PQI Introduces First USB 3.0 USB Flash Drive: Cool Drive U366
It may not be the first USB 3.0 flash drive to be announced, but it's still one of the first (and it's blazing fast). PQI, a mainstay in the flash storage industry, has just introduced its newest USB stick, and this one is significantly more important than its last.A week after unveiling a pair of USB 3.0 external hard drives, the company has today pushed out its first USB 3.0 flash drive in the Cool Drive U366. It's wrapped in an all-aluminum shell with a clear plastic lid, and it features 5Gbps maximum transfer
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DirecTV Rumored To Get 3D HD Channel Next Year
The DirecTV 12 satellite just launched into orbit, enabling DirecTV to bring even more HD channels to its users. What else could it bring? A 3D channel, maybe.With the amount of high-def television networks seeming to expand by the day, we know it's just a matter of time before adding HD channels isn't enough to sway consumers over from one carrier to another. We've also already heard that next year's World Cup will be at least partially broadcast in 3D, though details about viewing it in such a format have
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Redbox Rents 450 Million DVDs In 2009, Paul Blart Leads The Way
Redbox. It's a name that is now linked directly to one-night DVD rentals on the cheap, and as if Netflix had not done enough already to put a kink in Blockbuster's business model, Redbox has all but destroyed it. These famously red boxes are now littered about at Walmart locales, grocery stores and other shopping complexes, and they allow consumers to rent DVDs (and even video games) for just a buck a night. It's quick, easy and requires no interaction with people.Earlier this year the company declared that
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Study: 50% Of America Now Owns An HDTV - Are You One Of Them?
The HDTV business is booming, and even though they aren't nearly as buzz-worthy as they once were, that's clearly not stopping consumers from picking them up. High-def sets have withstood the test of time thus far, with more and more consumers jumping at the chance to upgrade to a flat-panel as each year passes by. Huge events like the Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics have a tendency to get people thinking about all that resolution they're missing out on, and evidently so does the massive amount of HD programming
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New Versions of Firefox Get Delayed
Mozilla won't be releasing new versions of Firefox as early as initially planned. The next version of Firefox (version 3.6) was planned to be released sometime this year. Now, this version won't be released until at least the first quarter of 2010. This pushes back other releases as well, including the major 4.0 release; Firefox 4.0 is now scheduled for the end of 2010 or the first quarter of 2011. Mozilla is figuring the extra time spent to deliver the newest version of its browser will be worth the risk of
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Google Plans Android Event, Nexus One Launch Approaching?
After Google announced plans to hold a press event next month regarding its Android mobile phone operating system, some are wondering if the event could be tied to the Internet search giant's plans to release its own smartphone. The Google-branded smartphone has become known as the Nexus One. Rumors have suggested the phone will be launched on January 5, the same day as the aforementioned press event. The Nexus One is being tested internally by Google employees. Reportedly, the phone will be sold directly to
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Couple Follows GPS, Gets Stranded For Three Days
While GPS can be a great tool, following the directions of a GPS system without question isn't always the best move, as one couple from Nevada recently found out. After leaving Portland, John Rhoads, 65, and his wife, Starry Bush-Rhoads, 67, followed their Toyota Sequoia's GPS system as it directed them down a remote forest road. The GPS system took them south on U.S. Highway 97 to Oregon Highway 31, which goes through Silver Lake and Lakeview before connecting with U.S. Highway 395 to Reno. While in Silver
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Asus EAH5870 Radeon HD 5870 Review
Immediately upon its introduction, the ATI Radeon HD 5870 took the title for the fastest, single-GPU on the market. There was simply no other single-GPU that could touch it, not only in terms of performance, but in regard to features as well. And at the time, virtually all of AMD's strategic board partners were at the ready with products based on the Radeon HD 5870 reference design. Unfortunately, due to some yield issues at TSMC, the foundry that manufactures the actual chips at the heart of the card, supplies
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Asus EAH5870 Radeon HD 5870 Review
Immediately upon its introduction, the ATI Radeon HD 5870 took the title for the fastest, single-GPU on the market. There was simply no other single-GPU that could touch it, not only in terms of performance, but in regard to features as well. And at the time, virtually all of AMD's strategic board partners were at the ready with products based on the Radeon HD 5870 reference design.Unfortunately, due to some yield issues at TSMC, the foundry that manufactures the actual chips at the heart of the card, supplies
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BlackBerry Use On The Rise Within Universities
Smartphone use has erupted over the past few years, with Apple's iPhone and RIM's BlackBerry line leading the way. We've seen new entrants with Palm's webOS and Google's Android, and by the looks of it, the smartphone obsession isn't fading anytime soon. What's unique about this upward trend is the role of Research In Motion, which held hardly any smartphone share in the consumer market just a few years ago.Today, BlackBerry devices are catering towards consumers just as much as business users. Newer handsets like the Storm and Bold 9700 show that RIM has a consumer-facing UI as well, and many of the text-happy generation have been quick to jump onboard in order to take advantage of RIM's own BlackBerry Messenger service.
