92 Teen Text Terms Decoded for Confused Parents

Not so long ago, most teenagers’ text messages read to other people like a jumble of seemingly disconnected letters, numbers, and odd punctuation. Using a combination of shortened words, creative spellings, and a liberal sprinkling of unusual punctuation, teen text message mavens created their own form of language — so-called text speak (a term itself boiled down to “txtspk”).

What is Facebook?

Facebook started in the United States as a way for some college kids to stay in touch when they had left campus - and it’s evolved since then to become one of the largest social networks in the world. Here’s how you can get involved.

6 Reasons Apple Is So Successful

Apple's iPads and iPhones are displayed inside an Apple store in New York City on Dec. 7, 2011

One of the more interesting questions I get asked about as an industry analyst who’s followed Apple since 1981 is why Apple is so successful. It’s an honest question because to those unfamiliar with Apple, the company’s rise and current dominance in non-PC devices is somewhat puzzling.

Adaptation: Why your brain loves to tune out

Our brains are remarkably good at tuning out all sorts of constants in our everyday lives. If you don’t believe so, try a simple, but startling experiment.

Google gets Nevada driving licence for self-drive car

Google has been experimenting with driverless Toyota Prius cars in the US

Driverless cars will soon be a reality on the roads of Nevada after the state approved America's first self-driven vehicle licence.

The Adobe CS6 is now available online

As of today, the long-awaited Adobe CS6 suite is available for purchase online. The beta versions of some of the products have been around for some time but it’s time for the real thing with all the promised magic tricks. The Adobe Creative Suite 6 is one of the most major releases in recent times.

Touche technology from Disney could revolutionize touch gestures

A new touch sensing technology by Disney could drastically alter the way we interact with our environment, our tools, and our technology.

Apple may launch $799 MacBook Air this year, claims report

Citing the usual "sources from the upstream supply chain," the site says that a more aggressively priced MacBook Air could crimp rival ultrabooks, especially if Intel is unable to bring their average selling price down to its goal of $699. A $799 offering from Apple may also keep competing machines from becoming more standardized.

Magnetic bacteria may be building future bio-computers

Tiny magnets form inside magnetic bacteria

Magnet-making bacteria may be building biological computers of the future, researchers have said.

Engineers launch artificial earthquakes at 'hospital'

The five-storey building is protected from earthquakes by rubber bearings

Engineers in California have unleashed high-intensity artificial earthquakes on a five-storey building packed with medical equipment.

Review: Portenzo Wingtip Edition Case for the iPad

Is your mobile phone REALLY killing your brain?

FATAL brain cancer is on the rise and could be caused by radiation from mobile phones, which would mean we're heading for devastation "on a scale never before witnessed in history".

'SeaNanners' and the art of video game commentary

Armed with a small arsenal of guns, the 27-year-old races through a bombed-out Middle Eastern city, firing at adversaries who dart out of doorways and emerge around corners. As he eludes gunfire and switches nimbly between assault rifles and handguns, Montoya keeps up a running commentary.

Seamless Flexible Display iPhone

Today we’ve got two interesting iPhone concepts, that rely on the idea of a flexible display with seamless design. The two newcomers are iPhone Ace, the slider type smartphone below and the iPhone Jocker, that folds within the outer flexible screen.

Nokia vs Samsung

When Apple unveiled its first touch-screen iPhone in June 2007, then Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo simply underestimated the impact of its release saying, ``What we decide is the global standard.’’ This was the beginning of the Finnish firm's fiasco.

The Amazing Spider Man - Trailer # 3

iPhone 5: 15 most-wanted features

First, an apology to those who've read this article before in its various iterations, you probably have a bad case of deja vu.

12 cool, creative and just plain weird gadget concepts

Take a gander at a dozen delightful concept designs for tomorrow's smartphones, laptops, gaming devices and more.

 

 

Who wants an iPad Mini? About one buyer in two

Doing the math, that means 48 percent aren't interested. But delving further, only 22 percent of all those surveyed currently own a tablet. Among those, 68 percent have an iPad or iPad 2, while 10 percent own Amazon's Kindle Fire.
Why would half of those polled want a smaller iPad? The answers varied, with many people citing more than one reason.

PC Makers Mum on Windows 8 Upgrades

The first wave of laptops with Intel's latest third-generation Core processors started shipping this week with Windows 7, but PC makers are quiet about what it would take to upgrade the PCs to run Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8.

