IT MEDIA

Warelex Mobiola WebCam USB v1.04

2010-03-12T14:46:00.001+02:00

First application that realistically turns your Symbian phone into a webcam and truly replaces your USB camera. Works over Data cable! Turn your Symbian phone into a high-quality USB-based web camera. Very simple to install and configure, Mobiola Web Camera consists of two software components: (1) a client that resides on the phone, and (2) a webcam PC driver compatible with any Windows application that can receive video feeds from a web camera including, Yahoo, MSN, AOL IM, ICQ messangers, www.YouTube.com and www.grouper.com. Carry your webcam with you wherever you go and connect it to your at anytime. Try it now and experience resolution and frame rates comparable to some of the top-performing USB webcams on the market! UIQ and Series 60 with Bluetooth support versions are also available on Handango. Stay tuned Windows Mobile version...

CA-53 cable driver are required to be installed.

Requirements
Nokia PC Suite or CA-53 drv,8 MB of free disk space on PC, 68kb of free phone memory, 720kb run time

Compatible Devices
* S60 3rd Edition)
* Nokia 5500d (S60 3rd Edition)
* Nokia E50 (S60 3rd Edition)
* (S60 3rd Edition)
* Nokia N71 (S60 3rd Edition)
* (S60 3rd Edition)
* Nokia N80 (S60 3rd Edition)
* Nokia N91 (S60 3rd Edition)
* Nokia N92 (S60 3rd Edition)
* Nokia N93 (S60 3rd Edition)
* Nokia N95 (S60 3rd Edition)

Download: 3.86 MB

http://rapidshare.com/files/57139551/931WMWCU.v1.04.rar

Mirror:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WWIEI4BQ

Pass: www.dl4all.com

Microsoft developing new tablet PC

2009-09-26T15:53:00.002+02:00

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp is developing a small tablet-style PC to rival a similar product that may be launched by Apple Inc, technology blog Gizmodo reported on Tuesday.

The booklet-shaped device, called Courier, is in the "late prototype" stage of development, Gizmodo reported, without identifying the source of its information.

Microsoft did not immediately answer a request for comment.

The Courier device has dual 7-inch screens that are touch sensitive and can be used in conjunction with a stylus, Gizmodo reported.

Apple has long been expected to launch its own tablet PC -- essentially a large version of its iPhone -- but has so far announced no plans to do so.
source [reuters]

Skype founders sue eBay, investors

2009-09-22T14:00:00.002+02:00

By Gabriel Madway

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The founders of Skype have sued owner eBay Inc and an investor group that has agreed to buy the Webphone service, accusing them of copyright violation and potentially disrupting the $1.9 billion deal.

The lawsuit brought by Joltid Ltd, a Swedish firm owned by Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, says Skype used its technology without authorization. It comes on the heels of a legal dispute between Joltid and Skype in Britain over software rights.

Filed in Northern California U.S. District Court this week, the latest suit seeks a permanent injunction against Skype and damages. EBay has denied the allegations.

Joltid believes damages are piling up at a rate of more than $75 million a day.

"The Skype companies have continued to infringe Joltid's copyrighted works on a massive scale," the lawsuit said. "Each day that the Skype Companies continue to make available its Internet telephone software for download, Skype users download Joltid's copyrighted works approximately six times per second."

Ebay licenses peer-to-peer technology from Joltid for Skype, but has begun to develop its own alternative software given the uncertain outcome of pending litigation with Joltid.

"Their allegations and claims are without merit and are founded on fundamental legal and factual errors," eBay said in a statement.

Analysts have said the once-celebrated Skype business is an incongruous division of an Internet sales and auction house, and many have long urged the firm to spin off the unit or unload it.

The Internet auction house said on Wednesday it remained on track to close the Skype transaction in the fourth quarter.

JOOST BUSINESS

Ebay agreed to sell a 65 percent stake in Skype for $1.9 billion to a consortium including Netscape founder Marc Andreessen's Andreessen Horowitz, venture firm Index Ventures, private equity firm Silver Lake, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

Joltid's suit named those investors as defendants, along with Skype, eBay, and Mike Volpi.

Sources last week said Zennstrom and Friis had contacted several private equity firms to try and buy back their old business.

Days ago, Web TV firm Joost -- also owned by Zennstrom and Friis -- removed Volpi as chairman.

Volpi had joined Index Ventures by that time. Joost said they were investigating Volpi's actions during his tenure at the company, but did not elaborate.

Wednesday's developments are the latest in an escalating legal tussle. Earlier this year, Skype filed a claim in the United Kingdom against Joltid, trying to resolve a dispute over a software licensing agreement between the parties that Joltid was seeking to terminate.

Joltid brought a counterclaim, reiterating that it holds the rights to the peer-to-peer technology and that Skype is in violation of the original agreement.

A trial is expected to take place in early 2010 in the United Kingdom.

Skype, whose 2008 revenue rose 44 percent to $551 million, charges for calls to regular telephones but provides free computer-to-computer voice, video and text services. It had about 405 million registered users at the end of 2008.

EBay's deal valued Skype at $2.75 billion but that was well below the $3.1 billion eBay spent in acquiring Skype.

Its shares rose slightly in extended trade to $24.38 after closing at $24.32.

(Additional reporting by Sinead Carew and Ritsuko Ando in New York; Editing by Tim Dobbyn, Bernard Orr)
via [reuters]

Facebook makes money, tops 300 million users

2009-09-19T17:05:00.002+02:00

By Alexei Oreskovic

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook is making enough money to cover its costs and now has 300 million users, the world's largest social networking site said on Tuesday, proving the Internet's newest star industry can be a viable business.

Facebook is now generating enough cash to cover its operating expenses, as well as the capital spending needed to maintain its fast-growing service.

Analysts said this shows the financial viability of Facebook, which has faced questions about its underlying business model, despite its popularity, and was a good sign for a potential initial public offering.

"It's certainly meaningful to show that this is absolutely the real deal," said Broadpoint Amtech analyst Ben Schachter. "They are executing. People are spending money on the site."

Since its creation in a Harvard dorm room five years ago, Facebook has emerged as one of the Internet's most popular destinations and is increasingly challenging the Web's established powerhouses like Yahoo Inc and Google Inc.

Facebook unveiled a revamped search engine last month and is currently testing an online payment system. Facebook users have tripled from about 100 million a year ago.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a blog post on the company site on Tuesday that Facebook reached its goal of being free cash flow positive in its most recently ended quarter. The company had previously projected reaching the target sometime in 2010.

"This is important to us because it sets Facebook up to be a strong independent service for the long term," said Zuckerberg in the blog post.

Facebook spokesperson Larry Yu said the free cash flow metric does not include any cash from private investment.

In May, Facebook announced a $200 million investment from Russian investment firm Digital Sky Technologies in a deal that valued the company's preferred shares at $10 billion.

DST valued Facebook's common shares at $6.5 billion in a subsequent deal to purchase shares from Facebook employees.

Facebook's becoming cash flow positive ahead of schedule provides another nugget of data to back up the lofty valuations, and according to one analyst, makes Facebook a more attractive candidate for a potential public offering.

"They can command higher confidence from investors now," said Collins Stewart analyst Sandeep Aggarwal, who noted that he believes Facebook could go public in the second half of 2010, or in 2011.

Zuckerberg said in May that any IPO is "a few years out."

Facebook did not provide any other financial details on Tuesday. The company has previously said its revenue was on track to grow 70 percent this year.
Facebook board member Mark Andreesen told Reuters earlier this year that the company will surpass $500 million in revenue this year.

Zuckerberg said in his post that the company is exploring ways to make the service perform faster and more efficiently as the number of Facebook users continues to grow.
Source [reuters]

Volantis Mobility Server:Build Your Own Mobile Applications!

2009-08-31T17:19:00.001+02:00

Volantis Mobility Server CE reduces the complexity of managing mobile content so developers & content owners can create innovative content and services that users can access with the device of choice. It supports rendering for 6000+ devices.
Download at Home page

IBM uses DNA to make next-gen microchips

2009-08-26T09:14:00.001+02:00

By Clare Baldwin

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp is looking to the building blocks of our bodies -- DNA -- to be the structure of next-generation microchips.

As chipmakers compete to develop ever-smaller chips at cheaper prices, designers are struggling to cut costs.

Artificial DNA nanostructures, or "DNA origami" may provide a cheap framework on which to build tiny microchips, according to a paper published on Sunday in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

Microchips are used in computers, cell phones and other electronic devices.

"This is the first demonstration of using biological molecules to help with processing in the semiconductor industry," IBM research manager Spike Narayan said in an interview with Reuters.

"Basically, this is telling us that biological structures like DNA actually offer some very reproducible, repetitive kinds of patterns that we can actually leverage in semiconductor processes," he said.

The research was a joint undertaking by scientists at IBM's Almaden Research Center and the California Institute of Technology.

Right now, the tinier the chip, the more expensive the equipment. Narayan said that if the DNA origami process scales to production-level, manufacturers could trade hundreds of millions of dollars in complex tools for less than a million dollars of polymers, DNA solutions, and heating implements.

"The savings across many fronts could add up significantly," he said.

But the new processes are at least 10 years out. Narayan said that while the DNA origami could allow chipmakers to build frameworks that are far smaller than possible with conventional tools, the technique still needs years of experimentation and testing.

Microsoft, Nokia form alliance to rival RIM

2009-08-15T21:29:00.002+02:00

12.aug.2009
By Bill Rigby and Tarmo Virki

SEATTLE/HELSINKI (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp and Nokia announced an alliance on Wednesday to bring business software to smartphones and counter the dominance of Research in Motion Ltd's BlackBerry.

The alliance between the world's largest software company and cell phone maker means the latest versions of Microsoft's Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and messaging, will be available on a range of Nokia cell phones, which make up 45 percent of the global smartphone market.

The two companies, at one time fierce rivals in the mobile telecommunications business, expect to offer Nokia phones running Office sometime next year.

"This is giving some of our competitors -- let's spell it out, RIM -- a run for their money," said Nokia Executive Vice President Robert Andersson, in a telephone interview. "I don't think BlackBerry has seen the kind of competition we can provide them now."

Research in Motion's BlackBerry created the market for mobile e-mail, and its dominant position in the corporate sector, especially in North America, has protected it from Nokia's attempts to crack the market in recent years.

"RIM should be reasonably safe in the near-term because Nokia's presence in the U.S. is relatively small," said Neil Mawston from research firm Strategy Analytics. "Partnering more closely with Microsoft will help to raise Nokia's profile in the U.S."

The alliance also aims to counter Google Inc's recent move into free online software, targeted at Microsoft's business customers, and the growing popularity of Apple Inc's iPhone device.

"It's clear that Nokia and Microsoft are both facing competitive challenges, most notably from Google," said John Jackson, an analyst at wireless research firm CCS Insight. "It makes sense for these two companies to work together to see if they can pool their competitive strengths to try and counter some of this pressure."

The alliance means Microsoft's new Office suite of applications could be available to a much wider audience than the users of Windows Mobile phones, which make up 9 percent of the smartphone market.

"We see this as a great opportunity to deliver Office Mobile to 200 million Nokia smartphone customers," said Takeshi Numoto, an executive at Microsoft's Office business.

Analysts said Microsoft is clearly looking at the largest possible audience with the Nokia deal.

"The deal is a good win for Microsoft and it will surely now be hoping to upsell the Microsoft suite of operating systems into Nokia's possible portfolios of smartphones, mobile Internet devices and netbooks over the next couple of years," said Strategy Analytics' Mawston.

The two companies stressed that the new venture will not affect the future of Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Nokia's Symbian operating systems for smartphones. Executives said Nokia has no plans to make a Windows Mobile device.

"We are extremely committed to Symbian," said Andersson. "This is very clear. This is a multi-year collaboration building on Symbian. We are as committed as before, if not more," he said.

Microsoft shares rose 2.1 percent to $23.62 on Nasdaq while Nokia rose less than 1 percent to 9.30 euros in Helsinki. Shares in RIM were 0.5 percent lower in Toronto.

(Reporting by Bill Rigby in Seattle and Tarmo Virki in Helsinki, editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Robert MacMillan) Keywords: MICROSOFT/NOKIA
via Reuters

Sony Ericsson unveils two "greener" phones

2009-06-05T20:20:00.001+02:00

By Tarmo Virki, European technology correspondent

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Cellphone maker Sony Ericsson unveiled on Thursday two handset models it said are more eco-friendly, adding that the company will push greener features across its product line in the next two years.

The new models, C901 GreenHeart and Naite, will be sold in smaller packages and have user manuals that are electronic. The devices use more recycled materials and consume less energy.

More...

Quran Explorer: Facebook app

2009-05-25T18:30:00.002+02:00

Welcome to QuranExplorer where you can Listen to the Quran Recitation and Translation online in Arabic, English, and Urdu.

* Arabic audio recitation from 6 famous Qaris
* Arabic text with translations in 7 languages
* Audio Translations in English and Urdu
* Sura, Verse, Juz, & Qari selection options
* Easy Navigation and Streaming Audio
* Easy to read font with adjustable sizes
* Custom font developed for IndoPak script
* Automatically Bookmarks your progress
* Color Coded Tajweed Rules
* No programs to download
Find out App at QuranExplorer

Streamezzo raises $5.1 million for cross-platform mobile apps technology

2009-05-13T21:51:00.000+02:00

Streamezzo said it has raised $5.1 million in funding for its platform that allows mobile apps creators to publish media apps across many different mobile platforms.

The round was led by Innovacam, with participation by current investors Sofinnova Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, Qualcomm, NTEC and GET Valorisation.

Paris-based Streamezzo makes what it calls a “rich application software platform,” a technology meant to make it much easier for a developer to take the code for an application and publish it across a bunch of cell phones. The company will use the round to expand international sales and marketing. It plans to expan it position in China and invest more in its product line.

Streamezzo said it can make it easy to develop apps that run on Google Android, BlackBerry, Qualcomm’s Brew, the iPhone, Java, Linux, Symbia Series 60 and Windows Mobile.
[Source]

Microsoft Bans VoIP From Its Mobile Marketplace

2009-05-07T11:26:00.002+02:00

Microsoft has banned VoIP applications from its upcoming Windows Mobile Marketplace, according to PCWorld. The blocking move is part of a 12-point restriction on applications sold in the Redmond giant’s online marketplace, the opening timed to coincide with the introduction of Windows Mobile 6.5. But is the software giant fighting a rear-guard action against an inevitable future?

Microsoft’s decision means VoIP applications, such as Skype, will sell to Windows Mobile users with only Wi-Fi calling available; the action may also head off a confrontation carriers faced when the VoIP application began selling to iPhone users through Apple’s App Store. In that case, hackers found a way around AT&T, the iPhone carrier that blocked Skype from its 3G network.

But is Microsoft waging a futile battle? The same day the mobile software maker reportedly decided to ban VoIP from its Windows Mobile marketplace, research firm Gartner said end-to-end mobile IP may account for over half of wireless calls within a decade. Indeed, Gartner researchers see VoIP as “a huge and direct challenge to the $692.6 billion global mobile voice market.”

The key to VoIP’s advance is upcoming 4G networks, including WiMAX and LTE. While the economy adds a question mark to the eventual size of the 4G landscape, Gartner believes carriers will embrace 4G out of necessity. With declining voice average revenue per user prompting a search for greater efficiencies, 4G will benefit carriers through reduced network operating costs. Earlier this week, we learned Sprint was mulling the idea of outsourcing its 3G network to save 20 percent on operating expenses.

Although carriers currently have leverage against VoIP on mobile phones, it may not stay that way for long. Google, Yahoo and other portals could account for a third of mobile calls within 10 years, according to Gartner, a trend that recent moves on the part of carriers seems to confirm. Sprint, for example, reportedly wants to refocus on building applications, not maintaining the pipe. Along with an upswing in applications, such as Skype, to make calls, companies not known as telecoms are encroaching on the space once the sole domain of carriers. Apple, for instance, has transformed itself from a computer company to a consumer electronics player with iPhone, an unconventionally designed mobile phone.

Can Microsoft hold back the rising waters threatening to sweep away the familiar carriers? The short-term answer is likely “yes.” However, Skype and other VoIP applications are unlikely to stand still. As we saw with the App Store and RIM, the freely available Skype has tasted telecom blood and Windows Mobile may still be swept aside by a flood of mobile VoIP demand.
[Source]

Vodafone Qatar announces IPO

2009-03-17T08:49:00.002+02:00

Vodafone Qatar, holder of Qatar’s second mobile network operating licence, has announced that 40% of its company shares will be listed on the Doha Securities Market, following an initial public offering (IPO) that will be launched on 12 April and will close on 26 April. The IPO is expected to raise USD929 million. Vodafone Qatar Chairman Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Saoud Al Thani said, ‘This is a significant IPO as it will become one of the largest IPOs in Qatar. Furthermore it marks the next step in the deregulation of the telecommunications sector in Qatar, by bringing competition to the market.’ HSBC Bank Middle East and Qatar National Bank will represent the network as financial advisors and lead receiving banks, with twelve other local lenders also acting as receiving banks. An open day will be held on 17 March giving potential investors an opportunity to learn more about the IPO.

As reported by CommsUpdate last week, Vodafone Qatar has switched on its network, connecting the first 100 customers. The network is expected to begin full commercial service in either July or August. Vodafone will compete with sole existing operator Qatar Telecom.
[Source]

How to watch DVD and video on Pocket PC

2009-02-27T21:29:00.001+02:00

How to watch DVD and video on Pocket PC - Get more Information Technology

The full Web on your phone

2008-12-04T08:46:00.002+02:00

The full Web on your phone, fast and free.TeaShark gives you full web browsing on your mobile phone with superb usability and performance. It renders web pages the same way as desktop browsers. No more 'mobile web', your favourite sites are the same on your phone and the desktop.
check out the features and download it now!

Samsung Omnia on Verizon Review

2008-11-29T16:15:00.002+02:00

We have been waiting a long time to get our hands on a US-spec version of the Samsung Omnia and finally the time has come. Verizon Wireless was the lucky carrier to get the smartphone, complete with fresh compatibility with EVDO Rev.A. Very similar to the Samsung Behold, the Omnia runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional with the familiar TouchWiz interface. SlashGear had the chance to see just how well the Samsung Omnia holds up to all the hype.

On the side is where you will find all of the control keys such as volume and a dedicated camera button. On the left there is a lanyard loop and the Samsung proprietary charging and headphone jack. This loop is where you would hang the included stylus if you so choose. The right side bears the notes button, up and down volume keys and a dual-action camera key that allows you to depress slightly to use autofocus and all the way to snap a picture. There is a sleep/power button located on the top of the device in the same place you would find it on the iPhone. Also on the top is a recessed reset button. All of the keys on the Samsung Omnia have what you might call a premium feel to them, every one has a very user friendly location and is placed right where you would expect them to be found.

The built-in GPS worked exceptionally well while driving around town. The auto update location feature kept our location as well as we would expect it to. Google Maps would take a few minutes to load upon initial boot up, but quickly resumed with a warm acquisition. Unfortunately we did not have the time to try the GPS out with any other applications to test for consistency.
Full Story here...

Another Free Remote Solution for Windows Mobile

2008-11-26T20:52:00.002+02:00

Sanjay Thomas’ T2 Remote Touch is advertised to be “the quickest remote control application to control your computer using your Windows Mobile phone, really easy to use, powerful and free, designed with touch screen in mind.

That being said, it’s a remote tool that would allow you to connect your Windows Mobile Professional device to your PC in a remote session, taking complete control over your desktop or notebook. T2 Remote Touch has the ability to Send and Receive files from your PC and mobile, all this while still controlling your PC in the same time (you can drag and drop files from Windows Explorer to Remote Touch Server to transfer files to your mobile, copy the files in windows explorer and paste them in Remote Touch Server, copy and paste text from PC to mobile and all of these the other way around, from your Mobile device to PC). Besides the three touch involving operation modes (Click Mode, Overview Mode, Scroll Mode), the application will allow you to use your D-pad for easy navigation.

Check this video for a step by step installation and configuration guide of T2 Remote Touch.
[Source]

Lenovo ThinkPad Notebooks Will Use Text Messages for Additional Security

2008-11-25T14:44:00.003+02:00

By Scott Ferguson
Lenovo is using text messaging to add an additional layer of security to the company’s line of ThinkPad notebooks. Starting in 2009, Lenovo ThinkPad notebook users can use an SMS text message to shut down a laptop that has been stolen or has been lost. This new feature, called Lenovo Constant Secure Remote Disable, was developed in conjunction with Phoenix Technologies to work with the ThinkPad’s BIOS.

Lenovo is adding a new layer of security to its ThinkPad notebooks that will allow users to disable their laptop by simply sending a text message through a cell phone.

On Nov. 25, Lenovo plans to announce the new security offering for its line of ThinkPad notebooks called Constant Secure Remote Disable. Lenovo, along with Phoenix Technologies, developed this security feature and embedded the technology within the notebook’s BIOS.

