Good luck Facebook!

Article from the Telegraph - Leading neuroscientist Susan Greenfield:

Facebook is going to be in your face even more than before. The arrival of the ‘Facebook Phone’ and the eventual availability of the latest it has to offer on all Android platforms, means the current obsession with monitoring the lives of others and recording every moment of your own existence, will be made even easier, a default adjunct to daily life.

Whilst the ethics and risk of the possible collation of the ensuing Tsunami of personal information now flooding into the central Facebook databases might raise obvious concerns, as a neuroscientist I’m most worried by what this latest ‘advance’ will mean to us as individuals.

Humans occupy more ecological niches than any other species on the planet because of the superlative ability of our brains, compared with those of any other animal, to adapt to the environment: a process known as ‘plasticity’. So if the human brain will adapt to whatever environment in which it is placed, an environment where you are constantly on the alert to the actions and views of others, will surely be changing your mindset in correspondingly new ways. How will the 21st Century human brain, with its clear evolutionary mandate, react to this latest development in what has been dubbed ‘The Digital Wildfire’?

Already privacy appears to be a less prized commodity among the younger generation of ‘Digital Natives’: apparently 55 per cent of teenagers have given out personal information to someone they don’t know, including photos and physical descriptions. Meanwhile over half send out group messages to typically over 500 ‘friends’ at a time, fully aware that each of these friends could then pass on that information to their network of further hundreds… It has become more important to have attention, to be ‘famous’. The trade-off for such disclosure and indeed fame is, and always has been, loss of privacy. So why have we previously treasured privacy so much, but now are holding it in increasing disregard?

Read the rest

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Sony actually has some good points over Apple’s machines, but being a Mac Support company we definitely think all Mac’s rule the world! Apple machines are simply designed better, meaning the build quality is superb. You’ll also be able to run both Windows and OSX on a Mac, whereas you’re limited to Linux or Windows on the Sony. In Our experience, Sony tends to also bloat out windows when you purchase their laptops with all sorts of apps you don’t want or need. I love being able to open a Mac and not have to uninstall anything – its perfect every time.

Back to the comparison, we simply love the Retina display – its just a pity the current range of Retina laptops cost as much as they do. Time to sell a kidney..

The post Apple MacBook Pro Retina vs Sony VAIO Z appeared first on .

Even more disappointingly is the lack of octa core processors in the models coming to the UK and Europe – so, pointless for anyone to upgrade in my opinion.

Hopefully they will release the more powerful model this year, alternatively – I truly hope the next iPhone is amazing!

The post MacTribe | Samsung Galaxy S4 Official Video appeared first on .

SamMobile have been told by some sources, two Galaxy Mega smart devices will be revealed before Summer’s end. The first of these devices comes in at 5.8-inches while the second will be a massive 6.3-inches. Yes, we are talking about a phone which you would place against your ear (and look rather silly doing so)..

• Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 GT-I9152
• 5.8-inch display (resolution unknown)
• Release: week of May 27, 2013
• Color: White

• Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 GT-I9200
• 6.3-inch display (resolution unknown)
• Release: week of June 17, 2013
• Colors: Black, White

I currently own a Samsung Galaxy Note II, I can’t imagine what it would be like to own anything bigger, its quite a pain as it is!

The post Massive Samsung Leaked: 6.3-inch “Galaxy Mega” appeared first on .

Surface RT left would-be tableteers confused with its partial app support, the Surface Pro is Windows on far more familiar territory: Intel silicon inside, and the full flexibility of a regular PC, simply with a touchscreen up-front. Of course, that also brings with it the same issues that have always plagued Windows-based tablets: battery life, weight, heat, and software usability. Does Microsoft’s own-brand slate finally put those criticisms to rest, and is this the tablet you should have in your bag?

You could easily mistake the Surface Pro for the ARM-based Surface at first glance, given how aesthetically similar each tablet is. Look a little closer, though, and the key differences become apparent. Microsoft has used the same VaporMg treated magnesium alloy for the casing, and it still feels great in the hand: smooth and easy to hold, but still sturdy and scratch-resistant.

Surface Pro is a little bigger than the original Surface: at 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches, it’s slightly taller and noticeably thicker, a side-effect of accommodating PC-class components and a bigger capacity battery. That makes it heavier, too, a smudge under 2lbs versus the 1.5lbs of Surface. It’s still comfortable to hold, but for single-handed use we found ourselves cradling the slate in the crook of our arm, rather than gripping it by the bezel as we might do with an iPad. The fact that Windows still prefers landscape to portrait orientation emphasizes that too.

Microsoft’s approach to cooling is an interesting one. Rather than a patch of obvious grills for ventilation, there’s a slot that runs all the way around the edge of the Surface Pro, and from which warm air is pushed out while cool air is pulled in. Two fans, rather than one, have been used to dynamically adjust the airflow depending on what’s hottest and how you’re holding the tablet. Altogether, the design makes it difficult to figure out where, exactly, the tablet is venting from; plus, it helps mask the noise of the fans. In regular use, the Surface Pro is near silent, in fact.

On the back, there’s a kickstand to prop the Surface Pro up on your desk. It actually snaps out to a slightly different angle – a little further reclined – than the stand on the Surface RT, though whether you’ll notice the difference in day-to-day use is questionable. More interestingly, there’s a change in the selection of ports Microsoft spreads around the slate: you now get a full-sized USB 3.0, rather than USB 2.0, as well as a Mini DisplayPort instead of the Surface RT’s HD video output. Otherwise, there’s still a headphone jack and a microSDXC card slot, along with a magnetic cover port for attaching the same Touch Cover or Type Cover keyboard accessories as we’ve seen before.

For more view on SlashGear’s website

The post Microsoft Surface Pro Review appeared first on .

It’s the Facebook phone… but it’s every phone. Facebook Home is here, and it wants to take control of your Android experience, a new software suite rather than a specific handset. Unveiled at Facebook HQ this morning, Home arrives on Android via the Play store from April 12 and splashes your photos and friends across the lockscreen and the homescreen. We’ve been playing with Facebook Home today on the HTC First, the first device to fit into Facebook’s Home Program; read on for our first-impressions.

Facebook describes it as designing a phone around people, not apps, and the focus is the very first places you see when you turn on your device. “The homescreen is really the soul of your phone” Mark Zuckerberg said during the presentation, and Home works as that replacement launcher, with Cover Feed to make those friends your core menu, and Chat Heads to streamline talking to them.

Loading Home is like any other Android app, though it does have one extra hook into the OS. Since it’s designed as a replacement launcher, to be used instead of the regular Android one rather than alongside it, you can choose to have it open by default whenever you hit the home button on your device. At that point, consider your phone Facebookafied.

Alternatively, you can grab the HTC First, which has Home preloaded by default. Either way, the lockscreen and homescreen are swapped for Coverfeed: full-screen, chromeless pictures pulled from your friends’ updates, with discrete icons at the bottom showing “Likes” and comments. Double-tapping the image automatically likes it. Meanwhile, pulling up the bubble near the bottom of the screen – which shows your own Facebook profile picture – gives you a choice of three options: Facebook, the app launcher, and jumping back into your last-used app.

The app launcher is basically a pared-down tray of apps, where Facebook expects you to keep your most-commonly used titles. At the top, meanwhile, there are shortcuts to add Facebook status updates or photos. A side-swipe pulls over the full app drawer from the left, from which you can drag over icons to the quick launcher tray. No widgets beyond Facebook’s own Coverfeed, however.

The other big introduction with Facebook Home is Chat Heads, a new integrated messaging system that’s designed to discretely pervade the whole device. Get a new message – whether it’s a Facebook Chat or an SMS – and a small circular bubble pops up in the upper right hand corner. You can drag it around (useful, since it’ll show up on top of any app you’re currently using it, including full-screen games) and tap it to open it, at which point a conversation view opens up floating on top of whatever you were doing.

