Which browser is the best ?

It seemed like a predictable trend: Watch Internet Explorer’s (IE's) market share drop. For the longest time, you could count on IE losing Web browser market share and either Chrome or Firefox picking up users. However, the latest October 2012 numbers from NetMarketShare show that IE is continuing to regain lost ground, thus ensuring its rule as the most popular desktop Web browser, with 54 percent of the market worldwide.

IE’s still-above-the-halfway mark is followed by Mozilla's Firefox with 20 percent and with Google's Chrome nipping at its heels with 19 percent. The other "popular" Web browsers remain mired in the single digits. Apple's Safari comes in fourth with 5 percent and Opera takes fifth, hitting 2 percent only because we round up the percentages.

IE has gained half-a-percentage point since September. This came mostly at the expense of Chrome, which dropped 0.31 percent while Firefox lost .09 percent. Those numbers are small enough that formal market researchers would say there’s essentially no change. However, a little more variance is evident if you poke around in the numbers. If you included Chrome pre-rendering, a technique Chrome uses to pre-load Web pages for better effective performance, into the rankings, Chrome would take second place from Firefox, 30 percent to 20 percent, but Chrome's overall market share would still be slightly declining.

Why is this happening? No doubt, it's in part because of Microsoft's IE 9 TV ad campaign. Mozilla, though, has another explanation: Mozilla claims that by Microsoft not giving users the legally required browser choice menu in Windows 7 SP 1 in the European Union (EU), this kept users from picking an alternative browser.

Harvey Anderson, Mozilla VP of business affairs and general counsel, claims that Microsoft's failure to include the "browser choice" screen for Windows users in the EU for more than a year and a half lost Mozilla between 6-9 million downloads, which Microsoft has admitted to as a "technical error." It's an error that doubtlessly has helped IE browser share. It may also be an issue in theEU's resulting anti-trust legal actions, which cost Microsoft as much as 5.6-billion euros, that is US$7.3-billion. It's expected, however, that Microsoft will settle with the EU for far less.

All that taken into consideration, it didn't help Firefox's cause that the latest version, Firefox 16, had to be pulled from the Firefox download site immediately after its early October release. This was because Firefox 16 proved to have a major security problem. This has since been fixed and Firefox 16 is now available

Back to the browser market share: NetMarketShare reports that Microsoft has been successful in getting Windows 7 users to switch to IE 9. "With a gain of 1.9 percent last month, Internet Explorer 9 on Windows 7 surpassed 50 percent usage share in the United States – reaching 51.7 percent. Worldwide, it gained 1.3 percent on Windows 7 reaching 40.3 percent usage share for the month of October." IE 9 is only available on Windows 7. IE 8 is the latest version for Windows XP users and IE 10, of course, comes only on Windows 8.

IE is obviously tied to Windows, but Windows users do make other choices. Chrome was Windows users' second favorite browser, followed by IE 8 and Firefox. 

That's all well and good, but winning the desktop browser battles is beginning to mean less than it once did.

NetMarketShare also reports, "For the first time in our sample, browsing on mobile devices has exceeded 10 percent of all browsing. This actually underestimates the total amount of browsing share on mobile devices, since our sample does not contain data on apps, like maps." In the smartphone and tablet market, Safari rules, thanks to Apple's iPhones and iPads, with 60 percent of the market, followed by the Android native browser with 26 percent, Opera Mini at 8 percent, and the BlackBerry browser with 1 percent. The other mobile browsers, including IE, are lost in the noise below the 1 percent market share level. 

When PS4 will be released ?

The eagerly awaited Sony PlayStation 4 will not launch next year, latest reports have suggested, with a Sony PS4 release date tipped for spring or autumn 2014.

With Sony PS4 rumours having done the rounds for a number of years, new reports of the as yet unconfirmed console have suggested that the Sony PS4 will hit retailers in less than two years’ time, with the eagerly awaited console currently in development under the code name ‘Thebes’.

Having previously been tipped to go under the code name ‘Orbis’, new reports have suggested that the next-generation PlayStation console will launch a year after the expected 2013 Xbox 720 release date, with a spring unveiling likely to be followed by an autumn release.

Discussing the upcoming Sony PS4 release date, SemiAccurate has suggested that Sony’s PlayStation 4 launch will “most likely be the spring of 2014, but it could be fall of that year too.”

Citing Japanese speaking sources, the latest PS4 rumours added: “Other than it being an AMD CPU and GPU, we don’t have much more specific details [on the PS4 specs]. It is said to be a 28nm part, likely fabbed at Global Foundries or OBM fir the first run.”

Sony PS4 Rumours
The long rumoured replacement to the now ageing Sony PS3, the PlayStation 4 release has been the thing of much speculation for a number of years with the Nintendo Wii U rival widely expected to launch after Microsoft’s next-generation console.

Although a disc-less, download only console has been mooted, it is believed that the Sony PS4 will continue to support disc-based media whilst the console is, like its predecessor, also expected to host a Sony Blu-ray player as standard.

What would you like to see Sony incorporate with the expected Sony PS4? Would you be happy with a download only console? Let us know via the Trusted Reviews Twitter andFacebook feeds or through the comment boxes below.

PS3 console rumours :-

Intelligent Car in 2013

Cadillac Super Cruise

It appears that Cadillac will offer its hands-off adaptive cruise control on one or more vehicles for the 2014 model year--at least if one high-ranking executive is to be believed.

Appearing at the Driverless Car Summit in Detroit yesterday, Gary Smyth, executive director of GM's North  American Science laboratories--the company's R&D arm--said the "SuperCruise" function shown earlier this year would be something "we will be introducing in the near term."

When a car company executive says that (a few times, in this case), it's code. It means, "not this year, but maybe next year"--which, translated, means not for the 2013 model year but possibly for 2014.

The SuperCruise system controls not only the accelerator and brake, but also the steering, allowing the driver to remove his or her hands from the steering wheel.

It operates by adding so-called lane centering to today's adaptive cruise control, which keeps a vehicle at a safe following distance from the cars ahead of it.

Lane centering uses technology already used for Lane Departure Correction systems offered today on several luxury brands. Those systems automatically steer a car back into its lane if it drifts over a lane divider.

The lane-centering function operates the steering continuously, rather than intermittently, to center the car between the two lane markers. It can also include algorithms to offset the car slightly if, for example, there's a high concrete wall on one side--a situation in which a human driver would stay further away from that side.

The system is an example of what GM calls "sensor fusion," in which data from a variety of camera, radar, and ultrasonic systems are integrated to give the vehicle an increasingly complete picture of what is happened around it.

That will consequently improve the car's ability to respond more quickly than a human driver could, as well as to inform its driver of potentially important upcoming situations.

The SuperCruise system would be the first "hands-off" driving function ever offered in the U.S.

It represents the next step toward electronically-augmented driving, often characterized as follows:

• Feet Off: Adaptive cruise control, which continuously controls the accelerator and brake
• Hands Off: Adds lane centering to adaptive cruise, meaning the vehicle continuously keeps itself within its lane
• Eyes Off: Vehicle automatically drives itself from point to point, avoiding obstacles and reacting suddenly to all safety hazards
• People Out: Vehicle can drive itself to a given point without occupants

Speakers at the Driverless Car Summit cautioned that while "Hands Off" driving will arrive within a few years, moving to "Eyes Off" operation--where the driver may relinquish the responsibility for safe driving to the vehicle--remains a considerable distance away.

There will also be regulatory hurdles that will have to be negotiated, country by country.

A system like SuperCruise cannot be certified for sale today in Germany, according to Luca Delgrossi, director of driver assistance programs at Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America.

In the U.S., however, an enhanced adaptive cruise-control system that removes the need for steering seems likely to be welcomed by long-distance drivers who regularly rack up Interstate trips of up to 12 hours a day.

Could Cadillac perhaps beat Mercedes-Benz to the punch in offering an automotive safety system? That would be news indeed.

When Apple iTV will be release ?

Apple iTV

Having dominated the smartphone, tablet, PMP, laptop and all-in-one markets Apple looks set to turn its attentions to the TV sector with numerous reports suggesting the Cupertino-based company is planning to update its current Apple TV offering next year and launch its first full blown television sets dubbed Apple iTV.

Far from confirmed, Apple iTV rumours have been circulating for a number of months kicking into overdrive following the publication of the official Steve Jobs biography in which the Apple co-founder and former CEO said he had “finally cracked” how to change the television market.

"I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use,” Jobs reportedly said. “It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."
 

Apple iTV: Release date

Although far from confirmed the Apple iTV release date has become one of the most talked about upcoming announcements of the year with Apple CEO Tim Cook recently offering the closest indication yet that the iPhone and iPad maker is planning to out a full television service.

Speaking to NBC News, Mr Cook confirmed the TV market was "of intense interest," to the folks at Cupertino.

Speaking earlier this year at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference, Cook described the current Apple TV offering as a ‘hobby’, whilst revealing Apple shifted just shy of 3 million Apple TV units during 2011, 1 million of which came in the year’s final quarter.

Stating that Apple “doesn’t do hobbies as a general rule,” Cook revealed that the existing Apple TV unit was testing the waters of the television sector stating the company would need something “special” in order to make TV a “serious category” for Apple.

“The reason we call it a hobby is because we don’t want to send a message to you or our shareholders that we think the market for it is the size of our other businesses,“ Cook said of Apple TV. He added that he believed Apple could “find something that was larger” so that its ventures into the television industry “could go more main-market.”

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claims he saw "early production evidence of iTV" on a trip to Apple manufacturing plants in China during the summer. Suggesting Apple will produce between two and five million units ready for a launch. Misek said the manufacturer would introduce a number of "specialty components" to the process.

Adding to this onslaught of speculation is the latest news from the Wall Street Journal that Foxconn and Sharp are currently developing prototype designs in Asia. An unnamed source inside one of Apple’s suppliers apparently told the WSJ that the companies were working on a number of prototypes but that: “It isn’t a formal product yet. It is still in the early stages of testing”.

Apple iTV specifications and display

Engadget predicts an A5 processor and 1080p video - neither of which are a huge surprise, granted.

Australian tech site Smarthouse says that the Apple iTV will come in three sizes, including 32-inch and 55-inch models.

Sources at "a major Japanese company who are involved in manufacturing the TV" reckon the sets will have the same processor as the forthcoming iPad 3, which presumably means an Apple A6.

Smarthouse isn't usually the go-to site for Apple rumours, but its report echoes similar claims by respected Apple analyst Gene Munster, who told the recent Future of Media conference that Apple will make its TV in a range of sizes.

March, June and December 2012 rumours pointed at Sharp being the manufacturing partner. SlashGear says work on components is already under way. In mid April, Sharp announced it had begun production of 32-inch HI-DPI LCD panels at its Kameyama Plant No. 2 - could these be the panels destined for the Apple iTV?

Apple contractor Foxconn's parent company has made a rather large investment in Sharp - does this indicate something we wonder?

Both companies were apparently working together to 'test' TV designs in the December 2012 rumours.

Apple iTV operating system

As with the Apple TV, any iTV is likely to run iOS, albeit in slightly disguised form. Compatibility with other iOS devices is a given: current Apple TVs already accept video streamed via AirPlay and access shared iTunes libraries. We'll be amazed if the iTV doesn't get apps.

Expect Apple iTV and Apple TV to work more like iOS does on the iPad; the newest iOS 6 Beta for the Apple TV enables app icons to be moved around the homescreen just like on the iPhone and iPad.

That has led some observers to conclude that the rumoured App Storefor Apple's favourite 'hobby project' might be on the way sooner rather than later.

Apple iTV and iCloud

Steve Jobs told his biographer: "I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."

According to one source which claims to have seen the device, the new TV has Siri and FaceTime.

Apple iTV remote control

Munster says the iTV will come with an ordinary remote control, and will be controllable with iPhones, iPod touches and iPads, but the real remote control will be Siri.

Apple's voice recognition system will be the heart of the new Apple TV, enabling you to choose channels and control the TV's functions with voice alone. That means " the simplest user interface you could imagine" is voice.

However, according to a new patent filed in March 2012, Apple has come up with the design for an advanced universal remote that would also be compatible with your iPhone and iPad.

Apple iTV AirPlay mirroring

After AirPlay mirroring from Mac to Apple TV was present in the developer preview of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, it's not a great leap to suggest that the Apple iTV could mirror the display of your Mac or iPad wirelessly too. AirPlay mirroring is now 1080p with the new iPad and new Apple TV.

When a prototype was reportedly 'seen' it did feature AirPlay.

Apple iTV programmes

While the iTV will get content from iTunes and iCloud, it's not going to be completely separate from current TV broadcasters: Munster says that you'll still need a cable TV subscription and decoder because Apple doesn't have enough content.

We're not sure whether it would play nicely with Freeview and Freeview HD here in the UK, but perhaps a DVB-T compatible unit will arrive as part of a second generation.

As of 6 March 2012, rumours were continually doing the rounds that, as theNew York Post reports, Apple is planning to launch a music streaming service this side of Christmas.

On 13 March, Les Moonves, who is CEO at CBS, says he was the recipient of a pitch from Steve Jobs regarding his network's participation in asubscription-based service, but turned him down. Apple is also rumoured to be talking about getting partners involved for movie streaming.

His reasoning? Moonves says he was worried about damaging the network's existing revenue streams through broadcast and cable television.

The main question is whether Apple will open the door for third-party content, like the BBC iPlayer, Sky Go and 4oD and other apps we've seen on connected TV platforms. These may well arrive with apps - the Apple TV SDK will pull on the iTV ecosystem and we're expecting apps to be available for Apple TV too.

Mind you, it's also been claimed that Apple will seek to cut traditional TV providers out of the content loop.

Apple iTV price

Gene Munster reckons that the iTV will be twice the price of a similarly sized TV. Ouch. However, new March 2012 rumours point at a subsidised launch -courtesy of various partners.

Apple iTV picture quality

If the iTV does appear, it won't leave manufacturers quaking in their boots. That's according to Samsung's Chris Moseley who told Pocket-Lint in early February 2012 that the firm isn't overly concerned with what Apple launches if it decides to enter the TV market

"We've not seen what they've done but what we can say is that they don't have 10,000 people in R&D in the vision category," he says.

"They don't have the best scaling engine in the world and they don't have world renowned picture quality that has been awarded more than anyone else."

Apple iTV gaming and apps

Although most of the rumours so far have been about the hardware involved in the iTV, gaming may be a major focus of the new device. Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted in mid-April at the HQ of Valve Software, the company behind gaming platform Steam. Some rumours are drawing more from this meeting, saying Apple could be producing a Kinect-style gesture-based console. But this is likely to be part and parcel of the iTV.

IPhone 6 Rumours

With the iPhone 5 release date still fresh in our minds it is no surprise that the rumour mill is already looking ahead at the next iPhone from Apple whether it's a refresh in the form of the iPhone 5S or the even bigger update in the form of the iPhone 6.

Apple iPhone 6 screen

With the Retina display likely to appear onthe iPhone 5S it would appear as though Apple may shift to a larger iPhone screen for the 6 with reports suggesting the company will finally try and compete with the screen of smartphones like the upcomingHTC J Butterfly.

Reports are flying around that Apple could be looking to implement a 4.8-inch Retina+ IGZO screen made by Sharp which will make the iPhone display thinner, brighter and much clearer boasting better than HD resolutions.

According to those inside the manufacturing industry Sharp is working on making its super HD display iPhone-ready however because the technology is so advanced it’s unlikely to appear on the iPhone 5S with Apple saving the bleeding-edge tech for the likes of the iPhone 6 and possibly even the iPad Mini 2.

Source: MacRumours

Apple iPhone 6 features

With the iPhone 5 featuring the super-fast and super-efficient A6 processor it’s believed that the iPhone 6 will come with the new A7 chip which would be limited to the next-generation iPad and the 6.

The source that suggested this also believes Apple will be looking to launch the iPhone 5S quicker than usual in order to give them enough of a window for the iPhone 6 to be a significant update on the previous model.

A new feature that could well appear on the 6th generation iPhone is the use of sonar as a replacement to the current infared sensors which use sound as a proximity sensor letting the phone detect where it is, either as a way of alerting the user about an incoming object, or as a way of detecting whether the phone is being held to the users ear.

Apple iPhone 6 release date

The Apple iPhone 6 release date could well be one key reason why there may not be an iPhone 5S at all. Tech website Technorati believes that Apple will be looking to regain the wow factor and to do that it needs to restrict its launches to game changing products.

While they could well launch the iPhone 5S as the ‘budget iPhone’ the iPhone 6 will be the next major version of Apple’s smartphone and the website believes that Cupertino could be looking to release it late 2013 possibly even 2014 in order to compete directly with what would surely be the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Image credit: Yanko Design

GTA V - Trailers and Screenshot

GRAND THEFT AUTO V

Grand Theft Auto 5 (also known as Grand Theft Auto V, GTA V or GTA 5) is the name of the newest Grand Theft Auto game, announced by Rockstar Games on October 25, 2011. GTA 5 is expected to launch in Spring 2013. iGTA5.com is a dedicated GTA 5 fan site keeping you up to date with all the latest news and facts.

Official GTA V Trailer.

It's been a busy week for GTA fans. The week kicked off with many European websites, giving their own previews of the highly anticipated game. Followed by many more screenshots being released from various sources, on a near daily basis. On Wednesday, Rockstar released the second trailer for 'Grand Theft Auto V'. It's been a great week, but we have a little bit more exciting information for you, and two brand new screenshots!

Samsung Galaxy S IV, IPhone 5S or Nokia Lumia 940 ?

APPLE IPHONE 5S

There’s a depressing inevitability about the talk of the iPhone 5S so soon after the release of the iPhone 5. Still, with Apple having released the iPad 4 just seven months after the March launch of the iPad 3, we should perhaps expect another swift update from the Cupertinocompany. Jeffries analyst Peter Misek – famed for commenting on future products of the fruitcompany – has waded into the pool of iPhone 5S rumors by suggesting it could be arriving as soon as June, with a better camera and NFC among other features.

It’s a well-documented fact that Apple likes to drip-feed new features to consumers, and with the iPhone 4S having preceded the September release of the iPhone 5, there’s no reason to suggest the next release will be anything other than a lookalike, operate-alike iPhone 5, with just enough of a spec bump to coerce people into upgrading.

Misek certainly seems to agree with this universal notion, corroborating the suggested name while speaking of the next device’s list of features.
The first improvement he expects to see, is that of the camera. The iPhone 5′s camera does perform noticeably better than the iPhone 4S – particularly in low light conditions, but still has many shortcomings, and is significantly inferior to that of the Nokia Lumia 920.
Up until just before the iPhone 5 was announced, it was presumed NFC would be packed into the sixth-generation Apple smartphone, but after Anand Lal Shimpi studied the leaked interiors, he noticed something all had missed – the hardware layout meant the prospect of NFC – at least in the iPhone 5 – was an impossibility.
With Passbook having arrived with iOS 6, the iPhone is very much ready for NFC, and as well as the two key hardware adjustments, the iPhone 5S could also ship in multiple color options. Now, we have heard this line before on numerous occasions, but Misek believes the iPhonerange will take a similar aesthetic stance as the iPod touch 5th-gen, which also ships in a variety of colors.

The battery life could also be improved with the iPhone 5S, although Misek’s claim of a “SuperHD” display sounds a little too speculative – particularly considering the resolution has only just been adjusted for the very first time. Still, a better battery, more color options, improved camera, NFC, and a probable chip upgrade make the iPhone 5S an attractive prospect, and one that’ll likely sell in its droves once more.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S IV

We caught a glimpse of a Samsung Galaxy S4 concept video earlier this morning, but let’s return from the land of make-believe for a minute to take care of some real Samsung business, shall we? We know many of you, like us, are highly anticipating the reveal and release of the next Samsung Galaxy S device, which may be coming in nearly four months from now and may pack a little surprise if a recent rumor turns out to be true.

According to Korean website Enuri, Samsung plans to launch its Galaxy S4 in April 2013 that sports a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, a quad-core Exynos 5440 chip, 13-megapixel rear auto-focus camera and an S Pen, which previously was only made available for Samsung’s Galaxy Note line of smartphones and tablet.

Seeing how Samsung is going to be a total buzzkill and not announce the Galaxy S4 at CES next week, we’ll just need to sit back and wait until they decide to officially unveil their next Galaxy S phone, which if it’s launching in April, may be sometime next Spring.

Comparison between Iphone 5S and Galaxy S IV.

Phone Model Apple iPhone 5S Samsung Galaxy S 4

Prices Price (RM) - - AP Price (RM) - -

General Date Announced December 10, 2012 (4th Quarter) December 10, 2012 (4th Quarter) Status Coming Soon Coming Soon Network Technology GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - GSM A1428 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - CDMA A1429 TE 700 / 850 / 1800 / 19 GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 HSDPA

Processor/ Memory CPU - 1.8 GHz RAM 1 GB 2 GB Internal Storage - - External Memory - MicroSd (Up to 64GB) GPU PowerVR SGX 543MP3 Mali 450 Chipset Apple A6 Exynos

Body Dimensions (mm) - - Weight (g) - - Available colours - - QWERTY Keypad No No

Display Screen Size & Resolution - 4.8 inches,1920 x 1200 pixel Screen Color - HD super AMOLED plus Design Candybar Candybar Screen Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 2, Oleophobic coating - Multi Touch Yes No

Software Platform / OS Apple iOS 6 Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean) Java (J2ME) No No Messaging SMS, MMS, Push Email, IM, RSS SMS Others Software Twitter and Facebook integration,TV-out - Maps,iBooks PDF reade,Audio/video player/editor -

Sound Alert - - 3.5mm Jack Yes No Extra Feature - -

Battery Battery Type/ Capacity Li-Po 1440 mAh (5.45 Wh) NULL Stand-by - - TalkTime - -

Entertainment FM Radio No No TV Receiver No No Entertainment Others - -

Connectivity HSDPA DC-HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, LTE, 100 Mbps; EV-DO Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps Null WLAN Yes, v4.0 with A2DP No EDGE Yes No GPRS Yes - WiFi Hotspot Yes No GPS Yes No NFC Support No No Bluetooth Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot No USB Port No No

Camera Specifications Type/Capacity 8 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Max. Resolution 3264x2448 - Flash Yes No Video Recording - - Secondary Camera No No Extra Features - -

NOKIA LUMIA 940

The concept Nokia models made by Edgar Mkrtchyan are simply stunning, so it was a joy when he sent us a new model, the Nokia Lumia 940, made entirely of carbon. The device adopts a more rounded approach to the usual Lumia design and runs Windows Phone 8, as the author claims.

The material at the back reminds me of a knitted sweater or of a basket made of small, flexible branches. It may be the same idea of weaving kevlar like on the Motorola Droid RAZR. Anyway, you should know that the Nokia Lumia 940 features a carbon shell with a large curved screen and inside there’s a dual core 1.5 GHz processor, while upfront we’ve got a 4.5 inch PureMotion HD+ 1280 x 768 screen with Gorilla Glass protection.

At the back there’s a 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash and 1080p video capture. Powering up the entire unit is a 3000 mAh battery and as far as connectivity goes, there’s microUSB, NFC, Bluetooth and Nokia 3.5 AV. I find this to be a very interesting handset and among the advantages of carbon I can think of is its low weight and pretty high durability. Fancy the Nokia 940 ?