Faceoff: iPad Mini vs 6 Other Tablets [Comparison] |
- Faceoff: iPad Mini vs 6 Other Tablets [Comparison]
- 20 Websites To Sell Your EBook
- 5-Step Guide To A Complete Tech Detox
- Bringing Back Google Maps on iOS 6
| Faceoff: iPad Mini vs 6 Other Tablets [Comparison] Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:04 PM PDT So the rumors are true, there is an iPad Mini! Plus, Apple has released the 4th-gen iPad with plenty of new upgrades and powerful specs. Check out our rundown for what is bundled in Apple’s worst- and best-kept secret of the Oct 23 launch. iPad MiniWith many other ‘mini’ tablets in the market, the iPad Mini would be the first iOS ‘mini’ tablet. It’s powered by the Apple A5 dual-core processors, the same processors that powered the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Essentially the mini version of an iPad, it boasts a resolution of 1024×768 on a 7.9-inch display, and weights in at 0.68 lbs. Other features include LTE network, FaceTime HD front side camera and 5MP iSight back camera, Lightning connector, and 10-hour battery life. iPad with Retina Display (4th Gen)The latest iPad version to grace the world now carries a powerful A6X chip to deliver twice the graphics performance (how else do you do retina?), at twice the speed. This 4th generation iPad packs one million more pixels than an HDTV and only weighs 1.5 lbs but (still) lasts up to 10 hours of battery life. Shoot videos in 1080p and enjoy a 720p view on FaceTime. Nexus 7Nexus 7 is Google’s first tablet that comes with a powerful NVIDIA 1.5GHz Quad-Core processor and equipped with the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It has a simplistic design with a micro USB port and a front camera for chat; because it has no back camera, sim tray and expandable memory slot it weighs only 340 grams. You’re able to watch HD videos on its 1280×800 resolution display and for $200, it is reasonably priced for a powerful tablet.
Kindle Fire HDWhen you hear Kindle, you think eReaders – but this isn’t the case with the Kindle Fire HD which works more like a dual-core Android tablet. It comes with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and has a micro USB and a micro HDMI port. Similar to the Nexus 7, it only has a front camera, and does not have a sim tray or expandable memory slot. It gets its apps not from Google Play but the Amazon Appstore.
ASUS Transformer Pad InfinityThis tablet is a hybrid between a netbook and tablet as it comes with a 10.1 inch, 1920×1200 display and 1.5GHz dual-core for the 3G model or 1.6GHz quad-core on the WiFi only model. It comes with a keyboard/docking station that has a full sized USB port and SD card reader; there is a microSD slot on the tablet itself. It comes with an 8-megapixel back camera with LED flash and the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
ASUS Padfone 2If you have heard of the Padfone, you know that it is a tablet powered by a smartphone – 2-in-1 design; the tablet only works when the phone is docked into the back. The phone has a quad-core processor with the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and a 13-megapixel back camera. The tablet has a 10.1 inch display and can play HD videos with its 1280×800 resolution display. It also supports LTE and will be released at the end of 2012.
Microsoft SurfaceThe Microsoft Surface will be a powerful tablet to soon enter the market as the 32GB Surface RT can be pre-ordered for $499. The Surface Pro has more interesting specifications with 4GB RAM and a 3rd Generation Intel i5 with HD Graphics to support its 1920×1080 resolution 10.6 inch display. Both versions have a front and back 720p HD LifeCam and full sized USB port – USB3.0 on the Pro version. With its Windows 8 OS, microSDXC expansion slot and HDMI (RT) / Mini Display (Pro) outputs it’ll definitely be a fierce competitor. Tablets Tabulated
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| 20 Websites To Sell Your EBook Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:17 AM PDT It’s not easy to find a major publisher who is willing to get your novel out there but why leave your writing career in the hands of others when you can get your own ebook out there yourself. How about publishing your book in electronic form, as an eBook? You essentially produce it the same way you would a printed book, but without the paper and the printing (and the major cuts publishers take off each book sold). Well, we’re here to give you a list of websites to start you out in your career as a published eBook author. The following are places where you can sign up to sell your books in. Most of the sites have zero sign up fees and a majority of the sale (if not all of it) will go to you. If you’re not sure on how to convert your ‘great idea’ into an ebook format, some of these services will even handle that for you. PayhipPayhip will help you do most of the hard work: host your eBooks and securely deliver the eBooks to your customers. It will also handle payments through PayPal for you; all you have to do is upload your eBook to start selling. Once your eBook is on the site, you can promote your book anywhere (FaceBook, Twitter) with a link for your eBook page. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [100%] LuluLulu has a wide network of retail partners through which your eBook can reach readers, including the iBookstore and Barnes & Noble NOOK. You are even given the flexibility to set your own price. You can begin your eBook journey with their free eBook Creator Guide. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [90%] Amazon Kindle Direct PublishingIf you know eBooks, you should also know what the Kindle eReader is. Publishing here would mean your books are on the Amazon Kindle Store and at the fingertips of many eBook users. Get started here or watch a video tutorial on how to publish eBooks on Kindle Direct Publishing. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [35% - 70%] SmashwordsPublishing your eBook on Smashwords means it’ll be able to reach the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Kobo, the Diesel eBook Store, Baker & Taylor’s Blio and Axis360 and more. By registering, you’re entitled to free ISBNs and eBook conversion to 9 formats. Here is a comprehensive guide: Self-Publish an EBook with Smashwords. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [60% - 85%] Kobo Writing LifeWith Kobo Writing Life you can reach out to millions of readers in over 170 countries. It is a do-it-yourself eBook publishing portal which makes your book available within their main catalogue, on any device. Just start out by bringing your own written materials to them in a simple Word document format and they’ll convert it into a complete eBook for you. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [70% - 80%] PubIt!PubIt!, powered by Barnes & Noble, is where you can self-publish your books, ideas and content easily. It has a free conversion service to turn your work to be compatible with the NOOK, and other mobile or computing devices. You are however to pay them a slight cut off your royalty per sale since you’re able to reach a high number of readers through Barnes & Noble. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [40% - 65%] BooktangoBooktango is a free service that helps you design a cover for your eBook and then helps you publish and market it. You can sell your eBook through their connection of major retailers which includes Barnes & Noble, Apple iBookstore, Kobo, Sony, Amazon, Google and Scribd. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [100%] BookBabyA basic publishing package at BookBaby will cost you $99, a standard one $149, and $249 for premium services. The more you pay, the more services and support you will get like being able to personalize your eBook layout and graphic elements. However, regardless of packages you sign up for, you get to select retail partners which include Apple’s iBookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and more. Sign Up [$99 - $249] | Royalty per Sale [100%] MyeBookMyeBook is a free web service that allows you to create, publish and get your inspirational content for the world to read. If you have a few eBooks that you want to sell, you can promote your ‘bookstore’ through a link (myeBook.com/my/username). With PayPal integration, your payments will also be smooth and hassle free. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [90%] BlurbBlurb has an online eBook creator to get you started. Edit and design your eBook on a simulated Apple iPad display. Once you’ve finished editing the content and design, your eBook will be ready to be sold on Blurb or the Apple iBookstore. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [80%] E-JunkieE-Junkie offers a simpler alternative to selling eBooks – sell them in PDF format. They also offer eBook security through ‘PDF Stamping’ where the buyers name, email address and transaction ID will be ‘stamped’ on the top right corner of each page to discourage unauthorized sharing your materials. Sign Up [$5/Month] | Royalty per Sale [100%] ScribdScribd can help you manage and promote your work, while keeping track of your sales and earnings. However, to be able to sell on the Scribd Store, you’ll require a seller account which is only available for users in the United States, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [80%] eBookMallIf you already have your eBook ready, you can list them at eBookMall and earn a percentage off every sale. eBookMall accepts both PDF and ePub formats. However, bear in mind that if you submit your eBooks to eBookMall directly through this program, your eBooks will not have DRM. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [50%] eBookIt!eBooktIt takes you through the steps of converting your writing into a professional eBook to be distributed through major eBook retailers which include Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google, Sony, Ingram, and Kobo. You have to pay a fee for the processing and conversion of your writings into proper eBook formats, which cuts down the royalty that you can make from it. Sign Up [Start with $149] | Royalty per Sale [50% - 80%] TradebitIt doesn’t matter if you see yourself as a poet or a technical writer – Tradebit enables you to publish your book/content/writings within a matter of seconds. You can start selling your file on eBay or on your homepage immediately. Download the Tradebit quick start tutorial here. Sign Up [$4.95] | Royalty per Sale [70% - 85%] ClickBankClickBank offers a unique online retail environment for digital products including eBooks. With a one-time product activation fee of $49.95, you are ready to promote your writings to more than 100,000 of ClickBank’s active affiliate marketers. Sign Up [$49.95] | Royalty per Sale [50% - 90%] PayLoadzPayLoadz is a secure eCommerce service for downloadable digital goods including eBooks. Through the PayLoadz Store, your eBooks can be marketed to all PayLoadz users. The website has a reputation of tens of thousands of visitors today and is a great start to your eBook marketing campaign. Sign Up [$14.95/Month] | Royalty per Sale [95%] PaySpreeList your eBooks in PaySpree marketplace for instant exposure to thousands of potential new customers and affiliates. As a vendor you are allowed to list one product for free. If you want to add more products there is a one-time Premier account ($29 to activate) which entitles you to list an unlimited number of products for life. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [90% - 100%] Click2SellYou’ll be able to publish and sell eBooks online without any startup costs. Click2Sell will store your eBook on secure servers and deliver it instantly to buyers after successful payment – everything will be done automatically for you. You will receive protection against illegal file sharing by customers as Click2Sell encrypts and protects it. Sign Up [Free] | Royalty per Sale [90% - 95%] InstabuckWith Instabuck you can sell digital products which also includes eBooks. With a premium account you’ll get more features like product development and customer support handled for you. There is also an iOS app that you can use to keep track of your sales. With support of PayPay, ClickBank and AlertPay, money is instantly paid to you. Sign Up [$4.99/Month] | Royalty per Sale [100%] For more on ebooks, check out How to Read .ePub eBooks on the Browser and if you tweet a lot then you might be interested in Converting Your Tweets into a Published Book! Related posts:
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| 5-Step Guide To A Complete Tech Detox Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:15 AM PDT With so much overlapping of the virtual online world with our real, physical world in the past few decades, it’s getting harder to split ourselves between the two realms. The line between online and offline is becoming a blur. The result is that we get confused over what’s good for us. We get so used to logging online to ‘communicate’ with others without realizing that it’s eating into the time we could’ve spent interacting in person with another.
Instead of going out to explore and experience the real world, we take the easy way out by sitting in front of the TV all day long. Such symptoms call for a tech detox,, a time-off from some or most tech use. For that to work, the best solution is to make one appreciate the beauty of a world without technology. Note that though the idea is not to condemn all technology; rather, it is to create that awareness in you that technology is not all you need to make your life complete. Recommended Reading: 5 Ways “Tech Addiction” Is Changing Human Behaviour 1. Start Living In Your (Real) WorldFirst, lets go back to the basics. Get off the Internet, switch off your mobile phones or any other modern technologies that have been pre-occupying you daily. Intuitively, you know the activities I’m trying to turn you away from: random net surfing on Facebook and YouTube, prolonged TV-watching that’s turning you into a couch potato, incessant instant messaging, video gaming… unplug yourself from that world. The point of it all is to kickstart the process of tech detox. You have to see what the real world has to offer you before you are motivated to stick to a less technology-dependent way of life. When you start realizing the richness of the acivities you engage offline, such as meeting up with friends for heart-to-heart talks (rather than texting over Whatsapp), having some me-time for your thoughts, practicing mindfulness with whatever it is you’re doing at the moment and so on, you’ll become more open to the idea of living with less technology.
Going all outFor some of you, you may want to go all out and cut yourself off from most of these addictions in one go. That may mean no TV, no computer, no Internet, no mobile phones for a period of time (say, two weeks)? Others may prefer to go slower by limiting the amount of time spent on these devices per day, or to simply stop using one particular technology for a while. It all depends on your preference and your lifestyle. 2. Make Plans & Set GoalsUnless you’re really disciplined, chances are that you’ll always need something to keep pushing you towards tech independence. Just as effective dieting requires delicate planning, a successful tech detox requires you to design a program of some sort that comprises of goals of varying difficulties. It’s up to you how you want to do it, but keep in mind the SMART criteria: goals ought to be Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic and Timely.
Drawing up the Game PlanTo start, ask yourself questions like, how will you spend the time that has been freed from shutting out technology? In other words, explore alternatives to your tech activities. If all your hobbies revolve around technology, then it’s high time to find one that’s not!
Don’t forget about rewarding yourself too. Hitting your goals may in itself provide immense intrinsic satisfaction, but tangible gratifications like indulging in your favourite video game for a limited period of time before returning to detoxing can also be a strong motivational tool. Just make sure you can tell yourself to stop when it’s time to stop. 3. Establish Healthy HabitsOld habits die hard. Sometimes it’s more than just a tech addiction problem when you catch yourself checking your Facebook every other minute. It could be because the act is wired into your brain, like how you manage to brush your teeth while half awake. Even if you’re highly motivated and have come up with a perfect plan to get yourself detoxed, habits can easily get in your way. The great news is that even though bad habits are difficult to break, good habits, when cultivated with time, are equally resistant. Find New HobbiesThe catch is that you’ll need to have some patience to ‘reprogram’ the way your mind works. The best way to do that is to replace them with good ones, by which I mean non-tech alternative activities. Read a book or chat on a real-life topic with real people. Once you make that conscious choice over and over again, such actions will become second nature to you in time to come. 4. Tie Yourself to the MastFor those of you familiar with Homer’s Odyssey, you would be able to recall that Odysseus ordered his sailors to tie him tightly to the ship’s mast, and to ignore his pleas as he listens and reacts to the Sirens‘ beautiful but deadly singing. The sailors did what they were told and Odysseus became the only man to have heard the song of the sirens and survived it. Similarly, this tech detox will work if you dutifully follow what you have planned out. However, as far as addiction is concerned, rationality will take a backseat when the withdrawal symptoms show. This is when you need to ‘tie yourself to the mast’. Keep Them Out of ReachOne extreme way will be to keep all your tech devices away so that you have no access to them. You’d have no choice but to lead a tech-free life during that designated period. How about travelling to a less developed place where everyone’s less dependent on technology? Another way to do that is to tell everyone your plans for a tech detox. That way, it will be harder for you to give yourself the excuse to quit (unless you’re perfectly fine with explaining to everyone why you’re a quitter). In fact, why not announce it on Facebook or Twitter? That would be ironic, but judging from the crowds, it will be hard for you to not pull through. 5. Believe in the Power of ChoiceWhen faced with the prospect of change, be it good or bad, humans tend to resist change. We justify the status quo by telling ourselves we don’t have a choice but to stick to the old ways. Yet the only constant of this world is change, and it is only by embracing it that we can actually possess the power of choice, like how it is with our growing dependence on technology. It is seemingly getting more impossible for us to live a day without our computers, smartphones, tablets and the Internet. It sounds legitimate to submit to ‘reality’ and not fight it by getting ourselves involved in something that sounds a little daunting – like a ‘tech detox’. But it is precisely this submission that robs us of our power and freedom to choose what is best for us, technological or non-technological. ConclusionThe goal of a tech detox is not to denounce technology as inferior. Rather, the purpose of such a detox is to let us see that technology is not everything our life has to rely on. We don’t have to spend all our time with the TV or the smartphone. A tech detox will show you that there is life outside digital technology. Related posts:
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| Bringing Back Google Maps on iOS 6 Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:25 AM PDT Are you one of the millions who welcomed iOS 6 but hated the fact that Google Maps no longer works on your iOS device since the update? The app may be gone, but did you know that there is a web version of Google Maps that you can use on iOS 6? Add a bookmark to the page to your Home Screen and no one will be the wiser. However, if you’re sceptical about using the mobile version Google Maps, we’ve found an alternative app called Maps+ which uses Google Maps and actually works similar to the original Google Maps app. In addition, you get almost every function of Google maps where you can search online for locations, add pins or bookmarks and do a little more with the GPS tracking and location-based alarms. We’ll take a look at these two alternatives to the dreaded Apple Maps. 1. Using Google Maps on the WebAll you have to do is to launch Safari on your iOS device and go to the website maps.google.com. Then, search and use Google Maps like how you would on the app. You will find a resemblance in both the previous Google Maps app (left) and the web version (right). With your GPS on, you can use the web app to locate your position, find directions to a destination, mark your favorite locations etc. You can also add more locations to your journey and pick your routes – basically it’s like using Google Maps on your desktop, but with added mobility. Another handy feature is the live traffic feed. You can locate this under ‘Layers’. Green indicates fast moving traffic, yellow slower traffic and red means that particular road is congested or slow-moving. Features like live traffic feed and multiple destinations are not found in the old Google Maps app. 2. Using Maps+If you prefer an app instead of a web app, then try out Maps+. First, download it from the Apple App Store. There is no registration required to use the app, so you can start using it once it is installed. It has a different user interface but they are pretty intuitive if you are a regular user of Google Maps. Routing with Maps+Just like using Google Maps, you first have to search for the location you want to go to. Then, tap on Route Here and it will display the route from your current location to the destination you had located. If you want to search for directions between 2 locations and not from where you currently are, then tap on Drop Route Pin and determine the starting location with a Start Pin, and the final location with an End Pin. The Transit Pin is used when you need to add another location to your journey. Transit Pins will be the stopovers between your Start location/pin and your End location/pin. You can choose a driving route as there would be a few depending on what is available.Tthe driving route you select will be in a darker color or shade. At the moment, bike routes are only available in the US; and there are no bus routes, so you have to make do with driving or walking routes. When you press the ‘information’ button on the selected route, it will take you through the roads that the route will take and you can navigate by tapping the left and right arrows. You can also tap the header and it’ll give you the route directions in a list. Other Cool Features of Maps+Maps+ has a few useful tools which can be accessed while looking at the map. For easy access, you can add and put them on the 4 corners of your screen. One fun thing you can use with Maps+ is that you can set location-based reminders. Once you’ve determine the location of your alarm, just press the Alarm button (bell icon) and it’ll help remind you to run errands when you enter or exit a particular area. There is also a Track feature where you can track your movement and duration on the map – ideal for hikers and bikers to track their whereabouts and prevent from getting lost. The free version of Maps+ comes with some limitations, you have limited bookmarks and alarms to set, and the Track option only allows you to track up to 2 km. Plus, its Twitter features are locked as well. The paid version goes for $2.99 but if you just need a simple map app, the free version gets the job done. ConclusionSo how what is the verdict in your book? Will you go for the web version of Google Maps or would you prefer an app you can run on your iOS device? Let us know in the comments. Related posts:
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