iPad 3 specs and release date: rumor round-up

Well, folks, it's once again the beginning of the year, which means we're once again close to witnessing the launch of another iPad. However, as always, Cupertino has done its best to keep any details away from prying eyes, so we're pretty much left to deal with a number of rumors and some other speculation. But, our excitement for the third offering in Apple's tablet line is too big, not allowing us to stay still and wait patiently until the company finally lifts the veil off the new iPad. That's why we wanted to gather all the few, but very interesting tid bits around the iPad 3 and see if this would allow us to get a better idea of what the final product may end up being.


iPad 3 vs iPad 2S vs iPad HD

Right from the start, we should acknowledge the fact that there are two main theories surrounding the upcoming Apple tablet: the first one claims that what we'll see will be introduced as a full-fledged, redesigned successor (iPad 3), while the second one sticks to the belief that we'll actually be treated to a slightly upgraded, refreshed model (iPad 2S).

Of course, the exact product name shouldn't bother us, as long as there are enough new features and improvement. Initially, it was rumored that the iPad 3 will come with a quad-core A6 processor - a logical move forward from the dual-core A5. However, some unofficial sources have claimed that it's also possible for us to see an iPad 2S with an enhanced dual-core A5 (A5 is the iPad 2's processor), instead of a quad-core A6.

UPDATE: According to a recent rumor, Apple's third generation tablet will be known as the iPad HD, which is a name that would clearly highlight the device's upgraded display. That same iPad HD moniker also appeared on an accessory listing not long ago. Of course, the name could be nothing but a placeholder, so nothing is certain just yet.


iPad 3 specs

iPad 3 specs and release date: rumor round-up
Leaving the iPad 3 vs iPad 2S vs iPad HD clash to the side, there are still other sources that would rather assume that the iPad 3 will have a processor dubbed A6, however, it will still be dual-core, but will have an overall better performance and a significantly more powerful graphics unit. As you can see, everything surround the next iPad's processor right now can fall into the category of wild speculation, and the many different takes on the matter don't really help us determine which one's the most likely. One idea is shared by all theories, though - the iPad 3 will have a faster processor! Whether it will have two or four cores, however, remains to be seen.

The screen is another vital point that's been subject to a lot of debate in the community. Obviously, the iPad 2's 1024x768 pixel, 132 ppi display isn't among the prettiest ones, due to its relatively low pixel density, so having a higher resolution in the new model seems anything but unexpected. All in all, the debate here centers around the question if the iPad 3 will have a higher-res display, or not. If yes, everyone is looking at 2048x1536 px, as this would double the pixel density of the screen, the same way that Apple once doubled the pixel density of the iPhone, when introducing the iPhone 4. If the screen size remains the same - 9.7", and it probably will, that would translate into a ppi (pixels per inch) of 264, allowing for much finer text and details, but a bigger strain on the hardware as well.

Then comes the subject of LTE. Thankfully, everyone seems to agree here that the iPad 3 should sport LTE connectivity (though it's 99% sure that there will also be a Wi-Fi-only variant), compatible with Verizon's and AT&T's 4G networks. For now, Qualcomm is seen as the most probable producer of the chip, though surprises can still be expected. Naturally, the radio is also believed to support other connectivity options such as HSPA+ and EV-DO Rev. A and B, where 4G LTE is unavailable.

iPad 3 specs and release date: rumor round-up
One of the more peculiar rumors insists that the new Apple iPad will be thicker than its predecessor by about 1mm. And while that different won't be really noticeable to the naked eye, it sure intrigues us to know why such a measure could have been taken. The answer is that — again, according to those fellas that are said to be familiar with the matter, but no one actually knows who they are — this change was needed in order to be able to fit a larger battery, which, some say, will be able to provide a battery life that's almost twice as long. Wow! This actually sounds pretty cool, and we do hope it will turn out true. One millimeter of thickness for almost 2x the battery life - oh, we are so a-OK with that!

Of course, many people out there (with and without any internal knowledge) believe that the iPad 3 will have an upgraded camera, and we're willing to agree, though we don't expect any wonders in this respect.

iPad 3 specs and release date: rumor round-up
UPDATE: Some claim that the next-gen iPad will drop the physical home button in favor of a capacitive one, and they even have evidence to back up that theory.

If you take a close look at the official invitation to Apple's March 7 event (pictured on the right), a physical button is, obviously, missing on the device's bezel.

Of course, whether these claims hold water or not will become known in a very short while.


iPad 3 release date and pricing

Now, for the question that's probably in everyone's head right now. When is Apple going to finally put an end to all of this wild speculation and unveil the real thing? Once again, it's hard to find a single, solid theory that's able to make everything else seem like far-fetched guesses, but there is a couple of dates that are being suggested for us to mark in our calendars. Having in mind that the first two iPads were introduced in January and the very beginning of March , respectively, it makes sense for Apple to hold an event very, very soon.

The more optimistic forecast is that Apple will show us the device on February 29, and will then launch it sometime around March 9. The other prognosis prefers the first week of March as the time of unveiling, and then sees mid-March as the timing for the eventual release. There's one conclusion we can draw from all this - the iPad 3 should come out of hiding by mid-March at the latest.

UPDATE: Apple will be hosting an event on March 7, and it is pretty certain that the next-gen iPad will be under the spotlight. And given that new iPad accessories are reportedly already in stock at some big box retailers' outlets, we can expect the device to be made available for purchase soon after its announcement. As far as pricing is concerned, rumor has it that the next iPad will cost just as much as the iPad 2 does.

And that's pretty much all we have, folks. Now tell us - are you excited about the upcoming iPad 3? What other stuff do you think will make its way into the device? What would YOU like to see in it? We're looking forward to hearing what you think!
Source-itechix

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Apple's stock market value adds up to 3.7% of the entire S&P 500

We remember in the mid 1980's when Apple's stock was down to $12 during the John Sculley years. More recently, we can recall pre-Apple iPhone days when the stock was under $40. Now, years later, the Apple iPhone is almost 5 years old with 5 generations of the device having been launched. The company is on the verge of  launching its third generation tablet and the Apple iPad has become as much as an international hit as the iPhone has. Apple's stock has risen nearly in a straight line as more and more profits are filing up the Apple vault. Today, Apple is trading at $522.
The amazing thing about Apple's stock is that with the sensational rise it has had, the value of the company's shares now makes up 3.7% of the entire S&P 500. J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz says that Apple is no longer a company, but is its own sector of the market. Looking at the stock this way, Apple would be the 8th largest sector in the U.S., ahead of materials and utilities. Ironically, thanks to Apple, the tech sector leads the way by making up 20.2% of the stateside market.

