Spotify brings radio feature to iOS, offers streaming to non-premium users

Swedish music streamer extraordinaire Spotify is updating its iOS app this morning with a key new feature. Radio, introduced late last year for the desktop version of the service, is making its way onto iPads and iPhones in the States for both premium and free users. As with its desktop counterpart, users can generate an unlimited number of Pandora / Slacker-like radio stations using artists, albums, songs and Spotify playlists. The social functionality that Spotify loves so much is intact as well, with both songs and radio stations appearing in friends' Facebook streams. And since the radio feature is available across Spotify's pages, you can make stations based on friends' playlists -- or you can just pick "Create a New Station" from the top of the Radio tab.

You can thumb up or thumb down tracks, with songs you dig populating a "Like From Radio" playlist, making those tracks accessible on different devices. Inter-device functionality also means that you can start a radio station on, say, your iPad and pick up where you left off by firing it up on your iPhone. Premium users get an unlimited number of song skips -- when asked how many skips free users get, Spotify simply told us that it would be "industry standard" (ie, the same number you get on competing services).

Asked when such functionality will be hitting Android handsets, the company told us, "we think it's core to the mobile experience, and we're looking to bring it to all of the major platforms in due time." In the meantime, iPhone and iPad owners can download the update today.

Update: Spotify dropped us a line to let it know that the update apparently isn't quite ready for prime time. Rather than actually dropping today, the latest version of the iOS app "will be available in the next few days."

Spotify Launches Free Mobile Radio in the US

Starting today, Spotify users in the US can play for free on iPhone and iPad. The latest update to Spotify's iOS app includes the new radio feature, giving free users in the US access to an unlimited amount of music on the move. The update is now available for download in the App Store.

The new radio feature for iOS is seamlessly integrated into the Spotify service, creating an unmatched user experience of listening, discovering, saving and sharing music, from a catalog of more than 16 million songs.

Spotify users on iPhone and iPad can now:

Create limitless streaming radio stations from single songs, playlists, albums or artists
Create an unlimited number of stations and listen as long as they like
Save tracks to Spotify playlists - any song that users "like" will be saved, so they can find the songs later
Personalize stations in real time by "liking" tracks to hear similar music
Browse friends' playlists and create radio stations based on their tastes
Hear great new songs from Spotify's state-of-the-art recommendation engine, based on what millions of real people are listening to
Access a catalog of over 16 million tracks

"Our focus has always been on creating an amazing user experience," said Charlie Hellman, VP, Product at Spotify. "The radio feature we've added to our iPhone and iPad apps gives users the ability to discover, listen and save what they like on the go - all within one app - for free."

Premium users of the Spotify iOS app will continue to have an ad-free experience. Free users in the US will hear advertisements from the following launch partners: Chevrolet, Durex, Heineken, Jim Beam, Lipton Iced Tea, Macy's, McDonalds, Progressive, Red Bull, Taco Bell, Verizon Wireless, and Warner Bros – all of which are current Spotify advertisers.

The new Spotify radio feature will also be available to Premium users outside of the United States.

View the original article here

Hands-on with Microsoft Surface for Windows RT, Touch Cover and Type Cover (update: video!)

We're here live at Microsoft's press event in Los Angeles, where it just unveiled not just the rumored tablet you were hoping for, but two tablets: Surface for Windows RT, which has an NVIDIA chip inside, and Surface for Windows 8 Pro, which runs off Ultrabook-grade Ivy Bridge processors. (Yes, Surface here is the name of a tablet line, not software optimized for large touchscreens. Get that out of your system now.) Though the two differ slightly in dimensions, with the Pro model measuring in slightly thicker, both have a slim kickstand, about as thick as a credit card, that folds out of the backside like the tail of a photo frame. Both are made of magnesium and, perhaps most importantly, work with either of two magnetic covers that double as keyboards (one with multitouch input, and one with physical, three-dimensional keys).

No word on pricing -- just that Surface for Windows RT will cost about what you'll end up paying for other Windows RT tablets, and that the Pro version will fetch similar prices as Ultrabooks. We saw Surface for RT as well as both keyboards on display at the demo area here following Microsoft's big press event. We've got a gallery of hands-on shots, as well as impressions past the break.

