T-Mobile G1 Is No Longer For Sale: An Android Legend Passes On
It's the end of an era, but honestly, it's not an end that we're going to be tearing up about. T-Mobile's G1 has just left the building, which is somewhat sad to hardcore Android lovers, but it's a great sign of forward progress for everyone else. The HTC-built G1 is largely remembered as the world's first Android phone, and the design at the time was something of a novelty. Today, hundreds of Android phones exist, but none were as old, sluggish and limited as the G1. At the time of its birth, the G1 was a huge
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Asus Ion 2-Powered Eee PC 1201PN - HH Review
Around seven months ago, we were able to review one of the more advanced netbooks out at the time, the Eee PC 1201N. It was one of the first netbooks to integrate a graphics chip known as the NVIDIA Ion. The Eee PC 1201PN retains many of the same features and nearly the exact same form factor as the original, but it utilizes the next-generation of Ion (we'll call it Ion 2 throughout), which is based on a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 210M GPU. But have the minor hardware upgrades and the Ion 2 chip made this
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DoJ Sends Chi Mei Exec to the Slammer for LCD Price Fixing
Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha you gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when the U.S. Department of Justice slaps you silly for conspiring to fix prices of LCD panels on a global scale? So maybe the actual theme song goes a little differently than that, but we have an answer to the question nonetheless. When the DoJ lobs a legal backhand your way for bending the public over and kicking them in the wallet, you're going to serve time in jail. That's the self-imposed plight Wen-Hung "Amigo" Huang, a former executive from Chi
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Shoot and Upload with Samsung's Wi-Fi Enabled ST80 Digital Camera
Samsung's ST80 digital camera might be just the cure for social networking nuts who get the shakes when unplugging from cyberspace for too long. That's because the ST80 is Samsung's latest in a line of Wi-Fi enabled point-and-shoots, meaning Little Miss Molly MySpace and Freddy Facebook can fling those Kodak Samsung moments online from any hotspot instead of having to rush home to fire up their PC. "We want to let people share their favorite pictures quickly while they’re on the move, and the ST80 does
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Will RIM's Revamped BlackBerry Take On The iPhone?
RIM is expected to reveal a new touchscreen BlackBerry next week. The BlackBerry 9800 is expected to feature a new operating system, a revamped web browser, and a full slide-out keyboard. With these features, many are hoping the new phone will better compete against the likes of the Apple iPhone and other popular smartphones on the market today. The launch of the BlackBerry 9800 is expected at a joint event between RIM and AT&T next Tuesday, and AT&T is expected to get exclusive rights to sell the device.
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Apple Adds Extensions To Safari 5: Finally Ready To Match Firefox?
One of our primary problems with Safari when we took an in-depth look at it last year was this: no wide-ranging plug-in support as there is with Firefox. For power users who love to browse the Web their own way, using third-party plug-ins to enhance their experience, Safari just never has lived up to Firefox. It's fast, passes the ACID test without issue and is available for both Mac and PC, but the inability to install extensions kept it from becoming one of the best browsers out. This week, Apple has finally
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Origin PC Now Offering OCZ Vertex 2 SSDs In Custom PCs
It's not easy out there for pre-fab PC makers. You're competing against giants like Dell, HP and Lenovo, and you're trying to sway consumers to purchase your brand even though you aren't running TV ads every half-hour. But when you look at a company like Alienware, you know it's still possible to hold an edge if you carve out your own niche. Origin PC is one of the newest pre-fab PC builders on the market, still looking to gain significant market share and attempting to offer unique components that the other
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Best Buy Offering Free Antennagate Solution
Best Buy is offering the aptly named invisibleSHIELD 4fix, free, to certain iPhone 4 customers. Based on the image above, this invisibleSHIELD, unlike others, only covers the sides of the device, which would make it perfect as a cover-up to "Antennagate." invisibleSHIELD has marketed its products for various devices in the past, and they are supposedly scratch-proof and cover the front and / or back of the device. The offer applies to those who purchased their iPhone 4 from Best Buy or for Best Buy Reward Zone
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Amazon Replaces Kindle With Revised Kindle: Faster, Slimmer, Sharper
Well, that explains that, doesn't it? 24 hours after Amazon's Kindle mysteriously appeared as being "out of stock" from Amazon themselves, the company has just revealed the latest generation of Kindle. The name isn't changing (it's still called "Kindle"), but the form factor has been tweaked, a new color has been added and it's faster in use. The new Kindle will be available in both graphite and white, the former being first introduced by the new Kindle DX a few weeks ago. According to the company, the device
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NVIDIA's Latest Verde Drivers Enhance Optimus Customizations
NVIDIA has made themselves known as a hardware company, and more recently, an innovation company. The company used to battle with ATI in the GPU department, but now they compete with ARM, Intel and Qualcomm in the microprocessor market. But that's not all. NVIDIA is also one of the pioneers in 3D for PCs, and now that they have a solid footing in the graphics market, they're looking to really pull ahead with software innovations. You may wonder what software has to do with improved GPUs, but there's actually
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AT&T Will Be Premier Vendor For Windows Phone 7
The jury is still out as to whether or not Microsoft's upcoming mobile OS, Windows Phone 7, will succeed but if AT&T has any influence in the matter, things are looking good for the Redmond-based software manufacturer. Via email, an AT&T spokeswoman said, "We'll be the premier carrier for Windows Phone 7." She continued saying, "We haven't given guidance on timing." Last week, well-known Altimeter Group analyst Michael Gartenberg sent out a tweet that claimed AT&T had signed up to purchase 8 million
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NZXT Unveils Phantom Enthusiast Full Tower Chassis
NZXT Unveils Phantom Enthusiast Full Tower Chassis Flagship enclosure offers exhilarating design with unrivaled combination of high performance cooling advantages, extensive expandability, and innovative screwless installation El Monte, CA – July 28, 2010 – NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce Phantom, the company’s most elegant and intelligent chassis design to date. Phantom exudes sophistication with pristine contours and a robust menu
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AVADirect Introduces Two New 3D Gaming Notebooks
AVADirect Introduces Two New 3D Gaming Notebooks Twinsburg, OH – July 28, 2010 - AVADirect, a recognized leader in the computer industry, introduces two innovative 3D notebooks to its lineup of mobile platforms. Just like the latest movies and televisions, notebooks are evolving from 2D to 3D. Powered by revolutionary NVIDIA 3D Vision technology, hundreds of games, photos, movies, and websites can now be experienced in 3D today! Both the Clevo W860CU 3D and the ASUS G51JX-3D have all of the components
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Commission Affirms NVIDIA Violated Rambus Patents
The International Trade Commission has announced its findings in the NVIDIA/Rambus patent infringement lawsuit and it's not the sort of ruling Team Green would've preferred. The commission found NVIDIA to be in violation of three Rambus patents. The trade panel also granted an injunction Rambus had requested, which theoretically prevents NVIDIA and the various companies attached to the lawsuit (Asus, HP, Palit, and MSI among others) from selling products that contain the infringing IP. This last bit sounds more
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Asus Ion 2-Powered Eee PC 1201PN Review
It's been said for years by industry veterans: a lot can happen in a very short window of time when you're dealing with technology. As soon as one piece of cutting-edge tech makes it to market, the next big thing is just days, weeks or months away. In the netbook realm, that hasn't applied as much. Netbooks haven't evolved nearly as quickly as desktop and standard notebooks are evolving these days, largely because of just how difficult it is to create chips that have low power consumption and reasonable thermal
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Building my first PC
Hi there,
I am building my first PC and I was thinking of buying the following parts:
Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H, Intel H55, LGA1156, mATX
Intel Core i5 661 BOX, 3.3 GHz, LGA1156, 2C/4T
G.Skill Ripjaws 2x2GB Kit, DDR3-1600, CL9-9-9-24
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11, 7200rpm, 32MB, 1.5TB, SATA-II
LG GH22LS, 22x DVD±R Brenner, LS, SATA, schwarz
Corsair CMPSU-550VX, 550W, ATX2.2/EPS, 80Plus b
Cooler Master RC-692 CM 690 II Advanced - PURE Black Edition
My question would be if there is a compatibility problem or if I can get a better system for 700-800euro?
I will be using the computer mainly for basic web surfing, programming, writing, etc.
I do not do any gaming (that is why I chose for the motherboard with integrated graphics),does anyone know if there is a good budget graphic card (30-50euro), that would still be a good investment if I ever wanted to play a game?
Thanks in advance
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Best Buy Offering Free Antennagate Solution
Best Buy is offering the aptly named invisibleSHIELD 4fix, free, to certain iPhone 4 customers. Based on the image above, this invisibleSHIELD, unlike others, only covers the sides of the device, which would make it perfect as a cover-up to "Antennagate."
invisibleSHIELD has marketed its products for various devices in the past, and they are supposedly scratch-proof and cover the front and / or back of the device. The offer applies to those who purchased their iPhone 4 from Best Buy or for Best Buy Reward Zone members.
Indeed, Best Buy Reward Zone is free, so it would seem to be free to anyone who takes the time to fill out an online application for the program. Those who don't will be charged $9.99, and that includes installation. The actual product name is the Zagg SideShield, though the 4fix name seems more appropriate.
Here's the full press release:
invisibleSHIELD has marketed its products for various devices in the past, and they are supposedly scratch-proof and cover the front and / or back of the device. The offer applies to those who purchased their iPhone 4 from Best Buy or for Best Buy Reward Zone members.
Indeed, Best Buy Reward Zone is free, so it would seem to be free to anyone who takes the time to fill out an online application for the program. Those who don't will be charged $9.99, and that includes installation. The actual product name is the Zagg SideShield, though the 4fix name seems more appropriate.
Here's the full press release:
Best Buy® Mobile Launches Side Shield for Apple® iPhone™4
Solution, Which is Free to Best Buy Customers, Begins July 28 Exclusively in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile Stores
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but now customers who shop at Best Buy are eligible for a free Side Shield for the iPhone 4. The offer launches exclusively on July 28, and comes in the form of a clear, unobtrusive shield applied to the outer edges of the iPhone 4. The Side Shield from invisibleSHIELD was designed to address issues with antenna attenuation and has been tested and manufactured by ZAGGâ„¢.
"At the same time, we know that customers are always looking for ways to personalize and protect their smart phones. That's why we are so focused on having multiple options-people want to choose what's right for them."
This program will be available free of charge, including installation, to anyone who purchased or will purchase an iPhone 4 from Best Buy and will be extended to all existing Reward Zone customers. The solution will also be available to the general public for the retail price $9.99, including installation.
In addition, all consumers can take advantage of 20% off of any iPhone 4 case through August 7. Best Buy Mobile offers an unparalleled assortment of cases for the iPhone 4, along with a full range of key accessories that serve to protect and personalize the popular smart phone.
"Consumers are looking for immediate solutions and the Side Shield is a great option," said Scott Moore, vice president of marketing for Best Buy Mobile. "At the same time, we know that customers are always looking for ways to personalize and protect their smart phones. That's why we are so focused on having multiple options-people want to choose what's right for them."
Best Buy Mobile has become a leading destination for smart phones and accessories, in part because of the promises the store offers its customers: better choice of phones and networks; impartial, informed advice; straightforward pricing; and someone to be there for the life of the phone.
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Panda's Cloud Antivirus Exits Beta
Panda's new cloud-based antivirus software, Panda Cloud Antivirus, has reached version 1.0 and has exited beta, the company announced on Tuesday. That said, there are already new bugs filed against 1.0 on the Panda Cloud Antivirus support forum.
Panda's Cloud Antivirus doesn't use locally installed virus definition files. Rather, the definitions, and the detection, are done in the Cloud. Theoretically, this means an end user, as long as he is connected, will always have the latest scanning engine and the latest virus definitions.
Here's how it works:
In fact, speaking to C|Net, CEO Juan Santana and Senior Research Advisor Pedro Bustamante noted that since the beta, Collective Intelligence has collected about 25 terabytes of data, with about 60% of it malware. Additionally, Collective Intelligence is receiving about 120,000 new files a day, of which 60-70,000 are malware. Finally, they noted that Collective Intelligence has processed more than 80 million files so far and generates about 150 GB of log files per day.
Some may be concerned about the effectiveness of a cloud-based program if you are disconnected. Well, first, most of the threats end users see nowadays are a result of being connected: to the Web, to email, or some other delivery method using the Internet. On the other hand, Panda Cloud Antivirus does have a local cache, as noted above.
Bustamante said that "The local cache of Panda Cloud Antivirus is a 'moving target' of what the community 'sees' out there circulating in the wild. However, it's not quite the same as the traditional signature updates which are always incremental (always adding signatures, not taking them out)."
The real question is, do you trust your PC to a 1.0 version of software? It's exited beta, but it's still new. However, Panda itself is not new. And the software, just as with Microsoft's Security Essentials software, is priced right: free, at least to home users and and educational centers, as well. In addition to that sort of licensing, MSE is free to SOHO as well.
Panda's Cloud Antivirus doesn't use locally installed virus definition files. Rather, the definitions, and the detection, are done in the Cloud. Theoretically, this means an end user, as long as he is connected, will always have the latest scanning engine and the latest virus definitions.
Here's how it works:
When Cloud Antivirus encounters an executable file, it first creates a partial cryptographic hash of the program, which Panda calls a reverse signature. The locally running program sends this signature to the data center in the cloud and gets back a quick determination that the file is malware, known-good software, or unknown.Panda claims also, that by leveraging the data collected from end users, it can update its database with new threats and variants though its so-called "Collective Intelligence" in the cloud.
