Run Your OS X Lion With One in Six Macs

One-in-six Macs now runs Apple's latest operating system, a Web metrics company said last week. According to California-based Net Applications, Mac OS X 10.7, aka Lion, accounts for 1 percent of all desktop operating systems that were used to connect to the Internet last month.The total usage share of Mac OS X was 6 percent, said Net Applications.Apple released Lion on July 20 to the Mac App Store, where the download-only upgrade was priced at $29.99. Two weeks ago, Apple also started selling Lion on a USB flash drive for $69, aiming that version at users who lack a broadband connection to the Internet.

Lion's online usage nearly matched that of Mac OS X 10.5, or Leopard, the edition Apple released in October 2007. At the end of August, Leopard's share was 1.2 percent.Mac OS X 10.6, aka Snow Leopard, remained the most widely-used version of Apple's desktop operating system, with an overall share of 3.5 percent, or 57 percent of all Macs.Snow Leopard's share fell by half a percentage point in August as users migrated to Lion.Mac OS X is still dwarfed by Microsoft's Windows, which powers almost 93 percent of all desktops and laptops, said Net Applications. (See also "Running Windows on a Mac: Lion vs Windows 7 Shootout.")

With August's data, Net Applications revamped the way it tracks operating use by separating smartphones and tablets from conventional personal computers, a change the company said was prompted by the rise in mobile browsing.Net Applications calculates operating system usage share with data obtained from more than 160 million unique visitors who browse 40,000 Web sites that the company monitors for clients. More operating system usage data can be found on the company's site.

Sony Releases 24-inch Multitouch 3D Vaio L All-in-one

The IFA 2011 reveals are starting to roll in, and Sony’s been busy sharing the latest additions to its product lines. Joining the company’s Vaio line-up is the new 24″ Vaio L all-in-one, which features both multitouch input and 3D capabilities. 

Powered by the latest Intel Core processors (the specific CPUs have yet to be announced), the new Vaio features 8GB of DDR 3 RAM at 1333MHz, 1TB SATA hard drive, Blu-Ray/DVD +/- RW combo drive ( a full Blu-Ray burner will be available in certain configurations), 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, 2 USB 3.0 and 3 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output and input, HD webcam, built-in speakers, a wireless keyboard and mouse, and a pair of rechargeable active shutter 3D glasses. NVidia GeForce GT 540M graphics with 1GB VRAM power the Vaio L’s visuals, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit handles OS duties.

As Sony’s presser notes, the HDMI input turns the 24″ full-HD display on the new Vaio L into an excellent screen for PS3 gaming. Best of all, the input works even if you haven’t booted Windows — so you can hook it up just like a standard television to any device with an HDMI output. The multi-touch display also features Sony’s Edge Access tech, which works a bit like the bezel swipe actions on the BlackBerry PlayBook: just swipe in from the side to reveal commonly-accessed functions. The new model is set to launch in October of this year, but no specific date has been announced yet.

Philips Introduced Universal Audio Docks for Android

 

Today at IFA Philips announced the first (nearly universal) audio docks for Android devices. If you have ever taken a trip into a big box retailer, an online retailer, or gone to an electronics trade show you have seen the vast expanse of iPRODUCTS. This product designed to work with Apple iDEVICES blah blah blah. For the past two years I have been waiting for a product similar to this.

Philips addresses the issue that has been holding OEMs from designing for Android – the lack of uniformity. Android comes in all shapes and sizes and very rarely has a manufacturer maintained a design that is uniform even across their own product line. Only recently has Motorola begun to do so with the Photon, Droid 3, Atrix, etc – they should all theoretically be capable of sharing the same docks and accessories.

Philips has designed a unique connector which can be adjusted in three dimensions to offer the ability to hold your phone (or tablet) in either landscape or portrait mode. “This means you can dock and charge most Android phones and your phone will always be positioned at the centre of the speaker for the best sound experience.”  

Toshiba Declares AT200, the ‘world’s thinnest And lightest’ tablet

Toshiba's new ultra-thin AT200 tablet is said to be the thinnest, lightest tablet to date. 
Just as the rumors predicted, Toshiba has officially announced its next-generation Android tablet, the AT200, which the company boasts is the “world’s thinnest, lightest” tablet PC.The AT200, which will purportedly be called the Excite in the US, was unveiled today the IFA conference in Berlin, Germany. And from what we’ve seen so far, this impressive-looking device could stand as the next major competitor in the Android tablet arena.

