8/22/2011 08:03:00 PM
dannzfay
Retro Illustrations Kit
25 JPG | 190 MB
Download links:
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Aug 22, 2011
Nokia to Launch New Symbian Phones in Two Days
With Symbian Anna already being made available for download for handsets launched on the market with the Symbian^3 OS on board, it was only a matter of time before Nokia made new announcements regarding the platform.
Of course, Symbian is on its way to the graveyard, but there still are a wide range of enthusiasts who would gladly purchase a new Nokia handset running under the platform, as long as it is usable enough.
And since Symbian Anna reportedly added some more usability into the mix, the handset vendor is expected to bring to shelves new devices that would run under the new OS flavor in an attempt to slow down its downfall.
Something new related to Symbian should be unveiled in only a few days, and chances are that new handsets will come to shelves soon.
The company has posted on its Facebook account a counter that points at something new on Symbian being set to become official in a little over 40 hours.
This is in line with some of the latest reported on the matter that suggested that Nokia might be set to launch a number of no less than three Symbian-based device before the end of this week.
Nokia 600, 700 and 701 have been recently rumored to be on their way to the market with the Symbian platform on board, and it seems that Nokia might be finally getting ready to make themn official.
However, this is only a supposition, and there are also those who suggest that the handset vendor might go official with the next flavor of Symbian as soon as Wednesday.
Dubbed Symbian Bell, the new OS version should bring even more enhancements into the mix, when compared to what Symbian Anna packed in over Symbian^3.
It would not come too much as a surprise if Nokia indeed launched a new flavor of the OS, one with more enhancements included for all users. The same as Anna, the next platform release would arrive on shelves on new devices, and we might safely bet on the unveiling of new phones as well, that's for sure.
Windows 8 BUILD Agenda Still Unrevealed 3 Weeks Ahead of the Event
Microsoft will open registration for BUILD, its upcoming Windows 8-centric event, in just three weeks, but so far it’s still impossible for participants to tell what they’ll be registering for.
The BUILD conference has already been completely sold out on just the promise that Windows 8 will be its star attraction.
With the event scheduled to start on September 13th, the Redmond company has yet to provide any actual details about what exactly it will provide participants, beyond the first deep insight into Windows 8, and how the next iteration of Windows will change the world.
The Agenda page of the BUILD Windows site continues to feature only general details, with the opening keynote scheduled for September 13 between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, but no additional info beyond that.
There’s also no telling just when Microsoft plans to share details about BUILD with the public. So far, the only update to BUILD was the fact that the software giant has cut all pre-sessions, citing the need to focus on the sessions instead of spreading resources around.
There’s a lot of excitement building around BUILD, with users expecting the Redmond company to share not just Windows 8 details but some bits as well.
While promising that a pre-release development milestone of Windows 8 will be easy to access and not a secret, Microsoft hasn’t revealed whether it will offer early adopters a pre-Beta Build or the full Beta release.
I don’t expect the company to offer any info in this regard until it will actually announce the availability of Windows 8 bits for testers.
Still, Microsoft needs to update the BUILD Windows website since I’m sure that participants will want to organize their schedule in accordance to the sessions presented at the conference, even if this will mean that some new Windows 8 details will be revealed to the public.
Windows 7 SP2 to Deal with Intel Core and Xeon CPUs Reliability Issues
The second upgrade for Windows 7 will address reliability problems that customers running the RTM and SP1 versions of the OS have experienced in some scenarios on machines running Intel Core and Xeon CPUs.
According to Microsoft, the issues are limited to a small number of users, the reason why the company has not released an update to all customers.
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and RTM as well as Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM and SP1 are affected by reliability glitches, the software giant said, but only when the platforms are paired with older releases of Intel processors, such as the chips belonging to the Core and Xeon families launched in 2006 and 2008.
“These issues are not common. These issues might affect processors that meet all the following conditions:
Designated as a Intel Xeon or Intel Core family processor that is based on the "Penryn" or "Merom" codenamed processors.
Has the Family, Model, and Stepping of family designations of 6, or a Model designation of 15, of 22, of 23, or of 29,” Microsoft explained.
The software giant indicates that Windows 7 Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP2 will contain a fix for the reliability problems that customers with Intel Core and Xeon CPUs have been experiencing.
For the time being however, the Redmond company has made available a hotfix designed to deal with the issue.
KB 2493989 offers what Microsoft refers to as a microcode update for Intel processors. “This update improves the reliability of x64-based versions of Windows that uses certain Intel processors. This update fixes an issue in which the operating system might function incorrectly,” the company noted.
Despite being referred to as an update, the release is actually a hotfix and is only designed to repair reliability glitches and nothing more.
