Nexus 7 official travel cover review

Our Nexus 7 official travel cases have arrived, and of course we want to share some quick thoughts and impressions with you guys, The gray travel case has so far been pretty difficult to get, as they would disappear from Google Play as soon as they appeared it seemed. Late last week we jumped in and ordered a couple as soon as they became available, and they arrived very well packaged in this afternoon's UPS run.

Once you crack it open, you'll find a very bland dark grey TPU case with a folding cover. We're not complaining -- in fact I prefer the nondescript and subtle grey color -- but if you're looking for something fancy or colorful you'll need to look elsewhere or wait for the leaked cases we saw yesterday to appear for sale. What you get here is a plain, yet very protective piece to keep your shiny new Nexus 7 shiny and new. 

The case is form-fitting, and easily slips on and off the tablet. The ample cut-outs provide easy access to the ports, microphones (there's two) and external speaker assembly. The edges and corners wrap around to keep the case from coming off when you don't want it to come off, and the familiar raised TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) blocks are present so you can find and operate the volume and power switches. Of course, the full-face cover will keep the screen of your Nexus 7 from getting scarred up while in a bag or backpack. Unfortunately, there is no magnet embedded to activate the switch and power on the tablet when the cover is opened. I'm searching amazon for supplies to cut and insert one of my own, and I'll be sure to get that in the forums if and when I find out more.

The only real drawback of these cases is the price. One will set you back $30 after shipping, and it's very likely that you'll be able to find a more inexpensive option on Amazon or even locally sourced. These are manufactured by ASUS, and OEM equipment, so we expect to pay a bit extra. Price aside, they do seem like a great way to keep your Nexus 7 from getting scratched and otherwise damaged, and are worth considering if you prefer a simple, utilitarian option. Hit the break for a short video hands-on and a handful of pictures, and if you're interested in buying you'll find a link to Google Play below.

Order the Nexus 7 travel case from Google Play

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/k57poRFE2i4/story01.htm

SYNTEL SYNTAXBRILLIAN SYNOPSYS SYNNEX

Mixer: Network at Events without the Agony

Polite nods, furtive glances around the room, the automatic exchange of business cards: you must be suffering through another networking event. Almost everyone has felt the agony of networking, and startups are trying to relieve it: from general people discovery apps like Highlight and Sonar, to event networking apps like Double Dutch, CrowdCompass, and Beepmo....

Source: http://techcocktail.com/mixer-network-events-agony-2012-07

KEY JDS UNIPHASE JDA SOFTWARE GROUP JACK HENRY and ASSOCIATES

What Siri foretells for the future of semantic search

Siri is a step forward for iOS users who can use the virtual assistant to set reminders and send messages, but for developer and entrepreneur Ndav Gur, Siri represents more. "Siri has made strong headway into literally understanding you (voice to text) but more importantly about deriving meaning from what a user has just said," Gur writes in a recent TechCrunch post.

What makes Siri exciting is its ability to support natural language now and semantic search in the future. Semantic search moves us away from keyword-based search and into queries based on concepts. Using semantic search, users get knowledge as a result, instead of just information. It's like asking about the weather and getting advice on what to wear, instead of just the local temperature.

Siri is ahead of the game in this arena and is such an "existential threat" to Google's keyword search that Google has recently announced that it's working on its own semantic search algorithm. Gur is the founder and CEO of Desti, a company that created its own virtual personal assistant for travelers. You can read more about Siri and semantic search in his guest post on TechCrunch.

Continue reading What Siri foretells for the future of semantic search

What Siri foretells for the future of semantic search originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/31/what-siri-foretells-for-the-future-of-semantic-search/

KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY COMPANY KEY JDS UNIPHASE JDA SOFTWARE GROUP

Final Draft Reader for iPad hopes to replace paper scripts

For over 15 years, the film industry has been undergoing a steady transition to digital. First it was editing that was primarily affected, as programs like Avid Media Composer and Final Cut Pro offered better alternatives than reel-to-reel cutting. Next came shooting on digital video, instead of physical film. But perhaps the last film production holdout to make the leap from physical to digital is the paper script.

Sure, since the 1990s there has been screenwriting software, but even those scripts needed to be printed out so cast members could do table reads and production staffers could carry the scripts around with them on sets. All that's set to change, though, thanks to Final Draft Reader for iPad.

Final Draft Reader is just that, an iPad reader for your Final Draft scripts. However, in the way the app handles your scripts on the iPad, they behave just like printed drafts. Final Draft Reader displays scripts on your iPad exactly as you would see them in printed form. They are paginated perfectly to industry standards. When you open the app you can select from all the scripts you've imported. Tapping on one opens the script and you can then proceed to swipe from one page to the next (alá how you turn pages in iBooks -- cool page flip animations and all).

In addition to simply reading the script, you can also highlight one or more characters' lines (helpful for table-reads), and add notes with the tap of your finger. A lot of thought went into making this app for its target audience: cast and production crew (in the image above, cast members of From The Grave do their first paperless table read). You can see a complete list of Final Draft Reader's features here.

Final Draft has even added some nice eye candy, like the realistic pulpy-looking background of the pages. Share options include email, printing, and Dropbox sharing all from within the app. The only negative I see with the app is its lack of iCloud's Documents in the Cloud support, but hopefully Final Draft will add that soon.

Final Draft Reader is a great tool that will help eliminate the need to print out paper scripts (and reprint them every time there is a little change). I highly recommend it for anyone who is in the film industry. And fear not, though Final Draft Reader is just that -- a reader for scripts written in Final Draft for OS X or Windows -- the company is planning on releasing a full iPad editing tool, Final Draft Writer for iPad, later this year. Final Draft Reader is available in the App Store for $19.99.

Gallery: Final Draft Reader for iPad

Final Draft Reader for iPad hopes to replace paper scripts originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 29 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/29/final-draft-reader-for-ipad-hopes-to-replace-paper-scripts/

PLANAR SYSTEMS PEROT SYSTEMS PALM OSI SYSTEMS

APP OF THE DAY: London 2012 "Results" for iOS, BB and Android

Who won what, where and when

It's here, and love it or hate it, you can't avoid the Olympics now. Nor will you be able to for the next six weeks. But if you are interested, and there are plenty who are, then you'll probably be keen to stay up to date with the results.

So enter the London 2012 Results app, which is available on iOS, Android and BlackBerry for free. Our review is based on the Android version, and we haven't spent any time with it on the other platforms.

London 2012 "results"

Platform

BlackBerry, iOS and Android

Price

Free

Where

App World iTunes Google Play

It has to be said, first up, that the Results app isn't as much fun as the Get Involved app. This little program serves one purpose only, and that's to give you the results to every single sporting event happening at the Olympics and Paralympics. No matter what the sport, you'll find it all here, and what's more, you'll find it without having to hunt around too much.

Likely to be of most interest is the "Live" option. Here, you'll be able to see scores and rankings in any sport that's currently being played. This is good if you're nowhere near a TV and are desperate to know how team GB is doing - or your other choice of team! You'll also find that there's a live feed from the social media output of the games here too, as well as images from events. This is by far our favourite part of the app.

You can also see a full schedule of events, along with their results there's a list of sports too, so if you're a beach volleyball nut, you don't need to waste your time looking at the basketball happenings.

For those keen on specific athletes, you can keep tabs on them too. There's biographical data here, past wins, and current performance. We like this, because obviously there are lots and lots of athletes competing, and it's great to have access to them all. We do somewhat wish the images were a little larger, as the data is quite dry and there isn't much life in this section, although there no doubt could be, as athletes usually have something interesting to say.

And there's the My Games area too. Here you can get info about your team, the default is, as you might expect, Great Britain, but the first time you load the app you are asked who you want to track. Then, in here, you get news about your team's performance reminders about events and the opportunity to buy some Olympic-branded tat.

It might not be the most exciting app ever, but for providing results of sports over the Olympics and Paralympics, it's really bang on the money!

Tags: App of the day Apps BlackBerry apps Android apps iPhone apps

                 

APP OF THE DAY: London 2012 "Results" for iOS, BB and Android originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:06:00 +0100

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/46693/london-2012-results-app-review

KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY COMPANY KEY JDS UNIPHASE JDA SOFTWARE GROUP

iPhone 5: More parts pieced together in pics and video

See the supposed new iPhone

More purported new iPhone 5 leaks have emerged, this time in a video that shows all the parts being assembled, albeit without the phone’s innards.

The video shows what is alleged to be the housing of the new Apple device – expected to be unveiled this autumn – and supports a number of claims to various new features that we’ll be seeing in the iPhone 5.

For example, the back case has a brushed-metal, two-tone colour effect, while the front-facing camera has indeed been moved to the centre of the phone, sitting directly above the earpiece.?At the bottom of the phone, the much-discussed mini dock?connector sits inbetween two speakers.

The iPhone 5 is already thought to be in production, with some claiming the phone will be unveiled as early as 21 September. The new iPhone 5 will be the first Apple handset to be launched since the death of former CEO Steve Jobs.

?

