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Monday 23 January 2012

The Worst and Best airport in the world


JFK Airport (© AP Images)As New York has enjoyed a lengthy run as one of the world's favourite cities, some may be shocked at the news that its JFK airport has been voted the worst by travel expert Frommer's. This is no mean feat considering Nairobi's Kenya Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is also on the list - a place, this author can attest - akin to the seventh circle of hell.

Describing JFK, Frommer's says: "There's a sense that the cleaning crew gave up in despair a while ago." As someone who has passed through and into New York via Terminal 3 (and found the entire process unnecessarily intimidating and painful), it is good to know that Frommer's has captured the atmosphere honestly.

The review goes on: "Endless immigration lines in a dank basement, an utter lack of food and shopping options, three crowded and confusing entry points, and hallways that could have been designed by MC Escher for vomiting international travellers out onto an underground sidewalk with no cabs available." Quite.

Following closely behind in second place is Manila Airport, Terminal 1 in the Philippines. But other big airports received an equally damning position in the list, including Moscow's Sheremetyevo (in third place) and Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport (in fifth position). Heathrow Taxi Gatwick Transfer

On the flipside, Jeddah Hajj in Saudi Arabia scooped first place for best airport, with Iceland's Leifur Eriksson Air Terminal in second place. Others in the top 10 best airports are located in Marrakech, Bilbao and Uruguay.

Do you agree? Tell us your best and worst airport experiences!

The full list is below:

Worst
1. New York JFK Airport Terminal 3
2. Manila (Philippines) Airport Terminal 1
3. Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport Terminal B/C
4. Nairobi, Kenya Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
5. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Terminal 3
6. Amman (Jordan) Queen Alia Airport
7. New York LaGuardia Airport Terminal 5
8. Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport
9. Paris Beauvais Airport
10. Chicago Midway Airport

Best
1. Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) Hajj Terminal
2. Leifur Eriksson Air Terminal, Keflavik, Iceland
3. Seoul (South Korea) Incheon Airport
4. Wellington (New Zealand) "Rock" Terminal
5. New York JFK Airport Terminal 5
6. Singapore Changi International Airport Terminal 3
7. Marrakech (Morocco) Menara Airport Terminal 1
8. Madrid (Spain) Barajas Terminal 4
9. Carrasco International Airport, Montevideo, Uruguay
10. Bilbao (Spain) Airport Main Terminal

Monday 9 January 2012

All the latest on CES 2012 Tech & Gadgets

BY MSN

The Aspire S measures just 15mm at its widest point

Acer Aspire S, "the world's thinnest Ultrabook" (© Acer)
Acer is aiming to get the jump on its rivals in the Ultrabook market with the headline-grabbing "world's thinnest Ultrabook", the Aspire S5.
The 13.3-inch device measures only 15mm at its widest point, and weighs less than 1.35kg. It also features the unique Acer Green Instant On technology for fast boot and resume (in 1.5 seconds), and Acer Always Connect, which lets users manage their multimedia and data on all their devices at anytime, anywhere.
Acer Always Connect also aims to get users online faster than conventional connections for better productivity enjoyment. With their Facebook, Twitter and Outlook email accounts open, users can see updates instantly upon resuming.
Furthermore, Acer Always Connect can wake up the Aspire S5 from a remote device like a smartphone. Access to all documents, music, pictures and video files is fast and always available.
A magnesium-aluminium alloy cover and palmrest provide a slim and sturdy form for the S5. The Aspire S5 is also Acer's first Ultrabook to feature a smartly designed MagicFlip I/O port panel concealed just below the hinge. This design feature aims to enhance the overall slenderness and streamlined form of the S5. When needed, a press of the MagicFlip key opens the panel to reveal a selection of I/O ports: HDMI, USB 3.0 and 20 Gbps Thunderbolt.
The Aspire S5 features an Intel Core processor, SSD storage for speed and increased shock resistance, Dolby Home Theater v4, long battery life via the PowerSmart battery pack (the battery will hold up to 80% of its original capacity after as many as 1,000 recharges), and is equipped with a chiclet keyboard.

Motorola unveils Defy Mini and Motoluxes smartphones

Two new entry-level smartphones on their way from Motorola and out this spring


Motorola has announced two new entry-level smartphones including this, the Defy Mini (© Motorola)
Motorola is adding two new Android 2.3 phones to its budget lineup. Motoluxe is a slimline touchscreen handset with a four-inch edge-to-edge display, while the dust proof and water-resistant Defy Mini is designed for outdoors types. Both models come in a range of shapes, sizes and colours.
Despite being aimed at the entry-level market, the Motoluxe features an eight-megapixel camera. In addition, a front-facing VGA camera is designed for video chatting functionality, and the battery delivers up to 6.5 hours of talk time.
The Defy Mini packs a scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass display, and a 3.2-inch touchscreen. The three-megapixel rear-facing camera is accompanied by a front-facing VGA model for video chatting, and the 'Instrument Dashboard' is designed to provide quick access to outdoor activity apps.
The battery will grant users 10 hours of talk time, and 21 days of standby time - enough for all but the most arduous expeditions.
Both phones come with MotoSwitch, which customises your phone based on how you use it. The Social Graph feature, for example, gives you rapid access to the people you contact frequently. It learns who is most important to you and uses that information to populate the home screen. The more often you communicate with someone, the bigger their icon becomes. The Activity Graph offers a similar function with your apps, automatically changing to reflect the ones you use the most.
Both devices are expected to be available in Europe this spring.


Solar powered Kindle cover provides three months of reading time

Eco-friendly Kindle accessory enables you to ditch the charger
SolarFocus is set to launch this solar-powered Kindle cover (© SolarFocus)
SolarFocus is set to launch SolarKindle, a solar-powered cover for the Amazon Kindle ebook reader that scooped the company a CES 2012 Innovation Award
The SolarKindle's eco-friendly design features a solar panel built into its leather case and a dual-charging (USB/Solar) reserve battery for extended reading time.
Its manufacturers guarantee up to three months of unplugged Kindle use under normal sunlight. In addition, the built-in LED reading lamp can be powered continuously for up to 50 hours without using the Kindle's main battery.
The SolarKindle is the result of several years of research and numerous patents, and should prove especially useful when conventional power sources are not available.
The flexible solar panel collects and converts solar energy 'on the go' - one hour under direct sunlight can provide up to three days' reading time.
"For the past six years, SolarFocus has been dedicated to developing the most technologically advanced portable solar powered solutions for consumers," said Dick Lu, executive vice-president at SolarFocus.
"From starting the company in a brand new and undeveloped market to establishing the SolarFocus brand of outdoor solar powered products, we are very happy to see our SolarKindle Lighted Cover receive such honorable recognition from the International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards."

Lenovo announces new ultra portable ThinkPads

ThinkPad X1 Hybrid and ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook set for launch
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Hybrid is unveiled at CES 2012 (© FREDERIC J. BROWN;AFP;Getty Images)
Lenovo is launching two new laptops - the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid, and the ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook.
The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid laptop takes the thin, light design and performance benefits of its predecessor - the X1 - and doubles the battery life (to up to 10 hours) via the hybrid's Instant Media Mode, powered by a second processor and operating system.
The ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook, meanwhile, is the company's first business ultrabook. It is aimed at professionals who want top performance in a highly portable package.
"The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid and T430u ultrabook represent the next generation in thin and light computing," said Dilip Bhatia, vice-president of Lenovo's ThinkPad Business Unit.
"From small businesses that literally live their business on the road to corporate professionals working in a managed environment, these new crossover laptops fundamentally change the way people think about mobile computing technology."
The 13.3-inch ThinkPad X1 hybrid is able to double as a second PC thanks to its battery-stretching Instant Media Mode (IMM). IMM includes a Qualcomm dual core processor, up to 16GB of memory and a custom Linux-based operating system.
To switch to IMM from Windows, users simply click on an icon on the laptop's home screen. With IMM, the laptop operates much like a smart phone, remaining turned on and requiring fewer charging sessions.

Via IMM, users can watch videos, view photos, listen to music and browse the web while preserving the battery life. The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid laptop also includes Rapid Charge2, technology that charges the battery up to 80% in just 30 minutes.
Measuring 16.5mm thick and weighing around 1.7kg, the Hybrid comes equipped with choices of the latest Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors and the Windows 7 operating system. It also has robust security layered with Intel vPro3 technology, encrypted hard drives with remote management support and a fingerprint reader.
The 14-inch ThinkPad T430u ultrabook has a matte finish that's soft to the touch and the small (less than 20mm thick and less than 1.8kg) frame features, as well as an aluminium top cover. It also sports ThinkPad's new modern and minimalist island-style keyboard.

The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid laptop and ThinkPad T430u ultrabook will be available from Q2 2012 and Q3 2012, respectively.

£70 tablet goes on show at CES

One Laptop per Child demonstrates low-cost tablet for developing world

One Laptop per Child unveils £70 tablet (© One Laptop per Child)
A fully functional tablet computer that costs just $100 (£70) has gone on show at CES 2012.
One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organisation which aims to give every child in the world access to modern education tools, is behind the XO 3.0 tablet.
The device is designed to be low-cost, low-power and features a tough, rugged design suitable for classrooms everywhere.
OLPC has already distributed low-cost laptops to more than 2.4 million children in 42 countries. In March, the first Marvell ARMADA powered XO 1.75 laptop will begin shipping to school children in Uruguay and Nicaragua.
The new XO 3.0 device has unique charging circuitry; it is the only tablet that can be charged directly by solar panels, hand cranks and other alternative power sources. Both Android and Linux can be run on the X0 3.0.
"The XO 3.0 builds on many of the technology breakthroughs we made with the XO 1.75, including the use of the Marvell ARMADA PXA618 processor, resulting in a significant decrease in power consumption - a critical issue for students in the developing world," said Edward McNierney, chief technology officer of One Laptop per Child.
Tom Hayes, vice president of corporate marketing at Marvell and a member of the OLPC advisory board, added: "Partnering with One Laptop Per Child is one way we can deliver a revolution where it matters most - to benefit children in some of the poorest places on the planet.
"Marvell has been with One Laptop per Child from the start and we're doing whatever it takes to help the organization realize its mission of providing meaningful educational opportunities to the 500 million school-aged children around the world."

Lenovo shows off Android 4.0 Smart TV and IdeaTab S2 tablet

Smart TV runs Ice-Cream Sandwich version of Google Android

Lenovo IdeaPad S2 (© Lenovo)
Lenovo wants to take care of all your digital needs, wherever you may be, with its announcement of three new devices - a smartphone, a tablet and a smart TV.
The K91 Smart TV, IdeaTab S2 tablet and Smartphone S2 run various versions of Google's Android operating system and they will be on show at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
The K91 television is reportedly the world's first Smart TV to run Android 4.0 (also known as Ice-Cream Sandwich), and is powered by QualComm's 8060 Snapdragon dual-core processor.
The device brings together three major Smart TV functions in one package: Video On Demand (VOD), internet applications and traditional TV programs.
The online high-definition VOD is tailored to an individual user's viewing history, and features 3D film patterned retarder (FPR) technology for flicker-free video on a 240hz HD panel. Audio is taken care of via SRS TruSurround.
Additional Smart TV features include voice control with natural-language processing and speech recognition technology, enabling viewers to use voice commands to control the remote.
Video interaction is also possible with the built-in five-megapixel webcam, which integrates face-recognition technology for security and advanced parental control.
With cloud support, consumers can access their favorite songs and videos, share files between the TV and their tablet, smartphone or PC, and even control the TV via tablet and smartphone. Thousands of apps are also available for the television from the Android Market and Lenovo Store.
IdeaTab S2 10-inch
The IdeaTab S2 10-inch is 8.69mm thick and weights just 580 grams. The device features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8960 dual-core processor and runs the Android 4.0 operating system.
Lenovo's Mondrian interface runs on top of Android, enabling access to the company's own app store, among other things. Lenovo claims its detachable design, combined with a light keyboard dock, can also deliver up to 20 hours of battery life.
S2 Smartphone
The S2 smartphone includes a 1.4GHz Snapdragon single-core processor and runs the Android 2.3 operating system.
The device also features a Kernel-level security system to protect personal data, prevent phishing, and control network and SMS traffic. An eight-megapixel camera is housed on the rear.
The S2 is also designed to be 'cloud-ready', syncing photos, music, videos and personal information with dedicated online storage space for sharing across multiple devices.
"Lenovo is breaking down the barriers of device differentiation and weaving together hardware, software and cloud services that are connected, experiential and dynamic," said Liu Jun, senior vice president at Lenovo.
"We understand our users need more than just the traditional keyboard and screen for a truly satisfying digital experience. Our Personal Cloud vision integrates all devices, from tablets to TVs, for a comprehensive mobile Internet experience anytime, anywhere."

Netflix starts streaming in the UK

Film and television fans are set for greater competition in the home entertainment market after the world's biggest internet streaming service has launched in the UK.

Netflix has launched its streaming service in the UK
Netflix has launched its streaming service in the UK
Film and television fans are set for greater competition in the home entertainment market after the world's biggest internet streaming service has launched in the UK.
US giant Netflix, which has already signed up 20 million members worldwide since launching its online streaming service in 2007, streams movies and shows online to TVs and computers for a monthly subscription.
It will offer unlimited access to local and global films and TV programmes for a monthly fee of £5.99.
In its bid to compete in the UK with well-established services such as Amazon-owned LoveFilm and BSkyB, the Nasdaq-listed business is offering film fans a free one-month trial and has signed digital licensing deals with the BBC and Hollywood studios such as MGM, Miramax and Lionsgate.
Meanwhile, BSkyB announced it is entering a "strategic partnership" with television app service zeebox.
The service, which will be made available to Sky customers in the first half of this year, helps viewers talk about and get additional information on their favourite TV programmes using smartphones and tablets, and social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
Later in the year the app will allow Sky+ users to manage recordings remotely and use their iPhone or iPad as a remote control for their Sky box.
Emma Lloyd, Sky's director of emerging products, said: "Sky took an early position of leadership with companion devices, having recognised the demand from our customers to use second screens to discover, enjoy and interact with their favourite content.
"We know that millions of our customers have smartphones and tablets and regularly use them to engage with Sky on mobile devices, so it's a natural next step for us."