A new report over at the Financial Times exclaims that a lot of RIM's sudden surge has to do with the perception of BlackBerry phones within the university and school setting; just a few years ago, you'd be hard pressed to find a student with a BlackBerry, and today you're seen as 'in the know' if you carry one. It's almost considered an essential part of student life, and somehow RIM has been able to tap into a market it never really began to target until just recently.
In a survey conducted in the UK last month of 1000 students, Nokia was found to be the most popular handset, with Sony Ericsson behind it and BlackBerry behind that. The research found that around 2% of university students now had a BlackBerry, compared to practically zero just a couple of years ago. There's no question that BlackBerry use is on the rise, and in new markets. But who would've thought it would be the book-worms boosting RIM's bottom line?
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Marco Is Going To Be A Daddy!
Hey Guys,
Been keeping this secret for weeks, but we finally made the announcement. Wifey and I are having a baby! :) Great New Year's Gift, huh? :)
- Marco
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New Versions of Firefox Get Delayed
Mozilla won't be releasing new versions of Firefox as early as initially planned. The next version of Firefox (version 3.6) was planned to be released sometime this year. Now, this version won't be released until at least the first quarter of 2010. This pushes back other releases as well, including the major 4.0 release; Firefox 4.0 is now scheduled for the end of 2010 or the first quarter of 2011.Mozilla is figuring the extra time spent to deliver the newest version of its browser will be worth the risk of losing market share. The delays could be good news for Microsoft, giving the software giant a chance to take back a share of the increasingly crowded browser market. Recent numbers show that Firefox 3.5 has a greater percentage of users than Internet Explorer 7 or 8. Due to market adoption of Windows 7, however, the trends also show a rapid transition to Microsoft's latest browser. Google's Chrome, Apple's Safari, and Opera's browser could also take advantage of the Firefox delays.
Firefox 3.6 will have a Personas plug-in that will let users customize the appearance of the browser. Corporations could also use this feature to put company logos in front of users. Other improvements include improved launch times and better security.
Looking ahead to future versions, Firefox 3.7 is said to start up 25% faster on Windows and will incorporate Jetpack which is an improved interface for plug-ins that makes them easier to write, install, and upgrade. Version 3.7 is also expected to incorporate the first phase of work on Electrolysis. Electrolysis is designed to improve the stability of the browser by isolating processes into separate components. Plug-ins will also be moved to a process separate from the main browser. By separating components in this way, a problem with a process or plug-in won't crash the entire browser. Another key improvement with version 3.7 is called Weave. This plug-in will synchronize bookmarks, passwords, plug-ins, and open tabs across different Firefox windows.
Firefox version 4.0 will likely deliver major interface changes and will do away with the menu bar and use some sort of a pop-down menu instead. According to a blog post from Mozilla designer Stephen Horlander, the current thought is that version 4.0 will use an App Button similar to what we've seen with native Windows 7 applications.
