Wednesday 5 December 2012

Nasa to send new rover to Mars in 2020

 

 

The vehicle will be based on its Curiosity robot, which landed on the Red Planet in August. 

Nasa expects to re-use many of the technologies that worked so successfully in getting the one-tonne spacecraft down into the huge equatorial bowl known as Gale Crater. 

This included a rocket-powered crane that lowered Curiosity to the surface on nylon cords.

The announcement of a follow-up robot was made here at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, the world's largest annual gathering for Earth and planetary scientists, and a major showcase for Nasa-led research.







  • (A) Curiosity will trundle around its landing site looking for interesting rock features to study. Its top speed is about 4cm/s
  • (B) This mission has 17 cameras. They will identify particular targets, and a laser will zap those rocks to probe their chemistry
  • (C) If the signal is significant, Curiosity will swing over instruments on its arm for close-up investigation. These include a microscope
  • (D) Samples drilled from rock, or scooped from the soil, can be delivered to two hi-tech analysis labs inside the rover body
  • (E) The results are sent to Earth through antennas on the rover deck. Return commands tell the rover where it should drive next








Scientists find what may have been the first dinosaur - and say it was similar in size to a Labrador with a tail 5 feet long

 

The first dinosaur to have walked on Earth may have been found by scientists.
Nyasasaurus parringtoni would have been alive 10 to 15 million years before any previously known dinosaurs - and more than 150million years before the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The size of a Labrador and slight of build, Nyasasaurus had a five foot-long tail and likely walked upright on two legs.



The fossilised bones were collected during a Cambridge University expedition to Tanzania in the 1930s and gradually examined over the decades by Natural History Museum palaeontologist Alan Charig.
He requested that the work be continued on his death and the full details have now been published.
Dr Paul Barrett, a NHM dinosaur expert who took part in the study, said: 'We don't know if it walked on two legs or four legs but our prediction is that it's two legs and the reason is that the majority of early dinosaurs are two-legged animals.






Paul Barrett of London's Natural History Museum, part of the team who made the new discovery, excavates a skeleton of a prosauropod dinosaur near Lady Grey, South Africa



R

Architect Oscar Niemeyer, Who Designed Brazil's Capital, Dies.

 Architect Oscar Niemeyer, who designed Brazil's capital and is known for some of the world's most famous modernist buildings, has died. He was 104.

 

 

Legendary Jazz Musician Dave Brubeck Dies

 

Dave Brubeck, the legendary jazz pianist and composer, known for defying jazz conventions and for recordings like "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk," has died.

Brubeck died of heart failure in Norwalk, Conn. He was one day short of his 92nd birthday.

 

THE CURRENT  EVENTS






TECHNOLOGY:





Samsung Galaxy S IV codenamed 'Project J', may launch April 2013


Samsung is having plans to announce the next Galaxy S in April.

According to older rumors the Galaxy S IV would have a full HD AMOLED display, a quad-core cpu,the latest version of android, a 13 megapixel camera and the screen size would be 5.0"
Our insider could not confirm the specifications at this moment! He only knows the new project name called: Project J for the next Galaxy.


2.

In 'Killing' The Text Message, Facebook Is Behind The Pack

 

Blackberry, Yahoo, Apple, Google and Now FaceBook to Pressure Carrier Texting Revenue

 



 

"Why Text Messaging Still Thrives Despite Smartphones, Twitter and WhatsApp".

