Galaxy Pocket announced for German market

After the Samsung S5300 Pocket Galaxy in early March for the Scandinavian region announced , has now followed by the data for Germany. According to the manufacturer, the entry-level smartphone is available in this country for a few days.

The street price is currently with around 100 € already well below the listed retail price of Samsung in the amount of 199 €. Still incomplete, the data on installed equipment, information on the amount of RAM, Samsung is still not. In the remaining, previously communicated details have not changed.

Picture Gallery: “Galaxy Pocket”

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The Galaxy Pocket features a 2.8 inch display with 320 × 240 pixels, a 832 MHz fast single-core SOC as well as a three gigabytes of internal memory. This can be extended by up to 32 GB via microSD card. Photos can be shot with two megapixel video at 320 × 240 pixels. The battery of 104.0 × 58.0 × 11.9 mm wide and 97-gram smartphone has a capacity of 1200 mAh. The aim of talk time over 15 hours to be possible, the maximum standby time is given over 500 hours.

To transmit data ready HSPA-capable cellular modem – maximum of 3.2 megabits per second downstream – and Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n) and Bluetooth 3.0. The operating system is not announced Android 2.3 along with TouchWiz essay, an update to version 4.0.

Monitoring is driving more users to VPN services

The discussion and introduction of new laws and measures to monitor the Internet use is driving more and more users to the providers of anonymizing services. Especially among younger users might be a subscription with the next VPN vendors will soon come as standard.

The current study showed the Cyber ​​Norms Research Group of the University of Lund in Sweden. In the country, the number of those who take action to protect their anonymity on the Internet, quickly – even if the proportion of the population of Internet users is still relatively low.

According to the study are currently 700 000 Sweden but already subscribed to a paid VPN service. Within the last 2.5 years – at that time was already a similar study carried out – after all, this represents an increase of 40 percent.

In particular, younger users take active initiative to protect themselves from monitoring. There are now 200,000 users in the age group between 15 and 25 client to a VPN service provider. Since the last survey their share of the entire group of customers has grown from 10 to 15 percent.

The sociologist Måns Svensson, who oversaw preparation of the study, believes that this is only the beginning of the development. Every other law that restricts the free use of facilities of the network – whether they be stricter regulations on file sharing or the European debate on data retention – would ensure that more people turn to the operators of anonymizing services.

But not only is file sharing, according to Svensson, a driving force. Also, the increasing surveillance of users by private companies like Google and Facebook play in the deliberations of the user an increasingly important role, it said.

Nokia Asha 302, análisis

Nokia is characterized by trying to cover all market needs. With the brand Asha (Hope in Hindi) mobile Internet closer to the developing countries and, incidentally, introduced into our market very cheap terminals and more or less competitive in what they offer.

Today we look at the Nokia Asha 302, which was launched in late February during MWC 2012 . Halfway between what we meant by smartphone in 2007 and what we understand now, the Nokia 302 offers HSPA and physical keyboard to the employer need to be aware of the email or the user is always connected to their social networks.

Design and QWERTY keyboard

The Nokia 302 is Asha almost a relic of the Nokia E72 and the rest of the series E. Almost extinct because “Asha” means low cost, while “E” were more elegant and conveyed a feeling of greater strength (in addition to moving Symbian, while Asha runs S40). But after all the 302 is a bar phone format with physical QWERTY keyboard.

The Asha 302 is sold in cyan, magenta, white, gold and gray (the latter is the one we tested). Is plastic, with edges and a rear cover metallic metal (copper tone, in the case of gray). The screen is 2.4 inches (no touchscreen) with 320 × 240 pixels. The phone is very light, but rather thick (99 g, 116.5 × 55.7 × 13.9 mm).

The QWERTY keyboard is well settled and is not uncomfortable. Of course, the learning curve suffers with toes like mine, rather than a BlackBerry Curve for example. In the middle of the phone have a scroll cursor, call buttons and hang up, the options, and shortcuts to email and contacts.

