GoBandit WiFi Helmet Cam Hands-On

 Extreme sports junkies are no strangers to the vast selection of helmet cams just waiting for them to record their wicked shenanigans, so we were expecting to see nothing drastically new when we stopped by the GoBandit booth at CES 2012. There was one thing, however, that stuck out to us as we played with the company's top-tier model, the GoBandit Live: WiFi. And let's be very careful with words here, because these full HD cams don't find WiFi hotspots -- they are WiFi hotspots. This means that not only can you upload your vids to another device, you can broadcast them live. Here's how it works: download the companion iOS app (the company's working to have Android compatibility soon), activate the cam's WiFi and either load your vids or view them live. The model GoBandit had on hand was still a prototype model, so unfortunately we weren't able to put it to the full test yet, though we at least were able to snap a few pics for the gallery below. Available in March, it comes in two flavors: the Live, which offers GPS and WiFi, and the Race, which doesn't. The pair will go for $419 and $319, respectively.
Source: Engadget

Four Free Must-Have iPad Apps For Road Warriors

 These four free iPad apps transform the tablet into a clock radio, weather reporter, file manager, and multi-talented notepad.
Free file manager simplifies transfers to PCs via Wi-Fi, USB
If you store Word, Excel, and other Office documents online, you may not need to keep copies of the files on your iPad. But many iPad users prefer to store PDFs, Word docs, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets on their tablets. The free FileApp file manager for iPhones and iPads makes it easy to transfer files to and from a PC via Wi-Fi or USB. (Note that transfers require the free DiskAid program.)
FileApp lets you view files listed by type, date, name, or last opened. It lets you e-mail files, play music tracks and videos, and password-protect the program to restrict access to the files.

Add Explorer-like file management to your iPad with the free FileApp, which also runs on iPhones.

(Credit: screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly)

 

For $5, FileApp Pro lets you create and edit text documents, attach multiple files to an e-mail, and rename, create, move, copy, and delete multiple files and folders.

Notebook app lets you add images and voice recordings to note pages
Considering the tote-ability of the iPad it's no surprise note-takers are among the most popular apps for the device. (Last April, I compared three handwriting apps for the iPad.)

The free PaperDesk Lite notebook app for the iPad lets you add images and audio recordings to notes you create via the iPad's built-in keypad or by handwriting. The program also lets you import PDFs, send your notes as e-mail attachments, manage your notes in an Explorer-like window, and password-protect notes.

View a list of notes and add new notes or folders in the main PaperDesk Lite window.

(Credit: screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly)

 

To add a note or folder, press the plus sign in the top-right corner to open a pop-up window that also has options for importing a PDF and sending a note to the Dropbox online-storage service. Press the settings button in the bottom-left to secure notes with a password and choose one of the two interface styles in the free version. You can also search your notes, add a task list for notebooks, upload notebooks to Google Docs, share them on Twitter, and bookmark specific notebook pages.

The free PaperDesk Lite limits you to three notebooks, each no larger than three pages. The $4 version of PaperDesk does away with these limitations and adds the MyPaperDesk.com service that stores your notebooks on the developer's secure servers.

PaperDesk Lite didn't produce the precise writing of the other iPad note-taking apps I've tried, but the ability to add images, voice recordings, and PDFs gives notes a new dimension (other notepad apps also let you add images to your notes). Unfortunately, the tool controls and other options that appear as a small toolbar in portrait mode take up too much of the screen in landscape mode (my preferred note-taking orientation).

Using the PaperDesk Lite note-taking app in the iPad's landscape orientation shrinks the writing area to accommodate the options toolbar.

(Credit: screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly)

 

No more missed wake-up calls
A travel alarm clock has topped the list of business travelers' take-alongs for about as long there has been business travel. These days most people rely on a wake-up call to get them to their first appointment of the day on time. iPad users no longer have to trust to their hotel's automated call service to rouse them in the morning... or whenever.

The free version of Thomas Huntington's Nightstand Central app converts your iPad into a digital clock that also displays the local temperature and weather forecast. You can set multiple alarms that use one of 15 different sounds. The alarms can be set to repeat and to fade in; you can also choose the alarm volume, fade in, and snooze delay.

The free Nightstand Central iPad app lets you set several alarms with different sounds, fade-ins, and snooze times.

(Credit: screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly)

 

Other options let you choose from dozens of screen backgrounds, customize the time display to show 24-hour time or hide the seconds, and have the device determine your location automatically or add your own location. The $1 full version removes the ads that appear at the top of the clock display and lets you add custom wallpaper and alarm sounds, among other features. It also lets you use the iPad as a flashlight and reposition the clock and weather information it displays.

Customize your Internet-radio playlist
What's a travel clock without a radio? The iPad version of the free Pandora Internet radio service lets you program your own radio station by selecting several different artists and choosing the QuickMix option.

Create your own radio station by selecting several artists and choosing the QuickMix option in the Pandora app for iPad.

(Credit: screenshot by Dennis O'Reilly)

 

Create a free Pandora account or for $36 per year sign up for the Pandora One service, which removes the ads, increases the number of "skips" per hour to 12 (from six in the free version), and includes a desktop app. It also offers a higher-quality audio stream at 192KBps.

