iPhone 6 - New look New features

The highly anticipated iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were released, last month; however, there’s already talk of the iPhone 6. A year has gone by since the iPhone 5 originally wowed the Smartphone industry so much so that Apple claimed it to be “the biggest thing to happen to an iPhone since iPhone”. They were right, as it emerged to be a much loved iPhone version with its slimmer looks, sleeker style and smarter features. Once Apple’s competitor, Samsung, released the “Life Companion” Galaxy S4 into the market, Apple consumers have been anxiously anticipating the next innovation the company will bring to its iPhones. This gossip spun the perfect stage for the rumors and speculations regarding the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and iPhone 6. When reviewing Apple’s iPhone timeline from the iPhone 3G to iPhone 3GS and then again from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S, it is expected that the iPhone 5S will be an improved and iterated version of iPhone 5.

As for describing its specifications, the iPhone 5S will be more of a hardware refresh when keeping the iOS 7 aside. It may support NFC, come in a brand new golden color apart from the white and black, A7 Quad core processor, fingerprint sensor and an improved camera. As for the iPhone 5C, the price point would be less than that of the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5C – said to be the debut of the low cost iPhone, would have similar specifications (more or less) than that of the iPhone 5 and would flaunt a polycarbonate back in different colors. The news of the future reveal of the iPhone 6 may include iOS 7, NFC support, vast internal storage of up to 128 GB  along with the brilliant A7 Quad Core processor -  paving the way  to more power with better efficiency and an excellent battery life. It is expected to have wireless charging (for which Apple has filed a patent), 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, a better 4G LTE, the fingerprint sensor, the professional quality 13 MP Camera and eye tracking technology. Other excellent features may include retina along with high definition display, the removal of the home screen buttons, variable screen sizes – 4.7 and 5.7 inches versions (iPhone mini and XL), an improved Siri feature which supports car adjustment technology and gesture controls. All we’re sure of for now is that Apple lovers will now have a whole fruit basket to choose from!

Future Car Technologies

In the technology world, the newest advancement is only as good as the latest patent from an ingenious company. The automobile world is enticing us with new car technology in terms of safety, entertainment, and utility.  Some of the newest car innovations are novelties that could revolutionize not just the automotive industry but human transportation processes in general.
Based on what's currently being tested and what's on the road today, we have an idea of some of the latest in auto industry tools that are expected to be made into production soon. Tools designed for accident protection, auto or trip data, and ways to let us kick back and enjoy the ride.

Apps: Android apps like Directed SmartStart can help you start your car from your android device and can also establish a cloud connection as well. This app is useful as it is embedded with a Smart Park parking finder which guides you to find the perfect parking spot. If you have an iPhone, you can download an app like Viper SmartStart which will start your car via iPhone. These mobile apps for your car are the ultimate in utility apps. Also the iOS For Car, an operating system to be released in 2014, uses Siri and syncs seamlessly providing eyes-free and hands-free Satellite navigation, telephony, music and iMessage integration through the car's screen (available in pre installed car models only).

Smart watches: Smart watches are gaining popularity - from connecting to your smartphone and now to connecting directly to your car! For example, Nissan’s newly launched smart watch Nismo, connects to the car using a Smartphone app with a low energy bluetooth connection. The recorded data can be shared across Facebook, twitter, pinterest and integral via Nissan’s proprietary social speed software. It can connect the driver to the car, provide real-time biometric data, vehicle telematics, analysis of the car’s average speed, fuel consumption readings, etc.

Communication: This technology has been  a combined researching effort by car manufacturers and the US government. They’re studying two branches - V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle) and V2I (Vehicle to Infrastructure) technology. Under the Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) Interaction technology, the two back and forth cars would be able to interact with each other wirelessly regarding their location, speed and direction, which would be helpful in order to avoid accidents. Also the Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) Interaction technology, the car would be able to interact with traffic signals, road signs and so on which would result in safe driving with a decrease in auto accidents.

Augmented Reality Dashboards: The Augmented Reality Dashboards will be able to identify objects in front of a vehicle and tell the driver how far they are away from the object. The automobile company BMW has already implemented this kind of concept in many of its car models and is working towards this direction to implement the concept in its entire fleet. The GPS and in-car displays are already being studied and copied by other manufacturers as well.

Many of the giant automobile companies like Ford, Chevrolet, BMW and others have already begun racing into researching and providing such technologies in the highly competitive world of car sales.

Happy September! Enter to win $700 worth of accessories for your iPhone 5 5S

This month, Tom is making 5 lucky winners happy by awarding them with only the coolest in iPhone accessory prizes worth $140 each. Tom’s Happy Accessory Pack for each winner will include: Earphones, Chargers, Screen Protectors, Cases, Stylus, and a Fishbone. Entering is simple and takes less than 30 seconds.

Register by connecting to our giveaway widget using Facebook or by entering your email; for each step you complete you’ll earn an extra giveaway entry! When the giveaway ends (September 30th at midnight) we’ll select five entries at random and will announce the winners by email and through our social media outlets! The more friends you invite to our giveaway the more entries you’ll earn to win, so start spreading the word!

What to expect for Apple vs Samsung this September ?

The countdown has begun rumors to spread like wildfire; will September 13^th pave the way for the new launches in Apple and Samsung?  As per the press invitations sent by Samsung for the “Unpacked 2013 Episode 2” event, it is expected (according to the rumors) that the Galaxy Note 3 would be unveiled. Another rumored big bang event is likely to be held by Apple on September 10^th.

According to the latest technology news website AllThingsD, it is expected that the iPhone 5S along with the very new iPhone 5C (a low cost iPhone with a plastic back) are going to make their debuts. It has been almost a year since the release of the iPhone 5 and to not upset their fans, the release of two versions would be greatly accepted. There are no announcements yet from Apple’s side, still as per the rumors, the iPhone 5S might have iterated features as a faster processor, improved camera, and the highly speculated feature of the fingerprint sensor on the home button. Also the rumored iPhone 5C (budget iPhone) is expected to come in multiple colors with a plastic body (unlike any iPhone yet). Again in the Samsung’s arena, the expected new Note is also rumored to have Android Jelly bean 4.3 with an improved internal processor and RAM. It is also expected to support the LTE feature.  So the arch rivals Apple and Samsung are coming up with these highly anticipated and smarter gadgets for their fans before the holiday season kicks in. Let’s wait and watch!

Tablets – Time to bag one !

You collection is almost complete with a Smartphone, laptop and a desktop home PC. All that is missing is the latest and greatest Tablet on the market.  Tablets are actually very useful and turning out to be very essential gadgets for everyone – be it grade school students, the stylish collegiate lifestyle, the daily office goers or the ones at home. Now let’s explore into the facts why a Tablet is an essential electronic for you.

1. Accessing Internet – It lets you access the internet for both personal and professional usage anywhere – whether you are at office, travelling, relaxing at home or anywhere. It is quite handy to use and so it makes surfing very easy. You do not need not start up and load your laptop or PC or zoom into the tiny web pages on your Smartphone since the Tablet loads the internet quickly and efficiently. It also lets your social presence soar on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other sites.
2. Getting connected – You can easily make video calls to your friends comfortably while laying on your sofa, cooking in the kitchen, or even when walking down the hallway because of the mobility of the tablet.
3. Gaming – If you are a gamer, there are plenty of Tablets with excellent screen resolution and battery life to entertain yourself for hours. Your Tablet will boost your gaming scores letting you play your favorite games on it as soon as you power it on.
4. Entertainment – The tablet provides you with a huge dose of media in the ways you’re already accustomed to – listening to Music, watching some great YouTube Videos, cherishing old memories of yours through viewing and sharing pictures or watching your favorite movies. The Tablet makes it happen.
5.  Reading books – If you want to catch up on any novels or books, Tablets make it readily possible as they allow you to read your favorite eBook through the apps, on a large easily visible screen.

How does it work on your Android Devices?

NFC stands for Near Field Communications. The use of NFC has gained pace in the mobile industry and has become an innovative staple. All devices supporting NFC are able to communicate with each other through the radio frequencies. The recently released Android Phones and Tablets already come with the embedded NFC chips. Keeping in view of Cell Phones and Tablets, NFC is basically a File and Data Sharing medium. The Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android 4.0 comes with a function called Android Beam. The File and Data sharing between the devices happens quite conveniently via NFC and Android Beam. In order to check, whether your Phone or Tablet has NFC or not, you can look for the word, NFC, printed on the Battery Pack.

In order to use NFC, the very first step is to activate NFC on your cell phone or Tablet. You can do it this way:

• Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > More.
• Tap on the “NFC” tab to activate it. It automatically turns on the “Android Beam function”.
• In case the Android Beam does not automatically turn on, just tap it and select “Yes” to turn it on.

The NFC capabilities of any Smartphone operate fluently with that of the Android Beam function. When the Android Beam is disabled, the NFC’s sharing functionality is restricted and is not fully functional. For data sharing via NFC, you need to follow these steps:

• Activate NFC and Android Beam on both Sending and receiving devices. (Neither of them should be locked)
• Place both the devices’ back against each other.
• Wait for audio confirmation once the devices detect each other.
• Tap on the screen after the display “Touch to Beam” flashes on the screen.
• Do not separate your devices until the beaming has started.
• You’ll get an audio feedback when the file or content has been successfully beamed.

For sharing content via NFC, you just need to open the content for beaming and follow the similar steps.

Here's the totally new Mac Pro

The much awaited WWDC – 2013 event organized by Apple , which took place in June 2013 at San Francisco saw the debut of the newer version of Mac Pro. The Mac Pro has totally undergone a redesign in terms of both external and internal features. In terms of the external features, the Mac Pro has completely gotten a makeover in comparison to the older version. Not only is it one-eighth the size of its predecessor, it has a totally new cylindrical shape – with the diameter 6.6” and the height 9.9”. When compiling the list of new internal features, the highly anticipated 2013 Mac Pro will be undoubtedly the most powerful and creative desktop PC till date. In terms of power, it is twice that of the previous Mac Pro since it is packed with current-generation Intel Core Xeon processors, ECC memory, USB 3 which supports the fast connection of a number of external devices, HDMI 1.4 port, Flash internal storage and support for Thunderbolt 2. There are two GPUs, more than doubling the performance of the previous model and bringing the support for 4K displays for the first time ever. This is also going to be the first Mac designed and assembled only in the US. To summarize, it is actually a masterpiece in terms of its updated specifications which allows engineers, designers and consumers of all kinds the enjoyment of an amazing computing experience!

Back to School App – Smacktom.com

With the Back to School season warming up and the shopping list of yours almost completed, its time to get ready to start everything once again on a fresh note for the new school year. On the first day, everyone is in attendance, sitting at their newly assigned desk with their goal list ready to excel in all the exams and to score some better GPAs than that of the previous years. Here are some apps which can be helpful for you throughout the school year for managing your academic classes and reaching your goals for each report card:

1. Kno Textbooks – An iPad app containing quite a large number of books available for you at reasonable prices. The textbooks available are very innovative with a 3D representation of facts along with search engines and videos. This app has flashcards and journals in order to help you out with your research. It makes note sharing with your friends very simple along with importing PDFs from the internet, e-mail or Dropbox. You can also try the similar app, iTunesU.

2. iHomework – iHomework, although it is a paid app, you wont mind spending a mere $1.99 to help organize all of your valuable academic information regarding studies, assignments, grades, to-dos and teacher info in one single place. Homework is challenging already, simplify it by using this app to reduce the stress. This app is integrated with Questia.com – the best research assistant out there. It also allows the syncing of information between your iPhone, iPod, iPad and Mac.

3. Dictionary.com Dictionary & Thesaurus – Once you begin your research with textbooks and are stuck somewhere in between, this app helps you navigate through definitions or to simply improve your vocabulary to impress your public speaking class.

4. Evernote – An app for the critical organization of all school tasks shared across all of your apple devices. You can easily create reminders, save notes, to-do lists, snapshots for everything related to your studies. Another similar option is the Dropbox app.

Once you’re ready for class with your new tablet, Smartphone or Mac,  don’t forget to download these helpful apps. We highly recommend that you also add World Atlas 2013, Wikibot, Cooliris,and  My GradeBook for Students. Stay organized to score high points this year! - See more at: http://www.smacktom.com/blog/back-to-school-app-tech-smacktom-com/#sthash.ADyeuqcu.dpuf

Tom's Mini Guidebook for Android Usage

Tom likes jelly beans and ice cream sandwiches, too! He will happily help to guide you though your Android usage and apps. Here are some very useful frequently answered questions to guide you when making the switch to an awesome Android Smartphone from a BlackBerry, iOS or Windows phone platform.

 How to install apps on my android?

• From the Applications Menu, open the Google Play Store.
• There you will see the display category wise – Free, Paid, Top Free and Top Paid.
• Here, any option from Applications to Games or Search may be accessed. Use the Search to find a specific one or simply browse until the one you are looking for appears on the list.
• Each application comes with its own rating and description so prior to installing the app, each one has a great summary tool for you to review.
• Click on the application to view more details and click the Install button.
• Agree to the terms and conditions and it will be installed.

Where can I get free apps on Google Play?

• After you open the Google Play Store, there are tabs – Free Apps, Paid Apps, Top Free and Top Paid.
• You can look there for your favorite apps, either in the Free or Top Free section.

  Google Books – Are they free?

The Google Play Store consists of the major sections – Shop, Apps, Movies, Books and Devices.  The books section consists of all books which are listed in the store and are contained by the digital database of Google. There are quite a large number of books which can be downloaded into your device. Just as the Play Store, there are books which can be downloaded for free (“Free” listed under the book’s image) and similarly the paid ones (Cost written below the Book).

 Tom cheerfully shares his smile with all of his Android friends!  Enjoy this user friendly guide!   

New Generation Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire vs iPad Mini vs Samsung Galaxy Tab 3

Similar to Smartphones, there is an increase in the number of tablets out in the market – ranging with a multitude of options and pricing. With the recently announced iterated version of the Google Nexus 7, there is one more gizmo for you to contemplate on the list along with the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, iPad mini and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3.0. We’re here to help you decide the best fit for you by explaining the different features for each of them below.

1. Processor – When comparing the processor in each of them, we find that excluding the new Nexus 7, all three have the Dual Core Processor (iPad Mini has the A5 chip) with an average speed of about 1.2 GHz. The Nexus 7, on the other hand, has a Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with the speed of 1.5 GHz – which is quite fast!
2. Camera – The iPad mini and the new Nexus both have the same Camera specifications – their front camera is 1.2 MP and their rear camera is 5.0 MP. The  Kindle Fire HD has a front facing camera only and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3.0 has a 1.3 MP front camera and a 3.0 MP rear camera.
3. OS – Now as for the OS – the ultimate backbone of any Tablet. Among the Android tablets – Kindle Fire HD, Galaxy Tab 3 and New Generation Nexus -  the Nexus 7 has the latest versioned OS i.e. Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy tab has the 4.1 Jelly Bean and the Kindle Fire has the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The iPad mini comes with an iOS 6 which will be getting an update to iOS 7 (arriving this fall).
4. Screen Size and Pixel Density – The Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Galaxy Tab 3 have a screen size of 7 inches (though Nexus has 7.02) and the iPad mini has 7.9 inches screen making it the largest of the four. The pixel density of Nexus 7 is 323ppi – the best out of Kindle Fire HD, iPad mini and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 which only have 215ppi, 163ppi and 169ppi respectively.
5.  LTE option - Only the new Nexus 7 and iPad mini come with this option.
6. Price – Last but not the least, one of the most important factors is the tablet’s price. The Galaxy Tab comes in the 8GB option and costs $199. The Kindle Fire HD comes in two options of 16 GB and 32 GB costing $199 and $229 respectively. The new Nexus 7 comes in 16GB, 32 GB and 32 GB LTE options which cost $229, $269 and $349. The iPad mini costs $329 and $459, $429 and $559 and $529 and $659 for 16GB, 32 GB and 64 GB – with Wi-Fi and LTE included.