e-TechCheck

Why Nokia's 'Tube' Is the iPhone's Biggest Threat

2008-10-04T01:16:00.001-07:00

The iPhone is still king of the smartphone, but Apple's future dominance is in serious question with a flurry of new competitors. Nokia is the latest to threaten the iPhone's dominance with its just released touchsceen phone the 5800 Express Music phone, previously known as "Tube."

While this is not Nokia's first touchscreen phone (the 7710 was launched back in 2004) the Finns definitely borrowed some design cues from Apple's iPhone, but it seems that Nokia has hit all the right notes with the 5800. And above all, apparently, you get so much more for your money than with an iPhone.

The 5800 Express Music will be available this quarter for about $390, simfree (iPhone comes with a two year contract for $199). Only the simfree part could be a great selling point, as you would be able to use the phone on any network, anywhere around the world, without the hurdle of unlocking the phone(legally or not quite as legally).

No word on when this phone will hit the US market. Unfortunately it's highly unlikely to see the 5800 here in the U.S. in time for this holiday season. Most likely, Nokia will test the waters across the pond in Europe and early next year we might see Tube on a GSM carrier in the UK, as in T-Mobile or AT&T. But if you travel to Europe this winter, you can snap up an unlocked one from there - as the Tube is compatible with North American HSDPA (GSM) carriers.

Tube will feature the Nokia's Comes with Music bundle, which will allow users to freely download an unlimited number of songs from Nokia's Music Store over a year after the initial purchase.

For the iPhone, you know the drill: iTunes Music Store, $0.99 a pop. Being able to download as many songs as they want, for free, seems to be a great selling point for the 5800, especially for those who are on a lower budget.

Nokia's 5800 Express Music also features a 3.2-megapixel camera, with autofocus Carl Zeiss optics and a dual LED flash. All these blow iPhone's 2006 style 2-megapixel-no flash camera out of the water. Also, Tube records videos at VGA quality (640X480px) and has a frontal camera for video calls, something that the iPhone can't do at all. In this category, it's clear who's the winner.

Storage capacity-wise, the 5800 and iPhone seems to be on the par. Tube comes with an 8GB memory card and supports up to 16GB cards. Still, the Tube can have a slight advantage for those who want more than the given storage capacity, as they can buy additional memory cards and just pop them in the phone (iPhone's memory is built in and cannot be expanded).

The rest of the features, are just like one would expect from a true iPhone competitor. GPS, Wi-Fi and a 3.5mm jack so you can plug in any headphone you like. But as an added extra, 5800 will support Adobe Flash from the start, something that iPhone is still lacking, so the Web browsing experience might even be better than Apple's.

The only thing left to doubt about the new Nokia 5800 Express Music is the software interface. From pictures and video snippets around the Web one can't really give a proper verdict which one is the winner.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for a full review.

The Apple hype did help Apple to sell millions of iPhones, but Nokia sells over 500 million devices every year, out of which almost 100 million are smartphones. If we take in consideration brand loyalty and the other advantages Tube has over iPhone, we're about to see a very tight competition between the two.

Budget-minded photo enthusiasts will like the premium features tacked onto this unit's basic chassis.

2008-10-04T01:04:00.001-07:00

HP's Photosmart D5460 inkjet printer is a bargain that you can brag about. Though it's a bare-bones printer in most respects, it has a few standout features that any photo enthusiast would love to have.

In our laboratory tests, the Photosmart D5460 pushed paper quickly, managing a swift 11.4 pages per minute when printing text-only pages and 3.4 ppm when printing graphics. The main input tray holds just 125 sheets (lower than average), however, and it doesn't accept legal-size media.

Among the printer's positives are a dedicated 20-sheet photo-paper tray, which handles paper sizes of up to 5 inches by 7 inches, and an integrated input tray and caddy for specially coated CD or DVD media. The CD/DVD input tray nests within the printer's front bay and pulls down easily for use. The caddy (conveniently stored beneath the main input tray) is bendy, but it makes feeding optical media into the printer fairly straightforward.

The Photosmart D5460 has one other interesting feature: an extra, pigment-based black ink for printing text, supplementing HP's usual, dye-based black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks for graphics. We liked the blackness of the text we printed on plain paper, though we noticed a little feathering around the characters. Photos printed on HP's own paper looked natural (aside from a slight orange cast to flesh tones) and showed sharp detail even in dark or muted areas.

The inks are impressively economical, too. The Photosmart D5460 ships with regular-size (130- to 300-page) cartridges for all five inks, butHP sells high-capacity versions of all colors. The regular-size cyan cartridge, for instance, costs $10 and lasts about 300 pages (per HP), which works out to an affordable 3.3 cents per page. The 750-page (by HP's estimate) cyan cartridge costs $15--or just 2 cents per page.

The printer's control panel is simple, with an angled, 1.5-inch color LCD and only four buttons. When you insert a media card into one of the front slots, you can use the LCD display to scroll through your photographs and select one or more for printing.

The Photosmart D5460 starts out as a basic machine, but it provides more options and higher-quality output than you'd expect for the price. If you're concerned about the high cost of photo printing, this economically designed model may provide the answer you've been looking for.

Windows XP gets another lifeline

2008-10-03T23:32:00.000-07:00

Bowing to continued demand, Microsoft has again extended the life of Windows XP.

Three months after Microsoft stopped selling new copies of Windows XP, the software remains a top seller on Amazon.com.
(Credit: Amazon.com)

Although the largest PC makers can't sell XP anymore (except for ultra-low-cost machines), they can sell Vista Ultimate and Vista Business machines with XP discs in the box, or even Vista machines that are "factory downgraded" to Windows XP.

That option was supposed to go away early next year, as Microsoft was going to stop supplying Windows XP media after January 31. However, the company now says it will offer the discs through July 31, giving the option a six-month extension. (Update: PC makers will also be able to sell the factory downgraded machines online as well.)

In a statement provided to CNET News, Microsoft tried to put the best face on the move.

"As more customers make the move to Windows Vista, we want to make sure that they are making that transition with confidence and that it is as smooth as possible," Microsoft said. "Providing downgrade media for a few more months is part of that commitment, as is the Windows Vista Small Business Assurance program, which provides one-on-one, customized support for our small-business customers."

CEO Steve Ballmer said on Thursday in France that 180 million copies of Vista have been sold, but he noted that businesses continue to move at their own pace. When asked about whether companies should move to Vista or wait for Windows 7, even Ballmer said it depends on the business.

"So, my point isn't to encourage you to do it immediately; of course, we'd love you to do it immediately," Ballmer said. "My real advice is to do it in the natural rhythm of your PC upgrade cycle...Most of you will not upgrade the software on existing hardware. Some will. Most of you will actually choose to buy new machines when you move forward, and so we should work with you in that context."

The less major computer makers, known as system builders in Microsoft parlance, are still able to sell XP machines without having to do the Vista downgrade thing. That option is set to end Jan. 31 and Microsoft says that date isn't being extended.

Microsoft stopped selling Windows XP on June 30, though it continues to be available as retail supplies last. It has been a top seller on Amazon for some time, and several versions of XP are still among the retailer's top 25 best-selling software titles.

The six-month extension for XP discs was noted earlier by The Register, a tech news site.

Make Your Linux Desktop More Productive

2008-09-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

Apple has convinced millions that they can make the switch from Windows to OS X, but those curious about Linux have to see for themselves if they can work or play on a free desktop. The short answer is that, for most halfway tech-savvy people who aren't hardcore gamers, yes, you can. There are positively addictive productivity apps available for Linux, along with tools to make switching between Linux and other systems easy, or just running Windows programs themselves if you need to. Today we're detailing a Linux desktop that helps you move quickly, work with Windows, and just get things done; read on for a few suggestions on setting it up.

Setting up your system

If you're dual-booting with Windows, there's no reason to build a wall between the two systems. Most modern Linux distributions can read and write to hard drive spaces created for Windows, free Windows apps can grab files from Linux, and many free programs can even share configuration settings. See our guide to using a single data store when dual-booting.

Even if you're devoting your whole hard drive to Linux, you don't have to leave Windows behind. Free virtualization software VirtualBox is a fairly user-friendly solution to running Windows inside Linux. I've found that it works great with most flavors of XP, but, as you might imagine, has a few problems with the "home" versions of Vista, and requires a swift system to not occasionally lag a bit. One nice compromise to needing just that one must-have Windows app for work is running it seamlessly in Linux. On my own system, VirtualBox is the solution for Office 2007 apps and, when I need it, iTunes (without USB/iPod functionality, unfortunately).

Some apps, however, can run without building whole virtualization machines. The WINE project works to create a framework that can run many useful Windows apps, including a good number of games, Adobe Photoshop, and the "viewer" apps that let you read and print Office documents. These days, they've even got a working version of Google's Chrome browser. Check out our guide to installing and using WINE for help getting started.

Productivity tools

Clever hackers have not only copied some of the coolest tools available for Windows and Mac systems, they've extended them to work with other parts of the desktop in some seriously cool ways. Check out a few of our favorites:

GNOME Do: It's in the same field of Alt+Spacebar launchers as Windows' Launchy, and strongly styled on OS X's Quicksilver, but GNOME Do has grown into its own kind of productivity tool. Plug-in designers have taken full advantage of webapps' APIs, giving you the ability to quickly compose new email messages (in a local client or in your webmail), search for files or folders, add calendar events, and switch music tracks when a stinker comes up in shuffle. Oh, and it also finds applications super-quickly as you type, making desktop icons seem kind of, well, quaint. Here are installation instructions that should work for most Linux systems.

Launchy: If you're a devoted user of our readers' favorite application launcher, you're in luck. Launchy recently debuted its Linux port, and it works just like Windows. With a few changes to accommodate Linux's file system, many of the tweaks detailed by our own devoted Launchy user, Adam, will work just as well.

Dock organizer

Avant Window Navigator: A lot of people prefer OS X's dock to the cluttered taskbars of Windows, and while most GNOME-based distros come with a top and bottom bar, it only takes a few clicks to ditch them. Like GNOME Do, the Avant Window Navigator (AWN) dock has a big collection of useful applets, including simple to-do lists or widgets, email and RSS checkers, a Stacks-style folder launcher, and, of course, shortcuts to your most frequently launched apps. You can style the bar however you'd like, including a near-exact copy of the OS X dock. The AWN project's wiki has a installation guide that puts the most up-to-date version of the dock and its many applets into most popular distributions.

Cairo-Dock: This dock follows the same extensible template as AWN, but many prefer its easier-to-tweak configuration and slick graphical effects to the somewhat buggier AWN. The project's download page has compilable source and Debian-based installation packages, but most Linux users will want to install from their system's own installer.

Productivity tools

CheckGmail: Most ambient mail notifiers serve only to draw you into a browser or email client by throwing subject lines and senders at you. CheckGmail, on the other hand, serves as its own mini-reader, letting you read, archive, or delete messages within a small white pane, and using your Gmail account's RSS feed for minimum bandwidth use. Works great with Google Apps mail as well, and it's totally customizable in appearance and timing.

Timer Applet: Available in most Linux systems' repositories, this unobtrusive applet works great for those who like to work in timed bursts. Start the timer as either a running clock or set it to alert you at a custom interval of time. For those who like to track their time across multiple tasks, whether for personal tracking or client billing, the Hamster tracker has a similar drop-down interface for keeping yourself on-schedule.

Super-charged GEdit: Lots of Mac users—especially coders and technical writers—swear by their TextMate, a context-coloring, smart-functioning text editor. The built-in text editor in GNOME-based systems, GEdit, can gain a few super powers of its own, as detailed by the New Linux User blog. Since it's tightly integrated into the desktop already, it makes GEdit into a right-click power tool. KDE users can also add highlighting to the system default Kate.

Automated backups

"Cloud" solutions: Web-based backup is all the rage lately, and Linux hasn't been left in the dust. Dropbox, recently opened to public beta, features a nifty client that integrates into the GNOME taskbar and automates back-ups from a chosen folder. SpiderOak offers a similar 2GB of space, with a more GUI-focused client. And if you're mostly a word-processing or spreadsheet user with a hankering to do some tweaking, you can automatically back up to Google Docs, or install an OpenOffice extension to edit and synchronize documents between the open-source office suite and Google's online offering.

Those are just one editor's recommendations for making Linux a friendly, secure, work-able environment. Let's hear from those already rocking the open-source system what tools and tweaks are indispensable to getting work done.

Fixes for Vista's Worst Features

2008-09-12T13:07:00.001-07:00

Just ask anyone who's seen Spiderman 3; good ideas seldom survive bad execution.

The developers at Microsoft had some great ideas while designing Vista, but poor implementation turned many of those great concepts into lousy, annoying features. To be fair, Vista inherited most of these well-intentioned flaws from earlier versions of Windows. But it either failed to fix them or didn't even try.

Here are ten of Vista's most irritating flops, along with quick fixes and workarounds. Let's start with one that's absolutely unique to Vista, and almost universally hated by those who use it.

User Account Control
People do some things in Windows--such as install destructive applications or edit the Registry--that deserve a stern "Are you sure you know what you're doing" warning. These situations may even warrant having to prove you're an administrator before you're allowed to continue.

But Vista's User Account Control (UAC) fails to give enough feedback to users; there's often no way to know why a given act is considered dangerous. Even worse, Vista's designer's went overboard, forcing people to click through a UAC prompt to set the clock or manually start a backup. The result: People get annoyed and learn to ignore the UAC, effectively removing any protection it might provide.

Here are three imperfect ways to stop UAC annoyances. One minor problem they all share: Every so often when you boot, Vista will warn you that the UAC is off. You can just ignore the warnings, in much the same way you've already learned to ignore the UAC itself.

1. Just turn it off. This easy fix works well in an administrator account, but it renders standard accounts almost unusable. Select Start, Control Panel, User Accounts, and click Turn User Account Control on or off. Select Continue at the UAC prompt, and on the next screen, uncheck Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer. Click OK and reboot.

2. Use TweakUAC. This free program can turn UAC off for Administrator accounts while leaving it on for everyone else, which is a relatively safe and convenient compromise. Just run the program, select Switch UAC to the quiet mode, and click OK.

If you don't mind taking matters into your own hands, you can tweak a variety of settings using the Security Policies editor.

3. Fine-tune your system's UAC settings. This only works in Vista Business or Ultimate. Select Start, type secpol.msc, and press Enter. Navigate the left pane as if it was Windows Explorer to the Security Settings\Local Policy\Security Options folder. In the right pane, scroll down to the bottom for nine options controlling how UAC behaves.

TiVo Recordings

2008-09-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

KMTTG is a Perl/Tk program I wrote to facilitate TivoToGo (TTG) transfers that can download, create metadata, decrypt, run comskip & comcut (commercial detection and removal) and re-encode multiple shows you select from your Tivos all in one step. The program also has the capability to transfer and process shows automatically from your Tivos based on titles and keywords you set up.

You can select one or more shows at a time and then with one click of a button the program will download all the selected items, with the options of also automatically creating a metadata file for pyTivo, decrypting .TiVo files to .mpg, running comskip (commercial detection and removal program), and automatically re-encoding to a more portable format using mencoder, ffmpeg or any other command line encoder of your choosing. The program queues up multiple jobs and displays time, size and speed statistics for ongoing jobs.

Previously I was using different point tools to accomplish this, such as Tivo Desktop or TivoPlayList for downloads, pyTivoMetaGen for generating metadata files, Tivo Decoder UI for decrypting and various GUIs built around ffmpeg for re-encoding. I did not want to pay for or be limited by Tivo Desktop Plus. This is my attempt to simplify and automate these different tasks all into one simple GUI.

Microsoft Phone Data Manager Syncs Your Phone Wirelessly

2008-09-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Windows only: Microsoft's free Phone Data Manager syncs contacts, music, pictures, and videos between your phone and you desktop and the web. More specifically, the contacts are synced to the internet with Windows Live (meaning you'll need a Windows Live login), and the media is synced with any folder you choose on your desktop. Microsoft Phone Data Manager syncs over USB or Bluetooth, and Microsoft has published a list of supported and unsupported phones. The list only includes phones they've actually tested, meaning if yours isn't on either list, you may still be in luck. The Windows-only application is currently in beta and is free to download. We don't have a supported phone on hand, so let's hear how it works for you in the comments.

Western Digital Offers 500GB Laptop Drive

2008-09-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

Western Digital (WD) on Friday announced that it's shipping its Scorpion Blue 500GB 2.5-inch hard disk drive. It costs US$219.99.

The new Scorpion Blue 500GB drive fits in standard laptop drive bays. The drive crams 250GB onto each of two platters into a Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive mechanism suitable for installation in laptop computers. The two platters reside in a 9.5mm hard disk drive mechanism--the standard height for a laptop hard drive.

300GB remains the largest hard drive you can order from Apple for a Mac laptop; that's an option on the 17-inch MacBook Pro. MacBooks and MacBook Pros both take commodity hard drive components, and a user interested in upgrading their system could add this 500GB drive themselves (or pay a technician to do it).

The drive operates at 5400 revolutions per minute (RPM) and features WD's "WhisperDrive" technology, which the manufacturer claims allows it to operate more quietly. "ShockGuard" firmware and hardware protect the drive if it's dropped or bumped, while "IntelliSeek" calculates optimum seek speeds to lower power consumption.

NepalOnlineTV Released!!!

2008-08-05T01:38:00.000-07:00

The New NepalOnlineTV.co.cc Released. You can now watch Nepali TV Channels Live on www.nepalonlinetv.co.cc. This is the first phase so there are only 2 Nepali Channels, Nepal1 and Sagarmatha. There are also international channels too. Here I will post some screenshots of NepalOnlineTV. Just go to www.nepalonlinetv.co.cc and watch the Nepali Channels Live......

Worlds first 15x zoom digital SLR lens developed by Tamron

2008-08-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Tamron today announced the development of a unique ultra high power zoom lens—the Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO (Model B003), the first1 digital SLR lens in the world that delivers a remarkable zoom ratio of 15X (28-419mm equivalent) and is equipped with a highly effective Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism. Designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras with APS-C sized image sensors2, the new lens delivers outstanding image quality over its entire zoom range and its exclusive VC anti-shake system facilitates sharp handheld photography even at the longest telephoto settings.

With its vast zoom-range, the Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC lens enables the user to cover virtually any photographic subject from wide angle to ultra telephoto simply by turning the zoom control.The new Tamron lens will be made available in Canon and Nikon mounts. The price and launch date of the new lens will be announced at a later date.

Yahoo Overhauls Delicious

2008-08-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ten months after launching a preview version of its overhaul, social bookmarking tool, Delicious dropped the dots from its formers del.icio.us moniker and released a faster and easier to learn version 2.0.

Delicious, which is owned by Yahoo Inc., said that the new site -- which went live late last week -- has been moved to a new infrastructure that makes every page faster.

"This new platform will enable us to keep up with traffic growth while ensuring Delicious is responsive and reliable," Delicious said. "You may not have noticed, but the old back-end was getting creaky under the load of five million users."

In addition, Delicious overhauled its search engine in an effort to make it faster and more powerful. The company noted that the engine "used to take ages to return results." The new search engine allows users to search with one of their tags, another user's bookmarks or within their social network.

Delicious also updated the site's user interface to improve usability, and added often-requested features like alphabetical sorting of bookmarks.

"Our goal has been to keep the new design similar in spirit to the old one, so all of you veterans should be able to jump in without any confusion," the company said. "At the same time, we're hoping that newcomers to Delicious will find it easier to learn.

The move to eliminate the dots in the URL aims to avoid the confusion and misspellings that came from the old moniker, the company went on to note. While the old domain and URL will continue to work, users have to log in again to the new site because it requires a new log-in cookie.

The social bookmarking site has grown from 300,000 to 5 million unique users since Yahoo acquired it late in 2005, the company said. It now boasts 150 million bookmarked links.

Delicious went on to say that new features should be added more quickly than the 10-month wait for this overhaul. Delicious hinted in a January blog post that they would have an update to a preview version that was released in September 2007 within weeks, but the company had been quiet about the new features until now.

Saitek PM20 Obsidian Wireless Rechargeable Mouse

2008-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Saitek PM20 Obsidian wireless rechargeable mouse offers a groundbreaking performance with outstanding features and design. It has a high-speed optical sensor and ultra accurate tracking technology. It also features an advanced technology, with touch sensitive scrolling, four mode, two battery packs and a rechargeable dock.
Saitek PM20 Obsidian features include
Attractive design, which complements any environment
It provides 4 mode, touch sensitive scroll function
Rechargeable cradle with spare battery recharge and wireless transmitter storage
5 button options
Minimum resolution 1000 dpi
2.4 GHz interference free wireless technology
Smooth action
24/7 recharge solution with two lithium ion battery packs
Easy use with plug and play options

The technical features of this wireless mouse include a charging unit, optical LED input registration, notebook mouse with four button options. It has two-way scrolling options with a scrolling wheel and radio transfer type of connection. The USB 2.0 connectivity is used for connecting the computers.

The operating system, which supports Saitek PM20, is Microsoft Windows (98/ME/XP/2000). The warranty period is for one year and available at a reasonable cost in the market with a good value for money.

Read impartial reviews on Kensington, Sweex, Targus and Creative Computer Mouses at computermouse.org.uk.

IDECT X3 TRIO Cordless Designer Phone

2008-08-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

IDECT X3 TRIO Cordless Designer Phone is the unique product in design and features. The ultra slim design, illuminated cool keypad, speakerphone and colour display of this cordless phone seduces every one to own the product. The iSound technology improves the sound quality and voice clarity of the device.

The key features of this Triple Cordless Phone offers stylish slim design with glowing keypad, colour display with wallpapers and a phone book with 200 names and numbers storage capacity. A speakerphone option is available for hands free talking and a caller ID to view all incoming calls. The iSound technology is the modern digital technology, which provides a clear sound.

The talk time lasts up to 10 hours and the total standby time is until 100 hours. The long-range distance ranges up to 300 m. This device is GAP compatible with Liquid Crystal Display and an illuminated keypad. It contains a low battery indicator and alerts the out of range warning. There are two types of volume controls like handset and ringer volume control with polyphonic ring tones.

IDECT X3 TRIO Cordless Phone provides warranty period up to one year and the RRP price of the product is £149.99. With the attractable design, digital features and compromising cost, this product stands as a dominating product among the digital cordless phones.

Checkout unbiased reviews on Audioline, Idect, Philips and BT Cordless Phone reviews at cordlessphone.org.uk.

MSI EX310 Notebook with fashionable and athletic features

2008-08-03T13:08:00.001-07:00

MSI Notebook today announces a new model to its line of notebook, the MSI EX310.

The MSI EX310 has incorporated the concept of athleticism into the modern world of notebook computer, packing it with excitement and energy. The simple and yet fluid body design adapted the idealism of "Athletic DNA" and "Mobile Technology", making the MSI EX310 the leader of fashionable styling. The Dazzling Blue/Brilliant Red gives it the most definable character of sportsmanship, expressing true individualism. To deliver truly high performance computing power, the MSI EX310 uses the newest AMD Turion™ X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor.

Vibrant Colors, the Fashion of Technology
The MSI EX310 stays true to MSI's unique fashionable styling by incorporating athleticism into our notebook computers. The simple and yet fluid body design adapted the idealism of "Athletic DNA" and "Mobile Technology", making the EX310 the leader of fashionable styling. The Dazzling Blue/Brilliant Red gives it the most definable character of sportsmanship, expressing true individualism. Added with the exquisite MSI logo demonstrating the very best in gracefulness, the EX310 is your ideal companion in life.

The Perfect 13.3" ACV Widescreen Display
The EX310's 13.3" display is perfect for reading text large or small. It surpasses text viewing on a 12" notebook display and is more portable than a 14" notebook, giving you a more balanced notebook.

Ultra Lightweight Design with Magnesium Alloy Casing
Measuring in at 31cm in length, 23cm in width, and 25-37cm in height, along with a weight of 1.9 kg (including battery), EX310 is very portable for mobility users.

ATi HD3450 3D Graphics Card with DDR3 256MB VRAM on 13.3" Notebook
The most advanced ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD3450 graphic card with DDR3 256MB VRAM, for a more fluid, more detailed, more realistic 3D high-definition viewing experience. Never a moment of delay to occur, feel the excitement!

Enjoy Your Own Digital Multimedia Time
High-Definition Multimedia Interface(HDMI)
Via a single cable, HDMI output connector not only enables 5Gbps data transfers, but also provides pristine transmission of high-definition digital video and digital audio up to 1080p resolution- allowing easy connection of HD enabled equipment such as HD monitor, HD TV, or HD projector for the best multimedia experience. With this impeccable video quality, the EX310 offers you the best way to enjoy your favorite movie titles and TV programs.

Better Enjoyment with 2nd Generation Dolby®
The EX310 is equipped with the second generation of Dolby Surround Sound for richness in bass and the enjoyment of a home theater, offering the most realistic experience while watching movies, TV, or listening to music.

AI Array MIC
The AI Array Microphone is effective at suppressing ambient noise and reverberation. It uses a fundamentally different way to process voice, effectively forming a 3-D cone shaped beam in front of the EX310. Any noise outside the beam, whether above or below, will be cancelled out. Besides, the AI Array MIC does not limit your movement when recording or communicating, allowing you to move freely.

Built-In 2.0 Mega Pixel Webcam
You can create amazing videos/photos or add live videos of your instant messages while you chat.

Create a High-Quality, All-Around, Wireless Living Space
The EX310 sets you free from cabled connections. You can easily access the Internet over high-speed Wi-Fi networks. The built-in Bluetooth V2.0+EDR allows you to simultaneously connect to various kinds of Bluetooth peripherals, including keyboards, mice, PDAs, cell phones and more with 3 times faster data transfer rates than that of previous version. Wherever you are, you always can enjoy the freedom of going online, and listening to music. Make your life more freely with wireless connectivity.

