Technology Blog

Tech Talk...

2007-04-21T12:03:00.000+05:30

What started as a company named after a small town in Finland, Nokia mobile phones are the rage right now. Known for their Stunning cutting edge Technology, combined with astonishing functions and applications, these phones are more of Coolest Gadget. Taking picture becomes much simpler, besides creating and posting to your blog and surfing for other blogs standing on the roadside. Or while taking a bus ride. Like a mobile office that moves with you. That includes surfing for other Technology Blogs to see what’s next in the pipeline. Sony makes some distinguished Gadgets you can count PS3 is one of them.

Digital Hour Glass Watch

2007-04-15T18:17:00.000+05:30

Sand+Time Watch is a project that unites modern technologies and old ways of measuring time. Sand+Time offers its wearer the time in modern electronic hours, but the form of the interface has also been borrowed from an old sand hourglass. The watch functions in two modes. The first, the screensaver, takes the form of a sand hourglass counting a certain time unit set by the user to their preference. (The default setting for the hourglass is to count one minute.) The second mode displays the time in numbers the most common electronic interface for the modern person.

Modular chair

2007-04-15T10:59:00.000+05:30

This is probably the funniest Gadgets I've ever Seen, have a look at it

20GB PS3 Discontinued by Sony

2007-04-14T11:31:00.000+05:30

Apr 13, 2007

According to reports, Sony has confirmed the discontinuation of the 20 GB model of PlayStation 3.

The official announcement from Sony reads,

At launch, we offered two separate models of PlayStation 3 to meet the diverse needs and interests of our PlayStation fan base. Initial retail demand in North America was upwards of ninety percent in favor of the 60GB SKU, so we manufactured and shipped-in accordingly.

The announcement further reads,

Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model in North America. In addition to the larger internal hard drive, the 60GB PlayStation 3 features added storage media slots and built-in Wi-Fi not found in the 20GB system. Based on retailer and consumer feedback, we have decided to focus our current efforts on the more popular 60GB model.

Apparently, the reason behind discontinuing of the 20 GB model has much to do with pricing and lack of certain features in this model vs-a-vs the 60GB one. The 20 GB model was available for a price of $499, where as the 60 GB model is available for $600.

It's obvious most buyers would prefer buying a bigger and better PS3 for a few dollars (read: $100) more...

However, those who already own a 20GB model need not worry, as the company has reportedly assured these customers of continued support the same as promised upon purchase.

Toshiba Qosmio G40 LapDesktop

2007-04-14T11:27:00.000+05:30

Here s a sneak peek at the specs for one of Toshiba s Qosmio GXX line of desktop replacements:
The Qosmio G40. Not only does it have a 17 1920 x 1200 screen, its dual 200GB hard drives, T7300P Core 2 Duo processor (Santa Rosa) and 2GB of RAM make it rocking!

The other usual basic necessities for such a high configured system are obviously included, but with the 512MB GeForce 8600M GT graphics, an HD DVD-R drive and HDMI 1.3 in the mix makes it even more interesting. The laptop will most probably be out initially in Europe sometime in June, with a whopping price of around 3000/$4000 (Rs.1, 71,070). So this one is just a look-but-don t-touch item for now.

Motorola Adds One to Mass Phones

2007-04-11T20:37:00.000+05:30

Motorola has launched its stylishly sleek entry level phone, the W205, in the country.

With the promise to offer a vibrant, colourful, and innovative experience, W205 boasts a 65K colour CSTN display, enabling mobile users experience one of the richest user interfaces on a mobile device.

The handset is only about 14.9mm thick, supports phonebook memory up to 500 contacts, and can store up to 750 SMS.

Speaking at the launch, Malcolm Dawe, Vice President and General Manager for Mobile Devices, Motorola India, said, "As Motorola looks to connect the next billion handset users, we are continuing to raise the bar for mobility, with innovative features and a rich colour experience for Indian mobile consumers."

The W205 enables users download 32 channel polyphonic ring tones, and features iTAP predictive text messaging with Hindi read/write capability. The phone offers 1MB of storage, and an office quality speakerphone.

It also features a multi character phonebook search function with up to 12 characters, menu colour personalization, lantern capability for dark environments, a calendar, currency converter, and talking alarm clock.

The phone battery supports talk time of up to 470 minutes, with standby time up to 307 hours.

The new Motorola W205 is immediately available on the market at an affordable price point of Rs 2,449.

Xbox 360 QWERTY thumb Keyboard

2007-04-10T18:15:00.000+05:30

Rumors about a QWERTY keyboard to support the Xbox 360 have been around for quite some time now and I am sure you will be glad to know that Microsoft has come up with a thumb keyboard for the 360, adding this to its ever growing list of peripherals.

There are a few things you must know before you decide to get one of these:

* The thumb keyboard plugs into the headphone/data jack on the bottom of the controller.

* It comes bundled with its own headset since it doesn't pass the signal through, and
cannot work with current peripherals.

* The keyboard is backlit; the chat bubble icon in the photos is an MSN icon.

Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver

2007-04-10T16:50:00.000+05:30

Although it was first displayed at E3 in 2006, the Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows is finally now made available for purchase. The adapter lets you use your standard wireless 360 peripherals, such as the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller and Wireless Headset, with your Windows PC which means Windows users, who can finally enjoy some wireless play, and it'll only cost them $20.

It also means much more wireless action for upcoming games for Windows titles such as Shadowrun, UNO and Halo 2, along with generic game controls and VoIP functionality. Microsoft is also releasing a $60 package which includes the receiver as well as a wireless controller. Both items are available in the market, although we don't know if its out in India yet.

Imate's New Windows Mobile Device

2007-04-10T05:31:00.000+05:30

i-mate has announced its newest Black JAQ3, calling it a must have tool for every professional on the move.

The JAQ3 is a mid-range Windows Mobile device, designed to appeal to a wider audience. It is a dedicated messaging device with a full QWERTY keyboard, and a 2.4-inch QVGA touch screen display.

The device offers high data download rates with packed GPRS, EDGE, and Wi-Fi connectivity. With Microsoft Direct Push email, attachments can be viewed/edited in real time.

The JAQ3 has buttons and keyboard keys that are nicely domed and raised with tactile feedback, so that users can concentrate on the road while driving instead of having to fiddle with the keys. The rough texture of the keys keeps users' fingers from slipping off of them.

The JAQ3 weighs just 160 grams, and features multi-lingual 24/7 support through www.clubmate.com; built in i-mate suite; i-mate device management and file sharing solution for IT support; and secure access/transfer of information on the go; among others.

Other interesting features include: i-mate Configurator that detects the SIM card, and configures GPRS and MMS settings according to the network as soon as the device boots up; Search Application that searches the device for various files, messages, calendar entries, notes, emails, etc; and Voice Commander that recognizes voice prompts without storing voice tags in the i-mate JAQ3.

Speaking at the launch, Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of i-mate India, said, "A perfect combination of technology and design, JAQ3 is also one of the slimmest Windows Mobile, & is amongst the technically sound Windows Mobiles available in the market."

i-mate JAQ3 is immediately available across the country through the company's wide distributor/dealer network for a price of Rs 25,500.

Razer Pro Type Keyboard

2007-04-09T14:25:00.000+05:30

Razer has finally entered the iPod accessory market with a release date and price for their Razer Pro Type Keyboard. which will be out in mid-April for $130 (Rs.5850).

As expected of Razer, the keyboard features media buttons, 10 programmable keys with backlights, two USB ports and a line-out jack and 10 customizable profiles for setup switching. So if Razer fans are hungry for something new, this is it (Though we have no info on whether it will come to India).

Live Messenger Comes to Xbox 360

2007-04-09T14:23:00.000+05:30

Xbox 360 owners can now experience Windows Live Messenger on their gaming consoles, Windows-based PCs, and Windows Mobile-powered devices.

This announcement comes as part of Xbox 360's spring update, bringing Xbox 360 owners worldwide - access to Windows Live Messenger features on their TV screens through their gaming consoles.

With this update, friends and families can connect directly from their televisions using Windows Live Messenger, and enjoy voice or video chat. The service can be used to text chat with up to six people at one time, while playing games, listening to music, or watching movies.

According to Microsoft, current relationships on Windows Live Messenger and Xbox Live will be unified on Xbox 360, and users will be able to see at a glance if their existing friends on Windows Live Messenger have gamertags, expanding the breadth of connected experiences they can share online.

Users of Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360 will text chat using the virtual keyboard accessible on Xbox 360, or by connecting a USB keyboard to the console. Microsoft will be launching a QWERTY text-input device, a new accessory that will connect directly to the Xbox 360 controller to support text and instant messaging.

Apart from Windows Live Messenger, the spring update for Xbox 360 includes some more features and enhancements such as a richer achievement notification pop-up that will showcase the name of the unlocked Achievement and the gamerscore value; enhanced family settings for Xbox LIVE enabling defaults for video and voice chat; a new Xbox Live Marketplace blade that lets Xbox Live members access the content from one place on Xbox Live.

In addition, users will be able to quickly see which Xbox Live Arcade games their friends are playing, and join in the fun. Another new feature is faster access to the entire collection of free, trial-version Xbox Live Arcade games. The new progressive download controls provide easy access to optimal viewing options, by allowing fast-forward, rewind, pause, and resume as the video is downloading from Xbox Live Marketplace.

All Spring updates, including that of Windows Live Messenger, will be available for free - beginning the week of May 7th.

MasterSeek : Business Search engine and Import Export Directory

2007-04-05T14:31:00.000+05:30

First, in building a successful company, one must have a good reputation in the corresponding area of activity. The easiest and most popular manner of achieving this goal in these modern times is by means of the Internet.

If you are the manager of a newly founded company, you can hire a specialist to design an Internet site, buy a domain and wait for the customers. Nevertheless, there is an easier way to get onto the online market. You can enter your company’s data and information on a business search engine.

In order to have an account on an export import directory, for example, the manager of a company needs to provide a brief description of the enterprise, including the number of employees, area of activity, and whether there are other places, in which the company is active. In addition, pictures and images of the company’s products should make the object of an upload over the Internet.

The purpose of a business search engine is to familiarize people with your company’s profile and area of activity. It provides a chance for companies from other countries to begin a partnership with new enterprises. Searching for partners is very easy. You just have to search for the country that has caught your interest and for the domain of activity where you want to collaborate, and you will obtain a reliable inventory of potential partners. Next, all you have to do is make the selection that suits you best.

Naturally, a reliable business search engine will be available in a certain variety of languages. This will make things a lot easier for both of the partners involved. In this manner, you may be certain that a potential foreign partner will understand your expectations and, of course, you get to understand their expectations in your turn.

Of course, searching for partners abroad is not the only option on a business search engine. You can also search for potential partnerships within the borders of your own country. Nevertheless, an export import directory is useful in such situations, as it saves a lot of time that you would have otherwise spent on doing research on other companies with the same area of activity as yours.

On such a site as an export import directory, one can find, apart from the useful data about companies worldwide, other information. If you are looking for partners in a specific area of the globe, after you have found them, it is easy to find accommodation in the area, by using the same Internet site. You can also find out how you can reach that certain country, by way of plane, train, boat or car – whichever suits you best.

Search results are always reliable on an export import directory. As companies need that their image forms the object of very serious consideration from potential partners and / or potential customers, they work hard in improving their offer and their account on the export import directory. They keep their page up to date and the information presented there is accurate and reliable.

Commerce and business over the Internet is currently one of the most flourishing areas of activity including niche areas like restaurant supplies. It renders partnership between companies – foreign or not – a lot easier and faster. It also provides a chance for expansion for many companies. Finding partners abroad has become a much easier task due to the implementation of business search engines.

Online Business Guide

2007-03-28T15:39:00.000+05:30

If you have ever wanted to start your own online business, you then know that although there is an abundance of information out there, it is often confusing or contradicting. I came across an eBook the other day which I feel is a pretty good guide for both the begginer and expert. It is the Online Business Guide and the thing I really liked about this book is how step by step it is.

When you usually buy an eBook it is either cram packed with Ads or horribly out of date. This guide however is nearly 50 pages of pure content. I definately reccomend it for my readers that might be toying with the idea of starting their own Online Business.

First Woman to Win Turing Award

2007-02-22T23:34:00.000+05:30

For the first time in the 40 years history of Turing Awards, a woman (Frances E Allen) has won the prestigious computing award.

Turing Awards are considered the "Nobel Prize of Computing". They carry a $100,000 (Rs 4500,000) prize with financial support provided by Intel Corporation.

Since 1966, when the Turing Awards were first instituted, the winners have always been men. With a woman winning the award, this year marks a new beginning.

Frances E Allen (75) has been given the award for her work at IBM on techniques for optimizing the performance of compilers, the programs that translate one computer language into another. Programming code has to be converted into binary zeros and ones that are actually read by a computer's colossal array of miniscule switches.

Allen joined IBM in 1957, when the company was recruiting women by circulating a brochure on campuses that was titled "My Fair Ladies." She joined the company to teach 'Fortran', a revolutionary high-level programming language, to the scientists there.

According to Ruzena Bajcsy, Chair of ACM's Turing Award Committee,

"Frances Allen's work has led to remarkable advances in compiler design and machine architecture that are at the foundation of modern high-performance computing. Her contributions have spanned most of the history of computer science, and have made possible computing techniques that we rely on today in business and technology."

Bajcsy added,

"It is interesting to note Allen's role in highly secret intelligence work on security codes for the organization now known as the National Security Agency, since it was Alan Turing, the namesake of this prestigious award, who devised techniques to help break the German codes during World War II."

Allen, now retired, still plays an active part in programs to encourage girls/women to study Computer Science.

Asus Reveals Gaming LCD Monitor

2007-02-22T23:29:00.000+05:30

Asus India has introduced its latest gaming LCD monitor, the PG191, which incorporates the power Bass System and the fastest 2 milli-seconds gray-to-gray response time to deliver audio and video performance demanded by hardcore gamers.

The PG191, which is a 19-inch TFT-LCD panel, comes in Black and Silver color along with a Sleek Aluminum alloy neck and circular base and glared panel frame. And for gamers, the display contour is based on stealth bombers, and the subwoofer speakers at the back look like tank cannons.

The PG191 comes with 2.1-channel speakers (2 x 10W speakers and 15W super bass system) to deliver an exhilarating audio experience when battling in the virtual world. And complemented by SRS Lab's Flagship TruSurround XT audio technology, the display supports the latest game titles' 5.1 and 6.1 channel sound standards.

The PG191 incorporates the 'Trace Free' technology, which accelerates gray-to-gray response time to 2 milli-seconds to enable smooth video quality whether it is football matches, 3D gaming, or DVD playbacks.

The built-in 1.3 Web cam and headphones and microphone jacks together offer a total interactive solution for online gaming. Gamers can also battle online, and strategize with teammates through video conference. And the bundled 'Life Frame' video communication software further lets users take snapshots and record video with ease.

The PG191 also offers 6 convenient hot keys to activate its special audio and video modes. There are 5 audio modes, including Standard, First-Person Shooting Games, RPG Games, Theater and Music; and 5 splendid image enhancement modes, which include Standard, Scenery, Night View, Theater, and Gaming.

This LCD monitor also has 'Splendid Video Intelligence' technology that detects activation and usage of video applications, and automatically optimizes image quality for the best visual results. Besides the five modes (Standard, Game, Theater, Scenery, and Night), this innovative technology also enables users to select three skin tone options for the best visual results in different video applications.

The other key features of the PG191 include resolution of 1280 x 1024, 800:1 contrast ratio and 320nits brightness, 3 USB 2.0 ports, touch sensor key controls and power on/off melodies, flexible tilting and swivel angle adjustment, support for both DVI-D and D-SUB inputs, 3-year system and panel warranty, and 1-year Zero Bright Dot Warranty.

Meanwhile, this Asus PG191 LCD monitor will be available in the India market at an approximate end user price of Rs 29,500 plus taxes.

You Can Now Click On Your Own Google Ads!

2007-02-20T21:24:00.000+05:30

Google's AdSense is currently a popular service on the Internet because it helps users earn money by placing ads on their websites. Every time a user visits the site and clicks on a Google ad, a certain amount of money is transferred into your account so, more users, more money. Because the service works with financial data, it imposes several terms of service to registered clients that must avoid infringing them or they can get their account banned. One of the most known rules is that users are not allowed to click on their own Google ads because the search giant records the user's IP and, if it's similar with the owner's, it represents a click fraud.

Some time ago, the company released another type of adverts meant to increase their appearance but also display more products and an attractive commercial for a specific solution. Google Video Ads is not being implemented to a limited number of users but some of them are now encountering some simple issues with the adverts. In a discussion published on the WebmasterWorld forum, a webmaster reported that some video ads by Cadillac were included on his site but he avoids clicking on them because he's aware of click fraud. AdSense Advisor, a preferred member of the forum, posted a reply to the message, saying you can play the ads to view the content of the commercial.

The AdSense Advisor said in the WebmasterWorld discussion.

“Actually, you're welcome to watch the click-to-play video ads that appear on your site by clicking the Play button. We want publishers to be able to check the content of video ads playing on their sites, so we only count clicks that lead a user to the advertiser's site, such as a click on the display URL or on the video while it's playing. Clicking only the Play button will let you watch the ad without generating invalid clicks”

Commercials from Gmail

2007-02-20T15:02:00.000+05:30

Here are the Commercials by Gmail as they have gone free now :D. Have a look and enjoy

Gmail Theater : Act 1 (Why use Gmail)

Gmail Theater : Act 2

Gmail Theater : Act 3

Gmail Theater : Act 4

Google Search Engine Improved Again

2007-02-20T14:38:00.000+05:30

Google's Search Engine provides access to a variety of functions that help you find multiple types of information using a single keyword typed in the search box. Take the example of the Plus Box that provides you additional details about a website by clicking on the plus sign displayed under the link. Some time ago, the search giant removed map links to other rivals' services to allow you to view a tiny map displaying a certain business. This time, the company updates the search giant with a brand new feature meant to return stock quotes about a specific firm.

The procedure is quite simple: all you need to do is to type your desired keyword, let's say “computers”. After you'll press search, the Google technology will return you multiple weblinks to companies from all around the world. Then, you should be able to see a plus sign connected to the link of the page that provides you stock information given by the Google Finance solution.

“Google tests a new Plus Box for stock quotes. If a site is connected to a business listed on a stock exchange, you'll see a link that says: "stock quote for GOOG", for example. If you expand the box, you'll get information from Google Finance about the stock and the company. Unlike the OneBox results that show up at the top of the search results or at the bottom of the page, Plus Boxes are connected to individual search results and give more information about the context of the site. We can expect to see more expandable boxes in the months to come,” Ionut Alex, Google blogger, sustained about the new function.

This is not the first attempt of the search giant to provide additional results based on the OneBox technology. You can also find more information about music, movies, news, weather, travel, shopping and many other search services designed by Google.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 Launched

2007-02-20T14:35:00.000+05:30

The first commercial version of Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 has been released by Adobe.

For more than a year, the photographic software has been available as a free downloadable beta. The current beta 4.1 is due for expiry on Feb 28, after which users will have to purchase the full version if they want to continue using it.

The 1.0 version is an improvement over the 4.1 beta in terms of advanced keyword tools in the library module that help photographers filter through large collections; more flexible file handling in the import dialogue that allows greater choice while determining file location; and a new and improved key metadata browser that offers quick access to key information tags, with color labels plus a pick/reject system.

This apart, the develop module now features virtual copies and snapshot tools for providing multiple versions of the same image for comparison, sans the need to save physical versions. Besides, a new tool gives precise control over hue, saturation, and luminance; and Clone and Healing brushes are provided for sensor dust removal.

In Photoshop Lightroom 1.0, support for a number of raw image formats has been added, including those used by Nikon D80 and D40 and Pentax k10D.

The new version runs under Mac OS X 10.4 or Windows XP, and requires: a 1GHz Power PC or an Intel Pentium processor, 768MB RAM, and a 1024 by 768 resolution screen.

The Mac version of Photoshop Lightroom is a universal binary application that runs natively on PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.

The software is available in the US for $199 (Rs 8,955) initially; after April 30, the price will rise to $299 (Rs 13,455). Lightroom will not be included in the current or next versions of Creative Suite, Adobe said.

Virtual Reality Goggles for Consoles?

2007-02-19T20:41:00.000+05:30

If you were to see this picture at a distance, you'd probably say that the woman is doing something indecent and her face is partially censored.Well, it's not, you pervert! Yeah, I know I said it but you were thinking it too, all right? All right then. The device looks neither out of the ordinary nor common but everyone can guess what it is. That's right, it's a Virtual Reality device from Icuiti and it's called iWear VR920.

It is said to work on every machine that outputs video and whether it is a laptop, or a gaming console, the iWear VR920 will work the same. Oh, and if you were wondering why is the girl smiling, it's not because she's playing a game and it's fun, she's just been instructed to, she's a model-another reason for which we should believe she's doing anything else except playing a game. I'm kidding...

Anyway, the iWear VR920 will literally let you "step inside" the game as it uses a 3-degree-of-freedom head tracker. Virtual reality is a technology which allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, be it a real or imagined one. Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information.

The simulated environment can be very similar to the real world and sometimes a person's perception of that can be dangerous for them, if the program is running something intense and the person is afraid. Of course, this has nothing to do with getting trapped in Virtual Reality like many movies say, it's just a device that basically projects 360 degrees of environment around you. Icuiti's VR920 is the winner of the 2007 CES innovations award so maybe it's the next big thing concerning gaming.

Yahoo Plans 100 Entertainment Sites

2007-02-19T20:26:00.000+05:30

The entertainment is surely one of the most popular domains on the Internet because more and more users are attracted by the latest news about celebrities, games, movies and many other topics. Because Yahoo is currently the best portal on the Internet, its entertainment area is improved periodically but now, it seems like it becomes the main concern for the Yahoo's employees. The giant portal now plans to develop almost 100 entertainment sites especially for a single topic such as movies, celebrities, games and television shows.

As you might know, Yahoo currently owns a special page designed for the Nintendo Wii fans that provides quick access to news, photos, videos and other useful information about the game console. The company aims to create 100 more similar services for multiple products, announcing only 6 of them: Harry Potter, The Sims, Halo, The Office, Lost and The Transformers.

Broady said,“We don’t connect the dots for our users around those brands”. The Financial Express reported,

“Brand Universe is designed to fix that problem. What we are really trying to do is create environments where fans of brands can hang out when they are online. Among all the entertainment categories, hopefully, we have found 100 willing partners, but if not, we’ll move on to other brands.”

The Yahoo employee sustained all the topics will be announced next week while all of them will be available by the end of this year. Although the products will attract an impressive number of visitors, the giant portal plans to share the revenue with the brand owners to avoid potential problems caused by the copyright infringement.

If you want to preview the numerous products planned by the giant portal, you can visit the Nintendo Wii page available on this link.

Carl Zeiss's 1700mm Telephoto Lens

2007-02-18T18:53:00.000+05:30

Lens manufacturer Carl Zeiss has made one of the world's largest telephoto lenses. I know you are still thinking of it as a "lens", then you're in for some shock. This lens is so big in fact, that you nearly need 10-15 titanium tripods to support it. Weighing about 256 kg (yeah that's KG), this baby has a focal length of 1700mm (over 5.5 feet!), a speed of f/4, and has 21x magnification. It will be displayed in this year's Photokina convention in Cologne, Germany starting September 29.

Based on the company's press release, it sounds like it was custom-built for a client who wanted to shoot wildlife at a distance on the very high-end Hasselblad 203 FE using 6 x 6 medium format film -- in other words, some rich dude might've wanted to impress his girlfriend. No word on if it will be ever made available to us normal people. I didn't even look for the price.

Games2win Announces 'Temple of 7'

2007-02-17T19:53:00.000+05:30

Games2win India has announced the launch of 'Temple of 7'.

'Temple of 7' or T7, said to be the first of its kind talent platform for gamers, is a team of professional gamers, exclusively signed up by Games2win in order to compete in all key gaming tournaments in India and abroad, and compete against some of the best teams nationally and internationally.

Alok Kejriwal, CEO and Founder, Games2win.com, says,

"There are talent platforms for all kinds of professionals in India, and given the momentum that gaming is picking up, we believe that the time is right to create a gaming talent platform. Our mission is to make gaming a great profession that gamers, their parents, and society will recognize."

Kejriwal added,

"Indian youngsters who are passionate about gaming need to have their expertise and energy channelized into the right direction, and T7 will do just that. We will provide training, equipment, travel, and boarding for tournaments, and also make sure that our gamers are well represented to corporates for the purpose of sponsorship and endorsement."

T7 has identified two most popular games played in the country, 'Counter Strike' and 'Need for Speed' and the members of T7 team are known as experts at these games.

The T7 gaming clan has Mikhail Mehra, Ben Verghase, Amar Ratnam, Ritesh Shah, and Hasnain Sayed for 'Counter Strike', and Dhruv Mody and Arun Singh Ravi for 'Need For Speed'. Besides, the company says it is constantly enlisting new members in the team.

T7 Need for Speed champion, Dhruv Mody, said,

"Unlike other companies who force gamers to play games they don't want, T7 lets us play the games we want to, this venture is an ideal platform for top gamers across the country, and I am sure T7 will be very popular with gamers across the country."

T7 members sport special gaming gear and T-shirts with logos around Gothic Rock that have an underground look and feel - that have a great youth connect.

Five New WM6 Handhelds from i-mate

2007-02-16T11:10:00.000+05:30

I don't know about you but this photo gives me high hopes and a lot of time to think about why i-mate hasn't thought of applying this design line in their handsets. I know they are just renderings and not the real thing but they really look as sweet and beautiful as a handheld can be.

This new series i-mate is going to launch very soon on the mobile market known as the “Ultimate”, a line-up of handsets with pretty much the same spec sheet but with different designs that, hopefully, will satisfy every user’s opinion on how a cellphone should look.

Beginning with the top left one, these are the culprits: the 5150, the 6150, the 7150, the 9150 and the 8150. They will feature the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 operating system, will have tri-band 3G radios, Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity and FM radio tuners.

The 5150 already has a leaked photo on his resume (the one you can see on the left) and is the only one with a more detailed spec sheet available. It has an Intel Bulverde 520 MHz processor, quad-band GSM/EDGE, tri-band UMTS/HSPDA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/e/i WLAN (according to some sources), 256 MB ROM and 128 MB RAM memory, microSD memory expansion card slot, a 262k colors VGA LCD touchscreen display, miniUSB and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, direct XGA video out, a 2 megapixel digital camera and an FM radio, all running smoothly on a Windows Mobile 6 OS.

The 6150 is 15.7 mm thick and adds in a 2.8 inch display, the Ultimate 7150 PC Tablet features a 3.8 inch internal screen, a 2.2 inch external OLED one and measures 18 mm in thickness.

The last two in the Ultimate line-up are the 8150 and the 9150, two handsets that both have a 2.6 inch display and a spec sheet still remaining a mystery(until an official launch that is).

The final word is this: whatever i-mate is doing right now and whatever they work on, they should leave it aside for just one moment and get those pretty looking things on the stores' shelves please.

LG Unveiled the Internet Loving Smartphone KS10

2007-02-16T10:19:00.000+05:30

If you like the Nokia N80, I'm sure you'll also fancy the looks of the recently unveiled LG KS10 smartphone. It seems to be N80's step brother and this impression will probably follow every one of its future buyers.

However, this is not a thing you should mind because LG has learned its lesson and has come with enough features not to let anyone down. They added to the recipe a Symbian Series 60 operating system (a Nokia favorite as we all know, could this be a coincidence?), a 2, 4 inch QVGA display that is supposed to let the phone's user enjoy a totally new kind of Internet browsing experience with the aid of its advanced browser.

Using this piece of software, you will be able to record browsed web pages, sort and capture web images and according to what LG has said there is a lot more still to be found.

The KS10 also provides a tri-band GSM radio (900/1800/1900 MHz networks), this being a good hint that we're not going to see it on the US market,HSPDA for high data transfer rates of up to 1.8 MB/s, Bluetooth 1.2 connectivity, a built-in music player with support for MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA audio files, a microSD memory expansion card slot, a 2 megapixel digital camera with auto-focus and a secondary VGA one for video calls.

This spec sheet makes it a good catch for every user with an Internet surfing mania because, if LG's promises are true and it really has “full Internet browsing capability”, you'll be a very happy mobile Internet surfer after buying it.

One thing is for sure: this device looks good enough to catch a lot of attention from the mobile users worldwide and, although its price tag is yet unknown, I bet there will be a lot of you ready to pay the money necessary to get it home.

The Empire Strikes PS3, Xbox 360

2007-02-15T18:21:00.002+05:30

Lucas Arts has officially unveiled 'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed', which will be coming to PS3 and Xbox 360, along with versions for PS2, PSP, and DS produced by outside developers.

The company said that 'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' is the next chapter in the Star Wars saga, which casts players as Darth Vader's 'secret apprentice' and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy.

'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed', which has been created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between 'Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith' and 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope'. And in this game, players will assume the role of Darth Vader's apprentice, who is tasked with hunting down the remaining Jedi Knights.

According to Lucas Arts, the game completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the 'Force' by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time. It has Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) by Pixelux Entertainment and euphoria by Natural Motion. And paired with the powerful Havoc Physics system, these new technologies create gameplay only possible on the new generation of consoles.

The company also explained that DMM incorporates the physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts exactly like it should - wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioral-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act, and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior on-the-fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time.

It is further learnt that the game is Lucas Arts' first internally developed title for next-generation consoles and it represents the first in-game collaboration of talents and technology between Lucas Arts and Industrial Light and Magic.

Meanwhile, 'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' game will be released in November this year.

Evangelion NERV mouse

2007-02-15T18:21:00.001+05:30

Although, there's nothing particularly great or exciting about this mouse, anime fans who follow Neon Genesis Evangelion or simply Evangelion will love this mouse. This is because its a mouse branded with the Nerv logo, and a cool red light underneath which is plenty of value for Evangelion fans. Besides this feature, there's nothing else it has to brag about besides the fact that it comes with a 800 dpi optical sensor.

Now you can get your own NERV-inspired mouse, complete with NERV leaf, red laser glow and Apple-ish design for a mere $32 (around Rs.1500)

Airtel, Reliance Curb roaming Tariffs

2007-02-15T14:35:00.000+05:30

According to reports, both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications have reduced roaming tariffs and also scrapped rental rates for roaming services with effect from today, following the guidelines issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) last month.

Bharti Airtel, which has slashed roaming charges by 56 percent as compared with the current market rates, hopes that this move will definitely benefit its over 33 million subscribers.

After the reduction, a mobile user on roaming would be charged at Rs.1.40 per minute for making a local call as against existing rates of Rs.2.89-3.09. The charges for making STD calls on roaming would come down to Rs.2.40 per minute and that for incoming calls while roaming will be charged at Rs.1.75 per minute. The current charge for receiving incoming calls and making STD calls while roaming stand at Rs.3.54-3.99 respectively.

Moreover, Bharti Airtel has also waived off the roaming rental of Rs.49 per month along with the charges of the outgoing SMS while roaming that would now cost Rs.2 as against Rs.3.45.

Speaking at the occasion, Sanjay Kapoor, Joint President - Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said that they now usher in an era of simplified roaming tariffs wherein all Airtel mobile users will benefit from their seamless network and have the opportunity to make calls while traveling anywhere in India.

In a similar development, Reliance Communications has also reduced roaming charges by up to 44 percent on its pre-paid connections.

After the reduction, the company's local outgoing calls for roaming on mobile and fixed lines stands at Rs.1.40, inter circle outgoing at Rs.2.40, and incoming on roaming at Rs.1.75 per minute. However, Reliance Communications does not charge any roaming fees from their post-paid customers.

It is, meanwhile, learnt that the reduction in tariff is in line with pricing changes ordered by the TRAI in January this year, under which a reduction in roaming tariff of up to 56 percent had been stipulated for operators, besides an abolition of roaming rental charges and surcharge on national roaming services.

Casino Royale Chooses Bluray Disc!

2007-02-14T22:59:00.000+05:30

Can't find a good enough reason to opt for PS3? There's one now...

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) will be gifting Blu-ray discs of the latest James Bond flick, Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig and Eva Green, to the first 500,000 buyers of PS3 - who manage to register it on the PlayStation Network.

The movie will come gift wrapped in a 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray disc, encoded in MPEG-4 AVC with 1080p true HD resolution and uncompressed audio.

Speaking about the offer, Darren Carter, VP Brand and Consumer Marketing, SCEE, said that the PlayStation Network lets loose the broad range of interactive entertainment features of PS3. It is easy to set up, presents free online gaming, has vast tools for staying in touch with friends and family, and comprises a wide variety of content for download through the PlayStation Store.

Carter said that all this and more would enable users experience a whole new world of interactive entertainment, and that is why the company is offering Casino Royale on Blu-ray disc to PS3 owners who register on the PlayStation Network.

Carter added that not only does Casino Royale make the most of the features and capabilities of the Blu-ray format but that it is also one of the most exciting and entertaining movies to debut on Blu-ray this year.

Of course, now that Carter has put it in so many words, one of the scenes in the movie actually features a Blu-ray player...

Sandisk 4GB microSDHC

2007-02-13T17:09:00.000+05:30

Feb 13, 2007 Following in the footsteps of Kingmax; Sandisk has also announced its plans to produce 4 GB microSD cards. It was obvious that sooner or later Sandisk would announce its plans but what better way than at the 3GSM in Barcelona.

They haven't declared dates for the release of the cards into the market, but have said that they are still testing the OEM. The testing process is to ensure that phones do not freak out on the insertion of these high capacity cards. These cards will support your multimedia needs in your phones instead of carrying around those USB pen drives.

Motorola at 3GSM World Congress

2007-02-13T17:05:00.000+05:30

At the ongoing 3GSM World Congress 2007, Motorola has announced a portfolio of devices and solutions that demonstrate the company's leadership in design, music, media, high-speed performance, wireless broadband, and connecting the unconnected.

Starting with, Motorola has unveiled a series of new HSDPA-enabled handsets, including MOTORIZR Z8 and MOTOKRZR K3.

MOTORIZR Z8 provides quick downloads of streamed media via ultra-fast HSDPA technology. It features 16-million color 35x50mm QVGA full screen display, and boasts outstanding video quality playback with speeds of up to 30 frames per second.

The phone, besides allowing users to access BSkyB's Sky mobile content services along with an on-demand library of updating news, entertainment, and sports, provides an access point to Sky's range of live mobile TV services. MOTORIZR Z8 also features the company's first ever 'kick slider', a graceful mechanism that achieves a 'fit-to-face' profile by gliding open in a curve to match the contour of a face. It is expected to be available from April this year.

The new MOTOKRZR K3 features the MOTOKRZR design language, while providing a full multimedia experience through HSDPA connectivity. It is a wireless high-speed multimedia handset, incorporating no compromise use of color, materials, and finish. It is expected to be available in the first quarter of this year.

Motorola has also expanded its award-winning MOTOQ platform with the new MOTO Q q9 and MOTO Q gsm.

MOTO Q q9, which operates on the new Windows Mobile 6 platform with Motorola's Good Mobile Messaging technology, provides easy and intuitive personal and corporate email, as well as Windows Mobile 'PlaysForSure' enabling compatibility with hundreds of music and video stores worldwide.

Built on Motorola's SCPL platform, the MOTO Q q9 is thin, lightweight, with an ergonomically-optimized keyboard and five-way navigation key, and boasts one of the world's smartest screen displays, automatically adjusting to produce the best visual experience, indoor or outdoors. It is expected be available in the second quarter of this year.

Where as, MOTO Q gsm retains all the productivity features and style of the original CDMA-based MOTOQ, while adding a few new twists. It features quad-band GPRS and EDGE capabilities to deliver world-wide connectivity, Windows Mobile 6 software for flexibility and power, as well as a full suite of multimedia and messaging options. It is expected be available in second half of this year.

Motorola has also introduced an expanded MOTOMOBILE portfolio, which now includes features such as megapixel camera, speakerphone, MP3 playback and video functionality, as well as Motorola's CrystalTalk technology, making it easy to hold conversations in noisy environments.

The MOTOMOBILE line up includes Motorola's W510, offering the best in design and value with uncompromised functionality. This stylish clamshell features sleek MOTOKRZR inspired design, and boasts a vibrant 262k color TFT screen.

The company has also announced MOTOSLVR L9, merging powerful multimedia features with its sleek MOTOSLVR form factor. MOTOSLVR L9 provides a rich visual entertainment experience via its 2.0-megapixel camera and full screen landscape playback as well as integrated FM radio with a dedicated key. It is expected to be available in the second quarter of this year.

In addition, Motorola has unveiled MOTORIZR Z6, a multimedia phone with the latest music features and a powerful digital imaging platform. MOTORIZR Z6 is Motorola's first Linux-Java software based handset that incorporates Windows Media technology, allowing users to sync music to their phone from over 200 music stores worldwide.

Lastly, Motorola has announced the T805 and T815, both featuring the company's new MOTONAV solution. MOTONAV adds turn-by-turn GPS navigation to compatible Bluetooth-enabled handsets, providing exact locations, on-screen maps, and turn-by-turn spoken and visual directions.

According to the company, the compact T805 and T815 GPS receivers fit easily in the user's pocket and come complete with a car charger, phone holder, and flexible mounting options. The T805 comes with a 12-month MOTONAV national subscription, while the T815 includes MOTONAV loaded on a memory card.

Yahoo! Bridges email, IM Divide

2007-02-13T17:04:00.001+05:30

According to reports, Yahoo! has blended its free email and Instant Messaging (IM) services, thus making it simpler for users to chat online from any computer connected to the Internet.

The company said that starting yesterday and continuing over the coming months, Yahoo! will activate this feature for users of the new version of Yahoo! Mail, which is in beta phase but available to all users of the service.

In a statement, John Kremer, Vice President, Yahoo! Mail, said that they are bringing the fun of instant messaging into the e-mail experience. It is about bringing to the masses choices on how they communicate. They are hopefully bridging the gap between email users and IM users, as there is still a chunk of Yahoo! Mail users who are not using IM.

According to Yahoo!, the new feature alerts Yahoo! Mail beta users if their contacts are logged on to Yahoo! Messenger and gives them the option of starting a text chat session from within the mail interface. And if the user is composing an email message but wants to chat instead, Yahoo! Mail can take the text and paste it into the text chat window. Similarly, the chat session can be automatically imported to an email message form.

Kramer added that they are giving users more ways to connect to communities, friends, and peers, and will continue to add more social networking features into Yahoo! Mail. And by referring to features like Web phone-calling that are already part of many IM services, Kramer explained that by allowing users to jump between two modes of communication, they are laying the groundwork for other types of communications.

It is learnt that Yahoo! is in effect moving the mountain of its 250 million Yahoo! Mail users by eliminating the elusive technical distinctions that have separated the two modes of communication and limited the appeal of IM among many users.

Meanwhile, the beta version of Yahoo! mail, which is a free service, offers a number of improvements over the current version, including a more agile interface based on AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) that works like a desktop application. It also allows users drag and drop messages into folders, provides a pane to preview message content, and offers the ability to have multiple message windows open.

Windows Home Server Beta 2 Out

2007-02-13T17:02:00.000+05:30

Microsoft has reportedly released the second beta of its Windows Home Server backup and media server application.

Windows Home Server, first introduced by Microsoft in January at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show, is aimed at offering users a new way of connecting and managing Windows Vista-enabled PCs, devices, and printers at homes.

The company said the second beta of Windows Home Server has been made available to the general public only after getting it tested by over 1,000 Microsoft employees, and software and hardware partners.

The first beta release was limited to Microsoft employees and hardware partners, but now with the second beta, it is open to the general public as well.

As the company plans on soon extending the beta program, they have invited interested people to join the second beta testing by signing up for it on the special company site (http://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer). However, participants will have to provide their own PCs to run the application.

