Apple rumours are back in currency. As the annual tech trade event Macworld gets underway in San Francisco on Tuesday, the tech giant may yet again take its fans by a surprise.
Earlier, Apple had shocked the tech world saying its chief executive Steve Jobs will, for the first time in many years, not deliver the keynote address at Macworld show, reviving many investors' concerns about the state of his health and putting the company's shares in doldrums.
And this year being Apple's last year of participation at the show, the company claims that trade shows are now a "minor" way it reaches to its customers.
Last year, Apple shook the world with a flurry of launches, including the 3G iPhone; a refreshed line of iPods; and its lightest-ever laptop, MacBook Air. So what next this year? Will Apple bow out of MacWorld with a bang?
Here's digging into the rumour mills and speculating upon the big announcements one can expect from Apple this Macworld.
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
Asus P565 in India
NEW DELHI: Jet-setting corporate honchos, looking for a new business phone might want to consider Asus’ latest offering launched in India -- P56
5.
The black candybar boasts of features such as an 800MHz processor and a 2.8-inch, 65K-colour touchscreen that can be operated through ASUS’ ‘Glide’ touch-responsive interface.
Weighing in at 120gms (with battery), the P565 comes pre-loaded with SatGuide maps for over 200 cities and 1.5 million destinations in the country.
It has 3 megapixel camera for photos, and a secondary camera for video telephony.
Operating on a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional platform, the business PDA phone comes complete with 256MB memory,128MB DDR SDRAM, and a MicroSD card slot for further expansion.
ASUS P565 retails at Rs 35,000
5.
The black candybar boasts of features such as an 800MHz processor and a 2.8-inch, 65K-colour touchscreen that can be operated through ASUS’ ‘Glide’ touch-responsive interface.
Weighing in at 120gms (with battery), the P565 comes pre-loaded with SatGuide maps for over 200 cities and 1.5 million destinations in the country.
It has 3 megapixel camera for photos, and a secondary camera for video telephony.
Operating on a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional platform, the business PDA phone comes complete with 256MB memory,128MB DDR SDRAM, and a MicroSD card slot for further expansion.
ASUS P565 retails at Rs 35,000
Sunday, 28 December 2008
How hackers break into your PC
For a hacker common methods for finding your IP address is through chatrooms, looking up domain names on a domain name registrar site, or running programmes that can create a log of all valid IP addresses.
In a chatroom, all a hacker has to do is right click on a chat ID and get the IP address. A domain registrar can yield a website’s employees’ names, phone numbers, fax numbers, physical addresses and IP addresses. In ‘social engineering’ a hacker verbally chats up the user and gets his IP address and other important information. Here’s looking into how a hacker can break into a PC and misuse it.
In a chatroom, all a hacker has to do is right click on a chat ID and get the IP address. A domain registrar can yield a website’s employees’ names, phone numbers, fax numbers, physical addresses and IP addresses. In ‘social engineering’ a hacker verbally chats up the user and gets his IP address and other important information. Here’s looking into how a hacker can break into a PC and misuse it.
Mobile Phone Tricks | Cellphone Tricks | Amazing Free Moble Tweaks and Uses
Would you like to know if your Mobile is Original or Not ?
Press the following on your Mobile
*#06#
The International Mobile Equipment Identity [IMEI] number appears. Then check the 7th and 8th Digits of this IMEI Number.
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 02 or 20 this means your cell phone was assembled in Emirates which is very Bad quality
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 08 or 80 this means your cell phone was manufactured in Germany which is fair quality
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 01 or 10 this means your cell phone was manufactured in Finland which is very Good
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 00 this means your cell phone was manufactured in original factory which is the best Mobile Quality
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 13 this means your cell phone was assembled in Azerbaijan which is very Bad quality and also dangerous for your health
THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELL PHONE COULD DO
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it
EMERGENCY
The Emergency Number Worldwide for Mobile is 112
If you find yourself out of coverage area of your mobile network and there is an
emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the Emergency Number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.
Have you locked your keys in the car? Does you car have remote keys? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:
If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end.
Your car will unlock.
Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you.
Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your cell battery is very low, you are expecting an important call and you don't have a charger. Nokia instrument comes with a reserve battery.
To activate, press the keys *3370#
Your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile Phone's Serial Number, key in the following digits on your phone:
*#06#
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset called the IMEI Number. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless.
You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you Subscribe
Press the following on your Mobile
*#06#
The International Mobile Equipment Identity [IMEI] number appears. Then check the 7th and 8th Digits of this IMEI Number.
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 02 or 20 this means your cell phone was assembled in Emirates which is very Bad quality
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 08 or 80 this means your cell phone was manufactured in Germany which is fair quality
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 01 or 10 this means your cell phone was manufactured in Finland which is very Good
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 00 this means your cell phone was manufactured in original factory which is the best Mobile Quality
IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 13 this means your cell phone was assembled in Azerbaijan which is very Bad quality and also dangerous for your health
THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELL PHONE COULD DO
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it
EMERGENCY
The Emergency Number Worldwide for Mobile is 112
If you find yourself out of coverage area of your mobile network and there is an
emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the Emergency Number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.
Have you locked your keys in the car? Does you car have remote keys? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:
If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end.
Your car will unlock.
Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you.
Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your cell battery is very low, you are expecting an important call and you don't have a charger. Nokia instrument comes with a reserve battery.
To activate, press the keys *3370#
Your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile Phone's Serial Number, key in the following digits on your phone:
*#06#
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset called the IMEI Number. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless.
You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you Subscribe
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
48 most irritating things in IT / Technology
Technology has made the world a better place – but it's also made it much more annoying. Come with us as we unveil the 48 most irritating things in IT.
48. Chargers. A different charger for every single gadget, and a new type of charger whenever there's a minor model upgrade. Brilliant.
