One big change for current and future Apple devices – You can see a close up on the iPad 3 event invitation above and as you can see there is no home button, which would be a massive change for any new Apple device and the lack of this button could hint towards a change for iPhone 5 as well. We’d like to point out that the iPad could’ve been in landscape mode but there are theories that contradict this, although Apple love to send fans in all directions to throw rumors off any sent of reality, which could include the invitation spending time in Photoshop to alter how the final 3rd generation iPad would look.

If we imagine that Apple hasn’t altered the image in anyway to mislead us, then it could be seen that there really is no home button. We’d expect that the iPad in the invitation is really in portrait mode considering the landscape mode cuts off 6 drops in the background, and also app icons are too close to each other for landscape mode.

There has also been so much speculation over the icons in the image, which have been thoroughly detailed by this blog and what they see as the real reason for these icons in the iPad 3 event invitations. Have a read and let us know if you agree with them, or are they looking into this way too much and is it likely that the icons represent the keynote itself just as Apple normally do with past invites

The most popular iPad 3 rumors include Siri, 4G LTE, a faster processor, and retina display. The message in the image explains that we should be able to “see” and “touch” something, and this has led some people to believing there could be an Apple TV 3 at the event.

How would you feel if the iPhone 5 had no home button? If you’d like to share what other Easter eggs you believe are in the photo then please do so below, although we’d stand by the obvious that the iPad 3 will have no home button and would be the start of other devices, like the iPhone 5, having no home button as well. Remember that the lack of a home button also offers more space for a bigger display on a device of the same size.

Apple doesn’t have the backing of every news reporter and this cannot be more evident than seen in an article by the Guardian, which can be read here and focuses on Apple’s overwhelming dominance. Another article by Geek has looked at the different ways Apple could give fans “one more thing“, which includes no home button as we suggested but also 3D gestures, Aperture, Siri, iCloud gaming and more.

You can see an image below that Jeremy Schwartz created showing how the iPad 3 has to have no home button, or at least what Apple want us to believe thanks to the invitations, and would obviously become a standard for Apple devices if they start with the next iPad.

A few days ago we heard talk that the new iPad could see an increase in pricing of around $70 aan $80, which was put down to the proposed Retina Display rumored to be coming with the new model. This was met with dismay from many of our readers that were unsure if they wanted to pay the extra. But now there may be some good news if a report on 9TO5 Mac is accurate.

It seems the iPad 3 will cost the same across the range compared with the current version, and falls in line with what Apple normally does as it very rarely pushes up prices. To further add to the good news if you live in a country that has seen its currency strengthen against the US dollar, you may even make a slight saving.

There are also claims that the storage options will be the same as well, which contradicts other reports this week that Apple were ditching the 64GB version. Meanwhile the team over at Ars Technica has spotted some evidence of Apple staff using the so called iPad 3 running iOS 6. It is thought Apple may be ready to release iOS 5.1 next week to coincide with the new version of the iPad, but it seems Apple is well underway with the development of iOS 6.

When the site was looking through their logs it was found that there were 365 visits from a device that had a display with the resolution of 2048 x 1536. This is what’s thought to be coming with the iPad 3 and its rumored Retina Display. Normally this wouldn’t be much to go on, but it was also noticed that it was done with iPads running iOS 6 along with iOS 5 and iOS 5.1.

It is not thought Apple will release the iOS 6 operating system anytime soon, but the company may treat us to a preview of it next week at the iPad 3 event. Who knows it may become available in the summer with an iPhone 5 release.

PS Vita is a new generation handheld that has learned from the PS3 – We’ve seen a number of hints inside Sony’s PS Vita that show how the PS3 could’ve done certain tasks better, and one of the most demanded features since the release of the PS3 has been cross-game chat, which will likely never arrive on that platform.

The PlayStation Vita features cross-game chat and does it extremely well, which we found out when playing a few games while chatting to someone in Hong Kong (we were in the UK). The voice was very clear and you couldn’t hear the game they were playing, and this feature alone makes gaming with friends around the world much more appealing for handheld and console gamers.

The PS4 will need to learn from this generation – for starters it can and will include cross-game chat from the outset, which is proven thanks to its inclusion in the Vita but of course we’d expect the PS4 to release the hardware potential with a twist for voice chat while gaming. How could faster processors and more memory help with innovative voice features for a next-gen PlayStation console?

Backwards compatibility has received mix reactions by PS3 owners and while some people wanted all PS2 games to work on the PS3, there are gamers that cannot understand why you’d “want to play last generation games” on a next-gen system? Seasoned gamers know the classics will live forever and you can already see the new PS Vita hardware being used for some classic PSP games like the Sega Genesis Collection. You can read an article here that we posted two days ago, which looked at recent rumors involving backwards compatibility for Sony’s PS4, and the possibility it might not be included although this would be a real shame in our opinion.

Now is the time to enjoy PS Vita games and don’t procrastinate for a PS4 release date that will not come anytime soon – hearing about potential graphics hardware for the PS4 can make a nice read but we’ve got to remember that Sony has stated clearly about any release date being a while yet, and they officially confirmed the PS4 is a “distraction” to their current plans, which involve the PS Vita.

When we see forums filled with questions like “shall I buy a PS Vita or wait for the PS4?” we think “wake up and smell the coffee“, because there is no point waiting for something that Sony has confirmed as a distraction. We’d love to buy the next-generation Sony console as soon as possible, which our reasons are for owning both the Xbox 360 and PS3 since launch – years ago – and feel it’s time for a new generation, although that is not going to happen anytime soon. If you’ve owned any current generation console from launch are you crying out for next-gen?

To see why the current PS Vita is well worth a buy right now – or later this year once Sony iron out issues – then you should read about the mystery new PS Vita games, the cross platform potential for certain franchises, and let’s not forget cross-game chat that really makes the gaming fun as we found out in our hands-on.

In the past Samsung has shown off their flagship device at the annual MWC event, but this time round the company are holding an event at some point separate from anything else. Now it seems a marketing executive connected to Samsung has let the cat out of the back by apparently confirming the Samsung Galaxy S3 will be launched in April, and as BGR are reporting via ZDNet Korea the device will be used in the UK in a campaign for the build up to the 2012 London Olympics.

This is not the first time the Galaxy S III has been linked with the 2012 Olympics, as late in January it was rumored Samsung could release a major product to coincide with the games as the company is a major sponsor of the event.

The Chiel Worldwide marketing agency that works for Samsung has confirmed that a big promotion will be starting that month for the Android smartphone. The UK will also be one of Samsung’s first launch markets where the Olympics are taking place.

Specs for the handset are rumored to include a 1.5GHz quad-core Exynos processor powering a 4.8-inch HD display. It is also thought to feature an 8-megapixel shooter capable of Full HD video capture. There has also been talk the device will feature NFC technology and of course come running Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

The current Galaxy S II is built using a plastic body, but the new model is rumored to be made of a ceramic casing, which will please many consumers that are not fans of plastic handsets.

Some of the latest Apple rumors point to a release somewhere in March, which we find it hard not to believe there would be some sort of announcement at the upcoming iPad 3 event next week, especially considering they’ll already have the attention of world press. This would make the perfect launch pad for any new product they’d be introducing in the next few weeks, although it would be even more important if these products had some sort of improved integration between them.

The iPad 2 and Apple TV 2 both work together in improved ways thanks to the latest iOS 5, although Apple would always be looking to improve harmony between their products, and an iOS 6 release this year paired with enhancements for iPad 3 and Apple TV 3 could improve the cross product usability.

How could Apple TV 3 flip a crowded market? The wish lists for features on the 3G Apple TV have been published online for nearly year, from the moment the 2G device launched, and we’ve seen many requested features including app gaming for the big screen TV. Airplay in iOS 5 has helped iPhone’s and iPad’s stream web pages, games and videos to the big screen but Apple would need to innovate more in this space for the 3rd generation.

