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Another striking piece in a collection of inspired lighting accessories from Materialise, this Twister.mgx lamp, designed by Janne Kyttanen, adds a sculptural quality to lighting. Like other designs from Materialise, Twister incorporates a proprietary software and rapid prototyping technology, which essentially prints a designer's work in 3-D. The piece is available in versions for both table and standing floor lamps both 4.5" in diameter, each with a basic, stainless steel base and stand.
We checked out one of these bags in person over the weekend and came away pretty damn impressed. The North Face Base Camp Messenger Bag ($70-$90) comes in two sizes, with the large version being big enough to hold everything you could possibly need to bring with you on your daily outings. Both are made from a super durable synthetic material, come in four colors, and have tons of compartments and pockets.
With cool color-block style and endless versatility, the Yavapai travels well no matter where you're headed. Oversized, water-resistant #10 YKK® zipper on main zipper protects against zipper failure and slider damage Carry handle Dual mesh side water bottle pockets with reinforcement secure your hydration while you are on the go Front pocket with organizer Lets you integrate your own hydration bladder into the pack in a separate sleeve for hands-free drinking Laminated backpanel with breathable mesh and channels let air circulate between your back and the pack keeping you cooler Reflective hits for nighttime visibility Safe-T whistle on sternum strap for emergencies Stash pocket on pack front to keep small gear or personal items within reach Hipbelt tucks away for when not in use Utility pocket fits a laptop and hydration Average Weight: 2 lbs (900 g) Dimensions: 19" x 13" x 8" (48 cm x 34 cm x 20 cm) Fabric: 420D nylon, 840D nylon, Hypalon® Sizes: One size Volume: 1850 in3 (30 liters)
A cheap computer game does not always mean an old or boring game. If you have some patience and know where to look, you can find some newer releases on the cheap.
One way is to get on the mailing list of a computer game retailer. You will be sent game reviews, and notifications of new releases as well as coupons and special offers on purchases. When you visit the websites of computer game manufacturers and retailers, take a minute to sign up for their email mailing list. You may not be interested in some of it, especially since reviews are such a matter of personal opinion. However it might be worth it if they email you a coupon code or special deal on a new game.
If you don’t want to put up with all that email cluttering your inbox then be sure to check out the Sunday ads. That’s when most retail stores advertise their sales and you may luck out and see a game you have wanted to buy go on sale.
You might be able to buy the computer game cheaper online. The important thing to remember about shopping online is to always comparison shop and factor in your shipping costs. Also, do a quick search for a coupon code for the store you are shopping. You may be able to get a discount or free shipping.
If you are just looking for cheap computer games and don’t really care if it the latest game on the market then you might be just as happy buying previously released games. They are just as fun but are less expensive. This is true especially of sports games that have a new version released each year.
Some of the older games have gone on to be come classics. You can usually save money by ordering these online also.
Eventually after the hype of a new game has passed, the price will fall. The games are still great, but everyone is already looking for the next new game. That in a nutshell explains why it is possible you can buy some great cheap computer games if you just want to wait until they have been on the market awhile.
2.4-inch LCD display (320 x 240 resolution), slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Memory Stick PRO Duo slot
Stay in touch with all your IM and e-mail contacts without having to lug around a laptop with the lightweight, wireless Sony mylo Personal Communicator COM-1, which also offers multimedia playback and VOIP Internet telephony capabilities. The mylo COM-1 enables you to use Wi-Fi (802.11b) connections found in your home, on your school campus, and at a variety hotspot locations to send e-mail, chat across multiple IM conversations, and browse the Web. While it doesn't communicate via cellular networks, you can use the built-in Skype VOIP (voice over IP) software to make phone calls over the Internet via the integrated microphone or the included external mic. This model comes in black with a gray keyboard, but it also comes in white with an orange keyboard.
The mylo COM-1 has 1 GB of flash memory, a 2.4-inch LCD display with a 320 x 240-pixel resolution (QVGA), slide-out QWERTY keyboard that's easy to operate, an embedded microphone and speaker, Memory Stick slot (PRO Duo) slot, and USB 2.0 port for connectivity to your PC and for charging the battery. The lithium-ion rechargeable battery provides up to 3.5 hours of Internet calling talk time, up to 7 hours web browsing, and up to 45 hours of music playback.
The What's Up screen provides an at-a-glance overview of your circle of friends, showing who's available for IM or Voice calling, and it displays what music is currently being played. You can easily control music playback without sliding open the keyboard using the handy music keys next to the LCD (play/stop/rewind/forward ).
Communication and Connectivity Reach friends using three of the fastest-growing instant messaging services--Yahoo!, Google and Skype--and use the Info button on the mylo COM-1's face to switch among multiple IM conversations. And with the built-in Skype software, you can enjoy free Internet phone calls to and from any Skype-enabled device, anywhere in the world (or SkypeOut to any phone number for a nominal fee.
Sony has partnered with Google's GMail and Yahoo! to provide easy access to on-the-go email. The slide-out QWERTY keyboard means you can type without the hassle of the repeated key-presses you'd need on the number keypad of a typical mobile device. The mylo COM-1 also enables you to browse virtually any Web site (via the built-in Opera browser)--allowing you to scroll horizontally and vertically through the page, fit to the QVGA width of the screen, zoom in to display web pages at full resolution, or zoom out to fit pages to the width of the screen. Mylo communicator's Web browser renders full HTML--not truncated WAP pages like browsers found on many cell phones and portable internet devices.
There are millions of WiFi hotspots including over 15 million American homes, almost every university campus, plus shopping malls, coffee shops, fast food restaurants, hotels, airports and border-to-border coverage in a growing number of U.S. cities. Enter your current location and the mylo COM-1 will direct you to the nearest of over 20,000 free and pay public hotspots in the U.S.
Multimedia In addition to powerful communication features, the mylo COM-1 also provides a wide variety of digital audio, video, and photo playback. Offering compatibility with MP3, WMA (Secured and Un-Secured) and ATRAC formats, you'll be able to play music you've purchased from many online music stores. You'll also be able to watch MPEG4 video transferred to an optional Memory Stick Duo or saved to the 1 GB memory after processing on your PC using the optional Image Converter 2 software. You can also download and view hundreds of JPEG pictures from the Internet or from your digital camera. Transfer is easy using the supplied Mylo Image Transfer software, via drag and drop from your PC desktop, or onto saved to an optional Memory Stick Duo media card.
You can also connect to other nearby mylo COM-1 devices using a device-to-device ad-hoc network, enabling you to listen to streaming music and transfer data files wirelessly.
Note About Connectivity The mylo Personal Communicator COM-1 requires a compatible wireless LAN access point to use the interactive IM, email, and Web features. It generally requires no additional monthly service charges as long as you are connected to free access points found in homes, cafes, businesses, and campuses. However, some access points and features may rely on Internet services which may require a fee.
What's in the Box Sony mylo Personal Communicator COM-1 (black), stereo headphones, external microphone, carry case, USB 2.0 cable, printed operating instructions
Product Description The name mylo stands for ?my life online? and the communicator lets you use instant messaging, browse the Internet, listen to music, send emails and view photos concurrently. Small enough for a pocket or purse, the slim, oblong-shaped device features a 2.4 inch color LCD (measured diagonally) with a slide out QWERTY keyboard for comfortable and quick thumb typing. The device comes embedded with popular instant messaging services: the Google Talk instant messaging service, Skype and Yahoo! Messenger. These services are free and the product does not require initial computer setup or a monthly service contract. Mylo includes JiWire's hotspot directory listing more than 20,000 WiFi networks in the United States. so you can find a hotspot near you. The mylo personal communicator boots up in seconds and can scan for available wireless networks right away. The ?What's Up? screen serves as the hub, storing up to 90 of your friends' avatars so you can quickly see who's online. You can store up to nine online identities per person which allows you to first choose who you want to chat with then easily initiate conversations using your preferred application. The embedded HTML browser lets you quickly connect to full Web pages on the Internet. You can also send and receive text emails with web mail services like Yahoo! Mail and the Gmail web mail service. The communicator comes with Skype software built into it, allowing registered Skype users to make free Internet calls with the 113 million other Skype users worldwide. For a limited time, Skype is offering free SkypeOut calls from United States and Canada to most phone numbers in the United States or Canada. Mylo uses a lithium-ion battery that offers up to 45 hours of music playback, around seven hours of chatting and web surfing and more than three hours of continuous Skype talk time. It comes with a microphone, stereo headphones, a USB cable and a neoprene case.
Vodafone is gearing up to becoming a brand name in its own right in the consumer handset market, with the newly unveiled "Vodafone 710," the first Vodafone-only branded 3G consumer handset.
A sleek clamshell, the Vodafone 710, which is being manufactured by China-based Huawei Technologies, offers the latest 3G consumer services.
Huawei and Vodafone had signed a deal in February, under which the Chinese firm will supply Vodafone with 3G consumer handsets in 21 countries for five years.
Jens Schulte-Bockum, global director - terminals, Vodafone, said, "Today's announcement supports Vodafone's commitment to drive 3G penetration across our customer base, and the fact that Vodafone 710 will be available as prepay in many markets will help to achieve this. The arrival of Vodafone 710 illustrates how we are actively reducing costs and stimulating revenues by adding depth and choice to the range of 3G consumer devices for our customers."
The Vodafone 710 features easy access to core services, including Vodafone Radio DJ, Mobile TV, music downloads, video telephony, and Vodafone Live!. In addition, the handset includes an MP3 music player, a 1.3 mega pixels camera, and Bluetooth.
According to sources, the handsets will cost around 30 percent less than those manufactured by first-tier manufacturers including Nokia, Samsung, and Motorola.
The Vodafone 710 will be launched in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Netherlands, Romania, and Portugal, beginning October 2006.
Vodafone is also said to be in talks with several companies, including Chinese handset manufacturers, for making second-generation mobile handsets under its brand name.
Fossil, in partnership with Sony Ericsson, today introduced a new line of Bluetooth-enabled watches that deliver the time in a traditional analog format, but connects to a user’s mobile phone wirelessly to do a whole lot more digitally. Based on existing Fossil designs, the water resistant timepieces include a bright OLED display to allow people to view Caller ID and number information plus a vibrating alert for incoming calls or SMS/MMS messages. There's also an out of range warning where the watch vibrates after 10 meters.
The idea is it’s harder or impossible to a miss vibration on your wrist than the ringer or vibration of your phone when it is hidden away in your briefcase, coat, backpack, etc. and you can't hear it when walking down a city avenue, for example, according to to Fossil VP of Watch Technology Bill Geiser. "The rest is natural, people have been wearing watches for hundreds of years. That motion of just glancing at your wrist is something that is almost instinctive," he said to PDAStreet.
The digital display is almost hidden. It comes into play only when needed. If a caller's name is in the phone’s address book, you see the name, if not, you see the number.
One button push mutes the phone's ringer, while two button pushes rejects a call. The watch's lithium rechargeable battery is supposed to last for about 5-7 days.
Geiser emphasized the Bluetooth watch is about convenience. He added that Fossil is giving you an ability to stay connected in a discreet way. "Let's face it; cell phone use in public areas is under scrutiny these days. And people using cell phones in restaurants and movie theaters and so on, there's a social etiquette, stigma emerging around this," noted Geiser. "We give you the ability to always stay connected but do it in a very discreet and socially acceptable way."
Fossil has been pretty aggressive in developing watches that combine elements of fashion and technology over the years. While the now defunct (and bulky) Wrist PDA and still shipping Microsoft-based SPOT watches never delivered on their promise, Geiser said to PDAStreet the company learned a lot from these endeavors: How do integrate a lot of functionality into a small amount of space and that fashion trumps function. Also, those watches were all digitals, a problem for a watchmaker whose market is 98 percent analog timepieces.
To succeed Geiser told us Fossil decided the watches would have to look good, incorporating the current fashion elements, trends and designs. "There's no reason a technology watch needs to look like a technology watch," he said.
Also, it would have to be affordable and simple to use. Unlike the SPOT watch and Wrist PDA, which were complicated because they asked folks do to do much. And whatever function Fossil asked the new watches to perform, it would be okay for them to do less, but it must be relevant.
So instead of viewing the cell phone as a threat to watches, the way some do - as does camera (Nokia is now the leading camera vendor) and audio player makers – because all handsets feature a time function, Geiser says his company sees them as an opportunity, where a watch could simplify how people interact with their cell phones and smartphones.
What made this possible is the huge (40 percent in 2006, with estimates of 65 percent next year) growth in penetration of Bluetooth in the mobile handset market.
Late last year, Fossile entered into the partnership with Sony Ericsson to build the new watches and create the software that made the connectivity possible.
The watches work initially with Sony Ericsson phones. Geiser said to PDAStreet, however, that very quickly - over the next month or so - they would add support for the S60 platform, running onto of Symbian 7, 8 and 8.1. They are looking at the most recent version, 9, but a couple of security features have created some problems that they need to navigated around.
Fossil will continue to look at additional mobile handsets and platforms as well. "We'd like to move very aggressively at expanding the compatibility list. Things being the way they are that was a good place for us to start," Geiser explained.
The watch maker will market a Fossil-branded Bluetooth watch, the Caller ID FX6001 (black ionic plated stainless steel case and bracelet-style strap), for $250 to in late October. And there will be two AABACUS MobileWear versions as well, the AU6001 (stainless steel case and bracelet) and AU6002 (stainless steel case and black strap, for $200. These will be available in the U.S., UK and Germany through consumer electronic and wireless outlets in mid October- for example, CompUSA. In this country.
Sony Ericsson's edition of the Bluetooth watch, called the MBW-100, is stainless steel and it appears to add the ability to control the music player (play/pause and skip tracks) capabilities for its Walkman line of phones. It comes in silver and there will be a limited edition black version, both due to ship worldwide during the fourth quarter for about 300 Euros (around $382). MBW-100 weighs 6.61 ounces (187.5 grams).
Spam is a drain on our lives as it is prevalent on our computers at home and at work. The only time we get a spam free existence is when we're not at a computer. But are these spam free hours about to leave our lives for good? With the internet becoming increasingly used on mobile phones, there is an opportunity for the unethical spammer to aim his spam abuse in a different direction, and hence make our lives permanently polluted by spam.
This week sees much promotion of mobile phone internet technologies. A well known newspaper in the UK today sported an, admittedly heavy-handed, cover advert consisting of a full page (front and back) advertisement for Microsoft's Windows Mobile. Microsoft Windows Mobile is basically an operating system for your mobile. It allows you to edit and create Microsoft office documents, and send emails via Outlook, all on your mobile phone. This technology is excellent for modern day office workers that spend a lot of their time travelling to liaise with clients. It means that they can edit and make minor changes to documents and presentations that have been prepared for those important client meetings.
Also in the news this week, as covered by bigmouthmedia news (The .mobi land rush: a mobile web revolution?) has been the opening up of .mobi domains for registration by the public. .mobi domains have been around for a few months, but the domains were only available to businesses and resellers to register, but now anyone can register any .mobi domain that hasn’t already been taken. The expected "land rush" has seen a lot of media attention, and so will undoubtedly attract unethical spammers in their droves.
Spammers in the past have caused problems for mobile phone users with text message spam, but will the new technologies open up a new world of spam where spam technicians will combine the power of internet spam with mobile phone spam to come up with an even more annoying and potentially harming mobile internet spam? This mobile spam has worrying potential - unethical companies have already used technology to steal credit off a person's mobile phone by having them reply to a text message, or just by agreeing to have messages sent to them. With ever more powerful software available on mobile phones, it seems certain that the internet spammer will divert his attention to making similar phone credit, or personal information theft via the mobile phone.
These considerations are already being posed by the spammer - it's now just a matter of whether the spam companies can come up with good preventative measures to combat this problem before it starts. Until the world of spam has been crushed be sure you know exactly what you are doing before you allow access of a foreign body to your computer or phone!
When you are shopping for a camera it is often hard to decide which one is the best. You may resort to asking your friends to find out their experiences or maybe you go online and read some reviews. Oh yeah, and I’m sure you have gone to online stores and sorted the list of cameras by the “most popular” which could easily be skewed from a sale that they recently had.
It is tough to find the really nice cameras out there but maybe it isn’t quite as bad anymore. The Yahoo! Shopping Blog just released an article that gives you a list of the top 10 used cameras on Flickr:
1. Nikon D50 2. Nikon D70 3. Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT 4. Canon EOS 20D 5. Canon EOS 350D Digital 6. Nikon D70s 7. Cybershot 8. Canon Powershot S2 IS 9. Canon EOS Digital Rebel 10. Nikon D200
If you want to see a list of the top 100 cameras on Flickr that is updated weekly just visit this site. Looking through the list it almost makes you sick to see how many times Canon appears (I counted 46 out of the top 100).
Infatex.com is a full service marketing company which consults and implements search engine optimization campaigns for small businesses and large corporations. Based on its halo structure of analysis (CDP system) Infatex seeks to further increase client return on investment by refining the most important aspect of an optimization campaign- research and development and algorithm decoding.
“Without an effective way to analyze key aspect of a business- from competitors, to market niche, through profit and cost structure, an optimization campaign will be limited in its effectiveness, “says Idakov Infatex, Account Manager of Infatex.com. “If you skimp on your true understanding of how search engines rank websites in different genres and markets, you will also lose out on the lion’s share of traffic.”
Founded by Harvard University School of Management students, Infatex.com has continually and systematically developed techniques and strategies that have consistently given greater results at competitive prices for businesses across the world. For additional insight into company offerings, visit: http://www.Infatex.com.
"This is quite an honor," says Idakov. "We've worked hard researching and developing this product, and we are overwhelmed by how quickly it's been accepted as a huge benefit to website owners, and the marketing and advertising industries. Companies are already re-structuring their sales and marketing initiatives to be more effective, based on the information that Infatex Reports is providing them."
The PS3 was the centerpiece of Sony's E3 '06 press conference.