The first server based on the application will be built by HP later this year, and will be called "HP MediaSmart Server".

Presently, Windows Home Server will be made available only through OEMs, and not directly to consumers. The final availability of Windows Home Server is scheduled for the third quarter of this year.

The company also announced the Windows Home Server Blog, which will be track the progress of the application. Besides, General Manager of Microsoft Windows Home Server, Charlie Kinder, will be maintaining a blog where product information/details will be updated.

Nvidia Aids Mobiles Evolve into PCs

2007-02-13T17:00:00.000+05:30

In order to meet growing multimedia demands of mobile phone users, Nvidia has unveiled its first application processor, "GoForce 6100".

The "GoForce 6100" is a first for Nvidia, which claims that the processor is a highly integrated and optimized multimedia solution that consumes less than half the power of any applications processor available on the market today.

The "GoForce 6100" has been built to support compute intensive multimedia codecs, as well as a high quality audio subsystem, integrated WiFi, USB 2.0, and more to target the rapidly growing applications processor market.

The "GoForce 6100" promises to be the ultimate platform for exciting and compelling content combined with ultra low power technologies to provide maximum battery life.

Michael Rayfield, General Manager of Handheld Business Unit, Nvidia, said, "Nvidia is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the explosion that this market is about to experience with regards to dramatic changes in how we use, interact, and share multimedia content on handheld devices."

Rayfield added, "Nvidia has been a driving force behind the transformation of the visual experience on computing and consumer electronics devices for over a decade, and as the mobile phone evolves into our most personal of computers, there has never been a better time for us to enter this exciting new space, and deliver on the expectations of the market."

IDC predicts that the market for applications processors is set to more than double in terms of revenue in the next four years, increasing to $3.3billion in 2010 from $1.5billion in 2006.

Nokia Shining at the 3GSM Show

2007-02-13T11:54:00.000+05:30

At the 3GSM show, Nokia unveiled an array of devices and services, including the next generation of Eseries devices, plus navigation and Mobile TV devices targeted at the mass market to lead the next phase of mobility.

Nokia announced a trio of new Eseries devices, designed for business professionals, including E61i emailer device, E65 slider, and E90 Communicator, each packed with features and using 3G and WLAN technologies plus the flexible S60 software platform. The devices also feature high-quality cameras.

The E90 Communicator is claimed to be an all inclusive business device with advanced technologies, such as HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) and integrated GPS. It is expected to be available during the second quarter of 2007, with volume global availability during third quarter of 2007.

The E65 slider is now available in select markets, with volume availability scheduled for the first quarter of 2007, while the E61i will be available during the second quarter of 2007.

Nokia also released its first mass market navigation-enabled mobile phone, the 6110 Navigator.

Using integrated GPS (Global Positioning System), the phone enables consumers quickly and easily view their current location on map, search for destinations, find specific routes, or locate nearby services such as restaurants, hotels, or shops. In addition, the full turn-by-turn 3D navigation feature suggests the best route using voice or visual instructions on a map. The Navigator phone is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2007.

Another Nokia device unveiled at the 3GSM show is the N77 multimedia phone designed to accelerate the taking-up of DVB-H mobile TV devices. This particular market is predicted to reach between 5 to 10 million units by end of 2008, and around 20 million units by the end of 2009.

The N77 is an easy to use and stylishly mobile TV device featuring a 2.4-inch wide screen with up to 16 million colors, high quality stereo sound, alerts when programs are starting, and a guide to view program information for up to seven days, browse TV channels, and purchase new channels. This device is expected to start shipping during the second quarter of 2007 in countries where DVB-H services are available.

Nokia also launched the Nokia Video Center, an application that brings together all sources of mobile video. The service combines branded video services, Internet videos, and sideloaded videos from the PC in one single place.

According to Nokia, this device will be available globally in markets where Nseries devices are sold. In addition, it will be first pre-installed in the N95, and will then be available for download to other Nseries devices. As of now, the company has tied up with YouTube and Reuters as global content partners.

Apart from this, Nokia also introduced the new 3110 classic, a device with a contemporary design and applications including an FM stereo radio, music player with expandable memory, video ringing tones, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. It offers a wide range of conventional features, and is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2007.

Also unveiled at the show was Nokia Bluetooth Display Car Kit "CK-15W," offering features that enable easy in-car communications. Compatible with the 3110 classic and a wide range of other devices, CK-15W is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2007.

Amongst the array of devices, Nokia also announced the launch of Nokia Intellisync Mobile Suite 8.0 mobileware, claimed to be the industry's most flexible platform, providing mobile email, mobile file and data synchronization, and robust security and device management capabilities to the Eseries and over 100 other devices.

Considered as the most extensive support in the industry, it includes new or enhanced features such as a two-tier licensing model, a new user interface, enhanced mobile security capabilities, and extensive additional language and connectivity support.

Titan USB Flash Drive

2007-02-12T18:22:00.001+05:30

Made by creator Slava Tyukalov, the Titan USB flash drive is constructed from a graphite/aluminum composite metal matrix that is traditionally used by NASA and other space agencies. This matrix is then covered in titanium (yes, the same thing that space shuttles are made of) to avoid corrosion.

This makes the drive a waterproof, anti-shock, and anti-static drive that can withstand 2,000 pounds of pressure. The 1GB model costs $197 (about Rs.8900) whereas the 2GB costs $247 (about Rs.11200), which is not that expensive when you consider it's a partially handmade product that is limited to 100 units produced.

No word on the availability in India yet.

BlackBerry 8800 Debuts Today!

2007-02-12T18:14:00.000+05:30

According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Research in Motion (RIM) is today unveiling a new version of its BlackBerry smart phone.

The all new BlackBerry 8800, the company says, will replace RIM's signature side navigation wheel with a front trackball that first appeared on the 'for consumers' BlackBerry Pearl last year.

The report says the new device will enter a market far more crowded than the one which was prevalent when the BlackBerry 8700 debuted in late 2005.

RIM claims its BlackBerry 8800 is the thinnest BlackBerry till date, measuring a wee 0.55-inch from front to back. The 8800 is also a tad narrower than the 8700 from right to left, although slightly taller.

Besides, it has the ability to pick up signals from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites for location tracking, as it comes installed with BlackBerry Maps, an application that can use GPS signals to provide driving directions plus integrate with other applications such as sending a map via e-mail.

The BlackBerry 8800 also comes with a media player and an external storage slot for removable microSD memory cards.

In a statement, Jim Balsillie, Co-Chief Executive, RIM, said it was not a tough decision to switch to the front trackball and ditch the traditional sidewheel, which has been used to scroll through e-mail on every BlackBerry model except the Pearl since the BlackBerry and its predecessors were introduced in the 1990s.

Balsillie added that the response to the trackball has been universally positive, and that 80 percent of non-phone usage on the Pearl involves multimedia applications rather than traditional BlackBerry e-mail. If it is just messaging, users need to do only up-down, and left-right. But if they are doing multimedia, the navigation aspects become more important.

Meanwhile, the BlackBerry 8800, which will be available in the US through AT&T's Cingular Wireless starting February 21 this year, is priced at $300 (Rs 13,246 approx) and will come with a two-year contract commitment. According to RIM, the phone will be available from a variety of carriers world-wide beginning this month.

Valentine's Brings Along 'Viruses'

2007-02-12T18:11:00.000+05:30

With Valentine's just-around-the-corner, cyber crooks are again on a rampage, palming off their wares, disguised as Valentine's greetings and what not...

Like every other year, this year too, security experts warn of worms coming as romantic messages in emails, and invading PCs belonging to unsuspecting users.

PandaLabs has already detected a worm, they've dubbed "Nurech.A", which hides in emails with subjects like "Together You and I," "Till the End of Time," and "Heart of Mine". The malware comes in an executable attached file with names such as flash postcard.exe or greeting postcard.exe.

There's also the "Nuwar.D" that arrives in messages with subjects such as "5 reasons I love you" or "A kiss for you".

Luis Corrons, Technical Director of PandaLabs, advises, as a general rule, don't open any suspicious email, regardless of what it says it contains. Instead of going by instinct, let a security solution decide whether the mail is safe or not to open.

Security majors also warn about important details like bank accounts and passwords being compromised - what with so many Valentine's gifts being bought online. Not to mention the old phishing tactic of using junk mail or false Web pages to lead users to fake banking/shopping Web sites that ask for confidential information.

Corron suggests that users type addresses directly in the browser's address bar, instead of clicking on links that arrive by email. Corrons says no bank would request account details through email, meaning any such email must be treated as an attempt at phishing.

And, for those who want to make sure their computers haven't already been attacked by any of these malwares, they can use ActiveScan available for free at http://www.pandaspftware.com/activescan.

Tomato U7 Player

2007-02-11T20:02:00.000+05:30

Not sure why any company would go and name their portable media player "Tomato U7 but one thing's for sure, the U7 may be small, but it has a host of features included. Weighing 25 grams, and its size being 38 64x14mm, it's smaller than a common cellphone and it yet manages to fit a 1.8 inch CSTN screen that displays 65k colors.

It comes in 512MB, 1GB or 2GB sizes, and plays a bunch of formats, including the usual MP3, MP4, WAV, WMA, ASF, OGG, WMV, AMV, JPEG. Aside from that there's an FM tuner, voice recorder, equalizer, e-book reader and games. Battery life is clamed to be 10 hours.
However, it looks like it might only be released in Korea and we have no idea how much it costs.

Japan Chooses PS2 over PS3?

2007-02-10T21:04:00.000+05:30

A classic case of competing with self!

According to figures published Friday by a research company, Media Create that receives data from nearly 3,000 stores around Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment's seven year old console PlayStation 2 has beaten its brand new PlayStation 3 in terms of sales in late January.

Media Create figures say that for the week beginning Jan 22 through Jan 28, sales of PS2 totaled 20,995 units, whereas those of PS3 totaled 19,996.

No doubt a small margin, but significant nevertheless!

Since PS3's Japan launch on Nov 11, Sony had set itself a target of shipping 2 million PS3 consoles word-wide by end-2006; which somehow spilt-over to mid-January 2007.

While sales of PS2 tipped, Sony has now set a target of shipping 6 million PS3 consoles word-wide by end-March 2007.

A closer look reveals that the PS2 is cheaper at Yen 16,000 (AUD$169) than the PS3 at Yen 49,980 ($529) or Yen 59,980 ($635), and has a string of software titles to its credit. Naturally, it is attracting more customers...

However, Sony maintains that the PS3 will ultimately win the race, as more and more titles become available...

Parrot's Bluetooth Boombox

2007-02-10T18:16:00.000+05:30

The company Parrot seems to have a love for things with Bluetooth, and their latest product is a clear indication. The Parrot Boombox (that's what they named it) will play music off your Bluetooth-equipped cellphone or MP3 player (wirelessly) and gives an output of 60W. With the usual Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR mojo (including AD2P and AVRCP), this baby ensures as little loss in quality as possible.

Parrot's also seen fit to include an RCA input for those that haven't gone completely wireless. While the "boombox" targets mobile device users, it measures approximately 17 x 7 x 8.8 inches and weighs 12 pounds. Set to be released sometime in the second quarter of this year, this piece should be just under $13000 when it comes out.

Genius G-Note 7100 Digital Pad

2007-02-09T23:21:00.000+05:30

We've all been in a situation where we needed to jot something important down and couldn't find anything. Also it's not that we all have a Tablet PC wherever we go to take digital notes, and the problem with the old pen-and-paper-style notetaking is that you have to spend unnecessary time going through what you've written later.

The new G-Note 7100 from Genius seems to be the solution. Its a digital tablet that stores up to 100 pages of notes written with pens that have been provided with the tablet.

However, unlike similar devices such as the Aiptek MyNote, Cross Crosspads, or Logitech iO series of pens, which require a special surface or paper, this one lets you write on standard, everyday legal pads. With a resolution of 2,000 LPI, 32MB of on-board memory, USB connectivity with XP and Vista PC's as well as bundled handwriting recognition software, this one is more likely already on many people's wish list.

With it just being released, the 7100 can be bought for $160 (we don't know if it has been released in India yet), which is about 7200. The package also includes batteries, backup pen tips, a starter notepad, USB cable, and a possibly-leather portfolio.

PC Sales Skyrocket Following the Release of Windows Vista

2007-02-09T20:22:00.000+05:30

The Windows Vista Wow has fueled a growth of 173% in PC sales. According to data made available by research firm Current Analysis, Windows Vista has been the source of a 67% sales spike compared with the similar period of 2006. Before commercial availability, Windows Vista accounted for a share of 0.18% of the operating system's market. But at this rate Vista is bound to increase its audience.

A Microsoft representative has commented that the Redmond Company is very pleased with the initial response to Windows Vista. And the 173% PC sales spur in the first days of Vista availability is illustrative of the success of Microsoft's latest operating system. Current Analysis has covered PC sales for the week ended on February 3, 2007.

The research firm has revealed that machines preloaded with more expensive versions of Windows Vista have experienced a higher demand. In this regard, Windows Vista Home Premium has been enjoying the best market performance. Current Analysis informed that more than 70% of PC unit sales in the US retail market have been machines preloaded with Vista Home Premium. By comparison, only 22% of customers have shown an interest into PCs installed with Home Basic.

Current Analysis study indicates that customers have overlooked the price difference between Vista Basic and Vista Home Premium, and have opted for the most expensive edition. Current Analysis also pointed out that HP has been the most aggressive OEM since Vista was introduced to the general audience.

As of yet, Microsoft has not chosen to make any additional comments in relation to the market performance of Windows Vista.

Vodafone Launches BlackBerry Email Service for Occasional Users

2007-02-09T19:59:00.000+05:30

Vodafone announced it has introduced a new service which allows more users to benefit from professional e-mail communication via mobile phones. The new Vodafone BlackBerry Starter tariff option is available to Vodafone customers with minimum term contracts, being the first tariff where users pay only for the amount of data transferred, with no monthly charge. The new option targets newcomers and occasional users who want to take advantage of a professional push e-mail service.

E-mails that are sent via the German Vodafone network with the new Vodafone BlackBerry Starter tariff are billed on a volume basis. For 19 cents, users can transfer 10 kilobytes, which corresponds to around three mails. This makes the new BlackBerry tariff option appealing for newcomers and infrequent users who only travel for a few days a month or don't receive or send many e-mails.

The Vodafone BlackBerry service provides automatic receipt of e-mails in real-time - just like the popular text messaging service. The e-mails are displayed immediately after receipt and can be answered or processed straight away. One major advantage of mobile e-mail communication is that there are no restrictions on the length of text messages and messages with file attachments can also be sent. Vodafone BlackBerry eliminates the processes of manual login and e-mail retrieval because everything takes place automatically. Users can use up to ten existing e-mail accounts (at Vodafone, GMX or Web.de).

The new tariff option can be activated by calling the free service number 1212 in the Vodafone network. Then, owners of a BlackBerry handheld or BlackBerry compatible handset - such as Nokia E50, E60, E61, Palm Treo 750v, SonyEricsson P990i, M600i – can configure their device for automatic e-mail reception.

Microsoft Unveils Windows Mobile 6

2007-02-09T19:53:00.000+05:30

Microsoft has reportedly unveiled a new version of it's Windows Mobile operating system (OS), Windows Mobile 6, which has the look of Windows Vista, plus features that were earlier available only on PCs.

Windows Mobile 6 promises to take advantage of features in Exchange Server 2007, as also provide a richer e-mail experience on devices.

Reportedly, the new version includes Windows Live, offering instant messaging with more than one person at a time, as well as sending files/images and record/send voice notes.

Another new feature that comes from Exchange Server 2007 is the ability to reply to meeting requests made in Microsoft Outlook in various ways such as email reply and forwarding the message to someone else from the mobile device. Presently, a user can either just accept or decline the invite. It now also supports direct e-mail push technology to receive and send e-mails faster.

Windows Mobile 6 also introduces the ability to view e-mails in their original HTML Internet format with live Web links from smart phones.

Moreover, it allows viewing, navigating, and editing documents in original Word, Outlook, Excel, and Powerpoint format, without affecting tables, images, or text. Other features include support for synchronisation with Vista via the new Windows Mobile Device Center, improved search, encryption of data stored on removable memory cards, .NET Compact Framework, SQL Server, and usability of the device as a modem for notebook PCs.

According to Microsoft, Windows Mobile 6 will be available in the second quarter of 2007. And, manufacturers that are expected to come out with new devices supporting Windows Mobile 6 include Toshiba, Lenovo, LG Electronics, and Samsung Electronics.

O2 Adds to Xda Range of Devices

2007-02-09T19:50:00.000+05:30

O2, a UK-based company, has announced two additions to its Xda range of devices, "Xda Atom Exec" and "Xda Stealth".

The new "Xda Atom Exec" is a PDA phone designed to meet the needs of professionals, while the "Xda Stealth" is designed with the multi-tasker in mind, along with the complete functionality of a PDA device.

Mark Billington, CEO, O2 Asia Pacific, said,

"It is important to always focus on customer needs, which is why O2 continually strives to design and develop devices that offer compelling solutions combined with sexy silhouettes. We are always on the lookout for gaps in the market, and how we can fill those gaps."

According to the company, the "Xda Atom Exec" will appeal to solutions-driven executives who need a "true mobile office" that pushes the standards of design, technology, and usability. It has a gun metal colored casing with matte finish. It is equipped with a host of productivity and connectivity features, including Wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and a Sleek Infra Red keyboard.

The phone operates on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 platform with Messaging and Security Feature Pack, along with direct push technology. It also packs Intel 520MHz processor and 192MB of on-board memory.

The "Xda Atom Exec" comes with many O2-exclusive applications such as AutoInstall, Plus, MediaPlus, PhonePlus, and SMS Plus. It also features an in-built FM radio, and a 2.0 mega pixel camera with flash.

The second phone launched is the "Xda Stealth", with sleek Jet Black exterior. This is the first device created by O2 in a new product category termed as "hybrid".

Just like the "Xda Atom Exec", the "Xda Stealth" also offers a wide range of business and lifestyle applications. Measuring 110(L)x53(W)x 22.5(T) mm, it weighs 140g. It features the slide-out 12-key alpha-numeric keypad and also a 2.4-inch QVGA TFT-LCD touch-screen. With the eZiText function, users can further enjoy the benefits of touch-screen with a virtual alpha-numeric keypad.

The "Xda Stealth" is powered by an Intel Xscale PXA 272 processor at 416MHz, and comes with 192MB Flash ROM of onboard memory. It operates on the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform with Messaging and Security Feature Pack, and comes with the latest editions of Microsoft Office programs for Windows Mobile and ActiveSync, while connectivity options include Wireless LAN 802.11b+g and Bluetooth.

The two devices, "Xda Atom Exec" and "Xda Stealth" are already available at prices of Rs 41,990 and Rs 32,990, respectively.

Samsung Ultra Smart F700

2007-02-09T06:14:00.000+05:30

Samsung's Ultra Editions seem to releasing incessantly and if you thought the ones you've already seen or heard about are awesome then the Ultra Smart F700 will sure surprise you. This candybar, with a slide-out QWERTY 'board, is capable of 7.2Mbps (if your heart skipped a beat, we understand) HSDPA as well as EDGE.

It also has an impressive 2.78 inch touchscreen, which sports a resolution of 440 x 240 pixels. A microSD expansion, full HTML browsing, Bluetooth, and an amazing 5 megapixel camera definitely makes this baby a great threat to the iPhone. Since this baby releases next week, we'll have to wait for a week before we can get our hands even near it. No word on the price yet.

No iPods on New York Streets?

2007-02-09T06:11:00.000+05:30

For a city which almost tom toms its preoccupation with freedom - what with the Statue of Liberty standing tall in its midst, the Big Apple seems bent on 'not practicing' what it preaches.

If one Carl Kruger, New York State Senator, has his way against what he dubs, 'iPod oblivion', or the self induced stupor brought on by iPods and other such devices, there will soon be legislation banning the use of portable electronic gadgets such as iPods, PDAs, gaming devices, Blackberry devices, and cell phones while crossing the mean streets of New York, Albany, or Buffalo.

What's more, offenders will be slapped with a $100 fine, plus a criminal court summons.

Kruger, in his defense, says, the government has an obligation to protect its citizens, and that electronic gadgetry has reached a point where its creating a major public safety crisis for the government.

Kruger says that while he is trying not to intrude upon personal freedoms of New Yorkers, it becomes difficult to leave the problem alone when pedestrians tune-in to an iPod/Blackberry/cell phone/video game only to walk blythely into a speeding bus or moving automobile to meet with near certain death.

Kruger does not have exact statistics to support his claim, but he cites three accidental deaths of pedestrians in Brooklyn since September 2006, all of whom stepped into traffic even as they were distracted by some electronic gadget or the other. In one such case, Kruger remembers, bystanders kept screaming, "watch out", but in vain.

So, while Kruger hammers away at obliterating 'iPod oblivion', New Yorkers have but one option - to use their freedom (read: iPod) in a more responsible manner!

Dopod Intros the D600 in India

2007-02-08T18:14:00.000+05:30

Dopod Communication India has introduced a new handset, the D600, in the Indian market.

The company said the D600 is a Windows Mobile PDA phone that aims at enhancing users' mobile experience with a powerful yet easy-to-use interface.

Dopod also said that the D600 has been especially designed to cater to the discerning Indian market. With this latest offering, the company will provide a wider portfolio of devices across 25 cities in India.

Talking about the India launch of D600, Jack Tong, Chief Executive Officer, Dopod International, said, "We are pleased to unveil yet another revolutionary product in India that aims to enhance the mobile experience for customers. The D600 is the perfect PDA phone for Indian customers, as it combines a stylish design with ease-of-use, and offers powerful functions, all packaged at a very attractive price point."

The D600 is fashionable, sleek, and stylish in design; is powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0; and comes bundled with Direct Push Mail, Internet Explorer Mobile, Office Mobile, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, Pictures and Videos, and Pocket MSN.

Besides, the D600 puts together a full-featured quad-band mobile phone, with an inbuilt 2-megapixel CMOS Camera, a speakerphone with push-based wireless email, SMS, Web browser, and personal organizer applications, all on a large and high-resolution color 71.1mm screen.

The D600 PDA also offers the Voice Commander option, allowing users dial and control their music easily with their voice. According to Dopod, the D600 model has been specially developed for active mobile professionals who want to manage their work wherever they are, and also keep in touch with family, friends, and access the latest news, informs an official press release.

According to Ajay Sharma, Regional Sales Manager, Dopod Communication India, "The D600 has a highly advanced interface, and offers Personal Information Management (PIM), which allows users to easily sync the phone with their computer."

Meanwhile, the D600 PDA phone will be available at all leading counters from February 10 at a price of Rs 22,893 (inclusive of all taxes).

Sony Ericsson's K810 and K550 Cybershots

2007-02-08T07:15:00.000+05:30

Alongwith the release of W880 Walkman, Sony Ericsson has introduced the new K810 and K550 Cyber-shot phones. As expected of Sony Ericsson, the 17-mm K810 boasts a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and Xenon flash whereas on the other hand, the 14-mm K550 packs a modest 2.0 megapixel camera and LED photo light. Both devices support Memory Stick Mico (M2) cards. The K810 has a second camera up front for video calls and supports UMTS 2100 and GSM 900/1800/1900.

These babies will be available at the beginning of the 2nd Quarter Of 2007 in Europe and Asia. No word on the price yet though.

Samsung Mobile Tracker Phones

2007-02-07T20:42:00.000+05:30

With the rapidly growing mobile phone usage in the country, the concern regarding the safety and responsible usage of it is also at a rise. To deal with this, Samsung unveiled a new range of mobile phones dubbed as "Mobile Tracker Phones" exclusively for the Indian market.

With this new range, the company is targeting all segments of the society as the three mobiles SGH-C140, SGH-X520, and SGH-E250 are entry level and mid-range models.

The main highlights of the new mobiles include new security features such as mobile tracking (MT), emergency SMS, and privacy lock, thus empowering consumers with security during mobility.

Elaborating on the new security features, Ryu Hyun Chul, MD, Samsung Telecommunication India, said, "Samsung understands Indian consumer needs and through our secured phones, we have tried to address three of the lager issues of mobile security i.e. securing mobile phones and preventing any untoward usage or incidents through MT, securing the safety of near and dear ones through emergency SMS, and securing the confidential data's that are stored in that phone."

Firstly let us have a look at the other features of the new phones. To start with SGH-C140 is an entry-level bar phone in a compact and stylish design. It packs 65K color LCD, speaker phone for Handsfree communication, and 16 polyphonic ring tones. It has a screen measuring 3.8cm with a resolution of 128x128 pixels, and the phone comes with an internal memory of 700 KB.

The SGH-X520 has been tagged by the company as the chic slim phone with extra seduction of stunning colors such as Indigo Blue and Wine Red. It's features include FM radio, VGA camera, and 65 K color CSTN LCD screen measuring 4.8cm with a resolution of 128x160 pixels. It comes with an internal memory of 2.8 MB.

The third phone is SGH-E250. According to the company, it is arguably the most fashionable slide-up available at such low price point. It is embedded with VGA camera and the latest multimedia features. Further, it features a 5cm TFT screen, stereo FM radio, video recording, Bluetooth wireless support, 12 MB internal memory and MicroSD slot expandable upto 2GB.

While the most important feature in all the mobile models is the trio security features; mobile tracking, emergency SMS, and privacy lock. So coming to the working of these features, the MT detects the unauthorized usage of the handset. When a different SIM card is inserted, the MT-enabled phone automatically sends an SMS to up to two numbers pre-defined by the original user revealing the IMEI number of the phone along with the new SIM number, thus helping in retrieving the handset back.

The emergency SMS feature helps the user to send an SMS for help when in distress or some kind of emergency. The user has to push the volume key four times consecutively to activate the feature. Once activated, it automatically sends an SMS to up to 10 predefined numbers with text saying "Emergency. Help plz", and after that the phone goes into the 'emergency receiving mode' where user can only receive calls from the 10 predefined numbers. Further, when they call back, the phone automatically receives the call with one vibration.

Lastly, the privacy lock feature enables user to lock all the files and folders inside the phone, thus safe guarding the information against unauthorized access.

During the occasion, Samsung expressed its commitment to continue launching global phones with localized features. In addition, the company also promised to incorporate all the three security features in all it's new and upcoming mobile models.

All the three newly launched Samsung mobile phones SGH-C140, SGH-X520, and SGH-E250 are available at a MRP of Rs 2,579; Rs 6,149; and Rs 8,299 respectively.

Slew of Phones from Sony Ericsson

2007-02-07T15:30:00.000+05:30

Sony Ericsson announced a slew of mobile phones, including four 'candy bar' phones (K200, K220, J110, J120); two Cyber-shot phones (K810/K818, K550/K550im); and two music/Walkman phones (W880/W888, W610).

The K200 is a 'candy bar' phone featuring VGA camera and photo album that are accessible with just one click on the dedicated button. With slideshow view, and the ability to store up to 40 images, the phone makes it easy for users to view and share pictures with friends. Navigation is made easy with a menu set to a series of simple, single icons.
The phone will be available in Metallic Black or Light Champagne in select markets from Q2 2007.

The K220 has integrated FM radio with RDS, and can store up to 10 pre-set stations, with the ability to set a favorite station on the Radio Alarm Clock.

The phone will ship in Frost White or Ocean Blue in select markets from Q2 2007.

The J110 features large legible keys, easy navigation, a bright 65k color STN screen, up to nine hours' talk time, and room for up to 200 phone numbers, amongst others.

It will be available in Soft Cream, Smooth Grey, or Precious Purple in select markets from Q2 2007.

The J120 too features single-icon menu and one-click access, and comes with built-in FM Radio that allows users store up to 10 favorite channels. Besides, a stereo headset is supplied with the phone. A loudspeaker enables sharing radio with a wider audience, which doubles as speakerphone whenever required.

J120 will ship in select markets from Q2 2007, and is designed to stand out in its Night Black finish.

Of the Cyber-shot phones, the K810/K818 is a sleek yet high-performance device, with 3.2 megapixel camera that includes auto focus and Xenon flash.

The K810 is a UMTS 2100 (GSM 900/1800/1900) device, and will ship within Q2 2007. The K818 is a GSM variant intended specifically for China where 3G services are not established. Both the K810 and the K818 will come in Noble Blue and Golden Ivory colors.

The K550 Cyber-shot phone sports a 14mm thin form factor, and features a 2.0 megapixel camera with auto focus, LED photo light, and active lens cover. With Bluetooth technology and Picture Blogging, it takes the complexity out of viewing and sharing quality images.

The K550im is a distinct variant of the K550 - it is the first Cyber-shot phone to support i-mode, the operator service that gives direct access to a wide range of multimedia content and email.

The K550 and K550im will be available in select markets from Q1 2007. The K550 will come in Jet Black or Pearl White colors.

The Walkman phone, W880/W888, is just 9.4mm thin, and qualifies as the slimmest Sony Ericsson phone yet.

The in-box 1GB Memory Stick Micro offers room to store up to 900 full length tracks, while innovative music applications like the Walkman Player 2.0 and Disc2Phone make it easy to get music onto the phone and search through play lists. This UMTS 2100 GPRS 900/1800/1900 music phone also features a 2.0 megapixel camera.

With a brushed Stainless Steel finish, the phone comes in Steel Silver or Flame Black. It will be available in select markets from Q1 2007. Meanwhile, the W888 Walkman phone is a GSM variant, minus the video telephony functionality, and is intended specifically for China where 3G services are not established.

The other Walkman phone, the W610, is all about detail, be it detail in design, or the detailed combination of mobile music and a credible digital camera.

The W610 can store up to 470 full-length music tracks on the 512MB Memory Stick Micro provided, and features an innovative TrackID music recognition application that lets users record a clip of an unknown music track on the phone, to immediately get a notification regarding the name of the track, the artist, and the album to which it belongs. Besides, the phone features a 2.0 megapixel camera with auto focus.

An EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 music camera phone, the W610 will be available in select markets from Q2 2007.

Watch this space for the India availability and pricing of these phones!

VSNL Debuts Ethernet in India

2007-02-07T15:27:00.000+05:30

According to reports, Tata-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has said that it is introducing the Ethernet service in the Indian market today, just four months after launching the service globally.

Ethernet is touted as a large, diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs). It is a part of a suite of managed network services from VSNL, spread over a large geographical area. Ethernet is a technology that provides the option of connectivity between two networks.

On this occasion, Arvind Mathur, Vice President - Global Product Management, VSNL, said that their Ethernet services would deliver an extensive domestic footprint connecting 120 major Indian cities to key business hubs across North America, Europe, and Asia. And it would be offered through group concern Tata Indicom Enterprise Business Unit (TIEBU).

Mathur said that the company hoped to receive clients from pharmaceutical, media, financial services, and manufacturing sectors.

In another move, VSNL has also become the first domestic Indian Ethernet service provider to achieve Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) certification.

The Iometrix test laboratory certified VSNL's Ethernet Private Line (EPL) service to be compliant with the international MEF 9 specification of the MEF, the pre-eminent industry organization dedicated to facilitating adoption of Ethernet services.

Mathur added that the offering uses an Ethernet over SDH/NOET platform, and complements VSNL's international dedicated global Ethernet and Ethernet over MPLS offerings.

The EPL service benefits customers with the power of choice through a large selection of scalable bandwidths. From standard Fast-E, to Gig-E interfaces that can be upgraded on a need basis without service interruption, VSNL's EPL is a reliable and scalable service that allows enterprises the flexibility to grow and adapt according to business demands.

According to Kevin Vachon, Chief Operating Officer, Metro Ethernet Forum, when an Ethernet service receives MEF certification, customers are assured that the service will be compliant with technical specifications established by the MEF. It is an honor to present VSNL with this critical recognition, and welcome them as the first Carrier Ethernet provider to receive MEF 9 certification for services provided in India, and verified to span the globe.

Three New Motherboards Next Week

2007-02-07T10:48:00.000+05:30

Abacus Peripherals is launching three Biostar Motherboard models in the country.

The K8M800-M7A is a 754 socket Board with Via K8M800 Chipset. It has a 2X 184 pin DDR SDRAM DIMM slot, and supports upto 2 GB. With support for Hypertransport technology upto 1600MT/s, it has a 3 X PCI, 1 X AGP, and 1 X CNR Slot. The board has 6 X USB 2.0 ports.

The integrated video is powered by VIA S3 Graphics UniChrome Pro, while the audio is powered by Realtek ALC655 6-Channel AC97 CODEC, supports S/PDIF out, and complies with AC'97 Version 2.3 specification.

The LAN is powered by Realtek RTL8201BL/CL with support for 10/100MB/s auto-negotiation, Half/Full duplex capability, and also supports ACPI, PCI power management.

The SATA / RAID has two-channel serial ATA (SATA) PHY for support up to two SATA devices, and multiple RAID configurations support RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1A) for support up to two SATA devices.

The K8M800 Micro AM2 with Socket AM2, hypertransport up to 1.6 G, and AMD cool and quiet technology. It has VIA K8M800 + VT8237R+ chipset. Further, it supports 2 X DDR2 Dual Channel 533/677 SDRAM DIMMS slot. It has 8X USB 2.0 ports, while the expansion slot includes one AGP 8X slot and two PCI slots.

The integrated audio is powered by Realtek ALC655/ALC658 5.1Channel AC'97 Audio, while the LAN is powered by Realtek RTL8201CL - Integrated 10/100 transceiver.

The Third Motherboard is NF61V Micro AM2, supports AMD Athlon 64 FX/64X2/64/Sempron Processor, AMD cool and quiet technology, and hypertransport upto 2 GB. It has 2 X Dual Channel DDR2 (533/667/800) SDRAM DIMMs slot with maximum memory up to 2 Gb.

In addition, it has Nvidia MCP61V (Geforce 6100/nForce 400) chipset, and also features two PCI expansion slots; 1 x PCI-E x 1, and 1 x PCI-E x 16(Compatible). The integrated video is powered by Nvidia GeForce 6100 GPU, while the audio is powered by Realtek ALC861 6-Channel HD Audio. The LAN is based on Realtek RTL8201CL PHY- Integrated 10/100 transceiver.

The three Biostar motherboards K8M800-M7A, K8M800 Micro AM2, and NF61V Micro AM2 will be available from Abacus in the second week of February at prices of Rs 3,300; Rs 3,700; and Rs 4,400 respectively.

Microsoft Warns of Excel Flaw!

2007-02-07T10:45:00.000+05:30

Reportedly, Microsoft is warning that cybercriminals are exploiting a new flaw in Excel that affects several versions of its Office software, including one for Macs.

In its security advisory issued last week, Microsoft warns people of a very limited zero-day attack that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in the Excel spreadsheet program. A zero-day attack is one that exposes software bugs before they have been patched.

This latest flaw affects Microsoft Office 2000, Office 2003, Office XP, and Office 2004 for computers running Apple's Mac OS.

According to reports, the vulnerability is caused due to an unspecified error when handling strings, and can be exploited to cause a memory corruption. And that successful exploitation allows execution of arbitrary code, resulting in a compromised user system.

The company further said that attackers are sending e-mails with malicious Excel attachments, and are hosting Web sites that have Office files, which attempt to take advantage of the security flaws. And once an attacker exploits the vulnerabilities, he/she can gain control of a user's system remotely.

In its security advisory, Microsoft explained that as a best practice, users should always exercise extreme caution when opening unsolicited attachments from both known and unknown sources. It has added detection to the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner for up-to-date removal of malicious software that attempts to exploit this vulnerability.

The company also pointed out that the vulnerabilities might extend beyond Excel. It said that while they are currently only aware that Excel is the current attack vector, other Microsoft Office applications are potentially vulnerable.

It is learnt that Microsoft would provide free tech support to customers who believe they are affected by the zero-day attacks, and there is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is asking users to avoid opening or saving Office files that come from distrusted or unknown sources, or files that are e-mailed unexpectedly from trusted sources. And the company is expected to patch this flaw as soon as its next set of security updates, which is due next Tuesday.

Asus Aura N48 Communicator - The First Look

2007-02-07T10:38:00.000+05:30

Well, it seems the introduction of the Apple iPhone has given a serious shocker throughout the cellphone industry and we've been seeing other major companies try to compete since then.

From the latest releases only LG seems to have had something that could at least be a little bit similar to the iPhone with their LG Prada KE850 phone.

Well, it seems we're here to see another concept phone, the Asus Aura N48 Communicator, produced by the Hungarian design company, Egy Studio. Looking at it can tell you that it was clearly inspired by the iPhone, although the Asus Aura has some interesting innovations that address some of the shortcomings that the iPhone seems to have.

One of the unique features of the Asus Aura is a movable navigation module with navigation buttons. Also, a sliding QWERTY keyboard should make text entry much easier.

Other features of the Asus Aura include - a 3.9 inch touchscreen covering the whole surface of the phone, a 2 mega pixel camera, microSD memory card slot, GSM, UMTS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. All of this in a 6mm thick package.

Unfortunately Asus Aura is just a concept so far, so it might not see the light of day as soon as we think. Also being a concept, no word on its price or availability.

Nokia E50

2007-02-06T10:00:00.000+05:30

Nokia E50
Today, we have with us our second E-series phone from Nokia; the E50. The first E-Series phone we covered was the Nokia E61. Now, the E61 was a complete enterprise solution with a QWERTY keypad and a whole range of connectivity.
The E50 on the other hand is much called for to fit the budget and at the same time offer decent business convergence. Like mentioned in the Mobile Buying Guide that the E50 is an economic businessman s phone. When I said that I didn't mean the banya kind of business man, but was referring to a person with minimalist business use of a phone. To get a better idea of what I'm trying to convey, read on.

Bundle
The Nokia E50 bundle is not the multimedia package, but it is more-or-less good enough for a businessman. But that doesn t rule out the fact that a businessman wouldn t want to have a stereo headset, which seems like the worst part of the bundle. Anyways here s the list.

Nokia E50

Mono Headset

Charger

Charger Adaptor

USB Data Cable

CD Manual

Design and Build
The Nokia E50 is a sleek, bar form factor phone. The phone s dimensions are 113 x 43.5 x 15.5 mm and it weighs just over the 100 grams mark, at 104 grams. The phone has a longer screen and hence the phone is long. The screen is a 256K TFT color and has a dimension of 31 x 42 mm.

It has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. Above the screen is an earpiece of the phone with a lot of free space, which unnecessarily increases the phone length. Below the screen is the joystick and the entire keypad. The keys on either side of the joystick are a bit cramped and it's a tad troublesome accessing all of them. The numerical as well as alphabetic keys are quite comfortable as compared to the rest.
On the left side of the phone are the volume controls. On the right side, there are 2 keys; the first is a hotkey to contacts and when kept pressed works for voice tags.The second key is the clipboard key. This key works differently when being used under different applications. Like while writing an SMS, it gives you options of predictive text ON/OFF; Insert word and number mode while being used, while surfing it does copy, paste etc.

System and Interface
The Nokia E50 runs on a Symbian OS v.9.1 Series 60 3rd Edition. This is the most stable release of the Symbian operating systems. The phone is smooth and there isn't much time-lag while running through apps with a few opened in the background as well. The phone has 70 MB of internal memory. This high in-phone capacity always proves good because around 5 MB is utilized by the phone OS, while the remaining is utilized by the programs running in the background.

The phone interface is like any other Symbian OS v9.1 with a line of 6 shortcuts and the schedule listed on the main screen. The shortcuts can be customized to your choice of application, mostly the ones that you'd use frequently.
The phone has a notification feature, which notifies you if you have received a message or missed a call. The backlight of the phone's keypad blinks green. You can customize as to how long you wish to have the notification light blink or even turn it OFF. The phone's keypad backlight is blue by default.

The E50 has a mono-headset; yet, the reception is good. The phone has speaker-phone option, which also works well.

Software
The Nokia E50 comes bundled with a lot of software applications. The software can be classified as Office and Media.

Under Office applications there is Quickoffice, Zip, Adobe PDF, Avaya, Teams, and the basic bundle (Calculator, Converter, Notes, and Msg. Reader.)

Under Media Applications it's Music Player, Real Player, Flash Player, and Recorder (Audio.) There are other apps that come installed like Gmail (to access your Gmail account), Internet Radio, and SymTorrent. There is more software under the Tools folder; you have Navigator, File Manager, Apps Manager, Position, Voice Aid, Voice Commands, Speed Dial, Speech, Voice Mail, etc. All these apps save your time consuming task of searching and installing the apps.

Connectivity
The Nokia E50, unlike the other E-Series phones, doesn t have a WLAN module. The all other connectivity options are available. The list includes GPRS (Class 10), HSCSD, EDGE (Class 10), Bluetooth v2.0, Infrared, and USB (Pop-port). Most business phones would have 3G as well. But considering that the phone is a basic business phone, it s quite acceptable. The USB connection requires the Nokia PC Suite to be installed and only then sync is possible. The USB transfers are fast and you get two transfer modes; PC Suite and Mass Storage.
The PC Suite accesses the phone memory while the Mass Storage option accesses the memory card once you have inserted one. The phone even supports PTT (Push to Talk) so if at all you have the service activated from your service provider, it will work.

Camera
The Nokia E50 has a 1.3 MP camera. It s not the most vital part of this phone. The camera is average and is there just to complete the package. It can capture images with resolutions up to 1280 x 960 pixels. The camera just has a couple of adjustment options and a couple of modes as well. The adjustment options are White Balance and Color Tone. Under modes it has Night Mode and Sequence Mode. The Night Mode of the camera is quite bad and there is nothing to make it better. The Sequence Mode, on the other hand, takes six shots with just one click.

Under the video section, the camera manages just QCIF recordings. The resolution of the video is 176 x 144 pixels and is saved in .3GPP format. You can choose to record with and without audio. The Night Mode and the other adjustments available in the still camera mode are present here as well. There is no limit on the video length and you can record till you run out of memory.
Battery Life
The Nokia E50 gets its juices from a Li-Ion 970 mAh (BL-5C) battery. A completely discharged battery takes about 90 minutes to fully charge. A fully charged battery provided me 3 days of use. These 3 days included around 5-6 hours of talktime and even using the other features of the phone.

The battery life of the phone is sufficient but if at all you feel that your talktime requirements are high, you can always choose to buy the 1150 mAh (BL-6C) battery. That would increase your talktime by a couple more hours.

Conclusion
The Nokia E50 sells for a street price of Rs. 10,700. It is an absolute VFM (Value For Money) phone. The phone is the cheapest Symbian v9.1 phone. The interface is smooth and the rest that the phone has to offer is quite decent. The only thing that I found bad was the mono-headset, which should have been stereo and no memory card provided. It's still worth the buy for the market that it's aimed at. More over this phone has already gained quite an acceptance and the introduction of a full black finish will see more sales of the Nokia E50.

Sony Launches iPod

2007-02-03T10:57:00.000+05:30

Yeah this news is true, music and sound king Sony was yet to launch its iPod however they are now in the market. Sony will offer the product at the distinguished price of $ 250. further details we are waiting for, but one thing is sure now we can have good iPods at a better prices. Lets hope for the good things. The configuration is simple and the iPods have the blessing of iPod king Apple, this version comes from Electronasia.

Well one thing is sure, they want to close the time of Walkman and CD ‘s , and want a transition phase to start where more and more people will come to iPod and have better sale in the market. The big guns has all right to start the transition phase, lets see how the things gonna react.

Panasonic Unveils 10 Digicams

2007-02-01T20:24:00.000+05:30

Panasonic has unveiled a number of point-and-shoot compact camera models in its Lumix digital camera line, including DMC-FX30, DMC-LS70, DMC-LZ7, DMC-LZ6, DMC-TZ3, DMC-FZ8, DMC-TZ2, DMC-FX8, DMC-FX10, and DMC-FX12.

The DMC-FX30, which measures 3.74 x 2.04 x 0.87 inches and weighs about 0.29 lbs, features 7.2-megapixel sensor, 28mm wide-angle lens, 3.6x optical zoom, f/2.8 brightness, and 2.5-inch LCD screen. It has optical image stabilization, and can shoot in 4:3, 2:3, and 16:9 aspect ratios. This camera will start shipping this month at a cost of $349.95 (Rs 15,442 approx).

The DMC-LS70 is a 7.2-megapixel CCD, having superb optical 3x zoom, and is powered by two AA batteries. The camera has a 2.0-inch LCD, records both standard and wide-aspect VGA motion images at 30 frames per second, offers a total of 18 scene modes, and accepts large-capacity SDHC memory cards. It will start shipping this month at a price of $149.95 (Rs 6,615 approx).

The DMC-LZ7 and DMC-LZ6 both boast 7.2-megapixel CCD, powerful 6x optical zoom lenses, and convenient AA battery operation. The two new cameras also include 'Intelligent Image Stabilization', are PictBridge-compatible, have a total of 18 different scene modes, and are equipped with the Panasonic Venus Engine III image-processing engine. While the LZ6 is equipped with a 2.0-inch LCD display, the LZ7 has a 2.5-inch display. Both cameras will ship this month at a price of $199.95 (Rs 8,822 approx)for the LZ7 and $179.95 (Rs 7,940 approx) for the LZ6.

The DMC-TZ3 is a compact model equipped with 7.2-megapixel sensor, 28mm wide-angle lens, 10x optical zoom, 3.0-inch LCD and stainless steel body. It can shoot in 4:3, 2:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios, and can take up to three shots per second at full resolution, allowing consecutive shooting until its memory card is full. The camera will be available in March this year for $349.95 (Rs 15,442 approx).

The DMC-FZ8 is a 7.2-megapixel CCD that boasts 12x optical zoom coupled with Panasonic's Extra Optical Zoom function that provides additional magnification up to 18x when taking photos with 3-megapixel resolution. It also features 2.5-inch LCD, the Panasonic LSI Venus Engine III, a total of 18 scene modes, and allows approximately 380 shots to be taken on a single charge. This camera will start shipping this month with a price of $349.95 (Rs 15,442 approx).

The DMC-TZ2 is a 6 megapixel camera with 2.5-inch LCD panel. It will be available in Europe sometime in May 2007.

The DMC-FX8 is a 7.2 megapixel CCD with 12X optical zoom, has a 2.5-inch LCD viewfinder, and a multi-purpose joystick. This camera will ship sometime this month for $349.95 (Rs 15,442).

The DMC-FX10 and DMC-FX12 both feature digital image stabilization, 3X optical zoom, and 2.5-inch LCDs. While the DMC-FX10 has a 6 megapixel sensor, the DMC-FX12 uses a 7.2 megapixel one. The DMC-FX10 and the DMC-FX12 will be available this month for $199.95 (Rs 8,997.75) and $229.95 (Rs 10,347.75) respectively.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Launches

2007-01-30T10:40:00.000+05:30

Hutch India and Research In Motion (RIM) have jointly launched the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 smartphone in the country.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 comes complete with phone, digital camera, and multimedia capabilities. It offers the full BlackBerry experience, including, e-mail with multiple email account management, group messaging, attachment viewing, instant messenger, organizer applications, Web browsing, and other mobile applications. The smartphone has a large, ultra-bright 240x260 color display, megapixel camera with 3 zoom levels (up to 5X), and built-in flash, multimedia player with stereo headset jack, 64 MB flash memory, and microSD expansion slot.

It features push-technology, Sure Type keyboard with QWERTY layout, new intuitive user interface, call management features, and other first-rate phone features with speaker independent voice recognition (SIVR) for voice activated dialing (VAD), dedicated 'send', 'end', and 'mute' keys.

In addition, the 8100 smartphone supports Hutch India's GSM/GPRS/EDGE network, thus allowing customers to use the quad-band BlackBerry Pearl while traveling overseas.

Moreover, BlackBerry Enterprise Server support integrates with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise environments, and features a new set of IT policy controls for IT departments to administer camera and expansion memory settings.

The phone supports up to 16 days of standby time, and 3.5 hours of talk time.

With this launch, there are now four BlackBerry models available in the Indian market: namely, the BlackBerry 8100 Pearl; the BlackBerry 8700g; the BlackBerry 7130g; and the BlackBerry 7290.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 is available at a price of Rs 24,990, while the other phones are available for Rs 29,990, Rs 14,990, and Rs 19,490 respectively.

What buying Vista Ultimate means to Microsoft

2007-01-29T14:12:00.000+05:30

Microsoft's plan to sell multiple versions of Vista–Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate–may already be paying dividends.

The company, which reported fiscal second quarter earnings and provided plenty of items to analyze, said last night that it expects premium versions of Vista to represent 60 percent of sales in fiscal year 2007. That projection is above the 54 percent premium mix expected by Friedman Billings Ramsey analyst David Hilal.

So what does it mean to Microsoft if you buy Vista Ultimate instead of Basic?

Hilal estimates that for every 1 percent Microsoft increases the sales mix toward Vista Ultimate (say going from 1 percent of the total Vista sales to 2 percent) the company gets another $150 million in revenue for its client division. If you buy more Home Premium and the mix increases 1 percent it represents an additional $50 million in revenue for Microsoft.

Aside from the fun with numbers, it'll be interesting to see what flavor of Vista people choose. Hilal notes:

"We believe that Ultimate could do better than our 1 percent OEM license mix expectation, as consumers that use their home PCs for both entertainment and business purposes will be attracted to the breadth of functions that Ultimate offers."

True Lies About Free Satellite TV On PC

2007-01-29T12:48:00.000+05:30

There are a lot of websites and advertisements online promising you free satellite TV, the type that you receive directly to your PC or laptop computer. It's all lies. And it's all true. I'll explain. But first we'll need to talk a little bit more about satellite TV.

Direct Broadcast Satellite (or DBS) is satellite TV service that you pay for, like DirecTV or Dish Network in the US or Sky in the UK. These networks own most of the popular and recognizable channels, such as HBO for movies and MTV for music. Anyone who tells you that you can get these channels for free is either lying or assuming that one or both of you are willing to break the law. Furthermore, when a website includes the logo of MTV or HBO somewhere on their sales page when they are trying to sell you their free satellite TV software, this is an example of misleading advertising.

If you want free satellite TV without most of these familiar channels, you do have two options. First, you can set up your "receive-only" satellite TV system, also known as "TVRO." These systems predate DBS systems and use a different frequency for receiving their programming. They also use dishes that are bigger than DBS dishes, and sometimes you have to be able to move them to direct them toward different satellites. After setting up your system, you would have to find out what programming is on and when. There are some quality resources on the Web now available for this purpose, such as http://LyngSat.com. TVRO systems are great for those who know what a Low Noise Block Converter is and how get the most out of their actuator - which of course means they're not great for everyone.

For everyone else there's the Web. Yes, it is true that you can watch free satellite TV on your computer screen. It is much closer to what is known as "Internet TV," but is still referred to as "satellite TV to PC," especially by those advertising software designed for this purpose. More specifically, this software allows easy access to satellite TV broadcasts that are streamed live over the Web. It goes for anywhere between $20 to $80, and promises thousands of channels. One good thing about these set-ups is that you get a lot of programming from other countries and other cultures. And we can all do with a good dose of culture now and then.

There are websites that offer some of the same content without having to buy the software. But in some situations, the software - if it is good software - can make the process much easier and add a bit of order to the chaos of the programming cosmos. As with any product, you should do at least a minimal amount of research to find out what you are getting. That means doing more than just reading a long sales page by the company trying to sell you their product.

Some Direct-to-PC satellite TV offers cost more than others, and some promise more than others. Some have good reputations in terms of customer service and support. Others should be ashamed of themselves. Choose wisely.

SanDisk Sansa Wireless Internet MP3 Player

2007-01-28T12:02:00.000+05:30

SanDisk, the second largest seller of MP3 players in the United States, introduced the new Sansa Connect WiFi Enabled mp3 player at today's CES show.

The MP3 is WiFi enabled to allow consumers to enjoy music and recommend music from almost anywhere. Users can "un-tether" themselves from their PCs by using the MP3 player's wireless capabilities to download music and photos from wireless hot spots.The Sansa Connect WiFi MP3 player allows you to contact to a wide range of music through subscription services and streaming internet radio, without having to connect to a PC. It is specially designed to work with premium internet services, and can recommend music and photos with the click of a button and a live internet connection.The Sansa Connect player is works seamlessly with popular music formats, including MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files. The device also uses an open digital rights management system that allows users to purchase songs or access subscription download services. It will support Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music and is designed to work with Microsoft Vista when it ships.

Google’s Reaction to Vista Release

2007-01-27T13:02:00.000+05:30

Microsoft also Google. Microsoft, a.k.a. the software giant for actual developed go-getting applications, including Windows operating system; Google, codenamed the Search giant seeing corporal provides the energetic reconnoiter engine on the internet. Windows Vista is the newfangled operating schema that was designed by Microsoft, solo of the remarkably common software developers impact the outright world. Microsoft developed the meritorious Windows operating technic that is stale installed on additional than half of the computers from the unexpurgated world.

As you probably know, Microsoft is preparing owing to the turn of the Windows Vista bereavement coming on January, 30. Vista is regarded seeing the safest also the indeed make sure operating system power the world, providing you well-developed nitty-gritty that entrust displace unbroken the variant programs prerequisite to occupation on the computer. Vistas fancy is more suitable by repairing manifold bugs and hopefulness flaws besides besides by adding an more valuable firewall with bundled Windows Defender anti-spyware application.

Many companies existent reacted to the Vista annihilation by revealing spare versions of their solutions or by publishing hectic statements meant to ventilate the too many operating systems functions.

For example, eminently of the fortune companies present-day maturing equipment through the Vista RC1 eternal rest date, thence you should betoken direct to catch Vista-compatible well-developed ambition applications. One of the Linux founders trumped-up a balance to quibble the upcoming operating system, enumeration that the bright side of the Windows Vista entrust symbolize like now beneath the demur of complicated attackers.

Although Google is the provider of the hugely strenuous inspect engine, the Vista sleep commit commonplace alter unabbreviated the spotlights on the operating system, an commotion that damages the research giants image. So, what onus Google do? It importance renown the grim reaper of Vista with a likewise composition or maybe not? Well, some go at ago, skillful were rumors that Google is alignment an operating system. I thinking valid would imitate unusually exciting being using a Google operating line to travel on Google also to welfare services provided by Google will generate our scene a Google one. So, qualified are indivisible 4 days unattended until the Vista tomb time. Is Google fleeting seeing the celebrations?

XFX GeForce 7600GT Fatal1ty Out

2007-01-27T11:47:00.000+05:30

At an aftermath esteem Mumbai, XFX launched its dewy and fastest lucid cards: the XFX GeForce 7600GT Fatal1ty, besides the XFX GeForce 8800GTX.

The XFX 7600GT Fatal1ty Video Card is perhaps the fastest 7600GT make credit the world, again antithetic poles apart cards, legitimate utilizes XFX's proprietary stealth heatpipe cooling technology, dubbed "Silent But Deadly" technology. While the establish does not deploy a stock fan, real serene cools with additional efficiency tailor-made to dallying procedure of element from the GPU to the aluminium fins delayed the card. Besides, seeing angle also dissension are not forced whereas
the heatsink, finished is minor rack since clogged heatsinks causing overheating sway some time.

The 7600GT Fatal1ty Professional Series Video Card one's thing high-definition video playback; is Microsoft Windows Vista ready; and with True High Dynamic-Range (HDR) Rendering, makes seeing tremendously life-like PCI-Express graphics.

According to XFX, the diagnose offers mind-numbing speed, graphics, and optimizes advance silently again effectively.

Speaking at the launch, Sunny Narain, VP of Sales also Marketing, XFX Hong Kong, said, "We are curious with our tie-up with Johnathan Fatal1ty , the world's No 1 polished gamer, who is obvious worldwide in that his gaming skills & compulsion which just merges with the XFX culture of gaming. Infact the signature racket this year as XFX is Play Hard."

"We at XFX ascertain ourselves thanks to gamers also we rest assured a solve ally
of glowing cards in that the works segments. Now with the go ahead of 7600GT Fatal1ty also 8800GTX, we movement to supplementary determine besides progress XFX sell share string the capital segment," Narain said.

The XFX Geforce 7600 GT Fatal1ty is available at a suggested perfect user assessment of Rs 12,900; besides the XFX GeForce 8800GTX is available at a suggested get done user equivalent of Rs 46,000 at exhaustive 48 Rashi Peripherals branches owing to India. All XFX sharp cards from Rashi drop in with a 3 year warranty.

Dell Unveils All Terrain Notebook

2007-01-27T09:49:00.000+05:30

Dell has launched the Latitude ATG D620 (All-Terrain Grade), its best semi-rugged journal computer as customers who proposition in first environments.

According to Dell, the Latitude ATG D620 meets military standards now vibration, humidity, further altitude, besides is geared to set out condemn inadvertent bumps, moisture, further differential approximative contingencies. In keeping with its tops nature, the notebook quality a shock-mounted rigid drive, spill-resistant keyboard, port covers, also moved durability paint. Besides, authentic includes a 14.1-inch frame up with ambient flashing sensor (ALS), glass overlay, besides anti-reflective coating. The burden says the LCD is halfway 1" times brighter than that of surpassingly mainstream corporate notebooks.

Latitude ATG provides rigid rush theory compatibility with Latitude D620. It is further same with unitary D-family wireless again utopia products, being in fact considering accessories pleasure in docks, port replicators, again know-how adapters. The diary includes a lead-free motherboard besides chassis; is RoHS compliant; further designed since force efficiency credit compounded customer environments.

Prominent specifications are: 500 NIT LCD with non-reflective coating; 14.1-inch WXGA reserve (1,280 X 800 resolution); aid thanks to ongoing to 4GB3 DDR2 SDRAM; ATG mishap lights considering keyboard lighting; punch mounted-hard offense further LCD; Intel Core 2 Duo processors; further Microsoft Windows Vista Capable.

Speaking at the launch, Rajan Anandan, Vice President & General Manager of Dell India, said, "The Latitude ATG is a boon pretension of Dell's essential to customer-driven innovation. We suppose heard from customers emphatic also shining that a tougher, drastically intolerant journal with a blot out that is not burdensome to revolve outdoors is foremost pressure multitudinous goods of work. We're frolicsome that we could collect that customer catechize with a travail incomparable by industry-leading features."

The diary is these days available whereas prices commencement Rs 106,163, along with a three-year future commotion clock on-site collaboration habitual warranty.

Bill Gates gave an advice to a High School

2007-01-26T15:39:00.000+05:30

We are not so bad in this country (India) but some of this advise is certainly useful for us all:

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

The SEO Blog

2007-01-23T15:18:00.000+05:30

I have recently come across a SEO blog you guys must have a look at it.All the SEO related topics which are helpful are covered there :) Nothing else for now

Nintendo DS -The Fastest Selling Handheld Console

2007-01-22T23:04:00.000+05:30

The Nintendo DS, launched in March 2005 across Europe has officially become the fastest selling handheld console. It has reached 10 million sales across Europe, and somewhere around 34 million worldwide. 1.7 million units were sold in December alone.

This is what NOE's Marketing Director had to say: "This landmark figure of 10 million Nintendo DS gamers cements the console’s position as undisputed leader of the handheld market, bringing gaming to a whole new audience - something that was unimaginable a few years ago!"

If that is the case, then the console's clamshell design, with two LCD screens inside - one of which is a touch-sensitive screen-seem to have done the trick. Also, the console has a built-in microphone located below the left side of the bottom screen for minigames that require the player to blow or shout into the microphone (Feel the Magic: XY/XX, Wario Ware: Touched, etc).

DS games use a proprietary solid state ROM "Game Card" format resembling the memory cards used in other portable electronic devices such as digital cameras. It currently supports cards up to 1 gigabyte in size. The cards always have a small amount of flash memory or an EEPROM to save user data, for example, progress in a game or high scores. This is also one of the reasons why it is so popular, as some don't like the fuss of plugging in all sorts of flash memory cards or connecting wires to the TV/monitor, or power outlets.

Although it has had huge success so far, Nintendo doesn't stop here planning to widen the gaming market with both Touch Generation games on the DS and also traditional games.

Microsoft Says Stop It : 114 Million Instances of Non-genuine Software

2007-01-22T22:57:00.000+05:30

Microsoft has geared on the patch of “using counterfeit software represents a risk,” and has announced the debut of the Genuine Fact Files campaign designed to educate the consumer. Microsoft's

take on piracy is an initiative meant to inform users of the dangers that are associated with buying, downloading, deploying and using pirated software.

“We want to enable customers to make informed decisions that are best for their business by providing them with the facts that they need,” said Cori Hartje, director of Microsoft's Genuine Software Initiative.

According to data released by Microsoft, the Windows Genuine Advantage process was applied to in excess of 512 million users, since July 2005. While the vast majority have validated the fact that they are indeed using genuine Microsoft products, a staggering 22.3% of those users have found their software labeled as non-genuine. “If you do the math, with a company the size of Microsoft, that's a lot of money,” Hartje added. “We're trying to protect Microsoft's intellectual property and shareholders.”

Non-genuine is of course a Microsoft euphemism for pirated. The Redmond Company cannot use terms like pirated or counterfeit due to the fact that the WGA tool has also generated a number of false positives. Out of the 114 million times when the software has been identified as non-genuine, less than 1% is the volume of false positives generated by the validation process. The Redmond Company failed to reveal the exact number of the false positives.

Microsoft informed that 56,000 reports of counterfeit software have been submitted to the company and that the customers that have been tricked in buying bootlegged products will receive genuine ones from Microsoft, at no charge or with a discount.

Is Internet Explorer 8 In The Works??

2007-01-22T22:34:00.000+05:30

You may get to have a look at the future of the Internet Explorer browser sooner than you might think. Although Microsoft is currently lagging behind Mozilla that has introduced Firefox 3.0 Gran Paradiso since early December 2006, third party sources confirm that the next version of Internet Explorer is already cooking in the Redmond labs. Internet Explorer 8.0 will be introduced at MIX 07, at the Venitian Hotel in Las Vegas between April 30 and May 2. One of the sessions at MIX 07 is addressed to designers and developers and is entitled: “First Look at the Future of IE.”

At the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft has confirmed that the development of Internet Explorer 8.0 has already debuted. Coincidentally, at MIX 06, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates promised that releases of Internet Explorer will be separated by 9 to 12 months maximum. In this context, Internet Explorer 8.0 should be launched towards the final quarter of 2008.

(Read More)

Domain Names : The Remembrance Factor

2007-01-22T16:49:00.000+05:30

When choosing a domain name, it is tempting to choose a name based on convenience or to accept a suggestion from the domain provider. Which approach is right?

Maybe neither proposal is entirely appropriate.

The more pristine your domain name the easier it will be for potential customers to find you. If, for instance, your business were named Ed's Grommet Shop, you would likely do best to acquire a domain that is very simply named www.edsgrommetshop.com . The use of hyphens or underscores is confusing for visitors.

Some entrepreneurs will also try to find a domain name that accentuates a 'cute' factor. They might look at a name like www.grommetsrus.com or www.yeswehavegrommetstoday.com. The result is a cute name that is easily forgotten.

You might even try abbreviating the name such as www.edgromshp.com Invariably your abbreviation will be different than the way others might shorten it. In the end your potential customers remain confused.

If you are still working on the development of your online business it might make sense to investigate several business names and discover which names might be available as a domain name.

By simultaneous branding your business name with your domain name you will find it much easier for clients and potential customers to locate your site.

It is possible to choose a name other than your business name, but you may have to work extensively to market the new domain name. Some existing businesses have used their toll-free number as a means of identifying their online presence. There is a well-known flower distributor that lists their online presence with their 800 number and work hard to brand that domain name along with the toll free number for contact. In essence they kill two marketing birds with one domain name – website and personal contact.

Some businesses may also make the mistake of selecting a free online hosting site with a domain name that has little to do with you or your business. The belief is that this no-cost solution is a help to the development of your online company. Most of these sub-domains are largely ignored by online users and may not rank well in search engines.

If you haven't had the opportunity to launch your ecommerce site yet, take some time to research not only your business, but a name that can be easy for customers to remember if for no other reason than it is your actual business name.

Quickest Way To Infect Your Pc With Spyware And Adware LOL

2007-01-22T16:46:00.000+05:30

You follow this advice and you eliminate 90% of the risk involved with adware and spyware infections.

If you do not use the Internet you will not get any infections. However whenever you are online you are either on safe sites, low risk or dangerous sites.

Illegal websites and porn sites are the most dangerous sites.

Adware, spyware, trojans and malware are just a few names to describe the thousands of dangerous objects. Virus and toolbars are also very common.

If you want to reduce and keep your computer more safe from these bad objects you can start now doing the following:

1 Reduce or eliminate porn websites you visit. Porn sites are one of the two types of websites that are very dangerous. Adware and spyware and related infections most often come from these porn sites.

If you are a porn lover, you can still visit these type of sites by searching on the yahoo images at images.yahoo.com That will allow you to find anything assuming safe search in off. You can turn it off and on anytime. Safe search ON does not allow porn related images to appear in the results.

So instead of directly visiting the websites, you are visiting them from the yahoo.com. Google images, youtube videos, myspace videos and yahoo videos are also great places to find this type of content without actually visiting the sites.

You cannot see spyware and adware but now you know where it is likely to be found. Your anti adware and spyware software can alert you of possible dangers. However there is more than just spyware or adware. Your software even though it might be the best one on the Internet today it cannot always and instantly identify all dangerous websites. That is why it is best to avoid visiting porn sites at all.

Porn sites includes also porn forums and message boards. Porn groups are not very common and if they are located on google groups, yahoo groups, myspace groups and the other common groups they are probably safe.

Installing multiple software will not do much good. It slows down your PC performance. The tested and proven method is to avoid visiting these type of sites at all.

New spyware and adware popup anytime. That is another reason why you should always make sure the software you are using is up to date. All popular anti adware and spyware software allow you to update your software. Check for updates regularly, best of all it takes only a few minutes.

2 The second most dangerous websites are illegal sites. Let me give you examples of these kind of sites.

Forums or websites providing software cracks, cheats, illegal content, scams, spam and so on. These types of sites are the ones you should try to avoid. If you visit them you are at risk of infecting your PC with spyware and adware. The risk increases if you register or download cracks, videos and any other content.

Try to get feedback before you visit a certain forum. Maybe you find some people who where members already and they got infected. Yahoo Answers is a great place to get feedback. People will quickly tell you if something is not worth looking at. answers.yahoo.com

So do not just rely on your anti virus, adware or spyware software. It is not enough. The software is there and is a must but it is also important to avoid those two types of sites.

Source

Using Online Video Websites to Promote Your Blog

2007-01-21T20:57:00.000+05:30

Blogs have literally taken in the internet by storm. It seems as if just about everyone has a blog. Blogs are so popular that it there is a good chance that you have one. While blogs are nice, it is sometimes difficult to get them seen. Many blog owners, maybe even yourself, are unsure how to go about generating more internet traffic. Luckily for you and other blog owners, there are a number of different ways that you can work to increase the number of page views that your blog receives.

The first step in getting traffic to your blog is to make sure that you have an interesting topic. If you are writing about your personal experiences, you may find that not everyone wants to read about them, that is unless you lead an adventurous life. However, if you blog on a wider range of topics, such as working from home, saving money, or being a good partner, you are automatically likely to get a bigger audience. This is because more internet users, especially ones that you do not know, would be more willing to read information on these topics, rather than your daily adventures or lack of adventures.

Once you have found a topic that you would like to write about, you will need to start creating your blog, if you haven’t already. When making your blog it is important that you write content that will be useful to your blog’s general topic. It is also important to include lots of content. Content is what most search engines use when picking up websites. In the event that your blog gets indexed by a search engine, you will find that your blog’s traffic should automatically increase. This is because a large number of internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for.

Although a high search engine ranking may help to increase the amount of traffic your blog sees, it is sometimes difficult to do. Most individuals do not go further than the third or fourth page, when looking at search engine results. This means that if your blog is not considered to be high ranking, you may not get the results that you were hoping for. However, this does not mean that you should give up. Instead, it means that you just have to find another way to promote your blog.

One of the many other ways that you can go about promoting your blog is through the use of online video websites, particularly the ones that are free to use. Online video websites are websites that allow internet users to upload videos that they have created. Once uploaded, these videos can be viewed by thousands, if not millions, of internet users. If you are looking for a fun and low-cost way to market your blog, you are advised to give online video websites some though.

Before uploading your video, to an online video website, you will have to make your video. To do so, you will need a recording device. The best devices to use include camcorders and webcams. When making your online video, it is important not to make your video sound too pushy or like spam. It may be a good idea to state the purpose of your blog and what can be found there. You may also want to record yourself or someone else visiting your blog to showcase your blog’s features. You could also take still shots, also commonly known as screen shots. These shots will allow you to post pictures of your blog pages. Having those pictures float through your online video is a great way to show internet users what your blog is all about.

Once you have finished making your video, you will need to upload that video to your computer. Once your recording device is hooked up to your computer, it should be recognized by a moving making software program. These programs will not only allow you to save your video, but edit it as well. Once your video is saved, you will need to follow the uploading directions for each online video website that you would like your video or videos to be uploaded to.

It is important to note that you are not guaranteed to see an increase in your blog’s traffic, but why not at least give it a shot? With most video websites being free to use, there shouldn’t be any risks associated with incorporating your blog into your next online video.

Xbox 360 Live: Massive Multiplayer Online

2007-01-21T00:21:00.000+05:30

In the days of Pong, it would have been hard to imagine all the video games we take for granted these days. Handheld, high-tech, dancing on a mat that’s recorded by the TV. It would have seemed surreal.

Well, the surreal has become real and the newest addition to the video game revolution is Xbox 360 Live, a truly multimedia, multiplayer experience that surpasses anything we’ve previously understood about video games.

Though many people like to play video games with a friend, it is largely seen as a singular, solitary activity. But with the addition of Xbox 360 Live to the video game lineup, things are socially kickin’ now.

Simply put, Xbox 360 Live is an online gaming service using your Xbox or Xbox 360 video console. You subscribe to the service, and then can play games with or against friends or other players around the world. There are more than 100 Xbox games that are enabled for this service, and all Xbox 360 games are at least “Xbox 360 Live aware”.

What’s most striking about Xbox 360 Live is the method by which you communicate with others. Through a headset that’s either bundled with your gaming system or purchased separately, you can voice or text message your friends or other players. While you are signed on, you can see what your friends are doing, even to the extent you can tell what game they are playing and what level they are on.

Truly, this is not your dad’s Atari.

So, how do you get in on this interesting form of play? First, you should own an Xbox 360 video gaming system. Then you have to subscribe to the service, and given the features, it is surprisingly affordable.

There are a variety of ways to subscribe to Xbox 360 live. If you choose the gold package (most popular), you can get:

- Access to online multiplayer games
- Ability to download Xbox 360 content and access to other downloads
- Enhanced ability to manage your list of friends

How do you purchase these services? There are a few ways. You can purchase a bundle at a store (currently available with rebates) and install. You can also purchase cards with time on them.

For example:

- You can purchase a 12-month Xbox 360 Live subscription card for about $50 or a 3-month subscription card for around $20.

- If you purchase the 3-month premium gold pack, you receive a headset, a 3-month gold membership, 100 Microsoft points, and the Xbox Live arcade game, Joust. This costs about $40 but currently has a $10 rebate.

- Go for the big daddy and purchase the 12-month premium gold pack. This will get you a 12-month membership, the Xbox 360 headset, the Xbox Live arcade game, Bankshot Billiards, and 200 Microsoft points. This costs about $70, but currently has a $20 rebate.

If you’re not sure you want to pay for a membership, there is a free 48-hour trial offer, which allows you to try the service before deciding if you want to subscribe. Like any free trial, this is a great way to decide if this is the right service for you.

A Look At Information Technology Security For 2007

2007-01-21T00:18:00.000+05:30

The world of computer security is a fascinating aspect and 2007 is not going to be any different, but it will be more interesting with the release of Microsoft Vista.

Large companies are looking to tighten the noose around those bad hackers, consumers are demanding more security and more privacy for there home computers, and who wouldn’t, credit card fraud and identity theft has not decreased it has only increased.

Hackers who like to hack into bank accounts are going to have a harder time doing that. Some online banking companies are asking there customers to take a further step in the login process when logging into there bank accounts. For example, some banks are asking there customers to enter their user ID on one page and then enter their password on the next page; this makes it more difficult for hackers. But don’t ever feel like you are safe, keep your guard up and don’t fall for any phony emails that ask you to go to a fake look a like bank website and enter your user name and password. If you do get one of those fake emails call your bank first, and ask them if they sent you the email, and you can also forward the email to the banks technical support team.

Thanks to companies like Webroot there are programs that can help you keep your computer secure and free of spy ware and ad ware, with their Spy Sweeper software which I highly recommend. Webroot also offers a great firewall that your computer should not be without. Go to AME Computers Spyware and Malware page for more information on these great products.

Another good move toward security and spam is that there are some ISP’s that are offering free spam filters, this helps cut down on the amount of junk mail reaching your inbox. The newer version of Outlook has built in junk mail filter, but what’s the point in having a filter if you have to go and filter through the spam filter that Outlook provides.

The flip side to all of this is the cost to consumers. Spyware and viruses can cost companies, and the average consumer thousands of dollars a year. Companies implementing new security hardware pass on those expenses to there customers, so it is not good for the consumer or the business. Microsoft Vista operating system has some built in features to help keep you safe; however there still may be a need for third party software to protect against spyware and viruses.

It’s a never ending battle between the good guys like Webroot and Lava Soft and the bad guys like the hackers and spammers. Do your part and fight the good fight.

Check List For Linux Security

2007-01-19T22:51:00.000+05:30

Linux is an amazing operating system considering how it was originally created. It was a modest program written for one person as a hobby – Linus Torvald of Finland. It has grown into a full-fledge 32-bit operating system. It is solid, stable and provides support for an incredible number of applications. It has very powerful capabilities and runs very fast and rarely crashes.

Unfortunately Linux machines are broken almost every day. This happens not because it is an insecure operating system. It contains all the necessary tools to make it very secure. But the truth is. It hasn’t become significantly more secure with the increase in popularity. On the other hand, our understanding of the hackers methods and the wide variety of tools and techniques available contributed to help system administrators to secure their Linux computers.

This article list's the most critical situations, and how to prevent an invasion with simple measures.

1- Weak passwords

By far the first and most used method used by hackers to try penetrating a Linux system is cracking a password, preferently of the user root. Usually they will target a common user first, and then, using his/her access to the operating system, try to get a privileged access cracking the root password. Good password policy, and good passwords are absolutely critical to the security on any computer. Some common mistakes when selecting a password:

A- use “password” as password.
B- use the name of the computer.
C- a well-know name from science, sports or politics.
D- reference to movies.
E- anything that is part of the user web site.
F– references associated with the account.

The latest version of Linux offer shadowed passwords. If a cracker can see an encrypted password, crack it would a simple task. So, instead of storing the password in the passwd file, they are now stored in the shadow file which is readable only for root. Before a hacker can crack a password he needs to figure out an account name. So, simple accounts names must be avoided as well. Another security measure is to apply a “no login” to the account in the passwd file. This must be done to all the accounts that don’t need to log in to the system. Examples are: apache, mysql, ftp and other.

Limit which terminals root may log in from. If the root account is allowed to log in only in certain terminals that are considered secure, it will be almost impossible for a hacker to penetrate the system. This can be done listing the allowed terminals on /etc/security. The login program will consider insecure any terminal that is not listed on this file, which is readable, only by root.

2- Open Network Ports

Any Linux default installation will provide the Operating System with tons of software and services. Several of them are not necessary or even wanted by the administrator. Removing these software and services will close the path to several attacks and improve security. The /sbin/chkconfig program can be used to stop services from automatically starting at run levels 3, 4 and 5. Log in as root and type /sbin/chkconfig --list to view all the services set to start automatically. Select the ones you don’t need and type /sbin/chkconfig 345 name_of_service off. You must do that to all services you don’t want to keep running. Also, the xinetd server can be used to disable other services as well.

3- Old Software Versions

Everyday vulnerabilities are found in programs, and most of them are fixed constantly. It is important, and sometimes critical, to keep up with the changes. There are mailing lists for every Linux distribution where one can have security related information’s, and the latest vulnerabilities found.

Some place to watch for security holes are:

· http://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-announce-list
· http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/
· http://www.mandrakesecure.net/en/mlist.php
· http://www.suse.com/us/private/support/security/index.html
· http://www.freebsd.org/security/index.html
· http://www.linuxtoday.com/
· http://www.lwn.net/

It is crucial to insure that the security released patches are applied to the programs as soon as they area available. The hacker community will be aware of the discovered holes and will try to explore them before the fixes are applied.

4- Insecure and Badly Configured Programs

There are some programs that have a history of security problems. To name a few IMAP, POP, FTP, port map and NFS, are the most known. The good thing is that most of these programs can be replaced by a secure version like spop, sftp or scp.

It is important that, before deploying any service, the administrator investigate its security history. Sometimes simple configuration measures can prevent serious headaches in the future.

Some advices regarding a web server configuration are well worth to mention:

- Never run the web server as a privileged user;
- Do not keep clients’ confidential data on the web server – Credit card numbers, phone numbers, mailing addresses, must be recorded on a different machine.
- Make sure the privileged data that a user supplies on a form does not show up as a default for the next person to use the form;
- Establish acceptable values for data that is supplied by web clients.
- Check vulnerabilities on CGI programs.

5- Stale and Unnecessary Accounts

When a user no longer uses his /her account, make sure it is removed from the system. This stale account won’t have this password changed periodically leaving a hole. Publicly readable or writable files owned by that account must be removed. When you remove an unnecessary service make sure you remove or disable the correspondent account.

PSP2 Codename Cobalt

2007-01-19T15:08:00.000+05:30

I have no idea that it is real but i got some Specs about it:

PSP (COBALT)
- All Metal & Ruggedized Rubber Build
- 200% Brighter Screen
- Dual Analog Controllers
- Visual Battery Display
- 8GB Flash Drive
- Wifi (a,b,g)
- Bluetooth V.2 (A2DP, AVRCP)
- Firmware 4.07

No word yet on Battery Life and Media Files Support!

UPDATE:
- Updated Pic from (Gizmodo)
- Axe like shape (Thick on the top and thins out on the bottom)
- 12mm (TOP) 6mm (BOTTOM)

Blackberry 8800 entering market from February

2007-01-19T15:05:00.000+05:30

Research in Motion is going to release a new idol. We are talking about the Blackberry 8800, the follower of the successful Pearl. Rumours about its launching announce Blackberry 8800 will be available very soon, starting from February. The new RIM mobile will have the usual QWERTY keyboard, a trackball and Wi-Fi connectivity. Very slim and very stylish, the new 8800 could be a good successor for Pearl.

Some Blackberry 8800 Specs:

•Quad-Band: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM;
•Email;
•Phone and SMS;
•Corporate Data Access;
•Organizer;
•GPRS, EDGE and Wi-Fi;
•BlackBerry Maps;
•Trackball, ESC and Menu keys;
•Integrated earpiece and microphone;
•Bluetooth v2.0; headset, hands-free and serial port profiles supported;
•Polyphonic, MP3 & MIDI ringtones, vibrate, on-screen or LED indicator;
•Embedded RIM wireless modem;
•Ultra Thin
•Full QWERTY keypad
•Large 320 x 240 screen
•Full multimedia feature set
•Possible on some versions of the 8800 (Camera - 1.3 mp, 5x digital zoom, flash and maybe even video recording)
•Media Player for audio and video playback (Built-in streaming)
•64 MB Flash, expandable memory (Micro SD)

US700W UMPC from no-name OEM makes the big boys look bad

2007-01-18T23:08:00.000+05:30

Its a strange angle on the picture. Because of the beveled edges it looks really thick. Its not. Its very thin. We've got to track down the company that's developing this. I've had one tip that I'm following up at the moment.

Look! 1024 x 600. Look! 560g. Look! 20.5mm.

There's no indication if its running an Intel 915 or 945 chipset which is a shame. The 945 would be enough to enable aero as you can get the WDDM drivers for it. I'm not sure if the 1.06G Celeron could handle that. Maybe that 1.6Ghz ULV Core 2 Solo based Celeron will be ready in time!

US702 High resolution Convertible

OS - Microsoft Windows Vista Business/Ultimate
Processor - Intel Celeron M 1.06G MHz
LCD - 1024 x 600 Pixels
Memory -- 1G MB SODIMM
HD-1.8"20G/30G/40G/60G
Bluetooth-V2.0+EDR
Wireless LAN-802g/b
USB 2.0
*1VGA OUT
*1WebCam 1.3M
Keyboard
Memory Expansion- SD/MMC or CF
Battery- L-Polymer 1,800 Mah(IN) /3,400 Mah(OUT)/5,400 Mah(OUT)
Size-198 (L) x 125 (W) x 26 (H) mm (Max.)
Weight-650g

US701 High resolution Tablet with GPS, webcam, +still cam

OS - Microsoft Windows Vista Business/Ultimate
Processor - Intel Celeron M 1.06G MHz
LCD - 1024 x 600 Pixels
Memory -- 1G MB SODIMM
HD-1.8"20G/30G/40G/60G
Bluetooth-V2.0+EDR
Wireless LAN-802.11b/g
USB 2.0
*1VGA OUT
*1WebCam 1.3M
Camera 2.0M
GPS SIRF III
Memory Expansion- SD/MMC
Battery- L-Polymer 1,800 Mah(IN) /3,400 Mah(OUT)
Size-198 (L) x 118 (W) x 20.5 (H) mm (Max.)
Weight-600g

US700W Tablet

OS - Microsoft Windows Vista Business/Ultimate
Processor - Intel Celeron M 1.06G MHz
Display - 7", TFT-LCD,WVGA
LCD - 800 x 480 Pixels
Memory -- 1G MB SODIMM
HD-1.8"20G/30G/40G/60G
Bluetooth-V2.0+EDR
Wireless LAN-802.11b/g
USB 2.0 *1
VGA OUT *1
WebCam 1.3M
Memory Expansion- SD/MMC
Battery- L-Polymer 1,800 Mah(IN) /3,400 Mah(OUT)
Size-198 (L) x 114 (W) x 20.5 (H) mm (Max.)
Weight-560g

RFID tattoos for tracking Cows and People

2007-01-18T23:03:00.000+05:30

Did you know that Saint Louis based Somark Innovations successfully tested an "RFID tattoo" on cows and rats? Yes indeed, tattoo, not the ol' RFID chip found in passports, dogs, and Dutch VIP clubbers. Somark's system uses an array of needles to inject a passive RFID ink which can be read through the hair on your choice of beast. The ink can be either invisible or colored but Somark is keeping mum as to its exact contents. They only say that it doesn't contain any metals and is 100% biocompatible and chemically inert. The tattoo can be applied in 5 to 10 seconds with no shaving involved and can be read from up to 4 feet away -- the bigger the tattoo, the more information stored. Best of it all, it's apparently safe for humans to ingest allowing the FDA to track back Mad Cow Disease, e-coli outbreaks, and Soylent Green. Don't worry, they can't track you just as long as you chew your food like mama taught. However, with "military personnel" listed as Somark's "secondary target market," well, it's just a matter of time before we're all cattle now isn't it.

Pirate Bay Plans to Buy Sealand !!

2007-01-18T15:28:00.000+05:30

Pirate Bay recently announced that they are going to raise enough money to buy The Principality of Sealand, a small island located 10 kilometers off the coast of Suffolk, England. Pirate Bay plan to build HQ at Sealand and make it a copyright-free nation. They have launched BuySealand.com to help them raise funds. Just incase, they can’t raise enough money to buy Sealand, they’ll consider buying a small island somewhere else. Pirate Bay official blog says:

"The price for Sealand is probably about $2.000.000.000. We don’t really care. We’re going for it anyhow! We really want to see what the community can do - with it’s own island. Since we are all for sharing the country would be shared amongst us all."

Pirate Bay is undoubtedly the heaven for illegal torrents, but this one sounds more like a joke to me.

ColorWare adds Thinkpad T60p to Laptop Rainbow

2007-01-18T11:48:00.000+05:30

Those digging the specs on Lenovo's Thinkpad T60p laptop but not so down with the basic black look now have another option besides the DIY route at their disposal, with ColorWare announcing that its added the laptop to its multi-colored lineup. The laptop itself remains the same as before, of course, and configurable to some extent, with a 15.4-inch widescreen display and 2GHz Core 2 Duo processor standard, along with up to 2GB of RAM and 160GB of hard drive space. Things depart from the Thinkpad mold when you hit the color selection screen, however, with no less than 28 colors to choose from, including such stylish options as Caution Yellow (seen above) and Cotton Candy Pink. Going for the base model in your choice of color will set you back $2,950 with units shipping in 2-3 weeks, although those that have already sprung for a T60 aren't entirely out of luck, with ColorWare saying they'll soon also be offering an option for you to send in your laptop for a bit of sprucing up.

(Read More)

Who Wont Be Getting The iPhone?

2007-01-18T11:41:00.000+05:30

To find out that the Apple iPhone would roll out locked to Cingular on a multi-year exclusivity agreement was difficult enough for some folks to swallow. Imagine, then, the pain and suffering that'll be experienced by those in areas that Cingular has forsaken. Case in point: the Burlington Free Press has noted that Cingular offers not a sliver of coverage in the quaint state of Vermont, leaving well over half a million good citizens (Ben and Jerry included, we reckon) without their fix. While our initial instinct might be to buy the phone elsewhere and just roam 'til the cows come home (literally -- this is Vermont, after all), Cingular policy states that a customer's address must lie in a directly covered area -- and even for the few that manage to skate by that one, the carrier's known for canceling accounts that roam excessively. Of course, Cingular points out that eager buyers are more than welcome to buy it contract-free without activating an account, but there's not a lot of fun in that; meanwhile, Apple's staying mum on the subject, perhaps for fear of further agitating hundreds of thousands of irate Vermonters. And the problem is by no means limited to Vermont: residents of large parts of Maine, Virginia, West Virginia, New Mexico, the Dakotas, Arizona, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Colorado (among other states) might find that Apple has passed them over come June, unless Cingular goes into turbo mode lighting up new service areas. Anyone out there willing to move for a cellphone?

(Read More)

Samsung SCH-W559, the First Phone to Use VibeTonz Tactile Feedback in Touchscreen Operation

2007-01-18T11:13:00.000+05:30

Although Immersion's VibeTonz technology has been integrated into various Samsung handsets in the past, the shakin' technology was previously limited to ring tone and gaming enhancements. Today, however, Samsung is launching the keypad-less SCH-W559, which is the self-proclaimed "world's first" handset to utilize the VibeTonz system as a means of tactile feedback. The unit's QVGA touchscreen is meant to be a hands-on experience, and whether you use a stylus or the tips of your finger, the phone will provide a vibrating cue, which can be adjusted and customized within the phone's software, whenever you touch a virtual button. Immersion claims that its technology allows the on-screen buttons to feel more like "mechanical keys" rather than just a sheet of plastic. The device will be launching solely on China Unicom initially, will support both CDMA / GSM networks, and will feature a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, handwriting recognition capability, and audio / video playback functions to boot. Of course, users will be able to pimp out their ringtones with integrated buzzing, and while we're not sure how much Samsung plans on charging for the rumbler, we can't wait for it to start shaking things up here on American soil.

(Read More)

Pegasus - New PDA Phone from Asus

2007-01-18T11:03:00.000+05:30

It looks like Asus has a new PDA phone in the works. At least that’s what the iF Design Awards product gallery is telling us.

Named Pegasus this super slim (15.4 mm) Windows Mobile gadget combines phone, PDA and GPS navigation system into one sleek package. It has a numeric keypad, jog dial and allows for simple one handed control. The camera body is finished with brushed aluminum and diamond-cut edges to accentuate superior taste and a feeling of luxury.

No further details are available at this time, but the name of this PDA phone (Pegasus was the original name of Asustek. They dropped first 3 letters for higher directory listings), makes us wonder just what plans Asus has for Pegasus future

Proposed Microsoft Office At Bangalore,India

2007-01-17T18:26:00.000+05:30

Saddam Hussein execution: A sectarian lynching

2007-01-17T17:40:00.000+05:30

A video of the final minutes of Saddam Hussein, released to the Arab media late Saturday and widely broadcast around the world, demonstrates that the execution of the former Iraqi president was an act of sectarian vengeance by the Shiite Muslim groups placed in power by the US invasion of the country.

The video, apparently made using the cell phone of one of the guards or official witnesses in the death chamber, records the last fragments of conversation between Hussein and his hooded executioners, who were apparently loyal to the Shiite radical clergyman Moqtada al-Sadr, head of the most powerful militia force in Iraq, the Mahdi Army.

Several of the executioners and witnesses began chanting the name of the Shiite leader, “Moqtada, Moqtada, Moqtada,” as the noose was slipped around Hussein’s neck. He responded with surprise, and then a scornful retort, “Moqtada? Is this how real men behave?”

Other onlookers chanted the name of Moqtada al-Sadr’s father—a co-founder of the Dawa Party, one of the backers of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki—and one shouted, “Go to hell,” to which Hussein responded that those responsible for his execution had erected a “gallows of shame.”

Even the judge who had ratified the death sentence, Munir Haddad, reproached the sectarian outburst by the Shiite guards, telling them, “Please no! The man is about to die.” The video then concludes with grisly footage of the trapdoor opening and Hussein plunging to his death, his neck broken and his body swinging.

Beyond the events recorded on the video, the very fact that Mahdi Army loyalists were among the guards in the death chamber and could record the proceedings without hindrance has enormous political significance. It demonstrates the extent to which the US-backed Iraqi regime has become the instrument of factions in the sectarian conflict raging throughout much of Iraq.

For nearly a year, Sunni Muslims, Christians, secular Iraqis and others targeted by Shiite death squads have been hunted down, tortured and murdered. Most of these atrocities have begun with the seizure of the victims by armed members of the Iraqi police and military—the very forces the Bush administration claims it has been training to fight “terrorism.”

By Monday, with the digital recording circulating throughout Iraq and the entire Arab and Muslim world, it was clear that for the Maliki government and the US occupation regime the execution had become a political debacle. Thousands of Sunnis marched in protest demonstrations in Tikrit, Mosul and cities and towns throughout Anbar province. In Samarra, where the bombing of the Shiite Golden Mosque last February touched off the sectarian warfare, Sunnis marched through the shattered structure with a coffin representing Saddam Hussein’s.

The Maliki government, in a belated effort to distance itself from the images of Shiite triumphalism, ordered an investigation into how the video was shot in the death chamber and how it was distributed. But at least one eyewitness, one of the prosecutors in Hussein’s trial, said that the cell phone was brought in by a top government official, whom he would not name, not by a guard, and that the recording of the final altercation between the guards and Hussein was done quite openly.

Detailed reports in the US media conceded that the execution had backfired on the Bush administration. An account published in the New York Times Monday observed that it would be difficult for the White House to disassociate itself from the rushed execution of the former president, since the hanging took place at a US-controlled military facility in Baghdad, and Hussein remained in US custody until he was handed over to the executioners.

The article, co-authored by John Burns, the Times bureau chief in Baghdad and one of the most avid apologists for the war, noted that “Iraq’s new Shiite rulers . . . seemed bent on turning the execution and its aftermath into a new nightmare for the Sunni minority privileged under Mr. Hussein.”

The Times reported that US officials in Iraq were “privately incensed at the dead-of-night rush to the gallows,” and had repeatedly urged the Maliki government to delay the execution by a few weeks in order to conform to provisions in the Iraqi constitution and legal code, requiring approval of the hanging by the three-member Iraqi presidency, and barring executions during the celebration of Id al-Adha, a Muslim religious holiday.

The timing was perhaps the most brazenly sectarian aspect of the execution, since Saturday is the first day of Id al-Adha, according to the Sunni practice, while the holiday begins on Sunday for Shiites. One official effectively declared the Shiite observance to be the law of the land, and, as the Times revealed, the Shiite clergy were given final decision-making power, not the elected government.

The Times reported that the Maliki government had debated objections from US officials and Sunni politicians over conducting the execution on Saturday, then decided to refer the decision to the marjaiyah, the council of ayatollahs in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, which is the highest body of the Shiite clergy. According to the Times, “The ayatollahs approved. Mr. Maliki, at a few minutes before midnight on Friday, then signed a letter to the justice minister, ‘to carry out the hanging until death.’”

The Times concluded with the remarkable admission, “None of the Iraqi officials were able to explain why Mr. Maliki had been unwilling to allow the execution to wait. Nor would any explain why those who conducted it had allowed it to deteriorate into a sectarian free-for-all that had the effect, on the video recordings, of making Mr. Hussein, a mass murderer, appear dignified and restrained, and his executioners, representing Shiites who were his principal victims, seem like bullying street thugs.”

A second article in Monday’s Times reinforced this picture by reporting the reaction among Sunni Arabs in Baghdad: “the grainy recording of the execution’s cruel theater summed up what has become increasingly clear on the streets of the capital: that the Shiite-led government that assumed power in the American effort here is running the state under an undisguised sectarian banner.”

The Associated Press, in a report on the Sunni response to the execution, noted that the hanging was followed by a US military raid on the Baghdad offices of a prominent Sunni politician, in which six Iraqis were killed, and warned, “The current Sunni protests, which appear to be building, could signal a spreading militancy.”

Rizgar Mohammed Amin, the Kurdish judge who presided over the first trial of Saddam Hussein until he was forced to resign by official pressure from the ruling Shiite bloc, condemned the timing and manner of the execution. The hanging violated a clear legal prohibition (enacted under Hussein’s rule and still in force) stating that “no verdict should be implemented during the official holidays or religious festivals,” Amin told Associated Press.

The cell phone video of the execution of Hussein demonstrates the reality of the “democracy” which the US invasion has brought to Iraq. The invasion has destroyed the framework of the Iraqi state, exacerbated social tensions, and provoked an explosion of sectarian violence at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. The continuing US occupation—in which American and British troops continue to kill thousands of Iraqis even as murder squads operate on both sides of the Sunni/Shiite divide—has brought about not the flowering of “freedom,” but the virtual dissolution of Iraqi society.

Apple attacks iPhone UI emulators

2007-01-17T17:16:00.000+05:30

Apple is apparently taking a dim view of software developers emulating the bright Mac OS X user interface it's developed for its upcoming iPhone handset. Attempts to post graphics that bring the look of the iPhone to existing Palm OS, Windows Mobile and Symbian devices are being repulsed by legal threats.

Take the case of iPhony, an iPhone-alike launcher application developed for Palm OS devices. Posted online late last week, by Monday it had been withdrawn - well, the downloadable file, at any rate - at the behest of Apple's legal eagles.

Worse, perhaps, the company's attorneys have even threatened news sites that reported on the availability of the iPhone-esque skins, the Sydney Morning Herald alleges. To be fair, like the skins themselves, it's the use of Mac OS X icons that has Apple riled in this case.

Yes, it owns the icons and images of them, and has a right to demand they not be used in products it disapproves of. Websites it's gone after have willy-nilly reposted screenshots of the iPhone-imitating skins without considering the copyright implications.

But since the strength of the iPhone is how it works not how it looks, is all this legal activity really necessary? Dollar to a dime it helps promote the iPhone more than it impacts sales of the device.

Apple has form here, pursuing in the past individuals and companies who've attempted to offer utilities that emulate Mac OS X's Aqua UI and its Dock utility on Windows and Linux machines. It's even got stroppy with folk trying to make older versions of the Mac OS look like Mac OS X.

In March 2005, Google yanked a toolbar utility that operated not unlike Apple's own Dock, apparently at the behest of the Mac maker's intellectual property watchdogs. ®

Apple's iPhone: theoretical risks of unreleased handset

2007-01-17T17:06:00.000+05:30

Apple's iPhone is unlikely to become a gateway device for mobile malware, Symantec says. The handset will run an operating system based on Mac OS X, thus opening the possibility that the small number of viruse targeting the platform might be re-purposed to infect iPhone.

However, Concerns about possible mobile infestation of iPhones are "premature" at worst according to Eric Chien, an anti-virus researcher at Symantec.

For one thing the iPhone will be locked down so that consumers will be able to install only selected third party applications. While not dismissing the possibility that iPhone-specific malware could be created, Chien reckons it won't reach the levels currently seen with smart phones running Symbian OS. Nonetheless, vulnerabilities in Mac OS X could create future problems, he warns.

"The likely vectors of infection will be via any vulnerabilities on the device that allow code to execute. Unfortunately, just a single malware writer taking advantage of a single vulnerability could cause havoc, but for the most part such attacks will be limited," he writes.

"If the iPhone remains a closed device with not even Java applications or widgets let alone native code, the risk of infection becomes orders of magnitude lower."

Even though the iPhone is "locked down", interest in the technology is likely to spur the creation of home-brew hacks. The motives of these users is simply to run their own code on the phone, but the techniques pioneered by tech enthusiasts might be re-purposed for more malign purposes.

"Once they install and execute unknown code on their device, there is always a chance of executing malicious code. This scenario happened in the past with the Sony PSP and PSPBrick Trojan," Chien notes.

A mono-culture of devices running the same OS, knowledge among hackers about how software on the device works have been factors driving the creation of numerous items of malware on Windows PCs and the reason why mobile malware, despite considerable hype from some quarters, has been mercifully rare. Chien concludes that this is unlikely to change much with the arrival of iPhones later this year.

His analysis is published on Symantec's security blog here. ®

Netflix launches 1,000-title online movie feature

2007-01-16T21:41:00.000+05:30

Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings is set to demonstrate the “instant viewing” feature on Tuesday at the National Retail Federation convention in New York, where the company will receive an award for retail innovator of the year.

Hastings told Reuters in an interview on Friday here that the feature was aimed at under-30 Internet users who made video-sharing sites like YouTube.com popular.

“For consumers under 30, they are doing so much with online video this is a natural extension of their usage paradigm on a laptop,” Hastings said.

“Eventually we want to be on every Internet-connected screen from cell phones to computers to big screen plasma TVs but the starting place is the PC.”

Although Netflix has been working on virtual delivery for years, its debut comes about two months after rival Blockbuster Inc. beefed up its own online DVD rental program by allowing subscribers to swap movies in its stores, which carry an average of 5,000 titles.

The Blockbuster plan, called Total Access, has been seen by rental industry analysts as a threat to Netflix’s dominance of the fast-growing, $1-billion-plus online movie rental market.

Rental and retail sales revenues of DVDs and home videos reached $24.5 billion in 2006. About 100 million U.S. households have DVD players, and an estimated 41 million U.S. households had access in 2006 to broadband Internet services needed to download or stream video content.

Netflix’s goal is to sign up 20 million of them as subscribers by 2012.

The instant viewing feature also puts Netflix squarely in competition with several players already offering movies for rent online, including Starz Entertainment’s Vongo and the studio-owned MovieBeam, MovieLink and CinemaNow services.

Netflix’s limited slate of electronically available titles mirrors its new rivals’ but its subscriber base of about 6 million dwarfs those of the other online rental services.

Its instant viewing feature, available only on computers that run the Windows XP and Vista operating systems, plays back DVD-quality digital files almost instantly after subscribers install special software from the Netflix site, a process that takes about 20 seconds.

It does not download large movie files to consumers’ computer hard drives, but “streams” them directly from the Internet, meaning that users must stay connected to the Web, either through a cable or wireless connection, while viewing a movie.

The feature, which cost Netflix about $40 million to develop, is designed to adjust the picture’s resolution based on a user’s cable bandwidth so that the movie doesn’t freeze during play.

