2011年10月20日 星期四
China's Hu: Communist party faces 'growing pains' (AFP)
BEIJING (AFP) – Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday warned that the ruling Communist party, marking its 90th birthday, was facing "growing pains" and said members needed to be more disciplined than ever.
"The whole party is confronted with growing pains," Hu said in a keynote address to party leaders and thousands of members gathered in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to celebrate the anniversary of the CCP's founding.
Hu, who has repeatedly said that rampant corruption threatens the party's legitimacy, told the audience that "incompetence" on the part of some members and their "being divorced from the people" had created problems.
"It is more urgent than ever for the party to impose discipline on its members," the Chinese president said.
RSS2Email.me Daily Update for Oct20, 2011
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Apple Hot News
( Back to Top ) Apple Reports Highest September Quarter Revenue and Earnings Ever
Tue, Oct 18 @ 3:48 PM
Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 fourth quarter ended September 24, 2011. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $28.27 billion and quarterly net profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.3 percent compared to 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 63 percent of the quarter's revenue.
Cool Chinese Education
( Back to Top ) Learn to Publish Chinese Online Easily!
Wed, Oct 19 @ 7:49 PM
Learn to Write Chinese On the web Easily! Thanks to the instruments on the web, it becomes a lot less complicated to than ahead of. The understanding equipment on the internet consist of on-line translation device and finding out assets and various on-line lessons. Make use of the equipment, your finding out will turn into [...]
Atlantic Coast Higher School Stringrays Football
Wed, Oct 19 @ 9:19 AM
Class of 2012 is gearing up for fall. Video Score: four / five Rachel Silverman studies on Mandarin language understanding programmes in California for CCTV
iPhone
( Back to Top ) iOS Games Weekly Roundup: Grand Theft Auto III and Professor Layton on iOS, Fruit Ninja developers open new office
Wed, Oct 19 @ 3:22 PM
It's been an enormous month for major studios bringing major game series to iOS. First we got a port-over of the Nintendo DS's favorite, Scribblenauts, and then Burnout Crash was announced. We also caught wind of a couple of other high-profile stars coming to the App Store in a easy-to-peruse click-through gallery.Half-Brick Opens Another OfficeThe developers of the incredibly successful iOS titles Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride announced this week that they will be expanding down under. Half-Brick office in Sydney, Australia. Halfbrick is one of the App Store's finest treasures, so we can only hope this results in increased output from the studio.Rockstar Announces Grand Theft Auto III for iPad 2, 4SGrand Theft Auto-creator Rockstar Games announced this week that it will be bringing its seminal classic, Grand Theft Auto III, to A5-powered iOS devices. In the short term, it seems like only the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 will be getting the game, but the company has also promised that the game would be coming for "single-core" iOS devices sometime after that. So iPhone 4, iPad, and 3GS owners may be getting the game…at some point. Maybe.Professor Layton Game Coming to iOSNintendo DS owners will likely be very familiar with Professor Layton and his series of critically acclaimed adventure/puzzle games, but for now he's a stranger in the iOS world. Legendary developer Level-5 will be bringing a Layton-themed title called Mystery Room to iOS, though it won't star the titular professor. It will instead star his son and partner as members of Scotland Yard's top investigative unit.
Wednesday Recap: Google Unveils Android 4.0, Steve Jobs Biographer on 60 Minutes
Wed, Oct 19 @ 2:53 PM
"Hump Day" is here again, with Apple celebrating the life of Steve Jobs in a private ceremony held earlier today on the company's Cupertino campus (and simulcast to Apple retail stores worldwide). The Apple co-founder continues to be memorialized ahead of his official biography which hits stores on Monday (more on that in a moment), but here's what else is happening around the internet for this Wednesday, October 19, 2011.Google Unwraps Ice Cream Sandwich with Samsung Galaxy NexusGoogle senior vice president Andy Rubin took to The Official Google Blog today to announce Android 4.0, better known by its code name "Ice Cream Sandwich" to many. The announcement came this morning (or rather, late Tuesday night for most of us) in Hong Kong at an event co-hosted by Samsung, who will be releasing the new Galaxy Nexus in November, the first device to feature the latest mobile OS. Ice Cream Sandwich promises to unify smartphones and tablets alike, sporting new features such as Face Unlock, HD display and the elimination of all hardware buttons. The announcement comes on the third anniversary of the first Android phone (T-Mobile's G1), which launched in October, 2008 and has since spawned more than 550,000 Android device activations per day.ReaddleDocs for iPad Hits 3.0, More Than 300 Changes In TowDeveloper Readdle has really stepped up their game in recent months, and today the company unveiled version 3.0 of their $4.99 ReaddleDocs for iPad, the tablet version of their flagship PDF viewer and file manager. Calling it a "major update" with "over 300 fixes and improvements," the iPad edition now sports a stylish new interface, improved speed, the ability to sync FTP/SFTP services with a device and much more. As always, the update is free for current customers.Steve Jobs Worked on Apple Right Up to The EndNever doubt Steve Jobs' commitment to Apple -- case in point, a PCMag.com story today that quotes Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, who was in a meeting with Tim Cook the day the iPhone 4S was announced in Cupertino. Apparently, Cook excused himself, claiming "My boss is calling me" in reference to "their next product." Unfortunately, Jobs passed away the very next day, but it's widely believed the co-founder was intimately involved in next year's iPhone 5 as well.iTunes Match Setting Now Available In iOS 5, But Doesn't Work YetMacRumors is reporting that Apple has flipped half of the switch on iTunes Match, which the company has promised in late October. iOS 5 users are now seeing an option to turn the feature on from Settings > Music, although doing so throws up an error: "You are not currently subscribed to iTunes Match. Use iTunes on your computer to subscribe." Problem is, the only folks with the required iTunes 10.5.1 to do so are developers -- at least for now. iTunes Match will cost $24.99 per year when it launches.Steve Jobs Biographer Heading for 60 MinutesAccording to CNNMoney's Apple 2.0 blog, the official Twitter account of CBS television staple 60 Minutes announced that Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson will appear on this Sunday's show in an interview with Steve Kroft. Of course, the timing is fortuitous, with the hardcover and digital versions of the highly anticipated book arriving on store shelves Monday, October 24. We're definitely excited for Amazon to deliver our Kindle copy… have you preordered yours yet?Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
How to Set Up and Use iMessage
