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Apple iPhone 3G May Only Cost $100 to Make
2008-06-19 08:03:00
Apple profits for hardware will drop but software sales and market share will climbLast year when the first generation iPhone was announced by Apple, the bill of materials for the device was estimated to be in the area of $170. According to recent analysis the new iPhone 3G could be costing Apple significantly less to make than the original iPhone.According to teardown analysis from Portelligent Inc., the new iPhone 3G could have a bill of materials as low as $100. This reduction in the cost to build the device takes into account the increased prices for the addition of a 3G chipset and a GPS chip.?Gen2 iPhone pricing is aggressive enough that it made me think Apple's really taking the gloves off on this one," noted Portelligent president David Carey. "They are probably not as worried about iPhone hardware profits as they are about getting a piece of the action on service revenues and getting more Macs in homes and offices all around the globe.?This aggressive pricing is taking som...
More About: Apple , Cell Phones , Gadgets , Iphone , Cost

Palm Expects to Ship 2 Million Centro Smartphones
2008-06-19 08:01:00
Palm hopes to keep seeing its Centro smartphones fly off store shelvesPalm Inc. may be stuck in a rut and facing difficult financial times, but it hopes selling 2 million units of the Centro smartphone in 2008 will help turn things around.At least 1 million units have been shipped so far in the United States since the phone's launch in mid-October. The Centro is Palm's fastest selling smartphone in company history.Palm's recent announcement that the phone is now available for Verizon Wireless will help the company ship even more units of the phone. Consumers can now purchase and use a Centro on the Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint Nextel phone networks.Verizon customers can purchase the phone for $99.99 after a $70 MIR and two-year customer agreement or extension with Verizon.Centro features a QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, digital camera, 64MB internal memory, and runs on Palm OS 5.4.9.The phone is considered a smaller, easier to use Palm Treo smartphone, but it has some drawbac...
More About: Cell Phones , Gadgets , Smartphones , Palm

Microsoft Announces NavReady Embedded Operating System for PNDs
2008-06-19 07:59:00
NavReady is Microsoft 's first category specific operating systemMicrosoft announced a new embedded Windows operating system this week called NavReady. Microsoft says that NavReady is the first category-specific operating system it has released.Some key features of NavReady are a small footprint that uses a componentized technology that allows the OS to be incorporated into CE 5.0 designs easily. The OS is designed to run on an ARM processor and it supports a 32-bit native real-time unified kernel.Microsoft says that NavReady will help manufacturers build portable navigation devices (PNDs) with a highly connected design. The OS supports Bluetooth for rich hands-free usage, managed dial-up networking services and other Bluetooth features.One key component is Live Search for devices that helps perform search quires to find points of interest. Desktop pass-though is also featured and allows the PND to establish connections to online services and the Internet when the device is connecte...
More About: System , Gadgets , Operating System , Operating

XM, Sirius Merger Gets FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's Approval
2008-06-19 07:58:00
Final vote on the merger could come at any timeFCC Chairman Kevin Martin has recommended that the merger between Sirius and XM be approved according to the Associated Press. To get Martin?s approval, provisions were added to the merger deal that would turn over a portion of the available bandwidth from the satellite providers to noncommercial and minority programming.The provisions for turning over portions of the satellite bandwidth require the two companies to donate 8% of their satellite capacity to noncommercial and minority broadcasts. That available bandwidth equates to about 12 channels each from Sirius and XM for a total of 24 channels.Other provisions from Martin to his approval include an open radio agreement that would promote competition among manufacturers of satellite radios and a three year price freeze on all packages and an a la cart option to be available within three months of the close of the deal.The AP quotes Martin from a statement, ?As I've indicated before,...
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Phoenix Gets Some Dirt on Mars
2008-06-19 07:55:00
After a short sticky situation, Phoenix returns some images to Earth.After successfully reaching Mars at the end of a nine and a half month jaunt through interplanetary space, the Phoenix Lander landed safely on the surface and began broadcasting data back to Earth. Phoenix's well known mission is to study the Martian surface and air, scanning it for traces of life and help to discover how a planet once thought to be at least partially covered with water became an icy desert.To examine the rust-colored soil, Phoenix uses a robotic arm which wields a small backhoe type bucket to scoop up soil and bring it to the various instruments aboard the lander. Presently, the probe has gathered at least one sample which has been imaged by its Optical Microscope instrument.The soil sample surprised Phoenix mission crew, being somewhat more clumpy and sticky than was theorized. However, the particles that were imaged by the microscope were successfully deposited upon a custom silicone substrate....
More About: Science , Dirt

