Acer's Predator Gaming Rig is OUT !

The devil is Orange! Yes, the look is sexy and slick! Its a must have for those who can afford it. Asus are out with thier alien like casing and this time putting some high end specs inside the body of this monster. First looks makes you think that maybe a robot fell out of Transformers 2 and is going to turn in to a jumbo size fighting machine once you push the ON button.

Everyone who sees this once will want to look at it again and again. After this there is no going back. Core i7 950, 1 TB HDD, Blu-ray reader and 2 GTS 250s, is there anything else left ? Its a ferrari on nitro! No matter what you are, a gamer or a designer at pixels working on Neo 2, this machine or in other words, MONSTER and handle it all. It will hit the market in US by the end of this year with a price tag of around $ 2700, which infact is alot cheaper than the LP 670-4 SuperVeloce.

Samsung 8500 series LCD TVs feature local-dimming LED backlights, Yahoo! widgets

Its a world wide fact known to every human being alive ,and even dead:P, that LED-backlit LCD HDTVs have taken place of regular TV sets in our lifes. To add to the much hype this train ain't stopping, Chico-Samsung just got official with the 8500 series, which features the next-generation of local-dimming LED backlights. The 54.6-inch and 45.9-inch 240Hz sets are just 1.6 inches deep and offer a 7,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 2ms response time, and an Energy Star 3.0 savings mode that continually adjusts the picture and backlight to optimize both picture quality and power savings. You're also getting Samsung's usual suite of connected TV features, like the Yahoo! Widget Engine, DivX playback, and DLNA support, but you'll be paying handsomely for all this newness -- the45.9-inch UN46B8500's MSRP is $3,599, while the 54.6-inch UN55B8500 will run you $4,499.Original Post.

Digital Cowboy's DC-MCNP1 2.5-inch NAS doubles as media player

It was nearly two months since the Digital Cowboys did not give us anything to talk about, but now they are back, and back with a bang on the new 2.5-inch NAS drive. The Japanese wrangler is hitting back with a striking new piece of consumer electronics goodness. The DC-MCNP1, which falls neatly into the Movie Cowboy family, is a 2.5-inch NAS drive at heart, but aside from giving you access to files on its diminutive internal drive anywhere in the world, it also streams a plethora of file formats to your HDTV. The HDMI / composite video outputs should take care of the vast majority of ya, and the USB 2.0 socket provides an expansion option for those needing to hook up an external HDD. An Ethernet port is built in for network access, but those who'd prefer to cut the cord can certainly plug a wireless adapter into that USB socket and pray continuously to the signal gods above. If you find yourself in Fukuoka next month, give this one a look if you've got ¥19,900 ($209) to spare.

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2GB Eye-Fi Geo automatically geotags wirelessly uploaded photos, makes your day

You are a wireless freak? Then you are in for a treat. For the last decade we have seen many additions to the wireless forum, but this one is good for the wireless + photographers. Eye-Fi has just outed its latest WiFi-enabled Secure Digital card, and this one promises to disclose your every move to anyone who'll bother to follow your image feed. Announced today, the Eye-Fi Geo is a 2GB card that will enable users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera while geotagging them as they hit the 'net. The geotagging service is included for life, and for whatever reason, this one's being made exclusively available through Apple stores and online. Of course, it could have something to do with that "seamless integration" with iPhoto and MobileMe, but we're guessing it ought to play nice with other applications and image portals as well. If you're suddenly unable to move on with your life until you've got one of these in your hands, you can snag one today for $59.99.Eye-Fi Offers Users an Effortless Geotagging and Photo Sharing Experience When Using iPhoto, an iPhone or MobileMe

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 29, 2009 - Eye-Fi Inc. today unveiled the Eye-Fi Geo card, a new wireless SD memory card exclusive to Apple that allows users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera to a computer and offers lifetime geotagging service. Available today in all Apple stores and online, the Eye-Fi Geo card is the latest addition to the Eye-Fi product family that is built to seamlessly integrate with Mac products and applications, including iPhoto '09 and '08, the iPhone and MobileMe.

"Apple users want simplicity and an effortless user experience, so it's not surprising that a significant number of our users are on Macs," said Jef Holove, CEO of Eye-Fi. "The Eye-Fi Geo is the perfect companion for iPhoto's new 'Places' application to pinpoint photos on a digital map so memories are displayed in a richer, more meaningful way."

The Eye-Fi Geo wirelessly uploads photos straight to a folder on your computer or Apple's iPhoto gallery where they arrive automatically geotagged with location information about where the image was captured. Eye-Fi continues to embrace its loyal Mac following by developing products that seamlessly integrate with Apple products and features. iPhoto '09's "Places" lets users search and sort photos by location using geotags from the Eye-Fi Geo card. Users can also upgrade their Eye-Fi Geo card to share images online at MobileMe or one of more than 20 other photo sharing and social networking sites for a $9.99 annual fee. Earlier this year, Eye-Fi released the Eye-Fi application for the iPhone, which wirelessly uploads photos from the iPhone to the Web and into iPhoto, or organized folders on a computer. With Eye-Fi, users can aggregate all of their photos – from both an iPhone and a digital camera –to manage and share photos in one place regardless of which device the photos are taken on. Eye-Fi users with iPhones can download the app for free.

