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Microsoft Kin One & Kin Two

2010-05-28T09:50:00.002+01:00

If you haven't heard, Microsoft announced two new phones. Interestingly enough, it has nothing to do with Windows Phone 7 which they announced earlier this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It's called the Kin and there are two models: Kin One and Kin Two. Microsoft plans to target the new younger social networking generation with this device. Both devices, which Sharp built, will be available through Verizon Wireless beginning in May for U.S. customers.

Both devices sport capacitive touch screen displays and slide-out Qwerty keyboards. The Kin One and Two pack 5 megapixel and 8 megapixel cameras, respectively. There's even a special LumiLED flash and image stabilization to improve image quality in low-light situations. The major social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are built-in with tools to update statuses, check messages, and browse though photos. Microsoft also takes a new route on data storage. Although the Kin One and Two store 4GB and 8GB for music respectively, the rest of the data syncs with 'the cloud'. For instance, even HD video recordings from the Kin Two get uploaded and backed up for desktop viewing and sharing. Even text messages, call logs, contacts, and other bits of data are archived online for a safe backup.

Finally, both Kin devices are tightly integrated with the Zune music service. Subscribers can access the entire music Marketplace through their PC or on the go. There's also a web browser, Bing service integration for locals and maps, and even a RSS feed reader.

Microsoft Kin One:

Microsoft Kin Two:

Official KIN Website

Design secrets of Iron Man 2: Suitcase armor, Whiplash and crazy improv!

2010-05-23T16:02:00.001+01:00

Iron Man 2 is a design marvel, from the realization of Tony Stark's suitcase armor to the high-powered, heavy-metal set pieces. We talked to production designer J. Michael Riva and conceptual illustrators Ryan Meinerding and Daren Dochterman about this film.

Oh, and if you still haven't seen Iron Man 2, then there are spoilers in this article.

How did you approach the second Iron Man film differently than the first one? Was there more creative freedom this time around, because the first movie had already done such a great job of translating the visuals of the comics into the big screen?

J. Michael Riva: Well, the answer to that one is simple - there can only be tangible creative freedom when there is an established storyline early on. We all came into Iron Man 2 without one. The entire picture was about catching up to the story which never quite got the attention it deserved. Having said that, the director's challenge was to try and surpass the fun of the first one, which I think he did. Having set the bar of the moral engine of Tony's character so high in the first installment, everyone felt they had earned the freedom to let Tony have some fun this time. He gets to party, get drunk and wreck his house, race dangerously in Monaco, fight his best friend and alienate his 'girl Friday' and generally act like an asshole throughout - and he justifies all this bad behavior with a storyline detail that his RT is failing. With all the confidence that the show would be a slam dunk successful sequel, there was substantially more freedom to explore the Iron Man world on this 2nd one while they all figured out the story.

How did you go about making the new Mark VI suit an improvement on the previous suit designs, including the Mark III from the first film?

Meinerding: The Mark VI design is meant to be a bit sleeker than the Mark III. What Adi Granov and Phil Saunders did with the Mark III is so successful and was received so well, though, it became a struggle with how far to deviate from it. It was decided early on that we wouldn't change the helmet and just try and find a way to make the rest of the suit feel a little bit more advanced. There was talk changing the RT to a triangle shape for the final suit design, and so I was trying to come up with a design that could work with both a triangle and a circle.

In the end, the major changes are in the shoulders and legs. The Mark III legs are very strong but also very linear... they do a great job making Iron Man look like he's built for flying. In Iron Man 2, though, there was going to be a lot more fist fighting on the ground, and it felt like trying to get a bit more human gesture in the front view of the legs would help with posing. The aim for the shoulders was to reduce the bulk from the Mark III, but through the variations and revisions for the practical vs. digital suits, I don't think they got a whole lot slimmer. The slightly hunched posture that is iconic to the Mark III is something we definitely didn't want to lose, and so we ended up taking the shoulders back to that in the end.

There are a lot of homages to the comics in this new movie, including the color scheme of the suitcase armor which is right out of Bob Layton's art. Did you spend a lot of time looking at the older comics for some visual references?

Meinerding: Usually the suits we do are inspired by one suit design or another. Marvel does a really good job of giving us a lot of reference, and Jon [Favreau] also is heavily involved with giving comic reference as a starting point. With the suitcase suit, we definitely were looking at some of the classic designs because of how close to the body that armor was supposed to be. Since a lot of the classic designs are really variations on muscle suits, we definitely looked to be inspired there. The difficulty is that if we start with one of the classic silhouettes, we still have to fill it in with tech that feels like it could exist in the real world... and those changes sometimes take it to completely different places. The one specific thing we did take from an earlier design was the color scheme from the Silver Centurion armor. At first we were really concerned with deviating from the red and gold, but in the end that helmet design is so strong that it reads as Iron Man no matter what the colors are.

The biggest departure, from a design standpoint, is the look of Whiplash, who doesn't look that much like either Whiplash or Crimson Dynamo in the comics. How did you come up with that cool cybernetic harness, with the whips coming off the arms? Were there any real-life inspirations behind that look? What were the functional considerations behind doing it that way instead of going with something more like a suit of armor?

Riva: The story drove this design more than anything else. The whole point of Whiplash in the movie was to prove that someone out there could develop the power source which only Tony thinks he owns. The RT tech is discovered by Whiplash - that's the important part - not the suit as in the comics. The potential for any armor or any weapon is suddenly out of control and in the hands of Whiplash - an allegorical reference to the present-day proliferation of nuclear weapons. The idea of whips is obvious, and early on Jon Favreau referred all of us to a few guys on the internet who were great with whips. The character is poor and lives in an impoverished apartment room somewhere in Russia - his only resource is his brilliant mind - so he has to make this tech come to life with available stuff, much like Tony did in that Afghan cave. This is why he is so dangerous. He is Tony. So given these parameters, Ryan came up, once again with a terrific design for the whips. Early on we talked about 'electric plasma' whips powered by the RT on his chest, and Ryan took all this and ran with it. What you see is what Ryan designed late at night and all those weekends, and ILM made it all come to life, along with a terrific performance by Mickey Rourke who embraced the powers of the suit/design with great enthusiasm.

Meinerding: Early on in pre-production, I was given a list of possible bad guys and reference for their designs. At the time, these were supposed to be criminals that were being experimented on with RT tech, so the first designs I did hinted at some of the whip technology being medically implanted into the character. Jon and Marvel seemed to like how this could mirror what happened to Tony in the first film, but thought it could be a little gruesome. But once that connection with Tony's origin was created, we basically just looked to take themes from the Mark I to develop the Whiplash rig. A lot of that original design was inspired by a telemetry suit we had gotten from Stan Winston Studios (now Legacy Effects) back on Iron Man, and so the Whiplash design is actually derived along those lines.

The functional considerations are really all about movement... and Shane Mahan and the guys at Legacy Effects really figured the specifics of that stuff out. I had incorporated their telemetry suit in the design, and hopefully hinted at an aesthetic that took it into Ivan's world, and they really figured out how to make all the necessary action work and nailed down the nuts and bolts of the character.

The drones that Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko build are clearly built on similar technology as Tony Stark's suits of armor, but they feel somewhat different - maybe a bit cruder. How did you go about designing them to make them seem like they come from the same design universe, but with a different set of creators?

Riva: Justin Hammer, as played by the cool Sam Rockwell, is a crude guy afterall. The suits are thrown together for war- thus the bulkiness. Of course they look like they are from Tony's world because everyone lusts after Tony's design, naturally.

Meinerding: When you follow the threads of authorship that are supposed to be in the story, the design fingerprints come from a few different sources. The Hammer drones are meant to be knock offs of Iron Man, and then Ivan takes them and puts his own spin on them. So they should represent Tony in spirit, look less successful than Iron Man, and in the end look like they've been reversed engineered by Ivan to be militarized. We tried to make a few of the forms less streamlined than any of Tony's suits, as well as exposing a bit of the mechanics. In some ways we tried to include obviously bulky forms that really almost feel like they don't fit, and square off many of the forms. The easiest way for us to make it feel like a copy of Iron Man is to have the light in the center of the chest. The main thing that Ivan is meant to add is the head, and Jon really liked an impersonal, small robot head that makes it clear that there isn't a human head inside. So with the final product, hopefully, the first read is that they look like rougher Iron Man suits distinctly designed for their branch of the military. Then if you look a bit closer, you could see that the head design feels a bit distinctly different from the rest of the suit... implying the changes that Ivan brought about.

War Machine is such a cool design in the comics, and the movie did a great job of bringing that across. Given that War Machine starts out as a Mark II Iron Man armor and then gets "pimped out," how much freedom did you have to reimagine his look to make him look different from Iron Man?

Meinerding: The War Machine design process is an interesting one. Phil Saunders had done a version of War Machine during our design phase on Iron Man 1, and when we started on #2, we had that as a great jumping off point. Adi Granov was also developing a different look for the character in some of his comics work, so we really did have a wealth of design to choose from. Adi did some really great work on the character for the movie as well, and in the end we ended up combining a bit from all the different versions. ILM then tricked it out with the really clever mechanical designs for the Gatling gun mechanism and that really finished off the look.

In terms of how much freedom we had, the mandate that it was based on the the Mark II platform kind of came about as we were doing different versions of the suit, and it really just made a lot of sense. So a lot of the design process from there on out was seeing how much of the Mark II we wanted to see, and how much War Machine should feel distinctly different. Any time he ended up feeling like a completely different character, especially with the helmet, we were reined back in a bit by Jon and Marvel. I think they really did want to keep the Iron Man aesthetic pretty tight and not deviate from it too much. In the end, I think the the biggest difference design-wise, besides the color, is bulkiness he has. (Well that, and the huge gun on his shoulder!) It really helps distinguish him a bit from the sleeker Mark VI design. I think if there was too much of the Mark II showing it might be harder to tell the difference between the silhouette of Iron Man and War Machine in those really frenetic fight scenes.

Tony Stark's house is redesigned extensively for the new movie. How much of that had to do with the requirement of Tony and Rhodey being able to have a knock-down, drag-out fight there?

Daren Dochterman: It was a little give and take both ways, actually... with the new sets being built for the various new scenes in the film dictating where the fight beats were to take place... and the elements of the new sets being tailored to be as interesting as possible for two guys in power suits to bash each other in... A lot of the interior of the house wasn't really laid out in the first movie, save for the living room, bedroom, and lab... so there was more expansion of ideas here, as to where the gym would go and how the kitchen would connect with the already established spaces. At one point, a lot of the party scene was supposed to occur outside at Tony's pool, so Mike Riva wanted to revisit that, and I came up with some ideas for it, including one I really liked which was a kind of section of an oval, very much like the Jarvis control... but as a large, "invisible edge" pool... that was the last version I did of it. But as the party scenes evolved, it became more sensible to have them take place inside the house, using the sets that were going to be built... so that's how that evolved. The pool area remains unchanged from the first film.

Introducing the new Nokia N8

2010-04-28T22:42:00.004+01:00

Nokia's new N8 smartphone has managed to squeeze everything into its slim and sleek aluminum case. And we mean everything. The spec-sheet reads like a laundry-list of all the things missing from (and all those included in) a certain other 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen cellphone.

So what's new? A ridiculous 12 Megapixel camera (plus 720p video), with Carl Zeiss lens and Xenon lamp, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 16GB on-board storage expandable by microSD, HD-video plus HDMI-out for watching on the big screen, GPS navigation via OVI Maps (plus access to the OVI Store for applications) and of course, multi-touch and "full multitasking."

All that would be worthless if the software wasn't up to much, and Nokia has loaded the N8 with the new Symbian S^3 operating system, a much prettier revamp of the tired old businessman's Symbian of old. It even comes in a range of bright colors. You know - for the kids.

There must be a catch, right? Well, yes. The handset will be $500 off-contract and probably will never actually make it into the US in a subsidized form. It also won't be available until the fall, by which time Apple and Android will surely have better models to buy. A shame, to be sure, and one that proves that, no matter how many boxes the engineering people tick on the marketing department's want-list, it's for nothing if you don't got some buzz. Sorry, Nokia, but these days you're the square at the party.

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Windows Phone 7 Interface: Microsoft Has Out-Appled Apple

2010-02-16T00:43:00.004+01:00

Microsoft has nailed it. Windows Phone 7 feels like an iPhone from the future. The UI has the simplicity and elegance of Apple's industrial design, while the iPhone's UI still feels like a colorized Palm Pilot.

That doesn't mean that the Windows Phone 7's user experience would be better than Apple's. The two user interface concepts data centric vs function centric are very different, and the former is quite a radical departure from what people are used to.

And if you're not familiar with Windows Phone 7, check out our hands on and the post where we explain everything about it.

With the iPhone, Apple put together an extremely simple modal interface that works, one that people of all ages and backgrounds understand right away: "This is a device that adopts different functions and gives me access to different kinds of information depending on the icon I click on."

It's pretty simple idea, which made it a raging success. In fact, that success is the reason why this model is Apple's bet not only for mobile phones, but for the future of computing. It is also the reason why the Androids, Palms, and Blackberries of this world are following them.

Clean slate

Microsoft's approach is completely different. Instead of becoming another me-too cellphone, like Android and the rest, the Windows Phone 7 team came up their own vision of what the cellphone should be. In the process, they have created a beautiful user interface in which the data is at the center of user interaction. Not the apps specific functions but the information itself. At some points, in fact, it feels like the information is the interface itself.

Out of the box, this information is organized into areas called hubs, which follow the user's areas of interest. Accessible through live tiles in the home screen, the Me (the user), people, pictures and video, music, and games plus the omnipresent search hubs give views into several data sources, connecting and presenting them into an interweaved panoramic stream. These hubs dig heavily into many databases, both locally and into the cloud.

Rather than accessing an app to get contact information and make a call to a person, open another app to get her Twitter updates, and then another app to get her Facebook updates, and another for her latest mails to you, and yet another one to watch her photos, the Windows Phone's people hub offers a seamless view into all of it, presented in a very simple and logical way. On a function-centric model like the iPhone, when the user thinks "I want to make a call", he puts the device in "calling mode" by clicking on an app, selects a contact, and calls. When the user thinks "What's up with John Smith?" he puts the device in Facebook or Twitter or Mail mode, and so on.

Microsoft has organized the hubs into panoramas, by stitching groups of information as columns of a single landscape screen bigger than the phone's display that can be scrolled with your finger. The solution tied together with minimalist interface aesthetics and animations that are inviting, elegant, and never superfluous works great.

ST-Ericsson's U8500 brings dual-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 to the Android world

2010-02-16T00:35:00.002+01:00

Can't get enough of hearing about implementations of ARM's Cortex-A9 MPCore processors? Good. ST-Ericsson's powerhouse U8500 system-on-chip has come a major step closer to appearing in mainstream devices with today's newly announced support for the Android operating system. Having optimized the OS to take advantage of Symmetric Multi Processing a method for extending battery life by sharing the load between the two processing cores and underclocking when necessary the partner company is now ready to start dropping these 1.2GHz dual-core beasts inside the next generation of smartphones. The claim is that you'll get all that additional power while sacrificing nothing, as devices based on the U8500 would maintain "the cost and power consumption characteristics of a traditional feature phone." We're promised built-in HDMI-out support, 1080p video recording, and 120 hours of audio playback or 12 hours of Full HD video off a 1,000mAh battery pledges we'd very much like to see fulfilled.

Nokia N900 micro-USB connectors prone to failure?

2010-02-16T00:29:00.002+01:00

The N900's well on its way to developing a solid reputation as a hacker's dream, but here's the thing: hackers need a way to charge their device. Actually, we all do, which makes a trending problem with N900s in the field particularly worrisome. It seems that the micro-USB connector's surface mount design is causing it to become misaligned or disconnected completely, and affected users seem to be having mixed results getting the issue covered under warranty. One of the symptoms of a misaligned connector is that it's unusually snug or difficult to connect, and thinking back to our review unit, we did have some minor issues there but didn't really think anything of it at the time. Anyone out there run into this nasty little issue?