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Study: 50% Of America Now Owns An HDTV - Are You One Of Them?
The HDTV business is booming, and even though they aren't nearly as buzz-worthy as they once were, that's clearly not stopping consumers from picking them up. High-def sets have withstood the test of time thus far, with more and more consumers jumping at the chance to upgrade to a flat-panel as each year passes by. Huge events like the Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics have a tendency to get people thinking about all that resolution they're missing out on, and evidently so does the massive amount of HD programming now available via pay-TV providers.A new study by the Leichtman Research Group has found that "nearly 50% of U.S. households will own a HDTV by the end of the year." Just as a reminder, the end of the year is hours away, so this is basically saying that as of right now around half of Americans own at least one HDTV set. That's a pretty incredible figure when you step back and think about it. During the year in which we experienced the worst recession since the Great Depression, HDTV purchases have somehow crept up in order to bring the overall rate of ownership in the US to around 50%.
We've also noticed a continual uptick in the amount of available HD channels, though paying for them hasn't gotten any easier. Most major sporting events are now in HD, and it's tough to watch a broadcast drama without seeing each and every commercial in HD. In a way, HD has become "the norm," and for many it's tough to even watch television in standard definition. One place where HD has yet to grab ahold is the Web. Sure, there's YouTube HD clips and "HD" versions of certain shows, but there's just not enough bandwidth in the average US home to really grab true HD clips. We're guessing that it's just a matter of time before that happens, and we don't suspect it'll take until the end of the next decade for HDTVs to reach a similar penetration rate as the DVD player. As for Blu-ray? Well, let's just say that has aways to go before it catches the HDTV...
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Couple Follows GPS, Gets Stranded For Three Days
While GPS can be a great tool, following the directions of a GPS system without question isn't always the best move, as one couple from Nevada recently found out. After leaving Portland, John Rhoads, 65, and his wife, Starry Bush-Rhoads, 67, followed their Toyota Sequoia's GPS system as it directed them down a remote forest road.The GPS system took them south on U.S. Highway 97 to Oregon Highway 31, which goes through Silver Lake and Lakeview before connecting with U.S. Highway 395 to Reno. While in Silver Lake, the GPS system told the Rhoads to turn right on Forest Service Road 28 and then take a few other spur roads. Nearly 35 miles later, the Rhoads found themselves stuck in about 1 آ½ feet of snow near a place called the Thompson Reservoir.
Thompson Reservoir
Thankfully, the Rhoads were prepared: They had warm clothing, water, and food as well as cell phones with GPS. The problem is their phones were unable to get service. Finally, three days later, atmospheric conditions apparently changed enough so that their GPS-enabled phones could get a weak signal and relay coordinates to a dispatcher. A Lake County deputy then found the Rhoads and pulled their four-wheel-drive Toyota Sequoia out of the snow with a winch.
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Mobile App To Lead Illegal Immigrants To Safety, Spark Huge Debate
At first glance, we got the wrong idea about this story. It sounded as if a pair of University of California, San Diego professors were cooking up a mobile phone app that would actually assist in the illegal crossing of the US border by Mexican citizens, but in fact, their work is far different than what you may believe.The two professors have been designed a dumbed-down GPS and mapping application that could be installed and used on bottom-end phones worth around $30 or $45. They're also being forced to include support for Spanish for obvious reasons, and it seems that their goal here is to help illegal immigrants find shelter, water or a way back once they make it to America.
Many immigrants don't understand just how brutal the terrain becomes once they cross over, and many die each year searching for basic goods like water. This application would theoretically be used to help those in need find such basic rations until they could be sent back to Mexico, but there is already quite a bit of back-and-forth over the legitimacy of such a program.
