IT-Code-News: IT News HeadLines (HotHardware) 25/11/2010

Happy Thanksgiving!
It's Thanksgiving here in the US, a time of year when we all pause to reflect on how fortunate we all are. Thanksgiving is a great tradition when you stop and think about it. This holiday isn't about rushing shopping, etc. The day after Thanksgiving certainly has become over-commercialized, but not today--11/25/2010--Thanksgiving Day. Today you have nothing else to do (or at least nothing else that you should be doing) except visiting with family and friends, breaking bread, and enjoying each other’s company
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iPad News Magazine to Be Announced by Sir Richard Branson on Tuesday
While attention focuses on Rupert Murdoch's "The Daily," Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic, among other things, is planning his own iPad-only digital news journal. Based on press conference invitations, Branson will beat Murdoch to the punch with a Tuesday unveiling of a digital magazine created for iPads. Branson said in invitations to the press that the magazine, "Project" will focus on entertainment, travel, business, design, and international culture. Other details will be available
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BitDefender: Malware, It's In Your Face(book)!
Social networking: It's all fun and games until some scuzzball infects your system with malware, but that's not a concern on Facebook, right? Wrong, says security firm BitDefender, which claims that malware is mucking around in news feeds of some 20 percent of Facebook users. When you're talking about a userbase of more than 500 million members, well, let's just say we're concerned. To be fair, BitDefender didn't ping every user's news feed, 'just' 14,000 of them. That's still a significant sample, and if you're
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Genius FaceCam 1000 Shoots 720p And Rotates 360 Degress
Who says that video chats have to be one dimensional? As you move, so you can your webcam. Genius, a peripheral outfit, has just announced a new HD webcam with 360-degree rotation capabilities. The FaceCam 1000 includes the company's CrazyTalk Cam Suite software, shoots 720p and has an 8MP sensor for capturing still images. The FaceCam 1000 has a precise manual focus lens to manually control the focus without any blur and take still photos or video from any angle with 360 degree rotation capabilities.
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Western Digital Adds Facebook and USB Wireless Keyboard Support To WD TV Live Boxes
New features? Yes, please! One of our favorite things is receiving a firmware update that adds new features to a product that we already own, and that's what is happening to Western Digital's WD TV Live and Live Plus units. These media streamers have just picked up some much-needed functionality, with Facebook being a highlight addition. After an update is installed, users can browse walls and stream Facebook images, all while updating their own status. Furthermore, users will now be able to to instantly rent
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Opera 11 Beta Brings Tab Stacking And Extensions
While the tablet market is definitely a heated one on the hardware side, the browser market is the heated one over on the software side. Internet Explorer 9 Beta just launched a few months ago, and Firefox seems to be getting closer to a stable 4.0 release every single day. And then there's Opera. This browser has been gaining in popularity for some time now, and Opera 11 looks to make that huge leap to put it in the same category as IE, Firefox and Chrome. The very first beta of Opera 11 is out today, and it's
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Survey: Mobile Users Want Unlimited Data (Duh!)
It's not hard to believe that mobile phone users prefer unlimited data plans, nor do we really need a survey to tell us that. But to all you telecoms out there, listen up -- a new report by financial research firm Sanford Bernstein discovered that not only do mobile phone users like unlimited data, but they ranked it as the most important preference when it comes to deciding on carriers and devices. "Unlimited data plans could become a major source of differentiation, attracting customers and giving still-unlimited
Read More ...

HH Holiday Sweepstakes with Digital Storm - Win A Killer System!
To get you into the holiday spirit, HotHardware.com and our friends at Digital Storm have teamed up to put together yet ANOTHER monster sweepstakes give-away! This time we're giving you a chance to win an Intel Core i7 950-infused gaming rig with 6GB of DDR3, a 1TB hard drive an all new Radeon HD 6870 graphics card and water cooling by Astek. We know, the sugarplums are dancing now, aren't they? Start being nice now, if you've been the naughty type all year long... The complete parts
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Spoiled Kids want an iPad for Christmas
Think back to when you were 6 years old waking up on Christmas morning. If you were lucky, your big ticket item was a BMX bike. Race car sets, Matchbox cars, and a new Michael Jackson album were all winning bets too. These days? Kids ages 6-12 want nothing more than to find an iPad sitting under the tree on December 25th. According to market research firm Nielsen, Apple's magical tablet topped the list of electronic devices kids in the above age category are pining for, with 31 percent hoping to score an iPad,
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How To Build A Computer: System Assembly 101
We just recently ran a contest on HotHardware in which we planned to give away a high-end, custom-built gaming system (built by yours truly), to one lucky reader who came up with a creative name for our weekly video podcast. We got a few requests to document the build process on video, so that’s exactly what we did. We didn’t go too in-depth, but did explain the approach we like to take to systems and talked about a few of the build decisions and tweaks we made along the way... How To Build A Computer:
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How To Build A Computer: System Assembly 101
We just recently ran a contest on HotHardware in which we planned to give away a high-end, custom-built gaming system (built by yours truly), to one lucky reader who came up with a creative name for our weekly video podcast. The parts for the system were as follows… CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition Cooler: Xigmatek Dark Knight Motherboard: Asus CrossHair IV Formula Graphics: Asus EAH6870 Sound: Asus Xonar D2X RAM: 4GB OCZ DDR-1333 SSD: WD Silicon Edge Blue
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Opera 11 Beta Brings Tab Stacking And Extensions

While the tablet market is definitely a heated one on the hardware side, the browser market is the heated one over on the software side. Internet Explorer 9 Beta just launched a few months ago, and Firefox seems to be getting closer to a stable 4.0 release every single day. And then there's Opera. This browser has been gaining in popularity for some time now, and Opera 11 looks to make that huge leap to put it in the same category as IE, Firefox and Chrome.

The very first beta of Opera 11 is out today, and it's bringing a major new feature: tab stacking. Tabbed browsing as a whole revolutionized the way people could surf the web, but as technologies have changed and trends have shifted into widescreen displays, another way of aligning tabs is due. That's tab stacking. Opera thinks that it's a better way of organizing tabs; traditionally, tabs were opened side-by-side, but now people using Opera can stack their tabs, grouping them by site or by theme. A plug-in has enabled other browsers to do this already, but support from the creator is always nice.

There's also one other thing: extensions. Extensions recently came to Safari, and they're what has made Firefox such a huge success in large part. Opera claims that developers are submitting between 10-20 new extensions each day, all of which enable Opera to become a more flexible and more useful browser. Looks like we've got another contender!

First beta of Opera 11 showcases tab stacking

Oslo, Norway - November 23, 2010 - Tabbed browsing, one of the essential features in all browsers, has evolved yet again thanks to its long-time pioneer. Opera 11 beta introduces tab stacking, a better way to organize your open tabs. Traditionally, tabs were opened side-by-side, but now people using Opera can stack their tabs, grouping them by site or by theme. Tab stacking reduces clutter and makes it easier to identify and work with sets of open tabs.

It is easy to stack tabs. Simply drag one tab on top of another. Hovering the mouse over a tab will cause the stack to expand in a visual preview. Clicking the arrow icon expands the current stack across the tab bar. This brief video showcases tab stacking in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hqSGGk1YTI.

"Tabs are the most popular feature in browsers today," said Jan Standal, VP of Desktop Products, Opera. "Because so many of us wrestle with tens or even hundreds of tabs, we wanted to find a better way to manage them. So, whether you are tracking positive reviews of your new album or researching the proper dimensions of Stonehenge, stacking your tabs is an intuitive way to organize and group your open webpages."

Extensions go to 11
Opera 11 also introduces extensions, browser add-ons that enhance the capabilities of Opera. In the three weeks since extensions debuted in the alpha release of Opera 11, more than 500,000 extensions have been downloaded. Fueling the growth in available extensions, developers submit between 10 and 20 new extensions each day. The full extension catalog is available here: https://addons.labs.opera.com/.

Thanks to a new developer mode in Opera 11 beta, extensions are even easier to make. Developers can use the developer mode to launch, test and package extensions quickly.

