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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX is serious competition for Apple's iPad mini

Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX is serious competition for Apple's iPad mini

The new Kindle Fire HDX is the flagship device in Amazon's tablet lineup, and not only does it have the power to turn the Android tablet market on its head, it is also the first real competitor to Apple's iPad mini.
Starting at $229, you get a lot of tablet for your money. You get a high-definition 1,920 x 1,200 display, a powerful 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor backed up by a dual-core Adreno 330 GPU, a 720p front-facing camera for video-conferencing and selfies, and storage that starts at 16GB. All of this is packed into a lightweight and stylish magnesium unibody chassis that's both thinner and lighter than last year's offerings.
The hardware is certainly both solid and very well put together.
On the software front of things, you get Fire OS 3.0, a highly customized version of Google's Android Jelly Bean. Built into this operating system is not only a conduit to all things digital available from Amazon, but also a raft of features such as virtual private networking (VPN) support and encryption that will appeal to the BYOD crowd.
And if at any point a user has problems or needs assistance, there's a Mayday button close to hand that connects users to tech support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Fire OS 3.0 is a mature and well-rounded mobile platform.
The bottom line is that here we have a $229 tablet that appeals not only to those who want to play Angry Birds or stream movies easily, and also to those looking for a tablet to take to work with them.
Broad appeal plus a price tag so low that it makes you do a double-take suggests to me that Amazon isn't going to have any problems selling these tablets.
The 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad mini retails for $329.
About the only drawback to the Kindle Fire HDX I can come up with is that it isn't a true Android tablet and instead it is tightly bound to the Amazon ecosystem. That said, the iPad mini isn't an Android tablet, and is instead bound tightly to the Apple App Store.
It's swings and roundabouts. But given Amazon's $100 price advantage over the iPad mini, and the fact that its app store is well stocked with quality apps, those looking for a tablet for home, BYOD or enterprise might well find that the Kindle Fire HDX ticks most, if not all, the boxes.

Windows 8.1 Upgrade Options

Everything you need to know about your Windows 8.1 upgrade options

Here we go again…
With each new release of Windows, Microsoft changes the mix of products it offers to consumers and also changes the terms of use. Windows 8.1 is no exception.
windows 8.1 boxes
Windows 8.1 retail boxes, full edition (upgrades are no longer available)
This post lists the key changes you need to know about in Windows 8.1 pricing and licensing, with a few buying tips thrown in for good measure.
Let’s start with the good news: the Windows 8.1 update (which will be available online via the Windows Store on October 18) is free for all properly activated Windows 8 computers. Now the bad news: If you’re planning to upgrade a PC running an older version of Windows, you’ll need to pay for a new Windows 8.1 license. You’ll also need to pay if you want to install Windows 8.1 on a new computer you build yourself, on a Mac using Boot Camp, or in a virtual machine.
Beginning with Windows 8.1, Microsoft is no longer selling separate upgrade and full price editions through retail partners or online. Instead, every retail copy includes a full license. The Windows 8.1 software can be used to upgrade Windows 7, or you can do a clean install, with no requirement to have a previous Windows version installed.
By and large, that's a change for the better. A lot of Windows 8 upgraders were frustrated by installation roadblocks when they tried to use an upgrade copy to do a clean installation of the operating system. That's a perfectly valid installation scenario on a PC that has an underlying Windows license but no installed operating system, such as when where you're upgrading or replacing the main hard drive. The "full edition" licenses for Windows 8.1 retail purchases mean that you don't have to jump through any hoops to complete that sort of installation properly.
There’s also a big change in the terms attached to OEM System Builder versions of Windows 8.1. With Windows 8, Microsoft introduced a new Personal Use License, which allowed anyone to buy an OEM System Builder copy of the software and install it on a PC that is intended for personal use. Windows 8.1 removes that rider from the OEM System Builder license agreement, which means that the license agreement once again is for use on PCs built for resale only; the terms prohibit installing an OEM System Builder copy of Windows 8.1 on a PC for personal use.
To purchase a Windows 8.1 retail edition, you have two options:
  • Online purchase directly from Microsoft, via Windows.com
  • Boxed copy purchased from a retail outlet
Regardless of which option you use, you have the same two choices:
Windows 8.1 $120 (ERP)
Sometimes referred to as the Core edition, this is what you’re most likely to see on new PCs and tablets sold through the retail channel. It’s the successor to Windows 7 Home Premium in terms of its place in the lineup, although the mix of features is different.
Windows 8.1 Pro $200 (ERP)
If you need corporate network features like Windows domain join, Group Policy support, and the ability to be a Remote Desktop server, you pay the extra 80 bucks or so. Hyper-V virtualization is only supported on the Pro edition and, oddly, Pro is also required to run the Windows 8.x version of Media Center.
If you have a computer running Windows 8.1 (regardless of whether you updated for free from Windows 8 or purchased the newer OS software preinstalled on a new PC), you can update to the Pro edition using the … 
Windows 8.1 Pro Pack $100 (ERP)
As with Windows 8, the Pro edition is already installed on a Windows 8.1 (Core) PC. To unlock the Pro features and make them available, you just need to enter the Pro Pack product key and go through a very brief upgrade. (The Pro Pack is version specific, with one you can buy today for Windows 8 and another for Windows 8.1 that will ship when Windows 8.1 does.)
When Windows 8 was released, Microsoft offered discounted copies for more than two months. I don’t expect any such discounts this time around.
See the next page for details that cover the most common Windows 8.1 upgrade scenarios.