Wed, Oct 19 @ 11:27 AM
iMessage is Apple's new messaging service that is a combination of both MMS messaging and instant messaging, with the added bonus of sending other iOS 5 users messages at absolute no cost. The service is similar to FaceTime, and that it's free and you can set up an email address to use with the service instead of giving out your phone number. Read on for how to properly set up the service in iOS and a few tips for getting the most out of this free utility.What You Need:>> iOS 5 >> iPad, iPhone or iPod touch>> Wi-Fi or cellular connection required to send and receive messages1. Setting Up iMessageSetting up iMessage is a rather simple process that begins by simply navigating to Settings > Messages.Once there, ensure that the iMessage switch is set to ON. You can also turn on Send Read Receipts and Send As SMS. Note that the Send as SMS option will use your cell provider's network to send the message, which may charge you an SMS fee if you don't have a unlimited text messaging plan.After configuring those options, tap on the "Receive At" button to see more iMessage settings. On this page, you will be able to set your active Apple ID. Below that is where you can set email address that others can iMessages. By default, anyone can iMessage your Phone number for free. You can also tap Caller ID to set which email address (or phone number) will appear when you iMessage others.2. Sending an iMessageSending an iMessage is the same as sending an MMS or SMS message on your iPhone before iOS 5. When sending messages, the Send button will be blue if you are sending an iMessage, or green if you are sending a standard SMS/MMS message. The placeholder text will also dictate "iMessage" or "Text Message".This is a standard Text Message. Note the green colored Send button.This is an iMessage. Note the send button is a lovely blue color.The nice thing about iMessage is that you can see when someone is typing a message because a small bubble will appear with an ellipsis.3. Sending Attachments with iMessageYou can send attachments (movie or pictures) by tapping on the small Camera button that appears beside the body text field. Tapping on this button will let you choose between taking a picture or video, or selecting a picture or video from your Photo Library.After adding a picture, tap on the Send button to have the picture whisked away to the recipient.Follow this article's author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.
Frogger Decades Review
Wed, Oct 19 @ 6:02 AM
Thirty years ago, a little frog braved oncoming traffic to get to the other side… of an extremely popular arcade game. The concept proved so endearingly popular that many years later, it was featured in an iconic episode of hit 90s sitcom, Seinfeld. To mark the momentous anniversary of the game's original release, the core approach has been revamped for your iOS device, be it an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.Gone are the pixelated retro visuals, which are replaced by a pleasant cartoon-like style -- though there are times when your frog morphs back into its original look. The story here is pretty straightforward, but amusing all the same: you've been invited to the 30th anniversary party, but the evil Doc Croc swapped the provided map, leading you through the land's most hazardous areas.Unlike traditional arcade games, you actually have an unlimited number of lives at your disposal, so this greatly reduces the frustration experienced if you make one little mistake. The frog is controlled either with a virtual gamepad or by using the default touch controls, which actually feel more natural for an iOS game -- and the larger screen of the iPad provides the most comfortable experience of the supported devices.You can play in Story mode, moving from one area to another in chronological order, or choose Time Attack, in which you'll choose an area and attempt to cross it as fast as possible. However, you can only choose an area in Time Attack if you've completed it in Story mode, so you'll need to focus your time on the latter option to make progress in the game.The bottom line. Frogger Decades is a fun casual game that you can pick up at any time -- so much so that it will even remember the last place you stopped and take you straight back to the action by default. As a result, you can finish the game relatively quickly, and the resulting experience doesn't deliver the kind of memorable, lasting impact that we remember from the series' best entries. But if you're simply seeking a dose of nostalgia, Frogger Decades certainly has that on tap.Review Synopsis Product: Frogger Decades 1.0.0 Company: Konami Digital Entertainment Contact: http://www.konami.com Price: <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=ApuPaiKIpxg&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Ffrogger-decades%252Fid454370986%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30" target="itunes_store">$0.99</a> Requirements: iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS 4.2 or later Positives: Unlimited lives ease frustration. Pleasant cartoon-style visuals. Great for casual play sessions. Negatives: Repetitive gameplay. Feels too small on an iPhone (better suited to iPad). A bit too simple for long-lasting entertainment. Score: 3 Solid
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2011年10月19日 星期三
China's Hu says Party survival rests on growth, stability (Reuters)
BEIJING (Reuters) – China's ruling Communist Party must ensure economic growth and its iron grip on stability do not slacken, President Hu Jintao said on Friday, using the party's 90th anniversary as a show of unity ahead of a tricky leadership succession.
"Development is of paramount importance and stability is the paramount task," Hu told hand-picked party members inside Beijing's cavernous Great Hall of the People, in a speech carried live on state television.
"Without stability, nothing can be accomplished, and the achievements that we have made will be lost. All of the party's comrade's must take this message to heart, and they must also lead all the people to take this to heart," he said.
"Only by promoting both healthy and fast economic development can we secure a strong material foundation for the great revival of the Chinese nation."
The party has shown no sign of diluting its own vast powers before a big political shake-up late next year, when Hu will hand over power, most likely to Vice President Xi Jinping.
Xi gave a short introductory address before Hu took the stage, to congratulate model party members.
Hu's predecessor, Jiang Zemin, did not attend the ceremony, possibly a sign of the 84-year-old's declining health. Hu, aged 68, is also beginning to show his age, despite the jet-black head of hair that all central leaders sport, thanks to dye.
China launched a wave of propaganda in the weeks leading up to the anniversary, producing slick films and decking out Beijing with banners lauding party rule and the progress the country has made since the 1949 revolution.
While Premier Wen Jiabao, who is also preparing to retire, has made a habit recently of more directly calling for political reform than his more cautious comrades, the party appears in no mood to listen.
"Looking back at the progress that China has made over 90 years, we can reach one fundamental conclusion -- that the key to properly managing China's affairs lies in the party," said Hu, who oversees the world's largest political party, with 80 million members.