Mouse gestures go to 11
Mouse gestures provide a simple and effective way to control Opera with a few simple mouse movements. Since their introduction in Opera 5, mouse gestures have proven to be one of the most loved Opera features. In Opera 11, a new visual interface highlights mouse paths and helps guide the discovery, use and mastery of these powerful shortcuts. The full list of mouse gestures is available here: http://www.opera.com/browser/tutorials/gestures/.

But wait! There is more:
- The address field now hides unnecessary information and puts the security status of each page front and center. Now, badges explain the security state of the site, giving consumers clear information about the sites they visit.
- Plug-ins can be set to load on-demand. This can give as much as 30 percent performance improvement.
- Extensions and Opera Unite applications are updated automatically through Opera's update mechanism.
- Even more work has been done to boost browsing speed, particularly for Linux. Opera 11 for Linux is 15 to 20 percent faster on common benchmarks than Opera 10.63.
- Bookmarks are just a click away thanks to a new bookmarks bar that replaces Opera's personal bar.
- Opera 11 is 30 percent smaller than Opera 10.63, despite including new features.

Availability
Download Opera 11 beta (English only) from http://www.opera.com/browser/next. Opera runs on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.

Resources
Opera 11 beta press kit: http://www.opera.com/media/presskit/Opera11beta.zip
Timeline of tabbed browsing in Opera: http://www.opera.com/bitmaps/press/resources/campaign/opera11beta/tabs_timeline.gif

No drummers were harmed in the making of this browser.

How To Build A Computer: System Assembly 101

We just recently ran a contest on HotHardware in which we planned to give away a high-end, custom-built gaming system (built by yours truly), to one lucky reader who came up with a creative name for our weekly video podcast. We got a few requests to document the build process on video, so thatâ€™s exactly what we did. We didnâ€™t go too in-depth, but did explain the approach we like to take to systems and talked about a few of the build decisions and tweaks we made along the way...
How To Build A Computer: System Assembly 101

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving here in the US, a time of year when we all pause to reflect on how fortunate we all are. Thanksgiving is a great tradition when you stop and think about it. This holiday isn't about rushing shopping, etc. The day after Thanksgiving certainly has become over-commercialized, but not today--11/25/2010--Thanksgiving Day. Today you have nothing else to do (or at least nothing else that you should be doing) except visiting with family and friends, breaking bread, and enjoying each otherâ€™s company in appreciation of all the great things that life brings and has brought you.

On this day of Thanksgiving we'd like extend our sincere appreciation to you our readers and friends here at HotHardware.com. Living in place like the United States of America, with the many gifts and privileges we're afforded, there are just so many things we can all be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving To You All!

Best Regards,
Team HotHardware

And now we bring you Adam Sandler, in this timeless classic... The Thanksgiving Song.

XFX GeForce GTX 260 (216) Black Edition, Tested

Today, we're going to take a look at an XFX version of the GTX 260 (Core 216) with their XFX GeForce GTX 260 (216) Black Edition.Â The Black Editon takes the GeForce 260 (216) reference design to the next level by giving the GPU and Memory speeds a significant boost for added performance potential.Â Along with its complete retail package, the XFX version of the GTX 260 (Core 216) is clearly out to make an impression, and from what we've seen, they are off to a good start.

iPad News Magazine to Be Announced by Sir Richard Branson on Tuesday

While attention focuses on Rupert Murdoch's "The Daily," Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic, among other things, is planning his own iPad-only digital news journal. Based on press conference invitations, Branson will beat Murdoch to the punch with a Tuesday unveiling of a digital magazine created for iPads.

Branson said in invitations to the press that the magazine, "Project" will focus on entertainment, travel, business, design, and international culture. Other details will be available at the Nov. 30 New York City event.

Meanwhile, it is rumored that Apple and Rupert Murdoch will formally introduce "The Daily" on Dec. 9. It is expected that among the changes necessary for the project to take form is an iOS update that will add app subscriptions.

It's unclear if Branson's event will launch the "Project" app, or simply announce it. It's possible we may even see Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Branson, and Murdoch all on-stage at the rumored Dec. 9th event, as well.

HH Holiday Sweepstakes with Digital Storm - Win A Killer System!

To get you into the holiday spirit, HotHardware.com and our friends at Digital Storm have teamed up to put together yet ANOTHER monster sweepstakes give-away!Â Â This time we're giving you a chance to win an Intel Core i7 950-infused gaming rig with 6GB of DDR3, a 1TB hard drive an all new Radeon HD 6870 graphics card and water cooling by Astek.Â We know, the sugarplums are dancing now, aren't they?Â Start being nice now, if you've been the naughty type all year long...

The complete parts list and breakdown for Digital Storm's sweet Special|Ops System are listed below:

To be entered into this sweepstakes, pleaseÂ follow these quick and easy guidelines below.Â If you're brand new here, there might be a few more steps but otherwise it's pretty simple!

1) First: Make sure you're registered at HotHardware.com.Â You can also login with Facebook or Twitter.
2) Be active in the discussion and community here at HotHardware.com to get noticed
3) Become a fan of HotHardwareâ€™s official Facebook fan page
4) Become a fan of Digital Storm's official Facebook fan page
5) Comment on the contest post on each of the respective facebook fan pages
6) Share either post on your personal facebook page
7) Take a screenshot of your facebook page with the shared story
8) Submit the screenshot to contest@digitalstormonline.com with the subject â€œHotHardware Giveawayâ€

The contest will run through December 23rd at which point we'll announce the winner.Â Get in early and post here in the HH news discussions often!

This is a great chance for to you to win a custom, powerful new gaming PC. Good Luck!

Survey: Mobile Users Want Unlimited Data (Duh!)

It's not hard to believe that mobile phone users prefer unlimited data plans, nor do we really need a survey to tell us that. But to all you telecoms out there, listen up -- a new report by financial research firm Sanford Bernstein discovered that not only do mobile phone users like unlimited data, but they ranked it as the most important preference when it comes to deciding on carriers and devices.

"Unlimited data plans could become a major source of differentiation, attracting customers and giving still-unlimited carriers a subscribership boost," said Sandford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett. "At the same time, however, carriers who maintain unlimited pricing in the face of AT&T's move to usage-based pricing could self-select to the heaviest users, impairing future profitability."

As it stands, Verizon is still championing unlimited mobile data for $30/month, but for how long is anyone's guess. Rumors continue to persist that Apple's iPhone is headed to Verizon, likely in early-to-mid 2011, and should an influx of subscribers follow suit, that could change. In fact, Verizon has already stated that it won't offer unlimited data plans for users on its LTE 4G network once compatible smartphones trickle out next year.

Switched to AHCI, now get blue screens
Made the registry and BIOS changes on my Win 7 64-bit Intel system to enable Microsoft's AHCI version 1. Successfully installed. Found out that when MS/Intel state the MS version supports only CD/DVD and hard drives that this was true. A simple SD card inserted in my card reader hangs bootup. After figuring this out, I noticed that when my iphone is attached and I try to wake-up from sleep mode, my PC blue screens and reboots spontaneously. What a drag. Talk about unpolished and half baked! A joke. Can someone give me a good idea whether or not there is a safe and simple way to install the latest Intel AHCI drivers (in their matrix storage manager) that hopefully will resolve these USB drive issues. Intel states that to use their drivers, they need to be installed at inital windows install using F6. Any workarounds? I do realize there probably is no significant advantages to enabling NCQ and hot swapping on a home rig, but they are the latest and greatest, right?

My $800 intel core Gaming Computer
Normal 0 false false false EN-US ZH-CN X-NONE
Hi guys. I'm building a new computer. I enjoy gaming and watching videos. I'm ordering all the parts from this site (http://www.superbz.com/system_category.php?id=3). This place was recommended to me by a coworker.

Here's the current build list:

• Case: Antec Six Hundred No PS Mid Tower Gaming Case
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E7500 2.93GHz 1066MHz 3MB LGA775 CPU, Retail
• Motherboard: Asus P5N-D Core 2 Quad/ nForce 750i SLI/ DDR2-800/ SLI/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
• Memory: Kingston KHX8500D2K2/4G DDR2-1066 4GB HyperX Memory Kit
• Video Card: GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD4550 512MB DDR3 DVI/HDMI PCI-Express Video Card
• Hard Drive: Seagate ST3500418AS 500GB SATA2 7200rpm 16MB Hard Drive
• Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S223C/BEBE 22X SATA DVD+/-RW Internal Drive (Black), Bulk w/o Software
• Power Supply: Topower/Epower ZUMAX ZU-500W 500W 20/24pin ATX V2.0 Power Supply
• Keyboard & Mouse: Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit(1-Pack), OEM
• Monitor: Acer V193WEJbd 19 inch Widescreen 50000:1 5ms DVI(HDCP) LCD Monitor (Black)

Any advice on that would be appreciated.