Nokia Lumia 1020 Review

Nokia Lumia 1020 review: A photographer's smartphone


Nokia has a broad range of Windows Phone handsets, covering multiple price points and screen sizes. With the 4.5-inch Lumia 1020, the company has concentrated on appealing to camera enthusiasts, adding a 41-megapixel camera and photography software enhancements to go with it.
Nokia isn't alone in looking to camera technology to add a new dimension to its smartphone portfolio. One of the Samsung Galaxy S4 variants is the Galaxy S4 Zoom, with its 16-megapixel sensor. But at £588 (inc. VAT, SIM-free from Clove Technology), is Nokia's Lumia 1020 a device people will want to buy?

Design

There's no chance of mistaking the Lumia 1020 for any other manufacturer's handset: the blocky chassis and bright yellow colour of our review unit are both giveaways (there are also white and black versions of this handset if you prefer a more muted colour scheme). Note that if you go for yellow, the headphones are colour matched.
lumia-1020-main
The Lumia 1020 has a 4.5-inch AMOLED screen, a 41-megapixel camera and comes in white, black or bright yellow. (Image: Nokia)
The body is made of the usual soft-touch, grippable, scratch-resistant polycarbonate material that Nokia uses for its Lumia range. This phone looks and feels like a premium product. Oddly, the camera lens is not recessed, so you'll need to take care to keep it free of scratches.
Beneath the 4.5in. screen the usual Windows Phone back and search softkeys are not backlit, and so are not particularly visible. Turn the Lumia 1020 over and the huge, circular surround for the camera lens, Xenon flash and focus light signal that this no ordinary smartphone.
The Lumia 1020's general shape and size makes it a dead ringer for the Lumia 920: the 1020 measures 71.4mm wide by 130.4mm deep by 10.4mm thick, compared to 70.8mm by 130.3mm by 10.7mm for the 920. At 158g, the Lumia 1020 is lighter than the 185g Lumia 920.
It's worth noting that the camera housing protrudes by about 4mm from the back of the casing, which means that the handset won't sit flush on a desk or table. If you like to prod at your phone's screen while it's sitting screen-up on a desk, you may find this wobbliness irritating. We did.
lumia-1020-screen
The AMOLED screen on the Lumia 1020 uses a PenTile sub-pixel matrix, but still delivers good text readability. (Image: Nokia)
The Lumia 1020's Gorilla Glass 3-protected screen is large at 4.5 inches across the diagonal, but it looks smaller because of the chassis size. There's a standard-size bezel on the sides, and larger ones top and bottom. Many people will find it difficult to use this phone one handed. The 332ppi (1,280-by-768-pixel) AMOLED display delivers an exceptionally clear and bright image. You won't find a higher-resolution Windows Phone because that's the highest the operating system supports.
The PenTile sub-pixel matrix that Nokia uses (Samsung owns the trademark) on its AMOLED displays is seen by some as producing less sharp definition than an RGB-stripe design — particularly for text. However, text on the Lumia 1020 is perfectly readable in our view.
lumia-1020-camgrip
The Lumia 1020 Camera Grip costs £47.99 (inc. VAT). (Image: Nokia)
Nokia's button design and location is pretty standard on its Lumia handsets: the volume and power buttons are on the right edge, along with a dedicated camera button, while the left edge is clear. There's a Micro-USB slot on the bottom and a headset jack on the top, alongside the housing for the microSIM.
Nokia makes a Camera Grip accessory which retails for a rather hefty £47.99 (inc. VAT). This is available in colours to co-ordinate with the handset, and is made from the same polycarbonate material. The Camera Grip is chunky and increases the handset size considerably, but is intended to help you keep a steady hand while shooting. It incorporates a second (1,020mAh) battery and a power level indicator, and also has a universal tripod connector. Because it covers up the on-handset camera button, it also has its own camera button.

