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Lenovo has just release their new ThinkPad tablet with marketing that suggests the company is attempting to produce the first business tablet that is aimed directly at businessmen and women on the go.

However, the big question is whether or not the company has really created a business tool or if they are just using the ThinkPad brand to latch onto a market that has already been established.  After all, once the iPad came out plenty of tablet creators added ‘pad’ to their devices’ names in an attempt to establish brand recognition (ViewPad, TouchPad, EeePad, etc).

However, ThinkPad is unique in the fact that it has long been a Lenovo brand used for its large range of laptops so the fact that they have continued to use the name to branch out into the tablet market is not all that surprising.

What is surprising is the fact that instead of replicating the iPad the resulting device titled the ThinkPad Tablet actually looks more like a bigger version of the Playbook by Blackberry given its soft matte appearance, its stocky look, and its casual understated look that appears to be sturdier than the flimsy iPad or even Kindle Fire.

Anyone who first takes a look at the blunt layout of the ThinkPad is going to automatically assume it runs off of Windows 7 mobile because the tablet has a Windows look, but in fact it actually runs on Honeycomb or Android 3.1.  However, the real features of Honeycomb are not packaged very well because the Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor is a bit sluggish and the device lags a lot even for simple tasks such as scrolling across websites or switching between the various home pages.  In other words, imagine browsing on the original iPhone and you will have a feel for how frustrating this device can be at times.

This is a surprise given the fact that the Tegra 2 should not be quite this slow and neither should Honeycomb, but most likely Lenovo’s additions to the interface have slowed down its processing speeds because several benchmark tests against the device prove that the hardware is not to blame.  This in itself is the hugest disappointment with the Lenovo ThinkPad because in terms of specs a consumer would think they are getting a much better product than they actually do once all is said and done.

The largest modification that Lenovo made is to the home screen which features a five icon grid with each icon loading a different app such as a movie player or e-reader depending on what a reader chooses to set the shortcuts to. Prominently featured in the middle of the factory settings is a globe that allows the user to launch the Android browser with two smaller icons on the sides that allow a user to change the launch and the actual OS settings, but all of this seems a little overkill, especially since the best use of the tablet is with a stylus that could allow the user plenty of other navigational options.

One of the best offerings among the new smart technologies that are now out on the market are interactive voice response systems given the fact that the new technology allows call centres to offer the best telephone experience to their customers.  However, before choosing a network based IVR you need to make sure that you choose the best system for your individual company which means that you will want to take a look at the following factors when making your decision so that you commit to an excellent fit for your business.

The top consideration for most businesses when it comes to choosing an IVR is usually cost, which is reasonable given the fact that most likely this will be a larger investment for your business.  Given this fact, it is best to make sure that you have the option to try any product you have your eye on before you purchase it.  For businesses that are worried about the costs it is important to bear in mind that choosing the correct IVR can save your business as much as 95% of all live agent salaries making it well worth it to pay some money out upfront for the unique service.

The next thing you need to think about is if you want all of your calls routed through the IVR service.  Some phone calls will need to be taken by a specialized agent depending on the nature of your business, and for these you will need to take advantage of specialized call routing.  This way you get a personalized redirection service for your phone calls so that call distribution is still automatically taken care of but live agents can be utilized for more difficult calls so that at the end of the experience your customers still get the exact type of aid they need.

It is also important to consider if you have access to IT staff to trouble shoot the IVR system that you have in place, because if you do not then it is important to make sure you choose a high quality IVR system that has fault management build into the network offering.  Around the clock customer service is something that you should expect from the IVR operator in these situations and is something that will help you quickly get a fix or assistance when needed so that it is always available for use.

Finally, the last thing that you should consider is the costs of set-up and the type of functions that you want included within your IVR network.  There are huge numbers of options to consider, but the aim should be to match your functions and apps up with your business needs.  Among the most popular choices are an accounts payment system, customized call routing, voice customization, data store entry, computerized information service, analogue level support, and similar types of customer aid.  By putting together a package that will meet your customer needs you will be able to make high use of your IVR system and be able to reduce your dependency on live agents.

One of the most important things people consider when buying a gadget is how attractive it is. The aesthetics of the device might not affect how it performs but beauty is something that consumers have demanded time and time again from their gadgets.

One of the first devices to be incredibly aesthetically pleasing and offer the latest technology was the original iPhone. This device was a revolution in portable computing and while many people said that it was simply a step forward in technology, most others say that it was a leap forward from what was currently being offered. The device offered an incredibly functional interface but one that did not sacrifice athletics to be functional. Since the release of this first device almost every smartphone since it has been trying to emulate the style and function that the device has.

A rather different gadget that has equally pleasing athletics is the Fisher Space Pen. This was a pen designed initially for astronauts and it was capable of writing in zero gravity and also at any angle. It works because the cartridge inside is pressurised meaning it does not rely on gravity that for ink to flow to the nib. The pen is commonly referred to as a bullet pen because of its sleek design, when the lid is on the pen it is compact but when you remove it and put it on the other end it becomes a full-size pen.

While it is certainly not the latest console on the market the Sony PlayStation 2 has a place in gaming history. To this day it is the most popular console of all time and internationally over 150 million consoles have been sold. Today, the device looks a bit hard edged but at the time it was seen as state-of-the-art. The device was released at the turn of the millennium, at a time when cyberspace culture was booming, and the PS2 was the embodiment of this. The later revision of the device to make it slimmer made it look even better than before and in terms of style and design it can easily stand against any games console currently on the market.

When the Polaroid SX-70 was first released it was not the most technically advanced camera on the market but what it did have was a design that was seen nowhere else. The way it folded down to a more compact size and shape dictated the way that Polaroid cameras were designed for the next three decades. The camera was very foolproof and shooting a good picture with it was very easy, it was also capable of developing the picture within only a few seconds and many people regard it as the precursor to the modern digital camera.

The camera was also seen as incredibly durable and despite its complex inner workings it rarely failed. Even today, when the camera is nearly four decades old, it still feels sturdy and as if it could continue shooting pictures for some time to come.

The Braun T1000 radio was a step forward in the beautification of electronic devices and it was created by renowned designer Dieter Rams. Compared with the functional radios that were on the market at the time this device offered something completely different and holds a place in electronic design history.

The Lumia 800 is the new Nokia phone running the Windows operating system and they’ve just announced that there will be a special edition of the phone to celebrate the release of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.

The phone, which is entirely black, was recently unveiled in London and there will only be 40 of the phones made. There is a bat symbol embossed onto it which is the same one used in the latest Batman movies.

The phone which the special edition is based on arrived in the UK last month and boasts very impressive features. It has a 1.4 GHz processor and half a gigabyte of RAM and the standard phone comes with 16 GB of on-board storage. It also comes with the latest version of the Windows phone operating system and a very impressive display.

It is not yet known which Nokia stores in London will be selling this special edition of the phone and there has been no announcement about the price. That said, with only 40 being made and this amount of publicity there is no question that it is going to be out of the price range of most people. Fortunately though, the regular phone has a reasonable pricetag and is currently being rated as one of the best smartphones on the market.

There are many Batman themed products coming onto the market at the moment as the anticipation of the new Batman movie, which is coming in July, rises. There is a new game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 which has recently been released and is being well reviewed by both critics and gamers.

The Accelero S1 Plus is a new graphics processing unit that has come from the company Arctic Cooling. It is designed to be used with the Radeon HD 6870 and it will allow your graphics cards operate in a quieter and cooler way.

Upgrading the cooling unit from your old graphics card can be a good choice as the ones that come with the cards are generally made to just suit the basic needs of the card. If you are not overclocking the card then there is probably no need to increase the cooling unit but for those who want to push the graphics card further then installing a more effective cooling system can be a good idea.

Many people also appreciate the quieter running that replacing the graphics card cooler can bring. When you are playing games that require a great deal from the card you might find that the noise is makes it distracting and replacing the cooling system will lead to a quieter running computer system.

This new cooling unit from Arctic Cooling is tricky to install but the device is well priced at £20 and it will mean that your graphics card will run very quietly. Unfortunately though, it is not capable of cooling the graphics card as well as you might expect, it cools it enough for temporary use but to use it continually will cause the graphics card to overheat.

