2012/11/26

Tips for Best Christmas Gifts for Christmas 2012-Tablets

Are you busy preparing Christmas gifts these days as Christmas 2012 is drawing near? Well, you are not alone in the battle of selecting an awesome present. What amazing gifts to get for this year?

As over half Americans are going to purchase a tablet for Christmas present according to a recent survey by Vuclip, 57 percent of the 20,000 participated people decided to buy a tablet for themselves. So, I suppose you may get your family one in this trend? That’ll be fantastic!

Then how to pick up a tablet you want? Several points should be taken into consideration.
1. Your needs come first. Do you just want a device for watching movies during your traveling? Will you need constant network access? Your needs largely determine the size; the processor; battery duration; and others.
2. Your budget. How much you’d like to pay for it ultimately decides what you’ll get. Mention that not all expensive ones are in great quality while cheap ones worthless of buying.
3. Your preferential brand. With your needs and budget fulfilled, brand comes as another decisive factor to many people. The results of Vuclip survey show that 25% people will choose by brand, which reaches to an amount of 30% of whom picked iPad.

Consider at least the 3 factors above before making a wise choice of getting a cool tablet. Below are some of the hottest ones in 2012.Seize the Cyber Monday week opportunity and get one.


As Christmas gifts for teens or adults: 

4th generation iPad

 
The newest iPad is equipped with a faster A6X processor, adding extra system speed and graphics power. Improved worldwide cellular compatibility makes the LTE model a more appealing proposition. Besides, there are numerous selections of apps in the iOS App Store.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9 
 
The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 has zippier navigation than its 7-inch counterpart, a beautiful high-definition screen, incredibly fast 4G LTE speeds, seamless streaming performance, and access to one of the best media eco systems available. The new Fire HD interface feels better suited on the 8.9-inch screen.

iPad Mini
The ultrathin and light design is far more intimate and booklike than the larger iPad. The iPad Mini's cameras, storage capacities, optional LTE antenna, and general functionality offer a full iPad experience. The screen's dimensions elegantly display larger-format magazines and apps.

Samsung Nexus 10

It’s Google’s first full-size tablet. The Nexus 10 has a beautifully sharp screen, which is the only tablet from any manufacturer that beats the screen resolution of the iPad. It's light, durable, and has the fastest processor of any Android tablet. Photo Sphere is an incredibly cool concept. Google's content ecosystem is only getting better. Plenty of apps provided on Google play to extend your enjoyment.

Microsoft Surface RT
This may even break people’s stereotyped expectations; the Microsoft Surface's Metro interface is innovative, elegant, powerful, and versatile. You can experience this tablet as a PC. The tablet feels strong and well-built, runs Office 2013, and includes rich video and music services. With it you can take your writing on the go. Its keyboard cover accessories are the best ways to type on a tablet, at present. Well, it needs some time before more apps are available on app store. Besides, Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro is coming soon.

The above tablets are perfect for your personal entertainment and for work. You can, for example, watch movies with your iPad during the journey. Blu-ray movies can also be played on these tablets as well to enhance your enjoyment.

Tablets as Christmas gifts for small kids:

Archos ChildPad
Archos ChildPad is a perfect 7-inch capacitive touchscreen Android tablet for child. The 800 x 480-pixel display enables surfing the internet just as on a PC or view HD videos. Pre-installed applications for kids and large choices from the AppsLib application store make it so much of fun.

LeapFrog LeapPad 2 Explorer Learning Tablet
Specially designed for kids, the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet is a touchscreen tablet with a range of educational titles; and a camera, video camera as well as a tilt sensor is offered. LeapPad2 comes with 5 apps: Pet Pad, Learning Songs, Art Studio, 1 app of your choice and Cartoon Director app, which lets you create your own movies!

Oregon Scientific MEEP! Tablet for Kids
The MEEP is a tablet for kids that runs the android operating system and offers parental controls. It is mainly designed for children at the age of 6 and over, with education content and entertaining content music, movies, e-books, and apps from leading developers, under the supervision of parents.

With so many optional choices on the list, you can make your decision according to your needs, your budget and maybe brand issue. Meanwhile, there are many others on sale for Cyber Monday; a nice tablet will absolutely become the best Christmas gift this winter!

2012/11/25

Websites for Lastest/Cheapest DVD/Blu-ray Movies

As online movie rental has become a trend of watching movies these years, do you know where you can get the latest news about the hottest movies on DVD and Blu-ray? To keep step with the newest movie information of DVD and Blu-ray, the websites listed below may be helpful.

Best Buy DVD/Blu-ray Movies

1. Blu-ray.com
Well, I suppose this website as something like official website for Blu-ray as its name suggests. There is freshest news of Blu-rays, DVDs, movies reviews, etc. From the “news” part, you can know what movies are going to be released on Blu-ray. There are lists of “top rated”, “top fans”, etc. which could be regarded as useful reference before you decide you gain one.
In addition, Blu-ray deals are always available on this website.

2. Amazon.com
Also a big online giant, which offers movie on DVD and Blu-ray at reasonable prices, Amazon.com seems much a professional place to get the latest trends of Blu-ray movies. You can try to find your favorite movies through format, genre, series, actors or directors.

3. Walmart.com
People around the world will not be unfamiliar with shopping on Walmart.com. Here you can always get some wonderful Blu-ray movies at a best price. There is an option of “$ 10 Blu-rays” selling Blu-rays under 10 dollars. Maybe you can check this out regularly to see if your favorite movies are on sale or not!

4. BestBuy.com
I bet you may find some of the best buys of DVD/Blu-ray movies here. Select “movies and TV shows”, then you’re lead to 3 sections: Blu-ray movies, TV shows, DVD movies, each of which provides price levels for your choices: $3.99 to 7.99, or $9.99 to 19.99, as well as 29.99 to 129.99. The left “Price Range” will be a bit more accurate. “Genre” divides movies into 12 themes like Comedy, Horror, and so on. You can browser by “Studio”.

5. Ebay.com
Choose “DVDs & Movies” beside the search bar, and then movies on DVDs and Blu-rays are shown in several categories: Best-selling movies & TV, best-selling comedy, Best-selling animation, etc. You can choose accordingly. Besides, on the top left, there are format selections: Blu-ray Disc, DVD, HD DVD and other formats.

6. Google shopping
Well, you can have a try of this function of Google shopping in Google. The outstanding feature is that it even offer “compare prices” options. Web search DVD movies/Blu-ray movies you want and then choose according to your preference.

7. Deepdiscount.com
A website provides discounted items of books, music and movies on DVD and Blu-ray. On the homepage, there is “daily deep deals” on the top left. And you can get some best deals from the left navigator bar “Today’s deals”-deals.

8. Target.com
You can search DVD or Blu-ray movies, and then similarly, you can find all sorts of movies listed according to different standards. Pick up some you like. Also, you can browser them in “new”, “best order”, “pre-order” and so forth.

9. Play.com
This is specially for UK, a UK online Blu-ray movies store which provides discounts for many DVDs and Blu-rays.

Actually, you can also get useful information from other websites like sonypictures.com, highdefdigest.com, and redbox.com, and so on. You can always try to compare prices among these website provide before purchasing some best Blu-ray movies and enjoy yourself.

2012/11/22

Holiday Movie Times:Brave, Twilight, Life of Pi and More

It’s the end of the year 2012, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas comes one after another. At this period of each year, busy people would like to slow down and spend some quality time with their family. Check out some of the latest wonderful movies for your weekend movie times with your family.

Latest on DVD Movies perfect for kids

Red Dog (2011)
DVD release: Tuesday November 6, 2012

Red Dog

This story is based on the legendary true story of the lovable red dog who roamed the outback in searching for his original master. During such period, this little creature finds his way into the hearts of everyone he meets, bringing people and communities together, some who find love, and others who find themselves.

Arthur Christmas (2011)
DVD release: Tuesday November 6, 2012

Arthur Christmas

When as a child, have you ever wondered how Santa Clause distributed so many gifts over one single night in Christmas time? Santa's exhilarating; ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole and his elves will be the answer to this query. As Santa Clause’s youngest son, Arthur tries to deliver the last present before the dawn comes on Christmas morning.

Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups (2012)
DVD release: Tuesday November 20, 2012

Santa Paws 2

This is a Disney holiday production of the cutest talking pups ever. Hope, Jingle, Charity, and Noble, are all the themes the movie is about, suitable for the whole family.

Brave
DVD release: Tuesday November 13, 2012

Brave

Set in highlands of Scotland in a rugged and mythical time, "Brave" features princess Merida, an aspiring archer and impetuous daughter of royalty. She must rely on her bravery and archery skills to defend his homeland against a beastly curse.

Latest in theaters for teens and adults

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)
Theater date: November 16, 2012

The Twilight Saga

The last part of the Twilight series, the birth of Bella’s daughter, who is believed to be the dangerous “immortal child”, brings up new threat to their peace. The Cullens gather other vampire clans for protecting the kid. Bella becomes a vampire as well, see how she changed stronger.

Skyfall (2012)
Theater date: November 9, 2012

Skyfall

The latest James Bond movie, 007’s another blockbuster, Skyfall is about Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Life of Pi
Theater date: November 21, 2012 (USA)

Life of Pi

It’s a surreal tale of a boy’s disaster-propelled journey to adulthood.
Adapted from the best-selling novel by Yann Martel about Pi Patel, and directed with one of the most excellent Chinese director-An Li, it's a story about the son of a zookeeper, Pi, who survives the ship wreck found himself accompanied with a fearsome Bengal tiger. In the pacific ocean, on a 26-foot lifeboat, the Indian boy Pi together with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger-Richard Parker, is all fighting for survival.
It is regarded as a competitive Oscar chaser! Also an inspiring 3D art.

Well, there are many more on DVD or in the theaters, pick up some for your weekend movie times-whether at home for DVD movies or hit the theaters for the latest!

2012/11/20

Best (Free) HTML5 Video Players

HTML5 video may have been the new standard way to show video on the web without plugins, simply by embedding to web browsers. As HTML5 being increasingly popular and compatible with various devices, HTML5 video player enables your blog or website page launching with videos. Let’s see a collection of some best free ones available.

HTML5 video player

1. Flowplayer
It is an Open Source video player for your website. There are at least 3 skins for your options to beautify and diversify your websites. You can embed it to your website without an IFRAME. HTML5 comes first while Flash second. Very well documented, clean look and easy to implement. Great playlist feature and lots of active development are all displayed in this HTML5 video player.

2. JW Player
With HTML5 and Flash Dual Mode JW Player, you’d never worry about your video be the wrong formats. Beautiful skins, live and on-demand adaptive streaming support, single-click sharing to Facebook and Twitter, all these features forms this nice HTML5 video player.

3. MediaElement.js
There are also 3 different skins for your choice. It can be perfectly used as Plugins for Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, jQuery, and BlogEngine.NET, ruby gem, plone. It allows HTML5 audio and video players in pure HTML and CSS.

4. Projekktor
It is a free, open source (GPL) HTML5 based video player written in Javascript. It solves cross browser and compatibility issues, adds eye candy and provides extremely powerful nonstandard features. It supports full screen, playlists, Flash fallback and pre/post roll ads to generate revenue from your videos.

5. Daily Motion HTML5 Video Player
The HTML5 video player from world’s second largest video sharing website, HTML5 makes all sorts nifty effects and gadgets possible. Firefox, Chrome, IE 9, Opera, Safari, all modern browsers are supported by it.

6. YouTube HTML5 Video Player
From world’s largest video sharing website, this is an opt-in trial of HTML5 video on YouTube. If you are using a supported browser, you can choose to use the HTML5 player instead of the Flash player for most videos. It supports various browsers.

7. Viemo HTML5 Video Player
Well, this HTML3 video player comes from another video sharing website. It comes as a beta test version actually. To enable the HTML5 player, click the "Switch to HTML5 player" link below any video.

8. OSM Player
Open Standard Media Player is an all-in-one media player for the web display video of any type of web media, including HTML5, Flash and third party media solutions of YouTube and Vimeo. There is playlist for your player and for YouTube.

9. FlareVideo HTML5 Player
It is completely open source and free for commercial use. This HTML5 video player supports HTML5 video with Flash fallback. It is featured of easy CSS/HTML/JS customization and theming; full screen support. There are 3 optional themes for your reference.

2012/11/18

Is Free VLC Back for i-Devices to Hit App Store?

Are you still missing the missing VLC media player for iPhone, iPad and iPod since it has been pulled down from the app store due to licensing issues?

VLC for iPhone-VLC App
Roughly two years ago, shortly after its release on App Store, Apple decided to remove it from the store. If you are not lucky enough to get VLC downloaded before it was pulled then good news is that this most welcomed free media players nowadays, with its abundant video formats supporting, awesome editing features and more updatings, is announcing its back to app store! Will it finally be shown on App Store once again?

Considering of the previous issue encounted, as the developers have changed the majority of software modules using software licenses, thus the media player is now switched to be licensed under LGPL (Lesser General Public License). LGPL which is unlike that of the GPL (General Public License), LGPL (Lesser General Public License) allows the application to be linked to the code that is not itself under the LGPL. As the president of VideoLan and lead developer, Jean-Baptiste Kempf, told the French PC Inpact: VLC is now legal to be put back on app store.

VLC Media Player, free, multi-platform, multifunctional, could play almost any video formats you throw at it. With it, you can watch movies on TV shows on your iPhone, iPad, or ipod ignoring the limitations of video formats your i-Devices support. That certainly would be a great improvement from the QuickTime!

Articles about VLC:

Free VLC Player: Why do We Choose VLC?
How to Enable Blu-ray Playback in VLC Player ?

2012/11/15

Best Free Movie Apps/ Media Players for Android

Larger screen, lengthened battery duration time and speedy Wi-Fi network, all these factors contribute to your keen enjoyment of movies on your mobile phone, especially during your travels. Yet, to improve your viewing experience, good movie apps are indispensable. Let’s check out some of the best free movies apps for Android phones or viewed as media players.

No. 1, 2  and 5 provide full-length movies while the other provide mostly clips/trailers, and images/information.

1. Crackle – Movies & TV

  Crackle-Free Android Moive App

With Crackle app, you can watch full-length Hollywood blockbusters or TV shows on your mobile phone without signing-up and payment. You can catch up with the latest videos since sources are upgraded monthly!
3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi, with either network connection, you can enjoy FREE movies of high quality on your Android phone & tablet!
App works in US, Canada, UK and Australia.

2012/11/12

Best DVDs/BDs on Sale for Black Friday and Christmas Gifts

Are you still not sure about what Christmas gifts to get for your families and friends? As the Black Friday is coming, there are many goods on sale online. How about picking up some inexpensive yet awesome presents there? Well, some DVD movies would be one nice optional choice. Let’s check out the Black Friday shopping!

Black Friday 2012-On Sale

Where can you get best DVD movies on sale? I think you can always find news about discount from Black Friday.com , Wlmart.com, and  Amazon.com, Blu-ray.com and many deals websites also provide best buy.

2012/11/11

HTML5 Player: Let’s Get Video on Wikipedia!

As the world’s largest online encyclopedia, free Wikipedia has been working hard to bring registered users new features of videos uploading. This could almost be true now, due the cooperation of Wikipedia, Google and Kaltura. Wikipedia video has taken years to realize this  with  the launch of TimeMediaHandler.

In 2010, a campaign called “Let’s Get Video on Wikipedia” launched by the Open Video Alliance aiming to encourage users uploading relevant educational video content to Wikimedia Commons.

Wikipedia-Wikipedia Video-HTML 5

Earlier in 2008, Wikipedia began the partnership with open source video platform provider Kaltura for getting Wikipedia video-supportive. Actually, Wikipedia Theora Player has been put in to application since 2007; however, till now only about 15500 videos shown on Wikipedia, it still remains largely text-based.

2012/11/09

Top 10 Free Websites to Watch NBA 2012 Online (Live)

What's the hottest news for 2012 NBA SEASON lately?  Have you seen Kobe Bryant's DEATH STARE on yestoday's NBA game? Where to watch the NBA Games Live online to catch such special moment?

Kobe Bryant-Death Stare-Lakers-NBA

Well, as the regular season has kicked off for a while, are you still struggling searching for a good online video player/website for better viewing? This period will last long enough as it usually does, during which time over 1,000 games will be put on show. These websites below will allow you enjoying the big NBA season and then the playoff, the finals! NBA fans, cheers!

NBA-Best Websites for NBA Live Online


Some Official Websites for NBA Games:

1. NBA TNT Overtime

This website is provided by Cable network TNT; yet, this time you can watch NBA streaming without cable subscription, only broadband connection is required.
This online streaming NBA differs from TV as the games are broadcasted on an interactive 4-screen interface, with each of the 4 providing a different camera angle.

2. YouTube NBA Channel

This could be another option for NBA games. But there is in great need of more uploads of latest videos.

3. NBA.com

It's updated official website for NBA Games of regular season, playoffs and the finals. Or change for the old video player for NBA games since the new updating seems to be less than satisfactory.

4. ESPN NBA

ESPN shows a live NBA every Wednesday night and a double-header every Friday night. WatchESPN.com is free to viewers who log in with an active and paid-up cable TV subscription. NBA games on WatchESPN are available to re-watch on demand for 24 hours after the game has ended.

Some other Websites for NBA Games:

5. Wiziwig.tv

Wiziwig is a site specialized in schedules for all kind of Sports. You can watch Live Sports by using the schedules. It is fully free. You only need some clients to download and then you're ready to go. Prepare to watch a lot of Football, MLB, NHL, NBA, Cricket, Tennis and many more.

6. Frombar
It shares videos of many sports: football,hockey,baseball,golf,basketball-NBA, etc. The only thing you have to tolorate is the ads.

7. Streambeam

It is similar with Frombar, also provides different sports videos, NBA live online streaming videos included.

8. NBA Live Online
NBA Live Streaming, it shares great similarities with the previous two ones. Enjoy basketball in this website.

Some NBA Apps for Mobile

9.Desktop app: vipboxsports

10. Mobile App

WatchESPN:  for iOS system from app store; while for Android system, on Google Play: NBA Game Time 2012-13



2012/11/07

How to Enable More Video Formats Playback on iPhone?

Won’t it be a mood-killer when you are planning to watch some videos on your iPhone and suddenly realize that it only supports that few video formats while travelling on the train or bus? That’s no big deal; you can get rid of such awkward moments either by downloading some universal media player, or by converting the formats.

How to enable your iPhone play more videos of various formats? There are several solutions to get this solved.

1. Free video players:

FlexPlayer

FlexPlayer-iPhone Video Player
FlexPlayer is free media player for iPhone and iPod Touch as well as iPad.
Video formats it supports: AVI, MPEG, VOB, MKV, MP4 and MOV, FLV DivX, Xvid, and even Webm, etc. Playback of HD videos for QuickTime formats up to 1280x720 is available.
It possesses a user-friendly interface without ads. But it lacks of multiple audio track support and only hard subtitles allowed. Actually, you may encounter WMV video format, which may be a big flaw for it.


AcePlayer

AcePlayer-iPhone Video Player
Aceplayer is compatible with iPhone/iPod/iPad. Just transfer the media files to your i-devices by iTunes File Sharing or through Wi-Fi, video will be played.
Video formats it supports: WMV, AVI, RMVB, RM, MP4, 3GP, XVID, MPG, etc.
Audio formats supported: MP3, RM, ACC, FLV, RM, etc.
Subtitles: .smi, .srt, ssa, .ass, .sub txt.
But from its website, it seems it is not always free.


2012/11/05

Classic Movies and New Movies for Christmas 2012

There are 48 days left before Christmas 2012 arrives. When talking about Christmas movies, I would always think about comedy movies while Home Alone series (I prefer only 1 and 2)are definitely the top classic Christmas choices.

Classic Christmas Movies:

1. Home Alone (1990)
DVD Release Date: October 5, 1999
Run Time: 103 minutes

Home Alone-Classic Christmas Movie

As the youngest kid of the family, the 8-year-old little boy Kevin often feels like being the subject of ridicule from his siblings and cousins. He wishes "his family would disappear" and  he is mistakenly left at home while his big family heading to Paris for Christmas holiday. Home alone with little money and food, he has to fight against two idiotic burglars. With the help of the neighbor “murdererish” old man, the recidivists got caught.

It makes the Christmas Eve full of joy and laughs.There is a happy ending: family gathering and family reunion, both for Kevin and for the old man. Merry Christmas!

2012/11/04

Great Videos for 2012 Thanksgiving Day

2012 Thanksgiving Day  is just around the corner. As is generally known as a day for celebrating the big harvest of the year, it is a time for family gathering together for a big dinner of turkey and pumpkin pie, which could be regarded as the symbols of Thanksgiving Day. Besides, you can also join the Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC or in Detroit, or Philadelphia.

Thanksgiving Day:
What and when is Thanksgiving Day?

Happy Thanksgiving Day-Thanksgiving 2012


Thanksgiving began as a tradition of celebrating the harvest of the year. It is celebrated primarily in America and Canada. In Canada, it is always taken place on the second Monday of October, while in the US; it is held on the fourth Thursday of each November. Historically, Thanksgiving had roots in religious and cultural tradition.

History of Thanksgiving Day


Besides the feast, there are movies about Thanksgiving Days and songs about it.

Turkey Catchers (1999)


Disney classic. Mickey, Donald and Goofy open a turkey catching business and their first customer is a pompous pilgrim. The three friends come up with the perfect plan, but when they finally catch their game, will they let their new-found friend become the main course? (from YouTube)

Thanksgiving song


From Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas" album. I really love the beatiful song and the musci video. May we always be grateful.

In spite of US and Canada, there are many other countries celebrate such special times of the year. They are named in different names and held in different forms while they share similar meanings: celebrating the harvest and being grateful.

A day of Thanksgiving 


Here is a list of Thanksgiving in some other countries:

China: Mid-autumn Day Moon Cake Day on August 15th of lunar calendar. Mainly celebrates the harvest and family gathering.
Germany: early October festival, Erntedankfest.
Grenada: national holiday of Thanksgiving Day on October 25th.
Japan: Labor Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday.
Liberia: the first Thursday of Nov. is Thanksgiving Day.

Well, right after Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping tide is coming as millions of goods on sale for your best deals. 

2012/11/01

Family Movies 2012 on DVD for Family Weekend Night

Nowadays, people are always on the go, busy with never-ending work, even after work or on the weekends. How long has it been the last time you have some quality time with your family members? Well, you can try some warmhearted family movies with your family members. Below are some family movies 2012 released on DVD, get some and enjoy yourselves.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

Theatrical Release Date: 06/08/2012
DVD Release Date: 10/16/2012
Run Time: 85min.

Madagascar 3- Family movie 2012-DVD

This 3D computer-animated comedy movie by DreamWorks is still about the story of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe, who are still fighting to get back home- Big Apple. A lion, zebra, hippo, giraffe, four penguins, two monkeys, three lemurs certainly would make the journey full of fun, and make your weekend night enjoyable.