 

 

Architect Oscar Niemeyer, Who Designed Brazil's Capital, Dies

 

 

 

Audi A1 not coming to India to compete with BMW 1 Series and Mercedes Benz A CLass next year:

 

INDIA'S 2NDLARGEST CAR PRODUCTION COMPANY HASNOPLANS TOLAUNCH AUDI 1, THE SMALEST CAR ,IN INDIA








Thursday 8 November 2012

COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT BLOGS TWO DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES:



BLOG OF SHEKHAR KAPOOR:


Gandhi, Gandhiji or Mahatma Gandhi ?
So what does Gandhi mean to the world, to India and specially to us, who are born in India and brought up to almost worship him. We tagged him with the prefix ‘Mahatma’ with has mythic and religious symbolism.
And there lies the problem. We have such a wonderful way to consign a life to a figure to be worshipped on the mantle piece and thereby distancing ourselves from him . No longer do we feel the pangs of guilt of not being able to imbibe values of another human being simply because, after all,  he/she are no longer human beings but Gods to be worshipped, aren’t they ?
After all, just think of the massive corrupt deals being made in rooms and offices where a huge picture of Gandhiji hangs from the wall.
I have struggled a lot to distance myself from the word Mahatma. Not easy when the greatest heroes in my eductaion system were Bapuji and Chacha Nehru.  I have got over Chacha Nehru as I have grown up. Recognizing the incongruity of Panchsheel and Bandung Conference by studying the dictatorial lives of his comrades like Sukarno of Indonesia and Nasser of Egypt. And wondered on what basis Nehru chose his non – aligned friends.
The more I learn about the Partition of India, the more I realize that Chacha Nehru too, was as complicit in that horrendous event as was Jinnah. It was after all, the battle to be the first Prime Minister of India that laid the tragedy of partition at the feet of personal ambition.  The huge public sector projects that ultimately were doomed to be hot beds of inefficiency and corruption. The tragedy of the War with China that Chacha Nehru refused to face up to, despite repeated warnings form his military chiefs. Refusing to believe that his charisma and diplomatic skills were not enough to prevent China from dealing a devastating blow to India’s ill equipped armed forces at the cost of thousand of lives.  Of soldiers sent directly to battle to a terrain and weather that would need months of training to exist in.
So many soldiers just froze to death in their bunkers.
Yet Chacha Nehru did have vision. And used the force of his personality to get his way.  He did see India in its modern traditions long before anyone else did.  He did foresee the need for education and formed the IIT’s that gave rise to the beginnings of pride in being Indian in the modern world and made the world suddenly wake up to modern India.  India and the world saw Nehru as India, and India as Nehru.
The problem was Chacha Nehru too, saw Nehru as India and India as Nehru.  Something his daughter inherited to devastating effect.
It has been less easy for me to drop the mantle of hero worshipping Gandhiji. Yes there are stories of him sleeping naked with his nieces. Stories I think are exaggerations. Yes he was a mule of man. Obstinate to a fault. Like all men like him, including Nelson Mandela, who’s obstinacy destroyed their immediate family.
Yet it was this obstinacy that that brought the British down to their knees. Of course the British were wounded and limping after the war and could no longer hold on to a huge colony like India if it rebelled. But Gandhi used yet unknown tools of political warfare to ferment one of the most famous freedom struggles in the world.
It is said that no one understood the roots of India more than Gandhi.  That’s absolutely true. But no one understood the roots of the great British Empire and world politics more than Gandhi. I will never forget the picture of Gandhi entering the British Parliament in his white Dhoti in a sea of black suits and very British dresses. Being applauded by the very people he was causing Indians to rebel against.
Gandhi has the sharpest political mind of the modern history because he understood the value of myth. He created a mythology that was Gandhi in the world of politics that was mysterious, unfathomable and unshakable. In his own lifetime. That in itself was amazing.
To Indians he created a figure that came right out of the roots of India’s culture. The worship of sacrifice. Of ‘Tyag’. He became the epitome of ‘Tyag’, the giving up of all worldly addictions, material or personal. Whether he deliberately created himself into that myth, or he deeply believed in those values will always be a mystery. Thats what Myths are.
Yes. Gandhi was once a bit of a Anglophile. You can tell by the way he dressed before he gave up Western clothes. He aspired to be at the bar at London. You can tell by the way he wrote his letters, even signing himself off as ‘your sincere friend’ to Hitler!  I will never work out why he did that.
Yes there is a really amazing picture of a very young Gandhi, proudly posing in the clothes of a British soldier as he serves in the British army in the medical corps during the Boer War. Yes, it is possible that the Gandhi the world knows was born of a personal feeling of insult and humiliation by the British in South Africa, that ultimately led to a wider national and international perspective. But that’s the story of all great revolutionaries and freedom fighters.
But try as hard as I can I cannot easily shake of Gandhiji as one the greatest human beings that lived in the 20th century. And a man (not the picture on the mantlepiece) that needs to be studied, understood and learnt from. His perspective and knowledge on India economics are now abundantly clear to us from the mistakes we have made in the last 65 years. Gandhiji always insisted that true India lived in its villages and that economic prosperity and wealth should grow from grass roots by encouraging enterprise and innovation in those grass roots levels.
And today as India struggles to come to terms with its vast inequalities and the world writes reams of books on ‘bottom of the pyramid’ and economic planners struggle with how to encompass 700 million people into the new economic order, it will be well worth today, the day of Gandiji’s birth, or Gandhiji Jayanti, to stand up and say :
Gandhiji warned us so.













