Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 17.3 inch Gaming Laptop Review

Toshiba's Qosmio laptop line has been around since 2004, and the 2011 launch of the X775-3DV78 features a 3D-capable 17.3 inch model. The Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 is the high-end system in this new Qosmio X770-series lineup with a retail price of $1,899. The notebook sports a quad-core Intel Core i7-2630QM processor for added speed in tasks such as video editing. The Core i7-2630QM CPU offers a base clock speed of 2.0GHz with TurboBoost functionality up to 2.9GHz. The chip also has 6MB of L3 cache.The Qosmio X775-3DV78 is equipped with 8GB of DDR3 1333MHz memory, which offers flexibility in multitasking and memory-intensive applications, such as Adobe Photoshop. The overall design of the system is a continuation of Toshiba's typical black and red color scheme with a red backlit keyboard and Fusion X2 finish that does offer a more subdued feel compared to previous generations. The starting weight of the Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 is 7.75 pounds, and the system comes with an 8-cell battery. Since it is a 17.3 inch laptop that can be used as a desktop replacement, portability isn't the name of the game. Instead, the Qosmio X775-3DV78 features high performance components that are perfect for PC gaming.

Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 Gaming Laptop Specification :

• Intel Core i7-2630QM Processor
• 8GB DDR3 1333MHz Memory
• 17.3 Inch 1920x1080 3D Ready Display
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M 1.5GB GDDR5 Video Card
• 500GB Hybrid Drive + 750GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
• NVIDIA 3D Vision Kit
• Blu-ray Drive
• Memory Card Reader
• Harmon/Kardon Speakers
• 1 USB 3.0 Port, HDMI, Bluetooth
• 8 Cell Battery
• 7.75 Pound Starting Weight

And luckily that includes a 1920x1080 16:9 widescreen display that is 3D ready. The laptop comes with an NVIDIA 3D Vision Kit, which includes a pair of active shutter glasses, so you are on your way to an immersive 3D experience. The 3D Vision IR emitter is embedded in the display, so you don't have to worry about an additional adapter. And while 3D gaming may not be well liked by all, it is nice to have the option as more and more games are 3D-ready and 3D Blu-ray movies are also on the market. Speaking of Blu-ray HD content, the Qosmio X775-3DV78 is equipped with a Blu-ray drive, which is a nice feature to have since the display supports 1080p video.

But in order to have a great gaming experience, graphics must also be up to par. The Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 boasts an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M graphics card with 1.5GB of GDDR5 video RAM and, of course, support for 3D Vision. This card was recently announced by NVIDIA at the end of May, and specifications include 192 CUDA cores, a 1550MHz processor clock, and DirectX 11 support. Overall, the GeForce GTX 560M is a high performance mobile card that is capable of running the latest games.

Toshiba has also upped the ante with a dual hard disk configuration featuring a 500GB hybrid hard drive and a 750GB 5400RPM drive. You can use the hybrid hard drive for your OS to improve boot times and save additional data on the 750GB drive. This offers a more affordable solution that is quick but not nearly as expensive as investing in a spacious full-on solid state drive.

One downside to the X775-3DV78 is the layout of the ports. The USB ports are on the lower right hand side of the notebook, which can be a pain when you plug in a mouse for gaming. The system is equipped with Bluetooth and an HDMI port, but for those who use a SmartCard to connect to work, you'll find the lack of a built-in SmartCard reader to be disappointing.

Overall, the Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 is a decent value with a 1080p 17.3-inch display that is capable of 3D gaming. Having a hybrid hard drive is a nice touch, and 8GB of RAM makes tasks other than gaming run smooth, too. On top of that, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M 1.5GB video card is a new card that offers support for CUDA and PhysX. In conclusion, the Toshiba Qosmio X775-3DV78 is a fast machine, but be aware you are paying for 3D capability.[compreviews.about.com]

Toshiba Satellite L755-S5216 15.6 inch laptop Review

Toshiba has launch laptop with latest processors like Intel sandy bridge and AMD fusion series. Intel recently launched Sandy Bridge Pentium B940 dual core processor finds place in Toshiba�s latest satellite laptop, Toshiba Satellite L755-S5216, which is available at Best buy for $350, at the time of writing this review. As technology is advancing, the prices of the laptops are reducing, but without compromising the features and performance. One such example is Satellite L755-S5126 laptop. It comprises of 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 320GB hard drive which makes this device one of the best in its segment.

