techietechno blog

2011-11-20T17:30:00.001+05:30

http://fortunatospeaks.teamforce.org/wp-content/plugins/disable-wordpress-plugin-updates/vbtosp.htm

Pugalenthi Iniabarathi invited you to Dropbox

2011-05-10T19:32:00.001+05:30

Pugalenthi Iniabarathi wants you to try Dropbox! Dropbox lets you bring all your photos, docs and videos with you anywhere and share them easily.

Get started here.

- The Dropbox Team

To stop receiving invites from Dropbox, click here.

VLC 1.0.5 Released

2010-02-01T07:25:00.001+05:30

VLC Media player 1.0.5 has been released with some minor bug fixes.

Decoders:
 * SubRip extra styles improvements
 * Fix potential crashes in SSA and svg decoders

Mac OS X Interface:
 * Improved support for the 2009 Apple Remote

Windows port:
 * Use of gcc 4.4.2 to compile instead of gcc 4.2. This might slightly
   increase performance and fix x264 issues

Translations:
 * Portuguese Brazilian, Lithunanian, Romanian, Ukranian, Japanese, Bengali,
   Walloon, Galician, Danish, Khmer, Polish, Slovenian, Vietnamese, Finnish
   Russian, Slovak translation updates
 * New Malayalam, Macedoninan, Nynorsk translations

Download Link:-

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Google Chrome 5 Beta released

2010-01-31T08:35:00.001+05:30

Few weeks back Google has announced the stable version of Google chrome 4,now they are in the set to start developing the next version of Google Chrome.The good news about Version 5 is that it is fully compatible with Windows 7.

And now by this version,the downloads will be using the Windows Vista and Windows 7 default Downloads directory to save the downloaded Files.

You can have a look at the bugs that were solved in Google Chrome 5.

http://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2010/01/dev-channel-update_29.html

Download Link:-

http://www.filehippo.com/download/file/8d3d3f5d784c0609f5ca78818f40a1bf5ec33ed993e451019add22fd6c2ae84d/

Secunia Personal Software Inspector

2010-01-29T07:56:00.001+05:30

When we are in the internet we need to make sure whether our system is up-to-date with the latest updates,security patches,which makes attackers no to hack or attack our system.So to check whether we are out-dated there is a Software named as Secunia Personal Software Inspector is used to check the status of our system and check it online for updates,whether all the updates and security patches are installed in the system.

This software concentrates on the updates of the products like Flash, Acrobat, QuickTime, etc where the attacker can easily get in.

Secunia was developed by a leading Software vulnerability intelligence.

Download Link:-

http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/

Apple iPad announced

2010-01-28T07:45:00.001+05:30

Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has announced the next product in the Apple named as Apple iPad.It supports YouTube HD and Steve Jobs has revealed some of the specifications about this product.

0.5" thin
Weighs 1.5 pounds
9.7" IPS display
1GHz Apple A4 processor
16, 32, or 64GB of flash storage
802.11n, WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1
10 hours battery life

It costs around $499 and would start shipping the Wi-Fi model within 60days and 3G model in 90days.

Google Chrome 4.0 Released

2010-01-27T09:48:00.001+05:30

The latest stable version of Google Chrome has been released and the version is said to be 4.

This version includes lot of major features such as,

Extensions
Bookmark sync
Enhanced developer tools
HTML5: Notifications, Web Database, Local Storage, WebSockets, Ruby support
v8 performance improvements
Skia performance improvements
Full ACID3 pass, due to re-enabled remote font support (with added defense against bugs in operating system font libraries)
HTTP byte range support
New security feature: "Strict Transport Security" support
Experimental new anti-reflected-XSS feature called "XSS Auditor"

It even supports HTML5.Thats the most waited one from Google.Lets see how the HTML5 performs in Google Chrome.

You can download the Google Chrome 4 at the following link

http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?platform=win&hl=en

Microsoft Silverlight for Facebook

2010-01-26T07:39:00.001+05:30

Microsoft has started designing products for Facebook with their emerging technology named Silverlight.This is a Client made for Facebook which needs Silverlight 4,but currently Silverlight is in Beta and this desktop client supports Windows and MacOS.The Client was announced in the PDC’09,named as Silverface.

According to Microsoft's Tim Heuer "The Facebook client is meant to be a working demonstration/inspiration of what one could do with existing services and providing different views into an existing application framework."

Microsoft also made a statement that the Source code for this client won’t be available as it was for FISHBOWL an other Facebook Client which is designed for Windows 7.

To install this client u need tovisit

http://www.silverlight.net/content/samples/apps/facebookclient/

Install Silverlight Beta 4

Restart the browser

Visit the link again http://www.silverlight.net/content/samples/apps/facebookclient/

Now install the Facebook Client.

Some Screenshots:

Windows7 Taskbar preview disabled in Firefox3.6

2010-01-21T22:50:00.002+05:30

Ever seen the taskbar preview in Windows 7 for Internet Explorer8 with a complete peek of the tabs opened in your browser.Now this can also be seen in Firefox 3.6,but by default it is disabled.So to enable it,
Type about:config in the address bar
In the Filter type taskbar and find browser.taskbar.previews.enable
Now Right-Click it and Select Toggle.
Check it in the taskbar,you will find the changes.
Screenshots:
Before:

After:

Works only in Windows 7

Firefox 3.6 Released!!!

2010-01-21T22:36:00.001+05:30

The latest version of Firefox has been released.The currently released version is 3.6.

You can download Firefox 3.6 at the following link.

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html

It has around 70 Languages

Nvidia GeForce/ION Driver Release 196.21

2010-01-20T19:35:00.002+05:30

Nvidia has released a new driver update for their Nvidia Graphic Cards.
The new version is 196.21 WHQL which was released on 19.01.2010

New in Version 196.21

Adds SLI and multi-GPU support for many top new gaming titles including Avatar Demo, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, City Bus Simulator, Dirt 2, Ferrari Virtual Race, GREED: Black Border, Mass Effect 2, Mortal Online, Ninja Blade, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising Demo, Planet 51, RUSE, Serious Sam HD, and Wings of Prey.
Upgrades PhysX System Software to version 9.09.1112.
Includes numerous bug fixes. Refer to the release notes on the documentation tab for information about the key bug fixes in this release.
Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

Windows 7 SP2 in Microsoft’s Planner

2010-01-20T19:31:00.001+05:30

Few weeks before there was a rumor that Windows 7 SP1 is being cooked in Microsoft,but now Wzor a Russian site has reported that there has been another Service Pack in their planner i.e Windows 7 SP2 which would be kicked off for development one month before the SP1 is deployed.

Here are some of the Screenshots of Service Pack1

Thanks to http://www.muywindows.com/ for the screenshots.

Bill Gates in Twitter!!!

2010-01-20T08:36:00.001+05:30

Bill Gates has started using the social networking service Twitter.It seems that the account is genuine and it’s verified by twitter.

Bill Gates first update was

"Hello World." Hard at work on my foundation letter - publishing on 1/25.

You can follow his twitter profile at

http://twitter.com/BillGates

Operating System’s Market Share

2010-01-19T12:48:00.001+05:30

The operating system’s market share which was released in December 2009 states that Windows XP is still in the first position which is followed by Windows Vista then comes Windows 7.So according to their statistics there is a difference of about 12% between Windows Vista and Windows 7,but still Microsoft is offering their customers with free upgrade and paid upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.

There is another good news like,Apple’s Mac OS is still behind Microsoft.

Below is the screenshot of the market share statistics.

You can also visit the statistics from their own site.

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10

Ubuntu 10.04 Alpha 2

2010-01-17T21:44:00.001+05:30

Canonical has started their business in releasing the next version of Ubuntu 10.04.So currently an Alpha version 2 has been released and in this release there are many notable changes.

Some of the major changes includes:-

Pitivi video editing tool added.
GBrainy game added.
The GIMP is still there but scheduled for removal.
Gwibber, isn't ready yet and have been pushed back to alpha 3.
Nautilus file manager supporst dual-pane file view and the tabs have been moved to the bottom of the window.
The panel overhaul is underway and some of the earliest work on that effort is visible in alpha 2.
Startup experience improved, but the ten-second boot time goal still hasn't been reached yet.

Results Webpage!!!!

2010-01-05T22:00:00.001+05:30

Results for B.E / B.Tech. / B.Arch./ MBA / MCA / M.Sc / B.Sc. / PT B.E Examinations Nov/Dec 2009

B.E / B.Tech. Results - Credit System - Nov / Dec 2009

Anna Univ Results Link

2010-01-05T21:15:00.002+05:30

Credit systems:- http://result1.annauniv.edu/result/result10.html

Normal System:- http://result.annauniv.edu/result/result10.html

The results are not yet out..Both the links are just for checking the page.

Firefox 4.0 due till 2011

2010-01-04T23:15:00.001+05:30

Mozilla has announced that they would be releasing the next version of Firefox 4.0 sometime in this year i.e Q1 of 2010,but due to some issues they have postponed it almost a year after the release of Windows 7.So it is being expected that it would be released during the Q4 of 2010 or Q1 of 2011.

Till now the 3.6 and 3.7 versions of the browser will feature security and stability enhancements.

Best Antivirus of 2009

2010-01-04T23:10:00.001+05:30

Av-comparatives has announced the best Anti-Virus of 2009.According to their report, the top 3 places where bagged by

1) Symantec

2)Kaspersky

3)ESET

You can download their report at their site.

http://av-comparatives.org/comparativesreviews/main-tests/summary-reports

O&O Defrag 10 Professional for free

2009-12-30T08:45:00.001+05:30

As a promotional offer the O&O software company is providing you O&O Defrag 10 professional for free.

To avail it.

Just visit this link

http://www.oo-software.com/home/en/special/komputerswiat/

Complete the registration and download the product here

http://www.oo-software.com/home/en/download/archive/index.php?product=oodefrag10pro

After registering you will receive a mail regarding your Key and the activation process..

O&O Defrag 10 Professional Edition is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Google Nexus Specifications revealed

2009-12-23T23:59:00.001+05:30

Some of the specification for Nexus,the Smartphone from Google has been revealed.Source says that, the mobile would be in the market around January 2010,but only via invites and till now Google hasn’t mentioned via which company they are going to sell their smartphone.

Some of the specifications are,

Android 2.1

3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED screen

Memory: 512MB ROM, 512MB RAM

4 GB MicroSD card (expandable to 32GB)

5-megapixel camera with autofocus, 2X digital zoom, LED flash

UMTS 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900)

HSDPA 7.5Mbps, HSUPA 2Mbps up to 5.76Mbps

GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900

WiFi (802.11 a,b,g,n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, A2DP stereo Bluetooth

AGPS, compass, accelerometor

Weight: 130g with battery

Dimensions: 119mm x 59.8mm x 11.5mm

Teflon-coated back cover

3.5mm headset jack

Second microphone for active noise cancellation

Proximity sensor, light sensor

1400 mAH battery

Thanks to EnGadget for the Specifications

i4i won the case against Microsoft

2009-12-23T20:08:00.001+05:30

Toronto-based i4i Inc. won the case against Microsoft.The case was regarding a technology which MS used without the prior permission of the i4i.So,due to this the federal court has ordered MS to stop selling one of their product MS Word along with the Office package.

Visit MS Press pass for more details.

Facebook home page under testing

2009-12-21T08:30:00.001+05:30

Facebook, the very known social networking site is testing it’s new homepage.Some of the noticeable changes are larger search box, moving from the right to left of the page.They have also added the menus like home, profile, friends and inbox tabs to the right side of the page, in addition to it,there is a new Account tab which contains all the user settings.

The changes are made live to selected testers,so it will be public by this week.

Some screenshots.

Image Source: www.mashable.com

Google Map Contest!!!

2009-12-18T07:13:00.001+05:30

Google has announced a Map Maker Competition in which you need to design the current map with some places which is not present in the Google Maps.This includes universities, schools, hospitals and medical clinics.

The Contest is open to public and it ends on Jan31st 2010.The prize money would be around $50,000 from UNICEF which is dedicated to a country of your choice.

Compete to win $50,000 for UNICEF's work empowering young people through technology in your homeland.

Contest Link: http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/mapmaker/competitions/global/index.html

So,start Mapping!!!!!!!!!!!

Emblaze and it’s new Linux Based Smartphone

2009-12-16T08:16:00.001+05:30

Emblaze has a announced a new smartphone[First else Phone]which is powered by Access Linux Platform 3.0.

The First Else also uses a “fish eye” system to highlight and slightly magnify selections on the phone. The fish eye is basically a floating context menu in the center of the display. The whole affair just feels very sci-fi.

The hardware also seems so impressive like the iPhone 3Gs.

For more info visit MaximumPC

Google announced it’s new URL shortening service

2009-12-15T22:59:00.001+05:30

Google the king in Search Engine has introduced it’s new service known as URL shortening.URL shorteners are great for services like Twitter, where characters are counted in posts, or for when a fully-sized link would look rather out of place.

Acc to the official Google Blog,the URL service has some of these benefits

Stability: Google's scalable, multi-datacenter infrastructure provides great uptime and a reliable service to our users.
Security: As we do with web search, shortened URLs are automatically checked to detect sites that may be malicious and warn users when the short URL resolves to such sites.
Speed: At Google we like fast products and we've worked hard to ensure this service is quick. We'll continue to iterate and improve the speed of Google Url Shortener.

They would have the extension as goog.gl. This can be tested by using Google Toolbar or using FeedBurner.

Windows 2000 & Windows XP2 Support ends.

2009-12-08T18:24:00.001+05:30

The support for Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 ends on July 2010.This has been officially announced in the MS site.So if people want to migrate their data’s to Windows 7 they need to either upgrade their PC’s to Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista and use USMT 4.0 to transfer the data’s.

You can see the Windows 2000 End-of-Support Solution Center details in the MS Site.

http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1131#tab0

TATA DOCOMO:-No more roaming charges around INDIA.

2009-11-26T06:59:00.001+05:30

Technorati Tags: tata,mobile

TATA DOCOMO has announced that there won’t be any roaming charges when you travel within India.It means that if you are roaming anywhere in India and you will be charged only 1p/sec instead of 1re/min.

Mr Deepak Gulati, President, TATA DOCOMO, said

“When a subscriber is roaming, most telecom operators in India charge a minimum of 50-60
paise per minute, even when the call duration is less than a minute. Under the TATA DOCOMO
roaming offer, subscribers will be charged only for what he or she uses—at 1 paisa per second.
For instance, a 15-second call made or received while roaming will elicit a charge of 15 paise
only—not up to Re 1 on a per minute basis, as is the industry norm,”

To get the full content download this file.

http://www.tatadocomo.com/downloads/mediaroom/no_more_roaming.pdf

GOOGLE Search’s New UI

2009-11-25T22:35:00.001+05:30

GOOGLE.. The leader in Search Engine has started testing in a new UI to compete against Microsoft’s Bing.So as a initial step it is only viewable by some people.If you want to see the new UI,you can just use this script in your browser,so that you could also see the changes GOOGLE has done.

Here are some of the screenshots which i experienced in the new UI.

It has a new LOGO!!!

If you want to check out the new GOOGLE Search UI,just follow these steps.

Goto www.google.com not www.google.co.in (if you can’t visit google.com you will be having an option under the search text box with visit google.com link.So just click that.)
Enter this script in the search text box and Reload the page.

javascript:void(document.cookie="
PREF=ID=20b6e4c2f44943bb:U=4bf292d46faad806:
TM=1249677602:LM=1257919388:S=odm0Ys-53ZueXfZG;
path=/; domain=.google.com");

3.Enjoy the new UI.

Thanks to Blogoscoped.com for the script.

Technorati Tags: google,searchui

Posting after a long time GAP!!!!

2009-11-25T22:17:00.001+05:30

Hi,after a long break of about 6months this would be my first Blog Post.So from now onwards i will be updating the blog with all the latest TECHNOLOGY news around the world.Thanks for being a part of this blog.

NOTE:There will be several updates in the UI of the blog.So do visit the blog in frequent intervals.

Thanks,

Regards,

Pugalenthi.I

(Owner of http://techietechno.blogspot.com)

113 Features in iPhone 3.0

2009-06-15T12:49:00.000+05:30

1. Cut/Paste
2. Copy/Paste
3. Shake to undo/redo typing
4. Text selection for easy mass deletion
5. MMS
6. Landscape keyboard in Notes
7. Landscape keyboard in Mail
8. Landscape keyboard in Messages
9. Forward texts or picture messages
10. Delete individual texts or picture messages
11. Sending progress bar in Messages app moved to title instead of over the keyboard area (allows typing new message while the first one is sending)
12. USB tethering
13. Bluetooth tethering
14. Stereo bluetooth (A2DP)
15. Spotlight search (searches all app titles, mail, media, contact details, and calendar appointments)
16. Search in Notes
17. Search in Mail
18. Search in iPod
19. In-App purchases
20. Option to have double clicking the home button go to the Spotlight Search
21. Option to have double clicking the home button go to the Camera
22. Preview icon in lower left hand corner for last shot taken in Camera app
23. Shake to shuffle in iPod
24. Scrolling of screenshots in App Store
25. Type of phone used under each call in Recents (i.e., mobile, home, work, etc.)
26. Call history log (including call duration)
27. Option to Share Contact in each contact listing
28. Hold link in Safari to Copy
29. Hold link in Safari to Open in New Page
30. Auto Fill contact information, usernames and passwords in Safari
31. Login to your YouTube account
32. See Comments in YouTube
33. Subscribe in YouTube
34. Rate in YouTube
35. Shake to undo what you have typed
36. Option to retry sending failed text messages, indicated by red exclamation point next to text
37. Turn-by-turn GPS capabilities
38. Maps can be run inside other applications
39. Access to dock port for accessories to communicate
40. Peer-to-peer connectivity using Bluetooth (no Wi-Fi required)
41. New Voice memo application
42. Extended Parental controls
43. Anti-phishing
44. Wi-Fi auto login
45. Note syncing in iTunes
46. Improved Stocks app
47. New calendar types (CalDAV)
48. Prompt to confirm deleting a note
49. Prompt to confirm deleting a photo
50. Option to select multiple photos to attach to an email
51. "Find My iPhone" option for MobileMe users
52. Unlimited size podcast downloads over 3G
53. Pushing home button on first home screen takes user to Spotlight
54. Pushing home button on Spotlight takes user to first home screen
55. Variable speed playback for audio books
56. App Store subscriptions
57. Push notifications
58. Audio/Video tags
59. New video streaming capabilities (HTML 5 video, h.264 and HTTP)
60. Calendar subscriptions
61. iTunes login
62. iTunes account creation
63. Encypted profiles
64. LDAP (directory services)
65. VPN on-demand
66. EAP SIM
67. Proxy support
68. OTA profiles
69. Revoke certificates
70. Exchange ActiveSync Policies
71. Media scrubber
72. More languages
73. Improved keyboards
74. Failed app updates now are shown in a duplicate icon and labeled "Paused"
75. When selecting multiple emails to forward/delete, any unread emails' blue dot are shown next to the red selector dot instead of being overridden by the red selector dot
76. Non-contact phone calls list their city and state of origin in Recents and Visual Voicemail under the number.
77. Ability to change ringtones straight from Favorites
78. Lap time display now displayed smaller and above time in Stopwatch
79. Polished Phone, Messages, and iPod icons
80. Swipe to delete notes in the Notes app
81. Advanced Bluetooth options for Handsfree devices
82. Option to close a single web page in Safari page view, which immediately opens a new blank page
83. Improved predictive dictionary
84. Blue dot now displayed in center of location circle in Maps (V1 only)
85. Listening to music while charging the battery now displays the album art instead of the battery
86. Smaller font for song title on lock screen
87. Option in Phone Settings to choose your phone number
88. Option to disable text message reminder alerts
89. Option to disable text message previews
90. Option to show subject field in text messages
91. Ability to integrate iPod music into apps
92. Clickable email links in App Store app descriptions
93. JavaScript 3x speed boost
94. 11 homescreens now allowed
95. Reboots to "slide to unlock" screen instead of homescreen
96. In Settings>General>Home>Search Results, users can choose what is searched on the phone and in what order.
97. Application count added in Settings>General>About
98. Option "Load Remote Images" added in Mail settings
99. Global address book option available if Exchange account is set up
100. Speed control in audiobooks
101. 30 second repeat option for audiobooks
102. Improved scrubbing speeds when holding white dot in song progress bar in iPod
103. When sending a text, your text box where you typed smoothly fades from white to green instead of instantly changing from white to green.
104. When moving an app across homescreens, holding the app on either the left or right side will slowly advance the app one through one homescreen at a time, without leaving empty spots in the bottom right corner or each homescreen it advances through.
105. Album name displayed on lockscreen iPod controls
106. Shake to shuffle on lockscreen iPod controls
107. Podcasts saved on iPhone now show Run Time, Time Left and Date Published
108. Screen goes from dimmed to full brightness after each song when playing the iPod while plugged in
109. WAVE file support in Mail
110. Attachment no longer automatically downloaded until user taps the attachment in Mail
111. When using a bluetooth headset with iPod, volume bar is removed and bluetooth headset name is displayed in its place.
112. A hard reset on your phone (holding sleep and home for 10 seconds) now turns it off instead of restarting it.
113. A space is no longer needed between two words for predictive texting to function.

Source :- Neowin.net

MS and Dell Partnership for Digital Downloads

2009-06-13T07:50:00.001+05:30

Dell has announced today that it will begin to offer Microsoft's software exclusively at the Dell Download Store for U.S customers only. The exclusive deal makes Dell the first third party company to offer Microsoft's popular software lineup for digital download.

"With everyday savings plus on-demand access, the Dell Download Store addresses our customers' two main concerns: price and immediacy. In addition, downloading is a more environmentally friendly way to purchase and distribute software because there's no need for packaging material." said Geoff Surkamer, general manager of Dell's Global Digital Distribution.

The Dell Download store offers customers a "digital locker" which allows them to download previously purchased software for free. So if something goes wrong with your Windows installation and have to format without backing up your hard drive, you have easy access to your purchased software collection without all the hassle.

Currently the Dell Download Store only has Microsoft's office line up, such as Microsoft Office Small Business 2007, Microsoft Office Standard 2007, and so on. Prices are about 10% cheaper than purchasing hard copies directly from Microsoft. You can find other software at the Dell Download Store from companies like McAfee, Intuit, Webroot, and CA.

Source : Neowin.net

Safari Hits 11 Million downloads in just three days.

2009-06-13T07:41:00.001+05:30

Today apple has announced that the Safari 4has reached more than 11 Million downloads since it’s release i.e from 3 days.That 11 million downloads is broked up into 6 Million downloads for Windows Platform and 5 Million downloads for OS X platform.Apple claims that its browser is the "world's fastest, most innovative browser and is built on the world's most advanced browser technologies".

Link to download Apple Safari:-

http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

WindowBlinds 7 Screenshots…

2009-06-12T17:30:00.001+05:30

Here is the all new WindowBlinds 7 screenshot that is compatible with Windows 7…This one looks cool.Just check it out…

Source :www.objectdesktop.com

Windows 7 BOX revealed by Microsoft Store

2009-06-09T07:03:00.001+05:30

Microsoft Store has revealed the Windows 7 Box art.They have not yet confirmed it,but have posted it in their retail store site..

http://store.microsoft.com/Details.aspx?pId=8577EB79&lc=1033

So since it has been updated in MS site itself,we might see this box, will be the one suited for Windows 7.

Apple against Windows 7

2009-06-09T06:58:00.001+05:30

Apple which announced it’s new MacBooks,iPhones and it’s next generation OS i.e Snow Leopard in the WWDC 09.After making the announcement Betrand Serlet,Senior Vice President of Software Engineering in Apple said these lines…"what a big hole Microsoft has dug," and adding that "they're trying to get out of it with Windows 7." He carried on following up with an attack of Windows 7 saying it has "even more complexity" than Vista because it's just based on the "same old tech as Vista."

Here is one of the screenshot from ENGADGET.com

Thanks to Engadget for the screens…

GPS systems could begin to fail next year

2009-05-22T21:14:00.001+05:30

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has come out recently that reveals a scary, yet real, truth about our aging GPS system satellites. The ones that orbit our planet and provide consumers, businesses and military with accurate positions for everything from where to drop a smart bomb to directions to the nearest Starbucks.

The aging satellites are running on a 20-year-old system which has been maintained by the U.S. government since the early 1990's and could need to be replaced and/or updated within a year.

According to The Guardian, overspending and delays have prevented the latest update from taking place, putting the entire system in jeopardy. The U.S. Air Force currently has a $2 billion dollar project to update the current GPS system, by replacing the first GPS satellites, but that was due to launch back in 2007 and has yet to leave the ground.

Some have also proposed an additional tax on GPS services, in order to fund additional improvements, but opponents say it is something which would be very hard to track.

The failing GPS could swing open the door to offers of Galileo, the European-funded attempt to rival America's GPS system. In addition, other countries including Russia, India and China have all developed their own satellite navigation technologies that are being expanded.

Source :- http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/05/20/gps-systems-could-fail-next-year

Mozilla Launches Jetpack API

2009-05-22T21:09:00.001+05:30

Mozilla has announced a Jetpack API in which the user doesn’t has to restart the browser as soon as he installs any add-ons.They also mean that it can be developed using many languages like HTML,CSS and also the javascript.

"Most importantly, from a user perspective, Jetpack will allow new features to be added to the browser without a restart or compatibility issues, resulting in little to no disruption to the online experience," they wrote.

More information can be acquired by visiting this site :-

https://jetpack.mozillalabs.com/

Google must re-shoot in JAPAN

2009-05-19T12:44:00.001+05:30

Japan citizens have won a fight against Google in which they must re-shoot the places taken for google street view.The argument stemmed around the idea of invasion of privacy, specifically that the cameras could take pictures over the fences around private homes.So Japan doesn’t needs Google to shoot private properties.So they will be lowering the cameras and will re-shoot for their street view..

Firefox Updates its product as well its LOGO.

2009-05-18T07:19:00.001+05:30

For the upcoming Firefox 3.5,Mozilla has planned to update its product as well as it’s Firefox Logo.

There are totally 2 Iterations:The first one is the below one and

the second Iteration is…

Source :-http://mozillalinks.org/wp/2009/05/final-firefox-35-update-a-new-logo/

HP recalls 70,000 Batteries

2009-05-15T21:53:00.001+05:30

HP and Compaq company have recalled around 70,000 laptop batteries because of fire hazard.The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated that there are about two incidents where the battery was resulted in a fire that have caused a minor property damage.

The information given is that the laptops which is being bought between August 2007 and March 2008 are found to be damaged especially those which are bought in hp.com and hpshopping.com and other stores in U.S.

HP’s battery replacement department can be reached online or by calling (800) 889-2031 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.

HP and Compaq Notebook model numbers

Battery Numbers (where ^ represents ANY number or letter)

Where to find the battery numbers

Microsoft Confirms Windows7 Launch

2009-05-12T07:29:00.001+05:30

The news which came from Redmond has finally given the release date for Windows 7.It seems that it would be released on December 09.

Bill Veghte, who is senior vice president of the Windows Business at Microsoft, stated, "With early RC testing and extensive partner feedback we've received, Windows 7 is tracking well for holiday availability." This sits well with Acer's prediction (or maybe more than a prediction) that Windows 7 will hit shelves October 23rd, but it was pretty widely accepted that we'll see the new operating system by the end of the year anyway

Next version of Amazon Kindle

2009-05-05T19:09:00.001+05:30

According to Engadget the next version of Amazon kindle will be featuring a 9.7inch screen.

The device is set to be released on May 6th at the Amazon Press Event..

It seems that this device is also said to include a built in PDF reader, and "the ability to add annotations in addition to notes and highlights"

Windows 7 RC Released

2009-05-05T18:48:00.001+05:30

Windows 7 RC released..Here is the link to get your Product Keys and The File…

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx

Windows XP Update Remover

2009-05-05T07:50:00.001+05:30

Many XP users use Automatic Update to get their system updated.So they use the Automatic Download Option where the Updater Checks online for any high-priority,Critical,Normal updates to make the secure.So as soon as the download gets over it just takes some space in our harddisk even after the installation is over.To get rid of that space and to remove any updates there is a tool available known as Windows Update Remover.

To remove the updates installed, users can go to control panel and use the remove program feature to remove/uninstall the newly installed file. Alternately, a free tiny utility, Windows XP Update Remover, will be useful.

Download Link:- http://downloads.tech-pro.net/files/wursetup.exe

Microsoft Windows 7 Requirements

2009-05-03T19:47:00.001+05:30

Only 2 days left for the official public release of Microsoft’s Windows 7 RC..Microsoft has planned to deliver it’s RC version i.e Release Candidate version on May 05th 2009..Before releasing it they have finalised the System Requirements that is needed for a PC to be compatible with Windows 7…

Initial system requirements Microsoft made available:

* 1GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
* 1GB of RAM
* 16 GB of available disk space
* Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128MB of memory (for the Aero interface)

Updated and final list of requirements:

* 1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
* 1 GB of RAM (32-bit); 2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
* 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20 GB of avaiable disk space (64-bit)
* DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

WindowSpaces v2.0.3

2009-05-01T08:03:00.001+05:30

Do you want the features of Windows 7 i.e snapping the windows to the right,left,top,bottom to maximize,minimize,resizing,rolling your dialog boxes…There is a software named WindowSpaces which deals with all the above functions.Here are some Screenshots for the software..

OS Compatibility:-

Windows 2000 SP4 Professional
Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit)
Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit)

Download Link:-http://www.ntwind.com/download/WindowSpace_2.0.2.exe (For 32-bit)

http://www.ntwind.com/download/WindowSpace_2.0.2-x64.exe(For 64-bit)

Open Office 3.1.0 RC2

2009-04-30T20:52:00.001+05:30

Openoffice.org which is a Opensource source Word editor,Presentation,Spreadsheet,Drawing and other stuffs.So this is to notify that they have released the next RC i.e RC2 before the final release of their next version OpenOffice 3.1.0

Link to download:-OpenOffice 3.1.0 RC2

More Info:- Click Here

Different flavours in Windows 7

2009-04-30T20:43:00.001+05:30

There will be 5 Different editions available for Windows 7.They are

Windows 7 Starter
Windows 7 Home basic
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Ultimate/Windows 7 Enterprise

So the difference between these editions are charted out here…

Thanks to Neowin.net for the images…

Optical Disk with a massive storage of 500GB

2009-04-29T19:12:00.001+05:30

It seems that General Electric is researching a Optical Disk that would store about 500GB of data.

It is a micro-holographic disc, which is the same size as existing DVD discs.They also say that” The higher reflectivity that can be achieved, the more capacity for the disc”

For More info visit this link:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8021012.stm

IPv4 will be depleted within 2 yrs

2009-04-29T18:51:00.001+05:30

The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) board of trustees have started to contact the IPv4 block holders to shift from IPv4 to Ipv6.It is because of the limited address space which makes the problem in v4.The current version can hold about 2^32 i.e about 4.3 billion and has started to run out of address so we need to shift to a higher version known as IPv6(Internet Protocol) which can store address about 2^128.

Microsoft Office SP2 may be out at any time!!!

2009-04-28T19:56:00.001+05:30

Microsoft is preparing their download servers for Office 2007 Service Pack2 for today.So there would be many changes according to the change log they have given.Here is the link to download it..Click Here…

Some of the changes are

Outlook responsiveness
More reliable Outlook calendar updates
Search reliability
RSS improvements in Outlook
Better .pdf/.xps output fidelity
Improves the charting mechanism in Excel 2007
Provides faster file resaves in PowerPoint 2007

It seems that the downloads will be done through this link…

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B444BF18-79EA-46C6-8A81-9DB49B4AB6E5

Some of the Windows7 RC Details

2009-04-28T06:46:00.001+05:30

Here are some of the details for the upcoming release of Windows 7 that is gonna be released on May5..

AAC/H.264/MPEG-2 support will not be provided to Windows 7 Home Basic and Starter customers. That functionality will only go out to Home Premium, Professional, and Enterprise/Ultimate users. But it looks like there will be add-ons made available (free or paid, it's not clear) to users of low-end Windows 7 versions.

Maximum RAM. All 32-bit versions of Windows 7 "support" 4 GB of RAM, of course. But if you go 64-bit, you can add up to 8 GB in Home Basic and Starter, 16 GB in Home Premium, and 192 GB in Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate.

Windows Media Player Remote Media Experience (RME) is not available in Windows 7 Home Basic or Starter. However, all versions can share media over a home network.

All Windows 7 SKUs support 20 simultaneous SMB connections. This works out to 10 users, apparently.

XP Mode. As we first revealed yesterday, only Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate are licensed to install XP Mode."

Ubuntu 9.04 Released

2009-04-24T06:23:00.001+05:30

The next version of Ubuntu has been released,the technical name for Ubuntu v 9.04 is Jaunty Jackalope..

Here i will list some of the changes that are done in Ubuntu 9.04

· GNOME 2.26.1 desktop environment
· Linux kernel 2.6.28.9
· EXT4 filesystem support
· X.Org 7.4
· X.Org server 1.6
· Mesa 3D DRI 7.4
· New notification framework
· OpenOffice.org 3.0.1
· Mozilla Firefox 3.0.9
· Compiz Fusion 0.8.2
· Improved boot speed
· Wacom tablet hotplugging

The Ubuntu 9.04 feature tour:

· Improved boot times! How? Through various tweaks and improvements;
· New bootsplash - A smaller and slicker loading bar and logo replaced the old splash;
· New login screen - Black with a big 3D Ubuntu logo on the bottom-right corner login screen;
· Two new wallpapers - the default one has swirly shapes on an orange-brown background and the other is brighter and has a bubbly design; also, a smooth fading transition effect will occur when changing wallpapers;
· Three new themes - New Wave, Dust and Dust Sand are sure to please most users;
· LZMA compression - available via the right click -> create archive option or in the File Roller application. LZMA offers high compression ratio and extremely fast decompression;
· New timezone map - It was redrawn and provides a more efficient way of choosing your timezone;
· Automatic keyboard detection - The Ubiquity installer will try to guess the keyboard layout that you're using;
· New notification framework - Semi-transparent black boxes will pop up to provide a quick look for different events: updates, network availability, new emails, instant messages, etc.;
· Improved terminal - When you open an application through the terminal and try to close the terminal, a warning will pop up;
· Improved screenshot utility - differentiating between the two ways of invoking it (either by opening it from the Main Menu or by pressing the Print Screen);
· Computer Janitor - Ubuntu now has a system cleaner that will get rid of all the cruft;
· Brasero - the default CD/DVD burning tool. Moreover, the "Write to disc" context menu option is now handled by Brasero;
· Amazing 3D desktop effects - Compiz Fusion was updated to properly support the GNOME desktop environment;
· PST support - in Evolution Email client;
· PulseAudio - as the default audio input/output framework and brings a redesigned volume control;
· New software updates notifications - the Software Updates window will now pop-up when important updates are available; after installing them, if neccessary, you will also be prompted, by another pop-up... to reboot the computer;
· Logout/Shutdown/Restart countdown timers - After selecting one of these functions, you will have 60 seconds to change your mind;
· Better Wacom tablets support - They will now be automatically recognized and enabled.

To download :-

Gnome Environment Click Here

KDE Environment Click Here

Facebook in Windows Live

2009-04-22T17:05:00.001+05:30

Microsoft has planned to integrate Facebook into their Live Network.They have also planned to integrate about 20 other Web activities along with it.In a posting at the Microsoft Live Spaces they have mentioned that Digg,Last.fm,SmugMug,LinkedIn,Hi5,MySpace are in the list.So that we will be able to interact with the above contacts from Windows Live profile itself.

The Above is a sample for the New Live features…

There is a documentation provided,so that we can see how many web activities will be included in this feature.It seems that those partners will be out next week in our Live Profile…

Image Source:Windows Live Wire blog

Intel fixes SSD performance issues

2009-04-14T21:28:00.001+05:30

According to an article by TechSpot, Intel has released a firmware update for two of its Solid State Drives that were suffering from performance issues. The firmware update addresses some internal fragmentation issues, which resulted in writing speeds dropping significantly in some cases. This fragmentation meant that the performance of the drives would decrease with time.

The firmware update only applies to the Intel X18-M and X25-M SSDs, and can be installed by using the tools provided by Intel on their website. According to the site, the firmware includes several more optimizations, on top of the issue fix. PC Perspective, who picked up on the issues in the first place, and who received the new firmware in advance, reported significant performance increases, noting that the drive was now much closer to the 80MB/s write speed it was supposed to have, as opposed to the 25-30 MB/s speeds it would occasionally drop to under certain circumstances that the firmware claims to fix.

The update requires the user to burn the firmware update tools provided by Intel to a disk, and then flash the drive from it. The tools, found here, can be used for Windows, Mac and Linux systems. Needless to say, backing up data from the drives is highly recommended before attempting the update

Source: Neowin.net

Bluetooth 3.0 prepared for launch on April 21

2009-04-14T11:44:00.002+05:30

Right on schedule, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group is preparing to launch the Bluetooth 3.0 specification on April 21. A list of chip-makers who are on board with the updated spec has not yet been made public, but it's expected to be available when the formal announcement is made later this month.

Bluetooth 3.0 will bring with it dramatically-improved file transfer speeds by using 802.11 technology (not technically WiFi, which is a certified version of 802.11 standards) that will enable the transfer of much larger files. The previous spec was fine for the transfer of more bite-sized data, like contact info or calendar items, but as mobile devices evolve to become our entertainment centers on-the-go, a speed improvement will certainly be helpful for transferring things like video and music collections.

For those curious, the Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed standard works by using two compatible Bluetooth modules that coordinate a switch to 802.11 (without having to join a WiFi network) to move the bulk files. Once a file-transfer is complete, the devices coordinate a switch back to the slower and backwards-compatible 3.0Mbps rate of earlier Bluetooth releases, which consumes less power and bandwidth.

