Web and Technology

LG Optimus LTE II Goes on Sale in South Korea

banez — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:02:38 +0000

World’s first Android phone to feature 2GB of RAM, the LG Optimus LTE II has just gone live in South Korea. The smartphone is now available for purchase through all three main carriers.

Although the handset has been made available only in South Korea, LG confirmed the Optimus LTE II will be launched worldwide, but more details on that will be unveiled in the following weeks.

With 2GB of RAM, LG Optimus LTE II offers an optimal multitasking at running large applications. In addition, the smartphone boasts an incredible 4.7-inch True HD IPS capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (1280 x 720 pixels) resolution and is capable of emitting 550 nits.

The device is powered by a dual core Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, which is complemented by an Adreno 225 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM.

Furthermore, the Optimus LTE II embeds 16GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.

Another strong point of the smartphone is the high-capacity 2,150 mAh Li-Ion battery, which is rated by the manufacturer for up to 250 hours of standby time or up to 10 hours of talk time.

LG also confirmed the Optimus LTE II runs Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system with the new Optimus UI 3.0 on top. The latter offers users a slew of convenient features such as face recognition unlocking, widget size control and easy-to-organize folder management.

It is also worth mentioning the smartphone comes with support for wireless charging, which means it can be recharged by placing it on a wireless battery charging pad.

“The Optimus LTE II is the most powerful smartphone technology currently available in Korea. With a faster LTE network, the barrier for downloading and running very large applications is no longer a significant one for many customers, which is why LG saw a need for more RAM on high-end smartphones,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

Apple Acknowledges Issue with Mac OS X Lion Server, Offers Fix

banez — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:02:37 +0000

In a support document updated May 18th, Apple acknowledges that NetRestore or NetBoot image creation may not work due to expired digital certificates in OS X Lion Server.

According to the documentation, “You may not be able to create a NetRestore or NetBoot image from the ‘Install Mac OS X Lion’ app (downloaded from the Mac App Store).”

The problem stems from Lion copies that are older than OS X version 10.7.4. Apple specifically notes that “some packages in earlier versions of the app were signed with a digital certificate that has since expired.”

To resolve this issue, customers must “download the latest version of the Install Mac OS X Lion app from the Mac App Store, and use it to create [their] NetRestore or NetBoot image.”

Quickly Organize Your Clustered Folders

banez — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:00:27 +0000

Let’s face it. Most of the time, we don’t like doing chores around the house, much less on our computer. We use machines to tidy up our homes or hire other people to do the effort for us. Our computers, though, require another type of attention.

Files can get clustered and, before you know it, you’ll be wasting precious time to find or tidy up the files you’ve gathered in one directory.

In this sense, a large number of applications have been developed to help you organize your files. In spite of its small size, Folder Tidy is quite a powerful and handy application. It automates the process of organizing files into subfolders based on their file type and, if you prefer, on custom rules.

If, for instance, your Desktop is full of random files and folders, Folder Tidy will be able to move them to a specified folder. Within this folder, it will create subfolders that will contain the files (e.g. movies, documents, presentations, etc.) organized using pre-defined filters.

The Looks

There is nothing extraordinary about Folder Tidy’s interface, an UI which gives the impression that it was designed to be as simple as possible.

The GUI consists of the main window, where you are able to select the folders to clean up and the places you want the files to be stored in.

When the tidying up takes place, the output folder will automatically be opened in a Finder window with Folder Tidy’s logo as its background.

The Works

Folder Tidy is quite a straightforward piece of software. As you start the application, you will immediately be able to select which folders you want to clean up and their destination. In the main window, you can select to clean up the Desktop, Downloads or choose a folder of your preference.

Afterwards, you need to select the place where you want the files to be organized. At this point, you are very close to the finish line.

Before you hit the Tidy button, you might want to check out the Preferences window where you are given the choice to rule out several file types (and to can create your own rules as well). Also, you can ignore certain files/folders and toggle the app’s display and clean-up options.

By default, the files/folders you want to clean up will be placed in one of these 15 folders (rules): Applications, Pictures, Movies, Music, PDF, Presentations, Source Code, Spreadsheets, Text, Documents, Disk Images, Web Locations, Text Clippings, Folders and Aliases.

