Firstain » Internet

Apple’s Game Center gets separate identity

Karan Israni — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:44:46 +0000

Apple have dedicated a new section to Game Center on its App Store which consists of games compatible with the Game Center feature Apple launched in its September 1 event. It can be assessed by any iOS 4 or iOS 4.1 device.

New iPad advert claims iPad is musical (video)

Karan Israni — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:07:37 +0000

Apple have come out with a new ad for the iPad which shows iPad as musical. Here’s an HD visual, directly from Apple:

Download now: iOS 4.1 arrives

Karan Israni — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:41:36 +0000

iOS 4.1, as expected, is out today, 8th September and available for download. So plug in your iPhone – 3G, 3GS, 4 and/or iPod Touch – 2G, 3G, 4G to iTunes and download the update now, though i must remind you that it ain’t offering much apart from Game Center and a proximity sensor bug fix. But again, those the update brings to your device only 2 changes, both of them are huge and absolutely worth it.

P.S. If you’ve jailbroken your phone, then downloading this update might undo the jailbreak and that cannot be undone. So if you wish to remain with a jailbroken phone, it is advised not to update your device.

Image Credit: Engadget

Internet Explorer 9 UI Leaks (walk-through video)

Karan Israni — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:03:45 +0000

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 is set to release in beta next week but it looks like a video has already been leaked illegally. It scored 95/100 on the Acid 3 Browser Test.

The leaked video shows IE9 sport a new, cleaner UI and a major improvement from its previous versions, performance wise. Looks like Microsoft have finally re-entered into competition, this time providing more than a fight to Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari.

See related posts below for more info on browsers.

Chat with Virender Sehwag LIVE!

Karan Israni — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:30:14 +0000

Cricket fans all over the world have a great chance to get personal and chat live with one of the best batsmen the world has seen – India’s Virender Sehwag aka Viru.

Venue: www.facebook.com/virendersehwagofficial
Date: Tomorrow, September 9
Time: 9pm IST

Google’s big event. LIVE!

Karan Israni — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:30:11 +0000

As the whole web might be aware of it right now, Google has planned a very big event today at San Francisco MOMA, in which we can expect to see Google’s advancement and innovation technologically. And the way Google is behaving, doing so many things pre-event, we can be sure to expect some fireworks from the search engine giant today in SF!

Don’t forget to tune in to Google’s own Live coverage of the event @ http://www.youtube.com/google

It better be worth it Google!

Apple iPhone – the money making machine

Karan Israni — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:33:09 +0000

Apple’s iPhone is not just a phone. Its a money making machine too.

“iPhone has been huge for us” claims PopCap CEO, Dave Roberts whose games have been a major hit with iPhone users and has yielded him millions of dollars. “I continue to be amazed at how much business we do on the iPhone” sighed a very ecstatic Roberts.

The gaming industry is just thriving in the new-found interest of users in mobile-gaming. Yes, previously too people used to play games on their phones. But the recent increase reveals a new high. And its but obvious no one wants to give up this opportunity to make money.

According to Roberts, 25 percent of the games publisher’s business is now in the mobile sector. Now that is a huge number considering so many other gaming options are available to us like Computer gaming, XBox, PlayStation, etc.

The mobile-gaming industry is booming, which is proved by the fact that PopCap’s Plants vs Zombies (game) amassed one million dollars in a mere nine days.

Social gaming is also kicking in, with 15 percent of their revenue coming from Facebook titles like Bejewelled who, for example, has 36 million Facebook users.

But apart from Apple’s iPhone, game-makers are also targeting other options. Android seems to be the next favorite: “We are certainly working on Android stuff. It is not quite as clean of an ecosystem as the iPhone is.”

Read the full interview on TechFlash

Explained: Complicated mechanisms in simple animations

Karan Israni — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:56:17 +0000

We all have gone to school (at least many of us have) and we all have learned a lot from our schooling period. But there were times in our study days when we just couldn’t understand the damn concept behind a certain thing. It was just a given and we, without understanding how or why, just locked it in our minds that certain things work in a certain way. But has anyone challenged the law? Has anyone tried to find out ‘Why’ a certain thing works like it does?

Well, today we’ll be taking a small lecture, clearly explaining how a certain machine works. In other words, we’ll make you understand those complicated mechanisms in a very simple way, leaving you laughing at the word ‘complicated’ along with a lot of knowledge.

The class begins!

Radial Engines

Radial engines are used in aircrafts, having propeller connected to the shaft, delivering power in order to produce thrust. Its basic mechanism is as follows:

Steam engine Principle

Steam engine, once used in locomotives, was based on the reciprocating principle as shown below:

Sewing Machine

Maltese Cross Mechanism

This type of mechanism is used in clocks to power the second hand movement. Explained nicely below:

Manual Transmission Mechanism

The mechanism, also called as “stick shift”, is used in cars to change gears manually. Explained clearly below:

Constant Velocity Joint

This mechanism is used in the front wheel drive cars:

Torpedo Boat destroyer System

This system is used to destroy fleet in naval military operations:

Rotary Engine

Also called as Wankel engine, it is a type of internal combustion engine. It has a unique design that converts pressure into rotating motion instead of reciprocating pistons.

Please let us know via comments if this was helpful or no.

(Image Credits: My Technology World 9)

iSteal: iTunes 10 hack!

Karan Israni — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:42:31 +0000

I’m sure not many people know about this but you can actually ‘steal‘ someone else’s tunes on iTunes 10. Just plug in to someone else’s iOS device and listen to their songs thanks to a feature in iTunes 10. Cool, ain’t it?

Did any of you guys out there knew about it? Share your thoughts with us!

Inside the mind of an Apple Fanboy

Karan Israni — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0000

…is love for Apple, and ONLY Apple.