New iPad. Yes, the folks back at Apple don’t call it iPad3 but New iPad.

The company is so confident about the device that they have done away with traditional numbering and see this year as an all new starting for the iPad.

So let’s see what devil lies in the details of the New iPad -

First to catch your eye, very literally, will be the new Retina Display technology. In a 9.7 inch form factor, the Retina Display has a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. That adds up to 3.1 million pixels, approximately 1 million more than you’d see on an average 1080p HD TV. Such high display res makes catching an individual pixel impossible. In simple words, it’s a pleasure for your eyes. You can see a significant improvement in display vs the iPad2.

Well, good 3.1 million pixels and all.. isn’t that supposed to make the hardware grumble? Yes. So, there’s a new A5X chip onboard the new iPad. Offering quad-core graphics capabilities, Apple stated that the A5X performs 4X better than the NVIDIA Tegra 3 mobile GPU. This one will be a pleasure for the gamers as Apple is claiming the new iPad is good for 10 hours worth of use from a single battery charge. This means they may lose a lot of hours here. Though the device did hang few times and, also, showed no significant improvement in app load time, A5X still seems to be a step ahead.

Camera – Apple took a lesson from the Blackberry boys and introduced the iSight camera onto the rear of the tablet, capable of shooting 5MP stills. It’s more or less the same as you’d find in the iPhone 4S, offering a five element lens, a hybrid IR filter, backside illumination, and Apple’s own ISP. There’s also 1080p recording onboard now. The pictures had a significant upward quality shift in comparison to the ones taken on the iPad2. Another good addition is iPhoto which basically is a simple software which gives a run for money to photoshop and is simple enough for even a novice to churn out some expert images.

4G LTE support – Yes, the company made a lot of noise about this technology which basically enables high speed downloads to the device but unfortunately, with the network band specification, it has come to light that this technology can’t be used in any of the Asian networks (forget India as we do not have the 4G networks here).

Initial Verdict

Lets go through the checklist most of us set for the iPad 3 -

Retina Display? Check. Faster processor? Check. Better cameras and image editing options? Check. 4G mobile downloads? Check.

It’s hard to fault the new iPad in this regard. So if you were planning to buy a tablet, well time has come. Though an up-sell from iPad 2 to the new one is not a very strong proposition yet, Apple is helped by the competitors. While Kindle is no match for the iPad, the only tablets standing are Galaxy and Playbook and both of them have at-least one more generation to cover before they can mount an attack on the New iPad (although we don’t bet that both Samsung and RIM will stay calm). So let the storm brew. (Technology, MensXP.com)

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The number of twitter followers equals your status in the virtual world.

The more you have, the more esteemed, intelligent you are considered and you automatically become a sought after online mini-celeb. Stars, famous people, musicians, politicians, businessmen, sportsmen face no difficulty in gaining followers. It is ordinary people like you and me that have to make an attempt to gain followers. While not entirely easy the path leading to more followers is not difficult as well.

1. Humour, humour and more humour

The funnier you are, the more followers you’ll gather. If you can make wise cracks about anything and everything then your follower count will surely go up. People in the virtual world love humour and truly appreciate it. So get your funny bone tickling and attract followers.

2. A sane voice

The more rational and sane your opinions on current happenings, the more followers you’ll get. Everyone likes to hear a good opinion, and if you give that to people, they will follow you.

3. A whacky display picture

You will get to see the most whacky and outrageous display pictures on twitter. Right from close ups, to black n whites, to pouting red lips to sexy profiles. The whackier the dp, the more followers you will attract. Compliment these dps with good tweets and the followers will stick.

4. Get the right people to tweet you a #ff

A #ff or #followfriday is a hashtag which doubles as a recommendation. Get your followers to recommend their followers to follow you. A #ff will surely increase your follower count by quite a number.

