Everest software

EVEREST Home Edition is a free system diagnostics, system information and benchmarking solution for home PC users, based on the award-winning EVEREST Technology.

It offers the world's most accurate system information and diagnostics capabilities, including online features, memory benchmarks, hardware monitoring, and low-level hardware information.

Motherboard & CPU - Accurate low-level information about motherboard, CPU and BIOS, including chipset details, DMI enumeration, AGP configuration information, SPD memory modules list, DRAM timing information and CPU instruction set support.

Video adapter & monitor - Detailed information about the video adapter, video drivers and monitor, including DDC information, monitor serial number and supported video modes detection, low-level GPU details, OpenGL and Direct3D features list.

Storage devices - Information about all hard disk and optical disk drives, including IDE autodetection, S.M.A.R.T. disk health monitoring, ASPI SCSI devices list and partitions information.

Network adapters, multimedia, input devices - Exhaustive information about network adapters, sound cards, keyboard, mouse and game controllers, including NIC MAC address detection, IP and DNS list, network traffic monitoring, DirectSound, DirectMusic and DirectInput information.

Misc hardware - Information about PCI, PnP, PCMCIA and USB devices, communication ports, power management information, device resources list, printers information.

Operating system - Detailed Windows information, including operating system installation date and product key, system services and system drivers list, process information, installed patches list, environment variables list, system folders list and system files content.

Server and display - Information about network shares, users and groups list, logged on users list, fonts list and Windows desktop configuration details.

Networking - Large amount of information about networking status, remote access and mailing accounts, network resources and Internet settings.

Installed software - Detailed information about installed programs, scheduled tasks, startup programs and anti-virus solutions.

Hardware monitoring - Sensor information including system and CPU temperature, fan status, CPU, AGP and DRAM voltage monitoring, S.M.A.R.T. disk health status.

Benchmarking - Memory read and write speed measurement to stress the memory and cache subsystem, including references list to compare actual performance with other systems.

Tips & suggestions - Detection of possible hardware and software misconfiguration and compatibility issues.

Report Wizard - Easy-to-use method to produce report files of the system, by either using pre-configured report profiles or custom selection of information.

Report formats - Three different report file formats: plain text, customizable HTML and the unique MHTML format. MHTML reports including icons are ideal for printing purposes.

Report e-mailing and printing - Built-in e-mail transfer client using SMTP, also support for MAPI and Outlook protocols. Instant report display and one-click printing capabilities using IE4+ technology.

Here are some key features of "Everest Home Edition":

· Full hardware information
· DirectX information
· Overclock information
· UPS, tape drive support
· Diagnostics module
· Benchmarks
· Tweaking features
· Web links
· Favorite pages
· Built-in hardware database
· Full Windows XP compatibility
· Full Windows Server 2003 compatibility
· Fully localized user interface (27 languages).

You will be happy with it if you are a normal person, But if you are a serious overclocker or a gamer then buy the pro version like me.... 

prevent you pc being hacked

There are many ways when a hacker would try to scam you into receiving a file etc, so that you will take the bait and help him with the trojan/virus installation on your hard disk drive. If you need just one way to stop being hacked, the best way is to install an all-in-one solution with anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware solution.

We personally use Norton Internet Security and we update our subscription every year. Another similar product which you may consider is ZoneAlarm, but we recommend Norton for their years and track records in the anti-virus arena. btw, we don't get commission for recommending, so you can trust our advise. Not to forget that I am a trained hacker myself.

Nevertheless, you must know that whether or not your PC will be hacked will depend very much on your actions as well. For example, downloading files from warez sites and poor habits of opening up strange email attachments, is as good as inviting hackers to break your door. Some time ago, I have the opportunity to try removing a malignant spyware installed on a friend's machine. It took me 8 hours despite my experience, and eventually we had to reinstall the entire OS. Some of you might say that I should have reinstall it after a short tryout, however, I preferred to take the challenge but failed. :)

Prevention is always better than cure. If you would like to take the risk, a common practice (for some of us) is to use another PC when we need to do something risky. With constant PC upgrades, many of us could easily keep an older PC (at least one) just for this purpose. This reminds me of the hacking class that I attended a few years back - the instructor had to reinstall all the workstations almost every lesson to get rid of the remaining virus or trojans from the previous lessons.

Another way of getting into trouble is to visit cracks, warez, and keygen websites. There are several ways which your PC may be infected:

1) Clicking on buttons on the site which activates malicious scripts, including Scareware windows.

2) Trojans, virus or spyware hidden in the software cracks, or keygen.

3) Trojans, virus, or spyware hidden in attachments of emails, and this include pictures.

Althought we did mention earlier that you must have at least one security software installed on your PC, however, it is impossible to guarantee that the software will definitely protect you against Any or All the possible viruses, trojans and malicious programs.

If you find that your PC behaves abnormally, such as unexpected pop-up ads, shutting down of applications, poor internet connections (or busy connections), etc, there is a good chance that your PC is infected. You will need to waste quite a bit of time to perform a complete PC scan, try to locate and remove the infected file, or to reformat and reinstall the entire harddisk again. Again, prevention is always better than cure, so backup your data at all times. Some virus does more than simply shutting down your PC, they can damage your hard disk physically by force writing over a specific sector repeatedly within a very short time. We will not go into that.

We will summarize the 3 generic recommendations below.
Install a good internet security software (currently Norton 360 is recommended) and pay for the auto-update. This is important.
Do not visit high-risk websites or click on any of the links there.

While it cannot guarantee 100% that your PC/laptop would be free from intrusions, it would lower the chances of it happening significantly.

Htc qwerty android phone

Verizon has always had a tough time keeping the details and images of its upcoming phones under the wraps. This time, it's an HTC handset running Android and sporting a full QWERTY keyboard that has got leaked by BoyGeniusReport (BGR). Bearing a form factor similar to HTC's T-Mobile branded G2 handset, the new QWERTY keyboard boarding HTC handset carries model name ADR6325.

This HTC ADR6325 will come preloaded with Android Froyo 2.2 update. This full QWERTY Android handset will sport a 5 megapixel camera.

HTC ADR6325 smartphone doesn't have five-way navigation providing D-pad like the one in G2. As of now, we aren't aware of the branding but this phone would be released globally for GSM users as well alongside Verizon's branding.

google Tv the future of tv

We have been hearing rumors of Google’s TV ambitions for awhile now, but we finally have some solid facts to go on. Today the curtain has been pulled back, and we have our first official glimpse at the Google TV, the first official “smart television”. and  their software working on lcd tvs at CES.

The rumors have been circulating for months. Then in March, the NY Times reported that Google, Intel and Sony had agreed to work together to develop a new TV, with help from others, but rumors is all they were and no one was yet willing to confirm anything. We knew something big was in the works, and we knew it would be a TV that was Internet capable, but that’s it, everything else was speculation. At the Google I/O Conference today, we finally have that confirmation, as well as details.

Google was joined on stage by representatives from Intel, Sony and Logitech- all of whom helped with the development of the new platform, as well as reps from Best Buy, DISH Network, and Adobe who all announced their support.

“Imagine turning on the TV and getting all the channels and shows you normally watch and all of the websites you browse all day”, the Google press release stated, “including your favorite video, music and photo sites. We’re excited to announce that we’ve done just that.”

Google TV is a device that will soon be included in many TVs, or it can be sold as a separate unit. The device will connect your TV to the internet, and essentially create a search engine within your television. Users can type in what they are looking for in a search bar that will be displayed on their TV, and the Google device will search the internet and the cable provider for it.

The device will also allow users to search the web for any content they may want, and watch it on their TVs. The built-in Google Chrome browser with full Flash support will allow full internet access to stream video, listen to music, and view pictures, among other things. It will also feature a menu that allows users to save their favorite channels, websites, and online content.

People have long complained that the OnDemand setup offered by most cable providers is inherently flawed because of the search engine and the limits of searching that menu with a remote control. Google TV will bypass that problem and make searching for a program, website, or video clip simple.

