Month: January 2008

Posted on

Solar Based MP4 Player with Mobile Power Charging Capability

solarmp4

Here is another innovative idea of integrating solar panels onto the mobile device so that it won’t run out of juice anytime anywhere. With the solar panels, it will able to convert solar energy to electricity to power up the device continuously. Manufactured in China, the MP4 looks quite stylish as the typical dark surface on solar panel does not affect the overall appearance.

The device has built in 2GB capacity for multimedia storage. If this is not sufficient, user can store the media files with expansion slot of additional 2GB external SD card. Equipped with 3.5-inch TFT screen at 1.6 million pixies, it has excellent display quality for most of the picture format.

Supported audio codecs are quite common ranging from MP3, WMA, WVA, PCM and etc. In terms of hardware interfaces, it features tiny USB port for external devices charging. Unlike normal USB port that takes in power source, this USB is an output port that is able to charge up external device with stepping voltage supply ranging from 4.5V up to 9V.

Surprisingly, the device is claimed to be able to run on Windows OS. It is not only a multimedia device but is also a mobile power station that is ideal for green environment. Priced at only $123, it is good companion to bring along so that all your devices can continue normal operation without power failure.
Get help or contribute tips or tricks at My Digital Life Forums.

Posted on

Skyfire Releases Cool PC-Like Mobile Browser

skyfire

Skyfire has released its cool Windows mobile browser that can display Web sites built using any Web technology, aiming to deliver both the speed and media-rich experience similar to the PC browser.

According to the company, Skyfire’s browser serves up Web pages created using dynamic Flash video, QuickTime, advanced Ajax, and JavaScript on mobile devices, so users can interact with the pages the same way they would on a desktop PC.

What you can do with Skyfire’s mobile browser:

* Watch any video on sites including Youtube, Dailymotion, Break.
* Listen to any music on sites including Last.fm, Rhapsody, Yahoo! Music.
* Stay connected with friends on social networks including Facebook, MySpace and Friendster.
* Browse whatever you want like weather, news, maps, sports and all the rest.

“For too long consumers have been promised the ‘real Web’ on their phone, only to be disappointed by slow rendering, error messages, no Flash support, watered down WAP pages or second-rate mobile versions of their favorite site. Skyfire has remedied those ills at a speed not seen before on the mobile platform,” said Nitin Bhandari, CEO of Skyfire.

source:skyfire 

Posted on

IE6 Stops Responding in Windows XP with SP2 or SP3 Due To urlmon.dll

ie6

Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Service Pack 3 (SP3) may stops responding and crashing when users try to a visit a Web site. The IE6 not responding problem also affects shell browsers based on IE engine such as GreenBrowser and TheWorld. In these cases, all IE windows and tabs will be not responding, closing and exit with the following error message.
ie6-crash

Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

If you were in the middle of something, the information you were working on might be lost.
Please tell Microsoft about this problem.

We have created an error report that you can send to help us improve Internet Explorer. We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

To see what data this error report contains, click here.

If user clicks on the error report link, there following error-signature information will be shown.

AppName: iexplore.exe
AppVer: 6.0.2900.2180
ModName: urlmon.dll
ModVer: 6.0.2900.3231
Offset: 0003b5ce

urlmondll

The issue is caused by security update 942615 (MS07-069) which was released in December 2007, which probably rolled out KB942367, which also requires users to manually create and enable the Iexplore.exe registry entry. The problem has been identified by Microsoft, and KB946627 hotfix or patch have been made available to address and fix the error by creating the required registry key.

Download and install the WindowsXP-KB946627-x86-ENU.exe, or use the following alternative manual steps or run registry key file to add the registry key.

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key.
4. Type FEATURE_PROTECT_DECOMPRESSION_FILTER_FROM_ABORT_KB942367, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click FEATURE_PROTECT_DECOMPRESSION_FILTER_FROM_ABORT_KB942367, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
6. Type an asterisk symbol (*), and then press ENTER.

Note The asterisk symbol (*) represents any process name that uses Urlmon.dll. If you want to make this change for an individual application that uses Urlmon.dll, you can use the name of that application instead of the asterisk symbol (*). For example, you can use Appname.exe.
7. Right-click the asterisk symbol (*), and then click Modify.
8. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
9. Exit Registry Editor.

An easier workaround is to simply download and execute the iekb942367.reg file to insert the missing registry value.

