Round 2: Nikon Releases Another Teaser for Its Upcoming Retro Full-Frame

<Nikon D5300 Buy Cheapp>

Whether or not the camera will live up to the hype, we won't know until we've gotten our hands on it. But if there's one thing Nikon is doing right regarding the soon-to-be-released retro-styled full-frame, it's building a crap load of hype.

We've already had one teaser trailer (which you can watch here), and now, Nikon has released another, this one giving us tantalizing split-second glances of the camera that we didn't see at all in the previous ad.

Here are a couple of shots of the camera - supposedly named the "Nikon DF," not D4H as previously reported - we pulled out of the video (click the photos for higher resolution):

This obviously isn't the first teaser, and if the description is to be believed it won't be the last either. The video is described as another chapter in "a series of short movies depicting a photographer roaming through Scotland with a camera as his only companion."

It goes on to talk about a journey of self-discovery, but if we're being honest, the most compelling part of the ad (at least for most people) seems to be the slow journey of discovering the Nikon DF on the way to its rumored November 6th release. So stay tuned, chances are we'll be seeing more sneak peeks like this over the course of this week.

To see a list of rumored specs for the upcoming shooter, check out our previous coverage by clicking here. And if you want to see the first teaser, click here.

(via Nikon Rumors)

Source: Petapixel

Nikon Coolpix S6600 review

<Nikon D5300 Discountp>What's great?
The vari-angle screen, photo filters and glamour effects make it seriously fun to use.

Gesture control doesn't work, it's a bit slow to process effects and image quality is not top priority.

The bottom line:
Not a camera for enthusiasts but as fun as your mobile and better at photography.

Nikon Coolpix S6600: Review

The concept of the selfie photograph has become so huge in today's world of social networking profiles that the word made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in August 2013. So then, it should be of little surprise that imaging company Nikon has dreamed up a compact to perfect the art of the digital self-portrait.

This is the Nikon Coolpix S6600. It's a device with a £199 price tag that buys you a 16MP image sensor and a 12x optical zoom lens. More importantly, though, its 2.7-inch LCD screen is a full, flip-out vari-angle display which you can turn all the way back on itself to the point where you can be looking straight at the lens and also at the shot that's about to be taken at exactly the same time. Throw in eight glamour retouch features and built-in Wi-Fi for photo sharing, and you've got a compact born and bred for parties and social networking. Sounds good on paper, so how does it fare in real life?

Nikon Coolpix S6600: Pocket camera

That screen aside, there's very little either noteworthy or novel about the Nikon S6600. It's small and light. It weighs just 165g and measures 97 x 57 x 27mm. So, it's something like the size of a stubby mobile phone and, just as one would hope and expect, it fits in your pocket nicely enough with the added bonus that you can turn the screen around and when you stow it so that your keys and coins won't scratch the display.

In the aesthetics department, it's certainly classy enough. The plastic finish of the front face is smooth and modern, and the back has a matte metal look. There's nothing freakish or awkward about the position of the battery, memory card slot or the basic controls on the back but it does take a little getting used to that both the scene selector and the playback mode controls are on the top of the camera next to the shutter release, power and zoom.

There's only two things that would make this compact easier to use. The first is a video record button on the top. The vari-angle screen means that you end up shooting from the hip and even lower quite a lot and the switch on the rear isn't always easy to find. The other modification is that the S6600 is screaming out to be touchscreen controlled. All the retouching functions would work fantastically well. It's just a pity that it would probably end up pricing this device out of the market if Nikon had ended up including one.

Nikon Coolpix S6600: Selfie style

The flip-out, full spinning, 2.7-inch LCD screen on the Nikon S6600 absolutely makes this camera. It's a worthy and welcome inclusion in a compact and far from typical in these kinds of models. Even at its most basic, it's superb for taking to parties or grabbing a two-shot of you and your buddy out and about wherever you are without having to ask some random to grab the pic for you. This screen means that you can compose it just the way you want and capture a moment while it's still there. Given that much of photography is about trying to do just that, it's not something that we credit lightly.

The fun begins when you decide you wish to take things a bit further. The S6600 has eight beauty effects to make any one or more of your subjects even prettier than they already are. You can whiten teeth, whiten eyes, widen eyes, remove bags, smooth skin, make cheeks rosier, brighten faces and make faces smaller too. You can take any one of these to the extreme or, more effective is just to select one or two of them at their lower settings. Ultimately, none of these will turn you into Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie but they're highly effective at removing the odd flushed face, smoothing out a bad skin day or making a 6am snap look a little less wired.

Finally, there's also a gesture control mode that Nikon has squeezed in to help out with those times when you want to prop your camera up on a wall but would rather not have to make the self-timer dash. Instead, the idea is that you raise you palm and then tell the device whether you want to take the shot or zoom in or out a bit first by moving your hand around to select some on-screen options. It's a really nice idea but sadly it doesn't work. It's quite good at sensing your palm but not much cop at any functions beyond that. It's a pity but certainly not an experience-ruiner.

Nikon Coolpix S6600: Effects and filters

Everyone loves a bit of post-production these days with preset filters all the rage over the more laborious and painstaking boredom of spending your life in Photoshop. Like all good camera manufacturers, Nikon has shown its customers that effects aren't just for mobile phones and there's a very healthy selection indeed available inside the S6600. It's all the usuals from Pop Art, Cross Process and Toy Camera all the way to colour selections, Fisheye and Miniature mode too. You can even set the camera to offer up these settings straight after you've captured each shot just like Instagram although that does slow things down a bit.

Speaking of which, that's one of the major issues we have with this compact camera. Yes, it's great to have all these fun features, filters and beautifying effects but the image processor insides isn't quite up to the task. It can do the job but it takes half a second or two too long. If only Nikon had put a more powerful computer inside to crunch those graphical numbers, then this would be a very impressive compact indeed.

Finally, there is one mode that will offer hours of fun and it's not one we've come across before. Hidden between the high and low key options is Mirror which captures a symmetrical image. You can get lost in patterns and funny faces for quite some time.

Nikon Coolpix S6600: Picture quality and video

If you're used to using a CSC, DSLR or even a high end compact camera, then the results from the S6600 are a bit disappointing. The colours are well handled and, when sharp, photos look excellent but the reality is devices like this one are more about the fun than they are about pure image quality. They're simply not built with big enough image sensors and the manual settings to ensure that your snaps are perfect every time.

Things are mostly good outdoors but, as soon as you get into artificial light situations, you really need the flash to get anything that's neither too noisy nor too blurred to use. It's also not that good at keeping up with your subject when in motion in daylight either. In the majority of the family snaps that we grabbed, the young kids tended not to come out as clean as they could, and that's pity. Our advice would be to shoot in Sports mode where possible to avoid this kind of problem rather than rely on the Smart Scene selector to do it for you. Ultimately, though, one shouldn't expect the Earth in terms of image quality from a device like this one.

That said, we would like to give a quick nod to the video at this point which was largely excellent. The sound recording is a bit tiny, naturally, but footage was always well focused and the vari-angle screen makes it really good to use.

Nikon Coolpix S6600: Wi-Fi and uploads

As with just about every camera we're seeing this year, the Nikon S6600 comes with a Wi-Fi module built in. You can't use it to hop onto your home network or any other local loop out there. It's all about broadcasting a mini-system of its own. The idea is that you can then set your tablet or smartphone to hook up with it and use the Nikon Wireless Mobility app to transfer images, take remote control pictures or add a geotag from your device's GPS.

As ever, it's a nice touch but perhaps not vital. The best uses are for sharing pictures with others while out and about as well as uploading to Facebook and Twitter. It would be nice to have the facility in the app to go straight to these social networks but that's not the case. You need to transfer the pics first and then go to your mobile or tablet's image library and take it from there. It's not super smooth but it certainly works.

Nikon Coolpix S6600: Verdict

Photography purists should stay well away from the Nikon Coolpix S6600 but then photography purists have no business in the the mid-to-low-end compact market. This is a party camera, a people's camera and a self-portrait camera and of that there should be no mistake. The image quality could be better and it really needs to process the funky effects a lot quicker but, if you're after something to take on a night out, touch up and then post to Facebook while you're still revelling, then the S6600 is a really good option.