BLOG OF AMITABH BACHCHAN


 Inventions continue .. from the style and look of one to the style and look of another, irrespective of what the final outcome may be. It is the way of our lives … start with one such blessing and within days million others climb on.
So what was thought, desired and wished for, gets that moment in the picturesque and lush scenario of this location, now utterly in the realm of make belief ..
Making any sense … not quite ! Someday perhaps there should be a contest to decipher what has been expressed and why .. and maybe their should be a print of this … many have suggested this today at the various meetings that take place, each one giving us such a magnificent account of the prospects that would be there for the asking in the days to come .. 
However there is only so much time and inclination that can be accommodated. There is film there is television, there are events of the nature of the Champs - Elysees recitation, there is desire to be brand ambassadors of Channels leading on to historic shows, there is also the concept of bringing Tv to the level of the making of film. There is song to sing and song to learn from instruments. There is offer to write and publish. There is cinema from the West. There is no end to what the mind is thinking of at the moment - not mine but the minds of the others !
And all this ends up in deep consideration and thought. A thought that does not offer me solution or direction. One wishes to do all, but knows that that may not be possible. What then ? See the ideas getting destroyed and filed away, or trying at least trying to accommodate all of them within time factors. This is a huge dilema and one that needs to be considered with patience and sense. And so it shall …
Work for me is the stimulation that keeps the body moving in all its grandeur. Most bodies shall rot and disseminate if they are not given attention and consideration. My consideration at the moment is limited. It must be so. It cannot be any other. But there is the greed of wanting to do more. To struggle, to compete, to learn fresher objects and vocations … and time limits all … such a tragedy !!
But … if I know myself - a condition many aspire for - I know I shall wish to be in all. And that is the dilema that we must face. Being seen everywhere shall undoubtedly raise the question of getting close to a staleness most creative people drive away from. How best then to keep in all, yet be not there at all … !!
Ah ! Well … some good shall come of this … if not I shall not hesitate to be in the company of that which is known to me. The unknown can wait. And that is the dilemma. The scales tilt favourably for the ones which I like, but the real test could come about in the unknown too. Maybe the unknown is the one that needs attention and connect.
Funny things happen in life … so …
Age shall not permit me to be in the state where it is felt that I am starting of fresh and new. And in these it is believed that which falls in the category of interest shall be the one that shall prevail.
Prevail … yes … prevail …
Sleep overcomes me … I must not break bread or tradition …
Good night then … and …
Amitabh Bachchan 










now the comaparison


The difference between the blogs of these two personalities differ with according to their perception, their way of thinking and their nature.
shekhar kapoor is really good with his words and language, even he can be judged  positive with his views and perception, but the best thing about mr. Amitabh bachchan is the way he potreys his thoughts and feelings, simple but effective.
the best thing about mr. Amitabh bachchan is , if he speaks in hindi  or in english then he completley and purely gets dedicated to that language, you will not find any mixing of  different languages or any foreign word in that. he is very good at both the languages and potrays it by respecting each of them.

more over, shekhar kapoor is generally targeting the individuals, but mr. Amitabh bachchan  never targets any individual,he always puts forward his views about any scenario or any current event.
both are good and effectie in their own ways, but mr. Amitabh bachchan is really good  and honourable with his perception and his respective thoughts.
THE 12 JYORTHILINGA SHRINES OF LORD SHIVA


1 - Somnath
 


Temple of Lord Somnath is situated near the town of Veraval in Western part of Gujarat. Veraval is reached from Rajkot. The temple at present is a great imposing structure and is situated just on the sea shore.Skanda Purana describes the emergence of this Jyotirling.Legend goes that the moon was married to the 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati.Amongst all his wives, he loved most  Rohini and neglected the others. Seeing the negligence of Chandra towards his other wives, Daksha cursed Chandra that he would lose his charm and radiance.
As the moon lost the radiance and beauty the entire world became lifeless. A disturbed Chandra, came down to Prabhasa with Rohini and worshipped the Linga of Somnath.He was blessed by Shiva to grow and shine in the bright half.
As the moon regained his light here, this town came to be known as Prabhasa.Brahma, one of the trinity, installed the Brahmashila, and paved way for the construction of the temple.
On the1 request of the Chandrama and other gods Bhagwan Shankar assumed the name Somchandra (Jyotirlinga) and resided there eternally. He became famous by the name Somnath in the three worlds.


2 - Mallikarjuna

There once lived a brahmin in Avanti, who had four sons, who were great devotees of Lord Shiva.Dushanan, a demon was giving trouble, disturbing all good & religious activities. 
The brahmins from all over the land gathered with the four sons & performed pooja to Lord Siva.  The spot where they had taken mud to make the Lingam, had become a huge pond. 
When Dushanan came to disturb their pooja, Lord Siva rose from this pond as Mahakaleshwarar & destoryed Dushanan.  On the request of the brahmins, Lord Shiva gave darshan to devotees at this divine place.
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3 - Mahakaleshwar
 
There lived a brahmin in Avanti, who had four sons, who were great devotees of Lord Shiva. Dushanan, a demon was giving trouble, disturbing all good & religious activities.  The brahmins from all over the land gathered with the four sons & performed pooja to Lord Shiva. 
The spot where they had taken mud to make the Lingam, had become a huge pond.  When Dushanan came to disturb their pooja, Lord Shiva rose from this pond as Mahakaleshwarar & destoryed Dushanan.  On the request of the brahmins, Lord Shiva gave darshan to devotees at this divine place,one of the JyotirLings.

4 - Omkareshwar
 
Omkareshwar is situated on the Mandhata hills in Madhya Pradesh, known in ancient times as Shivpuri.  The temple dates back to the Krita Yuga.  River Narmada flows here around the Mandhata hill in the form of an Om (Omkaram).
The Omkareshawar temple  is built in the North Inidan style of architecture.Shiva Lingas of various sizes are sold in great numbers in this place. It is said that once, sage Narada during his visit to the Vindyas, sang the praise of mount Meru to Mount Vindhya. 
On hearing this, Mount Vindhya prayed to Lord Shiva to gain in importance.  Lord Siva blessed him & appeared here as Omkareshwara & Amaleshwara and gave the boon of growing, but without hindering Shiva devotees..  But the Vindhyas did not stop growing, and even obstructed the sun and the moon. 
Sage Agasthya subdued its growth by saying it should not grow till he gets back there.  He never went back & hence the growth was arrested.4

 

