IT-Code-News: IT News HeadLines (HotHardware) 19/03/2010

Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB SATA 6G HD Review
Although Solid State Drives are all the rage lately, they comprise only a fraction of the overall desktop PC storage market. While SSDs are undeniably fast and enhance the overall user experience, they are also prohibitively expensive for many users and offer relatively low capacities. As such, traditional, spinning hard drives, with their huge capacities and low cost per gigabyte, still make up the lion's share of the market. One of the more interesting hard drives to hit the scene recently is the Seagate Barracuda
Read More ...

NAVIGON Offers Adjustable Map Access For iPhone
In the early days of personal navigation devices, it wasn't unheard of for a PND to have preloaded maps of a single region rather than the entire U.S. Today, most PNDs come preloaded with a full map of the U.S.; many offer maps of Canada, Europe, and/or Mexico as well. Although having access to these maps can be useful, it can also be costly. That's why NAVIGON is announcing a customizable version of its iPhone navigation app, MobileNavigator, with regional map access. The new NAVIGON MyRegion offers a lower
Read More ...

Twitter, Facebook Fiends Stop Sexing to Start Texting
How often do you feel compelled to log into Facebook or Twitter and see what your friends are up to? An even bigger question is, would you ever shove your partner away during an intimate moment to see what's happening in your online world? If so, you're not only addicted to social networking, your priorities are also way out of whack.According to a recent study by Retrevo Inc., an online electronics vendor and review site, social networking may be more habit forming than you imagined."The latest Retrevo Gadgetology
Read More ...

Google TV: The Next Generation Set-Top Box To Bring Web's Best Into Living Rooms
We've been joking for years now that Google is taking over the world. Slowly but surely, our laugh is growing dim, because it actually does look like Google is doing their best to take over the world. First it was search domination, then it was e-mail domination, then it was breaking into the clean energy market, then it was announcing a 1Gbps Internet service, and now they're planning to invade your television set. It's not quite 2012, but boy if it doesn't feel like it.According to new reports, Google has
Read More ...

Kindle For Mac Now Available Worldwide: What Now, iPad?
It has finally happened. Amazon has caved to the vocal minority, and Kindle for Mac has finally launched. It's funny timing, really, given just how close the world is to receiving the iPad and the iBookstore, but Amazon knows that it better get in on the Mac market while it can, and before Apple grabs hold like it has done with the music market/iTunes. Amazon announced awhile back that a Kindle for Mac application was on the way, and now it's available for consumers in over 100 countries to download. Amazon
Read More ...

Gateway Steps Up Netbook Game With EC14D01h: Built-In Optical Drive, Win7
Gateway may not be the giant that Dell is anymore, but they're still hanging around and producing quality machines for a smaller crowd. The company has just announced an expansion for their EC Series, with the new EC14D boasting something that most 11.6" machines don't: an optical drive. The new EC14D01h (full model number) has an 11.6" widescreen display, an integrated DVD drive and a chassis that weighs 3.55lbs.The drive within is an 8x super-multi double-layer DVD drive, which is frankly something that we'd
Read More ...

iLuv's App-Driven iMM190 App Station Alarm Clock Ships For $90
iLuv has managed to hold their own in the volatile iPod accessory market, and now they're one of the biggest names in the iPod clock market. Amazingly enough, it seems that not everyone has one of these yet, because iLuv just keeps cranking them out. The newest one is a bit different than the others, though, with the iMM190 App Station coming with an iLuv app clock application.The stylish device is available now to U.S. consumers, and when docked (and the app running), users can actually use their iPod touch
Read More ...

Cereplast To Put Biodegradable 3D Glasses Into Cinemas
Oh brother. We get the feeling that a monster has been created. In just over a year's time, 3D has managed to take over nearly every part of the entertainment world. 3D is now in cinemas, homes, video games, Blu-ray movies, and even on TV commercials. It's the new "big thing." And we all know what happens each time a new "big thing" comes along: accessories.Just as companies are rushing out iPad accessories before the device even ships, Cereplast is hoping to make a splash with an eye-catching set of 3D glasses.
Read More ...

A Sneak Peek At Acer's Thin & Light Aspire TimelineX 1830T
Acer plans to add the Aspire TimelineX 1830T to its lineup. This laptop measures less than an inch thick and weighs 3 pounds. It has an 11.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and integrated graphics. Reports have it that this notebook will offer a Core i5 520UM processor with a base clock speed of 1.06GHz. Using Intel's Turbo Boost, the clock can be increased up to 1.86GHz depending on a few parameters. Other features include 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, a VGA webcam, multi card reader, three USB ports,
Read More ...