There is a turbo module that you can attach to the cooling unit but it is a large, 10 cm wide fan. This should provide more cooling than the original unit but unfortunately it is not going to be able to cool the graphics card enough for it to be able to run high-end games. Passive cooling can be great for some graphics cards but not all.

A new algorithm is being developed by Xerox and it is going to be able to tell how aesthetically pleasing a photograph is. The tool is currently under development and there is a sample available for consumers to try on the Open Xerox website. This allows you to use sample images they have provided and the algorithm will judge them. Currently it is not possible for users to upload their own photographs.

The algorithm has been designed to find pictures that are regarded as ‘special’ by identifying qualities that photo enthusiasts like. Xerox said, “This algorithm is capable of identifying exposure and composition and is able to assess pictures for the number of colours they have and decide whether this is something that the photograph selector might want.”

The application is still heavily under development but so far its results have been interesting. Currently it is possible to search for images in a set number of categories and it is able to judge them for their quality. The company are currently seeking feedback on the algorithm so if you want to test it out for yourself then it would be a good idea to visit the company’s website.

Using a mobile phone and driving is well known to be dangerous but many people are unaware of one of the major other factors that can dramatically increase your risk of having an accident. Driving whilst tired can be as dangerous as being drunk or using a mobile phone while driving and a recent survey conducted in Sweden showed that one in every five accidents are caused by people being too tired.

It is well known that when you are tired your reflexes significantly slow and therefore it is not so surprising that more accidents happen when people are tired. Driving is an activity that requires fast reflexes should you need to react in an emergency.

Driving when tired also carries the risk that you will fall asleep at the wheel and this can result in a major accident. Also, being tired can lead you to having impaired judgement and this can also be a danger on the road.

The Swedish company have recently developed a device that should stop drivers falling asleep on the road. It is named the Anti Sleep Pilot and it is consistently assessing you for your level of fatigue and when it thinks you have reached a dangerous level recommends that you take a break.

Research by the company has shown that even taking a short break can dramatically increase your awareness on the road and even 10 minutes can be enough to greatly increase your attention. The device works by measuring your reaction time and conducting other tests, these also help you to remain alert while on the road. The device is currently available for £130 and is money well spent for any driver.

The new operating system that has been released by Google is Ice Cream Sandwich,which is also known as Android 4.0. The first phone to be utilising this operating system is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and inside this phone is a great deal of state-of-the-art technology which really puts it at the top end of the market.

While Samsung’s new device is definitely very impressive, what most tech experts are going to be keen to see is how it operates on the new system by Google. Android has undergone its biggest change since it was first created and this is something that many experts are predicting to be a game changer in the mobile operating system industry.

The new operating system is fusing together two previous systems, the one designed for tablet computers and the one designed for mobile phones. The specifications that are going to be running the system are impressive and the phone is running a dual core processor and has NFC support as well as a five megapixel camera.

The phone is definitely not tiny, and it is slightly larger than the other offering from Samsung, the Galaxy S2. When compared with its rivals, you can tell you’re not using an iPhone but the difference is not that noticeable.

The front of the phone is incredibly simplistic and there are no visible buttons. All you can see is the screen, a small front facing camera and a brightness sensor. There is a light at the bottom of the device that this is not noticeable until it is activated which happens when you receive an e-mail. As for the side of the device, there is nothing remarkable here, just the standard buttons you might expect such as volume control and power button.

One of the things that will surprise you the most about the device is the lack of an option to use expandable memory. Remarkably, the device has no expansion slot. This seems like an incredibly foolish design decision when you consider that the device is being marketed as a piece of media equipment. Most people, when they first read about the device, might assume that it is a mistake in the literature, but astoundingly, the device comes with no SD slot.

The rest of the features on the phone somewhat make up this and the screen is incredible. The resolution on it means it is incredibly sharp and this really makes it great for watching video and browsing the Internet. Samsung have developed a reputation for making incredible screens and this latest one is definitely no exception.

The market position of the phone is clear, it is targeted to be a top end handset, along with the likes of the Nokia Lumia 800 and the latest iPhone. The pricetag therefore is suitably high and if you want to get your hands on one you’re going to have to shell out over £40 a month for a contract if you want to it for free, otherwise you will have to shell out over £500.