Flickr unveiled Photo Session and the Flickr Android app

Yahoo's Photo-sharing service Flickr unveiled Photo Session and the Flickr Android app on Thursday.

Photo Session is a feature designed to encourage friends and family to share photos at the same time, no matter where they are in the world.

For example you've taken a thousand photos on your recent trip and you want to share them with relatives and friends at the same time. Well, the first thing to do is edit them down to the best 50, because you can bet your bottom dollar not one of them will want to sit through a slideshow that goes well into the night, no matter how good the pics are.

Once you ve picked out the best, set up a Photo Session and then invite whoever you like to browse the photos at exactly the same time.

"When you move to the next photo it moves for everyone else too according a post on the website's blog.

The fun part is that while you're viewing the photos, you can all chat with each other and even draw on the pictures using the built-in tools. Up to 10 others can join in the communal global slideshow, and it can be viewed on a PC, iPhone and iPad.

Flickr also launched its official Android app on Thursday. It's been a while coming, considering that the iPhone version has been around for over two years. The app enables users to take pics, jazz them up with filters, and easily post them to sites like Facebook and Twitter.

"Browsing and navigating has been custom designed for Flickr to make use of maps, tags, and activity around your photos. "You can stay up to date with the latest comments and activity on your photos and take advantage of gorgeous full screen browsing and slideshows."

Amazon Unveils Kindle Fire

Amazon on Wednesday officially introduced the Kindle Fire, the device has a 7-inch touchscreen, weighs 14.6 ounces and is outfitted with a dual-core processor. But the most important feature may be the price. At $199 the Fire is less than half the price of the Apple iPad, which starts at $499. It is the first tablet from a major company to seriously undercut the iPad in price.

Online storage for movies, books, and music will be free for Kindle Fire owners, extending storage beyond the device's built-in 8GB of memory.

Amazon makes several devices that include 3G cellular connections, but the initial version of the Fire will be Wi-Fi only.

While the Fire is smaller than the iPad with its 10-inch screen and it doesn't have a camera, the tablet is much lighter so that it can be comfortably held in one hand. And it supports all the popular video formats, including Adobe's Flash—something Apple refuses to do. Taking another jab at Apple, Bezos showed one slide of an Apple USB cable, promising that the Kindle Fire would do away with the cords and would update wirelessly

The Fire uses a dual-core processor and the latest version of Google Android software and looked zippy in hands-on demonstrations. Apps will also be available for the device, but Amazon is clearly focused on tying its own services into the tablet.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/09/28/amazon-to-take-on-apple-ipad-with-kindle-fire-tablet/#ixzz1ZGxLX800

Microsoft releases Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update

Microsoft has started to roll-out the latest version of its Windows Phone operating system.Codenamed ‘Mango’, version 7.5 includes enhanced social network contact and calendar integration, as well as improved multitasking.

The new software is available for free to customers who have already bought Windows Phone 7 handsets, such as the HTC Trophy. Nokia is set to launch its first Windows devices at the end of October.

The new software was also accompanied by the launch of a new web marketplace for apps, allowing users to buy from their PCs as well as their phones.

ango also adds long-awaited multitasking, which lets users move freely between applications and pick up and resume where they left off. 4G wireless support is embedded, and for security-conscious enterprise customers, Mango adds support for Exchange-based rights-management rule.

Web browsing is enhanced with native support for Internet Explorer 9, which on Windows Phone 7 will drive hardware-accelerated graphics rendering as it does on the PC.

Firefox 7 Released

Firefox 7.0 has just been made available for Windows, OS X, and Linux users to download.

Firefox 7.0 is the first stable release to benefit from Mozilla's "MemShrink" initiative, which aims to improve the browser's speed and resource usage by reducing memory requirements and addressing memory leaks that can bog down the browser over long sessions, or for users with many tabs open simultaneously.

Other new additions include a new version of "Canvas," a Direct2D acceleration feature for HTML5 games and animations; support for the W3C navigation timing API, which can help developers measure page load time under a variety of different circumstances; and Telemetry, which can send anonymous information about your browsing sessions to Mozilla to aid in the identification of performance issues. Upon installing Firefox 7.0, you'll be given the opportunity to opt-in or opt-out of Telemetry.