Press the menu button in the main playback window of the Pandora iPad app to open a window with options for bookmarking the track or artist, purchasing the current track on iTunes, and finding the artist on iTunes.
One danger of playing Pandora when you're trying to work is the major distraction created by the interesting artist biographies that accompany each track. While Pandora is playing, the cover art for the current track replaces the standard iPad sleep-mode wallpaper. You may see the cover-art display as nothing more than an advertisement, but I think it's a big improvement over the iPad's default background.
Source: Cnet

Top Most Gadgets Of 2012

  We've seen the slew of TVs, smartphones, Ultrabooks, and other new products on the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show. Now it's time to pick out the best. These are our 20 favorite gadgets of CES 2012.

Roku Streaming Stick

1. Roku Streaming Stick

Using the new HDMI MHL standard, the Roku Streaming Stick plugs into a port on newer TVs. It instantly gives any compatible set access to all of Roku's online content from providers such as Netflix, MLB, Pandora and Rdio. The stick requires no dedicated power, has WiFi built in, and should launch later this year for under $100.

Lenovo Yoga

2. Lenovo Yoga

With both a traditional desktop mode and an all-new touchscreen Interface, Windows 8 represents the Microsoft's first complete rethink of the desktop operating system since 1995. The Lenovo Yoga is equal parts ultrabook and tablet; a 13-inch folding laptop with a multitouch capacitive touchscreen.

Dish Network's Hopper

3. Dish Network's Hopper

Hopper is Dish's overhaul of the traditional DVR/Tuner set-top box, with three tuners and a huge 2TB internal drive that can hold 2000 total hours of programming. It's also got a fast, slick new interface, and includes a Zigbee wireless remote with a "remote control finder" alert to locate your clicker in the cushions. But the most innovative feature is "PrimeTime Anytime," which records every prime time show on all four major networks automatically in HD, and saves them for eight days, essentially automating the process of recording everything on television.

Griffin Twenty

4. Griffin Twenty

The Griffin Twenty streaming audio device turns any Apple AirPort Express into a stereo system. The machine has a simple and elegant design, just a plug for the AirPort Express and a large, friendly white dial for volume. As its name implies, the Twenty has an internal 20-watt amplifier and outputs for left and right stereo speakers, plus a subwoofer. The concept is that the dial controls the volume, while the rest of the interface is taken care of through your iPhone, iPad or computer.

Sharp Freestyle Aquos TV

5. Sharp Freestyle Aquos TV

Sharp's innovative new line of portable Freestyle TVs are ultra-thin and light, ranging from 20-inches to 60-inches diagonally. Freestyle TVs receive HD video over Wi-Fi, and they can be picked up, moved and placed anywhere around the house to anywhere there is a power plug. The 20-inch model even has an integrated handle and battery so that it can be taken anywhere.

Fujifilm X-Pro1

6. Fujifilm X-Pro1

Fujifilm's first entry into the interchangable lens camera (ILC) category is a stunner, a gorgeous slab of aluminum, synthetic leather, and precision-milled nobs and dials that manages to be featherlight, thanks to its magnesium build. The price is also a little stunning estimated to start at $1600 for the body alone, but the X-Pro1 is beautiful inside, too, with a new color filter array helps it meet, and sometimes exceed, the image quality of full-frame SLR sensors. The camera and three lenses will be out next month, with nine more planned over the next two years, as well as a mount for Leica lenses planned for later this year.

OLPC XO3

7. OLPC XO3

For most of us, tablets are toys, irresistible little windows onto a constellation of videogames and streaming video. The OLPC tablet, a collaboration between One Laptop Per Child and Marvell‹is for kids in developing nations, but it's not a plaything. It has all the best features of its laptop processor, including a Linux-based operating system, a rugged design, and the ability to recharge through solar panels or a hand crank, but at a targeted price of $100, it'll be nearly half the price. The product is ready to go into production as soon as a willing partner signs up.

Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop

8. Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop

The Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop is a technological leap forward for home cooking instead of discrete heating elements, the cooktop senses induction-compatible cookware placed anywhere on its surface. The touch-sensitive display shows where each pot and pan is situated, maintaining their power level even as they slide around. It also has a Boost feature, which redirects up to 30 percent of the power from one half of the surface to the other, for even faster heating.

Sony Network Media Player

9. Sony Network Media Player

In a year when every TV maker seems to be building full Internet connectivity into their displays, Sony's Network Media Player powered by Google is a lifeline tossed back to all the poor, unconnected TVs already out there. It streams online video from services like Netflix and HBO Go, and can be controlled with an iOS or Android smartphone, but we're actually more excited about the hardware. The exclusive remote control has a full, backlit QWERTY keyboard on one side, and more traditional buttons on the other, with a less traditional trackpad. Other companies should sit up and take notice‹if you want to revolutionize the TV, start with a revolutionary remote. The player, and remote, will be out this summer, though prices haven't been announced.

Cadillac CUE

10. Cadillac CUE

As cars become gadgets on wheels, automakers have been challenged to integrate cellular connectivity and complex user interfaces into the car. Some companies have stumbled, and some have excelled. With the Cadillac CUE, GM and Cadillac fall into the latter. With its capacitive, multi-gesture touchscreen, haptic feedback, cloud-based OnStar service, natural-speech recognition, attention to driver safety, and a flexible HTML 5 platform, the Cadillac CUE should serve as a benchmark for the rest of the automotive industry.