If the file is unknown, the local program sends additional information. This data includes a kind of behavioral signature to let the cloud-based software remotely perform heuristic analysis. The local agent also graphs the file's internal structure and passes that to the cloud for similarity analysis. Yes, sending these and other data elements to the cloud takes a small amount of time, but the in-cloud analysis is extremely fast.
Once Cloud Antivirus identifies a specific file as "goodware" it caches the information about that file locally (in a local cache), so it doesn't have to go back to the cloud. Thus full scans after the first time will be significantly faster.
In fact, speaking to C|Net, CEO Juan Santana and Senior Research Advisor Pedro Bustamante noted that since the beta, Collective Intelligence has collected about 25 terabytes of data, with about 60% of it malware. Additionally, Collective Intelligence is receiving about 120,000 new files a day, of which 60-70,000 are malware. Finally, they noted that Collective Intelligence has processed more than 80 million files so far and generates about 150 GB of log files per day.
Some may be concerned about the effectiveness of a cloud-based program if you are disconnected. Well, first, most of the threats end users see nowadays are a result of being connected: to the Web, to email, or some other delivery method using the Internet. On the other hand, Panda Cloud Antivirus does have a local cache, as noted above.
Bustamante said that "The local cache of Panda Cloud Antivirus is a 'moving target' of what the community 'sees' out there circulating in the wild. However, it's not quite the same as the traditional signature updates which are always incremental (always adding signatures, not taking them out)."
The real question is, do you trust your PC to a 1.0 version of software? It's exited beta, but it's still new. However, Panda itself is not new. And the software, just as with Microsoft's Security Essentials software, is priced right: free, at least to home users and and educational centers, as well. In addition to that sort of licensing, MSE is free to SOHO as well.
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Mobo To The Max: Asus Launches Its Rampage III Extreme
Asus has another addition for its Rampage line of high-end motherboards. This time around it's the Rampage III Extreme, otherwise known as the Rampage III "All That + Back Of Chips." It's not as if the company's Rampage II Extreme was exactly lacking in features, but here we have the Rampage III with a few goodies the Rampage II didn't carry.
Specifically, the Rampage III carries four PCIe 2.0 slots (configurable in combinations of x16/x16 down to four x8 lanes), a total of nine SATA ports, two of which are 6G-compatible, eight fan headers, two USB 3.0 ports, and it comes with full versions of 3DMark Vantage and Kaspersky antivirus. That's one more PCIe slot, two more SATA ports, and two USB 3.0 ports more than the Rampage II. Oddly, the Rampage III has just one ethernet port while the Rampage II has two. Personally I'd trade the rear FireWire for an additional RJ-45, but that's just me.
The Rampage II has been out for awhile, but it still sells for $349. Asus probably won't pull the Rampage II right away, at least not without taking a shot at positioning the Rampage III as a $399 ultra-super-premium-mega-board. That price is a guess, but version 3.0 packs enough new features over and above 'II that it might be worth a shot.
One thing to keep in mind is that the USB 3.0 and SATA 6G slots are powered by first-gen controllers from NEC and Marvell (D720200 and the 88SE9123 respectfully). In both cases, the two ports available for each interconnect share a host controller; attempting to use a pair of USB 3.0 devices (or dual SATA 6G drives) will result in a performance hit as the controller juggles both lanes. The other issue is bandwidth. Again, both controllers connect to the motherboard via a PCIe x1 Gen 2 electrical link that limits maximum theoretical bandwidth (discounting overhead) to 400MB/s.
These limitations are common in first-generation parts, and most users probably won't notice—50 percent of USB3 theoretical performance is still 5x faster than USB2. Still, if you're the type of reader who can drop $400 on a motherboard, you're probably also the type of person who could drop serious cash for high-end storage solutions.Â
Specifically, the Rampage III carries four PCIe 2.0 slots (configurable in combinations of x16/x16 down to four x8 lanes), a total of nine SATA ports, two of which are 6G-compatible, eight fan headers, two USB 3.0 ports, and it comes with full versions of 3DMark Vantage and Kaspersky antivirus. That's one more PCIe slot, two more SATA ports, and two USB 3.0 ports more than the Rampage II. Oddly, the Rampage III has just one ethernet port while the Rampage II has two. Personally I'd trade the rear FireWire for an additional RJ-45, but that's just me.
The Rampage II has been out for awhile, but it still sells for $349. Asus probably won't pull the Rampage II right away, at least not without taking a shot at positioning the Rampage III as a $399 ultra-super-premium-mega-board. That price is a guess, but version 3.0 packs enough new features over and above 'II that it might be worth a shot.
One thing to keep in mind is that the USB 3.0 and SATA 6G slots are powered by first-gen controllers from NEC and Marvell (D720200 and the 88SE9123 respectfully). In both cases, the two ports available for each interconnect share a host controller; attempting to use a pair of USB 3.0 devices (or dual SATA 6G drives) will result in a performance hit as the controller juggles both lanes. The other issue is bandwidth. Again, both controllers connect to the motherboard via a PCIe x1 Gen 2 electrical link that limits maximum theoretical bandwidth (discounting overhead) to 400MB/s.
These limitations are common in first-generation parts, and most users probably won't notice—50 percent of USB3 theoretical performance is still 5x faster than USB2. Still, if you're the type of reader who can drop $400 on a motherboard, you're probably also the type of person who could drop serious cash for high-end storage solutions.Â
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Amazon Replaces Kindle With Revised Kindle: Faster, Slimmer, Sharper
Well, that explains that, doesn't it? 24 hours after Amazon's Kindle mysteriously appeared as being "out of stock" from Amazon themselves, the company has just revealed the latest generation of Kindle. The name isn't changing (it's still called "Kindle"), but the form factor has been tweaked, a new color has been added and it's faster in use.
The new Kindle will be available in both graphite and white, the former being first introduced by the new Kindle DX a few weeks ago. According to the company, the device is now 21% smaller, 15% lighter and the E Ink display shows a 50% improvement in contrast, a 20% faster page refresh and a battery life of up to one solid month with no wireless radios active. Even if you activate wireless, the device can last for days without being recharged.
In order to better combat the NOOK, Amazon's offering a $139 Wi-Fi only version, but a 3G + Wi-Fi version is also being made available for $189. That is definitely price competitive, and this definitely looks like a case of getting more for less. Amazon expects to ship the Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi on August 27 to consumers in over 140 countries and 30 territories, and pre-orders are open now.
The new Kindle will be available in both graphite and white, the former being first introduced by the new Kindle DX a few weeks ago. According to the company, the device is now 21% smaller, 15% lighter and the E Ink display shows a 50% improvement in contrast, a 20% faster page refresh and a battery life of up to one solid month with no wireless radios active. Even if you activate wireless, the device can last for days without being recharged.
In order to better combat the NOOK, Amazon's offering a $139 Wi-Fi only version, but a 3G + Wi-Fi version is also being made available for $189. That is definitely price competitive, and this definitely looks like a case of getting more for less. Amazon expects to ship the Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi on August 27 to consumers in over 140 countries and 30 territories, and pre-orders are open now.
ANNOUNCING A NEW GENERATION OF KINDLE: THE ALL-NEW KINDLE IS SMALLER, LIGHTER, AND FASTER, WITH 50 PERCENT BETTER CONTRAST
Kindle's revolutionary wireless delivery and massive selection of content-now in a 21 percent smaller and 15 percent lighter design, with 50 percent better contrast, 20 percent faster page turns, up to one month of battery life, double the storage, and more-only $189, and still with free 3G wireless
Amazon also introduces new Kindle family member: Kindle Wi-Fi-only $139
SEATTLE-July 29, 2010-(NASDAQ: AMZN)-Millions of people are already reading on Kindles and Kindle is the #1 bestselling item on Amazon.com for two years running. It's also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.com. Today, Amazon.com is excited to introduce a new generation of Kindle. The all-new Kindle has a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with a 21 percent smaller body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, and a 15 percent lighter weight at just 8.7 ounces. The new Kindle also offers 20 percent faster page turns, up to one month of battery life, double the storage to 3,500 books, built-in Wi-Fi, a graphite color option and more-all for only $189, and still with free 3G wireless-no monthly bills or annual contracts.
Also today, Amazon introduced a new addition to its family of portable reading devices-Kindle Wi-Fi. Readers who don't need the convenience of free 3G wireless can now enjoy the new generation Kindle for the lower price of only $139. The all-new Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi are now available for pre-order at www.amazon.com/kindle3G and www.amazon.com/kindleWi-Fi, and will ship to customers in over 140 countries and 30 territories beginning August 27.
Kindle offers the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 630,000 books, including New Releases and 109 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 510,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 80 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle. Kindle lets you buy your books once and read them everywhere-on Kindle, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, and Android-based devices. Amazon's Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.
More than 235,000 books have been added to the Kindle Store in just the last six months, including New York Times Best Sellers "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest," "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and "The Passage." The Kindle Store also recently added 20 contemporary classics from the Wylie Agency's new "Odyssey Editions" imprint that are available for the first time as e-books and exclusively in the Kindle Store, including John Updike's Pulitzer Prize-winning Rabbit series, Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita," Norman Mailer's "The Naked and the Dead," Philip Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint" and Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man."
"Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon for two years running. We lowered the price to $189 and sales growth tripled. Now, we are excited to introduce a new generation Kindle that is smaller, lighter, and faster, with 50 percent better contrast. Readers are going to do a double take when they see Kindle's bright new screen and feel how remarkably light the smaller 8.7 ounce design feels in one hand," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder & CEO. "If you don't need the convenience of 3G wireless, we have an incredible new price point-$139 for Kindle Wi-Fi. Kindle Wi-Fi has all the same features, same bookstore, same high-contrast electronic paper display, and it's even a tiny bit lighter at 8.5 ounces. At this price point, many people are going to buy multiple units for the home and family."
All New, High-Contrast E-Ink Screen, Read in Bright Sunlight: The new Kindle uses Amazon's all-new electronic ink display with 50 percent better contrast for the clearest text and sharpest images. No other e-reader has this screen or this level of contrast. Unlike LCD screens, Kindle's paper-like display looks and reads like real paper, with no glare, even in bright sunlight.
New Proprietary Screen Technology-Faster Page Turns, New and Improved Fonts: Kindle's all-new, high-contrast electronic ink display is further optimized with Amazon's proprietary waveform and font technology to make pages turn faster and fonts sharper. Waveform is a series of electronic pulses that move black and white electronic ink particles to achieve a final gray level for an image or text. Amazon tuned the new Kindle's waveform and controller mechanism to make page turning 20 percent faster. In addition, this waveform tuning combined with new hand-built, custom fonts and font-hinting make words and letters more crisp, clear, and natural-looking. Font hints are instructions, written as code, that control points on a font character's line and improve legibility at small font sizes where few pixels are available. Hinting is a mix of aesthetic judgments and complicated technical strategies. Amazon designed its proprietary font-hinting to optimize specifically for the special characteristics of electronic ink.
New Sleek Design, Lighter Than a Paperback: The new Kindle has a 21 percent smaller body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area. At only 8.7 ounces, the new Kindle is 15 percent lighter and still 1/3 of an inch thin, making it lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine. With Kindle you can read comfortably and naturally with just one hand for hours. The new Kindle Wi-Fi is even lighter at just 8.5 ounces.
Double the Storage, Holds 3,500 Books: The new Kindle has double the storage so you can carry up to 3,500 books.
Up To One Month of Battery Life: The new Kindle has up to one month of battery life with wireless off. Keep wireless on and your Kindle will have battery life of up to 10 days.
Free 3G Wireless: Kindle offers free 3G wireless, which means no annual contracts and no monthly fees. Global Wireless Coverage: Kindle is the only e-reader that lets you travel the globe and still get books in under 60 seconds with wireless coverage in over 100 countries and territories.
New Built-In Wi-Fi: In addition to free 3G wireless, Kindle now has built-in Wi-Fi support. Kindle owners will now be able to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots at home or on the road. Readers who don't need the convenience of free 3G wireless can purchase the new Kindle Wi-Fi for only $139 and download content over Wi-Fi. Amazon is offering free Wi-Fi access at AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots across the U.S. for shopping and downloading Kindle content-no AT&T registration, sign-in, or password required.
Quieter Page Turn Buttons: Quieter page turns means you can read all night without disturbing your partner.
Share Meaningful Passages: Share meaningful passages with friends and family with built-in Twitter and Facebook integration.
Simple to Use: Kindle is ready to use right out of the box – no setup, no software to install, no computer required.
Books in 60 Seconds: With fast, free wireless delivery, you can start reading books on Kindle in less than 60 seconds.
Massive Selection: The Kindle Store has over 630,000 books, including 109 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers, plus audiobooks, periodicals and blogs.
Free, Out-of-Copyright Books: Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books such as "Pride and Prejudice" are available to read on Kindle.
Low Book Prices: Over 510,000 of the 630,000 books in the Kindle Store are $9.99 or less, including 80 New York Times Best Sellers.
Free Book Samples: First chapters of Kindle books are available to download and read for free before you decide to buy.
Read Everywhere with Whispersync: Kindle books can be read on your Kindle, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and Android-based devices. Amazon's Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off.
Worry-Free Archive: Books purchased from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.
Improved PDF Reader: The new Kindle uses an improved built-in PDF reader with new dictionary lookup, notes and highlights, and support for password protected PDFs.
New WebKit-based Browser (experimental): The new Kindle uses a new web browser based on the industry-leading open source Web browser engine, WebKit. The updated browser is faster, easier to navigate, and provides a new "article mode" feature that simplifies web pages to just the main text- based content for easier reading. Web browsing with Kindle over 3G or Wi-Fi is free.
New Voice Guide: With Text-to-Speech, Kindle can read out loud to you. New Text-to-Speech enabled menus allow customers to navigate Kindle without having to read menu options. In addition to listening to books aloud, users now have the option of listening to content listings on the home screen, item descriptions, and all menu options.
New Lighted Leather Cover: The all-new Kindle cover features an integrated, retractable reading light that lets you read comfortably anytime, anywhere. The light is a permanent part of the cover, so it's always with you, and hides away into the cover when not in use. The high-quality LED light illuminates Kindle's entire paper-like display, adding brightness without adding glare. Amazon's patent-pending hinge system secures Kindle in place and conducts electricity from Kindle's battery to the reading light, eliminating the need for batteries. The conductive hinges are gold-plated to ensure a reliable electrical connection. Gold is used because of its ability to make good electrical contact even with low force and for its corrosion resistance. The Kindle cover is sold separately.
Customers can discover full details and pre-order the new Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi starting today at www.amazon.com/kindle3G and www.amazon.com/kindleWi-Fi. For new high-resolution images of the new generation Kindle, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle/images.
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DEAL or NO DEAL?
Fry's has an in-store motherboard/CPU combo deal that is available today 7-28 and tomorrow 7-29 only. The deal includes an AMD Phenom 6-core 1090T and an Asus M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 for $359.99 after M.I.R. These items would cost about $100 more if purchased separately at NewEgg (see HERE and HERE). As usual this is open to US residents only.
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New 6.30 SMP client doesn't use MPI
For those of you who use the Windows SMP client for folding there is a new drop in executable 6.30 which does away with MPI. As a result you no longer have to click on install.bat or have a password. If you already have a previous version installed simply drop the exe into the program directory overwriting the existing version.
For a new install simply create a folder and drop the exe into it. Make a shortcut on your desktop, start it up and configure your options.
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T-Mobile G1 Is No Longer For Sale: An Android Legend Passes On
It's the end of an era, but honestly, it's not an end that we're going to be tearing up about. T-Mobile's G1 has just left the building, which is somewhat sad to hardcore Android lovers, but it's a great sign of forward progress for everyone else. The HTC-built G1 is largely remembered as the world's first Android phone, and the design at the time was something of a novelty. Today, hundreds of Android phones exist, but none were as old, sluggish and limited as the G1.
At the time of its birth, the G1 was a huge hit, and it meant that the iPhone finally had some decent competition. But the G1 was limited by a 528MHz processor and a 480x320 resolution display, not to mention the tiny amount of internal storage. But the G1 started a revolution that has eventually led to the Nexus One, DROID Incredible, HTC EVO 4G and DROID X.
As of today, the G1 doesn't appear to be available for sale as a new unit from any of the usual suspects, including T-Mobile USA and Amazon. But be sure to take a moment and thank the now-dead G1 for what it did for the smartphone industry.
At the time of its birth, the G1 was a huge hit, and it meant that the iPhone finally had some decent competition. But the G1 was limited by a 528MHz processor and a 480x320 resolution display, not to mention the tiny amount of internal storage. But the G1 started a revolution that has eventually led to the Nexus One, DROID Incredible, HTC EVO 4G and DROID X.
As of today, the G1 doesn't appear to be available for sale as a new unit from any of the usual suspects, including T-Mobile USA and Amazon. But be sure to take a moment and thank the now-dead G1 for what it did for the smartphone industry.
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Asus Ion 2-Powered Eee PC 1201PN - HH Review
Around seven months ago, we were able to review one of the more advanced netbooks out at the time, the Eee PC 1201N. It was one of the first netbooks to integrate a graphics chip known as the NVIDIA Ion. The Eee PC 1201PN retains many of the same features and nearly the exact same form factor as the original, but it utilizes the next-generation of Ion (we'll call it Ion 2 throughout), which is based on a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 210M GPU.
But have the minor hardware upgrades and the Ion 2 chip made this machine powerful enough to warrant an upgrade if you purchased an older netbook with Atom and the first generation Ion under its hood? Or is this yet another marginal upgrade that is probably worth skipping over? Join us in the pages to come as we take an in-depth look and answer those very questions.
But have the minor hardware upgrades and the Ion 2 chip made this machine powerful enough to warrant an upgrade if you purchased an older netbook with Atom and the first generation Ion under its hood? Or is this yet another marginal upgrade that is probably worth skipping over? Join us in the pages to come as we take an in-depth look and answer those very questions.
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DoJ Sends Chi Mei Exec to the Slammer for LCD Price Fixing
Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha you gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when the U.S. Department of Justice slaps you silly for conspiring to fix prices of LCD panels on a global scale? So maybe the actual theme song goes a little differently than that, but we have an answer to the question nonetheless. When the DoJ lobs a legal backhand your way for bending the public over and kicking them in the wallet, you're going to serve time in jail. That's the self-imposed plight Wen-Hung "Amigo" Huang, a former executive from Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corporation, finds himself in after pleading guilty to conspiracy to fix LCD prices.
"Under his plea agreement which is subject to court approval, Huang, who was charged today, has agreed to serve 9 months in jail, to pay a $25,000 criminal fine, and to assist the department in its ongoing TFT-LCD investigation," the DoJ said in a statement.
Huang, who is charged with violating the Sherman Act, could have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and fined $1 million. His alleged shenanigans, along with those of others who the DoJ says conspired to fix LCD prices, affected "some of the largest computer and television manufacturers in the world, including Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard."
So far in this investigation, over $890 million in fines have been issued and obtained.
"Under his plea agreement which is subject to court approval, Huang, who was charged today, has agreed to serve 9 months in jail, to pay a $25,000 criminal fine, and to assist the department in its ongoing TFT-LCD investigation," the DoJ said in a statement.
Huang, who is charged with violating the Sherman Act, could have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and fined $1 million. His alleged shenanigans, along with those of others who the DoJ says conspired to fix LCD prices, affected "some of the largest computer and television manufacturers in the world, including Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard."
So far in this investigation, over $890 million in fines have been issued and obtained.
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Installing my Vertex 2!...The trials...the troubles....the adventure...and the conquerer!
Well acarzt, here it is! I will post pics later.
Well this is a little, I don't know...tutorial I guess, maybe even a little bit of a learning experience (for my self) and hopefully it will help someone else in the future.
My Current system:
Asus G73JH-A1
8GB Ram
1GB Mobility Radeon 5870
1x120GB OCZ Vertex 2 SSD
1x500GB HDD
So finally I got my shiny new OCZ Vertex 2 SSD yesterday (Wednesday July 28, 2010). It came in a nice smallish box, and it came with a 3.5" HD bracket (which of course I didn't need).
At first I put in the SSD as the secondary Disk in my system so I could format it:
64KB (largest size I could select).
NTFS
Quick Format
It formats, great! I restart the computer....and it still shows as formatted. Excellent, now I can finally put it in the main Disk bracket and begin to install the OS with my recovery DVD's!
I immediately began to swap out my main OS drive with the new SSD since I made recovery DVD's a while back (more on this later...).
I boot the recovery DVD, great it actually shows up! No apparent errors...
The DVD's begin to install automagically, asking me to put in the next one as each DVD is finished installing. Excellent.
It took about 1 hour to install all 6 DVD's. After it was finished it said "Click OK to shut down your system". OK!
After restarting, the system states (on booting from the SSD): "Please insert proper boot device".
WHAT?!?!? I thought I did everything correctly?! Checked everything, double checked, checked where my SSD was, if it was actually working, YES everything is working as it should! But why? Why does it say to "Please insert proper boot device"?
I swap back my 500GB OS drive that I had originally, so I can search the net.
After booting and searching from the very darkest corners of the net, to the end of the earth, I finally found the answer.
Apparently the Restore DVD's that I created, only work with HDD that are of similar size. For some messed up reason, the recovery DVD's aren't smart enough to repartition to the new smaller SSD, as it only wants to install to a similar sized 500GB HDD.
UGLY! I wasted approximately 3-4 hours solid searching and wondering why the stupid thing wouldn't boot. I thought it would be straight forward....not so.
Eventually after reading so many work arounds to this on the net, and because I didn't have a Windows 7 DVD handy, I found a program that suited my needs.
I found Acronis True Image Home 2010 (Free trial). I read somewhere that one person wanted to use it but they couldn't because he only had 1 HD bracket in his laptop and he needs 2 to "image" from one disk to another. This will work perfect for me (hopefully....)
I install the program, and it does resize everything for me automagically (or I could have done it manually...) so I decide to just clone my 500 GB HDD ------> 120GB SSD.
Excellent.
I go through the steps (they are pretty straight forward, I won't bother listing the steps) and basically start to clone my HDD to my SSD. It asks to reboot as it "Locks" the C:\ drive.
After restarting, Windows starts to boot up, but then acronis kicks in and starts to first copy my recovery partition (approx 20GB). Excellent, it's working as it should.
After copying the recovery partition from my HDD to my SSD, it starts to do the OS (around 60GB)....excellent.
After about getting to about 90% the screen went black. WHAT THE HECK?! I turn off the computer. Turn it back on and immediately boot into BIOS. I Select my SSD as my main boot device and disabled my HDD.
I start to boot up.....and voila! It's working!...although there's something funny (wrong...). I noticed there was no AERO avaialble, and I couldn't turn it on, so it looked like Windows 98! This won't do! The OS 'Looked like it was installed'. I checked the drives under my computer...Alas there's the problem! Somehow when I imaged the HDD to my SSD it kept the old drive letter and was trying to point to my HDD! UGLY! This won't do!. Plus when I tried clicking anywhere had some really really strange errors.
Alright time to try this again!. I changed the old HDD from C:\ to something like I:\. And I changed my SSD from (it was something like H:\) to C:\.
I shut down the computer, completely take out the second HDD leaving only my Vertex 2 inside my laptop, boot up to my SSD, and alas! The recovery partition I cloned from my HDD worked!. I Start to install the recovery partition to my SSD and I select "Recovery to entire HD". Done. This was last night, so the last thing I did was start the install of the recovery partition to my SSD- and this morning, BINGO! It's now installed. Everything works excellently.
To anybody reading, thinking of upgrading, it would be so much easier just to install from an actual Windows 7 DVD than to do it like I did....plus I don't think it's as optimized as i'd like it to be (My SSD).
It's fast though! I will post some benchmarks shortly.
This was one of the most exhausting upgrades i've done in a while, and ASUS you're bad for not making a "smart" recovery disk. If I wasn't knowledgeable about computers I would have gone insane trying to install my SSD.
Edit: How do I insert JPG images from my computer? There doesn't seem to be an option.
EDit 2: This kind of sucks...the drive is fast but not as fast as I thought, Im pretty sure I have dome something wrong.
I tested with Crystal Disk Mark 2.2 and here are the results:
Read Write
Sequential : 207.1 99.49
512K: 188.1 102.8
4K 14.76 21.90
I should be getting 285MB Reads and 275MB Writes, so i'm missing half my writes! and about 70MB for my reads! Where are they going?
I have disabled Superfetch, disabled Disk defrag in the services menu, disabled pagefiles. Uninstalled the bloatware. What could be wrong?
Also a question about TRIM - Supposedly TRIM is used automatically by the OS when not in use. How do I know it's being useD? I read somewhere where typing in this fsutil command (forgot which command) in DOS and if it returns a "0"(zero) it is on. I did check and it is apparently on.
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Shoot and Upload with Samsung's Wi-Fi Enabled ST80 Digital Camera
Samsung's ST80 digital camera might be just the cure for social networking nuts who get the shakes when unplugging from cyberspace for too long. That's because the ST80 is Samsung's latest in a line of Wi-Fi enabled point-and-shoots, meaning Little Miss Molly MySpace and Freddy Facebook can fling those Kodak Samsung moments online from any hotspot instead of having to rush home to fire up their PC.
"We want to let people share their favorite pictures quickly while they’re on the move, and the ST80 does just that," said Sangjin Park, President of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. "Connectivity is everywhere, and at Samsung we are committed to bringing these wireless capabilities to the digital imaging world by developing innovative cameras that satisfy the distinct needs of our consumers. The innovative and stylish design of the ST80 is also a testament to the strong vision of Samsung’s design engineers. It’s the perfect digital imaging solution for today’s well-connected consumer."
The Wi-Fi module lets users email pics to their buddies, or upload directly to sites like Facebook, Picasa, YouTube, PhotoBucket, and more, as well as Samsung's own image site, www.samsungimaging.com.
Other features consist of a 14.2 megapixel sensor with a 3x optical zoom, 3-inch WQVGA touch screen display, 720p/30fps/H.264 movie mode, and a handful of proprietary technologies, like Samsung's Smart Auto (Still & Movie) and Smart Crop features.
The ST80 will start shipping in September for $250.
"We want to let people share their favorite pictures quickly while they’re on the move, and the ST80 does just that," said Sangjin Park, President of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. "Connectivity is everywhere, and at Samsung we are committed to bringing these wireless capabilities to the digital imaging world by developing innovative cameras that satisfy the distinct needs of our consumers. The innovative and stylish design of the ST80 is also a testament to the strong vision of Samsung’s design engineers. It’s the perfect digital imaging solution for today’s well-connected consumer."
The Wi-Fi module lets users email pics to their buddies, or upload directly to sites like Facebook, Picasa, YouTube, PhotoBucket, and more, as well as Samsung's own image site, www.samsungimaging.com.
Other features consist of a 14.2 megapixel sensor with a 3x optical zoom, 3-inch WQVGA touch screen display, 720p/30fps/H.264 movie mode, and a handful of proprietary technologies, like Samsung's Smart Auto (Still & Movie) and Smart Crop features.
The ST80 will start shipping in September for $250.
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Origin PC Now Offering OCZ Vertex 2 SSDs In Custom PCs
It's not easy out there for pre-fab PC makers. You're competing against giants like Dell, HP and Lenovo, and you're trying to sway consumers to purchase your brand even though you aren't running TV ads every half-hour. But when you look at a company like Alienware, you know it's still possible to hold an edge if you carve out your own niche. Origin PC is one of the newest pre-fab PC builders on the market, still looking to gain significant market share and attempting to offer unique components that the other guys simply brush off.
OCZ Technology is a mainstay in the flash storage business, and they've consistently offered leading edge products that have shattered benchmarks for years. Both OCZ and Origin PC are relatively small companies, which makes their recent partnership all the more special. In an effort to separate their PCs from the pack, Origin is now offering OCZ solid state drives from the get-go, with the Vertex 2 SATA II SSDs being qualified with their rigorous testing procedures.
We have a feeling that the inclusion of the Vertex 2 is just the beginning, and soon OCZ's entire line may be found as custom options. The real question is when will those "other companies" see the light and follow suit?
OCZ Technology is a mainstay in the flash storage business, and they've consistently offered leading edge products that have shattered benchmarks for years. Both OCZ and Origin PC are relatively small companies, which makes their recent partnership all the more special. In an effort to separate their PCs from the pack, Origin is now offering OCZ solid state drives from the get-go, with the Vertex 2 SATA II SSDs being qualified with their rigorous testing procedures.
We have a feeling that the inclusion of the Vertex 2 is just the beginning, and soon OCZ's entire line may be found as custom options. The real question is when will those "other companies" see the light and follow suit?
OCZ Technology High-Performance SSD Options Offered With Origin PC's Custom Gaming Computers
Customer Win Represents OCZ's Growth in SSD Sales and Initiative to Sign Clients in Broad Market Segments
OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules for computing devices and systems, is pleased to announce the Company's Vertex 2 SATA II SSDs are now qualified with Origin PC's custom-built desktops and laptops. As the premium storage option for gamers and enthusiasts designing their ideal system, using Vertex 2 SSDs in place of hard drives is already proven to enhance performance and system responsiveness within intensive entertainment and multimedia applications.
Striving to deliver the ultimate gaming experience to its customers, ORIGIN PC chose the Vertex 2 SSD for its incredible performance and ability to keep pace with intensive 3D-gaming environments, an option offered within the company's lineup of high-end systems. The gaming market continues to grow and gaming customers often require the highest level of performance to tackle the latest and greatest entertainment titles. This demand for premium performance, reliability, and an overall more immersive experience makes this segment the perfect arena for OCZ's SSD offerings, and the company is committed to growth in this unique market segment.
"ORIGIN is known for providing their customers with truly exceptional hand built Gaming Desktop PC's and laptops, and we share ORIGIN's passion for giving gamers what they truly want," said Richard Singh, Sr. VP of Worldwide Sales at the OCZ Technology Group. "Origin is a strategic partner for OCZ and this adoption of our SSD technology in their cutting edge solutions reflects our commitment to SSD growth in this segment. The Vertex 2 Series of SSDs are an excellent performance and reliability upgrade for customers that are looking for the ultimate experience.
"ORIGIN chooses to work with partners that are dedicated to reliability and performance, and OCZ fits this model perfectly," stated Kevin Wasielewski, CEO of ORIGIN PC. "The Vertex 2 SSDs perform amazingly fast, breaking benchmarks on the ORIGIN Genesis desktops and Eon laptops."
Incorporating a cutting-edge controller design, Vertex 2 drives not only provide a faster, more responsive PC experience, but also promote cooler, quieter and more energy-efficient conditions and snappier application boot-ups compared to traditional mechanical hard drives. By combining premium storage solutions into top of the line gaming setups, Origin and OCZ continue to offer the latest performance options for enthusiasts to get the most out of their computing experiences.
About ORIGIN
ORIGIN builds custom, high-performance desktops and laptops for hardware enthusiasts, professionals, and gamers. ORIGIN PCs are hand built, tested, and serviced by knowledgeable gaming enthusiasts, industry veterans, and award winning system integrators. ORIGIN is located in Miami, FL and ships to North America, Australia, Europe, and Japan. For more information please call 1-877-ORIGIN-0.
About OCZ Technology Group, Inc.
Founded in 2002, San Jose, CA-based OCZ Technology Group, Inc. ("OCZ"), is a leader in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of high performance and reliable Solid State Drives (SSDs) and premium computer components. OCZ has built on its expertise in high-speed memory to become a leader in the SSD market, a technology that competes with traditional rotating magnetic hard disk drives (HDDs). SSDs are faster, more reliable, generate less heat and use significantly less power than the HDDs used in the majority of computers today. In addition to SSD technology, OCZ also offers high performance components for computing devices and systems, including enterprise-class power management products as well leading-edge computer gaming solutions.
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Will RIM's Revamped BlackBerry Take On The iPhone?
RIM is expected to reveal a new touchscreen BlackBerry next week. The BlackBerry 9800 is expected to feature a new operating system, a revamped web browser, and a full slide-out keyboard. With these features, many are hoping the new phone will better compete against the likes of the Apple iPhone and other popular smartphones on the market today.
The launch of the BlackBerry 9800 is expected at a joint event between RIM and AT&T next Tuesday, and AT&T is expected to get exclusive rights to sell the device. According to analysts, a smooth launch is critical for RIM, whose stock has fallen by a third in the past year as other popular smartphones eat into its share of the North American market.
Given Apple's recent missteps with the iPhone 4 antenna issues, RIM's timing could be ideal. Nick Agostino, an analyst for Mackie Research Capital said, "This is an opportunity for RIM to respond, not only on the operating system and browser-side, but equally importantly, that they have a nice smooth operating piece of hardware."
RIM provided a sneak peek of the new OS and its faster, more accurate Web browser in April and promised a launch would come before the end of August.
The BlackBerry 9800 is expected to hit shelves in the middle of August, just in time for the back-to-school retailing period.
The launch of the BlackBerry 9800 is expected at a joint event between RIM and AT&T next Tuesday, and AT&T is expected to get exclusive rights to sell the device. According to analysts, a smooth launch is critical for RIM, whose stock has fallen by a third in the past year as other popular smartphones eat into its share of the North American market.
Given Apple's recent missteps with the iPhone 4 antenna issues, RIM's timing could be ideal. Nick Agostino, an analyst for Mackie Research Capital said, "This is an opportunity for RIM to respond, not only on the operating system and browser-side, but equally importantly, that they have a nice smooth operating piece of hardware."
RIM provided a sneak peek of the new OS and its faster, more accurate Web browser in April and promised a launch would come before the end of August.
The BlackBerry 9800 is expected to hit shelves in the middle of August, just in time for the back-to-school retailing period.
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Apple Adds Extensions To Safari 5: Finally Ready To Match Firefox?
One of our primary problems with Safari when we took an in-depth look at it last year was this: no wide-ranging plug-in support as there is with Firefox. For power users who love to browse the Web their own way, using third-party plug-ins to enhance their experience, Safari just never has lived up to Firefox. It's fast, passes the ACID test without issue and is available for both Mac and PC, but the inability to install extensions kept it from becoming one of the best browsers out.
This week, Apple has finally updated Safari to a point where it may actually compete with Firefox in the eyes of power users, with version 5.0.1 enabling the Safari Extensions Gallery. The idea here was to give developers the ability to create extensions for Safari in HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, with these new add-ins working as toolbars, side panes, etc. A Web site has been established as a soft of "App Store" for extensions, though for now the options are limited. There's a Twitter add-in, one for MLB, one for the New York Times and one for eBay (among a few others).
Have a look and see if these new extensions will be enough to convince you to make the switch. We suspect hardcore Firefox users will stay put, but this just might be the power play that Safari needed to really launch it to the next level.
This week, Apple has finally updated Safari to a point where it may actually compete with Firefox in the eyes of power users, with version 5.0.1 enabling the Safari Extensions Gallery. The idea here was to give developers the ability to create extensions for Safari in HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, with these new add-ins working as toolbars, side panes, etc. A Web site has been established as a soft of "App Store" for extensions, though for now the options are limited. There's a Twitter add-in, one for MLB, one for the New York Times and one for eBay (among a few others).
Have a look and see if these new extensions will be enough to convince you to make the switch. We suspect hardcore Firefox users will stay put, but this just might be the power play that Safari needed to really launch it to the next level.
Apple Updates Safari 5
Users Can Add New Features Through Extensions
CUPERTINO, California—July 28, 2010—Apple® today released Safari® 5.0.1, turning on Safari Extensions and introducing the Safari Extensions Gallery. Apple introduced extensions support in Safari 5 in June so developers could begin creating extensions with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript web standards. With Safari Extensions Gallery, users can quickly find extensions that add powerful new features to Safari, from toolbars that display live web feeds to sophisticated programs that filter web content. Safari 5.0.1 allows users to download and install extensions either from the Safari Extensions Gallery or directly from a developer's site.
“Safari 5 has been a big hit, and user response to the innovative new Safari Reader has been fantastic,†said Brian Croll, Apple’s vice president of OS X Product Marketing. “We’re thrilled to see so many leading developers creating great extensions and think our users are going to love being able to customize Safari.â€
“Millions of our customers already use Amazon Wish Lists to store items they want to buy for themselves or receive as gifts,†said Gianna Puerini, vice president of Worldwide Design and Community at Amazon.com. “With Safari 5, we were able to quickly build the Add to Amazon Wish List extension that lets customers add items from any website to their Amazon Wish List with the click of a button.â€
“We’re excited to continue working closely with Apple to bring visually compelling Bing experiences to Safari,†said Jeff Henshaw, general manager of Bing User Experience. “The Bing Extension for Safari brings Bing search intelligence to everyday browsing with Safari. When a user selects text in Safari, Bing instantly recognizes what they might need and pops up helpful, informative tips, from real time maps and driving directions to real time translations to direct web search results.â€
“Using web standard technologies and Safari’s extension builder, we developed an MLB.com extension to give fans another way to consume up-to-the-moment baseball content, including live look-ins to games, right from the Safari toolbar,†said Noah Garden, executive vice president, Commerce and Sponsorship at MLB.com.
“Our extension for Safari is a great way for readers to get all of the latest breaking news and all the important stories, blogs and columns they want to see,†said Denise Warren, general manager, NYTimes.com at The New York Times Company. “While you browse other sites in Safari, our extension checks for updates and slides in new headlines and thumbnails, so you won't miss a thing.â€
“Creating our Twitter extension in Safari couldn't have been easier,†said Jason Goldman, vice president of Product at Twitter. “By providing features like the ability to tweet about a page and view trending topics, we've created a simple way to deliver relevant, interesting content to people regardless of where they are on the web.â€
The Safari Extensions Gallery is accessible from the Safari menu or at extensions.apple.com. Users can download and install extensions from the gallery with a single click, and there’s no need to restart the browser. Extensions can be automatically updated and are easily managed within Safari. Users can enable or disable individual extensions, or turn off all extensions with one click.
Safari Extensions are built with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript web standards, and can have all the power and functionality of advanced web applications. Every Safari Extension is signed with a digital certificate from Apple to prevent tampering and to verify that updates to the extension are from the original developer. Safari Extensions are sandboxed, so they can’t access information on a user’s system or communicate with websites aside from those specified by the developer. For increased stability, Safari Extensions run solely in the browser.
Safari 5 also features Safari Reader, which presents single and multipage articles on the web in a new, scrollable view without distracting content or clutter. The Nitro JavaScript engine runs JavaScript up to 30 percent faster than Safari 4.* Built on the open source WebKit engine developed by Apple, Safari 5 includes more than a dozen powerful new HTML5 features for creating media-rich experiences, like full screen playback and closed captions for HTML5 video.
Pricing & Availability
Safari 5 is available for both Mac OS® X and Windows as a free download at www.apple.com/safari. Safari 5 for Mac OS X requires Mac OS X Leopard® 10.5.8 or Mac OS X Snow Leopard® 10.6.2 or later. Safari 5 for Windows requires Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista or Windows 7, a minimum 256MB of memory and a system with at least a 500 MHz Intel Pentium processor. Full system requirements and more information on Safari 5 can be found at www.apple.com/safari. The Safari Extensions Gallery is available at extensions.apple.com. The Safari Developer Program is free to join at developer.apple.com/programs/safari.
*Performance will vary based on system configuration, network connection and other factors. All testing conducted by Apple in May 2010 on an iMac® 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system running Mac OS X 10.6.3, with 4GB of RAM. JavaScript benchmark based on the SunSpider 0.9.1 JavaScript Performance test.Â
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I am unable to complete the installation my iTunes software.
I have a Win XP and at the moment old iTunes and iPhone versions. I have been trying to updating my iTunes to new version so that I could update my iPhone 3G software to new one as well but I can't update iTunes. The update installation will end an error saying that I (computer Admin) don't have rights to update the iTunes!! This is very strange because I have using iTunes several years and updating it and iPhone many times as well. I have been trying everything what I know (uninstall all apple software and etc…). I'm really desperate and need help! Can anyone help?
_______________________
Sawn Timber
Sign Flag & Vinyl Banners
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1 comment:
Thank you for your hard work and sharing it with us. It goes well appreciated in my book.
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