The update should be available to current FIrefox users now, and you can always get the latest version manually at getfirefox.com.

iPhone 5 with 1GB RAM and voice control?

Apple's iPhone 5 will include a whopping 1GB of RAM and a voice control
system known as the Assistant, according to the latest reports

Based on details revealed by the source or sources, the new iPhone will
come equipped with the A5 chip, 1GB of internal memory, and an 8-megapixel
camera. The phone will also include a Qualcomm Gobi Baseband chipset that
will allow it to run on both CDMA and GSM networks, claims 9to5Mac's source.

Beyond the boost in memory, the most compelling feature to reportedly pop up
on the new phone will be a voice control system called the Assistant.
Described by 9to5Mac as "the biggest game changer" of the next iPhone,
the Assistant will allow users to navigate the device and issue commands
via voice.

Beyond requiring iOS 5, the new voice feature apparently needs some beefy
hardware to support it, specificially the A5 chip and the 1GB of memory.
If true, that means owners of older iPhone models won't be able to join in on
the conversations with their phones.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20112107-37/iphone-5-to-offer-1gb-ram-and-voice-control/#ixzz1ZA7nipf7

Amazon Kindle Fire

Amazon's Android tablet will be called the Amazon Kindle Fire.

The Amazon Kindle Fire will be announced on Wednesday, and the suggestion is that it has a US launch date of the second week in November.

The Amazon Kindle Fire specs are looking increasingly likely to be set at a 7-inch Android tablet with a UI that has been heavily adapted by Amazon.

The Kindle Fire is likely to be subsidised by Amazon, with a lower price point likely to give it a fighting chance against not only the raft of Android tablet in the market but also Apple's dominant iPad 2.

Amazon already has its own Android app market, which will be a cornerstone of its strategy, but it will be sales of media such as films and TV shows, as well as books, which will recoup the investment of the internet shopping giant.

key features missing from Facebook Music

1. True music sharing
2. Real-time group listening
3. Music tab in the ticker
4. Apple
5. Independent developers

Read more at : cnn

New Facebook Overview

New Facebook Overview

First is the "lists" on the left-hand side of your homepage. You can make groups of people (like family or coworkers) so when you click on that tab, you see news only from those people.

You'll also notice something different on your news feed. You now have the option to mark each post as a "top story." To do that, click the top left corner of the post. This tells Facebook that you want to see more posts from that user.

The section that's been under the most scrutiny is the "ticker" on the right-hand side of your homepage. This is basically a real-time news feed and allows you to join in conversations without leaving your homepage.

To download something called "Better Facebook, go to betterfacebook.net . You can download the free browser extension, which essentially acts like an app. It lets you control exactly how you want your page to look. You can change background colors, and even remove the new "ticker" if it's really bothering you. According to their website, "Better Facebook" is a personal project of Matt Kruse, the sole programmer, designer, tester, documentation-writer, and marketer.

Yahoo News has been linked with Facebook

The U.S. edition of Yahoo News has been linked with Facebook to make it possible for users of the two sites to share with their Facebook friends the articles they have read on the Yahoo site.

For the integration features to work, Yahoo News visitors need to be logged into their Facebook accounts. If they are, they'll see a Facebook "facebar" placed horizontally near the top of Yahoo News with the profile photos of friends.

Then, they'll be able to see which Yahoo News stories those friends have clicked on, as well as make available their own Yahoo News reading activities to their friends. People's Yahoo News activities will also be reflected back on their Facebook profiles.

The link between Yahoo News and Facebook is an opt-in feature. If they have it on, users can choose at any time to turn it off completely. They can also have it on and delete specific entries from their list of articles viewed that they don't want their friends to see.

Source:pcworld

How to sign up for Facebook Timeline

Facebook has announced new feature called Timeline. While it's not currently available to most Facebook users, you can sign up, making your account eligible to receive the new feature earlier than most.

Timeline shows off your Facebook content in a brand-new way, and,it looks really interesting. Once available, users will interact with content in a completely new way on Facebook.