Features

Nokia has built the Lumia 1020 around a fairly modest dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC — the same as used in the Lumia 920 and 820. Those two handsets have 1GB of RAM, but the memory has been boosted to 2GB for the Lumia 1020.
There's a generous 32GB of internal storage as well as 7GB of free SkyDrive storage. This is an important factor as there's no MicroSD card slot for storing media files — including all those photos you'll take with the 1020's fancy high-resolution camera.
This is a top-end handset with a full set of connectivity options, including dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth (3.0), pentaband LTE (100Mbps down, 50Mbps up) and NFC. However we expected better from the device's 2,000mAh battery which struggled to keep it going for 24 hours — particularly when we made use of the camera's Xenon flash.
Microsoft does not allow hardware partners to skin its Windows Phone OS or change its appearance in any way. Nevertheless, Nokia has done a good job of adding value to its Windows Phone handsets.
This comes by way of free apps such as the superb Nokia Music, Here Maps for Google Maps-style geolocation and Here Drive+ for point-to-point navigation. The basic camera capabilities of Windows Phone handsets can also be augmented by software, and Nokia takes full advantage of that in the case of the Lumia 1020.
Camera 
The Lumia 1020 comes with Panorama (a panorama shooting mode), Nokia Cinemagraph (which adds small animated elements to photos), Nokia Smart Cam (which takes burst-mode shots and lets you produce composite images) and Bing Vision (a barcode and QR code scanner).

