Seagate Announces 1 TB Drives For India

Seagate has announced availability of its 1 Terabyte (TB) hard drives in India in its Maxtor Onetouch4 and Barracuda families. These new HDDs are targeted at home users and Sohos. These drives include Maxtor One Touch4 Plus, OneTouch4 Mini, and OneTouch4; and Barracuda 7200.11 and ES.2.The entire Maxtor family incorporates Maxtor Safety Drill, a solution for disaster recovery, which is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and the Mac operating system. It features one-touch synchronization and password encryption.

The 1TB Barracuda hard drives are the second generation desktop and perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) hard drives that seek to deliver a combination of capacity, performance, and reliability for a wide range of PC applications. The Barracuda 7200.11 and ES.2 deliver 7,200 rpm spin speeds, average seek times of 8.5 milliseconds, and caches up to 32 MB. The drives pack 1 TB of data on four disks to provide cool operating temperatures and low power consumption.

The Barracuda ES.2 is a newly designed hard drive featuring the new RVFF (Rotational Vibration Feed Forward) system, designed to sustain performance in densely-packed multi-drive systems. The drive also incorporates the new PowerTrim technology, which manages drive power consumption at all levels of activity.The 1 TB Barracuda 7200.11 is the 11th generation in the Barracuda 7200 series. The drive offers a continuous transfer rate of 105 MBps, with a low power rating of 8 watts at idle.

The new Maxtor and Barracuda products will be available in mid-November through Supertron computers. The pricing for these products has not been revealed yet. However, the 1 TB Barracuda will be available for Rs. 16,000.

THPG, CoD 4 Hit Indian Stores

Two of Activision’s latest games hit Indian stores this week, the first being the most excellent Call of Duty 4 for the PS3 (2799), Xbox 360 (2510) and PC (1299). Head right here for our CoD 4 review.



Next up is Tony Hawk’s latest game, Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground for the PS3 (2499), Xbox 360 (1895) and PC (1499).



Both games will be available at major retailers across the country from today.

PlayStation Experience in India This Month

In a bid to establish the presence of the PlayStation 3 in India (and push other Sony products while they’re at it), Sony Entertainment is planning on holding a PlayStation Experience on the 24th and 25th of November 07 at the Taj Land’s End in Mumbai.

This event will play out on the lines of E3, only it’ll be dominated by Sony products like the PS3, PS2 and PSP (we pray for booth babes). Also expected in this event, spread over more than 12,000 sq feet are various gaming zones like the Fantasy zone, Action zone, Family Zone, Blu Ray Zone and much more.

The best part is that this event is open to everyone so all you have to do is get your butt to the venue on the above mentioned days and have a good time.

AMD Launches Enthusiast Platform - Spider

AMD has unveiled its new platform codenamed “Spider”, with quad-core processor supporting scalable graphics. The AMD Spider platform combines the introduction of AMD Phenom quad-core processors, ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series graphics processors with Microsoft DirectX 10.1 support, AMD 7-Series chipsets with CrossFireX and AMD OverDrive software.

AMD’s Spider platform seeks to advance enthusiast computing by delivering a multi-GPU enthusiast platform with ATI CrossFireX technology. The combination of the 55nm ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series of graphics processors and the increased system bandwidth of PCI Express Generation 2.0 and HyperTransport 3.0 technology, aims to provide optimal processing power for a scalable HD multi-GPU experience. This is achieved with the help of HyperTransport 3.0 technology that has more system bandwidth than ever before with up to 14.4 GB/second of high bandwidth I/O. This allows for smooth 1080P video playback, enhanced multi-GPU and high-speed disk and network interfaces. This new platform also ensures support for the only true quad-core processor and infrastructure flexibility with AM2+ socket.

For the video enthusiasts, the AMD Spider platform offers the addition of the visual processing capabilities of the ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series. These new series of cards support UVD, which ensures platform efficiency and image quality in HD-DVD and Blu-ray decoding for both H.264 and VC-1 specifications. The new platform allows for big screen gaming and entertainment with enhanced HDMI connectivity with integrated HDCP and audio for HDMI video.

The AMD 7-Series chipsets introduce the latest ATI CrossFireX technology, supporting three or four ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series graphics processors. AMD 7-Series chipsets support up to four graphics processors and 42 PCI Express lane. The new chipsets also offer AMD OverDrive software - a Windows operating system-based performance tuning utility. Through a Windows operating system-based interface, AMD OverDrive software enthusiast can tweak their systems to achieve maximum efficiency in overclocking.

AMD Phenom processors 9600 (2.3GHz) and 9500 (2.2GHz) are now available for US$283 and US$251 respectively. The ATI Radeon HD 3850 with 256MB of GDDR3 memory begins at US$179 and the ATI Radeon HD 3870 with 512MB GDDR4 memory from US$219.

Nseries Challenges With Digital Playzone

Nokia Nseries has announced a technology challenge - Digital Playzone - in India.

With this initiative, Nokia Nseries brings together technology enthusiasts and entertainment in an interactive digital lifestyle format. To be held over the weekend from November 30-December 02, 2007, four aspiring 'Technoholics' will be selected to go into a glass enclosure where they will perform a series of difficult tasks while living the ultimate tech life for three consecutive evenings. The Nseries Digital Playzone is being held in seven countries acsoss Asia.

Nokia Nseries along with a panel will screen 15 short listed candidates to select four Technoholics to enter the Nokia Nseries Digital Playzone. The Digital Playzone will showcase the convergence of technology and entertainment in a competitive setting. The enclosed Technoholics will race to complete tasks that include performing entertaining acts with the audience. It will allow the selected Technoholics to interact with and experience the latest in consumer technology, from entertainment, imaging, video, gaming and music.

The glass enclosure will allow the viewing audience and those walking by to watch and actively participate.

"Nokia Nseries is proud to host the Digital Playzone because it highlights the key qualities of discovery, exploration and sharing the latest in technology," said Vineet Taneja, Business Director, Multimedia, Nokia India. "Nokia believes in enabling connectivity, between people, technology and applications. So this challenge is a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the latest consumer technology and create a fun competition that brings different communities together through participation."

Aspiring Technoholics from across the country are invited to register at www.nokia.co.in/digitalplayzone, where they will need to submit their particulars, complete a short questionnaire and explain why they should be considered India's resident Technoholic.

The Digital Playzone portal will serve as a one stop shop for viewing entries and photos submitted by potential Technoholics. Digital Playzone will also be open for public voting allowing people to vote for their favorite Technoholic. Entries and voting are open till November 20, 2007.

PlayStation 3 Turns One Year Old

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) on Friday celebrated the first birthday of its PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system. Launched a year ago in North America, PS3 has revolutionized the industry with enhanced computational power, Blu-ray Disc capabilities, and free access to the PlayStation Network where users can experience online gaming, connect with other PS3 users, as well as download games, movies and other content.

In its first year, more than 200 software titles have been released for PS3 and more than 60 million pieces of content have been downloaded from the PlayStation Network worldwide. Also, through the continued support of and dialogue with PS3 users, hardware advancements and features have been added to the system through firmware updates, making it the most advanced computer entertainment system on the market today.

"When we designed PS3 our goal was to introduce a system so technically advanced that it could stand the test of time and could take the industry in a whole new direction, which for PS3 was high-definition entertainment," said Jack Tretton, President and CEO of SCEA. "While we're excited by the progress we've made this first year, we know that like our other platforms, the best is yet to come, especially given our new hardware and software lineup, and that PS3 will continue to take the industry to new heights for years to come."

PS3 is the first gaming system to provide a capacity of 50GB, thanks to its Blu-ray functionality. Current PS3 first party games are in the 20GB range, well north of the threshold of HD-DVD or DVD, allowing for unmatched potential for games, movies and other media.

"The inclusion of the Blu-ray drive in PS3 reflects Sony's absolute commitment to the format," said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation. "We firmly believe that Blu-ray is the best high definition format for consumers, providing superior capacity, next-generation games, more hit movie titles, and the best possible picture and sound quality. With PS3, you get an amazing game machine and a state-of-the-art high definition movie player, and it is clear from recent sales numbers that this combination is resonating with millions of PS3 customers."

SCEA recently introduced new PS3 hardware models and pricing and the company is already seeing strong sales momentum as a result -- PS3 sales have increased by 192 percent at the top 10 retailers in North America. The availability of new hardware, combined with the release of more than 160 software titles, is expected to sustain momentum through this holiday season and beyond.

SCEA also recently launched a new PS3 advertising campaign, the company's biggest marketing effort to date, designed to deliver a high-energy message with a focus on the exciting entertainment value of PS3 and exclusive content found only on PS3.

