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world news from everywhere to tumblr : social media, sociology, video games, Internet and other

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uCan Drink With The iBreath

Anything with the small “i” at the beginning of the word already tells you that the product is for the ubiquitous iPod (or perhaps the iPhone). In any case, we know it is for one of Apple’s products.

And though we have been told time and again that we should never drink and drive, it seems that the temptation is too strong for some people. Hence, the popularity of portable breathalysers. This new breathalyser in the market is no ordinary gadget, though. It has the added attraction of being plugged into your iPod, making it as cool as any breathalyser could ever be.

Dubbed the iBreath, the gadget can be attached to the bottom of the iPod and includes a tube that folds out – that is where you breathe into if you have had a drink or two and you need to get behind the wheel. That’s not all it does, though. The iBreath also doubles as an FM radio – giving you that added feature not available in the iPod. I suppose that the FM radio could justify the price tag of £55, which, in my mind is a bit too steep.

Still, this has not deterred countless consumers in the UK from getting their hands on the iBreath. In fact, it has been reported that the iBreath has become one of the most popular gadgets since its release in the US. I can just see it now…people gathering outside of a pub or a night club in the wee hours of the morning…taking out their iPods with the iBreath and testing their alcohol level…I think I want one for Christmas.

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Digital Photo Frame Webcam- A Potential Spy Gadget

Imagine peering into a photo frame only to find out afterwards that there’s someone watching you through it.

This is what the Digital Photo Frame Webcam does. It has all the trappings of the spy gadget — if only that camera wasn’t so obvious. The webcam can take photos too, when connected to a PC. The picture viewer itself is detachable from the base. Aside from its basic photo viewer and slideshow function, it also has a built-in calendar and thermometer. A bit more tweak into making the webcam a bit more imperceptible would be ideal, but as of now, I like what I see.

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Playstation 3 Lite this Autumn ?

UK gadget mag T3 are currently treading the gossip rumor mill with information about the Playstation 3 re-design.

As the beefy Playstation 3 60GB edition quietly got discontinued a couple of months ago we’ve been waiting to see what will take its place, hoping a new model would be out this month along with the new rumble controller.

According to a particularly well-informed insider, it seems that the Big S is prepping an all new PlayStation 3. The new incarnation is supposedly “slimmer, lighter weight, and sexy as hell”.

Certainly slimmer is a good educated guess, The PSP shed a lot of its weight last summer, the original PlayStation ended up as the minuscule PSOne, and the PlayStation 2 re-incarnated as the PSTwo.

T3 speculate that the much hoped for 160GB PS3 could very well be arriving in this new look slim design. The picture shown here was knocked up by T3’s team of designers. So don’t get too excited!

Sony has peddled their usual line of ‘not commenting on rumors and speculation’, but that is exactly what they said before they dropped the size zero edition of the PSP.

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Who Needs Operators Anyhow ?

I encourage you to pop over to the MEX blog and read a recent entry by Marek Pawlowski on how value is slowly draining away from the operators and toward application and handset developers. He describes how the main brands he sees now are the providers of the useful third-party applications he uses to make his mobile do the things he wants, as he wants them - from syncing contacts to uploading images and beyond. In his case, - mobile phone as love doctor -  Vodafone is just a carrier signal underneath, and even then only when he can't pick up Wifi. I can totally understand this feeling. I just got the Nokia N93, pictured here, and in the past five days have pretty much avoided Cingular, my operator, and loaded as many third-party apps as I needed on to the handset. The main brands I experience now? Nokia and Flickr. I run over Wifi every chance I get (though I still can't make voice calls with it, but all data is now going over hotspots, not my carrier's data service). It is somewhat analogous to the early days of the Internet, where ISPs tried to control the user experience, and eventually the dominant services and brands became third parties like Google, or hardware providers who offer services, like Apple and .mac, or Microsoft and its online services. I almost forget that my bandwidth comes from Time Warner. Operators will have to become application providers more and more if they are to stay in the game for more valuable users. Meanwhile, I'll just keep playing with my toy.

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Truphone SIM Cards Coming Soon

Truphone, known more for enabling WiFi calling and SMS on Nokia handsets than being a traditional wireless carrier, is now going to be just that. Truphone recently announced they have acquired the assets of SIM4travel, a UK-based mobile virtual network operator. SIM4travel is very similar to Pat Phelan's Roam4Free service which substantially cuts your mobile roaming rates. Prior to this acquisition, the only thing Truphone didn't have was the ability to make calls over GSM natively. They already did SMS-a major step along the way to being a mobile phone operator-and of course they operate on mobile phones, albeit Nokia ones over WiFi. It's the first carrier I am aware of that will support GSM and WiFi using SIP. I can't wait to get my Truphone branded SIM

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Mobile Videos Popular but Not Profitable

When it comes to mobile phone advertising, there is an apparent disconnect between movie outfits and advertising agencies. Although the mobile marketing/advertising industry is becoming more popular and is projected to reach $3 billion by the end 2007, major advertisers don't find the risk worth taking as they remain focused on the $48 billion broadcast TV advertising. An article in New York Times cites the dismal failure of six-episode cellphone series, the Green Arrow, to entice advertisers to support this program. Despite this lack of enthusiasm, it did not deter other outfits like Century Fox, Viacom's MTV Networks, and Sony Pictures to come up with new programs.

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EU Backs In-flight Mobile Use

Finally, I'm back after a long hiatus. The first that caught my attention is the announcement of the European Commission to support in-flight mobile use by harmonizing the technical and licensing requirements. That's great news for all mobile phone addicts as well as traveling business people. At this early stage, EU has issued a stern warning to all wireless operators to be more transparent about pricing. According to EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding:

"In-flight mobile phone services can be a very interesting new service especially for those business travellers who need to be ready to communicate wherever they are, wherever they go. However, if consumers receive shock phone bills, the service will not take off."

On the other hand, The Register notes inflight mobile use might cause more stress to other travelers due to additional noise and disturbance it inherently carries.

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Super Street Fighter 4 review: A Capcom classic - END

While some of the new protagonists in Super Street Fighter 4 aren’t entirely original – aside from sinister Taekwondo expert Juri and slippery Turkish wrestler Hakan, all of the characters have appeared in previous Street Fighter instalments – the fact that you have so many to choose from grants Super Street Fighter 4 an astonishingly high level of replay value. Mastering the techniques, strengths and shortcomings of just one fighter can take weeks, and attempting to learn them all is likely to be the task of a lifetime.

However, many purists will argue that the aspect of Super Street Fighter 4 most worthy of praise is the online component. Illustrating that it’s possible to improve on perfection, Capcom has listened to the feedback generated by the previous game and has deployed a raft of positive changes.

Firstly, the points system which effectively determines your rank online has been overhauled to reward experimentation. Team battles have also been expanded, with up to eight players joining in. Endless battle replicates the “winner stays on” sessions you used to indulge in down the local chippy and particularly memorable matches can even be saved to your hard drive for later perusal.

Other less obvious accompaniments are also present: Capcom’s signature bonus stages make a return, with the car-smashing level (lifted wholesale from the company’s Final Fight arcade game) being a particular favourite. Elsewhere, you’ll find new music, more fighting arenas, totally new animated storylines for each character and some minor rebalancing to ensure each member of the roster is on fairly equal terms when it comes to battle capability.

Granted, it’s not an entirely new game by any stretch of the imagination, but then it is being offered at a reduced price. If you’re a hardcore fan, placed your order for Super Street Fighter 4 now. New players who have yet to experience this most beloved of brawlers should certainly give this a spin, as despite its close ties with the previous game, it remains the best one-on-one fighter currently available on any home console.

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Super Street Fighter 4 review : A Capcom classic ?

Let’s be honest: the 2D fighting game was on the ropes before Capcom decided to reboot its legendary Street Fighter series with a fourth installment just over a year ago. Boasting gorgeous 3D visuals but the same tried-and-tested 2D gameplay, Street Fighter 4 proved to be an instant classic, appealing to grizzled veterans and eager newcomers alike, and Super Street Fighter 4 is destined to do the same.

Those versed in gaming history will be well aware of Cacpom’s fondness for incremental updates: the policy of releasing minor revisions of each title harks back to the days when cutting edge video games were the exclusive domain of the arcades and fresh titles were needed every few months. These days, home consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 outclass even the most powerful coin-op but Capcom is clearly aware that dedicated players are hankering for a fresh challenge – hence Super Street Fighter 4.

On the surface it would appear that very little has actually changed in Super Street Fighter 4 : the fighting system remains the same, comprising of superhuman special moves, intricate attack combinations, Ultra Combo finishers and Focus blows which, when executed correctly, can deflect incoming attacks and bust through your opponent’s defences like a hot knife through butter.

The same incredible degree of depth is available, too. Super Street Fighter 4 is the kind of game that takes moments to learn but an entire lifetime to master. Thankfully there’s a pretty comprehensive training mode which gently guides the player through each element of the game so hopeless noobs won’t feel entirely lost.

The most obvious addition to Super Street Fighter 4 is the expanded roster of characters. In the original game you had 25 combatants to mess about with, but in this revised version there are 35. What’s more, they’re all available from the moment you insert the disc into the drive of your Xbox 360 or PS3 (We played it on the former). While this avoids the need to painstakingly unlock all the fighters by completing the solo mode several times over, it also removes some of the incentive to really sit down and play the game to death.

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2010 : MacBook Pro review: Worth the upgrade ? END

It’s a smart system, but in our tests the new MacBook Pro was easily fooled. In most cases, such as firing up 3D accelerated games, the new MacBook flicked from Intel’s low power, but equally low performance, integrated graphics to its Nvidia chipset instantly, boosting performance and providing pixel-perfect visuals. HD video editing saw a performance boost from the Nvidia chip too with Apple’s iMovie software smartly selecting the beefed up graphics chip.

It’s not foolproof though. Using iTunes to play back a HD video clip, the new MacBook Pro refused to engage its beefier graphics, and while it’s fair to say the Intel chip did an admirable job of decoding the pictures, there’s no way to tell if the Nvidia hardware would have done it any better.

Similarly, we found a few apps that Apple’s new graphics switching struggled with. iPhoto, for example, doesn’t make use of the new graphics chips, while oddly the Twitter app Tweetie makes them flick unnecessarily into high gear, potentially draining the battery while on the road.

And speaking of the battery, Apple has upped the capacity of the new MacBook Pro’s, claiming up to nine hours use, despite the weight remaining a respectable 2.5kg, just like its predecessor. In practice, however, we didn’t notice much difference between this new MacBook Pro and the previous model. It’s likely that extra juice is in place solely to contend with the increased grunt under the new MacBook Pro’s slinky shell.

The big question then, is whether this MacBook upgrade is worth the outlay. If you’re in the market for a brand new laptop, then it’s an unquestionable yes. The extra power makes 3D games and HD video a treat, although those with previous generation MacBooks aren’t missing out on a great deal, and could arguably see better efficiencies by sticking with manual switching for graphics.

The new MacBook Pro remains the best looking, easiest to use, and most powerful standard-spec lap-dweller we’ve ever used, but there’s not much call for the upgrade itch to be scratched if you already own one of Cupertino’s machines.

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2010 : MacBook Pro review : Worth the upgrade ?

The new MacBook Pro is a blessing to video editors, media hounds and posers alike. There’s no doubting that this is still the best looking laptop ever made. Apple’s aluminium unibody and large glass trackpad are unchanged, as is the delightfully springy backlit keyboard and LED-backlit display.

The new MacBook Pro does have one external update though. Or, at least, its charger does. Apple has quietly updated the new 15-inch MacBook Pro’s MagSafe power connector, giving it an aluminium skin and cylindrical design.

It’s neat, but in an annoying case of form over function it’s now possible to block the MacBook’s ethernet port with the new connector, since it’ll attach magnetically whichever way around it’s introduced to the new MacBook Pro. It’s not a deal-breaker, but is an odd annoyance all the same.

What isn’t an annoyance is the performance boost delivered by the new MacBook Pro’s updated processor. Fling open the lid, using Apple’s lovingly-crafted thumb scoop just under the screen’s edge, and you’ll find it’s a humdinger of a machine. We tested the most basic 15-inch MacBook Pro, with a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor, alongside 4GB of DDR3 memory, Intel HD graphics and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT330M graphics card.

In particular, those two last specs are worth taking note of. While previous MacBook Pro laptops have packed multiple graphics chips, this is the first to seamlessly switch between them without the need for logging out of OS X, depending on how much power an individual app requires.

Previously, Apple’s MacBook Pro laptops have either had their full-power graphics switched on, or off. What’s more, manually switching between them was a fiddly process. Now it’s all automated, with Apple’s Mac OS intelligently selecting which chip to use, depending how intense an app’s graphics needs are.

It’s a smart system, but in our tests the new MacBook Pro was easily fooled. In most cases, such as firing up 3D accelerated games, the new MacBook flicked from Intel’s low power, but equally low performance, integrated graphics to its Nvidia chipset instantly, boosting performance and providing pixel-perfect visuals. HD video editing saw a performance boost from the Nvidia chip too with Apple’s iMovie software smartly selecting the beefed up graphics chip.

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iPhone 4.0 : five ways it’ll revolutionise mobile. END

5. Apple’s secret weapon It’s no secret that the iPhone has put Apple head to head with network operators. Since its launch in June 2007 there have been rows over data usage and video streaming, tariffs and visual voicemail, unlocking and exclusivity, but now Apple is nearing the position where, at least in Europe, its handset is available on almost all major networks.

It’s a powerful position for Apple to be in: no single network has control over its device, and if any restrictions, such as on data usage, are applied there are rivals ready to offer an alternative to disgruntled customers.

Pretty soon, Apple will be able to play the operators’ demands off against each other, rather than itself. Perhaps iPhone 4.0 will finally see Apple leverage its position, and usher in a new layer of control over the iPhone: how calls themselves are made.

How could it happen? Maybe it already has. Last December rumours were rife, although never confirmed, that Apple had purchased VoIP firm iCall. The benefits to Apple were obvious. For a start, the company owns the iCall trademark, and it also has unique technology: allowing voice calls from the mobile network to be passed almost seamlessly to its VoIP app.

Reports circulated that Apple had splashed up to $60 million on acquiring iCall. However, it continues to operate within its own right, and Apple’s involvement has never been clear.

Imagine for a minute however, how iCall could fit inside the iPhone ecosystem. iPhones could become equipped to place calls to each other straight out of the box, circumnavigating network operator’s charges completely and using those handy unlimited data tariffs, negotiated by Apple from the day the iPhone was born.

Drop out of a data network, and your iCall would become a normal call. Fuss-free and fool-proof, just the way Apple likes it.

Of course, it’s all conjecture. But it is interesting to note that iCall has made no public announcements since February, despite Apple showcasing iPhone OS 4.0 last month, complete with multitasking and VoIP abilities built in. Now, you’d think iCall would have something to say about that, wouldn’t you?

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iPhone 4.0 : five ways it’ll revolutionise mobile.  suite

3. Next-gen miniaturisation Gizmodo, acting as temporary custodians of the leaked iPhone 4.0 prototype, didn’t just photograph the outside of the device, they ripped it apart. In doing so, they revealed the logic board, or brains of the new iPhone, have shrunk dramatically.

The iPhone 4.0 has a processor and associated circuitry around a third the size of its predecessor, the iPhone 3GS. The extra space allows for a battery that’s bigger, taking up roughly half of the phone’s inside and 19% bigger than the iPhone 3GS.

Until Apple releases the new iPhone 4.0, there’s no way to know what that increased battery, and shrunken circuitry mean, but if we had to bet, we’d say Apple’s about to blow all our expectations of battery life out of the water.

4. Wireless one-upmanship The iPad debuted with Wi-Fi, but look closely at its specs and you’ll see it’s N-standard Wi-Fi, offering greater speed and improved range. It’s impossible to tell from the evidence to date, but in the past Apple has used identikit components across the iPod and iPhone range, so it’s natural to assume the same can be expected of the iPad.

If we’re right, then the iPhone 4.0, and by association the next iPod touch, will also come with super-fast Wi-Fi. The implications are huge.

The iPhone will obviously surf at greater speeds, when connected through Wi-Fi to a beefy broadband connection, but it’s the local use of wireless we’re really excited about. Multi-player games with nearby friends will see a speed increase, iPhone owners will enjoy better performance at greater distances, and there’s the possiblity of new uses: such as wireless syncing with iTunes.

The latter could make the iPhone 4.0 more efficient and enjoyable all round. Imagine an iPhone that automatically syncs new songs, podcasts and videos as soon as you walk within range of your home network. The Apple TV has synced with iTunes wirelessly since its introduction in March 2007, and packs N-standard Wi-Fi for this very reason.

And then there’s the speculation around Apple and NFC technology. Like that used in London’s Oyster cards, and company ID cards all over the world, Apple has applied for patents to use NFC in iPhones and iPods, as well as Macs. Its latest scheme would see owners use the iPhone as a ticket to events, letting you swipe in or out using its NFC technology.

We already know the iPhone 4.0 has a special glass back to allow better wireless reception. Maybe these two wireless technologies are the reason why.

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iPhone 4.0 : five ways it’ll revolutionise mobile. Again

The iPhone 4.0 leaks have been splashed all over the web, but so far the majority of gadget fans’ speculation, scrutiny and inspection of the device has been on its specs. Sure there are some new goodies in there, but more interesting is how Apple could use its new toy to reshape mobile all over again.

1. Put the video back in video games Sure, Apple will show off that front-facing camera on the iPhone 4.0 with iChat and video calls, but we don’t reckon that’s what it’s really for.

To date, tons of phones have offered front-facing cameras, but they’re always been smudgy, and video chat on the move is a pain. Once developers get their hands on it however, that front-facing camera will be an invaluable weapon for the iPhone.

Obviously, it has the potential to take on the Nintendo DSi, but games developers could also seize it as a chance to make augmented reality gaming a reality. Imagine playing story-based games that read your facial expressions to figure out how infuriated or amused you are by the plot-line. Or which quietly monitor your attention span, pausing the game when you’re distracted, or need to hop off the bus.

2. Unparalleled screen quality The first hands-on reports with the iPhone 4.0 suggested that its resolution has been hugely increased. Gizmodo reported it was difficult to discern individual pixels, while Daring Fireball’s John Gruber explains the ramifications of a huge resolution increase on the iPhone 4.0.

In short, Apple’s mobile will finally have a screen quality to rival high quality magazines. According to Gruber, a doubling of its resolution to 960?×?640 would create unprecedented quality for a mobile phone, and mean the iPhone 4.0 display was “indistinguishable, or nearly so, from high-quality print.”

Consider Apple has already announced it’ll bring ebooks to the iPhone with iPhone OS 4.0, and the implications are clear: Apple is out to make the new iPhone a fantastic device for reading, and will pack in enough pixels to display close-to-HD video, even considering its small screen.

[world-shaker]

A Toast to Travel : Mexican Kitchen and Beer in Czech Republic

Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen, Santa Fe, New Mexico I drew our attention to this Santa Fe institution not too long ago on the Message Boards, saying, “I'm not that big on mixed drinks, but I do like a really good margarita on the rocks, especially one made with reposado tequila. There's this terrific little place called Maria's New Mexican Kitchen in Santa Fe that makes the best I've ever had.” Nombiri takes the praise a step further with her proclamation that “the best time [she] had in Santa Fe was probably at this restaurant.” Not surprising, considering her evaluation of the house margarita: “It packed a punch but managed not to taste as though it did.”

  Beer and Becherovka : U Fleku, Prague, Czech Republic “Prague is one of the world's great pub cities,” says Stavvy, “and merits wandering off the beaten track for tastes of what is counted by many as the world's finest beer, including hallmark brands Pilsner Urquell, Velkopopovický, and Staropramen.” He directs us to U Fleku, where several other IgoUgoers have sipped beer between shots of herbal Becherovka, including MoDean, who says, “the beer, brewed on-premises, was a dangerously delicious dark, and we enjoyed several pints with a rotating group of neighbors that included a young Austrian couple, a large group of older German couples, and a healthy dose of Czechs.” Local brews and local crews make the beer hall an authentic pick.

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Kids Online Games

ecards : Welcome to the era of online everything.

If you’re not jacked into cyberspace, you may very well be missing out on a lot. That’s just the way it goes. It’s not solely about gathering information, shopping, online banking and sending emails back and forth.

Tons of kids are living it up on the net with kids online games. This is where the toy market has taken its turn. Maybe the video game companies are getting a run for their money, because now you log your new toys into the web and play cool games with them online. Watch out Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.

Have you ever heard of Bella Sara cards ? How about My Littlest Pets or Webkinz ? These are the primary kids online games these days. Let me give you the rundown on how it works. Bella Sara is a brand of collectible cards.

Since these cards are covered with pretty ponies and gorgeous horses, they appeal primarily to a female audience.

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Some Types of Users Will Find a Netbook Easier to Use than an iPad

Apple users have often shied away from purchasing a netbook, despite the lower price, because of the clunky Windows operating system.

of these same users, however, may not like the iPad/iPhone/iPod interface, even though they love Apple.

Google Chrome OS is likely to be more like using a computer than the iPad, with a regular keyboard and an experience centered around familiar web browsing.