Gadgets and Tech's

Merry Mobile Shopping!

2010-11-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

As Smartphones essentially become smarter and smarter, the market for mobile shopping is really taking off. Mobile commerce applications and mobile websites are changing the way retailers do business and the way consumers shop.

With a rise of retailers users social media, mobile applications, and mobile web, mobile activity is destine to play a role in the 2010 holiday shopping season. In a study conducted by Deloitte, retailers are seeking to deliver tightly integrated and consistent merchandise, inventory, and promotional messages to their customers via mobile web, applications, and social media. There is also expected to be a between web based and physical storefront promotions and sales. Phone applications are tying online and store shopping together in more ways than ever before.

Merry Mobile Shopping!

How to Get Free Ringtones?

2010-11-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for some good ringtones for your mobile phone; you have too many options to consider, such as websites, forums, blogs, and communities. Although, there are a number of resources available online for getting ringtones, yet not all portals are giving away free ringtones to their users or even if they are offering they are not what you want to have downloaded on your mobile phone. Many times, the quality of online ringtones are not that what you are after; so here comes a question that buzzes on mind, where on earth to get ringtones of your choice.

The answer is resources that offer some kind of credits as a part of bonus; you have already made many accounts with the websites but I am pretty sure you have not seen any website offering you free credits once you make an account with them. So, now what you need to do is to try out some new approaches; find out websites that seem to be offering such services; when you open an account with a website they deposit 25 or more credits depending on your membership level into your account and provides you free bonus, it is surprising, but these websites are really a great medium to get acoustic ringtones from. Upon you create your account with them, they give a search box in which you can search for the ringtone you want to download on your mobile phone.

How to Get Free Ringtones?

Reward Yourself With a Free Motorola Droid X

2010-09-07T01:33:00.000-07:00

What do you get from a free Motorola Droid X?
Pretty much the same with what you'll get if you buy one for about $300.
This thin-bodied android smartphone features the following:

• a large touch display
• 24 GB of memory
• HD output to TV
• 8-megapixel camera with HD video capture
• GPS navigation including a full turn-by-turn direction
• FM radio
• 3.5 mm headphone jack
• Wi-Fi and voice search

How can you possibly get a Motorola Droid X for free?

If you haven't noticed all those promotional giveaways all over the net yet, use your search engine to look then up. These promotional offers give almost anything away not just android smartphones. These offers are there because they are a means to successful product advertisement. So does this mean you have to buy some product first before getting a freebie?

Reward Yourself With a Free Motorola Droid X

Innovations For Basler Vision Technologies Ace Camera Series

2010-07-30T01:35:00.000-07:00

Basler Vision Technologies has developed the first four models in the Ace series of Power over Ethernet (PoE) compact area scan cameras. Shown at the VISION show in Stuttgart, Germany, these Basler Ace cameras are currently the smallest Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) cameras of their class. With their smaller size, reduced weight (5.2 ounces for the camera, IFB board and housing), newest technology, and best price for a GigE Vision camera, Basler 's Ace Series cameras rise to a new level.

Utilizing Basler's five years of GigE camera experience, the Ace camera series represents the most current technology in a GigE Vision Camera, and targets the replacement of analog cameras, USB cameras, and IEEE 1394a and b cameras that are based on a standard 29x29-mm footprint. Designed to ensure a seamless integration into applications, the mechanical mounting and optical concept are identical to most analog, USB, and IEEE1394 cameras.

APPLICATIONS

The Ace camera has multiple applications, which include video conferencing, cable TV broadcasting, point-of-view (POV), and medical uses. Utilizing its smaller size, this barrier-breaking camera makes GigE technology now suitable for space-critical applications, and the slow shutter and SPOT AE function are perfect for inspection purposes. Utilizing the versatility and flexibility of this camera, when used with an SD system, it allows easy migration from SD to HD whenever needed. With the incorporation of the Auto ICR for Day/Night function, the production of high-quality images during the day, and clear, black-and-white images at night result. This footprint was, until now, unavailable on cameras with a Gigabit interface and many limitations in the use of GigE Vision technology have now been eliminated.