Watch TV Anywhere *
The integrated DTV receiver allows you to watch and record TV programs right on your notebook. Simply connect the antenna* and you'll never have to miss an episode of your favorite TV program again!
* This function is optional.

Fingerprint Reader for Data Security
With the MSI EX310's fingerprint reader, you'll never again have to memorize awkward usernames and passwords to access your computer. Just lightly press your finger on the reader at the front to unlock. Through the recognition for your unique fingerprint, you can be sure that only you and no one else can use your computer.

Exceptional Visual Performance and Power Efficient Mobility
To deliver truly high performance computing power, the EX310 uses the newest AMD Turion™ X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor. Additionally EX310 is also equipped with a 3 well distributed USB 2.0 ports, and a Multi-DVD burner. So, you can easy to edit or save high-quality photos/video.

DNS Flaw Threatens Security of Small ISPs

2008-08-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

Customers of small Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may be at risk of online fraud, following the industry's lax response to securing against the recently discovered Domain Name System (DNS) cache poisoning flaw.

The flaw was publicly revealed early last month when security vendors including the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC), Cisco, Debian and Microsoft released patches after about six months of quiet collaboration. IOActive researcher Dan Kaminsky discovered the hole in January this year.

Kaminsky alerted the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and multiple vendors to the flaw and all agreed to keep mum on the vulnerability until a fix was developed.

The attack can be used as a vector to deliver a variety of payloads to the customers of ISPs with unpatched DNSs, ranging from financial fraud via phishing scams, to infection with malicious applications. Hackers can trick almost any DNS server into associating malicious IP addresses with legitimate domains.

Telstra, Optus, Internode and iiNet have confirmed to Computerworld their DNSs are patched, however, sources reveal many DNS admins have yet to fix the flaw, despite being notified by security researchers, and nagged by concerned ISPs and Web masters.

iiNet network engineer Mark Newton said smaller ISPs may lag behind patching because of the work required to secure their DNSs.

"[DNS patching] has probably slowed down because the procedure effectively requires customer-facing DNS servers to be segregated from the domain-hosting servers," Newton said.

"Most ISPs don't [segregate the servers] because it is cheaper and easier to keep them in one box. There has not been a compelling reason to segregate them until now, which is probably why it is taking some ISPs a long time to secure themselves.

"A hacker could make a fake bank Web site, find a vulnerable resolver, and poison its cache so that customers using that resolver are directed to the fake address instead of the bank Web site."

Commonwealth Bank chief information security officer Sarv Girn said the bank is confident its security processes will protect its customers.

"The bank is aware of situation and we are quite comfortable as we have the tools in place to monitor the situation, which complement our existing capability in both Hawk-I and two factor authentication," Girn said.

"The major IT vendors have also taken appropriate steps by introducing patches to counteract this problem so we will continue to monitor the environment for any anomalies."

A Telstra spokesperson said the company patched its DNSs immediately after a fix was issued.

ISC support engineer Alan Clegg urged DNS administrators to read the organization's presentation on how to fix the flaw.

Mozilla Releases Alpha of Next Firefox

2008-08-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

Mozilla Corp. has released the first preview of Firefox 3.1, the fast-track update that the open-source company has pegged with a late 2008 or early 2009 ship date.

Code-named "Shiretoko," named for a national park on Japan's northern-most island of Hokkaido, Firefox 3.1 Alpha 1 was delayed several days because of a last-minute bug found in the Mac OS X version.

Firefox 3.1 Alpha 1 includes some, but not all, of the features Mozilla hopes to add to the update as work continues. Among the noticeable changes: several improvements to the address bar, which Mozilla dubs the "Smart Location Bar" in recognition of the search enhancements it received in Firefox 3.0; and changes to tab-switching.

Pressing Ctrl-Tab in Alpha 1 switches between current and last-viewed tabs rather than simply moving to the next tab to the right. Thumbnails of each page are also now displayed for easier recognition. Like many of the features slated for Firefox 3.1, the revised tab-switching was originally meant to be included with Firefox 3.0, but had been dropped during development to keep that June version on schedule.

Current Firefox users can add the same switching behavior to their browsers by installing the Ctrl-Tab add-on.

Firefox 3.1 Alpha 1 is the first version of the browser built on Mozilla's Gecko 1.9.1 engine, which is also in development. According to Mozilla, some of the changes in the preview will affect Web page compatibility; a "For Developers" page has been set up to spell out those changes.

Mozilla typically spins out several alpha editions before moving on to a series of betas, which in turn lead to release candidates and then to a final shipping version. Firefox 3.0, for example, ran through eight alphas, five betas and three release candidates before hitting the street in June.

However, the company has projected a much faster development cycle for 3.1. Earlier schedules slated Firefox 3.1's first beta for next month, and a final version in the last quarter of this year or the first of 2009.

The preview can be downloaded from Mozilla's site in versions for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

New Trojan infecting multimedia files

2008-07-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

I don’t understand why people don’t get rid of these Microsoft’s default apps (Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer) as soon as they install their OS. They are absolutely useless piece of junks.

Most of those who have and still are using it must have noticed that you frequently are asked to download new codec when you play multimedia files thru Windows Media Player. And most of us don’t even bother to check what the codec are or what they really are for…we just click ok. Well, this might be the biggest mistake you are doing. Microsoft media formats have long been used for hijacking WMP for malicious purposes (one of the reasons why tech savvies don’t use WMP).
Just look at this new breed of Trojan which is using Windows Media Player (WMP) as its carrier. Actually there is this new malware that inserts links to dangerous web pages within ASF (Advanced Systems Format) media files. If a user plays an infected music file, it will launch Internet Explorer and load a malicious web page that asks the user to download a codec if you want to play the media file. And if you click ok the actual download is not a codec but a Trojan horse that installs a proxy program on the PC that hijackers use to cover their tracks for their other malicious activity. The malware is also said to be capable of converting files such as MP2 and MP3 into Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. So, none of your music files are safe. Once downloaded the pop up will not appear which gives a feeling to the users that the codec was successfully downloaded which is just what the hijackers want us to think. Now if the multimedia files are shared through a peer-to-peer network, anyone who downloads music or video file from an affected system will be at risk of getting infected as well.

Trend Micro calls the malware “Troj_Medpinch.a,” Secure Computing named it “Trojan.ASF.Hijacker.gen,” and Kaspersky calls it “Worm.Win32.GetCodec.a.”

The best suggestion I give is to just get rid of that damn Window’s Media Player.

iPhone 3G - Worldwide Releases

2008-07-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

The wait is over and July 11 is today. Today Apple’s 2nd generation iPhone 3G will be released in dozens of countries worldwide. The launch started in New Zealand and Japan on Friday. The first to get the opportunity to get this so called revolutionary device were the New Zealanders when reportedly three stores opened the sale just after midnight. The Japanese were the second who followed just after a short while. It’s releasing in several other countries today and in many others soon. Right now it will be available only in Apple Retail Stores and AT&T stores.
I haven’t got the chance to get a close look at this much-hyped iPhone 3G but rumors tell that this is lighter than the first gen one and is twice faster while the price is just $199 (half the price of the 1st Gen iPhone). I’m sure the buyers of the 1st Gen must be banging their head on the wall. Anyways Apple products are always overestimated but later they go puff. Hope the same doesn’t happen with this iPhone too. Ahh!!! I forgot one thing. Congrats to Apple on the release on iPhone 3G and best of luck on it’s sale.

AniBoom - Give Life To Your Imagination

2008-07-25T13:39:00.001-07:00

Are you fond of cartoons and animations? It’s not just kids whom I’m asking this question but I think that people of all age groups can be cartoon fans. However have you ever wondered how they are created or what is the complex mechanism that one has to go through for creating an animation to bring an imaginative character into existence? It might be just a few minutes cartoon but the time, patience and hard work to create it is more than creating a real life movie.

Anyways, if you are a cartoon lover then you might want to visit this site called AniBoom.com where you can watch as much funny cartoons and animations as you like online. It’s a networking site where you can communicate and they’ve got unlimited cartoon clips and animations installed for you. And if you want to learn to animate then you can use their free animation software, ShapeShifter which is pretty easy and fun to use. You can upload your creations and take part in the monthly ShapeShifter challenge where you can have a chance to win Toon Boom Software. Also if you are a professional in this field, then AniBoom might prove to be a real good platform for you to express/advertise your talent and creativity. Folks might want to give you work on the basis of animations that you’ve created and uploaded here.

Right now AniBoom is just over internet but they plan to cross over to other mediums as well as TV, Cellular, PC games etc. in near future. Do watch out for the latest cartoons and animations at AniBoom.

Universal Document Converter-Convert Any Printable Documents Into A Graphical File

2008-07-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Few weeks ago, I faced a small problem. I had a presentation and I needed to put some stats which were in tabular formats from an excel file to my presentation slide. I could just insert the table in the slide and enter all the data one by one but that would consume a lot of my time. It would’ve been easier if I could just get that table somehow in a graphical format (.bmp, .jpeg, .tiff, etc.) so that I can easily insert it in the presentation slide. I thought of using the ‘PrintScreen’ button but the table was a little longer than the page. A friend then suggested me ‘Universal Document Converter’. I quickly downloaded it and after that it was just few seconds job to get the table in desired graphical format and insert it in the presentation slide.

Universal Document Converter gets installed as a virtual printer and works from any software that offers print support (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.). It is designed to convert documents of any type to PDF or images. One of its features that I find really useful is that you can use it to save web pages as images because you may have noticed that some webpages can’t be saved. You can see the video tutorial for additional details or how to use it and if you want to try it here is the download link.

GeForce 9800 GT performance in the original XFX

2008-07-05T03:31:00.000-07:00

The network resource Expreview image of a new graphics card from XFX, built on the base not yet formally submitted the graphic adapter NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT.

If you believe the source, then the accelerator based on established on 55 - nm chip technology G92-280 with 112 streaming processors, is equipped with an alternative design active air cooling system and staffed GDDR3 memory volume of 512 with 256 MB - bit interface. In doing so, the frequency formula products has the form 600/1500/1800 MHz (kernel / Shader units / memory), and its communications opportunities presented llife on the back cover two DVI connectors and one HDTV-output. Moreover, it is noted that the new bus uses PCI Express 2.0, as well as fully compatible with DirectX 10.0 Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL 2.1.

As for the estimated cost and date of the likely emergence of product sales, then any information to that effect has not yet been given.

NVIDIA move to DirectX 10.1 at the end of 2008

2008-07-05T03:27:00.001-07:00

After the emergence of a few months ago, information about the characteristics of a new generation of graphics processors from NVIDIA, which are known under the code GT200, and became the basis for graphics cards GeForce GTX 280/260, a number of observers noted with regret the lack of support for Applied interface DirectX 10.1, even more so that support similar functionality realized from competing products ATI Radeon 4870/4850. On questions about the reasons for such solutions developers from California said that there was no need for compulsory DirectX 10.1 support the new processors, and the desire to focus on other aspects, to improve the performance of new chips.

There was no doubt that in the future implementation of DirectX 10.1 becomes a prerequisite for successful competition in the market of graphic adapters, however, more or less reliable information about the occurrence of similar functionality in products NVIDIA has been reported. Now, the first information about future changes in the functionality of graphics cards GeForce.

Record download Firefox 3 recognized Guinness Book of Records

2008-07-05T03:25:00.000-07:00

Experts from the Guinness Book of Records had completed counting the number of downloads third version of the browser Firefox, which were made during the first 24 hours after his release. The final figure, which was recorded as a record - 8002530. This - slightly less than the staff counted Mozilla Corporation, but still the figure of 8 million was achieved.

Last week experts is reviewing logs from servers downloads. Downloads from one computer, as well as the unfinished injection, were not felt.

C Certificate, confirming the new record will be handed over to representatives of Mozilla Corporation in London next week.

3-in-1 BluePOINTER Bluetooth headset gives laser pointer and LED flashlight

2008-07-05T01:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, are you the type of person who adores a multi-purpose gadget? Good because we have here the BluePOINTER, which apparently is the first three in one Bluetooth headset combined with laser pointer, and LED flashlight!

I suppose one could be asking why anyone would need a laser pointer and LED flashlight on a Bluetooth headset, well if you are someone who actually uses a laser pointer and maybe an LED flashlight then surely it is better to have them in an all-in-one device rather than separates. Besides, having them in an all-in-one device saves on pocket space right, and let’s face it, it is all about convergence these days.

So, having now convinced you there is a necessity for such a device, let’s get to the nitty gritty specs. The BluePOINTER, is foremost a Bluetooth 2.0+EDR enabled headset which incorporates a 130 mAh li-polymer batterys which should provide enough energy for up to six hours talk time along with 120 hours of standby time.