Apple has $98 billion in cash and could buy any company it wants to. But the stock market works in cycles and stocks don't go straight up. Companies that in the past looked like it would rise forever eventually turned course and there will come a time when Apple's stock moves lower. But for now, the Cupertino based company is on an amazing roll that makes it the most valuable company in the S&P 500, worth more than Google and Microsoft combined and topping ExxonMobil by $60 billion.

Can the stock go higher? Back in January 2011, with the stock trading at a then all-time high of $329, not too many traders could imagine the company's market cap of $273 billion, which then put it $60 billion ahead of Microsoft, moving higher. As long as there is skepticism that Apple can go higher, the stock should continue to make new high. Once everyone is in agreement that there is no place for the stock to go  but up, that is the time to sell.
Source-Tuaw

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iPad 3 Latest Reports Say Screen Sharpness is Nearly as Good as Billed

Apple's enhanced display on its yet-to-be-unveiled iPad 3 appears to be the worst kept secret, judging by all the eyes that are reportedly able to see it.

MacRumors owner Arnold Kim says anyone can buy the next iteration of the popular tablet at the Chinese website TrueSupplier. The skinny: The screen measures 9.7 inches in diagonal, the same size display as used in the iPad and iPad 2, but the resolution is four times as sharp.

Apple is reportedly expected to take the ribbon off the iPad 3 on March 7. Experts say it could include support for 4G LTE, more internal memory, and perhaps Apple's first quad core processor. For now, a lot of the speculation is focused on the display.

"When comparing the iPad 3 display to one from an iPad 2 under a microscope, the difference in resolutions becomes readily apparent, with the iPad 3 display's pixels appearing to be one-quarter the size of those on the iPad 2," reports MacRumors, which says it got its hands on one and used its measurements to extrapolate what the iPad 3 screen resolution should be: 2048 by 1536. That's four times the resolution of Apple's current and first-generation tablets.

PCWorld’s Matt Peckham has made the interesting point, however, that the "retina" description that's been applied to the next iPad is simply a marketing term Apple uses to refer to displays with greater than 300 ppi (pixels per inch), which is the maximum number the average human retina can discern. The iPhone 4 and 4S, running at 960 by 640 pixels across 3.5 inches diagonal, meet this requirement, but the iPad 2, running at 1024 by 768 pixels across 9.7 inches diagonal, doesn't.

When you compute a 2048 by 1536 pixel density across a 9.7-inch screen, it comes out to about 264 ppi, short of the generally accepted 300 ppi threshold. But, as the pundits point out, that's still a big improvement from the iPad 2's pixel density.

As for where MacRumors got the display, Kim said it wasn't stolen, but rather is readily available, much to Apple's chagrin. He says the TrueSupplier site sells an "OEM Apple iPad 3 LCD Screen Display Replacement" for $122.99.

On its website, Truesupplier says it serves more than 65 percent of the U.S. market and is a global provider of mobile data products, software and consulting services, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with branches in Hong Kong. Apple iPads are made in China, and Apple is currently embroiled in a spat with a Chinese company that claims it holds the rights to the iPad name in China.

Source-itechix

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China faces conflict between law and business in dispute over iPad trademark

BEIJING — Chinese officials face a choice in Apple’s dispute with a local company over the iPad trademark — side with a struggling entity that a court says owns the name or with a global brand that has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in China. Experts say that means Beijing’s political priorities rather than the courts will settle the dispute if it escalates.
Shenzhen Proview Technology has asked regulators to seize iPads in China in a possible prelude to pressing Apple Inc. for a payout. There have been seizures in some cities but no sign of action by national-level authorities.
Proview has a strong case under Chinese trademark law, but that could quickly change if Beijing decides to intervene to avoid disrupting iPad sales or exports from factories in southern China where the popular tablet computers are made, legal experts say.
“If this becomes political — and it’s very easy to see this becoming political — then I think Apple’s chances look pretty good,” said Stan Abrams, an American lawyer who teaches intellectual property law at Beijing’s Central University of Finance and Economics.
The dispute centers on whether Apple acquired the iPad name in China when it bought rights in various countries from a Proview affiliate in Taiwan in 2009 for 35,000 British pounds ($55,000).
Apple insists it did. But Proview, which registered the iPad trademark in China in 2001, won a ruling from a mainland Chinese court in December that it was not bound by that sale. Apple appealed. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 29.
“My gut reaction is that many of these activities really could be seen as pre-settlement brinksmanship,” said David Wolf, a technology marketing consultant in Beijing. “Proview’s motive is money, not to shut down Apple.”
Shenzhen Proview Technology is a subsidiary of LCD screen maker Proview International Holdings Ltd., headquartered in Hong Kong.
Chinese news reports say Proview is deeply in debt, increasing the pressure for it to demand a substantial payout from Apple. Proview International, meanwhile, has been suspended from trading on the Hong Kong stock market since August 2010 and will be removed in June if it cannot show it has sufficient assets, business operations and working capital.
In a rapid-fire series of moves, Proview has filed a trademark-violation lawsuit that goes to court Wednesday in Shanghai.
That deadline is likely to prompt Apple to agree to a settlement within a few days to avoid the uncertainty of a court fight, said Kenny Wong, an intellectual-property lawyer with the firm Mayer Brown JSM in Hong Kong.
“I think Apple will be under immense pressure to have this settled as soon as possible,” he said. “Obviously, it depends on the amount the Shenzhen company is asking.”
In a statement, Apple said its deal with Proview covers the iPad trademark in 10 different countries, including China. “Proview refuses to honor their agreement with Apple in China and a Hong Kong court has sided with Apple in this matter,” Apple said.
Apple has pointed to a Hong Kong court ruling in July that said Proview and the Taiwan company both were “clearly under the control” of the same Taiwanese businessman, Yang Long-san, and refused to take steps required to transfer the name under the agreement.
Source-washingtonpost

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RIM registers 6600 developers in 11 days with free BlackBerry PlayBook promotion

RIM has recently extended a promotion that gave away a free BlackBerry PlayBook to anyone who submitted a "viable" app to BlackBerry App World. The promotion was to expire on Monday but RIM's Head of Developer Relations Alec Saunders has extended the deadline for the free PlayBook to March as developers have been signing up with the Canadian based manufacturer.
Saunders sent out a tweet on Tuesday proudly announcing that RIM had signed up 6600 developers in the previous 11 days. Developers have told Berry Review that it has been taking longer than usual to register as a developer, but RIM is supposed to have everything working fine now. And if you are a RIM investor worrying about the company giving away tablets for free, Saunders said these PlayBooks are part of 25,000 in RIM's inventory that have already been earmarked for developers since last fall. Besides, the company has already written down $485 million for unsold inventory which means that the company has already placed the value of these tablets at zero.

Regardless, it sounds like the developers were motivated by something in order to register with RIM. It wouldn't have been the free BlackBerry PlayBooks, right?

Source-phonearena

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Google problem ‘spreading’ from Santorum to Romney

A new website with a very off-color description of Mitt Romney could create a serious image problem for the Republican presidential candidate. Reputation management experts call it “image-jacking” -- and Google says it's out of the company's hands.

Rick Santorum was the first to suffer from a “Google-bomb”: the SpreadingSantorum.com website created by sex columnist Dan Savage that offers a repulsive description of the candidate. Romney may be the latest to suffer from such repugnant manipulation of the Internet, but he won’t be last, said Reputation Management expert Kenneth Wisnefski.

“The more attention such sideshow distractions receive only takes away from politicians' ability to get their message out,” Wisnefski said. The spreading problem could affect candidates’ ability to connect with new voters.

A Google bomb is the intentional manipulation of a search engine to return a specific result, thanks to large numbers of relevant links or related searches. One recently uncovered by FoxNews.com connected the search string define: to certain swear words. And whether officially a “bomb” or merely an explosion in popularity, such image-jacking is clearly on the rise.

“These attacks can significantly impact the integrity of the candidate as voters unfamiliar with search engine optimization justify why these sites are present,” he said.

Google has a different take on the matter, telling the SearchEngineLand.com website that the search results weren’t a bomb -- just a site rapidly gaining popularity.

“This site has been live for about a month and has attracted a fair amount of attention both on TV and online, and Google’s algorithmic rankings are reflecting that fact,” a representative from Google said.

The SpreadingRomney.com site, created by Jack Shepler as a joke, offers a very off-color description of Romney clearly meant to echo Savage’s site. Danny Sullivan, editor of the SearchEngineLand.com website, agreed that the site’s rise in search results was remarkable -- yet hardly unexpected.

“It’s a remarkable gain given that it beat out news stories and existing sites … that are both years old,” he wrote. Representatives from both Google and Bing told Sullivan the site’s prominence was just them doing their job.

As with the define: search results, Sullivan says the new anti-Romney site isn’t an official bomb. That is to say, people haven’t intentionally crafted a network of links to artificially boost the relevance and profile of the site.

“My guess is that SpreadingRomney hit on a perfect storm of things in its favor to rank well,” he wrote, noting the newness of the site, a few links (notably one from Rachel Maddow), and the site’s appearance in “Romney” searches.

And it appears no one is safe: Newt Gingrich may be next on the list.

The site spreadinggingrich.com recently appeared online, asking visitors to “submit your definition of gingrich and take your shot at Internet immortality.”

Source-foxnews

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Google TV Gets A New YouTube App

Last month, Google began showing the new versions of Google TV at CES, giving the press a taste of what was in store. One particular panel discussing Google TV’s new capabilities led Rupert Murdoch to take to Twitter, bemoaning the pirating ways of the search behemoth. Forbes has the backstory here. Google TV posted on its Facebook page yesterday, saying that it has some big announcements in store for Monday.

Today, it announced that it is upgrading the YouTube experience on Google TV with a new, revamped app. The YouTube app for Google TV is available for download on the Android Marketplace. The initial drive behind Google TV was to create a user experience that seamlessly blends web video with the boob tube, to change the way consumers interact with TV, but the first Google TV fell flat. Matt Burns reviewed the version, saying that, while it’s getting closer, it still has a long, long way to go.

In its announcement today, Google is promising some “big improvements” to its new YouTube app, among them that navigation is smoother and faster, along with some much-needed additions to its UX, like the new “Discover” feature, which basically just brings YouTube channel categories to Google TV, enhancing their browse-ability within the app. They’ve also brought its new channel pages, enabling users to navigate playlists and videos and subscribe to favorites.

Google says that users can also now view related videos from the same user by pressing the up and down arrows on their remote controls, or to find the “Info screen” to leave a thumbs up, add to your playlists, or to leave a comment.

The new app looks good, and this certainly stands to improve the YouTube experience on Google TV, though it’s certainly not the “big announcement” that many were hoping for. We’ll be keeping our ears out in the event that there’s more Google TV news in store for Monday.
Source-techcrunch

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All Eyes Should Be On Verizon This Quarter

