News Cracker

Phanfare Photon gets a significant upgrade

2009-02-06T22:57:00.001+05:00

Phanfare Photon [phanfare.com] personal photo and video sharing on the iPhone, just got a significant upgrade, featuring cloud-based photo and video management. These new features are enabling iPhone or iPod Touch users to synchronize their photos and videos to the service’s secure servers.

The new version includes bulk uploading, photo and video slideshow with music, image stabilization, photo editing, and offline access activities (such as viewing albums, image editing, and taking photos). Basically, the company offers 1GB of free storage, but if you need an unlimited storage, you can purchase it with $54.95/year through Apple’s App Store.

Google and Amazon to Put More Books on Cellphones

2009-02-06T22:56:00.000+05:00

In a move that could bolster the growing popularity of e-books, Google said Thursday that the 1.5 million public domain books it had scanned and made available free on PCs were now accessible on mobile devices like the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1.

Also Thursday, Amazon said that it was working on making the titles for its popular e-book reader, the Kindle, available on a variety of mobile phones. The company, which is expected to unveil a new version of the Kindle next week, did not say when Kindle titles would be available on mobile phones.

“We are excited to make Kindle books available on a range of mobile phones,”

said Drew Herdener, a spokesman for Amazon.

“We are working on that now.”

Google’s move greatly expands the number of e-books that are available for reading on the go. The Kindle currently offers about 230,000 titles.

But the public domain books available through Google Book Search are not likely to be the most popular titles, as they are older books for which copyrights have expired. In contrast, the Kindle library includes scores of newly released books, including many current best sellers.

Google said it would like to make other books available on mobile devices in the future, including out-of-print titles and current books it scans with the permission of publishing companies..

“This is our first step, but it is an important step,” s

aid Frances Haugen, product manager for Google Book Search.

Unlike the version of Google Book Search for PCs, which displays scanned images of book pages, the mobile version simply displays text, allowing users to download printed material more quickly over wireless networks.

Several book reading programs are already available for the iPhone and other mobile devices, including Stanza from Lexcycle and the eReader from Fictionwise. They are quickly growing in popularity.

But just as camera phones have not replaced digital cameras, smartphones are not likely to replace dedicated e-book readers like the Kindle or the Reader from Sony, analysts said. These specialized devices have screens about the size of a paperback book and use a technology that does not require backlighting, which makes them easier to read in most light conditions. They also have longer battery life.

While mobile phones are good for quick access to reading material, their backlighted screens are “terrible for long-form reading,” said Evan Schnittman, vice president for global business development at Oxford University Press.

“It hurts the eyes. The pages of a book are the size they are because of hundreds of years of experience of what works best.”

Still, over time, the market for reading on cellphones could grow, especially as new, more capable mobile devices become available.

“Consumers will trade a certain amount of quality for convenience and cost,”

said Michael Gartenberg, an independent technology analyst.

Amir Khan wins world lightweight boxing title

2008-12-07T21:26:00.003+05:00

Amir Khan clinched the vacant WBA international lightweight title on Saturday with a second-round stoppage of Ireland's Oisin Fagan.

Referee Mickey Vann stepped in to end proceedings after one minute and 37 seconds of the round.

The victory was Khan's 19th in 20 fights and restored the 2004 Olympic silver medallist's reputation which had been so badly damaged by his 54-second loss to Colombia's Breidis Prescott in September.

That was the sixth time the 21-year-old had been knocked down and raised doubts over his ability to challenge for a major belt.

Earlier, Welshman Enzo Maccarinelli made an explosive heavyweight debut when a series of vicious body shots blasted Mathew Ellis into submission in the second round.

Maccarinelli's planned WBO world cruiserweight title clash with Francisco Alvarez fell through when the Puerto Rican failed a medical but Ellis stepped in on Friday.

Audley Harrison's world title aspirations were left in tatters after Belfast taxi driver Martin Rogan edged their heavyweight clash with a points decision over the 2000 Olympic gold medallist.

Share the (photographic) wealth! Now you can share your orkut photos with whoever you want

2008-12-03T12:04:00.001+05:00

It seems like pretty much everyone knows at least one person who loves photography. The orkut team is no different– Navneet, one of the orkut engineers, is absolutely obsessed with taking pictures. Whenever we leave the office, he immediately whips out his camera and starts snapping photos of everything in sight. (I once caught him taking a close-up picture of my left foot– needless to say, I was not pleased.) All of these photos are of course uploaded to orkut, where he invites his orkut friends to compliment him on his artistic prowess. Like any budding artiste, however, our Navneet is constantly seeking exposure to a wider audience. To help Navneet share his "gift" with the world, and to help all of the rest of us stay connected with our friends who don't have orkut accounts, we're excited to announce a new photo sharing feature on orkut. Now you can share your orkut photos with all of your friends who have email addresses, whether they use orkut or not.

Here's how it works:

When you create an album, go to the "share with" drop down menu and choose "only selected friends". In addition to being able to enter the names of your friends on orkut who you want to share photos with, now you can include the email addresses of all of your friends who aren't on orkut as well.

If you decide that you want to share or stop sharing an album that you've already uploaded, just click on the blue "Share Album" button to add/remove whichever friends you want from your "Currently Shared List."

All of the non-orkut friends that you've included in the list will be emailed a special URL bringing them to your photo album. As this is a limited-access orkut page, your non-orkut friends will not be able to view your profile or any other part of orkut unless they join the site.

Keep in mind that non-orkut friends who receive the link to your orkut photo albums can (and, if your photos are interesting enough, probably will) forward it on to other people who may also want to check your photos out. The only way to ensure absolute privacy over your photos is to restrict your album to specific orkut friends, as we showed you in the last blog post.

So, whether you want to share your graduation glamour shots with all of your friends and relatives (even the ones who've never used orkut), or have photos from the party that you threw last weekend that you'd rather limit to just a few people, photo albums on orkut now give you the ability to choose.

As Navneet can attest to, sharing photos is too much fun to limit just to orkut users. So get out there and start inviting all of your friends, family, and coworkers to join in the experience with you!

Source Orkut Blog.

Two Pakistanis in last eight at international women tennis

2008-12-03T11:55:00.000+05:00

Two Pakistani players among eight have entered into the quarter-finals in the second leg of the ITF Pakistan Women Futures Tennis Tournament here at the PTF Tennis Complex on Monday.

They are Sarah Mahboob and Meheq Khokhar, who have joined six others - Dipti Srivastava, Prerana Partahap, Treta Bhattacharyya, Jung Yoon Shin, Arthi Venkataraman and Prathad Prathana.

Pakistan’s top player Sarah Mahboob defeated Saba Aziz of Lahore in straight set 6-4, 6-0 while Meheq Khokhar beat Mehreen Izhar of Lahore in straight sets 6-1, 3-1.

The best ccontest of the day was seen between Prerana Prathap of India and Ushna Suhail of Pakistan.

The three-hour long encounter was finally won by Prerana 7 6 (2), 4-6, 6-4.

The other three set good match of the day was won by Venkataraman against Anushree. The match lasted two hrs and 30 minutes.

In the Doubles, Kim Hae Sung and Shung Yoon Shin of South Korea, Prerana Prathap and Prathana Prathap (India) and Arthi Venkataraman and Archana Venkararaman (India) moved into the second round of Women’s Doubles event by winning their respective matches.

Apple suggests Mac users install antivirus software

2008-12-02T12:05:00.001+05:00

In what appears to be a first, Apple is recommending that Mac users install antivirus software.

But don't read this as an admission that the Mac operating system is suddenly insecure. It's more a recognition that Mac users are vulnerable to Web application exploits, which have replaced operating system vulnerabilities as the bigger threat to computer users.

Apple quietly signaled its shift with an item titled "Mac OS: Antivirus utilities" posted on its Support Web site November 21:

"Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult."

The item offers three software suggestions: Intego VirusBarrier X5 and Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 11 for Macintosh, both available from the Apple Online Store, and McAfee VirusScan for Mac.

Brian Krebs, who first reported on the Apple antivirus recommendation Monday in his Security Fix blog at The Washington Post, said an Apple store employee told him he didn't need antivirus software when he purchased a MacBook three months ago.

For years, Apple has enjoyed a period free from concern over viruses, while Windows has been blasted with viruses that were written to make the biggest impact by targeting the dominant OS platform.

Microsoft's software patch releases are watched closely by the entire industry. The company overhauled its own software development practices and constantly urges Windows users to install and update antivirus and other security software.

Meanwhile, Apple's message has been that Mac users are immune to viruses, as evidenced by this television ad.

It's unclear exactly what prompted this move at Apple. Apple representatives did not immediately respond to e-mails seeking comment on Monday.

Dave Marcus, director of security research and communications at McAfee, said Apple was reacting to the realities of the market, where Mac users are finding they are not immune to Trojans and other Web-based malware that malicious hackers write to steal data from computers.

"Apple is realizing that malware these days is targeting data, and valuable data exists just as much on an OS platform that is a Mac as it does on an OS platform that is Windows,"

he said.

Threats to applications are rising while exploits of operating system weaknesses are declining. Operating system vulnerabilities representing about 6 percent of disclosed vulnerabilities while more than 90 percent of vulnerabilities were found in applications, according to a Microsoft security report from last month.

Trojans that are secretly dropped on a computer from a malicious Web site are the most prevalent malware threat. In April, Microsoft reported a big spike--a 300 percent increase year-over-year--in the number and proportion of Trojan droppers that its Malware Protection Center detected and removed.

"The malware we see today is Trojans, password-stealing Trojans,"

Marcus said.

"They are little apps that are dropped onto the machine to do something. They don't infect files and copy themselves. They are looking for specific information and they send that information somewhere else."

Trojans, which often masquerade as legitimate applications like video players, exploit vulnerabilities in the application code or take advantage of a weakness in the browser, and thus can be equally threatening to Windows and Mac platforms, he said.

Although Windows is the more popular target, even for Trojans, there have been Trojans that target the Mac, including one that targeted porn surfers last year and one this summer called "AppleScript.THT."

Meanwhile, the biggest targets for application vulnerability exploits are Office and Internet Explorer, according to Marcus.

McAfee's antivirus software protects against viruses that target the operating system as well as Trojans and other malware that exploit weaknesses in the applications, "regardless of what type of way in it is using, via the browser, Word or Firefox," he said. (Marcus, however, didn't agree with Apple's advice to run multiple antivirus products on one computer, saying they would fight for resources and could run into conflicts.)

A Symantec spokesperson provided this statement when asked for comment:

"Symantec has long encouraged consumers to use a security solution, regardless of the platform, especially with the rise in platform-agnostic threats like malicious Web sites and online scams."

The changing threat landscape from one where attackers try to worm their way onto victim PCs through holes in the operating system to one where more attacks are coming at computers through the applications and browser should change the nature of the Mac versus PC security debate.

No platform can claim to be safe now.

"At the end of the day, they're (Apple is) advising people to be safe and take precautions,"

Marcus said.

"That's a prudent thing to tell people in Web 2.0 world."

Google reveals Chrome extensions plan

2008-12-02T12:02:00.002+05:00

Google has published its plan to build into Chrome what is arguably its most requested feature: the ability to accept extensions that can customize how the open-source Web browser operates.

And guess what? Google's dependence on advertising notwithstanding, one of the extension examples the company points to is the ability to block advertisements.

The Chrome extensions document, spotlighted Saturday by Google programmer Aaron Boodman, doesn't include a timeline, but it does shed light on why the project is a priority for Chromium, the open-source project behind Chrome.

"Chromium can't be everything to all people,"

according to the document.

"User-created extensions have been proposed to solve these problems: the addition of features that have specific or limited appeal; users coming from other browsers who are used to certain extensions that they can't live without; bundling partners who would like to add features to Chromium specific to their bundle."

When Google launched Chrome three months ago, it promised a Chrome extensions framework. Extensions are a popular feature of Chrome's most likely rival, Mozilla's Firefox, and one very popular extension is AdBlock Plus.

And AdBlock makes a specific appearance on the list of extension uses that Google said it would like to support eventually:

• Bookmarking/navigation tools: Delicious Toolbar, StumbleUpon, Web-based history, new tab page clipboard accelerators.
• Content enhancements: Skype extension (clickable phone numbers), RealPlayer extension (save video), Autolink (generic microformat data--addresses, phone numbers, etc.)
• Content filtering: AdBlock, Flashblock, privacy control, parental control
• Download helpers: video helpers, download accelerators, DownThemAll, FlashGot
• Features: ForecastFox, FoxyTunes, Web Of Trust, GooglePreview, BugMeNot

Demand for extensions is real.

In an unscientific CNET News poll about why people don't use Chrome, about 19 percent pointed to the lack of an extensions feature. And on Google's issue tracking site for Chromium, a Chrome extensions feature is the top-requested item.

"Of all the Firefox plug-ins, this is the one essential one,"

said Firefox user Ole Eichhorn.

"Chrome is faster until you factor in all the cruft that gets downloaded as ads, then it isn't faster anymore. When Chrome supports AdBlock, it will be the winner, but until it does, Firefox is the only choice."

In its document, Google described some of its goals for Chrome extensions. The extensions should silently update, just like Chrome does. They should be isolated for security reasons and only get access to resources it's entitled to use. Installation should be easy, taking only two clicks.

They should permit rich user interface options--rich enough to implement some parts of Chrome as extensions, Google said. Among the interface options should be "toolbars, sidebars, content scripts (for Greasemonkey-like functionality), and content filtering (for parental filters, malware filters, or AdBlock-like functionality)," Google said. Some interfaces will require the user to grant specific permissions, such as "access to the history database" or "access to mail.google.com," Google said.

Google will play a major role in extensions, providing a central service that can be used to issue updates and to blacklist "malicious or harmful extensions" so the browser won't use them.

"It's likely in the future we may want to provide a consumer front-end which would allow users to more easily find the most popular, highest quality and trustworthy extensions,"

Google also said.

Barack Obama is new US President

2008-11-06T11:05:00.003+05:00

Democratic Senator Barack Obama has been elected the first black President to lead the United States of America.

Mr Obama was elected President on projected electoral college votes and winning key battleground states, according to BBC News.

The Democrats have secured a total of 47 seats in the Senate with Republican sealing 33 and the Independents taking two seats.

The Democrats again led in the House of Representatives with 42 seats, Republicans securing 21.

The final result is yet to be announced as counting for few states continues.

New US president must learn all lessons of Bush’s stupid adventures

2008-11-06T11:03:00.000+05:00

Respectful US diplomat Charles Freeman described the period of George W. Bush’s presidency as the stage of stupid adventures that weakened the United States. The official believes that the new US president must change the home and foreign policies of the nation, Saudi newspaper Al-Watan wrote Sunday.

Former Ambassador Charles Freeman, who chaired the US mission in Saudi Arabia from 1989 to 1992 (during Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi occupation) said in an interview with the newspaper that the current US administration exhausted its friends, weakened its allies and eventually exhausted and weakened the United States itself.

The diplomat, which replaced Senator George McGovern at the chairman of the US Council for Middle East Policy in 1997, set out a hope that the period of stupid adventures was over. The official added that the new US president must learn the lessons of Bush’s presidency well.

In the meantime, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says that former secretary of state Colin Powell is welcome to campaign for him and might have a place in his administration.

Powell crossed party lines Sunday and endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Obama told NBC's "Today" show Monday that Powell "will have a role as one of my advisers." Whether Powell wants to take a formal role, Obama said, would be "something we'd have to discuss."

Obama said Powell, a retired four-star general, did not tell him ahead of time that he'd be making the endorsement. At the time, Powell said he didn't plan to campaign for Obama before the Nov. 4 election, the AP reports.

Obama said he would love to have Powell on the campaign trail.

Is Blogspot blocked again ????

2008-10-03T11:52:00.002+06:00

On trying to access my Blogger account, I am getting the following messege.

ERROR
The requested URL could not be retrieved

While trying to retrieve the URL: http://www.blogger.com/

The following error was encountered:

* Access Denied.

Dear Valued Customer: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (www.pta.gov.pk) has directed all service providers of the country to block access to some blasphemous web content/movies. This content would remain blocked till the further orders from PTA.
Generated Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:43:55 GMT by filter.tw1.com (squid/2.6.STABLE17)

What the f**k this government is trying to do ??

Eid Mubarak to all Muslim Ummah

2008-10-01T00:14:00.009+06:00

Eid Mubarak to all Muslim Ummah, from S. M. Faisal (Owner of News Cracker)

Google Chrome : Download Offline Installer

2008-09-28T12:44:00.000+06:00

Google Chrome is a newly introduced web browser by Google and its getting very good feed back, even i like i it personally.

You may download this from Google Home Page or for further details check our related posts. But while downloading, you may be able to download only 474kb Setup file which download online or via internet.

Gear up guys, here I'm giving you a link from where you will be able to install Google chrome Offline. No Need of internet connectivity for installing.

Download Google Chrome Offline Installer

Apple selling unlocked iPhone 3G in Hong Kong

2008-09-28T12:19:00.000+06:00

Apple has made an unlocked version of the iPhone 3G available in Hong Kong, letting consumers pick whichever carrier they so choose.

This is in sharp contrast to Apple's policy for the almost everywhere else on the planet. Unlocked iPhones are rampant worldwide, but that isn't something that Apple has sanctioned.

Freedom doesn't come cheap. The 8GB version is available for about $695 (5,400 Hong Kong dollars), while the 16GB iPhone costs about $798 (6,200 HK dollars), according to Apple's site.

The

"iPhone 3G purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier,"

the site states.

"Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation."

RIM shares tank on lower profits for new BlackBerrys

2008-09-26T13:33:00.002+06:00

For the second straight quarter, soaring earnings weren't enough to satisfy Research In Motion investors worried about the prospects of lower profits to come.

RIM reported its second-quarter results Thursday, posting an 88 percent jump in revenue and a 72 percent jump in net income compared to last year. The numbers, $2.58 billion in revenue and $495.5 million in net income, were roughly in line with the company's own expectations but slightly below those of financial analysts.

But RIM revealed that its gross margins will be lower than usual for the next several quarters as it introduces new products that are slightly more expensive to build than its current models. In addition, the U.S. launches of the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Pearl Flip will come a little bit later in the company's third quarter than it had expected earlier in the year, meaning they'll contribute a little less to this quarter than RIM had anticipated.

That news sent RIM's stock down around 20 percent in after-hours trading as investors digested the news. RIM's gross margins are pretty solid, at around 50 percent, but they are heading down into the mid-40s as the company starts building the more expensive handsets in large volumes.

Still, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsille wasn't worried about his company's prospects heading into the rest of the year, on a conference call following the release of RIM's numbers. Balsille compared the current market for smartphones as a bit of a "land grab"--the same term he used last quarter--and said RIM would regret missing out on the opportunity to take advantage of demand for smarter mobile phones if it wasn't willing to take a bit of a cost hit through more sophisticated hardware and increased marketing expenses.

During the upcoming quarter the BlackBerry will be the centerpiece of several so-called "hero" campaigns launched by partners, presumably carriers and software developers, Balsille said.

"Everyone has a hero campaign where we are a featured or the featured device for the holiday season,"

he said.

RIM has been trying to expand its footprint beyond the enterprise to consumers, the target for devices like Apple's iPhone. Right now, consumers make up 42 percent of RIM's subscriber base, but more than half of all new subscribers in the second quarter were consumers, Balsille said.

BlackBerry sales were roughly in line with what Wall Street analysts had expected, at 6.1 million units shipped, but below some of the more optimistic estimates.

Do You Have Addiction Of Blogging

2008-09-26T13:29:00.001+06:00

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Federer wins fifth US Open in a row for 13th Slam crown

2008-09-10T00:30:00.001+06:00

Roger Federer won his 13th Grand Slam crown and fifth consecutive US Open title on Monday, defeating British sixth seed Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to move one Slam title shy of the all-time record.

Federer's 56th career crown moved him into sole possession of second place on the all-time Slam title list, one more than Roy Emerson and one below the career record 14 won by Pete Sampras.

After losing this year's Wimbledon and French Open finals and his number one ranking to Spain's Rafael Nadal, Federer's aura of invincibility had dimmed but his US Open title served notice he still remains a force in tennis.

Federer became the first man to win five Slams in a row at two different events, having also completed the feat last year at Wimbledon. No one had won five US titles in a row since Bill Tilden in 1924.

Swiss second seed Federer stretched his US Open match win streak to 34, his last loss at Flushing Meadows coming to David Nalbandian in the fourth round of 2003, and took home the top prize of 1.5 million dollars.

It was Federer's 17th Slam final, two shy of Ivan Lendl's all-time mark. It took Federer 38 Slam appearances to win his 13th Slam, five fewer than Sampras
needed to reach the same total.

Federer had not won a prior hardcourt title all year. The last player to make the US Open his first hardcourt crown of a season was Sampras in 2002 for his last Slam crown.

Murray, playing in his first Slam final, had won two of three prior matches with Federer but was outclassed to bring a disappointing end to a run that will see him rise to fourth in the rankings, matching the best-ever British mark.

Federer, 27, thrilled a sellout crowd of 23,763 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the first US Open final since 1987 pushed to Monday by bad weather. It was the first Monday men's Slam final since Goran Ivanisevic won at Wimbledon in 2001.

Murray, who took one million dollars, would have been the first British man to win a Slam since Fred Perry at the 1936 US Open and the first British Slam champion of either sex since Virginia Wade won in 1977 at Wimbledon.

Murray's loss was the fifth for a British man in a Slam final since Perry's triumph, including Greg Rusedski at the 1997 US Open, John Lloyd at the 1977 Australian Open and Bunny Austin at the 1937 French Open and 1938 Wimbledon.

