Rumored Features of the Upcoming iPad Pro

When the rumors of iPad Pro broke out last August 2014, there has been a never-ending talk about the possibility of a larger iPad, along with other expected greater features. The upcoming iPad Pro is the next evolution of Apple's long-running slate, something that could replace a laptop with a larger screen, more powerful processor, and an attachable keyboard. With more features ranging from dual operating systems to a Touch ID button, including features that we have come to love in the iPad Air 2 such as 2GB RAM and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. If this makes you a little more curious as to what the upcoming tablet can bring to the table, check out some of the rumored features surrounding the iPad Pro.

BIGGER THAN EVER

Initially, there have been reports that the iPad Pro will be definitely big, measuring 12.9 inches diagonally. If the iPad is said to replace your MacBook, then it has to be bigger. Since then, articles circling around the web announce that the larger iPad will be sporting a 12.9-inch screen, and be called iPad Plus, instead of iPad Pro or iPad Air Plus. With this expected size, the iPad Pro would be closest in size to the 13-inch MacBook Air.

While rumors on the larger (largest?) iPad is still at gray area, it is believed that the tablet will closely resemble the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, still having its signature thin chassis and slim bezels. A website in Japan hinted that the king-size iPad will be somewhat thicker than the slender iPad Air 2, which measures 6.1 mm thick. The iPad Pro's size is expected to come between 6.9 and 7.1 mm, meaning it will be about as thick as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

PROCESSOR AND RAM

Also similar with the iPad Air 2, the iPad Pro will be shipped with the triple-core A8X processor. As an upgrade to the A8 processor, which was introduced in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models, the A8X offers some noticeable performance enhancements. Based on the Geekbench 3 multi-core benchmark, the A8X processor in the iPad Air 2 is up to 55 percent faster than the A8 processor in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Although most rumors are suggesting that the iPad Pro will be integrated with the same A8X processor used in the iPad Air 2, there's one rumor surfaced that Apple will be introducing an updated, and more powerful A9 processor for the iPad Pro.

The iPad Pro is also expected to be shipped with 2GB of RAM, same with the iPad Air 2, which is the first Apple mobile device to have 2GB RAM.

SMART COVER with KEYBOARD and STYLUS

Apple's Smart Cover is expected to be a lot smarter when it is rumored to come out with the iPad Pro. According to a recent patent filing, Apple could possibly release a Smart Cover that is equipped with a full keyboard, similar to the Type Cover on Microsoft's Surface. The company's patent suggests a keyboard that could operate independently from the cover, allowing you to attach the keyboard to your iPad in various configurations or use the accessory wirelessly. The keyboard may also support gesture controls on a small panel, thus eliminating the need for a traditional touchpad.

Apple may also bundle the iPad Pro with a proprietary stylus, if they want it to keep up with strong competitors like the Note Pro. The stylus is suggested to have stylus orientation detection, which would allow a touchscreen to react differently based on various types of stylus strokes.

TOUCH ID HOME BUTTON and EYE TRACKING

When the iPhone 5S rolled out last year, it was the debut of the Touch ID fingerprint-reading home button. So it makes sense that this feature should also make its way to the iPad Pro. The Touch ID allows users to unlock their device and authorize purchases with a tap of a finger, although it would be cooler if Apple will add the capability to replace website passwords with a touch.

Along with fingerprint support, the iPad Pro could make use of your eyeballs as well. The tablet is said to tap eye-tracking technology according to International Business Times, though there aren't any specific details as to how the said feature could work.

RELEASE DATE

Blighted by multiple delays last year, the iPad Pro is now expected to roll out in the markets in September 2015, according to a Bloomberg report. There are also reports that the larger slate will not be visible till the second half of the year, with its production only taking place in the third quarter.

Amazing Gadgets and Technologies That Will Satisfy Your Tech Cravings This 2015

With all these new tech toys, both out and still upcoming -- wearables, smart devices, mobile technology, Internet things, and everything in between, there's so much in store for tech enthusiasts this 2015. Although some are not yet out in the market, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015 unveiled them recently, along with the R&Ds and prototypes that were released last year from different companies and organizations.

So let's take a look at some of these new and upcoming gadgets to give you a better idea.