None of this might make sense until you touch one yourself, but it's our job to at least help you understand: the Surface really is as rigid and lightweight as Microsoft's executive team promised us it would be. The magnesium casing makes it wholly inflexible, and we mean that in the best possible way. As thin and light as it is (9.3mm / 1.49 pounds), there isn't a hint of give in the whole chassis. Were it not for fear of scratching that 10.6-inch display (HD on the RT model, Full HD 1080p on the Pro), we wouldn't have too many qualms about accidentally dropping it: the magnesium is as smooth and scratch-resistant as it is sturdy. Heck, even the display is coated in second-generation Gorilla Glass, so maybe we shouldn't handle this thing with kid gloves. Bonus: the whole package seems relatively impervious to fingerprints -- at least on the rear. And remember, this is after dozens of tech writers put their curious paws on it.

The kickstand, too, is as thin as they say (3mm thick on the RT model). It folds out in a controlled, reassuring motion; we're not worried about this snapping off. It also seems like it'll take a little more than a breath of air to make the whole thing knock over. Our first thought was that the stand looks like the fold-out back to a frame, but unlike a frame, which might fall face-down on your shelf, the tablet stayed put, even after rigorous handling from all the press here.

Take a tour around the device and you'll see a mix of ports -- we use the word "mix" deliberately because it's a medley of sockets you'd expect to find on either an ARM-based tablet and a full x86 one. On team ARM, you've got a microSD slot, befitting the sort of low-powered consumer tablet you're used to. But, unlike most Android tabs you've seen (much less the iPad), it also has a USB 2.0 port and HDMI output. Inside, you'll get either 32GB or 64GB of built-in storage, along with a 31.5Wh battery, though that last spec is fairly meaningless until Microsoft clarifies the rated battery life.

Right now, Microsoft reps are refusing to clarify the resolution for either the RT or Pro Surface tablets. For now, then, suffice to say the 16:9 display is indeed crisp, but you know what's even more impressive? The viewing angles. Try following along with a demo, standing off to the side while someone else has his turn taking photos from dead-center. Turns out, it's no so hard. Factor in that kickstand and you've got the ingredients for some easy movie watching between friends.

As for performance, we'll be honest: tech press were treated to about two minutes at each of several stations, some of which demoed design, and not so much the power that lies inside that thin frame. (Microsoft has only said that the ARM chip is made by NVIDIA. No one ever said it's a Tegra 3 SoC, but that is naturally our best bet.) Still, in our brief hands-on the optically bonded screen was incredibly responsive to our various taps and swipes. Fast, slick and very, very promising. Now if only we could see the Core i5-powered Pro model in action. As for pen input, it's very possible, including PDF mark-ups and all, but we didn't get to see that demoed today. Sorry, Charlies.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see a working demo of the keyboards. As in, we weren't permitted to type sample sentences and feel what it's like to hammer out characters on a flat keyboard, or on keys that have just 1.5mm of travel. It's a shame, because what makes both keyboards special is that they have built-in accelerometers that allow the keyboard to tell which key you're hitting, how fast and how forcefully. An intriguing idea if ever there was one, but difficult to weigh in on if all you're allowed to do is peck at a lifeless demo model.

Still, they were on display in the demo area and we did get to, you know, put our fingers on them. Starting with the flat one (that'd be the Touch Cover), the keys have a slightly scratchy surface that seems like it would make one's fingers feel just a bit more anchored. Still, we're curious about the learning curve for a keyboard that's so... what's the opposite of "tactile?" What else can we say having not been allowed to actually type on a working model? Oh yes, it will be available in five colors.

Interestingly, with the Type Cover, the cushier of the two keyboards, it's still difficult at first blush to tell one key from another if you're not looking down at them. Each manufacturer has a different way of conserving space when building a set of keys for a 10-inch device, and it's clear that Microsoft decided using a chiclet layout would have been inefficient: the keys are packed fairly tightly, with the flat keycaps almost blending into one another.

Based on remarks by Steve Ballmer and others during the presentation, it sounds like a lot of thought went into the two keyboards, so we wouldn't be surprised if a large focus group of touch typists were able to prove Redmond's engineers right. But having played with both, we don't imagine this being like settling in with a new laptop or Transformer-style dock. You might have to re-learn how to type (or at least teach your brain to fuhgeddaboutit and trust your fingers to land where they're supposed to.)

