Mobiles and gadgets

Apple has announced the Iphone 4S, not the Iphone 5, so we take a look at the differences between the old and the new.

For starters the handset doesn't look any different from its predecessor, not a single thing has changed. So no one will even know that you have the new version. Considering it's an Apple product we expected it to at least be a bit thinner. However, Apple does claim that the device is a massive 3g lighter. With no face lift or tummy tuck, it's the hardware and software where we find some upgrades.

We'll start with the hardware and look at the processor first. This time round the Iphone 4S has been given an A5 dual-core chip. It's an upgrade from the A4 processor in the Iphone 4, which is only single-core. It's the same chip that the Ipad 2 has, which is clocked at 1GHz but it's unclear if this is the same on the Iphone 4S. Nevertheless, the fruit themed firm claims it can deliver up to twice the power and seven times faster graphics.

The other major hardware upgrade is to the phone's camera. The 5MP camera on the Iphone 4 has been bumped up to 8MP. Apple claims it "might be the best camera ever on a phone". It also has a bigger aperture of f/2.4, the illumination sensor has been ‘improved' and there's additional face detection. When it comes to video the camera will be able to shoot in HD 1080p as opposed to HD 720p, and it will have added video stabilisation that the Iphone 4 camera doesn't have.

The Macintosh, or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface rather than a command-line interface.[1]]

iPodLinux is a µClinux-based Linux distribution designed specifically to run on Apple Inc.'s iPod. When the iPodLinux kernel is booted it takes the place of Apple's iPod operating system and automatically loads Podzilla, an alternative GUI and launcher for a number of additional included programs such as a video player, an image viewer, a command line shell, games, emulators for video game consoles, programming demos, and other experimental or occasionally unfinished software.iPodLinux in essence consists of a graphical booting Linux kernel built from µClinux sources using the uClibc C standard library with driver code for iPod components (or reverse engineered drivers where available). It includes userland programs from µClinux and/or BusyBox, a UNIX-style file system (which can be created within HFS+ formatted iPods, or an ext2 partition on FAT32 formatted iPod), and the Podzilla GUI (and its modules). iPodLinux's default behaviors borrow elements from the default Apple iPod OS, Linux, and the imaginations of the coders.[citation needed] Apple's proprietary iPod OS in contrast uses an invisible boot loader and is based on an ARM processor kernel originally written by Pixo and the iPod browser program, a GUI written by Apple and Pixo using the Pixo application framework, and other firmware and component drivers written from manufacturer's reference code to support the standard behavior Apple wanted iPod to have.

The iPod Mini (marketed as the iPod mini) was a digital audio player designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was the midrange model in Apple's iPod product line. It was announced on January 6, 2004 and released on February 20 of the same year. A second-generation version was announced on February 23, 2005 and released later that year. The iPod Mini line was officially discontinued on September 7, 2005 and was replaced by the iPod Nano line.
The iPod Mini uses the touch-sensitive scroll wheel of the third generation iPod; however, instead of the four touch buttons located above the wheel, the buttons were redesigned as mechanical switches beneath the wheel itself—hence the name click wheel. To use one of the four buttons, the user must physically push the edge of the wheel inward over one of the four labels. Like its predecessors, the wheel was developed for Apple by Synaptics. The click wheel is now also used in the fourth, fifth and sixth generation iPods and the iPod Nano, from first generation through the fifth; however, in the Nano and 5G iPods onwards, the click wheel is developed by Apple.
Above the wheel is a monochrome 138x110 LCD that displays a menu or information about the selected track. Newer-generation iPods have since adopted color displays.

The iPod Classic (trademarked as iPod classic and known before its sixth generation as simply the iPod) is a portable media player marketed by Apple Inc. To date, there have been six generations of the iPod Classic, as well as a spin-off (the iPod Photo) that was later re-integrated into the main Classic line. All generations use a 1.8-inch hard drive for storage.
The "Classic" retronym was introduced with the introduction of the sixth-generation iPod Classic on 5 September 2007;[1] prior to this, an iPod Classic was simply referred to as an iPod.

However, a head's up has been given tech sites iLounge and Digg who both seem to have the inside gen on what the new unit will look like. iLounge says the new unit will be taller and thinner than its predecessor, and will employ a 1.5:1 aspect ratio, bringing it into line with the iPhone and iPod proper. It is thought it will also include an accelerometer allowing it to be used in landscape mode so users can watch movies.However, Digg founder Kevin Rose has gone one step further by finding a pic that is said to be of a prototype that, on face value, backs up some of the specs intimated by iLounge. Rose says there will be new firmware, as well as a new version of iTunes, plus an update of OS X to support Blu-ray. Some aspects of the new unit will be similar to the first- and second-generation nanos, with a click wheel that fits neatly with the screen, as opposed to the third-generation model that was slightly squarer in shape.Both websites seem pretty sure of their info with regard to the new unit, however none can guess the price - something that will be interesting due to the iPhone and iPod both being competitively priced.