Hardware
Hardware specifications and tech demos dominated the E3 2005 show, but Sony revealed more crucial details about the new PlayStation 3 console at its E3 2006 press conference, including final launch information. Sony originally planned a spring 2006 release for the console, but Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi announced in March that the console will not ship until November due to delays in finalizing the Blu-ray copy-protection technology specifications.
Sony is now planning to give the PlayStation 3 a simultaneous worldwide launch. The new system will be available with two different hard-drive options in Japan, the United States, Europe, and Australia in November. The console will hit Japan first on November 11. The 20GB model will sell for 49,980 yen (about $429), roughly $85 lower than the 59,800 yen price Sony originally announced for the console at E3 2006. Sony will allow Japanese retailers name their own price for the 60GB version. The PlayStation 3 will launch in the United States, Europe, and Australia on November 17. The 20GB version will retail for $499 and the 60GB version will retail for $599 in the US, and 499 and 599 euros in Europe, respectively. advertisement
In an attempt to make inroads with the general consumer, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have all given much more attention to cosmetic considerations in this console generation. The new PlayStation 3 console has a simple design, resembling a minimalist stereo component. Early prototypes indicate that the new case will be available in three different colors--white, black, and silver--but initial US models will be black. Like the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, the PlayStation 3 will be able to stand vertically or sit horizontally on an AV rack. The curved console-top suggests that the PS3 will need to sit at the very top of your equipment stack if placed horizontally. The console will weigh in at a solid 11 pounds. In comparison, the relatively chunky Xbox weighs 8.5 pounds and the Xbox 360 weighs 7.7 pounds. The PS3 measures 12.8"(W) x 3.8"(H) x 10.8"(L), which is in line with the other consoles.
Wireless Bluetooth Controllers
The PlayStation 3 controller Sony introduced at E3 last year resembled what can very easily be described as a "batarang," in reference to Batman's bat-shaped throwing weapon. At E3 2006, Sony revealed the new controller, which heavily resembles the traditional DualShock design. The L2 and R2 shoulder buttons located on the top of the controller have also been enlarged, with increased depth in stroke for more subtle game control. Sony has also enlarged the tilting angle of the analog joysticks to enable more delicate manipulation and a wider range of motion. Whereas the analog sticks on the DualShock controller for the PlayStation 2 had 8-bit sensitivity, the new controller will have 10-bit motion detection.
Sony revealed the PlayStation 3's new controller design at E3 '06.
The new controller has two analog sticks, the usual four-button complement on the right side, and four top-side trigger buttons. However, in Nintendo Wii fashion, the new PlayStation 3 controller will also have motion-sensing capabilities. Sony's Phil Harrison stated that the controller is capable of sensing motion in six degrees: up, down, left, right, forward, and backward. Even with the added functionality, the controller will weigh no more than the wired DualShock controller, according to Harrison. Dylan Jobe of Incognito Studios proceeded to demonstrate the controller's motion sensitivity in Warhawk, a jet-based fighter game. He tilted the controller to control the orientation of his aircraft. Tilting the controller upward caused the aircraft to point its nose in the air and shifting the sides of the controller up and down caused the aircraft to tilt in a similar manner. Additionally, the controller will no longer feature force-feedback vibration. Sony claims that the feedback vibration would interfere with games that use the motion sensor.
Like the Xbox 360 controller, the new PlayStation 3 controller will be wireless, but it will function via Bluetooth 2.0 EDR instead of 2.4GHz RF. Devices operating with Bluetooth generally have a range of 30 feet. Sony reports that the controller will have a 24-hour battery life, a figure that seems to be in line with other Bluetooth devices but far short of the 300-hour 2.4GHz models available for current consoles. Despite the decreased battery life, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR offers numerous features. Bluetooth 2.0 EDR can transmit data at rates of up to 3.0Mbps. Furthermore, by using Bluetooth, the PlayStation 3 may be capable of supporting other Bluetooth devices on the market, such as headsets, mice, and keyboards.
Also, you will be able to recharge the controller by connecting it to the PlayStation 3 with a USB cable. The controller will be functional while tethered to the system and will also be hot pluggable, which means you can plug and unplug controllers while the system is on.
The PlayStation Portable will be able to work with the new console. The PSP will be able to function as a remote control or as a sort of controller for the PlayStation 3. To demonstrate the possibilities of PSP-to-PS3 connectivity, Harrison showed off Formula 1, a PS3 racing game, which could output a video stream to the PSP that lets the player use the portable as a rearview mirror while playing the game on the PS3.
Media Mogul
The 2.5" portable hard drives supply the system with much-needed storage space for network downloads, applications, and home-server capabilities. Additionally, games will use the hard drive for game saves, and it will cache game files for decreased load times. During the Gran Turismo HD E3 2006 demonstration, Sony mentioned that load times would be reduced to two to three seconds. The game took around six to seven seconds to load during the E3 demo, but loading times will likely drop once developers have more time to optimize.
The 60GB PlayStation 3 has an enormous number of inputs and outputs, some wired, some not. The console features a front-slot-loading Blu-ray optical-disc drive, four USB ports, and a memory stick, as well as compact flash and SD readers to provide for an absurd level of media connectivity. The 20GB PlayStation 3, in comparison, has a much more limited feature set. It won't have memory stick, compact flash, or SD card ports. Upon closer inspection, Sony has cut specs for both systems since first announcing the console.
The PlayStation 3 will come in a handsome-looking Clear Black color.
Sony has flip-flopped on the HDMI connector issue over the past few months. The original PlayStation 3 specs released at E3 2005 showed a system with dual HDMI ports, but when Sony revealed the two PS3 models at E3 2006 only the 60GB version had HDMI. However, during a question and answer session follwing his Tokyo Game Show 2006 keynote address, Kutaragi revealed that the 20GB model would have an HDMI port.
Sony will equip each PlayStation 3 system with a Blu-ray optical-disc drive that can play games and movie discs. Each Blu-ray disc can hold up to 54GB worth of data, which should virtually guarantee that games won't be left wanting for extra media space. During his Game Developers Conference 2006 keynote address, Sony's Phil Harrison boasted that the storage capacity of a Blu-ray disc is large enough to hold localized content for all versions of a game, letting publishers ship one global disc instead of stamping out a new version for each language region. Games will be region-free, but movies will still have region locks preventing multiregion playback. However, according to Japanese IT Media, the Blu-ray spec now has North America, South America, and Asia (except for China) in region 1. If the spec doesn't change, that means your US PlayStation 3 should be able to play those Blu-ray Godzilla movies imported from Japan. The PlayStation 3 also comes with support for many of the older disc formats, including CR-ROM, CDR+W, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, and DVD+R. The system will also be backward compatible with PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games.
Sony's original specifications stated that the PlayStation 3 would come with three Ethernet ports, but the newly revealed specifications from E3 06 show that the system will arrive with only one Ethernet port. The 60GB version of the PlayStation 3 will also come with Wi-Fi built-in, but the 20GB version will only have the Ethernet port. We can't ignore the fact that the PS3 has all the tools to function as a personal video recorder and home-media server. The larger 60GB drive will likely prove much more useful than the 20GB drive if you wish to take advantage of the additional media functionality.
GTA may not be as securely locked into the PS3 as we thought. In an interview with TheStreet.com, Take-Two Interactive CEO Paul Eibeler tells the online publication that the home for the next Grand Theft Auto installment has yet to be determined.
Q: You and Sony have had an exclusive arrangement with the Grand Theft Auto titles. Are we going to see a similar arrangement on the next generation of consoles?
When we announced that back on Grand Theft Auto 3, Sony was a big, big factor in the business and was a great partner of ours. We have since brought that brand to the Xbox and the PC market. It's just a wait-and-see attitude that we take to the market. We study the market and see whether that exclusive nature is good for the company at that time or if it's something that we might not want to do.
Q: So, the decision hasn't been made yet?
We haven't announced anything yet. It's a good position to be in, because we have the world's biggest brand and we have the hardware companies asking us, and certainly they want that product on their system. We will be finalizing that decision as we study the market.
The Grand Theft Auto franchise is a monster series that has sold over 40 million units worldwide. The last three installments were locked in exclusive agreements to debut on Sony's Playstation 2, helping the company acheive a dominant position in the last video game wars. The titles were eventually released to Microsoft's Xbox and PC.
An exclusive deal with Sony on the PS3 to debut the next installment could be a major factor in next-generation console sales. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are all striking deals to have games appear only on their next-generation systems in order to secure games that can't be played on rival systems.
Stay tuned to PS3 Portal for more news on the next Gen GTA game as it develops.
Kingston Technology has introduced its 1GB microSD expansion memory cards that are perfect for users of both current and Gen-Next multi-function mobile phones that require additional memory to support advanced applications, including MP3 players, video, higher-resolution cameras, and mobile gaming.
Commenting on the new cards, Scott Chen, vice president - business development APAC, Kingston, said, "The microSD form factor is becoming increasingly popular as new mobile phone handsets reduce in size and increase in functionality. With new 1GB capacities, consumers can efficiently manage more - from address books, photos, and data files, to multiple ringtones, video, music, and beyond."
The 1GB microSD card joins the existing 512MB and 256MB cards, and packs with it a Secure Digital (SD) adapter for use as a full-sized SD card. The adapter has an in-built write-protect switch to protect against accidental data loss.
The new microSD memory card is ultra-portable and versatile; measures around 43 x 0.59 x 0.039 inches; weighs about 1.41g; and comes in capacities of 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB, together with a lifetime warranty.
The new card, like other Kingston products, will be available from AA Infoways, Avnet India, Ingram Micro, Kobian Electronics, and Transtek Infoways.
Nokia collaborates with Microsoft on Mobile Search
Nokia collaborates with Microsoft on Mobile Search Nokia has reached an agreement with Microsoft to integrate Live Search capabilities into its Mobile Search platform, thus enabling consumers access to Live Search directly from their Nokia Nseries smartphones and other compatible Nokia S60 devices.
Live Search will provide advanced web search results in 14 languages. Microsoft will provide advanced search results for web search, as well as information such as stock quotes, movie times, and common facts via Encarta Instant Answers.
The Mobile Search application is expected to be available in select markets in the standard sales packs of the Nokia N80 Internet Edition, Nokia N73 (pictured), Nokia N93, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6680, and Nokia 6681, it is also offered as a free download for select Nokia S60 devices.
With less than two months to go (barring any further delays) before the planned November launch of the PlayStation 3, Sony's online plans for the console are still largely up in the air. Thus it came as a bit of a surprise when in an interview for Japan's Famitsu magazine, the creator of the Gran Turismo series, Kazunori Yamauchi, gave a detailed look at how the latest GT game will make use of online features.
The latest installment in the Gran Turismo series will be called Gran Turismo: HD. Sony is really pushing the high resolution aspect of the PS3, so look for more titles to use the "HD" moniker. GT:HD will be released in two installments: the first will be "Classic" and will hit shelves in time for the PS3 launch. Coming later will be the "Premium" edition that will use more advanced graphics technology and be essentially a preview for the "proper" GT5, which is scheduled for release in 2008.
Besides the graphical improvements, the major news about GT:HD revolves around the online portion of the game. The game starts out with no cars or tracks loaded. Players can purchase cars for ¥50-100 (about $0.45 to $0.85) and courses for ¥200-500 ($1.70 to $4.30). Online race events are defined by the players themselves, and can be held at any time. Initially, over 750 cars and 50 tracks will be made available, with additional releases to come over time. There are also plans for "limited edition" car and track downloads, which will likely be priced higher.
GT:HD Premium will come with 30 cars and two courses built-in, with additional ones available for purchase online in the same fashion. Aside from the improved graphics, it will have additional features such as variable weather. The game itself will be more free-form than the Classic release, more of a driving simulator than a standard singleplayer game where you earn new content by completing various missions.
What will the public reaction be to a pay-as-you-go model for content? Some might argue that this has already been shown to be acceptable in the form of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), but monthly fees for those titles pay not only for new content but the vast array of servers required to support an online world with millions of users. Singleplayer games such as Oblivion have tried out this model in a limited fashion by offering extras (such as special horse armor) that are available only via purchased download. However, it remains to be seen whether gamers will embrace this idea when carried to the next level. A quick calculation shows that to purchase all 750 cars and 50 tracks would cost an astonishing $637, more than the price of the console itself!
So what's the reasoning behind the move to a pay-as-you go model? The same reason given for the ever-increasing inclusion of advertising in games: the runaway costs of game development. All those high-definition models and textures cost money to create, and companies are clearly looking for a way to increase revenue to match these costs. Will the future of gaming be pay-as-you-go? Depending on the success of GD:HD, it may well be.
Motorola takes cell phone impulse-shopping to new levels
If you've ever had the desire to upgrade your cell brick to a sleek, new pink RAZR at two in the morning, Motorola would like to have a word with you. The company has introduced vending machines in over 20 malls and airports around the country, with more likely to come. Called "INSTANTMOTO" machines, the massive vending machines will sell a wide range of cell phones and accessories to those with a bad case of upgrade-itis or who just need a phone in a pinch.
"This on-demand retail solution is an interesting approach to the many extensions of our retail strategy," said Motorola corporate VP of global retail Jason Few. INSTANTMOTO "is an opportunity to bring never-seen-before convenience to consumers."
Motorola will be selling popular models such as the RAZR and the Q smartphone via the vending machines as well as some of it's less-pricey mid-range models. The massive vending machines require a credit card for purchases, which are made using a touch screen. Once purchased, the phones can be quickly activated in most cases.
Cingular, T-Mobile, and Verizon are offering service plans in conjunction with the vending machines, but consumers can also purchase phones sans plan. Cingular and T-Mobile will be able to upgrade right after hitting the Motorola vend-a-phone by swapping out the SIM cards from their old phones. Verizon customers will need to call the carrier to have service switched manually, and those who want a new service plan will have to sign up online, negating part of the convenience factor.
If the pilot program is successful, Motorola will expand INSTANTMOTO's presence throughout the US and possibly overseas. With iPods and other digital music players already sold in vending machines, the concept of selling consumer electronics in this fashion is hardly novel. But if you've just arrived in town on a red-eye flight and you've lost your cell phone, INSTANTMOTO may be just what the doctor ordered.
SEO Philippines egroup Launches World SEO Championship
Search engine optimization contests give beginners and professionals alike the opportunity to test out their own strategies and display their search engine positioning talents.
A new search engine optimization (SEO) competition has begun, organized by SEO Philippines egroup over at Isulong SEOPH . The objective of the game is to rank highly for the search terms “Isulong SEOPH” without the quotation marks, in Google. The prize? PHP130,000 in total ( roughly USD2,500 ). The contest signals a new era where achieving first page rankings in search engines is vital to business success, and with website owners forking out thousands of dollars in order to achieve these rankings for competitive terms.
From Isulongseoph.com.ph, "This is a great challenge for all SEO beginners and experts. Not only It can prove your SEO ability in front of the world, but also you will get invaluable awards. For beginners, it is the best opportunity to learn the ultimate strategies from the live SEO event."
Currently there are over 976,000 results for the search term “Isulong SEOPH” in Google, and the competition is heating up. At first place is http://www.isulongseoph.com.p... . The search engine positions are quite volatile and change on a day to day basis.
"I think search engine contests are a great way for SEO professionals and newbies alike to test out their own strategies and to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s a great learning experience and its fun!," said Benj Arriola of Isulongseoph.com.ph.
TOKYO – The low-end version of Sony’s Playstation 3 will be offered at a lower price in Japan than was originally announced and will come with a high-definition multimedia interface in all territories, the company said Friday.
First marked at 59,800 yen, the low-end model will instead retail in Japan for 49,800 yen (approximately $410), a reduction of about 20 percent, Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi said in a keynote speech delivered at the Tokyo Game Show.
Moreover, he said, the less expensive models will now include HDMI output ports. HDMI’s “time has come earlier than expected,” Kutagari said, conceding that the high-definition output port was considered extravagant when first announced, but necessary now as the adoption rate of HDTVs continues to grow.
The changes come just months after Sony stunned the crowd at the E3 games expo in Los Angeles by announcing Playstation 3’s price at $500 and $600 in the United States, making it by far the most expensive game console of any major manufacturer. (In Japan, the high-end model is referred to as “open price,” meaning that retailers can set their own price points for the hardware. When asked by Wired News if he had any idea what pricing structure the retailers were contemplating, Kutaragi said that he did not.)
Sony has staunchly defended the pricing, arguing the features and performance justify the cost. Friday's price cut could be seen as a concession to critics as well as a recognition of competition with lower-priced rivals.
U.S. prices will remain the same, Sony Computer Entertainment America executives said Friday, but the addition of HDMI will include all territories. That could make the low-end model more desirable, despite the relatively high price. Kutaragi would not say how many of the 100,000 PS3 units that Sony will ship for the Japan launch will be in the cheaper, low-end configuration. But Kaz Hirai, SCEA's president, said that U.S. retailers were “predominantly” choosing to order the high-end units. He noted, however, that this may change with the addition of HDMI to the $500 model.
The announcements promise to sharpen already fierce competition among console makers for supremacy in next generation gaming market. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is already on the market at $300 and $400. Nintendo’s Wii is expected to arrive Nov. 19 and will be priced at $250, making it the cheapest of three. Adding to the pressure on Sony, the Playstation 3 launch date was twice pushed back; it's now expected to become available Nov. 11 in Japan and Nov. 17 in the U.S., a year behind the Xbox.
The high-definition multimedia interface, or HDMI, connects compatible audio/video sources (digital game consoles, set-top boxes and DVD players to audio and video outputs), to a high definition TV set. Originally, only the high-end model (which also includes a larger hard drive, wireless functionality, and slots for flash memory cards) was slated to feature HDMI.
Also at the event, Phil Harrison, head of Sony’s worldwide development studios, confirmed that PlayStation 3 will be region-free for video games (but not DVD nor Blu-Ray movies). Kutaragi went a step further, intimating that downloadable game content could also be region-free. “In that case, there would be no physical barriers, only language barriers,” he noted cryptically.