Update: Mark Squires, head of social media at Nokia, "In short, Nokia is looking into the matter and anyone who experiences the issue should be covered by local Nokia customer care assuming that the N900 hasn't been mistreated"

Symbian^3 to be code complete by end of Q1

2010-02-15T21:14:00.002+01:00

The Symbian Foundation today unveiled the first release of Symbian^3 which they expect to be code complete by the end of next month. This release features a wide range of enhancements including more advanced usability, faster networking and graphics acceleration in 2D and 3D for games and apps. The first devices running the new platform are expected to ship as early as Q3 this year.

Along with more efficient memory management, allowing more apps to run in parallel, Symbian^3 also includes support for HDMI, so users can plug their device into a TV and watch a 1080p movie. The new graphics architecture will use hardware acceleration to offer users a much improved user interface.

The new homescreen supports multiple pages for widgets, enabling the user to just flick between each one. Across the board we'll also see a range of network improvements, including the ability to automatically switch from cell network to WLAN automatically, without user interruption. The platform is also ready for 4G networks.

We've got a video showing off some concepts which explore the new capabilities of S^3.

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Source: Nokia Conversations

Windows Phone 7 Series Features Video

2010-02-15T21:02:00.003+01:00

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Slate Showdown...

2010-02-15T20:00:00.002+01:00

Everybody's talking about tablets, especially those single-pane capacitive touchscreen ones more specifically known as "slates." The iPad is the biggest newsmaker, but there are lots headed our way (most with built-in webcams). Here's how they measure up, spec-wise:

As you can see, they have different strengths and weaknesses, some of which will become more clear in the coming months as we learn more about each tablet. (That Dell Mini 5 is especially inscrutable right now.)

The iPad has the most storage, cheap 3G, the time-tested iPhone OS and its mountain of apps, and a serious amount of Apple marketing juice behind it. But it's also famously lacking features common to the other tablets, such as webcam and multitasking (only first party apps like music and email can multitask). The Notion Ink Adam is perhaps the most interesting of the bunch, with its dual-function transflective screen from Pixel Qi: It can be either a normal LCD or, with the flick of a switch, an easy-on-the-eyes reflective LCD that resembles e-ink. Its hardware is also surprisingly impressive but it remains to be seen if Android is really the right OS for a 10-inch tablet.

The Dell Mini 5 and forthcoming Android edition of the Archos 7 tablet are two of a kind, almost oversized smartphones in their feature sets. Is an extra two or three inches of screen real estate worth the consequent decrease in pocketability? Perhaps not. And finally, there's the maligned JooJoo, formerly the CrunchPad, a bit of an oddball as the only web-only device in the bunch. It doesn't really have apps, can't multitask, and pretty much confines you to an albeit fancy browser, sort of like Chrome OS will. The JooJoo is also the only tablet here to have no demonstrated way to read ebooks.

Update: The two new additions in v.2 of this chart, the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 and Archos 9, are both unusual. The Windows 7 powered Archos 9 has been available since September, is the only slate here that lacks multitouch, and is the only one with a HDD instead of solid state memory of some kind. It's more related to the older tablets, but there's no keyboard, just a 9 inch touchscreen. It doesn't even have specific apps like the HP Slate's TouchSmart, it's just a Windows computer.

The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 is even weirder, in that it's actually two computers the specs listed in the chart are for the tablet detached, but when it's attached to its base, it switches both hardware and software. In its attached form, it's a Windows 7 laptop with a full keyboard and trackpad, Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of memory, eSATA, VGA and HDMI out, and all the other amenities you'd expect from a modern thin and light. We just have see what it's like when it ships in June.

Nokia N900 Review

2010-02-13T08:36:00.002+01:00

Video Review:

SIMFi Transforms Any (SIM) Phone Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

2010-02-12T20:23:00.002+01:00

First, the Eye-Fi added Wi-Fi to any camera with an SD card. Now, the Sagem Orga SIMFi does something similar. It's a SIM card that adds Wi-Fi capabilities to cellphones...Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities, that is.

Just like the Eye-Fi, the SIMFi runs its own integrated software, meaning there shouldn't be any special setup on your phone. You pretty much just plug it into a phone and you're good to connect a laptop, or any other Wi-Fi device, to the internet at 3G speeds.

But whether or not the SIMFi is coming to market under its own branding is unknown. For the time being, it may just be a proof of concept that's being shopped around to interested entities like AT&T or T-Mobile. You know, so someone can charge you an extra monthly fee for the thing.

Source: Sagem Ogra

Parrot AR.Drone hands-on

2010-02-08T20:17:00.005+01:00

The Parrot AR.Drone was definitely one of the highlights of our day; how can you top a quadricopter that can fight with another using augmented reality, is easy to fly, and only needs an iPhone to control it? You simply can't this is just pure joy and is exactly what a gadget should be: it's an electronic aircraft, has multiple cameras (two to be exact), uses WiFi for control (via an ad-hoc connection), and likely has more intelligence on board than a lunar lander. This early version can only be controlled via iPhone, or iPod touch, but Parrot's Henri Seydoux mentioned that it could be (and we're really hoping will be) controllable by BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and so on. The AR.Drone uses a pile of pretty sophisticated magic to enable it to fly those aforementioned cameras are just the start (one forward facing, one facing down running at 60 fps that allows stability in light wind) because you've also got two ultrasonic transmitters for vertical stability, a three-axis accelerometer, and a two-axis gyroscope paired with a single-axis yaw precision gyroscope for good measure. Needless to say, casual gamers and folks looking for a nice $30 gift need not apply.

Control is really pretty simple: hit the take off button and the AR.Drone lifts off and then hovers at about 3 feet. The controls in the app include buttons to rotate left and right, a slider to climb, and a button that -- once pressed and held -- allows the iPhone to be tipped to tilt and fly the AR.Drone in any direction. If your WiFi connection drops while playing, the drove will stabilize and then land itself without damage or drama. Parrot's demo games are fun, too -- you can choose to fight against a computer opponent that you'll see on your iPhone's display (when you're shot, your drone actually rocks back and forth) or dogfight with a friend. Sadly, release date and pricing remain a mystery, but we're already lined up and we're not worrying about the cost. No doubt, this will be a contender for CES 2010's best remote controlled flying quadricopter, and deservedly so.

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Mozilla has launched a Firefox - like browser for use on mobile phones.

2010-02-08T19:07:00.010+01:00

Fennec, the mobile Web browser by Mozilla, is much like the company's open-source browser for desktops and laptops. It launched in beta version on March 17 in an attempt for the company to collect feedback and draw interest in the browser.

Fennec 1.0 was designed for the OS2008 Maemo software platform which runs on the Nokia N810 Internet tablet, so Mozilla claims that the browser is best experienced on an N810, however it also has versions available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

Currently the beta release is described by Mozilla as being for testing purposes only so that developers can invent new add-ons and port existing ones for use via the mobile phone. "One of the main themes of Fennec was to try to minimize the amount of typing you have to do as you make your way around the Web," Madhava Enros, the lead user interface designer for Fennec, says in an introductory video on the blog of Mozilla developer Stuart Parmenter.

Mozilla was able to increase zooming speed, improve start-up performance and enable plug-ins which allows users to view videos and bookmark favorites quickly and easily. Using the Fennec browser it is also easier to search the Web, keep track of history, remember passwords and optimizing screen space for mobile content.

You can download it here.

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Wind-Powered Highway Lights Disconnect From the Grid

2010-02-07T14:59:00.003+01:00

As far as practical renewable energy concepts go, these wind-powered highway lights are pretty elegant. And from my layman's perspective, they seem to be practical and realistic. I like 'em!

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Source: Turbine Light

Your iPhone Is Now Your Car Keys...

2009-10-15T02:15:00.002+01:00

The free app connects to a Viper SmartStart hardware module installed in your car, and controls five basic functions: It'll start your car, turn on the heat, unlock your doors or trunk, and manage the car alarm. The range is effectively infinite too, since all communication is carried out over cell networks no line of sight contact necessary, not that the iPhone has the IR hardware for anything like that anyway.

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This is without a doubt one of the coolest apps I've ever seen, but as always, glorious novelty comes at a price: while the app is free, the SmartStart car module costs at least $300, and annual service, after the first complementary year, is $30

Source: Viper

Single Seat Helicopter Concept

2009-10-11T04:21:00.001+01:00

In the early 20th Century, Henry Ford realised a dream and brought the motor vehicle to the masses with the Model-T Ford. Skip forward a hundred years and personalised flight is the new arena. Igarashi Design has introduced a single seat helicopter with war-like looks. In a break away from Moller's Skycar, the helicopter is more reminiscent of a BMW C1 motorcycle than a flying machine. You'll need to take pilot training before flying one as only one person can sit and operate this helicopter.

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Source: Igarashi Design

Sony's Vaio L Works as Full PC or Simply a TV

2009-10-09T22:03:00.002+01:00

Sony unveiled their promising touchscreen all-in-one PC earlier this week, but we had little idea how it really worked. A new video walks us through the entire $1300, 24-inch system, and it looks pretty nice:

However, the most notable feature compared to its competition and one not necessarily new to the Vaio line is that the PC portion of the system can be turned off, allowing you to only power the device solely as an LCD monitor (should you just want to play on your console or something). For those of us living in already tight quarters, knowing that your all-in-one can also be your TV (and not just for Sony's built-in DVR, Blu-ray player or, of course, straming Hulu) is extremely handy.

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Dell reveals new Adamo XPS, gives no details

2009-10-08T13:36:00.002+01:00

We're currently live at a Dell event where that totally new-look Adamo XPS has just been briefly teased. In keeping with Dell's recent tradition, details are nonexistent at the moment, but we've snapped a couple pics if you look closely you can see a pretty wild hinge design. We'll update you ASAP, keep it locked!

Update: And... that was it. Seriously, you would think Dell would've maybe learned something from the original Adamo launch and maybe dished out some info, but as usual they just waved it around for a second and then talked about less-interesting things. Still, here's what we know it's super thin, and it obviously unfolds in a completely new way. We're digging for more, we'll let you know.

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Source: Engadget

New Sony VAIO X

2009-10-08T13:26:00.004+01:00

Sony's just started a laptop-oriented event in NYC, but we just got our hands on what look like unpublished web pages for the new VAIO X and VAIO CW and an updated VAIO L machines. All of 'em now run Windows 7, of course, but the big news is apparent confirmation that the VAIO X will indeed have a 2GHz Atom -- although it's listed at a "2GHz Intel Processor," the 533MHz bus speed also listed pretty much gives it away. And no, you're not getting an Ion in this deal to make up for that starting $1,300 price tag -- it's Intel GMA500 graphics all the way. You're also getting an integrated Verizon 3G card and both the standard and extended batteries, however. Still is that insane? It's probably insane.

We'll keep you updated as the event goes on, stay with us!

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Bold 2 coming out on October 21

2009-10-08T13:15:00.003+01:00

We have it on good authority that T-Mobile and AT&T both currently plan on announcing the Bold 2 - also known as the Onyx - on October 21. As a refresher, this would be the touchpad-driven piece with model number 9700 that's been making the rounds on the leak circuit the past few months, a fitting successor to a device that virtually every celebrity this side of Merle Haggard has been photographed carrying at once point or another. What we don't know is pricing or retail launch date, but at least this gives us a pretty hard target for when we can expect details so start cleaning out that Bold trackball, because you're going to have something to eBay here pretty shortly.

Flash 10.1 coming to Smart Phones

2009-10-07T23:54:00.003+01:00

Adobe claims that Flash content is present on more than 85 percent of the top 100 websites, and that approximately 75 percent of all web-based videos use Flash. In good news for the growing numbers of people accessing the Internet on their mobile phones, Adobe has unveiled its Flash Player 10.1: Full Flash software to bring an integrated Flash experience to browsers on Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, WebOS and Windows Mobile smartphones but not iPhone.

Since Flash 10.1 will include GPU acceleration, devices like netbooks running on nVidia's Ion platform, phones running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon or Texas Instruments' OMAP4 platforms, and MIDs running on nVidia's Tegra platform should have the grunt needed to do whatever Flash throws at them, while conserving battery life and minimizing resource use.

Adobe says that Flash Player 10.1 is the first consistent runtime release of the Open Screen Project that enables uncompromised Web browsing of expressive applications, content and high definition (HD) videos across devices. It will take advantage of native device capabilities including support for multi-touch, gestures, mobile input models, accelerometer and screen orientation, as well as media delivery with HTTP streaming.

Adobe said that a Flash Player for the iPhone is not being made available because it uses a just-in-time compiler and virtual machine within a browser plug-in to play back website content - technologies that aren't currently allowed on the iPhone.

However, there is another way to get Flash-based applications onto an iPhone. One of the capabilities of Adobe's upcoming Flash Professional CS5 - which the company has been showing off at its Adobe MAX 2009 conference - is the ability to export applications built with the program to a standard .ipa format used for native iPhone applications. So, while iPhone users won't be able to browse web content built with Flash, developers will be able to repackage existing web content as applications for iPhone, if they choose.

Since applications created using Flash Professional CS5 meet all iPhone .ipa and SDK requirements, they can be included in Apple's App Store via the standard iPhone Developer Program. Adobe has even featured seven current App Store applications that were built using a pre-release version of Flash Professional CS5.

A public developer beta of the browser-based runtime is expected to be available from Adobe for Windows Mobile, Palm WebOS and desktop operating systems including Windows, Macintosh and Linux later this year, while public betas for Google Android and Symbian OS are expected to be available in early 2010.

Google "Smart Charging" Software for Electric Cars

2009-10-07T23:35:00.003+01:00

Google Working on "Smart Charging" Software for Electric Cars Google says "smart charging" software could be the answer to getting millions of plug-in electric cars to work on an overtaxed electrical grid. Such software would, for example, automatically turn off EV charging during times of peak grid demand, among other functions. Google

Imagine millions of plug-in vehicle owners returning home from work on a hot summer day, plugging in their cars at the same time, and melting down an overtaxed, outdated, and otherwise atrophied electrical grid. But the geniuses at Google say averting a disaster scenario could be as simple as a few lines of code (well, a few more than just a few). Working with a test fleet of a plug-in vehicles, part of a project the company initiated two years ago, Google came up with new "smart charging" software that can manage the charging needs of EVs based on real-time signal data from a grid operator. For example, automatically turning off EV charging during times of peak grid demand.

The software is in its early stages, but since 2007, when the RechargeIT plug-in hybrid fleet program began at Google's Mountain View, California headquarters the company has pursued a number of solutions, like plugging vehicles in when parked to give the grid a series of battery backups and reduce strain.

The company's director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives (yes, that's a real title) says the possibility of a large number of plug-in vehicles hooked to the grid presents an opportunity to introduce a megawatt-scale storage technology in the grid for the first time.

Toyota FT-86 Concept Car

2009-10-07T23:32:00.003+01:00

Toyota will unveil this sleek, rear-wheel-drive coupe, recalling the Toyota AE86 of the 1980s, at the Tokyo Motor Show this month. But buyers will likely have to wait until 2011 to get their hands on one, for around $30,000

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Microsoft Research shows off multitouch mouse prototypes

2009-10-06T22:42:00.005+01:00

Rather odd timing, given some recent developments in the Apple camp, but Microsoft Research has just surfaced some of its incredibly wild multitouch mouse prototypes. Each one uses a different touch detection method, and at first glance all five seem to fly in the face of regular ergonomics. The craziest two are probably "Arty," which has two articulated arms to cradle your thumb and index finger, with each pad housing its own optical sensor for mission-critical pinching gestures, and "Side Mouse" which is button free and actually detects finger touches in the table immediately in front of the palm rest. Of course, there's plenty of crazy in the FTIR, Orb Mouse and Cap Mouse (pictured), which rely on an internal camera, orb-housed IR camera and capacitive detection, respectively. Of course, there's no word on when these might actually see the light of day, but it should be quite obvious that Apple's not the only game in town thinking about this stuff. Check out the utterly enlightening video of these things in action after the break.

Photos:

Video:

E3 2009: Project Natal Milo demo

2009-10-04T15:48:00.002+01:00

Peter Molyneaux gives us a look at Milo, which uses Project Natal for amazing interaction with an on-screen character.

XP Mode is ready, will be a free download on October 22

2009-10-03T18:28:00.001+01:00

Microsoft Download Center, October 22 -- add that to your already-busy Windows 7 release party itinerary. That'll be the quickest and most painless way to enrich your hot new OS with the now finalized code for XP Mode, a virtualized Windows XP environment for those who just can't let go of their legacy software. The solitary hitch is that you'll need to have purchased a copy of Windows 7 Professional or higher to get in on the fun, but you already knew that, right? Oh, and you might also want to check that your hardware manufacturer hasn't disabled virtualization as part of some overzealous security / party-pooping measure.

How to jailbreak your iPhone 3G or 3GS with redsn0w...

2009-10-03T08:18:00.009+01:00

If you want to jailbreak any current iPhone iPod Touch devices running on iPhone OS 3.0, you must use redsn0w. This post will show a step-by-step tutorial on how to jailbreak your device with redsn0w.

You can download redsn0w for Windows Mac or Linux (click the appropriate icon)
redsn0w 0.8 will only work with iPhone 3.0, iPhone 3G 3.0, iPhone 3GS 3.0, iPod Touch 3.0, and iPod Touch 2G 3.0.

1. Download the iPhone OS 3.0 IPSW file for your device and save it to your desktop. Here are the file names for each device, make sure you have the right one:

iPhone 2G - filename: iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw [download link]
iPhone 3G - filename: iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw [download link]
iPhone 3GS - filename: iPhone2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw [download link]
iPod Touch 1G - filename: iPod1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw
iPod Touch 2G - filename: iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw

2. Open the redsn0w 0.8 application.

3. Click the Browse button.

4. Locate your device's IPSW file that you downloaded in step 1 and click Open.

5. The redsn0w window will have the "IPSW successfully identified" message. Click the Next button to continue.

6. redsn0w will ask you to "Please select which options you would like to have". Make sure the Install Cydia box has a check on there and then click Next.

7. redsn0w will ask you to make sure your device is both OFF and PLUGGED IN to your computer. Make sure you plug in your device in to your computer and then turn it off. Click Next once you have done this.

8. redsn0w will now ask you to connect your device in DFU mode.

Hold down the Power button for 3 seconds

Without releasing the Power button, also hold down the Home (bottom center button) for 10 seconds

Without releasing the Home button, release the Power button BUT KEEP holding the Home button for 30 seconds

Note: If you don't do this properly you will get a DFU Mode Failed message and you'll have to go back to step one.

9. Once your device has successfully entered DFU Mode, redsn0w will show the following message: "Please wait while your device is being jailbroken. Waiting for reboot." Your device should reboot after this.

10. Once your device has rebooted redsn0w will start uploading the RAMDisk and kernel.

11. After everything has been successfully uploaded to your device, redsn0w will have; the "Done!" message. Your device will now reboot and you should see the Cydia app on your SpringBoard.

Pioneer Churns Out the World's First 12x Blu-ray Burner

2009-10-02T06:32:00.002+01:00

The BDR-205 is pretty much like any other mainstream 5.25-inch internal Blu-ray writer, in terms of looks and features, except for the fact that it, get this, spins slightly faster than the current crop of 8x writers. Slightly!

I was tempted to try to find a late-90s press release for Pioneer's first 12x CD burner to see how closely the language matched this one let's just assume "very" but a) I couldn't find one, and b) I didn't want to diminish Pioneer's achievement here too much any device that cuts into the atrociously long Blu-ray burn times we've become slowly and begrudgingly accustomed to is a categorically good thing. The BDR-205 is due in October for $250

Photo:

Yahoo! Messenger 10 update

2009-09-30T23:41:00.002+01:00

An update of Yahoo! Messenger 10 Beta is now available (10.0.0.542). This latest version addresses a couple of video call bugs, plus some improvements in messaging about how it works. Changes in this latest version include:

Improvements in the webcam detection logic. If you were able to use your webcam on 9.0 or other IM programs, but not on Yahoo! Messenger 10, this fix should take care of the issue.

Explanation for grayed-out video call button. If your video call button is grayed-out when you're IM'ing with a friend, it's because they're on an older version of Yahoo! Messenger. In order to receive your video call, they also need to upgrade to Yahoo! Messenger 10 Beta. To help reduce confusion about this, we added an inline message explaining this.

Smoother handling of unanswered calls. When you make a call to a friend but they don't answer within 20 seconds, the call is automatically terminated. Previously there was no messaging about this, so we added one to let you know that your friend did not answer your call.

Better explanation for downgraded video calls. In the event your internet connection can no longer support the full video call (e.g. video + voice), the conversation gets downgraded to a voice-only call. When this happens, the video picture disappears. This is the correct behavior, but we added some inline messaging so you'll know when and why it's happening.

And if you encounter any technical issues while using Yahoo! Messenger 10, go to Help > Report a Problem to Yahoo! to provide us with information that will help us troubleshoot the issue.

This Guy is amazing (I had 2 share)

2009-09-30T22:56:00.002+01:00

Yale University junior is making a name for himself by honoring the legendary Michael Jackson. Along with a buddy from school he's created a video that appears to be an a Capella group performing a Michael Jackson medley.

You might be impressed with the vocals and even more impressed with the magical editing. Turns out they're all the same guy! Connecticut student Sam Tsui is wearing the same jeans and sneakers but 3 different shirts.

He's singing all the parts and his classmate, Kurt Schneider, standing off to the side did all the fancy editing to form the make believe group paying tribute to Jackson

All Credits to:
Sam Tsui - Vocals
Kurt Schneider - Arrangement, Production

Another day, another Michael Jackson product

2009-09-30T19:13:00.002+01:00

This one is a Michael Jackson iPhone 3G case , which I have to say is incredibly detailed! It features the artist drawing of Michael in what looks like his 'Bad' days. The case displays his image on the back and partially on the front along with what I guess is the artist's signature because what is there, doesn't spell Michael Jackson. The case itself is made of a hard shell plastic which should protect your iPhone 3G from any bumps or smacks. The best part is the price - which is only $5.99!

Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus software is now live and free

2009-09-29T22:20:00.001+01:00

In a move that's sure to please a few million Windows users and break the hearts of a handful of anti-virus companies, Microsoft has now finally made the non-beta version of its Security Essentials software available to the general public, and it's not even asking that you throw a launch party to get it for free. For those not in on the beta or following Microsoft's exciting forays into freeware, the software promises to cover all the security basics and fend off viruses, spyware and other malicious software, and Microsoft even assures us that it'll "run quietly in the background" and only intrude on your life when an action is required. You'll also, of course, get free updates on a regular basis, and it'll work just fine whether you use Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 -- hit up the link below to grab a copy.

Click >>here<< to download

Dell Latitude Z "unveiled"

2009-09-29T13:49:00.002+01:00

We saw the Dell Latitude Z leaked earlier this year, but Dell has now made it official.

The Latitude Z model is Dell's latest stab at the ultraslim notebook category, pitching up against the MacBook Air, and Sony and Samsung's X series models.

A 16-inch 16:9 display with a resolution of 1600 x 900 (although a higher resolution option will be available), sits on the slim frame which has been lovingly designed.

The pre-production model that we got our hands on was powered by and Intel Core 2 Duo U9400 1.4GHz processor, with 4GB RAM and a 60GB SSD, although a 128GB SSD version will also be available.

Dell has paid attention to detail here, with nice touches like an external battery indicator, backlit keyboard and embedded in the bezel are touch-enabled controls for things like volume and media playback.

Despite the relatively large chassis, there is no optical drive built-in. The battery (sitting between the hinges at the back) will come in 4- and 8-cell options, with Dell estimating 4 or 8 hours respectively.

But is it a little too late with HP's Envy recently stealing the crown as one of the prettiest high-end notebooks around?

Photos:

HP Envy 15 (Premium Laptop)

2009-09-29T13:26:00.002+01:00

Launched on Tuesday, the HP Envy 15 joins the Envy 13 in a new line for HP. Pitched to the high-end market, it is aimed at those who want the best, and where price is less of a factor.

The laser etched finish is exquisite, giving the Envy 15 looks to die for. It's also exceptionally well built and claims the crown as the company's thinnest and most powerful notebook if you take the Intel Core i7 processor option.

You also get the rather niche nightvision webcam, but sadly there is no option for a backlit keyboard, internal DVD or Blu-ray drive. Customers in the UK will get an external DVD drive in the box however.

You also get the option of an additional "slice" battery (pictured below) to extend the life of the battery up to 7 hours, giving you all that power for most of the day.

You have various configuration options too, with the price starting at £1199. As a Windows 7 device, it will be available from 22 October.

Photos:

Introducing HP Envy Series (Video)

2009-09-26T10:13:00.002+01:00

Source: HP Envy

Google's Newest Android Device Makes a Giant Leap Forward

2009-09-26T01:15:00.002+01:00

HTC Google Ion

The newest device to flaunt Google's Android operating system is the Ion, a lightly customized version of the HTC Magic. Loaded with a newer version of the seminal OS, the phone is faster, sleeker and smarter than the previous Android model, the G1. But the hardware is also improved. The phone ditches the G1's awkward keyboard and replaces it with a full touchscreen. It's a great step forward Android handsets but not quite robust enough to knock the iPhone off its throne as "King of Touchscreens."

We received a test unit at Google I/O developer's conference last week, albeit one that is not configured or fully vetted for consumer use. But the system is mature enough to put through the paces of daily use. And it's unlocked, too.

The hardware is HTC's new HT-03A, the same phone being offered by NTT DoCoMo in this summer's lineup. It has a 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, microSD card slot, Bluetooth and GPS. Unlike the first Google phone, there's no physical keyboard, just a 3.2-inch touchscreen.

OK, so it's a thoroughly modern smartphone with a touchscreen. Which makes it impossible to avoid comparing it to the iPhone. And, sadly, HTC's hardware can't match Apple's. The Google phone is a little smaller than an iPhone, though a tiny bit thicker, so it feels about the same in your pocket. But within just a few minutes of navigating the menus, we were already missing both the tactile feel and the sensitivity of iPhone's glass screen. Typing out tweets on the HTC's screen made our thumbs feel like fat Italian sausages. The extra thickness makes it harder to grip comfortably while typing, a problem made worse by the fact the screen is smaller, smudges more easily and offers much more friction than the iPhone's. It will take some getting used to.

The hardware does have some wins. Photos taken with the camera are sharp and bright, and the battery life is excellent. After only one full charge, we've been running GPS traces, making calls, surfing the web with both Wi-fi and 3G, Twittering and listening to MP3s for about six hours, and the battery still has one third of its juice left.

Google's developer device is loaded up with Android version 1.5. This build is much improved over the G1's software. Configuring things like ringtones, wallpapers, alarms and behaviors is a breeze, and direct access to the Android Marketplace makes installing apps a no-brainer. The notification system -- a bar you pull down from the top of the screen -- makes it easy to switch between active applications without having to go back to the main screen. Want to fill it up with MP3s?

Plug in the USB cable, then drag and drop. Then there's the pure joy of just plugging in your Gmail credentials and having your entire life synced to the phone instantly. Calendars, contacts, your inbox, all at your fingertips with almost zero configuration.

There are some drawbacks, like Android's web browser, which isn't nearly as refined as Mobile Safari. The "Zoom in" and "Zoom out" controls feel so three years ago, and the browser has problems finding the main content well on a lot of websites -- it frequently zooms in on ads or page headers instead. Vertical scrolling is rather clunky and jittery throughout all of the apps. Animations like screen fades and visual notifications are also more sluggish than we'd expect, given the snappiness of the iPhone's OS. These are the types of problems we'd expect to be ironed out before the OS is released to consumers.

All in all, the newest Android OS is a big improvement over previous versions, and, taken as a whole, the phone is definitely the most advanced, easy to use touchscreen device we've seen -- except one.

A release date for the phone has not yet been announced. The FCC did approve a T-Mobile branded version of the Magic equipped with T-Mobile USA's 3G frequency bands on March 26 of this year. But if you are rabid for the Dream, you can score one on eBay to the tune of about $500.

The sleek, stylish HP DreamScreen

2009-09-20T17:39:00.003+01:00

HP DreamScreen adds a fun new dimension to your digital content. Easily view photos of your last vacation, watch family videos, listen to Pandora Internet radio, get Facebook status updates, check the weather and more all with this elegant wireless digital smart screen.

HP Announces New Line of Wireless Connected Screens with HP DreamScreen

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 17, 2009 - People now can stay current with Facebook friends and photos, listen to Pandora Internet radio, share Snapfish personal photos and enjoy their music and pictures from home networked PCs with a new category of connected screens from HP.

The HP DreamScreen, a companion to the PC, connects easily to a wireless or wired network to bring photos, music and video into any area of the home. The screen also transforms social media and web information into consumable, bite-sized pieces.

"Constant, always-on access to friends, information and entertainment is a common expectation today," said Satjiv S. Chahil, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP. "With HP DreamScreen, social media, web services and digital entertainment can be enjoyed in more areas of the home."

The HP DreamScreen features a piano-black design with a vibrant, flush glass widescreen display. The DreamScreen 100 (measuring 10.2 inches) was designed to fit perfectly on a nightstand or dresser. The HP DreamScreen 130 (measuring 13.3 inches) is ideal for kitchen counters and coffee tables.

A product demonstration is available at http://www.hp.com/go/dreamscreen.

Enjoying digital entertainment

The HP DreamScreen comes with 2 gigabytes of built-in memory for storing photos, music and home movies directly on the device. Digital content can be loaded and played using a USB drive or most types of flash memory cards. Photos and music can be streamed wirelessly or moved to the HP DreamScreen by a simple "drag and drop" motion from a networked PC with included software.

Finding and playing songs is easy - searchable by artist, album or genre - and is enhanced with album cover art. High-fidelity speakers are built in and include connections to accommodate headphones and external speakers.

For music enthusiasts, the HP DreamScreen allows users to stream music directly from the Internet using Pandora. The custom-designed experience makes accessing Pandora accounts easy. Album cover art is displayed and users can personalize their stations by thumbing-up favorite songs or artists to refine their stations.

"Pandora's listeners want to have access to their personalized stations on a variety of devices," said Jessica Steel, senior vice president, Business Development, Pandora. "The HP DreamScreen makes it fun and easy for listeners to enjoy Pandora throughout their homes."

In addition, the HP DreamScreen gives users access to HP SmartRadio, a new service that aggregates streams of live Internet broadcasts from more than 10,000 radio stations around the world. Users can now listen to their favorite radio stations on the Internet by location or genre in any part of their home.

With the HP DreamScreen's capabilities, it becomes the "fourth screen" in people's lives, extending the enjoyment of digital content beyond a computer, TV and mobile phone.

Staying connected

The HP DreamScreen includes 802.11 b or g wireless capabilities to access real-time information from the web. By selecting the Facebook icon, for example, users can stay up to date with their social networks while away from their computers. Friends' status updates, photos and upcoming events can all be viewed in real time.

In addition to viewing images from a PC, flash memory card or Facebook, customers also can access their own or their friends' Snapfish photos and albums. Photos from any of these locations can be enjoyed in slideshow mode simultaneously with music stored on the device or streamed from the user's PC in the background.

Checking time, day and weather

The HP DreamScreen also helps people prepare for and organize their day with access to five-day weather forecasts for cities around the world and a view of their calendar. The HP DreamScreen's built-in clock feature can show time in digital or analog format with dual time-zones and lets users choose tones or music for alarms.

Setting up is easy

The HP DreamScreen was designed to be fun, simple and intuitive. A remote control that nests almost invisibly on the top of the product is easy to use, and touch controls that are visible only when the border of the screen is touched provide another way to select activities or preferences. Both models come with a stand and are ready for wall mounting right out of the box.

Pricing and availability: Perfect for holiday gift-giving

The HP DreamScreen 100 is available today in the United States for $249 from online distributors including BestBuy.com, Amazon.com and HPDirect.com. U.S. channel partners include the full range of more than 900 Best Buy retail outlets, which will be selling the HP DreamScreen 100 starting Oct. 11.

The HP DreamScreen 130 is expected to be broadly available this fall in the United States for $299.

Video:

Second Generation HP "Vivienne Tam" Netbook Loses Its Flower, Just as Girly

2009-09-13T17:23:00.004+01:00

If the first Vivienne Tam branded HP Mini wasn't flashy enough for you, there is always this season's digital clutch that was unveiled last night at NYC's Fashion Week. If butterflies and gold are your thang you will love it.

