International students seek the 'college experience' in Savannah - Savannah Morning News

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

Mobile phone calls and tablet computer use allowed on flights

A new ruling means passengers are free to use mobile phones and other electronic devices during flights

Mike Lau

Europe's air safety agency has issued new guidelines allowing passengers to use portable electronics including mobile phones and tablet computers at any time during flights.

The Cologne-based European Aviation Safety Agency said that starting immediately, European-based airlines can, at their own discretion, allow passengers to leave electronics on for the entire flight, without putting them into 'flight safe' mode.

However, airlines will need to certify their planes are not affected by transmission signals before allowing devices to be used.

Spokesman Ilias Maragakis said this is a step beyond what is allowed by the US Federal Aviation Administration, adding: 'We're basically opening the door where, in theory, you'll be able to continue making your phone call through the gate throughout the flight ... like you would on a train.'

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Rajoy heads to Beijing as Spain and China begin €3 billion business deals - Olive Press

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

First Generation Immigrants Torn Between Two Cultures - WGBH NEWS

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

Dell hopes to draw attention with PC, tablet innovations

In a copycat PC industry, Dell is trying to attract attention with features and technology firsts that it is bringing to PCs and tablets.

Dell is adding new hardware and software features that could make an otherwise mundane PC or tablet more attractive to customers. Buyers may have to pay more for the features, but like Apple, Dell hopes to establish a reputation as an innovator and establish a fan base.

The 8-inch Venue 8 7000 tablet, for example, has drawn attention for its creative design. Unveiled earlier this month at the Intel Developer Forum, it's the world's thinnest tablet at 6 millimeters (0.23 inches) thick and includes Intel's RealSense 3D depth-sensing camera. The camera can determine size, distance and contours of objects, which could enhance videoconferencing or make it easier to capture a 3D image for 3D printing.

Dell

Dell's 8-inch Venue 8 7000 tablet is less than a quarter of an inch thick.

Historically, Dell was not known as a great innovator. The company was started in CEO Michael Dell's dorm room 30 years ago and made strides as a maker of low-cost IBM PC clones selling direct to end users. After going public, and various ups and downs over the years, it became a private company once again last year. Though Michael Dell and investment partners fought a protracted battle with some big shareholders to take the company private, the dust kicked up by the privatization fight seems to have settled.

In fact, the privatization has helped tune out distractions and helped the company focus on improving products, said Kirk Schell, vice president of the commercial PC product group.

There's a lot of energy in Dell's PC operations, Schell said.

'The privatization seems to have focused the company on the purpose and the customer,' Schell said. 'The amount of time now that we have freed up by being private, we get to spend with ... customers and really honing how we improve our company and product line.'

Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Asustek have been innovative in their own right, but Dell has been pragmatic about balancing the adoption of new technologies with the price of PCs, said Roger Kay, principal analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.

'Dell's always wanted to be stylish and had mixed results in that department,' Kay said. 'Because they are no longer reporting to Wall Street, they can be more competitive.'

The company can now boast some industry firsts, several of which are tied to the Venue 8. For example, it was the first to bring wireless charging capabilities to tablets with a dock for Venue 8.

In the external display market, Dell was among the first to introduce a 5K screen with the UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD, which can display images at a 5120 x 2880 pixel resolution and will become available later this year.

Dell is also the only top PC maker with a gaming console, the Alienware Alpha Steam Machine, which will compete against Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The Steam Machine taps into the growing excitement around PC gaming, and will ship in November with Windows 8.1 as the default OS. Users in the future will have the option to install the Linux-based SteamOS, which is being developed by Valve, the world's largest independent game distributor.

Another innovation is Dell Cast, a USB adapter that can mirror images from Android-based Venue tablets on high-definition screens. The thumb drive-size adapter is thinner than Google's Chromecast, which also mirrors movies and Android screens. But Dell is bringing the technology to Windows as well.

Over the years, Dell laptops have become thinner and lighter, but also more robust thanks to use of materials like carbon fiber. Not every product -- like the XPS 10 tablet with Windows RT -- has succeeded, but the company appears to understand the value of diversifying its product lineup.

However, while the technologies and designs may add a wow factor, there's no guarantee of success in a competitive PC market, Kay said.

'I don't see it as a competitive advantage, I see it as a distinction,' Kay said.

Meanwhile, Dell is likely to continue making low-cost PCs, Kay said. And as long as the low-margin PC business can foot some bills, Dell will also continue investing in design and innovation, he added.

As it has changed its philosophy in building PCs over the past few years, emphasizing innovation, Dell has learned a lot about product specifications, testing and materials, Schell said.

He gave the example of Corning's Gorilla Glass screen, which the company has customized to fit on its laptop screens.

'We're investing in architects, human factor engineers, material scientists, software people. You can and should differentiate, and we are,' Schell said.

Dell in the 1990s grew at a fast pace with a business model resting on building PCs to order and shipping them directly to customers. Dell became the world's top PC maker in 2001, but the quality of its PCs suffered after the company reverted to low-cost production methods to keep up with HP and IBM, whose PC division was bought by Lenovo in 2005. Dell eventually lost its top ranking to HP in 2006, and Michael Dell returned to his post as CEO in 2007 after a spell away from the job.

In 2009, Dell caught headlines with its premium Adamo slim laptop, which was considered a competitor to the MacBook Air at the time. The brand was eventually merged into the XPS line. Many innovations followed, such as a wireless charging dock for PCs in 2009 and a WiGig dock in 2013.

Innovation is one way to attract customers, and new software and hardware features are coming to more products, Schell said.

'We have a lot of stuff in the hopper that we're working on,' Schell said.

While Schell declined to spill the beans about new products, he offered some hints about what Dell is focusing on.

'We're working on a number of productivity and security-based things.'

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Dell hopes to draw attention with PC, tablet innovations

In a copycat PC industry, Dell is trying to attract attention with features and technology firsts that it is bringing to PCs and tablets.

Dell is adding new hardware and software features that could make an otherwise mundane PC or tablet more attractive to customers. Buyers may have to pay more for the features, but like Apple, Dell hopes to establish a reputation as an innovator and establish a fan base.

The 8-inch Venue 8 7000 tablet, for example, has drawn attention for its creative design. Unveiled earlier this month at the Intel Developer Forum, it's the world's thinnest tablet at 6 millimeters (0.23 inches) thick and includes Intel's RealSense 3D depth-sensing camera. The camera can determine size, distance and contours of objects, which could enhance videoconferencing or make it easier to capture a 3D image for 3D printing.

Dell

Dell's 8-inch Venue 8 7000 tablet is less than a quarter of an inch thick.

Historically, Dell was not known as a great innovator. The company was started in CEO Michael Dell's dorm room 30 years ago and made strides as a maker of low-cost IBM PC clones selling direct to end users. After going public, and various ups and downs over the years, it became a private company once again last year. Though Michael Dell and investment partners fought a protracted battle with some big shareholders to take the company private, the dust kicked up by the privatization fight seems to have settled.

In fact, the privatization has helped tune out distractions and helped the company focus on improving products, said Kirk Schell, vice president of the commercial PC product group.

There's a lot of energy in Dell's PC operations, Schell said.

'The privatization seems to have focused the company on the purpose and the customer,' Schell said. 'The amount of time now that we have freed up by being private, we get to spend with ... customers and really honing how we improve our company and product line.'

Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Asustek have been innovative in their own right, but Dell has been pragmatic about balancing the adoption of new technologies with the price of PCs, said Roger Kay, principal analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.

'Dell's always wanted to be stylish and had mixed results in that department,' Kay said. 'Because they are no longer reporting to Wall Street, they can be more competitive.'

The company can now boast some industry firsts, several of which are tied to the Venue 8. For example, it was the first to bring wireless charging capabilities to tablets with a dock for Venue 8.

In the external display market, Dell was among the first to introduce a 5K screen with the UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD, which can display images at a 5120 x 2880 pixel resolution and will become available later this year.

Dell is also the only top PC maker with a gaming console, the Alienware Alpha Steam Machine, which will compete against Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The Steam Machine taps into the growing excitement around PC gaming, and will ship in November with Windows 8.1 as the default OS. Users in the future will have the option to install the Linux-based SteamOS, which is being developed by Valve, the world's largest independent game distributor.

Another innovation is Dell Cast, a USB adapter that can mirror images from Android-based Venue tablets on high-definition screens. The thumb drive-size adapter is thinner than Google's Chromecast, which also mirrors movies and Android screens. But Dell is bringing the technology to Windows as well.

Over the years, Dell laptops have become thinner and lighter, but also more robust thanks to use of materials like carbon fiber. Not every product -- like the XPS 10 tablet with Windows RT -- has succeeded, but the company appears to understand the value of diversifying its product lineup.

However, while the technologies and designs may add a wow factor, there's no guarantee of success in a competitive PC market, Kay said.

'I don't see it as a competitive advantage, I see it as a distinction,' Kay said.

Meanwhile, Dell is likely to continue making low-cost PCs, Kay said. And as long as the low-margin PC business can foot some bills, Dell will also continue investing in design and innovation, he added.

As it has changed its philosophy in building PCs over the past few years, emphasizing innovation, Dell has learned a lot about product specifications, testing and materials, Schell said.

He gave the example of Corning's Gorilla Glass screen, which the company has customized to fit on its laptop screens.

'We're investing in architects, human factor engineers, material scientists, software people. You can and should differentiate, and we are,' Schell said.

Dell in the 1990s grew at a fast pace with a business model resting on building PCs to order and shipping them directly to customers. Dell became the world's top PC maker in 2001, but the quality of its PCs suffered after the company reverted to low-cost production methods to keep up with HP and IBM, whose PC division was bought by Lenovo in 2005. Dell eventually lost its top ranking to HP in 2006, and Michael Dell returned to his post as CEO in 2007 after a spell away from the job.

In 2009, Dell caught headlines with its premium Adamo slim laptop, which was considered a competitor to the MacBook Air at the time. The brand was eventually merged into the XPS line. Many innovations followed, such as a wireless charging dock for PCs in 2009 and a WiGig dock in 2013.

Innovation is one way to attract customers, and new software and hardware features are coming to more products, Schell said.

'We have a lot of stuff in the hopper that we're working on,' Schell said.

While Schell declined to spill the beans about new products, he offered some hints about what Dell is focusing on.

'We're working on a number of productivity and security-based things.'

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Apple Intercepts Microsoft's NFL Play

Apple Intercepts Microsoft's NFL Play

By Andrea Chang and Tony Perry

Microsoft Corp. thought it had scored a touchdown when it struck a multiyear deal with the NFL that would allow teams to use the company's Surface tablets during games.

Too bad television announcers keep referring to the devices as iPads.

The tablet computers, covered in bright blue protective cases, have become a familiar sight on the sidelines this season as coaches and players turn to them to study opponents' moves, review previous possessions and strategize. They're replacing the pages of black-and-white photographs that had long been printed out using fax machines and printers and delivered in binders to teams dozens of times during a game.

The confusion over the Surface tablets began during Week One of the season, when Fox commentator John Lynch told viewers that New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was 'not watching movies on his iPad' during a game. Lynch made things more awkward when he then said players had 'iPad-like tools.'

A similar slip-up occurred on 'Monday Night Football' last week when ESPN's Trent Dilfer wondered how long it took Cardinals assistant head coach Tom Moore 'to learn how to use the iPad.'

And at Sunday's game between the San Diego Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks, a local television announcer balked when told the teams were using Surface devices.

'What? I thought it was an iPad,' he said.

Microsoft, which reportedly paid $400 million to be the 'official sideline technology sponsor of the NFL,' is understandably miffed at the free publicity being bestowed upon Apple Inc., one of its biggest rivals.

'Despite the majority of our friends in the booth correctly identifying the Surface on NFL sidelines, we're working with the league to coach up a select few,' a Microsoft spokesman said.

The blunders highlight the difficulty that many tech companies -- even enormous ones such as Microsoft -- face in a country dominated by iPhones and iPads.

'It's an Everest-like challenge for Microsoft, as well as other tech players that play in the tablet world, to distinguish themselves as their own brand,' said Daniel Ives, managing director at FBR Capital Markets. 'Apple has essentially established the tablet market as iPad, and part of what Microsoft is trying to do here is change perceptions. It has a lot of challenges in its path just given the cult-like movement behind Apple.'

Apple is the No. 1 tablet maker in the world, followed by Samsung and Lenovo. Microsoft doesn't crack the top 5, according to research firm IDC.

Apple's dominance in the tablet market has actually waned recently. But that decline has been almost entirely due to tablets running Google's Android operating system, and not because of the Surface. (continued...)

© 2014 Los Angeles Times (CA) under contract with NewsEdge. All rights reserved.

Posted: 2014-09-19 @ 10:50am PT

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Back to winning ways - Asia Property Report

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

Michael Blumberg Releases Whitepaper and Webinar on Tablet Computer Service

LIGHTNING RELEASES - September 22, 2014 - Fort Washington, PA - Tablet computers have taken the tech world by storm. In reverse logistics, optimal repair and screening practices for the new industry are first and foremost on everyone's mind. Luckily, one of those minds belongs to Michael Blumberg.

A leading Service Supply Chain strategist and reverse logistics expert, Mr. Blumberg is offering a September webinar and accompanying white paper on tablet repair, screening, and logistics. These communications form the core of a concerted effort to promote optimal practices in tablet logistics, and help colleagues reach the vanguard of personal computing service.

Mr. Blumberg has over three decades of experience in reverse logistics and aftermarket service consulting. He heads the Blumberg Advisory Group (http://ift.tt/1B27RwJ), a strategic management consulting and market research firm whose analysts use the latest quantitative and qualitative methods to stay at the leading edge of market research, strategic planning, and systems development. Blumberg's services have a proven record of enhancing revenue, of positioning clients to meet challenges and seize opportunities, and of smoothly managing mergers and acquisitions. The group also serves as a platform for Mr. Blumberg's prolific output of books, whitepapers, and educational materials. It maintains a free resource center for current and aspiring reverse logistics professionals, offering a competitive advantage to clients while advancing the field at large.

' New Developments in Tablet Computer Repair ' is Mr. Blumberg's latest publication. It can supplement his most recent webinar or serve as a freestanding resource on forecasts, challenges, and solutions for the tablet industry. The white paper gives an up-to-date brief on current trends and support models in the tablet computer market, a comparative review of proposed screening and repair solutions, and detailed recommendations for the development and implementation of new solutions. Whatever the reader's relationship to the tablet industry, Mr. Blumberg's integrative and evidence-driven approach is sure to yield fresh and actionable insight.

