Ferrofluid Magnetic Display

As for humans, here is one desktop toy that you might want to purchase for yourself or as a gift for a good friend, as the $29.99 Ferrofluid Magnetic Display certainly makes for a decent stress reliever – far better than just squeezing and letting go of a stress ball or to blow right into a paperbag!

 

Touted to be utterly addictive, you will obviously use magnets provided with the Ferrofluid Magnetic Display to make the fluid “dance”. Hand-crafted in the USA, ferrofluid is actually a kind of colloidal liquid that is made of particles less than 10 nanometers in diameter. Whenever they are subjected to a magnetic field, the nanoparticles will form regular patterns of peaks and valleys, and in the world of electronics, those are are used to form liquid seals in order to prevent debris from getting into a hard drive. Have a good time creating artistic masterpieces for yourself and others to admire during those free moments at the office. 

WARNING: Keep away from children. Do not put magnets in mouth or nose. Swallowed magnets can stick to intestines causing serious injury or death. Seek immediate medical attention if magnets are swallowed or inhaled.

For ages 17+, not a toy.
Desktop boredom buster for science-based amusements.
Use the magnets to move the ferrofluid around and observe its behavior.
Utterly addictive! Will melt your brain with its awesomeness.

Materials: Glass bottle containing 2 oz. suspension liquid & ferrofluid, 1 large magnet, 1 small magnet

Includes care & safety instructions
Dimensions: 4" tall
Hand-crafted in the USA by Concept Zero

Rechargeable Speakers with a Twist

The iHM62, $49.96 on Amazon, brings practicality and fun to the world of portable speakers. These collapsible speakers come with a 2 in 1 cable enabling charge from a USB device and output via standard 3.5mm audio plug. The lithium ion battery will get you 2 hours of playback – enough to typically get you back to a power source. The vacuum bass design gives hearty volume and bass too. But the fun angle of these speakers is the fact they change color – green, red, blue, yellow. Single color and color fade modes also exist if you are not in the mood for changing color. With the collapsible, handheld design and a carry pouch the iHM62 travels well too. You know you need portable speakers, why not make them rechargeable? And add a little color to your life at the same time. 

The Latest Distribution of Different Android Versions

Are you curious to what percentage of Android mobile phones and tablets are running the latest version of Android?

Android Version	Internal Codename	Usage as on July 1, 2012	Usage as on August 1, 2012
1.5	Cupcake	0.2%	0.2%
1.6	Donut	0.5%	0.5%
2.1	Eclair	4.7%	4.2%
2.2	Froyo	17.3%	15.5%
2.3.x	Gingerbread	63.6%	60.3% (-2.7%)
3.1	Honeycomb	0.5%	0.5%
3.2		1.9%	1.8%
4.0.x	Ice Cream Sandwich	10.7%	15.8% (+5.1%)
4.1	Jelly Bean	N/A	0.8%

Google has just updated their distribution charts for the Android platform and it suggests that 15.8% of Android phones and tablets have Ice Cream Sandwich installed. Gingerbread, the most popular Android version ever, still powers 60.3% Android devices though it was released way back in December 2010. [via]

Dictation – Speech Recognition in the Browser

Ever noticed that microphone icon on some web pages?

The newer versions of Google Chrome include an impressive speech recognition engine that even works offline but with one limitation – the feature is only available to text input fields (like the Google search box) and you can’t use Chrome’s speech recognition to write longer pieces of text (say a message inside Gmail).

Meet Dictation, a speech recognition app powered by Chrome itself but one that is not limited to text boxes. Here’s a quick getting started guide:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + . (period) or click the big microphone icon to activate dictation mode and talk.
2. If you make a mistake, or if Chrome makes an error in transcription, simple click the incorrect word and edit it inline.
3. You can say “new line” to insert a new line or “delete everything” to make a fresh start.

Dictation requires the Google Chrome browser. The full source code is available at ctrlq.org and what follows is a brief video demo.

Google Makes Some Changes to the I’m Feeling Lucky Button

The I’m Feeling Lucky button on the Google homepage, which has been sitting there since day one, takes you directly to the first search result completely bypassing Google’s search results pages. It’s a convenient option for consumers though it does cost Google a lot of money since the company miss an opportunity to serve you ads.

