USB 3.0

USB 3.0 (following Wireless USB) is the next major revision of the ubiquitous Universal Serial Bus, created in 1996 by a consortium of companies led by Intel to dramatically simplify the connection between PC and peripherals. Fast forwarding to 2012, USB 2.0 has been firmly entrenched as the de-facto interface standard in the PC world for a decade, and yet still the need for more speed by ever greater bandwidth demands again drive us to where a couple of hundred megabits per second is just not fast enough.

In 2007, Intel demonstrated SuperSpeed USB at the Intel Developer Forum. Version 1.0 of the USB 3.0 (confusing, isn't it?) specification was completed on November 17, 2008. As such, the USB Implementers Forum has taken over managing the specifications and publishes the relevant technical documents necessary to allow developers and hardware manufacturers to begin to develop products around the USB 3.0 protocol. This FAQ attempts to answer the most common questions we receive from readers like you regarding the next gen. interface.

Improvements
In a nutshell, USB 3.0 promises the following:

•     Higher transfer rates (up to 4.8Gbps)
•     Increased maximum bus power
•     New power management features
•     Full-duplex data transfers
•     Support for new transfer types
•     Backward USB 2.0 compatibility
•     New connectors and cables

The enhancements to SuperSpeed USB are not just for higher data rates, but for improving the interaction between device and host computer. While the core architectural elements are inherited from before, several changes were made to support the dual bus arrangement, and several more are notable for how users can experience the improvement that USB 3.0 makes over USB 2.0:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10 vs Apple Ipad 2

Comparison of features and specs

The table below compares the key features and specs of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and iPad 2. The models tabulated are both WiFi-only versions, equipped with 16GB flash.

	Galaxy Tab 10.1	iPad 2
Model	GT-P7510 (WiFi only version)	MC769LL (WiFi only version)
OS	Android Honeycomb 3.1	iOS 4.3.3
Processor	1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 with ARM Cortex 9 CPUs & GeForce GPU	1GHz dual-core Apple A5
Memory	1GB RAM; 16GB flash storage	500MB RAM; 16GB flash storage
Display	10.1-in. (diag); 1280×800; 149 ppi	9.7-in. (diag); 1024×768; 132 ppi
Cameras	front 2MP; rear 3MP with 720p recording	front 0.3MP (640×480); rear 1MP (720p); 30fps recording on both
Speakers	stereo	mono
Video formats supported	H.264, H.263, XviD, WMV7/8, VP8, MP43, VC-1 format: 3GP (MP4), WMV (asf), AVI	H.264 with AAC-LC audio in .m4v, .mp4, .mov formats; MPEG-4 video in m4v, .mp4, .mov formats; M-JPEG with audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi format
Audio formats supported	MP3, OGG, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WAV, AMR, MID, IMY, WMA, Vorbis, RTTTL/RTX, OTA	HE-AAC (V1/V2), AAC, Protected AAC , MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV
Wireless	Wifi (802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1	Wifi (802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1
Location	GPS	Digital compass (no GPS on wifi-only models)
Expansion	Proprietary dock port (charging, usb, hdmi); 3.5mm audio in/out	Proprietary dock port (USB, sound, video, power); 3.5mm audio in/out
Battery	7000mAH 3.7V Li-polymer	6930mAH 3.8V Li-polymer
Dimensions	10.1 x 6.9 x 0.34 in	9.5 x 7.31 x 0.34 in
Weight	19.9 oz	21.3 oz
Default installed apps	Browser, Email, Gmail, Gallery, Maps, Books, Google Search, Google Talk, Voice Search, Latitude, Music Hub, Navigation, Places, Pulse, QuickOffice, YouTube, Music Player, Android Market, Samsung Apps	Mail, Safari Browser, iBooks, Videos, Photos, Find my iPad, iPod, iTunes, App Store, Maps, YouTube, Game Center, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, FaceTime, Photo Booth

Difference Between DDR2 and DDR3 Memory

Not-so-old vs. Not-so-new

DDR2 (Double Data Rate 2) memory has been available for quite some time. New computers, even computers released within the last three years or so come equipped with DDR2 memory. An improvement over DDR memory, DDR2 produces faster performance with less energy consumption. With the way that DDR memory products are designed, none is backwards or forward compatible with the other. For example, if you have DDR memory, you will not be able to upgrade using DDR2 or DDR3 memory. You can only upgrade DDR memory with other DDR memory.

As for DDR3, it is essentially doing what DDR2 has done with DDR. DDR3 performs faster, and consumes less power as it works. The past year has seen a steady decline in price with DDR3, and it currently is about on par in price range with DDR2. More specific information in regards to performance and price will be discussed below.