However, if using the BluePOINTER as a laser pointer the battery should last up to three hours. Should you decide to operate it as the LED flashlight then the battery life is significantly reduced and will last up to approximately one hour of operation.

Size wise, the BluePOINTER measures 61 x 17.5 x 14mm with a weight of 13 grams, and is available now for the price of $90.00 from Brando.

Source - brando

8 megapixel mobile phone........ LG KC910?

2008-07-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

When Sony Ericsson announced the C905 it may well be the industries first 8 megapixel camera phone, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the other mobile manufacturers are sleeping their time away. Because apparently LG Electronics is working on their own mobile phone to incorporate an 8 Megapixel camera with Xenon flash, and the whispers are that LG is readying the mobile phone for an October launch.

So, if these net whispers are true we could be seeing the upcoming KC910 mobile phone as one of the best mobile devices on the market. Although details are scarce, one would think LG are keeping this a tight little secret as long as they can; here are a few specs that have found their way onto the net.

The new mobile phone will be able to record video at 720×480 pixels and 30 frames per second, WVGA touch-screen, that’s 800×480, image stabilization, and face recognition, a very slim aluminium casing which is less than 14mm with a hardened glass display, and finally a brand new UI.

We have to say however all the above has not been confirmed by LG, and as it’s only a rumour we can’t be sure if the device will ever materialise. But as Sony Ericsson and the other big boys force ahead with higher pixel cameras we can’t see LG lagging behind, but moving forward and joining the rest on the tail of the 8 megapixel shooting star. Let’s all hope someone leaks a few images of this new mobile soon.

Source – unwiredview

Nokia buys Symbian, sets it free

2008-07-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

In an effort to tackle recent advances into the smartphone world by Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android, Nokia has announced its intention to buy the remaining 52 percent of Symbian shares that it does not already own and open the mobile operating system for royalty free use.

Though Symbian software has never been popular in the US, it is used widely throughout Europe where it holds about two-thirds of the market for smartphone operating systems. Furthermore, Nokia has formed the Symbian Foundation to drive the new platform globally, together with big-name partners AT&T, LG, Samsung, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone.

The move is an important one and will probably fuel proliferation of not only Symbian-based devices, but also of mobility applications and software for the platform. This also leaves Apple, Microsoft, RIM and Palm as the only major providers of proprietary mobile platforms. The Symbian Foundation is expected to start operating during the first half of 2009, subject to the closing of the acquisition.

Google introduces new Media Server application

2008-07-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

In what appears to be their first attempt at invading people’s living rooms, Google has introduced its latest Windows app: Google Media Server. This tool works alongside Google Desktop to locate media files on your computer and on the web (most notably YouTube), making them available across a standard home network to UPnP compatible devices such as the PlayStation 3.

It makes sense that Google would want people to have as many ways as possible to watch their YouTube videos (and of course ads) on their TVs. The company already streams videos via third-party devices like the Apple TV and HP's Media Smart TV, but the new tool could help them reach new crowds. Unfortunately, Google Media Server does not work with the Xbox 360 due to legal issues.

The tool is currently available as an early beta, so it’s hardly ready for prime time. If you are the early adopter type, however, you can download the Google Media Server here.

OCZ introduces 3GB SODIMM kits

2008-07-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

OCZ announced this week that they will be expanding their SODIMM kits, bringing a new 3GB DDR2 kit to the table. The memory maker is offering the kit as an upgrade to laptops with 1GB or 2GB of RAM without going all the way to 4GB, saving a bit of money in the process. They specifically mention the “graphics-intensive” Windows Vista as a prime reason to upgrade.

Saving money might be a good reason, but OCZ didn’t mention exact pricing – other than saying the memory modules are “priced aggressively and targeted at the value-minded consumer.” Whatever the cost is, it’ll get you OCZ's standard lifetime warranty and DDR2 modules that run at a nice 5-5-5-15. The kits also come with a 1GB and 2GB stick in the box, which is an anomaly for most.

Two great time-saving tips for Firefox 3

2008-07-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

You have likely heard it a million times already, Firefox 3 is a very nice improvement over version 2, especially in the performance department. And while many still prefer to stick to their own improved versions of Opera and Safari (sorry IE, you are a disgrace right now), Firefox is by far the most used alternative browser. I believe that comes in part thanks to its flexibility for customization and the myriad of useful add-ons you can get for it.

I can’t stress enough the add-on part. From webmaster tools, to simple functionality tweaks and social networking integration. My following tips, however, lay on the side of about:config tweaks (that is, you have to manually apply these yourself in the settings registry by running the about:config command on the address bar). So here we go:

Search from the address bar
Firefox brought wide support for the secondary search field that will directly Google anything you type, however I found asking myself, why two text fields? Why not re-use the address bar, so it will go to full URLs directly or will Google any other keywords I type in there (by default Firefox uses Google’s I’m feeling lucky option = going to the first search result directly, which I don’t think is ideal most of the time).

You can change this behavior by entering the about:config command in the address bar, then filter the preference list by typing keyword. The option called keyword.URL should appear. Change its value from the default to:
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=

That should do the trick. Now Google directly from the main address bar.

Make zoom settings tab independent
Firefox 3 upgrades zoom functionality present in previous versions by replacing font-only zoom to full page zoom which scales images and all other page properties. This may work to your advantage most of the time, but if you have many tabs opened for the same site, Firefox will think you want to zoom-in in all those tabs under the same domain. Personally I find this annoying.

So, enter the config zone and look up for the entry called browser.zoom.siteSpecific, then set it to False. This will prevent the browser from automatically zooming in all tabs from the same website.

Bonus tip
Did you know that you don’t have to type “www” or “.com” every time you enter an address? For example, just type “techspot” in the address bar, then use Ctrl + Enter to make it a full .com URL.

ICANN expands top level domain name options

2008-07-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

In what is seen as the biggest expansion to Internet domain name space yet, the ICANN yesterday approved a plan to introduce new top-level domains along with the option of applying for customized ones. In other words, customers will soon be able to choose top level domains that are more descriptive or specific such as .free, .travel, and .tech instead of settling for existing ones such as .com, .net or .edu.

According to the proposal, domain name applicants will be able to “self-select” any top level domains they fancy, provided they aren’t “contrary to generally accepted legal norms relating to morality and public order” or infringe on someone else’s intellectual property. Customized top level domains won’t come cheap, however. The fee for each application will be “in the low six figures in American dollars,” and the first customized top level domains are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2009.

YouTube takes 75% of U.S. video site market

2008-07-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

Google is used to being king of search, and increasingly they are becoming used to being king of web video as well. YouTube continues to prove its success, despite numerous setbacks and legal disputes. According to recent statistics, YouTube has grown 26% to dominate 75% of U.S. traffic to web video sites, putting just about every other video service to shame. This marks a continuing year after year trend in which YouTube viewership is expanding.

We must now wonder if people like Mark Cuban are regretting calling YouTube a bad investment. Google originally acquired YouTube back in 2006 and have so far remained true to their promise of letting YouTube largely run itself. So far it has been very successful, though I don't know if it has compensated them for the $1.65 billion they poured in on top of all the legal costs involved in protecting it. Google has stated they intend to expand YouTube's "Advertising" potential, though didn't shed much details on how.

deleteting the hibernation file

2008-06-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

When you put your computer into hibernation, everything in computer memory is saved on your hard disk, and your computer is switched off. When you turn the computer back on, all programs and documents that were open when you turned the computer off are restored on the desktop. To put your computer into hibernation, you must have a computer that is set up by the manufacturer to support this option. Using Power Options in Control Panel, you can adjust any power management option that your computer's unique hardware configuration supports. Because these options may vary widely from computer to computer, the options described may differ from what you see. Power Options automatically detects what is available on your computer and shows you only the options that you can control.

To put your computer into hibernation
-You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.
-Open Power Options in Control Panel.
-Click the Hibernate tab, select the Enable hibernate support check box, and then click Apply.
-If the Hibernate tab is unavailable, your computer does not support this feature.
Click the APM tab, click Enable Advanced Power Management support, and then click Apply.
-The APM tab is unavailable on ACPI-compliant computers. ACPI automatically enables Advanced Power Management, which disables the APM tab.
-Click the Power Schemes tab, and then select a time period in System hibernates. Your computer hibernates after it has been idle for the specified amount of time.

When you put computer in hibernation huge amount of storage is used. It is used to store all the stuffs so that it can be as before when we turn on computer again. But another thing we get huge hibernation file is even though hibernation feature is disabled. Window XP still takes all the contents of the RAM and dumps and store it in a file hiberfil.sys and store in hard disk.It means that your hiberfil.sys depends on the amount of RAM you have. So, we can delete this file to free up the space. But Windows won’t allow you to delete the file while your PC is running.

So to delete thif file you should follow the following steps:
-First of all goto Control Panel and open Power Options.
-Select the ‘hibernation’ tab, select the Disable hibernate support check box, and then click Apply.

After performing these step you need to restart the computer. On next restart hiberfil.sys will be deleted automatically.

Theft Prevention Accessories for PDAs

2008-06-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Now you can protect Your Investment, Your Data, and Your Privacy With Theft Prevention Accessories for PDAs. The biggest challenges owners of personal data devices face is losing a PDA through theft. Stealing of PDAs increases year after year as the prices and capabilities of these units increases. Locking the unit up in a drawer and never taking it out is about the only certain way of making sure a PDA is never stolen, but that limits the usefulness. Attaching a heavy chain and a wheel hub may surely help, but it won't fit in your pocket. So, consider one or more theft prevention accessories for PDAs, instead of taking these sorts of extreme measures.

Permanent Markings Scare Away Thieves
If you're a little handy and have a steady hand, you can try the tried-and-true method of etching. Grab your rotary tool and lightly carve an identifier into the back of the case, like a phone number or email address. Doing this will probably void your warranty. Don't try this unless you have a steady hand and neat handwriting.

A less extreme option is a security sticker. A sticker may not seem like much of a deterrent, but what if peeling off that sticker announced that the PDA is stolen? That's the idea behind security sticker theft prevention accessories for PDA units. The self-adhesive sticker is attached to the back of the unit, and gives an 800 number to call and report the PDA. The sticker also advises them that by reporting the unit, they can avoid prosecution.

However, if the sticker is peeled off, the phrase "STOLEN PROPERTY" and the 800 number are left behind in large, very obvious lettering of indelible ink. This type of theft prevention accessories for PDA units stops theft from those who want to snatch the item while you're not looking, and turn around and sell it on the street. Few people, regardless of how dishonest they are, will buy an item that announces it has been stolen.

Tracking the PDA With GPS
The GPS functionality built into many modern PDAs is usually used for convenience for the unit's owner, but with tracking security software, it can also be a way to find a stolen PDA. This form of theft prevention accessories for PDA units consists of software that is installed on the unit and a subscription service. The software installed will be linked to the unit's built-in password protection, and will automatically broadcast an emergency signal after an incorrect password has been entered. The subscription service will then pick up the signal and start tracking the PDA, informing the authorities where to find it.

Common Sense
Probably our own common sense is the best theft prevention accessories for PDA units. Don't leave it lying unattended on a table, even for a moment.Someone else will probably pick it up if you put it down and look away. Don't leave it in plain sight inside a vehicle, even a locked vehicle. Make sure you use the built-in security functions of the unit itself. A password can, at the very least, protect the information on a unit from prying eyes if it is stolen. Think about that if you keep your kids' pictures and contact information for your kids' school on the unit.

Stabilizing and Speeding Up Your Windows PC

2008-06-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

Wise Registry Cleaner v. 3.4 and Wise Disk Cleaner v. 3.31 has been released by WiseCleaner, a pair of affordable Windows applications that stabilize your computer, and make it run more quickly. Unlike complicated utilities that are designed for software developers and other power users, Wise Registry Cleaner and Wise Disk Cleaner are safe and practical for novices to use.

Wise Registry Cleaner speeds up the user's computer by cleaning the Windows Registry. The Registry is at the heart of every Windows computer. Each time users install new software, information is added to the Registry. Few uninstall programs remove this information properly or completely. Therefore, over time as users install and uninstall software, the Registry accumulates junk files, and the computer's performance suffers.

Wise Registry Cleaner identifies and safely removes the useless information that has accumulated. In addition to scanning and cleaning Windows Registry, the program optimizes the PC. If the user accidentally makes a mistake during a tune-up, they can undo all changes with a single click. The latest version of Wise Registry Cleaner includes a useful feature: "System Optimization Tool." Using this tool, users can easily tune up their PC in minutes - and without being a PC expert!

Wise Disk Cleaner is an intuitive, fast, and easy-to-use application that frees up disk space by deleting files that are no longer used by any software. In addition to the temporary files, log files, and backup files that accumulate over time, the program can identify more than 50 additional types of unnecessary files that users can safely remove.

Novice users can simply run Wise Disk Cleaner to keep their hard drive running more efficiently. Power users can customize the program's list of junk files, and save even more hard drive space. Instead of sending deleted files to the recycle bin, the program can compress these files and save them to a special directory, allowing users to restore files in the future if they find that they really need them. The latest version of Wise Disk Cleaner contains additional advanced customization options that lets users fine-tune cleanup operations.

Both applications are designed to be used in tandem, allowing users to streamline their Windows Registry and optimize their hard drive. Whether they are a business user who values a stable and brisk computer, a parent who needs to clean up after the software that their children install and uninstall on the family computer, or a computer consultant who needs applications that will keep their customers' PCs running optimally, Wise Registry Cleaner and Wise Disk Cleaner have the tools that they need.

Wise Registry Cleaner and Wise Disk Cleaner also support for more than twenty languages. It is also very easy to add additional language support into Wise Registry Cleaner and Wise Disk Cleaner. The User Interface messages are loaded from a resource file for all supported languages. This means that you can add a resource file that contains messages in your own language.

Please note that there are FREE versions of both Wise Registry Cleaner and Wise Disk Cleaner. User can choose to pay for PRO version, or only use the free version if preferred. Great for students and those on a budget!

Wise Registry Cleaner v. 3.4 and Wise Disk Cleaner v. 3.31 run under Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/XP-x64/2003/Vista/Vista-x64/2008 Server, and cost $19.95(US) each. As a bundle, users can buy both programs for $32.95. Everybody can visit http://www.wisecleaner.com/ to purchase the software securely online, or to download free trial versions. Users can also download free versions of each program, without the advanced options and system optimization tool.

For more information, visit http://www.wisecleaner.com/

Acquire and analyze digital evidience from mobile devices

2008-06-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Oxygen Software nnounced the availability of Oxygen Forensic Suite 2, which is designed for forensic extraction of electronic evidence from cell phones, smartphones and other mobile devices. The tool is intended for law enforcement officers, computer forensic examiners, corporate and private investigators. The users of the suite may have minimal computer skills and may be new to the field of mobile phone forensics.

Oxygen Forensic Suite extracts all possible data from the device memory, including the SIM card, contacts list with all contact fields; incoming/outgoing/missed calls; receive and delivery reports log; GPRS traffic counters log; calendar events; SMS, MMS, E-mail messages; multimedia (photos, pictures, videos, melodies, text documents, applications); voice records; Life Blog. You can see the deleted messages that have not been written over. The amount of extracted data depends on the model of the phone. The software extracts data in the forensically sound manner without altering it in anyway so it can be presented as evidence in court.

A built-in interface for exploring and analyzing data distinguishes Oxygen Forensic Suite from competitors that only read HEX memory dump and then the investigator must

analyze it manually, which is very inconvenient and takes quite some time. Being logical analysis tool, Oxygen Forensic Suite 2 goes beyond standard logical analysis. Using advanced proprietary protocols permits Oxygen Forensic Suite 2 to extract much more data than usually extracted by other logical forensic software, especially for smartphones.
With Oxygen Software, all evidence can be explored in one window: you can see the phone properties, case details, its status and much more. For archiving purposes, it's possible to export retrieved data to most common formats, such as Microsoft Excel, PDF, RTF, or print reports to paper. The program also allows you to make a snapshot of the data from the seized device and load it to another copy of the program installed on the remote computer.

The program has a powerful built-in search engine that allows you to search through all retrieved data quickly and find the necessary information in seconds. What is important is that the search results are saved between sessions.

Oxygen Forensic Suite supports and parses more than 500 of the most common mobile devices from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung, RIM (Blackberry smartphones) plus Windows Mobile 5/6 smartphones and communicators, with more devices being added on a regular basis.

Top 5 new benefits of Oxygen Forensic Suite 2

Building on the success of the previous version, Oxygen Forensic Suite 2 delivers many new features and benefits that can help investigators collect digital evidence more efficiently.

- The suite integrates the power of two versions of Oxygen Forensic Suite: the one for Nokia phones, the other for smartphones powered by Symbian OS.

- The suite acquires data from smartphones and communicators powered by Windows Mobile 5/6 without the need for ActiveSync (the latter may potentially modify the data).

- Blackberry smartphones produced by RIM are added to the list of supported devices.

- The suite introduces a smart search for all data associated with a specific contact, including calls, SMS and MMS messages, calendar events, etc.

- The suite has a single database to store all the data from smartphones, which is convenient for searching throughout the database.

- The suite reads Nokia LifeBlog that records all main events happening with the phone, as well as their geographic coordinates (MCC, MNC, LAC, Cell ID).

"We are proud to be at the cutting edge of the forensics market, and I believe we have exceeded the expectations of the customers with this latest release," says Nike Golubev, PR Officer in Oxygen Software. "Oxygen Forensic Suite has been the tool of choice for forensic investigators for quite some time. Now its second generation takes performance to the next level by extending the tool's applicability to challenges faced by forensics professionals."

New Oxygen Forensic Suite 2 is available today.

Pricing & Availability

Oxygen Forensic Suite 2 runs on Microsoft Windows 2000, Server 2003, XP, Vista and costs $999 (US). Registered customers are entitled to free updates and priority-driven technical support for one year (that includes new major releases). Additional information on the product is available http://www.oxygen-forensic.com or by calling +7 (495) 222-9278.

About Oxygen Software

Founded in 2000, Oxygen Software is a Moscow, Russia-based company, targeting the mobile market with its PC software for cell phones and smartphones. Among its leading titles are Oxygen Forensic Suite, Oxygen Express for Nokia phones and Oxygen Phone Manager II for Symbian OS smartphones (all Symbian smartphones supported - Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung, etc). The company is an official member of Nokia Trade point and Forum Nokia PRO.

For more information, visit http://www.oxygen-forensic.com.

Use BitLocker Drive Encryption without TPM chip

2008-06-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista includes a new hard drive encryption feature called BitLocker Drive Encryption. BitLocker can be a very useful security feature for businesses and home users that have sensitive and confidential information stored on their computer. Unfortunately, BitLocker Drive Encryption by default requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM Chip) version 1.2 or later installed in your computer. A lot of the computers and laptops on the market do not come with TPM chips installed since they are typically only found in premium model business computers. If you have Windows Vista Business, Ultimate or Enterprise but do not have a TPM chip, you can still use BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Hidden away in local group policy is a setting that will allow you to turn on the ability to use a USB storage device instead of a TPM key to store the encryption key. This is a great feature for users that don't have the latest high-end hardware because you can still use hard drive encryption. However, every time you turn on your computer, the USB storage device that has the encryption key located on it must be plugged in. Without it, your computer will not boot up. One BitLocker Drive Encryption is setup with a USB storage device, that USB storage device basically becomes the key to your computer.

Follow these steps to turn on the ability to use a USB storage device with BitLocker Drive Encryption on hardware that does not have a TPM device:

1. Click on the Start Button and key in 'gpedit.msc' and hit Enter.
2. Navigate through: Computer Policy, Administrative Templates, Windows Components and BitLocker Drive Encryption.
3. Right click on Control Panel Setup: Enable advanced startup options and select Properties.Check Enabled and hit OK.

That's it and you are done.

Detect and Repair Disk Errors

2008-06-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult, or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors, and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should try to run this utility weekly to help prevent data loss.

Important: Be sure to close all files before running the Error-Checking utility.
To run the Error Checking utility:
1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.
3. In the Properties dialog box, click the 'Tools' tab.
4. Click the 'Check Now' button.
5. The 'Check Disk dialog box will pop-up. In that dialog box, check the "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" box, and then click on Start.
6. If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.

Tip: Only select the Automatically fix file system errors check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.

Google preps online storage service

2008-06-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Google Inc. is preparing to take the covers off its own brand of hosted-storage services, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

The online storage subscription-based service may be ready for release early next year, according to the report. The service will reportedly include a limited amount of free storage with extra space available for an undisclosed price. Google officials could not be reached for comment this morning.

Increased mobility of end users and the rapid proliferation of stored digital content, including photos, video and music, is driving businesses and home users toward fixed fee-based online storage systems that can meet growing storage needs without relying on spinning and space-constrained hard drives.

Freedom to access personal storage files from any device or PC is another attraction of online storage. Armed with only a Web browser and password, users can quickly upload, share or see their files (which will reside on Google's servers) via a high-speed Internet connection. In particular, students and campuses have lauded the cost-effective data storage option.
Despite its vast resources, Google is a late entrant into the hosted-storage arena, observers noted. Microsoft Corp. in August announced its free 500MB online storage service dubbed Windows Live Skydrive. Another Google rival, Amazon.com, last month guaranteed 99.9% uptime for its year-old S3 online storage offering, while Facebook in September unveiled its open Data Store API program.

Even EMC Corp. has driven a stake into the hosted-storage landscape with its October agreement to buy start-up Berkeley Data Systems Inc. and its popular Mozy online backup business for $76 million.

Google has already started adding extra storage for users of its Gmail Web-based e-mail service, which has been burning up capacity because of large digital files being stored such as photos and attachments.

Turn your Webcam into a Surveillance Cam

2008-06-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Let your Webcam be your eyes and ears while you're away from home or the office. A simple Webcam costs about $20, and a good surveillance-software package can be downloaded for free or cheap.

I recommend NovoSun's free SurveillizCam Lite. This program can monitor your home and office by stably detecting motion and logging the surveillance video into an AVI file with MPEG1 or MPEG4 codecs. In SurveillizCam, you can define multiple regions in any channel for motion detection. By doing this, you can mask some unstabe areas on a video. Moreover, SurveillizCam uses an adaptive algorithm, which makes the detection more stable and reliable.

Everytime it will detects some abnormal motion in your place of monitoring, it will be notify you via sound alarm or live video. You can even configure the system to record the motion video into AVI on it's own. You can view all the logged videos with Windows Media Player or SurveillizCam's video management and playback system. Version 1.16.1 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

You can try it and then upgrade to one of their paid packages which include sound recording, remote connection, scheduled recordings, and recording up to 16 channels (webcams) simultaneously.

Download SurveillizCam Lite

TeraCopy - Copy Files Faster

2008-06-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

TeraCopy is a program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed. It allows you to Pause and Resume file transfers. TeraCopy uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times while Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives. In case of copy error, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer. File list makes sure that all the files that are copied are listed and if any errors found during the process, it will be listed there. Also, it's seamless integration with Windows Explorer allows you to keep working with files as usual.
TeraCopy is available both as a Freeware and a Paid version, but the freeware contains all the features that are required by a Home user and can satisfy one's need.

Download: TeraCopy

NETEagle

2008-06-18T15:12:00.001-07:00

NETEagle is a tool that optimizes your modem connection. Your internet connection can be optimized up to 200% or higher by using NETEagle. NETEagle supports all current Windows versions, and works with any internet connection. NETEagle optimizes internet related settings, allowing for faster throughput. NETEagle has been tried and tested on numerous machines and has been found to work over 99% of the time to increase your download speeds.Many network settings in Windows are configured for dialup (low speed) or Ethernet (low latency) devices. With today's high-speed Internet connections, this oversight hampers the performance of your Internet connection as much as 200%. However with simple modifications your computer's internet connection speed will be increased for faster throughput, download speeds and stop dealing with slow internet connections when playing online games, streaming music, audio and video. NETEagle optimizes Internet/Network related registry settings on your end of the connection (your PC) as well as several configuration files. This increases modem performance substantially. The whole process should take seconds to complete, the program works with any Internet connection, from dialup to satellite lines and supports all current Windows versions so no matter what type of modem you use.
Download ..NETEagle is a tool that optimizes your modem connection. Your internet connection can be optimized up to 200% or higher by using NETEagle. NETEagle supports all current Windows versions, and works with any internet connection. NETEagle optimizes internet related settings, allowing for faster throughput. NETEagle has been tried and tested on numerous machines and has been found to work over 99% of the time to increase your download speeds.Many network settings in Windows are configured for dialup (low speed) or Ethernet (low latency) devices. With today's high-speed Internet connections, this oversight hampers the performance of your Internet connection as much as 200%. However with simple modifications your computer's internet connection speed will be increased for faster throughput, download speeds and stop dealing with slow internet connections when playing online games, streaming music, audio and video. NETEagle optimizes Internet/Network related registry settings on your end of the connection (your PC) as well as several configuration files. This increases modem performance substantially. The whole process should take seconds to complete, the program works with any Internet connection, from dialup to satellite lines and supports all current Windows versions so no matter what type of modem you use.

Download: NETEagle

Best-ever Freeware Utilities ..

2008-06-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Best Free Web Browser ~
Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Best Free Anti-Virus Software ~
AVG antivirus
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Best Free Adware/Spyware Remover ~
Spyware Terminator.
http://www.spywareterminator.com/

Best Free Desktop Search Utility ~
Google desktop search
http://desktop.google.com/

Best Free File Cleaner ~
CCleaner
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Best Free Screen Capture Utility ~
PrintScreen
http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/?prnscr

Best Free Download Manager ~
Star Downloader
http://www.stardownloader.com/downloads.php

Best Free Download/Upload Meter ~
NetMeter
http://readerror.gmxhome.de/

Best Free Resource Meter ~
TinyResMeter
http://perso.accelance.net/~pesoft/trm/us_trm.html

Try out the Orkut applications

2008-06-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

Google has started a new project named OpenSocial. OpenSocial is a set of common APIs for developers to create applications that work on websites like Orkut, Facebook etc. that have chosen to participate.

The much awaited Orkut applications are now live. For now, these applications are available only to Ethiopian Orkut members. But don't worry, you can still get them.Follow the steps below:* Change the country in your profile to Estonia.* Now, you'll will get an option to 'add apps' in the left hand side menu.* Click on the option. Now you'll be in the application directory. Choose the application you want to try.

For now, these are some of the available apps -
1. PhotoAttack
2. Horoscopes
3. Emote!
4. Music iLike
5. JogaTV by Nike
6. Top Friends by Slide.com

There are not much apps on Orkut at the present moment but you will see many more in the time to come. So just wait and watch.

Yahoo! enters the social networking arena

2008-06-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! has finally stepped into the shoes of social networking websites and has launched its own exclusive social network which is known as the Yahoo! Mash.

Modules are basically the widgets you can add to pimp out your page. Yahoo’s modules include Flickr RSS, Ego Boost, Common Friends, MyMoshLog2, Blog Module, Asteroids, Astrology, PimpMyPet, Hover, Kaleidescope, Guestbook, and My Stuff. The modules can be loaded onto your profile page and moved around using drag-and-drop
The profile page gives you a wide array of options to play with and edit like - your photo, friend list, tags, about me, modules (widgets), Blurts (status messages) and a guestbook.
Wiki-friends is where users are encouraged to edit each other’s pages and create new pages for friends. Every time you visit your profile page, you will see new modules which your friends loaded for you.

Blurt is a Yahoo! Mash Module which will let you add announcements to your Profile page. The My Stuff module is a very good and handy module that will allow you to interact with your friends. You paste HTML snippets there which includes Flash Games, YouTube videos and other miscellaneous interactive content. Tags module is used to tag your profile with the most relevant keywords and The Mash Pet is a funny new way to express your mood to others who visit your profile.

Pulse is a feature which takes you to a page which compiles updates and blurts from all your friends. Whether they added a new friend or added a new module… it’s all reported here.Overall, Mash is Yahoo’s latest attempt at social networking and still needs some work. It’s currently in BETA. It will surely get a lot of early adopters and members purely based on it’s Yahoo! brand and existing Yahoo loyalists will like the idea of their own network to hang out in.

Keep an eye on the official Yahoo! Mash Blog which will enlist the updates and will inform you about the latest feature and system updates.

Compose Text Messages with your Voice

2008-06-18T15:02:00.001-07:00

Some people hate text messaging simply because of the hassle to compose a message using the cell-phone keypad. You could always upgrade to a keyboard-equipped phone like the LG Voyager, AT&T Tilt, or RIM BlackBerry Curve, but even those models require you to use your thumbs when it comes to text input. Plus, it probably seems excessive to spend hundreds of dollars on a new phone just for the sake of easier text messaging.

How about your voice doing the fingerwork for you? A free service called Jott will transcribe your spoken message into text and deliver it via SMS to anyone in your contact list (which you have to set up in advance on the Jott site). Just speed-dial Jott from your cell phone, say the name of the person you want to contact, and then start talking.

Samsung BlackJack II

2008-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Why spoil a good thing? Samsung kept this idea in mind when designing the BlackJack II, an evolutionary update to the original and well-received BlackJack smartphone. The new version adds a number of useful enhancements: the built-in camera now has 2-megapixel resolution; there's a built-in GPS radio with optional TeleNav GPS Navigator; and it's compatible with AT&T's (expensive) Video Share service. My review unit was made of glossy black plastic instead of a rubberized casing like the original; there's also a burgundy version available. Thankfully, Samsung has replaced the odd split-numeric keys with a tighter, more conventional arrangement. You also get a slightly increased processor speed and double the RAM—always a good thing with a Windows Mobile handset. There's also a higher-capacity battery. At just $149, the BlackJack II isn't perfect, but it's a worthy upgrade and a compelling high-speed alternative to the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310.

The BlackJack II is a bit larger than the original, weighing 4.1 ounces—about half an ounce more—and measuring 4.4 by 2.3 by 0.5 inches (HWD), which is a little thicker as well. Screen size is up to 2.4 inches, though it retains the same 320-by-240-pixel resolution, brightness, and 65K color support. The BlackJack II features a jog/shuttle wheel that also acts as a control pad. The wheel scrolled a bit slowly, but it's a nice enhancement and makes quick work of thumbing through menus, Web pages, and option lists.

The BlackJack II's keyboard is a little cramped and clicky, but it's fairly comfortable to type on, though not as comfy as the keyboard on the Motorola Q9h, which costs $50 more. The BlackJack II's keys are oval as before, but wider than on the original model and closer to being square. The device's proprietary connectors aren't all that practical. The box includes a charger and a USB cable, but you're on your own for wired earbuds, and finding emergency replacements will be difficult, since the device doesn't have a standard headphone jack.

Voice quality was bright and crisp over 3G and somewhat less so over GSM, but still not bad. Despite its proximity to Manhattan, my Queens neighborhood has spotty 3G coverage, so I experienced the problematic high-speed hand-off fairly often—as did my callers, who pointed out static and a volume drop whenever it occurred. The BlackJack II exhibited good reception otherwise. Calls made outdoors on the street were intelligible except when an overhead train rolled by. The handset sounded fine when paired with a Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth headset, and the speakerphone was loud enough to use outdoors in a pinch.

The BlackJack II features 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM, with 87MB of free memory and 131MB of free storage available, both of which are welcome improvements over the original. The new 260-MHz CPU and extra RAM definitely help when running multiple programs at once: "Out of Memory" error messages are rarely seen. However, the handset still felt a little sticky in operation. Screen redraws were occasionally sluggish, and some key presses took a beat or two before registering, but that's endemic to most Windows Mobile 6 handsets.

Since the BlackJack II runs Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard, you can edit but not create Microsoft Office documents. AT&T also bundles an RSS reader and an IM client that supports AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! Messenger. (The Q9h goes the BlackJack II one better, though, with its built-in DataViz Documents To Go office suite and excellent Opera Mobile browser.) Using the BlackJack II's built-in HSDPA 3.6 radio, consistent data speeds in the 1,000-Kbps range are seen —an impressive showing. AT&T packs in its clumsy XpressMail client, but you also get Outlook Mobile, which supports POP/IMAP, Yahoo! Mail, and Windows Live support, along with Microsoft Direct Push E-Mail. There are also icons for AT&T Video Share, which lets you stream live video to other callers; TeleNav GPS; and MobiTV; all of which cost extra to activate. Video Share, in particular, is too expensive at 35 cents per minute. AT&T offers a few Video Share–related plans to offset the cost, but none are unlimited, and none reduce the additional cost below 25 cents per minute.

With MobiTV, you get dozens of streaming television channels. Live MSNBC and CNBC look okay, but transmission sometimes stutters and takes a while to begin streaming. MP3 and WMA music files sounded clear over a set of Bluetooth Etymotic Ety8. Inconveniently, the music stopped every time the BlackJack II's volume was adjusted. To resume playback, the Done soft key in Windows Mobile had to be pressed and then press Play again, which was pretty lame. Standalone video files played smoothly, even in full screen mode, though there was no way to skip forward or backward while watching files.

The 2-megapixel camera took disappointingly soft and blurry photos. The BlackJack II lacks auto-focus and an LED flash. You are able to record smooth 320-by-240-pixel videos—a usable size—but some of my test files were plagued by intermittent stutters. The phone's microSD slot supports up to 4GB microSD cards, but not higher-capacity microSDHC media.
HSDPA data radios are notoriously hard on cell-phone batteries. Fortunately, the BlackJack II was a welcome exception, lasting 6 hours 14 minutes on a talk-time rundown test. That's more than 2 hours longer than the original BlackJack's score of 3:51. This alone might be enough to sway BlackJack owners to upgrade.

Anyone tethered to Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Outlook can make a solid bet on the BlackJack II on AT&T, especially if they can't afford the HTC Tilt or aren't a fan of its larger size. The Motorola Q9h's comfortable keyboard and Documents To Go suite makes it a better choice for Microsoft Office mavens on the go, but that device doesn't match the BlackJack II's sheer broadband speed. The BlackBerry Curve wins out on e-mail handling and overall OS responsiveness, although its pokey EDGE radio pales in comparison to the BlackJack II's HSDPA chipset. Overall, the BlackJack II plays a strong, winning hand, just like the original BlackJack did back in 2006.

Free iPhone unlocking solution released for download

2008-06-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

A team of hackers attempting to unlock Apple Inc.'s iPhone for use with GSM-based wireless carriers other than AT&T appear to have finally succeeded in their efforts, and last night began distributing their solution as a free download via several websites.

Dubbed "iUnlock," the SIM unlocking tool represents the fruits of a multi-month effort on the part of the unofficial "iPhone Dev Team" -- a community of independent contributors who've banded together to discover and develop additional uses for the inaugural Apple handset.
Unlike commercial efforts from groups such as iPhoneSIMfree and UniquePhones, iUnlock was released Tuesday evening as a free download, and has since begun to spread rapidly across the web. Several iPhone owners and members of Apple online communities claim to have tested and verified the solution as genuine.

In its current state, however, the iUnlock solution is not for the technically-challeneged or faint-of-heart. It requires a "jailbroken" iPhone, rudimentary knowledge of using a unix terminal, experience with SFTP and some patience. Some tutorials on how to apply the hack have also begun to crop up, but they're currently rough around the edges.

Several more user-friendly installation guides are believed to be under development at the present time, as is a version of iUnlock that will be based around an installer for the less technical savvy.

Unlocking mobile phones for one's own use, for instance to place calls with a different carrier, appears to be legal under an exemption of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. However, the same may not be true for the specific steps taken by the iPhone Dev Team's unlocking solution, which has not been scrutinized in that regard.

Because the iPhone is GSM-based, U.S. consumers who unlock the phone will be limited in their alternative wireless carrier choices to just T-Mobile, the only other national GSM-based service provider outside of AT&T. Internationally, however, the unlocking solution would seem more compelling due to the proliferation of GSM-based networks and carrier soverseas.

Download: iUnlock application

Nokia Secret Codes

2008-06-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some useful secret codes for Nokia S60 phones to get system information, such as IMEI and software versionIn order to enter these codes, the phone must be in the idle screen, not in any of the menu screens. The idle screen is where you see the operator name, date, time, battery level, signal strength
.
*#06# - Displays the IMEI (GSM standard).

*#2820# - Displays the Bluetooth device address of your phone.

*#62209526# - Displays the MAC address of the WLAN (wireless lan) adapter. This is available only in the newer devices that support WLAN.

*#7370# - Resets your phone to the default factory settings. Usually you will need this code when you want to reset your phone back to the same condition when you got it for the first time. When the phone ask for security code, the default one is 12345 unless you have specified one yourself.

Warning: Before you do reset the phone, make sure that you don’t have important data and that you know the security code for your phone. Your data on the phone memory will be lost once you reset it.

*#7780# - This will soft reset your phone. It is different from *#7370# because all data, like contacts, calendar and notes, are not removed. It will only reset the phone settings, such as profiles, themes and shortcuts. The default lock code is 12345.

*#0000# - To view software version.

*#67705646# - This will clear the LCD display(operator logo).

*#92702689# - Takes you to a secret menu where you may find some of the information below:
1. Displays Serial Number.
2. Displays the Month and Year of Manufacture
3. Displays (if there) the date where the phone was purchased (MMYY)
4. Displays the date of the last repair - if found (0000)
5. Shows life timer of phone (time passes since last start)

*#3370# - Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) activation. Increase signal strength, better signal reception. It also help if u want to use GPRS and the service is not responding or too slow. Phone battery will drain faster though.

*#3370* - (EFR) deactivation. Phone will automatically restart. Increase battery life by 30% because phone receives less signal from network.

If you forgot wallet code for Nokia S60 phone, use this code to reset: *#7370925538#Note, your data in the wallet will be erased. Phone will ask you the lock code. Default lock code is: 12345 .

Mobile Battery tips

2008-06-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

If your mobile battery is troubling you in between your work and you feel like throwing away your set, then try these tips , they might be useful .

Reserve battery: Nokia instrument comes with a reserve battery. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your cell will restart withthis reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery.Thisreserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.

Turn Down Screen Brightness: The screen is one of the most power-consuming parts of the mobile phone. The lower the brightness, the lesser power it needs. Keep it as low as you can, so long as you can still see it! Also, some phones like the E61 and the BlackBerry Pearl come with auto-adjust features that increase the brightness in brightly lit areas and dim it in low-light areas. If you're setting the brightness low, make sure that auto-adjust is turned off.

