How Tech Companies Got Their Names

Ever wondered how tech companies got their names? Why is Apple called Apple? How Intel came to be?

The following infograph shows you the origin of tech giants like Compaq, Oracle, Intel, and many others, and while Apple's name has a very simple explanation, you'll learn that Google's name is due to a badly written cheque, and that it was a flip of a coin that got us a Hewlett Packard instead of a Packard Hewlett.

[received by email]

Star Trek App for iPad

Star Trek fans have now one more reason to buy an iPad - if they haven't done it by now. There's a new and official Star Trek App in the App Store.

The $4.99 price certainly is a bit steep considering it really offers nothing new... But I'm sure there are lots of people that, after watching the Star Trek series over the decades, won't mind paying up to have one of their favorite shows database with them at all times (and besides... it's the right "geeky" thing to do!)

With this App you'll be able to:

• Browse or search through official database of Star Trek television series information, including aliens, ships, places, technologies, and episode guide
• Rich, immersive LCARS graphical interface, introduced in Star Trek: The Next GenerationTM television series
• Authentic computer sound effects and voice 
• Jump to related information through cross-links to other content
• Read the latest news from the Star TrekTM Facebook page and Star Trek Twitter feed
• Enjoy two self-running diagnostic modes with an overview schematic of the U.S.S. EnterpriseTM NCC-1701-D

How to View RAW Files on Windows

If you're tired of using proprietary software to view your RAW photo files, you'll be pleased to know that Microsoft has released a codec pack allowing you to view RAW files in Windows.

Unlike JPEG files, RAW files hold the complete data received by your camera digital image sensor, allowing for far greater control over color balance, contrast, etc.
You can think of JPEG as a representation of that data, after being processed in some way (and then compressed) - meaning some of that original information was lost in the process.

This pack supports over 100 cameras - including Canon (EOS 1D, EOS 20D, EOS 300D, EOS 5D, etc.), Sony (A100, A200, A230, etc.), Olympus, Pentax, Leica, Minolta, Epson (RD1), and Panasonic.

You'll not only be able to see all these cameras' raw files in Windows Explorer and Photo Gallery, but you can edit them as well.
But, considering how valuable RAW files are, MS won't touch your original files. The edited photos will be saved as either JPEG or JPEG-XR (HD Photo), keeping your RAW files just as they were.

TouchPal Keyboard for Android

Although I'm a big fan of Swype ever since I first saw it, I'm not turning a blind eye to the amazing touch keyboards that show up in the Android market, such as SwiftKey with its almost magical predictive algorithm that can can guess what we're about to say - most of the time.

But now, it seems there's a new keyboard coming, and it offer the best of both worlds: TouchPal for Android.

This keyboard allows you to use the "drawing on the keyboard" method of Swype, but improves upon it with predictive text and even "blind typing" capabilities - that use the relative position of your taps to write the correct words even if you're "off" to the side.

Looks like a strong contender to the Android keyboard's arena.

Samsung Galaxy S 2 with Keyboard

If you can't stop drooling all over the new Samsung Galaxy S 2 (simply the best Android smartphone on the market today), but won't consider buying it because you can't stand not having a physical keyboard... then you're in luck.

Samsung has a Galaxy S 2 with physical keyboard heading to AT&T in the US. (And hopefully, Samsung will also make it available to the rest of the world.)

Its backside looks like it was put up in a hurry, not really suiting the Galaxy S 2 clean stile - but once you see that baby running and opening up web pages as fast (or even faster) than a regular netbook, I'm sure you won't worry about its looks too much. :)

How to Enable Multitouch Gestures on Huawei X5

The Huawei Ideos X5 is one of the Android smartphones that currently offer the most "bang" for your bucks. With a speedy 800Mhz CPU, 800x480 screen, and 512MB Ram, it has everything you could wish for... and it costs under 150€.

However, some might be surprised such a device to lack some simple features such as the rotation multitouch gesture on Google Maps.

Well... that's something you can fix in less than a minute.

To enable the advanced multitouch gestures such as rotation on the Huawei Ideos X5 you need to:

1. edit the file:
   /system/etc/permissions/android.hardware.touchscreen.multitouch.xml
   
   
2. look for the line:
   "android.hardware.touchscreen.multitouch"
   
   
3. add the following line just after it:
   "android.hardware.touchscreen.multitouch.distinct"

And after rebooting your X5, you'll be able to enjoy advanced multitouch gestures on Google Maps and all other Apps that support it.

Please Don't Install This Update

As if the update sysndrome wasn't bad enough - as we accumulate more and more Apps on our smartphones and computers, rarely a day goes by without facing some kind of update popping up. And although most of the time it's due to the never ceasing "bug fixes"; some other times we can be facing a "spam-update", like the ones that remove existing features, or introduce previously non-existent ads.

But none of those beats the one that brings me here today, the "please don't install this update" updates!

I don't know what kind of tools Apple provides developers in order to manage update submissions, but clearly something is severely wrong.

If developers can access and update their update descriptions, why shouldn't they be able to instantly pull down one when something wrong got through?

Not to mention: isn't Apple's App Store supposed to be "quality controlled"? If that's the case, how can they explain such updates ever see the light of day - or, more importantly, the eyes of any user? For a company that prides itself for being user friendly, these "please don't install" updates certainly don't make it look that friendly.

Super Compact Atom Server Packs a Mighty Punch

A single Intel Atom CPU core might not impress you that much. Sure, it is efficient... but it isn't really that powerful. But, what if join a bunch of them together: say... 768 Atom cores in a 10u rack?

That's precisely what SeaMicro is offering with their new SM10000-64HD.

Thanks to the super-compact high-density design you can fit four SM10000-64HD in a single standard rack, having more than 3000 Atom cores at your disposal while using "just" 14kW of power - instead of the 60 traditional servers (plus associated hardware, like switches, load balancers, etc.) that would use 4x more power and 6x more space.

... And to think that within 5 or 6 years, your home computer will probably have more processing power than one of these "monsters"... :)

How to Create OS X Lion DVD Install Disc

With the arrival of the new OS X Lion, Apple pushes on with the process of ditching retail cases and installation discs. Though you can buy an USB install pen, it's clear Apple sees the internet as the main delivery system - the new Macs can even enter recovery mode by booting from the internet.

However, not everyone has easy access to unlimited high-bandwidth internet connections, and that's why lots of people will still prefer keeping an OS X Lion Install DVD handy.

So, how do you create a DVD install disc for OS X Lion?

Download the OS X Lion install file

1. With the App Store closed
2. Press and hold the Alt key and open the App Store
3. Go to OS X Lion download (still pressing the Alt key) and you'll see the "installed" option is replaced by a "Buy now" button. 
4. Click "buy now" - (and you can release the alt key now)
5. Enter your login data
6. You'll see the usual: "You've already bought this item", and press ok to dowload it again.
7. Wait for the download to end... (the Install Mac OS X Lion package will be placed on the Applications folder)

Convert the OS X Lion Install File into a Install DVD

1. Right click on the install file and choose Show package contents
2. Copy the InstallESD.dmg in the /Contents/SharedSupport/ folder to another location
3. Use Disk Utility (in the Utility folder) to burn the extracted image to DVD

And it's done. Installing from DVD can take a long time, so be patient...

Portuguese Skater Fail Viral Video

Today I bring you the latest viral video that is making the news in Portugal. A video where a young moustched man (contrary to popular belief, moustaches aren't really that common in Portugal - at least not in the last two or three decades) does a spectacular fail when trying to skate is way down a road, and after being nearly run down by a car!

To make it even better, he first said some words worthy of Armstrong's first lunar landing, which although impossible to translate directly, loosely become something like: "Fear... Fear is something that doesn't become me". Followed later on by the viral word of the moment: "Sai da frente Guedes!" - meaning: "Get out of the way Guedes!" as his journey went faster and faster... with the expected and disastrous consequences you can see below.

