The Nintendo DS, Nintendo’s answer to Sony’s PSP has given birth to four different versions of the original design. The latest to be released is the Nintendo 3DS and it is packed with the latest innovations of gaming.

The most prominent feature of the gaming console is the fact that it produces 3D images that don’t require glasses to be viewed. The Nintendo 3DS achieves this purpose through auto-stereoscopy, which creates 3D images by assigning different parts of its graphical output to different sections of the screen. Although the effect is quite an impressive one, it has also caused disorientation due to prolonged use. For those who are looking forward to play games that require close attention, the consequences may be quite sickening.In addition to that, it must be noted that moving the device about while playing results in the collapsing of the 3D effect. However, the effect can be adjusted all the way down to 2Dw with the aid of the 2D slider.

At first glance, the device is far from attractive and in comparison with non-3D compatible devices such as the PSP the Nintendo 3DS, the design seems archaic and would have users doubting its immense capabilities. However, the Nintendo 3DS comes packed with some serious technology. For instance, the 3DS is equipped with an accelerometer and a gyroscope for heightened motion sensing controls. Packed within its 74x134x21mm body is a Customized PICA200 graphics chipset. Although it is much less powerful than the likes of Nvidia and AMD, it is certainly adequate to produce images of impressive quality.

In addition to these features, the Nintendo 3DS comes with a 360 degree analogue pad and a home button which makes navigation much easier. The analogue pad, although not as precise as a stick controller, is smooth and comfortable and has a definite win over the PSP’s thumb damaging navigation button. The 3DS also offers a front facing camera of 640x480 to take 2D images as well as two identical cameras on the outside. The two cameras work together to take two pictures at the same time and to overlay them to create a 3D image. While the camera quality is not very impressive, it will definitely offer a novel experience and a great deal of unique possibilities when it comes to augmented reality gaming.

The 3DS also comes equipped with Wi-Fi for connectivity. The W-Fi function is not only limited to internet access and to download new games from the eShop but also as a method of exchanging data between neighboring devices. Although this is a welcome feature for most gamers, Street passing data is heavily in breach of copyright laws and is frowned upon by many gaming company.

In the end, the Nintendo 3DS is an impressive device. Although the design and aesthetics may not be ideal for most style conscious gamers, it is still a remarkable piece of technology released at the correct time when 3D compatibility is still in the spotlight. The initial appeal of the device lies in the 3D features but once the craze dies down, the device will still spark interest due to its control features and incredible graphics properties.

Canons’ EOS 600D is a delight for photography enthusiasts on the lookout for an affordable DSLR. Canon’s line of SLRs has been dominating the market since 2003, when the range was first launched. When it comes to the Canon EOS 600D, it shows very thin variation from the previous model in the range. The sensor, of 18 Megapixels is identical to that of the Canon EOS 550D, its predecessor. In addition, the DIGIC IV image processor, the 63-zone iFCL metering system as well as the 9-point AF system have also been recycled from the 550D.

However, the EOS 600D is not a complete clone of its predecessor. Quite a few noticeable changes are present in the all new design. For instance, the 3 inch screen is offered with the ability to swivel out of the body by 180° and to rotate by 270°. This feature alone offers users the ability to position and shoot videos at various different angles. The Canon EOS 600D is able to record full HD video at 1080P at different frame speeds of 24, 25 and 30 fps.

As for the external appearance, the Canon EOS 600D is very much similar to the 550D. But the 600D had been given several subtle modifications to make it appear more high end and to make it more usable. However, you will not receive a brand new AF system with the 600D. The AF system of the Canon EOS 600D is the same 9 point phase detect one from previous models where the nine points are grouped together at the centre of the frame to form a diamond. The AF point selection button is responsible for the focus selection. Although it is a decent system without fuss, it definitely feels a bit slow and outdated in comparison for similar cameras from other manufacturers.

The EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II kit lens incorporates a built in system to prevent shakes from upsetting the picture. Although the internal construction of the lens is the same, the lack of a USM motor makes up for several audible noises as the lens adjusts its focus.

The most important feature of a camera is undoubtedly, the image quality. Armed with the 63-zone iFCL metering system (the same since the EOS 7D) results in well exposed images regardless of the lighting condition.  The Canon EOS 600D delivers different picture styles such as Portrait, Landscape, Standard, Neutral and Monochrome which offers a satisfactory result. In addition the user defined modes allows them to edit contrast, saturation brightness and color tone as required.