 Loaded with Android 3.2 (Honeycomb), the AT200 measures a mere 7.7mm thick. Compare that to the 8.8mm thickness of the iPad 2, or even the 8.6mm of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and those devices look downright bulky. It’s also light, weighing in at only 1.23 pounds (558g), which is just slightly lighter than the iPad 2′s 1.33-pound (601g) weight.Other external details include a 10.1-inch screen, with 1280×800 resolution. The back is brushed aluminum, which gives it a clean, industrial design look. The edges are squared off, and also covered in aluminum, similar to the look of the iPhone 4.

Microsoft: Windows 8 Will Have USB 3.0 support

All PC users are waiting for Windows 8 with anticipation because it will feature all sorts of improvements, and if you’re waiting for Windows 8 as well, then we’re happy to inform you that Microsoft has just confirmed USB 3.0 support in Windows 8.

Today, most devices are using USB 2.0 connectivity, but as you know, that technology will surely be replaced with USB 3.0 in the near future, so it’s really no surprise to see that Windows 8 will have USB 3.0 support. We also have to mention that Microsoft won’t add USB 3.0 support on top of the USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 software stack, and it will write entirely new software stack for USB 3.0 instead, while keeping the USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 stacks separated.

Support for USB 3.0 in Windows 8 isn’t anything unexpected since we’re seeing more USB 3.0 devices with each passing day, but if you don’t own any USB 3.0 devices, don’t worry, Windows 8 will still have support for USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices.

New Kindle Feature Allow Readers to Ask Questions to Authors

Why did the beautiful CIA operative seduce the handsome yet ruthless former KGB agent in Chapter Four? And why didn't the mysterious clairvoyant use her psychic powers to pinpoint the serial killer's location?Questions arise when you're reading a book. Many readers--if the author were near--would likely seek additional clarification on key plot points or characters. And non-fiction readers might pepper the writer with questions pertaining to the book's thesis, or to correct a factual error. A new Kindle feature makes this reader-author interaction a lot easier. Called @author, it allows readers to ask questions while reading a Kindle book, or from an Amazon Author Page. 

How It Works Say you're reading a Kindle book and want to question the author about a particular passage. Using the 5-way controller, you highlight the passage and type “@author,” followed by your question. Next, you select "save & share" from the options at the bottom of the note window.

Amazon will tweet your question to the author, and post it on his or her Amazon Author Page. Brevity is essential, however, as questions from the Kindle are limited to just 100 characters. For longer inquiries, go to the writer's Author Page.

The @author program is in beta release, and a few well-known writers are participating, including Susan Orlean (The Orchid Thief) and Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad). Amazon has a list of participating authors here. Sorry, you can't query dead authors--not yet, anyway.

Samsung Discloses 5.3-Inch Phone, Tablet

Samsung didn't get the memo when Dell axed its 5-inch phone, because it has introduced its own 5.3-inch smartphone-tablet crossover called the Galaxy Note. The slender Android 2.3 device blurs the line between phones and tablets and comes with a bundled stylus for those who don't want to use their fingers.The Samsung Galaxy Note (whatever happened to the new naming convention?) sports some impressive features: It runs on an unspecified dual-core 1.4GHz processor; has 1GB of RAM; carries an 8-megapixel HD camera on the back and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera; and comes with either 16GB or 32GB of storage.The most astounding aspect of the Note is its screen. It's a 5.3-inch Super Amoled display with a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels (that's 285 dots per inch--the iPhone 4 has 326 dpi). Despite the size of the display, Samsung managed to keep the Galaxy Note very svelte, stuffing all of the components into a 9.65mm-thin, 0.39-pound-heavy case.

If gadget history is anything to go by, the Note will be another device with a 5-inch screen trying to be a phone and a tablet that won't catch on. Dell tried it with the Streak 5 and amid criticism that the device was too big for a phone, yet too small for a tablet. Android phone manufacturers are adding big screens to their phones, too, but usually failed up to 4.5 inches--still considerably smaller than the Note's 5.3-inch screen.Like the HTC Flyer tablet, the Galaxy Note comes with a stylus, which Samsung dubs the S Pen. The stylus works with a bunch of built-in apps, including calendar, to-do, and note taking. Third-party developers will be able to add S Pen functionality to their apps.

Pricing will be an important factor in the Note's success. Will it be priced as a smartphone, or as a tablet? The Streak 5 was handicapped by its price, which was $100 more (with a two-year contract) than most smartphones ($199), and some $50 more (unlocked) than the cheapest iPad. Samsung hasn't said when or for how much the Galaxy Note will retail, but it has announced that it's working on two versions of the phone--one with HSPA+ and one with 4G LTE.