OWC Envoy Pro EX Snap Review

The OWC Envoy Pro EX is a USB 3.0 bus-powered portable storage device that offers capacities up to 480GB and is pre-formatted and primarily designed for Apple systems, though PC users can reformat and use the drive as well. The OWC Envoy Pro is the bare unit, while the EX models add SSD storage using OWC's Aura 6G SSDs. OWC's intent when they engineered the Envoy Pro EX was to create storage for the MacBook family that is ultra-portable, high-performance and protected from potential user-damage. The Envoy Pro EX meets those criteria: it can easily fit in a pocket, it offers SSD memory for superior speed compared to HDD-based portable drives, and in using SSD the device has no moving parts and is safe from physical damage in its anodized aluminum body.

OWC's Envoy Pro EX offers a solution to those users who simply require a high performance option to store files that get accessed on multiple machines or as supplemental storage for those on MacBooks with limited internal storage. Certainly bulk storage options are abound that are based around hard drives, but those of course have slower access speeds, may not travel as well and are much bulkier than the very slim Envoy Pro EX.

OWC pricing for The OWC Envoy Pro (0TB) is $79.99, Envoy Pro EX 240GB is $319.99 and Envoy Pro EX 480GB is $599.99. The Envoy Pro EX comes with a three year warranty that features a 48-hour turnaround time, and to add an even greater sense of security, OWC provides one free year of Tier-1 data recovery in the event of data loss.

OWC Envoy Pro EX Specifications

• High-performance ASMedia 1053e chipset
• USB 3.0 interface
• Features
• Bus-powered via USB 3.0 port (no AC adapter required)
• Anodized aluminum finish
• Fanless operation
• Non-skid rubber feet
• System Requirements
• Mac Requirements: Mac OS 10.3 or later and an available and supported USB 3.0 port
• PC Requirements: Windows XP or later and an available and supported USB 3.0 port
• Linux Requirements: Linux OS versions and an available and supported USB 3.0 port
• Environmental (Operating): 32°F (0°C) to 158°F Temperature (70°C)
• Environmental (Non-Operating): -67°F (-55°C) to 302°F (150°C)
• Acoustics: Idle (Typical) 0.0 bels, Seek (Typical) 0.0 bels
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 2.125" (53.98mm) x 4.5" (114.3mm) x 11.11 (0.4375mm)
• Enclosure Weight (no accessories): 3.8 ounces
• 3 Year OWC warranty and built in USA

Design and Build

The OWC Envoy Pro EX has an extremely rigid construction that feels strong enough to hold up to substantial physical impact. The design mimics that of the Apple MacBook family making it a perfect pair. The top of the ultra-portable Envoy Pro EX is all silver as is the rest of the body. The front features an LED indicator showing light blue when the device has power, and the back of the Envoy Pro EX houses the USB 3.0 port. Flipping over the Envoy Pro EX, the bottom has the product labeling and the rubber feet that grip the drive to a surface. OWC also includes a nice carrying pouch for when the Envoy Pro EX is in transit. Overall the design is quite elegant and is one of the best looking portable storage drives we've had come through the lab.

It's worth noting that users won't be able to use the OWC Envoy Pro EX with USB 2.0; only USB 3.0. The OWC Envoy Pro EX doesn't support USB 2.0, nor does OWC recommend using it. This may be due to a lack of ability for the USB 2.0 port to power the Envoy Pro EX.

Performance

We utilized our Consumer Testing Platform to measure transfer speeds from the OWC Envoy Pro EX 240GB using its USB 3.0 interface. We started with 2MB sequential read and write testing in which the Envoy Pro EX came in at 244.76MB/s and 239.56MB/s respectively, while random large-block transfers measured 240.67MB/s read and 239.63MB/s write. These figures essentially top off at the limitation of USB 3.0 - not a reflection on the Aura 6G SSD's native capabilities.

To compare the OWC Envoy Pro EX 240GB to other flash-based portable solutions on the market, we've also tested the Iomega SSD Flash External 128GB as well as the LaCie P'9223 Slim SSD 120GB using their USB 3.0 interface. We began with the Iomega by looking at 2MB sequential read and write testing. There, the Iomega SSD 128GB posted 204.62MB/s for reads and 120.49MB/s for writes. In our random large-block transfers, it measured 201.92MB/s read and 107.09MB/s write. These numbers show that the OWC Envoy Pro EX provided far better write rates and more throughput for read activity as well, but the Iomega marks are reasonable given that it has been out for a couple of years now.

We then moved on to the LaCie. For 2MB sequential read and write testing, the LaCie P'9223 Slim SSD 120GB came in at 285.50MB/s and 188.70MB/s, respectively. For random large-block transfers, the LaCie 120GB SSD had marks of 273.65MB/s for read activity and 189.14MB/s for write activity. The LaCie SSD performed with the most throughput for read activity of the 3 drives coming in just above the OWC Envoy Pro EX 240GB SSD, while the OWC 240GB produced the greatest write activity transfer rates.

Overall the OWC product performed very well, with nearly identical small and large block performance over both reads and writes. The complete picture is very respectable, offering steady performance in every case near the top scores possible from the USB 3.0 interface.

Conclusion

The OWC Envoy Pro EX is a USB 3.0 portable drive that utilizes an SSD to deliver high-end performance in a very small footprint. Our test model has a capacity of 240GB though users can opt for 480GB as well. This capacity is delivered by OWC's own Aura 6G SSDs which are backed by OWC's 3 year warranty that includes 48-hour turn around and 1 year of data recovery. The drive is also smaller than many popular smart phones currently available on the market, and it features an extremely durable aluminum enclosure that happens to look great too.

