Friday, March 11, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
iPhone 4 + Personal Hotspot + Wi-Fi-only iPad: Possible, but with drawbacks
Once Apple announced Personal Hotspot, the new iPhone 4-only feature, a lot of potential iPad buyers started asking the same question. "Can I use this feature with a Wi-Fi-only iPad and avoid paying extra for a 3G-enabled iPad, plus another monthly data plan for it?"
Indeed you can. With Personal Hotspot activated on an iPhone 4, any Mac or iOS device will treat the iPhone 4's Wi-Fi broadcast like it's a standalone base station. This means if you have an iPhone 4 and a Wi-Fi-only iPad, you can "tether" your iPad to your iPhone's 3G data connection for the first time.
"Awesome! So this means if I have an iPhone 4, there's no reason to get an iPad with built-in 3G, right?" Well, no, that's not necessarily true. I can think of three things you lose if you go Wi-Fi-only with your iPad and keep it tethered to your iPhone 4.
1. GPS. Only the 3G models of iPad have built-in GPS functionality. The Wi-Fi models can approximate your position using Wi-Fi, but it's almost never as accurate as with GPS. "Well, so what," you might say. "If I've got my iPhone right there, what do I need GPS on my iPad for?" That depends on how important GPS functions are to you. If you hardly ever use apps that depend on location-based services, you probably won't be missing out on much. If you're like me and you use location-based apps all the time, having to sacrifice GPS functionality on one of your iOS devices might be more trouble than it's worth.
2. Longevity, by which I mean the amount of time you can use the iPad in a single session. The 3G version of the iPad 2 is rated for nine hours of battery life when surfing over 3G. When using your iPhone 4 as a Personal Hotspot, you can expect the iPhone 4's battery to last for only about five hours before it needs to be charged. Granted, you can bring along the iPhone 4's charger, plug it in, and use Personal Hotspot as long as you like. However, the charger and cable are just two more things to carry, finding an unused outlet isn't always easy when you're on the go, and having your iPhone plugged into the wall quite literally tethers you to one spot. That leads into the third thing you give up if you go the Personal Hotspot + Wi-Fi iPad route...
3. Flexibility. If your iPad doesn't have its own 3G capability, it's totally dependent on your iPhone's Personal Hotspot unless you can find another Wi-Fi source. If your iPhone's battery dies, or if you forget your iPhone in a bar and some unscrupulous wag pockets it, your iPad loses all of the versatility it gained through Personal Hotspot.
The iPhone's data plans aren't anywhere near as flexible as those on the iPad, either. For one thing, in most countries the iPhone is locked to whatever carrier you buy it from; the iPad has no carrier locks whatsoever, and you can roam between carriers (or between countries) at a whim. Not only that, in several countries (most notably the US) you'll pay an extra monthly fee to enable Personal Hotspot on your iPhone 4. In the States this comes to $20 per month, which gives you an extra 2 GB of monthly data, for a total of 4 GB per month on your iPhone's plan.
On a US iPad plan, you'll get 2 GB of data for $25. That's $5 per month more expensive than enabling Personal Hotspot on the iPhone, but you can manage the iPad's data plan on a month-to-month basis -- no contracts to sign, and no obligations to any carrier. Most carriers also offer cheaper iPad plans with lower monthly bandwidth caps, which should satisfy most users' data needs.
Personally, I'm still getting a 3G-enabled iPad 2. I may never actually use its independent 3G capabilities since the iPhone 4's Personal Hotspot costs nothing extra through my wireless provider, but I'd rather know that I could use the iPad's own 3G if I needed to.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Speed up Google Chrome by enabling hardware acceleration and pre-rendering
We've spent a lot of time jabbering on and on and on about hardware acceleration in the next generation of Web browsers.
The problem, however, is that no stable browsers have it turned on by default. Unless you're running Firefox 4 beta or Internet Explorer 9 RC, you're probably not enjoying hardware acceleration. Heck, our latest poll shows that almost 50% of Download Squad readers run Chrome, anyway!
Turning hardware acceleration on in Chrome 9, 10 and 11 (stable, beta and canary) is easy, and it can significantly speed up surfing on low-powered devices, like laptops -- or if you're the kind of person who has 30 tabs open on your desktop PC. We'll show you how to turn on pre-rendering, too, which provides another nice speed boost.
To begin, visit about:flags.
Scroll down and enable GPU Accelerated Compositing. Just below that, also enable GPU Accelerated Canvas 2D. Chrome 11 doesn't have the 'GPU Accelerated Compositing' option, because it's now turned on by default (hooray!). Mac users, you can only enable GPU Accelerated Compositing; GPU Accelerated Canvas 2D is not yet available.
Scroll down a little, and enable Web Page Prerendering.
Finally, hit the Restart button at the bottom of the page.
Now head to your favorite shiny, graphical site (Engadget is good) and try scrolling! It should be a lot smoother.
For more Chrome tips, see our tips index.
Tags: 2D, apps, canvas, chrome, flags, google chrome, GoogleChrome, gpu, gpu acceleration, GpuAcceleration, hardware acceleration, HardwareAcceleration, tips, web, web page prerendering, WebPagePrerendering
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Nintendo 3DS To Get Netflix Streaming And Free AT&T WiFi By This Summer
Take a break from all the iPad 2 announcements and check out what’s going on with the Nintendo 3DS, set to release March 27. Some good news has come out about the little gamer: Netflix streaming and free AT&T WiFi coming soon.
After a software update comes out near the end of May, the 3DS will be able to connect to 0ver 10,000 of AT&T’s hotspots. Later, by summertime, the 3DS will also have Netflix streaming. Assuming you pay at least $7.99 for unlimited streaming, you’ll be able to stream movies over WiFi. Also, you’ll be able to pause Netflix playback on the 3DS and resume it on the Wii.
Press Release
NINTENDO PLANS NEW 3D SUPER MARIO GAME, ANNOUNCES AT&T, NETFLIX COLLABORATIONS
Upcoming Nintendo 3DS System Will Expand the World of Nintendo Entertainment
SAN FRANCISCO, March 2, 2011 – A new 3D game from Nintendo’s iconic Super Mario series is in the works for the Nintendo 3DS™ portable system. Nintendo also announced two upcoming collaborations: Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to connect automatically to the Internet at more than 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots, while Netflix members will instantly stream movies and other content on their Nintendo 3DS systems. These features were announced today at the Game Developers Conference during Nintendo President Satoru Iwata’s keynote address, titled “Video Games Turn 25: A Historical Perspective and Vision for the Future.”
During his speech, Iwata said Nintendo 3DS gives developers new tools to create games and experiences never before possible while enabling them to reach the public in new ways.
“There is great potential to increase the number of people who enjoy video games by opening up new game-play opportunities that are only available through the use of 3D.” Iwata said. “Nintendo 3DS will be the most connected Nintendo device ever, with its ability to link people via local wireless connections, while at the same time connecting them to people and content worldwide via hotspot connectivity.”
Nintendo 3DS launches March 27 in the United States at a suggested retail price of $249.99. It lets users view 3D content without the need for special glasses. The announced 3D Super Mario game will feature traditional Mario™ game play and will fulfill the dream of Nintendo video game designer (and Mario creator) Shigeru Miyamoto to bring true depth and distance into the game’s mechanics. The game is being developed by the same Nintendo team that created the Wii™ console hits Super Mario Galaxy™ and Super Mario Galaxy 2.
At the end of May, Nintendo will provide Nintendo 3DS owners with a wireless system update that will activate the Nintendo eShop and give users access to a number of features:
A short-form video service will let people view trailers for Hollywood movies in 3D and access video game trailers, screen shots, background information and links to publishers’ websites. Content will include short video clips, such as comedy shorts or music videos, selected by Nintendo and delivered to Nintendo 3DS users who choose to receive them.
Downloadable classic games via the portable Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console™ service will include Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color games, as well as those from the Game Gear and TurboGrafx-16 systems.
