Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available now!

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup will check to see if your PC can run Windows 8 Consumer Preview and select the right download. Setup also features a compatibility report and upgrade assistance. Built-in tools for creating an ISO or bootable flash drive are available for some previous versions of Windows (excluding Windows XP and earlier). You can find system requirements and additional information in the FAQ and in the links on this page.

Note before you download: Windows 8 Consumer Preview is prerelease software that may be substantially modified before it�s commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here. Some product features and functionality may require additional hardware or software. If you decide to go back to your previous operating system, you'll need to reinstall it from the recovery or installation media that came with your PC.

Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview

FYI: My How-to Sites Hacked... Fixing

Just wanted to drop a quick note to the readers of this blog. My blog has not been hacked, so if you are linked to http://blueskyworkshop.blogspot.com there are no worries, everything should work fine. However, thanks to Bill Jirsa, I found out all of my content at http://blueskyworkshop.com and my other hosted sites has been hacked. My web host had an intrusion in January and I was unaware of the extent of the damage.



Unfortunately, my real job take precedence so I'm am trying to repair things in my copious spare time. :) I just reinstalled the back of blueskyworkshop.com early this morning and now am getting 404 errors on the site. So if you run into any problems let me know.



As hacks go it seems to be fairly harmless. Occasional redirects to some racy sites. However they hit every file on every site so that is a pain in the rear end to fix. I'll keep you posted.



Update: http://blueskyworkshop.com is back up and fixed. I will get to my other sites on the weekend.

Ubuntu for Android at MWC

Get info of a specified item in MediaStore.Audio.Media

Modify from last exercise "List audio media in MediaStore.Audio.Media", override onListItemClick() to display info of the clicked item.

package com.exercise.AndroidListMedia;

import android.app.ListActivity;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.provider.MediaStore;
import android.provider.MediaStore.Video.Media;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.ListAdapter;
import android.widget.ListView;
import android.widget.SimpleCursorAdapter;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class AndroidListMediaActivity extends ListActivity {
 
 SimpleCursorAdapter adapter;
 
  /** Called when the activity is first created. */
  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      String[] from = {
        MediaStore.MediaColumns.TITLE};
      int[] to = {
        android.R.id.text1};
    
      Cursor cursor = managedQuery(
        MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI,
        null,
        null,
        null,
        MediaStore.Audio.Media.TITLE);
    
      adapter = new SimpleCursorAdapter(this,
        android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1, cursor, from, to);
      setListAdapter(adapter);
  }

 @Override
 protected void onListItemClick(ListView l, View v, int position, long id) {
  Cursor cursor = adapter.getCursor();
  cursor.moveToPosition(position);
  
  String _id = cursor.getString(cursor.getColumnIndex(MediaStore.Audio.Media._ID));
  String title = cursor.getString(cursor.getColumnIndex(MediaStore.Audio.Media.TITLE));
  String artist = cursor.getString(cursor.getColumnIndex(MediaStore.Audio.Media.ARTIST));
  String album = cursor.getString(cursor.getColumnIndex(MediaStore.Audio.Media.ALBUM));
  int duration = cursor.getInt(cursor.getColumnIndex(MediaStore.Audio.Media.DURATION));

  String info = "_ID: " + _id + "\n"
     + "TITLE: " + title + "\n"
     + "ARTIST: " + artist + "\n"
     + "ALBUM: " + album + "\n"
     + "DURATION: " + duration/1000 + "s";
  
  Toast.makeText(this, info, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
 }


}

Download the files.

Next:
- Retrieve playable Uri from MediaStore, pointed by cursor.

HP Mini 1104 (A7K66UT) 10.1 Inch Notebook Review, Specs and Price

HP one of the well-known notebook maker has announced the launch of its new laptops namely, HP Mini 1104 (A7K66UT). The Mini 1104 (A7K66UT) comes with packs a ten.1-inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixel, Intel GMA 3600 graphics card, 1 GB DDR3 1333 MHz memory, 320GB 5400rpm SATA HDD, Intel Atom N2600 dual-core processor, and Intel NM10 express chipset. Other specs incorporate spill-resistant 93% complete-sized keyboard, stereo speakers, external VGA monitor port, 3 USB two. ports, stereo headphone/mic combo jack, RJ-45 port, ten/100 LAN, Ralink 802.11 a/b/g/n WLAN, Bluetooth 3. + HS, card reader, VGA webcam, and 6-cell Li-Ion 55 Whr battery. The details related to the specs of the device are discussed below.

