Latest Engineering Technology

i-Phone + Apple Mac Notebook = gives you(((( iPAD ))))

2010-01-28T01:24:00.001+05:30

Features:

	16 GB	32 GB	64 GB
Wi-Fi	$499	$599	$699
Wi-Fi + 3G	$629	$729	$829

Safari

The large Multi-Touch screen on iPad lets you see web pages as they were meant to be seen — one whole page at a time. With vibrant color and sharp text. So whether you’re looking at a page in portrait or landscape, you can see everything at a size that’s actually readable. And with iPad, navigating through the web has never been easier, or more intuitive. Because you use the most natural pointing device there is: your finger. You can scroll through a page just by flicking your finger up or down on the screen. Or pinch to zoom in or out on a photo. There’s also a thumbnail view that shows all your open pages in a grid, to let you quickly move from one page to the next.

Mail
See and touch your email in ways you never could before. In landscape, you get a split-screen view, showing both an opened email and the messages in your Inbox. To see the opened email by itself, you just turn iPad to portrait, and the email automatically rotates and fills the screen. No matter which orientation you use, you can scroll through your mail, compose a new email using the large, on-screen keyboard, or delete messages, with nothing more than a tap and a flick. If someone emails you a photo, you can see it right in the message. You can also save the photos in an email directly to the built-in Photos app. And iPad will work with all the popular email providers, including MobileMe, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, and AOL.

Photos
With its crisp, vibrant display, and its unique software features, iPad is an extraordinary way to enjoy and share your photos. For example, the new Photos app displays the photos in an album as though they were in a stack. Just tap or pinch to open the stack, and the whole album opens up. Then you can flip through your pictures, zoom in or out, or watch a slideshow. You can even use your iPad as a beautiful digital photo frame while your iPad is docked or charging. And there are lots of ways to import photos: you can sync them from your computer, download them from an email, or import them directly from your camera using the Apple Camera Connection Kit.

Video
The large, high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching any kind of video: from HD movies and TV shows, to podcasts and music videos. You can also easily move between wide-screen and full-screen with a double-tap. And because it’s essentially one big screen, with no buttons or anything to distract you, the picture fills your line of sight. So you feel completely immersed in what you’re watching.

Notes
With its expansive display and large, on-screen keyboard, iPad makes jotting down notes easy. In landscape mode, you get not only a note-taking page but a list of all your notes. It even circles the current note in red. So you can see where you are at a glance.

Maps
See more of the world with high-resolution Satellite and Street View images. You can even see topography with the new Terrain view. You can also search for a nearby business type (for example, “Restaurant”) and then tap on that business to see the route and directions from your current location.

Home Screen
The Home Screen gives you one-tap access to everything on iPad. You can also customize your Home Screen by adding your favorite apps and websites, or using your own photos for the background. And you can move apps around to arrange them in any order you want.

LED-backlit, IPS Display
The high-resolution, 9.7 inch LED-backlit, IPS display on iPad is remarkably crisp and vivid. Which makes it perfect for web browsing, watching movies, or showing off photos. It’s also been designed to work in any orientation — portrait or landscape. And because it uses a display technology called IPS (in-plane switching), it has a wide, 178° viewing angle. So you can hold it almost any way you want, and still get a brilliant picture, with excellent color and contrast.

Multi-Touch
The Multi-Touch screen on the iPad uses the same revolutionary technology that’s in an iPhone. But for iPad, the technology has been completely reengineered for the larger surface, to make it extremely precise and responsive. So when you’re zooming in on a map, flicking through your photos, or deleting an email, iPad responds with incredible accuracy. And it does just what you want it to.

Thin and light
One of the first things you’ll notice about the iPad is how thin and light it is. The screen is 9.7 inches, measured diagonally. So overall, it’s slightly smaller than a magazine. And at just 1.5 lbs and 0.5 inches thin,¹ it’s easy to carry and use anywhere. There’s also a slight curve to the back. Which makes it easy to pick up and comfortable to hold.

Star Trek is available on iTunes.

Up to 10 hours
battery life
To maximize battery life, Apple engineers took the same lithium polymer battery technology they developed for our notebook computers and applied it to the iPad. As a result, you can use iPad for up to 10 hours while surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos, or listening to music.²

Wireless
With built-in 802.11n, iPad can take advantage of the fastest Wi-Fi networks. And it’ll automatically locate available Wi-Fi networks, which you can easily join with a few simple taps. iPad also comes with Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, which lets you connect to devices like wireless headphones or the Apple Wireless Keyboard.

3G

iPad will also be available in a 3G model, with super-fast data speeds up to 7.2 Mbps.³ So if you’re traveling, or you happen to be somewhere that doesn’t have a Wi-Fi network, you can still get a fast connection for surfing the web, downloading email, or getting directions.

Performance

The A4 chip inside iPad was custom-designed by Apple engineers to be extremely powerful, and yet extremely power efficient. So the performance is unlike anything you’ve ever seen on a touch-based device. Which makes iPad fantastic for everything from productivity apps to games. But at the same time, the A4 chip is so power efficient that it helps iPad get up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. And iPad is available with a choice of 16, 32 or 64GB flash storage.⁴ Which gives you lots of room for your photos, movies, music, apps, and more.

Connectivity
The 30-pin dock connector on the bottom of the iPad allows you to dock and charge it. It also lets you connect to iPad accessories like the Camera Connection Kit or the Keyboard Dock.

Audio
The powerful, built-in speaker produces a full, rich sound. Which makes watching a movie or listening to music even more enjoyable. It also comes with a headphone jack and a built-in microphone.

Accessories

There are lots of great accessories that have been specifically designed for iPad. The Keyboard Dock, for instance, is a dock with a full-size keyboard. There’s also a standalone Dock. And because iPad has built-in Bluetooth 2.1, it’ll work with an Apple Wireless Keyboard, too. There’s also a Camera Connection Kit that lets you import photos from a camera or SD card. There’s even an iPad Case that not only protects it, it also allows you to use iPad in various positions, to make it easy to type, look at photos, or watch movies. And through a range of accessories, iPad can output to TVs, projectors and displays.Learn more about iPad accessories in Tech Specs

Technical Specifications:
Size and weight¹

Height:

9.56 inches (242.8 mm)

Width:

7.47 inches (189.7 mm)

Depth:

0.5 inch (13.4 mm)

Weight:

1.5 pounds (.68 kg) Wi-Fi model;
1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G mode

Display
9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology

1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)

Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Wireless and Cellular
Wi-Fi model
Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Wi-Fi + 3G model
UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)

GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz)

Data only²

Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Location
Wi-Fi

Digital compass

Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)

Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)

In the Box
iPad

Dock connector to USB cable

10W Power Adapter

Documentation

Capacity³
16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive

Processor
1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip

Sensors
Accelerometer

Ambient light sensor

Audio Playback
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

User-configurable maximum volume limit

TV and Video
Support for 1024 x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Composite A/V Cable, 576i and 480i with Apple Composite A/V Cable

H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Mail attachment support
Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Languages
Language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian

Keyboard support for English (US) English (UK), French (France, Canada), German, Japanese (QWERTY), Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian

Dictionary support for English (US), English (UK), French, French (Canadian), French (Swiss), German, Japanese, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin), Russian

Accessibility
Support for playback of closed-captioned content

VoiceOver screen reader

Full-screen zoom magnification

White on black

Mono audio

Battery and Power⁴
Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery

Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music

Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system

Input and Output
Dock connector

3.5-mm stereo headphone jack

Built-in speakers

Microphone

SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)

External buttons and controls

Mac system requirements
Mac computer with USB 2.0 port

Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later

iTunes 9.0 or later (free download fromwww.itunes.com/download)

iTunes Store account

Internet access

Windows system requirements
PC with USB 2.0 port

Windows 7, Windows Vista; Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later

iTunes 9.0 or later (free download fromwww.itunes.com/download)

iTunes Store account

Internet access

Environmental requirements
Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)

Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)

Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing

Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

With iPad, you get all our latest innovations. And all our most advanced technologies. In one of the most revolutionary products we’ve ever created. All at a price that’s well within reach.

16 GB

32 GB

64 GB

Wi-Fi

$499

$599

$699

Wi-Fi + 3G

$629

$729

$829

Prices in US Dollars. International pricing will be announced at a later date.

3G data plan sold separately.

The CrunchPad tablet gets thinner, sturdier, one step closer to being real

2009-11-16T16:41:00.000+05:30

TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington’s CrunchPad device continues to inch toward reality. Today Arrington revealed a few new conceptual drawings of the CrunchPad, promising that a working prototype based on the new design should be ready in a few weeks.

The idea behind the CrunchPad is to create a tablet PC that basically serves one purpose: It runs a web browser. There’s no keyboard or touchpad. Just a big touchscreen display. Last I heard it was using an Intel Atom processor and had about 100MB of software preloaded.