These tips will surely add more followers to your follower list. So tweet away! (Technology, MensXP.com)

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CES is not generally a place where you will find the Canadian manufacturer go all in,

yet as they say desperate times call for desperate or at-least strong measures. RIM was here in the full force and showcased the much awaited Playbook OS 2.0. Finally as I would say playbook will have the features which it should have had from the start.

RIM is finally bringing email to the PlayBook. PlayBook 2.0 will bring a host of new email management tools to the tablet: unified inbox with social network integration, tabbed email, rich-text email editing, multi-account search. The unified inbox sounds like a souped-up version of the loved BlackBerry version.
It supports multiple accounts from personal and enterprise sources. It also brings in feeds from Twitter, LinkedIn and other sources. Thankfully, with that much info in one place, the interface supports tabs.

The next PlayBook OS version will also introduce al new calendar features that, like the new inbox, pull info from social networking sites i.e facebook , twitter and linked meaning you can check the social media status of the people you would have a meeting with. The contacts app works that way as well, pulling in info from email and social channels and collating the information into each contact.

Another feature which catches the eye is the new “blackberry bridge” app will let you use your blackberry phone as an all essential remote control for the playbook. What it means is you can soon use it as keyboard or even mouse pointer for the tablet that I say is really cool. So when my tablet is connected with TV I will not have to get up to switch to next movie. Also add a all new browser and a better app ecosystem.

So is Playbook still dead, I beg to differ. With the recent price cuts and new OS 2.0 you suddenly have a device which will do all it promises and more that too at a very affordable price. I do understand RIM had a terrible 2011 but company seems to be working hard to get its ecosystem right and with Android market integration Playbook suddenly seems to be good bet as finally it’s screaming hardware specs will have the software to match and perform upto the mark and beyond. (Technology, MensXP.com)

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War between Social media giants “Facebook, Twitter” and Goggle has been out in public for long now.

On Tuesday though another chapter was written in the same when Twitter criticized Google’s new search feature, which it calls Search plus Your World, in a statement . “As we’ve seen time and time again, news breaks first on Twitter,” its statement said. “We’re concerned that as a result of Google’s changes, finding this information will be much harder for everyone.”

The new feature “Search plus Your World,” involves integrating content from Google+ into search results. The new feature is opt-in by default, but users can switch it off with a click. Which means profiles of Google+ users in your circles, as well as photos from their profiles, comments and other updates will start displaying up in. While content from other networks will be visible but you will find an increase in the content from internal Google network.

Further on Twitter pointed out the fact that most of the breaking news lately have started first on its network. Due to the new feature these breaking news will not be visible through the search results.

Google patiently hears Twitter bickering like a younger brother and then explains “We cannot publish your data in our search results as long as you don’t give us the permission to do the same”. Google reminded Twitter that their data sharing agreement ended somewhere In July 2011 after which search giant had to take down “real time” service. This agreement came to stand still because Twitter refused to share its data with Google.

Now I am not saying Google is clean, it can integrate tweets through public links and can provide the data to the people as, Twitter is increasingly becoming the global source of news.

In the end, the one who really loses from this war is the user — of both Google search and Twitter. War really is about “content” which though gathered through free services still belongs to users. Also don’t forget this situation leaves Google with only Google+ social content as Facebook has sided with “Bing” and Twitter with its historical tweet search which at the end of the day is best avoided. (Technology, MensXP.com)

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Wikipedia which is known as world’s encyclopedia joins the list of entities which are taking strong action to protest against

US state bills SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act). The Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales announced on Twitter that starting at midnight on Wednesday, January 18, the English language version Wikipedia will go dark for 24 hours in protest of SOPA and PIPA.

Acts which are posed to come in power to stop online piracy and IP theft have come under criticism due to the hardball punishments directed towards suspected offenders. Websites found to offer pirated content, along with the services that they use, could be hidden from US internet users by being delisted on search engines and potentially on DNS servers themselves. These acts don’t hamper the right of freedom just of the US citizens but websites and surfers across the globe check this for more details. Just for a point of view – if these acts would have been in action few years back like they are intended now, websites such as twitter, YouTube would have never come into existence. In short Web2.0 would still have been Web1.0 till now.

