Technology News

TomTom MAD Maps

2006-03-16T16:18:00.000-08:00

TomTom has partnered with MAD Maps (Motor Adventure Destinations) to offer digital routes of their maps for TomTom Go and TomTom RIDER GPS navigation systems. MAD Maps produces scenic “back roads” maps with mileage markers, fuel stops, recommended road side eateries, lodging and other local attractions.

This is a fantastic partnership. All too often I select “Fastest Route” while navigating unfamiliar locations and miss visiting great local areas. Having maps like the MAD maps on my GPS systems will provide a new way to navigate through unfamiliar areas rather than the often boring “fastest route” option.

TomTom’s US President, Jocelyn Vigreux said, “The specialized route information provided by MAD Maps, Inc. brings an added benefit to our customers. At TomTom, easy and innovative navigation has always been our number one priority. We also strive to provide our customers with a variety of additional options to enhance their lifestyles and personal preferences. With digital MAD Maps our customers can simply click on the screen and find an entire scenic route planned for them, complete with motorcycle friendly services.”

Samsung SPH-B5200 Gaming Cell Phone With DMB

2006-03-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

Wow, this is a very interesting cell phone from those creative engineers at Samsung. The SPH-B5200 is a hybrid between a multimedia phone and a gaming phone. It comes with a 2-inch QVGA LCD screen, a DMB tuner for watching satellite TV programmes, MP3 player, and an integrated gamepad for playing 3D games. Very cool, isn't it?

Anyway, the question is, will it be a hit? Nokia's N-Gage, another gaming phone, doesn't really make it. But, well, who knows?

Microsoft to Boost Web Ads

2006-03-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

Microsoft said Wednesday it has started testing online ads on Live, its new web services network, as the software giant tries to catch up with online rivals like Google and Yahoo that have successfully generated millions of dollars in revenue from online ads.

Microsoft said it will display ads from about 20 advertisers as part of a year-long trial program on the network, which includes the small business site Office Live, email service Windows Live Mail, and social networking service MSN Spaces.

Microsoft said the ads on Office Live, a web service offering web hosting, domain name registration, and tools to create web sites for small businesses, will help generate revenue to offer consumers these online services for free or at a low cost.

“Advertising is a very important business model for Microsoft worldwide because an increasing number of advertisers are becoming more global,” said Joanne Bradford, corporate vice president for global sales and marketing at Microsoft, in a statement. “With ad-supported software opportunities, we’re able to offer great services at low or no cost for our consumers and a vast ecosystem for advertisers.”

So far, Microsoft has lagged significantly behind online rivals in making money off its online traffic. MSN attracts more than 465 million unique users worldwide per month, but Microsoft make far lower in ad revenue compared to rivals.

Microsoft's MSN Internet unit generated about $1.4 billion in online advertising revenue in 2005, compared to Google’s $6 billion, and Yahoo’s $4.6 billion. Internet advertising is estimated to be a $15-billion market and is expected to reach $26 billion in 2009, according to Forrester Research.

The Redmond giant is now determined to catch up. Microsoft said it will test different ad formats to determine which provide the best return on investment for its advertisers. Initial advertisers include Coca-Cola Brazil, JCPenney, and jobs site Monster.com.

Catching Up with RivalsIn November 2005, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates sent a memo outlining the company’s new focus on the Live network, a portal that would bring many Microsoft services under a single roof (see Microsoft Puts Windows on Net). The company said the Live.com portal would eventually be used to create an advertising network.

The idea will be an attempt to catch up with online rivals like Google and Yahoo that have successfully used similar services like email and news content to peddle ads, said analysts.

“Microsoft is now Googleizing their network to a certain degree,” said Richard Williams, senior analyst with the brokerage firm ICAP. “Google has already proven that you can have strong revenues from an ad-supported network. The question is, will Microsoft’s audience be receptive to it.”

Microsoft said it will continue the trial through the year and will work with about 100 advertisers in nine markets to learn about their needs and to develop new advertising methods for the Windows Live platform.

Ads in MSN Spaces are currently being tested only in Australia and Italy, and Windows Live Mail ads are being tested in various markets across the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Office Live display ads are initially being tested in the U.S.

Apple releases security update for Mac OS X

2006-03-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

Apple on Monday released a security update for Intel and PowerPC-based machines running Mac OS X. The update addresses a number of issues with apache_mod_php, CoreTypes, LaunchServices, Mail, Safari and rsync, according to notes from Apple.

This update also includes the previous Security Update, which fixed security issues with apache_mod_php, Automount, Bom, Directory Services, iChat, IPSec, LaunchServices, LibSystem, Loginwindow, Mail, Rsync, Safari Syndication. The update can be downloaded from AppleÂ’s Web site or via the Software Update mechanism in Mac OS X.

Microsoft Updates Vista Design Tools

2006-03-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

Despite claims that it has "paused" development on the product, Microsoft delivered an updated CTP of Expression Graphic Designer -- formerly known as Acrylic -- over the weekend, along with a refreshed build of its Interactive Designer tool.

Expression Graphic Designer has been hyped as a rival to Adobe's Photoshop, but Microsoft has designed the product to specifically take advantage of the new display capabilities in Windows Vista. Graphic Designer outputs into the XAML file format that is natively supported by Vista's Presentation Foundation.

XAML files can be 2-D or 3-D images, text, animation and even video. Because of this integration, Graphic Designer and the two other Expression Studio products are not expected for release until after Vista debuts later this year. However, work is continuing on the tools in the meantime.

Much of the code in Graphic Designer is based on a program named Expression, which Microsoft picked up through the acquisition of Creature House in 2003.

The March Community Technology Preview brings improved XAML export and support for the February CTP of WinFX. WinFX is the next-generation .NET Framework that will ship with Vista and be available for Windows XP.

The XAML export feature is tied closely to Expression Interactive Designer, formerly known by the code-name "Sparkle" and incorrectly labeled as a competitor to Macromedia Flash, now owned by Adobe.

Like Flash, Sparkle does create animations and an object can be exported as a WBA file for viewing in a Web browser. But Sparkle's being angled as an interface tool and is tightly integrated with Visual Studio, even utilizing the same build mechanism for executable files.
The March CTP of Interactive Designer offers improved grouping of elements, drag and drop, enhanced clipboard functionality, and a number of other fixes and tweaks. The beta release expires on August 1, while the Expression Graphic Designer CTP functions until the end of 2006.

Microsoft sees Expression as vital to ensuring that developers match the user experience it plans to deliver in Windows Vista. The tools draw directly upon the WinFX foundation in the operating system and simplify the creation of advanced interface elements.
"If you got no tools, [Vista's] not going to go anywhere," Wayne Smith, senior European product manager for the Expression family, told BetaNews at PDC 2005.

Samsung i310 - World’s First Cell Phone With 8GB Hard Drive

2006-03-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

Samsung's latest innovation is really wonderful. It's the SGH-i310 cell phone that comes with built-in 8GB hard drive. Being a multimedia phone, this world's first handset loaded with a huge storage device can hold a bunch of music files. It features an integrated MP3 player that supports MP3, WMA, and AAC audio files, built-in stereo speakers, 2 megapixel camera module, VGA video recording at 30fps, USB 2.0 connectivity, as well as Bluetooth, Infrared, GPRS, and EDGE support.

Runs on Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system, this SGH-i310 also include a dedicated Music player keys and a unique jog dial for browsing the song through the playlist.

Can it play video? Not so sure, but hope it is. The big hard drive will and video playback would be a nice combination, wouldn't it? Well, let's see if Samsung would throw more detail about the SGH-i310 cell phone later, including price and availability, when they show it off at Cebit.

ABC and Alphabet Learning of Artificial Intelligence

2006-03-12T06:07:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that sometimes humans in conversation or writing will simply come up with a new word to describe something? You know like an invent-a-word? Of course we know that when humans do this that they do so from looking for a word to express a thought, yet cannot find the right word handy so they simply invent one, which is a relative approximation. This is something humans do often without giving it a whole lot of thought and generally when people do this, we do not bother to say anything as we understand exactly what they are talking about.

But how can we teach a robot or an artificial intelligent machine to do this? Could we simply teach it to use an alphabet and begin by teaching it the ABC’s? Sounds pretty crazy teaching a machine to think in that way? Well, imagine what the first human thought or you yourself were thinking as you learned to express 4-dimensional thought using symbols to make up words to put onto a 2-dimensional piece of paper? By golly it is a silly method indeed isn’t it? Should we teach robots and artificial intelligent machines to do the same or do we hold shorts as not to clutter them with crap? Interesting isn’t it?

Well there are some artificial intelligent machines which are being taught human languages and symbols, letters to read and spell and even communicate and you might be surprised to find out that they are able to indeed create new words and actually use them semantically correct, well, if they were actually words, they would fit right in, just like humans do? If you like discussing subject like this perhaps you might wish to join an online think tank? Consider this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Athlon 64 Processors

2006-03-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

For a long time Intel has been leading the market in processor sales and popularity but AMD is finally putting a stop to that. With the release of their Athlon 64 processor, with 64 bit computing capabilities, they have been slowly but surely regaining the market back from Intel.
The Athlon 64 processors have been around for a while now and they have proven themselves the market leaders in processing power. As we know AMD processor run at a lot slower speeds than Intel processors making them cooler to run. This has eliminated the need for expensive cooling equipment and opened the doorway for overclocking.

Although AMD hit the target by releasing their 64 bit processor long before Intel did, they are not standing still. They have been constantly upgrading their line up to increase speed and efficiency. This is apparent with their fx series processors and their dual core processors.
The fx series processor are the king of the hill at AMD. They are the most powerful processor that is available. They show blistering speeds for CPU intensive functions such video encoding and gaming. They also show great performance in database driven work and most other aspects of computing.

The dual-core line of processor are the ultimate in multi-tasking. They provide the power of two processor running in unison while still being able to fit in a single processor motherboard. Although these processors are essentially two processors in one, they are rather pricy and may not be everyones cup of tea.

Intel is trying to fight back by forming an alliance with Apple. All macs are now available with Intel processors. Whether this will be profitable for Intel only time will tell.
With competition growing stronger from AMD this can only mean increased benefits for the consumer. As the war between Intel and AMD intensifies, the consumer will benefit from lowered prices, and increased quality in their processors.

Sony PS3 delays, cost hurt stock

2006-02-20T15:37:00.000-08:00

Sony shares fell by more than 4% today after analysts warned that its next generation games console, the PS3, could be delayed by up to a year.

The value of the electronics giant's stock fell by 4.4% in Tokyo as investors considered the impact of the report, which said delays in finalising technical specifications for the PlayStation 3 could hit its planned spring launch date.

Sony said last May it expected to launch the console in Japan this spring to compete with Microsoft's Xbox 360.

and Nintendo's Revolution in the $30-$35bn (£17bn-£20bn) global gaming market.
But a Merrill Lynch analyst said the planned launch may be delayed if specifications, which include the company's forthcoming Blu-Ray DVD drive and a powerful new Cell chip, are not finalised quickly.

Speculation that Sony may miss PS3's spring launch came after the bank warned that the cost of building the console could rise to as much as $900 (£520) a unit, or more than double the £200 consumers are paying for the Xbox 360.

Games console makers typically subsidise the cost of their products in a bid to encourage sales of games, which accounted for $25bn of the global market last year.

In a note, Merrill Lynch analyst Hitoshi Kuriyama said the delay could stretch to between six and 12 months and affect Sony's earnings for the forthcoming financial year.

It would mean that the American launch of the PS3, planned for later this year, could slip back to early 2007, leaving a European debut a potential 18 months off.

"If the launch is delayed, it will be beneficial in the short term, but will be negative from the standpoint of share price. If it is on time, the PS3 will weigh on the company's profitability," Mr Kuriyama said in a note.

Last week Sony Computer Entertainment Asia's corporate executive managing director, Tetsuhiko Yasuda, said the company expected to ship over 100m PlayStation 3 consoles, a similar number of sales to its bestselling PS1 and PS2.

Microsoft launched its next generation console, the Xbox 360, last November in the UK but after reports of initial shortages, sales are understood to be sluggish.

Sony currently dominates the console market with around 70% share of the global market.
Sony did not return calls before publication.

Reports: IE 7 Crashes While Accessing Windows Updates

2006-02-19T04:20:00.000-08:00

Some users of Internet Explorer 7's beta are reporting problems accessing the crucial Windows Update and Microsoft Update sites, but Microsoft denied any system-wide glitch.

"Tried going to Windows Update or Microsoft Update w/ IE7 beta yet?" wrote Evan Burroughs, an IE 7 user, to TechWeb in a Thursday e-mail. "It crashes the browser. How does a beta user fix or update the browser when it crashes at the site it uses to update and fix flaws?"
Burroughs' experience is not the only complaint about Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview; numerous messages on Microsoft's official IE 7 newsgroup, as well as the one dedicated to Windows Update issues, strike the same tone.

"IE7 crashes immediately when I click through to Windows Update," wrote Ralph Poole Wednesday. "On WinXP SP2, IE6 SP2 works fine with Microsoft Update, but when trying the same site with IE7 Beta 2 P, I am getting this error: 0x80072EE2," wrote someone identified only as "gahbmwM5."

Several messages on the newsgroups reference the same error code. Other users on the newsgroups pointed people to a Microsoft support document that offers a slew of possible causes and fixes, including complicated chores such as removing entries for Windows Update and Microsoft Update from the local hosts file.

Microsoft said it was not aware of any systemic problem.

"Our internal testing and the external feedback we have received has not detected any active bugs with the Windows Update or Microsoft Update thus far," a Microsoft spokesperson said Thursday.

Tuesday, Feb. 14 was the first monthly release of security fixes via Windows Update and Microsoft Update since IE 7 Beta 2 Preview went public in late January.

Saitek A-250

2006-02-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

Saitek, best known for its gaming peripherals, has some welcome portable audio entries, too. The Saitek A-250 ($129.95 direct), for example, is a versatile one-piece dual-speaker set with a neat trick up its sleeve: It can receive music wirelessly from any Windows PC via a USB 2.4-GHz transmitter. (It also accepts line-in signals from nearly all audio devices.)

An unusual design certainly helps separate this product from the pack. The A-250 looks a bit like the head of a praying mantis, reminding us of Zorak from Space Ghost but in a high-gloss black finish (that's a fingerprint magnet). The tweeter grilles are outlined in metallic red (left) and copper (right). What makes this thing really creepy-looking, though, are the 1-inch red drivers visible beneath the grilles.

The A-250, billed as a 2.1 speaker system, has two eye-like tweeters on either side behind black metal grilles. A downward-firing 3-inch subwoofer underneath is ported out the back. An active crossover at 400 Hz distributes the high and low audio signals among the three internal amplifiers. Although portable, at 3.5 by 13.8 by 4.8 inches (HWD) and about 1.7 pounds without batteries, the system is more suitable for the home (or vacation-home) than for travel.

Ease of use, track-skip controls, and of course, sound quality contribute the most to making this one of our favorite wireless speaker systems. Setup and operation are dead simple. Just plug the little disc-shaped transmitter into a USB port on any Windows PC, and the OS will recognize the device automatically (Macs are not yet supported). Press the blue button on top until it lights, then plug in the speaker set (the A-250 ships with an AC adapter, a line-in audio cable, and a USB extender cable) or insert four double-A batteries into the bottom compartment and press the power button. After about 10 seconds, you'll see OK on the speaker's backlit LCD, which means the wireless connection is working. From there, you just open up your player software (we tested with iTunes and Windows Media Player) and select a song.

You can control play/pause, track skip, and volume with your music software or the buttons on the speaker. The buttons work with iTunes, Musicmatch Jukebox, Winamp, WMP, and any other software that supports media keys on a PC keyboard. Control via the buttons is what we liked most, especially when we ran the speaker on battery power, since we had the freedom to take the A-250 around the apartment without having to run back to the PC to skip tracks.
The line-in port and included cable let you connect to any audio playback device. You simply attach the audio player and hold down the speaker's play/pause button until the LCD says Line. The capability lends more versatility to the speaker system, although you lose the ability to control basic playback functions.

The A-250's sound quality is very good unless you run into interference from a microwave, a 2.4-GHz phone, or a Bluetooth device, all of which we managed to avoid without difficulty. The sound quality using the wireless RF transmitter is better than with Bluetooth, but not as good as with Wi-Fi.

The 3-inch subwoofer is held off the surface (table, floor, or whatever) by little rubber feet, so you actually do get a nice, tight bass response. There's not much in the way of low or even midrange bass, but the upper bass is excellent, which is what keeps the speaker from sounding tinny or tiny. Vocals and midrange sounds come through very well, and highs are mostly clear, though we did hear occasional fuzziness around the edges of jazz cymbals.

The volume is good up to about 9 on the 10-step scale: The speaker tends to distort at maximum volume. We measured 97 dB at 12 inches from the box with volume set to 9 (and 100 dB at max volume), which puts the A-250 at the louder end of the portable speaker category. We also got a clear signal up to about 100 feet away through walls and doors. You can get about 24 hours of playback from four double-A alkaline batteries, depending on volume, battery type, and button usage.

We like A-250 a lot, but we have a couple of ideas for making it even better—Mac support, for starters (the company says it's working on a firmware upgrade to provide that). We'd also like to see a transmitter for portable players, and the monochrome LCD could use some beefing up in the viewing-angle department; if you're looking directly down on the speaker, the screen looks blank. Despite these minor quibbles, we give the Saitek A-250 our Editors' Choice and recommend it for vacation homes, home/office/dorm desktops, and even light backyard use (although be warned, it isn't weatherproof.). And at $129.95, it's a pretty good value as well.
source : abcnews.go.com

Microsoft Office 2007 to be released late in 2006

2006-02-17T02:10:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Corporation unveiled multiple versions of its upcoming Office business software suite with features that aim to improve work efficiency.

The productivity suite is currently in beta and is scheduled for release by the end of this year. A second beta has been promised before June.

The new Microsoft Office 2007 Suite, previously code-named Microsoft Office 12, is the successor to its Office business application franchise, which packages together word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and other programs.

A premium edition, Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007, incorporates another work-sharing technology from Groove Networks Inc., the company Microsoft acquired last year.

Office Groove allows a group to synchronize in real time the progress made by its members, while also providing the flexibility to work offline before reconnecting with the rest of the group to update any new developments.

Microsoft will also offer a consumer version with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007. There is also a basic offering that is preloaded onto some PCs, a version for small businesses and a standard suite of products.

The launch will also see the introduction of the first major release of the Groove Virtual Office collaboration suite since the application was acquired by Microsoft last April. Since the acquisition, the Groove's founder Ray Ozzie has been appointed chief technical officer and the architect of Microsoft's Live Software initiative.

Microsoft plans to make seven editions of the suite available. Consumers and small business will see few if any changes, but the software maker has created a new version catering for enterprises called Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007.

Be Free with Wireless Speakers

2006-02-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of laying wires through your house, creeping through small places just to get the right sound effect? Wireless speakers are the answer to your headaches. With wireless speakers you gain the freedom to move your music to where you want it to be without the hassles of cables. Planning to have a party outside? Don't move your whole entertainment system outside while you can make use of outdoor wireless speakers which can move right along with the party.

Want to have hi-fi quality sound through your laptop computer? Why should you be tied to wires while using a portable computer? Make use of wireless speakers to give you the freedom to work or play on your computer where you want to, while having the high fidelity sound you deserve. Here are a few examples of how you can use wireless speakers to improve your way of living.

• Listen to your favorite music collection while taking a bath.

• Have a BBQ or party outside without having to move your whole stereo system.

• You can store all your favorite music on your computer and listen to it anywhere in your home.

• Listen to music while working in the garden.

• When your computer is doing certain time consuming tasks, have it play a sound when it is done with the task or when there is an error and have your wireless speaker notify you while you are lying next to the pool.

• Get the perfect surround sound effect by having the freedom to move the speakers to exactly the right spots without getting tangled in wires.

• Let your computer notify you of upcoming tasks or appointments by playing a sound through your outdoor wireless speakers, while you are washing your car.

• Let your wireless speaker notify you discretely of intruders by connecting it to your alarm system.

• Use you wireless speakers as a portable intercom system.
There are however a few things you need to watch out for when shopping for wireless speakers. Some are listed here:

Interference

Some wireless speakers may interfere with other wireless devices in your house like cordless phones. A good wireless speaker system will allow you to tune it to a different frequency to overcome these interferences.

Battery life

Battery life is not always too great on wireless speakers, as it consumes power to drive the speakers, internal amplifier and RF receiver. So, if you want to use your wireless speakers for extended periods of time, it may be wise to make use of the AC power adaptor. Now this may not always be practical - the whole idea of wireless speakers is to get rid of the wires. Rechargeable batteries might be the answer and some of the models even come with rechargeable batteries -something to consider when you need total freedom, even from power outlets.

Range

Most wireless speakers can work fine within a range of 150 to 300 feet from the transmitter. (Which would be located at the source of sound i.e. your hi-fi or computer) The RF frequency is high enough for it to work through walls and furniture. You do not need a line of sight, but bear in mind that obstacles weakens the signal, and the more obstacles between the transmitter and receiver, the shorter the range will become.
Weatherproof

Outdoor wireless speakers are claimed to be weatherproof, but if you do not need to use your speakers outside all the time, rather store them inside. This will definitely extend the life of your valuable outdoor wireless speakers. If you really need to leave it outside all the time, try to find a spot where it can be hidden from the most harsh weather conditions.
Stereo

Not all wireless speaker systems include two speakers to give you a stereo experience. Especially the outdoor wireless speakers are sold as single units. This can easily be overcome by purchasing two speakers, obviously doubling the price.
Legislation

Wireless speakers use RF signals which may interfere with other RF devices. Make sure that the frequency range is legal in your country. If it is sold by a reputable dealer in your country, this should not be a problem. Wireless speakers are till a fairly new technology and some still have issues to be sorted out. So you have to do your shopping wisely.
Arno Esterhuizen
http://www.wireless-speakers-guide.com webmaster@wireless-speakers-guide.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arno_Esterhuizen

Apple updates iDVD, iPhoto, iWeb, iTunes, iMovi

2006-02-16T04:40:00.000-08:00

Apple on Wednesday updated most of the individual applications that are included with its iLife 06 suite. The updates are available for download through the Software Update system preferences pane.

iDVD has been updated to version 6.0.1; iPhoto has been updated to 6.0.1; iWeb has been updated to 1.0.1; iMovie HD has been updated to 6.0.1 and iTunes has been updated to 6.0.3.
Most of the applications have been updated to “address a number of minor issues,” according to Apple.

iDVD 6 also fixes integration problems with other iLife applications, importing of legacy projects and theme-related issues.

iPhoto fixes problems with photocasting, viewing thumbnails in large libraries and ordering cards, calendars and books.

iWeb fixes issues related to publishing and blogs.

iTunes includes “stability and performance improvements” over its predecessor.
iMovie fixes problems with Ken Burns rendering performance, Scrubber Bar editing performance and theme image quality.

The updates are also individually described and available for download on Apple’s software downloads page.

Updated Feb. 15 2006 6:01 PM: Details added for iMovie 6.0.1, presence of updates on Apple’s Web site noted.

Gates Outlines Microsoft Security Strategy

2006-02-15T16:53:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on Tuesday laid out a comprehensive security strategy designed to highlight improvements in the forthcoming Windows Vista operating system.
He also spoke about other technologies that are becoming integral components of Microsoft's software and services as the company attempts to stay one step ahead of those attacking its technology seemingly from all sides.

Gates, who delivered his message at the 2006 RSA Conference, emphasized the creation of a "trust ecosystem" that fosters accountability among computer users. Gates asserted that this accountability not only must cover individuals and organizations but also must include code and devices themselves.

Industry-wide cooperation is critical to security, Gates said, citing the development of an identity-management metasystem for the safe exchange of personal information across the Internet. To that end, the Vista OS will include "InfoCards" as a critical identity-management tool.

Reinventing User Authentication

In addition to being native to Vista, InfoCard technology, designed to provide a greater measure of protection in accessing resources and sharing personal information on the Internet, will be delivered as part of WinFX, Microsoft's managed code programming model, and will support Internet Explorer 7, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.

Gates also discussed the company's commitment to simplifying identity and access management in the enterprise. Beginning with the release of Longhorn -- the next version of Windows Server -- Microsoft will expand the role of Active Directory to include rights-management services, certificate services, metadirectory services, and federation services.

The expanded capabilities of Active Directory will provide customers with a unified identity- and access-management infrastructure that spans enterprise and Internet scenarios. Gates also announced the first beta of Microsoft Certificate Lifecycle Manager, a policy- and workflow-driven technology designed to streamlines the provisioning, configuration, and management of digital certificates and smart cards.

Designs on Security

Gates said that "isolation technologies" to protect users against the threat of malicious software, trust-based multifactor authentication, policy-based access control, and unified audit across applications must be integrated at the platform level.

He issued an industry-wide call for engineering security in all stages of technology development, encouraging software developers to think of security not as an afterthought but as a "guiding principle."

The concept of security as a design principle could go a long way toward developing safer computing and Internet use, suggested Forrester Research analyst Paul Stamp.

"Microsoft is now considering security design as a critical item on the list of I.T. concerns when it deploys new solutions, with such integration at the core level making systems manager jobs that much easier," he said.

Building a Trust Ecosystem

Stamp also noted that a "trust ecosystem" will become critical as the need to share information on the Internet and within business systems increases by leaps and bounds. "Enabling such broad-based sharing requires a framework so that people feel protected, and now we have a major I.T. vendor that is pushing efforts to get people to trust each other," he said.
Identity-management initiatives, such as InfoCards, provide security from the get-go, said Stamp, with integrated, real-time user verification.

While Microsoft has been dogged by years of less-than-perfect business practices, the company is making progress, the analyst said. "It takes time to address all of the security issues related to their products, and they are doing as good a job as anyone else in the market to protect their customers."

Microsoft Tests Web-Based Office Live

2006-02-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

Apparently Microsoft never got the message. The Redmond -based powerhouse wants to lighten the IT load for smaller companies with a free, Internet-oriented version of its popular business software and services

On Thursday, a select group of testers will gain access to the Microsoft Office Live beta test. Office Live offers companies help in establishing online presence, and includes a number of free services including e-communication capabilities.

"We are changing the landscape of how small businesses get on the Web," said Baris Cetinok, director of product management and marketing for Microsoft Office Live. "We've chosen to focus on this customer group because they are most technologically underserved in industry today. Our goal is to make them more visible."

Microsoft created Office Live for companies with ten employees or less. The advertising and subscription-supported service is designed to offer these customers security in accessing and managing e-business applications.

Microsoft has broken down the Office Live options to cater to varying small business needs. While the service contains several core components – including free domain name, Web site and e-mail accounts - Microsoft is offering three different versions, including Office Live Basics, Office Live Collaboration and Office Live Essentials.

"There are several different options, which we will essentially offer for free by using advertising support to cover costs," said Cetinok. "The ads will only appear in the Member Center [of Office Live]. Customers can also host advertising from different vendors on their Web sites. Microsoft will not step in between."

Office Live Basics is Microsoft's entry-point product for small businesses, and will remain a free service during and after the beta test. Basic offerings include a company domain with free Web hosting and 30MB storage capacity, five domain-specific e-mail accounts with 2GB storage, a Web site design application, andbasic Web analytic tools.

"The second tier of offerings will be subscription-based," said Cetinok. "These services are designed to help small companies take the next step – to centralize information in a single place and start managing their business more effectively online."

Office Live Collaboration integrates business management applications and is based on Microsoft's SharePoint Services technology, which offers Web-based communication and collaboration capabilities. It will be available as a free service during the beta test phase, and will then be offered on a monthly subscription basis.

Collaboration subscribers receive "shared sites," or private, password-protected Web sites that can be used by employees, customers, vendors, etc., to share and store data and other documents.

The shared sites offer 50 MB storage capacity and are accessible on an "invite only" basis. Customers can opt to set permissions so that only authorized individuals can access the secure information. The company can grant up to ten users permission to access a single site, and can opt to purchase additional access in blocks of five users, according to officials.

Office Live Essentials, Microsoft's top-tier small business option, is a combination service with all of the features available in both Basic and Collaboration. Pricing details for the Office Live suite have not yet been confirmed; however officials estimate consumer costs to start at $30.
Microsoft announced its Office Live concept on Nov. 1, 2005 and has since rounded up a waiting list of 100,000 customers, who will be able to access the services as of 6 am PST on Wednesday Feb. 15.

"We're having a beta test to watch how participants use our product and to see what aspects we should improve on – there's always room for improvement," said Cetinok. "Our goal is to integrate their feedback in an almost real-time basis."

The beta test is expected to run through late fall, 2006, at which time Microsoft will launch an official US version and will also offer beta versions in other countries.

"We will be looking into markets like China, France, Germany, etc.," said Cetinok."We want to create localized versions of Office Live so that businesses in those countries will have their own software and services."
A number of companies that cater to the niche small business audience have starting voicing competitive concerns. WebEx, a company that has been offering similar "Web office" software commercially since 1999, describes Microsoft's recent foray as a "haphazard" attempt to enter the largely untapped market.

"Small business owners have very different business challenges and IT needs that only the most experienced vendors can provide," said Rick Faulk, president of WebEx, in an interview. "Instead of red tape and compliance, they are focused on minimizing distractions and streamlining processes, providing them with more time to get things done."

WebEx's Web Office is a suite of online collaboration and business applications, aimed at companies of all sizes. Users can access and customize a number of features, including announcements, calendars, database applications, document libraries and task managers – essentially 'to-do lists' that users can sync to Outlook or any Palm device.

WebEx charges a base fee of $59.95 per month, which covers five users. Customers can pay an optional fee to add additional users. Bottom line: WebEx's Web Office will run you approximately $10 per user per month, according to officials.

MIKE WENDLAND: Apple iMac is simply the best

2006-02-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Apple's new iMac running the new Intel Core Duo microprocessor is the finest, most reliable, stable, elegant and intuitive personal computer available anywhere.
There. I don't think I could say it any clearer.

