iPhone 5 and iOS 5: What We Know So Far

By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld   

Apple revs its next generation iPhone and iOS 5 mobile operating system next week. The details of Apple's announcement are unknown, but the veil of Apple silence is lifting - quickly. Earlier this week Apple sent out invitations to an October 4 event, tagged “Let’s talk about iPhone.” With the announcement date so tantalizingly close, it’s time to take a look at what we know so far about the next iPhone and iOS 5.

What We Know: iPhone 5

Design: Two theories prevail about what the next iPhone will look like. Theory one is an all-new design device (iPhone 5), which would feature a tear-shaped design with a metal back and a slimmer body, while theory two (iPhone 4S) is that it would look identical to the iPhone 4, but with bumped-up specs. A survey pointed that the iPhone 5 is the most anticipated of the two by consumers.
Features: Regardless of the design of the next iPhone, there are same sure-fire bets over the specs. It’s expected the A5 dual-core processor currently found on the iPad 2 to make its way to the new iPhone, as well as more RAM and a higher-resolution camera, possibly 8 megapixels.
Availability: October 4 is expected to be only the announcement date of the new iPhone, with Apple Insider tipping that the weekend starting Friday, October 14 is the one you’ll want to put aside for queuing outside your nearest Apple store. If Apple uses the iPad 2 model and releases the phone 10 days after the announcement, then October 14 or 15 could see the new iPhone reach the first consumers.
Carriers & Price: The new iPhone is expected to cost $199 with a two-year contract, just as with previous iterations of the device. The iPhone is now currently available on AT&T and Verizon, and Sprint is anticipated to be the next in line to get the new iPhone this year, says the Wall Street Journal, but not T-Mobile.

What We Know: iOS 5

Known Features: Developers had a chance to play with a beta version of iOS 5 for a few months now, and Apple showcased the major new features as well. The big changes in iOS 5 include several improvements to Mail and Safari, a notification center similar to Android’s, Twitter integration and iMessage, an instant messaging platform for iOS devices. iCloud, Apple’s cloud storage solution is also integrated in iOS 5, so you can re-download purchased music, apps or books to any of your devices or computer, while the master copy resides with Apple.
Surprise Features: Apple is believed to have kept back from the iOS 5 beta one surprise feature – the integration of voice assisted functions in the iPhone. Anecdotal evidence from the likes of 9 To 5 Mac surfaced over the past few weeks that you will be able to dictate texts and emails your iPhone, as well as have incoming messages read to you by the phone.
Availability: If Apple sticks to previous OS release schedules, then iOS 5 should be available a few days ahead of the next iPhone, in order to avoid Apple’s servers melting down. Apple Insider reports Apple has blacked out employee vacations October 9 through to 12 too, which indicates the possible arrival date of iOS 5 to current iPhone 3GS and 4 owners, as well as iPad owners and the 2009 and 2010 models of iPod Touch.

10 Things That Make Your Home a Target for Thieves

10 Things That Make Your Home a Target for Thieves

by Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman

A home is robbed every 14.6 seconds and the average dollar loss per burglary is $2,119, according to statistics just released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. And that's the good news because burglaries were down slightly in 2010 compared to 2009. Sure you lock your doors and windows when you're not home (you'd be surprised how many people don't). But here are ten things that you're probably doing that make your home a target, and what you should do instead:

1. Leaving your garage door open or unlocked. Once inside the garage, a burglar can use any tools you haven't locked away to break into your home, out of sight of the neighbors. Interior doors between the garage and your home often aren't as strong as exterior doors and may not have deadbolt locks.

Instead: Always close and lock the garage door. Consider getting a garage-door opener with random codes that automatically reset.

2. Hiding spare keys. Burglars know about fake rocks and leprechaun statues and will check under doormats, in mailboxes, and over doorways.

Instead: Give a spare set to a neighbor or family member.

3. Storing ladders outdoors or in unlocked sheds. Burglars can use them to reach the roof and unprotected upper floor windows.

Instead: Keep ladders under lock and key.

4. Relying on silent alarm systems. Everyone hates noisy alarms, especially burglars. Smart thieves know that it can take as long as 10 to 20 minutes for the alarm company or cops to show up after an alarm has been tripped.

Instead: Have both silent and audible alarms.

5. Letting landscaping get overgrown. Tall hedges and shrubs near the house create hiding spots for burglars who may even use overhanging branches to climb onto your roof.

Instead: Trim any bushes and trees around your home.

6. Keeping your house in the dark. Like overgrown landscaping, poor exterior lighting creates shadows in which burglars can work unobserved.

Instead: Replace burned out bulbs promptly, add lighting where needed, and consider putting fixtures on motion sensors or light sensors so that they go on automatically.

7. Not securing sliding doors. These often make tempting targets.

Instead: When you're out, put a dowel down in the channel, so that the door can't be opened wide enough for a person to get through.

8. Relying on your dog to scare away burglars. While barking my deter amateurs, serious burglars know that dogs may back away from someone wielding a weapon, or get chummy if offered a treat laced with a tranquilizer.

Instead: Make your home look occupied by using timers to turn lights, radios, and TVs on and off in random patterns.

9. Leaving "goody" boxes by the curb. Nothing screams "I just got a brand new flat-screen, stereo, or other big-ticket item" better than boxes by the curb with your garbage cans.

Instead: Break down big boxes into small pieces and bundle them together so that you can't tell what was inside.

10. Posting vacation photos on Facebook. Burglars troll social media sites looking for targets.

Instead: Wait until you get back before sharing vacation details or make sure your security settings only allow trusted "friends" to see what you're up to.

Corprorate Lesson