And then we have Samsung, with their popular Galaxy Tabs. If there are any real threats to Apple on the tablet market any time soon, it would appear to be Samsung. But despite having a strong tablet seller in the market, it would appear that Samsung is trying to be all things to all people while changing entire designs on a dime (or should I say at a peek of the iPad 2?)

A Tablet For All Sizes

Apple’s strategy seems to be clear – a single product at a time, and focus their energies on that. Whether it is an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, each product is designed to fit a specific niche. Sure, you can get variations when you factor in choices like memory (16 – 64 gigs) and connection (WiFi or 3G), but you still only have one iPhone or one iPad for the masses.

Samsung, on the other hand, appears to not be able to make up their mind. The Samsung tablet will be found in not one, not two, but three different sizes. Okay, maybe you have the 7-inch for the almost pocket-able tablet crowd, and the 10.1-inch for the media-consuming crowd. But then where does the 8.9-inch fit? Is this the confused consumer special?

Maybe there is some truth to the story that Apple has the bulk of the LCD screens locked up, and Samsung has carefully developed a strategy that allows them to buy whatever screen size is available that week for production. This week the 8.9s are free, then two weeks from now the 10.1 inches can be snapped up. Now that makes sense to me.

Put the Strain of Defining the Market into the Consumer’s Hands?

Maybe the tablet market is so new that Samsung is afraid to bet on a single product that will define it. Instead, maybe a meeting at Samsung went like this – “Consumers love choice, so let’s give them a choice. As a favorite is determined by sales, we’ll boost its production and scale back the others.”

Of course, I am being facetious. I have no inside knowledge of anything that happens behind closed doors at Samsung. But you have to admit that also makes sense when you weigh the evidence.

Samsung is Reactive, not Proactive

It would seem that Samsung is only being reactive in their approach to tablets, not proactive. While that may work for them when it comes to popular electronics in a defined market, it is definitely NOT market defining – something the tablet market needs right now.

Samsung is not only reactive with their approach to marketing, but apparently their design works the same way. Recently when Apple trotted out the iPad 2, Samsung dropped their freshly announced designs and went back to the drawing board, with one goal in mind – slightly better than existing specs from the market leader. Hardly defining of anything.

On top of their knee jerk reaction, Samsung hands out mockups to the journalists, claiming them to be the new tablets. The journalists take note of the thin builds and the slightly lighter weights, but everyone seems to ignore the fact that the new and improved Samsung tablets lack only one major feature – they don’t work. Yes, they never powered up. Now Samsung has defined their own niche market – either bring functioning devices to the market in a timely manner, or their bluff is called. The sad part is that this is probably the worse kind of reactive box to be in.

The Apple iPad 2 is selling quite well as of this writing, and it appears that the market just keeps expanding. The competition is expanding as well, with many very competitive challengers coming onto that market. But if Samsung is any indication, Apple has got the other tablet makers motivated, if not downright scared.

What exactly is Samsung’s Tablet Strategy? is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Compare that to today’s mobile gadgets that can tune in literally thousands of Internet radio stations. This blows away that transistor radio by a factor of, well it really blows it away. And yet, with all of this power, you are forced to listen with either headphones or an external speaker. This is just not right.

But many Mobile Devices do have speakers, right?

Well, yes, they do have a tiny speaker, almost as if it was included as a product of a consumer wish checklist. The iPhone and most Android phones come with a speaker built into the housing that allows you to “almost” listen to your audio content with pleasure. That is, if pleasure means that you hold it in a certain position in a very quiet room.

Of course, if it’s a song that you are familiar with, the brain fills in enough to make it a nice experience. I could probably listen to Stairway to Heaven over a crystal radio set and still find it enjoyable. But I would find very little new music to be a good experience under those conditions. And they fare little better without the earphones with our mobile devices.

Will Tablets get it right? Examples say No

We have an exciting new computing paradigm unfolding around us, and that is the tablet computer. Of course, these devices are nothing new, but technology has finally caught up to where they are practical. The new tablet breed is built around the consumption of media, much like that wonderfully purposed transistor radio. But for a device that is built around consumption of media, the lack of a decent speaker is in the least, confusing.

The speaker on the iPad is a bit better than the one on the iPhone, but it is a race of margins. The Android tablets do no better. With the market so defined, it seems cast in stone that future tablets for at least the next few generations are going to be weak when it comes to a physical speaker.

And that seems like a shame. After all, that wide back plane would seem to be perfect for a nice pair of speakers. But the emphasis is on battery power and thinness, and when you add those two up there is very little left for the speaker. Put the speaker on the side. Check the consumer wish checklist – speaker included? Check.

It’s not just the latest generation

To be honest, it is not just the latest round of mobile technology that has eschewed the practical speaker for the checklist entry. I can remember using a PPC-6700 Pocket PC device, and the speaker was practically non-existent. I mean, why even mention that the phone has speakerphone capabilities without a speaker? Oh yeah, it’s a checklist thing. Eventually I widened out the tiny speaker hole on the back of the unit with an awl just to be able to use the speakerphone in a moving car. Today’s technology is only slightly better.

Has the paradigm of listening changed?

Maybe I am looking at this all wrong. Back when the pocket transistor was popular, people actually moved. You could find the radio at pools, beaches, worksites, and other places where the analog content was streamed from the radio station and consumed through the air via a speaker. People did physical work, swam, played volleyball, and more while jamming to the tunes from the local station.

But today the paradigm appears to have changed. Instead of moving, we stay still and consume the radio frequencies via the web and earbuds. We read, use the computer, and do other activities that fit the earbuds instead of fitting the earbuds to the lifestyle.

Now, I have seen advertisements for headphones that will actually work in the water. But they had it so right early on – set the speaker beside the pool, crank it up, and enjoy. It’s new technology – it works while you swim, and there are no wires to get in the way.

But the market has spoken

If the numbers are any indicator, then people are fine with the tiny speakers. Millions of these audibly handicapped devices are sold every day. What does this mean?

If you look at the situation from a tilted view – which is probably where I am coming from – then it could mean only one thing. People simply do not want to move any more. If their activity is more engaging than wired headphones will tolerate, then the average person does not do it. Hey, I am just interpreting the data. Otherwise they would not be selling like hotcakes.

We are moving less – that is the only conclusion that makes sense with me. Is it any wonder that we are getting bigger? While I am not saying that the lack of a decent speaker on our beloved mobile devices is the root of the problem, I am most certainly saying this – speakers that encourage more physical activity would definitely not hurt.

Modern Mobile Devices Need a Decent Speaker is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Turn on your television and you’re bound to find an abundance of sexy, hot, and nerdy male characters. My criteria is the same as it was for the ladies – they must be currently on TV, smart, and intensely interested in a particular hobby or topic. So without further adieu, here’s my list of the coolest male nerds this 2011 TV season…

Leonard Hofstadter

Dr. Leonard Leakey Hofstadter, portrayed by Johnny Galecki on the CBS comedy, “Big Bang Theory” is an experimental physicist who shares an apartment with his best friend and colleague Sheldon Cooper (you’ll hear more about him in a minute). Leonard’s appearance is very stereotypical “nerd”, but wants to be more “social”. He does interact with much more ease with non-geek people than his friend, Sheldon. Behind those black-framed glasses and IQ of 173 is a real cutie.

Sheldon Cooper

Dr. Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons, is Leonard’s roommate on “Big Bang Theory“. Sheldon isn’t so socially apt as Leonard and tends to be a bit narcissistic. He finds himself to be intellectually superior to others. But hey, with an IQ of 187 and acquiring his first Ph.D at 16-years of age… well maybe he is superior.

Chuck Bartowski

Chuck, portrayed by Zachary Levi, is the Nerd Herd (think, Geek Squad) supervisor, a dead end job at the Burbank Buy More. He lives with his sister after his college roommate planted test answers underneath Chuck’s bed, while attending Stanford on a scholarship. We learn that he gets him expelled to protect Chuck from being recruited into the CIA.  Yet, five years later, Chuck opens an email from the former roommate that causes him to download into his brain the full contents of a CIA/NSA supercomputer known as the Intersect. And it turns out that the Intersect computer has been destroyed, leaving Chuck’s brain the only location of this top-secret information. You can find “Chuck” on NBC.

Greg Sanders

Greg, portrayed by Eric Szmanda on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a CSI Level 3 after working his way up the ladder from the resident lab rat. He is extremely intelligent and revealed in one of the episodes as being a child prodigy. He also loves Marilyn Manson and is a bit of an anomoly – believing in occultism and the paranormal… a contradiction with his scientific training.

Dr. Sheldon Hawkes

Hawkes, portrayed by Harper Hill in the crime drama CSI: NY on CBS is a CSI Level 2 Detective 3rd Grade. Another child prodigy, he graduated college at 18, and by the time he was twenty-four, was a fully board-licensed surgeon.

Dr. Spencer Reid

Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid, is played by Matthew Gray Gubler on the CBS crime drama “Criminal Minds” on CBS. Spencer is my favorite of this list. There’s just something about him I find so irresistibly adorable. He is a genius and autodidact who graduated at the age of 12. With an IQ of 187, he holds Ph.Ds in Chemistry, Mathematics and Engineering. Along with B.As in Psychology and Sociology – now that’s impressive! Yet with all that brain power, Spencer is socially awkward and noticeably uncomfortable when interacting with females.

Damian Spinelli

Spinelli portrayed by Bradford Anderson is actually a character on the daytime soap “General Hospital” on ABC. Spinelli fits the definition of nerd to a tee, though, and shouldn’t be left off this list. Spinelli has to be the quirkiest character to ever grace daytime television. He is a hacker who speaks his own language – a cross between internet slang and surfer lingo, he provides much needed comic relief when appearing alongside deadpan serious Jason Morgan.

Dexter Morgan

Dexter, portrayed by Michael C. Hall, is a forensic blood splatter analyst and your neighborhood serial killer in the Showtime series, “Dexter“. He does operate by a code of ethics and only kills those that are guilty of serious crimes against others… usually criminals that have gotten away with their crimes. Dexter definitely isn’t your typical “nerd”, but he is genius – to get away with all the murders he’s committed. And in earlier seasons, Dexter is anti-social, but does warm up to a select few as the seasons progress.

James “JJ” Powell, Jr.

JJ, played by Jimmy Bennett in the ABC supernatural comedy-drama, “No Ordinary Family“, is the youngest on our list. He is a 14-year-old with incredible abilities to speed read and comprehension of large amounts of information by just reading a page (however, he can only retain the information for six hours). He can learn a new language (fluently) in a matter of minutes.

Seymour Birkhoff

Seymour, portrayed by Aaron Stanford on the CW drama “Nikita“, is a computer genius recruited by the secret organization known as Division. While in college, he was caught hacking into the Pentagon’s system.

Peter Bishop

Peter, played by Joshua Jackson on the Fox show “Fringe“,  Peter was born in an alternate universe. Despite having a genius I.Q. level of 190, and fluency in English, Arabic, Persian, Cantonese, and Spanish, he has a gambling problem and trouble with the mafia.

Dr. Who

The current and eleventh “Dr. Who”, portrayed by Matt Smith airs on the BBC. The Doctor is a centuries-old alien, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. When the Doctor is critically injured, he can regenerate his body but in doing so gains a new physical appearance and with it, a distinct new personality.

Dr. Henry Deacon

Dr. Deacon can be found on the SyFy science fiction drama “Eureka“. He is played by Joe Morton. Formally a space shuttle engineer for NASA, he is literally a jack-of-all-trades in the town of Eureka. He is not only the mechanic, but forensic investigator and coroner for Eureka.

Well there you have it… there’s someone for everybody. My personal favorite is Spencer (with Dexter being a close second). Who is your favorite? If I omitted your favorite, please share him with us.

The 13 Coolest Male Nerds On TV… Today is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

At one time, images of a social misfit may have been the norm when hearing the word, nerd. But we’ve come a long way baby… and thankfully so. Because a nerd can be anything but, a social misfit. They are sexy, hot and funny.

The definition of a nerd has certainly evolved, though. For me personally, I like this definition from Urban Dictionary, “A person who gains pleasure from amassing large quantities of knowledge about subjects often too detailed or complicated for most other people to be bothered with.”

Television has followed suit and given nerds a front and center platform. And for the first of a two part article on the coolest nerds on TV in 2011- the criteria I used is that they have to be currently on TV, smart, and intensely interested in a particular hobby or topic. So, ladies first…

Abigail “Abby” Sciuto

Abby played by Pauley Perrette in the CBS series, “NCIS“, is a forensic specialist at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service headquarters at the Washington Naval Yard. Abby is well-versed in her field of study; she is rarely stumped by the puzzles that Gibbs’ team present to her. Abby has been shown to have skills in traditional forensics, computer forensics, and hacking. Her appearance may belie her nerdiness, which is more goth in nature. She also sports several tattoos and pigtails.

Dr. Helen Magnus

Dr. Magnus, played by Amanda Tapping (who has a history portraying nerds), is an English medical and scientific researcher who has dedicated her life to hunting and protecting “monsters”, in the SyFy show “Sanctuary“. She runs a “Sanctuary” where they can find refuge while she studies and tries to help them. She is between 158 – 160 years-old. She definitely looks good for her age.

Sara Sidle

Sara, played by Jorja Fox, is a forensic scientist on the CBS show, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation“. It takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, the first of the CSI dramas. She graduated at the age of 16, the valedictorian of her class. She attended Harvard and is very dedicated to her job. She was depicted as a loner with no hobbies unless they were work related… that is until she fell in love with Grissom (who left the show after season 8).

Calleigh Duquesne

Detective Calleigh Duquesne, portrayed by Emily Procter, in “CSI: Miami” on CBS,  is a ballistics specialist. She is bilingual, speaking fluent Spanish and has a B.S. in Physics.  She has the nickname, for her knowledge of, and expertise with, firearms.

Penelope Garcia

Garcia, portrayed by Kirsten Vangsness, is the Computer Technician of the Behavioral Analysis Unit on “Criminal Minds” (as well as the spin-off “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior“, both on CBS). Perhaps my favorite on this list, Garcia is quirky, colorful and provides some much needed comic relief for her fellow teammates. Penelope is into online games, specifically MMOGs and a formidable hacker. She had been placed on one of the FBI’s hacker lists (she was one of a small handful of extremely useful or dangerous hackers in the world).

Claudia Donovan

Claudia, played by Allison Scagliotti, at only 19-years-old, is an inventor and computer hacker employed by “Warehouse 13” on the SyFy channel.

Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan

Bones, played by Emily Deschanel on the Fox show “Bones“, is a forensic anthropologist, hence the nickname, “Bones”. She may have as many as three doctorate degrees. Brennan lacks social skills. Her social ineptitude is especially apparent when it comes to pop culture jokes, sarcasm, and metaphors which she often interprets very literally. She is possibly the most “nerd” like in old-school definition of the word nerd.

Stephanie Powell

From the new ABC show “No Ordinary Family“, Stephanie (portrayed by Julie Benz) is a scientist and bio-medical researcher with Global Tech. She, along with her family develop super human powers. We’re still not clear on how this came to be, but Stephanie now has super speed and accelerated healing. One thing’s for sure – she is one super fast nerd.

Katie Andrews

Katie, portrayed by Autumn Reeser, is a lab tech and bio-medical assistant for Stephanie Powell at Global Tech. Katie found herself an outsider growing up and quickly submersed herself in her own fantasy world of comic books and superheroes. Which, makes her a perfect match for her new “super-hero” boss and her family.

Olivia Dunham

Olivia, portrayed by Anna Torv on the Fox series “Fringe“, is a young FBI agent. Very much a loner who is absorbed with her work. She also has a doppelganger in an alternate universe… double the nerdiness.

Dr. Tess Fontana

Fontana, portrayed by Jaime Ray Newman in the SyFy show, “Eureka“, is an engineer and astrophysicist at Global Dynamics. She has 3 Ph.D’s, and due to her controversial methods and beliefs, she and the scientific community don’t often see eye to eye.