Like the first Vivienne Tam Mini this one looks to have the same specs as HP's Mini 100 line. So while the red flowers have been replaced with lovely butterflies that "represent romance, freedom, empowerment and transformation" it appears you have still got the same shebang under the hood as you can imagine, a 10-inch display, an Intel Atom processor and the rest of the typical netbook specs. You know the saying you can take the girl out of the netbook, but not the netbook out of the girl.

As for me, I am a woman that loves netbooks (probably more than I care to admit) but the flashy or pink ones have never been for me. And then there is the fact that the first one cost $699 which was $300 more than the netbook without the adorned lid. You may have found one of these clutches in my closest, but not on my desk.

Photos:

Source: Chip Chick

Samsung 65-inch LCD

2009-09-13T17:07:00.001+01:00

Samsung's showing off a new LCD at CEDIA with the best old-school CCFL tech has to offer. It may not have the sexy side profile of its edge lit-LED brethren or the cachet of certain plasmas but with the sheer size of the LN65B650, even shrouded by foliage in Samsung's booth setup, we're more than ready to catch a game on this baby.

Photos:

The New Mini Cooper (Photos)

2009-09-13T13:52:00.003+01:00

The New iTunes 9

2009-09-13T13:33:00.001+01:00

Here's a link to the official Overview: >>here<<

The new iTunes is packed with a list of new features & an amazing new UI

Go here to download

Nokia 7705 Twist coming to Verizon Wireless

2009-09-12T00:31:00.001+01:00

The Nokia Twist is a 3G capable device that sports a 2.4-inch QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) display that can render up to 262,000 different color shades. It weighs about 98g (3.4oz) and is 69mm (2.71in) square in size. Bluetooth support for headsets and stereo headphones is also on-board, but those that prefer to use wired headsets and headphones will have to get by with a 2.5mm port.

Notable features on the 7705 Twist include a 3 megapixel camera that can record video, and built-in photo editing software. Nokia's Habitat mode homescreen keeps the Twist's user close in touch with those contacts that are used the most, pushing contact photos up on the homescreen in a very intuitive way that makes keeping in touch very easy. The Twist also comes complete with support for Verizon services like VZ Navigator, V CAST Music with Rhapsody, Visual Voice Mail, and even corporate email support.

Nokia claims that the Twist's battery will be good for up to 4.5 hours of talk time or up to 13 days of standby time. The Twist comes in a black color scheme and includes both a black and a purple user changeable rear cover in the box. The phone costs US$99 with a 2-year agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate. The Nokia 7705 Twist will be available online on Sunday, September 13, and in stores on September 21.

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HP's Mini is ION Powered

2009-09-10T01:38:00.002+01:00

Specs of several upcoming HP notebooks have been dug up by Web-sleuths, including info on a Mini 311 netbook. It looks like it may also have an Atom N270 processor, 1GB memory, 160GB hard disk, and a six-cell battery.

Various Mini 311 flavors are now listed on HP's support site, and the specs above are already listed on a Dutch shopping engine. Another Dutch retailer also lists HP's upcoming CULV-powered Pavilion dm3 (11.6-inch) and dm1 (13.3-inch) notebooks, along with the big 18.4-inch, mobile Core i7-equipped Pavilion dv8.

It's likely the batch willl arrive in the U.S. next to Windows 7 on October 22, but the possibly XP-powered Mini may even hit before then. I'm also interested to see how the Mini 311 fares against the the Ion-powered Lenovo IdeaPad S12 (12.1-inch), and Samsung N150 (11.6-inch). Time will tell...

Source: Engadget

Facebook Finally Gets Around to Releasing That Android App

2009-09-10T01:26:00.002+01:00

What have there been, like, three whole iPhone versions? Android's late official Facebook app has shown its iconic little face in the App Market and it's actually sort of surprising.

Instead of just porting over the interface or at least the interface concept from the recently-released Facebook 3.0 for the iPhone, they've given us an Android-specific UI. Not that it's particularly Android-y; it's just different. The front page panels on the iPhone app have been replaced with a simple view of your feed, while the rest of the functions come by way of menu-accessible shortcuts, which require pressing a hard button.

Those other features include direct photo uploads, big fat "Like" buttons and, though I couldn't get this one working, a phonebook function that gives you instant access to 125 of you chosen friends' phone numbers. It's a slightly less intuitive approach than the iPhone app or even to a certain extent the web interface, but it's a far sight better than any of the third-party apps already in the market, many of which tried to pass themselves off as official, and some of which even had a nonzero (!) price. Facebook's official app, luckily, is free, and in the market now.

UPDATE: So, Phandroid's noticed a few odd things about this app: Despite the developer being listed in the Market as "Facebook," the developer's email address is a suspicious Facebook.Android@gmail.com, and the associated Facebook app-as in, for the website-says it was not developed by Google. Could we have an impostor here? That would explain the new design philosophy, and the lack of a few major features (messages, anyone?), but that the fact that it is a fairly polished app.

Photos:

Source: Andriod Guys

RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 (aka Onyx)

2009-09-10T01:17:00.002+01:00

Here's the first official shot of the 9700 (codenamed Onyx), T-Mobile's first 3G BlackBerry, which could arrive as early as November. T-Mobile says it'll support UMA Wi-Fi calling (as part of the carrier's HotSpot@Home service), visual voicemail, and corporate email.

T-Mobile also confirmed that it will have TeleNav GPS Navigator and Amazon MP3 store pre-installed. The Bold 9700 still hasn't been made official by RIM, and T-Mobile didn't preview much more info. However, the assumed specs of the much-leaked device are listed below

• New Trackpad
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• UMTS/HSDPA
• 480×360 resolution screen
• Wi-Fi (802.11g)
• OS 5.0
• QWERTY keyboard
• 3.2 megapixel AF camera
• Bluetooth

Source: CIO

Dell Adamo XPS (about half as thin sorry thick as the MacBook Air)

2009-09-10T01:10:00.001+01:00

What happens when Dell's Adamo and XPS laptops get set up on a date, have a few too many drinks and end up rocking the bed? The 9.99mm-thin Dell Adamo XPS, about half as ~~thin~~ thick as the MacBook Air.

Here's the math: 9.99 mm is about 0.39 inches. The original Adamo was .65 inches thin, and the MacBook Air is 0.76 inches at its thickest point, making the Adamo XPS concept nearly half as thin. But God only knows what they managed to cram inside, since they aren't telling us yet.

Source: Dell

New XBR10 LCDs Feature 1080p Wireless High Definition Leaving the Cables Behind

2009-09-10T00:58:00.002+01:00

Sony's new XBR10 known overseas as as the ZX5 is their new flagship. It heralds the return of LEDs that the XBR9 skipped, but is sidelit. That means it's skinny, but doesn't do localized background dimming. *Tears!*

It does, however, stream 1080p from a wireless source. That and the clear plastic block design appearing as if the panel is suspended in a thin block of Lucite, like a visible LCD version of Han Solo mean it's guaranteed to look oh so purdy hanging on a wall and from the side. What remains to be seen is how good the XBR10 looks compared to the XBR8. (The obscenely over-engineered set from two generations ago looked better to reviewers than the XBR9.)

The set has a few more things going for it, too. Like DLNA media streaming, Youtube, Amazon on Demand and "later in the fall, Netflix". (There are also other services, but I have no doubt they'll be of lesser value than the ones I mentioned.) It plays 24p content and has 240Hz tech, which interpolates 3 frames for every one (a tech that no one can see.) And it'll have the cross media interface.

The thing about the XBR8 was that it was expensive; the picture quality alone could not justify the $3000-$4000 cost. So, how does a wireless set like this one get away with costing $4500 and $5000 for 46 and 52-inch flavors?

New XBR10 LCDs Feature 1080p Wireless High Definition Leaving the Cables Behind

ATLANTA (CEDIA Booth # 1409), Sept. 9, 2009 - Sony today introduced a new line of ultra-thin BRAVIA™ LCD HDTVs featuring an advanced edge-lit LED backlight and exceptional contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1.

The XBR10-series models also deliver full 1080p wireless transmission of high definition signals from a separate media box to a receiver embedded in the TV, allowing source components to be placed out of sight.

"BRAVIA is on the cutting edge of television technology and the XBR10 series pushes the limits of industry-leading, innovative features," said Jeff Goldstein, vice president of the television business for Sony Electronics. "Not only will this TV look striking when hanging on a wall, the wireless feature clears the clutter of components and messy tangles of unsightly wires, allowing you to hide components away across the room."

The XBR10 models also feature an Ethernet connection allowing them to directly access Sony BRAVIA Internet Video content using an existing broadband network. The platform offers one of the largest selections of free and premium movies, TV shows, sports, music and more from an array of partners like, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube®, Slacker Internet Radio, and, later this fall, Netflix.

Bravia Internet Widgets, powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, also expand and personalize the TV experience by adding on-screen applications that provide such information as weather reports, stock information, financial news, Twitter, and additional content.

The full HD 1920 x 1080 progressive (1080p) models also feature Sony's Motionflow™ 240Hz technology, which delivers exceptionally crisp and detailed images with natural motion. The Motionflow algorithm goes beyond traditional 120Hz technology by quadrupling the frame rate of conventional LCD TVs and interpolating three new frames.

The models are Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA®) compliant, enabling easy access to digital photos, music, and video stored on a PC or other DLNA server using the XMB® interface and the TV's remote control. They also offer a USB input for displaying digital photos or playing digital video and music files from a USB storage device.

Other notable features include:

BRAVIA Engine™ 3
24p True Cinema™
xross media bar™ (XMB)with enhanced 3D favorites Menu
Internet powered TV Guide Onscreen

BRAVIA Sync™
4 HDMI inputs
RS232C
Single PC, component, composite and component/composite selectable inputs

HTC has introduced the HTC Tattoo

2009-09-09T00:46:00.002+01:00

HTC has introduced the HTC Tattoo, an attractive Android-powered full-featured smartphone that will supposedly be affordable to the general public. The HTC Tattoo is the official name of the long-rumored HTC Click device that first appeared this summer.

Under the hood, the Tattoo features a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 processor along with 512MB of ROM and 256MB of RAM. A 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen display with QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) resolution is something a bit new for Android devices, in that most devices so far feature half-VGA resolution capacitive touchscreendisplays. The Tattoo uses the HTC Sense based user interface, which consolidates voice calls, emails, texts, photos and status updates for individual contacts under one view.

HSDPA and WiFi data connectivity are included onboard for high-speed transfers and GPS is bundled in for navigation features. On the multimedia front, users can snap photos and shoot video with the Tattoo's 3.2 megapixel camera. Storing music on external microSD cards, users can listen to their tunes with 3.5mm headphones or with Bluetooth 2.0 for use with wireless headsets and headphones.

The name Tattoo was given to the device because users can also create custom covers or select from popular designs to personalize the look of their device.

The HTC Tattoo will be available in Europe in early October with additional markets in coming months. Pricing for the device has not been announced, but HTC says it is bringing the device to the "masses."

Photos:

Zero Gravity RC Car

2009-09-09T00:18:00.002+01:00

PS3™ system software update

2009-09-06T18:47:00.005+01:00

The PlayStation®3 system software update may include security patches, new or revised settings and features and other items, which will change your current operating system. We encourage you to check this page from time to time for software updates and to always maintain your system to use the latest version of the system software.

An update to the PS3™ system software was released on September 1, 2009. You can use this update to upgrade your system software to version 3.00.

Screen Shot:

Download Now

Notices

Do not perform updates using any data other than the official update data provided by Sony Computer Entertainment over a network or on disc media, and do not perform updates by methods other than those described in the product documentation or on this site. If an update is performed using data from another source, by another method, or with a PS3™ system that has been altered or modified in any way, the PS3™ system may not operate properly and may not be able to install the official update data. Any of these actions may void the PS3™ system warranty and affect your ability to obtain warranty services and repair services from Sony Computer Entertainment.
The system software included within this product is subject to a limited license from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Refer to http://www.scei.co.jp/ps3-eula for details.
This update is for customers who own PS3™ systems sold in North America. DO NOT update your PS3™ system through this website if you purchased your system outside North America. There is no guarantee of proper operation with other models sold outside North America.
If your PS3™ system software version is 3.00 (or later), you do not need to perform this update. To check the version of your system software, go to (Settings) > (System Settings) > [System Information]. The information is shown in the [System Software] field.
This system software update includes all features contained in previous versions.
Depending on the software title or feature in use, you may not be able to play without first updating the system software.
Depending on your PS3™ system software version, the screen images and icons appearing on this website may differ from the actual product.

Is The PS3 Firmware Update Bugs

2009-09-06T18:41:00.001+01:00

The PlayStation 3's Firmware 3.00 improves the XMB interface, and seems to help the Slim model load games and Blu-ray discs faster, but some users are reporting that their third-party controllers have stopped working since they installed the update.

The complaints are coming in via a big thread over at the official PlayStation 3 forum. Regardless of PS3 model: Some claim the issue affects their authentic DualShock 3, though it now looks like any problems may be specific to knock-off controllers.

Kotaku also mentions that a handful of users are reporting mid-game freezes in Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, but points out that it's not uncommon for this sort of thing to happen with PS3 or 360 system updates.

They've contacted Sony for comment, and we'll let you know what they have to say. In the meantime, have you run into any problems yourself? [Kotaku]

Lifecasting with Nokia Ovi (Video)

2009-09-06T12:07:00.003+01:00

Source: Nokia Conversations

Sony Ericsson launches Xperia X2 WinMo 6.5 smartphone

2009-09-03T12:23:00.003+01:00

Sony Ericsson announced the Xperia X2, the company's 2nd Windows Mobile powered smartphone, and its first to make use of the new Windows Mobile 6.5 platform that will be available starting in October of this year. As was the case with the X1, Sony Ericsson is pushing its panels touchscreen user interface on the X2, which ships with 14 pre-installed home screen panels while 16 others are available for download.

The main highlights of the Xperia X2 include its slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and, of course, the previously mentioned touchscreen display, which measures 3.2 inches across the diagonal and offers 800 x 480 pixel resolution. A new 8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus is also on board, a significant upgrade from the 3.2 megapixel unit found on the X1. Geo-tagging and touch focus are also supported by the camera. Sony Ericsson also notes that business users will like the phone's TV-out function, so that docs and presentations can be viewed on a large display.

The Xperia X2 makes use of Windows Media Player for music, and even features built-in stereo speakers. Sony Ericsson's PlayNow Arena is featured as well, as is Sony Ericsson's own media player application. Bluetooth wireless connections can be used for both stereo headphones and headsets alike. Windows Mobile 6.5 adds in the new Internet Explorer web browser for true desktop-like browsing, and of course the device supports push email and contact/calendar synching thanks to Exchange Activesync support.

Sony Ericsson's WiFi-capable Xperia X1 features quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band UMTS/HSPA support, for world roaming. It will be available in early Q4 of 2009 in black and silver color schemes.

Photos:

Video:

Nokia N900 now available for preorder

2009-09-03T01:00:00.002+01:00

September 02, 2009 by Nokia

Be one of the first to get the Nokia N900 mobile computer. Available for preorder from your local Nokia online store, select your country to reserve the Nokia N900 today.

Netherlands, Sweden, UK, Italy, Germany, Finland, France

What’s your favourite product from Nokia World 09?

2009-09-03T00:57:00.002+01:00

STUTTGART, Germany - The first day of Nokia World 09 is a wrap and we're stoked to have witnessed the arrival of the new Nokia N97 mini, alongside Nokia's new entertainment focused X6 and X3 phones. Plus, we've been treated to yet more details on the Nokia Booklet 3G and had an opportunity to get hands-on with it (watch Booklet 3G video) and its smaller Maemo-flavoured Nokia N900 cousin (watch 900 video). So with all these new Nokia products out in the wild, which is your favourite? Get your vote counted and as ever, get stuck in and share your thoughts. Bring on day two!

Photos:

Nokia Introduces The X6

2009-09-02T13:40:00.002+01:00

the X series, Nokia aims to distance its all-around phones from the music phones. The two first phones in the new lineup will be the Nokia X6 and X3. The Nokia X3 is the first S40 based phone to offer the Ovi Store, while the Nokia X6 is a full-fledged smartphone powered by Symbian S60 5th Edition.

The Nokia X6 will be selling for 450 EUR before taxes and subsidies, but then you'll also get 32GB of internal memory (no microSD slot for memory expansion), a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, the S60 OSS Web Browser with Flash Lite 3 (for YouTube access) and three games (Spore, D Mix Tour and Asphalt4). You can find even more details of the Nokia X6 here, revealing that the all-touch phone will get a 3.2-inch widescreen display and an accelerometer for display rotation.