lumia-1020-front&back
The Lumia 1020's 41-megapixel camera, which can be used in automatic or manual (Nokia Pro Camera) modes, saves low-resolution (5MP) and high-resolution (34MP) versions of each image. (Image: Nokia)
The camera's 41-megapixel sensor is undoubtedly the Lumia 1020's major selling point. This isn't the first time Nokia has put a high-resolution camera into a handset: last year's 808 PureViewalso had a 41-megapixel sensor. A Symbian-powered device, the 808 PureView received a mixed reception, although looking back now, its design and camera concept was very much a forerunner of what we see in the Lumia 1020.
Those 41 megapixels aren't, of course, the full story. Other camera features include image stabilisation and 3x (digital) zoom, ISO settings between 100 and 4000, and shutter speeds between 1/16,000 of a second to 4 seconds.
You have two basic shooting modes: Nokia Pro Camera puts you in manual control of the camera settings, while Camera mode makes settings for you automatically. Switching between the two modes requires a visit to the lenses area — achieved either by tapping a button on the camera viewfinder screen, or by making a selection from the handset's main screen. It's a bit of a hassle.
When you take a photo, two images are captured. One is a 5-megapixel version that you can share by email, drop into your SkyDrive allowance or view on the handset. The other is a 34-megapixel image that you can't access until you connect the handset to a computer, at which point it can be copied or moved onto your hard drive. Both images are linked on the handset so that deleting the one you're viewing deletes the other.
Images themselves are undeniably of high quality, and the camera copes well with variable lighting conditions. It isn't good at very close-up shots though: you have to be at least 15cm away from the subject.
It takes the Lumia 1020 a while to process images — at least a couple of seconds. In that time you could easily miss second, third or fourth shots of an exciting scene, which could be exasperating.
The Lumia 1020's camera is very good for a mobile phone, but it can't hold a candle to a decent dedicated digital camera — either in photographic capability or, incidentally, in storage. You can pop memory cards in and out of your standalone camera as much as you like, but the storage capacity on the Nokia 1020 is fixed at 32GB.

Conclusion

The Nokia Lumia 1020 has a truly impressive camera capable of shooting decent photos. However, it's no substitute for a good standalone digital camera, and heavy use seriously depletes the battery. The Lumia 1020 certainly has appeal, but many users might do better with the 920 and a good dedicated camera.

Nexus 5 Google's Next Smartphone

Nexus 5: The seven things you can expect from Google's next smartphone

Nearly a year on from the launch of Google's first Nexus 4 smartphone, fans are eager for a refresh. It's successor is expected to come in the form of the Nexus 5, which would be a welcome sibling to Google's newly-updated Nexus 7 tablet range. 
It's not yet known exactly when Google will launch the Nexus 5, but leaked images of what's thought to be the device, including one from Google itself, are whetting the appetites of Nexus fans — who hopefully won't be disappointed by supply shortages this time around
Now with a purported Nexus 5 service manual from LG floating around the internet, there really isn't that much that's now not known about the Nexus 5 smartphone except (except a few minor matters — the launch date, price and availability).

1. LG is still Google's Nexus smartphone partner 

LG, the maker of the Nexus 4, will be the hardware company charged with making the Nexus 5. Documents filed with the FCC and a leaked internal repair manual that appears to be for the new device, have unearthed most of the hardware specs for the device. 
2013-10-07 12.07.04 pm
A glimpse of what's thought to be the Nexus 5, as shown in an FCC filing. Image: FCC via CNET
The device thought to be the Nexus 5 that surfaced in an LG filing with the FCC looks a lot likeLG's G2, continuing a pattern established with the Nexus 4, which was itself a modified version of the LG's Optimus G. 

2. Nexus 5 will address the Nexus 4's lack of LTE support 

The Nexus 5 looks set to have LTE support. FCC filings and the service manual indicate Google will remedy the lack of LTE connectivity that hampered the Nexus 4 in its successor. With 4G networks lighting up across the world, a bringing out a new smartphone in 2013 without LTE support would be a major omission, and Google has recently brought out an LTE-equipped variant of the Nexus 7.

3. The specs suggest an evolution of the Nexus 4

The Nexus 5 is tipped to sport a 4.95-inch 1080p display, and come with 2GB RAM and a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, NFC support and wireless charging.

4. More storage in the Nexus 5

Specs-wise, the Nexus 5 doesn't look to be a major leap from the Nexus 4, though the 32GB storage would be a welcome addition to the Nexus 4's 8GB and 16GB options. It's not known yet whether Google will launch two variants with different storage sizes, though such a move would be in keeping with Google's traditional pattern for hardware.
The Nexus 5 also looks set to come without expandable storage, similar to the Nexus 4. 