47. Steve Jobs. Yes, the man's a genius – but be honest. You want to punch him. You do!
46. Microsoft(r) Product(tm) Names(c) Pointless Edition(tm) 2008 Service Pack 3.1 beta 4 – On Ice!
45. Tabloid scare stories. Facebook will eat your face, or kill bees, or something.
44. Exploding laptops. You'd think that we could make a battery that doesn't catch on fire by now.
43. DRM. It's Latin for "pain in the arse".
42. Software that needs 99 patches. Here's an idea. Why not test it before you release it?
41. Red Rings of Death. Memo to Microsoft: hardware isn't software. You can't flog it and fix it later.
40. Traffic management and bandwidth caps. Which bit of "unlimited" don't ISPs understand?
39. International roaming. Yes, Mr Mobile network. £400 per email is great value for money.
38. Stupid format wars. They're not big, they're not clever, and they mean early adopters get their fingers burnt. Not the smartest business strategy.
37. Software bloat. Especially antivirus software that's so bloated our PCs can't get infected because there's no room left for anything.
36. Product launches that think they're rock concerts. It's a new SDK! Guitar solo!
35. Unnecessary obsolescence. Forcing us to buy stuff we don't need by breaking stuff we already have? What an excellent, customer-friendly idea.
34. Facebook and MySpace. Just because.
33. Printer ink and mobile phone data charges. It'd be cheaper to do drugs. DRUGS MADE OF GOLD AND DIAMONDS.
32. Advertising. It's a necessary evil, but does it have to be quite so evil?
31. Viral sodding marketing.
30. Fanboys. Your choice of operating system/games console/telephone is better than my choice of operating system/games console/telephone? Why, how fascinating. Please, marry my daughter.
29. Friends Reunited reminders. "People you hate have signed up. Please come back! Please!"
28. Email forwards. Is it unfair to respond with a string of expletives? It is? Sorry, mum.
27. RealPlayer. Like the Black Death, but made of software.
26. eBook Readers. Just like real books, but more expensive, less useful, stuffed with DRM and likely to electrocute you in the bath.
25. Blog commenters. No, not you. Them.
24. Batteries. It's funny how 100 per cent charge becomes 0 per cent the second you actually need to do something.
23. Wireless networks. They work through walls, you say? Our router can't throw a packet through a hamster.
22. Family members. There's nothing we love more than getting rid of spyware and Trojans from your laptop during Christmas dinner while shuddering in horror at your search history.
21. Online gaming. Like the Jerry Springer Show, but global and 24/7.
20. Greedy software. You've installed an image viewer. Of course you want it to play your MP3s, answer the door and babysit the kids.
19. Acrobat Reader. The software equivalent of using a nuclear warhead to drill a hole.
18. Google's cache / the Wayback Machine. We deleted it for a reason!
17. Internet banking. 27 different card readers, 304 passwords and a magic dance to discover you're still broke.
16. Endless betas. When Gmail 1.0 comes out, we'll all be living on Mars.
15. Unboxing videos. What's next? Getting The Bus Home From The Shop videos?
14. Stupid! prodct! namez! WiTHuneCCEssaryCAPITALisatioNandnospaceS!
13. People who shout WOO! at product launches and tech conferences.
12. Mid-game mystery reboots. No end of level boss is as wicked as Windows Update.
11. Software pop-ups. Interrupting us when we're doing something interesting to tell us something completely useless? How kind.
10. Mysterious status updates. "Sharon is very annoyed with a certain someone and is going to tell you-know-who about you-know-what." What is this? Primary school?
9. Proprietary formats.
8. Marketing bullshit. 3-watt speakers are not "powerful".
7. Long launches. If it's ready, ship it. If it isn't, shut up.
6. Novelty USB products. The tech equivalent of "you don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps!!!!!" stickers.
5. Device not found. IT'S RIGHT THERE! LOOK AT IT! YOU'RE BOTH TURNED ON!
4. Ugly PCs. Surely it's not that hard to make something that isn't hideous?
3. Broadband speeds. Sure, you can get 20Mb – if you move home and live in the phone exchange.
2. Long boot times. On PCs, on phones, on consoles, on absolutely everything. Time is money, people!
1. Pocket patting. The constant, irrational fear that you've left your laptop/iPod/phone/DS/PSP in the pub even though you know you haven't. The more beers you've had, the more times you'll check.
48. Chargers. A different charger for every single gadget, and a new type of charger whenever there's a minor model upgrade. Brilliant.
47. Steve Jobs. Yes, the man's a genius – but be honest. You want to punch him. You do!
46. Microsoft(r) Product(tm) Names(c) Pointless Edition(tm) 2008 Service Pack 3.1 beta 4 – On Ice!
45. Tabloid scare stories. Facebook will eat your face, or kill bees, or something.
44. Exploding laptops. You'd think that we could make a battery that doesn't catch on fire by now.
43. DRM. It's Latin for "pain in the arse".
42. Software that needs 99 patches. Here's an idea. Why not test it before you release it?
41. Red Rings of Death. Memo to Microsoft: hardware isn't software. You can't flog it and fix it later.
40. Traffic management and bandwidth caps. Which bit of "unlimited" don't ISPs understand?
39. International roaming. Yes, Mr Mobile network. £400 per email is great value for money.
38. Stupid format wars. They're not big, they're not clever, and they mean early adopters get their fingers burnt. Not the smartest business strategy.
37. Software bloat. Especially antivirus software that's so bloated our PCs can't get infected because there's no room left for anything.
36. Product launches that think they're rock concerts. It's a new SDK! Guitar solo!
35. Unnecessary obsolescence. Forcing us to buy stuff we don't need by breaking stuff we already have? What an excellent, customer-friendly idea.
34. Facebook and MySpace. Just because.
33. Printer ink and mobile phone data charges. It'd be cheaper to do drugs. DRUGS MADE OF GOLD AND DIAMONDS.
32. Advertising. It's a necessary evil, but does it have to be quite so evil?
31. Viral sodding marketing.
30. Fanboys. Your choice of operating system/games console/telephone is better than my choice of operating system/games console/telephone? Why, how fascinating. Please, marry my daughter.
29. Friends Reunited reminders. "People you hate have signed up. Please come back! Please!"
28. Email forwards. Is it unfair to respond with a string of expletives? It is? Sorry, mum.
27. RealPlayer. Like the Black Death, but made of software.
26. eBook Readers. Just like real books, but more expensive, less useful, stuffed with DRM and likely to electrocute you in the bath.
25. Blog commenters. No, not you. Them.
24. Batteries. It's funny how 100 per cent charge becomes 0 per cent the second you actually need to do something.
23. Wireless networks. They work through walls, you say? Our router can't throw a packet through a hamster.
22. Family members. There's nothing we love more than getting rid of spyware and Trojans from your laptop during Christmas dinner while shuddering in horror at your search history.
21. Online gaming. Like the Jerry Springer Show, but global and 24/7.
20. Greedy software. You've installed an image viewer. Of course you want it to play your MP3s, answer the door and babysit the kids.
19. Acrobat Reader. The software equivalent of using a nuclear warhead to drill a hole.
18. Google's cache / the Wayback Machine. We deleted it for a reason!
17. Internet banking. 27 different card readers, 304 passwords and a magic dance to discover you're still broke.
16. Endless betas. When Gmail 1.0 comes out, we'll all be living on Mars.
15. Unboxing videos. What's next? Getting The Bus Home From The Shop videos?
14. Stupid! prodct! namez! WiTHuneCCEssaryCAPITALisatioNandnospaceS!
13. People who shout WOO! at product launches and tech conferences.
12. Mid-game mystery reboots. No end of level boss is as wicked as Windows Update.
11. Software pop-ups. Interrupting us when we're doing something interesting to tell us something completely useless? How kind.
10. Mysterious status updates. "Sharon is very annoyed with a certain someone and is going to tell you-know-who about you-know-what." What is this? Primary school?
9. Proprietary formats.
8. Marketing bullshit. 3-watt speakers are not "powerful".
7. Long launches. If it's ready, ship it. If it isn't, shut up.
6. Novelty USB products. The tech equivalent of "you don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps!!!!!" stickers.
5. Device not found. IT'S RIGHT THERE! LOOK AT IT! YOU'RE BOTH TURNED ON!
4. Ugly PCs. Surely it's not that hard to make something that isn't hideous?
3. Broadband speeds. Sure, you can get 20Mb – if you move home and live in the phone exchange.
2. Long boot times. On PCs, on phones, on consoles, on absolutely everything. Time is money, people!
1. Pocket patting. The constant, irrational fear that you've left your laptop/iPod/phone/DS/PSP in the pub even though you know you haven't. The more beers you've had, the more times you'll check.
Sunday, 8 June 2008
IBM aims to use water to cool chips
IBM researchers have shown the possibility of using a network of tiny pipes of water to cool next-generation PC chips.
Experts at the firm have created a prototype device that has thousands of “hair-width” cooling arteries, which they believe may be a solution to the increasing amount of heat pumped out by chips as they become smaller and more densely packed with components.
The researchers demonstrated the technology in IBM's 3D chips, where circuits are stacked one on top of the other.
They say that vertical laying of chips, rather than side by side, reduces the distance data has to travel, enhances performance and saves critical space.
"As we package chips on top of each other....we have found that conventional coolers attached to the back of a chip don't scale. In order to exploit the potential of high-performance 3D chip stacking, we need interlayer cooling," the BBC quoted Thomas Brunschwiler at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory as saying.
He said that conventional cooling techniques, which involve the use of fans and heat sinks, do not work as well with the 3D technology, particularly as heat has to be drawn away from between the individual chips.
According to him, piping water through sealed tubes just 50 microns in diameter between individual layers of the chip seems to offer a solution to the problem.
The researchers suggest that water is much more efficient than air at absorbing heat, and thus even with tiny amounts of liquid flowing through could show a dramatic effect.
IBM experts believe that its water-cooling technology could be available as a product in five years.
Experts at the firm have created a prototype device that has thousands of “hair-width” cooling arteries, which they believe may be a solution to the increasing amount of heat pumped out by chips as they become smaller and more densely packed with components.
The researchers demonstrated the technology in IBM's 3D chips, where circuits are stacked one on top of the other.
They say that vertical laying of chips, rather than side by side, reduces the distance data has to travel, enhances performance and saves critical space.
"As we package chips on top of each other....we have found that conventional coolers attached to the back of a chip don't scale. In order to exploit the potential of high-performance 3D chip stacking, we need interlayer cooling," the BBC quoted Thomas Brunschwiler at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory as saying.
He said that conventional cooling techniques, which involve the use of fans and heat sinks, do not work as well with the 3D technology, particularly as heat has to be drawn away from between the individual chips.
According to him, piping water through sealed tubes just 50 microns in diameter between individual layers of the chip seems to offer a solution to the problem.
The researchers suggest that water is much more efficient than air at absorbing heat, and thus even with tiny amounts of liquid flowing through could show a dramatic effect.
IBM experts believe that its water-cooling technology could be available as a product in five years.
Saturday, 31 May 2008
BenQ’s new Joybooks
BenQ has announced its foray into the laptop segment in India with a range of sleek, designer Joybooks. The new range will offer three distinct models, BenQ S32W, BenQ R43 and BenQ Q41.
The S32W model has a silver strip with a diamond-cut logo on the outside to match the artistic POP art pattern, 3D image embedded in the svelte aluminum body and a ripple textured touchpad.
The Q41 Joybook has an auxiliary 2.5 inch screen on the outer panel that allows users to view photos, play games and listen to music even when the Joybook's lid is closed. The R43 comes with a polished deep black lid and a band with an inscribed laminar film that shines, to give the Joybook a shimmering appearance.
BenQ's patented UltraVivid technology increases the brightness of the screen by using the DBEFTM (Display Brilliance Enhancement Film) technology and provides vibrant and sharp quality pictures even in variable lighting conditions.
The Joybooks incorporate Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and Windows Vista Premium. In addition the laptops come with wireless connectivity, built-in Bluetooth, speakers, microphones and one touch back-up process for data security
The Joybooks range is priced at Rs 30,000 onwards.
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
HTC unveils Touch Cruise
TC has launched Touch Cruise, the third member of the HTC Touch product family.
/photo.cms?msid=3015527 The phone is the company's first to feature a built-in GPS for navigation.
Building on the popularity of HTC Touch and HTC Touch Dual, HTC Touch Cruise also supports HSDPA wireless connectivity.
Ajay Sharma, country manager, HTC (India) said, "HTC Touch Cruise is our latest offering in our continuous commitment of ushering in technologically advanced and top of the line converged devices in India. The original HTC Touch has already proved to be a phenomenal success in India, and HTC Touch Cruise with fully integrated GPS adds another dimension to our touch-screen device family."
With 3 megapixel auto-focus camera, the phone comes in black sapphire and provides one-touch access to emails, text messages, calendar appointments, contacts and weather conditions.
Also, users can sweep their finger up the display to launch an animated, 3D interface comprising three screens: contacts, media and applications.
With 2.8" screen display, Touch Cruise runs on Windows Mobile 6 Professional and comes with built-in Windows Media Player.
Other key features include FM radio, microSD memory card slot for adding to the 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM. In addition, it supports WorldCard Mobile to manage business cards.
The phone also supports mapping and navigation solutions from the MapKing R12 application and will be available for Rs 32,990.
Monday, 5 May 2008
Lenovo laptops go red
Lenovo recently announced the launch of its IdeaPad U110 notebook PC, the star of Lenovo's IdeaPad entertainment and fashion-oriented notebook collection.
Enhanced by an 11-inch frameless screen display and weighing less than 2.5 pounds (1.13 kgs) and measuring between 0.7 and 0.9 inches, the notebook's thin and light frame caters to the highly mobile user.
Equipped with VeriFace and Face Recognition, users can quickly and easily log-in without having to remember passwords.
The inbuilt Dolby Home Theatre and the MultiMedia Control Center aim to provide better sound quality and multimedia control.
Lenovo has tailored the IdeaPad U110 for performance with a 120GB hard drive, up to 3GB of memory, Intel Centrino processor, a built-in camera, WLAN, Ethernet and Bluetooth connectivity (optional), an external DVD burner and the Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.
The U110 delivers eight hours of battery life on a single charge and incorporates Lenovo’s Active Protection System that offers extreme durability by temporarily parking the hard drive if the notebook should fall or drop.
This ultra portable will be available in red or black colour with a metal finish.
The IdeaPad U110 is available now, and starts at $1900 for the minimum configuration
Enhanced by an 11-inch frameless screen display and weighing less than 2.5 pounds (1.13 kgs) and measuring between 0.7 and 0.9 inches, the notebook's thin and light frame caters to the highly mobile user.
Equipped with VeriFace and Face Recognition, users can quickly and easily log-in without having to remember passwords.
The inbuilt Dolby Home Theatre and the MultiMedia Control Center aim to provide better sound quality and multimedia control.
Lenovo has tailored the IdeaPad U110 for performance with a 120GB hard drive, up to 3GB of memory, Intel Centrino processor, a built-in camera, WLAN, Ethernet and Bluetooth connectivity (optional), an external DVD burner and the Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.
The U110 delivers eight hours of battery life on a single charge and incorporates Lenovo’s Active Protection System that offers extreme durability by temporarily parking the hard drive if the notebook should fall or drop.
This ultra portable will be available in red or black colour with a metal finish.
The IdeaPad U110 is available now, and starts at $1900 for the minimum configuration
Nokia's new phones
Nokia, the world's top cell phone maker, has unveiled three new phone models, targeting the highly competitive market for mid-priced phones.
Nokia said shipments of the new phones -- Nokia 6600 Fold, Nokia 6600 Slide and Nokia 3600 Slide -- would start during the third quarter.
They would sell for 175 euros ($273) to 275 euros, excluding taxes and subsidies.
Nokia 6600 fold is a compact 3G handset with 2 megapixel camera and quick access to Internet services such as Yahoo! Go.
It flips open to reveal a bright 2.13-inch OLED screen displaying up to 16 million colours. The glossy surface contains a display that lights up with two taps of the phone and also allows control of alerts and incoming calls.
The 6600 slide features a glossy, steel cover and aluminium center key as well as the same tap technology to display and control time, snoozes, alerts and incoming calls.
The handset comes with 3.2 megapixel camera with photo-sharing controls, 2.2-inch QGVA display, integrated Nokia Maps and optional Bluetooth GPS module.
The Nokia 3600 slide is a more colourful handset, using soft ceramic paint and metal combined with high gloss surfaces and gradated colours.
It's also the first Nokia product to feature background noise cancellation. Other features include built-in music player and microSD card slot, Nokia Maps, 3.2 megapixel camera and TV-out port.
Nokia said shipments of the new phones -- Nokia 6600 Fold, Nokia 6600 Slide and Nokia 3600 Slide -- would start during the third quarter.
They would sell for 175 euros ($273) to 275 euros, excluding taxes and subsidies.
Nokia 6600 fold is a compact 3G handset with 2 megapixel camera and quick access to Internet services such as Yahoo! Go.
It flips open to reveal a bright 2.13-inch OLED screen displaying up to 16 million colours. The glossy surface contains a display that lights up with two taps of the phone and also allows control of alerts and incoming calls.
The 6600 slide features a glossy, steel cover and aluminium center key as well as the same tap technology to display and control time, snoozes, alerts and incoming calls.
The handset comes with 3.2 megapixel camera with photo-sharing controls, 2.2-inch QGVA display, integrated Nokia Maps and optional Bluetooth GPS module.
The Nokia 3600 slide is a more colourful handset, using soft ceramic paint and metal combined with high gloss surfaces and gradated colours.
It's also the first Nokia product to feature background noise cancellation. Other features include built-in music player and microSD card slot, Nokia Maps, 3.2 megapixel camera and TV-out port.
Creative's MP3 player
Creative Technology Ltd, has launched an ultra compact and lightweight MP3 player, Creative MuVo T200, in India that comes with a full colour LCD display screen and a built-in USB connector that allows easy transfer of music tracks and data files without any cable or software.
Available in sleek glossy colours including black, white and pink, Creative MuVo T200 supports MP3, WMA and audible music formats.
With storage capacity of 2GB and 4GB, users can store up to 500 of their favourite music tracks and enjoy up to 9 hours of music playback with a single charge of the rechargeable battery.
The player comes in six dazzling colour themes ranging from marine blue, velvet red to forest green displayed on the colour LCD screen.
"The tiny Creative MuVo T200 functions as both a MP3 player and a USB storage device. Its ultra compact design with dimensions of only 25 x 77.7 x 11 mm and a light weight of only 20.6 grams, make it very convenient for users to bring along wherever they go", said Toh Sork Lee, Regional Sales Manager, India, Creative Technology Ltd.
Other features include: dual screen orientation to suit users' viewing preference, screensaver with date and time stamp, built-in FM radio and voice recorder.
The player is priced at Rs 3399 and Rs 4999 for 2GB and 4GB respectively.
Available in sleek glossy colours including black, white and pink, Creative MuVo T200 supports MP3, WMA and audible music formats.
With storage capacity of 2GB and 4GB, users can store up to 500 of their favourite music tracks and enjoy up to 9 hours of music playback with a single charge of the rechargeable battery.
The player comes in six dazzling colour themes ranging from marine blue, velvet red to forest green displayed on the colour LCD screen.
"The tiny Creative MuVo T200 functions as both a MP3 player and a USB storage device. Its ultra compact design with dimensions of only 25 x 77.7 x 11 mm and a light weight of only 20.6 grams, make it very convenient for users to bring along wherever they go", said Toh Sork Lee, Regional Sales Manager, India, Creative Technology Ltd.
Other features include: dual screen orientation to suit users' viewing preference, screensaver with date and time stamp, built-in FM radio and voice recorder.
The player is priced at Rs 3399 and Rs 4999 for 2GB and 4GB respectively.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Intel and AMD’s different classes of business
Intel is taking the high road and its rival Advanced Micro Devices the low one in search of market share in different business segments, according to announcements on Monday.
Intel unveiled a partnership with the Cray supercomputing company. In an industry first, their engineers will work together on creating a new supercomputer for release around 2012.
They aim to reduce dramatically processing times for intensive applications such as medical imaging, cell modelling in genome research and hurricane forecasting. The high-performance computing market was worth $11.5bn last year, according to the IDC research firm.
Kirk Skaugen (pictured left), head of Intel’s Server Platforms group, and Peter Ungaro (right), Cray chief executive, told me that synergies between the two companies’ research teams would help them solve problems where components interconnected. This was key to keeping processors fed with data and operating at maximum performance.
They would also work on how to take advantage of what is expected to be a grouping of as many as 1m processing cores in a single supercomputing system.
The two companies say they will work with academic institutions and government bodies to test their products.
Meanwhile, AMD introduced its AMD Business Class, aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. This is a new platform of chips designed to help PC makers target this segment with products. Both dual, triple and quad-core processors are featured combined with AMD and non-AMD graphics and chipsets.
Acer, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens and Lenovo all announced their support for the initiative.
Intel unveiled a partnership with the Cray supercomputing company. In an industry first, their engineers will work together on creating a new supercomputer for release around 2012.
They aim to reduce dramatically processing times for intensive applications such as medical imaging, cell modelling in genome research and hurricane forecasting. The high-performance computing market was worth $11.5bn last year, according to the IDC research firm.
Kirk Skaugen (pictured left), head of Intel’s Server Platforms group, and Peter Ungaro (right), Cray chief executive, told me that synergies between the two companies’ research teams would help them solve problems where components interconnected. This was key to keeping processors fed with data and operating at maximum performance.
They would also work on how to take advantage of what is expected to be a grouping of as many as 1m processing cores in a single supercomputing system.
The two companies say they will work with academic institutions and government bodies to test their products.
Meanwhile, AMD introduced its AMD Business Class, aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. This is a new platform of chips designed to help PC makers target this segment with products. Both dual, triple and quad-core processors are featured combined with AMD and non-AMD graphics and chipsets.
Acer, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens and Lenovo all announced their support for the initiative.
Monday, 28 April 2008
TCS plans Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Oman centres
India’s largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services will open centres in Egypt, Abu Dhabi and Oman as part of its drive to focus more on Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
At present, TCS centres are based in Dubai, Riyadh, North Africa, Morocco and Bahrain.
"The MENA region has been active in the last couple of years as the infrastructure, energy, utility and alternative sources of energy are showing strong growth and there are robust opportunities for further growth," TCS CEO and managing director S Ramadorai was quoted as saying.