So instead of being able to access the Wikipedia (English) data users will be greeted to a landing page which will have the message to inform them about the laws and a call of action. As of now this will be seen only on the English version of the site, while there is no official word as to how other parts of the website will handle the event.

Other sites will also go dark, including the popular blog Boing Boing, Mozilla, and WordPress and Reddit, all vocal opponents of the legislation. Even the popular game Minecraft plans to go dark. Fortunately or unfortunately Twitter has revealed that it will keep its server live during the black out while Google and Facebook have kept themselves away from the protest.

All in all main aim of the protest from the Wikipedia’s point of view is to raise enough awareness amongst citizens as well as asking people to call up their state representative to block the bills in senate. (Technology, MensXP.com)

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Holiday season is gone and has left slew of new phones behind.

Often friends call me up and throw the question which phone to buy? My standard answer is what you need your phone for. If it’s for apps and fun look at iPhone and Android powerhouses if it hardcore business and emails than don’t shy away from a Blackberry. So when it comes to fun and apps there are few very good phones in the top bracket and I decided to put up a short review on these three for all of you.

The iPhone 4S needs no introduction. A minor upgrade to widely successful iPhone4 this beast comes loaded with voice witchcraft known as “Siri”, don’t forget that 8MP camera and brutally rapid A5 processor.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the latest Google flagship phone and it’s running the very latest version of Android — Ice Cream Sandwich. Add to that a massive 4.65-inch screen with a blisteringly high resolution, and this is looking like a scorcher.

Now the underdog – Motorola Razr coming from the makers of the original super-thin must-have handset, this phone wants to amaze you with its processing power and incredibly slim frame. But it takes a lot to impress me – is the Razr sharp enough to steal our hearts?

Design – iPhone 4S takes its handsome looks from the version 4, glass in the front and out the back with a chic metal loop surrounding it, the 4S looks a model minimalistic phone. Galaxy Nexus sadly does not provide any thrill in design nor is it an ugly duckling, – average. 7.1 mm thick mostly, Motorola RAZR has a Kevlar back cover and easily wins my vote for design.

Hardware – All three are beasts, make no mistake here. While Razr has beautiful super AMOLED screen, 8 mp camera which records video at 1080 pi a I.2 GH processor and 1GB RAM making it truly fast yet unable to catch up with the A5 processor of iPhone 4S mixed with a very good 8mp camera which too takes 1080 pi videos. Screen on iPhone in one word is “crystal clear’ and that retina display can blow your mind away, as long as you don’t look at Galaxy Nexus. It has an unbelievably promising screen, thanks to a 720×1,280 (yup, that’s proper HD) resolution display, and a 100,000:1 contrast ratio. Massive, and with a staggering resolution games and movies are a pleasure. So despite a 5 MP camera Galaxy Nexus wins the vote.

Software – This is where all three take different routes. Motorola Razr comes with some cool Motorola apps, including one called Smart Actions that lets you program new instructions for your phone using a tiled interface. It’s impressively flexible — for example, you could set your Razr to open the music app when you plugged in your headphones, or turn off Bluetooth and GPS when your phone isn’t plugged into its charger. Apart from these few things RAZR comes loaded with Android Gingerbread not the latest Ice Cream Sandwich – that honor lies with Galaxy Nexus. Nexus offers an interface overhaul, a new multi-tasking system and a host of other treats, such as the ability to unlock your phone using your face (by letting it identify you using its camera, not by hitting your head against the screen). All is good and merry but no one beats I OS5 on iPhone because of continuous improvement and that big pile of apps which make all the difference.

