maintain a low heat for extended periods.

High-tech refrigerators are a bit trickier if you happen to be an observant Jew: merely opening a door causes lights, defrost cycles and digital readouts to come on and compressors to engage — all signs and symbols of work. Yet even here, technological solution was introduced more than 10 years ago. “It’s a bypass switch worth about $50 to $100,” he says. But for many Observant Jews it’s priceless. “We have a large Orthodox clientele and the Sabbath mode feature is critical for them.”

There are some applicances in the kitchen that just have to be left alone on the Sabbath — microwaves or dishwashers, for example, which can’t be left running.

Every Jew determines their own level of compliance — often under the guidance of their Rabbi.

Rabbi Leslie Lipson of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda synagogue says it can be traced back to God’s decision to rest on the 7th day as written in the second chapter of Genesis. “So we rest on the seventh day,” he says.

There are 39 categories of work listed in the Torah, says Rabbi Lipson. But the nature of work has changed over the years. Mostly we are not an agrarian society and many of us do not cook with fire. In modern times completing an electrical circuit is tantamount to lighting a fire, explains Lipson.

Observant Jews can decide not to use their microwaves. As well, they can disable the light in their fridge so the electrical circuit is not completed.

When Vaughan couple Joshua Oerbach and his wife Melissa were shopping for appliances for their new home in 2010, they looked for fridges and stoves with Sabbath mode kits. He had not been brought up in an Orthodox environment; she had been. They finally settled on a GE Café stove and an Electrolux fridge with Sabbath-mode technology.

“Everyone draws their own boundary,” says Joshua.

General Electric, Electrolux, Sub-Zero, Frigidaire, Whirlpool, Maytag and Viking have developed Sabbathmode features. (A list of Star-K-approved appliances — fridges and stoves that are compliant with Jewish law, can be found at star-k.org.

GE spokesperson Kim Mann isn’t assuming there will be a run on Sabbath mode appliances as Passover approaches. “This is not market driven. It’s culturally driven,” she says. “All ranges manufactured since the late ’90s have a Sabbath mode,,” says Mann.

It’s a phenomenon that’s been building since the 1980s, says Mann.

Frances Goldstein is a fundraiser for the United Jewish Appeal who remainxs content with her “20 year old appliances”.

“I consider myself Orthodox,” she says. “I’m an old-fashioned girl.”

She’ll spend the weekend at her daughter’s home because she won’t drive on the Sabbath.

At 60, she’s not tempted by the technology that make observing the Sabbath easier. “You need to be a rocket scientist,” she jokes.

She is certain, however, that these are important celebrations. “It’s a wonderful time for family, a time for children to ask questions. We don’t look at is as a chore.”

Still, she’s thankful that appliance manufacturers are paying attention.

“They are listening and they are making changes.”

bgraham@thestar.ca

source: http://www.thestar.com/living/article/1156149--kitchen-appliances-help-observant-jews-keep-kosher
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Cheap laptop fix: How I learned to upgrade my own RAM

Conquering my own apprehension about RAM upgrades can be your inspiration. Upgrading your RAM can be the cheapest path to improved performance around.

Tip No. 1: Leave yourself more desktop space than I did.
Embarrassing admission of the month: before last Friday, I'd never replaced my own RAM.

Honestly, the explanation's simple: I tend to buy new laptops before I consider upgrading RAM. The last time I considered a RAM boost was probably a decade ago, and back then I paid to have it installed. I also found the idea of RAM slightly less immediately appealing. Upgrading a hard drive? Sure, lots of storage space. New processor? Faster speeds. But RAM...for many people, it might lack a certain sexiness or essential quality that justifies the upgrade.

It took my friend persistently reminding me that his RAM upgrade on the same laptop model (a late 2008 aluminum MacBook) paid huge dividends on performance to finally pull the trigger. I'm glad I did. Even then, I waited about six months. My computer got progressively slower with each OS X update, until Lion gave me endless spinning wheels with only one program open.

A quick search on Amazon gave me a bargain: Crucial's 4GB upgrade kit with two 2GB modules cost just $26, or $29 after tax and shipping. A no-brainer. For older laptops, getting RAM costs practically nothing at all.
You should swap your RAM out with two new modules. You can't beat $26 for 4GB.
How did I know what to get? I found a quick reference guide for my own laptop online, which I also used to order the RAM to the specific description and speed. Make sure you've got those details correct, since RAM comes in many speeds and versions.

Yes, upgrading RAM is easy -- it's like plugging in a game cartridge. But, it's like plugging in a game cartridge on a console whose cartridge slot is often locked up under a ton of screws and tucked next to circuitry. (For those who are tech-savvy, you can laugh away; this is for the uninitiated and the apprehensive.) The RAM slots on my MacBook lay under an aluminum panel and eight screws, which required a screwdriver so small I had to borrow it from fellow co-worker and PC guru Rich Brown. Even then, it wasn't a perfect fit. You'll probably have to pay a visit to a hardware store or look online.

Tip No. 2: Overcome your apprehension about exposed electronics. (And remove Mrs. Dash and golf balls from the work area.)
I also had to pop out and remove the MacBook's battery (the 2008 model's battery isn't integrated). With this much fiddling, I felt a little nervous about exposing the circuit boards underneath. If you feel the same way, then pay someone to do it. Still, it wasn't hard to do.

The biggest concern? Safely storing those tiny screws. I laid aside a plastic dish (wrapping from a random gadget) to hold the screws, and reminded myself where each one had gone -- some were differently sized. Don't lose them; finding a replacement would be a huge challenge.
Tip No. 3: Keep those microscopic screws somewhere you can see them, and where they won't roll away. (Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

Before diving in, I touched a piece of metal outside the laptop to ground myself. Everyone recommends you do this to avoid damaging your equipment. Why not be safe?
I found the RAM and popped it out by squeezing two plastic side pieces, then pulled each one out and inserted the two new RAM modules, holding them by the sides, and breathing deeply like I was playing a game of Operation. After that, I popped the metal lid back on, screwed the panel together, and turned my MacBook back on.

Doubling the RAM is a notable improvement. No, my laptop's not technically faster, but programs open with less spinning-wheel action, and I can switch between programs easily. It's cleaner-operating. For $29, I've bought myself a little breath of fresh air for my aging laptop.

I'd recommend you do the same, if you can find RAM as cheaply. And be sure to consult all official documentation from your laptop manufacturer before proceeding, or being near an expert who knows what they're doing, just to be safe.

Long live cheap upgrades!

What should I take on next?

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57408079-1/cheap-laptop-fix-how-i-learned-to-upgrade-my-own-ram/
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