Learning More About Ebooks

An ebook or electronic book is a digital version of a print book. It is an increasingly popular format not only for book publishers but also for magazines and newspapers. The push to “go green” and to avoid paper as much as possible has led to the rise of digital copies of books, magazines and newspapers. This also helps writers and publishers because the middle men or retailers are no longer a requirement since they can directly sell the digital copies of their materials to readers.

Ebook Format

Ebooks are available in different formats depending on the requirement of the devices and the publisher. The lightest format is the .txt or text format, which makes the material readable in almost every e-reader and other electronic device. Other properties that can be read in many devices are the .htm or .html formats.

There are also proprietary formats that require additional applications or are only readable on specific devices. A good example is the .pdf format which will require a .pdf reader. Amazon’s .azw is an ebook format only readable in Amazon’s e-reader (Kindle) or the Kindle application. The .azw is a perfect example of a proprietary format.

E-readers and Other Compatible Devices

It is not necessary to have an e-reader to read electronic copies of books, magazines, newspapers and other materials. E-readers are only available for convenience since their only function is to store and properly display books on the go. Computers, laptops and tablet computers with the proper software or application can also read electronic books without any deviation from the e-reader versions.

Understanding Magnetic Charging in Gadgets

Magnetic or wireless charging is a relatively new concept in charging portable devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and handheld gaming gadgets. It’s a very unique concept since charging does not require any wires. The device is charged when placed on a specific magnetic platform. The term “magnetic charging” comes from the fact that different devices are charged through the charging pads magnetic field.

Inductive Charging

Magnetic, wireless chargers use one of the three different types of wireless charging: inductive charging. The other two types of wireless charging are radio charging and resonance charging. Through inductive charging, the device only has to reach a contact point so that it could be charged immediately. The point of contact is the device’s plate which provides a good area for different devices to charge at the same time.

Receivers Required

One of the biggest misconceptions about inductive charging for mobile gadgets is that it will immediately work as long as the devices are properly placed on top of the mat. But the reality is a lot different since the mat will only communicate with a specific receiver. This is the reason why wireless charging mat come with a receiver to attach to the back of the phone’s battery. The most popular accessories for receivers are the iPhone and iPod, Nintendo DS/DSi and Blackberry Phones.

But the lack of specific compatible charging options doesn’t mean you can’t charge your products through this type of charging. Magnetic charging sales packages also include an adapter that could be used for almost any mobile phones, Mp3 players and other mobile devices.

Opus Energy sign 100,000th business site

Opus Energy have signed Virgin Media as their 100,000^th business site. The household name joins a portfolio of top companies whose energy is supplied by Opus including; Allied Irish Bank, Halfords, KPMG, Paperchase and KPMG. 

Opus Energy’s success comes at a time when Ofgem, the energy regulator, is looking for ways to decrease the dominance of the large energy providers and show that independent suppliers can thrive. Opus Energy’s corporate division has experienced 28% growth and continues to expand. 

The company’s recent performance has been achieved through the growth of it’s flexible purchasing solutions: Opus Evolution, the businesses’ market-leading solution for large companies, which has seen an increase in customers by 122%. Opus Energy’s customers are switching away from traditional fixed contracts and are buying into flexible purchase solutions. Opus Evolution offers customers the option to take advantage of fluctuating energy prices. The business expects Opus Extra, a flexible purchasing solution for smaller corporate customers, to see an increased demand during 2012.

Opus Energy’s Commercial Director, Steve James stated the company were delighted to have hit the 100,000 mark as well as welcome Virgin Media to their portfolio of companies. The business’ growth shows that there is an alternative to the Big Six suppliers and is as a result of the company’s commitment to develop flexible and innovative services driven by their customers’ needs. Opus Energy works with customers to provide individual billing solutions, reporting function and contract types rather than trying to squeeze them into a ‘one-size fits all’ approach.

Opus Energy’s Managing Director, Charlie Crossley Cooke has stated that the last 12 months have been extremely exciting for Opus Energy. The business’ continued investment in their customers and continued growth is reflected by the increase in customer facing staff employed by Opus Energy and the successful introduction of new services, products and partners. The company look forward to expanding further during the next twelve months.

Learn More About Interactive White Boards

Interactive White Boards or IWB is a powerful technology usually geared for businesses and educators. As the name suggests, it is basically a white board that accept images from projectors connected to computers. Instead of commanding the computer for specific actions, users simply input their commands on the white boards. It is highly useful for educational purposes as images and information could be easily manipulated by teachers. For businesses, data doesn’t have to be remotely controlled as the presenter can easily provide the information.

Hardware Considerations

The hardware requirements in IWB are not just based on the projectors and computers. Companies manufacturing IWBs also provide specialized white boards that can easily accept command from users.

White board interaction differs per manufacturer. However, the default interaction is usually through stylus so that the projector and white board could have pinpoint accuracy on the commands coming from users. Other manufacturers can easily detect finger movements but it will require some calibration before any type of interaction is possible. There are also manufacturers that sell specialized IR or infrared pens so that interaction can be easily detected. Last but not the least, some manufacturers install infrared sensors in the whiteboard itself for faster data interpretation.

Interactive White Board Cost

The cost of each system depends on the size and industry. Companies that manufacture IWBs usually provide special discount for schools and organizations that will use the technology for educational purposes. On the other hand, business IWBs will usually range from $700 for the portable system to $5,000 for a fully interactive system with large screen display.

What You Need to Know about the iPad 2

When Apple released the original iPad in 2010, the computer world changed. People lost interest in netbooks and tablets became the hottest property in the tech world. Every other tech giant scrambled to build their own tablets so that they can take advantage of the popularity of these portable hand-held devices. Although tablets have existed before the iPad, its relevance only came to light with the introduction of Steve Job’s portable device.
Barely a year after the introduction of iPad, Steve Jobs is offering something impressive. Aptly dubbed the iPad 2, the device is thinner yet more powerful. It comes with a dual core A5 chip which Apple claims it’s 9 times faster than the original iPad. The graphics processor is not yet named but the demos have been really impressive. Even with the additional power and thinner body, it can still work up to 10 hours without recharging.
The additional power offered by Apple in the iPad 2 perfectly complements the two out-of-the box applications –iMovie and Garage Band. These two applications are well known for their ability to edit videos and music respectively but require powerful processors. With the dual core A5 chip, Apple is confident it will work without any problem.
But the most impressive feature of the iPad 2 is actually its pricing. Like its predecessor, the entry level iPad 2 only costs $499 (16GB Wifi Only). The first generation iPad is $100 less which is an impressive bargain for those who really just wanted a powerful and useful tablet.

Nokia and Microsoft Announcing Partnership

Nokia, the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturer recently announced their partnership with Microsoft. Nokia hopes to boost their market presence in the US with the high-end, smart phone market which is currently dominated by Apple, Android-based devices and a few Windows Mobile 7 phones. The partnership of Nokia and Microsoft will help the Finnish manufacturer develop hardware-capable phones running Windows Mobile 7, while the software giant will provide additional inputs for hardware development.
The announcement is the beginning of a drastic change for Nokia. A leaked letter from Nokia’s CEO, Stephen Elop is a sign that the mobile phone giant is alarmed with its decreasing presence in the high end market. His “burning platform” analogy became a byword within the industry before the big partnership was announced.
There are two things every tech enthusiast will wonder about the partnership. The first is on Symbian and Meego – the two current mobile operating systems Nokia use for their mobile phones. Apparently, Symbian will stay as it is but will ultimately focus on low-end phones. Unfortunately, Meego is going to be used for “learning purposes” which means it’s going to be purely experimental.
The second question is why did Nokia chose Windows Mobile over Android? Stephen Elop used to be part of Microsoft which could have played a big part during the decision. But businesswise, Nokia’s partnership with Android and eventually Google will only crush the mobile phone giant because of Google’s requirement to umbrella everything under its brand. This means Nokia’s services such as OVI store and maps could be scrapped for Android Market Place and Google Maps, respectively. As a company that has led the mobile industry for years, succumbing to another giant is not good business practice.

What You Need to Know About Virtual Keyboards

Physical keyboards ensure the needed interaction between the electronic device and its user. However, it comes with some disadvantages in today’s environment especially on mobile devices, as keyboards limit the screen size. This is the reason why most mobile phones today use touch screens with virtual keyboards that can be included in the screen when necessary.
But one type of keyboard tries to push the boundaries of virtual interaction. There is a keyboard in the market today that beams a virtual keyboard onto any flat surface. Instead of using the keyboard displayed in the screen of the mobile phone, a device is used to beam the keyboard onto a flat surface and user can interact with their mobile device through this virtual keyboard.
Simplified Mechanism
The device used to beam the virtual keyboard is ideal for mobile gadgets since its small and light. It uses infrared to beam the keyboard which is considered an advantage since the keyboard could be used even in darkness. The device connects to different mobile phones as well as computers through Bluetooth.
The virtual keyboard is very impressive in its performance as long as it can be installed properly with the gadget and connection is optimal through Bluetooth. It even comes with a clicking sound so that users will know if the letter they keyed in was actually accepted.
Because of its advanced mechanisms and it’s a relatively new technology, it is a bit expensive. Prices for popular virtual keyboards are from $150 to $200.

Motorola Atrix 4G Pushes Smartphones to New Heights

Even though tablets are getting all the hype during this year’s CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, one Smartphone stood out and simply amazed everyone. The Motorola Atrix 4G is a powerful 4-inch touch screen Smartphone that supports QHD graphics. Its set to become one of the most popular phones on the market and the hype it receives is only comparable to the iPhone.

The Motorola Atrix 4G packs a powerful 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor. It has speed and power that could easily beat computers released only last year. The power of Tegra 2 is not only inn speed but also in graphics, as the device can support full HD streaming. Complementing the processor is the 4G signal capability which should easily achieve the speed required to stream HD videos.

What really made Motorola Atrix 4G a truly remarkable electronic device is its capability when paired with the right accessory. The device comes with a dock used for external video display with full HD capability. The device doesn’t show the phones screen on an external screen – instead the dock transforms the Smartphone into a virtual computer, as the external video displays a webtop interface. There’s also another dock dedicated for video streaming and another dock that can be used for laptops. The webtop interface comes with Firefox 3.6 version and since the phone is powered by Android 2.2, it can support flash videos. If there is no 4G or even 3G to speed up the streaming, the device supports 802.11n with dual-band Wifi (2.4Ghz and 5Ghz).

Motorola has also announced that the device will be available on the first quarter of 2011 in the USA through AT&T.

Chinese computer tablets

The iPad from Apple has caused other manufacturers to bring out their own iteration of a tablet computer. No more than six months later, tablets from major electronics
manufacturers are released. There are also a specific group of tablets that have been trying to conquer a specific market: Chinese computer tablets for the really budget
conscious.

Chinese computer tablets price range is from £100 to £200. Prices are often determined by is storage capacity (2GB – 32GB), processing power (300Mhz – 600Mhz) and screen size (5 inches, 7 inches or 10 inches).

Android Powered

If there’s one feature common in these tablets, it’s the operating system. The Chinese tablets are powered by Google’s open source OS – Android. Created for mobile phones, Android can be easily ported to tablets without the phone feature.

But even though these devices use one operating system, the versions are different. Some have Android 1.5 while others feature the 1.9 version. To a casual observer, it doesn’t make any difference but those who have worked with Android knows that every version is different and the earlier versions have limited capability and prone to crashes.

The idea of “you get what you pay for” is perfectly applied in tablets. A really affordable tablet will give you a resistant touch screen that runs very slow due to its processing power and RAM and the battery capacity is no more than 2 hours.

If you’re considering purchasing this gadget, make sure that you have the best
specifications possible. Look for a gadget with warranty as this is very prone to breakage.

Mili Power Pico Projector

Pico projector is an increasingly popular accessory for business travellers. The ability to start a slideshow presentation on the road without heavy equipment is increasing its appeal. Mili, makers of popular chargers for iPhone and other Apple related products, came out with their own Pico projector. Its main draw is that it’s fully compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and other mobile devices from Apple.

The Mili Power Pico Projector is a clamshell device that transforms into a dock for mobile devices of Apple. It can be used as a charger or it can be used as a projector. The device is certified by Apple which means it will work without any problem. Don’t expect HD output as its quality can be compared to other Pico projectors. Its quality can churn out 640 x 480 VGA and there’s a built-in speaker although it would be better to use an external speaker for better audio quality.

Aside from Apple mobile devices, the Mili Power Pico Projector can also handle most devices with video-out option. It has an adapter for video input that can work with different video players. The device also comes with additional cord for connecting the projector to laptops and computers.

Charging time for the device is at three hours and the battery lasts 1.5 hours with full video and audio use.