To conclude personally I will go for Samsung Galaxy nexus as it over all seems to win the battle, iPhone comes close but I am no Apple lover and on top of that Android Ice Cream sandwich along with Nexus’s hardware seems to be a proper treat. (Technology, MensXP.com)

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So 2011 made way to 2012 and before writing anything about 2012’s most anticipated games,

why not put a list of Top games of 2011. Coming to PC games we can easily say it was a good year, there were lot of new releases and some of them are sure to have lasting impact. So here are my picks of best PC games of 2011-

5) Frozen Synapse (Mode 7 Games)

Frozen Synapse is a turn-based game with a distinctly tactical focus and thrilling one-versus-one combat, this game not only revolves around how many or what type of units you have, but also how you use them. Careful planning, shrewd tactics, and the ability to anticipate your opponent’s next move are the keys to success, especially in multiplayer. Almost every match in multiplayer is a harrowing battle of wits and every victory leaves you feeling powerful and exhilarated. Although it doesn’t have high production values, Frozen Synapse demonstrates that graphics don’t matter when the gameplay is this gripping.

4) Orcs Must Die! (Robot Entertainment)

For those who have not played this game my choice would seem unusual but for people who have the bought would know what I mean when I say that, not only is it the kind of gameplay with enough variation that you can go back and play it a thousand times, but it’s also the kind that’s enough of the same every time to produce a noticeable score improvement each time. That’s without mentioning how beautifully the PC version runs, and appears, for that matter.

3) Shogun 2: Total War (Creative Assembly)

Yes when the name of the game is total war, all the strategy players know it will be a treat and this year we had Shogun 2: Total War- Returning to the Japanese setting, and returning to roots of the series. Add to that some computer-crunching visuals across the vast landscapes and immense battles and Creative Assembly show us their might again.

2) Portal 2 (Valve)

Valve – Hats off to these guys, years after years they manage to pull of stunners out of their hats. The inadvertent story-telling brings us a compelling campaign mode, one of the best ever, for sure. Then there is the co-operative stuff. Also some of the best and most well thought-out multiplayer experiences along with best implementation of cross-platform gaming I’ve seen yet, allowing players on PC and PS3 to play together with no difficulty whatsoever. Portal -2 is simply a must play.

1) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (CD Projekt)

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a gift, gilded with moments that stay with you even after the curtains close on its dark tale of uncertain pasts and uncertain futures. The second installment in the RPG saga about the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. In addition to an epic story, the game features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action. (Technology, MensXP.com)

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So Google knows it all – well not exactly they might be a bit astray. Google thinks I am 32 which considering I am very much in 20’s is a bit depressing.

To find out what the search giant thinks about you, log in to your Google account and view your ad preferences. You will see cookie used by Google here which you can opt out of, or tune it to your preferences.

Based on the websites you visit, Google infers which demographics you fall under and advertises accordingly. Google Dashboard also shows users exactly what the search engine knows about them as part of company’s effort to be transparent.

Since online shopping industry is literally entering a new era, this is seen as Google’s step to tune its ad program to give advertisers and common people a much more targeted promotional outlet. Tailored search could make it faster to find something. For instance, if a person watches videos of the animal jaguar, a search will more likely show results for the cat rather than the car.

But race of collecting information has already earned a slapstick reaction from the US authorities. Earlier this year, Google’s integration of its social network Google+ into its search results raised the ire of consumers, Twitter and Facebook.

To step away from the criticism and make its intentions clear Google has put a all new policy for users to understand how their data will be gathered and used by the search giant Instead of having 60 separate privacy policies, Google introduced a new privacy policy to go with its streamlined service. Users can either accept the change or stop using Google’s services when it comes into effect on March 1, according to the policy.

You can find this new privacy policy online when you log into your Gmail account. Do have a look at them as these policies will certainly have an impact on you digital existence. (Technology, MensXP.com)

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$100 Billion is what tech giant Apple has roughly in cash.

With this kind of money Apple can not just enter but actually buy out whole industry segments. So I decide my Top 5 pick of products that Apple should look forward to build, create or dream.

