At first impression, you really can’t argue that Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 looks nice. It has got some features too that are ideal for students and professionals alike. But beyond that, how does this laptop model fair against other laptops in the market?

Overview Like the S6960 model, Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 is equipped with a Fusion Finish to produce a sonic black pattern. Needless to say, it is looking nice with a stylish design, pin-stripe pattern, glossy lid, excellent palm rest, and speaker grills. At a budget price of $629.99, one can often not believe right away that this laptop is actually priced as such, especially when you get to explore its other features. The keyboard is large and there is also a full number pad to the right side, which is missing in some other laptop brands. Thus, the space on this laptop is fully utilized from one end to another. However, its glossy finish makes it prone to gathering lots of unsightly fingerprints. But it is made up by the presence of touch-sensitive media controls and webcam (along with a mic) on top of the screen. Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 comes with a thick body though and a 6-cell battery that comes with an extended life span. The screen size though is typical for the laptop’s actual size, and yet it comes with an impressive 1,366×768 native resolution. As for the real test and benchmark, the performance of Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 is a small step up its predecessor. Thanks to the 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T660 processor, 500GB 5,400 rpm hard drive, and 4GB DDR2 800MHz memory. The operating system is 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium, such that performance of this laptop is quite excellent. If you are not satisfied with its natural performance yet, you can make upgrades and it is very easy to do since the memory and hard drive compartments are easily accessible at the bottom. One noticeable lacking feature though is the Bluetooth, although it does have a wide range of port selection. Pro’s There are some wonderful benefits that you can enjoy buying Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980, such as the following: • The large display screen provides you with optimum viewing pleasure, especially for multimedia purposes. In addition to an impressive display, the speakers come with huge sounds and produces topnotch audio quality. This laptop model has an excellent battery life for long lasting use. Con’s Although some features make Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 a functional laptop, there are some lacking features or others that still need improvement: • If you are looking for a compact laptop, this one is a bit to heavy to lug around and is not convenient for portable purposes. Although the battery comes with an excellent life span, it is too massive such that it looks awkward, aesthetically speaking. It lacks Bluetooth functionality, which has become one of the standard features for most modern laptops. Final Thoughts Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 comes with some excellent features such as good build and design, excellent quality speakers, and a terrific battery life, especially for its size. Thus, it makes a great addition to mainstream laptop choices, particularly for consumers who are looking for budget laptop. Notebook Reviews laptop, laptpp review, notebook, Satellite A505-S6980 review, toshiba, Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980 review

The next iPhone from Apple is planned to be released in June of 2011 or at least that is the generally expected date given Apple’s annual release of products. When it comes to iPhones and the release dates, Apple is in the drivers seat and has complete control of when they are to be released.

The current iPad 2 was rumored to be delayed until June and Apple came through to deliver it early and beat several other tablets to market. Whether Apple itself is the source of some of these rumors, is an unknown, but if they are, they are doing a great job of getting free publicity. What has now prompted more rumors about the delivery of the next generation iPhone is the announcement by Apple of the Worldwide Developers Conference this year, which is going to be held in June. It is normally held in the spring several months before the iPhone is released.

It is that announcement that has so many speculating as to what this means. Much of this makes sense, but with Apple, you never know. At the developers conference, Apple provides information so that app developers can make changes to their apps to take advantage of the changes, so with the coming IOS 5, there is an expectation of new things to be included and the developers need a few months to get changes done before the IOS is released along with the phone. Based on that information, it does make sense that it would be delayed until the fall.

There are other rumors about the iPhone 5 having the much talked about NFC chips for mobile payments even though they could not be taken advantage of until the end of the year. With a later release date of the fall, they would be that much closer to providing the hardware and software for that to work. Granted that is speculation, but it does add up when adding all the other items in.

Other comments from some are saying that the June event will be all about software and there will not be hardware being shown. That would tend to indicate that the iPhone 5 is being delayed and does make sense. Better to have a well prepared developer side when the phone is actual rolled out.

The other thing that is not being speculated about is the impact of the events in Japan which are continuing this week as they try and gain control of nuclear reactors. Their power problems which are requiring rolling black outs make it almost impossible for some businesses to produce much and if there are components that come from Japan for the iPhone 5, a June launch date could be tough to get the needed parts to assemble the phones in a timely manner.

All of this is speculation and as June approaches, there will be much more.

Developers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have created a micro-robot that can transform and change functions from rolling and reeling, pushing to flying.

That particular robot, called the Primer, is made from stretched plastic polymers. It can change shape as the temperature rises and is controlled by magnets.

Initially, each Primer was an exoskeleton (biological robot) in the form of a plastic sheet. But when combined with a magnetic controller, the exoskeleton can transform into many other polymorphs, such as a drum, a small boat, or even a roller coaster.

The plastic sheets are designed on computers, using the art of origami paper folding to ensure accuracy when starting to transform. Each plate is designed for a specific purpose.

Currently, Primer cannot operate by itself. The researchers still have to remote control so they can move to the required locations.

In the initial test, Primer took up to three minutes to shape the boat moving underwater.

In the future, Primer continues to be improved to improve the speed of movement, the ability to carry, push objects, automate, and can use many shapes at the same time in specific tasks.

The research on Primer has been published in Science Robotics recently.

To many people, the electric saw is a scary things which can bring a horrifying image makes the mental disorder. However, saws are an integral part of creating woodwork. In the present, scientists at MIT’s Computer Science and Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed an experimental system called AutoSaw, which uses robots to serve the sawing of wood.

Users start by using a computer and using the available OnShape CAD system to design basic models like the item they want to build and manufacture. They can fine-tune that template to their favor, taking into account dimensions or aesthetics. Once the design is complete, the program will make a list of all the pieces of wood needed to be cut. This list is then transmitted to the robots.

Two automatic rack systems that have the size of a small cell phone Kuka Youbots, guided by a motion-tracking system, will pick up raw pieces of wood and carry them to the saw blade.

After all the wood has been cut, the computer guides the user through the process of assembling them to create the finished product.

So far, AutoSaw has been used to build a table with simulations showing it can be used to create chairs, small storage compartments, or boards.

Adriana Schulz, one of the team members, a graduate student, said: “Our goal is to democratize furniture customization so that people can change the furniture they buy to suit their needs. ”

Apple is keeping iOS, the operating system that powers the iPhone and iPad, to themselves. That leaves other tablet makers out in the cold, unless they buy a company that makes a competing OS (like HP did) or use an existing open-source operating system … like Android, or Ubuntu.
Google says that their Android operating system isn’t designed for tablets yet, although this hasn’t stopped Samsung from selling over a million of their Android-powered “Galaxy Tab” tablets. But what about Ubuntu, the most popular open-source operating system for desktop PCs? Is an “Ubuntu Tablet Edition” in the cards for when Ubuntu Natty Narwhal ships next April? Here’s why I think that they’re heading in that direction.

ARM Processor support in Ubuntu

The reason most desktop PCs have those “Intel Inside” stickers on them is because they use Intel microprocessors in them. (Modern Macs use Intel processors too, but Apple doesn’t like having stickers on their computers.) Intel’s good at making powerful processors like the Core 2 Duo, but so far they’ve failed to make a good tiny processor, of the kind that would power a smartphone or tablet.

Right now, most tablets are powered by ARM processors. So the fact that the people behind Ubuntu are working to make Ubuntu run on ARM processors means that they know which way things are headed. When Mark Shuttleworth says that “increased choice of hardware” is one reason they’re doing this, you know he doesn’t just mean ARM netbooks; he means “better gadgets,” like Ubuntu tablets.

Touch-friendly Unity interface

I reviewed Ubuntu’s Unity interface when it came out for Maverick Meerkat. It’s not just a new skin or design, the way Windows Vista’s “Aero” interface was; it’s a new way of using your computer, that’s not quite like anything else out there. And it can’t be a coincidence that it has large, touch-friendly buttons all along one side of the screen.

Right now Unity has a long way to go. It has poor performance and accessibility support, and most Ubuntu apps aren’t designed for a touchscreen to begin with. But Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is putting a lot of energy into making Unity work in time for Ubuntu Natty Narwhal. So even if Natty’s not going to be Ubuntu Tablet Edition, they’re definitely working on it.

The Upshot

Could Ubuntu really power a tablet like the iPad? As opposed to one like the clumsy, Windows-based tablets, that used a stylus and never caught on. On the surface, it seems doubtful, because Ubuntu wasn’t designed from the ground up to be a tablet OS the way iOS was. It was originally meant to be a desktop PC OS, like Windows.

Ubuntu’s more customizable than Windows, though. And Unity shows that the way you interact with Ubuntu can be changed around completely, and made much more tablet-friendly. Will anyone bite, and make an Ubuntu tablet instead of an Android one? As it turns out, someone already has … and while they’re a “no-name” Chinese company, it still hints at what’s possible.

Click here to take a look! And whatever OS your future tablet will run, I hope you’ll have fun with it.

Millions of Americans are making the switch from a basic cell phone to an Android-based smartphone with internet and applications connectivity. After all the excitement in the store has passed, many people find themselves slightly overwhelmed by their new electronic device.
It absolutely is not that bad.

Just relax.

A smartphone is powerful cell phone, computer and toy. The basics of how to use the new device phone probably were explained in the store (if not, go back there immediately and make them explain it). The more advanced features of the device likely will be discovered mainly by trial-and-error.

Quickly explore the Market icon under the “Applications” tab. There are literally hundreds of thousands of applications-many of them free-to choose from. There are games, useful tools, and thousands of other applications too. Search hobbies, personal interests and just thumb through the various choices to pick the ones that grab interest. They can always be deleted later.

Take a look at Advanced Task Killer. This is an excellent free application that helps to extend your battery life by killing (ending) applications that are no longer in use. Applications such as GPS navigation, browser searches, voice command applications and many more continue to run after the user has moved to another screen or placed the phone down. These applications drain the battery life and require more frequent periods to charge the device. Advanced Task Killer helps to eliminate applications that are no longer a necessary draw on the battery power.

Personalizing Facebook settings is another task to undertake right away. Most Android devices offer a Facebook application as well. It is easy to personalize and use. Photos can be uploaded directly from the device to your Facebook account.

So, have no fear. Find a comfortable chair and something cold to drink. Plug your phone in to the wall charger and start playing. In no time, you too will be a smartphone pro. Have fun!

Insulating oxides are non-conductive oxygen-containing compounds, but they can sometimes create conductive interfaces when they are correctly layered together. Conductive electrons at the interface form a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) with exotic quantum properties that make the system useful in electronic and light quantum applications.

Researchers at Yale University have developed a 2DEG system on gallium arsenide, an efficient semiconductor that absorbs and emits light.

This development promises new electronics that interact with light, such as new transistors, superconductor switches, and gas sensors.

Lior Kornblum, now at the Technion Institute of Technology, Israel, who describes the new research that appears in the Journal of Applied Physics, says, “I consider this to be the premise for oxide-electronics devices.”

The researchers were surprised to find that in the 2DEG system, a combination of two insulating oxide layers can produce conductive electrons that behave like a gas or liquid between layers of oxide and can transmit information.

Researchers have previously observed 2DEG with semiconductors, but 2DEG oxide has a much higher electron density, making them more potential for some electronic applications.

2DEG oxide has attractive quantum properties. For example, this system appears to exhibit an easy combination with magnetic materials and high superconductivity.

In general, it isn’t very easy to produce 2DEG oxide in large quantities because only the necessary pieces of oxide crystals can be produced. However, if researchers can develop oxides on sheets of commercial semiconductor materials, they can expand 2DEG oxide for real-world applications.

Developing 2DEG oxide on semiconductors also allows researchers to integrate material structures with conventional electronics better. According to Kornblum, oxide electronic circuits interacting with electrons in semiconductors could create new functions and be widely applied in a wider range of devices.