Daggers out for Windows 8, plaudits for the iPad

The war on Windows 8 continued this week. But there’s probably something more to that than an unpopular operating system.
The week began with Dell — ostensibly one of the biggest proponents of Window 8 — making bleak predictions about the OS in an SEC filing.
Dell didn’t stop there. It had a damning statement about the PC too. “The deteriorating outlook for the PC market [is] a result of, among other things, smartphones and tablets cannibalizing PC sales.”
Which brings us to the market-devouring iPad, which, since its release this week, has passed the three-year mark. Business Insider showed how the iPad played a big part in killing PC market growth, contrasting negative PC growth against the meteoric rise of the iPad.
“Apple has sold 121 million iPads, totaling $67.7 billion in sales…. The PC industry is reeling because of the iPad… iPad revenue is bigger than Windows revenue!” the article proclaims.
Related stories
Dell cites uncertain prospects for PCs, Windows 8 in SEC filing
Microsoft Store slashes prices on Windows 8 tablets, hybrids
So, are Windows 8’s problems just about an unappealing operating system? I’m guessing not. There are also bigger forces at work. PC growth has slowed (for the reasons cited above) and Windows 8 is collateral damage.
That said, fears of impending Windows 8 doom have not subsided. We have, for example, ZDNet’s “Windows 8: Can this OS be saved?” Regardless of the answer, the question, as stated, is rhetorical and clearly makes a negative assertion.
Next we have “Microsoft Windows RT price cuts don’t stop the death spiral,” at SemiAccurate, a chip-centric site.

WHO DOESN’T LOVE DONNA KARAN?

Barbra Streisand, and we’ve said it all from the very beginning

all of the believers knowing that black and white are all that Donna Karan needs for a thousand spectacular creations

Jennifer Hudson, a young talent with a genuine admiration for an established and immensely famous talent

those sinners for cashmere, just like Donna Karan

Casual Luxe only conceivably newyorker and only conceivably designed by Donna Karan, so, all of those with a feel of the naturally authentic

wonderful model Karolina Kurkova and wondrous architect Zaha Hadid, two Women Who Inspire and provide inspiration

all of those permanently connected with the DKNY lifestyle, through the Donna Karan app

men, casually chic in their rightful turn

the no 1 Donna Karan shopping destination, Neiman Marcus

Forbes, validating the paths as a businesswoman and charitable entrepreneur of Donna Karan the fashion mogul and Donna Karan from the Urban Zen Foundation

Brook Stonebridge , grateful for Donna Karan

The Frick Collection, the beneficiary of the most recent of the fundraising soirees hosted by Donna Karan,

it is plain clear everybody loves her. Just tell me if I forgot someone!

CERRUTI 1881 ACQUA FORTE. MINIMAL ACCENTS, THE ESSENCE OF MASCULINITY

What are the most potently virile accessories of an elegant man? Cerruti would, most surely, argue that typically Italian, or typically French, a perfume powerful through its simplicity, like the new Cerruti 1881 Acqua Forte, and a pair of classic shoes, like the exquisite Richelieu, are the sufficient accents of an impeccable presence understatedly emphasizing what is truly important.

For the gentlemen feeling confident in their own skin and, as a gift for them, from the ladies wishing to let them know they are aware of it, we recommend the new Cerruti perfume. Minimalist and yet emanating a narcissism sprung out of pure self-confidence, cashmere wood and palissander.

Cerruti 1881 Acqua Forte, 75 ml, EUR 47, at Sephora.
Photo source: Cerruti

What America wants from the iPhone 5GS ?

We all know that these days if you dont have a smartphone your kinda “fucked up”.But its 2013 and i think that we all want a new iPhone design that if you hold it to feel like heaven. I personaly i wish that the new iPhone to have ultra-pixel like the HTC One and more features and that the old Google Maps to be back on screen .
Follow me on Twitter : @BrookEngel

Sonnet announces 15-port Echo Thunderbolt Dock with built-in HDD/SSDU

Unfortunately, the much anticipated Belkin Thunderbolt Dock appears to be delayed once again, missing its planned Q1 launch despite taking preorders for the device back in February after missing its original September launch date. While we’ve been recommending the popular Matrox Thunderbolt Docking station in the meantime, today Sonnet announced a new competitor in the space with the Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock.

The 15-port dock includes many of the ins and outs you’d expect: Two thunderbolt ports, four USB 3.0 ports, 3.5mm audio in and out (front and back), FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, and two eSATA ports. However, two features that this 15-port Thunderbolt docking station has that most others do not, extra space to install a 2.5″ or 3.5″ SATA HDD or SSD and your choice of a built-in DVD or Blu-Ray drive:

the Echo 15 Thunderbolt dock has you covered—it includes your choice of DVD±RW drive, or Blu-ray Disc™ player (BD-ROM/8x DVD±RW). If you are a Mac user, you’ll also find that the included Blu-ray player software for OS X® is very handy, enabling you to watch Blu-ray movies on your computer or attached monitor.