Don't Use Animated Wallpapers or Screensavers: The animations in wallpapers and screensavers can drain a bit of battery as they also consume a wee bit of CPU. Turn them off.

Turn Off Keypad Lights: If you've been using the phone for a while, you may be able to use the keys without seeing them. If this is the case, the keypad backlight can be turned off. However, not a lot of phones support this, but it's worth considering if your phone does.

Decrease Screen Standby Time Out: The time till your screen dims out and/or gets turned off is configurable in most phones. 10 seconds is good, 5 seconds is better. Set it as low as you can go without it becoming inconvenient.

Close Background Applications: If you're using a Smartphone, close applications that you don't need. Applications that stay active in the background use up a bit of CPU, which uses up battery. Make sure you 'exit' the applications from the menu, not by pressing the 'End' key, as that merely puts the application in the background. In Series 60 Smartphones (mostly Nokias), hold down the 'Menu' key to get a list of all applications running in the background to close them. In Windows Mobile 5 phones, open the 'Memory' application and check the 'Running programs' tab to close them.

Turn Off Vibration: Probably the second most power-consuming feature of any mobile phone is the built-in vibration alert. See if you can do without it.
Turn Down Ringer Volume, Keypad Tones and Speaker During Calls: If you're mostly indoors, like in the office or at home, a low ringer volume can go a bit towards saving your battery. Most phones also have DTMF-like keypad tones, which are not necessary if the keypad has decent tactile feedback. I keep them turned off most of the time — you can try it too. Volume of the earpiece when you're on a call can also be lowered, and that helps too.

Disable Voice Clarity / EFR / Voice Privacy: Almost all phones now do Enhanced Full Rate (EFR) for voice communication that consumes a little more power. In most cases, the enhanced quality of EFR doesn't make a difference thanks to the high noise levels in our city. Keep it off, you probably won't miss it. Some phones (mostly Samsungs) have a 'voice privacy' feature which can also be turned off to save battery.

Turn off 3G / GPRS / EDGEMost 3G/UMTS/WCDM: A phones keep searching for 3G coverage by default. In India, they'll keep searching till 2008, draining your battery, so go to the network selection screen and choose GSM-only. If your phone has a secondary camera near the screen, it's a 3G phone. Check your phone’s specs on the website if you aren't sure. Sometimes, even regular GPRS or EDGE connections stay active in the back, so make sure you specifically disconnect when you're done browsing the web.

Use Bluetooth and WiFi Only While Transferring: If you only use Bluetooth occasionally to transfer files to and from other devices, there's probably no point keeping it on all the time. Most phones only come with an on/off setting for Bluetooth, unlike the 'Turn on for 10 minutes' setting available for Infrared in some phones (mostly Sony Ericssons). People tend to forget about Bluetooth being left on after transferring the file — avoid doing this. Same goes for WiFi, if you're phone has that.

Here's another tip — find a USB cable if your phone supports recharging via USB: The Motorola RAZR/KRZR/SLVRs and most Windows Mobile Smartphones have a standard miniUSB slot that can use the same cable as most digital cameras. You're more likely to find one of these lying around somewhere than a charger for your phone, unless it's a Nokia, of course.

Finally, if you've tried everything else above then the only remedy will be don't use the phone too much.

Make Yahoo Messenger ads-free

2008-06-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Tired of the irritating pop up ads each time you login to Yahoo! Messenger ? If yes, then no need to tolerate these ads. Get rid of them now.

While trying to figure out how to remove these ads, I came across a way to get rid of these. The way we are going to do this is through registry editing.
Follow these steps:
1. Click Start>Run. Type 'regedit'.
2. Goto HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Software -> Yahoo -> Pager -> Locale
3. Right click "Enable Messenger Ad" and click on 'Modify'.
4. Enter the value as '0'.

Note: I tried this trick on Yahoo! Messenger 9. Don't know if this would work on the previous versions or not but I think it should. If you want to enable that ad windows again, edit that Binary value as '1' again.

If you don't want to mess up with your registry, then no need to worry.Download this patch. Not will it just make the messenger ads-free but will also make it a multi messenger ie. you will be able to open 2 or 3 accounts of yours simultaneously and chat.

There you go. Now open the messenger and login. You won't see the pop up ad this time.

Yahoo! Messenger for Vista finally launched

2008-06-18T14:32:00.001-07:00

The long awaited Yahoo! messenger for Windows Vista is finally here. This new messenger has been made exclusively for Windows Vista users. The messenger has something new, especially it's cool looks.
The new features in Yahoo! Messenger include a complete change of layout, skin chooser, filter-as-you-type for easy searching, spell checker and a convenient tabbed conversation window that controls your desktop clutter. The rebuild also incorporates sidebar graphics that have the ability to show favorite contacts separated from conversation windows. Graphical elements in the new IM take Microsoft's graphic subsystem into play for vector based interfaces and enhanced emoticons. The overall look is very Vista-y. In terms of sharing items with your contacts, you can send files as large as 2 GB. There’s also the ability to send IMs to both your Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger contacts. Yahoo Messenger for Vista also leverages the desktop search in Vista to let the user search for photos stored on the computer, and it includes new animated emoticons.

There are some things missing in this version of Yahoo! Messenger. What’s missing for this preview, however, is the voice, webcam, chat rooms, SMS, IMVironments, Audibles, plug-ins, photo-sharing (unless you send the photo as a file), and conferencing. These features will most probably appear in the next Vista update as they are in works now.

Grab a copy of Yahoo! Messenger for Vista ..

Chat Bots

2008-06-18T14:30:00.001-07:00

Chat Bots are robots that you can chat to over messenger and talk to like a real person ....
They are intelligent and remember what you say so you can have interesting and funny conversations with them ...

Just add the bots to your messenger and start chatting !!!

1. Smarter Child
ID - smarterchild@hotmail.com

This bot will learn and remember what you say so you can have funny conversations with it. Also it can display search engine results, weather reports, cinema times and more.

2. Spleak
ID - spleak@hotmail.com

Spleak is a female chat bot. She plays games, makes jokes, can give you all kinds of information, from weather to spell checks and definitions.

3. Games Bot
ID - gamesbot@botmetro.net

If you're bored this is great bot to play games with. You can play Hangman, 4 In A Row, Word Scrambles and more fun games !

4. The World Of Alice
ID - alice@worldofalice.com

This is a virtual buddy who talks to you and can give information about weather and more !

5. Quiz Master
ID - quizmasterbot@hotmail.com

This bot asks you 20 quiz questions. If you answer them all correct you can get into the top 5 quiz masters !

6. Virtual Secretary
ID - secretarybot@hotmail.com

Have your own virtual secretary in your contact list. This bot can do lots of things that a secretary would do for you.

7. Magic Crystal Ball
ID - crystalballbuddy@hotmail.com

This is a very smart messenger bot. You can ask it any question and it will tell you the answer like "Will my team win the football?".

Have fun talking to these !!

Download YouTube videos with a 'kiss'

2008-06-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Watching videos over YouTube is great fun. You get to see loads of videos everyday. Seeing them is pretty easy but when it comes to saving these videos to your hard drive, then it might be a bit difficult.

What about downloading these videos with just a 'kiss' ? You might be wondering what this 'kiss' is. Well this relates to a new method of downloading YouTube videos. What you actually have to do is to just add the word 'kiss' at the begining of a YouTube video URL. For example you want to download this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX8L1QYwZ7c.To get it using the method described above, modify the URL like this - 'http://www.kissyoutube.com/watch?v=AX8L1QYwZ7c'. Hope you got hold of it now.

You must be thinking how all this happens. It's pretty simple. There's a website called kissyoutube.com which is doing all this work for you. This method is quite simple and easy and requires you to install no other software.

Pay Less Domain Registration

2008-06-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Are you setting up a domain? Then make sure you buy your domain name from a reputed domain seller. Pay Less Domains is one such domain registration website. It makes your work easy and sells domain names at cheap and affordable rates.
Sometimes domain resellers do charge high rates but getting your domain through Pay Less Domains is affordable. It's an amazing reseller and even provides users with web hosting service. They sell out .com and .net domains for 11.95 AUD per annum. That comes out to be less than 1 AUD a month! You can even get yourself a .com.au domain for 34.98 AUD for 2 years. You can check out more on their pricing here.
That's not all. With every domain name you register through them, you get 24/7 Customer Support, FREE Email Hosting, FREE URL Forwarding, FREE Domain Name Parking, FREE Renewal Reminders and much more. You can even get some discount if you register a domain for two years or more or on bulk domain registration.
Seems interesting, ain't it? So, for your next domain registration, try Pay Less Domains.

Download Torrents without any external Torrent Client

2008-06-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

FireTorrent is a Firefox Extension for all the Torrent Lovers! While there are few similar extensions already out there but what makes this cool is its easy interface!
Can you imagine that you don’t need any external application like µTorrent or bittorrent to download your torrents ??
Just click on a torrent link and the downloading will start immediately.
#Features:
* Nice Integration: This extension adds a separate Torrent tab to the Firefox’s built-in download manager.
* Options: Provides option for selecting port nos, download/upload limit, location to save files, security & encryption configuration, etc! you can configure parameters like no. of connection, port no. to accept incoming connection, proxy settings, default folder, download/upload limit, etc! Everything like a standalone torrent client!
* Need More Info: If you like to see more info like no. of peers you are downloading from just click on more info link!
* Easy Access: Just click on folder name next to Downloaded to as highlighted in above screenshot and it will open the folder where downloaded files are saved!
The FireTorrent extension strives to offer the most user-friendly BitTorrent experience. The torrents manager has been integrated as a separate tab in your browser’s download manager, and torrents can be downloaded from any website with a single click.
This results in a great user experience and should be attractive to both people that are new to downloading torrents and advanced users.

Download FireTorrent ..

Mozilla to bring out Firefox for Mobile devices

2008-06-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

There isn't a perfect mobile browser and there is plenty of room for competition in the space, which is why Mozilla is stepping up its efforts to improve the browsing experience on mobile phones, the company said this week.
"People ask us all the time about what Mozilla's going to do about the mobile Web, and I'm very excited to announce that we plan to rock it. We are serious about bringing the Firefox experience and technology to mobile devices," wrote Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's VP of engineering, in his blog on Tuesday.
Mozilla's plans include adding mobile devices to the first class/tier-1 platform set for Mozilla 2, the company's all-in-one open source Internet application suite that comes with a Web browser, e-mail, and newsgroup client. The move will make mobile devices part of Mozilla's core platform, Schroepfer said.
Mozilla also will roll out a version of Mobile Firefox, which can run Firefox extensions on mobile devices. Developers will be able to build rich applications for Mobile Firefox using extensible user-interface language (XUL), a markup language based on XML.

Dell XPS M1530: Newcomer in the XPS series

2008-06-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

After the XPS M1330 and XPS M1730, Dell has brought out the XPS M1530 to expand it's XPS range. The Dell XPS M1530 maintains the same metallic finish and stylish chassis that made the M1330 so adorable. The system is optimal for workaholics who bind themselves to their work place and for home theater fanatics who fancy things like luxury hardware.
The M1530 can be considered as a desktop replacement while still being light enough for short trips at 6.2 pounds—and that's with a nine-cell, 85-Wh battery. With a standard six-cell battery reducing the system's weight to 5.9 pounds, it becomes less of a burden. The XPS M1530 is sleek and is available in three colors: Tuxedo Black, Alpine White, and Crimson Red.
Unlike the XPS M1330, the M1530 doesn't provide you with an option for an LED screen. (LED options will be available early this year). The benefits of LEDs include slimmer profiles and long-lived battery life. The fluorescent lighting in the M1530's screen adds to the overall thickness of the system; it doesn't, however, take anything away from its brightness or quality of the viewing experience. It offers you a resolution of 1,440-by-900.
The M1530 is one of the first notebooks ever to sport a slot-loading (not a tray-ejecting) Blu-ray burner. With all the Blu-ray movies popping up lately, the 15.4-inch widescreen is more than capable of accommodating a decent high-definition experience. This system has three USB ports and a single Firewire post. There's also an HDMI-out port that'll let you run a cable over to a larger display, so you can view your Blu-ray content n your big-screen HDTV. You'll need to purchase a separate HDMI cable, though. The 2-megapixel webcam grants you good face time with friends and family.
The M1530's energy swallowing levels won't earn it an Energy Star sticker in the near time, but the system's raw horsepower seems to be quite notable. This notebook comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2 GHz) processor and 2GB of RAM. The XPS M1530 loads Windows Vista Home Premium.
Undifferentiated from the M1330, the M1530 loads discrete graphics for high-definition enthusiasts who are also part-time gamers. The bundled nVidia GeForce 8600M GT is a tier higher than the nVidia GeForce 8400M GS found on the XPS M1330. Both sets have nVidia's PureVideo engine, which offers hardware decoding for high-definition playback and cranks up frame rates when playing the latest 3D games.
Priced at $2,174, the Dell XPS M1530 is the newcomer in the XPS series, featuring a 15.4-inch widescreen, awesome performance scores, and one of the first ever slot-loading Blu-ray burners. It's design elements and raw horsepower make it a great choice for guys who are seeking to replace their desktops.

Fastest-Ever Mac Pro launched by Apple

2008-06-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Apple has launched its fastest-ever professional Macs, introducing re-vamped versions of the Mac Pro and Xserve.
Available immediately, the new Mac Pro's offer eight processor cores and a new system architecture that the company claims offers "up to twice the performance of its predecessor". The new professional desktop Macs use two of Intel's brand-new 45-nanometer Quad-Core Xeon processors running at up to 3.2GHz.
These new Macs also offer much-improved graphics and up to 4TB of internal storage for creative professionals, with listed price starting at just £1,749 (including VAT).
"The new Mac Pro is the fastest Mac we've ever made," said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. "With 3.2GHz 8-core Xeon processing, a 1,600MHz front side bus and 800MHz memory, the new Mac Pro uses the fastest Intel Xeon architecture on the market."
The new Mac Pro features the latest Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series processors based on state-of-the-art 45nm Intel Core microarchitecture running up to 3.2GHz, each with 12MB of L2 cache per processor. These systems host a new high-bandwidth hardware architecture, dual-independent 1,600MHz front side buses and up to a whopping 32GB of 800MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM memory. All told, Apple promises the new Mac Pro's achieves a 61 per cent increase in memory throughput.
Graphics processing power has been optimized by Apple's choice to deploy the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics card with 256MB of video memory. The Mac Pro also includes a new PCI Express 2.0 graphics slot that delivers up to double the bandwidth compared to the previous generation, and supports the latest generation of graphics cards from NVIDIA, such as the GeForce 8800 GT with 512MB of video memory, or Quadro FX 5600 with 1.5GB of video memory and a 3D stereo port for stereo-in-a-window applications.
With an eye to the needs of the most advanced video, 3D and scientific markets, these new Macs can support up to four graphics cards, meaning they can drive up to eight 30in displays at once.
Expandability options include four internal hard drive bays with direct-attach, cable-free installation of four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives, (4TB in total of internal storage) and support for two SuperDrives.
As an option, users can select 15,000rpm SAS drives that can deliver up to 250MB/s of RAID 5 disk I/O performance. Combined with SATA or SAS drives, using an optional Mac Pro RAID card offers excellent data protection and disk I/O performance on the Mac Pro. These Macs are equipped with five USB 2.0, two FireWire 400, two FireWire 800, optical and analogue audio in and out, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and a headphone jack. Naturally, all new Mac Pro's ship with Apple's latest Leopard OS and the Apple Keyboard. The standard 8-core Mac Pro costs $2,799.
Features:
* Two 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors with dual-independent 1,600MHz front side buses;* 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 ECC fully-buffered DIMM memory, expandable up to 32GB;* ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory;* 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7,200rpm;* 16X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);* two PCI Express 2.0 slots and two PCI Express slots;* Bluetooth 2.0+EDR; Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse.
In addition to the standard configuration, the Mac Pro offers numerous build-to-order options including: one 2.8GHz, two 3.0GHz, or two 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors; up to 32GB of 800MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory; up to four 1TB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7,200rpm or up to four 300GB SAS drives running at 15,000rpm; Mac Pro RAID card; up to two 16x SuperDrives with double-layer support; NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT or NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 graphics cards; AirPort Extreme 802.11n; Apple USB Modem; Apple wireless Aluminum Keyboard; Apple wireless Mighty Mouse; and Mac OS X Server Leopard.

Playstation 3 Ready to Rumble, But Not Go Home

2008-06-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

You win some, you lose some, and sometimes it's better to put your foot in your mouth than on the hands of gamers, who probably know better than to take you seriously anyway when you call something like force feedback a "last generation feature." Enter the Playstation 3 DUALSHOCK Wireless Controller, announced in Tokyo yesterday, coming as a standalone accessory in November to Japan and spring 2008 to North America and Europe. Welcome back force feedback, we sure did miss ya.
For posterity, let's revisit what Harrison told GameDaily in this interview last February, after being asked "If gamers want it and are vocal enough, will Sony reintroduce the force feedback at some point?"

We have no plans to do so in the standard controller that ships with PlayStation 3. I believe that the Sixaxis controller offers game designers and developers far more opportunity for future innovation than rumble ever did. Now, rumble I think was the last generation feature; it's not the next-generation feature. I think motion sensitivity is. And we don't see the need to do that. Having said that, there will be specific game function controllers, potentially like steering wheels that do include vibration or feedback function—not from us but from third parties.

Nokia N95 with 8GB storage starts shipping

2008-06-18T14:12:00.001-07:00

Nokia has announced that the global shipments of the Nokia N95 with the storage capacity of 8GB has been started. Nokia is claiming it to be the memory-packed big brother of the Nokia N95 multimedia computer.
The 8GB memory provides up to 20 hours of video or up to 6000 songs. It also offers Nokia Music that allows user to access million of music tracks and N-Gage Games including FIFA 2007 and Asphalt 3: Street Rules.
The features of the Nokia N95 8GB include 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, 2.8″ (240 x 320) QVGA display, built-in A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA and an innovative 2-way slide.
“Our Nokia Nseries family has expanded with added pizzazz and performance with the Nokia N95 8GB, a device as personal as it is powerful. We’ve reached a pinnacle with the Nokia N95 and now with the addition of one of the largest ever displays, built-in Assisted-GPS and improved battery power, the Nokia N95 8GB takes entertainment enjoyment to another level,” said Jonas Geust, vice president, Multimedia, at Nokia.
The A-GPS feature enables the phone to support locations on Nokia Maps and give access to more than 150 countries. It allows users to explore the specific routes or locate services that include restaurants and hotels, covering more than 15 million points of interest. In addition, an optional city guides and voice guided navigation are also available, but the owner needs to spend some more bucks.
The estimated price of the Nokia N95 8GB is EUR 560 without taxes or subsidies. The mobile phone will be soon available worldwide.

Sony launches new Walkman players with Digital TV

2008-06-18T14:11:00.001-07:00

Sony has unveiled its new series of Walkman players, called the NW-A919, NW-A918 and NW-A916 Walkman.
The specifications of all the three portable devices are same; the only difference is the storage space.
The A910 series of Walkman measure 47.2×86.x12.3mm, claiming to be the smallest and lightest device to watch and record digital TV.
Featuring 2.4-inch screen with 320×240 pixels of resolution, the latest line of Walkman device also provides direct recording of TV programming, 6 hours of video playback, 36 hours music playback, direct encoding, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, MP3, WMA and ATRAC music format support, AVC(H.264/AVC)/MPEG-4 video format support and photo viewer.
The NW-A919 comes in 16GB memory, the NW-A918 will be available in 8GB and the NW-A916 carries 4GB of storage capacity.
All the three A910 series of Walkman player will be available from 17th November 2007. The price of the NW-A919, NW-A918 and NW-A916 are 45,000¥ (approx. Rs. 15,600), 35,000¥ (approx. Rs. 12,080) and 30,000¥ (approx. Rs. 10,400), respectively.

Limited Edition of Ceramic White PlayStation2 announced

2008-06-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has announced the old PlayStation with a new look. The manufacturer plans to ship the Ceramic White PlayStation2 in limited edition.
The console features the same ultra-sleek body and functions like current Charcoal Black and Satin Silver PlayStation 2s.
The new PS2 will come along with SingStar and Pop, two high-quality USB microphones. In addition, the limited edition features CD playback capabilities, digital surround sound, two memory card slots and an integrated Ethernet port for network gaming.
Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA said, “With our expansive library of titles for PlayStation, led by social gaming experiences such as SingStar, and Buzz!, we have an incredible offering for first-time gaming families.”“At $149, the limited edition Ceramic White PlayStation 2, bundled with the family-friendly social gaming title, SingStar Pop, is an unbeatable value that will provide fun for everyone this holiday,” Tretton added.
The new version of PlayStation2 in Ceramic white color will be available in the North American markets by November 2007 at the price of US$149.99 (approx Rs. 6,160).

Creative Zen V Plus

2008-06-18T14:08:00.001-07:00

Creative's latest effort--the Zen V line of flash-based player--is aimed right at Apple's popular iPod Nano line. And judging by the 2GB, $170 Zen V Plus I tested, it offers some serious competition to the Nano.
The Zen V and Zen V Plus come in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities. In both lines, each model includes a voice recorder, a line-in jack, and a 1.5-inch organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen that displays photos with great clarity indoors but doesn't offer the best outdoor visibility. The V Plus also plays video and has an FM tuner. Both the Zen V and the Zen V Plus work with Plays For Sure subscription content and handle the standard complement of MP3, WMA, and Audible files.
The V Plus can play video clips, but the viewing experience was less than impressive. Though the device ships with Creative's Video Converter application for downsampling clips to the right format, watching anything that runs more than a minute or so on the V Plus's 128-by-128-pixel, 1.5-inch screen just seems silly.
While the Zen V models are about twice as thick as the iPod Nano, they are also shorter, just as light, and very comfortable to use. A small joystick and several hard buttons control most navigation. The extremely responsive interface lets you quickly move through stored tracks, photos, and video clips. In addition, you can customize menus, build and save playlists on the fly, choose from among several built-in color schemes, and set a stored photo as a background image.
The V Plus is a little light on bundled accessories, coming with just a line-in cable, a very short USB cable, and an oddly mismatched carrying pouch. (It looks like the same carrying case that came with the much larger Zen Vision M.) Protective cases are available from Creative's Web site.
The V Plus includes a standard mini-USB port on top of the device--a nice design choice in a world where so many manufacturers use proprietary connectors. Unfortunately, sync speed isn't the greatest. Filling my 2GB test unit took approximately 40 minutes using a USB 2.0 connection. With its integrated battery, the Zen V is rated for a respectable 20 hours of audio playback.
Overall, the 2GB Zen V Plus offers impressive sound quality and useful customization options. It's a more than worthy competitor to Apple's pricier iPod Nano.

A guide to Digital Cameras

2008-06-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Basically a digital camera is a device use to capture pictures without the use of film. The increased weight is because these cameras often use heavy batteries even though they have fewer moving parts. The storage used is similar to other computer based products so they are compatible with may other types of media we use to view images. This computer language is called pixels, tiny colored dots represented by ones and zeros that make up the picture that you just captured.
These cameras still use lenses in much the same way that conventional cameras do. Instead of film the digital camera captures the light with the aid of a system which records the light rays digitally. A feature of the better quality versions is they have a sensor that converts light into electrical charges using a different system to their less expensive cousins. Some people believe the device used to capture an image in cheaper cameras the CMOS will eventually be the replacement for the better CCD but this is highly doubtful.
You may have noticed the price of some models has dropped, making them much more affordable to many people; the CMOS image capture device is the reason for this. Whilst both the CMOS and CCD systems both capture an image using millions of solar cells to make up the whole picture, they perform this in slightly different ways Information to help you choose a suitable model of camera is mention in this review. From the point of view on having good quality photos, search for a high megapixel version as it will be worth it for the image you will capture with it; if you are lucky you may find a model that is discounted because a new version is about to be introduced.
Where you have a choice, optical zooms on digital cameras are better than digital ones - always; perhaps you can remember how grainy and blurred images become when you used your camcorder’s digital zoom function? Today’s nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries are very powerful and last for around a 1,000 charges so always use these if you want to save money. Although most are supplied with a number of photo functions, try for as many as you can because you will appreciate the effects that can be achieved; just a few examples of functions to look for are shown here:
* Video capture * Time lapse (i.e. one shot every 5 minutes for example) * Self-timerHigh resolution cameras require more space to store images so you will probably need an additional storage card. Although larger storage cards have plummeted in price, a 1GB card should be enough for most peoples needs; some cameras won’t accept very high capacity cards anyway.
Cameras are now very tiny compared to a few years ago so you can actually carry around a high specification variant in your pocket and still be able to take fantastic pictures. Professional photographers may need heavy, bulky equipment but there is no requirement for a keen amateur to do so! Hopefully, these few tips will be enough to steer you in the right direction when you come to buy your camera. With all its technology, versatility and portability, the digital camera is the future of photography.

Twin sided LCD display converts into a large LCD TV on demand

2008-06-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

Brilliantly Awesome! Nothing else could be a better compliment for this spectacular LCD wonder. A double sided transforming LCD screen could be the future displays.
This concept display can be divided into two back to back monitors allowing two persons to indulge in their own worldly pleasures. With this you can be working on your next project on one screen and your room mate can be busy with the sci-fi movie on the other. If you want to watch the same stuff together, fold it back to recreate a big LCD TV. Isnt that a cool concept?
Unfortunately it is still in the concept phase and may take some more time to get finer details revealed. And so about pricing. Lets wait for that golden moment when this one finally gets launched in our part of the world.

linkexchange

2007-07-31T03:58:00.000-07:00

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