MakerBot Replicator

11. MakerBot Replicator

Popular Mechanics has always been a magazine for the do-it-yourselfer, which is why we love the folks at MakerBot and their newest open-source 3-D printer, the MakerBot Replicator. Larger than the original MakerBot, the Replicator allows the amateur inventor to create objects roughly the size of a loaf of bread out of common manufacturing materials such as ABA or PLA. Also unlike the company's original 3D printer, the Thing-o-Matic, the new Replicator has the ability to print in two separate colors. And at $1749, the MakerBot Replicator isn't priced out of the DIYers reach.

TOBII GAZE

12. TOBII GAZE

While a good deal of CES announcements these days amount to little more than spec bumps and design tweaks, the Tobii Gaze eye-tracking technology points to a sea change in user interface. It allows users to target objects on a computer screen simply by looking at them. This intuitive and novel way to navigate through standard computing tasks could give surgeons a hands-free way to pull up data and help financial analysts pore through immense amounts of data across several screens. Though the first eye-controlled laptops won't see shelves until 2013 or so, Tobii Gaze proves that there's a frontier of input beyond touch.

GO PRO WIFI BACPAC

13. GO PRO WIFI BACPAC

The Go Pro name has become synonymous with extreme sports photography, and the Wi-Fi BacPac and remote combo kit gives adrenaline lovers even more control over their favorite cameras. Snap the $100 BacPac onto a HD Hero2 and control the camera from a durable, waterproof wrist-ready remote--or a smartphone, tablet, or computer with the Go Pro app--via a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection. Even better: you can stream a live view from the camera to those mobile devices, making sure you're getting just the right shot on the slopes or in the surf, something that's often been a challenge for tiny, viewfinder-deficient sports cams.

SAMSUNG EXHILARATE

14. SAMSUNG EXHILARATE

This year's CES brought a slew of new 4G LTE phones, but the Samsung Exhilarate's appeal doesn't come from its specs as much as its price: $50. That doesn't mean the handset's anything shabby, though--coming to AT&T's 4G network in the coming months, the Exhilarate will have a 4" Super AMOLED display, front- and rear facing cameras, and access to AT&T U-Verse Live TV. And it's environmentally friendly; the Exhilarate's made from 80% recycled post-consumer materials and features special modes for energy efficient operation. Easy on the environment and the bank account.

LG's 55-inch OLED TV

15. LG's 55-inch OLED TV

Four CESes ago, Sony's minuscule XEL-1 gave the tech world a tantalizing taste of the incredibly vivid, unbelievably thin displays made possible by OLED technology. With its 55-inch OLED, LG has finally made good on the full OLED promise. This gorgeous display is a mere 5mm thick, and weighs less than 17 pounds.

PowerSkin SpareOne

16. PowerSkin SpareOne

The PowerSkin SpareOne may be the lowest-tech cellphone on the market today: it has no screen, a basic number pad, and relies on a single AA battery for power. It's not for daily use, of course; the $50 SpareOne, which can always dial 911 but needs a SIM card to make regular calls, might find a home in your first aid kit, glove box, or storm shelter.

Samsung Smart Evolution

17. Samsung Smart Evolution

Smart TV technology changes at a breakneck pace, but a TV is a big and occasional investment. Buying a new one every year isn't just excessive for most families, it's simply not an option. Samsung's Smart Evolution system lets users upgrade their TVs without replacing them. You get to keep the same display, and upgrade your processor, wireless hardware and app platform for a few hundred dollars rather than a few thousand.

Nokia Lumia 900

18. Nokia Lumia 900

Nokia has embraced Windows Phone as the company's sole operating system platform last year, and the LTE-capable 4.3-inch screen Lumia 900 is the halo device for Nokia in the U.S. It shares a sleek design with the 3G Lumia 800, but has a bigger 1840 mAH battery to give better performance on the power-hungry 4G network. It also sports killer front and back cameras, the back camera has a wide-angle 28mm f/2.2 lens; the front-facing lens is f/2.8.

Vizio Ultrabooks

19. Vizio Ultrabooks

The Ultrabook category is rigged with a deadly trap: MacBook Air imitation. While plenty of otherwise well-equipped super-thin laptops from major manufacturers have given in to the temptation of emulating Apple's wedge-like aluminum design, Vizio, a company previously known only for budget televisions‹has forged its own aesthetic path with two beautifully sculpted matte marvels. These elegant 13- and 15-inch computers should be available in the middle of this year.
Source: Yahoo

Can Nokia Lumia Take On Apple and Google?

 On Monday Nokia unveiled the Lumia 900, its latest attempt to take on the iPhone and Android smartphones. The Windows Phone-running device has all the makings of a popular smartphone -- sleek hardware design including a large 4.3-inch screen, a major carrier partner in AT&T and super-fast network capabilities known as LTE.

Lumia

But that doesn't mean it's a slam dunk for Nokia (NOK). The market is already flooded with devices that do all of the above. And despite Nokia and Microsoft's (MSFT) best efforts, both companies still have an insignificant piece of the U.S. smartphone pie, which belongs to Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL). To take on the competition, the duo will have to prove that their partnership can result in a truly different -- and better -- mobile experience for consumers. that's easier said than done.