There are only things to like when it comes to the design of the OWC Envoy Pro EX. The enclosure has some super strength, and it looks just like an Apple product that matches superbly to MacBooks. In fact, if it had a white USB 3.0 cable and lost its OWC sticker, you might even confuse it with an Apple design. On top of that, the size really enables users to take the Envoy Pro EX with them anywhere: from travel bags to purses to pockets, it's slim enough to fit. When it came to test performance, the OWC Envoy Pro EX 240GB provided solid throughput around 240MB/s for both read and write activity in 2MB sequential and random large-block testing which was definitely impressive, though top-end speeds are somewhat limited by its USB 3.0 interface. Even so, it's the best overall performance portable storage device we've tested to date.

Pros

• Premium design
• Rigid enclosure
• Extremely portable

Cons

• USB 3.0 limits the Envoy from greater throughput

Bottom Line

The OWC Envoy Pro EX is a fantastic choice for users that require ultra-portability and performance coupled with a superb design when looking for expanded capacity on the go.

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Apple Pays Out $21M to Use iOS Clock Design

Quality Swiss-made timepieces don't come cheap. Just ask Apple.

The company shelled out a $21 million "lump sum" to license a clock-face design from the Swiss Federal Railway service, French news agency AFP reported, citing a Swiss paper.

In September, the railway service, also known as SBB, objected to the clock-face design in iOS 6, saying it too closely resembled a trademarked design created in 1944 by SBB employee Hans Hilfiker and used in train stations throughout Switzerland.

Hilfiker's design has been honored by both the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the London Design Museum and has become a symbol of Swiss punctuality, according to the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs' swissworld site. It's also licensed to Mondaine, a Swiss watch manufacturer.

SBB reached a licensing agreement with Apple last month, but at the time, an SBB representative said the amount of the licensing fee and other details of the deal would remain confidential.

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Macs undetectable virus that "can't be removed"

A security researcher has discovered a way to infect Macs with malware virtually undetectable and that 'can't be removed.'

The attack, which has been called Thunderstrike, installs the malicious code into the Boot ROM of the system via the Thunderbolt port.

Trammell Hudson, who works for hedge fund Two Sigma Investments and is also the creator of the Magic Lantern open-source programming environment for Canon DSLRs, discovered the vulnerability after his employer asked him to look into the security of Apple notebooks.

"A few years ago we were considering deploying MacBooks and I was asked to use my reverse engineering experience to look into the reports of rootkits on the Mac to see if it was possible to patch the firmware to be secure against them," wrote Hudson in a summary of the vulnerability.

After initially discovering that the Boot ROM could be tampered with if the notebook was physically dismantled to give access to the chip soldered onto the motherboard, he then refined this technique so the attack could be carried out via the system's Thunderbolt port.

"It turns out that the Thunderbolt port gives us a way to get code running when the system boots," Wrote Hudson. "Thunderbolt brings the PCIe bus to the outside world and at boot time the EFI firmware asks attached devices if they have any Option ROMs to be run."

Hudson discovered that he could use a modified Apple gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt adapter to carry out the attack.

"Since it is the first OS X firmware bootkit, there is nothing currently scanning for its presence. It controls the system from the very first instruction, which allows it to log keystrokes, including disk encryption keys, place backdoors into the OS X kernel and bypass firmware passwords," Hudson said.

And once it is on your system, it is incredibly hard to remove.

"It can't be removed by software since it controls the signing keys and update routines. Reinstallation of OS X won't remove it. Replacing the SSD won't remove it since there is nothing stored on the drive."

"The classic 'evil-maid' attacks also are feasible. Given a few minutes alone with your laptop, Thunderstrike allows the boot ROM firmware to be replaced, regardless of firmware passwords or disk encryption," explains Hudson. "So while you are getting breakfast at the hotel during a conference and leave the machine in your room and house-cleaning comes by to make up the bed, install the firmware backdoors, and replace the towels."

According to Hudson, Thunderstrike "is effective against every MacBook Pro/Air/Retina with Thunderbolt."

Fortunately, Hudson reports that Apple is working on an update that will prevent malicious code from being written to the Boot ROM via the Thunderbolt port. However, this update would not protect the system from having the Boot ROM tampered with directly.

One defense against this would be to paint over the case screws with glitter nail polish and take close-up photos of the seal you created. The glitter in the nail polish sets into a random pattern that would be impossible to replicate, and as long as you keep the photos safe, you can make sure they screws haven't been messed with.

via www.zdnet.com

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iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3 vs Google Nexus 4

Google has finally unveiled its next generation of Nexus smartphone – the Nexus 4, which is built by LG and designed by Google. The Nexus 4 features a 4.7-inch 1280 x 768 IPS display, a 1.5GHz Quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. The phone will come in two variants – 8GB for $299 and 16GB for $349, unlocked and without any contract. Surely this phone is priced very attractively and is a powerful offering from LG and Google.

The Nexus 4 is LG’s first attempt on building Google’s flagship – Nexus branded phone. The technical specs of this phone matches to that of the LG Optimus G smartphone but the Nexus 4 is priced more competitively.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the LG Nexus 4, Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5.

The Nexus 4 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro clocked 1.5GHz and Samsung is powering their Galaxy S3 by an Exynos 4412 1.4GHz. Apple on the other hand powers iPhone 5 with the 1.2GHz dual core A6 processor, which means that the iPhone lacks the same processing power as its Android rivals.

The Google Nexus 4 debuts with the latest version of Android – the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The 4.2 version is still called as Jelly Bean, which can be considered as an upgraded version of 4.1. Samsung’s Galaxy S3 will soon be upgraded to 4.1 Jelly Bean and the Apple’s iPhone 5 already comes with the iOS 6 – Apple’s latest mobile operating system.

Talking from the storage point of view, then the Google Nexus 4 comes in both 8GB and 16GB variants and doesn’t comes with any microSD expansion. The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants and it also offers support to expand the memory up to 64GB via a microSD card. The iPhone 5 offers three variants – 16GB, 32GB or 64GB and doesn’t allows support for microSD card.

One thing that is missing on Nexus 4 is 4G LTE, whereas the Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 comes equipped with 4G LTE. But then again, by looking at the price of the Nexus 4 at $299 SIM free for the 8GB model, we cannot complain much. For this price, you are getting a Quad-core processor, big screen and the latest version of Android. Surely Nexus 4 seems to be a budget-user’s dream of getting their hands on Android. - source

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Understanding Apple Cider Vinegar for Acid Reflux

Apple cider vinegar, also called cider vinegar, is made from pulverized apples. It contains vitamins, minerals, various enzymes and good bacteria. The sugar content in the apple is converted to produce alcohol, which in turn is converted to form acetic acid. The first process involves yeast fermentation, while the second process is done by acetic acid fermentation.

It is believed that acetic acid is responsible for curing many health problems. The pH of vinegar made from pulverized apples should be maintained below 4.5, to prevent bacterial growth. While buying this product, look for 'mother' of vinegar. This is the milky substance present at the bottom of the bottle. This substance is believed to have the potential to cure many diseases.

Excess production of the digestive juices and acids in the stomach can cause acidity. The condition where the digestive juices and acids from the stomach flow back to the esophagus is called gastroesophageal reflux disease. This may cause heartburn and nausea. It could also damage the esophagus lining, if not treated on time. While antacids may help in alleviating the symptoms, it is believed that one may get relief from acidity and heartburn by taking cider vinegar.

Cider Vinegar for Treating Acid Reflux

Vinegar made from crushed apples helps in maintaining acidic level of the stomach acid in such a way that foods can be easily digested in the stomach. Insufficient acid in the stomach causes the lower esophageal sphincter to open up. The acetic acid present in it neutralizes the strong hydrochloric acid present in the stomach and also, keeps the lower sphincter valve active to function properly. It also contains mineral content that counterbalances the strong acid of the stomach.

Dosage

Vinegar made from crushed apples can provide relief from gastroesophageal reflux. Take the medicine twice or thrice in a day, but ensure that you take it after the meals. You can add two to three teaspoonfuls in a glass of water (eight ounce). Shake well and drink it. You can add little honey to it, for taste. It is advisable that you keep the bottle in a dark place.

It may take some days for the healing process to start showing its effect, as it is a herbal remedy. If you can't see any changes within a week, then consult your doctor. The healing and soothing effects of this vinegar aids in getting rid of the harmful toxins in the body. It will also help to regulate the pH of the stomach acid from acidic to neutral in a short time.

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Where and How-To Pre-Order Your iPhone 5C

Tonight, legions will descend upon Apple's website to pre-order the new iPhone 5C. But as the sales start stacking up, the ship date will be pushed back beyond the September 20th launch. Here's everywhere else you'll be able to pre-order the phone so that you get it on day one.

Apple Store

During Tuesday's keynote, Apple announced that the iPhone 5C would be available for pre-order from its online store starting tomorrow at 3:01 AM ET/12:01 AM PT. The iPhone 5S will be available only beginning on launch day, September 20th.

Retailers

Walmart

The Big Daddy bigbox said it will be offering in store-only pre-orders. Line-up early for this one, because the Walmart's is offering a $20 price break on the 16 GB iPhone 5C.

Best Buy

The company's website still reads "coming soon," but a Best Buy representative confirmed that brick and mortar locations will offer in-store pre-orders for the 16 GB iPhone 5C tomorrow for its regular $100.

Radio Shack

Radio Shack offering in-store pre-orders for the 8GB iPhone 5C during regular hours beginning tomorrow for $100.

Carriers

AT&T

Though the company's website still says "coming soon" an AT&T representative confirmed that you'll be able to pre-order online at 3:01 AM ET. If you're really interested in showing up and pre-ordering in your local store—go right ahead.

Verizon

Online orders start at 3:01 AM EST. Available in-store when they open tomorrow.

Sprint

Same drill, 3:01 AM ET on the Internet, in-store during your Friday lunch break.

T-Mobile

On keynote day, T-Mo said the iPhone 5C would be available for pre-order "on September 13th," but there's no mention of an exact time. Why not register for updates.

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Goophone: The Cheapest iPhone 5S only $99

There is some rumors about cheap version iPhone 5S, but Apple will doesn’t confirm it before next generation iPhone unveil. Lots of market analysts think it is necessary to complete with Samsung, the latter provide more option for smartphone buyers. Apple is not so fast as before, before iPhone 5 launching, the China factory already released their iPhone 5 clone, and get patent of appearance, although they never sue Apple with this weapon, maybe it will hurt themselves. Today, something happened again, Goophone released their cheap version iPhone 5S: Goophone i5S, and only $99 for first 1000 buyers by some sellers.

The Goophone i5S has same appearance with iPhone 5, but with low-level hardware: 4 inch oneglass screen, 1GHz MTK MT6577 processor, 512MB RAM, 5-megapixel rear camera, and Android 4.1 OS is installed. This phone has 2 interface: iOS UI and original Android UI. You may switch them easily by a code.

Maybe you have doubt about this smartphone, does it work smoothly? How about playing games? Here is hands-on video, you will find how amazing the goophone i5S is.

The Goophone i5S is entry-class smartphone, of course has an incredible price. The listing price is $149.99, but on Android-sale, they will provide a big discount for first 1000 buyers at March 12th, you will get a iPhone 5 clone with $99. Wow, who will be those lucky ones.

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Huawei Announces Ascend P2, World’s Fastest Smartphone

Rocketing out of the gate at this year’s Mobile World Congress is the smartphone dark horse Huawei, announcing the arrival of the “fastest smartphone in the world.” The title is a bit misleading, however, as the phone only exists on paper and will not be commercially available until this summer.

With an entire week left for smartphone makers to announce their latest and greatest (and several months between now and summer), it is entirely possible the only thing the latest from Huawei will be fastest at is capturing headlines. The Ascend P2 is the follow up to the Ascend P1 and will be leveraged to earn Huawei attention in the global marketplace. As it stands, the Chinese company is currently the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world – though they are less known in the US compared to Asian and European markets – trailing market dominators Samsung and Apple.

With a large, high-resolution display and quad-core processor running Google’s latest confectionary-inspired operating system, the Ascend P2’s tech sheet won’t stand out amongst other Android “superphones.” The latest from Huawei boasts a familiar less-than-5-inch display, a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 13-megapixel camera and Android 4.1. Like many other smartphones of the day, the Ascend P2 also carries an NFC chip, a feature which Apple, number two in the global smartphone market, has yet to take advantage of.

The phone does have a few extra tricks up its sleeve to make it stand out amongst the scrum, however. For instance, the company showed off a feature called “Magic Touch,” a new touch screen technology that gives gloved users the luxury of being able to navigate their device while keeping their hands warm and toasty. Richard Yu, the head of Huawei’s consumer business group also touted a package of more than 100 themes for the phone, giving users more opportunities to customize their phones just the way they want. In a bit of an awkward press moment, Yu suggested these themes would be of particular interest to their female customers who “like flowers, colorful things.”

The display of the Ascend P2, while impressive, does not quite meet the standards set forth by Apple’s Retina or HTC’s latest “One.” The iPhone 5 has a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, or ppi, making each individual pixel even harder to identify. The new HTC One soundly bests this display with a ppi of 468. Huawei’s Ascend P2, however, has a ppi of 315, landing it somewhere in the “better than average” category.

So what is it about the Ascend P2 that makes it so fast? This phone will be the first ever released with a new kind of LTE chip capable of squeezing about 150 megabits per second from the next generation wireless network. In an ideal world, this means the Ascend P2 could deliver much faster-than-WiFi download speeds. This ideal world would also have to include a carrier capable of delivering these speeds, as no such wireless network currently has the infrastructure to serve up such speedy service. As such, the P2 may be the “feistiest smartphone in the world,” but like a Ferrari in gridlocked traffic, it will have a hard time showing the world what all it is capable of.

There’s also the fact the world’s number one smartphone manufacturer, Samsung, is widely expected to release the latest in their line of Galaxy smartphones. According to the rumors, this phone will be a worthy successor to the best-selling S III, which garnered so much attention and praise last year.

Source: Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

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Samsung Galaxy S3 Vs Apple iPhone5 Vs LG Optimus G

The iPhone 5 has failed to make as big a mark as its predecessors, and there’s possibly worse news in store for Apple. 2013 has seen a host of brand new smartphones being launched, even though the year has barely begun. The LG Optimus G, LG’s latest flagship phone, is one such device that could also steal away some of the iPhone 5’s spotlight. So we decided to pit the Optimus G against the iPhone 5 and the current favorite flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S3, to see if it stood a chance in the market.

From the outside: The iPhone 5’s design might get a tad boring, considering it’s been the same since iPhone 4. At first glance, you might not even notice anything different – with its familiar brushed aluminum casing. But, we have to agree, it does give the iPhone a classy and expensive look. We love the Galaxy S3’s rounded pebble-like exterior – it gives it a different look. On the other hand, the Optimus G manages to make its mark even though it doesn’t look as classy as the iPhone – we especially love its Crystal Reflection rear panel.

The iPhone 5 has a 4-inch Retina LCD display with a resolution of 1136X640 pixels. We’ve obviously found the screen size far too small, especially in the age of 5-inch phablets. The Optimus G has a larger 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 768X1280 pixels. The Galaxy S3 has the largest 4.8-inch display among these three, but it has the least resolution of just 306 ppi, which negates the beauty of the large screen. LG seems to have struck a good balance between screen size and resolution on the Optimus G.

On the inside: The iPhone 5 is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core Apple A6 processor and 1 GB of RAM. The Galaxy S3 has a slightly more powerful 1.4 GHz processor but only 1 GB of RAM. The Optimus G’s got more power, with its 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 2 GB of RAM. Both the Galaxy S3 and Optimus G have 32 GB of internal storage as well as a microSD card slot for those who need more storage space – a big disappointment in the iPhone 5.

The OS: We can’t say anything bad about the iOS 6 that’s running the iPhone 5, which has the largest number of apps to choose from. Samsung’s Galaxy S3 runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is a massive improvement over the previous ICS version. A major disappointment with the Optimus G is that it runs on Android 4.0. We wonder why LG couldn’t put in the Jelly Bean version instead.

Camera: In terms of front-facing cameras, there isn’t much difference between the iPhone 5 and the Optimus G – the iPhone 5 has a 1.2 MP camera while the Optimus G has a 1.3 MP camera. But the Galaxy S3 has a 1.9 MP front-facing camera, the best among these three. When it comes to the main camera, we love the Optimus G’s13 MP camera over the iPhone 5’s and the Galaxy S3’s 8 MP offering.

Battery: The iPhone 5 has a 1440 mAh camera which gives it a talktime of about 8 hours. The Optimus G and the Galaxy S3 are the winners in this category with their 2100 mAh battery and 15 hours of talktime.

Connectivity: All these phones offering LTE as well as 3G connectivity. The Optimus G and the Galaxy S3, in addition to WiFi and Bluetooth, also have NFC capabilities – an important feature missing in the iPhone 5. - source

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Getting Healthy Juices For Kids To Drink

Encourage your kids to drink plenty of water. Use a water bottle or glass which appeals to them. You can also use a water bottle where they can measure and see the amount of water they’ve had for the day.

Getting your kids to drink healthy green juices and vegetable juices could be an upheaval of a task. Mix them with juices like apple or carrot and it wont be too difficult to get them to drink it. Gradually move from pure carrot or apple juice to apple-carrot-parsley juice. Try using sweet organic apples and carrots and serve the juice in an attractive tumbler.

Make juicing a family activity. Involve the kids in helping with preparing the ingredients, and deciding on which juices to make and searching for recipes. This family time will not only inculcate good and healthy eating habits but the kids will learn about the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables.

Kids love to have what they have prepared and you will find that they readily have all the good stuff on their own. Other ways to encourage your kids to consume more fruits are to make ice lollies from fresh fruit juice.

Make fruit smoothies and shakes by liquidizing fruit such as strawberries, mango or bananas with fruit juice and/or milk.

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MP4Tools

MP4tools is the part of the VIDEOtoolbox Suite of Applications used for the creation and editing of MP4 videos. It was primarily designed for processing videos files for use in hardware capable of playing MP4 or M4V videos, such as the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and PS3. As the name might imply, MP4tools is a graphical interface for a variety of tools useful for processing video files.

Features:

• Convert from a variety of video file formats like MKV, MP4, OGM and AVI into MP4 videos.
• Can convert most videos without having to re-encode the video track and/or the audio track, so processing takes minutes instead of hours and no quality is lost.
• Simplified, intuitive user interface that takes the guess work out of processing MP4 videos.
• Ability to convert various surround sound audio to 5.1 AC3 or 5.1 AAC.
• Intuitively select desired video, audio and/or subtitle tracks to process, with the ability to verify the selections using video preview.
• Use presets for one step encoding for playback on common hardware such as the iPhone and Apple TV.
• Define presets for one step automated encoding and track selections settings
• Burn (i.e., hard code) subtitle tracks into the video, or mux (soft subtitles) from internal tracks or from external subtitle files commonly found on the internet.
• Control the font, size and positioning of the embedded subtitles.
• Split MP4 videos into segments of a specified file size or by start/end time.
• Adjust the Pixel Aspect Ratio of MP4 videos.
• Join MP4 videos.
• Extract the selected tracks from MP4 videos as individual video and/or audio files.
• Add jobs to a queue either individually or in batches via drag and drop so you can process multiple files overnight (registered copies only).
• Apply one setting to a group of files for easy batch creations (registered copies only).
• Enter a "Watch Mode" for which MP4tools will process all videos place in a defined folder (registered copies only).

System Requirements

MP4tools is Intel-only and requires Mac OS X 10.7.x or later. It has been tested on a MacBook Pro and a Mac Pro with no known issues.

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Western Digital 1TB Live Hub Mixes Set-Top Box

Western Digital announced on Tuesday a new set-top box, the WDTV Live Hub, which combines streaming of Web content like Netflix with a 1 TB hard drive for playing your media on your HDTV.

The competition in the field of set-top TV boxes is heating up faster than ever. Google TV, Apple TV, Roku, Boxee and others all allow users to access content from the Web via services like Netflix, Pandora and YouTube, all on their TV. Western Digital's WDTV Live Plus hasn't received quite the press of those other devices, but it's a good way to stream Web content, and your own music and movie collection, to your TV.

On Tuesday, Western Digital announced a new model in the WDTV line, called the WDTV Live Hub, that takes the capabilities of the WDTV Live Plus, and adds a new interface (in an attempt to improve upon the poor interface of the Live Plus) and a 1-terabyte hard drive for storing local content.

Essentially, the WDTV Live Hub is a combination of a networked hard drive that allows you to access its data from other devices, and a set-top box that streams Web content. The 1TB drive is large enough for most people's media collections, and the Live Hub can be paired with Live Plus devices (which are still going to be sold, for $99) to stream content from the Hub to other screens around your house. It's one box, with all your media (both that you own and from various Web services), that connects to your TV for simple viewing.

The 1.22-pound Live Hub supports 1080p HD playback via an HDMI TV output, can stream from Netflix, Pandora and other services, and gets first-run movies from Blockbuster on Demand. WD claims that the Live Hub has the ability to play "virtually any media file." It supports a huge number of file formats, from images to videos and music files, and doesn't appear to have any of the Apple TV's or Roku's restrictions.

Western Digital has also apparently learned a few lessons from the Live Plus box as well, and a number of improvements havefound their way into the Live Hub. There's support for a wireless keyboard for easier navigation and search, as well as a brand-new interface that WD says is much improved.

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Rekindling The Romance Of Your Waistline

How’s your waistline? Do you have a strained relationship with yours, or worse, has it left you? The signs can be subtle – one belt notch at a time.

So who did you cheat with? Was it those rich and gooey maple-fudge brownies, the elegant chocolate carmelicious shortbread bars, or that curvaceous tramp of a late night pizza? Which delicate pleasure gave a flirtatious twirl to that last bastion of defense, your willpower?

Relationships can be so transient and shallow, because we take them for granted don’t we? But now your waistline has gone AWOL, and has been replaced by a hostile entity which makes even loose clothing take on the look of mummifying garments. Don’t get used to it though. Not only is it unfriendly, it can lead to a big risk of stroke. That’s the conclusion of a 2006 Interheart study of almost 30,000 people from different countries showing that well-toned hips and a trim waist — not just the overall pounds you carry — may be your best protections against heart disease.

Researchers reported that a good waist-to-hip ratio (a measurement tool that looks at the proportion of fat stored on your waist, hips and buttocks – as if a second opinion is needed), is actually a better predictor of heart attack risk than the body-mass index, the current standard. Weight concentrated around the middle is often referred to as an “apple” shape; whereas, weight concentrated around your hips is referred to as a “pear” shape. The apple people are said to be at higher risk for heart disease and diabetes than their pear counterparts.

While we don’t need a degree in rocket science to figure out what food chain perpetrators were involved in the kidnapping of your waist, let me throw another twist into the plot – inactivity. A little bit of hard work and dedication will actually work wonders where faulty diets and spot-reduction machines fail miserably. I mean, how many actually know that 15 reps on the popular thigh master can’t undo the damage of a bag of chips and an early snorefest on the couch?

So contrary to everything that is anathema in some people’s lives, I am indeed suggesting a paragon of exercise and food discipline. Yes – gasp – there is willpower involved. Being a quitter no longer means getting satisfaction at turning away the dessert cart on the third trip around. It actually involves some sort of – dare I say it – denial. But if you want to rekindle the passion with your former waistline, you have to show it you can be trusted. Go on, let out some of that frustration on the elliptical trainer or treadmill, as you rehash your abandonment issues.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend eternity rekindling the flame. Yes, recklessness drove your waist into hiding, but some faithful diligence to a balanced lifestyle of good nutrition and basic exercise three to four days weekly can do wonders for your relationship. The overt matchmaker in this case is the ever present exercise. Sure, it can seem overly willing in getting involved in your business, but in the end it can unite you with your waist once again. And that – big sob – is just a beautiful thing.

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Android phone sells more than iPhone

Smart phones has taken the world aback. Giving us all the power to carry a pocket-sized computer and has become a daily necessity for every people. Though Apple’s iPhone made its entry in the mobile market earlier, Android has gone head to head beyond their delayed introduction.

We cannot deduce the fact that Apple Inc.’s minute devices revolutionized the world of mobile computing but with cheaper price tag and notable outstanding features this will definitely make you switch sides.

What makes Android preferred by most people?

There are several reasons why many people are going for the green robot:

• Cheap
• Multitude of free apps
• Removable and replaceable batteries
• Highly customizable through widgets and screen launchers
• Competetive performance
• A wide range of models, brands and manufacturers to choose from
• Largest community support from developers and endusers

Imagine what you can do with an android smartphone than just calling or sending text messages. It is in itself a swiss army knife for computer people. It has tapped an endless line of opportunities for smartphone users. Mobile computing in its golden age.

For sometime I did yearn to have an iPhone as part of my gadget collection but the skyrocketing cost delimits my capacity to have one. Luckily, Droid came into the scene and somehow justified my longing for a smart phone.

My experience with Android powered devices has never been more satisfying especially for a technogeek who has the passion for tinkering. The droid really did satisfy my hunger and kept me at work for long hours. Feeding my need for information, discovery and innovation. Reminding me how I did with my first PC.

I am not saying that iPhones are not that good. But if you could buy something so cheap that performs just the same as the good one. Why spend more?

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Pear Linux OS 8

Pear OS 8 was released recently. Pear OS main goal is to be an Ubuntu/Debian based Linux Operating System for Desktop, Notebook, Phones and Tablets. Pear OS 8 is based on GNOME but look and feel is similar and inspired from newly released Apple iOS7. Pear Cloud is the newly included feature in Pear OS 8 to backup and sync data over the internet.

You’ll get 2 GB of space to organize your data on Pear Cloud. This post describes the installation of newly released Pear OS 8 version. Pear OS is freely available to download and use which has a simple and powerful interface. You will experience complete multimedia functions and for those users who prefer Apple iOS like operating system.

Recommended Minimum System Requirements

• 700 Mhz CPU Processor
• 512 MB Memory
• 8 GB Free Disk Space
• 1024×768 Screen resolution
• Removable Media drive or USB port

Applications included in Pear OS 8

• Pear Software Center
• Shotwell
• Empathy IM
• Firefox
• Pear Cloud
• Thunderbird Mail
• Brasero Disc Burner
• Musique
• VLC Media Player
• Pear Contacts
• PPA Manager

Pear OS 8 Download

Pear OS 8 is available for 32bit and 64bit. I’ve used 32bit version in this installation. You can download Pear Linux OS 8 for 32bit pearos8-i386.iso from here  and 64bit pearos8-64.iso here.

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Qwerty : What Makes You Say Yes to Touch Screen?

Since the release of Apple’s first iPhone in 2007, touch screen phones have become increasingly popular with smartphone users. Many smartphone manufacturers—from Samsung to Nokia—were quick to copy the new touch screen technology and include it on their devices, but BlackBerry has traditionally remained loyal to physical keyboards. With the release of the Z10 earlier this year, BlackBerry has finally moved to a touch screen model, encouraging users to adapt the new technology for the first time.

The move from Qwerty to touch screen on the BlackBerry Z10 is undoubtedly a response to complaints that BlackBerry lags far behind its competitors in terms of technology and innovation. Yet BlackBerry’s full Qwerty keyboard has traditionally been adored by faithful BlackBerry users who claim that typing speed and accuracy is much better on a physical keyboard than a virtual one. The new Z10 attempts to offer a solution that will please both BlackBerry loyalists and BlackBerry critics: it features a new virtual keyboard that boasts better accuracy than any of its competition. CNET’s review of the Z10 applauds BlackBerry for its new virtual keyboard, stating that “texting quality [on the Z10] is better than the GS3 or iPhone because of the predictive keyboard.” Apple may have invented the touch screen phone, but BlackBerry just may have perfected it.

So how are BlackBerry users responding to the switch from Qwerty to touch screen? Recent stats from Q1 2013 suggest that BlackBerry is slowly regaining ground in the global smartphone market, with sales of BlackBerry phones in Canada, the UK, and the U.S. seeing jumps so far this year. The verdict? Getting accustomed to the Z10’s virtual keyboard may not be such a hard change for BlackBerry users after all.

But that’s not to say that BlackBerry has abandoned physical Qwerty keyboards altogether. The new Q10, the second of BlackBerry’s phones to run on the new BB10 OS, features a full Qwerty keyboard, as does its mid-range successor, the Q5. Interestingly, the retail price of BlackBerry’s new touch screen model is higher than both of its new Qwerty phones; while the BlackBerry Z10 price for 29,990 PHP, the Q10 retails for 24,990 PHP and the new Q5 for just 18,900 PHP.

That’s quite a big price difference between the Z10 and the Q5, but smartphone users who want the latest technology—including BlackBerry’s new virtual keyboard—will likely spend the extra cash without much thought. While there’s little difference in terms of physical specs between the Z10 and the Q10, there’s just no denying that the Z10 looks and feels more like the type of smartphone users are accustomed to in 2013, with its sleeker build, larger screen, and yes, even its virtual keyboard. All of these features will make the Z10 the undisputed go-to choice for modern BlackBerry users who not only want to use their phone for business and productivity purposes, but also for reading, gaming, and streaming video content.

Simply put, users pay more for touch screen phones because they’ve come to associate these models with having newer, more innovative technology than their Qwerty counterparts. While some Qwerty phones do come with excellent hardware and impressive features, there’s no denying that touch screen phones dominate the global smartphone market—and will probably continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

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Bad Breath Remedies

There are many people out there, who suffer from bad breath, which is medically termed as halitosis. We all know that it is a very common condition that may occur in almost every person's life, at one time or another. While, there are many different causes for bad breath, poor oral hygiene is found to be a major one. Even underlying medical conditions can be a reason for bad breath. So, it will be beneficial to diagnose the cause for this condition, so that it can be remedied at the earliest. This article will provide you with some bad breath remedies that may prove useful in getting rid of this condition. Before that, let us take a look at the possible causes of bad breath.

Bad Breath Causes

As mentioned above, bad breath can be caused by various reasons, right from poor oral hygiene to certain medical conditions. One of the most common cause is poor dental or oral hygiene. Absence of regular brushing and flossing may lead to bacterial growth on the teeth, gums as well as the tongue, leading to bad breath. Persistent bad breath, even after regular brushing can be due to gum diseases or other dental conditions. This includes gingivitis, tooth abscesses, dental caries, yeast infections, etc. Even dry mouth (xerostomia) can be a cause of bad breath. Apart from the above said causes, smoking, chewing tobacco products, excess alcohol consumption, etc., are found to cause halitosis.

There are certain medical conditions that may cause bad breath and these include sinus and throat infections, post nasal drip, pneumonia, bronchitis, allergies, acid reflux, digestion problems, certain kidney and liver conditions, diabetes, dehydration, etc. Dieting and stress may affective the digestive system and may cause bad breath. Another common cause of bad breath is consumption of foods, like, garlic, onion, etc. While, some of these causes are avoidable, others can be countered with lifestyle changes, remedies or treatment. The next paragraph deals with the commonly used bad breath remedies.

Remedies for Bad Breath

As discussed above, some of the bad breath causes are avoidable. These include poor oral hygiene, chewing tobacco, etc. A good oral hygiene regimen will work wonders for some people with this condition. You must brush and floss regularly and rinse with a good mouthwash (with no alcohol). You may also use a tongue scraper. Some people resort to gargling with hydrogen peroxide (3%), so as to counter bad breath. However, this chemical should be used in diluted versions and should not be swallowed. A dental check up, at regular intervals (at least twice a year) is also advisable, as this may help you to keep dental diseases at bay. Following are certain tips about how to get rid of bad breath.

• Avoid smoking, excess alcohol consumption and chewing tobacco-based products. Avoid foods that cause bad breath or else, use mouth fresheners after having such food.
• As certain medications can cause bad breath, consult your doctor, so as to rule out that possibility. Water is considered as a good bad breath cure. Drink lots of water and rinse your mouth, after each meal. Get the periodontal diseases treated.
• There are certain bad breath remedies that can be tried at home, to ward off this embarrassing body condition. Chewing fruits, like, apple, orange, guava, etc., may work wonders in tackling bad breath. Some people try brushing teeth with baking soda, for tackling bad breath.
• You may also chew a cardamom or some fennel seeds, cloves, spearmint or parsley, for this purpose. Consuming a small amount of plain yogurt may also be useful.
• You may prepare a homemade mouthwash with a cup of lukewarm water, one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. You may also gargle with salt water, so as to get rid of bad breath.
• Green tea is one of the popular bad breath remedies. Even fenugreek tea and parsley infusion may be useful for this purpose. Juices prepared from green leafy vegetables are also said to be effective for countering bad breath.