Federer broke Murray in the sixth and eighth games of the match to win the first set in 27 minutes. He broke Murray again in the second game of the second set but Murray broke back at love in the next game and the fight was joined.

Murray went to 0-40 on Federer's serve in the fifth game of the second set but Federer denied the Scotsman and the two traded holds of serve until the last game, which Federer finished with three winners to break for the set.

Federer broke Murray's first two service games at love in the third set and, after surrendering a break when he was serving two points from the title, broke him again in the last game on his third overhead smash of the point.

Murray sent the ball into the net after one hour and 51 minutes and Federer fell to his knees and then rolled onto his back, overcome with the moment as he screamed his joy before rising and raising his hands in a salute to the crowd.

Asif Ali Zardari elected new President of Pakistan

2008-09-06T19:13:00.001+06:00

Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari was elected as the next President of Pakistan after securing majority of votes in the presidential elections held here on Saturday.

Asif Ali Zardari is Pakistan's 11th President since 1956, when the country became a republic, excluding acting presidents.

According to the unofficial result out of 702 Asif Ali Zardari secured 479 votes, of which he got 281 from Parliament, 22 from Punjab, 6 from Sindh, 59 from Balochistan and 56 from NWFP.

Justice retired Saeeduzaman Siddique got 153 and Mushahid Hussain got 43 votes.

In the Parliament Zardari secured 281 votes, 111 by Justice (Retd) Saeeduzaman Siddique and 34 by Mushahid Hussain Sayed, out of 436 total votes, of which ten were declared invalid.

Asif Ali Zardari secured 123 in Punjab Assembly, 162 in Sindh Assembly, 107 in NWFP, and 59 in Balochistan Assembly.

His rival Justice (Retd) Saeeduzaman Siddique got 201 votes in Punjab Assembly, none from Sindh, 10 from NWFP and 2 from Balochistan Assembly.

Mushahid Hussain got 36 from Punjab Assembly, none from Sindh, 3 from NWFP and 2 from Balochistan Assembly.

The PML-N candidate Justice (Retd.) Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui outshone in Punjab assembly with 201 votes, followed by Asif Ali Zardari securing 123 votes while Mushahid Hussain Syed could muster support of only 36 members.

Zardari bagged 100 percent votes from his native Province’s Sindh Assembly; he bagged 162 votes out of 163 cast in the house of 166 with one vote declared invalid. The result was announced by Presiding Officer, Chief Justice Sindh High Court, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali immediately after the counting was over. In the house of 166, not a single vote was cast in favor of any of the other two presidential candidates Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Justice (Retd.) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui.

Asif Zardari emerged victorious in the Balochistan Assembly by securing 59 out of the 63 votes polled for the presidential election. The other candidates for the post, Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui of PML-N and Mushahid Hussain Sayed of PML-Q got 2 votes each.

The result was announced by the Presiding Officer, Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Justice Amanullah Yasinzai after counting of votes. Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind and Tariq Hussain Masoori abstained.

In the NWFP Assembly, Asif Zardari secured record 107 votes out of a total of 124 votes polled. Justice ® Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui of PML-N grabbed 10 votes while Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of PML-Q obtained only three votes. While four votes were declared invalid as it were wrongly marked. Presiding Officer Tariq Pervez, Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court declared the unofficial results after counting of the votes.

Earlier, The voting process was held through a secret ballot by the two chambers of the national parliament, the National Assembly and Senate and the four provincial assemblies.

Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (Retd.) Qazi Muhammad Farooq conducted the proceedings as Returning Officer for election to the Office of the President. At the Parliament House, members from both the Houses, Senate and National Assembly, cast their votes to elect the President, being the Electoral College for Presidential election.

Security has been beefed up across Pakistan and additional contingents of security forces were deployed in major cities.

Pervez Musharraf resigns as Pakistani President

2008-08-18T15:09:00.001+06:00

Pervez Musharraf announced today that he was resigning as a President of Pakistan to avoid an impeachment battle that would harm the nation’s interests.

Mr Musharraf made the announcement during a lengthy and at times emotional televised address in which he said that he was leaving office knowing that whatever he has done "was for the people and for the country".

"After consultations with legal advisers and close political supporters and on their advice, I’m taking the decision of resigning,"

the former general said.

"My resignation will go to the speaker of the National Assembly today."

Until he confirmed his resignation towards the end, however, much of his defiant speech was spent denying that any of the impeachment charges against him could stand and angrily defending his time in power.

"Not a single charge in the impeachment can stand against me,"

he said.

"No charge can be proved against me because I never did anything for myself, it was all for Pakistan."

Mr Musharraf dominated Pakistan for years after seizing power in a 1999 military coup, making the country a key strategic ally of the United States by supporting the war on terror.

But his popularity at home sank over the years. Many Pakistanis blame rising violence in their country on his alliance with the United States, and his reputation suffered further last year 2007 when he ousted dozens of judges and imposed emergency rule.

He has been increasingly isolated since a parliamentary election last February elected a coalition government opposed to him.

The government, led by the party of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, said earlier this month that it planned to impeach Mr Musharraf for violating the constitution and other alleged crimes, in what was seen as a clear attempt to force him from office.

Officials from Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States and Britain, have been involved in negotiations aimed at ending the damaging confrontation between President and Goverment.

Five Ways to Extend Battery Life on Subnotebooks

2008-08-02T19:25:00.002+06:00

Whether you end up with an Asus Eee PC, MSI Wind, or Acer Aspire One, the vast majority of these subnotebooks suffer from less than stellar battery life. Realistically, the whole purpose of these small form factor laptops was that they were supposed to be ultra portable. They were supposed to be light and compact enough that you would have no problem tossing it into your backpack or messenger bag, carrying out the web-surfing machine with you everywhere that you go. It's almost self-defeating when you are constantly looking for a wall outlet.

For this reason, I have compiled five tips for extending the battery life on your favorite netbook. It shouldn't matter if you buy a HP Mini-Note, Dell Inspiron Mini, or whatever other small laptop, because these tips will still apply. Heck, even if you are bouncing around town with a larger notebook, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pay attention too.

1. Dim That Display As Far As You Can Handle

All laptops give you the ability to set the brightness level of the notebook, so it's a really good idea to make use of that. Yes, you may need to crank up the brightness to get a reasonable level of visibility under high-light conditions, but if you're sitting in a coffee shop or working out of the library, it's not necessary to have the brightness jacked to the max. This is a huge burden on the battery. It's probably not the best idea for your eyes either. Dim that display and conserve some battery.

2. Turn Off Any Radios or Devices You Don't Need

Depending on the model that you get, many of these subnotebooks come with additional radios that you may not be using all the time. Given their Internet-minded functionality, there's a good chance that you'll have the Wi-Fi on all the time, but do you really need Bluetooth? Furthermore, any USB devices that you have connected to the Eee PC or MSI Wind, for example, will be a power draw. If you can help it, avoid using external mice and other peripherals if possible. This is especially true of running higher-draw devices like USB scanners, webcams, and portable hard drives.

3. Carry An Extra Battery or Two

This will cost you a little bit of money, but real road warriors will probably want to grab an extra battery or two. This is especially true of the netbooks that only come with a three-cell battery. Let's face it. Two hours of life just doesn't cut it. Poke around on eBay and other sources to see if you can find inexpensive third-party batteries. Just be sure to buy from a reputable seller and keep an eye on the mAh rating.

4. Make Use of a Car Charging Accessory

I invested about $15 on a Black & Decker power inverter for my car. In effect, it translates the power coming out of the cigarette jack into what appears to be a standard wall outlet. You don't need to break the bank with a high-wattage converter. The converter that I got only outputs 100 watts and that's usually enough for most small consumer electronics. If you've got a cell phone, iPod, or some other device, it can make use of this charger as well. Keep that battery topped up while on the road!

5. Hack and Mod Your Way to Greatness

If all else fails and no one wants to come to your rescue, then you might want to take matters into your own hands. One modder decided to create his own 9-cell battery for the MSI Wind. If the math holds up, that would provide six hours of web surfing on a single charge. Asus is also promising a version of the Eee that will provide "all day power". That's a waiting game though.

MotorolaTETRA system to be used at Beijing Olympics

2008-08-02T19:23:00.000+06:00

Motorola, Inc. announced an agreement with the Beijing Police Bureau to provide its 350MHz TETRA digital trunked radio communications system to support the security needs of the Olympic Games. Beijing is the first city in China to implement a 350MHz TETRA digital trunked radio communication system.

Under the agreement, Motorola will provide the Beijing Police Bureau with a comprehensive TETRA digital trunked radio communication solution that includes 30 base stations, switches, terminals, and additional products and services. The Bureau's plans to establish a new wireless communication system alongside with its existing wireless network was based on a stringent assessment findings conducted to strengthen, safeguard, and to ensure the complete success of the Olympic Games. As this project involves Olympic Games security tasks, the system is strictly required to provide efficient and reliable support for the Olympic Games.

As the pioneer and global leader in the digital trunked radio communication industry, Motorola has strong capabilities to provide a complete line of products for 350MHz TETRA digital trunked systems, including base stations, switches, terminals and other related accessories. Over the years, Motorola has established several long-term relationships serving many Chinese local entities within the sector and is very experienced in China's public safety industry. Motorola is a trusted partner and reputable in the industry for providing its customers with a range of customized solutions that include single cluster stations, multi-slot packet data processing, and mobile base stations, among other products and services.

The communications' department of the Beijing Police Bureau stated,

"It is important to use high-quality communications solutions and services to ensure we dispatch effective and reliable radio communications solutions during the Olympic Games. I am pleased that Motorola is able to meet all our needs as it has tremendous experience and sophisticated communications capabilities."

"We are delighted to collaborate with the Beijing Police Bureau to provide wireless communication systems and solutions to enhance the Olympics' security. Motorola has been supporting the needs of mission critical users for Olympics dispatch radio communications since 1972. We provide the most advanced products and services and are highly experienced in digital trunked radio communications for the public security sector worldwide, meeting the stringent needs required by the Beijing Police for a secure Olympics event. We would like to take this opportunity to wish the Beijing Police Bureau a successful mission in handling their security assignments during the Olympic Games. It is our hope for Beijing to succeed in this global event,"

said Mr. Chew Hock Siong, General Manager, Government & Public Safety, Enterprise Mobile Solutions, Motorola (China) Electronics Ltd.

As an industry leader, Motorola initiated and strongly advocates the TETRA digital trunked radio communications standard. Motorola has served customers in China's public security sector for many years. As early as March 2001, Motorola implemented the first 800MHz TETRA digital trunked radio command and communication system on a full IP platform for the Shanghai Metropolitan Police Bureau. With the support of Motorola's TETRA digital trunked system, the Shanghai Police carried out safe and successful law enforcement for the 2007 Special Olympics World Games, garnering subsequent praise by China's Ministry of Public Security. In January 2008, Motorola signed a contact with Beijing Central Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection to provide a 350MHz TETRA digital trunked system to support radio communications for exit and entry inspection at the Beijing International Airport.

Mobile-TV equipped TD-SCDMA handsets delivered to China Mobile

2008-08-02T19:21:00.000+06:00

Lenovo Mobile and Spreadtrum jointly presented Lenovo Mobile's TD900, the new digital mobile-TV equipped TD-SCDMA handsets, to China Mobile. The TD900's design is based on Spreadtrum's TD-SCDMA platform and mobile-TV solution. Officials attending the press conference included Mr. Xinsheng Zhang, Deputy Director General, Science and Technology Department, MIIT, Mr. Bo Zhao, Deputy Director General, Electronics and Information Technology Products Department, MIIT, Mr. Xiaojie Wang, Director General, Science and Technology Bureau, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television ("SARFT"), and officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology and from China Mobile.

This batch of mobile-TV equipped TD900 will be distributed to the Beijing Olympics volunteers and staff members. Lenovo Mobile is expected to deliver more TD900 handsets to China Mobile before the Beijing Olympic Games. With the Beijing Olympics approaching, China has become the focus of the world. Currently, China Mobile is increasing its testing of the mobile-TV function while preparing its third round of public bidding for the purchase of TD-SCDMA handsets. Lenovo Mobile and Spreadtrum's distribution of the first batch of mobile-TV TD900 handsets to China Mobile at the earliest opportunity shows the two parties' strong joint efforts and determination to serve the Beijing Olympics.

Lenovo Mobile's TD900 is one of Lenovo Mobile's "new vision" model series released in July 2008. TD900 is a tablet phone; it supports TD-SCDMA/GSM dual mode and 3G applications such as video phone, mobile-TV, auto-roaming, auto-switching and high speed download. As the first batch of mobile-TV equipped TD handsets, several radio programs and approximately eight TV channels including CCTV1, CCTV Olympics and CCTV News, are provided free and with good signal reception and smooth video display. The combination of TD-SCDMA and CMMB, both of which are China owned standards, offers a wonderful solution to serve the Beijing Olympic Games.

The TD900 deploys Spreadtrum's solutions for TD-SCDMA and CMMB standards. As the only wireless baseband solution provider in the industry for the innovative technologies of TD-SCDMA and CMMB, Spreadtrum developed successfully the TD-SCDMA digital mobile-TV application. Spreadtrum's chip solution offers mobile-TV play, simultaneous transmitting and receiving of communication signals without interference, and a good experience with the TV services of the TD-SCDMA digital mobile.

"It is our pleasure to jointly present with Spreadtrum the TD900, the innovative mobile-TV equipped TD handset, to China Mobile. TD900 is designed to address the needs of the mainstream market and is developed independently and to bring us the latest digital mobile TV experience. Being the national industry leader, Lenovo Mobile will make its best efforts to unite the industry's strengths and advance the development of China's 3G technology,"

said by Mr. Yan Lv, President and CEO of Lenovo Mobile.

Dr. Ping Wu, President and CEO of Spreadtrum said,

"We are pleased that Spreadtrum and Lenovo Mobile were able to jointly deliver the digital mobile-TV equipped TD-SCDMA handsets to China Mobile. Spreadtrum has pursued independent innovation and has supported China's self-developed standards for many years. We hope to maintain a strong cooperative relationship with Lenovo Mobile to drive together the next level of development in China's communications industry."

According to a recent forecast from China Mobile, the second phase of the TD-SCDMA network infrastructure will be completed by early next year, when all provincial capitals and select cities will have network coverage by then. With the successful kick-off of the third round of public bidding for the purchase of TD-SCDMA handsets by China Mobile and the mobile-TV TD handsets in the market, it is believed that a new "vision" awaits.

New Apple MacBook to Feature Glass Touchscreen for Trackpad?

2008-07-29T20:59:00.002+06:00

Part of the reason why the iPhone is so popular is because it has a fantastic glass touchscreen. In this way, it wouldn't take much for Apple to plunk that technology into the next-generation MacBook. That's the rumor swirling around on the Internet at the moment, but without any sort of substantial source, it's really hard to confirm.

What they're saying is that the trackpads on the upcoming redesigned MacBooks will be made of glass, feature multi-touch, and come with full support for gesture inputs. This kind of tech, aside from the glass thing, is already in play with devices like the MacBook Air. They also say that the exterior will be sculpted from a single sheet of aluminum.

Rounding out the rumor sheet are processor revisions based on Intel Centrino 2 and 16:9 aspect screens. This means that the Macs will be offered in 14" and 15.6" variants, rather than the 13.3" and 15.4" that you've got now. Look for a formal announcement in September. Maybe.

Motorola's home and networks mobility business reorganizes

2008-07-29T20:58:00.002+06:00

Philadelphia (Reuters) -- The home and networks mobility business, led by Dan Moloney, will now comprise three businesses: broadband home solutions, broadband access solutions and cellular networks, the company said.

Alcatel-Lucent ousts CEO and Chair

2008-07-29T20:58:00.001+06:00

"The telecoms equipment group on Tuesday said it would part ways with chairman Serge Tchuruk and chief executive Patricia Russo after cutting market expectations again, raising hopes a new team would turn the group round and improve its fortunes."

Yeh Hum Naheen - English subtitles - We are not that (We are not Terrorist)

2008-07-28T13:49:00.001+06:00

This is a new Musical video that has become a huge hit in Pakistan. I resounded very much with me. When people talk about "Muslims" and how they are (all) violent and terrorists, and this and that... I scratch my head and think... who are these people talking about?? That's not me!

Microsoft Windows 7 on track

2008-07-28T12:58:00.003+06:00

Windows unit head Bill Veghte said on Thursday that Windows 7 development remains on track.

The company has officially said it would ship by January 2010, but top executives have also said from time to time that it would be done by the end of 2009.

"The product is tracking very, very well,"

Veghte said.

"We are committed and looking good, relative to our commitment--(shipping Windows 7) three years from general availability of Windows Vista."

Microsoft has released few details on the product, largely assuring customers that it would be making big architectural changes and that it will have a new multitouch user interface.

Most of Veghte's talk, as expected, was on Windows Vista and how Microsoft sees a large perception gap. Veghte showed the Mojave Project, first detailed here, in which users predisposed against Vista reacted favorably when shown Vista when it was presented under the guise of being a new version of Windows, code-named Mojave.

Even outside focus groups, Veghte said that not only are customers buying the operating system, but more are liking it, pointing to recent internal figures showing that 89 percent of users said they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the product. Some 83 percent said they would recommend Vista to a friend or family member, Veghte said.

He also demoed Internet Explorer 8, which he said would be released in final form later this year. An early beta was shown off at the Mix '08 trade show in the spring.

Update: In the closing Q and A session, CEO Steve Ballmer was asked what Windows 7 would look like, but declined to offer any new details saying to do so would be a "no-win" situation.

"It's going to look great; It's going to be quite compatible,"

he said, to some laughter.

"If I wanted to start selling Windows 7 today, we'd start selling windows 7 today. Then you'd complain."

He did reiterate what has already been said, saying that Windows 7 is designed to avoid making big changes.

"The design point is compatible form the get-go in large measure,"

he said.

Nokia and Qualcomm Enter Into a New Agreement

2008-07-28T12:58:00.001+06:00

Nokia and Qualcomm today announced that they have entered into a new agreement covering various standards including GSM, EDGE, CDMA, WCDMA, HSDPA, OFDM, WiMax, LTE and other technologies. The agreement will result in settlement of all litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia of its complaint to the European Commission.

Under the terms of the new 15 year agreement, Nokia has been granted a license under all Qualcomm's patents for use in Nokia's mobile devices and Nokia Siemens Networks infrastructure equipment. Further, Nokia has agreed not to use any of its patents directly against Qualcomm, enabling Qualcomm to integrate Nokia's technology into Qualcomm's chipsets. The financial structure of the settlement includes an up-front payment and on-going royalties payable to Qualcomm. Nokia has agreed to assign ownership of a number of patents to Qualcomm, including patents declared as essential to WCDMA, GSM and OFDMA. The specific terms are confidential.

"We believe that this agreement is positive for the industry, enabling the market to benefit from innovation and new technologies,"

said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia Corporation.

"The positive financial impact of this agreement is within Nokia's original expectations and fully reflects our leading intellectual property and market positions."

"I'm very pleased that we have come to this important agreement."

said Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm.

"The terms of the new license agreement, including the financial and other value provided to Qualcomm, reflect our strong intellectual property position across many current and future generation technologies. This agreement paves the way for enhanced opportunities between the companies in a number of areas."

Buy an iPod touch for Same Price as iPhone 3G, Sans Contract

2008-07-28T12:55:00.000+06:00

As compelling as the iPhone 3G may be, it's quite possible that you don't want to lock yourself down to a lengthy contract with one of the pre-selected providers. By and large, the Apple iPod touch is effectively the same device as the iPhone, except for the fact that it doesn't have the "phone" part of the picture.

If you're mostly interested in the multi-touch, Wi-Fi, and App Store, then the iPod touch just might be the ticket for you. You don't have to deal with a monthly bill, but you may have to pay for software upgrades when those come along. And now you can get the iPod touch, without a contract, for the same price as the iPhone 3G.

Refurbished models of the iPod touch are available through Apple. The 8GB and 16GB models are going for $199 and $299, respectively. If you want to hit up the 32GB iTouch, that goes for $429. I have a feeling that this could be paving the way for a refresh or a new generation.

Sony Ericsson Introduces Three Walkman Phones

2008-07-23T19:35:00.000+06:00

Sony Ericsson is rolling out a trio of cell phones in its Walkman line to enable customers to take their music on the go.

All three of the phones are built to offer a pleasing music experience, and they deliver high-quality audio playback. The music phones also have features like the music recognition application TrackID, shake control to change tracks with a flick of the hand, and the SensMe application.

The W902 Walkman is the top-of-the-range device, and the candy-bar phone sports 2.2-inch screen with accelerometer sensors for auto-rotating.

The handset is also capable of using a carrier's 3G-network with a maximum downlink speed of 3.6 Mbps. Customers can use this to browse the Internet on the phone's HTML browser, and the music phone is also capable of receiving push e-mail.

The W902 has a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus capabilities and a flash. There is an image viewer and picture editor on board, and images can be geo-tagged using cellular tower locations. Users can also record video and there's a front-facing camera for video calling.

Along with the music player, the phone has a built-in FM radio, and it's capable of using stereo Bluetooth headphones. It will also come with an 8-GB Memory Stick Micro for storing tunes and pictures.

The W902 measures in at 4.3 by 1.9 by 0.5 inches, and it weighs 99.8 grams. The music phone will have four color options and will roll out to "select markets" in the fourth quarter.

The W595 Walkman is a slider that lacks a few features of the W902, but it still has 3G network capabilities, an HTML browser, and robust music capabilities. The W595 has a 3.2-megapixel camera and comes with 2 GB memory card.

The W595 measures in at 4.3 by 1.9 by 0.5 inches and it weighs 104 grams. It will come out in four colors in the fourth quarter.

The W302 Walkman is a lower-range phone that has a slim form factor. It shares the music and entertainment features of the other Walkman handsets, but it lacks 3G capabilities, and has a 2-megapixel camera. It measure in at 3.9 by 1.8 by 0.4 inches, and it will roll out with the other two music phones.

First Commercial Solar-Powered GSM System Launched

2008-07-23T19:33:00.000+06:00

Telecom equipment vendor, VNL, has finally cracked the problem facing mobile operators in the developing world: how to provide affordable mobile services to rural people - and still turn a profit.

Launched today, VNL – and its solar-powered GSM system – will change the telecoms market in rural areas across the world. For years, operators and GSM equipment vendors have struggled with the same problem, namely that traditional GSM was not designed for the unique challenges posed by vast rural areas. It costs too much, is too expensive to run, uses too much power and is too difficult to deploy (especially in areas with no electricity, poor roads and no skilled engineers).

VNL has re-engineered GSM technology to reduce its power requirement and make it suitable for a rural environment where electricity is scarce or unavailable.

The result is VNL’s WorldGSM™ system, which includes base stations that only need between 50W and 120W of power to operate (compared to 3000 W for a typical GSM base station). A WorldGSM base station is entirely powered by solar energy with a 72 hour battery back-up in place (also charged by solar power).

The system also includes a rural-optimised MSC (Mobile Switching Centre), and a compact BSC (Base Station Controller) – making WorldGSM a complete, end-to-end GSM network.

Thanks to solar power, WorldGSM both drastically reduces the operating expenses for mobile operators - and contributes to a much lower environmental impact. VNL has estimated that mobile networks in India alone require 2 billion litres of diesel every year to power back-up diesel generators.

India-based Luke Thomas, from the research and consulting company Frost & Sullivan, says: “India is the fastest growing telecoms market in the world but some urban areas have already reached saturation point. VNL has opened up a whole new area of subscriber and revenue growth for operators by building a commercial – and profitable – GSM system to service remote low-density rural areas.”

Indian infrastructure provider, Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited (QTIL, www.quippoworld.com), will be trialling WorldGSM in rural areas of India in the near future. Following the successful completion of the trial, QTIL expects to roll out a complete commercial network that will be fully integrated with the networks of existing operators. Agreements with several prominent operators have been reached and are in the process of being finalised.

Probal Ghosal, CEO of QTIL, says:

“Every so often a company comes along that really changes the telecoms industry. VNL is one such company. Not only that, and more importantly, it’s improving the lives of the world’s rural communities.
I know that there will be considerable demand for and deployment of VNL’s equipment in rural India. The villages of India may be remote but the people who live there are ready and waiting for phones. Take an average small farmer, for example. He may often travel half a day just to get to a local market – only to find it is closed or not accepting his product that day. The advent of mobile phones will solve this type of problem at a stroke.”

VNL’s WorldGSM base stations have a number of unique features:

* Low cost: priced at less than a quarter of traditional GSM base stations and profitable at very low densities and subscriber revenues.

* Easy to transport: an entire WorldGSM base station packs into two carts and can be transported over rough terrain in something as simple as a bullock cart.

* Self-deploying and near-zero maintenance: can be assembled and activated by non-engineers.

* Small solar panels: the solar panels used are 2-8 m² and the power required is between 50 and 120W compared to the 200m² solar panel and 3000W required for traditional GSM Base Stations.

VNL’s WorldGSM base stations are interoperable with equipment from most major equipment manufacturers and are compatible with all standard handsets.

VNL is packed with telecoms industry veterans, most of whom have vast experience in bringing products and services to entirely new markets. Its CEO, Anil Raj, founded Hutch India in 1994 and served as its CEO before moving to Ericsson as President of its India operations.

Anil says:

“Telecoms operators and equipment manufacturers have traditionally failed to deliver GSM to rural areas for the simple reason that it’s just too difficult and ultimately not sustainable. There’s no power, no engineers, no infrastructure, a difficult terrain, low density – and, most importantly, low subscriber revenues. VNL’s equipment has overcome these challenges and provides operators with a truly viable way to connect the next billion mobile users.”

Apple iPhone 3G Gets Unofficial Stereo Bluetooth Support

2008-07-22T20:45:00.000+06:00

Although it is now boasting some blazing 3G high-speed data and some nifty GPS navigation, there are still a few pieces missing to complete the ultimate iPhone package. The second coming of the Jesus phone is supposed to replace your regular mobile phone and your iPod, but where is the stereo Bluetooth support? It's here.

You will not find official A2DP Bluetooth support from Apple, unfortunately, but the good people at Brando have come up with a simple add-on that latches onto the dock connector in the base your iPhone 3G. With this little dongle, you can now have access to full stereo Bluetooth, cutting out those wires for your portable music enjoyment.

Naturally, you will need to throw in a set of stereo Bluetooth headphones of your own, but this $62 device from Brando will get you heading in the right direction.

Feature: Can AMD Bobcat Compete Against Intel Atom?

2008-07-22T20:39:00.000+06:00

When I was in Taipei for Computex last month, a big part of the show was dedicated to the emergence of the small form factor notebook PC. Everyone already knew about the Asus Eee PC and how it sold like hotcakes during the holiday season. With Computex 2008, just about every major Taiwanese laptop maker got in on the small laptop action. Plenty of non-Taiwanese manufacturers entered the fray as well. It's clear that while the market may not be profitable, these guys still want a piece of the pie.

But the prevailing theme was just about small notebook PCs. It seemed to be much more specific than that, because nearly all of the subnotebooks on display were rocking the new Intel Atom processor. We saw the new Asus Eee PC 901, for example, as well as similar notebooks from MSI, Acer, Gigabyte, and more. With so much love for Intel's Atom, where is AMD going to find itself?

AMD Bobcat to Tackle Intel Atom

On Friday, I picked on the story of the upcoming AMD Bobcat. That's just the codename for now, but the gist of the story is that this new microprocessor from AMD would compete directly against the Intel Atom. The existence and development of this small chip was confirmed by Dirk Meyer, the top dog at AMD.

Virtually no details surrounding the exact configuration and specs of the AMD Bobcat processor have been announced. You can't even find any reasonably substantiated rumors out there. At this point, it's little more than hearsay, so we're left guessing what AMD will have in store for the Atom-loving crowd. What we do hear is that they are shooting for a launch some time in November. This could be enough time for laptop makers to implement the new chip into small notebooks for the Christmas shopping season. It's a tight squeeze, but it might be doable.

Performance and Battery Life

These netbooks were never meant to fully replace your main computer. Instead, they're supposed to serve as supplementary devices that you can carry around with you everywhere you go, granting you a near desktop-like experience wherever life's roads may take you. In this way, it's unlikely that you will be using an MSI Wind or an Acer Aspire One as your primary machine. It's just there for web surfing, document editing, and maybe a little spreadsheet updating too. They're not that much more powerful than a good smartphone; they just happen to have a more usable keyboard and a bigger display.

With the arrival of Intel Atom, we were led to believe that these little laptops would afford the same level of performance as the first-generation Centrinos. Battery life was supposed to be a lot better than a real Intel Core 2 Duo processor too, because it wouldn't be drawing nearly as much power. Properly configured, you may be able to get upwards of 6 hours of web surfing time before the battery crapped out.

As you can imagine, you can't really have the best of both worlds. If you want improved performance, your battery life will suffer. If you want better battery life, your performance will have to take a hit. In this way, it will be interesting to see which factor gets more attention from AMD. Will they go for performance or will they shoot for battery life?

Carving Out a New Niche?

If AMD takes the route of performance, there is definitely a market there. In addition to high-end units like the Flybook line, there are other manufacturers who are implementing Atom into some non-budget computers as well. The Fujitsu U2010 is doing Atom and it costs $1,300. That's a far cry from the $400-$500 price point of most netbooks. The same can be said about a potential Atom-powered Pepper Pad with Vista.

The trouble with both of those is that Atom, as it stands, probably isn't powerful enough to pull off that kind of muscle. AMD could jump in and make a low-cost, low-power, but relatively high-performance processor. Bobcat could really pounce on this huge opportunity. (Sorry, that was a horrible pun.)

Still Trying to Catch Up

If AMD is shooting for a November launch of Bobcat, it could be too little, too late. This is just a rumor for now, but dual core Atom chips could be ready as soon as September. This would give Intel a two-month head start on AMD, not to mention the head start that Intel already had with the first generation Atom.

As a result, the public reaction to an AMD Atom-like processor wouldn't be so much a perception of innovation as much as it is a perception of emulation. Just look at all the subnotebooks that look a little too much like the Eee PC and all the touchscreen phones that seem to mirror the iPhone. AMD could already have its work cut out for it before they even get started.

Motorola V750 Clamshell Acts Tough with Verizon Wireless

2008-07-22T13:28:00.002+06:00

The Motorola RAZR might not be able to suffer all that much environmental abuse, so if you're interested in getting a clamshell from Moto that's a little tougher, look no further than the V750. Unlike other military-grade phones from Motorola in the past, this phone does not come with a overly clunky rubber exterior.

The Motorola V750 has been designed to resist shock, vibration, drastic altitude changes, dust, extreme temperatures, and solar radiation. Whether you find yourself scaling cliffs, rumbling through the jungle, or jumping out of airplanes, the V750 should have you covered. Strangely, there's no mention of water protection, so might want to avoid jumping into the Amazon River.

Features include push-to-talk, 2.2-inch internal screen, 1.6-inch external screen, 2 megapixel camera, and Bluetooth A2DP. The Motorola V750 is available through Verizon for $100.

Canada wraps up wireless spectrum auction: official

2008-07-22T13:27:00.002+06:00

Canada's auction of wireless spectrum has ended after the participating companies halted all bids, a government official told Reuters on Monday.

The official said there had been two consecutive rounds in the auction with no new bids on Monday, prompting auction managers to call an end to the months-long process.

The auction of airwaves over which wireless services are delivered raised C$4.25 billion ($4.25 billion) in 331 rounds of bidding. The proceeds were more than twice the amount analysts had expected.

According to the auction website, Rogers Communications Inc, which owns Canada's largest wireless firm, was the top bidder with offers totaling C$999.4 million.

Telus Corp, Canada's No. 2 phone company, had C$879.9 million in standing high bids. Telecom giant BCE Inc had bids totaling C$740.9 million.

The three companies currently dominate Canada's wireless landscape, though analysts have cautioned that their aggressive spectrum spending could leave them vulnerable to competitive threats posed by newcomers.

The government had set aside a chunk of spectrum exclusively for bidding on by new entrants -- a move the Big Three providers criticized as equal to an unfair subsidy.

As the auction concluded, Quebecor Inc, which had bid a total of C$554.5 million, and Globalive Communications, with bids totaling C$442.1 million, appeared to pose the most serious threat to the existing carriers.

Analysts have suggested that Quebecor, a printing and media firm with an established presence in its home province of Quebec, could partner with Globalive to create a national service provider.

Panasonic LX3 Point-and-Shoot Offers F2.0, Full Manual Controls

2008-07-22T13:26:00.002+06:00

It's not going to compete against the real digital SLRs on the market, the newly announced Panasonic LX3 certainly brings a lot to the table for "just" a point-and-shoot. For starters, this is one of very few P&S cameras that comes with F2.0. Even my Canon S3 IS can only go as far as F2.8, so this is quite the improvement.

The Panasonic LX3 maintains the same 10 megapixel count as its LX2 predecessor, but you do get 40% better sensitivity and 35% greater saturation. The 2.5x 24mm ultra-wide angle lens is a definite plus, as are ISO 3200 (in full res), ISO 6400 (at reduced res), full manual controls, RAW output, Intelligent Scene Selector, and HD video recording.

Look for the Panasonic LX3 digital camera to launch next month with an MSRP of $499.

CherryPal Unveils Low-Cost 'Cloud Computer'

2008-07-22T13:22:00.002+06:00

Startup CherryPal on Monday introduced a low-cost, hassle-free "cloud computer" aimed at people who need a PC only for Web browsing, some light document work, and checking e-mail.

The $249 Linux-based system consumes only 2 watts of power, compared with the 100 watts of some desktops. Called the CherryPal, the paperback-size computer has no moving parts. The system contains 256 MB of memory and a 4-GB solid-state drive and runs on a 400-MHz Freescale MPC5121e processor, which is a Power Architecture chip. Apple used Power processors before switching to Intelx86 a couple of years ago.

The CherryPal also includes two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack for connecting to wired broadband, built-in Wi-Fi support, and a VGA connector for a display. The mini-PC weighs 10.5 ounces.

For software, the device ships with the OpenOffice.org office productivity suite, Apple iTunes, and a CherryPal-branded media player and instant messaging client. The computer's OS, open source Debian Linux, is inaccessible to the user. The Mozilla Firefox browser provides the user interface.

In launching the CherryPal, the user is automatically connected to the "CherryPalCloud," the company's Web portal. Accessible through a user name and password, the portal, which is available at no additional cost, offers 50 GB of free storage and handles software upgrades.

The company plans to make money through advertising, which it expects to roll out this year. CherryPal is taking orders now for the mini-desktop, which is scheduled to ship at the end of the month.

No-frills computers, particularly lightweight, sub-$500 notebooks, are growing in popularity among people who want a simple device to browse the Web and check e-mail on the road.

Asus sparked the mini-notebook craze with the introduction of the 7-inch Eee PC in October. Since then, the Taiwanese company has sold several hundreds of thousands of units and said it's on track to sell between 3 million and 5 million notebooks by the end of this year.

The success of the Eee PC has prompted others to follow with their own competing products. Hewlett-Packard, for example, has shipped the Mini-Note PC, and Dell (Dell) has confirmed working on its own minisystem.

While sales have been strong among computer enthusiasts, the ultra-low-cost notebooks are expected to eventually find their place in the mainstream PC market as an inexpensive option for students and as a second computer for accessing the Web, according to IDC. Worldwide shipments are expected to increase from less than 500,000 units last year to more than 9 million in 2012.

However, the low-cost minis are problematic for computer makers, who fear they could hurt sales of more expensive systems that deliver much higher profit margins. Because of the low average selling prices, IDC predicts revenue from the minimachines to be less than $3 billion by 2012.

In the meantime, the growing market for ultraportable Internet devices has attracted the attention of chipmakers. Intel is attacking the market with its recently released Atom processor, and Advanced Micro Devices is building a low-power chip code-named Bobcat.

Reports Of A Google gPhone Surface Again

2008-07-19T19:52:00.000+06:00

The Google phone lives. Sort of. Maybe. Perhaps. Although it's still not clear that the much-ballyhooed device actually lives at Google facilities.

The latest news on the Google phone stems from some comments made by Google executives at Allen & Company's Sun Valley Conference. A reporter for The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Google executives talked of the company making "its own branded mobile phone as a replacement for the iPhone." The story then took off this week, embellished soon by a report that the Ammunition Design Group could be working with Google to build the "gPhone."

Google hasn't comment on the latest reports. But in the past, Google has dismissed reports that it planned to make its own phone. Instead, the company has promoted its Android program and it's Open Handset Alliance, which bring together several companies said to be working on Android handsets. T-Mobile, for instance, has said it plans to unveil an Android phone by the end of the year.

Many Android developers like the idea of a handset from Google that would compete with Apple's iPhone. Such a project, however, would likely have to pass muster with Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, who also sits on Apple's board of directors. Instead of a Google-branded handset, there's likely to be a number of Android phones from a variety of developers and cellular service providers. In a sense, they will all be Google phones and will feature Google's search engine.

The most precise sighting of the Google phone appeared in the Boston Globe last summer. Various developers and venture capitalists said they had seen the device, which was being developed at Google's Cambridge facility. Users could scroll through icons horizontally and at least one version featured a small tactile QWERTY keyboard rather than a touch screen, the reports said.

A tactile QWERTY keyboard would likely appeal to business IT types, who generally favor the precision of tactile keyboards over touch screen keyboards for e-mail usage.

Nokia market share up in second quarter, positive outlook

2008-07-17T21:19:00.001+06:00

Nokia, the world's leading mobile phone maker, reported on Thursday an 8.0-percent rise in underlying second-quarter net profit and its shares soared 9.0-percent despite a heavy hit for closing its Bochum plant in Germany.

Nokia also announced that its market share had risen to 40 percent.

Net profit for the April-June period, excluding one-off items, rose 8.0 percent to 1.37 billion euros (2.17 billion dollars) from the same quarter a year ago, while sales grew four percent to 13.15 billion euros, the company said in a statement.

Including one-off items net profit was down by 61 percent to 1.1 billion euros from 2.8 billion a year earlier. The non-recurring items included 259 million euros linked to the closure of the Bochum plant.

Operating profit in the second quarter, excluding one-offs, rose meanwhile by 39 percent to 1.93 billion euros.

In April-June the Finnish company sold 122 million mobile phones and its market share rose to 40 percent, compared to 38 percent a year ago, and up from 39 percent in the first quarter of 2008.

The group's biggest market is now the Asia-Pacific region, where it sold 36.4 million phones, a rise of 42.2 percent from a year ago and ahead of Europe where it sold 27.1 million handsets.

"Looking at the rest of the year, we are optimistic and have had good feedback about the broad range of new products we expect to sell in our device business,"

Nokia's chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said in the earnings statement.

Nokia said it expected its market share in the third quarter to stay on the same level as in April-June, while it continued to target higher market share for 2008.

Analyst Jari Honko from eQ Bank told AFP strong sales volumes indicated the global economic turmoil had not stopped people from buying new cell phones.

Nokia upgraded its forecast for the mobile device industry's annual sales growth and said it saw sales increasing more than 10 percent.

"Many research institutes have cut their forecasts, but Nokia is hiking its estimates. It is a positive signal on mobile phone markets,"

Pohjola Bank analyst Hannu Rauhala said.

The company saw its average selling price for handsets continue to fall. In April-June its phones on average sold for 74 euros each, down from 79 euros in the first quarter.

Analysts said the figure was a slight disappointment, which could partly be explained by the weakening dollar.

After the results were released, Nokia shares were up almost 9.0 percent to 17.17 euros on the Helsinki stock market, which was 3.8 percent higher.

Opera Mobile 9.5 beta is released

2008-07-17T21:18:00.000+06:00

Opera Software today released the much-anticipated, first public version of Opera Mobile 9.5 beta. A powerful foreshadowing of what is to come, this beta takes mobile browsing speed and features to a new level, complete with visual effects and a new look. Download the new beta from http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/.

Opera has changed the face of its mobile browser in this beta release. As with the latest version of Opera Mini, Opera Mobile 9.5 beta now defaults to page overview mode, allowing the user to view the entire Web page and instantly recognize the Web site. With panning and zooming options, the user is able to focus on specific page content. Opera also introduces a sleek, new user interface for easier navigation.

"Our fans have been eager for the release of Opera Mobile 9.5 since it first appeared at the Mobile World Congress this year,"

says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software.

"We are now answering the call of the people and delivering what we proudly proclaim to be our best Opera Mobile browser to date. It is a totally new user experience."

Developers go cross-platform

With developer needs at the heart of this first beta release, Opera Mobile 9.5 includes several features to enable easier development on the mobile platform.

Opera Dragonfly, Opera’s developer tools, officially goes cross-platform with this release. It allows developers to debug JavaScript, inspect Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and the Document Object Model (DOM), and view any errors, making development for the mobile phone even easier.

Your quick reference guide to new Opera Mobile 9.5 beta features:

Faster – Opera has always been among the fastest browsers — if not the fastest — available. Opera Mobile 9.5 beta continues this fine tradition with improved performance over Opera Mobile 8.65.

Pan and zoom – Just like Opera Mini, Opera Mobile 9.5 beta defaults to full Web page viewing and allows users to pan and zoom into their desired content easily.

Improved user interface – Opera has completely renovated its mobile UI. Cleaner and more intuitive, the new UI is designed for quick and easy navigation.

Opera Dragonfly – Use your Opera desktop browser to debug sites on your mobile phone through the Opera Mobile 9.5 debug menu.

Improved standards support – Opera Mobile 9.5 is the most standards compliant browser available, and the company remains steadfast in its commitment to make the Web accessible for all.

Save pages and/or images – With a click, simply save pages to your phone.

Review Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 A comprehensive reviewer's guide to Opera Mobile 9.5 is available at http://www.opera.com/press/reviews/mobile/.

Aircell Selects LTE as 4G Wireless Standard for Inflight Connectivity

2008-07-17T21:15:00.000+06:00

Aircell®, the world's leading provider of airborne communications, today announced its intention to base its fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband network on Long Term Evolution (LTE), the emerging standard for advanced mobile broadband networks and services. Having pioneered the first commercial Inflight Internet service in North America, Aircell plans to deploy LTE to enable the next generation ultra-high bandwidth mobile services such as hi-definition and interactive TV and multi- player immersive gaming that passengers will come to expect. As Aircell migrates toward full LTE deployment, planned network and technology developments will enable Aircell to serve North American airlines with state- of-the-art mobile broadband technology.

Aircell's LTE announcement expands on the company's vision and leadership in the airborne communications market. With a 16-year history in airborne communications, Aircell's continuing innovation and leadership were confirmed recently by the company's demonstration of the first and only air-to-ground mobile broadband Inflight Internet solution for commercial airlines, Gogo(TM). Gogo turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot, providing full Internet access - including Web, personal IM and email accounts and VPN access to corporate email and systems - to passengers with Wi-Fi enabled personal devices such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs.

Aircell is working with the standards organizations that support Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and its global membership of networking, device and technology partners to advance the LTE standard that will enable Gogo to deliver unprecedented wireless broadband services. Aircell joins wireless giants AT&T, Verizon and Alltel in selecting LTE as the choice for 4G network technology. LTE will enable networks to deliver mobile data with greater speed, better throughput performance and lower latency. The end result is the availability of the ultra-high bandwidth mobile services and pervasive Internet that consumers are coming to expect.

"The 4G market is still evolving but one thing is for sure, passengers will want the same mobile broadband services in the air that they have on the ground,"

stated Joe Cruz, CTO, Aircell.

"Aircell's choice of LTE ensures that our network will continue to support the services customers demand today and in the future. With LTE, Aircell's Air-to-Ground (ATG) Inflight Internet technology is future-proofed."

In addition, airline operations will benefit directly and significantly from Aircell's deployment of 4G technology, which will enable a wide array of powerful operational applications such as high-resolution weather-to-the- cockpit.

Aircell has pioneered ATG technology to deliver its mobile broadband service, Gogo, to the airplane cabin. Using an exclusive FCC frequency license, CDMA Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Rev A protocol and network optimization and acceleration technology, Aircell is able to deliver an effective data rate of more than 12 Mbps peak to Gogo-equipped aircraft. By the end of 2009, further advances in existing technologies will enable Aircell to deliver a raw data rate of up to 22.7 Mbps to aircraft. By the beginning of 2011, Aircell expects to deploy its 4G LTE network, which will enable a throughput of up to 300 Mbps to aircraft.

"The unique advantage of ATG inflight connectivity is its rapid scalability,"

continued Cruz.

"Unlike satellite-based systems, which must contend with significant technology hurdles and a slow technology evolution path, ATG benefits from every ground-based advance in wireless technology. The result is a highly scalable, rapidly advancing inflight connectivity technology."

SanDisk WORM SD Card Goes a Little Backwards

2008-07-16T23:43:00.001+06:00

Remember when blank CD-Rs first hit the market? It was pretty cool being able to "burn" your own CD, but soon people started itching for discs that could be used again and again. Shortly thereafter, we were introduced to the CD-RW. A similar progression happened with DVD media. Strangely, the progression is going a little backwards with flash memory.

While all other SD cards have no problem being used again and again, the new SanDisk WORM SD cards will not come with this functionality. Instead, you can only write on the memory card once. The WORM -- Write Once Read Many -- cards are meant to store information that has to be kept unchanged, and the cards are supposed to last 100 years.

Naturally, the SanDisk WORM SD cards won't be very useful to the average consumer, but they could prove to be a reliable storage medium for court records, police departments, medical applications, and so on. The WORM cards currently top out at 128MB, but I can't see why similar tech can't be implemented in larger capacity cards. No word on pricing.

Intel announces next-generation technology

2008-07-16T23:41:00.000+06:00

Intel Corporation unveiled its Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology products for laptops today, powered by five new Intel® Core™2 Duo processors. Close to 250 innovative consumer and business notebook PC designs are on the way, including those equipped with the right combination of powerful processors, graphics and battery life to enjoy viewing stunning high definition videos and myriad other computer and Internet activities.

Intel also introduced the world's highest-performing dual-core mobile processor, the Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor running at a brisk 3.06 GHz, as measured by SPECint*_rate_base2006, an industry benchmark (www.spec.org)**.

Rounding out a mobile-focused summer for the company, Intel said it also plans to unveil eight processors within 90 days that will include first-ever mobile quad-core products and second-generation products for ultra-thin and light notebooks. In total, Intel will bring 14 diverse new processors into the marketplace as laptop sales continue to outpace desktop PCs.

Formerly codenamed Montevina, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology and Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ Technology improve upon every facet of a laptop's main features, including performance and battery life via new processors and chipsets, faster draft 802.11n wireless (with WiMAX arriving later this year), and new business-class manageability capabilities.

"When we first introduced Intel Centrino back in 2003, there were very few Wi-Fi hotspots, YouTube videos and social media didn't really exist, ‘thin and light' only referred to weight goals and desktop PCs outsold notebooks by a very wide margin," said Mooly Eden, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the company's Mobile Platforms Group.

"Today, notebooks outsell desktops in the U.S, and we're paving the way to HD entertainment, rich online gaming, faster broadband wireless speeds and an easier and more secure way for businesses to manage, update and repair their notebook fleets."

Intel is introducing five dual core processors based on Intel's reinvented transistors (high-k metal gate formula) and advanced 45-nanometer manufacturing process. These processors come with a faster 1066MHz front side bus and up to 6MB of L2 cache, and three versions reduce laptop processor wattage about 30 percent, down to just 25 watts. Also featured is Deep Power Down Technology that turns off processing components such as core clocks and cache memory when the laptop is idle for greater energy savings.

Intel also unveiled its Mobile Intel® 45 Express Chipset and wireless Intel® Wi-Fi Link 5000 series that is shipping to customers now, with laptops arriving later in July and August. Delivering five times the speed and twice the range of older 802.11a/g technology, the Intel Wi-Fi Link 5000 series provides 802.11 draft-N support that delivers the fastest data rates possible today -- up to 450 Mbps.

Switchable graphics, a new optional power-saving feature available on Intel Centrino 2-based notebooks, provides both integrated and discrete graphics on a single notebook, enabling users to easily switch between the two options. Switchable graphics delivers greater 3-D performance when needed while providing the option for greater power savings for the best of both worlds.

For consumers, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology delivers the horsepower and battery life to enjoy a typical full-length, Blu-ray* high-definition video on a single battery charge for the first time, plus the ability to play a variety of online games, download music or post videos faster than before.

For businesses, Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology offers enhanced manageability and security options. This is increasingly important as companies replace desktops with notebooks and need to remotely diagnose, update and repair systems over a wireless network. Improved manageability with AMT 4.0 has also been added that provides wireless manageability during system sleep states, ongoing remote configuration capabilities, support for next-generation management standards (WS-MAN and DASH 1.0) and the ability for an employee to initiate communications to IT from outside a company's firewall.

OEMs and Channel system builders will deliver close to 250 systems to market. For more information including Intel product pricing, visit www.intel.com/go/processor_pricing. For a full media version of this release including photos, videos, related blogs and other information, visit www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20080715comp_sm.htm and the Intel Centrino 2 technology press kit at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/centrino2.

WiMAX Momentum

Later this year in the United States, Intel will begin shipping its first-ever combined WiMAX/Wi-Fi module, part of the Intel® WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 5050 Series that is an optional feature for future Intel Centrino 2-based laptops. WiMAX is a 4G, Internet protocol-based broadband wireless technology that complements Wi-Fi networks.

WiMAX also provides much wider Internet and phone voice coverage, and unlike Wi-Fi has the ability to unwire entire cities or communities, connecting users even when they're on the move. Intel is working with service providers around the world to deploy WiMAX networks, with initial U.S. network availability starting later this year from Sprint XOHM and Clearwire.

Toshiba's new QosmioF55 features Garmin GPS technology

2008-07-15T21:24:00.000+06:00

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the new Qosmio® F55 laptop series, a 15.4-inch powerhouse that leverages both the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo CPU and NVIDIA® GPUs with built-in GPS(1) to provide an unsurpassed performance in terms of multimedia, gaming and mobile convenience.

Through the combined strength of Intel's next-generation processor technology and the NVIDIA GeForce® 9700M GTS graphics(2) card, the Qosmio F55 with GPS is amply built for performance and power. The NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS provides users with the ability to navigate through today's latest DirectX® 10 games by providing razor-sharp graphic details and intricacies.

A unique feature on the Qosmio F55 laptop series is its GPS system powered by Garmin®. Freeing users from the need of an Internet connection, the built-in GPS system allows users to determine their exact location within moments, as well as search for directions to millions of locations.

“Laptops are a vital instrument of the digital lifestyle, and Toshiba is proud that it continues to expand its product line with innovations that increase how we interact with the world around us,”

said Jeff Barney, vice president and general manager, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.

“The Qosmio F55 laptop series is in line with that vision, and through the addition of GPS, gaming-level graphics and a premium design, it's a powerful machine that will turn heads wherever users are.”

Incorporating the all-new Fusion™ finish with Vibe pattern, the Qosmio F55's chassis is built around a stunning 15.4-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite™ high-definition display. To further enhance the visual experience, the Qosmio F55 sports two premium Harman Kardon® stereo speakers, one subwoofer and Dolby Home Theater™ technology, allowing users to experience their content in both virtual and true surround sound environments. The Qosmio can be seamlessly integrated into a user's home theater system for a complete surround sound experience thanks to its REGZA LINK™ HDMI technology, while empowering users with simultaneous instant device configuration and the ability to control REGZA LINK enabled devices, such as Toshiba's REGZA™ HDTVs and Qosmio laptops, with a single remote.

As an added convenience, each Qosmio F55 features Sleep-and-Charge USB ports(3), which allow users to charge popular mobile devices such as MP3 players, mobile phones and PDAs at any moment, whether the laptop is powered-on, off or in hibernation mode. One of the Sleep-and-Charge ports also doubles as an eSATA port, which enables the transfer of data and multimedia files to and from an external hard drive at speeds up to five times faster than standard USB 2.0.

Additionally, the TOSHIBA Face Recognition software harnesses the Qosmio's built-in Webcam to grant or deny access to the laptop based on a series of recorded images of the user's face.

The Qosmio brand has long been defined by its strong multimedia features, and the Qosmio F55 series is no exception. The Qosmio F55 series sports a DVD SuperMulti Drive that supports 11 different media formats. Additionally, the optical drive is Labelflash™ enabled, which makes it possible to burn images and labels directly onto a Labelflash DVD-R disc for a polished, professional finish. For the first time, Toshiba will offer users the option of configuring their laptops to run either a 32-bit or 64-bit(4) version of Windows Vista, depending on a user's preference and intended computer use.

The new Qosmio F55 series is available at a variety of major consumer electronics and computer stores nationwide or directly from Toshiba at www.toshibadirect.com. Detailed product information is available at www.explore.toshiba.com/F55.

The following configurations demonstrate some of the various specifications and price options available within the Qosmio F55 series:

Qosmio F55-Q502 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,399.99(5))

--OS selection at first boot: Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version) (default), Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit(4) version)

--Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor P7350(6) --3072MB PC-6400 DDR2 SDRAM(7) --320GB (5400 RPM) Serial-ATA HDD(8) --DVD SuperMulti (+/-double layer) with Labelflash(TM) drive

--NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 9700M GTS with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics(2) memory --Atheros(R) (802.11 b/g/n)(9) ; --Built-in GPS(1) ready

Qosmio F55-Q503 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,749.99(5))

--OS selection at first boot: Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit(4) version) (default); Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version) --Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T9400(6) --4096MB PC-6400 DDR2 SDRAM(7) --320GB using two (7200 RPM) Serial-ATA HDD(8) --DVD SuperMulti (+/-double layer) with Labelflash(TM) drive --NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 9700M GTS with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics(2) memory --Atheros(R) (802.11 b/g/n)(9) --Bluetooth(R) version 2.1 + EDR --Built-in GPS(1) ready

Multimedia: Qosmio F55 Series

The Qosmio F55 series is available with a one-year standard limited warranty(10), which includes carry-in support at Authorized Service Providers throughout the country or packaging and delivery of the product to a centralized depot for prompt turnaround service from any of the 4,460 UPS Stores and Mail Boxes Etc. locations nationwide. Customers can also choose to upgrade the notebook's service plans, including up to four years of extended warranty coverage.

All new Toshiba laptops are RoHS-compatible(11), effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances. Toshiba also offers a computer trade-in and recycling program to reduce environmental impact and promote efficient utilization of resources. During the third quarter of 2008, Toshiba is offering free recycling for all manufacturer's PCs with the purchase of a new Toshiba laptop computer. To learn more about this free PC recycling promotion or to find out how to recycle other consumer electronic products, please visit: www.toshiba.com/recycle.

Intel's Quad-core Mobile Chip Coming Next Month

2008-07-15T21:22:00.001+06:00

Intel will release it's first quad-core processor for laptops next month, rounding out a broad update to its mobile computing platform.

"We're bringing quad-core to mobile in August,"

said Sujan Kamran, regional marketing manager for client platforms at Intel in Singapore. Kamran declined to disclose specifics of the quad-core chip, which will carry Intel's Core 2 Extreme moniker.

Getting a quad-core processor into a laptop is more about bragging rights than a genuine boost in performance. Very little PC software is designed to take advantage of multiple cores and it's unclear what performance benefits a quad-core chip would offer over a dual-core chip, such as the 3.06GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9100.

While official details of the upcoming quad-core chip are scarce, Australian PC maker Pioneer Computers is taking preorders for laptops based on an unreleased quad-core mobile chip, the 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300.

The chip is advertised as a A$1,449 (US$1,390) upgrade to Pioneer Computers' DreamBook Style 9008 laptop. But adding a quad-core processor to the laptop doesn't come cheap: the cost of the upgrade is more than the laptop's A$1,399 basic price.

Toyota Offers Bluetooth on 15 Models

2008-07-15T21:20:00.000+06:00

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. currently offers integrated Bluetooth® hands-free wireless systems in 15 models and will make it available on the all-new 2009 Venza when it goes on sale this fall.

With more states enacting laws that prohibit driving while talking on handheld cell phones, the Bluetooth® hands-free systems connection between certain Toyota models and most Bluetooth®-enabled mobile phones provide an easy wireless solution. Built into optional Toyota onboard DVD navigation and JBL audio systems, the technology provides users with convenient hands-free phone capabilities.

Bluetooth® hands-free systems are available on Toyota RAV4, Corolla and Matrix models with a JBL audio unit. The system is also available on Toyota 4Runner, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tundra, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and Solara models with the JBL audio unit or DVD navigation system.

The available DVD navigation and JBL audio systems enable the driver to make and receive hands-free phone calls on most compatible Bluetooth® equipped cell phones via the vehicle's built in microphone and speakers. There is no need to connect any interface cables between the phone and the vehicle. Owners simply need to register the phone by "pairing" to the system.

Due to differences in the quality of various handsets and Bluetooth® chip programming, phone functionality levels may differ by cell phone. The customer typically can enjoy the following Bluetooth® hands-free benefits on Toyota models:

-- Integrated phone operation utilizes built-in microphone and audio speakers.

-- One touch call answering via the steering-wheel control or the navigation screen.

-- Automatic audio mute when receiving or making a call.

-- Place a call from an outgoing or the incoming call log (up to five most recent calls -- on DVD navigation system only).

-- Voice command functions also allow the driver to make or receive calls.

Owners can refer to the LetsTalk Web site at toyota.letstalk.com for a listing of compatible phones and functionality.

AT&T Will Be Selling iPhone 3G in White on Friday

2008-07-14T21:04:00.002+06:00

Steve Jobs told us that the new iPhone 3G, complete with the new rounded plastic back, would be offered in your choice of black or white. It has now been confirmed that the white version will be available for sale on launch day this Friday.

The confirmation, as it stands, only applies to AT&T and Apple Stores in the United States for July 11th. Shipments of the white 16GB version have already been received by many of the stores in anticipation for this Friday. There is no mention of whether white versions of the iPhone 3G have arrived in Canada.

On the flip side, there's news that the UK inventory offered through O2 will be without the white edition, selling only the black iPhone 3G on launch day. In the words of one BGR commentator,

"I guess white phones can't jump... the pond."

CDMA Getting Treated to Nokia 3608 Clamshell, 8208 Dual Slider

2008-07-13T23:56:00.001+06:00

Nokia has a couple of new offerings for the CDMA crowd and while neither will garner the same attention as a certain handset from Cupertino, they are still worth noting. After all, the CDMA guys in the crowd can't get their hands on that multi-touch wonder anyhow.

First up, we have the Nokia 3608 on the left. This clamshell has dual displays with the main display measuring 2-inches across the diagonal. On the outside of the phone, you'll find a smaller display, touch-sensitive music controls, and a cool red flaring paintjob. Other features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, GPS receiver, FM radio, and microSD expansion.

The other phone is the Nokia 8208. It's a dual slider with 3G, 3 megapixel cam, GPS, FM radio, and dedicated music controls that pop out of the top.

Toshiba Protege G910 Smartphone Has Big Potential, Ultimately Disappoints

2008-07-13T23:55:00.000+06:00

When you look at the spec sheet for the Toshiba Protege G910 Windows Mobile smartphone, it looks incredibly impressive. Perhaps the most notable feature is that glorious WVGA display, boasting a pixel density that's about the best in the business. Unfortunately, it seems that the cons outweigh the pros on this phone.

Starting with the good, the PocketNow reviewer makes mention of the great display, very usable QWERTY keyboard, plenty of wireless options (aGPS, WiFi, HSDPA), and even an OLED-backlit screen. In its closed position, the Protege G910 is simple, yet elegant. That extending stylus looks pretty good too.

And then you get the bad. The performance is "laggy", the USB 2.0 support is missing, and the keyboard doesn't keep pace with your fingers. It also sucks that it's only running on WM6 when everyone else is doing Windows Mobile 6.1. Going further, this smartphone has a sub-par camera, huge size, nearly useless fingerprint security, dim display, and a tiny external screen. Boo.

New LG Chocolate debuts on Verizon Wireless

2008-07-13T23:52:00.001+06:00

The latest eye candy from Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) will make its debut on the nation's most reliable wireless network on Sunday, July 13. The new flip style LG Chocolate(TM) 3, the third- generation of the iconic Chocolate music phones, supports all of the latest features in mobile music technology including Verizon Wireless' V CAST Music with Rhapsody subscription music service. The LG Chocolate 3 will be available in black or light blue beginning Sunday in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, and through the company's online store at www.verizonwireless.com.

The marquee music phone for the new V CAST Music with Rhapsody service, LG Chocolate 3 allows Verizon Wireless customers to access more than 5 million songs, create playlists and load hundreds of songs on their phones to take with them wherever they go. Designed to be a powerhouse music player, the LG Chocolate 3 sports a built-in FM transmitter so customers can play music through a car or other stereo system, dual speakers, Bluetooth® headset for wireless stereo sound, and multitasking capabilities while listening to music. An easy-to-use external front navigation wheel and center select key makes music navigation easy, and the phone will satisfy music appetites with its optional expandable memory using a large 8 GB microSD(TM) card.

"We are proud of the success and popularity of the Chocolate series of handsets, and are excited about the upgrades made with this new edition,"

said Mr. Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of product strategy and marketing for LG Mobile Phones.

"The LG Chocolate 3 helps Verizon Wireless customers minimize the number of electronic devices they need to carry at one time, allowing for a large capacity of music storage and connection to a car stereo without any wires."

Entertainment doesn't end with music on the LG Chocolate 3; this feature rich flip phone also packs a 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder and supports V CAST Video and ESPN MVP, giving customers an on-demand link to news, scores and more. The LG Chocolate 3 can be charged via a computer with its micro USB charging port.

The LG Chocolate 3 is the first Verizon Wireless phone to feature Dashboard, a graphically rich portal powered by Adobe Flash® Cast(TM) technology, which delivers personalized multimedia information and entertainment services directly to the phone. Dashboard features 13 channels -- Mobile Web, VZW Showcase, Get Channels and Search, as well nine more to customize the wireless experience. Verizon Wireless customers can select from News, Community, Comedy Central, MTV News, IGN.COM, FOX Sport, Tones & Extras, Sports, ESPN, Music, Entertainment, Weather, Business, and Games channels to appear on their phones.

Additional features and capabilities of the LG Chocolate 3 include:

-- Additional Music Features

* Music player that supports .mp3, .wma, unprotected .aac and unprotected .aac+ files

* Dedicated music key and preset sound effect equalizer

* Create and manage playlists

* Music library -- organized by artist, genre, album

* Music only mode (RF off except Bluetooth) -- supports up to 24 hours of music playback

-- 2.0 Megapixel Camera/Camcorder Features

* Camera resolutions: 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 pixels

* Zoom: up to 2x

* Image editor -- zoom, rotate and crop images

* Video resolutions: 320 x 240, 176 x 144 pixels

* Video recording time -- 30 seconds (for sending) or up to 1 hour (for saving) depending on available memory

* Video player for WMV, MP4, 3GP, 3G2 formats

* Customizable brightness, white balance, shutter sound, night, photometry

* Self-timer: off, three, five or 10 seconds

* Color effects: normal, negative, aqua, sepia, black and white

* Self portrait/video recording capability with flip closed

-- Mobile Web-capable -- customizable, enhanced wireless access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more

-- Mobile Email -- access MSN® Hotmail®, America Online® and Yahoo!® accounts to exchange e-mail

-- VZ Navigator(SM)-capable -- get visual and audible directions to thousands of destinations, locate businesses and other points of interest, get maps of a location and share directions with others

-- Media Center-capable -- downloadable games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services and more

-- Mobile IM capabilities

-- Chaperone® Child-capable -- allows the LG Chocolate 3 to have its location shared with family members via the Chaperone Web site, the Chaperone® Parent application or Child Zone® SMS alerts

-- Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)

* Save up to 20 Bluetooth pairings

* Supported profiles: headset, hands-free, dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution (stereo), phone book access, basic printing, object push for vCard and vCalendar, file transfer and basic imaging

* Send all contacts and calendar events via Bluetooth

* Print and send user generated pictures (JPEG) via Bluetooth

-- One-touch speakerphone

-- Speaker-independent voice commands

-- Voice-activated dialing up to 1,000 entries

-- Voice recording -- 1 minute or 1 hour (standby) up to 1,500 memos

-- .mp3 music ringer support (clips from hit songs)

-- 27 unique ringtones as well as vibrate and silent modes

-- Text, picture, video and voice messaging

-- Phone book with 1,000 contacts -- each entry stores five numbers, two e-mail addresses and a Picture ID

-- Speed dial -- 999 entries; one voicemail default

-- Calendar, calculator, EZ tip calculator, alarm clock, stopwatch, world clock and notepad

-- Flash® user-interface for clear images, text and fun animations

-- Simultaneous GPS for enhanced location accuracy

-- Standalone mode (RF off)

-- TTY/TDD support

-- Hearing aid compatible = M3

-- Headset jack: 3.5 mm

-- Technology: CDMA

-- Frequency: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA (Digital Dual-Band)

-- Data transmission: EV-DO

-- SAR: head 1.26 W/kg; body 0.367 W/kg

-- Dimensions: 3.87" (h) x 1.94" (w) x 0.64" (d)

-- Weight: 3.36 ounces

-- Display:

* Internal LCD: 260K Color TFT, 320 x 240 pixels, 2.2"

* External LCD: 260K Color TFT, 176 x 220 pixels, 1.76"

-- Standard battery: 800 mAh

-- Usage time: up to 270 minutes

-- Standby time: up to 350 hour

Howard from Howard Forums Prefers Nokia N95 over iPhone, Instinct, Bold

2008-07-13T23:49:00.000+06:00

Howard Forums is easily home to the largest community of cell phone enthusiasts on the planet and its bold leader, Howard Chui, made an appearance on television yesterday to lend his expertise.

In the clip, Howard goes through the pros and cons of three of this season's hottest new mobile phones. Today marks the official launch of the Apple iPhone 3G and everyone is pretty excited about that. Howard goes on to discuss the $10 unlimited data on the Samsung Instinct, before moving on to the slick business handheld known as the BlackBerry Bold.

At the end of the day, Howard may like those phones, but he doesn't use any of them himself. He prefers the Nokia N95, largely because he can use it without looking at it. Not everyone needs a touchscreen, you know.

Kmart Ad Trumpets Xbox Price Dip

2008-07-12T12:55:00.002+06:00

A Kmart advertising circular is a strong indication that the rumors about a possible price cut for the Xbox 360 might be right. The discount chain's sales ad for the week of July 13 lists a US$299 price for the 20 GB Xbox 360. It represents a $50 decrease from the $349 Amazon.com lists as the price for the console.

When asked to confirm the price drop, Microsoft spokesperson Katie Abrahamson declined to do so.

However, Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told that the $50 drop is not a surprise -- though it comes a bit earlier in the year than he had anticipated.

"We thought they were going to do a price cut before the back-to-school season. This is a little earlier than I think most folks figured it was going to happen, but sales for consoles are typically slow now. The Xbox is the oldest of the three [current generation consoles]. With Nintendo ramping reasonably well into the holidays, it was about time for Microsoft to pass some of the cost savings it's been seeing on the component side back to consumers,"

he said.

Odd Timing

Price cuts for items with a big draw during the holidays typically occur closer to the end of the summer season, and Enderle said slashing the price in July seemed a little early and catches people when they historically are not in the market for a video game platform.

"I probably would have done it closer in so that I could catch the wave of people wanting to buy. Doing it this early -- people aren't really in the 'buying the game console mode' right now, and typically don't get into it until Christmas,"

he explained.

However, what may make this year different is an economic downturn, Enderle pointed out.

"[People] are staying home. They're thinking about things to do with the kids now that they aren't going anyplace. One of the things parents are likely to do is buy them a game system or something else to keep the kids entertained,"

he said.

Pricing Strategy

The $50 drop for the 20 GB Xbox 360 still leaves Nintendo's Wii as the lowest-priced gaming console available. However, for the Wii, the price of the console is not the major draw, according to Enderle.

"The things that are moving the Wii have to do with what the Wii does and not necessarily price,"

he said.

"I'm still continually disappointed by their price cuts,"

Yankee Group analyst Mike Goodman told.

"They would be in a much better position if they would be a little more aggressive on the price front -- create [a] little separation between themselves and Sony and create a better reason [for consumers to buy an Xbox 360]."

Microsoft needs to put distance between itself and the PS3 and lessen the distance between the 360 and the Wii, he said.

Enderle also expects to see a price cut from Sony for its PlayStation 3 console this summer.

"The price of components continues to drop, and the Blu-ray drive is a fraction of the price it once was. I think a lot of folks are anticipating that Sony will take a pricing action before we get into back to school,"

he explained.

Source: TechNewsWorld

Motorola Releases Touchscreen Linux Smartphone

2008-07-11T19:54:00.002+06:00

The Moto A810 entry-level smartphone features Bluetooth capabilities, handwriting recognition, and a multimedia player.

Motorola introduced Wednesday a touchscreen handset that's aimed at young mobile professionals looking for their first smartphone.

The Moto A810 is not as powerful as the updates to the company's Ming line, but it should still have enough features for the workers on the go.

The Linux-powered handset has a sleek candy-bar form factor, and the 2.2-inch touchscreen with 240 by 320 resolution. The included stylus can be used with the built-in handwriting recognition software. The smartphone will also come preloaded with stock trading and dictionary applications, and it's capable of receiving corporate e-mail.

Users will be able to surf the Web on an integrated Opera browser, but this device cannot access 3G networks. Instead, the handset uses EDGE data for browsing and retrieving e-mails, with a top downlink speed of 236.8 Kbps.

The smartphone will have a microUSB port for transferring files, and the internal storage can be expanded via the microSD slot. Motorola's handset will also have built-in hands free controls.

To help balance work with fun, this smartphone has an integrated music and video player. There's a built-in FM radio, and a standard audio output jack. There will also be a 2-megapixel camera on board that can shoot photos and videos.

The handset measures in at 4.1 by 2 by .5 inches, weighs 100 ounces, and will come in black or white. The A810 is currently available in China, and the company did not say how much it would cost or if it would debut in other markets.

Oracle Launches iPhone Apps For Business

2008-07-11T19:53:00.000+06:00

Trying to figure out how to justify the company paying for Apple's new 3G iPhone? Oracle wants to help.

Oracle became the first major business software vendor to deliver applications for the iPhone, joining hundreds of software developers, many of them tiny or consumer-oriented, hawking wares at Thursday's opening of Apple's online App Store.

Oracle's Business Indicators applications let users of several Oracle business intelligence applications get information sent to their iPhones. Finance, sales, and manufacturing managers can get alerts and updates based on predefined business metrics, such as if sales goals are met or shipment levels dip.

The mobile apps are free to Oracle BI customers, and data can be viewed in graphical or tabular format. Oracle plans to broaden the line to include apps that let managers make approvals -- for things such as new hires or expense reports -- using their phones. It's also promising apps that bring capabilities from its CRM software, such as contact management and sales forecasting, to iPhones.

Oracle isn't the first to develop BI capabilities for the iPhone. Information Builders has provided iPhone access to its BI reports running on servers for months, and open source BI vendor Pentaho last week announced a similar capability. On-demand ERP vendor NetSuite provides iPhone access to data in its systems.

Apple is trying to push the iPhone further into business. The 3G iPhone, to be released on Friday amid the now typical sleep-on-the-sidewalk anticipation, supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync for pushing e-mail, calendars, and contacts to the devices. It has the ability to view Word and Excel attachments within e-mails, and Apple offers a secure Cisco-based VPN into corporate networks. Apple released a software development kit for the iPhone earlier this year; its first application store coincides with the 3G launch.

Verizon Wi-Fi Connect launches

2008-07-10T21:35:00.000+06:00

Verizon Business has launched a new Wi-Fi interface that makes it easier than ever to connect to more than 70,000 (and growing) Verizon-provided hot spots worldwide. The new interface, Verizon Wi-Fi Connect, is available as part of Verizon Enterprise Mobility services suite. In addition, the company also announced it has extended these services to Latin America.

Verizon Wi-Fi Connect maximises the benefits of hot spot connectivity as part of an overall enterprise mobility strategy, providing integrated billing and management capabilities including monitoring of Wi-Fi usage. The service is simple and intuitive: An icon appears whenever a connection to a Verizon Wi-Fi hot spot is sensed. Then the user simply clicks to gain access to the Internet and from there to a corporate network.

Verizon Wi-Fi Connect is interoperable with all common wireless LAN software utilities, and works with existing connectivity preferences and corporate security procedures.

"Multinational companies require secure, reliable network access whenever and wherever they need it,"

said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Business.

"We're constantly expanding the number of enterprise hot spots we offer, and with Verizon Wi-Fi Connect our customers can obtain a business-grade Wi-Fi service experience through a very easy-to-use interface. Using the advanced reporting capabilities of Verizon's Enterprise Mobility service, customers can review the details and cost duration of each remote connection, enabling total corporate expenditure to be accurately calculated and enhancing overall service management."

Enterprise Mobility Services Now Available in Latin America

In addition, Verizon Business has also extended availability of the enhanced Enterprise Mobility services, including Verizon Wi-Fi Connect, to Latin America. Enterprise customers based in Latin America, or with Latin American subsidiaries, can now realise the management advantages and cost efficiencies of enterprise mobility services, and choose from flat-rate and usage-based pricing plans for individual or combined services.

Verizon Business' Enterprise Mobility services now have more than 3 million users, who securely, rapidly and seamlessly access corporate resources while on the move. Verizon Enterprise Mobility is designed to reduce the administrative costs associated with extending corporate network access to on-the-go workers. The flexible, scalable, easily administered solution offers corporate users multiple access options while addressing their varying access-security requirements.

The service includes advanced end-user client software that is centrally administered by the customer and ensures all communications to the corporate network comply with customers' security policies. Additionally, Verizon Enterprise Mobility integrates seamlessly with Verizon Private IP for network-based remote access to a Verizon-provided MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) network.

Verizon Enterprise Mobility supports 3G mobile data, Wi-Fi, dial-up and customer-provided access with:

-- Wi-Fi access at 70,000 hot spots in more than 80 countries (with expansion in progress).

-- 3G mobile data access for U.K.-based customers (UMTS/HSDPA/GPRS) in more than 120 countries worldwide.

-- 3G mobile data access for U.S.-based customers via the Verizon Wireless network (EVDO).

-- Dial-up access in more than 150 countries.

-- Support for 3rd party-provided access worldwide.

In addition, Verizon Business provides all the tools, software and support to allow quick and simple service deployment for its customers around the world. Local customer service and stringent service-level agreements all reinforce the overall customer experience.

Apple iPhone debuts to lines in Japan, elsewhere

2008-07-10T21:32:00.002+06:00

Gadget lovers worldwide are already camped out ahead of Friday's global rollout of the new model of Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which is also the first iPhone to go on sale in many countries.

Japan, is planning a countdown ceremony at its flagship downtown store. By late Thursday, a line of nearly 800 iPhone fans snaked around the block, with some sleeping on the streets to ensure they would be among the first customers.

The iPhone goes on sale there five hours earlier than other nationwide outlets, helping to kick off a global rollout in 22 nations. The first model, which launched in the United States a year ago, ended up being sold only in six countries.

Because of time differences, the new iPhones are going on sale first in New Zealand, then Australia, followed by Japan and Hong Kong. In the United States, phones will be available at 8 a.m. in each time zone.

Japan, though, is the tech-mad market that analysts like to watch. It is home to powerful electronics brands such as Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.'s Panasonic, but its consumers are trend-chasers and have long adored Apple products such as the iPod.

Japan has about 107 million cell phones, or about one for every person. Many of the phones already work on 3G, or third-generation, wireless networks, offering the speedy Internet access that the new iPhone will also deliver. The old iPhone used a relatively slow cellular network combined with the ability to use fast Wi-Fi hotspots.

The iPhone's capabilities are less revolutionary here, where people have for years used the tech-heavy local phones for restaurant searches, e-mail, music downloads, reading digital novels and electronic shopping. They tend to shrug off foreign models, such as those of Nokia Corp.

The latest Japanese cell phones have two key features absent on the iPhone — digital TV broadcast reception and the "electronic wallet" for making payments at stores and vending machines equipped with special electronic readers.

But they don't have the iPhone's nifty touch screen or glamour image.

Another key difference is that the iPhone is designed to browse the Web in the much the same way computers do. The networks promoted by Japanese carriers, such as "i-mode" from NTT DoCoMo, are more closed than the Web. Such systems have allowed carriers to control services and charge fees.

Masayuki Otani, deputy chief of research at Maruwa Securities Co. in Tokyo, said the iPhone faces competition from emerging rivals, who offer mobile Internet devices in Japan, and the iPhone may attract a limited following.

"The iPhone is a fad,"

he said.

"There are lots of people who love it and jump at it, but there are those who are going to be less impressed."

Norikazu Sasaki, a 20-year-old student among those in line for the iPhone in Tokyo, was already won over.

"The iPhone is so user-friendly, more than any other mobile phone. It combines the best features of a PC with the best features of a phone,"

said Sasaki, who's been taking turns with two friends to save his spot in the line since 1 a.m. Wednesday.

"There isn't anything else like it,"

Sasaki said.

The iPhone has sparked similar enthusiasm in Australia.

In downtown Sydney, Brett Howell, 36, didn't mind fighting the chill of the Down Under winter for the distinction of being first in a line of about 40 at an Optus store Thursday.

"I wanted to make sure I got one,"

he said as he huddled on the sidewalk with a small blanket and a book.

"It's only 11 hours in total."

Ben Thomas, 27, had his own explanation for iPhone mania.

"It's a chick magnet,"

he said.

Apple plans to sell its 8-gigabyte iPhone for $199 in the United States and the 16-gigabyte version for $299. The company, based in Cupertino, Calif., says it has sold about 6 million iPhones since last year. It hopes to sell 10 million by the end of 2008.

Nokia 8208 Slides Two Ways, Heading to China Unicom

2008-07-09T20:05:00.001+06:00

The N95 isn't the only Nokia phone to feature a dual-sliding design. It turns out that the Chinese market will soon be treated to the dual-sliding Nokia 8208 music phone. It gets the glossy piano black finish that seems to be the trend for Nokia phones these days and it gets backed by a high-speed EVDO connection too.

Like the Nokia N95 and N96, the Nokia 8208 slides one way to reveal a standard numeric keypad and then slides the other way to show off its multimedia controls. A full battery charge should provide enough life for up to 20 hours of music. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack is there too. Other features include GPS, 3 megapixel camera, 2.2-inch QVGA display, microSDHC expansion, FM radio, and micro-USB.

The Nokia 8208 has not yet been formally announced, but if the 8208 is going to China, I would sincerely hope that they release a North American version soon too.

Reliance and MTN extend tie-up talks

2008-07-09T20:04:00.000+06:00

Indian mobile phone giant Reliance Communications said Wednesday the deadline for talks that could lead to a blockbuster merger with Africa's largest cellular firm MTN had been extended.

The deadline had been pushed back to July 21, Reliance Communications said in a statement. Discussions began late May aiming to build a telecoms giant stretching from Asia to Africa and the Middle East.

"RCom and MTN have agreed to continue their negotiations in relation to such potential business combination, and have extended the period of exclusivity until 21st July 2008,"

the statement said.

"There is no certainty either on completion, or the timing of the said proposal,"

the statement added.

The merged firm would be worth up to 70 billion dollars, but it remains unclear if the deal will go through, with the previous deadline expiring on July 8.

Anil Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Communications and one of the world's richest men, had offered to take a 51 percent stake in MTN through a cash and share swap, India's Business Standard newspaper said on Tuesday.

MTN was scrutinising the proposed deal, the newspaper said, citing sources close to the negotiations.

Last month, India's billionaire Ambani brothers threatened legal action against each other over the merger.

Older brother Mukesh Ambani, who heads Reliance Industries, told MTN he had first right of refusal to buy a controlling stake in Anil's Reliance Communications. But Anil Ambani strongly refuted the claim.

Reliance Communications shares rose 18.4 rupees or 4.43 percent to 433.8 at the Mumbai stock exchange on Wednesday.

The firm is the flagship of Anil Ambani's group and has 48 million subscribers. MTN, which has 68 million subscribers, is Africa's largest cellular operator.

Solar-Powered Toyota Prius To Be Sold in 2009

2008-07-08T23:19:00.002+06:00

With the rapidly rising cost of fuel, just driving a hybrid may not be enough to alleviate the burden on your wallet anymore. Going just a little greener is Toyota, because word is that the Japanese automaker will start selling a version of the Prius hybrid equipped with solar panels starting next year.

This has not yet been confirmed by Toyota itself, but the news does come from the Nikkei, a respected business paper in Japan. The next-generation Toyota Prius, which may or may not feature a complete redesign, will be offered with solar panels lining the roof. These panels will be sourced from Kyocera and they will provide some power to the air conditioning system.

No, the solar panels won't drive the wheels, but they could improve fuel economy by taking care of secondary needs like air conditioning. No word on whether the solar Prius will be sold outside of Japan.

Broadband telephony market to double by 2013

2008-07-08T23:17:00.000+06:00

JupiterResearch, a leading authority on the impact of the Internet and emerging consumer technologies on business, projects that the broadband telephony market will nearly double in size from 14.7 million subscribers in 2007 to 28.4 million lines in 2013. Cable operators will see most of this increase, with their VoIP subscriber base nearly doubling during the forecast period, while growth for over-the-top VoIP providers will stagnate. The emergence of new service offerings, such as those from AT&T and Skype, will continue to generate buzz within the market.

According to a new JupiterResearch report, "US Broadband Telephony Forecast, 2008 to 2013," cable multiple system operators (MSOs) have maintained momentum in the voice service market by continuing to focus on competitive triple-play service bundles. Of consumers who subscribe to a cable MSO-managed VoIP service, 47 percent said bundling had a strong influence on their selection of home phone service provider.

As noted by David Schatsky, President of JupiterResearch,

"Broadband telephony enables fixed service providers to integrate voice service features with other bundled services such as broadband, TV or wireless. At a time when consumers are increasingly cutting the cord and relying solely on wireless for voice communication, broadband telephony offers the best opportunity for fixed service providers to retain current voice customers or acquire new ones."

Despite having a moderate impact on the VoIP market overall, the emergence of AT&T's U-verse Voice is an important market development.

"By rolling out a managed VoIP service in areas where it already offers circuit-switched voice service, AT&T validates the importance of integrated services across the bundle,"

explained Doug Williams, Analyst and lead author of the report for JupiterResearch.

"However, AT&T may find it challenging to migrate existing voice customers to the VoIP platform, as those consumers place greater emphasis on service quality and reliability when selecting a home telephone service provider."

Looking ahead, JupiterResearch observes a few wild card scenarios that could shake up the market for broadband telephony, namely the potential for Verizon to migrate all services including voice within its FiOS bundles to an IP platform, as well as new product offerings such as the Skype phone, which de-couples Skype's voice chat service from the PC, and T-Mobile's new "@Home" over-the-top VoIP offer for $10 per month.

The complete findings of this report are immediately available to JupiterResearch clients online at www.jupiterresearch.com. For details on JupiterResearch's methodology, visit www.jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/methodology or email press@jupiterresearch.com to request a detailed methodology statement. For additional information on this report or JupiterResearch's Home Broadband and Communications research service, visit www.jupiterresearch.com or contact Kieran Kelly, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Client Service, at 1-800-481-1212 or researchsales@jupiterresearch.com.

Apple's iPhone could find Asia tough to crack

2008-07-07T13:43:00.003+06:00

The iPhone 3G, which Apple is billing as twice as fast and half as expensive as the debut model, will roll out in cities from Tokyo to Sydney on Friday -- but it could face challenges in Asia it will not have elsewhere.

The company is betting the new phone's third generation (3G) capabilities, such as faster Internet access and file transfer, will make the phone a hit. Like the first version, the new model also has an iPod built in.

Many analysts are upbeat about its prospects, seeing Apple as a brand with a strong cachet in tech-savvy Asia.

Mancy Li wants to get her hands on Apple's newest version of the iPhone, but she won't bother to queue up in Hong Kong when it is released in Asia this week.

"I want to get one because it is trendy. It has a touch screen, it looks pretty and it's made by Apple,"

the 22-year-old visual arts student says.

But she's prepared to wait and see what happens to the price of running the new version of the phone, which Apple hopes will become as big a global hit as its iconic iPod music player.

"It is going to do well,"

Aloysius Choong, of Singapore-based industry research group IDC, told AFP.

"Apple is a strong brand in Asia and this is their maiden mobile phone offering in Asia. Just the Apple aura or the Apple halo means that there will be non-Apple users who will look at the product."

But in a region where having the latest gadget is almost an obsession, black market debut-version iPhones are already widely available, serviced by countless shops that "unlock" the software to allow them to operate.

With the phone already in circulation, the novelty factor will be less, which could emphasise the importance of pricing for the new model.

And that could prove to be an obstacle. Like elsewhere, Apple is only allowing the iPhone for sale through a limited number of operators -- whose pricing plans are not always particularly inexpensive.

Hong Kong users could pay the equivalent of up to 65 US dollars a month under a two-year contract, a steep price in a market where monthly mobile packages often cost one-fifth of that.

In Australia, Telstra says customers who sign up for packages around 30 dollars a month will be able to buy the cheapest iPhone 3G for around 270 dollars.

Pricing has not been announced in New Zealand by Vodafone, the country's largest mobile communications carrier, but is likely to be crucial in deciding the iPhone's success.

"If Vodafone can get close to Telstra's pricing in Australia, I think they will be on to a winner,"

says Scott Bartley, reviews editor of PC World New Zealand.

The iPhone could also face an uphill battle in Japan, where handsets allow users to watch television and pay for goods like a credit card -- neither of which the Apple phone can do.

"I can foresee the iPhone storming the rest of Asia but not Japan,"

said Yusuke Tsunoda, a telecom analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Centre.

"Compared with Japanese cellphones, it is not technologically superior."

In the Philippines, meanwhile, where text-messaging is now a routine way to communicate, the phone's on-screen keyboard -- instead of the regular buttons of a traditional cell phone -- may be a turn-off.

"This could limit its appeal to the Filipinos, who love to text,"

said tech journalist Kendrick Go of the Manila Times.

He said pricing could also be a factor in the Philippines, where much of the population lives on two dollars a day or less.

"The iPhone's popularity in the Philippines will likely be confined to the high-end market,"

Go said.

"It is just too expensive for the average consumer."

Finally, some consumers could be turned off if the iPhone becomes too much of a success -- and loses its cachet as a status symbol.

"Apple wants to make a big impact but it does not want to make too big an impact in the sense you want to create an image of scarcity and exclusivity,"

said the IDC's Choong.

Mancy Li, in Hong Kong, says the iPhone would lose its appeal for her if everyone had one.

"I won't get one if I see too many people using it,"

Li says.

"It won't be special anymore."

Sony Ericsson W595 Linda Follows in Footsteps of W580

2008-07-07T13:42:00.002+06:00

Sliding its way into the realm of spyshot superstars is the Sony Ericsson W595 Linda. Sony Ericsson has already proven that it has a long pedigree of fantastic music phones and the Linda appears to be no exception. The W595 looks to be the spiritual, if not official successor the W580, a phone that is already available through AT&T and Rogers Wireless.

In terms of specs and features, you should expect full Walkman capabilities (it is a W-series phone after all), FM radio support, Walkman 3 player, A2 software platform, pre-installed Google maps, and some sort of camera. There's also mention of a 3D accelerometer, possibly for gesture-based music controls.

Although all we really have is a leaked photograph, word on the street has it that Sony Ericsson will launch the W595 Linda some time this month. That's pretty soon!

Meet Motorola's In-House Tech Anthropologist

2008-07-06T20:00:00.002+06:00

It's one thing to design a product scheduled to hit the shelves nine months from now. Figuring out what to build 10 years down the line requires a little more abstract thinking and experimentation. Crysta Metcalf studies the ways people use the technology around them to communicate. The goal is to figure out what the company should look into developing in the future.

Crysta Metcalf has eavesdropped on the conversations of strangers, pored over their personal photographs and grilled them on their closest relationships.

Such nosiness is all part of her job of studying people and how they communicate.

Metcalf is the principal staff anthropologist at Motorola. Her responsibility is to spot long-term trends in how people socialize and interact, then help translate those findings to engineers and designers for use in inventions from three to 10 years into the future.

Google faces 'Street View block'

2008-07-06T19:57:00.003+06:00

Google's plans to launch a mapping tool in the UK could be referred to the Information Commissioner.

Street View matches photos of locations to maps, including passers-by who were captured as the photograph was taken.

Privacy International, a UK rights group, believes the technology breaks data protection laws.

"In our view they need a person's consent if they make use of a person's face for commercial ends,"

said Simon Davis of the group.

Street View has already been launched in the US and includes photos of streets in major American cities. Photographing of areas in the UK, including London, is believed to have started this week.

Some individuals in the US have complained about their images being used and Google has said it removed their presence on request.

The company has said it had begun to trial face blurring technology, using an algorithm that detects human faces in photographs.

But Privacy International says it has doubts about the technology.

It has written to the search giant and asked for technical information about the system.

If the group does not get the answer it seeks within seven days, Mr Davies said it would write to the Information Commissioner seeking a suspension of the service in the UK.

"We've spoken to Google in the past about this and received a snide response telling us to look more closely at their blogs.
"We've been told by engineers at Google that the technology is not ready to be deployed."

In the US it is legal to take photos of people on public streets. But Mr Davies believes that because Street View is being used for commercial ends anyone in the UK who appears in the photo needs to grant his or her consent.

Google has said it complies with all local laws.

In a letter to Jane Horvath, senior privacy counsel at Google, Mr Davies said that Google's track record on deploying technology designed to protect privacy was patchy.

He said: "I recall the promise made by Google to the FTC [Federal Trade Commission] during the Doubleclick acquisition that "crumbling cookies" would be developed.

"We have seen no evidence that this technology has been deployed. In response to concerns expressed at the time of our 2007 internet privacy rankings, Google also promised a "privacy dashboard" to help consumers understand the functionality of their user settings. This technology has not appeared."

Privacy International has also asked Google about "the steps, if any, that you have taken to consult the public over the use of their images for what is, in effect, a commercial purpose".

Mr Davies added:

"Google likes to think of itself as a global player. In reality it is acting like an irresponsible adolescent.
"It's time for the company to take responsibility for its actions and to do the right thing."

T-Mobile Plans to Sell BlackBerry KickStart For Under $50

2008-07-05T19:48:00.000+06:00

Just because you want the hottest new BlackBerry on the block doesn't mean that you need to break the bank. It turns out that the BlackBerry KickStart smartphone is only going to cost $49.99 when it launches later this year.

Naturally, we'll have to chalk this one up in the rumor column for now, but the prospects certainly look promising. Multiple "sources" are pointing toward the $49.99 price point for Research in Motion's first flip style BlackBerry when it finally arrives at T-Mobile. Of course, to take advantage of the 50 dollar offer, you'll need to sign a qualifying three-year contract.

It may not be the BlackBerry Bold, but the BlackBerry KickStart will certainly turn a few heads too. And fifty bucks sounds pretty good to me.

Waiting on WiFi

2008-07-05T19:44:00.002+06:00

WiFi was supposed to effortlessly connect us to the world on the run.

Instead, we're all on the run seeking a connection.

We skip from airport to coffee shop, from cell connection to hotel hook-up, constantly trying to pace connects and disconnects with our physical location of the moment. We are, in essence, tethered to the one thing that was meant to cut the cord.

Why is that? Are technological factors an obstacle in connecting the dots between hotspots?

"There are no technology problems; it's more a matter of striking mutual agreements between services,"

Phillip Redman, vice president of network services and infrastructure, mobile and wireless at Gartner told.

The No-Signal Desert

Since none of the U.S. carriers are singing Kumbaya, getting righteous with customers on universal connections and fees might be only a hair closer than Armageddon. Europe at least has The Cloud -- a mobile wireless broadband service provider that blends cellular with hotspots to create indoor/outdoor WiFi coverage throughout the UK, Sweden and Germany and in a smattering of other locales within Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway.

In some ways, going WiFi in the U.S. is worse than being simply wired; now we have to account to multiple providers for our time spent on our various stops, doling out plastic cards for money and a slew of passwords for security that often offers little protection at all against the hacker sitting on the next Starbucks stool.

Then there's the matter of passwords, which are typically stored on the laptop or PDA, as it's been a while since we last visited Chicago or Seattle, and we can't remember the password we used here many Internet eons ago. It may be easier for the hacker on the next stool to simply steal the device while we juggle a white chocolate mocha and a cheese Danish far from the liquid-sensitive keyboard.

Public WiFi networks were supposed to allow us to at least stroll through a park or hold a connection between McDonald's and the airport, but most efforts to do that have stumbled and failed, leaving us to hopscotch our way through the old hotspot trail.

Broadband, Unstickied

Does this mean we are doomed to roaming eternally tethered, or is there something around the corner that will really set us free?

"Consumer frustration will lead buyers to abandon WiFi in favor of 3G wireless services like WiMAX and EVDO (Evolution-Data Optimized), which don't chain users to a single access point,"

predicts Redman.

"As a result, WiFi hotspot services, which offer better in-building coverage, will get bundled into wireless data services from the larger players."

Ah ha, a Cloud knock-off at last.

What about the bit players in the land of WiFi?

"The fractured nature of these WiFi services remains an inhibitor towards adoption and will eventually kill off smaller players,"

predicts Redman.

So a shake-up is coming -- big deal. The real question is, will there be a consumer shake-down too?

"Mobile WiMAX may put pricing pressure on current mobile broadband pricing, which is still stuck at about (US)$60 [per month] in the United States,"

Philip Solis, principal analyst of mobile broadband at ABI Research, told.

Some day soon, then, mobile broadband will come unstuck and float downward like a feather to somewhere nearer the vicinity of affordability.

Demand Pushed by Business

Then there's the trickle-down effect that will presumably feed the masses more than connectivity crumbs at Ritz-Carlton prices. Once the corporate world forces the issue, the rest of us will reap the rewards, just like everything else technical by nature and commercial by demand.

"While there are certainly a wide variety of hotspot services in the market, organizations need to balance the adoption of these services in terms of managing the financial costs, as well as ensuring that security concerns are mitigated,"

Philippe Winthrop, research director of wireless and mobility at Aberdeen, told.

Alrighty then, so how are they doing that?

"Many companies seeking to consolidate access network solutions have looked to solutions such as iPass or Fiberlink, which consolidate access across multiple vendors' networks with one login, and consolidated billing which allows an enterprise user to tap into a single, virtual network of hotspots, dial-up numbers and wired connections maintained by the access vendor,"

Chris Silva, an analyst of mobile operations infrastructure at Forrester, told.

How many enterprises are actually doing this?

"A study I conducted in November 2007 on enterprise mobility showed that 42 percent of organizations were using Boingo, iPass or a similar service,"

says Winthrop.

Breaking Up and Making Up

While consumers wait for next-generation, long-distance wireless broadband technology like WiMAX to trump WiFi, and wait for access vendors to patch together networks -- and thus push prices downward -- what can the lonely end user do to survive the desert between hotspot oases?

"Right now, most people would look at the difference in price, and where they would most likely need Internet access. If the need is mostly at venues that tend to have hotspots, a Boingo account would work well at one third the cost of mobile broadband from a cellular operator,"

said Solis.

"However, if it is a salesperson that needs to access their company's intranet before and after sales visits anywhere and everywhere, then a mobile broadband connection would make more sense. As the price of mobile broadband drops, more enterprise users and consumers will find value in the service and subscribe."

So we're back to the break-up to make-up scene. Consumer and corporate frustration leads to break-up with WiFi, which will then lead to a flirtation with 3G and 4G providers, followed by the wooing of mobile broadband providers, who will then marry hotspot providers, all to beget a version of the Cloud that we sincerely hope doesn't leave us all in a fog.

Apple Drops Price Of MacBook Air

2008-07-04T23:38:00.000+06:00

Apple has quietly dropped the price of its fastest MacBook Air, the company's thinnest and lightest notebook, by $500.

The price reduction appears to be the result of a $100 drop in the price of the 1.8-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a $400 reduction in the price of the 64-GB solid-state drive. The deluxe model is now priced at $2,598. The price of the base model with a 1.6-GHz processor remains unchanged at $1,799.

As early as last week, the faster notebook was priced at $3,098, according to a blurb found on Google's search cache. The item was uncovered by the Apple-enthusiast site MacRumors.com. The processor upgrade was cut to $200 from $300 and the solid-state drive to $599 from $999.

It's not unusual for computer makers to drop prices as component prices fall over time. Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveiled the Air in January at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.

The size and weight of the Air, which has a 13.3-inch display and full-size keyboard, placed the machine in a class of its own. The notebook weights 3 pounds and is three-quarters of an inch thick at the hinge, tapering to 0.16 of an inch at the opposite side.

The thinness of the notebook was achieved in part by a miniaturized 65-nanometer Core 2 Duo processor that came from Intel's older Merom line. The processor is 60% smaller than the typical Merom chip and uses less power while delivering comparable speeds. The processor, however, is significantly slower than the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors used in other new notebooks. Performance is not necessarily an issue with Apple as it customizes its operating system to maximize performance out of any processor it uses.

Apple also was able to shave off inches from the MacBook Air by relying on a slimmer solid-state hard drive and eliminating its CD/DVD optical SuperDrive altogether.

Nokia 6220 Smartphone Released

2008-07-04T16:39:00.001+06:00

Nokia this week released a new candy-bar smartphone that packs many features that mobile workers and multimedia lovers may both like.

The Nokia 6220 classic is a quad-band GSM phone that's capable of using 3G networks for Internet browsing and e-mails. It has HSDPA connectivity, which provides customers with a top downlink speed of 3.6 Mbps. The phone is also capable of using EDGE data if a 3G network isn't available.

Mobile professionals will appreciate the phone's Microsoft Office applications, but the T9 input and lack of a QWERTY keyboard may not be appealing to some customers.

It features a 2.2-inch screen with a QVGA display capable of showing 16 million colors. It also has a built-in GPS receiver that can use cellular data for assisted GPS services.

There's a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and auto-focus technology. There's also a Xenon flash, video recording up to 30 frames per second, and a secondary camera for video calls.

Nokia's phone is powered by Symbian 9.3, S60, and it packs 128 MB of user memory. This is expandable up to 8 GB via the microSD slot, and files can be transferred to a computer with the microUSB slot. It also has Bluetooth version 2.0, push-to-talk capability, and built-in hands-free features.

For multimedia, the 6220 classic has a music player capable of multiple codecs, as well as an integrated FM radio. The device also can play MPEG4 videos, and videos from the phone can be played on a television with an optional TV-out cable.

The handset measures 4.3 by 1.9 by 0.6 inches and weighs 3.2 ounces. The cell phone is available now in India for about $464, and Nokia has not announced if it will release the device in other markets.

Images of AMD 4870 X2 Leaked

2008-07-04T16:36:00.004+06:00

Leaked images of the AMD Radeon HD 4870 X2 are out and about on the interweb. From preliminary reports it seems that AMD/ATI have created something truly special in the RV770 chip. The cards based on the R700 -- the HD 4850 and the HD 4870 have both displayed exceptional performance, especially when considered in light of their price. The price/performance ratio of these cards makes them a great deal in the graphics card segment.

AMD/ATI will also offer a Crossfire configuration on a single card, this would be the AMD Radeon HD 4870 X2. At less than the price of an NVIDIA GeForce GT280, this dual-chip monster is expected to perform as well, if not better than the GT280. The 4870 X2 will come with 2GB of memory, GDDR5 at that -- note that GDDR5 is said to offer about 80% more bandwidth than GDDR3.

These cards pack plenty of theoretical punch. Stay tuned for our review of these cards, when we find out if they truly deliver. Meanwhile, here's a peek at the HD 4870 X2:

Sony Pulls Update Following PS3 Firmware Fiasco

2008-07-04T16:29:00.001+06:00

Sony's 2.40 firmware update for the PlayStation 3 video game console ran into problems less than an hour after the company made it available for download Wednesday. Owners began reporting problems as a result of the download on the PS3 Forum, leading Sony to pull the update from availability.

"A limited number of PS3 users have reported that the XMB (XrossMediaBar) is not displayed after updating to the PS3 system software ver. 2.40. We have temporarily taken the 2.40 update offline and are currently conducting tests to determine the cause of this problem. We will announce through our Web site as soon as we are ready to resume the system software update,"

said Al de Leon, a Sony spokesperson.

The firmware flop has "embarrassed Sony," according to Michael Gartenberg, a JupiterResearch analyst.

"To release an update like that and then have to pull it because it was turning people's PS3s into PS paperweights is an embarrassment. This is a pretty big black eye for them. You can be sure before this update gets released again into the wild Sony's going to really go over it with a very fine-toothed comb to make sure this circumstance doesn't happen again,"

he told TechNewsWorld.

Black Eye

Gamers have reported a variety of maladies related to the firmware upgrade, Chris Roper, editor-in-chief at IGN.com, PlayStation Team, told TechNewsWorld.

"Some people weren't able to install the update -- their system would just reset at some point without having applied the patch. Others have had worse issues, where their system would no longer even boot. It seems that it has something to do with a hard drive corruption issue, as swapping out for a fresh hard drive then allows it to boot,"

he said.

After downloading and installing the update and then trying to play a game, claimed forum poster ASickness, the PS3 displayed nothing but a blank screen.

"I get a black screen forever ... I can't even get demos to start ... I got my PS3 on Launch day ... so my warranty is out now ... any advice?"

ASickness wrote in a post.

Damage Control

"[Sony] did respond quickly, and the good news for them is that they acted responsibly and pulled the update until they could figure out what was going on. The problem is that ... firmware upgrades can be tricky because you're basically reflashing the device, and all you need is a byte to go in the wrong place and suddenly things stop working,"

Gartenberg explained.

However, he continued, it is incumbent upon vendors to ensure that this type of situation does not happen when they release firmware upgrades. That is especially true for Sony as it tries to push the PS3 as an entertainment device beyond gaming.

"It's pretty unacceptable, about as unacceptable as you can get. In the course of any type of firmware upgrade or operating system upgrade, you're going to have a certain number of users who may experience problems. The challenge for Sony -- and every vendor in this day and age -- is that we live in the age of the Internet. So all of a sudden when things go wrong, they are not isolated problems. Everyone knows about them, and the perception may be worse than reality, and what matters is the perception,"

Gartenberg pointed out.

In the Dark

While Sony responded quickly, removing the software from its servers less than 24 hours after releasing the update and learning of potential issues, the company has dropped the information ball since then, Roper said.

"It pulled the update within a reasonable amount of time, but as far as what we've seen, there has been no explanation of what the problems are or how to fix them, or when a patched update would be back online,"

he noted.

"Just this past Friday, Sony wouldn't tell us the release date for the update since they were still trying to figure out when it would be done. Coupled with these issues, it seems like it was rushed out the door without proper testing,"

Roper continued.

As for Sony's ultimate response to gamers whose systems have indeed become paperweights, Roper said Sony should fix the machines free of charge. In doing that, the company would be taking a page out of archrival Microsoft , which spent billions of dollars to repair its gaming platform when users experienced issues following the release of the Xbox 360 .

"Given that this is Sony's fault and not the end users', Sony needs to help people out and fix their systems. Hopefully that wouldn't require shipping the entire system back, but if need be, that's what really needs to happen,"

Roper advised.

Google Talk comes to the iPhone, iPod Touch

2008-07-03T23:40:00.001+06:00

Google is making its Google Talk instant-messaging application available for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch.

One of Google's software engineers posted the news in a blog on Wednesday.

"In addition to sending your friends Gmail messages from your iPhone, you can now chat with them while you're on the move, too!"

Adam Connors, of Google's mobile team said in the blog.

The application doesn't require any software to be installed or downloaded. Instead it works within the phone's browser, so users can simply go to the site www.google.com/talk, sign in, and start chatting.

Connors pointed out that there are a few differences when using Google Talk on the iPhone versus a computer. For one, to receive messages, the application needs to be open on the Safari phone browser. When users navigate away from the Google Talk window in the browser, their status is set to "unavailable."

That said Google has tried to keep the experience close to what users experience on their desktop or laptop computers. They can select contacts from a quicklist, search contacts, and manage conversations.

With half the world's population soon owning a cell phone, the opportunity to reach more people on the Web via a mobile device is huge. Google recognizes this as a big advertising opportunity. As a result, the company has launched several initiatives to make sure it gets a piece of the action.

It's already adapted its Web search, mapping service, and advertising tools to work on cell phones. And it even bid in a U.S. auction of wireless spectrum to help ensure rules requiring open access on those networks were achieved. The company has even gone so far as to develop its own mobile operating system, known as Android, to ensure that its applications and services are tightly integrated into mobile devices.

FCC Approves CDMA-ized HTC Touch Pro Smartphone

2008-07-03T23:33:00.002+06:00

On Monday, there were rumors that the HTC Touch Diamond and Raphael would be going to Sprint and Verizon. In order for this to happen, HTC would have to create CDMA versions of their hot new smartphones. It turns out that the CDMA versions of the HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro (Raphael) not only exist, they've already gone through their paces at the FCC.

Well, that's not completely true. We haven't found the supporting documentation for the CDMA Touch Diamond, but the FCC most definitely has its hands on a CDMA version of the HTC Touch Pro. That's fine. I like the sliding QWERTY keyboard better anyhow. It seems that the CDMA Touch Pro will also have 3G like its GSM cousin, except it's doing that high-speed dance with EV-DO. Naturally, it has TouchFLO 3D as well.

No concrete confirmation has been provided regarding pricing and availability, but the first major hurdle has now been overcome for all the Touch Pro loving CDMA fans out there.

Bell Canada to launch the Samsung Instinct

2008-07-03T23:32:00.001+06:00

Bell today announced it will introduce the Samsung Instinct(TM), a stylish and highly intelligent touch-screen mobile phone, to Canada on August 8.

Already a hot seller in the United States since its introduction there last month, the sleek and slender Samsung Instinct offers easy touch or stylus navigation on its full QWERTY touch-screen keyboard and extra-large high-resolution display.

The Samsung Instinct will also be available with a wide range of voice and data plans, including the $10 Unlimited Mobile Browser add-on data plan that allows unlimited Internet access.

"We are thrilled to offer Canadians this beautifully designed and intelligent device. Accessing the Internet, listening to downloaded music or satellite radio, watching TV or using it as a GPS system, it's all a real pleasure with the Samsung Instinct thanks to its powerful touch screen and easy interface,"

said Adel Bazerghi, Vice President, Products for Bell Mobility.

"Data pricing plans available with the Samsung Instinct will offer also exceptional value and let clients take full advantage of Bell Mobility's wide range of data services."

Multimedia data services from Bell

Bell offers access to the fastest and largest high-speed mobile data network across North America, making Internet browsing on the Samsung Instinct quick and easy. Bell also delivers a range of multimedia and other data services that are perfect for the powerful device:

- GPS Nav turn-by-turn navigation with audio directions and live traffic updates

- Messaging services such as Windows Live Messenger(TM) and Windows Live Hotmail(R)

- With more than two million songs, Bell's Full Track Music service is the largest mobile music catalogue in Canada, and the only one to offer full album downloads, artist bios and music reviews. Bell offers and unlimited subscription service for $15 per month

- Mobile television featuring more than 20 popular channels, and exclusive HBO programming

- SIRIUS Satellite Radio

The Samsung Instinct includes a 2.0 MP camera/camcorder and supports up to an 8 GB Micro SD card, allowing clients to download and permanently retain content by purchasing additional cards if necessary.

Samsung Instinct pricing

The Samsung Instinct will be available for as little as $149.95 on a three-year contract, $249.95 on a two-year contract or $399.95 on a one-year contract. Clients can buy the Samsung Instinct without a term contract for $449.95.

NASA Probe: Our Solar System Is Smooshed

2008-07-03T23:29:00.001+06:00

When viewed from the rest of the galaxy, the edge of our solar system appears slightly dented as if a giant hand is pushing one edge of it inward, far-traveling NASA probes reveal.

Information from Earth's first space probes to hit the thick edge of the solar system -- called the "heliosheath" where the solar wind slows abruptly -- paint a picture that is not the simple circle that astronomers long thought, according to several studies published Thursday in the journal Nature.

Surprised astronomers said they will have to change their models for what the solar system looks like.

Different Distances From the Sun

In 1977, NASA launched two space probes on missions beyond the solar system. Voyager 1 went north and Voyager 2 went south. What startled astronomers is that when the two of them hit the heliosheath they did so at different distances from the sun.

Voyager 2 hit the southern edge of the solar system nearly 1 billion miles closer to the sun than Voyager 1 did to the north. Voyager 2 hit the edge at 7.8 billion miles from the sun.

"We used to assume that it's all symmetric and simple,"

said Leonard Burlaga, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

"It's literally like a hand pushing."

Interstellar Turbulence

That push is from the magnetic field that lies between star systems in the Milky Way. The magnetic field hits the solar system at a different angle on the south than on the north, probably because of interstellar turbulence from star explosions, said Voyager project scientist Ed Stone.

Both spacecraft still have several more years before they completely exit the solar system and continue deeper into the space between stars, said Stone, former director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

BELIVE IT OR NOT????

2008-07-01T17:04:00.002+06:00

Quantum Computing In Semiconductors

2008-07-01T16:28:00.002+06:00

The odd behavior of a molecule in an experimental silicon computer chip has led to a discovery that opens the door to quantum computing in semiconductors.

In a Nature Physics journal paper currently online, the researchers describe how they have created a new, hybrid molecule in which its quantum state can be intentionally manipulated - a required step in the building of quantum computers.

"Up to now large-scale quantum computing has been a dream,"

says Gerhard Klimeck, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University and associate director for technology for the national Network for Computational Nanotechnology.

"This development may not bring us a quantum computer 10 years faster, but our dreams about these machines are now more realistic."

The workings of traditional computers haven't changed since they were room-sized behemoths 50 years ago; they still use bits of information, 1s and 0s, to store and process information. Quantum computers would harness the strange behaviors found in quantum physics to create computers that would carry information using quantum bits, or qubits. Computers would be able to process exponentially more information.

If a traditional computer were given the task of looking up a person's phone number in a telephone book, it would look at each name in order until it found the right number. Computers can do this much faster than people, but it is still a sequential task. A quantum computer, however, could look at all of the names in the telephone book simultaneously.

Quantum computers also could take advantage of the bizarre behaviors of quantum mechanics - some of which are counterintuitive even to physicists - in ways that are hard to fathom. For example, two quantum computers could, in concept, communicate instantaneously across any distance imaginable, even across solar systems.

Albert Einstein, in a letter to Erwin Schrödinger in the 1930s, wrote that in a quantum state a keg of gunpowder would have both exploded and unexploded molecules within it (a notion that led Schrödinger to create his famous cat-in-a-box thought experiment).

This "neither here nor there" quantum state is what can be controlled in this new molecule simply by altering the voltage of the transistor.

Until now, the challenge had been to create a computer semiconductor in which the quantum state could be controlled, creating a qubit.

"If you want to build a quantum computer you have to be able to control the occupancy of the quantum states,"

Klimeck says.

"We can control the location of the electron in this artificial atom and, therefore, control the quantum state with an externally applied electrical field."

The discovery began when Sven Rogge and his colleagues at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands were experimenting with nano-scale transistors that show the effects of unintentional impurities, or dopants. The researchers found properties in the current-voltage characteristics of the transistor that indicated electrons were being transported by a single atom, but it was unclear what impurity was causing this effect.

Physicist Lloyd Hollenberg and colleagues at the University of Melbourne in Australia were able to construct a theoretical silicon-based quantum computer chip based on the concept of using an individual impurity.

"The team found that the measurements only made sense if the molecule was considered to be made of two parts,"

Hollenberg says. "One end comprised the arsenic atom embedded in the silicon, while the 'artificial' end of the molecule forms near the silicon surface of the transistor. A single electron was spread across both ends.

"What is strange about the 'surface' end of the molecule is that it occurs as an artifact when we apply electrical current across the transistor and hence can be considered 'manmade.' We have no equivalent form existing naturally in the world around us."

Klimeck, along with graduate student Rajib Rahman, developed an updated version of the nano-electronics modeling program NEMO 3-D to simulate the material at the size of 3 million atoms.

"We needed to model such a large number of atoms to see the new, extended quantum characteristics,"

Klimeck says.

The simulation showed that the new molecule is a hybrid, with the naturally occurring arsenic at one end in a normal spherical shape and a new, artificial atom at the other end in a flattened, 2-D shape. By controlling the voltage, the researchers found that they could make an electron go to either end of the molecule or exist in an intermediate, quantum, state.

This model was then made into an image by David Ebert, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue, and graduate student Insoo Woo.

Delft's Rogge says the discovery also highlights the current capabilities of designing electronic machines.

"Our experiment made us realize that industrial electronic devices have now reached the level where we can study and manipulate the state of a single atom,"

Rogge says.

"This is the ultimate limit, you can not get smaller than that."

Source: Purdue University

Purple Labs acquires Openwave mobile phone software business

2008-07-01T16:27:00.000+06:00

Openwave Systems Inc., one of the world’s leading software innovators enabling revenue-generating personalized services which converge the mobile and broadband experience, and Purple Labs, a leading supplier of Linux for mass-market 3G phones, today announced that Purple Labs has acquired the Openwave mobile phone software business, which develops and markets its browser and messaging client technologies.

“Openwave’s innovative client offerings established Openwave as an early pioneer in the mobile data market and remain an integral technology to handset manufacturers worldwide,”

said Bruce Coleman, interim CEO of Openwave.

“As outlined previously, we are focusing our efforts on network-based offerings. This focus will better allow Openwave to innovate and grow profitably. We wish Purple Labs success in leveraging the handset manufacturer relationships and incumbency established with our client offerings.”

“The Openwave browser and messaging applications have always led the industry, and are today used by every major phone manufacturer in the world,”

said Simon Wilkinson, Purple Labs CEO.

“By acquiring this portfolio and the Openwave client team, Purple Labs becomes a global leader in mobile software, powering both traditional and Linux-based mass-market phones.”

Based in Chambéry, France, Purple Labs is funded by three European venture capital firms: Sofinnova Partners, Earlybird Venture Capital, and Partners Group.

Financial Terms

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Openwave transferred assets of its client business to Purple Labs on June 27, 2008 in exchange for $30 million in cash, an additional $2 million if certain conditions are met, and warrants to purchase 2% of Purple Labs common stock. Additionally, Openwave will provide transition services to Purple Labs for up to six months, and will bear the first $2 million of such expenses.

Nokia Supernova handset line-up launches

2008-06-29T00:13:00.000+06:00

Recognizing that no one style fits all, Nokia today unveiled a new range of products to let consumers express their personal styles on a number of levels ranging from stylish designs, to personalization through vibrantly hued exchangeable covers.

The first four devices to launch as part of the new Nokia Supernova range feature a mix of bold colors and of-the-moment designs, evoking the allure of the latest statement handbags or must-have sunglasses. Aimed at style conscious men and women who want to stay connected, the new range delivers exceptional mobile functionality alongside a variety of music and internet experiences.

"As we rely more heavily on mobile phones to stay connected, they increasingly know everything about us and have become a window into our worlds,"

said Jo Harlow, vice president, LIVE category, Nokia.

"With the Supernova range, we set out to give people the ability to set themselves apart in the same way that they would with a traditional statement accessory."

Xpress yourself

The new Nokia 7610, 7510 and 7310 Supernova devices give people an option to truly personalize their look by matching the style of their phone to their ever-changing moods with a choice of exchangeable Xpress-On covers in striking colors and glamorous surfaces.

Nokia 7610 Supernova

Featuring a slide design and smooth curves, the Nokia 7610 Supernova offers Xpress-On covers in a choice of a set of 'steel blue' and 'red' covers offset by a muted gray front surface, or 'bright lilac' and 'steel blue' contrasted against a pristine white front surface. The innovative Theme Colorizer feature lets people identify and capture any color and further tailor a look by applying captured colors to the phone's key illumination and wallpaper.

kuva

Additional features include a 3.2 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and 8x digital zoom, instant messaging and TV out for image sharing. With the Nokia 7610 Supernova, consumers can also enjoy and manage music with a dedicated music key, FM-radio, an MP3 player and access to Nokia Music Store* through the Nokia Music PC Client. The Nokia WidSets service gives access to enjoy and share content on favorite websites through the device.

The Nokia 7610 Supernova is available in the third quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of 225 EUR before taxes and subsidies.

Nokia 7510 Supernova

The Nokia 7510 Supernova boasts an iconic fold design with a push-to-open side key. Available with Xpress-On front and back covers in 'storm blue', 'red', 'emerald green' and 'espresso brown' the Nokia 7510 Supernova features magical light effects with a hidden-until-lit display and a reminder light. With outstanding mechanical quality, a soft feel and solid metal hinge, the phone features a 2 megapixel camera with NIPS, LED flash, 4x digital zoom, a 512MB microSD card**, a large 2.2 inch QVGA display and a new user friendly Nokia web browser for easy access to Nokia Search, Share on OVI and Flickr.

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With the Nokia 7510 Supernova, consumers can enjoy and manage music with an FM Radio, an enhanced MP3 player, access to Nokia Music Store and Nokia Music PC Client. Additional features include a link to YouTube, access to Nokia Maps 1.2 to navigate with free mapping, routing and local search, support of A-GPS and the Nokia WidSets service.

The Nokia 7510 Supernova is available in the fourth quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of 180 EUR before taxes and subsidies.

Nokia 7310 Supernova

The slim and sleek Nokia 7310 Supernova includes Xpress-On covers etched with daring 3D textured designs available in 'steel blue' plus a second front and back cover in 'wasabi green' or 'candy pink'. A further five front and back cover options will be available for purchase in select markets in 'mushroom silver', 'plum jam', 'electric blue', 'yellow mellow' and 'espresso brown'.

kuva

Additional features include a 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and TV out for image sharing, instant messaging and playing the preinstalled games on TV. An FM RDS radio and an MP3 music player complete the offering for style conscious individuals that want to enjoy their music anytime, anywhere.

The Nokia 7310 Supernova is available in the second quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of 155 EUR before taxes and subsidies.

Nokia 7210 Supernova

For trend watchers who want simplicity with style, the Nokia 7210 Supernova has a chic, slim design and is available in a choice of 'bubble gum pink' and 'vivid blue' in a gloss finish. With the Nokia 7210 Supernova, people can enjoy music sideloaded from a PC or purchased from Nokia Music Store, as well as manage music with the new Nokia Music PC client, which is available for download. With an SD memory card slot, favorite music and videos can be easily played and saved. A 2 megapixel camera and access to Flickr provide one click access to share photos.

kuva

The Nokia 7210 Supernova is available in the third quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of 120 EUR before taxes and subsidies.

*) Where available

**) Memory card size may vary by market

Fido Launches Sony Ericsson W380a Flip Phone

2008-06-29T00:11:00.002+06:00

Maybe you're not at all interested in paying an arm and a leg for an iPhone 3G. Maybe you don't like touchscreens. Maybe you just like flip phones better. Whatever the case, Fido has alternative for any music phone fans out there.

The Sony Ericsson W380a was just added to the Fido lineup and the flip phone comes with everything that you've come to expect from the Walkman brand. The flip phone naturally comes with an integrated media player, but it also lets you enjoy FM radio on the go as well. Other features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, embedded instant messaging, and mobile web surfing via EDGE. Yes, it's compatible with that $7 unlimited on-device browsing option.

Flip out and pay $60 with a three-year contract for the Sony Ericsson W380a from Fido.

Adobe Releases Acrobat 9 in 3 Flavors

2008-06-28T00:10:00.000+06:00

Adobe has released the latest version of its document creating software Acrobat for Windows and Mac platforms. Acrobat 9 for Windows and Mac includes support for not only Adobe Flash technology but can also embed multimedia files compatible with Adobe Flash Player to create rich PDF documents.

Acrobat 9 thus helps PDF portfolio creation through its ability to unify myriad multimedia content ranging from audio tracks to 3D models to customizable documents. By synchronizing Acrobat 9 with the recently launched www.acrobat.com public Beta, live collaboration within PDF documents is possible.
Acrobat 9 has been launched in three flavors, including Acrobat 9 Standard, Acrobat 9 Pro, and Acrobat 9 Pro Extended (which includes Adobe Presenter software). Pricing of Acrobat 9 is: Standard for $299 or $99 to upgrade; Pro for $449 or $159 to upgrade; and Pro Extended for $699 or $299 to upgrade.

In addition to Acrobat 9 having been released, Adobe is expected to release Adobe Reader 9 next month.

Now Use New & Improved Google Reader

2008-06-27T12:33:00.000+06:00

Google Reader is indispensable for Google users who like to keep tabs on Web sites of their choice. To make things even easier for Reader users, Google has now simplified the way feeds are added.

Explaining the functioning of the new and improved Google Reader on its blog, Ionut Alex Chitu said that earlier, users needed to click on "Add subscription" and then either type either the address of the site or enter some keywords. After entering some keywords like [Google blog] or [new scientist], Google Reader would display a list of results mostly obtained using standard Web search.
Here, Google Reader would display the list of Web search results, in the process, filtering Web pages that didn't have feeds. The approach worked well in most cases, except for when search results included pages from Wikipedia or YouTube, sites with irrelevant feeds.

Now when a user enters a navigational query in the 'Add Subscription' box, Google Reader will directly subscribe to the top result. An example cited by Chitu is if you say type [new scientist], Google Reader will automatically subscribe you to New Scientist's feed, but that's not the case when you enter a more general query like say [scientist].

Sony Gives PS3 a Shot of Adrenaline: Movies and a Twirling Globe

2008-06-27T11:37:00.001+06:00

Sony's Blu-ray won the battle of high-definition DVD formats, but its PlayStation 3 gaming console has been losing the war over networked home entertainment. That will change this summer, promised Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, during a Tokyo press conference announcing new PS3 services for the U.S. market.

Sony will roll out on-demand movies and TV shows for download via the PS3's broadband-enabled PlayStation Network. It will also launch Life With PlayStation, offering news headlines and weather information with a spinning-globe user interface reminiscent of Nintendo's Wii News.

The company will announce pricing and other details, including when the services will become available in Europe and Japan, in July.

Late to the Movie Download Game

Sony has been promising a video download service through its PlayStation 3 since last summer, but has watched as rivals Microsoft and Apple have eclipsed its plans with their own on-demand entertainment download offerings -- Xbox Live Marketplace and Apple TV, respectively.

Xbox 360 and Apple TV owners can now stream HD movies into their living rooms -- even though Sony and the Blu-Ray DVD player built into every PS3 outlasted the now-obsolete HD-DVD format.

"These things are hard to do,"

Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at JupiterResearch, told TechNewsWorld.

Sony had promised deals with companies like Real Networks and AOL for its previous generation console, the PlayStation 2, and never delivered, Gartenberg pointed out.

"It's not surprising, and the challenge that each of these companies is going to have is getting out there and working in these new formats before consumers become entrenched in something else. That's why you've got this land grab going on,"

he said, referring to the struggle over dominance of the living room waged by Sony, Microsoft, Apple and, recent entrant Netflix, with its Roku media player.

Sony's Next-Gen Challenge

Sony has lost more than US$3 billion on the PlayStation 3 since its launch, but additional networked services and cost-trimming will bring the PS3 business unit to profitability by March 2009, said Hirai.

"Sony said the things they needed to say,"

Gartenberg remarked.

"What Sony has found in this generation was a Microsoft that was much stronger than it had been the last time around. It came to market a year ahead (with the Xbox 360) and didn't squander that year. At the same time, it's facing a revitalized Nintendo, which was the last thing everybody was expecting. All of this is putting tremendous pressure on Sony."

Nissan 370Z Could Be Offered with Beefy V8 Engine

2008-06-27T11:21:00.000+06:00

The assumption was that the upcoming Nissan 370Z would get the same 3.7L V6 engine as its recent Infiniti G37 counterpart. What about people who want a little more grunt to go with their Japanese sports car? Not everyone can afford the asking price of the fantastic Nissan GT-R, so a V8-powered version of the 370Z just could be the ticket.

According to Best Car magazine of Japan, Nissan is planning on selling at least two versions of the Nissan 370Z coupe. The first would likely get the same V6 as the Infiniti, but a high performance version could get outfitted with a V8. Best Car did not mention exactly which eight-cylinder was being considered, but pundits are looking toward the company's 4.5L unit. A bent eight, according to Nissan's Chief of Production, is a distinct possibility.

To provide even more of a performance boost, the new Nissan 370Z will be about 220 pounds lighter than the current model. Buyers will choose between a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

MOTOROKR E8 debuts at T-Mobile USA on July 7

2008-06-27T11:20:00.000+06:00

Get ready to transform your mobile experience. The highly anticipated ROKR E8 from Motorola Inc. is set to rock the U.S. with exclusive availability from T-Mobile USA, Inc. beginning July 7, 2008.

Giving consumers the best of both worlds, ROKR E8 is both a talented MP3 player that makes great phone calls and a mobile phone with amazing music capabilities. The first device to feature Motorola's breakthrough ModeShift technology stole the spotlight at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), taking home top awards from leading consumer technology media.

Summary of key ROKR E8 features:

ModeShift technology transforms the device from phone to music player with the touch of a button

Innovative haptics technology provides tactile response when a virtual key is pressed

FastScroll navigation wheel allows for scrolling through thousands of songs with the slide of a thumb

Patented CrystalTalk(TM) technology delivers outstanding call clarity even in noisy environments

Windows(TM) Media Player(TM) 11 compatibility enables easy transfer of tunes from the PC to the device(1)

Includes pre-loaded music tracks and album art from Interpol, The Starting Line and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

"With ROKR E8, U.S. music lovers no longer have to settle when it comes to using their mobile phone as a music player and vice versa,"

said Jean Pierre Le Cannellier, senior director of North America marketing, Motorola Mobile Devices.

"ROKR E8 is an exciting blend of innovative design and technology that harmonizes music and phone features into a single mobile device."

Motorola designed ROKR E8 to deliver an uncompromised consumer experience for music or talk. Using breakthrough ModeShift technology from Motorola, the quad-band GPRS/EDGE device presents users with only the controls they need, at the time they need them, instantly transforming from music player to phone with the touch of a button.

When powered off, the surface of ROKR E8 is smooth, with no visible keys. Power on the device and it presents a virtual numbered keypad on the front surface. With one "press" of the virtual music key, the phone keypad disappears and control keys for the music player -- play, pause, fast forward and rewind -- appear in its place.

Yet, ROKR E8 is more than just a "touch"-operated device. Using innovative vibrating haptics technology, the device provides the tactile feedback consumers expect from a traditional keypad, providing confirmation they have pressed a virtual key.

ROKR E8 also marks the debut of the new FastScroll navigation wheel from Motorola, a variable-speed touch control that lets consumers easily scroll through all of the content stored on the device. With a gentle slide of the thumb, the wheel quickly scrolls through your music (music mode), contacts (phone mode), calendar (phone mode), or multimedia (imaging mode) content. Information is easily viewed on the landscape 2.0" QVGA display.

In music mode, ROKR E8 delivers great sound through a three-dimensional stereo feature that enhances two-channel audio and an on-board equalizer. Music can be enjoyed on the built-in speaker, with a compatible Bluetooth® enabled stereo headset(2), or through a wired headset plugged into the 3.5mm jack.

ROKR E8 also helps consumers discover new music with a built-in FM radio and support for Song ID(3). The 2GB internal memory can store up to 1,500 songs(4), and the external memory is expandable up to 4GB with an optional microSD card. Music transfers quickly with USB 2.0. The device is compatible with Windows Media Player 11 on the PC, which also provides access to more than 200 online music stores.

In phone mode, ROKR E8 provides outstanding voice quality using Motorola CrystalTalk technology. The powerful device can receive calls while downloading or playing music(1), text messaging(3), surfing the Web(3) or taking pictures so you can constantly stay connected to those that matter most. Quality construction and materials help make ROKR E8 durable and reliable, and a high gloss front, aluminum soft touch back, spun metal side keys and engraved banding offer the modern style expected from Motorola.

Panasonic Unveils Rugged Ultra-Mobile PC

2008-06-27T00:48:00.000+06:00

Panasonic on Wednesday introduced a rugged handheld PC that offers field workers the same features as a full-size notebook, but at a much smaller size.

The CF-U1, the first ultra-mobile PC in the Toughbook product line, is 7 inches wide, 6 inches deep, and 2 inches high. The device has a 5.6-inch touch screen that viewable in sunlight and a Qwerty keyboard. The computer is powered by Intel new low-energy Atom processor and comes with 1 GB of memory.

The computer is the result of more than two years of feedback from an array of government and commercial organizations that need a small computer that can withstand the rigors of being out in the field with insurance adjusters, building inspectors, police officers, firefighters, oil and gas employees, and other workers, the company said. The highly portable device includes a 16 GB solid-state drive, which has no moving parts, making it more durable than hard disk drives.

Data capture options include barcode and RFID readers and a 2-megapixel camera. The computer comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, with 3G support optional. The machine is available with Windows XP or Windows Vista.

The all-weather CF-U1 is fan-less for quieter operation and includes hot-swappable batteries for replacing power supplies without disrupting operation. Approximate battery life is nine hours. The device, which weights 2.3 pounds, has a magnesium alloy chassis that protects against bumps and drops of up to 4 feet.

The Toughbook CF-U1 is scheduled to be available in Panasonic resellers and distributors in August. Pricing starts at $2,499.

Panasonic is one of many vendors offering rugged computers for field workers. Dell (Dell), for example, in March introduced its first notebook for government and commercial customers looking for a computer that can withstand extreme temperatures and moisture.

The Latitude XFR D630 includes a 14.1-inch LCD screen, but is available with an optional touch screen that supports finger, gloved, or stylus inputs. The system is powered by a 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 processor, and comes standard with 512 MB of RAM, Windows XP Professional, and a 160 GB hard disk drive. Solid-state drives are also available.

The XFR D630, which is certified by the Department of Defense for extreme field conditions, costs between $2,699 and $4,000, depending on configuration.

Panasonic Unveils Rugged Ultra-Mobile PC

2008-06-26T01:48:00.000+06:00

Panasonic on Wednesday introduced a rugged handheld PC that offers field workers the same features as a full-size notebook, but at a much smaller size.

The Toughbook CF-U1 is scheduled to be available in Panasonic resellers and distributors in August. Pricing starts at $2,499.

The XFR D630, which is certified by the Department of Defense for extreme field conditions, costs between $2,699 and $4,000, depending on configuration.

Motorola, Kodak Unveil 5-Megapixel Cameraphone

2008-06-25T23:54:00.000+06:00

Motozine ZN5

Kodak and Motorola have teamed up to create a cameraphone that's designed to allow users to easily take and share high-quality photographs.

The Motozine ZN5 is a 5-megapixel candy bar-style phone that features Kodak's Imaging Technology, and it's the first handset in Motorola's Motozine line of multimedia-optimized devices.

"Today's creative consumers not only want to be the photographer, but also the retoucher, the exhibitor, and the critic,"

said Jeremy Dale, Motorola corporate VP of mobile devices marketing, in a statement.

"The Motozine ZN5 lets them be all the things they want to be."

The camera is activated by sliding the Kodak lens open. The device sports an auto-focus feature, Xenon flash, and optimized settings for low-light environments. It also features multiple capture modes, including a panorama mode that automatically stitches together continuous shots into a single extended image.

The cameraphone comes with Kodak's Easy Share Software to organize, edit, store, share, and find mobile pictures. Users can upload photos to a computer via USB, built-in Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. Photos can also be printed out wirelessly on select Bluetooth-enabled Kodak printers.

To deal with all these photos, the handset comes with 350 MB of internal memory, and the memory can be expanded up to 4 GB via the microSD slot. The cameraphone has a 2.4-inch screen that can switch to landscape mode when shooting photos.

The handset also features CrystalTalk Technology, an MP3 player, an organizer, and a built-in FM radio. It's expected to be available in China in July, with other markets to follow.

The high-end cameraphone market is becoming increasingly crowded. Last week, rival Sony Ericsson launched the latest device in the Cyber-shot line, with an 8.1-megapixel camera.

Google plans new Internet measurement tool

2008-06-24T14:45:00.000+06:00

Google is expected to unveil a tool Tuesday that measures Internet use to help advertisers identify the best places to buy ads that will reach its target audience, according to a report Monday on the Wall Street Journal Web site.

The measurement tools, which will be offered to advertisers and their agencies for free, will compete with services offered by established leaders Nielsen and ComScore. While those services base their estimations on selective surveys or customer panels, Google's results would be based on data collected from Web servers, providing a deeper and broader picture of Internet behavior, the newspaper reported. By giving away the new tool, Google could attract more advertising business.

The news follows Google's announcement last week that Google Trends had unveiled a new service that lets users type in specific domains and compare basic traffic information about any .com site using nothing more than organic user searches. Included are daily traffic numbers in users (sent from Google search), where in the world the users are coming from, and related sites that were either searched for or visited in that same session.

After news of the planned service hit the Web, ComScore shares fell $1.69, or 6.1 percent, to $26 after-hours trading. Nielsen is a privately owned company.

Blogger Huffington Blasts 'Old' Media

2008-06-24T14:41:00.001+06:00

New media doesn't entirely reject the model of traditional media, they're just trying to do it better, Arianna Huffington said Monday in front of a crowd at the Personal Democracy Forum Conference in New York City.

That comment followed Huffington's heavy criticism of traditional news organizations for failing to ferret out the truth and instead relying on fake neutrality, which she said they present when they deliver a "he said, she said" piece without consideration for whether those sides have equal value.

She drew applause from the crowd when she said:

"We wasted years debating global warming that way. The world is not flat."

Huffington pointed out that new media aims to increase transparency, accountability, and community. She characterized old media as having the "disorder of attention deficit disorder," while the new media is "obsessive compulsive," which she argues is needed to get to the truth.

She advocated for media with a point of view, but one that doesn't "sell independence for access" or protect those who they favor. She said her site, The Huffington Post, has expanded to become an online newspaper and prides itself on breaking news, just like the old media does.

Huffington also addressed traditional media's criticism of bloggers and citizen journalists as lacking credibility.

"It's not like old media had so much credibility,"

she said.

"We have new media because people didn't trust the old media."

Chuck DeFeo, who fielded questions with Huffington, also expressed confidence in the new media's ability to get the truth out. He said voter apathy, a frequent complaint in the last millennium, has diminished.

"Now we truly have an arena of ideas threaded throughout society,"

he said.

"I don't think there's much apathy today."

DeFeo, VP and general manager of conservative online community Townhall.com, as well several Web sites for Salem Communications' nationally syndicated talk radio programs, said that democratic ideas discussed at the conference have been around since Plato and Voltaire,

"but it's not until now that we are truly able to do it."

DeFeo, who served as e-campaign manager for the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2004, said that the new media has "elevate certain viewpoints that just would not have been heard" before.

Judge sets Facebook hearing status to 'private'

2008-06-24T14:39:00.001+06:00

Kicking the public out of a courtroom is an option that should be used rarely and extremely judiciously, which is what makes U.S. District Judge James Ware's decision Monday disappointing.

Ware shuttered the doors to a San Jose, Calif., hearing pitting Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg, probably the world's youngest self-made billionaire, against Harvard University classmates who claim Zuckerberg stole ideas and source code from a similar venture called ConnectU. Ware took this extraordinary step without notice, without a formal request from either side, and without even specifying why it was necessary.

This is at odds with the law of the land--it views courtroom closings as extraordinary events--which is why CNET News.com is evaluating whether to file papers seeking access. Not only should the courtroom not have been closed, but any audio recording or transcript of the proceedings should be released.

It is long-established precedent in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is binding in San Jose, that two requirements be met before the public can be barred. First, the public and the press must be given

"a reasonable opportunity to state their objections."

Second, the

"reasons supporting closure must be articulated."

Those requirements were conspicuously absent from Monday's hearing. Neither side formally asked Ware to bar the public. When he asked if there were objections -- and representatives of three different news organizations asked the hearing be delayed to give us a reasonable opportunity to raise them--Ware dismissed the idea. He said only that booting out everyone but the lawyers would be "beneficial" (for whom?).

No less an authority than the U.S. Supreme Court described the presumptive First Amendment right to access court proceedings thusly:

"The presumption may be overcome only by an overriding interest based on findings that closure is essential to preserve higher values, and is narrowly tailored to serve that interest. The interest is to be articulated along with findings specific enough that a reviewing court can determine whether the closure order was properly entered."

Ware certainly has experience dealing with complicated technology cases. He showed he was sensitive to civil liberties in his response to the Justice Department's demands to Google. He's presided over spam lawsuits, the RealNetworks case, and the Sex.com lawsuit.

In this case, Facebook got the courtroom closing it wanted, apparently without even having to ask the judge for it. The likely reason for the closure is that ConnectU recently learned of the existence of instant messaging logs from Zuckerberg's computer dating back many years. Facebook attorney Neel Chatterjee of the Orrick law firm has been insistent on keeping these and scores of other documents confidential--the phrase "under seal" now appears no fewer than 234 times in the official court docket.

No doubt Chatterjee is zealously protecting Zuckerberg's interests. But it is unusual for any attorney to claim that so many documents are highly confidential, which prompted ConnectU to request that the judge "limit materials filed under seal." In that and continued public access to proceedings in this case, satisfying the appearance of justice demands no less.

Pakistani Student Snubs U.S. Ambassador, Payback For Attack

2008-06-22T12:51:00.004+06:00

A Pakistani student, Mr. Samad Khurram, today has done what the Pakistani government is afraid to do so far: Snub the U.S. ambassador in the Pakistani capital for the cowardly U.S. attack against our military on the border with Afghanistan.

Samad, a student of law at Harvard University, was in Islamabad to receive a shield of achievement from Anne Patterson, the U.S. ambassador.

But instead of sucking up to the U.S. ambassador, like many Pakistani officials choose to do, Samad had on his mind the blood of over 30 Pakistanis, half of them soldiers, who were killed on the soil of their homeland on June 10 when the Americans sided with Karzai thugs, also known as the 'Afghan national army', and used massive air power to target a peaceful Pakistani border post.

Ms. Patterson was attending a special ceremony organized at the National Arts Gallery by a privately owned Pakistani school. The school had invited 188 of its former students who received scholarships to study at various American colleges and universities. Parents of the students were present, along with Mrs. Zahida Kiayni, the wife of the Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani.

Ms. Patterson and other U.S. embassy officials were shocked and embarrassed when Samad walked to the stage to receive his award but then announced he was refusing the honor to protest the unprovoked American violation of Pakistani airspace and the murder of innocent Pakistanis.

A shaken Ms. Patterson smiled sheepishly and tried to make the best out of an embarrassing moment.

According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the official news agency, this is how the U.S. ambassador responded:

"The American ambassador, responding to the protest of the student, said America has deep regrets on the incident."

She said

America is proud to have him (Samad Khurram) in USA for study,

adding,

"The only way to remove the misunderstanding is to exchange ideas and views."

Ms. Patterson had a point there. We need to put our position out to the Americans in a clear way. Samad did just that. He did not boycott the ceremony. He attended it and made sure he rebuked the U.S. ambassador in the full glare of the media.

The unfortunate part is that no one present in the huge hall of NCA joined this nationalist young Pakistani in his gesture. At the very least, Pakistanis present in the hall should have given him a standing ovation

The other unfortunate part is that none of the 80 or so Pakistani news channels highlighted the incident. Why did we allow private Pakistani channels in the first place? Wasn't it to project Pakistani position to the world? If this was the Indian media, if this was the Chinese media, if this was the Iranian media, if this was the Arab media, if this was Turkish media, this incident would have been repeated at the top of every news bulletin for the day.

I hope some of the defeatist 'liberal' Pakistanis working for television news channels might be reading this. If you know someone there, please admonish them.

It is sad that ordinary Pakistanis will always be more nationalist and patriotic than their so-called 'liberal' intellectuals and their non-intellectual politicians

But Samad Khurram, no matter what, we are proud of you.

I urge my fellow nationalist Pakistanis to email Samad and congratulate him. His email is samadkhurram@gmail.com

Google's KML Format Approved As Open Standard

2008-04-20T13:33:00.000+05:00

Google on Monday gave up control of its Keyhole Markup Language, or KML, in order that the file format used in Google Earth and Google Maps could become an international standard.

"Starting today, Google no longer controls KML,"

said Michael Weiss-Malik, KML product manager at Google, in a blog post.

"The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), an international standards body, has announced the completion of KML's standardization process. KML has become an OGC Standard, and the OGC will take responsibility for maintaining and extending it. This transfer of ownership is a strong reflection of Google's commitment to open standards. Fundamentally, our interest is not to control information, but rather to encourage its spread."

The OGC includes 345 companies, government agencies, and academic organizations from around the world with an interest in geographic data standards. In addition to Internet companies like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo, the organization counts as members the likes of Boeing, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to name a few.

KML was initially developed by Keyhole Inc., a geospatial visualization company that Google acquired in 2004. KML files define an XML schema for displaying and describing geographic data in two or three dimensions. Microsoft added KML support to its Virtual Earth geospatial application last October.

In a statement, Ron Lake, chairman and CEO of Galdos Systems, a geospatial infrastructure software and services company, said he was glad to see KML become an OGC standard.

"We believe that this is a major step forward for the OGC and for the entire geographic information community, as it provides the first broadly accepted standard for the visualization of geographic information,"

he said.

Standards battles can often be quite contentious, as has been Microsoft effort to get its OOXML specification accepted. KML, however, appears to have won approval without opposition, perhaps because Microsoft has already decided to use the file format.

Stefan Geens, who publishes the Ogle Earth blog, said in an e-mail message that Google's decision to give up KML for standardization signaled a transition from frenetic development to more careful, considered innovation, which will include input from other developers.

"As for the competitive edge over Microsoft -- that comes from having had the first-mover advantage,"

he said.

"It will take awhile before Microsoft's implementation of KML rendering catches up with Google on the more esoteric features, and until then people will regard Google Earth as a kind of reference/gold standard, which I'm sure suits Google fine."

Google says that there have been 350 million downloads of Google Earth. A Microsoft spokesperson wasn't immediately able to provide a figure for Virtual Earth. A comparison of the search terms "Google Earth" and "Virtual Earth" using Google shows 43,500,000 and 7,010,000 results, respectively. Using Windows Live Search, a "Google Earth" search finds 21,400,000 results, while a "Virtual Earth" search returns 4,290,000 results. Google Trends shows significantly more searches being done for "Google Earth" than "Virtual Earth."

Hard-liners 'dominate Iran poll'

2008-03-15T20:15:00.001+05:00

Hard-line allies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are ahead in Iran's parliamentary election, partial results suggest.

But conservative critics of Mr Ahmadinejad also appear to be making a strong showing that could undermine his domination of the parliament.

Reformists are said to be struggling after large numbers of their candidates were barred from the race.

The United States says this means the results were "cooked".

The Associated Press (AP) news agency reports that 144 out of 290 parliamentary seats have been decided so far.

Quoting state television, official news agency IRNA and reports from local officials, AP says pro-Ahmadinejad politicians have won 53 seats, reformists 18, and conservative critics of Mr Ahmadinejad 38.

Independents whose political leanings were not immediately known claimed the remaining 35, the agency says.

An Iranian official claimed that Friday's turnout was as high as 65%, the BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran reports.

But our correspondent says that polling stations in the capital were not busy, and many people said they felt there was nothing or no-one to vote for.

The Iranian authorities had called for a big turnout to defy the US and other countries they say are Iran's enemies.

The election will shape the political map ahead of 2009's presidential poll.

President Ahmadinejad flew in from an Islamic summit in Senegal to cast his vote.

He said the world had chosen Iran as its "role model and saviour".

Real winners

The reformists seem to have given up the fight after many of their candidates were disqualified on the grounds of alleged lack of loyalty to Islamic values, says our correspondent.

They made up the bulk of about 1,700 candidates barred from running by Iran's Guardian Council - an unelected body of clerics and jurists that vets election candidates.

The Guardian Council has denied bias.

Analysts expect the poll's real winners to be former members of the hardline Revolutionary Guards, who could replace the Muslim clergy as the biggest force in the assembly.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could also gain strength if, as forecast, a new younger generation of hard-line loyalists gains positions of power.

Going nuclear

The likely effect of a further increase in conservative self-confidence, our correspondent says, will be even less chance of compromise over Iran's nuclear programme, and a yet more assertive foreign policy.

It is thought the reformists may struggle to hang on to the 40 or so seats they hold in the assembly.

They say the election is unfair but still urged Iran's 44 million eligible voters to turn out for the country's eighth parliamentary elections since its 1979 Islamic revolution.

President Ahmadinejad's political opponents blame him for the three rounds of sanctions imposed on Iran by the United Nations over its nuclear programme.

The US, Israel and key Western powers accuse Iran of attempting to build a nuclear bomb, but Tehran insists it is only enriching uranium for a civilian energy programme.

Australian Grand Prix

2008-03-15T20:12:00.002+05:00

Lewis Hamilton took pole position for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, but Kimi Raikkonen must start from near the back of the grid in Melbourne.

McLaren's Hamilton was fastest in the second and third runs, while Raikkonen was forced out before the second session after his Ferrari pulled up.

BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica almost stole pole but a slight oversteer in his last lap saw him finish second fastest.

Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen was third quickest.

After claiming his seventh pole from just 18 starts, Hamilton was naturally in upbeat mood.

"Being in pole is a great feeling, but there's always improvements you can make,"

said the 23-year-old Briton.

"It's going to be a very tough race and we just have to do the best we can in managing our tyres and hope for the best."

With traction control now outlawed, Hamilton said the start would be a crucial moment during the opening race of the season, particularly as Kubica is no slouch off the line.

"Obviously the start will be a major factor,"

said Hamilton.

"The new regulations makes the starts a little bit trickier and I think you will see a wide range of good and bad starts."

As well as the removal of assisted engine braking, cars are also no longer allowed to refuel between qualifying and the race.

Hamilton said he had yet to give any thought as to how the rule changes might affect his planning for the race.

"There are definitely places where I can improve and the team can improve but it is very difficult going from a light fuel load to a heavy fuel load,"

he said.

"Going out, trying to brake at the same spot, you can't do that. You have to re-adjust.

"I've not really thought about strategy to be honest. It will be a little different, I think, at the first race because everyone's going to be experimenting and there's a lot of pressure on everyone."

Asked if he thought Raikkonen's lowly grid position would make his own race easier, Hamilton said:

"I don't think so because we're not really sure what sort of pace Ferrari were going to have during Q3.
"I think I've got a tough enough job anyway, so I don't think not having Kimi in the top three is going to make it any less difficult."

Raikkonen, winner in Melbourne from pole position on his Ferrari debut last year, was eliminated when his car coasted to a halt with a fuel pressure problem and he had to be pushed back to the garage.

The Finn sat in his car at the start of the second session but climbed out of the cockpit after being told the assistance from his crew meant he was not allowed to continue.

Raikkonen, who will start the race from 16th place on the grid, said:

"It's definitely not the best way to start the season.
"Clearly I'm disappointed. Now we must try to do our best to pick up some points tomorrow."

Better news for Ferrari was the performance of Felipe Massa, with the Brazilian clinching a place on the second row.

But there was disappointment for two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, back at Renault after a season at McLaren, who failed to reach the third stage of qualifying and will start in 12th place.

Australia's Mark Webber spun his Red Bull into the gravel during the second run, bringing out the red flag. He will start from 15th.

Britain's David Coulthard grabbed an impressive eighth for Red Bull but compatriot Jenson Button missed out on a place in the third qualifying session and will line up his Honda in 13th place.

"The car was working pretty well but I just had a rubbish couple of corners,"

said Button.

"We lost about four tenths, which is so annoying. But I'm surprised by our performance and considering the mistakes I made, I'm pretty happy."

Toyota's Timo Glock will start from 19th place after being penalised 10 grid placings after two qualifying offences.

He qualified ninth but was moved back five spots because Toyota changed his gearbox in between morning practice and qualifying.

He suffered another five-place penalty for impeding Webber.

Final qualifying times for the Australian Grand Prix

1. Lewis Hamilton, Britain, McLaren-Mercedes, 1 minute, 26.714 seconds.
2. Robert Kubica, Poland, BMW-Sauber, 1:26.869.
3. Heikki Kovalainen, Finland, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:27.079.
4. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari, 1:27.178.
5. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, BMW-Sauber, 1:27. 236.
6. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Toyota, 1:28. 527.
7. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams, 1:28.687.
8. David Coulthard, Britain, Red Bull, 1:29.041.
9. Timo Glock, Germany, Toyota, 1:29.593.
10. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Toro Rosso, did not start.

Eliminated after second session

11. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Honda, 1:26.173.
12. Fernando Alonso, Spain, Renault, 1:26.188.
13. Jenson Button, Britain, Honda, 1:26.259.
14. Kazuki Nakajima, Japan, Williams, 1:26.413.
15. Mark Webber, Australia, Red Bull, did not finish.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Ferrari, did not start.

Eliminated after first session

17. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Force India, 1:27.207.
18. Sebastien Bourdais, France, Toro Rosso, 1:27.446.
19. Adrian Sutil, Germany, Force India, 1;27.859.
20. Takuma Sato, Japan, Super Aguri, 1:28.208.
21. Nelson Piquet Jr., Brazil, Renault, 1:28.330.
22. Anthony Davidson, Britian, Super Aguri, 1:29.059.