"Differentiation matters," Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia, told Fortune in an interview following the company's announcement on Monday. "Many of those other devices -- if you squint your eyes a little bit -- are blurring over because they're all the same experience. They all have the same static collection of applications that don't do much when you just look at it."

Nokia chose to partner with Microsoft because it didn't want to become just another Android phone manufacturer. But while the Lumia 900 is a good-looking piece of hardware and Microsoft's "tile-centric" user interface has gotten good reviews, it's hard to see how that alone can be enough of a differentiator for Microsoft and Nokia. Even exclusive application partnerships with brands like ESPN and Sesame Street Workshop are unlikely to help give the Lumia 900 an edge, because many developers still feel there's no compelling reason to create apps for Nokia's Windows phone devices. At least not yet.

At the company's press conference on Monday, Elop called the Lumia 900 a "beachhead" in the war of ecosystems. It's clear Nokia realizes it's no longer about coming out with one "iPhone killer" -- it's about coming out with a killer ecosystem that encompasses hardware, applications, a dedicated developer base and more. It's also clear that Nokia and Microsoft realize that they will have to fight with all their might to become a viable "third platform."

Microsoft has already said it will give developers a slightly bigger cut of app revenue than Google and Apple do. And since February, Nokia has moved as fast as possible to churn out new Lumia smartphones that run Windows Phone.

To be sure, there is room for a third ecosystem, especially with the weakening of Research in Motion's (RIMM) hold on the enterprise. Nokia devices could take advantage of Microsoft's success in the office to try and appeal to IT departments as an alternative to both BlackBerries and the "bring your own device" trend. "The Windows Phone environment on Lumia devices has many of the capabilities required in a business setting," Elop told Fortune. "Microsoft provides much of the software that businesses use for office productivity like Microsoft Office."

But even Elop admitted there was still plenty of work for Nokia to do as it tries to crack the U.S. market yet again. The Lumia 900 will be out "in the coming months," although it's still not clear exactly when and (for how much) it will sell, let alone whether it can help Nokia in its battle against iOS and Android.

Source: Tech fortune

Gadgets to Look For in 2012

 One of the biggest events in the technology world's annual cycle is set to kick off early next week in Las Vegas when 140,000 people and 2,700 exhibitors descend on the gambling mecca for the Consumer Electronics Show.

The internet age and the globalization of the technology market has put a dent in the importance of such confabs, and many of the world's most prominent companies no longer regard their official attendance as essential.

Apple Inc has long shunned the show, while even Consumer Electronics Show (CES) mainstay Microsoft Corp is pulling the plug after this year's extravaganza.

Nevertheless the world's largest tech show still remains a great periscope for spotting the trends and gadgets that will make headlines, and holes in your bank accounts, in the coming year.

The roster of attendees is the largest since 2007, and while they will be subjected to all the razzle, dazzle and hype that marketing departments can dream up, they are unlikely to witness any ground-shaking product innovations that will rock their world.

That's because the show will be less about shiny new toys than the discreet software that's inside them, says Andrew Nusca, the editor of tech site ZDNet.com. 'Make no mistake, there will be newer, thinner, brighter televisions; higher-powered laptops and digital cameras. But that's not really where the action is,' he said.

'The real action can be found around the interoperability of these products. The real innovation will only be seen when the device is turned on and used. It can't be touched, only experienced.'

Microsoft will, as usual, hold the opening keynote speech, where chief executive Steve Ballmer will likely reveal more details about Windows 8 and his plans to claw back domination of the tech world from Apple, Facebook Inc and Google Inc.

While Microsoft may never be sexy, it's still enormously influential, and is well poised to build on the advances it made with Windows 7, Windows Phone and its Kinect interface for the Xbox, for instance with a line of tablet computers based on Windows 8.

Watch out too for plenty of Android-powered tablets, including several hybrid models that are designed with detachable keyboards to entice users looking for the feel of tablets and the power of laptops.

Ultrabooks, the superslim, long-running and powerful laptops inspired by the MacbookAir, will also be on prominent display as PC manufacturers Dell Inc, Hewlett-Packard Co, Samsung Electronics Co and Lenovo Group Ltd tell the world that Apple is not the only company capable of creating a computer to lust after.

Much of the pre-conference hype has also focused on the drool-inducing new super-thin OLED TV by LG Electronics Inc. Its 1.4-metre screen is the largest ever to use organic light emitting diodes, or OLEDs, which use less energy, offer brighter colours and allow televisions to be made with almost no bezel, or frame.

It's also only 4 millimetres thin, and weighs just 7.5 kilograms. Like any leading-edge technology it won't come cheap, with a price tag of 10,000 dollars expected for its launch this year.

Another expected LG announcement about its new implementation of Google TV may be of more interest to television geeks. With Apple also hotly rumoured to be preparing for a relaunch of a new and vastly improved Apple TV, 2012 may yet prove to be the year when televisions get the brains to match their beauty.

The same might be said for cars, which have become an increasingly important part of the show. Last year, Ford Motor Co chose CES to roll out its electric Ford Focus.