His webinar, ' New Developments in Tablet Computer Reverse Logistics,' differs from the whitepaper in both emphasis and scope. It treats some of the themes developed in the paper, while sharing further analysis and marshalling evidence for a more comprehensive set of recommendations. On the basis of previous viewing, high turnout is expected. To ensure uninterrupted streaming within capacity, attendees are asked to register their preferred time slots in advance.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Immigration process lengthy, costly - Hamilton Journal News (subscription)

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

With new tablets and e

The Amazon product manager, tall and wide-eyed with a crooked smile more disarming than devious, lifted the tablet computer up to the level of his chin. 'It's 20% lighter than the iPad Air,' he said, lightly bobbing it with one hand gripping its beveled black bezel. It certainly was light, though calling it featherweight would be a stretch. You could see by the way the muscles in his forearm flexed that it still had a little bit of heft. I confirmed my suspicion when I repeated the motion myself.

It's a good-looking object, this tablet, with its magnesium shell and angles that recall a hand-drawn Optimus Prime. It ought to be. As Amazon's newest flagship model, dubbed the Fire HDX and measuring 8.9 inches from opposing corners, its sole mission is to, like a heat-seeking missile screaming across the desert sky, take out Apple's formidable iPad, which by timing (first) and technology (slick) remains the dominant force in the category. The pricey iPad is so ubiquitous that some people use the brand name interchangeably with the term tablet, like 'Band-Aid.' Good for Apple, less so for Amazon.

On Wednesday night, the Seattle-based company announced a number of new products intended to get the jump on the holiday season and, perhaps for only a moment, capture attention before its Cupertino, Calif.-based rival seizes it once more. Among them are a compact, sophisticated flagship e-reader called the Kindle Voyage ($199); a redesigned, touch-enabled economy e-reader called simply Kindle ($79); an entry-level tablet computer in two sizes and five colors called Fire HD ($99 to $139); and a children's tablet computer with a bulbous, Shrek-like rubber case called Fire HD Kids Edition ($149 to $189) that, to the expected delight of stressed parents and caretakers everywhere, comes with a novel two-year warranty stipulating that Amazon will replace a broken tablet for free, no questions asked.

Yet it is the $379 Fire HDX, with its high-resolution (339 pixels per inch, if you must know) display and dynamic light control (so as to tint the digital display to match the warmth of a real piece of paper), where Amazon's success will be measured. Though its latest advances in its classic e-readers are admirable, it already controls the category. (Sorry, Samsung.) And cheap economy tablets, which are now sold in pharmacies among other places, are no way to win the category profitably. (Not that the company ever looked to turn a profit on hardware in the first place. 'Our business model is to price them at cost and make money during their use,' another product manager told me, plainly.) With the Fire HDX, Amazon goes head to head with the most wealthy technology company on the planet.

Which may be why the company's employees, stationed all around the intimate penthouse level of the Milk Studios on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in New York's chic Chelsea neighborhood, couldn't help but reference It That Shall Not Be Named. 'It's got a million more pixels than iPad Air,' the first product manager said of the Fire HDX. Later, as he demonstrated its dynamic light feature, he added: 'When you look at the iPad, it's a little blue-a little unnatural.' Another Amazon employee, describing the availability of features in the latest version of the company's Fire mobile operating system (version 4, known as 'Sangria'), took a more subtle dig: 'Most of our best features are available across ecosystems. We don't like to lock our stuff in.' Message received.

There is a lot riding on these devices, which can be ordered immediately and will ship in early October. The company's most ambitious shot across Apple's bow to date, its Fire phone, was received poorly despite a great deal of anticipation. Mere months after its June introduction, the device is selling for a pittance, an uncharacteristically public misstep for a company that has proven skilled at hiding failure.

The new crop of tablets and e-readers seem to be on more stable footing. The Kindle Voyage e-reader is confidently engineered, with a flush, glare-resistant display (courtesy of a process it calls 'micro-etching') and bezel sensors that, when pressed, vibrate pleasantly to 'turn' the page. It's clearly the kind of unobtrusive device you'd want to have on hand during a nonstop flight to Hong Kong. The Fire HD tablets were hardy and unflappable. Meanwhile, the Fire HDX was smooth and jitter-free as I swiped through menus and applications and watched a scene from-you guessed it-the big-budget film Transformers. Among other things, Amazon's new tablets come with free, unlimited cloud storage for photos. The service, relegated to a single bullet point during its presentation, may be the company's most aggressive feature of all. ('This iPad cannot be backed up because there is not enough iCloud storage available' nightmares abound.)

It is interesting that Amazon sought to introduce its new devices in such a quiet way, seated among handfuls of under-caffeinated reporters perched on low-slung couches in a room decorated, rumor has it, by Amazon expressly for the occasion. (Objets d'art: wine glasses, the late 1970s electronic game Simon, a jar of jelly beans, a miniature Roy Lichtenstein print, a book about military aircraft called Fighter: Technology, Facts, History.) Perhaps it still felt burned from the high-wattage introduction of the faltering Fire phone. Or maybe, a month before Apple is expected to introduce its own new tablet computers, it didn't want to invite comparison.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Cavaliers All

Cavaliers All-Age students get tablet computers

THE nearly 100 students of the Cavaliers All-age School in West Rural St Andrew began receiving tablet computers on Wednesday, as the Government's $1.4-billion Tablets in Schools pilot programme was rolled out at the institution.

The school was the second to be equipped, following a similar exercise at Salt Savannah Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, last week.

In July, the school's staff -- six teachers, one guidance counsellor and the principal -- received their tablets and were trained in their use.

Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining Phillip Paulwell described the project's implementation as 'gratifying', pointing out that the long-term objective was facilitating access by all persons to information and communications technology (ICT).

He gave an assurance that 'every single student at Cavaliers and every single teacher will get a tablet computer'.

Minister Paulwell said the pilot is important, as, if it goes well, then the programme will be rolled out to benefit more than 600,000 students who attend Government schools in Jamaica, and their teachers.

In his remarks, West Rural St Andrew Member of Parliament Paul Buchanan welcomed the project's implementation at Cavaliers, pointing out that it will provide the basis for the children 'to learn and obtain the skills that are necessary to give us... growth'.

He added: 'You are one of the pioneer schools of this programme. We are making a statement that...(you) will be availed of all the resources to ensure that our children get the best education there can be,' he added.

School Principal Renée Charlton-Wolfe said she was 'elated' and 'honoured' that her institution was among those selected for the year-long pilot.

She pointed out that the technology will 'definitely' assist in advancing the students' educational development.

'It's (an ideal) way, I think, of getting them really involved in learning, and we are really excited about the opportunities that this will create for the children,' she stated.

Charlton-Wolfe said she was also anticipating significant benefits for the teachers 'because we will all be able to improve our technical skills'.

Parent Fabian Durrant, whose son was among the first recipients, welcomed the undertaking.

'This is historic; I am sure the children will appreciate and make use of the tablets. I see (the project advancing) the way the children will learn and the way education will be brought across. I am sure that if they find fun in learning, it will be easier for them to...grasp what they (are being) taught,' he said.

Durrant noted that his nine-year old son, Jevauny, who is in grade four, has been performing well academically, having recorded 11 As and 14 Bs in his final report for the 2013/14 school year, and he expressed confidence that the Tablets in Schools project will further enhance his son's performance.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

How a tablet computer can improve officer efficiency

Police Productswith Lindsey J. Bertomen

When designing the Toughpad FZ-M1, Panasonic System Communications Company looked carefully at what law enforcement officers needed in a computing product

My police agencies use a separate device for ticket writing, in-car computing, and report writing. The truth is, having multiple computing devices in one agency is inefficient and expensive.

The first step toward improvement is a fast, durable tablet that can be used for citations, evidence documentation, report writing and mobile data. It must be pocketable, but the display has to be clear and large enough for officers to view it quickly.

There is only one product that can meet all of these specs: The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1. This is a powerful tablet designed for commercial use.

The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 (Photo courtesy Panasonic)

Stands Up to Abuse The Toughpad FZ-M1 is slightly less than 8x5.2' and weighs 1.2 pounds. The screen is slightly recessed and the grabbing area has a light texture. The peripheral ports have locking covers with seals, which are flush with the edge bumper. There is a slight protrusion in the back which houses some components but serves as a permanent stand for table viewing. It is MIL-Spec 810G and IP65 rated. I abused it and it did fine. This tablet has reached master level in form factor.

Every piece of equipment an agency uses requires infrastructure. When something is introduced - even if it is a simple safety device - the agency must spend on in-service training, asset management, maintenance and updates. The first step to saving money is to have a tool that can do several jobs well.

The Toughpad FZ-M1uses a 4th generation i5 processor, which can burst up to 2.3 GHz. It has a 128 (or optional 256GB) solid state drive. It can out clock many commercial desktops.

The ability the Toughbook FZ-M1 to communicate through several modes (Wi-fi, 4G, LTE, Serial or Ethernet ports, GPS) make this platform the most flexible in the industry. It also has several near field communications that go far beyond Bluetooth. It has a MicroSDXC slot and a full sized USB 3.0 port.

The docking and Bluetooth capabilities give this product plenty of keyboard options. Its easily mounted in the patrol car using Velcro. I found it very readable in sunlight and the display can be dimmed to almost nothing for stealth.

Sensitive Screen, Solid Battery I noticed that the matte finish screen took on my skin oils a bit more readily than other products. It was easily remedied by rinsing it off. The screen is multi touch capable, which is a bow to Panasonic's commitment to officer safety. For LE folks who know how valuable this is, it can be rigged to summon help, even out of the patrol car. If I had to be critical about anything, I can hover my finger over the keyboard and it will click. That's pretty sensitive.

I found the battery did well, both in the charge and discharge cycle. It took under three hours for a full charge and I ran the unit over the course of two days in both use and standby cycles. The Toughpad FZ-M1 is designed for a full eight-hour work period. I interrupted the charge cycle (I'm sure this never happens in real life) and left it plugged in for a day. I'm told the new model release will have hot swap battery capability.

Dominick Passanante - Senior Director of Public Sector Sales for Panasonic System Communications Company of North America - told me that portable technology that gets a powerful computer is the next step. At the moment, only a tablet can do this. Panasonic recognized this right away and concentrated their development on the end user. They looked at what law enforcement officers needed in a computing product.

Initially, I did not care for the 64 bit Windows Pro 8.1. However, it has massive compatibility, which allows for seamless and instantaneous crime mapping and forms submission. I tried a form app I found online and the native keyboard input worked very well.

Since this tablet is so fast, I used the built in features to dictate emails and documents. It rocks.

The Toughpad FZ-M1 is one of the most interesting computing products this year. I anticipate we will see it sworn in all around the world.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Cavaliers All

Cavaliers All-Age students get tablet computers

THE nearly 100 students of the Cavaliers All-age School in West Rural St Andrew began receiving tablet computers on Wednesday, as the Government's $1.4-billion Tablets in Schools pilot programme was rolled out at the institution.

The school was the second to be equipped, following a similar exercise at Salt Savannah Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, last week.

In July, the school's staff -- six teachers, one guidance counsellor and the principal -- received their tablets and were trained in their use.

Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining Phillip Paulwell described the project's implementation as 'gratifying', pointing out that the long-term objective was facilitating access by all persons to information and communications technology (ICT).

He gave an assurance that 'every single student at Cavaliers and every single teacher will get a tablet computer'.

Minister Paulwell said the pilot is important, as, if it goes well, then the programme will be rolled out to benefit more than 600,000 students who attend Government schools in Jamaica, and their teachers.

In his remarks, West Rural St Andrew Member of Parliament Paul Buchanan welcomed the project's implementation at Cavaliers, pointing out that it will provide the basis for the children 'to learn and obtain the skills that are necessary to give us... growth'.

He added: 'You are one of the pioneer schools of this programme. We are making a statement that...(you) will be availed of all the resources to ensure that our children get the best education there can be,' he added.

School Principal Renée Charlton-Wolfe said she was 'elated' and 'honoured' that her institution was among those selected for the year-long pilot.

She pointed out that the technology will 'definitely' assist in advancing the students' educational development.

'It's (an ideal) way, I think, of getting them really involved in learning, and we are really excited about the opportunities that this will create for the children,' she stated.

Charlton-Wolfe said she was also anticipating significant benefits for the teachers 'because we will all be able to improve our technical skills'.

Parent Fabian Durrant, whose son was among the first recipients, welcomed the undertaking.

'This is historic; I am sure the children will appreciate and make use of the tablets. I see (the project advancing) the way the children will learn and the way education will be brought across. I am sure that if they find fun in learning, it will be easier for them to...grasp what they (are being) taught,' he said.

Durrant noted that his nine-year old son, Jevauny, who is in grade four, has been performing well academically, having recorded 11 As and 14 Bs in his final report for the 2013/14 school year, and he expressed confidence that the Tablets in Schools project will further enhance his son's performance.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

How Africa's first education tablet computer was created

Continue reading the main storyKenya's business beauty queen The students behind Nigeria's online jobs giant Cleaning up Mali's rubbish Brewing a beer revolution in Africa

Thierry N'Doufou's three eldest children tumble out of the car; the little one trips over her school bag as she tries to work out what to do with her break-time snack.

'We continue to go to school here as we went to school 100 years ago,' says the 36-year-old entrepreneur.

'The same heavy backpack, the same blackboard with the same chalk.'

And that heavy backpack is what Mr N'Doufou is hoping to lighten by introducing a bespoke tablet computer made specifically for schools in Ivory Coast.

Taking a tablet

Two years ago, he came up with Qelasy, Africa's first educational tablet. 'We thought about how to build a digital backpack; a tablet that will replace books, textbooks, notepads.'

The idea is simple; transfer a country's entire education curriculum onto a digital format, along with sounds, animations and interactivity, and you no longer need a satchel crammed with school books.

The 36-year-old teamed up with a designer and then managed to find an investor to build a prototype.

This month his Qelasy tablet is going into schools for the first time. 'This is a day I've been waiting for,' Mr N'Doufou says.

The Ivorian government will be introducing the tablets to 5,000 students in public schools, while some private schools in both Ivory Coast and Morocco will be running pilot projects.

They have also had interest from Ukraine, Macedonia, Senegal, Nigeria and France. 'My dream is to reach all the schools in the world for a better education,' he says.

The tablets will also be available in shops at a cost of $232 (£143), before tax.

'The brightest brains'

Qelasy's headquarters in an upmarket area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's largest city, are not quite Google but they are certainly impressive. There is a built in sound studio along with a 3D animation design suite, complete with the latest technology.

In the studio, two members of the team are busy recording the Ivorian children's book, 'Father Christmas loves attieke', a traditional Ivorian dish.

'The idea is to make reading more fun, so we use funny voices and music,' says Mr N'Doufou. 'We also do audio books because it helps children with the pronunciation.'