The iPod Shuffle (trademarked as iPod shuffle) is a digital audio player designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the budget model in Apple's iPod family. It was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 11, 2005, using the tagline "life is random". Instead of storing data on a hard disk, it was the first iPod to use flash memory. The current third generation model, introduced on March 11, 2009, weighs 10.7 grams (0.38 ounces),[citation needed] making it Apple's smallest digital audio player.[1]

The iPod nano is a portable media player with a video camera designed and marketed by Apple. The first generation of the iPod nano was introduced in 2005.[1] It uses flash memory, like the iPod Shuffle, but with a 2.2 inch (diagonal) QVGA display and the "click wheel" found on the iPod Classic. The iPod nano has gone through five models, or generations, since its introduction. The fifth generation (current) supports video recording, a microphone for voice memos, and a slightly larger screen than that of the previous generation.

The iPhone is an Internet and multimedia enabled smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Because its minimal hardware interface lacks a physical keyboard, the multi-touch screen renders a virtual keyboard when necessary. The iPhone functions as a camera phone (also including text messaging and visual voicemail), a portable media player (equivalent to a video iPod), and an Internet client (with email, web browsing, and Wi-Fi connectivity). The first-generation phone hardware was quad-band GSM with EDGE; the second generation added UMTS with 3.6 Mbps HSDPA;[17] the third generation adds support for 7.2 Mbps HSDPA downloading but remains limited to 384 Kbps uploading as Apple had not implemented the HSPA protocol.[18]
Apple announced the iPhone on January 9, 2007,[19] after months of rumors and speculation.[20] The original iPhone was introduced in the United States on June 29, 2007 before being marketed worldwide. Time magazine named it the Invention of the Year in 2007.[21] Released July 11, 2008, the iPhone 3G supports faster 3G data speeds and assisted GPS.[17] On March 17, 2009, Apple announced version 3.0 of the iPhone OS operating system for the iPhone (and iPod Touch), released on June 17, 2009.[22] The iPhone 3GS was announced on June 8, 2009, and has improved performance, a camera with more megapixels and video capability, and voice control.[23] It was released in the U.S., Canada and 6 European countries on June 19, 2009,[3] in Australia and Japan on June 26,[24] and saw international release in July and August, 2009.

The Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S315i claims to deliver up to 20 hours of listening time. It uses custom, full-range drivers to accurately reproduce the highs and lows of your favourite songs. The Rechargeable Speaker S315i works with the iPhone and any iPod model with the Apple Universal Dock Connector.
The company has also launched the portable speaker designed for ‘first-time' iPod owners. The S125i is a speaker dock with extra bass when you need it. You can use it to play and charge any iPod model with the Apple Universal Dock Connector or connect other music players using the 3.5mm auxiliary input. It runs on AC or battery power – up to 10 hours of battery-powered music (4 AA not included) – so it can go just about anywhere inside or outside the home.

Big, beautiful displays.
21.5-inch and 27-inch displays.The new iMac has come a long way from the first 15-inch iMac. Take one look and you’ll see just how far. A 21.5-inch or 27-inch display with edge-to-edge glass covers nearly the entire front of the enclosure. When all you see is the display, nothing gets between you and what’s onscreen. Movies, TV shows, websites, photos — everything looks stunning on the new 16:9 widescreen iMac display.
LED backlighting.
When a display has more pixels, you need to push more light through them to achieve the best picture possible. LED backlighting in the new iMac does exactly that, with remarkable brightness and efficiency. Because the LED backlight doesn’t take up much space, the iMac enclosure stays thin — even with all the high-performance components inside.
Higher resolution.
The new 21.5-inch iMac features 1920-by-1080 HD resolution. Apple engineers could simply have stretched that resolution up and out for the 27-inch iMac. Instead, they took the display well beyond HD with 2560-by-1440 resolution. That’s 78 percent more pixels than the 21.5-inch iMac.
IPS technology.
The iMac display is designed to look great from almost any angle. A technology called in-plane switching (IPS) makes this possible. Whether you’re sitting in front of the display or standing off to the side, you’ll get a perfect picture with superb color consistency and no loss of detail.