The latest version of the CrunchPad has an aluminum case that’s just 18mm or about 0.7 inches thick, and which sits flush with the display, unlike earlier prototypes which were thicker and made of plastic. No word on whether it’ll still ring up at under $300 or if anybody will actually want to purchase one of these instead of a netbook or a ARM based smartbook.

3D laptops coming soon

2009-11-15T16:41:00.000+05:30

Dell, HP, Sony and Lenovo are working with far-east company Wistron on laptops with screens capable of 3D imagery.

The systems should utilise stereo 3D technologies patented by Wistron itself. Acer is also said to be looking into the feature having struck a deal with US-based DDD company, who offer similar services to Wistron.

While the quality of stereo 3D technologies of DDD or Wistron is not clear at the moment, just like technical requirements of these technologies, it is certain that all of the aforementioned notebook makers (and stereo 3D tech developers as well) are planning to target high-end notebooks for gamers with advanced capabilities.

HP laptops have led the way in 3D enterprise but Sony laptops are coming up in their rear-view mirror – though they’ll be hard-pressed to counter HP’s target date of June next year.

AMD ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics card with 2GB memory, 6 DisplayPorts

2009-11-15T16:31:00.000+05:30

ZipZoomfly offers the DIAMOND 5850PE51G Radeon HD 5850 2GB GDDR5 PCIe video card for $279.99. This is the best price for this product in the US market. It ships for free. The DIAMOND 5850PE52G Radeon HD 5850 has a core clock speed of 725MHz, and a 1000MHz memory clock.

The World's Thinnest at only 0.4-inch--Dell Adamo XPS 13.4" Laptop --

2009-11-14T16:21:00.000+05:30

So you thought Sony's VAIO X was the thinnest a laptop can get? Well, think again. Today Dell officially unveiled the Adamo XPS 13.4" laptop computer, boasting an uberslim profile of only 0.4-inches, ultimately making it the world's thinnest notebook computer. The pencil-thin Adamo XPS weighs just over 3 pounds and is targeted towards holiday season shoppers who doesn't mind blowing good sum of money on an amazing product.

Inside its thin frame lies an Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at 1.4GHz.

Other features include 4GB of DDR3 memory, 128GB solid state drive storage, 13.4-inch WLED display, multi-touch trackpad, Wireless, Bluetooth, external DVD burner / Blu-ray drive, display port, 2xUSB 2.0, audio, Ethernet and Windows 7 operating system.

Dell expects to begin taking orders and shipping the Adamo XPS in time for the holidays. The Adamo XPS is priced starting at $1799.

Good download manager for Rapidshare, Megaupload and others

2009-11-14T15:47:00.000+05:30

There are many people like me who love to download loads of matter from file hosts like Rapidshare, Megaupload, etc. No matter downloading is a fun there but it can be real mess while downloading multiple files and filling captcha again and again.

Even if you don’t like, you have to face them because many a times file you wanted in served there. Although, I use programs like jDownloader but here is another lightweight application called Mipony to download files from Rapidshare, Megaupload, Hotfile, Mediafire, Megaporn, filefactory, Gigasize, Easyshare, etc. Almost all popular hosts are supported so no need to worry.

Mipony is another file downloader which bypasses filling captchas, allows to download files in queue or multiple files from various servers at a time. What more included in this software is an integrated web browser with Link Detection feature; with which you can add a list of files in download queue. It works with both Free and Premium download account.

Download Mipony Downloader

NVIDIA planning to enter x86 processor business?

2009-11-13T16:15:00.000+05:30

Now here's a calculated wild guess by an analyst who claims that NVIDIA is secretly working on an x86 processor to compete with Intel's and AMD's processors. According to the analyst the main reason behind this is the problems NVIDIA is currently facing regarding its main chipset business.

Doug Freedman of Broadpoint AmTech said, "Nvidia could become a supplier of x86 CPUs by necessity to preserve both GPU and chipset revenue."

Wondering what could be problems the world's graphics leader is facing?

Well, behind the scene NVIDIA is facing difficulties in selling its chipsets in market. The firm is involved in a spat with Intel over rights to develop chipsets for future Intel processors. On the other hand it is also facing trouble with AMD because the latter now owns ATI, one time arch rival of NVIDIA.

And as NVIDIA makes much of its money from chipset business it cannot afford losing its core business.