This year Mercedes-Benz, owned by German carmaker Daimler AG, is to give a keynote presentation in which the luxury brand is expected to outline its plans to outfit its cars with the latest applications and telematics. 
Source: TOI

Acer Iconia Tab A200 Hits January 15 For $330

Acer has officially launched the Iconia Tab A200 in the US, the company’s latest Android slate, set to hit shelves on January 15 from $329.99. Announced in Asia last month, the Acer Iconia Tab A200 runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb on a 1GHz Tegra 2 chipset, paired with 8GB or 16GB of storage and a 10-inch 1280 x 800 display. Early adopters are promised an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade in February.

Measuring in at 10.2 x 6.9 x 0.48-inches and 24.6 ounces, the A200 uses its girth to squeeze in a full-sized USB port that can hook up to a keyboard or mouse, or to external drives. Other ports include microSD and microUSB, while wireless connectivity is the usual array of WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1. No word on 3G options at this stage.

Battery life is tipped at up to eight hours, and there’s a front-facing 2.megapixel webcam though no main camera so as to save money. Acer garnishes Honeycomb with its mildly-tweaked UI, including an “Acer Ring” quick-launcher and its Clear.fi DLNA streaming app.

Pricing for the Iconia Tab A200 is $329.99 for the 8GB model and $349.99 for the 16GB model.

Source: Slashgear

Now Google Tablet That Will Challenge Kindle Fire?

Is Google gunning for Amazon's Kindle Fire?

 So maybe there's not a rumored Apple iPad in production to challenge the Kindle Fire after all. Maybe the purported Fire fighter is actually a Google tablet.

That's according to Digi Times, which reported today that sources in Google's upstream supply chain believe the tablet could be positioned to challenge Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire. The sources expect the Android tablet to arrive in the spring at a price below $299 to compete with Amazon.

The report comes a few weeks after Google Chairman Eric Schmidt allegedly told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the company plans to "market a tablet of the highest quality" in the next six months. It's possible that the newspaper misunderstood or misquoted Schmidt, but Google has refused to clarify his comments.

However, this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt as the Taiwan news site already has a shaky reputation for accuracy; sources have told it three different tablet suspicions in as many weeks.

The tech blog reported in mid December that Apple would "likely" launch a 7.85-inch tablet in the fourth quarter of 2012 to compete with Amazon's Android-based tablet. The site then reported last week that Apple would unveil two 9.7-inch versions later this month at the Macworld|iWorld conference--a report that was largely rebuffed by the many tech observers.

Source: cnet

How Touch Pad Became An Epic Flop

The TouchPad tablet from Hewlett-Packard was one of the most closely watched new gadgets of 2011 — and quickly turned out to be the year’s biggest flop. The TouchPad, which was supposed to be a rival to Apple’s iPad, lasted just seven weeks on the market before H.P. killed it, citing weak sales.

Analysts point to a long list of factors behind the tablet’s quick demise. But some of the people involved in creating the tablet’s core software now say the product barely had a fighting chance.

That software is called WebOS, an operating system built on the same technology used by many Web browsers. It promised to be more flexible and open than Apple’s tightly controlled iOS software, and more beautiful than Google’s sometimes wonky Android system. H.P. acquired Palm, the maker of WebOS, for $1.2 billion in 2010 so it could use the software in products like the TouchPad.

WebOS turned out to be something of a toxic asset. Several former Palm and H.P. employees involved in WebOS say that there was little hope for the software from the beginning, because the way it was built was so deeply flawed.

“Palm was ahead of its time in trying to build a phone software platform using Web technology, and we just weren’t able to execute such an ambitious and breakthrough design,” said Paul Mercer, former senior director of software at Palm, who oversaw the interface design of WebOS and recruited crucial members of the team. “Perhaps it never could have been executed because the technology wasn’t there yet.”

The WebOS story also illustrates how hard it will be for anyone to mount a serious challenge to Apple and Google when it comes to mobile operating systems. Those two companies have won dominant market shares and the allegiance of thousands of app developers. Many other companies have chosen Android for their phones and tablets, but this ties them closely to Google and makes it hard to stand out in the crowd of Android products. By owning WebOS, H.P. could control both the hardware and software and gain a more direct relationship with customers.

And Palm’s sales pitch was that because the operating system was based on common Web technology, it would be easier to create software for it, which would attract programmers to make WebOS apps.

But WebOS had problems from the start, when Palm first created it for the Pre smartphone, former Palm employees say.

Mr. Mercer was well known in the design world for his contributions to several of Apple’s most important products, and Palm recruited him. After some internal debate, the company chose to have WebOS rely on WebKit, an open-source software engine used by browsers to display Web pages. Mr. Mercer said that this was a mistake because it prevented applications from running fast enough to be on par with the iPhone. But a former member of the WebOS app development team said the core issue with WebOS was actually Palm’s inability to turn it into a platform that could capture the enthusiasm and loyalty of outside programmers. There were neither the right leaders nor the right engineers to do the job, said this person, who declined to be named because he still had some ties to H.P.

From concept to creation, WebOS was developed in about nine months, this person said, and the company took some shortcuts. With a project like this, programmers typically start by creating the equivalent of building blocks that can be reused and combined to create different applications. But with WebOS, Palm employees initially constructed each app from scratch. Later, they made such blocks, but they were overhauled once by Palm and then again by H.P., forcing programmers to relearn how to build WebOS apps.

Another issue was recruiting. In 2009, it was hard to find programmers who had a keen understanding of WebKit, Mr. Mercer said, and Apple and Google had already snatched up most of the top talent.