Eye-Fi's complete line-up of wireless SD and SDHC memory cards, including the Eye-Fi Pro and Eye-Fi Explore Video cards, range in price from $49-$149 and are available at www.eye.fi, in store at Apple Retail Stores and Best Buy locations, and at major online retailers such as Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Costco.com.

Eye-Fi cards have won numerous Mac product awards, including "Best of Show" at Macworld 2008 and The Mac Observer's "Editors' Choice Award 2008" at Macworld. For more information, please visit www.eye.fi/apple, or follow Eye-Fi on Twitter @EyeFiCard.

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Apple blocks Google Voice app for iPhone

The war between the market giants never ends. No one can keep quite for long. If one party is quite, the other party makes up something to make them jump off thier seats. Out of no big suprise, to what I think, te long-awaited Google Voice application for the iPhone has been officially shot down by Apple. There were a scattering of reports on Monday, and then a Google spokesperson confirmed it: "Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users--for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers."

In addition, all third-party applications that use Google Voice have been pulled by Apple, according to a report in TechCrunch. The developer of one of those apps, GV Mobile, says he was told the decision came from Apple because his app "duplicates features that come with the iPhone."

It's unclear why Apple is refusing the app to be sold in its store, though there are hints that it may have come at the behest of AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S. Google Voice is a free application that lets users assign a single number to ring their home, work, and cell phones, and also get voice mail as text transcriptions. Google Voice has been described by some as an "end run" around wireless carriers because it allows for free texts, but users do still use minutes on their AT&T phone plan.

John Gruber of DaringFireball.net reports that it was in fact AT&T's request that Apple block the application, but points out that Apple too has good reason to reject it: "Google Voice is a mobile phone service provided by the maker of one of the biggest competitors to the iPhone OS (Android). What if Google Voice were instead Microsoft Voice?"

It's also by now well established that the application approval process for Apple's App Store can be confusing and frustrating for individual developers, and now even for giants of the technology industry. Just last week, another dust-up occurred with Google and the iPhone, when Apple refused to approve Google's Latitude for the iPhone unless it was designed as Web-based app.

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Sprint acquires Virgin Mobile USA for a cool $483m

Remember Virgin Mobile? Sure you do -- not long ago the last-man-standing MVNO snapped up Helio, and seemed ready to take its place as one of the few boutique prepaid operations still... er, operating. Well that appears to be all but done and done, as Sprint has just announced a "definitive agreement" to purchase the company for $483 million worth of sweet, succulent stock (which looks to be right about what it was valued at to begin with). It looks like Sprint will pair the acquisition with its Boost Mobile brand, which till now was in direct competition with VM. It's not quite rival city, however, Virgin Mobile USA was launched as a joint venture with Sprint, and the MVNO glides on Dan Hesse's network as it is. Still, it does seem to be another indicator that the days of the MVNO are certainly on the wane, though Sprint now looks to own the space -- what little there is.

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Exchange support coming to Sidekick LX 2009 today for $4.99 a month

If you're a kid stuck in a grown-up's body, there's a good chance you're pining after a Sidekick -- you know, just like the kind you had back in the day when you listened to Blink 182 and loitered on your skateboard around the plaza in front of the office building that has since enslaved you. Problem is, Sidekicks have never really been work-friendly devices -- owing in part to their utter shunning of Exchange -- which means you get stuck with a BlackBerry and an incessant desire to swivel the display. It's kind of sad, really, and passers-by think you've gone mad as you sit on the park bench pressing your thumb desperately against a screen that will never, ever rotate, no matter how fricking hard you press. It's cool, though, T-Mobile's got your back: enter Sidekick Sync, an app that was promised when the Sidekick LX 2009 was launched and is finally available. It'll be hitting the phone's Download Catalog starting this afternoon, offering push email, attachment viewing, calendar and contact sync, and pretty much every other Exchange feature that strips you of your youthful innocence. For the pleasure of avoiding RIM's powerful grasp, you'll pay $4.99 a month -- but can you really put a price on being able to wear DC apparel at the age of 30?

RunCore's 1.8-inch Pro IV SSD line priced and tested

RunCore just got finished introducing its 2.5-inch Pro IV SSD family back in May, and already it's looking to expand its reach with a new line of solid state drives in the 1.8-inch form factor. These ultra-small devices were taken for a spin by the fine folks over at TweakTown, and while the real world difference compared to an HDD was certainly evident in the side-by-side comparison (shown after the break), it's the benchmarks that really had us smiling. In testing, the 128GB model managed to notch a 224MBps read and 136MBps write rate, and while both figures are more than respectable, the lofty MSRPs have us thinking twice about just how badly we flash in our lives.