Google won’t mind you spending a little more time on their own properties and thus, after nearly 15 years, they have made one little change to the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button.

Google wants you to spend more time on their own properties

You’ve Got Mail – A New Notifier for Gmail

Back in the days of dial-up Internet, America Online (AoL) subscribers would hear a sound alert saying “You’ve got mail” every time a new email landed in their AOL mailbox.

Voice-over artist Elwood Edwards initially recorded these three words on a cassette tape to sell them as a .wav file, AOL decided to use the sound into their mail program and the line became such a hit that it even inspired Warner Bros. to create a movie with the same name - “You’ve got mail.”

How to Block Useless Websites from your Google Search Results

Google has been getting better at identifying and removing spam websites from their search results pages but sometimes not-so-useful sites do manage to slip through the Google filters. What can you do to prevent such sites from appearing in your Google results?

Approach #1: Block Sites at the Browser Level 

Google offers an easy-to-use Chrome add-on called Personal Blocklist that lets you block entire web domains from showing up in your Google search results. If you spot any irrelevant website in search results pages, just click the block link (screenshot below) and all pages from that website will be hidden from your Google results forever.

Prevent Google Chrome from Hijacking RSS Feeds

If you happen to click an RSS or Atom feed inside the latest version of Google Chrome, the browser won’t display the actual content of the XML file but will instead offer you to open the feed in either Google Reader or one of the Chrome apps.

XML Feeds are ‘greek’ to most users but for the rest of us, Chrome offers no built-in option to turn off this default behavior. Also, if you using an RSS feed reader that is not available as a Chrome app, like FeedDemon or Microsoft Outlook, there isn’t an easy way to set that external program as the default handler for RSS feeds in Chrome.

Tips for Buying Domains through Google Apps

When you buy a web domain through Google Docs, you get personalized email addresses (like me@mydomain.com instead of me@gmail.com) plus you can setup a quick website on Google Sites without having to pay for web hosting. The domains are registered privately meaning others cannot see your contact information in the public WHOIS database.

Google Apps comes in two flavors – the free edition (where you just pay for the domain name) and the business edition (where you pay for the domain and the number of users).

Tip #1: How to Sign-up for Google Apps Free Edition

For business reasons, the Google Apps homepage includes no mention of the free edition but you can use this secret link to  go straight to the sign-up form. The link  is otherwise hidden under the “Pricing” section of the Google Apps website.

How often Outlook checks Gmail for New Mail?

If you have connected your Gmail account to Outlook over POP3, you may have noticed that emails arriving in your Gmail mailbox are delivered to your Outlook mailbox after a little wait.

The support pages do not say how often Outlook.com checks your Gmail.com account for new emails but you can easily find a clue in your Gmail mailbox itself.

Amazon Brings the Kindle Reader to India

Some good news for book worms in India. You can now buy Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader from select TATA Croma stores here and if you don’t have one in your city, you can order it online at cromaretail.com.

What’s new then? While it has always been possible to buy Kindle directly from amazon.com, the Croma advantage is that you don’t need an international credit card and you can even pay for the device using your Debit card or through net banking.

The Wi-Fi 6″ version of Kindle costs 7k at Croma while competing online stores like IndiaTimes and IndiaPlaza offer the same Kindle model for 9.5k and 11k  respectively.

Google+ debuts 'sliders' to help users de-clog their streams

Let's face it, some people's posts are more important than others -- now, Google's social network has a feature that lets users control what they see and share in their Circles stream.

Google+'s new "sliders" lets users control what they most want to see on the social network.(Credit: Google)

 

Google Plus launched a new feature today called "sliders" that lets users decide how and when they want to tone down information from their Circles that may be clogging up their stream.

Google Maps explores the faraway Arctic with Street View

The tech giant's mapping team goes further north than it's ever been to add in roads, rivers, and lakes in the beautiful Canadian Arctic, which is only accessible by plane or boat.

The Street View Trike collecting imagery of Cambridge Bay.