This new security feature allows a user to send an SMS (short message service) text message from a cell phone to a Lenovo ThinkPad that has been lost or stolen. Once the kill command is sent, the lost or stolen ThinkPad is either disabled immediately or the notebook is disabled after the PC has been turned back on, said Stacy Cannady, Lenovo's product manager of security.

Since hard disk drive encryption will not work properly if the PC is running or in hibernation mode, this disable feature ensures that the data is secure by shutting the machine down and allowing the hard disk drive encryption to work. If and when the ThinkPad laptop is recovered, the user can restore the notebook, its settings and the data contained on the PC by entering a password.

While Lenovo has developed other technologies that can disable or secure a ThinkPad laptop that is either plugged into a network or is using Wi-Fi, the Constant Secure Remote Disable technology covers those notebooks that are using a cellular WWAN (wireless wide-area network) network for Internet access.

“What we did was find a way to have the PC shut down in response to a command that is sent over the cellular network,” said Cannady.

“The limitation here is that you have to have a WAN card in the PC and you must be paying a data plan for it,” Cannady added. “If that is true, when someone steals the PC, you can whip out your cell phone and send a message to your PC, wherever it is, and when the PC gets that message, it will shut off at that moment. The only way to get it back is to type in the resurrection code.”
More...

AT&T Announces New Windows Mobile Phone From LG Electronics

2008-11-23T19:37:00.002+02:00

AT&T announced the new LG Incite Windows Mobile phone. The mobile touch screen device includes a 3 inch 240x400 WQVGA display and a 3 mega pixel camera. AT&T wireless is selling the phone for $199 after a $100 rebate.
AT&T Inc on Monday announced a new Windows Mobile Phone made by LG Electronics. The new LG Incite is a touch screen device which runs on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional platform. The smart phone is priced at $199 after a $100 rebate.

LG Incite comes with a sleek design and a 3.0 inch touch screen. The phone features a 3.0 mega pixel camera. The LG smart phone includes Microsoft Office Mobile, Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5 and Windows Media Player 10.

Mobile phone users can easily navigate through the new menu system by using their fingers. The touch screen also features a scroll button. Users can also use a stylus. The menu is fully configurable and has drag and drop features for users to save favorite applications.

The new LG Incite has a virtual keyboard. The mobile device also features a full QWERTY keyboard when turned in landscape mode. The touch screen features haptic keys that can provide vibration feedback. Users can also access a 20-key virtual keyboard in portrait view.

Business mobile users can easily add email through Microsoft Direct Push and AT&T's Xpress Mail service. The AT&T Mobile Music service lets mobile users download music on a 16GB memory card.

The phone also comes pre-loaded with AT&T Navigator. The service features turn-by-turn voice and on-screen directions with 3D moving maps. It also features other location-based services such as traffic alerts.
[Source]

Samsung churning out faster 256GB SSDs

2008-11-22T21:00:00.004+02:00

It boasts that the drives are twice as fast as earlier models
By Lucas Mearian

November 20, 2008 (Computerworld) Samsung Electronics today announced that it is mass-producing 256GB solid-state disk drives that deliver double the performance rate of its earlier 64GB and 128GB drives. The new SSDs are designed for use in laptop and desktop PCs.

Samsung said it has been able to narrow the disparity between read and write speeds on the drive from previous models to about 10%. That yields a sequential read rate of 220MB/sec. and sequential write rates of 200MB/sec.

The company said it was also able to increase the erase cycles, allowing for the entire drive to be rewritten faster. Previously, Samsung's SSDs required data blocks marked for deletion to be erased only when data was ready to be written. Now the blocks are erased as they are marked for deletion.

According to Steven Peng, SSD technical marketing manager at Samsung, the additional speed in the new drives is achieved through multichannel interleaving (eight channels total), "though the basic architecture remains unchanged. "However, there are design improvements such as optimized firmware, and improvements to the controller," he said.

In September, Intel launched its first SSD, the X25, which has up to 80GB of capacity and uses 10 parallel channels to achieve an average read speed of 230.2MB/sec.

Jim Elliott, vice president of memory marketing at Samsung, said the new 256GB drive can store 25 high-definition movies taking up 10GB of space each in just 21 minutes, which he said is a significant advancement over a 7200rpm hard disk drive, which takes about 70 minutes.

"Furthermore, the 256GB SSD launches applications 10 times faster than the fastest 7200rpm notebook HDD," Samsung said in a statement.

Samsung's 256GB SSD is also available with optional proprietary encryption.

Information on pricing and availability was not immediately available.
[Source]

Wizard Plus (PDA Torque and Force Analyzer) Features the Ability for SPC Testing and Producing ISO Calibration Certificates

2008-11-21T18:22:00.002+02:00

The Wizard Plus is a new PDA Torque and Force Analyzer from Mountz Inc., that can be used for torque calibration, joint testing, auditing or for force and load measurement or verification of load cells. The Wizard Plus is CF2 Card that plugs into a Pocket PC or Laptop/PC.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) November 21, 2008 -- The Wizard Plus is a new PDA Torque and Force Analyzer from Mountz Inc., that can be used for torque calibration, joint testing, auditing or for force and load measurement or verification of load cells. The Wizard Plus is CF2 Card that plugs into a Pocket PC or Laptop/PC. It features the ability for SPC testing and producing ISO calibration certificates. The Wizard Plus is the ideal torque analyzer for organizing and storing test data for ISO and SPC documentation.

The Wizard Plus user-friendly Windows® interface makes it quick and simple to setup your torque testing parameters for hand or power tools. The readings are displayed along with tool identification and preset information when a load is applied. Combining the torque and force measuring discipline with common PDA applications like a scientific calculator, an address book and activity planner is truly an unprecedented tool for engineers and operators.

The versatile Wizard Plus can adapt to an assortment of transducers for testing and calibrating hand screwdrivers, wrenches and power tools. With a memory capacity six-times the typical torque and force analyzer, the Wizard Plus is ideal for storing and organizing calibration data for ISO and SPC documentation. The Wizard Plus allows an operator to perform and save test data for tools. The files are saved in Windows® Excel document. An operator can store calibration readings with a time and date stamp in multiple project folders, with the freedom to organize and retrieve data in a variety of ways.

"Our customer research and discussions led us to design a unique product that uses a PDA or laptop as a standard user interface for calibration, torque/force auditing or data collection. Now a user may obtain data using one of many torque sensor configurations and leverage the documented results through the ease of a standard program like Microsoft Excel," said Brad Mountz, President & CEO of Mountz Inc. "In addition, we have built in commonly accepted SPC data so the user can witness results graphically through an Excel macro that is embedded in the download program. This system gives users unprecedented flexibility for use on the assembly line or in a formal calibration lab environment. Recently, NASA has specified the product for calibrations performed at the Internal Space Station. Many other high profile customers are using the products simple user interface and documentation features to eliminate cost in data collection, while improving process control quality."

Featuring the ability to produce ISO calibration certificates for tools, the Wizard Plus provides companies an analyzer that saves money and eliminates the hassle of shipping tools out to calibration labs.

The graphing capability of the Wizard Plus provides companies the resource to easily evaluate and confirm torque specifications in both production and R & D environments. Testing torque and force is literally a science and not something that can be left to chance. Companies can simplify and improve their testing efficiency and data management with the Wizard Plus.

Controlling torque is quintessential for companies to ensure their product's quality, safety and reliability isn't compromised. The failure of a three-cent fastener that isn't properly tightened can lead to catastrophic or latent failures. Fasteners that are insufficiently torqued can vibrate loose and excessive torque can strip threaded fasteners. Using a quality torque analyzer has become increasingly important for many companies to ensure that proper torque is being applied and maintains gauge requirements associated with the ISO 9001 Quality Standard.

About Mountz, Inc.
San Jose, California based Mountz Inc. produces a wide variety of torque tools, including torque analyzers, torque testers, torque sensors, torque wrenches, electric screwdrivers, torque screwdrivers, torque multipliers, assembly tools, screw counters, balancers and special torque applications.

Over the last 40 years, Mountz Inc. has proven its in-depth knowledge of torque solutions by consistently developing and producing as well as marketing and servicing highly sophisticated, cutting-edge tools. Mountz Inc., known among members of the industry as the nation's premier torque tool supplier, is an ISO 9001 registered and ISO 17025 accredited company. Mountz Inc. offers tools that comply with ISO6789:2003 and are constructed from high quality materials, engineered for superior reliability and safety and backed by a standard warranty.

For more information website at www.etorque.com
[Source]

Cypress CapSense™ Proximity Sensing Solution Delivers Industry-Leading Detection Range of Up to 25 Centimeters

2008-11-21T12:57:00.004+02:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. --(Business Wire)--

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE:CY) today announced that its proximity detection solution enables a best-in-class proximity detection range of 25 cm. Based on the market-leading CapSense™ touch-sensing technology, the solution leverages the flexible PSoC® Programmable System-on-Chip architecture to deliver variable detection range and sensitivity along with desired system effects.

Proximity sensing enables new usage models where direct touch is not required, instead detecting a finger or another object as it approaches the device. The solution allows for enhanced industrial designs that only expose interfaces or buttons when necessary and provides incremental power savings by activating an interface only when needed. For more information on the CapSense proximity sensing solution, visit www.cypress.com/go/PR/proximitysensing.

To simplify use of this proximity sensing functionality, Cypress also announced a free online tutorial that shows how to develop proximity sensing detectors without writing or debugging a single line of C or Assembly code using Cypress's PSoC Designer™ embedded design tool. The 30-minute interactive video entitled "Building a Proximity Detector Using PSoC Designer" is available at www.cypress.com/go/PR/ProximityDemo.

The new video includes an introduction to proximity sensing with a demonstration of the detection range of the CapSense solution, and it features Cypress member of technical staff Dave Van Ess presenting the design of a proximity sensing interface using PSoC Designer software via the PSoC FirstTouch™ Starter Kit. The USB thumbdrive kit can also be used for touch-sensing, temperature-sensing and light sensing-designs. The CY3270 PSoC FirstTouch Starter kit is available for US$29.95. The follow-on CY3271 PSoC FirstTouch Starter Kit with CyFi™ Low-Power RF enables proximity sensing as well, and is available for US$69.95. For more information, visit www.cypress.com/FirstTouch.

"The popularity of proximity interfaces is growing rapidly in a huge range of applications across the consumer, handset, white goods, industrial, computation and automotive markets," said Gokul Krishnan, business unit director for Cypress's CapSense Touch-Sensing solutions. "This video demonstrates just how easy it is to add proximity sensing functionality to a design using our proven CapSense touch-sensing solution, which is at the heart over 2.5 billion touch-sensing interfaces in systems worldwide. Our customers receive unmatched system design support, including easy to use software, application notes, and production text fixture support."

About CapSense

A single CapSense device can replace dozens of mechanical switches and controls with an elegant touch-sensitive interface, and the solution supports proximity sensing for superior product differentiation. CapSense-based "button" and "slider" controls are more reliable than their mechanical counterparts because they are resistant to environmental wear-and-tear from temperature change and moisture. Cypress has garnered hundreds of CapSense design wins worldwide in applications that include mobile handsets, portable media players, white goods, computers, printers and automotive, among others.

Cypress's CapSense solution offers system designers numerous advantages over capacitive sensing products built around modules and sub-assemblies, including increased flexibility, reduced board space and lower cost. Because of the unique PSoC architecture, designers can easily integrate multiple functions (e.g., LED drivers and LCD displays), in addition to capacitive sensing. The PSoC CapSense solution also delivers benefits such as easy communications using either I2C, SPI or USB interfaces, the ability to implement both touchpad (x-y matrix) and linear slider applications with the same device, and the ability to make quick design changes using the flash-based PSoC architecture. In addition, users can complete CapSense designs quickly and easily using pre-configured and verified "user modules" and experience real-time sensor tuning and monitoring within Cypress's PSoC Designer embedded system design tool. Learn more about CapSense online at www.cypress.com/capsense.

PSoC -- Because Change Happens

PSoC devices employ a highly configurable system-on-chip architecture for embedded control design, offering a flash-based equivalent of a field-programmable ASIC without lead-time or NRE penalties. PSoC devices integrate configurable analog and digital circuits, controlled by an on-chip microcontroller, providing both enhanced design revision capability and component count savings. They include up to 32 Kbytes of Flash memory, 2 Kbytes of SRAM, an 8x8 multiplier with 32-bit accumulator, power and sleep monitoring circuits, and hardware I2C communications.

The flexible PSoC resources allow designers to future-proof their products by enabling firmware-based changes during design, validation, production, and in the field. The unique PSoC flexibility shortens design cycle time and allows for late-breaking feature enhancements. All PSoC devices are also dynamically reconfigurable, enabling designers to morph internal resources on-the-fly, utilizing fewer components to perform a given task.

Easy to use development tools enable designers to select configurable library elements for analog functions such as amplifiers, ADCs, DACs, filters and comparators and digital functions such as timers, counters, PWMs, SPI and UARTs. The PSoC family's analog features include rail-to-rail inputs, programmable gain amplifiers and up to 14-bit ADCs with exceptionally low noise, input leakage and voltage offset.

A single PSoC device can integrate as many as 100 peripheral functions saving customers design time, board space and power consumption while improving system quality. Customers can save as much as $10 in system costs. More information about PSoC products is available at www.cypress.com/psoc and free online training is at www.cypress.com/psoctraining.

About Cypress

Cypress delivers high-performance, mixed-signal, programmable solutions that provide customers with rapid time-to-market and exceptional system value. Cypress offerings include the PSoC® programmable system-on-chip, USB controllers, general-purpose programmable clocks and memories. Cypress also offers wired and wireless connectivity technologies ranging from its CyFi™ Low-Power RF solution, to West Bridge® and EZ-USB® FX2LP controllers that enhance connectivity and performance in multimedia handsets. Cypress serves numerous markets including consumer, computation, data communications, automotive, and industrial. Cypress trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol CY. Visit Cypress online at www.cypress.com.

Cypress, the Cypress logo, PSoC, West Bridge and EZ-USB are registered trademarks, and PSoC Designer, CapSense, FirstTouch and CyFi are trademarks of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
[Source]

Microsoft to Force Consumers to Upgrade Hardware for IE 6 Mobile

2008-11-20T14:27:00.002+02:00

Looking to upgrade to Internet Explorer 6 Mobile (also known as Pocket Internet Explorer 6 or PIE 6) for Windows Mobile? Well, get a new handset! Microsoft is taking a stance that the new browser will require more advanced hardware according to Pocket PC Thoughts.

"Regarding making IE Mobile available as a separate download or update, the rich media experiences that IE Mobile 6 enables require more powerful, advanced devices. That is why it will not be available as an upgrade or direct download for current phones, but rather will be made available on new phones."

So there you have it. No separate installer, no IE 6 Mobile cab installer, and no "updates" pushed out through HTC, AT&T, Verizon, or whatever carrier you have. Microsoft and its partners want you to purchase new phones to support these new "rich media experiences" promised by the new browser.
[Source]

Windows Mobile 6.5 Screenshots Leaked

2008-11-19T13:18:00.002+02:00

We’re not quite ready for Windows Mobile 7 just yet, but Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer has officially confirmed that the company will be releasing Windows Mobile 6.5. Just as WM 6.1 brought all sorts of upgrades over WM 6.0, we can expect all sorts of interesting updates for WM 6.5.

So, how will this new mobile operating system look? We’ll have to take these leaked screenshots with a grain of salt, but we could be taking our first look at the Windows Mobile 6.5 user interface. As you can see from the left shot, it seems that accessing the various functions is done from a honeycomb pattern rather than a grid.

From what I can gather, the right screen must be the home screen (or some variation), granting you quick access to your most frequently used applications, as well as the clock and weather report. I hope this isn’t the new home screen, though, because I want at a glance info for tasks and appointments.
Overall, you can see that Windows Mobile 6.5 is much more aesthetically pleasing that its predecessors, possibly taking a page out of HTC TouchFLO and Asus Glide. The appearance of the top taskbar is still pretty similar though.

Naturally, we have a reason to be skeptical about these leaked screenshots. The battery meter and signal strength icons are switched in the two pictures, and the font for the soft key buttons near the bottom are different sizes too. Then again, we could be looking at multiple early concepts and not the final product.

[Source]

Toshiba Revs Qosmio Notebooks with Three GPUs

2008-11-18T19:31:00.003+02:00

by Mark Hachman

In a first for the notebook market, Toshiba has launched the Qosmio X305-Q708 and X305-Q706 laptops, each of which feature three GPUs.

Both of the new laptops include the GeForce 9400M GPUs along with a pair of GeForce 9800M GTS in SLI mode. The X305-Q708 also includes the 2.53 GHz Core Extreme QX9300 microprocessor.

At press time, Toshiba hadn't updated its X305-Q706 page with the new configuration and pricing. Its X305-Q708 page, however, includes both specifications and the laptop's price: $4,199.00.

A Toshiba spokesman said that several versions of the X305-Q70 series will be released, including a version priced at $1,999.

The X305-Q708 also includes 4,096 Mbytes of RAM, a 128-Gbyte SSD, a 320-GB 7,200-RPM disk drive, a DVD Multi drive with dual-layer capabilities, 802.11n, four speakers, an ExpressCard slot, and other goodies. The notebook includes a 17-inch display. Toshiba is the second notebook vendor to launch a hybrid SLI notebook following Apple, whose 15-inch macBook also used the GeForce 9400M as the default graphics unit. Both notebooks turn off the discrete GPUs when performing basic tasks, to minimize power. When needed, however, the system powers on the additional GPUs.
via pcmag.com
Find Qosmio Notebooks at Store

The web is better when it's social

2008-11-17T21:41:00.000+02:00

The web is more interesting when you can build apps that easily interact with your friends and colleagues. But with the trend towards more social applications also comes a growing list of site-specific APIs that developers must learn.

OpenSocial defines a common API for social applications across multiple websites. With standard JavaScript and HTML, developers can create apps that access a social network's friends and update feeds.
More..

Xperia Panels review for Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

2008-11-17T15:00:00.002+02:00

We take an in-depth look at the Xperia panels technology found in the new Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. Is this the future of Windows Mobile?
For the most part, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 uses the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional user interface. However, the traditional Today Screen has been replaced by Xperia Panels, or more specifically a Panel Manager. The Panel Manager handles two types of panels: Native panels and Web panels.

Native panels are the most intriguing part, since they offer Java Micro Edition support and 3D graphics acceleration. The latter aims to ensure smooth graphics performance, but the 3D Fish panel, which was supposed to demonstrate the phone's graphical prowess, only proved there is still work to be done to take full advantage of the hardware. On the other hand, the Java ME support enables gaming houses like Electronic Arts to roll out gaming titles such as Need for Speed on a Windows Mobile-powered smartphone.

Sony Ericsson has also used native panels to allow users to customize their own home screen to some extent, as well as adding a Media Experience, similar to what we've seen on Sony Ericsson feature phones and Sony devices like the PlayStation Portable. However, we had expected to see Sony Ericsson take native panels in a more aggressive direction, where you for instance got a Walkman panel with a real Walkman player, a Cyber-shot panel and a Java gaming panel. It's easy to imagine how cool that would have been.

We had also hoped to see some serious integration of Google services on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, which would have been a nice addition to the already existing Windows Mobile functionality. However, the current Google panel consists of a search bar and a collection of bookmarks. Open the Calendar or Gmail icons, and the phone tosses you to Internet Explorer Mobile (unless you wisely make Opera your default browser first).

According to the Sony Ericsson SDK, there are several drawbacks to Xperia Panels when used on Windows Mobile. In short, don't expect to see any radical changes of Windows Mobile functionality coming out of this developer initiative, as you'll likely have to wait for future Microsoft updates in that regard.

That said, we still wanted to see more Web panels available at this point, such as Facebook or Twitter panels perhaps. But we guess we'll be stuck using the Windows Mobile Today panel (which provides the regular Windows Mobile experience) for such 'bleeding-edge' activity a while longer.
[Source]

Once Thought Safe, WPA Wi-Fi Encryption Is Cracked

2008-11-06T23:22:00.001+02:00

Security researchers say they've developed a way to partially crack the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption standard used to protect data on many wireless networks.

The attack, described as the first practical attack on WPA, will be discussed at the PacSec conference in Tokyo next week. There, researcher Erik Tews will show how he was able to crack WPA encryption, in order to read data being sent from a router to a laptop computer. The attack could also be used to send bogus information to a client connected to the router.

To do this, Tews and his co-researcher Martin Beck found a way to break the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) key, used by WPA, in a relatively short amount of time: 12 to 15 minutes, according to Dragos Ruiu, the PacSec conference's organizer.

They have not, however, managed to crack the encryption keys used to secure data that goes from the PC to the router in this particular attack

Security experts had known that TKIP could be cracked using what's known as a dictionary attack. Using massive computational resources, the attacker essentially cracks the encryption by making an extremely large number of educated guesses as to what key is being used to secure the wireless data.

The work of Tews and Beck does not involve a dictionary attack, however.

To pull off their trick, the researchers first discovered a way to trick a WPA router into sending them large amounts of data. This makes cracking the key easier, but this technique is also combined with a "mathematical breakthrough," that lets them crack WPA much more quickly than any previous attempt, Ruiu said.

Tews is planning to publish the cryptographic work in an academic journal in the coming months, Ruiu said. Some of the code used in the attack was quietly added to Beck's Aircrack-ng Wi-Fi encryption hacking tool two weeks ago, he added.

WPA is widely used on today's Wi-Fi networks and is considered a better alternative to the original WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) standard, which was developed in the late 1990s. Soon after the development of WEP, however, hackers found a way to break its encryption and it is now considered insecure by most security professionals. Store chain T.J. Maxx was in the process of upgrading from WEP to WPA encryption when it experienced one of the most widely publicized data breaches in U.S. history, in which hundreds of millions of credit card numbers were stolen over a two-year period.

A new wireless standard known as WPA2 is considered safe from the attack developed by Tews and Beck, but many WPA2 routers also support WPA.

"Everybody has been saying, 'Go to WPA because WEP is broken,'" Ruiu said. "This is a break in WPA."

If WPA is significantly compromised, it would be a big blow for enterprise customers who have been increasingly adopting it, said Sri Sundaralingam, vice president of product management with wireless network security vendor AirTight Networks. Although customers can adopt Wi-Fi technology such as WPA2 or virtual private network software that will protect them from this attack, there are still may devices that connect to the network using WPA, or even the thoroughly cracked WEP standard, he said.

Ruiu expects a lot more WPA research to follow this work. "Its just the starting point," he said. "Erik and Martin have just opened the box on a whole new hacker playground."
[Source]

HP Middle East Partners with Higher Colleges of Technology to Prepare Graduates for the Future

2008-10-25T20:37:00.002+02:00

HP Middle East announced today the opening of the HP Certified Training Centre at the Abu Dhabi Men's College (ADMC). Director of Abu Dhabi Men's College, Dr. Simon Jones, Managing Director of HP Middle East, John Hoonhout and General Manager of Procurve Networking of HP EMEA, Jack Gauthreaux inaugurated the Training Centre, which will take the students to a new and higher level of education.

The centre will provide training and support for hundreds of HCT students and industry trainee students in the UAE focusing on networking skills, storage management and full IT services management skills to prepare them for the workplace.

Through the Certified Training Centre, students will be able to develop skills across the IT sector through targeted and tailored technical and professional courses from September 2008. At the end of the course, the students will receive certifications in AIS and ITIL Fundamentals.

Feedback from the industry was that IT graduates lacked expertise in networking and storage management. At HP, we pride ourselves on collaborating with our customers and communities to provide them with vital IT knowledge and skills.

Through this partnership with HCT, we'll be able to provide both students and professors the tools they need to develop advanced levels of IT education based on HP's high standards and quality," said John Hoonhout, Managing Director of HP Middle East.

Addressing industry's feedback HP ProCurve, the networking arm of HP is starting specialized courses on Networking and will provide trainings such as AIS, ASE and Master ASE.

"This partnership will extend ProCurve's reach and capabilities to provide such trainings with the long term goal of establishing more training partnerships and resources across the MENA", said Jack Gauthreaux, General Manager of Procurve Networking of HP EMEA.

The HP Certified Training Centre will also offer HCT professors the opportunity to undergo training in storage management, ITIL services management and networking management. Once the professors are fully qualified, HP storage, services and networking management courses will become part of HCT curriculum for bachelor and master degrees in IT from the end of 2008.

"HP's cooperation with HCT is tremendously promising for our institute and its students. With the increasing demand for technical support in the Middle East, it has become important to strengthen the technical education in this region. We are extremely pleased that HP is providing us with this exceptional opportunity. Through the HP Certified Training Center, HCT graduates will be able to tackle the ongoing IT challenges in their work environments", said Dr. Simon Jones, Director of Abu Dhabi Men's College.

As part of its Education Program tailored to develop the education level of the Middle East, HP is planning to extend its educational support to other higher education institutes across the region.

About Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)The Higher Colleges have expanded dramatically and today the HCT is the largest higher education institution in the U.A.E., a system of 16 campuses offering over 75 modern programs to more than 16,000 Emirati men and women. Using qualified teaching staff, innovative teaching methods and the latest technology, the HCT has quickly developed a reputation for its commitment to excellence, quality and exceptional standards.

Since the establishment of its four founding colleges in 1988, the Higher Colleges of Technology have become well respected for innovative learning in the United Arab Emirates. Across the UAE today, in the cities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Fujairah, and Madinat Zayed the fourteen HCT men's and women's modern campuses offer an impressive range of programs.

About HPHP, the world's largest technology company, provides printing and personal computing products and IT services, software and solutions that simplify the technology experience for consumers and businesses. HP completed its acquisition of EDS on Aug. 26, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

About HP Middle EastHP is the largest technology and solutions provider in the Middle East with 1100 employees and subsidiaries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Cairo, Ramallah, Qatar, Oman and 2 service Joint Ventures in Kuwait and Bahrain servicing the GCC, Egypt and the Levant. HP has been present in the Middle East since 1968 and opened its first regional office in 1994. HP Middle East is the market leader for enterprise, small and medium business and consumer technology products and offers a large portfolio of solutions and services in various business domains.

(C) 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
[Source]via albawaba.com

Mandriva Linux 2009 released

2008-10-10T21:26:00.002+02:00

European software company Mandriva has released the 2009 update to its flagship Linux distribution, Mandriva Linux.

Mandriva Linux 2009 claims to provide the most advanced and easy-to-use Linux operating system available and ships the “modern and cutting-edge” KDE 4.1 desktop environment and Linux kernel 2.6.27.

The Powerpack edition features an updated set of commercial applications, including audio and video codecs from Fluendo, image manipulation with LightZone, VMware’s virtualisation, and applications from Google.

To ease installation the graphical installer has been overhauled and the online software updater has been improved.

Also improved is the boot time and parental control utility.

If you have a new mini-laptop, or “netbook”, the Mandriva installer is now capable of detecting it and will install the “appropriate” GNOME (version 2.24) environment.

Mandriva 2009 also claims “easy, 100 percent graphical synchronisation” with mobile devices running Windows Mobile 2002, 2003, 5 and 6, all Blackberry devices, and many Nokia devices.

The release is available in three editions: Powerpack, One, which includes a live CD, and Free for only open source software.
[Source]

Windows Mobile 6.1 update for Verizon Motorola Q9c

2008-09-20T22:24:00.002+02:00

After somewhat of a wait, those Verizon customers who have been patiently waiting to update their Motorola Q9c to Windows Mobile 6.1 can now download the update as Motorola has finally released the Windows Mobile 6.1 ROM for said handset on their portal.

The Windows Mobile 6.1 update brings a refreshed home screen UI to the Motorola Q9c along with threaded SMS text messages and copy/paste functionality, so gives the Motorola Q9c a little bit of a facelift.

Motorola Q9c owners can grab the Windows Mobile 6.1 update via here, but remember to back you all your stuff before doing so.

Microsoft U.K. DCOE Picks Shunra Virtual Enterprise WAN Emulation Solution

2008-09-18T20:12:00.002+02:00

By Jai C.S.
Microsoft U.K. Deployment Center of Excellence (DCOE), which provides workshop-style sessions for customers and partners to review their current deployment processes, is using Shunra Virtual Enterprise (VE) as its central wide area networking (WAN) emulation solution.

Shunra Software offers both hardware and software WAN emulation solutions, combined with best practices for application development and performance testing. Shunra's solutions and services are implemented in projects such as data center consolidation, application performance readiness testing, VoIP testing, Web site testing and WAN optimization technology testing.

Shunra VE is a complete network simulation solution that offers a virtual network environment that delivers a powerful, flexible and easy way to test the performance of applications and network equipment.

"We worked closely with the Microsoft Deployment Centre of Excellence to provide a flexible platform to quickly emulate their customer's network environments which in turn provides end-users the ability to deploy the diverse set of Microsoft products faster and more reliably to meet the high level of quality of experience that Microsoft's customers are accustomed to," said Ben Boulnois, vice president for the Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) division at Shunra, in a statement.

By adopting the Shunra solution, DCOE can now address real-world scenarios customers face by applying a replica of the customer's actual wide area network to the testing phase, enabling customers to understand the exact end user experience before rollout.

This will help DCOE to extend its capabilities to provide demonstrations of solutions which addressed the real world scenarios their customers were facing, including: deployment and management of applications in branch and remote environments; network impairments; and reduced bandwidth and resources.

Additionally, the advanced reporting and market proven accuracy delivers a number of additional testing opportunities.

"The Shunra STN forms a fundamental component of our new DCOE environment. It allows us to provide predefined demonstrations which accurately reflect head office and branch type scenarios and differing variations on deployment and management based around these, as per our original intentions," said Keith Baker, security and management deployment specialist at Microsoft U.K.

"Shunra VE has not only allowed us to meet our original aims, but has presented the possibility for the DCOE effectiveness to be greatly enhanced for future engagements," Keith added.
[Source]

TrackyPro (online GoogleMaps with GPS)

2008-09-13T15:58:00.002+02:00

If you’ve taken your car navigation system into the woods you probably realized that it becomes more of a paper weight than a navigation device. Without roads most can’t function. That’s why you may need off-road navigation software.

Tracky supports online GoogleMaps so that you have full and free access to satellite, street, and hybrid maps, everywhere you go! Maps will be dynamically downloaded if your PocketPC has internet access. You can also cache these maps offline at home while still enjoying them when you are out. Finally, Tracky also allows you to import and calibrate maps of your own.

Tracky supports address-to-address navigation. It is not as fancy as in TomTom or Garmin, but it works, while you can still enjoy the many features these systems lack! You have access to various online databases to search for nearby businesses, geo-caches, Wikipedia entries, photos, and weather stations.More...

Google Base Store Connector

2008-09-12T20:03:00.002+02:00

The Google Base Store Connector creates connections between a specific online store and Google Base. The Google Base Store Connector currently supports connections to Yahoo, and eBay stores. Through this connection, a Google Base account holder can upload items from his or her other stores to Google Base.

After you download and install the Google Base Store Connector, you need to run it in order to make a connection to your online stores. Create a Google Base Store Connection as follows:

1. Using the pull-down-menu labeled I want to get items from, select the kind of store to import items from.
2. You will need to fill out different connection information depending on which kind of store you select. Fill out the Connection information as follows:
* For an eBay store, enter the User ID and password for your account.
* For a Yahoo store, enter the email and password for your account.
3. Fill in a name for the connection. This name will be used to label your Google Base Store Connection in case you need to modify it or upload more items to Google Base.

After you have filled out the information necessary to create a connection, click Copy items for my store . You will be taken to a new tab, labeled with the name you specified for the connection. You will see a link to your store and a link to your Google Base account. You will also see a last update date/time, a last publish date/time, and a list of your items, sorted by category.

After you have created a Google Base Store Connection, you are ready to upload items from your store as follows:

1. Select the tab that is labeled with the name of the connection you wish to upload items from.
2. If you haven't used this connection in a while, click Copy items from my store. This will refresh the list of items in the current connection.
3. Select the categories that you would like to upload items from. Currently, the Google Base Store Connector does not support uploading individual items; it only supports uploading categories of items.
4. Click Publish Items to Google Base.
5. Enter your Google Base username and password when prompted to do so.
6. If you wish to view the items you have added, you can click View my items on Google Base.

If you need to cancel the upload because you selected too many or too few items, you can select Cancel to end the publishing. You can check that your upload worked by using the link to your Google Base account.

Samsungs Eee Pc killer:First Official Snaps Spotted

2008-09-12T16:15:00.002+02:00

by Sam Kieldsen
Samsung is the latest manufacturer looking for a piece of that tasty netbook pie. The Korean giant has slipped the fine folks at What Laptop some official preview shots of an upcoming rival. So should Asus, MSI et al start getting worried?

The as-yet-unnamed netbook is a 10.2-inch model which will reportedly available in white, black and blue finishes. Media keys have been shunned in order to fit the biggest possible keyboard on the dinky lappy, and even the power button has been shifted onto the right side panel. Which is where you’ll find VGA, audio and USB ports as well. The other side panel totes an Ethernet socket and a couple more USBs.

A release date is yet to be set, but the end of October looks likely.

No word on specs just yet, although What Laptop speculates that it’ll come with Windows XP, an Intel Atom N270 processor and 1GB of memory, plus a standard hard drive offering either 80GB or 120GB of storage. Likewise, Samsung is keeping quiet regarding pricing, except to say that it’ll be “in keeping with similar offerings on the market”. Hmm - so it does sound like the other netbook makers have a new rival to contend with. We’ll bring you more news on this mini notebook as we get it.
[Source]

GPS devices gain popularity in Qatar

2008-09-11T15:15:00.002+02:00

Doha • GPS devices have become a major hit in the Gulf. The devices are handy for people who travel.

Marketing executives, sales representatives, police, journalists and medical personnel do not have to spend the valuable time by-hearting the huge maps when they have these tiny devices which can be mounted on the dash board of the car.

These user friendly devices feature interactive street maps that show points of interest, route information, and step-by-step routing directions. Some consumer devices record trip information. This is useful for trailblazing and mapping by hikers and cyclists.

Fear of losing your way in the desert can from now on never prevent you from an adventurous desert or sand dune trip as your navigator records the whole trip route.

Kansas-based Garmin Ltd is the most well-known manufacturer of GPS devices for consumer, aviation, and marine applications. The company's first product was a GPS receiver called the GPS 100, a panel-mounted receiver aimed at the marine market, released in 1990.

Garmin's iQue line of integrated PDA-GPS receivers is the first PDA that does not
require a PC to preload the maps.

StreetPilot c-Series sports large colour touchscreens, FM traffic notifications, support for weather and information updates from MSN Direct, and Bluetooth support. In April 2008, Garmin launched Garmin Mobile PC, a GPS navigation software programme for laptop PCs, and other computers based on the Microsoft Windows operating system.

California-based Magellan Navigation Inc's GPS units include a variety of different viewing options, including a 3D bird's-eye view, a night view, and pop-up visuals of upcoming turns.

Some models have position accuracy of within three metres, and voice and onscreen prompts that provide directions on how to drive to a particular destination. The Maestro 4050 is the first portable vehicle navigation device to offer drivers the convenience of voice command capabilities.

The Navigon, founded in 1991 in Germany, has introduced several "firsts" to the GPS navigation market. In 2000, Navigon launched the industry's first navigation software for the Pocket PC. With the introduction of Traffic Message Channel-based (TMC) traffic avoidance features, Navigon became the first to offer such a feature on a consumer GPS product in 2002.

TomTom is a Dutch manufacturer of automotive navigation systems, including both stand-alone units and software for personal digital assistants and mobile telephones. It is the leading manufacturer of navigation systems in Europe. It offers two types of products: navigation devices and navigation software for installation on mobile devices.

TomTom units provide a flying interface with an oblique bird's-eye view of the road, as well as a direct-overhead map view. They also have other facilities such as bluetooth, TCM and read-aloud SMS services.
[Source]

Thin on functions, heavy on appeal

2008-09-09T22:07:00.002+02:00

By Joyce Kam
For the price of a new mobile phone, you could have a simple, lightweight laptop no bigger than a book, and which allows you to surf the Web wirelessly as you sip an espresso in a coffee shop. No wonder the netbook (a relatively new breed) is creating a buzz among computer users and the industry.

Also known as an ultraportable, and mini laptop, it belongs to a category of diminutive, cheaper, light weight notebooks optimized for internet access and basic computing functions such as word processing.

"It's a whole new market," says Ken Wong Kin-hang, Lenovo's vice president and general manager for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. "It's not like it's cannibalizing the notebook market. There is a new demand for small and cheap notebooks purely for leisure purposes."

Taiwan's Asus launched the latest Eee PC series in April this year for between HK$3,998 and HK$4,788, followed by Acer Aspire One in July for between HK$2,988 and HK$3,988. Lenovo's Ideapad Lite S9/S10 will be available this month for prices ranging from HK$2,899 to HK$4,799.

Asus Eee PC is the smallest with the longest battery life of 7.8 hours, while Lenovo's Ideapad has the biggest hard disk of 160 gigabytes. Most netbooks use low voltage microprocessors such as Intel's Atom, the chipmaker's smallest processor built for mobile devices.

Lenovo's Wong believes buyers see the netbook, as if it were a mobile phone. "Since it's so affordable, a lot of customers are buying them out of impulse."

He asserts tha
t Lenovo's after sales service is far-reaching. Having acquired IBM's comptuer division in 2005, Lenovo offers an international warranty, with service centers in 90 countries. "We guarantee to fix a your laptop in two hours, which implies enormous back-up support."

He adds that if a buyer were to lose a netbook within a year of purchase, Lenovo would offer a replacement for HK$1,000. "We want to offer a total ownership experience. We trust that no one will deliberately take advantage of our service as Hong Kong is a mature market," says Wong.

While Lenovo emphasizes after- sales service, Asus focuses on developing computers that customers want. "We listen to users' complaints and desires before developing new computers," says Hektor Tung, general manager of Asus Technology (Hong Kong). "This company culture is very important for maintaining our competitive edge."

The Taiwanese company is one of the pioneers in the netbook market. It first launched Eee PC in Taiwan last year, and the netbook became a hit. In October last year in Hong Kong, 500 Eee PC 701 netbooks (its first model), sold out in Hong Kong in 10 minutes.

Tung says the Eee PC was originally developed to target the younger and older customers, but business people were drawn to it as well.

The three Es in its name mean: Easy to learn, work, play; excellent internet experience and excellent on the go.

"Eee PC would be a series that we wish to expand," he says, adding that Asus is integrating more entertainment features such as built-in speakers to the netbook, and it is expected to be priced 20 percent more.

Tung estimates that more than 70,000 Eee PCs have been sold in Hong Kong, adding that sales could surpass 100,000 by the end of the year. "We hope to come up with the perfect netbook that is light, with long battery life, attractive outlook and easy-to-use interface."

Acer meanwhile, has upped the ante. Product manager Stephen Wong says that its latest netbook, Aspire One , targets high school students and office women and available at a competitive price. "Demand for netbooks is on the rise because of outdoor work and activities. Specially for students who just have enough pocket money to buy a netbook for outdoor use like searching information in a library."

He believes the exterior and "crystal brite" screen differentiate the netbook from its competitors. "We have four colors for users to choose from, allowing users to express their different lifestyle," he says.

Lenovo's Ideapad, however, is available in five colors.

Research firm International Data Corporation, predicts that the netbook category could grow from fewer than 500,000 last year to nine million in 2012, while Microsoft is offering Windows XP for netbook makers, although it discontinued the operating system this year.

SMALL WONDERS

Asus Eee PC series HK$3,998 to HK$4,788

Acer Aspire One HK$2,988 to HK$3,988

Lenovo Ideapad Lite S9/S10 HK$2,899 to HK$4,799
[Source]

Netbook popularity may be boon for Qualcomm

2008-08-20T08:56:00.001+02:00

While the popularity of the Eee PC from Asustek Computer may help drive the netbook market and benefit PC processor players such as Intel and VIA Technologies, the new found market acceptance for mini-notebook devices may also be boon for mobile handset chip provider Qualcomm and its Snapdragon processor.

According to market research firm Gartner, global mini-notebook shipments are on pace to reach 5.2 million units in 2008 and eight million units in 2009, and with strong growth expected to be maintained over the next few years, shipments could reach 50 million units in 2012.

In addition to demand coming from emerging markets, education and consumers, mobile handset service operators see such devices as demand drivers for their advanced next-generation services. Therefore, Asustek is cooperating with Japan-based telecommunication vendors to push out a 100 Yen (US$0.91) Eee PC bundled with 3.5G online services, and the company is planning to push out a zero or one Euro (US$1.52) bundle with telecommunication vendors in Europe.

Developments in the mini notebook segment are not going unnoticed by global handset chipset leader Qualcomm, and the company is gearing up for the release of similar devices based on its Snapdragon processor late this year or early in 2009.

Qualcomm has already had some success with its Snapdragon in the 4-inch to 6-inch Internet device segments, with Samsung and HTC being two companies that have announced products based on the processor. However, the company also believes the Snapdragon can satisfy market demand for larger sized devices with a full keyboard in the 7- to 12-inch product range - the company refers to these two segments as Pocketable Computing Devices (PCDs) and Mobile Computing Devices (MCDs), respectively.

During Computex Taipei in June, Qualcomm showcased a 10-inch MCD powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon running Linux. At that time, Qualcomm SVP Luis Pineda indicated that the company was not trying to develop computing products that replaced notebooks, but that were complementary devices for mobile professionals.

Pineda compared the device to a UMPC, which would only provide 2-3 hours of battery life and would require a travel charger for a mobile professional on a day trip. In contrast, Pineda indicated the Snapdragon could run on 500mW at 1GHz. That translates into a full computing device that can run all day, or eight hours, Pineda pointed out.

The key focus of such devices would not be CPU-intensive applications but the light computing mobile professionals needed, including office applications, web-browsing, chat, multimedia and email. While the company indicated that it is supporting both Windows Mobile and Linux for its PCDs and MCDs, it is focusing on Linux for the larger full keyboard devices and has been aggressively developing Linux software support for its MCD devices.

Qualcomm indicated that it has formed partnerships to build support for Linux applications on its chip, focusing on applications that it felt would create a lot of usage, such as a desktop browser, email client, OpenOffice, media player and chatting software. Pineda indicated that while Qualcomm will do a lot of the porting and the prevalidation of the OS, it will be the software providers that will work with system ODMs such as Inventec. Qualcomm will focus on chipset support.

Qualcomm believes the market for such devices will be driven by connectivity, especially 3G connectivity, and its experience and leadership in the wireless modem market will provide it with a strong advantage over its competitors from the PC market. Pineda added that the Snapdragon also supports GPS, Wi Fi, Bluetooth, a 12 megapixel camera, as well as support for Mobile DTV technologies such as MediaFLO, DVB-H and ISDB-T. Therefore, system houses and ODMs can design any number of products, from entry-level to high-end touch-screen devices, Pineda indicated.

Pineda also argued that such integration would also make solutions based on the Snapdragon competitive with any netbook solution in the wireless space, as netbooks would require add-ons such as wireless modem cards.

Qualcomm recently noted that more than 20 OEMs are developing more than 30 products using the snapdragon processor, with devices expected to be released at the end of this year or early next year.

Moving forward, Qualcomm expects demand to be even stronger once LTE is adopted in the market. Qualcomm will launch chipsets supporting LTE next year. In terms of WiMAX, Pineda indicated that Qualcomm has no plans to support it with its Snapdragon chip, but the company will monitor developments in the market.
[Source]

A "Moot" Point!

2008-08-07T11:07:00.000+02:00

"Moot is a brand new way to share and communicate using your mobilephone or PC. Moot is 100% free and with no catches. Moot is a piece of social software that brings you together with other people who share the same location - a local service for local people. It works at home,at school or on the move. When Moot is on, new impulses and possibilities will come your way, for example when you're walking down the street or taking the bus home - new impulses will come your way through interaction with other Mooters.Share, chat and express yourself - locally - for free - with no catches"

There once was a service called Moot,
and it was another social sharing service to boot.

The software was limited to standard you see,
but it soon should support Pro, Oh Whoopee!

So for now grab your touchscreen-less WiFi phone,
if trying it out is something you feel that you are prone.

And for heaven's sake write back some thoughts here,
or bad limericks will be the norm - a big fear!

OK, so I know it's probably not poetically the correct form, but I figured why not, spice up the usual news item post. Moot looks like an interesting service, although since it seems limited to WiFi hotspots, I'm not sure how amazingly social it can be (Since at any given time I am near exactly 0% of my friends on the same hotspot), but who knows, perhaps a crowd is forming. Are you one of the crowd members mooting?
[Source]

Skype for Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional now available

2008-08-03T15:52:00.000+02:00

If you are a Windows Mobile phone user and are fond of using Skype for free calls but have been experiencing a few problems with their VoIP client, you may just be pleased to hear this snippet of news.
Skype has now finally updated to run on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional mobile devices. GSMarena installed Skype for Windows Mobile on a Samsung Omnia and an HTC Touch Diamond, and sated that chatting over Skype “is not bad at all.

According to GSMarena, Skype is a little “mucky” when using HSDPA but is much better when calling over WiFi connections.

Another downside is that when using Skype the touch-screens remain active and the red and green receiver keys don’t appear to work for Skype call management.

The new Skype 2.2.0.45 for Windows Mobile overall didn’t hurt functionality but fails to make full use of the Samsung Omnia’s screen real estate in all windows.
[Source]

Samsung i760 gets a Windows Mobile 6.1 firmware update

2008-07-15T17:46:00.001+02:00

The Samsung SCH-i760 on Verizon Wireless can now be upgraded to the latest version of Microsoft's mobile OS - Windows mobile 6.1. However, it's not just the OS upgrade the new firmware includes.

Here's the full list of changes:

* Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 with version AKU 1.0.0.
* Popular features for WM6.1 include, threaded SMS, Domain Enrollment, and updated "Vista" looks.
* Applied, several Bluetooth improvements (updated BT DUN profile, improved scanning).
* Applied, support for YouTube videos.
* Applied, Qualcomm patch.
* Fixed, memory leakage by replacing POOM API.
* Fixed, notification malfunction under certain conditions.
* Fixed, certain conditions prevented delivery of MMS.
* Added, MEID support (included in BC04 MR).
* Added, WLAN chipset enhancement (included in BC04 MR).

You should allow up to 10 minutes to complete the firmware update.
Direct download links: for Windows XP, for Windows Vista.
[Source]

HP quietly releases the Windows Mobile iPaQ 910

2008-07-13T22:18:00.000+02:00

by Arnold Zafra
While the whole mobile phone industry is busy with the hype built up by the release of the iPhone 3G, HP has quietly made available its new Windows Mobile smarthphone, the HP iPaQ 910. This smarthphone which has a striking resemblance to a Palm Treo is now available for $499.99 at HP’s website.

Like we said before, the iPaQ 910 is loaded with high-end features including a 2.4-inch touchscreen display, full QWERTY keyboard, HSDPA for connecting to the web at 7.2 Mbps, 3.0-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, built-in Google Maps and GPS, 128MB of RAM, and a 416 MHz Marvell PXA270 processor.

The iPaQ 910 runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and is loaded with various Microsoft programs including Office Mobile, Office Outlook Mobile and Internet Explorer Mobile.

[Source]

Apple iphone 3G Smartphone Information Center

2008-06-12T13:01:00.000+02:00

Apple announced the 2nd Generation iPhone 3G at the 2008 WWDC. As expected the new iPhone includes high-speed 3G data connectivity and support for 3rd party iPhone software.

AT&T Mobility has both EDGE, which the original iPhone uses for relatively slow wireless data connectivity, and HSDPA, a faster, smarter '3G' wireless data technology. The 3G iPhone takes advantage of both EDGE and HSDPA, the latter allowing for web browsing, file downloads, etc., at over 3X the speed of EDGE.

After months of pressure, Apple released the iPhone SDK, or Software Development Kit, in 2007, so companies and freelance software writers have been working on their 3rd Party iPhone applications for months. The 3G iPhone supports installation of software written by talent outside of Apple, and this will certainly make the new iPhone a more interesting choice for many users. The App Store launches in early July 2008.

The iPhone 3G also has onboard GPS, sync for Microsoft Exchange, and support for Apple's new MobileMe Push PIM service, an updated and iPhone-friendly version of .mac.

The new iPhone 3G has the same 3.5" touchscreen display, but with a thinner, more rounded design and a new plastic back piece to minimize scratches. The iPhone 3G is available in 8GB and 16GB capacities, both with solid state flash memory chips. The 8GB version of the iPhone 3G will sell for just $199, with the 16GB version selling for $299.

Available in the U.S. and 21 other countries on July 11.

Basic4ppc v6.30 is Released

2008-06-11T11:12:00.000+02:00

Basic4ppc is a powerful development environment that targets Windows Mobile devices (Pocket PC) and desktops.

Basic4ppc allows you to write code on the desktop or directly on the device.

Now you can easily develop your own applications using the included libraries: GPS, Network, Serial ports, FTP, SQL, HTTP, Graphics and many more.

Basic4ppc V6.30 includes new features like:

o Image and libraries are now embedded in the executable.
o AutoComplete (desktop IDE).
o Target VGA and QVGA devices with the same application.

And more.

Download your free evaluation copy now.

URL: http://www.basic4ppc.com
[Source]

Windows Mobile Emulator Tests Phone Apps on Your Desktop

2008-06-07T18:44:00.001+02:00

Windows only: It's a great feeling to find a productivity application that fits your workflow, but if your platform of choice is Windows Mobile you might only find that app after hours of tedious installing and uninstalling with lots of tiny screen time and stylus poking. Recently released to the general public, Microsoft Windows Mobile Emulator is desktop software that imitates Windows Mobile 6, Windows Mobile 5.0, and Windows Mobile 2003SE on your PC. Install and uninstall software, try out themes and new interfaces, and use the phone's external buttons with the emulator—no stylus required.

For complete testing you can even emulate actual cell phone calls and data transmission to the program, which allows you to see how call dependent features work without having to call yourself or bother a friend. Is downloading and installing an emulator worth never having to hard reset your phone to get rid of a stubborn and unwanted program? Let us know what you think in the comments. The Windows Mobile Emulator desktop app is a free download for Windows only.
Microsoft Device Emulator [via Download Squad]
[Source]

Microsoft Hones Mobile Search, Services Strategy

2008-05-18T22:03:00.000+02:00

n a busy week for the company's mobile group, Microsoft debuts an update to Live Search, and also signs a deal to put Windows Live services on RIM's Blackberry.
By Stuart J. Johnston
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) this week rolled out several new and updated features in connection with an updated version of Live Search for Windows Mobile, continuing its efforts to strengthen its hand in the mobile device game.

The update provides a new way of organizing local information and Internet searches, dubbed "Collections." The feature is designed to aggregate frequent searches, making their results easier to access while on the road -- for instance, enabling a user to always look up nearby events.

In addition, the update also "provides deeper integration with Windows Mobile phones, user generated PC content, and Web search, and now offers weather forecasts," a spokesperson told InternetNews.com in an e-mail.

Microsoft's release of Live Search for Windows Mobile marks the company's second major announcement on the mobile device front this week. On Monday, Microsoft revealed that it would supply Windows Live services to one of its fiercest competitors in the smartphone arena -- Research in Motion (RIM).

Windows Live services for Windows Mobile, which includes the Windows Live Messenger instant messaging program and Windows Live Hotmail e-mail service -- but not Live Search -- were developed originally for the company's mobile device operating system.

Since then, the company has begun now working on making those services available on other phone systems, including ones from Nokia and, after Monday's announcement, RIM, maker of the omnipresent BlackBerry devices.

Through that agreement, Microsoft will provide a version of its Windows Live services to run on BlackBerry devices. Services for BlackBerry devices are scheduled for summer release.

The efforts come as an indication of the burgeoning importance of mobile search and services. A recent report from Juniper Research found that by 2013, about 30 percent of the expected 4.2 billion owners of wireless devices will depend on mobile device searches to find and locate local digital information.

Yahoo also is taking steps to improve and broaden the scope of its own mobile search, striking a bevy of deals with wireless carriers and introducing ease-of-use features like speech recognition.

Meanwhile, Microsoft's update to Live Search for Windows Mobile introduces what the company views as a similarly important feature for helping users perform searches.

"With Collections, I'm able to put together a list of my most common searches, so that I can quickly and easily access them on the go," Derek Snyder, product manager for Windows Mobile, said during a demo at CTIA Wireless 2008 in April.

Snyder made his presentation during a keynote speech by Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division.

"No matter where I am, whether I'm in Seattle or Las Vegas, I can initiate this search, find all of the music events going on in the area, and then throw them all up on a map," Snyder said during his presentation.

Collections also extend to content on the Web generated by other users, including information from Virtual Earth.

Live Search for Windows Mobile also adds a "map a contact" feature that displays a map and directions to any contacts in the user's contacts list. Enhancements to Web search include the ability to launch searches directly from the client, according to the spokesperson. Additionally, a new weather report feature includes four-day forecasts.

The latest release of Live Search for Windows Mobile is being made available on Microsoft's site.
[Source]

Microsoft Windows History

2008-04-03T17:08:00.002+02:00

This vid shows Microsoft Windows History ,Windows Versions that Released & Not.
Windows 1.0 Beta: Never Released
Windows 1.0: Released November 20, 1985
Windows 2.0: Released November 1, 1987
Windows 3.0: Released May 22, 1990
Windows 3.1: Released March 18, 1992
Windows NT 3.1: Released July 27, 1993
Windows NT 3.5: Released November 20, 1995
Microsoft Bob: Released March, 1995
Windows Chicago: Never Released
Windows 95: Released August 24, 1995
Windows NT 4.0: Released July 29, 1996
Windows 98: Released July 25, 1998
Windows NT 5: Never Released
Windows 2000: Released February 17, 2000
Windows Me: Released September 14, 2000
Windows Neptune: Never Released
Windows Whistler: Never Released
Windows XP: Released October 25, 2001
Windows Server 2003: Released April 24, 2003
Windows Longhorn: Never Released
Windows Vista: Released January 30, 2007
Windows Server Longhorn: Never Released

Wireless watchers eye CTIA for Windows Mobile clues

2008-03-28T20:26:00.000+02:00

Wireless symposium CTIA kicks off in Las Vegas next week, with industry leaders poised to debate the business impact that next-generation communications. But Microsoft looks set to grab the attention, with company watchers anticipating an imminent update to its Window Mobile operating system.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Microsoft will release its Windows Mobile version 6.1 on 1 April – the day that Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division is to deliver a keynote presentation at CTIA.

Early indications suggest that Windows Mobile 6.1 will provide a sleeker interface. Screenshots, leaked on to the web, suggest the system has been simplified and screens will be less cluttered than the much-criticised 6.0 version.

Other CTIA show highlights include addresses from Dan Hesse, president and CEO of Sprint Nextel, Lowell McAdam, president and chief executive of Verizon Wirele, Arun Sarin, chief executive, Vodafone, and Marco Boerries, president of Yahoo Mobile.

Elsewhere at the show, one panel discussion will explore how firms should equip, and protect, their mobile workforces. The Enabling your Business with Smartphone and Wireless panel discussion, will include Intrinsyc Software's chairman and chief executive Glenda Dorchak.

Dorchak will discuss how the smartphone is changing the way that workers want to access both tools, and information. "There is significant value for enterprises, users, and service operators when one device platform can address both consumer and business usage scenarios," she explained.
[Source]

Microsoft Getting Windows Mobile Ready for MIDs

2008-03-22T22:25:00.000+02:00

There's a new class of portable computers emerging, and Microsoft wants to make sure that its Windows Mobile operating system is ready for it.

A Mobile Internet Device (MID) is larger than a handheld or smartphone, and used primarily to browse the Web. Probably the best current example of this is the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, but several more companies reportedly have MIDs in the pipeline.

Microsoft's problem with MIDs is that they aren't well suited to either the full version of Windows or Windows Mobile. So it has hired Len Kawell to modify Windows Mobile for this new class of devices.

According to Microsoft:

He is responsible for scaling Windows Mobile to new kinds of kinds of devices with larger screens and faster processors - also known as Mobile Internet Devices, or MIDs.

Kaswell has some experience in this area. He joined Microsoft from Pepper Computer, a startup focused on software for MIDs.

When the first MIDs running Windows Mobile will debut is not yet known.
[Source]

Adding places to Google Maps

2008-03-20T21:03:00.000+02:00

In Google Maps, you can add any place that does not already appear on the map. From your favorite town square to little-known landmarks, make sure everyone can find the places most important to you.

Windows Mobile to get Flash, PDF support

2008-03-18T13:05:00.000+02:00

Microsoft has licensed Adobe Flash Lite so that Windows Mobile phone users can view Flash content in the Internet Explorer Mobile browser.
Nancy Gohring
PC World

In addition to its own Silverlight multimedia technology, Microsoft will support Adobe's competing Flash technology on Windows Mobile phones, the companies planned to announce on Monday.

Microsoft has licensed Adobe Flash Lite, the Flash Player runtime for mobile devices, so that Windows Mobile phone users can view Flash content in the Internet Explorer Mobile browser. Microsoft has also licensed the Adobe Reader LE software, so that Windows Mobile users will be able to view PDF documents.

The announcement means Windows Mobile phones will support both Flash and Silverlight, Microsoft's own fledgling technology that lets developers build multimedia Internet applications that run in browsers.

Microsoft hasn't yet said when it will add the support for Silverlight to Windows Mobile, and nor is it saying when it plans to support the Adobe programs, said Scott Rockfeld, group product manager at Microsoft's Windows Mobile group.

The companies have some integration work ahead of them. "The engineers have to work together to integrate the technology, and then the platforms have to be distributed to OEMs," said Anup Murarka, director of technical marketing for mobile and devices at Adobe. Adobe hopes that the capabilities will be found in phones by the end of the year, "but that's something Microsoft would have to comment on," he said.

Having both Silverlight and Adobe Flash on Windows Mobile is a natural, Rockfeld said. "From a Windows Mobile perspective it comes down to choice," he said. "Flash and Silverlight can provide similar experiences, just like we see in other areas." For example, Microsoft's Live Search and Google Maps, which offer similar services, are both accessible from Windows Mobile phones, he said.

Regardless of which technology users are most drawn to -- Silverlight or Flash -- the technologies both enable the types of multimedia content that phone users are interested in, said Julie Ask, an analyst with Jupiter Research. Her research shows that consumers who have phones that support rich browsing experiences, like the iPhone and some Nokia phones, generate more page views and are more likely to sign up for a data plan with their operator, she said.

"Adding Flash into the user experience on the phone will make it a better one, a richer media experience," Ask said.

Microsoft said last year that it would develop Silverlight for Windows Mobile. Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that Nokia will use Silverlight. Nokia said it planned to ship phones running its Series 60 software that support Silverlight by the end of the year, with Series 40 and its Internet Tablet to follow.

Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG are all shipping Flash-enabled devices today, Murarka said. In addition to supporting Flash-based content on Web sites, mobile-phone makers and operators can also use Flash in content like screen savers, wallpapers and animated ring tones. Flash is also used in mobile-phone user interfaces.

Notably absent from the list of handsets using either technology is the iPhone. "We'd love to see Flash come to the iPhone," said Murarka. But just like any other phone maker, Apple would have to work with Adobe to license Flash for the iPhone. "Hopefully when we have the opportunity to review the SDK, and if it's a vehicle to deliver a solution, we would look forward to working with Apple," he said. Apple recently released an SDK that will allow third parties to build applications for the iPhone.
[Source]

Voiceserve to Exhibit Latest Technology to More Than 500,000 Expected

2008-02-27T13:04:00.000+02:00

Voiceserve to Exhibit Latest Technology to More Than 500,000 Expected Attendees at the CeBIT '08 Trade Fair

NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Voiceserve, Inc. (OTCBB: VSRV) and its wholly owned subsidiary VoipSwitch will showcase its latest technology at the upcoming CeBIT 2008 event from March 4-9 in Hanover, Germany.

Voiceserve will be launching its newly developed VoIP "Vippie Softphone" March 4, available for download at www.voiceserve.net. This software program allows users to make phone calls over the Internet using a computer, and is currently one of the most advanced of its kind as it includes the facility to send text messages via Short Message Service (SMS) world-wide at highly competitive rates. CeBIT will also be the platform for the launch of the newly formed electronic marketplace for the trading of minutes, a multi trillion dollar business, by proxy for telecom traders. Registration is very simple, via the website www.voip-proxy.com, available March 4.

Telecom resellers and traders are invited to the company's booth, located in Hall 13, stand C11. The facility to test and experience the Voiceserve-VoipSwitch technology will be established at the stand. As an introductory offer, free international calls will be available from the stand for first time subscribers.

About CeBIT

CeBIT is the world's largest trade fair showcasing digital IT and telecommunications solutions for home and work environments. CeBIT offers an international platform for comparing notes on current industry trends, networking, and product presentations. Deutsche Messe AG has organized CeBIT in Hanover each spring since 1986. There were approximately 480,000 visitors from all over the world who attended the last CeBIT in 2007. For more information visit www.cebit.de.

About Voiceserve, Inc.

Voiceserve is a UK-based provider of low-cost Pay as You Go and prepaid cell phone services via the Internet to customers primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Voiceserve's network allows customers savings on average up to 85% on international calls. Products include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) airtime minutes bundled with optional convenient features, including virtual numbers, direct dial, web callback, and call forwarding. Customers can purchase local virtual numbers, from 29 countries with as many as 50 different cities in a single country, on one VoiceSIM card. For more information, visit www.voiceserve.com.

An investment profile about VSRV is located at www.hawkassociates.com/vsrvprofile.aspx. Other information for investors is available at http://www.hawkassociates.com and www.americanmicrocaps.com.

This release contains certain forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors not under the company's control, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from the results, performance or other expectations implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, those detailed in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source: Voiceserve, Inc.

Pint-sized PC has offsite OS, low power-use

2008-02-26T12:48:00.000+02:00

Energy-efficieny touted as advantage
By Tom Jowitt London
French vendor Linutop has unveiled a mini-desktop computer.
The Linutop is a pocket size desktop PC, the size of a paperback book. It does not have an internal hard disk drive; its open-source operating system resides on a USB key.

The tiny machine uses an AMD Geode LX700 (x86) processor, and comes with 256MB of RAM. There are four USB 2.0 ports, which allow for external storage to be plugged in, and there is a 10/100baseT Ethernet connection, a VGA output, and audio in and out connections.

The aluminium case measures just 9.3 x 2.7 x 15 cm and weights 280g. And it consumes just five watts of power, making it "one of the most energy efficient on the market", according to Linutop.

The machine's green credentials, according to Linutop, include its low power consumption, coupled with reduced maintenance costs and added robustness due to its lack of hard drive and absence of moving parts. The company also states, somewhat tenuously, that the small size of the Linutop makes the computer easier to recycle and its light weight reduces the environmental cost of shipping.

