Technology News Update 2012: iPad: IPS Screen Technology Explained

During Wednesday’s unveiling of the long-awaited iPad, Apple CEO Steve Jobs detailed that the new 9.7-inch tablet will make use of In-Plane Switching display technology. So, what excatly is In-Plane Swicthing, what does it do and why is Apple choosing to make use of this display technology for their new device?

In-Plane Switching (IPS) is an LCD technology first introduced in 1996 by Hitachi. It was initially developed to correct the poor viewing angles and color problems that LCDs had at the time.

Due to initial high-costs, IPS adoption was low at first, and mainly found only in high-end monitors, aimed primiarliy at the professional sector. Of course, over time, IPS was improved and refined, and as is the case with most new technologies, costs eventually came down to an acceptable level for mass-production. For example, Apple’s newest iMacs use IPS displays..

The IPS display used int he iPad is a 9.7-inch 1024-by-768 resolution LED-backlit LCD screen. IPS gives the iPad an impressive wide viewing-angle of up to 178 degrees. Other LCD technologies tend to have narrower viewing angles, especially in the vertical direction.

Ensuring that the device can be held in a variety of ways without major viewing angle issues was clearly of great importance to Apple, especially considering that you’ll rotate the iPad depending on what you’re viewing, and Apple positions the iPad as a casual use ‘living-room’ device, perfect for consuming an assortment of multimedia.

Typical casual-use devices, namely netbooks, use a twisted nematic (TN) display technology. TN although cheaper, offers inferior color reproduction (only 6-bit color, while IPS supports richer 8-bit color), and lower viewing angles, so Apple’s use of a higher quality display techology (IPS) for such a casual device is welcomed.

Read more: http://realitypod.com/2010/02/ipad-ips-screen-technology-explained/#ixzz1qt9D...

Can you runWindows 7 On an iPad 3? Answer: Yes, you can!

Want to run Windows 7 on the new Apple iPad? Citrix says it will soon be possible–at least virtually–using a new version of its Citrix Receiver software.

Promised to be ready when the tablet computer ships in March, Citrix says the new software, based on the current iPhone version, is a response to questions about how the iPad might find a home in the enterprise.

“If your company has XenDesktop or XenApp you will be happy to know you will be able to use your iPad for real work as well,” wrote Citrix Vice President Chris Fleck in a company blog.

“It turns out the 9.7 inch display on the iPad with a 1024×768 screen resolution works great for a full VDI XenDesktop. Windows applications run unmodified and securely in the data center, and even multiple applications at once.”

Citrix says the iPad’s larger screen solves many of the challenges users’ faced because of when using the iPhone with a virtualized Windows desktop. (Which sounds pretty painful, if you ask me).

“The iPhone restrictions of screen size and small keyboards are overcome with the iPad. The iPad looks to be an ideal end-point device that can empower users to be productive wherever they are and IT will be able to safely deliver company-hosted virtual desktops and apps without worry,” Fleck wrote.

While it might be interesting to add iPads to a company’s enterprise environment, Fleck admits the new Receiver software might also be a way for customers to justify the purchase of tablets that employees will buy anyway.

“Let us know how you’re going to put it to work,” Fleck writes, concluding his post, “Even if it’s just to rationalize buying another gadget.”

The iPad isn’t likely to be perfect for many business apps, besides presentations, but companies already supporting virtualized desktops many find applications and users that make sense for Apple’s new tablet.

Motorcycle News Update 2012: Top Ten (10) Fastest Super Bikes of the year, davidlim

Superbike racing is a class of motorcycle racing that utilizes modified production motorcycles. Superbike World Championship is the worldwide superbike championship, and national superbike championships are held in many countries as well, including the United Kingdom and the United States. Here we are with the list of the top ten super bikes which will be used or produced in the upcoming Superbike World Championship 2012.

10. Suzuki GSX- R1000: 285kph

For those that can’t handle the all-world capabilities of the Suzuki Hayabusa, you can always find comfort in a bike like the Suzuki GSX-R1000. It’s not as powerful as the enormous Hayabusa, but it comes pretty darn close. The 2012 GSX-R1000 was built with an eye towards designing a super bike that can make the competition wince. With the kind of history Suzuki has with these machines, it wasn’t all that surprising that they’ve built a bike its customers will be very proud of. It strengthens a speed of 285kph.

9. Honda CBR1000 RR: 291kph

One-liter sports bikes usually carry an aura to them; one built on the supposition that they smash whatever class typecast they may come across. In the case of the Honda CBR1000RR, that supposition might very well be stated as a reality. As an effective, high-powered sportsbike, the CBR1000RR blends magnum-level performance along with a near-perfect blend of street ability, adaptability, rider feel, and balanced character.

