Oct/090
AT&T Allows iPhone Users to 3G VoIP
Don’t you find it funny that AT&T, Apple’s partner, still hasn’t made VoIP applications available for its 3G and 2G networks? I mean, available only for Wi-Fi, Ok… but what if I don’t have Wi-Fi, don’t want Wi-Fi or I am not in an area where Wi-Fi is available? Tough luck. Well, up until now, at least, since it has recently informed Apple and the FCC that it will be enabling VoIP applications on its 3G and 2G networks as well.
Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets, declared the following regarding this quite interesting decision, “iPhone is an innovative device that dramatically changed the game in wireless when it was introduced just two years ago. […] Today’s decision was made after evaluating our customers’ expectations and use of the device compared to dozens of others we offer.”
Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets, declared the following regarding this quite interesting decision, “iPhone is an innovative device that dramatically changed the game in wireless when it was introduced just two years ago. […] Today’s decision was made after evaluating our customers’ expectations and use of the device compared to dozens of others we offer.”
It has a multitouch touchscreen display, headset controls, a proximity sensor, as well as an ambient light sensor and 256 MB DRAM. The screen sports a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, is 3.5 inches in size and has a 2:3 aspect ratio. As for the camera, the 3GS has a 3.0-megapixel cam with geotagging, autofocus and also automatic white balance and exposure.
Oct/090
Hulu to turn digital pennies into digital dollars
Other than the lack of HD content, Hulu is a pretty slick service — in fact it is a glimpse of our content dream, whatever you want, whenever you want. But according to NBC Universal’s TV chief, Marc Graboff, Hulu is still looking for ways “to turn those digital pennies into digital dollars.” Although the technology for digital delivery has been around for some time, actually making money on it has been another story. Hulu is determined to make it work though and is trying all kinds of things “like adding inventory (more advertising) or creating a subscription model with different windows” — now when he says Windows, he doesn’t mean the things we look out of, he means limited availability of shows. We’d argue that release windows are currently the worst part of all the digital delivery services today, but as much as we hope Hulu figures it out, based on our own polls, most aren’t willing to pay a subscription for Hulu’s current offerings.
Oct/090
What you need to know: Windows 7
It’s out! October 22nd is at last upon us, bringing with it Microsoft’s latest generation of Windows, Windows 7. With preview editions released to the public, reviews galore to be found as early as August, and plenty of manufacturers already shipping product, it’s probably not hard to find an opinion on the operating system or to try it out for yourself. Most folks will probably just end up getting a machine with it pre-installed, instead of going through the hassle of an upgrade, but if you want to know if it’s worth the effort of a standalone buy, or even looking to buy a new all-new computer right-just-now to celebrate the OS, check out our helpful guides below:
Read the reviews (Windows 7 review | Windows 7 Media Center review)
What’s clear from the review and our look at what’s new in Media Center is that this is an enhanced version of Windows, but not some sort of revolution that will have Linux users repenting of their open source sins and Apple fans dropping their photorealistic icons. The articles should give you a good idea of what enhancements are in store and whether Windows 7 could truly make your old machine sing.
Pick a version (Windows 7 official pricing)
An age old confusion for Windows users has been slightly simplified here — most users will end up with Windows 7 Home Premium when they buy a PC, but folks buying a copy outright have some more soul searching to do.
How to upgrade (How-To: Install Windows 7 and live to tell about it)
So you’ve got a copy, how are you gonna get it onto your Vista or XP box without causing the complete ruination of your digital lifestyle? Microsoft has provided some pretty good tools for this process, but we break it down and help out where we can.
Pick a computer (Launch day hardware spectacular)
Decided to skip the upgrade route and go straight for the sexy new hardware that’s accompanying this release, huh? Well, you’re in luck. We’ve rounded up some of the more notable releases
Oct/090
Acer’s 3D-equipped Aspire Laptop
Acer’s done plenty of boasting about its very first 3D laptop, the Aspire 5738DG, but it’s just now gotten completely official, and let a few lucky folks get their hands on it. As you might expect, PC Magazine found the 3D part of the laptop to be something of a gimmick, although not entirely unimpressive. More specifically, while attempts at gaming or viewing standard video converted to 3D were apparently quite a letdown, the included TriDef software did reportedly do a pretty impressive job with photos, and the special 3D layer on top of the screen thankfully doesn’t cause any nasty side effects when you’re not using the 3D glasses. Otherwise, the laptop is expectedly just your basic mid-range Aspire: inexpensive (just $779 even with the 3D glasses), and capable enough for most folks not looking for a screaming gaming rig (2.2GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM, and ATI Radeon HD 4570 graphics).
Oct/090
Apple’s Magic Mouse
Apple® today introduced the new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse to use Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ technology. Pioneered on iPhone®, iPod touch® and Mac® notebook trackpads, Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface. Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac® and will be available as a Mac accessory at just $69. “Apple is the Multi-Touch leader, pioneering the use of this innovative technology in iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Apple’s Multi-Touch technology allows us to offer an easy to use mouse in a simple and elegant design.” Magic Mouse features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences. The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking system. Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth wireless capabilities to create a clean, cable-free desk top and its secure wireless connection works from up to 10 meters away. To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS® X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries which are included.
Pricing & Availability Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and is available at the end of October through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $69 (US).
Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X Leopard® version 10.5.8 or later. Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
Oct/090
Your PC Is Cooler than Winter with the CoolIT WS 240 Cooling System
I love summer. Bathing in the sea, having fun in the outdoors with friends and family, plus the “Less is more” fashion trend. However, as someone that’s been around a lot of computers in his time, I don’t like what summer heat does to our faithful desktop companions. PCs tend to heat up pretty badly during this season and often (especially if they are overclocked and use a stock cooling system), they will die on you due to too much heat.
Well, although summer is over, our unquenchable thirst for overclocking still makes custom liquid cooling solutions imperative to have. And here’s where CoolIT Systems comes in with its WS 240 Custom Liquid Cooling solution for the Nehalem platform. Using a 240mm radiator and two water blocks, it makes sure the PC receives the highest gain in system performance, at the same time reducing system noise and increasing the life of your computer’s components.
Geoff Lyon, CEO of CoolIT Systems, declared the following regarding the WS 240 liquid cooling system, “Nehalem is all about power efficiency, and a big element of that is heat dissipation. […] One of the premier advantages of Nehalem is Turbo Boost Technology that takes advantage of the processor’s power based on thermal headroom. With our cooler, the margin is maximized so the clocks are as fast as possible.”
In case you are interested in acquiring it, you should know that the WS 240 goes for about 270 USD, with the price varying, however, depending on your system’s specifications. I mean, what did you think “custom” stood for? So, don’t let the cool winter fool you, ladies and gents, your overclocked computers won’t feel the gentle touch of a snowflake unless you’re computing in the great outdoors.
Oct/090
Apple Offers the BookArc MacBook Stand to Free Up Your Desktop
Minimalism and a tidy working space are the keywords of nowadays expectations of us. I mean, I really like keeping my desk free and clean-looking. This device has been expected for a while since it makes things simpler, more elegant and frees up more space on the desk.
Named BookArc, it is a vertical stand design to fit Apple laptops, from the slim MacBook Air all the way to the MacBook Pro, turning any of those into a desktop computer, when connected to an external display.
Besides the neat minimal look, there’s also a performance enhancement, even if it’s not only featured with the BookArc. Any time a MacBook is running closed, it will dedicate the full video memory to the external monitor, instead of sharing between internal and external displays, which result in increased speed regarding Photoshop, Aperture, iPhoto and other graphics-needy application work-flows.
“Our vision behind BookArc was twofold,” said Andrew Green, co-founder and design principal of Twelve South. “First, we see the MacBook as a beautiful piece of art that deserves to be put on display. Second, using your laptop as a desktop when not on the road is how many Mac users work today, including myself. Running the MacBook in a BookArc tucked behind a beautiful Cinema Display frees up valuable space and provides a less cluttered modern-looking workspace.”
To increase product compliance with the various MacBook models, the BookArc comes with three different sized soft silicone cushions, included in the box, that you can place in the heavy gauge steel stand. With a compact footprint of only 10 x 4 inches, a fraction of what a MacBook normally takes up, it also sports silicone footpads to protect the surface of your desk from scratches, at the same time offering a slip-proof grip.
ou can purchase this as we speak, from the Apple Store and retailers, for $49.99 and they even came with an offer for studios, delivering the BookArc like bottles of beer, in a six-pack, for $249.99.
Oct/090
Uruguay – First nation to provide a laptop for every primary school student
Uruguay’s been a huge fan of the One Laptop Per Child initiative for quite some time, and while we’re still unsure if it’s the entity’s biggest customer, the aforesaid nation is certainly doing some serious business with Nicholas Negroponte and Company. After the first swath of youngsters received their green and white XOs back in May of 2007, the final smattering of kids have now joined the proud group of laptop-toting tots in the country’s circuit of primary schools. You heard right — every last pupil in Uruguay’s primary school system now has a laptop and a growing love for Linux, and we’re told that the whole thing cost the country less than five percent of its entire education budget. So, who’s next?
Oct/090
PSP to HDMI – Converter Box
Props to Lenkeng for dressing up their otherwise anonymous VGA-to-HDMI converter box with a PSP-related angle — the LKV8000 comes with the necessary cables to take your PSP-2000 or above’s 480p video output and push out a 720p HDMI signal complete with stereo audio. Not a bad idea — except that we can’t think of an HDTV that lacks either component or VGA jacks and that doesn’t have a built-in scaler to do the same job. Maybe you’re just out of ports? In any event, this guy needs a Stateside distributor before we can tell you pricing or availability, so you’re stuck swapping cables for a while, Sparky.
Oct/090
China Blue HD crosses over to the UK
We’ve given HD DVD’s bastard child China Blue HD its due for a good start in its native land, but now that U.K. Importer GBAX has made a few units available it’s time for English language buyers to at least consider this Blu-ray alternative. Of course, with a £259.99 ($413.22 U.S.) pricetag for this plain TCL player, AV and HD cables, plus 14 CBHD movies (The Aviator, Blood Diamond, The Invasion, The Island, Flood, Poseidon & 8 Chinese-only flicks) to get you started the barrier to entry is high, but as shown in the unboxing / preview video — embedded after the break, watch for ninjas — the experience is very familiar. As Format War Central points out, the 220/240Hz power cord makes things complicated for the U.S. and other places outside Europe, but hardcore HD DVD holdouts are used to a world filled with only Warner and Universal movies already, so why not give the other blue laser flavor a try?