T-Mobile brings Square to select small businesses, does the mobile payment thing - by aby benedict

T-Mobile is throwing some of its weight behind the mobile payment movement this morning, becoming the first carrier to offer Square credit card readers to a handful of retail outlets. Under the company's new campaign, stores equipped with T-Mobile smartphones will be able to use Jack Dorsey's readers to finalize transactions from the comfort of their palms. This should come in handy for cash-only businesses, in particular, as T-Mobile emphasized in its announcement today. It's all part of the provider's lineup of small business offerings, though not every retailer will be involved at launch. To see the full list of Squared-up outlets, check out the source link below.
source - T-Mobile

Windows 8 file management: You ask, Microsoft listens - by aby benedict

After augmenting Windows 8 with some mobile-friendly features, it looks like file management is next to go under the knife. Not the sexiest part of an OS, granted, but one you'll use almost every day -- a fact not lost on Redmond. Based on newsgroup feedback, Windows 8 will sport a stack of tweaks hoping to make some of the more mundane tasks, well, less mundane. For example, if you copy duplicate files to a directory, it'll make decisions based on size, name and modified date to determine if it's the same file or not. For long copy jobs, error messages will be mercifully left until the end, allowing the rest to complete. Other simple touches include EXIF orientation data, which will be reflected in Explorer's preview, updates to the slightly contentious Ribbon, plus a bunch more user-driven goodies. We're reserving judgement until we get hands-on of course, but if you want to know more, there's a full rundown in the source after the break.

McDonald’s Will Stop Using Pink Goop Beef in Its Burgers

Chef Jamie Oliver calls it pink slime. We feel it's more like pink goop. Either way, the ammonium hydroxide soaked pink crap beef is vomit inducing. Thankfully, you won't have to eat it anymore. Kind of. McDonald's has finally caved to the pressure and will ditch the use of the pink goop beef in its burgers.

What's gross about the pink goop beef, made by Beef Products Inc (BPI), is that it's actually made of of "beef trimmings" which are the undesirable, leftover crap of a cow that's better fit for dogs than humans. Taking it one step further, the beef trimmings are then processed and soaked in ammonium hydroxide and churned into ground beef. Agh, it's disgusting to eventhink about. This pink goop beef actually makes up a sickening 70% of America's ground beef!

It's taken a while but McDonald's has finally decided to step up its standards in the US (it never used pink goop meat in the UK) and will no longer use the pink BPI meat in the US of A. It might taste fine but pink goop meat is so bad that US Department of Agriculture microbiologist Geral Zirnstein doesn't even consider "the stuff to be ground beef" and considers "allowing it in ground beef to be a form of fraudulent labeling." Oof. And we enjoy this madness.

Joining McDonald's in the pink crap ban is Burger King and Taco Bell which means we can breathe a sigh of relief as we won't be eating ammonium hydroxide soaked beef and beef trimmings fit for dogs when we want to eat crappy fast food. Quality you can't taste.

Final Cut Pro X upgraded: 64 angle Multicam, Thunderbolt, more - by aby benedict

Apple has pushed out a “significant” update to its Final Cut Pro X video editing app for OS X, adding multicam support for up to 64 angles, boosted chroma-keying, enhanced XML for better third-party integration, and Thunderbolt support for peripherals. Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 – a free update for existing owners of the $299.99 software – can automatically synchronize up to 64 video clips or photos using audio waveforms, time/date or timecode, even if the formats and frame sizes/rates are different. Then, the Angle Editor allows users to quickly jump between angles in the resultant Multicam Clip, cutting as they go.

s for chroma key support, the new update adds more advanced controls including color sampling, edge adjustment and light wrap. Apple says users can now use more comprehensive chroma key setups without resorting to third-party software, as well as benefiting from real-time previews of the results.

If you do want to use third-party apps, however, Final Cut Pro X now has more complex XML support for using external software for color correction, media management and more. Apple has coerced firms such as GenArts and Red Giant to create motion-graphics plugins that each support the editing software’s realtime support..

Meanwhile, broadcast monitoring has been added – albeit in beta form – with support for waveform displays, vectorscopes, and calibrated, high-quality monitors. They can be connected via Thunderbolt I/O devices or third party PCIe cards.

Existing owners of Final Cut Pro X can download v10.0.3 as a free update. Those new to the app can try a 30-day trial, available through the Mac App Store. Whether the upgrade will satisfy those power-users frustrated by Apple’s apparent “consumerization” of its video editing platform remains to be seen.

PSA: Facebook Timeline absolutely cannot be undone, don’t be fooled - by aby benedict

The scammers are coming out on Facebook in force this month, right from the start, to get you Timeline haters in their web and snare not just your Facebook account, but your computer’s contents as well. This is a public service announcement for you dreamers hoping to de-authorize Timeline from your Facebook account: you can’t, no matter what you see in an offer for a plug-in, a simple “like to fix,” or anything of that nature. Do not fall for these scams, ladies and gentlemen, there is no way out.

If you do no like the Timeline feature on Facebook, you can snap out the bits and pieces you do not like by heading to your security features or by deleting everything you’re ashamed of in your past piece-by-piece. What you can’t do is get rid of Timeline entirely. If you see an offer on Facebook (or outside of Facebook, for that matter) to get rid of Timeline in one way or another, you’re being scammed. Please do not fall for these fool’s errands by entering your email, downloading software, hitting the Like to activate, and a whole lot more.

For those of you wishing to report sites and Facebook entities that attempt to scam you with such offers, either report them straight from their page in the upper right-hand corner under the gear icon or head here: Facebook Security Page. Facebook does have one whole heck of a lot of security in place, but cannot realistically police the entirety of its own realm. If you can help cut down on scamming across the board, you benefit everyone.

Mercedez-Benz DICE interior concept hands-on - by aby benedict

Attendees exploring CES 2012 earlier this month traveling through the automotive section of the convention would have had a difficult time not at least glimpsing the Mercedez-Benz DICE Interior Concept. In a giant mirrored box sat a completely cushiony set of seats with car dashboard and driving wheel as well as a front windshield, both the windshield and the dashboard proving themselves instantly to be more than meets the eye. This was the DICE, or Dynamic and Intuitive Control Experience, and it was with gestures that one controlled this futuristic dream technology.

We got the opportunity to take a ride in the vehicle as a Mercedes-Benz assistant helped us along. Your humble narrator was shown how the front screen and the control scheme worked together to create a fully immersive experience for the driver. You’ll see in the video how menus sat on carrousels, selections were made with a push forward on the atmosphere in front of one’s hand, and at no point was there any doubt that the car was attempting to think with the person controlling it. Though the controls weren’t exactly simply to work with, as the sensor technology wasn’t perfect, this certainly stuck with us as one of the most amazing shows of power at the convention.

While the dashboard shows off menus that included media, social, and places, each of them able to control what you’re hearing and seeing around you, who you’re contacting from the vehicle, and mapping where you want to go, it was the windshield that really showed off the state of the future. In the windshield you were able to see not only the turn-by-turn directions you’d pushed up from the dashboard so that you could experience them in a less distracting way, but landmarks were pointed out and were able to be collected as you drove. Incoming calls appeared on the display as images of the people calling, and all of this could be pulled down into your dashboard for safe keeping.

Have a look at what’s going to be possible someday, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz, and let us know what you think. I certainly wouldn’t mind having something like this working in my vehicle in the next few years. Unfortunately there may be a few legal hurdles to cross before allowing on-windshield displays, even IF they’re perfectly excellent like this one was. Mercedes-Benz, bring us the future right now!

Sean Kinkade Park Hawk Ornithopter reminds us that Da Vinci had it right

There’s nothing quite like a lazy afternoon flying your remote-controlled airplane, helicopter, or in this case, ornithopter, around the back yard. The airwaves are aflutter today as everyone outside the RC circuit realizes that not only are ornithopters a reality now for at-home enthusiasts, they’ve been around for over a decade. The video you’re about to see, in fact, features an original model Sean Kinkade Park Hawk, originally released all the way back in 1993 and purchased just this week by RC lover, Nuvaero Flight System’s Robert Eaton.

This device is controlled with a couple of knobs on a relatively standard control unit and communicates wirelessly as you fly it through the sky in an impressive display of flapping, turning, and flapping some more. The newest version of this original Park Hawk will run you right around $289 if you want one right this second. You’ve also for one whole heck of a lot of other options from stores like Flapping Flight if you’re in the mood for some different models – like the Big Lazy Hawk whose wingspan is longer than a small child.

This bird is controlled with its rudder (it’s tail feather) and is able to both flap and glide. This means that if you toss it down into the Grand Canyon (and it doesn’t hit a rock right away) you’ll be able to mozy on down lazily the whole way with just a bit of flapping as you go. Seem like a good time to you? Maybe we’re all long overdue for some awesome remote controlled action, what do you think?

BONUS: time for some record-breaking rubber-band ornithopter action next!

February 14th is Valen... Angry Birds day - by aby benedict

Forget poking: from February 14th, show you love someone by flinging a mis-tempered avian toward them. It's Valentines Day that Angry Birds will finally arrive on the ubiquitous social network -- just in time to ensure half the coupled population of the world misses its dinner reservation, in order to get past one more level. The basic game will be free, but upgrades like the Mighty Eagle, double-sized birds, an earthquake weapon and a max-strength catapult will cost you. It'll be launched in Jakarta around the same time you offer up that heart-shaped box of chocolates, so if you want to ensure the day remains romantic, we'd suggest waiting until the 15th before installing. 

Google Music now lets you download your entire library

Computer meltdown? No backup? Well, at least your tunes are safe. Google Music just gained a new feature that lets you to download your entire library including purchased songs. A simple click in the Music Manager is all it takes to restore your entire collection -- or just your purchased music -- from the cloud. In addition, the web interface now allows you to select and copy multiple tracks to your device of choice. While there are no limitations when using the Music Manager, purchased items are restricted to two downloads each via the web interface. So next time your system crashes go right ahead -- rev up that broadband and fill up those hard drives.

Google upgrades Earth with better rendering, teaches it to sing in perfect harmony

Google's bringing a number of changes to its Earth service courtesy of version 6.2, including Google+ integration and improvements to search. Most notable here, however, is a new method of rendering that stitches aerial photos together in a manner less patchy than before, making for "the most beautiful Google Earth yet," according to the company. The new version is available now for download

The Love Box is an analog video mixer, house of mirrors for your iPhone (video) - by aby benedict

There's something romantic about hacking the iPhone, especially when it means finding ways to personalize the massively popular handset. Apps like Instagram may help you realize artistic talent, but software just doesn't get those creative juices flowing like an old-fashioned piece of hardware can. Despite its taboo-sounding name, The Love Box isn't an adult toy in the traditional sense, instead serving as an analog video (and stills) mixer for your iPhone 4 or 4S. Consisting of a wooden box and an angled sliding mirror, the homegrown contraption lets you simultaneously capture the action in front of and behind you in a single image. It was originally designed in Barcelona to capture two people conversing for a documentary called "The Love Box Conversations," hence the name. The "lowest-tech accessory for the highest-tech phone" is available now as part of a very limited initial run of 100 units, and can be yours for €57.63 (about $77.50) if you hit up the source link below.

New website helps you understand how rich Apple really is ! - by aby benedict

Apple announced some mind-boggling revenue numbers this week, but you may find yourself asking just how much $46.33 billion is. Have you ever wondered how much stuff you could buy with that much money? Well, thanks to the creativity of two Apple fans, now you can find out. The site displays a list of user-submitted comparisons between Apple’s revenue and the cost of extravagant, sometimes-ridiculous items, such as the number of McChicken sandwiches Apple could buy with it. While we’re fairly certain Apple has no plans to go on a McDonald’s binge anytime soon, the site is still a fun way to visualize exactly how much money Tim and the crew are rolling in right now. If you like crunching numbers, you can also also submit your own comparisons to be included in the ever-growing list of things Apple could (but probably won’t) buy.

AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 to be $100 on March 18 tips insider - by aby benedict

Nokia and AT&T will offer the Lumia 900 for just $99.99 with a new, two-year agreement when the Windows Phone lands in mid-March, according to the latest roadmap leak, an ambitious price to get the device into as many consumers’ pockets as possible. The AT&T Lumia 900 will undercut most new Android devices – and indeed the iPhone 4S – by half, according to BGR‘s insider, with a release date of March 18.

The March 18 date isn’t final and could change, the source reckons, since the Lumia 900 is still going through technical acceptance and that might introduce delays. Still, it’s the price that will make the biggest waves; $100 for a 4.3-inch device with LTE is a stand-out figure, and – along with Microsoft’s hefty marketing budget for Windows Phone in the US – should make some waves in the US market.

As we wrote earlier this month, AT&T, Nokia and Microsoft need to be ambitious  with the Lumia 900 pricing if they want the smartphone to stand out from the overwhelming crowd of Apple and Android. We won’t know final pricing until AT&T announces it.

Alienware 2012 lineup tipped, M17X R4, M14X R2, and M18X R2 - by aby benedict

This year’s lineup for the gaming side of Dell’s computing body has been revealed with three new Alienware laptop monsters, M17X R4, M14X R2, and M18X R2. The R2 units will both have the option for a black or RED exterior, while the R4 appears to only have the classic black coat with three options for fabulous GPUs on the innards. The source we’re getting this from is software engineer Eric G, a fellow who has certainly had reliable tipster information in the past on just such products as these.

For the first laptop in this list, the M17X R4, there will be options for how pumped up you’d like your interior to be. GPU options include two NVIDIA options: GeForce VTX 660M or GeForce GTX 675M, and one AMD Radeon 7970M. As for the R2 units, the first one M14X R2 will feature a GPU coming as part of the motherboard, and options including 1GB and 2GB right out of the box. On the M18X R2 the only detail known at the moment is the option for a red or black exterior.

Of course according to That 70′s Show if you’re an average shopper looking for a refrigerator, color is your most important feature – so perhaps that’s all we need! We will keep looking out for future options of course, and we expect them to be dropped sooner than later. Meanwhile check out our current favorite playing a bit of the ol’ Gotham City as well as the newest news on Alienware’s other options out already:

How To Protect Your Facebook Account Data From Hacking [Guide] - by aby benedict

Well as we all know in the upcoming few days Facebook one of the best and most popular social media over the internet will be hacked very soon by Anonymous hackers who claims that they will began hacking Facebook social media because of SOPA, so there's a huge dangerous that too many Facebook accounts  will get hacked and their personal information will be stolen without their known, so today we have got for you a way to protect your Facebook and download your own profile data on your PC so that you can be safe from hacking.

So today we have got for you a way that will help you to make a copy of your own information and download them at your PC so that you can stay in safe, follow our little and easy guide below:

STEP 1: While you are in Facebook go to your profile "Account Settings" you will find it after the home button at the right.

STEP 2: After you enter your account settings, you will find below a link entitled "Download a copy" simply click on it as shown in the picture below;

STEP 3: Now simply click on "Start My Archive" and then wait for some time and you will receive an email from Facebook when your archive is ready for download.

STEP 4: Now and after you have received an email, Facebook will ask you to re-type your password again to confirm that it is you.

STEP 5: Finally press on "Download Archive"

That's it you are done and you have already backed up your Facobook profile, so that you are now safe from hacking.

A5 jailbreak ‘Absinthe installed almost 1Million times over the last 3 days - by aby benedict

On Friday, the Chronic-Dev team (along with a few other contributors) released "Absinthe"  the long-awaited free unteathered jailbreak tool for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Today, the team updated us with a few interesting statistics. The shocker is that 1 million people jailbroke their A5 device in under three days.

The Chronic-Dev team were able to get such exact numbers thanks to statistics from Cydia, the popular app marketplace that comes bundled with the jailbreak. The team was able to specifically pen-point how many installs were on each device: 491,325 on an iPhone 4S; 308,967 on an iPad 2; and, 152,940 on an iPad 2 that had been previously jailbroken (iOS 4). These are certainly impressive numbers.

Like always, the Chronic-Dev team reminds you not upgrade off of 5.0.1 if you intend to keep the jailbreak. Did you jailbreak your A5 device this weekend?  If you did not, make sure to check out the tutorial after the break:

Still Having Battery Issues With Your iPhone 4S? There’s A Cydia Tweak For That! - by aby benedict

Although iPhone 4S has continued to follow the precedent set by Apple’s smartphone legacy, itsbattery retention rates have left a lot to be desired.

ios 5.0.1, the first amendment to the original iOS 5.0 release, was supposed to fix the issue which left some users complaining of battery depletion rates of up to 10% per hour. In most cases, it was of no help whatsoever, and although the fruit company’s latest and greatest smartphone boasts anA5 Processor, 8 mega-pixel camera and a voice-manipulated minion in the form of Siri, none of those features are of much use if the device cannot maintain enough juice to do them justice.
The jailbreak community has an uncanny knack for implementing features lacking in stock though, and like clockwork, there’s a tweak on hand which remedies those niggling battery issues. Sure, Tim Cook’s security team will undoubtedly amend the problem in the next iteration of iOS 5, but we shouldn’t have to wait over three months for a solution to this very obvious and debilitating problem.

Furthermore, with the A5 untethered jailbreak now available, most of us don’t want to be faced with the dilemma of deciding whether battery life is more important to us than the freedom of the unmanned break.
Dubbed as iOS 5 Battery Fix, currently the tweak is only available to VIP members of the insanelyi forum/repository. Although in public beta, various tests suggest pretty miraculous results, and prove that battery retention can be achieved amongst all iPhone 4S users.
VIP access to the said forum/repo costs $4.99, and with duplicates often aplenty in Cydia’s diverse cauldron, you may want to hold off for the free alternative.
You will obviously need to jailbreak your iPhone to install this tweak.

How to Jailbreak the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 Untethered With Absinthe - by aby benedict

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The moment you’ve all been patiently waiting for. This iPhone 4S untethered jailbreak  and iPad 2 untethered jailbreak have been released.

Indeed, as we initially told you just a few minutes ago, you can now download Absinthe and jailbreak your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 untethered.

Check inside as we guide you through the entire jailbreak process step-by-step…

How to Jailbreak the iPhone 4S or iPad 2 with Absinthe

Step 1: Download, extract, and run Absinthe from our downloads page.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 via USB.

Step 3: Click “Jailbreak” to run the Absinthe jailbreak. It will take a while on the beginning portion, and eventually your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 will look like it’s restoring a backup. It will say “Restoring in Progress”. This can be pretty lengthy. Don’t worry, it’s working. Don’t touch your device until completely finished!

Step 4: Once completed, unlock your iPhone if necessary, and you should see an Absinthe icon on the Home screen. You may have to search for it if you have a lot of app icons. Tap the Absinthe icon, and it should load the GreenPois0n site, and will then reboot your device. Once it loads back up, the Cydia icon will have replaced the Absinthe icon.

Step 5: Your iPhone 4S or iPad 2  is now  jailbroken! It took a while, but it was certainly worth the wait. Now all that’s left to do is load Cydia for the first time, and start downloading your favorite jailbreak apps and tweaks.

Are you guys happy to finally have an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0.1? What’s the first jailbreak app or tweak that you’ll download?

Download GreenPois0n Absinthe Now To Untethered Jailbreak iPhone 4S/iPad 2 [iOS 5.0 or either 4S version of 5.0.1] - by aby benedict

Few minutes ago, they have released the untethered jailbreak for your iPhone 4s or your iPad 2, your wait is over and you can download the new tool from the "Dream Team" directly from HERE.

Our Notes:
1. The current download for Mac OX only.
2. Windows and Linux are coming soon.
3. Our tutorials will come soon [Our Soon mean Today]

Absinthe: New Jailbreak Tool To Jailbreak iPhone 4S, iPad 2 iOS 5.0.1 [Few Hours] - by aby benedict

Here's the best news ever about the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 jailbreak from the jailbreaking dream team. Absinthe jailbreak tool, from the Chronic Dev Team , will be released tonight or in "some hours" as confirmed by pod2g.

The new comes from pod2g's new blog post today in which he says that the Chornic Dev Team will release Absinthe jailbreak tool in some hours. The iPhone Dev Team will also release a command line tool which will help you to fix issues you face during the jailbreak.

A tool named Absinthe and developped by the Chronic Dev Team will install the untether on your device. Also the iPhone Dev Team will release a CLI (command line) tool to help diagnose issues and repair things if it goes wrong.

This is a little scary I know, but the chance you break something is really small, since we made lots of tests to verify the process on different devices. But it is the first time we use the backup / restore functions of iTunes to install software, and there are maybe things we are not aware of.

As you already know, different security researchers put a lot of energy to work out the different issues we had to install the untether on new devices.

Stay tuned for the big release tonight. We'll be on the news!

Apple iTunes U hands-on - by aby benedict

Would you like to make more money? Sure, we all would, and a great way to do that is to get a better education. There was a time when you had to go to schools or rely on shady mail-order diplomas. Now you can use your iPad and get the same thing with the new iTunes U app . It's an extension of the existing iTunes U service, which has been around for about four years despite few people knowing anything about it. This new apps should change that. Join us for a full exploration of why

Previously, iTunes U was just educational content in iTunes that you could download. Now, its basically full course materials. We looked into a sample Chemistry course to get a feel. It all starts with an overview of the course, including the description, bio of the teacher, even a complete syllabus. This will help you know whether you want to commit to this course, but realistically that is just the beginning.

From there you can dig a little deeper. There's a Posts tab that contains assignments and information sent from the teacher. You get a checklist of assignments from various sources. Let's say the assignment is "Read Chapter 1" in some fancy new interactive textbook that's in the new iBooks. Just tap the assignment and you'll be brought right there to where you need to go. When you're through, you can hop back and tap the checkbox to mark it complete. Keeping tabs on your homework has never been easier, but sadly it's still on you to actually do it.

But of course while reading that chapter you'll have taken some notes and highlights that you'll want to collect together, and the iTunes U app helps you do that too. Any notes taken in materials related to the course will be pulled together, and from there you can aggregate them and create handy flipcards to learn your lessons.

Finally, iTunes U creates a complete list of all materials used in the course, whether they be iBooks, web links, PDFs, apps, media files in iTunes and so on and so forth. With a tap you're taken right there and, should you need to purchase something, you can do it with one tap -- no hopping from App Store to iTunes and back again. iTunes U has the potential to shake the world of online learning, not only because it's quite impressive but because it is quite free.

What happens next, though, is up to the schools and universities across the US. It's now open to K - 12 schools as well as higher level institutions, and we're eager to find out, once and for all, whether we really are smarter than a fifth grader.

Apple launches iBooks 2 digital textbooks - by aby benedict

Apple's new textbook offerings in the iBookstore

Apple this morning showed off digital textbooks at its education event in New York.

The service, dubbed iBooks 2, will allow textbook makers to create fully interactive titles forApple's iPad. According to the company, users will be able to swipe across the display to open textbook pages and view movies within each chapter. The operating system's familiar pinch and tapping features are also available, giving users more interaction with titles.

It's the interactivity that Apple was focused on. The company says that kids will be able to see 3D images and rotate them to get a better feel for what, for example a DNA structure looks like. The books can also be switched between portrait mode and landscape modes to make text and images easier to interact with.

A look at iBooks 2 at Apple's NYC event.

As with traditional textbooks, students can easily mark up titles from the iPad. Apple showed how kids can highlight text and add a note to a page. All those notes can then be combined to make study cards. Those cards, which are basically virtual 3-by-5-inch cards, let students put a topic on one side and the definition on the other, similar to flash cards.

Apple has already formed partnerships with a host of major textbook makers, including Pearson, McGraw Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. That's important. According to Apple, those companies are responsible for 90 percent of all textbooks in the U.S.

To spur people to develop textbooks, Apple has launched a new application. Dubbed iBooks Author, the free Mac OS X application lets authors create both textbooks and books. The application includes templates to quickly create books, but users can also drag and drop images and video into the title. To add text, Apple lets users drag and drop a Word file from Finder into a chapter. The application then automatically creates sections and headers.

So, where can the textbooks be found? According to Apple, iBooks 2 is an application that's downloaded from the App Store to the iPad for free. The textbooks themselves are priced at $14.99 or less, Apple says, and once purchased, the textbooks can be redownloaded at no additional charge. A textbook section has also been added to the iBooks store.

Apple's iBooks 2 is available starting today. Textbooks focusing on science, math, and other disciplines are currently being offered.

Behringer outs three iPad-housing USB mixers - by aby benedict

When it's not bringing the crazy that is iNuke, Behringer turns out some pretty serious audio gear. The latest offering? Three new mixers that throw an iPad into the EQuation. A dedicated app serves as an interface, while the iPad provides the brains and the power source. They're no dumb terminals though, as you'll also find a dedicated audio interface, mic pre-amps and a new dual-engine KLARK-TEKNIK FX processor, complete with 32 configurable "studio grade" presets (reverb, chorus, flange and so on). The trio comes in three sizes: 16 channels for the iX1642, 24 on the iX2442, and 32 for the big ole iX3242. Behringer's keeping the volume down on pricing and availability right now, but they'll be on display at NAMM  this week if you want to have a fiddle. Not going? Then fade-in the press release after the break for more info.

Jailbreak iPad 2 iOS 5.0.1 Untethered Successful (PHOTO) - by aby benedict

Need more proof that the A5 untethered jailbreak on IOS 5.0.1 for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 is right round the corner? If so, pod2g posted a new photo showing iPad 2 jailbroken on iOS 5.0.1. Hit the jump button for the photo.

Earlier yesterday, the popular legendary iPhone hacker pod2g teased the untethered iOS 5.0.1 jailbreak for A5 devices by showing a video demo on iphone 4S device . In the previous blog post, he said “Only a few to wait now”.

In today’s blog post, he said “No more to say !”. This might mean that this is his last word before the A5 untethered jailbreak release.

iPad 2 on iOS 5 has been jailbroken  before by MuscleNerd but now the jailbreak will be coming out from the popular jailbreaking dream team.

We’re looking for a really close A5 untethered jailbreak release for both iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. Get your devices ready, jailbreakers!

UPDATE 1: Pod2G has removed the image (posted above) from his blog. We don’t know any reason.

UPDATE 2: The well known expert iPhone hacker planetbeing has recently posted yet another image on his Twitter account showing another jailbroken iPad 2 running IntelliScreenX jailbreak tweak. Looking forward to getting it on mine too.

Alienware announces X51 small form factor gaming PC, starting at $699 - by aby benedict

Alienware may have just upgraded its Aurora  gaming rig, but that's not to keep the company from giving more diminutive form factors some love. Just this evening, the subsidiary of Dell announced the X51, a slim gaming PC that's designed to orient itself either vertically or horizontally on the desktop -- complete with an Alienware logo that properly rotates depending on positioning. The system includes both Core i3 and i5 options, and features a slot-loading optical drive with an option for Blu-ray. While it's no shocker, the X51 can be upgraded to 8GB of RAM and a full 1TB of storage. Further, the case accommodates a single, full size NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 graphics card, (with the GTX 555 available as an upgrade), and features an external power supply that's available in 240W or 330W versions. Users can also expect HDMI 1.4, on-board WiFi, USB 3.0 and digital 7.1 surround sound. As a nifty trick, the computer's accent colors can be conveniently modified with the Alienware Command Center software. Touting immediate availability, customers can place orders for the X51 right away, with configurations starting as low as $699. For the complete set of specs that make up this Mini-ITX gamer, just follow the break.

Alienware X51 Product Specifications:

• Intel Core i3 Dual Core (standard) and Intel Core i5 and i7 Quad Core Processor Options
• Intel H61 Express Chipset Architecture
• Mini-ITX Motherboard
• Powerful NVIDIA Graphics Card Options
  • 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 (Standard)
  • 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 555
• Configure with up to 8GB of DDR3 Memory (4GB Standard); 2x 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM Slots
• Fast 7,200RPM 1TB Hard Drive
• Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
• Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (Standard) or optional Blu-ray Disc Reader
• Internal High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio with Waves MAXX Audio Software
• Integrated 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet NIC and Integrated 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Wireless LAN (standard)
• USB 2.0 (6x); USB 3.0 (2x); Microphone In; Headphone/Speaker Out; HDMI 1.4 Output; RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet; Front, Rear and Center Speaker Ports; SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK); SPDIF Digital Output (Coax)
• Alienware 240 Watt Power Supply (Standard) or optional 330 Watt Power Supply
• Dual-orientation tower system dimensions: h: 13.5" (343mm) x w: 3.74" (95mm) x d: 12.52" (318mm)
• Starting Weight: 12.1 lbs. (5.49 Kg.)

Microsoft's Windows 8 hardware requirements: some good, some not-so-good - by aby benedict

First, an apology: Microsoft released details of Windows 8's tablet hardware requirements back in December, but we were too preoccupied with Christmas and CES to notice. Now that the only thing we're suffering from is jet-lag, let's take a quick tour of some notable extracts from the documentation and what it'll mean for users when the operating system arrives towards the back end of the year.

• Controversially, ARM-based tablet users won't be able to deactivate secure booting and (therefore) install another operating system. Clearly that's not gone down well with people -- and a straw poll of our editors agreed
• Ctrl + Alt + Del for tablets without physical keyboards will be supplanted by Windows Key + Power.
• There's a mandatory five points of touch -- which we already knew thanks to our hands on  with Synaptics at CES.
• If your gear has NFC, physical "touch marks" will be visible on the hardware so people know where to plonk their devices.
• All tablets must have Power, Rotation Lock, Windows Key, Volume Up and Volume Down buttons.
• After all operating system updates, there must be 10GB free space, all machines must run UFEI Firmware.
• All hardware must include one USB 2.0 port, a magnetometer, speakers, Bluetooth 4.0, WLAN, gyroscope and accelerometer.
• Any camera must have a minimum resolution of 720p.
• The minimum display for any tablet is 1366 x 768.
• You'll be able to update your graphics drivers without rebooting.

There you have it, many of the new changes are welcome and demonstrate Redmond's commitment to avoid fragmentation between PCs, Laptops and Slates. However, ensuring ease for the general consumer might come at too high a price if it alienates those who value the freedom of a PC. Still, we won't be betting against the hacking community: which has probably already started taking a run up at the limitation -- just as soon as it's made sure Doom runs smoothly on it.