New York Times Chrome Web app hands-on: jaw-droppingly awesome

Truth be told, I've never been sold on the whole Web apps paradigm. They're just websites! Very pretty websites, but ultimately... just websites. But it seems I was missing the point: while they're websites to you and I, publishers and developers see them as something else entirely. They see Web apps as beautiful, standardized, cross-platform tools for dissemination of their content and, of course, monetization. It's hard to sell a website, but a Web app on the other hand...

Take a look at the New York Times Web app, which I've just had the immense pleasure of playing around with. Notice how I gave you a Chrome Web Store link, but I could just as easily tell you to visit http://www.nytimes.com/chrome/# in Firefox 4 and it still works. Heck, it works in Firefox 3, too.

Don't let the 'oooh, Web app!!' distract you from the real gems, though. The layout is nothing like the website, and that's a good thing. Never has it been easier to switch between categories quickly -- seriously, the Web app blows the website out of the water, as far as content discovery goes. Then, there's the keyboard shortcuts, with the arrow keys allowing you to whisk through pages and stories with incredible ease.

Finally, and perhaps the best example of why Web apps are the wave of the future: visit the Web app's URL on your iPad. The experience is better than the actual iPad app. Even swiping works! (There are some iPad screenshots in the gallery below, too.)

Anyway, the best way to get to grips with the New York Times Web app is to play around with it yourself. If you don't have time, or if you're afraid of missing the good bits, have a look through our hands-on gallery below (again, make sure you view the images 'full size'). My initial impressions are excellent -- but the app is far from perfect. More analysis after the break.

Gallery: New York Times Web app hands-on walkthrough

Continue reading New York Times Chrome Web app hands-on: jaw-droppingly awesome

New York Times Chrome Web app hands-on: jaw-droppingly awesome originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/08/new-york-times-chrome-web-app-hands-on-jaw-droppingly-awesome/

INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES (IBM) INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

Ask DLS: how to change your Download Squad password, the best Android web browser, and tailoring our RSS feeds

We're back with more of your questions, and more of our excellent answers.

This week, with the high-profile Gawker Media hack, we've been innundated with commenters asking how to change their Download Squad password. Now, it's not the easiest thing in the world, and yes, we know our commenting system isn't the best in the world (and we know there are still a few 'Easter eggs' from the Switched merger; they'll be ironed out soon, I promise) -- so if you're struggling to change your password, follow these simple steps:

• Make sure you're logged in -- the only way to do this (at the moment) is to leave a comment on a post (any post will do!)
• Find one of your comments -- the comment you just made will work just fine
• Click your name -- it's a link to your profile page (it will look something like this). Marvel at your huge post counts!
• Type your old password, and confirm a new password -- hit Change Password and you're done!

Continue reading Ask DLS: how to change your Download Squad password, the best Android web browser, and tailoring our RSS feeds

Ask DLS: how to change your Download Squad password, the best Android web browser, and tailoring our RSS feeds originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/20/ask-dls-how-to-change-your-download-squad-password-android-browser-rss-feeds/

IXYS ITRON IRON MOUNTAIN INORATED IOMEGA

How to rip convert Blu-ray M2TS to Droid X with Foxreal Blu-ray Ripper

Summary:

---

The '''[http://www.foxreal.com/droidx/ ''Motorola Droid X'']''' rocks a brilliant 4.3-inch touch screen and offers some wonderful multimedia features. It is a beast, just like the original Droid before it, but in a good way. To a large extent, with the Droid X?s hi-res screen, your hand has becoming a nice theater. It is a pity that the funny handy theater only accept limited video/audio formats: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263.

http://www.foxreal.com/blu_ray_ripper/blu-ray-ripper-overview.jpg

'''Foxreal [http://www.foxreal.com/blu-ray-ripper/ ''Blu-ray Ripper'']''' Key Features:
# Remove copy protection, region code, AACS and '''MKB V19''' from Blu-ray disc for backup.
# Shrink/decrypt Blu-ray and DVD disc movies to H.264 MKV, AVI, MOV, MP4, etc.
# Rip Blu-ray/DVD movies for '''iPad''', '''Droid X''', iPhone 4, iPod Touch, etc.
# Convert '''BD/DVD files''' at 5X faster speed with perfect video and audio synchronization.

Step 1: Load Blu-ray M2TS files into this Blu-ray to Droid X ripping software.