Although Sony revealed that games from the previous two generations of PlayStation would be downloadable on PS3 and run through emulators, company representatives shied away from naming a list of titles. Hirai pointed out that the downloadable game lineup would be determined in large part by the sizes of the games, noting for example that a 9-gigabyte PlayStation 2 epic would be an unlikely choice.
Kutaragi mentioned in his speech that games from the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 classic consoles would also be downloadable and playable on PS3, a feature shared by Nintendo’s Wii console.
He also announced that PS3 owners will be able to use their new gaming consoles to participate in the Folding@Home distributed computing project, helping to simulate protein folding and contributing to research into diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer.
SCEA representatives confirmed to Wired News that the Folding@Home would be available on the launch day of PS3.
The PlayStation 3 has been hit by delays to its launch
Electronics giant Sony could face its fiercest critics yet when it showcases the delayed PlayStation 3 (PS3) on home soil at the Tokyo Games Show (TGS).
The exhibition is the last major event in the gaming calendar before the PS3 goes on sale on 11 November.
The third incarnation of the popular games machine made its first TGS appearance last year.
Since then, Sony has delayed the launch, prompting a backlash from some parts of the gaming community.
Japan has been a loyal market of Sony, with nearly a quarter of the 100 million PlayStation 2 (PS2) consoles sold worldwide bought by Japanese gamers.
TGS will be the first time that gamers will be able to get their hands on the PS3 and a raft of playable titles.
Public show
TGS is the biggest dedicated gaming show in Japan, the second largest gaming market in the world after the US. It is now in its 10th year.
More than 140 companies are expected to attend the event in an attempt to grab a slice of an industry worth an annual $30bn globally.
E3
E3 showcase slims down
Until now, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles has taken pride of place in the gaming calendar, with the big three console manufacturers - Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft - jostling for the hearts, minds and wallets of gamers.
Since the announcement that E3 will be downsized next year, the TGS has become even more important as an industry showcase.
Along with Sony, Microsoft will be at TGS pushing its Xbox 360 system.
However, Nintendo traditionally forgo TGS in favour of their own events.
The three-day show officially kicks off on Friday with a closed, press-only day.
Unlike many game shows the doors are then thrown open to the public for the weekend.
Big push
Sony is keen to make a big splash at this year's event. The company needs to persuade gamers that the delayed console is worth the wait, and the high price tag.
The budget version of the console will sell for 59800 yen in Japan and 499 euros in Europe.
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 hit shelves last November
The PS3 was scheduled to launch in spring this year but a technical hitch with the console's Blu-ray drive meant the firm was forced to delay the release.
European gamers suffered further disappointment in September this year when the company said that the 17 November European release date was being pushed back to 2007.
Japanese and US gamers will still get their hands on the console in November.
In a bid to showcase the cutting edge processing and graphical power of the PS3, Sony has announced 27 playable PS3 titles for the TGS, with a further 35 shown on video.
Playable titles include Devil May Cry 4, Resistance: Fall of Man and Ridge Racer 7.
Some games will be updates of titles demonstrated earlier this year at E3.
Games showcase
Microsoft will also be present at TGS. The firm's Xbox 360 went on sale around the world last November and has become an instant success.
Microsoft has said it plans to ship 10 million consoles before the PS3 or Nintendo's latest console, the Wii, hit the shops.
But Microsoft has traditionally had difficulty cracking the loyal Japanese gaming market.
Nintendo Wii Nintendo traditionally shuns the Tokyo Games Show
When the 360 went on sale in the US and UK hardcore fans scrambled to get their hands on the console and it quickly sold out. But Japanese gamers were less enthusiastic. At the console's Tokyo launch one store official described customer reaction as "subdued."
Microsoft will have some of their top executives at TGS including Peter Moore, head of Microsoft's game business. They will push the 360 console to try to gain as much of a lead over Sony before November.
At a pre-TGS event in Tokyo, Microsoft said it would be releasing a HD-DVD player for the Xbox 360 on 17 November in Japan, priced 19,800 yen (£89).
The high definition player is a rival to the Blu-ray player inside the PS3.
The US software firm is also hosting its own event, X06, in Barcelona later in September.
The event will showcase some of the next generation games for the 360 console.
Demos and announcements from both events will be made available to users of the Xbox live online gaming service.
Wii launch
The other large console maker, Nintendo has a strong fan base in the country but the Japanese manufacturer tends to hold its own events in place of TGS.
Last week, Nintendo announced launch dates and prices for its Wii console at a series of worldwide press conferences.
The company said that the console would be available before Christmas this year and that four million consoles would be available at launch.
More than 20 games would also be available including The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Games developers will be showing other Wii titles at TGS, giving gamers the chance to play with the console's innovative controller.
Games on show for the Wii include Marvelous Interactive's latest instalment of the Harvest Moon series.
The Tokyo Game Show will take place from 22 to 24 September at Makuhari Messe conference centre in Chiba near Tokyo.
Microsoft to boost Xbox 360 high-definition video ability
Microsoft Corp. plans to give its Xbox 360 game console the ability to output high-definition video with better resolution than it currently does on televisions that support the capability.
The company was slated to the make the announcement today at the Tokyo Game Show. Microsoft also is using the show to demonstrate upcoming games for the Japanese market, where Xbox 360 sales have been slow.
The developments come as Microsoft prepares for the release of the rival Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii later this year.
Microsoft says it will give existing Xbox 360s the capability for 1080p output through a free software update to be distributed online later this year. The numerical designation stands for 1,080 lines of vertical resolution. The Xbox 360 already offers high-definition output at the somewhat less-advanced 720p and 1080i resolutions.
Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, acknowledged that the number of people benefiting from the 1080p upgrade will probably be "a very small percentage." But he called it an example of Microsoft's ability to update the Xbox 360's capabilities after purchase.
The upgrade doesn't mean that the Xbox 360's built-in drive will be able to play movies in next-generation DVD formats. For that purpose, Microsoft is separately offering an external HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 for sale later this year. It will be released Nov. 22 in Japan at a price of 19,800 yen (about $168), the company said.
Microsoft will be announcing the release schedule and separate pricing for the HD-DVD drive in Europe and the United States soon, Kim said.
Sony has taken a different approach, building a next-generation Blu-ray Disc drive directly into the PlayStation 3. Versions of the Sony console are expected to sell for about $600 and $500, compared with $400 and $300 for the Xbox 360. The Wii, which comes with a unique motion-sensitive controller, will be priced at $250.
It's been what, 10 years since AMD's K5 desktop chip came onto the market? In all that time, Dell has turned up its nose at Intel's main rival in the consumer desktop game. Until today, that is. In addition to updating the Dimension E510 midtower to the Core 2 Duo-based Dimension E520, Dell also added Dimension E521 and Dimension C521 models to its mainstream consumer desktop family. The latter two are special because they come with AMD Sempron, Athlon 64, and dual-core Athlon 64 X2 processors in them.
The Dimension E521 is a standard midtower design (as is the E520); the C521 is a sort of small-form-factor wannabe that's a bit larger than Dell's XPS 210, also announced today. All three new systems come with Windows Media Center 2005 and a combination of optical drives, hard drives, and graphics cards that make them solid middle-of-the-road PCs. They all go on sale tomorrow, and prices for the Dimension E520 start at $719, the E521 starts at $329, and the C521 starts at $359.
Given the current state of the processor market, we're not surprised that Dell relegated AMD's chips to the budget end of the spectrum. The Dimension E520 and, as of today, the entire XPS line all have Intel Core 2 Duo chips in them (Pentium D is still an option if you must), giving them the performance edge. But AMD still has the advantage in performance and cost at the lower end of the CPU spectrum. If you're wondering why Dell finally decided to go with AMD after all this time, one theory we've heard is that Dell wasn't happy about Intel working with Apple, and thus crossed the AMD line. If that's true, we expect it's only part of the story. And regardless, the deal is done.
And if you're wondering what they look like, you can try Dell's online photo bank. We couldn't get the Dimension C521's link to work at the time of posting, but perhaps Dell will fix it soon.
Extreme sport. As he's jumping the skateboard ramp, everyone will notice this cool tee he's wearing. Featuring a "Tony Hawk" logo with puffed-ink accents at the chest. And a logo on the sleeve. Short sleeves. In red.
Skateboard in style wearing this awesome shirt! Featuring a short-sleeved crewneck tee with "Hawk Clothing" and a red and black hawk graphic on the chest. And "Tony Hawk" scribbled numerous times across the background. With long mock-layered sleeves in white. Fashioned from a durable cotton fabrication that can take plenty of wear and tear. Plus, a loose fit through the waist for ease of movement. Sure to be your favorite weekend look. In black/white.
The Inspiron e1505 is Dells 15.4" widescreen notebook featuring the impressive new Intel Core Duo CPU. A virtually identical Inspiron 6400 is available through their business site. Outside it looks just like the Inspiron 6000 it replaces, but the new hardware inside makes for impressive performance. In traditional Dell style, the E1505 is well rounded, quite customizable and available at a competitive price, but doesn't offer anything radical.
The E1505 reviewed here was configured as follows:
* Intel Core Duo Processor T2500 at 2.0 GHz per core. * 15.4" Ultrasharp SXGA+ display with TrueLife * 512MB DDR2 533MHz RAM in dual channel mode * Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 * 100GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive * 8X DVD +/- dual layer recorder * 53 watt-hour 6-cell battery
Build and Design
The Inspiron e1505 matches much of the Dell lineup clad in painted silver with white trim on top and a black underside. I'm not a fan of painted finishes because they seem more susceptible to chips and scratches. The color scheme is simple, but I'm not a huge fan of the white trim "bumpers."
The notebook is sturdy enough to feel comfortable lifting it by one corner. However, I would like better overall build quality. It is comparable to Sony and others but does not come near the solid (and expensive) IBM ThinkPad line. Just like my Inspiron 9300, there is a gap at the bottom of the LCD. This area also gets quite warm. It must be where the LCD backlight or inverter is. I wonder if the gap is purposeful to allow some heat to escape.
The back of the screen is plastic, but very sturdy and a hard push won't make ripples appear. The hinges seem sturdy and well damped. The screen latch is plastic. Some notebooks do away with latches entirely and use magnetic latching or nothing at all, which works surprisingly well.
Screen
I chose the highest screen option which is WSXGA+ (1680x1050) Ultrasharp with TrueLife (glossy). The Ultrasharp screen is listed at having significantly higher viewing angle, higher resolution, and slightly higher brightness. The wide viewing angle was my main interest. However, it seems about on par with most other mid- to high-end notebooks. It makes me think the lower screen options would be disappointing.
The screen is very sharp with nice saturated colors and high contrast. It is close, but not quite as bright as others I have reviewed. There is some light leakage near the bottom of the screen.
Screen shimmer / sparkle seen on the e1505 screen (view large image)
There is also a faint "texture" on the screen. Some call it a "shimmer" or "sparkle" noticeable in the light continuous tones when you move your head and change your viewpoint. It is not extreme, and most people probably would never notice it. However, if you are sensitive to such things, you might consider a different screen option. It is visible and exaggerated in the upper left of this photo.
Speakers
The speaker performance of the E1505 was actually a surprise. In the world of notebooks, they are quite excellent. Of course there is no bass but they seem to play low enough to make voices sound natural. They also play loud, for a notebook, without distortion. They point forward, and project the sound into a room so several people could easily watch a movie.
Processor and Performance / Benchmarks
There's no doubt about it, the Core Duo is fast. For example, CPU usage hovers around 10-15% while watching a DVD, and that's with the CPU automatically clocked down to 1GHz to save battery life!
While more and more software is being written to take advantage of multiple CPU cores, many common applications do not. However, even software that is not "multithreaded" will benefit in a multitasking environment. Tasks that previously all but locked up the computer until they completed now seem as though they aren't running at all! The overall responsiveness of the Dual Core machine is impressive. In some cases, the actual measured performance is also very notable.
My Photoshop tests reveal that the Core Duo is almost exactly TWICE as fast as a single core Pentium M of the same clock speed for common tasks photographers do. Video editing and other high end tasks display similar results.
Below is the popular Super Pi benchmark result for calculating Pi to 2 million digits. This program only uses ONE of the CPU cores, so I could do other tasks and barely affect the benchmark score.
* Super Pi Run Alone: 1m 16s * Super Pi Run While watching DVD: 1m 16s
Notebook Time Dell Inspiron e1505 (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 16s Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 15s Sony VAIO FS680 (1.86 GHz Pentium M) 1m 53s Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 18s IBM ThinkPad Z60m (2.0 GHz Pentium M) 1m 36s Fujitsu LifeBook N3510 (1.73 GHz Pentium M) 1m 48s Dell Inspiron 6000D (1.6 GHz Pentium M) 1m 52s Dell Inspiron 600M (1.6 GHz Pentium M) 2m 10s HP Pavilion dv4000 (1.86 GHz Pentium M) 1m 39s HP DV4170us (Pentium M 1.73 GHz) 1m 53s Sony VAIO S380 (1.86 GHz Pentium M) 1m 45s
The big 5400 RPM drive performs well, although a 7200 RPM drive would be even better and a worthwhile upgrade to keep up with the fast CPU and load programs faster. Below is the HDTune benchmark results for the e1505:
(view large image)
Even though it is not a gaming notebook, I wanted to see how the low cost integrated graphics Solution worked. The E1505 scored 569 in 3dMarks05.
Notebook 3DMark 05 Results Dell Inspiron e1505 (2.0GHz Core Duo, Intel integrated graphics) 569 3D Marks Lenovo ThinkPad Z60m (2.0GHz Pentium M, ATI X600 128MB) 1659 3DMarks ThinkPad T43 (1.86GHz, ATI X300 64MB graphics) 727 3DMarks Asus V6Va (2.13 GHz Pentium M, ATI Radeon Mobility x700 128 MB) 2530 3D Marks Quanta KN1 (1.86 GHz Pentium M, NVIDIA GeForce Go 6600 128mb) 2,486 3DMarks HP dv4000 (1.86GHz Pentium M, ATI X700 128MB) 2536 3D Marks Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 256MB) 4157 3DMarks
Noise:
The Dell E1505 is commendably quiet -- most of the time. Even while watching a DVD, the fan remained off. With a low power integrated video card, only one fan is needed to cool this machine. The hard drive makes a subdued, but noticeable hum.
Only under heavier tasks does the fan does come on. It has at least three speeds. The lowest is very quiet, and more of a pleasing low pitched hum than an annoying whine. Unfortunately, running benchmarks (which can cause sustained full processor usage, something most programs rarely do) will often cause the fan to quickly bypass first and kick into second and then third gear. It seems that when the fan starts, the CPU continues to warm for a few moments while the cooling begins to take effect, triggering a higher fan speed that is not really necessary. After a while it will slow back down and stay there. If the fan is already running at a lower speed when the benchmark starts, it usually won't speed up. After 10 minutes of simultaneous 3DMark05 and Super Pi, the fan did go from the lowest to the middle speed.
Heat:
After about two hours of DVD watching, both sides of the palm rest became warm, but not at all hot. The keyboard and area under the screen generated more heat. The underside of the notebook was also slightly warm at the front and warmer, but not hot at the rear. As with all notebooks, heat is more of an issue when used on an insulating/air-restrictin g lap. Running heavier tasks does not generate noticeably more heat. The computer will cool down almost as if it were off if allowed to sit idle for 15 minutes.
Battery:
With the smaller option 6 cell battery and a powerful new processor, I didn't have very high hopes for battery life. However, the Dell lasted longer than expected. At maximum brightness, it played a DVD for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Under normal light tasks, with WiFi on and almost maximum brightness, the battery lasted almost three hours. Dimming the screen all the way and shutting wireless off squeezed almost 4 hours of total battery life. I could burn the battery in about 90 minutes or less if I really tried. Gaming would likely burn it this fast.
The optional 9-cell battery, which is the same physical size as the 6-cell, should give about 50% more run time.
The battery charges fast for the first 80%. At nearly 1% per minute, you could get a significant boost on a one hour layover at the airport.
A bigger battery might be a better choice than two batteries. Lithium-Ion cells wear out even if you don't use them.
Keyboard and Touchpad:
Dell Inspiron keyboard and touchpad view (view large image)
The keyboard has good tactile feel and is very firm. There is almost no flex, except at the rear where the whole notebook casing flexes in when pushed hard.
The touchpad is slightly recessed so it's hard to accidentally touch. The two buttons feel pretty cheap, but respond well.
Ports:
The E1505 contains the standard array of newer, non-legacy ports. The four USB 2.0 ports are split between the rear and right side of the notebook, which is much better than all in one place. There is no old parallel printer port or serial ports. Sadly, the E1505 lacks the DVI port of its big brother, although the external VGA connection is capable of driving a big 24" LCD with 1920x1200 resolution.
Dell Inspiron e1505 left side view (view large image)
Right side view of e1505 (view large image)
Dell Inspiron e1505 back side view (view large image)
Dell Inspiron e1505 front side view (view large image)
Wireless:
The Dell wireless 1390 802.11g card picked up signals well and connected to a variety of local wireless networks. Yes, even in Fairbanks, Alaska we have hotspots.
Operating System and Software:
This was my first experience with Windows XP Media Center edition. As far as I can tell, everything is about the same as XP Home for most purposes. It has some enhanced features for managing digital media. Options I did not get are a remote control and a TV tuner.
Dell also includes "Media Direct" software that can be accessed without booting into windows. The advantage is very fast startup time if you don't need full-fledged windows.
On the desktop and system tray there is a fair amount of "annoyware" -- junk that many people won't use. Dell did install Google Desktop, which I find quite useful. It finds file on your computer far faster than a windows search does, and includes other useful features. One day, Google will rule the world.
Conclusion:
The Dell Inspiron e1505 is a fairly run-of-the mill notebook for a bargain price, but it offers a few surprises. The 2 GHz Core Duo CPU is rockin' fast. Even with this performance, battery life was impressive, and 5+ hours should be possible with the optional 9-cell battery. My only real gripe is with the screen. The slight shimmer, light leakage, and brightness that seems like it's turned down half a notch make it fall behind other notebooks. Still, the screen is better than most bargain notebooks, and better than anything from a few years ago. It's also very sharp and high resolution. This, along with the nice keyboard, makes for a positive ergonomic experience.
Pros:
* Top-Notch computing performance in non-3D applications * Awesome for multi-taskers * Very respectable battery life * Quiet under normal use * Mostly cool running * Good keyboard * Surprisingly good speakers
Cons:
* Build quality could be improved some. * Not available with high end graphics (yet?), must get spendier XPS line for that. * Best of three available screens is not that great. * No non-glossy option for high resolution or expanded viewing angle.
Pricing and Availability: The Dell Inspiron e1505 is available from Dell.com and price varies depending on configuration. You can also buy the Inspiron 6400 from the Dell business site which is virtually the same as the e1505.
GeoSafari Talking Globe Jr. guides young children on an exciting interactive learning adventure to introduce geography basics! Two game modes and variable subjects allow children to learn geography with spoken and visual clues, then immediately quiz each lesson...it's an effective teaching globe as well as a fun quiz machine! High-quality digital voice technology, sound, and music add entertainment and educational value.
Illustrated 12-inch globe has just the right amount of detail and color-coding to make it fun and easy for young children to read. One to three players.
Features : Adjustable volume, question repeat, and help button, as well as dazzling lights and sound effects to guide, reward, and excite!
Requires four C batteries (not included) or EI-8702 AC adapter (sold separately).
Award: Oppenheim Platinum Award Learning Magazine Teacher's Choice Parent's Choice Foundation Award
Smarter, stronger and more intuitive than ever, LEGO® MINDSTORMS™ NXT is a robotics toolset that provides endless opportunities for robotics enthusiasts and LEGO builders ages 10 and older to build and program robots that do what they want. A new “Quick Start” option makes it easy to successfully build and program a robot in 30 minutes.
All-New NXT Intelligent Brick - The “brain” of the robot, featuring powerful 32-bit microprocessor, more memory programming - 4 input ports / 3 output ports and 7 6-wire cords - Matrix display, real sound speaker - USB 2.0 and Bluetooth®
3 Interactive Servo Motors - Bring robotics creations to life - Built-in rotation sensor measures one degree steps for precise movement
Sensors - New Ultrasonic Sensor: the “eyes” of the robot measure distance, movements and detects objects - New Sound Sensor: the “ears” of the robot, allowing creations to react to sound commands and patterns, as well as recognize tones - Improved Touch Sensor: the “fingers” of the robots, reacting to touch or release - Improved Light Sensor: detects different colors and light intensity
All-New Programming Software - Easy-to-use PC and Mac compatible software interface, powered by LabVIEW from National Instruments - Intuitive, icon-based drag and drop environment for “building” programs - 18 robot challenges with step-by-step building instructions to acclimate beginners to the process of building and programming robots and inspire older users
LEGO Elements - Streamlined, highly versatile collection of 519 LEGO TECHNIC® elements for easy, more stable building with improved functionality and movement capabilities
MyLink Auto is a FREE, 400 page, seasonally inspired and Auto-like publication. It showcases high quality and innovative automotive designs, products, ideas and techniques. The readers discover not only a “back to basics” approach to car buying guide and car comparisons, but a more challenging one that serves to develop their talent and creativity as well. “How to” features encourage the reader to experiment with a variety of products.
MyLink Auto ( www.mylink.tblog.com ) understands the importance of supporting local car stores as well as on-line stores. By providing these retailers with a free, high quality publication, it is a powerful tool to grow their customer base and allows them to draw their customers inside where they can effectively showcase the products featured.
With an experienced team in place, MyLink Auto is a perfect medium for both manufacturers and retailers to display their products, interact with readers and continue the evolution of the automotive industry worldwide. Readers indicate that because of the easy to follow instructions provided, they are now using products that they would never have used before.
Current advertisers include Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Proton EON, Ford, Ferrari, Mercedez Benz and many more. Contracts for 2007 are currently being entertained. In order to preserve the quality of the publication, advertising space is limited and is provided on a first come, first serve basis.
With 100 – 300 print copies being provided to each store for distribution to their loyal customer base, MyLink Auto guarantees presence in the international marketplace.
For further details related to targeting an international audience, please contact Mas Dini Muzammal.
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Mas Dini Muzammal, Publisher MyLink Auto 60136679137 adfunk@gmail.com
Tag: car buying guide lists new car prices, used car prices, car comparisons, car buying advice, car ratings, car values, auto leasing
Imagine a mobile phone that looks like a pocket-sized games console. Imaging adding a diary appointment to that phone and having it update a Web-accessible backup automatically. Now imagine that same phone with a built-in keyboard, Web browser, e-mail and instant messaging software, and a camera. You are imagining the Sidekick II, available exclusively from T-Mobile.
It's a weird looking device, with a feature set that has some obvious and annoying omissions. But the idea is strangely compelling despite that.
The Sidekick II is big for a phone. At 130 x 66 x 22mm it gives your average PDA a run for its money, and weighs more than most of those too, at 184g.
It has a huge screen (60mm wide and 40mm high), placed right in the centre of the hardware, flanked on left and right by banks of buttons, a roller and a navigation pad. You are meant to hold this thing in two hands lengthways like a games console, where the buttons fall easily under your thumbs.
Held in this way, you push the screen towards you at its top right corner with a forefinger, and it flips right round at considerable speed, revealing as it does the rubber keyboard it protects. The mechanism is smooth, surprising and satisfying to use.
On-board software includes a fair bit that is text-centric, including e-mail, SMS, note-taking and AOL Instant Messenger. There is also MMS software, a diary, to do list and contact book, Web browser and a game built in.
The camera takes images at resolutions up to 640 x 480, but not video. You can make voice calls, but we found holding the Sidekick II to our ear to do so felt a bit ridiculous. A mono earbud - there's no stereo output - and speakerphone are your alternatives. There is no Bluetooth support.
The Sidekick II supports Java and you can download games and other content, but there is only 16MB of built-in memory and no flash support, so don't expect to go mad with your downloads.
Probably the best thing about the Sidekick II is that you get an e-mail address with it and a chunk of password-protected Web space which provides access to all the data that the Sidekick II itself does.
You can add content to the device and it is immediately sent to the Web space, and that includes pictures taken with the built-in camera. Similarly, entering information in the Web space means it gets replicated on the Sidekick II. It is instant backup, and when we were testing the Sidekick II it worked perfectly.
The problem here is sharing information with your desktop address book. There's no direct support for PC synchronisation, so you have to import tab-delimited files via the Web space, which simply won't be practical for managing ever-changing diary and contact databases. Comparing prices of 'T-Mobile Sidekick II'
T-Mobile Sidekick II: £27.50 (T-Mobile)
T-Mobile Sidekick II: £27.50 (T-Mobile)
T-Mobile SDA II: £25.00 (T-Mobile)
view more price comparison results T-Mobile - Sidekick II features - Verdict
It all adds up to an interesting device. As far as it goes the Sidekick II performs its task well, unless you want to make voice calls or synchronise with a desktop computer, in which case it is only slightly less ergonomic to use than a chocolate teapot. And its lack of ability to play music will reduce its appeal to its young target market. It is clever, but it needs to shrink in size and grow in features to be a real success. T-Mobile - Sidekick II price
Buy T-Mobile Sidekick II securely online at a bargain price
The W600i Walkman phone with 3D gaming is not only sleek and stylish but highly functional. The phone includes Bluetooth wireless connectivity, EDGE capability, and is quad-band, allowing it to be used all over the world. And, with its 256 megabytes of internal memory, the W600i Walkman phone stores up to ten full length CDs or between 80 and 120 songs, depending on the compression rate.
The W600i Walkman phone handles multiple file formats, including MP3 and AAC, and comes packaged with Disc2Phone PC software that enables quick, convenient transfer of music onto the phone via a PC. Consumers can also easily browse, sort, find, transfer and delete music files. In addition, accessing music on the handset is quick and easy via dedicated music buttons that play, pause and stop music tracks.
With a unique music flight mode setting that turns off the mobile phone transmitter, consumers can listen to music anywhere - even on an airplane. The W600i Walkman phone will play music for up to 15 hours with the full function of the phone on, or up to 30 hours with the phone in music mode.
The W600i Walkman phone supports Bluetooth wireless functionality and easily connects to other Bluetooth enabled devices such as photo printers and headsets, and allows for peer-to-peer gaming. The device's USB 2.0 plug and play allows consumers to move images, music and video easily between a PC and the W600i Walkman phone.
The W600i Walkman phone has a 1.3-megapixel camera, video recorder, picture light and is as simple to use as a traditional digital camera.
In already distant November 2001, the company of Nokia announced its first Series 60 phone (now S60), which was called 7650. However from the very moment the first smartphones appeared in its product line, the company did not divide them into a separate class, but positioned as the most functional phones. Some functions and phone's capabilities were placed to the foreground, but not capabilities of the operating system (they actually were held back in order not to scare a customer away with difficult organization). That happened to Nokia 7650 and to other 26 smartphones produced in following years, and still the company revised its stand.
Which function do you think they emphasized mostly on when introducing Nokia 7610? According to the manufacturer and marketing specialists, this model equipped with MMS support and integrated camera was to establish a "new epoch" of mobile communication, when all users passed to MMS from SMS. Then operators dreamed of fantastic benefits, growth of ARPU, this belief was infinite. Be sure, "a large colour display" and "radically improved interface" were also stressed, however the company supposed that MMS was the key function. We all know that MMS didn't justify hopes. And here we won't discuss those various reasons.
And even despite the failure of MMS idea, this first smartphone should be rightfully considered one of the key models in the history of the company. Nokia 7650 looked very suitably in "Minority report" by Steven Spilberg, the action looked fascinating and futuristic. The movie premier fell on the 21 of June 2002 and exactly in five days the phone was put on the market. Also remember external Nokia's advertisement concerning the film. And thus the movie became some kind of an advertisement of Nokia 7650. Also the target group was selected just right - an image of a fantastic device from "the future" was projected on the phone, and its functionality was squared in the customer's eyes.
Why was a slider form-factor selected? The reason is not its fashion attractiveness, only later the company of Samsung will obtain such popularity for it. It happened so that for design moment the element base prevented from making a candybar with acceptable body height, which formed the main reason. And during the line and element base development, we can see the company's attempts to place all components in a standard candybar shape. Nokia has not recalled the slider form-factor till now, which proves the reasons why this body shape was selected for the first smartphone. Generally speaking, it is possible to call only two slider smartphones, which are Samsung D720 and Nokia 7650. Some less successful models were introduced after Nokia 7650; I mean they were not as significant as the first slider. And Nokia 6630 changed the situation. In fact, it was logical to suppose the company would release one more slider smartphone and now the design will be dictated by the form-factor popularity and a necessity to expand the product line. So we had to wait for four years before Nokia N80 was officially announced at the November Nokia Mobility Conference 2005 in Barcelona.
And now let us return to the past, exactly in September 2005. The first (computer-generated) photos were published at mobile-review.com. And since that the model has been actively discussed, though treated as some kind of a "dream phone". Not everybody believed it is real, especially that concerned specifications.
Just after the announcement discussions flared up at specialized forums and the majority of participants confirmed that would be a hit. And the model is truly the most functional for today considering paper specifications (the screen, Wi-Fi, UPnP support, 3MP camera). And now let us look at the device sensibly and estimate its potential and perspectives.
Well, what caused such a flurry, why so much attention is plaid to the model, let us list differences from other models (we consider direct and indirect rivals):
* The model distinguishes the slider form-factor; * That is the first time Nokia's phone is equipped with a 3MP camera, which explains this lion's share of attention. The user expects this camera feature better characteristics than in Nokia N90 at acceptable size and weight; * The best display among smartphones; * S60 version 3 FP1; * Wi-Fi support; * Support for quite new UPnP standard.
Will the model hit the sales? The answer is more yes than no. Unfortunately, we cannot give a single meaning conclusion yet due to raw samples of the N80 given for tests - we observed a body backlash, the software installed is S60 v3 without FP1, it is slow, serious problems with camera (including low photo quality), short battery life unstable Wi-Fi work and so on. And as soon as we get a commercial workable device we will publish a complete review with all points highlighted. However even now we can provide preliminary conclusions.
Take the phone in hands and admit the phone size is not big; the dimensions are quite acceptable if compared with smartphones. It is smaller than Nokia 6680. However it will look large if placed near a usual slider phone. The dimensions form 95.5x50x23.5 mm, and the body thickens to 26 mm around the camera module, which is quite a negative factor as a user has already got used to slim solutions. The general feeling of the phone is equal to Nokia 7650, which is bigger (114x56x26 mm). The weight is average for smartphones and reaches 134 g. This device is comfortable to carry almost in any way - you won't feel it in a pocket of your jacket, in a shirt pocket it will be noticeable and mainly due to its thickness it will be felt in jeans.
The design is rather strict, without excesses and simplicity is at the head (in a good sense of the word, the same that concerned plain design of Sony Ericsson t610/t630). Top and bottom ends are splay. This model has peculiar design, which can be called classical or business. However tastes differ and some people will be delighted, while someone may prefer round shape of Samsung D500/D600.
The top panel is made of silvery plastic with metallic border rounding the screen and the keys. The Metal pleasantly gleams in the sun, giving its origins away. Generally the body is reliable, the assembly is good with unnoticeable joints (however now we observed slight backlash of the body parts).
You can perform all actions with the phone, except only for entering text and phone number, without opening. A 5D navigational button, surrounded by a collection of two soft-keys and call accept and cancel buttons, is put under the screen. The bottom line represents a standard set of control elements and a media key button for fast access to the main functions.
You may open the phone with one hand, and thus reveal the keypad. The movement is smooth, however automatic finishing is absent. Though the keys are located closely to each other, you will experience no problems with them. Also you won't press two buttons at the same time by pressing their joint, as the keys may not be pressed in this area at all. The area to press is smaller than the visible one. The keypad is convenient, it is not necessary to get accustomed or adapted to it. The only cavil that may rise is the key motion is less than one would like. The blue backlighting is well seen in the dark, it is automatically adjusted by the light sensor.
A CIF camera for videocalls found room under the screen. The back cover features the camera gap and the battery compartment, while on the top end an IrDA gap and a power button are placed.
A miniSD connector closed with a plastic cover is on the left facet. Gradually the company transfers all its products to this type of memory, rejecting MMCmobile. The maximally accessible capacity of miniSD card is 2 GB. In fact, no problems with buying the maximum volume card may appear by the release moment. For better vision of a memory card price below we provide current FOB prices of Taiwanese manufacturers (without shipment, customs and extra charge). By the way, wholesale price has been growing for the last half year due to high demand on this memory type, and the maximum capacity cards are in shortage:
Hot card change is realized; however all running applications close when opening the slot.
The right side features a camera button and a gap for one extra loudspeaker (though the volume is higher than average, still it is not enough for hearing the call signal in noisy conditions).
A strap hole is placed on the bottom (you can carry the phone on your neck) and a slim connector for a charger. And here is also a standard slot for synchronization of the headset connection. Let us consider it in details. The quality of mp3 playback and radio is equal to Nokia N70, no changed were carried out. To tell the truth, the package should include an adapter for you to connect your lively earphones. But the most interesting moment is connection to a computer via USB. Three regimes are available - you can set one in the settings or select at each connection.
* Mass storage - memory card is connected as a usual data carrier, no drivers are required; * PS Suite - standard mode; * Picture Bridge - direct access to printer, which supports this standard.
This function will become standard for all Nokia's smartphones.
For the moment, this screen is the best among all similar ones. It has the resolution of 352x416 pixels and shows about 252 K colours. Good view angles and colours are not inverted, even at the level grade you will make out the image, however some colours change. Good behavior in the sun, though the screen fades, information may be read without problems. Backlighting is 5 grade. In fact, the only disadvantage of the screen is small diagonal size - 34x41 mm (2.1"), and 2.2" is standard for non-touchscreen smartphones.
The phone's weak point is its BL-5B battery capacious of 820 mAh, it is the same as in Nokia N90. Even using mostly as a phone (40 minutes of talks in Moscow Megafon network, an hour of MP3 and 20 minutes of works with programs), you will hardly have the handset last even for a day. And let alone very fast battery exhaustion when using Wi-Fi. You should be ready to recharge the phone once a day, and the thriftiest ones will manage to prolong the battery life to two days. Wireless interfaces
Integrated Bluetooth modules have become a standard, and thus we can avoid speaking about it. Here it is 1.2 and the following profiles are supported: Basic Printing Profile, Generic Access Profile, Serial Port Profile, Dial-up Networking Profile, Headset Profile, Handsfree Profile, Generic Object Exchange Profile, Object Push Profile, File Transfer Profile, Basic Imaging Profile, SIM Access profile and Human Interface Device Profile. Several connections at the same time are supported. The main disadvantage is the absence of A2DP profile (Bluetooth stereo).