Source: Msn

Kodak wins in patent dispute with Ricoh, and Nikon goes after Polaroid

<Nikon D5300 Black Friday Dealp>by Tim Barribeau

The world of legal battles between camera companies is a murky one. Between technology patents, similar looking and sounding cameras, and all sorts of licensing, it can be difficult to keep track of who owns what, and who owes what to whom. But recently, a number of companies have become involved in courtroom battles for an array of technologies.

According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Ricoh has agreed to pay Kodak $76 million in a patent battle. Kodak alleged that when Ricoh purchased Pentax in 2011, they owed back royalties since Pentax had never licensed the imaging technology from Kodak. Ricoh said there was no evidence of Pentax having violated Kodak copyright. However, it seems that now Ricoh has agreed to pay out $75.8 million over the issue. A Kodak spokesperson talked to Amateur Photographer, and said "'Kodak is gratified that both the judge and jury have validated our contract claim. These decisions certainly also demonstrate the value of the technology that Kodak created.'

While that lawsuit is ending, another is just getting under way. Remember the unexpected (and slightly bizarre) Polaroid mirrorless camera, the iM1836 manufactured by Sakar? Nikon is filing a lawsuit "for design patent and trade dress infringement". The company alleges that the Sakar/Polaroid camera for looking too similar to Nikon products. And looking at the comparison below (via Engadget), you have to admit it's a dead ringer for the Nikon J1. According to the press release, "Nikon seeks injunctive relief against Sakar in the lawsuit to prevent them from manufacturing and selling their Polaroid brand digital still camera, "Polaroid iM1836"." The iM1836 has popped up on Amazon recently, where it's being widely disparaged, despite not yet having shipped.

Source: Imaging-resource

Nikon Unveils D5300 D-SLR With Wi-Fi

Nikon D5300 Black Friday Deal-d5300.jpg?thumb=y">

Nikon didn't wait very long to update its excellent D5200 digital SLR. That camera, announced internationally last November, didn't make its U.S. debut until CES in January, and less than a year later we have its successor.

On the exterior the new D5300 is pretty much the same as its predecessor-the only notable change is an LCD that's a bit larger (3.2 inches) and sharper (1,037k dots) than the 3-inch, 921k-dot vari-angle display found on the D5200.

Despite boasting the same 24-megapixel resolution as its predecessor, the D5300's image sensor is a different design. It's the same one that is found in the D7100. That means that it omits the optical low-pass filter (OLPF). Professional medium format digital cameras have long done away with the OLPF, which saps up a bit of detail in order to eliminate the possibility of color moire appearing in images. Over the past couple years, more and more smaller format cameras have dropped the OLPF, including Nikon's own D800E and the Pentax K-5 IIs. But the D5300 is the first camera we've seen that is squarely aimed at the consumer market to take this approach.

The EXPEED 4 image processor is also new to the D5300, replacing the EXPEED 3 chip that powered the D5200. This is the first Nikon camera with this image processor, but the company promises that it will deliver improved performance in low light and faster operation overall. The native ISO range is ISO 100 through 12800, with 25600 available as an expanded option. The metering and focus systems are the same as the D5200-that gives the camera a 2,016-pixel RGB sensor for scene recognition and 39 selectable autofocus. Like its predecessor, the D5300 is rated to shoot at 5 frames per second.

The other big internal upgrade is the addition of built-in Wi-Fi. Previously Nikon D-SLR owners had to purchase the WU-1a adapter to add wireless connectivity to their cameras. This feature is built into the D5300, so you can transfer photos wirelessly to an iOS or Android device without the need for an add-on. A GPS module is also built into the camera, so your location is added to photo metadata automatically. You'll be able to look at shots on a map when using software like iPhoto or Picasa, or sharing online via a hosting service that includes a map view, like Smugmug.

The D5300 will be available in black, red, or dark gray. It's priced at $799.95 as a body only, or $1,099.95 with an 18-140mm lens. It will be available to purchase in mid-November.

This announcement comes on the heels of news of the D610, a very minor update to the full-frame D600. It's essentially the same camera, but with an improved shutter that allows for a 6fps continuous shooting rate. Many D600 owners reported that the camera has a tendency to pick up dust on the sensor after extended use. It wasn't something we saw with our review unit, and sensor dust is a common issue with all interchangeable lens cameras, but the noise that D600 owners made indicated that it was something beyond what is normally expected.