Step 2: Choose output format for Droid X by clicking the ?Format? option and selecting ?Android - > Motorola Droid (X) H.264 Video (*.mp4)?.

Step 3: Customize output settings to get the best Droid X video format by adjusting video/audio parameters after clicking the ?Settings? button. (this is optional. Actually the default settings for the Droid X will keep the ripped/converted BD files with good quality if you won?t do this.)

'''Video H.264 (*.mp4) at 1500 bitrate and 23.97 frame rate with 854*480 resolution''' is recommended here for the Droid X.

Step 4: Start BD to Droid X MP4 conversion by clicking the convert icon on the main interface. Based on the latest NVIDIA CUDA technology, the entire ripping will be done within a short time ? 5x faster than those CUDA unabled rippers.

'''Batch BD conversion''' is also supported. Or, you can check the ?Merge into one file? box to join/combine several Blu-ray M2TS files into a single one after the ripping.

Foxreal Blu-ray Ripper and More Christmas Sale Up to 50% OFF:
http://www.foxreal.com/christmas-sale-of-foxreal-software-with-special-discounts/

Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/P4Fnysb2kLs/How_to_rip_convert_Blu-ray_M2TS_to_Droid_X_with_Foxreal_Blu-ray_Ripper

LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS LAWSON SOFTWARE LAND SOFTWARE LAM RESEARCH

Apple releases new Santa-themed iPhone 4 ad

Apple has posted a new holiday-themed iPhone ad titled "Under the Covers." In the ad, a mom nestles with her young son in bed while he uses FaceTime on the iPhone 4 to video chat with Santa. The mom leaves the room and the son hides under the covers, still talking to Santa.

Cut to the mom entering a room where her husband is dressed up as the big red guy. The parents have apparently recreated Santa's workshop in the garage in order to fool the boy by using every bit of technology available to them. The ad features "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole.

It's a heart warming spot, but personally I was hoping Apple would release a holiday iPhone ad featuring Krampus, Santa's Alpine-European demonic sidekick. Oh well, there's always next year.

Apple releases new Santa-themed iPhone 4 ad originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2010/12/21/apple-releases-new-santa-themed-iphone-4-ad/

GOOGLE FORMFACTOR FISERV FIRST SOLAR

Build a Fire

Summary: /* Start with tinder */

---

[[Image:Firelogcabin.jpg|thumb|250px|left|A classic "log cabin" style fire. Photo by kw.traveller/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kw_traveller/4660176968/in/photostream/ Flickr]/CC]]
There's more to building a a good fire than just squirting some lighter fluid on wood and flicking a match.

Sure, it works to get things started. But if you build a proper fire and pay attention to the arrangement of the wood, your results will be longer lasting, hotter and safer, whether outdoors on the trail or in the fireplace in your living room.

''This article is part of '''a wiki anyone can edit.''' If you have advice to add about starting fires, log in and contribute.''
<br clear="all" />


===Know your science===

Before you start building a fire, it's worth taking a minute to understand what makes a fire possible -- namely, fuel, heat, oxygen and a sustained chemical reaction.

The first is easy. In this case, your fuel is wood and tinder.

The heat in the equation refers to the initial heat you provide to start the fire, whether from a match or by rubbing two sticks together.

To provide enough oxygen, we need to make sure the wood and other burnables aren't so tightly packed that the fire snuffs itself out.

The last bit is simply a reminder that a burning fire is actually a chemical reaction. Fuel and oxygen are consumed, producing heat and light as byproducts. Block any component of that reaction and your fire will go out.

===Start with tinder===

Tinder refers to anything that ignites easily and can feed the initial flame to the next step in the chain. Good tinder includes paper, dry grasses, dried moss, pine needles, wood shavings, and even lint or wax. Denim, if frayed and unraveled will do in a pinch.

If you're building an outdoor fire, pine needles and dry grass are likely to be your most plentiful sources of tinder. For indoor fires, grab the Sunday paper and crumple it up. What? The Sunday paper is on your iPad? Yet another drawback of digital publishing...

===Kindling===

The next step in the chain is kindling. Where the main goal of tinder is to ignite quickly, kindling consists of larger materials so that when the heat from the tinder moves on to the kindling the fire grows.

The best source of kindling will usually be dry twigs or small pieces of wood chipped from your main logs. Try to find twigs about 1/8 to 1/2 inch thick. Other good sources of kindling include bark or cardboard. Whatever you use, make sure it is very dry.