BCCI Launches www.bcciregistration.com

To streamline umpires' and referees' postings domestically and cut paperwork, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has launched www.bcciregistration.com though its much-delayed main website is yet to go online.

The tender for the rights of www.bcci.tv, the official website of the BCCI, has been floated. Eventually, the two websites will merge when the website rights are allotted next year.

For the time being, the BCCI has started coordinating with umpires, match referees and its affiliated units through the partial website by giving a unique password to them.

The International Cricket Council has been asking the BCCI for years to do away with paperwork and correspond only through email to save time and energy. Finally, the BCCI seems to have started listening to the ICC.

"This year we have kept both options open – paper and online – for the BCCI associations to register their players with the board. From next year, all work will be done only online," said Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI's chief administrative officer.

He disclosed that the BCCI was also in the process of printing booklets on all its 30 affiliated associations.

"The booklet will have all the relevant information about the associations, like when they were formed and on which grounds they play matches. This information will also be put up in the associations' section on www.bcciregistration.com," he said.

The partial website, for now, has sections for umpires, associations and referees.

Besides posting the information on the website, the board is informing umpires and referees of their match postings through email and SMS messages, said Shetty.

Asked when the main website would be launched, he said: "Can't say when it would become functional as it is a mater with the board's marketing committee."

BCCI, the world's richest cricket board and worth $9.6 billion, is the only one of the 10 test-playing countries that does not have a proper website, while many tiny cricket-playing nations have fully functional websites.

Microsoft's 80GB Zune in Short Supply

has sold out across the Web, to the dismay of online shoppers and the delight of the world's largest software maker.

Amazon told customers via its message board that their preordered devices for November 13 shipping would not be sent for 10 more days.

While web retailers have 4GB and 8GB versions of the second-generation Zunes in stock, the 80GB music player is not available on Amazon, Best Buy or Circuit City's websites.

Microsoft said it prioritized the manufacture of the smaller Zune 4 and Zune 8 devices, and that more of the 80GB version should be on shelves, both physical and virtual, in the next 10-14 days.

Rumors of a manufacturing delay spread across consumer electronics blogs this week.

"I think they were already probably a little later than they would like to be, given Apple's iPod announcement of a new line of the market-leading devices in September," said Matt Rosoff, an analyst at the independent research group Directions on Microsoft. "They probably wanted to get anything out the door as soon as they could."

Quite a few Zunes have "definitely shipped and sold", and Amazon is being given a limited number each week, said Anya Waring, an Amazon spokeswoman.

ATI Launches HD 3850 and HD 3870 GPUs

ATI in a move that is sure to make its long-time fans happy, has finally shipped its much expected HD 3800 series of GPUs. The new cards that have been unveiled are the Radeon HD 3850 and 3870. Both are manufactured on a 55nm process and are among the first series of cards to support Directx 10.1 and also represent the first step in the launch of AMD's upcoming enthusiast platform codenamed "Spider."


These new graphics cards will be priced at two different price levels. The 3850 will be aimed at the $180 price market while the 3870 will be priced at $220. These price points put these cards squarely into the “performance level markets” according to AMD.

In their specifications the single-slot Radeon HD 3850 comes with 256MB of GDDR2 memory, with a core clock speed of 670MHz and memory clock speed of 1.66GHz. It also features 320 stream processors, PCI Express 2.0 system bus support and DirectX 10.1 support. The dual-slot 3870 has 512MB of GDDR4 memory, 775+MHz core clock speed and 2.25GHz memory clock speed,

"With the introduction of the ATI Radeon HD 3800 series we are redefining the market for enthusiast graphics with a new class of price, performance and features that have never been seen before in this industry," said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Graphics Product Group, AMD. "Through a flawless transition to 55nm and Microsoft DirectX® 10.1, we can deliver an unprecedented level of scalable performance, image quality enhancements and power efficiency at the sub- $200 segment that rivals today's most expensive graphics processors and opens up enthusiast gaming to more end users than ever before."

Singapore Bans Game Over Lesbian Scene

Singapore has banned an Xbox video game because it contains a sex scene between a woman and a female alien, the city-state's censors said Thursday.

''Mass Effect,'' a futuristic space adventure published by Microsoft Corp., has been banned because of ''lesbian intimacy,'' Chetra S., deputy director of the Board of Film Censors, in a statement.

Players can engage their avatars in a variety of sexual encounters during the game, though none between men or between men and male aliens, according to reports on several blogs. The human-alien duo are depicted kissing and caressing each other in a sex scene that The Straits Times English-language newspaper in Singapore reported ends with the alien saying, ''By the gods, that was incredible, commander.''

A Microsoft spokesman in Singapore said Microsoft respected Singapore's decision to ban the game, which is to launch globally on Nov. 20.

'''Mass Effect' features realistic content and interactions in the context of the science-fiction story line,'' Ian Tan, marketing communications manager for Southeast Asia said. ''The game takes a mature approach to various relationships amongst characters throughout the game and the content in question is another dynamic of that.''

Chetra, of the censors' board, said Singapore's video games industry is largely self-regulated, with game importers responsible for declaring to the censorship board that the game content falls within a set of guidelines.

''This helps to ensure that games are suitable for a general audience and do not feature exploitative or gratuitous sex and violence, or denigrate any race or religion,'' Chetra said.

Other video games that have been banned this year include ''God of War II,'' for nudity, and ''The Darkness,'' for ''excessive violence and religiously offensive expletives,'' Chetra said.

Chetra said the city-state's Media Development Authority, which oversees the censors' board, will introduce classification for video games next year, a move that could allow games such as ''Mass Effect'' to be passed under a mature classification.

Authorities in Singapore have banned gay festivals and censored gay films, saying homosexuality should not be advocated as a lifestyle choice. Under Singapore law, gay sex is deemed ''an act of gross indecency,'' punishable by a maximum of two years in jail. Despite the official ban on gay sex, there have been few prosecutions.

Apple Patches Leopard

Apple has released a huge security rollout for its products including its latest OS, Leopard. The latest update to Mac OS X 10.5.1, which weighs in at 321.5 Mb includes changes to a host of Leopard features, such as fixing a problem that cripples some software like Skype, when the firewall was put or setup in its most flexible option of data transfer monitoring. It also tackles problems formatting drives before they can be used with Time Machine, the integrated backup and restore software.

Among other fixes Apple has put out a total of 51 patches, 41 of which tackled vulnerabilities in the Mac OS X operating system. Among these 41 patches about 15 are rated as extremely critical i.e. can lead to a system being completely compromised. The remaining 26 deal with various other problems like “drive-by” web hacks to system oriented hacks which have to be maliciously applied by a person sitting on the machine.

The remaining 10 fixes are for their Safari browser. These include fixes for “Cross-site scripting” vulnerabilities and other “drive-by” hacks. One of these updates was however crucial because it permitted remote code execution.

For further details please head on to this security advisory.

YES YMP8 MP3 Player Launched in India

IDLDPL has launched the YES YMP8 MP3 player in the Indian market. Featuring an attached neck strap, the YES YMP8 is aimed at people looking for an MP3 player for gym, daily commute and weekend traveling.

The player is equipped with a USB 2.0 full speed connector and is available in white in 1GB capacity. It supports MP3/ WAV/ WMA and users can adjust the equalizers from 7 different modes including Normal, Bass, Rock, Jazz, Classic, Pop and User.

The LCD display of YMP8 emits 7 backlighting colors- Purple, White, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Cyan. It also displays song titles and battery life information and a features voice recorder.

The player weighs 20gms with dimension 79(L) X 29(W) X 20(D) mm.

Deepakraj Singh, Brand manager for YES at IDLDPL said, "The price and performance of YES YMP8 MP3 player is so attractive that this can be easily affordable for the young users in colleges and school. The product with its display, FM, Voice recording feature is very competitively priced with good sound quality thus its a must have for all music lovers."

The player is priced at Rs. 2199 for 1GB and is now available.

Motorola Launches MOTO Q 8, 9h in India

Motorola has introduced the MOTO Q 8, the GSM version of the original CDMA-based MOTO Q, as well as the flagship, quad-band 3G QWERTY, the MOTO Q 9h, in India.

The MOTO Q 9h, based on the Windows Mobile 6 operating system, features a dual-processor HSDPA/UMTS engine, enabling downloads at up to 3.6Mbps. Moto Q 8 is a quad band GPRS/EDGE1 QWERTY device that is also based on Windows Mobile 6 operating system.

"Motorola is expanding its range in the enterprise segment in India with the launch of MOTO Q 8 and MOTO Q 9h'" said Lloyd Mathias, Director Marketing, India & South West Asia for Motorola Mobile Devices. "The MOTO Q 9h was developed as a multi-purpose communication device that is easy to use and doesn't compromise on experiences. This smartphone offers state-of-the art voice quality technology, messaging, speed, processing power, keyboard and display packaged within a sleek design for the modern consumer. A complete productivity and entertainment-on-the-go device."

Both MOTO Q 8 and MOTO Q9h are preloaded with Documents To Goapplication which enables user to create, edit and view Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and Powerpoint slides and view PDF files.

The MOTO Q 9h features a 2.0 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and video plays back at 30 frames per second. It has 2GB of optional removable microSD storage and 256MB4 of on-board flash memory and integrated Bluetooth.

The MOTO Q 8 GSM and MOTO Q 9h will be available at all Indian MOTOSTOREs and participating retailers.

The MOTO Q 8 GSM is available at an MRP of Rs. 17,359 while the MOTO Q 9h is available at an MRP of Rs. 20,720. Both come with 1GB mini SD Card and a portable charger.

Sagem Launches New Slim Affordable Mobile

Pratham telecom, national distributors of Sagem France, has unveiled their new phone – the Sagem Bleu 454x. The new Bleu 454x offers a range of easy-to-use features and is designed for the mid-range market, which is the industry's broadest audience.

"The Indian market and potential for the mid range handsets is huge. Bleu foresees tapping a large chunk of the audience in this segment and therefore they introduced Bleu 454x in India." said Sajal Roy – Senior General Manager - Pratham Telecom (I) Pvt. Ltd.

Sagem Bleu 454x weighs 75 grams and measures less than 10.3 mm thin. It comes with an integrated music player, Fm Radio and a VGA camera with Video recording and playback. It also supports external memory and Mp3 & Polyphonic ring-tones. The company also provides an extra battery along with the other accessories.

The Sagem Bleu 454x is available in stores and is priced at Rs. 4699.

Tata Supercomputer 4th Fastest in the World

The supercomputer facility at Computational Research Laboratories (CRL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Ltd, has been ranked as the 4th fastest supercomputer in the world and fastest supercomputer in Asia, according to the Top500 Supercomputer list announced at SC07, the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis at Reno, Nevada, USA.

Called EKA (the Sanskrit name for number one), the supercomputer was built at the CRL facility at Pune.

EKA uses nearly 1800 computing nodes and has a peak performance of 170 Teraflops (TFlops or Trillion Floating Point Operations per Second) and a sustained performance of 120 Teraflops based on the LINPACK benchmarks which are used by the world-wide community to rank supercomputers based on performance.

EKA, the CRL supercomputer follows a near-circular layout of the data centre unlike the traditional Hot Aisle & Cold Aisle rows. This near-circular layout enables the building of densely packed supercomputers and this is the first time this architecture has been tried out on this scale.

Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata group said, "High performance computing solutions have an ever-increasing role in the scientific and new technological space the world over. The Tata group has supported this development activity and is extremely proud of the team that has developed and built this supercomputer, which is now ranked as the world's fourth fastest. I am sure this supercomputer and its successor systems will make a major contribution to India's ongoing scientific and technological initiatives."

"CRL's supercomputer, EKA, has put India at the forefront of high performance and supercomputing technology globally. EKA gives us the ability to address applications in multiple disciplines including software development and research," said S Ramadorai, Chairman of CRL and CEO & MD of Tata Consultancy Services. "The successful launch of the supercomputer has been driven by an exemplary team at CRL working collaboratively with scientists across the Tata group.

The CRL supercomputer has been built using CLOS Architecture with off-the-shelf servers and Infiniband Interconnect technologies with Linux as the operating system. This is the first ever site in the world which has used the Dual Data Rate Infiniband with fibre- optic cable technology for superior performance.

This CRL supercomputer includes nodes and racks built by Hewlett Packard (HP Cluster Platform 3000 BL460c system) which uses high speed quad-core Clovertown processors from Intel and Dual Data Rate Infiniband switches from Mellanox Corp. and Voltaire Corp.

In the near term, CRL is targeting and developing applications such as neural simulation, molecular simulation, computational fluid dynamics, crash simulation, and digital media animation and rendering. The longer term application areas would include financial modelling, seismic modelling, geophysical signal processing, weather prediction, medical imaging, nanotechnology, personalized drug discovery, real time rendering, and virtual worlds among others. CRL also intends to offer high performance and supercomputer system integration, research, applications and software services to its customers around the globe in the area of high performance computing.

Amazon to Unveil E-Book Reader

Amazon.com Inc. is expected to unveil its long-awaited e-book reader at a media event Monday in New York, according to this report.

Word of the Kindle, as the device is called, made its way onto blogs more than a year ago, but the Web retailer has remained mum on details. CNet reported that the reader will cost $399 and be able to connect to Amazon's e-book store via a Wi-Fi connection or with a Sprint Nextel Corp. cellular connection.

Craig Berman, an Amazon spokesman, declined to comment. The company sent out media invitations for an event at the W Hotel in New York's Union Square neighborhood on Monday but would not discuss the reason for the event.

The device is reported to have a headphone jack for listening to audio books, and can be set to automatically download content, such as the New York Times.

T-Series Drags YouTube to Court

Entertainment major T-Series has taken video-sharing website YouTube to court, alleging violation of copyrights for its music products. Bhushan Kumar of T-Series filed a case against YouTube and its parent company Google Inc in the Delhi High Court.

On November 5, the court had issued a notice against YouTube and Google, and passed an interim order restraining them from "reproducing, adapting, distributing, communicating, transmitting, disseminating or displaying on their websites or otherwise infringing in any manner any audio visual works in which the SCIL (Super Cassettes Industries Ltd, which owns the T-Series brand) owns exclusive, valid and subsisting copyright".

"You can free download and upload on YouTube and the website is using our promotional materials without seeking our permission," said Kumar.

"We have been negotiating with them for a long time, but they get away by saying, 'Surfers are doing it, we are not doing anything'. But they are allowing surfers to use their website to do the crime and they should pay for it. It's harming our business."

"More hits means more revenues. People are flocking the website and it earns revenues in millions from advertisements. It encourages people to upload copyrighted work on the website without obtaining any license or permission from the rightful copyright owners and without paying them any royalty," he added.

Kumar claimed that the revenue of the music industry had gone down by 40-50 percent because of the "illegal websites".

"After Google took over YouTube, it paid a huge amount of money to foreign music labels to allow them to use their promotional materials, but they are not doing the same for Indian music companies," he claimed.

SE Launches W910i in India

Sony Ericsson has launched its latest slim slider phone, the W910i, in India. With dimensions of 99.5 x 50 x 12.5 mm and a weight of just 86 grams, this Walkman phone has incorporated much of Sony Ericsson’s new mobile technology.

To start with, there's the new Shake Control system that allows users to change music tracks simply by waving the phone in the air. Secondly, the W910i has an auto-rotating display for the media section.

The W910i uses SE's new SenseMe playlist creation system. You can choose songs and create playlists based on your moods, than by artist or album. Tracks are presented in a unique visual that shows each song as dots in a matrix and places them according to tempo and style.

The phone has a 2 megapixel camera, and a secondary camera in front for video calling. It has some interesting gaming functions that allow you to control certain games by balancing the phone on your palm and moving it around. It also incorporates Sony’s Walkman v3.0.

The Sony Ericsson W910i Walkman phone is available in two colors – Hearty Red and Noble Black – and will retail for around Rs 19,000. Since we were lucky enough to get a prototype to test, you may want to check out our first impressions of the W910i here.

MAC 07: GSMA Announces Award Winners

At the recent GSMA Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, the global trade association for mobile operators announced the winners of the Asia Mobile Awards 2007, as well as the category winners and the overall winner of the Asia Mobile Innovation Awards.

Hosted by Taiwanese actor, VJ and TV star, David Wu, the ceremony took place at the new Venetian Hotel in Macau. Artists like Craig David and Taiwanese 'pop princess' Elva also performed during the show.

"We're delighted with this year's Asian Mobile Awards – they recognize the sheer pace of progress that's been made right across the region's mobile communication market. Our congratulations to the winners and nominees and our thanks to everyone who participated," said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association.

The winners of the Asia Mobile Awards 2007 are:

Best Mobile Game
Gameloft - Real Football 2007

Best Mobile Music Service
PCCW Mobile HK - MOOV on Mobile

Best Mobile Advertising
Zad Mobile/Smart Communications/Pepsi - 1-IN-5 Panalo Summer Promotion

Best Mobile Social Networking Service
BuzzCity - myGamma

Best Mobile Broadband Handset / Device
- Motorola - MOTORAZR2 V9
- Highly Commended - LG Electronics for Shine

The overall Mobile Innovation Award winner was also announced at the industry Awards Gala Party held at the Venetian Hotel last night.