Nikon issued a service advisory for the D600 relating to the dust issue. The company is not saying that the new shutter is there to reduce the instances of dust accumulation; rather, the official line is that it improves the burst shooting rate and also introduces a new 3fps quiet continuous mode.

The D610 comes in at a $100 less than its predecessor; it's priced at $1,999.95 as a body only, and can be purchased in a kit with the 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens for $2,599.95.

Rounding out the Nikon announcements is a new high-end prime lens. The AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G matches the focal length of the classic Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2, but its aperture isn't quite as ambitious. The new lens features the latest nanocrystal coatings, ED and aspherical elements, and an internal SWM focus motor. It's priced at $1,699.95 and will be available at the end of October.

Source: Pcmag

Nikon D5300 DSLR Unveiled, 24.2MP Successor to the D5200

Posted on 18. Oct, 2013 by Steve in Digital Cameras

Nikon D5300 Buy Cheap-with-18-140mm-Nikkor-lens.jpg">Nikon has unveiled the successor to the popular Nikon D5200 digital SLR, which the company launched almost one year ago, the new model is named Nikon D5300. The new Nikon D5300 will start to ship early next month with a retail price that is just under $800 for the camera body. The D5300 and the D5200 both share a similar body design, but there are minor differences or improvements that the D5300 has to offer buyers.

The improvements list is short and consists of features that enhance the photographic abilities of the camera and a feature that brings the camera up-to-date with a new digital camera market trend.

Improvements that will help the overall performance of the new Nikon D5300 over the now-old D5200 include a newly designed and higher resolution CMOS image sensor along with a brand new image processor.

Between the Nikon D5200 and the new Nikon D5300, the 24.2 megapixel D5300 has just 0.1 megapixels more resolution than the 24.1 megapixel D5200, however the D5300′s sensor has no built-in OLPF (optical low pass filter) and Nikon say's that will help with image clarity, both the old D5200 and new D5300 use similarly sized DX-format CMOS image sensors.

Nikon D5300 digital SLR gallery:

The new image processor that you will be getting with the upcoming Nikon D5300 is Nikon's newly developed EXPEED 4 image processor. According to Nikon, the new EXPEED 4 offers fast performance while 'maximizing energy efficiency, reducing image noise and delivering true-to-life colors'. The D5200 digital SLR features the EXPEED 3 image processing engine.

After the new image sensor and processor the only other major new feature included with the new Nikon D5300 digital SLR is Wi-Fi. The camera will be shipped with Wi-Fi capabilities built-in that don't need any external accessories like the Nikon WU-1a. The built-in Wi-Fi will let you pair your D5300 to your mobile devices iOS or Android after you install the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility free app. Also the Wi-Fi working with the cameras built-in GPS can geo-tag files all without external accessories.

However, with the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility app you will be able to complete functions like remote shooting where you can use your mobile device as a live view enabled wireless remote for snapping photos, wireless transferring of photo and video files, manual file upload for sending files to your mobile device even when you're not paired to the device (the image just downloads later when you are paired).

After you consider all of those differences the Nikon D5300 isn't really a radically new camera compared to the out-going Nikon D5200. However nobody should have expected a totally different camera given the very short gap between the two cameras launches, the D5200 was launched November of last year.

Some big similarities include Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps, continuous Shooting up to 5 fps, expandable ISO from 100-25600, 39-Point auto-focusing system, active D-Lighting and built-in HDR, Nikon F mount support, and an at eye-level pentamirror optical viewfinder.

From an exterior design perspective you can really see the lack of a re-design in the D5300 compared to the D5200. The only difference in looks is the vari-angle LCD is now 3.2-inches with the D5300 instead of 3.1-inches. Even with the color options the new Nikon D5300 is much like the D5200, the new camera will be offered in Black, Red or Grey colors.

Camera seller B&H Photo Video is offering pre-orders for the Nikon D5300 body at $796.95 (same price for each color) and they are offering a body+14-140mm telephoto zoom lens kit (pictured first above) for $1,396.95. With this particular retailer you can expect your pre-ordered D5300 camera to ship on November 14, 2013 according to notice put on each listing.