Innovations For Basler Vision Technologies Ace Camera Series

Apple iPad Features - Holding Its Own With Netbooks and Tablets

2010-06-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

The Apple iPad features help it hold its own in the ever-increasing world of electronics. With introductions of new touch screen computers and smaller laptops, the iPad helps Apple get its place in the market. Moreover, it does it with a bunch of features that competitors do not have. The iPad features goes vertical or horizontal by simply turning the unit. This gives the consumer many other options. While some competitors also have this feature, not all do. In addition, most of them are smaller than the iPad. It comes with many useful apps already loaded and thousands more available with a simple download.

The Apple iPad features make it unique amongst other electronics of similar size and functionality. It gives the consumer the convenience of a tablet computer. It also provides similar computing power that the netbooks offer. The iPad includes a blow up version of the iPod Touch, but with sophisticated software behind it. You get a 9.7-inch screen that makes viewing much easier than with the smaller iPod. The backlit LCD makes viewing easy on the eyes. It is a great format for books as well as movies. The lightweight thin case makes it extremely portable and versatile.

Apple iPad Features - Holding Its Own With Netbooks and Tablets

The Samsung S5620 Monte Pink is Style Personified

2010-06-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Samsung S5620 Monte Pink offers a wealth of features that is encased within a sophisticated and stylish casing which is compact in nature.

The handset offers the ability to utilise either vibration or ring alert options as well as the option to use MP3 files as additional ringtones. The handset provides hands free communication by virtue of its speakerphone whilst also including the option of personal listening by virtue of its 3.5 mm audio jack. The phone comes with a comprehensive phone book that has the ability to retain 1000 entries as well as providing the photo call feature. The handset comes with an effective call record function as standard.

The handsets display screen is a 3.0 inch TFT touch screen that offers 256,000 colours and their variants, providing faithful colour reproduction. The handset also includes a useful accelerometer sensor to automate image orientation whilst also providing a useful turn to mute feature and smart unlock functionality. The unit utilises a TouchWiz interface as its primary means of navigation, which is effective.

The Samsung S5620 Monte Pink is Style Personified

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini Offers Expressive Technology

2010-06-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini is an impressive handset with a wide range of advanced technology contained within a stylish and compact unit. Its list of features is endless, incorporating touch screen technology with social media interaction as well as an impressive style that looks engaging. The unit itself is only 83 mm x 50 mm wide whilst being 16 mm thick and weighing 88 g in weight, which means that it is handset which fits neatly into the palm of the hand.

The handset comes with a 2.5 inch TFT display screen which is a touch screen. It displays an impressive 16 million colours within its 240 x 320 pixel screen size. A scratch resistant surface is applied to the screen to ensure longevity whilst image orientation is automated by virtue of its accelerometer sensor. Navigation is provided by the Timescape user interface which is renowned and respected.

The handset offers hands free communication capabilities by virtue of its speakerphone whilst also offering personal listening pleasure by its inclusion of a 3.5 mm audio jack. Ring and vibration options are available for ringtone use, whilst the ability to utilise MP3 ringtones is an added bonus that adds further appeal.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini Offers Expressive Technology

Nokia N900 Vs Nokia X6 – Good Looking Phones

2010-06-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last year, two mobile phones by Nokia were launched back-to-back. The first to get launched was Nokia X6 and the next one was N900. As per the claims made by Nokia, the two mobile phones have several dissimilarities as X6 is a dedicated music phone while N900 is a top class smart phone.

In terms of appearance and weight, Nokia N900 is heavier than X6. This is because the former one comes with a QWERTY keyboard and it measures 181 grams in comparison to the 122 grams weight of Nokia X6.

Nokia N900 Vs Nokia X6 – Good Looking Phones

HTC Tattoo – Affordable Phone

2010-06-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

HTC Tattoo is an affordable phone that falls within the budget of many people. The phone runs on Android system and is based on ‘Sense’ user interface. This device with ample features and great price in its diminutive body is definitely admired by people for all the fun that it attributes to one’s life. However, the only feature that is compromised in this phone is the resistive touch screen that holds back this phone from getting the grandeur that is otherwise well deserved by this device. However if you are looking to save some money, then this is the best bargain that one can get.

HTC Tattoo comes loaded with powerful applications like Google Maps, You Tube, and Twitter. However if you are not satisfied by these the phone then offers you with the ability to shop for applications in the Android market to buy more applications which further strengthens the phone’s capacity. These applications are easily downloadable and easy to install and use. Applications like Skype etc further add to the utilities of the phone.