Although it looses the XpressMusic brand, the Nokia X6 is still very much capable of music and video playback. In fact, the large internal memory and the 3.5mm headphone jack in combination with the on-screen Media Bar should provide a pretty good solution for multimedia fans. Will it match Apple's iPod solution in the iPhone? If you want to listen to music while using other aspects of the phone, then yes. However, if managing your multimedia files in an exceptional way is a must, then no. Using a 1320 mAh battery, the Nokia X6 also claims up to 35 hours of music playback.

The OSS Web Browser found in S60 5th Edition should also make the Nokia X6 a pretty powerful browsing tool. The browser looses the Mini Map functionality from S60 3rd Edition, but it's still the same Webkit engine rendering Web pages and Adobe Flash Lite 3 enables you to play YouTube videos directly from YouTube's site. Since the Nokia X6 also boasts a 5-megapixel camera with VGA video recording capability, it should also be a good phone for uploading your own material directly to YouTube, Flickr etc.

Like most Nokia smartphones, the Nokia X6 will get the full range of Ovi services, including the new Ovi Store, Ovi Maps 3.0 and Nokia Music Store. Actually, the Nokia X6 will in some countries be sold with the "Comes With Music" option, though Nokia recently announced that it'll delay the launch of Nokia Music Store until 2010 in the U.S. Beyond Ovi, the Nokia X6 will offer Mail for Exchange, Nokia Email, SMS and MMS messaging.

The Nokia X6 will be shipping in the fourth quarter of 2009, and will get an estimated retail price of EUR 450 before taxes and subsidies.

Photos:

Source: Nokia Conversations

Nokia World 09 coverage

2009-09-02T12:55:00.005+01:00

We're counting down the days to Nokia World 09 and we hope you'll be joining us here on Conversations throughout this exciting event!

This year's Nokia World will take place September 2-3 in Stuttgart, Germany. Attended by bloggers, operators, developers, media, publishers and more, it's our largest event of the year. Two days full of announcements, speeches, demos, discussions, networking…and maybe a little partying too.

The entire Conversations crew will be in Stuttgart throughout the week bringing you full coverage from the Nokia World 09 show floor. Here's a rundown of what we have in store for you…

Behind The Scenes (Video):

Source: Nokia World

Nokia N97 Mini (Video)

2009-09-02T12:54:00.001+01:00

Nokia has announced the N900

2009-08-29T02:27:00.004+01:00

Nokia has announced the N900, an impressive looking QWERTY slider phone and the company's first Maemo Linux-powered smartphone. While Nokia has introduced Maemo based devices before, such as the N810 Internet Tablet, this is the first Maemo 5 device and also the first Maemo device with full phone functionality. Nokia's Linux-based Maemo system is wholly incompatible with the Symbian OS and Nokia's S60 user interface, which has long been Nokia's smartphone platform of choice.

This powerful new phone features an ARM Cortex-A8 600MHz processor and 256MB of RAM along with 786MB of virtual memory which should run its slick next-generation Nokia Internet Tablet-inspired operating system with ease.

A sharp-looking 3.5-inch WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) resistive touchscreen display should go along with the phone's 5.0 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash. The camera includes WVGA video capture, geo-tagging with integrated aGPS technology, and easy social media sharing. The device also includes a built-in stand that can be used for watching video.

On the multimedia front, N900 users can enjoy their media in a number of ways. A 3.5mm headphone port includes TV-out functionality and the phone can also be used with Bluetooth devices, such as wireless headsets and stereo headphones. An FM transmitter is on-board, and users can store their music collections on 32GB of built-in flash storage that can be boosted with microSDHC(INFO) cards as large as 16GB, for up to 48GB total.

With all this under the hood, Nokia decided to include a high-capacity 1320mAH battery for long use.

The phone has a unique interface, shown briefly in the video below, which looks easy and fun to browse. Users can slide through interfaces and move widgets around the screen, choosing customized placement of menu objects. Maemo 5 includes Mozilla Fennec browser technology with full Flash and AJAX support so users can stream music and video from their favorite web sites.

Maemo has a unified contacts portal that organizes voice and Internet calls, instant messages, and SMS in one place. Users can also merge their Skype and other contacts to their traditional address book with ease. A three row full-QWERTY keyboard will let users easily communicate with their friends and family, too.

The N900 will be available in October for 500 EUR (US$700). More details on the device will be announced at Nokia World next week.

Photos:

Videos:

Source: Nokia Maemo

Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista

2009-08-29T01:38:00.002+01:00

Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista: is an update to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. It provides customer and partner feedback-driven fixes into a single service pack, minimizing deployment and testing complexity. In addition to all previously released updates since SP1, SP2 supports new types of hardware, and adds support for several emerging standards.

Fire Relief Respirator Prevents You From Inhaling Poisonous Smokes

2009-08-26T20:07:00.003+01:00

When fire disasters occur in a building or a surrounded place where people can't run away, most number of casualties happens because of smoke inhalation. The Fire Relief Respirator has been designed to overcome a situation like this by providing oxygen to people who are trapped inside a burning building. It enables the victim to wait longer for the rescue team, thus increases the chance of their survival. Whether it is a residence, office, hotel or any kind of high-raised building, Fire Relief Respirator can save quite a few numbers of people from dying by inhaling poisonous smokes that is produced during a fire disaster.

Photos:

Source: PENGTAO YU

Prototype Phone Platform Brings Google's Android to Your Desk

2009-08-26T01:55:00.003+01:00

Why should mobile phones get to have all the fun running advanced operating systems? The new Glass desk phone mixes one part corded, landline phone and one part Android-based internet tablet. Google's mobile Android platform and a plain old desk phone will play nice together, if and when Cloud Telecomputers' concept makes its way to market in 2010.

This concept's 8-inch screen is among the largest around for viewing Android, meaning there's more real estate for app developers to play with. The platform itself can sync with Outlook to make calls right from your contact list, and has Bluetooth connectivity to hook up your cell and an HD speakerphone.

Since Glass is only a platform and not a full-blown product right now, release dates and prices will have to wait for Cloud's partners to pipe up. In the meantime, though, the company estimates the end products will run anywhere from $600 to $800.

Mac OS X [Snow Leopard] - Coming Out August 28

2009-08-25T20:59:00.003+01:00

Nokia enters netbook market, launches Booklet 3G

2009-08-25T01:21:00.002+01:00

Nokia has entered the netbook arena with its new Booklet 3G, an aluminum bodied mini-laptop with built-in HSPA 3G support, an HD display, and up to 12 hours of battery life

Nokia has announced the Booklet 3G mini laptop, marking the company's official entry into the world of netbooks and laptops. The Booklet 3G is a compact device with extended battery life and a bevy of features for on-the-go computing.

With 3G HSPAdata connectivity and WiFi connectivity for high-speed local connections, the Booklet 3G is meant to provide a powerful computing experience most anywhere. The Booklet 3G even supports the hot-swapping of SIM cards, for added convenience.

It is powered by an Intel Atom processor and runs on Microsoft Windows, which should look vivid on its 10.1-inch, HD resolution display. The Booklet 3G also offers an HDMI-out port for high-definition viewing on a television.

All of its components are set inside an attractive aluminum shell that is only 2cm (0.8in) thick, and is available in three color: gray, black, and blue. The Booklet 3G weighs in at 1.25kg (2.75lb).

An aGPS chipset tracks the user's location for use in applications such as the built-in Ovi Maps. The Booklet 3G utilizes Nokia's Ovi Suite for seamless syncing compatibility from the cloud.

Additionally, a camera set above the display allows for video conferencing, and the device also supports Bluetooth and includes an SD card reader. Even with all of these features, the Booklet 3G has a claimed battery life of up to 12 hours.

Pricing and availability have not yet been announced, but Nokia says more details will emerge at Nokia World on September 2.

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11 Things You Need to Know About the PS3 Slim

2009-08-22T12:35:00.002+01:00

Sony's slimmed-down PS3 is a cute little ugly duckling, and not without its concessions. From fewer USB ports to an over-priced vertical stand, and its removed "Install Other OS" feature, here's what you should know before picking one up.

I actually might buy a PS3 Slim myself. I like that the matte finish is more scratch and fingerprint resistant, even if it comes over as a little retro Chinese knock-off. In the same vein, these 11 considerations may not affect how you plan to use the Slim but knowing is half the battle, right?

1. Available September 1, Prices Already Dropped (North America)

If you prefer your PS3 fat and glossy, the existing 80GB model has now dropped to $300 that's how much the new 120GB PS3 Slim will be in September. (The current 160GB PS3 has also been reduced, to $400.)

2. You'll Probably Want the Stand

The Slim isn't really stable enough to balance vertically without its stand. Problem is, the stand is sold separately, and at $24, seems over priced. You also won't be able to pick one up until 2 days after the PS3 Slim first goes on sale. Expect to eventually see third-party alternatives in a Skittles-rainbow of colors.

3. Hard Drive Upgrades

As we've mentioned, FCC records indicate that Sony may also have plans for 150GB and 250GB versions of the 120GB PS3 Slim. Either way, it only takes one screw (now located under the front, instead of the side) to swap in your own SATA laptop hard disk (and doing so won't avoid the warranty).

4. PS3 3.0 Firmware Not Initially Pre-Installed

That's because it's released on September 1, the same day the Slim goes on sale. So to get the 3.0 Firmware goodness, you'll need to sit through a software update out of the box. Sony says it'll preinstall 3.x in later units. Sounds fair to me.

5. It Won't Play Your Old PlayStation 2 Games

That won't be returning," Sony's John Koller recently confirmed. Likely not a big deal unless you've got a massive collection of PS2 titles that you don't want to part with. If so, the launch PS3s with hardware PS2 Emotion Engine are your best bet (for greater compatibility), but the second-generation 60- and 80GB models will also play PS2 games using software emulation.

6. No Linux for You!

In its infinite wisdom, Sony has removed the "Install Other OS" feature (Settings -> System Settings -> Install Other OS) and official Linux support along with it. The current 80- and 160GB PS3s support Linux, but Sony's cut the cord on the Slim because it wants to "standardize" the OS. Counting down to open-source hack in 3, 2…

7. No On-Off Switch

The Slim has no on-off switch at the back, so now relies on the standby power button at the front. Both the power and eject buttons are no longer touch-style; they've been changed to physical buttons.

8. No Media Card Reader

No surprise here: PS3s haven't had media card slots for ages. Why not just stream photos from your laptop to the PS3 wirelessly, or copy them to a USB drive? Speaking of which…

9. Two USB Ports, Not Four

Not what we had hoped for, but again, not surprising. Not only is this a slimmed-down model, but all third-generation PS3s have only 2 USB ports (and skip the media card reader).

10. Bravia Sync

Connect the PS3 Slim to a Bravia Sync-capable Sony HDTV (via HDMI) and you'll be able to control the XMB interface with your TV remote. The TV will even automatically power down the PS3 when it gets turned off.

11. It Plays The Same PS3 Games!

Slim or not, it's still a freakin' PS3 and will play the same PS3 games and Blu-ray movies you throw at it! Plus, the smaller 45nm Cell chip helps it consume less power, and may potentially even be a little faster.

Sony HES-V1000, a "high definition home entertainment center"

2009-08-20T09:54:00.003+01:00

Sony HES-V1000, a "home entertainment center" / massive Blue-ray disc-changer meant to keep all your media in one place... Sony style! Imagine if you will a small tower, stacked with a 500GB hard drive and the outrageous room for 200 discs from your personal Blu-ray collection. That's right, if you've purchased almost every single disc available on Blu-ray right now (or as we like to call it, the Sony Movie Library), you can cram them all into this tall, black, polished drink of water. Of course you can store your other music and movies on the internal drive, and play it all back in 1080p wherever it seems appropriate (living room, family room... boudoir). Stream your hot action wirelessly using the oddball DLNA "standard," allowing connections with ten devices, and four independent audio streams. The HES-V1000 also boasts Sony's x-Pict Story HD and x-ScrapBook, two slide show utilities that probably make your family photos seem more compelling than they actually are. Get one in terrifically low price of $3,500.

The New Playstation 3 Slim

2009-08-20T08:42:00.002+01:00

That's the name of Sony's newest entry in its PlayStation3 lineup, a compact version of the gaming/Blu-ray console that will have a list price of $299 in the United States, making it a more formidable competitor with the $250 Wii from Nintendo and the $299 Xbox 360 from Microsoft. It will be introduced worldwide during the first week of September.

Slim's formal coming-out was announced today by Kaz Hirai of Sony at Gamescom, Europe's major interactive entertainment trade fair in Cologne, Germany. This week, Kmart and Sears began taking preorders in the United States.

The Kmart site describes the new PS3 as having a 120GB hard drive and DualShock 3 controller. The current PS3 model, with an 80-gigabyte drive, is $399; that price is expected to drop imminently.

Mr. Hirai said the PS3 Slim is 30 percent lighter, 32 percent smaller and uses 34 percent less power than the current console.

Historically, Sony has followed the give-away-the-razor-and-sell-the-blades model, reportedly losing money on the sale of PS3 hardware but profiting on the game software and licensing. Business Week said that when the PS3 was introduced in late 2006, an iSuppli analysis estimated Sony's "bill of materials" the total cost of all the components used to build it at more than $840 for the model, which sold at the time for $599.

The inclusion of a Blu-ray player initially gave the PS3 cachet over its rivals, but with the prices of stand-alone players expected to drop significantly by Christmas, that advantage may no longer apply. And, certainly, there's always the possibility that further prices cuts are in the offing this year for the Wii and Xbox.

Source: Engadget

Microsoft and Nokia announce close cooperation, Office Mobile comes to Nokia smartphones

2009-08-17T05:31:00.002+01:00

This rumor has been circulating around for a while but now it is as official as it gets: Microsoft Office Mobile is coming to Nokia smartphones. This and other mobile productivity and connectivity solutions are the direct result of the global alliance between the two giants, which was announced today.

No, Nokia don't have any plans of making a Windows Mobile device any time soon. As of today the two companies will start working together on the design, development and marketing of diverse productivity solutions. Target users of the new products will be the corporate users who will appreciate them most. So, it's not a surprise that the first products to incorporate them will be the members of the renowned E-series.

This might sound strange at first to some but a second look at the written above reveals that this alliance does not only plan to bring the Microsoft Office Mobile to the Symbian powered smartphones (in fact, Quickoffice already does it quite successfully), but also to add new and useful mobile professional solutions.

As of next year Nokia should start shipping the Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile on its smartphones with plans to widen the range of apps in the future.

So, what can we actually expect from that alliance? Here is a clue:

The ability to view, edit, create and share Office documents on more devices in more places with mobile-optimized versions of Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft OneNote

Enterprise instant messaging and presence, and optimized conferencing and collaboration experience with Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile

Mobile access to intranet and extranet portals built on Microsoft SharePoint Server

Enterprise device management with Microsoft System Center

With the over 200 million Nokia smartphones sold worldwide it's not a surprise that Microsoft decided to start this alliance namely with the Finns. And as far as Nokia is concerned, its still young service Ovi will now have a strong reinforcement with Microsoft by its side.

Mercedes-Benz ESF S 400 Hybrid

2009-08-17T05:21:00.001+01:00

This year Mercedes-Benz celebrates a few anniversaries such as the principle of the crumple zone, invented in 1939 and the in-house accident research function in 1959. In 2009 the company is introducing its first Experimental Safety Vehicle in 35 years, the ESF 2009. The aim of the car is to illustrate innovative safety features that could make it into production.

The ESF is based on the S400 Hybrid. One of the ideas installed in the car is something called a Braking Bag. It is an air bag that sits within the ESF's floor and deploys when the car "decides" that a crash is imminent. By increasing friction with the road surface it helps to slow the vehicle down and also stabilizes it.

"Safety is a central element of the Mercedes-Benz brand," says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "In this respect we have been setting the pace in the market for almost 70 years. For the benefit of our customers and for road users in general. The ESF 2009 shows that we still have plenty of ideas and the absolute will, to lead the automobile industry in this field even in future."

Interactive Vehicle Communication is another innovation of the ESF 2009. The IVC system allows cars travelling in opposite directions to communicate with each other in order to warn of upcoming bad weather or road obstacles.

There's also PRE-SAFE Pulse which moves passengers towards the centre of the car by up to 50mm. It does this to reduce the forces acting on their torsos during a lateral collision. The other safety piece is the partial LED main beam which specifically illuminates potential hazards that are detected to be outside of the normal illuminated area.

NVIDIA / Icon incar Tegra based digital instrument

2009-08-15T17:00:00.002+01:00

Source: Greyedout Mag

Nvidia Tegra HD Mobile CPU (Videos)

2009-08-15T16:32:00.002+01:00

Zune HD Packs Nvidia Tegra: Better Video and Better Battery Life

2009-08-15T16:27:00.004+01:00

If you were wondering how the Zune HD could pack in such iPod touch-beating smoothness into such a small size, we might have an answer for you: It's packing Nvidia's teeny, high-performance Tegra processor.

Nvidia's Tegra proc is designed to handle high-def video and Flash with buttery smoothness in small packages, just like the Zune HD. So while this is as yet still unconfirmed, given that we haven't had confirmation from Microsoft, it makes a lot of sense and would actually be a very smart move and the sources reporting the rumor seem very certain that it's true. With a Tegra processor, the Zune HD would certainly be able to decode videos with far less necessary power than with any other chipset, which means better battery life combined with better video quality. What else could you want from a next-gen PMP?

Putting the HD in Zune HD

The new Zune® HD player by Microsoft puts premium entertainment at your fingertips. Enjoy, connect, and discover content in a whole new way - the way you like it. Browse, stream, buy, and play all you want, including music, HD video, podcasts, games, and much more.

Powered by the revolutionary NVIDIA® Tegra™ ultra low-power HD mobile processor, the Zune HD delivers on-the-go access to:


HD Video Watch supported 720p HD movies, TV shows, and videos in high definition on your HDTV through the Zune HD. Or take them with you for premium entertainment on the go.		Web Browser Stay connected with on-the-go access to a Web browser. Surf your favorite Web sites or update your Facebook status over Wi-Fi connection anytime, anywhere.


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LED Handrails Prevent Stairway Spills

2009-08-15T09:33:00.002+01:00

In the not too distant future, LED handrails could make every stairwell seem like you are about to enter someplace indecent.

Despite what the aesthetics might suggest, something like this could be invaluable for commuters, people with poor eyesight, and fans of Tron.

Source: Toxel

Lenovo IdeaCentre Q700 Wants To Be Your Lounge Room's Black Box

2009-08-15T08:57:00.001+01:00

The Q700 looks like a nettop, but has a little more balls thanks to a 2.5GHz Pentium Dual-Core E5200. Top specs include a TV tuner, HDMI, 4GB RAM, 1TB hard disk, and Intel GMA X4500 graphics. Prices start from $499.

About the size of a DVD player, the compact HTPC sits either horizontally or vertically (with stand), and has a metal liner to shield against electromagnetic radiation. Lenovo also says it'll support 1080p.

On the front you'll find a slot-loading DVD writer, four-in-one media card reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro), four USB 2.0 ports, plus microphone and headphone jacks.

One the back: eSATA and HDMI connections (nice!), VGA, four further USB 2.0 ports, and a variety of audio connections, including S/PDIF-out. Ethernet is standard, while options include 802.11g Wi-Fi, the TV tuner, and various flavors of Windows Vista.

Source: Nexsus 404

Samsung's ST1000 Camera First With WiFi, Bluetooth And GPS Trifecta

2009-08-14T09:58:00.002+01:00

Samsung has introduced what they are calling the world's "first multi-wireless compact camera" in the 12.2 MP ST1000. In addition to it's 3.5" touch screen LCD, the ST1000 features WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS geotagging built-in.

Other features include a 5x zoom, HD video recording (1280x720p), ISO 4800 sensitivity and a Smart Gesture UI that allows you to access key functionality with a simple tap or hand gesture. Plus, that UI should be pretty crisp on a 3.5" LCD that packs in an industry-leading 1,152k pixels.

An exact price and release date has yet to be announced, but rumors over the last few days have put this all-in-one camera around the $600 mark. The good news is that for a fraction of that cost you could add much of this wireless functionality to an existing camera with an Eye-Fi SD card

Source: DPReview

Glass Notepad Has Slick Aero Transparency Effects

2009-08-13T17:54:00.001+01:00

Windows only: Glass Notepad extends the Aero transparency effect to the entire editing window-a slick replacement for the built-in Notepad utility.

Glass Notepad works just about exactly the way you'd expect-it's simple and lightweight, contained in a single executable file, and doesn't have a lot of features-but it enables Aero transparency across the entire window. It's definitely not a choice for a power user, but those interested in really customizing their Windows desktop will probably want to take a look.

Glass Notepad is a free download, requires Windows 7 or Vista with Aero enabled. For more transparent goodness, check out the Glass command prompt, the All-Glass Firefox theme, and the more productive Aero Geek Firefox customization.

Source: Askvg.com

New Jaguar XJ 2010 (Videos)

2009-08-13T04:04:00.005+01:00

Nokia World 09: Sept. 2-3

2009-08-13T01:23:00.002+01:00

Sony Laptops Have Hardware Virtualization Disabled, Can't Run Windows 7's XP Mode

2009-08-13T00:53:00.001+01:00

A user backlash began after Sony confirmed it deliberately disables hardware virtualization (required for Win 7's XP Mode) on all current Vaio laptops, due to security concerns. Now the company has said it will enable it "on select models."

This, even though the laptops use Intel Core 2 Duo processors with Intel's Virtual Technology (this, or AMD's equivalent are needed to run Windows XP Mode). Set to be included with Windows Pro 7 or above, many users have been looking forward to XP Mode because it allows software designed for XP to run without breaking like it might in Vista.

Over at the Windows 7 blog, Sony's Senior manager for product marketing, Xavier Lauwaert, responded that the company had:

…received very little if any requests to enable VT technology up until very recently.
In addition, our engineers and QA people were very concerned that enabling VT would expose our systems to malicious code that could go very deep in the Operating System structure of the PC and completely disable the latter.
For these two reasons we have decided, until recently, not to enable VT. However, with the advent of XP Virtualization, there is impetus for us to relook at the situation and I can share with you that we will enable VT on select models.
Though, I fear to say that the Z series will not be part of our VT-enabling effort. Indeed, we will focus on more recent models.

Some good news: There are online guides that claim to run through re-enabling hardware virtualization on Vaio laptops that use either a Phoenix BIOS, or the Insyde H2O UEFI framework (like the Vaio Z).

Unconfirmed: Dell Android-Based Phone Announcement In China "Within Days"

2009-08-13T00:09:00.001+01:00

TechCrunch is reporting "thin" rumors from China this morning that would suggest Dell long thought to be weighing a mobile phone play in that market is all but prepared to announce a mobile phone in that country sometime this week.

The phone is rumored to run Android, but whether it actually launches this week or is merely announced is still unknown.

TechCrunch's Michael Arrington admits the evidence is "extremely thin" in post this morning, but also goes far to support his source, saying that they and other sources used to break news in the region in the past are "spot on" with their information. The source also reports the phone could be "iPhone like" with a touchscreen and no physical keyboard.

No price, hardware shots or any other information is available at time time, so you might watch to catch a wink and wait for the inevitable morning fireworks.

Source: Techcrunch

BMW S.X Concept

2009-08-12T11:19:00.002+01:00

This premium sports coupe concept designed by Scuola Politecnica di Design graduate Iulian Bumbo, dubbed BMW S.X, shows a lot of promise in its taut, almost DB9-esque proportions. Seems like the perfect 6-Series replacement to us.

The S.X Concept features lower, wider svelte bodywork flowing over a wheelbase that is shorter than the current BMW 6-Series. With short over hangs, large wheels and dramatic styling, we've got to say that Mr. Bumbo has outdone himself and possibly even BMW as well.

Photos:

Source: Diseno-art

Nokia N97 (Photo Gallery)

2009-08-09T23:03:00.001+01:00

One charger to rule them all

2009-08-09T12:40:00.001+01:00

All mobile phones will be sold with the same industry standard charger within the next three years, after the major manufacturers came to a landmark agreement yesterday.

The European Commission received the commitment from the major manufacturers, as part of a mobile industry drive for greater environmental awareness. The industry standard charger is likely to hit the market in 2010, and it is hoped it will be used by all manufacturers by 2012.

Ten manufacturers are involved in the agreement, including the likes of Apple, Samsung, Nokia and RIM (Blackberry). For European phones, the industry standard charger will adopt the micro USB connector, which is already standard on Blackberry devices.

The GSMA, the organisation representing the interests of the mobile industry, says the chargers will consume half as much energy when on standby or when plugged into the socket, but will consume the same energy as current chargers when in use.

The ten manufacturers part of the agreement are: Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research in Motion, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Texas Instruments.

Exploring mobile gesture design at Nokia

2009-08-09T11:32:00.001+01:00

Ovi by Nokia... Your Life Connected

2009-08-09T02:32:00.001+01:00

Ovi by Nokia is the brand for Nokia's Internet services. The Ovi services can be used from a mobile device, computer (through Nokia Ovi Suite) or via the web (Ovi.com). Nokia focuses on five key services areas: Games, Maps, Media, Messaging and Music. Nokia's aim with Ovi is to include 3rd parties, such as operators and third-party services like Yahoo's Flickr photo site. With the announcement of Ovi Maps Player API, Nokia has started to evolve their services into a platform, enabling third-parties to make use of Nokia's Ovi services. It has some significance in that Nokia is moving deeper into the world of Internet services, where head-on competition with Microsoft, Google and Apple Inc. is inevitable.

Nokia Account

Nokia Account is the Single sign-on (SSO) solution for Nokia's Ovi services and other Nokia services. Today it works as the account also for e.g. Nokia Beta Labs and Nokia Sports Tracker.

Nokia Ovi Suite

Nokia Ovi Suite allows Nokia mobile users to organize and share their photos and PIM data between their PC and their handset. It is the next generation of Nokia PC Suite and eventually Nokia Ovi Suite will become the only computer application offered by Nokia. Current commercial version of Nokia Ovi Suite is 1.1. A beta version of Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 is also available. A Mac OS X compatible version is expected soon.

Ovi Sync

Ovi Sync allows you to sync your contacts, calendar events and notes to ovi.com. The service can be used as a way to backup your data or to edit it in your computer to then send it back to your phone. There is no auto-sync yet.

Ovi Store

The Ovi Store was launched world wide in May 2009. Here, customers can download mobile games, applications, videos, images, and ringing tones to their Nokia devices. Some of the items are free of charge; others can be purchased using credit card or through operator billing in selected operators. The content in Ovi Store is sorted into the following categories:

Recommended
Games
Personalise
Applications
Audio & video

Ovi Store offers customers content that is compatible with their mobile device and relevant to their tastes and location. Customers can share recommendations with their friends, see what they are downloading, and let them see the items you are interested

For content publishers, Nokia offers a self-service tool to bring their content to the Ovi Store. Supported content types include: J2ME, Flash applications, widgets, ringtones, wallpapers, themes, and more for Nokia Series 40 and S60 devices. Nokia offers a 70% revenue share of gross sales, net of refunds and returns, less applicable taxes and, where applicable, fixed operator billing costs.

Ovi Maps

Main article: Nokia Maps

With Ovi Maps customers can browse places from all over the world, plan trips, search for addresses and points of interest, and save them on Ovi. To use Ovi Maps in a standard web browser, one need to have Macintosh OSX computer with Safari 3, or Microsoft Windows XP or Vista, and Internet Explorer 6 or 7, or Mozilla Firefox 2 or 3.

If the Ovi Maps 3.0 application (formerly known as Nokia Maps) is installed to your compatible Nokia mobile device, you can synchronise places, collections, and routes between Ovi Maps and your mobile device.

Using Nokia Ovi Suite or Nokia Map Loader on Microsoft Windows XP or Vista, users can download and preload map data and navigator voices to their mobile device. This allows customers to save time and money with when less data is required to be downloaded over-the-air.

Ovi Mail

Ovi Mail is an easy-to-use email address designed for access from your Nokia mobile device and can also be accessed from compatible desktop browsers. The beta phase started on December 2008, and is also available for all Ovi users from 20th of February.

The web mail works with standard browsers such as IE 6, IE 7, Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 and is currently available in 15 languages - US English, UK English, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Bengali, Filipino (Tagalog), French, German, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal) and Spanish (Spain),

Currently over 35 different phone models with S40 and S60 -platform support Nokias new mail service. According to its website Ovi Mail is a leading mobile email service in Indonesia, South Africa, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil and India.

Ovi Share

Ovi Share is a media sharing website. Originally called Twango the site allows the upload and storage of photos, videos etc. Users can upload media direct from their nokia mobile phone through the share online 3.0 application or can alternately use their PC.

Ovi Files

Ovi Files is an enhanced and re-branded version of the Avvenu "Access and Share" service, which Nokia purchased in December of 2007.

Ovi Files allows users to remotely access files on their Windows PC and Macintosh computers from any web browser or browser enabled mobile device. Files also facilitates sharing/sending of files. With Ovi Files users can choose folders and files they want to be always available and Ovi Files automatically keeps an up-to-date copy stored in a secure, 'Anytime Files' 10GB online storage locker for access, even while their personal computer is turned off.

Ovi Files was made free of charge in July 2009.

Nokia Music Store

Nokia Music Store allows purchasing of music directly on a mobile device or via PC. Download of Nokia Music software for PC is available from http://music.nokia.com/download

The store is currently available in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, United Arab Emirates, & United Kingdom with more countries launching regularly.

When you buy a Nokia Comes With Music device, you get unlimited free music downloads from millions of tracks from the Nokia Music Store for your PC & Mobile. Yours to keep even after your subscription ends.

Nokia Comes With Music is currently available in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, & United Kingdom.

N-Gage

Main article: N-Gage (service)

The N-Gage 2.0 platform has been integrated into the Nokia N73, Nokia N78, Nokia N79, Nokia N81, Nokia N81 8GB, Nokia N82, Nokia N85, Nokia N93, Nokia N93i, Nokia N95, Nokia N95 8GB, Nokia N96 and Nokia 5320 mobile phones. Early in 2008, an updated version of the mobile gaming platform (including its online component - the N-Gage Arena) is going live, according to Nokia. The service worked in the past only with Nokia's N-Gage mobile game consoles, but the company said it will soon work with other devices too.

Nokia N86 8MP Digital Camera / Cell Phone

2009-08-08T23:22:00.005+01:00

Overview

Every detail of the metal-framed Nokia N86 8MP is thoughtfully designed with photography in mind, including 8 GB of internal memory for up to 4,000 images. Like any high-end digital camera, the memory can be increased with an exchangeable 16 GB microSD card. The device also offers a bright OLED screen with scratch resistant hardened glass, easy photo management, full sync capability with a PC and TV-out support for slide shows.

Shipping with the latest version of Nokia Maps and full Ovi integration, the Nokia N86 8MP gives a personal dimension to photos and videos. People can share their location with personal content like geotagged photos. The Nokia N86 8MP comes with a built-in compass, along with an integrated 3-months license for full voice and pedestrian navigation so that happy snappers don't lose their way when capturing life through the camera lens.

Multimedia features:

The Nokia N86 8MP, with its integrated kick stand, is ideal for watching videos and playing games. Each Nokia N86 8MP can play up to 25 hours of music on one charge which can be enjoyed with the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-214 also announced today. People can build a personal music collection from the millions of tracks and playlists available from the Nokia Music Store, where available.

Photos:

Video:

Source: Forum Nokia

BlackBerry Curve 8520 (aka Gemini): Ahead of the Curve

2009-07-31T17:03:00.001+01:00

Overview:

Picking up the 8520, you know it's a BlackBerry Curve. Despite the visual changes and addition of the optical track-ball-pad, it maintains that user-friendly feeling and form factor of the Curve 8300s and 8900 in hand. And the whole package works well. I was scared to say goodbye to the trackball, but took to the optical sensor within a few minutes. And though I'm not sure what processor is in there, the OS experience is much improved over the Curve 83xx (if it's the same processor, the additional memory must make a world of difference?!). While I'm more of a fan of high-end specs on gadgets, I could actually see myself leaving my Bold or Curve 8900 or Storm or 9630 at home some days and carrying around the 8520 just to enjoy the experience. It also makes me excited for what we'll see from RIM in terms of their upcoming higher-end devices. If this is the look and feel of their base model device, then I'm thinking we should be wowed by their next generation of high end devices.