I like to fancy myself as a wee bit of a nerd (minus the super intelligence part), so it’s great to watch so many great leading nerd female characters on television, today. I’m sure I’ve left off some, but these eleven characters are my favorites.  Which one is your favorite? And, if you don’t see yours on this list, please share it with us.

The 11 Coolest Female Nerds on TV… Today is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Windows 7 is the best Windows yet, at least that’s my opinion of it. Think what you like, you’re entitled to your own opinion of course. I’m not going to get into an arguing match with you about Win 7 and XP, Vista, OSX etc, this is not what this article is for, take it elsewhere please.  If you want to know more about how Windows 7 Service Pack 1 might affect your computer then this is where you want to be. I’ve taken quite a bit of time to run many test on three separate computers with Windows 7 installed, both 32bit and 64bit versions. From my experience I’ve learned a bit and I thought I’d share that with you today, so read on to learn what I learned about how the new Service Pack affects your system.

So I used my three main computers for testing the Service Pack.

The first one is my ‘work’ system that features a Corei5 750 CPU, 8 gigs of ram, an ATI 4890 Video Card on an EVGA P55 Motherboard, running Windows 7 Professional 64bit.

The second system is my gaming/HTPC computer which consists of an Intel C2Q9650 with 8 gigs of DDR3 ram. The main video card is an Nvidia GTX465 with an Nvidia GTX260 for physics on a DFI Lanparty X48 T3RS Motherboard running Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.

The third is my netbook which is an Acer Aspire One D250 which has and Intel Atom N270 with 2 gigs of ram. This one is running Windows 7 32bit edition.

I did not run all of the same exact tests on all three systems, for instance on the gaming computer I ran mostly gaming related tests.

Before the testing I ran disk clean up and disk defragmenter on all of the hard drives, I did the same thing after the installation of Service Pack 1. All computers have the latest drivers installed as well.

On my main computer I have the ATI cards installed and I also used Driver Cleaner all of the time, this is bad thing as I’ve learned. Driver Cleaner and Driver Sweeper can cause major problems with installing Service Pack 1 because it deletes some files that it’s not supposed to. There are many posts already about this issue floating around the internet and there’s even a tool from Microsoft to help fix the issue. The moral of the story is if you’ve used one of these driver cleaner programs in the past you may have an issue with installing SP1 that could lead to you actually having to do an in place upgrade, and that’s no fun.

All of the graphs are labeled ‘Before’ and ‘After’, for before SP1 and after SP1 installation.

Let’s start off with my work work computer, the Corei5 system and a simple test like calculating PI to 1 million places.

So they’re pretty much the same, a very slight difference but the After test showed it took a little bit longer.

All of the tests I ran on this computer were basically system based, or computational, no gaming involved. I did run two graphics tests just to round things out though.

Most of them were done using SiSoft Sandra 2011, but I also ran the TechArp X264 HD Benchmark, find it HERE if you want to try it.

Here’s a quote telling you exactly what the test is:

“Simply put, it is a reproducible measure of fast your machine can encode a short HD-quality video clip into a high quality x264 video file. It’s nice because everyone running it will use the same video clip and software. The video encoder (x264.exe) reports a fairly accurate internal benchmark (in frames per second) for each pass of the video encode and it also uses multi-core processors very efficiently. All these factors make this an ideal benchmark to compare different processors and systems to each other.”

So here’s the Before results:

Results for x264.exe r1342

————————–

encoded 1442 frames, 64.09 fps, 3901.21 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 65.64 fps, 3901.21 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 64.95 fps, 3900.68 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 65.31 fps, 3901.21 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 20.05 fps, 3971.68 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 20.00 fps, 3970.56 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 20.01 fps, 3970.86 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 20.10 fps, 3971.48 kb/s

Then here’s the After results:

Results for x264.exe r1342

————————–

encoded 1442 frames, 64.90 fps, 3900.68 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 65.55 fps, 3900.68 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 64.93 fps, 3900.68 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 65.48 fps, 3900.68 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 19.92 fps, 3971.60 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 20.02 fps, 3971.75 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 19.98 fps, 3971.55 kb/s
encoded 1442 frames, 19.95 fps, 3971.91 kb/s

Not much of a real difference here at all as you can see.

Next up I ran Cinebench, both versions 10 and 11.5.

CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Spider-Man, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia and many more.

CINEBENCH is the perfect tool to compare CPU and graphics performance across various systems and platforms (Windows and Mac OS X).

First would be Cinebench 10:

Rendering with Multiple CPUs seems to have gotten slightly better, but rendering with one CPU and in the OpenGL test we see lower scores for some reason.

Here’s Cinebench 11.5:

In the OpenGL test things improved with SP1, in the CPU test it’s basically the same.

Next up I’ve got several tests using SiSoft Sandra:

We’ll start with the CPU Arithmetic test:

Benchmarks the ALU and FPU processor units. Shows how your processors handle arithmetic and floating point instructions in comparison to other typical processors.

Results Interpretation:

Dhrystone (MIPS) – higher results are better, i.e. better integer performance.

Whetstone (MFLOPS) – higher results are better, i.e. better floating-point performance.

Here we see almost exactly the same results for before and after.

The next test would be CPU Multi-Media:

Benchmark the SIMD processor units. Shows how your processors handle multi-media instructions and data in comparison to other typical processors.

Results Interpretation

Multi-Media Integer (Pixels/s) – higher results are better, i.e. better integer performance.

Multi-Media Single/Double Float (Pixels/s) – higher results are better, i.e. better floating-point performance.

Again here we see very close results for the tests, slightly lower and slightly higher for each one.

Next would be the Media Transcode test:

Measures the media transcoding performance, i.e. decoding video & audio from one format and then encoding it to another. Shows how your processors or hardware accelerators handle transcoding in comparison to other typical transcoders.

Results Interpretation

WMV to H264 (MB/s) – higher results are better, i.e. better transcoding performance.

H264 to H264 (MB/s) – higher results are better, i.e. better transcoding performance.

Here we see a slight drop in performance after installing SP1 for two out of the three tests.

Next would be the File Systems test, I’m using a rather fast Samsung F4 320gb hard drive as my operating system drive.

Benchmark mounted file systems (i.e. volumes). Shows how your file systems connected to storage adapters and storage hosts compare to other devices in a typical computer.

This is not the raw disk performance that other benchmarks test – but the speed of the volume itself that depends on many more factors like file system, operating system cache, position on disk, etc. Thus this is the performance you get at the file system level.

Drive Index: is a composite figure representing an overall performance rating based on the average of the read, write, and seek tests, and file and cache size. It is intended to represent drive performance under typical use in a PC. A larger number means better performance. The weighting of the results is not equal it represents the distribution of different files sizes as used on these devices (obtained through field research).

Here we see a drop in performance after installing SP1, I lost about 5 mb/s speed on my drive as you can see.

Next would be the Cache and Memory test:

Benchmark the processors’ caches and memory access (transfer speed). Shows how your processors’ caches and memory sub-systems compare to other computers in terms of access.

Combined Score: is a composite figure representing the overall performance rating of the entire Cache-Memory performance in terms of MB/s. The value is the logarithmic average of all the results for the entire address space. (Higher is better, i.e. better performance)

For block sizes that could not been tested – the average of previous blocks is used, thus the size of the memory (as long as it is not comparable to largest cache size) is not significant; all cache sizes are significant – larger caches will result in a higher score.

Speed Factor: is a figure representing the speed differential between the CPU’s cache and memory. The value is the ratio of the fastest cache (i.e. L1) bandwidth to the main memory bandwidth. (Lower is better, i.e. the memory is not very much slower than CPU’s cache)

Here again we see another drop in performance after installing SP1, though very slight.

Next would be the Memory Bandwidth test:

Benchmark the memory bandwidth of your computer. Shows how your memory sub-systems compare to other computers in terms of bandwidth.

Results Interpretation

Integer Memory Bandwidth (MB/s) – higher results are better, i.e. faster memory bandwidth.

Float Memory Bandwidth (MB/s) – higher results are better, i.e. faster memory bandwidth.

Here we see pretty much the same before and after, so no change here really.

Next up would be the Memory Latency test:

Benchmark the latency (response time) of processors’ caches and memory. Shows how your processors’ caches and memory sub-systems compare to other computers in terms of latency.

The latency of caches is measured in processor clocks (i.e. how many clocks it takes for the data to be ready) as it is dependent on the processor clock speed.

The latency of memory is measured in nanoseconds as it is typically independent on processor clock speed.

Not much of a difference here at all really.

The last test is a system wide test, it’s called Crystalmark that tests everything.

The overall score is worse after installing SP1.

Most of the changes I’ve seen are slight, but there is a difference as you can see, Service Pack 1 is doing something to the system. What it is though, I’m not sure.

Let’s move on to my netbook, similar test here, just not as many of them.

Let’s start off with CrystalMark:

Again here we see a drop in performance after installing SP1 on my netbook. Not looking good for good old Service Pack 1 at all.

Next up is the PI test, calculating to 1 million places.

Basically the same I think really, slow but the same.

Next let’s get into the SiSoft Sandra tests, first up would be Cache and Memory:

Combined Score:  (Higher is better, i.e. better performance)

Speed Factor:  (Lower is better, i.e. the memory is not very much slower than CPU’s cache)

Here we see the results showing that SP1 does have an impact on the system with things getting slightly worse.

The next test is CPU Arithmetic:

Higher is better.

Here again we see a very slight drop in performance after installing SP1, it’s very, very slight, you’d never notice it I’m sure in the real world.

The next test is the CPU Multi-media test:

Higher is better.

And yet again we see a very slight drop after installing SP1.

Next test is the File Systems test:

Higher is better for the Drive Index. Lower is better for the Random Access Time.

And yet again we see a drop in performance after installing SP1, quite a bit actually as you can see.

The next test is Memory Bandwidth:

Higher is better.

The last test is the Memory Latency test:

And again things got worse after SP1.

The last set of tests involves gaming pretty much, it’s my gaming computer that’s hooked up to a 47” HDTV, and it works fine for me.

We’ll start with the Cinebench tests here:

Cinebench 10 is first:

In the OpenGL test and Rendering with multiple CPUs, things improved with SP1, but in the single rendering test things got worse.

Then here’s Cinebench 11.5:

Fairly close here as you can see, nothing you’d notice in real life I would think.

Let’s check out 3Dmark06 next, I’m sure you know this test:

Things improved with SP1, that’s got to be a good thing right?

Next up let’s check out 3DMark11 that uses Direct X 11 for the testing. I ran all three tests Entry, Performance and Extreme.

A little bit of an improvement in the Entry and Extreme test, but not much. In the Performance test we lost one point.

The next test is using 3DMark Vantage, here the settings are on Default except for changing the resolution to 1920×1080.

There’s a decent jump in the CPU test and a very slight improvement in the GPU test.

The next test would be Aliens Vs Predator:

The settings are 1920×1080 resolution, High Shadow Quality, High texture Quality, hardware Tessellation and Advanced Shadow Sampling are on as well. I also have anti-aliasing set at 2X, and Anistropic Filtering set to 8x.

Really no difference I can see, .1 FPS isn’t much to get excited about I think.

The next test is Crysis Warhead with Gamer settings of 1920×1080 resolution, DirectX10 and 8xAA.

All similar here as well, not much difference really.

Next would be FarCry 2.

Here’s the settings: Demo(Ranch Small), 1920×1080 (60Hz), D3D10, Fixed Time Step(No), Disable Artificial Intelligence(No), Full Screen, Anti-Aliasing(None), VSync(No), Overall Quality(Ultra High), Vegetation(Very High), Shading(Ultra High), Terrain(Ultra High), Geometry(Ultra High), Post FX(High), Texture(Ultra High), Shadow(Ultra High), Ambient(High), Hdr(Yes), Bloom(Yes), Fire(Very High), Physics(Very High), RealTrees(Very High)

Quite a drop here in performance after installing SP1, it’s just amazing actually, but still very much playable.

The next test would be HAWX2 with settings of 1920×1080 resolution, Terrain tessellation on ON, Antialiasing is set to 32x CSAA and everything else is set to High or turned on.

Here we see a slight drop again, nothing bad, but still a drop. The game is still very playable with these frame rates.

The next test would be Just Cause 2 with settings of 1920×1080 resolution, Antialiasing set to16xQ CSAA with Anisotropic Filtering set to 8x with everything else turned on or set to the highest.

Not sure why the low frame rates overall, but there’s not much of a difference here really. I play the game often and these seem lower than what I see.

The last game is Mafia 2 that uses Physics.  Settings are all set to high at 1920×1080 resolution. I also ran the tests with Physics set to Off, Medium and High.

It’s a bit mixed here I think. One is better, one is the same and the other is lower. Odd to say the least.

Ok, so after all this what did we really learn?

We’ve learned that Service Pack 1 certainly has some impact on the systems I’ve tested, that’s the same for all of them. It looks bad in the tests, but for the most part they are system level and you’d probably not notice the difference in in real world performance.

I’ve done the work and you can draw your own conclusions I think.

Have you noticed any changes after you installed Service Pack 1, or did you have any issues with the installation?

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Performance Analysis is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

As of January 2011, Facebook has more than 600 million active users, according to Wikipedia and growing every day. According to Social Media Today as of April 2010, it is estimated that 41.6% of the U.S. population has a Facebook account – that is staggering.

I’m not surprised though, since my mother, who is computer illiterate and anti-tech, has a Facebook account. And one of my best friend’s mother-in-law has one and she is 82-years-old. She is an active user, too. So everybody and their grandmother has a Facebook account.

Which leads me to… kids. Facebook’s official age requirement is thirteen. But I’m sure many younger kids lie (with or without their parent’s consent) and open up Facebook accounts. At CheckFacebook.com, the most current statistics shows that there are 844,940 (0.6%) <=13-year-old users and 13.5+ million 14 – 17 year old users on Facebook… this number is the U.S users only, by the way.

That’s a lot of kids.

A lot of kids whose safety and privacy could be potentially at risk, if precautions and common sense are not practiced. Personally, I don’t think young kids or tweens should be using social networking sites. Even high school kids have a hard enough time using social media effectively and safely – with cyber-bullying and predators to contend with.

So, what can we as parents do to keep our kids safe on Facebook (or any social networking site, for that matter)? Here are a few steadfast rules to follow:

Have Eyes In The Back Of Your Head

When I was young, I thought my mother did indeed, have eyes in the back of her head… as does my son, now. What I mean by this, is to be the “know all, be all” to your kids. Make sure that you know their passwords. In fact, depending on their age and your comfort level, you may even decide to create their Facebook account and create the password yourself and not share it with your kids (at least till you feel comfortable in doing so).

When they want to log on, you’ll have to do it for them. This way YOU will be in charge. And you’re kids can’t just get on anytime they want.

Be Their Parent And Their Friend

I feel like you should be your kid’s parents NOT their friend (not until they’ve reached adulthood), but as far as Facebook goes… be their “friend”. If you don’t have a Facebook account, make sure you get your own, and friend them. And their friends, as well. I don’t suggest that you talk with them – no posting on their wall, or the walls of their friends, unless they tell you they’re okay with it. You’re there to watch over them, not to embarrass them. And, as I said, “in real life” your their parent not their friend.

Lead By Example

Make sure that the things you post to your profile sets the tone for what kinds of things you expect from them. Don’t post profanity, nudity or anything that you would not find acceptable in your real lives, on Facebook. The saying, “do as I say, not as I do”, should not apply here.

Time Constraints

Social media can be addictive. You can spend hours on Facebook without even realizing it. I love Facebook as much as the next person, but I do realize what a time waster it can be. It’s great to be a little “social” and have some fun on Facebook, but don’t allow your kids to be consumed by Facebook, or the computer in general. Make sure your kids spend time reading, being physical and spending time being “social” in real life. All things in moderation.

Don’t Let Things Come Back To Haunt You

Impress upon your kids that things they post on their profiles (or anywhere online) can come back to haunt them. Talk with them about how posting inappropriate comments and pictures, for example, could someday cost them entrance into a particular University or a job.

Beware…

What I mean by this, is… without being all doom and gloom, make sure your kids know that there are some bad people out there that prey on kids on sites like Facebook. You don’t want to terrify them, but you want them to be aware. Teach them the importance of not revealing too much information. And, absolutely never friend someone unless they know them in real life.

As your kids get older and show good common sense, responsibility and earns your trust, you can back off a bit. But, always keep a watchful eye out. And keep the lines of communication open so they always feel comfortable talking with you about anything. Just don’t forget to be the parent and if they cannot abide by your rules and practice the safety rules you set – do not allow them access to Facebook.

Keeping Your Kids Safe On Facebook is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

In the recent past, there was little to fear along the lines of Internet dangers from small portable devices such as phones and MP3 players. But as the devices have grown in their capabilities, so have they grown in potential threats. In fact, more people access Facebook and other social media sites on their smart device than on a regular computer.

Parents do face a hard time keeping up with the speed in which mobile technology is moving. But with a few tips, they might find it much easier to keep loved ones safer as the device in their pocket expands to full web access and beyond. Let’s take a look at our favorite tips on mobile Internet safety.

Explore the Parental Options on the Device

A lot of mobile devices today from reputable companies include some form of parental control, with a custom passcode to enforce the settings. For example, iOS devices from Apple include a “Restrictions” section under General that allows you to detail various aspects of access on the device. The first page of restrictions (screenshot from the iPhone, above) allows you to turn on the restrictions and set a passcode. From there, you can select which built-in apps you want to allow to run. Here it is easy to deactivate FaceTime so that potential live video streaming using that service is avoided. You can also stop the installation of new apps that may circumnavigate restrictions or create new threats.

As shown above, the next screen of settings allows the parent to turn off location reporting. This could be important since many apps will now allow the user to “check in”, which shows their current location. The last thing you want to do is to let potential predators know exactly where your child is.

You can also restrict certain email accounts, and even block music and video that have an age restricted rating. Movies can be allowed based on the given rating, and explicit music access can be blocked. But more importantly for the topic at hand, the age rating can restrict the apps themselves (as shown in the screen shot above). Third party Browsers that have general access to the web have an older age rating, so this makes it easy to block a lot of potential Internet dangers through Apps.

Install a Safer Browser

The last thing you would want to do with a child is to give them unlimited Internet access with a capable mobile device. As logical as this seems, many parents overlook the fact the default browser does exactly this – it gives unlimited access. Instead, look for and install a child friendly browser for their needs. Also, be sure to block access to the default browser. As you can see in the screen shots above, this is easy to do on iOS devices. Most other popular device families offer similar functionality, but you have to remember to turn the restrictions on.

Now, if your mobile device does not allow the open browser to be blocked, then consider not letting a child use it. An open browser with no restrictions is simply too much of a threat. Unlike home solutions that block blacklisted sites from even reaching your home, a mobile device may connect directly to the provider, bypassing the home safeguards.

Even with a device that does use the home network (such as an iPod Touch), the mobile nature of the device means that it may be on many different networks throughout the week. It is almost impossible to verify that all of those networks are safe. So, when it comes to mobile devices, the safety features are either on the device itself or they should be treated like they do not exist. Of course, there are exceptions, such as mobile devices that are used only at home, but these are definitely the minority.

Limit or Block Mobile Social Gaming Sites

It used to be that games were played on a home console without interaction of others. You would load up the game and play, without the need for any connection. The next area of growth was in games that allowed people to play together through the Internet. But today we have taken games from just an interaction to a whole social experience. And it is not just happening on computers and consoles.

Many mobile device games allow you to join and interact in social media sites that connect with and explore the games. But it might not be a good idea to allow a child unfettered access to any social network, especially one that is so deeply involved in gaming. After all, this would be a potential target for online predators.

For iOS devices, you can restrict the access to Apple’s Game Center social component from the restrictions menu (as shown above, highlighted in red). You can selectively limit multi-player gaming or just the addition of new and potentially harmful friends. Other gaming social networks offer similar restrictions, but be sure to check all of the game titles currently installed to see which networks they interact with. There is no real way to know the potential stranger interaction without verifying on a per title basis.

Restrict New App Installation

New apps can be installed in only a few minutes, and many offer access to areas of the web that would best to be avoided. From games that access different game sharing networks to apps designed to access social media sites; the next open gateway to the Internet is just an installation away. For this reason, be sure to restrict new apps from being installed without supervision. We touched on this already, but new app installation is probably the second biggest threat to a child’s mobile Internet safety since they can be designed for ease of use and yet connect to any network. The biggest threat is an open browser, naturally.

While it is impossible to be 100% sure that all threats are removed when a child has access to the Internet, a little research and parental involvement goes a long ways. When it comes to selecting a mobile device for underage users, be sure that some form of parental control is on the device. If it is not available, I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere. After all, the average mobile device today is more powerful than the average desktop of just a few years ago, and they are definitely better connected. Oh, you never know the places they can go.

Mobile Internet Safety For Kids is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

When a site has to offer instructions on its use, then you got problems son. I have spent some time reading the comments on reddit and let’s just say the masses are very "con" to this change.  In fact, this redesign seems to be on par with the Digg redesign.  It’s that bad.  (Disclosure – I am a former Digg user). 

Obviously the redesign is all about the Benjamins as Gawker stated it explicitly in this link – http://lifehacker.com/#!5701749/why-gawker-is-moving-beyond-the-blog

I personally like many of the Gawker sites and check them several times a day.  I prefer not to give up my daily views of Lifehacker, Gizmodo and io9.  One way to continue reading the articles and avoid the horrific user interface is to follow via RSS feeds. 

While most Gawker RSS feeds lead to shortened story blurbs requiring going to the website for the "meat" of the article, there is a way to get the whole feed.  Gawker provides a link to the full RSS feeds here: http://lifehacker.com/vip.xml.  This code works for all of the gawker sites and you’ll just need to replace the web sites name such as http://sitename.com/vip.xml to get the full RSS feed.

While there is a "classic" view offered, it is still not what we know as Gawker based sites from a few days ago.  It still uses a form of frames that is still sluggish. 

The other option for reading Gawker sites is to read the mobile versions on through your browser such as http://m.kotaku.com.  Although reminds me of web surfing in the early 90s.  Ugh.

Hopefully the vitriol of the masses will lead Gawker to either offer the old view or better yet, change back to the original style. 

How to survive the Gawkpocalypse is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

With that said, I can’t help but to feel that the app is missing some basic core functionality that holds the effort back from greatness. No matter how strong the content is, you have to look at it from a user perspective. And from that angle, it comes up lacking. How is The Daily lacking in its core functionality? Let’s take a look.

Don’t Lose The User On Startup

When you launch an application that encompasses a daily publication, it can be expected that the download process will take some time. But as compared to other daily apps, The Daily will leave you hanging for a much longer time on a new issue. You can expect a wait of a minute plus, with nothing to look at but the loading screen. And that is if everything goes as it should, which is not always the case.

Other daily apps will split up the loading between publication sections, getting you to the business at hand much quicker. If the app is truly well designed, it should continue to load while you are perusing the loaded content, making a somewhat lengthy process invisible to the end user. In most cases, there is simply no need to make the user wait for an entire publication to download when the actual user consumption process takes measurable time.

Keep It Smooth

If you are building an application that has literally hundreds of hands in creating the end product, please do not forget the basics. One of the basics to remember is that the interface presented to the user is how your user experiences your efforts.

With the carousel interface of The Daily, the motion is jerky and unresponsive at times. The display is even worse when you turn the iPad landscape, as if the extra display width is a problem for the app. Given the hardware present, this poor performance is simply not necessary. No matter how nice it looks, if you can’t make it practical for the end user then you are doing it wrong. Perhaps a good dose of KISS (Keep It Simple…) might be the best approach here, at least until the interface has had ample testing.

Orientation Should Not Be An Interface Element

Sometimes it is convenient to hold the iPad in a portrait fashion to make it more like a piece of paper, perhaps for easier reading. At other times, holding it landscape works great in order to view wide photographs and videos. It makes sense to turn it to an optimal position in order to get the most out of the display. And that makes sense.

But forcing the user to twist and turn the tablet in order to get to all of the content is almost a poor use of the hardware. After a few sessions with The Daily, it almost becomes a game to know when to twist the device to get to the pictures. And when you do get additional pictures, there is a good chance that you have lost your place in the publication. It gets to be confusing.

