Today's Latest and Hot Stuff: Web Development Tools, Internet News, Software and Technology Reviews

IE8 to be the last IE-engine based Microsoft browser?

2009-03-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Could IE8 be the end of the line for the most popular (though declining) browser in the world? There have been rumors floating that indicate Microsoft may be making such a move, potentially switching development to a browser built off an entirely different engine. Whether based off the alpha “Gazelle” browser Microsoft has already introduced or the growing WebKit platform, there seem to be a lot of signs pointing towards IE8 being the last Internet Explorer to appear.

Some will certainly cheer such a change but others may dread it. There is a massive base of IE-only applications that exist around the world, from banking interfaces to media players to numerous pieces of software, all which bet on people most likely using (or willing to use) IE. For all of those, IE8 being the end means that inevitably they would need to move away from ActiveX and all other IE-backwards-compatible components. There's also the embedded application factor, where many programs use IE's engine to render content or perform other functions. It's a big change, and one that indicates Microsoft may be re-thinking their browser strategy altogether.

Of course, this is just speculation. There's a lot of good reasoning behind it, and Microsoft could potentially benefit greatly in doing so, but by the same token seek to lose a lot too. Part of their browser dominance originally focused around support for proprietary protocols and APIs, which gave them overwhelming advantages in many situations. If the software giant does ditch IE-based browsers, it'll represent a fundamental change in how many view the browser market. What's your take: should Microsoft dump IE in favor of something new?

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33864-ie8-to-be-the-last-ieengine-based-microsoft-browser.html

Microsoft-Novell partnership yielding little results

2009-03-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

When Microsoft and Novell partnered some time back, many people predicted doom and gloom. Open source advocates said that the IP sharing and cross-licensing Novell had agreed to was detrimental to Linux and ultimately was just a trap to any potential customers that would sign up. Businesses tasked with running mixed-operating system environments seemed to initially welcome the deal, though, and the two actually expanded their alliance with further investments back in August.

Specifically, the software giant agreed to purchase up to $100 million of additional Suse Linux Enterprise Server certificates – paid in $25 million increments starting last November as the certificates were distributed. But things are now slowing down in the Novell-Microsoft relationship, as it turns out, the companies didn’t sign a single large customer during the most recent quarter. Novell's approach to this loss of sales has been to blame itself, claiming that their reseller channel is insufficient rather than pointing fingers at Microsoft.

Novell also said that they have to date invoiced $199 million, or 83 percent, of the original $240 million agreement. So why did Microsoft prepay $25 million for a new batch of certificates when it still had $41 million lying around? It’s clear that Novell needed the cash, the company reported disappointing first-quarter earnings and a slide in its Linux business, but Microsoft’s motivation for the move seems unclear.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33918-microsoftnovell-partnership-yielding-little-results.html

Download of the Week: Miro

2009-03-15T18:48:00.001-07:00

The increasing adoption of broadband has made it easier than ever to enjoy digital media and online videos in particular – whether it is user generated or professionally produced content that you are looking for. With the growing sources for online video, though, sometimes you just need the right tool to stay on top of it all. Miro is a desktop player that doubles as your video library and can download online video from a number of sources just as well.

This free cross-platform application is a combination of a video and audio podcast player with a built-in BitTorrent client and media player (based on VLC under Windows). There is a comprehensive programming guide that can be set to download new videos via RSS or you can just subscribe to content on your preferred torrent site, all while keeping track of what you've watched already and what is queued up for you. It’s most recent version, Miro 2.0, brings integration with streaming sites, a windowed video player, and much-improved performance.

Unfortunately, support for streaming video still feels half baked as it merely loads up websites like Hulu.com in a browser inside the application to play the videos rather than using its own player. Regardless, it does offer the advantage of bringing together a bunch of video sources from around the web and putting them together in a single, clean interface.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33917-download-of-the-week-miro.html

Online gaming grows on consoles, Xbox 360 leads the way

2009-03-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Although PCs are still the most widely used platform then it comes to online gaming, consoles are quickly rising in popularity. This according to a recent survey among 20,000 U.S. gamers by market research firm NPD, which found that consoles now account for a quarter of all online playtime, a “statistically significant” increase from 19 percent a year ago.

The Xbox 360 was second overall and the leader for online gaming using consoles, with 50 percent of the market, despite being the only one not giving out this functionality for free. Meanwhile, online use amongst Nintendo Wii owners rose from 18 percent to 29 percent. Specific figures for other platforms were not provided, but the company said that the PS2 fell dramatically and PS3 moved up from fifth place to third place among consoles. Additionally, the report claims online gaming has also become more popular among younger users, increasing 5 percent in gamers aged 13 to 17, while decreasing slightly among older gamers.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33915-online-gaming-grows-on-consoles-xbox-360-leads-the-way.html

Amazon uses DMCA to prevent third-party eBook sales

2009-03-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Apple isn't the only company with a proprietary device that they want total sale control over. Amazon's Kindle, for instance, is also designed to make use of online shopping exclusively through sanctioned Amazon avenues. Thus, when the retailer learned about a third party method used to extract the PID information from a Kindle, with the end goal being content delivery from a non-Amazon source, they acted quickly.

MobileRead published instructions on how to use a small piece of software to get your Kindle’s PID, and ended up receiving a DMCA cease and desist notice from Amazon, telling them to immediately pull the software and the instructions on how to use it. Though the site doesn't necessarily admit any wrongdoing, they complied with Amazon – but not before many mirror sites began replicating the content.

Their goal was simple: allow people to buy eBooks for the Kindle from anywhere. Given how much Amazon has invested into the device, you can't really blame them for waving the DMCA at anyone who would try to circumvent their direct channel to it. Many other companies, such as Apple, do exactly the same – despite protests from users who think the choice should lie with whoever owns the device. Amazon is resolute, though, claiming that information like the Kindle's PID is protected by the DMCA and users have no right to extract it.

This instance is yet another in a series of conflicts between hardware/software manufacturers and users, where the question asked every time but still unanswered remains: Who really “owns” the device, the user or the manufacturer?

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33914-amazon-uses-dmca-to-prevent-thirdparty-ebook-sales.html

Apple goes to court over exploding iPod Touch

2009-03-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

No matter what type of portable devices you carry around you certainly don’t want them to explode on you. Unfortunately, as we have seen in the past few years, there is always the small possibility of portable batteries overheating or having some other issue. Sony’s defective battery scandal was just one of many reminding us of that, and there have been isolated reports here and there about batteries that catch on fire or even explode. Even if it's a one in a million chance, it only takes that one incident for an irate customer to file a lawsuit. That's exactly what happened to Apple, in regards to an iPod touch that supposedly exploded, and must now face the courts.

We've seen several of these cases before, though many of them ended up being an instance where the device had a clone battery not sanctioned by the manufacturer or some other issue. Given that the iPod Touch doesn't have a user-replaceable battery, though, this case is likely to get more attention. The lawsuit isn't asking for millions upon millions of dollars, which most do, but rather less than a quarter million – a more reasonable figure, but one that Apple is still likely to defend themselves against. The company of course has issued no comment on the matter, but it will be interesting to find out the details of the exploding iPod.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33913-apple-goes-to-court-over-exploding-ipod-touch.html

Microsoft details new changes to Windows 7

2009-03-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

Following on from its previous update, Microsoft has unveiled 27 more changes it plans to make before upgrading Windows 7 from beta to release candidate. Once again, these are small tweaks based on user feedback aimed at improving the desktop experience, and more such adjustments are expected to come as Microsoft rushes to get their next operating system out the door.

This time the company has made some usability tweaks to how the taskbar thumbnail overflow feature works, modified the Control Panel Jump List so that it offers quick access to recently used items, and particularly focused on improving several aspects of the Windows Explorer file manager. Interestingly, Microsoft also decided to trim the shutdown and logoff sounds to gain up to 400 milliseconds because “every little bit counts.” The rest of the changes involve a number of different performance and operating areas, you can check out the full list on the Engineering Windows 7 blog.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33909-microsoft-details-new-changes-to-windows-7.html

Opera tests server-side optimization technology

2009-03-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Opera has unveiled its latest innovation for faster browsing and posted a test version for those who would like to take the technology for a spin. In a nutshell, Opera Turbo is a server-side optimization and compression technology that provides improvements in browsing speeds by compressing network traffic. This will come in handy not only for those with slow internet access but also for connections with a monthly cap or people on a pay per usage plan.

When turned on, Opera Turbo will display the average compression rate along with the amount of bandwidth saved at the bottom of the screen. The company warns that, as a result of compression, images on a website may appear with a considerably lower resolution but the layout and text will look exactly the same. Also, for those worried about their privacy, Opera assures them that encrypted traffic will not go through their servers.

This is a limited time release but the company hopes to eventually make Opera Turbo a part of its desktop client. It should work with any type of connection. However, to get the most out of it, Opera claims users need to be on a situation with limited bandwidth.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33908-opera-tests-serverside-optimization-technology.html

Free POP3 access hits Hotmail users worldwide, finally

2009-03-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Microsoft began rolling out free POP3 support to Windows Live Hotmail users back in January, albeit only on a few select markets. The company had previously offered this feature by asking users to pay $19.95 a year for a premium “Hotmail Plus” account, but with other online email services such as Gmail and Yahoo allowing it free of charge, Hotmail had to follow suit eventually – and it only took them a few years.

In all fairness, Microsoft has been offering a free way for synchronizing web services with offline clients since last year using their proprietary DeltaSync protocol. Another alternative for users is to use the Windows Live Mail desktop client which has built-in support for Hotmail. Neither solution, despite having their advantages over POP3, is more commonly used and accepted than the latter protocol.

Thus, those who had still been waiting for the update to hit their country will be happy to know that it has finally rolled out to every customer. Check out the details on how to setup your email client after the break.

POP server: pop3.live.com (Port 995)
POP SSL required? Yes
User name: Your Windows Live ID, for example yourname@hotmail.com
Password: The password you usually use to sign in to Hotmail or Windows Live
SMTP server: smtp.live.com (Port 25 or 587)
Authentication required? Yes (this matches your POP username and password)
TLS/SSL required? Yes

VIA launches 1080p-capable chipset for netbooks

2009-03-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

Via has launched a new chipset today described as a highly integrated ‘media system processor’ that meets the needs of today’s netbooks and other mobile devices. Dubbed VX855, the new part offers support for the Via Nano, C7, and Eden processor lines at 400 to 800 MHz FSB speeds while also integrating a DDR2 memory controller that handles up to 4GB of RAM and several input/output capabilities (including support for up to six USB 2.0 ports) in a single chip.

A new Chrome9 HCM graphics engine is also present to provide some modest 3D graphics – this is still a DirectX 9 part. Its main selling points, however, are its ability to deliver 1080p video playback while using a maximum of just 2.3W of power. The hardware supports a variety of video standards, including H.264, MPEG-2/4, VC-1 and WMV9.

Although it seems a bit unnecessary for a netbook to be capable of 1080p video decoding, considering the lack of a large display, it is a feat that Intel's current netbook platform is still unable to claim. Nvidia’s Ion platform, on the other hand, does offer such functionality but we've yet to see a retail product using it. Via could take advantage of this if it can get the VX855 chipset into a netbook soon.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33904-via-launches-1080pcapable-chipset-for-netbooks.html

OLPC to use ARM processors on the XO-2?

2009-03-15T18:39:00.001-07:00

The OLPC foundation has hinted today that it might be dropping x86 processors in their next generation XO-2 laptops in favor of an ARM based solution. Apparently the move is aimed at improving battery life while cutting costs, using a system-on-chip design, but this could also come at the expense of losing compatibility with Microsoft Windows operating systems.

The current XO model already uses an average of only 5 watts but the company claims power draw is still their biggest problem. A typical ARM processor, on the other hand, uses significantly less than a watt. Microsoft has traditionally declined to make a full-blown Windows OS for ARM, but then again, as Nicholas Negroponte states, the XO-2 is still 18 months away from release and a lot can change in that time frame.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33900-olpc-to-use-arm-processors-on-the-xo2.html

IE8 release date set for March 20?

2009-03-15T18:38:00.001-07:00

The next (and potentially last) iteration of IE8 has been reviewed many times, demoed across several platforms and anticipated by many for a variety of reasons. Throughout development Microsoft has never given a solid release date for the browser, though there's been a lot of speculation that it would be out sometime this month. Now, however, Microsoft Taiwan representatives are offering a more specific date saying that the local version of Internet Explorer 8 will be released just over a week away, on March 20.

If true, it could also mean that the company has already ended development on the browser and is planning to unveil its final version, stateside, at MIX09 the day before. This is supported by the fact that, in the most recently leaked builds of Windows 7, the version information of IE 8 in the About screen does not reflect a release candidate status. It also means that IE7 has had a development lifespan of only two and a half years, compared to about five for its predecessor, and it can easily be said that the success of other browsers (most notably Firefox) fired up Microsoft's development team to try and keep up.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33899-ie8-release-date-set-for-march-20.html

Can Mozilla survive without Google?

2009-03-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

Is Mozilla in danger of losing their biggest financial backer? The creator of the Firefox browser considers that a possibility. Currently, Mozilla sources nearly all of their monetary support from a partnership with Google, providing them with the top spot for searching, and in turn receiving a nice financial kickback. All in all, Google is responsible for footing nearly 90% of Mozilla's funds.

The reason Mozilla sees themselves in danger is due to Chrome. It's possible that due to Google pushing their own browser, they may not see any incentive to continue funding Firefox development. If Chrome usage rises to significant levels, Google may want to redirect their resources, after their three year contract with Mozilla expires in 2011. The search giant hasn't commented on any plans they have, though there's still a substantial benefit in working with Mozilla. After all, Chrome has yet to really take off and Firefox has a very large market share to play with.

The bottom line, as I see it, is that Firefox was not born with Google in mind and the browser will certainly not disappear should Mozilla suffer a massive revenue loss. A change in business, for sure, and it is also possible that development would be affected. Google may be king of search, but there are still other players, such as Microsoft and Yahoo – and there's nothing preventing Mozilla from working with them as well.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33893-can-mozilla-survive-without-google.html

News around the web: Battery that 'charges in seconds'

2009-03-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Battery that 'charges in seconds' @ BBC News
Scratch-proof cars on the way? @ Reuters
Q&A: The robot wars have arrived @ News.com
The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist @ Wired
See more articles and reviews.

Five years ago in TechSpot:
Jobs draws $1 paycheck again

Storage
SuperTalent Godfather Series 16GB USB Drive Review @ PCSTATS
Super Talent The Godfather 16GB USB Flash Drive Review @ OCC

Video
CrossFire vs. SLI @ InsideHW
ATI Budget GFX Overview @ Driverheaven
XFX Radeon HD 4870 XXX 1GB video card review @ Elite Bastards

Misc.
Evolution Gaming Gear MP2 Mouse Pad @ Overclockers Online
An Interview With The Developers Of FFmpeg @ Phoronix

Peripherals
FiiO E3 & E5 Portable Headphone Amplifier @ techPowerUp

Power Supplies
Topower Powerbird 1100 SE Power Supply @ Pro-Clockers

Cooling
Cooler Master ATCS 840 @ PureOverclock
Xigmatek Achilles S1284C CPU Cooler @ TweakTown

Music Players
SanDisk Sansa slotMusic Music Player Review @ Futurelooks

Memory
A look at DDR2, DDR3 and SSD At Cebit 2009 @ Madshrimps

Motherboards
ECS 945GCT-D @ Legion Hardware
Gigabyte GA-MA790GP-DS4H AM2+ Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews

Cameras
Casio EXILIM EX-FH20 Digital Camera @ HardwareZone

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33897-news-around-the-web-battery-that-charges-in-seconds-.html

Apple set to unveil iPhone OS 3.0 next week

2009-03-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Apple has sent out invitations today to a press event where it will provide a sneak peek at the iPhone 3.0 operating system. Few details are available at the moment but, of course, speculation on what the update might include is already off and running. There are plenty of features iPhone users have been clamoring for since its release, such as Bluetooth stereo audio as well as native support for MMS and copy/paste functionality. Apple could also introduce tethering via Bluetooth and USB.

Perhaps the most significant enhancements the company could make to the device would be multi-tasking or the ability to run self contained web applications – the timing would be just about right to slow down all the hype behind the Palm Pre. Whatever it is that Apple plans to unveil we will know for sure on March 17. In the meantime, what are you hoping to see in iPhone OS 3.0? Let us know in the comments.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33895-apple-set-to-unveil-iphone-os-30-next-week.html

YouTube works with Hollywood agency for new content

2009-02-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

YouTube's video profile is set to expand, following a deal with the William Morris Agency. At its core, the agreement would see more content that doesn't make it to prime time television or movie screens released on YouTube. Some frustration has developed with William Morris, along with YouTube, over a lack of newer and fresher content available. Even with ad-supported videos, big media giants have been reluctant to release much on the video sharing site, for a variety of reasons.

The benefit for YouTube is to get more “premium” content, which allows them to ultimately generate more advertising revenue. Ad-generated revenue on YouTube is lower than what Google expects, primarily because the majority of videos on YouTube are submitted by individuals, not by companies. This William Morris deal could result in “made for YouTube” videos with professional actors, an attractive beacon for the service and a way for money to be generated through ads. This is all around good news for YouTube, and I expect that we'll see only more of this in the future, though hopefully not at the expense of what made the site popular in the first place: user generated content.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33434-youtube-works-with-hollywood-agency-for-new-content.html

Console sales: Wii leads, PlayStation 3 closes in on 360

2009-02-02T19:32:00.001-08:00

New information on how well the current generation of consoles is doing has been posted. There are two interesting things to note this time around, the first of which is the sheer number of consoles Nintendo has managed to deliver. The most recent figure puts the Wii at nearly 45 million sold worldwide, an impressive number no matter which way you look at it. A little under 18 million of those were sold in the U.S., showing that the Wii has a wide international appeal which is contributing to the console's success. From the perspective of the U.S. alone, it is number three for all-time sales, trailing the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation 2, which still remains number one.

The other interesting thing to note is the shortening difference between the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The 360 is no slouch, sitting at around 28.5 million units worldwide. Their sales have not stopped, though they certainly have waned, which may be due to the PS3. Sony's beast has seen a growth spurt of sorts and now touts over 21 million consoles sold, narrowing the game between themselves and Microsoft to only around 7 million. A taste of things to come or merely the market filling out? This is a bit hard to predict at this point, as both Microsoft and Sony have a lot of things going for them.

Neither Sony nor Microsoft, however, can really hold a candle to Nintendo at this time. The Wii is still outselling both consoles at nearly a 2 to 1 ratio. Can that continue for very much longer? Sony's biggest hurdle, in my opinion, still remains their price. Microsoft has the cheapest console and Nintendo has the greatest sales, whereas Sony has both the highest price and the lowest sales. While it's not completely that simple, it's not a coincidence either.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33403-console-sales-wii-leads-playstation-3-closes-in-on-360.html

Download of the Week: Windows 7 Beta

2009-02-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

With less than two weeks remaining until the general availability for Windows 7 Beta downloads ends (well, at least from the official site) we wanted to encourage those who may be waiting for a final release to go ahead and give it a try. Of course, this being a beta we wouldn’t recommend using it for any critical stuff but, if you are anything like us and enjoy tinkering with new software, then Windows 7 is definitely worth a look if just for its revamped taskbar and improved window management.

The user interface received some welcome changes, with elements that are both pretty and useful, such as the new jump lists, live thumbnails and Aero Peek. Microsoft also put a lot of work into making backups easier, simplifying the task of setting up networks and sharing media, and tweaking the Windows Explorer so it feels more intuitive. While the release isn't bug free, overall it is pretty stable for a first beta and certainly feels more responsive than Vista. It is also said to be feature complete.

Should you decide to give it a try, a copy of Windows 7 is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit form. Also, to get you started, we have posted a guide to dual boot Windows 7 with XP/Vista in three easy steps, and another one to reverse the process in case you want to go back to your single OS setup. Minimum requirements detailed after the break.

Minimum recommended specs:
o 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
o 1 GB of system memory
o 16 GB of available disk space
o Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (to enable the Aero theme)
o DVD-R/W Drive

Apple pulls MacBook graphics update

2009-02-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

After numerous complaints over flickering on external displays, Apple crafted a patch for MacBook users that would supposedly fix this. It was deemed a software-fixable problem, and it only cropped up when using integrated GPUs as opposed to discrete GPUs. Unfortunately the patch seems to have made the problem worse and, as a result, Apple has made the decision to pull the update for now, while they look into the true cause of the problem.

Complaints started to appear on Apple's boards post-update indicating that for some people the problem was still around, while others found it was amplified. Given that some people actually found the fix to work as designed, it is possible the problem is wider in scope than Apple realizes, with multiple types of hardware being affected. Apple is not yet sharing if it actually is a hardware problem or a driver/software issue.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33402-apple-pulls-macbook-graphics-update.html

AMD releases Catalyst 9.1 drivers with full OpenGL 3.0 support

2009-02-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

AMD has unleashed its first update to the Catalyst driver pack for this year, version 9.1, which comes complete with full OpenGL 3.0 support on Radeon cards and a host of bug fixes. Among the long list of changes mentioned in the release notes are fixes related to the Catalyst Control Center, video playback, general stability, and other miscellaneous software. AMD does not mention any particular improvements in games but some slight gains in Crysis and FarCry 2 have been reported. The new Catalyst 9.1 driver package is available right now for Windows Vista, Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows XP and Windows XP Pro 64-bit.

Linux users also get some interesting new features, such as Hybrid CrossFireX support for systems featuring an AMG 780G/780D and an ATI Radeon HD 3400 or HD 2400 series GPUs, support for Ubuntu 8.10, MultiView and full OpenGL 3.0 support. Similarly, you can get these drivers in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33401-amd-releases-catalyst-91-drivers-with-full-opengl-30-support.html

Xbox 360 a gold mine for Netflix growth?

2009-02-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

Netflix reaching out beyond just the PC as a streaming platform was a tremendously good move for the company – most people do not want to sit in front of their PC when watching a movie or shows. Now that they have the Roku and third-party hardware with streaming options, Netflix has seen a surge in new accounts. The Xbox 360 however has been cited by analysts as a huge player in that, perhaps the most significant one, and will continue to be so.

With at least 10 million Xbox Live Gold subscribers, they might be right. You already have an audience that doesn't mind paying for online services and makes use of their console on the Internet often enough. In addition, you have the unknown number of Xbox Live Silver subscribers, who might see the addition of Netflix functionality to be all the motivation they need to subscribe. All in all, the estimate is that Netflix might gain an additional 1 million customers, making the 360 trounce even their own Roku for streaming subscribers.

Now, if only Netflix can solve the issue of having nowhere near the streaming selection that their standard DVD library boasts. For all of you Xbox 360 users out there, have you made use of the Netflix streaming service on it, or would you if the selection was better?

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33385-xbox-360-a-gold-mine-for-netflix-growth.html

Palm's VP of design shows off Pre features

2009-02-02T19:25:00.002-08:00

If there is one smartphone shaping up to actually pose a threat to the iPhone behemoth, it has to be the Palm Pre. The device produced quite a great deal of buzz at CES earlier this month. The completely reworked webOS operating system runs fast (at least telling from the footage we’ve seen so far), the user interface seems really polished with great attention to the usability front and, unlike the iPhone, it offers true multitasking allowing you to switch between active apps.

They have also paid a lot of attention to the industrial design and even packaging. In a couple of recently posted videos with VP of design Peter Skillman we can see some of that along with a hands-on demonstration of the Touchstone inductive charger and other cool features you may have missed, such as the video player and the Amazon music store. Check out a second, 25 minute video after the break.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33417-palms-vp-of-design-shows-off-pre-features.html

Higher capacity Intel SSDs to arrive in Q4

2009-02-02T19:25:00.001-08:00

Following the release of X18-M and X25-M solid state drives for general consumers late last year, and later on an X25-E Extreme variant for the enterprise market, a recently leaked roadmap suggests Intel has plans to broaden its SSD line with higher-capacity models in the fourth quarter of 2009.

According to the roadmap, Intel will double the size of its current X25-E drives to 64GB and 128GB, while introducing a new 320GB model in its mainstream X18-M and X25-M series on top of the current 80GB and 160GB capacities. VR-Zone notes that the upcoming drives will all use 34nm flash memory chips – which is a sizeable shrink compared to the current 55nm process technology – and updated controllers to improve performance. There is no mention of an actual release date or pricing for the drives nor has Intel offered any comment as to what performance improvements we can expect.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33423-higher-capacity-intel-ssds-to-arrive-in-q4.html

Google and partners to expose network meddling

2009-02-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

As promised several months ago, Google and a group of partners have formed the Measurement Lab platform, an open project of distributed servers meant to help researchers gauge just how well an internet connection is working and conversely help customers determine if their ISP is blocking or throttling particular applications.

As part of the plan, Google will provide M-Lab with 36 servers in 12 locations in the U.S. and Europe to run a set of tools which initially include: a network diagnostic tool, which reports the upload and download speeds and also attempts to determine what problems limited these speeds; a tool to detect whether your ISP is performing application-specific shaping; and network and path application diagnosis (NPAD), which diagnoses some of the common problems affecting the last network mile and end-users' systems.

Google insisted that the effort was not just another means to push Net neutrality and said it believes that consumers should have the right to clearly understand the exact nature of the connection they’re paying for. To help with that goal, M-Lab says two additional tools should arrive shortly, DiffProbe and Nano. The first will attempt to detect if an ISP is classifying certain kinds of traffic as “low priority” (a technique Comcast began using not long ago), while the latter will attempt to detect if an ISP is degrading the performance of a certain subset of users, apps, or destinations.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33387-google-and-partners-to-expose-network-meddling.html

Weekend tech reading: Intel Atom could hurt the hardware and software industries, says Nvidia

2009-02-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

Nvidia CEO says Intel's Atom could hurt the hardware and software industries LaptopMag.com's Mark Spoonauer sat down with Nvidia CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, who had some very outspoken things to say about Intel's Atom processor, including "Atom could potentially hurt the software industry." TG Daily.

Adobe, Apple working together on Flash for iPhone Once thought to be building Flash for the iPhone mostly on its own, Adobe has mentioned at the World Economic Forum that it's not only continuing work on the animation plug-in but has teamed up with Apple to make it a reality. Apple Insider.

"This site may harm your computer" on every search result? If you did a Google search between 6:30 a.m. PST and 7:25 a.m. PST this morning, you likely saw that the message "This site may harm your computer" accompanied each and every search result. This was clearly an error, and we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused to our users. Google Blog.

What's Behind the First 3D Super Bowl Ads Two spots will debut on Sunday: a 30-second trailer for the DreamWorks animated movie, Monsters vs. Aliens, and a second spot highlighting Sobe LifeWater energy drinks. A 3D-encoded version of the NBC show "Chuck" will be shown the day after the Super Bowl. ExtremeTech.

Swiss police spy marijuana field with Google Earth Swiss police said Thursday they stumbled across a large marijuana plantation while using Google Earth, the search engine company's satellite mapping software. Associated Press.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33427-weekend-tech-reading-intel-atom-could-hurt-the-hardware-and-software-industries-says-nvidia.html

Evidence suggests Apple is testing next-gen iPhone

2009-02-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

The recently released firmware update 2.2.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch users may have not been so dull after all. The eagle eyed fellows at MacRumors.com have found an interesting reference that suggests the possibility of a new iPhone model being developed.

Buried into the latest firmware is a product string for an iPhone2,1 device. This is a version of the handset that has never been publicly available or else visible in a previous firmware, seeing as the original iPhone was internally called iPhone1,1 whereas the iPhone 3G was designated as iPhone1,2. The larger jump in product number could be an indication that we’ll see some rather dramatic changes arrive with the allegedly upcoming new model. At least that was the case with the second generation iPod touch, which is listed as iPod 2,1 and includes faster and additional internal hardware as well as a significant external redesign compared to its predecessor.

Of course, this only confirms the obvious: Apple will eventually update its wildly successful smartphone. Interestingly however some further evidence suggests that prototypes are already being tested, with an anonymous developer that uses PinchMedia to serve ads in his iPhone application noticing this unannounced model showing up in his monthly report.

There are lot of rumors and no actual information regarding the next-generation iPhone. Some speculate it could offer more advanced graphics to improve its potential as a mobile gaming platform, newer ARM processors or new communications chips that would permit faster 3G cellular data. Perhaps we will learn more around June, which would fall in line with previous launches.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33400-evidence-suggests-apple-is-testing-nextgen-iphone.html

Clickjacking vulnerability in Chrome discovered

2009-02-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

Anyone who uses Chrome should be aware that an interesting and potentially dangerous vulnerability has been discovered. In the most current version of the browser, it is possible for someone to be fooled into viewing a site or submitting data to a page using a method known as clickjacking. As the links can be disguised, it can be difficult to tell when it is occurring. An example is a link that will appear normal in the browser, including the URL preview pane, but then redirect the user to a different page.

A proof of concept page was put up for demonstration. Google has confirmed that it is already working on a fix for the flaw, but until that arrives, it’s easy to see how this can be abused with dummy pages setup to look like the real thing. Upon redirection, people may not pay attention to what shows up in the address bar, and give away information they shouldn't.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33404-clickjacking-vulnerability-in-chrome-discovered.html

Samsung intros 4Gbit DRAM, touts memory modules of up to 32GB

2009-02-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Using its 50nm technology, Samsung claims it's made the world’s first 4 gigabit DDR3 DRAM chip, which is double the density of earlier chips and could yield memory modules with up to 32GB capacity. They are also said to consume considerably less power than previous chips, which the company is pitching as a selling point to the enterprise segment saying it will “lead to a reduction in data center costs by requiring fewer machines, improve server time management and increasing overall efficiency.”

A 16GB module, for example, can consume 40% less power using these new chips rather than 2 gigabit versions because the higher density means it uses half the number of chips – 32 versus 64. Samsung's latest development is not targeted at data centers and servers exclusively, as the 4 gigabit chips will also be used to produce 8 GB DIMMs for workstations, desktops and laptops as well. With the majority of the consumer market still using 32-bit systems, however, I wouldn’t expect these massive desktop memory modules to be widely available any time soon.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33413-samsung-intros-4gbit-dram-touts-memory-modules-of-up-to-32gb.html

Microsoft has no plans for additional Windows 7 betas

2009-02-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

It was only a few weeks ago that Microsoft publicly released the Windows 7 beta, letting anyone who wants to get a sneak peak at what awaits many desktop PCs in the near future. The incredible demand for the beta ultimately led to Microsoft being forced to pull the beta, restoring it only after they were able to cope with traffic. That won't be happening a second time, however, as it's been revealed that build 7000 will be the only public beta available before the OS is released.

If you followed the development of Windows XP and Windows Vista, you'll recall that numerous betas for each were released. They were often missing features present in the final build, which isn’t the case this time around because build 7000 is supposed to be a “feature complete” release, meaning that from here they're only focusing on bug fixes. After progress is made on that, any future releases before it goes gold will be a release candidate. That leads more credence to the belief some have that 2009 will be the year Microsoft launches Windows 7, though the company itself has warned their partners and distributors that it may not come until 2010. Whether or not it arrives this year, there will be no more betas.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33416-microsoft-has-no-plans-for-additional-windows-7-betas.html

FTC fines DNC offenders $1.2 million

2009-02-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

The FTC has levied fines on another set of violators of the Do Not Call registry, the national database that restricts telemarketers from calling people. Several companies had charges brought against them for not referencing the list before they called, and as a result a total of $1.2 million has been issued out in fines. At the same time, the FTC took the opportunity to cite the success of the DNC registry, elaborating on numerous cases they have dealt with. All in all, over $17 million has been collected from offenders.

The Do Not Call list is taken very seriously, as we have seen in the past. The FTC has proved true to their word that they will fine violators of the list, ranging from trivial fees to tens of millions of dollars. Of course, that has no effect on criminals who might use the list for other purposes, operating outside of the law. Even if that is the case, I am glad to see that at least sometimes regulatory agencies will work for the people, as opposed to against them.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33388-ftc-fines-dnc-offenders-12-million.html

Monster.com compromised again

2009-01-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

In what many hope is not becoming a pattern, Monster.com has found themselves at the wrong end of a malicious attack, once again. The site was abused recently, and while Monster is revealing almost no details of the attack, they did admit that account names, passwords, email addresses, names, phone numbers and more were all compromised to some extent. The scope of the attack isn't clear, but the company is urging their customers to change their passwords and to be cautious about any emails they receive claiming to be from them.

This is the third time in two years that Monster.com has been compromised, the last coming at the end of 2007. What makes this new attack particularly interesting is that after the second attack, the site promised their customers an increased level of protection of sensitive data. Whether those heightened security measures were never put in place or were ineffective isn't mentioned.

Any reassurance Monster might give at this point will probably be ignored, as obviously the company has issues with security. I for one would have a hard time signing up with a company that has such a bad history of data breaches.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33345-monstercom-compromised-again.html

Wikipedia tests edit moderation

2009-01-26T18:23:00.002-08:00

If you ever needed to argue about what the most powerful aspect of Wikipedia is, you'd probably cite the ability for anyone to edit it. The anonymous editing with relatively few restrictions has helped make the site a worldwide success. Above all, the greatest strength of Wikipedia is its users. Does the strength need to be curbed? Some of the people responsible for maintaining Wikipedia think so, and are considering limiting anonymous editing on the site.

The reasons are obvious. They want to avoid situations in which false or misleading information is posted by anonymous users, whether due to malicious intent or not. The new editorial process, currently in pilot through the German Wikipedia site, would queue edits for approval by a trusted editor. This system would still allow anyone to submit an edit, even anonymously, but it would require approval before it would actually be posted. “Trusted” editors would be able to submit content instantly.

There are of course flaws to that system. It can take days or even weeks before a change is approved, which can be a big concern when you have multiple people contributing to an article. Then you also have the issue of the sheer number of edits overwhelming those who approve the edits. Because of that, Wikipedia is asking for input for other solutions. Ultimately this boils down to a lack of trust. If Wikipedia wants to become a more trustworthy source of information, one that people can rely upon, it'll need some sort of sanity checking system in place. Can they accomplish this through moderation, or is a more complex solution needed?

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33344-wikipedia-tests-edit-moderation.html

Google remains profitable despite earnings drop

2009-01-26T18:23:00.001-08:00

Google impressed investors this week posting a significant profit during this past quarter. The company managed to pull in a $382 million profit despite of the adverse economic climate, beating Wall Street estimates. This includes some heavy financial setbacks after investing in Clearwire and Time Warner.

However, even mighty Google is not immune to slumping markets, something the company has discovered first-hand in recent days. The search giant, while still strong overall, posted a significant drop in profits with Q4 ending 68% lower than the year prior. What's more, the company itself sees troubled times ahead. Recently they laid off a significant number of employees and axed several services showing their willingness to cut up their business if needed.

If their profits continue to drop, you can expect more of that to occur. Probably not YouTube, despite it continuing to be a money sink, but other services may not have the benefit of popularity to protect them. Many of us use Google services on a daily basis, knowing full well that they remain free because Google turns a profit on advertising. What else will Google find expendable?

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33327-google-remains-profitable-despite-earnings-drop.html

Facebook almost double the size of MySpace worldwide

2009-01-26T18:22:00.002-08:00

It seems like only yesterday that Facebook was slipping past MySpace in terms of global monthly traffic, and yet the popular social networking site is now close to breaking another milestone. According to statistics from ComScore, Facebook is now pulling in nearly twice as many unique visitors worldwide as its News Corp-owned rival, with 222 million people visiting the site compared to 125 million for MySpace.

MySpace still has a notable edge in the advertising race, though. The now second largest social networking site in the world still dominates in terms of U.S. audience, where the bulk of online advertising revenues reside, and claims their international revenue is up 30 percent year over year. However, with Facebook showing a 10.8 percent month over month growth rate, it is probably just a matter of time before they overtake MySpace as the largest U.S. social network too – just how well they can monetize this remains to be seen.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33323-facebook-almost-double-the-size-of-myspace-worldwide.html

Google bails on print advertising

2009-01-26T18:22:00.001-08:00

After axing some of its more unsuccessful web projects and announcing a round of layoffs, Google has revealed plans to stop selling ads in print newspapers as well, saying the effort failed to deliver the impact it wanted. The move marks another cutback for the company in the face of a slumping economy and a failed attempt to help embattled newspapers bolster their ad revenue as the publishing industry gradually moves online.

The program launched in 2006 with 50 newspaper partners and expanded to 800, but it is now slated to close by the end of February. With this, the company hopes to free up resources to try and “come up with new and innovative online solutions that will have a meaningful impact for users, advertisers, and publishers” – which makes me wonder what the future of their other offline ad efforts, like radio and TV, might be.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33275-google-bails-on-print-advertising.html

YouTube tries out downloadable videos

2009-01-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Users have long been able to use third party applications to grab content from YouTube, instead of just streaming it, but apparently the popular video sharing site is now embracing the idea of downloadable content itself. Just don’t expect to start downloading all your favorite clips just yet, as only a few political videos have the new download option for now.

Specifically, the “Weekly Address” videos on President-elect Barack Obama’s YouTube page now sport a “Click to download” link below the play button, which gives users a full-quality H.264 file. If and how this feature will expand remains to be seen, but of course Google Video has provided this feature for a while now, and following Google’s recent decision to end user uploads maybe this option will soon be available on YouTube as a standard publishing feature for those who enable it on their clips.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33252-youtube-tries-out-downloadable-videos.html

YouTube comes to gaming consoles, but not Xbox 360

2009-01-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

Google’s popular video sharing site YouTube has already made its way into Apple TV and TiVo devices, but the internet giant is looking to invade even more living rooms with a revamped version of YouTube for Television, a feature announced last summer and highlighted recently at CES which is now available via Wii and PS3 game consoles.

By visiting www.youtube.com/tv from either console, users can view a streamlined version of the site that makes it easier to browse and search through videos. The interface has bigger text and simplified navigation tools, videos can be set to go full-screen by default and there’s an auto-play option that enables users to view related videos sequentially. Check out a video demo pulled from the Sony PlayStation blog, after the jump.

Google says it hopes to expand the number of TV-connected devices capable of supporting YouTube viewing, though notably absent from that list will be the Xbox 360, due of course to its lack of a browser.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33230-youtube-comes-to-gaming-consoles-but-not-xbox-360.html

Windows Live Hotmail finally gets free POP3 support

2009-01-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

In a long-overdue move, Microsoft has begun rolling out free POP3 support to Windows Live Hotmail users in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Japan, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands – with more countries to come soon. The much requested feature was previously available for $19.95 per year as part of Windows Live Hotmail Plus, despite other email services offering it for free.

It's been speculated for a while now that Microsoft had plans to offer POP3 access to all users and finally that day has arrived. Check out the full details here. Additionally, another new feature that is rolling out is “Quick Add,” an expandable or collapsible sidebar that enables users to quickly search for maps, addresses and more allowing the contextual information to be quickly transferred to an email at the click of a button.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33214-windows-live-hotmail-finally-gets-free-pop3-support.html

Google kills off unpopular services, announces layoffs

2009-01-26T18:17:00.000-08:00

It appears that the bad economic times are catching up with Google, as the search giant has announced that it will shut down – or at least stop supporting – various of its more unpopular web based services in an effort to streamline its operations in a recessionary economy. Included among the affected services are: Google Notebooks, Google Catalogs, Dodgeball, Google Video, Google Mashup Editor and Jaiku.

Google will not be shutting down all of these services though. For instance, all existing content in Google Video will remain viewable and be searchable but the ability to upload new stuff will be switched off in a few months from now. As for Jaiku, the less popular Twitter clone, will become a part of Google Apps and should be released later on as open source while Catalog Search and Dodgeball, the mobile social networking service, will be discontinued. Lastly, the Mashup Editor is being replaced by App Engine and Google Notebook will continue to function for current users but will no longer accept new ones.

The company said on its corporate blog that it will be hiring at a reduced rate, but still laying off 100 recruiters and reshuffling 70 engineering staff to other locations worldwide.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33212-google-kills-off-unpopular-services-announces-layoffs.html

Microsoft's Ballmer touts 'best version of Windows ever'

2009-01-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer kicked off the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday with an impassioned endorsement of PCs and a sneak peek at the company's future Windows 7 operating system.

As expected, Ballmer announced that Microsoft is releasing a beta version of Windows 7, which will be available for download beginning Friday. The news suggests the world's largest software maker may be giving up efforts to rehabilitate its often-maligned Vista operating system, which was released worldwide in January 2007.

"We are on track to deliver the best version of Windows ever," Ballmer told an audience of several thousand tech professionals and journalists inside a cavernous ballroom at the Venetian hotel. "We're working hard to get it right and get it ready."

Without mentioning the security and compatibility issues that have dogged Vista, Ballmer promised that Windows 7 will make PCs faster and easier to use. He didn't offer a timetable for its official release, although Windows Vista went on sale more than two years after it was issued in beta form.

Early reviews of Windows 7, which was leaked to the Internet in beta form in late December, have been positive. iReport.com: Will you try Windows 7? Are you attending CES?

The forthcoming operating system will have touch-screen capability, side-by-side windows for comparison shopping and a "Peek" feature that makes open windows transparent, allowing users to see the icons on their desktop.

"Windows 7 makes it easier to move between the things on your desktop," said Microsoft group project manager Charlotte Jones, who gave a brief demonstration of the system on the hall's giant display screens. Jones said the new system also makes it easier to send files back and forth between home computers.

Ballmer later yielded the stage to Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, who praised the explosive growth of the company's Xbox Live online gaming community. Bach also announced forthcoming releases of new versions of Microsoft's popular "Halo" game series: "Halo Wars," due Feb. 28, and "Halo 3: OSDT," which will ship in the fall.

Wednesday's address marked the energetic Ballmer's debut as CES keynote pitchman, a job that had been handled for the past decade by Microsoft chairman and industry pioneer Bill Gates. Ballmer's presentation came two days after a similar, high-profile keynote at the Macworld show in San Francisco by Apple, Microsoft's chief rival, and its vice president Philip Schiller, filling in for the ailing Steve Jobs.

Unlike Schiller, Ballmer tackled the struggling economy head-on in his remarks. He said that although the recession has created "a period of reduced expectations," the tech companies that push forward now with innovative research will fare better in the long-term than the companies that scale back.

Ballmer said the convergence of screens on computers, TVs and mobile phones is revolutionizing how people communicate with each other.

"Our digital lives will continue to get richer. There's really no turning back from the connected world," he said. "We're on the verge of the kind of technological transformation that only happens once every 10 or 15 years."

As if to prove his point, Ballmer also welcomed onstage program manager Janet Galore, who gave brief demos of some Microsoft product prototypes, including a tabletop-like touch screen and a flexible, wafer-thin digital screen you can roll up like a piece of paper.

In a gentle swipe at Apple, which has gained market share against Microsoft in recent years, Ballmer said the PC remains the best choice for consumers seeking "value and power" in a computer.

"That's why we say, 'I'm a PC and proud of it!" he bellowed -- a reference to a new Microsoft ad campaign that play off similar ads by Apple.

Ballmer also announced that Microsoft has formed a partnership with Verizon Wireless to add Live Search tools to all Verizon smart phones in the U.S.

He also announced a partnership with Dell, which will soon come loaded with Microsoft's Windows Live suite of software, and links between Windows Live and the social-networking site, Facebook.

Reaction to the 90-minute presentation, which also included a performance by Australian musical-comedy trio Tripod, was mixed. Attendees praised the lively pace of Ballmer's talk, but wished he had made more news.

"I really loved what I heard tonight. There's definitely a lot of things to look forward to," said Sebastian Mineau, a Montreal-based blogger with MSN Canada. "It [Windows 7] wasn't a big surprise. But it was still nice to get the confirmation straight from the lion's mouth."

"It was very disappointing," said Ben Sillis, a reporter with ElectricPig, a British tech site. "CES is supposed to be about new products, new stuff. And this had all already been leaked. There was nothing new."

Some 2,700 exhibitors and 130,000 attendees are in Las Vegas for CES, the nation's largest consumer electronics trade show. The event runs through Sunday.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/08/microsoft.ballmer/index.html

UMID UMPC (Mini-Netbook)

2009-01-02T00:33:00.000-08:00

In size its rival would be the Nintendo DS, but in function it can rival some decent laptops. With 1GB of RAM, a 1.3 mega-pixel webcam, a mini-USB port, wireless connectivity (WIMAX, WiBro, HSDPA), and a card reader, the UMID is a formidable netbook. It probably would not be considered a netbook, though. Like the IMOVIO iKIT handtop computer, it’s more of a mini-netbook. You could almost call it a pocket-sized laptop. It’s screen is 4.8", touch screen enabled, and runs at 1024×600 resolution. The device is powered by Intel’s Atom processor @ 1.33 GHz. It packs quite a punch for such a small device. Some sources on the Internet claim the mini-netbook can support Linux, Windows XP, and even Windows Vista.

The casing looks great, even though there hasn’t been any word on the exact dimensions. It almost looks like the new PDAs or stylish cell phones, but a little bigger. It’s not available outside of Korea yet, but we’re just excited as everyone else. Pricing information should be available soon.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/computer-hardware/umid-umpc-mini-netbook

Apple iPhone 2G (1st Generation) and 3G (2nd Generation) Compared

2009-01-02T00:25:00.000-08:00

Whether you love or hate Apple, you must admit that the iPhone revolutionized cell phones as we know them today. Before the 1st generation iPhone hit the market, the top selling phone for the past three years was the Motorola RAZR. However, not too long ago, the iPhone and Apple enjoyed monumental achievement by becoming the best selling phone in the third-quarter of 2008. It’s been almost two years since the release of the original iPhone, and only a few months ago Apple released the iPhone 3G. Both phones are still missing some basic features, but there has been an improvement in the latter version. In this article, we will cover the differences between the iPhone 2G (or first generation) iPhone and it’s newer counterpart, the iPhone 3G.

Design and Dimensions
Even though there aren’t too many differences in the exterior of the models, we are going to point them out before we get to the hardware. The screen size is exactly the same at 3.5" on both models, which provides for an ultra-clear 480×320 screen resolution. The rear of the original iPhone has a smooth metal finish with a black strip at the bottom. The front of it has a shiny metal piece that surrounds the side of the phone and ends behind the screen. The iPhone 3G has a smooth piano black or white finish. It also has the shiny metal piece around the outside of the screen. The iPhone 3G features buttons that are made from a shiny metal, excluding the home button. This gives them a sturdier feel compared to its predecessor. The shape of the 3G phone is a major difference as the original iPhone is a little thicker and completely flat when set down. The 3G has more of a round feel to it that flattens out slightly around the edges. It has been said that the screen of the 3G heats to a warmer temperature than that of the original iPhone.

Features & Technical Specifications
Apple iPhone 2G/3G Size and weight

Once we get under the hood, we begin to see where the 3G separates itself from it’s older brother. The iPhone 2G only supported WiFi, GSM, and Bluetooth. This means its speed surfing the Internet were quite limited. The iPhone 3G introduced 3G speeds to Apple’s flagship model, and it also supports WiFi, GSM, and Bluetooth. This makes for a better experience surfing, watching Youtube videos, and downloading data onto the phone from the Internet. The first generation iPhone supported the following frequencies: GSM and Quad-Band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). The iPhone 3G supports all of those frequencies, but added to the list quite a few more to enable running at 3G speeds, including UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz). The iPhone 3G also supports GPS, which was not included in the original iPhone.

Both phones have a 2MP camera, but do not feature a video recorder. The iPhone 3G weighs 4.7 ounces compared to the 2G’s weight of 4.8 ounces (not a notable difference). The only downside to 3G capabilities is that it eats into battery life. The iPhone 2G beats out the newer version in that regard by providing up to 8 hours of talk-time compared to 5 hours with the 3G.

Bottom Line
Comparing two great phones is always hard, but Apple made a great move by creating the 3G iPhone. The iPhone 2G is impressive, but with the features the 3G provides and the transition with new phones all moving to 3G, it’s a definite requirement if Apple wants to maintain its new status as the #1 selling phone in the US.

CyberLink PowerCinema 6 Total Media Entertainment Center Review

2009-01-02T00:24:00.000-08:00

CyberLink PowerCinema 6 helps turn a regular PC into a HDTV and a multimedia entertainment center. Released on November 13, 2008, Powercinema 6 includes features for watching television, viewing photographs, enjoying music and DVF movies, and even listening to the radio. With simple channel management and support for HDTV, PowerCinema 6 gives users the versatility of being able to view high-definition television straight from their computers.

With Schedules Recording and Time-Shift Playback, PowerCinema 6 turns your computer into a personal television recorder, which frees users from the chains of regular television. The software offers support for MPEG-4 AVC hi-def video. Multiple subtitles and audio tracks can also be recorded, which enables you to change the language while watching recorded television.

PowerCinema 6 also comes loaded with a number of new usability features. The Entertainment Interface categorizes your media, including Entertainment which would be DVDs, music, radio, TV and Memories that consists of videos and photos. It also automatically detects the size of your screen and sets video display to either 4:3 playback or widescreen. With color-coded hotkeys, you can easily navigate your way to key features of the software. You can use these color keys either on the screen or by separately purchasing the Cyberlink Remote Control. You have the option to Quick Review your recent photos/videos/music, and PowerCinema 6 also enables you to select a group of files to play or edit.

PowerCinema 6 provides quick access to your favorite audio as well. You can easily locate your music using Quick Music Search, which uses meta data information to find the desired track. Power Cinema 6 supports MP3, WAV, WMA, and Audio CD (CDA) formats.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/computer-software/cyberlink-powercinema-6-total-media-entertainment-center-review

Google Chrome Extension Support

2009-01-02T00:22:00.000-08:00

Alternate browsers are becoming increasingly popular, even though Internet Explorer still has a stronghold when it comes to market share. Some of the most popular alternate web browsers available include Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Google’s new Chrome web browser.

Still in beta, Google’s "Chrome" has attracted less than 2% of the Internet browser market at its peak, but Google engineers are working to enhance the software to make it more appealing and useful to its users. One very popular idea for improving Chrome is the addition of an extension system, which will enable third-party developers to produce plugins for any number of add-on features, ranging from browser enhancements to RSS readers, calendar/reminder extensions, etc.Chrome users can then install the plugins to complete tasks that Google did not integrate into the web browser.

Mozilla Firefox, a browser that holds the record for the most downloads in a single day, has the ability to integrate third-party plugins, which has been perhaps the greatest factor in achieving its 20% web browser market share.

One of Google’s developers made the announcement that Google is looking into integrating third-party browser plugins for Chrome. They also released a design document that provided an outline for what needed to be done in order to add plugin support. This functionality is certainly at the top of the wishlist for most Chrome users, and Google seems to be working on providing the support as quickly as possible. The first plugins planned for integration include Flash and an ad blocker (ironic), which are some of the more popular plugins for Mozilla Firefox.

Unfortunately, Google has yet to announce when this implementation will be complete, but at least we know that they plan on offering extension support in the near future.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/computer-software/google-chrome-extension-support

The 50 Most Significant Moments of Internet History

2009-01-02T00:16:00.000-08:00

CNET’s Crave web site has posted the 50 most significant moments of Internet history. It’s definitely an interesting collection of events that we can recommend checking out.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/tech-news/the-50-most-significant-moments-of-internet-history

LG DP889 8″ Portable DVD Player and Digital Photo Frame

2009-01-02T00:07:00.000-08:00

The LG DP889 combines a portable DVD player and digital photo frame into a single 8" display. It features internal memory for up to 250 photos, a 3-in-1 memory card slot, USB port for direct connection to a digital camera, A/V input and output, and full DVD / DVD±R / DVD±RW / Audio CD / CD-R / CD-RW support. The LG DP889 is available online from Circuit City for $200.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/gadgets/lg-dp889-8-portable-dvd-player-and-digital-photo-frame

KODAK Zi6 Pocket Video Camera

2009-01-02T00:04:00.000-08:00

Kodak has released the Zi6, a PDA-size camera that has the capability to record HD video of the utmost clarity. Consumers can record in multiple modes, including camera photos (of course), HD60, HD, and VGA. The device offers AV and HD ports to facilitate connection to an external display for instant, high definition viewing. When waiting immediately is not required, the content can be uploaded to PC via the provided USB port. It also comes with software that can be used to upload video to Youtube with ease. Kodak opted to run the camera on two AA batteries, of which two rechargeables are included, along with a battery charger.

The controls for the camera are extremely easy and can be learned in a matter of seconds. The Kodak Zi6 uses a joystick - tap once to record, another time to stop, to the left to play a video, and to the right to stop. The setup is great for those not as tech savvy, allowing everyone to use the camera because of its simple control scheme.

The USB port, of course, makes it simple to transfer video and photos to your PC. A Macro mode feature is available that boosts image quality when focusing on something close up. It has a large LCD screen for viewing videos and photos captured. A mirror is also integrated on the back for those who wish to take pictures or video of themselves. The camera also includes built-in speakers so that video content can be accessed with sound immediately after recording.

The camera is an excellent option for those who like to record video on the go, and could make for a special gift to unwrap on December 25th.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/gadgets/kodak-zi6-pocket-video-camera

Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 HD Webcam

2009-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

There was a time when having a webcam was only for the wealthy. Those days are long gone. Today almost every household in the U.S. is able to connect to the Internet. With the boom of the Internet came social networking, online dating, instant messaging, and even online business meetings. No longer do we have to worry about the low quality, blurry, spherical webcams provided in the past. The future is here, and webcam quality has risen so much in such a short time it’s astonishing, with Logitech leading the way. They released their Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 not too long ago, and we’re lucky enough to be able to give you a quick overview of it.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the camera is the Carl Zeiss lens located on the left side of its uniquely horizontal body. The microphone is located on the right, and you’ll also find a button beside the lens that allows you to take pictures. Around the Logitech logo is an indicatory illuminated circle that lets you know when the QuickCam Pro 9000 is on. It has a very unique, two-hinged support structure that bends in different shapes so that you have the versatility to either secure the webcam to a CRT or LCD monitor or stand it on a table.

Regardless of the features a webcam has, it must be able to transmit great image and sound for it to be a worthy solution. With a 2 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens, Logitech’s new QuickCam quickly put all our other webcams to shame. Everyone that we had a video chat with via instant messaging said the image transmitted was extremely sharp and of astonishingly high quality. Using the high resolution setting on the QuickCam, we were able to enjoy full screen video chat with contacts without image noise. One of the best features of the camera is HD recording, which allows you to record in HD, for those who love to make high quality videos and host them on your PC or online.

The QuickCam Pro can be purchased for about $113, which is affordable for the quality provided. You definitely won’t need another webcam for awhile if you purchase the new Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/gadgets/logitech-quickcam-pro-9000-hd-webcam

Windows 7 Features and Performance

2009-01-01T23:59:00.000-08:00

There’s much anticipation for Microsoft’s next operating system release, Windows 7. Enthusiasts are still speculating on the official launch date, and as of writing, there is no official word from Microsoft. Below is a list of new features that enthusiasts can look forward to enjoying, most of which are confirmed in the current pre-release version that is nearly at a "feature-complete" state.

User interface Features

User interface features affect nearly every user. While it is not the most important part of an OS, user interface features often go a long way towards the impression of an OS, and will likely draw many comparisons to other Microsoft operating systems. Windows 7 comes with a stylish end-user interface. You can expect icons to respond with quick animated movements, which is done to enhance the user experience. So far, compliments for the speed and ease of use of the user interface have been dominant for the new OS.

The desktop is clearly much cleaner and better organized, and comes with docking options that are similar to the Mac’s OS. New applications and improvements to existing applications have been added as well. For example, you will find the calculator to be much improved and more powerful. It supports real life conversions and calculations, like weight and length converters.

If you are in the habit of placing sticky notes all over your monitor and work area, you will surely welcome the new stick notes application that comes with the desktop. You can stick as many virtual notes on your desktop, and delete them as you work. Now your workstation will certainly look cleaner and more organized. You are also saving trees by using less paper!

A new version of Windows Media Center will also launch with this release. New gadgets are being integrated into the Media Center and Windows Explorer. Gadgets are standalone applications that sit on the desktop (some are hosted on another server). There are web gadgets, sidebar gadgets, and sideshow gadgets (run on external displays).

System Performance Features

Windows 7 now offers support for virtual hard disks and boasts improved performance on multi-core processors, improved boot performance, improved SSD support and performance, and improved kernel performance. Obviously, performance is a key goal for Windows 7. With the current pre-release version, even at an unfinished state, it appears that Microsoft is doing extremely well in achieving this goal. The pre-release version tested is remarkably stable and offers noticeably better performance than Windows XP with the latest hardware.

If you visit the control panel, you will find that many new items are added, including Accelerators, Display Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, and more. Windows Security Center is now known as Windows Solution Center, and it is responsible for maintaining the security of the system.

Unique Features

The touch screen feature is a new and unique feature that enables many interesting touch applications. For instance, you can have a touch app that works exactly like a keyboard. This means you can type an entire document without the use of an additional piece of hardware. You can also use this feature to play the piano or do a painting. The feature is something that has not been previously available in earlier versions of the Microsoft OS.

Other unique features include speech and hand writing recognition. Hand writing recognition technology can help convert human handwriting into digital text.

Developer Features

Developers can look forward to using a new networking API to develop SOAP based web services in native (or machine) code. There are also new features that reduce application install times. Development of installation packages is simplified in the new OS as well.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/computer-software/windows-7-features-and-performance

China Approves 3G Licenses

2009-01-01T23:57:00.001-08:00

China agreed to start issuing licenses for its 3G mobile data network, but questions remain about which companies will get a slice of the estimated $41 billion in government contracts over the next two years.

For network infrastructure providers like Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola, and Nokia-Siemens, the Chinese market could be a bright spot in an otherwise dreary market. But the Chinese government may require the state-owned carriers to utilize domestic equipment manufacturers for the bulk of the 3G rollout. Companies like Huawei Technologies, Datang Telecom, and ZTE are not as large or experienced as the foreign competitors, but they have received the largest 3G contracts to date.

The 3G technology may be a factor as well, as China's network will include TD-SCDMA, WCDMA, and CDMA. China likely will favor the homegrown TD-SCDMA standard partly to avoid paying costly royalties, and the large China Mobile will utilize that standard. Companies like Ericsson and Motorola have embraced the standard somewhat reluctantly, but some technology companies say the government should open the market to foster competition and innovation.

The 3G rollout also is potentially good news for handset manufacturers, as the Chinese market already has more than 600 million wireless subscribers. The majority of subscribers use entry-level phones that are only capable of making calls and sending text messages, but customers increasingly are upgrading to sophisticated handsets that can surf the Internet, play multimedia, and receive e-mail. For example, In-Stat reports there are already more than 400,000 unlocked iPhones in the country, as well as countless iPhone clones.

China estimates it could have about 150 million 3G subscribers by 2010. The majority of these subscribers will be buying new handsets, which could boost cell phone manufacturers during a time when other regions are holding off on upgrading their phones because of the global economic slowdown.

Source: http://www.techweb.com/article/showArticle?articleID=212700343

Bulletproof MySpace Game Poised to Challenge Mafia Wars

2009-01-01T23:52:00.000-08:00

A new MySpace game has recently surfaced that is poised to give Mafia Wars some stiff competition. Named Bulletproof, the game offers players a number of advantages over Mafia Wars, especially considering the recent frustration Zynga has caused for many of its players.

With Mafia Wars, you must endlessly get other MySpace game players to become friends with you on MySpace and then request approval to become family members inside the game. Your player’s strength is greatly affected by the number of family members you have. Bulletproof does not require this, which gives you a lot more time to actually play as well as preventing all the hassle of working to get all the family members (500).

Since your character in Mafia Wars should have so many family members, you also have to equip each with weapons, defense, and vehicles. Bulletproof only requires that you look out for yourself and build your own character.

Ability points are more challenging to come by in Bulletproof, which makes them very precious. This also makes the game more of a challenge, and thus more entertaining.

One of the best aspects of Bulletproof is how interactive it is. While Mafia Wars will offer you a special item every once in a while (that is not really beneficial since they are never used when you already have the napalm), that’s about it. On the other hand, Bulletproof is highly interactive with several special items, competitions with other players to get items better than those you can obtain normally in the game, and more.

Bulletproof offers a comprehensive selection of jobs, investments, and inventory, with more on the way. In fact, new content will be added on an ongoing basis.

The fight list is structured in such a way that only players within the same level range are able to fight during normal game-play. This is especially useful for new players, but also high-level players since higher level opponents can typically withstand more hits, and therefore yield more experience. In Mafia Wars, there are ongoing problems with the fight list that prevent you from facing comparable opponents.

Additional extras not present in Mafia Wars include an armory (which requires a special badge obtained by defeating an enforcer for access), junkyard for obtaining rare items not available elsewhere that are available occasionally by random, ranking system details, and more player information. Being sent to jail is actually implemented in Bulletproof also. While you can see a jailed count in the Mafia Wars stats, it doesn’t seem to be used at all during game-play.

Bulletproof is also being actively developed. Therefore, suggestions and new ideas are being considered, and the game is being improved continuously. Bulletproof seems to be a better game than Mafia Wars in virtually every aspect. All it needs is more players. Join in on the fun! A support and community chat is also available for the game here.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/tech-news/bulletproof-myspace-game-poised-to-replace-mafia-wars

Lenovo ThinkPad X301

2009-01-01T23:49:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year Lenovo released their ThinkPad X300, a great notebook for the business minded. Recently, the X300 has been updated to the ThinkPad X301 model. With many improvements from its already great predecessor, you can expect great things from the X301.

Familiar, Sturdy Design
When it comes to design, the Lenovo X301 has the same look as most other ThinkPad notebooks that have come before it. It’s a personal choice if you like the ThinkPad design. Some think it’s dull, some people believe it to be simple and effective. It’s a matter of opinion either way. However, there’s no argument that ThinkPad machines have some strong characteristics that stand out from the competition. The X301 laptop weighs a little less than 3.5lbs with an 8X DVD burner and a 6-cell battery equipped. The X301’s exterior is squared off and has a matte black finish. It’s dimensions are 12.5 x 9.1 x 0.9, and just like it’s predecessor the X300, the sides are slightly tapered. The X301 is a beautifully constructed machine with Lenovo’s internal roll cage design and a carbon and class fiber interior, which according to Lenovo, is not only stronger but lighter than titanium.

Source: http://www.gadgetadvisor.com/computer-hardware/lenovo-thinkpad-x301

The Internet's Cool, But TV Remains Ad King

2009-01-01T23:43:00.000-08:00

The Internet is growing in importance in advertising, but old-fashioned television remains the most influential medium, a study shows.

In a wide-ranging survey of more than 2,000 Americans from ages 14 to 75, consulting firm Deloitte found that TV is still king in the ad world, followed by magazines and the Internet, which tied for second.

Among those people who look at magazines, six in 10 pay greater attention to ads in the publications that on the Web. Among newspaper readers, more than half say the same for newspaper ads. The survey also found that willingness to pay for ad-free content declined 9 points from the same survey last year, but a quarter of respondents still said they were ready to pay to not see advertising.

Digital video recorders continued to play an important role in watching TV, particularly among people ages 26 to 42. The so-called Generation Xers filtered 56% of their TV viewing through a DVR.

On mobile phone use, the survey found that a third of the respondents use their cell phones to entertain themselves. More than half of people from ages 14 to 25 used their phones for entertainment, which could include listening to music, watching video or playing games.

On discs versus downloads, 66% of respondents preferred physical DVDs and CDs when thinking about how they would like to engage in entertainment media in the future. But that doesn't necessarily mean the growth rate of music downloads would slow.

U.S. Internet users downloaded more music from online retailers and peer-to-peer sites in the third quarter this year, as CD sales among the same consumers continued to fall, according to the NPD Group. Apple's online store iTunes is the top music retailer in the United States, surpassing Wal-Mart.

The Deloitte survey also found that nearly six in 10 U.S. consumers would like to easily integrate their televisions with their computers to download or watch online content. Fully 59% of Americans are listening to music online and 52% are watching movies and other videos over the Web, the study found. And 39% of the respondents said they would download more video, if their connection speeds were faster.

Deloitte plans to officially release its survey at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which runs from Jan. 8-11.

Source: http://www.techweb.com/article/showArticle?articleID=212700357

Treasure Hunter Claims Google Maps Treasure Find

2009-01-01T23:37:00.000-08:00

A treasure hunter testified in a Texas courtroom Tuesday that he used Google Maps to locate a shipwreck.

Houston Chronicle writer Mary Flood reported that Nathan Smith, a 39-year-old musician and filmmaker from Los Angeles, has been fighting representatives of an estate in Refugio County, Texas, for the right to excavate his claimed find.

Smith seeks to prove that the wreck lies in navigable waters rather than on privately owned land.

The case, Nathan Smith v. The Abandoned Vessel, was filed in March 2007. The significant documents, including the initial complaint, are under seal to hide the location of the supposed shipwreck.

In the publicly accessible depositions, much of the questioning has to do with the area in and around Melon Creek and Melon Lake, near the Mission River.

On Monday, according to the Houston Chronicle, Smith described the circumstances in 1822 by which the ship allegedly ran aground and sank in the mud near the Mission River while trying to avoid a hurricane. He claimed that half the crew died during the voyage and the remaining crew was killed by a local cannibal tribe.

Describing a seemingly implausible sequence of events, Smith testified that Comanche Indians found the ship's gold and buried some of it after encountering the cannibals and fleeing, the Chronicle reported.

The plaintiff's exhibit list mentions "Google Aerial photographs taken in 2007." Google has traditionally licensed its satellite imagery from companies like DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, and TerraMetrics.

The court exhibit list also includes Lost Treasures Of American History by W.C. Jameson. Presumably, the book has some relevance to the claimed shipwreck. The exhibit list also mentions a 1958 family manuscript, Nicholas Fagan: Texas Patriot, by Mrs. Tom O'Connor Sr.