Spoiled Kids want an iPad for Christmas

Think back to when you were 6 years old waking up on Christmas morning. If you were lucky, your big ticket item was a BMX bike. Race car sets, Matchbox cars, and a new Michael Jackson album were all winning bets too. These days? Kids ages 6-12 want nothing more than to find an iPad sitting under the tree on December 25th.

According to market research firm Nielsen, Apple's magical tablet topped the list of electronic devices kids in the above age category are pining for, with 31 percent hoping to score an iPad, lack of Flash support be damned. A computer and iPod touch tied for second place, each one claiming a 29 percent interest in a future purchase, followed by a Nintendo DS/DSi/DS Lite (25 percent), PlayStation 3 (21 percent), and non-Apple branded smartphone (21 percent).

Kids at least 13 years old put a computer as the No. 1 item they hope to purchase in the next 6 months (20 percent), followed by a TV set (19 percent), non-Apple branded smartphone (19 percent), and an iPad (18 percent).

What do you hope to score this holiday shopping season?

HH and MSI Lazy Days Of Summer Sweepstakes!

To pay tribute to the hot, lazy days of summer, we're giving away some equally HOT new hardware in conjunction with our friends at MSI! This time around, you could win a pair of MSI N460GTX Cyclone 1GB GeForce GTX 460 cards for some SLI action and an awesome MSI Big Bang-XPower motherboard. In addition, for the duration of the contest, we'll also be giving away 10 copies of the DX11 and PhysX-enabled game Metro 2033!

As we've done with previous sweepstakes, weâ€™ll be giving this prize package away to a randomly selected contributor to our on-line forum and discussion systems, but like many previous contests, there are other ways to enter (see below)...

Grand Prize: (2) MSI N460GTX Cyclone 1GBÂ cards,Â (1) MSI Big Bang-XPower motherboard

Runners Up: (10) Copies of Metro 2033

To be entered into the sweepstakes, youâ€™ve got to be a registered, active member of our forum and a resident of the United States or Canada. If youâ€™re not already a member, you can sign up quickly and easily (and for free), right here.

From this point forward, weâ€™ll be monitoring discussions here in the news and in the forum. We will be randomly selecting winners based on community involvement and quality of contribution. You can also increase your chances of winning by signing up for ourÂ HotHardware News Alerts or becoming a fan of HotHardware via our respective Digg,Â Facebook and / or Twitter pages. And weâ€™d urge you to become a fan ofÂ MSIâ€™s Facebook page as well! The contest will run through Monday September 13, 2010 at which point weâ€™ll announce the grand prize winner.

This is a great chance for to you to win some powerful hardware. Now go make some new friends in the forum and get in the running! Good Luck!

CyberPower and HH Back To School Blitz Sweepstakes

To pay tribute to the back-to-school season (or just party), in conjunction with our good friends at CyberPower.Â We're giving away yet another fully loaded, quad-core powered gaming rig! This time around, you could win a complete Intel Core i7-950-based system,Â with a GeForce GTX 460 graphics card pushing the pixels, Asetek Liquid Cooling, and 6GB of RAM!

The complete parts list and breakdown is listed below:

*Â Prize Details:Â Cyberpower recently launched their Fang Series EVO series featuring Intel Core I processors and several high-end gaming chassis for each model. The main focus for the Fang EVO is cooling and they've loaded the lineup with a new cooling kit that features 240mm and 360mm radiators that can be hooked up to cool both the CPU and multiple GPUs.Â Â For our giveaway, weâ€™ve chosen the EVO Viper that uses Azzaâ€™s new Hurrican 2000 chassis and includes Asetekâ€™s 240mm liquid cooling kit.

This give-away is a bit different than the others we've run in the past. To be entered into this sweepstakes, pleaseÂ follow the guidelines below...