(Credit: Google)

       

Far beyond the Arctic Circle -- nearing the North Pole, where tundra, snow, and glaciers are commonplace year-round -- is an area called Cambridge Bay in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. It sits in the Canadian Arctic and is only accessible by plane or boat. 

This is the newest location to hit Google Maps Street View.

Yap.TV tunes Internet age viewing for the world

 

Yap.TV software released in the US for Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod devices have been customized for 19 more countries

SAN FRANCISCO —San Francisco startup Yap.TV went international with a hit service that helps people mine gems from junk in the growing mountain of shows, films and videos.

Versions of Yap.TV software released in the United States early last year for Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices have been customized for 19 more countries and in four languages other than English.

Applications for smartphones or tablets powered by Android software were in the works and expected to be ready in a matter of months.

Facebook brings Mention Tagging to Open Graph

Facebook has launched a new tool for its Open Graph that allows users to tag other users inside Facebook-connected apps. The new feature, dubbed as the Mention Tagging, is likely to help the social networking company increase the engagement and exposure of its apps.

The new Mention Tagging app should not be confused with Action Tagging feature, which is for mentioning action with your friends. It's notable the Mention Tagging app has been in the graph for quite some time. The new feature will enable users to mention their Facebook friends right inline in their messages.

MTS launches MTag 351, MTag 352 and MTag 281 Android Smartphones

Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) which nationally operates its telecom services under the MTS brand has announced the launch of three new Android-based smartphones – MTS MTag 351, MTag 352 and MTag 281. The new smartphones run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and come bundled with MTS' unlimited data plans.

MTS MTag 351

The MTS MTag 351 features a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with 320X480 pixel resolution. The device is powered by an 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 Processor and comes with a 1,300 mAh battery. The MTag 351 features a dual camera with flash (3.0 MP back and VGA front); an expandable memory slot of up to 32 GB; bundled with a 2GB card in box and is available in two colours -  red and black. The smartphone has been priced at Rs. 7,499. Read the full specifications of the device here.

Kobian unveils 'Mercury magiQ' dual SIM tablet at Rs. 12,700

Kobian has announced the launch of its first dual SIM tablet - Mercury magiQ. The 5-inch magiQ tablet seems to be more of a hybrid much like the Samsung Galaxy Note or the Dell Streak rather than a tablet.

The Mercury magiQ works on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich OS and runs on a 1GHz processor. It has 512MB of RAM and features 4GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card and a capacitive multi touch display.

Portronics releases Health Key 3D digital pedometer at Rs. 1,249

 

Portronics, a company known for its portable and digital devices, has introduced a digital pedometer, called the Health Key. Described as an ‘advanced 3D pedometer,’ the H-Key will apparently provide ‘accurate readings’ in any functional position with its ‘Tri-Axis technology’, not just vertical – it is accurate ‘whether it’s up, down or flat, on its side or at any angle.’

The Health Key digital pedometer from Portronics also uses a digital 3D acceleration sensor, supposedly far more accurate than mechanical sensors used in other pedometers. Data provided by the pedometer can help users record their steps, distance, average speed, calories burned and time spent exercising.

The data on the Portronics Health Key is displayed on a LCD screen with a dual row display. Shipping it with a strap, the company tries to ensure the digital pedometer is truly portable, with features like vibration-filtration and smart counting. The Health Key runs on coin batteries, and counts up to 1 million steps with a 7-day memory.

According to Portronics, the Health Key has been designed to be fashionable, and says users can carry it in their pockets, purses, or even wear it around their neck. Other features include a built-in clock, calendar & sports timer and auto sleep mode technology. 

The Health Key has been priced at Rs. 1,249, and will be available two different colours – blue and orange. It will also ship with an instruction manual.
 

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Coming Tomorrow!

A glance at the tablet reveals a 23.4-cm (10-inch) display and a Smart stylus sans the calling functionality.  

Thursday, August 23, 2012:  The much talked about Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 aka Note 800 is coming to India, as soon as Friday, 24 August. The news becomes even more obvious with the latest media invite extended by the company. The company has not indicated the name of the device to be launched. We had reported earlier that the device can be pre-booked from the Samsung India store at a price of Rs 2000.