I can understand if the app was designed to lead the user to the optimal viewing position. But in-place videos in a portrait orientation maximizes to a portrait screen, which is less than optimal. The user is left to decide for themselves the best viewing orientation. There’s nothing wrong with that, but make it consistent. Orientation should not be treated as a button.

Previous Issue Access

When you read The Daily, remember where the save icon is (it looks like a paper clip). As you find things of interest, be sure to use that icon to save them. Also make sure that you hit that paper clip for every page of the article you want to keep, otherwise you will only get the selected pages. Why should you be sure to save anything of interest? Simple – it will be gone tomorrow.

Currently any content not saved will be wiped away when the next issue arrives, and there is no way to get a back copy. Did you read a great article last night that you want to share with someone this morning? If you didn’t save it, you are out of luck.

It goes without saying that if you miss a day, you will not be able to read it later. This is a glaring omission on the part of the app itself. I can understand keeping the space clear on the iPad, but the user interface should provide a way to pull a back issue on demand, at least for a few days past its publication date. Otherwise it lacks the capacity to be considered a serious information tool.

Eradicate the Bugs

With over a hundred people providing the journalism to create great content, hopefully they have developers on staff working to fix the bugs. Simple things, such as forcing the user to reload the issue every time you go into the app and a broken leaderboard for the games should be addressed immediately. It is understood that bugs will happen in a new product, but a quick and solid response on these and other problems will go a long ways to build confidence with users.

I hope that The Daily and other quality publications continue to find their way onto the new breed of tablets. When the publication is designed from the ground up for such an interactive device, the combination of media and journalism can create a powerful experience for users and a new avenue of growth for publishers. But whatever they do, I certainly hope future endeavors keep the app itself in mind during the creation process.

The Daily Should Not Forget The App is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

The good news is that setting up an office recycling process is not that hard. In fact, you may find it an easy thing to do, although at first it will require a little conscious effort. But before long it will all be an automatic process, and your office will be doing its part to save the planet we all share.

Keep It Simple

One of the most important factors in setting up an office recycling system is a simple one – keep it simple. The fewer the changes to the normal office daily routine, the greater the chances are for the success of your recycling effort.

Remove the Guesswork

Assuming that everyone in the office will already know what – and how to – recycle may be a recipe for failure. Instead, assume that no one knows exactly what you have in mind, and proceed from there. Labeling everything is a great way to remove the guesswork, and prepare an office memo or email that clearly defines the goals and actions to take.

Recycling Bin 101

Perhaps one of the hardest decisions to make when adding an office recycling bin (and a process to make it work) is the bin itself. This is the question – do you have one large bin for the entire office, or you do place a smaller bin at each desk? As you can imagine, each has its pros and cons.

Having a small recycle bin at each desk allows the office worker to recycle right from their desk. Paper products, instead of going into their trash receptacle, gets filed into the bin. However, this requires that all of the recycling bins be collected on a regular basis, something that might add to the process, making it less simple.

A central large office recycling bin potentially requires the office worker to get up from their work and walk to the bin. But it does keep the recycling products in one location, simplifying its handling later. Which process works best for your office will vary, depending on office layout, typical office activities, and overall budget (if any) for the recycling effort.

Celebrate Your Success

Take time to measure your recycling success, and share it with the office. This can be as simple as counting the number of full cans or bags from the recycle bin, or as elaborate as weighing the material when it is collected. By collecting and sharing the statistics, you encourage the office to do more, and in the process, give everyone a good feeling.

With a little effort, your office will be well on its way to being a greener workplace. The positive buzz this creates can even be effective in creating a more productive office. But don’t stop there – share this effort with your customers – they should know that your office is responsible and conscientious about the planet – the idea that you will be the same for their needs will not go unnoticed.

Why Doesn’t Your Office Have A Recycling Bin? is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

That price is in service from a data provider and from any of the major carriers available in the area. Currently the majority of users buy data at 3G speeds, and they don’t usually think about how much data they get for the money – it is after all 3G, a standard that is clearly defined by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). And the “G” stands for “generation”, so you would think that going from 3G to 4G would be a no-brainer, right? The standards are defined by the ITU, and it is the next logical generation of mobile data capability.

Not as Advertised

But not all is as it seems when it comes to wireless carriers and 4G. In fact, things are downright shifty. Take, for example, AT&T’s 4G network. The big change in AT&T’s network is in, you ready for this – the name. Apparently some executives at the AT&T marketing department decided that 4G would sell better than lowly 3G, so AT&T was born.

Now, the network that AT&T runs is HSPA-plus, but as early as September this was their 3G network. Since then AT&T has a big new slogan – “The nation’s fastest mobile broadband network” – and a big new 4G sign on their website. When new AT&T phones roll out this year, you can expect 4G to be prominently displayed. Now, AT&T is spending a lot of money to put Long-Term Evolution (LTE) in place ahead of its original 2013 schedule, but customers will not see a difference until that time.

AT&T is not the only carrier to re-brand their current 3G network as 4G, and in fact, they are not even the first. Earlier T-Mobile USA, who uses the same HSPA-plus technology as AT&T, re-branded themselves as a 4G network. The ads that soon followed bragged on their 4G technology at the expense of other carriers, particularly AT&T. Ironic, isn’t it?

Especially when T-Mobile’s new ad is “America’s Largest 4G Network”, which it isn’t no matter how you try to define it. In fact, while AT&T has plans to roll out LTE, T-Mobile has no immediate plans in the works. The only advantage they have is in the short term, being the first to rebrand their existing HSPA-plus 3G network.

The 4G Description Loophole

But how can wireless carriers so easily rebrand existing technologies as 4G, when the ITU is defining exactly what makes 4G. Well, therein lies the rub – there isn’t a firm definition as to what exactly makes up 4G. The group is working to formalize one, but in the meanwhile (last December, to be more exact), they gave the go ahead for the branding of advanced 3G as 4G. And the carriers jumped at the chance.

Will the Real 4G Stand Up

In the meanwhile, Verizon and Sprint have products that could be considered real 4G technologies. Sprint has a 2 year head start with rolling out its WiMax technology to customers, and Verizon rolled out LTE in December. Both of these technologies are superior to HSPA-plus (which, as you remember, was originally branded as 3G).

Caveat Emptor

When it comes to 4G, the consumer is left bewildered and unsure of exactly what they are buying into. As it is, the expectation of what speeds should be 4G is as fuzzy as the 4G definition itself. So what should a buyer expect?

The best advice at this time is for the consumer to not put a lot of weight into the 4G tag, especially when it comes to AT&T and T-Mobile. When these networks get around to rolling out their advanced products, hopefully sometimes in 2012 for AT&T, then perhaps it may mean something. Until then, don’t let expectations of the 4G label rope you into new contracts or expectations. Especially when it comes to new contracts, which may even extend far enough to make the 4G claim eventually real. It’s nice of you to foot the cost up front.

Think Before You Buy 4G is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

But with Android making huge leaps in the market place, many are saying that this move will do little to curb the Android tidal wave that is threatening to bury the iPhone. From seemingly nowhere, Android is grabbing a growing segment of the smartphone market.

With such explosive growth, is Android poised to take the market and leave the Verizon iPhone a distant footnote in smartphone history? Well, not so fast. Let’s look at the factors involved with the announcement and how it impacts the market, at least as far as our crystal ball can tell.

Apple is High Profit, Not High Volume

When it comes right down to it, you have to remember that Apple goes for the high quality, high profit per item model, not the high volume, low profit one. This means that Apple can take a reduction in market and still carry on a very successful business. In fact, the iPhone has only about 8% of the total industry revenue, but accounts for around 32% of the total industry profit [source]. That makes the iPhone the highest profiting smart device to date.

Compare that to the average Android device, which sports a free operating system and a low profit model. For most buyers, the main selling point for Android over iPhone is a simple one – it is a cheaper smart device. Simply said, if Android was not cheap, it would not survive in the market.

How does this relate to the Verizon iPhone? Simple – it gives Verizon a reason to single out the iPhone for promotion. This could work well in Apple’s favor when it’s stacked up against Android models at the point of sale.