8. Yamaha YZF- R1: 297kph

The latest development of the YZF-R1 model was produced in the year 2010 model. It was experienced in a racetrack where it had recorded the top speed of 297kph, while using a fuel of over 25 miles per gallon of gas in the US.

7. Kawasaki Ninja ZZR 1400: 299kph

ZZR has been re-engineered and reborn. The new ZZR1400 matches Kawasaki’s fervor for engineering with your craving for definitive performance. Please the excitement within you with dominating acceleration mated to sophisticated rider aids. Power never felt so good. 4 mm longer stroke increases displacement of the powerful In-Line Four engine to 1,441 cm³. Bore and Stroke are now 84 x 65 mm. compared to its ancestor, the new engine offers more torque at all rpm, and considerably more power in the mid-high range.

6. 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale Superbike: 300kph

With the unveiling of the new 2012 1199 Panigale, the Ducati stable has fired up the competition in the superbike segment and challenging the undisputed reign of the BMW S1000RR. At Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, Italy the automobile giant revealed a set of numbers that was awe-inspiring and jaw dropping.

It claimed that the 1199 Panigale has the ability to peak at 195 hp at 10,750 rpm and 98.1 lb-ft torque at 9000 rpm which overpowers the current champion in the form of BMW S1000RR which has peaked at an amazing 183.37 hp at 13,100 rpm, the most powerful so far.

5. BMW S1000RR: 305kph

BMW produced BMW S1000RR Sport Bike. It was manufactured for World Championship in 2009 now it is also manufactured for Commercial usage. Its power is 1000 cc with inline 4 engine at rpm of 14,200. BMW produced about 1000 BMW s1000rr for meeting the conditions of World Super Bike. BMW S1000RR has anti lock braking structure with electron evolution control. It weight is about 208kg.

4. MV Agusta F4 Tamburini: 307kph

The F3 superbike is the latest addition to MV Agusta line-up. If the F4, considered the most beautiful motorcycle in the world, set the styling and performance standards by which all others are judged, the new F3 has completely exceeded all previous conceptions of what a supersport motorcycle should be, redefining an entirely new category. The MV Agust F3 is powered by a an inline 675cc three cylinder, described by MV Agusta as the most compact, incredible short and narrow engine ever seen in this category. For the first time on an MV and on any middleweight bike, there is Ride By Wire, with multi-maps controlling the fuel injection to optimize power output in all conditions.

3. MV Agusta F4 R312: 314kph

The fastest in the Agusta crew and one of the most excellent candidates for the mighty Suzuki Hayabusa, which comes at neck to neck speed with the previously fastest superbike in the world. It has been tested on the long road stretches in Utah, in the Bonneville Salt Flats, where the unit goes to over 312kph and on some rare occasions, it goes to 314kph.

2. Suzuki Hayabusa: 320kph

The pedestal worth of the 2012 Suzuki Hayabusa Sport Bike motorbike is $13,999, which is $761.80 classier than the standard for all Sport Bike Motorcycles. The superbike is fitted with an Inline-4 engine in the 2012 Suzuki Hayabusa has a displacement of 1340 cc, which is far superior than the standard for all Sport Bike Motorcycles.

1. MTT Turbine Superbike Y2K: 370kph

The MTT Y2K superbike is the world’s first turbine powered street legal motorcycle in its class, and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the “Most Powerful Motorcycle Ever to Enter Series Production” and the “Most Expensive Production Motorcycle”. The Y2K is powered by a Rolls Royce Allison gas turbine engine, and the superbike has demonstrated over 300 hp and 425 ft/lbs of torque on the Dyno Jet 200, and has been clocked at a record-breaking 227 mph.

 

 

Google Android 2012 News: Sony Xperia S Review

In staging their grand return, Sony Mobile could've done a lot worse than the Xperia S. The fresh divorcees are back on the market, their new Xperia flagship kindly supplying the bang. And while the HD screen and dual-core processor are not exactly breaking news, there's an extensive set of features to make a geek's heart flutter.

    
Sony Xperia S official photos

The Sony Xperia S aims for camera excellence with 12MP still photography and 1080p video recording. It has an HD screen and a microHDMI port, not to mention a dedicated TV Launcher that lets you control the phone with your TV remote.

The Xperia S is a high-performance phone too - while quad-core phones will soon hit the shelves, the dual-core 1.5GHz processor and Adreno 220 GPU show good results in early benchmarks.

We'll do a first round of benchmarks later, but let's have a closer look at the specs of the Sony Xperia S first.

Sony Xperia S at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, 14.4 Mbps HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 128 x 64 x 10.6 mm, 144 g
• Display: 4.3" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen, 720 x 1280 pixels
• CPU: Qualcomm MSM8260 chipset, dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 220 GPU
• OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), planned 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update
• Memory: 32GB of storage, 1GB of RAM
• Camera: 12 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, face detection and touch focus; 1080p video recording at 30fps; 1.3MP front-facing camera with 720p video recording, sweep multi-angle shots for lenticular print effect
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA; Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, microHDMI port
• Misc: Sony Timescape UI, TV launcher, built-in accelerometer, proximity sensor, Sony Mobile Bravia engine, multi-touch input, scratch-resistant surface, microSIM only

Not quite like the Sony Ericsson Xperia arcs, is it? The Xperia S is better in almost every respect, save for thickness. Still, considering how thick those old 12MP shooters were (especially around the camera), 10.6mm sounds great.

The screen on the Xperia S deserves praise too. The 4.3" BRAVIA LCD of 720p resolution is up there with the best screens on the market. At 342ppi, it's definitely one of the sharpest.

    
Sony Xperia S live pictures

Standard accessories in the box

The Sony Xperia S came in a large box with the standard set of accessories - a charger, a microUSB cable and an in-ear headset.

 
The Xperia S box

A microHDMI cable would've been most welcome, but no luck on this one.

Sony Xperia S 360-degree spin

The Sony Xperia S measures 128 x 64 x 10.6 mm and is a bit on the heavy side at 144 g, even for a phone with a 4.3" screen.

Design and build quality

The Xperia S design is a combination of square angles and curves. A strip of transparent plastic at the bottom, which lights up when the display is on, is a prominent accent. A fusion of form and function, this element also holds the antenna.

   
The Sony Xperia S is quite the looker

The screen on the Sony Xperia S promises great things and it delivers - it's mesmerizingly sharp, with punchy colors and very good contrast. It's backed by BRAVIA engine which, as we've seen before, does very well on screens with high pixel-density - and the Xperia S display is one of the most pixel-rich at 342ppi.

Its only downside (and it's not a minor one) is the poor viewing angles.

  
The Reality display boasts excellent picture quality

Above the screen is the SONY logo styled with their instantly recognizable font (unlike the "Sony" in "Sony Ericsson"). The earpiece is below it along with other bits of gadgetry.

There's a 1.3MP front-facing camera that can record 720p video, along with proximity and ambient light sensors and a charge indicator.

 
The earpiece and its companions

Below the screen, there are three tiny dots marking the three capacitive keys (Back, Home and Menu). The actual icons are within the transparent strip, so you might try to push those instead (like we did). It takes a while to get used to that.

The transparent strip has a cool white backlight, which makes it an attractive design element in the dark.

 
The three dots are the standard Android keys

The two wired ports - microUSB and microHDMI - are on the sides of the phone. Both are hidden under plastic flaps to protect them from dust.

The right side of the Sony Xperia S holds several other elements too - a not-so-comfortable volume rocker and a shutter key.

The Xperia arc S had a rather unpleasant shutter key and while this one is better, it's still not perfect. It's thin and has a low profile, but at least it's easy to press (stiff keys like on the arc S can lead to camera shake). The stop between half-press and full-press can be hard to feel sometimes though.

    
microUSB port on the left • microHDMI port, volume rocker and shutter key on the right

The Power/Lock key and the 3.5mm audio jack are on the top. The audio jack is left uncovered, but that makes sense since it will probably see plenty of use.

There's nothing of interest at the bottom besides the lanyard eyelet.

    
The Power/Lock key and the 3.5mm audio jack are on top • Lanyard eyelet on the bottom

The back of the Xperia S features the star of the show - the 12MP camera. It's located very near the top edge, which means you'll have to be very careful not to put a finger over it when taking a photo.

The camera is accompanied by a single-LED flash and the secondary microphone used when shooting video. The loudspeaker grille is also here.

  
You should mind your fingers when shooting

The back cover is made of soft matte plastic, which feels good and hides fingerprints well.

Removing the back cover doesn't reveal much - you'll find the microSIM card here, but you don't get to see the battery. What you would find is an aluminum frame painted black, similar to the Xperia ray.

The battery is a 1750 mAh unit, which is said to provide about 450 hours of 2G stand-by (420 hours in 3G) or up to 7 hours and 30 minutes of talk time in 2G (8 hours and 30 minutes in 3G).

We liked the clean design of the Sony Xperia S. The transparent strip is a unique accent and subtle enough (the Xperia pureness must be glad a small part of it lives on).

The curved back fits nicely in the hand, but again doesn't overdo it and make the phone thick (like some of those Human Curvature designs). It's fairly compact and pocketable, you can take it anywhere - much more portable than a point-and-shoot camera, so it's always with you (they say that's the best possible feature on a camera).

  

Handling the Sony Xperia S