After losing on its home turf to the iPhone last quarter, the Droid brand is stepping up with its strongest showing yet, backed by new models and great deals. But will it be enough?
The Droid brand was Verizon’s reaction to the AT&T exclusive iPhone. It was, I believe, smartly executed and became a synonym for Android phones. But then Verizon did get the iPhone and thanks to their first new iPhone launch, the iPhone 4S in October, it counted for 55% of Verizon’s smartphone sales last quarter. This happened despite the launch of the Droid RAZR and the Galaxy Nexus the same quarter, and the fact the iPhone currently lacks Verizon’s heavily promoted 4G LTE connectivity.
Droid 4This quarter, Verizon’s Droid is rallying strong with the release of the Droid RAZR MAXX and Droid 4, which are essentially Droid RAZRs with a bigger battery and a slide-out keyboard, respectively. It’s a good array of options for customers while maintaining a distinct, recognizable style. They are further supported by price cuts and buy-one-get-one deals, not to mention the network edge with 4G LTE. There’s also the Android flagship phone, Galaxy Nexus, backing it up. Droid and Android in general are going into the quarter with every advantage. That pretty much has to make an impact on Verizon’s iPhone sales, but how big an impact?
Line in the sand
We’ll have to wait and see on that, but I’m going to say the point of success is 45%. If the iPhone slips to 45% of Verizon’s smartphone sales, then I see the effort as being worthwhile. Knocking it from 55% to 45% doesn’t sound like a major feat, but you have to take Apple’s own efforts in selling iPhones into account.
On the flip side, if the iPhone continues to account for more sales than all other Verizon smartphones combined, then we know Droid is in trouble. Verizon didn’t bet all its money on iPhone like AT&T (and Sprint) did. It has other horses in this race. Collectively, the Droid brand needs to make a strong showing this quarter. It won’t be put down if it doesn’t, but the strategy will definitely need to be reviewed.
A microcosm of the smartphone war
iPhone 4S build qualityHowever it turns out, this battle on this carrier is a microcosm for the larger one between iPhone and Android. Kevin Tofel at GigaOM questions whether the iPhone surge at Verizon means Android’s best days are behind it. I don’t see it that way. The surge is exactly what I expected from the first launch of a new iPhone on the Verizon network. I believe Verizon expected it as well, hence the strong reaction with Droid this quarter. The iPhone surge was not, in my opinion, a sign of things to come. Instead I believe the direction of the smartphone war depends on what happens next.
The iPhone has rolled out at a slow, deliberate pace and has yet to reach every carrier. This left a huge void for another platform to fill as carriers sought their own iPhone alternative. Android’s triumph was to beat out all other contenders in filling that void, but that victory is mostly within that void, with carriers that don’t have the iPhone. It is only in this past year, particularly last quarter, that Android is facing the iPhone on U.S. carriers that were once iPhone-free. How the iPhone fares this quarter on Verizon, without the shock of a launch, will give us a more lucid indication of how well Android handles the challenge of head-to-head competition.
Android may, as Kevin Tofel wonders, falter or it could bounce back. This quarter on Verizon will show us which way it’s headed. The Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0, a massive show of force with Droid, the 4G LTE advantage, special pricing on phones and data, this is Android at its strongest. It’s this quarter or never to dethrone the iPhone as Verizon’s smartphone sales king. If you want to know which way the winds of the smartphone war will blow, this is the battle to watch.
Source-gottabemobile

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Apple scores with digital textbooks and app

The sizzling rate at which e-books are growing suggests that digital textbooks almost certainly will be the norm when your kids' kids are in school. What we don't know is how quickly a transition to a mostly all-digital textbook education system might happen, how it could affect the way students learn, and which companies will be leading the charge.
 Two weeks ago, Apple declared its intention to be at the head of the class, with the unveiling of the iBooks 2 for iPad app and the iBooks textbooks that are the first to exploit the app.
I've spent time diving into some of these textbooks on the original iPad and the iPad 2. Initial works in algebra, biology and chemistry come from major educational publishers McGraw-Hill and Pearson. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and DK are also early publishing partners (the latter produces books on dinosaurs, insects and mammals).
Though I encountered some unfortunate crashes and bugs — Apple has a software fix coming soon — multitouch digital textbooks, when working smoothly, are engaging in ways that were simply not possible with the textbooks I grew up with. Digital versions promise instant search and easy navigation. They're rich in interactive animations, pictures and videos. It's better to see an animated tour of the genome in E.O. Wilson's Life on Earth than just to read about it. The various books let you consult study cards, create bookmarks, drag your finger to highlight passages and add notes. And textbook authors can update material to keep it current.
The other obvious A-plus benefit, true of any e-book but especially comforting to a student schlepping from class to class, is that you can lug the digital equivalents of heavy print textbooks without breaking your back.
Still, Apple and other companies hoping to make a big play in the digital textbook space face arduous tests. There aren't many available textbooks for iBooks 2 yet, in part because Apple, as usual, kept things close to the vest prior to launch.
And no matter how compelling a digital textbook might be, it is only useful to a student if the teacher or school decides that this is indeed the textbook to use with their class.
To encourage development, Apple launched iBooks Author, a free authoring tool for the Mac that encourages anyone to produce their own iBook textbooks, cookbooks, how-tos and other works. Apple says more than 600,000 copies of the tool have been downloaded since launch. Authors can distribute the books for free. But if they put the iBook textbook up for sale, they must do so through Apple's iBookstore. (Authors can use the content in other digital and print formats, Apple says.) So the supply of digital textbooks should look a lot better by next school year.
Another question mark is the iPad. Not every parent or school district is likely to buy iPads, which start at $499 each, for every student, even if educational discounts lower the cost a bit.
The first textbook titles concentrate on high school curricula and are priced at $14.99 or less, well below most of their print counterparts. The first two chapters of Wilson's book are free.
Apple has designs on the rest of the K-12 market, too, but hasn't said much about the prospects for iBooks on college campuses, though you can bet it will become an area of emphasis. But given how much college textbooks cost — well into three digits in many cases — it's hard to imagine Apple matching $14.99 pricing for them.
Apple has competition, too. Already, a couple of start-ups, Kno and Inkling, produce slick digital textbooks for the iPad. And I'd expect Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble to respond in some way.
Moreover, except for the odd torn page, you never have to worry about technical issues with old-fashioned textbooks. The Wilson book, among others I tested on the original iPad, froze. Performance on the iPad 2 was a bit poky at times, too. That Apple is producing a fix is good: A student who fails to do his assignments would be hard-pressed to say, "The iPad ate my homework."
Apple has certainly provided authors and publishers with tools that can provide compelling high-tech textbooks. But it's up to those authors and publishers to deliver the goods. As Wilson writes in Life on Earth, "Although we believe in the power of visual storytelling, we are careful to keep special-effects glamour in its place. Our animations are crafted to achieve high-quality instruction, not box office."
Source-apple

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Google's GDrive Reportedly To Launch As Dropbox-rival 'Drive'

