The growth of smartphone sales over the past several years has led to lower demand for compact cameras. However, Nikon hopes to reverse that trend by incorporating the Android operating system into its latest compact camera.

Nikon is describing its new point-and-shoot, the Coolpix S800c, as a “social imaging device.” The Coolpix S800c comes with a 16 mega-pixel sensor and 10x optical zoom. It also has built in Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities and will record full HD video.

The camera should offer better picture quality than most, if not all, smartphones. The addition of Android will allow users to install photo editing apps and other software to enhance their experience and make their photos easier to edit, among other things. The camera’s Wi-Fi connectivity, makes it easy for people to upload their photos to any social network. This means there is no need to connect the camera to a computer first, making it operate more like a smartphone in this area as well.

Combining the versatility of Android with a device made for taking pictures is a bold step but a logical one. Using a camera offers many advantages over a smartphone. Users have more control over their pictures, and dedicated cameras offer better lenses with a greater zoom range. Taking those advantages and giving them some of the ease of use a smartphone offers creates a product that should appeal to many looking for a dedicated camera in addition to their smartphone.

What this says about the future for Nikon and other camera makers is unclear. It is expected that other camera manufacturers will create similar products. However, many expect this trend to continue into more expensive camera, such as DSLRs, as well.

Using Android allows camera manufacturers to add a great deal of functionality without designing new software from the ground up. Giving users that ability to use the many Android applications designed to assist photographers right in their camera should open up new possibilities for users. The possibilities offered by adding Android to cameras are almost unlimited. Developers are constantly adding new apps and the addition of dedicated cameras to the Android universe could spur them create new apps to take advantage of these new possibilities.

As the largest wireless carriers, AT&T and Verizon, have done away with unlimited data plans over the lase few years, T-Mobile has decided to bring them back. The nation’s fourth largest wireless carrier has announced that it will start selling unlimited data plans once again starting September 5.

T-Mobile has been losing customers to both larger and smaller carriers in recent months. This move is seen as a way differentiate themselves from the competition. While smaller carriers offer their customers unlimited data options, Sprint is the other large carrier to do so. T-Mobile, however, will not reduce their customer’s service speeds after they hit a monthly cap, unlike Sprint.

T-Mobile’s new plan will cost $20 per month on top of regularly priced voice and text plans, and $30 per month when added to cheaper value plans.

T-Mobile’s loss of customer may have created the excess network capacity needed to make this move. However, this step by another large carrier could be troublesome for AT&T and Verizon. While other companies are beginning to offer more data access for less money, the two giants of the industry are moving the opposite direction.

How this move will shape the wireless industry is yet to be seen, but more choice and more value in the wireless arena is a good thing for consumers. Sprint credits its unlimited data plans with attracting customers. The same strategy should work for T-Mobile.

Annoying commercials may no longer hinder your ability to enjoy watching television. Apple was just granted a patent that allows users to skip TV commercials. Instead of hearing ads about the newest cars for sale, restaurants, and banks, you could play your favorite song or music video during the breaks from your programming. Dish Network’s Auto Hop also allows people to skip television advertisements, but it simply doesn’t do it in the same way that Apple’s new idea does.

When the device notices a signal for a commercial is coming, it wills witch your sounds to a song of your choice. The background screen will either be a picture of the album the song is on, or a music video can be played during the intermission. The long terms impacts of this new patent are difficult to predict, but the big network television companies won’t be thrilled about these newest developments.

The addition of ad-skipping devices to home televisions could cause networks to lose billions of dollars in revenue generated from ads. They have to run the ads to buy the rights to the programs they need to be the leading networks on television. Fox, CNN, and NBC have attempted to sue Dish Network for the Auto Hop. Whether they win or not, these new technologies for skipping ads are sure to create fiery legal battles and political turmoil as they gain more popularity.

Apple is in the process of creating a new type of television service, and the patents like the ones designed to skip commercials could be involved in the greater scheme. However, if Apple angers the networks by allowing people to skip their ads, they may never be able to put their brand of TV on the map. They will need sponsors, investors, and money from ads. This is certainly something to keep an eye on.