It's impossible to weigh in on Surface when we only handled one of the two tablets, and when each hands-on opportunity amounted to a Supermarket Sweep-style tour of various demo areas. Still, even after some brief handling, we feel impressed, almost sobered by what Microsoft's managed to produce after vowing to take the Windows 8 hardware-software package into its own hands. Surface for Windows RT is well-made, polished, durable and carefully engineered. And yes, that's sobering news: Microsoft's own OEM partners, everyone from ASUS to Acer to HP, should feel a tinge of defensiveness. If Redmond's mission until now has been to showcase all the possible form factors for Windows 8, it may have just taken a step in the opposite direction by upstaging everybody else.

Myriam Joire contributed to this report.

View the original article here

US 3G and 4G networks face off once more, Verizon just squeaks out win over AT&T

By Jon Fingas posted Jun 18th 2012 11:56PM

Competition for the US cellular speed crown is certainly fiercer than it was last year, when Verizon's 4G LTE let it walk over the competition unimpeded. With AT&T's LTE in the running, though, have the ranks changed? No, but only just barely: as PCMag discovered in its annual countrywide testing, Verizon mostly trumped its fellow telecom giant in upload speeds and reliability. AT&T could once more claim to be best in a category with the fastest downloads, although it's counterbalanced by having a considerably smaller LTE network. For everyone outside of T-Mobile and its still very respectable HSPA+ network, it's better luck next year. We'll be most intrigued then, quite frankly -- in addition to 2013 giving us a genuinely functional Sprint LTE network, that's when we could see a blistering-fast T-Mobile LTE-Advanced produce an upset victory.

View the original article here

Sonos Sub review

Every audio product Sonos has delivered so far has worked on the assumption that you would never need anything else after you bought it, whether it's linking to a sound system you already owned or an all-in-one system that Sonos built itself, like the Play:3 or Play:5 (born as the S5). The newly released Sub, by its nature, is entirely dependent on having one of the two Play speakers, and shows the company is becoming more of a traditional audio brand with a full ecosystem. A primary Sonos component can now be just the first step in a growing collection that improves as you expand it -- much as you'd buy a basic stereo, then better speakers, then more at a high-end audio shop. The Sub's $699 price certainly catapults any Sonos system into high-end territory, however, and sets some decidedly lofty expectations for how it will perform. We'll find out after the break if the sheer power and a few clever tricks are enough for the Sub to be an essential ingredient of a wireless home audio setup.

A first look at the Sub shows a much more ostentatious design than either the Play:3 or Play:5. Think of it as a donut monolith. As you quickly find out after hefting the subwoofer out of the box, though, that strange design serves a few very practical roles. Having a convenient handle to lug all 36 pounds is something of a lifesaver for setting up, but a closer inspection reveals that the hole is actually intrinsic to the Sub's acoustics: the ports are tucked inside that gap and deliberately interact with each other to cancel out any unwanted vibrations. Even with the volume cranked up high, we heard none of the rattles you'd hear from a subwoofer with anything less than a top-notch shell. The inward-facing profile also removes the dilemma of how you'll position the Sub. Since there's no worry about blocking a port, the Sub can rest either upright or flat on its back. As it's (relatively) slim, it can tuck under your couch if the seating is tall enough -- a location that will no doubt jolt a few guests the first time you play a party mix.

Having draped the Sub in compliments so far, we do have some gripes in reserve for the glossy black finish. Apart from not matching the matte black or white finishes of anything else in the current Sonos catalog, it's a magnet for just about every form of cosmetic blemish you can imagine. Dust, scratches and smudges are drawn to the body like moths to a flame. Hiding it will mostly take care of that issue, but who'd want to hide such an atypically pretty subwoofer? Sonos has already told us a matte version is coming that could cost $100 less; we'd spring for that in a heartbeat.

The process of getting the unit ready to go is a sharp break from the norm and, really, what makes this box stand out from the pack. The Sub isn't just a wireless subwoofer like we've seen so many times in home-theater-in-a-box setups. It's another part of the Sonos network, which means connecting it to the rest of your system either via a direct Ethernet link or hopping on wirelessly to one of the company's Bridge adapters. Choosing the latter route will incur another $49 hit to the wallet, but it offers the freedom of putting the Sub seemingly anywhere. We just wish Sonos had thrown in an old-fashioned connector or two; there's no way to reuse the Sub with a conventional audio system. That's a lot of money to throw at an add-on which loses all its effectiveness if you also give up its host speakers.

