Recently I was introduced to an interesting infographic by one of my colleagues here on Techie Buzz. This graphic, which I have embedded below, seeks to answer the question, “Does the Internet Make You Fat?” The graphic was posted on http://www.usbundles.com and was provided by http://www.centurylinkquote.com/. I found it to be informative, a little disturbing, and somewhat entertaining as well. Take a moment to look at the graphic below.

Courtesy http://www.centurylinkquote.com/

I certainly can’t guarantee the science behind this, but it does provide some food for thought. While the internet may not necessarily be making you fat, more and more research shows that sitting for long periods of time is not good for your body. As a matter of fact, some studies have shown that even people who workout regularly, but sit most of the day are still considered inactive. So what’s a geek to do? The answer is fairly simple. Be more active. Stand when you talk on the phone. Every hour make it a point to get out of your chair and walk. A few articles I have read even suggested using an exercise ball instead of a chair to sit on.

The internet is a great source of knowledge and can be used a good resource for health information. Just don’t over do it on the sitting. Now, can someone pass me the ice cream please?  :)

The Lumia 900 is finally up for sale in the United States, and it has already sold out in quite a few online stores. The Lumia 900 is the biggest handset launch from Nokia in the recent years in the United States, and the handset will have a key role in determining the future on WP7 and the Nokia-MS partnership.

However, how does the Lumia 900 stack up against some of the best phones up for sale today including the iPhone 4S, Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S2? Read our comparison post below to find out!

Display

The Galaxy Nexus has the biggest display among all these 4 handsets and comes with a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD screen with a whopping 720p screen, but has a PenTile display. The Galaxy S2 and Lumia 900 come with a 4.3-inch display with WVGA (480*800) resolution. While the Galaxy S2 uses a Super-AMOLED Plus display, the Lumia 900 has a (AMOLED) ClearBlack Display. The iPhone 4S has the smallest display among its competitors with a relatively small 3.5-inch IPS LCD display with 640*960 resolution. The iPhone 4S has the highest pixel density here with a Retina busting 326ppi, while the Galaxy Nexus comes in a second close with a ppi of 316. The Galaxy S2 and the Lumia 900 both have a disappointingly low ppi of 218.

The iPhone 4S and the Galaxy Nexus both trump the Lumia 900 in terms of display quality as well as resolution, while the Lumia 900 manages to tie it with the Galaxy S2 display. However, considering the Lumia 900 is being released in 2012, and all of its competitors were launched in 2011, the former should have had packed in a higher resolution screen. Sadly, since Windows Phone does not support resolutions higher than WVGA, there is nothing much the OEMs can do about it, except for wait for Windows Phone 8.

Read: Galaxy S2 vs. Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S – Which is the best smartphone of 2011?

Processing Power

Except for the Lumia 900, the Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S2 and the iPhone 4S, all have a dual-core processor. The A5 SoC used inside the iPhone 4S is an absolute beast and manages to trump every other mobile CPU + GPU combination easily. The Exynos SoC found inside the Galaxy S2 comes in second with two powerful Cortex-A9 cores running at 1.2GHz, along with an ARM Mali-400MP GPU. The Galaxy Nexus also packs in two 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 processor, and a PowerVR SGX 540 GPU, which struggles to keep up with the HD resolution on the handset.

A Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 processor clocked at 1.4GHz along with an Adreno 205 GPU powers the Lumia 900. While the OS on the handset itself runs very smooth, third party apps and browsing on the handset take a toll due to the limited CPU power.

Camera 

The iPhone 4S, Galaxy S2 and the Lumia 900 pack in an 8MP camera with an LED flash, while the Galaxy Nexus houses a 5MP camera aided by an LED flash. The 8MP snapper on the iPhone 4S can take some absolutely stunning pictures, and is a clear winner here. The Galaxy S2 and the Lumia 900 come in a close second, with the former struggling in low-light conditions quite heavily. The Galaxy Nexus with its poor, but with Instant capture feature, 5MP cam does not even stand a chance.

While the Lumia 900 may have come second in the camera shoot-out, we should not forget that the Galaxy S2 was released nearly a year ago. The Galaxy S3 is just around the corner, and chances are it will trump the Lumia 900 in camera performance easily.