 

Gaming on your mobile; which is the best operating system?

Whatever kind of phone you have, there are a huge range of casino apps that you can choose from, like deal or no deal slots. Amongst them the majority run on either Flash or the newest development in internet coding, HTML5.

Microsoft Surface will sell for ultra-competitive $199 in October 26th

Microsoft’s price and availability detail for its Surface tablet is still in secrecy, no official word from the OS-giant from Redmond. Guessing from early and present rumor, respectively, they’ve suggested an absolute contrary in pricing structure, suggesting an earlier top-priced bid to ultra-budget priced Microsoft Surface tablet.

Back in late last month, reports shows sky high prices for variant of Microsoft Surface with claims, “The 64GB RT would supposedly cost $1430, and the 64GB and 128GB Pro versions, arriving next year, would be $1860 and $2150, respectively.”

 

Windows Phone 8 Powered BlackBerry

When you’ve thought that BlackBerry will be left alone in their QWERTY keyboard-era, think twice or even thrice as pro-designer Michal Bonikowski outed a spectacular concept of a BlackBerry running the latest Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 operating system.

No more complex BB interface with WP8, which somehow made the device a lot attractive and fluid with the design build.

However, as we speak this is only a concept smartphone which will simply translate to Microsoft and RIM’s partnership a same idea.

Read more at Yanko Design

Back To School Gadgets Of 2012

School life is perhaps one of the best times in the life of every person and thinking about the gadgets that can be taken back to school is another exhilarating option. With the passage of time, the gadgets that can be taken to school have changed during the last few years. Once the school session starts in full motion, there will be no end to work and projects. However, engaging in pleasurable activities in between the full school sessions should be a good idea. While taking a vacation is one of the first and foremost things that come to mind, the present day kids  and high school students love to handle all the new gadgets that are being brought out by companies during regular intervals. In this article, we will focus on some of the back to school gadgets of 2012 that are doing the rounds.

We have summarized some back to school gadgets in the following lines:

Lego® and iPhone – A Perfect Pair!

Lego® continues to be that international symbol for “I am still a kid at heart.” Let’s face it, once you play with the toy bricks you are hooked. And the addiction continues through your life.

 

iPhones continue to be the international symbol of cool technology. If you are like me, you cannot survive or be productive very long without it.

The good folks at TinkerBrick have decided to merge these two loves into the TinkerBrick™ Lego® Compatble Case. Currently available for the iPhone 4G, this unique innovation is specifically designed to work with Lego®. Whether you own a 4G or not, take a look. It measures 8 Lego® units in width, 14 units in height and thickness of one brick and plate. Lego® units on the device can be attached to other Lego®. The possibilities with the case are endless! Build a stand to prop it up. Make handles to hold it while you game. See the video below for more revolutionary examples of what TinkerBrick has created. The case is available in red, white, black and yellow for just $32.95 and www.tinkerbrick.com contains plenty of ideas and app suggestions to get the most out of the device.

Let's go on, your inner child integrate with today’s technology!

SmartPhone Sleeper Hands-Free Stand

 

Our smartphones have evolved to such a level these days that you can safely say that they are the lifeblood for the corporate executive. Many of us do store our fair share of music and visual entertainment on our smartphones, and you know that these devices are not exactly the lightest around. How about making sure you can enjoy your most recently downloaded movie on a long trip without worrying about whether your hands are going to end up feeling cramped? This is where the $34.99 SmartPhone Sleeper Hands-Free Stand steps in, letting you lay in comfort with your smartphone in tow.

It is extremely easy to use and set up, as there are no bolts, screws or adhesives to deal with, and it works with a slew of smartphones out there, including (but not limited to) those running on the iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry platforms. When not in use, you can easily tuck it under your mattress or seat cushion for easy storage. After all, out of sight, out of mind, no? Musicians might find this particular device worth owning.

Razer BlackWidow returns to dominate the gaming keyboard scene

As for the world of gaming hardware, you can say that Razer has come up with peripherals that have dominated the scene for quite some years, and the Razer BlackWidow can be an example worth citing. This time around, the Razer BlackWidow is said to be locked and loaded for more mechanical domination in the gaming keyboard market. 