The software side of the setup equation is dead simple. Sonos can assume you already have one of its networks established. You only have to scan for a new device in the desktop or mobile Controller apps, press the lone button on the Sub's side and walk through a quick calibration linking it to the speakers you want to use. Tuning involves adjusting for distance and either exaggerating or scaling back the bass levels if nearby objects are creating problems. We had no trouble leaving the settings at their defaults in a mostly open setting with only one side facing a wall.

The party trick of the Sub is its relative liberty to glom on to any speakers in the network. Although switching between speakers requires a break in the pairing with its current parent and walking through the software once again -- and, usually, lugging the Sub across the home -- it's quick enough that there's rarely difficult. That's good if you decide later on that your bedside Play:3 doesn't need earth-shaking bass as much as the Play:5 in the living room. Controller apps will always identify which speaker set is attached to the Sub if there's ever any doubt as to which room is getting the most oomph.

We won't fully rehash the playback aspect of the Sonos Controller apps other than to point out a greatly improved desktop app that arrived between the Play:3 and Sub launch windows. Long-time listeners will continue to be annoyed at wading through the deep hierarchies for certain categories, like internet radio. However, there's now a unified search that will show all relevant results filtered by service, not to mention a party mode and an overall cleaner, easier-to-understand interface. The Android and iOS apps lack that improved search and are a bit clunkier due to limited screen area, but they can be used for every feature in a Sonos array short of sharing locally stored music. Our initial setup of the Sub took place solely within the Android app, for example. One warning: there's no changes to the subwoofer's output short of going back through the setup process once again, even if it's something you'll likely only ever do once or twice.

This is really what you're here for, isn't it? Thankfully, it's very difficult to fault the Sub's audio quality. We've tried it across a solo Play:3, as well as both single and dual Play:5 configurations, and there are consistent improvements in the sound no matter what Play speaker is running the show. Bass is tighter and much, much punchier -- so much so that we had to lower the volume substantially just to get back to normal levels and avoid drawing the wrath of fellow apartment dwellers. It's a nice problem to have, mind you, and that previously mentioned absence of buzz or rattle goes a long way when you do kick out the jams. As a matter of course, the subwoofer also slightly improves the overall performance by taking on the low-end frequencies that previously had to compete for attention with mids and highs in the Play's speaker drivers. Even classical music can sometimes sound better, let alone the deeper sounds of genres like drum-and-bass, dubstep or trance.

We appreciated one subtle, but important, distinction of the Sub's output: it's seemingly indistinguishable after you've set it up. The bass is always in sync with its host speaker, and it's virtually directionless. Unless you sit the subwoofer at the opposite end of the room, you'll never notice the separation; it's just your existing sound, magnified by a notch or 10. While other wireless subwoofers exhibit this kind of behavior, it's a strangely satisfying effect when the diminutive Play:3 appears to be punching well above its weight class through a subwoofer that you might not even see.

The impact of the Sub does correlate almost exactly to the speaker it's attached to, and that's where you'll have to be wary. Although the cleaner, stronger sound is very noticeable with a single Play:3, it nonetheless feels like a mismatch between a very powerful bass unit and a comparatively modest one-piece speaker. We'd honestly consider two Play:3 units, or one Play:5, as the minimum to rationally justify the Sub's presence. Should you swing the cash, though, even just the one Play:5 will produce a brighter and overall more balanced sound with the Sub in place than its smaller sibling. If you want a truly fearsome Sonos setup, try two Play:5 speakers mated to a Sub -- along with being clear even at high volumes, the three-piece setup is almost ridiculously powerful. Overkill, maybe, but it would be a definite crowd-pleaser if you have to fill a large room or the outdoors.

