IT MEDIA

Sony Ericsson unveils two "greener" phones

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

By Tarmo Virki, European technology correspondent

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

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

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Quran Explorer: Facebook app

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Microsoft Bans VoIP From Its Mobile Marketplace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vodafone Qatar announces IPO

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

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

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

How to watch DVD and video on Pocket PC

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

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

The full Web on your phone

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

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

Samsung Omnia on Verizon Review

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

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

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

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

Another Free Remote Solution for Windows Mobile

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

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

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

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

Lenovo ThinkPad Notebooks Will Use Text Messages for Additional Security

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AT&T Announces New Windows Mobile Phone From LG Electronics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Samsung churning out faster 256GB SSDs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About CapSense

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

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

PSoC -- Because Change Happens

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

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

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

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

About Cypress

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

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

Microsoft to Force Consumers to Upgrade Hardware for IE 6 Mobile

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

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

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

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

Windows Mobile 6.5 Screenshots Leaked

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

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

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

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

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

[Source]

Toshiba Revs Qosmio Notebooks with Three GPUs

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

by Mark Hachman

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

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

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

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

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

The web is better when it's social

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

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

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

Xperia Panels review for Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Once Thought Safe, WPA Wi-Fi Encryption Is Cracked

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mandriva Linux 2009 released

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

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

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

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

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

Also improved is the boot time and parental control utility.

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

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

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

Windows Mobile 6.1 update for Verizon Motorola Q9c

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TrackyPro (online GoogleMaps with GPS)

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

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

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

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