Thursday, May 26, 2011

Amazon launches competitor to the Mac App Store



Amazon launches competitor to the Mac App Store. Like Downloads available from the Mac Store you can download the software for an apple branded computers. Among the applications available for sale can find Microsoft Office 2011, Toast, both absent for the moment the Mac App Store.

The software library includes 250 titles from Amazon is much less than that of Apple. It is more like that found in the Mac store shelves. Also on the menu: many games signed Feral Interactive, Aspyr, or Electronic Arts.


The user experience offered by Amazon is less polished than that suggested Apple. The company selling online provides a download manager. The user must take care against the facility. On the other hand, there is no mechanism for automatic updating like the Mac App Store.

As on the Mac App Store, you can re-download previously purchased software on the Mac Download Store. Amazon offers more flexibility for publishers; they can decide how many positions on which a license may be installed. To celebrate the promotion of its new service, Amazon is offering a coupon for $ 5 valid until June 1st.

For now, this service is available in the United States. It is in some sense for Amazon to becoming a major player in the world of digital music stores.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

XPS 15z: a MacBook Pro with Dell



Dell has unveiled its new notebook, the XPS 15z whose design has benefited from the experience gained with the deceased family Adamo, at the time inspired by the MacBook Air. This time the resemblance is rather to pick the side of the MacBook Pro. Engadget suggests that a test does not make a mistake; it presents these two machines together.
Contrary to what we thought, this notebook displays an identical weight (2.51 kg) than the laptop from Apple and it's barely thicker (2.41 cm 2.4 cm cons ...). On the form as there are similarities. A regular on the Mac does not confuse, but the PC user, seduced by the design of the MacBook Pro, may find his account.

This XPS 15z is made of aluminum and magnesium (around the keyboard), unlike the unibody construction and all aluminum Apple (hence a slightly softer touch of the hull). Speakers placed on either side of the keyboard (backlit, but without intensity adjustment) are similar to those furiously MacBook Pro, although Apple, through its micro-laser perforation was successful in producing much finer grids and discrete. Look familiar also on the distribution of ports or the charging battery (coarser him too). But everything seems more highlighted than at Apple. And the shiny metallic border was chic (and again ...) two years ago, at the time of iPhone 3G / S



The definition of the screen (glossy) is 1366x768 or 1920x1080 depending on the option. Apple offers the standard 1440x900 and 1680x1050 as an option. Engadget talks about a screen with beautiful images, but with very poor viewing angles. On the other physical details, the keyboard is held, the large multi-touch track pad, however, is sometimes more capricious in the detection of certain gestures.

This PC is equipped with basic version of a dual-core i5 (MacBook Pro 15 "are all now Core i7 Quad option absent from Dell) to 2.3 GHz, 6 GB RAM (4 only in Apple), a GeForce GT525M / 1 GB hard disk of 750 GB at 7200 rpm (a speed option from Apple) and three USB ports and Mini Display Port. No Blue-ray but a standard DVD burner.

The version tested by Engadget was equipped with the optional 2.7 GHz Core i7 Dual Core with 8 GB of RAM and 2 GB on the graphics card. This brings the price of $ 1000 to $ 1,534 ($ 1,800 for the first MacBook Pro 15 "Core i7 Quad 2 GHz). On the performance, the Core i7 Quad MacBook Pro puts forward, and it is the same independently. Instead of 8am advanced by Dell, Engadget has instead obtained between 4:30 to 3:40 ET continuous video playback and Wi-Fi enabled. On the same test, the MacBook Pro had held almost 7:30 ...


Conclusion of the site deal with this distant cousin of the MacBook Pro is a good choice given its price ($ 999 and as much in Euros), but there's nothing shocking. We also see that the price is certainly attractive compared to a MacBook Pro but the difference is not just about margins. It is also found in the performances of each other. Apple is paying more, but we found it in performance and battery life.

Dell said he learned a lot of design and marketing of its Adamo. It had made a break, offering a design that we would not have imagined possible in the Texas manufacturer. However, it was abandoned after two years. With hindsight, Dell believes it went too far, with a successful machine physically, but sold too expensive (even the MacBook Air was better positioned) as the company seeks a wider audience "The People liked the design, quality, design and finish, but they were frustrated that it is an expensive computer, because he did not perform as it was entitled to expect given its price "said Ed Boyd, vice president of experience design group.

This trade would still have been missed beneficial in that it has changed the habits and participated in house to give another image of Dell. The design is more honored; studies are conducted with customers on their expectations about their practices in computer and compared with earlier phones Smart phones. A collection of data utilized to determine the next machine. This may be a new approach for Dell, but almost opposite to that which Apple claims it to avoid asking their advice to clients.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Windows 7 Phone theme for iPhone and iPod Touch!