Doctors Test Newly Invented Gestural Interface During Brain Surgery
2008-06-19 07:52:00
The new and growing field of gestural computing got a serious field test during brain surgeryGestural interfaces are a hot new field of computing. Microsoft announced that its upcoming OS -- Windows 7 -- will rely heavily on gestures and touch. In a most basic sense, a gestural interface is controlled by movements of the hands or arms, allowing users to gesture to literally scroll around images on screen. Sometimes this is coupled with touch in devices such as the iPhone, where a pinching gesture can shrink or expand items.Continuing the progress in the field of gestural computing, researchers at Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) developed a new gestural computer system specially designed for medical use. In the past, doctors used touch screens or mice to navigate about images during surgeries. However, by touching the screen, they risk compromising sterility and introducing infection into the surgery site.The new system is purely gestural and requires no touch...
More About: Science , Doctors , Surgery , Test , Interface

AP Uses DCMA Takedown on News Site; Riles Bloggers, Online News Community
2008-06-19 07:50:00
Blogger remains defiant against AP, explores legal optionsThe Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provided a valuable tool for copyright owners such as artists and writers to defend their property online. However, in the ever evolving online community, the DMCA notices, as they are commonly known, are being used more and more often, at times threatening seemingly legitimate sites.Some argue that the DMCA powers are being used to infringe upon users' online freedoms -- and frequently. The latest and perhaps most thought provoking DMCA battle is building between the Associate Press (AP) and The Drudge Retort, a social news/blog owned by Rogers Cadenhead, over the reposting of AP article snippets.Interestingly, the AP is attacking both the owner for his news posts that occasionally contain small excerpts of AP text linked to the original story, and his users who similarly post snippets from various web stories on the internet in the contents. In both cases, the AP says this mak...
More About: News , Internet , Community , Site , Bloggers

New Dielectric Material Promises Radiation Resistant Transistors, Flexible
2008-06-19 07:48:00
Roll-up, transparent computers and displays are just one of the neat sci-fi gadgets a new material from Northwestern University may lead to.DailyTech has in the past covered research into the effects of long term exposure to space bound radiation on humans. Though mankind has spent many years in space, the effects of prolonged exposure, even under ideal circumstances, are as of yet unknown. Though the human part of space travel is the most important part of the equation for manned flight, radiation poses a series threat to other participants ? especially electronics.The effects of radiation on over-the-counter electronics are, in contrast, fairly well known. One of the most important parts of any electronic appliance, the transistor, is one of the most susceptible components to radiation. The problem comes from the absorptive properties of the silicon dioxide dielectrics that insulate a transistor's gate from its semiconductor components. Silicon dioxide captures radiation, which i...
More About: Science , Promises , Radiation , Material , Flexible

Production Honda FCX Fuel Cell Cars Hit American Streets
2008-06-19 07:45:00
The next generation fuel cell from Honda is trickling into the hands of a lucky fewHonda is among the automotive giants leading the charge to explore hydrogen technologies. The culmination of its efforts to date is the Honda FCX Clarity. The Clarity features a slick and curvy design, a 100 kW V Flow fuel cell stack that has shrunk 65 percent since Honda's initial design, 171-liter, 5,000-psi hydrogen fuel tank, a lithium ion battery pack, and a 95 kW (127 HP) electric motor. At 68 MPG and a range of 270 miles, the Clarity is very competitive with other sedans.This week, the first mass-produced units of the hot new zero-emissions car rolled off a Japanese assembly line in Takanezawa, Japan. However, they're not going to stay in the land of the rising sun for long; they're headed for the U.S. The units are going primarily to Southern California, where a lucky few will receive them. Among these are movie stars and starlets, who will help give the car, and Honda's hybrid effort...
More About: Cars , Fuel , Cell , Auto

Apple Announces Second Generation iPhone 3G, 2.0 Software, iTunes App Store
2008-06-12 21:22:00
Apple swings for the fences, again.When it comes to announcing a new product, Apple knows how to set the stage and get people excited right up until the official announcement. Nowhere was this more obvious than with the launch of the original iPhone. The fervor surrounding the mobile handset didn't settle down when the first generation iPhone was announced in early January 2007 -- it continued until the eventual release of the phone in June of that year.Speculation on the follow-up, the "3G iPhone", has been building ever since the first generation model was revealed -- but things really started getting a bit uproarious over the past few months. Case makers began leaking dimensions for the upcoming phone, supposed "leaked" pictures of the phone were drooled over by nearly ever gadget site on the web, and leaked firmware was picked over with a fine-tooth comb.Apple today finally announced its next generation crowd pleaser. Apple is looking to address the shortcoming of its first eff...
More About: Software , Apple , Itunes , Gadgets , Iphone

IBM Scientists Demonstrate Liquid Cooling Process for 3D Stacked Chips
2008-06-12 21:20:00
IBM scientists say stacked processors have higher power densities than nuclear reactorsAs processors add processing cores, circuits, and other components, the amount of heat they generate increases exponentially. Researchers and chipmakers have found that the ability to dissipate heat will be one of the main challenges to making processors in the future.Researchers from IBM Labs and the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin have demonstrated a prototype 3D chip that has a liquid cooling system built-in to deliver water directly between each layer of the stacked processor.The 3D chip stacks take components in a traditional chip that sit side-by-side and stack them atop one another in a layer. While the process allows chipmakers to create more powerful chips, with shortened interconnects between components for data to travel, the process presents significant cooling challenges. With 3D stacked chip design data has to move only 1/1000th of the distance data needs to travel on a traditional 2D...
More About: Science , Scientists , Liquid , Cooling , Process

New Military Supercomputer Breaks Performance Record
2008-06-12 21:17:00
Roadrunner supercomputer is first to break petaflop barrierA new supercomputer in the U.S. has broken a barrier that many thought wouldn?t be broken for years to come. A new supercomputer-- dubbed Roadrunner-- has broken the petaflop barrier.Roadrunner was designed by engineers and scientists at IBM and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Ultimately, Roadrunner will be placed into a classified environment where it will be used to simulate what effects aging has on the stockpile of nuclear weapons the U.S. has in its arsenal. The problem it will work on is modeling how aging nuclear weapons behave the first fraction of a second during an explosion. Before beginning its nuclear weapons research, Roadrunner will be used to model the effects of global warming.The Roadrunner supercomputer costs $133 million and is built using chips from both consumer electronics and more common server processors.Roadrunner has 12,960 chips that are an improved version of the Cell chip used in the PS3. Th...
More About: Science , Military , Performance , Record , Breaks

Ballmer to Retire in 10 Years; Looks Back on Happy, Rocky Relationship With
2008-06-12 21:15:00
With Ballmer's new announcement that he will retire within 10 years and Gates' retirement this year, its worth a look at the pair's past, present, and future.Microsoft has owned the privilege of being the world's largest software company for well over a decade and it has strong executive leadership to thank for that, largely. Love them or hate them, Microsoft's founder and current Chairman Bill Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer, a key Microsoft veteran, have shaped the face and course of Microsoft and the tech industry as a whole.When Gates stepped down as CEO in 2000 allowing Ballmer to step up, it was a historic moment for the company. That moment is nearing its finale this year, with Gates finally looking to fully retire. And as the future fast approaches, Ballmer just announced that he will follow Gates into retirement in just 10 years time or less.With the departure of Gates and looking forward to the departure of Ballmer, it?s worth taking a look at how Microsoft has been sh...
More About: Software , Relationship , Happy , Rocky , Back

