IE9 and Firefox 4 post top marks in Web browser power use comparison

Over on the Internet Explorer Blog, Microsoft has posted results from an extensive comparison of the top five Web browsers. The goal: to determine whether Internet Explorer 9, Firefox 4, Chrome 10, Safari 5, or Opera 11 is able to squeeze the most life out of your laptop's battery.

A baseline was determined with test systems sitting idle, and then browsers were pointed at about:blank, a news site, the HTML5 Galactic demo, and the IE9 fish tank demo. Perhaps unsurprisingly, IE9 came out on top -- though Firefox 4 was a very close second on nearly every test. As you can see, the other browsers didn't necessarily fare quite as well, with Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera all posting significantly worse scores. In Opera 11's case, a laptop battery would last over one hour more with Internet Explorer 9 installed.


But what we'd really like to know is where did Microsoft find the dilithium crystals required to run a Galactic Total Power Consumption test...

IE9 and Firefox 4 post top marks in Web browser power use comparison originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/ie9-and-firefox-4-post-top-marks-in-pc-power-use-comparison/

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HTC phones getting PlayStation Suite certification in 2012?

Anonymous sources have told Pocket-lint that Sony will be allowing rival smartphone maker HTC to have PlayStation Certification for its devices. An official announcement is expected at MWC at the end of the month, with devices able to play PSOne games and access to the Android-flavor of the Sony Entertainment Network. Former SCE Chairman (now company president) Kaz Hirai introduced the program open to non-Sony devices at AsiaD last year, possibly to the raised eyebrows of those in the company's revamped mobile division.

HTC phones getting PlayStation Suite certification in 2012? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/14/htc-getting-playstation-certification/

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Pinterest for Android? Not yet, but there are ways to get your fix

Pinterest

These days, there certainly is no shortage of social networks. Some make it, some don't. One of the more recent ones taking off (and even catching some heat) is Pinterest. We're still waiting on an official Pinterest app, but that's say there aren't third-party offerings. If you're not familiar with what Pinterest is all about, we'll explain.

Pinterest allows you to collect and curate content from around the web. Find a cool picture you want to share? Pin it. Neat video? Pin that, too. How about a recipe for double-buttered pork loin? Pin that while you're at it. You can choose and create themes for your "pins" -- so say the pic you pinned was of a nice car, you would pin it to your cars section, also known as a board. Anyone who follows you on the service can see it and share it with others through Pinterest, Facebook or even Twitter. Simply put, it's a collection of things you find interesting and wish to share with others.

Access to Pinterest is by invite-only for now, but invites are fairly easy to come by, and getting your content to Pinterest is pretty easy as well. You can add stuff from your computer using a toolbar bookmark they call the "Pin It Button" and they also have goodies for websites that allow Pinterest integration. Or if you're into this whole mobile thing, they also have an app available for iOS. But what about an Android app? Nope. No official app from Pinterest to access their services.

To ignore such a large user base Pinterest must have looked into it and found there was no interest from the Android community in their services, right? Not exactly. If you look around Pinterest there are plenty of users wanting a dedicated Android app. Folks are sharing all sorts of things Android on Pinterest; it has even become a small hub for those wishing to share their Android apps. To their credit, they do offer a pretty nice HTML5 site and the iPhone app is fairly new so maybe they have an Android app in the works but if that is the case they've remained quiet about it.

So what can you do as an Android user to access Pinterest? Well, you can use the HTML5 website -- it does work quite well. However, if you're looking to check out some new apps there are a few third-party Pinterest apps available in the Android Market.

We round up a few Android Pinterest apps after the break.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/3rUtywPcQds/story01.htm

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Inkling Habitat interactive e-book publishing platform rolls out to select publishers

It's not another alternative for individual authors looking to self-publish (at least for now), but professional publishers looking to create and distribute interactive e-books now have a new option to consider in the form of Inkling Habitat. Initially available to select publishers in an early adopter program (a broader rollout is planned for later this year), the platform promises to make producing interactive e-books at scale more affordable, with the program itself completely free provided publishers agree to sell their books through Inkling's store. As mocoNews notes, however, Inkling isn't asking publishers for exclusive rights, so they'll also be able to sell them elsewhere if they choose -- the iPad is the initial target platform, with HTML5-based web publishing also planned. The system is also cloud-based, meaning that a group of folks in various locations will be able to collaborate on a single book, something that Inkling hopes will distinguish it further from Apple's own iBooks Author; its CEO even went as far as to use the analogy of Habitat being the Final Cut Pro to iBooks Author's iMovie.

Continue reading Inkling Habitat interactive e-book publishing platform rolls out to select publishers

Inkling Habitat interactive e-book publishing platform rolls out to select publishers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/A7ohqYh4kqw/

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Chocomize personalized chocolate: giveaway and discount code

chocomize
Okay, I know what you're thinking: chocolate on Download Squad? That's right! That's because Chocomize is one of the nerdiest ways to get chocolate online: it's a website where you customize your own bar using a multi-step process.

We've covered Chocomize before in our holiday gift guide, so when they reached out to us offering to do a giveaway, we really couldn't resist.

Chocomize is giving away ten gift certificates, each worth $50, for you to create your own customized chocolate. They sent us some pictures of their recent creations, which you can find in the gallery below.

Regardless of the giveaway, you can use the discount code switched to get 10% off any Chocomize order. The code is valid through April 20th - just in time for Easter!

To participate, simply leave a comment. Fine print is after the jump.

Continue reading Chocomize personalized chocolate: giveaway and discount code

Chocomize personalized chocolate: giveaway and discount code originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/giveaway-and-discount-code-chocomize-personalized-chocolate/

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The Coolest Action Figures You Can't Buy Yet [Video]

Toy Fair is full of lame jigsaw puzzles, toy horses, and other antique things nobody cares about anymore. But! There's also plenty of unreleased Star Wars, Spider Man, and other stuff that makes us feel like excited kids again. Lightsabers! More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/sK38bLEgLL0/the-coolest-action-figures-you-cant-buy-yet

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Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look

mitoza
While not a game per se, I found Mitoza intriguing enough to spend quite some time with it. You start off with a seed, and are then presented with two choices: you can either click a flower pot, or click a cute little birdie.

If you click the flower pot, a flower pot appears and the seed is planted inside. You're then presented with two further choices -- a water can or a bottle of fertilizer. Each choice you make causes your creation to morph, and presents you with two other choices.

There's no winning or losing, really. Each "game" usually lasts around four or five choices, at which point the plant/animal dies in some creative (but not too gruesome) way. At this point you instantly start over with a new seed.

The graphics are captivating; the whole thing has a cinematic feel to it, with a bit of artificial camera shake added for style.

All in all, it's a fun, peaceful way to spend a few minutes, and it might even make you think a little bit while you're at it.

Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/28/mitoza-is-a-fun-freaky-web-toy-with-an-artistic-look/

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Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video)

This is one of those little projects you wish you could just play with the second you've seen it. Greek Artist Petros Vrellis coded an interactive light and sound show into Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night -- that you can control with your fingers. With a swipe of a single digit (or hand) you can pull the particles of the artists paint daubs to redirect the swirling mass of night sky in any direction, making music as you do so. After the break we've got video that you really, really should watch -- and afterward start begging the creator to get this onto people's iPads as soon as he can manage it.

Continue reading Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video)

Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/i4gFZBPdxWI/

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HTC phones getting PlayStation Suite certification in 2012?

Anonymous sources have told Pocket-lint that Sony will be allowing rival smartphone maker HTC to have PlayStation Certification for its devices. An official announcement is expected at MWC at the end of the month, with devices able to play PSOne games and access to the Android-flavor of the Sony Entertainment Network. Former SCE Chairman (now company president) Kaz Hirai introduced the program open to non-Sony devices at AsiaD last year, possibly to the raised eyebrows of those in the company's revamped mobile division.

HTC phones getting PlayStation Suite certification in 2012? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/9UtoLtBsW1w/

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Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct generative augmented reality art for iOS
If you have an artistic temperament, but you weren't blessed with steady hands or an eye for color, Konstruct might be the app for you. Not only does the iPhone app let you produce generative art using words, warbles and whistles, but it also uses augmented reality to bring your artistic creation to life.

To get started, you first need to print out the Konstruct marker and place it wherever you'd like to create your AR sculpture -- it could be on your living room wall, or on the floor of your bathroom, it doesn't matter. Open the app, point your iPhone at the marker, and start making some noises! Once you're done, you can save your creation, or simply wipe the slate clean and start again.

The volume of your voice affects the size of the shapes that are drawn on the screen, and you can move your head around to alter the path of your 'brush' -- but to change the shape of your brush or modify the color palette you have to use a menu. Without knowledge of the app's internal workings, it's hard to say what the actual difference between whistling, talking and singing is -- and judging by the developer's affinity for whistling in the demo video (after the break), the app probably doesn't perform that much analysis on your input.

Still, Konstruct is just a prototype! A later version could do away with menus and rely entirely on the location, tonality, quality and amplitude of your voice -- and judging by the the words of the developer, James Alliban, there is definitely more in store for Konstruct: "The idea of transforming entire cities into user generated virtual art galleries really appeals to me. I see Konstruct as an early prototype that will hopefully be realised in this form in the future."

Download Konstruct for free from the App Store (iPhone 3GS and 4 only)

[Thanks to Richard for the tip!]

Continue reading Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/konstruct-for-ios-creates-generative-augmented-reality-art-with/

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