Apple Watch	Apple has finally joined the smartwatch battle. Some of its significant specs include retina display, with the smaller watch sporting a 1.5-inch 272 x 340 display, while the larger variant has a 1.65-inch 312 x 390 screen. Its display can sense force via a new feature called Force Touch, which allows the device to distinguish between a tap and a press for more contextually specific controls. Another feature is the Taptic Engine, which offers haptic feedback for your wrist, tapping you with notifications or on specific sides of your wrist for Apple Maps navigation. It also has a heart rate sensor and Digital Touch that allows you to reply with a little hand-drawn message instead. When the Apple Watch does eventually go on sale, there will be three model choices -- each with two display sizes to suit different wrist sizes. The company promised to launch the smartwatch on the first quarter of 2015, no precise date at this point.
Sony Steel Edition SmartWatch 3	Sony is also taking its turn at wearable devices with this matte-finished steel edition SmartWatch 3. It's powered by a Qualcomm chipset in standard 24mm watch strap for non-stop hours of fitness activities. What's good about this smartwatch is that the main module can be popped out and put in other surrounds, making it easy to change between styles if ever you would like to get all active with it. Specifications include a 1.6-inch, 320 x 320 transflective LCD display and built-in GPS to help track your running (a unique part of Sony's Android Wear device). The Sony Steel Edition SmartWatch 3 will be rolling out in February this year.
Smartphone app that helps diagnose sleeping disorders	Are you looking for something that can help you diagnose sleeping problems? An app that does just like that is now under development. A team of researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology and Florida State University are currently working on a project that will enable your smartphone to listen to and monitor your breathing while you sleep without wearables. It was featured in MIT Technology Review and the said smartphone app will be developed this year.
Fin	Over the years, people have become too bored using the remote control in switching between channels. Fin, a bluetooth-enabled device, comes with a gesture interface that allows you to control smart devices like your TV. Fin has three built-in sensors for the beam signals to work with a 100 metre range between the hand and the smart device. It's not yet available in the market, although RHLvision offers pre-order, and that a prototype has already been produced.
Project Ara by Google	Reinventing the way we build, buy, and use smartphones in the future is the main objective of Google's Project Ara. It's not a phone for now, but a project being worked on using DARPA philosophy instead. The components of the phone are composed of magnetic modules that are networked to communicate with each other to function seamlessly like a smartphone.

iPad Air vs. iPad Air 2 Is it Upgrade-Worthy

As we have learned initially from Apple, as it was announced less than a month ago, the iPad Air 2 is claimed to be not just the best, but the thinnest tablet in the market today. Measuring just 6.1 mm, the iPad Air 2 also features other upgrades such as the CPU, the iSight camera, the Wi-Fi speed, and now the TouchID starting at $499. However, there is also the cheaper iPad Air for only $399. Both tablets will come with iOS 8.1, which means both will have the Apple Pay functionality for online purchases.

To give you a better picture when comparing the two tablet models, below is a chart that will give you a spec-by-spec face-off between the two. Check them out:

	iPad Air	iPad Air 2
Starting Price	$399	$499
CPU	A7 and M7 coprocessors	A8X with M8 motion coprocessor
Display	9.7 inches / 2048 x 1536 pixels	9.7 inches / 2048 x 1536 pixels
OS	iOS 8	iOS 8
Battery	11 hour 51 minutes of continuous Web browsing	Up to 10 hours of continuous Internet browsing
Connectivity	802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi or LTE	802.11ac Wi-Fi or LTE
Size	9.4 x 6.6 x 0.29 inches	9.4 x 6.6 x 0.24 inches
Weight	1.05 pounds	0.96 pounds
Storage	16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB	16GB, 64GB, 128GB
Front/Rear Camera	1.2-MP (720p HD) / 5-MP	1.2-MP (720p HD) / 8-MP
Ports	Lightning, headphone	Lightning, headphone

Display

With Apple claiming that the iPad Air 2 as the least reflective tablet there is, the company was able to achieve the striking thinness of the Air 2 by laminating the layers of the display together, which effectively eliminates the air gap between the glass and touch components. Combining it with some anti-reflective coating, the new panel design should improve viewability.

As for other stuff about the display, pretty much it's just the same with the iPad Air's original display. Both tablets offer a 9.7-inch LED-backlit multitouch screen with IPS technology. Both also offer a resolution of 2048 x 1536, resulting to 264 pixels per inch.