Tags: 1080p, 3.2-inch Vari-Angle LCD, 720p hd, active D-Lighting, auto-focus system, cmos sensor, digital camera, dslr, DX-format DSLR, full hd, FullHD, gps, hd, hdmi, hdr, image stabilization system, interchangeable lens, memory card, Nikon, Nikon D5300, Nikon dslr, Nikon Expeed 4, Nikon F mount, Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility, optical low pass filter, optical viewfinder, pentamirror optical viewfinder, sd memory card, sdhc memory card, sdxc memory card, tilt LCD, Video, wi-fi

Source: Digital-cameras-planet

Two Weeks Of Government Shutdown Have Helped Erase Two Years Of Consumer Confidence Gains

<promotionalp>Gallup's latest reading of its daily economic confidence index is at -41, down 40 points from a peak of -1 reached in late May.

Half of the drop from May's peak to today's levels has happened in just the past two weeks, since the government shutdown started on October 1.

At -41, the index is at the lowest level since December 12, 2011 - almost two years ago. In other words, two weeks of government shutdown has helped erase two years of gains in consumer confidence.

Only 28% of those polled by Gallup say the economic outlook is getting better, whereas 67% say it's getting worse.

Gallup
Source: Businessinsider

Supreme Court Has Deep Docket in Its New Term

WASHINGTON - After back-to-back terms ending in historic rulings that riveted the nation, the Supreme Court might have been expected to return to its usual diet of routine 5s iphone cases american academy for girls kuwait that rarely engage the public.

Instead, the court's new term, which starts Monday, will feature an extraordinary series of cases on consequential constitutional issues, including campaign contributions, abortion rights, affirmative action, public prayer and presidential power.

"This term is deeper in important cases than either of the prior two terms," said Irving L. Gornstein, the executive director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown University.

An unusually large number of the new cases put important precedents at risk, many in areas of the law the court has been rapidly revising since the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. She was at the court's ideological center, and her moderate instincts played a crucial role in shaping the court's jurisprudence on abortion, race, religion and the role of money in politics.

Justice O'Connor was succeeded in 2006 by the more conservative Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., and the impact of that switch is likely to be felt in new cases in all four of those areas, with the court revisiting and perhaps replacing precedents from earlier courts in all of them.

In the last term, the court grappled with the nature of equality - in college admissions, in the voting booth and at the altar. The new term will include a run of cases on the structure of the political process, including ones on the balance of power between the branches of government and the role of money in politics.

One case, National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning, No. 12-1281, is a test of President Obama's ability to bypass the Senate by making recess appointments. It has partisan overtones reminiscent of the clash over the constitutionality of his health care law.

"Canning seems to me the most important case on the court's docket to date," said Gregory G. Garre, a lawyer with Latham & Watkins who served as solicitor general in the administration of President George W. Bush. "Once again, the court and the president seem destined to face off, with potentially huge stakes for both institutions."

A second case continues a signature project of the court, led by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., which has been subjecting campaign finance laws to skeptical scrutiny in a half-dozen decisions, including Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which in 2010 freed corporations and unions to spend without limit in candidate elections. The new case moves the court's focus from such independent spending to caps on direct contributions from individuals to candidates and political parties.

That case, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, No. 12-536, may imperil a foundational 1976 campaign finance precedent, Buckley v. Valeo.

The Buckley decision is not the only major precedent at risk this term. The court has been asked to overrule an unusually large number of major decisions, including ones on free speech, religious liberty and property rights.

The court has two cases concerning abortion on its docket. One of them, McCullen v. Coakley, No. 12-1168, is a challenge to a Massachusetts law that restricted protests near reproductive health care facilities. The court upheld a similar Colorado law in 2000 in Hill v. Colorado.

"This is probably the most likely precedent to be overruled," said Kannon K. Shanmugam, a lawyer with Williams & Connolly.

The second one concerns whether states may limit the use of abortion-inducing drugs. The case, Cline v. Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice, No. 12-1094, has taken a detour to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which has been asked for a clarification.

When the case returns, the Supreme Court may well modify its understanding of one of Justice O'Connor's central legacies, Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. That decision reaffirmed the core of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion, and prohibited laws placing an "undue burden" on women's access to abortion.

It remains to be seen whether any one of the new cases captures the public imagination in the same way some of the recent blockbusters did. By comparison to the usual term, though, there will be plenty of excitement.