Pantech Renue arrives on AT&T

Well, when it comes to smartphones, there are two classes of users – one who loves the full touchscreen display and the kind of freedom that it comes with, while another class would want something more proper – that is, a full physical QWERTY keyboard so that you can have that comforting tactile feedback that your fingers are so used to after all these years of using an old school phone. Well, we are glad to say that the Pantech Renue from AT&T delivers something from both worlds, although I would not be bold enough to venture that it is the best of both worlds considering the relatively small 3.2″ capacitive touchscreen display.

iConvert Scanner – Digitizes Docs for iPad

Let’s face it, the iPad is an awesome little gadget, but it certainly does have its limitations. For all the things it can do, it seems like there’s a whole lot of potential left on the table. Some of that untapped potential is getting realized by third parties who are developing interesting apps and add-ons that make the iPad even more useful. So in investigating some of the available “gadgets for our gadgets”, I found something that might be pretty useful to some of us.

Welcome the iConvert scanner, an interesting tool for the iPad user that allows you to simply dock your iPad, press a button and feed your pictures, legal documents, receipts or recipes straight into the device and have them converted and saved directly on your iPad, perfect for saving, emailing, posting or printing. The device is small, easily portable and quite handy for a multitude of folks that have a need for this kind of organization.

Sharp’s 90″ LED TV

 

How about an even bigger TV? Like the biggest one on the planet? Standing in at almost 4 feet tall with a glorious span of 6 feet and 8 inches wide, the 90″ AQUOS LED TV now has the distinction of being the world’s largest. Its picture quality is as stunning as its size, displaying crisp and clear content at the highest HD resolution available of 1080p.

iZON Remote Room Monitor

The £99.95 iZON Remote Room Monitor comes in handy, where absolute trust among your colleagues is just plain missing, and you absolutely loathe having to go around the office looking for your wayward pen which was gifted to you by your late grandfather as a graduation present. With the iZON Remote Room Monitor, why not let technology help you keep an eye on your personal belongings?

The iZON Remote Room Monitor can even be programmed to respond to audio or motion detection, although to put it in this setting might not be the best of ideas in a high traffic, public area. Basically, having one of these puppies around is somewhat akin to owning your very own CCTV network, or a cheap security guard who does not complain about the long hours. All you need to do is place the iZON Remote Room Monitor on any horizontal surface, or opt to mount it to a wall if you want, and adjust the angle accordingly. Login to your secure user account after that, and start streaming away!

Electric Skates doesn’t require you to be a Dutchman

 

Well, you need not be a rolling Dutchman to enjoy this pair of $699.95 Electric Skates, as I am quite sure that Hammacher is more than willing to send a pair of these puppies over to your doorstep as long as you have the money to pay for it. 

The Electric Skates are pretty self-describing – they are basically motorized electric roller skates which are able to propel a wearer at a top speed of up to 8 mph. Of course, there are other laws of physics to be considered as well, such as the wearer being no more heavier than 180 lbs. All you need to do is strap the skates on over your shoes, ensure the dual fasteners are securely and sufficiently tightened, and let the 80-watt motor on each skate get to work. The smooth-rolling 6″ rubber tires should provide sufficient grip across most surfaces (ice not included), while there is a handheld wireless remote control that adjusts the speed of this skates. It takes around five hours to juice up each pair of skates, and removable training wheels are thrown into the mix for beginners.

Wacom introduces Bamboo Splash Tablet

 

When we talk about tablets in the form of the Wacom Bamboo Splash, we are not referring to the Android-powered variety – although Microsoft’s recent announcement of their Surface tablet is definitely worth checking out. The Wacom Splash Tablet is the latest family member of the Bamboo range of pen tablets which will be able to open up new avenues for creative and artistic people who want to make the jump into the world of digital art without being bogged down by any boundaries. 

