Apple OS X Mavericks

Apple Inc. seeds OS X Mavericks to developers, reportedly starts work on OS X (10.10)

Apple has released the Gold Master version of OS X Mavericks, its new desktop operating system, to developers.

The Gold Master version of OS X Mavericks can be downloaded from the Mac App Store according to 9to5Mac, which originally reported the development.

The release of the Gold Master version of OS X (10.9) Mavericks implies that work is complete on the operating system and Apple will most likely release the same build of the OS, including a few last minute updates, to the public later this month. The report also mentions that Apple has some other updates for developers as well, including new versions of iPhoto and Xcode.

The same site had earlier reported that Apple was finishing up work on OS X Mavericks and starting work on iOS 8 and the next version of OS X, 10.10 codenamed Syrah. The website mentions that its sources have indicated the possibility of a new design across the system in OS X 10.10 which would be on the lines of iOS 7 but much more subtle.

9to5Mac had previously reported that Apple supposed to realease OS X Mavericks(10.9) at the end of october citing people with knowledge of the launch plans as the source for this information.

•  Mavericks has been available to developers as a beta after it was initially unveiled in June. 

It brings new feature like Finder Tabs,Tags enhanced multidisplay support updated native apps like maps,ibooks & Safari browser, and iCloud keychain, among others. It also brings under the hood changes for faster performance and longer battery life, including Timer Coalescing that groups low-level operations together so that the processor doesn't use more power and battery is conserved, App Nap that saves power while working on multiple apps by slowing down the apps that are in the background, and compressed memory that frees up memory space for faster performance. 

Valve Corporation Steam OS

Valve announces Linux-based SteamOS; brings PC gaming to the living room

Valve has announced SteamOS, bringing PC gaming into the living room. SteamOS is an evolution of the Steam Big Picture Inteface , which made browsing the library / store, connecting with friends, and playing games easier for large screen users, and is the latest attempt to compete with Microsoft and Sony in what is traditionally the home console space.
SteamOS is described by Valve as a "free forever", standalone Linux-based operating system that's meant for the "TV and the living room." Valve on its SteamOS page says that in its efforts to bring Steam to the living room, it reached the conclusion that the "environment best-suited to delivering value to customers is an operating system built around Steam itself."
The gaming OS will be available as a freely licensable operating system for manufacturers as well, also inviting hardware similar to Steam Box set-top-box concept. Though the Steam Box is rumoured to be launched this week (September 25), Valve may not end up bringing the product itself to consumers, rather, it is expected to rely on partners' adoption of the SteamOS platform, via a hardware reference design.

Valve mentions that developers are already embracing the SteamOS platform, with "hundreds of games already running natively" on it, and lots of AAA titles due by 2014. Specially optimized for gaming, SteamOS apparently provides significant graphics processing improvements compared to other OSes, and the company is working on audio performance and reducing input latency.

For those (thousands of) games that aren't designed for SteamOS, and work on Windows or Mac, Valve has introduced the "In-home Streaming" feature, which will be available soon for both Steam client and SteamOS. This will allow gamers to stream games from their computers to their SteamOS machine, which is connected to their TVs.
The Bellevue, Washington-based company has also unveiled three other new features for the Steam client and SteamOS, which will be made available soon. Valve has not detailed this feature much however, saying "you can share the games you love with the people you love." It explains that family members can take turns playing one another's games, while each individual's achievements and game progress are saved to the 'cross-platform' Steam cloud. The "Family Options" feature will include the option to selectively display and share individual Steam libraries in the above setup.
To directly compete with the PlayStation and Xbox home console ecosystems, Valve is also working on bringing movies, music and TV content to both Steam client and SteamOS. This will of course be more relevant in countries like the US, where such digital content partnerships are more common. Valve says: "We're working with many of the media services you know and love. Soon we will begin bringing them online, allowing you to access your favourite music and video with Steam and SteamOS."
With its Linux-roots, SteamOS should be installable on an x86 system with the requisite minimum hardware (currently unspecified). We don't see many usable aspects of this feature though, unless you intend to use your laptop as a Steam Box-like device on the move, connecting it to any TV anywhere when you want to play your SteamOS games. For Windows / Mac games, you'll have to once again switch to the desktop client for the respective OS.
Of course, this setup would also allow the laptop to stream gaming and other content from your desktop to your TV, most useful if the desktop and TV are in different rooms, and you happen to have a laptop lying around.
On the other hand, if your desktop computer is close enough to connect to your TV directly, you might as well run Windows / Mac / Linux on it, and utilise the Steam client's Big Picture interface for large screen ease-of-use. Are the gaming-optimized performance gains of SteamOS sufficient cause to think beyond the x86 Windows + Big Picture setups? We'll have to wait and see on that front, for the first triple AAA titles to be made available for the new platform.
The Steam game distribution service debuted in 2003, and is today available in 185 countries and 25 languages. Valve calls Steam a "truly global platform", which along with SteamOS, will bring "entertainment to an audience without borders." The company asks users to stay tuned for more information

