Black Ops II sells more than 1 million units overnight at Gamestop alone

Call of Duty: Black Ops II will likely beat Modern Warfare 's impressive sales records.

Everyone knew the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops II was going to be huge, but just how huge is still a bit of a surprise.

GameStop president Tony Bartel told Bloomberg Business Week today that the retailer sold more than 1 million copies of Treyarch’s military shooter during its midnight launch events alone.

“Black Ops II is shaping up to be our biggest game launch of all time,” he added.

Of course, it’s worth noting that this is just one specialty retailer’s sales figures, and the tally doesn’t include the countless other ways players got their hands on copies of the game. Thus far, the launch of Black Ops II looks to exceed that of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which broke just about every existing sales record when it generated $775 million in revenue in its first five days on the market last year.

Activision has yet to announce any official data on Black Ops II sales, but at the rate the game is moving we’re likely to hear about more records broken in the near future.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Pinterest gets private, adds ‘Secret Boards’ for personal projects and shopping lists

Tired of everyone repinning your found photos off the Web? Pinterest will now let you make secret boards to shield public eyes from your precious projects.

Since its inception and wide-spread success, Pinterest users have been using the site to collect every visual thing they enjoy from the Web. These photos, videos, and snippets are also grouped into categories, earning Pinterest notorious popularity with brides-to-be and obsessive window shoppers. However, until today, users were unable to lock their curated boards from the world, making it difficult for Christmas shopper to save gift ideas for a later date without the possibility of being discovered by the future recipients. Thankfully, “Secret Boards” will change all that.

Starting today, Pinterest users can create up to three secret boards to use for the holidays – or any other party planning ideas and personal projects that need total confidentiality. At the bottom of your Pinterest profile, users should see an option to add a Secret Board, or add a new one and turn the “Secret” button on. With these limitations set, only you will be able to see these particular boards – unless you invite others to pin with you. If you are invited from someone else to contribute to their Secret Board, this will not count against your three board limit.

Pinterest notes, however, that Secret Boards will only be available on new projects since others may have already re-pinned content from your past public ones. Users will have the option to make their Secret Boards public at a later time by simply turning the “Secret” button off, so you can share that project you’ve been stealthily working on or make room for more secrets ahead.

The new update also comes to mobile versions of Pinterest on both iOS and Android, so expect an update soon if you haven’t received it already. If you’re not seeing Secret Board options just yet, hang tight. The company says this new feature is gradually rolling out and should be available site-wide “very soon.”

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Tired of politics on Facebook? Replace it with cat pictures

Ideal for everyone tired of listening to campaign rhetoric being spouted by Facebook friends, there's a Chrome extension that can help silence the noise.

Covered in detail by The Register recently, Buzzfeed and the creators of Unbaby.me have developed a new Chrome extension to help people avoid endless political posts on Facebook and Twitter as the 2012 Presidential election rapidly approaches on November 6. While the previous Firefox and Chrome extension Unbaby.me replaced all baby photos on Facebook with images of bacon, puppies and art among other things, the Chrome-only Unpolitic.me extension replaces the majority of political posts on Facebook and Twitter with various pictures of cats.

While Facebook does provide filters to help users avoid updates from specific Facebook friends, this type of application can be particularly helpful for anyone that’s tired of hearing about politics. It allows the Facebook user to avoid political posts, but still read other interesting updates about friends, family and activities from politically outspoken friends.

The Unpolitic.me extension works by actively scanning a user’s social media feed for mention of specific keywords related to politics. While the user has the option of adding any specific keyword into the mix, a large number of default keywords have already been selected for the user.

For instance, the creators of the extension have added “Romney, Obama, election, voting for, republican, democrat, Ron Paul, 47 percent, binders, debate, how messed up is this country, Biden, Paul Ryan, Akin, Scott Brown, Elizabeth Warren, abortion, romnesia” along with 30 other keywords to help identify political posts. 

In addition, the user of the Unpolitic.me extension has the ability to use any image-based RSS feed. The creators of the extension have set the default as a stream of cat pictures from Instagram users. However, the user of the extension can change the RSS feed to anything else in addition to adding more feeds into the mix. There’s no reason that a usr has to stick with cat pictures.

For instance, someone that likes all types of cute animals could add more image streams of puppies, panda bears and bunnies. The makers of the extension recommend using RSS feeds that provide large resolution pictures. In addition, there’s no limit to the number of RSS feeds that a user can choose to use.

The Unpolitic.me extension will randomly pull from those feeds and replace the content on the page. On Facebook, a post about politics is simply replaced with the phrase “Politics blocked” and the replacement image. There’s also a link to remove the image if the user really wants to see what was originally posted. On Twitter, the user also has the ability to undo the content block. However, Twitter users will see a link to Buzzfeed’s animals section rather than a photo pulled from the RSS feeds chosen by the user. 

Conceptually, the Unpolitic.me extension can be used to block any type of content found on Facebook or Twitter. If a user doesn’t like a particular organization, any posts about said organization can be blocked by adding a few keywords in the settings of the extension. However, the extension can only block posts that include words. For instance, if a Facebook friend posts an political meme without adding a description, the person using Unpolitic.me will still see the political post within their Facebook feed. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Mobile weekly wrap: iPhone 5 hangover week

Blackberry fails upward, AT&T goes all in on 4G, and everyone recovers from their iPhone 5 buzz in this week's Mobile Weekly Wrap.

A week after the iPhone 5 made it into the hands of nearly 5 million people, the world finally started spinning on its correct axis again. As the dust settled from the lines of stampeding early adopters, other companies started to unveil their own upcoming offerings. Whether its new tablets and phones for the holiday rush, leaks for the long term, and fallout from the iPhone launch, we’ve got the goods — along with apps and games — from this week in mobile tech (Sept. 23-28, 2012).

AT&T goes all-in on 4G

While the iPhone 5 is the biggest addition in terms of name recognition, AT&T is improving their 4G device offerings in quantity and quality. Teaming with Samsung for much of the new wave, AT&T announced four new devices, three phones and one tablet, from the Galaxy line up that will be available in the coming months. If users have trouble managing the madness of having so many devices on the 4G network, they can connect them all to AT&T’s newly announced touchscreen mobile hotspot. The first of its kind, the MiFi Liberate has a 2.8-inch touchscreen and will allow up to 10 devices to connect to it. It’s all part of AT&T’s plan to cover the world in LTE, which is pretty non-threatening on the scale of evil plots against humanity.

Where the Apple went rotten

Apple’s mobile OS brought quite a few innovations that have people clamoring for what might be possible in the future. For the time being, though, it’s not all pretty. The move away from Google’s products and embrace of Apple-made apps has left Maps users lost. It’s been so bad that Apple CEO Tim Cook openly apologized for the debacle. The switch isn’t the only wrong turn that Apple made. The newly redesigned headphones, dubbed “earpods,” seem to put the emphasis on “piece” in the term “earpiece.” That is to say, “piece of junk.” (That was a long way to go for that joke, I know.)

Blackberry fails upward

As more and more iPhones and Android devices creep in to the business space, Research in Motion is doing its best to dig in and wait out the storm. While it hasn’t really been working, it has managed to spin some losses into wins this week. The first “win” came with its second quarter reports. The company lost $235 million, which actually beat expectations of just how bad it was doing and led to a jump in its stock prices. Later, video of the yet-to-be-seen BlackBerry 10 L and N series phones leaked onto the web, blowing whatever surprise the company had planned for an unveiling. The thing is, the video generally impressed consumers and may mark a potential comeback for the oft-forgotten phone company. 

Apps and games of the week

Street Fighter X Tekken ($3, iOS) – The button-mashing, combo-smashing fighter that has been a favorite on the consoles now makes its way to mobile. This iOS title will allow for you to take your fist to your friends online or play through single player battles.

Scape ($6, iPad) – Carry a composer with you. Scape lets you pick between a variety of different soundscapes, mixing and matching them as the app creates a custom, computer-generated soundtrack for your listening pleasure.

Draw Pad Pro ($2, Blackberry) – Just because you’re on a BlackBerry doesn’t mean you’re all business. Let your creative side flow with the inner artist’s dream app.

LazyLog (Free, Android) – While some missed calls and texts are important, others are the equivalent of inbox spam. Cast them to the side and get back to the people that matter with LazyLog.

eTrade Mobile (Free, Windows) While it’s been out on iOS and Android, Windows users can finally get their hands on this powerful portfolio manager.

Skitch (Free, iPhone) This app is already available for iPad and Android and has been beloved buy its owners on those platforms. It’s finally making its debut on the iPhone, and is sure to get just as much love.

Friendizer – (Free, Android) – This app will close the gap between your charming inner personality and unfortunate lack of social skills. Check out who else is near by and if your interests match up without having to go through awkward small talk.

BDrive (Free, iOS/Android) – The social cloud memory bank, use BDrive on your device of choice and share files between other devices and users to create a completely virtual community database.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Can you really just print your own working firearm with a 3D printer?

Just because 3D printing will make production more attainable by individuals, does that mean that everyone should be able to produce whatever they want? That hypothetical conundrum has a new reality to it with the announcement that Wiki Weapon, which aims to release plans to allow anyone to 3D print working firearms, has been fully funded.

The advent of 3D printing has been heralded by many as a revolution in mass production, especially with home versions of 3D printers now becoming available. With these devices and a little bit of technical know-how, the converts casually pronounce, anything is possible in the brave new world. That may be true, but it’s always worth remembering: “anything” doesn’t necessarily tend to limit itself to the good stuff.

Last week, Defense Distributed’s Wiki Weapon project reached its funding goal, meaning that – barring any unforeseen circumstances – it will be able to go ahead with its plan to create the world’s first fully-printable, working plastic gun, before going on to make the blueprints for said device available online, for free, for anyone to download and use to build their own firearm. As you might expect, that’s not an idea that thrills everyone.

The project is the creation of a University of Texas law student called Cody Wilson, who worked with a group of engineers, designers and programmers to develop the prototype device after discussing the idea with friends. Wilson is well-aware of ideological objections to make it possible for firearms to be created without license or guidelines, but he is firmly of the mindset that it’s better to live free than restrict an American’s right to bear arms. “People say you’re going to allow people to hurt people, well, that’s one of the sad realities of liberty. People abuse freedom,” he told the Guardian newspaper. “But that’s no excuse not to have these rights or to feel good about someone taking them away from you.”

Wilson is familiar with defending his idea. He initially tried to crowdsource Wiki Weapon on IndieGoGo, only for the website to freeze the project and refuse to share the $2,000 Wilson had already managed to raise beforehand (According to IndieGoGo, the project was frozen for violating company policy as it involved the sale of firearms, a charge that Wilson rejects as Wiki Weapon was never a for-profit project, nor planned to actually sell firearms, as such). Even after he went solo and managed to reach his crowdfunding goal, the problems haven’t ended; it turns out that actually fulfilling its aim may be illegal under US law (Specifically, it may run afoul of a 1988 law known as the Undetectable Firearms Act that prohibits entirely-plastic firearms).

Again, Wilson – who is, after all, a law student and therefore familiar with such legal challenges, is undeterred. “I haven’t felt any real heat yet, but I think it’s very possible the project might happen outside of America or the files might be hosted outside of America,” he’s on record as admitting. “The point of manufacture might also have to be outside of the United States.”

Even with full funding, it’s possible that Wiki Weapons will disappear without a trace like other crowdfunded projects. But it’s worth considering the project just a taste of what’s to come as 3D printing technology becomes more popular amongst the mainstream.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

RIM execs serenade BlackBerry developers with ‘Keep on Loving You’ music video

Has Research In Motion finally lost the plot? Or is it merely showing everyone it has a sense of humor? A new music video starring company executives thanks BlackBerry developers for sticking with its mobile platform, promising better days ahead.

Research In Motion (RIM) may be experiencing the toughest time in its 28-year history, but it hasn’t forgotten how to have bit of fun.

At its BlackBerry Jam developer conference in San Jose on Tuesday, the mobile company decided to entertain its attendees – or possibly horrify a few of them – with a slickly-produced music video featuring three RIM executives singing a developer-focused version of the classic REO Speedwagon hit, Keep on Loving You.

The video is apparently RIM’s way of expressing its appreciation for developers that have stuck with the BlackBerry platform.

“This video is a thank you to all developers supporting the BlackBerry platform. Your Developer Relations, Alliance and Developer Tools teams appreciate your enthusiasm and loyalty! We’re Going To Keep On Loving You,” reads the accompanying blurb on YouTube.

The three-and-a-half-minute production kicks off with the lyrics:

We’ve all seen these are challenging times, baby,

‘Cuz we’re in transition.

A whole new mobile computing platform may be

one tough proposition.

So don’t be misled,

The launch is just ahead,

We’ll have BlackBerry 10 both in full touch and QWERTY editions.

In a message to BlackBerry developers, vocalist Alec Saunders – RIM’s VP of developer relations and ecosystem – sings, “We’re gonna keep on loving you,” at the same time reassuring them that “our updated SDK is really cool.”

Check it out at the end of this piece and let us know: epic fail or good laugh?

Besides serenading the developers, RIM is also hoping to hold on to existing ones, or even attract new ones, by offering $10,000 per BB10 app submitted to its app store, provided it meets certain quality requirements.

The video was screened on the same day that RIM boss Thorsten Heins announced some better news for the Ontario-based company. Against expectations, BlackBerry subscriber numbers rose to 80 million for the quarter ending September, an increase of two million from earlier this year.

RIM’s future rests heavily on its next mobile operating system, BB10, which is set to launch early next year, together with a number of new handsets. Hopefully the Keep On Loving You video released on Tuesday won’t have scared off too many developers, and the phones can come to market with plenty of BB10 apps to choose from.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

London Underground joins the “Mock Apple Maps” bandwagon, offers iOS 6 users free maps

Apple Maps are taking hits left, right and center lately. Just about everyone had something to say about the product Apple selected to replace Google Maps in iOS, but this last attack comes from the most unexpected of places.

What you see above is a message from the staff at Hackney Wick underground station in London. The guys working there obviously saw the opportunity to make a great joke at the expense of the troubled app and didn’t hesitate to take it.

We know it’s not very professional, but it certainly made us laugh. Plus, we are sure it wasn’t done with an ill intent. On the contrary – some humor in the morning might be just what all those commuting to work needed, especially considering the dreary weather recently.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Apple against the world: iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S III vs Nokia Lumia 920

Apple just announced its latest flagship smartphone and everyone is already wondering how it will fare against its high-profile competitors. The best-selling Galaxy S III is the leader of the droid gang, while the newly introduced Nokia Lumia 920 is seemingly the best that the WP8 camp will be able to offer.

So is the iPhone 5 good enough to face those two in a specs battle and come out victorious. Join us and find out.

	Apple iPhone 5	SAMSUNG GALAXY S III	Nokia Lumia 920
OS	Apple iOS 6	Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich (upgradable to 4.1 Jelly Bean)	Windows Phone 8
Display	4-inch LED-backlit IPS TFT ~326 ppi pixel density	4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED w/ Corning Gorilla Glass 2	4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ w/ Corning Gorilla Glass ~332 ppi pixel density
Pixel density	~326 ppi pixel density	~306 ppi pixel density	~332 ppi pixel density
Resolution	HD (1136 x 640)	HD (1280 x 720)	HD (1280 x 768)
Height Width Thickness	123.8 mm 58.5 mm 7.6 mm	136.6mm 70.6mm 8.6mm	130.3 mm 70.8 mm 10.7 mm
Weight	112 grams	133 grams	185 grams
Processor	Apple A6	1.4GHz quad-core Cortex A9 processor Exynos 4212 Quad	1.5GHz dual-core Krait processor Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon
GPU	-	Mali-400MP	Adreno 225
RAM	TBA	1GB	1GB
Storage	16GB / 32GB / 64GB	16GB / 32GB / 64GB	32GB
microSD card slot	No	Yes, up to 64GB	No
Primary camera	8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus	8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus	8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus
Primary camera extras	Touch focus, geo-tagging, face detection, panorama, HDR	Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization	Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, autofocus, dual-LED flash, PureView technology, geo-tagging
Front camera	720p	1.9MP 720p@30fps	1.3MP 720p@30fps
Battery	-	Li-Ion 2100  mAh	Li-Ion 2000  mAh
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Plus Cellular	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot	802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
Network	2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 – for Verizon 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO – for Verizon 4G Network LTE 700 MHz Class 17 / 2100 – for AT&T LTE 700 MHz Class 13 – for Verizon	2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 4G Network LTE (regional)	2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 4G Network LTE 800 / 1800 / 2600 / 900 / 2100
USB	Yes, proprietary 9-pin connector	Yes, microUSB v2.0 (MHL), USB On-the-go	Yes, microUSB (MHL) v2.0
Bluetooth	Yes, v4.0 with A2DP, EDR	Yes, v4.0 with A2DP, EDR	Yes, v3.1 with A2DP, EDR
NFC	No	Yes	Yes
Sensors	Gyroscope, G-Sensor, Digital Compass, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor	Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor	Gyroscope, G-Sensor, Digital Compass, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Barometer
Availability	September 21	Currently available	Expected release 2012, Q4

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

YouTube now features 150 free movies from Troma

Troma, everyone's favorite low-brow, low-budget film studio, has uploaded 150 movies from its catalogue for free viewing on YouTube.

Lloyd Kaufman’s Troma Entertainment has made a name for itself by bucking Hollywood trends. The company’s films are made with shoestring budgets, storylines designed to appeal to an audience’s most basic instincts, and an utter disregard for society’s notions of “decency.” Most crucially though, Troma’s films are very fun, which is far more than we can say for most $150+ million blockbuster efforts slapped together in a Hollywood backlot.

In keeping with this trend of flouting Tinsel Town conventions, Troma has taken to YouTube over the past few months to upload 150 films spanning the company’s surprisingly immense catalogue of movies. Now fans can watch “classic” Troma flicks like Rabid Grannies, and Poultrygeist free of charge, on demand and as often as they’d like. Unfortunately, this collection of free movies doesn’t include many of Troma’s most famous films — there’s no Toxic Avenger, no Class of Nuke ‘Em High and, most depressingly, no Surf Nazis Must Die – but that’s understandable, at least from a fiscal standpoint, as these films are the ones most likely to generate huge bags of cash at some point in the future and releasing them totally gratis would be detrimental to Troma’s ability to generate profits from these properties.

However, as if to make up for this noticeable lack of the studio’s most popular films, YouTube’s Troma Entertainment channel also includes a number of older films the studio has been distributing. Films like White Zombie (a 1932 movie starring horror icon Bela Lugosi that is widely regarded as the first entry in the “zombie movie” subgenre) and the endearingly terrible Shark, a Jaws clone that inexplicably features Burt Reynolds, back when the man could still draw swoons from female fans with the slightest hint of his hypnotically bushy chest hair.

Now we’re not saying that this is the greatest collection of cinematic masterpieces in history — far from it; these movies are objectively terrible — but we are urging anyone who has never been exposed to a Troma film before to take advantage of the firm’s generosity as soon as possible. Despite their flaws, Troma’s movies all have a deliriously entertaining sense of mayhem, and if you have the desire (and intestinal fortitude) to discover something wholly unlike the mainstream pabulum Hollywood has been regurgitating en masse for the past century, then now will likely be your best opportunity. 

That said, we should probably drop a “Not Safe For Work” disclaimer here to prevent any of you from firing up one of these flicks in front of your boss. The people who work at Troma could probably get away with it, and we have to imagine that these movies wouldn’t really faze those who work in slaughterhouses, but if you’re a typical cubicle worker who spends your days grinding away on depressingly meaningless paperwork your boss probably won’t be too keen to join an impromptu screening of Zombie Werewolves Attack!

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

3 Microsoft Services Worthy of Your Affection

Everybody hates Microsoft, even though everyone uses its products. Everywhere you go, people would say that Microsoft sucks big time. If they sucked that much, then why do roughly 80 to 90 per cent of people in the planet use Windows? Why is this so? I’ve been researching about it ever since I was in high school but haven’t found the most satisfying answer. Logic and reason would dictate that since a majority of technology users run to Microsoft to respond to their everyday needs, it is still bound to fail at some point; and as a result, this majority is bound to complain one way or another. It’s a fact of life.

But you have to consider the fact that Microsoft is not to be blamed for every single thing that goes wrong. Personally, I try to put up with it by letting go of the tech giant’s faults and by looking at the good things it brings. And maybe, you, too, could benefit from having the same thoughts. So, forget your occasional brushes with the blue screen of death. Forget all the viruses that crashed your PC. Forget the annoying animated paper clip in Microsoft Office. Here are three services from Microsoft that you should appreciate.

Windows Phone OS

In tech review sites elsewhere, Windows Phones have generally full and favorable hands-on impressions. A lot of people got sold immediately after the release of these Microsoft-powered handsets. They’re competitive, to say the least; and ready to be pitted against giants like iOS and Android. Windows Phone presents something refreshing – bringing in a new game that’s miles away from the specs and apps race.

User experience is the primary thing to love about it. It’s enjoyable to use. For instance, you can receive alerts if someone dials your RingCentral business phone number and leaves a voicemail or internet fax on your Windows Phone 7’s fast and productive email system. You can quickly multi-select these messages to perform many actions all at once, which is difficult to do on the iPhone. Windows Phone 8, Microsoft’s latest operating system build for mobile phones, is slated to replace previous versions of Windows’ mobile architecture by the end of 2012.

SkyDrive

Cloud storage and sharing services is the “in” thing nowadays. And of course, this computing behemoth wouldn’t let itself lag behind in this department. The introduction of SkyDrive, the company’s simple file sharing solution, has allowed Microsoft to give users the power to have 7GB storage space (or 25GB if you’re using a Windows Phone) in the cloud for free. With SkyDrive on your PC or mobile device, you’ll have automatic access to shareable files, photos, notes, documents, and videos anytime and anywhere; regardless of the file size (but it should be within your free storage capacity). You only need an internet connection for it to work.

Silverlight

Offered as a free plug-in that’s compatible with multiple browsers, devices, and operating systems, Microsoft Silverlight brings in a new level of interactivity in the web. With it, you can create rich and engaging interactive content like videos or business applications across multiple formats while protecting your authorship.

Haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate; but Microsoft is going to continue selling products and services like pancakes. It’s just something we can’t escape.

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

2013 Land Rover Range Rover gets tweaked styling and a lighter, aluminum body

Land Rover threw out the rule book with the Evoque, but the changes to its flagship Range Rover for 2013 are more conservative.

Not everyone needs to save fuel. For those who can afford an uncompromising blend of off-road performance and luxury, the Land Rover Range Rover really is in a class of one. For 2013, Land Rover is giving this brute a refresh.

After the shockingly different Evoque, the company obviously felt that major changes to its flagship model would be too much. The 2013 Range Rover retains its classic boxy profile, but with a few adjustments. The front end used to be upright, but now it’s more rounded to bring the Range Rover in line with the Evoque. The formerly square headlights and taillights now have little tails, again, copied from the Evoque.

The 2013 model still looks like a Range Rover, and that’s why the Evoque styling cues don’t exactly jibe with the rest of the body. The vents just below the headlights look out of place too, like they were stuck on at the last minute to make the massive front bumper seem smaller.

Styling aside, the 2013 Range Rover gets several mechanical updates that should make it a more capable vehicle. The body may look the same as the 2012, but it’s completely new. Land Rover scrapped the old model’s steel monocoque for an aluminum one, which will save weight and improve fuel economy. The company says 2013 Range Rovers are 39 percent lighter than 2012s; a U.S.-spec model should be about 700 pounds lighter than last year’s model.

Under the hood, the 2013 Range Rover retains the 5.0-liter naturally aspirated and supercharged V8s from the 2012 model, with the same 510 and 375 horsepower, respectively. However, both engines are hooked up to a new transmission: an eight-speed automatic replaces the old six-speed.

The 2013 Range Rover sends its power to all four wheels through an electronic two-speed transfer case. It also gets a revised air suspension system, which can raise the SUV’s ride height on command for off-road driving.

What sets the Range Rover apart from other luxury SUVs is its off-road prowess so, Land Rover will continue to offer its Terrain Response system in 2013 models. The system automatically adjusts the traction control, throttle response, and other settings based on the surface the vehicle is traveling over.

All of this will be controlled from a restyled interior. Like the exterior, the 2013 Range Rover’s interior combines traditional Range Rover design elements with some bits of the Evoque. The small Land Rover’s leather-wrapped dashboard, floating touch screen, and gear knob (first seen on the Jaguar XF) will make their way into the Range Rover. The 2013 model is also more spacious, with an extra 4.7-inches of rear legroom.

The 2013 Range Rover isn’t a dramatic departure from previous models, but there wasn’t much that needed changing. It will be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September, and it will hit American shores in December, or possibly January 2013.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

The Best Fashion Apps

Getting an invitation to a wedding is always exciting. There’s nothing better than a proper family knees up and everyone loves a wedding.

However, the invitation also comes with an obligation – to look good yourself. Finding the perfect outfit for a wedding can be tricky!

Some people have natural style and manage to look effortlessly perfect whatever the occasion. However, the rest of us mere mortals can find the task a little more difficult and when you consider the various rules that come with dressing for a wedding – don’t show too much flesh, don’t wear white, keep it colourful, and so on – it’s little wonder that many people wish they could have a little help.

Sadly, we can’t all afford a stylist and the chances of getting on a television programme are slim to none, but there are many more technological ways of ensuring that whether it’s a small intimate wedding or a more lavish affair, you’ll look picture perfect and know exactly what to wear to a wedding.

Apps

One of the biggest problems with technology is that those who know about it assume that everyone does. Therefore the phrase App is often used with few people knowing what it actually means. In very general and simple terms, an App is short for application and is a software application or programme which you can load into your phone or computer to give you a new programme.

Businesses use Apps as mini websites in cases where the hosting technology (such as a phone) can’t support their entire website. The App gives select information or abilities but doesn’t use up the entire memory.

Best Fashion Apps

Thanks to Apps, deciding what to wear for a wedding couldn’t be easier, and stylists and insiders have selected some of their favourites.

ChicFeed

Simply put, Chicfeed is a collection of photographs taken from around the world of ordinary street-style shots. The app is put together by some of the most established and respected fashion bloggers in the world so you can trust that what they say is gospel!

Snapette

Snapette is another gallery App which lets you see some of the best in fashion, divided into categories, so finding the perfect outfit for an interview, a day out or what to wear for a wedding is simple and efficient.

The Cut On The Runway

This is the best App on the market for dedicated followers of fashion. This features updated clips and photographs from fashion shows as and when they happen as well as scores of hidden extras such as blogs from the designers, beauty tips and front row images.

 Go Try It On

This is the perfect App for when you’re shopping alone but want a second opinion from someone who’s not a pushy sales assistant. It couldn’t be easier to work either. Simply upload a picture of yourself wearing the outfit in question and the network of users will rank your style. If that sounds a little embarrassing, fear not as the blurring feature lets your face stay completely anonymous.

Amy Mitchell is a freelance writer and fashion blogger.

Source : techtalkafrica[dot]com

Good deals: iPhone 4S $150, Galaxy S3 $100, Samsung gives back $300

We list some good deals on smartphones happening right now for phones like the iPhone 4S, Galaxy S3, and EVO 4G LTE.

Everyone likes a good deal. Over the past few days, we’ve noticed quite a few popping up, so we thought we’d share a few with you. We have no monetary ties to any of these companies. They just look like good deals on devices we’ve enjoyed using. Most of these deals are for Sprint.

• iPhone 4S on Sprint for $150: AllThingsD noticed that Sprint has lowered the price on the current iPhone from $200 to $150. Other carriers may follow suit. Apple is expected to debut a new iPhone in the September or October timeframe.
• HTC EVO 4G LTE for free or $150: AmazonWireless always seems to have low prices on phones. Today, it’s offering the EVO 4G LTE for Sprint for $0.01 if you’re new to Sprint and sign up for a two-year contract, or $150 if you renew your contract.
• Samsung Galaxy S3 on Sprint for $100 or $150: Amazon is also offering the Galaxy S3 for $100 to new Sprint subscribers or $150 to those who renew.
• Galaxy Nexus on Sprint for free or $80: This is a great deal. The Galaxy Nexus has weak battery life, but for free with a new Sprint contract and $80 for a renewal, you’re not doing bad. Buy a second battery.
• Samsung offers up to $300 for old phone trade in: On its Facebook page, Samsung has started a new promotion where it will offer up to $300 for your current phone if you upgrade to a new Samsung phone. It’s a double mail-in rebate of sorts. You buy a new phone then mail Samsung your old one. If everything checks out, it then mails you a check.

Did I miss some good deals? We can’t list them all, but if you notice any good ones going on, comment here and I’ll add them.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com