Some say that having this option across the border will encourage more Mexican citizens to attempt to passage, knowing that if they fail, an application can lead them to safety. Others say that this helps America's humanitarian efforts. It's a double-edged sword no matter how you look at it. If the two professors have their way, the application will be deployed as early as next summer, but it's still unclear exactly how it will be distributed. Even if it does go through, the phones can only last around 2 hours with GPS enabled, so it's obviously only for emergency use. How do you feel about all of this? Keep it decent down there, okay?
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Ever Wondered What A Real "Offline" Google Calender Looked Like?
You know you've often wondered about it, and now you have (somewhat) of an answer: "What would Google look like in Offline mode?"Gigazine has somehow stumbled across a rather comical piece from Google Japan, as it is essentially an offline version of Google Calender. And by "offline," we mean "really offline." This 2010 pin-up calender sports a lot of the same design cues as the online, web-based version of Gcal, with all of the appropriate tabs and event markers to boot.
What would really add to this is if it shipped with a bunch of customizable event markers so that you could keep your offline Gcal in sync with your online Gcal, but maybe that will be added if this ever comes to North America.آ
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Ford To Add iTunes Tagging To HD Radio Units In Select 2011 Vehicles
It's pretty amazing to step back and take a look at just how big of an impact Apple and the iPod has had on the automotive industry. At first glance, you'd assume that the portable media player market and the auto sales market have little, if anything, in common, but that couldn't be farther from the truth.Nearly anyone looking for a new automobile today will ask the dealership if the vehicle they are interested in has support for an iPod or MP3 player, and if it doesn't, it's a big turn-off. Even lower-end cars are learning to support the prolific device, and Ford understands this well. In order to better capitalize on the iPod demand, the company has just announced that it will become the first auto manufacturer to offer HD Radio technology with iTunes Tagging support.
The capabilities will be added to select 2011 vehicles when they go on sale next year, though Ford has yet to come clean with exact model names and such. If you're curious as to how the system will work, here's the deal: if you're tuned into an HD Radio station and you like whatever is playing, you can mash the dedicated "TAG" button to store that song's metadata (artist, track title, etc.) within the SYNC system. Up to 100 tracks can be stored before you'll need to plug your iPod in and download that information. When the data is on your iPod, you can then preview and/or purchase songs directly from within iTunes. Hence, iTunes Tagging.
Hey Apple, how's that iTunes ecosystem (and its halo effect) working out for you? Pretty well, we imagine.
- Ford is the first auto manufacturer to offer HD Radioâ„¢ technology with iTunesآ® Tagging capability; this new functionality will be available next year
- HDRadio technology captures free digital radio broadcasts, whicheliminate static, fadeout and other problems associated withconventional analog radio signals; the result is FM audio that’scomparable to near-CD quality and AM audio that sounds like today’s FMbroadcasts
- HD Radio digital technology provides a numberof advanced services not available with an analog radio. Extra FMchannels, called HD2/HD3 channels, are delivered, as well as usefulon-screen Program Service Data such as artist name and song title
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Win 7 x64 Ram question
So here is an interesting question... Sometimes when my PC turns on it has all 6gb usable but other times it says it has 6gb installed (3.99) usable... Any ideas?
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Asus EAH5870 Radeon HD 5870 Review
Immediately upon its introduction, the ATI Radeon HD 5870 took the title for the fastest, single-GPU on the market. There was simply no other single-GPU that could touch it, not only in terms of performance, but in regard to features as well. And at the time, virtually all of AMD's strategic board partners were at the ready with products based on the Radeon HD 5870 reference design.
Unfortunately, due to some yield issues at TSMC, the foundry that manufactures the actual chips at the heart of the card, supplies of Radeon HD 5870 (and Radeon HD 5850) cards quickly dried up. AMD had the fastest, most feature-rich single GPU on the market, and it was incredibly difficult to buy one for a while there.
