Author: jitheshb

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Timbaland going to Release First Mobile Album On V-Cast

V-cast

Timbaland, widely known for hits like “Apologize” and “The Way I Are,” will become Verizon Wireless’ first Mobile Producer in Residence. The program was launched to bring music fans closer to their favorite artists, according to the company.

Music-loving Verizon  Wireless customers will be getting a treat this year. The carrier announced Friday that popular music producer Timbaland will release the first mobile album as part of a service called V-Cast.

Timbaland will start working on the album in March and each month thereafter he will invite a new guest artist to produce one track. The tracks will be created from a Verizon Mobile Recording Studio Bus, which will tour different cities to give fans a glimpse into the recording sessions either in person or on their mobile phones, said Verizon Wireless.

Over the course of this year, Timbaland will use Verizon Wireless’ V-Cast music service to deliver his mobile album, which will be exclusively offered to the carrier’s subscribers. They will also get access to video through other services, including V-Cast Video and Verizon Surround.

“I am honored to be named Verizon’s first Mobile Producer in Residence and have the opportunity to create music from so many places in the country, and deliver it directly to my fans wherever they are through their mobile phones,” Timbaland said in a statement.

Verizon Wireless has been putting a lot of emphasis on its music, video, and other entertainment services, while also wooing subscribers with multimedia phones and a high-speed cellular network.

In December, the carrier began offering a “world edition” of the Moto Z6c phone by Motorola, which can be used worldwide through global roaming agreements. The phone supports both V-Cast Video and V-Cast Music. Before that, Verizon Wireless introduced the FlipShot and the Gleam by Samsung and an iPhone look-alike, the Voyager, by LG Electronics. All three phones are also V-Cast capable.

 source:informationweek

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‘Google Apps Team’ Edition Released

Google-app

Google has done it again! The world’s most popular company has released another free program suit which could directly impact Microsoft’s balance sheet. The Team Edition software is an answer to Microsoft’s money minting Office suit, which includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and calendar programs. One of the major benefit of Google’s program is that it lets people in the same organization to share documents and information over internet.

But Team Edition has very special feature, that it’s easier for groups within established organizations (colleges, offices, universities, business, etc.). It will help to Collaborate without getting their entire organization to buy into Google Apps.

Some main features –

* Work on the same document together, instead of sorting out changes in attachments
* Share documents and calendars securely with your co-workers with a click
* Access it all from any computer, and even from mobile phones
* Invite other team members to join and share with you

Google Docs – Create and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Google Calendar – Arrange meetings, set schedules, and publish event information.
Google Talk – Instant message with co-workers and make PC-to-PC voice calls for free.
Start Page – Preview your calendar and docs, add gadgets and search the web from one place.

 source:techcrunch

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Parrots Bluetooth-Enabled Car Kit

IDLDPL

IDLDPL (India Digital Lifestyle Distributors Pvt. Ltd.) has released the Parrot PMK5800 Bluetooth car kit. The device requires no installation for both handsfree calling and music playback, and simply plugs into your car’s 12v cigarette socket plug and pairs with your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone.

The built-in FM transmitter enables it to stream tunes via A2DP from your phone and voice calls can also be transmitted to your car’s stereo deck. To receive an incoming call, all you need to do is hit on the preset FM station you’ve chosen. Other features include echo and noise cancellation, full duplex sound, and voice recognition.

The PMK5800 comes with a high-quality FM stereo transmitter that transmits calls and music effectively to the car stereo. The built-in microphone, combined with special software, captures voice and filters out ambient noise. Proprietary voice recognition software allows handsfree calling. You can quickly access your main contacts by simply saying their names (up to 150 contacts per phone).

The PMK5800 costs Rs 5990 and is available exclusively at IDLDPL.

source:tech2

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Modus Tiny Cellphone with ‘Jackets’

Modus

An Israeli startup has convinced wireless carriers in three countries to try a new concept: a tiny cell phone that pops into interchangeable ‘jackets’ to become a bigger, smarter phone – or into other gadgets to connect them to the Internet.

The company, Modu, is set to announce Thursday that it will launch the phone, also called Modu, on October 1 with Telecom Italia SpA in Italy, OAA Vimpel Communications in Russia, and Cellcom Israel Ltd.

Telecom Italia Mobile and Cellcom are the largest carriers in their respective countries, while VimpelCom is the second-largest in Russia.

The Modu is slightly smaller than the current iPod Nano and weighs 1.5 oz. It has a small color screen and a limited keypad, which allows it to work as a rudimentary cell phone on its own.

The jackets that will come with the Modu look like cellphones, with standard numeric keypads and other features like cameras. But they lack the antenna and chips that communicate with a wireless network, and this is where the Modu comes in – it pops into a slot, turning the jacket into a fully functional phone.

Modu founder Dov Moran said in an interview that the Italian carrier is excited about the concept because it can make cellphones more like fashion, tempting consumer to update their looks every few months.

“This allows you to make a summer collection and a winter collection,” Moran said.

“The carriers really are interested in having more and more customers coming through their stores, rather than signing up and coming every two years to sign a new contract and get a new phone,” said Daniel Amir, a chip analyst at Lazard Capital Markets in San Francisco. He called the Modu a potential ‘game changer’ in the cellphone industry.

The jacket is cheap to make, has almost no electronics, and doesn’t need to be tested by the carrier to see that it conforms to its network standards. They can be themed, say, by focusing on music, with pre-loaded tunes, or have full keyboards for texting.

Moran estimates that carriers will be able to sell a Modu and two jackets as a bundle for about $280, a price that they can then subsidize to free or almost free with a two-year contract.

A shortcoming of the initial model is that it will use GPRS for data transfer. Roughly equivalent to dialup in speed, this will limit the Modu’s usefulness, but Moran said the company is working on upgrading it to use HSDPA, a 3G technology.

Modu is also talking to consumer electronics companies like Magellan Navigation Inc., a California-based maker of GPS devices, and car-stereo maker Blaupunkt, a unit of Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany.

The idea is to have consumer electronics companies build slots for the Modu into their devices to give them network connectivity. That could allow a GPS device to receive updates on traffic or map changes. A picture frame with a Modu slot and loud speakers could act as a music-playing, picture-showing charging station.

Other cellphone makers have been sniffing at the modular concept. Sony Ericsson has filed for a patent on a modular phone. But Modu appears to be furthest along in its plan, and has crucial support from large carriers.

Moran, the founder of Modu, also founded M-Systems Ltd., which pioneered USB flash drives. The company was acquired by California-based SanDisk Corp. in 2006 for $1.6 billion.

source:tech2

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More N-Gage Games, Less N-Gage?

N-Game

While Nokia continues to annoy users by failing to announce an official launch date for the N-Gage platform and restricting its usage to the N81 handset, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that the company is developing newer games for the platform. The latest releases are Space Impact: Kappa Base, System Rush: Evolution, and Creatures of the Deep.

Nokia is inviting N81 and N81 8GB handset owners to join N-Gage First Access, where they can download the application, try and buy games, and provide user experience feedback. Unfortunately, that pretty much confirms that the application is still being tried and tested and N-Gage fans will have to wait a bit longer to experience the full deal on other Nokia handsets.

source:tech2 

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New LG Viewty Camera Phone With DivX Encoding

lgku990

The famous digital media company, DivX and LG have jointly announced the new LG Viewty camera phone (LG-KU990), which is the first cellphone with DivX Certification to natively capture video using high quality DivX format. This newest LG Viewty smartphone features an 3-inch touch sensitive screen, 5-megapixel camera (certified by Schneider-Kreuznach) with auto/manual focus, image stabilizer, ISO 800 as well as SmartLight technology, which enable the users to adjust the brightness level of captured images.

“Users of the LG Viewty have come to expect innovation and quality,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The addition of DivX recording capability to the Viewty will open up the media experience and enable our users to do more with the videos they capture, from sharing that content online to playing it back beyond the phone on a wide variety of devices.”

According to the global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, the LG Viewty camera phone is able to record high speed 120 fps (frames per second), VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels) video in DivX format.

“Our goal is to make it easy for consumers to enjoy a high-quality video experience on any kind of device,” said Kevin Hell, CEO at DivX, Inc. “The LG Viewty is a perfect example of this experience. It allows consumers to capture video on its 3-inch screen and then easily transfer that video to a computer or virtually any kind of consumer electronics device.”

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As I said in earlier post Yahoo to step up talks with Google

ygoogle

As I said in my earlier post Yahoo Inc.’s negotiations with Google Inc. have intensified as Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang races to find alternatives to Microsoft Corp.’s unsolicited $44.6-billion takeover offer, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Yang told Yahoo employees in an e-mail that the board of directors was evaluating “a wide range of potential strategic alternatives” and had “made no decisions” about the Microsoft bid, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He did not offer specifics, but the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Internet company has hired investment banks Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Lehman Bros. to evaluate options.

Analysts said Yahoo’s best hope for maintaining its independence would be a search advertising pact with Google, which generates significantly more revenue for each search query than does Yahoo. Although it could raise antitrust concerns, such a pact could open the door for rival bids, other financing deals or a sweetened offer from Microsoft.

Neither company would comment on the discussions.

No “white knights” have emerged, with News Corp. and others saying they were not interested.

“Jerry is as motivated as hell to try anything he can,” a person familiar with the matter said. “Google is hyper-competitive and it wants to do anything it can, any time it can, to stop Microsoft from getting one foot in the door.”

Former executives say Yahoo has long considered turning over its search advertising business to Google, most recently in Europe. Doing so would mean that Google would place paid ads on Yahoo search pages, and the two companies would share the money generated. That would dramatically increase revenue and cut costs for Yahoo, a step that analysts have long called for.

Google generated 71.2% of U.S. search-advertising revenue in 2007, dwarfing Yahoo’s 8.9%, according to research firm EMarketer Inc. A Citigroup Inc. analyst estimated that Yahoo could boost its cash flow by 25% by outsourcing its search business to Google.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Google has determined that it cannot bid for Yahoo because of regulatory hurdles. Even a partnership between the two biggest search providers would raise concerns about competition in online advertising, antitrust experts said. But such a deal could help Yahoo regain investor confidence, which has slipped as it continues to struggle under Yang’s leadership. Yang, who co-founded Yahoo, took over for ousted CEO Terry Semel last summer.

Yahoo rejected advances from Microsoft last year when Yahoo’s stock price was much higher. Microsoft made the $31-a-share bid Friday. Google CEO Eric Schmidt phoned Yang that day to offer the assistance of the search giant.

Yahoo has not set a timetable for responding to Microsoft. Analysts say pressure will mount on Yahoo to make a decision in coming weeks.

“This is an unsolicited offer, so it is clear this was not Yahoo’s first choice,” said Ellen Siminoff, who worked with Yang at Yahoo and now heads search-engine marketing firm Efficient Frontier.

By bidding for Yahoo, Microsoft is looking to secure a larger stake in Web advertising and search to take on Google. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said the combination would create a stronger No. 2 challenger to Google.

Google has launched a campaign in Washington to challenge the proposed deal. The company’s lobbyists are asking regulators to scrutinize the proposed merger, saying it raises competitive issues.

This marks an escalation in the acrimony between Google and Microsoft, which increasingly compete on numerous fronts. Google is challenging Microsoft’s dominance in desktop software by expanding its online offerings of word processing, spreadsheets and other software. Google plans to release a version today that allows teams to more easily collaborate.

source:latimes

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Sony-Ericsson prepping G-series for February?

sony_ericsson

Sony-Ericsson is expected to unveil a new G-series of phones, which consist of two predicted models. Enthusiast news site SEfanatics reports that the new models will be called the G900i and G700i, and are expected to be shown February 10th. The G900i, codenamed Tyra, will supposedly feature a 2.6-inch screen, WLAN, and a 5-megapixel camera. Meanwhile, the G700i, codenamed Josephine, will also feature the 2.6-inch screen, but with a 3.2-megapixel camera and sans WLAN.

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Sony’s Tinyest TV XDV

Sony

Let’s break it down TV junkie. Sony’s new ¥38,000 (about $355) XDV-D500 features a 3-inch, 432 x 240 pixel resolution display with 160-degree viewing angle, 500:1 contrast, and a battery capable of about 8-hours of TV reception. It can even record up to 10 hours of scheduled programming to 2GB of internal memory. The itty bittier XDV-G200 brings a 2-inch LCD to the show, AM/FM radio too, then ditches the EPG and recording function. This is Japan mind you, so these sets receive

Internal battery power is the continuous drive time is about eight hours when viewers segment broadcasting, AM radio listeners in about 34 hours time.Dimensions are 59.3 × 98 × 14.3mm (vertical horizontal × × thickness), was about 107 g weight.Stand, and comes with a carrying case.

source:Impress

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Investigation into The Pirate Bay

 tpb

When The Pirate Bay was raided back in 2006, three men were brought in for questioning, and the interrogations continued in the months that followed. The police’s goal was obviously to let the people behind the site confess to something they didn’t do. This led to a series of the most hilarious interrogation transcripts I’ve ever read.

Not surprisingly, “the confessions” of the Pirate Bay three didn’t help the police much. Earlier this week, the Swedish prosecutor Håkan Roswall charged four individuals involved with The Pirate Bay for “assisting copyright infringement”. Actually, this is a surprisingly mild accusation if you consider that he called the Pirate Bay “terrorists” only a few months ago. The response of Brokep’s lawyer sums it up quite nicely: “My client will plead not guilty, but i’m not sure if what he’s being charged with, is a crime at all,” he said.

source:torrentfreak