The Linutop comes with the open source operating system xubuntu, which is customised for the Linutop. However, it is compatible with other Linux distributions including Mandriva key, Slackware, DSL (damn small Linux), and Puppy Linux.

Web browsing is provided by a Firefox browser, and instant messaging is provided by Gaim, now known as Pidgin, which supports a lot of protocols including AIM, Google Talk, MSN, and Yahoo etc.

An open source word processor is also provided (Abiword), as is a simple calendar and tasks manager, a PDF viewer, and various other multimedia applications.
[Source]

SoftMaker Office 2008 Beta for Pocket PC

2008-02-25T09:02:00.000+02:00

Well this is great news, are you up for beta testing? Softmaker’s Office suite offers so much more than the WinMo office applications that come native to Windows Mobile.
SoftMaker Office lets you do on a Pocket PC what you can do with Microsoft Office on your Windows PC. Imagine having a full-fledged office suite in your pocket!

Furthermore, SoftMaker Office 2008 is not only available for Pocket PCs, but also for Windows and soon for Linux and Windows CE. You can exchange your documents, without conversion, between all these platforms.

You can Download the Beta, there’s a little registration rigmarole, but that’s to be expected.
Have a look at what the full package includes at the SoftMaker Site.
via justanothermobilemonday.com

Claimed-first Menlow board debuts

2008-02-23T18:41:00.000+02:00

Lippert Embedded Computers has released what it says is the first board based on Intel's Menlow chipset. The Linux-compatible CoreExpress-Menlow module is also the first in Lippert's newly announced 65 x 58mm CoreExpress processor module format, aimed at automotive, medical, mobile, and point-of-service/interface (POS/POI) devices.
Measuring 65 x 58 mm (about 2.6 by 2.3 inches) the new CoreExpress module format (pictured at left and below) is smaller than a credit card, and roughly the same size as Via's smallest ITX mainboard format for cell phones, the 75 x 45mm Mobile-ITX. According to Lippert, a Mannheim, Germany-based embedded computer manufacturer known for products such as the Hurricane-PM EPIC single-board computer (SBC) and the Cool Roadrunner PC/104-Plus module, the CoreExpress format is made possible by the compact format of the Menlow chipset, but will be able to work with other nano-scale processors as well. "Menlow," a branding term similar to "Centrino," encompasses Intel's Silverthorne processor and Poulsbo companion chip, together with a variety of optional storage, WiFi, GPS, and other peripheral chips.

CoreExpress-Menlow Module
The CoreExpress format is said to weigh only 26 grams, including its soldered RAM. It lacks analog interface signals like VGA or Ethernet, or any legacy I/O, such as PS2, speaker, and similar peripherals. The format is said to be suitable for automotive, medical and mobile devices, as well as POS retail devices and POI (point of interface) telecom applications.

It is unclear if Lippert plans to push CoreExpress as a formal specification. However, Lippert's Matthias Fellhauer sits on the PC/104 Consortium board and has actively pushed the limits of the PC/104 standard in the past.

CoreExpress-Menlow Module

Based on the Menlow chipset, the CoreExpress-Menlow module is said to sip power at very low rates while running at clock frequencies as high as 1.5GHz. The module includes 1GB RAM, digital panel connections, and HD audio, says the company. It is said to support PCI Express lanes plus several USB 2.0 ports, IDE, or SDIO/MMC interfaces.

The CoreExpress-Menlow's tiny heat sink doubles as an electromagnetic shield, thereby streamlining system integration, says the company. The module supports a temperature range of -40 to 185 degrees F (-40 to 85 degrees C). It includes a separate microcontroller that supports features such as a 128-bit security key, temperature recording, and recording of operating hours. The microcontroller also supports flash memory and fail-safe BIOS functions.

The module appears to be the first formally introduced Menlow product. However, Elektrobit (EB) informally announced that it will introduce a WiMax-enabled Mobile Internet Device (MID) based on the chipset later this year. The EB MID will be based on MontaVista Linux, MontaVista has boasted.

Lippert is providing a hardware/software evaluation kit for system integrators that includes the CoreExpress-Menlow module mounted on an EPIC carrier board, thereby providing standard PC connectors and PC/104(-Plus) expansion. The CoreExpress Evaluation Kit includes a Board Support Package (BSP) with documentation for the selected operating system (OS), including Linux, Windows XP, Windows XP Embedded, and Windows CE.

Availability

Lippert did not provide pricing or availability information on the CoreExpress-Menlow, but more information may be available on a website launched around the CoreExpress format. Lippert will be demonstrating the CoreExpress-Menlow at Embedded World 2008, to be held at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg in Nuremberg, Germany on February 26-28. The company will also be showing a new member of its Thunderbird family of Mini-ITX boards that offers a universal I/O interface called FlexIO.
[Source]

Smart phone processor supports Windows Mobile apps

2008-02-22T13:26:00.000+02:00

Vimicro Corp. has introduced the Vinno-III (VC0818) and an open mobile platform, Vinno-III-Win, based on Microsoft Windows Mobile OS.

Based on ARM926EJ, the Vinno-III features built-in multimedia features such as hardware MPEG4/H.263 codec, JPEG codec, multi-format audio decoder, stereo A/D converter and D/A converter, SD/MMC and SDIO interface, NAND flash interface, high speed USB, 3MP sensor interface, and QVGA color screen.

Vinno-III-Win offers QVGA touchscreen, 3Mpixel camera, MPEG-4/H.263 video, WMA and MP3 playback and recording, Bluetooth and FM radio. Vinno-III-Win can be adopted to design both 2.5G and 3G smart phones and beyond.
[Source]

Mobile World Congress round up

2008-02-18T14:35:00.001+02:00

by Mark Sutton
The mobile communications industry's annual gathering, Mobile World Congress, took place in Barcelona last week. The conference and exhibition, formerly known as 3GSM, attracted more than 55,000 visitors, and saw the launch of a host of new mobile technologies.
Mobile leader Nokia launched four new handsets, all featuring location based services, along with Nokia Maps 2.0, the company's location application. In addition to its car navigation system ‘Drive', Nokia added ‘Walk' to cater to pedestrians. The application gives turn-by-turn directions for pedestrians, including a direction pointed with compatible handsets, and will also include optional extra cityguides featuring video, audio and photos.
Nokia chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo also showed a new ‘recycled' mobile handset during his keynote speech. The phone, called ‘Remade' has casing and keypad made from recycled steel cans, with internal components based on some recycled materials and some organic materials, including polylactic acid plastics.

Toshiba aimed for the high end, with the new Portégé G910, a smart mobile device for mobile professionals. The Windows Mobile device includes a full suite of Microsoft Office solutions, biometric fingerprint security solution and built in GPS. The company also showed an new small form factor phone, the G450 which weighs just 57 grams, and forgoes a keypad in favour of two circular multifunction pads.

Sony-Ericsson debuted a new Windows Mobile handset, the XPERIA X1, that looks to be a direct challenge to the Nokia Communicator and iPhone, while Samsung and LG also both showed iPhone-alike high-end consumer handsets.

iMate expanded its Ultimate range, with two new handsets, the 9502 and 8502, for the road warrior market.

Mobile World Congress saw the first look at Google's mobile software platform, Android. Android prototypes were on show from ARM,Texas Instruments and Wind River. Nokia also announced that it would integrate Google search within its own mobile search, although T-Mobile said that it was dropping Google and going with Yahoo! instead.

Motorola's phone line up included the ROKR E8 and MOTO Z10, both of which had been previously announced, but the company also introduced the TV DH01n, a mobile TV that also includes navigation capabilities.

Motorola also launched its first Femtocell customer premises equipment (CPE) devices, the 8000 series and the 8100 series. The Femtocells are access point base stations, that are designed for the home or SMB workplace, that connects to the mobile operator's network via broadband, meaning better quality signal at home, with cheaper call charges by using VoIP from a regular handset.

NEC announced that it has begun trials of its femtocell equipment with UK operator Telefonica O2 Europe. According to ABI Research the European femtocell market, which will constitute almost half of all global femtocell shipments, will be worth $4.2 billion by 2012.

There were innovations in other areas of mobile technology too. Overall Winner of the GSMA's Mobile Innovation Awards was GestureTek, for its EyeMobile Engine, which enables users to access almost any function on a handset by using gestures such as shaking or rolling the handset. The engine uses the existing camera on a handset, meaning the gesture activate interface can be integrated into camera phones without adding additional hardware.

For mobile email, Synchronica, announced the latest version of its Mobile Gateway 3.5, which will allow operators to offer mobile email on virtually any handset, via SMS. the company believes that the technology has great potential for emerging markets, where PC penetration is low but mobile phone use is growing.

Also in mobile email, Alcatel-Lucent announced plans to develop and distribute a prepaid option to operators in the wireless market for use with the BlackBerry. The solution will integrate with the operators existing network, while allowing the user to track the minutes and data usage against their pre-paid account, so they can top-up when needed.

Location based services were also popular at the show. Seeker Wireless announced technology that will allow mobile advertising to be pushed to standard cellular handsets without the need for GPS. The SeekerZone Mobile Advertising Platform will allow operators to define advertising zones around specific locations, with accuracy down to tens of metres.

Gypsii is integrating location with social networking, with a platform that will enable users to find people, places and events in their local area, as well as share photos, videos and audio files with their friends. The application allows mobile users to sit and connect with their social network while on the move, and to find out if any of their contacts are nearby. The company also announced that it has signed a contract with Broadway to launch its GyPSii Locations Based Advertising Solution into India.

If mobile social networking sounds like a potential hazard for younger users, then AdaptiveMobile's new Policy Control Framework, developed for the Cisco Service Exchange Framework, will offer access controls to help parents control what children can access through mobiles. The solution will allow parents to completely block inappropriate sites, or to restrict access to selected sites, as well as limiting access to certain technologies like MySpace and Facebook, as well as blocking of unauthorized phone numbers.

The GSM Association also announced plans to combat child pornography on mobiles, with the launch of the Mobile Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Content. The alliance, which includes Hutchison 3G Europe, mobilkom austria, Orange FT Group, Telecom Italia, Telefonica/02, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera, T-Mobile Group, Vodafone Group and dotMobi will work on technologies to detect, block access to and report illegal content on mobiles.

Middle East vendors and operators were represented at the show. Zain took over a whole restaurant near the exhibition centre, re-decorating it with Zain branding, to launch the company's brand internationally.

Orascom Telecom announced that it had deployed a suite of roaming solutions from Roamware in several of its territories in North Africa, to cater to inbound roaming customers, as well as deploying solutions to improve services for Orascom customers while they are travelling overseas.

Jordan-based software provider, Eskadenia Software, launched its Short Message Service Centre (ESMS-C) a Java-based store-and-forward messaging system.
[Source]

16 Mobile Carriers Utilize Ditech Networks EXi Solution to Measure Voice Quality

2008-02-01T17:11:00.000+02:00

Ditech's EXi is Only Monitoring Solution that Quantifies Voice Quality Problems Caused by Caller's Environment and Mobile Devices.
a leading provider of voice quality solutions to the global communications industry, today announced that audit results from its Experience Intelligence (EXi) solution have been used by 16 mobile service providers around the world to assess voice quality. EXi is the industry's only technology that quantifies voice quality problems caused by the caller's environment and by mobile devices. The solution is gaining acceptance by carriers as a complement to existing measures of voice quality, including technologies that monitor the network, and survey results from firms that poll subscribers.

EXi was introduced to the market in February 2006, and has been utilized to conduct voice quality audits for 16 carriers operating in 12 countries. The software application unobtrusively assesses voice quality on live mobile calls to derive an R-Factor and a Mean Opinion Score (MOS), which are commonly used standards in the telecommunications industry. When combined with existing voice quality tests, EXi completes the picture of voice quality as it is actually experienced by subscribers, by adding to the partial view already provided from network-induced impairments.

The service providers who have used EXi audit data are primarily tier 1 mobile carriers operating in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

"Ditech's EXi solution is gaining momentum in the market as an important complement to existing drive tests, surveys and network monitoring systems," said Todd Simpson, President and CEO of Ditech Networks. "EXi remains the industry's only technology to quantify the impact of the caller's environment and mobile devices on call quality."

EXi is a software application that is deployed in mobile and VoIP networks on Ditech's hardware platforms. The solution uses an industry-standard model to assess voice quality. Called the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) G.107 E-Model, this methodology identifies and measures voice quality impairments that originate in the caller's environment and devices, in addition to network infrastructure. The data is used to derive an R-Factor and MOS, which both rate the acceptability of voice quality to subscribers. The E-Model was used to assess information captured unobtrusively from millions of live mobile calls in real-time.

"Although the E Model has been available in the industry for several years, Ditech Networks is a leader in its implementation for voice quality impairments that are external to the network," said Jessy Cavazos, an analyst at Frost & Sullivan who focuses on the communication test equipment and system industry. "The E Model provides an important new Key Performance Index (KPI) for service providers as they track the impact of voice quality on the subscriber's call experience."

About Ditech Networks

Ditech Networks is shaping the future of voice quality through continuous innovation and leadership for the world's communications companies. Ditech's voice quality solutions are deployed in wireless and wireline networks to optimize the call experience. By delivering consistent, dependable voice quality, Ditech's products help global communications companies meet the multiple challenges of service differentiation, network expansion and call capacity. Ditech's customers include Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, Orascom Telecom, AT&T, China Unicom, Global Crossing and West Corporation. Ditech Networks is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For more information, visit http://www.ditechnetworks.com.
via money.cnn.com

Seagate launches 250GB laptop drive

2008-01-24T21:39:00.000+02:00

By Jose Vilches
The trend towards high-capacity laptop disk drives continues, and Seagate is finally joining the ranks of Hitachi, Samsung, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Fujitsu with a 250GB laptop drive. The new 2.5-inch drive, part of Seagate’s Momentus line, features two disc platters spinning at 5,400rpm, 8MB of cache, and the SATA 3 Gb/sec interface. The Momentus 5400.4 lineup also includes 120GB, 160GB and 200GB models.

Seagate currently holds the number one spot in the hard drive industry overall, but the company has hardly been a driving force in the capacity race on the notebook side. Rivals Toshiba, Western Digital and Fujitsu are already touting 320GB notebook drives, while both Hitachi and Samsung have recently promised to ship 500GB notebook drives in the near future.
[TechSpot.com]

HP Middle East launches new products at its business roadshow in UAE

2008-01-23T21:23:00.000+02:00

UAE. HP Middle East last week brought its four-country Personal Systems Group (PSG) business roadshow in the UAE, with the launch of new products.

The event, attended by HP partners and customers, saw the introduction of seven new commercial products, including notebooks, iPAQs, desktops, workstations and thin clients. The roadshow aims to strengthen HP’s relationships with its partners and customers in the region, and following the visit to Saudi Arabia and Dubai, it will stop at Qatar and Kuwait during January.

"This roadshow is particularly important for HP as we continue to focus on delivering new innovative products throughout the Middle East. HP is committed to providing our business customers with first hand experience of our technology capabilities as we continually strive to deliver the most practical and convenient products to meet their needs", said Anil Kumar, Commercial and Consumer Category Manager, PSG, HP Middle East.

The new HP Compaq dx2290 Business Desktop PC is designed specifically for businesses with essential computing and provides performance, stability and mainstream technology for a better, simplified ownership experience. It includes Intel Core 2 Duo 1, 2 dual core processors, the 946GZ Express chipset and the Intel PRO/100 VE Network Connection to extend the life of your computing technology and offers practical features and functionality used every day by businesses, to help reduce complexity in your IT environment so you can focus on your business results.

For small and mid-size businesses, HP workstation innovation is now within reach with the introduction of the new HP xw4550. Designed and engineered to give you and your business a professional edge, the HP xw4550, it Is tested and optimised for MCAD and Digital Content software. It aims to empower business users who have outgrown the limits of the traditional PC, combining desktop affordability with the performance, expandability, entry- to mid-range 3D graphics and certified applications of a workstation.

Thin clients can deliver a desktop experience in work environments where end users have a well-defined set of tasks, such as general office, medical, financial, educational, government, manufacturing, distribution, or call centre environments. The new HP t5730 Thin Client enhances performance and functionality, and focuses on giving the most for your needs. It includes AMD Sempron +2100 (8W-1GHz) with Vista Premium capable graphics with a slimmer design.

HP’s latest commercial notebooks, the HP Compaq 2710p and HP Compaq 6910p now include 3G capability, with new 3G capabilities. The HP Compaq 2710p PC brings together the combination of an ultra light notebook and the flexibility of a very slim tablet. It is more energy efficient as it comes equipped with a 12.1 inch diagonal widescreen display. The notebook has a dual-microphone array and optional integrated camera which allows one to enjoy video and web conferencing, video-enhanced instant messaging and VoIP.

The HP Compaq 6910p rounds out HP's comprehensive portfolio of mobile offerings, and features sleek new looks and the latest technologies, such as an Illumi-Lite display for weight and power consumption savings.

The HP iPAQ 614 Business Navigator is a versatile 5-in-1 device that helps mobile business professionals and frequent travelers run their operations single handedly. It offers HP’s end–to–end services including email push, device management, GPS navigation and location based services.

The new HP iPAQ 114 Series Classic Handheld is a well-thought blend of productivity, connectivity and style, as a more traditional PDA designed for consumers and entry-level business customers. Providing the latest connectivity options such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® as well as Windows® Mobile 6.0 to ensure an optimized user experience. With a sleek, thin and light design, it also has built-in wireless - 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR - and a powerful new Marvell PXA310 624MHz processor.

At the roadshow, HP also displayed its latest business products available in the Middle East.

via bi-me.com

SHAPE Services Announces Release of GPSed

2008-01-22T21:08:00.000+02:00

SHAPE Services have come up with a new software solution for real time GPS trip tracking and a social networking place for GPS, digital photography and mobile users, called as GPSed.

Using this mobile application, user can record tracks of the trip anywhere on the Earth from the mobile device and the tracks can be traced on Google Maps and stored in an online archive. GPSed when installed on smart phones with latest BlackBerry or phones built on Symbian OS or JAVA, and having a built-in or external GPS receiver, can record tracks and transfer them to GPSed web service in real time. With this software, user who already has a GPS receiver and some tracks already recorded can easily upload, view and share them online.

The uploaded tracks are stored on the server and available for reviewing and managing on web service. All tracks can be either public or private but they are public by default and recent public tracks can be found on GPSed homepage.

Feature of this product is that, anyone can find the track or trace someone else in real time. Detailed track information can be got. Valery Bogdanov, the head of LBS Team at SHAPE Services, said explaining its feature that they were able to view real-time location of their colleague in San Francisco and also able to trace him step by step, which he said is priceless.

Photographers and adventure travelers have an option to upload their photos on to PC and view them on Take'n'Pin desktop software. With the help of time-stamp and the GPS track, latitude and longitude can be applied to the photos and these photos when synchronized with the track of the trip, the software shows on the map at precisely the place were the photo was taken. This is called as geotagging.

Other person can see instant position of the user on the map, when the user is recording tracks with GPSed.

In future SHAPE Services have plans to add features where user can not only share tracks but also the pinned photos with anyone the user chooses. The company also has plans to target on large group of users which including hikers, hunters, bikers, photographers, tourists and anyone who are interested to try.

SHAPE Services produce software solutions for the wide range of mobile platforms. SHAPE's products are running on Java phones, Blackberry RIM, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC and Smartphone which work on all Symbian subplatforms.
[Source]

Lenovo finally delivers SUSE Linux-based ThinkPads

2008-01-12T21:46:00.000+02:00

PC vendor Lenovo has promised ThinkPads with pre-installed Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 for some time now. Lenovo will deliver the goods the week of Jan. 14.

Lenovo will release pre-installed SLED 10 on its Intel Centrino processor-powered ThinkPad T61 and R61 14-inch-wide notebooks. In February, Lenovo's pre-integrated Novell Linux offering will expand to include some Penryn-based ThinkPads.

The ThinkPad T61 with SLED 10 Service Pack 1 will come with the Intel Core 2 Duo T7250. The T61 laptop is powered by a 2.0GHz processor with an 800MHz FSB (front-side bus) and a 2MB Level 2 internal cache. For memory it comes with 1GB of DDR2 SDRAM (double data rate 2 synchronous dynamic RAM).

For graphics, the T61 will use an Intel GMA X3100 GM965 on the motherboard. This, in turn, displays images on a 14.1-inch WXGA (Wide XGA) screen. This widescreen has a maximum resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels.

On the storage side, the T61 uses an 80GB hard drive that speeds along at 5400 rpm. The PC also includes a combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive. For network connectivity, the system will use a built-in ThinkPad 11a/b/g Wi-Fi wireless minicard.

The starting price for this system will be $949, $20 less than the same laptop with Vista Home Premium.

The R61 with pre-installed SLED has almost identical equipment. However, it's been designed to be quieter and use less power than its T61 brother. Its price will also be about $950.

With both systems, Lenovo will provide direct support for the hardware and operating system. Novell will provide maintenance updates for SLED directly to ThinkPad notebook customers.

Lenovo has offered SLED-equipped laptops before. In 2006, it started offering its high-end ThinkPad T60p mobile workstation. Company officials also promised in August that Lenovo would finally deliver pre-installed desktop Linux in its consumer and small business lines. A quarter later than expected, Lenovo is finally following through.