Whether it’s a Facebook conversation or a text message one is shown by the color of the voice bubble boxes themselves, and you can have multiple conversations open at once, switching between them with the row of circles along the top. Facebook group messages are also supported, with a thumbnail of the group icons clustered in the circle. Similarly swipeable notifications include missed calls and calendar alerts.

It’s certainly slick, as long as you live your social – and, by extension, mobile – life in Facebook. The complexity of a regular phone is hidden away under full-screen images, and the familiar iconography should prove welcoming for Facebook-addicts. Those who divide their time between multiple networks – such as Google+, or Twitter – might find those edged out, however, as Facebook Home’s notifications system is designed to cater for its own alerts, not those of others.

It certainly seems to make the most sense on a device that has been designed with Home in mind, the first of which – though Samsung, Huawei and others have committed to join in – is the HTC First. The phone itself is a slim, simple slice of soft-touch plastic, fronted with a glass 4.3-inch touchscreen above three touch-sensitive buttons for back, home, and menu. It’s also worth noting that the First does indeed support displaying all Android notifications, not just Facebook ones, and will come preloaded with Instagram.

The slightly out-of-date OS is also likely to be less of a big deal: the First hides Android 4.1 Jelly Bean under Home, running on a dualcore Snapdragon 400 processor and paired with multimode 3G/4G for roaming LTE use. AT&T will have the first taste of the First, at $99.99 with a new, two-year agreement from April 12, though it’ll also be coming to the UK and Europe on EE and Orange later in the year.

Facebook’s strategy – focusing on its software for many devices, not software and hardware for just one – does make some sense. Dedicating yourself to a single device doesn’t make sense when you want to appeal to every Facebook user who has an Android phone, after all. What remains to be seen is whether even those who are totally devoted to Facebook will be willing to immerse themselves so entirely in the experience.

The post Hands-on with Facebook Home and HTC First appeared first on .

In our opinion, crashplan is the best backup software solution out there! Its really simple to use, as simple as time machine but better for many reasons.

• It works on all three platforms – Mac, PC and Linux
• You can backup anywhere.. literally! (Online, Offsite, another machine, to a local harddrive etc)
• Its continuous, runs in the background and looks after itself – you dont have to think about it.
• Data is continually checked for consistency (data errors or corruption)
• Data is stored efficiently ie compressed. Very handy if you have lots to backup!
• Its FREE!

This is their philosophy:

Leveraging our collective experience in software development, consulting and enterprise solutions, our teams are renowned for creating extraordinary solutions to everyday problems, the kinds of technical challenges we all face every day.

We’re not satisfied with making solutions that simply perform well; they must look great and be easy to use, too. Requiring the fewest possible clicks, our software is intuitive and easy on the eyes. In our innovative, open environment all challenges are encouraged, new ideas are invited, and the best one always wins.

Give it a try – we know you’ll love it! Download crashplan here:

The post Online Backup | Simple & Amazing appeared first on .

Here is a few interesting insights to ponder over:

• Worldwide tablet sales are predicted to grow by more than 400% over a two-year period, reaching 81.3 million units in 2012.
• The iPad had 85% global share in the tablet market during 2010. This percentage is expected drop to 69% in 2012 as other players gain share.
• For Christmas 2010, it is predicted that £6.4 billion will be spent online, up from £5.5 billion in December 2009
• 37%, more than one in three, have bought an item they saw advertised on YouTube
• Total broadband penetration in the UK is now 71%, with fixed broadband at 65% and mobile broadband at 15%
• 2/3 UK households use a wireless router

More interesting facts and figures found here

If you’re bored, here’s a few more stats for you:

68% of tablet owners spend at least an hour a day on the device.
Symbiantweet.com, July 2011

In a drive to eliminate the use of paper in school by 2015 in South Korea, the country plans to spend more than $2bn on ebooks and tablets.
mobileburn.com, July 2011

Nearly 9 out of 10 (89%) of iPad owners watch YouTube on their device.
imano, May 2011

2/3 of smartphone and tablet owners use them while watching TV.
Nielsen, June 2011