HP Mini 1104 (A7K66UT) 10.1 Inch Notebook Specifications:

• Display Size : 10.1� Resolution : 1024 x 600 (WSVGA) LED backlight
• Graphics Card : Intel GMA 3600
• Processor : Intel Atom N2600 dual-core processor 1.60 GHz Speed and 1 MB L2 Cache
• Chipset : Intel NM10 express chipset
• Memory : 1 GB DDR3 1333 MHz
• Storage : 320GB 5400rpm SATA
• LAN : 10/100
• WLAN : Ralink 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth : Bluetooth 3. + HS
• Audio : HP Premier sound, Stereo speakers, Microphone
• Interface
- 1 x external VGA monitor

- 3 x USB 2

- 1 x stereo headphone/mic combo jack

- 1 x RJ-45

- 1 x AC power
• Camera : VGA webcam
• Battery : 6-cell Li-Ion 55 Whr, 40 watt AC Adapter, up to 9 hours
• Dimensions and Weight (W)x(D)x(H) : 26.8 cm (10.55�)x 19.1 cm (7.52�)x 2.28 cm (.89�)
• Weight : starting at 1.26 kg (2.78 lb)
  Operating System :Genuine Windows 7 House Premium 32 bit

Price Range : $349.00

Android-x86 4.0-RC1 is released

Android-x86 4.0-RC1 is released to public. This is a release candidate for Android-x86 4.0 stable release. Live CD ISOs are available from http://www.android-x86.org/

Release note: http://www.android-x86.org/releases/releasenote-4-0-rc1

Android-x86 is a project to port Android open source project to x86 platform.

List audio media in MediaStore.Audio.Media

This exercise list audio in MediaStore.Audio.Media on a ListView of ListActivity.

package com.exercise.AndroidListMedia;

import android.app.ListActivity;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.provider.MediaStore;
import android.widget.ListAdapter;
import android.widget.SimpleCursorAdapter;

public class AndroidListMediaActivity extends ListActivity {
  /** Called when the activity is first created. */
  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      String[] from = {
        MediaStore.MediaColumns.TITLE};
      int[] to = {
        android.R.id.text1};
    
      Cursor cursor = managedQuery(
        MediaStore.Audio.Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI,
        null,
        null,
        null,
        MediaStore.Audio.Media.TITLE);
    
      ListAdapter adapter = new SimpleCursorAdapter(this,
        android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1, cursor, from, to);
      setListAdapter(adapter);
  }
}

Download the files.

Next:
- Get info of a specified item in MediaStore.Audio.Media

Beginning Android Tablet Programming

Beginning Android Tablet Programming starts off by showing how to get your system ready for Android tablet programming. You won't need any previous Android experience, because you'll learn all about the basic structure of an Android program and how the Android operating system works�and then you'll learn how to write your first Android tablet application from scratch!

Beginning Android Tablet Programming then equips you to build a set of interesting and fully-working Android tablet applications. These projects will give you the inspiration and insights to build your own Android programs in the future.

You'll be introduced to 2D programming, and you'll see what you can do with a touch screen interface and the Honeycomb SDK. Of course, 3D programming is even more alluring for many programmers. If that includes you, you'll learn about how Honeycomb has changed the game for Android graphics programming, and get your first taste of 3D programming on an Android tablet.

Lights, camera, action! You'll learn along the way how Android Honeycomb gives you access, through your programming, to all those interesting sensors that tablet computers are equipped with today�beyond the touch screen itself. You'll learn, for example, how you to use a tablet GPS sensor to locate your car!

You'll also discover how you can access files on your tablet�or on the web�through programming, and then build on that insight to create your own file browser application. This Android project contains many useful coding techniques appropriate for many situations you might encounter in your future programming Android tablet applications; you'll be glad to have them under your belt.

So do you want to write programs that can receive and send reminder messages via SMS? Do you want to write your first 2D or 3D game on Android? Perhaps you'd like to write an application that sorts out all your contacts for you! Beginning Android Tablet Programming introduces you to Android tablet programming, and shows how you can program your Android tablet from scratch to do what you want!

What you�ll learn

• Programming for a touch screen environment
• Learn about the new facilities available from Android 3.0 Honeycomb
• Take advantage of sensors and data feeds while writing entirely new applications
• Code a game for an Android tablet
• How to write Android tablet programs code in programming languages other than Java
• Transition from an Android smart phone environment to an Android tablet

Who this book is for

• Beginning and intermediate Android programmers
• Intermediate Java programmers
• Intermediate programmers in open-source programming languages, especially Python

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started
2. How Android Works
3. What You Can Do with an Android Tablet
4. Beyond Java: Programming in Python and Friends
5. Project 1: Media Player
6. Explorer:An Android File Explorer
7. Contact Manager:and other potentially useful applications
8. Dude, Where�s My Car?:Adventures in GPS
9. Let the games begin!: Some 2d and 3d graphical game techniques
10. Remind Me:Playing with Alarms and SMS
11. Everything Else: Advanced Techniques and other stuff

Repackage Android APK to make it run on BlackBerry Playbook, on Runtime for Android apps.

Before repackaging, we have to prepare APK for Android application. It's base on the exercise of "Get system properties of os name and version".

BlackBerry provide a online tools to package for Android Apps. It's a simple web interface that allows you to verify, repackage, and sign your app without any additional software downloads.

To repackage Android APK to BlackBerry PlayBook, visit https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/android/bpaa/ in your browser. This tool will package your Android 2.3.3 application to run on the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Enter email and check to agree the RIM SDK License Agreement, and click "Let's get started>>".


Make sure you have installed correct Java plug-in. Click "Set Applet Permissions...".


Specify the APK file, and Android SDK folder. And click "Start Test".


Tested OK, to continue repackaging your application for distribution on BlackBerry App World without additional testing, select "Repackage & Submit".


If this is your first time using the packager to repackage an Android application, you'll need to configure your computer to sign your application. You'll need your code signing key to do this. If you have not yet requested a code signing key, the packager can request one for you before configuring your computer. If you already have your code signing key, keep the file path handy. You'll need it to create your certificate.

Check "I don't have signing keys" and click "Next>>".


Request a Code Signing Key, fill-in the blank, check to agree the RIM SDK License Agreement, and click "Next>>".


Configure Your Computer to Sign Applications.

Your BlackBerry Tablet Code Signing Key order will be send to BlackBerry, and will be processed. It could take up to 2 hours to fully process. Your code signing keys will be sent you via email.

Once you have received your code signing keys from Research In Motion, you'll need to configure your computer to use these keys to sign your apps and create debug tokens. This step configures your computer and creates a developer certificate.

Fill in the blank, and click "Configure".


Click Next after finished.


You will be re-direct to the "Welcome, start submit page" again.


Make sure you have installed correct Java plug-in. Click "Set Applet Permissions...".


Specify the APK file, and Android SDK folder. And click "Start Test".


Tested OK, to continue repackaging your application for distribution on BlackBerry App World without additional testing, select "Repackage & Submit".


Click "Already Configured Computer for Signing>>"


Packaging and Signing, fill in the blank and click "Sign>>"


BAR file created and signed, press "Next" to proceed.


Finished! BAR file generated.


Try my repackaged BAR here: http://goo.gl/S8A73

Generate signed APK for Android Application

After you finished you Android application development, you can generate signed APK. We go going to generate signed APK for last exercise, Get system properties of os name and version.

- In Eclipse IDE, right click on your project in Package Explorer. -> Android Tools -> Export Signed Application Package...


- Make sure the correct project is selected, and click Next.


- Select the keystore file location, and enter password. Then click Next.


- Enter Alias, password, number of validity years, and at least one Certificate issuer field.


- Select destination of the APK file. and click Finish.


- The keystore and apk files will be generated.

Cyberduck Drag and Drop stops working

Problem: Using Cyberduck on Windows and suddenly drag and drop does not seem to work. When I drag a file or folder to Cyberduck, I get a "Not Allowed" icon and nothing happens.



Cyberduck is a great SFTP, FTP, and WebDAV client for Windows and Mac.



Solution: Have you been using VPN? In my case I had just used Cisco's VPN software to connect to the corporate network. Depending upon how the VPN software is configured, it may cut off all access to the local network. That should be cleaned up after you exit VPN. But apparently, it does not clean up everything. Just reboot your machine and that should fix the problem.

Get system properties of os name and version

package com.exercise.AndroidOSversion;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class AndroidOSversionActivity extends Activity {
    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
        
        TextView msg = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.msg);
        msg.setText(System.getProperty("os.name") 
          + " : " 
          + System.getProperty("os.version"));
    }
}

Detect Android device rotation around the Z, X and Y axis

Example to detect Android device rotation around the Z(Azimuth), X(Pitch) and Y(Roll) axis.

package com.exercise.AndroidAccelerometer;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.TextView;

import android.hardware.Sensor;
import android.hardware.SensorEvent;
import android.hardware.SensorEventListener;
import android.hardware.SensorManager;

public class AndroidAccelerometerActivity extends Activity
 implements SensorEventListener{
 
 private SensorManager sensorManager;
 private Sensor sensorAccelerometer;
 
 TextView readingAzimuth, readingPitch, readingRoll;
 
  /** Called when the activity is first created. */
  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      setContentView(R.layout.main);
    
      sensorManager = (SensorManager)getSystemService(SENSOR_SERVICE);
      sensorAccelerometer = sensorManager.getDefaultSensor(
        Sensor.TYPE_ACCELEROMETER);
    
      readingAzimuth = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.azimuth);
      readingPitch = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.pitch);
      readingRoll = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.roll);
    
  }

 @Override
 protected void onPause() {
  super.onPause();
  sensorManager.unregisterListener(this);
 }

 @Override
 protected void onResume() {
  super.onResume();
  sensorManager.registerListener(this,
    sensorAccelerometer,
    SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_NORMAL);
 }

 @Override
 public void onAccuracyChanged(Sensor arg0, int arg1) {
  // TODO Auto-generated method stub
  
 }

 @Override
 public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event) {

  /*
   * event.values[0]: azimuth, rotation around the Z axis.
   * event.values[1]: pitch, rotation around the X axis.
   * event.values[2]: roll, rotation around the Y axis.
   */
  
  float valueAzimuth = event.values[0];
  float valuePitch = event.values[1];
  float valueRoll = event.values[2];
  
  readingAzimuth.setText("Azimuth: " + String.valueOf(valueAzimuth));
      readingPitch.setText("Pitch: " + String.valueOf(valuePitch));
      readingRoll.setText("Roll: " + String.valueOf(valueRoll));

  
 }
}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
  android:layout_width="fill_parent"
  android:layout_height="fill_parent"
  android:orientation="vertical" >

  <TextView
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"
      android:text="@string/hello" />

  <TextView
      android:id="@+id/azimuth"
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>
  <TextView
      android:id="@+id/pitch"
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>
  <TextView
      android:id="@+id/roll"
      android:layout_width="fill_parent"
      android:layout_height="wrap_content"/>

</LinearLayout>

Download the files.

Windows 7 Updating a Read Only Directory/File

Problem: You need to edit a read only file located in the C:\Program Files. However, you cannot reset the read only status of the file.



This is the problem I ran into when trying to edit C:\Program Files\NetBeans 7.1\etc\netbeans.conf. This is a NetBeans configuration file. The file is read only and so is the parent directory and the parent directory above it. I tried turning off the read only bit using File Explorer, the command line, you name it. Running as administrator had no effect.



Workaround: Do the following:

1. Copy the file to a directory that you have write access to.


2. Edit the file and make the changes you need.


3. Rename the original readonly file. You can do this with Administrator privileges.


4. Copy the edited file back to its original location.

Your read only file should now be edited.

Sorted Device List

I've made a small change to the device list, it is now sorted alphabetically for those of you with many devices that have had difficulty finding the devices in the haphazard order it used to be in.

I plan on putting some more changes out soon!

Toshiba Portege Z835-P370 Laptops Review, Specs and Price

Toshiba one of the well-known notebook maker has announced the launch of its new laptops namely, Toshiba Portege Z835-P370. The Portege Z835-P370 which has powered by features a 13.3-Inch Ultrabook a designed for extra mobility, they have a thin and lightweight design packed with smart features. Second-generation laptops powered by Intel dual-core i5 processor that ensures faster performance and better battery efficiency, battery attached to a fantastic durability.

This Portege Z835-P370 comes with a 13.3-inch widescreen TruBrite HD LED-backlit display has a resolution of 1366 x 768 (native 720p HD viewing), is a screen that is really thin but has a very bright picture quality, viewing angle is quite with a 16:9 wide aspect ratio, images with high detail also get a rich color. Premium spill-resistant keyboard with raised tile LED backlighting comes with the style of the islands, they have thinner buttons are convenient, fast feedback, provide comfort and reduce errors while typing with 10 fingers with a regular spacing between the keys. while the touch pad with multi-touch control provides responsive to navigate, allowing you to rotate, move 2/3 fingers, pinch and more, they are also well integrated into the palm rest is pretty cold comfort. The design is really a premium, a flat screen that is framed into the thin bezel and is completely fused with the corners. they have a hinge that is ergonomic, finished with gray brushed very smooth getting ornate logo �Toshiba� middle of the lid. Laptop has a total size of 8.94 x 0.63 x 12:44 inches and weighs only about 2.5 pounds to make sure you will not even bother with a small bag with you.

Thin that they have the power, the better performance shown by the 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5-2467M low-voltage, dual-core processor is equipped with a Turbo Boost Technology and 3 MB of L3 cache that provides a blend of fast-performance, intelligent multi-tasking, 3D gaming ability is excellent, multi-media support and they really give the efficiency of the battery usage. Used Turbo Boost technology will automatically adjust to your needs, they demand applications work faster. they are also equipped with Intel�s Hyper-Threading Technology which has the ability to allow each processor core to work with two different tasks at the same time. Mated processor with 6 GB of installed RAM DDR3 (1333 MHz, max 8GB) and 128 GB solid state drive.
Toshiba Portege Z835-P370 is also equipped with Intel HD Graphics with 64 MB � 1696 MB of shared memory allocated to provide intelligent display, video and games with HD quality. Laptop running on the operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Built-in stereo speakers are powered by MaxxAudio LE audio enhancement that delivers good audio quality, a solid bass combined with a balanced treble, enough to fill your room.8-cell battery that is used to hold up to 8 hours 25 minutes long, this allows you to bring it all day on the way.
The laptop equipped with Intel Wireless Display which allows you to connect to your HDTV without the need for wires. Learn More
Other features such as Networking, liaison and ports include: Ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0, 1x USB 3.0 port for ultra-fast data transfer, 2x USB 2.0 ports, HDMI high -definition audio / video output, VGA video output (analog RGB), Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000), and Multi-format memory card reader.
Toshiba Portege Z835-P370 laptops will be sold at a price range $100.00.

HP Envy 17-3090NR Laptop Review, Specs and Price

HP one of the well-known notebook maker has announced the launch of its new laptop namely, HP ENVY 17-3090NR. The ENVY 17-3090NR comes with high feature include 830GB dual drive for store thousand of media and document files, 2nd generation Intel processor 2.20GHz Core i7-2670QM, 1600MHz DDR3 RAM size up to 8GB, and a LED-backlit 17.3-inch Full HD 3D Infinity diagonal Radiance screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The ENVY 17-3090NR Laptop is also powered by Radeon HD 7690M XT switchable 1024MB GDDR5 graphics, Blu-ray player / DVD writer, built-in Bluetooth with WiDi, and 5.5 hours of battery life. The details related to the specs of the device are discussed below.

HP ENVY 17-3090NR Laptops Specification :

• 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-2670QM Quad-Core
• 8GB of DDR3 RAM
• 830GB (80GB SSD + 750GB)
• AMD Radeon HD 7690M XT 1GB Graphics
• 17.3" 3D Infinity LED-Backlit Display
• 1920 x 1080 Native Resolution
• Blu-ray Player with DVD Burning
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with WiDi
• Integrated Webcam, Microphone & Speakers
• Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Price Range : $1,609.95

Dell Inspiron i17RN-6470BK Laptops Review, Specs and Price

Dell one of the well-known notebook maker has announced the launch of its new laptop 2012 namely, Dell Inspiron i17RN-6470BK. The Inspiron I17RN-6470BK laptops comes with a 17.3-inch LED-backlit display that has a high resolution 1600 x 900, they produce up to HD 720p Native, a wide screen that will make whatever you want to see a look of relief, clear images with high detail although viewed from a fairly narrow angle, offering plenty of space to share with the people around you. Full-Size Chiclet-style keyboard has a numeric pad gives the feel of the islands that have a measurable distance between the keys, allowing you to reach out to type faster by reducing the error when typing better. while the integrated touchpad with scrolling and gestures give you responsive to browse the contents of the desktop, create a complete control of the image.

The Dell Inspiron i17RN-6470BK laptop that offers solid performance second generation i7-2670QM and powerful graphics card GeForce GT 525M, soak up the Premium Audio with SRS technology will be supported and Subwoofer which deliver a stomping sound of loud, crunchy to entertainment perfect. Stylish design with attractive color combination, they finished with a smooth brushed �Black Diamond�, weighing only 7.2 pounds lets you take comfort in traveling. The details related to the specs of the device are discussed below.

Dell Inspiron i17RN-6470BK Laptops Specification :

• Processor: Core i7-2670QM 2.2 GHz
• Display : 17-Inch Screen
• Memory: 6GB
• Hard Disk: 500GB
• Hard Drive : 500 GB 5400 rpm
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Dimensions: 4.21" h x 17.28" w x 19.29" l, 8.47
• Weight : 8.47 Pounds

Price about : $899.99

Lenovo IdeaPad U300e 13.3" Ultra Portable Notebook Review, Specs and Price

Lenovo one of the well-known notebook maker has announced the launch of its new laptop namely, Lenovo IdeaPad U300e. This ultra portable notebook comes with a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 display, a 1.60GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor, an Intel HD graphics 3000, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a 32GB SSD, a 1.3MP webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, an HDMI port, a USB 3.0 port, a 4-cell battery and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. For more details go through the below mentioned points.

Lenovo IdeaPad U300e 13.3" Laptops Specification :

• 13.3? Inches (1366 x 768) Pixels Display Screen
• Intel Third Generation Ivy Bridge Processor
• Up to 8GB DDR3 RAM
• 500GB Hard Disk
• 32GB Flash Memory
• Integrated Web Camera with Built-in Microphone
• Multi Card Reader
• Chiclet Keyboard
• TouchPad, Large Trackpad
• USB2.0, USB3.0, HDMI, RJ-45 , 3.5mm Audio Jack, Microphone in
• Wireless 802.11 b/g/n
• Integrated Gigabit LAN
• Bluetooth
• Up to 8 hours battery life
• Weight: Less than 5.5 kg
• Genuine Windows 7
• Warranty: 1 year

You�ll be able to purchase it starting today via Lenovo�s online shop for $959.20.

Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3" Amazing Laptops Review, Specs and Price

Apple one of the leading provider of IT products and consumer electronics manufacturer has announced the launch of its new laptop 2012 namely, Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A. Apple Macbook has a long history and tradition of producing quality notebooks and other computer products for many years. Light weight and small sizes are one of the main reasons behind popularity of the notebooks among consumers.

One could hardly believe that a 0.68 inch thin and 2.9 pounds laptop can be as effective as the Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A is. Users can enjoy carrying this machine whether they are traveling, staying in the offices or covering the sports event. They will never feel the weight of this tiny notebook and also will enjoy the facilities of a complete computer machine. The Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A has all the features that are required for a user for different tasks. First of all we will take a close look to processor and memory it has. The details related to the specs of the device are discussed below.Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3 inch Laptop Specofocation :

• Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz Processor
• 6 MB L2 Cache, 1066 MHz Bus Speed
• 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM (4GB maximum)
• 128GB Flash Storage
• Optional external USB MacBook Air SuperDrive (sold separately)
• 13.3-inch (diagonal) high-resolution LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900)
• FaceTime Camera and internal Omnidirectional microphone
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main Memory (Dual display and Video mirroring)
• AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi Wireless (802.11a/b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Apple USB Ethernet Adapter (sold separately)
• Full-size Keyboard
• Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control
• Stereo Speakers
• Ports: USB 2.0, SD card Slot, Headphone Mini Jack, Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe Power Port
• Unit Dimensions: 12.8 (W) x 0.11-0.68 (H) x 8.94 (D) inches
• Unit Weight: 2.9 pounds
• 1-Year Limited Warranty

Price About : $874.99

My GMail IMAP just stopped working, what do I do?

My GMail IMAP just stopped working this week. It was definitely an issue on the server side since none of my machines could log in. There had been some suspicious activity on my account and I had to change my password. Apparently when that happens, a bit gets flipped turning off your IMAP. Well I asked a question in the Help forms and found out a CAPTCHA gets turned on which is preventing my IMAP from working. To clear it, follow this link.



Clear Your CAPTCHA



It is a mystery to me why GMail doesn't send me an e-mail or something telling me to do this. But anyway, problem solved. Thanks bkennelly from the help forums.

TU Update

I've finally found some time and did a little bit of reworking on some of the issues that are bugging me with TU. I have a working rewrite of the entire guts of the application working, I just don't have a UI to hook it up to :) Once I get the UI set up nicely I'll be releasing a new version of TU that will be much simpler and cleaner. (Also less crash prone)

I'm thinking Friday (2/17) at the latest... Let's see how close I can get that... (I always regret putting a date to an update)

Pro Android Apps Performance Optimization

Today's Android apps developers are often running into the need to refine, improve and optimize their apps performances. As more complex apps can be created, it is even more important for developers to deal with this critical issue.

Android allows developers to write apps using Java, C or a combination of both with the Android SDK and the Android NDK.Pro Android Apps Performance Optimization reveals how to fine-tune your Android apps, making them more stable and faster. In this book, you'll learn the following:

• How to optimize your Java code with the SDK, but also how to write and optimize native code using advanced features of the Android NDK such as using ARM single instruction multiple data (SIMD) instructions (in C or assembly)
• How to use multithreading in your application, how make best use of memory and how to maximize battery life
• How to use to some OpenGL optimizations and to Renderscript, a new feature in Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and expanded in Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

After reading and using this book, you'll be a better coder and your apps will be better-coded. Better-performing apps mean better reviews and eventually, more money for you as the app developer or your indie shop.

What you�ll learn

• How to optimize your applications in Java
• How to optimize your applications using the NDK
• How to best use memory to maximize performance
• How to maximize battery life
• How and when to use multi-threading
• How to benchmark and profile your code
• How to optimize OpenGL code and use Renderscript

Who this book is for

Android developers already familiar with Java and Android SDK, who want to go one step further and learn how to maximize performance.

Table of Contents

1. Optimizing Java code
2. Getting started with the Android NDK
3. Using advanced NDK features
4. Using memory efficiently
5. Multithreading and synchronization
6. Benchmarking and profiling your application
7. Maximizing battery life
8. OpenGL optimizations
9. Renderscript

About the Author

Herv� Guihot is a software engineering department manager at a leading fabless semiconductor company for wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions. He has more than 10 years of experience in embedded systems, primarily focused on digital television. His current focus is on Android for ARM-based digital home platforms (televisions, Blu-ray players).

3 Great New Tech Sites on the Web

Three cheers for corporate bureaucracy! Thanks to a few buyouts and mergers a few web sites have been spawned much to our benefit.



The Verge

Josh Topolsky and these Engadget refugees have set up a really nice gadget and tech web site. A different kind of design for their site, but I like it. It sort of melds a newspaper layout with a web page. I like the look and the content.



PandoDaily

Sarah Lacey left TechCrunch to create this site. The focus is on cool new web sites and businesses. A nice clean interface and a lot of good information.



ANewDomain.net

Gina Smith left the new Byte.com to start this site. Thanks corporate overlords for unleashing Gina and gang. Lots of good writers (including John C Dvorak and Jerry Pournelle) and good stories.

ObjectAnimator - Animation in Honeycomb

In previous exercises, we have demonstrate some effect of android animation. In Android 3.0, Honeycomb, ObjectAnimator was added. It's a example show how to implement animation using ObjectAnimator, also compare with animation using Animation.

Refer to the video, the upper button (Animator Button) animate using ObjectAnimator. The lower button (Animation Button) animate using TranslateAnimation. You can see, Animation change the visual only: user cannot click on the lower button (Animation Button) to trigger the OnClickListener(). The actual button is still in the original position defined in main.xml, so user have to click on the original space to trigger it. For the upper button animate using ObjectAnimator for Honeycomb, user can click on the button on the shown position.

package com.exercise.AndroidObjectAnimator;

import android.animation.ObjectAnimator;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.animation.Animation;
import android.view.animation.AnimationSet;
import android.view.animation.TranslateAnimation;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class AndroidObjectAnimatorActivity extends Activity {
    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
        Button animatorButton = (Button)findViewById(R.id.animatorbutton);
        Button animationButton = (Button)findViewById(R.id.animationbutton);
        
        ObjectAnimator objectAnimatorButton
        = ObjectAnimator.ofFloat(animatorButton, "translationX", 0f, 400f);
        objectAnimatorButton.setDuration(1000);
        objectAnimatorButton.start();
        
        AnimationSet animSetAnimationButton = new AnimationSet(true);
        TranslateAnimation translateAnimAnimationButton
        = new TranslateAnimation(
         Animation.RELATIVE_TO_SELF, 0,
         Animation.RELATIVE_TO_SELF, 1f,
         Animation.RELATIVE_TO_SELF, 0,
         Animation.RELATIVE_TO_SELF, 0);
        animSetAnimationButton.addAnimation(translateAnimAnimationButton);
        animSetAnimationButton.setDuration(500);
        animSetAnimationButton.setFillAfter(true);
        animationButton.setAnimation(animSetAnimationButton);
        
        animatorButton.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener(){

      @Override
      public void onClick(View arg0) {
       Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), 
         "Animator Button Clicked", 
         Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
      }});
        
        animationButton.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener(){

      @Override
      public void onClick(View arg0) {
       Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), 
         "Animation Button Clicked", 
         Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
      }});
    }
    
    
}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" 
    android:background="#303030">

    <TextView
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="@string/hello" />
    <Button
        android:id="@+id/animatorbutton"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Animator Button" />
    <Button
        android:id="@+id/animationbutton"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="Animation Button" />
</LinearLayout>

Download the files.

Latest ATI Video Cards

AMD has some new 7700 series video cards out. The Verge has a summary:

AMD ATI 7700 Round Up

Game and Graphics Programming for iOS and Android with OpenGL ES 2.0

Develop graphically sophisticated apps and games today!

The smart phone app market is progressively growing, and there is new market gap to fill that requires more graphically sophisticated applications and games. Game and Graphics Programming for iOS and Android with OpenGL ES 2.0 quickly gets you up to speed on understanding how powerful OpenGL ES 2.0 technology is in creating apps and games for amusement and effectiveness. Leading you through the development of a real-world mobile app with live code, this text lets you work with all the best features and tools that Open GL ES 2.0 has to offer.

• Provides a project template for iOS and Android platforms
• Delves into OpenGL features including drawing canvas, geometry, lighting effects, character animation, and more
• Offers explanation of full-function 2D and 3D graphics on embedded systems
• Addresses the principal technology for hardware-accelerated graphical rendering

Game and Graphics Programming for iOS and Android with OpenGL ES 2.0offers important, need-to-know information if you're interested in striking a perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality in apps.

Beginning Android 4 Application Development

Understand Android OS for both smartphone and tablet programming

This fast-paced introduction to the newest release of Android OS gives aspiring mobile app developers what they need to know to program for today's hottest Android smartphones and tablets. Android 4 OS is, for the first time, a single solution for both smartphones and tablets, so if you master the information in this helpful guide, you'll be well on your way to successful development for both devices. From using activities and intents and creating rich user interfaces to working with SMS, messaging APIs, and the Android SDK, what you need is here.

• Provides clear instructions backed by real-world programming examples
• Begins with the basics and covers everything Android 4 developers need to know for both smartphones and tablets
• Explains how to customize activities and intents, create rich user interfaces, and manage data
• Helps you work with SMS and messaging APIs, the Android SDK, and using location-based services
• Details how to package and publish your applications to the Android Market

Beginning Android 4 Application Development pares down the most essential steps you need to know so you can start creating Android applications today.

Android for Programmers: An App-Driven Approach (Deitel Developer Series)

Billions of apps have been downloaded from Android Market! This book gives you everything you�ll need to start developing great Android apps quickly and getting them published on Android Market. The book uses an app-driven approach�each new technology is discussed in the context of 16 fully tested Android apps, complete with syntax coloring, code walkthroughs and sample outputs. Apps you�ll develop include:

• SpotOn Game
• Slideshow
• Flag Quiz
• Route Tracker
• Favorite Twitter� Searches
• Address Book
• Tip Calculator
• Doodlz
• Weather Viewer
• Cannon Game
• Voice Recorder
• Pizza Ordering

Practical, example-rich coverage of:

• Smartphone and Tablet Apps, Android Development Tools (ADT) Plug-In for Eclipse
• Activities, Intents, Content Providers
• GUI Components, Menus, Toasts, Resource Files, Touch and Gesture Processing
• Tablet Apps, ActionBar and AppWidgets
• Tweened Animations, Property Animations
• Camera, Audio, Video, Graphics, OpenGL ES
• Gallery and Media Library Access
• SharedPreferences, Serialization, SQLite
• Handlers and Multithreading, Games
• Google Maps, GPS, Location Services, Sensors
• Internet-Enabled Apps, Web Services, Telephony, Bluetooth�
• Speech Synthesis and Recognition
• Android Market, Pricing, Monetization
• And more�

Asus X44H-BBR5 14" Laptops Review, Specs and Price

Asus one of the well-known notebook maker has announced the launch of its new X44H series laptops namely, Asus X44H-BBR5. The X44H-BBR5 comes with Intel Core i3 as the heart of the machine with a 2.3GHz processor Intel Core i3-2350M dual core processor that houses with Intel� HM65 Express Chipset, built in with Intel HD Graphics 3000 for increase graphics performance plus 4GB DDR3 SDRAM with support up to 8GB for better performance and running on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit as the operating system, the X44H-BBR5 laptop offers performance, portability and affordability in one complete package.

New Asus X44H-BBR5 comes with a unique double-sided motherboard design to preventing unwanted heat build up and maintain a comfortable palm rest feel. With Power4Gear technology to automatically adjusts fan speeds, Palm Proof Technology to prevent inadvertent cursor movements during typing and Instant On feature that allows the machines to resume in under 2 seconds, this notebook is ideal for business users or profesional that need great machine for both work and play.

This machine will be sports 14.0 inch HD LED Backlight LCD display with 16:9 aspect ratio and offer igh resolutions display at 1366�768 pixel, 0.3MP webcamera embedded on the screen with integrated microphone and Altec Lansing� speakers with SonicFocus software fine-tuning to video conversations with your friends or family or business contact. If you want to enjoy latest movies, streaming video or show presentation to your business contact, you can connect into bigger HDTV or other device through HDMI port to deliver an immersive multimedia experience.

In term of connectivity and port, buyer will get one USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0 port for high transfer speeds up to 10x than previous version, Microphone-in jack, Headphone-out jack, VGA port/Mini D-sub, 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector and 802.11b/g/n WiFi for wireless internet connection. Dimension of new Asus laptop are 34.8 x 24.2 x 2.57 ~3.69 cm with weight at 5.4 lbs and packed with 4-cell lithium-ion battery give users up to 3 hours and 18 minutes battery life in single charge. Other features are Adobe Reader, Windows Live Essentials, Norton Internet Security 60-day subscription and Microsoft Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word/Excel only.

If you interested with this notebook, Asus X44H-BBR5 laptop is available now for purchase for cost at $399.99 with 1 year limited warranty.