Google's long-rumored GDrive that would let you upload and store files to its servers and be able to access them from anywhere you have an Internet connection may finally be close to launching in the coming weeks as a more cheaply priced Dropbox rival.
The new product, reportedly called "Drive," will be free to consumers up to a certain size limit, and would also be folded into Google Apps for enterprise customers, according to The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper cited "people familiar with the matter."
"If a person wants to email a video shot from a smartphone, for instance, he can upload it to the Web through the Drive mobile app and email people a link to the video rather than a bulky file," the newspaper said.
If that scenario sounds familiar, that's because Google already offers similar functionality using a variety of Google tools.
You can, for instance, record a video on your Android phone and then have it uploaded automatically to Picasa through a service called Instant Upload. Then you could either share your video on Google+ or move it to a different album to share publicly or with a select group of people such as close family members.
Google also allows you to upload files of any type to Google Docs, effectively giving you a Dropbox-like service. When Google added the functionality in early 2010, many critics referred to it as a kinda, sorta GDrive.
By the end of 2010, Google had also added drag-and-drop functionality to Google Docs (just as it had to Gmail in April and May that same year), making the service even more GDrive- or Dropbox-like.
Unlike Dropbox, however, which offers 2GB free storage, Google Docs' storage offerings are a bit more complex. You can upload up to 1GB to Google Docs, while files created inside Google Docs have specific limitations such as 400,000 cells for spreadsheets with a maximum 256 columns per sheet.
Google in 2011 also unveiled an online music locker and streaming service called Google Music.
So if Google is already offering online storage for virtually anything you have stored on your PC, what could this rumored "Drive" offer that is new? Will Google simply duplicate offerings it's already built? Possibly, but given CEO Larry Page's recent focus on integrating Google's services, that seems unlikely.
Google may be looking to bring its cloud storage services for photos, videos and files into one cohesive whole. That way you'd have one central drop location for your files similar to Dropbox or Microsoft's Web-based alternative, SkyDrive, instead of having them spread across multiple services.
It's not clear if Google's long-awaited GDrive would also offer you easy access to your documents already on Google Docs. But that seems likely if Google's vaunted "Drive" is a web-based tool as most of the company's other popular products are.
Another option is to emulate Dropbox's desktop-web hybrid model that sticks a folder on your desktop. Anything you put into the folder is then automatically uploaded and synced to Dropbox's servers and your other Dropbox installations.
Google's expected GDrive was first rumored around 2007, then resurfaced in 2009 after a reference to "Google Web Drive" was discovered in a collection of Google desktop programs. In September 2011, TechCrunch reported that Google Drive was launching "for real this time."
Google was unavailable for comment early Thursday.
Source-pcworld

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Microsoft releases OneNote for Android with Office and cloud syncing

Microsoft is starting slow with bringing its bread-and-butter Office suite to mobile, this time with OneNote. After appearing for iOS device, the note-taking and reminder app was released with a version for Android yesterday.

OneNote for Android can sync across the Microsoft Office suite, but the best part is that it also syncs with the SkyDrive cloud services and the web-based version of Office for an airy experience.

The app is stripped down of some features compared to the real thing, like the inability to create and share handwritten notes, or make a voice note. It also starts to cost a few bucks for the pro version if you want to create more than 500 notes, and is also lacking its own widget for now. The full list of features includes:

• Text formatting, images, and bulleted lists
• To-do lists with clickable checkboxes
• Quick photo capture with your phone’s camera
• Quick access to recent notes
• Store and access multiple OneNote notebooks
• Sync to your free SkyDrive account for access anywhere
• Offline access to your notes
• Option to sync notebooks only over a Wi-Fi connection
• Built-in spelling checker
• Support for external hyperlinks
• Table editing

There is unfortunately no tablet optimization of OneNote for Android, it just blows up as a regular phone-only app would do, so hopefully Microsoft will remedy this in future releases, or maybe it will keep its tablet-optimized version for its own Window 8 slates, time will tell.

Source-Microsoft 

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LG Optimus LTE Soon to Launch on TELUS

Last year we saw the LG Optimus LTE get launched on Bell Mobility, and now it looks as if the flagship device is headed to TELUS as well. The Canadian carrier’s website has outed the device as model number LTE P935, which varies slightly from Bell’s P930 model number. To you U.S. folks, you might be more familiar with the device as the LG Nitro HD which launched on AT&T late last year. Also, LG recently announced that the device has already sold over 1 million units worldwide.

We don’t have any pricing or availability yet because TELUS has yet to announce the device’s official confirmation. When it does, you can probably expect the price to fall somewhere around $99 on contract just to be competitive with their rival Bell Mobility. Stay tuned because as soon as we hear more we will definitely let you know.
Source-talkandroid

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955 Dreams Raises $3.25 Million Seed Round, Launches “Band Of The Day” On iPad

Sarah currently works as a writer for TechCrunch, after having previously spent over three years at ReadWriteWeb. Prior to becoming a professional blogger, Sarah worked in I.T. across a number of industries, including banking, retail and software. ? Learn More

955 Dreams, the startup behind Apple’s iPhone App of the Year Runner Up “Band of the Day,” is today releasing the new tablet-optimized version of the app for the iPad. In addition, the company announced it has closed on a $3.25 million round of seed funding. Investors participating in the round included 500 Startups, m8 Capital, Kapor Capital, Felicis Ventures and CrunchFund (Disclosure: TechCrunch Founder Michael Arrington is an investor in CrunchFund).

As a part of the funding, Dave McClure of 500 Startups will join the company’s board, filling the first seat held by an outside investor.

955 Dreams’ Band of the Day app was released late last year, and was soon adopted by hundreds of thousands of users in its first few weeks on the App Store. The app, which features free songs (full songs, not just clips), artist bios, reviews, music videos and more, caught the attention of those at Apple thanks to its popularity as well as its unique design. The company had previously focused on long-form experiences like the App Hall of Fame title, The History of Jazz, but with Band of the Day, the team began to push out new content on a daily basis.

955 Dreams is not just a development shop that builds apps – it actually writes the artists’ reviews itself for Band of the Day. Explains Co-founder Kiran Bellubbi, “we’re a publishing company, and [our apps] are built on our own publishing platform.”

The platform powers all of 955 Dreams’ mobile apps, including Band of the Day, The History of Jazz and On the Way to Woodstock, all three of which were App of the Week, two of which made it into the App Store Hall of Fame, and one (BotD), which made it to App of the Year runner up. In other words, every time the company launches an app, they hit it out of the park.

With Band of the Day in particular, it was the combination of the editorial and the app’s overall design, with its simple, efficient and elegant navigational elements, that helped it reach over half a million users in just four months. With the launch of the iPad version today, the company expects to reach several million by the end of the year.

The new tablet version of the app is similar to the iPhone version in terms of feature set, but takes advantage of the large screen. Although the style is very magazine-like, the app is careful not to take up too much space on the iPad’s hard drive, as some magazine apps do: it’s only 10 MB.

Says Co-founder and CDO T.J. Zark of the new iPad version, “we refined every speck of the experience, the UI, the backend, and the overall look of this product. Just like the calendar that Band of the Day is built around, the way band photos reveal as you run your finger over the calendar…this is the result of a thousand tiny iterative decisions. We try very hard to take nothing for granted about the end experience. We strive to delight users!”

The company is also now experimenting with Android and is preparing to make its app publishing platform available to select partners, perhaps one or two content providers this year. “We’re talking to a few of them,” says Bellubbi, “but it depends on the reach of the content and the quality of the content. That’s extremely important to us.”

In fact, Bellubbi was downright obsessive about his products’ quality, scoffing at any so-called competition. “My personal belief is that when you put garbage into a garbage platform, you’re going to get garbage out…We try to focus very much on the user experience, and there are no compromises made.” (No wonder Apple likes them).

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SAMSUNG GALAXY S ADVANCE OFFICIAL: Android MID-RANGER WITH TWO CPU CORES

Samsung just made the Galaxy S Advance that leaked this morning official, and the specs are quite likeable. Graced with a 4" Super AMOLED display with the obligatory 480x800 pixels resolution, the Galaxy S Advance was rumored to be Samsung's first effort with the 1GHz dual-core NovaThor chipset from ST-Ericsson.

Samsung Galaxy S Advance official: Android mid-ranger with two CPU cores
This raised our suspicion that it is destined for China, as handsets like the HTC Z710t usually have this chipset specifically because it supports China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network. NovaThor iterations also support HSPA+ networks as well, and the Galaxy S Advance is listed with 14.4Mbps HSDPA radio, so we can very well see it in Europe as well.

There is a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and 720p video recording, as well as a 1.3MP front cam - we don't know what's with Samsung, but the Galaxy R also has a dual-core processor, yet record "only" 720p video. ST-Ericsson lists on its site a NovaThor U5500 dual-core chipset, which has a 14.4Mbps modem integrated with up to 720p video recording, so that's what we might have in the Galaxy S Advance.

The rest of the specs are Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 768MB of RAM, 8 or 16GB of internal memory, and DivX/Xvid video codec support right out of the box. Not a bad configuration with a dual-core chipset, but we will spare final judgment until we get our hands on one, and put it through its paces.
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MICROSOFT MIGHT BRING SOME OF THE XBOX LIVE MOBILE GOODNESS TO ANDROID AND iOS

Xbox Live integration is one of the huge selling points of Microsoft's Windows Phone, and with the valid right to be so - it integrates with your Xbox 360 experience, and encompasses or will include TV, video streaming, music and social networking.

With all these under the big roof of its gaming division, which brought us success stories like the Kinect, it is no wonder that Microsoft is looking to bring the Xbox experience to more popular mobile platforms as well, and spread the word.

It's a bit tricky, though, since a full-blown port would cannibalize on one of Windows Phone's competitive advantages, while the lack of the Xbox Live experience would hurt name recognition and Xbox 360 owners who would sport other than WP devices. Microsoft has eventually decided to give it a shot by offering some, but not all, of the Xbox Live functionality, similar to what it did with My Xbox Live for iOS, and its much richer Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone:

''While the Xbox Live experiences and games always work best on the Windows platform, we understand that some Xbox fans may be using other types of devices. To satisfy that need, we are working to extend a few of our Xbox experiences and titles to other platforms.''

There you have it, directly from a Microsoft spokesman. Hopefully this means that we'll finally see some of the Xbox Live functionality and games officially in the Android Market.
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GOOGLE+ SAYS 'YES' TO NICKNAMES, BUT NO TO ANONYMITY

Google relaxed the strict naming policy for Google+ users and will allow nicknames and pseudonyms on the social network. The new naming policy, announced by Google’s Bradley Horowitz on Google+, will start rolling out this week and allows users to choose alternatives names, be it nicknames or names in non-Romanized languages. But there’s a caveat.

Even if you add a pseudonym to your Google + account, such as "Jedi Master", people will still see your "real name" adjacent to your nickname (see image below). Much to the chagrin of human rights activists, who have argued it should be easier for Google+ users to protect their true identities, Google does not let you with its move Tuesday.

[Click to enlarge] Since its beginnings seven months ago, Google+ took Facebook’s strategy to use real names to the next level. To enforce the use of real names on the social network, Google disabled users accounts that did not use their (purportedly) real identity. At first, Google was criticized for disabling accounts without notice, and later began sending warnings to address the problem to users infringing the naming policy.

But Google found that 60 percent of Google+ users (now more than 90 million) want to be able to add a nickname to their identity, while another 20 percent simply prefer to use a pseudonym or another unconventional name. As with Facebook, Google also found some 20 percent of signups are businesses that try to create a profile instead of a page.

A Google+ nickname or pseudonym does not mean your full name won’t be displayed on the social network anymore. If you choose an alternate name, it will be added to your real name registered with the account. For example, if John Doe wants to use the "DUDE" nickname, the name will be displayed as either; John “DUDE” Doe or John Doe (DUDE). You can’t just have the nickname displayed. To add a nickname, go to Edit profile, select your name and click on More options.

Good News for Prima Donnas

The good news though is that Google will allow established pseudonyms, such as Madonna, as long as users provide proof to confirm their identity. This may include references in news articles or scanned official documentations, such as a driver’s license. Google will also accept as proof an established identity online with a meaningful following, but it’s unclear how sizeable this following would have to be.

“This seems like a reasonable compromise: all the joys of pseudonymity, without any of the unpleasantness that comes with anonymity,” a Google+ user commented on Horrowitz’s announcement, but most users seem to remain unsatisfied with the change.

“None of us wear ID tags in real life as we walk the streets. We don't show our ID card to the cashier when we shop for groceries,” another Google+ user argued. “But we do write letters to the editor for the local newspaper under a signature of our choice and we have nice and polite conversations to strangers we meet at the public library or on the bus without giving up our identity. Truth is we simply don't need to reveal our identity to each and everyone who happen to look our way (unless maybe we have a very big ego and/or are trying to "brand" our name or something), it works just great anyway.”
Source-pcworld

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WINDOWS 8 TABLETS: STILL HIDING

Considering that 2012 will be the year of Microsoft's dramatic upgrade to Windows 8, one might have thought the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show last week would be filled with prospective hardware platforms for the new Windows operating system. it might have seemed logical to expect that to hear lots about tablets with Windows 8. But news on that front was surprisingly...quiet.

While CEO Steve Ballmer talked Windows 8 at his keynote and showed a Qualcomm prototype tablet running Windows 8, Intel's Paul Otellini briefly showed a and Lenovo unveiled its innovative IdeaPad Yoga, a Windows 8-primed convertible notebook whose screen can twist around to turn into a tablet, little chatter was heard on the Windows tablet front.

The same three companies that showed off Windows 8 on ARM processors at BUILD were in the mix once more. Nvidia got things started by having a Microsoft rep do a five-minute demo of Windows 8 running smoothly on an Nvidia reference platform at its press conference. Then, just hours thereafter, Ballmer was on stage showing the Qualcomm tablet already seen at BUILD. And in private briefings off the show floor, Texas Instruments displayed a Windows 8 reference platform.
Running 7, Testing 8

A few Chinese tablet makers displayed tablets of distinctly generic design running Windows 7, but only one spoke specifically to Windows 8 plans. One tablet maker, Kupa, showed off its X11, a Windows 7 tablet available now that runs an Intel Atom Z670 processor; Kupa exhibited the tablet running the Windows 8 Developer's Preview, and billed it as Windows 8-ready thanks to its 1366-by-768-pixel, 16:9 aspect ratio display -- which matches to Microsoft's optimized target for Windows 8; and to the specs of Samsung's Series 7 tablet, distributed to Microsoft BUILD attendees last fall with the Windows 8 preview preinstalled.

But beyond the Yoga -- an inventive concept that's perfect for making noise at a big event like CES -- none of the tablet makers were ready to talk about Windows 8 on a tablet, and what we might expect to see in that form factor. Samsung had nothing to discuss at the show on the Windows 8 tablet front.

Fujitsu's Paul Moore, senior director of product development, hinted that Microsoft is encouraging a clean look on tablets that will run the new OS, but “they've been a bit vague so far.” Fujitsu, which already has the Stylistic Q550 on the market running an Intel Atom CPU, is looking at least one, maybe two updates to that model's specs by midyear. The company is looking at boosting performance for better video playback. “That seems to be the biggest challenge on Atom,” Moore says. “And that's the noticeable complaint customers have: The video is a little choppy.”
Windows 8: The CPU Question

The Windows 8 interface is clearly optimized for touch, but what remains unclear is what, if any, advantage Windows 8 will have when it comes to the tablet market. That's in part because Microsoft hasn't yet clarified if and how exist Windows apps will work on the Windows 8 version destined for use on ARM processors. ARM tablets will have a distinct weight, power, and likely price advantage over tablets with x86 processors, which makes the ARM tablet space an intriguing one to watch.

Meanwhile, Intel is readying a dual-pronged approached to tablets to compete with the coming ARM onslaught. Its single-core Medfield platform, launched at CES and due in the second quarter, is designed for Android; and its Clover Trail platform, due in the second half of this year, is built from the ground up for Windows 8. Clover Trail will replace the current Atom chips being used in most of the Windows 7 tablets available today, from companies like Fujitsu, Kupa, and Viewsonic; only Samsung, with its Core i5-based Series 7, has released a Windows tablet that uses the beefier CPU common to laptops.

What should users expect from ARM devices? In a private demo, Qualcomm showed off the second public Windows 8 build of its reference system, this time showing that the connected standby feature was enabled, even for connectivity like AT&T 4G LTE. Connected standby, a new state that powers down the system in a way that you can resume immediately, will enable 4G Windows 8 tablets to save power and extend battery life, for example.

“Microsoft has discussed this new [to its OS] concept of always on, always connected. We see this as a marriage of smartphone functionality and computing,” says Qualcomm's Steve Horton, director of software and product management. “The content you care about will be active, and you will be able to program it, and it will be able to be fed.”

While tablet makers were mum when asked how ARM platforms will influence their tablet designs, the use of ARM will no doubt keep things interesting. In a previous conversation at BUILD, Horton noted that with ARM chips, there's no restriction on form factor beyond the fact that Microsoft is asking hardware OEMs to stick to displays with 16:9 aspect ratio to match the optimal screen size for the new Windows 8 Metro interface.

When asked about Windows 8 tablets using ARM, for example, Senior Designer Junghwan Hong and Principal Designer Sangwon Yoon, the Samsung designers involved in creating the gorgeous, lightweight Series 9 laptop, shied away from specifics, but admitted that the prospect of ARM presents a new design opportunity and challenge.

“As designers, we are studying ARM,” Yoon says. “ We have a lot of different form factors for ARM devices. ARM has no fans, so for designers, that's a good feature.” One logistical challenge: ARM tablets will likely carry relatively low prices, which “means we cannot use fancy materials. But they have to look good. That's a challenge.”

And it's likely not the only challenge for Windows 8 tablets. Even without any solid teasers at CES, 2012 promises to shape into an interesting year for tablets running Microsoft's next operating system refresh.
Source-pcworld

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ABSINTHE UNTETHERED A5 JAILBREAK TOOL FOR APPLE iPHONE 4S AND iPAD 2 MADE EASY ON BOTH WINDOWS AND MAC

Now that the Dev Team got around Apple's built-in A5 chip defenses, it released a software for untethered jailbreak of your iPhone 4S and iPad 2. The crew has made it a very simplified process, which rewards you with access to Cydia and all the goodies of jailbroken apps, that make the iPhone and iPad that much more functional.

The tool is called Absinthe (GreenPois0n, we get it), and offers one-click jailbreaking for both Mac, as well as Windows now. If you have been itching to do this, and get access to some of the cool things developers are doing with jailbroken Siri, get the respective Absinthe file for your OS from the source link, and check the instructional video below.

Bear in mind that Absinthe is not an unlocking tool, so if you need to be unlocked, stick with iOS 5.0, this is only for jailbreaking iOS 5.0.1 devices, and you can't come back to iOS 5.0, once you've updated, at least for the time being. Also, don't upgrade to iOS 5.0.2 once it's released, since you will lose the jailbreak.
Source-phonearena

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iBOOKS 2 APP CONTAINS HIGH RESOLUTION GRAPHICS,POSSIBLY FOR iPAD 3'S DISPLAY

You didn't think that iOS developers would simply let the new iBooks 2 app get away without getting dissected, did you? Well, you might be interested in knowing what they found while digging through its insides. The software contains high-resolution graphics that are believed to be meant for use on the iPad 3's screen. As denoted with a “@2x” in their file name, the graphics have twice the resolution than the ones that are currently in use.

That the iPad 3, or whatever it is called, will have an improved display is something that we have heard many times from a number of sources. It is speculated that it will boast a resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels effectively delivering twice the pixel density when compared to its predecessor, assuming that its physical size remains unchanged, of course.

Interestingly, that is pretty much what happened when the iPhone 4 was released – at 640 by 960 pixels, the so-called Retina display had twice as much pixels per inch than the iPhones before it. And that was a smart move that made developers' lives much easier. While native apps could make use of all those extra pixels, legacy applications could run easily by simply having their pixels doubled to fill the entire screen. 

Of course, do not forget that the above is just a speculation. After all, high-resolution graphics were discovered in Apple iBooks software prior to the iPad 2's release, yet we didn't get to see an upgraded display. On the other hand, an iPad 3 with a Retina display would not come as that much of a surprise given the amount of rumors that we've heard so far pointing at that direction. And with all those high-resolution tablet displays that we saw at CES 2012, we are definitely sure that the technology needed for achieving such pixel counts is already available.
Source-phonearena

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iTUNES MATCH LAUNCHES IN 19 ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES

Apple has updated the company’s iTunes Match service to include 19 additional countries. The list includes Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela, bringing iTunes Match availability to 37 markets in total. Apple debuted the iTunes Match service late last year. For an annual charge, customers can scan and match tracks from their iTunes libraries and replace them with tracks in the iTunes Store and store them in iCloud. Apple lets customers download up to 25,000 tracks without DRM restrictions, with the ability to match any track in a supported audio file format.
Source-bgr

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Motorola DEFY+ JCB LIMITED EDITION LANDS IN THE U.K.

What is black, tough, and carriers a JCB logo on its back? No, it is not a piece of heavy machinery that we are dealing with here. We are talking about the limited edition Motorola DEFY+, which just got announced.

What makes the Motorola DEFY+ limited edition different from the standard model is that it is coated with an extra layer of armor making it even more suitable for people working in the construction and engineering sector. The patented visco-elastic protective sleeve from JCB is there to protect the device from drops, spills, and other accidents that might occur in extreme environments. What further complements the experience is the list of software that comes pre-installed on the device: a spirit level, theodolite, decibel meter and recorder, torch, unit converter, calculator, and DIY store locator. Last but not least, a car charger with an extra long cable comes bundled too.

Other than that, however, the handset is practically identical to the standard Motorola DEFY+. It comes with the same 1GHz processor and 3.7-inch display with 480 by 854 pixels of resolution. A 5-megapixel camera is located on its back, and a 7.2Mbps 3G radio gets you hooked up to the internet while on the go. In terms of software, you get Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box.

The Motorola DEFY+ JCB limited edition is now available for purchase in the U.K. for a price of £259.99 ($400).
Source-phonearena

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THE BEST LAPTOP FROM SONY

Sony’s VAIO SB series, as configured in our review unit (model VPCSB1BGX), offers the best overall performance of any ultraportable laptop we’ve yet tested. It’s light, thin, and a pleasure to use despite a few minor annoyances. Pity, then, that this configuration costs $2500. The base model starts at only $900 (as of August 12, 2011), but that configuration wouldn’t dominate our benchmarks as our review model does.

The VAIO SB is a 13.3-inch ultra portable that weighs a modest 3.7 pounds, perhaps a touch less for lower-end configurations. The high-end model we tested may cost $2500, but you get some pretty impressive hardware for that price. Start with a Core i7-2620M processor, a dual-core CPU with hyper threading that runs at a base clock speed of 2.7GHz. In addition to that very capable processor, toss in 8GB of RAM, switchable graphics (an Intel integrated chip plus a Radeon HD 6630M with 1GB of graphics RAM), and a fast 256GB solid-state drive. Not enough? How about dual-band 802.11n networking, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, a combination BD-ROM and DVD burner, and support for Intel’s WiDi wireless display technology? How Sony crammed all that good stuff into a sub-4-pound, 1-inch-thick 13-inch laptop is beyond me.

All that hardware was enough to deliver a WorldBench 6 score of 144, higher than any mark we've seen from other laptops of this size and weight. Does all that power destroy the battery life? Far from it. In our rundown test the VAIO SB's battery lasted an impressive 7 hours, 19 minutes. A physical switch above the F3 key allows you to change between 'stamina' (integrated graphics) and 'speed' (discrete graphics). We ran our battery-life tests with the switch on the 'stamina' setting; enabling the Radeon discrete graphics will cut battery time in half or worse. We also tested the optional slice battery that fits neatly across the bottom of the laptop and makes the machine a third of an inch thicker and almost a pound heavier. This optional accessory adds about 5 hours of maximum battery life.

There’s a lot to like about the design of the VAIO SB series. The matte display has a resolution of only 1366 by 768, but that’s typical for a 13.3-inch screen. Color, contrast, and brightness are pretty good, and horizontal viewing angles are better than on most laptops I’ve seen. Vertical viewing angles are predictably poor, though: The screen will either get washed out or too dark if you open the lid too far, or not enough. The island Chiclet-style keyboard is quite good. Key travel is a bit on the short side, but spacing is nice and the keys have a good, tactile, clicky feel. The touch pad is similarly good. It tracks smoothly and accurately, with two distinct buttons on which it’s hard to accidentally register clicks. It supports a fairly wide variety of multitouch gestures, though two-finger scrolling is not on the menu.

The left side of the system is sparse, featuring only the BD-ROM and DVD-burning combination optical drive. All the action is along the right edge, which has a Memory Stick slot, an SD Card slot, VGA and HDMI outputs, one USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, gigabit ethernet, and the power jack. Those who like having a physical switch to disable Wi-Fi will be happy to know that the VAIO SB series offers one at the front edge.

As usual, Sony loads down its system with a little too much software for my tastes. I’m not a fan of the pop-out dock at the top of the screen, or of the way Norton Internet Security constantly nags me to pay up once the 30-day trial is over. It’s great that Sony bundles Photoshop Elements 8, Premiere Elements 8, and PowerDVD, though. Also included are ArcSoft webcam software, Sony’s media gallery, and Microsoft Office Starter 2010. If you’re like me and you prefer your laptop a little more lean and mean, it’s easy enough to remove most of this stuff.

It’s a little disappointing that the VAIO SB's fit and finish aren’t quite up to the standards we’d expect from a $2500 laptop. It just doesn’t have the perfectly clean lines and premium build materials we usually find in systems this expensive. In this case, it’s because our test unit is at the very upper end of a line that is meant to start at $900--and at that price, the overall design is about average. In other words, I’m really impressed by the outstanding performance and usability of this very expensive ultra portable laptop, but oddly enough I'm a little underwhelmed by Sony’s sense of style.
Source-pcworld

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