If all goes well, the crew will hit shops next month for $179.99 (32GB), $289.99 (64GB), $499.99 (128GB) and $899.99 (256GB), and if our wildest dreams come true, they'll be slipped into unreasonably expensive portable media players shortly after. Original Post

Window 7 release date October 22nd

From the name, Windows 7, it seems Microsoft was planning to release it back in 2007 when vista was playing around. Just my thought, after using vista and xp sp3, i rate xp much faster and higher than vista. Its been 2 months I have been using Win 7 now and to my suprise I think it is a OS worth upgrading to after xp sp3. Some features of win 7 that I came accross over the internet are:

1.Performance - easily as fast as XP even with all the Aero features. The little Atom processor has no problem running the OS; the best part is it doesn’t get in the way of what you’re doing. It just works. Memory usage is kept to the minimum; the standard 1 gig of ram in a netbook is more than enough for the average user. Boot times are faster than XP; resume from sleep mode is pretty much instant. Over all, this is a light and nippy OS that moves as fast as you do.
2.Search - The integrated search which was introduced with Vista is much improved. Running on the Samsung new files got indexed immediately. Searching a folder of 100+ mp3 files was instant. For netbook users the ability to search from the new start menu allows for very quick, mouse free, access to programs, admin options and files.
3.Interface - The look and feel of Windows 7 is slick with the fancy Aero glass effects, and why not, Apple have been selling their systems based on their fancy graphics for years!
4.Mobility - Setting up a Wi-Fi connection is extremely simple with Windows 7 - the new task bar prominently displays the wireless icon. One click and a list of available networks is displayed, this gives you quick access to connect to the internet. Very handy when travelling with your netbook! Battery life is also greatly improved with Windows 7 power management.
5.Taskbar peek - a first glance the peek feature looks like a bit of gimmick but once you start using it, you wonder what you ever did without it. The feature expands on the Vista preview window to allow you bring the window into focus by hovering over the icon. The windows are live so you can have a quick peek at a download progress or sports scores. A useful feature is the ability to close the window using the peek preview window and the Media Player peek which gives you access to the player controls. For mouse free use you can use the new Win+T shortcut and then the left/right arrows to scan through the windows - hit enter to select the window and bring it to the front. The minimise all windows button has been given a permanent home on the
right of the task bar, hovering over it fades out all active windows and allows you to view your desktop and desktop gadgets.
6.Aero works - amazingly the 3D alt-tab (or Window+Tab) works perfectly with the Atom processor. This is another feature that has gone from a gimmick to quite a useful utility. The positioning of the Window Key on the Samsung helps encourage use but with the small screen real-estate of netbook screen this is a very quick way of accessing open windows.
7.New media player - one of the main uses of my netbook is watching movies while traveling. Windows 7 includes a refreshed media player which opens movies in a clean unobtrusive interface. A thin window frame wraps the video screen, hovering over the window brings the media control into view. Best of all it supports H.264 high definition encoding out of the box. I’m a big fan of VLC but i’m really liking the new media players minimalist approach.
8.Jump List - another new feature is the ‘jump list’ this is basically a souped up right click menu that adds context specific options to the right click menu. For example, right click on the IE icon gives you access to your browser history, as does right clicking the Explorer icon. Combine this
feature along with the right click button on the keyboard and you have easy mouse free access to frequently used documents and websites.
9.Loads of new Keyboard Shortcuts - find then all here http://productivity.ben61a.com/windows/windows-7-shortcut-keys.php

Wooden electronic ruler concept makes measuring fun again

Think the market on measuring things has been cornered? Think again, cause designer Shay Shafranek recently came up with this new concept that adds a bit of newfangled technology to and old fashioned wooden ruler. The secret, it seems, is a line of tiny metal points running along the edge of the ruler, which can detect when you touch 'em with a pencil and display the exact measurement on the LED display discreetly hidden inside. Better yet, the ruler can apparently store measurements and add 'em up as you go along, eliminating the need for any pesky remembering or math. Of course, it is still just a concept, and there's no indication that Shafranek has any commercial plans for it just yet. In the meantime, you can get a peek at its inner working courtesy of the clear version.

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AVG AntiVirus Free 8.5.392a1598

With this free distribution version of the popular AVG Anti-Virus system, you will get a reliable tool for your computer protection against computer viruses. AVG's newest security product provides real-time protection against online threats for free-forever. There are millions of poisoned web pages out there. Let AVG LinkScanner check them out first. If a link is dangerous, you'll be protected.

Features:

• Automatic update functionality
• The AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run
• The AVG E-mail Scanner, which protects your e-mail
• The AVG On-Demand Scanner, which allows the user to perform scheduled and manual tests
• Free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product
• AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files
• Great customer satisfaction!

Please note that any previous version of AVG Free will be un-installed automatically during the installation of the new AVG Free.

DOWNLOAD NOW SERVER 1: Software Author Note: If you experience problems downloading AVG AntiVirus Free 8.5.392a1598, please download the file without using your download manager and check your firewall settings. Firewalls and download managers usually block HTTP referrers, which are required by some download mirrors.