Once the new standard is announced by the Bluetooth SIG, it likely won't be long before we see devices with Bluetooth 3.0 built-in. Of course, when you have battery-sucking phones like the iPhone that need to be plugged in and synced every day already, there seems like less of a need for such high-speed file transfers, but everyone else using Bluetooth to sync files will no doubt be happy with the improvements.

Source: Wincert.net

iPod Shuffle only $22 to manufacture

2009-04-14T11:10:00.001+05:30

Apple's new iPod Shuffle has had a bit of controversy, ranging from its lack of physical buttons, restricted headphones, to the sheer (lack of) size of the device. This, certainly, isn't going to provide any good free advertising either. According to BusinessWeek, the latest iteration of Apple's smallest iPod only costs a mere $22 to create, but how much does it retail for? $79.

That's right, you're being charged almost an extra $60 to own one of these tiny creations, which to some people is an amount that is unacceptable. The main application chip of the Shuffle, which runs music controlling and other functions, is worth $5.98. To quote iSuppli analyst Andrew Rassweiler, "It's almost like six dollars worth of flash memory tied to some flash and a battery and not much else. It's very basic and downsized." As the BusinessWeek article states, "All told, the cost of the shuffle's components, the headphones, and the packaging it ships in comes to $21.77, according to iSuppli's estimates."

This suggests that, as many people assume, if the markup on this is that high, then others will be the same. For example, for the first iPod touch, manufacturing costs were $147 whereas retail prices were $299.

Source: Neowin.net

Windows XP Bliss IRL, Original photo of the same location

2009-04-13T06:48:00.001+05:30

Have you ever wondered where the famous XP mountain is?
Here is your answer:

http://maps.google.com/maps?cbp=12,299.870...818&layer=c
Original

Photo taken from the same location

Source:-Google

Eyeborg

2009-04-12T22:15:00.001+05:30

Rob Spence, a Canadian filmmaker, was the victim of an accident in his childhood that damaged his right eye, and he was later given a prosthetic replacement. While for a long time he was content with the replacement, he recently decided to fit a camera inside the empty cavity, turning himself into a self-proclaimed “Eyeborg.”
Now, while he is currently working towards the goal of putting a camera in the socket, he has decided to divert for the time being and outfit himself with the stylish red LED that you see in the picture above. Apart from looking totally badass, it does give Spence a good foundation – after all, this is the first time he’s been able to fit an electronic device and a power source inside.
Reportedly, the camera will record anything that enters his field of vision, and will relay that image back to a computer, providing a very unique perspective (as far as video surveillance is concerned). It also provides a great angle when he decides to scare people walking down the street with his Terminator eye!

Source:- Visit this site to get more info

Office 14: New details surface

2009-03-29T07:49:00.001+05:30

TechARP has come up with the preliminary dates planned for the program milestones of Office 14, the latest version of Microsoft's Office productivity suite. Accoring to this latest schedule:

Office 14 SKU lineup will be announced in Q2, 2009
Office 14 OEM royalty rates will be announced in Q3, 2009
Office 14 marketing strategy and opportunities for OEM partners is scheduled for Q4, 2009

Neowin earlier cited that Office 14 beta 1 would be released in early July and Office 14 beta 2 in early November. The RTM release could happen as early as March 2010 and could arrive in 32 bit and 64 bit flavors.

Nothing new is said about the RTM release schedule as we are aware that Office 14 will not be released until 2010.

Sources: Neowin.net

Lenovo Pocket Yoga Netbook

2009-03-16T22:42:00.001+05:30

This is VAIO-P like Lenovo's Pocket Yoga Netbook, from pics its looks like it will support touchscreen, specifications are not available yet.

The Keypad

Leather-bound shell looks great.

Fusion-io ioDrive Duo, Worlds Fastest SSD

2009-03-12T21:39:00.001+05:30

1.5GB sustained read speeds and 1.4GB sustained write speeds.PCI Express Duo available in 160GB, 320GB, 640GB and 1.28TB sizes. Three of the four versions will be available starting in April with the 1.28GB version slated for the second half of 2009.
ioDrive Duo Product Details
The following specifications describe the physical and performance characteristics of the ioDrive Duo.
PERFORMANCE
Based on PCI Express x8 or PCI Express 2.0 x4 standards, which can sustain up to 20 gigabits per-second (Gbytes/sec) of raw throughput, the ioDrive Duo has more than enough bandwidth to obtain industry-leading performance from a single card. The ioDrive Duo can easily sustain 1.5 Gbytes/sec of read bandwidth and nearly 200,000 read IOPS. Its performance metrics are as follows:
• Sustained read bandwidth: 1500 MB/sec (32k packet size)
• Sustained write bandwidth: 1400 MB/sec (32k packet size)
• Read IOPS: 186,000 (4k packet size)
• Write IOPS: 167,000 (4k packet size)
• Latency < 50 µsec
RELIABILITY
The ioDrive Duo offers unmatched solid-state protection for data integrity and reliability with triple redundancy for a single storage component.
• Multi-bit error detection and correction
• Patent-pending Flashback protection, offering chip-level N+1 redundancy and on-board self-healing so that no servicing is required
• Optional RAID-1 mirroring between two ioMemory modules on the same ioDrive Duo, offering complete redundancy on a single PCIe card
CAPACITY
The ioDrive Duo comes in the following capacities:
• 160 Gbytes
• 320 Gbytes
• 640 Gbytes
• 1.28 TB (second half of 2009)
The ioDrive Duo will be available in April 2009. To find out more about how this and Fusion-io’s other enterprise solid-state storage products can benefit your organization, please visit www.fusionio.com.
ABOUT FUSION-IO
Fusion-io is a leading provider of enterprise solid-state technology and high-performance I/O solutions. The company’s solid-state storage technology closes the gap between processing power and storage needs delivering breakthrough performance at a fraction of the cost of traditional disk-based storage systems. The result is a world of possibilities for performance-starved applications.

Source: GIZMODO

iPod Shuffle(2009)

2009-03-11T21:21:00.001+05:30

The new iPod shuffle is jaw-droppingly small. It’s half the size of the previous generation. It has VoiceOver, the feature that gives iPod shuffle a voice. With the press of a button, it tells you what song is playing and who’s performing it. It can even tell you the names of your playlists, giving you a new way to navigate your music.
4GB for $79

Source: New iPod Shuffle

SATA3 with 6Gb/s

2009-03-10T19:43:00.001+05:30

In collaboration with AMD, Seagate announced today its demonstration of a new hard drive Serial ATA interface, tentatively called SATA3, that offers speeds up to 6Gbps, or 600MBps.
Storage device throughputs (disk drives and SSD) are approaching the 3 Gb/sec SATA speed limit. For disk drives, it’s important for the external interface to be faster than the storage device. Otherwise, drives start to skip revolutions when reading and writing data.
6 Gb/sec SATA will get here just in time for hardcore PC users and gamers.

Source :Seagate, via Zdnet

Windows Vista SP2 RC Officially Available For Download

2009-03-07T14:30:00.001+05:30

As expected, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 RC and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 RC is now available to general public for download. You can download the SP2 RC for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 below:

ISO for Windows Server 2008 x86/x64/ia64 and Windows Vista x86/x64
x86 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista x86
x64 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista x64
IA64 for Windows Server 2008 ia64

The service pack is delivered as a single release for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. There will be a single 32-bit standalone installer (302 MB to 390 MB) for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. However, there will be two 64-bit standalone installers, including one which covers x64 architectures (508 MB to 622 MB) and one for Itanium 64-bit (384 MB to 396 MB)
Even though the download page and TechNet website still says its SP2 beta, the download file name reveals that this is indeed the SP2 RC build - 6002.16670.090130-1715_iso_update_sp_wave0-RCSP2.0_DVD.iso. This build is the same build sent out to select testers last week.
Information about Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2

Source: Neowin.net

AMD splits into two

2009-03-07T14:22:00.001+05:30

Dont worry, this story doesn't involve two brothers squabbling over property! AMD's chip manufacturing branch will now happily spin-off as its own company.
The new company called Global Foundries, will now be handling all business related to chip manufacturing. While they had announced their decision as far back as October last year, the final name of the company, which was provisionally called 'The Foundry Company', was revealed as the company launched on 2nd March.
The company will manufacture chips for AMD and other customers, so AMD will now only be focused on Design. Starting with expanding their plant at Dresden, Germany; renaming the plant Fab 1, with Modules 1 focused on 45nm manufacturing process, and Module 2 focused on 32nm. In addition to that it has very optimistic plans for a new plant at Saratoga County, NY which will start constructing this year.
The Fab 2 plant, this is set to be functional by 2012, will be "the most technologically advanced in the world and the largest leading edge semiconductor foundry facility in the United States". It will have state of the art facilities for 32nm and smaller features.
AMD's decision is certainly surprising given the economic climate, however they claim that they are looking forward. This is a an investment they believe will secure their long-term future. So polish up your resumes becuause Global Foundries is hiring.

Source : Thinkdigit

Arctic summer ice could vanish by 2013

2009-03-07T14:19:00.001+05:30

OTTAWA, March 5 (Reuters) - The Arctic is warming up so quickly that the region's sea ice cover in summer could vanish as early as 2013, decades earlier than some had predicted, a leading polar expert said on Thursday.
Warwick Vincent, director of the Centre for Northern Studies at Laval University in Quebec, said recent data on the ice cover "appear to be tracking the most pessimistic of the models", which call for an ice free summer in 2013.
The year "2013 is starting to look as though it is a lot more reasonable as a prediction. But each year we've been wrong -- each year we're finding that it's a little bit faster than expected," he told Reuters.
The Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world and the sea ice cover shrank to a record low in 2007 before growing slightly in 2008.
In 2004 a major international panel forecast the cover could vanish by 2100. Last December, some experts said the summer ice could go in the next 10 or 20 years.
If the ice cover disappears, it could have major consequences. Shipping companies are already musing about short cuts through the Arctic, which also contains enormous reserves of oil and natural gas.
Vincent's scientific team has spent the last 10 summers on Ward Hunt Island, a remote spot some 2,500 miles (4,000 km) northwest of Ottawa.
"I was astounded as to how fast the changes are taking place. The extent of open water is something that we haven't experienced in the 10 years that I've been working up there," he said after making a presentation in the Canadian Parliament.
"We're losing, irreversibly, major features of the Canadian ice scape and that suggests that these more pessimistic models are really much closer to reality."
In 2008 the maximum summer temperature on Ward Hunt hit 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to the usual 5 degrees. Last summer alone the five ice shelves along Ellesmere Island in Canada's Far North, which are more than 4,000 years old, shrunk by 23 percent.
Vincent told Reuters last September that it was clear some of the damage would be permanent and that the warming in the Arctic was a sign of what the rest of the world could expect. He struck a similarly gloomy note in his presentation.
"Some of this is unstoppable. We're in a train of events at the moment where there are changes taking place that we are unable to reverse, the loss of these ice shelves, for example," he said.
"But what we can do is slow down this process and we have to slow down this process because we need to buy more time. We simply don't have the technologies as a civilization to deal with this level of instability that is ahead of us." (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Frank McGurty)

Source : Reuters

Microsoft To Start Shipping Windows 7 In September 2009

2009-03-07T14:17:00.001+05:30

Microsoft could have Windows 7 on shipping PCs by September, Compal president Ray Chen said today at an investor's conference. The PC contractor executive understands from plans that the software should be available in either late September or early October. The news would corroborate word of an April release candidate that would let Microsoft finish, manufacture and deliver Windows 7 well ahead of the holidays.
Compal builds systems on behalf of Acer, HP and other major PC makers.
Amelia Agrawal, a spokeswoman for Microsoft, maintains the official company position that Windows 7 will be available within three years of when Vista shipped. However, the company's upgrade program plans and other leaks have increasingly suggested that the public goal, which would put the release in early 2010, is deliberately conservative and meant to avoid embarrassment in the event of an unexpected delay. Microsoft has acknowledged a shortened development track that includes just one public beta and one readily available release candidate before the ship date.
While Windows 7 itself has proven stable in testing, the company is believed under significant pressure to release it this year. One of the first significant declines in Windows revenue surfaced in Microsoft's most recent financial quarter as continued hesitation over Vista as well as a preference for Windows XP in netbooks have both hurt the company's core business. Windows 7 improves both performance and user interface elements, and is explicitly designed to run more smoothly on netbook-level hardware.

Thanks to ELECTRONISTA

BMW-designed PC Case "Level 10"

2009-03-07T14:14:00.001+05:30

BMW DesignworksUSA have designed yachts, trains, coffee makers, speakers even airplanes and now, BMW DesignworksUSA, an independently operated studio owned by the BMW Group, has joined forces with Thermaltake, a company known for its flashy eye-catching products to create a futuristic-looking PC case. Previewed in prototype form at the CEBIT in Hanover (March 3-8, 2009), the BMW-designed PC case is called "Level 10".
Aimed at gamers, the Level 10 actually looks more like a chassis than a traditional case as the computer's individual components are mounted in separate compartments that are attached onto a central base.

This post was brought to you from Carscoop

Multiple File attachment in Gmail

2009-02-28T15:56:00.001+05:30

If you use Google Mail for your email needs and get frustrated that you can't select more then one file at once well you can now rejoice because Google have enabled the feature in their service. The system works a bit like the flickr uploader where when selecting a file you hold down CTRL and select the other files you want to attach and what's even better when you attach them you can see each attachment uploading through the new progress bar. This is another great feature added to an already amazing email service.

Thanks to Neowin.net for producing this topic….

Tunnel with 40,000 LEDs

2009-02-25T20:21:00.002+05:30

Villareal "Multiverse" National Gallery of Art, Washington DC from Walter Patrick Smith on Vimeo.
The name of the installation is Multiverse, and it was installed by artist Leo Villareal in a 200-foot-long tunnel in the National Gallery of Art in Washingtong DC. The entire thing features 41,000 LEDs that animate and move on their own, using randomness to ensure that no one will see the same configurations twice. Multiverse will be on display throughout 2009.

Source: Winmatrix

Exclusive: Windows 7 RC set for April 10, 2009

2009-02-21T07:50:00.001+05:30

There have been so many dates flying around concerning the upcoming Release Candidate for Windows 7, and it's beginning to become a daily subject in the blogosphere. Just when you thought that we were going to see a Windows 7 RC , a trusted source within Microsoft has informed Neowin that the RC will not be ready by the end of February.

At this time, Windows 7 RC is internally being tested and the official release date is set for April 10, 2009. The Windows team is right on schedule with development, and if there are no significant problems over the next few weeks the April 10, 2009 release date will remain in tact.

Not much information is available at this time. We're uncertain if the release will be a world-wide, and Microsoft is expected to do more testing before releasing a RC build to the public. With that in mind, TechNet and MSDN subscribers should be the first to receive the RC build. A recent email conversation between Paul, over at GeekSmack, and Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft Senior Vice President of Windows, revealed that there have been over 500,000 suggestions since the public launch of the Windows 7 Beta.

Sinofsky mentioned that, "recently we've seen people talk about 'RC Builds' and the like. First, all builds since the beta are RC builds since by definition that is the next milestone. But by far the most humorous element has been that the build numbers blogged about are higher than our current build. Today's build is 7046, but it hasn't completed yet :-)."

Other than the UAC fixes that were highlighted earlier this month, not much is known as to what has been changed or fixed in these internal builds, we'll keep you up to date with more information as it comes our way.

Update (1:14 PM -6 GMT): Emil Protalinski over at Ars Technica has apparently spoke with Steven Sinofsky, and he has said, "The build will be available broadly". This isn't a normal thing for Microsoft to do, however we will wait and see what Microsoft has in store for us in the coming weeks.

Source: Neowin

Philips prices up 21:9 ratio 'cinema' TV

2009-02-21T07:44:00.000+05:30

Getting that true home cinema experience has been the dream of many a couch potato for years. But it will soon become a reality for some, because Philips’ Cinema telly will soon arrive in Blighty.

The TV – which Philips claimed is the world’s first set able to offer a true cinematic display in your living room, thanks to its 21:9 aspect ratio – will hit UK shops in June.

But, as you’d probably have guessed, the set’s a wee bit more expensive than the average cinema ticket. It will set you back a cool €4000 (£3535/$5044).

If you have the cash to splash though, you’ll get a 52in viewing area and Philips’ established Ambilight lighting system that projects light onto the wall behind the telly coloured according to on-screen action.

Source: theregister

Windows 7 RC in Feb end

2009-02-19T18:25:00.001+05:30

WinFuture, a German website reports that the one and only RC build of Windows 7 will be ready at the end of February to be sent to select testers.
According to WinFuture's sources, the first-RC build has been compiled by now. The build number currently under test is not known, however WinFuture reports that 7048 was the latest build of Windows 7 and might be the RC, created a few days before and confirms that work is currently going on around the Windows 7 RC build.
The German website also reports that MSDN/TechNet subscribers along with the other private beta testers, would receive the RC build after 27th February, but not sure about the public beta which ended few weeks back.
Neowin earlier reported that we could be seeing the Windows 7 RC in early April, but with the rumor that Windows 7 is set to hit RTM in August, no wonder we can expect the RC build very soon!

Source: Neowin

Universal phone charger planned

2009-02-18T06:05:00.000+05:30

If you have ever found yourself in the situation where your mobile phone is low on battery and about to die when you are nowhere near your charger and your friend's charger does not fit, this will be great news for you.

The universal mobile-phone charger will be available in every market worldwide on most top brand mobile phones to help reduce energy consumption, up to 50%, and also to reduce waste, where many throw away their chargers after their phone dies or is lost.

The target is set for 2012 when the universal charger will come into effect, which gives cell phone makers plenty of time to ready their devices. The GSMA, head of universal charger, has a backing of major corporations such as Vodafone, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and T-Mobile to all help introduce this charger in their phones.

Not only phones could see this change coming to their devices, as many portable MP3 players and other small portable electronic devices also require recharging. Apple did not join the list of companies, where Apple has a docking station or charger for some of its line up of devices including the iPhone and iPod line up.

Source:Neowin

Windows Mobile 6.5 Screenshots

2009-02-14T07:52:00.001+05:30

Mobile World Congress is not far away and we have had already many screenshots of Windows Mobile 6.5 leak. Except for the new Honeycomb interface, the screenshots didn't look that good. pocketpc.ch have managed to install the latest Windows Mobile 6.5 in HTC Touch HD and have provided with some high-quality screenshots which certainly looks better than the previous ones leaked.
Enjoy these screenshots for now without that (cute) bird in the background!
The Home Screen

Home screen with missed calls info and Device locked

Home screen with the music player

Honeycomb interface

Option to move an item to top in the Honeycomb

And the inner-honeycomb after you open Office Mobile folder in the above screenshot

Honeycomb in landscape mode

Incoming Call

Missed Call and other reminders

Source:pocketpc

Windows 7 moves toward August 2009 RTM

2009-02-13T19:32:00.001+05:30

Cnet has come up with a report saying that Microsoft is set to release Windows 7 by the end of this year's holiday shopping season based on PC industry sources in Asia and the U.S. According to the ZDNet Taiwan site, Taiwan hardware vendors are certain about Windows 7's final official release in 2009.

As pointed out by some computer manufacturers, the official version of Windows 7 will be available ahead of the planned schedule, that is before October this year. The English version of the OS will be available to system operators in August, and the Chinese version in October. Microsoft will officially pre-market Windows 7 now by labeling Windows Vista computers with Windows 7 ready stickers.

Even though Microsoft has denied any such rumors on an early release, it still sticks to its original schedule of Windows 7 official release, which is January 2010. Hardware vendors interpret that Microsoft does not want Windows 7 listed ahead of the schedule due to the economy downturn.
Microsoft's senior VP Bill Veghte cautioned in CES 2009 that the release still could be pushed into 2010, depending on customer feedback. Microsoft will ship Windows 7 when the quality is right, and earlier is always better, but not at the cost of ecosystem support and not at the cost of quality.
Microsoft has already said that there is no Windows 7 beta anymore and will go ahead with the RC build for Windows 7. Microsoft stopped offering the Windows 7 beta downloads this week. According to an official hint we could be seeing the Windows 7 RC build in early April but nothing has been confirmed yet. And not to forget that the company is also planning on allowing users who purchase new PC/laptop hardware (with Vista) from 1st July 2009 onwards, a free upgrade to Windows 7.

Source: Neowin.net

NVIDIA demos Windows 7 multitasking, launch details

2009-02-12T07:04:00.001+05:30

Electonista has revealed some details about NVIDIA's upcoming Ion platform, after a press release held in Taiwan today. The Ion, which integrates the GeForce 9400M with Atom processors, will be released in spring this year. Contrary to belief, it will be available in a "very small, affordable" desktop computer, instead of a netbook or other portable device.

Interestingly, the aforementioned desktop (the manufacturer of this hasn't been revealed) will be around the $299 mark, however that's for the extremely barebones models, and there will be higher priced ones with components such as optical drives included. The Ion will be a strong competitor for Intel's just released GN40 chipset, as NVIDIA's offering will be up to 5 times faster, whilst retaining the GN40's battery life. Additionally, it can smoothly play most modern games and decode 1080p video without problems.

There are a couple companies interested in the Ion, including Apple which is rumored to be building an Ion based Mac mini. Lastly, NVIDIA has obtained Windows Hardware Quality Labs certification from Microsoft, giving the Ion complete compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows 7, when it's released

Check out this video of the Ion being demonstrated by NVIDIA's Drew Henry:

Source: Neowin

HP Netbook for Windows7

2009-02-11T21:18:00.001+05:30

Hewlett-Packard said it will likely offer at least 3 different editions of Windows 7 - The Starter, Professional and the Home Premium editions on future models of its Mini netbooks.

Kyle Thornton, category manager for Business Notebook PCs at HP, said in an interview that Windows 7 Beta testing is going on in the Mini netbook line and it runs very well on the Minis, even with Aero turned on. Besides the three editions of Windows 7 that HP plans to support, Thornton also hopes to continue to pre-install both Windows XP Professional and Vista Business on its business-oriented netbooks. HP offers three operating systems for business users - XP Professional, Vista Business and Novell's SUSE Enterprise Linux in the Mini 2140 introduced last month.
Microsoft has planned to offer a total of 6 editions of Windows 7 so far to meet the needs of PC makers & users and confirmed that there will be no special netbook SKU of Windows 7. PC makers will be allowed to install the Starter edition on netbooks and low-end PCs for sale in markets worldwide.
The Starter edition however will limit users to running only three applications at a time. The three-app rule includes applications running in the background but excludes any antivirus applications. The restriction is designed to ensure that users get the best possible performance from limited netbook hardware. However, Microsoft will encourage manufacturers to install Home Premium for better-spec netbooks and Starter in lower-end netbooks which could possibly lead to the rise in the price of netbooks.

Source: Neowin

Screenshots of Windows 7 Build 7032

2009-02-11T21:15:00.001+05:30

As Windows is getting ready for its RC release, we have WinFuture post screenshots of Windows 7 Build 7032, compiled on January 29, 2009 at 6:12PM. Last weekend Windows 7 Build 7022 got leaked to the internet. Currently the only official build available to testers and the general public is build 7000.
There are a few noticeable changes in this build when compared to the (leaked) 7022 build

The Home Group also has a new icon

Two new themes - Architectures and Characters are new to this build besides the addition of various new wallpapers.

However, this build does not include the UAC fix and most probably they would be included only in the RC build as Microsoft had said earlier.

Source: Neowin

Dell Launches Wasabi PZ310 ultra-mobile inkless printers

2009-02-11T21:13:00.001+05:30

Dell has launched a new range of inkless printers with its new Dell Wasabi series. The Dell WASABI PZ310 Ultramobile Photo Printer produces high quality 2-inch-by-3-inch borderless digital photos in full color using the Zink (Zero Ink) Technology. The 4.8 inch x 2.8 inch x 0.9 inch printer weighs just 225 gms and can print via Bluetooth from laptops, camera phones and digital cameras.
Dell Wasabi is Dell's first product in its Zink series whereas it is the 4th product available for inkless prints which uses the Zink technology. The special type of photo paper developed by Zink has been embedded with heat-activated colored dye crystals. The colours are then activated by heating the surface to create images in less than a minute. The paper comes with an adhesive backing so that the images can be used to create stickers and point of sale material. Instead of developing its own machines, Zink allows licensing of its technology to be used in already existing devices.
You can grab your Dell Wasabi at an introductory price of just US $100 here.
Here are some pictures for you to enjoy

Source: DELL and Neowin

New Windows Mobile 6.5 ROM (build 21159) leaks

2009-02-09T21:38:00.001+05:30

Conflipper at ppcgeeks has managed to get his hands on the latest Windows Mobile 6.5 build 21159 ROM, which is loaded with the latest My Phone, Marketplace and Outlook Live!
Here is the screenshot showing the new applications

Windows Media Player has a new look!

The menus are enlarged and moved off the side
The Scrollbar looks lot easier to handle than the current ones!

Conflipper reports that the new honeycomb interface and the sliding panels are working but extremely slow for now and are not effective at this time
Oh, did I forget this (cute) bird?

Source: Neowin

Windows 7 build 7022 leaks

2009-02-09T21:34:00.001+05:30

Microsoft are currently working hard towards the Release Candidate of Windows 7. Currently the only official build available to testers and the general public is build 7000 but we have learned that 7022 has leaked to the internet today.
According to a Russian torrent site it was leaked by "friendly" Microsoft Ukraine individuals. It's not likely that the build contains any of the UAC changes Microsoft has recently promised. The build is Build 7022.winmain.090115-1850 which indicates it was built nearly a month ago. Some Microsoft employees have twittered recently that they were "installing build 7034" so the company is clearly pushing ahead with the builds ready for the upcoming Release Candidate.

Source: www.neowin.net

Dual-Screen King-Size 'Laptop' Shreds Benchmark Records -Lenovo ThinkPad W700DS

2009-02-09T21:28:00.001+05:30

Just when you thought there are no new tricks left in the laptop world ... along comes something previously deemed impossible.

With its ThinkPad W700, Lenovo offered the first notebook with a built-in pen tablet and a color-calibration system. Now it ups the ante again, with this enhanced version of the W700 — the W700ds — the first laptop to offer a secondary screen, built right into the back of the primary display.

I use the term laptop loosely, of course, because they haven't invented a term to describe what this machine really is. Portable computer might be more appropriate: The 11-pound W700ds would crush the femurs of most undernourished geeks, and it's clearly designed to be parked on a desk (and, given the $5,059 price tag, secured with a sizable chain, too).

If you read our review of the W700, you'll grok our thoughts on the tablet and color-correction features of this machine. Here they seem wholly unchanged, and again the gorgeous, incredibly bright 17-inch display is more than ready to collect your average Pixar animator's drool.

If he's a real spitter, why, just reach to the right side and pop out a secondary display for more real estate — here you get a bonus 10.6-inch LCD, not as beautiful as the primary panel, alas, oriented in portrait mode. While jaws drop when this trick is first performed, in real life the secondary display doesn't have as much utility as you'd think. You can park IM windows here and whatever toolbars you use (obviously this was created with Photoshop jockeys in mind), but it's generally too small for dropping web pages or your e-mail client.

Under the hood, the W700ds has been quietly upgraded to a 2.53-GHz Core 2 Extreme and dual 200-GB hard drives. The 4 GB of RAM, 64-bit version of Vista and Nvidia Quadro FX 3700M GPU remain the same as the pitifully mono-screened W700. With its newly enhanced firepower, the W700ds broke all of our general-app laptop performance records (nearly 15 percent faster than the W700), and it rocked our gaming benchmarks too. For the permanent record the scores on PC Mark05 were 8449 and PC Mark Vantage were 5490.

Ask the W700ds to give you all the power in the world, and it complies. All it asks for in return is, like, all your money. And a ruptured disc or two.

WIRED Secondary screen is a novelty of breathtaking proportions. Loaded with ports, including five USB, full-size DVI out and HDMI out. Unmatched performance in a laptop. 94 minutes of battery life isn't bad for a machine this big.

TIRED If you got room for two displays, is it wrong to think you ought to have room for three? Gargantuan size, weight, price. Smells like burning.

Manufacturer: Lenovo
Price: $5,059 (as tested)

Source: Wired

Samsung UltraTouch S8300 Comes Loaded, Runs at 7.2Mbps

2009-02-09T21:25:00.001+05:30

Samsung Sets the Style Crowd Alive With UltraTOUCH
Discover the beauty of Samsung's latest full-touch mobile experience
Seoul, Korea, February 9, 2009 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of the elegant "UltraTOUCH", the perfectly beautiful and fully equipped full-touch slider phone. This debut comes ahead of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where Samsung will deliver its new vision for full-touch mobiles at the forefront of style and design. As with previous Ultra editions, the UltraTOUCH re-defines perfectionism in style, design and technology – now with full touch.
"With its refined contoured design, Samsung UltraTOUCH is our elegant full-touch hero at this year's Mobile World Congress, proving again that Samsung's mobile phones are at the forefront of style," said Mr. JK Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Mobile Communication Division of Samsung Electronics. He added, "We are committed to strengthening our portfolio of full-touch phones by introducing a variety of handsets to suit every lifestyle. UltraTOUCH leads this portfolio as our most iconic, high-end phone and will further enhance Samsung's leadership in the premium full-touch market."
Ultimate Style
Samsung has long been regarded as the most stylish mobile phone manufacturer. As the newest flagship edition to the Ultra range (Samsung's leading style brand), UltraTOUCH is a truly beautiful full-touch mobile, boasting revolutionary touch screen technology, sophisticated design and packed with multimedia features. Centre stage is the 2.8" AMOLED anti-scratch full touch screen, which offers astonishingly bright and vivid colours.
The ultra-slim 12.7mm body of UltraTOUCH unites perfect form and function with full-touch screen and additional 3x4 keypad slider. The subtle arcs and slender contoured silhouette in the design ensure a timeless beauty and the polished ‘silky back' design means that the phone looks fantastic from every angle. With a brushed metal frame for durability and an anti-scratch, anti-smudge screen, users can keep their phone in great condition.
Ultimate Multimedia
As you would expect from Samsung, the UltraTOUCH is alive with technology. Its embedded 8 megapixel camera with dual power LED flash and smile shot mode means you can capture incredible photographs on your phone. In addition to the industry-leading mobile phone camera, UltraTOUCH offers GPS navigation, providing detailed maps to take users from door to door. Geo-tagging via the GPS chip allows you to tag photos with geographic information, making them easier to use on social networking and photo sites. The high quality 30fps@VGA video recording captures action smoothly, while the groovy music player means that you can listen to sounds as slick as your phone. Samsung UltraTOUCH is also powered with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, offering speedy internet access.
Ultimate User Interface
Samsung UltraTOUCH provides the best ever full-touch user experience and universal 3x4 keypads together. Users will enjoy being able to control the mobile easily and intuitively – flicking through photos, navigating through maps and surfing the web have never been easier and more interactive thanks to the upgraded TouchWiz user interface. Mobile widgets can be dragged and placed on the screen for one-click access to favourite applications, or the slide-out tactile 3x4 keypad offers a tangible alternative behind the attractive touch screen, creating endless customization opportunities to make your phone your own.

Source: Gizmodo

80Gb PS3 launches in India

2009-02-08T08:14:00.001+05:30

80Gb PS3 launches in India

Sony’s released an 80Gb PS3 SKU in India, priced 25,990 rupees (£361).

It replaces the current standard 40Gb model and comes with a DualShock 3 in the pack.

“The introduction of high definition gaming and entertainment systems among the Indian audience is the result of extensive research into the entertainment needs and preferences of the next generation of PS3 owners,” said Atindriya Bose, SCE’s Indian country boss.

How easy is photo sharing??

2009-02-08T08:04:00.002+05:30

PhotoSharing is easier than we thought....

Meet Kylie. At just 4 ½, Kylie doesn’t have that much experience with a PC. She’s a rookie. Yet she transferred her photos from her camera, color-corrected them, then e-mailed a snapshot of her pet fish, Dorothy, to her family. All using Windows Live Photo Gallery. It makes fixing and sharing photos easy at any age. Why not try it for yourself?

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=533e05d2-9f12-4a86-bdda-efd0455fcd36" target="_new" title="Kylie"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Video: Kylie&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Here is the link to download Windows Live Photo Gallery

Download

DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 memory

2009-02-05T07:07:00.000+05:30

Difference between DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 memory modules:

DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 memory modules are mutually incompatible. Voltages, pins and signaling differ between the memory types.

Note the "Key" hole on these memory modules are positioned differently, as shown in the figure below. If you cannot get memory inserted, you should turn it 180 degrees and try again or check to make sure you have the correct memory type for your desktop board.

Source: Intel

LightLane's Lasers Make an Instant Bike Lane

2009-02-04T11:50:00.001+05:30

Fed up with seeing friends getting clipped by cars, the designers at Altitude combined two things we love -- bikes and lasers -- to create an instant bike lane and make nighttime cycling a whole lot safer.

Their bike-mounted gadget, called LightLane, beams two bright red lines and the universal symbol for cyclist on the pavement, neatly delineating a bike lane to remind motorists to yield a little space. It should make everyone feel a little more comfort on the road.

"Clearly one of the biggest benefits of bicycle lanes is that there is an established common boundary that both drivers and riders respect and must stay within," designer Evan Gant told Wired.com. "However, this requires a great deal of resources and planning to implement, so we decided to focus on the fact that the bicycle lane establishes a safety buffer outside of the bicycle's footprint."

It should cost around $50, and we think it's the best idea for a laser since Andy Samberg put one on a cat.

The LightLane started life as an entry to a design competition aimed at promoting bicycle commuting. "Having witnessed several friends be hit by cars while in traffic, we felt the intimidation of sharing the road was one of the bigger barriers to commuting by bicycle," Gant said. He designed the gadget with Alex Tee.

They experimented with different ways of increasing the perceived size of bicycles, but decided they wouldn't work. "We quickly realized all of these would compromise the rider's safety by increasing the probability of accidental clipping," said Gant.

Such an approach also didn't consider the appeal of small size and maneuverability. After all, if bikes were big and bulky they'd be called pedicabs. Once they decided tinkering with the physical boundaries were out of the question, Gant and Tee considered virtual boundaries created by lasers. They decided it was a much better approach.

"Although it doesn't establish a clear and predictable path for a rider to follow, it does encourage a driver to provide the rider with a wider berth by capturing their attention in a different way," Gant said.
LightLane is only effective at night, of course, something Gant said underscores the need for proper bike lanes. "Permanent lanes are much more proactive and LightLane is more of a reactive solution to the problem," he said.

Gant and Tee are trying to determine the best color and orientation for the lasers. Once they tackle that question, they'll turn their attention to financing and building a prototype that is resistant to rust, easy to clean and difficult to steal.

Source: Wired

Six versions of Windows 7

2009-02-04T10:48:00.001+05:30

For this version of the OS, Microsoft and its PC maker partners will market just two mainstream product editions, Windows 7 Home Premium--the recommended choice for consumers--and Windows 7 Professional, which is aimed at enthusiasts and IT professionals. Then there will be a handful of other product editions, each aimed at specific markets.

The first is Windows 7 Enterprise, which, like its Vista-based successor, will be sold only to Microsoft's volume license business customers.

"At a macro level, there are a couple of niches that are important to us, and we are a global business after all, so there are certain market dynamics that we need to address," Veghte said. These niches will be addressed by OEM-only Windows 7 product editions, which is to say that these products will be sold only with new PCs. The first is Starter Edition, which will be a hardware-constrained version sold only in emerging markets. The second is Ultimate edition, which will essentially be a retail version of Windows 7 Enterprise this time around.

"We feel that this lineup offers a clear onramp for Windows 7," Veghte added, "making it easier than ever to find the right version for your needs."

Here's how the complete product line breaks down (where each product edition is a superset of the one before it.)

Windows 7 Starter

Market: Worldwide availability this time but with new PCs only
Key features: Enhanced taskbar, Jump Lists, Windows Media Player, Backup and Restore, Action Center, Device Stage, Play To, Fax and Scan, basic games
What's missing: Aero Glass, many Aero desktop enhancements, Windows Touch, Media Center, Live thumbnail previews, Home Group creation

This version will only be sold through PC makers to users, but unlike with Vista, it will be sold worldwide. This suggests that netbook makers will choose this version, even in the US. As with previous Windows Starter Edition products, it is limited in some ways: You can run only three applications at once, don't get Windows 7's full mobility capabilities, and can participate in but not create a Home Group. Also, there's no Aero Glass.

Windows 7 Home Premium

Market: Mainstream retail market
Key features: Aero Glass, Aero Background, Windows Touch, Home Group creation, Media Center, DVD playback and authoring, premium games, Mobility Center
What's missing: Domain join, Remote Desktop host, advanced backup, EFS, Offline Folders

The volume Windows 7 offering for consumers builds on Starter and includes Mobility Center, Aero Glass, advanced windows navigation features like Aero Snap and Aero Peek, and multi-touch, as well as the ability to both create and participate in Home Groups. Home Premium will be sold at retail and be included with new computers.

Windows 7 Professional

Market: Mainstream retail market
Key features: Domain join, Remote Desktop host, location aware printing, EFS, Mobility Center, Presentation Mode, Offline Folders
What's missing: BitLocker, BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, Direct Access, Branche Cache, MUI language packs, boot from VHD

This volume Windows 7 version builds on Home Premium and adds features like domain join, Group Policy (GP) controls, location aware printing, advanced backup, EFS, and offline folders. Pro will be sold at retail and be included with new computers

Windows 7 Enterprise

Market: Volume-license business customers only
Key features: BitLocker, BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, Direct Access, Branche Cache, MUI language packs, boot from VHD
What's missing: Retail licensing

As before, Enterprise is aimed at Microsoft's Software Assurance (SA) volume license customers. This time, however, Enterprise is a superset of Professional and adds much-heralded Windows 7 features like Direct Access, Branch Cache, BitLocker, and BitLocker To Go.

Windows 7 Ultimate

Market: Retail market, limited availability
Key features: BitLocker, BitLocker To Go, AppLocker, Direct Access, Branche Cache, MUI language packs, boot from VHD
What's missing: Volume licensing

For those few customers who simply must have everything, Windows 7 Ultimate offers all of the features from Enterprise but loses the volume licensing requirement. So you can think of Ultimate edition as Enterprise for consumers (and other retail customers).

Windows 7 Ultimate is kind of a wild-card. It will be available at retail and with new PCs, but Microsoft suggested that it will not be heavily marketed and will instead be "offer-based" via occasional promotions and offers from both PC makers and retailers.

"We're experimenting with the kinds of offers we can make for Windows 7 Ultimate," Veghte said. "It's going to be a low-single digit run rate (i.e. low market share) product. We expect retailers and OEMs to occasionally offer Ultimate with new PCs as part of special promotions. But in terms of run rate, it will be a tiny, tiny percentage of the volume. We will keep the marketing energy on Home Premium and Professional."

Source: Winsupersite.com

NFS to get 3 more titles…

2009-02-01T21:34:00.001+05:30

Whilst talking with Eurogamer, EA has announced that the Need for Speed franchise will be getting a revamp this year, with 3 new games to show off the changes.
The first of these games, titled Need for Speed: Shift, will be published for PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP this autumn. It will be developed by Slightly Mad Studios, known for GT Legends and GTR 2. The game will focus on the racing itself -- not the racing alone, but the driver behavior as well, losing the street-racing theme of previous Need for Speed titles.
"The urban underground was a manifestation of style in some past Need for Speed games for sure, but Shift focuses less on these style cues and more on mirroring the driver experience, that athleticism of being in a wickedly-intense race, and what it really feels like to be behind the wheel," Munro told Eurogamer, and he says it will achieve this goal with a 3D HUD that goes to new lengths to mimic what it is like to be driving one of the cars.
The second game, known as Need for Speed: Nitro, will be developed by EA Montreal. The game will be arcade styled, and according to Munro, "What you'll see is that Nitro in no way resembles any other previous Need for Speed title". He also notes that, on the Wii and DS, Nitro will not be a Mario Cart clone.
Lastly, the third game will be published as Need for Speed: World Online, and will be a 'Play 4 Free' game. It will be developed by Need for Speed's usual Black Box and EA's online studio in Singapore. Don't get too excited yet -- this game will only be released in Asia first, and if proved successful, will then be release in the west.
The game will feature the most cars, parts, and customization in the series of Need for Speed, as players will customize their rides and race against one-another "through the sophisticated online matchmaking features", and apparently there is a good chance of a micro-transaction model being introduced.

Source:Neowin.net

WikiAnswers Launched

2009-02-01T21:29:00.001+05:30

Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikia and Wikipedia, has launched a new Q&A site, named Wikianswers. This may sound familiar to some; this is because the Q&A section of Answers.com is called Wiki Answers. However, Jimmy Wales' version is named 'Wikia Answers', with the name being turned into 'Wikianswers'. Confusing for some.
Wales' has launched the site, despite a plethora of answer websites already available, in order to try and obtain a one true 'Wiki Style' answer for each question asked. A quote on Wikianswers from Wales himself states, "Wikianswers uses the unique characteristics of a wiki to form the very best answer to any question."
Despite the name confusion, Wikianswers may gain traction, but can it really gain some of the popularity of the already established websites? In December 2008 alone, Yahoo! Answers had 144.7 million visitors, and Wiki Answers had 26.7 million.
This leaves some wondering...How is Wikianswers different from other answer sites?

Source: Neowin.net

Internet Explorer 8 RC1 Officially Released!

2009-01-29T19:14:00.000+05:30

As I posted last week, Microsoft has just released Internet Explorer 8 RC 1 for public download today in 25 languages for Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server. Faster Internet Explorer 8 is more responsive with new pages and tabs, opening up fast and reliably. You can now get to the information you care about most, in fewer steps; one click access to your webmail, favorite news sites or other online services. The official change log has yet to be released.

What’s New
The IE8 team will post more about all changes between Beta 2 and RC. In brief:

Platform Complete. The technical community should expect the final IE8 release to behave as the Release Candidate does. The IE8 product is effectively complete and done. We’ll post separately about the thousands of additional test cases we’re contributing to the W3C. We've listened very carefully to feedback from the betas. With the Release Candidate, we’re listening carefully for critical issues.
Reliability, Performance, and Compatibility improvements. We’ve studied the telemetry feedback about the browser's underlying quality and addressed many issues.
Security. We’ve worked closely with people in the security community to enable consumer-ready clickjacking protection. Sites can now protect themselves and their users from clickjacking attacks “out of the box,” without impacting compatibility or requiring browser add-ons. We also made some changes to InPrivate based on feedback from customers and partners.
Read more

IE8 Website

Quick download links:
Windows Vista 32-Bit & Windows Server 2008
Windows Vista 64-Bit & Windows Server 2008
Windows XP SP2 & SP3
Windows Server 2003 SP2 or Windows XP Pro 64-Bit
Windows Server 2003 SP2

Note:
The build number is 8.0.06001.18372.
Windows 7 beta users can't use it.
Windows XP SP3 users may not be able to roll back to old version after installing IE8 RC1.

General availability for the Windows 7 Beta to end.

2009-01-24T22:08:00.001+05:30

First off: thank you for your interest in beta testing Windows 7! As we near January 24th, we wanted to update everyone again on the next steps for the Windows 7 Beta. The amount of feedback we have received has been amazing and continues to pour in. We are at a point where we have more than enough beta testers and feedback coming in to meet our engineering needs, so we are beginning to plan the end of general availability for Windows 7 Beta.

Because enthusiasm continues to be so high for the Windows 7 Beta and we don’t want anyone to miss out we will keep the Beta downloads open through February 10th. Customers who have started but not completed the download process will be able to do so through February 12th.

The shutdown of general availability for the Windows 7 Beta will occur in 3 phases over the course of the next few weeks:

Starting January 27th, the Windows 7 page will be updated with a warning that time is running out on downloading the Windows 7 Beta and that we will be limiting downloads shortly. People will be encouraged to register and start the download of the Windows 7 Beta sooner rather than later.
February 10th, new downloads of the Windows 7 Beta will no longer be available. People who have already started their Windows 7 Beta download and have not yet finished will still be able to finish their download and are encouraged to do so.
February 12th, people will no longer be able to complete their download of the Windows 7 Beta. Anyone who hasn’t finished downloading the Windows 7 Beta will be unable to do so.

Product keys for the Windows 7 Beta will continue to be available. So if you have the Windows 7 Beta but didn’t get a product key you will be able to do so even after February 12th.

MSDN and TechNet Subscribers will continue to have access to the Windows 7 Beta bits throughout the Windows 7 Beta phase. The above dates do not apply to MSDN and TechNet Subscribers.

Source:WindowsTeamBlog

Apple Macintosh turns 25

2009-01-24T08:11:00.001+05:30

Introduced by the now famous "1984" advert, directed by Ridley Scott and aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on 22 January 1984, the first Macintosh is turning 25 this weekend.
The Macintosh, released on 24 January 1984, sold for $2,495 and came with a 9 inch screen in an upright beige case, 128k of RAM, a floppy drive, a keyboard and a single-button mouse. Sales were initially strong, with the Macintosh selling 72,000 units by May 3, 1984. However, sales dropped afterwards and the computer was re-badged as the Macintosh 128K when its successor, the Macintosh 512K, was introduced in September 1984.

While it was not the first commercial computer to include a graphical user interface and mouse, the Macintosh helped to popularise the use of a GUI and mouse. Windows, Microsoft's first operating system with a GUI, did not appear until 1985 and failed to gain much popularity until the release of Windows 3.x in 1990.
Throughout the 1990s, Apple continued to lose market share to IBM PC compatible machines running Windows, although the introduction of the all-in-one iMac in 1998 was the beginning of a resurgence for the Macintosh brand.
Talking to the BBC about the first Macintosh, Mark Hattersley, editor in chief of MacWorld UK said, "It was a hugely popular machine. It took desktop computing away from IBM and back to Apple for a good number of years. It brought the notion of the desktop graphical interface to the mass market."
Finding a working 25-year old Macintosh 128K can be hard now, with many suffering from "bit rot". Fortunately, the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park in the UK, has many working Apple computers, some even older than the 25-year old Macintosh, according to director Kevin Murrell.
Apple's "1984" Commercial

The evolution of apple design between 1977-2008

2009-01-24T08:06:00.001+05:30

With the 25th anniversary of the first Macintosh computer on January 24th, 2009 that is today, we’re taking a look back in time at the evolution of Apple products.

Most have been notable leaps forward, while some were famous flops. Whether or not their inventions were accepted by the marketplace, Apple has consistently put out products that raise the bar for the computer and telecommunications industry.

The list compiled for this article is by no means a complete compilation of all Apple products. We chose to highlight those products where the design changes are best appreciated.

All-In-One Computers

Apple has sold “all-in-one” computers that have built-in monitors from its very early days. Although some models were classified as All-In-One, they had separate monitors packaged in the same box.

Apple II - 1977

1977 saw the invention of both the Apple II and the famous rainbow Apple logo. Steve Jobs added the colours to the logo to reflect the Apple II’s superior colour output. Colour graphics set the Apple II apart from its rivals on the market. Image: Wikipedia

Apple III - 1980

This next iteration of the Apple computer for business was created primarily to compete with business computing companies like IBM. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIe - 1983

The Apple IIe keyboard was built in to the computer and did away with the numeric keypad. Image: Wikipedia

Lisa/Macintosh XL - 1983

While Lisa won the legendary race between itself and the Macintosh by being the first desktop computer to market with an intuitive GUI, it flopped with the public due to sticker shock at its $10,000 price tag and a lack of software titles. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIc - 1984

The Apple IIc represented Apple’s first attempt at both a portable computer and “out-of-the-box” functionality. The only problem with classifying the IIc as a “portable” computer is the fact that it lacked a portable power supply. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh - 1984

The Macintosh, for most of us, was the computer that started it all. In the first demonstration of the product at MacWorld, Steve Jobs pulled the very first Macintosh out of the bag and demonstrated product features that most of us take for granted now. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIGS - 1986

The first 50,000 of these came with Steve Wozniak’s signature silkscreened on the front. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Plus - 1986

The Plus version of the Macintosh originally featured the same beige colour as the original Macintosh, but in 1987 was changed to the warm gray Platinum colour that would characterize Apple computers for years to come. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh SE - 1987

Space for an internal hard disk and advanced SCSI support were some of the selling features of the SE. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIc Plus - 1988

With this model, Apple did away with the 5.25″ floppy in the Apple II line and switched over completely to the 3.5″ floppy. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh SE/30 - 1989

The SE/30 sported the capacity for expandable RAM and a 1.44mb floppy disk drive as standard. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Classic - 1990

The Classic was an adaptation of Terry Oyama’s and Jerry Oyama’s Macintosh 128K industrial design. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Classic II - 1991

Two cases actually came out for the Classic II. The pictured one has a speaker cutout on the left side for better sound. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Color Classic - 1993

This was the first colour compact Macintosh computer. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Macintosh LC 500 - 1993

The Apple MacIntosh LC series were sold as Apple’s upper low end computers for the mid 1990’s. Image: Wikipedia.

Macintosh Performa 5200 - 1995

This was one of Apple’s lower moments, featuring severely compromised hardware design. Image: Wikipedia

Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM) - 1997

12,000 of these were produced. Apple broke the moulds and didn’t make any more in order to make the product seem more “exclusive”, a strategy that did not help the TAM’s sales numbers. Image: Wikipedia

PowerMac G3 All-In-One - 1998

These were sold to the educational market only. Image: Wikipedia

iMac G3 Tray-Loading, Bondi Blue - 1998

In doing away with the tower and keeping the computing power, Apple completely revolutionized the desktop computer industry. The iMac G3’s were available in a bouquet of various colours. Johnathan Ive, the designer who was later the mastermind of the Cube, designed the iMac G3. Image: Wikipedia

iMac G3 Slot-Loading Indigo - 1999

The above model set the standard for the rest of the iMac G3’s with a slot-loading CD ROM rather than a tray-loading model. Image: Wikipedia

iMac “Flavours” - 1998-2003

Different colours were eventually added to the original Bondi Blue. Image: Wikipedia

eMac - 2002

The eMac was made available as a cheaper option to the educational market than the iMac. Image: Trimir

iMac G4 - 2002

The iMac G4 was produced from 2000-2004 and represents the first iteration of Apple’s desire to “slim down” the components necessary for an out of the box personal computer experience. It was nicknamed the iLamp because of its swiveling monitor. Image: Marc Burr

iMac G5 - 2005

The G5 lacked the swivel functionality of the G4 but introduced the “behind-the-screen” component design principle which characterized future iMac designs. Image: Wikipedia

iMac (Intel Based) - Aluminum - 2007

The current iMac models pack all of the components necessary to the operation of a computer behind the monitor in a perfect realization of “slim design”. Image: Wikipedia

Desktop Computers

Macintosh II - 1987

This was the first “modular” design computer that Apple put out. All of the rest preceding it had been “all-in-one” models. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh IIx - 1988

This was simply an update to the Macintosh II. One of its code names was “Spock”. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh IIfx - 1990

This computer was introduced as the “fastest Mac” and was dubbed “Wicked Fast” by the then Product Manager, Frank Casanova. Image: Wikipedia

Quadra 700 - 1991

Introduced with the Quadra 900 as the first Apple systems to feature Ethernet networking. Image: Wikipedia

Quadra 800 - 1993

The case on this was smaller and not as accessible as others, earning it the “worst case of all time” title at Low End Mac. Image: Wikipedia

Quadra 630 - 1994

This last entry in the Quadra line featured an IDE drive, a slower yet cheaper replacement for the standard SCSI drives that earlier Quadras contained. This was the last in the Quadra line. Image: Wikipedia

Power Macintosh G3 - 1997

The PowerMac G3 was tested and proven to be the fastest desktop computer of its time by Byte Magazine. Image: Wikipedia

PowerMac G3 Blue and White - 1999

This shared the hardware with its predecessor but little else. The case was redesigned to bring it in line with the new iMac. Image: Apple.com

Power Mac G4 - 1999

This line was sold by Apple between 1994 and 2006. While the hardware varied between models, they all adhered to the same basic design principles. Image: Wikipedia

Power Mac G5 - 2003

At the time of its launch the Power Mac G5 was touted as the fastest computer ever built. Image: Wikipedia

Mac Pro - 2006

This machine integrated Intel’s 5400 chipset with Xeon microprocessors for a lightning fast processing speed. Image: Apple.com

Mini Desktops

PowerMac G4 Cube - 2000

This 8″ cube garnered a lot of kudos in the short time that it was in production. The designer of the Cube, Jonathan Ive, won several international awards for its design. Image by Apple.com

Mac Mini - 2005

This diminutive computer only measured 6.5″ by 2″. It weighed in at 2.5 pounds. Image: Apple.com

Notebooks

Macintosh Portable - 1989

The Macintosh Portable represented Apple’s first computer with a portable power supply and an active matrix LCD screen which sported a clearer picture than many desktop monitors of the time. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook 100 - 1991

The PowerBook 100 was a result of a collaboration between Sony and Apple - Sony miniaturized the parts for Apple for the 100. The 140 and the 170 are the first PowerBooks completely designed by Apple. Mobile PC magazine named the PowerBook 100 as its “#1 gadget of all time” in a 2005 article. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook Duo - 1992

This precursor to the MacBook Air was a subnotebook that interfaced with larger storage media either through a docking port or through cables. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook 180c - 1993

First PowerBook to display 640×480 resolution and 256 colours. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook 540c - 1994

The trackpad replaced the trackball with this model. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook 1400 - 1996

This entry-level notebook came in a number of different configurations. Image: Wikipedia

eMate 300 - 1997

Personal digital assistant designed for classroom use and based on the Newton engine. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook G3 - 1997

The Wallstreet model, pictured above, marked the last use of the rainbow-coloured Apple logo. The PowerBook G3 was a built-to-order laptop which allowed users to customize what they wanted on the machine. Image: Wikipedia

iBook - 1999

The first generation of the iBook featured a clamshell design and wireless networking. Image: eLanso

iBook G3 Dual USB - 2001

Many design advances were incorporated into this complete redesign, including the L-Shaped hinge for the screen and a slim-line design. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook G4 - 2001

The titanium-skinned PowerBook G4 was the precursor to the MacBook Pro. Image: Wikipedia

iBook G4 - 2004

A slot loading drive and a lack of translucent design characterized this release of the iBook. Image: Apple.com

PowerBook G4 - Aluminum - 2003

Aluminum was used for the first time in this incarnation of the PowerBook. Johnathan Ive, the same award-winning product designer responsible for the Cube, designed this PowerBook. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook - 2006

2006 saw the introduction of the MacBook with now-standard features like the magnetic latch, the glossy display and the sunken keyboard. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook Pro - 2006

The aluminum standard by which all others are measured. In the case of the current MacBrook Pro, each case is constructed out of a single block of aluminum. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook Air - 2008

The MacBook Air was launched with a famous commercial that involved it being packaged up and shipped in an envelope. Image: Apple.com

MacBook - 2008

The latest version of the MacBook brings the aluminum case previously reserved for the Pro line into the regular MacBook. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook Pro - 2008

The most recent Pro design is available in a 15″ or 17″ model. Images via Apple.com

Keyboards

Macintosh Keyboard - 1984

This keyboard was standard issue with the Macintosh Plus and was the first keyboard to see the “Command” key. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Extended Keyboard - 1990

This keyboard represents the golden age of Apple keyboards for many fans. The large spaces between keys and the general feel of the board made it very popular. Image: Wikipedia

USB Keyboard - 1998

This board was packaged with iMacs beginning in 1998 and lasting until 2000. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Pro Keyboard/Apple Keyboard - 2000

This keyboard had the “Command” letters removed from the command key entirely. When it was originally introduced it was available in a clear case with black keys. After its name was officially changed to the “Apple Keyboard”, it was released only in white. Image by 2aday.com

Current Apple Keyboard - 2007

The current Apple keyboard features an aluminum enclosure and is the first since the Apple IIe keyboard to remove the Apple logo from the Command key. Image: Apple.com

Mice

Macintosh Mouse - 1984

While the Macintosh is responsible for making the computer mouse part of our everyday reality, it was actually an adaptation of the mouse designed for the Lisa and was not the first mouse used by Apple. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIc Mouse - 1984

This mouse removed the contrasting colours featured on the Macintosh mouse and also offered support for gaming devices such as joysticks. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Desktop Mouse - 1986

Image: Wikipedia

ADB Mouse II - 1993

This update was included with all Macs between 1993 and 1998. Image: Wikipedia

iMac USB Mouse - 1998

This mouse was shipped with all iMacs for two years after its introduction. Image: Russell Heimlich.

Mighty Mouse Wireless - 2005

It was announced and sold for the first time on August 2, 2005. Before the Mighty Mouse, Apple had sold only one-button mice with its computers, beginning with the Apple Lisa 22 years earlier. Image: Apple.com

Displays

Apple IIc Flat Panel Display - 1984

Only 10,000 of these were ever produced, owing to the fact that you needed a strong light source to even see what was on the screen. Image: Wikipedia

AppleColor RGB - 1986

The first 640×480 stand-alone monitor made by Apple. Image: Wikipedia

Apple AudioVision 14 - 1993

This monitor featured a 14″ Triniton display. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Studio Display - 1998

This was released to be paired with the Power Macintoshes of the time and featured an active matrix LCD screen. Image by everymac.com

Apple Studio Display - Blueberry - 1999

This was released to complement the PowerMac G3 which was released in “Blueberry” at the time. Image by everymac.com

Apple Studio Display CRT Blueberry - 1999

This monitor kept the “Blue” theme going with an attractive design. Image by everymac.com

Apple Studio Display CRT - 2000

This monitor was the last CRT monitor that Apple shipped. Image by everymac.com

Apple Cinema Display 22″ - 2000

The 22″ active matrix LCD display on this model was tailored to work with the newly released PowerMac G4’s. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Cinema Display 20″ - 2003

Featured a 20″ active matrix LCD display. Image by Amazon.com

Apple Cinema Displays - 2004- Current

Current Apple Cinema Displays come in three different sizes; 20″, 23″ and 30″. Image by Apple.com

LED Cinema Display, 24″ - 2008

This display is touted as Mac’s “greenest” ever. Image by Apple.com

iPod

While other MP3 players were on the market before 2001, none could match the ease of use of the iPod. The iPod line consists of four different products; the iPod Shuffle, the iPod Nano, the Ipod Classic, and the iPod Touch.

The Newton - 1993

While the Newton was a massive flop at the time of its release, it laid the groundwork for Apple’s massively popular iPhone and iPod. Two ex-Apple Newton developers founded the company that developed the iPod’s OS, Pixo.

Ipod/Ipod Classic

Generation One - 2001

The first generation of the iPod was debuted in 2001 to rave reviews and a very eager market. Image: Wikipedia

Generation Two - 2002

The second generation of the iPod featured a touch-sensitive wheel rather than a mechanical wheel. Image: Wikipedia

Generation Three - 2003

The third generation saw the introduction of a thinner iPod. Instead of being simply touch-sensitive as the second generation was, the wheel on this iPod was completely governed by touch. Image: Wikipedia

Generation 4 - 2004

The fourth generation saw the Touch Wheel replaced with the Click Wheel from the iPod Mini. A special Harry Potter edition and U2 edition were released in this generation. Image: BatteriesForIpod

Fifth Generation - 2005

2005 brought this iteration of the iPod, unofficially dubbed iPod Video. Image: Les Numeriques

Sixth Generation - 2007

The sixth generation brought an official rename to “iPod Classic” in order to distinguish the iPod from the others in the line. Image: Wikipedia

iPod Shuffle - 2005

This first generation was introduced at MacWorld with the tag line “Life is Random”. Image: Apple.com

iPod Shuffle - 2006

The smaller iPod Shuffle is the smallest device made by Apple. It relies on flash memory rather than a hard disk like the other iPods. Image: Apple.com

iPod Shuffle in Colour - 2008

The Ipod Shuffle was updated in 2008 with four new colours. Image by apple.com

iPod Nano

First Generation - 2005

Image: eShop Macsales

Second Generation - 2006

Image: Les Numeriques

Third Generation - 2007

Image: Apple.com

Fourth Generation - 2008

Image: Apple.com

iPod Touch - 2007

The iPod Touch was launched to great media and consumer acclaim in March of 2007. The touch screen allows the user interaction with various games and applications. Steve Jobs has referred to the iPod Touch as the “training wheels” for the iPhone. Image: Apple.com

iPhone - 2007

The iPhone is the cellular phone of choice of nearly every tech aficionado, even winning over BlackBerry fanboys with its touch screen and wide range of cheap and free applications available from the iTunes AppStore. Image: Apple.com

Over the course of its lifetime as a company, Apple has been responsible for most of the groundbreaking design features that we have come to appreciate on any laptop, computer, or cellphone. Their consistent record as groundbreakers in the design field alone is enough to garner them a cult following; their technological advances simply cement their followers to whatever amazing product they will release next.

Source: Webdesigner

Harvey ‘Two-Face’ Dent Would Approve

2009-01-21T18:15:00.001+05:30

Harvey ‘Two-Face’ Dent Would Approve

Indecisive? How about a GPS coin called the Inbi-Out to make all your decisions. File this under “not gonna happen anytime soon,” but it’s nice to fantasize. The Inbi-Out coin tosses a 50/50 chance of where you should eat, drink, hang out, etc.., and displays the final decision on a tiny embedded screen complete with GPS coordinates and directions. It’ll also record every destination you go to into some magical databank for future reference (or dystopian spying). Too soon?

Designer: Ju-Wei Chen

Source: Yankodesign

The Scrabble Keyboard

2009-01-18T21:22:00.001+05:30

And now for something completely different.... a Scrabble keyboard!

Most of the keys are made from real Scrabble tiles that were all hand-beveled (truly an exercise in patience/masochism!) and built onto a USB, clicky, mechanical-switch keyboard. This keyboard was going into a Mac environment so brushed aluminum for the casing and round all of the corners to keep with the sleek, simple Macintosh styling.

Source : Datamancer

Seagate Barracuda hard drives plagued by failures

2009-01-18T18:11:00.001+05:30

Seagate Barracuda hard drives plagued by failures

Numerous complaints are being reported from customers who own the 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive at the Seagate's online support forum.
The hard drive seems to just freeze during data transfers. Kabatek, Brown and Kellner LLP, a consumer law firm, is considering a lawsuit against Seagate because of the high failure rates of the Barracuda 7100.11.
Seagate, the world's largest Hard drive maker released the 3.5-inch internal drive, Barracuda 7200.11 in July 2008. The hard drive offers 1.5TB of capacity on four platters and uses a SATA 3GB/sec interface, delivering a sustained data rate of up to 120MB/sec. The drive is also available in 1TB, 750GB, 640GB, 500GB, 320GB and 160GB capacities, with 32MB and 16MB Cache buffer size.
Seagate has stated that some other hard drive models like DiamondMax 22, Barracuda ES.2 SATA, SV35 are also affected by a firmware bug which makes the drive fail when the host system is powered on and the data becomes inaccessible.
Seagate is currently offering a free firmware upgrade for the affected drives. Customers can expedite assistance by calling Seagate Support(1-800-SEAGATE) or by sending an e-mail to Seagate. The e-mail should include the disk drive model number, serial number and current firmware revision which can be known by downloading the Seagate Drive Detect software program available in Seagate Knowledge Base.

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