1) Apple Home System

iMagine a home which has a heart of Apple. From your TV to Microwave everything is interconnected. All things can be controlled and monitored from either iPhone , iPad or even those iTouch pods. An iNtelligent home that syncs all the data on iCloud and makes you forget about taking care of your house. Such technologies are already in place to a certain extent but imagine if Apple decides to build their own smart home. Any one up for an iHome?

2) Apple iMotion

A state of art in car satnav and entertainment system. This device would not just make your car smarter in order to understand which highway to follow but also will auto sync your data to devices in the car. Synced data can be used to automatically adjust the position of your car seat according to health status of you back measured by other Apple devices. New movie that you downloaded through itunes can automatically synced and played on the automobile system. There is lot of scope for Apple to be in this space, RIM- owners of Blackberry have already started to make few heads turn in this space after few automobile manufacturers displayed car models with RIM’s Playbook tablet being used for car management at CES this year.

3) Apple iTrap

An all serious Apple gaming console. Do not tell me that iPhone already does the job. I am talking about a gen next serious gaming console. Imagine a console synced with your Apple devices and also Apple app store. Developers around the world can develop games for iTrap same way as they do for iPhone. Who knows, Apple can throw in an Augmented Reality super advanced eye gear for just to play around. Future of Real and Augmented might just melt away.

4) Apple iPrint

The latest technology that seems to be working its way along trajectory is 3D printing. For those who don’t know,, 3D Printers are machines that produce three-dimensional objects from digital data by printing in thin layers of physical material, similar to the way an inkjet prints in two dimensions..Output of 3D printer is not word or paper but an object itself. SO to look at it this industry seems perfect for the Silicon valley giant to jump in and get an early lead.

5) Apple iLune

A lunar colony, a whole living and habitation centre on Moon. You think I am crazy? Well with $100 Billion in cash, I guess everybody has the right to be crazy, besides few companies have already started working on the same. Would you not want to buy a Apple home on the moon? (Technology, MensXP.com)

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Last week I was out with boys at the pub when one of the friend asked – “Hey have you seen Pinterest?

My girlfriend is absolutely hooked to it” to my astonishment few others too had the same story. Finally few others were had a quizzical look on face stating “What is pinterest”.

Pinterest is a photo sharing social network – nothing new since facebook photo sharing and google image search has been there for ages. So how is it any different – Pinterest makes the process painless by offering a Pin It button that lets you grab pictures of your favorite things as you browse the web. The site then collects the images on “boards” that other users can follow and comment on. Which means you can hop on to the website and pursue other people’s boards and browse through images of your interest.

Considering the fact that Pinterest is actually deriving more traffic than what Facebook did in its early stages. Infact Pintrest beats YouTube, Reddit, Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace for percentage of total referral traffic in January. Hence we can say – What Tumblr was to 2011, Twitter was to 2007, and Facebook was to 2006, Pinterest is to 2012.

So I decided to have a good look at the social network and find out for myself. Words of warning Pinterest started as a female oriented Social Network, though now it has almost equal of both the sexes. So coming back to my test – I am planning to take a vacation soon to an undecided location, so I tested how PIntrest can help me. I will let you see the results for yourself – Click here to see my Pinterest Profile – Now you can see a board by the name of “Favorite Places Spaces” which basically has images gathered from other pintrest users. I spoke to few about the places which they have visited, and it was fun to get suggestions from random places about amazingly beautiful places which I had no clue about.

All in all it is a brilliant social place and I every reason for it to blossom, with option to reshare and like other peoples pins and also option to follow other pinners, Pinterest has taken good things from Facebook and Twitter. Considering a picture is worth thousand words expect Pinterest to become part of your daily life soon. I almost forgot – Social network is by invite only hence no trolling by bots, one can request invite to existing user or to the site itself. (Technology, MensXP.com)

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