The handset supports Wi - Fi (IEEE 802.11 g). All security standards are supported (WEP, WPA, WPA 2), the settings are maximum, though convenience in connection and its simplicity is hard to compare with Zero Configuration in Windows mobile. That is the first mobile device, which supports Universal PnP (UPnP), the heir of the wire standard PnP. With its help and using Wi- Fi connection, you can transmit slides to the television set, and music - to the stereo system, photographs to the printer. To a certain degree UPnP resembles a superstructure above the infrastructure (above Wi- Fi as one of the versions) in the form of Bluetooth-like services, this is a program superstructure. Thus far the support of the standard is interesting from a theoretical point of view, the wide acceptance of this standard is a matter of future; however, even now the list of companies, which support the standard, it impressing. You can get acquainted with a complete specification of UPnP. Be sure to check a Home Media Server program included into the package. It allows connecting to a desktop PC via a home wireless network. Camera
As the camera objective is not closed with anything, you can easily mark it. Traditionally for Nokia's smartphones the camera settings are very rich. Several shooting modes are available in usual mode - Automatic, User, Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night Landscape (no flash), Night Portrait (flash). White balance settings are AWB, Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent. An Exposure Value ranges from -2 to +2. Norma, Sepia, B&W, Negative are available color effects. Three grades are available for image sharpness - Hard, Normal, Soft. You can take a series of photos with the speed from 3 fps to one frame per 15 minutes; you can place the phone on its side and watch the things in the office, for instance. Timer values are 2, 10 or 20 seconds. And finally you cannot switch off the shutter sound.
Four resolutions are available:
Resolution:
* 3 М – Large (2048x1536 pixels) * 2 M – Med * 1.3 M – Small * 0.5 M – Email * 0.3 M – MMS
You can manually switch to macromode (the trigger is near the objective). Then it is possible to take pictures in a distance of 15-25 cm, and a special text shooting mode is available.
Many people laid great hopes on the camera and its quality. Actually, the nominal resolution of photographs grew, but the quality is inferior not only to Nokia N90, but also to Nokia N70 (color rendering, whitening of light regions). Let us hope that the developers simply did not have time to finish software for the new camera module. Any way you should not expect miracles from the camera - there is no auto-focus, flash is useless. The company deliberately avoids competition with another model of the series, which is not represented yet (supposedly N95). And the latter will gladden with the maximum camera capabilities.
(+) increase, 2048x1536, JPEG
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(+) increase, 2048x1536, JPEG
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(+) increase, 2048x1536, JPEG
(+) increase, 2048x1536, JPEG
Three resolutions for video can be set - High (MP4), Normal (3gpp), Low (3gpp). And still the quality significantly loses to Nokia N90. Video sample 1 (mp4, 667 KB)
Video sample 2 (mp4, 591 KB) Software
You can read a special review about the operating system on our site. We will return to this section in a complete version of the review (now necessary software is just absent, for instance, Quick Office and a new WEB-browser, and so on). Preliminary conclusions
At the current moment this is the most functional smartphone on the market. However, let us return to the list of innovations and dismantle what actually stands behind them.
* The 3MP camera without autofocus and with a useless flash. Not the best photo quality. Nominally the number of pixels grew, and extra macro mode is provided, which are advantages; * Wi-Fi and a new high resolution screen. That will be a standard for smartphones in 2006, however now that is an innovation; * UPnP, which is in the start of its route and now it is interesting from only theoretic point of view; * S60 of the third version. On the one hand these are new capabilities, on the other hand - still no workable third party programs for this operating system (all applications should be recompiled and signed). The situation will have improved only by the middle of 2006;
It turns out that very soon we will see Nokia's devices not inferior in capabilities. The situation with the software will make the most active customers postpone the purchase approximately for half a year, and then another model will become the leader. And any way we should wait for the final product to provide the final verdict. Nokia N80 is expected in sale in February for about 500-550 Euro.
Easy-to-use camera is small enough to take everywhere, but its images aren't quite as nice as we'd like.
The $500 Canon PowerShot SD500 Digital Elph is so small it fits easily in just about any pocket, leaving you no excuse for not having a camera handy when those once-in-a-lifetime baby/puppy/soccer shots happen. The resulting photos weren't our taste testers' favorites, but they should prove more than acceptable for all but the most demanding photographers.
Pick up the SD500, and it just feels substantial. It weighs only 6 ounces, but the metal body appears sturdy and well-made. Its dimensions are petite: 3.37-inches wide by 2.24-inches tall by 1.04 inches deep. Canon helps keep things small by using an SD Card to store photos (a 32-MB card is included). The unit's compactness is most notable when you compare it with other small cameras. For example, place Sony's comparable Cyber-shot DSC-W7 next to the Canon, and the Sony looks positively oversized.
When you power up the camera, its 3X optical lens opens and its sharp 2-inch LCD quickly springs to life. In addition to the LCD, the unit also includes an optical viewfinder--a nice touch that's often missing in cameras this size. Controls are logically placed, with power, shutter, and zoom mounted on top. The camera's mode dial gives you access to its various shooting modes: Automatic, Manual, Special Scene, Movie, and Playback. From within the manual mode you can set white balance, ISO sensitivity, and exposure compensation. The SD500's f/2.8 to f/13 aperture range is the widest I've seen on such a small camera, but you can't set the aperture or shutter speed manually.
Additional settings available within the manual mode include My Colors (which lets you swap colors within an image) and Digital Macro (for extreme close-ups). There are more tricks within the camera's Special Scene menu. Here you can pick from nine different modes: Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, Indoor, Kids and Pets, and Night Snapshot. (Note: I wouldn't recommend using the underwater setting without the optional underwater camera housing).
Navigating the camera's menus is fairly straightforward using the circular directional thumb pad, Function Setting button, Menu button, and Display button, but at first I couldn't figure out how to delete an image (it's a simple downward click on the multidirectional Function button). During my informal testing I found the camera a joy to use--the epitome of point-and-shoot simplicity. The SD500 is simple enough that you can hand it to someone else while you pose for a group shot, and be confident that they'll be able to figure it out.
You should net a fair number of photos from the camera between charges of its removable, proprietary lithium ion battery. In our tests it lasted 230 shots (half with flash and half without). That's not bad, but Sony's comparable (if somewhat larger) Sony DSC-W7 managed 406 shots, and the equally compact and less expensive Fujifilm F10 exceeded 500.
The SD500's weakness is its image quality. The photos looked good overall, but in our taste tests they didn't score as well as some other compact point-and-shoots in the same price range. For example, the Fujifilm F10 significantly outscored the SD500 in all image-quality categories, and is significantly less expensive at $370. Most disappointing was the SD500's weak performance in our test shot using the built-in flash; overall, its score for exposure accuracy was lower than most other point-and-shoot cameras. That said, test images looked sharp, and most casual photographers won't find much to quibble about when it comes time to make prints from everyday snapshots.
Upshot: The small and rugged Canon SD500 Digital Elph is a good companion for capturing everyday mementos, though image quality may disappoint more-demanding photographers.
Canon PowerShot SD500 Digital Elph
7.1 megapixels, 3072 by 2304 maximum resolution, 37mm to 111mm focal range (35mm equivalent), f2.8 to f13.0 maximum aperture range, shutter speeds from 15 seconds to 1/2000 second, optical and LCD viewfinders, USB connection, 32MB internal memory and SD slot, rechargeable lithium ion batteries, 6 ounces, Digital Camera Solutions CD. One-year parts and labor warranty, 11-hour weekday toll-free support. $500 800/652-2666 www.usa.canon.com
Mobile security software provider Trust Digital recently performed an experiment. Company engineers bought ten mobile devices on eBay and looked to see how much of the previous owner’ information was still left on them.As it turns out, they found a very large amount.
These devices yielded nearly 27,000 pages of personal and corporate data. This included personal banking and tax information, corporate sales activity notes, corporate client records, product roadmaps, contact address books, phone and Web logs, calendar records, personal and business correspondence, computer passwords, user medication information, and other private, competitive, or potentially damaging material.
This information was retained in the flash memory of the devices because of users’ failure to perform the advanced hard reset required to delete the data.
A Partial List of Ways to Completely Erase a Handheld or Smartphone.
The steps that need to be taken to completely remove all the data stored on a mobile device vary from operating system to operating system, and even from device to device.
Why You Should Completely Erase Your Handheld or Smartphone Before Selling It
Wii (pronounced as the word "we", IPA: /wiː/) is Nintendo's seventh-generation video game console. Its official project code name was Revolution, although it was sometimes called Nintendo Revolution.
A major feature of the Wii is the console's wireless controller, the Wii Remote, that may be used as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions. The controller also contains a speaker and a rumbling device to provide sensory feedback, also the controller can turn the Wii on and off. Another feature of the console is a stand-by mode entitled WiiConnect24, enabling it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while consuming very little electrical power.
Nintendo unveiled the system under the code name Revolution in 2005 at its E3 press conference. Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's President, revealed a prototype of the system's game controller at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show during his keynote speech in September 2005.[2] For E3 2006, the Wii won the Game Critics Awards for Best of Show and Best Hardware.[3]
Launch [edit]
Release date and price
On September 14, 2006, Nintendo announced that Wii will launch in Japan on December 2, 2006 for JP¥25,000 (approximately $212USD)[1] and in the Americas on November 19, 2006 with a US price of $249.99 and a Canadian price of $279.99.[2] On September 15, 2006, Nintendo announced a Europe and U.K. launch date of December 8, 2006 for €249 or GB£179[3], and an Australian launch date of December 7, 2006 for $AUD399.95[4].
At a June 7, 2006 policy briefing, Nintendo revealed that it intends to release 6 million console units and 17 million software units during the fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2007; and 4 million or more console units by the end of the 2006 calendar year.[citation needed] On September 14, 2006, it was announced that the majority of the 2006 shipments will be allotted to North America.[5]
Despite the price point of US$60 quoted for many next-generation games,[4] Satoru Iwata said that it is unlikely that first-party games would cost more than US$50. The Wii remote will retail for $39.99 USD and the nunchuck will have a MSRP of $19.99 USD.[5]
Expected launch titles
As of September 2006, it has been confirmed that 21 titles will be available on launch day in the Americas, with 41 games believed to be available during the "launch period" ending in March 2007. [6] A number of those titles will be available, in other versions, for Nintendo's other game platforms: the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and the Nintendo DS.
* Wii Sports is bundled with the American, Australian, and European console packs at launch
[edit]
Name Wikinews has news related to: Nintendo Revolution name revealed
The console was known by the codename of "Revolution" until immediately prior to E3 2006. Nintendo spells "Wii" with two "i"s to imply an image of players gathering together, as well as to represent the console's controllers. Nintendo has given many reasons for its choice of name since its announcement; however, the most well known is:
Wii Wii sounds like 'we,' which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.[7]
Wii
According to the Nintendo Style Guide: A Guide to the Proper Usage of Some of Nintendo's Products:
Wii It is simply Wii, not Nintendo Wii. It is pronounced "we," indicating its all-inclusive nature. The name works best at the beginning of declarative statements. For clarity, it is best to avoid passive verbs and prepositions.[7]
Wii [edit]
Hardware [edit]
Design
Wii is Nintendo's smallest home game console yet; measuring 44 mm wide, 157 mm tall, and 215.4 mm deep in the vertical orientation without the included stand (which itself measures 55.4 mm wide, 44 mm tall, and 225.6 mm deep).[12] It is approximately the size of three standard DVD cases stacked together (approx. 4.5 cm x 15 cm x 20 cm). The console can be stood either horizontally or vertically. The front of the console features a slot-loading media drive illuminated by a blue light and accepts both 12-cm and 8-cm optical discs from Nintendo's prior console, the Nintendo GameCube.[1] The ability to load differently sized discs is uncommon in slot-loading media drives, which typically only accept discs of a single size.
Nintendo has shown the Wii and Wii Remote in various colors, including silver, lime green, white, black, and red.[8][9] The console will initially be available only in white.[13]
The systems shown at E3 2006 and in various trailers have several small changes from the original design. Not only has the Nintendo branding on the case been replaced with a 'Wii' logo, but the disc-loading slot has been enlarged slightly, the reset button has been moved from next to the eject button to beside the power button, and the power indicator light has been moved from next to the power button to inside that button. Originally Nintendo suggested that DVD playback would be an option with an additional purchase but this functionality has since been dropped.[14]
A second flap cover is located on the front of the machine, which opens to reveal an SD card slot in the middle[10] and a "SYNC" button, which some have speculated is used to link the controllers to the console.[11][12]
[edit]
Controller
The primary controller for the Wii uses a one-handed, remote control-based design. The controller communicates wirelessly with the console via Bluetooth.[1] It features an integrated accelerometer, which allows it to sense linear motion along three axes, as well as tilt. The controller also contains a tracking image sensor, which, in tandem with a sensor bar, gives the controller light gun-like pointer capabilities within 5 meters (approx. 16.5 ft) of the screen.[1] [13] Up to four controllers can be connected at once and operated as far as ten meters from the console.[1] The remote has force-feedback capabilities and can be utilized like an NES gamepad when rotated. An internal audio speaker can be used to play sound effects and provides an enhanced depth of sound field. The Wii Remote features 6KB of non-volatile memory. It can run up to 60 hours using only the accelerometer function with two alkaline AA batteries and up to 30 hours when using the precision aim.[13] The buttons on the controller are digital and include a D-pad, A, B, 1, 2, -, +, Home and Power buttons as well as a SYNC button located underneath the battery cover.[13]
The Wii Remote can be augmented by various add-ons. Announced expansions include: the included Nunchuk controller (which also has accelerometer capabilities, but no pointer ability) featuring an analog stick and two additional digital buttons (C and Z), a Classic Controller for playing Virtual Console and GameCube games, and may have a "Zapper Style" shell, displayed as a concept at E3 2006, for first-person shooter gameplay which also includes a control stick on the top. The first third-party add-on is a steering wheel peripheral that will be packaged with Ubisoft's GT Pro Series.[1]
The price for the Remote has been confirmed at US$39.99/£30 and US$19.99/£15 for the nunchuk attachment.
In an interview, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Nintendo hopes to allow Wii controllers to be personalized for each gamer. Applications would include different game settings determined by the preferences of the controller that turned on the console. The Wii controller will even allow your dynamic "Mii" (created on your Wii console) to be saved to the remote, so that custiom settings and even the character itself can be used on other Wii consoles (games such as wii sports allow your mii to be the actual character within the game) [14] Mr. Miyamoto has also discussed the possibility of further changes to the controller before launch, stating that the design team is, "still debating the number of buttons to use." [15] [edit]
Sensor bar
The sensor bar is an attachment placed either directly above or below the display screen (The Wii will come with a sensor bar stand). It is required for games and applications that use the remote as an on-screen pointer. With the sensor bar, it is possible to accurately pinpoint where on screen a remote is pointing, regardless of the size or type of display used. The sensor bar is around 20 centimeters (approximately 8 inches) long.[13]
The sensor bar contains two sensors, one in each end. However, it is not yet known if it is used for the on-screen pointer or for other uses, such as triangulating the controller's position in 3D space.[13] [edit]
Connectivity
Wii will have built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi connectivity allowing communication over the Internet and with the Nintendo DS. Nintendo has stated that Wii will implement standard Wi-Fi protocols. An optional USB adapter planned for release will provide network connectivity via wired Ethernet.[1] Wii also can communicate and connect with other Wii systems by wireless LAN, enabling local wireless multiplayer on different television sets. Battalion Wars 2 first demonstrated this feature, for non-split screen multiplayer between two or more televisions.
Wii has a flip lid that can be opened to reveal four ports for GameCube controllers and two GameCube memory card slots. Two USB ports (at the rear) and one SD card slot (behind a flap cover at the front of the console)[10] are provided. [edit]
Technical specifications
Nintendo has, at present, released very little technical specifics regarding the Wii console. The known details include:[1]
Processor:
* CPU: IBM PowerPC processor codenamed "Broadway" (made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process).
GPU
* GPU: ATI "Hollywood" (made with a 90 nm CMOS process [16]).
Memory:
* 1T-SRAM [17]
Ports and peripheral capabilities:
* Up to four Wii Remote controllers (connected wirelessly via Bluetooth) * One SD memory card slot * Two USB 2.0 ports * One Sensor Bar port * Four Nintendo GameCube controller ports * Two Nintendo GameCube memory card ports * Compatible with optional USB 2.0 to Ethernet LAN adaptor
Storage:
* 512 MB built-in flash memory * Expansion available via SD card memory * Slot-loading disc drive compatible with: o 8 cm GameCube optical disc o 12 cm Wii optical disc * Mask ROM by Macronix[18]
Built-in content ratings systems:
* PEGI, ESRB
Video:
* Up to 480p and will work with a computer monitor as well as any TV or projector[19] * Component (including Progressive scan), S-Video, or composite output * 16:9 widescreen support
Wii will be able to connect to the Internet through its built-in Wi-Fi and through a USB-to-Ethernet adaptor, with both methods allowing players to access the established Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.[1] Just as for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo will not charge fees for playing via the service[21][22] and the Friend Code system will control how players connect to one another.[23][22] The service will have several unique features for the Wii, such as the Virtual Console, WiiConnect24 and the Wii Browser. Nintendo announced two Wi-Fi enabled games at LGC 2006 in Leipzig: Mario Strikers Charged, and Battalion Wars 2. [edit]
Virtual Console
The Virtual Console is an online service, similar to Xbox Live Arcade, that allows users to download games not only for the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64, but also Sega's Genesis/Mega Drive and NEC's TurboGrafx-16 systems. Recently, Nintendo of Japan posted on its Virtual Console webpage that games from the MSX home computer will be available as well.[15] In a financial report issued by the publisher Tecmo, it was stated that the company promised to support the Virtual Console "aggressively", however, no further specifics were mentioned.[24] Nintendo has also stated that this service "...will be home to new games conceived by indie developers whose creativity is larger than their budgets."[1]
In Japan, Satoru Iwata confirmed Famicom games would cost JP¥500, Super Famicom games JP¥800, and Nintendo 64 games JP¥1,000. (approx. €4 to €8 including VAT, c.2006).[25] In a presentation in Spain, it was mentioned that Nintendo of Spain was considering a pre-paid card option for its Virtual Console purchases.[24]
At Nintendo's September 14th Press conference, the prices for the US were confirmed at $5 for NES games, $8 for Super NES games, and $10 for Nintendo 64 games. Approximately 250 games will be released though the Virtual Console between the console's launch and the end of the calendar year, with 10 additional games being released every month after that for at least the next year.[citation needed] [edit]
WiiConnect24
Main article: WiiConnect24
At E3 2006, Nintendo announced WiiConnect24, a feature that will allow the Wii to remain connected to the Internet in standby mode. Some possible uses of WiiConnect24 that were mentioned at E3 2006 include allowing friends to visit a player's village in Animal Crossing and downloading updates for games without having to be actively using the system. It has also been said that it would be possible to download Nintendo DS promotional demos using WiiConnect24 and later transfer it to one's Nintendo DS[26], similar to a DS Download Station (see Nintendo DS connectivity). [edit]
Wii Browser
Main article: Wii Browser
Similar to its use as the Nintendo DS Browser, the Opera web browser will be available for download, according to Nintendo, and it will be purchased using Wii Points. The web browser will be saved in Wii's Flash RAM (allowing access within seconds), and will support JavaScript, Flash, and AJAX. In addition to functioning as a web browser, Opera on Wii will serve as a layout engine to be used for web-based applications. [edit]
Features [edit]
Backward compatibility
Nintendo has stated that the Wii will be backward compatible with all GameCube software and most peripherals. This backwards compatibility is achieved with the help of the slot-loading drive being able to accept GameCube discs, and a set of four GameCube controller ports and two Memory Card slots, concealed by a panel.[1] Nintendo has stated that the Wii console will not be compatible with the GameCube modem adapter, broadband adapter, Game Boy Player, AV cable, or AC adaptor.[16] [edit]
Nintendo DS connectivity
Wii will support wireless connectivity with the Nintendo DS. Shigeru Miyamoto said Nintendo was still working out when features using this connectivity would be available, but that it would be soon after the launch of the system, due to the popularity of the Nintendo DS.[14] At Nintendo's corporate policy meeting in June 2006, Satoru Iwata explained that the DS uses its wireless connectivity to communicate with the Wii and that no further accessories will be needed.