Form Factor:

I personally really like the design approach Research in Motion has taken with the BlackBerry Curve 8520's form factor. On the front, they've extended the LCD protector / covering / shiny stuff (don't know what the actual term for it is but I'm sure you know what I mean) both up towards the top of the device and down over the buttons and right to the keyboard. Subbing out the trackball for optical trackpad, this combined gives the 8520 a more modern and sleek look. Though the Send / End / Menu / Back keys are still clickable, they are combined into one piece (the white lines are slightly ridged up so you always find and hit the right command). The rubber coating on the volume buttons and convenience keys also makes them seem more a part of the device itself. Along with the camera flash, another BlackBerry feature notably missing from the 8520 form factor are charging contacts - I guess there won't be a BlackBerry charging pod for this one. Come to think of it, you probably won't skin this device either since it sort of comes pre-skinned with it's rubberized body (no charging pod, no need for skins... lends well to the theory of this being a prepaid play).

All in all, it's a more unified design philosophy which I have a feeling may hold up better to wear and tear than previous BlackBerry smartphone designs.

Optical Trackball:

There are a couple of other smartphones on the market that use a similar optical trackpad for navigation, and I'm happy to say that RIM's implementation of it on the Curve 8520 seems to be pretty smooth. You can watch the video above to see it in action. Just like the standard trackball, you can adjust the sensitivity of it under Options > Screen/Keyboard. With the Audible Roll setting on Mute, I was a little tripped out by the lack of noise while navigating. With no tactile/audible response, you're really forced to look at the display to see just how far you've moved. I turned the audible roll onto Click, and from there felt immediately more at home. For navigating the OS and doing things like web browsing, the optical sensor works well. I guess it is an eight-way pad, as I could scroll diagonally while web browsing. And it does "click" down, like a regular trackball, for making selections. So far, the only place where I've found myself having a bit of difficulty with the optical input is playing BrickBreaker. I think the traditional trackball is probably better for quick, accurate motions. Though practice does make perfect. I've heard sweaty fingers and being in bright, bright light can cause issue with this kind of an optical input, but I haven't experienced any issues yet. All in all, so far it's a thumbs up from me. And with no moving parts, it should prove more durable than the traditional trackball.

Media Buttons:

New to the Curve 8520 are dedicated media player buttons, located at the top of the device. While there's no dedicated lock key on the 8520, holding down the Play / Pause button for two seconds does put the device into standby mode.

Display:

The Curve 8520 features a 320 by 240 resolution display. I left all my older BlackBerry devices at home when I came out to Orlando for WES, so unfortunately while writing this don't have an older device to compare to (will follow up next week with direct comparisons). I can say that while the display shows a decent picture and video, it is definitely a step down if you've ever used the Bold, 8900, Storm or 9630. And where you really lose out is in web browsing. 320 pixels just isn't enough these days for those of us who like to browse the web on our smartphones.

Other Stuff:

Be sure to click the images above to zoom in on the photos (I've left some descriptions beneath) and get a better look. You'll see the keyboard is much like the 8900's (which is kind of like the 8700's) but with a slightly different bottom row. There are actually two notification lights. The battery door doesn't feature a latch, but is sort of gently pried off. It is easy insert and remove microSD cards into the media card slot (also underneath the battery door) and you don't need to remove the battery to access it.

Video:

Source: Blackberry.com

PSP Go (Coming Soon Fall 2009)

2009-07-26T19:15:00.002+01:00

Introducing the smallest and mightiest PSP® system yet. Download rich, immersive digital gaming or the best movies and TV shows saved directly to the ample 16GB hard drive. Browse the incredibly deep lineup of PSP gaming and movie content on the PlayStation® Network. Use built-in Bluetooth support to connect a wireless headset and utilize Skype to talk with friends. But best of all, show off your content via the ultra-crisp 3.8 inch LCD screen on the most portable PSP system yet.

Go Bigger: 16GB flash memory

Go Smaller: The most portable PSP® ever

Go Digital: The most immersive portable games, anytime, anywhere

Go Versatile: Games, music, movies, internet and more

Go Anywhere: Your content, fitting your lifestyle

The PSP®go System includes:

* PSP®go System (Available in Piano Black or Pearl White)

* USB Cable

* AC Adaptor

Premium Peripherals for the PSP® go

* Composite AV Cable

* Component AV Cable

* AC Adaptor

* USB Cable

* Single Cradle (For charging and USB data transfer)

* Protective Filter

* Low-end case/pouch

* Mid-range case/pouch

* High-end case/pouch

* Memory Stick Micro (M2) 2GB and 4GB

* Wired Headphones

Source: PlayStation US

Samsung D880 DuoS Dual SIM card phone

2009-07-26T18:58:00.001+01:00

Mobile phones that can carry and work with two SIM cards in nothing new really. We've seen quite a few such models, but usually made by little known manufacturers and mainly in Asia.

Well, it looks like Samsung is planing to bring dual SIM card mobile phones into mainstream in Europe with their Samsung DuoS D880 phone.

Samsung D880 DuoS slider can work with two SIM cards from different operators or support two phone numbers from the same operator.

Both cards in Samsung SGH-D880 can work simultaneously to make and receive calls, send/receive SMS messages. The user also can easily select which card to use for mobile browsing, e-mail and other multimedia services. Your WAP/MMS/E-mail profiles are switched automatically when different card is selected.

When you receive the call, the name of the card that for the call flashes on screen and each SIM card can be assigned it's own ringtone. In case of missed calls, the relevant card is also indicated.

Except for the dual SIM cards, Samsung DuoS D880 is your ordinary 2.5G Samsung slider with:

GSM 900/1800/1900 EDGE connectivity

2.3″ QVGA Display

3.2 Megapixel camera with autofocus

FM Radio

Bluetooth 2.0 A2DP, USB 2.0

1200 mAh battery

Dimensions: 104×51x18.9

The only thing not to like, is the price - Samsung D880 DuoS is expected to cost around $700. But when you consider that you won't have to carry two different phones in your pocket, the price tag doesn't look so bad anymore.

Samsung DuoS is expected to go on sale in November.

Source: GSM Arena

Samsung S9110 wristwatch phone unveiled, no video calling though

2009-07-23T02:54:00.002+01:00

Samsung announced the S9110 - the world's thinnest wristwatch mobile phone. Sporting a decent (for the class that is) feature set, the fully-touch operated Samsung S9110 is the next device that will try to make all you James Bond dreams come true.

Launched as a direct competitor to the LG GD910, the Samsung S9110 is almost 2mm slimmer, standing at the pretty acceptable 11.98mm. It also packs a larger 1.76" touchscreen and matches its Bluetooth connectivity and speech recognition features.

The Samsung S9110 also puts Outlook sync support to the table but unfortunately lacks the 3G support of the GD910. Well, we guess even with the advance of technology they still had to leave something out to make the S9110 so slim.

The lack of 3G not only means there's no high speed data on the thing, but more importantly - there will be no video calls support. Now that's a bummer, where's the fun in a wristwatch phone that doesn't allow video conferencing?

The Samsung S9110 should be able to offer a built-in speakerphone instead in case you really prefer talking to your wrist rather than using a Bluetooth headset. A scratch-resistant glass take cares of the protection of the little fella's pretty face.

The body of Samsung S9110 is crafted from stainless steel, while the strap is made from leather, giving it some pretty stylish looks.

The Samsung S9110 will hit the shelves in France this month for an estimated price of 450 euro.

Photo:

QWERTY-enabled Nokia 6760 slide to hit Europe

2009-07-23T02:12:00.001+01:00

Nokia Surge went on sale a couple of days ago and now we hear about its European brother - the Nokia 6760 slide. The main update that the 6760 has got concerns its camera, which now has 3 megapixel resolution instead of 2MP. The lack of carrier branding pretty much rounds up the rest of the differences.

Nokia 6760 Slide

The Nokia 6760 slide, just like the Nokia Surge is a Symbian-powered, side-slider with a full QWERTY keyboard and 3.6Mbps HSDPA. There's quad-band GSM support and the local connectivity is covered by Bluetooth, microUSB and a 2.5 mm audio jack.

Nokia Surge

The AT&T Navigator is replaced with Nokia maps and the phone is packed to the brim with messaging software. Nokia Messaging, Google Talk, Windows Live IM are there right out of the box and the 6760 slide will give you easy access to social-media favorites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

The feature list of the 6760 is completed by 128 MB of internal memory, expandable by up to 8GB through the microSD card slot (2GB one provided), as well as FM radio. Standby time is the respectable 500 hours with 5 hours of talk time.

The Nokia 6760 slide will be available in Q3 2009 for 199 euro before subsidies and taxes. Initially it will only be available in black, with red and white versions coming soon after that (though not everywhere it seems).

Video:

Source: Nokia

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic to get kinetic scrolling, widgets

2009-07-23T01:35:00.002+01:00

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is getting a firmware update, which will introduce some new, quite welcome features - an enhanced homescreen, kinetic scrolling in some menus as well as improved camera performance and response time.

Update: The homescreen will be modified to resemble the one on Nokia 5530 XpressMusic rather than that of the N97 as we reported initially. We are sorry for the misunderstanding - we got our wires a little crossed on this one.

The kinetic scrolling update is only partial at this stage - it will be applicable in the homescreen, the Contacts list and the web browser. The update is surely more than welcome but we cannot help but feel that it will make the UI on the 5800 even more inconsistent.

Imagine this - in some lists in the Nokia 5800, you use kinetic scrolling, in others - dragging, which requires a two taps to activate an item, and in icon-based menus use just one tap. Worse still - sweeping your finger upward in the Contacts bar will make the list scroll down, while in another menu that still uses the old dragging logic - it will scroll up.

Another benefit of the upcoming firmware update would be the improved response time and camera performance. When this update will be available for the 5800 XpressMusic remains to be seen but it'll should be shortly after the launch of its younger sibling - Nokia 5530 XpressMusic. According to the source the latter will come with all the new features straight out of the box.

Source: Daily Mobile Forum

Excalibur, the Unmanned Vertical-Takeoff Aircraft, Makes Its First Flight

2009-07-22T23:26:00.002+01:00

A new unmanned combat aircraft could soon wing its way to the battlefield and land with the precision of a helicopter. The Excalibur recently completed its first flight to demonstrate those abilities using a hybrid turbine-electric propulsion system.

The unmanned aerial system (UAS) could pack a 400-pound payload of four Hellfire missiles, and also deliver weapons or other supplies to warfighters deep in rough territory. Its design allows it to have a maximum speed of 460 mph, but also have the ability to loiter overhead at just 115 mph.

"It was a flawless first flight with a crisp takeoff and perfect landing," reported John Langford, president of Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation. "In flight, the hover stability and heading control performance were excellent."

The company has been developing Excalibur for the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate and the Office of Naval Research, and it's not hard to see why those armed services would be excited for a hover UAS. Excalibur's vertical takeoff and landing ability comes from a tilting turbojet with a 700-pound thrust, along with three battery-powered lift fans.

As Aurora announced the flight of the half-scale demonstrator this week, Aviation Week covered the sneak-preview test flight that took place on June 24 at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.

Excalibur represents a new type of tactical UAS that could join the growing swarm of unmanned aircraft already on the battlefield. Wired notes that the U.S. Air Force recently released a report that contemplates a future without any human pilots, and the Air Force Academy recently introduced the first basic course on flying unmanned vehicles to cadets.

Such robotic aircraft have also found growing use in civilian life, ranging from city law enforcement to scientists wanting to hunt down Burmese pythons from the air. But for now, check out what the next generation of drone can do.

Your Next Touchscreen Might Bulge With Inflatable Buttons

2009-07-22T21:27:00.001+01:00

Latex overlays inflate to provide the tactile sensation of pressing a button

It seems increasingly rare to see a new gadget these days without a touchscreen. However, touchscreens' versatility is both the technology's biggest strength and its weakness. We've lost the tactile memory we associate with our television remote controls or old cell phones, where we knew and could feel exactly where the buttons we needed were without bothering to look. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are trying to combine the benefits of both, by adding a latex overlay on top of a touchscreen that inflates to create a tactile surface.

The process, as demonstrated by CMU's instructive video, shows that, not only can buttons be fashioned out of latex, but shape and dimension can be added to screen images. Also, the screen can gauge the amount of pressure applied. Complex shapes can be made, too, all while maintaining multitouch capabilities.

In addition to ensnaring those last few tactile-minded users who prefer BlackBerries to iPhones, this technology could come in handy on screens in cars, where visual attention should be focused more on the road than on the GPS screen. Or it could perhaps be enhanced to incorporate Braille for blind people that would otherwise be left behind by touchscreen advancements.

Video:

Source: Popsci

Ten Computing Tasks You Won't Be Doing With Chrome OS

2009-07-22T21:01:00.001+01:00

Here's why most users won't be making a total switch to Chrome OS any time soon

When Google pulled the lid off of Chrome OS last week, most of the tech world rejoiced. Our suspicions were correct! Death to the desktop OS! Yay Web 4.0! (or whichever version we're on currently!).

But as I pored over the official Google post on Chrome, and then over the hundreds of articles providing instant analysis of the announcement, I realized just how scant the facts and details were. So, I called Google for some background and got some interesting answers. The company is still being cagey with specifics, but there's one thing for certain: death knells for Microsoft and Apple are exaggerated. Here are ten copmuting tasks that Chrome OS, as it is currently understood, won't do better than your traditional desktop PC.

Granted, Chrome OS is still little more than a twinkle in Google's eye. Details are scant, especially from Google themselves, and what it is and how it will work are two things still very much in development. But judging by what we do know now, Chrome will provide a very different experience than what most users are accustomed to currently. Here's how:

1. Save Files Locally in the Traditional Way

According to Google, absent will be the familiar file-handling schema of a traditional OS--by which I mean folders and a desktop. As Google suggested in its blog post, these are vestiges of the pre-web era. Chrome OS and Chrome the browser will be one in the same, and everything you do on a Chrome-based machine will occur inside of the Chrome browser. The OS is the browser. So, forget the filesystem as you know it.

Instead, access to documents and files will probably look a lot like Google Docs does now, with storage of everything in "the cloud." You access them only through Web apps (finding them via an internal Google search, not through poking around a version of Windows Explorer or Finder). But, this raises a lot of questions: What happens when I'm offline? Will I lose all access to all of my files, or will a Google Gears-like interface exist for offline access? And if so, how will new local versions get re-synched to the cloud? But wait a minute, Google said no local file system for users' files! Confusing! We'll just have to wait and see how they figure this out, but as of now, we know Chrome OS will not be based on a traditional files-and-folders desktop. So if the thought of losing that gives you the shakes, Chrome may not be for you.

2. Run Desktop-Based Applications

There will be no third-party apps to install on Chrome OS--well, not in the traditional sense, at least (seeing a pattern here?). Applications will exist on the Web and be run solely inside of the Chrome browser, which means every web app that already exists is also already a Chrome app. So, will you be able to run Photoshop on Chrome? You'll certainly be able to run the webified 'lite' version already available on Photoshop.com. Whether or not the full version will ever be browser-based is completely up to Adobe (and the limits of current web-based programming languages), not Google. The same goes for iTunes, which it's safe to assume won't be headed to the browser any time soon. In its stead, I expect others to step up with web-based media management apps that will duplicate iTunes functionality and maybe even improve upon it.

But, there are some problems to consider here. Because apps exist in the browser, there will be no inherently common GUI to Chrome like we're used to with traditional OSes. The way we open documents, the keyboard shortcuts, the look of the windows and tools could wildly from application to application. What's more, your data will be scattered all over the place. In a traditional OS, I have my pictures folder, my music folder and my documents folder, and I can use whatever application I wish to open these files. On Chrome, I'll presumably only have access to documents specific to each app. So, if I'm creating, say, a birthday invitation in Google Docs, how am I meant to insert a photo that's managed by the Photoshop web app?

Of course, Google could (and almost certainly will) solve these problems--a formal web-app SDK will surely provide at least some semblance of GUI standards, and it's not too difficult to imagine a cloud-based "G-Drive" storage repository, accessible from every Chrome app. But the desktop app as we know it will not exist.

3. Run CPU-Intensive Apps

Don't expect to be running Final Cut Pro, Maya, Pro Tools or other processor punishers on Chrome any time soon. With most of the computing power of a Web app actually residing on a server as opposed to the Chrome device itself, imagine how much bandwidth and time it would require to render a segment of video-never mind having to continuously upload and download multi-gigabyte files. It's just not realistic. Well, Google says, netbooks aren't designed for these kinds of tasks no matter what operating system you're on. True. But, Chrome is only just starting out on the netbook. The company said in its own blog post that the OS would eventually make the leap to the desktop. And, people use desktops for a lot more than surfing the Web.

Google's response to this dilemma is an interesting one, though one that's still a long way off. It's called Native Client, an open-source Google project that allows developers to run C and C++ code in the browser through a plug-in. Instead of having access to the sliver of processing power the browser normally gets to play with, Native Client gives web-based apps access to the full power of the user's processor, paving the way for full-fledged photo and video editing on Chrome someday down the line.

4. Frag

Forget exterminating Nazi zombies in the all-new Wolfenstein game coming to the PC in August. With little more than a glorified browser at your fingertips, Chrome gaming will be relegated to little Flash (and soon HTML 5) diversions such as Bejewled and poker. I suppose some iPhone-quality games aren't out of the question either. We may get some beefier 3D treats someday with the help of some future iteration of the Native Client plug-in, but for the foreseeable future you'll need a Windows partition to get your game on. Then again, those feeble little netbooks aren't really up to the task in the first place, are they?

5. Work Offline

Of course, a Web-based OS requires an Internet connection. Without one readily available, your new Chrome netbook will be a useless brick of plastic and silicon, right? Google's current official response to this conundrum is essentially "But, how often are you not near an Internet connection?"

To a certain extent, Google is right. Between increasingly ubiquitous Wi-Fi hotspots, 3G data networks and wireless Internet on airplanes, web access is all around us. But hold on a second. You can't count on having an Internet connection all the time. And, what about folks in developing countries, or rural areas in which 3G is non-existent and which the cable company could care less about? Sure, Google Gears allows you to work in the browser offline, but only in a limited capacity. To do anything useful, you'll eventually need Web access.

This makes it a strong likelihood that the initial Chrome OS netbooks will be sold with a cellular data plan contract, like many netbooks are already.

6. Have All Your Hardware Work Seamlessly

Up to now, Google's hasn't had to stress too much about system-level headaches such as hardware compatibility, and while I expect a lot of device drivers will be supplied by Chrome's Linux undercarriage, it's hard to imagine exactly how your iPhone, digital camera, printer, scanner, writing tablet, Bluetooth devices (you get the idea) will all tie seamlessly into a browser-based system. An iPhone or iPod might get mounted as a drive, but how will it sync and what will it be syncing to? A digital camera might call up Picasa in the browser, but what if I use Flickr instead? What are the chances my two-year-old wireless Lexmark printer will function? What happens when I try to play a DVD? Google insists it's working hard on the issue of device drivers, but take it from Microsoft: It's a horror show.

7. Multitask Like You're Used To

Broadband upload speeds, particularly for cable subscribers, are famously atrocious. For the majority of users who spend most of their online time downloading or streaming photos, music and videos, it's not much of an issue. But what about when your media is going the other way?

I upload photos to my Flickr account in the dead of night, otherwise my broadband connection slows to such a crawl I can barely get anything else done. Uploading photos, working on Google Docs, downloading a large file and surfing the web all at the same time? Forget about it. Now, imagine you're using Chrome and you're constantly uploading and downloading files to and from the cloud. Upload speeds being what they are today pose a significant hurdle to multitasking on Chrome. And, let's not forget that broadband providers have been experimenting with bandwidth caps recently. If all of your data resides online and you're continuously pulling it down and pushing it back up again, imagine how expensive that will get.

8. Get Tech Support?

When Gmail was still in beta (for the last six years, up until, fortuitously, the Chrome announcement), Google didn't have much of a responsibility to the user. It's a free service, and a beta one at that. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. If ever there was a Gmail outage (and I've experienced many), there wasn't much you could do except wait around, read hundreds of tweets from users griping about the outage, and trust that Google was fixing the problem. Once I did actually send an email to Google during an outage, but I never heard back. I didn't expect to.

Chrome OS is different, though. You think you feel stranded now when your email goes down? Imagine your entire computer, and all of your files and contacts are suddenly completely inaccessible. A "We're Working On It" message is no longer going to suffice. Alongside Chrome, Google had better also launch 24/7 phone and email support.

9. Maintain Strict Control Over Your Privacy

I've written about Google and privacy in the past [http://www.popsci.com/grouse/article/2008-10/can-i-have-my-ssn-back], so I'm not going to go into too much detail here. But, with Chrome, the amount of personal info Google has access to is absolutely unprecedented. If you already use both Gmail and Google search, the company knows who you are, who you know and what kinds of sites you visit. If you use Google Maps, Calendar or Docs, the company knows where you are, where you're going, what you're doing and what you're working on. By using Chrome, you're tying all of this information into every single little thing you can imagine using a computer for. And these days, that's just about everything. Scary.

10. Ditch Your Current Desktop OS Entirely

A lot of folks took the announcement of Chrome as a direct swipe at Microsoft. Some couldn't help but label the new OS a Windows killer. But, let's calm down. First of all, I don't think Chrome intends to replace Windows--at least not in the short term. I think it intends to snap up a rather small group of adventurous users who realize they don't need a hulking desktop OS for the majority of their day-to-day computing tasks.

Secondly, Windows 7 has been specifically built to be lightweight with the next generation of netbooks in mind, and by the time Chrome surfaces, Windows 7 will have already been on the market for 9-12 months. Third, let us not forget the droves of people who returned Linux-based netbooks last year after taking them home and realizing they missed Windows. Never underestimate people's fear of the unknown.

So, what's Chrome? It's something different, and to use it will require getting used to doing things very differently than you do now. If there's one thing to take away from the announcement, it's something Bob Sutor, IBM's VP of Linux and Open Source said to me in a conversation earlier this week. "It brings into sharper focus the fact that much of the work people do today is on the web. But on the same token, it brings into sharp focus the fact that a lot of work people do is not on the Web."

Source: Popsci

Blu-ray™ Remote Control for PS3

2009-07-22T02:40:00.001+01:00

The Good: For those who plan on regularly using their PS3 for playing Blu-ray and DVD movies, this is an attractively styled Bluetooth remote with a generally well-thought-out button layout and design. The remote also is very responsive and faces no line-of-sight issues because it uses Bluetooth radio, not IR (infrared).

The Bad: No backlighting; can't control any of your other A/V components; not a huge upgrade over the functionality offered by the PS3's standard controller.

The Bottom Line: If you do a lot of movie watching with your PS3, the Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray DVD Remote is a nice luxury, but it's not a must-have accessory for the PS3.

InFamous Review on Playstation 3

2009-07-22T02:03:00.002+01:00

Imagine waking up one day and finding yourself in the middle of a burning crater, destroyed buildings and dead people everywhere. You soon learn that you are no longer like other humans. Electricity courses through your body, endowing you with superpowers and, by extension, the power to control the fates of those around you. Will you become a noble hero, striving to bring peace to a city in ruins? Or will you lash out in anger, crushing the weak humans who are no longer your equals? In Infamous, the choice is yours. These moral dilemmas intertwine your fate with that of the city, but it's the amazing freedom that makes this experience so incredible. From unleashing electrical blasts to corral your enemies, to scaling the highest skyscrapers with finesse and ease, Infamous lets you seamlessly control the powered-up hero you've always wanted to be. The buggy visuals and gameplay glitches can't quite live up to the excellent action, but the overall experience crushes these small problems like so many petty criminals. It's not easy being a superhero, but it is an absolute blast.

The Good:

Moving around the city is easy and exciting

Fast combat with a variety of awesome powers

Engrossing story with interesting characters

Powerful moral choices

Great pacing and lots of different mission types.

The Bad:

A variety of both gameplay and visual glitches.

A powerful bomb has exploded in Empire City, bringing the thriving island metropolis to its knees. Gangs now rule the streets, causing cops and citizens alike to cower in fear, and a deadly pandemic has forced the government to quarantine the whole area. At the center of the cataclysmic blast is Cole, an ordinary bicycle messenger. Of course, he isn't so ordinary anymore. The explosion killed thousands and leveled buildings like they were fragile card houses, but it gave him superpowers. Cole can shoot lightning bolts from his fingertips and withstand an inordinate amount of punishment, so he is the one who must track down the bombers and bring order to the city. The story is rooted firmly in typical comic-book struggles, but the characters are so well developed, the problems so believable, that the deeper you plunge into the conspiracy the more fascinating it gets. As the story pushes you toward the chilling conclusion, you'll become completely immersed in this universe. The cutscenes add to this impact, employing stylish, animated illustrations that would be equally at home in a comic-book.

However, the story is not just a static tale of vengeance and betrayal. You have a choice in how it plays out, which gives you a strong connection to the events, sucking you further into the world. Whenever Cole is faced with a moral decision, the action pauses and Cole spells out his thoughts to you. Should he let the hungry citizens eat the government-delivered food, or scare them off and take it all for his friends? The abrupt stop in the action lacks the immediate impact that a more organic choice would have given, but it makes you face the consequences head on, forcing you to consider both sides of the coin before brashly rushing in. The problems are often black and white, presenting a clear path toward being a superhero or villain, but there are a few twists to the classic formula that make the problems feel much more authentic. There isn't always an obvious good or evil route, so you'll have to put yourself in Cole's shoes, decide how you want the situation to play out, and live with the consequences--both in how the story plays out and in the look of the city itself.

The combat is as seamless and enjoyable as the exploration, which keeps the action consistently thrilling. You start with a standard electrical blast that subdues citizens and criminals rather quickly, but you unlock even more powerful tricks throughout the game, which keeps the combat varied and intense. Sticky grenades, high-powered rockets, and an impressive shockwave blast can all be integrated into your normal fight routine with ease, which makes it possible to exterminate your foes in creative and sadistic ways. The controls for the combat are spot-on, ensuring that you can never blame the game if you miss a headshot or accidentally zap a friendly doctor instead of a crazed gunman. As you complete missions and kill enemies, you earn experience points, which are used to upgrade your already impressive abilities. Although the core moves don't differ drastically between good and evil characters, the upgrades throw in some interesting twists. For instance, as a good guy, Cole can use his grenades to handcuff weaker enemies to the ground, whereas his evil side can split grenades into multiple parts, creating more potent blasts.

Though you have superstrength and the ability to conduct electricity, this game isn't a cakewalk. Whether you're good or evil, the city is overflowing with enemies, which forces you to be alert even when walking casually down the street. Bad guys perch atop buildings armed with high-powered sniper rifles and rocket launchers, and they are crack shots with plenty of ammunition. If you're not careful, you will die often, but the difficulty never seems unfair. The versatile combat system lets you attack the hostiles in a number of unique ways. For instance, in one mission, you must bombard a specific building. You can move in slowly, taking out the surrounding villains as meticulously as possible and clearing an open path to unleash your destructive power. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can grind a nearby railroad track, toss handfuls of grenades and missiles as you glide by, and destroy your mark without bothering with the surrounding humans. The versatility of the fights combined with a forgiving checkpoint system ensure that, even when the odds are stacked against you, there is always a way to weather the storm.

The missions are as varied as the ways in which you can approach them. There are quests that focus on exploration, pure combat, careful tracking, deft platforming, escorting important people, and various combinations thereof. The most rousing is an intense battle in a prison courtyard. Powerful enemies swarm from all sides, filling the screen with fire and explosions. You toss grenades and missiles into the fray, conjure shockwaves to slow down the onslaught, and then slink behind cover to take a breather. It's intense and thrilling, cleverly mixing every element of the game into a superb blend of chaos and fun. The side missions provide an interesting respite from the exhilarating main missions, giving you bite-sized tasks that clean up sections of the city when you finish them. Certain side missions force you to choose between two morally aligned tasks. Completing the good one will make the evil one unavailable, and vice versa. Not only are these missions satisfying, but they further reinforce your moral standing and make the two sides of the karmic coin feel unique.

The visuals cannot quite match the thrilling combat and amazing exploration, but they do a fine job of bringing this chaotic city to life. Cole is nicely detailed and impressively animated; he leaps and climbs with silky-smooth moves. The lighting is also quite well done. During some missions, Cole must enter the sewers to power up darkened districts of the city, and these sections are stunning. The light dances against the murky water and dank walls, creating an eerie yet inviting view of the slinkiest place in the city. Fire is also brilliantly realized, which makes it a joy to cause cars and toxic barrels to combust. Not everything looks so good, though. The other characters don't have the same believable animation as Cole, which makes the in-game cutscenes feel pretty sloppy. The buildings and roads have a hazy look, and textures jarringly pop in as you quickly leap across the city. There are also a number of graphical glitches. Cole will walk through railings and other solid objects all too often, the frame rate struggles when the screen is brimming with effects, and there are far too many jagged edges.

Empire City may not be the prettiest place, but what it lacks in stunning beauty it makes up for in pure entertainment. One of the most remarkable aspects of Infamous is how it continually improves throughout the quest. The pacing is excellent. It doles out new abilities, introduces powerful story twists, and concocts exhilarating missions at a steady rate, which means the game never loses steam during the course of the lengthy adventure. And when the credits finally roll, you'll just want to keep playing, to see what the other morality choices reveal and to squeeze every ounce of entertainment from this amazing world. Infamous is an exhilarating and incredibly fun open-world game.

Video:

Source: Game Spot

Robot Rides Motorcycles Efficiently, Terrifyingly

2009-07-22T00:47:00.002+01:00

Let me introduce you to Flossie, the creepy motorcycle-driving robot. She will drive through scorching heat and freezing cold without a complaint. She will shift perfectly every time. She will haunt your dreams.

Flossie was constructed by Castrol to be used in lubricant testing for just about any motorcycle. Flossie allows testers to monitor how lubricants function over time in a variety of situations, with Flossie the one constant, shifting and riding the bike perfectly each time. The most disturbing part of Flossie's design is that she learns, all by herself, how to get a feel for each bike and how to ride it. To what end, might you ask? Well, the obvious answer is: to become self-aware, evolve, and enslave us all.

In the video below you get a view of Flossie in action. The video ends ominously by calling Flossie "a safe rider". Let's hope we don't regret those words.

Video:

Source: Popular Science

Intel Updates SSD Line: A Little Bit Faster, A Little Bit Cheaper

2009-07-22T00:23:00.001+01:00

It's been about a year since Intel's quick-but-pricey Intel's X-series SSDs started the market, so it's about time for refresh. And hey, look: It's a fresh pair of 34nm X25-M drives! (Spoiler: They're almost exactly like the last ones.)

Intel's got a lengthy spiel about how performance has been improved, albeit slightly, by the new fabrication process (they claim a 25% decrease in latency and slightly higher read/write performance), but the core of this upgrade, and the main benefit of switching to 34nm, is a lower price.

Looking again to Intel's claims, there's been a 60% decrease in price for the 80GB and 160GB models compared to original launch prices, which is strictly speaking correct. Thing is, neither of the drives have sold for anything near their initial prices for some time now, so although the new versions, priced at around $225 for the 80GB and $440 for the 160GB, will be more affordable than their predecessors, they won't be budget drives by any means.

It's been a year, so a capacity hike would've been nice. Without that, this feels like a transitional product-a necessary manifestation of solid-state storage's slow crawl toward affordability, if not something many people will be ready to buy. Accordingly, I expect the second generation of 34nm drives to be awesome, so please, be awesome.

Source: Intel Corp

iTunes Media Sync for Blackberry Devices

2009-07-21T00:15:00.001+01:00

RIM officially released BlackBerry Media Sync… it's now possible to put your iTunes on your BlackBerry! With many new products coming out soon (Bold, Thunder, KickStart), RIM has certainly poised themselves to attract a new consumer audience.

It's a free download, and in order to have it work on your BlackBerry you must have the following system requirements: iTunes version 7.0 or higher, microSD card, Pearl 8100, Curve 8300, BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry Device Software v4.2 or higher.

Source: RIM