When asked about this development, Michael Applebaum, senior manager of desktop Linux marketing at Novell, said, "We're very pleased to see our work with Lenovo reach the market and begin bearing fruit for customers around the world. The Lenovo ThinkPads with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop pre-loaded allow customers to reap the security, usability and flexibility advantages of Linux with the comfort of knowing it is pre-installed and fully supported by their hardware provider."

Applebaum continued, "It's never been easier to buy a Linux PC, deploy it into an existing environment and have it work seamlessly with current technologies. Going forward, you will see Novell and Lenovo continue to collaborate as we provide the market with additional models and capabilities to meet a range of customer needs."

Lenovo is finally joining Dell as one of the first top-tier PC vendors to offer pre-installed Linux desktops to its customers. In the meantime, other lesser-known vendors, such as Asustek Computer and Everex, are also delivering inexpensive computers with pre-installed Linux. Pre-installed Linux desktop systems are still far from being as easy to find as Windows-equipped systems, but they are out there now and are relatively easy to find and buy.
[Source]

Russia launches final satellites for its own GPS

2008-01-11T21:58:00.000+02:00

MOSCOW (Reuters,Tue Dec 25, 2007) - Russia successfully launched a rocket on Tuesday carrying the last three satellites to complete a navigation system to rival America's GPS.

The military-run GLONASS mapping system works over most of Russia and is expected to cover the globe by the end of 2009, once all its 24 navigational satellites are operating.

A space rocket blasted off from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome on the steppes of neighboring ex-Soviet Kazakhstan, from which Russia rents the facility.

"The launch was carried out smoothly at 10:32 p.m. (1932 GMT)," RIA news agency quoted a spokesman for the Russian space agency as saying. "We expect satellites to separate from the booster on the orbit at 2:24 a.m. (2324 GMT)".

Work on GLONASS -- or Global Navigation Satellite System -- began in the Soviet Union in the mid-1970s to give its armed forces exact bearings around the world.

The collapse of the Russian economy in the late 1990s drained funds and the plans withered, but President Vladimir Putin has ensured the project is now being lavishly funded from a brimming government budget.

Officials said GLONASS would mainly be used alongside the U.S. global positioning system, which Washington can switch off for civilian subscribers, as it did during recent military operations in Iraq.
via Reuters

Web 2.0 -The Machine is Us/ing Us

2008-01-10T17:13:00.000+02:00

The concept of "Web 2.0" began with a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Dale Dougherty, web pioneer and O'Reilly VP, noted that far from having "crashed", the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity. What's more, the companies that had survived the collapse seemed to have some things in common. Could it be that the dot-com collapse marked some kind of turning point for the web, such that a call to action such as "Web 2.0" might make sense? We agreed that it did, and so the Web 2.0 Conference was born.

In the year and a half since, the term "Web 2.0" has clearly taken hold, with more than 9.5 million citations in Google. But there's still a huge amount of disagreement about just what Web 2.0 means, with some people decrying it as a meaningless marketing buzzword, and others accepting it as the new conventional wisdom.

This article is an attempt to clarify just what we mean by Web 2.0.

In our initial brainstorming, we formulated our sense of Web 2.0 by example:

Web 1.0 Web 2.0
DoubleClick --> Google AdSense
Ofoto --> Flickr
Akamai --> BitTorrent
mp3.com --> Napster
Britannica Online --> Wikipedia
personal websites --> blogging
evite --> upcoming.org and EVDB
domain name speculation --> search engine optimization
page views --> cost per click
screen scraping --> web services
publishing --> participation
content management systems --> wikis
directories (taxonomy) --> tagging ("folksonomy")
stickiness --> syndication

by Tim O'Reilly
This video shows "Web 2.0" in just under 5 minutes.

Reporter's laptop computer explodes

2008-01-09T15:47:00.000+02:00

A South Korean electronics firm said Wednesday that it was investigating why one of its notebooks exploded into flames in what could have been a deadly accident, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.
The laptop computer owned by a newspaper reporter burst into flames on Tuesday afternoon, after white smoke began to pour out of it, said the reporter of mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo and eyewitnesses, all requesting anonymity. No one was injured.

The reporter had put the notebook in his backpack, while covering hospitalised victims of Monday’s deadly fire that killed 40 people and injured 10 others in a refrigerated warehouse south of Seoul.

Alarmed by the smoke, he ran to the rooftop of the hospital with the notebook.

At subsequent popping sounds he threw away the machine that instantly burst into pieces, they said. Explosions of notebook batteries have been reported overseas and have led to a product recalls.

Dell Inc. recalled tens of thousands of one of its models in 2005.
[Source]

Intel Penryn: Notebooks Launched, Desktop Quads Due Later In Q1

2008-01-09T00:04:00.000+02:00

Notebook vendors are introducing new models and model refreshes based on 45-nanometer Penryn processors announced Monday by Intel. New models from Toshiba include the Satellite X205 based on the 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8100, the 4.6- pound Satellite U305 using the T8100, and the Qosmio G45 that integrates the T9300. Gateway announced the P-Series FX Edition notebooks featuring Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTS graphics and new Penryn processors. The P-171X FX Edition is built around the T8300 processor and 8800M graphics. Pricing starts at $1,999. The new mobile Penryns will debut in scores of other notebooks from vendors such as Hewlett-Packard (HP), Dell, and Asus. HP, for instance, has updated its giant HDX gaming laptop with the X9000 Extreme chip. The new notebook announcements are happening in tandem with Intel's rollout of new Penryn-class processors, including the first 45nm dual-core mobile chips and mainstream desktop quad-core processors. Updated list here. New processors include the quad-core Q9550 (2.83 GHz), the dual-core E8500 (3.16 GHz), and quad-core Xeon X3360 (2.83 GHz) server chips.

Intel's new 45nm processors include the first mainstream (non-Extreme) "Yorkfield" desktop quad-core processors. Intel said the following about availability of the desktop quad-core Q9300, Q9450, and Q9550 processors: "[While] dual core desktop processor-based PCs using these new processors begin shipping this month...quad core-based systems plan to arrive later this quarter." There have been Asia-based reports that the Penryn-class desktop non-Extreme quad-core Q9300/Q9450/Q9550 processors had compatibility problems with motherboards and would ship later in Q1.

The updated Intel pricing list is as follows:

[Source]

VoiceBox Technologies Announces Expanded European Language Support

2008-01-08T16:13:00.000+02:00

VoiceBox Technologies Announces Expanded European Language Support for Its Conversational...
The award-winning innovator of conversational voice search applications, today announced it will support expanded European languages in the first quarter of 2008. The new language support -- for Dutch, British English, French, Italian,
German and Spanish (DEFIGS) -- adds to support for American English,
Canadian French and Mexican Spanish.

Working with phonetic transcribers worldwide, the new DEFIGS
capabilities boast robust pronunciation data garnered from native
speakers. These extensive phonetic lexicons are a critical boon, and
necessary for completing some of the highly complex tasks that
VoiceBox is known for, including voice destination entry for
navigation, local search, and points of interests (POI) and
location-based address requests with city and street name support.

"We are ecstatic to offer VoiceBox's powerful conversational
solutions to European markets with native language support," said
Brian Cassidy, managing director of VoiceBox in Europe, the Middle
East and Africa (EMEA). "And we are excited to explore all the
potential ways we can apply our world-class phonetic data."

VoiceBox will first apply the DEFIGS capabilities to the ripe
market of personal navigation devices (PNDs) in 2008, and will follow
with capabilities for automotive telematic systems.

VoiceBox Technologies' conversational platform is based on
advanced patent-pending technology that can determine context and
intent from conversational speech and then dynamically accommodate a
request based on the user's intent. Users are not required to memorize
exact preset commands and can simply ask for what they want, even in
noisy environments such as the automobile.

About VoiceBox Technologies

VoiceBox develops Conversational Voice Search(TM) software that
lets people search, navigate and discover content and services simply
by using natural, free-form language. The VoiceBox vision is to make
conversational voice search the de facto interface that gives people
anywhere-anytime access to what they need. Incorporated in 2001, the
privately held company's patent-pending voice search processes are
applied across telematics and infotainment, music and entertainment,
navigation, mobile and VoIP markets. VoiceBox Technologies was the
recipient of the Gartner Cool Vendor award for March 2007 as well as
runner-up in Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Innovation Awards for
software. For more information, please visit www.voicebox.com.
via Reuters

Where Linux Gained Ground in 2007

2008-01-02T17:46:00.000+02:00

"Computer scientist and media maven Roy Schestowitz takes a look at platforms where GNU Linux gained the most ground in 2007. In a thorough review which is the first of a two-part series, Schestowitz looks at trends in supercomputers, mobile phones, desktops, low-end laptops and tablets, consoles, media players and set-top boxes. Schestowitz finds that GNU Linux solidified its dominant grip on supercomputers; made huge gains in low-end laptops and tablets; won major OEM and retail support on the desktop; gained new entries into game consoles; and also spawned new businesses in set-top boxes while holding its ground in pre-existing product lines. He sums it all up by saying that '2007 will be remembered as the year when GNU/Linux became not only available, but also properly preinstalled on desktops and laptops by the world's largest companies.'"
[Source]

Lenovo ThinkPad R61

2007-12-28T16:08:00.000+02:00

Lenovo launch the classic ThinkPad R61, it packed full advance features you don’t generally find in a laptop notebook, such as the ThinkLight, that keyboard illuminates LED lights. The Lenovo R61 has 14.1 inch wide screen and weight just 5.8 pound and its make an ideal tour companion. For a work-oriented laptop decked out with all the accompaniments, this notebook model is hard to beat. The matchless keyboard includes a touch pad and an eraser head nub, and also adds Internet dedicated forward and backs keys.

The advance fingerprint reader and it located in the right palm rest. The hot-swap dual layers DVD drive with long lasting battery, system recovery and on-screen documentation utilities are just a key press away. The 2.2-GHz Core 2 Duo T7500-equipped lenovo R61 performed admirably in our pace check, with a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 80. The Wireless ThinkPad 11a/b/g Wi-Fi wireless LAN, OS: Window Vista home premium, Memory: 1GB RAM 677MHz DDR2 (1×1GB), expandable to 4GB, Three USB, mini-Firewire, PC Card& Express Card slots, LAN and phone jack, headphone and mic jacks, and VGA

Motorola makes a smart move with CIT

2007-12-26T16:44:00.000+02:00

Motorola makes a smart move with CIT MOBiDIV to unlock New Markets
Stars SuiteTM enhances the Smartphone experience of the MOTO Q users

The Mobile division of CIT Global, a leading contributor to the Mobile and Wireless computing world, delivering innovative and award winning software solutions for Mobile and Pocket PC platforms, announced signing a new contract with Motorola to pre-install its leading StarsSuite TM on the new MotoQ Smartphone including its full localization and language enablement of the device - into Arabic, Persian and Urdu.

The State-of-the-art StarsSuiteTM has been highly selected by recognized vendors worldwide since its launch to be bundled with Pocket PCs, Smartphones and Windows mobile devices including; Samsung, iMate, HP, HTC, MIO and others. In a successful attempt to fulfill the needs of a wide base of Smartphone users allover regions like the Middle East, Pakistan and Iran.

Previously, Motorola has launched its Java MotoQ with Stars Suite preinstalled, receiving wide acceptance, Motorola will also deliver all MotoQ Smartphones targeting the region packed with MOBiDIVs widely distributed Stars Suite II Providing its end users with significant value through the newly added packs of software such as; the Language Support Applications, X-Messaging applications, Utility & Translation tools, Cultural related-applications and Entertainment Applications. The second version of Stars Suite encompasses new features added to its already powerful feature-set thus enabling end users get a real all in one experience and reach best utilization of their devices capabilities whatever their languages are.

The enhanced suite with its high performance over all platforms and best quality in a shorter deployment time and smaller footprint really has the most efficient utilization of OS features. The suite can be seamlessly customized for any language and any mobile device usage.

This deal shows the recognition of Motorola to continue of relaying on MOBiDIV as a reliable business partner said Mr. Bahaa Al Bazzar, Business Development Director, CIT Global- Mobile Division.

The personalized experience of the Stars Suite on MOTO Q global smart device will appeal to a wide audience of users who will enjoy the latest collection of the StarsSuite bouquet in their own local languages He Added.

About CIT Global Mobile Division
The Mobile division of CIT Global is a leading contributor to the Mobile and Wireless computing world, delivering innovative and award winning software solutions for Mobile and Pocket PC platforms. CIT Global - the mobile division has delivered to the market various leading products on several platforms including Windows Mobile, Symbian, Java and Proprietary mobile operating systems. The company has built intensive competencies in Artificial Intelligence and Localization for various languages and markets. Most world leading Mobile Device Vendors currently bundle CIT MobiDiv products with their devices, such as Samsung, Motorola, iMate, Hewlett Packard and Asus.
We have extensive expertise in providing easy-to-use mobile device applications and dealing with multi application platforms. The technical skills built in CIT MobiDiv are un-paralleled ranging from kernel-Level Programming on Microsoft Windows Mobile, to core Java development as well as scientific competence in Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition.
CIT Global is an international provider of high quality, innovative eCommerce / mCommerce solutions and services, leading its clients into the next generation of multi-channel, fully secure eCommerce systems. CIT Global is delivering innovative and award winning solutions to its clients in more than 30 countries worldwide.
www.citglobal.com/mobidiv
www.citglobal.mobi
via tmcnet.com

Asus Brings Nokia E90 Styling to Windows Mobile

2007-12-25T20:44:00.000+02:00

by Chuong Nguyen
The new Asus M930W sports a clamshell, dual-screen design that is reminiscent of the Nokia E90 Communicator. Known specs reported by Unwired View include a 520 MHz Marvel processor, WM 6 Professional (although it looks like WM 6 Standard to me), tri-band GSM/EDGE, single band UMTS/HSDPA (no North American love from Asus), 256/238MB ROM/RAM, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, mini USB 1.1, microSDHC memory card.

Click on to Unwired View to see more shots.

The inside display looks pretty small to me, but the outside looks good. There are dual cameras--one for video calling and the other as a standard camera.

This one is headed for a Q1 2008 European release. European readers will now have more choice in hardware. Similarly, there is also the Toshiba G920.

New Mediaware for Windows Mobile

2007-12-22T20:43:00.000+02:00

New Mediaware for Windows Mobile, iambic Agendus and Nokia's Internet Tablets Updated, and More

Smith Micro Introduces Mediaware for Windows Mobile
Smith Micro Software, Inc. has launched Revue, an all-in-one multimedia application for Windows Mobile smartphones and handhelds that lets users take their music, photos, and videos with them on the road.

It has been designed to meet the needs of users who would like an easy-to-use and graphically appealing application to quickly access all multimedia files on their device. Revue even allows users to edit images with one-click photo enhancement and red eye reduction.

Revue is available now for $30 at mysmithmicro.com. It includes a free trial subscription and 35 free songs from eMusic.

Agendus for Windows Mobile 2.0 Now Available
Replacement PIM applications are still a popular add-on for Windows Mobile users, and Agendus has been a solid choice for many. Version 2.0 has now been released with attention paid to new features, a refined user interface, and a host of other improvements.

Some of the new features include:

Four new calendar views, including a Week Grid View, Month Expanded View, two Quarter Views, two Daily views
New Today View with improved UI and simplified navigation
New edit dialogs allowing for easier one-handed input and navigation
New over-the-air stock quotes (Pro edition only)
Over-the-air services improvements
and more
Available for both touchscreen and non-touchscreen devices, Agendus is available in a downloadable free trial. Prices for Agendus Mobile are as follow:

Agendus for Windows Mobile Pocket PC Standard Edition: $19.95
Agendus for Windows Mobile Pocket PC Professional Edition: $24.95
Agendus for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Windows Desktop Bundle: $49.95
For more information and to download, visit the Agendus section of the iambic web site.

Nokia Releases Update for the N800 and N810 Internet Tablets
Nokia has released an update for the system software on the N800 and N810 Internet Tablets. The N810 version includes minor optimizations and bugfixes, while the N800 one deals with several problems that have cropped up since this device was updated to OS2008.

N810 Download
N800 Download
Nokia's servers have been overwhelmed with demand for these updates, so downloading them will be slow.

Protect Your Symbian S60 Smartphone with BT Guard
SymbianGuru has released BT Guard 1.0, security software which protects Symbian/S60 smartphones from Bluetooth intrusion, and saves battery life at the same time. This application switches Bluetooth off or to invisible mode automatically, based on the user defined settings.

To download the free trial, or purchase BT Guard for $9.99, visit symbianguru.com.
[Source]

Samsung intros 320GB 2.5" HDD

2007-12-21T17:24:00.000+02:00

By Justin Mann
Samsung is joining the ranks of those manufacturers who are offering behemoth-sized 320GB hard drives for laptops. The M6 HM320JI is now the highest capacity 2.5” drive that Samsung offers, and at 5400RPM will probably fit in well with other offerings. The drive uses a SATA interface and boasts low output noise. Drives of this form factor and capacity have become increasingly popular not only for putting more storage into laptops, but for putting mass amounts of storage into slim servers such as 1U rack chassis or blade servers, where space is limited.

In recent days, Toshiba and Western Digital announced 320GB 2.5” drives as well. Mass storage on a laptop is now easier than ever, provided you want to spend the premium.
[Source]

Torvalds predicts Linux-phone boom in 2008

2007-12-20T17:30:00.000+02:00

The Linux operating system, which so far has made little headway into mobile phones, is set to become more widely available next year, helped by Google's mobile push, according to Linux creator Linus Torvalds.
Britain's Symbian, of which Nokia owns almost 50 percent, is the market leader in mobile device operating systems, followed by Microsoft's handset system, Windows Mobile.

But last month web search leader Google said it will offer an open-source software platform, built on Linux, to make the internet work as smoothly on mobile phones as it does on computers.

"I haven't been personally involved, but it certainly looks like 2008 may be — thanks to the Google alliance — one of the years you will find more widely available phones with Linux," Torvalds told Reuters on Friday.

Google is working with Motorola and some other large telecom players, including operator T-Mobile and chipmaker Qualcomm, to develop Android, an open-software platform for mobile devices.

Torvalds said Motorola has been one of the first players to come out with Linux phones, mainly in China and also in the US.

Phone makers involved with Google's alliance would come out with Linux models next year.

"Right now, there are no phones in the market. You can find some of the phone manufacturers making pre-release versions. You can't buy them yet, but I think next year you can," Torvalds said.

He said wider use of Linux in phones had been hampered by the fact that the real mass market was essentially in the low-end segment of devices rather than smartphones.

"That seems to be changing. It used to be that they were so expensive that, by necessity, most people even in the industrialised world... would not go for a smartphone. Quite frankly, Linux makes much more sense in a smartphone than it makes in a really low-end product," Torvalds said.
via Reuters

TeleCents Selected by OMNIAT Telecom for International Voice Services

2007-12-20T09:01:00.000+02:00

By Anuradha Shukla
OMNIAT Telecom has selected iTeknik Holding Corporation’s TeleCents Communications subsidiary to provide VoIP services to route international calls to the Middle East and other destinations worldwide.

Under terms of the agreement, TeleCents will also be able to use certain OMINIAT routes in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan for its customers.

TeleCents CEO Jeffrey Lauzon explained that OMNIAT benefits immediately from the large number of International destinations where TeleCents is able to terminate calls. TeleCents VoIP service also enables OMNIAT to offer competitive international calling services to its customers with almost no additional capital investment. Through TeleCents' VoIP infrastructure customers gain immediate access to a global footprint which consists of tier one carriers routing calls to more than 200 countries across the globe.

Jeffrey Lauzon, CEO of TeleCents said that the company launched its VoIP technologies a year ago with the idea of creating a global footprint that would provide customers with worldwide seamless interconnectivity to multiple Tier One networks.

Lauzon explained that they offer low cost routing without the large security deposits normally associated with projects of this scale. OMNIAT Telecom is also assisting them in accomplishing their goal of bringing cost effective VoIP service through their Tier One facility to parts of the Middle East.

“OMNIAT has some excellent routing to certain areas in the Middle East that will enhance our network. TeleCents continues to focus on growth and expand our services through quality providers like OMNIAT,” he added in a statement.

OMNIAT Telecom, LLC is based in Orlando, Florida, with services throughout the United States along with international service which can be used anywhere in the world.

iTeknik Holding Corporation's strategy is to grow by acquiring private companies with unique products, technology and solid growth potential. TeleCents Communications, Inc. and Send Global Corporation are wholly owned subsidiaries of ITKH. Together they offer retail and wholesale telecommunications products and services through Tier-1 carriers.
[Source]

Toshiba Releases First HD DVD-RW Notebook

2007-12-18T13:48:00.000+02:00

A Qosmio multimedia notebook with a rewritiable HD DVD and two HDTV tuners will go on sale in Japan this week.
selling later this week the first laptop computer to feature a rewritable HD DVD optical disc drive, the company said on Monday.