At the weekly meeting Mr N'Doufou introduces the Qelasy team; 'the brightest technology brains in the area,' he says. It's not hard to find tech savvy people in Abidjan; the Ivorian web community here is strong.

People speak both French, the national language of Ivory Coast, as well as English. 'We're now looking to do an Arabic version because we want to reach Mauritania, Algeria and Middle Eastern countries,' says Mr N'Doufou, adding they also want to do one in Spanish.

The team are discussing the details of the upcoming Qelasy launch. Their dream is for every classroom in Ivory Coast to be using Qelasy tablets.

'Children are struggling to get access to books,' he says. 'With digital, schools in villages can access the best courses in the world.'

At the moment the tablets are all made and assembled in China, but Qelasy's vision includes setting up a factory in Ivory Coast. 'It's our dream,' says the entrepreneur.

'I'm passionate about education because I would like our country, our continent to take the place that it should have in the world and without education it's not possible.'

'Very easy'

Back at Mr N'Doufou's children's school, some of the students are trying out Qelasy.

Continue reading the main story

The BBC's business teams across Africa meet the continent's entrepreneurs who are starting up new enterprises and seeking to create big opportunities.

Read more: New Entrepreneurs

The entrepreneur stands at the front of the classroom demonstrating how the teacher would use the tablet.

'This tool is very easy. With one finger you can access almost anything,' he says as he displays how he has complete control over every student's tablet, with the ability to see exactly what they are doing.

'I love the tablet because actually we can learn lots of things,' says eight-year-old Olivera Daplet, who then goes on to read one of the online books out loud.

'I prefer Qelasy because it's lighter and we don't need a big bag,' says Dominque Grah Thipourah, also eight, adding that it is the music and the animations she loves the most.

'For Ivory Coast to be an emerging country it must have children using technology,' says school principal, Marie-Loure Kindo Assandoi, who's considering introducing Qelasy into her school next year.

'Technology is not the future,' she says. 'It's already the present.'

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Need a Greencard for you and your family? You just need 500000 USD - The Yucatan Times

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

Why Chinese Investors are Buying Overseas - IPINglobal.com

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

First Generation: Torn Between Two Cultures - WCAI

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

How a tablet computer can improve officer efficiency

Police Productswith Lindsey J. Bertomen

When designing the Toughpad FZ-M1, Panasonic System Communications Company looked carefully at what law enforcement officers needed in a computing product

My police agencies use a separate device for ticket writing, in-car computing, and report writing. The truth is, having multiple computing devices in one agency is inefficient and expensive.

The first step toward improvement is a fast, durable tablet that can be used for citations, evidence documentation, report writing and mobile data. It must be pocketable, but the display has to be clear and large enough for officers to view it quickly.

There is only one product that can meet all of these specs: The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1. This is a powerful tablet designed for commercial use.

The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 (Photo courtesy Panasonic)

Stands Up to Abuse The Toughpad FZ-M1 is slightly less than 8x5.2' and weighs 1.2 pounds. The screen is slightly recessed and the grabbing area has a light texture. The peripheral ports have locking covers with seals, which are flush with the edge bumper. There is a slight protrusion in the back which houses some components but serves as a permanent stand for table viewing. It is MIL-Spec 810G and IP65 rated. I abused it and it did fine. This tablet has reached master level in form factor.

Every piece of equipment an agency uses requires infrastructure. When something is introduced - even if it is a simple safety device - the agency must spend on in-service training, asset management, maintenance and updates. The first step to saving money is to have a tool that can do several jobs well.

The Toughpad FZ-M1uses a 4th generation i5 processor, which can burst up to 2.3 GHz. It has a 128 (or optional 256GB) solid state drive. It can out clock many commercial desktops.

The ability the Toughbook FZ-M1 to communicate through several modes (Wi-fi, 4G, LTE, Serial or Ethernet ports, GPS) make this platform the most flexible in the industry. It also has several near field communications that go far beyond Bluetooth. It has a MicroSDXC slot and a full sized USB 3.0 port.

The docking and Bluetooth capabilities give this product plenty of keyboard options. Its easily mounted in the patrol car using Velcro. I found it very readable in sunlight and the display can be dimmed to almost nothing for stealth.

Sensitive Screen, Solid Battery I noticed that the matte finish screen took on my skin oils a bit more readily than other products. It was easily remedied by rinsing it off. The screen is multi touch capable, which is a bow to Panasonic's commitment to officer safety. For LE folks who know how valuable this is, it can be rigged to summon help, even out of the patrol car. If I had to be critical about anything, I can hover my finger over the keyboard and it will click. That's pretty sensitive.

I found the battery did well, both in the charge and discharge cycle. It took under three hours for a full charge and I ran the unit over the course of two days in both use and standby cycles. The Toughpad FZ-M1 is designed for a full eight-hour work period. I interrupted the charge cycle (I'm sure this never happens in real life) and left it plugged in for a day. I'm told the new model release will have hot swap battery capability.

Dominick Passanante - Senior Director of Public Sector Sales for Panasonic System Communications Company of North America - told me that portable technology that gets a powerful computer is the next step. At the moment, only a tablet can do this. Panasonic recognized this right away and concentrated their development on the end user. They looked at what law enforcement officers needed in a computing product.

Initially, I did not care for the 64 bit Windows Pro 8.1. However, it has massive compatibility, which allows for seamless and instantaneous crime mapping and forms submission. I tried a form app I found online and the native keyboard input worked very well.

Since this tablet is so fast, I used the built in features to dictate emails and documents. It rocks.

The Toughpad FZ-M1 is one of the most interesting computing products this year. I anticipate we will see it sworn in all around the world.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

How a tablet computer can improve officer efficiency

Police Productswith Lindsey J. Bertomen

When designing the Toughpad FZ-M1, Panasonic System Communications Company looked carefully at what law enforcement officers needed in a computing product

My police agencies use a separate device for ticket writing, in-car computing, and report writing. The truth is, having multiple computing devices in one agency is inefficient and expensive.

The first step toward improvement is a fast, durable tablet that can be used for citations, evidence documentation, report writing and mobile data. It must be pocketable, but the display has to be clear and large enough for officers to view it quickly.

There is only one product that can meet all of these specs: The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1. This is a powerful tablet designed for commercial use.

The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 (Photo courtesy Panasonic)

Stands Up to Abuse The Toughpad FZ-M1 is slightly less than 8x5.2' and weighs 1.2 pounds. The screen is slightly recessed and the grabbing area has a light texture. The peripheral ports have locking covers with seals, which are flush with the edge bumper. There is a slight protrusion in the back which houses some components but serves as a permanent stand for table viewing. It is MIL-Spec 810G and IP65 rated. I abused it and it did fine. This tablet has reached master level in form factor.

Every piece of equipment an agency uses requires infrastructure. When something is introduced - even if it is a simple safety device - the agency must spend on in-service training, asset management, maintenance and updates. The first step to saving money is to have a tool that can do several jobs well.

The Toughpad FZ-M1uses a 4th generation i5 processor, which can burst up to 2.3 GHz. It has a 128 (or optional 256GB) solid state drive. It can out clock many commercial desktops.

The ability the Toughbook FZ-M1 to communicate through several modes (Wi-fi, 4G, LTE, Serial or Ethernet ports, GPS) make this platform the most flexible in the industry. It also has several near field communications that go far beyond Bluetooth. It has a MicroSDXC slot and a full sized USB 3.0 port.

The docking and Bluetooth capabilities give this product plenty of keyboard options. Its easily mounted in the patrol car using Velcro. I found it very readable in sunlight and the display can be dimmed to almost nothing for stealth.