Apps

While the iPhone App Store has more than 450,000+ apps, there are roughly around 300,000 apps in the Google Play Store. In comparison to this, the Windows Phone Marketplace has around 70,000+ apps. Sadly, there is a very serious lack of quality applications in the WP Marketplace. There is still no official Dropbox client available for the OS, which might be a bummer for quite a few people out there. There are still no graphically intensive games available for the OS. Most developers still prefer to launch an iOS version of their app first, followed by an Android version.

However, most developers who have released a WP7 version of their app have been seriously impressed with the SDK tools available for the platform, and actually prefer coding apps for WP rather than Android. So hopefully it is just a matter of time, and possibly few more APIs from Microsoft, before we see some quality apps hit the Windows Phone marketplace.

P.S. – I can’t comment on the battery life of the handsets since I have not used them long enough. However, I am sure the iPhone 4S will be a clear winner here just because it has a smaller screen, and lacks support for LTE networks. Lumia 900 should provide users with the same battery life as the Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy Nexus, if not worse.

Also Read: Some must have apps for the Nokia Lumia 900 and 800

India is without a doubt a cricket crazy nation. Even though Hockey is the official national sport of India, people hardly talk about anything other than cricket. To fuel the thirst of more cricketing action, Lalit Mode, founded IPL. Indian Premier League (IPL) is without a doubt the most awaited cricket tournament in India, after an India vs. Pakistan match.

Yesterday, the 5th season of IPL finally kicked off marking the start of nearly 40 days of pure cricketing madness. With the sheer number of matches in IPL, it might become difficult for even a die-hard cricket fan to keep a tap on the schedule, changes and results of every match.

Thankfully, quite a few Android and iOS apps have popped up on their respective market place that will aid users in staying up to date with all the latest happenings in IPL.

Below are some must have IPL apps for Android users -:

1) IPL Calendar – As the name suggests, IPL Calendar contains a detailed schedule of all the IPL games being held in its 5th season. The app also allows users to view matches of just your favorite team, and add them to your main calendar so that you never miss a match. Considering the sheer number of matches played in IPL every year, this app is definitely a must have.

2) IPL Live Streaming – Stuck in a traffic jam on your way to home, and missing a thrilling IPL match? If you have any of the latest Android handset with Flash Player installed, and access to a 3G or Wi-Fi connection, you can watch all the IPL matches on your handset for free using IPL Live Streaming. Alternatively, users can also go to YouTube.com/live and watch live matches or highlights on their handset.

3) IPL Cricket Highlights – Missed a thrilling match and want to watch it again? The IPL Cricket Highlights app will let you watch the highlights of any IPL 5 match right on your phone. The app requires access to a fast Wi-Fi or 3G connection, and make sure you have Flash Player installed on your phone.

If you own an iPhone, iPod Touch or the iPad, the IPL 5 app in the Apple AppStore is perhaps the only app you will need. The app contains the schedule of all the IPL matches, along with any other major event. The news section of the app makes sure that its users will get all the latest news and happenings in the world of IPL.

Sadly, since iOS does not support Flash, users won’t be able to watch the match live on their handset. They can however head over to YouTube.com/ipl or use the YouTube app to watch the matches live.

Windows Phone users can download the IPL 2012 app for free from the Marketplace. The app will provide users with the schedules of all the IPL matches. The app also has a live score section, but the developer is not too sure whether it works properly or not.

Working title: Why Android Tablet Makers are Screwed and Apple Will Continue to Capture Most of the Tablet Industry’s Profits

It’s clear now that Apple is positioning the iPad as a reasonably priced tablet, which provides the best experience to users. Initially, almost all Android tablets were priced much higher than the iPad, but once that strategy failed, most of them are now focusing on the budget segment to capture tablet market share.

The iPad, which was one of the best priced tablet just a couple of quarters ago, now seems like one of the most relatively expensive ones. However, it remains one of the most low priced Apple products, and the best tablet you can buy. This is why despite the flood of cheap Android tablets, Apple still commands a majority market share, and an even higher proportion of the tablet industry’s total profits.

The iPad. Being smug. Rightfully though.

Amazon was the first tablet maker to kick off the race to the bottom, with the $200 Kindle Fire. It has been a hit in terms of sales, but has weighed on Amazon’s profit margins, with Amazon taking a small loss on each sale.

Now, almost everyone is competing with each other to launch a cheaper Android tablet. Google itself is rumored to be working on a $199 Nexus tablet, which would force other tablet makers to price their products even lower. Once you start competing on price, with no other differentiating feature, it doesn’t take long for the whole segment to become loss making as a whole.

The only tablet maker which isn’t competing on price is Apple, and they don’t really need to, with iPads selling like hot cakes, and selling way more than all Android tablets combined, despite being priced much higher.

Windows 8 is still at least 6 months away from launch, and Windows 8 tablets will likely be priced higher than the entry level iPad, which now starts at $399.

In the meanwhile, while Android tablet app support remains pathetic, Apple continues to improve the iPad ecosystem, further bolstering its position as the best tablet on the market, increasing the gap between the iPad and every other tablet on the market.

This is why, despite having a lower profit margin for the iPad relative to its other products, Apple seems to be the only tablet maker which can remain largely profitable in the long run, while Android tablet makers fight amongst themselves and bleed each other with losses, with only a few biggies like Samsung and HTC possibly standing till the end.

PS: Even Amazon is positioned well, as it never intended to make money by selling the Kindle Fire hardware, but on digital content that it could sell to Kindle Fire users. Most other Android tablet makers are screwed, because selling hardware is the only way they intend to make money, and that seems to be a game in which the only winning move is to not play at all.

This little guy spoiled it for everyone. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

It’s been a week now since the ‘new iPad’ hit the retail stores in the United States. The early reviews of the tablet are out, and like every time, Apple has not failed to impress users and shut up its critics, even though the initial reaction of the new iPad was underwhelming.

However, the new iPad, like some of the past few product releases from Apple, has some launch issues that will be sorted out as time progresses. Below is a list of the popular problems, which owners of the new iPad are facing, right now-:

1) Hot! – So yeah, the new iPad is hot, and I mean literally. Reports have already suggested that the new iPad is up to 9.6 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the iPad 2. Apple forums are already flooded with complaints from user about the new iPad overheating.

The reason behind the new iPad overheating is the new A5X SoC, specifically the PowerVR SGX543MP4 GPU, and the Retina Display. To power such a pixel-full display, Apple had to make sure that the new iPad had a very powerful GPU and the PowerVR SGX543MP4 certainly fulfills that requirement. More pixels means the GPU has to work harder thus generating more heat. The A5X SoC is quite a bit larger than A5, which is the main culprit behind the new iPad getting warm. However, a gadget getting hot, sometimes too hot to be unusable, is nothing new. The popular Galaxy S II also has a similar issue, where it would sometimes get so hot that the user actually has to wait for the phone to cool down before he could again use it.

2) Poor Wi-Fi Reception – Since the last couple of days, quite a few users are reporting that the new iPad has poor Wi-Fi reception. Compared to the iPad 2, the new iPad reports two-third of the signal strength. For some users, the new iPad will simply drop Wi-Fi networks after sometime.

The original iPad had also faced similar Wi-Fi issues, and so this is nothing to be surprised about. Hopefully, the next iOS update from Apple will fix the poor Wi-Fi reception issue on the new iPad.

3) Poor Battery Life – The new iPad sports a battery bigger than the one found in MacBook Air (2010) model. The 42.5whr battery has enough juice to power the Retina Display, the 4G LTE baseband and the quad-GPU for up to 9 hours. However, some users are reporting poor battery life with their new iPad.

Reports have confirmed that the new iPad continues charging itself for up to 1 hour after the battery indicator shows 100%, and it actually helps in increasing the battery life. Also, if you are gaming too much or watching too much video on your new iPad on YouTube via Verizon’s or AT&T LTE network, your iPad is bound to get hot and last only a few hours.

Since the battery capacity has increased tremendously, the new iPad will also take longer time to charge than its predecessors.

4) Heavier Apps – Thanks to the Retina display on the new iPad, all apps optimized for the tablet will be up to 5 times heavier than its iPad 2 version. There is not much developers or users can do about it, except for making sure that they buy a higher capacity variant of the iPad.