Performance Differences
DDR3 uses significantly less power, and can run much faster. It uses 1.5V per chip, which is 0.3V less than DDR2. Additionally, when it comes to its Data rate, DDR2 (depending on its chip) can run at 400-1066 MT/s (megatransfer per second). In regards to its peak transfer rate, it can transfer from 3200-8533 MB/s. DDR3, on the other hand, can run from 800-2133 MT/s and 6400-17066 MB/s. In regards to the I/O bus clock, DDR2 is only available between 200-800 MHz, whereas DDR3 supports from 400-1600 MHz. Essentially, DDR3, when there are improvements from DDR2, can double in processing power. The fact that DDR3 consumes less power in outperforming DDR2 is impressive.

Trend to watch in 2012

Augmented Reality

It’s now in games, location apps, business cards and coffee shops and could start showing up in cars and even eyeglasses. Augmented Reality, which puts a virtual view on top of your real world, is really just a cool way of saying, “Reality with Style.” Instead of simply viewing your apartment through your phone, you’re playing Star Wars Arcade Falcon Gunner on top of it. Instead looking up a restaurant in your neighborhood, you’re using Yelp to see its location and reviews for it and other restaurants right on top of your on-screen view of the street. 2012 will mark the beginning of exponential growth for Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR).

According to a report from Visiongain, 25% of all app downloads will feature some sort of augmented reality. Though adoption hinges on more powerful, high-speed and camera-ready mobile devices, it’s clear to me that the majority of smartphones and tablets in end-users’ hands next year will be 3G-to-4G-ready, high-def, large-screen devices with not one, but two multi-megapixel cameras. Trust me, by 2013, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t at least tried augmented reality.

Sony Xperia Play Specifications

Sony Xperia Play

Sony Xperia Play. A super efficient smartphone that features real game controls and is PlayStation certified. Includes a Qualcomm Scorpion processor, backlit LCD screen, 5.1 megapixel camera, over 150,000 Android apps, social network integration, stereo speakers, PlayNow service, 8GB of storage, and 1500mAh battery.

Specifications

Screen
- 854 x 480 pixels
- 4.0" 16,777,216 colour TFT

Memory
- Internal phone storage: 1GB (up to 400MB free)
- RAM: 512MB
- Memory card slot: microSD™, up to 32GB

Networks
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
- UMTS/HSPA 800/850/1900/2100
- UMTS/HSPA 900/2100

Available colours
- Black 

-White

Sizes
- 119.0 x 62.0 x 16.0 mm
- 4.7 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches

Weight
- 175.0 gr
- 6.2 oz

Apple IPhone 5

iPhone 5 Features

OS 5

Apple announced iOS 5.0 and its features during the WWDC 2011 keynote address on June 6, 2011. The user interface is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. It is expected to come with more than 200 new features that will include improved Notification System, News Stand and iMessage.

iMessage is an application that is developed to compete with Blackberry Messenger. The app will allow iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad users to communicate (much like a chat service) with each other. The iMessage feature has been integrated into the SMS/MMS application used originally on the iPhone models.

iCloud

The iPhone5 is expected to have the iCloud service.

Apple’s iPhone 5 is expected to feature the new iCloud service for wireless remote access of music from all computers and mobile devices.

The iPhone5 will automatically sync with the iCloud which will allow users to store photos, apps, calendars and documents without having them to store in the phone’s memory. Apple is also looking to tie up with top music label companies to license songs for the iCloud service.

A5 Processor to power the iPhone5

iPhone 5 will house the A5 as the main processor, which technically is the same chip that currently powers the iPad 2. The A5 contains a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU with NEON SIMD accelerator and a dual core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU, which means that the iPhone5 can do twice the work at once. The processor speed will be somewhere between 1.2 to 1.5 GHz, with probably a 1GB RAM.

The processor upgrade is done not just to increase the processing speed of the phone, but also to compete with the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S II.

The A5 chip might effectively increase the power use, however, it is said that the chip has “got a dynamic power management”, which can lower the [speed] depending on the workload, and thus efficiently make use of the power.

iPhone 5 to Sport a Better Camera

The iPhone 4 sports a 5 megapixel camera, so I’m expecting that the iPhone 5 will have a rear-facing 8MP dual-LED flash camera. However, this isn’t really “awesome”, since most of the high-end Android smartphones come with an 8MP camera. Along with that, the iPhone 5 is expected to have a front-facing camera for video chatting.
According to sources, Apple has filed several patent applications relating to 3D picture capturing to the US Patent and Trademark Office later in March. This indicates that the iPhone 5 might feature a 3D camera. The filing indicates that the device will be capable of capturing, processing and rendering 3D images with dual-camera hardware.