From our experience, the Sub is one of the better subwoofers in the field, wireless or otherwise. It adds forcefulness without turning the sound into mush. Making it worth the cash outlay is the challenge, even if it's much less of a problem than we first thought going in. It's not just the audio quality disparity that gives us pause; it's the idea of pairing the $299 Play:3 with a subwoofer that costs more than twice as much and won't necessarily sound proportionately better. Keeping that in mind, the Play:5 or two Play:3s result in a very effective combo when a Sub rides sidesaddle. Sonos, as always, is asking for a premium to get the full effect -- our ideal mix of a Play:5, a Bridge and the Sub costs an eye-watering $1,147. That being said, it very literally feels worthwhile if it's replacing a full, conventional home audio arrangement, not just a pair of bookshelf speakers. As long as you're genuinely committed to the idea of networked speakers rather than just dipping a toe in the pool, the Sub is transformative enough to validate the price.

View the original article here

Apple Previews iOS 6

Beautifully designed from the ground up (and the sky down), Maps will change the way you see the world.1 Map elements are vector based, so graphics and text are incredibly detailed — even when you zoom all the way in — and panning is smooth. Tilt and rotate to view an area, and Maps keeps the names of streets and places where they belong. Get visual and spoken turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic updates. Even soar over cityscapes to see the sights from the air in amazing, high-resolution quality. Learn more about Maps

Enjoy new, beautifully detailed maps.

See cities and landmarks from the air.

Spoken directions route you to your destination.

Type in your address and choose your route.

Turn-by-turn directions are spoken aloud. And you can follow along with 3D views.

If traffic conditions change, Maps offers alternative routes.

Maps uses real-time traffic conditions to calculate your ETA. You’ll also get details about incidents that are causing traffic jams, so you can tell if there’s a major accident ahead or just a temporary slowdown.

See the world from a whole new perspective with amazing photo-realistic and interactive 3D views of major metro areas. Explore like never before as you zoom, pan, tilt, and rotate around a city and its landmarks.

With iOS 6, Siri understands more languages, works in more countries, and is available on the new iPad.2 So you can get more things done in more places around the world. Want to know the latest scores and stats for your favorite teams and players? Thanks to iOS 6, Siri knows the answers. Or maybe it’s movie night. Siri can show you the latest reviews and showtimes. Find the best restaurants in town and make reservations. Even open your apps for you — no tapping required. Say "Launch Flight Tracker" or "Open Where’s My Water" and Siri does just that. You can even use Siri to post Facebook updates and tweet for you, too. Learn more about Siri in iOS 6

Find out scores from live games and the current season’s past games, schedules, team rosters, and player stats for baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer. They’re all just a question away.

Ask Siri to get upcoming showtimes, look up movie facts, play trailers, and more. If you’re still undecided about which movie to see, Siri can show you ratings and reviews from Rotten Tomatoes.

Have Siri help you find restaurants by cuisine, price, location, outdoor seating, or a combination of choices.
Siri will show you photos, Yelp stars, price range, and reviews. Siri can even make a reservation for you via OpenTable.

Now it’s easier than ever to interact with the world’s largest social network. And there’s no need to leave your app to do it. Share a photo to Facebook right from Camera or Photos. Post your location right from Maps. Brag about a high score right from Game Center. If you have your hands full, just ask Siri to post for you. You need to sign in to Facebook only once, and you’ll be off and sharing. Never miss another birthday or get-together, since Facebook events are integrated into Calendar. And your Facebook friends’ profile information is integrated into Contacts, so when they update an email address or phone number you automatically stay up to date. Now that’s something to post about.

Share photos from the Camera app, locations from Maps, links from Safari, high scores from Game Center, and more. Or post a status update from Notification Center or with Siri.

Post a web link to Facebook right from the web page.

Keep your friends’ information handy and never miss another birthday or get-together — Facebook integrates your friends’ contact info into Contacts and birthdays and other events into Calendar.

The Like button is now part of iTunes and the App Store. So you can Like songs, albums, shows, movies, and apps. And there's no need to leave whatever app you’re in to do it.

Now you can share just the photos you want, with just the people you choose. Simply select photos from the Photos app, tap the Share button, choose who you want to share your photos with, and they’re on their way. Friends using iCloud on an iOS 6 device or a Mac running Mountain Lion get the photos delivered immediately in the Photos app or iPhoto.3 You can even view shared photo streams on Apple TV. If the folks you're sharing with aren’t using an Apple device, they can view your photos on the web. People can like individual photos and make comments. And you can share as much as you want: Your shared photo streams don’t count against your iCloud storage, and they work over Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

View others’ comments and leave one of your own.

