Marantz Launches New High-end Projector

High end electronics stalwart Marantz has released a top-notch projector known as the VP-15S1. The 'True View' VP-15S1 is a single-chip DLP anamorphic lens capable projector that shares much of the technology found on the award-winning VP-11S1, but at a significantly reduced price ($10,000 in the US). It received a lot of acclaim recently at the CEDIA Expo in Denver, Colorado.

The all-black model features Konica Minolta Optics, Gennum Processing, HDMI 1.3 inputs with Deep Color capability, 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution and the same diecast aluminum chassis of Marantz’ VP-11/12 series projectors.

The on board Gennum GF9351 video processor can do calculations on the order of 500 million floating point operations per second. Connectivity includes HDMI, HD component video, S-video, composite video and analog RGB connections. Four Anamorphic lens options (2 motorized and 2 fixed) are available.

Sony Launches New Walkman MP3 Player

Sony India has launched its latest MP3 Walkman NWD-B100 series. This player features a USB direct connect, a three-line color LCD display, an FM tuner with radio recording capabilities, and a voice recorder function with a built-in microphone.

Weighing 30g, the NWD-B100 connects directly to the computer through a USB port without the problems of cables. The Sony MP3 player adopts the drag-and-drop interface for music and file transfer without any software installation.

The newly developed 'Auto Transfer' software built into the NWD-B100 makes it simpler to load the player with music. This software automatically searches for and transfers the most recently added tracks from your PC to your MP3 Walkman. It’s also compatible with Sony’s mini/micro hi-fi system speakers via USB. The NWD-B100 can charge its battery through the USB port while connected to a PC.

The NWD-B100 has a three-line color LCD display. Users can also search for their desired song by artist, album and song, or by folder and file name. It also has six different equalizer functions: heavy, rock, classic, pop, jazz and a customizable option.

The new player comes in two capacities: an 1GB model priced Rs. 3,990 and a 2GB model priced Rs. 4,990. The two colors available are black and white. The devices are available at select Sony showroom across the country.

Apple Unveils Next-Gen iPods in India

Apple today introduced the all-new next generation range of iPods – Nano, Classic and Touch – in India, bringing in video playback, an enhanced interface featuring Cover Flow, and a new design.

The new iPod Nano features a 204 pixel per inch display that's 65 per cent brighter than the previous generation, and delivers 320 x 240 resolution. The iPod Nano delivers up to 24 hours of audio playback or five hours of video playback on a single charge. The device is encased in an all-metal design made of anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel, and comes in four colors – silver, black, blue and green.

"We’ve taken the most popular music player in the world and added stunning video playback. The iPod Nano just keeps getting better and better with each new generation," said Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs. "The first iPod put 1,000 songs in your pocket; this new iPod Classic can put 40,000 songs in your pocket," he added.

Available from today, the 4 GB version of the Nano in silver costs Rs. 8,800 and the 8 GB version in silver, black, blue and green is available for Rs. 11,400. The models include earbud headphones, a USB to 30-pin cable and a Universal Dock Connector.

The 80 GB version of the iPod Classic delivers up to 30 hours of music playback and five hours of video playback on a single charge while the 160 GB version delivers up to 40 hours of music playback and seven hours of video playback. "Carrying the iPod classic is as good as carrying the hard disk of your personal computer," said Yeo Eng Yiong, senior product marketing manager (portables), Apple, Asia Pacific. Available from today, the 80 GB version costs Rs. 14,500 and the 160 GB version is available for Rs. 20,400.

Coming to the iPod Touch, the 8 GB version costs Rs. 17,700 while the 16 GB version costs Rs. 23,600. The iPod Touch is scheduled to be available in India in October. Though the iPod Touch was formally announced in India, the actual product has not yet hit the stores.

The iPods come with three preloaded games: Klondike (a Solitaire card game), Vortex (a fast-paced 360 degrees brick-bashing game) and iQuiz (entertainment trivia). Additional games can be purchased from the iTunes store.

The iPods require a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.108 or later and iTunes 7.4; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home/Professional (Service Pack 2) or later and iTunes 7.4

Nextbase Releases All-in-one Music System

NEXTBASE, a comparatively unknown brand in India, has released a useful device called Media 22 Entertainment Center. It's a single, remote-controlled component with the following features :
iPod dock
USB portable audio device/Flash memory playback
DVD/CD player (with DivX and MP3 format compatibility)
Bluetooth-streaming option (for playback of music stored on Bluetooth-equipped mobile phones)
FM radio
3.5in portable TV with analog TV tuner
Five-driver, 2.1-channel speaker system
2 x 12w stereo output plus 20w to subwoofer

Notably, all of this capability comes in a single compact case. And unlike many portable audio devices, the NEXTBASE Media 22 has been designed to deliver excellent sound quality rather than maximum sound pressure levels. To that end there are five drive units within the case: two treble drivers, two midrange units, and a single subwoofer. All the drivers and electrical components are housed in a solid wooden structure around which is wrapped a smart gloss black plastic skin.

To make navigating the unit’s functions easier there’s also a simple icon-driven OSD (onscreen display) visible on the 3.5-inch screen. The price is about 300 pounds; we're watching the radar for an Indian launch. The product currently retails in online stores such as www.askdirect.co.uk

Orange Box's 99 Achievements Revealed

Achieve360Points.com has a list of the 99 achievements you’ll get to unlock on the Xbox 360 version of the Orange Box. The achievements stretch from something as bizarre as killing someone with a toilet seat, to killing five Barnacles with a single barrel.

If you plan on playing the game on your PC, you can Pre-Order it now to receive a 10% discount.

Guitar Hero III headed for PC and Mac

After enthralling millions of PS2 and Xbox 360 owners the world over, everyone’s favorite party game is now headed to the PC and Mac as well. Guitar Hero III for the PC will be developed by Aspyr Media (the same people behind Stubbs the Zombie) and will feature better visuals, and mouse and keyboard support.

After enthralling millions of PS2 and Xbox 360 owners the world over, everyone’s favorite party game is now headed to the PC and Mac as well. Guitar Hero III for the PC will be developed by Aspyr Media (the same people behind Stubbs the Zombie) and will feature better visuals, and mouse and keyboard support.

FASA Studio Shuts Down

After their much hyped Shadowrun failed to live up to expectations (thank publisher Microsoft for that), there were rumors that developer FASA Studios were planning to shut shop. After months of speculation, that rumor has finally become a reality today.

Here’s the lowdown from manager Mitch Gitelman:

"It is my sad duty to announce that FASA Studio has officially closed its doors. Today was the official last day of employment for those of us who had not moved on to other positions within Microsoft Game Studios. While the rumours have been circulating forever, we chose to wait for an official announcement because we didn't want people's attention distracted from our last product, Shadowrun, a game we love.

"As a testament to the team's commitment to Shadowrun, we released three title updates to improve the product even after the team learned we were losing our studio. We have kept our Community Manager and Technical Support Manager on the job to aid and support you, and will continue to do so while people continue to play our game. I'm pleased that about half of us have found great positions elsewhere in MGS and Microsoft where they can share their experience and passion with the great people there."

Another one bites the dust...

Steam Community Released

Valve Corporation’s gaming community based free service ‘Steam Community’ has finally gone live. The service has been in open beta for quite a while now, and apart from a few hang-ups, it's been running pretty smoothly (from my experience). Here are a few things you can expect from the service:

Easily see your friends online
Schedule group events
Create a SteamID user profile
Create and join groups
Access Steam from within any game
Track gameplay stats
Voice chat in-game or out

These are the features on offer right now, but there'll be more to come in the future. If you want to read more about the service, check out our impressions here.

G.Skill Introduces New DDR3 RAM Modules

Memory maker G.Skill has announced a new DDR3-based memory module that is aimed at power users and enthusiasts. This new pair comes with specifications of l DDR3-1600 CL7 memory and latency timings of 7-7-7-19 and is optimized for Intel’s latest chipsets. The new memory modules are available with a lifetime warranty.

Toshiba to Launch 3rd Gen HD-DVD Players

Toshiba is not stopping for anyone. It's been only short a while since their second-generation HD-DVD players were released. The latter have yet to hit the Indian market, but Toshiba is making things even more dynamic by planning the launch of its third generation HD-DVD players at CEDIA next month.

The three models (HD-A3, HD-A30 and HD-A35) will retail for $299, $399 and $499 respectively, and will be available from October 1. The high-end models will be full HD, capable of 1080p.

Sony to Ship New Blu-ray Recorders in Japan

November will see a thrust of Blu-ray gear in Japan as Sony plans to ship four new Blu-ray disc recorders into the Japanese market. The company says its new models “offer strengthened functionality to give improved performance in the key areas of high picture and sound quality, long-duration recording, and easy operation.”

The models are BDZ-T70 and BDZ-T50. One features a 320GB drive and the other 250GB, while the 500GB BDZ-X90 (pictured) is optimized for home theatre use and features DRC-MFv2 picture enhancement. The 320GB BDZ-L70 joins the X90 model in offering network connectivity.

Price will range from 140,000 yen to 200,000 yen. It’s predicted that the Japanese market will see sales of 2 million HD recorders annually by 2009. The Indian market for HD disc recorders is currently nonexistent, but we should see the advent of HD formats in a big way early next year.

BMC Launches e-Governance Portal

Heaps of files gathering dust on the desks of BMC officials will now become passé with the flagging off of the citizens’ portal that took place on Thursday at Worli in Mumbai.

Those present at the function included Mayor Shubha Raul, Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray, Bharatiya Janata Party Mumbai President Prakash Mehta, State Chief Secretary Johny Joseph and Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak.

Citizens were usually forced to wait in serpentine queues to obtain important documents such as birth and death certificates, licences and receipts of property and water tax bills, but the e-governance portal is aimed to provide respite. All these documents will now be available online and this might just be the end of Mumbaikars’ endless pillar-to-post trips to ward offices.

The initiative is the outcome of a two-year effort by the civic administration to introduce a system of e-governance in the city. The program includes biometric access control for recording the attendance of over 1 lakh civic employees, garbage vehicle tracking system, revenue collection, health care system, and others.

"Technology and computerisation should benefit the common man. All these services will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," said Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. "With computerization, everything is monitored and officials cannot be inefficient or corrupt," he added .

With the launch of the citizens’ portal, the services will be available at the click of a mouse in every home. "The BMC provides more services than the state of Delhi. This is why e-governance is so important, and these services are available 24x7x365,’’ said Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak.

Citizens can access a host of services by going to the website here

Nokia to Cooperate on Flash Memory Cards

Nokia said Thursday it's teaming up with competitors including Samsung and Sony Ericsson on a flash memory card that works with a variety of cell phones and other gadgets, regardless of maker.

The technology, expected to be ready in 2009, will use the new Universal Flash Storage specification. It ''reflects the industry's need for a universal memory solution that removes the need for adaptors to accommodate different removable memory card sizes,'' Nokia said.

The removable memory card would be used in handsets, digital cameras and other consumer electronic devices, and could cut the current three-minute access time for a 90-minute movie to a few seconds, according to Nokia, the world's largest cell phone maker.

Other companies involved in the project include Micron Technology Inc., Spansion LLC, STMicroelectronics NV and Texas Instruments Inc.

IBM Develops Virtual Deaf Interpreter

Here's a productive twist on the animated characters known as avatars that carry out fantasies in virtual computer worlds. IBM Corp. researchers have developed an avatar that can translate spoken words into sign language.

The technology is meant for use in the real world and could be useful when human interpreters for the deaf are unavailable, or when a conversation is sensitive. Imagine sitting through a lecture and seeing a digital character projected on a screen behind the speaker, interpreting the speech in real time.

The IBM team and advocates for the deaf caution that the system is still a prototype. It also works only with British Sign Language for now because it was created at an IBM research center in Hursley, England.

But the system, known as SiSi (for ''Say It Sign It''), is expected to move out of the labs and into commercial products. It is designed to be baked into other vendors' deaf-accessibility products and expanded to include other countries' sign languages.

SiSi works by using speech recognition to convert a conversation into text. From there, SiSi translates the text into the gestures used in sign language and animates a customizable avatar that carries them out.

Woman Sued for Registering 10000 Domains

Zheng Qingying, a Chinese woman, was recently sued by Eurid, an institution in charge of domain name registration in Europe, because she registered over 10,000 domain names with the suffix “.eu.”

According to the relevant rules and regulations, any individual or organization in any European Union country may register an unlimited number of domain names with the “.eu” suffix.

However, the huge number of names registered by Qingying aroused suspicion from Eurid, because no company is large enough to require that many names. All the domain names registered by Zheng are now frozen and she is presently incapable of selling or transferring any of them.

In response to these actions, Zheng filed a counter suit, requiring Eurid to release all her domain names. The lawsuit filed by Zheng is to be heard next week, while the one filed by Eurid is expected at least one year later.

The domain suffix of “.eu” was put into use in December 2005. There are currently more than 2.5 million websites using this suffix.

Airtel Launches Marathi Portal

Airtel is making this Ganesh festival better for its customers with the Assal Marathi portal and a rewarding Ganesh Chaturthi contest for Assal Marathi Subscribers.

Airtel’s Assal Marathi service offers a variety of Marathi content and a dedicated Ganesh Chaturti menu has been introduced on the Assal Marathi Voice Portal that offers host of Ganesh services like Ganesh Chaturthi Contest, options to listen and download popular Ganesh ringtones, songs, aarti, stotra and bhajans. Moreover, customers can listen to Ganesha stories and modak recipes.

Announcing the launch of these services, Mandeep Bhatia, COO, Bharti Airtel Limited, Maharashtra and Goa circle, said, “Airtel has always in offered localised products and services to our customers. The specially created Ganesh VAS offerings adds up to the festive fervor and promises to offer unmatched mobile experience to our customers.”

Samsung Announces 70-inch LCD in India

Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd. has announced the launch of the largest commercially available full high-definition LCD TV in the Indian market. This Full HD LCD TV in 70-inch screen size is the first TV with LED SmartLightingTM technology that is being introduced in the Indian market.

Samsung, has maintained its premium standard by packaging this 70” LCD TV with its patented Full HD 1080p super clear LCD panel and Wide Color Enhancer to deliver superior HD quality with blacker blacks, more vivid colors and ultra-sharp images. LED SmartLighting uses multiple LED backlight units. The TV intuitively senses the TV signal and adjusts the brightness level by turning on and off the right combination of the backlight units. The TV uses LED technology, making it one of the most environmentally friendly TV options available.

R Zutshi, Dy MD, Samsung India, said "LED technology is the technology of the future. We’re confident about it and believe there is significant demand for it in the marketplace, especially for TVs of this caliber and size. That is the reason we are introducing it in India, simultaneous with its introduction in other parts of the world."

The company had showcased this model for the first time at the recently concluded IFA Show in Berlin.

The Samsung 70” LCD TV is priced at Rs 24,00,000.

Nonprofit Group Hikes Price of $100 Laptop

A nonprofit group that plans to produce low-cost computers for poor children has raised the laptops' price, a spokesman for the foundation said on Friday.

The One Laptop per Child Foundation's XO laptop will sell for about $188, up from the $176 the group announced in May, said foundation spokesman George Snell.

That's almost double the original goal of the foundation's founder, Nicholas Negroponte, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher and the brother of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

Negroponte, who founded the MIT Media Lab, often refers to the product as the "$100 laptop."

Production is slated to begin in October.

"We are testing it. We are making sure all the software works," he said. "We are making all the corrections on it that need to be made before the product comes out."

The foundation plans to sell the computers directly to governments, which will provide the laptops to grammar school children at no cost.

It has yet to announce any customers.

"We are not disclosing any orders until we have a final computer," Snell said. "We are in talks with dozens of countries."

The foundation has said it may sell the laptop on the commercial market as well, though at a higher price. If the project is a success, it could pressure the rest of the computer industry to start offering similar machines.

The XO laptop uses a microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices Inc and Linux software developed by Red Hat Inc. Microsoft Corp has said that it is testing the machines to determine whether they are capable of running its Windows operating system.

Chipmaker Intel Corp recently teamed up with the foundation saying the two might collaborate on a second generation version of the XO laptop.

Perfect Pixel LCD Technology from Philips

Perfect Pixel HD is Philips' latest feature in LCD screens.

The HD technology contains a suite of proprietary picture quality improvement technologies, which include 100Hz ClearLCD, Digital Natural Motion, Horizontal and Vertical Luminance Transient Improvement and Colour Booster with 14-bit processing.

The Perfect Pixel HD Engine is built around a 10-bit digital processor said to be capable of handling 248 million pixels per second. As part of the image enhancement process it changes the luminance value of each individual pixel to better match the surrounding pixels in a given signal, “resulting in a much sharper and more natural picture.”

Mumbai Police Bust Piracy Racket

The Social Service Branch of the Mumbai Police busted an audio and video piracy racket at Ambewadi at Dahisar West in Mumbai. The police have arrested four individuals and seized goods worth Rs. 10,13,000.

The police raided a 20x10 sq ft room at Amarnath Pande Chawl after receiving a tip-off. The police have seized computers and DVD writers worth Rs. 2,00,000 and CDs and DVDs of English and Hindi films such as Heyy Babyy, Partner, Dhamal and others worth Rs. 8,00,000.

The persons arrested are Pravinkumar Hanjarimalji Sanghavi (31), Jamatram Osmalji Chaudhary (23), Ajaram Manjilal Chaudhary (20) and Motilal Manjilal (22). They have been booked under Sections 51, 52A, 63, 65 and 67A of the Copyright Act.