Read

Tags: Phones iPhone iPhone 5 Apple

         

iPhone 5: More parts pieced together in pics and video originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:10:00 +0100

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/46698/iphone-five-parts-pieced-together-in-video

NETGEAR NCR NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

That’s Moby Dickulous! Collins Dictionary Crowdsources New Words

Amidst the hoolyhalley of the party, a young Twitterati was seen shmoodling with a technoramus, explaining the ins and outs of techtiquette while batting her loveaceous lashes. If armchair lexicographers have their way, all those words could make it into the Collins Dictionary. Collins (a division of HarperCollins) is in the midst of a new...

Source: http://techcocktail.com/collins-dictionary-crowdsources-new-words-2012-07

ASML HOLDING ASUSTEK COMPUTER ATandT AUTODESK

“Flights. Camera. Action.” Win Up To 80 Flights Courtesy of American Airlines

Would your business benefit from 80 round-trip tickets on American Airlines? Today, American Airlines kicked off their second annual “Flights. Camera. Action.” promotion, and this year’s top prize is worth 160,000 BusinessExrAA points (redeemable for up to 80 flights).  Additionally, companies are awarded prizes at each subsequent level of the contest.  For example, the first 400 companies to enter get a...

Source: http://techcocktail.com/flights-camera-action-win-up-to-80-round-trip-flights-courtesy-of-american-airlines-2012-07

EARTHLINK DST SYSTEMS DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES DIODES INORATED

iTranslate Voice HD comes to the iPad with lots of features

I've looked at some translation apps before, and it seems each time I review a new one I see increased capabilities and better performance. iTranslate Voice has available on the iPhone for awhile, and now it has come to the iPad in an HD edition.

Like its smaller sibling, iTranslate Voice HD can translate 31 languages both directions. Some of the 31 are variations or dialects of one language, like Spanish, that appears in Mexican, Spanish and US versions.

Operation is simple. Speak into the iPad microphone in your language, and out comes the selected language in your choice of a male or female voice. Another nicety is that you can control the speed of the translation, which is really quite helpful when you are learning a language. You can also use the app like a dictionary, and look up words for definition. Translations can also be copied to the clipboard and mailed. For all its features, you need an internet connection because the heavy lifting of recognition and translation are done on remote servers.

If you don't want to speak, you can type your words in, or correct any recognition errors. The app is powered by Nuance speech recognition, which is also providing the same service for Apple's Siri. The translations themselves are done by Microsoft.

Gallery: iTranslate Voice HD for iPad

In my testing, things went pretty well. My high school German came back as reasonable English, and my tests with English to Spanish looked solid. Speed is very good, so if you are in a foreign country or speaking with a non-English person, you can move along with a conversation reasonably fast.

iTranslate Voice HD is on sale for a short introductory price of US$0.99. Of course Google Translate is free and supports 64 languages, but I've had some network issues with it and it doesn't seem as smooth and feature rich as iTranslate Voice HD.

The iPhone version of this app is separate, so you have to buy again for the iPhone. If I was traveling, the iPhone version would make more sense, with only the larger and louder speaker on the iPad making sense of the idea of carrying an iPad around. Either version of the app works well, as long as they cover the languages you need.

iTranslate Voice HD comes to the iPad with lots of features originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/27/itranslate-voice-hd-comes-to-the-ipad-with-lots-of-features/

SYMANTEC SYKES ENTERPRISES INORATED SYBASE SUN MICROSYSTEMS

More early iPad and iPhone prototype images emerge

Kickstand anyone?

The court proceedings between Apple and Samsung have again thrown up more early prototype images of the iPad – complete with kickstand – but this time we also get an insight into what the iPhone 4 might have been, too.?

From the images we can see that Apple toyed with several different concepts for the iPhone 4 back in 2010 when it tried to revamp the design of previous models.?

While the hexagonal-shaped design certainly draws a second glance, the straight-edged variant has a thick metallic border that is something of an eyesore. Give us the rounded edges and larger display any day.

As for the iPad, well it would appear that Apple gave serious consideration to including a built-in kickstand. If you listen carefully you’ll be able to hear hundreds of Apple iPad accessory manufacturers breathing a sigh of relief that they didn’t.

While the Apple and Samsung “he said, she said” debacle has been a rather ugly affair, Pocket-lint has to admit that it’s been intriguing to see what might have been.

Read

Tags: Tablets Apple iPad Samsung iPhone iPhone 4

                 

More early iPad and iPhone prototype images emerge originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:37:00 +0100

Source: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/46675/early-iphone-ipad-prototypes-emerge

FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR INTERNATIONAL FAIR ISAAC FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS F5 NETWORKS