The device itself is powered by the Intel Atom CE4100 processor, and it will feature an Android based platform. Sony will soon be selling TVs with the Google device installed, and Logitech will begin developing a special remote control, keyboard, and other peripherals.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Google TV is the potential pool of Android apps. Developers are welcomed and encouraged to begin their Google TV specific apps immediately, but Google will soon release a specific development tool kit to developers, and the only limit to the apps is the imagination of those that develop them.

Google’s Android based smartphones will also be integrated into the system, and users can use the phones as TV input devices. For example, a person can speak the name of a TV show into their phone, and it will appear on screen.

Symbian 3 review

Symbian 3, marketed as "Symbian^3," brings a host of much-needed improvements and enhancements in three key areas: user interface, multimedia, and performance In the area of usability, Symbian 3 makes a shift to a single-tap interaction model across the user interface, so you'll no longer have to go through multiple steps to complete a simple task or muddle through the confusion of which menus require one tap or two, as we've recently experienced on Symbian devices like the Nokia N97 Mini.

In addition, the platform now allows for multiple home screens with a widget manager to help you customize each panel with the information you want, such as e-mail, weather, social networking, news feeds, and more. A simple swipe gesture will help you navigate between the screens, and multitouch support enables gestures such as pinching to zoom and flicking to scroll, making Symbian phone use much easier.Along the same lines, Symbian has implemented one-click connectivity for all applications, so you can set global settings for how the phone connects to the Internet so it doesn't ask you each time whether you want to connect via cellular network or Wi-Fi. A new networking architecture in Symbian 3 also ensures that the devices will be 4G-ready.

Its multimedia features will be huge, as Symbian 3 offers HDMI support letting you plug your phone into a TV and watch an HD movie at 1080p quality without a Blu-ray player. Discovering new music will be easy with a song identification application, as well as the capability to purchase tracks from the phone via a music store of your choice. Finally, with 2D and 3D graphics acceleration, the handsets should be capable of high-performance gaming.

Hopefully devices like the N97 will get a upgrade to symbian 3 and that will help nokia to gain more of the market share

Twitter hacked.

Well don't look at me.. I dint do it,but I will tell you to stay away from twitter as it has been hacked and there has been a security breech.  the thing it has been affected by is a HTML injection bug. so don't go on Twitter unless you want your pc security compromised. hopefully the twitter guys will solve the problem soon.   

Mafia 2

Now I have had this game for a while and really loved the graphics and game play. If you are a gta fan or a godfather fan or you just like crime games then this is a must have for you. the game takes place in the old 40s and goes all the way to the  70s. The story is good. The graphics are stunning as you can see by the images i put.  In all a bang for the buck. so go ahead and join the world of mafia 2 and enjoy the life from the comfort of your living room :)

LG 31 inch Oled TV

Isn't she a beauty?  As expected, the 31-inch OLED TV (which is monstrous when compared to regular OLED displays) has arrived at IFA 2010 and made a pretty big splash. You certainly won't be able to take your eyes off a TV that measures all of just 2.9mm thin, and at that size, just about everything else in your home would look obese. Feels like you could cut your hand on the sides. While having a pretty small viewing real estate, it certainly won't come cheap at £6,000 a pop as it hits the market in March next year. Of course, the proof is in the pudding as they say, so those who are fortunate enough to have that kind of money to bring home one of these puppies will definitely claim it is money well spent after having a look at its image quality. Features include Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution and boasting an infinite contrast ratio that allows it to be viewed from virtually any angle. wow this is the future, so soon you can expect larger screens and it will be lovely.

.net frame vulnerable says microsoft

Microsoft is warning people of a potentially serious vulnerability in its ASP.NET framework used to create Web sites.

The hole affects all versions of the .NET framework and affects Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2003 and 2008, company said in an advisory released late on Friday.

"At this time we are not aware of any attacks using this vulnerability and we encourage customers to review the advisory for mitigations and workarounds," the company said in a blog post.

Microsoft also provided a script to help administrators determine if their ASP.NET applications are vulnerable.

The vulnerability is caused by ASP.NET providing Web clients details in error messages when decrypting certain ciphertext, Microsoft said. An attacker could be able to read or tamper with data that was encrypted by the server, as well as read data from files on the target server.

Microsoft's security advisory came after two researchers presented a talk on the vulnerability at the Ekoparty security conference in Buenos Aires on Friday.

"You can decrypt cookies, view states, form authentication tickets, membership password, user data, and anything else encrypted using the framework's API!" the researchers said in the description of their talk on the conference Web site. "The vulnerabilities exploited affect the framework used by 25 percent of the Internet websites. The impact of the attack depends on the applications installed on the server, from information disclosure to total system compromise."

Invite 15 on facebook and 21000 reoly

So great is the excitement about a Facebook-branded phone that any privacy issues such a phone might inspire seem to have blown away in the wind.

Let me, therefore, offer a sweet and cautionary tale about a 14-year-old girl in the U.K., who thought she'd throw a little party and now seems to be about to throw a very big one.

The Telegraph has been friendly enough to reveal the Facebook faux-pas performed by the teen. She decided to hold a birthday party at her mom's house and mom kindly said she could invite 15 of her closest companions.

Being almost 15, what other forum could she possibly have considered than Facebook? So she created a nice little event page and waited, no doubt expectantly, for everyone to say "yes." Unfortunately, the everyone she envisaged seemed to comprise, well, everyone. At least 21,000 people reportedly said they were coming, before she realized that she had invited the whole world. Or at least the whole Facebook world, which is more or less the same thing.

Worse was the sudden appearance of Facebook groups inviting people to such events as her "clear-up party" and "after party," as she became the subject of ill-conceived japing. Just to add to the entertainment, she had, unfortunately, put her phone number and address on the invitation.

Now, the police in the small town of Harpenden (population 30,000) are reportedly going to have to guard her neighborhood on October 7, the fatefully festive day in question.

Her mom told the Telegraph: "She did not realize that she was creating a public event...She is going to have to change her mobile phone SIM card because of the number of calls she has been getting about it."

The mother added that the teen "did not understand the privacy settings and she has lost her Internet as a result of that--I've taken away her computer so she won't make that mistake again."

There is clearly some tension between what the girl should have realized and what she simply didn't understand. However, some might also ask whether Facebook is entirely people-friendly here. Her mother did offer the company a motherly suggestion: "They should make it obvious that an event that is created is not just going out to your friends but everyone else on the site. When this happened Facebook should have realized that thousands of people going to a 14-year-old's party is not right and shut the group down automatically."

A Facebook spokesperson riposted to the Telegraph: "When someone creates an event on Facebook it clearly says 'anyone can view and rsvp (public event)'. If you leave this checked then it is a public event so anyone can view the content and respond."

Perhaps you, too, were moved to unnatural alertness by the phrase "if you leave this checked." I couldn't leave such a phrase unchecked, so I began to create an event page for myself, which is something that normally I would do shortly after I have donated my innards to the local SPCA.

So much of Facebook's polished posture with respect to privacy revolves around the apex where the philosophical encouragement to share meets the practical suspicion that Facebook wants you to share everything. So I wanted to get a feel for the process.

It is, indeed, correct that when you create an event page, there is a box that reads: "Anyone can view and RSVP (public event)". But the Facebook default assumes that, of course, quite naturally, who wouldn't want the whole world to know about your event.

As with so much of Facebook's sleight of box-ticking, it is up to you to contravene the default and declare "Hell, no!" as opposed to deciding that, hell, yes, you'd like strange skirt-friendly men from Scotland to come to your little soiree in England.

Perhaps one's perspective on that logic might be similar to one's perspective on life. However, there continue to be Facebook groups which debate the joy of the young teen's party.

Here's one for your delectation. It seems to have co-opted her name and some of its members are offering highly educated commentary. Take this one from someone called George Nuth: "She will go down in history...for the biggest gang rape EVER!!!!"

Social networking. It's the future.

acer aspire revo

Acer aspire revo is a small desktop that can act as a second desktop which you can even put in your bag and take to your friends house. ITs a small powerpact cute thing with nvidia Ion so it will let you run good games on the pc too... look at the details
you will find it good.

Technical Details
Intel Atom (330) 1.6 GHz Processor with 1 Mb L2 Cache and 533 MHz FSB
4Gb SDRAM, 500 Gb Serial ATA HDD
NVidia ION Chipset with Integrated Graphics
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse, VESA Mount capable

Processor: Intel Atom (330) 1.6 GHz
CPU Bus Speed: 533 MHz
Package: Micro-FCBGA
Chipset: nVidia ION
Processors: 1
PCI Express Slot: 1x Mini PCI Express
Integrated Network: Yes
Integrated WLAN: Yes
Integrated Sound: Yes
Integrated VGA: Yes
Memory: 4Gb SDRAM
Hard Disk: 500 Gb Serial ATA
Input: Wireless Keyboard and Mouse (supplied)
Interfaces/Ports: VGA, HDMI, 6x USB 2.0, eSATA, RJ-45, S/PDIF (Optical), Headphone, Mic In
Sound: 7.1 High Definition Audio
Sound Card Interface: Integrated
Wired Network Interface: Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps Integrated
Wireless Network: Yes
Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Graphics: Integrated into Chipset
Certifications: PC 2001, Energy Star 5.0, FCC, CE, BSMI, CCC, C-Tick, ETL, Nemko (CB and Bauart)
Software Included: Microsoft Office 2007 Trial with Microsoft Works 8.5, Oberon GameZone, eSobi, McAfee Internet Security Suite 2009 (Trial), Adobe Reader, Acer Arcade Deluxe, Acer eRecovery Management, MyWinLocker, Nero 9 Essentials
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Electrical Power Available: 65 W
Form Factor: Desktop Unit
Dimensions (WxDxH): 30 x 180 x 180 mm

New ARM processors 2+ GHz on your phone

Have you heard about the ARM processors. If you have not then just take a look at your phone. if you are using a good hi-end smart phone then you will have it in there. about 80-90 % of smart phones have it. now why am I writing about this... well I came to know about a new series of processors for our phones and portable gadgets that is going to change the way we use them. Currently I think only a few of us possess a phone which can run a 720p video on it. Now think if your Phone had enough juice to run a 1080p video or even 4 of those together. Hard to imagine right. well the ARM guys are doing just that. in a few weeks you will see multi core processors for phones, and very soon you will have 2+ GHz on your phone. cool na.
the future seems bright :)
Take a look

The ARM Cortex™-A15 MPCore™ processor delivers unprecedented processing capability, combined with low power consumption to enable compelling products in a wide range of new and existing ARM markets ranging from mobile computing, high-end digital home, servers and wireless infrastructure.

The Cortex-A15 MPCore processor is the latest member of the Cortex-A series of processors, ensuring full application compatibility with all of the other highly acclaimed Cortex-A processors. This enables immediate access to an established developer and software ecosystem including Android™, Adobe® Flash® Player, Java Platform Standard Edition (Java SE), JavaFX, Linux, Microsoft Windows Embedded, Symbian and Ubuntu, along with more than 700 ARM Connected Community™ members providing applications software, hardware and software development tools, middleware and SoC design services.

The Cortex-A15 MPCore processor has an out-of-order superscalar pipeline with a tightly-coupled low-latency level-2 cache which can be up to 4MB in size. Additional improvements in floating point and NEON™ media performance result in devices that deliver the next-generation user experience for consumers as well as high-performance computation for web infrastructure applications.

It is expected that mobile configurations of the Cortex-A15 MPCore processor will deliver over five times the performance of today’s advanced smartphones. In advanced infrastructure applications, the Cortex-A15 running at up to 2.5GHz will enable highly scalable solutions within constantly shrinking energy, thermal and cost budgets
Applications:
Advanced Smartphones
Mobile Computing
High-end Digital Home Entertainment
Wireless Infrastructure
Low-power Servers

The growing complexity of the Web2.0 centric devices is creating the requirement for devices to support multiple software personalities and combine disparate functionality. For this reason the Cortex-A15 MPCore processor introduces new technology from ARM that enables efficient handling of the complex software environments including full hardware virtualization, Large Physical Address Extensions (LPAE) addressing up to 1TB of memory as well as error correction capability for fault-tolerance and soft-fault recovery.

The Cortex-A15 MPCore processor is the first ARM processor to incorporate highly efficient hardware support for data management and arbitration, enabling multiple software environments and their applications to simultaneously access the system capabilities. This enables the realization of devices that are robust, with virtual environments that are isolated from each other.

 

stay on gtalk on mobile

If you want to stay on gtalk all the time and you have a nokia s60 5th phone like my n97 then you can buy a app called Talkonaut. Talkonaut™ supports Jabber, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN, AIM and Yahoo networks both for chatting and voice calling.Its  also available for many other OS including android, Symbian S60 2nd/3rd/5th, Windows Mobile 5.x/6.x, Java-based. wow is there any left :) Talkonaut™ allows to make free VoIP over GPRS/EDGE calls, as well as calls over 3G, or WIFI.

Lenovo s10-3t.

If you ever wanted a small tablet that you can carry around with you all time and take notes on and do all those cool things a tablet can do but dont want to spend a lot and dont want to miss the keyboard... then look no further than the Lenovo s10-3t.

putting the specifications


Processor
Intel ATOM Processor N470 ( 1.83GHz 667MHz 512KB )


Operating system
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 32


Graphics
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150


Total memory8
2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz


Display
10.1" SD LED Glare and Multi-touch 1024x600


Pointing device
Industry Standard Touchpad


Hard Drive
250GB 5400


Battery
4/6/9 Cell Lithium-Ion


Network Card
BCM 4313 BGN Wireless


Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR

use Usb thumb drive with nokia phones

Is this not aany persons  dream feature  ... use your thumb drives with your phone..  well wait no more

Now a days all most all smartphone have a common feature is USB. But connecting a USB flash drive is unknown feature on mobile phones despite its obvious advantages.

The Nokia N8 has a USB OTG (On-The-Go)  which means that you can connect pendrives or small hardrives via the microUSB-USB cable to the Phone. Here is a video in which a Pen Drive is connected to the phone and also another phone a Nokia C5 and both show up as Mass Storage within the FileManager

wow aint that cool :)

I wish all phones would get this then nokia would really get ahead of the curve

New nokia E7

Just saw the E7 and really liked it because of the form factor and cause it can even connect usb drives and its a neat device... a good one to upgrade from the n97.. I got my eyes on it. More details when we get the official launch of the device.

tweet from your mobile

If you are into tweeting and you want to do it on the go and you have a symbian s60 phone then you will like this software its called mobileways gravity and i started using this software and i have really liked it. the time line feature is a very good one... 

Using the software for smartphones Gravity you will be able to fully communicate in the popular microblogging network Twitter. The program provides an opportunity to work with multiple accounts and has an easy search. Gravity offers a stylish shell and is not inferior to the mobile version of Twitter site. There are so-called 'Timeline' - form for Tweet messaging and updates the contacts, which displays time, date and user avatars. With Gravity, you can chat with friends, and post your photos via MobyPicture and TwitPic.

Features of Gravity:

"Fully compatible with Twitter and Laconica;

"All the basic functions of microblogging: Conversation, A, direct link, ReTweet, New, Favorites, Search, and Automatic Updates;

"Tabs: Chronology, Answers, Messages, Friends;

"Setting the notification signal;

"The ability to use multiple accounts;

"Support for creating bookmarks with custom filters;

"Viewing profile Twitter users;

"Convenient search and creation of tabs;

"Placing a photo on MobyPicture, TwitPic, TwitGoo, Posterous, Yfrog and img.ly;

"Support for Ping.fm, quick dispatch 'R messages' and 'R messages groups'

"The ability to preview images;

"Opening links in the annex;

"The ability to select the color scheme interface;

"Working in full-screen mode;

"Auto update with the beta access to new functions;

"Support the kinetic scrolling (Symbian 9.4);

"Built-in widget for desktop (Nokia N97).

Ovmestima with smartphones based on Symbian S60v3/v5/Symbian^3

Changelog:

Fixed

Broken Tweets when using #Hashtags

Modified

Rendering Partly Rewritten & Optimized

Network Resources Used Differently

Philips GoGear Spark

Now the new iPod shuffle is a good player but i am not a big fan of apple as they are bound to have issues and limitations.....and not to mention the price,, but if you want a cheaper alternative then you can go for this 

Probably the biggest change from the previous model is the adoption of a colour screen. Don't get too excited; you won't be watching video on it, and it's no better than the display on an average, budget mobile phone, but it's still pretty good for a player this small and this cheap. Large text and a chunky font mean that you still have to put up with a lot of scrolling text when you're navigating through albums or playlists, but the screen does have other practical uses. 

First, it can now display album art during playback - not vitally important, but a nice touch. Second, it allows the Spark to double as a tiny JPEG photo viewer. Thanks to the small size and low resolution you won't want to share a whole album of holiday snaps this way, but the colours are reasonable and you can set the images to rotate in a basic, no-transitions slideshow. Finally, you can also use the player's Personalize feature to set images for the wallpaper and the startup/shutdown sequences. 

Addressing another complaint of our SA2840 review, the Spark comes with a protective silicon pouch and detachable clip, allowing you to hook the player on your clothes or belt if you're doing something active. And if you like hiking or long-distance running, you'll have no issues with the battery life. The Spark is rated for 27 hours, and the test sample left running overnight certainly came within 30 minutes of that at medium volume levels. 

Otherwise, Philips has played smart and not overloaded the Spark with additional features. There's a basic but decent voice-recorder, though like a lot of small, budget players it's prone to accentuating handling noise, and there is a model available with an FM radio receiver. At heart, however, this is a music player, through and through. 

The stripped-back approach also applies to software. We get no media player or file transfer applets to ignore, just a simple firmware updater, leaving you to drag and drop tracks or sync with Windows Media Player just like most sensible souls already do. My only minor grumble about this 'less is more' approach is that it extends even to file format support as well. While players like the Sansa Clip and Samsung YP-U4 are embracing OGG and even FLAC, the GoGear Spark just does your vanilla MP3, WAV and WMA.

Verdict : now as I told you in the start if you want a cheap player that you can rough use or gift to your sister then this is the best option. You wont feel bad when you are standing with your buds when they will get the new shuffle and you dont have to be bound by the itunes...  

some things better than the iPad

Apple's iPad may finally have some competition.

With the gadget, Apple started the craze for building devices that are smaller than notebooks and bigger than standard smartphones, feature touch-screen interfaces, and enable people to browse the Web and download apps. And the iPad took off quicker than most people anticipated, selling 3 million units in its first 80 days. The device is expected to keep tight hold of its market-leading position for at least the next year.


Toshiba's Folio 100, an Android-based tablet, will come in 3G and non-3G versions when it ships later this year in Europe.


But beginning this fall (with several new devices launching at IFA Berlin last week) and stretching through next year (with the Consumer Electronics Show in early January), there are going to be far more consumer touch-screen tablets to choose from. And not just from small niche manufacturers. Some of the world's largest makers of consumer electronics and PCs are jumping into the fray--companies with the resources (including, in many cases, Google's rapidly proliferating Android operating system) to take on the Apple mobile-device juggernaut.

The big players in the developing tablet race will be familiar: they're many of the same people who are tussling for consumers' dollars and attention in the smartphone realm. As with smartphones, choosing a touch-screen tablet will mean deciding between different operating systems: Apple's iOS, Google's Android, Palm's WebOS, Research In Motion's BlackBerry operating system, and Microsoft's Windows 7--except, in some instances, without having to also decide on a wireless carrier.

Here's a look at some of the iPad's competitors. It's not a comprehensive survey, of course. But it's a good look at the tablets coming from companies with the tech chops and marketing clout to compete with Apple.

Samsung Galaxy Tab is emerging as a top rival to the iPad. Just officially unveiled at IFA Berlin, it's an Android-based touch-screen tablet. At 7 inches, it's smaller than the 9.7 inch iPad, and it's also lighter. The initial reviews of using the tablet have been positive, and it's not an iPad clone. The specs include Android 2.2 (Froyo), Flash 10.1, 16GB or 32GB of memory, GPS, and a gyroscope, accelerometer, and a 3.2-megapixel camera, with autofocus and a flash. (See my colleague Stephen Shankland's hands-on video here.)

The biggest difference between the Galaxy Tab and the iPad is that you can buy the device only through a carrier. So, yes, that means there's a phone in the Galaxy Tab. Think of it like a smartphone on steroids, similar to Dell's slightly smaller Streak, which debuted this summer. The cost will be left up to the individual carriers.

The Toshiba Folio also debuted at IFA as an Android tablet ready to take on the iPad. As with Apple's tablet, you don't have to buy it through a wireless carrier, but you do have the option for WI-Fi only or Wi-Fi and 3G. There's a 10.1-inch multitouch screen, an Nvidia Tegra processor, stereo speakers, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam, two USB ports, an SD card slot, an HDMI connector for sending video to other screens, Bluetooth communications, and 16GB of memory. Like the Galaxy Tab, it comes with Adobe Flash 10.1 and Android 2.2.

The price is 399 Euros ($511), but (so far) it's been announced only for Europe.

With the 5-inch Streak, Dell was one of the first major competitors of Apple to bring out a tablet using Android. The device is more of a phone than a tablet, but it's shown that Dell is being aggressive in getting out early in this category. Though the Streak has been reviewed as a solid Android device, its software is already old; the gadget comes with Android 1.6 (whereas most new tablets will hit store shelves with version 2.2).

The Streak is available only in the U.K. and the U.S. In the states you can get it for $299 on a two-year contract with AT&T, or get it unlocked for $549.





The Blackpad, a tablet from Research In Motion, is still a rumor, but it's a pretty solid one. The maker of the BlackBerry is reportedly readying the device and intends it as a sort of companion gadget to the BlackBerry--it will come only with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options, and for 3G service would need to be tethered to one of RIM's smartphones.

Another report has the device not running the BlackBerry OS at all, instead featuring software from a company called QNX that RIM bought earlier this year. It's not clear whether this device will be ready for consumers this holiday season or sometime next year.

The HP Slate with Windows 7 is supposedly still being worked on by Hewlett-Packard, which announced the gadget at CES in January. While we're not holding our breath for that one, there's another potentially interesting touch-screen tablet coming our way from HP.

The company has been making PC tablets for years, but the reaction from customers to Apple's iPad must have clearly demonstrated the demand for a lightweight, non-Windows tablet. A few months after the iPad's debut, HP went out and bought itself its own mobile operating system. Now it says it's planning to unveil a tablet based on Palm's WebOS sometime early next year. Though very few details are known, the company has filed a trademark on the name PalmPad, which may or may not turn out to be the name of its impending tablet.

Apple's obviously not sitting still either. While hardware updates are likely to come early next year, we also know there will be some significant software updates by November, as Steve Jobs showed us at the company's fall event last week. Wireless printing, AirPlay media streaming, and multitasking will arrive when iOS 4.2 is ready.

sony walkman a845

If you hate iTunes and apps and just want a portable media player that simply does its job, then you’re reading the right review. The latest Sony Walkman PMP to be launched with OLED is the Sony NWZ-A845 and over the last week, given an opportunity to have a play with the new skinny Walkman and see what its like.

Design

We’ve reviewed a few Sony Walkmans in the past, so we sort of knew what qualities to look for in the new A845. The overall candybar design hasn’t really changed very much from other Walkmans, but you’ll probably have read plenty of headlines saying how slim the A845 is – 7.2mm to be exact. Not only is it slim, its also small, measuring in at just over 10cm long and and approximately 4.6cm in width. Its lightweight too, just 62g but it doesn’t feel that light, because it is quite comfortable to hold in the hand and feels solid just like the X1050 and not plastic-ky at all. The reason we often stress this is because some PMPs (like the Walkman S540) feel like they would crack open when under pressure (for example, when you leave it in your pocket), the A845 definitely doesn’t give any indication of this.



So its pretty slim (not as slim as the iPod Nano I’m afraid), similar in size to an iPod Nano and doesn’t feel as though Sony’s been cutting down on their budget. Another obvious design / feature you’ll notice worth mentioning is that it boasts a vibrant shiny 2.8-inch OLED, it isn’t the first Walkman from Sony to have OLED, that title went to the X1050, but nevertheless its been just as well exceptionally equipped on the A845. The keys / buttons are found on its front surface as well as to its left.









The premium EX in-ear style earphones that come with the Sony A845 Walkman were probably one of the most stylish earphones we’ve seen in a while, and this is including those not made from Sony. If you decide to buy the A845, you probably won’t have the urge to replace them and feel that “these earphones that came with the PMP were crap”, like you do sometimes when buying mp3 players.



Features

The Sony A845 Walkman boasts 16GB of internal memory and from what we know, this seems to be the only choice of memory capacity if you’re in the UK. As for those of you in the far east, the device itself will be known as A840 and will in fact be available in 64GB. Of course with 16GB (which is still not too bad) and a nice widescreen OLED, you’re going to start popping in films, movies and videos into the A845, that’s perfectly reasonable and the experience we’ve had so far definitely recommends that you do that.




If you  are in the market for a small and thin portable music player... look no further than this

acer TimelineX4820TG

When i saw this laptop i totally fell in love with it its a nice powerful and sleek one that i had to review

When Acer first launched its Timeline-branded range of laptops last year they were based on Intel's new CULV processors. These frugal processors, combined with high-capacity batteries, resulted in machines like the Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T, which could last close to eight hours on a single charge. This year the company has revamped the range and renamed it TimelineX, but has abandoned low-voltage CPUs in favour of Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors and powerful dedicated graphics. 

Despite these changes, Acer still reckons the Aspire TimelineX 4820TG we're reviewing can manage eight hours of battery life using the standard six-cell battery and up to 12 hours with the optional nine-cell unit. It's not as if the 4820TG is any less portable than its predecessor, either, weighing a reasonable 2.0kg. While not ultra-portable, it's the kind of form-factor that can be carried around without too many complaints. 

Inside, the 4820TG utilises a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor running at 2.26GHz that has a 3MB cache. It's supported by a plentiful 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 500GB hard drive, while graphics are supplied by a dedicated 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon 5650 graphics card and Intel's integrated HD Graphics chip. It’s the latter that's key to the 4820TG's battery life claims, as it will switch between the dedicated graphics and Intel's low-power alternative when starved of mains power. 

On paper, then, it's a powerful machine, but like the original Timeline's the exterior of the 4820TG is quite unassuming. Its lid is finished in black, brushed aluminium, an effect that's repeated on the palm rest but in a tasteful gunmetal grey. This makes a nice change from the glossy black plastic so often seen, but it's still present around the screen and keyboard. 

On the whole, the design is pleasant in an unremarkable kind of way, but we have serious reservations about the build quality of the machine. There's more flex than is desirable throughout the machine, including in the keyboard and in the base of the machine, and applying pressure to the lid revealed that the LCD panel has very little protection. It all feels far from reassuring, especially in how the screen wobbles markedly when you adjust it. 

For wired connectivity you get a generous four USB ports, but none of them support eSATA or standby charging. These are joined by HDMI and VGA for video, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two audio jacks (1x microphone, 1x headphone/SPDIF) and a memory card reader. You get both Wireless-N Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR for your wireless needs as well, in addition to a 1.3-megapixel webcam. There's also a standard, tray-loading 8x DVD+/-RW optical drive, its eject button sitting to the top right of the keyboard.

best ebook reader Kindle vs Nook vs iPad

 Well we know these three from the market and lets see which one is the best and lets see which one is worth buying..


With these new variables, now is a perfect time to re-evaluate the e-book reader landscape and figure out which product is best for you. If you're an experienced shopper, you can jump straight to our list of top e-book readers; however, everyone else can consult this quick guide, which boils the purchase decision down to six questions:

1. How much are you willing to spend?


At the bottom of the price scale, you'll find lesser-known readers such as the Aluratek Libre and Kobo eReader that now cost as little as $99 to $129. However, we strongly steer bargain hunters toward the latest versions of the Amazon Kindle or the Barnes & Noble Nook. They're priced at $139 and $149, respectively.

If you want to step up to an e-book reader with built-in cellular data that lets you download books, magazines, and newspapers anywhere there's AT&T coverage, an additional $50 gets you the upgraded 3G models of both units mentioned above. The $189 Kindle or the $199 Nook. (There's no charge for the wireless service itself.)

If you want to pay a premium for touch-screen support (and ultimate portability), check out the new Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350 ($179, full review coming soon). Unfortunately, it lacks any sort of wireless option, so you're required to download books to your PC first, then transfer them via a USB cable. (For touch-screen support plus built-in Wi-Fi and 3G, you'll need to spend $299 on the Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-950, which also features a unique 7-inch screen.)

Amazon's large-screen Kindle DX and the Apple iPad dominate the high-end e-book reader market. The Kindle DX costs $379, whereas the iPad ranges in price from $499 (16GB, Wi-Fi only) to $829 (64GB, Wi-Fi plus 3G). Yes, both of these devices are considerably more expensive than the aforementioned readers, but the iPad is more of a Netbook or laptop competitor than it is an e-book reader competitor. The iPad offers a variety of step-up features--such as a color touch screen, full-motion video, and thousands of apps--that aren't available on more-affordable e-book models.

We know there are a variety of competing e-book readers available that we didn't mention, including the Entourage Edge and the Alex eReader. That's because we don't consider any of them truly competitive with the Nook, Kindle, Sony Readers, or iPad at their current prices.

2. How large of a screen (and weight) do you want?

Even if you plan to never leave home with your e-book reader, you should consider its size before buying one.  Since you hold the device in front of you whenever you want to read, the weight and size can be an issue.

The smallest and lightest dedicated e-book reader we've seen to date is the aforementioned Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350, which has a 5-inch touch screen and weighs just 5.5 ounces (without a case). At 8.7 ounces (without case), the latest Kindle is 15 percent lighter than its predecessor. The Nook rounds out the "light" group at 11.2 ounces.

If you want a truly large (9.7-inch) screen, you'll want to buy the Kindle DX or Apple iPad. However, at 1.2 pounds and 1.5 pounds (without case), respectively, some people find these devices to be too heavy to hold for long reading sessions.

Remember, all e-book readers let you adjust the font size of the content you're reading, so even a small screen can display much larger type than you're used to seeing in a book, magazine, or newspaper. In other words, a smaller screen does not mean you need to sacrifice readability.

3. What's your screen preference, e-ink or backlit LCD?


E-ink: As close as you'll get to a printed page
Dedicated e-book readers such as Nook, Kindle, and Sony Reader use an e-ink screen. However, e-ink screens have some drawbacks: They're black and white and the pages don't refresh as quickly as an LCD does. However, they do an excellent job of reproducing the look of the printed paper. With few exceptions, they're not backlit--so you can't read in the dark--but you can read them in direct sunlight, which is something you can't do on an LCD screen (just try reading your phone or laptop screen outside on a summer day).

If you prefer to read at night with e-ink, however, all is not lost; cases with built-in lights are available for the Kindle and the Sony Reader models.
 (Credit: Apple)

LCD: Bright, backlit--and potentially tiring
In contrast, the iPad's LCD screen is a bright, colorful, beautiful display. It's also a full touch screen (the Nook has a small LCD touch screen that's used for navigation, but its larger e-ink display doesn't respond to finger swipes). But those advantages have trade-offs. The iPad's reflective screen makes it hard to read in bright light, and many people find that the backlight tires their eyes over long reading sessions.

So, which screen is better for reading: e-ink or LCD? We can't answer that question for you. If you don't have a problem staring at your laptop or LCD monitor screen for hours on end--or if you enjoy reading in low light without an external light source--you'll probably like the iPad's screen. However, if you prefer the look of newsprint or if you enjoy reading outside, an e-ink display is your friend.

We'd strongly recommend that you try a few devices before you buy one: iPads are on display at all Apple Stores and most Best Buys. Nooks can be found at Barnes & Noble bookstores and Best Buy. Kindles are available at Target and Staples, and new Sony Readers should soon be at Best Buy and other retailers. (Note that the Kindle and Sony Readers use the new and improved "Pearl" e-ink screen, whereas the Nook's is one generation older.)


4. Do you need always-on wireless data?


The entry-level Nook, Kindle, and iPad models only have Wi-Fi for going online; the $189 Kindle, the $199 Nook, the Sony Reader Daily Edition, and the more-expensive iPads have access to AT&T's 3G cellular network in addition to Wi-Fi. Notably, the 3G data service on the applicable Nooks, Kindles, and Sony Readers is free. On the iPad you'll pay a monthly fee to AT&T, but it's a prepaid monthly service, not a long-term contract.

The 3G premium on the Nook and Kindle is $50 each; on the iPad, it's $130, plus the monthly data bill. Is the extra money worth it? As with the screen decision, this is a personal preference. Personally, I think Wi-Fi is adequate for an e-book reader. If you plan to take a long trip to a remote area--the desert, mountains, moon, wherever--you can always download and purchase a long list of books in advance and take them with you on the reader.

For the iPad, which offers a wide range of additional online features--such as e-mail, video, a full Web browser, social networking, and so on--a 3G data connection may be a more useful feature. However, with more phones offering Wi-Fi hot spot functionality and establishments such as Starbucks offering free Wi-Fi, there are plenty of ways to get seamless online coverage with your reading device without it having 3G network support built-in.

5. Do you need access to your e-books on additional devices?

One of the advantages of having your reading collection "in the cloud" is that you can access your books on multiple devices, though some e-book vendors offer better cross-platform support than others do.


The Android Kindle App
(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

Amazon and Barnes & Noble are currently neck and neck when it comes to device support. In addition to their respective e-book readers, both vendors offer free apps on the iPad, iPhone/iPod Touch, Android phones, BlackBerry phones, Windows PCs, and Macs. So even when you leave the e-reader at home, for instance, you can pick up your book right where you left off and continue reading it on your phone or PC screen.

Sony currently offers Windows and Mac versions of its software (currently called Reader Library, soon to be rebadged as "Reader Desktop Edition"). The company has pledged to offer iOS (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad) and Android Reader apps later in 2010.

For now, you can only read Apple's iBooks on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

Kobo also has good cross-platform e-book support. In addition to Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, you can get a Kobo app for BlackBerry, Android, and Palm Pre phones.

The bottom line is that Amazon and Barnes & Noble currently have the best support for a wide variety of devices. But since this software is free, you can mix and match e-book stores as needed. You can also "try before you buy" as each platform offers hundreds, if not thousands, of public-domain books that you can download and read for free.

6. Do you need support for the EPUB format?


Each of the readers listed above can download and display books from their respective online bookstores, and the iPad works with several (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iBooks, to name a few). However, there's also an open e-book file standard known as EPUB. Using this format, you can obtain loaner books from certain online local libraries, as well as download free (mostly public domain, pre-1923) books from a variety of sources, such as Google Books.

Of the leading e-book readers, only the Kindle can not read files in the EPUB format. If that's a must-have feature, then, you'll want to steer clear of Amazon's reader. That said, thousands of the most desirable public-domain titles are available on the Kindle for free. As a result, we don't consider the Kindle's dearth of EPUB compatibility to be a black mark on the device.

New iPods and social iTunes

There were few surprises at Apple's annual music event Wednesday, but as usual there are new iPods for the holiday season and a new version of Apple TV.


Apple's new iPod Nano, one of several new products announced Wednesday.

Here's a quick recap of what Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced Wednesday in San Francisco. Check here for a replay of our live coverage of the event from earlier in the day.

• Apple released a new version of iOS--iOS 4.1--that fixes bugs and brings the previously announced Game Center API for developers to use in building social-networking games. Also, iOS 4.2 will be released later this year, which will unify the software on iPhones and iPads as well as stream music to other devices over Wi-Fi.

• Three new iPods were announced: an iPod Shuffle that ditches the previous no-button style in returning to a more classic look; a smaller iPod Nano that now has a touch screen but can no longer play video; and a thinner iPod Touch that has most of the features first introduced on the iPhone 4. The new iPods will be available next week.

• Apple announced iTunes 10, available immediately, which comes with a new logo and a social music service called Ping that lets you see what your friends are listening to and make comments and recommendations.

• A much cheaper and smaller Apple TV will ship later this month as Apple tries to revive interest in what Jobs has long called "a hobby." It will cost $99, and users can rent HD TV shows from iTunes as well as other partners, such as ABC and Fox. They can also access Netflix's streaming service from the box.

Texas opens antitrust investigation of Google

Google will face an antitrust investigation in Texas over charges that it manipulated search results, in what appears to a similar case to one pending in Europe.


Google confirmed an earlier report by Search Engine Land Friday after the close of the stock market that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has contacted it in connection with an "antitrust review" of Google's business practices. Earlier this year, European regulators opened an investigation regarding claims by a Microsoft-backed price-comparison site called Foundem that Google was downranking Foundem in hopes of putting the site out of business.

"We look forward to answering their questions because we're confident that Google operates in the best interests of our users," Google's Don Harrison said in a blog post. A representative for Abbott's office confirmed it has opened an antitrust investigation into Google's business practices but would not provide any further details on that investigation.

Google said that Texas had asked it specifically about Foundem's complaints as well as those of TradeComet and myTriggers, two U.S.-based companies who have filed their own antitrust suits against Google for allegedly manipulating search results to harm the two companies. TradeComet's case was dismissed on a technicality--incorrect venue--while a case involving myTriggers is pending in Ohio.

Google's rise to the top of the Internet has not gone unnoticed by regulators around the world. The company routinely faces scrutiny over its penchant for acquisitions, evidenced by Federal Trade Commission reviews of AdMob earlier this year and a currently underway review involving travel software company ITA Software.

Microsoft, itself a target of antitrust scrutiny a decade ago, has acknowledged that it has complained to federal regulators about Google's business practices, but denies it is orchestrating any legal campaign against the company. Google pointed out in its blog post Friday that Foundem is part of an organization with Microsoft called the Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace and that lawyers who have worked with Microsoft have represented TradeComet and myTriggers.

Samsung galaxy tab

After more than an hour putting the Samsung Galaxy Tab through its paces, I have to say I'm impressed.

It's no iPad-slayer, but it's an elegant tablet with conveniently compact dimensions, good performance, and a bright, responsive multitouch screen.

Samsung debuted the Galaxy Tab Thursday at the IFA electronics show here with strong words showing it plans to compete directly with Apple's iPad. Just how well it'll succeed depends in large measure on how well developers embrace large-screen Android devices: the Tab's most awkward moments came with applications designed for a smaller screen, and there will have to be a lot more games before Android tablets can take on the iPad.

First, some Samsung Galaxy Tab details. Front and center is its 7-inch, 1,024x600 touch screen. For a tablet to be competitive, it's got to respond quickly to touch, and the Galaxy Tab does--most of the time. The screen is bright and text is easy to read. It's not as spacious the iPad's, but it's a big step up from mobile phones.

The brains of the operation are a 1.0GHz Cortex A8 ARM-based processor paired with a PowerVR SGX540 graphics processor. Game developers take note: The two made the Tab the fastest and most responsive of Android devices I've used. Applications loaded fast and responded to input moderately fast. Internal memory of 16GB or 32GB is supplemented by a microSD port that can accommodate flash cards with up to 32GB more.

Speaking of mobile phones, note that the Tab is available only through carriers that provide mobile phone service. There's no Wi-Fi-only option, though the Tab does support 802.11 a, b, g, and n. For cell networks, it can use 2.5G (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) and 3G (HSUPA at 5.76Mbps, and HSDPA 7.2Mbps). I found Wi-Fi and 3G both worked well at Samsung's booth.

Whether customers warm to this sales approach and the prospect of another monthly payment remains to be seen, but Samsung is confident it's at least the right way to start based on survey data: 52 percent want to use a tablet while on the go, 90 percent for e-mail and Web browsing, and 70 percent for communication functions. Clearly a network connection was a priority.

Samsung is leaving final pricing up to the carriers who'll ship the Tab starting in late September, so we don't know anything about its cost beyond Samsung's promise it'll be competitive. The smaller size might appeal to some prospective iPad customers, but with the iPad's incumbent advantage, my guess is the Galaxy Tab will have to be a notch cheaper to meet Samsung's promise.
Samsung Galaxy Tab (photos)
    

Portability is the reason Samsung made the Tab smaller. It weighs 380 grams, or about four-fifths of a pound, which is half that of a 3G-enabled iPad.

Samsung expects people to use it as a phone, and it comes with a dialer. If it's small for a tablet, though, it's large for a phone, and you'll look pretty conspicuous with a Galaxy Tab glued to the side of your head. Happily, it supports Bluetooth earpieces.

Typing is nicer on the Tab than on a mobile phone. I found it best in portrait mode, where it was easy to wrap both my hands around the bottom and touch-type with my thumbs. Swype fans will be delighted to see the drag-over-the-letters text input method, but to use it you have to skip back and forth between watching your finger rather than the text that's appearing. It's a powerful input method, but not as compelling on a tablet than a smartphone with a smaller screen.

Turning the Swype keyboard off through the Settings control panel reverts the keyboard to XT9 predictive typing, which suggests completed words as you type. My biggest beef with typing was that I couldn't get the Galaxy Tab to type a period when I hit the space key twice, as with regular Android phones.

When it comes to productivity, the Tab needs some software work. Both the built-in e-mail and Gmail applications squandered the screen real estate with a large font size and an airy layout. It's easy to read, but I'd at least like options for a more compact view. One exception to my gripe: when the tablet is horizontal, the e-mail application will show the in-box on the left and the selected message's content on the right.




The calendar application seemed to make better use of the bigger screen, though. And the Google Earth app is nicely immersive on the larger screen, taking advantage of multitouch as well.

Telling the Tab how bright to be was clunky. In Settings, it can be adjusted both with the brightness control and with a power-saving control that can cut screen brightness to extend battery life. And for reasons that escape me, the e-mail app and browser both have their own screen brightness settings.

The Galaxy Tab is black on front and white on the back, with a polished, sleek exterior. Buttons for power and volume are on one edge, and Android-standard menu, home, search, and back buttons are on the front. It's got a 3.2-megapixel back camera and a 1.3-megapixel front camera for taking photos and for video chat.

The tablet plays video well, either stored on the device itself or streamed from YouTube--though with occasional stutters--and it can pump 720p video to a TV with its HDMI port.

The music player was unspectacular, but it worked reasonably well using 7Digital's music purchasing service. Getting search results seemed to involve some needless extra steps wading through album lists, but it does work, and you can listen to 30-second or 1-minute clips before buying.

The reader application, which taps into 2,500 magazines, 1,600 newspapers, and 2 million books, worked well enough. For those who like to read in bed, there's a white-on-black mode, and the Tab's orientation can be easily locked using an option on the Android status bar.

Browsing was better than on a small screen, but still not as fast as with a laptop. Double-tapping and two-finger gestures were effective for zooming in and out. Although the device includes Adobe Systems' Flash Player 10.1, that company's Flash mobile promotional site showed only this message: "We're sorry, but your device does not support Adobe Flash Player software." It wasn't immediately clear whether the issue was with Flash on the tablet or with the site being able to recognize it.

One big difference with the faster processor is that mobile applications such as Gmail work a lot better than on smartphones. Don't expect the Web-app era to eclipse the native-app era any time soon, but good Web application performance is still very important.

The Tab is a credible tablet product, and it'll be more compelling once more applications arrive. Samsung has done a good job showing not just what Android tablets can be, but what Android overall can be.

Best Drive-way in the world.

I know this is different from what you find on this website but i was impressed seeing this road.
The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road wraps its way around the Jebel Hafeet Mountain, the second highest peak in the U.A.E. at over 4000 feet. The road offers brave drivers 60 corners over 7.3 miles of perfectly paved asphalt while offering a beautiful view of the desert below. As Tiff of fifth gear (TV Program)  points out, numerous drivers have misjudged the corners. The rubber graffiti written all along the road's concrete barriers, a sign some should stick to just going straight.

For those who have mastered all 60 corners of the Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road only a small car park with 2 porta-johns (for you to empty out your pants) and cafe await you at the top of the peak, but we're guessing those aren't the real prize. Did we mention that there's only one way down? We're hoping that Ol' Master Wert will hand us the keys to something special and give us the okay to take a short journey to the oil-rich capital.
Oh and I have to add that this is a road that is going to the kings castle. well one of them so this is the best driveway 

India wants local servers from RIM, Google, Skype

After its recent conflict with Research In Motion over access to customer data, India is expanding its reach to include Google and Skype.

The Indian government is asking all three companies to install local servers in the country so that it can more easily tap into encrypted e-mail and other communications, according to Bloomberg and other sources.
Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters on Wednesday that notices were being sent to Google and Skype to provide "lawful access" of data to security agencies. The country sees access to such communications as vital in its fight against militants and terrorists who may use encrypted networks to plot  attacks.
"People who operate communication services in India should (install a) server in India as well as make available access to law enforcement agencies," Pillai told reporters, according to the Associated Press. "That has been made clear to RIM of BlackBerry but also to other companies."
The country is targeting Google for its Gmail data, which like BlackBerry communications, is heavily encrypted. The Indian government also wants to monitor IM conversations conducted through Skype. Earlier reports indicated that both companies could have received requests for local servers as early at this past Tuesday. But a Google India spokesperson told CNET on Thursday that the company has so far not received any communication from the Indian government.
A press release on India's Ministry of Home Affairs Web site from Monday said that "any communication through the telecom networks should be accessible to the law enforcement agencies and all telecom service providers, including third parties, have to comply with this."
India has been battling with RIM to provide access to its customer data, threatening to shut down BlackBerry services unless the company complies. RIM initially took a hard stance, insisting that the data on its servers is encrypted and cannot be accessed. But faced with one deadline after another and a looming ban on its services, RIM has since softened its position. Though it's still refusing to loosen the BlackBerry's security, the company has been striving to work with Indian officials to reach some sort of compromise.
India had threatened to shut down BlackBerry services at the end of August but has since given RIM another 60 days as it evaluates the company's proposals, one of which could include setting up a local server.
But RIM seems to have already provided some type of access to the government to extend the deadline. The Monday press release at the Ministry of Home Affairs Web site said that RIM made certain proposals for lawful access by law enforcement agencies, which would be operationalized immediately.
Though the ministry didn't provide further details, the Bloomberg story reports that RIM averted the ban by conceding access to the e-mail and IM traffic on the BlackBerry. Bloomberg added that India's Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said his country is currently testing monitoring tools from RIM to see if they can access those services.

Toshiba Laptops overheating., recalls 41000 laptops

The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday issued a recall of 41,000 Toshiba laptops after reports of some overheating and even melting.
Toshiba posted its own recall of several models of its Satellite T130 laptops on its product support forums last week.
The CPSC said 129 instances of "overheating and deforming the plastic casing area around the AC adapter plug" had been reported. Two of those reports resulted in "minor burn injuries that did not require medical attention" and two in minor property damage.
Toshiba said on its Web site that the problem stems from a "faulty DC-In harness," which can lead to the computer melting where the AC adapter plugs in.
The solution is a BIOS update, which the company recommends users of the affected models implement right away. The update is available on Toshiba's Web site.
The affected models are:
Satellite T135D-S1326, T135D-SP2012L, T135-SP2909R, T135D-SP2012M, T135-SP2013L, T135-SP2013M, T135D-S1322, T135-S1330, T135D-S1328WH, T135D-S1328RD, T135D-S1328, T135D-S1327, T135D-S1325WH, T135D-S1325RD, T135D-S1325, T135D-S1324, T135D-S1320, T135-SP2911R, T135-S1312, T135-S1310WH, T135-S1310RD, T135-S1310, T135-S1309, T135-S1307, T135-S1305WH, T135-S1305RD, T135-S1305, T135-S1300WH, T135-S1300RD, T135-S1300, T135-SP2911C, T135-SP2911A, T135-SP2910R, T135-SP2910C, T135-SP2910A, T135-SP2909C, T135-SP2909A
Satellite Pro T130-W1302, T130-EZ1301
This isn't Toshiba's first go-round with hot, melting laptops. The company was included with most of its competitors in the 2007 massive recall of laptops that shipped with faulty Sony batteries.

Most internet scams are from Nigeria according to Panda

We've all received e-mails from deposed Nigerian princes asking for help in getting lots of money out of their country. But that's just one of several scams that made Panda Security's list of the most frequent online cons of a decade.

As 2010 starts to wind down, the security vendor on Thursday unveiled its rankings of the most widespread Internet scams from the past 10 years. Though the cons themselves may vary, the pattern is typically the same, according to Panda. Cybercriminals initially contact their victims through e-mail or a social network, asking them to respond back by e-mail, phone, fax, or some other means. The crooks will then try to gain the trust of anyone who swallows the bait, eventually finding some excuse to request money.
The seven scams ranked by Panda included the Nigerian con at the top followed by a variety of other favorites.
Nigerian scam: As the first type of scam to show up online, the Nigerian con is still popular among swindlers. You're promised some type of reward or share of the profits to help get a large chunk of money out of a country, typically Nigeria. You're first asked to pay an initial sum to help with bank fees. But of course, once you've sent that money, the crook takes a hike.
Lotteries: A play on the Nigerian scam, you receive an e-mail announcing that you've won the lottery. But you need to pay some upfront costs to cover bank fees and other expenses, money that you, naturally, never see again.
The girlfriend ploy: A beautiful Russian woman wants to fly to your country to meet you. Because of some last-minute snafu, she needs you to send her money to cover airfare. But after the money is wired, she disappears, along with the cash.
Job offers: You get a job offer from a foreign company where you can work from home and earn thousands of dollars by putting in just a few hours each day. Sounds like a cushy gig. But if you accept the offer, you're asked for your bank account information, which the crooks use to store money stolen from other accounts, thereby tagging you as an unwitting accomplice in their crime.
Facebook/Hotmail: The bad guys grab your log-in credentials to Facebook, Hotmail, or another service and change your password so that you can no longer access it. Then they send a message to all your friends claiming that you've just been robbed while on vacation and need money wired over to pay off the hotel bill.
Compensation: A recent sequel to the Nigerian scam, this clever con sends you an e-mail claiming that a fund has been set up to reimburse victims of the Nigerian hoax, and that you may be one of the lucky victims. But to receive your compensation, you naturally have to kick in an advance fee of $1,000.
The mistake: In this popular scam, the crooks contact you if you're selling a house, car, or other pricey item. They offer to pay right away by check. But they send you more money than you wanted and ask you to refund the difference. The check you got bounces, and you've lost whatever cash you sent them.
"As with all the classic scams that predate the Internet, many of the numerous users that fall for these tricks and lose their money are reticent to report the crime," Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs, said in a statement. "If recovering the stolen money was difficult in the old days, it is even harder now because criminals' tracks are often lost across the Web. The best defense is to learn how to identify these scams and avoid taking the bait."

Cisco on smart-grid networking

Networking giant Cisco Systems announced Tuesday a deal with meter maker Itron to advance Internet Protocol-based communications for the power grid.
The two companies will create a reference design for using the IPv6 networking protocol to connect everything from people's homes to power distribution equipment on the grid. That reference design will form the basis for gear installed in smart meters, sensors, and computing systems inside utilities, Cisco executives said.
(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)
As part of the deal, Itron will license and embed Cisco's IP technology in its meters and distribute Cisco hardware as part Itron's smart-grid deployments.
Right now, communications on the grid is done with many proprietary protocols, but Itron and Cisco executives said using IP, the transport protocol of the Internet, will speed up grid modernization.
"We feel the market will accelerate when standards are in the market. We see it as a way to stimulate and broaden the market, which ultimately benefits us all," said Philip Mezey, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Itron.
The companies will develop a system which uses IP for neighborhood area networks, also called field networks, to bring data from smart meters back to utilities, said Paul De Martini, the chief technology officer for smart grid at Cisco.
The reference design will also address a number of grid-related applications, such as demand response, automation of power distribution equipment, managing energy storage, and distributed generation like rooftop solar panels, he said.
Major move by Cisco
Cisco has said that it considers the smart grid a $100 billion dollar market but it has only released a few products so far, including a home energy management controller and routers and switches for substations.
Although the companies were vague on product details and timing, the partnership is a much more significant move into the smart grid by Cisco, said Bob Gohn, a smart-grid analyst at Pike Research
Partnering with a significant meter manufacturer committed to using IP for data transport opens the way for Cisco to provide a number of add-on products, such as security and network management, he said.
"If they can sprinkle some of their own bits of intelligence as a software widget into various end devices (on the grid), it gives Cisco a better chance of providing the overall solution," Gohn said. "The parallel with the enterprise computing space is pretty easy to draw."
Itron has historically used proprietary communications technology in its meters, but having IP advocate Cisco as a partner improves its credibility on standards-based communications, Gohn added.

3d coming soon to ps3

After some delays, 3D Blu-ray playback is making its way to the PlayStation 3 in October, Sony CEO Howard Stringer announced at IFA in Berlin on Wednesday.
Gamers have been waiting for PlayStation 3 3D Blu-ray playback for quite awhile. The functionality was first announced at CES in January. Although some hoped it would be available to the console over the summer, Sony said in July that it planned to make 3D Blu-ray playback available as a free firmware update in September.
Now PS3 owners need to wait until October, though in an IFA keynote address Stringer stopped short of pinpointing an exact release date.
Adding the PlayStation 3 to the 3D Blu-ray market could potentially help with the adoption of 3D. Currently, Sony has more than 37 million PlayStation 3 consoles in homes around the world. By including 3D Blu-ray playback in its console, the company effectively adds that many potential customers to the space.
That said, 3D Blu-ray has been something of a disappointment. There are few movies available that support the technology, and looking ahead, "Avatar" could be the most viable option for 3D Blu-ray seekers. But so far, no release date has been announced for that film.
Look for the 3D Blu-ray firmware update in October--that is, unless Sony breaks its promise again.

Video post by red hooded girl.

You might have seen the post by the red hooded girl who is mercilessly throwing innocent puppies into the river you are missing something very cruel., I was shocked by seeing this. we need to find this girl and punish her. she is showing no sense of guilt when she is doing this and i know because i am a student of psychology. if such behavior is not punished then she will grow up to be a really cruel murderer or something.
 


a video of apology appeared on YouTube, purporting to be from the girl in the video.
Using just one still frame from the video, the apology reads: "My name is Katja Puschnik and I would like to appologize [sic] for my behavior. The puppies belong to my grandma and she told me to get rid off them because they were only 3 days and they were ill. They had parasites from their mother. I didn't knew [sic] exactly what to do so I thrown [sic] them in the river because it was a short death. I did not want to make them suffer. I am really sorry for this:("


There is no way of knowing whether this video is genuine. Or whether someone is trying to set up Puschnik for Web ridicule or worse.
But, if anything, the outpouring of hate towards her hovers somewhere between the uncontrolled and the uncontrollable. At the time of writing, there is a still-active Facebook group called "Kill the Puppy-Throwing Girl."
Some on the Web are beginning to appreciate just how much power they possess in threatening the lives of those who might be guilty--or just might not be. The Web makes it so easy to accuse and so hard to retract. And the definition of a crime becomes "anything of which I don't approve."
This post on Reddit (NSFW), for example, asks people to think about that power. It offers that "Internet lynch mob s***" can harness an extreme negative force, one that might be entirely misplaced.
What's the chance now of Puschnik (who is reported to live in Germany) or--if it isn't, in fact, her--the real perpetrator, suffering physical harm because a resourceful group on the Web has tracked her down?