"We have every reason to be proud of what the party and the people have achieved, but we have no reason to be complacent. We must not and will never rest on our laurels."
Yet despite some oblique sniping between provincial leaders vying for a place in the next central leadership, Hu has presided over a strikingly disciplined group of top leaders, said Kerry Brown, head of the Asia Programme at Chatham House, a London foreign policy institute.
"Some pundits try to create a drama, when in fact the most interesting thing is the absolute, icy stillness at the center," said Brown, who is writing a biography of Hu.
"With the things that are going on, and all of the problems, there must be pretty passionate debates, but we don't get a sign of it," he said in a telephone interview.
"CONFLICTS AND PROBLEMS"
After some muted moves to give citizens stronger legal protections early in his time as president, Hu has made enforcing firmer control over China's increasingly diverse and fractious society a feature of his time in power.
The last few months have been marked by arrests and detentions of dissidents, human rights lawyers and long-time protesters, following calls online for Arab-style "Jasmine protests" in China.
Hu warned about the strains buffeting party rule as the consequences of economic transformation courses through Chinese society.
"Currently China is undergoing an unprecedentedly broad social transformation. At the same time as bringing tremendous vitality to our country's development and progress, this will also inevitably bring all kinds of conflicts and problems."
Despite China's robust economic growth, its communist leaders worry that their rule could be eroded and eventually challenged by social unrest and elite schisms and send it the way of the Soviet Union which collapsed two decade ago.
The country saw almost 90,000 "mass incidents" -- riots, protests, mass petitions and other acts of unrest -- in 2009, according to a 2011 study by two scholars from Nankai University in north China. Some estimates go even higher.
By contrast, in 2007, China had more than 80,000 mass incidents, up from over 60,000 in 2006, according to an earlier report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"The whole party must see with crystal clarity that the conditions facing the world, the country and party are undergoing profound changes, and that under these new circumstances we face unprecedented new circumstances and challenges," Hu said.
(Additional reporting by K.J. Kwon; Editing by Alex Richardson)
RSS2Email.me Daily Update for Oct19, 2011
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Cool Chinese Education
( Back to Top ) WP Hougang Rally (28 Apr 2011) – Chen Show Mao 1of2 (Malay/Mandarin), Aljunied GRC
Tue, Oct 18 @ 9:21 PM
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iPhone
( Back to Top ) Apple Q4 All-Time High for Mac and iPad, Analysts Sad-Faced Anyway
Tue, Oct 18 @ 3:06 PM
There may not have been a new iPhone this past summer, but Apple continued to ride high in its fiscal fourth quarter anyway, reporting record sales of the Mac and iPad product lines as well as the company's highest September quarter revenue and earnings ever -- but go figure, the analysts are looking at the glass as half empty anyway.Apple announced its quarterly financial results for the fiscal 2011 fourth quarter which ended on September 24. Even without a new iPhone over the summer, the company still racked up quarterly revenue of $28.27 billion and quarterly net profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share. Last year at the same time, Apple had revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 per diluted share. The company's gross margin was 40.3 percent compared to 36.9 percent in the same quarter a year ago, with international sales accounting for 63 percent of the quarterly revenue.That may sound like good news to many of us, but Wall Street looked at the report glumly, with Apple missing their own expectations of $7.22 per share and revenue of $29.5 billion. According to FactSet data reported by The Wall Street Journal, Apple hasn't missed earnings forecasts since the second quarter of 2002, but others are saying sometime in 2004 instead. Whatever the case, the stock fell eight percent after hours but rebounded just a bit to close at $398 per share.While Apple has already sold more than four million iPhone 4S devices in the first weekend which won't be accounted for until next quarter, the company still managed to move 17.07 million of the older handsets in the current quarter, a 21 percent year-over-year growth and certainly nothing to sneeze at. 11.2 million iPads flew out the door, marking a 166 percent increase from the same quarter last year, with 4.89 million Macs also finding homes in the quarter, a 26 percent unit increase."We are thrilled with the very strong finish of an outstanding fiscal 2011, growing annual revenue to $108 billion and growing earnings to $26 billion," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "Customer response to iPhone 4S has been fantastic, we have strong momentum going into the holiday season, and we remain really enthusiastic about our product pipeline."One product category that took a hit was the iPod, which sold only 6.62 million units during the quarter, marking a 27 percent decline from the same quarter last year -- but certainly not bad for a lineup that's now a decade old, and the iPod continues to hold more than 70 percent market share."We are extremely pleased with our record September quarter revenue and earnings and with cash generation of $5.4 billion during the quarter," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO. "Looking ahead to the first fiscal quarter of 2012, which will span 14 weeks rather than 13, we expect revenue of about $37 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $9.30." As usual, Apple held a conference call to provide further highlights and field questions from analysts and investors, with CEO Tim Cook noting that it marks the first since the passing of co-founder Steve Jobs. "The world has lost a visionary and an amazing human being," Cook stated. "He was an amazing leader and mentor. His spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple, and we are dedicated to continuing the amazing work that he loved so much."Cook then got down to business by turning things over to CFO Peter Oppenheimer, who repeated most of the details from Apple's earlier press release before throwing out some additional numbers. These included iTunes Store revenue of $1.5 billion, 180 million iBooks sold, $11 billion in revenue from iPhone handsets and accessories, and six billion downloads of OS X Lion in the quarter.Asia-Pacific growth doubled year over year, which the company was expecting to fall when it became clear in June that no new iPhone was on the horizon. The handset is now available on 230 carriers in 105 countries, with Consumer Reports listing the device with its highest customer satisfaction rating for the sixth consecutive time. 93 percent of Fortune 500 companies are now either deploying or testing the iPhone, up from 91 percent last year.The App Store is also flying high, with 22 more countries enlisted during the quarter for a total of 123. Retail stores are also enjoying "very strong" year-over-year growth, particularly for Mac and iPad sales, which enjoyed their best quarter ever -- which no doubt helped lessen the blow from the iPhone 4S being unveiled in fiscal Q1 2012 instead.Last but not least, during the closing question and answer session, Cook proclaimed confidence that Apple would have record sales for the next quarter, which includes the all-important holiday season. That quarter will also bring the iPhone 4S to another 22 countries at month's end, with even more coming by year's end -- so while the analysts may be bummed out now, come mid-January they should be shiny, happy people all over again.Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
Tuesday Recap: Apple Wanted Dropbox, $200 for Used iPhone 4, iPad mini Rumors Redux
Tue, Oct 18 @ 3:27 PM
The big news of the day is undoubtedly Apple's fourth-quarter results for fiscal 2011, but that's hardly the only thing making news today. Today we've got a bum Apple TV update, a cool new version of Fantastical with editing support, more iPad mini rumors and more worth reading about for this fine Tuesday, October 18, 2011.Fantastical 1.1 Now Available, Edit and Delete In TowFlexibits has announced the availability of Fantastical 1.1, a pretty fantastic(al) update to the company's menu bar-based calendar app. In addition to iCloud calendar support, the update adds user-requested features including editing and deleting events and even event notes. The update is free for existing users and available now in either the Mac App Store or the Flexibits Store, depending upon where you originally purchased it. Fantastic!Apple TV 4.4.1 Update Available, But Don't Install It YetApple pushed out a 4.4.1 update for the second-generation Apple TV late Monday, but according to Cult of Mac, you may want to avoid installing it for now. A number of users are reporting the update has "bricked" their device, although all is not lost since savvy owners can plug it into their Mac and use iTunes to get things back to normal. But it sounds like Apple may have some more work to do, so approach with caution -- especially since the update doesn't even list what it's supposed to address in the first place.Report Reveals How Apple Tried To Buy DropboxForbes.com has an extensive article on Dropbox called "The Inside Story of Tech's Hottest Startup," which is currently online and will be available in the November 7 print edition. The story features a peek at former Apple CEO Steve Jobs' attempts to purchase Dropbox back in late 2009, which were rebuffed by developer Drew Houston, whose company has since gone on to earn $240 million in 2011 with a team of only 70 (most of whom are engineers). It's an interesting anecdote in Jobs history, and one of the rare stories of a fish that got away."iPad mini" Rumors Come Bubbling Up AgainApple continues to dismiss inquiries about a smaller iPad, even while Android-based rivals continue to flood the market with seven-inch tablets including next month's debut of the Kindle Fire from Amazon. According to a report from MacRumors, Apple is working on what many have dubbed the "iPad mini" for early 2012, which will feature a 7.85-inch screen that packs in the same 1024x768 resolution as the current model. Can Cupertino use a cheaper, smaller device to ward off newcomers like the $199 Kindle Fire? Time will tell...Last Call: NextWorth Wants Your Old iPhone 4The folks at NextWorth.com pinged the MacLife staff today to let us know that used iPhone 4 values have started to plummet now that the iPhone 4S is landing in customers' hands. If you're still on the fence about what to do with your old, now unloved iPhone 4, the company has announced you can lock in a value of $200 from now through Monday, October 24 for either a 16GB or 32GB AT&T model. Quotes are valid for 21 days, which should be plenty of time to get your iPhone 4S, clear your data off the old model and ship it in. In order to qualify, iPhone 4 models must be in good working condition with no heavy scratches or cracks, which is considered "good" condition. Hit the company's website for more details or to cash in today.Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
App Showdown: PDF Annotators
Tue, Oct 18 @ 10:15 AM
Last week we tried to figure who had the easiest way to turn our own documents into PDFs. But what if someone sends us one and -- even worse -- wants us to fill it out, sign it and send it back? Well, that'd be a whole 'nother kettle of digital fish, wouldn't it? Can someone scratch our PDF annotating itch? PDF Expert ($9.99/iPad) PDF Expert for the iPhone ($9.99/iPhone) Readdle is clearly the name you have to think of yourself as going up against when you bring your document management software to the App Store. And here it's no different as the famed developer brings its PDF annotation software to iOS with this pair of pricey if hugely functional apps for the iPhone and the iPad. The usual sorts of controlsAlong the left hand side of the screen run your controls in the iPad version, while the iPhone flavor puts them at the bottom of the screen. In either case, they pack the same wallop. Tap the Documents folder to open a list of your docs. Tap Recents to see the last few docs you had open. Network gives you access to a host of cloud storage options (though as of this writing, the app was still offering up your MobileMe iDisk as an option). Settings lets you choose things like scrolling direction, to open the document the moment you finish downloading it, to lock the app with a passcode, and more. Might be time to update some of that cloud storage there, Readdle This is all pretty usual stuff. It's when you open the app that the magic really kicks in. Across the top of the app appear buttons to get annotating. Draw squares, circles, lines, arrows; highlight text or underline it or strikethrough. You can also add sticky notes or type directly on the document. Even more impressive are the stamps you can add to your document such as "Draft," "Final," "For Comment," "Sign Here," or even create your own custom stamps in four different colors. Highlighting, typing, underlining, freehand, VOID stamp, form fields, this one does it all Best of all for professional users, tap the fancy pen icon to open the signature panel. Sign at the bottom of the screen and PDF Expert saves your signature for later. Tap and hold on the document and the options menu that appears includes "Signature." Tap it and you can either put in your own by selecting "My Signature" or if you need someone else's tap "Custom Signature" for their one-time, not saved John Hancock. Not my real signature; my handwriting's much worse Finally, open a PDF that's been set up with form fields that you fill in and PDF Expert recognizes this complex format. Tap in the fields, up pops the keyboard, and you can fill in whatever the document requires. Type in the text fields, check marks in the boxes, and all the other features Adobe includes. Best of all, every annotation exports fully to Preview and Acrobat. It's this last feature that sets PDF Expert apart from other PDF annotators out there. iAnnotate ($9.99/iPad) Designed almost to look like Chrome, Aji's iAnnotate opens each document in its own tab. Seven buttons run across the app's top. The file cabinet takes you to your document management page where you can see recents, unread PDFs, tag and mail documents. A wrench icon allowed us to add toolbars, the gear took us to settings, and the Share button gave us multiple email options. Down and up arrows allow you to get documents into iAnnotate or out of it, though the app is limited in its access. The only web service built in is Dropbox or a WebDAV, though you can download from the web with the built in browser. We could get to box.net but getting a document out of it into the app was more tricky. A very fully featured control panel hides in the filing cabinetWhat's more, you'll have to know the name of the document when you pull up your cloud service, or you'll have to have a very organized folder system, as iAnnotate oddly uses a text document-like icon to indicate PDFs instead of the familiar red one from Adobe. To be fair, the developers probably didn't feel they needed official icons since PDFs are all this app opens. Are those text files or PDFs? Inside the documents themselves, though, iAnnotate is chock full of options. Tap the dialog balloon to leave a sticky note, the pencil to scribble across your document, the highlighter to highlight text, the underline button to do what you'd think, the typewriter to put font text directly on the document, and the pencil box to open up a toolbox packed with more. Here you can take screenshots of the page open, can share the PDF through email, set a photo on the document, and record an audio note up to sixty seconds. Lots of good controls and tools to annotate your documents These are amazing features and to some extent even outgun Readdle: 206 stamps to PDF Expert's 18 -- though to be fair, many of iAnnotate's are different colored versions of the same thing. Both allow you to create custom stamps, so ultimately it comes out something of a wash. However, iAnnotate failed with field forms in PDF format, as we opened a form to fill out and found our text and check boxes had disappeared. It's fun to add an audio note, but it didn't show up once we exported from the app GoodReader for iPad ($4.99/iPad)GoodReader for iPhone ($4.99/iPhone) We expected great things from Good.iWare Ltd's GoodReader, as it was one of the first document management apps we purchased back when it sold for just $0.99 and all we had was an iPhone. When we got our iPad, that version was among our first purchases. While attending college with a PDF heavy reading list, GoodReader was literally a lifesaver. It handled all the massive files we threw at it and great new features were ladled in nearly every month. Lots of document management possibilities here When they finally added in annotations, we knew we could use it to mark up our documents to our heart's content. You start in the My Documents screen and can add from your Dopbox, Box.net, SugarSync, WebDAV accounts, and the latest updates have added in iCloud access. A built-in browser can also take you to content. GoodReader even goes most services one better by allowing you to add your email account, giving you access to attachments deep in your archives. GoodReader lets you dig deep and that doesn't even count iCloud However you get your document into the app, your PDF is now yours for the mark up. The moment you open a PDF and the annotation tool, you are asked if you want to keep your original copy and make a separate annotated version. Whichever you choose, GoodReader then puts the tools in your hand. Draw lines, arrows, boxes, and circles; highlight, underline, squiggly underline, or strikethrough text. Tap the dialog bubble to add in comments or use the typewriter function to type directly onto the document. Every pen tool allows you to pick from millions of colors, seven thicknesses, and four levels of opacity. Tools are very customizable, as you can see All annotations are visible when you open your PDF in Preview or in Acrobat, and GoodReader's set of document management tools is still the one to beat with its use of optical character recognition to produce text-only views of the document (newer, native PDFs only), its adjustable brightness night view, a table of contents that includes bookmarks and annotations, and its wide range of other formats the app opens. Typing -- or anything else -- is easy to move and readjust If there's one place GoodReader stumbles, it's in the management of form field PDFs. Currently it can not recognize this element of PDFs and any signatures added would have to be done free hand every time. Unless you particularly find yourself needing this functionality frequently, it'd be hard to pass up an app with this much power. But until they can bring this function to the app, it's a glaring gap in GoodReader's Sign on the dotted line iAnnotate has some great things like a lot but the implementation can be confusing (it comes with a 52 page manual after all), but its not entirely a case of bigger is better. We'd gladly trade some stamps and photo embedding for field form completion and signatures. We love GoodReader and can't sing its praises high enough. It handles most common formats and allows for document annotation. Throw in field forms and at half the price of Readdle's it'd be our unreserved recommendation. But if you're looking for unparalleled annotation power, Readdle has the winner by a good stretch. Most annotations, once you get past note taking , highlighting, and underlining, are flash without much substance. Readdle clearly gets this and focuses their energy on the kinds of functionality power PDF users are really after. Toss in a companion iPhone app for total PDF annotation portability and there's really no competition.
Cut the Rope: Experiments Review
Tue, Oct 18 @ 12:34 PM
Have you still not gotten around to downloading the original Cut the Rope? Go. Now. Download that wonderful game and don't look back. It's ten times the puzzle game Angry Birds could ever be! And it's from that point of lofty praise that the sequel has to pick up the baton and continue the legacy. Thankfully, Cut the Rope: Experiments is more than up to the task. On the one hand, this isn't a startlingly different iteration of the formula, but it didn't really need to be. Cut the Rope was a fantastic experience, and all we ever wanted was a bit more. Cut the Rope: Experiments provides that and quite a bit more. While Experiments is currently a bit short at 75 levels (though it may take you a few hours to puzzle them out), plenty of content is planned for future updates.It's also more inventive than we thought was possible with the simple core Cut the Rope gameplay formula. The most entertaining new additions are the rope guns that fire out a plunger with a rope attached. With just a tap, you can fire a rope across the screen to attach to your piece of candy, and it opens up a wealth of new level themes which really keep the game fresh. There's also a suction cup, which can attach and detach from the back wall with a single touch, and it adds another interesting new way to play Cut the Rope. The bottom line. What we love most about Cut the Rope: Experiments is that it doesn't forget its roots. It's still Cut the Rope through and through, from its gameplay to the light-hearted, semi-adorable tone. That said, it would've been nice to see a bit more variance from the original and a meatier package to support this second standalone release -- but Experiments remains a great experience for the paltry price of $0.99.Review Synopsis Product: Cut the Rope: Experiments 1.0 Company: ZeptoLab UK Contact: http://zeptolab.com Price: <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=ApuPaiKIpxg&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fcut-the-rope-experiments%252Fid450542233%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30" target="itunes_store">$0.99</a> Requirements: iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 3.0 or later Positives: Om Nom is still adorable. Great puzzles. Fresh and cool mechanics. Negatives: Not enough is new here. Feels a little sparse with just 75 levels (but updates are coming). Score: 4 Great
4 Tips for Using Safari for iOS 5
Tue, Oct 18 @ 8:24 AM
With all of the new features now available in Safari for iOS 5, there's almost no other reason to call upon third-party mobile browsers. Here's a look at four new features Apple bundled into Safari in iOS 5, and how you can take full advantage of them.1. Reading ListBefore Reading List became available in iOS 5, we relied on third-party apps like Instapaper. While you might have your reasons for sticking to those services, it'll be no surprise if a majority of iOS users end up commiting to Safari's built-in reader. After all, it's an easy way to sync unread web articles with your Mac, PC, and iOS devices.To add a page to your Reading List on a Mac, simply click the plus (+) button to the left of the address field in Safari. In the resulting dialog, select "Reading List" from the drop-down menu, and then click Add.To add a page to your Reading List in iOS 5, tap on the action menu, and then select "Add to Reading List".To view your bookmarked Reading List items, open your Bookmarks, and then select Reading List. Once in your Reading List, you can sort by All or just Unread. Tap on one of the items to be taken directly to the page.The process is similar for Reading List on the Mac. Just select View > Reading List from the menubar.2. ReaderReader has been a staple in the Safari web browser for a couple years now, allowing you to quickly and easily remove the clutter on many websites, leaving just the content in an easy-to-read format.With iOS 5, however, Apple has added Reader functionality to iOS devices. When you are on a page that is Reader-compatible, a small Reader icon will appear in the address bar. Simply tap on this button, and the content will pop up in a new view.In this view, you can increase or decrease the font as well as tap the action button to get access to more options. When you have finished and wish to return to the main Safari view, tap Done.3. Tabbed BrowsingWhen browsing in Safari on the iPad, a new tabbed browsing model is present to let you more easily load and manage multiple web pages.Tap on the plus button on the right-hand side of the title bar to create a new tab. When you want to close it, just tape on the big "x" at the left-hand side of the tab (Note that the close button only appears in actively selected tabs).4. Tweet from SafariYou can now tweet a link to the current web page in Safari. Simply tap on the action button in the toolbar, and select "Tweet".If you have configured the integrated Twitter functionality, then a Twitter dialog will automatically be displayed with the web page attached (meaning that the tweet will include a link to the web page you're currently on). Once you have typed in your message, press the Tweet button. Follow this article's author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.
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2011年10月18日 星期二
China's Gay Community Fights Online Censorship (Time.com)
When the Beijing LGBT Center screened a prerecorded lecture on gay-themed movies last year, the venue was so packed that latecomers had to jostle for a spot on the windowsills of the rented classroom doubling as their makeshift theater. This year, however, a similar event attracted only a handful of people, leaving much of the same room empty. The organizers soon realized their online announcements never reached the community. Soon after, other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups reported that their posts were disappearing from Douban, ostensibly one of China's most liberal social-networking websites. They have since banded together to boycott the site.
Douban, once a popular online platform among China's growing gay community, has yet to directly address the complaint. A spokesperson told state media that the company "doesn't welcome any remarks of discrimination and hatred toward race, religion ... or sexual orientation," but declined to comment further. However gay-rights activists see it as part of an on-again, off-again crackdown on the LGBT community. "My feeling is that the level of censorship right now has slightly improved from its worst," says Wang Qing, 26, a spokeswoman for the Beijing LGBT Center. "It's better than a month ago when they basically wouldn't publish any of our messages. Now they are letting through a selected few." (Read more about homosexuality in Beijing.)
This latest censorship saga underscores China's still-fluctuating stance on homosexuality. Since the decriminalization of gay sex in 1997, the Chinese government has come a long way in lifting some of the stigma associated with the gay community. Starting in 2001, homosexuality is no longer classified as a mental illness. And, over the past few years, several prominent gay clubs have emerged as a staple of nightlife in China's first-tier cities. Even in the state-run China Daily, a recent op-ed piece called for more tolerance of the LGBT community so that, it said, cities like Shanghai could one day be culturally on a par with New York City. When it comes to movies and TV shows, however, strict censorship still applies to homosexual content, which is deemed inappropriate for public consumption.
For now, Beijing's gay community is focusing on finding new ways to get their message out. Since the Douban boycott, they've resorted to alternative channels including microblogs, where their event announcements have successfully reached thousands of followers. But according to Wang, it may take a while for turnout to reach preboycott levels, since as many as 20% of active members had heard about the group through its website. Plus, publicity comes at a cost. "On the one hand, we definitely hope to reach out to more people, but on the other hand, we are worried that too much publicity will lead to unwanted attention from the government, which often means trouble for us," Wang says. (Read about China's actions regarding homosexuality.)
Indeed, few familiar with China's gay-rights movement can forget that the much-hyped Mr. Gay China pageant was abruptly called off right before it was set to begin in January 2010. More recently, a downtown Beijing shopping mall quietly cancelled its Valentine's Day kissing contest this year, allegedly after many gay couples had expressed an interest in joining the event. "The official reason for cancellation given by the mall was due to 'lack of participants,'" says Wang, "but clearly that's not true." In 2009, China's first gay-pride festival in Shanghai was interrupted by last-minute visits by the police, resulting in several movie screenings and performances being cancelled, despite earlier positive coverage in the state media.
Although no strangers to acts of repression, many Chinese gay-rights advocates find Douban's censorship a major frustration. "We all know that LGBT groups love Douban," writes Aibai, another Beijing-based gay-rights group, in an open letter to the popular website. "You once aspired to freedom, independence and equality, but now you have broken our hearts."
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( Back to Top ) RocketChinese-Just before Heading to France, Find out to Speak Chinese
Tue, Oct 18 @ 12:51 AM
RocketChinese-Prior to Going to France, Understand to Speak Chinese By Dwight Larsen Did you actually immediately know that you'd be totally fascinated by some thing you have been looking at? I imply, possibly as you continued to examine it, and notice the shape of the letters, the darkness of the ink, and the whiteness of [...]
3j College
Tue, Oct 18 @ 12:51 AM
3Immersion Chinese University is a single of the major companies of Three Immersions, Inc. It is an on-line 3D university educating Chinese to all the non-native speakers of the Chinese language (Chinese Mandarin) in the planet. The school is created inside of the island of the Three Immersions, Inc. in the Second Lifestyle Virtual Planet. [...]
The Energy and Relevance of Chinese Astrology Today
Tue, Oct 18 @ 12:51 AM
The Electrical power and Relevance of Chinese Astrology Right now Chinese techniques of fate calculation, or Ming Shu, is deeply attached with astronomy. It's reports are primarily based on the Chinese Photo voltaic and Lunar Calendars which have roots from as far back as 16th century BC. Traditional Chinese research are nevertheless relevant and alive [...]
Rocket Chinese Assessment – Should Go through Prior to You Obtain Rocket Chinese!
Tue, Oct 18 @ 12:51 AM
Rocket Chinese Assessment – Must Read Ahead of You Acquire Rocket Chinese! I am a slow learner. I can find out only quite minor a day. I are inclined to overlook simply. These have been my significant blocks to studying a new language. But Rocket Chinese kicked the butt of all these shortcomings!! I can [...]
Learn Chinese – Talk Mandarin – "Body Parts and Language"
Tue, Oct 18 @ 12:51 AM
Find out Chinese – Converse Chinese – Study Mandarin – Understand how to say "Human body Parts" – Learn, Communicate, Study, Mandarin Chinese the AskBenny way! Sign-up now www.AskBenny.Cn – The household name in Mandarin Understanding! Understand Chinese! Find out Chinese! Learn Chinese! Video Rating: 4 / 5
Cyber-assault On Mitsubishi, China Suspected
Tue, Oct 18 @ 12:51 AM
Comply with us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Japan's largest protection contractor, Mitsubishi Major Industries, Ltd., was subjected to cyber-attacks, creating public alarm. Japanese media documented that the virus includes simplified Chinese characters. Here is the report: Asahi Shimbun and other Japanese media reported on August twenty that a total of 83 [...]
iPhone
( Back to Top ) How to Reset iOS Apps
Mon, Oct 17 @ 5:04 AM
How can I get a troublesome iOS app back to normal?Quitting and relaunching the app will cure many problems. Double-click the Home button, then touch and hold an icon until they all start jiggling. Tap the red circle on the app you want to quit, then double-click the Home button to return to the Home screen and relaunch it.If symptoms persist, you may need to delete and reinstall the app. First, sync your device to back up its data. To delete the app, touch and hold an icon on your Home screen, then tap the black circle on the app you want to remove. To reinstall it from your Mac with iTunes, select your device in the iTunes sidebar, then click the Apps button at the top of the window. Check the app you want to install, then click Sync. To reinstall on the go with iCloud (to your GSM iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, third- or fourth-gen iPod touch, or any iPad), launch the App Store and navigate to Updates > Purchased to re-download the app for free.
Apple Announces iPhone 4S First Weekend Sales of Four Million
Mon, Oct 17 @ 6:04 AM
If you still think the iPhone 4S is underwhelming, you may actually be alone in that opinion. Apple has just announced that the new handset racked up more than four million handsets sold in the first weekend -- and they're just getting started.Apple issued a press release on Monday announcing that first weekend sales of the new iPhone 4S have topped four million units, only three days after its launch on October 14. Though they don't specifically mention it, that number most certainly includes the initial one million handsets preordered in the first 24 hours on October 7 as well."iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend -- the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "iPhone 4S is a hit with customers around the world, and together with iOS 5 and iCloud, is the best iPhone ever."But that's not all -- Apple also announced that more than 25 million customers are now using iOS 5 in the first five days since its release, and more than 20 million have already signed up for Cupertino's new iCloud service.Not bad for an initial launch that only includes the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the U.K., and the device is only going to pick up more momentum on October 28 when the iPhone 4S lands in 22 more countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.Apple will continue the iPhone 4S rollout to more than 70 countries by the end of the year, its fastest to date.Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
5 Tips for Using the New Camera Features in iOS 5
Mon, Oct 17 @ 12:33 PM
There's no doubt that the iPhone is the best camera that's always on you. And with iOS 5, Apple has included many new Camera features that would make even professional photographers a little more excited to use their mobile phones to capture the moment. Read on for a look at how you can get the most from the new Camera features in iOS 5.1. Quick AccessYou can now access the built-in Camera application right from your Lock Screen. With your device powered off, simply double-tap on the Home button. You will notice a camera icon to the right-hand side of the unlock slider. Tap on this icon to launch the Camera app without even having to unlock your device. 2. GridlinesIf you have ever taken a photo and it was crooked, then you will like the new Gridlines feature. This feature places a 3x3 grid overlay on the Camera, allowing you to better line up shots before taking the photo. To get the gridlines on the screen, tap the Options button at the top of the screen, and slide ON the Grid feature. 3. Volume Up Shutter ButtonWhen taking photos, you may find it difficult to tap the on-screen shutter button. Luckily, Apple now allows you to snap a photo with the Volume Up button used as a Shutter button. Now whenever you're in the built-in Camera application, you can snap a picture using a hardware button.4. AE/AF LockNow you can use the Auto Exposure setting from a particular angle in the photo by simply tapping once and holding on the screen until AE/AF Lock appears at the bottom, or you see a flashing blue square. To return to dynamic Auto Exposure/Auto Focus, tap once anywhere on the screen.5. Pinch-to-ZoomWhen composing your photo, you can get just the portion you want by zooming in using the Pinch-to-Zoom Gesture. Of course, you can still use the zoom slider by using the pinch-to-zoom gesture once on the screen to bring it up.Follow this article's author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.