In conclusion, the Canon EOS 600D offers very little new features in comparison with the 550D. The minor additions come at a considerably high price and are guaranteed to have users questioning whether they are worth an additional £150. On the other hand, it is a great camera which belongs to the moderate price range. Although the sensor is satisfactory and the picture quality and video are impressive, the overall performance is not entirely up to expectations.

The latest information released by Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop suggests that the first Nokia handsets powered with Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system will be released sooner than expected. According to Elop’s statement, the handsets will be released by the fourth quarter this year. The handsets are expected to be released in the UK at first.

The decision to make Windows Phone 7 handsets is a method to turn around Nokia’s current poor performance in the smart phone market. Elop has confirmed that the Windows Phone 7 handsets will be released for six European markets at the end of this year. At the moment, Nokia’s market share is visibly decaying within the smart phone industry which is dominated by Android and iOS devices.

The six countries where the handsets will be first released include France, UK, Italy, Netherlands Germany, and Spain. Nokia has excluded their home country, Finland for the upcoming release. Experts are somewhat confused at the fact that Nokia expects to skip the release of the handset in the US as well as the manufacturer’s home country. The reasons for the decision have not yet been made officially available.

As for Microsoft, they have made official announcements for the details of the upcoming Mango update to the Windows Phone 7 platform. The announcements were made last month and according to that, the new update will boast hundreds of all new features for the operating system. The update is all set to be released in September while Nokia’s handsets are scheduled to be released in close pursuit.

The number of Windows Phone 7 devices Nokia is planning to release adds up to a rather small 125, 000. The number suggests that the company is attempting to ease any doubts the investors may be having about the partnership. As of now, Symbian Anna has disappeared in to oblivion while all the focus lies in Windows Phone 7.

Apple has issued a confirmation that an unspecified number of their massively successful iPad 2 tablets have been recalled. This occurred due to certain issues regarding the connectivity of the devices. The issue is said to be related to their mobile equipment identifier codes.

Reports of the issue started surfacing last year and Apple has been halting shipments from their production plants in China as a result. Apple’s confirmation states that an ‘extremely small’ amount of iPad 2 tablets are being recalled at the moment.

According to a statement issued by a spokesperson from Apple has offered some details on the connectivity issue. According to the spokesperson, a few iPad 2 units had started to show flashes of duplicate MEID codes. This issue was specific to the iPad 2 units for the Verizon 3G network.

The tablet, which was unveiled earlier this year, was available in three options: Wi-Fi only or with 3G services provided by Verizon or AT & T. As of now, the actual number of devices affected by the issue is unknown. According to information provided by an Apple employee in the US, the number of sent back units adds up to over one hundred. According to the employee’s statement, the stores were given a list of serial numbers, if a match is found, it was ordered to be shipped back to the company. He further added that the issue is specific to Verizon tied units.

At the moment, Apple is dealing with the situation by offering a brand new replacement for each faulty device. While some people are beginning to think that the issue will have considerable effect on Apple’s domination of the tablet PC market, others remain optimistic that this minor ‘glitch’ will be resolved very soon.

The upcoming Galaxy Tab 8.9 from Samsung has faced a delay in release. According to a report issued on the matter, the delay is a result of a shortage of components. Some experts believe that Samsung is in a big rush to catch up with Apple’s super slim and powerful iPad 2.

The Galaxy Tab 8.9 was officially unveiled earlier this year along with the Galaxy Tab 10.1. As the name suggests, the Galaxy Tab 8.9 will be offered sporting an 8.9 inch display that uses G1F architecture to maximize the brightness of the screen while maintaining a slimmer body. The delay to the official release was made effect due to the limited availability of the components needed to create this innovative screen.

The Galaxy Tab 8.9 has managed to become identified as the slimmest tablet in the world. With an impressive thickness of 8.6 millimeters, it has beaten the iPad2 in the race to create the slimmest tablet. The iPad 2 is offered at 8.8 millimeters. However, it will take a while for the product to reach the market as its key components are in a supply shortage.

Samsung plans to sell 10 million units of tablet PCs within this year. Experts are under the belief that if this supply shortage continues, the ambitious sales plan will undoubtedly be affected. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 will offer both G1F and GFF (glass fiber filter) technologies. The GFF touch screen is said to be almost 40 percent thicker than the G1F counterpart. In addition, the GFF screens are also known for poor display performance in comparison to the G1F panels.