The new MacBook Pro laptops, which are expected to start shipping Wednesday, will be four times as fast as Apple's previous PowerBook laptops, run cooler and have longer battery life.
This new iMac, which marks the first time Apple has used Intel chips to power its machines, is simply astounding. As multimedia and digital entertainment becomes more mainstream, you will find no other machines as well suited to create, edit and display audio and video materials.
I have been testing a new 20-inch iMac with the Intel chip right next to a G5 iMac that came out last fall with the older PowerPC chip.

I hit the start buttons on the two machines at the same time and ran a stopwatch three times. The Intel machine was up and running in an average of 24 seconds. The G5 version took 72 seconds.

Web pages loaded faster, pictures and video images appeared quicker, scrolling through documents and spreadsheets was smoother and the whole feel of the machine felt more nimble than the already impressive G5.

In appearance, it's impossible to see a difference between the two. Both come with the built-in high-resolution iSight Web camera. The thin white plastic case that contains the entire computer is supported on a brushed aluminum stand that makes it appear to be suspended in air. Both have standard Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections and all the ports and the CD/DVD slot are in the same places.

Even the cost is the same. Apple very wisely did not boost the price for these new Intel models. A 17-inch iMac with all the standard software and the iLife suite costs $1,299. The 20-inch version is $1,700.

Those thinking about replacing an older PC should look at these iMacs and consider dumping Windows, unless you are heavily invested because of work or special situations in PC games or proprietary programs for which there is no corresponding Apple version.

The Intel chips offer immediately noticeable improvements in speed on some applications, up to twice as fast.

But making a great machine even better is a suite of upgraded applications called iLife '06 that take advantage of these new Intel chips and deliver such vast improvements in digital imaging and multimedia programs that no programs on any other platform can even be called rivals.
Apple's switch to Intel microprocessors (think of the microprocessor as your computer's brain and the Core Duo works like two brains) opens up the very distinct possibility that you will also be able to run Windows programs on these Macs, as soon as Apple upgrades its Windows XP operating system to the new Vista system late next fall.

But the Intel chips on a Mac offer more tangible and immediate benefits. Speed is one. The desktop iMacs run twice as fast.

The speed increase offered by the Intel chips applies to software that has been rewritten to take advantage of the new Core Duo chips. Older software written for the PowerPC chips that power other Macs runs at about the same speeds as before or even a tad faster thanks to a behind-the-scenes translation program called Rosetta.

Most Mac software is now being rewritten for the chips, so the speed advantage is only going to become more apparent. You'll recognize the new software because it will be stamped with a "Universal" sticker, indicating it has been optimized for Macs powered by either PowerPC or Intel.

I've put together a short video that shows the new Intel-powered iMac and the iLife applications. You can find a link on www.freepress.com.
Read MIKE WENDLAND'S blog at pcmike.com. You can contact him at 313-222-8861 or mwendland@freepress.com

Microsoft: Thinking Outside the Xbox

2006-02-14T01:25:00.000-08:00

In his keynote address at D.I.C.E. in Las Vegas, Peter Moore, Microsoft's head of Interactive Entertainment Business, took the opportunity to step aside from all the Xbox 360 hype (for the most part) to discuss a topic that some feel doesn't get enough attention: PC gaming.
He began by admitting that Microsoft has been partly responsible for the decline in PC game sales at retail. However, the company plans to renew its focus on the PC sector and its recent reorganization should help in doing so.

Driving PC gaming with a unified brandMoore outlined several important problems facing the PC games sector, including consumer confusion at retail, arduous install processes, lack of a cohesive online solution, and the need for a unified brand; that unification starts with Games for Windows, of course.

Moore said that as a platform holder Microsoft has a responsibility to drive sales. That begins with spreading the adoption of Windows Vista, a beta of which will be out in the next few months. Branding will be a key issue as Microsoft moves toward the "Vista Wave."
The priority for Vista will be to make games more accessible. Moore emphasized 5 goals that should make gaming on Vista vastly improved: 1) Games explorer - easy finding games; 2) Easy install - make this easier and games more like plug and play in console; 3) More stable environment; 4) Family settings - Control of what content can be viewed when and where; and 5) Managed login.

Games is now a "core scenario," which will be included on the Start menu. The Games Explorer (like My Docs, My Programs) allows any game to be found and launched from one place. Vista will include key item elements for games such as the publisher, developer and it will track meta data and let people directly access websites.

For the more casual gamer, MS will update its "free" bundled Windows games such as chess and solitaire to give them a more appealing 3-D look—the first makeover for these games in over 10 years. And in general, the Windows desktop model is now built on top of DirectX10 to make graphics on all PCs much better.

Another crucial component of improving the PC gaming experience is to streamline the aforementioned install process. "We need to do better on this front as it's scaring away a lot of consumers," said Moore.

Although retail PC game sales continue to be important, online game distribution is rapidly growing in importance and Microsoft is very cognizant of that. Moore acknowledged that there must be a cohesive solution that is seamless in delivering online content to the consumer. And on the retail side, he argued that PC games packaging needs to be standardized.

And Moore also stressed the importance of community. He said that Microsoft and the industry need to take advantage of the connected state with the consumer and move the industry forward. MS will provide game developers with the tools they need for this in Vista.
Moving away from the PC discussion and speaking in more general terms, Moore said that the platform owner will move between desktop, console and mobile devices. Microsoft needs to make this experience sit "above the platform" so consumers can "take their experiences wherever they go." That said, when he was asked about the so called "iPod killer" rumored in BusinessWeek, he said that MS has "no plans, no comments" on that.

Xbox 360 talkAlthough the speech focused on PC gaming, Moore did talk about the Xbox 360 somewhat. He once again defended the decision to launch globally and he promised that within the next 4-6 weeks consumers would actually be able to walk into a store and easily purchase the new console. He then highlighted the success of Xbox Live on 360 (54 percent of owners use the service) and Xbox Live Arcade, which has had 2 million downloads. Moore was asked about persistent online worlds coming to the 360 in a Q&A session that followed and he said that that may be forthcoming. "Our teams are looking at that seriously. I think (persistent worlds/MMOs) it's still the realm of the PC; however, we may have something to talk about soon."

In the end, Moore stressed that the goal is to drive the industry forward. He argued that the industry is still too reliant on licenses, sequels and gameplay mechanics, so it makes it harder to take advantage of new opportunities. The industry cannot be complacent and it must take risks. "We are the superior medium, we are interactive; tv and film are not," he said.

iPod Wireless Speakers and Headphones

2006-02-14T01:22:00.000-08:00

The iPod seems to have induced a certain trend in the consumer electronics industry as many companies on the market rushed to manufacture accessories for the little device that allows you to take music with you wherever you go. Speakers and headphones were among the first choices as iPod accessories for consumer electronics companies. The next step was wireless speakers and headphones to allow more freedom of movement. We'll try to discuss the pros and cons of wireless peripherals for the iPod as well as the models that each wireless component works with.
Logitech

Logitech began marketing in 2005 a wireless headphone unit that works with any model of iPod that has a dock connector on the base. This feature is standard on all new models and is available on older models as well. The headphones use Bluetooth technology to connect to the iPod through an adapter that transmits the signal. They come with rechargeable batteries that supposedly can play up to eight hours of music per charge.

The wireless headset is very light and weighs only 3.2 ounces, with the adapter unit weighing less than an ounce. iPod controls are provided on one of the earpieces, so there is no need to return to the iPod to adjust the volume or move through the play list. The iPod can be left sitting on a counter or on a desk, and the headphones will pick up the signal for up to 30 feet away.

Logitech also markets a wireless music receiver and transmitter that turns your current stereo into a receiver and set of speakers for your iPod. It comes with its own rechargeable batteries so it doesn't drain your iPod. The receiver unit simply plugs into your stereo system and the transmitter onto your iPod. The system works with any iPod or MP3 player with a standard 3.5mm headphone output.

The benefit of this system is that you can use it to make your existing speakers wireless without having to purchase additional equipment. It is easy to plug in and use so you can easily move to other rooms in the house. The only drawback is the 30-feet distance restriction between the receiver and the transmitter.

Macally

Macally designed a Bluetooth based BlueWave iPod headset that connects to the iPod through a transmitter plugged into the iPod's headphone port. One issue with the BlueWave system is that the transmitter unit doesn't use the iPod's connector for power but two non-rechargeable AAA batteries. Another issue would be the plastic notch situated by the headphone jack that prevents the transmitter from wobbling on the iPod's top and which you will need to remove if you own an iPod shuffle or a first or second generation iPod.

The signal's range should be around 30 feet but it varies greatly depending on the environment you are in, especially if doors or walls stand in the way. The headphones can provide up to eight hours of interrupted music depending on volume level and other factors. They are also powered by two non-rechargeable AAA batteries.

With the BlueWave system you can also wirelessly stream music from your iPod by connecting the headphones to the home speaker system with a RCA patch cable that fits in the line-out jack from the headphones.

Oregon Scientific

Oregon Scientific released in 2005 a very interesting wireless speaker system designed for the iPod, the iBall. The speaker is shaped like a bowling ball and it connects to a transmitter dock, that holds the iPod, through 2.4 Ghz wireless technology, with adaptive frequency hopping spread spectrum. The signal range should be up to 100 feet and the rechargeable batteries provide up to 8 hours of music on a single charge. It is compatible with iPods, iPod photos, iPod nanos, and iPod minis.

The iBall has a built-in remote for the iPod which you can use even if the iPod is not in the room. The speaker has a round LCD display that you can use to change volume and skip tracks, find out the time, wireless signal strength, battery power, play/pause status.
Wi-Gear

The iMuffs from Wi-Gear are wireless headphones made especially for the iPod but with a twist. They use Bluetooth technology to connect wirelessly to both your iPod and your Bluetooth enabled phone, so you can use them as a wireless headset for the cell phone. When you receive a call, the iMuffs pause the music on the iPod, ring in the headphones and allow you to speak in the integrated microphone.

The iMuffs system has a small receiver that hooks on top of the iPod and comes with a rechargeable battery that provides up to 12 hours of interrupted music. As expected with Bluetooth, the iMuffs headphones can pick up the signal in the 30 feet signal range. They also feature iPod controls on each earpiece for pause, volume, skip and search.

In the future, the market of wireless headphones and speakers for the iPod will become a bigger share of the overall iPod accessories market, as the signal range will increase, the audio output quality will get better and the batteries the manufacturers use for power will allow more hours of playtime.

About The Author
Dale Ewans shows you how wireless technology improved audio systems at http://www.Wireless-Speakers.org where you can learn how wireless speakers and headphones work, read product reviews and find out shopping tips and tricks.
dale@wireless-speakers.org

PowerSonic Batteries

2006-02-14T01:17:00.000-08:00

High performance batteries are important decisions for anyone is the field. PowerSonic batteries are sealed maintenance free lead acid batteries. They are available for a variety of devices and systems that make them the ultimate choice in high performance batteries.

Sealed maintenance free lead acid batteries, or Sealed MF, are a great alternative to traditional wet batteries. With Sealed MF batteries, there is no special shipping required and no special activation as required in wet batteries. These factors make it a much safer choice as well.

PowerSonic batteries boast a long storage life. They can be stored at or below room temperature for up to one year without needing to be charged. When batteries need to be stored for a season, this is a very important money saving advantage. If properly maintained, battery service can last four to five years.

PowerSonic batteries are manufactured with readily available materials, which allow the PowerSonic to be an economical battery choice. Savings are past onto the consumer without sacrificing quality.

PowerSonic is the most versatile battery manufacturer providing primary power for handheld devices and consumer electronics, and standby power for other devices like UPS systems, solar powered systems, and automotives, as well as alarm systems, and emergency lighting.

The PowerSonic battery also comes with a complete manual that explains charging, deep discharging and how it affects the batteries’ life. It explains how to protect the battery from over discharge and other problems that can occur in high performance batteries. The manual lays out all the technical statistics that reveal capacity and performance data for a better understanding of the PowerSonic battery.

PowerSonic batteries are the most durable and longest lasting high performance batteries. The fact that they are available for such a wide range of products, make them even more appealing. And if high performance batteries are a big part of your life or business, buying a battery that explains performance and all the components that affect the battery, will make you a more informed consumer.

About The Author

Michael Hargrove is an author for http://batteryweb.com, the Worldwide Web's Leading Provider of all Types of Batteries, Battery Chargers and Accessories. Visit the site for a great selection of UPS batteries here, http://batteryweb.com/ups.cfm.

Halo 2 announced for Windows Vista

2006-02-12T03:52:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has announced plans to bring its hit Xbox video game Halo 2 to the PC — but the game will only run on Windows Vista, Microsoft’s long-awaited update to the Windows operating system also known by its codename “Longhorn.” The game’s Mac status is still up in the air.

Microsoft plans to use an internal game studio to do the conversion of the hit game created by Microsoft’s own Bungie Studios. Halo 2 is a first-person shooter sequel to a game first seen by Mac enthusiasts at 1999’s Macworld Expo in New York City — shortly thereafter, Microsoft acquired Bungie and made Halo an Xbox-exclusive title.

Halo would later re-emerge for the Mac and PC, in 2003 — two years after it debuted on the Xbox. MacSoft licensed and published the Macintosh version of Halo, which shipped within weeks of its PC counterpart. That PC version was developed by Gearbox Software and based on Bungie’s original code.

The futuristic sci-fi game series follows the story of Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced human soldier who fights a war against The Covenant, a marauding collective of aliens bent on destroying humanity. Microsoft says the game has sold more than 14.5 million copies to date. It’s also spawned a movie, which is currently in pre-production and is due to be released in 2007.

The Windows Vista version of Halo 2 will combine the original game with its multiplayer map pack. Players will also have tools to build and customize their own multiplayer levels.
Microsoft did not state its reasons for making Halo 2’s PC debut exclusive to Windows Vista, but it’s thought that it may help drive adoption of the new operating system, which is due for release sometime in late 2006.

A MacSoft spokesman would not comment on his company’s plans for Halo 2.

Intel ups ante with 4-core chip

2006-02-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

In an effort to regain market share that its smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices has aggressively taken in the past year, Intel Corp.'s chief technology officer said Friday that the chip giant will start shipping microprocessors with four cores inside late this year.

To show the product is well on its way, Intel CTO Justin Rattner demonstrated a working server computer with a pair of the new microprocessors, code-named Clovertown.

The new chip will join Intel's line of server chips called Xeon, which has generated billions of dollars' worth of revenue for the Santa Clara company. That business, though, has been under pressure since Sunnyvale's AMD entered the segment with its microprocessor called the Opteron.

Chips with two cores have been the latest rage, with both Intel and AMD selling those microprocessors as their high-end offering. Apple Computer Inc.'s new iMac, which started selling last month, uses the dual-core chip.

Having multiple cores inside a chip is like having more than one engine under the hood of a car. The design allows chipmakers to keep improving performance of the microprocessor while holding in check the amount of electricity required to power it.

Not to be outdone, Randy Allen, AMD's corporate vice president of server and workstation division, said Friday that his firm is working its own quad-core processor for release next year.
Rattner said Intel's new chip will be faster than the Xeon server chips but use less electricity. He didn't elaborate on the new chip, saying those specifics will be made available at the chipmaker's developer forum in San Francisco next month.

Intel still commands the lion's share of the lower-end server computer market. AMD, it only major competitor, has been making strides with its Opteron microprocessors since they came out in April 2003.

According to data from Mercury Research, AMD's Opteron had 16.4 percent of the market in the most recent quarter. Intel's Xeon product line still leads by a wide margin.

AMD's gains are significant, considering its market share was virtually none only a year ago, said Martin Reynolds, an analyst at Gartner, a market research firm.

"Intel doesn't normally talk about this stuff, much less show it, this early," Reynolds said. "But with AMD's (rise) in the market, they want to make sure they don't leave any gaps for AMD to exploit. It's important from a credibility standpoint."

Apjit Walia, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, agreed, noting that AMD is enjoying at least the perception that its products are better than Intel's chips.
E-mail Matthew Yi at myi@sfchronicle.com

Oracle Eyes Open-Source Firms

2006-02-11T03:08:00.000-08:00

Oracle is reportedly in talks to acquire three open-source companies in order to expand its customer base, and deals could be announced as early as Monday.

The software giant, fresh from its $5.85-billion acquisition of Siebel Systems and still trying to swallow PeopleSoft following last year’s takeover, is expected to buy JBoss, Zend, and Sleepycat Software in deals that could total $600 million, according to a report in BusinessWeek. Oracle officials declined to comment.

For the last 18 months, Oracle has been on a yearlong spending spree, buying more than a dozen companies in deals worth $19 billion.

BEA Systems, a competitor to Oracle and JBoss and provider of application servers, was in on-and-off talks for about a year to acquire JBoss. “[JBoss] couldn’t pass the sniff test from a valuation standpoint and the business model,” Marge Breya, chief marketing officer at BEA Systems, told RedHerring.com on Friday.

Ms. Breya said the deal price was too steep at that point to justify acquiring the company. She said the currently speculated price of $400 million on JBoss is “pretty extravagant and steep.” When BEA was considering the buyout it was “nowhere near $400 million,” she said.

Open source is a movement in which a software code is freely available to use, modify, and customize, in contrast with proprietary software that requires a license. Open-source companies typically earn revenue from maintenance and services.
By buying open-source companies, Oracle can fend off competition, acquire more customers who could eventually switch to Oracle’s licensed software, and adopt technology that will boost its products.

Redwood Shores, California-based Oracle’s interest in open source was triggered when the company bought Finland-based Innobase, a developer of open-source database technology (see Oracle Acquires Innobase). Innobase is most known for InnoDB, a transactional database technology distributed as part of the MySQL database.

The reports on the possible acquisitions were bolstered by CEO Larry Ellison’s claims and comments at an analyst conference in Santa Monica, California, on Wednesday. Mr. Ellison said Oracle wanted to become No. 1 in all segments, including business intelligence and middleware, and would consider making acquisitions in those two areas.

“We are moving aggressively into open source. We are embracing it. We think if we’re clever, we can make it work to our advantage,” he said.

Oracle stock was unchanged at $12.69 on Friday, and rose $0.03 to $12.72 in after-hours trading.

Software Stitching
Atlanta-based JBoss is a provider of an open-source application server—an important component of the middleware business. Middleware is the layer of software that stitches together the operating system and the applications in a business’ IT environment.

JBoss has been a prominent player in the application server market, eating away at Oracle’s and other dominant players’ revenues, such as IBM and BEA Systems.

Another open-source threat for Oracle is the database business pioneered by companies like MySQL, Postgres, and the recently spun-out Ingres (see Database Software Goes Cheap).

The next target, Cupertino, California-based Zend’s PHP programming language, is used heavily by developers around the world to develop applications and web content. Oracle could use Zend’s PHP assets to develop its Fusion platform—an integrated suite of all the acquisitions it has made in the past year, said Trip Chowdhry, analyst with FTN Midwest Research (see Oracle Integration on Track).

The third and smallest target for Oracle is Emeryville, California-based Sleepycat, which makes Berkeley DB, a technology used in open-source databases.

‘Incredibly Smart’
Analysts are positively reacting to the news of a possible JBoss acquisition. “The strategy around Oracle embracing open source is incredibly smart,” said Jason Maynard, analyst with Credit Suisse First Boston. “I think open source is going to get a lot of traction.”

Open source reduces barriers to entry for using software for businesses because of its cheaper cost. And companies like Oracle typically make most of their profits from maintenance revenues—which is also the source of income for most open-source companies.

“[Oracle is] better off letting customers use the software for free and collecting a maintenance fee,” Mr. Maynard said.

On the other hand, BEA’s Ms. Breya said the JBoss acquisition would not make sense for Oracle.

“They have [too many] distractions with the integration of applications and the databases, all the way to the middleware space,” she said. “Oracle is basically spending for the least-open open-source player in the market.”

Although an open source company, JBoss does not allow representatives of other companies to sit on its board like other companies such as Apache and Eclipse, decreasing its popularity in the community.

Continuing education offers PDA class

2006-02-10T05:13:00.000-08:00

San Antonio College's continuing education program continues to keep pace with consumers' demands and technology by offering a class on how to use a personal data assistant.
A personal data assistant, also referred to as a PDA, is a pocket-sized computer that provides its user with a flexible and easy way of keeping track of appointments. Some PDAs can record voice, display digital photos, play music and some allow the user to access the Internet. Much like a cell phone, some may wonder how they got by without a PDA.

However, one must develop a working knowledge of how to use this piece of technology that is meant to facilitate, not hinder, daily activities.

Starting Feb 20, continuing education will offer ITSW 1058, How To Use a PDA, for the first time. The class meets 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in Room 124 of Oppenheimer Education and Training Center.

Classes continue through March 22, and the fee is $92.
But how much will that little PDA cost you?

Prices can range from $100 to $800 depending on the model.
For more information, call 733-2637.

Microsoft Tells Device Makers, We'll Foot Your Legal Bills

2006-02-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

Amid a legally charged environment for makers of mobile computing devices, Microsoft said Thursday it would expand the protections against intellectual property lawsuits it offers to manufacturers who make devices that run Windows.

Microsoft lifted caps on the amount of legal fees it would reimburse to makers of embedded devices that are sued for intellectual property infringement as a result of licensing Microsoft code. The amount had previously been capped based on Microsoft's volume of business with a device maker that licensed its embedded operating systems. Microsoft also said it would indemnify device makers against trade-secrets lawsuits, in addition to patent, copyright, and trademark suits. The software company also expanded its indemnification program for licensees of its embedded operating systems to all countries, including China and India.

"In the past, we were conservative," says David Kaefer, Microsoft's director of business development for IP and licensing. Now, "if a partner is sued, we're picking up the full defense cost tab." Last June, Microsoft removed caps on legal fees it would reimburse to PC makers that were the subject of intellectual property lawsuits resulting from their use of Microsoft software.
Makers of mobile computing devices are closely watching two patent infringement cases in their market. NTP Inc., a patent holding company in Virginia, has sued wireless E-mail device maker Research In Motion for allegedly infringing on seven of its patents, threatening to shutter RIM's popular BlackBerry E-mail service in the United States. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week rejected all of NTP's claims, but a hearing with a federal judge in Richmond, Va., to consider an injunction on the service is scheduled for Feb. 24. "After the BlackBerry [case] happened, so many companies have gone back to the drawing board to renew their patents," says Siddharth Mehta, an associate at Menlo Park, Calif., law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, who works on U.S.-India transactions and venture funding.

Two weeks ago, mobile E-mail vendor Visto Corp., sued Good Technology charging it infringed on at least four of its patents for synchronizing business data with mobile devices. Visto also sued Microsoft in December.

According to Microsoft's Kaefer, stricter requirements for companies to disclose risks related to their intellectual property portfolios under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has contributed to CIOs' heightened attention to managing intellectual property. Microsoft's expanded indemnity for device makers also positions Windows more favorably in the market against Linux and other embedded operating systems, Kaefer says.

In other news Thursday, Microsoft said it acquired FutureSoft Inc.'s DynaComm i:filter product for blocking employees' access to Web sites that contain pornography, gambling, and spyware from corporate PCs. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates is scheduled to speak at a computer security conference in San Jose, Calif., next week.
source : http://www.informationweek.com/

Whitman's Skype, Intel Up Ante On Advanced VoIP

2006-02-09T00:56:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK - In some circles, five is a magic number akin to the Golden Mean of the ancient Greeks and Renaissance painters.

Start with that essential building block of evolution, the thumbed human hand. Jump-cut to Proctor & Gamble's (nyse: PG - news - people ) Gillette, which has topped rival Quattro--the four-bladed razor from Energizer (nyse: ENR - news - people ) unit Schick--with the Fusion, its five-bladed wonder.

But for Skype, a quintet isn't enough.

So the Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) firm is upping the ante. A unit of Chief Executive Meg Whitman's eBay (nasdaq: EBAY - news - people ), Skype has joined forces with Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) to harness the latter firm's dual-core processor-based PCs.

According to a Wednesday news release, Skype and the world's No. 1 chip maker have made great strides toward integrating online communication "into the fabric of everyday personal computer usage."

Whitman's VoIP company and Intel declared the "first fruit" of their collaboration: The celestial ability to engage a 10-way conference call, via Skype 2.0. So the user and nine of his friends, lovers or business associates can discuss the numerical superiority of Skype 2.0 over anything that was previously possible via mere non-dual-core chips--or via microprocessors produced by key Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices (nyse: AMD - news - people ), according to the release.

But Skype and Intel, led by CEO Paul Otellini, aren't sitting on their laurels. What’s next? The e-commerce and computer hardware firms are already laboring to yoke Intel's dual-core technology to enhance video calling. And to tantalize fans of Apple Computer (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) wares: The team plans a Skype 2.0 version geared to the Mac OSX operating system, leveraging the Intel Core Duo chip in the latest iMacs and MacBookPro laptops.

If there is ever a Skype 3.0, one imagines it will--to quote 1984 "mock-rockumentary" This is Spinal Tap--"go to 11."
source : www.forbes.com

EQO Takes Skype On The Go

2006-02-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

n Tuesday, EQO revealed its first big step in that direction by announcing the availability of its free EQO Mobile Internet Phone Service for Skype(TM), which allows people to access Skype from a mobile phone.

While the three year-old company plans to expand beyond Skype users, it's clearly targeting a community that potentially numbers in the hundreds of millions — Skype's running download total is currently nearly 250 million — and EQO's logo echoes Skype's visual design as well.

But the company seeks to do more than just piggyback on Skype's success.

“Our core concept is bridging two archipelagos' the online community and the mobile community” explains Bell. “All the online communities are driving toward being realtime. We picked wireless phones because that's what people carry with them when they go.”

EQO's service is more than just 'find me, follow me,' explains Bell. It brings the whole structure of online communities to the mobile phone including managing availability and presence, viewing buddy status, caller ID, and the ability to accept and reject calls or return them later. EQO also lets users make Skype calls from mobile phones - which could save people bundles on long distance and roaming charges.

Control over the level and nature of contacts is one of the attractions of online communities — from general IM services like AOL to specialized communities like the business network LinkedIn and dating services like LavaLife. “People join communities to build context around themselves,” says Bell.

The power to accept — or refuse — communications is important.

“When you give me a phone number, it's irrevocable,” explains Bell. Online communities allow members let people control when and where they can be reached as well as their identities, he explains. Because members contact each other through the community without sharing phone numbers or even email addresses, they can stay connected while still preserving their privacy and controlling contacts.

The EQO architecture has two components: an application based on the mobile application development platform J2ME on the handset and a proprietary signaling network based on SIP standards to bridge between mobile phone system and Skype.

“The system is designed to work over any wireless data network and a huge multitude of phones,” says Bell. The system requires a device that conforms to MIDP 2.0 — a specification for using Java on embedded devices like cell phones and PDAs — and a Microsoft Windows PC running the Skype client.

The company estimates that there are more than 150 million mobile phones in the world with the ability to use its technology. Among the phones supported are Nokia models 3230, 3250, 6230, 6260, 6600, 6620, 6630, 6670, 6680, 6681, 6682, 7610, 8801, N70 and N91; and Sony-Ericsson models D750, J300a, K500, K506, K508, K600, K608, K750, V600, W550, W600i, W800, W900, Z520a and Z800.

EQO has aims to make use of the system easy. A user simply downloads a plug-in from the EQO website to the desktop. The application walks the user through the process of provisioning and automatically configuring the handset, which is done over the wireless network. Currently the application is available for Windows systems only, with Mac and Linux versions promised.

The three year-old company plans to extend its peer-to-peer communications to other online communities including MSN, AOL, Google, and Yahoo, according to Ian Bell, EQO V.P. of Marketing and Alliances.

“We're talking to providers now,” Bell says. “I think when they understand it to be a revenue generator and a lead-in, this becomes a strategic part of their wireless plans.”

Intel, AMD spar over virtualization

2006-02-07T00:07:00.000-08:00

Intel is expected to declare Tuesday that its Virtualization Technology (VT) is mature enough for testing and about three months away from prime time. But AMD, whose rival "Pacifica" technology won't debut in processors until midway through this year, is trying to set its own technology as a standard for virtualization of computer communications, an element not present in Intel's VT.

The two chipmakers are seeking the advantage in the strategic virtualization area. Mainstream servers using x86 processors such as Intel's Xeon and AMD's Opteron are getting features once reserved for high-end mainframes or Unix machines that let them run multiple operating systems simultaneously. That technology is timely, as well: It's one important way to keep at bay the problems of increasing electrical power consumption.

Intel's newest high-end Xeon processors--code-named Paxville--shipped with VT, but server makers employing the chip didn't enable the feature. Now, with new BIOS software available from Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM, that's changing, said Lorie Wigle, director of marketing for Intel's Server Platforms Group.

"We feel we're at critical mass in terms of having both software and computer maker support far enough along that IT departments can start to evaluate the technology," Wigle said. "We're at the stage where people should start their pilot with a notion of moving to production in a quarter or so."

VT will extend to more widely used chips for dual-processor servers with the release of Dempsey systems in coming months. And Itanium will get the support with "Montecito," delayed but due later this year. AMD's virtualization will arrive in mid-2006 with the "Rev F" version of its Opteron.

Software support for VT is in the new VMware Server, Wigle said, a newly free package that lets a computer run several operating systems simultaneously in partitions called virtual machines.

VT is required to run 64-bit operating systems on the software. In addition, an open-source VMware competitor called Xen uses VT to let an operating system run without having to be modified. That enables Windows to run on Xen.

Virtualization is a broad term that in general describes how one computing element can run atop a virtual foundation rather than the real thing it expects. The virtualization foundation lets hardware be used at higher capacity and lets software be reconfigured more easily.

VT virtualizes the processor, but one element missing from first-generation VT is virtualization of input-output (I/O) tasks. That work will endow virtual machines with direct channels to network resources, Wigle said.

AMD's counterpunch: networkingBut AMD, through work with software and hardware partners, believes it will beat Intel to the punch in the I/O virtualization department.
"We expect to see the first devices by the end of 2006," and broader support that extends to personal computers in 2007, said Margaret Lewis, director of commercial solutions for AMD. The technology extends beyond processors and therefore requires support from hardware partners that build chipsets connecting those processors to other computer components, she said.