The PC will be in its Qosmio multimedia laptop range and is firmly aimed at users who want to enjoy high-definition video on their PCs. It has two digital HDTV tuners so that one station can be recorded while watching another and the laptop comes with 400GB of hard-disk drive recording space.

The system will cost around $3500 and it will go on sale in Japan only on Friday. Toshiba didn't announce overseas launch plans. Previous models of Qosmio PC have been put on sales overseas after the Japan launch.

The newest Qosimo has a 17-inch widescreen display with a resolution of 1920 pixels by 1200 pixels, so is suitable for watching HDTV in full resolution.

The HD DVD-R/RW drive can be used to transfer recorded TV shows or content from a high-definition video camera to disc for archiving. The drive also supports the new HD Rec format that allows for recording HD content on conventional DVD discs. With the price of blank HD DVD media still relatively high, the ability to use cheap DVD media could be a welcome feature for users. However, the capacity of DVD discs is lower so only about 24 minutes of video can be stored on a single-layer DVD.

The PC is based on a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor and there's a NVidia GeForce 8600 graphics processor. Other features include a harman/kardon 4-speaker sound system, 2GB of memory and 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN.

As to be expected from a multimedia PC with such a large screen, the Qosmio G40 is a heavy laptop. It weighs about 10 pounds, so isn't the most portable machine in the world, but likely consumers will be people who live in small apartments and who want a PC, TV and video recorder all-in-one to save space.
[Source]

Zumobi Launches Beta of New UI

2007-12-17T19:53:00.000+02:00

Zumobi, previously known as Zenzui, has launched the beta version of its new zooming user interface (UI) and mobile widget platform.

With Web 2.0 functionality, Zumobi claims to revolutionize the way people access, retrieve, and share Web-based content on their mobile phones.

Zumobi presents a combination of widgets and visuals to help people navigate by zooming in and out to see more or fewer details. It also allows users to stay on top of the information they need throughout the day.

The beta version of Zumobi is available for phones running Windows Mobile 5 and 6, for the Blackberry, and for selected J2ME compatibility coming early in the second quarter of 2008.

The site will have content from over 75 mobile widgets or Tiles, including from launch partners such as Amazon.com, MTV Networks, Associated Press (AP), AccuWeather.com, Traffic.com, FlightStats.com, and OTOlabs.

Meanwhile, Zumobi has also unveiled a beta version of the Zumobi SDK (software development kit) for developers that will enable them create and showcase their own Tiles, as well as share and upload their Tiles to the Zumobi Gallery beginning Q1 2008.

The beta version of Zumobi is available at www.Zumobi.com; while the Zumobi SDK version can be downloaded at http://dev.Zumobi.com .

Dell Inspiron 2650 Notebook

2007-12-15T18:29:00.000+02:00

There is a slight difference between laptops and notebook computers. Both offers portability but the only variation is size. The size of notebooks will be smaller than laptops and this will be one key reason for the increased popularity of these models. Dell has designed the new Dell Inspiron 2650 Notebook to fulfil the expectation of the buyers in multiple ways.

Here are some of the features of Dell Inspiron 2650:

• Intel processor is used to get the clock speed up to 1.6 GHz. The model name of the processor is Pentium 4 Processor M.

• Intel 845 chipset is featured for getting highest data transfer speed up to 400 MHz.

• Enjoy the highest installation capacity of RAM up to 256 MB. The total capacity of RAM is 0.5 GB.

• It has only one memory slot to use memory cards.

• You can connect your PC by using PC interface.

• It has come with Ultra ATA/100 HD interface and the capacity of the hard drive is 30 GB.

• The highest rotation speed of the device is 4200 rpm which represents revolutions per minute.

• It has CD-RW or DVD-ROM combo optical storage. Therefore users can read or write CDs.

• NVIDIA GeForce2 Go 100 graphics processor is availed to offer 16 MB graphics memory.

• TFT technology is used for enhancing the quality of the visual display screen which is 15 inches in size.

• Get highest resolution up to 1024×768 pixels to offer sharp images on the screen.

• 2-button Touchpad and a keyboard are used as pointing devices.

• These advanced portable units have come with the compact dimensions as 32.8 x 3.7 x 27.4 cm which refers the measurements of width, height and depth.

• This new Dell Notebook weighs just 3.65 kilo grams making it easy to carry around.

• Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition and Norton AntiVirus are the software’s included in the device.

• The notebook comes integrated with stereo speakers that offer god sound effects. It also features a microphone, headphones and lithium ion battery with 3900mAh battery capacity.
[Source]

Windows Mobile utility backs up SMS messages

2007-12-15T14:10:00.000+02:00

Sprite Mobile, which has specialized in backup and recovery software for Windows Mobile devices, has released a tool for backing up short message services (SMS) messages and call history. Sprite Archie, now in beta version 1.0, archives SMS messages to email, according to the company.

While SMS messages are often associated with frivolity, Sprite notes that for some users they can be an important business tool. Sprite Archie helps comply with data retention policies and also allows searching for messages or call history items via a desktop computer, according to the company.

The program's setup menu, seen above, allows archiving incoming and outgoing SMS messages and call histories to email immediately, or once a day. An Outlook plug-in -- said to be still under development -- will allow for processing the messages received from Sprite Archie.

Earlier this year, Sprite released Sprite Backup 6.1, a program said to restore programs and data properly even from one Windows Mobile device to another, without overwriting critical system files or registry settings. This is claimed to be unique in properly supporting ROM upgrades, which normally not only require a hard reset but also make it difficult to restore to what ActiveSync considers a different device.

Availability

Sprite Archive, beta 1.0, is available now for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices as a free download. However, the company provided no information about the software's ultimate price or when the beta will expire.

The software can be downloaded from the company's website, here.
[Source]

New kind of translation software for Windows Mobile

2007-12-13T19:04:00.000+02:00

openPR) - Paragon Software (SHDD) is proud to release SlovoEd Express, the newest translation product for Windows Mobile. This service represents an extensive collection of world-renowned reference products to get an exact translation from all of them on the go.

SlovoEd Express is a 100-volume collection of explanatory and bilingual dictionaries for more than 20 languages from the world's leading linguistic companies and working under client-server SlovoEd engine with wireless Internet connection functioning scheme.

User can either purchase and install several dictionaries or just get SlovoEd Express one-year subscription, choose language direction and enjoy precise and detailed translation with usage samples, transcription and grammar info. This application enables to translate a word in several languages at once, without filling memory space with unneeded words and dictionaries. SlovoEd Express does not require much memory space and has low traffic per word translation as well.

SlovoEd Express for Windows Mobile features:
• High quality word translations secured by most authoritative reference publishers
• Rapid dictionary browsing
• Word translation in any grammatical word form with the possibility to view the base form
• Cross-translation between related words and directions
• The list of 20 recently searched words
• Native to device settings, interface, symbols, etc.
• Interface is available in 6 languages

SlovoEd Express is an easy-to-use dictionary that contains everything user needs for comfortable and efficient translation on Windows Mobile-based device.

For more information about SlovoEd Express please, visit www.penreader.com/pocket-pc-software/SlovoEd_Express.html or check penreader.mobi from Windows Mobile device.
[Source]

Pocket Player 3.51 for Windows Mobile 6

2007-12-13T10:48:00.000+02:00

Conduits Technologies, Inc. Announces Pocket Player 3.51 for Windows Mobile 6
NEW YORK, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Conduits Technologies, Inc. announced today the release of Pocket Player 3.51 for Windows Mobile. Pocket Player aims to satisfy consumers who demand more from a media player experience. In addition to a media library with touch-scrolling ability, full-screen album artwork, and Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) support, Pocket Player supports podcasts, streaming radio, and user ratings. Pocket Player was recently named the winner in Audio at the 2007 Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine Best Software Awards.
MEDIA BROWSER ENHANCEMENTS FOR 3.51
The Pocket Player media browser now allows users to browse by song, artist, album, genre, or release date. The browser's catalog is automatically updated when files are added or removed; and by adding a memory card, can manage thousands of tracks.
For touchscreen devices, simple finger gestures can now navigate the browser list. A quick swipe will scroll through the list items. When the desired item slides into view, a tap stops the motion so the user can select the item.
The browser's Album View displays cover artwork thumbnails, which appear alongside album and artist names. During playback, full-screen album artwork is displayed along with the track position, user rating, and the song, artist and album names.
The built-in Web Guide permits users to browse and stream from MP3 Blogs and podcasts. Pocket Player can also stream from UPnP servers such as Orb or Windows Media Player 11.
More information, including screenshots, video and a full list of plugins and features, can be found at http://www.conduits.com/news/pr20071212.html. A 30-day trial is available from http://www.conduits.com/products/player/. Pocket Player 3.51 is available for $19.95.
Pocket Player is a trademark of Conduits Technologies, Inc. Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
ABOUT CONDUITS:
Founded in 1999, New York-based Conduits Technologies, Inc. (http://www.conduits.com/) develops commercial applications for Windows Mobile devices, including the award-winning Pocket Slides (a fully-featured presentation solution) and Pocket Artist (a drawing and image manipulation program). With glowing reviews in industry magazines, Conduits is widely respected as a leader in style and innovation.

Dell's Convertible Tablet

2007-12-12T19:28:00.000+02:00

After months of rumors and teasers, Dell's Latitude XT convertible tablet launched today, with a touchscreen display and Ultra Low Voltage parts.
by Cisco Cheng
Dell confirmed rumors of a tablet months ago, showing the public a video teaser of the Latitude XT back in May. Today, the company has finally unveiled its first model, a convertible tablet that is both laptop and digitized slate and looks to target education, healthcare, and corporate sectors.

The Latitude XT is as slim as it is light, tipping the scales at 3.5 pounds. The 12-inch widescreen will boast either an LED screen for a thinner and lighter form factor, or a CCFL screen that will be brighter (400nits) and more suitable for outdoor viewing. You may have seen a prototype demo video of a multi-touch display which draws similarities to the Apple iPhone, but Dell has confirmed that it is launching this tablet as a single-touch display only. The screen will also be digitized, along with a digitizer pen that ejects from the left hand side of the system. The frame is surrounded by magnesium alloy, with a brushed aluminum effect on the lid and palm rests.

The XT resembles the Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet in that all three convertibles don't integrate optical drives and weigh less than 4 pounds. Fujitsu and Lenovo use a pointing stick for their convertible tablets, whereas the Dell will have both pointing stick and touchpad technologies. As for the optical drive, Dell will have a docking station available but it will add over a pound to the system. Other luxuries include built-in WWAN using either Sprint's or Verizon's EVDO Rev A technologies, and SSD options are available in 32 and 64GB capacities.

Like the Fujitsu T2010, the XT will house Ultra Low Voltage parts with an Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 (1.2Ghz) and 1GB of RAM as the starting configuration. Instead of Intel integrated graphics, the system will use ATI's Radeon Xpress 1250 chipset. Battery life will undoubtedly be long because of the ULV parts. It comes with a standard 6-cell battery. Customers will have the option of adding an additional 9-cell slice that slides underneath the chassis for up to 9 hours of battery life. Prices will start at $2,499.
[Source]

Windows Mobile Messaging TCO Tool

2007-12-12T13:42:00.000+02:00

Alinean and Wipro Launch Windows Mobile Messaging TCO Tool
Windows Mobile Partner Summit 2007 -- Alinean, Inc., the leading expert on IT Business Value Selling solutions, today announced the availability of the Windows Mobile Messaging TCO Tool, an online calculator developed to analyze the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of competing mobile solutions. Developed in partnership with Wipro, the analysis tool is based on research of mobile deployments by 160 customers, and a comparative lab-based study to determine the TCO of the leading mobile platforms for e-mail messaging and collaboration. The tool was introduced today at the Windows Mobile Partner Summit 2007.

The Alinean Windows Mobile Messaging TCO Tool is the first research-based tool to allow IT executives and solution providers to quantify the advantages and true cost of ownership for competing mobile platforms. "Because each company scenario and installation is unique, it is important that users be able to scrutinize and customize the analysis," said Tom Pisello, CEO and founder of Alinean. "This tool allows complete personalization."

Based on the Wipro TCO research and Alinean tool, Windows Mobile showed clear advantages as the lower cost platform, some 20-28% less expensive than RIM BlackBerry solutions. "Since the first studies in 1986 with Gartner, TCO analysis methodology has helped thousands of IT decision makers make better informed value-based economic choices," said Bill Kirwin, ex-Gartner research VP, renowned TCO expert and Alinean advisory board member. "Analyzing mobile platforms using this methodology is more important than ever as deployments are made to an ever-increasing number of users, to assure that manageability costs do not grow out of control, and reduce costs to deliver true business value."

About Alinean

Alinean develops software and solutions to streamline the IT selling process with business value selling solutions -- using ROI/TCO and business case analysis to prove and improve the value of solutions to prospects and customers. The company's founding team pioneered the concept of interactive ROI and TCO software in 1994, developing award-winning solutions for leading IT solution providers and consultants. Its research methodologies and software tools are used by analyst firms and consultancies such as IDC and IT solution providers such as Oracle, HP, Dell, SAP, Microsoft, Symantec and IBM, and have helped justify billions of dollars in IT spending and derived value. For more information, visit http://www.alinean.com or call 407.382.0005.

About Wipro

Wipro Technologies, a division of Wipro Limited , is the first PCMM Level 5 and SEI CMM Level 5 certified IT Services organization globally. Wipro Technologies was recently assessed at Level 5 for CMMI V 1.2 across offshore and onsite development centers. Wipro is one of the largest product engineering and support service providers worldwide. Wipro provides comprehensive research and development services, IT solutions and services, including systems integration, Information Systems outsourcing, package implementation, software application development and maintenance services to corporations globally.
[Source]

New IP Trunking capabilities

2007-12-11T21:14:00.000+02:00

Organizations of all sizes will get even more from their IP networks by adding new IP Trunking capabilities unveiled today by Verizon Business.

As more companies make the move to voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), Verizon Business is providing its IP Trunking customers with on-demand sharing of unused trunk capacity, more platforms for IP PBX (private branch exchange), a new path to VoIP through its Ethernet to Private IP access option, and automated rerouting of calls to maintain business continuity.

Trunks are communications lines that connect switching systems. Verizon VoIP Trunking services use Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling to interoperate with either an IP or time division multiplex (TDM) PBX or key system. This versatility gives a customer an easy way to replace traditional TDM trunk lines provided through the public switched telephone network.

"Verizon Business continues to enhance and expand its VoIP portfolio to make it easier for customers to employ and leverage the benefits of IP communications," said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Business. "With these additional advanced capabilities, our customers can more simply adopt VoIP while making their IP networks work harder and smarter to meet their business objectives."

In a separate news release today, Verizon Business also announced expansion of its already extensive portfolio of managed network services, with the addition of Managed IP PBX on the Nortel IP telephony platform.
[Source]

Skype fixes critical security flaw

2007-12-11T18:02:00.000+02:00

Skype has fixed a critical security hole in the latest version of its Windows VoIP software, which could have allowed specially crafted websites to load and run malicious code on victims' PCs.

The URI handler skype4com, which the Skype software creates to handle web addresses, can fail when handling short strings, producing a memory violation that allows code to be written to memory.

"It is clear that Skype has once again closed critical holes furtively without informing users at all," said security website Heise Security.

Users of older versions of the software should make sure they are running the latest version of Skype — version 3.6.

Security research firm Secunia, which rated the flaw as critical, offers a Software Inspector that should determine if a PC is vulnerable.

Meanwhile, Skype has been criticised by users for allegedly not responding to bug reports.
[Source]

New Samsung Microsite

2007-12-11T13:04:00.000+02:00

New Samsung Microsite Showcases Innovative Solid State Drive Technology
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced the launch of its SSD microsite, which is designed to help visitors stay up-to-date on SSD technology. (www.samsungssd.com). The site is an educational resource that offers tools for comparing SSD technology against traditional hard drive solutions as well as highlighting the latest
SSD news articles, white papers, where to buy, and upcoming events.

"The SSD microsite presents a new and engaging way to help users learn about the benefits and advantages of SSD technology in corporate and high-end consumer notebooks," said Jim Elliott, director of flash marketing, Samsung Semiconductor Inc. "The site features a video that compares many of the key performance metrics between a laptop with SSD versus a laptop with a traditional hard drive."

Incorporating NAND flash technology, Samsung's SSDs provide enhanced storage drive performance levels including faster boot and application start-up times, easily surpassing rotating hard disk drives. Free from moving parts, SSDs are noiseless, produce minimum heat and are less susceptible to shock and vibrations that can be challenging to traditional drives. SSDs also improve battery life up to 20 percent in notebook PCs.

The microsite explains the "Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) concept that takes into account the cost of owning a PC over its complete lifecycle. In addition to the purchase of a PC, the cost-based analysis focuses on the direct and indirect costs related to the repairs, support, and performance of a PC. The unique "SSD Savings Calculator" feature provides an interactive calculation table for the visitor to input their PC information to determine their SSD-over-HDD financial savings. (Link: www.samsungssd.com/do_the_math/tco.aspx)

An industry leader in solid state technology, Samsung introduced its first 32GB PATA SSD in March 2006, followed by a 64GB version using the SATA I interface in March of this year. In November 2007, Samsung became the first in the industry to sample 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch 64GB SATA II SSDs.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2006 parent company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion. Employing approximately 138,000 people in 124 offices in 56 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs.
[Source]

Red Hat rolls out integrated ‘cloud computing’ solutions

2007-12-10T15:03:00.000+02:00

Linux automation strategy designed to simplify operations.
New application
Cloud Computing is on demand, hosted solution where users pay per usage.
To make managed computing resources more efficient, flexible, cheaper.
Telecom, financial services, Govt finding it attractive biz option.

Bringing about flexibility in the way software resources are used in a distributed or multi-locational business environment, open source software provider Red Hat reaches out with utility computing solutions.

The US-based software company in league with Amazon Web Services has rolled out what they refer to as ‘Cloud Computing’. Simply put, Cloud Computing is on demand, hosted solution where users pay per usage. This makes managed computing resources a lot more efficient, flexible and cheaper.

The Managing Director and President of Red Hat India, Mr Nandu Pradhan, said that when services are run through cloud computing they help change the company economy of computing. Those who take to this, pay for infrastructure and software services as they use. This helps bring down overall capital expenditure from both the hardware and software perspective.

Bundled offer

Speaking to Business Line recently, Mr Pradhan cited the example of a fixed telephone line, a mobile phone, cable TV provided as a bundled offer with a combined one-year rental where one can use any of these in a flexible manner. The business model for cloud computing is similar, where one can use infrastructure, both software and hardware, on demand.

Verticals such as telecom, financial services, and Government have begun to find this an attractive business proposition. Most companies, which are forced to change their existing infrastructure, may consider this option, he felt.

Even from India’s standpoint, where increasingly build-own-transfer (BOT) projects were gaining ground, such technology solutions would be very useful, he explained.

Automation strategy

The new Linux automation strategy is designed to address concerns of Chief Information Officers, to handle technology challenges in a rapidly changing business environment. Through cloud computing, this enables them to automate their business, simplify their infrastructure and allows applications to run on any server, at any time.

The Red Hat Linux 5.1 features integrated virtualisation that allows live migration, enabling seamless movement of applications from one server to another. Through a host of alliances, including hardware, the entire software environment is simplified, he said.

As a part of this strategy, Red Hat appliance operating system allows applications to be deployed across a range of servers and also helps Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to distribute their applications as pre-packaged solutions.

The Red Hat Appliance Operating System, slated for release in 2008, comes with virtual appliance developer kit, allowing software vendors to leverage this new development model.
[Source]

OQO launches Vista-capable pocket PC

2007-12-10T12:44:00.000+02:00

By Bryan Betts
The OQO e2 is a full PC that includes a 3.6Mbps HSDPA modem, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It's about the size of a paperback book, but heavier, and will sell in the UK through Expansys. The XP version costs around £1290, although the OQO e2 also supports Windows Vista.

It features a 5in, 800 by 480 pixel WideVGA screen, a 1.6GHz low power VIA processor, and a full ASCII keyboard that slides out from under the screen.

When the keyboard - which includes a thumb-operated joystick - is closed, the e2 works as a tablet PC. It has touch-sensitive horizontal and vertical scrollers in the screen frame, and can also be used with a pen – it has to be an active stylus though, as the screen is not touch-sensitive.

The e2's 3G modem will fall back to UMTS or GPRS where HSDPA is not available. OQO CEO Dennis Moore said that this version will not be sold in the US: "3G wireless has spotty coverage in the US, but it's great in Europe," he noted, adding that versions for other European countries would come next.

The device cannot be used as a mobile phone for voice calls, though Moore said it could be used with a headset for VoIP, over Wi-Fi or a 3G connection.

He added that the e2 will sell here network-unlocked, and with or without a wireless contract. That's unlike in the US, where the equivalent model features an EVDO data modem and is sold with a Verizon or Sprint connection.

"There's so many carriers to certify with here in the UK," he said. "In the US you need that relationship, but here we can be in the market without that."

Non-cellular versions of the OQO e2 have been available for some weeks. Moore said that integrating the extra radio had presented challenges, especially in such a small format.