Some former employees pointed fingers at Jon Rubinstein, then Palm’s chief executive, saying he failed to steer WebOS in the right direction. The former employees said that because of his hardware background, he did not understand the logistics of creating a powerful new operating system, and he was ultimately responsible for the decision to rely on WebKit. Mr. Rubinstein is still at H.P., which declined to make him available for comment.

The Pre went on sale in June 2009 and received generally glowing reviews from critics, who called it a solid device with innovative design elements that rivaled the iPhone. Sprint said it was its fastest-selling phone ever.

But customers immediately recognized that the phone was too slow, said the former Palm employee who worked on apps, and “this led to extremely high return rates.” There were also complaints about the phone spontaneously restarting itself or freezing up.

The company had enough staff to get the Pre out the door, but it underestimated how many people it would need to make improvements, the former employee said.

Just six months after the Pre’s introduction, a Northeast Securities analyst said that its sales were in “substantial decline.”

Palm put itself up for sale in April 2010. It soon attracted H.P., which hoped to use WebOS to accelerate its smartphone and tablet efforts.

But as H.P. absorbed Palm, important members of the WebOS team were disappearing. Mr. Mercer had already left. Peter Skillman, vice president of design at Palm, eventually left for a job at Nokia. Matias Duarte, vice president of human interface and user experience for WebOS, left a month after the acquisition for a job at Google. Several people said his departure was a major loss. “He wasWebOS,” the former member of the WebOS software team said of Mr. Duarte. “When he left, the vacuum was just palpable. What you’re seeing is frankly a bunch of fourth- and fifth-stringers jumping onto WebOS in the wake of Duarte’s leaving.” Mr. Duarte did not respond to a request for an interview.

H.P. would soon go through its own major changes. In August 2010, Mark Hurd, the chief executive, resigned amid accusations of sexual harassment, and H.P. named Léo Apotheker to replace him. Under Mr. Apotheker’s leadership, H.P. ramped up its WebOS investments, announcing two new smartphones and the TouchPad, the first WebOS tablet. Like Apple’s iPad, the TouchPad had a 9.7-inch touch screen and cost $500 for the cheapest model.

Mr. Apotheker said WebOS would expand to more devices, including PCs and printers. And what Palm lacked — resources, engineers and marketing power — H.P. would provide.

“Palm was a company starved for investment,” Mr. Apotheker said in an onstage interview at the D9 technology conference in June. “It didn’t have the reach, it didn’t have the capability. And despite creating some great technology, it couldn’t create the kind of quality in the final product and the hardware.”

The TouchPad shipped in July, months after Apple released the iPad 2, which was significantly thinner and faster, for the same $500 price tag. The new tablet got lukewarm reviews. “There’s no more guaranteed way to make something feel like a train wreck in slow motion than to make it run like it’s a train wreck in slow motion,” Matt Buchanan of Gizmodo wrote.

It was clear that the TouchPad was no hit, but it still shocked the tech world when H.P. withdrew it from the market so quickly — and said it would stop making WebOS hardware altogether. H.P. later said it would write off $3.3 billion, half of which came from the “wind-down of H.P.’s WebOS device business.”

A former employee in sales at Palm who worked on the WebOS team at H.P. said the company expanded the team with layers of vice presidents, and added hundreds of engineers to develop the TouchPad.

This person, who declined to be named because she did not want to comment publicly on internal matters at H.P., said many former Palm employees stayed at H.P. because they were passionate about WebOS. “The H.P. people came in and said H.P.’s vision is to put WebOS on all their hardware,” she said. “WebOS became their shiny new toy, but then they just abandoned it.”

In September, H.P. fired Mr. Apotheker, citing “weaknesses” in his ability to reach goals and communicate. His replacement was Meg Whitman, the former eBay chief.

Three months into the job, Ms. Whitman announced that H.P. would release the WebOS code for anyone to use, similar to Google’s open-source strategy with Android. If outside programmers and device makers end up improving the software, H.P. could presumably reconsider its decision to get out of WebOS hardware.

Ms. Whitman said 600 employees were still working on WebOS. “By contributing this innovation, H.P. unleashes the creativity of the open-source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices,” Ms. Whitman said in a statement.

Sam Greenblatt, chief technology officer at H.P., acknowledged in an interview that earlier versions of WebOS could be slow. But he said recent improvements in WebKit and WebOS over all had sped up performance. He shared H.P.’s continued ambitions for WebOS — that it would eventually expand into computers, televisions, even cars. “The No. 1 objective is to take the code to the next level,” he said.

But Mr. Mercer insisted that WebKit would still leave WebOS underpowered relative to Apple’s software.

“If the bar is to build Cupertino-class software in terms of responsiveness and beauty,” he said, “WebKit remains not ready for prime time, because the Web cannot deliver yet.”

Source: Dailynewsforu

How To Protect Youself Online?

 When it comes to protecting their finances from cybercriminals, most consumers have heard the online security basics before: Avoid entering financial information at a public computer, and don’t repeat passwords across multiple sites.

The same experts also warn against using public Wi-Fi hotspots to conduct transactions on your own computer. “You never know who’s sitting next to you at Starbucks when you log on to pay your bills or check your bank statement,” says Eric Friedberg, co-found of Stroz Friedberg, a security firm in New York City.

And just to beef up online security, all security experts advise consumers to take advantage of extra layers of protection, such as secondary passwords, security questions or tokens, if their financial institutions offer those services. But as our daily lives grow more intertwined with technology and cybercriminals become more sophisticated, there’s always more you can do to make sure you aren’t the next victim.
Here’s what you need to know for online security 2.0.

Don’t Take Social Media Offers at Face Value
For years, scammers have been using email to dupe their victims into sending money or divulging sensitive information. While that’s still a problem, scammers are increasingly turning to social networks, such as Facebook, and using your friends against you, says Joe Ferrara, president and CEO of Wombat Security Technologies in Pittsburgh.

“To ensure safe social networking, never connect with anyone you haven’t met, verify the identity of new friends and look out for scam messages, even from trusted friends, which could indicate an imposter,” Ferrara says.

Spotting an imposter may be tough at first. The message, which can appear as a direct message or a post on your Facebook wall, is designed to look like it came from your friend’s profile. A free treat from your favorite store presented by a friend can be a tempting offer, but before you click, Ferrara says you should ask yourself a few questions.

* Is the offer too good to be true?
* Is this really something my friend would write?
* Does the language have awkward phrasing or a lot of typos?
If any of those questions raise a red flag for you, don’t click the link. And, if you want to verify the message, try contacting your friend directly about the offer.

Don’t Ignore Updates
You may not realize it, but keeping your software up-to-date isn’t just a question of adding new features to your programs; it can also be a critical part of protecting yourself online.

“Cybercriminals can get in through holes in unpatched computers,” says Marian Merritt, a Los Angeles-based author of “Family Online Safety Guide,” written for Symantec, the makers of Norton AntiVirus.
But updating software doesn’t just mean making sure you have the latest version of your chosen anti-virus program, Merritt says.

“You also have to keep your computer’s operating system and the programs that run on your computer up-to-date,” Merritt says. “Don’t ignore prompts to update your operating system or applications with critical security fixes.”

But when you do update, you need to be careful. If you use a Microsoft operating system, you can safely update through Windows or Microsoft Update, which is a program that comes preinstalled on your computer. Macs have a similar updating program that prompts users when it’s time to make an update. For other software programs, experts say it’s a good idea to update through the company’s website to ensure safety.

Don’t Forget to Eye the URL
When you visit a new website, you should always take a moment to scan the site’s Uniform Resource Locator, or URL, which is displayed in a bar at the top of your Internet browser. That URL is the address of the website, and online security experts have been warning consumers for years to look out for typos or other irregularities to make sure they really are connecting to a legitimate website and not just a clever imposter.
Most URLs will begin with the familiar “http” before the site’s address. News, entertainment and other general interest websites all use this format for their URLs.

But these days, if money is about to change hands or you’re asked to share sensitive information such as your Social Security number, it’s a good idea to look for a URL with an extra letter, says Andrea Eldridge, CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, a computer and electronics repair service based in Redding, Calif.

“Make sure that anytime that you are putting in sensitive information that the Web address starts with ‘https’ instead of ‘http,’” Eldridge says. “That little ‘s’ stands for secure, so the website has to have additional security precautions on the page keeping you safer and a whole lot less likely to have your information stolen.”

Don’t Assume Mobile Apps Are Safe
For sheer convenience, it’s hard to beat the allure of banking with your smartphone. But before you download an app that promises to turn your phone into a wallet, it’s a good idea to ask yourself if you’re trading convenience for security.

“Smartphone users who want to use mobile banking should only use apps from their financial institution,” says Eldridge, who warns third-party apps may not have the same privacy protections as apps offered by your bank.

But Albert Thiel, president of Your Data Center Incorporated, a website hosting and network security company based on Long Island, N.Y., says consumers shouldn’t be too quick to adopt mobile banking until there’s better security across the board for mobile apps.

“Don’t ever use a cellphone to connect to your bank,” Thiel says. “(Many of) those apps you have loaded continue to run, even when you exit them,” which may put users at risk for having keystrokes and touch screen selections intercepted.

According to Thiel, security on mobile devices will get better as anti-virus and anti-spyware packages evolve, but for now, he cautions, “Just don’t do it.”

Don’t Click on Shortened URLs
If you use Twitter, you’re probably familiar with so-called shortened URLs, which are a method for streamlining a link so it can fit in Twitter’s 140-character limit. While shortened URLs are handy for sharing information via Twitter, they’re also dangerous, according to Gary Bahadur, CEO of Miami-based KRAA Security and author of “Securing the Clicks: Network Security in the Age of Social Media.”
Even if you know the person who has posted the link, it’s a good idea to proceed with caution. When you see a shortened link “you do not know what the actual Web address is until you click,” Bahadur says.
According to Bahadur, scammers often use shortened URLs to lead victims to a malicious software, or “malware,” website.

Thankfully, you don’t have to skip the links your friends share. But you should take the extra step of expanding the link to see the full address before clicking on it, Bahadur says. But that’s not as simple as a mouse click.

Many of the services that provide shortened URLs have stepped up their efforts to guard against scammers, but it’s also a good idea to have a tool that allows you to safely open the shortened URL, Bahadur says. TinyURL.com can help, but there are others.
Source: Newsforu

How To Get Your Facebook In Order

 Here's one way to sum up 2011: I added 71 people as Facebook friends, shared 26 links and commented on 98 of my friends' status updates. I was tagged in 33 photos and added 18 of my own to the site.

Take time this year to purge your Facebook page of unwanted friends.

  I also attempted to keep up with Facebook's endless redesigns, most recently with the introduction of Timeline. With it, your Facebook profile offers highlights from your past, not just your recent happenings. Last week, I urged all of you to carefully curate your Timelines to avoid coming across as vain or revealing forgotten skeletons.

This week, I will go through other ways to manage your life on Facebook.

It's good to take stock of your Facebook presence from time to time, given how quickly the site changes its features and settings and how easily many of us add people to our lists of friends. Even if you haven't switched to Timeline yet, you can still follow these steps to review what you're really revealing about yourself.


Who are your friends?


In the early days, I was very judicious about whom I accepted as Facebook friends. People I hadn't met in person, relatives I hadn't spoken to in years and friends who simply annoyed me didn't make the cut. Now, my friends list includes people I haven't been in touch with since college and others I met only once at a party, wedding or trip.Do all of them need to know — or even care — that I started watching "How I Met Your Mother" or ate an under cooked hot dog at 3 a.m.? Should they see photos of me at a recent holiday bash?Maybe not.


Now is a good time to go through your friends list to see who ought to disappear. A friend's significant other long after they broke up? An acquaintance who has 1,000 friends and never interacts with you on Facebook? People who tighten their privacy settings so much that you see no more than any stranger would?Gone, goodbye, nice to know you. Facebook won't alert the friends you drop.


All friends are not created equal


You may want to share an ultrasound of your fetus only with family members, or share party photos with close friends. Other rants and milestones may be appropriate for everyone.
Facebook has new tools to make it easier to create subgroups such as family and co-workers. Start by going to "lists" on the left side of your Facebook home page (you may have to click on "more" to see it).


Facebook had automatically added 103 of my friends to a "New York Area" list and suggested dozens of others who hadn't told Facebook their location. The suggestions were surprisingly accurate; the inaccurate ones were for those who used to live in New York but have moved on. I added 31 so that I can broadcast New York happenings only to them and spare my Californian and European friends.


Next came "Close Friends." Again, the tool was pretty good at suggesting people with whom I have interacted the most, online and offline. One factor is whether you've appeared in photos together. Facebook won't reveal who made your list of close friends, so don't worry about keeping people off.


I went through a similar exercise for "Family," choosing to include only the closer ones I'd share more with. In this case, those you're adding will be told, so if you don't want that known, create a new list rather use the one Facebook already set up.


To do that, click "lists," then "Create List." I added one for cousins, two for college, one for work, one for my running group and one for those I still see from my days in Washington.


Some people are in multiple groups, others in none. These lists make it easier to share posts with only a subset of my Facebook friends. I can also use the lists to see only posts from specific groups.


Facebook also has a "Restricted" list where you can dump those you don't want to share much with. Facebook promises not to reveal who gets added.
What are you sharing?


Update your biographical information. The current city is important because it's what Facebook uses to create the list of nearby friends. Now is also the time to say if your work has changed or if you no longer want your birthday revealed.


Look for the globe icon if you want to share certain details only with certain people, such as friends of friends or those on one of your lists.


You should also go through your lists of favorite books, music and TV shows. Replace Milli Vanilli with Justin Bieber if you want to seem youthful and hip.


While you're at it, pare down the companies and products you've decided to "like" over the years. Be careful about what you're endorsing. Facebook may use your name and profile photo next to ads that your friends see. So if you've liked Target's page, for example, your friends could see your photo next to an ad from Target.


Controlling what you share?


Look for the arrow at the upper left corner and select "Account Settings."
Begin with "General" on the left and check to make sure everything's up to date. Click "Edit" if you need to change anything such as your email address.


Then go one by one down the list on your left. If you're not sure what something is, click "Edit" for details. Under "Apps," get rid of apps you no longer use so that they will no longer have access to your data. Under "Notifications," choose what types of activities Facebook sends you alerts on.


After that, go back to that arrow and select "Privacy Settings."Under "How You Connect," you can make it more difficult for people to reach you by restricting their ability to send you messages or make friend requests. You can also prevent people from posting on your profile. You can tweak "How Tags Work" and insist on reviewing photos or posts others tag you in before they appear on your profile. In most cases, you can find out more about what's happening by clicking on the item.


Finally, think about whether you want your list of friends visible to strangers on Facebook. If you have switched to Timeline, click on "See All" within your box of friends, then click "Edit" to narrow who sees it. For traditional profiles, hover over the friends box and click on the pencil that emerges. Then click on the globe next to your friends.


Checking it twice?


Test how others see your profile by going to "View As…" at the top of the profile. Those with Timeline should first click the wheel next to "Activity Log." Enter the name of a close friend, a co-worker or a random acquaintance to make sure no one is seeing too much. Click "public" to see how everyone else sees the profile.


Facebook changes so often, so don't be surprised that by the time you figure it all out, the service unveils another redesign that may affect what you've already done. There used to be a way to prevent everyone from sending you friend requests, for instance. I'm now limited to blocking specific individuals.


It's good to go through this exercise on a regular basis — annually, quarterly or more often if you can. Be mindful that Facebook pushes for more openness, so the restrictions available today might be gone tomorrow.
Source: usnews