Every geek that has used a laptop on his lap for an extended period of time agrees on one thing: it’s not the best way to work, bordering on an almost uncomfortable level. However, in today’s society, with everyone on the move all the time – be it either in a car while traveling or in a bus – that’s the only way you can get some work done during a time otherwise wasted, so if you are going to do it anyway, at least let’s make the best we can out of it. That’s where a good lapdesk can help: by keeping the heat off your body, and providing a sturdier surface for your laptop, you can get some serious work done with a lap desk in virtually anywhere where you can sit down .

We are going to have a look at the most versatile lapdesks on the market, to see what’s available for those of us who are forced to keep using a laptop on our laps – and I bet there are quite a lot of people out there who might be interested in this subject.

Lapinator sitting on lap

We tested a couple different laptop lapdesks, and the Lapinator proved to be our first option. Very efficient at blocking the heat, but in the same time extremely light and comfortable, the Lapinator is also one of the cheapest option available – and not in a bad way.It’s been built to fit easily in any laptop bag, so you can take it anywhere with you without carrying an additional bag. It has a padded bottom, to ensure your legs are protected from the heat coming off the laptop, and if that is not enough to improve the cooling breeze, there are to adhesive stickers on top that can slightly raise your laptop level just enough to make sure the warm air flows out.

Targus Notebook Portable Lap Desk

Another great lapdesk that we have tested and can wholeheartedly recommend is the Targus Notebook Portable Lap Desk. Virtually at the same price as the Lapinator, this lap desk though is nowhere near that good. Although is very light and easy to transport, being made of plastic, it lacks significantly in other compartments, such as heat protection or stability. After just 45 minutes of use, our body started to feel the heat coming from the laptop, and the stability of surface was not impressive enough for us to overlook this aspect. All in all, we would not recommend the Targus Lapdesk, as we were unable to find any redeeming qualities that would justify it price.

LapWorks Laptop Desk 2.0

Another strong candidate for the title of the best Lapdesk on the market is the LapWorks Laptop Desk 2.0. Priced at 30$, this is the only lapdesk on the market versatile enough to act as a laptop stand as well due to it’s sturdiness,  but lacks the lightness advantage of the previous models. Everything about this model screams reliability: the rubberized surface makes it virtually impossible for your laptop to slip, and the grooves placed at the bottom make sure the heat is recirculated and cooled off, not causing any discomfort to the legs. This particular lapdesk can be easily transformed into a lap stand as mentioned before, and it only takes one quick flip to do that.

These are just 3 of the  most popular lapdesks available on the market, but they should meet the any needs  a potential user might have. No matter if lightness is the important feature for you or you are one of those who prefer a more sturdy surface to rest their laptops on, you can definitely choose one of the top models reviewed by us and make sure you made a quality purchase.

About the author: Dexter is passionate about gadgets for laptops, laptop lap trays and virtually everything that would improve a geek’s life in general.  He is an avid follower of Entertainment Lair – a website where top home theater systems are reviewed.

Google Glass

Google’s Project Glass is huge and it’s got a lot of people very excited about how the technology will develop and reach the mainstream market.
For anyone that doesn’t know anything about this project, it involves video and audio recording technology implemented in a seemingly ordinary pair of glasses.
From the videos that have been released, the wearers of these glasses are able to tell the glasses to take a picture and even begin recording through voice activation technology. A far cry from the clunky, old cameras that we’re carrying about at the minute!

Voltage Optimization

With such a huge emphasis on the environment and energy consumption, it’s no surprise that voltage optimization technology is taking off. Voltage optimization technology works by reducing the incoming voltage in to a building to the  optimum performance level for appliances on site. You end up using less energy and your appliances will last longer because they’re being supplied with voltages at the right level.
While this technology isn’t the fanciest gadget on the market and it’s not something that you can easily show off to all of your friends, it’s a development in technology that will have a significant and real impact on people’s lives.