Sensitive Screen, Solid Battery I noticed that the matte finish screen took on my skin oils a bit more readily than other products. It was easily remedied by rinsing it off. The screen is multi touch capable, which is a bow to Panasonic's commitment to officer safety. For LE folks who know how valuable this is, it can be rigged to summon help, even out of the patrol car. If I had to be critical about anything, I can hover my finger over the keyboard and it will click. That's pretty sensitive.

I found the battery did well, both in the charge and discharge cycle. It took under three hours for a full charge and I ran the unit over the course of two days in both use and standby cycles. The Toughpad FZ-M1 is designed for a full eight-hour work period. I interrupted the charge cycle (I'm sure this never happens in real life) and left it plugged in for a day. I'm told the new model release will have hot swap battery capability.

Dominick Passanante - Senior Director of Public Sector Sales for Panasonic System Communications Company of North America - told me that portable technology that gets a powerful computer is the next step. At the moment, only a tablet can do this. Panasonic recognized this right away and concentrated their development on the end user. They looked at what law enforcement officers needed in a computing product.

Initially, I did not care for the 64 bit Windows Pro 8.1. However, it has massive compatibility, which allows for seamless and instantaneous crime mapping and forms submission. I tried a form app I found online and the native keyboard input worked very well.

Since this tablet is so fast, I used the built in features to dictate emails and documents. It rocks.

The Toughpad FZ-M1 is one of the most interesting computing products this year. I anticipate we will see it sworn in all around the world.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Chinese Overseas Residential Property Investments up 84% - IPINglobal.com

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

3 Reasons the iPad Is Sliding

Alex Segre/Alamy Apple ( AAPL) had plenty of new toys to unveil on Tuesday. There was the iPhone 6 and the even larger iPhone 6 Plus. The world's largest consumer tech company finally entered the promising-yet-crowded wearable computing market with the Apple Watch. And there was its potentially game-changing entry into mobile transactions with Apple Pay. But one product line Apple didn't update was the iPad.

To be fair, this isn't the time of year Apple typically updates the iconic device that jump-started the tablet movement in 2010. No rumors of shiny new iPads were being bandied about in the rumor mill ahead of the media presser. It still would have come in handy, though, since by most accounts, tablet sales are starting to fade fast.

' The tablets boomed and now are crashing,' Best Buy ( BBY) CEO Hubert Joly told tech blog Re/code earlier this summer. 'The volume has really gone down in the last several months.'

Apple investors know it all too well. The tech bellwether shocked the market when it posted a 16 percent year-over-year decline in iPad sales during the quarter ending in March, following that up with a 9 percent year-over-year drop in Apple's most recent quarter.

Right now the phenomenon is limited to Apple. Industry tracker IDC reported an 11 percent year-over-year increase in tablet shipments worldwide during this year's second quarter. However, even that global uptick is well off the category's earlier gains. It was also a slight decline from the first quarter. If Apple is feeling the pain now, it won't be long before other tablet makers do too. Let's go over a few of the reasons that this is happening.

Incentives to Upgrade are Inferior

Apple updates its iPhones annually, and folks line up outside Apple Stores to upgrade. That pattern doesn't repeat with iPad refreshes. The lure to trade up is never as strong for existing iPad owners as it is for iPhone owners. The disparity would seem strange on the surface. Apple puts the same effort into beefing up the cameras, displays, battery life and other features on both product categories. However, since folks are buying tablets primarily to fire up apps, there's less urgency to upgrade for the sake of a slightly better camera or new chipset.

Another thing that may come into play is that many smartphone owners in America are locked into two-year contracts with their phones, so there's an added incentive to update at the end of the term. There are still plenty of people pecking away at first-generation iPads that came out more than four years ago. You won't find too many people on the iPhone 3GS that was the current model at the time.

Wireless Carriers Don't Subsidize Tablets

In the same spirit of those two-year smartphone contracts, wireless carriers pay phone makers as much as $450 to lower the price for buyers willing to lock into two-year contracts. Telco giants are trying to move away from that practice, but it's still a common marketing strategy. Apple pitched its iPhone 6 as starting at $199, but that's with a two-year contract. If you want one without a contract, the price goes up to $649.

Wireless carriers never embraced the subsidization of tablets. It could be that many are just fine with Wi-Fi connectivity, but even the ones with 3G and 4G chips aren't as lucrative to wireless carriers, because folks only pay a low flat fee for data. The end result is that smartphones are artificially cheap. Tablets may be cheaper in the off-contract world, but they are perceived as being more expensive to folks spoiled by the subsidized smartphones. Paying $199 every two years for a new iPhone isn't a big deal to most Apple fans. Paying $499 every two years for a new iPad is a budget consideration.

Laptops are Getting Cheaper and Better

It probably isn't a surprise to see PC sales starting to show signs of life again. If tablets aren't replacing the PC the way they seemed to be doing through the past few years, it follows that laptops and desktops are making a comeback.

A big driver here is the Chromebook. Google's ( GOOG) ( GOOGL) Chrome operating system has inspired laptop makers to put out portable computers that sell for as little as $199. Even Microsoft ( MSFT) has hopped on the bandwagon, making Windows licenses available to its hardware partners on terms that make it easy to flood the market with competitively priced laptops.

There are plenty of similarly priced small tablets out there, but when you tack on the cost of Bluetooth keyboards to compensate for the input limitations of standalone tablets, we're seeing a strong value proposition in the laptop market. Don't be surprised if the laptop -- and not the tablet -- is the big tech driver this upcoming holiday shopping season.

Tablets just aren't the hot gadget that they used to be, and it remains to be seen if the category will ever get that magic back.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple, Google (A and C shares), and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. Check out our free report on the Apple Watch to learn where the real money is to be made for early investors.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Ultra

Summary: Intel demoed a 6mm-thick tablet with depth sensing cameras, new fanless 2 in 1 PCs, wireless charging and a tiny form factor board aimed at hobbyists during the IDF keynote.

Intel revealed how it plans to transform the PC and mobile devices market over the coming years by introducing wireless charging, fanless 2 in 1 machines and wearables.

Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO, set out the company's vision at the Intel IDF keynote in San Francisco today.

In it he laid out how the firm planned to put its processors inside more than 50 billion devices by 2020 spanning wearables, tablets, PCs and phones.

PCs and tablets

Intel's general manager of the PC Client Group Kirk Skaugen said Intel is planning technology that will reshape PC and mobile devices.

'We envision a world where in the next few years we will eliminate wires, passwords and just have face and other biometrics to access websites and your computer, together with 3D gesture, touch and voice recognition-based UI,' he said.

The 2 in 1 PC is one of the fastest growing categories in mobile computing he said, with the introduction of the Intel Core M processor allowing fanless 2 in 1 PCs to be created, which will ship this year.

Intel revealed eight 2 in 1 PC devices that will be available from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Wistron. Intel-based fanless tablets, standalone and 2-in-1s, will be thinner than the highest performance tablets in the world today and offer three times the performance and twice the graphics claimed Skaugen.

Krzanich said the firm is 'on target' to have 40 million tablets shipped with Intel processors inside and that its processors were the second most popular choice for tablets shipped in the second quarter of this year.

One of these ultra-thin tablets was on show at IDF, the Dell Venue 8 7000 series tablet. The 6mm thick tablet - one of the thinnest in the world according to Michael Dell - has a 2K resolution, 8.4-inch OLED screen and will be available from early November.