"It's combining all these radios and antennae that made it hard to do," he added. "You can get simultaneous operation of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G, and next year there will be GPS too."
[Source]

Lenovo Y510 Notebook

2007-12-09T15:16:00.000+02:00

Lenovo Y510 Notebook, the Ultimate Entertainer available in India
Lenovo has launched its new series of laptops, the Y510 series, boasting to be a way-cool entertainment notebook PC.

A perfect companion for listening to music or watching movies, videos and games, it features a Dolby 4.1 Home Theater speaker system with a subwoofer for a superior output and built-in TV tuner for instant TV connectivity. The latest Veriface face recognition function has been integrated for locked-down security.

Targeting at commercial customers, Lenovo Y510 features a sleek touch-sensitive pad to access and control music and movies. Its 15-inch monitor comes with a borderless screen. Eliminating the use of gloss and matt finish, this notebook comes in a progressively-styled light weave texture for a classy, elegant look.

“Lenovo’s heritage of innovation has led to the creation of many industry leading features. The Y510 builds on Lenovo’s legacy and offers a cool PC product for someone who is looking for the right blend of home entertainment along with trendy looks. This Y510 series is engineered to be the ultimate in everything - multimedia, design, performance and security, all wrapped into one sleek package,” commented Anil Philip, Executive Director, Transaction Business, Lenovo India.

Moreover, the stylish laptop also bundles user-friendly features such as the One Key Recovery to restore factory preload settings and a keyboard that is inspired by the ThinkPad keyboard to offer durability. It also integrates a 6-in-1 multi-card reader, 1.3 megapixel integrated camera, 160GB SATA hard disk, 1 GB DDR2 RAM, 802.11 Wi-Fi and Vista Home Basic/Premium version.

You can customize user-specific battery usage patterns by an extended battery management feature. The laptop also delivers a battery life of up to 4 hours.

At present, Lenovo Y510 notebook is available in all Lenovo authorized storefronts at the suggested price of Rs. 45,990/- minus taxes.
[Source]

IBM files patent complaint vs

2007-12-08T15:36:00.000+02:00

IBM files patent complaint vs Taiwan's Asustek
NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp is asking the U.S. government to ban imports of some computers made by Taiwan's Asustek Computer Inc, alleging that the products infringe three IBM patents.

IBM said on Thursday it filed a complaint against Asustek and its North American subsidiary, ASUS Computer International, with the U.S. International Trade Commission.

It said the patent infringement occurs in Asustek's own-brand computers as well as in products the Taiwan contract manufacturer makes for other brands. IBM did not name the other brands.

Asustek's customers include large computer companies such as Apple Inc and Dell Inc.

"They use the patented technology for computers they make for others as well as their own brand computers," said IBM spokesman Ari Fishkind. He would not say if companies besides Asustek could be affected by the complaint.

"It's in the commission's hands. It's not for us to determine," he said. Asustek continued to sell computers using IBM technology after a licensing agreement between the companies expired on December 31, 2004, he said.

Asustek denied the allegations.

"We have consulted our lawyers in the U.S. and they have concluded that the complaint has no merit," said Beck Lee, a spokesman for Asustek in Taipei.

IBM said the infringing products include notebook computers, servers, routers and some components. It said the patents cover important aspects of computer systems, including power supplies, computer cooling and computer clustering capabilities.

Asustek has been trying to establish its own brand, following in the footsteps of Taiwanese rival Acer Inc. It has set a goal of becoming the world's fifth-largest notebook computer vendor by 2010.

It launched a cheaper line of laptops called the Eee PC earlier this year and has said it expects to sell 5 million units globally next year.

IBM shares were up 84 cents or 0.8 percent to $109.00 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Asustek shares closed down 2.37 percent in Taiwan on Friday.

Aplus DVD to Pocket PC Converter

2007-12-08T10:46:00.000+02:00

Aplus DVD to Pocket PC Ripper is a intuitive to use program which convert your DVD movies to Pocket PC movies regardless DVD CSS and DVD Region. The build-up enhanced encoder deep compress output min files with high speed and lossless movie quality. With Aplus DVD to Pocket PC Ripper, you will be able to playback and enjoy DVD movies on Portable device, such as your Pocket PC, Palm, Portable Media Center, Windows CE device, etc.

It is a one-click solution program. It also supports Automatically Shut down your computer after the conversion had been done. it means you can just go to sleep or have a cup of coffe, Let your computer do all the jobs and automatically shutdown when all jobs are done. And its preview and edit function make you edit the video easily!

Key Features:
1).Intuitive interface make you free and professional.
2).Build-up enhanced encoder ensure the output movie quality and high speed to finish task.
3).One click profile settings solution and easy customize settings for video size, frame rate, video bitrate(quality), audio bitrate(quality), aspect ratio.
4).Split the output file to suitable size.
5).Subtitle and Audio Track selectable for each episode.
6).Set the start position and end position for any episodes to convert.( cut movie clip to convert ).
7).Batch convert main movie and any episodes.
8).Batch files conversion.
9).Preview playback movies and any episodes, the preview playback maybe come up slight audio crawl, it does not matter with the output movie quality, just preview to check out the source episode.
10).Automatically Shutdown Computer When ripping done.
[website]

SMobile Predicts Spike in Mobile

2007-12-07T19:05:00.000+02:00

SMobile Predicts Spike in Mobile Viruses Once Google Phone Hits the Market
By: Google Developer News Desk
According to SMobile Systems, the launch of Google Phone platform will be among the most positive transformational moments in mobile communications history by further merging computers with mobile devices. But while millions of people will now be able to "compute on the run," those same consumers will be a high-value target for hackers, spammers and others intent on hacking the new phones.

In response to the news surrounding the potential launch of the Google Phone operating platform, SMobile Systems (http://www.smobilesystems.com), the leading developer of mobile security solutions, announced today that it is already developing a series of security solutions for devices coming to market using the Google platform. SMobile's suite of security products, known as SecurityShield(TM) has already been engineered to work on a mobile Linux platform, the chosen operating system for the Google platform.

"Google has proven to be a game-changing company, and we believe its mobile functionality, dubbed Android, will have as transformational of an impact on mobile computing as the company has had on search and online advertising," said Rick Roscitt, chairman and chief executive officer of SMobile Systems. "Once millions of consumers get these new devices into their hands, the thousands of hackers out there will turn their attention to the Google powered phones. Having the proper security either embedded on the devices, or available for download is key to ensuring that vital personal, financial and business data is not stolen by identity thieves, or others with malicious intent."

The open architecture of Google's software will allow thousands of developers to create third party applications for Google-enabled devices. Its Linux-based operating system will quickly enable hackers to explore and eventually exploit any security holes in the core Google software as well as third party software, allowing phishers, spammers, and others to look for ways to target users' information for ill intent.

"SMobile has monitored an explosion in mobile viruses around the world; there are now more than 400 identified mobile viruses. No longer are these viruses merely nuisances. These viruses are getting more insidious in nature, smarter in their design, and ultimately more dangerous to consumers, corporate smart phone users and to the carriers who provide service," said George Tuvell, chief technology officer of SMobile. "We are now seeing attacks that can steal data, turn smartphones, BlackBerrys and basic cell phones into zombie dialers, and even use Bluetooth technology to transmit their infection to any device, or device accessories such as wireless headsets, nearby. The Google Phone platform will enable users to more easily access the Internet and download applications, which is great - but it will also encourage the hacking community to make new and more virulent strains of attacks."

In addition, SMobile will provide data encryption capability, the ability to lock the data on a lost or stolen device, and the ability to restrict specific software applications from running on a phone.

"SMobile's SecurityShield has been lab tested by major carriers and handset manufacturers such as Nokia, AT&T and others. These third parties have certified our solution as the most complete, effective and powerful tool on the market," added Mr. Roscitt. "We look forward to presenting a Google Phone-specific security product for testing shortly. Furthermore we believe that it is incumbent on the carrier community to protect its customers and include robust security for their mobile devices."

Launching a HD capable laptop

2007-12-07T13:11:00.000+02:00

Toshiba launched a notebook that supports HD DVD and Advanced HDMI connectivity in Singapore.
Toshiba’s Computer Systems Division (CSD), a division of Toshiba Singapore Pte Ltd, announced its new range of high definition Satellite A200 notebooks with HD DVD drives and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connectivity for mainstream notebook users. The Satellite A200 is a HD DVD entertainment machine, with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600, external 256 MB video memory and up to 512 MB Hyper Memory. The notebook has a 15.4-inch Clear Super View technology widescreen display with 1280 x 800 resolution.

The Satellite A200 also incorporates a HDMI connector for lossless connectivity to a HDTV and AV receiver. HDMI delivers uncompressed, all-digital audio/video signals between devices and simplifies cabling.

Wong Wai Meng, Senior Deputy Manager of Product Marketing, Toshiba’s Computer Systems Division, said, “The Satellite A200 promises to bring the HD DVD experience to mainstream users. At an affordable price, customers can enjoy movies in the comfort of their own room, or share the experience in the living room with a HDTV through its HDMI connection. In fact, models with HD DVD-ROM drive cost just about 8 to 10% more than those with a DVD SuperMulti, drive with the same specifications.”

The Toshiba Satellite A200 with DVD SuperMulti drive and LabelFlash technology lets a user label DVDs with sophisticated, high-contrast pictures on DVD-R LabelFlash technology from Fujufilm.

HD DVD offer resolutions that are up to six times sharper than standard resolution DVD. Other than improved resolution, HD DVD also features surround sound technologies such as Dolby Digital Plus. With HDI (High Definition Interface) technology, HD DVD has advanced interactive features that allow a user to access menus quickly such as searching while the movie is playing and access bonus content such as alternate angles, behind-the-scenes footage and actor interviews.

The HD DVD format is also supported by major film and consumer electronics industry such as Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks Animation, Warner Bros Studios, Microsoft, and Intel.
[Source]

VSNL named 'best wholesale carrier'

2007-12-06T11:25:00.000+02:00

Mumbai: VSNL, country's leading communications solutions provider, was named the ''Best Wholesale Carrier'' at the 2007 Telecom World Awards, Middle East.

The awards, which were held in conjunction with the 2007 Telecoms World Middle East event in Dubai, honor excellence in the region’s telecom industry.

Terrapinn created the Telecoms World Awards to identify and reward those companies and individuals who demonstrated an unparalleled ability to succeed, continually set standards of excellence, and who will be the future leaders of the industry.

This year, over 100 companies submitted their services for consideration for the nine awards distributed at the ceremony and was hosted in association with Promoseven.

VSNL was chosen as ''Best Wholesale Carrier'' by a panel of respected, independent judges based on outstanding performance and uniqueness of offering in areas such as quality, connectivity, global reach, cost and customer care approach, as well as for the company’s IP presence in the region.

''It is an honor to be recognized as the 'Best Wholesale Carrier' at the Telecoms World Awards Middle East among such an impressive group of competitors,'' commented Michel Guyot, President, Global Voice Solutions, VSNL.

The award category was open to wholesale telecom providers in wireline, fixed wireless, mobile or converged markets, and finalists included Belgacom International Carrier Services, BT Global Services, France Telecom and Tiscali International.
via sify.com

Hands-on with the Samsung SGH-i620 QWERTY slider

2007-12-05T12:31:00.000+02:00

The Samsung SGH-i620 is an interesting design alternative to the BlackJack design with which we're so familiar (perhaps since it resembles every other QWERTY slab on the market). We definitely liked the slick white slider we got a few minutes with at Microsoft's Mobius conference in Amsterdam. It was slim enough to fit in a pants pocket, and just as wide as the previous BlackJack, so it didn't sacrifice room in the keyboard, though we would have liked larger keys.

Still, we would stop short of calling for this phone to replace the BlackJack 2 as the successor to the BlackJack. We aren't in love with touch keys, we don't think the technology is ready for prime time just yet. Especially on a business phone, hardware keys provide a more no-nonsense feel that lets you know your press will be registered every time. In our few moments with the touch buttons on the Samsung i620, the phone missed our taps a couple of times, which is a couple too many.

The phone has a scroll wheel for navigation, just like the BlackJack 2. Unlike the new BlackJack, the i620 includes Wi-Fi, but with HSDPA and GPS, we think the BlackJack 2 is better off without another drain on its battery. The i620 also features a 2-megapixel camera around back, and a front-facing camera to make video calls on Vodafone's European network, a sure sign this phone won't make it stateside in its current form.
via infosyncworld.com

FreshBattery Upgraded Batteries for Hundreds of Dell Laptop Models

2007-12-04T14:19:00.000+02:00

FreshBattery, the reliable online source for laptop batteries, today announced the addition of upgraded replacement batteries for hundreds of additional Dell laptop models. In many cases, these FreshBattery upgraded batteries feature 50% or more cells than the original Dell battery that shipped with the computer. More cells in the FreshBattery upgraded batteries means much longer run times and improved performance.

“Often, manufacturers ship laptops with standard minimum capacity batteries that have only four cells. FreshBattery’s upgraded batteries with six or nine cells have longer run times and are overall more cost-effective. FreshBattery is pleased to offer these batteries that provide support for a wide range of popular Dell laptops,” said Bob Schaffer, FreshBattery VP of Business Development.

FreshBattery offers these upgraded batteries in both ÜberPower high capacity and standard capacity. ÜberPower high capacity batteries for popular Dell models include the Inspiron 700m, 710m series, the Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, 5160 and Latitude 100L series laptops. FreshBattery also offers replacement batteries for the Dell Inspiron 1300, 6400, B120, B130, E1501, E1505 and Latitude 120L and 131L series.

In addition to their increased performance and competitive pricing, these high capacity Lithium ion (Li-ion) laptop batteries are lightweight and guaranteed compatible.

The FreshBattery online store, at www.freshbattery.com, offers a one-stop battery source for popular laptop models including Apple, Acer, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP-Compaq, IBM-Lenovo, Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba. The site is user-friendly and provides multiple search tools to ensure each customer can quickly locate the correct battery to fit his or her computer model. Each FreshBattery is stamped with a “Born On” date to ensure freshness.

About FreshBattery

A reliable online source for built-to-order notebook computer batteries, FreshBattery offers healthy, long-life Lithium ion batteries at competitive prices. FreshBattery guarantees each battery will be brand new, built-to-order and never refurbished. Headquartered in Irvine, California, you can find more information at www.freshbattery.com

IBM sues battery seller

2007-12-03T21:53:00.000+02:00

By Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service
IBM is suing web retailer Shentech for selling laptop batteries that catch fire, and allegedly are stamped with fake IBM logos.
The suit, filed on 20 November in the US, accuses Shentech of trademark infringement, false advertising, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices.
IBM says that a consumer in Ohio bought a battery from Shentech for a ThinkPad laptop. The battery overheated and caught fire, causing damage to the laptop, IBM said. The user reported the problem to Lenovo, which licences the IBM trademark. After examining the faulty battery, IBM discovered that it was not a genuine IBM battery, the company said in the suit.
IBM then ordered 12 batteries from Shentech and found them all to be fakes, IBM said.
IBM has asked the court to require Shentech to turn over all of the batteries so that IBM can destroy them. IBM also asks for all the profits that Shentech earned from the sale of the batteries. In addition, IBM wants treble damages or $1m per counterfeit mark per type of item sold.
The Shentech.com website continues to list ThinkPad batteries for sale, as well as a host of other electronic devices and components. Shentech appears to be a web-only operation, and describes the secret to success as its "ability to provide cutting edge computer technology parts at bargain prices."
Flammable laptop batteries are nothing new. In June Toshiba urged its customers to trade in potentially flammable laptop batteries, after a Toshiba notebook caught fire. Lenovo also recalled 205,000 faulty batteries in March.
via techworld.com

GoodWin makes Windows Mobile really GOOD!

2007-12-03T13:14:00.000+02:00

VITO Technology releases next top quality software on its brand-new web site http://iwindowsmobile.com to make your Windows Mobile Pocket PC handling even easier than on iPhone. GoodWin is designed for managing your applications. Finger friendly interface and fancy graphics with animated menus result in extremely convenient and appealing user experience. All important info is displayed in single scrollable window.
GoodWin is a next generation Windows Mobile launcher and task switcher for Pocket PC. Slide the screen with finger to scroll the list of favorites and running programs, installed applications, and settings – all on one screen! Whenever you turn on your Pocket PC GoodWin displays all necessary information – new SMS, email, current time, missed calls and more…

Along with smooth design and animated menus goes the functionality of a launcher and task switcher making GoodWin irreplaceable. Just press the power button to see time, date, number of missed calls, SMS and e-mails without squinting your eyes. Slide the padlock to unlock the screen and launch applications/settings or switch between running programs.

GoodWin greatly simplifies management of all applications. You can run, uninstall, add or remove them from favorites, switch between running applications. Moreover, it provides instant access to battery charge and phone profiles displayed at the top of the screen. One tap – and you can set your phone to ring, vibration or silent mode.

How to Increase Your Wi-Fi Signal

2007-12-01T13:09:00.000+02:00

In this video Mark Erickson show you how to make stronger wireless signal or greater network access,and show you a simple hack to extend the range of your wireless card.
Need more help, visit his website at marksinfinitesolutions.com

Dell sees costs hitting profit

2007-11-30T15:53:00.000+02:00

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Dell Inc warned on Thursday that the costs of restructuring and investment could "adversely impact" its performance, sending shares of the world's second-largest personal computer maker down 8 percent.
While the company reported greater-than-expected quarterly revenue growth and a 27 percent rise in profit, investors zeroed in on its rising costs and the cautious outlook.
Net income for its fiscal third quarter ended Nov. 2 grew to $766 million, or 34 cents per share, from $601 million, or 27 cents per share, a year earlier.
Revenue rose to $15.65 billion from $14.42 billion, whereas analysts, on average, had expected revenue of $15.36 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
Dell booked costs of $50 million, or 2 cents per share, related to job cuts and asset disposals, plus $28 million, or 1 cent per share, for a year-long accounting audit.
Several analysts said its earnings were in line with expectations after factoring out one-time items, a disappointment given the strong revenue performance.
"The bottom line is that people were disappointed. People expected more than they got," said Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates of Concord, Massachusetts.
Revenue from servers used by businesses to run networks and Web sites rose 8 percent to $1.6 billion. Data-storage system revenue also rose 8 percent, to $600 million.
Revenue from laptop computers rose 19 percent to $4.7 billion while desktop revenue fell 1 percent to $4.8 billion.
Industrywide, global PC shipments grew 16 percent in the third quarter, helped by rising notebook sales at retailers outside the United States, researcher IDC said in October. Dell is facing increasing competition from Asian rivals including Acer Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd in the United States, which accounts for the majority of Dell's sales.
The company, hoping to compete better with larger rival Hewlett-Packard Co and Asian competitors, in June began selling PCs in stores for the first time after 23 years of direct-only sales via phone or Internet.
It has started selling PCs in Wal-Mart Stores Inc in North America and GOME Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd in China, and announced this week plans to sell computers in France, Spain and Belgium through France's Carrefour SA, the world's second-largest retailer.
Like rivals, Round Rock, Texas-based Dell has been helped by falling prices for computer memory and other components and by strong PC demand in U.S. back-to-school sales and pre-holiday gift spending.
But Dell said restructuring costs related to ongoing job reductions, investments in the business and acquisitions "may adversely impact the company's performance."
Also, a slowing decline in component costs and a seasonal product-mix shift to U.S. consumer and international regions may also hurt results, Dell said.
Dell shares fell 7.8 percent to $25.93 in extended trading following the earnings report, after adding 1.6 percent to close at $28.14 on Nasdaq.
The stock, up 10 percent in 2007 through Wednesday, trades at 19 times estimated earnings per share for its fiscal year ending in January, compared with 17 for HP's fiscal year ended in October and IBM's 2007 multiple of 15. (Reporting by Philipp Gollner, with additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles.

Windows Mobile 6

2007-11-29T15:18:00.000+02:00

In Windows Mobile 6, Microsoft revamped its branding strategy for the Windows Mobile platform. One of the reasons is that the term Smartphone used in Windows Mobile 5 and earlier to denote a phone-based Pocket PC with no touch screen has been popularized by the Palm Treo to just mean a phone-based PDA.

As such, Windows Mobile 6 now comes in three flavours:

Windows Mobile 6 Classic - WM device that comes with only PDA functionality
Windows Mobile 6 Standard - WM phone device with a non touch-screen display
Windows Mobile 6 Professional - WM phone device with a touch-screen display
Under the hood, Microsoft put in a large number of changes and improvements that, while not revolutionary in nature, do made the upgrade very nice to have.

Fans of push mail will find that Outlook Mobile now allows them to read HTML e-mails, with support for flags and global server search when paired with Microsoft Exchange 2007.

Windows Mobile 6 also comes with a host of enterprise-friendly features such as the ability to transparently encrypt files that are saved onto storage cards. It also improves upon its remote management capabilities. Other notable features include the bundling of the .NET Compact Framework v2 SP2 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition preinstalled in ROM.

All Window Mobile devices sold in the last quarter of 2007 are essentially Window Mobile 6. Some manufacturers have also introduced a free ROM upgrade from Window Mobile 5 to Window Mobile 6 for their recently released models.