Monday Recap: Instapaper Hits 4.0, iPhone 4S Reservation Only, Steve Jobs Tributes
Mon, Oct 17 @ 2:16 PM
Those of us who ponied up for a new iPhone 4S in the last week -- which according to Apple, is more than four million! -- finally got to spend our first weekend with it and now get back to our normal routine as the start of the work week is here again. But so far, the week is looking up and there's plenty to report for this fine Monday, October 17, 2011.Steve Jobs Tribute Made From 4,001 Post-it NotesThere have been plenty of tributes to the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, but few as impressive as the one found in the Munich, Germany Apple Store. According to MacRumors and iOS News, the image you see above was created using 4,001 Post-it notes of the yellow, blue and green variety. Talk about a low-tech way to commemorate the life of a high-tech dude, but impressive nonetheless...Sunday Steve Jobs Memorial Attended by Celebrities, CEOsSpeaking of Steve Jobs, AppleInsider is reporting that a private memorial was held for the former CEO on Sunday at Stanford Memorial Church. According to Apple 2.0, the guest list included the likes of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Google co-founder Larry Page and Adobe co-founders John Warnock and Chuck Geschke in addition to Apple board member (and former vice president) Al Gore, Tim "Buzz Lightyear" Allen and U2 frontman Bono. The event follows a small private service for his family and friends prior to his burial.Instapaper Gets Huge 4.0 UpdateIf there's one app we'd be just fine with on a desert island, it's got to be Instapaper, Marco Arment's always amazing solution for bookmarking web pages, stripping out the crud (and ads!) and making them super-readable on iOS. The developer today released Instapaper 4.0, a massive update which includes a slick new UI for the iPad edition and plenty of nice features all across the board for this universal app. The $4.99 app is free for existing users and requires iOS 4.2 or later.Refurbished First-Gen iPads Return to Apple Online Store9to5Mac is reporting that Apple is once again offering refurbished first-generation iPad models, but they're marked as a "Special Limited Time Price" so we're not expecting them to last too long at these prices. How much, you ask? How about $399 for a 64GB Wi-Fi model or 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G model or $499 for a 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G model?Adobe Reader Lands in App StoreWith PDF documents so common these days, it's almost hard to remember that they were once exclusive to their creator: Adobe. While any number of third-party iOS developers already offer PDF document readers for Apple mobile devices, the company who started it all today launched a free universal Adobe Reader app, which allows you to view (even encrypted documents, with the correct password), search, print and share PDF files. Hey, the price is right, so why not give it a try?iPhone 4S Now Available By Reservation OnlyLast but not least, if you haven't picked up an iPhone 4S yet but plan to soon, your window of opportunity may have already closed. Apple's website continues to show one to two week shipment dates for all models, and now the company appears to be restricting retail purchases to customers who reserve theirs online after 9pm for pickup the next day. Hey, you can't say you weren't warned after Apple sold more than a million of these suckers in the first 24 hours of preorders...Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter(Image courtesy of MacRumors and iOS News)
How to Use Your iPhone 4/4S Overseas
Mon, Oct 17 @ 2:38 PM
If you think iPhone plans are expensive in the United States, try traveling across an ocean with one. We've all heard the horror stories: multi-thousand-dollar bills for forgetting to turn off the you-will-accrue-substantial-charges-if-this-is-turned-on slider, but what do you do if you actually need to use the Web overseas? We're here to help.AT&TFor those of us already tied to a long-term contract with AT&T, options are fairly limited. The easiest and most cost-effective way for regular long-distance travelers to get instant access to the web and email wherever they are (within a reasonable 100-country radius) is by adding one of four international data packages, which start at $24.99 for 50MB of data. Much like text messaging, global add-ons can be changed or deleted at any time, but be aware of your usage -- extra kilobytes are pricey, costing $10 for each 10MB. Calls are a little trickier and vary widely between countries, but AT&T World Traveler ($5.99 a month) will keep the costs somewhat manageable.Verizon/SprintSince the iPhone 4S is a dual-band phone, global Verizon and Sprint users are no longer stymied by the less-prevalent CDMA network. According to reports, both carriers will unlock iPhones for customers "in good standing," which simply means they've paid their bill for 60 days. Once unlocked, you have several options direct from the carrier, including Verizon's Global Data plan, which starts at $30/month for 50MB (Sprint doesn't have a bundled plan, but they'll be kind enough to notify you when your roaming charges top $50 and disable it completely when it hits quadruple figures). Talking's a little more palatable: Sprint's Worldwide Voice add-on offers discounted global rates for an additional $4.99 per month, and International Long Distance Value Plan is a buck less than that. Of course, once the SIM slots are unlocked, you're no longer tied to the carrier's options...UnlockedWhen Apple began selling unlocked iPhones stateside this summer, a collective cheer emerged among all contract holdouts, but there were a few caveats. For one, prices aren't for the faint of heart -- $649 for the 16GB iPhone 4S, $749 for the 32GB version and $849 for 64 gigs -- for another, it requires a micro-SIM card. Still-independent T-Mobile -- which missed out on the iPhone jackpot again this year -- has been known to brag about the number of iPhones roaming around its network. For rabid communicators, the provider offers a handy $10-a-month with all-you-can-make calls to landlines in over 50 countries, texting in 200-plus countries, and discounted calls in over 150 countries (i.e., calls to Bangladesh will cost $0.34 per minute to landlines and $0.42 to mobile phones instead of the usual $2.99 rate). International internet service is a bit pricier at $15 per megabyte.Of course, if you want to bypass the major carriers altogether (or have an unlocked Sprint or Verizon slot), you can pick up a prepaid Micro SIM card from OneSimCard and save a bundle on per-megabyte overuse charges. Cards cost $44.95 (you'll get a European phone number), with packages of airtime starting at $10. Rates vary by country--in the United Kingdom, for example, $25 will get you 25MB of Internet use (in 10kb chunks), about 60 sent text messages or around an hour of outgoing talk time (incoming calls and texts are free)--but consistently clock in under the major carriers.Bottom LineBefore hopping onto a plane with any one of these options, you'll want to figure out how you'll be using your iPhone. Of course, if you're already under contract, you probably don't want to drop a bundle of dough on a second unlocked iPhone--but for the most part, AT&T's and Verizon's global add-ons -- not to mention Sprint's vigilance -- will keep your monthly bill affordable.
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