===Fuel===

[[Image:Teepeefire.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The classic teepee, one of the many architectural methods of fire-building. Photo by Matt DeTurck/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalboz17/295420227/ Flickr]/CC]]
Once the tinder ignites, it feeds heat to the kindling which then catches on fire and passes even more heat onto the actual fuel. This is where your logs come in. This is also where you'll find a number of different fire "architectures."

* '''The teepee:''' Stack your larger fuel logs in a teepee or cone shape around the tinder and kindling. As the the fuel begins to burn, the outside logs will catch at the base and then fall inward as they burn, feeding the fire.


* '''The trench:''' Best used when you don't have a lot of fuel. To build a trench fire, dig a small cross under the fire; dig down about 4 inches. Lay your tinder at the center of the two channels and then build the fire on top of that. The two channels you've dug out will pull in air and create an updraft that helps feed the fire.


* '''The log cabin:''' Build a four-walled box outside your tinder and kindling by stacking your fuel logs in alternating directions, just like a log cabin. This method creates an effect similar to a chimney, and the heat on the inside pulls oxygen through the gaps in your "cabin" walls, feeding the fire.


* '''The pyramid:''' Also known at the upside down fire, the pyramid starts with two larger logs laid on the ground, parallel to each other. Then lay a foundation of other logs across your base. Then add another layer in the opposite direction to the one below it. Continue adding layers, using smaller, thinner logs as you go up. Add your kindling above the last layer and then the tinder on top of that. Light from the top and the pyramid will burn down. This method works well in indoor fireplaces.


'''Tip''': Which architecture is best depends on the situation you're facing. The teepee is best if the fuel wood is wetter, since logs outside the main fire can dry before they burn. The pyramid is compact and requires very little maintenance, making it ideal for an all night fire.

===Summon the god of wind===

Occasionally, you have to fan your fire to keep it going, especially if it's small. We recommend this method:

<youtube>389DkzjHpus</youtube>



[[Category:Survival]]
[[Category:Travel]]

Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/Jc3IJCe8pTI/Build_a_Fire

INSIGHT ENTERPRISES INGRAM MICRO INFORMATICA INFOCUS

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play tipped as PlayStation phone as SE go on domain spree

The discovery of a number of “xperiaplay” domain registrations by a Swedish PR company that counts Sony Ericsson among its clients has led to suggestions that the upcoming PlayStation Android smartphone will launch as the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play. The gaming handset has been spotted in the wild on numerous occasions, complete with PlayStation-style control [...]

Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/aVFDynA7rzI/

QUANTUM QLOGIC . PROGRESS SOFTWARE PLANAR SYSTEMS

How to get Verizon's UML290 4G USB modem to work on the Mac

Verizon Wireless launched its 4G LTE network across the United States on December 5, 2010 and left many Mac users unhappy when they found that the two 4G USB modems that are currently available, the Pantech UML290 and LG VL600, were both listed as compatible only with Windows XP, Vista and 7.

Fortunately, there are people who are willing to try to overcome hurdles that are unintentionally put in the way of Mac users, so there are now instructions on how to set up your Mac to work properly with the Pantech modem.

Note that you'll still need to have access to a Windows machine in order to run the VZAccess Manager software, which is required to do the initial activation of the Pantech modem. If you have Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop for Mac, or VMWare Fusion installed on your Mac with a Windows virtual machine, then you should have no issues performing the activation.

The instructions are actually quite easy for Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6 users. Plug the modem into an available USB 2.0 port, then launch System Preferences. Go into the Network settings, and the device will show up in the left sidebar as a connection.

Continue reading How to get Verizon's UML290 4G USB modem to work on the Mac

How to get Verizon's UML290 4G USB modem to work on the Mac originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2010/12/20/how-to-get-verizons-uml290-4g-usb-modem-to-work-on-the-mac/

WESTERN DIGITAL VOLT INFORMATION SCIENCES VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY VIRGIN MEDIA

Digital Storm?s new xm15 Laptop Switches Between Video Cards Automagically

Behold, a new computer from Digital Storm. This is the xm15, a sweet light notebook utilizing NVIDIA’s Optimus Hybrid Technology. Its speedy and excellent they say, not least of all because of its GT 425M 1GB video card and the hybrid technology which allows it to switch between its two graphic processors automatically and completely [...]

Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/t1uDjeiROEI/

SYNOPSYS SYNNEX SYMANTEC SYKES ENTERPRISES INORATED

Apple's Aperture 3.1.1 update improves iLife compatibility

Apple has updated Aperture, its professional photo editing and management software, to version 3.1.1. This is an incremental update, so no earth-shattering surprises here, but if you're an Aperture user you'll be happy to find:

• Better reliability when upgrading Aperture libraries created with older versions
• Less buggy photo publishing to MobileMe, Facebook and Flickr
• Improved compatibility with iLife Media Browser.

You can read the update release notes here and grab it via Software Update or direct from Apple, but you'll need Mac OS X 10.5.8 or 10.6.2 or later to install.

Apple's Aperture 3.1.1 update improves iLife compatibility originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 04:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/10/apples-aperture-3-1-1-update-improves-ilife-compatibility/

DIODES INORATED DIEBOLD DELL CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR

Microsoft rolls out free Office Web Apps to 15 additional countries

Microsoft began previewing Office Web Apps (OWA) back in September of 2009, and today the Office team has announced expanded availability of the free-to-use OWA. Originally available in just 11 countries, the total number has been more than doubled and is now open to users in China, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Taiwan.

All you need is a Windows Live account, and it's well worth signing up for one if you haven't already. Office Web Apps are fully compatible with their desktop counterparts, and while they're somewhat feature-limited you can use them in good conscience without having to pay a single cent.

Microsoft rolls out free Office Web Apps to 15 additional countries originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/08/microsoft-rolls-out-office-web-apps-to-15-additional-countries/

FIRST SOLAR FINISAR FEI COMPANY FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR INTERNATIONAL

Download Lady gaga songs and listen with Monster Heartbeats by Lady gaga

Summary:

---

Part 1. Download Lady gaga's songs, album from Youtube, myspace, pandora, Rhapsody etc.

Lady Gaga music videos create a new record on YouTube! Can you believe it? Here you can see a simple userguide on how to download lady gaga's songs, music videos from Youtube, or myspace, facebook, google video, pandora etc. with [http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com/ Leemsoft Total Music Downloader]

Step 1. Download leemsoft Total Music Downloader software. Install it and launch it on your computer.

[http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com/download/TotalMusicDownloader.exe http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com/download/TotalMusicDownloader.exe]

[Image:http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com/images/screenshot.jpg]

Step 2. Go to Youtube website and find lady gaga's songs, music videos you want to download. Play lady gaga songs online.

Step 3. Total Music Downloader software will detect the Youtube URL and download musics, music videos for you automatically

Step 4. Click "Converter" icon, you can convert downloaded musics, videos to MP3, WMA, WAV, M4A, AAC formats.

[http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com/ Total Music downloader] can also edit musics by clip it, edit ID3 tag. So you can cut off the downloaded advertisement if you want.

Part 2. Listen musics with Monster Heartbeats by lady gaga on iPod, iPhone.

[http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com/special-offers.html '''Monster Heartbeats by Lady Gaga'''] are holistically designed to deliver the soundtrack of your life with clarity and power, as well as satisfy your passion for fashion. The Heartbeats by Lady Gaga Headphones feature a unique, eye-catching style that won't go unnoticed; they seem very durable; and Monster includes a cute carrying case.

"Heartbeats by Lady Gaga" are engineered to deliver all the music the artist intended you to hear, with incredible sonic clarity, pounding bass, and all the power demanded by today's music," says our favourite press release of the week.

Combined [http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com/ Total Music Downloader], you can enjoy all online musics with best feeling and great bass quality on your local PC or other portable devices, like '''iPhone, iPod, PSP, Zune''' etc.

[Image:http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com/images/Monster-Heartbeats-by-Lady-Gaga-In-ear-headphones.jpg]

On http://www.youtube-mp3-download.com you can get this wonderful heartbeart earphone with half price.

Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/6lG6Z34P25c/Download_Lady_gaga_songs_and_listen_with_Monster_Heartbeats_by_Lady_gaga

MICROSEMI MICROS SYSTEMS MICRON TECHNOLOGY MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY

Xerox shows off Smart Document Review table, a Surface that sifts through billions of docs (video)

You have a lot of documents you've acquired over the years, hundreds or thousands in some semblance of order thanks to folders and whatnot. Now, imagine taking the output from hundreds or thousands of others, all with their own ideas about organization, and finding only those pages relevant to a certain topic. That's what legal aides have to do in cases where a major corporation is being investigated, and we're thinking that's a major target market for Xerox's Smart Document Review. It's a prototype touchscreen table that enables users to collaboratively filter documents, starting by indexing a giant pool and then allowing for the creation of "magnets" that contain keywords or other heuristics and dynamically pull out matches, all happening courtesy of animations that look only slightly less sophisticated than those seen in Hackers. Search results can then be dumped to a thumb drive. The prototype table dates back to earlier this year, but Xerox is now making them available as part of a pilot program exclusively for trendy law offices with unisex bathrooms.

[Thanks, Pradeep]

Continue reading Xerox shows off Smart Document Review table, a Surface that sifts through billions of docs (video)

Xerox shows off Smart Document Review table, a Surface that sifts through billions of docs (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/PcfNoxd7eyk/

EMULEX EMS TECHNOLOGIES EMC ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING

Sam's Club to sell iPhone 4 for $147 until Dec. 25

Remember that Radio Shack sale that offered the iPhone 4 for $149 and caused a nationwide shortage in the Shack's retail stores? Well, Sam's Club is about to one-up Radio Shack with a Member-only promotion that drops the price of the iPhone 4 to $147 with a two-year customer agreement. The leaked internal communication suggests the promotion is available now and extends until Christmas day. If you missed the Radio Shack sale, then should definitely jump on the Sams' Club promotion as this is likely to be the cheapest you will see the iPhone 4 until the iPhone 5 is announced. [Update -- Radio Shack actually operates the wireless kiosks at Sam's Club stores. Ed.]

For those looking to spend even less money on an iPhone, Sam's Club is also reportedly discounting the iPhone 3GS to a lowly $47 with a two-year customer agreement. At these prices, there is little reason not to grab an iPhone or two for your friends or family. While you are at it, you can also grab an iPad as a companion device for your shiny, new iPhone. Remember, this is a rumor so call ahead before you trek down to your local store. This promotion is also limited by supply, so don't wait until Christmas eve to take advantage of this discount.

[Via Macgasm]

Sam's Club to sell iPhone 4 for $147 until Dec. 25 originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2010/12/20/sams-club-to-sell-iphone-4-for-147-until-dec-25/

DST SYSTEMS DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES DIODES INORATED DIEBOLD

QuickDesk is a great quick-launch tool for Android

There are quite a few homescreen app launchers for Android; the best-known ones, ADW and LauncherPro, are very powerful but tend to be a tad on the chunky side. When you're in the middle of doing something and need to quickly switch to another task, you may not always like to go via your cluttered homescreen.

Enter QuickDesk: this quick utility is basically like a single homescreen page, with widget support and all. But when you launch it, it pops up as an overlay on top of what you're doing. The screenshot to the right shows QuickDesk running on top of a browser session, for example, but you could run it from any application; all it takes is a quick double-tap of the Home button (or even a single tap, with a double-tap to launch your "regular" launcher app). Those indicators you see next to PicMe, Phone and the other apps means they're currently running in the background.

Within QuickDesk, you get single-tap access to your most frequent applications and widgets. For example, I placed the power management widget there so I can quickly switch Wi-Fi off from any app - useful when I'm out and about, in the middle of something, and suddenly realize Wi-Fi is on and sucking battery power.

QuickDesk also features an "app drawer" of sorts, showing your most recently used applications. I personally disabled that feature (that's why you don't see it in the screenshot) because I feel the implementation clashes with the homescreen design - when the app drawer is open, some of the homescreen slides "up" and out of view. Still, QuickDesk is an interesting launcher, and the free version doesn't appear crippled in any way. QR code is after the jump.

Continue reading QuickDesk is a great quick-launch tool for Android

QuickDesk is a great quick-launch tool for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/15/quickdesk-is-a-great-quick-launch-tool-for-android/

CISCO SYSTEMS COGNIZANT TECH. SOLUTIONS COMCAST COMMSCOPE

Princeton and iOS DHCP still not getting along

It seems that every time Apple squashes one DHCP bug in iOS, another one pops up.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a system of automatically assigning IP addresses on a network, which mostly happens behind the scenes and without users noticing anything about it. Without an IP address, a device such as an iPhone, iPad, or any sort of computer cannot access the network.