Another very attractive feature of this phone is that it has the ability of changeable home screens that can be customized or altered depending on how you are placed with your schedule. If you are busy in the office throughout the week then you can change your home screen with widgets that would be utility driven towards your work. For example emails, calendars, contacts and web browsers. However if your schedule says’ no work’ then your phone can be altered to reflect that mood of yours too, with music player, games and camera on the main screens. There are several widgets that can be customized to be on your home screen that would allow you to open them simply with the touch of a finger. You wouldn’t have to go through tons of windows to get to your favourite site or program; they would be just fingertips away from utility.

Another good thing is that this phone also provides you with changeable covers that can be designed and used by YOU! This pushes your creativity to make the phone come out in the way that is best suited for your persona. The end result in terms of the physical attributes of the phone would speak volumes about who you are and what you like.

Just like HTC Smart; this phone too gathers all the correspondence that you’ve had with your friends and clients together at one spot. In fact it is able to pull out all the photographs of your friends from Facebook and Flickr and put them along with their contact information in the phone. This way you would not have to jump from one application to another to stay connected to the latest in your social network, all the information would be highly organized for you at one spot. On the hind side, this phone does not support any other social networking sites like MySpace and Bebo. However, the good news is that these can be bought from the Android market space and put to use effectively.

The phone; though cheap, also can be availed under HTC Tattoo contract deals that would make it even more likable by the people. The only thing that goes against this phone is the resistive and small touch screen that becomes unresponsive and needs some pressure to work. However seeing the price at which this phone is offered one can happily forgo that drawback too!

I am marco willian a writer by profession. My interest lies in writing on gadgets specially Mobile Phone Deals and accessories. Presently writing about latest mobile phones, HTC Tattoo, mobile phones and upcoming HTC Mobile Phones.

Source: ArticleSnacks

Globe Wifi Your Home

2010-05-25T04:59:00.000-07:00

Internet Only

Monthly fee - P 795
One-time Setup fee - P 500
Max Speed - 512 Kbps

Monthly free - P 995
One-time Setup fee - P 500
Max Speed - 1 Mpbs

Internet + Landline Plan

Monthly fee - P 995
One-time Setup fee - Free
Max Speed - 512 Kbps

Monthly fee - P 1,295
One-time Setup fee - Free
Max Speed - 1 Mbps

Monthly fee - P 1,995
One-time Setup fee - Free
Max Speed - 2 Mbps

WiFi Modem Rental Fee

24 months - Free
12 months - P 350/month for 3 months

1.1 Copy iphone - PinPhone iPhone 3G

2010-05-25T04:11:00.000-07:00

This is strongly recommended touchscreen mobile phone from China, the PinPhone 3GS. As the title shows, the most distinct feature is the multi-touch function on the capacitive Sharp touchscreen that makes it different from other mobile phones. It wows users with features such as the "pinch" the ability to move two of your fingers in or out to produce a "zoom in" or "zoom out" effect. The stunning large 3.5-inch HVGA touch display offers a high resolution of 480 x 320 pixels, making images leap out with stunning definition and clarity.

PinPhone 3GS also contains functions that usually exist in symbain smart phones. You can change the theme of this phone, which means to change all the icons of this phone. But, what's pity is that it only has three different themes. Another important thing has to mention here is its copy, cute, and paste function. When tying SMS or Notes on the virtual keypad, you can copy, cute and paste words to make tying much quicker and easier. What's more, PinPhone 3GS has a built-in DocViewer that enables you to view Word documents.

In addition, the digital audio player of PinPhone 3GS is also very powerful, which offers compatibility for MP3, WAV, AMR and MID formats. Enjoying the sound music through its 3.5mm audio jack and the ability to scroll through cover art when in landscape mode was particularly fun. With a quick tap, one is able to see the available music in a particular album. The audio player also can display the lyric so as to add your sound enjoyment. Well, if you've chosen an optional wireless bluetooth stereo headset, then you can stream your favorite music to it, enjoying music wirelessly due to its A2DP bluetooth profile. With the bluetooth technology, you can also wirelessly send contacts, songs, notes and pictures. Moreover, if you are tired of the set songs in this phone, you can turn to the integrated FM tuner that enables you to listen to lively FM programs.
As to visual effects, you will love it very much. Videos of FLV, RMVB, 3GP, MP4, AVI formats, all could be played on this phone. Thus, you nearly don't need to transform the video format when you want to watch videos on PinPhone 3GS. And the screen could auto rotate when you turn the phone from portrait view to landscape view, and vice versa, because of its built-in accelerometer. It also could be applied to change the music track and switch the photos. You also are able to play motion-based games.