Now, you have a fair understanding about bad breath and the commonly used bad breath home remedies. The above said is only a brief overview about the same. But, if your problem still persists, even after trying these bad breath remedies, then, make sure to consult your doctor, so as to rule out the possibility of any underlying medical condition. It's always better to consult your doctor, who will be the best person to advice you about bad breath treatment.

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5 Best Great Free Android Apps

Android is rapidly catching up with Apple in the smartphone war, mainly thanks to it’s great App Store, which is the only one anywhere near large enough to have a chance at taking down Apple. So let’s have a look at some of the best free Apps on the Android Marketplace, you’ll find some of them are also found on the App Store as well.

(I’ve added the QR Codes so you can quickly download them from the Android Market by scanning them)

1. Shazam

By far one of the apps I use the most. This great little app can be found on the App Store as well, but on the Android Market it’s completely free! What it does is allow you to tag songs that you hear so you can download them later. Say for instance you were listening to the radio and you heard a song that you liked, but you didn’t know the name of it. Fire up Shazam and it will listen to the song and identify it. It will then give you the option to search for it on Youtube or download via Amazon.

2.Barcode Scanner

There’s a couple of different Barcode Scanners on the Android market, but in particular is the one from the ZXing Team. Once again it’s free, and what it does is use your Smartphones camera to scan a barcode and grab barcode information. It works with both the Android Market QR barcodes and barcodes that you find on every day products. It doesn’t always work, but generally it does. Once it finds the barcode information, It then presents you with three buttons for Product Search, Web Search and Google Shopper that you can use to find the lowest price of the item on the web.

3.Google Goggles

Now this is a cool little app from Google. What it does is allow you to look at something with the camera on your smartphone. It could be a landmark, a book, a bag of crisps, anything, and it will try and recognize what it is and do a search for it on Google. It can work things out based on your location, so say you were looking at the Eiffel Tower, and it found that you were in Paris, it would put two and two together and show you search results for the Eiffel Tower. A great app for using in every day life and showing off to your friends.

4.Google Sky Map

This app just blows me away, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Again it’s from Google and just like all the other Apps it’s free. You fire this baby up and it will use the phones compass, date and time, accelerometer and GPS (where possible) to show you a map of the sky where your looking. So say you point your phone to a certain star that you see, it will tell you what one that is, and what star constellation it’s part of. Point it anywhere in the sky and it will give you a detailed map of exactly what you’re seeing. You can even browse it manually and search for planets and stars. It will then direct you where to look in the sky so you can see them for yourself. Definitely one of the coolest Android Apps going.

5.Where’s My Droid

How many times have you put your phone on silent, and then can’t remember where it is? You can try calling it, but it’s on silent so you won’t hear it, and if it’s fallen down the back of your sofa, good luck finding it. But that’s where this great app comes in. Where’s My Droid, allows you to send a message to your phone containing a certain pass-phrase. Once it receives the message it will start ringing your phone at full volume, over-riding the silent mode until you find it. It can even give you a GPS location if you have GPS enabled. A great app, and could be a life saver some day when you lose your phone.

So there are 5 of the best free Android Apps, what else have you got to add to this list?

Let me know in the comments

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Tablet PC History that Maybe You Don't Know

As we all know iPad is not popular all over the world, and maybe you will think that tablet PC is a recent invention, in fact, tablet PC is the result of many years of development and evolution. Perhaps you don't know that the tablets that are appearing on the market the two years are quite a bit different than the early versions for its long history.

The first appearance of what we would think of as a tablet today came in the early nineties. For the most part these were more like early laptops than they were like the current tablets. These tablets for the most part were developed into laptops mainly because nobody could figure out a good way to enter data into them that didn't use a keyboard. The addition of the keyboard created the shape of the laptop as we know it today. These early models did however serve to prove that there was a market for a portable computer and this led to the development of other technology.

The next step in the history of the tablet was the development of the PDA and the smart phone. Most of the technology that went into the current generation tablets has come directly from smart phones. The real leap forward was the decision to put an operating system on the smart phone, this truly made them portable computers. From there it was hardly a huge leap to realize that putting a bigger screen and more computing power on a smart phone would have a variety of uses. This is basically what Apple did when they brought out the iPad which was the first of the real tablet PC.

The iPad has proved to be surprisingly successful on the market. When it was introduced nobody was entirely clear on just why you would want one. After all they do basically the same thing as a smart phone or a laptop. The iPad has sold well, so more and more manufacturers begin to produce a scale of tablet PCs, especially for the android tablet PCs. This does lead to the conclusion that the success of the iPad had more to do with marketing skills of Apple. However, iPad is expensive to most of the average person, this certainly leads to the manufacturer followers imitate the iPad. So more and more cheap android tablets similar to iPad begin to appear on the market, maybe this is also the way that makes tablet PCs popular all over the world.

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Zhang Ziyi and Bo Xilai Paid Sex Scandal Video?

Zhang Ziyi, the beautiful actress from "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," is demanding an apology from the Apple and all the other "news" outlets that reported that she played a part in the sex scandal involving Chinese politician Bo Xilai.

Zhang reportedly had been paid for sex with Xilai 10 times between 2007 and 2011, and had earned more 700 million yuan ($110 million) by sleeping with other senior party officials.

However, the 32-year-old Chinese actress has denied allegations that she was paid to have sexual intercourse with the former Chinese politician in numerous occasions and planning to sue Hong Kong's Apple Daily News for bringing out these false report.

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