How to: Track stolen devices

Want to find a stolen laptop, tablet or smartphone? We show you how to locate and wipe a missing device.

HTC One S review

The HTC One S follows swiftly on the heels of the One X in HTC's new premium brand of Android 4.0-enabled handsets, bringing a svelte chassis, 7.8mm depth and a low-price of just £26 a month at launch - and we're still waiting to hear word of a US launch too.
First things first: the HTC One S is a cracking looking device. It's marketed this as the thinnest handset HTC has ever made. And you feel that when you take it out of the box. It's tall at about the same height as last year's HTC Sensation (with which it will draw a lot of comparisons) but a lot, lot sleeker.
Measurements come in at 130.9 x 65 x 7.8mm and weight wise, it's pretty insignificant at a shade over 119g. And that's even more impressive when you look at what's inside. GPS, HSDPA etc – all elements we'd expect nowadays and all packed in here like sardines.

LG announces Optimus LTE2 with 2GB of RAM

Not to be outdone by its Korean counterpart, LG announced its own flagship smartphone on the same day as the the Galaxy S III. The Optimus LTE2, as it is called, is no less when it comes to features and specifications and in some aspects even outdoes Samsung's offering.

For starters, the design seems to be a bit better. While Samsung has gone with an all plastic body, LG has opted for a bit of glass and metal, in other words, something befitting of a flagship device.
The display on the phone is something that LG likes to call TrueHD IPS display. It's likely to be a 720p display but the 'True' part comes from it having a standard RGB subpixel layout, unlike the display on the Galaxy S III that uses a PenTile RGBG layout. Looking at the performance of recent LCDs, we think the display on the Optimus LTE2 is going to be more than a match for the one on the Galaxy S III.
The main feature here, however, is the inclusion of a stonking 2GB of RAM, a first for any smartphone. While it is debatable if the extra gigabyte will make any noticeable difference, at least you will never have to worry about running out of memory while multitasking.
Other features include wireless induction charging, LTE connectivity, a camera that can be operated using your voice, 2,150mAh battery and Android 4.0. Unfortunately, there is no mention of what processor the phone is running on but the presence of LTE suggests that it could be (and we hope it is) Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4.
The phone is expected to go on sale in Korea by mid-May. Hopefully, LG announces international availability soon, along with some proper specifications.

Glasses Free 3D - Toshiba Qosmio F755-3D150

In the half-year since we reviewed the first version of the Toshiba Qosmio F755, I have seen a grand total of zero new autostereoscopic laptops (3D displays that can be viewed without special glasses). Toshiba has not given up, however, and an updated version for 2012 shows some notable improvement over the original, which was a cool prototype, but not quite ready for prime time.

How 'in-cell' technology could make the next iPhone ultra-thin

We're all familiar with Apple's love affair for thin devices. Although the third-generation iPad surprised many by gaining about half a millimeter of thickness, it looks like Apple could be back to trimming product dimensions by using a new kind of display technology in the next iPhone.

New iPhone rumors: 20% thinner with 4-inch screen and Gorilla Glass 2

The editor claims that Apple has abandoned the long-rumored teardrop design that most thought would be introduced on the iPhone 4S. Instead, we are told to expect another glass-bodied design that’s somewhat similar to what’s already available on the current generation smartphone. Speaking of glass, Apple will be using Gorilla Glass 2 on sections of the phone. This second generation glass is just as strong as the original but in a thinner sheet.

'No permission' Android apps can see and share your data

Savvy Android users tend to be wary of installing apps that request seemingly unnecessary permissions. When an app wants access to data or functions on your phone, such as your contacts list or the ability to send text messages, it can signal potential security or malware risks.
But Android apps that request no permissions at all (such as this Magic 8 ball app) are generally considered pretty free of security risks.
But are they?

Keith Haring's 54th Birthday - Celebrated in Google

Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Haring grew up in Kutztown with his mom, Joan Haring, and his father Allen Haring, a cartoonist. He also had three younger sisters, Kay, Karen and Kristen. Keith's parents wanted to name all their children with names that started with K. Keith was interested in art from an early age. From 1976 to 1978 he studied commercial art at The Ivy School of Professional Art, an art school in Pittsburgh. He soon lost interest of commercial art, and moved on to study Fine Arts.