The fast 6 Gb/s SATA interface supports an HDD at its maximum speeds, and an SSD at up to 380 MB/s… Best of all, the drive sits inside the Echo dock, so you don’t have to clutter your desk space with an external hard drive and its power brick and cable clutter to add more storage. Don’t feel like adding a drive yourself? Sonnet also offers the Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock equipped with a 2TB HDD, available exclusively through the Sonnet online store.

The Sonnet Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock is available to preorder now in the US, Canada, and Mexico starting at $399 for a DVD drive and no built-in drive. The next model up comes with a built-in 2TB HDD for $499, while a blu-ray drive and 2TB HDD brings it up to $549. Other options are also available through Sonnet’s website, and most models are expected to ship in Summer 2013.

IOS 7 and IPhone 5s

Some rumblings from Daring Fireball’s John Gruber on a Branch thread this evening point to possible delays in iOS 7 and perhaps subsequently OS 10.9.

What I’ve heard: iOS 7 is running behind, and engineers have been pulled from OS X 10.9 to work on it.

As he points out, Apple had this problem/solution before. In 2007, Apple had to devote some Mac resources toward getting the iPhone out the door. The press statement at the time read:

“iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS X team. As a result, we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned. While Leopard’s features will be complete by then, we cannot deliver the quality release that we and our customers expect from us.

However, the Wall Street Journal says:

Apple is also expected to ship the next version of its iOS mobile operating system around midyear, other people familiar with the matter have said.

The Facebook Phone

…Well, really an HTC Phone called the HTC First with an Android UI designed by Apple vets like Mike Matas called Facebook Home.

THE MAX MARA TRENCHES ARE FOR SUNNY DAYS

For each and every one of those whimsical spring days having you regret letting your umbrella home or chasing after a cab in the rain, Max Mara has created even many more feminine, practical and versatile trenches and parkas that will either get us wearing them in much clearer days than originally intended, or, out of the blue, finally grasping all of the poetical nuances of rain.

In vivid colours or classic tones, hooded, with a rolling collar or elegant lapels, underlining the waist or giving a full freedom of movement, the raincoats designed by Max Mara are adaptable pieces, worked with attention to and love of every detail, the ideal combination for, most probably, your next absolute favourite. Furthermore, varying on the model, the trenches are foldable, to be lightly carried everywhere, and designed to be layered with the iconic Max Mara wool trench coat, to be effortlessly adapted to every weather.

5 TRICKS FOR SENSATIONAL LEGS

Even if you haven’t visited the gym as much as you’d have wanted this spring, there are a few sly tricks that you can employ to make your legs look sensational in any pair of shorts or mini skirt:

>> Apply an anti-cellulite serum nightly and make sure that it contains caffeine among its ingredients. It will make the excess water weight it your legs to drop right off.

>> Much like a blush can sculpt your cheekbones, a bronzing powder can transform your leg shape. With a large brush, apply a thin layer of powder to the areas of your legs where your muscles are naturally defined. This trick will highlight them, offering the illusion of slimmed and more toned legs.

>> To optically elongate your legs, apply an iridescent powder in a vertical line, all the way down your legs.

>> To make your legs glow without risking any product rubbing on your clothes, apply a moisturising cream and follow it with a traslucid powder. Make sure you let the moisturiser absorb into your skin properly, or you’ll end up with a sticky paste all over your legs!

>> Use a scrub to slough off dead cells and insist on the knee area, where skin is usually more dry and pigmented.

WANT TO LOOK YOUNGER? ROCK BOLD LIPS!

Ruby red lips are, of course, a powerful weapon of seduction, but did you ever think that bold l ipstick could have an anti aging effect? No, I’m not talking about the cocktail of anti-wrinkle ingredients that most lips products include nowadays. I mean, a purely optical anti-aging effect.

Scientists working for CE.R.I.E.S. (Epidermal and Sensory Research and Investigation Center), a department of Chanel Research and Technology dedicated to skincare and face appearance, along with Prof. Richared Russell, have reached an interesting conclusion: as we get older, the colour of our skin intensifies, while the pigment in our lips begins to fade away. Thus, the contrast between our lips and the rest of out skin is increasingly low as we age.

289 people with ages between 20 and 70 were compared to reach this conclusion and after that, another experiment was conducted, to prove the theory. More than 100 subjects were asked to guess the age of people in photos that had been altered so that the contrast between their skin tone and their features would be lower than normal. What was observed was that the people in the photos were perceived as being older than they really were. Moreover, when the contrast was intensified, the people in the photos were perceived as looking significantly younger.

Not that there was anything ever holding me back from rocking the most delicious shades of red and fuchsia on my lips, but now, I also have an excellent excuse to justify my alarmingly huge collection of lipsticks that is taking up more space on my vanity table than any other beauty product.