Online movie viewing time is awarded to Netflix subscribers based on their rental plans, with entry-level subscribers getting six hours per month and those with the most popular plans–three DVDS at a time– getting 18 hours per month.

Hastings said that although the free viewing time will not affect how frequently subscribers receive DVDs, he expects growing online usage to cut demand for DVDs by mail, and the company’s costs associated with buying and mailing them.

“Online is, of course, more cost effective so what we’re learning is, how close to our current gross margin model can we operate as consumers watch more movies online?” Hastings said.

Netflix plans to roll out the offering across the United States over the next six months to ensure that its servers can handle demand.

Netflix has inked deals to stream online content from NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, New Line Cinema and a number of television studios on the new service.

Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.. NBC Universal is a unit of General Electric Co.. News Corp. owns 20th Century Fox.

Warner Bros. and New Line are owned by Time Warner Inc.. MGM is owned by a consortium of private investors, including Sony Corp., which owns Sony Pictures.

Sony ships 1 million PS3s in Japan,seen missing target

2007-01-16T21:34:00.000+05:30

Sony’s game unit, Sony Computer Entertainment, said in a statement its global PS3 shipments reached 2 million in about two months after the launch, compared with its original target to hit the figure by the end of December.

Sony launched the new video console in Japan on November 11 and in North America on November 17, and is locked in a battle with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii for the top spot in the $30 billion game market’s console war.

The announcement came a day after Nomura Securities cut its PS3 shipment forecast through March by 25 percent to 4.5 million units, citing worse-than-expected sales.

KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide also said the brokerage estimates Sony selling only a little over 3 million units of the PS3 by March because of its high price and lack of game software available for the console.

“The biggest factor is the high price,” he said. “It is hard to understand for users why they should pay that much for the product.”

Sony’s high-end PS3 retails for about $600 in the United States while the premium Xbox 360 sells for $400 and Nintendo sells the lower-tech Wii for $250. The Xbox 360 debuted in 2005, while Nintendo launched the Wii in the U.S. on November 19 and in Japan on December 2.

The PS3 was outsold by the Wii in Japan by the end of December, according to video game magazine publisher Enterbrain, while retail market research firm NPD has said its sales also lost to Nintendo’s Wii in the United States in December.

Sony Computer Entertainment said it stuck to its target to ship 6 million PS3 by March.

Nomura also lowered its PS3 shipment forecast to 10 million units from 16 million for 2007/08 and to 11 million units from 18 million for 2008/09.

“For home-use video game consoles, the central role of which in our view was usurped by handheld game machine Nintendo DS, we think the absence of a dominant product will lead to a protracted struggle,” Nomura analyst Yuta Sakurai said in a report to clients.

“For the time being, we think Wii will remain on the ascendancy, supported by a lineup of attractive software titles and a broad user base,” he said.

Before the announcement, shares in Sony closed down 0.2 percent at 5,690 yen. The benchmark Nikkei average ended down 0.04 percent.

Google, Yahoo gain share in U.S. Web search market

2007-01-16T17:52:00.000+05:30

Google Inc. has increased its share of the U.S. Web search market to 47.4 percent with a gain of 0.4 percent during December, while No. 2 ranked Yahoo Inc. also edged higher, a survey said on Monday.

Web audience measurement firm comScore Networks Inc. said No. 3-ranked Microsoft Corp.’s share slid 0.5 percent to 10.5 percent of U.S. Web searches while IAC/InterActiveCorp’s Ask.com’s share dipped 0.1 percent to 5.4 percent.

Google has gained share in 16 of the last 17 months in the United States, the world’s largest Internet market, according to comScore data.

Yahoo’s share of the market rose 0.3 percent to 28.5 percent in December over November, the survey found.

An estimated 6.7 billion searches were conducted by U.S. Web users in December, up 1 percent from November.

The number of U.S. Web search queries has grown 30 percent since December of 2005, comScore said. Consumers performed 3.2 billion searches on Google sites, while Yahoo drew 1.9 billion searches.

The Technology Of Erection

2007-01-16T17:47:00.000+05:30

When you want to move nearly any part of your body, you do it using muscles. Whether you are moving your fingers, toes, arms or legs, muscles do the work. Even when you stick your tongue out, you do it using muscles:

1> You think about moving some part of your body
2> The appropriate muscles contract
3> That part of the body moves

Muscles let you move your body voluntarily with precise control.

The penis, on the other hand, is completely different. There are no muscle contractions involved in making the penis erect. To become erect, the penis instead uses pressure.

Probably the easiest way to understand how the penis becomes erect is to think about a balloon. If a balloon has no air in it, it is limp. As you inflate a limp balloon with just a little air, it becomes elongated and rigid.

The penis uses a similar mechanism, but instead of using pressurized air to become rigid, the penis uses pressurized blood. The penis contains two cigar-shaped structures, called corpus cavernosa (singular - corpus cavernosum), that it uses to become erect.

Think of the corpus cavernosa as balloon-like tubes. Arteries bring blood into these two tubes, and veins carry blood away from them. The penis can be either limp or erect, depending on the flow of blood:

1> In a non-erect state, the arteries that bring blood into the corpus cavernosa are somewhat constricted, while the veins that drain the blood from the penis are open. There is no way for pressure to build inside the penis. In this state, the penis is limp.

2> When a man becomes aroused, the arteries leading into the penis open up so that pressurized blood can enter the penis quickly. The veins leaving the penis constrict. Pressurized blood is trapped in the corpus cavernosa, and this blood causes the penis to elongate and stiffen. The penis is erect.
If the arteries leading to the penis do not open up properly, it is difficult or impossible for a man to become erect. This problem is the leading cause of erectile dysfunction.

To solve an erection problem when the cause is poor blood flow, you need to open the arteries and this can be done using Viagra.

ATM PIN NUMBER REVERSAL

2007-01-15T17:11:00.000+05:30

PIN NUMBER REVERSAL (GOOD TO KNOW)

If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM
Machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse.

For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. The
ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you
Placed in the machine.

The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to
the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.
This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states that it is
Seldom used because people don't know it exists.

Trivia Questions And Answers By A Trivia Break

2007-01-15T17:07:00.000+05:30

1. What was the name of the first computer game?
A. Pong
B. Tennis for Two
C. Pacman
D. Donkey Kong

2. How were the Hawaiian Islands settled?
A. By pirates
B. By Polynesians
C. By Spaniards
D. By English

3. Which U.S. city had the first full-time organized police department?
A. Boston
B. New York
C. Chicago
D. Washington D.C.

4. Credit money is paper backed by what?
A. Promise to pay
B. Gold
C. Silver
D. Goods or property

5. The U.S. state Kansas is named for the Kansas River but where did the river get the name?
A. Joseph Kansas, the explorer
B. the Kansa people who once lived in the area
C. the Kansa plains, a geographical feature in the region
D. the Kansa bird found in the region

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Trivia Answers

1. What was the name of the first computer game?
B. Tennis for Two
ATB: It was created by Working William A. Higinbotham to make the annual autumn open house at Brookhaven National Laboratory, a US nuclear research lab in Upton, New York, more interesting to the public. Higinbotham creates in three weeks the game system they name Tennis for Two, and it debuts with other exhibits in the Brookhaven gymnasium at the next open house in October 1958. In the rudimentary side-view tennis game, the ball bounces off a long horizontal line at the bottom of the oscilloscope, and there is a small vertical line in the centre to represent the net. Two boxes each with a dial and a button are the controllers...the dials affect the angle of the ball trajectory and the buttons "hit" the ball back to the other side of the screen. If the player doesn't curve the ball right it crashes into the net. A reset button is also available to make the ball reappear on either side of the screen ready to be sent into play again. No score is tabulated, and it is displayed in glorious phosphor monochrome on a puny 5" oscilloscope screen, but it is still a big hit with everyone who visits the display. There are people in line for hours to play it.

2. How were the Hawaiian Islands settled?
B. By Polynesians
ATB: The Hawaiian Islands were originally settled by Polynesian immigrants more than 1,000 years ago.

3. Which U.S. city had the first full-time organized police department?
B. New York
ATB: Although Boston was a close second!

4. Credit money is paper backed by what?
A. Promise to pay
ATB: Credit money is paper backed by promises by the issuer, whether a government or a bank, to pay an equivalent value in the standard monetary metal.

5. The U.S. state Kansas is named for the Kansas River but where did the river get the name?
B. the Kansa people who once lived in the area
ATB: The state is named for the Kansas
River, which, in turn, was named for
the Kansa people, who once inhabited the northeast area of the state.

111 Interesting Real Facts (Strange but True)

2007-01-14T09:57:00.000+05:30

1)Look at your zipper. See the initials YKK? It stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushibibaisha, the world's largest zipper manufacturer.

2)A duck's quack doesn't echo. No one knows why.

3)40 percent of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

4)315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.

5)On the average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.

6)Chocolate kills dogs! True, chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system. A few ounces is enough to kill a small sized dog.

7)Ketchup was sold in the 1830's as a medicine.

8)Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time.

9)Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

10)There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.

11)Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.

12)Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to slow a film down so you could see his moves. That's the opposite of the norm.

13)The original name for the butterfly was "flutterby"!

14)By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand.

15)Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.

16)Dentists recommend that a toothbrush be kept at least six feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

17)The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.

18)Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than the entire Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.

19)Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one foot.

20)Adolf Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor.

21)The three most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

22)To escape the grip of a crocodile's jaws, prick your fingers into its eyeballs. It will let you go instantly.

23)The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

24)The "pound" (#) key on your keyboard is called an octothorp.

25)The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.

26)Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

27)The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

28)Dreamt" is the only word in the English language that ends in "mt".

29)It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

30)In Chinese, the KFC slogan "finger lickin' good" comes out as "eat your fingers off".

31)A cockroach can live for 10 days without a head.

32)We shed 40 pounds of skin a lifetime.

33)Yo-Yos were once used as weapons in the Philippines.

34)Mexico City sinks abut 10 inches a year.

35)Brains are more active sleeping than watching TV.

36)Blue is the favorite color of 80 percent of Americans.

37)When a person shakes their head from side to side, he is saying "yes" in Sri Lanka.

38)There are more chickens than people in the world.

39)It's against the law in Iceland to have a dog.

40)The thumbnail grows the slowest, and the middle nail grows the fastest.

41)There are more telephones than people in Washington, D.C.

42)The average four year-old child asks over four hundred questions a day.

43)The average person presses the snooze button on their alarm clock three Times each morning.

44)The three wealthiest families in the world have more assets than the Combined wealth of the forty-eight poorest nations.

45)The first owner of the Marlboro cigarette Company died of lung cancer.

46)Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

47)The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.

48)Our eyes remain the same size from birth onward, but our noses and ears Never stop growing.

49)You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching TV.

50)A person will die from total lack of sleep sooner than from starvation. Death will occur about 10 days without sleep, while starvation takes a Few weeks.

51)Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

52)The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.

53)When the moon is directly overhead, you weigh slightly less.

54)Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, never telephoned His wife or mother because they were both deaf.

55)A psychology student in New York rented out her spare room to a Carpenter in order to nag him constantly and study his reactions. After Weeks of needling, he snapped and beat her repeatedly with an axe Leaving her mentally retarded

56)"I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language

57)Colgate faced a big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speaking Countries because Colgate translates into the command "go hang Yourself."

58)Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.

59)"Bookkeeper" is the only word in English language with three consecutive Double letters.

60)Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left handed People do.

61)The sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every Letter in the English language.

62)If the population of China walked past you in single line, the line Would never end because of the rate of reproduction

63)China has more English speakers than the United States.

64)Every human spent about half an hour as a single cell.

65)Each square inch of human skin consists of twenty feet of blood vessels.

66)An average person uses the bathroom 6 times per day.

67)Babies are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood we have only 206 in our Bodies.

68)Beards are the fastest growing hairs on the human body. If the average Man never trimmed his beard, it would grow to nearly 30 feet long in his Lifetime.

69)According to Genesis 1:20-22, the chicken came before the egg.

70)The longest place name still in use is: Taumatawhakatangihangaoauauotameteaturi- Pukakpikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu - a New Zealand hill.

71)If you leave Tokyo by plane at 7:00am, you will arrive in Honolulu at Approximately 4:30pm the previous day.

72)Scientists in Australia's Parkes Observatory thought they had positive Proof of alien life, when they began picking up radio-waves from space. However, after investigation, the radio emissions were traced to a Microwave in the building.

73)Wearing headphones for an hour increases the bacteria in your ear 700 times.

74)More than 40,000 parasites and 250 types of bacteria are exchanged during a French kiss.

75)Men can read smaller print than women, but women can hear better.

76)Coca-Cola was originally green.

77)The most common name in the world is Mohammed.

78)The name of all the continents ends with the same letter that they start with.

79)There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.

80)TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

81)Women blink nearly twice as much as men!!

82)You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.

83)It is impossible to lick your elbow.

84)People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.

85)It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

86)The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.

87)If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.

88)Each king in a deck of playing cards represents great king from history. Spades - King David, Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts - Charlemagne, Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

89)111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

90)If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.

91)If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle.

92)If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

93)Question - This is the only food that doesn't spoil. What is this? Ans. - Honey

94)A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

95)A snail can sleep for three years.

96)All polar bears are left handed.

97)American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.

98)Butterflies taste with their feet.

99)Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

100)In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

101)On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.

102)Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.

103)Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.

104)The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.

105)The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

106)The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.

107)Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over million descendants.

108)Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

109)The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

110)Most lipstick contains fish scales.

111)And finally 99% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow.

Are We Ready For Next Asia Bird Flu?

2007-01-14T09:53:00.000+05:30

The global health community is simmering in discontent. They are in a dilemma. They are unable to find a proper medication for a simple disease like bird flu. They crossed the moon. They intend to beat the stars. But the simple-looking disease, the bird-flu is causing them much concern. The survival chances of a person afflicted with this disease are less than 50%.

Next to terrorists, it is the hotly debated and discussed topic in the USA administration. There is a rare unanimity among the contending forces world over as to the damaging consequences this pandemic is likely to cause. In the Asian continent, about ten countries have experienced the bitter results of the attack of this disease in minor and major proportions.

From the position of anonymity, it is assuming a status of world importance. The deaths due to the attack of this disease have been relatively small so far. But the coming events, they say cast the shadows before.

Even the apolitical officials of the World Health Organization are the greatly worried. It is estimated by them that the world has to go through the bad influence of pandemic flu once in 30-40 years and the time is ripe now.

They are aware that something tangible needs to be done but how to do it and what to do, they are not aware about.

Many Asian countries including China and India have had the initial taste of the bird flu. Hong Kong had a few deaths on account of this bird flu but they answered it by culling the bird population ruthlessly. The last influenza pandemic that originated in Hong Kong in 1969 took the toll of 34,000 lives in the United States. In the Asian Region, this influenza did the worst job.

The viral sub type of the disease is still in circulation. The most recent beating influenza pandemics wave was felt in 1968 and its influence continued unabated for over a year. It is known as Hong Kong Flu and it was initially detected in China. It worked with full fury in Hong Kong. Put together, it claimed between one to four million lives. It then reached Canada, United Kingdom and United States, particularly California.

The nature, movements and the working of this virus is mysterious. So far, human beings suffered on account of the direct contact with the infected animals and their secretion. But the virus evolves constantly and mutates to inflict punishments on the birds, animals and human beings from different types of attacks.

So, where lies the solution? No one knows for certain. It is darkness of the cave!

The Orgins Of Rap And Hip Hop Music

2007-01-14T09:48:00.000+05:30

The origin of hip-hop can be traced back as far as the ancient tribes in Africa. Rap has been compared with the chants, drumbeats and foot-stomping African tribes performed before wars, the births of babies, and the deaths of kings and elders. Historians have reached further back than the accepted origins of hip-hop. It was born as we know it today in the Bronx, cradled and nurtured by the youth in the low-income areas of New York City.

Fast-forward from the tribes of Africa to the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica in the late sixties. The impoverished of Kingston gathered together in groups to form DJ conglomerates. They spun roots and culture records and communicated with the audience over the music. At the time, the DJ’s comments weren’t as important as the quality of the sound system and its ability to get the crowd moving. Kool Herc grew up in this community before he moved to the Bronx.

During the late sixties, reggae wasn’t popular with New Yorkers. As a DJ, Kool Herc spun rhythm and blues records to please his party crowd. But, he had to add his personal touch. During the breaks, Herc began to speak to his audience as he had learned to do in Jamaica. He called out, the audience responded, and then he pumped the volume back up on the record. This call and response technique was nothing new to this community who’d been reared in Baptist and Methodist churches where call and response was a technique used by the speakers to get the congregation involved. Historians compare it to the call and response performed by Jazz musicians and was very much a part of the culture of Jazz music during the renaissance in Harlem.

Herc’s DJ style caught on. His party’s grew in popularity. He began to buy multiple copies of the same albums. When he performed his duties as a DJ, he extended the breaks by using multiple copies of the same records. He chatted, as it is called in dancehall, with his audience for longer and longer periods.

Others copied Herc’s style. Soon a friendly battle ensued between New York DJs. They all learned the technique of using break beats. Herc stepped up the game by giving shout-outs to people who were in attendance at the parties and coming up with his signature call and response. Other DJs responded by rhyming with their words when they spoke to the audience. More and more DJs used two and four line rhymes and anecdotes to get their audiences involved and hyped at these parties.

One day, Herc passed the microphone over to two of his friends. He took care of the turn table and allowed his buddies to keep the crowd hyped with chants, rhymes and anecdotes while he extended the breaks of different songs indefinitely. This was the birth of rap as we know it.

Hip-hop has evolved from the days of the basement showdowns to big business in the music industry. In the seventies and eighties, the pioneers and innovators of the rap record was the DJ. He was the guy who used his turntable to create fresh sounds with old records. Then, he became the guy who mixed these familiar breaks with synthesizers to produce completely new beats. Not much has changed in that aspect of hip-hop. The guy who creates the beat is still the heart of the track. Now, we call him the producer. Even though some DJs work as producers as well as DJs (quite a few start out as DJs before they become producers), today’s title “DJ” doesn’t carry the same connotative meaning it did in the eighties. Today’s hip-hop producer performs the same tasks as the eighty’s DJ.

Playing Xbox Games In Mac Osx Using Xbox Emulator Software

2007-01-13T12:44:00.000+05:30

Xbox, developed by Microsoft, has emerged as one of the most popular gaming console available in the market today. Xbox deliver quality entertainment by providing stunning graphics and tremendous sound effects.

But, what if you want to play Xbox games but you don't want to purchase Xbox for the reason of you already have a home computer such as Mac OSX machine and you are only interested of playing certain common Xbox games. So, how you would be able to play the many Xbox game titles that aren't available for your Mac OSX?

The answer is simple, what you need is a software emulator, or to be exact, an Xbox emulator for your Mac OSX. These emulators for Xbox can be developed on your own, provided you have enough knowledge and skills computer programming. Or, the second option is by downloading the various kinds of working Xbox emulator available in the internet.

However, before you download any Xbox emulator software available in the internet, you must consider checking the reviews first and finding out if there is any positive or negative feedback from the current users. By doing this, you also have taken a steps of avoiding downloading a computer virus instead.

Xbox emulators are great software and can be utilize to play Xbox games using your Mac OSX machine. By right, you don't have to purchase the Xbox console itself. Simply say, just download and install the approved working Xbox emulator into your computer, you are on the way of playing your favorite Xbox games.

Please remember, one of the main limitations when you use Xbox emulators for your Mac OSX is the compatibility of the Xbox games to the emulator. Certain emulators can only play a limited amount of Xbox games in your Mac OSX. In other words, you will never able to play all the different game titles available in Xbox. Therefore, make certain to download the emulator that can support the Xbox game you want to play in your Mac OSX.

Therefore, if you have an interest in playing Xbox games but not really into buying yourself the Xbox console, or if you are only after one game or a few games of Xbox you can opt to use the Xbox emulator by download the software form the internet for your Mac OSX machine. On the other hand, if you want to play and experience Xbox to the fullest and use all features available, consider yourself to purchase the actual Xbox itself.