iPad 2 can’t charge from an USB 2.0 port, did you know that? When you connect your iPad 2 to a PC with USB 2.0 ports, which can easily charge your iPhone (or most phones with USB connector), you will see a small ‘Not Charging’ notification next to your battery icon. Read more
Month: March 2011
EVE Online: Forever
With the Fanfest 2011 behind us, we (the EVE community that is) have learned a few new things about the future of our favourite MMO (or MMOs, because EVE is going to be closely tied to DUST 514).
First off – there will be walking in stations. Not just Captain Quarters (coming in EVE: Incarna this summer, which I have described in this post). A whole lot of new features is coming, involving your persona rather than your spaceship: ability to freely move around stations and to interact with other players. You will also see the space outside the station. Don’t believe me? You don’t have to (seeing is believing so click the picture for YouTube movie):
iPad 2 – first impressions
Yesterday iPad 2 was officially introduced in Europe, including Poland. Unfortunately, polish introduction should rather be called Warsaw introduction, because there were some supply problems in other cities. Also the supply of the new Apple slate was quite limited and not everyone was able to get their hands on the long-awaited device.
The first impression is quite good: the tablet looks solid, even though it is thinner than its predecessor. The 3G model which I bought has a black plastic area near the top, which houses the HSDPA modem and the built in GPS. The back is made from aluminum, so it feels more durable than the plastic iPhone 3G/3Gs (and reminds of the original iPhone).
Also you don’t need a USIM card inserted right away to activate the 3G iPad – all one needs is a computer with iTunes.
Pros:
- All games i have run very smoothly (Galaxy On Fire 2,
- GLBenchmark results 5 to 8 times better than original iPad
- lighter than the original iPad
- two cameras for taking photos, videos and chatting
- can record smooth HD-ready (720p) videos
- can provide HDMI (1080p for still images and 720p for movies) and VGA output
There are also some cons:
- backlight bleeding in dark lighting conditions is very visible
- the oleophobic coating does not make much difference – after an hour the screen is just as dirty as any touch capable device
- the oleophobic coating makes rapid finger movement difficult, so gamers might need some getting used to
- the SIM tack is hard to remove
- there are some minor bugs in iOS (already running on 4.3.1) — for example when resetting Cellular Network Data usage you get -465794987610350000000000 bytes instead of 0 bytes.
- low quality front camera in low lighting conditions
- can only use micro SIM
iPad 2 in Poland: even more prices
The post below is obsolete now that iPad 3 has been announced. Please see the new post for the most accurate prices of iPad 2.
Today more shops have revealed their prices of iPad 2. Currently the best option is Media Markt and Saturn – prices are lower than original iPad when it was first introduced.
iPad 2 will officially be available in Poland and the rest of Europe at 5 PM today.
| mac-store.pl | iShock.pl | Media Markt Saturn |
iSpot | |
| WiFi 16GB | 2259 PLN | 2374,99 PLN | 2049 PLN | 2049 PLN |
| WiFi 32GB | 2659 PLN | 2779 PLN | 2469 PLN | 2469 PLN |
| WiFi 64GB | 3099 PLN | 3185 PLN | 2899 PLN | 2899 PLN |
| WiFi+3G 16GB | 2659 PLN | 2779 PLN | 2549 PLN | 2549 PLN |
| WiFi+3G 32GB | 3099 PLN | 3185 PLN | 2979 PLN | 2979 PLN |
| WiFi+3G 64GB | 3499 PLN | 3584,99 PLN | 3399 PLN | 3399 PLN |
EVE Online: Incarna Wallpaper #2
It’s still a work in progress. Please include source if you would like to redistribute this image.
You can find my previous wallpaper for Incarna in this post:
Incarna is on its way!
Smart Cover prices revealed
iPad 2 is said to be incomplete without this good looking gadget. They come in various colors and either polyurethane or leather finish. Prices comparison:
| Apple Store (US) | iShock.pl | |
| Polyurethane | $ 39.00 (111,50 PLN) | 179 PLN |
| Leather | $ 69.00 (196,65 PLN) | 279 PLN |
As you can see, even if you add 23% VAT to the prices on the left, Smart Covers ARE overpriced in Poland. Are they really worth their price? I don’t think so, because with Smart Cover your iPad will not be protected (besides the screen). You can buy a leather case for iPad for about the same price (or even cheaper), which protects entire device, and not only the screen. Granted, it’s not possible to use such case as a stand, but is it really necessary to have one? Read more
Sleeper wallpaper (1080p)
A few days ago I was playing EVE and was really bored. So as usual, to break the routine, I did something unusual. I looked for a wormhole and felt like coming through. So I have stumbled upon this wonderful place and immediately thought this is going to be one hell of a wallpaper. So here it is, I hope you like it, too.
Android 2.2 running on x86 netbooks
NEW: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich running on x86 PC/netbook: check this post
The Android x86 project has recently built Froyo images for most popular netbooks (and of course a generic image for other computers). This means you can easily run Android on your ultra mobile computers the same you would on a mobile phone.
Supported netbooks:
- ASUS laptops/tablets
- ASUS EEE PC
- Dell Inspiron Mini Duo
- Viewsonic Viewpad 10
Never teach your laptop how to fly
or else be prepared for unpleasant consequences
My Acer Aspire One had an accident last week: it was learning how to fly. The 120cm flight was rather harmless; I can’t say if my netbook was happy with this experience or not. I am however quite sure that it didn’t like the landing part. It didn’t like it at all. Read more
Free character recustomization in EVE
In the upcoming patch for EVE Online there will be several features coming to fill the gaps in the new Carbon Character Creator. Lots of players have complained about very limited amount of available hair styles, clothes or accessories to choose from. Read more