DHCP uses a "lease" system where a computer can use a specific IP address for a certain length of time. In contrast to a static addressing scheme (where each device has a permanently-assigned IP address), DHCP allows many more devices to use the network -- as long as they are not all online at the same time.

Initially, iOS devices had two different problems. First they would hold on to their IP addresses after the "lease" expired, when they were supposed to be done with them.

Apple apparently fixed that problem, but created another one: devices were asking to renew their DHCP leases too often. The latter problem was fixed in iOS 4.1, but that was only released for iPhone and iPod touch devices, not iPads. With iOS 4.2, that bug is finally fixed.

But don't get too excited.

According to Princeton's tech team, the latest versions have a problem that they're listing as "iOS 4.1 - 4.2.1 Allows DHCP Lease to Expire, Keeps Using IP Address." Does that sound familiar? It's eerily like the earlier report from Princeton, "iPhone OS 3.2 on iPad Stops Renewing DHCP Lease, Keeps Using IP Address" -- so the issue is not taken care of yet.

If you only use your iOS device on a small home or office network, you may not be aware of this flaw, but -- and I hate to have to be so obvious, but a lot of people have apparently missed this -- managing a computer network on a university campus is a whole lot different than your home Wi-Fi network.

Despite reports, Princeton has not "banned" iOS devices, but their workaround includes disabling Notificatons, Find My iPhone/iPad, FaceTime, and removing all VoIP applications.

Hopefully one of these days, Apple will figure out how to get the iOS DHCP client to work efficiently on larger networks. In the meantime, you can keep track of the issue on Princeton's Apple iOS Networking page.

Princeton and iOS DHCP still not getting along originally appeared on TUAW on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2010/12/19/princeton-and-ios-dhcp-still-not-getting-along/

MICROSEMI MICROS SYSTEMS MICRON TECHNOLOGY MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY

Word Lens hands-on: Does it really translate text in real-time?

Word Lens hit the store with a bang, promising real-time translation of signs, menus, and any other text your camera can capture. Does the augmented-reality app work? Somewhat, yes. Is it the future? Definitely. We're just not there yet. I'll let the images in the gallery tell the story. But first, a quick rundown of what to expect when you download this free app.

Using Word Lens

It is fun to point your camera at text in the real world and see the iPhone start replacing text. There's your future part. Character recognition flops all over the place if you don't hold your hand steady, of course, but when you hit the pause button Word Lens snaps a pic and analyzes the text it has captured. There's a little camera control you can use, including a camera light (for when you're at Casa Bonita), basic zoom and focusing square (on supported iPhones like the 3GS, 4 and 4th-gen touch running iOS 4).

With the $0.99 entry fee you get two demo modes: reverse text and erase text. Erasing text is hilarious. Reversing it gives you a headache. If you pay $4.99 you download the Spanish-to-English dictionary leading to the real usefulness of the app. Does it really work? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Photo Tests

To test Word Lens, I picked three Spanish-language signs from Flickr to translate.

Photo 1 is a warning sign along the US-Mexico border warning of exposure if a crossing is attempted. Cuidado means caution or take care. Now see the first result from Word Lens as it tried to translate while the camera was not paused. Here's attempt number two from the gallery, also showing real-time results. In neither case has the video been paused as a photo for analysis.

Photo 2 is a sign from a men's restroom in Xalapa. Translated, it means "if you're going to vomit, put your hands here." Here's the Word Lens version: "IF WILL TO VOMIT FAVOUR OF PUT THE HANDS HERE." The picture on the right shows how Word lens underlines the letters/words it replaced. In this case, I did pause the camera and gave the app time to think.

Photo 3 is an elevator sign found in Spain which reads, "Warning don't get close to the entrance. Prevent children from using the lift alone." Well, it used to. Instead the letters have been scratched off so it now says "You get close to the entrance, encourage children to go down alone." Word Lens translated this to say what you see in this screenshot. Kinda funny, but a tough challenge. The underlined words again show you the things which were translated.

The Verdict

Overall, Word Lens does an impressive job of recognizing characters. Its Spanish dictionary suffers a bit, and it is not performing advanced translations as Google would (not that Google Translate is perfect by any means). However, as a first step it is really impressive. If Word Lens was tied into a more powerful translating service, it would be magical. It's pretty close already.

Gallery: Word Lens

Word Lens hands-on: Does it really translate text in real-time? originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2010/12/17/word-lens-hands-on-does-it-really-translate-text-in-real-time/

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