It is believed by Samsung and tech experts that if the situation is resolved and the Galaxy Tab 8.9 manages to make it to the market as expected, it will definitely become a wide success.

According to an announcement made by J.K. Shin, the President of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Division, the company is planning to launch a third generation of its widely successful Galaxy S handset. The launch is announced to take place in 2012. The official Samsung Galaxy S II was unveiled at Mobile World Congress back in February.

As per the announcement made by J.K. Shin, the third version of the Galaxy S smart phone is being prepared to be launched within the first half of next year. Shin further stated that the race for 4G is already on its way and that it will become more popular with tablets.

The currently available details of the upcoming smart phone suggest that it will be an evolved and enhanced version of its Galaxy Tab models. Samsung is currently dealing with a lawsuit with their biggest rival, Apple Inc. who also happens to be Samsung’s most prominent customer in their components business. The lawsuit was filed by Apple on the claim that Samsung has copied the design and appearance of their most popular devices the iPhone and the iPad. Samsung has responded to the claim with a counter attack stating that Apple has violated their patent for cell phone transmission technologies.

Despite Apple’s claim, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S smart phones have both fared exceptionally well on the market. Last year, over 10 million units of the first version of the Galaxy S handset were sold (it was very popular as one of the T-Mobile prepaid phones). Earlier last month, the Samsung Galaxy S II was released. Sporting an impressive an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p Full HD video and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor all packed in to a slim stylish design, the Galaxy S II has managed to sell a staggering 1.3 million devices since it was released.

Experts believe that Samsung will have to deliver a solid performance as most of the users’ attention is focused towards Apple’s iPhone 5 and HTC Sensation.

In the last article we had a look at Clickheat, a usability analysis tool. In this article, we’ll be looking at few other similar tools that can be used for tracking and analyzing user behaviors.

Bobby

This is an initiative taken by CAST for making World Wide Web more accessible to individuals with disabilities. This project has been in the industry for a decade and has helped both novice and professional web designers analyze and make improvements of their web sites. For the service this project has introduced, it has won number of awards from different bodies. From 2004, Watchfire sponsors the project as it was sold by CAST.

Due to the comprehensive accessibility coverage of Bobby, IBM has included this software in to IBM Rational Policy Tester Accessibility Edition and available widely from IBM.

ErgoLight

ErgoLight WebTester is a usability testing software which is focused on human factors. It emphasizes on user friendliness, usability and user reliability. On Dec 31, 1999, PC-Media wrote:

“Not all software developers can afford to use the services of usability labs. This is especially true for small software companies. The new products of ErgoLight Ltd. change the rules of this game. By tracking the details of site navigation on a central server and by intervention, WebTester provides the capability of usability validation to everybody."

AWStats

AWStats is a free log file analyzer for famous web servers. Although this is not a full scale usability testing tool, this gives many information about user behaviors and application responses. This easy to install tool runs on Linux and can read log files of all famous web servers including Apache. You may have to tweak the logging format of the web server in the configuration files.

AWStats gives detailed information about the page hits, visiting IPs, visiting browsers, most accessed resources and user visiting trend over a period of time. This information can be used for placing valuable information on certain pages where most people do access.

Usability of web applications has been under spotlight for few years as it represents a set of significant qualities of the business application. Improved usability has been identified as a cost saver when it comes to user trainings etc. The business that has a higher attrition rate such as call centers expect their software to have high usability as it cuts down the cost in frequent user training.

In this article we focus on few tools used for tracking user behaviors for usability implementation. If the application to have higher usability, first of all the designers and the developers of the software should know the exact user behaviors. These sophisticated tools help designers and developers to monitor the user behaviors closely and accurately.

Clickheat

Clickheat monitors specific web pages of web applications and track where the users click. After monitoring user clicks for over a period of time, it generates a heat map indicating the click density of the page. This allows the application designers and developers to identify the main areas accessed by the users and perform the optimization for the web page. This information is vital for identifying the places for placing advertisements, important links etc.

Installation of Clickheat is quite easy. You can install Clickheat on a Linux PC and then you need to custom generate a JavaScript code which is about four lines for the web page you are intended to monitor. Placing the JavaScript code at the bottom of the HTML page completes the job and Clickheat starts recording every click on the webpage from there onwards. Eventually, Clickheat generates heat maps for different screen resolutions and time frames. Clickheat is free and open source software and installed on either Windows or Linux. It supports Mozilla Firefox 2, Mozilla Firefox 3, Internet Explorer 6 and 7.