1) Become a fan of HotHardwareâ€™s official Facebook fan page
2) Become a fan of Cyberpower Incâ€™s official Facebook fan page
3) Comment on the contest post on each of the respective facebook fan pages
4) Share either post on your personal facebook page
5) Take a screenshot of your facebook page with the shared story
6) Submit the screenshot to contest@cyberpowerpc.com with the subject â€œFang EVO Viper Sweepstakesâ€

And of course, being active on the news and forum conversations WILL get you noticed!

The contest will run through September 30 at which point we'll announce the winner. That's not a lot of time, so be sure to enter quickly!

This is a great chance for to you to win a custom, powerful new system. Now go get in the running! Good Luck!

HotHardware Memorial Day Sweepstakes!

Just a reminder here folks -- Our contest ends MONDAY, 6/2 and we will announce the winner on Tuesday 6/3!Â Good luck!Â

In conjunction with our good friends atÂ Diamond Multimedia and Smooth Creations, weâ€™ve got oneÂ patriotic rig to give away this month!Â This time around, you could win a full AMD Phenom X4 9750-based system, complete withÂ dualÂ Diamond Multimedia Radeon HD 3850Â 512MB graphics cards running in a CrossFire configuration,Â and an awesome, custom painted Smooth Creations case emblazoned with the good ol' Stars and Bars!Â Â And two runners up will also win AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ processors.

As you can see, this machine is definitely a head turner, and it could be all yours!Â As we've done with previous sweepstakes, weâ€™ll be giving away this rig away to a randomly selected contributor to our on-line forum and discussion systems, but this time there's a twist (see below).Â The complete break-down of components in the system includes:
Â

Processor: AMD Phenom X4 9750

Graphics: Diamond Radeon HD 3850 512MB (2)

Case: Smooth Creations CM Cosmos 100

PSU: Silverstone 850 Watt

Memory: 4GB G-SkillÂ DDR2 Memory

Motherboard: Abit AX-78

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar 500GB

Optical Drive: Lite-On DVD-R / RW

Miscellaneous: Zalman Cooling,Â Windows XP

To be entered into the sweepstakes, youâ€™ve got to be a registered, active member of our forum and a resident of the United States.Â If youâ€™re not already a member, you can sign up quickly and easily (and for free), right here.
From this point forward, weâ€™ll be monitoring discussions on the site and will be randomly selecting a winner based on community involvement and contribution.Â You can also increase your chances of winning by signing up for our HotHardware RSS News Alerts.Â Finally, to coincide with the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, we're going to give extra credit to anyone who makes a charitable contribution to the Disabled American Veterans Fund.Â Make a donation - of any size - and forwardÂ a copy of your receipt to this e-mail address for another chance to win.Â Donations are NOT a requirement to win, but with Memorial Day coming up we thought this was aÂ goodÂ opportunity to give something back to the military.Â We here at HotHardware will be makingÂ a contribution to the DAV fund as well.Â The winner of the rig and runners up will be announced Monday, June 2.
This is a greatÂ chance for to youÂ toÂ winÂ a custom, powerful newÂ system and to help out the many men and women who have selflessly served in the U.S. military. Now go make some new friends in the forum and get in the running!Â Good Luck!

TerreStar GENUS GSM/Satellite Phone Now On Sale For $1149

These days, it's hard to find a place in USA where some level of cellphone reception isn't available. There are places, though, and when you think globally, there are tons of locations where no cell service is available. Satellite phones aren't as necessary today as they once were, but if you frequently travel to remote destinations, TerreStar's GENUS handset is probably a good bet to have in your suitcase.

The GENUS, which is the world's first dual-network smartphone to operate on GSM and satellite phone signals, is now available. The GENUS has been talked about for months on end, but now, consumers in need of staying connected regardless of location can do so. The smartphone runs on the normal AT&T cellular network as well as the TerreStar satellite backup network, which effectively does away with dead zones. The only place the satellite network doesnâ€™t work is indoors or underground. However, the cellular signal will still operate like a normal cellular phone operates on the AT&T network.

The GENUS is also far smaller and slimmer than most conventional sat phones, but consumers should know that it's only for use in the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and in territorial waters. Also, it ships with Windows Mobile 6.5, which is the prior version of Microsoft's mobile OS. There's also 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, GPS, a touch screen, 100MB of memory and a media player feature. About the size of a deck of cards, the TerreStar GENUS connects to the AT&T cellular network for primary ground-based wireless connectivity, and gains satellite access connectivity through the power of TerreStar-1, the worldâ€™s largest commercial communications satellite, which acts as a cell tower in the sky.

The only problem seems to be the $1,149.99 price. Not cheap, but it's not like there's a whole lot of competition in the field.

TerreStar GENUS Now Available for Consumers; Combining the Power of Satellite and Freedom of Mobility
The TerreStar GENUS Gives Todayâ€™s Active Lifestyle Consumers, from Outdoor Adventurists to Recreational Boaters, the Ability to Stay Connected

Reston, VA., November 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ â€” From remote mountains to rural country roads and even up to 200 miles off the coast of the United States, consumers can now enjoy the freedom and flexibility to stay connected with the availability of the TerreStarâ„¢ GENUSâ„¢, the worldâ€™s first integrated cellular-satellite smartphone. Offered by mobile communications provider, TerreStar Networks Inc. (â€œTerreStarâ€), the GENUS ensures todayâ€™s active lifestyle consumer, from the extreme outdoor adventurer and action sport enthusiast to the recreational boater, can stay connected even in remote locations or when the cellular network is down.

The TerreStar GENUS brings satellite devices to the mainstream consumer. Forget about traditional clunky, brick-style satellite devices; the new GENUS features a sleek design, internal antenna and satellite innovation that combines cellular and satellite connectivity for voice, data and messaging. With just one phone number and one device, users with a line of sight to the southern sky can gain access to expanded voice and data roaming coverage in the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and in territorial waters. The device may be purchased online by visiting www.terrestar.com/consumer.

Additional features include:

Â Â Â * Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system experience
Â Â Â * Innovative form factor: 4.7 inch x 2.5 inch x 0.8/0.6 inch
Â Â Â * Lightweight at just 4.6 oz.
Â Â Â * Integrated BluetoothÂ®, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), USB and GPS connectivity
Â Â Â * Touch Screen, QWERTY Keyboard
Â Â Â * Memory: 100 MB
Â Â Â * Multimedia features youâ€™d expect from your everyday smartphone, including: Windows Mobile Media Player; 2.0-megapixel camera; camcorder format (H.263 simple profile); video and audio playback features and digital voice recording

â€œThe GENUS smartphone is ideal for adventure-seekers, skiers, boaters, hikers and anyone who lives on the edge, but still wants to stay connected,â€ said Jeffrey W. Epstein, president and chief executive officer, TerreStar. â€œThe GENUS provides the ultimate wireless backup capability; helping ensure users are prepared and have access to mobile communications in case of an emergency, disaster, or even an unforeseen weather condition, despite location or cellular network signal strength.â€

About the size of a deck of cards, the TerreStar GENUS connects to the AT&T cellular network for primary ground-based wireless connectivity, and gains satellite access connectivity through the power of TerreStar-1, the worldâ€™s largest commercial communications satellite, which acts as a cell tower in the sky.

As many mobile users are fluent in the language of â€œappsâ€, but not â€œsatsâ€, TerreStar created a â€œhow it worksâ€ video highlighting key differences in using the GENUS as compared to a traditional cellular-only device. The video, which is available at: www.YouTube.com/TerreStar and on TerreStar.com, points out key usability features to ensure the best user experience. Itâ€™s good to stay connected.

Pricing and Availability
To help bring the TerreStar GENUS to consumers, TerreStar has tapped leading online wireless retailer, Simplexity, to market and distribute the TerreStar GENUS and accessories through its partner and marketing network. The TerreStar GENUS is available today, online at www.terrestar.com/consumer.

Qualified AT&T cellular voice and smartphone data rate plans are required, as well as a monthly satellite service feature. Usage of the satellite network for voice, data and messaging is not included in the monthly feature charge and is billed as a per-minute, per-message or per-megabyte roaming charge.

Friday, November 26, 2010

IT News HeadLines (HotHardware) 25/11/2010

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