Customers running Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 should only deploy the KB 2493989 hotfix if they’re also leveraging Intel Xeon or Intel Core processors and have come across issues impacting reliability.
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM Build 7601.17514.101119-1850 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM are available for download on below link.
Aug 21, 2011
iPad 3 with Retina Display Confirmed for 2012
Reports are coming in from several reputable sources saying that the company’s third-generation post-PC device is coming in 2012 equipped with a higher resolution display.
People familiar with Apple’s plans have reportedly said that the company’s iPad 3 will feature a high resolution display at 2048 by 1536 pixels.
This compares to 1024 by 768 in the iPad 1 and iPad 2 and it is said that Apple's suppliers have already shipped sampling units.
These people said Apple is keeping the 9.7-inch form factor and is only increasing the pixel density on the screen of the iPad 3.
According to trade publication Digitimes, Chimei Innolux (CMI) is no longer a provider of LCD panels for Apple, at least as far as the iPad 3 is concerned.
Facing what industry sources called “technological hurdles” the Chinese supplier has been successful with Apple’s demands for the iPad 2, but not with those of the next tablet which, according to these people, is “more demanding” in terms of resolution.
Even though the display maker recently invested NT$800 million to NT$1 billion to improve its manufacturing facilities, the CMI still hasn’t been able to meet Apple’s demands.
Sources in China noted that Chimei Innolux still has a shot at being tapped by Apple to become a regular supplier of iPad 3 panels, but only if it can improve the quality of the hardware.
Trying not to cast a bad light onto CMI, the sources added that even Apple’s regular suppliers, including LG Display (LGD) and Samsung Electronics, are having a rough time adjusting their manufacturing processes to achieve the 2,048 x 1,536 specification.
Besides the two Korean partners, Japanese supplier Sharp is said to have been selected for suppling iPad 3 panels as well.
Windows 8 Pre-Release Will Not Be a Secret, Promises Microsoft
The number of testers with access to pre-release copies of Windows 8 is bound to increase as the development process moves forward and approaches the Beta stage.
Microsoft has confirmed that it will deliver the first deep insight into Windows 8 in mid-September 2011 at its BUILD Windows conference, and the software giant is also expected to share a pre-release Build at least with participants, if not with as many testers as possible.
Piles of interim Builds of Windows 8 have already been complied, with number of releases even served to early adopters outside of Redmond.
In addition to such testers, Microsoft employees have also been dogfooding early development milestones of Windows 8, per the software giant’s “eating one’s own dog food” tradition.
The problem thus far is related to the extremely limited access to pre-release Builds of Windows 8.
With the BUILD event now sold out and just a few weeks away, the Windows 8 communications strategy is moving into its next phase. Case in point: the new Building Windows 8 Blog and @BuildWindows8 Twitter account.
But the translucency veil lifting from the Windows 8 project is only a prelude of a shift in the Windows 8 testing strategy, with Microsoft gearing up to broaden the pool of early adopters who will be able to take the next generation of the Windows client out for a spin.
“Folks asking about getting pre-release bits...we promise it will be easy and not a secret,” the company tweeted via @BuildWindows8 yesterday.
Windows 8 is believed to still be in Milestone 3 (M3) stage at this point in time, with some recently leaked details and screenshots depicting Build 8064.
And while Windows 8 pre-release will be easy and not a secret, Microsoft continues to keep mum on just what exactly will happen at BUILD, and whether it will release a pre-Beta or the fully fledged Beta to testers.
Fujitsu IS12T Windows Mango Phone Now on Pre-Order, Available on August 25
Officially unveiled last month, the Fujitsu IS12T smartphone is now available for pre-order at Au KDDI store in Biccamera Yurakucho, Tokyo, Japan.
Although the device is expected to be released on the market after September 2011, it appears that the handset manufacturer will be able to deliver the Fujitsu IS12T by the end of August.
According to the latest hearsay, if nothing goes wrong, Fujitsu IS12T should hit shelves around August 25.
Touted as the first smartphone to feature Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system, the IS12T was announced in July by the Toshiba Fujitsu joint-venture and KDDI carrier.
In addition, the IS12T is world's first Windows Phone smartphone to be fully protected against water and dust intrusions.
When it comes to hardware, Fujitsu IS12T is an upgraded Windows Phone 7 device, as the smartphone embeds one of the highest quality camera for a smartphone with 13.2 megapixels.
Furthermore, the phone packs 32 GB of internal memory and is powered by a single core Qualcomm MSM-8655 processor clocked at 1GHz.
It has a large 3.7-inch capacitive display with 16 million colors support and features support for both CDMA and GSM connectivity.