Design

Honestly, it would be quite a challenge to distinguish the two tablets from one another at a glance because of them having very similar designs. However, try turning them on their side, however, and the problem is solved right away. Why? That's because the iPad Air 2 is about 18% thinner than the original iPad Air -- that's specifically 6.1 mm vs. 7.5 mm. So don't be surprised if the entire world claims the Air 2 as the thinnest tablet in the planet today.

Aside from the space gray and silver color in which the iPad Air is available in, you can also get the gold version of the iPad Air 2. Another difference of the Air 2 is the gold ring around the home button, famously known as the TouchID. This fingerprint scanner keeps a log of your prints on your iOS device, which enables you to sign in to Facebook or use Apple Pay with a swipe.

Specifications & Features

Its internal specs are possibly the biggest difference between the first and generation of iPad Air. Apple upgraded the Air 2's CPU to the A8X, the new version of the A8 found in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus but is just for iPad. The iPad Air will still only run with the last-generation A7 and M7 chips.

Another upgrade is the iPad Air 2's rear camera. Instead of the 5-MP iSight on the Air, the Air 2 gets 8MP. It can also shoot in Burst mode for photos and slow-mo for video, which the Air doesn't have. Both offer a 1.2 MP FaceTime camera on the front with face detection and 720p HD video.

Obviously, the iPad Air 2 is an improvement over the iPad Air. Along with it is TouchID, a faster processor, faster Wi-Fi connection, and a new camera. You need to pay an extra $100 though, as the iPad Air 2 costs $499, compared to the original Air which costs just $399. For those who are budget-conscious but still want to have a full-sized, best-in-class tablet, the iPad Air is still a great choice.

Revamp Google Chrome's New Tab Page with These Useful Extensions

Some may find the New Tab page of Google Chrome very minimal with only just a search bar and a few quick links to the frequently accessed sites. This default appearance may be considered boring and uninspiring, and its lack of options to customize somehow makes it less lovable to some. The good news is that Google released some useful extensions, which can give your default New Tab page a complete makeover. Here they are:

1. Dream Afar

This extension is visually appealing that contains useful features like weather forecast and simple speed dial. After installing the Dream Afar extension, you'll be welcomes with a Google search bar along with the local time and weather reports. In addition, you can quickly access all your apps, history, and bookmarks via the links displayed on the upper-right corner of the browser.

Although the customization options are limited, you can still do so by going to the options panel, which appears on the menu icon. A great feature of Dream Afar is that you can either remove the enter search widget or you can choose from other search engines like Bing and Baidu. Simply select the radio button of your preference and that's it.

2. Lightning Speed Dial

Lightning Speed Dial is a rather simple dashboard with a beautiful wallpaper, search bar, and quick links to your favorite websites and Chrome apps. This new tab extension is perfect for someone who prefers a minimalist look and feel. Like with Dream Afar wherein the customization options are only few, you can easily design your own start page by enabling you to change its wallpapers (you can even add your own wallpapers from your PC), link categorization, and others.

You can easily access the extension's settings page by clicking on the Setting link at the bottom-right corner of the page. Although you may find very few options, it's good for users who prefer a lightweight and no-nonsense New Tab page for Chrome.

3. Spots

The Spots extension is highly-customizable with a dashboard rich in features for all your online activities like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. Once you've installed this extension, you'll be greeted with colorful spots that correspond to links to your most viewed websites, along with an awesome wallpaper. One advantage of using this extension is that you can easily sync it between different computers by simply logging in to your Google or Facebook account.

As for its settings, you can access them anytime from the drop-down menu found on the upper-left corner. From here, you can configure anything from colors, backgrounds, presets, content discovery, notifications, tab behavior, icons, and many others. These options will let you fully customize your New Tab page to match your style and personality, as well as your online needs.

If you are a frequent Chrome user, using any of these extensions will greatly improve your productivity and browsing experience with the New Tab page. Give one of these new extensions a shot and find out which one of them will perfectly suit your style and needs. You'll definitely enjoy a better start page for your everyday browsing activities.

Access a Web Page on Your iPhone While Offline

I love browsing the Internet using my iPhone. I can browse online anytime and anywhere I want since I always have my phone with me.

The problem with this is that your phone isn't necessarily connected to the Internet at all times. Not unless you have unlimited cellular data, which can be really costly. Also, there will be times where you will be at a location where there is limited or no cellular service like when on a plane or car trips through areas with no cellular coverage.