5. Like LG's G2, but not exactly the same

While the leaks point to a Nexus 5 that's similar to the LG G2, Google has pared back the camera specs, instead opting for eight-megapixel rear camera with a 1.3-megapixel front camera. (The G2 has a 2.1-megapixel front camera and a 13-megapixel snapper on the rear.)
If the service manual details are correct, the Nexus 5 will offer up to 690 minutes talk time on CDMA networks, 405 mins on GSM, 530 mins on WCDMA and 230 minutes on LTE. The device should come with a 2,300 mAh battery.

6. Different colours?

The Nexus 5 may come in different colours. Last month Google inadvertently gave a sneak peek at what could be the the Nexus 5 in a promotional YouTube video for its forthcoming Android 4.4 KitKat OS. The video revealed a sleek, matte finished smartphone bearing the similar Nexus markings as seen on the new Nexus 7 tablet, along with LG's logo. A very similar looking device, minus the Nexus logo, was contained in LG's FCC filing. However, the service manual shows a device with a matte mauve finish.

7. Kit Kat or Jelly Bean?

Though it's not been confirmed what version of Android the Nexus 5 will run, Android 4.4 KitKat, which was announced in early October, is a likely candidate. The Nexus 7 was the first piece of hardware that shipped with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean onboard, and given the Nexus 4 was launched in October last year, the Nexus refresh would be well-placed to launch with KitKat.

Tablet and Smartphone War

How tech's giants lost the tablet and smartphone war, even if they don't know it yet

It's no secret that the PC market is in a tailspin — worldwide shipments are expected to drop 10 percent this year.
And it's hard to see how things are going to get much better, as the old PC players are consistently outmanoeuvred by rivals with a totally different business model, and better designed, cheaper devices — and who, having dominated the consumer market, now want to sweep up the enterprise market too. 
This battle came out of the shadows when Amazon revealed it is adding enterprise management capabilities to its Kindle Fire tablets because they are increasingly being used for work as well as for play. That a tablet designed for watching Netflix and reading books is now a credible business device shows how rapidly the enterprise technology world has changed — and how the old guard of tech giants missed the boat.

Tesco takes on Kindle and iPad with Jelly Bean Android tablet Hudl

Tesco takes on Kindle and iPad with Jelly Bean Android tablet Hudl
Tesco takes on Kindle and iPad with Jelly Bean Android tablet Hudl
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Apple's iPad, Samsung's Galaxy and Amazon's Kindle Fire are the top tablets used in business across the US, Canada, UK, France, and Germany — 53 percent, 18 percent and nine percent respectively (in the US the Galaxy and the Kindle Fire tied for second place).
And it's not just tablets, of course. The iPhone, once dismissed as a touchscreen toy, is now the de facto standard for enterprise smartphones. What these devices all have in common is that they were built for consumers first, and then retrofitted with management software to make them more business-friendly when their makers realised they had enterprise appeal too.
For example Apple has added plenty of business enhancements to iOS 7 and, although Samsung's S4 is very much a consumer handset, by adding tougher security via its Knox software the company has made it more attractive to business users. This is how consumer tech companies are remaking the market for personal devices — winning in the consumer space and then tailoring for business later.

What went wrong?

For too long the old guard of hardware vendors relied on old designs and old assumptions about technology, and about who buys it and why. Now not only are they struggling to compete in terms of innovation but even if they can come up with a decent product (which is rare) the margins on it are much lower than before — and the business model has changed.
When it comes to smartphones, tablets, and laptops, it's no longer relevant to talk about the needs of the 'business customer' first any more. That market still exists, but it's shrinking and changing as bring your own device becomes an everyday part of business tech usage. Lower cost hardware means the consumer market is the mass market — and the business-only device is becoming the niche.
The (four year plus) enterprise hardware refresh cycle means that businesses users, if they depend only on the hardware dished out by their IT department, will lag consumers. The innovation in hardware is happening in the consumer market in cheap hardware and then feeding back into the business world — the opposite of a decade back. But there are still plenty of big tech companies that haven't got the message.
The business model around personal devices is changing too: if you can control the hardware, you can channel customers through to your integrated digital services.
That's exactly why Amazon started selling its Kindles at cost price; it has no interest in making money on hardware but plenty of desire to make money out of streaming video and ecommerce.
It's the same reason why UK supermarket giant Tesco has started selling its own seven-inch Android tablet; not because it wants to make money on tablets, but because it wants to sell the online banking products, TV and shopping service that come as standard on the device.
Tech's giants are slowly understanding the problem; the hardware is improving but they're late to build the ecosystem play. How they rethink their business models over the next year will be critical to their future survival.
ZDNet's Monday Morning Opener is our opening salvo for the week in tech. As a global site, this editorial publishes on Monday at 8.00am in Sydney, Australia, which is 6.00pm Eastern Time on Sunday in the US. It is written by a member of ZDNet's Global Editorial Board, which is comprised of our lead editors across Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States.

8 Apps to Your Android Smartphone or Tablet's

8 Apps to improve your Android smartphone or tablet's battery life (Slideshow)

Image 1 of 9

Maxing Android Battery Life

This Motorola Droid 4 has a great keyboard and it runs Android 4.1.2, a version of Jelly Bean. I like this phone. I love this keyboard. And, while Android 4.1.2 isn't Android 4.3,  it's none too shabby. So what's wrong with this picture?
Notice something about the screen? It's off. And, why is it off? It's off because the battery has run out of juice AGAIN!
Ahem.
Of course, all battery powered devices do this and, as 4G LTE phones go, my Droid 4, with its 8 hours of active use time, isn't bad at all.
But, I want more. I want the maximum possible battery life for my smartphone and my 2012 Nexus 7 and 2013 Nexus 7. Of course, the first thing I did was to use all the various tricks to maximize my Android devices' battery life.
That helped, but I wanted more. If you're like me and only the best battery life will do you need to check out these applications. They'll help you to make the most of your Android smartphone and tablet's batteries.

Changes in Google Chrome

Quick Tip: Get familiar with changes in Google Chrome

Get ahead of your users by keeping tabs on new changes in Google's Chrome browser. 
Chrome-logo-091813.jpg
One of the hardest parts about managing an IT environment is implementing change - or handling the effects thereof. This is ironic, since IT is about change and promoting the concept of forward evolution to make things work better. Nevertheless, there's a human factor involved in both the customer and the service personnel, and so change can be daunting, especially when it's deemed to be for no valid reason. Worse, if you manage systems you might be held responsible for unwanted change, so it's always advisable to keep an eye on what's coming so you can prepare your users.

Bob's story

I was recently contacted by a user I'll call Bob. Bob wanted to know why Chrome looked so weird; he reported seeing a link that said "Chrome has changed." Clicking the link brought up a window showing what had changed, Bob informed me, and he said "At the top I have links to Gmail, Google+, images and an icon of sorts for the apps." Bob was not happy with the new Chrome features and stated he was considering switching back to Firefox.
I checked my own version of Chrome which had none of these features. This made sense since Chrome doesn't update at the same time for everyone, but you can trigger an update by clicking the Settings button in the upper right. (Figure A)

Figure A

a_smatteson_changesToChrome.png
Click "About Google Chrome." (Figure B)

Figure B

b_smatteson_changesToChrome.png
This will show your current Chrome version and automatically update it to a new release, if available. In this case I believe Bob already had version 29, which I then received.
Upon starting the latest version of Chrome I saw what Bob had referred to. Opening a blank tab showed me the following screen. (Figure C)

Figure C

c_smatteson_changesToChrome.png
(This screenshot was taken on 10/1/13, which was the 123rd anniversary of Yosemite National Park).
I proceeded to sign in and observed the following menu along the top of the browser, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

d_smatteson_changesToChrome.png
As you can see, there are now easy links to access Google+, Gmail, Images, notifications, the "Share" function and that curious grid icon. Since the box two screenshots above urged me to "Click the grid to have a look," I did so. (Figure E)

Figure E

e_smatteson_changesToChrome.png
The grid allows you to launch apps in the same way the "Apps" screen used to appear on the new tab page in Chrome. Just in case you liked having Apps on their own dedicated page, there is also an "Apps" button in the Bookmarks Bar (if you have this function turned on). (Figure F)

Figure F

f_smatteson_changesToChrome.png

Making sense of it all

Some of the changes make sense - I guess. There is a bit of redundancy with the Apps grid icon AND the Apps bookmark, not to mention the fact I can get to Gmail, Google+ and other locations quite easily without a new interface to assist me, but part of the strategy of menu rearrangement involves promotion AND convenience.
I am not sure I get why the "Images" link is now front and center but I think it has to do with the fact Google is enhancing their image search capability and, according to their Chrome blog, will soon allow you to right-click an image and search Google for it.
I noticed something odd with this new version: opening a new tab didn't always show me the new interface. In fact, I tested this several times with sporadic results. It's not a big deal since I have bookmarks and so forth to access the links I need, but if I were dependent on the interface I might be as peeved as Bob.
This was a good reminder to me to keep abreast of upcoming changes so as to notify users in advance if something significant looms ahead. Google provides a webpage tracking Chrome Releases and also a Google Chrome Blog which you should keep an eye on if you are the person responsible for web browsers in your company environment.
In addition, I recommend making sure you update your browser before anyone else - andconsider these methods to turn off Chrome's ability to autoupdate itselfThis is even easier if you use Group Policy. When you're ready you can toggle Chrome's autoupdate function for users so they'll get the desired release, or you can push the installation out via Microsoft's SCCM (for Windows clients) or a master preferences file, for instance.
Want to revert to an old version of Chrome? Google prefers their latest version to be standard for users, but you can find previous versions elsewhere online. I recommend only doing this if something is outright broken, however. Always remember that IT is supposed to effectively promote change, not cling to the past.

An update

Update: two days after this article was originally written, Chrome updated itself to version 30. After the upgrade, opening a new tab showed a link at the bottom right stating "Chrome has updated." (Figure G)

Figure G

g_smatteson_changesToChrome.png
Clicking "Chrome has updated" brought up the following window. (Figure H)

Figure H

h_smatteson_changesToChrome.png
It's important to note the "Recently Closed Tabs" tip - these can be found on the Chrome menu (click the button in the upper right of Chrome) to access these. (Figure I)

Figure I

i_smatteson_changesToChrome.png

Friday, September 20, 2013

5th Generation iPod touch Review

Besides the iPhone 5, the 5th generation iPod touch is the best handheld entertainment and Internet device I've ever used. It is, in every way, excellent. From its large screen to its light weight, from its much-improved cameras to an expanded feature set in iOS 6, the 5th gen. touch is a remarkably versatile and high-quality device. If you don't want or need the always-on Internet, and monthly costs, of an iPhone, there's no better pocket-sized gadget you can buy.


New Screen, New Size

The latest touch takes everything that was good about previous models--and there was a lot--and improves on it in a few major ways. First, like the iPhone 5, it sports a 4-inch, 1136 x 640 Retina Display screen. At its large size and high resolution, the screen is gorgeous and makes playing games, watching videos, and using apps a joy.

Despite the substantially larger screen, though, the touch itself isn't a lot bigger than its predecessor. That's because rather than making the screen taller and wider, Apple has only made it taller, leaving the touch's width at the same easy-to-hold, palm-friendly size users have always enjoyed. As a result, you can still easily use the touch with one hand and its portability and usability aren't diminished.


This is quite an engineering accomplishment, made even more impressive by the fact that Apple has also made the 5th touch thinner and lighter than the last version. While the 4th generation was 0.28 inches thick, the 5th generation is 0.24 inches thick. The 4th gen. model weighed in at 3.56 ounces, while the new edition is just 3.10 ounces. These changes may sound like tiny fractions of the whole, and thus not likely to make much of a difference, but they do. It's hard to fathom just how light and thin the new touch is, while still feeling solid, reliable, and high quality.

Beyond the improved screen and body, the touch's internals are improved, too, thanks to its inclusion of a new processor and new Wi-Fi hardware. This model uses the Apple A5 processor, the same as the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, which is a substantial upgrade over the A4 chip in the last generation. The Wi-Fi chips have also been upgraded to support both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies (the last model supported only 2.4 GHz), making the touch more able to connect to high-speed networks.

Much Improved Cameras

The other major internal component improved in the 5th generation iPod touch are its cameras. The 4th generation model added two cameras to enable FaceTime video chats, but neither camera was terrifically high-quality: the back camera topped out at just under 1 megapixel resolution. That was fine for taking low-res video or video chats, but the still photos weren't great. That's changed quite a bit with this generation.


While this model still supports FaceTime, the back camera now offers 5 megapixel resolution, camera flash, and the ability to capture 1080p HD video (up from 720p HD). The user-facing camera packs 1.2 megapixel resolution and 720p HD recording. And, thanks to iOS 6, the new touch supports panoramic photos, too. While the previous touch's cameras made it a solid device for video chats but not photography, the upgraded cameras in the 5th generation touch take the device beyond video chatting and into being a serious tool for capturing high-quality stills and videos. 

iOS 6--Better Than the Headlines

Besides hardware changes, the 5th touch come pre-loaded with iOS 6 and the many improvements it brings to the platform. While the majority of the headlines about iOS 6 have gone to the problems with the Maps app (and the removal of the YouTube app)--and those are real issues that will affect many users--those stories overshadow the many benefits of iOS 6. Perhaps the flashiest and most obvious improvement 5th gen. touch users will see is the ability to use Siri, Apple's voice-activated digital assistant. Siri was not available on the previous model (presumably because the processor couldn't handle the task), but users of this model will get to enjoy dictating emails and texts, asking Siri for information, and finding restaurants, shops, and movies by voice.

While many of the other features of iOS 6 aren't quite as obvious as Siri, the OS adds tons of useful features, fixes bugs, improves performance and generally adds polish to an already great device.

The Loop and The Headphones

One major new introduction with the 5th generation iPod touch is The Loop. This is a wrist strap (a la Nintendo's Wiimote) that lets you tether the touch to your arm for carrying and to make sure you don't drop your new device. The Loop is secured to the bottom back corner of the touch. There's a small button there that, when clicked, pops up a nub that you wrap The Loop around. Slip the other end over your hand and you're good to go.

In my testing, The Loop was impressively sturdy. I tried flailing my arm, whipping it (though somewhat gently, I admit; I didn't want to send the touch across the living room!), and otherwise doing things that could cause The Loop to slip off either my hand or the touch. In all instances, it remained securely anchored to my wrist.

I wish the same high marks could be given to the earbuds included with the touch, Apple's new EarPods. The EarPods update the iPod's trademark earbuds with a new, ear-canal-friendly shape and improved speakers. And all that's been said about them is correct: the fit is night and day improved over the old models, and these earbuds don't feel like they'll fall out at any minute. Sound is improved, too. The problem, though, is that the EarPods included with the touch aren't as full-featured as those that come with the iPhone. The iPhone version includes an inline remote to control volume, songs, and other features; this is missing from the ones that come with the touch. To get that version, you'll have to shell out an extra $30. That seems a bit nickel-and-dime for a device that runs nearly $300 for the entry-level model.

The Bottom Line

Despite that quibble, the 5th generation iPod touch is, without a doubt, the best, most complete handheld portable media and Internet device I've ever used. If you don't need the always-on Internet and phone features of the iPhone, or the larger screen of the iPad, this is the device you should get. Even at the relatively steep price, the features it offers--Internet access, email, messaging, apps, games, music, video--are so compelling, so polished that it will seem like a bargain.
 
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