Six Smart T.Vs

smart TVs for the perfect entertainment experience

Gone are the days when your television set was referred to as the idiot box. We are in the era of Smart TVs. Though in India this trend is still at a new born stage, the market is evolving at a rapid pace.
Little wonder that most consumer electronics brands are now offering a range of Smart TV in various sizes and price points to meet the needs of the consumers. Consumers too are acknowledging the changing trend and are increasingly looking at television sets that are connected to the Internet and offer nifty apps that keep them entertained. We have complied a list of some of the best smart TVs (in no order) that are available in the market to help you choose the best fit for your living room

1) Samsung Series 8 SMART 3D Full HD LED TV ES8000

The Samsung ES8000 packs in features such as voice control, motion control and face recognition. The television also comes in with an attractive design and weighs 12 kgs (without the stand). The bezel of this smart TV is just 17mm thick.
One can watch full-HD (1920X1080 pixels) content via this television and it supports 960Hz Clear Motion Rate. Samsung has pre-loaded many apps such as Samsung App, Skype, Smart Hub, Social TV, AllShare Play, Camera App etc. for users to make most of this television. For connectivity, the Smart TV comes with 3 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports, 1 headphone jack and built-in Wi-Fi.
Price: Rs. 1,51,000 for 46-inch model; Rs. 2,68,000 for 55-inch model

2) Sony BRAVIA 3D Full HD LED KDL-46HX850 TV

The Sony Bravia KDL-46HX850 TV comes with monolithic design, like other television of the HX series. The television comes with Sony's X-Reality picture engine, which as per company's claims helps in giving clearer picture. This is also a full-HD television and comes with built-in Wi-Fi.
This television comes with OptiContrast and Corning's Gorilla Glass Panel. Apps such as YouTube, Skype, Star Player, Facebook, and Twitter come pre-installed on this Sony Bravia Television.
Price: Rs. 1,23,900 for 46-inch model; Rs. 209,900 for 55-inch mode


3) LG 3D Full HD LED TV 47LW6500

Another interesting option to look at it is the LG 3D Full HD LED TV 47LW6500. This is also a 3D television that can display content in full-HD. This television set deploys Triple XD Engine, which as per LG gives crisper picture quality. This television from the stable of LG comes with 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports and supports Wi-Fi and LAN connectivity.
Price: Rs. 1,14,999 for 47-inches

4) Panasonic SMART VIERA 3D Full HD LED TV TH L47ET50D

Panasonic SMART VIERA 3D Full HD LED TV TH L47ET50D is made of crystal frame. It comes with IPS LED LCD Panel and comes with what Panasonic dubs as the active shutter progressive 3D.
Just like the other television under the Panasonic's SMART VIERA range, this television set too comes with Viera Connect, through which users can access popular apps.
Price: Rs. 1,16,900 for 46-inches

5) Toshiba 46VL20 LED Full HD 3D Television

This television from Toshiba, offers dynamic ratio of 100000:1. The television comes with 4 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports. Toshiba 46VL20 has an interesting design that consists of a narrow silver coloured bezel. This is a competitively priced LED 3D TV; however Toshiba does not have a very strong brand value in India.

Price: Rs. 72,499 (46-inches)

6) Philips 46PFL8577 LED Full HD 3D DDB Television

Philips was once amongst the leading players in home entertainment arena, but not any longer. However, the company is trying to gain back market share. This company too is offering an interesting smart TV in the Indian market in the form of Philips 46PFL8577 LED 3D DDB television. This television set comes with 8000000:1 Dynamic Ratio. It also comes with 480Hz Perfect Motion Rate (PMR) that as per the company helps in delivering motion sharpness. The TV comes with 2 HDMI ports and 1 USB port and at 27.5 kg (sans the stand) this is one of the bulkiest options in the category.
Price: Rs. 1,06,000 for 46-inches