Lenovo ThinkPad Windows 8 Tablet leaked

The first Windows 8 tablet from Lenovo has leaked online with Lenovo Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 specs and images surfacing ahead of what could be an October 26th release date.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 will not be runningWindows 8 RT if the specs sheet is anything to go by, instead the tablet will be running a full version of Windows 8 SoC which means you'll be able to get all the same functionality as the desktop version.

Lenovo ThinkPad 2 specs:

The specs leak also reveals that the 10.1-inch tablet will be just 9.8mm thin and will run using Intel's Cloverview Dual-core processor with 2GB RAM and a 64GB Hard drive.

It looks to be media-friendly as well with the leak suggesting a large 720p display and stereo speakers. Of course it wouldn't be a Lenovo tablet without some business tech being added.

Lenovo ThinkPad 2 features:

There's a keyboard dock and stylus pen which will looks set to be releasing alongside the tablet, add to that a fingerprint scanner and NFC and you have a features-packed offering.

Apparently Lenovo is looking to target not only the New iPad but also the Microsoft Surface as well suggesting that its combination of small size and the ability to run the full version of Windows 8 will make it a winning combination.

Source:http://www.t3.com/news/upcoming-lenovo-thinkpad-windows-8-tablet-leaked

IBM Bans Use of Siri on Employees’ iPhones

New advances in technology for smartphones, tablets and computers, while eagerly embraced by users, often bring new risks of data breaches or loss of data privacy. Companies that allow their employees to use their own personal devices for work-related purposes may be especially vulnerable. Because of these risks, IBM recently decided to ban the use of Siri — the powerful voice-recognition software on the new iPhone — on employees’ phones.

According to The Exchange blog on Yahoo Finance, IBM is concerned that “Apple takes all communications made through the Siri function of the iPhone 4S and sends them to a data center to be translated and answered. No one outside Apple is certain how long the data is stored or who sees it.” User queries are uploaded to Apple’s servers, and IBM is concerned that this could “ultimately reveal sensitive information,” according to the MIT Technology Review.

IBM has taken other precautions to protect its data when employees access it via devices, including configuring devices so that their memories can be erased remotely if the devices are lost or stolen, disabling public file-transfer programs such as iCloud and limiting the types of data that employees can access, depending on their job responsibilities and the types of devices they are using.

In a survey of employees, IBM found that they were “blissfully unaware” of which apps might cause data-security risks. The company’s chief technology officer said that "We found a tremendous lack of awareness as to what constitutes a risk."

Educating employees about the precautions they should take with sensitive data is a crucial step in thwarting data breaches. WeComply’s online information security training course uses interactive features to reinforce its important message.

Source:http://www.wecomply.com/blog/post/953586-IBM-Bans-Use-of-Siri-on-Employees-iPhones?utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20EthicsAndComplianceTrainingBlog-Wecomply%20%28Ethics%20and%20Compliance%20Training%20Blog%20-%20WeComply%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner

Sharp: we're making displays for new iPhone and shipping them this month

If it feels like yesterday you read our in-depth review of the dual-core Meizu MX, you're not too far from the truth. In reality, it's been just over seven months and we've already moved onto the smartphone's quad-core sequel, aptly named the Meizu MX 4-core. Not only is it easy to confuse the two phones by name, but good luck trying to tell which one is which. Indeed, the two handsets are quite similar both inside and out, with the exception of some improvements in a couple rows on the 'ol spec sheet.

The biggest surprise isn't necessarily the speed with which the company cranked out a second MX, and it's not even the reasonable price (HK$3,099, or US$400, or the 32GB version, and HK$4,099 / US$530 for the 64GB). Nope, it's seeing Meizu, a manufacturer known for its copycat products, evolving into a relevant player beyond its native China. So how does this latest effort stack up? Read on to find out.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/01/meizu-mx-4-core-review/

Apple seeks patent for Smart Cover with embedded secondary display

According to a patent application made public by the USPTO this morning (and originally filed a year ago), Apple believes it's possible to build a flexible display into an iPad cover in order to "greatly enhance" the functionality of the tablet itself. Taking power and data from a dedicated connector on the side of the slate, at least one segment of the name-deserving Smart Cover could be used to augment the main display with space for extra icons, or operate as a separate media control interface, or simply display notifications. Drawings collected in the gallery below also hint at using the entire inner surface of the cover as a keyboard (ala Microsoft Surface) or as a drawing area. As with all patent applications, there's nothing to say such an idea will ever see Californian sunlight, but it'd be crying shame if it didn't.

        

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/02/apple-smart-cover-display-patent-application/

iShower is ready to get wet: water-resistant Bluetooth speaker now shipping for $100

Move over, Pantene, because you may need to make room for a new addition to showers across the globe. That's because the iShower, a water-resistant music system for use as you get squeaky clean, is now shipping for $100. Despite its name, the iShower should have no trouble playing the compatibility game, thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity with support for up to five paired devices. What's more, you won't need to bust out the tools to install the iShower, as the mounting system's built-in adhesive lets you pretend to be a handyman without doing any real work -- the unit can also be hung over the shower head if you're wary of sticky residue. The music system runs on three AA batteries and provides up to 15 hours of sudsy listening time, and there's even a built-in clock, for those unfortunate mornings when you need to cut the rock operas short. To see the system in action, just hop the break for a demonstration of the iShower from the company's CEO.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/02/ishower-now-shipping/

Google to offer 100 GB of free cloud storage to new Chromebook and Chromebox buyers?

Google’s first-generation Chromebooks haven’t quite made it to the mainstream yet, but the search giant has decided not only to follow up on those devices, but also to step up its game a bit.

The makers of the web-centric Chrome OS have upped the ante in terms of tech specs, equipping the new Chromebook with a far snappier processor than the first-generation one, but also with more RAM. Aside from the new Series 5 Chromebook 550, Google has also released a brand new Series 3 Chromebox, similar with Apple’s Mac Minis, but available at a lower price point.

While all those changes have been welcomed warmly by everyone involved in the tech business, the new Chromebook/Chromebox duo hasn’t scored a great start. Many blamed the high prices and the limited storage for the Chromebooks’ lackluster sales performance, but it seems that Google is working hard to improve on at least one of these two fronts.

According to G+ user François Beaufort, there’s a very intriguing piece of code in Google’s Chromium source, which says “Get 100 GB free with Google Drive”. Although some of you might be tempted to say this is just an elaborate hoax, Beaufort published the respective lines of codeand they look legit, at least to me.

If this “rumor” will actually prove accurate and Google will in fact offer its customers 100 GB of free cloud storage, the Mountain View-based giant might kill two birds with one stone. Users will have enough storage space to go around (both the Chromebook and Chromebox only come with 16 GB of on-board memory), but they’ll also get a good deal that, in the long run, will actually lower the price of the two devices.

To purchase 100 GB of Google Drive storage, you need to pay $4.99 a month, so this special offer might save you almost 60 bucks a year. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that the first-generation Chromebooks will be left out of this promotion, as only the “Lumpy” and “Stumpy” Chrome OS builds have those magic lines of code. As expected, Google officials refused to comment on the matter, telling the guys over at GigaOM that “we’re always trying out new interfaces and features to enhance the user experience, but have nothing new to announce at this time.”

If you bought a new Chromebook and/or Chromebox and you have trouble getting by with your on-board memory, try to resist the temptation of purchasing cloud storage for a little longer. It might be worth it! Also, if this is the first time you’re hearing about the two new Chrome OS-based devices and you want to find out more about them, go over to this link for full spec sheets, pricing, and technical details.

Source:http://www.androidauthority.com/google-100gb-free-cloud-storage-chromebook-chromebox-104810/

New Pictarine Android app unites all your photos from 11 different social networks

If the social networking bug got into you, chances are you might always be split up between different platforms and services. This is not only inconvenient, but it could also make you lose out on important events or miss your true friends’ online social involvement.

Fortunately, there are many tools that can help you choose what’s really important from all those different social networking services, or simply access everything from one place.

Such a tool is Pictarine, which aims to help you browse all your pictures and your friends’ online pictures in one place, now available for Android. Pictarine can connect to and pull photos from 11 major social networks, that you can then view, share, comment, and like.

Pictarine is not exactly an entirely new thing and has been available as a web app for a while, but on mobile it has officially debuted yesterday. We also have to note that the app’s developers have chosen Android before hitting iOS, one thing that we can’t help but admire.

Available over in Google Play for free, Pictarine for Android is not exactly the most complex and sophisticated organizing tool, but it’s straightforward, easy to use and master, and this is often more important than having a bunch of complicated features and functions at your disposal.

Upon launching the app, you will be asked to log in to either your Facebook or Google account. Once you’ve done that, you can choose to follow photos of your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, Google, Dropbox, Windows Live, 500px, Photobucket, and/or Shutterfly. You can, of course, pick any one of those social networks or all of them, and you can change your preferences at any time.

Your “Photo Feed” will then display all pics shared by friends on your favorite networks in a user-friendly, elegant, yet simple interface. If you’d like to add your own pictures to the mix, you can do that with the “My photos” function.

From that point on, the sky is the limit, as you can share, like, tweet, retweet photos and pretty much do everything you could do on any of your favorite networks, from just one place. The “Playlists” and “Surprise Me” functions will most likely be your best friends, allowing you to organize your favorite pics and only show top choices in your app’s home menu, or display random photos from everywhere.

Source:http://www.androidauthority.com/new-pictarine-android-app-unify-social-networks-photos-104829/