Samsung Galaxy S III

 

LONDON, UK--You've probably read all the rumors about the next Samsung Galaxy smartphone. And guess what -- most of them are pretty spot on. Samsung's upcoming flagship handset, now with an official name, the Samsung Galaxy S III, has finally made its debut here in the chilly English capital.

Google Docs boasts 450 new fonts and 60 new templates

All those Bree Serif, Kaushan Script, and Lovers Quarrel font fans will now be able to bring into play these different scripts while working in Google Docs. The Web giant announced today that it is adding 450 new fonts and 60 new templates to its word processing program.

Are you using Facebook's Interest Lists?

There's so much going on in the Facebook News Feed these days, it's difficult to keep track of the posts and people you actually care about.

Social reader apps are auto-posting news articles, friends are writing yawn-inducing status updates, and you're left trying to filter out the good content.

Introduced in March, Facebook Interest Lists offer a way to create and subscribe to lists of users who post about the same topics, allowing you isolate posts about interests like recipes, fashion, sports, or tech news.
Setting up your Interest Lists is easy. In the left side bar of the home page, under Interests click "Add Interests..." You then have two options: subscribe the any of the prepopulated Interest Lists, or create your own by clicking Create List at the top.

If you choose to create your own list, a window will open, allowing you to add friends, brands, or public figured to your list even if you don't currently subscribe to them.

Once you've created or subscribed to a number of Interest Lists, they'll appear to the left of the News Feed. When you click one, only the posts from the people on that list will appear. Posts from users on your Interest Lists will also appear in your general News Feed.

If you'd like quicker access to a list, add it to your Favorites by hovering over the name, clicking the pencil, and selecting "Add to favorites." Clicking the pencil also gives you the option to remove the list entirely.

With the ever-increasing noise on Facebook, features like friend lists and interest lists will become more valuable to the everyday viewer, making Facebook as much of a news consumption platform as it is a social network.

Despite the utility of the Interest Lists feature, the number of subscribers to Facebook's suggested lists tell us the feature hasn't yet gained traction with most users. If this doesn't change, Facebook might decide to make a big push for the Interest Lists feature. (After all, it allows them to serve you better targeted advertisements.)

Now that Interest Lists have been here for a while, are you using them? Or is this the first time you noticed the feature? Chime in with a comment below.

Nokia 808 PureView gets May release date

After the massive 41MP camera on the Nokia 808 PureView was revealed at Mobile World Congress at Barcelona earlier this year, the device has pretty much been making headlines. Now an advertisement for the Symbian phone by Nokia has been released and is embedded above for your viewing pleasure. Here’s a little information about the advertisement.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 to battle Halo 4 in November

Activision has released the first details of the latest instalment in its best-selling Call of Duty series.

Black Ops 2 is set in 2025 and centres on "the enemy" taking control of the US army's unmanned weapon systems.

The title is being developed by the firm's Treyarch studio and is due for release on 13 November.

That will pitch it against the return of Microsoft's Halo series. The science fiction first-person shooter launches a new trilogy a week earlier.

Activision said the last title in the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare 3, broke sales record grossing $775m (£465m) on its first five days on sale.

However, news site Gamasutra recently reported that analysts at Macquarie Equities had suggested that since its debut the title had underperformed its predecessor.

According to their numbers, by March the number of copies of MW3 sold was 4.2% behind where the first Black Ops title had been at the same time a year earlier.

Postings on site forums suggested that some players might have begun tiring of the format.

Video game website IGN said that a decision to develop a topical plot centred on cyber-terrorism in conjunction with Batman Begins scriptwriter David Goyer and the Brookings Institution think tank was designed to bolster interest.

"The decision to move Black Ops forward in time is a response to market saturation - there is an abundance of military shooters around - and a way to reinvigorate the genre," said games writer Daniel Krupa.

"But it isn't a strikingly original move. Ubisoft's long-running Ghost Recon series is also making a leap forward in time this year. Halo is a military shooter set in the distant future.

"Ultimately, the real future of the first-person shooter won't lie in the trenches of conflicts past or present, but in other settings with stronger narratives."

iPhone 5 Liquid Metal design and photos look real

Even though the Apple iPhone 5 release could still be months away it doesn’t stop the huge amount of conjecture and rumor about this much-awaited device. We’ve been bringing you developments and rumors as we hear them and today we have news of a great iPhone 5 liquid metal design with photos that show how real it looks.

New Facebook feature encourages organ donation

 

The organ donation community is applauding Facebook's announcement Tuesday that it will allow its 900 million members to share their donor status with friends and family, and to link to state databases where people in the USA can register online to officially become donors.

iPhone 5 Concept Shows Laser Keyboard and Holographic Display

When it comes to the iPhone 5, there are a number of potential leaks that add to the excitement and anticipation of waiting for Apple to share their vision for the next iPhone.
While we have a rough idea of what to expect, including a slimmer body and better camera, we still have to wait for Apple to show off the goods.

 

Windows Phone is 'more beatiful' than iOS and Android

 

Steve Wozniak loves his Windows Phone.

No, that's not a typo. And no, Microsoft isn't driving a huge sackload of cash over to my apartment (or Wozniak's home) to make such a statement. That's the general gist of an impromptu conversation between A New Domain's Dan Patterson, Gina Smith, Todd Moore and the Apple co-founder, Silicon Valley geek legend, and tech enthusiast — in a Mountain View, California's Togo's sandwich shop, of all places.

As numerous Woz-watchers are undoubtedly aware, Wozniak tends to carry around a plethora of gadgets and devices when he's on the move. At the time of his chat with the crew from A New Domain, the Woz was packing no fewer than four smartphones (of the 10 he says he owns): Two Apple iPhones (both 4S), a Motorola Droid Razr, and a Nokia Lumia 900.

And which does he like the most?

"Just for looks and beauty, I definitely favor the Windows 7 phone over Android," Wozniak said.

"I'm kind of shocked on every screen — much more beautiful than the same apps on Android and iPhone. So I think that what Microsoft or Nokia did is that they went to some of the key app makers and got them to deliberately make specialized beautiful ones or they put their own themes on…" Wozniak added.

It's a hard, but fair truth: According to an April report by the New York Times, Microsoft has been underwriting developers' costs for building Windows Phone apps. These apps would have otherwise cost anywhere from $60,000 to $600,000 to build — and the help has certainly incentivized companies to push to the Windows Phone ecosystem faster.

Wozniak went on to clarify, via a comment posted to A New Domain's website, that his praise of his Lumia 900 wasn't meant to suggest that it was now the number-one phone in his geeky heart. That honor still goes to the iPhone — go figure.

"I did give my opinion that the Windows 7P phone had superior visual appearance and operation cues that were also more attractive. In my opinion, it sets the mark for user interface. I would recommend it over my Android phones given that it doesn't yet have the breadth of apps," Wozniak wrote.

While his comment about his Windows Phone's "more beautiful" apps and the lengths Microsoft allegedly went to get them could be seen as a bit of a backhanded compliment, Wozniak saved his biggest praise of Microsoft for the end.

"I also surmised that Steve Jobs might have been reincarnated at MS due to a lot of what I see and feel with this phone making me think of a lot of great Apple things," Wozniak wrote. 

Ikea goes green with a cardboard digital camera

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Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has revealed an eco-friendly digital camera made almost entirely from cardboard.

All Nokia Codes

Hacking a Nokia mobile?
Check out these codes:

The Pirate Bay must be blocked by UK ISPs, court rules

File-sharing site The Pirate Bay must be blocked by UK internet service providers, the High Court has ruled.

Microsoft buys stake in Barnes & Noble’s Nook

Microsoft revealed on Monday that it would invest $300 million in Barnes & Noble’s Nook division for a 17.6 percent stake. The deal values the e-reader business at $1.7 billion.

Comparing Google Drive to other cloud services

Google Drive may have launched with some buzz last week, but it enters an already crowded and competitive market.

The 5 Best Android Phones [May 2012]

HTC One S

NVIDIA’s Dual-Core GTX 690 Will Set You Back $999

Surprise, NVIDIA has a new insanely expensive dual-GPU graphics card in the offing, and you can have it already this Thursday, May 3…that is, if you’re willing to pay twice what the company’s charging for its flagship single-GPU model.

The 11-inch gaming laptop lives, with the new Origin EON11-S

The 11-inch gaming laptop is the textbook definition of a niche product. In fact, up until now, there's really only been one serious entry in that category, Dell's Alienware M11x. Origin (coincidentally co-founded by some former Alienware employees) is now getting into the game, with the EON11-S, which the company calls a "compact high-performance laptop."