Nokia 808 PureView smartphone ready to launch Stateside

 

When the Nokia 808 PureView smartphone was first announced some months back, many people were left wondering just how many megapixels can a camera cram in, especially in a smartphone device. Well, we are talking about a whopping 41-megapixels here, which is definitely far more than what we would have bargained for. Of course, do not expect the file size to be a whole lot larger, as Nokia managed to come up with some sort of algorithm which was capable of keeping the file size of photos snapped with the Nokia 808 PureView nice and small – relatively speaking, of course. 

Microsoft Surface Tablet might change the landscape of computing

 

Microsoft had always been synonymous with the world of software, what with their Windows operating system being the hallmark achievement of the company. However, software is not the only thing that they produce, but also hardware – remember the original 2-button mouse from Microsoft that looked just like a brick? How about back in 2001, when they introduced the world to their own console, the Xbox, which proved to be quite the hit – arriving in its current generation as the Xbox 360?

 

Well, fast forward to the current day, and you know for sure that the world has changed. Computing is no longer relegated to just being tethered to your desk as a cubicle servant ala Dilbert, as there is also the widespread availability of smartphones and tablet devices. Microsoft sees the future in tablets – but do not want to ditch their desktop roots, which is why they have ended up with the Microsoft Surface tablet which will come in two flavors – one that caters to the general masses, while the other is a Pro version. 

AOC unveils the Aire iPlay

What is the AOC Aire iPlay all about? Basically, this is the ultimate monitor for iPod and iPhone owners, where this 23-inch Full High Definition display will come alongside a built-in 30-pin docking station which will enable one to experience instant video, audio and photo playback from iDevices via AOC’s patented plug-and-play technology. The integrated dock is not going to be the only thing that wows you, as the basedbase of the monitor will also include integrated speakers with SRS Sound capability to give you that more-than-decent audio experience. Apart from that, the 23-inch AOC Aire iPlay (also known as the e2343Fi if you are a sucker for model numbers) will come with a $279.99 price point. 

Skype 5.8 for Mac announced

You think that your Mac is the next best thing since sliced bread, at least where the world of computing is concerned? Good news then, with the latest word on the Skype 5.8 for Mac’s release, as this new version of Skype will help send your contact list to the fat house to lose some weight, while making video calls with other mobile users in addition to Group Screen Sharing have just gotten an experience upgrade.

 

Skype 5.8 for Mac was launched recently, and with this particular update, it is said that the overall usability of the Skype for Mac client has been increased, in addition to the folks over at Skype rolling out a bunch of new features that we will look at in closer detail after the jump.

Magical Floating Lamp – For Some Light Fun

 

The Floating Lamp from designer Angela Jansen, and developed by Ger Jansen, a mechanical and electrical engineer, these spectacular Floating Lamps create a highly unusual visual effect, and should be guaranteed to generate more conversation than any other lamp in your house.

 

So its a useful lamp, that looks like an optical illusion, with a traditional look and feel, and a decidedly high tech spin. The folks that make these lamps point out that even after you know how it works, it is still fascinating to behold, and I can see that being quite true.

Acase shows off InaTrap insect killer

 

There are many ways to skin a cat if you have the know-how, but how many ways are there for one to kill insects? Mosquitoes are always a huge nuisance for many of us, especially those of us who live in the tropics. Not only do these have a vicious bite, their bites leave you with the risk of catching some disease as well as an itching sensation which prove hard to soothe if you do not have the right ointment. While there is a fair amount of traditional methods to prevent mosquitoes from coming near you, technology, too, has a role to play in this situation.

Gaudy Lamborghini Android tablet and phone will cost you more than $2,000

Money can buy you gold-plated phones, but it can't buy you class

Not all expensive things are classy. If you need proof, just take a look at this new, shockingly garish gold-plated Android smartphone by Lamborghini. Feature-wise, the phone is nothing special: It has a 3.7-inch 800 x 480 pixel screen and runs Android Gingerbread. But the screen is covered with sapphire glass, and the phone, aside from being gold-plated, has crocodile skin trimming. All those fancy additions means the phone will cost more than the usual Android fare — roughly $2,750, in fact.