The Dell Venue 8 7000 series. Image: Intel

The tablet also features the Intel RealSense Snapshot depth-sensing device. RealSense is composed of multiple cameras that records depth information when a photo is taken.

That information can be used for various purposes - an on-stage demo showed the focus being changed from the foreground to background in a picture, the measurements of a sofa being accurately extracted from a photo and the colour of objects being altered at different depths within the scene.

Intel has also made a RealSense SDK for developers to take advantage of the capabilities of the depth sensing camera, together with an Intel Context Sensing SDK that provides tools for easily manipulating data from sensors such as accelerometers, compasses, gyroscopes and GPS.

The chipmaker has also created a seven inch Intel Baytrail-based tablet that will act reference platform for Android, which will be available by the end of the year, and will 'accelerate our ability to get these devices onto market', said Skaugen.

Helping to realise Intel's ambition for a wireless device will be Rezence wireless charging platform. The technology was demonstrated wirelessly charging a 2 in 1 PC and other devices devices sat on a wooden table.

Special Feature Wearables: Fit For Business?

The explosion of interest in wearable computing is one of tech's fastest rising trends. While big moves from Google, Apple, and Samsung will likely attract a lot of attention, we're going to examine the broader potential that wearables hold for driving innovation in business.

Attached to the underside of the table was a board emitting the charge, while each device had a small board fitted inside the case picking it up.

Skaugen said the wireless charging receiver could be retrofitted to existing PCs, tablets and other devices to add the charging ability. The technology can be combined with wireless gigabit data connections to realise a completely wireless device able to connect to screens, keyboards and other peripherals without cables, he said.

He raised the possibility of the technology being fitted to the underside of tables in cafes or to airplane tray tables.

The Rezence wireless charging technology will be available in the first quarter of 2015. Intel is partnering with multiple companies, including Emirates airlines, materials firm DuPont, HP and Rohm Semiconductor to work on Rezence.

Wearables

For wearables Intel is partnering with various companies to produce devices ranging from headphones to bracelets.

Krzanich demonstrated the BioSpot in-ear headphones that Intel has produced in partnership with SMS Audio. The headphones are able to measure the wearer's heartrate and other data and speak that information into the user's ears.

Another wearable referenced by Krzanich was the bracelet it has produced with OpenCeremony that can link to a cell phone and display text information such as SMS messages and email.

'We partnered with a third party company to build the best product we could,' said Krzanich.

To produce a smart watch the chipmaker has also partnered with the watchmaker Fossil Group.

Intel is also launching an Analytics for Wearables developer programme, which will provide software tools for carrying out analytics on big datasets and that can leverage Cloudera's distribution of Hadoop, the distributed processing and storage framework.

Next generation chips - Skylake

Skaugen also revealed details about Intel's next generation CPU architecture, codenamed Skylake.

The next architecture, which will be based on a 14nm manufacturing process, will be out in desktops, notebooks and 2 in 1 PCs in 2015, he said.

The chip should be capable of running 4K video and high resolution 3D graphics, he said.

On the comms side Skaugen said that more devices are shipping with Intel chips providing LTE connectivity.

He announced that the Samsung Galaxy Alpha phones will be shipping with the Intel XMM 7260 chipset and be available across the world by the end of this year.

Makers

Intel is also hoping to capitalise on the hobbyists and maker market currently served by single board computers and microcontrollers, such as the Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

Intel Edison is a dual-core system on a chip with connectivity and comms built in and support for expansion boards to add features such as USB connectivity and full Arduino capability.

The board is available now, expected to sell for $50 and will be available in 65 countries.

'We hope to see explosion of innovation around this product. It has everything a person needs and expansion capability to build just about anything you can think of,' said Krzanich.

The Intel Edison board is only slightly larger than a postage stamp. Image: Intel

Internet of Things

Intel expects the overall market for Internet of Things-related devices to grow at about 17 percent annually until 2020.

The company has partnered with various firms centered around IoT. Krzanich referenced Intel's work with air conditioner maker Daikin to fit units with sensors that detect which units need maintenance and 'save millions' on unnecessary call-outs by detecting faults before they become an issue.

For Internet of Things adoption to take off the various devices collecting data need to be interoperable, both with each other and the back end infrastructure analysing data, he said. To drive that interoperability Intel has put together two consortia to develop standards for data formats and communication protocols, the Open Interconnect Consortium and the Industrial Internet Consortium.

'We can't think of all of the applications and opportunities that are out there. We want to build products that enable you to build something great,' Krzanich said to developers in the audience.

Data centres

Diane Bryant, general manager of the Data Center Group, discussed Intel's plans for the back-end infrastructure that support the one trillion tranasactions per day smartphones and other devices generate each day.

The number of interactions is expected to grow with the advent of wearable devices, with wearables expected to drive half of interactions between applications and the back end by 2017, she said.

Intel is partnering with various charities to create computing platforms aimed at tackling health challenges, such as working with the Knights' Cancer Institute at Oregon Health and Science University to create a Genomics Research Cloud.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Dell Cast turns Dell Android tablets into desktop computers

There are plenty of devices on the market like the Chromecast that are designed to toss the content you watch on your smartphone or tablet to the big screen in your living room for a larger image. Dell has stepped into the market with a new product called Dell Cast that is aimed at the business user.

Dell Cast isn't meant solely for tossing cat videos from your smartphone to the big screen, it's designed to turn your tablet into a desktop computer using your HDMI equipped monitor or TV. Dell Cast supports input using a keyboard and mouse.

To use the device, you connect it to a HDMI port on your TV or monitor and then run an app on the tablet. Content and apps are then mirrored on the larger screen. Once you are done working, you can use the Dell Cast to shoot your favorite games or video to the big screen.

Dell Cast supports full 1080p HD resolution and it has a single USB port on the bottom of the device. That means if you want a mouse and keyboard, you will want to use a wireless pair with a unified receiver. One major downside to the Dell Cast is that it will only work with Dell's Venue line of tablets. Specific models that are compatible include the Venue 7 and 8 tablets. Dell Cast sells for $79.99.

SOURCE: SlashGear

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Is Chinese investment immigration the next big exodus - Emigrate.co.uk

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

The High Price of 'Citizenship by Investment' in the Caribbean - Nearshore Americas

via "spain" "residency" "visa" - Google News http://ift.tt/1d7vLtS

Tablet Computers Can Help Seniors Learn New Skills

Tablet computers offer numerous benefits to users, from innovation apps to simple convenience, but seniors may have an even better reason to use them. Research from the University of Texas at Dallas' Center for Vital Longevity suggested that these mobile devices may be able to help older adults learn new skills and keep thinking clearly.

Training with tablets For the study, researchers divided 54 seniors between the ages of 60 and 90 into three groups tasked with either using an iPad, conversing or doing other activities such as working on word puzzles. Those in the iPad group were trained on how to operate the devices and then used them for a number of projects and daily actions. The conversation group met to discuss assigned topics and the third group, the placebo, worked on puzzles at home. All three groups took cognitive tests before and after the study.

Comparing the results of the three groups' tests, researchers found that those in the iPad group had significantly improved memory and ability to process information quickly. Specifically, they were better able to recall information about their past experiences and were faster at simple mental tasks. The improvements in this group were much greater than those seen in the other two.

Lifelong learning According to researchers, the key to the iPad group's success was that the device allowed them to acquire new skills. While engaging in conversation and completing puzzles had some benefit in enhancing cognition and recall, neither activity taught participants how to perform new tasks or how to complete familiar tasks in novel ways, as the iPad did.

