Snippets: 4 April 2013

Asia in a balance, tablet GPU faceoff, cancer research gets data boost

Snippets: 4 April 2013
Snippets: 4 April 2013

Asia might be the continent that grabs all the headlines in 2013. China Sea island disputes have been compounded by a heated Korean border. It is not surprising that PM Lee is worried that Asia is shooting itself in the foot. How do you compare Android, iOS and Windows tablets in performance? Well, GLBenchmark has made that possible and the results are surprising. Cancer is a tough foe but research in this field now has access to a much wider set of data. Obviously, privacy concerns are now mounting. iCloud’s flaws are surprising as Apple has every advantage on the table to make it a stunning service. Here’s why developers are frustrated with MobileMe’s successor. Lastly, winning a job starts from standing out in the entire process. It’s not just interviews – before and after counts as well. Stand out and get employed.

 

#1: Singapore’s PM Warns Asia, Balances U.S. & Chinese Roles

Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong is visiting Washington and has voiced his concerns on a fracturing Asia. The East China Sea island disputes have been joined by the escalating Korean peninsula crisis. Adding to other long standing territorial claims within and between ASEAN countries, Lee believes that Asia might set itself back if it does not play its cards right. Of course, he reiterates how the U.S. and China can play a joint role. Singapore needs them both. [via ChannelNewsAsia]

 

#2: GPU Faceoff: Android, iOS & Windows Tablets

It is difficult to compare system performances on different platforms because… well they are just too different. Simple benchmarks like Sunspider have been used but they do not tell us much. GLBenchamrk has been released by Kishonti for Windows and now all three platforms can undergo the same test. You might be surprised at who emerged top. [via AnandTech]

 

#3: Cancer Research Boosted by Big Data

Huge datasets are what research dreams are made of. Too often, shortfalls in data hampers research and reduces the significance of results garnered. Doctors can now move past clinical trial data which represents only 3% of 1.6 million patients diagnosed with cancer annually with CancerLinQ. This database collects and analyzes cancer care data from millions of patient visits on file in the United States. While there are privacy concerns, I see better research emerging from this. Cancer needs to get beaten and any intermediary routes to this end is worth exploring. [via The Verge]

 

#4: Why Doesn’t iCloud Just Work?

iCloud seems like a great idea especially in its deep integration with iOS and OS X. After all, iCloud emerged from the ruins of MobileMe, which Steve Jobs admitted personally that it was piece of junk. iCloud is a second generation product that learns from the first. Or so it seems. Developers are running into massive problems developing with iCloud integration. Core Data support is a mess because it just doesn’t deliver what it is supposed to do. Apple will have its hands busy for iOS 7. [via The Verge]

 

#5: Standing Out to Get a Job

How do you get a job when there are over 100+ applicants fighting for it? With slower economic growth and firms barely expanding, fresh graduates are having difficulty getting employed. However, there are many things you can do to stand out from your competitors and this involves the entire process. [via ZipRecruiter]