HTC Firestone (Leo) Surfaces

Another hit by the HTC in the market, the folk over engadget posted the following: This, supposedly, is the HTC Leo (codenamed Firestone), due to be the successor to awesome Touch HD (Blackstone). The eagle eyed among you may notice the inclusion of a Windows key, which as of MWC09, is now a requirement on all new "Windows Phones" and mahoosive speakers (front and back) for audio playback. Specs for this one are pretty droolworthy:

• MSM 8250 1Ghz CPU (Snapdragon!)
• Quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity
• Dual-band HSDPA connectivity (900/2100 MHz)
• 4.3 inch WVGA (480 x 800) capacitive touch screen display
• 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
• GPS, A-GPS
• Accelerometer
• Light & proximity sensors
• 3.5mm headset jack
• 5MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash
• 512MB flash memory, 320MB RAM
• MicroSD card support
• 1230 mAh battery
• 121 x 67 x 11 millimetres

Jeebus, where do I start! Well, for one, I know a fair few of you out there have been dying for WM to get multi-touch and capacitive screens. Looks like the Leo could make those dreams a reality, especially as Synaptics (maker of laptop trackpads and HTC's Android device screens) have just announced a new capacitive screen that can track up to 10 fingers!

Of course, a new, unannounced high-end HTC device would not be complete without Qualcomm's all singing all dancing

Snapdragon platform, which is why the Leo's packing it. Dual-LED flash for the camera sounds like a step in the right direction but, well, how many LED flashes have you seen that are actually any good? I'd be very interested to see how the "proximity sensor" is implemented. I fear it's more for knowing if the phone is against your face than for knowing when your hand comes into range...but either way, should be interesting! 3.5mm headset jack, well, supposedly this is quickly going to become the norm for a large majority of future HTC devices, so no real surprise there. The only other thing to mention is size. Smaller than the Toshiba TG01 but larger than the already quite sizeable HTC Touch HD, the Leo is set to carry a whopping 4.3" display which, when coupled with Snapdragon, should make an awesome device for watching native 720p content. Obviously, even though Snapdragon can handle resolutions up to 1280x720, it's highly unlikey we'll see anything like that on the Leo but as Snapdragon can decode 720p content in the hardware, providing HTC don't cock about with the drivers, even downscaled 720p should look amazing and play as smooth as silk. Couple all that with the massive speakers and the Leo is shaping up to be quite the personal media player!

Don't know about the rest of you but this is definitely going on my DO WANT list

Sony said to have seriously considered second analog nub for PSP Go

It's no secret that a second analog nub was one of the biggest demands for what's now known as the PSP Go and, according to Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida, those requests were heard loud and clear during the Go's development. Speaking with Game Informer, Yoshida said that Sony had some "very serious discussion" about adding a second analog nub to the PSP Go, but ultimately decided against it to avoid splitting the PSP market in two.

He further elaborated that the PSP Go is "designed to be perfectly compatible with the PSP-3000 and all the games that released before that," adding that "we are talking about the mid-life cycle of this platform" (referring to Sony's ten-year life cycle plan for all of its consoles). In other words, don't bet on one showing up on the inevitable PSP Go Slim 6000 either.

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YouTube enters the cavernous, chromatic world of 3D

It looks like youtube.com is thinking about introducing full 3D on youtube videos. Soon we we will living in 2050, the world is evolving really fast. Youtube is beta testing it for the time being but soon it will be available for everyone to use. All one would be needing would be a 3D glasses or a coloured mirror that you can look through while looking at the video on youtube.

This little addition just made YouTube.com the most impressive, most useful outlet for bringing 3D content into the home, blazing right on past Panasonic and an entire consortium devoted to making said concept a reality. Plus with all these 3D cameras and camcorders making their way out onto the market, we're guessing this may up being more than just a fad. Now its up to you to engage at it on your own risk! ;)

BlackBerry Storm 2 demoed on video, SurePress "click" and all

Either the gang at Crackberry have a very good special effects department (which we doubt), or we're looking at the first footage of a working BlackBerry 9550, a.k.a. Storm 2. As noted in the video, the hardware and software is "very early stage," but that said, there's something mighty interesting going on here with the SurePress click. Turned off, the screen has no give whatsoever, but when the phone's powered up, the mysterious click returns. We talked with CB, who confirms that the whole display does in fact move in and out just a bit, although much less than its predecessor, and that sound you hear is a physical click -- guess SurePress really is here to stay, after all. The takeaway here is that it's definitely a step in the right direction and perhaps what RIM should've released from the get-go.

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ASUS P6X58 Premium motherboard with USB 3.0 taken off

The first official pictures of USB 3.0 motherboard out in the wild. That milestone comes courtesy of ASUS, which looks to have gone all out (or as far out as motherboards can go) with its new P6X58 Premium model. As you can see above, it packs a pair of easily identifiable USB 3.0 ports and three standard USB 2.0 ports, along with accommodations for a Core i7 processor, six DDR3 memory slots, three PCI-Express 2.0 slots, and plenty of other standard fare. Still no word on a price or release date, unfortunately, and the folks at Xfastest unsurprisingly weren't able to provide any benchmarks or the like, considering that there isn't much in the way of actual USB 3.0 gear to test it with just yet.


EDIT: This happiness was short lived, the company has decided to take the motherboard off of thier production list without giving any reason. But now its confirmed news that 3.0 will not be on the production for some more time. Kepp your fingers crossed buddies.

VLC 1.0.0 released

While being a useful tool for several years now, VLC has finally reached that first pinnacle of software development: 1.0. VLC is an alternative media player for Mac, Windows and Linux that handles a wide variety of media file formats without requiring additional software (like Perian) to be installed on your system. It can also be used as a server to stream video on higher-bandwidth networks. Personally, I think it's handy for things like making still frame images of DVDs, or capturing video from your EyeTV tuner. Anytime I have to send QuickTime or MP4 video to PC or Linux users, I recommend they download and install VLC to watch it.

The software isn't for everyone: If you're already familiar with VLC, the upgrade is a solid one. Performance is good, and the feature list is tough to beat. If you've never used VLC and you're happy with QuickTime Player (thank you very much), then feel free to pass this one by.

Binaries for VLC 1.0 are available for Intel-based Macs running Mac OS X Leopard (and developer previews of Snow Leopard). Source code and other, older packages for PowerPC and earlier versions of Mac OS Xare also available.

Sony's PlayStation Eye to gain facial recognition capabilities

It was almost two weeks ago that we first heard about the patent for Sony's PlayStation Eye-powered object motion detection, and now the company's announcing facial recognition for the console. According to Gamasutra, Kish Hirani, SCEE's Head of Developer Services, said that the facial recognition software would "detect gender and even the age of the face, separate facial features such as the nose, eyes and ears, and even detect whether you're smiling or not." This new gear will also work with the Sony Motion Controller, with the camera tracking X, Y and Z motion by using the glowing ball. Speaking at the Develop Conference in Brighton, Hirani stressed that companies won't need to develop their own tech to work with the new controllers.

"If you are working with the PlayStation Eye and think there is some new tech you're going to have to develop for the motion controllers, just get in touch with us. We have a wealth of libraries available, and the chances are you won't have to develop any technology yourself." You hear that, guys? get to work!

AMD's Neo to hit nettops, all-in-one PCs soon

Eberything going Ultra these days. Ultra, Nano, Small, Slim, Minute, you name it and get it in the market. I wonder what is next, micro? Reviews at www.engadget.com of AMD's Neo ultra-portable platform was seen as something that just might rival Intel's mighty Atom in the oversaturated netbook space when it debuted back in January, but up until now, the system has remained largely in the background. Indeed, it has only found its way into a select few machines, none of which have managed to gain any sort of traction beside the sea of Atom-based alternatives. Now, however, it seems as if the chips -- which were originally engineered for ultraslim, thin-and-light laptops -- may find themselves shoved into an array of nettops and all-in-one PCs. Here lately, a slew of underpowered SFF-type desktops and PC-in-a-monitor type units have found favor with bargain hunters, and Bob Grim, the outfit's director of client marketing, isn't looking to miss a golden opportunity. To quote:

"We've known all along that this type of technology would really work well in multiple platforms and multiple types of form factors. These CPUs perform better than the Atom processor, and the graphics are superior. These things... can play Blu-rays, they can play games."

There's still no word on who exactly plans on equipping their future machines with this here platform, but considering just how tired we are of Intel's sluggish N270 and N280, we'll take all the competition we can get.

Purplesn0w RC2 Released

This is taken from iclarified and modmyi.com. Geohot states that "With regards to devs comment that I use tons of ram, that was all RC1. This one uses 0, yes ZERO, bytes of ram after it is installed. But I'm happy you guys came around to my way of unlocking :-) And not just one of my ideas. You took them both. "

Via Geohot blog:

* 3G(the network speed) issues fixed
* Now only patches one file, CommCenter
* Leaves no traces on your baseband after it runs. Seriously
* Much more clean and reliable.

Be sure to have legit activated 3GS
Disable 3G if you don't have it(like T-Mobile).
Add apt.geohot.com to Cydia
Install(or Update) com.geohot.purplesn0w
Watch for success output in Cydia(actually do this step)
Wait for signal, and enjoy your unlocked iPhone(no reboot required)

This unlock is for the 3G[S] only.

UniBlue 2009 - All-In-One - PowerSuite

UniBlue PowerSuite bundles three UniBlue products to help you keep your system clean, safe, and optimized for maximum performance. For one price, you can have RegistryBooster, SpeedUpMyPC, and SpyEraser. UniBlue PowerSuite may help restore your PC to its former speed-demon status.

Stability

The Windows registry is a critical component of your PC. During repeated and repetitive deletions, downloads and uninstalls which may not be 100% removed every time, your registry can quickly become clogged up with unnecessary or damaged or missing file fragments and applications. These can quickly degrade a system, even from new.

Protection
Unfortunately the number of virus and other malware threats to your computer are growing. They are also becoming more sophisticated and more criminal. What was at first just an intrusive popup nuisance has now become a sustained and criminal attack from hackers, intent on stealing your private details, banking information and credit card numbers.
Performance

Malware quickly degrades your PCs performance but this can also happen if you do not keep your system defragged optimized and cleaned regularly. A PCs performance starts to slow down from the day you buy it. Constant downloads, deletes and uninstalls rapidly clog up you system. If not well maintained you will lose valuable time and maybe money for an expensive and avoidable repair!

PowerSuite is the best value support package on the market today:
Find and fix PC problems
Keep your system running at peak performance and optimum speeds
Control your system and prevent problems with professional level tools
Ensure personal privacy for your important information

How Uniblue PowerSuite Helps
Firewall and a good anti-virus products are important. But these alone wont protect you from intrusive spyware or keep your PC optimized for peak performance. This is why Uniblue PowerSuite has been developed to be the perfect support bundle for Windows PCs, operating with existing antivirus products. Where other bundles include antivirus, Uniblue PowerSuite complements your existing antivirus product. So you do not waste money doubling up on what you already have. Putting Uniblue PowerSuite next to your Norton or McAfee will give you back control of your PC, to fully protect you from hackers and to keep your PC in top condition.

Sony Ericsson Packs In the Pixels With New Camera Phone

Sony Ericsson is aiming to polish the image of cellphone cameras, which are typically associated with low-resolution, poorly lit, badly focused snapshots. The company's new C905a Cyber-shot camera phone, available through AT&T (NYSE: T) on Sunday, features an 8.1 megapixel camera.

Sony Ericsson C905a Cyber-shot
This will be at least the second camera phone in the U.S. market offering over 8 megapixels; recently Samsung announced the Memoir, available through T-Mobile .
The Sony Ericsson C905a Cyber-shot will be priced at US$179.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year service agreement, and it will be available both online and at AT&T stores.
Many of its features are similar to those of the Samsung Memoir.
The Lowdown on the C905a
Sony Ericsson's new Cyber-shot is a slider 3G phone with dedicated camera buttons and shortcuts.

It incorporates several features more often associated with pocket digital cameras than with phones that also happen to have cameras. It has a 2.4-inch, scratch-resistant, mineral glass camera screen; face detection; a Xenon flash with red-eye reduction; and Smart Contrast. For still shots, it has BestPic technology, which captures seven successive photos with one click so users can select the best one.
Users can record videos and share real-time streaming videos through AT&T Video Share.
Other features include an FM radio, mobile email , instant messaging and music playback. Users can do over-the-air music downloads through Napster Mobile and eMusic Mobile via AT&T Music.
Users can also print pictures directly to PictBridge-compatible printers or upload them to computers with a USB cable, which is included with the device.
The Tech Specs The C905a measures 4.1 by 1.9 by 0.7 inches and weighs 4.8 ounces. It has a 240 by 320 pixel color TFT (thin film transistor) QVGA screen and is available in black, silver and gold.
The C905a has 160 MB of memory and comes with a 2-GB M2 stick (Memory Stick Micro). The actual amount of free memory will depend on how the phone is preconfigured.
Some reviewers have spanked the C905a for using the M2 stick, which they contend is not as widely used as the SD and micro SD card formats.
AT&T did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
About the Samsung Memoir
The Memoir, which T-Mobile unveiled in February, consists of a combo 8-MP camera with video capture and playback; a music player; a 3G phone with photo caller ID; and Web-browsing capability.
It uses stereo Bluetooth wireless technology and comes with a variety of instant messaging flavors -- Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) , Windows Live and AIM. It also offers picture messaging and comes with a USB cable.
The device has a 2.64-inch touchscreen interface with 240 x 400 pixel resolution, autofocus, Xenon flash, and 16x digital zoom. Users can send pictures directly to My Album Online, Flickr , Kodak Gallery, Photobucket, or Snapfish.
Users can customize the Memoir with widgets on the home screen.
Other features include a built-in assisted GPS with TeleNav GPS Navigator, a full touch virtual Qwerty keypad, and an accelerometer.
Pricing is $199.99 with a two-year service agreement, T-Mobile USA spokesperson Tom Harlin told TechNewsWorld.
The New Norm: More Bang for the Buck
The Samsung Memoir and Sony Ericsson C905a seem to be setting a trend of offering consumers an increasing number of features at a lower price.
For example, the Sony Ericsson C902 Cyber-shot camera phone, which includes MP3 playback and FM radio, is a 5.0-MP camera phone listed at $549.99, reduced to $449.99.
The iPhone has only a 3-MP camera, and is listed at $199.99 for the 16-GB version with a two-year contract, though it offers several additional features not necessarily targeted at photography.

Mobile Software Firm Strikes While the Market Is Hot

On June 10, Antenna Software completed the acquisition of Dexterra for an undisclosed amount solidifying its position as a key player in the mobile middleware platform space, with a sharpened focus on field force enablement. This market grab comes on the heels of Antenna's acquisition of Vettro's strategic assets in November 2008, a move that was made to increase market share in the IT service management and local transportation verticals.
The Dexterra purchase represents a major move by Antenna to grab share in a market seeing increasing demand for mobilized enterprise applications that are scalable, configurable and platform-agnostic; and that can mobilize a broad range of field force functions such as field service , sales , and customer support.
Expanding Its Market Reach
Aberdeen research continues to see increasing interest in and adoption of mobility across all organizations. In recent 2009 field service research, 83 percent of companies stated that fully connected mobility was either "extremely" or "very" important to financial and operational performance.

Figure 1: Mobility Initiatives Over Time
(click image to enlarge)

Aberdeen's March 2009 benchmark, "More Mobility -- Less Budget: Enterprise Strategies in the Current Economic Downturn," found that enterprise mobility had "crossed the chasm" from a niche application to broad market acceptance. Figure 1 shows the growth of mobility initiatives among respondents from 2006 through 2009. During the period, the percentage of respondents who had a mobility initiative in place increased 42 percent, while the percentage of those who had no plans for mobility decreased by 93 percent.
Antenna's core offering is the Antenna Mobility Platform (AMP), an extensible application platform upon which prefabricated applications such as AMP Service, AMP Sales and AMP Support are also built. Antenna continues to see increasing interest in flexible development platforms as opposed to specific point solutions, reflected in the acquisition of Dexterra and its Concert mobile development platform. The acquisition also gives Antenna access to Dexterra's 100+ international customers, a majority of whom are in the field service space.

Expanding Its Capabilities
The acquisition also allows for expansion along the following lines:
Functionality: The Mobile Command Center in Dexterra Concert offers robust workforce management capabilities, including an integrated scheduling engine that allows for dynamic workforce scheduling. Dynamic or real-time scheduling continues to be a differentiator for Best-in-Class companies. This is predicated on the ability to allow for the seamless integration of data between the mobile application and the enterprise scheduling application. The acquisition also allows Antenna to test the waters in the mobile asset management market, another one of Dexterra's core strengths.
Geography: While Antenna does support a number of global customers, more than 80 percent of its customer base is in North America. Dexterra does overlap with its presence in the North American market, and it has made progress in increasing market share in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), primarily through its channel relationship with Vodafone. Global markets present significant growth opportunities as reflected in Aberdeen's January 2009 Insights on mobile field service in EMEA and APAC (Asia Pacific). EMEA respondents indicated that 49 percent of their mobile workers were equipped with mobile devices, up from 43 percent in 2007; while APAC respondents revealed rates of 55 percent and 40 percent for 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Verticals: Prior to the acquisition, both organizations were competitors in the telecommunications and manufacturing verticals. While Antenna has also gained significant traction in healthcare and consumer packaged goods, the Dexterra purchase allows for expansion into the government and utilities verticals, representing approximately 20 percent of Dexterra's customers.
Device: Both platforms allow for use across multiple devices and operating systems. While a majority of Antenna's customers leverage BlackBerry or Windows Mobile devices, Dexterra's experience with Symbian devices increases the market reach of Antenna's solution. Antenna's recent focus on incorporating iPhone into the mix further expands their platform reach.
Deployment Models: While at least 80 percent of Antenna's customers are leveraging on-demand or hosted solutions, a majority of Dexterra's customers leverage on-premise mobile solutions. With the acquisition, customers now have the option of selecting either deployment model as per their IT, security or business requirements.
Partner Network: The acquisition also opens Antenna to Dexterra's vast partner network for the development, sale and support of its platform. Dexterra has invested heavily in the development of this network over the last 12 to 24 months. While Antenna has a reseller agreement with AT&T (NYSE: T) , it can now tap into Dexterra's relationships with carriers such as Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) and with systems integrators such as IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Accenture.

Is the Chrome OS an Apple Killer?

Is this true? Well we wont know untill the Chrome OS hits the market, but it surely will do M$ a great lot of damage. What ever Google does , it attracts alot of people. This is one thing that everyone will agree to. Lets have a look at what both the market champs are upto.
However, as I look at this, I think Chrome will cause both Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) to think twice about some things, but I don't see that it represents much of a competitive risk to Apple, in fact, I'm no longer convinced the Android phone is much of a risk to the iPhone anymore, and I'll explain why.
I'll end with my product of the week: a fantastic little video-editing application called "vReveal" that works with Nvidia graphics cards to take cellphone videos and clean them up for your family or for sharing on YouTube .
Chrome, or How to Scare the Crap Out of Microsoft
Let me be clear: Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) isn't going after Apple. It is going after Microsoft, and Chrome is crafted to attack Microsoft where it is currently weakest -- on the browser and desktop OS. Facing what appears to be an ugly migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 and an increased focus by users on Web -- rather than desktop -- applications, users are shifting their interest to new things. Apple has been, to date, the biggest beneficiary.
However, this is where you would expect the risk to reside, because Google's attack should be very attractive to the same audience Apple was convincing to switch platforms. Some recent converts might be made to switch back -- but if successful, Google more likely would capture the lion's share of new Windows displacement opportunity. That's because its offering targets that opportunity better than Apple's currently does. And that's because Apple has to focus on keeping its installed base happy, while Google can focus 100 percent on kicking Microsoft's butt.
Apple's Armor
Google's focus is on the very low end of the market -- what you might think of as the Honda Element class of company. Apple is at the other end of the segment -- more like the Acura crowd. This doesn't mean that premium vendors can't emerge using the Chrome OS, but the offerings initially will be high value. Apple's, on the other hand, tend to focus more on high quality and premium services, and they come at higher prices.
Premium quality will be emphasized by some of the anticipated advancements in new iPhone offerings.
In addition, just like Google is taking its Android platform and effectively scaling it up for Chrome, Apple could take the iPhone platform and scale it up to create its own competing platform that could be even more compelling. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me, given how cross-pollinated these two companies are at the board level, if Apple and Google had somehow agreed to carve up the available market with their two offerings. The two companies' products seem to be relatively noncompetitive, given their clear similarities.
In the end, it simply doesn't look as though this effort from Google is that much of a threat to Apple -- but what about the change it anticipates?
Chrome: The Core Risk
Both the Mac OS and Windows are based on the semi-connected world that existed from the beginning of the PC to this decade. Most this decade, though, represents a major shift in behavior -- from splitting time between PCs and TVS to spending most of our time on the Web and on smartphones. We are increasingly pulling our TV programs and movies down from the Web, living on applications like Twitter (I'm @enderle) and Facebook , and with new offerings like OnLive, which brings high-performance gaming to devices like this smartbook platform Google is trying to launch.
This suggests the era of platforms like the traditional Mac OS and Windows may be ending soon, to be replaced by products more similar to Palm's (Nasdaq: PALM) webOS, the iPhone version of the Mac OS, the RIM OS and the Chrome OS. Disruption can be a real problem for the vendors who dominate a segment, and this would indicate a risk that Apple would share with Microsoft.
Can Google Execute?
Google is all over the place right now. It has Gmail, Google Apps, its smart grid project, its book-indexing project, Android, Chrome and its public cloud. It has Google Voice and its massive mapping efforts. It's pissing off companies that range from Rupert Murdoch's media properties to AT&T (NYSE: T) , and there is such a thing as fighting on way too many fronts at once. I'm far from the only one who thinks Google is spreading itself way too thin.
In addition, Google seems to have trouble finishing things. Offerings either appear to be in perpetual beta or feel like they're in perpetual beta. Google seems to jump from major project to major project more often than some of us change clothes. In short, it has a real focus problem.
Also, if you look at the smartphone space, which is likely more similar to these smartbooks that will run Google Chrome, you see that it is currently dominated by three vendors in terms of mindshare. They are Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) , Apple, and Palm -- all of which are vertically integrated. I think this is because when you add the required wireless carrier (cellphone company), the question of who owns the customer and the customer experience becomes too difficult to answer if you have separate hardware, software and network providers.
In the case of Apple, RIM and Palm, they own the customer, the responsibility for marketing the product, and product execution. I think that is why they are doing so well, while Symbian, Windows Mobile and LiMo simply haven't been as interesting. In short, this new market may be better suited to Apple's model than the Microsoft model that Google is copying.
Finally, despite the fact that Google probably controls more marketing dollars than any other vendor, it hasn't demonstrated an ability to actually do marketing. This is one of the reasons Bing's move is so successful against Google Search. It's a marketing-driven attack by Microsoft using an Apple-like model, and Google can't figure out how to respond. If Microsoft can toast Google with an Apple-like attack, think what Apple could do.
Wrapping Up
The risk to Apple that Google and Chrome represent has more to do with the changing conditions that are driving the Chrome platform. My guess is that its launch will likely speed up plans to take the iPhone UI into the Mac space and create a tighter coupling of Apple phone and PC offerings than otherwise might have happened. Otherwise, I actually think Apple is likely in better shape to weather this storm than Microsoft is at the moment.
The good news for both companies is that it doesn't look as though Google fully understands what it will take to succeed in this space. That means this move may be riskier for Google than it is for either Microsoft or Apple, unless Google focuses, builds up marketing competency, and executes better than it currently is. In short, like Netscape, Google may have instigated one of the biggest changes since the beginning of the PC, but it might be unable to capitalize on it.
Product of the Week
I'm kind of fascinated about the entire concept of using a graphics processor to do real work. It amazes me how much faster these things are when it comes to processing video content. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that a part designed to render graphics could be great at improving or transcoding a graphics file. It just seems kind of like magic when it works.
vReveal can take a really lousy cellphone-quality video and -- while it doesn't turn it into HD -- make it clear enough to enjoy. It is easy to use, and at US$49, it isn't very expensive, and the end product is surprisingly good. What's fascinating is that it even worked on my Atom-based Rivo Aspire mini-desktop with Nvidia Ion graphics, which is a truly low-end product. The only catch is you need a graphics component that supports Nvidia Cuda, which means it needs to be relatively new. If you're in doubt, you can download the free trial and see if it works.