“3D Classics” will introduce select classic video games remastered in 3D.
Games currently offered as Nintendo DSiWare™ and an Internet browser will be available.
The system update will also provide a solution for Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™ owners to transfer their Nintendo DSiWare games to their new Nintendo 3DS systems.To help make the wireless features of Nintendo 3DS as smooth as possible, Nintendo has collaborated with AT&T to provide Nintendo 3DS owners with automatic and free access to more than 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide with the May system update. Nintendo’s aim is to make getting connected easy for everyone, so people who opt in to the system’s SpotPass™ service will tell their Nintendo 3DS systems to automatically connect to AT&T Hot Spots at restaurants, book stores, coffee shops and airports across the country.
This summer, Nintendo 3DS will incorporate Netflix functionality. Netflix members who have an unlimited plan starting at $7.99 a month can access a broadband wireless Internet connection and instantly stream movies and TV shows directly to their Nintendo 3DS systems, similar to how the service is used on the Wii console. This means people can start watching a movie via Netflix on their Wii systems at home and then pick up the same movie later from a different location using their Nintendo 3DS systems.
For more information about Nintendo 3DS, visit http://www.nintendo3ds.com.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
How to Convert an MP4 Video into an MP3 Audio File
MP4 is a widely-used video format; you can grab MP4 files off YouTube, Vimeo, and many other online video websites. But what if you have a video of a song you love, and want to extract just the music? Read on to see two different ways to do just that.
The Power-User Way: Using Foobar2000
Foobar2000 is a lean, free and incredibly versatile audio player. Setting it up for audio conversion requires a little bit of work, but this is a one-time operation. Once it’s configured you could use it to convert batches of files very quickly, and fine-tune conversion settings to get the exact results you’re after. If you don’t have Foobar2000, here’s how you set it up:
First, go to the Foobar2000 website, download the application and install it. Don’t forget to make sure the Converter option is checked.
Next you’re going to need LAME, which a free MP3 encoder. You can get it at RareWares. If you’re not sure what to get, download the first file on the page (Currently LAME 3.98.4). It’s a small ZIP file; once you download it, extract its contents somewhere safe (not in a temporary location). I placed it under Program Files > LAME:
Next run Foobar2000, and drop a test MP4 on the playlist. When you hit Play you should be able to hear just the music.
Now right-click the file and select Convert > Convert…
Foobar2000’s Converter Setup dialog will now open; once you’re comfortable with this tool, you could use it to define any number of conversion presets. Let’s set up our first one.
Click Output format. From the list, select MP3 (LAME). By default, encoding is done at 190kbps. This should be enough for most people, but if you’re looking for something more specific, you can hit Edit and manually set bitrate and quality.
Click Back to go back to the Converter Setup dialog. You could configure all sorts of extra options here, such as the destination folder, audio processing, and what to do when the conversion is done. For now, we’re going to leave them all at default. Click Convert.
Foobar2000 will now pop up an error message, letting you know this operation may result in a loss of quality. That’s a fact of life; click Yes – we’re sure we want to do this.
You will now be asked where you want to save the resulting MP3; select a filename and click Save. By the way, this isn’t the original Michael Jackson song, but a cover version by Pomplamoose.
Since this is the first file we’re converting, Foobar2000 will now ask you where lame.exe is. Go to wherever you unzipped the LAME archive and double-click lame.exe.
You should now see a progress bar running as the conversion takes place.
That’s it! You’ve just converted your first MP4 to an MP3 using Foobar2000. The next ones are going to be much easier, since everything is set up now. All you have to do with the next file (or batch of files) is just right-click, select Convert and click [Last Used]. You can also create any number of conversion presets, all of which will appear under this menu.
The Simple Way: Using a Website
If the above seems too much of a hassle, you can always use a website to do the job. There are several websites that provide direct YouTube-to-MP3 conversion services, but one of the simplest is YouTube mp3. It lacks any fine-tuning options and works for just one file at a time, but this makes it very simple to use.
Just paste in the video URL, click Convert Video and download the resulting MP3.
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