Further, PinPhone 3GS is equipped with 2.0M pixels HD camera on the rear. You can use it to snap vivid pictures or recording video clips as well. Besides, you can connect with the computer and use the HD camera as a webcam when chatting with friends on the internet. And you even can use the PictBridge service to print the photos directly.

The accessories of PinPhone 3GS includes a black silicone carrying case and a black cleaning cloth. The former not only makes it look in style, but also provides protection from unwanted harms. The latter can clean the dust and fingerprints of the screen. Considering lovers of mobile phone games, this phone also supports Java 2.0 function. Thus, you can download games as well as some common applications, and install on this phone.

Such beautiful and powerful mobile phone form China! Do not hesitate to order and take this multimedia phone with you. It’s a pity that PinPhone 3GS touchscreen mobile phone doesn’t incorporate WiFi module. But this powerful phone has upgrade version with WiFi function now. Therefore, surfing the internet is now much faster. You don’t need to pay much for the GPRS or 3G charge package any more. This is a great adding to the PinPhone 3GS.

Source: sourcinggate.com

New iPhone 4G

2010-05-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

It’s already been confirmed by Apple that they’re planning on launching a new iPhone 4G.

Watch out for it to be launch this year 2010.

7 Reasons Apple Shareholders Should Be Cautious

2010-04-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

by Brett Arends
Friday, April 23, 2010

provided by

Apple (NYSE: AAPL - News) investors could be excused for feeling on top of the world. Another blowout quarter has sent the stock booming to another all-time high. The iPad seems to be a success. Everything the company touches seems to turn to gold.

Savor the moment, by all means. But don't get complacent. If you're an Apple shareholder, here are seven things to be concerned about—and one thing you can do about it.

1. Apple's good — but not that good. It's just that the competition is so bad. Nokia (NYSE: NOK - News), Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT - News), Samsung, Palm (NasdaqGS: PALM - News): From smartphones to Internet tablets to computers, it's hard to believe so many big companies have blown it so badly. And they've committed mainly unforced errors, such as terrible user interfaces. I bought a non-iPod MP3 player the other day. It's great ... except making playlists is nearly impossible.
As long as the competition acts like this, Apple will keep winning. But its success owes less to the genius of Apple than the incompetence of everyone else. And that's something you can't control.

2. Apple fatigue. Was anything so ridiculous as the coverage of the new iPad? A computer company launched a new computer. Time and Newsweek put it on the cover, for heaven's sake, complete with fawning copy from the likes of Stephen Fry. A lot of people are getting absolutely fed up with this circus. Fashions come, but fashions go. Is Apple becoming overexposed? Right now Steve Jobs could sell his old underwear for $200 a pair (the "iPants"), and the sheep would line up at your local Apple store. If this mania lasts, it will be a first in human history.

3. The share price. At $260, Apple's stock price has more than doubled in a year. Amateur investors say, "It's going up." Present tense. Serious investors say, more accurately: "It has gone up." Past tense. No one knows the future. And the more it rises, the less attractive it gets. It's now 20 times annual cash flow and 5 and a half times annual sales. At $235 billion, the company is being valued at more than Sony (NYSE: SNE - News), Research In Motion (NasdaqGS: RIMM - News), Dell (NasdaqGS: DELL - News), Motorola (NYSE: MOT - News), Nokia, HTC (Taiwan 2498.TW - News), SanDisk (NasdaqGS: SNDK - News) and Palm ... put together. That assumes a lot.

4. Steve Jobs's ego. I don't care how much of a genius he is: Nobody is perfect. Yet Mr. Jobs has been subject to extravagant cheerleading, and it's not as if he was overendowed with a sense of humility to begin with. Bottom line: If and when he makes mistakes, who is going to stop him? A small but telling example: One thing keeping Apple from lots of extra iPhone sales to business users is that Mr. Jobs, for some reason, has a thing against keyboards. There's no business reason for it. It's a silly, unforced error.

5. The cellular networks. At what point will they stop giving away the store? Right now they're paying most of the cost of each new iPhone, and under-charging for the data plans too. That's great for customers and great for Apple, and bad for the networks. The iPhone is an expensive data hog that soaks up airtime, and there's always a risk the networks will start playing tougher. Verizon, which lost out to AT&T three years ago for the right to carry the iPhone in the US, doesn't seem to be suffering as a result. Its investors have done no worse than those of AT&T. And its data traffic just jumped 20%, even without the Apple phone.

6. Apple backlash. As the competition forfeits game after game, Apple is starting to dominate industries from cell phones and games to music and media. Now it looks like it wants to dominate ebooks too. But if Ken Auletta's account in the latest New Yorker is correct, Apple's game plan to defeat Amazon means teaming up with book publishers—and that may mean higher book prices for consumers. How will consumers react? And what will that do for Apple's "friendly," rebel image? Anyway, you can't play the underdog when you're the third-biggest company in the world by market value. Apple is already worth more than General Electric (NYSE: GE - News), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News), Chevron (NYSE: CVX - News) or Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG - News). It is worth nearly as much as Microsoft. At some point it starts to look like the Big Brother it once vilified. It may even look like the new Microsoft.

7. Steve Jobs's health. This is the "ick" issue. But Apple cheerleaders can't have it both ways. They can't hail Steve Jobs as a visionary genius and the world's greatest CEO, and then say it's none of shareholders' business whether he will still be running the company in three years' time. It's only a year since he had a liver transplant, and investors can hardly feel confident they got all the relevant information clearly and early. We all hope Mr. Jobs enjoys the best of health and lives to a ripe old age. But he still looks worryingly thin. This is something for investors to keep an eye on.

Some of these are issues that could erupt into problems quickly. Others, if they do emerge, would take more time. But if you're a nervous Apple investor, what are your alternatives? Sure you could sell some stock and take your profits. But if you don't want to get off this train quite yet, here's another idea: You could buy some insurance using "put" options. These pay out if the stock falls. So for $19 you can buy $200 puts, good until January 2012. These will limit your downside on the stock to $200. But if Apple keeps booming upwards, all you can lose is the $19.

Write to Brett Arends at brett.arends@wsj.com

Hate speech corrodes online video game experiences

2010-04-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — It's not just cyberbullets that are exchanged during firefights on the XBox Live version of "Call of Duty."

Many gamers also exchange hate speech over their headsets as they stalk each other across the virtual battlefields. Players trade racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic insults so frequently that game makers are taking steps to tone down the rhetoric.

The comments would shock parents who may not realize their children are constantly exposed to language that might make a sailor blush. Most parental concerns have focused on violence, not language.

One gamer told an opponent he presumed to be Jewish that he wished Hitler had succeeded in his mission. Many exchanges involve talk of rape or exult over the atomic bombing of Japan. There are frequent slurs on homosexuals, Asians, Hispanics and women.

Such comments can be heard on all online video gaming systems, including PlayStation Network, Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft) and others.

"Personally, I don't do a lot of online gaming for that reason," said Flynn DeMarco, founder of the Web site GayGamer.net, which has worked with Microsoft and other companies on steps to clean up online gaming. "I don't play with anybody I don't already know."

DeMarco said hate speech has been a problem for years. Game makers, despite some serious efforts, can only seek to limit the amount.

"A lot of the problem lies within the players themselves," DeMarco said.

The widespread use of the slurs is partly fueled by the same anonymity that provides cover for abuse throughout cyberspace. Players can compete with people thousands of miles away, and know them only by the fictional "gamertags" they use to identify themselves.

After years of tolerating abusive players, gamers have become more diligent about noting the gametags of abusive players and reporting them to game companies. Abusive players can be punished or even banned, but the process is slow.

"It's a baby steps kind of thing," DeMarco said.

Microsoft, maker of the XBox 360, has taken numerous steps to clean up the language on its Live service, which is by far the biggest online gaming service with some has 23 million members.

Stephen Toulouse, director of policy and enforcement for Microsoft's Xbox Live service, heads a team charged with providing a safe and enjoyable experience for customers.

"There is always a subset of humanity that goes toward miscreant behavior," Toulouse said.

With 1 million to 2 million players online at any one time, most of the policing falls to other users who report hate speech to the company, he said.

Those complaints are reviewed, and people who use hate speech can face punishments such as having their voice privileges suspended, making them unable to speak with other players in real time. They can also be banned temporarily or even permanently from the service, Toulouse said. Players whose conduct crosses into criminal behavior are reported to law enforcement, he said.

The company has created a Web site to help parents control their children's gaming, www.GetGameSmart.com. Parents can learn how to limit the people their children play with, limit the time and type of games they play and find other tools, he said.

Gamers always have the power to mute out any other player they find offensive, or can block an offensive player and not encounter him again, Toulouse said.

But the notion of companies monitoring and cleaning up cyberspace is troubling to some.

Joan Bertin, director of the National Coalition Against Censorship in New York City, said she is uncomfortable with game makers serving as "nannies."

"They respond occasionally and erratically and incompletely," she said. "Some people who are doing what everyone else is doing get caught."

The coalition, which works to protect First Amendment rights, does not generally endorse actions to limit speech, she said.

"The use of taboo language has a lot of different functions and they not all are evil," she said. "I don't think pulling the cover over it and hiding it makes it go away."

Gamers themselves are also somewhat split on the issue.

When Xbox Live banned the use of gamertags or profile information that revealed sexual orientation, in an effort to reduce taunting, some gays and lesbians were upset because they wanted to use such IDs, DeMarco said.

A simple solution would be having gamers use their real names, but that presents a host of problems involving privacy and the protection of children from predators.

"I don't want everybody out there knowing my name and looking me up on the Internet or Facebook," DeMarco said.

Plus the fake names can be fun, DeMarco said, although they can also be offensive, making plays on ethnic slurs.

Still, Toulouse said the use of real names is being studied as one possible solution.

DeMarco said the best solution may just be continuing to educate people, especially parents of young gamers, about the problem.

"I'd like to see parents being aware of what their kids being exposed to," he said.

by Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press

Apple iPad Banned In Israel

2010-04-16T03:54:00.000-07:00

By KAROUN DEMIRJIAN, Associated Press Writer Karoun Demirjian, Associated Press Writer – Thu Apr 15, 4:07 pm ET

In JERUSALEM – Israel has banned imports of Apple Inc.'s hottest new product, the iPad, citing concerns the powerful gadget's wireless signals could disrupt other devices.

Customs officials said Thursday they have already confiscated about 10 of the lightweight tablet computers since Israel announced the new regulations this week. The ban prevents anyone — even tourists — from bringing iPads into Israel until officials certify that they comply with local transmitter standards.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission allows devices with Wi-Fi capability to broadcast at higher power levels than are allowed in Europe and Israel — meaning that the iPad's stronger signal could throw off others' wireless connections, Schubert said.

"If you operate equipment in a frequency band which is different from the others that operate on that frequency band, then there will be interference," said Nati Schubert, a senior deputy director for the Communications Ministry. "We don't care where people buy their equipment. ... But without regulation, you would have chaos."

Some Israelis successfully got the popular devices into Israel before the ban.

Amnon, a software developer who legally brought an iPad into Israel but asked that his last name be withheld to avoid potential government repercussions, said he and other high-tech businessmen need the iPad to develop new applications for the device.

"There are several hundred people in Israel who make their livelihood developing apps ... and there are going to be companies that suffer, because they can't deliver the services they're supposed to be delivering," he said.
The iPad combines the features of a notebook computer with the touch-pad functions of the iPod. It went on sale in the U.S. on April 3. Apple this week delayed its international launch until May 10, citing heavy sales in the U.S.

Israeli officials said the ban has nothing to do with trade and is simply a precaution to assure that the iPad doesn't affect wireless devices already in use in Israel.

Although Israeli standards are similar to those in many European nations, Israel is the only country so far to officially ban imports.

Schubert said he expects the problem to be resolved as Apple moves closer to the international release.
In the meantime, confiscated iPads will be held by customs — for a daily storage fee — until their owners depart the country or ship the gadgets back to the U.S. at their own expense.

Apple's chief distributor in Israel, iDigital, declined to comment on the Communications Ministry's decision, and messages left at Apple's headquarters in California were not immediately returned.

SMART Gold's Unlimited Texting

2010-04-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

To enjoy the unlimited texting service in Smart Gold, just key in 30 and send to 8077 (valid for 2 days!) or text 60 and send to 8077 (valid for 5 days!).

Intel Atom System On A Chip Processor For Tablets

2010-04-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

Intel has declared a new type of Atom processor that is designed to be used in Tablet computers. The new processor is called Tunnel Creek and it is a system on a chip version of their Intel Atom processor.

This new system on a chip is designed for working out with home users in mind, in addition to as tablets it could be used in home media and phones, as well as in cars.

via geeky-gadgets

Mac Book Upgrade's

2010-04-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

At last, the long-rumored revamp of Apple's MacBook Pro notebooks has arrived, with the 15- and 17-inch models getting bleeding-edge Intel Core i5 and i7 processors while the 13-inch version sees graphics and battery-life improvements. Also new: a $100 price hike for one of the MacBook Pro configurations, plus $100 and $200 price cuts for two others.

The biggest news, of course, is the replacement of the older Intel Core 2 Duo processors on the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models (starting at $1,799 for the 15-incher — a $100 price hike over last year's model — and $2,299 for the 17-inch MBP, a $200 price drop) with Intel's next-generation Core i5 and i7 processors, good for a performance boost of "up to 50 percent" over last year's lineup, Apple claims.

Of the new MacBook Pros, only the high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro configuration gets the i7 processor. The other two 15-inch configurations and the single 17-inch MBP model must settle for the i5 processor. [Update: Oops — turns out you can get a Core i7 processor for the 17-inch MacBook Pro as a $200 built-to-order option. Sorry about that (and thanks, Carl!).]

Meanwhile, the 13-inch MacBook Pro (starting at $1,119, same as before) is sticking with Intel's Core 2 Duo processor for now, although it's getting a slight speed bump (to 2.66GHz, from 2.53GHz) and — according to Apple, anyway — the "fastest integrated graphics processor on the market," courtesy of Nvidia's GeForce 320M graphics chipset (for a supposed 80 percent performance boost over the previous GeForce 9400M chipset).

Apple is also crowing about the 13-inch MacBook Pro's improved battery life — up to 10 hours, although we'll have to see how that figure holds up under testing.
The 15- and 17-inch models are getting graphic performance boosts as well thanks to the new GeForce GT 330M chipset, with either 256MB or 512MB of dedicated graphics depending on the configuration, along with "seamless" switching between speedy GeForce graphics and slower but "energy-efficient" Intel HD Graphics processors.

As for the MacBook and MacBook Air lines ... no news, at least at the moment.

Anyway, on to the specs:

13-inch MacBook Pro
• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM (twice as much as last year's entry-level configuration), 250GB hard drive (was 160GB last year), Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics, $1,119
• 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive (was 250GB), Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics, $1,499

15-inch MacBook Pro
• 2.4GHz Intel Core i5, 4GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive (last year's entry-level configuration was just 250GB), Nvidia GeForce GT 330M with 256MB of dedicated memory, $1799 (a $100 price hike over last year's entry-level 15-inch model)
• 2.53 Intel Core i5, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive (was 320GB), Nvidia GeForce GT 330M with 256MB of dedicated memory, $1,999
• 2.66 Intel Core i7, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, Nvidia GeForce GT 330M with 512 of dedicated memory, $2,199 (a $100 price drop compared to last year's high-end 15-inch configuration)

17-inch MacBook Pro
• 2.53GHz Intel Core i5, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, Nvidia GeForce GT 330M with 512 of dedicated memory, $2,229 (a $200 price drop from last year's 17-inch MacBook Pro)

So, anyone ready to upgrade now that the i5- and i7-powered MacBook Pros are here? Wish the 13-inch MBP got the i5 upgrade along with the 15- and 17-inch models? Pleased or annoyed by the price points? Fire away below.

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.

Apple iPad - Hot Gadget

2010-04-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Market researcher Gartner calculates worldwide tablet PC sales of 10.5 million units in 2010, up from 1.06 million last year. It does not break out iPad figures, but expects the device to account for a huge bulk of sales. Another researcher, iSuppli, expects worldwide iPad sales of 7.1 million units in 2010, 14.4 million in 2011 and 20.1 million in 2012.

“This will be a huge driver in the market,” says Leslie Fiering, an analyst at Gartner. “The Apple mystique revolutionized the MP3 and smartphone markets. It will do the same with tablets.”