Apple has come under international scrutiny in the past few years for high suicide rates at its partner Foxconn’s Chinese factories, one of the main suppliers for Apple products around the world. Recently, the Fair Labor Association, or FLA, released its report on the state of Foxconn, detailing which steps the company had already taken to improve working conditions while also reporting which changes the company has failed to impose. Apple’s Chinese Foxconn factories offer more humane working conditions than they did even just a few years ago, but they still have a long way to go.

Warning Signs

The Foxconn factories that produce iPads and iPhones employ hundreds of thousands of people, but they’ve also suffered a number of very public, very damaging suicides over the past few years, culminating in a total of 14 worker suicides in 2010. Some attempted suicides failed but still left the victims paralyzed.

These deaths led Foxconn to install widely mocked suicide nets around the edges of its buildings. However, this measure only resulted in more mockery since it appeared that Foxconn was ignoring the actual problem – not that workers were committing suicide, but that they were treated to inhumane working conditions in the first place.

Starting to Change

After several years of damaging press, Apple joined the FLA in February 2012. The FLA investigated not only Foxconn’s Chinese factories but any companies part of Apple’s supply chain. After pledging to improve working conditions, Apple and Foxconn do appear to have significantly changed working conditions at these factories.

Among the roughly 90 “action changes” already completed, Foxconn has reduced work hours to 60 per week, which is still more than the Chinese legal limit of 49 per week. However, Foxconn has promised to further reduce work hours to the legal limit over the next year. Student interns can no longer work overtime at all, overtime is promptly and fairly paid, and workers can even send in anonymous feedback to Foxconn.

Six months into the FLA’s plan, Foxconn has completed about one third of all suggested changes. The rest should be completed by the summer of 2013. What can’t be fixed in a year’s time is the lasting damage to Apple’s reputation that Foxconn has caused.

As the Apple-Samsung court case goes to jury, the entire high-tech world is watching with bated breath. This case has the potential to transform mobile development for the foreseeable future. As smart phones have become indispensable tools for modern people, Apple and Samsung have committed to a fierce struggle for the soul of buying public. As late as Monday, August 20, Apple CEO Tim Cook engaged in last-minute negotiations with his counterpart at Samsung, Kwon Oh Hyun. Still, industry watchers hold out little hope for an out-of-court settlement.

Although the heart of the lawsuit is an obscure patent dispute, many see the lawsuit as a natural outgrowth of the longstanding feud between Apple and Samsung. On a broader level, however, the lawsuit exemplifies Apple’s struggle to limit the growth of the Android operating system. According to the latest industry statistics, the smart phone market is valued at $219 billion. With such a large market at stake, it’s no surprise that both Samsung and Apple are willing to go to great lengths to succeed.

The court case has electrified observers since its inception in April 2011. Apple initiated the lawsuit, claiming that Samsung copied patent product designs. Asking for at least two and a half billion dollars in damages, Apple is hoping it can send a strong message to the many device developers that are hoping to copy the successful iPhone. If found guilty, Samsung could face a court-ordered ban on the sale of its flagship mobile products. In a struggle for its very livelihood, Samsung has counter sued and demanded three hundred million in damages. While this is a relatively small sum, Samsung is hoping to send a confident message of its own.

As the feud between the smart phone giants approaches its climax, technology mavens around the world are increasingly taking sides. To some, Apple represents the hard-line, proprietary developer of old; secretive, grasping and harsh towards competitors. Thinkers in this camp feel that Samsung is the hapless victim of Apple’s formidable legal team. Others feel that Apple has simply dominated the market through excellent service and consumer-friendly design. According to this line of thought, Apple has every right to guard the proprietary designs that earn its daily bread. Besides, some have argued, Samsung has every intention of forcing its own will on the mobile marketplace.

According to the NPD Group, a market research leader, Apple made 31% of all smart phones sold in 2012′s second quarter. Samsung is the second biggest smart phone manufacturer, with 24% of the market in its grasp. Industry commentators are split on whether Samsung has stalled in its quest for parity with Apple.

Dell was once the most well-respected and recognized computer company on the planet. Those days appear to be over, at least for now. Dell reported an 18% loss in their profits over the last estimates. While other PC makers like HP and Lenovo are also struggling due to the emergence of the iPad, Dell’s struggles are particularly troubling for its owners and shareholders. Hard days are ahead for the company as they attempt everything they can to try to get their profits headed back in the right direction.