Sprint To Get Nexus One
Would you look at that? Soon after we learned of an AT&T-friendly version of the Google Nexus One smartphone, Sprint is coming out with an announcement of its own to let us know that it too will carry the Nexus One. So why would you choose one variant of this phone over the other? Sprint hopes its coverage will help: The wireless carrier claims it offers more coverage than AT&T and T-Mobile based on square miles. Although pricing and an exact availability date are still to come, we do know the Nexus
Read More ...

Microsoft Could Be Prepping XBox 360 Refresh
The hardware specifications for the components in the XBox 360 or Playstation 3 may not have changed since launch day, but semiconductor manufacturing has advanced significantly. Supposedly leaked photos of a new XBox 360 motherboard indicate that Microsoft could be poised to take advantage of that fact. If the image is real (and it might not be), Microsoft has redesigned the XBox's motherboard from the ground up. Image by Kotaku.comAbove we have the leaked photo, below we have the XBox 360 motherboard as its
Read More ...

T-Mobile To Launch HTC HD2 Next Week For $200
T-Mobile has officially announced the release details for the upcoming HTC HD2 smartphone. You can expect the HD2 to be available Wednesday, March 24 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. It will also be available without the two-year contract on an Even More Plus service plan for $449.99. The HD2 boasts of a 4.3-inch capacitive, high-resolution touchscreen display. It is powered by a Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor and runs HTCâ€™s Sense user interface on top of Windows Mobile 6.5. The phone also has
Read More ...

PayPal Puts Your Wallet In The Cloud
PayPal revealed a new Send Money application for the iPhone and iPod touch. With version 2.0, you'll get secure mobile access to your PayPal account as well as Bump money transfers, Split Check, and Collect Money features. With Bump, you simply put two iPhones together to transfer money from one owner's account to the other's. The Split Check feature makes it easy to divide and split the cost of dinner with a friend. If you're trying to collect money from multiple people for a joint gift, the Collect Money feature
Read More ...

Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB SATA 6G HD Review
Although Solid State Drives are all the rage lately, they comprise only a fraction of the overall desktop PC storage market. While SSDs are undeniably fast and enhance the overall user experience, they are also prohibitively expensive for many users and offer relatively low capacities. As such, traditional, spinning hard drives, with their huge capacities and low cost per gigabyte, still make up the lion's share of the market.One of the more interesting hard drives to hit the scene recently is the Seagate Barracuda
Read More ...

Netbook fan issues

Hey the guy that runs my TF2 clan's netbook fan has stopped working. I was wondering if I can get a little help.

It started making a grinding noise, almost like when a hard drive is failing, then just stopped working.

I know it is a HP netbook. Not sure of the exact model.

Twitter, Facebook Fiends Stop Sexing to Start Texting

How often do you feel compelled to log into Facebook or Twitter and see what your friends are up to? An even bigger question is, would you ever shove your partner away during an intimate moment to see what's happening in your online world? If so, you're not only addicted to social networking, your priorities are also way out of whack.

According to a recent study by Retrevo Inc., an online electronics vendor and review site, social networking may be more habit forming than you imagined.

"The latest Retrevo Gadgetology study asked social media users questions such as when, where, and how much time they spend on sites and services like Facebook and Twitter. We were not surprised to learn how many people appear to be, shall we say, obsessed with checking in with their social media circles throughout the day and even the night," commented Andrew Eisner, Retrevo's director of Community and Content.

Helping Eisner come to that conclusion, the study showed that 48 percent check or update Facebook or Twitter right before going to bed or as soon as they wake up. But that stat alone isn't troubling. What concerns us most is that 7 percent of respondents said they would check out a message during an intimate moment. Talk about killing the mood. Even more perplexing is that more respondents under the age of 25 said they would be willing to stop having sex to check their messages than those over 25 years old (11 percent vs 6 percent, respectively).

There are plenty of other troubling stats, such as 32 percent admitting they would run away from a meal to get their social networking fix, and way too many respondents aren't even willing to break away from their online lives when nature calls. Gross.

"Some of this can be ascribed to the newness and freshness of the social networking craze," said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group. "With many people, it will probably smooth out as they become more used to it. However, there will be a percentage of people who become somewhat addicted to social networking -- to checking up on it, to maintaining it, to extending it.

"This could cause problems in their real lives as it consumes more and more of their time and attention," Olds added.

Eisner doesn't go quite as far and readily admits he's not "qualified to declare a societal, social media crisis," but like us, he is left pondering (and scratching his head) over some of the responses.

Are you or is someone you know addicted to social networking? Is there such a thing? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below! And don't forget to feed your addiction by subscribing to our own Facebook and Twitter feeds - just be sure to finish your 'business' first.

Microsoft Could Be Prepping XBox 360 Refresh

The hardware specifications for the components in the XBox 360 or Playstation 3 may not have changed since launch day, but semiconductor manufacturing has advanced significantly. Supposedly leaked photos of a new XBox 360 motherboard indicate that Microsoft could be poised to take advantage of that fact. If the image is real (and it might not be), Microsoft has redesigned the XBox's motherboard from the ground up.

Image by Kotaku.com

Above we have the leaked photo, below we have the XBox 360 motherboard as its more-or-less appeared to date.

The major difference between the two is the position of the GPU. We've known Microsoft was working on a combined-package for the CPU+GPU for awhile; the jump appears to have substantially cut the necessary motherboard size. Note that this marriage of CPU and GPU is often inaccurately referred to as 'on-die.' IBM has almost certainly opted for an 'on-package' approach in which distinct physical chips sit side by side. This is the same approach Intel currently uses for its Core i3/i5 processors.

There's always the risk that bringing the two parts closer together could create heat problems (again), but the chances of that happening are small. Both the Xenon CPU and ATI's Xenos GPU will be built on a 45nm process and will consequently generate much less heat than the original XBox 360, in which both parts were built on 90nm technology. Unit power consumption (and fan noise) should both drop as well, but it's too early to predict how much.

It's possible that we'll see a new XBox Slim debut simultaneously with Project Natal when Microsoft launches it later this year.

Gateway Steps Up Netbook Game With EC14D01h: Built-In Optical Drive, Win7

Gateway may not be the giant that Dell is anymore, but they're still hanging around and producing quality machines for a smaller crowd. The company has just announced an expansion for their EC Series, with the new EC14D boasting something that most 11.6" machines don't: an optical drive. The new EC14D01h (full model number) has an 11.6" widescreen display, an integrated DVD drive and a chassis that weighs 3.55lbs.

The drive within is an 8x super-multi double-layer DVD drive, which is frankly something that we'd love to see on every netbook. Or at least more than we currently do. Finding an integrated optical drive within a notebook is tough to do, and we applaud Gateway for stepping outside of the norm here in order to provide something that's rare yet highly loved.

It also features a 1366x768 resolution display, a 6-cell battery, an Intel Dual-Core ULV processor, mutil-card reader, 4GB of RAM a 320GB hard drive, Intel's 4500MHD GPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), Wi-Fi, an integrated webcam and a multi-gesture touchpad. Setting a new bar for netbooks? Quite possibly.

Gateway EC14D01h:
Intel^Â® Pentium^Â® ULV Processor SU4100 (1.3GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
Windows7 Home Premium (64-bit)
11.6-inch HD Widescreen Ultrabright LED-backlit TFT LCD (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio)
Mobile Intel^Â®GS45 Express Chipset
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
4096MB DDR2 Dual-Channel 667MHz memory upgradeable to 8GB
320GB⁽²⁾ 5400RPM SATA hard drive
Integrated 8X Super-Multi DVD player
Integrated webcam
Multi-in-1 digital media card reader
Intel^Â® Wi-Fi Link 1000 802.11b/g/Draft-N WiFi CERTIFIEDÂ® featuring MIMO technology
Gigabit Ethernet LAN
Three USB 2.0 ports
HDMI and S/PDIF
Multi-Gesture Touchpad
Standard 6-cell Li-ion (5600 mAh) Battery
3.55 lbs.
11.49â€ (W) x 1.12â€ to 1.18â€ (H) x 8.33â€ (D)

NAVIGON Offers Adjustable Map Access For iPhone

In the early days of personal navigation devices, it wasn't unheard of for a PND to have preloaded maps of a single region rather than the entire U.S. Today, most PNDs come preloaded with a full map of the U.S.; many offer maps of Canada, Europe, and/or Mexico as well. Although having access to these maps can be useful, it can also be costly. That's why NAVIGON is announcing a customizable version of its iPhone navigation app, MobileNavigator, with regional map access.

The new NAVIGON MyRegion offers a lower cost than the full-blown MobileNavigator by letting you buy just one region (Eastern, Central or Western U.S.). If you need additional regions later on, you can always unlock them using an In App purchase option. (The complete U.S. map is downloaded when you buy the first MyRegion.)

NAVIGON MyRegion also has the new MyRoutes feature that learns from your driving style to provide customized and better route recommendations. MyRoutes also offers up to two alternative routes for you to select based on your preferences.

NAVIGON Launches MyRegion: First iPhone Navigation App in the U.S. with Adjustable Map Access

Regional Map Choices Allow Premium Navigation at a Reduced Price, Map Upgrades Available On the Go

HAMBURG--NAVIGON AG, a world-leading provider of mobile navigation solutions, today announced the launch of NAVIGON MyRegion in the Apple App Store. NAVIGON MyRegion is a customizable version of NAVIGONâ€™S popular iPhone navigation app, MobileNavigator, with regional map access for the Eastern, Central or Western U.S. It is the first iPhone navigation app that lets users upgrade to additional regions within the app and on the go, providing cross country navigation at choice. The total U.S. map is downloaded upon purchase of the first â€œMyRegion,â€ which allows activation of additional map regions via a seamless In App Purchase from the application. NAVIGON MyRegion delivers the same premium feature set currently available in the North American version, MobileNavigator, and each version will receive the same updates. Access to the first region is available at an introductory price of $24.99 (normally $29.99) until April 12th with no hidden charges or additional monthly fees. Each regional map can be accessed as an In App Purchase for an introductory $12.99 (normally $14.99). MobileNavigator with map access for all of North America (including Eastern, Central and Western U.S. as well as Canada) is available for $79.99.

â€œNAVIGON MyRegion gives our customers the power of choice to only access the areas they use, enabling a customized and tailor-made navigation experience at a price built for all budgets,â€ said Gerhard Mayr, NAVIGON vice-president worldwide mobile phones and new markets. â€œAt the same time we are providing our customers the peace of mind of being able to upgrade to additional regions and cross country navigation later on, independent of additional downloads.â€

NAVIGON MyRegion includes all the features and capabilities as MobileNavigator 1.4 plus NAVIGON MyRoutes. This new feature will be added to MobileNavigator North America via an upcoming update to 1.5.0 due this spring. NAVIGON MyRoutes is an industry first feature that learns from the users driving style to provide customized and better route recommendations. The feature also offers up to two alternative routes clearly displayed on a map including ETA, distance and driving time. This lets user choose the route that best serves their individual situation.

NAVIGON MyRegion offers a familiar, yet streamlined user interface that offers intuitive visual feedback and readily accessible connected features, which takes the efficiency of mobile navigation to new heights. It is the most feature rich navigation solution for the iPhone and transforms the Apple phone into a premium navigation device. NAVIGON MyRegion provides turn-by-turn directions independent of a cell or wireless signal, since the full map material is saved on the iPhone. It is the only iPhone navigation solution that includes Google Local Search, Reality Viewâ„¢ Pro, branded in-route POIâ€™s, seamless in app iPod controls, enhanced pedestrian mode, NAVIGON MyRoutes, and Traffic Live in one application. Traffic Live provides crowd sourced real-time traffic information to calculate better routes that avoid congestion and get drivers to their destination faster. The feature is available as an in app one-time purchase at a promotional price of $19.99 until April 12th (normally $24.99).

NAVIGON is dedicated to delivering premium navigation software for multiple mobile phone platforms. The company recently launched MobileNavigator for Windows Phone and announced an application for Android phones.

NAVIGON showcases its navigation solutions for smartphones at CTIA Wireless 2010 in Las Vegas, March 23-25, booth #7050.

For more information, please visit: www.navigon.com/iphone.

Kindle For Mac Now Available Worldwide: What Now, iPad?

It has finally happened. Amazon has caved to the vocal minority, and Kindle for Mac has finally launched. It's funny timing, really, given just how close the world is to receiving the iPad and the iBookstore, but Amazon knows that it better get in on the Mac market while it can, and before Apple grabs hold like it has done with the music market/iTunes.

Amazon announced awhile back that a Kindle for Mac application was on the way, and now it's available for consumers in over 100 countries to download. Amazon has already reached out and put their Kindle store onto the iPhone and iPod touch, and of course that app will also work on the iPad. Kindle for Mac features Amazonâ€™s Whispersync technology that automatically saves and synchronizes bookmarks and last page read across devices, which allows users to ead some on their Mac, read some on their Kindle, and always pick up where they left off.

Amazon has built a really solid business model here, and we're glad to see them reaching for the Mac market. But it should really be interesting to see how far Apple will allow them to go with the iPad and iBookstore on the horizon. We might just have yet another Cold War on our hands here.

With Kindle for Mac, readers can take advantage of the following features:
Purchase, download, and read hundreds of thousands of books available in the Kindle Store
Access their library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazonâ€™s servers for free
Choose from 10 different font sizes and adjust words per line
Add and automatically synchronize bookmarks and last page read
View notes and highlights marked on Kindle, Kindle DX, and Kindle for iPhone
Read books in full color including childrenâ€™s books, cookbooks, travel books and textbooks
Several features will be added to the Kindle for Mac app in the near future, including full text search and the ability to create and edit notes and highlights. Kindle for Mac is available to customers around the world as a free download. To download the free app, visit www.amazon.com/kindleformac.

Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB SATA 6G HD Review

Although Solid State Drives are all the rage lately, they comprise only a fraction of the overall desktop PC storage market. While SSDs are undeniably fast and enhance the overall user experience, they are also prohibitively expensive for many users and offer relatively low capacities. As such, traditional, spinning hard drives, with their huge capacities and low cost per gigabyte, still make up the lion's share of the market.

One of the more interesting hard drives to hit the scene recently is the Seagate Barracuda XT. Its 2TB capacity, 64MB of cache, and 7200 RPM spindle speed will automatically piquÃ© the interest of many enthusiasts. But couple those features with the drive's support for SATA 6G and the story gets all the more interesting...

Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB SATA 6G HD Review

A Sneak Peek At Acer's Thin & Light Aspire TimelineX 1830T

Acer plans to add the Aspire TimelineX 1830T to its lineup. This laptop measures less than an inch thick and weighs 3 pounds. It has an 11.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and integrated graphics. Reports have it that this notebook will offer a Core i5 520UM processor with a base clock speed of 1.06GHz. Using Intel's Turbo Boost, the clock can be increased up to 1.86GHz depending on a few parameters.

Other features include 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, a VGA webcam, multi card reader, three USB ports, and a HDMI output. Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and 3G are optional upgrades. The notebook's battery life is rated at up to 8 hours.

In addition to the TimelineX 1830T, reports claim Acer also plans to add three other models to the TimelineX line: the 13.3-inch 3820T, the 14-inch 4820T, and the 15.6-inch 5820T. Each of these new models is under an inch thick and offers your choice of Core i3, i5, or i7 processors.

Pricing details and an availability date haven't been announced, but we should know more later this month.

Google TV: The Next Generation Set-Top Box To Bring Web's Best Into Living Rooms

We've been joking for years now that Google is taking over the world. Slowly but surely, our laugh is growing dim, because it actually does look like Google is doing their best to take over the world. First it was search domination, then it was e-mail domination, then it was breaking into the clean energy market, then it was announcing a 1Gbps Internet service, and now they're planning to invade your television set. It's not quite 2012, but boy if it doesn't feel like it.

According to new reports, Google has teamed with Intel and Sony (two huge, huge names in the industry) in order to develop a platform, which is unimaginatively named Google TV. The goal is to bring the best of the Web to the living room "through a new generation of televisions and set top boxes," but we have to think this has already been done. The Apple TV does this; a number of Western Digital boxes do this; Roku does this; Vudu does this; homegrown HTPCs do this. The difference of course, is that Google's name isn't on any of those, and as we've seen with the HTC-built Nexus One, having Google's name on anything makes it instantly more recognizable and more viable.

When you think about it, this makes perfect sense for Google. Google is a master of indexing, and their fingers are stretched throughout the Internet. Taking something that they're already good at and honing it for release on a TV seems relatively simple, and with digital consumption on the rise and typical pay-TV subscriptions on the decline, it's a perfect opportunity for Google to jump in. Imagine this: Google's laying fiber now in order to bring out a 1Gbps Internet service. What makes you think they couldn't use that same fiber to deliver television and Web programming? Verizon has already done it with FiOS, so yes, it's totally plausible. Oh, and that Nexus One we mentioned? What it you had a "triple-play" bundle from Google to get your cellphone, Internet and television programming? It sounds like a pipe dream, but when you lay out all the pieces, we're actually not that far from this very situation becoming a reality.

The other important aspect here are the partners. Sony is a huge name in the TV arena, and lately they've been struggling. Sony needs help to regain their swagger in the industry, and nothing says "swagger" like an official partnership with Google. Imagine a Google-powered TV. Now, wouldn't that sell well? Also, Intel is a giant in the chip industry, and Google needs CPU power in order to bring in content from the Web, power the user interface and make things smooth for the living room user. Intel definitely has the research and product line to make it all happen, and it's definitely a name people associate with quality.

Beyond just programming, users will also have access to Twitter, Web apps, photo websites and everything else that makes the Internet great. You can even imagine using Google to sift files in the cloud and enjoy them right on the television. With a dream team like Intel, Sony and Google, the possibilities are nearly limitless. We're told that this partnership has been boiling for months now, and they've also looking into technology from Logitech to potentially source hardware and accessories to make managing the experience a lot easier. You could even imagine Android being used as the main interface to navigate through, and given the lackluster UI present on most cable boxes and the like, we think Android would bring a fresh face to a tired sector. One person said to be familiar with the project had this to say, which is pretty telling and relates back to our original statement at the top:

"Google wants to be everywhere the Internet is so they can put ads there."

Also, there's a prototype Google TV set top box already in existance somewhere, and there's even the possibility of using the Chrome web browser in order to surf to content, and of course, if Google were to bring this to any one cable or satellite company, there's a good chance those folks would listen. Google in your living room? Count on it, be it sooner or later.

Cereplast To Put Biodegradable 3D Glasses Into Cinemas

Oh brother. We get the feeling that a monster has been created. In just over a year's time, 3D has managed to take over nearly every part of the entertainment world. 3D is now in cinemas, homes, video games, Blu-ray movies, and even on TV commercials. It's the new "big thing." And we all know what happens each time a new "big thing" comes along: accessories.

Just as companies are rushing out iPad accessories before the device even ships, Cereplast is hoping to make a splash with an eye-catching set of 3D glasses. No, these don't look much different than the RealD glasses you probably already own, but the tree hugging crowd will definitely find a lot to love with these. Cereplast has joined with Oculus3D to offer "bioplastic 3D glasses" in cinemas. Believe it or not, these are said to be the worldâ€™s first biodegradable/compostable 3D glasses, constructed using Cereplast's proprietary bio-based, sustainable plastic resins.

Both companies expect these glasses to be in theaters by the summer, and they're hoping that these will seriously cut down on waste. For example, around 10 million pairs of 3D glasses will be used just to watch Avatar and Alice in Wonderful; imagine all of those going to a landfill eventually. Cereplast would much rather these disposable products be made out of something that won't kill the Earth, and honestly we agree. Besides, who really cares if their 3D glasses are made out of some weird resin? Sounds like a win-win to us.

The current 3D glasses offered by movie theaters are made of traditional fossil fuel plastic and are not biodegradable. The CO2 emissions for the more than 10 million plastic glasses is equivalent to the harmful emissions generated by burning 50,000 gallons of gasoline or 917 barrels of oil. The Oculus3D eyewear will feature Cereplastâ€™s CompostablesÂ® resin made with IngeoÂ® Poly-lactic acid (PLA). These resins allow for the manufacturing of glasses made of renewable material and create a truly compostable product. If discarded at a compost site, the 3D glasses will return to nature in less than 180 days with no chemical residues or toxicity left in the soil.
â€œWe are very glad to be associated with Oculus3D, a company that understands and is concerned about the environmental impact associated with traditional petroleum-based plastic. Through the collaboration of our joint effort, we can offer the Hollywood community meaningful 'green' benefits requiring little effort and providing large impact,â€ said Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc.
â€œBy using Cereplastâ€™s resins in our 3D biodegradable and compostable glasses we can now help the entertainment industry reduce its carbon footprint and provide movie theaters with smarter choices for both affordable 3D systems and compatible 3D eyewear,â€ said Marty Shindler, Co-founder and CEO of Oculus3D.
The OculR lens provides exhibitors with a 3D solution that works with all standard 35mm projectors, delivering superb quality film-based 3D presentations that are equal to or better than more costly digital options without paying a per-seat or per-show royalty fee. The OculR system, which costs 85 percent to 90 percent less than a digital cinema-based approach, consists of the OculR lens for the theaterâ€™s 35mm projector, a â€œsilverâ€ movie screen and low-cost plastic frame or Cereplast based biodegradable linear polarizer eyewear, delivering the finest 3D image at an affordable price. The OculR lens can be installed rapidly, eliminating theater downtime and providing brightness levels of 10-foot lamberts per eye, which equals or exceeds the brightness of most digital and single-projector film systems to ensure flawless 3D performance for exhibitors.

iLuv's App-Driven iMM190 App Station Alarm Clock Ships For $90

iLuv has managed to hold their own in the volatile iPod accessory market, and now they're one of the biggest names in the iPod clock market. Amazingly enough, it seems that not everyone has one of these yet, because iLuv just keeps cranking them out. The newest one is a bit different than the others, though, with the iMM190 App Station coming with an iLuv app clock application.

