Beats Executive headphones review

Beloved of Premier League footballers, Beats headphones, with their distinctive red wires, have become a familiar sight on the streets. The hip-hop cache provided by their creator, Dr Dre, has been a big part of that success.
With Beats Executive though, the brand is targeting an older, less flashy market. They are aimed squarely at the frequent flyer, corporate crowd and offer a serious challenge to Bose's QuietComfort range by incorporating active noise-cancelling electronics.
Aesthetically, Beats Executive are a great success. The shiny plastics and garish branding of ordinary Beats headphones are gone, replaced by subtlety and an all-over quality feel. There's no mention of Dr Dre anywhere.
All brushed aluminium and soft leather, they look and feel tailored for globe-trotting executives.The materials used mean this is not a light headset, but enough care has been taken with the padding and adjustability that once you have them on it's easy to drift off to music on a long haul flight, or settle in for a movie in relative seclusion without feeling weighed down.
The noise cancelling, powered by two AAA batteries, is excellent, and as good as that offered by Bose. It can be turned on or off via a switch on the right earpiece, and used without listening to anything, if silence and sleep is all you crave. Beats claims the batteries last 25 hours and I achieved about that on two recent trips.
The sound has that distinctive Beats quality - plenty of bass - although it is nowhere near as unbalanced as on their standard headphones and is generally excellent.
They're not cheap, but the sound is almost on a par with Bose's offerings, and for my money, the hardware is better put together and looks nicer.
The in-line remote control offered the only disappointment, as although perfectly well made and serviceable, it is cast in plastic and just not as nice as the headphones.
Such a minor gripe would not stop Beats Executive headphones becoming an essential part of my travel kit, however.

Officially the worlds most expensive console:SONY PS3 SUPREME

Officially the most individual and expensive PS3 in the world. Twelve weeks of unambiguous workmanship was involved to fashion this beautiful console. The whole main outer section has been reformed with circa 1,600 grams of solid 22ct gold. Both sides of the disc loading entrance have 58 individually set 0.50 ct Flawless diamonds which total 26ct. Available as a limited edition of only 3 to be made. This truly is gaming for the elite.
Price - £199,995.00

Macbook Air SUPREME FIRE Edition

Uniquely designed and crafted by Stuart Hughes. The MacBook Air ‘SUPREME FIRE’ Edition. Encrusted with 25.5 cts of ‘I'F' Flawless diamonds, a magnificent total of 53 individually set sparkling gems sit beautifully in their solid 24ct gold Apple logo. The whole housing is made from highly polished solid 24ct gold, weighing in the region of 2,600 grams.This Exclusive Laptop brings together luxury and top of the industry technology, all of which result in an exquisite work of art. This item is of a limited edition of only 10 units to be made.
Price - £219,995.00. Now that is one expensive laptop.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 details emerge online

Rumours that Apple will debut at least two new smartphones this year gathered pace today, after a Chinese source claimed to have seen the forthcoming devices.Posting on micro blogging service, Sina Tech, Old Yao claims his friend at one of Apple’s Chinese parts suppliers has laid eyes on the new edition of the standard-sized iPhone, AKA the iPhone 5S, and the phablet-sized iPhone 6.
According to said insider, the iPhone 5S isn’t too different from the current-gen model in the looks stakes. That tallies with other recent reports suggesting that improvements that the next-generation handset brings will be largely restricted to the phone’s internals.
The iPhone 6, meanwhile, is a different matter and is purportedly longer – Yao claims it packs a five-inch screen - and wider than the iPhone 5, but is also thinner.
Although that’s not a terribly concrete description, it’s sure to add to the clamour of tech voices forecasting that Apple’s 2013 product portfolio will include a tablet-smartphone hybrid aimed at seeing off the challenge from the Samsung’s Note range.
Still, before you get too excited, it’s worth remembering that we can’t set too much store in Old Yao’s claims, given that it’s been hard to verify what kind of industry credentials he’s got. If indeed, he’s got any at all.
Either way, given the Samsung Galaxy Note and Note 2’s huge sales, it seems likely that demand for an Apple phablet would be huge. And with a putative spec sheet that takes in a super HD camera, 128GB of storage and Near Field Communications, it’s not hard to see why.

Korean researchers develop flexible battery

Researchers in South Korea have developed a flexible battery that could be a step towards the development of flexible smartphones.The team, from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, say they have developed a "fluid-like" polymer electrolyte that is more flexible than a traditional battery.
The new system is, according to the researchers, more stable than conventional batteries.
A spokesman for the Korean science ministry told the Korean Joongang Daily: "Conventional lithium-ion batteries that use liquefied electrolytes had safety problems as the film that separates the electrolytes may melt under heat, in which case the positive and negative elements may come in contact, causing an explosion."
Last week, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung showed off a prototype for a flexible smartphone, which it calls Youm.
On stage at CES the prototype phone was shown being flexed and bent without any conspicuous colour distortion, with other pre-recorded demonstrations shown on film.Corning, the maker of Gorilla Glass, which is widely used across mobile phones, is also working on a flexible glass product called Willow.
It is likely to be available in time for use on devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the forthcoming iPhone, but will not offer the flexibility of plastic. Subsequent mobile phone releases, therefore, may not use as much glass and may instead move to flexible displays.

LulzSec hacker jailed for Sony Pictures attack

A hacker who was involved in an attack by the LulzSec group on Sony Pictures Entertainment was sentenced in Los Angeles to a year in prison.Cody Kretsinger, 25, who used the online moniker "Recursion," pleaded guilty in April 2012 to one count each of conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer.On Thursday he was jailed by a federal judge and also ordered s to perform 1,000 hours of community service after his release.
Kretsinger was a member of LulzSec, an offshoot of the international hacking group Anonymous, that took credit for a string of attacks in spring 2011 on government and private sector websites.
During last year's plea hearing, he told a federal judge that he gained access to the Sony Pictures website and gave the information he found there to other members of LulzSec, who posted it on the group's website and Twitter.
Prosecutors said Kretsinger and other LulzSec hackers ultimately caused the unit of Sony Corp more than $600,000 in damage.Kretsinger's plea came a month after court documents revealed that Anonymous leader "Sabu," whose real name is Hector Xavier Monsegur, had pleaded guilty to hacking-related charges and provided the FBI with information on fellow hackers.
Prosecutors have declined to say if Kretsinger was also cooperating with authorities in exchange for leniency.
Anonymous and its offshoots, including LulzSec and AntiSec, focused initially on fighting attempts at Internet regulation and the blocking of free illegal downloads, but have since taken on other targets including Scientology and the global banking system.
Anonymous, and LulzSec in particular, grabbed the spotlight in late 2010 when they launched what they called the "first cyber war" in retaliation for attempts to shut down the Wikileaks website.
Last week a 26-year-old British man pleaded guilty in that country to carrying out cyber attacks on targets including Sony and Nintendo as part of LulzSec while using the online persona of a 16-year-old girl named Kayla.

WhatsApp grows bigger than Twitter.

WhatsApp, the almost free messaging app, now has more users than Twitter and carries more messages than Facebook, according to its chief executive.The service has attracted more monthly users than the 200 million claimed by Twitter, Jan Koum told a technology conference on Tuesday. He did not release an exact figure, however.He also said WhatsApp carries as many as 20 billion messages per day, double Facebook’s daily message traffic.Although WhatsApp is seen as more of an internet-based threat to text messaging than as a competitior to social networks, the figures represent major milestones for a service that was only introduced in 2009.Koum said WhatsApp, based in Silicon Valley, will not follow Facebook and Twitter in carrying advertising, however. The app charges a 99-cent annual subscription on Android and other smartphone

The world's most expensive smartphone: British designer creates $15 million iPhone 5.

The diamond-encrusted smartphone is made from solid gold and sapphire glass. British designer Stuart Hughes was commissioned to create the $15 million iPhone 5, called the Black Diamond.
The phone, which underneath its special shell, is no different from any iPhone in terms of hardware components, was commissioned by an unnamed Chinese businessman as his regular day-to-day handset. Called the Black Diamond because it features a 24-ct black diamond where the home key should be; it also has a solid gold chassis. If that wasn't enough, it is decorated with what Hughes says are 600 flawless white diamonds set in gold on the back panel, while the Apple logo, now in solid gold takes on a three-dimensional quality and has also been enhanced by the addition of a further 53 diamonds.One other notable difference, and one that could soon become a reality on all smartphones, is the use of sapphire glass rather than the standard Gorilla Glass to cover the iPhone's display. Sapphire glass is used to create body armor and only a diamond is stronger or more resistant. However, at current prices, a sheet of such glass costs 10 times more than Gorilla Glass.

Angry Birds passes 1.7 billion downloads, cartoons to debut on March 16

Angry Birds has been one of the most popular games of the mobile age, with each title in the series becoming an instant hit across the platforms it’s available on. The company has now given itself a well deserved pat on the back as the different titles available on multiple platforms have already been downloaded a whooping 1.7 billion times.More importantly, Rovio has announced the new series of Angry Birds cartoons, which will debut on March 16. The first season will contain 52 episodes and the show will be telecasted on Saturdays.
The Angry Birds cartoon will be aired in Australia, Indonesia, India, South Korea, Norway, Finland, France, Chile, Israel and Brazil. Rovio has partnered with TV networks and the company has also roped in Comcast, a video on-demand services provider. Furthermore, the comic series will also be available on Samsung Smart TVs and from inside the Angry Birds app.

NFC?

NFC is the short form for Near Field Communication. what is nfc all about?

Near field communication, abbreviated NFC, is a form of contactless communication between devices like smartphones or tablets. Contactless communication allows a user to wave the smartphone over a NFC compatible device to send information without needing to touch the devices together or go through multiple steps setting up a connection. Fast and convenient, NFC technology is popular in parts of Europe and Asia, and is quickly spreading throughout the United States.

Near field communication maintains interoperability between different wireless communication methods like Bluetooth and other NFC standards including FeliCa -- popular in Japan -- through the NFC Forum. Founded in 2004 by Sony, Nokia, and Philips, the forum enforces strict standards that manufacturers must meet when designing NFC compatible devices. This ensures that NFC is secure and remains easy-to-use with different versions of the technology. Compatibility is the key to the growth of NFC as a popular payment and data communication method. It must be able to communicate with other wireless technologies and be able to interact with different types of NFC transmissions.

How does it work?

The technology behind NFC allows a device, known as a reader, interrogator, or active device, to create a radio frequency current that communicates with another NFC compatible device or a small NFC tag holding the information the reader wants. Passive devices, such as the NFC tag in smart posters, store information and communicate with the reader but do not actively read other devices. Peer-to-peer communication through two active devices is also a possibility with NFC. This allows both devices to send and receive information.

Both businesses and individuals benefit from near field communication technology. By integrating credit cards, subway tickets, and paper coupons all into one device, a customer can board a train, pay for groceries, redeem coupons or store loyalty points, and even exchange contact information all with the wave of a smartphone. Faster transaction times mean less waiting in line and happier customers. Fewer physical cards to carry around means the customer is less likely to lose one or have it stolen.
Who's currently in on the action with NFC technology and mobile payments? Google has launched Google Wallet that supports MasterCard PayPass, PayPal offers money transfers between smartphones, and other companies are expected to follow suit. As the technology grows, more NFC compatible smartphones will be available and more stores will offer NFC card readers for customer convenience.

Iron Man 3 video game to land on Android and iOS on April 25

Gameloft released the launch date and trailer of the upcoming Iron Man 3 official video game. Android and iOS users will be able to jump into Tony Stark’s suit on April 25.From the brief moments of gameplay included in the Iron Man 3 trailer, it becomes obvious that Gameloft’s latest superhero title will follow the endless running format. Of course, there will be a slew of obstacles, enemies, as well as weapons to properly deal with them, so the game will surely be far from boring.

Temple Run arrives on Windows Phone

Yes finally temple run on windows platform
Roughly one and a half year after the launch of the game on iOS and exactly a year later on Android, the original Temple Run is now finally on the Windows Phone platform. Or to be precise, on Windows Phone 8.The game is identical to the iOS and Android version but does not leverage the Xbox Live feature the way the iOS version uses Game Center. It’s also not what you’d expect to receive in 2013.
The original Temple Run came out back in 2011 but it’s been a while since then and they have released three more games after that, notably, Temple Run 2 a couple of months ago. Considering how long Windows Phone users had to wait for this game, it would have made sense to launch Temple Run 2 directly but now we have the old one with no sign of any of the others.

Don’t get me wrong, the original Temple Run is still a great game but I don’t see a whole lot of point in releasing an old game when a new one is out already.
In other, less depressing news, Temple Run isn’t the only game coming over to Windows Phone 8. There are also Chaos Rings, 6th Planet, Propel Man, Orcs Must Survive, Ruzzle, Fling Theory and Drift Mania Championship 2 coming over shortly. And then there is the new Gravity Guy 2, which for once, is being launched on Windows Phone before other platforms.
So things are looking up for gaming on Windows Phone. Unfortunately, it’s not happening at the rate you expect it to.
Update: Temple Run is only available for devices with at least 1GB of RAM.

OUYA to go on sale on June 4 for $99.99

The Kickstarter funded, Android-based gaming console is now in its final stage, ready to go into the hands of eager buyers. But when exactly will you be able to buy it?According to OUYA, the console will start shipping to regular customers on June 4 for $99. It will be sold through Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers. For that money, you get the console, the controller with the touchpad, an HDMI cable and batteries for the controller. Meanwhile, the Kickstarter project backers started receiving the console this month itself.
For those who don’t know, OUYA is a game console based on Android Jelly Bean operating system and runs on NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processor. It’s the first of its kind device that lets you play Android games on the big screen with a controller. OUYA will have its own online store from where you can purchase games directly on the console and where all games are expected to provide a free demo so customers can try out the game before they can purchase them. As of now, there are a handful of new games being made for the console, with existing Android games such as Shadowgun and Dead Trigger also making an appearance. Hopefully, you should be able to play a lot more games in future, assuming the platform takes off.

Google announces Blink, a new open source rendering engine based on WebKit

After Samsung, it’s Google’s turn to part ways with the WebKit rendering engine. Google has announced Blink, a new rendering engine based on the existing WebKit.
The WebKit engine has been part of the Chromium project ever since the first Chrome browser was released and has also been the basis of Android’s stock browser. Now, however, Google feels the current WebKit has become too bloated, with several features such as the multi-process architecture being duplicated, since Google has its own version for them.
As such, it had apparently become essential for Google to cut ties with WebKit to reduce the complexity and cut down on the amount of code in the browser, which will improve the stability and performance. Google understands the complications brought on by the introduction of a new engine but believes that ‘having multiple rendering engines—similar to having multiple browsers—will spur innovation and over time improve the health of the entire open web ecosystem.’
It remains to be seen how the web developers react to this new engine. Blink may be standards compliant as Google claims but most sites don’t really comply with the standards themselves. The web has always optimized itself for whichever browser (and thus its rendering engine) was popular at the moment. From Trident in IE, to Gecko in Firefox to now WebKit in Chrome and Safari. This is one of the reasons companies like Opera shifted over to using WebKit to make things work more seamlessly. Now with Google (and Samsung) shifting away from WebKit, things are likely to get a bit messy.