And to boost its approach, the company on Tuesday released a royalty-free, public specification for its approach to I/O virtualization. The technology elicited endorsements in statements from VMware and Xen.

"Assisted virtualization for I/O devices is the next logical step in hardware virtualization," said Simon Crosby, chief technology officer for XenSource, a start-up commercializing Xen. And Raghu Raghuram, VMware's vice president of platforms products, said, "We look forward to working with AMD on I/O virtualization to further advance the state-of-the-art in virtual infrastructure."

Virtualization hardware is helpful today, but in the future it will be mandatory for some. Microsoft is working on "hypervisor" software to compete directly against similar technology such as Xen and VMware ESX Server, and that project will require hardware support, the company has said.

The Microsoft hypervisor, code-named Viridian, is scheduled to debut in an update sometime after Microsoft's initial release of its next-generation Windows server product, code-named Longhorn Server, Wigle said.

Microsoft has said the hypervisor is a high priority. In a January interview, Windows chief Jim Allchin said that the company wants to make progress in its Next Generation Secure Computing Base, formerly known as Palladium, but it must first complete the hypervisor.
CNET News.com staff writer Ina Fried contributed to this report.

E-mail tack set by Sony Ericsson

2006-02-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

Hoping to attract more business users, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications said Monday that it would introduce two phones with built-in e-mail software from vendors including Microsoft and Research In Motion.

The new phone lines, P990 and M600, are intended to increase revenue from smartphones, which now make up less than 10 percent of Sony Ericsson's sales. The company, based in London, plans to start selling them in Europe and Asia in March.

"This shows how important the business enterprise segment is," Jan Wareby, head of global sales and marketing at Sony Ericsson, said in an interview. "A big part of mobile phone demand is coming from business customers using e-mail."

The handsets will be sold with built-in e-mail software like ActiveSync by Microsoft and RIM's BlackBerry Connect that lets business travelers receive e-mails on their handsets that are "pushed" from their office accounts.

The M600 and the P990 are smaller than Sony Ericsson's previous smart phones and will work on third-generation UMTS networks and Wi-Fi local area networks as well as the GSM and GPRS networks that are now ubiquitous in Europe and Asia.

Both phones are capable of running third-party software, including antivirus and firewall applications from McAfee.

Unit sales at Sony Ericsson, the world's fifth-largest maker of handsets, with a 7 percent global market share, according to the research firm Gartner, are expected to rise this year by 10 percent, Wareby said. That will be about half the rate of increase as during 2005.
Still, the price of handsets is expected to decline less than 10 percent this year, he added, which will help ensure growth in revenues. This year the price of UMTS handsets will approach the level of the most sophisticated second-generation phones, Wareby said, which should spark a new wave of spending on upgrades.

Without subsidies from network operators, the P990 would cost about E400, or about $480, and the M600 about E300, Wareby said. Both handsets, he added, will be subsidized by operators and some will even be given away free to long-term contract customers.

Kama Sutra worm hits home

2006-02-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

When people get afraid, they clean their computers. All the media coverage has been very useful. People found not only this worm, but other malware," said Fernando de la Cuadra, International Technical Editor at Panda Software in Spain.

The Kama Sutra worm, also known as Blackworm, Nyxem, and Blackmal, is a type of malware, or malicious software that infects PCs using the Windows operating system.

Discovered January 16, Kama Sutra was designed to destroy common files such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents when each computer's calendar hit February 3.

The worm arrived via e-mail, enticing computer users with promises of sexy pictures. The subject lines included "School girl fantasies gone bad," "Hot Movie," "Crazy illegal Sex!" and "Kama Sutra pics." But when users clicked on the attachment, they got an infected machine instead of pornography. (Watch how the worm seduces PC users -- 1:36)
The number of infections worldwide has been estimated at about 300,000, with the highest numbers in Turkey and India. While most large companies with computer networks are believed to have had plenty of time to cleanse their systems, home users and small businesses who did not use the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware software are expected to have the most damage.

Few specific damage reports are available yet.
"These will only get reported when people get home from work, and it will take awhile before they figure out who to call," said Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer of F-Secure Corporation in Helsinki, Finland.

Hypponen says his company and others have been "banging the drum" to get the word out on this risk, because in most cases running anti-virus software and using intrusion detection systems could easily cleanse a Windows operating system of the threat.

While most large companies took care of the problem days ago, Hypponen says one Italian company with several thousand infected machines was a little behind the curve and was expected to shut down its network today to deal with the problem.

"They will be using pen and paper there today," he said. He did not name the company.
Another difficulty in evaluating the damage is the embarrassment factor.

Individuals may not want others to know they were looking for salacious pictures; companies don't want the world to know their security systems were compromised.

"Large companies never want to give information about a disaster. It may have a high impact and they keep it a secret," said de la Cuadra of Panda Software.
In the United States, the FBI weighed in on the threat.

"Immediately upon learning of this latest worm, the FBI acted swiftly and jointly with our partners in law enforcement and the anti-virus companies to investigate its origin and author(s). The investigation remains ongoing," a statement said.

The FBI directed computer users to additional computer safety tips on the Internet at the FBI Cyber Division's Internet Crime Complaint Center:

http://www.ic3.gov/media/2006/060202.htm.

So far there is no word on the origin of the worm or its creator.
With thousands of Internet viruses and worms circulating all the time, security experts say events like Kama Sutra should alert computer users that they need to be vigilant about securing their systems, from financial documents to precious family pictures.

"Note that Kama Sutra will do the same thing again on the third of every month, so rather than risking your computer files, it is a much better idea to bop this nasty beast on the head by running anti-virus," said Carole Theriault, senior security consultant at Sophos, a computer security company based in the United Kingdom.

Kama Sutra worm hits home

2006-02-05T05:26:00.000-08:00

Laptop program a success

2006-02-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

The Stillwater Area school district program that issued laptop computers to all students and teachers at Oak-Land Junior High is seen as a success, according to a task force survey that also found the technology at the high school was held in low regard.

The report, by the district's Technology Advisory Task Force, called for a plan to even out the access that students and staff across the district have to computers.

All of Oak-Land's 1,010 students are issued a laptop computer for the school year. Stillwater Area High School has about 100 desktop computers across the school and 150 laptops for math, science and language classes — and 2,230 students.

Stillwater Junior High's 1,125 students have 500 laptops to be used in classrooms there.
The technology task force was formed after the district's controversial 2003 decision to issue laptops to students and staff at Oak-Land, in Lake Elmo. It surveyed about 1,200 students, parents and teachers at the junior highs and high school about their experiences with technology to come to its conclusions, which were presented to the school board in January.

The group suggested the district needs to develop a financial plan to add computers to the high school, sustain Oak-Land's program and eventually broaden it to Stillwater Junior High.
"We want to be very open about the cost of doing such a program and the benefits," said Mike Dronen, the district's technology coordinator.

"Although the district makes decisions about what's best for students, the community has a huge say of what gets funded and how it gets funded," he said. "To expand technology in our district for all of our programs and all our schools in the way we would like, it will definitely require continued and additional support from our community."
According to the survey:

• Teachers and students at both junior highs said laptops increased student engagement, efficiency and computer skills.
• Teachers and parents appreciate the ability to communicate via e-mail.
• Students and parents take advantage of the ability to check grades and assignments online.
The task force figured Oak-Land's program will cost about $2.3 million over five years, or about $454 per student per year. That includes savings on textbooks, copies and other handouts that can now be done electronically.

But there also are intangible benefits, according to the task force. More teacher time — about 30 minutes a day — is spent on direct instruction rather than handing out and collecting assignments or giving out grades, tasks that are now done electronically.
If those factors are figured in, the task force estimates the cost per student at about $263 per year.

The most common concern about the laptops is that some students might play games or use the Internet for personal purposes while in class. Others worried about the cost of the program and the uneven level of training and investment on technology across the district, especially at the high school.

Dronen said the district needs to start updating the technology at the high school. The first step is replacing all the teachers' old desktop computers with laptops by this summer. He estimates the 80 laptops, along with docking stations and carrying bags, will cost about $80,000.
"The most successful programs look at staff training and staff support first before they bring in the technology for the whole school," Dronen said.

Principal Chris Lennox said teachers are excited about the opportunity.

"Clearly, we have kids that get to us and are looking for these opportunities with technology that they're accustomed to, but we just can't provide," Lennox said.

The next step for Stillwater Junior High could be allowing students to check out laptops so they can use them at home, Dronen said.

Mike Anders, a Stillwater parent and member of the task force, said he hopes people can use information from the report so the community can start discussing what's next for the junior highs and high school when it comes to technology.

"While the net cost is significant, there are so many intangible benefits," Anders said of Oak-Land's program. "People need to judge if it's worth it for teachers to have more instructional time at the end of the day. It's up to the board and public to decide."
Megan Boldt can be reached at mboldt@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5495.

Symantec Roadmap Includes Massive 'Genesis' Suite

2006-02-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

Symantec plans a one-stop software service tying together anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall and a host of other PC optimization technologies, executives told PC Magazine.

This summer, the company will release a standalone transaction security product based on technology the company acquired when it purchased anti-phishing vendor WholeSecurity last year.

At around the same time, Symantec will release "Genesis", a subscription-based downloadable web service that ties together a massive amount of features, including: anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware, intrusion prevention, firewall, PC optimization and maintenance elements, the WholeSecurity transaction security tools plus online/offline backup capabilities based on technology from Veritas, which Symantec merged with last year.

Both Genesis and the unnamed WholeSecurity application will take Symantec toward what it calls "Security 2.0," a play on the popular "Web 2.0" moniker. Security 2.0 will strive to create "a new age of trust on the Internet", company executives said Wednesday afternoon, building confidence that people that interact with other individuals and businesses are truly who they say they are.

"Security 2.0" will be achieved through a combination of client-side tools, Symantec's own online infrastructure, and partnerships with other web brands, executives said.

For instance, on the client side, Symantec may include biometric tools that authenticate the user based on the user's unique typing style and patterns. This would obviate the need for a dedicated biometric device such as a fingerprint scanner. In a meeting with PC Magazine on Wednesday, Symantec executives showed off a mock-up of a search engine results page where each hit was accompanied by a Symantec-branded safety rating.

The stepping stones to Symantec's Security 2.0 vision will be Norton Internet Security and Norton Antivirus, two of the company's leading products.

Both applications have helped Symantec become one of the most dominant players in the security marketplace. In PC Magazine reviews, the Norton products have continued to provide very good defenses against viruses and worms and a recent update has improved its ability to stop spyware. This year will see a new focus on "transaction security," meaning protection against online fraud including phishing and pharming, according to Rowan Trollope, Symantec's vice president of consumer products and solutions.

The renewed emphasis on stopping phishing coincides with the acquisition of the WholeSecurity technology, the first time that it has been placed into the context of an end-user application. The product, whose name hasn't been announced yet, will detect fraudulent web sites through a variety of checks to ensure that the site that a user is visiting is truly what it represents itself to be, Trollope said.

One concern with tools that alert users that they're visiting dangerous sites is that they'll either slow browsing too much or take too long to report problems, only warning the user after they're already handed over sensitive information. To address performance, Symantec's software will first use whitelists and blacklists downloaded from Symantec, and do other simple heuristics locally. Only if an answer isn't determined through these checks will the URL need to be submitted to Symantec for analysis. The system is somewhat similar to the phishing protection in Internet Explorer 7, but Symantec's tool will replace IE7's protections with its own improved defenses, Trollope said. He claims IE7 includes older code licensed from WholeSecurity, but Microsoft denies this.

The transaction security tool, which will also be rolled into the Norton Internet Security later this year -- probably in the next release – will also protect against trojans and keyloggers, Trollope said.

Symantec readies Genesis juggernaut

While Symantec will put out major releases of its existing tools this year, the key focus of the company will be on Genesis, which will battle McAfee's web- and subscription-based security tools, as well as Microsoft's new OneCare, currently in beta. Symantec's decision to add web-based subscriptions are a reaction to consumers who tend to download security software rather than buy a shrinkwrapped copy at a local store, Trollope said.

Symantec will primarily focus on content providers rather than ISPs, as evidenced by its recent inclusion in Google Pack, which features a scaled-down version of Norton AntiVirus with 6 months of updates.

Unlike Norton Internet Security, Genesis will not be a collection of point products, but rather a single product that includes anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware, intrusion prevention, firewall, PC optimization and maintenance elements, the transaction security tools, and online/offline backup based on technology from Veritas, which Symantec merged with last year. OneCare also includes offline backup.

While details haven't been finalized, the company will probably include one gigabyte of online storage in the price of Genesis – probably enough space to store critical document and personal finance records, but not enough for digital photos, videos, and music, which will need to be stored offline. To address concerns that the company hasn't always been responsive enough to technical support issues, Genesis will include free online chat as well as email and phone support, Trollope added.

One new element of Genesis will be a feedback network in which users will be able to share with Symantec information about the alerts they're receiving and how they respond to them. While this may raise some privacy concerns among some, Symantec says the data transfer will be anonymized and highly secure. Similar feedback networks have already proven very effective in anti-spam tools such as Cloudmark Desktop, MailFrontier Desktop, anti-spyware applications such as Microsoft AntiSpyware, and the ZoneAlarm 6.0 firewall.

While Symantec's tools have generally been effective against threats, concerns have arisen due to the software's impact on system performance and stability. Trollope acknowledged that performance causes some users to stop using the tools. "If customers are turning us off, we're not giving them any protection," he said.

Both Genesis and the next versions of Norton's traditional security products will be designed to work on Vista, Microsoft's forthcoming operating system, due later this year, as well as Windows XP.

Google, VW Developing In-Car Navigation System

2006-02-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

Google Inc. and Volkswagen of America Inc. are developing an in-car navigation system that displays a photo-quality view of a route, instead of the typical line drawings found in current systems.

Graphics chipmaker Nvidia Corp. is also part of the project, which has produced a prototype that was shown in last month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. The three companies are hoping that consumers will take to seeing pictures of the stores, houses and office buildings they pass en route to a particular location.

Arne Stoschek, head of displays and sensor materials at Vokswagen's Electronic Research Lab in Palo Alto, Calif., said current navigation systems that present road maps and display directions are not the optimal way for helping people find a store in a shopping mall.

"It's not the way we actually perceive the environment," Stoschek said. "A photo representation of the surrounding environment with respect to the car is a much better way for navigation."

Rather than having to hunt for a toy store in an outdoor mall, VW drivers would be able to see the retailer's building, Stoschek said.

Neal Polachek, analyst for The Kelsey Group, said it was "premature" to say whether Google and Volkswagen, based in Auburn Hills, Mich., have a winner. The latter company declined to say when the navigation system would be available in cars, saying only that it planned to continue demonstrating the prototype at shows.

"The concept is interesting, but what happens in 12 months? Who knows?" Polachek said, noting that it's not unusual for projects to fizzle.

"Visuals of locations, however, would be very compelling. They would present a better experience than just maps," Polachek said.

Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., would provide the search engine for retrieving information from the Web to overlay on the photos, Stoschek said. Using the system's touch screen, a driver could search for the closest gas station, for example, and get back a list of several on a photo of the surrounding area, along with the price of gasoline at the different locations.

The 3-D display would come from Google Earth, which combines road maps with satellite imagery of locations. The service is available for a computer through a software download from Google.

To use the system, a driver would type in the destination, and the system would offer the best route, based on traffic conditions, Stoschek said. A red arrow would direct the driver through streets or highways.

The driver also would have the option of previewing the route, which could be helpful before taking that road trip for the weekend.

"With this kind of system, you could see the hotel where you're staying, instead of just getting directions from A to B," Stoschek said.

The car would be equipped with a global positioning system, so the navigation unit would always know the time and location of the vehicle.

The satellite photos used would not be pictures taken within minutes. Instead, the photos would have been taken several weeks before and retrieved over the Internet from a database, Stoschek said. Pictures taken within the last 30 days or so would be acceptable.

"Buildings don't change much in a month," Stoschek said.

Nevertheless, the information received would still be timelier then the street maps used by drivers in most car-navigation systems today, which display information from CDs, Stoschek said.
source : informationweek.com

Warner Bros to sell movies on net

2006-02-02T05:15:00.000-08:00

The firm will sell movies and TV shows over the internet in Germany, Austria and Switzerland from March.

Its In2Movies service will use the same file-sharing technology that has led to an increase in movie piracy.

Warner Bros did not reveal price details but said it planned to widen its international use of P2P networks.

Legal alternative

"One of the most effective weapons for defeating online piracy is providing legal, easy-to-use alternatives," said Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner Bros Home Entertainment Group.

Its In2Movies service will enable viewers to download legally Warner's blockbuster movies and regional programmes as well as material supplied by third parties.

New films will be made available to registered users of the service from the day they are released on DVD in the German language.

"Our initial efforts will focus on the German market, but in the months ahead we will leverage this technology to better serve markets around the world," Mr Tsujihara added.

A later version of In2Movies will also enable viewers to store movies and TV shows on portable devices.

Warner Bros said that in the first half of 2005, 1.7 million internet users illegally downloaded 11.9 million movies in Germany.

The BBC is currently testing a similar service called iMP, which will enable viewers to watch BBC programmes up to seven days after they have been broadcast on TV
source: bbc.co.uk

It's iMac on Steroids

2006-02-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

The most remarkable thing about Apple Computer's (AAPL) newest iMac is that, even after using it for a while, it's hard to tell just how different it is from the identical-looking iMac G5 introduced last fall. Don't be deceived by the similarities. Hidden in the new iMac is a processor that will let this line of Macs grow and meet the increasing performance demands of software.

The 17-in. ($1,299) and 20-in. ($1,699) iMacs are all-in-one designs where the electronics are housed behind the display. These are the first Macs to hit the market using Intel (INTC) chips -- the Core Duo processors described in last week's column (see BW, 2/6/06, "Amping Up Your Laptop"). A MacBook Pro notebook will be out in March, with prices starting at $1,999, to replace the 15-in. PowerBook G4.

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Apple faced a tremendous challenge just getting the new Macs to market. The Intel processor requires totally different instructions from the PowerPC chips that Macs have been built around for more than a decade. It's going to take software developers a while to convert their programs, especially if they take pains to optimize the code for performance on Intel's twin processors. For example, Microsoft (MSFT) has pledged to write a new, Intel-specific version of Office for the Mac, but it's not saying when it will be ready.

WAITING FOR SOFTWARE.

The key to making this transition work is a piece of software invisible to the user called Rosetta, which allows most programs written for PowerPC Macs to run on the new Intel-powered ones. Rosetta takes a toll on performance as it translates the instructions. On the other hand, the new processor is so fast that most older programs feel about as speedy on the new iMac as they did on the old. As software is rewritten, the Intel Macs will really show their speed.

Rosetta doesn't solve everything, however. Some of Apple's professional software, such as the Final Cut Studio video production package, won't run on the new Macs; Apple plans to release Intel versions of these products within a few weeks. The Intel Macs also don't support the "Classic" mode used to run programs written for older Apple operating systems. But since OS X has been around for five years, there aren't all that many Classic applications still in use.

Perhaps the most serious loss is Microsoft's Virtual PC. This software allows Windows programs to run on a Mac, and because of it, many Windows users have been able to migrate to Apple, knowing that they would be able to use Windows-only applications if they needed them. So far, Microsoft has not committed to customizing Virtual PC for the Intel Mac. This could be a problem for small businesses for which the Mac is otherwise ideal.

ROOM TO GROW.

One of the best things about the Mac for home use is the remarkable assortment of iLife software that comes with it. This includes iMovie HD and iDVD for editing video and creating DVDs, and GarageBand, for creating your own music. All of the iLife programs have been rewritten for the Intel processor and show big performance gains.

If the new iMac looks and acts much like its predecessor, why did Apple go to all the trouble of changing to Intel? Because the PowerPC-based systems had nowhere to go. The performance of the G5 chip in the iMac and, even more so, the G4 in PowerBook laptops, couldn't increase much without a major redesign. And their maker, IBM (IBM) Microelectronics, was unwilling to underwrite that. By contrast, Intel's Core Duo is the first design in a new generation of processors that has lots of growing room. Apple is now well-positioned to handle the ever more demanding media applications that are coming. The MacBook will probably show more impressive performance gains than the iMac because PowerBooks today are actually relative weaklings.

In coming months, Apple will bring out Intel versions of the Mac mini, the education-oriented iBook laptops, and the professional Power Macs. The polish with which Apple has managed the transition bodes well for Mac fans.
Wildstrom is Technology & You columnist for BusinessWeek. You can contact him at techandyou@businessweek.com

New iTunes Phone Still Lacking

2006-02-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

Cingular and Motorola have rolled out a music phone that unites Apple’s iTunes digital music service with the thin design popularized by Motorola’s RAZR line of phones, as the two companies try to make up for disappointing sales of the first iTunes phone unveiled last year.

The SLVR 7 phone introduced on Tuesday includes 512 megabytes of memory on a MicroSD card that holds up to seven hours of music, or about 100 songs. It also comes with a VGA camera equipped with video capture and playback features. The metallic-finish phone measures less than half an inch thick and weighs about 3.5 ounces.

“We are excited to bring to market our second device with iTunes,” said Marc Lefar, chief marketing officer of Cingular Wireless.

However, the 100-song limit hasn’t been lifted with the new phone. The limited song capacity was a major factor that contributed to the relatively low sales figures for the ROKR, the first phone to include iTunes music released last September by Apple (see iTunes Phone, New iPod Debut).

“We believe that the 100-song limit makes this offer less interesting,” wrote AmericanTechnologyResearch analysts Albert Lin and Neal Amodio in a research note. “Total song capacity based on the memory in the phone is not much higher, so the product will likely be of no impact to incremental sales. When and if storage increases, many users’ attraction to it will grow.”

But if the phone’s storage capacity increases too much, it could take away sales from Apple’s iPod nano and other iPod models, so it is unlikely to increase dramatically in the near future.

Shares of Motorola fell $0.17 to $22.54 in recent trading, while shares of Apple dropped $0.25 to $75.26. Cingular is a joint venture of BellSouth and AT&T, formerly known as SBC Communications. BellSouth shares slipped $0.06 to $28.71 in recent trading, while AT&T stock rose $0.12 to $26.07.

Thinner than ROKR
The SLVR at least improves on the somewhat clunky feel of the ROKR by offering a thin design like the RAZR.

“In the design tradition of the Motorola RAZR V3, SLVR is also a game changer,” said Richard Chin, corporate vice president of global marketing at Motorola. “SLVR redefines what consumers will expect from the candy bar form factor and proves you can have an ultra-thin, high-style mobile with a compelling feature set.”

The $200 phone includes various forms of connectivity, such as Bluetooth technology. It also has MEdia Net, a service from Cingular that provides access to news and entertainment headlines, sports scores, financial quotes, and local weather information.

Users also get a headset so they can listen to their 100 songs in stereo.

Motorola also introduced an oval-shaped phone known as the PEBL for another carrier, T-Mobile, on Tuesday. Sales of the rounded-edge phone, along with the SLVR, could be crucial for Motorola.

“We believe PEBL and SLVR are critical products to boost Motorola’s handset operating margins beyond 11 percent reported last quarter,” wrote analysts Bill Choi and SooAnn Roberts of Kaufman Bros. Equity Research.

Dell to Hire 5,000 People in India

2006-01-30T06:06:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI - Computer maker Dell Inc. said Monday it planned to add 5,000 jobs in India over the next two years, bringing its work force in the country to 15,000.
Dell is also looking to set up a manufacturing center in India, a move that could help boost the sale of Dell computers here, President and CEO Kevin Rollins told reporters after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Round Rock, Texas-based company will hire 700 to 1,000 workers for a new call center in Gurgaon, a satellite town of the capital, New Delhi, Rollins said. The new call center, the company's fourth in India, will open in April, he said.

The other new hires will staff call centers in the cities of Bangalore and Hyderabad in southern India and Mohali in the northern state of Punjab. Also this year, the company plans to double the staff at its product testing center in Bangalore, which currently employs 300 engineers, Rollins said.

During his previous visit to India in April last year, Rollins had said Dell would make India a hub for its software development and back-office work.

Currently, the company has three call centers in India, a product testing center for corporate customers and a global software development center. Some 10,000 people are employed at these facilities.

Scores of Western companies have been cutting costs by shifting software development, engineering design and routine office functions to countries such as India, where English-speaking workers are plentiful and wages are low.

But Rollins said his company's expansion plans were not limited to tapping the talent, but also benefit from the growing demand for desktop computers and notebooks.

Dell accounts for less than 4 percent of the 4 million computers sold in India, whereas the company's share in the global market is about 18 percent, he said.

Taxes levied by the Indian government on computers and computer parts are a major factor affecting pricing of Dell products and their sluggish sales here.

A manufacturing facility could help the company boost its presence in India, where computer sales are expected to increase to 10 million annually over the next three to five years.

"We have come to the conclusion that time is ripe to consider a manufacturing facility in India," Rollins said. "We want to do it fast," he said, but gave no time frame or investment details.
He said the company was talking to local authorities in several Indian states to identify a site and a decision will be made soon.

Dell currently operates nine plants, six of them outside the United States.
source: By RAJESH MAHAPATRA, Associated Press Writer

NZ's iPods among most expensive

2006-01-29T16:30:00.000-08:00

New Zealanders are paying twice as much for their iPods on a comparative level as Americans, yet are getting less mileage out of them.

A random sampling of electronics retailers in five countries - New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom - shows that prices of Apple's MP3 player here do not stack up well with those overseas.

A 30-gigabyte iPod with video capability retails at local chains, such as Dick Smith Electronics and Harvey Norman, for about $529 or US$359. Best Buy in the United States, in comparison, sells the same product for US$313 (all taxes included).

Online retailer Amazon.com is even cheaper - the iPod sells for US$299, including taxes and shipping.

Price trends on the smaller 2GB iPod Nano are similar - about US$30 more here than in the US.
In basic prices New Zealand doesn't fare too poorly, ranking above Canada and the UK. But the difference becomes pronounced when standards of living are taken into account.
Of the five countries sampled, New Zealand has the lowest gross domestic product per capita - a general measure of prosperity per person - but also the second-cheapest consumer goods overall.

New Zealand's per-person monthly GDP is US$1958, compared with US$3133 in the US. That means an iPod purchase here accounts for 18 per cent of that monthly GDP, compared with 9 per cent in the US. By this measure, New Zealand has the most expensive iPods of the five countries.

Currency differences and economies of scale may explain some of the difference - the other four countries have higher populations and thus better sales volumes on all goods, not just iPods.
But New Zealand also ranks favourably in comparative prices of consumer goods, at 12th out of 30, according to statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Of the sampled countries, only Canada ranks better at 11th, with the US, UK and Australia all having more expensive goods overall.

New Zealand is also the only country in the sample without an online iTunes store, which provides a big part of the iPod's functionality. The iTunes store allows iPod users to buy and legally download music and video, such as TV shows or music clips.

As such, Kiwis are limited to converting their CDs on to the iPods, or to downloading tracks illegally. Music downloaded from other legal sources in New Zealand, included Digirama and Coke Tunes, is digitally protected and will not play on iPods.

Video is even more limited - users have only free podcasts.

Australia was the last country in the sampling to get an iTunes store, in October. While it was widely expected that a New Zealand equivalent would piggy-back on the Australian opening, an iTunes store has yet to materialise here.

Apple would not comment on when - or even if - an iTunes store would open here. It is understood the company is having difficulty in negotiating music rights with record labels. Sony BMG, in particular, had held back the opening of stores in Japan and Australia, and the same is reportedly happening here.

Steve Ford, general manager of Apple's sole local distributor Renaissance, said his company bought all its products from Australia and tried to keep prices stable through currency fluctuations.

"Whatever the prices in the UK, Canada and the US, it has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the price that we put into place here in New Zealand," he said.

Ford said iPod prices should not reflect their functionality and disagreed that they should be lower here given the lack of an iTunes store.

"Not having the music store in New Zealand isn't inhibiting the sales of iPods at all."
Ford declined to say how many iPods had been sold here but estimated Apple's share of the MP3 player market here and in Australia at about 70 per cent.

Technology analysis firm IDC doesn't track the overall MP3 market here, but its counterpart in Australia estimates 2005 shipments of players there at 1.3 million. If New Zealand trends are similar, iPod sales would range between 156,000 and 182,000.

Apple's iPod has been a global sensation, with the company reporting sales of 14 million units in its most recent quarter. The device has propelled the company based in Cupertino, California to new heights, with its first-quarter profit doubling to US$565 million on a record revenue of US$5.75 billion.

The iPod is also largely responsible for igniting the digital music revolution. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry this week reported legal music downloads doubled in 2005 to 240 million (global revenue US$1.1 billion). The IFPC also boldly declared it was winning the battle against illegal downloaders.

Author by Peter Nowak

Antispyware Company Sued Under Spyware Law

2006-01-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

Microsoft and the Washington state attorney general have filed lawsuits against antispyware software vendor Secure Computer, alleging that the White Plains, New York, company's Spyware Cleaner software not only fails to remove spyware as advertised, but makes changes to users' computers that make them less secure.

The attorney general's lawsuit is the state's first to be filed under Washington's 2005 Computer Spyware Act.

Washington's 16-count lawsuit was filed this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle, and follows investigations by both Microsoft and the Attorney General's High Tech Fraud Unit. In addition to the Spyware Act violations, the lawsuit accuses Secure Computer of violating the state's Commercial Electronic Mail and Consumer Protection Acts, as well as the federal CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) Act, said Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna in an interview.

"What this company has been doing is marketing its Spyware Cleaner product using false and deceptive means and also corrupting computer users' hard drives as a result of the so-called free scan that they offered to consumers," he said.

The state's lawsuit also names Secure Computer President Paul E. Burke and Web domain owner Gary T. Preston, both of New York state, as defendants. It further charges Zhijian Chen, of Portland, Oregon, Seth Traub, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Manoj Kumar, of Maharashtra, India, in connection with the advertising of the product.

False Advertising?

Microsoft has also sued Secure Computer, alleging that the company's Spyware Cleaner e-mail and pop-up advertisements falsely suggested that Microsoft endorsed the product, said Nancy Anderson, vice president and deputy general counsel with Microsoft. "They were illegally using our name and our trademark to frighten consumers," she said.

Microsoft's lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, Anderson said.
A lawyer representing Secure Computer said that the controversial business practices at the heart of the state's case were the fault of marketing affiliates and not Secure Computer. "A lot of these allegations of this advertising ... they have nothing to do with us," said John Dozier, managing partner with Dozier Internet Law PC.

Secure Computer has used a marketing clearing house called Clickbank.com to recruit sales affiliates and one of the Clickbank.com affiliates, Manoj Kumar, was responsible for the advertising that misused the Microsoft brand, Dozier said. Kumar was fired as soon as Secure Computer became aware of his business practices, he said.

Secure Computer does not permit e-mail marketing of the product and it did not even develop the Spyware Cleaner software that McKenna accused of being spyware, Dozier added. The company is simply a "sales and marketing firm," he said.

Secure Computer President Paul Burke was "shocked and surprised" by the allegations in the complaints, Dozier said.

While Dozier could not say who wrote the software in question, it appears to have been authored by a developer named Mladen Bajic, according to Eric Howes, director of malware research at antispyware vendor Sunbelt Software.

Reputable Software?

Spyware Cleaner does detect some spyware and adware, but it does not qualify as reputable software, Howes said. "It's not completely worthless, but compared to the top antispyware products on the market, it's not even in the same class," he said. "The number of false positives turned up by this product was just ridiculous."

Windows expert Mark Russinovich, best known as the discoverer of the Sony BMG Music Entertainment rootkit software, recently analyzed Spyware Cleaner and found it lacking. "Even on a freshly installed copy of Windows XP, Spyware Cleaner reports close to a dozen 'extreme risk' and 'high risk' infections that include innocuous items like cookies left by MSN.com and several built-in Windows COM components," he wrote in a January 3 posting.

Spyware Cleaner has been sold since about 2004 and the product has been marketed via "spam, pop-up ads, and deceptive hyperlinks," offering a free spyware scan, the attorney general's office said in a statement. These scans inevitably detected spyware, even when none was present and then instructed users to buy Spyware Cleaner. Once customers had paid the $49.95 purchase price, the software would then erase the computer's hosts file, which can used by the browser to block unwanted Web sites.

In tests, the state's investigators found that Spyware Cleaner was unable to detect most genuine spyware programs and that it often falsely identified legitimate files as spyware. "We [tested] this on a computer when we had a fresh install and it falsely identified a number of programs as being spyware when really they were not," McKenna said.

If the allegations in this case are true, Secure Computer could pay dearly. The Washington spyware act imposes a penalty of $100,000 per violation, and the company is also looking at penalties of $250 per violation of the CAN-SPAM Act, as well as $500 and $2000 per violation, respectively, under Washington's antispam and consumer protection laws.

Based on the money that Secure Computer has made off the product, McKenna estimated that thousands of users have been affected and that the penalties will amount "to millions of dollars.

No GPL 3.0 for Linux - Torvalds

2006-01-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

Torvalds told a mailing list on Wednesday the Linux kernel would remain under GPL 2.0, despite work underway at the Free Software Foundation for GPL 3.0. The sticking point is DRM.

According to the first draft of GPL 3.0, published last week, the software it covers will "neither be subject to, nor subject other works to, digital restrictions from which escape is forbidden".
The license adds: "DRM is fundamentally incompatible with the purpose of the GPL, which is to protect users' freedom."

But Torvalds says it is "insane" to require people to make their private signing keys available. Such keys are typically used by individuals to generate a digital signature, or to decrypt messages and files. The creator of Linux won't make his own keys available.
"I don't think the GPL v3 conversation is going to happen for the kernel, since I personally don't want to convert any of my code," he says.

While some Linux kernel files can be licensed under GPL 3.0, Torvalds notes, the kernel in general is - and will - remain under GPL 2.0.

Joining a debate on the mailing list about the feasibility of conversion from GPL 2.0 to GPL 3.0, he says: "The default is to not allow conversion. Conversion isn't going to happen."

Torvald's stance will further dismay Linux diehards who are convinced the only good source is open source, and follows the controversy that followed last year’s revelation that Torvalds used the proprietary, closed-source Bitkeeper for Linux kernel development. ®

Microsoft Announces Quarter Earning

2006-01-27T17:18:00.000-08:00

Though Microsoft successfully pushed Xbox 360 out the door in North America, Europe and Japan by the end of last year, the launch hasn't been without troubles. Supply shortages and a less than stellar start in the land of the rising sun have blemished the company's otherwise ridiculously optimistic next-generation viewpoint.

This evening the company announced their second quarter earnings to the world, though not much was surprising. Microsoft's Home and Entertainment division managed a $55 million profit last quarter, but encountered a $293 million loss this time around. Thing is, most of those are probably attributable to the Xbox 360 and the immense expenses required for the global launch.

Microsoft has confirmed selling 900,000 Xbox 360s in North America, 500,000 in Europe and something between 0 and 100,000 in Japan. Either way, it adds up to 1.5 million. The numbers are lower than Microsoft originally anticipated, and while Japan's are unsurprising, Europe seem a little lopsided. In order to put all the numbers in perspective, though, we chatted with Microsoft's Xbox global business manager Maroof Haque about what it all means.

"I think you may have even heard Peter [Moore, executive VP at Microsoft] say we would have liked to have more for Europe just because we did okay in North America but it's still out of stock and Europe is just as bad if not worse," he says. "We had to make allocation decisions especially when you're trying to do a launch as complex and unique as we did."

In Japan, Haque admits the adoption rate has been slow, even when compared to the original Xbox. The commonly cited problem has been a lack of games, something Haque agrees with and cites Moore's strategy of a long-term focus. Not having Dead or Alive 4 admittedly hurt the launch of both Xbox 360 and likely Dead or Alive 4 as a result, he says Tecmo's fighter isn't Xbox 360's defining moment - games like Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey will be crucial to Japan's future.

Another bullet point on the release was the reported four million downloads on Xbox Live, but the company's not talking about what that means for their bottom line. Haque says those numbers may be released eventually, but in effect, Xbox Live isn't just about the money involved - though it's a part. "It's both," he says. "It's great on both ends because if we keep people happy and engaged in the platform we think it's more likely they'll run out and buy games.

Xbox Live is unmistakably an integral and exciting gpart of the Xbox 360 experience, but unfortunately, many people can't participate because they can't find an Xbox 360. At CES, Microsoft announced Celestica as an additional manufacturing partner. Due to the complexity of Xbox 360's components, however, consumers won't be seeing the fruits of that partnership yet. Haque speculates two to three months before Celestica kicks into gear, and hopes people will be able to buy Xbox 360 without stressing by late spring.

In the meantime, many gamers are keeping themselves occupied with the original Xbox. Microsoft themselves doesn't have plans to release any more games for the machine, though a number of third parties are still supporting the 24 million worldwide userbase, and manufacturing may be phased out after this year. "We're still going to be selling this thing in 2006. We haven't committed to anything beyond that," he says. "The good news is that we still have publishing partners bringing great games."

For the 1.5 million who are digging their Xbox 360s now, though, the problem is a drought of games. The barrage at launch was fantastic, but now people have beaten Perfect Dark Zero on all the difficulty levels and managed gold medals on all the Project Gotham Racing 3 challenges. Microsoft doesn't have an issue with not releasing a first party game this spring, instead happily pointing to its third party relationships and preparing for a big holiday season.
"Gamers don't care who's making the games, they just want a great game. We have a pretty stong pipeline, he says. "When it cones to first party, first party can't be rushed and we're going to get the games done and they're going to be really damn good when we get them done. I'm looking forward to a really strong back half of the year.

Xbox 360 will likely encounter a solid amount of success throughout 2006 as the only readily available next-generation machine, and while they've hit some financial roadblocks currently, Haque is thankful Microsoft is built like a tank. "The best part about Microsoft that way is that it's an enormous company...," he says. "They're big numbers [the quarter losses], but big numbers in a huge pot still don't look that big.
source : 1up.com

Microsoft To Open Some Server Source Code

2006-01-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

Microsoft will license source code for the Windows Server technologies at issue in the antitrust fight with the European Union to "put technical compliance issues at rest," the company's head counsel said Wednesday.

We are putting our most valuable intellectual property on the table so we can put technical compliance issues to rest and move forward with a serious discussion about the substance of this case," said Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, in a statement from Brussels.

Microsoft's move is in reaction to a December 2004 filing by the European Commission (EC) charging that the Redmond, Wash.-based developer had failed to properly document the inner workings of Windows Server for rivals so that they could create server applications that worked as well as Microsoft's own.

In December, the EC, which oversees the 2004 antitrust ruling, told Microsoft it would begin levying a 2 million euro ($2.45 million) per day fine if the company didn't better document selected Windows Server communication protocols. Tuesday, Microsoft was given an extension until Feb. 15 to answer those charges.

Wednesday, however, the company switched strategies.

"We have now come to the conclusion that the only way to be certain of satisfying the Commission's demands is to go beyond the 2004 Decision and offer a license to the source code of the Windows server operating system," said Smith. "The Windows source code is the ultimate documentation."

Not so fast, said Matt Rosoff, an analyst with Directions On Microsoft, a Kirkland, Wash.-based research firm. "Source code is typically cryptic and dense, but unless you know what you're doing, it's seldom useful for duplicating functionality. It's most useful for debugging."

Microsoft didn't spell out exactly which portions of the Windows Server source code it would license, nor detail the licensing terms. "It will be similar to the licensing programs in the U.S.," said Tom Brookes, a Microsoft spokesman based in Belgium. How similar, Brookes couldn't say.
The software company is already licensing protocols, and some source code, for its desktop operating systems because of the 2002 U.S. antitrust settlement, but federal and state officials have repeatedly taken Microsoft to the woodhouse, most recently Tuesday when the Department of Justice blasted the company for its slow pace in providing documentation.
In the press release Microsoft issued Wednesday, however, the company mentioned "reference license," the term given to the most restrictive licensing program currently offered.

"That's the license that lets companies look at the source code, but not change it or redistribute it," said Rosoff. And with the Europeans' fondness for open-source, that kind of license would make sense, he added.

"Microsoft wanted to settle [with the EU] all along, but there were two things it couldn't take. One, it doesn't want a government telling it how to design its most important products, and two, it doesn't want its source code to be covered by the GPL.

"Once you give up the source code, it's a slippery slope. It's out there, and you can't get it back."
While Sun and Novell were formerly part of the EU's antitrust case -- and according to Rosoff, prime movers behind the call to open up Windows Server protocols -- both have since settled separately with Microsoft. That leaves one major player chomping on the bit for source code.
"Open-source would love to get its hands on the Microsoft [Server] source code," Rosoff said.
Among the protocols that Microsoft will probably license source code for, added Rosoff, will be the proprietary way that Windows Server authenticates Windows clients.

"Microsoft had to do something," concluded Rosoff. "It had to make a good faith effort to stay on the EU's good side, as much as it could."

Microsoft's Brad Smith said much the same thing Wednesday. "While we are confident that we are presently in full compliance we wish to dispel any notion that Microsoft's technical documents are insufficient."

In related news, Microsoft's appeal against the EU's 2004 antitrust decision has been scheduled for April, according to an announcement by the Court of First Instance (CFI) in Luxembourg.
The appeal will be heard April 24-28, said the court, which will use a special, expanded Grand Chamber of 13 judges, including the CFI's president, Bo Vesterdorf.

This appeal is the next step in Microsoft's eight-year battle with the EU over allegations of unfair business practices, which led, among other things, to a record fine of 497 million euros ($610 million). A final decision on the appeal may take years.

Sony's Aibo Robotic Dog Is Put To Sleep

2006-01-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

It was cute and cuddly. It didn’t need food, or taking out. It listened to its owner’s commands, played music and took photos. It was…Aibo, the robo dog.

And yes, I’m talking in past tense because there will be no more Aibos from now on because, as part of its ongoing cost-cutting and reorganization effort, Sony has cut its line of robotic Aibo dogs, along with another, more-expensive, humanoid robot called the Qrio, which was never sold as a product, as reported by ZDNet.

Since its launch in 1999 more than 150,000 Aibos have been sold worldwide, said a company representative. Nevertheless, the Japanese electronics company said it will stop production of the robotic pet as it seeks to restructure its operations and reduce the size of its robotic development unit.

"Our core businesses are electronics, games and entertainment, but the focus is going to be on profitability and strategic growth," said Sony spokeswoman Kirstie Pfeifer. "In light of that, we've decided to cancel the Aibo line."

Sony's $2,000 electronic dog had always fallen more in the gee-whiz category than into the realm of viable mainstream consumer product, though it has helped unleash dozens of lower-tech plastic knockoffs, as well as a few big-brand copycats.

On its debut, Aibo was both an early use of Sony technologies such as the Memory Stick and its proprietary embedded operating system, as well as advanced robotics technology from the company's research and development labs.

Over time, the dog became more sophisticated, with the latest version able to speak 1,000 words; react (in theory) appropriately to an owner's commands and motions; keep blogs, complete with pictures taken by cameras behind its eyes; and play music.

The product inspired an online fan base that posted pictures taken by their dogs, which--unsurprisingly, given Aibo's diminutive stature--often tended to be of ankles or table legs.

The remaining Aibo robots will continue to be sold at the SonyStyle online store and at other retailers until inventory runs out. Sony will continue to show off the Qrio at shows and other venues, but will not pursue new development.

Pfeifer said the research knowledge gained from the project could find its way into future products but that Aibo and Qrio would not be revived.

The company will provide customer support for the latest version of the Aibo for seven years, Pfeifer added. Which is 49 years in dog years, even if the canines are robotic.
source : .playfuls.com

Dell'Oro: Faster gear to drive Wi-Fi market

2006-01-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

Consumers won't wait to snap up new, faster wireless LAN gear this year, research company Dell'Oro Group Inc. said today, even though the IEEE 802.11n standard responsible for the latest breakthrough probably won't be approved until 2007.

Products based on the draft 802.11n specification, which was approved last week, will make up about 15% of all the home wireless LAN routers shipped worldwide this year, said analyst Greg Collins of Dell'Oro, in Redwood City, Calif. He expects consumers this year to buy about 3 million pre-standard 802.11n access points and an equal number of PC Card clients for notebook PCs.
The new standard is designed for real-world throughput of at least 100Mbit/sec. and will allow consumers to stream video around their homes, vendors say. Collins expects to see versions that are backward compatible with the current 802.11b/g standard as well as 802.11a, so users can upgrade gradually.

By 2009, Dell'Oro forecasts the faster gear will make up 90% of consumer wireless LAN shipments. Enterprises will wait for the standard to be ratified and notebooks to hit the market with integrated 802.11n chipsets, but they will begin widely deploying 802.11n networks in 2008 and 2009, he said.

Consumers' embrace of the long-awaited faster gear will push the worldwide market for wireless LAN equipment to $3.4 billion in revenue in 2006, up from $2.5 billion in 2005, according to Dell'Oro's forecast. It will give vendors a breather after years of declining margins and slow revenue growth in the market, because the early gear will be priced at a premium, he added.

That figure does not include DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and cable modems with built-in wireless LAN capability. Those devices, which usually come from a service provider instead of being sold at retail, make up a growing portion of the consumer wireless LAN market, Collins said. Shipments of those devices doubled between 2004 and 2005, while shipments of stand-alone consumer Wi-Fi routers and access points grew just 30%, he said. The 802.11n gear will accelerate that trend as carriers roll out voice, video and data services and try to give consumers a way to share them around their homes.

"Wireless LAN in the consumer space is definitely moving toward becoming a platform for triple-play services from the service providers," Collins said.

For enterprises, 2006 will see a resurgence in the wireless LAN market, Collins said. Many were holding off in 2005 during an industry transition between traditional independent access points and wireless LAN switches with easier centralized security and management, he said.
The turning point was Cisco Systems Inc.'s acquisition of wireless switch vendor Airespace, according to Collins. And although a large percentage of enterprise wireless LAN deployments still are in specialized industries such as health care, general offices have been adding the technology since 2004, he added.

While Cisco dominates the enterprise market with a share of about 60 percent, the San Jose company's Linksys division commands the consumer sector with about a 45% share, according to Collins. Cisco's acquisition last year of TV set-top box maker Scientific-Atlanta Inc. could help it keep up as the market shifts to broadband gateways and set-top boxes with integrated wireless LAN, he said.

By 2009, the overall Wi-Fi market, not including integrated routers, will reach $4.8 billion in revenue, he said.

The news is also good for consumers and professionals who want to use Wi-Fi outside their homes and offices: There are now more than 100,000 public Wi-Fi hot spots around the world, according to JiWire Inc., a provider of hot spot information and services in South San Francisco, Calif.

A hands-on look at the new MacBook Pro

2006-01-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

Apple Computer’s new MacBook Pro -- the renamed Intel-based successor to the PowerBook unveiled by Apple CEO Steve Jobs two weeks ago -- isn’t yet shipping (see "Update: Apple unveils Intel-based laptop, iMac"). But Apple officials are now showing off their newest 15-inch laptop, and I had a chance at a special Apple event last week to get a closer look at it. In fact, I had some real pick-it-up-and-use-it hands-on time.

The good news is that the MacBook Pro, which comes in two models and starts at $1,999, feels and looks just as solid and well-built as its aluminum-clad predecessor. The better news is that it outperforms and is better engineered than any previous G3- or G4-based laptop models Apple has sold.

First, I should say up front that I don’t know whether the model I had in my hands was a prototype or an example of the final product, which is due to ship officially next month.

Having said that, I can tell you this laptop is fast. Really fast. I am hesitant to say it’s exponentially faster than the G4 version, but subjectively this baby cooks. Universal binary programs like Safari and Apple’s iLife suite -- which have been rewritten by Apple to take advantage of the new dual core 1.83GHz Intel processor inside -- launched in 1 or 2 icon bounces. And using the Microsoft Office suite -- which hasn’t yet been rewritten -- was seamless using Rosetta.

For those of you who may not have been following Apple’s transition to Intel, Rosetta is emulation software built into the latest version of Mac OS X 10.4 and designed to allow programs written for the G4 processor to run without a hitch on Intel. It works. I did not feel like I was using a translation/emulation environment at all, something that’s going to be important in the months ahead as Apple moves more of its hardware to Intel and software developers follow with recoded apps. Although older versions of Mac programs will work on the Intel hardware, they will likely run slower than on a native G3 or G4 chip.

Apple wants to make this transition as seamless and transparent as possible, and if my short time using Rosetta is any benchmark, I’d say they’re off to a good start.

The built-in Web cam -- think of it as a smaller iSight camera -- is clearer and offers higher resolution video than was previously available on the G4 PowerBook. And when using iChat A/V, you can now act as the host for a four-way video session -- largely because of the Core Duo chip speed. That’s noteworthy because four-way video is processor-intensive and thus, was previously available only on Apple’s G5 computers.

The LCD screen, which offers a 1440-by-900 pixel resolution, is much brighter than those on earlier Apple laptops; In fact, there was no discernible difference between the screen brightness on the MacBook Pro and a 20” iMac Core Duo sitting next to it. Anyone who’s seen how bright those iMac screens are will appreciate how good-looking this laptop screen is. No doubt the inclusion of a new video card, the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, helps. The ATI card offers 256MB of video RAM on the top-end Macbook Pro, half that amount on the entry-level version.
One of the innovations offered on both versions of the MacBook Pro is the new “MagSafe” power connector. If you’ve ever knocked your laptop off a table by inadverdently catching the power cord, you’re going to appreciate this new connector. It uses magnets to stay connected, and no matter how many times I tried to pull on the cable to yank the MacBook off the table, the connector successfully disconnected each time. The MacBook Pro never moved more than a quarter of an inch.

This is good news for those of you who would rather your laptop not fall to the floor. In other words, it’s good news for all MacBook Pro owners
While Apple has given with the new MagSafe connector, it has taken away by getting rid of the FireWire 800 connector slot and the modem. FireWire 800 was left off the motherboard of the new laptop largely because it has not achieved much a following among users. But for those who need the faster data transfer speeds available with FireWire 800, other solutions are on the way: I saw a prototype Belkin FireWire 800 ExpressCard 34 model that should ship by the time the MacBook Pro does. I’ve also been in contact with the ExpressCard standards group and am waiting for a list of manufacturers who will have cards in the 34mm flavor for the MacBookPro. I’ve heard from sources that several manufacturers are readying GPRS/EDGE and CDMA/EVDO cards for road warriors.

The loss of the modem jack may be a sign of things to come. I was told that Apple had found that 90% of PowerBook owners used the 802.11g Airport wireless card, gigabit Ethernet or a Bluetooth connection to a cell modem to get network access. So for cost and package size reasons, the modem was left out. A USB modem dongle is easily added for a few dollars and it is instantly recognized and configured for use as if it had been built in.

Apple has also learned some lessons from the Titanium-clad PowerBook G4 that pre-dates its aluminum models. Owners sometimes complained about poor WiFi reception on the Ti-books, so Apple has moved the antenna strip for the Airport card to the inner hinge -- and the covering material for that part of the computer is plastic, not metal. The Bluetooth antenna is on the other side of the laptop, to keep those wireless devices from interfering with each other when the Airport card is using the 802.11b standard.

Although I did not have enough time to determine battery life on the new model, Apple has said it will be “as good or better” than current PowerBook offerings.

In summary, except for the wonky name, I can say the MacBook Pro looks like a real winner.
source :computerworld.com

Alliance formed to promote mobile TV

2006-01-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

Nokia, Intel, Motorola and other wireless equipment makers have formed an alliance to promote an emerging technology standard for delivering live TV to mobile phones.

The partners said they would work together to develop and spread the use of DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) – an open standard for broadcasting TV on wireless equipment – through a group dubbed the Mobile DTV Alliance.

Texas Instruments and Crown Castle International, the US cell tower operator that is building a DVB-H network in the US, are also members of the alliance.

The formation of the alliance represents a serious challenge for Qualcomm, the US mobile phone chip maker, that is backing a rival proprietary technology called Media Flow.
DVB-H and Media Flow technologies will enable mobile carriers to provide video content to subscribers without overloading their 3G wireless networks.

Mobile operators and video content providers in the US and elsewhere hope that delivering mobile TV and other video content to mobile phones will provide them with a new revenue stream. In the US, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel, which operate 3G networks based on Qualcomm's CDMA technology, are expected to adopt Media Flow. Mobile carriers in Australia,Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and UShave been testing DVB-H technology.
Copyright The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved.

IPods pre-loaded with video tread legal gray zone

2006-01-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

A tiny Massachusetts company named TVMyPod is selling iPods that come with movies and TV programs already loaded on them, a practice that raises questions of legality as it addresses consumer demand for convenience and portability.

Customers choose any content currently available on a DVD and which iPod they want. TVMyPod then puts the content on the player and ships the original DVDs along with the iPod restored to its original packaging.

TVMyPod co-founder Vijay Raghavan said most people don't have the time or the technology to convert DVDs into the iPod's required format, which is what gave him and his business partner the idea to start the service.

DVDs have copy protection on them, however, and under the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act it is illegal to bypass that technology. Raghavan said his company's process does not involve decryption.

He added that moving the content onto the device is a one-way transfer, which since the purchaser gets both the original and the copy is legal under the fair use provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act.

"It's kind of an obsolete law since Congress was not taking into consideration portability," Raghavan said. "These players are exploding on the market, but the legality of it can sometimes be in a gray area."

TVMyPod is not charging for its services yet, so customers pay only the actual cost of the iPod and whatever the price is on Amazon.com for their chosen DVDs.

Raghavan said TVMyPod will set prices when it rolls out its next offerings, which will include consumers sending in their own iPod and possibly a subscription service to keep the content refreshed.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

What's an Intel chip doing in a Mac?

2006-01-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

Apple's grand switchover to Intel processors was originally planned for summer 2006. Yet Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the opportunity at the recent MacWorld Expo in San Francisco to announce that the iMac would come equipped with dual-core processors from Intel effective immediately.

Apple also announced its intention of equipping its new high-end MacBook Pro laptops with the Core Duo chips from Intel. The devices are slated to hit store shelves in February.

In the words of Apple's CEO, the new iMac will perform twice as quickly for many applications as its predecessor. The PowerBook successor MacBook Pro is reported to be four or five times as fast as the PowerBook G4. Yet these speed increases will only be realised in combination with software optimised for the new Intel hardware. Programs still written for IBM's PowerPC platform and which hence need to run through the "Rosetta" emulator will be much slower.
Yet by providing a version of its iLife multimedia suite optimised for the Intel processors, Apple is taking matters into its own hands to ensure that buyers of the new "Macinteltoshes" will reap the fruits of the new chips' speed.

Alongside improved variants of iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD, Apple is also rolling out a new iLife application called iWeb. It helps generate complete websites with just a few clicks of the mouse, including web logs and podcasts. Apple has also expanded its Garageband software, the iLife component designed for easy creation of podcasts.

The iLife program packet is one of the most important reasons for Apple customers to buy a Mac, says Archibald Horlitz, head of the retail chain Gravis.

"Anybody who has worked with iLife once knows how easy it is. And it works," Horlitz commented in San Francisco. The iMac G5 has already enjoyed good sales, he claims. This leads him to suspect that sales will be good for the new iMac as well. "And many PowerBook users are waiting urgently for faster machines."

The iMac is offered in several versions, including a 17-inch version with a 1,83 gigahertz chip for €1 349 (about R9 800). A larger 20-inch model, on sale for €1,749 (R12 700), includes a two-gigahertz CPU. Like the new MacBook Pro, both iMacs come equipped with a built-in iSight video camera that can be used for video conferences.

The new MacBook Pro also takes the brave step of foregoing the standard array of ports. This means that neither a FireWire 800 nor a modem port is on hand.

"We live in a broadband world. People are more likely to look for a new hotel than dial into the internet using an analog modem," is how marketing manager David Moody justifies this decision. Users who nevertheless need a modem can buy a USB version from Apple for €49 (R356).

With its MacBook Pro, Apple is leading the way among manufacturers by introducing the ExpressCard expansion slot, which is replacing the ubiquitous PCMCIA slot system. The bottom line is that older cards offering UMTS modem functionality, for example, will need to be replaced. Apple is banking on the fact that the peripherals industry will quickly discover the possibilities offered by the new ExpressCard slot and will be quick to provide appropriate devices.

Apple has gone the extra mile with the new laptop monitors.
These are 67% brighter than the old PowerBooks, and just as bright as an Apple Cinema Display. The 15,4-inch monitor offers resolution of 1 440 by 900 pixels and does not suffer from mirroring like other laptop monitors do.

Apple intends accompanying the introduction of its Intel Macs with a large-scale advertising campaign. A preview of this was offered to visitors of the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco, with Apple positioning its ad posters on every corner of San Francisco just minutes after Steve Jobs's presentation: "What's an Intel chip doing in a Mac? A lot more than it's ever done in a PC." -- Sapa-dpa
source: mg.co.za

All-CMOS chipsets meet latest Wi-Fi specs

2006-01-21T04:40:00.000-08:00

Broadcom has announced the availability of its new Intensi-fi family of wireless LAN (WLAN) chipsets, the first solutions designed to comply with the IEEE802.11n draft specification. Intensi-fi technology delivers superior performance and robust wireless connectivity throughout a home or office, enabling next generation Wi-Fi devices to offer a flawless multimedia experience by supporting emerging voice, video and data applications. 'Broadcom is pleased that the IEEE has confirmed the 802.11n draft specification', said Dr Henry Samueli, Broadcom's cofounder and Chief Technical Officer.

'We have been active participants in the standards process and are very happy to see the industry achieve technical consensus'.

'With today's announcement, Broadcom is excited to deliver on our promise of interoperable, next generation wireless products for our customers and consumers'.

Intensi-fi technology incorporates all mandatory elements of the IEEE802.11n draft specification and is designed to be software upgradeable once the standard is finalised.
Adherence to industry standards is a priority for Broadcom, because it eliminates the compatibility and performance issues that plague users of proprietary, nonstandard products.
Broadcom will continue to participate in the standards process through ratification, ensuring that its solutions will comply with the final 802.11n specification.

'Now that we have the technical foundation for the 802.11n standard, the Wi-Fi market will begin to experience renewed growth as vendors deliver next-generation wireless devices', said Philip Solis, Senior Analyst at ABI Research.

'We expect suppliers like Broadcom to capitalise on this opportunity by introducing advanced solutions that promise interoperability and upgradeability when the standard is completed, just as it did with its draft 802.11g solutions'.

Broadcom is working closely with other industry leaders to demonstrate real-world interoperability among brands as draft-802.11n products become available.

Broadcom is also providing technical resources to the Wi-Fi Alliance to accelerate an industry-wide 802.11n interoperability test procedure.

Broadcom anticipates that the creation of the 802.11n standard will clarify the high-end of the wireless LAN market, alleviating consumer confusion caused by the incompatible, proprietary solutions that have been previously introduced.

Intensi-fi technology supports multiple simultaneous data (or 'spatial') streams over multiple transmit and receive antennas to provide datarates of over 300Mbit/s and more robust coverage than legacy 802.11 products - which use one transmitter and one receiver to support a single data stream.

This provides sufficient bandwidth, range and reliability to deliver high definition (HD) video to each room of a typical home.

To deliver a flawless multimedia experience, Intensi-fi technology will extend beyond traditional PCs and networking gear into consumer electronics and entertainment devices - providing the infrastructure necessary to send movies, photos, music, voice calls and data among cable/DSL/satellite set-top boxes, personal video recorders, DVD players, gaming systems, audio equipment, cameras, cellphones and other handheld devices.

'The forthcoming 802.11n standard will drive unprecedented growth for the Wi-Fi market and become the next mainstream WLAN technology', said Michael Hurlston, General Manager of Broadcom's Home and Wireless Business Unit.

'This is the first of many Broadcom products that will enable our partners to create an ecosystem of interoperable products that satisfy the requirements of next generation wireless networks'.

Intensi-fi products will also enhance the experience of users of the nearly 75 million existing products based on Broadcom's industry leading Wi-Fi technologies.

Intensi-fi products employ superior maximum ratio combining (MRC) techniques that enable legacy devices to achieve even greater performance and range.

By making the most of their existing Wi-Fi equipment, Intensi-fi maximises the customers' investment and protects their networks from immediate obsolescence.

The Intensi-fi solution includes a MAC/baseband chip and a radio chip that can be configured for a variety of high-speed wireless applications.

Broadcom also offers two network processors that allow customers to optimise cost versus performance for wireless router designs.

The complete portfolio includes the following all-CMOS components.

The BCM4321 is the world's first media access controller (MAC) and baseband compliant with the 802.11n draft specification, providing PHY rates of over 300Mbit/s and interfacing to PCI, Cardbus and PCI-Express hosts.

The BCM2055 is Broadcom's fifth-generation 802.11 radio, which integrates multiple 2.4 and 5GHz radios to support simultaneous spatial streams for draft 802.11n products with 2x2, 3x3 or 4x4 antenna configurations.

The BCM2055 is the best-performing 802.11 radio, featuring smaller die size, lower power consumption, and lower phase noise and error vector magnitude (EVM) than competing products - all of which are critical for high-throughput draft 802.11n systems.

The BCM4704 is Broadcom's proven fifth-generation wireless network processor, which provides advanced routing/bridging capabilities and is tuned to meet the performance targets of the draft 802.11n chipset for router and gateway designs.

And the BCM4705 is Broadcom's sixth-generation wireless network processor, which supports simultaneous operation of 2.4 and 5GHz radios and integrates a Gigabit Ethernet MAC to enable greater than 100Mbit/s throughput between draft 802.11n and Ethernet networks.
Like all of Broadcom's award-winning Wi-Fi solutions, Intensi-fi chipsets use an all-CMOS architecture.

This not only enables highly integrated and highly-efficient chipsets, but also sets forth a path to single-chip solutions for cost-effective, high-volume manufacturing.

Intensi-fi chipsets operate in both the 2.4 and 5GHz frequency bands, which allows them to work with millions of 802.11a/b/g devices already on the market.

In addition, Intensi-fi solutions leverage Broadcom's proven OneDriver software to deliver superior performance, ease-of-use and security features.

This includes SecureEasySetup software, innovative technology that allows consumers to install and secure a complete wireless network with the push of a button and the click of a mouse.
The OneDriver implementation also supports Wireless Multimedia (WMM), which provides quality of service and improves the user experience by prioritising audio, video and voice traffic on a Wi-Fi network.

Broadcom is now sampling Intensi-fi chipsets.

The company has also developed a range of reference designs to speed development time for Wi-Fi device manufacturers.
source :electronicstalk.com

Intel Board Adopts Majority Vote Standard for Election of Directors

2006-01-21T04:28:00.000-08:00

Intel Corporation announced today that its board of directors has amended the company’s bylaws to adopt a majority vote standard for the election of directors in uncontested elections, beginning with the next election of directors in May. The new standard, which requires each director to receive a majority of the votes cast with respect to that director, further underscores Intel’s focus on corporate governance and provides for a greater level of accountability of directors to stockholders.

Previously, directors were elected under a plurality vote standard, meaning the candidates receiving the most votes would win without regard to whether those votes constituted a majority of the shares voting at the meeting. Contested elections (where there are more nominees than directors to be elected) will continue to use the plurality vote standard.

Under the laws of Delaware, where Intel is incorporated, if an incumbent director is not elected, that director continues to serve as a “holdover director“ until the director’s successor is duly elected and qualified. To address this potential outcome, the board has also adopted a director resignation policy in the company’s bylaws. If an incumbent director is not elected by a majority of the votes cast, the director shall offer his or her resignation to the board. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee would then make a recommendation to the board on whether to accept or reject the resignation, or whether other action should be taken. The board will publicly disclose its decision and the rationale behind it within 90 days of the certification of the election results.

The board also amended the company’s bylaws to set a range for the number of directors at between 9 and 15 members and to provide that the range cannot be changed except by a vote of stockholders. The board currently has 11 members in accordance with the company’s bylaws, and periodically reviews the appropriate size of the board. The amendment to the bylaws provides the board with limited flexibility to increase or decrease the size of the board within the range while providing stockholders greater control over any change outside of the range.
Additional information on Intel’s board of directors and corporate governance guidelines are available at www.intel.com/intel/finance/.

Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

Apple Computer Alters iTunes Software

2006-01-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Apple Computer Inc. has altered its iTunes software after users raised privacy concerns over a new spy-like song-recommendation feature in the music jukebox program.

The company on Tuesday switched the so-called "MiniStore" feature to give users the choice of turning it on, rather than having it automatically activate with its new version update of iTunes.
The company introduced the recommendation feature last week. The MiniStore window pane with music or video suggestions pops up as users play songs from their libraries.

The feature requires that the information on the songs being played be sent to Apple, which in turn churns out related music titles. It's a type of customization that an increasing number of digital services are adopting.

This differs, however, from, say Amazon.com Inc., where product recommendations emerge as users shop the site, and they presumably understand that whatever data they are inputting online is being sent to Amazon.

With the MiniStore, that exchange of information occurs in the background while users may not even be connected to Apple's iTunes online music store.

The new feature raised some fears over whether Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple was collecting information about a user's private listening session. Apple says it was not storing any of the user data, but posted that point along with the software changes a week later.
"We've listened to our users and made access to the MiniStore an opt-in feature," Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said Thursday.

In the note to new users, the company clearly states, "As you select items in your library, information about that item is sent to Apple and the MiniStore will show you related songs or videos. Apple does not keep any information related to the contents of your music library."
Digital video recording provider TiVo Inc. faced similar privacy concerns years ago when it was among the first to introduce an automated recommendation service based on a user's viewing pattern. TiVo users must agree to opt in for the service if they choose to use it.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Unofficial Firefox For Intel Macs Debuts

2006-01-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

It may not be official, but a version of Firefox that will run on Apple Computer's new Intel-based Macs has been released by the one-man development team responsible for the open-source project.

Josh Aas, the Mozilla coder who has been working on Mac Intel browser, released a working build Tuesday that runs on the new Intel iMacs under Mac OS X 10.4.4. Last week, Aas said he was close to wrapping up a working edition, but warned that Java and Flash weren't operating. Over the weekend, he said in a blog entry, another developer, Mark Mentovai, pitched in to provide code that got Java and Flash working.

For the moment, the version is dubbed "DeerPark" because the Mozilla brand can't be slapped on unofficial editions.
Down the road, Aas said that he would be working on so-called "universal binaries," the term Apple uses to describe code that will run on both PowerPC and Intel Macintoshes.

The current official version of Firefox for the Mac is 1.5, and requires OS X 10.3.x or later, and a PowerPC-equipped computer. The next update, 1.5.0.1, will be available near the end of this month, according to notes from a Jan. 4 meeting of Mozilla developers.
Aas' Mac Intel Firefox can be downloaded from here.

In other Firefox news, Mozilla.org's Jan. 4 meeting minutes also said that the company was shooting for a February release of the first alpha edition of Firefox 2.0. The alpha isn't expected to be feature complete, but like other Mozilla early releases, is meant to provide feedback from testers and developers -- including those who create extensions for the browser -- as toolsets are settled.

At the moment, the roadmap for Firefox 2.0 slates a summer final (late in the second quarter or early in the third, according to the scheduled posted Tuesday here).
Firefox 3.0, now in the planning stages, is tentatively scheduled for an early 2007 release.
source:informationweek.com

Laptop Dance

2006-01-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

Dearest Aviva,
You're already off to a good start, as laptops consume far less energy than desktop machines -- we're talking over 50 percent less.

Computer manufacturers have three opportunities to earn their environmental stripes: during a machine's manufacture, use, and disposal. From what I've read, the worst environmental legacy of computers will be toxic waste, rather than energy consumption. (Not to sneer at energy consumption issues, natch.) What we want to be able to start looking for in our computer choices is responsible manufacture and responsible end-of-life stewardship. We don't quite seem to be there yet, but take heart: think about the time lag between onset of chemical agriculture and onset of the organics label.

I'll start with the easiest category, which is energy consumption during use. The gummint's Energy Star program includes computers. It's not the most cutting-edge program, but it is pretty good. Once you buy a machine, you can conserve by turning it completely off when you are not using it. Be sure to also use whatever "energy saver" settings are available so that it sleeps when you pause for a while. Do not use the incorrectly named "screen savers," and do not believe people who claim that restarting your computer uses more energy than leaving it on. It is not true.

Manufacture and disposal are a bit harder to suss. As previously discussed by yours truly, small electronic gizmos are built from useful but toxic materials. Lead solder, mercury switches, beryllium something-or-others, brominated flame retardants, PVC ... manufacturers set out to make an effective, economical machine, and these are the resultant materials which, unfortunately, surround us in our homes. Remember, we asked for it.

The future of computer fabrication from an environmental standpoint includes designing machines that can be upgraded by part replacement rather than wholesale junking, can be easily taken apart at reclamation sites, and, of course, contain less-toxic materials when possible. We need to be sure that these toxics do not end up in landfills, but are instead reclaimed. When you are shopping, you could decide to purposefully support a manufacturer with an end-of-life takeback policy, which is also starting to adjust production techniques. I had a hard time finding an easy ranking of manufacturers on this front. The best I can do for you is my previous column on computer recycling, and a report from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition from a few years back. Better than nothing!
Remember, you are basically breaking new consumer ground here. When you make your choice, let the company know why you chose them, and send letters to a few other manufacturers to let them know why they lost out. Every letter makes a small dent in everyone's indifference to this issue.

Motherboardly,
Umbra

Playing Guessing Games with PS3 Date

2006-01-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

The two big questions surrounding Sony's PlayStation 3 are "when?" and "how much?" Last week the consensus from analysts and developers was that Sony's next-gen system would fall somewhere in the range of $500 (in large part thanks to its expensive Blu-ray drive).

Following the rather muted showing at the Consumer Electronics Show and the fact that Sony had very little to say about the PS3 at the event (Sony CEO Howard Stringer talked much more about the PSP), some analysts are now beginning to question if the PS3 will even launch in North America this year, according to an article on MarketWatch. At this point, it's fairly clear that Sony's "Spring 2006" date refers only to a possible Japanese debut at that time, but even that is hardly set in stone.

One of the big challenges Sony faces is being able to mass produce enough of the much-ballyhooed Cell chip. Analysts have indicated that Sony could miss its original launch window as it waits to make sure that chip yield is maximized before starting the PS3 manufacturing process. "The decision as to whether to delay the PS3 launch has yet to be made and is dependent on (improving its chip yield)," said William Drewry of Credit Suisse First Boston.
If there is a delay, however, Drewry added that he doesn't believe it will be that long. "We view any potential delay as being one to two months rather than six months duration," he said.
Evan Wilson, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, believes "the most likely scenario" is that Sony will release the PS3 this summer in Japan with a shipment of roughly 1 million units and that the U.S. would be next with a million units in November. Wilson expects the European launch to be pushed out to March 2007.

The problem right now, though, is that Sony needs to get a solid launch lineup ready for the console's debut and as Wilson points out, "All we've seen are [demonstration games] running on a box supposed to be the equivalent of the PS3. We really have no idea."

Schelley Olhava, an analyst with IDC, added, "You don't need to come out with 20 games for a Japan launch, whereas in the U.S. your need have about 15 to 20 games, plus a few that really stand out."

Even if the PS3 makes it out on time in the U.S. for holiday 2006, the Xbox 360 will be entering its second holiday period and will likely have a very solid group of second-generation 360 titles. The competition is bound to be fierce. Wilson said he expects the PS3 titles to be "clearly weaker than the Xbox 360 holiday 2006 line-up."

Windows Wi-Fi Flaw Lets Others See Your Stuff

2006-01-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

A security researcher warned over the weekend that the way Windows XP and 2000 look for wireless connections can be used by hackers to dip into unsuspecting users' hard drives.
Calling the flaw a "configuration error" rather than a true vulnerability, researcher Mark Loveless claimed that when Windows powers up but doesn't find a wireless access point, it creates an ad hoc network, complete with the SSID, the Wi-Fi network identifier, like "linkysys" or "actiontec," of the last network connection.

Other laptops, when set to sniff for the same SSID, can listen for such connections, and when they find one, create a peer-to-peer link between the two PCs, said Loveless. Once connected, the attacker could conceivably introduce malicious code and/or access files on the laptop's hard drive.

"In Windows 2000 and Windows XP and [XP] SP1, this all happens in the background without the user's knowledge," Loveless said in his notes on the bug. "On Windows XP SP2, the user is notified it has 'attached' to an ad-hoc network, when in fact it has simply started advertising the ad-hoc network."

Loveless also claimed that in real-world tests, he would have been able to connect to 11 different laptops on four airline flights.

Microsoft, said Loveless, was notified of the problem in mid-October, and since has not only confirmed the issue, but said it would address it in the next Service Pack. That's not saying much, however, since Windows 2000 will have no new Service Packs, while the next for Windows XP, SP3, won't release until late 2007.

In the meantime, he recommended that users disable wireless when it's not used, or set Windows' wireless to connect only to access points, not individual notebooks.

To do the latter, click on the wireless icon in the System tray, and open the Wireless Network Connection Properties window. Click on the Wireless Network tab, click on the Advanced button, and click on "Access point (infrastructure) networks only."

An even easier way to block the "feature," said security experts Tuesday, is to use any firewall, even Windows XP's default firewall.

Demand for viewing TV on the mobile strong in the UK: Study

2006-01-18T16:56:00.000-08:00

In the UK there is strong demand for watching television delivered over mobile phones. However people prefer watching mobile television at home rather than when they travel.
Telecom firm O2 conducted a trial at Oxford. O2 started TV trials using the DVB-H technology in Oxford last September.

It suggests consumers watch more mobile TV if offered more channels. BT/Virgin offered just three channels and users watched an average of 66 minutes a week. But users of the Arqiva/O2 service, which had 16 channels, watched three hours a week.

O2's trial showed that usage was heaviest in the morning, at lunchtime and in the early evening. O2 was particularly surprised to find that 36% of viewing was at home, more than at work or on public transport.

Overall, 83 per cent of those surveyed said they were satisfied with the service. 76 per cent of the respondents said that they would sign up for one costing up to £10 a month - twice what users of the BT/Virgin service said they would pay.

The channels being ofered cover different genres including soaps, sports and music. There is also a 'specialist channels' with shopping and gaming.

Why I’ve Gone Digital – And Still Keep My Old Camera

2006-01-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

There has always been a debate about what is better. Traditional cameras using film, or the so called new technology, storing pictures in digital form on memory cards, in computers or on CD-Rom.

As being a photographer for more than half of my life, I stuck with traditional film for very long. About 7 years ago I started to supplement my work with photos taken the digital way. A point and shoot camera with just 640x480 pixel resolution was the most attractive gadget I had these days. Its lens was even capable of doing close-up work, using a macro switch.
That Fujifilm DX-7 was upgraded with a bigger Memory-Card and the camera served me well for several years.

Anyway, over time, I was still more satisfied with the possibilities my collection of Pentax SLR cameras gave me. It started with using the best lenses for each picture or just using a Zoom (which offers a range from wide angle to telephoto), changing the shutter speed to either stop or blur the motion of objects in the picture, use external flashlights, change the aperture openings to adjust the range of sharpness and lots more. Not forgetting the better picture quality I could get from a 35mm negative or slide. I was happy to use my heavy, solid metal camera.

The world changed for me when camera makers like Nikon and Canon introduced their Digital SLR Cameras. I went to my local camera shop every week and debated with the salesman about advantages and disadvantages of the models they had on sale. Also I checked with lots of users in online services to get first hand feedback on how these cameras performed. Finally, when Pentax introduced their Digital SLRs, I couldn’t wait much longer. I needed to have one of those.
With the Pentax 1st DS have a whole list of advantages over smaller Digital Cameras:

I can use the same lenses that fit my traditional camera
Have full control over speed and aperture
I can see the picture immediately after it is taken
I can shoot a series of pictures and choose the best (at no extra cost for film or paper)
A good resolution of 6 Megapixel which allows quite big prints
It weights more than a compact digital camera, so you can hold it steady more easily
Make use of all the filters, flashlights, lenses and accessories I have collected over the years.
Storing the pictures on the PC via a fast USB connection
Up to 1 GB storage on a SD Memory Card (about 380 jpg photos)
Selecting only the best photos for printing
With all these advantages of digital SLR Cameras, you may wonder why I still keep my old 35mm film cameras with me. First, it is emotional, and second, photographing the old fashioned way keeps me calm. You just need more time to produce an excellent, satisfying photograph (because you cannot see the result right after the shot).
Article © 2006 www.digtialcameratips.de

Garmin Announces GPS Product Support for Mac OS X

2006-01-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd, today announced that it will immediately begin to make its line of GPS and mobile electronics devices compatible with Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger." This makes Garmin the first major GPS designer and manufacturer to announce direct support for Mac OS X.

"We are very excited to be supporting the many tech-savvy Garmin users who are also Mac devotees," said Min Kao, Garmin Ltd.'s chairman and CEO. "Mac users have been encouraging us to make our GPS units Mac compatible, and we've listened. We hope this brings the many benefits of GPS to current Mac users and invites future Apple customers to the Garmin fold."

"The popularity of Mac OS X is attracting many first time developers to the Mac and driving astonishing innovation," said Ron Okamoto, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. "We're thrilled to welcome Garmin to the platform and look forward to exciting new applications that take advantage of its GPS-based products and Mac OS X."

Beginning in spring 2006, Garmin will offer a Mac version of its popular Training Center software. Used with Garmin's line of Forerunner and Edge series of fitness products, the Training Center software lets users plan and analyze workouts. Fitness enthusiasts can create their own workouts or use workout templates that can be downloaded into the unit for any level of personal training. The software also offers interactive analysis tools that will now allow Mac users to chart their performance information like speed, heart rate, cadence, elevation, and pace.

Also in spring 2006, Garmin will make the http://www.motionbased.com/ upload interface Mac compatible. MotionBased.com translates GPS data into performance analysis, online mapping, and route sharing for endurance and outdoor athletes. Data collected by a Garmin GPS device is uploaded to MotionBased.com where time, distance, speed, elevation, cadence, grade, and heart rate analysis is displayed through charts, illustrations, and reports. This activity data can also be displayed as a route and replayed on street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps as well as the popular Google Earth service. Members can also use the TrailNetwork database to seek out and download new activities in their region, to find popular routes while traveling, or to engage in "virtual races" with other MotionBased users.

By the end of 2006, Garmin intends to have made all its popular hardware and software applications Mac OS X compatible. This includes the ability to load MapSource map data to Garmin units via a Mac, as well as waypoint and trip planning applications. Additionally, the Garmin nRoute application will allow Powerbook and iBook users to turn their laptop into a powerful street navigation tool with Garmin's GPS 10 or GPS 18 sensors.

Garmin International Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. group of companies, which designs and manufactures navigation, communication and information devices -- most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin is a leader in the general aviation and consumer GPS markets and its products serve aviation, marine, outdoor recreation, automotive, wireless and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at http://www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, Forerunner, and MapSource are registered trademarks, and Edge, Training Center, MotionBased, TrailNetwork. and nRoute are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Anticipated product availability dates are based on management's current expectations and are not guaranteed.
Web site: http://www.garmin.com/ http://www.motionbased.com/

Intel Makes Giant Leap Ahead In Technology, Lambastes AMD

2006-01-16T05:11:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks have been quite great for the No 1. chip manufacturer, Intel, a.k.a. “Chipzilla”. First, it was CES, where the company presented its latest mobile PC-oriented dual-core chip. Then, MacWorld Expo, where Steve Jobs unveiled the first Intel-based Macs. Thus, Intel seems to be all over the place right now, as it tries to make everyone forget about it’s great rival, AMD.

Thus, at CES, Intel made sure everyone knew it was first to market with a dual-core chip for mobile PCs. This comes after AMD's firsts with 64-bit x86 processors and dual-core x86 processors for server applications. Intel also used CES to position itself at the center of the emerging digital-home market. This month Intel officials say the company will ship more than 1 million units of the new Core Duo, the official name for the dual-core mobile processor that previously was code-named Yonah. The quick ramp-up reflects laptop makers' pent-up demand for the dual-core designs that will be marketed under the Centrino Duo platform brand. Intel says it already has commitments for 230 laptop models to use the new chip and platform, including more than 130 expected to ship this quarter.

One of those is expected to be a new Apple Computer laptop, the company's first to use Intel-based chips, as many Apple customers have been frustrated the past year as the company continued shipping laptops that used older-generation G4 PowerPC processors made by Freescale Semiconductor Inc. The Centrino Duo mobile technology is a big move by Intel at a time when sales of notebooks in the US have surpassed that of desktops. Further appealing characteristics of the new microprocessor are that the Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology improves performance significantly and battery life for the wireless laptop market segment.

The Core Duo chip "is the closet thing in my life I've seen to defying the law of gravity," says Mooly Eden, VP and general manager of Intel's mobile platforms group. It will provide a 78% performance boost with a simultaneous 28% power reduction, he says.

AMD plans to ship a dual-core version of its Turion platform for mobile computing in the first half of the year, says Bahr Mahony, director of AMD's mobile division. The Intel Duo Core is based on the 32-bit Pentium M processor architecture, Mahony notes, while AMD's offering provides 64-bit capabilities that will be able to take greater advantage of the upcoming Microsoft Vista operating system.

The new architecture of the Intel Core Duo processor will also allow hardware manufacturers to maintain a sleek form factor of their products, be it for entertainment PCs, or notebooks. “With our new platforms, we’re not only boosting wireless computing, but also advancing digital entertainment a few steps closer to being effortless,” said Otellini.

Just as we enabled exciting new norms with wireless broadband laptops, we’re working with computer, CE and entertainment companies to make home entertainment easier. Our unique processors, tailored platform features and joint work with these industries exemplify our push to advance on–demand delivery of movies, TV, music, games and photos to any home on virtually any screen.”

In other words, Intel is throwing its best on the market. Mobile entertainment, mobile computing, “Leap Ahead” seems to be everywhere. And knowing Intel, probably it still has some great products in development, of which nobody yet knows anything, but which will probably hit the market at just the right time.
source:playfuls.com

Seagate claims largest laptop hard drive

2006-01-16T04:59:00.000-08:00

Seagate has produced a 160GB laptop drive - the highest capacity 2.5in drive on the market.

The Momentus 5400.3 drive is Seagate's first laptop drive to use perpendicular data recording - a technique fast being adopted by other disk makers. By the end of this year, it hopes to have all of its products will using the technology.

The drive, as its name suggests, runs at 5,400 rpm and is designed specifically for laptops. The version shipping now has an Ultra ATA/100 interface and a second version with a faster Serial ATA interface will be available later this year, said Seagate. No price was given for either drive.

Perpendicular data recording involves standing the magnetic fields that represent data bits upright. In most current drives these fields lay flat on the disk surface. Standing them upright means they take less space, enabling more to be packed on the disk and the storage capacity to be increased.
source:techworld.com

Thunderbird 1.5 Goes Gold

2006-01-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

The new and improved Thunderbird e-mail client took flight Thursday.

While not as well-loved as the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox Web browser, this open-source e-mail client has had more than 18 million downloads since its launch in December 2004, according to Mozilla.

Thunderbird 1.5, as we expected from our review of the December beta of the program, is an outstanding e-mail client. While it still doesn't support contact management or calendaring, thus making it unsuitable for enterprise uses, individual and small business users will be pleased with this new version.

"With a host of new and improved features, Thunderbird 1.5 provides users with a robust, free e-mail alternative," said Mozilla Vice President of Products Christopher Beard.

Thunderbird enhances the overall e-mail experience, adding anti-phishing capabilities to help keep people safer, while also integrating and simplifying access to new technologies, such as RSS [Really Simple Syndication]," said Beard.

The improved Thunderbird offers such new features as a built-in "phishing" detector and support for listening to podcasts.
source:eweek.com

Technology or Spirituality: Which One Will ‘Save’ Us?

2006-01-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

Many people these days believe that technology, and in particular Information Technology, is the key to attaining a future world that is both ecologically and environmentally sustainable, as well as being socially stable. Are they right? Others believe that a balanced spirituality, one that focuses on generosity, peace, and compassion will have to be the main ingredient in a recipe for true human evolution. What do you think? Is this a black and white issue? It seems that most challenges that humanity comes across these days are solved by thinking laterally, often with multiple answers and solutions being utilized. This diverse approach to solving problems may be the ‘angle’ that we need to take in order to become the safe, healthy, happy world that we have always dreamt about. Could technology and spirituality one day combine to form one mighty force? Some might even ask, “Is it already happening now, right beneath our noses?”

Working for an Internet company I am pretty much surrounded by ‘technical’ people; analytical people, problem solvers. When I first arrived in the office I was shocked by the complete lack of biological and aesthetic life here. No plants, no photos or paintings on the wall. It was definitely not a place one would think of when contemplating spirituality. Spiritual places are forests, oceans, ancient temples, art galleries-definitely not I.T. offices. I wondered how my fellow species could survive in an environment so devoid of beauty, nature, and creativity-ironically the one power we need to develop new technologies. They all looked so content staring into their blue computer monitors, fingers ticking softly and speedily on their keyboards. It was actually frightening; a horror film where the soft, constant, monotonous ticking is the only sound filtering through the empty silence.

After studying and reading about many different religions and cultures one gets a pretty good picture of what a spiritual person looks like. Or do you? Are people that transparent that you can tell what their intentions are just by observing their material/physical self? Are all priests generous? Are all tech-heads oblivious to the larger pictures of the Earth and the infinite Universe that we are part of? The answers are starting to reveal themselves.

Bill Gates is an excellent example of a tech-head who has crossed over (unless his intentions by building software were always altruistic, were they?) into a more spiritual world of compassion and generosity. The world’s richest man and his wife now run an organization (www.gatesfoundation.org/) that invests huge amounts of money into medical research so that human children of the future needn’t die of disease. They are focusing in particular on helping poor children in developing nations. Strangely enough, Bill has been strongly criticized by colleagues who don’t see these ventures as being profitable. However, many others have been inspired by such generosity and so have invested billions in the same schemes.

On the other hand, a friend of mine told me the other day about how one of the most famous spiritual leaders in the world, Tibet’s 14th Dalai Lama, has just put a website on the Internet at www.dalailama.com. Now people interested in Buddhism all over the world can read about and even communicate with this renowned peaceful human being. On the Internet: and he’s not the only one sharing wisdom on the web, let me tell you. Do you see the picture slowly materializing in your frontal lobe? There’s something going on here.

Some people think that technology will ‘save’ us. Others think we need to go back in time, back to tribal ways of living in order to create the social cohesion necessary for our species to grow together and survive as one. The answer could be more simplistic than we ever may have imagined. Building software is great, but if the maker’s sole intention is for personal gain and immense wealth, well, be careful if you’re investing. I’ve read that if one builds a fence with anger and suffering (yelling at the planks of wood when they don’t line up properly), relations with neighbors may deteriorate. If one cooks a meal with love and enjoyment through the meal-making process, your family and friends will enjoy the flavors more, and show more gratitude for your efforts.

Sound like superstition? Attitude is everything. Technology may be a major factor in our world’s survival, but only if it walks hand-in-hand with an attitude that is truly focused on the betterment of humankind. What better thing to work for? We all spend a lifetime chipping away at our goals and dreams. Why not build your next program with the intention of evolving our species to the next level? Or, is that what you’ve been doing from the start?
source:articlecity.com

Playstation 3 might cost $500

2006-01-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

The article's author, Chris Morris, said he spoke with "several developers" who made estimates ranging from $300 to upwards of $700, but the prevailing wind seems to be blowing in the direction of $500.

Of course, Sony itself hasn't made any announcements regarding their actual plan. Microsoft should be so lucky!

If the prognostication turns out to be true, it would mean Sony fans will be shelling out an extra $100 for their next-gen consoles, compared to the Xbox 360. Or $200 if you pretend the hard drive-less X360 is equivalent to the basic PS3.

One of the major reasons for the proposed higher price tag is the PS3's inclusion of a Blu-Ray DVD drive. Compare that price with the $1,800 for a Blu-Ray DVD player and Sony's console seems like a steal.

MS says it will definitely be offering a HD-DVD add-on drive for the X360, and possibly one for the Blu-Ray format as well, depending on consumer demand. But how much is one of those going to cost? $100 dollars? More? I'll guess, at least $100. That alone would make the two consoles comparable, and the PS3 possibly cheaper.

But we won't really be able to do the math until Sony stops being so coy, and MS starts shipping their add-on drives. So it comes down to wait and see, oh, and which games you want to play. Not that we know exactly what the PS3 release line-up is going to be. µ

Apple Goes Mobile?

2006-01-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

Let the speculation begin! Again Apple in in the center of media attention and this time is not about Mac World Expo or the new Apple-Intel relationship. This time is something bigger.

During last year, Motorola teamed up with Apple and the result was Motorola ROKR,the first iTunes compatible phone, whichs was considered by media and analysts a failure. This year at CES 2006, Motorola has launched Motorola ROKR E2, but this new model has nothing to do with Apple and iTunes.

But at the begining of this year, on January 5, Apple made a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the phrase "Mobile Me" for use in a wide range of businesses. This move was just the start for speculation that Apple could introduce an iPod phone.

The areas that the trademark covers include computing devices, mobile devices, and mobile services including digital music, video, games, e-mail, and messaging across Internet, intranets, extranets, television, cellular, and satellite networks, the filing shows.