Get alerts when friends and family share photos.

Set up a web album to share your photo streams.

Your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more are now all in one place. With Passbook, you can scan your iPhone or iPod touch to check in for a flight, get into a movie, and redeem a coupon. You can also see when your coupons expire, where your concert seats are, and the balance left on that all-important coffee bar card. Wake your iPhone or iPod touch, and passes appear on your Lock screen at the appropriate time and place — like when you reach the airport or walk into the store to redeem your gift card or coupon. And if your gate changes after you’ve checked in for your flight, Passbook will even alert you to make sure you’re not relaxing in the wrong terminal.

FaceTime now works over cellular networks as well as Wi-Fi, so you can make and receive FaceTime calls wherever you happen to be.4 You can even make and receive FaceTime calls on your iPad using your phone number. That means you can use FaceTime wherever you are, on any device. And never miss another wink, smile, air kiss, or eye roll.

iOS 6 adds new calling features to your iPhone. Now when you decline an incoming call, you can instantly reply with a text message or set a callback reminder. And when things are just too hectic, turn on Do Not Disturb and you won’t be bothered by anyone — except can’t-miss contacts like your boss or your better half.

Redesigned with a more streamlined interface for easier reading and writing, Mail in iOS 6 lets you set up a VIP list so you’ll never miss an important message from your accountant, your boss, or your BFF.5 It’s even easier to add photos and videos to email messages. And to refresh your mailboxes, all you have to do is swipe down.

Your VIP list is iCloud enabled, so Mom will still be a VIP no matter which iOS device you’re using.

Add photos and videos to email messages with just a few taps.

iOS 6 brings even better web browsing to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iCloud Tabs keeps track of which pages you have open on your devices, so you can start browsing on one device and pick up right where you left off on whatever device is handy. Safari now saves web pages — not just links — in your Reading List, so you can catch up on your reading even when you can’t connect to the Internet.6 And when you’re posting a photo or video to eBay, Craigslist, or another site, you can take photos and video — or choose from your Camera Roll — without leaving Safari. When you really want to see the whole picture, turn your iPhone or iPod touch to landscape and tap the full-screen icon to view web pages without distractions.

Take websites full screen with a tap.

Pick up browsing wherever you left off.

Full web pages — not just links — are saved in your Reading List.

iOS 6 comes with even more features to make it easier for people with vision, hearing, learning, and mobility disabilities to get the most from their iOS devices. Guided Access helps students with disabilities such as autism remain on task and focused on content. It allows a parent, teacher, or administrator to limit an iOS device to one app by disabling the Home button, as well as restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen. VoiceOver, the revolutionary screen reader for blind and low-vision users, is now integrated with Maps, AssistiveTouch, and Zoom. And Apple is working with top manufacturers to introduce Made for iPhone hearing aids that will deliver a power-efficient, high-quality digital audio experience.7

Restrict touch input to certain areas of the screen.

It happens. You misplace your iPhone or your iPad or your iPod touch. Luckily, iOS 6 and iCloud now offer Lost mode, making it even easier to use Find My iPhone to locate and protect a missing device.8 Immediately lock your missing iPhone with a four-digit passcode and send it a message displaying a contact number. That way a good Samaritan can call you from your Lock screen without accessing the rest of the information on your iPhone. And while in Lost mode, your device will keep track of where it’s been and report back to you any time you check in with the Find My iPhone app.

Find My Friends is a great way to share locations with friends and family.8 Those who share their locations with you appear on a map so you can quickly see where they are and what they’re up to. And with iOS 6, you can get location-based alerts — like when your kids leave school or arrive home. Find My Friends can also notify others about your location, so you can stay connected or keep track of the ones you love.

iOS 6 brings a new kind of shopping experience to the redesigned iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore. See the best of what’s new in music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books at the top of each store’s home page. Browse with a swipe of your finger and tap to learn more. Keep track of the music, movies, and TV shows you previewed by tapping the History button, and when you’re ready, tap Buy to add something to your collection. With iCloud, your preview history is always up to date on all your devices. So you can start shopping on your iPhone and continue on your iPad. And now you can buy your favorite music, apps, and more without leaving the app you’re in.