The supply issues have since cleared up, however, and Radeon HD 5870 cards are easily attainable once again. With that in mind, we're taking a look at Asus' take on AMD's flagship single-GPU, the EAH5870. Like essentially all of the other Radeon HD 5870 cards currently available, Asus' offering is based on AMD's reference design. But Asus does have a couple of tricks up its sleeve that help differentiate the EAH5870 from the also-rans. Read on and take a look for yourself...
Asus EAH5870 Radeon HD 5870 Review 
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7680x1600 Widescreen Computing
Three Dell 3008WFP 30" LCDs currently hooked up to two GTX 295s. Waiting for 5970s to be in stock for some extreme gaming.
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Google Plans Android Event, Nexus One Launch Approaching?
After Google announced plans to hold a press event next month regarding its Android mobile phone operating system, some are wondering if the event could be tied to the Internet search giant's plans to release its own smartphone. The Google-branded smartphone has become known as the Nexus One. Rumors have suggested the phone will be launched on January 5, the same day as the aforementioned press event.The Nexus One is being tested internally by Google employees. Reportedly, the phone will be sold directly to consumers as a contract-free device, though a subsidized version may also be available through carriers. Although Android's share of the US smartphone market is relatively small in comparison to its competition, the mobile platform was able to double its share to 3.5% over the past year according to comScore.
Google hasn’t released official details concerning the Nexus One, but leaks suggest the smartphone will be a GSM-device with a 3.7-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, accelerometer, and compass. It is expected to run the latest version of the Android operating system, Android 2.1.
The invitation-only event for the "Android press gathering" at the company's Mountain View, California, headquarters will be held two days before the Consumer Electronics Show begins in Las Vegas and just a day before many CES exhibitors have scheduled major press conferences.
The invitation didn't provide many details, only saying, "With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we've seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what's possible." Following the press conference and presentation, there will be a Q&A session and demonstrations.
This isn't the first time a company has tried to upstage CES: In January 2007, Apple held its own press event and unveiled the iPhone at an event in San Francisco, even though many tech journalists and executives were in Las Vegas for the trade show. Will Google use the same tactic? If so, will it work? Guess we'll have to wait until next week to find out.
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PQI Introduces First USB 3.0 USB Flash Drive: Cool Drive U366
It may not be the first USB 3.0 flash drive to be announced, but it's still one of the first (and it's blazing fast). PQI, a mainstay in the flash storage industry, has just introduced its newest USB stick, and this one is significantly more important than its last.A week after unveiling a pair of USB 3.0 external hard drives, the company has today pushed out its first USB 3.0 flash drive in the Cool Drive U366. It's wrapped in an all-aluminum shell with a clear plastic lid, and it features 5Gbps maximum transfer rates. In case you're bad with numbers, that's 10x the maximum on USB 2.0. There's no mention of a price or ship date just yet, but we suspect it'll be on store shelves shortly after the new year begins.
PQI Announces USB3.0 UFD ~ Cool Drive U366
2009.12.28
Taipei, Taiwan ~ Only just a week ago, Power Quotient International Co., Ltd. (PQI) announced two 2.5inch USB3.0 external hard drives, H566 and S533. Today, PQI releases their first USB flash drive device in the form of Cool Drive U366. PQI’s U366 is encased in an all aluminum shell with a clear plastic lid that can perfectly fit on the end tip so users need not worry about loosing the lid.
The new USB3.0 features 5Gbps/sec maximum bandwidth, which is 10 times the maximum bandwidth of USB2.0 as it eliminates the issue of external connection bandwidth being smaller than the output bandwidth of the storage device. This allows portable, ultra fast and high capacity storage device to flood the market as USB3.0 is deemed to take over USB2.0 as the standard for future external connections!
PQI’s Cool Drive U366 is one of the few USB3.0 flash storage devices on the market, and it features a read up to 97MB /sec. The release of U366 reassures PQI’s dedicated advancement in storage technology, research and development capability!
For more PQI news and the latest PQI product information, please visit PQI at www.pqigroup.com.
Cool Drive U366 specification:
Interface: USB 3.0 (backwards compatible with USB 2.0)
Transfer rate: Read up to 97MB/sec
Capacity: 16GB / 32GB / 64GB
Dimension: 87 x 22 x12 mm
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DirecTV Rumored To Get 3D HD Channel Next Year
The DirecTV 12 satellite just launched into orbit, enabling DirecTV to bring even more HD channels to its users. What else could it bring? A 3D channel, maybe.With the amount of high-def television networks seeming to expand by the day, we know it's just a matter of time before adding HD channels isn't enough to sway consumers over from one carrier to another. We've also already heard that next year's World Cup will be at least partially broadcast in 3D, though details about viewing it in such a format have yet to be made clear.
According to the HD Guru, the new bird that launched will give it the bandwidth necessary to go live with a 3D HD channel, and considering that the satellite will become fully operational in March of 2010, we suspect the 3D channel will be opened to the public shortly thereafter. The technical aspect of the channel still remains a mystery, though we are told that it will "feature an assortment of movies, sports and programs in 3D."
Fuzzy? You need 3D glasses!
If all this pans out, we're told that existing DirecTV customers will gain support of the channel through a firmware update straight to their existing HD DVR, with the new content to be compatible with all new 3D HDTVs. Of course, you'll also have to provide your own 3D glasses to enjoy the experience, but we don't forsee glasses-free 3D becoming a reality any time soon.
We have to say--a 3D HD channel on a carrier could very well be a huge competitive advantage. If DirecTV is somehow able to gain an exclusive on the channel for at least a year or so, we can imagine a bunch of bandwagon jumpers heading its way just to see what the fuss is all about. It could also spur the creation of 3D content, which generally tends to be the primary problem with getting folks interested in 3D. Would you switch carriers in order to have access to a 3D HD channel? Are you even interested in 3D?
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Redbox Rents 450 Million DVDs In 2009, Paul Blart Leads The Way
Redbox. It's a name that is now linked directly to one-night DVD rentals on the cheap, and as if Netflix had not done enough already to put a kink in Blockbuster's business model, Redbox has all but destroyed it. These famously red boxes are now littered about at Walmart locales, grocery stores and other shopping complexes, and they allow consumers to rent DVDs (and even video games) for just a buck a night. It's quick, easy and requires no interaction with people.Earlier this year the company declared that it was about to rent out its half-billionth DVD, and now that 2009 is drawing to a close, the company has pushed out some other (albeit equally stunning) statistics. During 2009 alone, over 350 million Redbox DVDs were rented. Of course, many suggest that stay-at-home entertainment saw a dramatic rise in 2009 thanks to the economic recession, but still--350 million rentals in one of the first years of its existence is pretty impressive.
At this point, we know you're eager to find out which new release topped the Redbox rental charts, and we suspect you'll share our surprise when we say that Paul Blart: Mall Cop was #1 with 4.5 million rentals logged. The full list is shown below, but before you view, care to take any other wild guesses as to what titles topped their respective categories?
TOP MOVIES
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of 2009
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1. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
2. The Proposal
3. Taken
4. Gran Torino
5. KnowingTOP BROMANCES
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of 2009
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1. I Love You, Man
2. Year One
3. My Best Friend's Girl
4. Pineapple Express
5. Role ModelsTOP ADRENALINE RUSH
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of 2009
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1. Taken
2. Knowing
3. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
4. Obsessed
5. G.I. Joe: The Rise of CobraTOP CHICK FLICKS
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of 2009
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1. The Proposal
2. Bride Wars
3. He's Just Not That Into You
4. 17 Again
5. Ghosts of Girlfriends PastTOP TEARJERKERS
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of 2009
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1. Gran Torino
2. Marley & Me
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Seven Pounds
5. The SoloistTOP FAMILY FUN
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of 2009
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1. Bedtime Stories
2. Bolt
3. Beverly Hills Chihuahua
4. Up
5. Hotel for Dogs
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