Frankly, I don’t think any of the above issues are really a deal breaker for the new iPad owners. New iPad owners will ultimately get used to the device heating up and the longer charging time. Apple should fix the Wi-Fi connectivity issue in the next iOS update, until and unless it’s a hardware issue.

The new iPad is superior in every way to its predecessor, the iPad 2. However, is the new iPad a worthy update if you own the iPad 2?

Below are 5 areas where the new iPad  is a major improvement over the iPad 2 -:

Display – The new iPad has the same screen size as the iPad 2 at 9.7-inches. However, the biggest difference between the two is the resolution of the screen. While the new iPad has an eye-busting resolution of 2048*1536, the iPad 2 has a mere screen resolution of 1024×768. The saturation and color rendering on the new iPad screen is also up to 40% much better than the screen on the iPad 2.

iSight camera – The iPad 2 was the first iPad to come with a camera, but sadly the camera on the device was a disappointment. It took some terrible photos, but was perfect for video calling. After all, who uses a tablet to take photos? Well, iPad does not want to take any chance, and has updated the camera on the new iPad to a 5MP one, which sports the same camera technology as the one found on the iPhone 4S 8MP snapper.

Performance – The iPad 2 still is the best performing tablet out there. The PowerVR SGX543 GPU inside the iPad 2 is still an overkill for the resolution it has to push on the iPad 2. However, since the new iPad has such a big screen, Apple also increased the core count on the PowerVR SGX543 GPU to a total of four. In theory, at the same resolution, users should expect to see a 4x improvement in performance. While that might not be possible in the real world scenarios, the 4 cores inside the PowerVR SGX543 will make sure that games on the new iPad don’t struggle at such an insane resolution.

RAM – While the iPad 2 has only 512MB of RAM, the new iPad comes with 1GB of RAM. Considering the increase in resolution, apps appetite for RAM will also increase, and so it was obvious for Apple to increase the total amount of RAM on the new iPad. While the extra amount of RAM may not affect performance much in day-to-day use, it will definitely come in handy while loading big games or under heavy multi-tasking.

Connectivity – The new iPad is the first device from Apple to support the blazing fast LTE networks from Verizon and AT&T. This ensures that users can get a download speed of up to a whopping 72Mbps per second! In contrast to this, the iPad 2 comes with support for only the 3G networks, with a maximum download speed of up to 14.4Mbps.

It is clearly visible from the above five points, that the new iPad trumps the iPad 2 in every possible way. However, if you own an iPad 2, should you really upgrade to the new iPad? In my opinion, while the new iPad comes with some major changes including a beautiful display, I don’t think there is any need for iPad 2 owners to update to the new iPad. The iPad 2 is by no means outdated, and still offers more than decent performance.

If you own an original iPad though, its time for you to update though! The original iPad is now more than 2 years old now, and has reached the end of its life. If you are a graphic designer, and use your iPad for some graphic designing purpose though, I’d recommend you to buy the new iPad though. The difference in resolution will be greatly appreciated by all the graphic designers.

Finally, if you still don’t own a tablet, the iPad 2 for $399 is an awesome bargain for a tablet. Go get it now!

So you heard about Magnet Links and were terrified? What Are Magnet Links? How Are They Different From Torrents? How to Download files using Magnet Links. Are Magnet Links Safe?

In a world of peer-to-peer sharing, Torrents have come along a long way along. However, Torrents are being deemed as less safer these days because of people being able to easily track them. This has led several websites including "The Pirate Bay" from changing the way they allow users to download files.

Also Read: 6 Tools to Download Torrents Anonymously

The Pirate Bay recently switched from torrents to magnet links marking a big change in how it operates. In a nutshell, magnet links change how users download content. We’ll take a look at what has changed and what you will need to change in order to download files using Magnet links.

What are Magnet Links? What’s the Difference Between Magnet Links and Torrents?

Magnet Links change the fundamental way in which we download from peer-to-peer networks. Unlike Torrents, which needed a centralized server for tracking purposes, magnet links directly download content from other peers thus getting rid of the centralized server for tracking seeds and peers.

Also Read: What Are Web Seeds? 

Magnet links make use of DHT, which is a form of decentralized distribution which allows a group of users to share a file faster amongst themselves without having to rely on a server. There is not much difference between how a file is downloaded from a torrent vs how it is downloaded from a magnet link.

Do I Have to Change How I Download Using Magnet Links?

No. Magnet links are similar to torrent files and if you have a P2P torrent software installed, you will be able to download the content using magnet links without having to change anything. However, you might have to upgrade your P2P software to the latest versions so that the browsers are aware that they should handle those links.

How to Download Files Using Magnet Links?

There are couple of ways in which you can download content using magnet links. The first is pretty straightforward. Just click on the link that is provided and it will launch your default torrent software as shown below. You might want to check the checkbox next to "Remember my choice for all links of this type" or "Always use this software to open such links" so that it will automatically open magnet links in your favorite torrent client.

Clicking on the "Get This Torrent" link in Pirate Bay will automatically launch your Bittorrent application.

Once you open the magnet link, your torrent client will start downloading the content just like a regular torrent. Alternatively, you can also copy the magnet link and add it directly to your torrent client just like you used to do for regular torrents.

Are Magnet Links Safe?

Downloading through magnet links is as safe as downloading a torrent file. However, make sure to download legitimate content and you will be safe. There have been several cases of infected torrents so the files you download through magnet links could be unsafe as well.

Mobile World Congress, popularly known as MWC, is the biggest mobile consumer show held every year at Barcelona. In the last couple of years, some of the best Android phones like the Galaxy S II, HTC EVO 4G and others have been announced at the show.

This year’s MWC promises to be no less exciting than previous years. However, this year’s most anticipated handset – the Galaxy S III – would be missing from MWC, which definitely is a deal-breaker for many. Nevertheless, HTC, LG and even Microsoft have got some major announcements coming up at MWC, and should keep tech enthusiasts intrigued.

Below are my expectations from MWC this year -:

Nvidia’s Tegra 3 – Last year at CES, Nvidia’s Tegra 2 SoC was found powering the majority of Android handsets and tablets announced. This year I expect a majority of Android devices to be unveiled at MWC to be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 3 Soc – the world’s first Quad-core processor.

Even though the Tegra 2 was the world’s first dual-core SoC, it was by no mean the fastest. However, Nvidia has learnt from their mistakes, and Tegra 3 does indeed looks promising. The fifth companion core, NEON support, some architectural tweaks will make sure that Tegra 3 is worth the hype. Expect Nvidia to show trailers of some games and apps, which will utilize the full potential of the SoC and demonstrate its graphical prowess to the whole world

Windows 8 – Microsoft had released the WP7 SDK at MWC in 2010. The following year the company announced the NoDo and the Mango update for the platform, which added quite a lot of missing features to the OS. This year Microsoft should, or rather is expected to, announce a new minor update for WP7, dubbed as Tango. The Redmond based company will also announce the next major update for Windows Phone 7, codenamed Apollo. The company will also be providing users with more information about Windows 8 for PCs as well as for ARM based devices, and will be releasing a Consumer Preview version for downloading and testing.

HTC Next-Gen Smartphone – HTC had a pretty dismal 2011. The company’s profit fell throughout the year, and none of the handsets from the company could make an impact on the sale of Galaxy S II. HTC has promised to bounce back in 2012, and will go back to its strategy of releasing a Hero device – which will represent the best of what the company can do technologically.

While not yet confirmed, the leaked Endeavor might just be the company’s flagship phone for 2012. The Endeavor is going to the first HTC phone is quite sometime to come with a non-Qualcomm SoC. It will also be the first phone in the world to come with a quad-core SoC.

Cheap Android Tablets and Smartphones – Expect companies like Acer and LG to announce new Android tablets and smartphones, equipped with a high-resolution screen, an improved 3D technology, and a faster – possibly quad-core – SoCs. Pictures of Acer’s A700 tablet with a Full HD screen, and a Tegra 3 processor had also leaked on the Internet, quite a few months ago. Hopefully, these companies will also price their tablets competitively against the iPad, instead of charging an arm and a leg for it.

Nokia’s Major Announcement – Many of the loyal Nokia users are expecting the Finnish giant to announce its next-generation camera flagship and the successor to the N8 at MWC this year. Nokia announced the N8 nearly 2 years ago, and it still has the best camera ever found in a handset. Rumors suggest that the N8 successor will come with a 4-inch screen, a faster processor and more RAM, and an improved camera sensor as well. The handset will also come with an NFC chip, and will be running on the latest version of Symbian – Belle.