So, if you don’t want files belonging to these categories to be cleaned up, you can deselect them in the Rules tab.

We have already stated that you can create your own rules, which can be done in the Rules tab of the Preferences pane. This feature helps you organize your files even further. You can sort your files by Kind, Last opened date, Last modified date, Created date, Name and File size.

The thing that would bother some users, though, is that you cannot add any other Kind to the existing nine (Applications, Documents, Folders, Pictures, Movies, Music, PDF, Presentations and Text). However, the developers have added new Kinds based on user requests, but for now, you have to settle with just nine.

The next tab of the Preferences pane enables you to ignore the files and/or folders you don’t want to be moved. Anything can be added here. This feature is a big plus, because you might not want to move around files that you have placed somewhere purposefully.

Finally, once you’ve adjusted all settings and clicked on the Tidy button, you will see magic happen. By choice, you can make all windows disappear and see only the output folder and a small notification window.

Sub-folders will automatically be created inside the main output folder and they will be named according to their category. It’s actually fun to watch how a messed up folder gets neatly organized.

In our tests, a folder with 1,600 items was sorted out rather quickly – probably 2 to 4 minutes. Alternatively, if you don’t like the way your files were organized, you can reverse the process. This is a useful feature, since it gives you the chance to go back and set other parameters if need be.

Given the fact that your files will be organized into maximum 9 kinds, you should expect for random but related files to be put together.

Furthermore, when we attempted to clean up a big folder, both the audio and video files were put to the “Movies” sub-folder. This seemed strange, because the audio files should belong to the “Music” folder. We tried with other types of audio files, but, unfortunately, we had the same results.

Another shortcoming of the application is that it doesn’t recognize some types of files. However, given the enormous number of file types out there, this is understandable. Folder Tidy identifies the most relevant files and this should be enough considering its low cost.

The Good

Right now, Folder Tidy may not be the perfect application, but it’s still a very useful one. It does the job fast, it’s reliable (ensures that no file will be lost) and it basically saves you the effort of organizing over-crowded folders.

The Bad

Since Folder Tidy recognizes only nine file types, some might end up in the wrong subfolder and they shouldn’t be mixed with others. Also, several files aren’t recognized and they remain untouched, so you need to deal with them manually.

The Truth

Even if the application classifies files based on nine criteria (the number of Rules you can create is quite flexible, though), it does so very fast. Additionally, it does not harm your files and you can choose to undo the clean-up process. Folder Tidy should be a good choice if you need an affordable tool to help you clean up your clustered folders.

Here are some snapshots of the application in action:

GameStop Anticipates Innovative and Expensive Next-Gen Consoles

banez — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:18:02 +0000

GameStop, the biggest specialist retail chain for video games, has announced that it is launching a new initiative designed to prepare its stores for the launch of next-generation consoles from both Microsoft and Sony and that it is working closely with manufacturers in order to make sure they meet the requirements of the player base.

Tony Bartell, the president of GameStop, has stated, “We anticipate a high level of innovation in the devices, but we also anticipate that to command the higher price points. They will have to be sensitive to those things consumers told us are important to them: backwards compatibility, pre-owned games, etc.”

The executive did not offer clear information on what the public was expecting to see from the next generation of home consoles, but added, “We do know that there’s an expectation around innovation and use of the device for multi-uses.”

GameStop has said that it has already prepared staff and stores for the launch of the Nintendo Wii U console, set to arrive before the end of 2012 in all major markets, and that it will take advantage of the spike in hardware sales that it will bring.

GameStop has also revealed its financial results for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, which ended on April 28 for the company, showing overall revenue for 2 billion dollars (1.57 billion Euro), which is a decrease of more than 12 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Sales of new hardware dropped in quality, as did those of new video games and those of used games.

Digital games sales, which saw an increase of 23 percent over the same period of last year, and mobile sales, offset some of the problems that GameStop has reported.

Profit for the quarter has come in at 72.5 million dollars (57.1 million Euro), another decline when compared to the same period of 2011.

Motorola DEFY MINI Goes Live in Australia via Optus

banez — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:17:56 +0000

The smallest smartphone in the DEFY family has just landed in Australia. Motorola DEFY MINI is now available for purchase for $199 AUD on pre-paid via Dick Smith and Optus retailers.

Customers who prefer to make their purchases from Kmart or Target will be able to grab the DEFY MINI beginning May 22 for the same no-term price.

Although it has been tagged as a rugged Android phone, the DEFY MINI is aimed at the entry level market, which is why it’s available for such a low price.

However, for a budget-friendly, Motorola DEFY MINI is quite alright, especially that it is shipped with Android 2.3 Gingerbread on board.

According to Motorola, the smartphone is dust- and water-resistant, so “whether it’s a downpour or a spilt drink, a sandy beach or a pocket full of coins, MOTOROLA DEFY MINI is ready for whatever life throws your way.”

To make things even more interesting for Android fans, the phone’s 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display (320 x 480 pixels) features Corning Gorilla Glass coating.

In addition, it provides access to more than 450,000 Google Play apps and games. The handset comes packed with re-sizeable widgets and other innovative features, such as Social Graph and Activity Graph.

Another strong point of the smartphone is the high-capacity 1650 mAh Li-Ion battery, which is rated by the manufacturer for up to 500 hours of standby time or up to 10 hours of talk time.

Motorola DEFY MINI is equipped with a low-performance 600 MHz single-core processor, which is complemented by 512MB and 512MB of ROM. The internal memory can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.

On the back, the handset sports a 3-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash and video recording, while in the front, there’s a secondary VGA camera for video calls.

Via

Activision and Electronic Arts Settle Infinity Ward Lawsuit

banez — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:04:11 +0000

Video game publisher Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts have officially announced that they have reached a settlement in the lawsuit that was launched over allegations of unfair business conduct linked to the negotiations allegedly carried out with Vince Zampella and JasonWest, the former leader of developer Infinity Ward.

A join statement form the two companies reads: “Activision and EA have agreed to put this matter behind them.”

Neither of the two has offered any additional details on the settlement, including whether any money changed hands or whether the two publishers simply decided that the legal battle would be too long and inconclusive.

In December 2010, Activision launched a lawsuit against Electronic Arts, claiming that it had tried to get the Infinity Ward due and other developers to leave their contract and create a new studio, under the control of EA.

Vince Zampella and Jason West were previously fired from Infinity Ward, with Activision accusing them of breaching their contract.

The pair is also suing Activision, claiming that they were denied bonuses linked to the successful launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Activision recently paid the developers 42 million dollars (33 million Euro) ahead of the May 29 date that has been set for the trial.

But the publisher has said that this payment is not an admission of guilt and then tried to get a delay, arguing that one of its lawyers was not yet geared up for it.

The newly formed Respawn Entertainment is working with Electronic Arts at the moment on a new game universe, which will probably use a first-person shooter template.

At the same time Treyarch and Activision are preparing for the autumn launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, after last year’s success of Modern Warfare 3, which was created by a re-staffed Infinity Ward.

How to Keep Your Twitter Account Hidden from Google

banez — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:04:10 +0000

Twitter, by and large, is a public place. People tweet things they want many others to see. Twitter doesn’t require people to use their real name, yet a lot of people do. But Twitter’s fast paced nature has people churning out tweets that may not seem such a good idea a second later.

They can delete them of course, but the ephemeral nature of tweets and Twitter means that most people just move on oblivious to whatever they tweeted previously.

Twitter moves on as well, tweets are covered by a flood of others and even the search engine doesn’t go further than a few days.

But not everyone forgets, search engines remember it all, public tweets are indexed and archived ready to sprung up unexpectedly in search results.

What’s more, since Twitter has such high ranking, your Twitter profile will show up high among the results for any search for your name.

There are steps to minimize exposure though and Twitter is listing some of the things you can do, depending on how hidden you want to be.

On the one hand, if all you want to do is hide in plain sight, you may simply want to change the name that’s displayed on your profile. As long as your username is not too obvious, you’ll no longer attract the attention of search engines and you’ll be able to say whatever you want without doing much to cover your tracks.

That said, you can change your username as well, if you want something a bit more inconspicuous. Finally, if you’re that concerned about your privacy, you can set your tweets to private so only your followers will be able to see them.

This does not affect previous tweets so those will remain public, unless you decide to delete them. But even if you do delete them, they may still be available in searches until the search engine updates its index. In that case, you can request for that information to be removed from searches.

More Complete Gmail Contact Info Shows Up More Often, via Google+ of Course

banez — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:03:58 +0000

Google is continuing to add more “social” features to its products. It’s been doing this for almost a year now and, on occasion, the additions may even make sense.

This is one of the occasions, Gmail now presents contact data in a lot more places and, what’s more, it also displays more complete info, depending on whether the contacts have Google+ profiles.

Searching for an email address for example will list the contact’s other info, like phone number or chat availability, along with your previous conversations. The same info is in the people widget, or in the contacts and the chat lists.

The Circles integration is now better as well, you can search for messages from the people in a certain circle, via the circle:[circle name] filter.

Apple Investors, You Want to Bet All Your Money on This iTV Tip

banez — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:03:58 +0000

The new research from the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices (CHD) advisory service shows that nearly half of all iPhone users surveyed “would be very or somewhat likely to buy an Apple iTV soon after its launch.”

“Although the details of a possible Apple smart TV are still unknown, existing Apple customers clearly demonstrate strong interest,” says Jia Wu, director and report author. “Meanwhile, consumers are still sensitive to price, even if Apple does launch another groundbreaking product. The success of an Apple iTV hinges on Apple’s ability to match innovation with appropriate price points.”

Really? What about the iPhone, the iPad, and the MacBook Air? Surely everyone agrees each and every one of those is expensive (by many people’s standards), yet they’re selling like hot cake. Perhaps Strategy Analytics forgot to take into account the Apple cult.

Before the hate-comments come in, that’s not to say I agree with people spending a month’s worth of hard work on the new iPad simply to look cool.

The market research firm continues:

“Apple, traditionally reliant on high device margins, would be challenged to find the right price/demand balance for an iTV. While 35 percent of surveyed US consumers indicate willingness to pay $1000 or more for an Apple-branded TV, only 14 percent would be willing to pay any more than $1600.”

It’s likely that Apple is only challenged by the established business model for content distribution. Until the company breaks that model, or comes up with a new one altogether, we shouldn’t expect any iTV. Steve Jobs said it with his own mouth.

As far as the price is concerned, $1,000 is a bargain for any smart-TV experience. What this research shows is that people aren’t willing to spend a fortune on this type of product, either because they can’t afford it, or because they prefer not to spend this much money on the Apple logo.

But in no way does this research show reluctance towards Apple’s rumored set or Apple’s high price points.

And there aren’t many people who can afford a $1,600 TV experience any day of the week either. So, yeah, that’s going to be a challenge. Even for Apple. Perhaps that’s another reason why they’re not delving right into this industry just yet.

The research continues (pay attention investors, you want to bet all your money on this):

“Samsung, Sony, LG and other major TV manufacturers are most threatened by the prospect of an Apple iTV launch,” notes Kantideep Thota, analyst. “More than one-quarter of non-Apple TV owners could potentially migrate to an Apple-branded TV in a fairly short period of time.”

Well, it’s hard to assess just how “threatened” these companies will be since they’ll be the ones to produce the chips and displays for this iTV.

Just like Apple realized it didn’t have to beat Microsoft to win, so could these companies benefit from increased component orders from Cupertino.

You want to know who’s really threatened by Apple’s potential iTV? The UK broadcaster with the same name, as well as broadcasters worldwide.

Disclaimer
This is a Personal Thoughts piece reflecting the author’s “personal” opinion on matters relating to Apple, its products, etc. This article should not be taken as the official stance of Softpedia on Apple-related matters.

Estonia and Latvia Now in Street View with Almost 100% Coverage

banez — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:04:18 +0000

Google has been on a roll lately with Street View, likely making up for all the lost time during the entire WiFi payload data affair. But that’s (almost) behind it now and it’s started to roll out the service in more and more countries.

Estonia and Latvia join the Ukraine and Israel as the latest countries to have Street View imagery live online.

Google has been to several places in the two country with its Street View cars, has now finished processing the imagery, blurring faces and car number plates, and has now published the images online.

And it’s not just one or two places, Google has pretty much covered the entire countries, every nook and cranny. They’re not that big, but still, the coverage is greater than many of the newer countries to be added.