S40 and 1 GHz processor

The operating system 302 is S40 Asha, an adaptation for an entirely new series. It is the same as always, with the iconography of Symbian Anna and little new. Among the most interesting, the social functions that enumerate below and Mail for Exchange supports Microsoft Exchange for email and calendar.

Many users will be in his element with the old Series 40, but coming from a post-iPhone will go through three or four days of ordeal. Okay, I exaggerate, but you have to get used to take twice as long to find an option, as many menus where you have to move with the cursor and so many confirmations to connect to a network.

The specifications of the Nokia 302 Asha surprise we found a 1 GHz processor. Maybe Nokia will use this chipset suited for production issues, but it appears that S40 comes large. The system is fluid, as expected, but the phone’s autonomy is weak compared to other S40 or a BlackBerry in the same range (I consider to be direct competition), we will use it every day or two.

MIT students ‘hack’ building and playing Tetris

Students of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have a university building on the weekend “hacked” and gambled with the help of the classic game Tetris window. According to the company this was for the MIT hackers of the “Holy Grail of hacks”.

How the MIT blog ‘ Interesting Hacks To Fascinate People ‘(IHTFP) writes, could the now chopped building, green building, known as the Holy Grail of hacks, as his side “a wonderful grid” offer to the blocks classics play them on your computer.

MIT students hack building and playing Tetris

Building Tetris aficionados may note here that the idea has already been implemented almost exactly twelve years ago by students at Brown University in Rhode Iceland (east coast). However, this had the approval of the university, while the MIT-hours not be asked for permission. Even back in 1995 were Dutch students of the University of Delft, the same idea, but it also had an official OK.

For the MIT hackers that was claims to be the ‘Holy Grail of Hacks’

An original price, the MIT students that is not winning but rather, the most beautiful “building-Tetris” implementation is, however, clear to them. Because of the fact itself is IM Pei, one originating from China American architect, designed perfectly for high-rise Tetris, also managed the MIT hackers put the whole thing in color.

Skeumorfismo: what it is and why Apple is taking

Skeumorfismo. Rare word where they exist, of which always are highlighted as incorrect in text editors and require us to stop a moment to learn how to pronounce it correctly. And what’s with the skeumorfismo? Its definition is being developed strict / derivative that maintains details of the original design in order to make it more familiar. It comes from the Greek words skeuos (tool or container) and morphe (shape).

In the field that interests us, the electronics industry ecosystem focused on Apple’s skeumorfismo is now very prevalent. The best thing for everyone is to understand a few examples, because almost without realizing the skeumorfismo has become part of everyday life in both OS X and iPhone OS. Especially since the advent of OS X Lion.

From simple to more complicated but more intuitive and friendly

You will understand immediately the significance of revising the transformation skeumorfismo have had several applications for OS X. Do you remember the way he looked in Snow Leopard Photo Booth? Refresh our memory:

A simple window and functional, simple, committed to his purpose. But with the advent of OS X Lion Photo Booth and full-screen applications, Photo Booth underwent a transformation:

Photo Booth on OS X Lion: a photo booth captured in pixels.
That’s what the skeumorfismo. Before Photo Booth had a more simple but not at all like a booth taking pictures. With OS X Lion interface becomes literally one of those cabins. It is not necessary and perhaps lose that minimalism that we like some, but makes an application much more user friendly, easier to understand.

Other examples include applications on the agenda and schedule, that have come to look like an agenda and a real calendar, in the latter case even with the top imitation leather cover and tear of paper stating the months above who have “pulled” from the calendar. Some hated the change in their day , but it is part of the design of OS X like it or not. The Agenda also happened to be a classic window system to be literally an open book showing all our contacts. The appearance from IOS is exactly the same.

And Mountain Lion OS X will increase the effect: the application of independent Mail notes to look like post-its, and implementation of reminders has all the earmarks of being one of those notebooks notes sheet and present in all offices before the digital revolution. Game Center, meanwhile, reminds us of the appearance of a table poker game. Just look at Apple’s promotional video to prove it.

Controversy in the profession of graphic designers

The recent application Paper, which has received rave reviews worldwide, is another example of skeumorfismo with their notebooks and pages “real” to draw.
I would love everyone to stop designing digital interfaces that resemble real ones. A screen is a wooden plank with bevel shadows.
This view, co-founder Mark Boulton Five Simple Steps could sum up the opinion of the designers about the phenomenon of skeumorfismo. No wonder, because they are seeing how Apple fails to defend the homogeneous and minimalist, simple and functional interfaces to much more varied. The price to pay is that the system loses sobriety, but the big advantage is that the market user base sees the device becomes much more intuitive and friendly.

How do you feel to you that Apple has taken the skeumorfismo in their operating systems and applications? If you see well you’re in luck, because it seems that Apple’s future goes through interfaces as close to reality as possible. If you do not like, I’m afraid it’s time to settle and miss last year. Or change the system and / or use alternative applications, of course. There’s a whole range available starting Cobook and Fantastical .

PLED TV, so does the ‘superplasma’ LG

‘Plasma? LED?, A strange combination of the two? The new display technology developed by LG and named PLED has attracted a mountain of questions about their operation, advantages and disadvantages.

First things first, PLED TVs are, as to how the image is formed, plasma TVs. In other words, the screen PLED is formed by two glass layers in which are small cells with neon gas and xenon which, when excited by an electrical pulse plasma become which makes the inner cover of the cell phosphorus shine. In other words, what we already know her as a plasma screen pure and simple.

What is the difference then the PLED? In terms of panel, PLEDs is a ‘Plasma steroid’ PLEDs cells are much smaller. In fact, each subpixel is an independent cell, and the gases are subjected containing therefore a much higher concentration. Moreover, each cell also has a much thicker layer of phosphorus.

This concentration means that it takes a lot less electricity to generate the plasma in each cell. As a result reach the first PLED advantages: Its power consumption is less than that of conventional plasma and is pretty close to what they consume LCD TVs.

By consuming less, it also generates less heat and less wear. Since at full power, a plasma TV lasts around 50,000 hours before starting to degrade. This figure is usually apportioned on what would be a normal domestic consumption. The resulting figure is about 100,000 hours, which is the figure we all know.

In the case of PLED, the highest concentration of Xenon and phosphorus increases its service life to 80,000 hours of use the wild (as in the panel of an airport, for example) or 160,000 in a home.

Autonomous pixel matte finish

LED and LCD is actually the same technology. From one to another only change the illuminated pixel. In PLED, as in the plasma, there is no backlight. Each pixel emits its own light, so the contrast is not subject to lamps that illuminate an area of several pixels. Each pixel can be turned off completely PLED while the next is lit.

This advantage is shared with the plasma that makes the PLED has better contrast ratio than the LED and not produce the phenomenon of contrails in the image due to the speed at which pixels are turned on and off is greater.

The finish LED panel also has an advantage over plasma, and it is completely flat and does not reflect glare. The very structure and characteristics of conventional plasma causes the glass is always bright. Some manufacturers attenuate this with anti-reflection layers but these layers also reduce glare and do not become completely dull as the PLED.

MSI: better overclocking cooler and configurable for HD 7000

MSI expands its graphics offerings by three so-called “Power Edition” models of the Radeon HD 7000-series. They should be distinguished in particular by a higher overclocking potential, which will allow more extensive through voltage settings and a spiked supply.

The Taiwanese company is bringing it a HD 7850, HD 7770 and HD 7750 as a Power Edition on the market and boasts such as “the first HD 7000 with Over Voltage Support”. Carried up, the voltage of GPU, memory and voltage transformers (VDDCI) can lift you above the normal level, according to GPU to achieve higher memory frequencies, respectively. Together with an improved PWM design is the overclocking potential therefore rise up to 45 percent.

R7850 2GD5/OC Power Edition (Image: MSI)
Also interesting are the cooling solutions of the newcomers: While the r7850 Power Edition of the latest “Twin Frozr IV” cooler, which is also in the R7970 Lightning is used, is used, the power Editions of R7770 and R7750 with the possibility of a to install additional fan fitted. The second axial fan can be mounted directly above the first in order to increase the air flow, but that is noisy side product only available as an option. When the MSI R7770 Power Edition also offers the option to place the auxiliary fan in addition to the standard fan so as to transform the card into a dual-fan design.

Diablo 3: On 1 May is the beta phase to end

Blizzard has announced that the beta of Diablo 3 will end fairly soon, namely 1 May Just over two weeks before the beta release of the game account and character information is reset, then have access to the forum (to publication) only Pre and Blizzard customers.

On the ‘ Battle.net ‘page for the long-awaited Hack’n'Slash PCgame developers have been the end of the beta-phase are known. We would like to thank also the same for all participants, and writes that this the “Test mastered admirably” could. It is, according to Blizzard continues, “for all the feedback that you have given us during this critical phase of development, very grateful.”

Diablo 3 – Gameplay – Witch Doctor with fire bombs ( HD version )

The beta servers, so on Tuesday 1 May go offline. This also has implications on the official Diablo 3 community site: Until the release of the game on 15 May players can create their comments and forum posts only if they have pre-ordered Diablo 3 on Battle.net or have a Starcraft 2 or World of Warcraft license.

Diablo 3 – Gameplay – The Sorceress in melee ( HD version )

The beta of Diablo 3 was launched in September 2011. However, it was initially only a select few to participate in it. Gradually, Blizzard has increased the number of participants last weekend has again sent the developer a full thrust to beta keys, could be more precise look forward to 275 000 players on a beta invitation.

Megaupload wanted to go public before the closure

Earlier this year, the U.S. authorities went into a spectacular action against the file hoster from Megaupload. The service met the now closed twice. Also, because he should have prepared at this time just a “multi-billion dollar” public offering.

The head of the Megupload Kim Schmitz aka Kim verreit the dotcom filesharing blog ‘ TorrentFreak ‘. While U.S. authorities have conducted their criminal investigations, Megaupload was trying to negotiate with the “big four” of the U.S. auditors also had one contact with several major international banks.

See also: Megaupload – Kim called dotcom indictment ‘nonsense’

Megaupload wanted to conduct a “multibillion dollar” serious so-called “initial public offering” (IPO), one of the largest technology IPOs in U.S. history. How ‘TorrentFreak’ writes, had the company around in recent years with many top lawyers, it would all Megaupload insures that the file hoster move in a legal ground, according to far were the negotiations on IPO progressed, they say.

However, a possible initial public offering was not the only option in thought. This also was a retrospective merger with an already-listed companies (or their purchase) to the debate. The “Big Four” would have the auditor, it would come so far, Megaupload “paces” investigated. This is a procedure that every company must go through before an IPO.

IrfanView: Critical security hole in a plugin

Security researcher Francis Provencher became aware of a critical vulnerability in an official plugin for image viewing software IrfanView. A new version of the plugin has been released.

The developer of IrfanView offer so-called plug-in package that can be used to integrate additional functions into the desired application. Was on systems in the past, the entire plug-in installed package version 4.33, so the users of a vulnerability is exposed.

The vulnerable plugin is used for viewing video content in the format Flashpix. Even opening a malicious file accordingly may be sufficient to inject malicious code on victims’ systems.

The announcements of the security services’ Secunia ‘According to the private security advisory released, the gap is to be regarded as very critical, as the discoverer of the gap has also published exploit code.

All users of IrfanView, which also rely on the plugin package is recommended to immediately release the aufzuspielen 4:34 Flashpix of plug-ins. About the Official Website of IrfanView is this update available for download.