I'm not used to relay this information, but I think it might interest you. A theme available on Cydia proposes to transform the interface of the iPod Touch interface "Metro" Windows Phone 7.



Launched in October 2010, Windows 7 Phone successor to Windows Mobile offers an innovative interface (which includes the Zune's HD that I presented in summer 2009). Given the success of this mobile OS, WyndWarrior, a member of the community Modmyi decide to bring this interface to the IOS.

All the views of the IOS (excluding applications) are modified to use the features of Metro. Thus the Springboard disappears and gives way to a main menu that displays a list of thumbnails. These vignettes are dynamic and are updated by applications (for example when receiving an email, the sticker "Mail" actualized).

It is easily possible to pin an application to be featured on the home screen.

The result is pretty impressive! The interface is fluid and we really feel like being in front of a Windows 7 Phone:

The theme is available for free on Cydia on the official source Modmyi. Installation does not require going through Winterboard. The theme is in beta but is stable enough to be installed.

Installing the theme "OS7"

* Backboard install from Cydia
* Create a backup with the default button "add" (to avoid nasty surprises)
* Go to the URL: backboard: / / http://wyndrepo.googlecode.com/files/OS7Beta.zip
Apputez "Yes" and wait for full download
* Select Backboard since OS7, click Install and do a respring.

Apple unveils iPad 2: an evolution than a revolution

After months of waiting for fans of tray, and much speculation, Steve Jobs introduced Wednesday a new generation of iPad: iPad 2. On sick leave since last January, he eventually became the conductor of this keynote.



As usual, Steve Jobs first pointed out the success of the company: 100 million iPhones sold since its launch, 200 million customer accounts (App Store, iTunes and iBooks confused) and 100 million books downloaded on iBooks. And for the first generation of the iPad, it is neither more nor less than 15 million iPad already passed!

You said power?

The iPad 2 adopts a new processor, double heart, Apple A5 successor to the current A4 processor built into the iPhone 4. Technically, the A5 is based on the architecture of the Cortex-A9, ARM.



Each heart is clocked at 1 GHz, which allows Apple to announce an iPad twice as fast without sacrificing battery life, which remains unchanged. And about video games, the iPad would be 9 times faster!

The first grip velocity confirm this and note a marked improvement against the first generation.



Gyroscope and cameras

This new model takes almost the same improvements that the iPod Touch 4. Thus it inherits a gyroscope and two cameras, one front Booster (VGA), and one that can capture video in HD (720p).

However, purchasers of the iPad 2 would be equally disappointed that the owners of the iPod Touch 4 quality photos of cameras. It would be the same optical view of the technical constraints to the thickness.

A new design

It is lighter and above 33% thinner (13.4 mm against 8.8 mm). To give you an idea, the iPod Touch 4 has a thickness of only 7.2 mm. Two colors: black or white.



The iPad 2 will be sold March 11 in the U.S. and March 25 in other countries. Regarding rates, no change to note compared to the previous generation (first prize of 499 €). Note that the first generation is still on sale at the Apple Store and it will cost you more than an arm to get it. WiFi 16 GB version is sold at 389 €.

The iPod Touch will use the HDMI adapter iPad 2

On the occasion of the presentation of the iPad 2, Apple has unveiled a new accessory dedicated initially to the iPad: HDMI adapter that connects an iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone to a screen (HDMI compatible monitors or televisions) .



Connected to the iPad 2, the adapter can display the entire screen on a SpringBoard compatible HD in real time. This feature called "video mirroring" is however concerned by the first generation iPhone and iPod Touch, mainly because of a hardware limitation related to the processor (A4 chip for the iPhone 4G / iTouch and A5 dual-core for iPad 2).

Without this feature, the adapter can still display on an HD display some native applications. We can then view videos or podcasts from application "Video," presentations or photo slideshows.


Apple impels consumers to purchase the iPad 2 to enjoy the adapter and the features. One can imagine led conferences from an application repeated on a video projector, or display photo albums on HD television from a friend from a simple iPod Touch! The iPad 2 supports 1080p HD format but can not deliver videos beyond 720p. A 720p video signal is run on other iDevices. There is also support for 5.1 sound in Dolby Surround. The orientation of the accelerometer and iDevice are taken into account by the adapter and transcribed on the screen.

The adapter plugs into the dock connector of iDevices, and has two outputs: one HDMI port and a dock connector for recharging.



Available in France and 25 other countries for 39 € (the USB charging cable is supplied in the pack).