Another interesting feature is that the iPhone 5 will be capable of taking pictures in Panorama. It will work similarly to the ’360 Panorama’ application in the App Store. It will let you take pictures in a sequence as you move the camera from one side to another, which in the end will effortlessly stitch the images together to create a panorama.

Additionally, if Apple really wants to keep up with the competition to Android, then it might consider improving upon the video resolution to a full 1080p HD recording. Currently iPhone 4 has a 720p video capture at 30 frames per second.

Display and Resolution

There hasn’t been a better screen resolution since the release of the iPhone 4. Currently the iPhone 4 has a 3.5 inches screen size, and sources indicate that Apple might stay locked with the current size. But a few other sources say that Apple is planning to increase the screen size to 4-inch with higher screen resolution. I feel that Apple could compromise at 3.7-inch or 3.75-inch. 

However, the iPhone 5 could be slightly wider and thinner. The dimensions are calculated to be: 4.33″ x 2.36″ and .27″ thickness at the top and .21″ at the bottom, whereas the dimensions of iPhone 4 are: 4.5″ x 2.31″ x .37″

Other iPhone5 Features

Here are some of the other features that we can expect from the iPhone 5: 

• Face Recognition Security
• 4G/LTE support *
• A new, sleeker body design
• OLED screen
• Scratch proof and shatter proof screen
• Wireless sync with iTunes
• Extended battery life
• Flash support
• SIM-less phone **
• Physical keyboard
• Increased RAM (from 512MB to 1GB)
• New multi-tasking look
• HD audio
• Built-in GPS

 

What's new in Apple Ipad 3?

Apple iPad 3

Display

There's little debate that the iPad 3 will have a drop-dead gorgeous display. Most Apple watchers agree that the 9.7-inch panel will be QXGA quality--2048 by 1536 pixels with 270 pixels per inch--and will carry the "Retina" name. To maintain that level of brightness, the tablet will have to incorporate two LED bars. Current iPads have only one bar. Since a tablet computer isn't much more than a screen, it seems a safe bet that Apple will be taking the iPad 3's display to another level to advance its position as the leader in the tablet market.

Processor

A new processor is also certainly in the cards for the iPad 3. Competing products with very muscular chips will be appearing on the market this year, so the next-generation Apple slate will need more than just a pretty display to stay ahead of the pack nipping at its heels. Though observers agree that the new processor will be called the A-6, opinion diverges on whether it will be a quad-core chip or a souped-up dual-core offering. Since quad-core processors are becoming more and more common in mobile devices, though, it would be a letdown to many people if the iPad 3 turned out to be a dual-core product.

Battery

Better battery life is also expected in the upcoming iPad. One estimate says that the tablet will sport a 14,000 mAh power plant that will deliver twice the battery life of the current iPad model. However, since new features in the iPad 3--dual LED bars, quad-core processor--could demand more power, those battery life estimates may be shaky. Though the rumor mill hasn't focused on this point, there's some speculation that the iPad 3 may have cableless charging.

Cameras

Since Apple's latest iPhone has an 8-megapixel camera, it's only logical to imagine that the latest iPad will have one, too. However, speculators have also raised the possibility that Apple may go with a 5-megapixel camera, which could mean a couple of things. Apple might make a basic iPad 3 with a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and make an 8-megapixel unit an upgrade option. Or it could sell the iPad 3 with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, which would make videoconferencing on the new tablet sparkle. In addition to capturing 8-megapixel still photos, the next-generation iPad is expected to move up to 1080p in HD video.

Form

The final physical shape of the tablet is a fuzzy area for iPad 3 prognosticators. Some say that the third-generation tablet will be thicker to accommodate the extra LED bar; others adhere to historic precedent and insist that Apple products never get thicker, only thinner. Another persistent idea is that Apple will produce an iPad "mini" tablet with a 7.85-inch display, à la Amazon's Kindle Fire. That last possibility seems unlikely, however, because it violates Apple's vision of a tablet as a device for both content creation and content consumption. Though 8-inch tablets are okay for consumption, they're not so good for creation.

Timing and Pricing

The question of timing invites endless theorizing among Apple watchers, but a betting person would be wise to wager on a March or April release.

As divided as rumorists are about the release of the iPad 3, they seem to agree that it will be priced as the iPad 2 is. Less clear to speculators is what will happen to the Apple's second-generation tablet when the new iPad arrives on the scene. Unlike the iPad 1, which has gone to the refurbish bin, some observers say that Apple will continue to be make and sell the iPad 2, albeit at a lower price than it currently carries. That seems to be a more logical course for Apple than producing a cheap "mini" iPad.

Rolling Laptop (Being Developed)