Also, the firm believes graphics processing unit will drive most computation in the future, and as NVIDIA is current leader in that segment, it is not impossible for NVIDIA it come out with a truly innovative product.

Only time will tell whether NVIDIA launches a CPU + GPU combo or not.

Nvidia Tegra chip to revolutionise phones in 2009

2009-11-13T16:13:00.000+05:30

I’ve not mentioned this on the blog before, although with my ear firmly pressed to the ground, I’d seen the demos and rumours, but me being me, I wanted to wait until some more concrete news popped up before talking about it. I’m talking the Nvidia Tegra chip, and since it’s now being reported by Mobile Crunch that the first Tegra-powered phone will hit shelves before the end of the year, now seems as good a time as any to tell you why I’m so excited.

Y’see, the Nvidia Tegra isn’t just a single chip. Consider something like the Snapdragon processor in the Toshiba TG01. Yes, it’s very, very fast, running at 1GHz. It’s easily the fastest mobile processor yet seen in a phone. But, like I say, it’s still just one CPU.

The Tegra isn’t; think of it more as an entire computer on a chip… a computer with eight separate processors, that is. There’s a couple of ARM processors on there, a sound processor, and two video processors, amongst other things. What that leads to is proper 1080p HD video playback, accelerated Flash support, for the full web experience, and of course, mind-bogglingly good 3D graphics (even in the interface itself), which should come as no surprise, given Nvidia’s graphics card pedigree. But, of course, with all that power, surely it’ll just sit there and eat batteries, right?

Well, apparently not, since Nvidia claim the Tegra draws less than 1W of power, meaning that as well as being hyper-powered, the damn thing’ll last for days and days between charges.

The Tegra’s been rumoured to be on its way into the market for some time, now, but today’s news gives us a couple more details of when it might come out, and crucially, who might be making it. The when is before the end of 2009. The who is a bit more vague, but Nvidia have confirmed it’ll be one of the big 5 manufacturers. The big question, of course, is which one of the 5 it’ll be.

Of course, whoever it is will be in for some serious business headed their way, I reckon, since our news section is reporting that shoppers are being advised to choose their phone on what processor it’s got…

Anyway… what follows now, is pure, out and out speculation. There is no factual basis for what I’m about to suggest… but it’d be awesome if it were true.

The Nvidia Tegra chip will play nice with both Windows Mobile and Android, and its clock speed is 750MHz. Oh, and also, it’s an ARM11-based chipset. Well, an upcoming WinMo phone immediately popped into my head when I read that, since it’s 1/ running on Windows Mobile, 2/ it runs on an ARM11 chip, and 3/ it clocks in at about the right processor speed.

Is it just possible that the Sony Ericsson X2 might actually be the first Tegra-powered phone?

NVIDIA Tegra 2 will be twice as fast as the original

2009-11-12T16:09:00.000+05:30

If reports are to be believed then NVIDIA is all set to launch its Tegra 2 chip with twice as power as the original. And mind it, the original is pretty much powerful, it offers very good computational as well as graphics power for multimedia devices. So just imagine if Tegra 2 has to be twice as fast as the original then who powerful it would be.

According to reports, the Tegra 2 will use ARM 9, a dual core ARM CPU, making computation even more faster.

The Tegra 2 is targeted for smartphones, and PMPs

Ionic Batteries can increase battery runtime by six times

2009-11-12T15:55:00.000+05:30

In the last couple of years everything around us has changed. From laptops to mobile phones to multimedia players, everything has changed. But the one thing that has remained the same is the device that powers all of them -- battery. But if the latest development in battery materializes then even our standard battery would get a much needed makeover. Reportedly, new Ionic Batteries can increase battery runtime by six times, meaning a standard laptop that runs for around 4 hours, could in future run for almost 24 hours!

This kind of technology is being developed by Fluid Energy, a Government-backed firm.

According to Cody Friesen, a professor of materials science at Arizona State and founder of Fluidic Energy, " a metal-air battery using an ionic liquid as its electrolyte not only functions significantly longer–because drying out is no longer a problem–but it also gets a big boost in energy density. “These liquids have electrochemical stability windows of up to five volts, so it allows you to go to much more energy-dense metals than zinc.” He says his research team will target energy densities of at least 900 watt-hours per kilogram and up to 1,600 watt-hours per kilogram in the DOE-funded project.”

I am keeping my fingers crossed to run my notebook for whole 24 hours!

Microsoft developing a transparent, touchless interface

2009-11-11T16:00:00.000+05:30

Since last couple of years we're very much into touchscreens. If that wasn't enough then Apple came along with its innovative multi-touch technology. And now when we look back then we wonder who in the hell we managed without using touchscreen devices. Now if you think this is it as far as computer "input" is concerned, then hold your breathe for a minute because Microsoft is currently developing an incredibly good method and efficient method of input -- a transparent, touchless interface that detects movement without any physical touch input.

If it doesn't require any physical touch input then how would it recognize inputs? Well, the technology enables display to recognize voices and touchless gestures. The system will also be able detect eyes and navigate based on their gaze.

In a way it would be pretty much like the upcoming Xbox 360 Project Natal.

Apple Mac mini copied By Dell

2009-11-11T15:31:00.000+05:30

Yesterday Dell showcased two of its newest products. Though Dell is yet to go official with them, the firm previewed the Zino HD mini desktop, and the Inspiron Z series laptop.

The Zino HD is a mini desktop, resembling a Mac Mini. It includes an optical drive, eSATA, VGA, HDMI, and 8x usb 2.0 ports.

Nothing is known about the Inspiron Z series laptop except that its a slim laptop.Dell is about to sell its nettop / HTPC, the closest thing you will find the Apple Mac mini from which it is clearly inspired.
Prices for the economic base model will be $249 and a package that would include a high-end HD Zino will be marketed for $800.

Very expensive, but includes a monitor, keyboard and wireless mouse. It would be on sale from 27 November with Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed and will surely be able to choose any of the Linux distributions and yes, Dell supports Windows XP.

Although the current configuration tab Zino HD is not available on the Dell website, still different configurations and prices of this little computer for the living room as multimedia computer (HTPC) or a compact PC have been published. The Zino HD will be more like Apple’s Mac mini that will be found in the market.

Dell Zino HD Specs
Zino HD High end Model Configuration

The high-end configuration include AMD dual-core microprocessor, low power Athlon 3250e 1.8 GHz, 4 Gbytes of RAM, hard disk with 7,200 rpm rotational speed with 500 Gbytes of storage capacity, 8x DVD burner and an ATI Radeon HD 4330 with 512MB of dedicated memory. Other things sold with this package are 20-inch LCD monitor and all keyboard / mouse wireless. Would be available later this month for a price around $ 800.
Zino HD Base Model configuration

Another model which is much cheaper, more suitable for the type of segment to be targeted and serving “low price” announced at the launch of Zino, would be the base model would be available from $ 249 with Vista Home Basic pre-installed and includes an Athlon 2650e, 2 GB RAM, integrated graphics, 250-Gbyte hard drive recorder and DVD + /-RW.

Zino HD range includes VGA out, Ethernet LAN, USB and audio and high-end models, HDMI output, Wi-Fi b / g / n, card reader, Gigabit Ethernet and two eSATA ports.

Abu Dhabi planning to built a chip foundry plant

2009-11-11T08:49:00.000+05:30

The U.S. government has given clearance to the creation of The Foundry Co., a computer chip manufacturing company with backing from the Abu Dhabi government.

Officials said today that the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment has approved The Foundry’s formation.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., said in October it would join with Advanced Technology Investment Co. to create The Foundry Co. The Foundry Co. will build chips for AMD as well as for other semiconductor companies. ATIC, which was formed in 2008, is wholly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi.

AMD called the committee’s approval a “major milestone.” Travis Bullard, an AMD spokesman, said the next hurdle is for AMD's shareholders to approve the issuance of additional shares and warrants to Mubadala Development Co., also based in Abu Dhabi. Mubadala plans to purchase 58 million shares of AMD’s common stock at a revised per share price to be determined. AMD also plans to issue to Mubadala an additional 5 million warrants to purchase AMD stock, for a total of 35 million warrants.

The Foundry Co. plans to build a $4.6 billion computer chip manufacturing plant in Malta, which is about 10 minutes south of Saratoga Springs. The state has already approved $1.2 billion in incentives for the company.

Last month, Advanced Micro Devices said its ownership stake in the new chip manufacturing company had dropped more than 10 percent as a result of AMD’s falling stock price.

AMD will now own 34.2 percent of The Foundry Co., down from the 44.4 percent ownership stake it had in October when AMD and Advanced Technology Investment Co. of Abu Dhabi, created The Foundry Co.

ATIC’s ownership has increased from 55.6 percent to 65.8 percent of The Foundry Co.

Despite the change, AMD will have equal voting rights with ATIC on The Foundry Co. board.

The Foundry Co. expects to break ground early this year on the plant, to be located in the Luther Forest Technology Campus.

"The decision by the federal government to clear the way for the AMD-Abu Dhabi deal is very welcomed news and was the next critical step" to building the chip plant, said Michael Relyea, president of the Luther Forest Technology Campus. Relyea anticipates construction will begin in March or April.

KTM X-Bow

2009-11-10T19:15:00.000+05:30

PERFORMANCE The most visually-arresting car on sale today is built from hi-spec carbon fibre – just like Hamilton’s F1 car. Turbocharged engine and rear-wheel drive delivers intense thrills; roofless configuration equals wet trousers if it rains.
LOVE Seat is fixed, but steering wheel and pedals extend to the driver
HATE The taste of bugs: the X-Bow has no windscreen

SPECIFICATIONS

0-60 3.9 seconds

POWER 240bhp

CAPACITY 2,000cc

WEIGHT 721Kg

Free Google sat-nav

2009-11-10T18:22:00.000+05:30

Shares in sat-nav device companies have fallen substantially after Google unveiled its free live sat-nav for mobiles on Wednesday.

US firm Garmin fell 18% after details of Google Maps Navigation were revealed. Dutch firm TomTom fell 9.5% when markets closed on Thursday.

The Google application promises free real-time, turn-by-turn directions for people to follow on their phones.

The Motorola Droid will be the first mobile phone equipped with the system.

Google Maps Navigation, revealed on Wednesday, combines services including a search engine to find addresses, Google Street View for photos of locations, and live traffic data.

Other mobile sat-nav applications, such as TomTom's, can cost up to £60 to add.

TomTom's share decline wipes out all of its gains since August. Separately the company warned of lower prices in the coming months.

20% Coupon on Samsung 2333SW 23" Full HD LCD Monitor $183

2009-11-10T16:08:00.000+05:30

Want to buy a nice, large widescreen monitor? Well, today's deal is just for such people. Thanks to a wonderful 20% discount coupon issued by our channel partner LogicBUY you can now buy the Samsung 2333SW 23" Full HD LCD monitor for only $183. Just imagine a 23" full HD 1080p display for $183! Simply too good.

Specification include 23" LCD panel; 1920 x 1080 resolution; 300nit brightness; 1,000:1 contrast ratio; 5ms response time; DVI + VGA; Swivel & Tilt capability; and HDCP.

This deal: $229.99 - 20% off coupon code = $183.99 plus FREE shipping. Very rarely you get such a good deal, so make the most of now!
[Samsung 2333SW 23" Monitor 20% Coupon Deal]

Google opens OneBox music service

2009-11-09T18:20:00.000+05:30

Search giant Google has entered the online music market with a new service for finding and buying music online.

OneBox is an alliance with music sites Lala and MySpace-owned iLike.

The US-only service allows people to search using song titles, artists or using snippets of lyrics and will also stream sought-after tracks.

Mark Mulligan, an analyst at research firm Forrester, said the service may offer a compelling alternative to illegal file-sharing.

"Apple can do little about iPod owners downloading from BitTorrent," he said in a blog post. "But Google on the other hand can."

BitTorrent software is widely used to trade music and movies.

"Just imagine if when a consumer searches for a song, alongside all of those Torrent results is a heavily integrated Google music offering."

When users search using OneBox a pop-up widget powered by iLike or Lala offers to play the entire song.

A MySpace box allows people to buy MP3s of the tracks and also highlights music videos and other information, such as upcoming concerts by the artists.

According to Google, the words "music" and "lyrics" are among the top 10 search terms of all time.

"At Google, we see millions of music-related queries every day," said the company's vice president of search Marissa Mayer at the launch in Los Angeles.

"It is clear to us that for our users music holds a very special and particular place."

Apple currently dominates the online music market with around 70% of worldwide sales.

In Europe, firms such as Spotify are also beginning to gain popularity. The free music-streaming service ,which launched in 2008, now has more than two million users in the UK, and more than six million across Europe.

The new Google collaboration will hope to emulate the success of these services.

The firm already offer free downloads of licensed music tracks in China and has said it was now trying to find partners in other countries to take the new music model international.

Man denies 'Trojan' webcam virus

2009-11-09T18:17:00.001+05:30

An IT expert from Scotland has denied sending out a computer virus which allowed him to spy on strangers using their webcams.

Matthew Anderson, 32, of Keith, Banffshire, is accused of spreading millions of 'Trojan' bugs which could control computers.

Mr Anderson appeared at Southwark Crown Court in Central London.

It is alleged he conspired with another man in 2005 and 2006. A trial date of 29 November next year was set.

Night shot

2009-11-08T06:45:00.000+05:30

Motivational poster 15

2009-11-08T06:08:00.005+05:30

What is USB 3.0 (aka. SuperSpeed USB)?

2009-11-07T18:38:00.000+05:30

USB 3.0 is the next major revision of the ubiquitous Universal Serial Bus, created in 1996 by a consortium of companies led by Intel to dramatically simplify the connection between host computer and peripheral devices. Fast forwarding to 2009, USB 2.0 has been firmly entrenched as the de-facto interface standard in the PC world for years (with about 6 billion devices sold), and yet still the need for more speed by ever faster computing hardware and ever greater bandwidth demands again drive us to where a couple of hundred megabits per second is just not fast enough.

In 2007, Intel demonstrated SuperSpeed USB at the Intel Developer Forum. Version 1.0 of the USB 3.0 (confusing, isn't it?) specification was completed on November 17, 2008. As such, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has taken over managing the specifications and publishes the relevant technical documents necessary to allow the world of developers and hardware manufacturers to begin to develop products around the USB 3.0 protocol.

In a nutshell, USB 3.0 promises the following:
Higher transfer rates (up to 4.8 Gbps)
Increased maximum bus power and increased device current draw to better accommodate power-hungry devices
New power management features
Full-duplex data transfers and support for new transfer types
New connectors and cables for higher speed data transfer...although they are backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices and computers (more on this later)

UPDATE: Who pays for British Kindle downloads?

2009-11-07T07:39:00.000+05:30

Update:Since I first posted this, Amazon got back to me with some precise answers to my questions on pricing. This makes it clear that foreign users will pay a premium for downloading books on the Kindle, since the company is hiking the price on every book in the store. More details here.

When Amazon announced the new "international" version of the Kindle ebook reader earlier this week, there were plenty of questions. How did it work? Why was it being launched through Amazon.com and not local versions like Amazon.co.uk? And, most importantly, who was paying for you to download your books wirelessly?

Some of those questions were answered - but the last one was most perplexing.

After all, Amazon said that it was operating its wireless Whispernet service in partnership with American network AT&T. Since AT&T doesn't have foreign outposts - just roaming deals with foreign mobile providers - that means every time a foreign Kindle owner buys a book wirelessly, they're effectively downloading at international roaming rates.

That means - if we take AT&T's official roaming rates of $0.0195 per kilobyte of data over a GPRS connection - that it costs an astonishing $23.40 (£14.60) for the average 1.2MB book.

Initial fears were that British users (and people in other countries) would have to pay exorbitant download fees. But apparently not: the company insists foreign users won't pay download charges. And although I can't imagine Amazon or AT&T is paying anything like that insane $23 figure, it's clear that somebody is footing some extra bill somewhere along the line.

So who is subsidising this international expansion?

Turns out that - at least in part - it's American Kindle users who use the service while abroad.

According to a report by our colleagues at PaidContent, and an eagle-eyed comment from reader GC Day, American users who buy their reading material while in foreign lands will pay a premium.

Books will cost an extra $2 (£1.24) while newspapers and magazines will cost an additional $5 (£3.11) on top of the asking price.

With a current-generation Kindle able to store around 1,500 books that means a user who filled their device with titles bought while outside the US would end up paying $3,000 more for their library. Or if you were an American with a subscription to, say, the Financial Times, it would cost you an extra 50% on the $9.99 monthly price.

Other prices are higher too, including a $1 per megabyte charge for other documents (up from 15 cents per megabyte inside the US, itself an increase from the original flat fee of 10 cents per document).

Sounds a little crazy to me, but it's right, according to the fine print at the bottom of this page.

So what does this all mean?

Well, to me it could indicate that Amazon is making such a killing on Kindle downloads that it can more or less subsidise the international costs. Or that roaming data charges are so ludicrously high that a $2 fee covers what would usually cost you $23. Or a mixture of the two.

Whatever the case, a spokesman for Amazon.co.uk said that the international roaming price for American users doesn't have any affect on British customers.

"Wireless delivery is included in the price of the book for international customers," he said. "There are no additional fees for international customers. US customers will pay a nominal additional fee when travelling outside of the US to cover the additional operating costs outside of the US. As always, we will continue to look for ways to cut costs and pass those savings along to our customers."

I'm sure they're glad to hear it.

Identity fraud is the UK's fastest growing crime in 2009

2009-11-07T07:34:00.002+05:30

A study published at the beginning of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week shows the scale of ID theft in the UK. Identity fraud is increasing at a rapid rate. In the first nine months of 2009 more than 59,000 criminal acts of impersonation have been recorded. This is an alarming 36% increase from the same period in 2008, with South-east London and Birmingham the most common areas of identity fraud and account takeover.

London is the hotspot for ID fraud in the UK, followed by Birmingham

Identity Fraud is one of the UK's fastest growing crimes, affecting individuals and businesses alike. The crime is of greater concern than other more traditional illegal activities such as burglary, mugging and pickpocketing. Around 81% of the British public are concerned about becoming a victim of identity theft according to a report published today by the fraud prevention service CIFAS.

However despite this statistic, most consumers and businesses are not taking steps to protect themselves. 22% access their bank details at work or in internet cafes, while 79% of businesses make no effort to destroy sensitive material that is thrown away or recycled.

The National Identity Fraud Prevention Week is a nationwide effort to raise awareness in the battle against identity fraud. It takes place from 12 to 19 October and is supported by the Metropolitan Police, Fellowes, National Fraud Strategic Authority, the Federation of Small Businesses, Equifax, CIFAS - the UK's Fraud Prevention Service, Callcredit, Experian, Association of Chief Police Officers, the Home Office's identity and passport service, British Chambers of Commerce, British Retail Consortium and the Royal Mail.

Motivational poster 14

2009-11-07T06:05:00.004+05:30

Apple unveils 'Magic Mouse' - the world's first button-free controller set to revolutionise computing

2009-11-06T22:18:00.000+05:30

Apple revolutionised the way people listened to music with the iPod. Now they hope their groundbreaking 'Magic Mouse' will have the same impact.
The sleek and shiny beast has no buttons or scroll wheel. Instead the whole top shell of the mouse is a sensitive multi-touch surface that lets users navigate using finger gestures.

Sleek: The Magic Mouse is £55 and has a multi touch shell that is intuitive to use

It goes on sale today for £55 but will come for free with the latest Mac computers.

A spokesman said: 'We’ve reached another milestone by bringing gestures to the desktop with a mouse that’s unlike anything ever before.'

The point and click mouse works in a similar way to the touch screen on the iPhone and iPod touch. The entire surface of the mouse acts like a giant button. Clicking anywhere on the mouse will have the desired effect and right clicking is achieved by tapping the upper right corner.

Over and under: The Magic Mouse dispenses with the need of a mouse pad through laser tracking

Sweeping a finger vertically over the mouse scrolls up and down documents and webpages, while a horizontal swipe will scroll left and right.

The mouse is also able to capture the pace of the scroll and will continue the momentum of the action when the user lets go.

A two-fingered swipe lets users browse their music in iTunes or pictures in iPhoto. They can also zoom in on a screen by holding down the control button and scrolling upwards.

A laser tracking engine means it can be used on most surfaces without a mousepad.

A spokesman added: 'It works wirelessly using Bluetooth, so you don’t have to worry about cables or adapters cluttering your workspace.'

The Magic Mouse can be customised with built-in software, altering the tracking and scrolling speed and changing the right click for left handed use. Users can also switch these features off if they want a simple point and click accessory.

The mouse was released today alongside an updated iMac desktop computer line, which have 21.5" and 27" screens. They also have speedier processors and better graphics. Prices start from £949.

Latest Engineering Technology

i-Phone + Apple Mac Notebook = gives you(((( iPAD ))))

Safari

Mail

Photos

Video

Notes

Maps

Home Screen

LED-backlit, IPS Display

Multi-Touch

Thin and light

Up to 10 hours battery life

Wireless

Performance

Connectivity

Audio

Technical Specifications:

Size and weight1

Display

Wireless and Cellular

Wi-Fi model

Wi-Fi + 3G model

Location

In the Box

Capacity3

Processor

Sensors

Audio Playback

TV and Video

Mail attachment support

Languages

Accessibility

Battery and Power4

Input and Output

External buttons and controls

Mac system requirements

Windows system requirements

Environmental requirements