Multiply sources are pointing towards an iPad 3 and new Apple TV releasing together, and this has been given weight thanks to hints in code (the product is codenamed J33). We’d expect a faster chip to help with improved 1080p video, a better remote that supports Bluetooth 4.0 and one that is redesigned with some new slick features would be welcomed, but none of this is revolutionary.

What would Apple need to bring to the table to create something special on our big screens? The brand is known for taking technology already in the marketplace and mashing it up into a new product that “does it better“, although not everyone agrees with Apple’s tactics and feel they are mostly “one step behind“. We’d have to point these people to Apple’s sales figures and explain no matter what they think about Apple, they must be doing something right to be so popular across many markets.

Siri has been a success for iPhone 4S and could be included in Apple TV 3 with a slight spin to create something amazing for those that want natural voice control in the living room, and given this product is quite revolutionary it could be welcomed by those that love to buy Apple products. Would you want Siri on the Apple TV 3G, and could this help you pick one up on the release date?

In summary: For us more innovation with Airplay and an ATV3 with Siri and more power is enough, especially with some tighter integration via a software update. With that said our expectations are for Apple to do much more at next week’s event, and rumors of a new accessory codenamed “B82” and we wonder if this could be an Apple webcam for FaceTime in the TV room?

If Apple does have a secret weapon to innovate this year we’d love to know your predictions in the comments below.

For one, I knew if I helped him make his account I would undoubtedly be given the responsibility of “maintaining” his profile and that would include typing the entire entries on his C.V on a social networking website, and that the largest one.

However, due to the pure goodness of heart and the thought of keeping my dad away from midnight snacking on the 390g bar of Dairy Milk in the fridge, I for that unforgivable moment decided to help him make a Facebook page and God, it was almost as if as if the arrival of the newborn in the house.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those who stand in the way of parents trying to get all tech-savvy in order to connect with their kids, friends, kollegas, relatives – and well, kids. I think, it’s really admirable and good for them – at least, as long as they know what they are doing, or where they are going with it.

HoEgterwhen you know your mom just joined Facebook only so she could keep a tab on who your friends are and where you are going with them then it’s time she should be nabbed.

When my mom decided to “poke” my dad on Facebook, it started a flurry of panic attacks almost as if the baby had just dirtied himself and both the parents just didn’t know what to do about it.

“She just poked me” My dad said pointing towards my mom.
“So…” I replied, while my brother died laughing in the corner.

“So, what am I supposed to do?!”

“DAD, just let it go. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“What! But she just poked me!” and no matter, what I did or said could convince him that it was just a poke. And nothing but a poke.

A friend of mine had a very similar story to share. Her mom would spend hours trying to type a long message on Facebook chat and would then complain that her friends weren’t replying. It took them a week to figure out that it was because she would forgot to press “Enter” after she was finished writing.

Another of my friend’s mom would spend hours posting videos of old Indian songs on her profile probably because she thought her daughter’s information on the subject was severely insufficient and that was a matter that needed to be remedied urgently.

So, if you think you have your daughter added on Facebook: Think again. That’s her secondary profile. On her real profile, she checks in almost every 5 minutes  while sitting in her room; a status update about combing her hair, combs her hair and then updates “Phew, that was tough!” to all her friends who wait with bated breaths at her challenging endeavors.

I know what with all the Google, Google plus, Twitter, StumbleUpon, YouTube, HTCs and the Blackberries, connecting with people has been really tough. This may sound ironic but is true. You know you are talking to someone but you can never be sure they are not thinking about the vibration of their phone in their back pocket or about the video they left to stream in their bedroom. The point is, like with any other thing Facebook is also subject to how you use it.

For what took the cake in all this Facebook fiasco in my household was when my mom came into my room and asked whether I knew anything about “putting people on limited”. Of course, I did.

“Mom, you barely have 4 friends on Facebook and that includes all of us. Who do you want to put on limit!?

“Just tell me what to do!”

“Mom!”

“Okay fine, put Dad on the limit but HE MUSTN’T KNOW!”

And that’s how I came to fully appreciate the gravity of the abbreviation – FML.