"We got used to 10 cups of coffee a day," said Andrew J. Pincus, a lawyer with Mayer Brown. "Now we are having only three."

There is more strong coffee coming.

The justices will soon decide whether to hear a new challenge to Mr. Obama's health care law. The cases concern the law's requirement that employers provide insurance coverage for contraception.

Some corporations object, saying the requirement violates their right to religious freedom. They cite Citizens United, which recognized corporations' free speech rights.

"The chances of the court taking this case up this term are somewhere between 99 and 100 percent," said Paul D. Clement, who served as United States solicitor general in the George W. Bush administration and represented 26 states in the last health care case.

The justices are also quite likely to agree to hear a case on whether the police may search the phones of people they arrest.

The term will get off to a fast start, with the court hearing the campaign finance case on Tuesday.

A week later, in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, No. 12-682, the court will return to the subject of race-conscious college admissions plans. In June, it considered the question of whether the Constitution permits them at public universities and largely ducked the issue, returning the case to a lower court.

The new case flips the inquiry, now asking whether Michigan voters were entitled to ban the use of race in selecting students. A pair of Supreme Court precedents struck down similar measures on the ground that they had unfairly recast the political ground rules. Those decisions may be at risk in the new case.

In November, the justices will consider whether and when town officials may open their public meetings with prayer. The case, Town of Greece v. Galloway, No. 12-696, came from Greece, N.Y., a town near Rochester. Starting in 1999, the town board has begun its public meetings with a prayer from a "chaplain of the month." That chaplain has almost always been a Christian. Town officials said that members of all faiths, and atheists, were welcome to give the opening prayer.

Some residents have been offended by the prayers, and they said the practice violated the First Amendment's prohibition of government establishment of religion.

In 1983, in Marsh v. Chambers, the Supreme Court upheld the Nebraska Legislature's practice of opening its legislative sessions with an invocation from a paid Presbyterian minister, saying that such ceremonies were "deeply embedded in the history and tradition of this country."

This will be the ninth term for Chief Justice Roberts and the fourth featuring the court's current membership. The court is always a work in progress, of course, but the current one has matured into an assertive force at the center of American life.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy remains the court's ideological fulcrum. When the court's more conservative members capture his vote, they can take bold action, as when the court struck down part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in a 5-to-4 ruling on the next-to-last day of the term in June. A day later, when Justice Kennedy joined the court's liberals, the court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act in another 5-to-4 decision.

The coming term may not conclude in June with quite the same fireworks as the last two. But it has the potential to reshape American politics and individual liberties in profound ways.

Source: Nytimes

Budget battle heats up, despite pause over car chase

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The battle over the budget impasse got intensely personal Thursday on Capitol Hill, though a chaotic car chase which ended in gunfire temporarily sidelined the debate later in the day.

Police described the car chase as an "isolated incident." The chase started at the White House and ended near the Capitol building, putting Capitol Hill on lockdown just as debate over a pair of small spending bills was getting underway.

But by late afternoon, lawmakers returned. The tone more somber than before, they approved a bill to fund the Veterans Affairs Department, after voting to fund the National Guard and Reserve earlier in the day.

The late-day political truce is unlikely to last. House Republicans plan to push a series of mini-spending bills in the coming days, to fund everything from FEMA to intelligence officers, in a bid to pressure Democrats. And before the car chase, Democrats had been sharpening their rhetoric and applying pressure directly to House Speaker John Boehner, blaming him for the impasse and claiming he's caved to the "anarchists" in his party.

After congressional leaders tried, unsuccessfully, to talk out their differences a day earlier during a private White House meeting, lawmakers appeared to be bracing for a protracted fight. Republicans stood by demands that Democrats negotiate with them over anti-ObamaCare riders to a budget bill. Democrats stood by the position that they will not -- under any circumstances -- meet that demand.

"There will be no negotiations over this," President Obama vowed, during a rally in Rockville, Md.

But Democrats' approach took a turn Thursday, as leaders shifted from blaming Tea Party Republicans to blaming Boehner. Their argument is that Boehner could allow for the government to re-open by bringing a "clean" budget bill to the floor and letting it pass with majority Democratic support. Obama said Boehner won't do that "because he doesn't want to anger the extremists in his party."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reserved caustic words for the speaker during a briefing with reporters.