To get early access to the new feature, you will need to visit the Timeline page on Facebook, log in to your Facebook account, and click on the Sign Me Up button on the bottom right of the screen.

After you have clicked on the Sign Me Up button, your account is eligible for the Timeline feature once it begins rolling out. Facebook usually announces a new feature and slowly rolls it out over the coming days and weeks, giving priority access to those who have taken the time to indicate they want to use the new feature.

Nikon launches compact camera system

Nikon launches the Nikon 1 system with the super-fast J1, and the pro-friendly V1.

The J1 ($649.95 with 10-30mm kit lens) is the flagship of the line, while the V1 is its amped-up brother, with high-resolution electronic viewfinder, mic jack and accessory port ($899.95 with same lens).

Besides the new form factor, Nikon's key boasts center around shooting. "The new advanced hybrid AF system is the world’s fastest autofocus," says the press release. The hybrid system uses two different types of detection that ought to maximize autofocus in different light conditions.

Nikon J1 with 30-110mm zoom lens (sold separately)

The cameras can do all kinds of things while shooting, not gimmicks but genuinely useful tricks: "Motion Snapshot" takes a frozen still image and a slow-motion shot of the same thing, merging them together with an audio soundtrack for "a portrayal of an occurrence with maximum impact." Think flowing hair, crashing waves, etc. Sounds haunting, and a little bit Harry Potter, but I want to check it out.

The other exceptional shooting feature has been seen on other cameras before, but is welcome on a model like this: If you're shooting a fast-moving object, say a honeybee, cat or kid at bat, you set the camera to "Smart Photo Selector," and it begins shooting before you press the shutter. The camera analyzes the images and delivers the best photo, or a selection of the top five for your choice.

The sensor inside the cameras sounds like a real champion. It's not as big as the ones in DSLRs — or the ones inside the competing Panasonic/Olympus Micro Four Thirds format — but it is substantially larger than the sensor found in point-and-shoots. A 10.1-megapixel CMOS, it's capable of super fast shooting: 1080p video at 30 frames per second, 1080i at 60fps, and can reach speeds of up to 1200 fps for super slow-mo effects.

As I mentioned, while the J1 is the smaller, more wide-audience version of the camera system, complete with a selection of colors (and even matching lenses!), the V1 is aimed more at pros, or at least enthusiasts who value adding their own microphone, a speedlight mountable flash and even GPS. The most distinctive feature on the V1 is its 1.4-million pixel electronic viewfinder, which activates when you stick the camera up to your face. The $250 premium for the step up from J1 to V1 is steep, but some people won't settle for less.

Tips to hide the Facebook ticker

Facebook  has been added sidebar ticke to the right-hand column of the newly redesigned News Feed, along with complaints and snarky comments about the new News Feed and this ticker.

Here are  quick and easy ways in both Firefox and Chrome to get rid of the ticker.

In Chrome, simply install the Hide Facebook SideBar Ticker extension and the ticker will vanish.

In Firefox, you will need to install a user script. To do so, first install the Greasemonkey add-on and then install this user script. When prompted, restart Firefox and the ticker will be gone. Do note that this user script removes the entire right column of Facebook, including the ticker, event invitations, ads, sponsored stories, friends' photos, and so on.

Apple iPhone 5 to debut Oct. 5

Apple will introduce its iPhone 5 on October 4, with new Chief Executive Tim Cook leading the show, All Things Digital reported.


The iPhone 5 carries tremendous significance for Apple. The company faces mounting pressure from the Android realm, with a confusing array of budget-minded and high-end models, but Apple chooses to put many its eggs in many fewer baskets.



The iPhone 4 has held up well under the competitive pressure. But with the breakneck pace of the smartphone market bringing higher-speed LTE networks, larger displays, NFC payments, and other features, Apple's flagship phone is starting to look a bit long in the tooth.

Google+ Opened to All

Google Inc. on Tuesday opened its Google+ online social network to the public.

The company also introduced new features to Google+, including the ability to search for information about topics such as cooking and photography, and along with the ability to see relevant Google+ users and their posts on such topics, as well as relevant content from around the Web.

Google+ lets as many as 10 people communicate simultaneously in a video "hangout." On Tuesday, Google said people can broadcast a "hangout" to the public, similar to how Google's YouTube video site lets some partners broadcast a live event.

Google also added a key feature to the version of Google+ that works on mobile devices powered by Google's Android software. Google+ users who own devices with front-facing cameras participate in a multiperson "hangout" using those devices, a potential advantage over the feature on Apple Inc.'s iPhone that lets people do video chats face-to-face, also known as "face time."

Google+ lets people share comments, articles, photos and videos with various "circles" of friends or contacts, or they can share content publicly with any user who wants to view their posts. Eventually, Google plans to incorporate features of Google+ in its other services, such as its YouTube video site.

Facebook redesigns its News Feed, adds real-time updates

Facebook is rolling out an updated version of News Feed that gives priority to important posts. If you haven't visited Facebook for a while, you'll see the top photos and status updates since you last logged in; if you log in several times a day, you'll see more recent news. The idea is to surface the information that matters most to you.

Facebook is also introducing a real-time "ticker" that streams your friends' most recent activity and encourages you to chat with them about it.

"Ticker shows you the same stuff you were already seeing on Facebook, but it brings your conversations to life by displaying updates instantaneously,"

Quickly delivering the most important updates from friends is the goal. But comments to the blog post about these latest efforts were mixed, ranging from users complaining that the social network doesn't have the ability to judge what's important to them to users welcoming the changes.

 

Sony Z1000, a new Android 2.3 Walkman

The Sony Z1000 Series, available in 16, 32 and 64GB, comes with a 4.3” 480×800 screen, Android 2.3 and a nice Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU at 1Ghz and 512MB of RAM! Schedule for a Japanese launch around October, the NW-Z1000 Series will be sold at around 28,000 up to 43,000 Yen and comes with the usual support of Google’s Services, DLNA, as well as Bluetooth and WiFi BGN.

 

Google reveals total power use

Google on Thursday revealed what had been one of its most closely guarded secrets: how much power it uses to fulfil its mission of organising the entire world’s information.

In a blog posting, Urz Hoelzle, the company’s senior vice-president of technical infrastructure, said that the company used 2.26 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2010 — the equivalent of some 200,000 U.S. homes. The company also emitted 1.46 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the yearly emissions of 70,000 Americans.

While this may seem like a lot, Google notes that its data centres actually use only about half as much energy as the industry average and that the total figure includes all the energy used by the company’s facilities and its 29,000 employees. The figure also encompasses the energy used for all Google services, including such relative energy hogs as YouTube.

“At Google, we’ve worked hard to minimise the environmental impact of our services,” the company said in a new website tracking its energy consumption. “In fact, to provide you with Google products for a month, our servers use less energy per user than leaving a light on for 3 hours. If you add in our renewable energy and offsets, our footprint is zero.”

Introducing the Samsung GALAXY Note [VIDEO]

Samsung GALAXY Note is a new type of smartphone.It is the ultimate on-the-go device which consolidates core benefits of diverse mobile devices while maintaining smartphone portability, creating a whole new experience.

The GALAXY Note has a 5.3” display which is the largest screen size with smartphone portability. It features the world’s first and the largest 5.3” HD Super AMOLED display, an expansive high-resolution screen that provides an immersive viewing experience. Taking full advantage of the large display, users will be able to do more tasks to create and consume more, with minimum scrolling and screen transitions, while on the go. An advanced pen-input technology, called the S Pen, is combined with the GALAXY Note’s full touch screen to introduce a new type of user-experience. Through this, consumers are able to freely capture and create ideas while on the go.

“The GALAXY Note is a device borne of our insight and innovation. We examined the fundamental elements of mobile culture, entertainment and communication in order to bring together the best experiences in a single, elegant device,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business. “The huge, 5.3” HD Super AMOLED screen is the largest, highest quality display available in any phone; the touch screen and S Pen combine to produce a uniquely accurate level of control and finesse, along with rich expressions across the GALAXY Note experience, enabling the introduction of new smartphone experiences.”