In just a couple of days this video reached over 1 million views, and it has made the news - where we found out he has already received a dinner invitation from a girl he always wanted to go out with, but was unsuccessful until now.

Get out of his way. Looks like nothing can stop Hélio from getting is 15 minutes of internet fame - not even Guedes can stop hime! :)





And, as always, even Hitler had something to say about all this.

New MacBook Air, Mac Mini, OS X Lion and Thunderbolt Displays

Apple finally presented the new (and expected) MacBook Air, OS X Lion, Mac Mini, and... a Thunderbolt Display that replaces the precious Cinema Displays.


New MacBook Air

The new and improved MacBook Air starts at $999 and becomes the entry level Apple laptop (the white plastic MacBooks are now gone). But don't be fooled by its compact size, as the new Airs are more powerful than ever and now have Thunderbolt ports.

You now get Intel Core i5 CPUs as standard, and even the option to upgrade it to a Core i7. Also, you get OS X Lion, and... one of my favorites: backlit keyboards.

Models starts with a 1.6Ghz Core i5 with 2GB Ram and 64GB SSD, and 1366x768 screen (and 5h battery life); while 13" models get a 1.7Ghz i5, 4GB Ram and 128GB SSD, as well as a higher resolution 1440x900 display.


OS X Lion

With over 250 new features, changes and improvementes OS X Lion gets most of its inspiration from the mobile area (iOS) and will surely require an adjustment period for users and developers alike. It's available for download for $29.99 and will be available in a USB pen as well... for $69.99.

(There's also a new 64bits iTunes with fullscreen support.)


Mac Mini

Just like the new Airs, the new Mac Mini is now more powerful than ever, with Core i5 ou i7, Thunderbolt, AMD Radeon HD graphics, and Mac OS X Lion. Starting at $599 it comes with 2GB de RAM, 500GB harddrive, and a 2.3Ghz Core i5 - that can go up to 3,4Ghz thanks to Turbo Boost 2.0.

You also get Ethernet gigabit, FireWire 800, HDMI, SDXC, audio in/out, Thunderbolt (up to 6 devices), and four USB ports. You can get faster CPUs, 8GB RAM, and even - should you afford it - a 500GB SSD (2x 256GB).


Thunderbolt Displays

Last but not least, Apple pushes forward with the Thunderbolt revolution, and the once iconic Cinema Display now become the Thunderbolt Displays.

These 27" LED backlit LCDs (2560 x 1440) come with 2.1 speakers, MagSafe charger, 3 USB ports, 1 FireWire 800 port, 1 Gigabit Ethernet port and... a passthrough Thunderbolt port to connect up to 5 other Thunderbolt devices.

When you connect your Thunderbolt Mac to one of these displays, you're automatically connected to all these extra ports - making it the "perfect" docking station. And before you think of it... no, you cannot connect 6 such Displays in daisy chain mode - that would be awesome, I know - you're limited to connecting only two... at least for now.

Google+ App for iPhone

It took them a while, but Google+ official App is finally available in Apple's App Store, bringing all the Google+ features to the iPhone and iPad.

Looks like there's no more reasons to envy Android users (who had the App from the beginning) - and although the mobile web version is pretty good, iPhone users had no way to receive push notifications when someone talked to them via Google+.

Now... there are no more excuses: go get Google+ for your iPhone right now.

Google News Badges

After bringing you the news in Google News, Google is now trying to make you read more and be always up to date in what's happening in your favorite topics.

What's the incentive?... Google News badges!

The more you read the higher you'll climb: receiving a Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and finally, the "Ultimate" badge level.

There are over 500 different badges available and you can share them with your friends to show just how much well informed you are about any particular subject.

SwiftKey Tablet X

If you need to type a lot on your Honeycomb Android tablet, you won't find it very hard... if you happen to have an Asus Eee Pad Transformer - but for everyone else needing a better touchscreen keyboard to use in tablet mode, you can now rely on the popular SwiftKey, now in Tablet version.

The SwiftKey Tablet X improves its already amazing capabilities by offering a much larger area to type on, as well as a splitscreen mode that puts the letters where you can easily reach them while holding your tablet with both hands.

In case you don't know SwitftKey yet, it's an amazing Android keyboard that takes predictive writing to the next level - by using your Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and other services to learn what you're likely to type next.

It also allows you to have three languages active at the same time (from its 17 supported ones)

Nothing like seeing it action:





[via Engadget]

Mozilla Demoparty

The demoscene spirit is alive and kicking, and has now arrived to the browser, thanks to this Demoparty by Mozilla.

It's the perfect opportunity to show the world what you can do in several categories, from graphics to CSS to audio. But as you can see by the examples in the category section - you'll really need to impress the judges!
(Personally, I can't stop visiting this flying through the clouds demo.)

SLR Lens Adapter for iPhone

We all know one of the most critical aspects that makes smartphone cameras pale in comparison to full-sized cameras is the lack of space that forces manufacturers to use tiny lenses. There's no way a small lens can capture as much light as a larger high-quality lens...

But now, you can use a SLR lens adapter for iPhone that will allow you to use Nikon or Canon mount SLR lenses, allowing for far greater creative possibilities.

... The only problem is that this adapter costs, by itself, $249! A value that would be enough to buy a complete SLR camera.

However, I'm sure there will be some true die hard aficionados out there that won't mind the steep price tag and will soon be trying their DSLR lenses in their iPhones.

RunKeeper

Available for iPhone and Android, the RunKeeper App allows you to track your physical activities and see how you're progressing (running, walking, cycling, etc.)

Considering lots of people give up on their routines because they feel like it's doing nothing, having a reliable measurement system that lets you know if you're doing better or worse than your last workout can be all it takes to keep you motivated and wanting to do better and better.

(And I have to admit, it's really satisfying to receive RunKeeper's emails congratulating you for having run your farthest distance.)

The RunKeeper service is free, but some options are only available to the paid "elite" members.

The App uses the GPS to store your routes - which can be kept private, or shared with just your team, or made public - and while you're running, it will give you voice feedback about the distance, time, and speed. That alone let's you know how you're doing... while you're "doing it".

If you're a RunKeeper user, you can find me here.

Ubuntu Running on the Asus Transformer

If you feel Android Honeycomb doesn't yet cut it for your needs, but you do love the idea of having a compact netbook that can turn into a tablet in a moment's notice, you'll love to hear that you can get Ubuntu running on the Eee Pad Transformer!

As usual, this isn't something for the faint of heart - meaning, you should really know what you're doing should you decide to proceed down this road. But, no one can deny that the prospect of running Ubuntu and having a full fledged Linux netbook that can "transform" back and forth to tablet, at a more than reasonable price, is something you can't overlook.

Maybe we'll even have Asus offering a Ubuntu Eee Pad Transformer soon... ;)

New Android Market

If you thought Google was slouching on Android, think again: a new and improved Android Maket is out.

Available for devices running Android 2.2 (and newer) this new version offers a faster and more streamlined use, and... two new and very welcomed features: book buying and movie rentals.

The only issue is... for now these features are available in the US only. In a world that is now milliseconds apart, does it still make sense for users worldwide to be hostages of the places they're living in? Why shouldn't everyone be able to access content from anywhere else? Just like once we needed distributors to gain access to content, now it's time to let them wither and die (or add real value for localized content - translations, adaptions, etc. - in order to survive) - and let us go directly to the sources should we whish to do so.




Para quem quiser acelerar o processo e instalar o novo Android Market manualmente, pode ir buscar o apk directamente aqui.

SleepWell WiFi Technology Doubles Battery Life

If you think you shouldn't waste time in "old proven technologies" like WiFi, here's one more example of how even the most common things can often be improved - and using plain simple concepts.

A grad student in Duke University found a simple way to double the battery life of mobile devices by simply changing the way WiFi is used.

Have you ever felt that sometime you can use WiFi for a very long time with no noticeable impact in the battery life of your device, while other times it seems like it drains it in no time? Well, it actually happens.

The power your device uses depends on the number of WiFi hotspots and equipment around. In a high density neighborhood your device will have to "fight" with other devices using the WiFi networks, wasting a lot of power.

But, with this SleepWell technology, devices will be able to go to sleep while other devices are using the networks, until it's actually their time to transmit and receive data. (Keep in mind this happens hundreds or thousands of times per second, so, it's not as if you'll have to wait for a neighbor to finish a download! :)

Considering that battery life is currently the major issue preventing smartphones from becoming even more useful (an intensive user won't expect more than a day from their high-end smartphone - or even less), all help in this department is certainly appreciated!

Google Plus Blocker

It's still too early to tell, but Google Plus certainly has been gaining momentum since its launch, and is beginning to create a "social community" around it.

Unfortunalte, its "in-your-face" aspect might also be cause for concern when you need to focus on something and have that constant nagging feeling of having that notification counter following you around Google services.
And, once you click on it, you're likely to begin clicking around and... soon you'll realize more time has passed than you could actually afford.

So, it's no surprise someone created a Chrome extension than blocks out Google+ notifications.

Personally, I would prefer to have a simple mute/unmute option in the Google+ notifications are in the Google bar. Not only it would be more practical to use, it would also work in all browsers instead of relying on a specific browser extension.

So, if anyone at Google is reading this... please consider adding a muto notification option. Thanks! :)

Spectral Layers - Advanced Sound Editing

Have you ever wondered how much image and video digital editing has evolved - by leaps and bounds - in the past decades, with thing such as seamcarving and patchmatch, while in the sound editing area things have remained largely unchanged?

Wouldn't it be good if we could manipulate audio just like we do with images in image editing programs like Photoshop?

Well, thanks to this amazing Spectral Layers we're certainly a lot closer. Never has spectral sound been as easy and understandable to work with. Just take a look at what you can do with it:


Spectral Layers from DIVIDE FRAME on Vimeo.

New Blogger UI vs Old Blogger

Still regarding the new Blogger look, I can't stop but complain once again.

Yes, I know change is hard and people often complain just because things are "different" (that's not my case, I'm really trying to give it a fair try and make it work); yes, I admit the old interface was in dire need of deep renovation; yes, I'm all for the new interface, as it sure looks like it has a lot of potential.

But...

There's still lots to be done.

I usually keep my blogs with scheduled posts, so my readers will always have something to read even if I fail to write a post that day. So, my blogs are usually preceded by a few dozen scheduled posts in the posts listing.

Now, look at the next two screens and tell me which makes it easier to see which one has the scheduled posts and where they are?

In the old interface, the scheduled posts "jump to view" in their own aligned column and orange color; in the new blogger interface, the scheduled tag jumps around like a regular tag, and the focus (orange color) is given to the regular tags (which, in my humble opinion, should have a neutral color - surely not more "important" than the post title itself.)

The other aspect, as I've noted before, is the wasted space. I thought it happened by chance, but it looks like it was carefully calculated... as the new interfaces uses up exactly twice the space per post compared to the old one!
Meaning, you now see half as much in the same screen than before:

I can't see the point in having so much wasted space, which - for my regular use - is extremely inconvenient, as I liked being able to see which posts I had scheduled for the next days, as well as the recently posted titles, without having to scroll around the page or moving back and forth between pages. (And also, please add a "navigation" bar in the bottom of the page. There's nothing worst than scrolling to the bottom of the page and then having no way to quickly move to the next page.)

So, my suggestions are:

1) Please leave the scheduled/draft tag identifications in their own aligned column as you previously had

2) Please let us decide which "density" we want to use.
Just like you let us decide to see 10, 25, 50, 100 posts per page, please allow us to see it in "high/medium/low" densities. Where "high" mimics the old spacing, offering twice the number of visible posts per "area" compared to the new one with all its white space. (In that case, the edit/delete could show up inline just as before - though I don't know if it's such a good idea having the delete/edit placed next to each other - in the old one, the "delete" was far off, preventing any accidental activation)

For me, that would take care of 90% of my "problems" with the new interface.


If you can't stand the new interface, don't forget you can still revert to the old blogger in draft look... at least for now.

New Blogger Look - Still Lots to be Done

We all knew a new and improved Blogger was coming - it's interface was long past due, and we all welcomed a better one. But, as with all changes, I was both wishing for it... and afraid of it.

I wasn't one of the selected few to try out the new Blogger look, but now it's available to all those using Blogger in Draft. And, as a "draft" user... it was time to experience first hand.

And, unfortunatelt, my worst fears were realized: if this is the new look, I'd rather have the old one!

The low contrast colors make it a lot harder to grasp, and - the worst of all - there's too much wasted white space!

(I've updated my considerations regarding this, in a new Blogger UI vs old comparison post)

Just compare the new interface, where we can now see around 12 posts on screen...

... with the old one, it could show twice as many posts per page!

How can they have not noticed this dramatic change that makes any high-res monitor as informative as an ancient 80x25 text mode monitor? At least give us the option to choose a "dense" layout ("denser" than the "dense" one being tested on gmail - which is still not enough) that closely mimics the spacing/density we had before.

Also, don't know why the blogger team is wasting time implementing their own custom scroll bar - when that's something that should be better left to the browser! Are they trying to reinvent the wheel, and making it square in the process?

I welcome change, and think this new look can really become a very good thing: but please fixe the color scheme - and more importantly - the wasted white space!

For now, if you want, you can still access the old "Blogger in Draft" looks and editor.

How to Revert to Old Blogger in Draft Interface

The new "enhanced" Google look as made its way to Blogger in draft, the beta version of the blogger interface where things are first tried before making their way into the the regular blogger platform.

However, the proposed new look has some major drawbacks, and besides the appalling color scheme (light grays on white? what are they thinking?) the most annoying difference - to me - is this:

... where you could easily get over 24 post titles visible on screen on a single page...

... you can now get half of that, if as much!

Lots and lots of wasted white space, turning any high resolution screen into something that reminds me of the old VGA days or even the 80x25 characters text mode. It's plain nonsense!


So, how can you go back to the old draft editor?

You just need to replace the "blogger.g" in your browser's URL navigation bar with "posts.g", turning the new layout:

• http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=...

into the old layout...

• http://draft.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=

I sincerely hope the Blogger team is listening and will do something about it.

Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.3.3

Remember the good old days of jailbreakme, when you could jailbreak an iOS device by simply browsing to a specific website? Well... it's back, and it can now jailbreak devices up to the latest iOS 4.3.3.

Once again, you just need to visit http://jailbreakme.com on your iPad or iPhone Safari browser, and after confirming you actually want to go ahead, the jailbreaking process will start.
It uses an exploit in order to download and execute code that will end up with you having a new App installed in your device: the Cydia App, with access to countless non-approved Apps that can tweak your iPhone far beyond what Apple allows (like adding notifications, changing the number of Apps shown in each screen, and lots more).

I wouldn't count on this exploit being open much longer, as it opens up the iOS platform to potential malicious attacks (while this one is being used to jailbreak your device - someone else might use it to sniff our your email for passwords or sensitive data, for instance). So... my guess is that Apple will soon be releasing a security update.

Until then, the exploit fix is available only to jailbroken devices, via the PDF Patcher 2. The first thing you should do after jailbreaking your device.



[via Redmond Pie]

BitTorrent is 10 Years Old

One of the most effective data transfer protocolos - one usually associated with illegal downloads - BitTorrent is now 10 years old.

Just like one shouldn't blame http (the protocol behind web pages) just because some sites offer illegal downloads, the same thing should be kept in mind in regard to BitTorrent.

The thing is, BitTorrent is quite effective at what it does, allowing a huge amount of data to be shared among thousands (or millions) of users without requiring a huge server or gigantic bandwidth - see how torrents work.

That's precisely why illegal content shared use it - just like they would use any other protocol or tool that would allow the most efficient means to their ends.

Today, you don't even need to download and install a "old-fashioned" program, as you can use torrents right from your browser by using BitLet.

Here's a small and informal interview with BitTorrents creator, Bram Cohen.

Moving to Google+

For all those wishing to spend less time on Facebook and embrace Google+ as their main social hub, here's an avatar that might let your friends now how you feel.

I know Facebook user won't readily pack up and leave - considering there's still lots of things to do on Google+ until it is actually a finished product. But, as it is right now, it already shows it might actually grow to be a very strong social contender, particularly because it will be "right in your face" for every single Google/Gmail user out there (which means over a billion such users).

The main annoyance right now is that Google+ is still hard to get into. Google has briefly made it public, just to shut it down again after an overwhelming number of users tried to claim their Google+ account.

Let's hope Google sorts it out soon, as there's no much "social networking" without having your friends around on the same network as well...

Fring for iPad with Group Video Chat

Sad you can't Facetime to more than one person at a time with your iPad?

Thanks to Fring's latest iPad version, you can now videochat with up to four persons at a time - and unlike facetime, you can do it even when you're away from a WiFi hotspot, as it works just as well via 3G.

Besides, you not even restricted to videochat with iOS (iPhone, iPad) users, because Fring is available to other platforms as well (Android and Nokia).

So... if you want to quadruple the fun in your iPad... just head to the App Store and download the latest Fring. It's a free App you'll want to have with you at all times.

Transform any LCD into a 3D Screen

Altough I'm not really a big fan of current "pseudo-3D" technologies, how do you feel about turning your iPhone, iPad, Android, TV or computer LCD screen into a 3D display - easily and cheapily?

That's what a Japanese company is providing with their Pic3D LCD film.

These low cost plastic sheets can be placed over any LCD screen and use a lenticular lens system that create the illusion of 3D - providing you're watching 3D content in the required side-by-side format.

... As for me, I'll keep watching my iPhone 4 screen (and every other screen) in a perfectly flat 2D way, thank you. :)

Hotmail is Now 10x Faster

Looks like Google isn't the only one improving their web mail (Gmail) service. Microsoft has now announced a faster Hotmail - and they don't mean it lightly: it's actually ten times faster!

Thanks to some clever techniques (caching, pre-loading, asynchronous operations, and the like) and using the latest features of HTML5/javascript, the Hotmail was able to shave off long annoying seconds. Things like opening, deleting or writing a new message - that used to take 3 to 4 seconds - can now be done in under 0.20s.

... That can sum up to quite a considerable amount of saved time if you happen to use hotmail intensively throughout the day.

Gmail Gets Google+ Themes

While the new (and improved) Google+ look is already visible in lots of Google's Service: from the Calendar to Maps, and even its main search page; lots of users are waiting for it to arrive to other popular services like Google Reader and Gmail.

Well, you can try the new Google+ look in Gmail right now, thanks to two new themes that Google made available.

The themes are similar, one being more dense than the other - but, as far as I am concerned, even the "dense" theme doesn't quite cut it to all those used to having lots of things on screen.

As you can see in the image, in my Gmail, the spacing in the new theme pushes the chat section offscreen - a section that is still plainly visible using the classic theme.

I know that the white space is important, and Google is probably aiming to a less cluttered interface, but... couldn't we have a yet denser Google+/Gmail+ layout?

(There's also the need to improve the contrast in the sections separating the "priority/starred/everything else" emails... or else it all looks the same).

Apple Orders More iPads 2

If competitors were already having a hard time finding enough components to build their tablets - thanks to Apple's "lockdown" on critical components, like touchscreens - looks like things are about to get even harder.

Apple has raised the orders for iPad 2 production from the already high 7-9 millions units to an incredible 12-14 millions for the third quarter alone!

Can you imagine the logistics behind these kinds of things? 14 million iPads means:

• 155 thousands iPads made every day
• 6481 iPads per hour
• 108 iPads per minute
• almost 2 iPads per second!

... consecutively, 24/7 for three straight months.