The value of MENA's computer-services market is estimated at USD 50 million and the region contributes three-five per cent to the group's growth while India's share is 11 per cent.
Latin America, India and MENA countries together contribute USD 940 million to the group.
He said India's software industry is currently worth more than USD 30 billion and is expected to grow to USD 60 - 80 billion by 2010.
On the impact of rupee's appreciation against the dollar, he said it has eroded earnings of the company as most of its sales are generated overseas.
TCS gets almost 91 per cent of its sales from overseas, including 50 per cent from the US. The Indian rupee has gained around 11 per cent in the last financial year.
At present, TCS centres are based in Dubai, Riyadh, North Africa, Morocco and Bahrain.
"The MENA region has been active in the last couple of years as the infrastructure, energy, utility and alternative sources of energy are showing strong growth and there are robust opportunities for further growth," TCS CEO and managing director S Ramadorai was quoted as saying.
The value of MENA's computer-services market is estimated at USD 50 million and the region contributes three-five per cent to the group's growth while India's share is 11 per cent.
Latin America, India and MENA countries together contribute USD 940 million to the group.
He said India's software industry is currently worth more than USD 30 billion and is expected to grow to USD 60 - 80 billion by 2010.
On the impact of rupee's appreciation against the dollar, he said it has eroded earnings of the company as most of its sales are generated overseas.
TCS gets almost 91 per cent of its sales from overseas, including 50 per cent from the US. The Indian rupee has gained around 11 per cent in the last financial year.
PSLV-C9 places 10 satellites into orbit
Setting a world record, India's Polar rocket on Monday successfully placed ten satellites, including the country's remote sensing satellite, into orbit in a single mission. (Watch)
The ten pack launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) saw the 230-tonne Polar Satellite launch Vehicle (PSLV-C9) carry the heaviest luggage--824 kgs--and put into orbit an Indian Mini Satellite and eight foreign nano satellites besides the Cartosat-2A remote sensing satellite.
At the end of the 52-hour countdown, the PSLV-C9, with a lift-off mass of 230 tonne, blasted off from the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and soared into the clear sky in a textbook launch.
Fourteen minutes after lift off, the fourth stage of the ISRO's workhorse launch vehicle, in its 13th flight, injected the ten satellites, into the 635 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
This is for the first time that ISRO has put ten satellites in orbit in a single launch. This is also PSLV's twelfth successful flight.
It is for the first time in the world that ten satellites were launched in a single mission. Russia had earlier launched eight satellites together.
Besides the 690 kg Indian remote sensing satellite CARTOSAT-2A and the 83 kg Indian Mini Satellite (IMS-1), the rest eight Nano Satellites were from abroad.
This is the third time, the PSLV has been launched in the core alone version, without the six solid propellant first stage strap-on motors.
Terming the launch "satisfactory", ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said "all parameters worked wonderfully well."
The ten pack launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) saw the 230-tonne Polar Satellite launch Vehicle (PSLV-C9) carry the heaviest luggage--824 kgs--and put into orbit an Indian Mini Satellite and eight foreign nano satellites besides the Cartosat-2A remote sensing satellite.
At the end of the 52-hour countdown, the PSLV-C9, with a lift-off mass of 230 tonne, blasted off from the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and soared into the clear sky in a textbook launch.
Fourteen minutes after lift off, the fourth stage of the ISRO's workhorse launch vehicle, in its 13th flight, injected the ten satellites, into the 635 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
This is for the first time that ISRO has put ten satellites in orbit in a single launch. This is also PSLV's twelfth successful flight.
It is for the first time in the world that ten satellites were launched in a single mission. Russia had earlier launched eight satellites together.
Besides the 690 kg Indian remote sensing satellite CARTOSAT-2A and the 83 kg Indian Mini Satellite (IMS-1), the rest eight Nano Satellites were from abroad.
This is the third time, the PSLV has been launched in the core alone version, without the six solid propellant first stage strap-on motors.
Terming the launch "satisfactory", ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said "all parameters worked wonderfully well."
Thursday, 24 April 2008
Windows Mobile turning 'Live'
Microsoft Corp has begun testing technology that brings together a person's pictures, documents and other data scattered across a growing number of machines with the goal of allowing people to access their information from anywhere and at any time.
Microsoft's "Live Mesh" programme, which uses the Internet as a data hub, synchronises files across computers, phones and other devices so a digital picture frame at home could show a picture minutes after it was taken by a cell phone.
Initially the programme will be limited to 10,000 US testers and computers running its Windows operating system, but Microsoft said it plans to extend Live Mesh over the next few months to mobile phones, computers from Apple Inc and other devices connected to the Internet.
The project is the brainchild of Ray Ozzie, who replaced Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as chief software architect, and underscores the company's carefully balanced online strategy, which aims to capitalise on the reach of the Internet without cannibalising its cash cow software business.
Microsoft, the dominant force in software that runs on a computer's local hard drive, has seen rivals like Google Inc and Salesforce.com encroach on its turf with competitive offerings delivered over the Internet.
"As our industry has evolved because of this Web-catalyzed services transformation, so too has Microsoft," Ozzie wrote in a memo being sent to the company's employees. Live Mesh embraces the industry trend toward "cloud computing" in which information is centrally stored on websites rather than on local devices, giving users easy access from any computer.
Industry analysts said the product may signal a watershed moment within Microsoft to embrace a technology that the company viewed as a threat in the past.
"We may be seeing signs of a Microsoft that is newly focused," said Jonathan Yarmis, a vice president and analyst at AMR Research. "This is exciting because it has as much to do with who is doing it as what Microsoft is doing."
The software will also let friends and colleagues collaborate and share documents more easily.
For example, if a shared document is changed on a work computer, those changes will be instantly updated and available on any device or computer that the user has registered with Live Mesh. Microsoft plans to release Live Mesh in a widely-available test, or "beta" version before the end of 2008.
Microsoft's "Live Mesh" programme, which uses the Internet as a data hub, synchronises files across computers, phones and other devices so a digital picture frame at home could show a picture minutes after it was taken by a cell phone.
Initially the programme will be limited to 10,000 US testers and computers running its Windows operating system, but Microsoft said it plans to extend Live Mesh over the next few months to mobile phones, computers from Apple Inc and other devices connected to the Internet.
The project is the brainchild of Ray Ozzie, who replaced Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as chief software architect, and underscores the company's carefully balanced online strategy, which aims to capitalise on the reach of the Internet without cannibalising its cash cow software business.
Microsoft, the dominant force in software that runs on a computer's local hard drive, has seen rivals like Google Inc and Salesforce.com encroach on its turf with competitive offerings delivered over the Internet.
"As our industry has evolved because of this Web-catalyzed services transformation, so too has Microsoft," Ozzie wrote in a memo being sent to the company's employees. Live Mesh embraces the industry trend toward "cloud computing" in which information is centrally stored on websites rather than on local devices, giving users easy access from any computer.
Industry analysts said the product may signal a watershed moment within Microsoft to embrace a technology that the company viewed as a threat in the past.
"We may be seeing signs of a Microsoft that is newly focused," said Jonathan Yarmis, a vice president and analyst at AMR Research. "This is exciting because it has as much to do with who is doing it as what Microsoft is doing."
The software will also let friends and colleagues collaborate and share documents more easily.
For example, if a shared document is changed on a work computer, those changes will be instantly updated and available on any device or computer that the user has registered with Live Mesh. Microsoft plans to release Live Mesh in a widely-available test, or "beta" version before the end of 2008.
Hitachi 450 GB HDD
Hitachi recently launched the Ultrastar 15K450 hard disk drive. The drive uses perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology to deliver 450GB of storage, currently the highest available capacity in 15,000 RPM enterprise-class hard drives.
This disk drive is an ideal solution for mission-critical server and storage applications, such as online transaction processing, intensive database queries and other multi-user applications.
It features average seek times as low as 3.3 milliseconds and the fast rotational speeds reduce average latency time to 2 milliseconds, enabling customers to access data more quickly and efficiently. The new drive will ship with either 3Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) or 4Gb/s Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces.
The Ultrastar 15K450, which is built on a mature design platform to ensure greater reliability and reduced qualification times, offers a host of industrial-strength technology for proven reliability in mission-critical, server-class environments.
Technologies such as fluid dynamic bearing motors deliver a low acoustic rating and improved data integrity, and Rotational Vibration Safeguard (RVS) technology anticipates disturbances that can occur in multi-drive configurations and counteracts them. In addition, the drive uses Hitachi's patented head load/unload ramp to minimize integration induced drive damage.
"With the higher capacity and performance of the Ultrastar 15K450, enterprises are able to address their throughput requirements using fewer drives, which reduces three things; the cost of ownership, the datacenter's footprint and overall power requirements," said Dean Amini, director, Enterprise Market & Strategy, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "Coupled with our intensive testing and quality assurance process, the Ultrastar 15K450 offers the highest available performance and reliability for mission-critical computing environments."
The Ultrastar 15K450 will be available this quarter to customers worldwide.
This disk drive is an ideal solution for mission-critical server and storage applications, such as online transaction processing, intensive database queries and other multi-user applications.
It features average seek times as low as 3.3 milliseconds and the fast rotational speeds reduce average latency time to 2 milliseconds, enabling customers to access data more quickly and efficiently. The new drive will ship with either 3Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) or 4Gb/s Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces.
The Ultrastar 15K450, which is built on a mature design platform to ensure greater reliability and reduced qualification times, offers a host of industrial-strength technology for proven reliability in mission-critical, server-class environments.
Technologies such as fluid dynamic bearing motors deliver a low acoustic rating and improved data integrity, and Rotational Vibration Safeguard (RVS) technology anticipates disturbances that can occur in multi-drive configurations and counteracts them. In addition, the drive uses Hitachi's patented head load/unload ramp to minimize integration induced drive damage.
"With the higher capacity and performance of the Ultrastar 15K450, enterprises are able to address their throughput requirements using fewer drives, which reduces three things; the cost of ownership, the datacenter's footprint and overall power requirements," said Dean Amini, director, Enterprise Market & Strategy, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "Coupled with our intensive testing and quality assurance process, the Ultrastar 15K450 offers the highest available performance and reliability for mission-critical computing environments."
The Ultrastar 15K450 will be available this quarter to customers worldwide.
HP launches ultra-slim PC
Hewlett Packard (HP) has launched ‘Compaq dc7800’, an ultra-slim desktop personal computer, in the Indian market.
The company claims that the ultra-thin ‘Compaq dc7800’ is the industry’s first PC to feature a solid-state hard drive (SSD) which is considered more reliable than SATA and SCSI drives.
Powered by 80 Plus power supply, Compaq dc7800 consumes nearly 15 per cent less energy compared to standard models. The model also offers dual display ports or supporting multiple monitors.
Designed for business purposes, the PC comes with 8 USB ports.
“The new energy-efficient business desktop PC is the industry’s first to feature a solid-state hard drive (SSD) that offers improved reliability,” HP India Country Manager (Business Desktop PCs, Personal Systems Group) Arun Rao said.
Priced at Rs 40,000, the PC is scheduled to hit market on 1st May 2008.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
How to make your laptop green
n 2009, worldwide laptop sales are expected to surpass desktops for the first time reaching more than 150 million. Most people tend to dump laptops after every three years, to go for a newer model, leading to increasing environmental hazard.
Reports say, 20-50 tons of e-waste is generated by disposed laptops every year. Here’s how designers plan to make laptops more eco-friendly.
Reports say, 20-50 tons of e-waste is generated by disposed laptops every year. Here’s how designers plan to make laptops more eco-friendly.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Credit cards: Caution pays!
Just imagine checking your credit card details one fine day, only to find many fictitious purchases in your name, with the amount running into several thousands, or maybe even lakhs.
Well, it is highly debatable whether you can stay calm and composed after that. But this, and other kinds of credit card misuse, has been in vogue of late and though there haven’t been too many such cases, it is only advisable to follow the wise ‘better safe than sorry’ policy.
Coming to the latest incident, the miscreants used the art of ‘skimming’. Explaining this, Arindam Bhattacharya, an ex-banker and now a consultant with a leading banking software development company, says, “All your personal data is stored inside the black magnetic strip of the card. Miscreants mostly use a small keypad and an extra swipe on a scanning machine makes all that confidential information get copied. They then plant the same on plastic cards and have dummy cards that can be easily used without the owner’s knowledge.”
So, better be alert the next time you visit a restaurant. “You should personally go to the cashier instead of handing over the card to a waiter,” is how Bhattacharya puts it. He also adds that the concerned people at cash counters of shopping outlets “should verify signatures during card transactions”, which rarely happens.
Internet transactions may make you feel all empowered and on top of the world, but there are risks involved.
As Anil Ramnani, assistant manager with a bank, opines, “Every card has a unique Card Verification Value (CVV) number at the back, next to your signature. If a person knows your name, card number, CVV number and expiry date, he can easily carry out internet transactions. So, it is important to cancel out the CVV number and note it down somewhere else. This has been the most common practice of credit card misuse in recent times.”
Also, for internet transactions, Bhattacharya says that one should “preferably use one’s own PC as softwares may be installed to capture details of your card” and also “log out completely from the site once the transaction is over.” Are card users conscious enough?
Nikhil Pawar, a sales professional, avers, “I never hand over my card to anyone and make it a point to be present whenever somebody swipes it. Also, I keep a regular track of all the statements.” So are the banks doing anything to curb this menace? Says Bhattacharya, “The new age private banks are coming up with the system of virtual banking cards, where you will be given either a new password or a new card number for every transaction.”
He has a word of advice even for ATM goers: “Wait for a few seconds until the main screen comes back to avoid possible misuse.”
Well, it’s better to play it safe here.
Well, it is highly debatable whether you can stay calm and composed after that. But this, and other kinds of credit card misuse, has been in vogue of late and though there haven’t been too many such cases, it is only advisable to follow the wise ‘better safe than sorry’ policy.
Coming to the latest incident, the miscreants used the art of ‘skimming’. Explaining this, Arindam Bhattacharya, an ex-banker and now a consultant with a leading banking software development company, says, “All your personal data is stored inside the black magnetic strip of the card. Miscreants mostly use a small keypad and an extra swipe on a scanning machine makes all that confidential information get copied. They then plant the same on plastic cards and have dummy cards that can be easily used without the owner’s knowledge.”
So, better be alert the next time you visit a restaurant. “You should personally go to the cashier instead of handing over the card to a waiter,” is how Bhattacharya puts it. He also adds that the concerned people at cash counters of shopping outlets “should verify signatures during card transactions”, which rarely happens.
Internet transactions may make you feel all empowered and on top of the world, but there are risks involved.
As Anil Ramnani, assistant manager with a bank, opines, “Every card has a unique Card Verification Value (CVV) number at the back, next to your signature. If a person knows your name, card number, CVV number and expiry date, he can easily carry out internet transactions. So, it is important to cancel out the CVV number and note it down somewhere else. This has been the most common practice of credit card misuse in recent times.”
Also, for internet transactions, Bhattacharya says that one should “preferably use one’s own PC as softwares may be installed to capture details of your card” and also “log out completely from the site once the transaction is over.” Are card users conscious enough?
Nikhil Pawar, a sales professional, avers, “I never hand over my card to anyone and make it a point to be present whenever somebody swipes it. Also, I keep a regular track of all the statements.” So are the banks doing anything to curb this menace? Says Bhattacharya, “The new age private banks are coming up with the system of virtual banking cards, where you will be given either a new password or a new card number for every transaction.”
He has a word of advice even for ATM goers: “Wait for a few seconds until the main screen comes back to avoid possible misuse.”
Well, it’s better to play it safe here.
Mobile batteries that won't overheat
Remember the scare last year caused by some Nokia batteries that were found to be overheating while charging -- leading to their worldwide recall?
Such scares will soon be a thing of the past.
German researchers have developed a safer lithium-ion battery that is virtually non-inflammable, addressing concerns of mobile phones users worldwide.
The new prototype is based on a polymer electrolyte, which unlike liquid electrolyte in conventional cell phone batteries is not inflammable.
Lithium-ion batteries power cell phones and PDAs and larger devices like laptops, cordless screwdrivers and lawnmowers. But they are inflammable. Many in the past had to be recalled for this reason alone.
A prototype of the new lithium-ion batteries developed by researchers of Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Germany will be presented at Hannover Messe, but a marketable version will take another four or five years.
Such scares will soon be a thing of the past.
German researchers have developed a safer lithium-ion battery that is virtually non-inflammable, addressing concerns of mobile phones users worldwide.
The new prototype is based on a polymer electrolyte, which unlike liquid electrolyte in conventional cell phone batteries is not inflammable.
Lithium-ion batteries power cell phones and PDAs and larger devices like laptops, cordless screwdrivers and lawnmowers. But they are inflammable. Many in the past had to be recalled for this reason alone.
A prototype of the new lithium-ion batteries developed by researchers of Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Germany will be presented at Hannover Messe, but a marketable version will take another four or five years.
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