"We can't perform the most basic functions of government because (Boehner) doesn't have the courage to stand up to that small band of anarchists," Reid said.

Reid taunted Boehner during the same press conference. "Some recent stories have even suggested that the speaker is keeping the government shut down because I hurt his feelings. If that's true, I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings," Reid said.

Perhaps it was no coincidence that while Obama and Reid were implicating the speaker, the hashtag #BoehnerShutdown began trending on Twitter.

Republicans, though, have their own approach. They are casting Democrats as stubborn and uncompromising, and have proceeded to pass a series of small spending bills, effectively daring Democrats to oppose them.

"Republicans have sent bill after bill after bill to the Senate to keep the government open, and Democrats have rejected every one of them - refusing to even talk about our differences," Boehner said in a statement. "We want to resolve this dispute as soon as possible, but that will require Washington Democrats to realize neither side gets everything it wants."

House Republican Leader Eric Cantor, in a memo to Republicans, argued that Obama and Reid are to blame for the impasse.

"This shutdown is a result of President Obama and Majority Leader Reid refusing to reach across the aisle in a divided government, a problem that has sadly been a hallmark of this Administration," Cantor wrote. "One can only speculate as to why President Obama and Congressional Democrats are not only refusing to negotiate but now refusing to support or provide the American people with relief from the government shutdown. But I firmly believe their position is untenable."

But Democrats were trying to get under Boehner's skin, suggesting that he's not truly in control, but catering to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his Tea Party allies.

"Senator Cruz is now joint speaker," Reid said. A day earlier, Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., on the floor of the House, asked whether John Boehner or Ted Cruz was speaker of the House.

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., also went on a tirade from the floor accusing Republicans of having waged "jihad" on Americans with opposition to the health care bill.

Moments later, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said he was "disgusted" by Miller's comments.

Republicans, though, offered Democrats some low-hanging fruit after Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., told the Washington Examiner in an interview that: "We have to get something out of this. And I don't know what that even is."

Democrats, including Obama, ridiculed the remark. Stutzman later issued a statement saying "I carelessly misrepresented the ongoing budget debate."

"Despite my remarks it's clear that the American people want both parties to come to the table to reopen the government, tackle this nation's debt crisis, and stop ObamaCare's pain," he said.

Source: Foxnews

Virgin selling iPhone 5s, 5c at $100 discount

Buyers interested in the iPhone 5c or the iPhone 5s iphone cases otterbox pink iphone may want to give Virgin Mobile another look. As we mentioned last week, the low-cost Sprint-owned carrier is offering the new models as of Tuesday, but they're doing so at a cheaper price than you'll find elsewhere.

Virgin tends to sell phones for the full unlocked cost, but in this case it's offering $100 off that unsubsidized price. That means if you're looking for an iPhone 5s, you can pick one up for $550, $650, and $750 for 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB, respectively. An iPhone 5c, likewise, goes for $450 for 16GB and $550 for 32GB. All that on top of Virgin's generally cheaper monthly plans, which start at $35, offer unlimited data and text messaging, and do not require a contract.

Of course, Virgin is one of the smaller carriers in the U.S. and it relies on Sprint's network, which is somewhat smaller than those offered by AT&T and Verizon. It's also worth keeping in mind, however, that the Sprint version of the iPhone 5c and 5s used by Virgin are not compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon (though they do work with several smaller carriers), so your switching options are limited.

Source: Macworld

Lunatik TAKTIK cases for iPhone 5s: Extreme peace of mind

Summary: Lunatik has issued updated versions of its ultra-protective, extreme lifestyle 5s iphone cases otterbox black and gray defender interactive case cover with holster for att htc one x for the iPhone 5s.

Anyone who follows this blog knows that I am a huge fan of protective cases for mobile devices. Recently, I looked at OtterBox's latest Defender case designs for the iPhone 5s and 5c.

While I still believe that OtterBox is one of the better cases on the market, recent design changes in the product to accommodate the Touch ID sensor in the new iPhone 5s may have reduced the effectiveness of some of its protection.

So if you really want to add a little bit more fudge factor to your active lifestyle and increase your peace of mind when carrying these expensive devices, there's another solution on the market: The Lunatik TAKTIK.

Lunatik has two cases on the market to address active as well as extreme lifestyles. The TAKTIK Strike, for both iPhone 5s and iPhone 5, is a multi-layered, machine screw-sealed and thick "sarcophagus" enclosure for your mobile device.

The bezels are made out of an impact-resistant polymer, which is surrounded by a silicone, 9mm-thick impact truss, accompanied by PVD-coated steel hardware with aluminum port covers. This is a case designed to take the rigors of daily use and abuse and then some.

What I most like about the case is the tight fit from screwing the enclosure shut, as well as the high elevation of the bezel from the screen area, which is critical for protecting the screen from damage if it happens to fall flat towards the display area. At $60 for both the white or black versions, I happen to think the price is right for what you are getting, which is a lot of peace of mind for an otherwise fragile and slippery device.

Unlike the OtterBox Defender, the TAKTIK Strike does not have a permanent screen protector, but I don't think this is a major deficiency in the product's design.

For those of you with "extreme" lifestyles, there is the TAKTIK Extreme for the iPhone 5s and 5, which adds a secondary layer of Corning Gorilla Glass. This doubles the price of the case ($124) and it also, in the case of the 5s, completely covers the Touch ID sensor, leaving it usable as a home button only and thus requiring the traditional pin-code screen unlock and password entry for App Store purchases.

However, my guess is that anyone wanting to use this case on a 5s probably doesn't care about this issue.

Have you pre-ordered your TAKTIK Strike or Extreme for your iPhone 5s? Talk back and let me know.
Source: Zdnet

Otterbox releases the Defender Series case for iPhone 5s

Protection, protection is one of the greatest needs of human. Not just from the malicious intent of other people that might cause harm to them. Well, dying is the worst result without it and it's really frightening. Other than that, we need protection from natural disaster, you know, something that happen naturally like it can't be helped to be harm if you're not being careful in an accident. To put into a scenario, it's like driving a motorcycle on a rainy day and on the wet road without a helmet or a police diving into a bank robbery scene alone without a bulletproof vest, yes it's suicidal. Well, danger is only right there (please don't ask where. >.<) and all we can do is to be more careful, sharp and use materials for protection and safety assuring devices. Right, protection is something you, me, and everyone needs.

But in this world, we are not the only ones that need protection. Of course, even plants and animals need it. And on the other side, even "Things" need it. Like your beloved PC or laptops, you install an anti-virus into it in able to avoid the incoming information with harmful data in your computer. That is to avoid harming the system or the parts of your CPU, or corruption of files and many other annoying results that a virus can bring to your life.

Now, let me tell you the main story of this article. You probably know it already by now. Yes, I want to tell you guys that even your precious iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c is still in danger. Talking about inevitability, we can't help sometimes to experience that, "whoops!" and then found your iPhone 5s lying on the floor, with a crack on its screen then you give the final roar, "OMG !!!" Yes, that's how it is.

OtterBox

So let me introduce you the Otterbox, a company with the innovation of protective solution for the leading global handheld manufacturers, wireless carriers and distributors, they've got technology covered! Yes, they also produce a tough case to provide protection from any accident that might face by your precious smartphones. OtterBox is also known for its 5s iphone cases otterbox camo quilt with the capability of handling rugged conditions, protecting iPhone owners from drops with three layers of material. It's a huge case, but many swear to it.

Defender Series

They already release the Defender Series for iPhone 5s days after the Apple released their latest mobile to the public. This three layers in Defender Series can be found on its screen protectors, carbonate inner layer, and a silicone outer layer that handles the protection you need. Other than this Defender series are Commuter series, Reflexive series and Prefix Series for iPhone 5s.

Commuter Series

As the Defender series has three layers. The Commuter Series possess with only two layers, they made it for user who needs protection but they don't like the size of the natural case so OtterBox deduct one layer to make its physical appearance smaller than a three layer.

Reflexive Series

It is the lightest case among the four cases released by OtterBox.

Prefix Series

Prefix series is like what they had done to commuter series. This series offer only one layer for protection.

And this is the OtterBox. It provides protection for your smartphones. I hope you discover a new way to protect your devices. As for others who know it already. Thumbs up for OtterBox.

Source: Thebitbag