5 - Vaidyanatham

As per the legend,the demon king Ravana meditated hard to invoke Lord Shiva, and requested him to come over to Sri Lanka, so that his capital may become invincible.Ravana then attempted to lift the holy mountain,Kailasa, Lord Shiva's abode to take it with him to his capital.Lord Shiva in anger crushed him with his finger, and Ravana prayed to him for apology. Later on, Shiva gave him one of the twelve Jyotirlingams with the condition that if it was placed on the ground it would get rooted soon. Ravana was then carrying it back on his trek to his capital.
Soon Ravana had nature's call and wanted to relieve himself.Ganesha then came down in the form of a young boy and volunteered to hold the Jyotirlingam as he relieved himself. But before Ravana could return, the boy placed the jyotirlingam on the ground to which it got rooted.
A disappointed Ravana worshipped Lord Shiva here, and cut off nine of his heads as a part of his repentance. Shiva revived him and joined the heads to the body, like a Vaidyaor a physician, hence this Jyotirlingam is named as Vaidyanath.  

6 - Bhimashankar
 The jyotir Lingam is situated on top of the Sahyadri hill temple.The Lingam measures around one and a half feet & quite narrow.  
The temple Bhimashankar is located at Bhuvanagiri village in Pune district of Maharashtra.  River Bhima has its source here. This temple in the Nagara style is very old and not very big structure.  
Lord Siva is considered to be taking rest here after killing Tripurantaka.Shivaji, the Maratha king had made rich endowments for the maintenance of the temple.

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7 - Rameshwaram
  
This shrine is located at the extreme south eastern point of the Indian peninsula and was consecrated by Lord Rama. The jyotirlingam was worshipped by Lord Rama to atone the sin of killing Ravana.
Hanuman flew to get the lingam from Kailasa but was very late,hence Rama worshipped the Lingam made of sand by wife Sita. This Lingam worshipped by Lord Rama is known as Ramanath.  
When Hanuman returned he was disappointed that his Lord had not used the Lingam that he had brought.  Lord Rama pacified Hanuman & named this Lingam Kasi Viswanath.  Devotees have to worship Kasi Viswanath before worshipping Ramanath.

8:Nageshwar
 
 Temple of Lord Nageshwar is situated in Gujarat, and is about 12 kms on the way to Beti Dwaraka.  There once lived a demon called Daruka with his wife Daruki, who were extremely cruel and tortured the innocent people. Daruki was in fact a great devotee of Lord Shiva.
Later Daruka wanted to know the ways of worshipping Lord Shiva.A Shiva devotee, Supriya ,fearing that Daruka would use any additional powers gained by such worship, refused to guide him. The angry Daruka tortured her. 
Lord Shiva appeared and killed the demon Daruka. Later on Shiva killed his wfe,Daruki too.

The Nageswara Jyotirlingam is claimed to exist in 3 places in Dwaraka, in Audhgram, near Almora in Uttar Pradesh. he Sivalingam is facing South, with the Gomugam facing East. 

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9 - Kashi Vishwanath
 
 This shrine of Lord Viswanath is situated in Varanasi.in Northen India. The Siva lingam is placed in a square shaped brass plated pit. 
Devotees are permitted to offer  worship such as abhishekam with holy ganga water, garlanding the Lord, karpoora aarathi, etc. personally to the swaymbhu lingam.
The Lord himself has declared this spot as his Royal residence.  Goddess Parvathi's mother felt ashamed that Lord Shiva no decent dwelling.  To please Parvathi Devi,  Shiva asked Nikumbha to provide him with a dwelling place at Kashi.
here are several smaller shrines around the main shrine.  The head of each ghat has a Shiva linga.



10 - Tryambakeshwar
 
 Lord Trayambakeshwar resides in a beautiful locale about 20 kms from the city of Nashik. It is a well connected place and can also be reached from Mumbai in about 5 hours This shrine is located in the Tryambak town near Nasik.  The temple is in the Indo Aryan style. 
The temple structure with excellent adornments of idols and sculptures, is surrounded by a massive stone wall.  There is a huge bull in front of the temple & another marble Nandi is seen on the inside. 
The sculptural adornments continues even to the garbagriha with human, animals and yakshas carved .
From the Jyotir Lingam at the centre of the garbagriha, trickles the Ganges continuously throughout the year. Sometimes, it is said flames issue forth as also a rumbling sound.

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11 - Kedarnath
 

Kedarnath 
 is located at an elevation of 11,735 feet above sea level. This is at the head  of the Mandakini River,which is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus. This is the only shrine where the Lingam is in pyramidal shape.
According  to  legend, Lord   Shiva   wished   to elude the Pandavas, and  took refuge in Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed, He dived into the ground, leaving behind his hump of the surface. The hump is worshipped in the temple of Kedarnath.
The remaining parts of  the  body  are worshipped at four other places- The arms (Bahu) at Tungnath, Face (Mukh) at  Rudranath,  Navel (Nabhi)  at Madmaheshwar and Hair (Jata) at Kalpeshwar. Together with Kedarnath, these places are known as the Panch Kedar.
The uniqueness and greatness of this temple sees mention in the vedas, and epics.It is believed that temple that exists till date was constructed by the Pandavas. There are the idols of Kedaragowri, Krishna, Pandavas, Draupadi, Vinayagar, Veerabadrar, Kaarthikeyan, Nandi.111
The shrine is covered by snow for 6 months in a year and is closed from Oct-Nov upto Apr-May

12 - Grineshwar
 
Grineshwar is situated near the Ellora caves, Maharashtra state,India.The legend associated with this shrine is like this.Kusuma  was a  devout woman who was a strong devotee of Lord Shiva.In her daily worship she immersed a 'Shivalingam' in a tank.
Her husband's first wife, was jealous of her standing in the society and murdered Kusuma's son.Sad Kusuma continued her worship, and when she immersed the Shivalingam again in the tank, her son was miraculously restored to life.
Lord Shiva is said to have appeared in front of her and the villagers.Since then the shivalingam here has been worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga Ghusmeshwar.
This Jyotir Lingam is considered to exist in two places, one in Devagiri near Ellora & the other at the Kailasatemple in Ellora.12

map

THE NEW APPLE IPOD TOUCH-5TH GENERATION, its awesome

iPod touch review (2012)


DNP iPod touch review 2012
When last we got a new iPod touch, the fourth-generation from 2010, it was so thin relative to other devices of that era we said it looked like "a toothpick." Its 7.2mm thinness was unparalleled -- at the time. But now, just two years later, the iPhone 5 is less than a half-millimeter thicker, and that is of course packing a lot more wizardry inside. Suddenly, that toothpick is looking a little portly, which means it's time for the touch to lose a little weight.
Enter the fifth-generation iPod touch, the 2012 model that has slimmed down to a mere 6.1mm in thickness. It's also about 10 percent lighter -- despite being grafted with a new 4-inch Retina display. Not only is it bigger and thinner, but it's far faster and has hugely improved cameras on both the front and rear. The perfect PMP package for $299? Click on through to find out.
Hardware


The fourth-generation iPod touch had a curved chrome back that looked absolutely lovely coming out of the box. Roughly 30 seconds later that mirrored look would evaporate, replaced by a scratched-up patina that no amount of careful handling could prevent. But, its shape felt good in the hand, with its size and weight both seeming minimal compared to nearly every other device on the market -- two ingredients for a top-notch device.
The fifth generation improves on that in every regard. As mentioned above, it now measures 6.1mm thick, while its width and height clock in at 4.86 by 2.31 inches (123.4 x 58.6mm). Compared to the fourth-generation touch, which measured 111 x 58.9 x 7.2mm, the new iPod is considerably thinner, fractionally narrower and massively taller. It's also noticeably lighter, at 3.1 ounces (88 grams) compared to 3.56 ounces (101 grams) for the outgoing model. Storage capacities are now 32 or 64GB, priced at $299 and $399, respectively.
DNP iPod touch review 2012
We chose the special edition (Product) Red to evaluate and as soon as it came out of the box we were confident we made the right call. It's beautiful.
Gone is the mirrored back, replaced by a matte aluminum shell available in your choice of six anodized colors. We chose the special edition (Product) Red to evaluate and as soon as it came out of the box we were confident we made the right call. It's beautiful. The crimson hue sets up a nice contrast to the white bezel around the glass on the front, as well as the white plastic that forms the rim of the 3.5mm headphone jack, which still lives on the bottom, but has moved to the left to match the placement on the iPhone 5.
That red color bathes a machined aluminum back that has a rather more square profile than the previous iPod touch, but it's still decidedly more comfortable in the hand than the angular, industrial iPhone. The metal enclosure (which has a soft feel similar to a MacBook) is punctuated for numerous sensors, buttons and other accoutrement, with the power/lock toggle still residing in the upper-right and the volume rocker on the left side. On the bottom, next to the headphone jack, is the new Lightning connector, which is rimmed by about a millimeter's worth of raw, uncolored aluminum. Five tiny holes are drilled on the other side of the bottom, making up a puny speaker grille.
DNP iPod touch review 2012
On the back, the camera still peeks out of the top-left, but the module is considerably larger now and, where it was inset on the fourth-gen iPod touch, it now protrudes slightly -- just over 0.6mm, by our measurements. This means the overall actual thickness of the device is closer to 6.8mm, a difference that only those wearing the tightest of skinny jeans need concern themselves with. The camera portal is considerably wider in diameter, too, still flanked by a small microphone opening but now joined by a third opening: an LED flash. It's a 5-megapixel sensor this time with the same basic array of lenses and mechanics found in the iPhone 4S.
Geotagging photos is more popular than ever. Sadly, the iPod touch is left out of that party yet again.
Keep moving across the top back and you'll find a small black plastic patch, similar in feel to the plastic section on the top of the iPad. It's here that the iPod's dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n module sends and receives its data. There's Bluetooth 4.0 support in here too, as well as Nike+ connectivity, but sadly still no GPS. The ability to properly track your movement using fitness apps like Strava would make this an even more compelling workout companion, and of course geotagging photos is more popular than ever. Sadly, the iPod touch is left out of that party yet again.
The most curious bit of connectivity is found at the bottom of the device. It's a little brushed metal circle that, when pushed, pops out slightly. It's here that you attach the curious little microfiber wrist strap that Apple includes with the device. But, in typical Apple style, it isn't called a wrist strap. It's "the loop" and it's designed to further ramp up this thing's street cred as a compact camera.
Finally, on the front things are more or less as they were before -- just taller. Up top, there's a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera peeking out of the bezel. Down below, there's the same subtly recessed home button we've come to expect. In between? Here lies something special.
Display

DNP iPod touch review 2012
The vertical growth of the iPod touch is for one reason and one reason only: to accommodate the new 4-inch display that debuted in the iPhone 5. Yes, this is the exact same panel as the iPhone, not a cut-rate version like the last iPod touch received. That means a 326dpi, 1,136 x 640 IPS LCD screen.
This is among the best panels on any mobile device.
We gushed about this panel in the recent iPhone 5 review, so we won't spend too much time covering such well-trod ground, but we will reiterate our thoughts from before: this is among the best panels on any mobile device. Brightness and contrast are top-notch and viewing angles are wide enough to ensure that you can enjoy everything from all sides. However, we would point out the lack of a brightness sensor here, so unlike the iPhone (and, indeed, the last iPod touch) this thing won't use an appropriate brightness for all lighting conditions -- at least, not without a little help from you.
Performance

DNP iPod touch review 2012
The fifth-generation iPod touch sports a dual-core A5 processor and, while Apple isn't quoting specs, thanks to benchmarking apps we know it's running at 800MHz and is paired with dual-core PowerVR graphics. So, just like the iPhone 4S that came before. And our benchmark results back that up. An average Geekbench score of 627 is right where the 4S tends to rank in, and an average SunSpider score of 1,785 is even better. Our impressions upon using the device definitely match up with those numbers. The iPhone 5 leaves the new iPod in the dust in all regards, but it's a massive leap beyond the old iPod.
We've not been able to run the device through a full battery test, but Apple rates the new iPod touch as having the same music listening time as the previous generation (40 hours) and rates its video playback for an hour longer -- eight versus seven. We've never had a complaint with the longevity of the fourth-gen iPod, so we expect this new model to live up to expectations.
Cameras

DNP iPod touch review 2012
While the new display is the most noticeable departure from the previous-generation iPod and the new silicon on the inside certainly makes for a markedly improved experience, it's the pair of new shooters that mark the biggest step forward from the previous touch. The 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera up front appears to be the same as we've seen in other devices, meaning it's quite good even in conditions with middling light.
Photos are light-years beyond those captured by the previous touch, meaning this does indeed do a reasonably good job as a compact camera.
It's the 5-megapixel setup on the back that's the star of the show. No, it isn't as nice as the new 8-megapixel module on the iPhone 5, but the new iPod does match the performance of the iPhone 4S in most regards, which is to say it takes some great stills. Photos are light-years beyond those captured by the previous touch, meaning this does indeed do a reasonably good job as a compact camera. They don't live up to the photos on the 5, and indeed in lower light you'll see a good amount of noise, so serious photogs will still want to lug along something with a bit more horsepower. But, for more casual holiday snaps, the touch does a respectable job.

It also captures compelling video at 1080p, though the video stabilization here doesn't seem nearly as good as that on the iPhone 5. Trying to walk while filming, a situation handled commendably by the 5, creates a jittery mess here. You'll want to practice those deep-breathing and soft-walking techniques you learned in sniper school. Additionally, you're unable to take stills while recording video, as you can on the iPhone, but overall video quality is more than acceptable.
Software

DNP iPod touch review 2012
Well, it's iOS 6, so you should know more or less what to expect here. Siri is now here, so you can get yourself some spoken-word advice from your slender PMP, and all the iCloud, Safari and other upgrades that were grafted onto the latest version of Apple's mobile OS have all come along for the ride.
There's also the new Maps, for better or for worse, but without GPS you'll be a little bit restricted in terms of what you can do with it. You can also load up third-party navigation apps like TomTom or CoPilot Live, but again they won't be much use anyway.
Sound quality

DNP iPod touch review 2012
We stacked the new iPod touch up against a number of comparable offerings, including the fourth-generation touch, the new iPhone 5 and the new nano as well. We also lined up three sets of headphones, starting with Apple's own EarPods, which we put through the paces and found to be perfectly adequate. We also went a little higher-end with a set of Klipsch S4i buds and, finally, some Sennheiser HD555 cans. The new touch performed well with all, not noticeably better or worse than its predecessor. The internal speaker, meanwhile, is predictably weak, again performing about as well (or, rather, as poorly) as that on the previous touch. You can hear it, but you certainly won't want to use it for much.
Wrap-up

DNP iPod touch review 2012
As an upgrade, the fifth-generation iPod touch hits all the right marks. It's thinner and lighter despite packing a bigger and (far) better screen. It's faster despite having better battery life, its pair of cameras are markedly better than those found in the previous touch and its new matte aluminum exterior certainly seems like it will prove rather more durable in the long-run -- though time shall tell on that front.
That the new touch is rocking Apple's new Lightning connector will be a drawback for those with legacy docks and the like, but this is clearly the path the company is taking going forward, and there's not a lot of sugar we can put on that pill. The iPod touch is a comprehensively better package than the previous-gen unit but, at $299 to start, it certainly doesn't come cheap. If you're reasonably content with your fourth-gen this is probably not worth the upgrade, but if you have an older iPod that's ready for retirement, or are indeed just jumping on the iOS bandwagon for the first time and are happy with your current phone, this is a great place to start.