The four category winners for the Asia Mobile Innovation awards are:

Most Innovative Wireless Device-centric Technology
Telegent Systems, USA

Most Innovative Carrier Infrastructure or Platform
3ple-Media, Netherlands

Most Innovative Mobile Application in a Vertical Market
Integra Micro Systems, India

Most Innovative Consumer Application or Service
Consilient Technologies Corporation, Canada

And the overall winner for the Asia Mobile Innovation Awards is:
Consilient Technologies Corporation, Canada

The GSMA Mobile Asia Congress ends today.

LG.Philips Develops Dirt-Resistant LCD Panels

Tired of irritating smudges, dust and fingerprints on laptop computer screens? LG.Philips LCD Co., the world's second-largest manufacturer of liquid crystal displays, has developed a dirt-resistant easy-to-clean panel for notebook computers.

"Our new panel employs a principle similar to that used on non-stick frying pans," Ahn Byung-chul, who leads development of advanced technology at the company, said in a statement. "Dirt and oil can easily be wiped away."

TFT-LCD panels usually feature a coating on the surface of the polarizer film, designed to reduce glare and reflections. Because of their chemical properties, some of these coatings have a tendency to hold on to dirt and oil. A computer user’s fingers are a ready source of both, and people touch the hinged screens on notebook computers quite often in order to adjust them.

Generally, to make LCD panels dirt-resistant, manufacturers must add a second coating to the polarizer film in addition to the glare-reduction coating. This is a time-consuming process that adds to overheads. LG.Philips LCD has found a way to eliminate this additional step.

"Fingerprints have always been an especially big annoyance and if they're not cleaned immediately become even harder to remove from the screen. That's why we developed this new technology,” Ahn added.

The South Korean company said the panel, which even facilitates the removal of ink, would go into production in the first half of 2008. The technology will be first applied to its 15.4-inch widescreen panels for notebook computers, and later for notebook panels of all sizes by the end of next year.

Samsung India Eyes Second Spot in Sales

Samsung India Electronics Pvt Ltd is working at becoming number two in the Indian mobile phone handset market. It is currently ranked third.

According to Samsung deputy managing director Ravinder Zutshi, the company would soon come out with a range of handsets with multimedia and FM radio features.

Zutshi said the company has invested $180 million in India at its two manufacturing facilities, at Noida near New Delhi and Sriperumbudur near Chennai. It plans to spend another $70 million at the Sriperumbudur facility.

"We are focused on selling higher-end handsets," Zutshi said. He added that a customer buying a Samsung handset for the second time would always go for a model with better features and that is the market segment Samsung is targeting.

The company expects the renewed thrust would better utilise its installed capacity of producing 500,000 units a year. It presently makes around 300,000 units a year.

"Even in the consumer durables market, we're in the premium segment. We play by technology and product features; not by price," Zutshi said. He added that Samsung India would close this year with total revenues of $1.3 billion.

Epson Releases New 3LCD Projector

Epson has announced the launch of the EMP-DM1, an affordable, HD-Compatible entertainment center for instant gaming and big-screen movie applications. The device is HD compatible (720p resolution) and is easily connected to your computer, games console, digital camera, or USB memory storage.

The EMP-DM1 can be carried between rooms easily because of its integrated handle, and with just one power lead you can start watching your DVDs. The integrated stereo speakers deliver high quality sound to complete the home cinema experience. In addition to DVD viewing (with DivX compatibility), the projector can be used to display a wide choice of multimedia content on a big screen.

Graeme Davidson, Product Manager for Home Video Projectors, Epson UK, said: "The Epson EMP-DM1 brings big-screen fun to the home at an affordable price. Being simple to set up and use makes it the ideal home entertainment centre for families with children. It is the perfect way to watch films, listen to music, play computer games or enjoy a slideshow of family photos and videos."

The Epson EMP-DM1 is available in the UK for £449 RRP, including VAT.

Price Cut Boosts PlayStation 3 Sales in US

Sales of the PlayStation 3 in the US more than doubled in the weeks after the company slashed the video game console's price by $100 and launched a low-end model.

Sony said it sold more than 100,000 consoles of all types in the week ending November 11.

The price cut and new model make the PS3 more competitive against Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360 as the holiday season opens, claimed Sony Corp. CEO Howard Stringer.

Sony said it had been selling between 30,000 and 40,000 consoles per week before the October 18 price cut from $599 to $499 of the 80GB model.

Sales rose to 75,000 in the week of October 29, reflecting both the lower price of the high-end model and the introduction of a 40GB model for $399 on November 2. It was the following week that sales hit 100,000, according to Sony.

Lagging sales of the PS3, compared to sales of the Wii and XBox 360, prompted Sony to cut the price in the US as it had in Japan and Europe.

Stringer said Sony is poised to benefit from the difficulty Nintendo has had producing Wii consoles fast enough to keep up with demand.

By October, Nintendo had shipped 9.3 million units worldwide of the Wii, which went on sale late last year. By the end of this fiscal year, total global Wii shipments are expected to reach 22.3 million.

Sony had sold 5 million PS3s worldwide by October. The game console went on sale late last year in Japan and the US, and in March in Europe.

Microsoft had sold 11.6 million Xbox 360 machines in two years.

Sony executives said the rising sales also will boost the Blu-ray DVD format, as each PS3 comes with a Blu-ray drive.

Apple's Leopard is Here

Apple has announced the availability of its latest OS, Leopard for the Indian market.

This new upgrade has more than 300 new features and introduces a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to access files from the Dock; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; and Time Machine, an interactive way to automatically back up everything on a Mac.

Leopard’s new desktop includes the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks, which is an easier and faster way to organize files and documents of a similar variety for quick and easy access with just one click. This is especially helpful as Leopard automatically places web, email and other downloads in a Downloads stack to maintain a clutter-free desktop.

The updated Finder includes Cover Flow and a new sidebar which is a simplified way to search for, browse and copy content from any PC or Mac on a local network. Content on any computer on a local network can now be searched using Spotlight, browsed using Cover Flow or copied across the network with a simple drag.

Quick Look helps users to look inside files without launching them or even having the application that created them. With Quick Look, users can instantly view full-screen, high-resolution files including media files from any view in the Finder.

Spaces is a new way to organize their work by creating customized desktops, which can contain only those applications or documents needed for each project, with the ability to quickly switch between Spaces with the mouse or keyboard.

Time Machine lets users easily back up all of the data on their Mac, find lost files and even restore all of the software on their Mac. With just a one-click setup, Time Machine automatically keeps an up-to-date copy of everything on the Mac. In the event a file is lost, users can search back through time to find deleted files, applications, photos another digital media and then instantly restore the file.

Mail has been updated in Leopard and features more than 30 stationery designs and layouts. Notes and To Dos help users stay organized by acting just like emails that can be easily created, saved as drafts, synced across multiple Macs and stored in Smart Mailboxes. Data detectors automatically sense phone numbers, addresses and events so they can be added to Address Book or iCal with just a few clicks.

iChat offers richer video chats in Leopard with iChat Theater, which makes it easy to show photos, presentations, videos or files in a video conference; screen sharing which lets users remotely view and operate another Mac

In terms of pricing Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard is available now through Apple Authorized Resellers for a maximum retail price of Rs. 6,200 for a single user license. The Mac OS X Leopard Family Pack is a single-residence, five-user license that is available for a maximum retail price of Rs. 9660. The standard Mac OS Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after October 1, 2007 for a shipping and handling fee of Rs. 461.

Nokia's N82 Finally Released

After being teased with the info that the phone exists, but with no news on the release date or pricing, it’s finally here. Nokia has launched the N82. Another high end mobile from the Finnish mobile makers with a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. But this time, unlike the N95, they equipped the phone with a Xenon flash.

The N82 is also equipped with A-GPS for navigation with preinstalled Nokia maps and all the standard packages come with a free voice guided navigation trial. You can purchase additional features, such as city guides and longer subscription to the navigation. Also available in the standard pack is a 2GB micro SD card.

"The evolution of camera capabilities in mobile devices has been extremely fast over the past years. With the Nokia N82 we have reached such a superior level in image quality, speed and ease of use that not only does it outperform any other camera phone on the market, but it's also a very credible alternative for single purpose digital still cameras," said Satu Ehrnrooth, head of Nokia Nseries Cameras Category, Multimedia, Nokia. "In addition to the high-end camera, the Nokia N82 also enables you to navigate and discover new places, enjoy your music, browse the web, play games, chat online and be part of the global web 2.0 community wherever you go. Thanks to the wireless broadband connectivity, convergence and yet again increased performance, the Nokia N82 is all you need in your pocket!"
Among the other features are Wi-Fi connectivity, 3G capabilities with HSDPA for faster internet connection, Bluetooth with A2DP capabilities and miniUSB v2.0. The N82 also has an integrated Stereo FM radio, TV out, document viewer and a new auto rotate feature so if the phone is turned the display automatically switches to landscape mode. It also supports N-Gage games and has a direct upload feature for your images, so it will simultaneously upload your files while you use the phone for any other purpose.

The Nokia N82 is available now in key markets with an estimated, pre-tax, unsubsidized sales price of approximately Rs. 25,810(450 euros).

Nokia Gets Arty With the New 8800s

Nokia’s 8800 series has always embodied class, elegance and a very artful feel and has always managed to make the very traditional, simplistic design look like something that’s more of a status symbol than a mobile phone. The latest additions to the series are the Nokia 8800 Arte (art) and Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte.

Both phones are essentially the same, except for the fact that the Sapphire Arte version has a genuine sapphire gemstone embedded in the center of the 5 way nav-pad. Aside from their traditional metal and glass bodies the surfaces now have an Anti-fingerprint coating (about time guys). Both these new models have taken the series to whole new level being equipped with a 3 megapixel, auto-focus cameras, 3G capabilities and having 1GB of internal memory. They also come with 2 inch, QVGA, 240x320 pixels resolution, OLED displays with up to 16 million colors. The Arte models also use the new standardized microUSB connectors for charging and data transfer.

Apart from the physical traits that clearly make these models in the series stand out, Nokia has also incorporated some fancy new technology into these Arte pieces. First off is the "turn-to-mute" feature wherein all you need to do if you want to silence an incoming call is simply flip the phone over on it’s back. Another new feature is a Tap for Time function. By lightly tapping the metal portion under the screen an analogue clock appears on the screen.

Continuing a tradition of incorporating exclusive soundtracks in its premium handsets, Nokia has invited the internationally acclaimed master producers Kruder & Dorfmeister to add their standout musical style by creating a unique compilation for these new devices. Owners of the Nokia 8800 Arte and Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte will be able to enjoy an exclusive videotrack and soundtrack composed by Kruder & Dorfmeister with visuals by Fritz Fitzke.

Each handset comes with an assortment of mobile accessories that includes the Nokia BH-803 Bluetooth headset with Active Noise Cancellation and touch sensitive volume adjustment. Each handset also comes with a leather pouch with a linen lining and a separate matching desk stand.

The Nokia 8800 Arte will start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007 at an estimated retail price of Rs. 57,355 (1000 EUR) before taxes and subsidies. The Nokia 8800 Sapphire Arte will follow in the first quarter of 2008 and retail for approximately Rs. 65,957 (1150 EUR) before taxes and subsidies.

Supreme Commander Headed for Xbox 360

Gas Powered Games’ real-time strategy Supreme Commander is all set to be ported to the Xbox 360, courtesy of publisher Aspyr Media. Here’s what the game’s lead designer Chris Taylor had to say:

"Aspyr's developer-friendly publishing environment delivers 100% on our vision for bringing Supreme Commander to the Xbox 360. We believe that we've raised the bar for RTS gaming on the PC, and now, co-developing with Hellbent Games, we know that we can do the same on consoles."

For more on the game, head over to Nikhil's seething review here.

Philips Launches New Universal Remote

Philips will extend its range of Prestigo premium universal remote controls with the launch of the new SRU8015 model. The development of the new Philips Prestigo has focused on ease-of-use, with channel icons now displayed to give access to programs coupled with the ability to control up to 15 home entertainment devices.

The device features a 2”, 176 x 220 full-color LCD screen, a rotary wheel and white key backlighting for navigation. With its advanced on-screen set-up wizard, the universal remote can be used without needing to access a PC, or a complex manual. Once set up, the SRU8015’s rotary wheel and FAV (for favorites), HOME and MORE navigation buttons provide instant selection of video and audio entertainment.

The FAV button immediately directs users to a screen where up to 100 preferred channel icons can be selected (from a total choice of 400), allowing users to select favorite programs by icon rather than needing to remember digit keys. By pressing 'MORE', users can access a page of special functions that ensure all existing remote control functionality is available in the SRU8015, while the HOME button provides an icon-based overview of devices that can be controlled or activities to be selected.

The SRU8015 universal remote supports almost any product, and can learn codes of new remotes simply by pointing the handset and the device or existing remote control at each other. The product also allows users to enter text for activities, device names and functions added to the device.

The SRU8015 is available now for an approximate high street selling price of £99.99.

Click here for more info.

Alone in the Dark Makes its Way to PS2, Wii

Atari’s latest Alone in the Dark offering will be making its way to Sony’s aging console, the PS2, as well as the Wii. While the next-gen versions of the game will be developed by Eden Games, the PS2 and Wii ports will be handled by developer Hydravision of the Obscure series.

same story as the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC version, where over the course of one apocalyptic night, hero Edward Carnby must uncover the earth-shattering secret hidden in New York’s iconic Central Park.

Hydravision has tackled the innovative and highly advanced technology driving Alone in the Dark on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC head-on, using the company’s wealth of experience and proven technology. The versions for Wii and PS2 have been developed in parallel specifically to take full advantage of each console’s capabilities.

Both games push the hardware hard, incorporating many of the gameplay features found in the Xbox 360 version. On the Wii, the control system is specially adapted to make full use of the Remote and Nunchuck to manipulate objects in real-time, a key gameplay feature of Alone in the Dark, enhancing the player’s immersion in the experience.

The PS2 just refuses to die, eh?

MAC 07: Pay-Buy-Mobile Trials Begin

Over the next several months, 12 mobile operators will run trials of contactless mobile payment services in Australia, France, Ireland, Korea, Malaysia, Norway, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey and the U.S. as a precursor to commercial launches.

The trials form part of the GSMA’s Pay-Buy-Mobile initiative, which is designed to provide a single global approach to enable contactless payments using a mobile phone. Consumers will be able to use their handsets to pay for goods and services in shops, restaurants and train stations.

The Pay-Buy-Mobile initiative supports the use of the Single Wire Protocol, which was adopted by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as a standard in October 2007, to link the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) contained within the mobile handset with the phone’s embedded Near Field Communications (NFC) chip. The NFC chip can communicate with existing contactless payment systems to deliver a wide range of secure, interoperable and transparent services, such as credit and debit payments. There are 35 mobile operators with 1.3 billion customers participating in the initiative.

Executives from Korean operator KTF have paid for goods by passing their NFC-equipped handsets by contactless readers in retail outlets in Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S. in a trial involving real transactions facilitated by MasterCard.

For this trial, MasterCard’s Paypass application and Shinhan Bank’s credit card application were downloaded to a KTF UICC embedded in the mobile handsets, which were provided by LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics. The retail outlets at the respective locations were equipped with readers that support the NFC interface and accept MasterCard’s Paypass applications, enabling real transactions in three different countries.

“This new NFC-based KTF mobile payment phone shows innovative use of the latest technology to increase convenience by giving consumers the ability to use their mobile phones to make contactless payments anywhere around the world where PayPass is accepted", said Shuan Ghaidan, Head of Product Sales and Delivery, Asia/Pacific MasterCard Worldwide.

“Just nine months after this program was launched in Barcelona, the first pioneering mobile operators are preparing for the rollout of commercial services that have the potential to become the foundation of a global, interoperable mobile payment service,” said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA, the global trade association for mobile operators. “Mobile payment services, which will enable transactions to be completed faster in shops, restaurants and train stations, will also make it easier for merchants to offer their customers precisely-targeted discounts and other promotional offers.”

Both consumers and merchants see significant benefits from using the mobile phone as a payment form factor at point of sale, according to research carried out by Serrula on behalf of the GSMA. Two-thirds of the 2,574 consumers in 17 countries surveyed said that they expect to begin using their mobile phone to pay at point of sale within two years of the service becoming available. Moreover, 50% of the 240 merchants from 10 countries surveyed see promotional opportunities in using the mobile phone as a payment device.

The 12 operators running trials include AT&T, Far EasTone, Orange, KTF, Maxis, SFR, SingTel, Telstra and Turkcell. LG, Motorola, Nokia, Sagem and Samsung are among the handset makers developing phones for NFC-enabled mobile payment services.

MAC 07: LG Shows Off The Viewty and KS20

LG's 5 megapixel camera phone the KU990, called the Viewty, has made an appearance at this year's GSMA Mobile Asia Congress 2007 held in Macau. The KU990 follows in the footsteps of the popular iPhone-like LG Prada. This candy bar styled phone has a large 3-inch LCD touch screen with a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels and sports 256K colors. The Viewty has a Flash UI (user interface).

The LG KU990 has an inbuilt memory of 100MB and also supports external memory through microSD cards. It’s also 3G enabled with HSDPA for faster connectivity. Speaking of connectivity it’s also Bluetooth v1.2 enabled with A2DP compatibility and USB v2.0. The main feature of course is the 5 megapixel, auto-focus camera with a Xenon flash. The KU990’s camera is also equipped with anti-shake image stabilizer and face-tracking software and even manual focus should you wish to get a bit more ‘professional’ with it. What the Viewty also incorporates is an application that allows users to upload videos to the net to sites like YouTube and there’s another photo editor application for making changes to images shot through the camera. The best part about the camera is its ability to capture 120 frames per second. There’s also a VGA camera located in the front for video calling.


LG also showed off their KS20 which seemingly appears to another Prada-style touchscreen mobile except that this one runs on Windows Mobile 6 OS. It’s equipped with a 2.8 inch TFT touchscreen, with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and 256K colors, a 2 megapixel auto-focus camera and a secondary VGA camera in front. It also supports audio and video playback with DivX file support. It’s also fully equipped for all types of connectivity from EDGE, with 3G and HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP compatibility and USB v2.0.

The KS20 and the Ku990 are expected to be in stores in Europe sometime at the end of this year at undisclosed prices though.

MAC 07: GSMA Wants Integrated Mobile Broadband Connectivity

Though mobile broadband connectivity through 3G (WCDMA/UMTS) / 3G CDMA (1XEVDO) and now 3.5 (HSDPA) has been available for years in Europe and America, it has not achieved a mass market appeal. One of the primary reasons for this has been due to the fact that laptops, the main form of mobile computing do not have integrated solutions that offer connectivity to 3G networks. Though this fact has been downplayed for some time now, it is assuming center stage as more and more users start migrating to laptops. The need for integrated mobile broadband connectivity is become more acute and this was revealed in a study published by the GSM Association (GSMA), and Microsoft.

The result of this, the first-ever consumer study into mobile broadband computing, shows that there is a tremendous untapped market. The study highlights a 70 million unit opportunity, worth about $50 billion in 2008, for notebook PCs in the mass market $500 -$1000 (USD) price range with built-in mobile broadband. The research reveals a gap of potentially 46.5 million units between recent industry analyst forecasts and the new analysis, suggesting that PC manufacturers have yet to deliver the right mobile broadband PCs - bundled with pre-configured mobile connectivity - to appeal to mass market PC buyers.

“With the right form factor, price and ‘out-of-the-box’ connectivity, the research has unearthed substantial demand for mobile broadband embedded notebooks that is not yet being met,” said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA. “Now that we understand the market potential and consumers’ requirements, we are pleased to communicate the findings to the broader industry eco-system.”

“Microsoft is pleased to be working with the GSMA to accelerate the adoption of PCs with built-in mobile broadband”, said Will Poole, corporate vice president of the Unlimited Potential Group at Microsoft. “By quantifying and characterizing PC market demand, it is our hope that mobile operators and OEMs will collaborate to introduce compelling and affordable notebooks with innovative new services. We believe that people everywhere, in both developed and emerging segments, could benefit from access to the Internet through mobile broadband on a wider range of notebook PCs.”

Looking to accelerate growth into this field GSMA has announced a competition to identify devices and manufacturers able to serve the untapped market. Notebook manufacturers and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) will be asked to propose new designs that can meet this currently unmet need for mass-market priced mobile broadband-ready notebooks.The winner of the new PC design will be showcased to decision makers within mobile operators that are interested in serving the unmet needs for broadband services on PCs. The winner will be announced at the the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in February 2008.

In their responses, manufacturers will be asked to provide a detailed specification, time to market information, recommended retail price-points, support services and information on how they would work with operators to promote activation, configuration and ease of use. The winning PC will be chosen by a panel of product experts from leading operators, all planning to promote mobile broadband in their own markets, who will select the device which most closely meets consumer needs.

MAC 07: Apple in Talks With China Mobile For iPhone

On the sidelines of the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress being held in Macau, China Mobile Ltd revealed positive talks in session with Apple about bringing the iPhone to China.


There hasn't been any agreement reached as yet, according to China Mobile's Chairman & CEO, Wang Jianzhou. Apple had plans to launch the device in Asia in 2008 and is currently in talks with various operators in the region.

Jianzhou also revealed that 3G (The TD-SCDMA standard) will be up and running well in time for the Beijing Olympics next summer. China Mobile, he said, was in talks with operators from around the world to figure out a way for athletes, organizers and visitors to use their existing cell phone numbers at local or at least heavily subsidized rates during the Games.

Jianzhou also told the audience that the operator's mobile phone recycling CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative was showing impressive results. While only 60,000 users turned in old handsets last year, over 2 million have already done so in the first half of 2007.

Motorola Launches FM Phone MOTOYUVA

Motorola’s latest addition to their FM radio, entry-level mobiles is the W180, that’s called the MOTOYUVA in India. This is a totally simplistic mobile with a singular feature that stands out i.e. the Stereo FM radio, much like the RADIOMOTO W209. The YUVA however, has adopted a more traditional candy bar design.

The display has a 128 x 128 pixel resolution with 65K colors. Its internal memory has a capacity to store 500 numbers which roughly equals up to around 70KB of space. The YUVA has no other mentionable features except that it has a microUSB v1.1 port that serves as a charging port as well. Thus we know know that Motorola has begun to incorporate the new standard. The W810 also employs Motorola’s CrystalTalk technology.
The MOTOYUVA is already available in stores and is priced at Rs. 1,900.

Asus Introduces New Business Laptops

Asus has introduced three new laptops, aimed at mobile professionals and for the fashion conscious in their leather range. The new models being introduced are F8P, U3S and U6S.

The F8P comes encased in white leather shell with thin silver finish. This new laptop is based on an Intel Core 2 Duo T7500processor, comes with an AMD ATI Mobility Radeon HD2400 graphics card and a 250 GB HDD.

The U3S is a direct competitor to Dell XPS M1330 and sports a 13.3 inch screen, C2D T7500 processor, Nvidia 8400M G chipset, 1.5 GB of RAM 160 GB HDD and Windows Vista Business.The U6S is the smallest release in this roundup. It features a 12.1 inch LCD panel, comes with an astonishingly powerful T7700 C2D processor, 2 GB of RAM, Nvidia 8400M G chipset which can take up to 896 MB as VRAM, 250 GB HDD and HSDPA support.

Prices and availability of these laptops is unknown as of now.

3G Finally Makes Its Way to Indian Shores

Steering India towards a new level of wireless telephony, the government on Monday announced immediate release of spectrum for 'third generation' (3G) mobile services and allowed users to switch operators while retaining the cell phone numbers.

"The government has decided to release 3G spectrum in 2.1 GHz band with immediate effect," Communications Minister A Raja told reporters in New Delhi.

Number portability, which would allow users to change their service provider while keeping the numbers, will be introduced in the four metropolitan cities at the earliest.

Department of Telecommunications Secretary D S Mathur said about 30 MHz spectrum can be released to accommodate three players in the first phase.

Asked whether only existing 2G players will be allowed to offer 3G services, Raja said, "No. I want healthy competition; I want all the players to bid for it. As far as foreign players are concerned, they will be allowed subject to security clearances by Ministry of Home Affairs.

"The 3G licenses will be granted through a controlled, simultaneous ascending e-auction, by a specialized agency to ensure transparency in selection process," the minister said.

3G services will give users a better multimedia experience, with faster data transfer rates. At present, cellular operators offer only 2G services.

Although he did not give any time frame for introduction of number portability, Raja said he would try to implement it in the four metros by this year-end.

A meeting will be held with existing operators to seek their cooperation.

On 3G spectrum, he said besides the initial one-time charge, it has been decided that the successful bidder will pay additional spectrum charge of 0.5 per cent of the total adjusted gross revenue as recurring annual fee. This additional revenue share is proposed to be doubled to on one per cent of AGR after 3 years from the date of spectrum assignment.

Laptops Exempt From Additional Customs Duty

In a judgment that could cheer the IT companies as well as the end-users, the Supreme Court has held that the government cannot levy additional seven per cent customs duty on notebook PCs (laptops) as in the case of desktop computers since the two are totally different.

While dismissing a petition filed by Commissioner of Customs, a bench headed by Justice S B Sinha said that the government cannot ask IT companies to pay seven per cent additional customs duty on notebook PCs, unlike desktops, as the two items were totally different though capable of performing same or similar functions.

"We are of the opinion that a laptop or a notebook PC being an integrated item cannot be a set of a CPU with monitor, mouse and key board," the court said.

A desktop is a combination of items -- CPU, monitor, mouse and keyboard - which when put together are capable of making a computer, the court observed, adding a notebook computer, on the other hand, comes in an integrated and inseparable form and thus cannot be said to be a set of all these parts.

Upholding the Customs, Excise and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal's judgment, the court said the interpretation by the tribunal was in consonance with the Computers (Additional Duty) Rules, 2004.

The tribunal had passed the order on an appeal filed by Bangalore-based Acer India Pvt Ltd challenging levy of additional seven per cent duty on imported laptops.

The authorities had contended that additional levy was imposed just to provide level-playing filed and protect domestic manufacturers.

According to the department, there was not much difference between a laptop PC and a desktop computer for the purposes of classification.

It further submitted that "Entry 8471 of the tariff framed in terms of the Customs Tariff Act encompasses within its fold desktops and laptops. A laptop being a computer which has all the attributes of a desktop is amenable to excise duty."

Opposing the department's plea, Acer stated that laptops were not desktop computers and were known differently in the market.

For the purposes of paying additional duty, a CPU with its accessories in a set does not fall under the description of a laptop or a notebook, the company added.

Marvel, Other Comics Go Online

Marvel is putting some of its older comics online Tuesday, hoping to reintroduce young people to the X-Men and Fantastic Four by showcasing the original issues in which such characters appeared.

It's a tentative move onto the Internet: Comics can only be viewed in a Web browser, not downloaded, and new issues will only go online at least six months after they first appear in print.

Still, it represents perhaps the comics industry's most aggressive Web push yet. Even as their creations – from Iron Man to Wonder Woman – become increasingly visible in pop culture through new movies and video games, old-school comics publishers rely primarily on specialized, out-of-the-way comic shops for distribution of their bread-and-butter product.

"You don't have that spinner rack of comic books sitting in the local five-and-dime any more," said Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Publishing. "We don't have our product intersecting kids in their lifestyle space as much as we used to."

Translate "kids' lifestyle space" into plain English and you get "the Internet". Marvel's two most prominent competitors currently offer online teasers designed to drive the sales of comics or book collections.

Dark Horse Comics now puts its monthly anthologies "Dark Horse Presents" up for free viewing on its MySpace site. The images are vibrant and large.

DC Comics has also put issues up on MySpace, and recently launched the competition-based Zuda Comics, which encourages users to rank each other's work, as a way to tap into the expanding Web comic scene. Company president Paul Levitz said he expects to put more original comics online in coming years.

"We look at anything that connects comics to people," Levitz said. "The most interesting thing about the online world to me is the opportunity for new forms of creativity... It's a question of what forms of storytelling work for the Web?"

For its mature Vertigo imprint, DC offers weekly sneak peeks at the first five or six pages of upcoming issues. The publisher also gives out downloadable PDF files of the first issues in certain series, timed to publication of the series in book or graphic novel format.

The Web release of DC's "Y the Last Man" sent sales of that book collection soaring at Bridge City Comics in Portland, Ore., the shop's owner Michael Ring said.

"They really do tend to be feeder systems," Ring said of online comics. "They give people that initial taste."

For Marvel, the general public has often already gotten its initial taste through movies like "Spider-Man" or the "Fantastic Four" franchises.

The publisher is hoping fans will be intrigued enough about the origins of those characters to shell out $9.99 a month, or $4.99 monthly with a year-long commitment. For that price, they'll be able to poke through, say, the first 100 issues of Stan Lee's 1963 creation "Amazing Spider-Man" at their leisure, along with more recent titles like "House of M" and "Young Avengers." Comics can be viewed in several different formats, including frame-by-frame navigation.

Ring expects Marvel's effort to put a slight dent in the back-issue segment of the comic shop industry, where rare, out-of-print titles sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay and at trade shows.

Though most comic fans are collectors, some simply want to catch up on the backstory of their favorite characters and would no longer have to pay top dollar to do so.

About 2,500 issues will be available at launch of Marvel Digital Comics, with 20 more being released each week.

Google Offers $10M in Software Prizes

Google Inc. is offering $10 million in prizes for people who build the best software to enhance the company's upcoming cellphone operating system.

The Mountain View-based company is developing a free cell phone software package that it says will make it easier to surf the Web over mobile devices. It also will give Google more opportunities to sell ads and services.

The operating system will be based on computer code that can be openly distributed among programmers, which Google hopes will encourage developers to create new software and improvements that could spawn new uses for smart phones.

Winning offerings could encompass simple aesthetic improvements like personalized home screens or more complicated social-networking programs that merge data from the Web – such as maps or personal Web pages – with data from users' phones – like contact information or the phones' geographic locations.

As part of the Android Developer Challenge, a panel of judges will pick 50 winners from entries received from Jan. 2 through March 3, 2008. In the first phase of the competition, those winners will each get $25,000 and be eligible for ten awards of $100,000 and another ten $275,000 awards.

The second phase of the competition will feature another $5 million in prize money.

Google did not specify how the applications will be judged. The company only said the winning programs will "provide consumers with the most compelling experiences."

Google also released a tool kit Monday for working on the new platform, which is to be released in the second half of next year.

Four cell phone manufacturers – Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., HTC and LG Electronics Inc. – have agreed to use Android in some of their phones. Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said he eventually hopes the software will be integrated into thousands of different devices.

Twenty-nine other companies have signed on as members of the alliance.

Android will compete with mobile operating systems made by Microsoft Corp., Palm Inc., Research In Motion Ltd., and Symbian, which is owned by Nokia Corp. and several other major phone makers.

Zune Trumps iPod in Customization

In a bid to one-up Apple, Microsoft said it will engrave designs by contemporary artists on the back of its Zune media players free of charge starting Tuesday, when the new line goes on sale.

Microsoft Corp.'s Zune Originals include work from 18 artists, including illustrators Catalina Estrada of Spain, Skwak of France and Nobumasa Takahashi of Japan. The intricate designs take up most of the metallic back surface of the players.

Apple Inc., the overwhelming market leader in portable music players, will engrave a line or two of small text on the back of its iPods and iPhones.

"We looked at how homogenized the category looked, everybody has the same sort of player, the same white earphones," said Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for the Microsoft division responsible for the Zune. "We knew there was something interesting here that would allow us to have a slightly different position in the marketplace."

Microsoft's newest Zunes, first unveiled in October, hit store shelves Tuesday. Two smaller models have 4 gigabytes or 8 gigabytes of storage, and a larger model has an 80 GB hard drive. Prices range from $150 to $250.

Many of the artists have collaborated with sneaker companies or snowboard manufacturers on limited-edition products. Stephenson said Microsoft also took a cue from the customization craze on social networking sites like News Corp.-owned MySpace, and from limited-edition cell phones.

The company will also offer 20 smaller graphic designs inspired by classic tattoo art, leaving room for three lines of text chosen by the customer. Those who choose no design can have up to five lines of text engraved.

Stephenson would not say whether Microsoft has any specific goals for the Zune's second year on the market, other than to be "a solid No. 2" to the iPod.

Microsoft said the engraving service is free for a limited time, and is only available through its Zune site.

Asus To Introduce EEE PC Desktop Next Year

Asus who has recently tasted success with its EEE PC based small laptop, has now indicated that it will be introducing a desktop version of its small Linux-based laptop. This revelation came from Jonathan Tseng, Asus' President of Marketing who told Digitimes that the company intends to get the new mini-machine into shops by sometime next year. He went on to add that the new desktop unit will not have a viewing unit (monitor) and that price and specifications are yet to be decided.

This announcement raises a number of interesting questions. Though Asus managed to make a success of its mini laptop, the desktop market is an entirely different beast. For starters, the processing power available in comparison is far more than that available in budget laptops. Secondly this is not a new idea. Quite a few manufacturers like Shuttle and Apple itself have been retailing SFF PCs for quite a few years. Keeping these factors in mind, it’s going to be difficult for Asus to penetrate this market.

Samsung Shows Chic New Speakers

Samsung launches the first pair of tiny killers from their new range, fresh from the 2007 Korea Electronics Show.

The speakers are part of Samsung's "Chic and Smart Style" line in the Korean market. Not much is out on the specs and availability yet, we just know that they look quite intriguing to say the least. So we will wait till they sail westwards, as Samsung's stuff always does...

Intel To Launch 45nm Processors, Penryn

Intel is all set to usher in the 45nm-era of desktop and server computing processors with the launch of their "Penryn" series of processors. They will be launching 12 new quad-core versions of their Xeon server chip, which will ship as the Xeon 5400 Series products.

These chips will be available at speeds between 2GHz and 3.20GHz with FSB topping out at 1600MHz and will sport L2 cache sizes of up to 12MB. In their consumer range of processors, the first one off the block will be the enthusiast level Core 2 Extreme QX9650. This will be the only "Penryn" chip that will be available this year for end-consumers and will retail for $1000 upwards.

The launch of these new processors marks a new beginning in the war between AMD and Intel. Ever since the Core 2 Duo was launched, AMD has been playing catch-up with Intel. Though they have recently managed to migrate to the 65nm process, with Intel introducing 45nm... AMD is going to be facing an uphill task of trying to match up.

This is simply because AMD which has the price vs. performance tag will soon lose it. As the "Penryn" processors launch, Intel current C2D range will drop in prices and become competitive in the budget ranges. Though AMD has tried to offset this by looking to offer "tri-core" processors, how this situation will play out is anybody’s guess

Nokia Ties Up With Om Shanti Om

Nokia has tied up with Bollywood's multi-starrer Om Shanti Om (OSO) wherein Nokia users can watch the movie's clips, behind the scenes videos, ringtones and wallpapers on their mobile phones. The cell phone giant has created a special 'OSO Crazy mobisode', animated characters of 'OM' (played by Shah Rukh Khan) that can be downloaded on all Nokia GPRS enabled handsets by dialling 55555 or from www.nokia.co.in/oso, a website created for the Nokia and OSO association.

Nokia is also hosting a "Meet and Greet" contest for the leading star of the movie. Those purchasing a Nokia 5310, Nokia 3110 Classic, 3500 Classic, 5200, 5300, 5700, 6233, 6233 M or 6300 will get a chance to answer a question on Nokia and the film. Based on a lucky draw, 40 couples across India will get the opportunity to meet Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai, in early December, 2007. All expenses including travel and stay for this contest will be borne by Nokia. Consumers can log on to www.nokia.co.in/oso and submit their entries.

Speaking at the occasion, Bob McDougall, director, sales, Nokia India said, "Mobile entertainment is a key pillar of our strategy and is poised to drive the mobility industry in a big way. Through this tie up, we will bring alive our vision of combining internet and mobility to provide consumers an enhanced media rich mobile experience. Bollywood is the most popular downloadable mobile content besides sports and fashion in India. We are confident that OSO Crazy and other exclusive OSO content will provide our consumers an enhanced media rich mobile experience".

Microsoft To Release Two Security Patches

"Patch Tuesday" is almost upon us and as usual brings with it, a number of security fixes.

However, this time around unlike previous occasions, there are only 2 security patches. The first security patch is marked critical and will fix a critical vulnerability that allows remote code execution. This fix is intended for the problem caused by Macrovision’s Secdrv driver, which is security software designed to prevention piracy of games.

In its Microsoft Security Advisory (944653), Microsoft has said, "We are aware of limited attacks that try to use the reported vulnerability. Microsoft is actively monitoring this situation to keep customers informed and to provide customer guidance as necessary. Upon completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to help protect our customers. This will include providing a security update through our monthly release process."

The second security patch is rated as “important” and it fixes a “spoofing” vulnerability in Windows that Microsoft planned to fix last month but however deferred.

Denon Introduces Wi-fi DAB Radio

Denon has released the SMART S-52DAB wi-fi Table Radio, calling it "the most technically advanced radio on the planet". This £500 device incorporates networking software from Denon’s AV receivers and sound quality from Denon's Hi-fi systems, and it features the ability to stream music wirelessly from Internet Radio, network attached storage and PC, Mac computers etc.

The unit also features DAB/FM Radio, a CD Player, a concealed iPod dock, full remote control and delivers crisp, clean sound with powerful bass response, made possible by Audyssey Bass-XT and Dynamic EQ software. It can decode not just popular MP3 and WMA formats but also AAC, WAV and FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec).

Online Project to Track Terrorist Websites

Tens of thousands of web pages are now devoted to terrorist propaganda designed to attract followers. On the surface, the messages and videos reveal little about their creators.

But programmers and writers leave digital clues: the greetings and other words they choose, their punctuation and syntax, and the way they code multimedia attachments and web links.

Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a tool that uses these clues to automate the analysis of 'online jihadism'. The Dark Web project aims to scour Websites, forums and chat rooms to find the Internet's most prolific and influential jihadists and learn how they reel in adherents.

Lab director Hsinchun Chen hopes Dark Web will crimp what he calls "al-Qaida Universities on the Web", the mass of websites where potential terrorists learn their trade, from making explosives to planning attacks.

Experts said they are not aware of any comparable effort, though some said the project may have only limited applications.

The project in the university's Artificial Intelligence Lab will not identify people outside cyberspace "because that involves civil liberties," Chen said, preferring to let law enforcement and intelligence analysts take over from there.

Instead, it will help identify messages with the same author and reveal links that aren't obvious.

The bulk of a $1.3 million grant the National Science Foundation gave Chen's group will focus on who produces improvised explosives and what they talk about – such as American troop movements and terrorist tactics. Before getting the NSF funding, Chen started the project with $3 million from other Artificial Intelligence Lab programs.

Dark Web's software, which Chen calls Writeprint, samples 480 different factors to identify whether the same people are posting to multiple radical forums. It can analyze everything from a fragment of an email to videos depicting American soldiers blown up in Humvees and fuel tankers.

Writeprint is derived from a program originally used to determine the authenticity of William Shakespeare's works. It looks at writing style, word usage and frequency and greetings, and at technical elements ranging from web addresses to the coding on multimedia attachments. It also looks at linguistic features such as special characters, punctuation, word roots, font size and color.

Currently, intelligence analysts cannot effectively analyze writing style in cyberspace, particularly multilingual writings, he said.

Chen and counterterror specialists said what he termed a tenfold increase in the last two years in jihadist content appearing online has outstripped intelligence analysts' abilities.

Dark Web compares writings it finds to others in its logs of about 500 million pages of jihadist-produced documents, videos, images, e-mails and other postings, Chen said.

Most of the material is in Arabic, but as terrorist sympathizers have spawned new sites worldwide since 2005, Dark Web has expanded to look at Chinese-, Spanish- and French-language postings, and others will be added.

Enhanced Parental Controls for Xbox 360

Microsoft on Wednesday kicked off year two of the 'Safety is no game. Is your family set?' campaign by debuting a new Family Timer as an addition to the Xbox 360’s family-friendly features.

The new Family Timer feature is an addition to the Xbox 360's Family Settings that helps parents enforce rules on the amount of time their children use the gaming console, on a daily or weekly basis.

Parents can set permissions that allow family members to enjoy Xbox 360 in a user-appropriate environment. This includes not merely deciding what games and DVD movies to allow, but also controlling the ability to establish Xbox LIVE memberships and managing access to Xbox LIVE.

The news comes in light of recent research findings that reveal 62 percent of parents and caregivers would welcome a tool to limit the amount of time video game consoles are used in their homes.

Microsoft also announced a partnership with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to advocate for a balanced approach to interactive media use, encouraging families to come together to talk about how their children spend their time in front of television and computer screens.

The goal of the campaign is to provide parents with the information and tools they need to make appropriate content choices for their children for both offline enjoyment as well as on Xbox Live.

"We launched this campaign last year to address the concerns of parents about their children’s access to inappropriate content in video games and on their computers," said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division. "It's designed to educate parents on the tools and resources available that can help them manage their family’s media use."
"The premise of the campaign fits naturally with our mission to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child," said Warlene Gary, National PTA CEO. "This includes a safer media environment."

Sony Launches Eco-friendly VAIO Notebooks

Some months after Greenpeace put Sony at the bottom of its list in the eco-friendliness stakes, the company is trying to make amends with its line of VAIO Graphic Splash Eco Edition notebooks.

In designing these smaller and lighter limited-edition machines, Sony says that the consumption of raw materials for building and packaging is reduced significantly.

Available in four 'organically themed' lid designs – Caribbean, Bloom, Spotted Life, and Clay Earth – the Graphic Splash notebooks are claimed to be "super-powerful and incredibly thin".

According to Sony, the eco-conscious features include:
Slim design for minimum use of natural resources
Easy-to-recycle materials for resource conservation
Packaging comprised primarily of recyclable materials
RoHS compliant components free from hazardous materials

The machines feature a 2 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, a 15.4-inch display, Vista Home Premium, and the rest of the usual FZ specs. Prices start at about $1200 and vary according to the choice of specs.

In keeping with the 'green' theme, Sony will contribute 1% of net VAIO Eco Edition notebook sales to 'One Percent for the Planet', an alliance of businesses concerned about the protection of the natural environment.