In one application, Apples "Mobile Me" would apply to "mobile telephone communications services" and "telecommunication services for the dissemination of information by mobile telephone, namely the transmission of data to mobile telephones." As you can see, for the moment is still unclear if Apple want to develop some kind of services for mobile phones or will launch a hybrid between a cell phone and iPod. In the mobile phones market, the leader is Nokia, followed by Motorola and Samsung.
source : playfuls.com

What is PocketDISH?

2006-01-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

PocketDish by Dish Network is an ingenious video, music, game and photo device that’s compact enough to fit into a pocket or purse. You can store TV programs, music, your favorite games and photos on PocketDish.

PocketDish was created by Dish Network, the fastest-growing U.S. satellite-television service, and the first pay-TV service provider to enter the market of portable video players. Using cutting-edge digital technology, the designers of Dish Network's PocketDish have created a miniature, multi-purpose entertainment system that’s perfect for people on the go, offering super-fast downloads and crystal-clear images.

This portable media player is available in three versions: two compact, handheld media recorders, and one portable media player. The video recorder has a 7-inch liquid crystal display and a 40GB hard drive, The two media players have 2.2 and 4-inch displays and hard drives of 20 or 30GB. Each of the three PocketDish models come equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that gives you four hours of video and 12 hours of audio.

All PocketDish models can be plugged into the USB 2.0 ports on Dish’s Network’s Dish Player 942 for fast downloading of programs. An hour of Dish Network programming can be downloaded in about five minutes. You can transfer a full-length movie with PocketDish in under 10 minutes!

Transferring Dish Network content is easy. Just connect the PocketDish to your DVR using the USB cable included with PocketDish. Once connected, a series of prompts on the screen will direct you through the transfer of content stored on your DVR. With the receiver, you can also manage the content of your PocketDish. When the transfer is concluded, simply chose “Done” and disconnect the cable from the PocketDish and the DVR. PocketDish will then update all files. The new programs can be accessed using the Video icon; they’re stored in the folder called Dish Network.

PocketDish offers great options for music and TV lovers:

TV/VIDEO: With more options than a portable DVD player, PocketDish lets you transfer programs from select Dish Network DVR receivers. You can enjoy your favorite programs anytime, anywhere.

MUSIC: Download your entire digital music library. With PocketDish, you can have thousands of MP3, WMA or WAV music files at your fingertips, all attractively presented, with cover art and play lists to suit any mood.

PHOTOS: Store up to an incredible 400,000 images and view them on the PocketDish’s crisp LCD screen or on a connected TV.

GAMES: Download all kinds of fun, from mind-bending brain puzzlers to your favorite role-playing and adventure games for fast, challenging entertainment.

PocketDish by Dish Network offers the best in portable audio and video. Take PocketDish with you anywhere, anytime, and you’ll have easy access to your favorite TV programs, photos and games. With Dish Network’s PocketDish, you can also record and play downloads from PCs and Macs, from digital cameras, digital video players, camcorders and VCRs. Plus, PocketDish is compatible with most television sets. Fun and convenient, PocketDish is ideal for the frequent traveler.
source:articlecity.com

IBM, Partners Extend Cell Chip Alliance

2006-01-14T07:22:00.000-08:00

Having successfully collaborated on the Cell microprocessor, IBM, Sony, and Toshiba are taking their partnership to the next level with a five-year extension of a technology-development alliance and an eye toward creating the next generation of small-scale chips.
The three companies have pledged to join forces on research related to 32-nanometer process technologies in an effort to speed the development of processors for consumer products and other applications.

Their first effort, the Cell chip, will power the next-generation Sony PlayStation 3 console, and is designed to deliver supercomputer-grade processing power to digital-entertainment hardware.
Beyond entertainment computing, the Cell chip offers native support for multiple systems, including Linux and consumer-electronics applications. The three partners project that a Cell-based workstation will reach a processing-performance level of 16 teraflops -- or 16 trillion calculations per second.

Technology Breakthrough

"All three companies are committed to joint research focusing on the basic building blocks of microprocessor technology," said IBM spokesperson Bruce McConnel. "It has been a good partnership to date, and now we are working on the next breakthrough in chips for an array of commercial products."

While the Cell design is based on SOI (silicon-on-insulator) process technologies in the range of 90 and 65 nanometers, creating processors with components as small as 30 nanometers will improve the performance and development costs of products featuring even smaller chips.
Cell is an architecture for a family of chips, including Cell Broadband, that can process massive amounts of data. At this point, the applications for Cell are still emerging. To that end, the three partners are offering to customers technical evaluations and access to tools for building systems based on Cell.

Combined Strengths

IBM is taking the same approach that it employed with the Power architecture, said Illuminata's Gordon Haff, by making it easier for partners to use new processor technology.
"Cell was initially targeted at gaming consoles but it could be used more widely for a number of high-performance computing tasks," he said.

Toshiba brings to the table its process technology and manufacturing capabilities, while Sony provides expertise in electronics and consumer markets. IBM's strength in this case is in its cutting-edge materials technology.
source :sci-tech-today.com

The Hidden Risks of Wi-Fi

2006-01-13T16:37:00.000-08:00

Most of us in the business world today, especially those who travel, can't live without our laptops and readily available Wi-Fi connections. All new laptops today have Wi-Fi built in as a default configuration, and if you want one without such wireless capability, it's a special order. Our world has certainly changed.

Wireless networks offer tremendous benefits, but they also present significant risks, particularly end-point security , which is the requirement for end devices to be managed and secured whether or not they are connected to the corporate network. As more mobile workers use their laptops to connect to corporate and public Wi-Fi networks, I.T. departments and end users will need to be aware of the risks and implement the right mitigation plans.

Most Wi-Fi security stories focus on over-the-air data encryption, wireless access control or intrusion prevention. Although these are important issues, there are hidden risks with wireless that may not be well known but still present some serious security challenges. Two of them are working in ad hoc mode and dual homing, which is simultaneous connection to two networks.
Wireless laptops in ad hoc mode. Wireless network interface cards (NICs) operate in two modes -- infrastructure and ad hoc. Infrastructure mode is when you connect to an access point, perhaps in your office, at home or a public hotspot.

Ad hoc mode allows you to make your laptop behave like an access point and have others connect to you through a peer-to-peer wireless connection. Wireless laptops in ad hoc mode are prime targets for hackers to connect to and steal information because it is easy to do so and almost undetectable.

Many users inadvertently have their wireless NIC set to ad hoc mode by default because that's how the laptop manufacturer sets it, or they may have turned it on before but forgot to switch back to infrastructure mode.

An even scarier scenario occurs when a hacker sets his laptop as an ad hoc connection with the same name as a legitimate network, causing unsuspecting users to connect to it thinking it is a valid Wi-Fi network and divulge important information such as passwords or credit card numbers.

Dual homing. Most laptops today have two NICs -- one for a wired connection (Ethernet, dial-up, etc.) and one for Wi-Fi. This enables the laptop to be dual homed, or connected to two networks at the same time.

If the Wi-Fi card is set to ad hoc mode and the user logs on to the wired network, hackers can easily connect to the laptop via ad hoc mode and then get access to the wired portion of the enterprise network using the dual-homed laptop as a conduit.

Here are some simple steps to help you avoid these risks:

Turn off your wireless ad hoc mode and don't connect to other ad hoc networks unless you have a very good reason to do so, perhaps to exchange information among trusted people in a secure meeting room. The rule of thumb, however, should be: Don't use ad hoc networks.

Before connecting to your corporate wired network, disable your wireless card, or check that your wireless NIC isn't in ad hoc mode and isn't connected to any wireless network .

Ask your I.T. department for the corporate wireless usage policy and adhere to it. The policies are intended to protect corporate information, and all mobile users share that responsibility.
And here are some things I.T. departments can do to ensure secure and manageable wireless computing:

Don't look at wireless as a separate island of technology; it is an integral part of your enterprise.
Enterprise I.T. management must include the security and management of wireless end devices -- both in connected and disconnected modes.

Utilize a comprehensive enterprise management solution that provides automatic policy enforcement across wired and wireless systems.

Network connectivity will continue to be a hybrid of wired and wireless. Adhering to best practices will help secure our devices and prevent corporate information from being compromised.
source : newsfactor.com

Levi Unveils iPod-Ready Jeans

2006-01-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

Levi Strauss has announced a new range of jeans specifically geared toward iPod users. They come complete with built-in headphones, joystick, and even a docking cradle.
The RedWire DLX line of jeans, due to be in stores by the end of 2006, will be available for men and women, and tentatively priced at $200.

The jeans will have a special side pocket where an iPod can be stored. And a remote control that comes with the jeans will allow the user to control the player without having to take it from the pocket.

IPod, You Pod

Currently, Apple's iPod is the top selling digital-music player, prompting a number of companies to design accessories geared toward iPod users.

Popular additions have included expensive iPod cases, docking stations that can be used in cars, and jackets with iPod pockets on the sleeves.

The prevalence of so many accessories prompted Apple to announce a program for third-party vendors, in which a "Made for iPod" logo could be used in exchange for a slice of the revenue.
Although the program has its critics, who grouse about the "iPod tax," Apple is likely to keep tapping vendors who seek to gain iPod legitimacy.
Wearable Computing

The drive to design clothing that can handle gadgets is not a new concept. For several years, "wearable computing" has been researched by The Media Lab, the multimedia think tank of MIT.

In early 2005, apparel maker Burton teamed with Motorola for a line of clothing geared toward snowboarders, which featured special padded casing in pockets for cell phones and MP3 players.
"As people carry multiple gadgets, you're going to see more clothing makers thinking about how to serve that market," said Scott Jordan, founder of SCOTTeVEST, a maker of gadget-friendly vests, jackets, and pants.

"There's more consciousness now about what people are carrying, as well as what they're wearing.
source :sci-tech-today.com

Anti-Spyware Group Issues Final Guidelines

2006-01-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

THE DIVIDE BETWEEN ADWARE COMPANIES and software removal vendors seems to have grown in the last year, with at least one major lawsuit, and increasingly inflammatory rhetoric on all sides.

Adware comps accuse anti-spyware vendors of defaming them, and wrongly classifying and removing software that users might want. Adware company 180solutions last November filed a suit against software removal company Zone Labs, which classified 180solutions as a high security risk; charges included "trade libel," unfair trade practices, and tortious interference with business expectancies.

Others say that software removal companies provide a valuable service to consumers who have inadvertently downloaded adware programs--or, worse, have been victims of programs that downloaded themselves through exploits.

Now, in an attempt to bridge the disconnect between adware companies and software removal vendors, the Anti-Spyware Coalition--a group convened by the Center for Democracy and Technology that includes anti-spyware vendors like Aluria, Lavasoft, and McAfee, as well as major Internet companies AOL Microsoft and Yahoo!-- has released a final draft of its "risk model description."

The model--touted by the Anti-Spyware Coalition as providing transparency to the rationale for classifying programs as potentially harmful--sets out a complicated matrix of factors used to categorize adware and other software. For instance, the model asks whether the software delivers ads. If so, the question then becomes whether the ads are attributed to their source program clearly (considered low-risk), indirectly via a pop-up with a label (considered medium-risk), or not at all (high-risk).

But these are only some of the criteria. The model also looks at other factors, including circumstances surrounding installation. For example, an installation originating at a site designed for children is considered medium-risk.

While the 16-page report details a variety of criteria, it stops short of recommending a formula to determine whether programs should be targeted for removal. For that reason, the document isn't likely to completely satisfy the concerns of adware companies.

Sean Sundwall, director of corporate communications at 180solutions, said that his company, for one, is concerned that the draft doesn't provide clear guideline for when software programs should be targeted for removal. "Overall, the risk factors document appears to address the most egregious behaviors and draws appropriate boundaries that clearly define what is and is not acceptable," said Sundwall in an e-mail to OnlineMediaDaily. But, he added: "Our biggest concern is that scanning applications still have enough latitude in implementing these standards to make them meaningless. The worth of these criteria will largely be determined by how closely the scanning applications actually follow them."

David McGuire, spokesman for the Center for Democracy and Technology, said the purpose of the document is to "bring clarity to the process that anti-spyware companies use to identify dangerous behaviors in software" rather than to tell companies how to decide which programs to remove. "We're not seeking to homogenize anti-spyware technology," he said. "We think diversity is a real value."
source :publications.mediapost.com

Tip of the Week : Fix Annoying Popups in 5 Minutes or Less

2006-01-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

What are "Annoying Popups"? "Popup" is the most commonly used term to refer to unwanted popup windows or dialog boxes.

Annoying popups are windows or any type of dialog boxes that pop up when you don't want them to.

The two most common types are: popup advertising on webpages (not necessarily spyware) and popup advertising from programs installed on your computer (usually spyware)
Fixing popup advertising is usually a matter installing a free popup blocker or removing spyware.

Since most unwanted popup windows come from advertising, the quickest way to solve a severe problem of this nature is to run scans for spyware or adware on your computer.

FixTool recommends the following absolutely free (to run and fix) scans:

1) Microsoft Anti-Spyware (Requires a legitimate copy of Windows)

2) Lavasoft Ad-Aware

3) Panda ActiveScan

Both Microsoft Anti-Spyware and Lavasoft Ad-Aware are listed on the quick access menu at PcFixTool.com for your convenience.

A) Are you receiving the popup message(s) on bootup?
Popup messages on bootup, unless they blatantly seem like advertising, are usually caused by faulty software.

If the message is regarding a missing file, please see our missing file tutorial (on pcfixtool.com).
If the message is a general error, you just need to optimize what happens when your computer boots up. It's easier than you think, read the FixTool bootup guide for more information.

B) Are you receiving the popup messages(s) while browsing the internet?
A lot of legitimate websites use standard popup and popunder advertising because it's the highest paying form of per-impression advertising on the internet.
Luckily, there are several FREE solutions to your problem. The best way to cut down on popups is the use a popup blocker. A popup blocker is included in the latest version of Internet Explorer.
(The easiest way to Update Internet Explorer is through Windows Update.)
Alternatively, you may download a free toolbar from one of the following credible companies:
(recommended in order)

1) Google Toolbar
2) Alexa Toolbar
3) MSN Toolbar

C) Are you receiving the popup messages(s) while trying to run a program?
Popup messages of this type are almost certainly error messages. Your first course of action should be to contact the vendor responsible for the application. Be sure to include a detailed description of the error message.

If this is not an acceptable option:
1) Do you have the original CD or setup file? Try Re-Installing the Application.
2) Try typing the message into google exactly as you see in on screen. This will likely give you more information about the specific problem you are experiencing.
source : articlecity.com

Apple prepares to launch low-cost laptop and cheap iPod

2006-01-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

Apple, the US computing and consumer electronics giant, is to launch a low-cost laptop. Company founder and chief executive Steve Jobs hopes to be able to unveil the device this week in San Francisco along with a new low-cost iPod and some other surprises.

As revealed by The Business last year, Apple has been working to develop a low-cost laptop to encourage consumers using Apple iPod music players to buy its computers.

Despite recent legal attempts by Apple to silence US-based website ThinkSecret, which has been predicting the imminent launch of a cheap laptop, US analysts believe Apple plans to unveil a new laptop this week. Apple has taken ThinkSecret to court with allegations that recent postings on its site outlining planned Apple products revealed trade secrets.

Apple shocked the computer industry last year by announcing it was ditching its long-term loyalty to IBM PowerPC microchips in favour of Intel processors, which have traditionally powered rival PCs running Windows software produced by Apple's rival, Microsoft.

US analysts believe a low-cost Apple laptop running on Intel processors would enable Apple to capitalise on the success of its range of iPod music players by tempting iPod owners to switch from Microsoft-based computers to Apple machines.

Apple is also believed to have been working on a new version of its lowest-priced music player, the iPod Shuffle, which costs from 69 (E100, $118.68). The Shuffle is unique in the iPod range in not having a screen. Industry sources believe Apple has been hoping to have a new version of the Shuffle complete with a screen ready in time for Macworld, Apple's biannual new product showcase being held in San Francisco Tuesday.

Other products under development likely to be unveiled at Macworld include software and hardware designed to link existing Apple products and software to TVs and hi-fi in the living room. There is also speculation in the US that Apple hopes to be able to launch its own version of Office software. Currently anyone buying Apple laptops or PCs has to pay 109 upwards for an Apple-friendly version of Microsoft Office.

But Steve Jobs is nothing if not a showman and he may have additional surprises up his sleeve on Tuesday. This weekend Jobs was conducting gruelling rehearsals of his presentation, which as well as being seen by thousands of people in San Francisco will be simultaneously broadcast to millions around the world to packed venues such as the BBC Television Centre in London.
source : tmcnet.com, Business, The (London) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge

Mobile Phone Glossary

2006-01-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

3G

The third generation of mobile networks, with video calling, web browsing and multimedia downloads of up to seven times faster than standard 2G networks.

Bluetooth

A specification for short-range wireless connectivity that allows users to make wire-free connections (via radio link) between a wide range of communications devices.

Dual-band

Phones that can switch between two different bands of frequencies. Most phones in the UK are now dual-band, capable of switching between GSM1800 and GSM900 frequencies. Useful for travellers allowing roaming on a greater number of networks across the world.

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service. Data communications upgrade for GSM networks, enabling a maximum data rate of up to 115kbps.

GSM

Global System for Mobile Communications. A digital cellular communications standard used throughout Europe, and elsewhere around the world.

Pre-pay/Pay-as-you-go

Service plans with no-contract and no line rental where you buy credit ‘vouchers’ in advance for calls. Each network has its own pre-pay service.

PUK

Your Personal Unblocking Key is an eight-digit number used to unblock your phone if you enter your PIN number incorrectly three times.
Roaming

The ability to use your phone abroad, this varies according to your service provider and their agreements with overseas networks.

Service Plan

A contract selected by subscribers when they purchase a pay monthly mobile phone, it usually consists of a base rate for network access and a per-minute rate for any calls made.

SIM

The Subscriber Identity Module is the smart card used in digital phones containing the user’s identity for accessing the network and receiving calls. It can also store personal information, such as a phone directory and received SMS messages.

SMS

Short Message Service allowing messages of up to 160 characters to be sent between phones on any network.

WAP

Wireless Application Protocol. An agreed standard which enables compatible mobile phones to access Internet-type services such as news, travel, entertainment, finance and sport.
http://www.mad4mobilephones.com/ – a UK mobile phone shop selling the latest handsets at the

lowest prices.
About The Author
Paul Smith is a mobile phone expert for http://www.mad4mobilephones.com/ - a UK mobile phone shop.

Apple Introduces MacBook Pro

2006-01-11T17:51:00.000-08:00

Rev up your digital life at speeds twice as fast as the previous iMac. Intel Core Duo and iLife ’06 raise the bar — again — of what makes a personal computer so personal. Enjoy everything you love about iMac, only turbocharged, starting at $1299.

Power has never been this much fun

No computer on earth makes it as easy to work with digital photos, movies, music and the web as iMac. And now it all happens with blazing speed — powered by the revolutionary Intel Core Duo. With two processors built onto a single chip, this new Intel engine kicks iMac performance up to a whole new level. Coupled with the new ATI Radeon X1600 graphics processor and the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS X, iMac will run all your software, fast.

It’s a wonderful iLife
iMac comes with iLife ’06, a suite of easy-to-use applications that make the spectacular part of your everyday life. Enhance, organize and share your photos via iPhoto. Make an epic starring your kid in iMovie. Turn your photo and movie creations into professional DVDs with iDVD. Create original music in GarageBand, even if you can’t carry a tune. Make podcasts and blogs. Then publish them online via your .Mac account and the all-new iWeb2.

The ultimate see and say
There’s an iSight camera built into every new iMac, so you can start a video chat (or join one) at a moment’s notice. There’s nothing extra to buy3, nothing to attach, no cords to fumble with, no software to install or configure4. Simply start up iChat AV, click your buddy’s video icon and you’re ready to chat with sight and sound — with up to three friends at once5. Proper attire suggested.

Now showing
With iMac, you’ve got the best seat in the house. The full-screen Front Row media experience — with its intuitive menus, large text and brilliant graphics — lets you browse the music, photos, and videos on your iMac as easily as you browse music on your iPod. And the new Apple Remote lets you do your browsing from anywhere in the room. So gather your friends and dazzle them with a slideshow of your vacation pics, a home movie or a DVD. iMac was born to entertain.
source : apple.com

Apple speeds up and goes to Intel

2006-01-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

IT WAS a marriage ceremony of huge significance to the computer industry: the wedding of Apple Computer, the great innovator of IT, and Intel, the world's largest microprocessor maker, and the main participants were suitably clad.

<---->

Steve Jobs, chief executive of Apple Computer, innovator, egoistic leader and peerless, charismatic showman, wore his signature jeans and black turtleneck sweater.

Paul Otellini, head of Intel, the world's biggest manufacturer of microprocessors, wore white - a chip maker's cleanroom suit and helmet - and carried, like a bouquet, a 30 centimetre wafer of the Intel Core Duo computer chips that from now on will power all Macintosh computers.
The thousands of Macintosh faithful crammed into the huge ballroom of the Moscone Convention Centre in San Francisco to hear Mr Jobs's keynote speech to open the annual Macworld Expo cheered, stamped and whistled as they greeted an alliance that is as significant for Intel as it is for Apple.

It is a clear sign that, in computing today, the living room has become more important than the office and the internet rules everything.

Companies such as Apple, Intel, Microsoft and, perhaps above all, Google, are now challenging the traditional champions of consumer electronics such as Sony and Panasonic in providing the hardware and software to deliver on-demand video, imaging, internet TV, and music.
They are changing the face of the entertainment industry.

Apple's iPod led the charge. More than 42 million of them had now been sold around the world, Mr Jobs said on Tuesday. Of that total, 32 million were sold in 2005. In the final quarter of calendar 2005 Apple sold 14 million - 100 every minute of every day - adding up to 83 per cent of the total world market for digital music players.

Apple has sold 850 million songs through its iTunes Music Stores in 20-odd countries, showing that online delivery is moving in on main street record shops.

But video is coming fast, too. More than 8 million short video clips made to be played on the new video iPod have been sold since mid-October and US TV and pay TV channels, such as ABC, NBC and ESPN, are rushing to sell prime-time programs and sports highlights that have been reformatted for the tiny iPod screen.

Mr Jobs said Apple's 135 company-owned retail shops around the US and the UK had 26 million visitors in the last quarter of 2005 and turned over more than $US1 billion ($1.333 billion) in sales in the quarter. Overall sales for the company in that quarter totalled $US5.7 billion, the highest on record.

Apple's share price went through $US80 on the day, representing a gain of about 2700 per cent since its $US12 low about four years ago. (The share has since twice been split two for one).
For Macintosh devotees the big news was the announcement of the first Intel model computers, released six months ahead of schedule: two iMacs, externally identical to the earlier PowerPC-chipped machines, but with Intel Core Duo chips. The 17-inch screen model with a 1.8GHz Intel processor will sell for $1999 and the 20-inch model, running a 2.0 GHz Intel chip, will sell for $2649. They are reputedly at least twice as fast as their predecessors.

Two models of a new laptop computer with a 15.4-inch screen have also been released with Intel processors, again six months ahead of earlier schedules. They will be available in Australia early next month.

Other announcements included updated software in Apple's iLife series - iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD and a new application, iWeb, that automates creation of blogs and a personal website - a much awaited FM radio receiver accessory for the iPod, and an upgrade of Apple's operating system.
source : smh.com.au

COOLIT XBOX 360 WATER-COOLING SYSTEM

2006-01-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's Xbox 360 is a mighty gaming machine, but that power comes at a price and that is heat.

Just after its launch in November, gamers started noticing that the brick-sized power supply could heat up and possibly crash the console.

This is when a bunch of engineers at CoolIT Systems in Canada decided to try to apply their expertise in making liquid-cooling systems for computer chips to Microsoft's machine.

At CES, CoolIT showed off a modified Xbox 360 with coolant running over the computer and graphics chips, and an external fan to suck out the hot air.

"When we put it in the box, since it runs so much cooler, it uses less electricity," said CoolIT's Geoff Lyon.

"This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our technology."

The Canadian company does not plan to sell the system to the public, as it requires opening up the 360 and performing the equivalent of heart surgery on the box.

Instead it aims to make the technology available in the summer through specialist console modification outlets.
source : bbc.co.uk

Sky to offer content via broadband and mobile

2006-01-11T04:45:00.000-08:00

Sky Ireland has launched two new services that will allow consumers to watch content on their PC or mobile phone. The services are exclusively available free for subscribers to the satellite broadcaster’s premium movies and sports channels. The more extensive of the two offerings, called Sky by broadband, lets users download movies to enjoy when they want and access highlights of the weekend’s Premiership matches on their PC with Sky by broadband. Sky by Mobile offers sports, news, entertainment and a betting service on mobile phones.

Both services are accessed via the web by inputting the Sky customer code, at www.skybybroadband.com and www.skybymobile.com. They are not available to Irish subscribers who receive either of the premium services by cable TV.

According to estimates, 28pc of homes in Ireland have access to the Sky digital service via satellite, although the company has no data for how many of these homes also have broadband. The service will work with a 512Kbps connection although Sky recommends that users have at least a 1Mbps link for best results. Content is downloaded entirely to the PC’s hard disk before viewing rather than streamed. A two-hour movie will take roughly the same length of time to download.

Sky has more than 200 movie titles available initially and the company said it would expand this library over time. The service also includes more than 1,000 Sky Sports video clips including Premiership and Champions League match highlights. All content is available in Windows format only.

Once downloaded, any content is copy protected and encrypted. Mark Deering, managing director of Sky Ireland, confirmed that subscribers won’t be able to burn a movie onto a DVD, for example, nor share it with another computer. “There is a 30-day window and after that the file is wiped from the hard drive, irrespective of whether it was watched or not,” he said. However the content can be downloaded again if the user wants, he added.

Sky by Mobile includes latest news stories and video feeds from Sky Sports and Sky News, a personalised “My Sports” section and live scoreboard feature along with weather forecasts. The service is available on all compatible 3G and GPRS networks via a range of handsets including the Nokia 6600, 6630, 6680, 7610, 6020, 6170, 6230 and 5140i, Sony Ericsson’s K750i, K700i, and K600i, the BlackBerry 7100 and 7230 as well as the V3 RAZR from Motorola.

Explaining why Sky has opted to provide the services at no extra change, Deering said: “The value is in enhancing the services provided to the customers. What’s increasingly important to us is not just gaining new subscribers but improving the quality of service for existing customers. We’re making flexible the ability to access our content.”

Deering also confirmed to siliconrepublic.com that Sky was on track to launch a high-definition TV (HDTV) service in Ireland before June of this year. As its name suggests, HDTV offers greatly improved picture and audio quality than current services. Pricing details and an exact release date have not been disclosed but pilot testing has already been completed.
By Gordon Smith

TechBrief: Vodafone and Sony plan pay-radio venture

2006-01-10T05:05:00.000-08:00

Vodafone Group said Monday that it was teaming up with Sony to introduce a subscription-based radio service over its third-generation cellphone networks in several countries.

The service, called Vodafone Radio DJ will be introduced in six European countries including Britain, France and Germany in the coming months and expanded to about 20 countries around the world over the next year. Motorola announced a similar service, called iRadio, last week.

Users would get access to hundreds of thousands of songs from the largest record companies and independent labels, Vodafone said, adding that customers would be able to "train" the radio channels to their own personal taste by pressing a button to indicate whether or not they liked a song. The service is to be offered on a monthly subscription for unlimited listening. Fees were not disclosed. (AFX, Reuters)

3 U.K. papers cut prices

LONDON: Three British newspapers on Monday reduced their cover prices in a move that surprised analysts, since the global newspaper industry is struggling financially.

The Daily Mail and The Daily Express reduced their prices to 30 pence, or 53 U.S. cents, from 40 pence, though neither publisher would say whether the move was a short-term promotional one or a longer-term strategic decision. The Daily Star cut its price to 30 pence from 35 pence. (Reuters)

French pay-TV merger

PARIS: Vivendi Universal said Monday that it had signed a formal agreement to merge the French pay-TV operators Canal Plus and TPS. The deal, announced last month, would give Vivendi 85 percent of the new company.

Vivendi and the TPS shareholders Société Télévision Française 1 and Métropole Télévision signed the agreement Friday, the companies said in a joint statement. TF 1 will own 10 percent of the new company, and Métropole - which is 48 percent owned by the Bertelsmann unit RTL Group - will own 5 percent. Vivendi will own 85 percent. The deal is subject to approval by regulators. (AP)

SAGE GROUP, a British maker of accounting software, agreed to buy Verus Financial Management for about £184 million, or $325 million, to add card-payment processes for U.S. customers. Sage is still looking for acquisitions in the United States, Europe and Asia, its finance director, Paul Harrison, said. Verus, which is based in Tennessee and has 101,000 clients, processes customer card and check payments for small and midsize U.S. companies. (Bloomberg)

MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT sold Hasbro toy and game rights to its Super Hero cast of characters, including Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men and Captain America, the companies said Monday. The five-year license gives Hasbro rights to bring Marvel Entertainment-based toy products to retail outlets beginning Jan. 1, 2007. Marvel will get $205 million in royalty and service fee payments. (Reuters)

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS, the second-largest U.S. telephone company behind AT&T, said its acquisition of MCI last week would result in extra revenue of $8 billion, up from the $7 billion estimated when the deal was announced in February 2005.
The Associated Press, Bloomberg News, Reuters, AFX

CES : At Macworld, All Eyes Are on Steve Jobs

2006-01-10T04:57:00.000-08:00

As predictably as Santa Claus on Christmas morning, Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs will bring us something new today at the annual Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco. And as usual, there's a lot of figurative box-shaking going on over what the surprise might be.

Last year it was the iPod Shuffle and Mac Mini; the year before it was the iPod Mini and Garage Band, a software program that lets users create their own music. The things Jobs announces in his speeches tend to mark significant milestones in consumer electronics.

Speculating about the speech in anticipation has become a kind of geeky parlor game, and this year is no exception.

As for official comment from Apple? Well, that would be like opening your gifts on Dec. 24. "We have no comment on that at all. Not until Steve gets up on [stage for] the keynote," said Anuj Nayar, a spokesman for Apple.

Macworld, held at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, comes on the heels of the massive International Consumer Electronics Show, an annual display of electronic gadgets held in Las Vegas. With 130,000 attendees and more than 2,500 exhibitors this year, CES is the undisputed mother of all trade shows.

While CES is a comprehensive show covering the entire universe of consumer electronics, Macworld focuses exclusively on products designed to support Macintosh products. It started 22 years ago and has been growing steadily over the past five years, to about 34,000 attendees last year and at least as many this year, said Mike Sponseller, a spokesman for IDG World Expo, the company that hosts the event.

This year, Macworld will host more than 300 exhibitors -- software makers and electronics vendors among them -- up from 275 last year, Sponseller said. Notably, this year there is heavy emphasis on accessories for iPods of all kinds -- headphones, cases and fashion purses, he said. "A lot more companies are springing up around that whole genre."

Apple focuses most of its energies on Macworld and keeps a minimal presence at CES, where plenty of companies were demonstrating products designed to chip away at the empire Apple created with its wildly successful iPod products.

Creative Technology Ltd., for example, showcased at CES the Zen Vision: M, a portable video and MP3 player that plays music bought from Napster, Rhapsody and Yahoo music stores. Microsoft Corp. and MTV Networks previewed Windows Media Player 11 and the companies' joint digital music venture, Urge, a service aimed at being easier to use.

Dozens of smaller companies also offered rival digital media players in various shapes and sizes or accessories like stereos and headphones.

"Every year over the last four years, Apple has dominated the music scene, and now you're seeing them get a foothold in video," with their introduction last year of Video iPods, said Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research. At CES, other companies introduced competitive products, but they are still "playing catch-up" to Apple, Wu said, adding his prediction that "we'll hear Apple respond to the next generation of products."
Apple's Nayar offered no comment on competitive developments.

Wu predicts, however, that Jobs's announcement today will include a slimmer, lighter and wider-screen laptop computer built with a more power-efficient Intel chip, as well as an updated iPod Shuffle that will put the cheaper MP3 devices into more consumers' hands.
But that's not likely to be all, he said, noting that Jobs traditionally presents a device or program that no one expected.

"There's always something." he said.
source : washingtonpost.com

CES Notebook: Tom Cruise Gives Yahoo! An Assist

2006-01-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

IT WAS A HIGH time for content here in the high desert last week. Two of new media's heavyweights, Yahoo! and Google, came to this year's International Consumer Electronics Show to lay the content smack down on the future of gadgets. Those who saw both company presentations got not only the news, but also a peek behind the curtain of two of the most prominent companies building the future of the Web.

Yahoo! Chief Executive Officer Terry Semel played to type as the last Hollywood action hero. Awash on a stage of corporate logos and "American Idol" lighting, he had "good friends" Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Cruise, as well as Intel President Paul Otellini, just "drop by."
Although specifics--including valuation and revenue splits--were vague, the presentation reiterated the by-now traditional new Internet world order: All access to all content all the time.
The Sunnyvale, Calif. company flashed its Yahoo! Go brand, a blizzard of sound-alike products including Yahoo! Go Mobile, Yahoo! Go TV, and Yahoo! Go Desktop. (See related OnlineMediaDaily story, "Yahoo! Ventures Beyond Computer Screens.")
The products are real. They integrate the array of Yahoo! Web services including mail, games, music, videos, and others for use on multiple devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, and media players and the like.

There were also solid partnerships to cement the deal. Yahoo! announced partnerships with Cingular Wireless, AT&T, and Intel Corp. The deal is part of Intel's new Viiv media computer initiative, which was a larger theme at this year's CES.

For marketers looking to tap Yahoo!'s 400 million monthly users, there is an upside to the plan. The platform seemed to address the nagging problems that have sunk previous Web integration efforts, including lack of connectivity, standards, and cash.

There appears to be fresh functionality for Yahoo! that advertisers will like. The service seeks to place all content in all places in real time. If, for example, a user changed personal contact information on his portable device, that change would sync automatically with his master schedule held online at Yahoo!

This concept not only creates fresh inventory, it opens new terrain for advertising. Marketing messages could be placed both on the portable device and on the master schedule for later viewing.

But, as impressive as the products seemed, there were ominous real world overtones. The Yahoo! Go demo crashed midway through the presentation, leaving Semel to improvise. Luckily for him, Tom Cruise was waiting in the wings to create a distraction.

Stark Stage

When Google co-founder Larry Page took center stage in the packed auditorium at the Las Vegas Hilton, the stage was spare and dark, closer to the setting for an evangelical meeting than a corporate presentation.

Page rolled out on stage on the back of Stanford University's robotic Volkswagen Touareg, channeling Thomas Edison in a white Google Labs coat. There were plenty of San Francisco partisans, such as comedian Robin Williams, on hand to warm the crowd.

Despite presentation flukes, like reading head down from a hand-held paper script, Page had significant new products to pitch. (See related OMD story, "Google To Sell 'Survivor,' 'Brady Bunch,' Ad-Free.")
He announced the Google Pack beta (a bundle of software programs) and demonstrated an upgraded version of Google Earth. Then, after hiking across the stage to get a bottle of water, Page presented the Google Video store, a new online video service that will sell CBS programs, in addition to other programs.

Page ducked several questions about actors' rights, revenue splits, and international syndication during the post-presentation question-and-answer period. It was almost as if how video would get paid for was last on the company's to-do list.

The style of the question-and-answer period may also give marketers pause. Page made a point of bringing Robin Williams back out on stage for the period, where the comedian intercepted questions and cracked jokes. As charming and hilarious as Williams is, this venue may not have been the place for clowning around.

Page is the director of a Very Important Company, with a market capitalization larger than that of General Motors. Google's stock has been the success story for many fund managers' portfolios in 2005--as it not only grew by 400 percent, but is not part of the thickly traded indexes such the Dow Jones industrial average. So it let investors easily beat the market benchmark during an otherwise lackluster period--but if Google's share price unwound based on off-the-cuff remarks, nobody would be laughing.

source:publications.mediapost.com

Apple may offer new laptops at Macworld: analysts

2006-01-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

For the Mac faithful this time of year is a special one: The always lively annual Macworld conference that Apple Computer Inc. and co-founder Steve Jobs host in San Francisco.

Web sites concerning all things Apple abound with rumors and speculation that swirl weeks before the event and Jobs' keynote, to be delivered on Tuesday.

This time around, analysts say their money is on a revamped line of notebook PCs that is sorely needed, more deals with media companies for a larger mix of content on the recently announced video iPod and possibly, but less likely, a new flash-memory-based iPod.

"Apple's laptop line desperately needs to be refreshed," said Tim Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies. "In that context, I wouldn't be surprised to see a strong updated line of laptops."

Apple, whose market-leading iPod digital music player has revived the company, is in the midst of shifting to microprocessors from Intel Corp. and away from the PowerPC chip it has used for years. Apple has said it will start selling Intel-based computers by the middle of this year.

But many analysts have said for months they expect an earlier introduction of some Macintosh models, particularly ones using the older G4 processor.

"We think the iBook, PowerBook, Mac Mini, and potentially Xserve are areas that are going to move to Intel first," said Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research.

A new hard-disk-drive based iPod (its more recently introduced Nano and the Shuffle use flash-memory chips instead to store songs) is less likely, analysts said. Cupertino, California-based Apple in October rolled out the video iPod. That announcement also came with a deal with Walt Disney Co. (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to sell hit shows such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" for download on its iTunes music store.

Apple followed up with a deal to sell some content from NBC Universal, the television network owned by General Electric Co. (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research). Analysts expect more at Macworld, following the announcement of a raft of content deals at the Consumer Electronics Show, which winds down on Sunday.

"I expect new content relationship announcements," said Roger Kay, president of technology consultancy Endpoint Technology Associates.

At the show, known as CES and the largest U.S. tech show, content took center stage for the first time and Apple's Jobs will more than likely follow up with more deals to make more video content for sale on iTunes.

At CES, actors Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks and pop star Justin Timberlake rubbed shoulders with the top executives from Yahoo Inc., Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp.

Their appearances matched a litany of deals by Time Warner's AOL, GE's NBC Universal, Viacom's MTV at the Las Vegas convention, where media companies were once sidelined.

Apple has a minimal presence at CES and Jobs prefers to unveil his company's latest products -- famously tightly kept secrets -- at the Macworld convention in San Francisco.

And, of course, expect a surprise from Jobs. For years now, Jobs will appear to conclude his keynote, only then to say, "Oh, and one more thing ...."

Said analyst Bajarin, a long-time Silicon Valley watcher: "He also has something else up his sleeve that none of us have a clue about."

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

CES 2006: Dell's Hot New Machines

2006-01-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

At lunch on Thursday, Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers, gave a select group of gaming journalists, including yours truly, a first glimpse at his company's latest and greatest gaming products. Dell was unequivocal in his enthusiasm for PC gaming, and backed up his statements with some rather impressive hardware announcements.

While many had suspected the release of a new edition of Dell's XPS gaming line, few knew quite how far Dell was willing to take things. With considerable flourish, Dell himself unveiled the XPS 600 Renegade, a limited edition gaming PC boasting not just a gnarly looking paintjob, but the be-all-end all of PC gaming: 4 Nvidia 7800 GPUs, running through dual card SLI boards at 16x, as well as a factory-overclocked Intel Extreme Edition 4.26 GHz CPU. By far the most powerful gaming computer yet known to man, Dell cited tech-specs at 1.3 billion transistors within the GPUs and 2 gigabytes of dedicated frame buffer memory, as well as benchmark figures of 41 Gigaflops per second and a total of 5.2 TFLOPs. Suffice to say, the Renegade is a beast of here-to-fore unknown power.

The XPS Renegade is so powerful, in fact, that, according to Dell, its performance figures rank each Renegade system as the 70th most powerful super-computer in the world. Through partnerships with Nvidia, the company that partnered with Dell to design the quad-GPU architecture, the four GPUs run unimpeded, able to produce benchmark results between 4 and 5 times that of a single GPU. If such numbers are to be believed, Nvidia and Dell have engineered so elegant a solution that no performance is lost in the communication between GPUs, a rare feat in terms of the history of multi-processor gaming computers.

The Renegade also runs to Western Digital 150 GB 10k-rpm HDs in Raid-0, and Dell promises a solid road map for future upgradeability for the specially designed quad graphics cards. Not only was Michael Dell blatantly proud of the internals of his new PC gaming behemoth, he was also beaming over the externals of the box, clothed in an impressive licking-flames design by Mike Divall, best known as the Killer Paint artist featured on popular TV-shows like Monster Garage. If any PC deserves to be burning up its environs, the XPS 600 Renegade is it.

Journalists present at the lunch and later press conference were able to see the machine running Call of Duty 2 at an amazing 2560x1600 resolution on another new Dell product: a beautiful 30" WQXGA widescreen LCD. Needless to say, CoD2 has never looked so good.Though the XPS Renegade certainly set the bar quite a bit higher for PC-gaming performance, Dell was not content to stop there. Also displayed at the press conference was a new XPS laptop concept, developed around a 20" LCD and detachable keyboard.

Still in its concept stage, the demo unit was whisked away before reporters could get their dirty mitts all over it, however, the unit displayed looked beautiful, and folded easily into a brief-case sized package, complete with an integrated carrying handle. Dell promised that the concept could bridge the gaps between mobile and desktop performance, and would allow for a quality cinematic and gaming experiences previously unknown by those who need to travel.

30 inch beauty.

A question and answer session followed the highly-selective luncheon, and Michael Dell responded candidly to a variety of questions. When asked if 4 GPUs were actually necessary for the current PC games available, Dell confidently responded that many current-generation titles are already maxing out the performance of SLI machines, especially when running at the higher resolutions possible with large screens such as the new 30" 2560x1600 Dell will soon put to market.

Confronted with the fact that PC games are being dramatically cut back in exposure at major retailers, Dell replied that the mainstream market was of little concern in his overall plans for the hardcore PC gaming audience, and that he was confident that Dell's plans for pre-installed gaming options at purchase and direct to drive style game downloads would allow dedicated PC gamers to continue support the market. Overall, Dell exhibited a great deal of confidence while presenting such audacious concepts as a quad-GPU gaming PC and a 20" LCD laptop.

According to figures presented at the press conference, Dell has grown its sales of consumer PCs between 2000 and 2005 by 449%, whereas all competitors combined have shrunk their sales by 8%. With sales figures like these, as well as the fact that Dell is coming off of a record fourth quarter of more than 10 million PCs sold (a record for the entire industry), Michael Dell was right to exude confidence and aplomb. The quad-GPU Nvidia architecture will be a Dell exclusive for an undisclosed period of time, allowing Michael to sit back and relax, fully confident that his company is now the sole manufacturer of the most powerful gaming PC in the world. When asked what the Renegade's price will be, Dell laughed and returned "a lot, but it's worth it." Coming from a billionaire, "a lot" sounds a little scary, however, those with the means are highly encouraged to give it a try.

The Sony NW-HD5 20GB Walkman - A great start but a Horrible finish

2006-01-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

This Sony network Walkman has a storage capability of no less then 20GB and its battery power is sufficient for more then 40 hours of continuous music. It’s small, certainly compared to its storage capacity. The walkman has a slim aluminum case that fits nicely into your hands. It really looks like a cool state of the art piece of technology

The operation of the Sony NW-HD5 is very intuitive. Still this walkman comes with a lot op options. The hard-disk of the walkman is equipped with the so-called “G-Sensor” technology that protects it to sudden shocks and movements. The clear 1.5 inch dot matrix LCD screen is nicely illuminated at will. So you see there are plenty of plusses with this device.

But on the minus side there are some, in our opinion unforgivable, omissions. The equalizer and performance improving capabilities will only work if you play Sony’s own ATRAC3 files. You can only add music to the player by using the program SonicStage that converts WMA files automatically to the Sony ATRAC3 standard. Using the Windows Explorer to manage your files is almost impossible. And to top it all off, if you want to be able to use the NW-HD5 with multiple computers you will have to register with Sony’s own music service. Otherwise that is off limits. Finally, the NW-HD5 has no remote control.

Let’s face it the Sony NW-HD5 is a nice piece of technology, but by adding so many limitations and conditions on its usage this device loses all of its attraction. Our advice is: “Let Sony know that we don’t like the limitations they impose on us by buying another player”.

It just doesn’t make sense that Sony is trying to force consumers into using their standards and placing a multitude of limitations on them if they don’t want to comply.

About The Author
Ross MacIvar is an audio enthusiast and regularly reviews new audio and video equipment at http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/.

Opening New Windows in Treo

2006-01-05T05:04:00.000-08:00

Palm users who pick up the new Treo 700w are in for a jolt. Just below the screen is a Windows key that makes it clear this is different from any product in Palm's 10-year history. Folks who use Microsoft's Windows Mobile software on a Pocket PC or smart phone will get a few surprises as well. The new Treo is different from any other Windows device.

When Palm licensed the Windows Mobile 5.0 software last year, it won unprecedented permission to make substantial changes in Microsoft's basic software. It has made the most of this freedom, drawing on its experience with keyboards to eliminate many of the annoying usability problems that have plagued Windows Mobile devices, particularly phone-equipped Pocket PCs.

SUPERFLUOUS STYLUS. One result is that the Treo 700w ($400 from Verizon Wireless with a two-year contract) is the first Pocket PC whose stylus will rarely leave its storage slot. The basic layout of the keyboard is similar to the Treo 650. The main difference is the addition of the Windows key, which brings up the Start menu, and an O.K. key, used to complete most actions. These replace the Calendar and Mail keys on other Treos. Two cell-phone-style soft keys, whose functions vary with the operation at hand, replace Palm's Menu and Home buttons.

Palm has drastically changed the Pocket PC home screen for the better. Instead of a jumbled list of choices, the Treo home screen features speed-dial buttons and two boxes where you can enter text. The one at the top picks names from your contacts as you type. The lower one is for Google searches. The battery gauge at the top remains visible on all pages, overcoming one of Windows Mobile's silliest shortcomings.

The stylus should be superfluous as an input and navigation tool on any device equipped with a keyboard. You hardly need to use one with Windows Mobile 5.0 software, which is showing up on various devices in addition to the Treo. But on most systems, there will be one critical task that requires tapping the screen -- such as changing some of the settings on the Tab key. On Pocket PCs, you can't do that from the keyboard, but on the new Treo, you can.

NEW INNOVATIONS. There are still occasional annoyances. As you type text, the Pocket PC software suggests word completions. The only way to accept one, if you really feel the need, is to tap the screen. But you can also ignore the suggestions and just go on typing.

Other Palm innovations go beyond fixing Microsoft shortcomings. One simple but valuable one is the ability to program speed dials with the codes and passwords needed for access to voice mail. You can also program such buttons as forward, back, and delete with the appropriate digits. Unfortunately, these codes can only be single digits, which won't work with many corporate voice-mail systems.

Another innovation adds a new option called "Ignore with SMS" to the handling of incoming calls. This is a real boon at business meetings. Instead of just shunting a call to voice mail, you can send the caller a text message -- handy in a setting where tapping out some text is acceptable, but answering the phone is not.

THE BEST POCKET PC. The Treo runs on Verizon's fast BroadbandAccess network, making it ideal for data. Palm designed the Windows Treo primarily in response to demand from corporate customers, and once the appropriate software is finished, it will be able to receive corporate e-mail and other data automatically from BlackBerry, GoodLink, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 services (see BW Online, 1/9/06, "If BlackBerry Gets Smushed...").

I have been using Palms of one sort or another for a decade, and at first the Treo 700w seemed a little weird. Many Palm aficionados will prefer to stick with the familiar Treo 650. For one thing, it offers a better display, since Palm actually had to reduce resolution to meet Windows standards. But Pocket PC users and many newcomers to high-end smartphones will find the Treo 700w a delight. It's by far the best Pocket PC I have used, and the first one that I have ever really wanted to carry.

source : .businessweek.com

Xbox 360: A Revolution in Console Gaming

2006-01-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

It wasn't so long ago that kids who got the "new" Nintendo 8-bit gaming console or the Sega system for Christmas were the envy of every less fortunate and burned out Atari owning neighborhood playmate. As time elapsed, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and NES's Turbo Graphix 16 became all the rave.

Anyone now in their twenties can recall being impressed by the awesome advancements in playability and graphic display of the Nintendo 64 and Sega's Dreamcast system, and even more recently (only five or so years ago) the advent of Microsoft's Xbox, Nintendo's Game Cube, and the Play Station by Sony.

The Video Gaming industry has made great strides in the past twenty years: from slow-moving, barely recognizable forms on screen in original Atari games such as Pac-Man, Calga, and Tron, to the extremely vivid and life-like graphics of Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell, and Tekken; available for the Xbox and Play Station. Now, just in time for Christmas 2005, Microsoft has made the next move in the continuing race for Video Gaming Supremacy with the introduction of the Xbox 360. The result is truly phenomenal.

The Xbox 360, as with all video game consoles, is basically just a computer with hardware and software dedicated to the function of running video games. The original Xbox was pretty much just a Microsoft PC with a modified Pentium III processor, some powerful graphics and audio capabilities, and a modified version of the Windows 2000 operating system, all packaged in that distinctive black box.

This year Microsoft has released two versions of the Xbox 360: the Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Core System. The Xbox 360Core System is "plug and play", that is, that in addition to the console, it includes an integrated controller and an AV cable. The Xbox 360 (not the "Core system") comes with a wireless controller, an HD AV cable, an Ethernet connectivity cable, a headset, a media remote, and a removable 20-GB hard drive.

For anyone who thought the original Xbox was a technological marvel, you must try this out! As amazing and realistic as the play on the first Xbox was, the Xbox 360 makes its predecessor look tired and worn-out. Microsoft has rebuilt the Xbox from the ground up. From the name to the look, from hardware to features, the Xbox 360 is a radically different and more powerful machine than the original Xbox. Far more than a video game console, the Xbox 360 is a total media center that allows users to play games, network with other 360 owners; rip, stream and download all types of media, including high-definition movies, music, digital pictures and game content, as well as play DVD movies and audio CD's.

The Xbox 360 will revolutionize the gaming world. Microsoft has definitely set the new standard in video game technology.

About The Author
Mitchell Medford is an author and product development consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his websites for more information on the Xbox 360 and satellite TV:
http://www.newtechnologytv.com

An investigation into anti-spyware

2006-01-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

A report by Mark Russinovich has raised serious concerns about the seedier side of anti-spyware. He investigated a number of programs that claimed to be spyware removal tools, and found that some of them not only do a poor job of detecting spyware, but may in fact be hazards themselves.

Spyware has become big business in recent years, bringing in as much as US$1.6 billion in 2004. As spyware proliferates, the market for anti-spyware also grows, and many products such as Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy have arisen to combat this threat.

However, it appears that some programs are now attempting to straddle both sides of the fence. Many of these are advertised by familiar banner ads that mimic Windows error dialog boxes, and say things like "Your computer may be infected. To scan, click 'Yes' below." The entire banner, however, is hotlinked to a website which instructs the user to download and run an alleged anti-spyware program.

When several of these programs were tested on a clean, freshly-installed Windows XP partition, they erroneously reported several Windows components (such as cookies left by MSN.com and the Windows Remote Desktop Service control) as being spyware. The program offered to clean these "infections" after the user had entered his or her credit card data to unlock the full functionality of the software.

A closer examination showed signs that this so-called anti-spyware package was in fact exhibiting many of the same behaviors as the spyware it claimed to be fighting against. When viewed in Process Explorer, the processes associated with these programs have no company name or description, no digital signature to confirm their authenticity, are compressed to prevent easy tracking, and often mimic internal Windows system process names.
Who are these companies that are producing fake anti-spyware packages? Domain traces on the websites they promote lead to a confusing trail:

Not surprisingly, the SpySheriff website reveals little about the company behind it. A Whois of the domain points to Popandopulos Ltd in Greece as the owner, but the associated email address is crystaljones@list.ru, which is a Russia-based domain. List.ru appears to be an ISP from its Whois information, so it's doubtful that the Spysheriff domain registration is accurate.
So how does one guard against these digital mimics, who pretend to be treasure chests but turn into snapping horrors? A list of the worst offenders has been compiled:

#Spyware Bomber
#SlimShield
#WinAntiVirus and its companion WinAntiSpyware 2005
#SpywareNo and its clone SpyDemolisher
#Razespyware
#Spy Trooperv
#WorldAntiSpy
#PSGuard
#SpySheriff
#SpyAxe

Ultimately, however, the responsibility for identifying the fake software lies with the end user. However, as the spyware companies get more and more tricky and insidious, this becomes an increasingly difficult task. Hopefully, the upgraded and bundled Microsoft Anti-Spyware that will ship with Windows Vista will help mitigate the problem.
source : arstechnica.com

AMD goes live with digital home strategy

2006-01-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

Articulating its own vision of the digital home days before its major rival unveils a similar marketing initiative, Advanced Micro Devices (Profile, Products, Articles) will announce plans Wednesday to brand AMD-based PCs designed specifically for home media networking, the company said.

AMD will announce an alliance with set-top box chip maker STMicroelectronics NV and unveil the AMD Live! brand Wednesday at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, said Hal Speed, marketing architect at AMD. The companies want to make it easier for consumers to blend content available over cable and satellite broadcast networks with content delivered over the Internet to PCs, he said.

Over 100,000 people are in Las Vegas this week for CES. Vendors at the show have slightly different versions of what makes up a digital home and what type of products are best used to build that home. PC vendors envision a home media network with the PC at the center of multiple displays and networking devices, while other consumer electronics vendors have embraced gaming consoles, smart televisions, and any number of other configurations.

Consumers seem eager to get on board, with Media Center PCs and high-definition televisions finally starting to ship in larger volumes this year, but connecting these devices is not easy even for tech-savvy users. AMD's idea is to start small, working on developing PCs that work closely with set-top boxes so consumers can connect their PCs and their televisions, Speed said.

Around the middle of this year, PCs will start to appear with AMD's Live! brand, Speed said. This will mean those PCs are powerful enough to handle multimedia applications and capable of providing the so-called "10-foot experience," he said. One common strategy among various digital home-inclined PC vendors is allowing home users to work with their PCs from across a room, rather than the common practice of sitting two feet away from the screen at a desk with conventional PCs.

AMD's announcement comes as its major rival Intel (Profile, Products, Articles) prepares to unveil its own digital home branding strategy at CES. Intel Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini is expected Thursday to introduce Viiv PCs, the second major brand to emerge from Intel's new "platform" marketing strategy.

Intel doesn't just want to make processors anymore, it wants to provide all the silicon and embedded software needed to run a modern PC. The first iteration of this strategy, its Centrino mobile technology, has been so successful Intel plans to try again with Viiv.

Like Centrino, Intel's PC partners will be able to take advantage of the marketing and advertising resources Intel plans to put behind the Viiv brand so long as they include an assortment of Intel components in their PCs. This includes a dual-core Intel processor, Intel chipsets designed specifically for home media applications, and Intel networking chips.
Viiv will be a formidable foe for AMD's Live! brand, as Intel's marketing budget far exceeds AMD's. But AMD thinks it can gain traction with the brand by emphasizing the freedom vendors have to choose components for their PCs and undertaking a collaborative approach with the consumer electronics industry, Speed said.

We're not trying to cannibalize the [consumer electronics] industry. We want them to tap into the PC. No single company can do this themselves," Speed said.

AMD is working with several different PC companies on AMD Live! PCs, but Speed declined to specify which companies plan to launch PCs with the brand.
source : infoworld.com

The New 5Th Generation Apple iPods

2006-01-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

To date, there has been a number of Apple iPod models. Well, with the release of the new iPod Video, there are now officially three iPod models for the 5th generation of iPods. The earlier 4th generation models, including the popular iPod Mini, iPod Photo, U2 and 20GB iPod are now officially history.

The three official 5G iPod models include the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano and iPod Video. What's the difference between this new range of iPods and the previous 4G models? Broadly speaking, the differences are:

Hard Disk

Two of the new iPod models, iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano, are based on flash hard disk technology. This new hard disk is ultra slim and is able to withstand shock and vigorous movement. Unlike 4G models, this make the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano ultra slim and allow them to be used for vigorous activities, including sporting activity, dance, accidental drops, etc. Previous 4G models were less robust and vigorous activity tend to cause possible malfunction.

Battery life

Battery life on the 5G iPod has improved tremendously. One of the major complaints about 4G iPod was the short battery life(8hrs) and battery life draining away quickly after heavy use. The new iPod lasts up to 14 hrs and has a better battery lifespan.

Color is standard

Unlike 4G model, where the iPod Photo model was the only model with color, the new iPod Nano and iPod Video comes standard with color screen and playback.

Choice of video

With the new iPod Video, there is now a range of activities, including data, music, photo and video that can be supported on one iPod. Previously, video was not available as an option.

Standardized casing

The 4G iPod included the multi-color iPod mini, with a choice of pink, blue, green and silver. The only option for black was the U2 model.

Today, the colors has been standardized to black or white (except iPod Shuffle - White only). In addition, all iPod casing has been standardized to hard acrylic instead of the anionized aluminium for iPod Mini and hard acrylic for the other models.

However, the hard acrylic casing used for the 5G iPod models seems to have a tendency to scratch as reported by many iPod user websites. It is advised that a iPod casing or protector film be purchased for the new 5G iPod immediately. A good selection can be found here.

Compact Clickwheel

The iPod Clickwheel was previously a scroll wheel that was designed and supplied by a 3rd party. The new iPod clickwheels are now designed and produced by Apple itself. The functionalities are similar but users reported better response feedback.

Headphone jack

Headphone jacks for all iPod models, including the very first 1G iPod up till the 4G models, has always been on top of the iPod. The iPod Nano breaks ground by having the headphone jack at the bottom.

Which iPod model to choose?

As of this writing, the iPod Video has only been out for less than 2 weeks. The current 5G range of iPod seems to be the most complete and versatile thus far, and we can see that the 3 different models are essentially targeted at different segments of the iPod user market. A basic guide to choosing the right iPod model can be broadly classified as:

iPod Shuffle

The iPod Shuffle is obviously targeted at users who have a lower budget or those who only have an occasional need for a music player. The Shuffle comes without a screen and user can only choose to listen to music in a sequence or have it shuffled randomly. Because of it's lower price, this model has become a choice for those who desire for an iPod but may not have the neccessary budget.

iPod Nano

The iPod Nano is now the mainstream iPod model with the exit of 4G iPod models. With a size and thickness slightly larger than a credit card, this is now a runaway favorite iPod model. Users have a choice of data, music and photo with this colored screen iPod.

iPod Video

The newest kid on the block, the iPod Video, is desired by those with a higher budget or who wish to watch video on their iPod. It has a slightly larger screen than the iPod Nano and play a crisp 30 fps video display. With not many iPod videos available for download as yet, we'll need to see if this model can overtake the iPod Nano as the mainstream iPod model.

About The Author
Katherine Xie has owned an iPod since 2001. She runs a website, smart-ipod-ideas.com which shares iPod tips as well as quality Japanese iPod protectords and accessories. Please feel free to distribute this article as long as credit is referenced to her website.

Samsung, Vodafone, Qualcomm team on HSDPA

2006-01-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd has agreed to team up with Vodafone and Qualcomm to introduce high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA)-enabled mobile phones in Europe next year.

"We agreed with Vodafone and Qualcomm to closely work together to commercialize the next-generation HSDPA technology for the first time in Europe," Samsung said in a statement.
Samsung said it has been working with Vodafone and Qualcomm since 2003 to bring high-speed, affordable wireless access to the market.

Under the three-way project, Samsung has developed the first commercially available HSDPA phone to be launched exclusively for Vodafone and plans to demonstrate the technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month. Currently, Samsung is a major mobile phone provider for Vodafone's 3G and GSM/GPRS services.

Qualcomm provides its advanced Mobile Station Modem chip solution with integrated multimedia capabilities for Samsung's HSDPA mobile phones, it added.

The 3.5G HSDPA technology, set for commercialization next year, offers video and voice data transfer speeds of up to 14Mbps, enabling users to download a two hour-long motion picture within two minutes.

According to market research firm Gartner, the HSDPA phone market is expected to be 6.29 million sets in 2006, growing to 101.99 million by 2009.
source : eetasia.com

KODAK EASYSHARE V570 Camera with RETINA Dual Lens Technology

2006-01-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Kicking off this week’s 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Eastman Kodak Company today introduced the world’s first dual-lens digital still camera, the KODAK EASYSHARE V570 zoom digital camera. Using proprietary KODAK RETINA Dual Lens technology, the elegant V570 camera wraps an ultra-wide angle lens (23 mm) and an optical zoom lens (39 – 117 mm) into a small, sleek package less than an inch thin.

The innovative EASYSHARE V570 camera’s ultra-wide angle lens coupled with its optical zoom lens produces a total 5X optical zoom range, providing more options to help today’s picture takers capture the perfect shot —group photos, scenic landscapes, dramatic portraits, and close-ups. No other consumer digital camera offers such a wide angle of view, nor the unique, sophisticated design of this model, whose all-glass, stacked SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH C-VARIOGON prism lenses never extend from the camera body.

Today’s picture takers expect high-performance features in an attractive package. Kodak is first to give them a coveted but previously unavailable ultra-wide angle lens in a pocket-size camera,” said Mary Hadley, general manager of digital cameras for Kodak’s Consumer Digital Imaging Group. “Capturing high quality photos with maximum ease of use are at the top of people’s lists when buying a new digital camera. By delivering on these needs in a completely new way, the EASYSHARE V570 camera pushes the boundaries of innovative design for ultra-compact cameras.

Wide-Angle Panorama Stitching and Advanced Video Performance
In addition to its dual lens design, the 5-megapixel V570 camera boasts a variety of notable features to enhance the photography experience, including in-camera panorama stitching, which automatically combines three pictures into a panorama photograph. Using the ultra-wide view in panorama scene mode, people can take in a 180-degree vista with just three shots — an industry exclusive.

Packing advanced video performance, the camera makes it easier for users to shoot all types of action in the way that many filmmakers prefer — with an ultra-wide angle to capture more of the scene. The EASYSHARE V570 camera records TV-quality video, up to 30 frames per second (fps) using advanced MPEG-4 compression. Built-in image stabilization technology reduces on-screen shaking from unintentional hand and camera movement. The camera also offers an optical zoom feature for video including auto focus. And it is simple to select any frame in a video, then save and print it as a “freeze frame” still picture in just seconds.

Other notable features of the V570 camera include:

#A big, brilliant 2.5-inch, high-resolution LCD screen;
#The exclusive KODAK Color Science image processing chip for phenomenal image quality with rich color, accurate skin tones, low noise and precise exposure;
#Automatic red-eye reduction, on-camera cropping, picture blur alert and auto picture rotation;
#In-camera distortion correction to compensate for ultra-wide angle fish-eye effects, which can be turned on or off;
#Twenty-two scene modes plus three color modes, helping snap shooters capture the best possible shot with the least possible effort;
#The Photo Frame Dock 2, which provides one-touch picture transfer to a connected computer while keeping the cameras’ high-capacity lithium-ion battery charged and ready to go, and which can play video and photo ‘slideshows’ on the camera’s high-resolution LCD screen;
#And 32 megabytes (MB) of internal memory, plus a SD card slot for additional storage.
The KODAK EASYSHARE V570 zoom digital camera with Photo Frame Dock 2 will be available worldwide beginning later this month for US$399 (MSRP).

EASYSHARE Software and Accessories

The KODAK EASYSHARE V570 camera includes KODAK EASYSHARE software for WINDOWS and MACINTOSH systems, providing effortless digital picture organization, editing, sharing and printing — and even CD and DVD burning. The exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature takes advantage of proprietary color technologies developed by Kodak to help users get vibrant, true-to-life prints from inkjet printers, while the enhanced favorites feature helps you always have your best shots at hand, whether on your camera, on your computer, or online via the KODAK EASYSHARE Gallery.

Kodak also makes it easy to accessorize the new V570 camera with a range of products that help show off your pictures. For instance, the popular KODAK EASYSHARE Printer Dock Plus Series 3 (US$179 MSRP) makes it one-touch simple to print real KODAK pictures at home in just 60 seconds — with or without a computer.

Kodak Innovations

Following on the heels of its revolutionary wireless EASYSHARE-ONE zoom digital camera introduction at CES 2005, Kodak continues to bring groundbreaking features to its award-winning KODAK EASYSHARE digital photography system, enhancing the digital photography experience for consumers worldwide. The EASYSHARE system consists of cameras, snapshot printers, services, docks, software, inkjet and thermal photo papers, and accessories, making taking, organizing, sharing, and printing high quality digital pictures effortless. Further information on KODAK EASYSHARE products is available at www.kodak.com/go/EasyShare

Kodak, EasyShare, Retina, and EasyShare-one are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company. Schneider-Kreuznach and C-Variogon are trademarks of Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH used under license by Eastman Kodak Company.
2006

Intel touts power of new laptop chip

2006-01-02T16:37:00.000-08:00

Intel Corp said on Tuesday its next-generation platform for laptop computers will use 25 percent less power while boosting performance, helping it stay on top of the fast-growing market.

The overhaul of Intel‘s Centrino technology, code-named "Napa," comes as the world‘s largest chipmaker is getting a boost from laptop sales, which are growing faster than the overall computer market.

At the heart of Napa is Intel‘s new Yonah microprocessor, which will be its first mobile chip to have two cores and will be built with the latest technology that etches circuitry more than 100 times thinner than a human hair.

That means the Napa system -- covering the Yonah processor, its attendant chipset and a new wireless chip -- will use 28 percent less power while performing 68 percent better than its predecessor, Keith Kressin, Intel‘s marketing chief for mobile platforms, told reporters.
"There are benefits to corporate users, there are benefits to consumers," Kressin said.

The twin cores mean users can perform several tasks at the same time. For instance, one core could update a spreadsheet while the other displays a graphics-heavy presentation without slowing down.

Meanwhile, lower power usage is becoming more important as users demand longer battery life and ever-slimmer laptops, which pose an engineering challenge since smaller machines are less able to dissipate the processor‘s heat.

Analysts said Napa will be a crucial product for Intel when it launches in January.
In its third quarter, Intel‘s sales of laptop processors were an estimated $2.3 billion, about a quarter of its total revenue of $10 billion, according to Dean McCarron, head of market research firm Mercury Research.

Revenues from laptop chips are a growing chunk of Intel‘s business, accounting for a third of total processor sales in the third quarter, up from less than 27 percent a year earlier, McCarron said.

"There‘s been lot of expansion happening in the notebook computing space. That has helped Intel quite a bit, but they need to have something new if they are going to maintain their presence," McCarron said.

Napa comes as Intel‘s chief rival, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. makes inroads in laptop computers with its line of Turion chips and has one-upped Intel by being the first to launch a 64-bit mobile processor.

A 64-bit processor is able to process chunks of data twice as large as a standard 32-bit chip. That will be important when Microsoft launches the next version of its Windows operating system, which will be optimized for 64-bit.

Napa will make Intel a more capable competitor against AMD‘s products. AMD is having a modicum of success in mobile," said Nathan Brookwood, head of semiconductor research firm Insight 64.

Intel also said it would devote serious marketing muscle behind its upcoming "Viiv" platform that it hopes will spur buying of a new consumer-oriented PC designed to sit in a living room and download, store and play movies and music throughout a home.

Executives declined to say how much Intel would spend to market Viiv, set to launch early next year, but said the campaign would be similar to the one for Centrino that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
source : localnewsleader.com

Gifts on fritz? Try the Web

2006-01-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

It's the day after Christmas and all through the land, one phrase can be heard, with phone in hand: Argghhh!

That's the sound of frustration born out of long hours trying to get that high-tech gizmo or gadget to work.

And also because of all the agonizingly long wait times trying to get through to someone on the manufacturer's help desk while you listen to canned on-hold music.

Today is the day help desk telephone technicians hate to come to work, the busiest of the year, the day many call when their Christmas gifts give them grief.

"That's one job I wouldn't want to have on Dec. 26," says Tom Callow, a Bloomfield Hills attorney who specializes in tax and pension, but as a hobby helps people solve computer and technology problems for the SouthEastern Michigan Computer Organization Inc.
(http://www.semco.org/). The group began in 1976 and is one of the nation's oldest personal computer clubs.

Callow is one of 30 club volunteers who fields telephone calls and e-mails from people seeking help.

He specializes in troubleshooting computer problems and has taught classes across the area that help people dig themselves out of personal computer dilemmas.

He says one piece of advice is absolutely crucial.

"I tell people to read the instructions," he says. "You'd be surprised how few people really do. But I'd guess that maybe half of all the problems can be figured out if somebody carefully reads the instructions."

Assuming you've done that with your problem today, let me offer some advice.

But first, a secret. For years I did a computer show on local radio. People would call me up on weekends and ask me to solve their problems. Most times, I could. People thought I was brilliant.

The truth is, I was a good Googler.

They'd describe the problem and, as they did so, I'd be typing in the key words on Google. They'd finish the tale of woe with a plea for help and, more times than not, I'd read off the suggestion from the first hit that Google returned on my search and their problem was solved.

Try Googling your computer problem today. In fact, that's really what most help desk people do, running your problem through the manufacturer's product-specific database of common problems.

If Google doesn't bring you back a solution, don't give up on the Web.

Go to the main Web site of the company that made your gizmo. Look around for sections of that site called "support" or "troubleshooting."

Many of the major consumer electronics companies post the most frequently asked questions online and the odds are very good that what you are experiencing is referenced there.

Microsoft, for example, offers a huge and easily searchable database of problems, troubleshooting guides and work-around to glitches and conflicts encountered by Windows XP and its various products. You'll find it at http://support.microsoft.com.cq-recintowith/ hardware and peripheral devices -- printers, scanners, cameras, wireless phones and the like -- there may be new software patches or upgraded versions that you can download to get things working properly.

Online user forums are another great source of help. Suppose your Treo 650 smartphone or the Palm Zire handheld you got Sunday morning won't synchronize with your Outlook calendar and contact list.

Go to http://forums.palm.com/ and you'll find a whole category dealing with synchronization issues. Sometimes Palm technicians drop by and help. More often, the assistance comes from other users who have felt your pain and figured out how to get past it and are kindly disposed to helping you figure it out, too.

If all else fails, you can pay money for help. Best Buy offers its Geek Squad (http://www.geeksquad.com/) service from technicians who will actually come to your house and fix your product -- for a fee.

Contact MIKE WENDLAND at 313-222-8861 or mwendland@freepress.com.

Honour goes to Apple gadget guru

2005-12-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Ive, the man behind Apple's iconic iPod and iMac, has become a CBE in the New Year Honours list.

He is widely seen as one of the key figures in Apple's resurrection.

Mr Ive started working for Apple in 1992 but exerted a big influence on its products only in 1997 when Steve Jobs returned to the company he co-founded.

Mr Ive's first design for Apple, the iMac, was hugely influential and has been followed by a series of other widely admired gadgets.

Apple said in a statement: "We are as proud as could be that Jony is receiving such a prestigous commendation."

The Queen's New Year Honours list is dominated by people who helped in the aftermath of the July 7 London bombings.

The list is also peppered with the usual crop of celebrities and sporting figures.

Gadget guru

A Londoner by birth, Mr Ive studied industrial design at Newcastle Polytechnic. After graduating, he set up his own design studio called Tangerine.

He left Tangerine when one of his early clients, Apple, offered him a job at its offices in Cupertino, California.

Since the launch of the iMac in 1998, Mr Ive has driven the design of almost every piece of Apple hardware. Landmarks include the original iMac, iBook, Power Mac, PowerBook, Mac Mini and iPod.

Although many drool over the sleek look of Apple products, Mr Ive has always emphasised the need for a close union of form and function.

Famously private and rarely giving interviews, Mr Ive always seeks to stress the teamwork that goes into creating Apple's products.

The portable iPod music player has done the most to boost Apple's fortunes and in September 2005 it reported its best financial quarter for nine years. Sales of iPods were up 500% on the year before.
source : news.bbc.co.uk

top ten gadgets of 2005

2005-12-30T17:04:00.000-08:00

Plantronics Pulsar 590a

We have been banging on about Bluetooth headphones for music players for nearly two years now, so good to see that Plantronics, and rivals Logitech, finally delivered the goods in 2005. They might not be the last word in sound quality, but the £100-ish Pulsar 590a are very cool, very simple to use and obviously cut out when your get a call on your mobile.

Sharp Vodafone 903

In our books phone of the year mainly for its superb three mega pixel camera which takes images that really are something special and its compatibility with the Sky/Voda TV over 3G service. It could do with a decent web browser though.

Nokia N70

The top-end camera phone the N90 and hard disk music playing N91 might have grabbed the headlines, but as innovative as they are both phones are a little too chunky for our tastes. Nokia did however get it spot on with the N70, a classic chocolate bar style handset complete with 3G facilities. It has plenty of excellent features including a two mega pixel camera, solid web browser etc and images from Sky and Voda's TV service looks great on its fabulous screen. If you don’t fancy the Sharp 903 this is the phone to buy.

Motorola Oakley Razrwire

Sure we might have had a real pop at Oakley’s Thump shades with their built-in MP3 player, but its collaboration with Motorola, the Razrwire, is a real winner. Wave goodbye to all those hideous looking Bluetooth headsets as these shades come with a miniature Bluetooth adaptor that clings on to their frame. They are sure to provide the template for Bluetooth headsets in the future so expect to see snap-on wireless models for all kinds of sunglasses in the stores by next summer.

Telewest TVDrive

Until we get to see the new HD-friendly Sky HD box this is our favourite hard disk video recorder. It has all you'd expect including a 160 Gigabyte hard drive and trick play facilities, plus a few bonuses such as three tuners (so you can record two programmes while watching a third) and picture in picture on the menu screen. Compatibility with the video on demand Teleport system, which includes the odd bit of HDTV, is the icing on the cake.

Sky Gnome

A much better bet than a digital radio for Sky users, the Gnome let its owner wirelessly stream radio stations, music channels and more from their Sky box to an odd triangular little device which can be sited anywhere in the home. It isn't too expensive either. Can't wait for the version which streams video as well as audio.

Nikon D50

Ok, so the Canon EOS 350D has its fans and the Nikon D70 is obviously a better camera, but for causal snapper looking to take the next big step in digital photography the D50 is unbeatable. A dream to use it takes brilliant automated pictures, yet invites the user to experiment with manual and creative settings. It isn’t too pricey either.

Navman iCN550

In the year in which GPs went mainstream Navman is still out in front. Its top-end iCN550 is still the best system available thanks to superb user interface excellent quality maps and live traffic updates via FM.

Samsung SGH-i300

The first hard disk phone to hit Europe is a goodie. It is not too big, performs the basics well, features a two mega pixel camera and has tons of room (well three Gigabytes to be precise) for your music. Shame Samsung didn’t add a standard USB connector though or bundle it with some decent earphones.

Sony PSP

The PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) has a slim 6.7" x 2.9" frame that packs a powerful multimedia punch, enabling you to enjoy your favorite games, music, videos and photos instantly, anywhere. Factor in the PSP system's brilliant high-resolution screen and cutting-edge wireless connectivity and Internet Browser – and you may just have a revolution in your hands.

Tip of the Week : Move All Your Stuff to a New Mac — Quick

2005-12-30T04:17:00.000-08:00

In the past, if you bought a new Mac, moving all your files, music, photos, and well...everything from your old Mac to your new Mac was quite a production, and I saw it reduce many an NFL lineman to tears.

Well, in Tiger, that’s all a thing of the past. Now, when it’s time to make the “big move,” just connect the two Macs with a FireWire cable, then go to your new Mac and look inside the Applications folder, then go to the Utilities folder, where you’ll find an application called Migration Assistant.

Double-click on it and since it’s an assistant, it will lead you through a series of screens with questions about what you want to do. (Don’t worry, they’re pretty simple questions; however, some of the most critical questions are entirely in French. Kidding.) That’s it — answer the questions and it’ll make the move (including copying your settings for things like email, bookmarks and more).
source : http://www.apple.com/

Of Apples and BlackBerrys

2005-12-30T04:03:00.000-08:00

Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini last year undertook the most radical remaking of the 36-year-old chipmaker since co-founder Andrew Grove jettisoned Intel's failing memory-chip business in the '80s in favor of microprocessors, the core of PCs and servers. But Otellini's plan to break into products as far afield as cellular phones and handhelds, and such markets as digital health and the digital home, won't be as easy as dominating the PC business, which Intel has done for decades, thanks to its partnership with Microsoft.

Sitting in a hotel conference room in early December after speaking at a leadership conference in San Francisco, Otellini, who has been in the job since May, for the first time outlined some of the historic changes -- and the challenges -- he faces in remaking Intel. The chipmaker is changing its logo, dropping the Pentium brand, and launching a "big bang" of products throughout 2006. Otellini spoke with BusinessWeek Technology Correspondent Cliff Edwards, and a special extended version of their conversation -- available only on BusinessWeek Online -- appears below.

Is it fair to say Intel is exiting the PC era and morphing into something new?

The era we're going into now is one where computing becomes more ubiquitous and more pervasive and has more uses, so computers are going to become tailored. The product lines and markets we're addressing today are all focused on where we think computing is headed in the next four or five years.

Clearly, a lot of what you're focusing on is marketing. Why is that so important?

We are still a technology company. We spend a lot more on R&D than we do on marketing. But to sell technology now, you have to do it in a simpler way. You can't talk about bits and bytes -- you talk about what it does for you.

Some people might think it's crazy to tinker with one of the most widely recognizable brands in the world.

Changing the name of our products goes a long way to put an exclamation point on the design change that's behind them. Is it orthodox to walk away from one of the most recognized brand names in the world? Probably not. I don't think we'll walk away from it overnight. In fact, we will keep it on in a large manner for quite some time. But the new brand at the top, in terms of where we want to drive the product, is going to be focused on [the new brand] Core, Core Duo in particular, which signifies the dual-core nature of it and also the fact that we have a whole new sheriff in town.

You've brought in an outsider, former Samsung marketing whiz Eric Kim, to help lead the marketing changes. Isn't it unusual for Intel to bring in outsiders at the top ranks?

It's hard to come in from the outside at that level at any company. At Intel, it's traditionally been even harder. But I thought we needed some fresh thinking. This is one of the areas where change is part of the nature of the job.

The fact that Eric is a bigger geek than most of the other people at Intel turned out to be a wonderful blessing. He's a highly trained engineer, knows software in and out, worked Lotus. And he's also an aficionado. He's one of these guys that builds these home theaters himself and connects things up, so he's a great litmus test for how this stuff works.

You're also bringing in key execs in other senior-level positions.

As we move into emerging markets, you tend to buy a more experienced talent base. I felt in Digital Home boss Don [McDonald's] case that it was particularly important to get people who had worked in consumer electronics and content before. Those kind of skill sets didn't exist inside Intel.
In Mobility Group boss Sean [Maloney's] case, wireless technologies is an area where we're still growing and learning. Those guys are like living gods, and you want to get the best and the brightest.

These are some pretty cherished institutions you're dropping -- the Pentium brand, the dropped "e" in the logo. How much trepidation did you feel?

When Eric asked me if I had any sacred cows, I said no. He asked, what around the dropped "e"? And I said if it makes sense, it's time to do it. He was given pretty free rein to change.

And when I saw [the new logo], it just jumped out at me. It reflected that change, where we want to go. There's a feeling of movement around [the new logo], and the tag line "Leap Ahead" certainly reiterates that.

How much of this is in response to the competition you face? Advanced Micro Devices (AMD ) is stronger, and Texas Instruments is pursuing its own digital-home strategy.

We were certainly cognizant of our competition when we constructed [out new strategy], but I think it's sustainable from both a competitive and a market perspective. At the end of the day, the market is what drives our business model.

Tell me about the Apple relationship. You struck the deal in June for them to use Intel chips, which was something of a coup. What does that mean for Intel?

At the end of the day, we live to sell chips. First and foremost, it's market-expanding for us. Secondly, as I said at the developers' forum, the thing that Apple really brings to the Intel family of customers is their innovation. They [have an] ability to not just mix hardware and software, which is unique, but also to drop software upgrades rather frequently to take advantage of hardware changes.

I think what [Apple CEO] Steve [Jobs] said at the forum is they've dropped five releases of the operating system in the last four years. That alone is very appealing. [When it comes to design], they are a front-runner -- people copy some of their design elements. I believe as they start taking advantage of some of our lower-power products...it will drive a trend toward smaller, cheaper, cooler.

How hard was all this change for you as a lifelong Intel man?

I'm quite convinced this direction is the right thing for our company and, to some extent, the industry. This really is a natural evolution of not where just Moore's Law takes us, but also where computing has to go. This is the right model. Now, it's just a matter of playing it out.
What's your slogan going to be? Andy Grove, of course, will be known forever for "Only the Paranoid Survive."He wrote that after he was in the job five or six years. [Otellini laughs.] Come back to me then.

Which technologies, platforms, most excite you personally?

I actually think Viiv is a world changer. Independent of the hardware as it evolves, it's DRM-agnostic, but it protects everything. It allows you to move things in a free fashion, but still maintain the desire of the content owners to get paid for what they do. It will change the business models of entertainment and theaters and Hollywood, and it will be for the benefit of consumers.
source : businessweek.com

Be Informed When You Purchase A Computer

2005-12-29T16:22:00.000-08:00

When you go online or look at ads for electronics stores, you will probably be able to find a computer that will be just right for you. There are many types and styles available on the market. You can find a computer that will take up a whole room in your house, while you can also find a computer that will fit into the palm of your hand! At a business, you will probably find a mainframe computer. In your workplace or at home you will normally find a desktop computer. In the airport, the person sitting next to you could be working on a laptop computer or handheld computer. So, when you find yourself looking for a computer for your own personal use, you know you will have a lot to choose from.

When looking for a home computer, nowadays called a personal computer, you will find it is made up of several parts. There will be a box sitting on your desk, black, gray or beige in color. This is your actual computer, containing everything from the microprocessor to the memory, the storage to the input/output devices. You can’t work with just the “computer” alone, though. There are accessories that go along with your computer like the monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. Other attachments you might find are printers and digital video cameras.

If you want to buy a computer, it is good to know that there are two separate categories of computers: PCs and Macs.

- A PC is a computer modeled after components and standards created by the IBM Company. A rather high percentage of all personal computers, shown at somewhere over 90%, are PCs. Some companies that sell PC computers are IBM, Dell, Compac, and Gateway.

- A Mac computer is a personal computer made by the Apple Company. MacIntosh was its most popular style of computer several years ago. The new IMacs are popular with die-hard Mac fans, although not as many people today use Mac computers as used to.

A personal computer in your home can be used for many things, including word processing chores, personal and business letter writing, financial records and planning, internet searching, photography, and many other types of functions like graphic design and publishing. For the younger crowd, a personal computer can also be used to listen to music, watch movies or play detailed video games.

The basic elements of your personal computer that you choose, like the processor, amount of RAM, floppy or CD-Rom disk drives, hard disk drive, sound card, speakers, monitor, modem and graphics card will be determined by what kind of computer user you plan to be. Heavy users of complex programs will need much more “stuff” on their computer than the average computer user. Once you’ve determined how much of everything you need, you will be able to calculate an average cost for the computer you want.
Article Source: www.ArticleStreet.com

Nissan Put Xbox In A Car

2005-12-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

Nissan and Microsoft have teamed up to create a concept car that will allow you to play the Xbox360 from behind the wheel when you are not driving.

The URGE car enables people, while parked, to play the game "Project Gotham Racing 3" using the vehicle's steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal. The game, developed by Bizarre Creations Ltd., is shown on a flip-down 7-inch LCD screen.

The URGE is scheduled to make its debut Jan. 9 at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

A survey of 2,000 teens and young adults found that a majority listed technology and gaming as among the "most important attributes in their first car," Bruce Campbell, vice president of design for Nissan, said in a joint statement.

Project Gotham Racing lets people pretend to drive the streets of New York, London, Las Vegas or Tokyo, or the Nurburgring test track in Germany. By embedding the game in the car, the Xbox "delivers an immersive driving experience not available in any living room," the companies said.

A driver in New York, for example, can park the car and then pretend to race through the same streets. The flip-down LCD screen doubles as a rear-view mirror when not in use.
source : www.informationweek.com, http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/

Toshiba with HCL. has launched Qosmio F20

2005-12-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

Toshiba's Computer Systems Division, provider of industry-leading portable computers in partnership with HCL Infosystems Ltd., on Wednesday announced the addition of Qosmio F20, an affordable "four-in-one" digital entertainment notebook with a new attractive pearl white finish design to its award-winning AV Notebook PC line-up.

"The Qosmio F20 offers all the quality and 'four-in-one' AV functionality associated with the Qosmio line at an extremely reasonable price," saidRajendra Kumar, Executive Vice President, HCL Infosystems Ltd. "Movies, music, television, gaming, Internet and personal computing converge in a portable device for the entire family."

Featuring a 450NIT (2 lamps) high luminance clear SuperView 15.4-inch wide-screen display, Qosmio F20 offers users a '4-in-1' experience with integrated TV tuner, digital video recorder (DVR), DVD SuperMulti Double Layer drive and virtual surround-sound stereo.

AV at the touch of a button: The Qosmio F20 features the QosmioPlayer, allowing users to watch TV, DVDs or listen to CDs with a quick touch of a button on the unit or the remote control without booting up the Windows operating system. With this feature, Qosmio owners can enjoy audio or video content within seconds just as if they were using a stand-alone TV, stereo or DVD player.

It also incorporates two Harman Kardon speakers combined with SRS TruSurround XT technology.

Powerful computing tool: The Qosmio F20 features Intel Centrino Mobile Technology with an Intel® Pentium M processor 750 and Intel PRO/Wireless (802.11b/g), providing outstanding mobile performance and easy connectivity to the Internet at home or on the road at wireless hotspots. With its 5-in-1 card reader, Qosmio users can access and share photo and video content quickly. All Toshiba notebook computers are backed by HCL's extensive service and support network spread in 16 locations across the country. The new Qosmio F20 comes standard with a 1-year Carry-in International Limited Warranty inclusive of parts & labor (1-year battery).

In addition, customers can now call in toll-free + to the newly implemented Toshiba Global Support Centre that offers an innovative one-stop 24 hours, 7 days, round-the-globe services and support capabilities for their mobile computer products queries. The single integrated services platform, with multi-language support services, assist in resolving warranty services and technical support issues.
source: www.indiainfoline.com and www.efytimes.com

The Advanced Technology Of The Toshiba Tablet Pc

2005-12-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

Featuring the latest advances in computer technology, the Toshiba Tablet PC is a notebook style computer designed to allow interactive writing on the screen. Touch-screen technology enables users to write with either a stylus or a digital pen. Eliminating the need for a standard mouse and keyboard makes the Toshiba Tablet PC a real asset for executives on the go. For easy access and presentation capability, the Toshiba Tablet PC includes a swivel screen that can be turned out or in depending on the needs of the user. With all the power of a regular notebook PC and the advanced touch-screen capabilities, it represents the future of computer technology.

Features Available on the Toshiba Tablet PC

Just as with standard notebooks, the Toshiba Tablet PC can be customized to include the features that will be most applicable to each user. Selecting the options that will provide the most benefit allows for greater overall value. In addition to the normal applications available,
the Toshiba Tablet PC can include :

* Versatile RAM Memory – Original and expansion memory can be added as necessary.

* Wi-Fi Capability – Get connected to the internet anywhere without the hassle of wires and dial-ups.

* Bluetooth Connectivity – Allows for optimum use of Bluetooth devices and synchronization.

* Flash Memory Drive – Increases the amount of mobile memory in your PC.

* Toshiba Custom Utilities – Created specifically for Toshiba PCs, utility software enables you to monitor and repair your system.* Dual-Axis Accelerometer – Automatically detects the screen position and adjusts the visual accordingly.

* Docking Capability – Makes working with a Toshiba Tablet PC as simple to operate as any desktop PC.Toshiba Tablet PC Models

Toshiba Tablet PC Models

Toshiba offers several models of their popular tablet PCs. Finding the right Toshiba Tablet PC is a matter of determining the power and utilities you most need. Tablet PCs range in price

depending on the model and accompanying features. Some of the most popular models include:

* Toshiba Portege M200 Series - One of the most desired tablet PCs on the market, the Portege M200 series contains everything you from a notebook and tablet PC. Features on the Portege series:

+ 1.5GHz Pentium Processor+ 256MB Expandable RAM Memory+ 40GB Hard Drive

+ 12.1” Display Screen

+ 2 USB 2.0 and VGA ports

+ Network Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet, Modem or Wi-Fi

+ Storage: PC Card Type 1, SD Slot

+ Weight: 4.4Lbs

* Toshiba Satellite R15 Series

- A step up from the Portege model, the Toshiba Satellite R15 Series gives you even more power for your applications. Features on the Satellite R15 Series:

+ 1.7GHz Pentium Processor

+ 256MB Expandable RAM Memory

+ 40-80GB Hard Drive+ 14.1” Display Screen

+ 3 USB 2.0 and VGA, FireWire

+ Network Connectivity: 10/100 Ethernet or Modem

+ Storage: DVD Double Layer Drive

+ Weight: 6.1Lbs

* Toshiba Tecra M4 Series - The top-of-the-line in tablet PCs, the Toshiba Tecra M4 Series supplies advanced power, memory and application capabilities for a complete tablet PC package. Features of the Tecra M4 Series:

+ 1.73Hz Pentium Processor

+ 256MB Expandable RAM Memory+ 80GB Hard Drive

+ 14.1” Display Screen+ 2 USB 2.0 and VGA, FireWire, S Video Ports

+ Network Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, Modem or Fast IR+ Storage: DVD Double Layer Drive

+ Weight: 6.2Lbs

Article Source: http://www.articlestreet.com/