The stylish device is available now to U.S. consumers, and when docked (and the app running), users can actually use their iPod touch or iPhone display as a large clock, weather screen or to view loads of other bits of small, web-connected information. In addition to the App, this multimedia speaker dock combines speakers, hard buttons and support for VoIP chat, and at $89.99, it's actually one of the cheaper options out there. And for those days when you'd just rather not use your iPhone, the auxiliary input line ensures that your old Zune will work here too.

iLuv Announces the Immediate Availability of the iMM190 App Station, an App-driven Multimedia Speaker Dock for iPhone and iPod

Unique iLuv app clock application is now available via a free download from the iTunes store

PORT WASHINGTON, NY â€“ (March 16, 2010) - iLuv, the leader in innovative solutions dedicated to developing unique accessories for Appleâ€™s iPhone and iPod, is proud to announce that their 2010 CES Innovations and Design award winning creation, the iMM190 App Station, is now available to consumers nationwide. iLuvâ€™s App Station, a new type of dock for iPhone and iPod fans, features a unique application called â€œiLuv App Clockâ€ that transforms it into alarm clock with a large digital display and current weather conditions. The iLuv App Clock application is available globally as a free download from iTunes App Store. The App Clock also allows full cross-functional access to the userâ€™s iTunes library while using the App in order to change alarm settings or to simply listen to music. In addition to the App, this multimedia speaker dock combines powerful amplifiers with dynamic, acoustic speaker chambers to enhance the audio experience while listening to music, watching movies, or when using VoIP chat services; thus making it the perfect iPhone accessory.Â The iMM190 App Station will be available for $89.99 at www.i-luv.com and the iLuv App Clock application is available for free via the iTunes Store.

â€œTo meet the everyday usage of iPhone and iPod users, we created an app driven product that provides a great accessory with multiple functionsâ€ said Howard Kim, iLuv marketing manager. â€œWe felt that a large number of iPhone enthusiasts use their mobile device frequently as a wake up alarm, the App Station supplies the iPhone/iPod users with an easy to read large alarm interface with the current weather all in one.â€

Other features include:

Â Â Â * iLuv app (â€œiLuv App Clockâ€) provides large digital display alarm clock has customizable settings and interfaces to match your style and preference
Â Â Â * iPhone or iPod can be docked in a vertical or horizontal position for watching movies, YouTube videos,Â or simply listening to music
Â Â Â * Run and operate any apps without removing from the dock while charging your iPhone or iPod
Â Â Â * Charges iPhone/iPod while docked
Â Â Â * Frequent updates on the iLuv app will add additional features and will be available for free via iTunes Store
Â Â Â * Connect other audio devices via auxiliary input line

For more information on product specifications as well as pricing and availability please visit www.i-luv.com.

Sprint To Get Nexus One

Would you look at that? Soon after we learned of an AT&T-friendly version of the Google Nexus One smartphone, Sprint is coming out with an announcement of its own to let us know that it too will carry the Nexus One. So why would you choose one variant of this phone over the other? Sprint hopes its coverage will help: The wireless carrier claims it offers more coverage than AT&T and T-Mobile based on square miles. Although pricing and an exact availability date are still to come, we do know the Nexus One will not be available in any Sprint retail channelsâ€”you'll have to buy it directly from Google at google.com/phone.

Nexus One from Google Coming to Sprint; Availability Date Announced Soon

Nexus One(TM) is planned for the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network with twice the network coverage of AT&T and ten times the network coverage of T-Mobile, both by square miles; Expands Sprint's Android(TM) portfolio

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Mar 17, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Nexus One, the first wireless phone sold through Google(TM)'s web store, is planned for Sprint's 3G Mobile Broadband Network. Sprint (NYSE:S) will announce pricing and an exact availability date soon. Nexus One will benefit from Sprint's 3G network with twice the coverage of AT&T and 10 times the coverage of T-Mobile, both based on square miles.1

Sprint currently has America's largest voice calling area of any carrier reaching more than 307 million people in the U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands with a Sprint phone and plan that includes roaming. PC World recently said no one has a more reliable network than Sprint in a 13 city 3G performance test.²Customers can check the quality of network coverage with street level mapping at sprint.com/coverage.

"Nexus One is a powerful device that belongs on a powerful network. This is another step in our continued partnership of innovation with Google," said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president of product development. "Sprint customers already have the option of two amazing Android devices with Samsung Moment(TM) and HTC Hero(TM). It is a natural fit for us to add Nexus One to the list of choices available for Sprint customers who want the best value in wireless with the best in Android."

Google's online consumer channel was created to provide an efficient way to connect online users with selected Android phones. Nexus One will not be available in any Sprint retail channels. It will be available directly from Google at google.com/phone. The online experience of Google's web store is designed with a focus on simplicity allowing consumers to match a phone with the service plan that best meets their needs.

"While a pricing plan has not yet been determined for Nexus One, we are confident that it will be consistent with Sprint's commitment to deliver more value than our competitors and keep pricing simple," Adib said. "Right now, our Sprint Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^(SM) gives customers unlimited calling with any mobile phone in America, unlimited text and unlimited Web for just $69.99 per month - the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for just unlimited talk. Our Everything Data plans include unlimited GPS Navigation at no extra charge and annual phone upgrades with Sprint Premier."

Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, a version of the platform's Eclair software, which offers advanced applications and features including:

Google Maps(TM) Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
Email: multiple Gmail(TM) accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook^(R).
Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
Android Market(TM): access to more than 30,000 applications.

Hardware features of Nexus One include:

Display: 3.7" AMOLED 480x800 WVGA display
Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
Trackball: Tri-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive

In addition, Nexus One offers new functionality and software enhancements including:

Enter text without typing.
Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an email.
Tell your phone what you want it to do.
Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
Take personalization to the next level.
Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger.
More widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
Capture camera-quality pictures and video with your device.
5 megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, zoom, white balance and color effects.
View pictures and Picasa Web Albums(TM) in the new 3D Gallery.
Record Hi-Res MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube(TM) with one click.
Read your voicemail messages.
Get transcribed voicemail with Google Voice(TM) integration, without changing your number.

For more information on Nexus One, please visit www.Google.com/phone. Follow Sprint on Twitter @sprint to keep up with news on Nexus One for Sprint's 3G Mobile Broadband Network.

T-Mobile To Launch HTC HD2 Next Week For $200

T-Mobile has officially announced the release details for the upcoming HTC HD2 smartphone. You can expect the HD2 to be available Wednesday, March 24 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. It will also be available without the two-year contract on an Even More Plus service plan for $449.99.

The HD2 boasts of a 4.3-inch capacitive, high-resolution touchscreen display. It is powered by a Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor and runs HTCâ€™s Sense user interface on top of Windows Mobile 6.5. The phone also has a 5 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, and easy access to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Other new features include a Blockbuster application that allows users to download and purchase or rent movies over Wi-Fi for prices starting at $4.99. The phone has a pre-installed 16GB microSD card for storing these films. The T-Mobile HTC HD2 will also come with a new Barnes & Noble eBook reader and the latest version of MobiTV.

PayPal Puts Your Wallet In The Cloud

PayPal revealed a new Send Money application for the iPhone and iPod touch. With version 2.0, you'll get secure mobile access to your PayPal account as well as Bump money transfers, Split Check, and Collect Money features. With Bump, you simply put two iPhones together to transfer money from one owner's account to the other's. The Split Check feature makes it easy to divide and split the cost of dinner with a friend. If you're trying to collect money from multiple people for a joint gift, the Collect Money feature can help. International transactions are also possible with the new app.

PayPal Launches New Send Money App for iPhone

Version 2.0 Brings Fast and Secure Mobile Access to Money

SAN JOSE, Calif.--PayPal today unveiled a new Send Money application for iPhone. Version 2.0 of the PayPal Send Money app gives PayPal and iPhone customers around the world secure mobile access to their money and convenient features for everyday life, including Bump money transfers, Split Check and Collect Money.

With â€œbumpâ€ users can put two iPhones together, and funds are quickly transferred between their PayPal accounts. The Split Check feature lets users conveniently divide and quickly reimburse each other for the cost of a meal, including tip and tax, for up to 20 people. Collect Money allows users to request money from multiple people for a joint gift, team dues, concert tickets, and more. Users can send gifts of money on the spot for birthdays, anniversaries or any moment of impulsive generosity.

The new Send Money app comes at a time when smartphone sales have surpassed 172.4 million units in 2009*, and consumers worldwide are expected to spend $119 billion** by 2015 through their mobile phones. PayPal mobile transactions have increased nearly six-fold, from $25 million in 2008 to $141 million in 2009.

â€œToday, you leave the house with three critical things: your phone, your wallet and your keys,â€ said Osama Bedier, PayPalâ€™s vice president of platform and emerging technology. â€œPayPal Send Money lets consumers access their wallets through their phones. Because with PayPal, the wallet lives in the cloud â€“ the mobile phone is just one device customers can use to access it.â€

With the new PayPal Send Money app, users can set reminders for recurring payments, donate money to their favorite causes, and manage their PayPal accounts â€” all from the iPhone. For international transactions, it also features a global currency calculator and 15 languages. PayPal Send Money requires a PIN or password for every transaction to help prevent unauthorized use.

The application is now available to download for free at the Apple iTunes store online or the Apple App Store from any iPhone or iPod Touch.

For more information, visit www.PayPal.com/mobile.

* According to a Gartner Inc. study published in February 2010 titled â€œCompetitive Landscape: Mobile Devices, Worldwide, 4Q09 and 2009."

** According to a study published by ABI Research study in February 2010 titled â€œMobile Commerceâ€

Friday, March 19, 2010

IT News HeadLines (HotHardware) 19/03/2010

No comments: