Jazakallah for this article. Just the other day I took some files from 3.5 floppy drives and transferred them onto my USB flash drive. Might hold onto the discs, could be worth a small fortune one day!
Non HTC Devices Get A Taste Of Sense 5 With Do Launcher
For those of you out there with non HTC devices that are envious of all your friends using Sense 5, you can have a taste of the "Sense"-ible style like design with Do launcher, the new home launcher that lets you skin and theme with that Sense 5 look. The launcher is made by a recognized developer over at XDA, and we all know the devs over there cook up some pretty damn good apps. Developer doga.ozkaraca took it upon themselves to create and deliver the possibility of having Sense style and Sense like features, without having to go out and buy an HTC device with the official Sense UI. Although there is nothing wrong with just going out and buying an HTC device that already has true Sense built in, as the devices are usually of exceptional build quality and provide a nice sleek design themselves.
For anyone who uses an Android smartphone that is running Android 4.1+ and is an XDA member,(which is free) you can go and grab this launcher from the forum threads, and begin to theme your phone to look a little more like the Sense UI. Do launcher gives you the best parts of the Sense 5 look, with basic Blink Feed like features, so you can browse your favorite news feeds right on your home screen. You also get that gorgeous weather widget that comes along with Sense 5 called "pretty weather widget", just in case you didn't really like the one you were using.
If you enjoy the look of Sense 5 and have been looking for a way to get that style on your own device, Do launcher will provide you with a way to get what you want. The launcher can show up to five different themes(were not sure if that's purely coincidental or has something to do with the fact that it's designed to model Sense 5), and while it's poised to offer some great functionality, it's worth noting that the launcher is still in early development stages. This means that the launcher may very well be pretty buggy still, so if you give it a test run and find that some things aren't working, follow the appropriate channels to let the developer know. Think of this launcher as something you'd want to try if you absolutely love the look of Sense 5 and love to tinker a bit like ROM flashers do with nightlies. If you fit into this category, jump over to the original thread for all the details along with the download.
The Bank of England has recently announced a plan to introduce plastic banknotes, similar to those pioneered in Australia and now circulated in Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Fiji. The Bank of England wants to gauge general public opinion before anything is finalised and they will make a decision in December.
Plastic banknotes are more hard-wearing than their paper counterparts and most importantly harder to counterfeit. The notes are to be made from a thin transparent film, which will allow them to have small clear windows making reproduction almost impossible. The environmentally friendly recyclable quality will appeal to green lovers too. The change would initially mean an increase in costs but it is expected that these will be more than covered by the durability of the notes.
This will come as a welcome change for De La Rue, the current suppliers of the Bank of England's banknotes, who are already established in the polymer market. Their contract ends in April 2015 and since their closest rivals have not even branched into plastic, this is likely to guarantee a contract renewal. Analysts at leading investment banks predict that this move by the Bank of England could lead to a substantial increase in De La Rue's market share.
The introduction of plastic banknotes in the UK will send a message to other countries that this technology is safe and encourage its spread, creating a larger money printing market. The potential for plastic money markets could, therefore, be large.
Nexus 10 2014 reportedly being built by HTC, Google
10th Feb 2014
HTC said to have turned down making the Nexus 7
The Nexus 10 2014 could be built by HTC, even though it hasn't teamed up with Google on a new device or manufactured a tablet in a number of years.
The Taiwanese HTC One smartphone maker is being tapped to make a next-generation Nexus 10, reported Digitimes citing anonymous industry sources.
It backs up previous rumors that HTC won the rights to make the Google-branded 10-inch tablet in time for a third quarter release date this year.
If true, the Nexus 10 2014 would mean that HTC is taking over the current Nexus 10 production duties from Samsung, which began making the tablet in late 2012.
Samsung, for its part, has moved on to manufacturing its own Galaxy Tab 10.1 2014 anyway, as well as even larger tabs like the Galaxy Pro Note 12.2 and Galaxy Pro Tab 12.2.
Woes at 7 inches
HTC and Google haven't made a Nexus device since debuting the first-ever Nexus phone, the Nexus One, back in 2010.
Google wanted to give it another go with a 7-inch Nexus tablet in 2012, but HTC turned down the offer, according to Digitimes, leaving the door open for Asus to make the Nexus 7.
HTC may have been wary of these mini tablets since sales of its 7-inch HTC Flyer and 10-inch HTC Jetstream, both released in 2011, failed to gain much traction.
The Asus-manufactured Nexus 7, meanwhile, turned out to be a big success and so did its follow-up, the Nexus 7 2013. The company is even speculated to be moving on to the Nexus 8.
HTC may have a second shot at making a high-end Android tablet in addition to the HTC M8, off-setting the less exciting news that it's looking to focus on cheaper handsets too.
Now you can bake your own iPhone and eat it, too! Steven Sande | Feb 10th 2014
Over the years we've seen amateur and professional bakers create cakes and cookies that look like iPhones, but now anyone can create their own iPhone-shaped confections. ThinkGeek, our favorite site for nerdy goodies, announced the availability of the i-Cookie Cutter (US$15.99).
The precision device shapes your favorite cookie dough into an iPhone-like shape, complete with buttons, app icons, and other details you'd find on your Apple smartphone. You'll have to provide your own decoration to create those perfect Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies icons, but if you're up for rather generic cookies, you can cut 'em out and eat 'em up in all of their unadorned glory.
The i-Cookie Cutter has unlimited battery life, can withstand the heat of an oven, and is crafted from precision stainless steel. It cannot, however, make phone calls without a vivid imagination.
It seems like the day doesn't pass by until and unless we hear a couple of rumors about the HTC M8. This HTC One successor is expected to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona later this month, and despite that, there have already been countless rumors about this device in just this one week alone. Earlier today a picture of this smartphone leaked online, and now we see what appears to be a purported press render of the HTC M8.
There are similarities between all of the blurry leaked images we have seen in the past and this purported press render. If these leaked images are anything to go by, then its possible that the next HTC flagship may come with a notification LED housed between the front camera and top speaker grill.�Dual cameras are seen on the back, they've been rumored quite a few times and even seen in a recently leaked image.�This press render also shows off the on-screen buttons that the M8 is rumored to have. Its actually the perfect visual representation of all of the rumors that we have heard up till now, and may look quite like the real deal. However, since nothing has been announced officially yet, we must take this with a grain of salt just for the sake of our own sanity. [Image via NexusLab]
Soon, non-flammable batteries for your smart phone Tuesday, February 11, 2014 - 16:36 IST | Agency: IANS
The flammable electrolyte currently used in lithium-ion batteries - which power everything from your mobile phones to jumbo airliners - has been a cause of concern, especially after recent lithium battery fires in Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The battery electrolyte would soon be replaced with a material called perfluoropolyether, or PFPE.
Scientists led by chemist Joseph DeSimone at the University of North Carolina (UNC) stumbled upon PFPE while studying a material that prevents marine life from sticking to the bottom of ships.
It paves the way for developing a new generation lithium-ion battery that doesn't spontaneously combust at high temperatures.
"There is a big demand for these batteries and a huge demand to make them safer," said DeSimone, Chancellor's Eminent Professor of Chemistry in UNC's College of Arts and Sciences.
"Researchers have been looking to replace this electrolyte for years, but nobody had ever thought to use this material, PFPE, as the main electrolyte material in lithium-ion batteries before."
In the past, researchers have identified alternative non-flammable electrolytes for use in lithium-ion batteries but these alternatives compromised the properties of the lithium ions.
In addition to being non-flammable, PFPE exhibits very interesting properties such as its ion transport, said researchers.
"That makes this electrolyte stand apart from previous discoveries," said the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
I planning to buy transformer book t100, a windows tablet with dock. I need some advice for the same. Like for say is it really good to use it primarily as PC .
Windows Tablets are the future (for now) because they have almost every functionality a computer has (especially with the docking station)
You will need to learn how to use it properly though.
Setback from a laptop/computer is that you wont get a CD/DVD rom, Hard disk space is much lower but overall gets the work done on the move. It can also sync all your work and apps with your computer as long as they are also on Windows 8.
For tablets to be productive and not just for games, then, Windows is the best option.
I don't think anyone can tell you directly if its good for you or not as it'll depend on what and how you use it.
I am puzzled with dell venue 8 pro and asus transformer t100. One has stylus support other has keyboard dock. And 8 inch screen of dell venue is somewhat short for windows, isnt it??
Microsoft reportedly considering Android app support for Windows and Windows Phone
One of the more interesting features of BlackBerry 10 is its support for Android applications, which gives the platform's users the ability to load apps meant for Google's mobile operating system onto their Z10, Q10 or other BB10 handset. The feature helps to boost the number of apps that are available to BlackBerry 10 users, which is important considering that BB10 is a new platform and is still growing its own app catalog.
Microsoft's Windows Phone is in a similar app situation, and while it's got its fair share of high-profile apps, the Live Tile-toting platform is still lagging behind Android and iOS when it comes to app selection and support. The folks in Redmond have been working hard to close that app deficit, and today a new report suggests that Microsoft may decide to emulate BlackBerry in order to help boost its app selection.
Sources speaking to The Verge claim that Microsoft is considering enabling support for Android apps on both Windows and Windows Phone. The move is still in the early stages of planning, and it's said that there's disagreement within Microsoft about whether or not such a feature would help or hurt the Windows platforms.
The details of Microsoft's plans are still light, but the company reportedly doesn't want to get too involved in the Android app support process. As it stands now, Microsoft would add support for Android apps to Windows and manage the store that they'd be downloaded from, but the company would likely get a "third-party enabler" to actually support the platform. One possible candidate is BlueStacks, which has been enabling Android apps to be run inside of Windows for quite a while now.
Android app support in Windows and Windows Phone is still far from official, and right now the turmoil it's causing inside of Microsoft makes it unclear if the feature will ever actually make it to market. It's definitely an interesting strategy, and I'm sure that many Windows Phone fans would welcome the app boost that Android app support would bring.
On the other hand, BlackBerry 10 has supported Android apps for quite a while now and it's still struggling to gain significant market share. There's also the consideration that if Microsoft were to add Android app support to Windows Phone, many developers may opt to simply port their Android app over with few or no changes, leaving users with an app that looks out of place on Windows Phone and may not work quite as well as a native WP app.
Most iPhone users have a 'blind loyalty' to the Apple brand
by Jaime Rivera on February 13, 2014 3:16 PM
One of the most common trends that you'll notice in today's market, is that it's very odd to see iPhone users leaving the platform for something else. I've personally seen cases of people doing so, and then coming back just a few months later. Some people are locked-in due to the amount of purchases that they've made on Apple's various online stores, and others simply because they want to stick to what they know. All this said, a recent study was conducted to 2,000 iPhone users in the UK, and more than half of them admit to having a 'blind loyalty' for Apple as a brand.
The detailed results claim that:�78% percent "couldn't imagine having a different type of phone now," 52% said they had been "really impressed" with the iPhone as well.�54% of people had previously owned an iPhone and when asked why they bought a second - 37% responded that they were used to iOS. Going further,�28% said the iPhone seemed to be the best phone for them at the time of switching, while 25% said it was due to the fact that friends and family members had iPhones and they wished to retain Apple-specific features such as FaceTime.
And regarding those that switched to the iPhone, the survey revealed that 17% of the people surveyed had switched to their current iPhone from a BlackBerry, 14% from a Nokia handset, 9% from a Samsung, 4% from an HTC, and just 2% from a Sony Ericsson.
Obviously this is just a small sample of the UK market. I have friends who can't see themselves without a BlackBerry, and others who've fallen in-love with their new Galaxy Note 3. Remember this survey was conducted to 2,000 existing iPhone users, mainly focused on why they decided to buy iPhone, so it's not just a fanboy letter to the public either.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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