Samsung Galaxy Note II Announced, Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Samsung has finally showcased the long-awaited sequel to its popular niche product, the Galaxy Note, and although the first iteration wasn’t exactly lacking in the hardware department, the Korean company has still managed to pack in a host of healthy upgrades.

Announced over at IFA 2012 in Berlin, the Galaxy Note II’s display will be bumped to 5.5″ as expected, and although it’s only one-fifth of an inch larger in diameter to that of its predecessor, it’s still a noticeable amount of additional real-estate. Said display will be at 1280×720 resolution, so although the pixel density will be less than that of the first Galaxy Note, it will now be a true 16:9 aspect ratio.

As was the case with the first Galaxy Note, the screen will be a Super AMOLED HD, and a 1.6GHz quad-core CPU will keep things ticking over quite nicely. It’ll include a healthy 2GB of RAM, and seeing as though it’ll be running Android’s latest and greatest Jelly Bean (4.1) from the get-go, there should not even be a trace of lag. The rear snapper will offer 8-megapixels, whilst the front will offer a 1.9-megapixel camera. The battery will be 3,100mAh – 600mAh up on the "smaller" Galaxy Note, and it does look as though Samsung has offered a similar transition as it did with the S II to the S III earlier this year.

As well as the hardware specs, there’ll be plenty unique new perks such as Air View, which will allow users to hover the redesigned S Pen over content in order preview without opening, which certainly sounds like an intriguing implementation.

The Note II will be slightly thinner than the current, measuring in at 9.4mm compared with 9.65mm, although it will be a couple of grams heavier. Depending on how much space you require, you can pick from the usual 16, 32, and 64 GB storage configurations, although the microSD expansion will allow you to bump your standards quota by a further 64GB. Meanwhile, connectivity is HSPA+ 21mbps, and there’ll be a 4G LTE model available for those whose area / carrier permits.

It’ll begin shipping from October in Europe, and will be available Marble White or Titanium Gray. No word has yet been said of the US release, although we’ll bring you that information as it arrives.

How To Root Galaxy S III (AT&T, T-Mobile Or Sprint Model) [Tutorial]

The international version of the Galaxy S III was rooted a few weeks ago and now, just days after release, all US variants of the Galaxy S III – for AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile – have been rooted and we’ve got root guides for all three smartphones ready right after the jump.

DISCLAIMER: I will not be held responsible for any damage incurred to your device as a result of following this guide. Follow at your own risk.

T-Mobile / Sprint

As it turns out the rooting method for T-Mobile and Sprint variants of the Galaxy S III are exactlythe same. Same files, exact same method.

Part 1: Initial Setup

Step 1: Download and install USB drivers for Samsung Galaxy S III [Direct Link].

Step 2: On Galaxy S III, enable USB debugging from Settings > Developer options.

Step 3: Connect your device to your PC via USB cable.

Step 4: Download CMW_SuperUser_v3.07.zip [Direct Link] and transfer it directly under the parent directory on your device’s internal storage.

Step 5: Disconnect your device from PC and power it off.

Now, onto the second part of the guide:

Part 2: Flashing clockworkmod.tar

Step 6: Download Odin3-v3.04.zip [Direct Link] and extract its contents using a suitable software (we recommend PeaZip).

Step 7: Similarly, download clockworkmod.tar [Direct Link].

Step 8: Boot your Galaxy S III into download mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Homeand Power buttons. Press Volume Up when the prompt comes up.

Step 9: Once in download mode, run Odin3 v3.04.exe from the .zip file in Step 7.

Step 10: Connect your Galaxy S III with PC once again. Odin should detect your device.

Step 11: Click on PDA and select the clockworkmod.tar file you downloaded in Step 7.

Step 12: Ensure that Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time are selected. Then, click on Start to begin process.

Part 3: Flashing SuperUser

Step 13: Now you must boot into ClockworkMod Recovery Mode. Shut down your device, press and hold Volume Up, Home and Power buttons.

Step 14: Navigate to install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > [CWM_SuperUser_v3.0.7.zip file you downloaded earlier]


Step 15: After it’s done, choose reboot system now from main menu.

Part 4: Final Steps

Step 16: Install BusyBox from the Play Store. Grant it SuperUser permissions and follow on-screen instructions.

Step 17: Launch the SuperUser app from your app drawer and update binaries from [wrench icon] > Su binary > Update.

AT&T

The method for rooting AT&T’s Galaxy S III involves the same steps as above but uses different files. Please be careful about using the correct files; you may brick your device otherwise.

Step 1: Follow Part 1: Initial Setup above.

Step 2: Follow Part 2: Flashing clockworkmod.tar but, instead of clockworkmod.tar, use fixboot.tar [MediaFire].

Step 3: Follow Part 2: Flashing clockworkmod.tar but, once again, use this recovery image file [Direct Link].

Step 4: Follow Part 2: Flashing clockworkmod.tar, Part 3: Flashing SuperUser and Part 4: Final Steps (in that order) as it is.

For queries regarding AT&T Galaxy S III root, head over to the official thread here XDA-Developers.

How To Get OnLive Desktop Running On Your Mac

The chances are that if you are an owner of a desktop or notebook computer, powerful smartphone or tablet. then at some point you might have felt the need of accessing work based packages such as word processors, presentation creators and spread sheet applications. Generally speaking, a lot of us have software suites such as Apple’s iWork or Microsoft’s Office but if we require the freedom to work anywhere, from any machine, then it could be possible that we have checked out OnLive Desktop to accomplish this task.

On the grand scale of things, the OnLive Desktop service is relatively new, but the developers have already managed to ruffle a few feathers by not promptly fulfilling any indication that the service would be made available for Mac OS X users. The promise of having a set of packages that give instant response creation and editing of documents wherever you are is definitely something that will appeal to the masses, so if you are a disgruntled Mac user who wants to give the OnLive services try then it is now possible with the use of the BlueStacks package and a side loaded .apk file.

Before this can be made possible, there are a few things that are actually required to get things up and running. First of all, a Mac is required, preferably running OS X 10.7 or above. The Alpha 2 or later build of the BlueStacks software is also required as well as a functioning OnLive account of any level.

Step 1: Download and install the free of charge BlueStacks player on your Mac OS X machine.

Step 2: The easiest way to download and run the required OnLive for Android is to visit the required link from within a browser running on the BlueStacks player. By default, the browser within BlueStacks is actually hidden so you will need to open up any app with links, like Twitter, to invoke the web browser.

Step 3: One of the great advantages of Android is the fact that it allows users to side load applications, something that is very fundamental to get this working. Staying within the invoked browser, open up the Google homepage and search for ‘OnLive desktop apk‘ and open up the link from the first returned result.


Step 4: Voila. That is all it takes to get OnLive Desktop up and running on your Mac. Enjoy the OnLive experience.

As is usually the case when installing applications on platforms which they aren’t specifically designed for, there are a few little annoying nuances to take into account and make allowances for. The frame rate at which the BlueStacks software runs at may not be that satisfactory, as well as not being able to force the experience into full-screen mode. If you can live with those shortcomings, then this is a great way of experiencing OnLive Desktop on your Mac until an official release pops up.



(via OnLiveFans) (thanks, Isaac for the hat tip)

How To Create A Bootable OS X Mountain Lion USB Drive / DVD / SD Card The Easy Way

With Apple finally releasing OS X Mountain Lion via the Mac App Store, users can quickly open the store up on their Macs and get their hands on the latest player in the desktop operating system game. The fact that Apple’s new OS is now available is obviously a positive thing, but once again the fact that it only comes as a digital download has caused a few people to raise their eyebrows at the company’s chosen method of distribution.

With Mountain Lion being initially available and distributed through the Mac App Store, it obviously means that it doesn’t come with an installation DVD nor a USB. The lack of a physical installation source causes some people to have flutters incase something actually goes wrong with their Mac, and they can’t get access to the downloaded installer on the machine. Or if they want to install it on multiple machines without having to download it from Mac App Store again and again, or in case they want to install the Mountain Lion as a fresh install. With that in mind, it makes sense to use the downloaded installation file to create a separate and independent bootable USB/SD Card/DVD drive.

The following steps show the simple process involved in creating a Mountain Lion bootable USB/SD Card/DVD drive using the Lion DiskMaker application that is built around AppleScript.

Step 1: Head on over to the Lion DiskMaker site and download the most recent version of the utility (currently version 2.0rc2). Also, download OS X Mountain Lion from Mac App Store.

Step 2: Open up the compressed file from the download location and run the executable file contained within. This will invoke an instance of the Lion DiskMaker utility.

Step 3: When the program window loads, it will provide you with a small amount of information as well as three buttons containing user options. Select the far right button which is labeled ‘Mountain Lion (10.8)’.

Note: In case the utility is unable to find your Mountain Lion image. Go to the Applications folder and find the copy of Mountain Lion you just downloaded.

• Right click on the downloaded file and select “Show Package Contents”.
• Go to “Contents” and jump inside the “SharedSupport” folder and you’ll find a file titled “InstallESD.dmg”.

Step 4: Lion DiskMaker will now present you with option to either “Burn a DVD”, or “Create a boot disk” using Flash drive or SD Card.

Step 5: Sit back and enjoy the magic that comes from running a fully automated tool that has the intelligence to make itself look like black magic.

So there you have it. A simple and pain-free process to create an bootable disk containing OS X Mountain Lion.

TrackPad++ Brings Inertial, Inverse Scrolling And Multitouch Gestures Of OS X To Windows On Macs

Many of us here around the world use Windows on a Mac. There are two reasons behind this controversial use of a Mac. The first is that because productivity takes a huge hit when you can’t find certain things in OS X that you’ve been sub-consciously using in Windows for so many years; we’re not saying these features aren’t there, it’s just that it takes extra time and effort to find them. Secondly, there are a few programs that are either not available on OS X (Windows Live Writer and Visual Studio is a prime example) or doesn’t work as well (Google Chrome, for instance!).

Installing Windows on a Mac is easy, but when using it you will notice certain limitations. The most immediately noticeable limitation is the bad touchpad support. Moving from the smooth, gesture oriented touchpad of OS X to Windows can be a jarring experience.

But that doesn’t have to be the case anymore as we’ve come across a third-party touchpad driver that gets rid of these touchpad limitations. Check it out after the jump.

Developed by Vladimir Plenskiy, TrackPad++ is a software driver for MacBook Pro and Macbook Air's touchpads that significantly improves input. Instead of the dumbed down support that come with official Apple drivers, TrackPad++ lets you enjoy essentially all of your favorite gestures and familiar scrolling from OS X on Windows.

Not only do you get the default OS X three and four finger gestures like swiping, tapping for actions like going back / forward, zooming in and out, maximizing or minimizing all windows, but you can also customize them to whatever you like. You can choose between inertial and inverse scrolling (used on iOS). There are even options to ignore accidental taps on the touchpad while typing. Additionally, the software claims “improved pointer ballistics”, bug-free dragging and an extra control module for even better customizability.

Download link and installation instructions can be found on the official website here. Please note that TrackPad++ only works on Windows 7 on unibody MacBook Pros and Airs.

Be sure to let us know what you think of TrackPad++ by leaving a comment.

(via Lifehacker)

DNSChanger May Shutdown Your Internet On Monday, Here’s How To Check Your PC / Mac For This Malware And Remove It

It’s all over the news these days, a malware by the name of DNSChanger is scheduled to “go into effect” on Monday whereby infected computers would lose access to the Internet. It’s a scary thing to hear for sure, but there are ways to detect the malware and remove it.
The story behind DNSChanger is actually pretty interesting. The malware is a variant of the famousZlob Trojan; once it is installed on your computer, it goes into the Windows registry and changes the DNS name servers so that when you browse the internet, you are automatically re-routed to the culprit’s ad-ridden websites from which they earn money (the group of hackers made over $10 million from it).

They were caught late last year by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the German Information Security Agency. Their entire system of re-routing Internet traffic from infected PCs was adjusted so that traffic wouldn’t be re-routed. Both agencies decided to let the system continue running as shutting it down would mean potential hundreds of thousands of people without Internet access (as traffic from infected systems went through their system).

Now, due to cost concerns, the system will be shut down on Monday. What this means is if you are infected with the DNSChanger malware, you will lose Internet access on your computer. That’s the bad news.

I’m clean! Yay!

The good news is that it is actually pretty easy to check if your computer is infected by DNSChanger or not. All it takes is a visit to www.dns-ok.us. The website is maintained by the folks over atDNSChanger Working Group (DCWG) which was created to fight against the dangerous DNSChanger malware.

If dns-ok shows up a red flag, you are suggested to go to McAfee’s DNSChanger Detection And Removal Tool. If it detects the presence of DNSChanger, it will help you remove any changes the malware made when it installed itself on your computer.

I sincerely hope you got a green flag from the above mentioned websites. I would highly suggest sharing this post with your friends and family so that they can continue browsing Facebook and enjoy LOLcat images over on Reddit.