Disclaimer: I love my parents.

Supercomputers help build nuclear weapons, design aerospace engines, and produce lifesaving drugs. For years, the U.S. had the best and biggest arsenal. Until China got in the game. 

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is one of the great symbols of America’s scientific and military prowess. For six decades, here on this tranquil campus tucked away in the hill country east of San Francisco, where scientists stroll along leafy paths and zip to meetings on bicycles, huge breakthroughs have been made, like the discovery of a half-dozen elements on the periodic table and the detection of a key component of dark matter.

An artist's concept of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) satellite in space. The 6 1/2-ton satellite was deployed from space shuttle Discovery in 1991 and decommissioned in December 2005.

A decommissioned NASA satellite is expected to plummet to Earth today (Sept. 23), and agency officials are monitoring the dead spacecraft closely to try to narrow down when and where the debris will fall.

According to NASA, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, or UARS, will make its fiery descent through the atmosphere some time this afternoon or early evening (Eastern Daylight Time), but while it is still too soon to tell where pieces of the defunct satellite will land, scientists have been able to rule out North America from the potential impact zone. “Re-entry is possible sometime during the afternoon or early evening of Sept. 23, Eastern Daylight Time. The satellite will not be passing over North America during that time period,” NASA officials said in a statement late Thursday. “It is still too early to predict the time and location of re-entry with any more certainty, but predictions will become more refined in the next 24 hours.”
The bus-size, 6.5-ton UARS spacecraft is one of the largest NASA satellites to plunge back to Earth uncontrolled in more than 30 years.

“The most massive NASA satellite to re-enter uncontrolled since Skylab was the Pegasus 2 satellite in November 1979,” Nick Johnson, chief scientist of NASA’s Orbital Debris Program Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, told SPACE.com in an e-mail last week. “It had a mass of 10.5 metric tons, almost twice that of UARS.”

Skylab, the first American space station, fell to Earth in 1979, and debris from the outpost plunged into the Indian Ocean and onto parts of Australia. The Pegasus 2 satellite was launched in 1965 to study micrometeoroids in low-Earth orbit. The satellite remained in orbit for 14 years before splashing down into the mid-Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 3, 1979.[6 Biggest Spacecraft to Fall Uncontrolled From Space]
Despite the fact that UARS will fall to Earth uncontrolled, NASA officials have stated that the chance of debris landing in populated regions of the planet is extremely remote.

“There’s always a concern,” said Mark Matney, a scientist at the Orbital Debris Program Office. “But, populated areas are a small fraction of the Earth’s surface. Much of the Earth’s surface has either no people or very few people. We believe that the risk is very modest.”

Scientists at the Orbital Debris Program Office at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston calculated the odds that anyone anywhere in the world will be hit by UARS debris at 1-in-3,200. Maar, the chance that you personally will get hit is much smaller, somewhere on the order of 1-in-several trillion, NASA officials said.
Agency officials have estimated that roughly 26 large pieces of the satellite will survive the intense journey through Earth’s atmosphere. Approximately 1,170 pounds (532 kilograms) of material is expected to actually reach the ground, but even though the spacecraft is expected to re-enter over a 500-mile (804-kilometer) path, these pieces will likely fall over water or uninhabited areas of the planet, Matney said. [Where Could UARS Satellite Debris Fall?]

The $750 million climate satellite measures 35 feet (10.7 meter) long and 15 feet (4.5 m) wide. It was launched in 1991 aboard the space shuttle Discovery, and studied the ozone layer and chemical makeup of Earth’s upper atmosphere before it was decommissioned in December 2005.

Originally, NASA anticipated that the UARS satellite would fall to Earth sometime between late September and early October, but heightened solar activity last week increased the spacecraft’s drag, pulling it down to Earth sooner than expected. You can track the UARS satellite fall using several skywatching tools, including the Satellite AR Android app created by the company Analytical Graphics Inc.