I hope, and am pretty much sure, that we will definitely see some more innovative products, and gadgets which are pushing the boundaries of engineering.

Valentine’s Day quickly approaches! If you’re like me, you have a hard time trying to come up with something unique for that special someone. If you have a Geek in your life, this can be a real challenge. Today, I would like to show you some unique and fun gifts that you can get for your Geek and not break the bank!

Geek Love Poem T-shirt – by ThinkGeek

Show them your undying devotion by giving them this HEX encoded love poem shirt. This is especially good for the graphic designer/web design Geek in your life.

Star Wars Valentines – by Starwars.com

For the Star Wars fan in your life, here is a great place you can print your own Star Wars Valentines. How cute is this! Plus, it’s free! I call that a win win!

Star Wars Han Solo Carbonite Chocolate – by ThinkGeek

Speaking of Star Wars, what Star Wars fan wouldn’t want a Han Solo in carbonite chocolate bar? Let’s just hope they don’t make a Jabba the Hut if you know what I mean. Yuck!

I Love My Geek Babydoll Tee by ThinkGeek

This shirt is perfect for the girl who appreciates her Geek!

Giant Color Changing LED Desklamp – by ThinkGeek

This lamp will surely set the mood for you and your Geek. Gaze into each others eyes under the soft glow of this color changing LED lamp. It has bendy legs so you change it to look just the way you want.

I hope I have inspired you to think outside the box a little. Most of all, Geeks just want to have fun. You don’t have to throw away tons of money this Valentine’s Day. Just add a touch of quirkiness to your gift and I am sure your Geek will enjoy it! Good luck!

A new report by Digitimes suggests that the first generation of Windows 8 tablets powered by Intel could be priced at $599 to $899. We can safely assume that the $599 ones will be the budget equivalents with low end hardware configurations, while the $899 ones will be the high-end ones, which will compete with the iPad 3 (or the iPad 4 if it is launched in October, as rumored) and Google’s flagship Nexus tablet.

Going by notebook pricing in the past, this seems increasingly likely because of a multitude of reasons.

1. Windows: The average cost of a Windows license has been around $150 in the past. We don’t expect Microsoft to slash prices of its most profitable offering significantly.

2. Intel processors: Intel desktop and notebook processors are much more expensive than the standard ARM processors currently used in notebooks and smartphones. It’s very likely that they won’t be able to undercut ARM processors to attract manufacturers.

Apple currently makes the iPad 2 for around $325, and likely spends another $25 for shipping, retail, marketing etc. After all expenses are accounted for, it makes a profit of $150 on each iPad 2 16 GB unit, and more on the 32 GB and 64 GB variants.

However, Apple outsources all its manufacturing to ODMs like Foxconn and Pegatron, and controls all aspects of its supply chain to procure components at a much lower price than any other manufacturer.

Given this dynamic, it is reasonable to assume that any other manufacturer would have to spend much more to make a device that would rival the iPad.

Add the cost of a Windows 8 license and the additional cost of using an Intel processor, and it’s easy to see how any Windows 8 tablet by Intel would be priced in the $599 – $899 range.

However, as we have seen already, tablets that expensive don’t really sell much. When Apple is already offering an excellent tablet at $499, there is no way customers will try anything else that is priced much higher without any compelling reason.

To reduce prices a bit, manufacturers could go with ARM processors, but then their tablets wouldn’t support x86 Windows software, which is currently one of the major selling points for Windows 8 tablets.

If Microsoft does decide to bring down the license price for Windows 8, it would be leaving money on the table for each notebook or desktop sale. If it doesn’t, it won’t be able to gain the traction it needs to be successful in the tablet market.

With Android tablets now focusing on the low-end tablet market, and the iPad dominating the $500 price point, there is no way manufacturers would be able to sell enough Windows 8 tablets at a much higher price range.

This is why I think that Windows 8 is much better suited to touchscreen ultrabooks than standalone tablets. It’s hard to see a win-win scenario for Microsoft in the tablet market – one in which it beats the iPad in terms of market share as well as profit generated.