Self Driving Cars

Even Tomorrow’s World didn’t dare to dream that we could develop self-driving cars! Incredibly though, it seems that Google isn’t too far away from making this a reality.
Using highly futuristic laser scanning technology the ‘car’ will scan its surrounding up to 13 times a second to build a comprehensive view of the outside world. By using the resulting image, the machine can navigate and essentially drive itself along a particular route.
The notion of a self-driving car will have commuters up and down the country jumping for joy but chances are that it’s a little way away yet.

Wireless Charging

While the technology for self-driving cars is in development at this very moment, it’s not going to be ready for the mainstream market for a long time; wireless charging, on the other hand, is very real and available.
Stay goodbye to the pesky wires and the persistent annoyance of never having a free plug socket and wave a friendly hello to wireless charging. Simply put your phone down on the mat or platform and away you go!

Flexible Displays

This is something that we’ve been hoping and waiting for for quite a while now! If you’ve ever heard the heart breaking noise of your phone screen cracking in your pocket as you sit down then you’ll be happy to hear that flexible display technology is in development.
There have been talks of phones and tablets that you can bend and flex to significantly reduce the likelihood of them breaking. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look likely that this technology will be ready for the mainstream market for a few years…oh well, we can keep dreaming!

This article was written by Jennifer Griffiths. If you’re looking for new technology to improve your business then Jennifer recommends that you consider the voltage optimization technology provided by powerPerfector.

 In an age of smart televisions, Internet capable Blu-ray players and video gaming systems, sometimes we take for granted our access to streaming applications such as Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video and more. If you have an older television set you may not be able to access any of these streaming options on your existing TV. Because many people are ditching cable and going over to these streaming programs in order to watch their favorite shows, this can leave a variety of people who do not own smart TVs or any of these devices out of the loop.

Roku Box – How It Works

The Roku Box has recently earned the Editor’s Choice at CNET for providing the impressive amount of streaming video content for an affordable price. With a simple Wi-Fi connection you can plug this $50 device into any TV using component cables or an HDMI cable and have access to all of your favorite streaming services. If you have an older CRT TV or an LCD or plasma screen, you can instantly convert it into a basic smart TV by purchasing this box and connecting it to your home Wi-Fi.

The most simple Roku Streaming Box comes with only Wi-Fi support, but some of the upgraded models come with Bluetooth, and ST card slot and an Ethernet port to provide you with even more options for connection as well as the capability to stream HD video.

What are the Key Features of Roku Streaming Box

It is possible to search across multiple channels and streaming sources to find movies and other TV programs. Using the Roku search function you can simply type in the name of a TV show, actor or movie and have a variety of streaming sources come up that you can select and instantly load on your TV. Selecting the search options is as simple as using the small but effective remote to go through programs by channel or to bring up the search function and type in the title using an on-screen keyboard and the arrow keys on your remote.

It is also quite easy to add your own channels and streams from the web. If you know of a number of online TV channels whether it’s through Winamp, or its own webpage you can add these channels directly to your Roku Box and stream them to your television. There are special codes that you can input for each channel that are available online, the unofficial streams may shut off without warning as they are not directly supported by Roku, but as long as you know that the channels regularly run fine in a web browser or software application, you should not have any problems.

Roku also supports an application that you can use with Apple phones or Android phones. This will allow you to send photos or music to be streamed through the Box to your television. Although it does not have all of the same features that Apple TV has for streaming from devices, this can be extremely helpful and add to your enjoyment of this device.

Verdict

Overall a Roku Streaming Box does extremely well at providing you with an excellent outlet to stream content for your television using applications such as Netflix. The ability to add extra channels could allow you to do away with your cable box and unlock the true potential of any older televisions that you may have in your home.

Key features of Smart Watches
Smart Watches are built to integrate with the immediate siblings, the smartphones. Therefore they pack many advanced features to remotely access, control your smartphone resting inside the pocket. For instance Smart Watches let you view missed calls, send incoming calls into voice mail using specialized apps built into their system. With an attached headset you can even answer incoming calls using this cool gizmo. As many Smart Watches are powered by regular mobile operating systems like Android, many apps dedicated for Smart Watches can be found on popular app stores like Google Play. For example there are numerous plug-ins including Gmail and POP3 on Google Play that enable your Smart Watch to read emails and social media notifications. You won’t have to navigate through the menus of your smartphone in order to view Facebook notifications and read new tweets as you can set your Smart Watch to automatically display them.

Smart Watches can even integrate with the calendar app on your smartphone. They gently vibrate to notify you of incoming events, and with a simple touch you can explore further details about the event right from your Smart Watch display. With the music app embedded into the Smart Watch, the music player on your smartphone can be accessed, and you can play, pause and skip tracks without bothering to pull the smartphone out of your pocket. Amidst all the hype about these cool features, Smart Watches do act like regular wrist watches, displaying time in digital or analog formats.

Sony SmartWatch
This is an elegantly designed handy SmartWatch packing a colored OLED display supporting multi-touch and weighing merely 26 grams. Sony has flavored the chipset with an Android coating, therefore this cool gizmo can easily integrate with your Android smartphone using Bluetooth technology. Common features expected from a SmartWatch are available from cool apps built in to handle emails and social media notifications, calendar events, and even control the smartphone’s music player. In addition to Sony made the apps available on Google Play! There are lots of third party apps to get the best out of your cool gizmo. For instance Google Maps can be viewed right from the watch screen when you are in a hurry, using a handy third party app. You can attach the rubberized strap, which is available in multiple colors and wear it as a regular watch on your wrist. Once charged the battery would hold on to several days with typical usage. For $150 it certainly isn’t a waste of money if you love wearing something with more far more smart features than a regular watch.

Rumors and Future models
According to the online rumor mill, Apple might be in the process of developing a Smart Watch of their own. An iPod Nano served as a -sort of- Smart Watch once it was attached to a strap. However it’s being speculated that this time the technology visionary would come up with something extra special. Supposedly the chipset manufacturer behind the watch is Intel, and the rumor is that the gadget would be a remote controlling device to integrate with your iPhone and iPad. Like the Sony Smart Watch, Apple’s model would make use of the Bluetooth technology and, instead of Android, iOS would power the device… which isn’t really asurprise.

Google is also said to be working on their own version of Smart Watches, flavored with Android of course. The search giant is exploring ways to venture into the wearable computers with projects like Google Glass, therefore this concept on Smart Watches is highly likely to gain momentum in the future.

Conclusion
Smart Watches are still quite new to the market saturated with hand held computer gadgets including smartphones and tablet PCs. Although the concept of wearable computing is expanding rapidly there isn’t still much interest among average users for these types of gadgets. Smart Watches available in today’s market are miniature versions of smartphones that can remotely access smartphones to carry out tasks like reading emails, social media notifications, incoming text messages etc. Some cool features like sending incoming calls to voice mail, notifying the caller that you are unable to reach them at the moment via preset texts come in handy when you are in an environment where you can’t mess around with a smartphone, such as a meeting. Using Smart Watches for activating the navigation system, calculating the calories burnt, measuring the distance covered etc. while you are jogging or exercising or cycling is far more practical than using a high end smartphone. There are obvious uses in these wearable gadgets and there is no denying of that, but the question which remains is, ‘Are they enough to make someone buy one?’. However the recent success of the Smart Watch lineup manufactured by Pebble and the trend in engineering circles for wearable computing are some signs that signal about the bright future ahead of these cool gizmos.

Author Byline: This guest post on Smart Watches was shared with you by D. Blackthorn, the software and new gadgets testing expert @ stop-ddos.net.

In homes, simple measures can be taken to conserve energy. It could be as simple as turning off the lights when not in use or replacing some home gadgets with eco-friendly products. The benefits will be double than what you expect. First, you save on your electricity and water bills. Second, you are conserving resources that are becoming scarce with the high demand of the human population. Here are some products you might consider.

EcoCharger
Very few people remember to pull off the plug of their mobile phone chargers on time. Standard chargers continue to let electricity flow even when the phone is already fully charged. If you let this happen repeatedly, this will shorten the life of your battery and at the same time, you are wasting energy.

EcoCharger by Volt-Star is packed with great features. It will automatically switch off once your battery is fully charged, and if you left it plugged without the battery in it, it will consume zero power. Furthermore, it has a surge protector to protect your devices from damages.

Kill-A-Watt EZ
Do you ever wonder how much your appliances are burning a hole in your pocket every minute it runs? Kill-A-Watt EZ by P3 International is a handy device to let you know this information. Just plug it in an electrical outlet, key in the cost per kWh your local utility distributor charges, and then plug your appliance in this device. It can tell you the cost of running your appliance, and with this information, you can detect which appliances are to be replaced or whether you should minimize their use.

Eco-Heater
Conventional space heaters can gobble up so much energy that you wish you had just to put on 3 layers of clothes instead. To save energy in heating your homes, use an Eco-Heater. It functions as a convection heater and can warm a room at one-third the cost of conventional types. Just mount it on the wall, plug it in, and turn it on. You would hardly notice it is there because of its silent features.

Evolve Showerhead
Households waste several liters of water a day as they wait for hot water to come out of their showers. They can waste even more if they become impatient and leave the water running while doing other tasks. Evolve Showerhead has sensors that will automatically cut off the flow of water once it reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you see that only a trickle is coming out, this is a signal for you that your shower is ready. Now you can enjoy your bathe with its low-flow but wide-coverage spray.

Thermal Leak Detector
No matter how you insulate your homes to conserve energy, leaks can happen without you knowing it. This means that as you comfortably enjoy the cool air from your AC, some of those precious cold airs are finding their way out of your home. With the Thermal Leak Detector, you can spot any leaks just by scanning various areas of your homes. You can then seal those leaks or add insulation.

Author Bio- This post has been written by Susain Alberta. She is evangelist at an AC Repair Company. She is enthusiast for technology and keeps a track on latest gadgets in the market. She also loves to write about electronic gadgets.

Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 8, has recently been introduced into the information technology market and many Windows users are considering updating their Personal Computers with this new software. The information regarding Windows 8 in the media has left many perplexed and many wonder if it’s even possible to upgrade to the new operating system. The following article provides some answers, as well as recommendations regarding the dos and don’ts of upgrading to Windows 8.

Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro
There are currently two versions of Windows 8 for sale; the standard Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. Both versions of the operating system offer the same basic features. The main difference is that Windows 8 Pro provides additional business friendly software like Bit Locker, File Encryption, and Client-side Hyper-V. It also allows users to host a Remote Desktop or to join a Windows Server Domain, whereas the standard Windows 8 doesn’t.

Overview
Microsoft has put an enormous effort into making the update to Windows 8 as simple as possible. PCs with Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 can update to Windows 8. Microsoft provides users with an Upgrade Assistant program which, through its installation wizard, allows you to select the kind of upgrade you desire. You may upgrade to Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro and the program should also list a set of potentially incompatible software and hardware programs. After you make your decision and pay accordingly, the program provides you with a product key. You need this key in the activation process and it will be sent to your email account for future use. Once you enter the required product key, the upgrade process is fairly simple.

Requirements

Software:
PCs that have Windows 7, Windows Vista (SP1), and Windows XP (SP3) can be upgraded to Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro.

Hardware:

1. 1GHz processor or faster,

2. 1GB RAM for the Windows 8, 32-bit version, and 2GB RAM for the Windows 8, 64-bit version,

3. 16GB available disk space for the 32-bit version, and 20GB for the 64-bit version,

4. A screen capable of housing at least a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution,

5. A working Internet connection,

6. A DirectX 9 compatible graphics card with a WDDM 1.0 driver or higher.

MS Office and Data files
When you upgrade to Windows 8 all your data files are preserved, however, if you are upgrading from Windows XP or Windows Vista you will need to reinstall your Microsoft Office and any other software you may have installed. Upgrading from a Windows 7 to Windows 8 does not require you to reinstall your Microsoft Office or software, however be warned that not all programs that worked with previous Windows versions, will work with Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro.

Cost
Microsoft has worked hard to keep their new product’s cost low enough to attract interested shoppers. Windows 7 users who purchase the new operating system, between June 2, 2012, and Jan. 31, 2013, will only need to spend $15 to upgrade. Owners of Windows XP and Windows Vista can download a copy from Microsoft’s online store for $40, any time. Customers can also buy a boxed Windows 8 Pro Upgrade for $70 at any applicable office supply store.

Updating your PC to Windows 8 is inexpensive and fairly simple, but you should definitely find out if the programs you need are compatible before you upgrade to the new operating system. When upgrading to Windows 8 you may also consider upgrading both your hardware and peripherals to take advantage of everything the new operating system has to offer. Even though your computer may meet the basic hardware requirements, extra processor speed, more RAM memory, a better video card, and most importantly, a touch screen monitor, can enhance this new interactive software a great deal.

Geeks on Site is a South Florida-based company with a team dedicated to providing premium quality computer repair and support services to homes and businesses nationwide. As one of the fastest growing companies in the computer repair industry, they pioneered online remote computer repair, being one of the first companies to provide this method of service nationwide.

George Otte is the Founder and President of Geeks on Site computer repair. He has been in the IT industry for over 10 years. A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Mr. Otte quickly developed his own computer repair business at the age of 21. His technicians assisted residential and small business clients, after which he took his company to the next level by being one of the first to repair computers remotely via the Internet.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 inch tablet computer

Even though users couldn’t use their favorite iPad case with it, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5.3 tablet was a surprisingly big hit in the growing tablet market. The company has now added the Galaxy Note 10.1 to its range of offerings, a 10.1 inch Android tablet with a customized version of the Google Android 4 OS, a stylus and an integrated Wacom digitiser.

At least at first, the Galaxy Note 10.1″ seems to differ very little from the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1″ tablet, including its chrome speaker strips. While the design may be similar, the Note 10.1″ is likely to disappoint consumers expecting something as flashy as the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity 700 or the iPad. Its plastic casing isn’t likely to wow anyone and unfortunately, it’s also easily smudged.

The newest Galaxy Note’s 1280 x 800 screen also leaves something to be desired when compared to the Transformer Infinity or the Acer Iconia A700’s HD displays. To be fair, however, the display quality is very good, with a 828:1 contrast ratio, wide viewing angles and maximum brightness of 414cd/m2 for vivid color reproduction.
While the design and display may not blow competing tablets out of the water, the Note 10.1 does have something which sets it apart: the S Pen, the Note 10.1’s sophisticated stylus and stylus interface, Touch Wiz UI. Simply remove the stylus from the bottom right corner of the tablet and the Note’s custom lock screen appears; a brush from the stylus or finger launches TouchWiz.

If the stylus is removed while the tablet is on, a quick launch menu appears which includes Samsung’s S Planner and S Note apps, as well as Polaris Office and Adobe Photoshop Touch. The customized Android OS which the Galaxy Note 10.1 is easy to use with a stylus and the S Pen itself is very well designed and comfortable to use, which is ideal for painting and graphic art apps. The Note 10.1’s built in Wacom digitiser provides a level of sensitivity and control which outperforms capacitive styli in every way.

Samsung’s customized OS also includes native multitasking, including simultaneously running apps to be positioned freely in their own floating windows. However, the Galaxy Note 10.1’s multitasking capabilities are limited to a selection of its pre-installed apps including Video Player, Internet, Email, Gallery and Polaris Office. The multitasking feature can also be a little less than smooth at times, which is surprising given that the Galaxy Note 10.1 has a 1.4 Ghz quad core processor and 2 GB of RAM.

As good as the S Pen stylus and its user interface are, there are some flaws which users will notice. For instance, the handwriting recognition feature works pretty well, but it can be a little more difficult than users would like to correct mistakes. Users may also find themselves annoyed by the fact that they’ll have to switch back and forth from writing mode to scrolling mode frequently.

Battery life is one area where the Galaxy Note 10.1 delivers. With brightness set to half and power saving mode on, the Note 10.1 can play video continuously for over 9 hours, which is pretty impressive compared to competing tablets.

With the Galaxy Note 10.1, Samsung has introduced some innovations which definitely merit further development in future models and it is a truly impressive tablet in some ways. However, the latest addition to the Galaxy Note family has enough flaws, both minor and serious, which are likely to turn off users. It’s a fascinating concept, but one which Samsung seems to have been somewhat less than successful in pulling off, at least this time around.

About the Author:

Article provided by Andre Smith. Andre has a background in electronics, and provides informative content for several tech blogs. He is also an owner of an iPad, with a custom iPad case.

The LG Google Nexus 4 has a beautiful, slim design and is very light at only 139 grams. The WXGA touchscreen is 4.7 inches and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. Screen resolution measures in at 1280 by 768 pixels or 320 pixels per inch, making it one of the more crisp displays available. The HD screen is a pleasure to use, whether you are surfing the Internet, reading an eBook or playing some of your favorite games.

The Nexus 4 is available with internal storage only in amounts of 8GB and 16GB respectively. 2GB of RAM plus a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor allow you to get all of your needs met with the phone, whether you are streaming music or video, downloading content or web browsing.

The Google Nexus 4 is available through various wireless carriers on GSM networks. It even includes the AWS 1700 band that T-Mobile USA and Canadian carries Mobilicity and WIND support. It is also available to purchase directly through Google Play unlocked, which means the user can pop in the SIM card of their choice and use it on any GSM carrier of their choosing, whether they are on a two-year contract or choose to go prepaid.

The phone utilizes the standard micro USB port for charging and synchronizing with a computer. It has an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera that can capture beautifully crisp photos and is capable of HD video at 1080 pixels and 30 frames per second. The front-facing secondary camera is 1.3 megapixels, which is more than adequate for a pleasant video chatting experience.

One of the best features of the LG Google Nexus 4 is that it supports wireless charging. This means that the user can simply place their phone on a compatible wireless charger without having to plug in a USB cable, no matter where they are. All of the standard Google apps are pre-loaded onto the smartphone as well, including Google Talk, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and many more. There is more access to many more great apps on Android’s Google Play marketplace, many of which are free.

The Nexus 4 comes equipped with the Android Beam feature, which is its NFC or near-field communications technology. This allows the user to quickly and conveniently share content with another person simply by touching the phone to the back of the other Android device. It also allows the individual to make payments directly from their smartphone courtesy of the Google Wallet feature. Simply store credit or debit card information within and pay for items at supported stores with a quick tap of the phone.

Overall, the LG Google Nexus 4 is a great choice of smartphone for anyone who is a fan of the Android system. It offers an overall pleasant user experience with its rich selection of features and beautiful screen.

This has been a guest post from Quick Review, the Aussie site that lets consumers know whether or not to buy the latest phone.

Portable music players have given easy and quick access to users to unlimited music while on the go. Music addiction is a common phenomenon that cannot be suppressed easily and there is really no need to do this exercise in futility as the top manufacturers have come up with the best MP3 players to fulfill the music needs of users while they are travelling, running, working out, reading or simply having a hearty meal. Creative and SanDisk stand as two of the most respected manufacturers of MP3 players and in case you are on the lookout for a good MP3 player, here is a brief comparison:

Price:
All in all SanDisk has to offer three amazing MP3 players, namely, Sansa Fuze+, Sansa Clip Zip and Sansa Clip+. On the other hand, Creative offers a wider range of options in portable music players such as Zen X-Fi3, Zen X-Fi2, Zen X-Fi Style, Zen Style 300, Zen MX, Zen Mozaic EZ300 and Zen Style M300.

Generally, SanDisk MP3 players are more affordable as the 8GB versions of Sansa ClipZip, Sansa Clip+ and Sansa Fuze+ are available for $69.99, $59.99 and $89.99 respectively. On the other hand, the cheapest Creative Mozaic EZ300 is up for grabs for $49.99, while the priciest X-Fi2 with 32GB storage capacity is available for as much as $229.99.

Storage Capacity:
Creative Zen MP3 players hold a slight edge over SanDisk Sansa music players when it comes to storage space. Generally, all models of MP3 players by either brand are available in 4GB and 8GB versions. The highest storage space offered by SanDisk MP3 player is 16GB featured by Fuze+. On the other hand, Creative Zen X-Fi3 offers the highest storage space of 32GB.

Battery Life:
Creative Zen players are slightly ahead in the race for the longest battery life as compared to SanDisk Sansa MP3 players. While Creative MP3 players offer audio playback time ranging from 25 to 36 hours, the longest audio playback time offered by Sansa Fuze is 24 hours. In terms of video playback time, Creative Zen players and Sansa Fuze+ are neck to neck at 5 hours.

Extras:
There are many customers who make the final decision about purchasing any gadget on the basis of extra amenities. In terms of microSD card support, both Creative and SanDisk MP3 players are very supportive while same is the case in terms of offering built-in FM radio. Once again, Creative Zen MP3 players edge past their rivals from the other camp in this area as they support creation of playlists, calendar, contact and task lists and ‘extras’ that can really come handy for travelers. In addition, there is a good range of accessories in support of Creative Zen MP3 players as compared to SanDisk Sansa music players.

The fact of the matter is that in terms of performance both Creative and SanDisk MP3 players are pretty much equals but the fact that Creative offers more options in MP3 players and accessories makes it a preferable choice over its rival brand.

This guest post is contributed by Daniel Petrovski. Check out his website or follow him on Google+.

1.      iPhone 5 has a bigger screen

Probably one of the most talked about new feature, the iPhone 5’s new screen size is something that has been long anticipated and deservedly so. With the increased usage of smartphones for reading, media viewing or game playing, Apple couldn’t remain behind its competitors in screen size and decided to offer its users the best experience mobile has to offer. App developers are going to be excited by the new opportunities available to them on the new iPhone and users are going to be mesmerized by the quality and clarity of the new iPhone 5 apps.

2.      iPhone 5 has a much improved camera

If taking pictures faster and better HDR capabilities are not enough, the new panoramic mode available on the new iSight camera will surely delight even the most exigent fans. Truth be told, there were plenty of apps available in the app store that previously let you do this –for free or at a cost – but integrating the function with the default iOS is a nice bonus that comes with an improvement in performance.

3.      Apple Maps are beautiful

Although there is a lot of controversy in the media about the accuracy of the new Apple Maps, and surely there are a couple of tweaks that have to be fixed and features to be added before we can fully compare the Apple Maps to the previous Google maps, there is no doubt that in terms of design and aesthetics the new Apple Maps that come with the iPhone 5 are going to wow you. Probably the best executed native app that comes pre-installed with iOS 6 on the new iPhone 5, Apple maps might be able to become a market leader if they manage to fix the small bugs that caused them lot of negative feedback in the traditional media.

4.      The Passbook Feature

If there is something that Apple has long been known for that is innovation and making its users life easier; the new Passbook feature encompass all those values. Passbook allows you to keep track of all your tickets, boarding passes, and countless other small documents in an organized and easy retrievable way. Using scan codes, you can present your boarding ticket at an airport directly from your iPhone 5 Passbook application without the need to print a hard copy.

5.      Facebook and Twitter integration 

With the increase in time people spend on social networking and the increase in time people spend on their mobile device, a marriage of these two different worlds was inevitable, and Apple pioneers once again this field by giving you complete integration on your smartphone. The iPhone 5 is now home to your email, your facebook, your twitter and your phone, and everything is beautiful controlled from a central setting system. What more can you ask for?

About the author:

Dexter is an iPhone developer working for Appnific, an  offshore iPhone app development company. In his spare time he is an Apple enthusiast and has a personal blog reviewing the best iPad Speakers on the market.