Posted on

Livescribe Unveils Pulse Smartpen Embedded with ARM Processor

ARM

How frequent when you jot down a lecturer note but later cracking your head trying to figure out what it actually means? Unless you are a very detailed person with fast writing skills, else you may need this smart pen for your daily work. Livescribe has just unveiled a new Pulse Smartpen that is intelligent enough to be your assistance during any training classes or lecturers. It is far more than a pen for jotting down notes as it can memorize handwriting while able to record the audio along with the writing characters on the notepad.

Thanks to its ARM 9 processor that able to analyze and record the audio track based on handwriting movement. While the processor alone may not able to complete the task, it is equipped with high end tiny camera module that has DPS (Dot Positioning System) so that both audio track and digital writing can be synchronized and then replayed with high accuracy.

With the device in place, users will no longer miss any lecturer notes in the future. While the company is also working on new Developer program to encourage more applications and usage models, the product is ready to be launched by end of this quarter. There will be two models available: 1GB model with 16000 pages of digital notes and 100 hours of audio storage at $149. If you think this is not sufficient but have enough budget to upgrade, then 2GB model at additional $50 may suit your need.

Posted on

AMD Puts New Graphics Card Sandwich on the Menu

AMD

AMD (NYSE: AMD) Latest News about AMD announced the release of its Radeon HD 3870 X2 graphics card Latest News about graphics card Monday. The company’s latest offering, courtesy of its 2006 ATI (Nasdaq: ATYT) Latest News about ATI acquisition, combines two ATI Radeon 3870 chips on a single graphics board, connected via an integrated CrossFire technology.

The double-barreled approach makes AMD the first graphics technology provider to “break the Teraflop barrier,” according to the company. The card is the first graphics processor for “enthusiasts” that uses the 55 nanometer (nm) process technology, according to AMD — a big plus for hardcore PC gamers.
Two Chips in One

With the launch of the Radeon HD 3870 X2, AMD has taken what previously had been accomplished by installing two individual graphics cards and instead doubled up the 55nm chip and put both chips on a single card.

“They’re taking that two-card system and putting it down to one card. So they’re building a single card design that has two chips on it. It can deliver performance much like a two-card system would have delivered in the past,” said Martin Reynolds, an analyst at Gartner (NYSE: IT) Latest News about Gartner.

PC gamers can expect performance levels to increase roughly twofold, although that will depend to a certain extent on the application.

“It depends on what you’re doing, but I’d say you probably do [get twice the performance]. It is pretty close if it is not, and it depends on the application. Usually something like this lets you get higher resolution and higher performance. You probably get more yield on the resolution than performance,” Martin told TechNewsWorld.

The card, which supports Microsoft’s (Nasdaq: MSFT) Webroot AntiSpyware 30-Day Free Trial. Click here. Latest News about Microsoft upcoming DirectX 10.1 specification, expands “the visual boundaries of PC entertainment well beyond the 1080p high-definition threshold,” the company said.

“More cores equal more resolution or speed. I think that you get better yields from using the cores for more resolution, as opposed to using them for more speed. Although, in a practical sense, the maximum resolution is 1200p because of the displays,” Martin explained.
Keeping Up With Nvidia

Although Nvidia, AMD’s archrival in the graphics card space, does not yet have a similar offering, Martin said it would be easy for the company to come up with its own double-up card. What the technology provider may struggle with is matching AMD’s bargain price of US$449.

“$449 is pretty aggressive, and that’s less than you would pay for two cards. Of course, it allows AMD to deliver a performance point that is well above anything Nvidia could do with a single chip,” he pointed out.

“Any of Nvidia’s OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) could do the same kind of thing. The challenge they will face is that Nvidia will have to price the chip to work in that environment. Because AMD owns the chips and cards, they can price the thing a little bit lower and get that extra performance out without losing money elsewhere. If Nvidia does the same thing, they run the risk that the buyers will take the chips sold as a pair and break them up into individual cards,” Martin continued.

Martin called the introduction of the Radeon HD 3870 X2 a “clever thing to do that is a good move in the market for them” because the new card helps AMD improve its perception in the market. However, he expects Nvidia to respond “fairly quickly over the next few months” with their own offering.

“It’s unlikely to be a mainstream product. It’s not going to be in every system. It will be in a few high-end enthusiasts’ systems, but it brings them some brand and thought leadership. This isn’t going to be a big bump to their revenue. But it sure is an interesting product that will get people thinking about AMD, because AMD has lost a lot of interest over the past year. Anything they can do to recover that is good news,” Martin concluded.

source:tchnews 

Posted on

Apple iPod Nano Now in Pink

ipod

Seeing that Valentine’s Day is coming up, Apple has announced a new color in their iPod nano range – pink. The features remain unchanged; the pink nano will also feature a two-inch display that lets users watch brand-new iTunes movie rentals, TV shows, and music videos purchased from the iTunes Store. The device should deliver up to 24 hours of audio and 5 hours of video playback.

“The pink iPod nano is perfect for people who want a great new color this spring, or are looking for a special Valentine’s Day gift,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing.

The pink nano is available immediately in an 8GB model for Rs 7,845 ($199). The nano is also available in silver, black, blue, green

source:tech2 

Posted on

ViewSonic Releases New HD LCD Projector

ViewSonic

ViewSonic has announced that it’s launching a full HD LCD projector designed from the ground up expressly for home cinema use.

The Pro8100 is the first offering from the brand’s new Precision Series of uncompromising products developed exclusively for the custom installation and specialty retail channels.

At its heart lies a C2Fine 3-LCD panel powered by a powerful Silicon Optix Reon video scaler with HQV (Hollywood Quality Video). There’s also 10-bit colour processing helping the Pro8100 claim over 1 billion colours for super-fine colour graduation; processing which evaluates images on a pixel basis to clear any blurred areas while adding contrast to make details stand out more clearly; and processing which identifies complete frames as they come in and optimises film to broadcast cadence.

In keeping with most LCD projectors, meanwhile, the Pro8100 also boasts integrated auto-iris technology, enabling contrast levels of up to a claimed 13000:1.

In keeping with its custom install ambitions, the projector additionally boasts ViewSonic’s Precision Color SystemTM (PCS), which the brand claims ‘acts as a final “colour check gatekeeper” and ensures accurate colour reproduction by fine-tuning and correcting colour reproduction errors in the front-end scalar chip’. Apparently the system allows up to 33 individual levels of gamma correction for studio grade colour calibration – a level of flexibility typically only achieved with expensive external video optimizers.

Other key facts about the projector include HDMI 1.3a inputs; powered zoom and focus tools plus horizontal and vertical lens shifting; a noise output of just 18dB when running in Eco mode; and its availability in no less than four different colours: Piano Black, White, Grey or Burgundy.

source:homecenema 

Posted on

Startups Rush to Pave Way for Web Video

you tube

Video on the Internet has gone from being the next big thing to the current big thing. But murky YouTube videos are just the start – there’s a lot of room for improvement.

A raft of startups are rushing to supply the tools to make better and more profitable video available. Nearly a dozen video-related startups will be presenting at the DEMO 08 technology conference, starting Monday in Palm Desert, California.

The biannual conference, which gives startups and more established companies six minutes on stage to pitch their new products to investors and media, has been the launching pad for several successful ventures over the years, including the Java programming language, TiVo Inc. and Half.com.

Several of the 77 companies presenting this time have been tackling the problem of taking video quality to the next level. It’s quite possible to send high-definition video over the Internet, but the cost of doing it at scale is daunting, because it requires about 40 times the bandwidth of a YouTube-quality video.

“If you run any infrastructure that lets people share video, it’s really, really expensive,” said Dan Putterman, chief executive of San Francisco-based Squidcast Inc. The company is launching a service that allows users to send video they’ve shot with their high-definition camcorders to friends and relatives at full resolution, for free.

To do this, users will take help from other users, in a manner similar to peer-to-peer file sharing programs like BitTorrent and KaZaa. Each file that is uploaded gets distributed in small chunks among many computers (whose owners won’t notice the chunks or be able to look at them).

The intended recipient gets an email with a link. Clicking it starts the download, which pulls the chunks together from the network of user computers like a squid pulling in its tentacles. In other words, Squidcast itself doesn’t need to devote computers or buy bandwidth to transfer user’s files. It will finance the service by showing short video ads to the recipients while they download.

Atlanta-based Asankya Inc. is trying to solve the same problem, but for Hollywood rather than home movies. CEO Scott Ryan puts the current cost of distributing an HD movie online at about $3. Considering movies rent for $4 to $5 and the creators have to be paid, there’s no real money in it for distributors.

The technology was developed by a Georgia Institute of Technology professor and uses servers placed at strategic points on the Internet in addition to information sent in by receiving computers. The catch is that Asankya is mucking around with fairly basic networking technologies, ones that are built into operating systems. For now, receiving computers need software that only runs on Windows XP.

BitGravity Inc. is aiming for the same market, with a network of servers designed to deliver high-definition video. It launched the service three months ago, and at the show, the company plans to announce that it will be expanding the service to deliver live, streaming video.

Live streaming has been a luxury only the big media companies could afford, said Perry Wu, BitGravity’s CEO, leaving a lot of unsatisfied demand, for instance for regional sportscasts. “Whether its basketball or field hockey or water polo or swimming, the number of people who want to watch that in real time is tremendous.”

Demonstrations on BitGravity’s Web site show high-resolution – if slightly jerky – video that starts almost immediately.

Other startups such as Eyealike Inc. and Visible Measures Corp. are tackling further problems that plague content providers. Eyealike of Bellevue, Washington, will be demonstrating software that can scan videos submitted to websites to see if they contain copyright material.

Such filters are already in place, for example at YouTube, but Eyealike President Greg Heuss said the startup’s product is better than the competition in that it can identify video that’s had its audio stripped out or been cropped to as little as a quarter of the original frame.

Boston-based Visible Measures will be touting its service, which lets Web sites track how viewers play their videos: where they pause, what they rewind to see again. That should help the sites figure out which videos and ads actually hold viewers’ attention, said Matt Cutler, the company’s vice president of marketing.

source:tech2

Posted on

Sharp Reveals World’s Thinnest LCD Flat Panel TV

Sharp

Sharp Corporation will introduce into the Japanese market three models in the new AQUOS X Series of LCD TVs. The 46V, 42V and 37V-inch TVs not only deliver high-quality pictures, but also bring a refined sense of quality to interior décor when mounted on the wall.

We are now beginning the eighth year since Sharp first introduced the AQUOS LCD TV in 2001, and the flat-panel TV market is beginning its transition from a phase of growth to a stage of maturity. In this environment, demand for flat-panel TVs is also expected to diversify. Consumers are seeking not only the larger screen sizes and full HD specs that have dominated the market up to now, but are also looking for models that offer thinner profiles and wall-mount capabilities to complement room décors.

The AQUOS X Series can accommodate the needs of consumers who want to mount a flat-panel TV on the wall to take full advantage of its thin profile, or who desire to change their living room décor by decorating a wall with it like a painting.

Advanced engineering and technologies that one would expect in the AQUOS have enabled this X Series to achieve the industry’s thinnest profile*2 for the display section, a mere 3.44 cm thick (at the thinnest part). In addition, by making the most of this thin structure and paying careful attention to design not only on the front, but also on the sides and back, the AQUOS X Series features a design that looks beautiful mounted on a wall and harmonizes beautifully as a part of any interior space including living rooms.

Plus, the X Series adopts a discrete component configuration that separates the display section from the tuner section. Users can connect the display section simply and easily via a single cable. Housing the tuner as a separate component also eliminates the time and effort involved in turning the back of the display section to make connections with the antenna cable or peripheral equipment.
Major Features
1.         Industry’s thinnest*2 profile, just 3.44 cm thick (at the thinnest part).
2.         TV contrast*3 of 15,000:1 and 12-bit BDE*4 color value rendering deliver Smooth Image Quality, the latest in LCD technology.
3.         All models feature double-speed (120-Hz frame rate conversion) full-HD LCD technology for superior fast-motion image processing.
4.         Thin-profile 3-way 8-speaker system and 1-Bit digital amplifier.
5.         All models are compatible with AQUOS Familink that enables operation of a connected AQUOS Blu-ray Disc Player simply and easily.
6.         Environmentally friendly, energy-efficient design.

Source:Sharp

Posted on

Grand Theft Auto IV Dated

Grand theft Auto IV

After months of delay (and a whole lot of tears) it gives me immense – and I do mean immense – pleasure to inform you that Grand Theft Auto IV will be releasing for both the Xbox360 and the PS3 on April 29.

“We are so excited to be releasing Grand Theft Auto IV,” said Sam Houser, Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games. “We’ve pushed ourselves very hard to make something incredible and hope the game sets a new benchmark for interactive entertainment.”

Source:tech2