The release of Windows 8 in October might be able to help Dell and its fellow PC makers to make up some lost ground. They will be able to sell tablets that are very user-friendly, according to Microsoft executives. Microsoft 8 was designed to be compatible with touch screen devices similar to the iPad. The entire computer industry is trying to keep pace with Apple right now as their latest products have firmly cemented them as the head of the pack. Dell is struggling the most because their technology is seen as outdated and old.

Dell continually fails to produce good products in the smartphone market, where Lenovo is making headway in China. It’s estimated that Lenovo has sold 7 million units in China, and they are quickly approaching Dell’s revenue on a quarterly basis. Dell must act fast or they will become a company of the past. They are forecasting much lower sales than Wall Street has anticipated for them. People as a whole are generally no longer willing to invest in stationary desktops. Even laptop computer sales are hitting low numbers that they haven’t experienced in years.

People are ditching the big, bulky, immobile computers for tablets. It’s now Dell’s job to figure out how they can take their current compatibility with computers of the past and transfer it to computers of the present and future. If they can’t, we might just be seeing the end of Dell computers as we know them. iPads only cost about $350 when you buy them online. They are truly a good alternative to regular computers, since they cost more and can’t be transported everywhere.

The message that the market has sent to Dell is clear: get with the times or get out of the business. While Dell was once a decorated, celebrated computer company 10 years ago, its relationship with consumers has been shaky at best in recent years. Most people feel that Dell doesn’t do enough to keep up with the latest innovations that other companies are producing every day. Online web applications for mobile phones are making it easier than ever for people to play games and stay connected.

If Dell doesn’t figure out how to please the new generation of computer-buyers, they will be digging their own grave. People would still trust the Dell brand if they knew their products are more in line with the current trends.

Many people envision a future in which people can fly around in cars rather than drive them. The possibilities for such a feat may still be within the realm of possibility, but with a twist. Instead of flying cars, we might now have access to bikes that hover over the ground. Any Star Wars fan will recognize the pictures and videos of the hover bike that have already been posted around the internet. You could soon become a Star Wars Jedi with the help of a hover bike. The technology backing these magnificent inventions by Aerofex is truly awe-inspiring.

You could almost think of the hover bike as an ATV that floats above the surface of the earth. Two knee bars allow the vehicle to respond to the way a human leans when they try to balance on something. These controls make learning to fly the hover bikes so much easier than what would have originally been expected. The possibilities for use are unlimited. What if a doctor has to travel to a patient in a secluded area where travel with normal vehicles is difficult? Rescue efforts in desserts, wooded areas, and lakes would also be easier with the hover bikes.

Hover bikes might not be available for some time on the market, but they’re still exciting for people to think about. Star Wars has captivated generations to dream about flight rather than ordinary cars for travel. If this technology works the way engineers think it will, ordinary people could easily learn how to fly hover bikes for travel, emergencies, and leisure. Your own adventure as a Star Wars Jedi could be unfolding right in front of your eyes as the new technology develops. Scientists continue to learn more about how to make these bikes work.

Estimates say that the current testing procedures allow humans to travel 15 feet in the air at speeds of about 30 miles per hour. The makers of the hover bike say that these limits are more cautious than they are limited by technology. They are trying to be absolutely sure that these vehicles can be safe for humans to use on a regular basis before they hit the open market for sale.

You could soon have your turn to use the force and get in touch with your inner Luke Skywalker. You could make a trip to the grocery store into a wonderful adventure with the help of hover bikes of the future.

Canadians rejoice! The Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut chair will soon be offering free WiFi patrons. The goal is to have the service available to 90 percent of its Canadian locations by September. This is a free service for any customer inside of the store. The chain is trying to create convenience for customers to entice them into staying and making one or more purchases.

The company is partnering with Bell Canada to offer this service in their stores. They plan to have WiFi available to approximately 2,000 stores before the start of the next school year. Customers will have the option to connect to the Internet with their smartphone or any mobile device. The company spent about six months testing the service with other Canadian carriers before deciding on Bell.

The WiFI service will only be available in its traditional stores and not at non-traditional outlets. This is a change from the company’s previous strategy. This strategy was focused on efficiency. Their goal was to maximize revenue for the short amount of time a customer was inside the building. The new strategy of offering free WiFi now encourages customers to stay and relax.

The concept of staying and relaxing is a requirement for a coffee shop to be competitive. By offering a WiFi service the company can attract a younger customer base that may not have considered going to a Tim Hortons. Many other fast food restaurants already offer WiFi. This is a way Tim Hortons is able to maintain market share in a competitive business environment.

It seems there is never any shortage of malware to be found on the Internet, and Monday, July 9th is certainly not a day of exception. In fact, that day may very well be Internet Doomsday for people who have not ensured that their computer systems are not infected with a malware known as DNSChanger. The FBI has estimated that around 275,000 computers, both Windows and Mac, are at risk of losing their Internet access this coming Monday if they are infected with the malware and users have not taken measures to clean their systems.

In spite of all the current uproar over it, the DNSChanger malware is not new. In fact, it has been around since 2007 and the individuals behind it have been dealt with by the FBI in the fall of 2011. Six Estonian nations were arrested and charged with using the malware with the intention of hijacking millions of computers across the world. A representative from Trend Micro called this the “biggest cybercrimal takedown in history.”

The DNSChanger malware is so strong that it can even obliterate a computer’s antivirus software, which makes it even more dangerous. The FBI created a safety net that utilized government computers to prevent disruptions on the Internet from any user whose system may have been infected that was set to expire in February 2012. However, the date of the safety net was since extended to July 9th because the FBI believes there are many people who are still unaware of the problem.

Time is quickly running out to ensure that your computer is clean of this nasty malware. The first thing you can do is to run your own antivirus and anti-malware programs. Whether anything is detected or not, your system may still be infected. The best way to check is to visit the website http://dns-ok.us/, which is backed by the FBI and will tell you in seconds whether your computer is safe or if it is infected. A green background after visiting the site means you are fine, while a red one means your computer is infected. If you see red, you can take the next step and visit http://www.dcwg.org/, which will direct you toward steps in repairing the problem and getting your system clean.

Apple has long been plagued with rumors about a miniature version of its best-selling iPad tablet, but never before has the rumor mill been so convinced the device is on its way. Faced with rising competition from tablets like the Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7, both of which retail for just $199, Apple is said to be starting production on a device that is radically smaller than the current incarnation of the iPad. Not only will the new device have a smaller aspect ratio, but Apple is also rumored to be slashing features in order to bring down the tablet’s price.

Since its initial release in 2010, the iPad has found its way into the hands of millions of consumers across the globe. Building upon the success of the iOS platform, Apple arguably brought consumers one of the first seamless tablet computing experiences, and the company’s impressive sales figures demonstrate just how popular the device quickly became. The iPad continues to enjoy success as one of the most popular tablets in production.

In spite of its current success, the market’s desire for a cheaper tablet could potentially cause Apple to lose some of its ground as a key competitor in the tablet wars. Steve Jobs once famously stated that a tablet smaller than the present iPad size would not be able to deliver the high-quality experience users demand on mobile computing platforms. Unfortunately, it would appear that many consumers are all too happy to purchase small tablets, with many of them likely swayed by the much lower price points of such devices. Apple’s release will go directly against Jobs’ wishes.

According to several sources close to the situation, an iPad measuring less than 8 inches in size will be making its way to shelves across the country later this year. Analysts doubt the device would fall into the same $199 price point of some competing tablets, but Apple’s impressive App Store may be enough to sway consumers to pay a bit more for the device. The release of a smaller tablet could potentially capitalize on consumer need for a device small enough to slip into a large pocket or purse.

If Apple is to reproduce its popular iPad in a smaller format, there is no question that several features would need to be removed. The most prominent such feature is the high-definition retina screen. By replacing this screen with a standard touchscreen, production costs would likely plummet.

Apple has yet to comment on the latest rumors about a mini iPad, in keeping with the company’s traditionally tight-lipped stance. As analysts keep guessing, it will be interesting to see whether the new rumors have any merit. Regardless, it seems likely that Apple will ultimately have the last laugh.