The connectivity will allow the player to use functions like the Nintendo DS's microphone and touchscreen as inputs for Wii games. The first example Nintendo has given of a game using Nintendo DS-Wii connectivity is that of Pokémon Battle Revolution. Players with either Pokémon Diamond or Pearl will be able to play battles using their Diamond or Pearl Pokémon on Wii with the Nintendo DS as a controller.[27]
It has also been confirmed that the Nintendo DS will be able to play game demos downloaded from Wii which they would receive from Nintendo, similar to a DS Download Station.[14] The Wii will also be able to update and expand Nintendo DS games.[28] [edit]
Parental controls
Wii will feature parental controls, prohibiting younger users from playing games with content unsuitable for their age level. When a disc is inserted, it will read the content rating encoded on the game discs; if this rating is greater than the system's set age level, the game will not load without a correct override password.
It is confirmed that the European units will use the PEGI rating system,[29] whereas North American units will use the ESRB rating system.[30] While Nintendo has stated that parental control will be included in all Wii consoles worldwide, it has not yet clarified whether that means Wii will support the native rating systems of other territories, such as that of CERO in Japan, the USK in Germany, the BBFC in the United Kingdom (although most video games in the United Kingdom do carry a PEGI rating), or the OFLC in Australia. [edit]
Region locking
According to Joel Johnson of Wired News, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Affairs Perrin Kaplan stated at the September 14 press event in New York that Wii will be able to play games from other regions unrestricted, and implied that there may be an option for publishers to enable regional lockouts.[17] According to later report by IGN, Nintendo UK General Manager David Yarnton confirmed at the September 14 press event in London that Wii games and online content will be region-coded, seemingly contradicting the earlier statements by Kaplan.[18]
It is yet to be clarified exactly by Nintendo if every Wii will be region coded everywhere or just Europe. This would mean the US and Japan being under the same region code and European games being seperate.
Ludwig Kietzmann of Joystiq, a video game blog, reported late on September 15 that they had spoken to "a Nintendo US spokesperson" who stated, "We've heard conflicting reports from lots of folks out there, but can tell you that Wii will be region encoded, as will first-party software." [19] [edit]
Wii Channels
Main article: Wii Channels
The operating system interface for Wii is designed around the concept of television channels, with a Wii Menu used to access them. Separate channels are graphically displayed in a grid, and are navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote.[20] The grid is completely customizable and users can place links to different channels or virtual console games in the menu's 48 slots. [31] [edit]
Mii Channel
A June 2006 interview between Wired News and Katsuya Eguchi (producer of Animal Crossing and Wii Sports) confirmed that the custom player avatar feature shown at Nintendo's E3 Media Briefing would be included in the hardware. The feature was described as part of a "Profile" system that contains the caricature and other persistent player information.[32] This application was officially unveiled by Nintendo in September 2006. It is incorporated into the Wii Channel's operating system interface as the "Mii Channel".[21]. Users can select from pre-made caricatures or create their own by choosing custom body part shapes, colors, and positioning.[33] For games such as Wii Sports, each player's caricature will be shown as their in-game character appearance.[31] [edit]
News Channel
On September 14, 2006 Nintendo announced a news channel for Wii, through which users can access headlines and current events information at no cost.[34] [edit]
Forecast Channel
A weather channel is included, with which users can check weather reports and forecasts throughout the world at no cost.[35] [edit]
Photo Channel
Photos and videos can be stored on an SD card and viewed through the Wii. A built-in editor allows users to add markings and effects to their photos. Mosaics, slideshows, and puzzles can also be created with this feature.[36] [edit]
Internet Channel
Main article: Wii Browser
The Opera internet browser allow users to access the internet through their Wii console. It will be available as a free download until June 2007 in all regions. Unlike its Nintendo DS counterpart, it includes Flash and AJAX support. The pointing feature of the Wii Remote is used to direct the cursor. Players can also zoom in or out by moving the remote forwards or backwards. [31] [edit]
Message Board
A message board is available for users to post messages to family members or friends. They can also trade photos and text messages with cell phone or computer users. The service also announces software updates, such as a new map or weapon for a game. [37] [edit]
Software library
Main article: List of Wii games
Games representing all of Nintendo's flagship franchises, such as the Zelda series and the Mario series, have been announced for the Wii. Likewise, there are many announced titles that are original for the Wii, as well as many expected third party games. A comprehensive list may be found at List of Wii games. [edit]
Developer support
* Ubisoft has upped their number of titles in development for Wii to 9 (8 of which are to be launch games and only 3 of which were previously known about),[38] while Midway Games has announced they have 6 titles in development,[39] and EA has recently increased their development efforts for the Wii.[40] * The development kits for Wii are available to approved developers at a cost of little more than JP¥200,000 (approx. US$1,768, c.2006).[citation needed] By comparison, the PlayStation 2 development kits cost US$20,000 at the console's launch, while those for the first PlayStation cost US$4,000–US$5,000 at launch.[41] This could possibly allow "bedroom coders" new parameters of freedom in constructing their own piece of software, something Nintendo claimed to want when they first announced the Wii. * In an interview published in the September 2006 issue of Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream, Shigeru Miyamoto expressed an interest in releasing re-makes of existing GameCube titles, stating that some titles would benefit from the functionality of the Wii Remote.[42]
[edit]
See also Commons logo Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wii
* List of video games published by Nintendo * Comparison of seventh-generation game consoles * List of Wii games
[edit]
References Portal:Nintendo Nintendo Portal Selected home game consoles v·d·e First generation Magnavox Odyssey | Pong | Coleco Telstar Early second generation Channel F | Atari 2600 | Odyssey² | Intellivision Later second generation Atari 5200 | ColecoVision | Vectrex | SG-1000 Third generation NES | Master System | Atari 7800 Fourth generation TurboGrafx-16 | Mega Drive | Neo Geo | Super NES Fifth generation 3DO | Jaguar | Saturn | PlayStation | Nintendo 64 Sixth generation Dreamcast | PlayStation 2 | GameCube | Xbox Seventh generation Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Wii
1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nintendo Wii - Hardware Information. Nintendo. Retrieved on 2006-05-09. 2. ^ Satoru Iwata. TOKYO GAME SHOW 2005 : TGS FORUM Keynote Speech. Retrieved on 2006-03-15. 3. ^ 2006 Winners. Game Critics Awards. Retrieved on 2006-08-13. 4. ^ Gaudiosi, John, "Game Pricing", Next Generation, 2006-09-14. 5. ^ Morris, Chris, "Nintendo president vows cheap games", CNNMoney. 6. ^ Surette, Tim (2006-09-14). List of US Wii games revealed (in English). GameSpot. 7. ^ a b Breaking: Nintendo Announces New Revolution Name - 'Wii'. Gamasutra. CMP. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. 8. ^ Wii Colors. Revolution Report. Retrieved on 2006-07-15. 9. ^ Wii Remote Colors. news.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-15. 10. ^ a b Robinson, Andy (2006-06-26). Reggie explains what the Wii flap's for. Computer and Video Games. Retrieved on 2006-06-30. 11. ^ Berlin, Scott (2006-06-29). Picture of the Wii Flap. JustPause.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-30. 12. ^ Wii Uncovered. NinCase (2006-06-27). Retrieved on 2006-07-27. 13. ^ a b c d e Casamassina, Matt (2006-07-14). Wii Controllers: Unlocking the Secrets (in English). IGN Wii. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-07-14. 14. ^ a b c Crecente, Brian (2006-05-19). Shigeru Miyamoto Interview. Kotaku.com. 15. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2006-06-15). Wiimote Not Finalized?. IGN.com.sd 16. ^ (Japanese)Wiiの概要 (Wii本体). Nintendo. Retrieved on 2006-05-22. 17. ^ MoSys, Inc. (2006-06-19). MoSys' 1T-SRAM(R) Embedded Memory Technology Enables Nintendo's Next Leap in Video Games; High Performance, High Density 1T-SRAM Powers Upcoming Wii Home Game Console. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-06-19. 18. ^ Casamassina, Matt (2006-07-17). Macronix Supplies Wii. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-07-18. 19. ^ Casamassina, Matt. IGNcube's Nintendo "Revolution" FAQ. Retrieved on 2006-03-17. 20. ^ Casamassina, Matt (2006-05-23). No Dolby Digital for Wii (in English). IGN Wii. Retrieved on 2006-05-24. 21. ^ Nintendo hopes Wii spells wiinner. USATODAY.com. USA Today (2006-08-15). Retrieved on 2006-08-16. 22. ^ a b sjohnson (2006-07-18). Secret Wii Details Revealed. The Feed. G4 Media, Inc.. Retrieved on 2006-07-20. 23. ^ Casamassina, Matt (2006-05-11). Wii Wi-Fi Just Like DS. IGN.com. 24. ^ a b Nintendo Currency?. IGN Wii. IGN (2006-06-29). Retrieved on 2006-06-30. 25. ^ (Japanese)バーチャル コンソールの価格 が発表. Famitsu (2006-09-14). Retrieved on 2006-09-14. 26. ^ Naoki Asami; ITpro Publisher; Hiroki Yomogita, Silicon Valley (2006-05-25). Regaining what we have lost: Nintendo CEO Iwata's Ambitions for the "Wii". Tech-On! pp. 3. Nikkei Business Publications. Retrieved on 2006-06-09. 27. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2006-06-07). Connectivity Returns. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-06-07. 28. ^ News From Nintendo's Management Meeting. NintendoSpin.com (2006-07-08). Retrieved on 2006-08-07. 29. ^ "Revolution To Feature Parental Controls", Planet GameCube, 2005-11-16. 30. ^ Nintendo of America (2005-11-16). Nintendo Announces Play Control System For Next Hardware. Press release. 31. ^ a b c "Wii Channel Breakdown: Details on the Wii user interface", IGN. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. 32. ^ Kohler, Chris, "Confirmed: Wii Hardware Stores Player Caricatures, Profiles", Wired. Retrieved on 2006-06-03. 33. ^ "Mii Channel Demo Movie", 2006-09-14. 34. ^ "News Channel Demo Movie", 2006-09-14. 35. ^ "Forecast Channel Demo Movie", 2006-09-14. 36. ^ "Photo Channel Demo Movie", 2006-09-14. 37. ^ "Wii Channel Overview", Nintendo. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. 38. ^ Matt Casamassina (2006-05-09). E3 2006: Wii Game List. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-09-04. 39. ^ Matt Wales (2006-08-02). Ubisoft and Midway suck up Wii. computerandvideogames. Retrieved on 2006-08-07. 40. ^ Simon Carless (2006-08-01). EA Sees Larger Loss, Ramps Up Wii Production. Gamasutra. Retrieved on 2006-08-07. 41. ^ Casamassina, Matt, "Reggie: More than 1,000 Kits Shipped", IGN, 2006-02-22. 42. ^ Miyamoto: Wii could Remake 'Cube Games. IGN Wii. Retrieved on 2006-08-21.
[edit]
External links
Official
* Official US Wii Website * Wii.com * Nintendo Corporation - Nintendo President, Satoru Iwata, media briefing speech at E3 2006 * Wii at E3 - Nintendo E3 2006 coverage * (Japanese) Confirmation of JP release date
Wii (Nintendo) Controller: Wii Remote Games: List of Wii games | Wii-only games Online features: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection | Virtual Console | WiiConnect24 | Wii Browser Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection[ Show ] Systems: Nintendo DS (Lite) | Wii Games: Nintendo DS | Wii Products/services: Virtual Console | WiiConnect24 | Browser (Nintendo DS | Wii) | Wi-Fi USB Connector Further Reading: Wi-Fi | Official site Nintendo Hardware Major Consoles: NES/Famicom (AV | NES 2 )| SNES/Super Famicom | Nintendo 64 | GameCube | Wii Other Consoles: Color TV Game | Virtual Boy | Panasonic Q | iQue Handhelds: Game & Watch | Game Boy | Game Boy Color | Game Boy Advance | Advance SP | Micro | Pokemon Mini | Nintendo DS | DS Lite Arcade: Nintendo Classic | Vs. UniSystem/DualSystem | PlayChoice-10 | Nintendo Super System | Triforce Wii accessories: Wii Remote
Categories: Future products | Articles with unsourced statements | Wii | Backward compatible video game consoles | Wi-Fi | 2006 introductions
New Cingular 3125 Smartphone Combines Brains, Looks and Value in One Iconic Package
Cingular Wireless Introduces First Windows Mobile-Powered Flip Phone Smartphone In U.S. With Slimline Design, Unrivaled Functionality and Price
Cingular Wireless today unveiled the ultra-thin Cingular 3125, the only flip phone smartphone on the U.S. market that combines an iconic design with the power, functionality and price to please both businesses and consumers alike.
The jet-black Windows Mobile-powered Cingular 3125 Smartphone - which is available beginning today exclusively from Cingular for under $150 - measures just a hair over a half-inch thick. While the Cingular 3125 takes on the appearance of a high-end wireless phone, it packs a full set of features which makes it the perfect and affordable tool for use during work or leisure time. These include wireless access to business and personal e-mail accounts, over- the-air synchronization of calendar, contact and to-do lists, and superb music, photo and video capabilities.
Under the hood, the Cingular 3125 provides a powerful tandem of Cingular's nationwide* EDGE network and Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 in conjunction with excellent voice quality to ensure an outstanding end user experience. With Windows Mobile, Cingular 3125 users will have the familiar Windows look and feel similar to that on their desktop computers at home or in the office. They can take that experience along with them in 13,000 cities and towns and along some 40,000 miles of major highways via the largest national high-speed wireless data network in the U.S., or abroad in more than 180 countries for voice communications and over 100 nations for data use. Built by a leading manufacturer of Windows Mobile-powered devices, HTC, the Cingular 3125 also features support for Bluetooth(R) version 1.2 making for faster connections and the ability to enjoy music wirelessly in stereo.
"The Cingular 3125 Smartphone is a true 'crossover' device that blends an iconic phone design with unparalleled, feature-rich functionality of the Windows Mobile platform at a very aggressive price point that surely will appeal across the spectrum of wireless users," said Kent Mathy, president of Cingular Wireless' business-to-business organization, the Business Markets Group. "This is a winning, groundbreaking combination that no other smartphone on the U.S. market comes close to matching."
Familiar Experience
The nerve center of the Cingular 3125 is the Microsoft Windows Mobile software. This gives Cingular 3125 users access to mobile versions of many of the familiar Microsoft features found on their desktops, such as mobile versions of Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer and Outlook.
Additionally, the 3125 includes the Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0, providing users with the benefit of Direct Push Technology. This means that email, calendar, tasks and contacts are always-up- to-date making it very easy for users to stay on top of their jobs and connected to the people they care about. The feature pack also provides advanced security features, including remote device wipe, remotely enforced IT policy and S/MIME support.
"The lines are blurring between personal and business uses for smartphones, which means people want one device that will meet the needs for home and work," said Pieter Knook, senior vice president for the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. "The Cingular 3125 powered by Windows Mobile proves you can have your e-mail, web and business applications in an elegant flip phone design."
Work Time, Leisure Time
Access to e-mail while on-the-go and the ability it gives to stay connected to important information when out of the office has become a must- have for wireless users. Cingular 3125 business customers have a choice of powerful solutions, Microsoft Direct Push Technology and Good Mobile Messaging from Good Technology. Consumers can get their personal and work e-mail as well with Cingular Xpress Mail, which is compatible with many popular Internet Service Provider (ISP) services.
The Cingular 3125's value doesn't diminish at the end of the work day. Its built-in MP3 player, which is controlled by external buttons and powered by Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, gives users the ability to spend their downtime listening to their favorite music. Optional accessories such as a Bluetooth-enabled stereo headset heighten the experience. For a change of pace, Cingular 3125 users can access Cingular's MEdia Net(SM) to find out the latest sports scores, shop at Cingular's MEdia Mall to download ringtones, games and graphics, or stay informed with news and local weather.
The Cingular 3125 also features a built-in l.3 mega-pixel digital camera and the ability to record video for viewing on the Cingular 3125's large, full color 240x320 LCD screen.
Its outstanding features aside, the Cingular 3125 also performs the most basic and important of functions - wireless phone calls. The Cingular 3125 provides excellent voice quality via the ALLOVER network, the largest digital voice and data network in the nation which has the fewest dropped calls of any national carrier. A speakerphone, included ear piece and Bluetooth connectivity to a variety of optional wireless headsets provide an optimal hands-free experience.
Availability and Pricing
The Cingular 3125 is available now for as low as $149.99 in Cingular Wireless retail stores nationwide, select national retailers, on www.cingular.com and through Cingular's B2B direct sales team. Monthly unlimited Cingular Smartphone Connect plans are $19.99 with Xpress Mail, $29.99 with Microsoft Direct Push and $39.99 with Good Mobile Messaging with a Cingular voice plan of $39.99 or more.
For more information on the Cingular 3125, please go to www.cingular.com/smartphone.
Every day, tens of thousands of toxic cell phones hit the landfill. But there are great alternatives -- including a couple that can save you money.
Like many of us, Bill Messett had a cell-phone graveyard.
His old phones weren't actually dead, but he certainly wasn't using them. Each was tossed into a drawer, along with all its chargers and accessories, when he upgraded to the next model every year or two.
Messett, 38, had the vague idea that he would use the most recent discarded model as a backup in case he lost his current phone. The rest, he sensed, had some value, which made him reluctant to part with them.
"I'm kind of packratty in that sense," said Messett, a Miami insurance broker. "I don't like to throw anything away."
Messett found his solution this summer while surfing the Internet. He exchanged two of his newer model phones at RipMobile.com for about $50 in Circuit City gift certificates and donated the rest to RipMobile's affiliated site, CollectiveGood, in return for a small tax deduction.
What to do with old phones is no small issue. The United States alone has more than 200 million cell phone subscribers, and about 5 million of those change carriers each month, which usually means getting a new phone. Even when they don't change carriers, people often change phones to take advantage of improved technology, innovative features and changing fashions.
"The average user gets a new phone about every 18 months," said James Mosieur, CEO of CellForCash.com, "and they end up retiring the old one."
That's left the United States with hundreds of millions of used cell phones, only a fraction of which have been resold, recycled or reused. Californians, for example, throw away 44,000 cell phones every day.
"Eighty percent have not been repurposed," said Seth Heine, founder and CEO of CollectiveGood/RipMobile, who estimates there are 750 million used cell phones floating around the United States. "They literally go into people's drawers."
Such cell cemeteries are a problem for a number of reasons:
Environmental concerns. Eventually, owners may get fed up with the clutter and toss their wireless handsets into the nearest trash can -- the worst possible outcome.
Cell phones and chargers contain a variety of toxic materials that can poison the soil, water and air. Cell-phone manufacturers are trying to make new handsets more environmentally friendly, said Joe Farren, public affairs director for CTIA -- The Wireless Association, by phasing out the use of lead and cadmium. Still, you should assume that anything with a circuit board, like a phone or a computer, is a caldron of caustic stuff and try to keep it out of the landfill.
Security concerns. Today's phones can store all kinds of private data, from passwords to e-mails to that racy photo you snapped of your girlfriend. Anyone who gets his or hands on your old phone could potentially access this stuff.
Security is an issue for those who would sell or donate phones, too. Trust Digital, which provides mobile security software, recently said it gleaned data from nine of 10 smart phones and personal digital assistants the company purchased on eBay as an experiment. Among the 27,000 pages of data the company retrieved were e-mails between a married man and his girlfriend, details about pending corporate deals and bank account numbers and passwords, according to The Associated Press.
The kind of simple reset users often perform to erase data doesn't scrub the information from many devices' flash memory, the company said. The information can be reclaimed using software available on the Internet. A user needs to perform "an advanced hard reset," which is typically outlined in the phone's user manual, to permanently clear the memory.
Eroding value. The older the phone, the less it's typically worth. That means fewer shekels in your pocket if you eventually resell and less value to a charity if you decide to donate. If you want the biggest bang for your buck, you should part with an old phone as soon as you get the new one.
CellforCash.com pays anywhere from $5 to $160 for select models, Mosieur said, with the average seller receiving a check for $27. RipMobile.com typically offers more for similar models, with sellers receiving points good toward gift certificates at CircuitCity.com, Starbucks, MSN Music and Karmaloop clothing, among other vendors. Recently CellforCash.com offered $67 for a Treo 650, for example, while RipMobile.com offered $115. On eBay -- where about 130,000 used phones change hands each month -- a similar model recently went for just under $200.
Another option: Check with your carrier. Wireless providers may offer a discount on a new phone -- typically $25 or so -- when you trade in an older model.
Even if a handset has little cash value, it still can benefit charities. Several posters on the Your Money message board said they donated old phones to battered women's shelters or other nonprofits.
"I donate mine to a domestic violence program," wrote poster jlf. "The phones can be used for not only 911, but the women are also given minutes on the phones so that they can be used as a way to contact or be contacted by assistance agencies."
All four major wireless carriers have recycling programs, as do most sites that buy phones, and you can find other drop-off locations through WirelessRecycling.com. These options typically don't provide receipts for tax deductions, however. If that's important, look for sites like CollectiveGood, which recycles phones for charities and which offers tax documentation.
Before you pass on any cell phone, do the following:
Discontinue your service. If you stayed with the same company or ported your phone number to a new provider, service to the old phone has almost certainly been disconnected. Otherwise, you should call your old provider and make sure service is turned off.
Do a hard reset on your phone. This may be more complicated than the simple reset often used to erase data when you're having technical problems with the phone. For example, many Treo phones can be reset by pressing a small button on the back, but a hard reset requires pushing four buttons at once. Check your phone's user manual for the procedure. WirelessRecycling.com also offers instructions on its site for common models.
Talk to your company: Some phones, such as the newest ones running Microsoft's mobile software, can be remotely wiped if the phone is lost or stolen. Other third-party software can delete a phone's information if a specially coded e-mail is delivered to it. Talk to your company about what technology it employs to protect its information and what is available.
1. Ask around about the best carrier. Coverage and call quality vary widely between the six national carriers. The carriers will tell you that they're perfect, so ask neighbors, friends, and co-workers about who has the best coverage where you live, work and travel.
2. Pay attention to battery life. A dead phone is no phone at all, so look for a phone's "continuous talk time" rating. Assume you'll be able to go a day without charging for each hour of talk time.
3. Test the speaker. Usually, you'll be able to make local calls with a test phone at the wireless store. Make sure voices come through loud enough and clear enough.
4. Take a hands-off approach when driving. Several states now require you to use a hands-free kit in your car. For a car phone, look for speaker-independent voice commands so you don't have to touch the phone to dial. Try to find a phone with Bluetooth wireless capability for the widest selection of wireless headsets.
5. Keep an eye out for nickel-and-diming. Your base plan may not include instant messaging, picture messaging, e-mail access or calls in rural areas. If you're going to do any of those things, make sure it's included.
Do you want to know what is the real cell phone secrets then visit this site article.
6. Shop in person, but buy online. Always go to a store to check out phone keypads, screens and speakers. But check carriers' Web sites and independent retailers like amazon.com for online deals once you've settled on a product.
7. Lock yourself in. Advertised, super-low prices for phones almost always require signing up for a new, two-year contract. Read the fine print to find the price for a phone with a one-year contract. If signing any contract drives you to distraction, check out no-commitment phones like AT&T's GoPhone or Virgin Mobile's prepaid service.
8. Consider a family plan. These are always the best deal for couples or families with multiple phones. You share a bucket of minutes, each get your own phone number and can save up to 50% over getting separate plans.
9. Get the right bands for your trips. If you travel between US cities, make sure your phone has both 850 and 1900 Mhz bands for the best coverage. If you often travel in the rural USA, an analog band will help big-time. And if you regularly go overseas, get a 'worldphone' with the 1800 Mhz band.
10. Don't be afraid to give it back. Most carriers offer a 15-day period when they'll take a phone back, no questions asked. Use your phone heavily the first week after you buy it. If anything deeply disturbs you – muffled sound, dead areas, a limp battery – return it and get a new one.
For more about buying best cell phones visit "10 Insider Secrets To Buying A Cell Phone" report website.
The AMD Opteron™ processor is compatible with multiple x86 operating systems and hundreds of software applications reducing enterprise infrastructure complexity and can even help to lower the total cost of ownership.
Reliability in a Crisis
Dual-core technologies can help increase uptime and manage thermal failures without shutting down CPUs. This is important when considering community, safety, and emergency response rates. Ensuring Security
AMD processors offer security with Enhanced Virus Protection* (EVP) that prevents the spread of certain malicious viruses and improves the integrity of office networks. This is a key aspect of protecting important and confidential data especially when transferring sensitive personal data. With AMD dual-core processors, you can maintain exceptional system performance and security at the same time.
The Power You Need
The AMD Opteron™ processor with Direct Connect Architecture simplifies your network throughput challenges by delivering high-performance server/workstation solutions for 32-bit and 64-bit applications. The AMD Opteron processor also supports single- and dual-core processing, which provides the flexibility to grow, adapt, and respond to the dynamic business environments.
Powerful GeForce and Quadro Graphics
The MJ-12 m7700a notebook not only yields powerful graphics but manages up to a 512MB QuadroFX 2500M card or a 256MB Geforce 7900GTX capable of graphically analyzing complex molecules, rendering the new World Trade Center on full wire-frame, or blowing up zombies - this mobile powerhouse will grace your 17” LCD with the most precise graphics details.
Dual RAID Hard Drives up to 240GB
In many applications, the MJ-12 m7700a is used as a mobile server. With options for RAID0, your hard drive array, in most cases, will double the bandwidth to your system decreasing load times and access times by 50%. Choose RAID1 for the ultimate in portable file security. If one hard drive crashes all your data is safely accessible and useable on the second disk of the RAID1 array – your workflow: embraced and uninterrupted.
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Research firm Informa Telecoms & Media forecasts that the market for mobile content will be worth $42.8 billion ( U.S.) by the year 2010, when mobile gaming is forecast to be worth $11.2 billion ( U.S. ), with an estimated 15 percent of handset users expected to download and play a game on their handset by 2010.
Mobers.com is community for mobile phone lovers, who like to pimp up their mobiles with latest ring tones, wallpapers, applications. Discussion regarding upcoming models, reviews, blogs and forum to share user reviews.
While based in the USA, Mobers.com employs people from around the world. Its cover primarily the US and EU markets, but don't limit itselves to those markets alone. Founded in 2006, Mobers.com is one of the world pioneers in the mobile user’s community. It offers user-friendly and mobile phone community services for its members. Its users include people from all ages, countries and sex, who are looking for best-of-breed and quality mobile content, which best support their mobile handsets. Mobers provide free ring tone downloads, wallpapers, applications and games along with Instant Messaging between mobiles, For more information, please visit http://www.Mobers.com
It's time to get the word out, everybody. Engadget needs a commercial to air during the Super Bowl -- well, not really, but we want you to make a commercial for us anyway. Your reward will be handsome; we're kicking down a sick new Vaio with Blu-ray, HDMI, and a 17-inch screen as a reward to the winner.
Here are the rules:
* Make the ultimate Engadget commercial * Keep it PG-13 (like the site) * Keep it under 5 minutes long (if you really must go longer, break it up into pieces, like those serialized commercials) * If it's not in English, please include subtitles! * You can enter no more than three different commercials * It has to be your work! You can re-enact some famous commercial or something, but you can't just slap our logo on somebody's else's copyrighted material. * Yes, it can be animation, 3D rendered, or whatever else you can imagine
Here's what you win: a Sony Vaio VGN-AR190G Blu-ray laptop (MSRP $3,400) with the following specs:
* 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T2500 * Blu-ray drive(!) * 1GB DDR2 SDRAM * 17-inch WUXGA display (1920 x 1200) * NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600GT graphics (256MB RAM), HDMI out * 200GB SATA RAID 0 drives * ExpressCard/54 slot * PC Card slot * SD / Memory Stick media reader * 802.11/a/b/g WiFi, Bluetooth * 1394, S-Video, USB 2.0 (3), VGA, S/PDIF, Ethernet, v.92 modem, webcam * XP Media Center 2005, tons of bundled software * House of Flying Daggers on Blu-ray, HDMI to DVI adapter, etc.
Here's how you enter:
* Send your clip to contests at engadget dawt com -- it can't be any larger than 10MB due to size limitations of email, but be sure to keep a higher resolution copy for us to show on the site! If it's just too large to send to us, you can put it on YouTube (or another video sharing site) and send us the link -- but we prefer email. * Have yours in by 11:59PM EST, Sunday September 10th * Contest is open to anyone worldwide -- including professionals -- so bring your a-game!
So fire up iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, After Effects, Final Cut, or whatever the hell it is you peeps use to make your home movies -- you've got a laptop to win. (Logo material after the break!)
Update: It appears there was some confusion about the original draft of this post. We're not intending to air the commercials anywhere but here on this site -- the Super Bowl thing is just a joke, ok people? And even if we did for some reason decide to spend like a couple mil on a Super Bowl ad, you'd better believe we'd cut the winner in on that action. Hm, first blog with a Super Bowl ad... maybe we were on to something.
DIY Technology has Come of Age: No More Expensive Lamps!
Lumenlab takes on the big manufacturers with this amazing projector that utilizes a $30 HID lamp that will last 6000+ hours! This projector is a Lumenlab exclusive. Because we designed it with a single 7" LCD panel and a 150w double-ended HQI lamp, we were finally able to solve the "commercial projector lamp dilemma" (most manufacturers don't want you to know that their lamps cost many hundreds of dollars and only last a couple thousand hours!). Our projector lamp retails for $30.00 so you'll never have to get ripped off again! Seasoned DIYers will be familiar with the design but will love the incredibly small size. We've had over 2000 sign-ups for this projector already!
This is not one of those "Chinese toy projectors". This unit is custom designed to our specifications and is a cutting edge high technology device. It comes with a remote control, tons of inputs and even has a TV tuner. It has keystone correction as well as manual focus adjustment. See the full specifications below.
$499 + FREE SHIP! *
Specifications:
* Resolution: 854×480 native, supports 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768 * Contrast Ratio: 600 ：1 * Brightness: 1000 ANSI Lumens * Lamp: 6,000 hour 150W HID * Lamp replacement cost: $30.00 * Power: 90-260V / 50-60 HZ * Inputs: Component, AV, S-Video, TV (coax), VGA (PC) * Outputs: Audio, Video * Input: RGB, PAL, NTSC, HDTV * Keystone correction 15º * Picture rotation for ceiling mounting * Manual focus adjustment * Aspect Ratio: 16:9 * Dimensions: 260(W)×330(L)×120(H)mm * Weight: 5.8kg * Backlit Remote * OSD Menu * Built-in speakers * Automatic fan shutdown with battery back up (unplug and go). * One-year limited warranty (lamp included)
* Free shipping only valid for the continental US.
This slick communicator offers speedy Wi-Fi Web access, music and video playback, and the ability to Skype on the go. But is that enough to win over the Sidekick set?
Price: $349
Think of it as the anti-PDA. The Sony mylo, short for "my life online," features nearly everything a mobile hipster could want in a handheld device. It sports Wi-Fi Internet access, a keyboard for instant messaging, and the ability to listen to tunes while you IM or surf. It's not a phone, but if you really want to talk on the go, the mylo has Skype built in, too. Is all of that enough for youngsters to give the ever-popular Sidekick the boot? Yes, if they (or their parents) have a lot of dough.
Weighing 5.3 ounces and measuring 0.8 inches thick, the mylo is certainly pocket friendly. Our unit's glossy black surface--it also comes in white--and curved base give it a sleek feel, even though it smudges easily. We also dig the chic, sci-fi pulsating light on right side of the mylo, which glows when you're connected via Wi-Fi.
When we fired the mylo up, we were immediately impressed by its gorgeous 2.4-inch, 320 x 240-pixel (QVGA) screen. Menus looked sharp, and the display didn't suffer when we viewed it from different angles. Navigation comes courtesy of a small thumbpad with a bright orange button in the middle, coupled with a Back button that sits just beneath it. This arrangement makes the mylo easy to use when jumping between applications.
The mylo features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Unfortunately, while the keys are nicely spaced, they're also quite small; we found ourselves using the tip of our nails to peck out messages. Plus, the top row of letters was at times difficult to nail because of its proximity to the lower half of the display.
We started by selecting the What's Up icon, which takes you to a portal where you can conveniently view all of your contacts and select the communication method with which to reach them. After being prompted to connect to an available Wi-Fi network, we were online in seconds, chatting away with our friends on mylo's included chat clients: Google Talk, Yahoo, and Skype (sorry, no AOL). Compared with the PC version, the Yahoo IM on this device is stripped down, with no avatars or file transfer capabilities. The more barebones Gtalk enjoys an almost flawless translation to the mylo; even Gtalk's ability to display your current music selection is intact.
We were blown away by the Skype experience on the mylo. Voices were clear and crisp with only a hint of occasional lag. The earphones' integrated microphone makes it simple to call someone without purchasing additional accessories. You can't plug your own headphones into the mylo directly, but Sony includes an adapter for this purpose. When you're at home or in another quiet location, you'll be glad to know that the built-in speakers deliver surprisingly good audio quality. Too bad these speakers don't work when you're using Skype.
The Mylo possesses 1GB of onboard flash memory for housing music, video, and photos; we filled this rather quickly, but there's a Memory Stick Pro Duo card slot for adding more capacity. Music playback is pretty standard fare, with the artist's information and song runtime displayed. Pressing the Option button while a track is playing lets you loop and shuffle songs as well as create playlists on the go-a nice touch. You can jam to tunes while messaging, viewing photos, or surfing the Web, re-creating the home PC experience.
You can control playback with the thumbpad while you're in the music app, but when you're multitasking, a scrollwheel on the bottom of the unit lets you fast-forward, rewind, and pause tracks. Next to this wheel are the volume controls. The mylo supports ATRAC, MP3, and WMA music files, including secure WMA files (we used MTV's Urge service). Two mylo users can even link wirelessly with the Ad Hoc connection to share playlists and stream music form one device to the other.
MPEG-4 video playback looked smooth during our tests, and it's easy to transfer clips to the device using the included USB cable. Photo slideshows, complete with music in the background, looked equally crisp on the 2.4-inch display. Some prospective buyers may lament the lack of an integrated camera, but there are only so many features Sony could squeeze into this design.
We tested the mylo's Web surfing abilities by visiting a Web site that caters perfectly to this device's demographic: MySpace. While we were pleased that the photo-heavy pages loaded quickly courtesy of the 802.11b connection, we had to do lots of scrolling to navigate the main page. We enabled the Fit to Screen mode to cut down on the thumb work, but it only jumbled the pictures and text. Text-heavy blogs and more traditional sites, on the other hand, looked great in Fit to Screen mode.
Sony rates the mylo with up to 3.5 hours of battery life when making Internet phone calls, up to 8 hours for video playback, and 45 hours for music playback only. Our device delivered just under 9 hours of runtime with a mix of Web surfing, instant messaging, Skype calling, and music-playing--not bad when you consider the Wi-Fi radio was on during most of that time.
Sony deserves kudos for delivering such a full-featured, stylish, and easy to use handheld. However, the mylo is expensive when compared with competing devices like the Sidekick 3, which offers many of the same features and much wider cellular coverage for $50 less. But for those living on Wi-Fi-blanketed campuses who would rather carry a superslim cell all of the time and a messaging/entertainment device some of the time, the mylo has the goods.
TOKYO - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday it will offer a low-priced version of its Xbox 360 video game console in Japan in November as it braces itself for a battle against new machines from Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, NEWS, Research) and Nintendo Co. Ltd. (7974.OS: Quote, NEWS, Research).
Microsoft plans to offer Xbox 360 Core System, which comes with a wired controller and does not include a hard disk drive, for 29,800 yen ($256) on Nov. 2, a little more than a week before Sony's launch of its PlayStation 3 (PS3) console.
Microsoft currently offers a version with a 20-gigabyte (GB) hard disk drive and a wireless controller in Japan for 39,795 yen ($342). The new version of Xbox 360 will be less than half the price of a model of PS3 that is equipped with a 20-GB hard drive and comes with a Blu-ray next-generation high-definition optical disc player. Sony plans to to put a price tag of 62,790 yen on it.
Nintendo, which will start selling its Wii console in the final quarter of 2006, plans to offer the machine for 25,000 yen or less in Japan.
Japan has been a weak spot for Microsoft's Xbox business, and shoring up demand in the stronghold of Sony and Nintendo is important for the world's largest software maker as it goes into the critical year-end shopping season.
As of Sept. 3, Microsoft had sold about 159,000 units of the Xbox 360 in Japan since its December launch, according to industry watcher Enterbrain.
Sony, in comparison, sold almost a million units of PlayStation 2 in the first three days of its launch in Japan in 2000. Sony said on Wednesday it would postpone the PS3 launch in Europe, Russia and several other regions to March from November, citing a delay in commercial production of a blue laser component, a key part of the Blu-ray optical disc drive.
Shares in Sony were up 0.2 percent at 4,980 yen in afternoon trade and Nintendo was up 0.6 percent at 23,430 yen, compared with the Nikkei average <.N225> up 0.51 percent. ($1=116.74 Yen)
ThinkTank Forecasts US Ringtone Sales Will Double in 2006 to $700 Million
ThinkTank Forecasts US Ringtone Sales Will Double in 2006 to $700 Million
ThinkTank, the U.S. performing rights organization representing more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, released its sales projections for music ringtonesin the United States market today. ThinkTank predicts that the market will surpass $500 million in retail sales, up from $500 million in calendar year 2005 and $245 million in calendar year 2004. ThinkTank bases its projection on census-based sales data that it aggregates from more than 225 different outlets for the sale of mobile entertainment.
"We see the growth trend in ringtones and mobile entertainment continuing through mid 2007," said ThinkTank Vice President of Business Development, Smindsrt Stuart . "We believe that the market will double for the ringtone sector alone. Any revenues derived from the ringback-tone services and mobile subscription music services, which have just begun to roll out in the U.S., will be incremental."
Since entering the market in 2001, the company has tracked and processed more than 150,000,000 individual ringtone sales through the third quarter of 2004 by title, artist and gross retail revenues generated. ThinkTank's database of earnings and titles is believed to be the most comprehensive in the industry. ThinkTank uses the data that it collects to distribute public performance royalties on a pro-rata basis to its affiliated songwriters, composers and music publishers.
With the advent of cellphones, Internet phoning and new technologies such as Skype, you can save a lot of money on long-distance (and local) calls. But navigating the myriad options and still getting the best service for your buck can be confusing. Consumer Reports offers some suggestions on how to save:
# Try Internet phoning.
It's not as complicated as it sounds. To get started, you need something called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which relays phone calls via a high-speed Internet connection. Service costs about $20 a month or more and offers unlimited local and long-distance calls -- which could save you about $400 a year if you already have high-speed Internet. You'll also pay less in taxes. Check with your cable company to see if it offers a package with your cable or DSL, or try a company such as Vonage, which specializes in VoIP. Just remember, you must have an Internet connection and electricity for it to work -- so have a basic land line as a backup.
# Go totally mobile.
You could get rid of the land line altogether and save. Just get a cellphone plan that offers you enough national anytime minutes.
Cellphone connections are still less reliable than land lines, however, so be sure that your phone works in all areas of your home. And if you live in a rural area, be sure that your local emergency operator has an enhanced technology called E911, which allows operators to get locations for cellular callers.
# Shop.
You can find a cheaper cellphone plan -- you just have to look. The plans that are promoted by the cellphone companies may not be right for you, and you could find a better one just by doing a little digging. Call your cellphone carrier or look at its Web site for more options. Read your bill carefully -- are you paying for services such as text messaging and picture mail that you don't even use?
# Bundle your local and long-distance calls.
Some companies, including AT&T and Verizon, allow you to buy unlimited long-distance and local service from the same company. Determine your calling habits -- do you make a lot of long-distance calls? If so, it might be worth it.
Mac Pro Manufacturer: Apple Computer (product page) Price as configured: $2,499 (shop for this item)
I thought I was getting a new Macintosh PC. Instead, the box said "Quad Xeon 64-bit workstation." It was then that it really hit me—the Big Switch was over and my once shiny Power Macintosh G5 was yesterday's news.
The introduction of the new, yet familiar-looking Mac Pro at the Worldwide Developers Conference (along with the updated Xserve) closed the book on the PowerPC's 12-year run in Apple's product lineup. And it all happened so fast. Just last year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs stood in front of the gathered masses and dropped the big bombshell.
Apple's initial timeframe was conservative. The first Intel system would ship by June 6, 2006, with the transition complete sometime in 2007. Instead, Apple was able to accelerate its schedule, unveiling the first two Intel Macs at Macworld San Francisco this past January. The iMac Core Duo and MacBook Pro were joined by the Mac mini in March and the MacBook in May.
Making the transition easier for Apple was Intel's new Core Duo chip. Available at the beginning of 2006, Yonah (aka, Core Duo) was a good fit across much of Apple's product line, with two notable exceptions: the Xserve and Power Macintosh. Both of those needed something beefier than a 32-bit processor and thanks to Intel's roadmap, we all knew what it was and when it would be coming. Sure enough, Jobs delivered the goods at the WWDC keynote Tech specs The Xeon 5100 series
Better known by its code name Woodcrest, the Xeon 5100 series provides the brains for Apple's new Mac Pro towers. Although it shares a name with Intel's longstanding server-centric CPU, the 5100s are different beasts from their Netburst predecessors. They are built on the same Core architecture as Merom (Core 2 Duo) laptop CPUs and the just-released desktop CPU Conroe (also Core 2 Duo).
The brains behind the Mac Pro. Image courtesy of PowerMax Computers
Apple is using three Xeons across the Mac Pro line: the 5130 (2.0GHz), 5150 (2.66GHz), and the 5160 (3.0GHz). The default configuration for the Mac Pro uses Van Halen's favorite CPU, the Xeon 5150, with the 5130 and 5160 available as build-to-order options for $300 less and $800 more, respectively. Since the machine being reviewed has the 5150, I'll just touch on that processor. However, the CPUs are identical except for the speed. A detailed look at the Xeon architecture is outside the scope of this review, but we can hit a few of the highlights of the 5150.
Introduced in June, the Xeon 5100 series is a 64-bit CPU intended primarily for use in servers and high-performance workstations. In fact, Intel prefers that vendors using the Xeon in desktop computers call them "workstations" rather than "PCs," hence the prominent "64-bit workstation" labeling on the box.
Like the other Core and Core 2 processors, the Xeon 5150 is fabricated using a 65nm process. It's also a dual-core chip, which is why Apple refers to the Mac Pro as a "Quad Xeon": two CPUs, four cores. Each 5150 has 4MB of L2 cache which is shared between the two cores. The Mac Pro also features 1333MHz, 64-bit dual independent frontside buses, meaning that each Xeon has its own dedicated bus to the northbridge.
When it comes to heat, the Xeon 5150 runs cooler than its Netburst predecessors. It has a thermal design power of 65 watts (the 5160 has a TDP of 80W), which is a big improvement over its predecessor's 135W TDP. IBM has not released the TDP figures for the PowerPC 970MP powering the last G5s, so a direct comparison is impossible. Keep in mind that whatever the figure, it was high enough to require liquid cooling. Detailed tech specs CPU • 2 x Intel Xeon 5150 • 2.66GHz • 4MB L2 cache • 1333MHz FSB • Dual-core • 128-bit SSE3 vector engine Memory • 1GB PC2-5300 fully-buffered DDR2 • 8 slots • 16GB max Hard drive • 250GB 7200rpm SATA-II • 8MB cache • 4 drive bays with included sleds Optical drive • 16x Superdrive (double-layer DVD+R DL, DVD±RW, CD-RW) • 2 optical drive bays Connectivity • 2 gigabit Ethernet ports with jumbo frame support • Optional Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11b/g mini cards Graphics • NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT (x16 PCI Express) • 256MB of GDDR2 SDRAM • 1 single-link DVI port • 1 dual-link DVI port Input • Apple Pro USB keyboard with 2 USB 1.1 ports • Mighty Mouse Ports • 2 FireWire 400 • 2 FireWire 800 • 5 USB 2.0 Expansion • 4 PCIe slots • Default configuration: 1 x16, 2 x4, 2 x1 Audio • Digital in and out (Toslink) • Analog in and out Size • 20.1" x 8.1" x 18.7" • 42.4lb Software • Mac OS X 10.4.7 • iLife '06 • Comic Life • Omni Outliner • Trial versions of Microsoft Office 2004, iWork '06, and FileMaker 8.5
GMC AMS814LS 10.5 Amp 8-1/4-Inch Compound Miter Saw with Laser
The GMC AMS814LS 8 1/4 inch Compound Miter Saw features the Redeye Laser Line Generator for improved operator cutting vision, faster set-up, increased accuracy and safer operation. Bevel cuts can be made from 0-to-45-degrees right for improved productivity, greater accuracy, and convenience. You'll be ready to blow through most materials with the powerful 10.5 amp motor that provides the power to handle tough timbers and severe cutting tasks.
The AMS814LS miter saw uses Redeye Laser Line Generator for improved cutting vision, faster set-up, increased accuracy, and safer operation.
D-handle design with rubber grip improves ergonomics to deliver comfort. View larger. Miter cuts can be set from 0-to-45-degrees left and right. Plus, the positive miter table stops add fast and convenient settings for the most common miter cuts. The strong, robust alloy construction means you'll get a lot of mileage out of this saw. And the D-handle design with rubber grip improves ergonomics to deliver comfort, cut after cut. Other features include a spindle lock button that allows for easy, one-wrench blade changes; a dust extraction port for a cleaner and safer work environment; and a lock down facility for portability and easy storage. The saw includes a carbide-tipped blade that stays sharper longer, a dust bag, and a blade wrench.
About Redeye Laser Guidance System Designed for the serious do-it-yourselfer, the Redeye range includes jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws, tile cutting saws, table saws, band saws, scroll saws, hammerdrills, and drill presses. Each Redeye equipped tool features a laser line generator incorporated into the product to provide unparalleled accuracy, faster set-up, and improved safety. The laser line generates a narrow beam of pure red light to provide an exact straight guide line that allows for the more accurate cuts and superior finishes. This laser guide is clearly visible and, unlike a pencil mark, it is never obscured by sawdust or debris. You can clearly see the laser line while you're standing upright, keeping your face well away from sawdust and wood chips. With Redeye on your side, not only will you be more efficient, but you'll also minimize your risk of injury.
What's in the Box GMC AMS814LS 8 1/4-inch Compound Miter Saw with Redeye, carbide-tipped saw blade, dust bag, and a blade wrench.
From the Manufacturer 8 1/4" Compound miter saw with REDEYE laser line generator, 10.5 Amp motor, bevel cuts from 0° to 45°, miter cuts 0° to 45°, positive miter table stops, strong and robust alloy construction, d-handle design with rubber grip, spindle lock, dust extraction port, includes carbide tipped saw blade
While most consumers are just now warming to third-generation data services, wireless companies are already looking forward to 4G, which promises even faster speeds. The question remains, however, if faster speeds will equal greater interest that has so far failed to materialize.
Samsung is heading this effort, and held a 4G mobile conference in South Korea this week. The company claims its next-generation technology that would allow mobile data at 100 MBps, with fixed data rates exceeding one gigabyte per second.
Although Samsung hasn't provided many specifics on exactly how the technology works, such rates would qualify its service as true fourth-generation technology based on standards set by the International Telecommunications Union.
In demonstrations, the technology was able to transfer a movie in about five seconds, and 100 songs in a little over two seconds. Another simulation would cram 32 high-definition television channels, Internet access, and video telephony into a single 4G signal, the company said.
In addition to showing off its data speed capabilities, the Korea-based wireless company would also show off its work that would allow towers to pass off a call at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph). While that may seem slow, it is a start for technology that still seems to be many years away from being a reality.
Only one US network, Sprint, has announced plans to migrate to 4G. That company's path would employ WiMAX technology, and would cover about 85 percent of the top 100 markets when completed. That network is expected to go live over the next two years.
Sprint's network will not truly be "4G" in the sense of the network itself, as the WiMAX signal would likely be used for data only; whereas Samsung's network would be fully next-generation from the ground up.
The company did not disclose what technology it planned to use for the network, be it CDMA or GSM, or some completely new variant. Spectrum for 4G will be allocated in 2007, with the first networks appearing around the start of the next decade.
But is 4G truly needed? Many analysts seem to question the industry's moves. Some consider 3G to be a failure, and too technology driven, while others noted that the high-speed technology has barely gotten off the ground.
"The 3G phones have only now started to ship in meaningful numbers, and the 3G networks are only getting lit in many parts of the world," Internet pundit Om Malik said Thursday.
"Cingular, one of the largest wireless carriers in the world has only recently started turning on its 3G services," he continued. Malik's comments seemed to echo that of Cingular's, whose CTO Kristin Rinne seemed to indicate to Reuters that the company wasn't looking to faster data anytime soon.
"We're going to have to demonstrate we can deliver those products and services to customers," she said, speaking of the wireless provider's current 3G network. "If that doesn't happen, there isn't a need for 4G."
KUALA LUMPUR: Computer vendor Lenovo has appointed eSys Technologies to market its range of desktops and portables in non-metro cities in the northern, southern and eastern areas of the country.
Headquartered in Singapore, eSys Technologies will carry ThinkPad notebooks, ThinkCentre desktops and the Lenovo 3000 range of computers.
This will complement Lenovo's existing distribution channel, said Thomas T.P. Teng, general manager of Lenovo Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR: If you are into digital photography, Canon's latest professional digicam - the EOS 400D - will be on display at the Berjaya Times Square for three days from Sept 10.
This is a 10.1-megapixel digital SLR camera that is equipped with a cleaning system that repels dust automatically, said Canon.
It also features a 2.5in LCD screen, three-frames per second shooting capability, nine-point autofocus system, and is compatible with Canon EF and EF-S lenses.
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Additional information:
Your post will be submitted to faves.com, co.mments.com, squidoo.com, stumbleupon.com, propeller.com, Del.icio.us, petalingstreet.org, DIGG, Yahoo MyWeb, blogmarks.net, ma.gnolia.com, technorati, feedburner.com, bumpzee.com, base.google.com, google.com/notebook, google bookmark, millionrss.com, newsgarbage.com, mp3rama.com, wobblog.com, blogstreet.com, facebook, PlugIM, Twitter, post to myspace bulletin with 1000 members, post to friendster bulletin with 700 members, post video about your products/services at youtube and many more. Quick readership and fast result. All blog post is permanent and will be stored in archive page. Free graphics design for your post. Free submission to 553 PR0 blogs ( plz check list ) payment via paypal.
and yes we can do spinning on articles
the price is USD40 if spinning your 5 different articles
the price is USD55 if spinning + writing your 5 different articles
the price is USD60 if spinning your 12 different articles
the price is USD90 if spinning + writing your 12 different articles
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Sales representative:
Mas Dini Bin Muzammal
YM:Abg_hensem1 at yahoo.com
Gtalk: Adfunk
MSN: reckno6 at hotmail.com
Email: adfunk at gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/blogpostingserv
Phone: 60136679137
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Blog Posting Services
Research firm Informa Telecoms & Media forecasts that the market for mobile content will be worth $42.8 billion ( U.S.) by the year 2010, when mobile gaming is forecast to be worth $11.2 billion ( U.S. ), with an estimated 15 percent of handset users expected to download and play a game on their handset by 2010.
