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Ubuntu Linux Tablet on the Horizon

There were rumors abound that the new version of Ubuntu Linux would run on tablets. Ever since Canonical announced the launch of the Unity interface, the industry insiders and experts had been commenting that Linux was being primed for tablet use. The open-source operating system is one of the only OS not to make their market on the tablet market. With a smartphone announced for October, the news of the tablet has also become official. An Ubuntu Linux tablet would hit the market this year.

Ubuntu on Every Device

With the official announcement of the Ubuntu tablet, it has become clear that Canonical aims for their platform to run on every device a person owns. Whether you have a PC, TV, tablet, or smartphone or even all of these, you can use the same OS, Ubuntu, to run all of them. This will provide better portability and compatibility across the different devices people own. It was really a matter of time that a Linux provider responded to the increased use of mobile devices over PCs and laptops.

A Split-Screen Design

The major feature of the Ubuntu tablet would be a split-screen design. It is modeled on the picture-in-picture feature used by televisions where you can view two channels at once. When it comes to the Ubuntu tablet, you can watch a video on YouTube on one screen while checking your Twitter feed on the other. This will make it easier for users to perform multiple tasks at once using their Ubuntu Linux tablet.

From Tablet to Desktop

You will also have the option of attaching a mouse and a keyboard to the tablet to make it work like a desktop computer. If you grow tired of using it in your lap, which does put a strain on the neck, you can simply place it in front of you on a desk to use it. Users who are more comfortable with desktop computers than handheld devices can ease their way into tablet usage through the Ubuntu Linux tablet by using it as both.

A Question of Apps

The big question remains whether or not developers would be willing to come up with new apps for the Ubuntu OS. Even now, the new BlackBerry phone is struggling to meet the growing demand for apps simply because there aren't enough apps for it. As a result, users have to rely on the apps from major OS' like iOS and Android. This is what Ubuntu seems to be doing as well by making it easier for developers to bring the apps available on BlackBerry and Android to their platform.

Also, the tablet will run any app which has been created using JavaScript and HTML 5, which most apps are. By design, the OS is quite similar to the BlackBerry OS. However, it remains to be seen if the developers show any interest in coming up with new and exciting apps which can propel the Ubuntu Linux tablet to fame. Otherwise, its fate looks quite underwhelming

Sony Xperia Z – the ultimate super phone

The Sony Xperia Z touched down in style at CES 2013 in Las Vegas with a fabulous 5-inch full HD display, powerful quad-core processor and stand out 13MP camera.

With so much on offer we've rounded up the best features of the Sony Xperia Z for you to digest as your leisure.

The ultimate viewing experience

The Xperia Z pulls in expertise from Sony's TV, camera and computing divisions to deliver a phone with a beautiful, full HD 5-inch display.

Sony's heritage in the TV industry comes into play with the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 which is created by specialist engineers to really make you feel like you're part of the action.

With a wealth of power under the hood, highly functional Android Jelly Bean operating system and dazzling CyberShot camera with an EXMOR RS sensor, the Sony Xperia Z is well equipped to bring you the best mobile viewing experience.

A wealth of content

Whatever your vice may be, from movies to music, downloads and steaming the Xperia Z has you covered from head to toe.

With a vivid 5-inch full HD display, powerful 1.5GHz quad-core processor, slick Android Jelly Bean operating system and optimised 2,400mAh battery the Xperia Z is ready, are you?

Super connectivity

On top of offering the ultimate viewing experience, fantastic performance and stunning design the Sony Xperia Z also features a wealth of great connectivity options.

The Xperia Z provides you with one-touch connectivity, giving you the easiest and fastest way to wirelessly share music, photos and videos from your phone.

With the NFC technology built into the Sony Xperia Z, you can easily pair the handset to other compatible devices such as your NFC-enabled BRAVIA TV or wireless headphones.

Always working, come rain or shine

The Sony Xperia Z manages to marry a dust- and waterproof design with a stunning 5-inch full HD display and powerful 1.5GHz quad-core processor for a truly super-phone experience.

Carrying IP55 and IP57 certificates, you can take the Xperia Z for a dip in fresh water up to 1 metre for 30 minutes, meaning a trip into the bath or a slip into the toilet shouldn't end your phone's existence.

You can also rest easy when you next head to dustier climates as these are no problem for the tough Sony Xperia Z, which laughs in the face of such danger.

Most Facebook Users Have Taken a Break From the Site, Survey Finds

Facebook is the most popular social network in America — roughly two-thirds of adults in the country use it on a regular basis.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t get sick of it.
A new survey by the Pew Research Center‘s Internet and American Life Project, conducted in December, found that 61 percent of current Facebook users admitted that they had voluntarily taken breaks from the site, for as many as several weeks at a time.
The main reasons for their social media sabbaticals were not having enough time to dedicate to pruning their profiles, an overall decrease in their interest in the site, and the general sentiment that Facebook was a major waste of time.
About 4 percent cited privacy and security concerns as contributing to their departure. Although those users eventually resumed their regular activity, another 20 percent of Facebook users admitted to deleting their accounts.
Of course, even as some Facebook users pull back on their daily consumption of the service, the vast majority — 92 percent — of all social network users still maintain a profile on the site. But while more than half said that the site was just as important to them as it was a year ago, only 12 percent said the site’s significance increased over the last year — indicating the makings of a much larger social media burnout across the site.
The survey teases out other interesting insights, including the finding that young users are spending less time overall on the site. The report found that 42 percent of Facebook users from the ages of 18 to 29 said that the average time they spent on the site in a typical day had decreased in the last year. A much smaller portion, 23 percent, of older Facebook users, those over 50, reported a drop in Facebook usage over the same period.
Facebook’s biggest challenge revolves around figuring out how to continue to profit from its rich reservoir of one billion users — and a large part of that involves keeping them entertained and returning to the site on a regular basis. Most recently, the company introduced a tool called Graph Search, a research tool that promises to help its users find answers on everything from travel recommendations to potential jobs and even love connections.
Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, which conducted the survey, described the results as a kind of “social reckoning.”
“These data show that people are trying to make new calibrations in their life to accommodate new social tools,” said Mr. Rainie, in an e-mail. Facebook users are beginning to ask themselves, ” ‘What are my friends doing and thinking and how much does that matter to me?,’ ” he said. “They are adding up the pluses and minuses on a kind of networking balance sheet and they are trying to figure out how much they get out of connectivity vs. how much they put into it.”