Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Sunday, December 11, 2011

drag2share: CHART OF THE DAY: These Are The Companies That Spend The Most On Google Search Ads In The U.S. (GOOG, IACI, MSFT, EBAY, AMZN, S)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-search-ads-2011-12

Here's a look at the companies that spend the most on Google search ads in the U.S. from Michael Learmonth at AdAge, who got the data from Kantar Media, which tracks ad spending in media.

One of the things that jumps out at us about this chart is how relatively small these ad dollars are. Google is on pace to do ~$37 billion in ad revenue for the year. These big advertisers only account for $1.4 billion in revenue.

The other fun fact from this chart: Microsoft spends $70 million annually advertising on Google.

sai chart

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Polyphasic Sleep Cycles Trick Your Body into Needing Less Sleep [Sleep]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5866905/polyphasic-sleep-cycles-trick-your-body-into-needing-less-sleep

Polyphasic Sleep Cycles Trick Your Body into Needing Less Sleep Most people go to sleep in a monophasic sleep cycle for 6-8 hours each night. Polyphasic sleep cycles consist of sleeping several times in a 24 hour period that total between 2-4 hours. Some cycles are more challenging than others, but all of them will give you additional time once your body takes around a week to adjust.

Brain hack weblog High Existence reports that the shorter more frequent periods of sleep experienced with polyphasic cycles trick the body into entering Stage 5 REM sleep immediately instead of the 45-75 minutes it normally takes. This is why you can sleep less overall and function without problem.

There are many polyphasic sleep cycles; two of which are illustrated in the image above. The source link below goes into detail of four of them—out of the four I think the Everyman Cycle would be the easiest to adapt as you'd get a 3-hour nap at night and three 20-minute naps spaced throughout the day. That way I could go to bed with my wife and get up a few hours later to get some work done.

Have you ever tried polyphasic sleep? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Alternate Sleep Cycles: You Don't Really Need 6-8 Hours! | High Existence via Reddit

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: High Capacity Backup Battery Will Keep You Powered For a Week [Batteries]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5866876/high-capacity-backup-battery-will-keep-you-powered-for-a-week

High Capacity Backup Battery Will Keep You Powered For a Week Until all of our electronic devices are powered by tiny Mr. Fusions, backup batteries are a harsh reality. But with a massive 9900mAh battery, the hard drive-sized iGeek should power all of your gear for up to a week.

A lot of back batteries don't have enough kick to charge power-hungry devices like the iPad, but with one and two amp USB ports, the iGeek will happily top off your tablet and your iPhone at the same time. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find a mobile device it can't recharge, short of laptops, Segways and electric cars.

The $62 battery promises up to fifty additional hours of movie time with your iPhone, iPod Touch or media player of choice, and up to seventeen additional hours with the iPad 2. Next to a comfy pair of shoes and a steady supply of Red Bulls, it's the perfect accessory for tackling conventions, trade shows and exhibitions. [ThinkGeek via 7Gadgets]

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: AMD Radeon HD 6000 cards receive VESA DisplayPort 1.2 certification, merit badges

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/amd-radeon-hd-6000-cards-receive-vesa-displayport-1-2-certificat/

When the certifications come in, you wipe a tear from your eye and ponder how proud you are. On Thursday, the Video Electronics Standards Association announced that AMD's Radeon HD 6000 series graphics cards, including the high-end Radeon HD 6990, are the first to receive DisplayPort Version 1.2 certification. That means the cards are rated to support DisplayPort's 5.4Gbps HBR2 data link speed and also feature increased display resolution, color depths and refresh rates, plus improved support for Full HD 3D stereoscopic displays. For the multiple monitor die-hards, there's also better support for multiple monitors connected to a single DisplayPort receptacle to make your lives easier. Full technical details are in the PR below, but it's good to see a capable card series grow up a bit / become a man.

Continue reading AMD Radeon HD 6000 cards receive VESA DisplayPort 1.2 certification, merit badges

AMD Radeon HD 6000 cards receive VESA DisplayPort 1.2 certification, merit badges originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: AMD updates A-Series APUs, gives laptop Llanos modest spec bumps

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/amd-updates-a-series-apus-gives-laptop-llanos-modest-spec-bumps/

AMD released its A-Series APUs almost six months ago, and since then it's seen Intel update the A-Series' Sandy Bridge counterparts. So, it's about time for the Llano laptop lineup to do the same, and the refresh has come in the form of seven spiffy new APUs. At the high end, there's the quad-core A8-3550MX clocked at 2.0 GHz with Radeon HD 6620G graphics to supplant the older A8-3530MX chip. On the low end, the 1.9GHz dual core A4-3305M with Radeon HD 6480G graphics joins AMD's A4-3300M. It's a minor update all around, with most models seeing a 100MHz boost in turbo frequency over existing A-Series APUs. If you're itching to dig a little deeper into all the fresh Fusion silicon, you'll find what you're looking for at the links below.

AMD updates A-Series APUs, gives laptop Llanos modest spec bumps originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hardcore Hardware | source

source

AM! D | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: App review: Infinity Blade 2 (iOS)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/10/app-review-infinity-blade-2-ios/

The 3D duel-fest is back, and attempting to answer some of the questions left over from its first installment (and a few major updates). Infinity Blade has had a huge effect on promoting the iPad and iPhone as valid gaming options, with high quality visuals and intuitive touchscreen controls. Well, Epic hasn't tampered with the formula too much, but has tried to instill some considered expansions and pour even more eye-honey all over it. Will it stretch gamers beyond the original? We've now spent a fair bit of time slashing away at those pesky immortals and their underlings -- see what we thought of this little big adventure after the break.

Gallery: Infinity Blade 2 screen shots

Co! ntinue r eading App review: Infinity Blade 2 (iOS)

App review: Infinity Blade 2 (iOS) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

iTunes | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Zalman reportedly entering the graphics card market, merging GPUs with cooling solutions

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/11/zalman-reportedly-entering-the-graphics-card-market-merging-gpu/

Recently leaked slides suggest Korean computer outfit Zalman will soon jump into the ever-expanding graphics card market, initially partnering with AMD on its Radeon series. Known best for its quiet computing technologies, the company's move to infuse GPUs with cooling solutions could enhance the performance of the cards, making overclocking a lesson in simplicity. The slides only show the AMD 6870, 6850, and 6770, but it's feasible more models will appear when official news is released. Given AMD's many board partners, differentiation is important to remain competitive and on their payroll -- graphics cards and their overheating habits is Zalman's cup of tea. Hopefully this brings more innovative products in the coming future (heck, we've already got GPU / NIC hybrids), perhaps as early as CES. Check past the break to view the specifications breakdown for the aforementioned cards.

Continue reading Zalman reportedly entering the graphics card market, merging GPUs with cooling solutions

Zalman reportedly entering the graphics card market, merging GPUs with cooling solutions originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AnandTech | source

source

Overclockers.ua | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Indonesian government threatens to ban BlackBerry services if it can't spy on users

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/11/indonesian-government-threatens-to-ban-blackberry-services-if-it/

It's not the first time that RIM's security measures have caused a bit of an inferiority complex, but the Indonesian government now is threatening to ban BIS and BBM services within the nation if it doesn't get its way. Partially, it seems that Indonesian officials are upset that Research in Motion will be building its new data centers in Singapore, rather than in the homeland. Additionally, as is, the government is unable to monitor these communications, which it sees as a security risk. As you likely know, all data is currently processed in RIM's Canadian facilities. Heru Sutadi, a member of the Indonesian Telecommunication Regulation Body, had the following to say: "With the condition as it is now, we warn that the country's users to be cautious about using BlackBerry because the data exchanged is not safe or cannot be guaranteed of its safety." Sounds creepy, right? We always feel safer when knowing the government is monitoring our messages, too.

Indonesian government threatens to ban BlackBerry services if it can't spy on users originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Dec 2011 03:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TechCrunch | source

source

The Jakarta Post | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Friday, December 09, 2011

drag2share: Untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0 showcased on YouTube (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/untethered-jailbreak-for-ios-5-0-gets-showcased-on-youtube/

Love to jailbreak but hate to tether every time you reboot? Then help could soon be at hand courtesy of hacker Pod2g. He just put out a video showing off a new exploit that continues to work on an iPod Touch even after it has been switched off and on. It appears to be running on iOS 5.0 rather than 5.0.1, so some downgrading might be called for. We don't know when it'll be released to the masses, or how long it'll last once Apple catches wind, but in the meantime there are of course various alternatives if you can stomach the risks and don't mind a bit of USB tomfoolery.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0 showcased on YouTube (video)

Untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0 showcased on YouTube (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Pod2g (Twitter) | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: AT&T's 4G LTE network is live in San Francisco

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/08/atandts-4g-lte-network-is-live-in-san-francisco/

New York City by the end of 2011? How's about San Francisco by the end of December 8th? We can't say for certain that it's lit up for good ("testing," you know), but at least for now it's absolutely screaming on our LTE-equipped AT&T handsets in downtown SF. Seeing similar? Let us know how it's going for you in comments below, and feel free to stick your tongue out in the general direction of the Big Apple. (They won't see you.) Video after the break.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Continue reading AT&T's 4G LTE network is live in San Francisco

AT&T's 4G LTE network is live in San Francisco originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Qualcomm's two new 1GHz dual-core chipsets make S1-to-S4 migration easier for manufacturers (updated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/08/qualcomms-two-new-1ghz-dual-core-chipsets-make-s1-to-s4-migrati/

If the most recent batch of S4 chips from Qualcomm wasn't enough to completely satiate your thirst for new SoC's, the folks from San Diego are adding two more options to the already heapin' pile. At the 2011 Uplinq China Conference in Shenzhen, Qualcomm announced the MSM8625 and MSM8225 S4-class dual-core chipsets, both of which can clock up to 1GHz and pack an Adreno 203 GPU plus a 3G modem. While these numbers aren't relatively exciting at this day and age, the real selling point here is that these chips are actually software and hardware-compatible with the entry-level MSM7x27A and MSM7x25A S1 chips, meaning some of the existing S1-based designs can be quickly and easily adapted to these new S4 chips. Interested manufacturers can nab some of this new silicon from the third-generation Qualcomm Reference Design program -- which was also announced today featuring the new industrial designing service -- or standalone in the first half of 2012, but let's just hope we won't end up seeing too many familiar-looking phones. Press release attached after the break.

Zach Lutz contributed to this report.

Update: We just did a hands-on with one of Qualcomm's new 1.5GHz reference designs -- the one we played with had Dianxin OS installed, but we also came across one powered by Aliyun OS. Neither were running smoothly but we've been told they had to rush them, so we'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Anyhow, enjoy the photos.

Gallery: Qualcomm Reference Design "QRD 1.5"

Gallery: Qualcomm Reference Design ecosystem presentation

Continue reading Qualcomm's two new 1GHz dual-core chipsets make S1-to-S4 migration easier for manufacturers (updated)

Qualcomm's two new 1GHz dual-core chipsets make S1-to-S4 migration easier for manufacturers (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Panasonic reveals 4.3-inch OLED smartphone with global ambitions, no name

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/09/panasonic-outs-smartphone-with-4-3-inch-oled-display-global-amb/

We knew that Panasonic's mobile division was summoning its strength for a return to the Old World, and finally we have some detail: it's aiming to bring an "ultra-slim D-shaped" Android smartphone with a slim bezel, 4.3-inch qHD OLED screen, NFC and some rugged credentials to Europe in March next year. The manufacturer hopes to use Europe as a stepping stone to the US, China and the rest of Asia, aiming to broaden its range of Android devices and sell at a total of nine million of them outside of Japan by the end of March 2016. Read on for the full PR.

Continue reading Panasonic reveals 4.3-inch OLED smartphone with global ambitions, no name

Panasonic reveals 4.3-inch OLED smartphone with global ambitions, no name originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Verge | | Email this | Comments

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Actually, Google Currents Is Almost Nothing Like Flipboard (It's Better) (GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-currents-screenshots-2011-12

google currents

Today Google finally released Currents, it's (delayed) reader app that it decided to make after it failed to acquire Flipboard.

Until now, no one really knew what Currents would look like, so everyone (including us) assumed it was just another Flipboard clone.

Need proof? Click here for screenshots >

That's not the case. The two apps are similar in appearance, but actually function quite differently. Currents is all about curated the best content on the web and bringing it to you in a stylish, easy to read format. Flipboard mostly relies on links shared via your social networks to pull in content.

The result with Currents is a cleaner product that always guarantees you're keeping up with the latest news you're interested in. Not what you're friends are interested in.

We've been using both the Android version (on the Galaxy Nexus) and the iOS version (on the iPad) since the app launched.

First of all, this is probably the best design to come out of Google in a long time. It's pretty obvious they borrowed a lot from Flipboard, but the app is still gorgeous. Even the iOS version looks good.

When you launch the app, you're asked to sign in with your Google account before you can start pulling in stories to read. (Android users won't have to do that.) Currents comes pre-loaded with a few publications like Fast Company and Forbes, but there are dozens of other publishing partners you can subscribe to.

google currents After you select the publications to add to your library, Currents downloads the top articles from each one and stores them on your device so you can read them offline if you want. You also get a beautiful slideshow at the top of the app with photos from stories in your library. Swipe through them to see more.

On Android, you can share stories just about anywhere: Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Box, etc. As long as you have the app and are logged in, it syncs perfectly with Currents. You're a bit more limited on iOS and the app makes you sign into each sharing service individually, with the exception of Twitter if you're using iOS 5.

The other major component to Currents is the Trending section. Here you can choose topics you want to read about and Currents pulls in the top five stories in each category. Whereas Flipboard is all about what you're friends are sharing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., Currents is about what everyone is reading and sharing.

Currents also does a great job at adapting to the size of your screen. Whether you're using a tablet or a 4-inch smartphone, Currents always looks incredible and lays out content in an easily digestible form. Even better, it syncs with all your devices. Just sign in with your Google account and you're good to go.

So the philosophy between Currents and Flipboard is slightly different. Currents is all about curated content and finding you the best stuff on the web to read. Flipboard is mostly about pulling in links and articles your friends are sharing on various social networks or from your RSS. Yes, there is a major curation element to Flipboard too, but the focus is still on social.

At the end of the day you have to ask yourself what you want from a reader app: Do I want great curated content delivered to me? (Currents) Or do I want to rely on my friends to share stuff I'd like to read. (Flipboard)

Here's the main home screen for Currents. There's a slideshow that you can swipe through at the top. The bottom has your library of publications.

Here's a sample of the topics you can choose from

Just tap "Add" next to a publication and its content begins to download

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.

See Also:

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Thursday, December 08, 2011

drag2share: Add Your Contacts to Google+ Directly from the Gmail Sidebar [Gmail]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5866422/add-your-contacts-to-google%252B-directly-from-the-gmail-sidebar

Add Your Contacts to Google+ Directly from the Gmail Sidebar Gmail received a minor update today that allows you to manage your Google+ contacts directly from the sidebar. While this is convenient if you're you're a fan of the social network, it's particularly helpful if you want additional context about your Gmail contacts. When you add one to a circle in Google+, a little label will show up with the name of that circle. This can help you get a better idea of who this person if they're not someone you interact with regularly. Circles can also help inform you of the content of the email, if, for example, the person contacting you is a member of your hiking club.

Additionally, the new Google+ integration will keep contact information up-to-date automatically. If you're tired of adding or changing phone numbers, addresses, and other details of your contacts, you can let Gmail take care of that by pulling information directly from Google+.

Check out Google's official post for more details and screenshots, or just log into your Gmail account to check out these new features. (Note: The rollout is still underway so it may take a few days before you start to see them.)

Gmail and Contacts get better with Google+ | Official Gmail Blog

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Can Watson's Mega-Brain Help Rid the World of Patent Trolls? [Science]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5866391/can-watsons-mega+brain-help-rid-the-world-of-patent-trolls

Can Watson's Mega-Brain Help Rid the World of Patent Trolls? IBM's Watson is most famous for handing Ken Jennings his ass on Jeopardy, but since then the supercomputer's talents have been used to help doctors diagnose and treat disease. But Watson's greatest trick might still be ahead of it: beating back the scourge of patent trolls.

A key part of Watson's medical mission is the scanning and cataloging of millions of drug discoveries buried in medical journals and patents. Through IBM's Strategic IP Insight Platform, Watson has cataloged some 2.5 million chemical compounds. IBM has donated the database to NIH, which is a boon to scientists all over the world because it includes troves of otherwise hard to find information about expired patents.

But as ExtremeTech suggests, there's no reason the technology should be limited to medical patents when it could be used to go through all patents. It would not only make sifting through them easier, it could help battle patent trolls, too:

Then there's battling the patent trolls. SIIP is almost entirely about analyzing the state of play and producing actionable analytics. If a malevolent patent troll targets your company, SIIP could help you find prior art, or perhaps secure a protective licensing deal with an IP behemoth like IBM.

Of course, as ExtremeTech points out, it could also backfire; trolls could use SIIP to suss out weak companies with weak patent portfolios and sick their legal beagles on them at will.

So it's a double-edged sword. SIIP could be used to both help or hinder our current patent calamity. For now at least, IBM doesn't have plans to apply SIIP outside of medicine. But in time, hopefully Watson will rise to a higher calling: vanquishing of trolls like it did so many Daily Doubles. [ExtremeTech via HackerNews; Image via IBM]

---
drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)