Source: http://www.techweb.com/article/showArticle?articleID=212700355

Microsoft blames leap year for Zune freeze

2009-01-01T23:32:00.000-08:00

Zune 30 users report that their players get stuck on the Zune logo screen as it appears to load, and efforts to unjam the device are mostly fruitless.

Microsoft said late Wednesday that a leap year issue caused problems with the 30-gigabyte versions of its Zune digital music player. The statement followed a flood of online customer complaints about the devices freezing up.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28449091/

Sony Ericsson C902 - James Bond 007 Edition

2008-12-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

Sony Ericsson C902 is a slim high-end cameraphone with 5-megapixel camera with Face Detection feature. It is quad-band GSM with HSDPA support, features 262k color TFT display, Stereo Bluetooth, M2 slot for memory and FM radio, all in 0.4″ thick candybar housing.

Tips for a Green Holiday Season: Lighting Your House

2008-12-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Living green is not just a passing choice, it is a lifestyle. This lifestyle does not change or get put on hold for the holiday seasons. Neighborhoods filled with lights, adorning homes and outdoor trees and scenes. These lights traditionally spend more electricity during the Christmas season than the same household spends the rest of the year. Green lighting choices are available and prove to be just as beautiful as the old faithful bulb lights.

LED lighting is probably the greenest choice in the Christmas lighting market. These lights can be used both indoors on Christmas trees and outdoors to adorn homes and other Christmas decor. The great thing about LED lighting is the cost effectiveness of the choice.

When a home uses traditional outdoor lights for the Christmas season, these lights burn a lot of electricity. Based upon a 6 hour light schedule, traditional mini lights will cast the consumer $5.00 per day. This cost jumps to $50.00 per day if C7 lights are used. Green friendly LED lights, on the other hand, cost a mere 50 cents per day to run the same amount of time. The cost savings is so astronomical, it has been reported that if every household in the United States changed to LED lighting for the Christmas season, more than 2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity would be saved. That is enough electricity to run 200,000 homes for a year. That is what a green Christmas is all about.

For the consumers who want something a little less traditional, green and even more cost effective, forever lights are your choice. Forever lights collect energy from the sun and light up after the sun goes down. Many homeowners may know these lights as the choice for walkways leading up to a homes entrance. The forever lights use no electricity and with a little imagination can illuminate an entire yard with elegant Christmas style.

While LED lighting and Forever lighting may be a bit costly up front, those are not your only choices. For many years, I have used the same Christmas globes on my tree. Year after year, the same globes. Last year, I decided to change up things and go all natural with dried fruits and twig wreaths. But, I was left with a plethora of Christmas globe ornaments. I decided to recycle these globes and hang them on my outdoor trees. During the day, these beauties were magnificent. At night, however, they disappeared with the sun. That is when I decided to use some left over glow in the dark paint to change that. I painted every globe with glow in the dark paint and waited. That night my yard was a Christmas wonderland of lights and I never spent one dime on electricity or special lighting.

Moving indoors, light choices can stay green as well. Fiber optic, artificial Christmas trees and decorations, offer brilliant Christmas lighting at a fraction of the electric usage.

If you just have to have that real Christmas tree to feel the spirit of the season, do not worry, green lighting choices are available from real trees too. Battery powered Christmas tree lights are a great way to use a lot less electricity this holiday season. Just remember to use rechargeable batteries and the only electricity you will be using is on the recharge.

Green Christmas choices are great for every holiday, but Christmas is especially important. With electric usage topping out during the last two months of the season, homeowners are looking for more and more ways to not only save a few dollars on the electric bill, but save the Earth and stay green as well. There are many lighting choices for consumers this holiday season. So get out there and decorate, green.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/430696/tips_for_a_green_holiday_season_lighting.html?cat=6

How to Afford Christmas on a Tight Budget

2008-12-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

If you are like my family, money can get tight around the holidays. For instance, the majority of our Christmas savings money went to get 4 new tires for our car, after one blew out, and 2 others were constantly going flat.

First, scope out the sales ads. Many times you can find awesome sales on toys. Look in the unexpected places- like pharmacy stores(Walgreens, CVS, etc) many times these stores have specials such as Buy One Get One Free, or Buy 2 Get One Free. Many times they are more than reasonably priced. Honestly, does your child need a $100+ video game system? No.

Check out what stores have layaway. If you don't have enough money to pay for it outright, wait until there is a great sale, put it on layaway(most stores have you put down a minimum of 10%) and pay for it over a couple of weeks, or pay for the remainder when you do get the funds.

Get creative. The only people I have bought gifts for this year are my kids. Everyone else is getting homemade creations. For the women, I am making cookie, pasta, chili, and cocoa mixes in the jars. Everything to make those costs me less than $20, and it will make enough for the 8 women we are giving gifts to. I got all the jars at Goodwill, gave them a bleach and hot water bath, add some cute holiday fabric and ribbon around the lid for great decoration. The men are getting handsewn leather multitool holders with belt loops, and small wooden tool boxes for their cars. Each box has been engraved with their name, then finished in an oak stain. For the 5 men, the total cost for all the supplies was $27.

If you are ordering online, call and request a 10% discount code and/or free shipping code. All it takes is asking, and more often than not they will give you your option of which you would like to use. A lot of the time, I have been given a code for both free shipping and 10%.

Consider babysitting for a small fee for the parents of small children, so that they may go shopping child-free for a few hours. This is how I raised the money to buy my childrens' toys.

For extra cash, try selling things on ebay or amazon. Things like books, and movies sell really well this time of year. They are both great places to find cheap gifts too.

A way to save money year round, is to always use coupons. You can save lots of money using them. On average, I save 75% or more on my grocery bills, spending about an hour clipping coupons each week.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/91618/how_to_afford_christmas_on_a_tight.html?cat=46

Christmas on a Tight Budget

2008-12-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

After I read the informative article, “Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas”, I decided to share some of my own ideas on how to get through Christmas on a tight budget. (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/76299/cheap_christmas_gift_ideas.html) Most Americans are looking for ways to save money on Christmas gifts. It may be a tight budget or the number of people on your list, but everyone wants to give a nice gift without breaking the bank. These are some suggestions on how to do that:

1. As daunting as it may seem, shop department store special sales. Yes, it may be crowded, but those one-day sales lead to a lot of savings on gift items. You are going to buy the gifts anyway, so save yourself money on your purchases. Be sure to bring the coupons that come in the mail for extra savings on a certain day, even on sale or clearance merchandise.

2. I have nine grandchildren and I’m on a fixed income. It’s impossible for me to go out and buy an expensive gift for each grandchild. After Christmas each year, I shop the sales and buy each grandchild a special Christmas ornament for the next year. When Christmas comes, I write their names and the year on the ornaments so they have a keepsake. I’ve been doing this since they were born, so when the time comes for them to leave home, they will each have a collection of personalized ornaments to take with them. Then I purchase a ten dollar gift certificate for each one to go along with the ornament. The gift is special, but just right for my budget.

3. Each major bookseller has a website online. If you go to the “Bargain” section, you will find wonderful books for a fraction of the original cost. Some books are listed at eighty per cent off regular price. You can get an expensive hard-cover book for five dollars. Pick and choose special books for each person on your list. You have spent time looking for the perfect book for each person, but you haven’t spent a lot of money. The time you spend selecting the book is part of the thoughtful gift.

4. One of my credit cards gives you points for each dollar you spend. You can redeem these points for gift cards. I charge everything during the year (and pay my entire credit card balance each month) so I accumulate points. When Christmas comes, I redeem those points for gift cards at special stores for each of my adult children. Each of my grown children can then select the perfect gift for herself. It may seem generic to give gift cards, but my children and grandchildren love them. Why guess what they would like when they can select exactly what they like?

5. Don’t forget the discount stores for name-brand items at sale prices. Even the discount stores have sales on their already-discounted merchandise. You can find some good bargains this way.

6. Sometimes children or grandchildren have fund raisers at their schools. They usually sell magazines or small gifts to raise money for their school functions. Most of us buy something from them just to support their efforts, but why not make use of the gifts. Give someone a special magazine subscription that they will enjoy or a gift from the school’s selection. You can save these gifts for Christmas. You’ve supported the school fund raiser and selected some of your Christmas gifts.

7. When we are shopping, we may come across something that we think would be perfect for someone we know. Instead of passing up this item (especially if it’s on sale), buy it then and put it away for Christmas. When you buy a little at a time, the cost is spread out over the year and it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

8. If you knit, crochet, or make quilts, hand made gifts are special and unique. Make a blanket or throw in someone’s favorite colors or a special pattern. My granddaughter’s other grandmother makes her a quilt for every season. Mittens for children who play outside in the winter are wonderful gifts. You can think of as many gifts as you have imagination.

A lot of these gifts are not expensive, but thoughtful. You can spend a lot of money (that you can’t afford) on Christmas gifts, and still not have done anything really special. An inexpensive gift that is selected with the person’s special interests in mind is just as wonderful as an expensive gift. It really is the thought that counts.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/79128/christmas_on_a_tight_budget.html?cat=74

Ten Ways to Save Money This Christmas

2008-12-08T14:29:00.001-08:00

September is here, which can only mean one thing-Christmas is around the corner.. It is only natural to get in the Christmas spirit and start spending money on gifts, decorations and holiday meals. Wouldn't it be nice to save money while providing a great Christmas for your family? Here are some Christmas-saving tips to prevent burning a hole in your wallet.

1. Make a list and stick to it. To some this may be self explanatory. Making a list will help you target what you are really looking for. Those who go shopping without a list may be more apt to spend more money by being distracted by other merchandise.

2. Start early. Staring early will help you budget between the gifts you are buying and other livelihood expenses such as mortgage payments, insurance, groceries, etc.

3. Get cash back. The internet has opened a whole new world for shopping. There are free sites such as Cash Crate, Inbox Dollars, Treasure Trooper and others that will pay you a cash back percentage when you shop through their site. They are partnered with name brand stores to provide the highest quality merchandise . They not only offer a cash back percentage, they also pay consumers to try out products. Money made from these sites can also give you extra money to purchase Christmas gifts. If you are interested in these programs, you may check them out here.

4. Save on wrapping paper. Let's face it-there is a lot of expensive decorative wrapping paper found in stores . To save money use newspaper. Another option is to use wrapping paper you already have (from any holiday) by wrapping the gift facing white side up and decorating it with Christmas stickers. These two tips will help you cut back on unnecessary costs and will enable you to spend more on gifts. Taking advantage of the after-Christmas specials will also cut you a deal on next year's wrapping paper.

5. Make your own Christmas Cards. Christmas cards can be expensive and impersonal. Creating your own cards will not only save money, but will give a Merry Christmas from the heart.

6. Prepare your Christmas menu early. There are some items on your grocery list that will stay fresh for a long time. Looking for sales on these items now will cut back on your grocery bill around Christmas.

7. If you are hosting dinner at your place for Christmas, ask others to contribute by bringing side dishes. You would be surprised by the willingness of others to contribute to the holiday meal.

8. Start a savings account. Starting a new savings account a dedicating it only to Christmas will help the age old question " How am I going to afford it". If your place of employment offers direct deposit, you may want to add your Christmas saving account to your direct deposit and set a certain amount to come out each paycheck.

9. Shop in the classifieds. The internet is flooded with people that are trying to sell something you may want. Craigslist.org is a free classified site that has a "wanted" section to post what you are looking for. Buying from individuals rather than stores will be cheaper.

10. Buy your Christmas decorations at discount stores. There are a lot of dollar stores that offer nice looking decorations for the holiday at a good bargain.

These methods work great if you are on a fixed income or just want to save money. Christmas is a time to spend with family and give gifts from the heart, not the wallet. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/366968/ten_ways_to_save_money_this_christmas.html?cat=7

Ways to Go Green During the Holiday Season

2008-12-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

This holiday season many people trade in their normal routines for more convenient ones. With all of the entertaining and need for quick meals during frenzied shopping trips many consumers will find themselves doing more harm to the environment than they normally would.

Here are some ideas to stay green while you enjoy this time of year:

1. Monitor your trash and recycle. During the holiday season people buy more, use more and therefore throw away more trash. It is estimated that Americans throw away almost 5 billion extra tons of trash during the holiday season. From wrapping paper to gift packaging the amount of trash increases nearly 25%. This year try using recycled paper for your wrapping such as newspaper, and be sure to recycle everything you can. Be sure to bring cloth tote bags with you while you shop!

2. Assess your carbon cost. Millions of people travel during the holidays and increase the carbon emissions. If you are taking a flight see if you can make up the difference somewhere else. Try car pooling on your shopping trips and getting as much done in a single trip as possible. Keep your thermostat turned down at nighttime and turn off your holiday lights. You may consider using LED lights which burn longer than regular bulbs, and soy candles instead of wax candles which are both cleaner during production and usage.

3. Buying a fake tree is worse than cutting down a real one. This may seem illogical, but the facts are overwhelming. Artificial trees are made from non-recyclable materials and emit a ton of greenhouse gases during production. Real trees, on the other hand, release oxygen and take in carbon dioxide while they grow and are easily replanted. Most Christmas trees come from tree farms that continue to replant year after year. Worldwise reports that for every fresh-cut tree harvested, three seedlings are planted in its place.

4. Purchase eco-friendly gifts. Nowadays it's much easier to get your hands on ecologically friendly gifts. From charitable donations to homemade foods, eco-friendly gifts are a great idea for anyone. Give someone in your family some of your old jewelry and I'm sure they'll be happier than if you bought it. Create baskets of goodies right in your own kitchen and ask the recipient to recycle the basket by using it or giving it back for next year's gift giving. Visit websites of organizations like Heifer International and the World Wildlife Fund to give a gift to those in need in a friend's honor. If gift giving can't be escaped in your family, suggest a "Secret Santa" method so that everyone is responsible for giving and receiving gets just one gift. Check out www.lowimpactliving.com or www.worldofgood.com for an excellent selection of green gifts.

5. Serve organic food that supports local farmers. Whenever possible purchase and use local produce. It supports your community and those small time farmers who are trying to survive in a world where conglomerate corporations control everything. You'll feel good about it and the food will taste better. Organic food can be more expensive but it is well worth it. Shop at a Whole Foods Market or health food store for the best variety, but visit your local supermarket for some options as well. The food you serve your guests will be chemical free and better for everyone. Organic wine is also more readily available at reasonable prices.

Most importantly, don't use the stress of this time of year to change your ways. If you are normally an eco-friendly person, don't allow the pressures of our society to cause you to fold. Although the big companies don't want you to know it, you don't have to buy into their holiday to celebrate. Create your own and we'll all be better for it.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/460852/ways_to_go_green_during_the_holiday.html?cat=74

Adobe Illustrator CS4

2008-12-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Multiple artboards
Create files containing up to 100 artboards of varying sizes and display them any way you want — overlapping, side by side, or stacked. Save, export, and print artboards independently or together. Save a selected range or all artboards as a multipage PDF file.

Transparency in gradients
Define the opacity of any individual color stop in a gradient. Reveal underlying objects and images, and create rich color and texture mixes using multiple layers, knockouts, and cover-up fades.

In-panel appearance editing
Edit object characteristics directly in the Appearance panel, eliminating the need to open fill, stroke, or effects panels. Work with shared attributes and control display for faster rendering.

Blob Brush tool
Sketch with a brush that generates a single clean vector shape, even when strokes overlap. Draw naturally, using the Blob Brush tool together with the Eraser and Smooth tools.

Refined graphic styles
Combine styles for unique effects and increased efficiency, and apply styles without disturbing an object's existing appearance. Enjoy new thumbnail previews and an expanded library of prebuilt styles.

Gradients exposed
Interact with gradients right on your object. Set gradient angle, position, and elliptical dimensions. Add and edit colors using sliders — all with immediate feedback where you work.

Clipping masks demystified
Work with masks more easily by viewing only the clipped area of your objects during editing. Take advantage of Isolation Mode, and use Edit Clipping Path for even more control.

Integration and delivery
Collaborate with your team, work across products, and deliver almost anywhere thanks to integrated tools and extensive format support. Confidently design for print, interactive experiences, motion effects, and more.

Separations Preview
Avoid color output surprises such as unexpected spot colors, unwanted overprinting, overprints that don't overprint, white overprinting, and CMYK blacks in text and placed files.

Enhanced user experience
Stay in the creative groove thanks to interface improvements that include on-object controls. Interact with tools smoothly, and increase your efficiency using new timesaving features and shortcuts.

Source: http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/features/?view=topnew

Adobe Photoshop CS4

2008-12-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

Smoother panning and zooming and fluid canvas rotation
Navigate to any area of an image with new, ultra-smooth zooming and panning. Maintain clarity as you zoom to individual pixels and easily edit at the highest magnification with the new Pixel Grid. And use the revolutionary new Rotate View tool to smoothly turn your canvas for distortion-free viewing at any angle.

Adjustments panel
Simplify image adjustment by easily accessing every tool you need to nondestructively adjust and enhance the color and tone of your images; on-image controls and a wide variety of presets are also included in the new live and dynamic Adjustments panel.

Auto-blending of images
Combine a range of images, each with a different exposure, color, and focal point — with options to preserve tones and colors — into a single color-corrected image.

Masks panel
Quickly create and edit masks from the new Masks panel. This panel offers all the tools you need to create editable pixel- and vector-based masks, adjust mask density and feathering, easily select noncontiguous objects, and more.

Improved Adobe Photoshop Lightroom workflow
Select multiple photos in Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® software (sold separately) and automatically open them in Adobe Photoshop CS4 to merge them into a panorama, a high dynamic range (HDR) photo, or a multilayered Photoshop document. And seamlessly roundtrip back to Lightroom.

Content-Aware Scaling
Use the new and revolutionary Content-Aware Scaling feature to automatically recompose an image as you resize it, smartly preserving vital areas as the image adapts to the new dimensions. Get the perfect image in one step without time-intensive cropping and retouching.

Better raw image processing
Enjoy superior conversion quality as you process raw images with the industry-leading Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 5 plug-in, which now offers localized corrections, post-crop vignetting, TIFF and JPEG processing, and support for more than 190 camera models.

Extended depth of field
Easily create a single image from a series of shots that have different focal points with the enhanced Auto-Blend Layers command, which smoothly blends color and shading and now extends your depth of field, automatically correcting vignettes and lens distortion.

Industry-leading color correction
Enjoy dramatically enhanced color correction with reengineered Dodge, Burn, and Sponge tools that now intelligently preserve color and tone details.

Auto-alignment of layers
Create accurate composites with the enhanced Auto-Align Layers command. Move, rotate, or warp layers to align them more accurately than ever before. Or use spherical alignment to create breathtaking panoramas.

More powerful printing options
Get outstanding prints with superior color management, tighter integration with leading printer models, and the ability to preview out-of-gamut image areas. Support for 16-bit printing on Mac OS offers increased color depth and clarity.

Efficient file management with Adobe Bridge CS4
Get instant access to Adobe Bridge CS4 with faster start-up, use new workspaces to jump to the right display for every task, easily create web galleries and PDF contact sheets, and more.

File display options
Easily work with multiple open files by using tabbed document display or n-up views.

Source: http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop/features/?view=topnew

Differences Between Dreamweaver CS4 and Dreamweaver CS3

2008-12-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

New Workspace and User Interface:
Dreamweaver CS3 for Windows brought in the idea of different program layouts depending upon what type of Web designer or developer you were. Dreamweaver CS4 takes that to a new level. There are 8 default layouts including: App Developer, App Developer Plus, Classic, Coder, Coder Plus, Designer, Designer Compact, and Dual Screen. And if that's not enough, you can now define your own, or simply modify an existing one to match exactly what you need it to do. And it no longer matters if you're on a Mac or not - these features are in both Windows and Macintosh versions of Dreamweaver CS4.

Live View of Your Pages:
If you've ever tried to edit a dynamic or data-driven site in Dreamweaver, you know how frustrating that can be. Just hitting the preview button forces you to publish to your "testing server", which for many of us is our live site. But now, Dreamweaver CS4 can preview pages in "live mode" with interactivity and dynamic elements included. It can even load data sources so you can see how those will impact the page. Plus, you can move through JavaScript scripts and stop the script just where you need to work on a design element, giving you much more control over over the design and interactivity as a whole.

Improved CSS Support:
There is a CSS properties navigator as well as the HTML properties that we're used to. These give you greater control over the style properties including creating style rules for exactly the site section you're in. You can then dial back the specificity to however specific or general you need for your CSS document. You can evaluate what CSS styles are impacting areas of your pages. You simply highlight the area that you're not sure of, and alt- or option-click and Dreamweaver CS4 tells you which styles are affecting it. Then you can edit them by clicking on them and they'll open in another window in Dreamweaver.

Photoshop Smart Objects:
With Dreamweaver CS3 you could import images directly from Photoshop, but in CS4, they take that a step further. Now when you drag a Photoshop (PSD) image into Dreamweaver, it creates a "smart object". This generates an optimized Web image ready for you to use in your pages. If you resize the image in Dreamweaver, you can then get an optimized copy of the image at that size. Plus, if you make changes to the original image, they can be reflected into the Web document.

HTML Data Sets and Suggestions for Use:
In Dreamweaver CS3, you could load XML and database data sets into your documents, but once you had them loaded, you had to figure out what to do with them. Dreamweaver CS4 provides some of the more common uses as well as the ability to load HTML pages (with repeating elements) as your data sets.

Subversion Integration:
Dreamweaver CS4 has basic check-in and check-out functionality, like previous versions. But now it integrates with the third-party application Subversion to provide powerful version control and rollback functionality for your Dreamweaver websites.

Author Adobe AIR Applications:
Dreamweaver CS4 now comes with an extension to allow you to author Adobe AIR applications from right within Dreamweaver.

Deprecated Features:
The following features are no longer in Dreamweaver CS4:

* Timelines
* Web services
* Layout mode
* Site Map view
* Java Bean support
* Flash elements (Image Viewer)
* Flash text and Flash buttons
* ASP.NET and JSP server behaviors and recordsets

Source: http://webdesign.about.com/od/dreamweaver/p/diff_dw_cs4_cs3.htm

Adobe Dreamweaver CS4

2008-12-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

Live View
Design your web pages under real-world browser conditions with the new Live View in Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS4 — while still retaining direct access to the code. Changes to the code are instantly reflected in the rendered display.

Code hinting for Ajax and JavaScript frameworks
Write JavaScript more efficiently with improved support for JavaScript core objects and primitive data types. Put the extended coding functionality of Dreamweaver CS4 to work by incorporating popular JavaScript frameworks, including jQuery, Prototype, and Spry.
New user interface
Work faster and smarter across Adobe Creative Suite® 4 components with a shared user interface design. Toggle quickly from one work environment to the next with the workspace switcher.

Related Files and Code Navigator
Click any included file shown in the Related Files bar to see both its source in Code view and the parent page in Design view. The new Code Navigator feature shows you the CSS source code that affects your current selection and allows you to access it quickly.

HTML data sets
Integrate the power of dynamic data into your web pages without the learning curve of mastering databases or XML coding. Spry Data Sets recognize content in a simple HTML table as an interactive data source.

Adobe InContext Editing (Free preview)
Design your pages in Dreamweaver so end users can edit their web pages without help from you or additional software using the Adobe InContext Editing online service. As a Dreamweaver designer, you can limit changes to specific pages, distinct regions, and even custom formatting options.

Adobe Photoshop Smart Objects
Insert any Adobe Photoshop® PSD document in Dreamweaver to create an image Smart Object tightly linked to the source file. Make changes to the source image, and update your image in Dreamweaver without opening Photoshop.

CSS best practices
Implement CSS best practices without writing code. Create new CSS rules in the Properties panel, and get clear, simple explanations of where each property fits in the cascade of styles.

Subversion integration
Update your site and check in modifications directly from within Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver CS4 integrates with Subversion® software, an open source versioning control system, for a more robust check-in/check-out experience.

Adobe AIR authoring support
Create HTML and JavaScript based Adobe AIR™ applications directly within Dreamweaver. Preview AIR applications without leaving Dreamweaver. Get your Adobe AIR application ready to deploy with AIR packaging and code-signing features.

Source: http://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/features/?view=topnew

Firefox Add-ons | Cooliris (formerly PicLens) 1.8.5.14751

2008-12-02T04:29:00.000-08:00

Full-Screen, 3D -- Cooliris transforms your browser into a visually stunning experience for searching, viewing, and sharing online photos and videos. Our "3D Wall" lets you effortlessly search and zoom your way around thousands of images, videos, movies, news feeds, and even online retailers. To share stuff with friends, just drag and drop.

Download here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/file/40105/cooliris-1.8.5.14751-fx-win.xpi

Source: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5579

Cooliris for iPhone

2008-12-02T04:23:00.000-08:00

Go beyond the limitations of mobile Internet search with the
lightning fast, expansive feel of the Cooliris 3D Wall.

YouTube 3D Search
Swipe through a 3D Wall of YouTube Videos, sit back and enjoy. Never miss a cool movie with Discover's Cool Videos Channel.

Wicked Wallpapers
With the wallpaper channel in Discover, rapidly find that perfect backdrop for your phone.

Cooliris saves
Some things are worth saving. Just tap the “Save to Camera Roll” icon to save the image to the Camera Roll.

Don’t stop the Rock
Watch hundreds of music videos all through the new Music Video’s channel in Discover.

All the latest news
Get the latest News, Sports and Entertainment news from places like CNN, ABC, AP, ESPN and many more right on your phone

Multi-Search
Search for Images across Google, Flickr, Picasa, DeviantArt, Yahoo, and SmugMug

Download here: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=294479487

Source: http://www.cooliris.com/iphone/

Cooliris for the Web

2008-12-02T01:58:00.000-08:00

Cooliris provides a lighthing fast, cenematic way to discover the Web. Our plug-in takes you to an expansive "3D Wall" that lets you browse of images, videos, and more with ease and speed.

The Great 3D Wall
The Cooliris 3D Wall provides a visually stunning and easy way to search and view thousands of photos and videos. By displaying content on a single, ever-expansive wall, Cooliris helps you find what you're looking for faster than the traditional way of clicking the "next" button webpage by webpage.

SUPPORTED SITES
How to Use Cooliris on Supported Sites

1. Mouseover images and videos on supported sites and then click the Cooliris icon that appears.

2. Or simply click the Cooliris icon on your browser toolbar when visiting a supported site.

Cooliris works on hundreds of popular websites, including the small sample below. To enable your own website.

Bebo, deviantART, drop.io, Facebook, Ffffound, Flickr, Fotki, FotoTime, Freewebs, Friendster, Hi5, Ask Images, Google Images, Yahoo Images, Pollstar, MySpace, OBG Rocks, Photobucket, Picasa Web Albums, LA Times (Tribute), AOL Images, Smugmug, TTG Galleries (Lightroom), Arkyves, Fidel, fotocommunity, Free Image Browser, Getty Images, Gift Impact, iPernity, Jaman, Kodak Gallery, Live Images, MeOwns, My Album, Phoca Gallery (Joomla), Portsmouth Football Club, Prem1on, Shutterpoint, Talent-Aid, Tim Fahlbusch, Tripwolf, Xbox Live Faces, YouTube

Download Link: http://www.cooliris.com/static/releases/cooliris-win-ff3-release-1.9.0.16396.xpi

Source: http://www.cooliris.com/product/

Startcraft 2 Officially Announced

2008-12-01T21:35:00.000-08:00

Thats right. Blizzard has officially announced at the “Blizzard Worldwide Invitational” at Seoul, Korea, that they will be releasing Starcraft 2. To the surprise of everyone, there was an actual gameplay demo, a feat that many game companies fail to deliver when they tell of their future releases.

However, there is still a thick blanket over many aspects as the gameplay videoes and game dev explanations were mostly concentrated on what the Protoss can do. They’re pretty much keeping a tight lid on the other two races and the much rumored fourth race.

There is still no set release date and the only confirmation we know is that it will be probably released later this year.

Source: http://www.sumodownload.com/2007/05/21/startcraft-2-officially-announced/

BMW uses Microsoft Surface to customize cars

2008-12-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

Buying a new BMW looks set to become a much more hands-on process, with the German car maker hoping to entice potential customers by using Microsoft’s Surface computer to configure the cars. Dubbed the BMW Product Navigator, the new system lets users customize their future car by placing small tiles onto the screen and then watch a computer-generated video of the vehicle in action.

Potential buyers can customize their new car’s interiors and exteriors in an interactive way and then take the results home via email, printed or saved to a USB drive. There’s nothing ground-breaking and it’s not surprising either to see BMW adopting new technologies, but it’s still incredibly cool. The company has not yet specified when the BMW Product Navigator kiosks will be widely available, though.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32680-bmw-uses-microsoft-surface-to-customize-cars.html

Asus launches redesigned Eee PC 1002HA netbook

2008-12-01T21:26:00.004-08:00

Asus has announced the newest addition to its netbook range, the Eee PC 1002HA, featuring essentially the same system specifications as its 1000H sibling but with a slimmed down brushed metal external shell and front mounted speakers. The new Eee PC 1002HA’s design is a cross between the sleeker yet more expensive Eee PC S101 and the older Eee PC 1000H, which might just be the happy middle ground.

It gets a 10-inch display, a 160GB hard drive – and another 10GB of online file space courtesy of Asus’ Eee Storage – a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and Windows XP Home. It also appears to have a tiny 2-cell battery, but the company claims it should be enough to deliver over four hours of battery life using its Super Hybrid Engine technology. The new netbook from Asus should be available immediately through the company’s global network resellers for $499.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32671-asus-launches-redesigned-eee-pc-1002ha-netbook.html

Windows Vista SP2 to arrive in April 2009?

2008-12-01T21:26:00.003-08:00

Soon after the first beta build of Vista SP2 was sent out back in October, Microsoft told testers that it was planning a release candidate build and a final build afterward, but did not give any specific launch dates. According to Malaysian website TechARP.com, however, which has accurately predicted several Windows launches in the past, the operating system’s next service pack will land in April next year.

The service pack will update both Vista and Windows Server 2008, and will require SP1 as a prerequisite to avoid making it cumulative and therefore much larger in size. As previously reported, Microsoft's next and potentially last major update to Windows Vista will include Windows Search 4.0, the Bluetooth 2.1 feature pack, native Blu-ray burning and a simplified tool for configuring Wi-Fi.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32670-windows-vista-sp2-to-arrive-in-april-2009.html

BitTorrent defends new protocol against harsh report

2008-12-01T21:26:00.001-08:00

Recently BitTorrent has toyed with the idea of switching to a UDP-based transmission method as opposed to the current TCP-based method. The new protocol was designed to combat network congestion, but it almost immediately came under fire with reports claiming it would destroy network traffic. Claims were made that the UDP-based protocol would make P2P traffic more unmanageable than ever, bringing services like VoIP to their knees and rendering networks dead in the water or slowed to a fraction of their normal speed.

In response to these, BitTorrent who created the new protocol has said that such claims are absolute falsehoods. They add that the report is inaccurate in how it describes or interprets their new protocol. To the contrary, BitTorrent says the new protocol will actually make torrent traffic more neutral and fairer, becoming more sensitive to high latency.

In this instance I'm inclined to agree with BitTorrent developers. The report made many generalizations regarding torrent traffic, and makes some pretty bold claims as to what this new protocol will do. I certainly don't foresee VoIP traffic being “destroyed” by torrents.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32686-bittorrent-defends-new-protocol-against-harsh-report.html

Google Chrome users rejoice, extensions support to be added soon

2008-12-01T21:23:00.001-08:00

Browser extensions support is one of the biggest reasons Firefox has become so popular and is also the most requested feature by users of the Google Chrome browser. Thus it is not surprising the search giant would want to add support for them and in fact they have already laid out a plan for the feature.

Particularly Google claims user created extensions should solve three problems in Chrome: the addition of features that have specific or limited appeal, it would make life easier for users coming from other browsers that support extensions “they can’t live without,” and it will allow partners who want to create their own Chrome bundle to add specific features.

The company is not offering a timeline for the extension system but are making it a priority, to the point of specifically mentioning a bunch of popular Firefox extensions they would like to support: Stumble Upon, Delicious Toolbar, FlashGot, ForecastFox, the Skype extension and even AdBlock – despite of the fact Google relies heavily on advertising to generate the bulk of their revenues, they also seem to want this option to be available in their browser.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32683-google-chrome-users-rejoice-extensions-support-to-be-added-soon.html

Microsoft admits NXE update breaking Xbox 360 sound

2008-12-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Microsoft is recovering from a bit of an embarrassment recently, as they have now admitted that a botched update for the Xbox 360 is what caused some people to completely lose audio on their systems. The update included a change to HDCP, which has been identified as the source of the problem.

Some workarounds included using analog audio temporarily, which was a workable solution for those who had devices capable of taking analog input. A more crude workaround was to pull the hard drive from the system, preventing the updated software from loading, which is certainly an unacceptable solution to a problem caused by an update to HDCP. Microsoft hasn't mentioned anything about how many users were affected only that it was a "very small number."

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32685-microsoft-admits-nxe-update-breaking-xbox-360-sound.html

The Coming Wireless Revolution

2008-12-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

Gadgets that operate over television frequencies promise to transform the wireless landscape.

If you believe some radio researchers and engineers, within the next couple of years, high-bandwidth, far-reaching wireless Internet signals will soon blanket the nation. Thanks to a decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week, megahertz frequency bands that were previously allocated to television broadcasters will be opened to other device manufacturers. The frequency liberation means that future wireless gadgets will be able to blast tens of megabits per second of data over hundreds of kilometers. They will cover previously unreachable parts of the country with Internet signals, enable faster Web browsing on mobile devices, and even make in-car Internet and car-to-car wireless communication more realistic.

The FCC announcement essentially lets wireless take advantage of unused frequencies in between channels used by broadcast television, so-called white spaces. "The announcement that the FCC will allow white-space devices has a lot of people feeling like this is a beginning of a wireless revolution," says Anant Sahai, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley.

For years, researchers have been toying with radios that are smart enough to hop from one frequency to another, leaving occupied channels undisturbed--an approach known as cognitive radio. But until the FCC made its announcement, cognitive-radio research was a purely academic pursuit. "You could do all the research you wanted on it," Sahai says, "but it was still illegal."

With the FCC decision, however, researchers and companies finally have the opportunity to turn prototypes into products, knowing that the gadgets could hit the market in the next couple of years. Companies including Motorola, Phillips, and Microsoft have all tested prototypes with mixed results and hope to have robust white-space devices soon.

Motorola is one of the first companies to have developed a white-space radio device that meets the basic requirements of the FCC. The device is smart enough to find and operate on free frequencies in its vicinity while controlling the strength of signals to keep them from interfering with those from other devices using nearby frequencies.

There are still lingering concerns over interference, however. This is one of the main reasons why white spaces have been off limits until now. Broadcast companies, which fund a huge lobby in Washington, were not keen on sharing their airwaves, and musicians were concerned that future white-space devices would interfere with performances using wireless microphones.

Motorola's radio finds occupied frequencies by accessing a database of registered television stations and wireless devices within its vicinity, which it determines by using GPS. Steve Sharkey, Motorola's policy director, notes that the device has a secondary way of finding free signals that involves just "listening" to the airwaves and scoping out free space. Sharkey believes that combining both methods will provide the best results.

Motorola's early tests show that there's still work to be done. During an FCC trial in October, Motorola's device, which is about the size of a suitcase and can currently only receive signals, was able to find some but not all of the allocated frequencies in its vicinity. "These aren't ready to go," admits Sharkey. "They are more developmental devices, and the idea of the test is to demonstrate the basic technologies and help the FCC understand all the interactions [between transmissions]."

While eventually it may be possible to shrink down a white-space radio to the size of a cell phone, Sharkey says that Motorola is more focused on bypassing wired Internet technology by providing broadband to rural areas and providing point-to-point wireless antennas.

Other companies are more reticent to talk about their white-space plans, but Jake Ward, spokesperson for the Wireless Innovation Alliance, a consortium of companies that helped convince the FCC to open up white spaces, says that these companies have a wide range of motives. For example, computer manufacturers such as Dell may want to build broadband wireless Internet cards that are faster and have more range than existing ones do. Software companies like Microsoft could be interested in building software and applications for new devices. And an Internet giant like Google may simply want to push Internet coverage to increase the number of people who see Google ads. "Each company has its own interests," Ward says, "but the underlying principle is that higher connectivity is better for everybody."

Ward describes one white-space application as "mind blowing": sending high-definition television signals from one room to another within a house. "You have a TiVo, a DVD player, a cable box, and three high-definition TVs," he says. "Using a white-space device, you could beam those signals anywhere, to any TV."

Of course, technical and policy challenges still remain. "Right now, a device capable of moving around to different frequencies at will is very expensive," notes UC Berkeley's Sahai. But he suspects that economies of scale will lead to affordable devices within the next couple of years. Additionally, he says, regulations need to be established to ensure that devices consistently avoid causing interference. Ultimately, however, Sahai sees no shortage of demand for the wireless spectrum. "If you build it better and faster and easy to deploy, then the applications will come," he says.

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/21671/?a=f

Firefox on Your Cell Phone

2008-12-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

With the iPhone, Apple showed how to surf the Web on the small screen. Now, it seems, a modern version of the browser wars of the 1990s could be shaping up, with the battleground being the mobile phone. And there's a new list of contenders: Safari on the iPhone, Internet Explorer Mobile for Windows Mobile, RIM's BlackBerry Web browser, and a version of Chrome for Google's Android phones. Within the next few months, there will be a new entry: a scaled-down, sped-up version of Firefox, called Fennec.

Last week, Mozilla, the nonprofit organization behind Firefox, released an "alpha" version of Fennec, just as the desktop version of its browser reached 20 percent of the market for the first time. This early release lets programmers play with the interface, catch bugs, and write add-on features, says Jay Sullivan, vice president of mobile at Mozilla. Fennec (named for a type of small fox) is hardly consumer ready: it currently operates only on the somewhat bulky Nokia N810 Internet tablet, and there are plenty of bugs and interface challenges to iron out, says Sullivan. But by the first part of 2009, Fennec could be ready to run on consumer phones.

So far, says Sullivan, the feedback from the developers toying with Fennec has been positive. Early tests of the browser show its JavaScript performance, a measure of speed, will be competitive with the Android and mobile Safari JavaScript performance, Sullivan says.

But Mozilla still faces the challenge of distributing Fennec. Apple, Microsoft, and Google all have direct channels for distribution--operating systems for Internet-enabled phones. But Mozilla's path will require securing deals with other manufacturers and operating-system makers to ensure compatibility. While it's easy to upload software on a desktop computer, handset makers and cellular providers tightly control the software that can run on their handsets. For instance, Apple has kept other third-party Web browsers off the iPhone App Store.

Despite these challenges, Sullivan hopes that the novel look and feel of Fennec will boost its popularity. In conjunction with user-interface designers at Mozilla Labs, the Fennec team built a mobile browser so that its controls can be easily accessed but disappear when users don't need them. One of the main goals, Sullivan says, was to "give over the entire screen of the device to the Web content, removing all user-interface controls entirely." Using a touch-screen interface, a user drags her finger to the right to reveal open tabs, and to the left to reveal controls such as the back button and the address bar.

In addition, Mozilla designers have incorporated what they call the Awesome Bar--the smart address bar from the desktop version of Firefox that guesses which page a user wants when she types a letter or two, based on her bookmarks and browsing history. This feature has enhanced Fennec, says Sullivan, because typing on the browser is especially awkward. So Fennec's Awesome Bar also infers when a person is typing keywords for a Web search.

Moreover, Fennec will be able to work with a Firefox research project called Weave that allows a person to remotely access his desktop Web-browsing history, bookmarks, and other preferences. "One of my goals with Fennec is to leverage the number of Firefox users we have on the desktop," Sullivan says.

Future versions of the phone might even include a haptic interface, Sullivan says, meaning that the phone would vibrate, for example, when a user touches a button on its screen. "In the future, I think there's some stuff there to make interactions feel more natural," he adds, "to provide a sense of confirmation when you've clicked a button or when you're doing a drag-and-drop function." Voice control might be further off into the future, however. "I don't know if the technology is quite there yet," Sullivan says. "And we also need to be sensitive to licensing issues, as the most popular speech engines aren't necessarily royalty-free."

"I think Fennec has a good chance," says Jeffrey Hammond, mobile analyst at Forrester Research. "The first question you have to ask is what platforms we expect to see in the mobile space, and from a smart-phone perspective, I think it's a reasonable assumption that RIM, Windows Mobile, Symbian, iPhone OS, and Android all have a lot of momentum right now." However, Hammond suspects that Fennec could find a footing on the Symbian operating system, which powers Nokia devices.

Mozilla's Sullivan says that Fennec can't run on Android right now because the Android Marketplace, where phone software can be downloaded, only accepts programs written in Java. If Android were supportive of applications that could run directly on the operating system without needing to be written in Java, Sullivan says, "then it's interesting for us. We'll have to see which direction Google goes with that."

Hammond also believes that Fennec's performance could make it attractive for makers of mobile operating systems. The browser's combination of speed and small size could be crucial to its success, he says. "Speed is one reason why we've seen Firefox gain share in the enterprise, versus Internet Explorer," Hammond says. Because of that, he adds, "I think Fennec has a good chance of gaining share."

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/21647/?a=f

Sharing the Browser

2008-12-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Software lets workers collaborate online by clicking together.

Online collaboration often consists of little more than forwarding links or snippets from a Web page to a friend or colleague with a few comments dropped in. IBM is hoping to change this by letting people share the browser itself. This is the idea behind Blue Spruce, an experimental browser project that IBM hopes may change the way many people use the Web.

David Boloker, CTO of emerging Internet technology at IBM's software group in Boston, says that Blue Spruce is a logical progression for the browser. After spending several years researching mashups--applications built by bolting together several smaller pieces of software--Boloker and his colleagues realized that many of the same tools could be used to build a tool for collaborative Web browsing.

The browser in front of him shows the result. It features real-time video of Boloker and a colleague in one corner, a streaming video news clip in the center, and real-time stock data at the bottom. Both Boloker and his colleagues can control the page using separate cursors. And, using a special feature, any changes that they make to the page show up in a different color.

Blue Spruce is not, in fact, a completely new browser; it's just a clever way of linking together existing browsers (the current prototype works with a modified version of Apple's Safari). After logging in to the Blue Spruce server, several users can interact with Web pages and applications while the Blue Spruce software makes that server think that it's dealing with a single browser. Anything that a user does on the shared page is sent to the Blue Spruce server, which sends the change down to other participants.

"We really started focusing on asking, 'How do I take that browser container and extend it much further than has ever been done before?'" Boloker says. Instead of having to forward a Web link via e-mail or instant message, Boloker's group wanted to create a system that would let people share information online as easily as if they were sitting in front of the same desk. "We're trying to replicate face-to-face interaction," Boloker says. He adds that this goes beyond Web conferencing because it allows multiple users to interact with pages and Web applications, rather than letting just one user take control.

IBM hopes that Blue Spruce can prove useful for many business workers. For example, financial analysts might start the morning by navigating to a shared Blue Spruce Web page, where they analyze news stories and changes in the stock market together. If the users don't want to share an entire Web page, the project also has a "huddle" mode that lets them create shared work spaces that contain only limited information.

Although Blue Spruce currently works with only one browser, it is built with broader compatibility in mind. It uses the Web markup language HTML 5, which enables its real-time video and audio feeds without additional software. This is an unfinished standard, but it should eventually be adopted by other browsers. The demonstration system is also built on top of the WebKit, a rendering engine used by both Apple's Safari browser and Google's Chrome browser that includes some features of HTML 5. Until all browsers support HTML 5, Boloker says, his group will make Blue Spruce work by building add-ons.

Clay Shirky, an adjunct professor in New York University's interactive telecommunications program and author of the book Here Comes Everybody, says that the project is most significant in that it shows that IBM has identified the Web as a powerful business platform. "IBM, the great seller of Big Iron and custom software, has decided that simplicity plus ubiquity is a better strategy for them," Shirky says. By moving the work environment into the browser, he says, the company is acknowledging a fact of modern computing: people need tools that will be easy to use no matter what operating system they run or what programs they have, and the browser may be the best way to provide them.

Although Blue Spruce is still a research project, Boloker says that IBM plans to test it early next year with companies in the financial and health-care industries. Assuming all goes well, he says, IBM will expand to six test customers later in 2009.

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/web/21718/?a=f

One Account to Rule Them All

2008-11-21T22:52:00.000-08:00

A new service combines many ways of communicating.

Thanks to the constant advance of communications technology, there are now more ways than ever to reach the people you know. But this doesn't necessarily mean that life's more convenient. Checking every account for new messages can be tedious and time consuming, and nowadays many people have multiple telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and instant-messaging accounts--even several social-networking identities. TelCentris, a company based in San Diego, hopes to untangle this mess by providing VoxOx, a single piece of software that can be used to communicate with contacts in a wide variety of ways.

Unifying communications tools is hardly a new idea. Over the years, several popular instant-messaging clients have been developed to let users from one network chat with those from others. And as cell-phone use has grown, companies like Grand Central (now owned by Google) and Ribbit (now owned by BT) have focused on bringing together multiple phone numbers. The idea has proved especially popular in the business world, with companies such as IBM building products that combine a variety of communications tools--voice mail, IM, Web conferencing--with business applications like Lotus Notes.

VoxOx continues this trend but offers a more exhaustive list of services. It allows users to send e-mail and instant messages, send text messages, host video conferences, make phone calls, post messages to social networks, and even share files--all from the same place.

Rebecca Swensen, a research analyst with IDC, says that the product is interesting and ambitious. She cautions that "they're still working out the kinks in terms of how to make it easy to use." Swensen also questions whether consumers will be willing to put in the effort required to configure a service like this. Although ultimately, the service might make one's life a little easier, she says, it's a fairly big commitment to start using a new service, and to get all contacts loaded in and sorted out.

Michael Faught, chief financial officer with VoxOx, says that the service is, initially at least, aimed at younger users who "are confronted with this chaotic world of many kinds of communication tools." Faught sees social networks as compounding the problem and says that there's no simple, efficient solution.

A preview release of VoxOx was launched last week and can be downloaded for free for both Windows and Mac computers. After signing up for an account, a user is given a free VoxOx phone number and configures the rest of the service by providing usernames and passwords for compatible IM, e-mail, and social-networking accounts. VoxOx pulls in these contacts, allowing the user to scroll through a composite list and select whom to talk to and how. In some ways, VoxOx functions like a powerful instant-messaging application. Whether messages are sent as texts, instant messages, or e-mails, the conversation pops up onscreen like an IM. A user gets two free hours of calling time within the United States and Canada when she signs up, and has the option to pay for more minutes or earn them by watching ads.

VoxOx can afford to hand out phone numbers for free because it is owned by TelCentris, a communications company with existing infrastructure, says CEO Bryan Hertz. The center of the company's technology, Hertz adds, is a hub that includes support for a wide variety of communications protocols, which can be extended to include many more. "For every type of communications protocol that's an open standard, we either support it already or are integrating it into the platform," he says.

Hertz believes that the real power of the service is its ability to unify different mediums--for example, when a VoxOx user creates a three-way conference call, adding one person on a mobile phone and another on a VoIP call. However, the company acknowledges that there are bugs to be worked out. Some users have reported problems making and receiving calls, while others have posted requests on the company's forums for support for Linux and Facebook Chat. Hertz says that the company is now focused on responding to this feedback and plans to introduce more features and support soon. The company also plans to launch a version of the application for business users in early 2009.

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/21667/?a=f

Expanding the Mobile Web

2008-11-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

An announcement by Adobe and ARM will let phones see more of the Web.

While it's true that more and more phones can surf the Web, it's also true that many mobile phones have only a limited ability to show much of the Web's best content. Videos that run in Adobe Flash Players, such as those by the New York Times, CNN, and Technology Review, and Flash-heavy websites simply don't work on many phones due to the software being incompatible with hardware. Today, in an effort to bring more of the Web to mobile devices, Adobe and microchip maker ARM, which powers 90 percent of mobile phones worldwide, have announced a collaboration to ensure that Adobe's software runs well on future ARM devices.

Specifically, the companies say that Adobe's Flash Player 10 and AIR (a platform for building complex Web applications) will be compatible and optimized for the ARM chips available in 2009. While ARM is used in a huge number of mobile phones, the announcement has broader implications: the chips are also used in set-top boxes, mobile Internet devices, personal media players, and automotive platforms.

The experience of publishing and viewing content on a PC is "near frictionless," says Anup Murarka, director of technical marketing of mobile devices at Adobe. "But when we get into devices like set-top boxes and phones, you run into a lot of roadblocks." While Murarka doesn't think all of the roadblocks will vanish immediately, he believes that the Adobe and ARM collaboration can help make it easier for people to post videos from their PCs or mobiles and access them anywhere.

To be sure, the agreement won't improve the Web on all devices. One big exception is Apple's iPhone. Steve Jobs has historically eschewed Adobe's Flash for the iPhone because the existing mobile version of Adobe's player, called Flash Lite, runs too slowly on the gadget. But for a vast majority of phones, the collaboration could make a difference to users. Murarka explains that the two companies worked together to optimize the software and hardware in three different ways.

First, the compiler used in Flash Player 10, which converts program code into microchip instructions, has been written to work smoothly with the ARMv6 and ARMv7 chip. This means that the software understands how these chips transport data and can tap into the right part of the chips at the right time, speeding up applications.

A second improvement, says Murarka, is that some ARM chips have been built with graphics subprocessors--pieces of silicon that are specifically designed to handle the heavy lifting of graphics rendering. Desktop versions of Flash, he says, don't use graphics processors, but the new version of Flash will take advantage of the graphics subprocessor, making graphics rendering more efficient on mobile devices and also saving battery power.

Third, the software that Adobe uses to compress and decompress videos will be optimized to run on ARM's chips. Today, content providers have to make sure that Flash videos are encoded in a specific way, in order to run on some mobile devices. This is how YouTube videos can play on the iPhone. "Flash now delivers over 80 percent of Web video," Murarka says. "By working with ARM, we can optimize that so that content that exists in video or audio form will be compatible with more devices."

A broader implication of this initiative is that both the hardware and software companies are providing the tools that programmers need to build content that works across devices, says Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy at Jupitermedia, a research firm based in Connecticut. "The problem is [that] developers face a fragmented [mobile] landscape," he says. "And Adobe, by trying to get this content architecture on multiple handsets, is trying to make it easier for developers."

Earlier this year, Adobe announced the Open Screen Project, a collaboration with Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Qualcomm, and others aimed at standardizing Flash on mobile devices. The project led to Adobe removing licensing fees, which lets developers integrate Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR into any device or application without paying a fee. Many industry watchers saw the move as a reaction to Microsoft's release of Silverlight, a Flash competitor.

The announced Adobe and ARM partnership is "about the ability to get Open Screen Project onto handsets," says Gartenberg. "You've got the ARM folks supporting the technology, which is the critical first step."

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/web/21675/?a=f

Sick Searchers Help Track Flu

2008-11-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

Google releases a tool to track the intensity and spread of the flu.

On Tuesday, search giant Google released an experimental tool that tracks the intensity and movement of the influenza virus across the United States by monitoring the number of times that people search the Web using terms related to the disease.

The tool, known as Google Flu Trends, makes use of the fact that, before they go to the doctor's office, many people will search for information about what ails them. Using aggregate data on the number of searches for terms such as "flu" and "flu symptoms," software engineers from Google and researchers from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found a strong link between these searches and reports from doctors of flu outbreaks a week to 10 days later.

"We found that there's a very close relationship between the frequency of these search queries and the number of people who are experiencing flu-like symptoms each week," Jeremy Ginsberg and Matt Mohebbi, both software engineers at Google, write in a blog post describing the work. "As a result, if we tally each day's flu-related search queries, we can estimate how many people have a flu-like illness."

The result could allow the CDC to respond to outbreaks of influenza more than a week earlier than it could using intelligence based on trends in reports from doctors, the federal agency's top flu tracker says. "Influenza has a very short incubation period," says Lyn Finelli, lead for influenza surveillance at the CDC. "You can have a lot of transmission in a very short time, so the more warning you have, the more you can do to prevent an outbreak of the disease."

The Google researchers worked closely with the CDC for more than a year to improve their model. The tool reveals a close match between historical increases in searches related to the flu and increases in reports from doctors, Finelli says.

The idea of mining data that people leave behind through their electronic existence is not new, says Nathan Eagle, a research scientist with the Media Lab at MIT. "This isn't the first example of it, by any means," Eagle says. "Virtually any type of trace that you, as a user or as a citizen, leave could be mined for all sorts of purposes."

Eagle and other researchers have published research on tracking students' movement patterns using GPS to better understand how a disease can spread through a population. Another system, called HealthMap, plots news and blog reports related to different diseases on Google Maps. And Philip Polgreen, an assistant professor at the University of Iowa, recently published a paper that used Yahoo search data to correlate searches for flu symptoms with the incidence of reports of the disease. "Every day, people search for information on health on the Internet, and we thought that the pattern of searches could give some information about future expectation or current incidents," Polgreen says.

Gunther Eysenbach, a health-policy professor with the University of Toronto, says that three years ago, he proposed to Google the idea of analyzing search data in the same way that Flu Trends does. However, he claims that he did not receive a response. Without direct access to Google's data, Eysenbach decided to take out an AdWords advertisement on the site. The ad not only gave him access to search data for the terms "flu" and "flu symptoms," but it also showed the number of people who clicked on the advertisements.

"If you count the number of clicks, then you can get a better prediction," Eysenbach says. "You can weed out the number of people who have flu symptoms from the number of people who just hear about the disease from media reports."

In a paper published in 2006, Eysenbach showed a strong positive link between Internet users' searches and the incidence of influenza in a certain region--in this case, Canada. While Eysenbach's work is briefly mentioned in Google's paper, the researcher says that he was "in a mild state of shock" that Google had decided not to collaborate with him.

In its announcement, Google tried to head off any concerns that the tool would impact users' privacy, stressing that, while the research "aggregates hundreds of billions of individual searches," the information is anonymized and therefore cannot be employed to track an individual user.

MIT's Eagle, however, says that people should expect that their data will increasingly be used in the future. "At the end of the day, this type of data is a fact of life in the 20th century," he says. "We could ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist, or we could use this data, without compromising privacy, in ways that can help people."

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/web/21669/?a=f

Agriculture goes urban and high-tech

2008-11-21T22:46:00.000-08:00

POMONA, California (AP) -- Terry Fujimoto sees the future of agriculture in the exposed roots of the leafy greens he and his students grow in thin streams of water at a campus greenhouse.

The program run by the California State Polytechnic University agriculture professor is part of a growing effort to use hydroponics -- a method of cultivating plants in water instead of soil -- to bring farming into cities, where consumers are concentrated.

Because hydroponic farming requires less water and less land than traditional field farming, Fujimoto and researchers-turned-growers in other U.S. cities see it as ideal to bring agriculture to apartment buildings, rooftops and vacant lots.

"The goal here is to look at growing food crops in small spaces," he said.

Long a niche technology existing in the shadow of conventional growing methods, hydroponics is getting a second look from university researchers and public health advocates.

Supporters point to the environmental cost of trucking produce from farms to cities, the loss of wilderness for farmland to feed a growing world population, and the risk of bacteria along extensive, insecure food chains as reasons for establishing urban hydroponic farms.

"These are university theories," said Jim Prevor, editor of Produce Business magazine. "They're not mapped to things that actually exist."

The roots of hydroponically produced fruits and vegetables can dangle in direct contact with water or be set in growing media such as sponges or shredded coconut shells. Most commercial operations pump water through sophisticated sensors that automatically adjust nutrient and acidity levels in the water.

Hydroponics are generally used for fast-growing, high-value crops such as lettuces and tomatoes that can be produced year-round in heated, well-lit greenhouses. So far, production is not large enough for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to track.

The country's largest hydroponic greenhouse is Eurofresh Inc.'s 274-acre operation in southeastern Arizona, where more than 200 million pounds of tomatoes were produced in 2007. Most large-scale commercial operations are in the arid Southwest, where water-efficiency is prized, or the sometimes frigid Northeast, where the method can be used year-round in heated greenhouses.

The technology has benefited from nearly three decades of NASA research aimed at sustaining astronauts in places with even less green space than a typical U.S. city.

Hydroponics also bears the dubious distinction of being a growing method for marijuana.

Fujimoto said one of his research assistants got a call from the FBI after using a credit card to buy nutrients for the campus greenhouse at a hydroponic-supply store.

There's clearly nothing illicit going on at the greenhouse, where thin streams of water pass silently though dozens of long white plastic tubes arranged in rows across chest-high stands. Rose-shaded lettuce leaves, pale-green stalks of bok-choy and sprigs of basil poke from the holes in the tubes.

Fujimoto aims to prepare his students to operate the urban hydroponic businesses that he thinks will gain importance in the future. They sell their lettuces, peppers, tomatoes and other produce to an on-campus grocery store and at a farmers market.

In Ohio, the ProMedica Health System network of clinics used a Toledo hospital roof to grow more than 200 pounds of vegetables in stacked buckets filled with a ground coconut shell potting medium. The tomatoes, peppers, green beans and leafy greens were served to patients and donated to a nearby food shelter, hospital spokeswoman Stephanie Cihon said.

When the project resumes in the spring, the hospital plans to expand into at least two community centers in economically depressed central Toledo, where fresh produce is hard to come by.

"From the health-care perspective, the more we can increase people's lifestyle changes and encourage them to eat better, it's going to impact our services greatly," Cihon said.

In a New York City schools program run by Cornell University, students grow lettuce on a school roof and sell it for $1.50 a head to the Gristedes chain of supermarkets.

Cornell agriculturist Philson Warner, who designed the program's hydroponics system, said his students harvest hundreds of heads of lettuce a week from an area smaller than five standard parking spaces by using a special nutrient-rich solution instead of water.

The numbers have some researchers imagining a future when enough produce to feed entire cities is grown in multistory buildings sandwiched between office towers and other structures.

Columbia University environmental health science professor Dickson Despommier, who champions the concept under the banner of his Vertical Farm Project, said he has been consulting with officials in China and the Middle East who are considering multistory indoor farms.

He is also shopping his concept to engineering teams in hopes of having a prototype built as he seeks funding.

"Most of us live in cities," he said. "As long as you're going to live there, you might as well grow your food there."

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/11/21/urban.agriculture.ap/index.html

What's Next for Yahoo?

2008-11-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

After Jerry Yang, Yahoo may need to rethink its strategy.

Late on Monday, Yahoo announced that Jerry Yang would step down as CEO of the troubled Internet giant. The company's shares were trading up more than 11 percent on Tuesday morning following the news, but with ad revenue declining and after several rounds of layoffs, Yahoo still faces a major challenge to turn its fortunes around.

Yang, who cofounded the company in 1994 and returned to serve as CEO in June 2007, will move back to his previous role as "Chief Yahoo" and remain a member of the company's board of directors. He steps down after a hard year for Yahoo and decisions that helped heap pressure on him as head of the company.

This January, Yahoo rejected a buyout offer from Microsoft, which had offered $31 a share ($44.6 billion), a decision that proved unpopular with some shareholders and led to a protracted battle for control of Yahoo's board. The company then looked to an advertising deal with Google for help resuscitating its business, but Google walked away earlier this month when it appeared that such a deal could lead to an antitrust lawsuit.

Yang's departure may well reopen the way for a deal with Microsoft. Without such an agreement, Yahoo will be hoping that the open technology strategy spearheaded by Yang as CEO pays off as other companies make money from using its platform to develop new Web tools and software.

In the past year, Yahoo has bet heavily on an open strategy that the company credits Yang with creating. The idea is for Yahoo to open many of its tools, including its search index, to other companies and to share in revenues earned from the use of those tools. Yahoo also has plans to organize its disparate properties into a "single social platform."

Andrew Frank, a Gartner Research vice president, believes that Yahoo has a chance to salvage its fortunes using such an approach. Despite recent negative news, he notes that the company still makes money and still has a large and loyal audience. Frank says that he thinks the open strategy is the right one for Yahoo in the long term: "Yahoo's fortune, for better or for worse, is largely connected to the fortunes of open platforms and open companies on the Internet, from a technology standpoint."

But other experts are more skeptical that Yahoo can make the strategy pay. "I think the open strategy is on trend, as they say," says David Card, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. "A lot of people are creating more and more APIs [tools that open a Web service to outside developers]. It's acknowledged to be the way you do business, especially if you're not the leader."

But Card adds that Yahoo must ultimately decide whether to maintain core services such as search or social networking--a task that is becoming difficult in the face of competition--or to more substantially open up popular properties, such as Flickr and Del.icio.us, to other companies, and create similar new niche services--a choice that would be humbling for the portal company. Card adds that Yahoo's current situation might be helped if the company continues to invest heavily in mobile, an area where no company has yet achieved dominance.

Considering how much the company has invested in developing new open systems such as Build Your Own Search Service (BOSS), Frank questions whether new leadership will shift the company away from this direction. Yahoo's biggest problem in the short term, he says, is the market's shaken faith in the company. Open projects may have to go on the back burner while the company works to appease investors, perhaps by inking partnership deals, or even agreeing to be acquired.

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/business/21693/?a=f

Review: ThinkPad X301 still good for frequent fliers

2008-11-21T22:38:00.000-08:00

In fact, with the exception of a new DisplayPort connector, the X301's case is essentially identical to that of the X300, right down to the built-in DVD burner. The real change is inside the case: Lenovo has stocked the X301 with Intel's latest Centrino 2 platform, including the just-released ultra-low-voltage Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor.

The new CPU helped the ThinkPad X301 realize measurable gains over its predecessor on our performance benchmarks, though it trailed similar systems that were built on full-voltage Centrino 2 processors, such as the Fujitsu LifeBook T1010.

The trade-off, of course, is that the ThinkPad X301 outlasted those systems on our battery drain tests. Though our biggest complaint with this ultrasleek ThinkPad remains the price--the base configuration costs $2,605 and goes up from there--we still recommend it for frequent travelers seeking portability and usability without sacrifice.

That said, users looking for a slightly less expensive ultraportable may want to consider the 12-inch ThinkPad X200.

Like all ThinkPads, the ultraportable X301 features a rectangular black case built around a sturdy chassis. There's still a blue ThinkVantage button above the keyboard, a fingerprint reader below it, and a keyboard light on the top edge of the display.

However, ThinkPad fans will notice small touches that make the X301 a bit more attractive than other ThinkPads. The lid and wrist rest feature an appealing soft matte finish; the ThinkVantage, power, and mute buttons glow when pressed; and the front edge is devoid of any ports or switches.

In addition to the keyboard light, the ThinkPad X301's display bezel includes a 1.3-megapixel Webcam and a noise-canceling digital microphone for Web conferencing. The matte-finish display itself features a 1,440x900 native resolution that's sharper than that of the MacBook Air and other similar-size screens, resulting in text and icons that are a bit smaller than you'd expect.

So far the sharper resolution hasn't caused tremendous problems, though we did find ourselves pumping up the font size on a newspaper's Web site so we could read a lengthy article. We also zoomed in a bit when working on documents and spreadsheets.

The trade-off: more screen real estate for multitasking and, when it's time for a break, beautiful video.

Given the amount of typing the typical executive does through the course of the workday, a keyboard can make or break an ultraportable. The ThinkPad X301 actually uses the same keyboard found on Lenovo's 14- and 15-inch models--which is to say, not the condensed keyboard found on previous X series models and many ultraportable laptops from other manufacturers.

After conducting several days' work on the ThinkPad X301, we still don't feel like we've been typing on a laptop. We love it.

Lenovo decided to include both the red eraser-head TrackPoint pointing stick and a touch pad on the ThinkPad X301.

The decision is understandable: many ThinkPad users are viscerally attached to their TrackPoints, while other users can't stand it, so why not include both methods?

However, the double sets of mouse buttons seem to run counter to the overall theme of simplification that the ThinkPad X301 embodies. In order to make room for the TrackPoint's buttons, the touch pad is placed rather low on the wrist rest, with its buttons near the laptop's front edge.

Fortunately, the ThinkPad X301 is thin enough that we could use the touch pad with our wrist resting on a desk surface--or on our leg, when the laptop was in our lap. Of greater concern is the fact that, during our lazier typing moments when our wrists dropped to the wrist rest, we were likely to graze the touch pad and accidentally misplace the cursor.

With just three USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and optional WWAN, the ThinkPad X301 keeps the same basic, business-focused feature set as its predecessor. The laptop still lacks a slot for PC Cards or ExpressCards, but we're not sure the expansion slot will be missed, given that Lenovo now offers the Gobi WWAN chipset with the X301.

Also new to this model: DisplayPort, a compact replacement for the standard DVI socket. As with the X300, the ThinkPad X301 incorporates a built-in DVD burner; opting out of the optical will knock $225 off the price.

The base model of the ThinkPad X301 costs a hefty $2,605. Much of that price can be attributed to the laptop's 64GB solid-state drive, which promises faster application launch and boot times as well as a longer lifetime than a traditional hard drive with moving parts. (Deep-pocketed buyers can also opt for a 128GB SSD, which adds $400 to the laptop's price.)

Our review unit included a few upgrades -- twice as much RAM as the base configuration, plus the integrated DVD burner and an extended-life six-cell battery -- that brought the price to $2,920. That's more expensive than a MacBook Air with a solid-state drive (though that system is based on Intel's previous-generation platform) and on par with a Toshiba Portege R500 configured with a 128GB SSD.

The ThinkPad X301 is the first laptop we've seen to incorporate Intel's newest ultra-low-voltage Core 2 Duo CPU, the 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400. Based on Intel's latest Centrino 2 platform, the ThinkPad X301 showed measurable gains over the X300 on CNET Labs' performance benchmarks (though not always the 20 percent the company boasted at the product's launch).

But the X301 trailed other Centrino 2 systems with full-voltage processors, such as the Fujitsu LifeBook T1010 and the 12-inch ThinkPad X200, most likely because the X301's CPU is designed to prioritize energy savings over performance muscle.

That's not to say it's pokey; as with any Core 2 Duo system, the ThinkPad X301 proved more than adequate for typical business productivity tasks, including Web surfing, media playback, and running office applications.

The ThinkPad X301's six-cell battery lasted 3 hours, 14 minutes in our video playback drain test. That places it at least 30 minutes ahead of similar-size systems based on full-voltage Core 2 Duo processors (such as the LifeBook T1010) and those built around the Intel's previous-generation Centrino platform (such as the Dell Vostro 1310).

In anecdotal testing, we were able to squeeze about 4 hours of runtime from the X301's battery--just enough for a half-day's work. Users who need more juice can extend their mobile computing time by purchasing an additional three-cell battery ($120) that fits inside the drive bay.

As Lenovo has moved toward offering built-to-order systems, the company has dropped the baseline warranty for ThinkPads to a single year. Extending coverage to three years costs $119; other reasonably priced upgrades add coverage for accidental drops or spills and LCD damage.

The preloaded suite of ThinkVantage applications helps users troubleshoot problems, and Lenovo's support Web site includes the expected troubleshooting topics, driver downloads, and user guides.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/10/29/cnet.lenovo.thinkpad/index.html

How Google's Ear Hears

2008-11-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

The new voice-search application for the iPhone marks a milestone for spoken interfaces.

If you own an iPhone, you can now be part of one of the most ambitious speech-recognition experiments ever launched. On Monday, Google announced that it had added voice search to its iPhone mobile application, allowing people to speak search terms into their phones and view the results on the screen.

In designing the system, Google took on an enormous challenge. Where an automated airline reservation system, say, has to handle a relatively limited number of terms, a Web search engine must contend with any topic that anyone might ever want to research--literally.

Fortunately, Google also has a huge amount of data on how people use search, and it was able to use that to train its algorithms. If the system has trouble interpreting one word in a query, for instance, it can fall back on data about which terms are frequently grouped together.

Google also had a useful set of data correlating speech samples with written words, culled from its free directory service, Goog411. People call the service and say the name of a city and state, and then say the name of a business or category. According to Mike Cohen, a Google research scientist, voice samples from this service were the main source of acoustic data for training the system.

But the data that Google used to build the system pales in comparison to the data that it now has the chance to collect. "The nice thing about this application is that Google will collect all this speech data," says Jim Glass, a principal research scientist at MIT. "And by getting all this data, they will improve their recognizer even more."

Mobile phones are assuming more and more computational duties; in much of the world, they're people's only computers. But their small screens and awkward keyboards can make text-intensive actions, like Web search, frustrating. While mobile browsers are getting better at predicting your search terms, and thereby reducing the amount of typing, nothing is quite as easy as speaking directly into the phone.

Speech-recognition systems, however, remain far from perfect. And people's frustration skyrockets when they can't find their way out of a voice-menu maze. But Google's implementation of speech recognition deftly sidesteps some of the technology's shortcomings, says Glass.

"The beauty of search engines is that they don't have to be exactly right," he says. When a user submits a spoken query, he says, Google's algorithms "just take it and stick it in a search engine, which puts the onus on the user to select the right result or try again." Because people are already used to refining their queries as they conduct Web searches, Glass says, they're more tolerant of imperfect results.

Even after the search application loads, the voice-recognition system kicks in only when the user puts the phone to her ear, as determined by its built-in motion sensors. "If you're listening all the time, then you trigger false positives," Glass says. "The typical solution is to make you push a button," but the motion-activated system is easier and more intuitive, he says.

The search application also uses the iPhone's built-in location-awareness system to prioritize results. For instance, if you search for Bank of America, one of the results will be a map of local branches. This saves users from having to include location terms--which can be open to misinterpretation--in their queries.

While Google won't disclose details about how its voice-recognition system works, it probably hasn't done anything too radical, says Nelson Morgan, director of the International Computer Science Institute, in Berkeley, CA. "Nearly everybody who does speech recognition has a system that looks about the same," he says. First, the system analyzes frequency characteristics of the voice input. Then, based on probabilities drawn from a huge number of real-world examples, it correlates them with words. Finally, those words are fed into a language model that uses common combinations or sequences of words to resolve ambiguities. For instance, if you say, "president of the United," it's likely that the next word is going to be "States."

While Google isn't announcing plans to use its voice-recognition technology for other services, the potential is easy to see. "Now we have tech to take spoken words and convert it to text," says Gummi Hafsteinsson, a senior product manager at Google. "There are a lot of options." Currently, there's no way to use your voice to access Google's calendar or e-mail applications or to write an e-mail or a text message. But that could change in the future. "I think this opens up a whole new dimension," Hafsteinsson says.

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/21696/?a=f

The Next Chapter for eBooks

2008-11-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

It appears publishers have no favorites among the current spread of eBook formats. "It's true -- publishers do not have a favorite or a preference at this point," Steve Potash, CEO of Overdrive and president of the International Digital Publishing Forum, told TechNewsWorld. "The field is wide open, and Adobe is well-positioned to seize the market."

The publishing industry is struggling to cash in on eBooks; so far the digital literary attempt has been fragmented and slow, both in terms of adoption and in getting the material to the reader. However, that may change soon, given new initiatives announced in the last few days ranging from the arrival of new industry standards to a new reader with some cool effects.

Until recently, publishers have slogged their way through a hodge-podge collection of technologies, trying to get books to readers in a digitalized format with mixed success. Still, they continue to think eBooks are worth the effort.

"Simon & Shuster is platform agnostic," Adam Rothberg, vice president of corporate communications at Simon & Shuster, told TechNewsWorld. "We work with all the major platforms because we think eBooks will be big business eventually. They will never replace printed books, but they will be a big part of our business."

Oddly, publishers have no favorites among the current spread of eBook formats. "We love all our children," laughs Rothberg. "Ultimately, the consumer will decide what it likes."

The waiting game appears to be the same strategy adopted by all leading publishers. "It's true -- publishers do not have a favorite or a preference at this point," Steve Potash, CEO of Overdrive and president of the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) told TechNewsWorld. "The field is wide open, and Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) Latest News about Adobe is well-positioned to seize the market."
Adobe's Approach

This week, Adobe Systems announced the release of Adobe Digital Editions 1.0, a new software application for acquiring, managing and reading eBooks, digital newspapers and other digital publications. It is available as a free download for Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Latest News about Microsoft Windows Rackspace is the expert when it comes to delivering Windows and Linux hosting solutions. Click here to learn more. and Macintosh Latest News about Macintosh systems.

By using a new export feature built into Adobe InDesign CS3, publishers can create new Adobe Digital Editions-ready content, helping to significantly reduce cost and conversion time. In addition, with versions for mobile platforms and reading devices also planned, Sony (NYSE: SNE) Latest News about Sony has committed to embed Adobe Digital Editions technology into its portable reader product line.

With native support Linux MPS Pro - Focus on Your Business - Not Your IT Infrastructure. $599.95/month. Click to learn more. for Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and XML-based publications, Adobe Digital Editions already works seamlessly with more than 150,000 commercially published titles. Using Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 readers will find that content automatically re-flows, adapting to different screen sizes, and support for Adobe Flash software promises to enhance digital publications through the integration of rich audio and video.

The public beta of Adobe Digital Editions generated more than 300,000 downloads in less than six months, and user feedback influenced the feature set. Adobe Digital Editions now enables users to annotate content through bookmarks, highlights and text notes. The library view offers advanced organization with multiple bookshelves. A slick new user interface enhances zooming and the overall reading experience, while support for the new IDPF Open Publication Standard (OPS) for XHTML-based reflowable eBooks guarantees a seamless viewing experience.

"At less than 3 MB, the file is so small that it downloads instantly," says Potash.

Adobe Digital Editions works in conjunction with Adobe Digital Editions Protection Technology (ADEPT), a new, hosted content protection service to guard publishers' rights while maintaining ease-of-use for consumers. ADEPT supports the company's Adobe Content Server (ACS) technology and protects both PDF and reflow-centric OPS XML eBooks. Purchase and lending business models include library lending, subscription and ad-supported models.
'New Growth Phase'

It looks as though the publishing industry is going to take a cue from the movie and music industries and pick things up a pace at least. "This is an exciting time in the eBook space," says Potash. "It's starting to enter a new growth phase, everything's accelerating as new standards help reduce costs for publishers."

IDPF, formerly the Open eBook Forum (OeBF), is the trade and standards association for the digital publishing industry. It announced the release of new standards for eBooks in recent weeks. IDPF has previously developed the already widely adopted Open eBook Publication Structure (OEBPS) standard.

The Container Format working group is set to release a container format to allow publishers to release only a single standard file into their sales and distribution channels instead of the multiple proprietary files that they currently produce. The new ZIP-based proposed standard, OEBPS Container Format (OCF), is an extension of the packaging format defined by the OpenDocument OASIS Standard (ISO/IEC 26300).

"Adobe has been very pleased with the rapid progress within IDPF towards creating an open and neutral container format," said Bill McCoy, general manager of ePublishing for Adobe. "An open packaging technology clearly has applicability across multiple areas of our solutions, including eReading systems, and we look forward to working with industry participants to finalize this community-developed standard in the coming months".

The container format is expected to be submitted to the IDPF for official approval in the next several weeks. A draft specification is publicly available.
Hardware's Angle

In a second specification, the OEBPS Working Group is developing the next generation of OEBPS to improve this XML-based standard as both a production and a final delivery format for digital publications. The effort will focus on detailed control of content rendering, navigation and accessibility, and alignment with other standards efforts.

"Mobipocket has been a great supporter of open standards in the eBook world since the OEBPS creation. We are excited about this new initiative, which is the right way to go to make this market mainstream. We plan to fully support this new standard in our product line," said Thierry Brethes, CEO & cofounder of Mobipocket.com, an Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) Latest News about Amazon.com company.

Hardware companies have also voiced implementation plans. "iRex Technologies will support the development of these standards as it will accelerate the momentum in electronic reading," iRex Technologies' VP Marketing and Business Development Willem Endhoven said. "We believe that consumers will benefit from a more harmonized, open system approach and simplicity of use. We expect to support the IDPF standards for use in the iLiad e-reader in the future."

IDPF has recently joined the OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) international standards consortium, and hopes that the IDPF OCF may be further advanced within OASIS as a general file containment technology standard.

"We are happy to have the IDPF join our organization and pleased that they plan to contribute proposed extensions to the OpenDocument OASIS Standard for their Open Container Format," said James Bryce Clark, director of standards development at OASIS. "We are looking forward to working with them on future standardization efforts."

IDPF is also cooperating closely with DAISY (Digital Access Information System), which is a member of the IDPF. The upcoming OEBPS revision is working to be aligned with requirements of the DAISY-based NIMAS initiative for accessible K-12 textbooks.

"The disability community is looking forward to the day when commercial eBooks are usable by persons with disabilities with their assistive technologies," said George Kerscher, secretary general of the DAISY Consortium.

The combined standards efforts will result in a non-proprietary way for publishers to deliver digital books through the distribution chain to consumers, similar to the MP3 format for digital music. No patent encumbrances are expected of either new specification.

After standards are set and formats are improved, will eBooks find a place in readers' hearts?

"We need to remember that the majority of people already spend their time staring at computer screens on a daily basis. I'm still not convinced anyone would want to come home, slide into bed, and then curl up with an eBook reader the same way they would with a traditional book," novelist Jon F. Merz told TechNewsWorld. "There are other senses engaged when it comes to reading for pleasure and no one has found a way to mimic those tactile and psychological experiences yet."

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/58083.html

Internet Explorer 8: Faster and easier

2008-11-21T22:22:00.000-08:00

Compatibility View
Internet Explorer 8 is a beta release and some websites may not yet be ready for Internet Explorer 8. Click the Compatibility View toolbar button to display the website as viewed in Internet Explorer 7, which will correct display problems like misaligned text, images, or text boxes. This option is on a per site basis and all other sites will continue to display with Internet Explorer 8 functionality. To go back to browsing with Internet Explorer 8 functionality on that site, simply click the Compatibility View button again.
The Compatibility View button

Try clicking the "Compatibility View" toolbar button to fix the problem. It's located next to the Refresh button on the Address Bar.

You can maintain a list within Internet Explorer 8 for sites that should be displayed in Compatibility View. From the Command Bar, select Tools, and then select Compatibility View Settings to add and remove sites from this list. There are also options for viewing all websites and intranet sites in Compatibility View.
The Compatibility View Settings dialog box

Add and remove websites to be displayed in Compatibility View.
Enhanced Tabbed Browsing

It can be difficult to keep track of many tabs at once. Internet Explorer 8 introduces Tab Groups, which make tabbed browsing easier. When one tab is opened from another, the new tab is placed next to the originating tab and color coded, so that you can quickly discern which tabs have related content. If you close a tab that's part of a group, another tab from the same group is displayed, enabling you to remain within the context of the current task rather than suddenly looking at an unrelated site.
Tab grouping

Tab grouping allows you to easily keep track of related tabs
By right-clicking on any tab, you can close the tab, close the tab group, or remove the tab from a group. From the same menu, you can refresh one or all tabs, open a new tab, reopen the last tab closed, or see a list of all recently closed tabs and reopen any or all of them.
Better Find On Page

Internet Explorer 8 includes a completely redesigned Find On Page toolbar, which is activated by pressing Ctrl-F or choosing Find On Page from the Edit menu or Search box drop-down. Press the Alt key if you do not see the Edit menu option.
Find on page

The new find on page toolbar in action

The toolbar is integrated below the tab row, so that it does not obscure any content on the page. Instead of waiting for you to type an entire search term and hit Enter, the toolbar searches character-by-character as you type. Matches are highlighted in yellow on the page so that they're easy to identify.
Smarter Address Bar

The Address Bar in Internet Explorer 8 makes navigation easier than ever, becoming a highly useful search tool that enables you to just type a few characters and then go directly to the desired site. It searches across your History, Favorites, and RSS Feeds, displaying matches from the website title or any part of the URL. As you type, matched characters are highlighted in blue so you can identify them at a glance. In addition, you can delete any address in the drop-down box by clicking on the red X. This is especially useful for getting rid of misspelled URLs.
The address bar

The address bar generates results as you type.
Redesigned New Tab page

The New Tab page loads quickly and provided links make it easier to get started on your next browsing activity:

Use an Accelerator: Now you can use an Accelerator using any text you have copied to the clipboard.

Start InPrivate Browsing: Two things happen when you start inPrivate Browsing: your browsing activities, history and cookies are not retained, and third party web content providers may be blocked from tracking your online activities without your consent.

Reopen closed tabs: Reopen a tab that you've closed in your current browsing session, which can be helpful when a tab is accidentally or prematurely closed.

Reopen your last browsing session: Reopen all tabs that were open when Internet Explorer 8 was last closed, which can be useful if you accidentally close the browser.
The new tab page

Reopen tabs you were viewing if you accidentally close the browser.
Improved Zoom

Adaptive Page Zoom improves upon traditional zoom-in/zoom-out functionality in the browser by intelligently relaying out the page content and eliminating the need to scroll left and right. This will improve your ability to magnify pages with small fonts and be able to read more on the web.
A better back button

When using rich applications such as mapping on the Internet, you may be taken to the beginning of the application instead of the previous page when you hit the back button. Now when you hit the back button, more pages will behave the way you expect.

Download Here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/worldwide-sites.aspx

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/default.aspx

Latest Developments in the .Net World

2008-11-21T22:20:00.001-08:00

Do you want to know about the latest development in the .Net technology? Here is a comprehensive look at the latest developments in the world of Microsoft’s.NET.

If you are committed software developer, you must be aware that ‘web services’ is the latest buzzword to have hit the IT industry. And that this technology trend holds tremendous potential for addressing business problems.

Extensible markup language (XML) is the universal format for data on the web. With XML web services gaining momentum among developers as the next generation of internet-based computing. A platform that made it similar to build these solutions and provide a reliable framework for integration and interoperability was needed. Microsoft’s answer to this much-felt need was .NET—a platform for building, deploying, operating and integrating XML web services.

.NET is the only platform that has been built to support XML services ground up, and Microsoft has been extensively working with the industry to develop standard s like SOAP and UDDI, the XML web services search directory that exits today.

Let’s now take a detailed look at all that Microsoft’s .NET has to offer software developers by the analyzing the latest developments that have taken place in this platform.

ASP.NET

ASP.NET is more than the next version of active server pages (APS) ----- it is the unified web development platform that provides the services necessary for developers to build enterprise-class web applications.ASP.NET is a compiled, .NET –based environment; you can author applications in any.NET compatible language, including ASP.NET Visual Basic .NET,C#, and the jscript.NET.Additionally, the entire .NET framework is available to any ASP.NET application.

Developers can choose from one of two features when creating an ASP.NET application, web services, or combine these in any way they see fit.

Web forms to allow you to build powerful forms-based web pages. When building these pages, you can use ASP.NET server controls to create common UI elements, and programs then from common tasks.

These controls to allow you to rapidly build a web form out of reusable built-in or custom components, simplifying the code of a page.

An XML web service provides the means to access server functionality remotely. Using web services, interfaces to their data or business logic, which is turn can be obtained and manipulated by client and server applications. XML web services enable the exchange of data in client-server or server- server scenarios, using standards like HTTP and XML messaging to move data across firewalls.

Each of these models can take full advantage of all ASP.NET framework and.NET framework common language runtime. These features and how you can use them are outlined as follow:

* If you have ASP development skills, the new ASP.NET programming model will seem very familiar to you. However, the ASP.NET object model has changed significantly from ASP, making it move structured and object oriented.
* Accessing database from ASP.NET application is an often-used technique for displaying data to website visitors. ASP.NET makes it easier then ever to access database for this purpose.
* ASP.NET provides a simple model that enables developers to write logic that runs at the application level. Developers can write this code in the global. Asax text files or in a compiled class deployed as an assembly.
* ASP.NET provides easy-to-use application and session-state-facilities that are familiar to ASP developers and readily compatible with all other .NET framework APIs.
* For advanced developers who wants to use APIs as powerful as the ISPI programming interfaces that were included with previous version of ASP, ASP.NET offer the IHttpHandler interfaces.
* ASP.NET takes advantage of performance enhancements found in the .NET framework and common language runtime.
* The. NET framework and ASP.NET provide default authorization and authentication schemes for web application.
* ASP.NET configuration setting are stored in XML-based files , which are human readable and writable.

VB.NET

Visual basic .NET enable you to create rich application for Microsoft Windows in less time, incorporate data access from a wider range of database scenarios, create components with minimal code, and build web-based application using your exiting skills. Builds powerful windows-based applications in less time and more robust windows-based applications with less code.

1. Web-based applications

Helps to create web solutions in visual basic.NET using the shared web forms designer and HTML designer

2. Flexible, simplified data access

Offers support to tackle any data access scenario easily with Microsoft ADO.NET and Microsoft Active X Data objects (ADO) data access.

3. Improved coding

It brings a multitude of enhancements to the code editor, including enhanced intellisence , smart listing of code for greater readability , squiggles , and a background compiler for realtime notification of syntax .

4. Direct access to the platform

Features quick leverage of registry , eventlog , performance counters , and file system in user’ application and eliminates the need to use declared statements .

5. Full object-oriented constructs

Helps create reusable, enterprise-class code using full object-oriented constructs .Language features include full implementation inheritance, encapsulation ,and polymorphism .

6. XML Web services

The new XML .Web services project templates builds all underlying Web services enable you to call components running on any platform.

7. Mobile applications

These new features give developers a single, mobile Web interface to support a broad range of Web devices, including WWL 1.1 for WAP-enabled cellular phones , compact HTML (cHTML) for i-mode phones ,and HTML for pocket PC handheld devices , and pagers . Reach out to more than 80 different Internet-enabled mobile devices using the Microsoft mobile Internet Toolkit .

8. Com interoperability

This feature enables seamless bi-directional communication between Visual Basic 6.0 and Visual Basic Net applications.

VS .NET

Visual Studio .NET is the comprehensive tool for rapidly building and inter grating XML. Web services and application dramatically increasing developer productivity, and enabling new business opportunities.

1. Enterprise Architect

Visually specify and communicate application architecture: It uses Microsoft Visio-based Modeling Language (UML) modeling to specify and communicate application architecture and functionality.

* Gain unparalleled support for database modeling: Full roundtrip engineering, with logical and physical data models, enables communication from the business analyst to the database designer.
* Easily shared best practices: Senior developers and architects can customize enterprise template projects to provide application starting points and guidance for less experienced developers.
* Use the industry-leading development environment: Leverage the powerful capabilities in Visual Studio.Net for rapidly building XML web services and applications that span devices and platforms.
* Define and communicate development policies: developers can immediately view any policy violations and discrepancies in their code in the task list window.

Enterprise Developers:

* Fast and easy test of XML web services and applications: VS.Net can quickly create and run tests within the visual studio.Net environment to fine-tune the performance of XML web services and applications and verify functionality.
* Maximize developer productivity: It leverages the powerful capabilities in Visual Studio .Net for rapidly building XML web services and applications that span devices and platforms.
* Simplify server-side development: This feature helps to visually build server-side components with the server explorer and Visual component Designer.
* Build, leverage, and extend scalable XML web services: it creates components that can be accessed on any platform by using XML web services easily publish and component as XML web services, and reuse existing XML web services running on any platform.

Get support for the complete lifecycle: The Visual Studio integration technologies bring a broad array of partners of visual studio .Net developers and enables third party languages, components and tools to integrate tightly with visual studio .Net through various stages of the development in lifecycle.
VS .NET Professional :

* XML web services : It helps to create components that can be accessed on any platform by using XML web services . Converts existing functions to XML web services and reuses existing XML web services.
* High-performance database application with XML : It uses the built-in Microsoft ADO.NET tools to build database applications with Microsoft SQL Server , Oracle ,or any other XML-based data source .
* Supports Rapid Application Devlopment (RAD) for the server developed for thin-client devices : Offers developers a single mobile web interface to support a broad range of web devices –including WML .1.1 for WAP cell phones , compact HTML(cHTML) for i-mode , and HTML, for pocket PC, palm-size PCs pagers .
* Shared IDE : It uses a single unified integrated development environment (IDE) for all languages with a single toolbox debugger and task window across Visual Basic ,C++ and C# project .

Windows CE .NET

Window CE .NET is the successor to Windows CE 3.0 Designed from the ground up for the embedded marketplace , Window CE .NET aims to deliver a robust realtime operating system for rapidly building the next generation of smart mobile and small footprint devices. With a complete operating system feature set and end-to-end development environment Windows CE-based devices that requires rich networking hard real time, and a small footprint , as well as rich multimedia and Web browsing capabilities. Windows CE .NET offers.

* Scalable wireless technologies : Windows CE.NET include scalable wireless technologies that enable mobile devices to flexibly connect into existing infrastructures . Supported wireless technologies include.
* Bluetooth : Windows CE .NET allows a devices to use a Bluetooth-enabled cellular phone as a data modem , and to use a Bluetooth-enabled local area network (LAN) access point to provide network connectivity.
* 802.1x/Zero Configuration – New features in window CE .NET i.e., 802.11 zero configuration, aim to simplify setup of 802.11 network and to enable seamless roaming from one 802.11 network to another. 801.1x and EAP enhance the security of 802.11 by enabling user/password, certificate, or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specific authentication to log on to the network.
* Object Exchange (OBEX) protocol – Windows CE .Net’s support for OBEX works over Bluetooth and infra red data association (IrDA) protocols . Object Exchange (OBEX) is an efficient, compact binary protocol that enables a wide range of devices to exchange data spontaneously in a simple, efficient manner.
* Media Sense – This feature improves the roaming experience for mobile devices users by notifying application of network status.
* Real time collaboration and communication (RTC/SIP) – Real time communication (RTC) enables messaging, presence, and audio (voice over IP between any two IP-enabled devices.
* Realiable core operating system services for demanding embedded designs : Windows CE .ET offers reliable core operating system services that enable the most demanding real time embedded designs across a breadth of devices . New and enhanced operating system features include.
* Small footprint: Continuing the effort to minimize the operating system footprint for embedded devices, Windows CE .NET provides granular Kernel componentization. Windows CE .NET supports a minimum configuration platform as small as 200 KB with minimum Kernel functions only.
* Enterprise-scale – Network security enhancements include support for the Kerberos Security Protocol.
* Wide selection of CPUs- Windows CE .NET provides a high level of processor flexibility with support for the following four families of microprocessors and emulation technologies like ARM, MIPS, SHx, x 86 etc.
* Real time – Real time processing support for the most demanding support for the most demanding deterministic applications with 256 priority levels and nested interrupt support.
* Net- enabled for creating rich personalized experiences - Windows CE .NET enables you to build smart Microsoft .NET-enabled devices and create rich, personalized experiences.
* XML – XML allows developers to easily describe and deliver rich, structured data from any application in a standard consistent way.
* Net compact Framework : The .NET Compact Framework supports all processors supported by windows CE .NET . For more information on how to develop application using the .NET Framework, please see .NET on the MSDN site. Look in the .NET Compact Framework Read me’ for specific information about implementation issues in your embedded design.
* Microsoft Direct3D API – Provides support for interactive three-dimensional (3-D) graphics applications by allowing device dependent access to 30d video-display hardware in devices-independent manner.
* Windows Media 8 compressor/decompressor (codecs) and controls – Supports the latest Microsoft Windows Media 8 codes and controls ,which allows for the latest high-bandwidth encoded multimedia streams.
* Easy-to-use end-to-end tool set: Windows CE .NET provides an integrated end-to-end tool set to help developers reduce both operating system and application development time, allowing them to get devices to market faster. These tools include.
* Emulation technology - Windows CE .NET include emulation technology to enable developers to build and test their designs on their Windows 2000 or Windows xp professional workstations without additional hardware investments.

The new platform wizard – The new platform wizard provides a foundation for starting
Device designs for:

* Cellophanes / Smart phones
* Custom devices
* Digital imaging devices
* Industrial automation devices
* Internet/media appliances
* Personal digital assistants (PDA)/Mobile handhelds
* Residential gateways
* Retail point-of-sale
* Set-top boxes
* Tiny kernels
* Web pads Windows thin clients.

CE .Net also provides support for managed and native code – To write applications for Windows CE .NET, Microsoft offers a rich set of languages for creating managed .NET-enabled or unmanaged (native) applications.

NET Compact Framework

Microsoft Corp. Has recently released the beta of the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, extending the .NET strategy to smart handheld devices. The .NET Compact Framework is Microsoft’s mobile application platform technology that harnesses the power of XML Web services on mobile devices. As a subset of the .NET Framework, the .NET Compact Framework shares same programming model and application development tools, enabling .NET developers to transfer their existing skills to build mobile applications, which is expected to accelerate adoption of mobile solutions.

It provides key features for smart devices such as a programming model unified with the .Net framework on desktop and server, integral XML web services support, enterprise-class data access using ADO.Net and XML, and rich class libraries that enable developers to build powerful applications in minimal time. Runtime features such as managed code and just-in-time compilation help ensure reliable, high performance applications for a better user experience.

The .Net compact framework is complemented by other technologies such as Microsoft SQL server 2000, windows CE edition version 2.0 and the Microsoft mobile internet toolkit (MMIT), SQL server CE is the compact, relational database for rapidly developing applications that extend enterprise data management capabilities to new smart devices. The SQL server CE is the only mobile database that integrates with the .Net compact framework, allowing data to be locally and securely stored and extracted to interact with back-end applications or web services.

The Microsoft mobile internet toolkit offers a wide reach to project applications to any kind of mobile device with a browser. The development experience for these technologies is unified through Microsoft Visual Studio >net, which provides a consistent set of tools and interfaces for building applications using Microsoft’s mobile technologies.

Source: http://www.devarticles.com/c/a/ADO.NET/Latest-Developments-in-the-.Net-World/

Microsoft to ship Windows 7 by holiday season 2009

2008-11-09T19:19:00.001-08:00

Microsoft has been very shy about pinpointing the Windows 7 release date in the past, but a recent presentation given at the company’s WinHEC conference pretty much confirmed the software giant plans to have the operating system ready by the middle of next year – and on store shelves for holiday season 2009.

The company is trying to avoid the PR damage that would come with missing a deadline; so officially, Windows 7 is still slated to ship within three years of the January 2007 consumer release of Windows Vista. However, proof of how the next major Windows release is on a fast-track schedule is that the company already handed out a pre-beta at PDC 2008 late last month, and said it will ship a beta version early next year followed by only one release candidate.

Granted, the OS still needs some polishing here and there, but Windows 7 is a straightforward update from a technical standpoint since it is essentially built on the foundation of Vista but with some important enhancements centered on speed, usability and memory use. Here’s hoping the company can avoid past mistakes and have the operating system ready to roll in time for the holiday season 2009.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32380-microsoft-to-ship-windows-7-by-holiday-season-2009.html

Sunday tech reading: Interview with Google's CEO

2008-11-09T19:15:00.001-08:00

Google at 10: Searching Its Own Soul Mr. Schmidt, 53, spoke earlier this week from the company’s Mountain View, Calif., headquarters about his plans for managing Google in a downturn, the unraveling of an advertising partnership with Yahoo and his recent public endorsement of Barack Obama. NY Times.

Panasonic confirms Sanyo takeover talks Panasonic confirmed to day it is in talks to acquire its smaller rival, Sanyo, in a deal that would see the formation of Japan's biggest electronics maker. Guardian UK.

Creative releases X-Fi Linux 32bit/64bit Drivers Surprising yet welcome move by Creative earlier this week when they announced the release of a driver providing Linux 32-bit / 64-bit OS support for the Sound Blaster X-Fi and X-Fi Titanium series of audio devices. Creative Labs.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32393-sunday-tech-reading-interview-with-googles-ceo.html

Apple iPhone developers demand surges 500%

2008-11-09T19:13:00.001-08:00

Apple's initial reluctance to provide an SDK for iPhone development was surely a mistake. Most people knew that from the beginning, but at least for Apple's sake hindsight is proving that releasing the SDK has had a positive impact on the platform. According to some sources, the SDK has increased demand for iPhone developers significantly, upwards of 500% in the past few months alone.

The largest increase in demand for iPhone developers came shortly after the Apple App Store opened, which no doubt drew both 3rd party companies and independent developers in. What's even more interesting is what some people see this leading up to, which includes accreditation for development. Could we see in the near future a "Certified iPhone Developer" program come out?

With a massive increase in developers, they also expect to see an increase in conflicts over intellectual property. This could easily happen between different developers, or between the developers and Apple. Apple has already proven they are willing to squelch any application they don't approve of on the App Store, which has included programs they feel "mimic" existing ones that they develop. Regardless, iPhone development has seen a huge surge, which is nothing but good news for the iPhone.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32262-apple-iphone-developers-demand-surges-500.html

Apple iPhone developers demand surges 500%

2008-11-09T19:12:00.001-08:00

Full-length films coming to YouTube?

2008-11-09T19:11:00.001-08:00

When it comes to video websites YouTube undeniably leads the pack in terms of traffic, but it has struggled to find a workable advertising scheme to bring in revenue. Furthermore, its dominance could be compromised in the long run, with the rise of Hulu and others offering premium TV and movie content. Thus, is not surprising to hear that its parent company, Google, has been talking to movie studios about bringing full-length feature films on board.

The company recently signed a deal with CBS to begin showing full TV episodes and has also added a bunch of features to make longer viewing more comfortable, such as a widescreen viewing option and a “lights-off” feature. But the site’s inferior video quality and spotty audio still leave much to be desired. There’s no word yet on which studio is looking to add its movies to the site, but sources claim the new content should arrive in the next 30 to 90 days if all goes well.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/32386-fulllength-films-coming-to-youtube.html

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro

2008-11-02T23:03:00.001-08:00

Creative has been a leader in the PC audio market for as long as I can remember. In fact, the first Sound Blaster card hit the market almost 20 years ago, which can be considered an eternity in "computer years".

During this time, Creative has launched about a dozen major soundcards, with their latest outgoing product being the Sound Blaster X-Fi series, which replaced the popular Audigy line a few years ago.

The X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro that we are testing today is Creative's latest offering in the series, making use of a slightly modified chip called EMU20K2 that adds native PCI Express support among a number of improvements and fixes over the previous generation of cards.

Aimed at audio enthusiasts and especially gamers, Creative offers two versions of the X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro. The one we are testing that could be considered the lite version of the package that includes mainly the soundcard, while a more expensive version adds a 5 ¼” I/O drive similar to the ones Creative has offered in the past. Other than the added module, a remote control, and the extra $50, the two products are identical.

Opening the box doesn't reveal a whole lot. The bundle of this $130 soundcard is scarce and consists of just a quick start guide, the drivers disc, and the card itself.

As mentioned above, one of the first things you will notice about the X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty is that it uses a PCI Express x1 interface. If you don’t have a x1 slot on your motherboard or don't have access to one (due to an oversized video card cooler, for example) you can always install the card in a larger slot, be it x8 or x16.

Hardware installation went without issues as expected. I chose to install the X-Fi Titanium in a PCI Express x1 slot as I had one readily available. Software installation, on the other hand, was a bit more involved. Be prepared for this process to take a long time and require a few restarts. Also worth nothing, I experienced a blue screen of death (a.k.a. BSOD) during my initial install and had to start all over again.

This only happened once, after which I was able to successfully install the card's drivers and software. At this point it was made obvious to us that Creative has not made striding efforts to improve a nagging software installation that dates back to the days of the SB Live.

Creative includes an impressive software bundle with the X-Fi Titanium composed of lots of in-house utilities plus PowerDVD. For brevity, I will briefly cover the more relevant software and point out key features along the way in the next page.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/review/115-creative-xfi-titanium-fatal1ty/

Force3D Radeon HD 4870 Black Edition review

2008-11-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy year for the PC graphics world with both AMD and Nvidia going back and forth releasing new architectures, then improving them further to finally having to rearrange their line-up to match each other prices.

A perfect example is that of the Radeon HD 4870 which made its debut on late June with a retail price of $299, at the time significantly cheaper than the competition's GeForce GTX 260. Not too long afterwards we published our direct comparison of the GeForce GTX 260/280 and the Radeon HD 4800 series, where it became clear that the Radeon had the performance edge over the GTX 260 in spite of the lower price.

Nvidia was forced to heavily reduce the GeForce GTX 260 price to the Radeon's level, only to release an enhanced version that effectively replaced the original weeks later. The new GeForce GTX 260 which goes by the same name, now features 216 SPUs rather than the original 192.

However, these newer GeForce GTX 260 cards cost upwards of $310, meaning that the performance boost comes at an added cost. With many Radeon HD 4870 graphics cards currently priced as low as $270, the new GeForce GTX 260 is not necessarily more appealing than the original. In concluding our Radeon HD 4870 vs. GeForce GTX 260 comparison, in which the Radeon came out on top, there was but one small problem and that was heat generation.

Despite of using less power when under load, the Radeon HD 4870 runs considerably hotter than the GeForce GTX 260 using the stock cooler which is shared by a majority of outgoing cards no matter what the manufacturer. While the 80C+ load temperatures were a little concerning, it was the 70C+ idle temps that had us really worried. This means that even when sitting at the Windows desktop the Radeon HD 4870 is cranking out more than 70 degrees of heat, much of which escapes into the case.

This was also problem when we reviewed the Visiontek Radeon HD 4870, which used the AMD reference cooler. Using special software (Catalyst drivers support it now also) to increase the fan speed allowed for lower temperatures, but a noticeable increase in operating volumes came as a byproduct. Therefore we believed the best Radeon HD 4870 solution would be one that dropped the barely sufficient reference cooler for something more elaborate.

And finally we have a Radeon HD 4870 card that has done just that, the new Force3D Radeon HD 4870 Black Edition. Force3D has improved this special edition Radeon by overclocking the core and memory, albeit a small overclock, and replaced the reference cooler with one of the best VGA air coolers money can buy, the Arctic-Cooling Accelero Twin Turbo.

We can expect the Force3D Radeon HD 4870 Black Edition to be slightly faster than the original, but most importantly it's also going to be significantly cooler. Before we check out the performance numbers, let’s take a closer look at this impressive looking graphics card.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/review/120-force3d-radeon-4870/

Company of Heroes videocard performance

2008-11-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

Recently a new real-time strategy game set in the Second World War was released, titled "Company of Heroes" this new RTS features full cinematic detail, and in doing so, it requires quite a lot of processing power.

With all the visual enhancements enabled, Company of Heroes looks stunning, easily making one of the best looking RTS games of all time. However, as a result you can expect many computers to struggle playing this game with all the eye candy turned on. This can be quite disappointing for some because as good as the gameplay and fun factor is in CoH, having visual settings set at their maximum really does this game justice.

Therefore, before purchasing this game or even considering a hardware upgrade, it will be important to know first if your computer will run it, and second how good it will actually look while at it. There is indeed a massive difference between low and high quality settings in Company of Heroes, suggesting older systems will still be able to run this title, which is always good news. However like I said, this game looks fantastic and playing it with low visual quality settings is almost criminal... a graphics card upgrade may be in order for some fanatics!

If you are wondering what's under the hood of CoH (besides the Havok 3 Physics Engine), here's an excerpt from Wikipedia's entry for the game:

Company of Heroes is the first game to make use of Relic's next generation engine, known as the "Essence Engine". This engine was designed and coded from scratch by Relic in order to make use of all next-generation graphical effects, including High Dynamic Range lighting, dynamic lighting & shadows, advanced shader effects and normal mapping. As producer John Johnson puts it "We will have every advanced graphical effect you'd expect from a game like Half-Life 2, and more."

For our testing purposes we have put together an average gaming platform. Rather than going with a much newer and expensive Intel Core 2 or AMD Athlon X2 processor, we chose an Athlon 64, as we believe it better represents the average gamer rig at the present time.

That said, if your particular graphics card does well on our Athlon64 3800+ system, then it is a given that it will run just as well on a Core 2 Duo, for example. The system has also been fitted with 1GB of memory rather than 2GBs. Since most gamers still get by with 1GB of memory, we felt it would make more sense.

We tested using three different in-game quality configurations (see next page for complete details) at three different resolutions (1024, 1280 and 1600). We have also put up a set of comparative screenshots depicting in-game graphics quality.

In total 14 graphics cards were tested from both ATI and Nvidia.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/article/20-company-of-heroes-3d-performance/

Far Cry 2 performance in-depth

2008-11-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

If like us you are a fan of first-person shooters, then there is a good chance you have spent the better part of this year anticipating the arrival of Far Cry 2. Last week marked the release date for this awaited sequel, and so we immediately jumped in and bought our copy. However, rather than play the single player mission from start to finish and then go into some multiplayer action, we have been hard at work for bringing you this article.

As usual our in-depth performance review takes various ATI and Nvidia graphics cards and compares them in this new first-person shooter title. Having recently completed a similar article with Crytek's Crysis Warhead, we have been keen to see if Far Cry 2 is just as demanding.

You may recall the original version of Far Cry was developed by Crytek using the CryENGINE, while it was actually published by Ubisoft. For Far Cry 2, Ubisoft's Montreal studios took over the development of the game using their own Dunia engine. This game engine has been designed for use with the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 platforms which resulted in last week's multi-platform release. The word Dunia means "world", "earth" or "living" in the Persian Language. As current players of Far Cry 2 will discover, Dunia offers a number of impressive features like destructible environments, dynamic weather, dynamic fire propagation, full day/night cycles, and many others.

Furthermore, the Dunia engine can take advantage of DirectX 10 when running on Windows Vista, but is also capable of running on DirectX 9 platforms. Now, unlike the engine used for Crysis games, Dunia is said to be less hardware demanding which could only come as great news for PC gamers. If you look back at our recent Crysis Warhead performance article you will see that this game requires a tremendous amount of GPU power to deliver playable performance.

Clearly only those with the most advanced gaming rigs are going to be able to enjoy Crysis Warhead in all its visual glory as we found that even a top of the line GeForce GTX 280 could struggle when pushed far enough. Far Cry 2, on the other hand, has been publicized to work perfectly on today's mid-range graphics cards in spite of the impressive eye candy.

As we move on, we will find out exactly how Far Cry 2 performs using a range of previous and current generation graphics cards. The quality presets tested include Ultra High, Very High, and High, which will be tested at 1280x1024, 1680x1050, and 1920x1200 resolutions. The built-in Far Cry 2 benchmark tool has been used to test the various graphics cards, so you will be able to accurately compare your systems performance to ours.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/review/123-farcry2-performance/

Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500GB and Western Digital Caviar SE16 400GB Hard Drives review

2008-11-02T22:42:00.000-08:00

Processors are incredibly fast, RAM is rocketing its way through our games, and videocards pack more punch than ever. With all these screamingly fast system components available, often the hard drive is neglected. It’s a commonly known fact that despite of several improvements in the past years, hard drives are still the biggest performance bottleneck in desktop systems today. That is why having a fast, large hard drive should be a priority for all computer users.

A large, dense and fast hard drive can become the key difference between a system that is sleek and responsive, and one that is aggravatingly slow. Even the fastest hard drives available cannot saturate the ATA bus, making striping an increasingly popular solution. While the relative physical size of drives has remained the same, storage capacity, spindle speed, interface and buffer size continues to be improved, and therefore the performance of the hard drives continues to go up.

Today we take a look at two of the largest desktop drives on the market from two of the most popular hard drive vendors. From Western Digital, we received the Caviar SE 4000KD which is a 400GB 4-platter SATA-II behemoth, and from Seagate, the Barracuda 7200.9 500GB 4-platter SATA-II drive.

This match is most interesting because of how similar the drives are. Comparatively, a Hitachi 500GB SATA uses a 5-platter design, and other WD drives use a 3-platter design, which can skew performance. In this case, both drives feature 4 platters, with the Seagate drive having a higher density per platter.

The Seagate drive also sports Native Command Queuing, a SCSI/SATA feature that helps the disk access data more efficiently in some cases. The Western Digital drive lacks this, though the level of performance gain NCQ offers to the desktop is arguable, with some even saying it can hinder performance in cases. For straight comparisons, NCQ will be disabled on the Seagate drive, which will give us a better picture of comparative performance.

Although I use Linux as my primary operating system, performance variations between Operating Systems are not commonly encountered; assuming drivers are functioning properly, of course. Unlike videocards, hard drive performance is not as affected as much by differences in drivers, allowing you to get a good grasp of how a drive will behave in any particular system. Since modern hard drives cannot saturate the bandwidth they have available to them in standalone configurations, it is safe to assume that performance will not be impacted based upon the operating system you are using.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/reviews/hardware/seagate500gb_wd400gb_hd/

Facebook starts offering Microsoft's Live Search

2008-10-26T22:03:00.002-07:00

Although this partnership has been announced as early as July this year, it is only now that Facebook has finally integrated the Live Search service onto its website. While I fail to see how this may enrich users’ social networking experience, the collaboration is obviously a big deal for Microsoft, with Facebook now the biggest social network in the world and quickly catching up to MySpace in the US.

Starting today, Facebook users typing in the search bar on Facebook will notice that a drop-down menu appears with a new option to “search the Web.” Results will appear on a new Facebook page, with advertisements placed on the right of the screen.

Live Search usage is likely to increase and media buyers will get added inventory to serve up ads within the social network – which of course means more revenue for Microsoft. In its current form, however, the deal probably won’t do much to help the Live Search brand, seeing that there’s virtually indication that you are using Microsoft’s search engine besides a tiny “Advanced search on Live.com” text link on the results page.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/31980-facebook-starts-offering-microsofts-live-search.html

Google prepares RSS feeds for search

2008-10-26T22:03:00.001-07:00

If you've made use of the Internet for more than a few years, you know how quickly things can change. That change applies well to search engines, where a term searched for a month or even a week ago would not return the same results it does today. How does one keep track of updates to a particular search query? Until recently, the only way was to perform another search. Google is looking to offer another way to do it: searchable RSS feeds.

Today it has been confirmed that Google will be soon offering the ability to use an RSS feed for a particular search term, letting you be notified as soon as new pages or new results pop up. That could be very useful for things that change often – such as current events and company news.

It won't apply at first to things like a Google Image search, and Google hasn't mentioned when these RSS search feeds will be available. I would definitely like to give these a try once they are ready.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/31995-google-prepares-rss-feeds-for-search.html