Other highlights of the smartphone include: GPS with A-GPS support, six-axis motion sensing, WiFi b/g/n connectivity and Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR support.
Software-wise, Fujitsu IS12T is bundled with Microsoft Office package that allows users to edit, create and read documents, as well as Internet Explorer 9, which is based on the desktop version.
Fujitsu also mentioned that owners of the smartphone will be able to store and share data through Windows Live SkyDrive, a free-of-charge cloud service operated by Microsoft.
There is no word on the price, but the phone is said to be pretty expensive, though it appears that there is some excitement in Japan for the Fujitsu IS12T.
Download iOS 5 Beta 6 And Sn0wbreeze 2.8 For iPhone 4, 3GS, iPod touch, iPad
Apple has posted live the latest BETA version download links for it's upcoming iOS 5 mobile operating-system to developers, IPSW download links for the latest dev-release iOS 5 Beta 6 is meant only for Apple iOS Developers and is restricted to registered Apple developer's only via Apple Developer Site. Apart from the usual bug-fixes The latest beta makes video content in applications and websites automatically AirPlay enabled.
To complement the iOS 5 Beta 6 release by Apple, iH8sn0w released Sn0wbreeze 2.8 allowing jailbreaking on previous Apple iOS 5 Beta 5 release.
iOS 5 Beta 6 And Sn0wbreeze 2.8 Download Links:
Aug 19, 2011
iPhone 5 at AT&T in Early October, VP Confirms
Apple's next iPhone model should arrive on the market in the United States in a little over five weeks, AT&T Vice President has just confirmed.
The leading wireless carrier expects to have the new mobile device, none other than the long-rumored iPhone 5, it seems, available in about 35-50 days, sources familiar with the matter unveiled.
The operator's VP reportedly said that the iPhone 5 is set to hit the shelves at AT&T in early October, which is roughly one month and a half away.
Apparently, the VP announced a group of managers that they should be getting their employees ready for the new launch.
“Expect things to get really, really busy in the next 35-50 days, so prepare your teams accordingly,” AT&T's Vice President said, BGR reports.
The availability time frame for the new Apple device is in line with previous reports on the matter, which suggested that Apple might be considering the release of this new handset in late Q3.
However, it seems that this might not be the previously rumored LTE-capable iPhone device that many enthusiasts might be waiting for to hit the market.
Apple is set to embrace the fourth-generation wireless technology too, but the device that would include it inside might not be released until early 2012.
Instead, the Cupertino-based company is expected to launch a HSPA+ iPhone model this fall, one that would include support for CDMA networks as well, making it the first such handset from Apple to sport global connectivity.
However, the LTE-powered iPhone model will be able to connect to more than just one network in the US, since both AT&T and Verizon will have such services in place in October. Not to mention that Sprint too was considering the adoption of LTE.
For the time being, however, the one thing that was confirmed was that AT&T will be getting the new iPhone device in the very near future. Verizon too was said not too long ago to be planning a similar move, so things will soon get interesting, that's for sure.
Radical Image Optimization Tool - RIOT 0.4.6
Image optimization may seem for many a matter of size over quality, but as far as RIOT is concerned it is more like an undetectable compromise between the two. Its purpose is to shrink the size of the original images without taking too much of their quality.
RIOT, or Radical Image Optimization Tool by its full name, is free of charge and does not take much time to install; but you have to be careful during the process unless you want to install third party code that does nothing to help you with image compression.
The interface is simple and straightforward, with all the options in plain view. Also, the application window is filled with details, such as file size, about the original item as well as the processed one.
You have a dual-pane structure comparing the initial image with the optimized result; in the lower part of the screen there are all the knobs you need to adjust the settings in order to achieve the result you want. Each move is immediately reflected in the preview pane and file size information is updated on the spot.
RIOT can export your pictures to web-friendly JPEG, GIF or PNG, but the input formats supported include common bitmap images, Adobe Photoshop’s PSD, some popular HDR types and a few RAW camera images.
Loading up the pictures is an easy task as the program comes with “drag and drop” support. It does not matter if you drop one item or a bunch of them because RIOT can also optimize them in batches. It can detect that multiple elements have been added and it will automatically open the batch optimizer window.
The application will automatically put its compression abilities to work the moment you load a picture. You have control over the quality of the resulting file regardless of the output format chosen.
In all cases things are pretty simple. With JPEG you get to set the quality level as well as select the desired chroma sub-sampling (storing of color information at a lower resolution): none (4:4:4), low (4:2:2), medium (4:2:0) and high (4:2:1). The color information will drastically reduce as you choose a higher level and the file size will decrease.
The best part is that you won’t really notice the effects of the color drop as the changes are too subtle for the human eye. However, all this ultimately translates into a lighter file.
In the case of GIF and PNG output RIOT appeals to color reduction techniques, making available automatic reduction of bit depth as well as manually decreasing the number of colors. It also features two color quantization algorithms (Xiaolin Wu and NeuQuant neural-net), which come with their benefits and drawbacks, depending on the color configuration of the loaded image file.
Apart from using the aforementioned methods to optimize the size of a picture without seriously compromising the quality of the end result, RIOT can also strip the file of metadata, which also drops some bytes. The information you can give up includes EXIF profile, IPTC details, XMP info, comments and ICC profile.
A common set of options is available for all three output formats. These include brightness, contrast and gamma adjusting, with a direct glance at the result.
If you’re set to compress images to specific sizes, RIOT presents this possibility as well. All you have to do is define the size for the end file and it’ll automatically take care of the rest.
For those looking to simply resize the pictures to specific values there is a hefty collection of resample filters to help you obtain the best result. Each of them comes with a brief hint on the quality they offer.
As far as batch processing is concerned, the entire process is carried out according to the settings made in the main application window with regards to compression and conversion. But you can choose to flip, rotate, resize or compress to a specific size. Resource usage is not out of the ordinary but it will take a while to complete the job.
For a professional, RIOT is not a complicated application, but for an average user the terminology might seem like a different language. Fortunately, the developer included with the application an extremely detailed help file that thoroughly explains all the terms and how the algorithms affect the images.
If all you want is to compress the images without visible loss of the quality the default parameters do a bang up job by themselves.
During our tests we managed to trim off about 80% of a picture’s size and the end result showed no visible drop in quality. To make things even clearer, the original file was 3.22MB in size and after compression it shrunk to 605KB, and they looked identical to the naked eye; of course, zooming in to pixel level would reveal the difference.
A free program designed to efficiently optimize images for the Web
The Radical Image Optimization Tool (RIOT for short) was developed to be a free image optimizer that will let you to visually adjust compression parameters while keeping minimum filesize.
It uses with a side by side (dual view) or single view interface to compare the original with the optimized image in real time and instantly see the resulting file size.
It is lightweight, fast and simple to use, yet powerful for advanced users. You will be able to control compression, number of colors, metadata settings and much more, and select image format (JPG, GIF or PNG) for your output file.
Input image types:
- common bitmap images as well as Adobe Photoshop PSD files
- popular HDR formats and RAW camera images
- rare / scientific types (up to 128 bpp, integer and floating point)
Here are some key features of "RIOT":
· open many image types including rare/scientific types
· save and optimize JPEG, GIF and PNG with a simple, clean user interface
· works in dual view: (original – optimized image) or single view (optimized image).
· Automatic preview of resulting image
· in-place compare function (alternativelly display the original image over the optimized image to notice small pixel changes)
· compress files to desired filesize threshold
· fast processing (all is done in memory);
· see instant results including resulting filesize
· batch support (process multiple files at once)
· transparency handling options
· decide if you want to keep metadata (comments, IPTC, Adobe XMP, EXIF profiles, ICC profiles).
· Unsupported metadata is removed
· transfer metadata between image formats (destination format must support them)
· common tools: pan and zoom, rotate, flip
· basic image adjustments: brightness, contrast, gamma, invert
· visually reduce number of unique colors for PNG and GIF images in order to reduce filesize
· (two quantization methods are available: Xiaolin Wu and NeuQuant neural net)
· resize image by using well known resample filters (ex: Lanczos3, Catmull Rom, Bicubic, and others)
· out-of-the-box support for external PNG optimizers (optipng, pngout, etc)
· the compression and the results are comparable to those of commercial products, even higher.
· Adaptive logarithmic tone mapping algorithm (Drago) used for HDR images
What's New in This Release:
· added Help file (not yet complete)
· DLL version: added flags for all JPEG chroma settings
· DLL version: the default chroma for RIOT_SaveToFile is now "medium" instead of "low"
· Batch mode: fixed a bug when using a bat file as external PNG optimizer and @echo off is not on the first line.
· This problem does not occur in normal mode.
· DLL version: fixed some sliders going nuts when pressed during tooltip display
· fixed preview executed twice when asked to resample big images
· Batch settings "Keep original date/time" and "Report file size changes" are now remembered at startup
· if "Report file size changes" is checked and the selected external optimizer is not installed the reported size
· is -100% or ~ -99.9%. Fixed !
· fixed error running same batch twice with external optimizer and "Keep original date/time is checked
· file is now set as modified only if OptimizePNG is successfully executed
· fixed related issues reported in the RIOT forum, with the external PNG optimizer implementation
Download here