Facebook’s iOS camera app now named Camera•, falls in line with iOS 6 integration

 

If you updated Facebook's newly released camera application for your iPhone or iPad in the past 24 hours or so, you may noticed the app has changed names from "Camera" to "Camera•" and thought it was an error or the result of a glitch. If so, you'll be happy to know that this is indeed the official Facebook photo application, and its mysterious name change was entirely intentional.

Camera• has all the same functionality, and really nothing has changed aside from its subtle name tweak, but why would Facebook go through the trouble of altering the app's moniker and potentially confusing its users? The answer is simple: Apple.

Apple announces high-res laptops, a smarter Siri

Faster, thinner laptops with hi-res screens. FaceTime video chatting over cellular networks. And a smarter Siri.

But no upgrades to Apple TV -- at least, not yet.

That, in brief, is what Apple will be rolling out to its users over the next six months. The company announced these updates, and a bunch of other significant if not surprising news, during a keynote presentation Monday kicking off its annual developers' conference.

Twitter promotes hashtag pages with first-ever TV ad

Twitter ran its first-ever TV ad Sunday during the 2012 Pocono 400 NASCAR race featuring racer Brad Keselowski

Twitter ran on Sunday its first-ever TV spot during the broadcast of the 2012 Pocono 400 NASCAR race.

Omid Ashtari of Twitter sent a tweet informing the community to check out the social networking site's first commercial spot.

The 16-second clip features NASCAR racer Brad Keselowski seated in his car and taking a picture of the scene with his iPhone. Keselowski, who came in 24th place during the race, is taking advantage of the iPhone's capability to upload pictures directly to Twitter. He is an active user of the site.

ATMs to operate without a card

New technology to enable people to withdraw money from cash machines using their smartphone has been unveiled.

The RBS system requires users to enter a six-digit number sent to their phone

Customers who use the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) or NatWest mobile banking app can now request cash, up to £100, via their smartphone.

They are given a six-digit code to enter into an ATM to release the cash.

A similar system has been developed by cash machine operator NCR. This requires users to scan a barcode to withdraw the money.

The services are the latest developments in a long-predicted move towards the smartphone becoming a digital wallet.

NASA set to launch telescope to shed light on black holes

NuSTAR X-ray instrument to home in on the mysteries of space we can't quite see now.

A new space telescope due to launch Wednesday aims to shed a bright light on some of the darkest and most mysterious parts of the universe. 

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) spacecraft is set to launch at 11:30 a.m. EDT from an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket to be carried aloft by a carrier plane from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. 

                 An artist's concept of NuSTAR on orbit. NuSTAR has two identical optics modules in order to increase sensitivity. The background is an image of the galactic center obtained with the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Acer Takes on Apple With High-Res Iconia Tab A700 Android Tablet

Jam-packed 10.1-inch model has more memory, and a lower price, than Apple's third-generation iPad

 

Calling a new Android tablet a potential iPad killer is a cliche. But make no mistake: Acer's Iconia Tab A700 has its sights set on doing just that thanks to an impressive set of specs that includes a 1920 by 1200 resolution display and 32GB of storage; and a $450 price that comes in at 25 percent under the price of a same-capacity iPad.

 

The Iconia Tab A700 goes on pre-sale today, and will be shipping later this month at retail and directly via Acer in black or silver.

 

Acer was one of two Android tablet makers to introduce a high-resolution, “Full HD” 1920 by 1200 pixel display earlier this year at CES 2012. Asus, the other manufacturer to do so, followed up its CES announce with a renamed variant at Mobile World Congress; but it has remained mum on U.S. availability. In the interim, Apple introduced its third-generation iPad with a 2048 by 1536 pixel, 264 pixels per inch display, a move that effectively left Android tablets in dire need of playing catch up.

Barbecue Dining Boat

You know that summer is coming your way, so what kind of plans have you made to make sure you can meet all the demands of summer head on? Some of us have thought that water balloon fights are fun, but if you so happen to have the kind of crazy budget to cater for your family as well as friends, then you might want to look into the $50,000 Barbecue Dining Boat. Yes sir, this boat will come with an integrated barbecue grill, accompanied by an umbrella, as well as a trolling motor which will deliver waterborne cookout experiences for up to 10 adults. 

Koubachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor

Are you one who is said to have green thumbs, or fingers? I would say that even if you don’t it is a good thing that there are tools around to help you out. Case in point – the £99.99 Koubachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor. Basically, the Koubachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor will function and think on your behalf for the well being of the plants in your home. After all, this device is capable of monitoring essential information when it comes to plant care, by taking stock of water levels, soil consistency, hu mi di ty, temperature and light, making sure your green showpiece will have all the essentials to keep on surviving without withering or turning yellow.

It boasts of an online encyclopaedia of indoor plants that was developed and tested by lea ding authorities on plants, and in the event of an emergency, the Koubachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor will be able to send you alerts so that you can make the necessary adjustments to make sure your potted plants will not bite the dust too easily. Heck, the Koubachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor is also smart enough to adapt itself to your preferences, taking just a fortnight to know which flowers or plants are your favorites.

Apple’s iOS 6 gets previewed, receives all new Maps amongst others

So the dust has finally settled after the events at WWDC 2012, so what is new on the software front? Well, iOS 6 has been previewed, where it will come with all new Maps, Siri features, Facebook integration, shared photo streams as well as a new Passbook app. Touted to be the most powerful iOS version and most advanced mobile operating system yet, iOS 6 comes with more than 200 new features, with a beta version being released already to iOS Developer Program members. 

Apple’s next generation MacBook Pro gets Retina Display

It seems that the standard MacBook Pro did not just receive a hardware refresh, but there is also the next generation model – an all new 15-inch MacBook Pro that goes the way of the new iPad as well as iPhone 4/4S, which is to come with a stunning Retina Display. Not only that, this next generation MacBook Pro will feature all flash storage as well as quad-core processors. Despite packing in such firepower, it will not weigh you down literally – how can it do so when it comes in an extremely thin and light design that measures just 0.71-inches and tips the scales at a mere 4.46 pounds? 

MacBook Pro gets refreshed

WWDC 2012 might be a developer’s conference, but it is still a very good reason to celebrate the release of new hardware. Granted, you will not see a new iPhone 5 (or whatever else it is meant to be called) arrive, but then again, Apple is not made up of just the iPhone or the iPad, and have a slew of desktops and notebooks as well to make sure it gets easier to part with your hard earned money, no thanks to their stunning industrial design as a major pull factor, in addition to solid software to back up the easy-to-use hardware. 

New MacBook Air announced

If there ever was a game changing notebook, you can say that the MacBook Air nailed it down right. After all, in the age where netbooks did not really take off due to their limited processing power and super small displays that made it more or less impractical to do serious work, Apple came out with the MacBook Air, and boy, did that piece of hardware take the world by storm. The new MacBook Air was just announced at WWDC 2012 this morning, and what kind of goodness are we looking at?

Tactus Display brings physical buttons to touchscreen devices

It would be an understatement to say that the iPhone changed the way we looked at and used phones – after all, full touchscreen smartphones never really caught on with the masses until Apple introduced their game changer 5 years ago. Well, some are still resistant to the idea, and decided to stick to a QWERTY keyboard on their handsets instead, although such phone models are slowly but surely getting fewer in number. Tactus Display might want to change things by introducing a touchscreen display that actually morphs from a numeric dialpad into a QWERTY keyboard, ensuring that fans of either side of the divide are able to get their input format of choice – you can either go touch, or physical. It would be interesting to see just when Tactus Display will introduce this technology into modern day smartphones, giving the choice back to consumers instead of dictating trends for them. According to Tactus Display, their technology will see action in real world products from next year onwards, so we intend to keep a keen eye peeled out for this when it happens.

Wahoo Fitness Blue SC works great with bicycles

If you are an avid cyclist, and have chosen a bicycle as your exercise machine of choice, then the Wahoo Fitness Blue SC is just the tonic for you to make your cycling experience all the more memorable. Just what is the Wahoo Fitness Blue SC? For starters, it is a Bluetooth 4.0 bike speed and cadence sensor for the iPhone. Once you have purchased this, there is no need to carry any additional hardware, as the Wahoo Blue SC will be able to wirelessly connect to your iPhone or iPad over a Bluetooth 4.0 connection.