Strongest Carrier Launch to Date

It is amazing to think how far the iPhone has come with only four models and one carrier. By contrast, Android has had many different models on many different carriers. And yet the iPhone is the phone to beat.

By adding a new carrier, Apple positions itself to have the strongest market penetration to date. And when the iPhone 5 drops, it will be available at more places than ever before in the history of the iPhone. Not only does this work well for launches, but also spreads out those iPhone users across different carriers instead of putting them all on AT&T.

In the future, when a new iPhone launch happens, it will be multiple carriers doing the activation and handling the traffic. This bodes quite well for the Apple marketing model.

100 Million Verizon Customers Should Not Be Ignored

Verizon boasts 100 million wireless customers. That is 100 million users that before did not have access to an iPhone because of the carrier they used. Now, when it is time to upgrade phones, the users have a new choice. And one thing that Apple has over the Android devices is brand recognition.

With so many different manufacturers of Android devices, it can become confusing. But there is only one iPhone manufacturer, and it is Apple. While the radio may be different in a Verizon iPhone, everything else works just the same (with some network specific changes not related to apps). The less technically inclined user now has an easy choice – it is either the best Android, or simply the iPhone. This is a scenario I can see taking place time and again in Verizon stores across the country.

New Worldwide Opportunities

The CDMA iPhone allows it to be sold under the Verizon umbrella of products, but it does more than just that – it opens up potential markets overseas. For example, both Japan’s KDDI and China’s Unicom are CDMA based, and the new CDMA iPhone would seem a logical fit. According to Mr. Yum, a UBS analyst [source]:

While a CDMA version of the iPhone at Verizon represents a significant opportunity for Apple to expand its addressable market domestically, the company also opens itself up to opportunities abroad. We believe it makes sense for Apple to sign additional partnerships with CDMA carriers around the world.

When you add up all of the advantages that a CDMA version of the iPhone gives Apple, it seems foolish to consider that such a move is too little, too late. If anything, it shows that Apple is committed to the Smartphone market, and they intend on taking their smartphone to markets it has never been before. If anything, it is a great example of logical growth for a company that has so far had a great history with turning a small share of market into a huge success.

Is the Verizon iPhone Too Little, Too Late? is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

Since they’re so amazing, why did I have so much trouble ditching the home phone? Why should getting rid of the dumb, tethered to the wall, practically prehistoric beast be met with anything but victory? After all, I upgrade my smartphone with eagerness each time I can think of a valid reason and find the right price break. But I found it a challenge to get rid of the antique landline and go commando with only a smarter cellphone.

Hard To Part With Habit

Perhaps I am a bit old fashioned, but I grew up with a phone being in a residence. In fact, it seemed to define a residence. You know how you recorded the answering machine message, right? “Hello, you have reached the Smith RESIDENCE. We can’t come to the phone right now, but if you will leave a message, we will get back to you”.

That’s right – when you call the landline, you are calling the residence. You are calling the abode itself, and the home phone gives the house a connection to the outside world, a presence that goes beyond the brick and mortar itself.

When I call to check on my parents, who will no doubt have a landline until they pass from this world, I am calling to check on anybody at that location to see how they are doing. I don’t care who answers, as long as they answer.

That is, as long as they can go to the phone, as the answering machine message above clearly details. Of course, most people use cordless phones with their landlines now for better convenience, but at some point you still have to go to them, usually at the point of charging.

You see, home cordless phones are not designed to be truly cordless, only temporarily cordless until they can be placed back in the charging cradle after a few conversations. And that was one of the things that motivated me to consider dropping the landline. In good time I did, but it came with more questions than it solved.

The Great Divide

As I mentioned above, I would call my parents to check on them on occasion. Well, the inverse of that is certainly true as well. But since I kicked the landline out of the house, my husband and I are known by our own distinct phone number. The end result is this – my parents call my cell phone, and his parents call his. Since becoming fully smartphone dependent, I can count the number of times I have spoken to his parents in a phone conversation on one hand. Don’t get me wrong, I love and adore my child’s grandparents, but it is easier for them to keep up with just one new number at a time.

As for my husband, he has talked to my parents a total of once, and then it was on my phone. My dad had a technical question that was really my husband’s forte, so I reached the phone to him. Everyone is still as pleasant as ever, and get-togethers are always wonderful. But let me say this, for the record – having personal cellphones instead of a home phone leads to a dividing of the family lines instead of uniting them. It is a tiny difference in the overall scheme of things, but to a hopeless romantic, it should be noted.

Which Phone Do I Use?

As I hinted earlier, each of us having our own cellphone and the lack of a regular home phone presents it own set of logistical problems. For example, when I go to the doctor and they ask for a phone, do I use my husbands or mine? If I am in an accident, calling my phone doesn’t make a lot of sense. But if it is a follow up from the doctor then he will probably not be the best to talk to, if he even remembers to tell me about it all.

Consider the school, which wants a contact number. Again, do I use his or mine? In the past the choice was simple, call the home phone and, if nobody is there, leave a message. There was at least a chance somebody would check the answering machine. But now, if I use my phone number and my battery dies, it rolls into message hell and I won’t know about it until I get a recharge. At least my husband keeps his phone charged up regularly, even if he is slow to answer it.

Luckily the answer to that question is slowly being answered for us. Many places are now supporting multiple contact numbers, which makes it simple to give them both numbers. I am assuming that the idea is to call until you get someone, especially if it’s an emergency. Of course, the bugs are not worked out of the system just yet – an automated call from the school rolls straight into my voicemail without ever calling him. Luckily we stay on top of weather conditions and news reports regarding our child’s school, but it would be easy to miss the single communication attempt from the school system.

A Landline is a Better Physical Connection, Right?

One of the final decision factors for forgoing the old landline was the belief that the physical connection to the outside world would be better in the case of a power outage or other emergency. I held on to this belief for the last year of our monthly home phone bills, until the truth hit me one day during a power outage.

You see, out of convenience, we used cordless phones. The cordless phones need power on the base station to actually work as anything more than a paperweight. When the power went out, I went to call a neighbor to see if their power was out as well. Of course, the cordless phone did not work, and I had to use my smartphone, which worked great. A year’s worth of reasons for keeping the landline was just shattered.

Now, I know that I could have bought a simple plug in phone and used that in the house during the power outage, but in reality if the outage is bad enough to affect the local cell towers, there is a good chance that the landlines will be out too. And who wants to fumble around in a dark house to find the stored plug in phone when my cellphone is right beside me?

What About the Children?

Of course, no home phone opens up one area for consideration, and that is, “How are your children going to talk on the phone”? Don’t get me wrong, it is cute when our child wants to talk to either set of grandparents, and both my husband and myself share our cellphone with him. But what happens when he has friends – possibly even girls – calling to talk to him? At some point, without a home phone, a child may need his/her own cellphone as well. Of course, it is a great way to keep tabs on your child, but when they come to that age consider the additional cost in any home phone removal strategies.

In the end, we made the leap and killed off the home phone. In all honesty, it has been much more convenient, and we are never afraid of missing a call when not at home. For us, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by a long shot, and I would highly suggest anyone in the same circumstances to consider doing the same.

Not only do you avoid a costly monthly charge, but you also simplify your life with one less number to juggle. I know that if someone wants to contact me, they will be calling this phone, and keeping it close by is a comforting thought. But if you do, consider visiting the in-laws more or at least calling them on occasion. It will help to minimize the effects of the great divide.

Cutting The Home Phone Cord Is Not Always Easy is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

But there is one area of application for the iPad that seems to really shine. With its large touch screen and ample battery reserve, the iPad makes for a great remote controller of other machines. With a little effort, you can turn the iPad into a virtual machine of your choice by using VNC to control the actual machine.

In fact, you can easily use virtually any piece of software right from the iPad. Flash? You can enjoy playing Dice Wars on the iPad, with the assistance of anther machine. Windows, Mac, or Linux? It is all within the grasp of your iPad screen. What do you need to do to make all of this work? It may be easier than you think. Let’s take a look.

