IT-Code-News: IT News HeadLines (TechConnect Magazine) 08/10/2009

Reference Radeon HD 5770 seen in pretty pixels
Without any 'help' from Nvidia, DirectX 11 is going mainstream in less than a week with the introduction of the AMD Radeon HD 5700 series. If you can't wait for the official announcement to drool over the cards then just look below for some revealing pictures of the 150 Euro-priced Radeon HD 5770.

Powered by a 40nm Juniper GPU, the upcoming Radeon has 1120 Stream Processors, a 128-bit memory interface, DirectX 11 and CrossFireX support, a GPU frequency of 825 MHz and (according to online store listings) 1GB of GDDR5 memory @ 4600 MHz. The Radeon HD 5770 also packs a 6-pin PCIe power connector, a dual-slot cooler and dual DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs. If only it has a 256-bit interface...

Photos courtesy of bit-tech.

RIM launch BlackBerry Widget SDK beta
RIM has released the Blackberry Widget SDK beta, which is geared toward getting developers to write mobile applications using HTML, CSS and JavaScript - where previously Java was the only supported language within Blackberry apps.

The software produced is obviously intended to be released via the newly opened Blackberry AppWorld service - especially enticing for businesses with Enterprise Server platforms in place for internal distribution of new programs.

RIM is hoping that developers will now have more freedom to open up content for things such as web-based services, with better integration with features such as e-mail and scheduling.

"BlackBerry Widgets open up a world of opportunities for developers to build and bring to market web applications for BlackBerry smartphones that offer advanced, integrated functionality and an always-on user experience," said RIM senior vice president of BlackBerry platforms Alan Brenner. "We are very excited by the prospects of this new widget platform which combines the ease of development of standard web languages with the rich functionality of Java development."

EU asks for feedback on Microsoft's browser commitments
With two more weeks to go until Windows 7's release, the European Commission has announced that it will be market testing Microsoft's proposal which is supposed to provide Windows users with more choice regarding web browsers.

With the EC breathing down its neck, ready to issue another hefty fine, Microsoft has come up with several solutions to the IE-related anti-trust concerns. These include the addition of a browser ballot screen via Windows Update for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and beyond, that will enable users to choose which browser(s) to install - the options offered being Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera. Moreover, MS will present users with a first screen explaining what web browsers are, and "Tell me more" buttons for each browser that can be installed.

Before it reaches a decision in Microsoft's case the European Commission is kicking off a market test which enables consumers, software companies, computer manufacturers and other interested parties to comment on the Redmond company's proposal. The feedback can be submitted within one month starting from October 9. You can bet Opera Software and Mozilla will have quite a few things to say about the proposal.

Anarchists using Twitter to shift protest get picked up by FBI
Two self proclaimed anarchists from Pittsburgh have been arrested for reporting Police movements to the G20 protesters using mega-start micro-blogging service, Twitter.

Elliot M. Madison and Michael Wallschlaeger were arrested in a hotel room that the police describe as filled with computers. Officers allege that Madison and Wallschlaeger were scanning police radios to direct protesters away from law enforcement officials.

The FBI arrested the pair and seized computers, mobile phones, MP3 players, and all tech hardware, as well as a ton of anarchist literature and what appeared to be chemicals and equipment to manufacture small explosives.

Some 5,000 protesters attended the G20 summit in the city, of whom just 190 were arrested, including these two men. Fallout surrounds Twitter as somehow being responsible for not putting a stop to the user's illegal tweets, but usually with social networking at the heart of a legal debate, these cases don't even get to court.

SmartFTP version 4.0.1054 update
SmartFTP allows you to transfer files across the Internet. It features an Explorer-like, customizable interface and supports drag-and-drop functions. Multiple FTP connections can be opened at the same time, and you can copy files from one remote host to another (FXP). Remote-host directory information is cached for future viewing, and FTP URLs are supported. Other features include a Favorites list; the ability to resume broken downloads; a global history; background transfers; proxy support; a passive transfer mode; and the ability to perform recursive downloads, uploads, and deletes.

Changes include:
- Remote Browser - Command help text/tip is now displayed in status bar
- Fixed Windows Vista+ Favourites Browser - Crash when pane is closed
- Fixed Shell Tools - Upload through the shell context menu caused the application to hang.
- Added option to export public key in OpenSSH format
- Fixed Remote Browser - 'Upload->Select Files' crash

Website: SmartSoft
Download: SmartFTP 4.0.1054 (32-bit)
Download (x64): SmartFTP 4.0.1054 (64-bit)

Arctic Cooling launches its own webstore
Providing better access to it products, Swiss company Arctic Cooling has today introduced its very own webstore. Available here, the shop caters to customers worldwide 24/7, makes use of 256-bit SSL-connections to keep purchases secure, and offers pretty much everything in Arctic Cooling's portfolio - coolers, fans, power supplies, cases and accessories.

The AC Webshop also guarantees that orders will be handled within two working days so be sure to check it out if you're out shopping for some cool new hardware.

Mozilla ready and set for Firefox 3.6 beta
Mozilla's Firefox browser is coming close now to version 3.6, at least according to the Register. The next version will include tweaks which improve the TraceMonkey Javascript engine, an 'optimized session restore', plus various other enhancements and improvements - just nothing radical... we are sure Mozilla will save anything decent and cool for version 4.0.

As well as this, the official Firefox developers have been putting together the following Firefox 3.6 schedule:

- Oct 5: Code freeze late evening PDT.
- Oct 6: Start build1 of the beta assuming trees are green.
- Oct 7: Begin QA testing (or earlier as builds become available).
- Oct 13: Complete QA testing by AM, ship beta in late day PDT.

This all indicates that a beta will be out for October 13th/14th, as long as nothing slips behind in their ideal scheduling. Either way, we should expect the new version of Firefox before the 20th of this month.

Acer Aspire Timeline 1820P tablet pictured
Yet another Aspire Timeline series portable PC is on the way, this time a we're talking about a convertible tablet that goes by the codename 1820P. The upcoming Windows 7-powered machine strikes a more than obvious resemblance to the 1810T as it features pretty much the same specification, with the exception of the panel rotation mechanism and the multi-touch support, of course.

The Timeline 1820P weights around 1.43kg and packs a 11.6-inch (1366x768) touscreen, a 1.4 GHz Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, a HDMI output, and a 6-cell battery offering up to 8 hours of operation. No word on pricing but it should cost just over 500 Euro.

Pictures courtesy of macles.

Lenovo shows off IdeaPad U150 ultra-thin laptop at CEATEC
At the CEATEC JAPAN 2009 show Lenovo has showcased a new member of its IdeaPad U series of ultra-thin portable PCs, the U150. Seen below, the laptop is just 13.5 mm thick, it weights 1.35kg and features a 11.6-inch screen, a star pattern for the palm rest, a multi-touch trackpad, a HDMI output, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and a battery life of up 7 hours (with a 6-cell battery).

According to the interwebz listings, the U150 will be (configurable) with a 1.3 GHz Pentium SU4100 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drives and will boast GMA X4500 integrated graphics. The laptops will also be loaded with Windows Vista Home Basic and be priced under $800.

Ultrasone presents the HFI-2400 headphones
Decibel device deliverer Ultrasone has now announced the highest-end HFI Series headphone yet, the HFI-2400. Seen below, the new black and silver headphones feature 40mm gold-plated drivers backed by the S-Logic audio technology, MU Metal shielding that reduces the amount of magnetic radiation emitted by up to 98%, and a removable three-meter long cable with a gold-plated stereo plug.

Ultrasone's creation also has a 75 Ohm impedance, a sound pressure level of 94 dB, a 10 Hz - 25 kHz frequency range, and is bundled with a velvet carrying bag.

The HFI-2400 will become available later this month or in November priced at $329 but you can now pre-order it for $295.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

IT News HeadLines (TechConnect Magazine) 08/10/2009

No comments: