CES 2013: The best in Sony Xperia Z

The CES 2013 has allowed the public to discover the Xperia Z, which is advertised as captivating. This new high-end smartphone manufacturer offers several interesting features because it is resistant to water.

Xperia Z works with a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro will be available from February 19, but the fans were able to discover technology at CES 2013. The smartphone provides a high gloss screen that has a quality unmatched "The image is larger than life." Everything that appears on this screen rugged, waterproof 5 inch HD Reality Display (1080 x 1920 pixels) comes to life. It is coupled with a Mobile Bravia Engine 2 and offers an exceptional record. Sony also wanted to provide other quality features like a 13 megapixel camera. It is equipped with a sensor Exmor RS. Users are invited to make very beautiful pictures and record movies even if the conditions are not optimized. All will be shared easily with One Touch functions.

A slim Smartphone

Xperia Z provides unusual design with rounded contours. Surfaces are smooth and reflective as the rear and front faces offer glass. Quality materials were used because the volume buttons and feed are aluminum. Both sides of the Smartphone are tempered glass. The whole thus provides some robustness, Sony also shares a phone slim layer since air has been removed. Tactile sensitivity is higher and you will have a thickness of 7.9 mm. You should know that Sony sells a product dustproof and water. Even after 30 minutes immersed in water, the smartphone works perfectly. Thanks to IP 55 and IP57 index, you can easily use it in the rain. Cleaning is also effective and your Smartphone will follow you everywhere even in the pool.

The general characteristics

Xperia Z offers a weight of 146 grams with dimensions of 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm. Sony invites you to discover:

• An autonomy of 11 hours (conversation), 550 hours (standby)
• Android 4.1
• 16x digital zoom
• Flash / LED
• Geolocation
• 1080p HD video recording
• Image Stabilizer
• Scratch-resistant mineral glass
• 3.5 mm jack
• NFC
• 2 GB of RAM
• Up to 16GB storage
• Micro SD up to 32 GB
• LTE
• Wifi
• Glonass
• Micro-USB, USB
• Availability: 19 February
• Colours: White, black and purple

Read more »

MSN Messenger is closing March 15

Announced by Microsoft last October, closing the service Windows Live Messenger has been confirmed by The Messenger Team. Users will migrate to Skype.

It's the end of an era. That of MSN Messenger, more recently called Windows Live Messenger. Microsoft announced in October the end of service on March 15. This time it is the development team, "The Messenger Team" just formalize the end of the IM in a statement.

Microsoft wants to actually replace MSN Messenger Skype, a similar service that he bought in 2011 for $ 8.5 billion. The Redmond company intends to leverage its acquisition well. From March 15, the Live Messenger will no longer be active, except in China. Users will need to install Skype, but can still use their username MSN or Microsoft to find all their contacts about this program.

Currently, there are 100 million Windows Live Messenger accounts. But whether many will remain active. If MSN was a reference to the early 2000s, it was quickly abandoned after the advent of social networks, including Facebook. Only Skype has been very popular in the world thanks to its VoIP service quality. A partnership with Facebook is even considered to integrate voice calls social network.

Read more »

A Low-Cost iPhone in the works?

Apple in China prepare a device more affordable for developing countries. Planned for the second half of 2013, it should cost less than $ 150.

Faced with Samsung flooding the market its devices, Apple would have reacted. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Apple brand iPhone prepare entry level for the second half of 2013. According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple would be in his cartoons an iPhone with a larger screen, to meet the current trend. However, this new device would be one smartphone "low-cost".

These two details in contradiction, since generally produce a larger screen causes additional costs. However, the newspaper economic, Apple would use less expensive components. Thus, the shell is made of polycarbonate instead of aluminum.

Emerging Markets

This new range of devices allow the firm to Cupertino to conquer emerging markets, where prices remain an obstacle to the democratization of brand products.

According to Digitimes, this shift in strategy resulting from the success of the iPad mini in China, thanks to its more affordable for the middle class in China. For its part, the very serious agency Bloomberg argues that this low-cost smartphone at between 99 and 149 dollars. Obviously, all these rumors are information that must be taken with a grain of salt.

Read more »

Audi unveils its first 4G LTE model with free navigation and augmented reality

The connected car is not really a novelty, and Audi has already shown its leadership in this area several years ago with the latest versions of A8 and A6 rooms that include a 3G connection and integration of Google Earth the GPS navigation system. The other manufacturers like BMW or Ford, are also advanced the integration of digital technologies and Web board.

At the CES held in Las Vegas this week, Audi takes another step forward with the unveiling of a new version of the Audi A3 has a 4G LTE connection, synonymous with mobile broadband. With speeds up near 100 megabits per second, the system Audi Connect adds features such as onboard WiFi hotspot to connect up to eight mobile devices (which is a lot for a 4 seats), radio internet, web services and especially a GPS navigation system augmented reality that this imaging type "street view" in real time flows.

Only hope that the new Audi MMI infotainment module / MMX slightly improved in terms of ergonomics and ease of use, because the address input to the wheel letter by letter with the current system is just unbearable and voice control works so badly that one renounces quickly to use for anything other than the directory telephone (and again ...). This remark is also valid for most automakers, who charge exorbitant prices for option navigation and multimedia usability catastrophic, even dangerous, while it has the same ... for free or for a few handfuls of euros on our smartphones and tablets. So much so that motorists urged preferred to use a free app like Waze on their iPhone or Android to be guided to an address that will be entered in a few seconds, than wasting 10 minutes to enter the same address on the integrated 3000 euros in his car ...

Read more »

Task Manager Premium Todoist half price for two days!

Todoist is a service for managing tasks and things to do in a simple or minimalist simple and effective way. The task manager has the particularity to be present on many platforms: starting with mobile applications on Android and iOS, via desktop applications for Windows and Mac, plus extensions Chrome, Firefox, Outlook, Thunderbird and the classic web version.

If the free offer which already allows to manage an unlimited number of tasks, organize into sub-tasks and enjoy the many applications and extensions, the pay offer offers additional features such as some interesting reminders via email and SMS, adding notes (or comments if you prefer), the advanced search and the ability to add emails as tasks.

Todoist Premium costs $ 29 per year in normal times but the service currently offers a discount of 50% or $ 14 per year, from January 8 to 10, 2013. This service is undoubtedly one of the best task managers, although there are of course other solutions as effective. But it's like the tastes and colors, it is not discussed - each with their preferences.

You have a task manager of choice?

• see the promotion Todoist Premium

Read more »

Ballo, small balls in his magic

Ballo is a small speaker bullet shape that produces an excellent sound quality. This is the result of a collaboration between the brand Objects You Obsess (OYO) and the design duo  Fabian Bernhard and Thomas Burkard.

The speakers are compatible with most devices with an audio jack of 3.5 mm and operate with a rechargeable lithium battery. They come on automatically when they are connected.

The Ballos available in 10 colors and are available for $ 30.20 on the site OYO.

 

Read more »

Wikipedia: a true-false war published five years

An article well detailed and referenced on a battle in India fabricated stayed 5 years on the online encyclopedia.

Many are wary of Wikipedia . And because one of your friends or yourself have probably once tried writing nonsense on the online encyclopedia. Some are even days, even months, before being removed by a moderator.

Usually the nonsense they therefore disappear after a while. But there are fakes that have a hard life. "Conflict of Bicholim" is an example. This article describes a battle in India fabricated remained no less than 5 years before being removed!

It was an article on the 1640-1641 conflict, which pitted the Portuguese rulers of Goa (South India) and Indian Maratha empire. Launched in July 2007, the deception was not discovered until last December.

False credentials

"After careful consideration and some research, I came to the conclusion that this article was a hoax, a hoax intelligent and developed," explained ShelfSkewed the reader behind the discovery of the fake. He also revealed that the sources used in the article were all invented, making it difficult to detect moderators of the hoax.

This hoax is nevertheless not the first to be kept in line so long. Gaius Flavius ​​one on Antoninus, who allegedly participated in the assassination of Julius Caesar, took eight years.

Recall, however, that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia compiling articles created and edited by volunteer contributors anonymous. By its nature, Wikipedia can be easily trolled by malicious users.

Read more »