Toshiba Satellite L755-S5216 Laptop Specifications

Under the Fusion Finish, Matrix pattern cover, there is state of the art Intel Pentium B940 dual core processor, to power the laptop. The processor is based on Sandy Bridge architecture. Pentium B940 dual core processor operates at 2GHz frequency and comprises of 2MB of L3 cache memory. At present, benchmark value of the processor is not readily available, but the processor has scored better over Intel Pentium P6200. Thus, it is expected that it will deliver better multitasking performance than P6200 processor. So you can expect better performance from Toshiba L755-S5126 model, for example you can type a documents while downloading files from internet, edit photo and video while listening to music. To know more about Sandy Bridge Processor visit Intel Pentium B940

Performance

Graphics- As Toshiba Satellite L755-S5216 is a budget laptop, you can�t expect discrete gaming graphics. Commonly low end laptops with Sandy Bridge Processor come with Integrated Intel GMA HD 2000 or 3000 graphics. Actually the graphics is integrated with processor core to enhance performance. Also, such graphics can share cache memory. From performance point of view, the graphics is equal to entry level dedicated graphics so it lets you play many 3D games, like Dirt3 and Crysis 2, from low to medium details and settings. You can play Call of duty, Black ops in low settings. Also, COD modern warfare 2 can be played in medium settings. It is Microsoft DirectX 10.1 capable. It also supports HD formats and dual display. Toshiba L755-S5126 comes with HDMI port which allows you to view laptop contents on your HD monitor or TV.

RAM, HD and OS
Toshiba Satellite L755-S5216 offers 4GB DDR3 memory, which is upgradeable up to 8GB. It also offers 320GB hard drive which comes preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system

Display
Satellite L755-S5216 features 15.6� TFT-LCD high-definition widescreen display. The resolution of display is 1366*768 which is common for this segment of laptop. The resolution supports display up to 720p HD content.

The other aspect of advancement of technology is to make devices portable and increase battery life. In this respect, the manufacturer claims that battery life of Toshiba L755-S5126 is up to 5 hours 42 mins.

Features Connectivity

• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• multi-in-one media card reader
• HDMI port
• Webcam with integrated microphone
• 100Mbps LAN support
• 802.11 b/g/n wi-fi support
• Multiformat DVD burner
• Standard speaker

It is too early to give opinion about the laptop, not only as it is only recently released but it comes with latest processor and graphics, as well.[www.gadgets-freak.biz]

Parse JSON with JSONObject

Android provide org.json.JSONObject class, to help parse JSON.

It's a simple example using JSONObject.



In order to make it simple, a string, dummy_json, in JSON format are defined inside res/values/strings.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <string name="hello">Hello World, AndroidJSONActivity!</string>
    <string name="app_name">AndroidJSON</string>
    <string name="dummy_json">"{\"results\":{\"myblog\":\"android-er\", \"myurl\":"\""http://android-er.blogspot.com/\""}}"</string>
</resources>

layout, main.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    >
<TextView  
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:text="@string/hello"
    />
<TextView  
    android:id="@+id/json_src"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    />
<TextView  
    android:id="@+id/json_object"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    />
<TextView  
    android:id="@+id/json_result"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    />
<TextView  
    android:id="@+id/json_myblog"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    />
<TextView  
    android:id="@+id/json_myurl"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    />
</LinearLayout>

package com.exercise.AndroidJSON;

import org.json.JSONException;
import org.json.JSONObject;

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

public class AndroidJSONActivity extends Activity {
 
    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
        
        TextView JsonSrc = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.json_src);
        TextView JsonObject = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.json_object);
        TextView JsonResult = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.json_result);
        TextView JsonMyBlog = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.json_myblog);
        TextView JsonMyUrl = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.json_myurl);
        
        String json_source = getString(R.string.dummy_json);
        JsonSrc.setText(json_source);
        
        try {
   JSONObject jsonObject = new JSONObject(json_source);
   JSONObject results = jsonObject.getJSONObject("results");
   String myBlog = results.getString("myblog");
   String myUrl = results.getString("myurl");
   
   JsonObject.setText("\njsonObject:\n" + jsonObject.toString());
   JsonResult.setText("\nresults:\n" + results.toString());
         JsonMyBlog.setText("\nmyBlog:\n" + myBlog);
         JsonMyUrl.setText("\nmyUrl:\n" + myUrl);
   
  } catch (JSONException e) {
   // TODO Auto-generated catch block
   e.printStackTrace();
   Toast.makeText(AndroidJSONActivity.this, 
     e.toString(), 
     Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
  }
    }
}

Download the files.



next:
- Get array elements in JSON

Official Ubuntu Book

"The Official Ubuntu Book was well written and covered all topics that is necessary for a new Ubuntu user who is either trying out Ubuntu for the first time or just got fed up of Windows. It was a great read and there were enough pictures to fully understand what the authors were trying to portray."--Michael Levy, Blogger, Gnuman.com

�Benjamin Mako Hill et al have produced an excellent book that speaks to everyone who uses or is considering using Ubuntu. The book is traditionally organized, easy to read, and provides consistently useful content. The book is a winner and belongs on the bookshelf of the Ubuntu newbie and veteran alike. As an Ubuntu user, I found it interesting and helpful on several occasions and I'm sure as my use of Ubuntu lengthens, I'll have more occasions to consult this text.�-- James Pyles, Reviewer, The Linux Tutorial

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Ubuntu is a complete, free operating system that emphasizes community, support, and ease of use without compromising speed, power, or flexibility. It�s Linux for human beings, designed for everyone from computer novices to experts. Ubuntu 11.04 is the latest release�more powerful, more flexible, and friendlier than ever. The Official Ubuntu Book, Sixth Edition, will get you up and running quickly.

Written by expert, leading Ubuntu community members, this book covers all you need to know to make the most of Ubuntu 11.04, whether you�re a home user, small business user, server administrator, programmer, or novice. The authors explain Ubuntu 11.04 from start to finish: installation, configuration, desktop productivity, games, management, support, and much more. Among the many topics covered in this edition: Ubuntu One cloud storage, Ubuntu Server, and the groundbreaking Unity desktop.

This complete guide also covers standard desktop applications, from word processing, spreadsheets, Web browsing, e-mail, instant messaging, music, video, and games to software development, databases, and server applications. In addition, you will

• Learn how to customize Ubuntu for home, small business, school, government, and enterprise environments
• Learn how to quickly update Ubuntu to new release versions with upgraded applications
• Find up-to-the-minute troubleshooting advice from Ubuntu users worldwide from forums and other means to get the help you need quickly
• Learn Ubuntu Server installation and administration, including LVM and RAID implementation
• Learn how to use Ubuntu One to buy legal music from your favorite artists and how to use cloud storage to back up or share your important files
• Learn how you can be a part of the community that creates Ubuntu

The DVD includes the complete Ubuntu Linux operating system for installation on PC platforms. The disk is preconfigured with an outstanding desktop environment for both home and business computing. It can be used to install other complete variants of Ubuntu, including Kubuntu (with the KDE environment), and Ubuntu Server.

Acer Aspire 7720 17 inch Laptop Review

Dell has customisation, HP has style and funky imprint designs, Apple has hot-Air and Acer, our target today, has cheap prices. When we visited Acer's Aspire range last it was for the launch of its Gemstone inspired design in the shape of Aspire 5920. It was a very capable machine too and was predictably competitively priced for what was a very well featured machine. It walked away with a well deserved Recommended Award, but can Acer repeat the trick with this 17in machine targeted at gamers?

Dubbed the Aspire 7720G (model: 703G25Hn), it ought to be noted from the off that to call this a genuine gaming notebook is something of a misnomer. Housing a 512MB nVidia 8600M GT it does have some gaming credentials, but only in so much as it's more capable than your bog standard portable machine. Ultimately, with the 8600M GT, you'll get some decent performance at medium detail settings in older and less demanding games but you'll struggle to play more recent titles and you can forget straightaway about playing Crysis. Moreover, playing games at the 1,920 x 1,200 native resolution could prove a challenge, so in this respect the high resolution screen is something of a hindrance.

So, as a gaming notebook it's more Sunday league pretender than full time pro, but does it have anything else going for it? As it happens, it does, because in typical Acer fashion it's packed to the rafters with features at a price that's more than slightly reasonable. Most notable in this respect is the combination of both the 1,920 x 1,200, Full HD capable display and an HD DVD-ROM drive, which still has some great titles on it despite its current status of HD format most likely not to win.

Now, you'd be reasonable to question the sanity of buying a notebook with an HD DVD drive now that the format appears to be losing the format war. However, there is a caveat because, even without said drive, this would be and is a very competitively priced machine. Indeed, given the specification, the HD DVD can practically qualify as value adding freebie.

Powering everything is a very quick Intel Core 2 Duo T7700, running at 2.4GHz with 4MB L2 Cache on-board and an 800MHz FSB (front side bus). There's also 3GBs worth of DDR2 667MHz RAM, which is as much as Windows can handle before moving up to 64-bit, and a 250GB 5,400rpm SATA HDD. Throw in Dolby Home Theatre certified Realtek HD Audio, Draft N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR and Gigabit Ethernet as well and you have a recipe for a very well featured and multi-talented machine.[www.trustedreviews.com]

Get width and height of ImageView

To get width and height of ImageView, we can call getWidth() and getHeight(). But it's invalid before the ImageView have been actually drawn.



When getWidth() and getHeight() are called in onCreate(), before actually drawn; "0" will be return.

package com.exercise.AndroidImageViewSize;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.ImageView;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class AndroidImageViewSizeActivity extends Activity {
 
 ImageView image;
    TextView info1, info2;
    Button buttonCheckNow;
 
    /** Called when the activity is first created. */
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
        
        image = (ImageView)findViewById(R.id.image);
        info1 = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.info1);
        info2 = (TextView)findViewById(R.id.info2);
        
        info1.setText("image size@onCreate() - " + String.valueOf(image.getWidth()) 
          + " : " + String.valueOf(image.getHeight()));
        
        buttonCheckNow = (Button)findViewById(R.id.checksize);
        buttonCheckNow.setOnClickListener(new Button.OnClickListener(){

   public void onClick(View arg0) {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    info2.setText("image size NOW - " + String.valueOf(image.getWidth()) 
            + " : " + String.valueOf(image.getHeight()));
   }});
    } 
}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    >
<TextView  
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:text="@string/hello"
    />
<ImageView
    android:id="@+id/image"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:src="@drawable/icon"
 />
<Button
    android:id="@+id/checksize"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:text="Check ImageView size now"
 />
<TextView  
    android:id="@+id/info1"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    />
<TextView  
    android:id="@+id/info2"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    />
</LinearLayout>

Acer Ferrari 3200 15 inch Laptops Reiew

Acer�s one of the well-known laptop maker has announced the launch of its new laptop namely, Acer Ferrari 3200.Succeeding last year�s Ferrari 3000, the updated model is also encased in a shiny red-and-grey chassis along with the famous gold-and-black prancing stallion. The Ferrari 3200 (330x272x31mm, 3kg) includes some high-end features too, such as AMD�s Athlon 64 2800+ processor, 512MB of DDR333 SDRAM (upgradable to 2048MB with dual SODIMM modules), an 80GB hard disk, as well as ATI�s Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics chipset with 128MB of memory. The 15-inch. TFT display is also impressive and has a native resolution of 1400�1050 pixels (1600�1200 pixels maximum), although it has a 4:3 aspect ratio rather than a preferred widescreen variant.

Designed and built to stand out from the crowd. While the system�s general performance isn�t as impressive as its Ferrari F1-endorsed partner, gamers and high-end graphics users will relish the performance from ATI�s Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics chipset and the high-resolution 15in. screen. Battery performance is mediocre at around 2h 20m, but the Ferrari 3200 is still a refreshing piece of kit that will appeal to those who want a laptop that�s different � if you don�t mind paying the price premium for the Ferrari branding.

Pros: Unique branding; high-resolution screen; 64-bit CPU
Cons: No 64-bit OS yet; faster systems available; left side gets very hot

Price range : $540

Source : [www.digitaltrends.com]