The VNC Server

First, any machine that you want to remotely control must have an active VNC server running on it. If you are looking to VNC with a Mac, then the software is already present – you only need to turn it on, there is nothing to buy or install. To turn it on, go to System Preferences / Sharing and click on the “Screen Sharing” checkbox. (See Image Below) Once this is done, you are ready to connect. Please note that this dialog will also show your IP address, handy if the machine address is not known.

If you want to control a Windows or Linux machine, then you only need to download and install a free VNC server. You can find many different versions to install, each with their own strengths and weaknesses; one popular choice is the RealVNC server. Depending on the VNC server installed, it may run as a user program or as a service. The choice really depends on how you want to use the remote app – if you want the server to be readily available at all times, consider running it as a service.

The VNC Client

Once you have the VNC server up and running, you are ready to connect to it with the iPad. A VNC client is not built into iOS, but it would seem a natural fit, given the way a server is part of OS X. So, in order to have an iPad VNC client, you are going to need to find the right app on the App Store.

Now, you can find free VNC clients as well as paid ones. Usually the paid apps will give you more features, but there are a few exceptions. For example, the free Wyse PocketCloud VNC client is a very capable VNC client, and it does not take up valuable screen real estate with its own fixed toolbar. I highly recommend searching for “VNC” on the App Store and looking at the choices yourself, but for now let’s look at how you get connected with the Wyse client. Please note that other clients will be very similar in their use.

Once you have your VNC client downloaded to your iPad, start it up and enter your server information. Please note that we are not using the PocketCloud aspect of Wyse, so skip that part. You should soon be at the screen below.

Enter in the server address, a suitable nickname, and the password (if any) that you have set up on the VNC server. Again, this is going to be very similar information on any VNC client you choose. You might notice the port information is already filled in at port #5900. This is the default port for VNC operations, and unless you have changed it on the server leave it as is.

Once you have the information entered, touch the name and the connection should be made. Next thing you should see on your iPad is the expected machine screen, presented for your use. Depending on the client chosen, your view may vary a little, but an example screen below is a connection from the iPad to a Mac.

What Programs Work On The iPad

Virtually any program on the server machine will work on the iPad, and you can control it as you would on the machine itself. Some VNC clients for the iPad allow you to directly touch the hosted screen; others will give you a small mouse cursor to drag around as you would locally. You can use both with great success; it really is a matter of personal choice.

One thing to note is that the screen updates over VNC is not as fast as the local screen. This means that watching video from the server is not going to be a practical activity. Also, please keep in mind that VNC does not support the sound from the server. But for running almost everything else, it is a very capable solution.

If you have an iPad and a computer or two lying about, you should at least consider the setup. You might be surprised at what your iPad can suddenly do.

Using VNC With Your iPad is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog

In fact, 2010 saw some major stumbles from some very big names in the tech industry. But missteps were not limited to just the big players, since a few startups introduced products that should have never seen the light of day. So, what were these bad tech products of 2010? Let’s a take a look at our ever so humble list of the 5 biggest tech product flops of the year. You may think otherwise about these products, and you may even have your own list. If so, we encourage you to speak your mind below to let us know.

Google TV

The days of the dumb TV connected to a cable box that simply has different channels of shows is rapidly coming to an end. In its place you will find entertainment hubs that take in regular shows, plus online offerings, recorded material, on demand choices, and even interactive features. Technology giant Google believes in this vision as well, and so they put their considerable weight behind a new product, Google TV.

But, despite being advanced over the standard cable box, the product landed with a whimper. Right off the bat, ABC, NBC, CBS, and even Hulu would not let Google TV access their shows. Add to that a DVR that only Dish customers could use, and remaining online capabilities that put the system on par with the average Blu-Ray DVD player, and it should be easy to see why consumers stayed away in droves.

Microsoft Kin

It would be hard to imagine anyone that is not a little familiar with the Redmond giant. From operating systems and game consoles to office suites, Microsoft technology is found in more homes and businesses than any other provider. So when Microsoft delivers a bold new phone design, you might think that everyone would flock to it.

But when the Kin landed on the unsuspecting public, consumers simply did not bite. For some not so incredible reason, the average buyer did not want a dumbed down smart phone that could not load apps. Maybe the tiny screen or clumsy interface didn’t gel with consumers either, and data fees that were the same for more capable droid phones certainly didn’t help.

When you add it all up, the Kin was a disaster, and within 48 days of its launch the Kin was pulled from the shelves. You would think that Microsoft would have learned its lesson and start offering new mobile devices that were more capable than ever. Yet with Windows Phone 7 Microsoft is again carrying the “quick in, quick out” banner to the public. Will it work this time? Time will tell, but I can imagine one product that could be on the 2011 list… if developers don’t get behind it.

Any 2010 iPad Tablet Competitor that is not the Galaxy Tab

I’m going to say this only once, and it should be apparent – 2010 was the year the tablet became accepted by the public, and that tablet was the iPad. With many millions sold, the iPad was a complete success. And with such a success you are bound to have  competition.

But the competition rose up so fast that it was laughable. From the Augen GenTouch78 Android tablet that sold in Kmart stores for a mere $150 to the Chinese knockoffs running Windows 7 for considerable more, it was apparent that imitation was indeed the sincerest form of flattery, but it didn’t work well for quality consumer products. Walgreen found this out with the Maylong M-150, and we won’t even bother to talk about the JooJoo tablet.

Not all of the failed iPad competition was from small companies. With the likes of the Dell Streak, the Archos 7 Home Tablet, and the Toshiba Libretto W105, it was easy to see that a tablet had to fire on all cylinders in order to please an educated public. What worked before in the PC world was just not going to suffice in the more advanced tablet market. I’ll tell you now, if your tablet runs 100 degrees plus, can’t run for 5 hours or longer on a single charge, or doesn’t sport an OS designed for finger use, then you should leave the product on the early design board.

But the market is a fickle beast, and sooner or later an Android tablet is going to get traction. In fact, the Galaxy Tab has already dug in to find its niche, and others are on their way. Once a tablet specific Android is released, I think you will find very many strong Android devices on the tablet market.

Of course, that will be 2011 or later, still keeping 2010 belonging to the iPad. Also, it will be interesting to see how the iPad 2 will impact that market. As for other operating system based tablets on the market, I am hesitant to see them as major contenders until at least 2012 and beyond. But anything is possible.

AT&T Microcell

Should you pay your telecom to fix a service that you are already paying for? Well, common logic would say a resounding, “NO!”, but that is exactly what you are doing when you opt for the At&T Microcell. Basically the device allows your 3G phone to connect to it, and routes calls over your internet connection. In a fringe reception area, this sounds like it would be great.

But consider for a minute that, not only do you have to pay for the Microcell, but you also have to pay for the minutes that are being serviced through your provided connection. So now you are paying for the original service from AT&T, paying for the microcell, paying for the internet connection itself that the microcell hooks to, and paying for the minutes that you are talking through your internet connection. This is, in my opinion, a massive fail – AT&T has found a small goldmine to fix their unsupported areas, and the end consumer is getting the shaft.

TV Hat and Cyber Clean

So far we have mentioned 4 products (or family of products) that have failed to hit their market in a competent way. But for number 5, I just wanted to have some fun. So, I’ll mention two products to make up for the frivolities.

First I have to mention the TV Hat. This curious device allowed you to use a smartphone as your own private theater, complete with screening room. The best way to describe it is a baseball cap with a grotesquely extended bill, from which dangles an end mount for an iPhone and a black viewing chamber. The device was not only awkward, it was no doubt very tiring to use.

Next we have Cyber Clean, a putty-like material the consistency of mucous with a supposed cleaning ability. Unless you have a good reason to immerse your electronics in this stuff, say to drown out a company cell phone, there seems to be much better alternatives. Of course, we also suggest that you don’t use silly putty or Nickelodeon Gak as a cleaner either.

So there you have it, our 5 plus biggest consumer tech blunders of 2010. While there are many more viable choices for this list, these were our favorites for either being on the mass market, being completely lop-sided against the consumer, or just being rather silly. But we are already looking forward to the 2011 list, and a few big ones are already on our radar.

The 5 Worst Tech Products of 2010 is a post from: Testfreaks | The Blog