More than 3 out of 4 (76%) tablet owners have bought their tablet in addition to a desktop or laptop computer. 1 in 12 bough their tablet instead of, or to replace a desktop or laptop computer.
YouGov, April 2011

Consumers spent $1 billion on e-books in 2010. That number is expected to triple by 2015.
Forrester as cited by Wall Street Journal , March 2011

In 2007, there were 500 million internet-connected devices – about 1 for every 20 people on the planet. In 2010, that number grew to 35 billion, or about 5 per person. By 2013, may grow to 1 trillion devices, or 140 devices per person.
Cisco as cited by pcmag.com, February 2011

59% of tablet owners in the UK have watched a TV program or a full length movie on the device.
QuickPlay Media as cited by eMarketer, February 2011

350 million internet-enabled television sets are expected to be sold worldwide by 2015
Parks Associates, January 2011

Nearly 1 in 5 UK tablet users (19%) make online purchases using the device
KPMG as cited by eMarketer , December 2010

The iPad had 85% global share in the tablet market during 2010. This percentage is expected drop to 69% in 2012 as other players gain share.
eMarketer, December 2010

Worldwide tablet sales are predicted to grow by more than 400% over a two-year period, reaching 81.3 million units in 2012.
eMarketer, December 2010

More than 16 billion internet-enabled devices will be connected up to the web by 2020
Analysys Mason, November 2010

Nearly 2 in 3 (64%) UK iPad owners prefer to read books on some form of electronic device, whether it be on the iPad itself, or a laptop/PC, ereader or mobile phone
Cooper Murphy Webb as cited by eMarketer, August 2010

There are about 35 billion devices connected to the internet, far out numbering the number of human users
Cisco as cited by www.readwriteweb.com, July 2010

Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) UK Sports Fans used their laptops while watching World Cup matches
IAB UK and ESPN “World Cup Research” conducted by Synovate, June 2010

Over the past month, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 180 Kindle books. The have sold more than 3x as many Kindle books in the first half of 2010 as in the first half of 2009
Amazon, July 2010

2 million iPads was sold in the first 59 days after release (that is one iPad sold every 3rd second)
Apple, June 2010

There are over 8,500 native iPad applications.
Apple, June 2010

The post Google | Interesting Statistics appeared first on .

Besides the negative repercussions, Mailchimp is very good at feeding back how many users opened your emails, how many marked as ‘junk’ or ‘spam’, also it ties into your other social media:

We’ve got all kinds of social features that help you get to know your subscribers and share your newsletters. Integrate your signup form with Facebook, share your campaigns on Twitter, track subscriber activity on social networks, and more.

Check out there website for more information..

The post Email Technology | Mailchimp is Fantastic! appeared first on .

Ballmer is expected to show the new operating system running on a tablet device, a source told the New York Times. Microsoft has been rumoured to be working on an entirely touch-based user interface for Windows 8 unlike the limited capable touch experience on offer in Windows 7.

The Windows 8 tablet will form only part of a tablet onslaught from Microsoft in attempt to catch up to Apple.

Ballmer will present a bunch of new tablets at the show according to reports, including models from Dell and Samsung – the latter of which chose Android for its tablet – the Galaxy Tab.

Sources claim the Samsung tablet will be “similar in size and shape to the Apple iPad, although not as thin. It also includes a keyboard that slides out from below for easy typing.”

It’s not the first time Ballmer has used his CES keynote to talk tablets. At this year’s show the Microsoft boss showed off a HP tablet running Windows 7, in what was a thinly veiled spoiler for Apple’s forthcoming iPad. The HP tablet has still yet to arrive on the market.

In a bid to rejuvenate Windows’ chances in the tablet market, Microsoft is believed to be encouraging developers to deliver HTML5-based apps for the devices, mirroring Google’s approach to the Chrome Web Store. The move could create an interesting dilemma for developers with Apple’s “locked down” App Store on the one hand, Microsoft and Google offering the cross-platform flexibility of HTML5-based apps on the other.

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