With improved text input and built-in support for popular Chinese Internet services, iOS 6 makes iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch even better for Chinese-speaking users. With a new Chinese dictionary and improved text input, typing in Chinese is easier, faster, and more accurate. You can mix full and abbreviated Pinyin and even type English words in a Pinyin sentence without switching keyboards. With support for over 30,000 characters, iOS 6 more than doubles the number of Chinese characters supported in handwriting recognition. And when you add words to your personal dictionary, iCloud makes them available on all your devices. Baidu is a built-in option in Safari, and you can share videos directly to Youku and Tudou. You can also post to Sina Weibo from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari, and Game Center.

View the original article here

iBuyPower rides new Valkyrie line of gaming laptops

iBUYPOWER's New Valkyrie Gaming Laptop Delivers Mobile Gaming Domination

iBUYPOWER Launches New Valkyrie Gaming Laptop Series with Valkyrie CZ-17

El Monte, CA – June 15, 2012 – iBUYPOWER is poised to release its all new Valkyrie line of signature series gaming laptops. The Valkyrie series represents a new direction for iBUYPOWER's mobile offering, breaking away from generic "whiteboxes" and featuring unique designs and technologies exclusive to iBUYPOWER. Valkyrie's breakaway design features sleek angles and a backlit top panel.

The iBUYPOWER Valkyrie gaming laptops are designed for gamers and spec'd for domination. The first entry in the Valkyrie series is the iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17, a new 17" gaming laptop that features NVIDIA GeForce 600 series graphics and the latest 3rd Generation Intel Core i7 processors, easily placing the Valkyrie CZ-17 among the most powerful gaming laptops currently in existence. The Valkyrie CZ-17 also features Killer networking technology, with a built-in Killer LAN E2200 module to cut down on game-killing latency. In addition, the new iBUYPOWER Valkyrie gaming laptop supports configurations of up to two SSDs or HDDs for extreme storage performance and lightning fast load speeds.

The new iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 Gaming laptop is designed for an immersive gaming experience. The gaming laptop's keyboard features a backlight and highlighted 'WASD' and arrow gaming keys for high visibility in low-light gaming environments. In addition, the Valkyrie delivers brilliant detailed visuals and immersive sound with a full HD 1920x1080 17.3" LED-backlit anti-glare screen, and THX TruSound PRO audio system.

The iBUYPOWER Valkyrie gaming laptop series also delivers on iBUYPOWER's Signature Series values, combining unique design with full configurability and maximum price-performance value. Customers can configure the iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 with a number of upgrades, including SSDs, advanced Intel 3rd Generation Core i7 CPUs, and up to 32GB DDR3 memory. The Valkyrie CZ-17 also offers surprising value, coming in at a starting price of $1,299, beating many similarly configured competitors.

This new system comes hot on the heels of the new signature desktop, the Chimera 4SE, showcased at Major League Gaming's Spring Championships at Anaheim, CA last weekend. iBUYPOWER is the Official Gaming PC provider for Major League Gaming, North America's largest eSports tournament. New iBUYPOWER Valkyrie CZ-17 gaming laptops are available for customization and purchase in the United States and Canada. Customers looking to configure a new Valkyrie CZ-17 gaming laptop can go to www.ibuypower.com/valkyrie.

View the original article here

Roomba 790's Wireless Command Center lets you obliterate dirt from afar

By Brian Heater posted Jun 19th 2012 6:00AM

iRobot is calling the latest Roomba its "most advanced robot yet," thanks to a number of new features to the 700 series that extend beyond the 790's redesigned faceplate. Chief amongst them is the Wireless Command Center, an oblong remote control useable from anywhere in the home that lets users steer the Roomba, send it back to its base, schedule a cleaning and adjust its clock. There's also a big "Clean" button, whose functionality seems fairly straight forward. Also on board with the 790 is room-to-room navigation, which utilizes "Virtual Wall Lighthouses." Roomba describes the feature thusly,

[A]djust to Lighthouse, set the distance of the door opening and place the Virtual Wall Lighthouse outside of the doorway to the room you want Roomba to clean. The Lighthouse will communicate with Roomba via an infrared sensor to contain it in one room until it vacuums the area completely (aka: completes its mission) and then it will move on to the next room and so forth.

The latest version of the cleaning machine is available today, for a suggested $700. Check out a peak of the aforementioned Command Center after the break.

View the original article here