 

Cloud confidence
Microsoft is not alone in suffering problems with its cloud-based applications. Google Docs was unavailable for a period on Wednesday.
Egter, the fact that Microsoft’s Office 365 is a paid-for service, with users charged £4 per month, may raise expectations of a more robust setup.
Moving applications from installed software on individual computers, to web-based “software as a service” has been a major trend in computing in recent years.
Such systems are seen as easier to manage, simpler to scale-up and down, and potentially offering more robust security.
But a number of high profile failures have dented confidence in cloud computing.
Among them have been several failures of Amazon’s EC2 – the company’s remote computing service, which allows businesses to hire additional processing power and storage on demand.
The system failed in April 2011, impacting several large websites, including Foursquare and Reddit.
Another period of down time in August affected many of the same websites.
Spread the risk
“There will be an element of confidence shaken,” said Ken Moody, data centre services manager at the Cloud Computing Centre.
Avoiding major cloud problems in future would depend on IT companies’ ability to spread the risk, according to Mr Moody.
“People should look at smaller data centres which are divided up where resilience could be guaranteed,” he told BBC News.
“Our service level agreements are 99.99% because we don’t put everything into one large data centre.”
Mr Moody said that no-one, including its users, knows exactly how Microsoft’s cloud computing systems are structured.
Building future confidence in the platform may depend on sharing more information.
“There’s a requirement for transparency and communication to prospective clients,” he said.

HTC has used patents it bought from Google last week to lodge a fresh complaint against Apple with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

It has alleged that Apple’s computers and mobile devices infringe patents involving wi-fi capability and processor communication technology.

This is the third complaint that HTC has filed against Apple.

“We are taking this action against Apple to protect our intellectual property, our industry partners, and most importantly our customers that use HTC phones,” said Grace Lei, general counsel of HTC.

Apple v Android?

HTC is not the only smartphone maker involved in a legal tussle with Apple.

Samsung Electronics, which makes the Galaxy series of smartphones and tablet PCs, has also been fighting a legal battle against Apple.

Apple has filed complaints against the South Korean manufacturer, accusing it of infringing its patents. It said that Samsung had copied the design and look of Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices.

Samsung has counter-sued Apple, saying it infringed Samsung’s wireless patents.

Both HTC and Samsung use Google’s Android operating system in most of their smartphones.

Analysts said that HTC’s latest legal action, which uses patents it acquired from Google, indicates that the tussle is becoming a much bigger issue than just a simple fight between two manufacturers.

“It is becoming an Apple versus Android war,” Tim Charlton of Charlton Media Group told the BBC.

“Google is trying to fight a proxy war with Apple through its licensees such as HTC.” he said.

Andrew Milroy of Frost & Sullivan added that tighter co-operation between HTC, Samsung and Google would create a strong rival to Apple.

“I see them being in a very strong position if they get together to take on Apple,” he said. “Google plus Samsung plus HTC is a very big force to fight against.”

Many fronts

The companies have been stepping up their legal action against each other this year.

And in the early salvos, Apple seems to have got the upper hand.

“We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours,” Carolyn Wu, a spokeswoman for Apple, told the CNewsworld.

Last month, a court in the Netherlands banned Samsung from selling three models of its Galaxy smartphones in a number of European countries after Apple filed a claim for patent infringement.

Earlier this week, Samsung pulled out its new Galaxy Tab 7.7 from the IFA electronics fair in Berlin, one the world’s largest electronics shows, after a court blocked sales of the product in Germany.

“Right now Apple is winning the patent war,” Mr Charlton said.

‘Weapon to compete’

Analysts said the regularity with which these companies have been taking legal action against each other was also an indicator they may be using it as a competition tool.

“It seems it is being used as a weapon to compete, to slow down rival products from coming out in the market,” Frost & Sullivan’s Mr Milroy said.

Mr Milroy explained that the rapid growth in the smartphone and tablet PC sector had turned the segments from being a niche market to a mainstream one.

That, het hy gesê, had resulted in an increased push from various players for a bigger market share.

“I guess it will go on as long as the market is growing at this phenomenal rate,” he said.

“Once the market slows down, we will see a return to conventional competitive techniques.”