Apple's Reading List allows you to select any web page you’d like and access its contents while offline. All you need to do is to bookmark the web page in the Safari browser on your iPhone. To do this, check out these simple steps:

NOTE: In order for offline reading to work, your iPhone needs to have iOS 6 and later installed.

Access a Web Page on Your iPhone While Offline

Before you begin, make sure you are connected to the Internet so you can add web pages to your Reading List for later reading.

1. Launch the Safari app and open the web page you want to add to the Reading List.

2. Once the website is loaded, tap the Sharing icon located in the middle of the navigation controls at the bottom of your screen.

3. Now, tap Add to Reading List to add the website to your Reading List. The web page will be downloaded and saved for you to access at a later time. You can continue to open new pages and add other web pages to the Reading List until you are done.

That's it! If you want to access your Reading List, simply launch the Safari app, and then tap the Bookmark icon located at the bottom of the screen next to the Share icon. From there, tap the tab with the pair of glasses icon to display all of the articles and web pages you have saved.

By: Supportrix - Providing full spectrum technical support

5 Cool Gmail Labs Features You Should Try

Gmail Labs is Gmail's playground of new features that you can use as long as you have an account. However, be aware that these experimental features may "change, break, or disappear at any time." So far, there were no reported incidents of any off these features causing major disasters on its users. But just in case you may encounter some problems while making use of the Labs features, simply visit this link so that you can turn them all off.

So first things first, you need to enable the Gmail Lab Features setting before you can get to experience some, if not most, of the great features it can give -- which we will be discussing a little further down below.

To start off, sign in to your Google or Gmail account, then go to the gear icon found at the upper-right hand corner of the page, and then select Settings. Click on the Labs tab among the menus on top. Now scroll down or search for the feature you would like to enable, then click the Save changes button button either at the very top or the very bottom of the list. So now you know where to find the Gmail Labs features and how to enable them, below are five top features that we recommend you should try:

1. Take Back a Message That You Have Accidentally Sent

By default, you have a 10-second window of opportunity to take back the action before the message will be actually sent. Now, you have an option to increase the window time to 30 seconds. In order for you to do this, you need to enable the Undo Send feature in Gmail Labs. From there, you can customize the message sending cancellation period to 30 seconds by going to the General tab in the settings, and then scrolling down to the Undo Send entry.

So how do you actually take back the message you sent? Right after you press the Send button, you will see an Undo link within a yellow box that will appear at the top of your inbox. Click it in time, and your message will not be sent. Gmail will reopen it as draft so you can get to fix your email. Gmail cannot (or at least does not) retrieve messages from a recipient's inbox once they're delivered but still unread, the way some email systems can do.

2. Find Out Your Unread Messages Count

With the official name of "Unread message icon," this feature appears overlaid on the Gmail logo on your browser's tab when enabled. Gmail makes it a habit to show you the number of unread messages in your inbox, as long as your Gmail page is loaded to the inbox view, and there is enough space on your tabs for the numbers to appear inside the parenthesis.

3. Preview Your Google Calendar Even While You're in the Mail View

Another awesome Gmail Labs feature removes the hassle of having to navigate to another tab to check your Google Calendar before replying to your email about your availability (for example, a meeting) -- this is the Google Calendar gadget.

The feature adds a mini calendar and scrollable list of appointments starting with the current day. Once you enable this feature, you will find your mini calendar on the left panel of your Gmail screen, where you have your folders, Gmail chat contacts, etc. If in case you're having problems seeing it, your left panel list may probably be too long. Simply click on the three dots found at the very bottom, and your Google Calendar gadget should appear.

4. Preview Messages

Now, Gmail Labs has also implemented the Preview Pane feature, just how it works in Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or your other email client. It's cleverly designed because you can easily toggle the preview mode on and off. Another good design on this feature is that it doesn't automatically preview a message if you haven't selected one yet, which could have caused that message to be marked as read.

5. Find Out Who's Using Google Chat on Android

If you enable this particular Gmail Labs feature, your chat friends who are signed in to Google via their Android mobile devices will be indicated with an Android robot icon, instead of the colored dot of Gmail or Google +. This way, you'll have a clearer idea why your friend, relative, or colleague is somehow ignoring your chat messages.

Which of these Gmail Labs features would you like to choose. Don't worry, there are more features you can choose from if you go visit the Labs tab of your Gmail or Google + account. You'll definitely want to enable a feature or two, which will certainly make your Gmail or Google + experience more enjoyable.