Microsoft Sees OOXML Stalled Due to International Appeals
2008-06-12 21:13:00
"The more you tighten your grip the more star systems will slip through your fingers"Microsoft 's hopes of controlling the open document world were nearing fruition after the International Standards Organization finally certified its OOXML standard at the start of April. The ISO had already ratified ODF, the competitive open-source format from the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) used heavily in Linux, but Microsoft faced a lengthy struggle to try to get its own format recognized. Without certification it would be tough to push the format as a legitimate open document option.Microsoft had good reason to want to control the world of open documents. As users switch platforms and software more and more, and use an increasing amount of open source solutions, the need for a non-software specific format has surfaced. Microsoft hoped that by making its own proprietary open-file format the preferred standard it could seize control of this budd...
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A Big Green Tax Cut; San Francisco Intensifies Solar Grant Efforts
2008-06-12 21:12:00
San Francisco is looking to get off the grid and save money with a vast solar pushIndependent solar power efforts are growing rapidly. With a number of businesses providing unique, online-coordinated installation options, individuals and small businesses are adopting the technology. And part of the new rate of adoption is thanks to local government grants. Many cities and states give citizens large grants to bear some of the capital brunt of buying solar panels. These grants are in essence a big tax break as the consumer will typically make a good deal of money of the solar panels in their lifetime. They are the alternative energy version of the business world's small business grants.This Tuesday, San Francisco looked to keep the good times rolling and put some green back its citizens' pockets with the approval of a massive new grant campaign. Solar panel manufacturers and installers received the news with giddy anticipation and are preparing for the new boom.For the next ten...
More About: Science , San Francisco , Green , Grant

Intel Responds to AMD, NVIDIA USB 3.0 Allegations
2008-06-12 21:10:00
Intel says open host controller specifications have cost gazillions of dollars to developAccording to Intel?s Nick Knupffer, there are a lot of myths going around concerning USB 3.0 and Intel?s involvement in the development of the specification. Knupffer wrote a blog post on Intel?s website in an attempt to dispel these myths.Knupffer points out that Intel is not developing the USB 3.0 specification. What Intel is developing is the host controller spec which Knupffer describes as a ?Dummies Guide? to building a USB 3.0 compatible piece of silicon.Knupffer says in the blog post that Intel has invested ?gazillions of dollars and bazillions of engineering man hours? in developing the open host controller and despite its significant investment still plans to give the specification to competing manufacturers for free. Knupffer also says that Intel loves it when CPU performance is used to the max and the huge increase in bandwidth of USB 3.0 will mean larger file transfers and more proce...
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Evolution in Escherichia Coli Bacterium Observed During Lab Tests
2008-06-12 21:05:00
E. Coli bacteria shows signs of evolution in lab testingDespite an overwhelming body of scientific evidence, evolution is still a fiercely debate topic in some circles. Many people take evolution for granted, simply understanding that it is the theory accepted by the scientific community based on the strong supporting evidence, and remain relatively oblivious to the controversy. However, the fact remains that yearly there are many protests and court cases in the U.S. and abroad where people try to block educational attempts to teach the theory of evolution and replace them with religious-based theories.Fortunately for evolutionary scientists they now have perhaps the greatest piece of evidence of all -- the largest evolutionary leap observed to date. The experiment started inconspicuously, with researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing by using a single Escherichia coli bacterium and its descendants to found 12 populations.Over 44,000 generations were observed and o...
More About: Science , Evolution , Tests

FCC to Hold Early Termination Fee Hearing Today
2008-06-12 21:04:00
U.S. Customers Could Look Forward To Nicer FeesThe FCC will hold an open meeting today (PDF) on the topic of Early Termination Fees, bringing in a variety of panelists to discuss the future of a thorny practice that, while rankling consumers, is claimed as necessary by the cellular service industry.Central to the discussion will be an industry-sponsored proposal that seeks to make massive changes in the way providers handle termination fees: under the proposed changes, customers would receive a 30-day grace period to cancel a contract after they sign it, and in the event of a terminated contract after that time, the applicable fees would be prorated down based on the contract's time remaining.Traditionally, cell phone companies charge the same termination fee regardless of where a customer is in their contract -- fees stay the same regardless of whether they are 60 days in, or only have 60 days left. This policy, combined with an increasingly skyward rise in the fees themselves, re...
More About: Gadgets , Today , Hold , Hearing

Microsoft Exec,No Plans for iPhone Clone
2008-06-12 21:02:00
Microsoft will keep focus on Windows Mobile and not worry about creating an iPhone cloneMicrosoft has mobile operating systems designed for mobile phones and the Zune MP3 player, but does not have any plans to roll both services into a Microsoft-branded phone any time soon.During an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Robbie Bach, Entertainment and Devices division president, said the company has no concrete plans to release an Apple iPhone clone in the future."We don't make phones ourselves. We don't have any plans to make phones ourselves. Our focus is on the belief that a phone is a very personal thing. Different people want different types of phones," Bach said during the interview.Microsoft will instead focus on Windows Mobile, which has shipped on 20 million mobile devices already. When asked about Steve Jobs' announcement of the new 3G iPhone, Bach said Microsoft already ships "lots" of 3G phones that are powered by the Windows Mobile operating system.Furthermo...
More About: Microsoft , Gadgets , Iphone , Clone , Plans

Toshiba Boosts 1.8", 5400 RPM HDDs to 160GB
2008-06-12 20:58:00
Toshiba takes the fight to SSDs with an expanded lineup of 5400RPM 1.8" HDDsBack in late February, DailyTech reported on Toshiba's introduction of 5400 RPM 1.8" HDDs into the marketplace. Traditionally, 1.8" HDDs were only available with a 4200 RPM spindle speed, but the boost to 5400 RPM was a welcome addition to help improve performance on the smallest notebooks and UMPCs.At the time of the announcement, Toshiba announced the availability of 80GB and 120GB models. Today, Toshiba's 5400 RPM 1.8" lineup is expanding to include a 160GB model and a revamped 80GB model.The new 160GB (MK1617GSG) drive uses two platters while its new 80GB (MK8017GSG) counterpart used a single platter -- Toshiba's 80GB offering launched in February required two platters to reach the same capacity. Both drives feature 8MB of cache, 15ms average seek time, a micro-SATA connectors and comply with SATA 2.6 specifications."Toshiba's eight years in perfecting 1.8-inch HDD technology puts us in a unique posi...
More About: Hardware , Toshiba

Apple Hopes to Cash in With Ringtones, Music Downloads For iPhone
2008-05-24 16:45:00
Apple and music label have high hopes that new music offerings will yield big profits.There's some moving and shaking going on between Apple and the major music labels. Preceding the release of the new 3G iPhone, Apple is looking for new ways to cash in on its growing popularity. And music labels are hoping to get perks of their own, by haggling with Apple to loosen some of its long time policies which have irked the labels.First, Apple and the labels are in talks for possible over-the-air downloads. Previously, the iPhone could not directly download songs via its cellular broadband network. However, thanks to faster speeds from the 3G networks, it should be possible at last to download songs on the go.Standing in the way are the music labels who are arguing that Apple needs to pay a higher price for over-the-air downloads, as opposed to standard downloads. The labels current sell standard downloads wholesale for 70 cents, which Apple in turn resells on its iTunes store for 99...
More About: Music , Hopes , Downloads , Apple , Cell Phones

ASUS Looks to Tame Rivals With Atom-based Eee PC 901
2008-05-24 16:42:00
ASUS readies yet another addition to the Eee PC familyYesterday, DailyTech reported on MSI's new Wind notebook which will do battle with ASUS' Eee PC 900. The MSI Wind has a slightly larger footprint than the Eee PC 900, but adds such features as an 80GB 2.5" SATA HDD, 10" display, and Bluetooth (on the high-end version).These features can all be had for the starting price of $399 according to MSI Director of U.S. Sales, Andy Tung. The pricing puts serious pressure on the 8.9" Eee PC 900 which is priced at $549.99.With all the buzz on the internet turning towards MSI's Wind, it's not too surprising that pictures of a reinvigorated Eee PC 901 have "leaked" to the internet. Blogeee.net posted a number of new images depicting a more rounded and chrome-laden model.As the name suggest, it appears that the Eee PC 901 will still soldier on with an 8.9" display instead of the forthcoming 10" display -- this would continue the precedent set by the Eee PC 701 (7" display) and the Eee PC 9...
More About: Laptops , Gadgets , Asus , Atom , Rivals

Building An "Iron Man" Pt. II: Jet-powered, Winged Flight
2008-05-24 16:35:00
"It's just my job five days a week, A rocket man, a rocket man"; New technology brings superstrength, can more new technology bring exoskeleton based flight to complete the "Iron Man "?The summer's hottest blockbuster is the superhero flick "Iron Man" which stars Robert Downey Jr. as weapons designer turned superhero Tony Stark. In part one of this two part series, we looked at the advances made in building exoskeletons, particularly Sarcos Inc.'s new Sarcos suit which can lift over 500 lbs, is maneuverable enough to handle stairs, and can run 30 minutes untethered.Having a super-powered suit is great, but aside from his power, the comic book character "Iron Man" had two other key attributes -- speed and flight. Without it, Iron Man would go from a superhero, to just plain super slow.Fortunately there are some promising technologies to give the exoskeleton fighting suit of the future super speed and flight. This article, the second part of this two part series, seeks to examine...
More About: Building , Robotic , Flight

Building An "Iron Man" Pt. I: Military Grade Exoskeleton
2008-05-24 16:29:00
Real life technologies mimics the comic books with breakthroughs in human exoskeletons.The summer's hottest blockbuster thus far has been Iron Man -- not even the runaway hit Grand Theft Auto IV could slow it down. The movie centers around a super hero using a high tech suit to perform heroic feats no ordinary man could. What's intriguing is just how close real life technology is to creating a slightly less insanely overpowered "Iron Man" suit.In the first entry of a two part series, this article examines the developments in exoskeleton technology from an enterprising startup recently acquired by a major defense contractor. The exoskeleton starts with a simple concept -- while large war machines like tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs) are mighty weapons, they lack the maneuverability of ground soldiers and provide a large target. However, ground soldiers lack the strength to carry sufficient stopping power to take on heavy vehicles.Sarcos Inc. has taken this concept a...
More About: Building , Military , Robotic

Microsoft cuts Vista prices just a year after its consumer launch
2008-03-06 20:12:00
Microsoft cuts Vista prices just a year after its consumer launchWindows Vista has received a sour reputation in the year it has been on the market. Some users of complained about driver incompatibility and performance issues -- among other things -- compared to the venerable Windows XP operating system the came before it. Microsoft addressed a number of these issues with Service Pack 1, but many consumers and businesses are still sticking with Windows XP.Microsoft is looking to give customers more incentive to upgrade to Windows Vista by cutting the price on some versions of the operating system. Although upgrade versions account for less than 10% of Vista licenses, two upgrade editions will see price cuts.The range-topping Windows Vista Ultimate (full) will fall from $399 to $319. Windows Vista Ultimate (upgrade) drops to $219 from $259. Finally, Windows Vista Home Premium (upgrade) had its price cut from $159 to $129."We anticipate these changed will provide greater opportunities...
More About: Software , Microsoft , Consumer , Launch

ECS Guns for Eee PC 900 With G10IL Notebook
2008-03-06 20:08:00
ECS shows off 11" notebook with HSDPAASUS made headlines around the globe earlier this week with the 8.9" Eee PC 900 at CeBIT. The second generation Eee PC improves upon its predecessor with a higher resolution screen, larger trackpad, more storage/memory and hopefully a faster/more power efficient processor.ASUS-rival ECS is tired of letting the Eee PC hog the spotlight in the sub-$500 price range and today showed off its 11" G10IL sub-notebook. Hard specifications for the device (processor, chipsets, memory, storage capacity/type, etc.) were not revealed, but we do know that the G10IL will come with three USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, VGA connection, 56k modem and built-in HSDPA 7.2.Although it wasn't mentioned, 802.11a/g support is a given and Bluetooth connectivity is likely for the production model. As with the Eee PC 401/Eee PC 900, no optical drive is included with the ECS G10IL.It should be interesting to see what processor platform ECS chooses to power the G10IL. The no...
More About: Laptops , Guns , Gadgets , Notebook

Olympus Launches World's Smallest DSLR Camera
2008-03-06 20:03:00
The Olympus E-420 is sized more like a point-and-shoot camera than a DSLROlympus announced a new digital SLR camera called the E-420 that it bills as the world?s smallest DSLR camera. Despite its small size, Olympus promises a full feature set.Olympus says the E-420 is small enough to fit into a purse or jacket pocket with measurements of 5.1-inches by 3.6-inches by 2.1-inches the E-420 is sized more like a point and shoot camera than a traditional DSLR. The camera is also very lightweight at only 13.4 ounces.Other features of the E-420 include autofocus with a live view LCD that allows users to frame shots with the LCD screen rather than the view finder is desired. The LCD itself is a 2.7-inch HyperCrystal II promising twice the contrast and better viewing in bright conditions. The camera uses a 10-megapixel Live-MOS sensor promising clear images even at high ISO settings.The E-420 is also compatible with wireless flash units form Olympus including the FL-50R and FL-36R. The camera...
More About: Camera , Digital Cameras

Major PC Powers to Form Gaming Alliance at GDC 2008
2008-02-17 12:04:00
Band of Brothers: Microsoft, Intel, NVIDIA, AMDMark Rein of Epic Games recently told the story of the shift in gaming from the PC to consoles.?When Call of Duty 4 came out, I heard some of our guys sitting around talking about the great game they'd had last night and I'm like, 'Hey guys, what server are you playing on? I'd love to come and join you,' and they said, 'Just send us a friends request,'? he said.?It was at that point I realized they were all playing it on console. Plus, the sales of the console versions are something like ten times the sales of the PC versions,? Rein continued. ?I'm a real fan of the PC, but yes, consoles are definitely stealing a lot of hardcore gamers from the PC.?The controlled nature of consoles, along with the multiplayer capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, are enticing former PC gaming faithful with their relatively hassle-free experience. The open, uncontrolled nature of the PC, is both the platform?s strength and weakness.Acco...
More About: Software , Gaming , Alliance , Form , Major

Firefox 3.0 Beta 3 Turns Up The Heat On The Competition
2008-02-17 12:02:00
The new Beta release of Firefox 3.0 is drawing glowing reviews, is shaping up by some's estimates to be an "IE slayer"With months left for Mozilla to fulfill its promise of releasing Firefox 3 .0 to the public in the first half of 2008, the company just launched its third beta candidate of the browser, leaving only one beta left. This indicates that Mozilla is well on its way to meeting its intend release timeframe. And if initial reviews of Firefox 3.0 beta 3 are to believed, Mozilla might be able to release the browser today with little worries if it had too.While Mozilla obviously will take its time, and stick to perfecting the fourth beta candidate, the third beta looks much more like a finished candidate than its prior brethren. The first beta focused on speed and leanness, and surprised testers with visibly faster page loads than the current generation Mozilla, Opera, Apple, and Microsoft browsers. The next beta maintained this new speed while beefing up security with a nu...
More About: Internet , Competition

Woman Sues Best Buy For $54M Over Lost Laptop
2008-02-17 11:59:00
Frustrated with what she sees as incompetence of Best Buy "Geek Squad" staffers who admittedly lost her computer, one woman files a whopper of a suitThe saga of one crazy suit began with Best Buy customer Raelyn Campbell's purchase of a laptop computer from a local Best Buy store in the D.C. area. A Best Buy staffer talked her into buying a $300 extended warranty. The warranty includes coverage by Best Buy's service technicians -- "Geek Squad" -- for three years, and replacements of defective hardware free of charge.Her laptop indeed experienced hardware malfunctions within a year when her on/off switch broke. At that point, Campbell breathed a sigh of relief that she purchased the warranty and took her laptop in to Best Buy. She turned in her laptop in May and was told that it would be up and running within two to six weeks. This was a major inconvenience to her, as she was a frequent business traveler, but she figured she just should stay optimistic that it came as soon as ...
More About: Lost , Laptop , Woman