Participants often used the tablet computer to access online banking and communicate with social media. These types of activities build skill both in using the iPad and in performing specific tasks. Researchers said that these skills were beneficial on their own, even when not accounting for the cognitive benefits that they provide.

Seniors' choice The iPad was chosen in part because of its accessibility for seniors, researchers said. Simply Seniors also reported on the device's benefits to older adults. Using a desktop or laptop computer for long periods of time can sometimes lead to problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, due to the repetitive hand motions that people rely on. They can be even worse for people with arthritis, who may find keyboards and mice difficult to use without pain. However, iPads mostly avoid these problems thanks to their touch screens. Typing on a tablet requires much less force than typing on a keyboard, and a mouse isn't used with the device at all.

Tablets are often used by seniors for reading, according to the source. Since they feature adjustable fonts, they could make it easier for older adults to read without eye strain and in poor lighting. The devices don't weigh much, making them highly portable for seniors who want to read on the go without hauling around a stack of books or magazines.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

The $120 Windows 8 tablet finally emerges at IFA 2014

IFA 2014 kicked off in Berlin this morning, and already we're seeing an interesting trend emerge: Those cheap-and-cheerful small-screen Windows 8 tablets that Microsoft promised back in April are finally arriving. Both Toshiba and Acer have announced their offerings (priced at $120 and $150 respectively), and the usual OEM suspects (Dell, HP, etc.) should unveil their offerings over the next couple of days. These tablets will all be fairly low-spec devices with either a 7- or 8-inch screen, and most of them will be powered by an Intel Atom (Bay Trail) SoC. This means you can now get a full Windows 8.1 device for just $120 - a proposition so juicy that Microsoft hopes it can entice customers away from cheap Android tablets and into the Windows camp.

Toshiba's Encore Mini was the first small-screen Windows 8 tablet announced at IFA. It sports a 7-inch (1024×600) screen, quad-core Bay Trail (Atom Z3735G) SoC, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. Early hands-on reports say the screen has bad viewing angles. Connectivity-wise, there's a micro SD slot, a micro USB 2.0 port, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n WiFi, and even front- and rear-facing cameras. Windows 8.1 comes pre-loaded, and you get a year of Office 365 Personal and 1TB of OneDrive storage thrown in. The thing is light (12.5 oz, 354 gr) and Toshiba says its battery is good for 7.3 hours of use. The Encore Mini is pretty darn barebones, but for $120 it's a very good deal. It's available to buy today, and should ship in the next couple of weeks.

Acer's Iconia Tab 8 W is basically exactly the same thing, but with an 8-inch 1280×800 display (it may also have 32GB of storage, but I haven't found any definitive specs yet). It will arrive in October and cost $150. HP is expected to announce the Stream 7 - a 7-inch (1280×800) Windows 8.1 tablet - at IFA in the next couple of days, probably priced around $150 as well. There will probably a 7- or 8-inch tablet from Dell, too, and perhaps Asus and Lenovo - though they may opt to stay out of this round of no-profit-margin Windows devices.

These sub-$200 Windows 8.1 devices are a very interesting proposition. Now that Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 are free for all devices rocking 8-inch-or-smaller screens, it's finally possible for Microsoft and its OEMs to match the price of Android devices, which have forever ruled the cheap tablet market. This doesn't instantly make Windows a better tablet OS than Android, but consumers will definitely take a closer look at cheap Windows tablets before automatically opting for a Galaxy Tab or other Android tablet. It's also important to note that this is a full-fat version of Windows 8, with the Desktop available if you wish to use it. Grab a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, and perhaps an external hard drive, and the $120 Toshiba Encore Mini suddenly becomes a rather cheap productivity or media center PC.

I don't think cheap tablets are going to trigger some kind of Windows 8 reconnaissance, but they could be a good way to keep the engines running - and, perhaps more importantly, get a larger swath of the consumer base acclimated to the Metro interface - while Microsoft works on Windows 9.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix 2

Lenovo is slimming down its new ThinkPad Helix 2 tablet/laptop and extending the battery life of this hybrid device, which is one of the first detachable tablets with Intel's new Core M processor.

The Helix 2 is primarily an 11.6-inch fanless tablet that can latch on to a keyboard base to become a laptop. The hybrid is 12 percent lighter and 15 percent thinner than the original Helix that shipped last year.

Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix 2

Priced starting at $999, the Helix 2 will start shipping in late October. With the keyboard dock, the hybrid offers 12 hours of battery life, a 2 hour improvement over its predecessor.

In addition to the size and battery advances, Helix 2 comes with the Core M processor, which is based on the latest Broadwell architecture. Intel has tuned Core M processors to draw as little as 4.5 watts of power, which can extend battery life on tablets and laptops. The chip is also the first made using the 14-nanometer process, which is the most advanced manufacturing process for chips today.

The Helix 2 comes with Windows 8.1. It was among a handful of PCs, tablets and desktops announced by Lenovo at the IFA trade show held this week in Berlin.

Lenovo's Flex 2 Pro

Lenovo also slimmed down its Flex 2 Pro, which has a 15.6-inch screen and will be called Edge 15 in the U.S. The laptop is 19.9 millimeters thick, and has a unique hinge that allows the screen to be pushed back by 300 degrees. The laptop can be placed in a tent-like shape on a table to watch movies.

The Flex 2 Pro will succeed the Flex 2, which is 22 millimeters thick and weighed 2.3 kilograms. Lenovo said the Flex 2 Pro is lighter, but did not provide weight.

The Flex 2 Pro is priced starting at $699 and will ship in September. It offers eight hours of battery life, and can be configured with Intel's Haswell processors, 8GB of RAM and Nvidia's GT840M graphics card.

Lenovo's Horizon 2S.

The company also announced a slim all-in-one called Horizon 2S, which looks more like a supersized 19.5-inch tablet. The computer-touted by Lenovo as its 'thinnest and lightest tabletop PC'-is 15.5 millimeters thick, and can be placed flat on a table for multiplayer computer games like monopoly or air hockey. A kickstand lets users position the Horizon 2S like a regular all-in-one PC.

The 2S is a smaller version of the Horizon 2 tabletop PC, which has a 27-inch screen, but both share many features. A smartphone can be placed on the Horizon 2S surface to share pictures and files. The computer can also be hooked up wirelessly with mobile devices through NFC or Bluetooth. The screen displays images at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The Horizon 2S weighs 2.5 kilograms and offers battery life of around three hours. The PC can be configured with an Intel Core processor based on the Haswell microarchitecture. The PC will start shipping in September starting at $899.

Lenovo also announced its first modular desktop called the ThinkCentre Tiny-in-One 23. The computer is essentially a monitor with one slot in the back where a mini-desktop-the size of Lenovo's existing Q190 -can be inserted so that the Tiny-in-One 23 can boot up and run full PC applications. A few years down the line, when the mini-desktop is out of date, it can be removed from the slot and replaced with an upgraded unit.

The Tiny-in-One PC uses only one wire for multiple extensions to run the keyboard, monitor, mouse, and other connectors. It is targeted at enterprises looking for ways to upgrade computers easily and inexpensively, a Lenovo spokesman said.

The PC starts at $279, but Lenovo didn't say if the price includes a mini-desktop. Lenovo will supply all the components. The company could not immediately provide a shipping date for the product.

Updated at 2:22 p.m. PT with a video report from IDG News Service.

http://ift.tt/1hgKyaM For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets