iPhone gets cool slideshows, Keynote Remote app

Feeling let down about the keynote address at MacWorld? Yeah, me too. Phil Schiller did a decent job, but he's not the showman that Steve Jobs is. And the biggest phone-related news had to do with DRM-free tunes and 3G music downloads. (While a step in the right direction, it's certainly not game-changing — after all, Amazon has had DRM-less tunes for ages). Through all this, however, it may be easy to overlook that there were a couple of kinda cool little tricks delivered by Apple (at least for iPhoners with Macs).

iPhoto 09 directly exports slide shows into iTunes for viewing on iPod Touches and iPhones. What's neat here is using the beautiful new templates and transitional effects in slideshows to share on the go. Now, to your delight—and your friends' dismay—you can chronicle the trade-in of your old, but beloved klunker for that lip-smacking new car (backed by Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On"). iPhoto also maps geo-tagged images if you shoot with a GPS-enabled camera (i.e., your iPhone, for example) and sports some seriously cool facial-recognition features.
iPhoto and the whole iLife package ships later this month for free on new Macs. Or you can purchase it for $79 (single user) or $99 (family pack). It's definitely affordable and includes a kickin' edition of iMovie 09 (which blows the sad, sorry iMovie 08 to bits).

Schiller also revealed a Keynote Remote App for the iPhone. If you're a business user, this might be more your speed. Connect the phone via Wifi, and the app lets you view a slide and notes (portrait mode) or the current slide with the next one beside each other (landscape). To move from one slide to the next, you just swipe. It's not available in the App Store yet, but when it does, it'll cost 99 cents.I know, I know — not quite what you were lookin' for. But from the looks of things, with Noah covering the exhibit hall like a kid in a candy store, I have a feeling that's where the excitement is. He's already gotten started with awesome coverage of a few exhibitors (like this).One last consideration: Why would Apple go out with such a whimper at its last MacWorld? Me thinks maybe something's on tap that the company wants to unveil at its own media event later on (at least this is what the pundits are guessing). I sure hope so. Any more disappointments, and I don't know if my heart can go on.

Samsung Memoir Phone

Maybe one of our ninjas was feeling inspired by that crazy new Dick Tracy watch LG has in the pipes because he decided to go super-sleuth and dig up the goods on T-Mobile’s upcoming release schedule for January and February, 2009. This screenshot of T-Mobile’s internal release schedule reveals upcoming lineup for the first two months of 2009 and T-Mobile well, February is most definitely your month T-Mobile people! You’ve got two major handsets dropping in Feb: the 8 megapixel Samsung Memoir and yes, that’s right, the highly anticipated BlackBerry Curve 8900. Can you hold out another month and a half?

Our sources revealed that Samsung Memoir will be released on 25th Feb and will be priced $299 after $50 MIR (retail 2 year contract). We hope as release day approaches non blurrycam shots turn up so we can get a better look at the highest megapixel camera phone to enter the states. Apart from the 8MP camera, Samsung Memoir is said to also feature a wide touchscreen display, HSDPA connectivity, GPS and stereo Bluetooth. Now let’s hope that, when finally released, it will meet T-Mobile customers’ high expectations.

Samsung Memoir Phone

The device, called Blue Earth, was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress technology event in Barcelona, and Samsung said it underlined the Korean company’s commitment to environmental stability.

The phone is designed to resemble the shape of a shiny pebble, and uses a small solar panel to provide power.

“This phone demonstrates our small but meaningful commitments for the future and our environment,” said JK Shin, an executive vice president at Samsung.

Blue Earth is made from recycled plastic and features a special “Eco Mode” that users can access with a single click to wring the maximum energy use from the device.

A full solar charge of around 10 to 14 hours will provide enough power for around four hours of talk time. The handset can still be charged normally using a conventional plug, with the solar panels used to top up the battery during use.

It also has a built-in pedometer to help users to measure how much smaller their carbon footprint is when walking rather than driving.

Blue Earth goes on sale in the UK later this year and Samsung did not give any details about price or network partners. However, sources hinted that the handset was likely to be priced at the upper end of the market.

Motorola Evoke

One of the most awaited phones from Motorola: Motorola Evoke is all set to be released soon and has already created a lot of buzz around. The mobile is remarkably known for the size and unique design along with the features included in it. Let us look closely into the features and design of this mobile and predict whether the mobile will be a hit or a miss.

To begin with, let us start with the design. The official announcement claims that Motorola Evoke QA4 is small in size and the dimensions of the mobile are 108 x 50.5 x 17.5 mm. It is a slider based mobile but with a difference. The difference is that the sliding part does not have keyboard but normal numbered buttons. Needless to say, it also offers QWERTY but in software mode. The mobile weighs around 128 grams with the battery. The 2.8-inch WQVGA touch screen looks promising from the pictures. Overall, compared to different smart phones available across the globe, the design of this mobile disappointed me to be honest. Motorola Evoke QA4 has a good old classic design but not up to the level of the mobile phones that are coming up nowadays. Speaking of the screen resolution, it is believed to be 240 x 400 pixels, which should give high quality display with vibrant colors.

Keeping design apart, let us have a sneak peek into the features this mobile will offer. Motorola Evoke QA4 will have a 256 MB internal memory with room to expand as well. It has in built GPS and a stereo Bluetooth as well. It has a good mp3 player; there is also room for voice recognition techniques as well. Keeping in mind some of the unique features, it also has accelerometer inside which is very useful and makes browsing and image viewing extremely pleasant to our eyes. The news is that Motorola Evoke QA4 would be in sync with Google contacts and even with Youtube for better experience of multimedia.

The camera of this mobile would be disappointing. Motorola Evoke QA4 would come in 2 mega pixels camera which won’t be giving any extra ordinary pictures. The pictures and the video resolution is expected to be hazy sometimes in absence of light and this will surely be one of the turn downs of this mobile. But in spite of this, it can be branded one of the better smart phones brought out by Motorola which might have a tendency to surprise anyone after its release. The final verdict from my side is that the mobile will do well and keeping in mind the features, the design and the quality of this mobile, Motorola Evoke QA4 would get 7 out of 10 from my side. It would not be a competition killer by any means, but may give out good sales if the price of the mobile is made competitive.

LG Renoir KC910 Review

LG Renoir KC910 is the newest, most technologically advanced phone yet. The LG Renoir KC910 is part of a new smart phone revolution - the super camera phone movement. You see, this LG doesn’t just have any camera. You can see how it juts out from the body of the phone by several millimeters, which is the first clue as to the power that is held inside. The picture resolution is 8 megapixels. When comparing that to regular, full-sized cameras, that is the same range as many professional SLRs. Some of Nikon’s midrange SLR cameras are 8 megapixels in output. This is the same as that, and this is a cell phone!

Now, megapixels are a great way to market any camera - but a true photographer (and more customers every single day) is aware that megapixels aren’t everything. There are many other factors to take into account when it comes to determining the overall output quality of your camera. The optical zoom capabilities, digital detectors, sensors, and photo processing systems make a huge difference - and LG has caught onto this with this phone. The finished product produces crisp pictures that rival many lower-end and midrange digital cameras.

At first glance, the LG Renoir KC910 looks like most of the newer phones that have come out in the past few years. The color scheme is black and silver, just like most of the new phones. It is rectangular in shape, and besides the camera unit that juts out, it is shaped just like most smart phones. Really, it doesn’t stick out from the crowd in the sense of design - but unless that’s specifically what you’re looking for, is that such a bad thing? If it’s worked so far, there’s no sense in changing things up, unless you are just after a phone with an individual style to it.

Of course, the LG Renoir KC910 is a touchscreen unit. It has a relatively large screen that takes up most of the front of the phone, and the picture resolution offers plenty of space for you to work or play on. The wide resolution of 400 pixels helps to make websites a breeze to read. The entire interface is through the touchscreen - there are 3 buttons on the front of the phone, but they are only used for very basic functions such as hanging up calls.

Samsung Mondi Review

The Samsung Mondi was definitely the standout of the CTIA Wireless 2009 show, thanks to impressive specs such as a 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen, 4GB of on-board memory, a hardware QWERTY keyboard, and (most important) support for WiMax. The Mondi runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 and comes preloaded with Opera 9.5 and Route66 for turn-by-turn GPS. It will also be bundled with a mounting kit for car use.

The Mondi will feature Samsung's second-generation version of the TouchWiz overlay, which runs over Windows Mobile 6.1. TouchWiz gives users one-touch access to certain apps via movable and customizable widgets on the home screen of their phone (see this YouTube video from PhoneScoop for a look at TouchWiz in action). The next generation of TouchWiz will support not only native applications, but Internet applications as well. The Mondi will be available in the second quarter of 2009, but Samsung has yet to determine price and carrier.

HTC Magic Vodafone

Everything you love about the internet, exactly how you want it. The HTC Magic will keep you entertained and up to date wherever you are.

Sleek, stylish and exclusive to Vodafone, the Magic is powered by cutting edge technology. So web essentials like Google Maps and Google Search work brilliantly. You can create shortcuts to your favourite sites and download fun games, news feeds and widgets. Then decide where everything goes - so you can get to it all easily.

Love putting friends in the picture? The HTC Magic's 3.2 megapixel camera shoots photos in sharp focus. You can admire the results on its extra large high-resolution screen. Or upload your photos for your friends to see - with superfast internet, they'll upload in a flash.

Motorola Evoke

One of the most awaited phones from Motorola: Motorola Evoke is all set to be released soon and has already created a lot of buzz around. The mobile is remarkably known for the size and unique design along with the features included in it. Let us look closely into the features and design of this mobile and predict whether the mobile will be a hit or a miss.

To begin with, let us start with the design. The official announcement claims that Motorola Evoke QA4 is small in size and the dimensions of the mobile are 108 x 50.5 x 17.5 mm. It is a slider based mobile but with a difference. The difference is that the sliding part does not have keyboard but normal numbered buttons. Needless to say, it also offers QWERTY but in software mode. The mobile weighs around 128 grams with the battery. The 2.8-inch WQVGA touch screen looks promising from the pictures. Overall, compared to different smart phones available across the globe, the design of this mobile disappointed me to be honest. Motorola Evoke QA4 has a good old classic design but not up to the level of the mobile phones that are coming up nowadays. Speaking of the screen resolution, it is believed to be 240 x 400 pixels, which should give high quality display with vibrant colors.

Keeping design apart, let us have a sneak peek into the features this mobile will offer. Motorola Evoke QA4 will have a 256 MB internal memory with room to expand as well. It has in built GPS and a stereo Bluetooth as well. It has a good mp3 player; there is also room for voice recognition techniques as well. Keeping in mind some of the unique features, it also has accelerometer inside which is very useful and makes browsing and image viewing extremely pleasant to our eyes. The news is that Motorola Evoke QA4 would be in sync with Google contacts and even with Youtube for better experience of multimedia.

The camera of this mobile would be disappointing. Motorola Evoke QA4 would come in 2 mega pixels camera which won’t be giving any extra ordinary pictures. The pictures and the video resolution is expected to be hazy sometimes in absence of light and this will surely be one of the turn downs of this mobile. But in spite of this, it can be branded one of the better smart phones brought out by Motorola which might have a tendency to surprise anyone after its release. The final verdict from my side is that the mobile will do well and keeping in mind the features, the design and the quality of this mobile, Motorola Evoke QA4 would get 7 out of 10 from my side. It would not be a competition killer by any means, but may give out good sales if the price of the mobile is made competitive.

LG Neon Review

The LG Xenon is clearly LG's premier announcement at CTIA this year, but the LG Neon deserves a closer look too. I had a brief hands-on with the device early yesterday, and it left a pretty good impression though I question some of the design choices.

Like the Xenon, the Neon has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and is meant to be a messaging device. It has a nice display and is slim and lightweight. The keyboard only has 3 rows instead of the 4 rows on the Xenon, so it's slightly more cramped. Still, the keys are well-spaced and have a bumpy texture for easier texting. On the front of the Neon is a navigation array complete with the two soft keys and four-way directional pad.

Here's where it gets a little interesting; the LG Neon's display is a touch screen, but only for the phone dialer. You hit a dedicated phone keypad button in the navigation array, and the virtual number keypad will show up. I was able to press the numbers like on an ordinary touch screen display, and there was vibration feedback as well. For the rest of the phone's interface, though, you're stuck with the regular navigation keys. Why LG decided not to make all of the functions of the Neon accessible via touch screen is a mystery to me.

Features of the LG Neon aren't as advanced as the Xenon's. It still has the 2.0-megapixel camera, music player, and stereo Bluetooth, but you won't get 3G and it only supports tri-band GSM. Pricing and availability of the LG Neon are still unknown, though we're sure we'll find out shortly.

Palm Pre Review

With the entire buzz and the hype around for the latest smart phone addition, Palm Pre has been into limelight for being considered as one of the best smart phones available at present. The unique design, the awesome features and connectivity makes this set a must have for all mobile lovers. Palm Pre has already been creating a lot of gossips and has been receiving great reviews ever since its launch. Let us look into the details of this mobile and check for the uniqueness of this smart phone.

Peaking of the design, the mobile comes in a vertical slider based mobile offering a full QWERTY keyboard. The mobile is well known for its portability. It weighs around 135 grams. The size of this mobile is small and does not look bulky at all, like other smart phones do seem to be so. The size can be compared to an iPhone touch and in fact, it is of lesser size than iPhone when closed! Being small in size, it still offers a great display and the 3.1 wide inch touch screen displays the colors brilliantly. It gives a resolution of 320×480 pixels which is quite great. The high glossiness of the screen may cause some issues while using it in sunlight but still it does not reflect too much.

Among the features, this mobile comes in with an accelerometer which works great with web browsing and image viewing. Besides the regular features like Bluetooth 2.0, EDGE, Wi-Fi and others, it is best known for the unique new platform Palm web OS which makes it connected to the Web continuously non-stop. The browsing is high speed and so are the others features of this mobile. The talk time and the battery life of this mobile is also modest, if not great. The memory can be expanded to about 8GB as well. Besides, the OS also has a unique search program which will start searching the words you type in.

Speaking of its camera, if offers great picture and movie quality. Thanks to the 3 mega pixel camera embedded in it. It also has an LED flash in it and range of other options for its camera. The music quality is great and offers good audio and video with proper resolution as well. Some of the features which are missing include absence of MMS messaging and the unavailability to copy and paste option. Having said this, to sum up this mobile is into a lot of buzz and surely, it has lived up to its expectations. It is priced well and is competitive in the market of smart phones as well. The mobile is made unique and can be claimed as one of the best smart phones around. With an excellent new concept OS and regular connectivity to the Web makes this mobile competitive. So competitive, that some group of users are finding this mobile better than Apple’s iPhone as well.

LG Xenon Review

LG Xenon is one of the latest mobiles by LG that is going to be released soon and the world is actually waiting for that moment. It was rumored to be released around the Christmas season last year, but sadly it did not turn out to be true. Let us look into the finer aspects of this ‘new’ smart phone by LG and find out whether the mobile is actually a great set to own or it is just hype. LG Xenon is a slider based mobile which offers you a great display. It offers a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels and can support over 65K colors in it. The dimensions of the mobile are 105.5 x 53.5 x 15.8 mm and weighs only about 108 grams with the battery in it. It has a 2.8-inch display with vibration feedback and looking at all these specifications, the design of the mobile is great.

The LG Xenon also comes in with full QWERTY keyboard and offers a range of features in it. The keypads are small in size but they are perfect to type and do not cause any problems there. It includes a great mp3 player which offers great quality sound. It supports expandable memory upto16 GB which is also one of the better points of this mobile. The shared memory of the mobile is 80 MB. It has in built HSDPA which gives a speed of 3.6 Mbps. Along with this, GPS, GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth are also compatible with this mobile. The battery life of this mobile is good but does need recharging more often. The talk time of the LG Xenon lasts for 4 hours and the standby time is 264 hours which means an average battery in it. It also includes some additional features like threaded text messaging along with an option of instant messaging; high speed surfing and mobile e-mail, quad-band GSM and others.

Now speaking of the disadvantages of this mobile, the battery life could have had been made better. The touch screen also is under developed as it reflects too much and when given a touch, it is not so accurate. The headset and the data cable needs to be purchased and does not come along with this mobile. Moreover, the lack of dictionary and Wi-Fi in this mobile reduces the overall value of this mobile. Still, with all the features included in the mobile and taking note of each pros and cons of this mobile, we can still brand this mobile as a great smart phone by LG, if not the best. It has room for improvement but still can be very useful to all multimedia set lovers. The phone is built ideally for the next generation and with so many features, this set is likely to go ahead for a longer duration of time and will prove to be a successful model by LG.

Voda business mobile broadband

Vodafone offer small businesses 5GB data allowance for £18 a month

Vodafone has launched a mobile broadband plan for small businesses offering 5GB of data and a free USB modem with 24 month plans.

30 day, 12, 18 or 24 month versions of the £18 a month tariff are available.

According to Vodafone the plans have been introduced due to demand for small businesses to have access to the web and emails on the move for a predictable monthly price

Absolute Analysis Enables Engineers with New Integrated Test Tool for Real-Time Delay Simulation, Modification, Analysis, and Verification

Hardware/firmware device development tool boasts first-ever, real-time integrated functionality of protocol analysis, traffic generation, error injection, impairment test, bit error rate test, and performance statistics in a single solution

Absolute Analysis, the developers’ choice for protocol test solutions, today announced the release of a high-speed serial data communications test tool that allows development engineers to view, analyze, decode, count, record, simulate, and now for the first time ever, delay and manipulate data in real time using just a single piece of software/hardware.

Single Hardware Provides Complete Solution

“Absolute Analysis is proud to offer engineers a much-needed single solution featuring the integration of sophisticated tools for use in data communications, telecommunications, and military communications, to capture, analyze, delay, modify, and verify data at full line rate,” stated Dennis Murphy, President of Absolute Analysis.

“This release of our Absolute Investigator™ solution enables in-line, real-time impairment testing coupled with a powerful error injector and analysis that far exceed existing industry offerings,” Murphy continued. “The unique strength of this error injector is the ability to use the full triggering and filtering functionality of our analyzer to transform simple error injection on a matched frame into TRUE protocol testing, where multiple states within a protocol must occur – in sequence – before error injection will take place. It is this exclusive, highly integrated single platform solution that enables time-correlated, multi-protocol, and multi-speed testing a reality.”

Fast Captured Trace Data Uploads, Added Protocol Support and Increased System Performance

The Absolute Investigator™ suite of tools has received a number of enhancements in addition to Impairment Test and Error Injection, which will provide development engineers with a more feature-rich system for testing high speed serial data communications. Faster trace upload times have been added for larger data captures, along with protocol database updates for Fibre Channel, Ethernet and CPRI™ (Common Public Radio Interface Standard.)

Overall system performance can see increases using Absolute Investigator™ Impairment Tester. Networks with flow control can be susceptible to performance degradation as distance and latency increase. Other protocols which have built in time-outs, are also affected as latency increases. With the Absolute Analysis Impairment Tester, developers are able to delay traffic and simulate these slow responses in order to test worst case scenarios and change network parameters to optimize performance.

With one hardware platform, Absolute Investigator’s usability across multiple protocols, speeds and applications equates to a hefty cost savings for developers. Competitive offerings require a separate solution for impairment test, along with additional software/hardware platforms for each protocol in need of testing.

Users will find that in addition to saving money, they will be rewarded with reduced training cycles and an overall better value as a result of Absolute Investigator’s single user interface, scalable architecture and great breadth of analysis.

New Protocol Support, Features, Upgrades, and Documentation for Absolute Investigator™

* 10Gbps Fibre Channel
* CPRI™ support
* Protocol database updates for Fibre Channel, Ethernet and CPRI™
* Updated sanAlytics™

Absolute Investigator™ Impairment Test/Delay Line Features

* Supports Fibre Channel and Ethernet protocols, including FCoE, AFDX, iSCSI, IP, IPv6, TCP, and others.
* Able to delay traffic in both directions
* Simulates latency and long cable lengths
* Checks system behavior in the presence of latency (Failure and Recovery)
* Sits “in-line” between two devices and allows developers to insert real time delays on all traffic.

For a complete list of Absolute Investigator™ Impairment Tester features please visit: http://www.absoluteanalysis.com/press/impairmenttest.html

Absolute Investigator™ Error Injection Features

* Protocol-dependent, state-driven error injection capabilities.
* Supports Fibre Channel and Ethernet protocols, including FCoE, AFDX, iSCSI, IP, IPv6, TCP, and others.
* Able to corrupt one or more network events in real-time and simulate data loss, data corruption, protocol errors and data errors, and check device under test error recovery procedures.
* Automatically recalculates and inserts new CRC values where applicable

For a complete list of Absolute Investigator™ Error Injector features please visit:

http://www.absoluteanalysis.com/press/errorinjection.html

To request a live online demo please click here

Vision Solutions EchoStream for AIX

EchoStream™ for AIX® from Vision Solutions is a true continuous data protection solution that delivers nearly instantaneous recovery of your applications and data at the push of a button. Unlike traditional backup solutions, EchoStream enables you to recover data from any point in time, easily and immediately, with continuous data protection (CDP) capabilities. Should your business encounters accidental or malicious data corruption you can reverse the damage and continue onward. Use it to make your data more secure, and as a cost-effective business continuity and disaster recovery strategy.

Acer enhances Veriton line of business desktops

Acer America Inc., introduced Thursday numerous new design features to its Veriton line of business desktops. With an intuitive layout and new technologies, the new Veriton lineup brings greater peace of mind to business customers through features that improve productivity, reliability and serviceability.

The new productivity-enhancing design features can be found on three new desktops, including the Veriton M265, Veriton M421G and Veriton M670G.

“The new Acer Veriton desktop PCs were designed from the ground up to provide business customers with compelling features that make a big difference in value and productivity in the real world,” said Leila Axelle Robert, Acer Desktop Business Manager. “From a more efficient design that improves serviceability to the easily accessible ports and our One Button Recovery capability, the new Veriton desktops combine great technology and user-friendly features for a tremendous value.”

The specifications of the Veriton M265-ED2220C include Intel Pentium dual-core processor E2220 offering 1 MB (megabytes) L2 cache, 2.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, Intel G31 Express Chipset + ICH7DH, Windows Vista Business + XPP downgrade (dual load), 2 GB (gigabytes) DDR2 SDRAM, and 160 GB SATA (Serial-ATA) hard drive. It also features SuperMulti with Labelflash technology, Intel Graphics media accelerator 3100, one PCI Express 2.0 x1, one PCI Express 2.0 x 16, and two PCI v2.3 (5V) slots. The pricing for the Veriton M265-ED2220C starts at $419.

The specifications of the Veriton M265-BE1400C include Intel Celeron dual-core processor E14000 offering 512 KB (kilobytes) L2 cache, 2.0 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, Intel G31 Express Chipset + ICH7DH, Windows Vista Business + XPP Downgrade (dual load), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, and 160 GB) SATA hard drive. It also features SuperMulti with Labelflash technology, Intel Graphics media accelerator 3100, one PCI Express 2.0 x1, one PCI Express 2.0 x 16, two PCI v2.3 (5V) slots, and 19–inch wide-screen TFT LCD. The pricing for the Veriton M265-BE1400C starts at $499.

The specifications of the Veriton M421G-ED5000C include AMD Athlon X2 dual-core processor 5000B offering 2 x 512 KB L2 cache, 2.6 GHz, AMD 780G chipset, Windows Vista Business + XPP Downgrade (dual load), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, and 160 GB SATA hard drive. It also features SuperMulti with Labelflash technology, discrete ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, one PCI Express 2.0 x1, one PCI Express 2.0 x16, and two PCI v2.3 (5V) slots. The pricing for the Veriton M421G-ED5000C starts at $439.

The specifications of the Veriton M670G-UQ9400C include Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 processor offering 6 MB L2 cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 Mhz FSB, Intel Q45 Express chipset with Intel ICH10DO, Windows Vista Business + XPP downgrade, 3 GB DDR3 800 MHz, and 320 GB SATA hard drive. It also features SuperMulti with Labelflash technology, discrete ATI Radeon HD 4350 PRO, 512 MB VRAM, PCI Express 2.0 x 1slot, PCI Express 2.0 x 16 slot, and two PCI v2.3 (5V) slots. The pricing for the Veriton M670G-UQ9400C starts at $899.

To keep the PC cool and running efficiently, the new design includes open air vents on the front of the system that improve ventilation. Wide metallic-gray slats cover an intricate mesh panel, which also strengthen and reinforce the structural integrity of the PC. Side skirts with slanted surfaces further augment the sturdiness of the machine.

Acer has added a hinged/cable-less front bezel, making it easy to open the entire chassis for upgrades, making ease-of-serviceability a priority. In addition, a new modular design layout allows the hard drive, optical drive and floppy drive to accessed directly and individually, making it easier upgrade and service these components, without removing additional parts.

A newer, cleaner cable management system was also implemented in the new Veriton desktops, providing a tidy interior which is easier to work around when accessing the interior layout for upgrades and service. The PCI cards, power supply, hard drives and other hardware and corresponding cables are organized into dedicated locations for tool-less retrieval.

Taking into consideration office space and design constraints, some Veriton models can be oriented both vertically and horizontally, while other models are designed specifically for either orientation, thereby providing maximum flexibility for a range of business environments.

Acer’s One-Button Recovery (OBR) function removes the hassle associated with backing up and/or restoring a PC’s data. The OBR is accessible on the front of the system, so safeguarding and protecting critical assets is easier than ever. If the PC’s operating system files are lost or damaged, the recovery process can restore the Veriton’s original factory default settings or to the last system backup.

The newly designed Acer Veriton desktop PCs are currently available in North America through Acer authorized resellers.

Microsoft partners with Brocade’s IronView Network Manager for its 'Stirling'

Brocade Communications Systems Inc. announced Thursday the integration of Brocade IronView Network Manager (INM) with Microsoft Forefront “Stirling”. This allows network operators to effectively track and perform configuration changes and software updates, identify and resolve network failures, and address network security breaches from a centralized location.

The Brocade INM tool acts as the Forefront “Stirling” gateway for Brocade switches, routers, and wireless LAN (WLAN) products. INM leverages the sFlow traffic monitoring capabilities embedded in Brocade IP (Internet Protocol) networking solutions, and combines advanced network management capabilities to expand the functionality of Forefront “Stirling” to Brocade IP devices. It further simplifies network protection, provisioning, diagnostics, and problem resolution to provide critical visibility across endpoints, messaging, collaboration servers, and Brocade IP products.

Forefront “Stirling” is an integrated security suite that delivers comprehensive protection across endpoints, application servers, and edge solutions with benefits that include comprehensive protection and integration of detection technologies, a single management console for configuring security policies and visibility across organizations, and part of multi-layered defense that works with existing Microsoft infrastructure.

Microsoft Forefront “Stirling” enables software, hardware, and services vendors to share and use security event information across the Forefront “Stirling” environment and through products developed by other members of the extensive partner ecosystem. As a result, partners can enhance the effectiveness of their security technologies and better protect customer IT environments.

The benefits of integrating Brocade INM with Microsoft Forefront “Stirling” are acting as the Forefront “Stirling” gateway for all Brocade IP devices, delivering added network layer security, communicating and analyzing security status with Microsoft Forefront “Stirling” products and management console, providing real-time network behavior visibility, and simplifying Brocade IP networking and Microsoft Forefront “Stirling” network modifications from a centralized point to adapt to changing business demands.

“This integration enhances and simplifies the user experience for our customers,” said Ben Taft, senior director of strategic alliances for Brocade. “Through our strategic relationship with Microsoft, we’re empowering network operators with the tools needed to centrally secure broad networks while making it easier to manage and coordinate security across the IT Infrastructure.”

“Microsoft is pleased to work with Brocade to develop interoperability between Forefront ‘Stirling’ and INM in order to give our customers more comprehensive and responsive security across the enterprise,” said John Chirapurath, director in the identity and security business group at Microsoft Corp. “Microsoft is committed to collaborating with top industry vendors and providing solutions that help organizations more effectively achieve their business goals. We call this ‘business-ready security.’”

Xilinx Axes 200 Jobs, Goes For Salary Freeze

US-based programmable chip maker Xilinx, Inc. is cutting its global workforce by up to 200 positions, or 6 per cent, to improve its operating efficiencies. The job cuts, according to the company, will result in a pre-tax charge of approximately $11 to $13 million in the June quarter primarily related to severance pay expenses.
Additionally, Xilinx is implementing other short-term cost savings including executive salary reductions and a broad-based employee salary freeze. As a result, Xilinx expects to generate cost and operating expense savings of approximately $4 to $5 million per quarter beginning in the June quarter.

On 15 April 2009, the terms of employment of all executive officers of the company were amended to reduce their annual base salaries by 10 per cent to 20 per cent, effective 1 May 2009.

From 1 May 2009, Moshe N. Gavrielov, president and chief executive officer, will have his annual salary of $700,000 slashed by 20 per cent to $560,000. The company's senior vice president and chief financial officer, Jon A. Olson's annual base salary of $460,000 would be reduced by 15 per cent to $391,000, effective 1 May 2009.

The foregoing salary adjustments would have no effect on the bonus targets for the company’s executive officers, Xilinx said. The board of directors will also take a 20 per cent cut in their total annual cash compensation.

Over the longer term, the company expects to implement further supply chain efficiencies resulting in additional restructuring charges totalling approximately $10 million over the September, December and March quarters of fiscal 2010. These efficiencies are expected to result in changes to the structure and location of certain global operations, which are expected to provide the company with further cost savings over time.

Restructuring charges would not affect the company's fiscal fourth quarter ended in March. The company is expected to report those results on 22 April 2009. Xilinx is currently in its quiet period.

Calling All Innovators: Create Applications For Nokia N97

Nokia is calling upon Indian mobile and Web application developers to create innovative consumer applications exclusively for the upcoming Nokia N97. The 100 best applications will be made available to consumers in India and across the globe on the Nokia N97. The applications will be available through the newly announced Ovi Store, a simple and easy-to-use digital storefront. The Nokia N97, expected to be launched in India by mid 2009, will be the first device from Nokia to feature the Ovi Store.
This is the first initiative of its kind in India, under the aegis of Forum Nokia’s Calling All Innovators 2009 competition, where the developer community is being invited to create applications and services for a specific product before its launch.

“India has the largest and most vibrant pool of qualified developers in the world. As the Internet is entering into the core of mobile experiences, we see unprecedented opportunities for Indian developers in shaping the future of mobile services,” said Kenny Mathers, head, developer relations, Forum Nokia APAC.

He added, “We believe that this particular initiative will provide the Indian developer community an opportunity to make the most of the Nokia N97 and the Ovi Store, our one-stop-shop for mobile content for consumers and tap into potential customers in India as well as around the world.”

According to Vineet Taneja, director, marketing, Nokia India, “From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile device in existence. Together with Ovi services, the Nokia N97 mobile device adjusts to the world around us, helping stay connected to the people and things that matter most. With the Nokia N97, Nseries leads the charge in helping to transform the Internet into your Internet.”

“We believe this initiative will encourage our developer partners to further drive the enhanced use of mobile devices in real-world scenarios with truly innovative applications and services that are designed specifically for the Nokia N97, built with Flash technology,” added Taneja.

Designed for the needs of Internet-savvy consumers, the Nokia N97 combines a large 3.5” touch display with a fully personalised homescreen, a physical QWERTY keyboard and virtual touch input, which together with the Ovi services empower to transform the Internet into your Internet. The Nokia N97 will come with the Ovi Store, applications repository that will offer consumers relevant applications and services across a broad portfolio of Nokia devices.

Worldwide Semiconductor Market Suffers Decline: Gartner

Worldwide semiconductor revenue totalled $255 billion in 2008, down 5.4 per cent, or a decrease of $14.5 billion from 2007 revenue, according to the final market share analysis by Gartner, Inc. The steep decline in the market in the final quarter of 2008, combined with the ongoing economic weakness, signals far worse declines in 2009.

Gartner had earlier warned, "Worldwide semiconductor revenue is forecast to reach $194.5 billion in 2009, a 24.1 per cent decline from 2008 revenue."

“While sales held up fairly well in the first half of 2008, in the third quarter the industry started to soften as the economy slowed, and by the fourth quarter sales were deteriorating quickly, causing revenue growth to go into negative territory,” said Peter Middleton, principal research analyst, Gartner. “With the market heavily impacted by the recession, we can expect considerable market consolidation going forward.”

Gartner’s annual semiconductor market share analysis examines and ranks the worldwide and regional revenue for more than 275 semiconductor suppliers, in 65 separate product categories, and eight major market categories.

Intel held the No. 1 position for the 17th consecutive year, in this analysis, increasing its market share to 13.3 per cent in 2008, although it saw its revenue decline by 0.5 per cent ― a consequence of spinning off its NOR flash memory business. The company outperformed the industry average due to the strong performance of its notebook business in which the company gained share throughout the year.

The best performer amongst the 2008 top 10 in Gartner’s market share analysis was Qualcomm, with growth of 15.3 per cent. This growth was driven by a strong first three quarters of the year, but Qualcomm felt the impact of the economic downturn in the fourth quarter of 2008 as carriers and OEMs reduced their inventory of code division multiple access(CDMA)-based devices and chipsets.

Samsung, the No. 2 vendor, saw its revenue decline 15 per cent in 2008 with the company’s main product lines, DRAM and NAND flash experiencing sharp price declines caused by excess supply in the market during 2008.

Toshiba, in the No. 3 position, saw its revenue decrease 10.3 per cent, largely because its application-specific integrated circuit (ASICs) and application-specific standard products (ASSPs) for consumer, wireless and automotive electronics showed mild growth in early 2008, but the market went into free-fall in the second-half due to the global economic downturn.

Thin Is In: Size Zero Notebook From HP

Thin is in for the notebook PC market. Entering the ultra-thin notebook race, HP has launched the HP Pavilion dv2 Entertainment Notebook PC in India. This size zero notebook is just under 1-inch thin and weighs 1.64 kgs.
The compact dv2 notebook packs a powerful punch internally as well. It is equipped with energy-efficient AMD Athlon Neo processor, ATI Radeon X1250 integrated graphics and optional ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 discrete graphics.

Inspired by liquid metallic forms, the clean architectural lines of each notebook is complemented by the 12.1” LED Backlit Widescreen display and a lustrous glossy finish in a choice of Espresso Black and Moonlight White HP Imprints. It houses a 12.1-inch diagonal HP BrightView display in a sturdy lightweight magnesium-alloy case.

Commenting on the launch, Diptesh Ghosh, category head, consumer notebook, HP Personal Systems Group (PSG), India, quipped, “We understand the discerning demands of people today and their aspiration to own a notebook that is not only good looking and portable but also kicks a punch when it comes to form and functionality, a notebook that suits their personality and lifestyle quotient. This is a perfect notebook meant for consumers who value a perfect mix of mobility, entertainment and productivity - at a competitive price.”

The dv2 also offers entertainment features including the integrated entertainment experience on the HP MediaSmart, and HD playback through an external Blu-Ray optical drive. Windows Vista technology and a variety of high-capacity hard drive options up to 500 gigabytes (GB) also provides ample room for the largest digital libraries, while HP ProtectSmart technology gives consumers peace of mind that their hard drives are protected even while on-the-go.

The dv2 also supports optional built-in WWAN for wireless connectivity and includes an HP Webcam and integrated microphone. With six-eight hours of battery life, Dv2 is also ENERGY STAR qualified and EPEAT Silver registered.

New Method Could Lead To Narrowing Lines On Microchip: MIT

Rajesh Menon, research engineer, research laboratory of electronics, and graduate students Trisha Andrew in the department of chemistry and Hsin-Yu Tsai in the department of electrical engineering and computer science -- have found a novel method for etching extremely narrow lines on a microchip, using a material that can be switched from transparent to opaque, and vice versa, just by exposing it to certain wavelengths of light.
The new technique, which the researchers call absorbance modulation, makes it possible to create lines that are only about one-tenth as wide as the wavelength of light used to create them. Part of the trick was to find a suitable photochromic material whose clear and opaque parts would remain stable after the initial exposure to light.

Using this method, the team produced lines just 36 nanometers wide, and say they could also place many such lines spaced a similar distance apart.

Producing such fine lines is crucial to many new technologies, from microchip manufacturing that is constantly seeking ways to cram more components onto a single chip, to a whole host of emerging fields based on nano-scale patterns. But these technologies have faced fundamental limits because they tend to rely on light to produce these patterns, and most techniques cannot produce patterns much smaller than the wavelengths of light itself. This method is a way of overcoming that limit, sais the researchers.

Such a technique could "could have a significant impact on chip making," Menon says, and could also help to enable new work in a variety of emerging fields that rely on nano-scale patterning, including nanophotonics, nanofluidics, nanoelectronics, and nano-biological systems.

Already, a company has been formed to develop this technology, and Menon said he expects it to lead to commercial production within five years.

But that's not the only potential application of the approach. Menon explained that his team is pursuing possible use of the same system for imaging systems, which could enable new kinds of microscopes for observing at nanoscale resolution, with possible applications in biology and in materials science. At the same time, he is pursuing ways of using the technique to create even smaller patterns, down to the scale of individual molecules.

Facebook May Affect Students' Grades

Social networking sites are addictive. They are addictive to an extent that they may start affecting your performance in the real world. According to a study, college students who use Facebook spend less time studying and have lower grade point averages than students who have not signed up for the social networking website. However, more than three-quarters of Facebook users claimed that their use of the social networking site didn’t interfere with their studies.
We can't say that use of Facebook leads to lower grades and less studying – but we did find a relationship there," said Aryn Karpinski, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in education at Ohio State University. "There's a disconnect between students' claim that Facebook use doesn't impact their studies, and our finding showing they had lower grades and spent less time studying."

While this was a relatively small, exploratory study, it is one of the first to find a relationship between college students' use of Facebook and their academic achievement. Typically, Facebook users in the study had GPAs between 3.0 and 3.5, while non-users had GPAs between 3.5 and 4.0. In addition, users said they averaged one to five hours a week studying, while non-users studied 11 to 15 hours per week.

The researchers surveyed 219 students at Ohio State, including 102 undergraduate students and 117 graduate students. Of the participants, 148 said they had a Facebook account. The study found that 85 per cent of undergraduates were Facebook users, while only 52 per cent of graduate students had accounts. Students who spent more time working at paid jobs were less likely to use Facebook, while students who were more involved in extracurricular activities at school were more likely to use Facebook. Science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and business majors were more likely to use Facebook than were students majoring in the humanities and social sciences.

"Other research had indicated that STEM majors spend more time on the Internet than do other students, so that may be one reason why they are more likely to use Facebook," Karpinski said.

There were no differences in Facebook use between different members of racial and ethnic groups that were part of the study, or between men and women. Younger and full-time students were more likely to be Facebook users. Findings showed that 79 per cent of Facebook users claimed it did not have an impact on their academic performance. In open-ended questions on the survey, users claimed they didn't use Facebook frequently enough to notice an impact and emphasised that academics were a priority for them. Karpinski emphasised that the results don't necessarily mean that Facebook use leads to lower grades.

As the world becomes more instrumented, interconnected and intelligent, customers are being served through complex systems that require new problem so

Indian telecom outsourcer Tech Mahindra has agreed to acquire a 51% stake in scandal-plagued Satyam for $422 million, but the deal marks only the beginning of what could be a long and difficult turnaround effort.

Tech Mahindra has to put $351 million into escrow by April 21 to secure the pact. As a joint venture between Indian manufacturing giant Mahindra & Mahindra and British Telecom, Tech Mahindra shouldn't have trouble raising the cash.

India's Company Law Board last week approved the sale, though one unsuccessful bidder, SpiceCorp, filed a complaint that the auction was unfair, saying a board member common to Satyam and Mahindra & Mahindra may have influenced it.

Closing the deal is just the start of the challenges facing Tech Mahindra as it seeks to remove the stench of a multibillion-dollar accounting scandal that saw Satyam's founder and chairman, along with several senior executives, arrested and jailed for fraud.

Tech Mahindra's biggest problem: Its status as a relative unknown outside the telecom industry could make it difficult to convince Satyam customers from other other fields, such as manufacturing, health care, and financial services, to stay on.

"To win and retain large customers is going to be difficult for them," says Atul Vashistha, CEO of outsourcing consultancy NeoIT and former head of international operations for Cardinal Health. "Satyam's Global 2000 customer base chose the company because they believed it was equally competitive with Wipro, Infosys, or TCS," says Vashistha. U.S. outsourcers such as IBM and HP-EDS, as well as Bermuda-based Accenture, also stand to benefit if customers flee. "Tech Mahindra is not known as an IT shop but as part of a telecom conglomerate," Vashistha says.

The company's CEO, Vineet Nayyar, does have experience beyond the telecom industry, having held executive posts at broad-based IT outsourcer HCL Technologies. He'll need to play that up in front of blue-chip Satyam clients such as General Electric, Fujitsu, and Airbus. "He's a solid leader with a big company background," Vashistha says.

Nayyar (center) must keep Satyam's star customers.
Tech Mahindra's acquisition of Satyam could provide some of Satyam's customers with the out they've been looking for. "Outsourcing contracts regularly include a change-of-control condition, which, if triggered, results in an option for the customer to terminate," says William Bierce, an attorney who specializes in IT services deals. "The irony is that this deal to save the company triggers that ... clause."

Last month, the United Nations said it planned to terminate its Satyam contracts and bar it from bidding on future work. Property and casualty insurer Selective Insurance is looking into alternatives. It has outsourced about a quarter of its IT staffing to Satyam. Gadget maker SanDisk also has said it's considering pulling work from Satyam.

Integration issues also loom. With a head count of about 50,000, Satyam is literally twice the size of its 25,000-employee acquirer. Tech Mahindra CEO Nayyar will need to convince top Satyam lieutenants to remain on board, at least in the short term to help make the transition work.

Driving Curriculum Change For A Smarter Planet!

IBM is collaborating with more than 250 universities in 50 countries that are offering courses or degree programmes in Service Science, Management and Engineering (SSME). SSME is a new academic discipline designed to produce students with the combined business and technology skills needed to enter today's workforce ready to contribute immediately to their countries' economic and innovation agendas.
As the world becomes more instrumented, interconnected and intelligent, customers are being served through complex systems that require new problem solving and communication skills in the global workforce. SSME educates people about these complex systems and networks that serve customers better, creating what IBM calls a smarter planet -- building a smarter healthcare system, smart grids and smarter cities. Beyond teaching technology and businesses courses with factory floor examples, SSME programmes focus on many complex service systems, such as healthcare and transportation networks.

Governments from 18 nations, including Germany and Japan, have responded to the call for prioritising and providing funding for service research and curricula. "Service Science is not just a powerful way to provide better service offerings at less cost, it also provides insights into human behaviour that can be used for the greater good of mankind," said Jim Whelan, programme manager, Industrial Development Agency of Ireland.

"IBM has been working with universities and other industry organisations to identify the skills needed in this ever-changing world economy," said Jai Menon, vice president, technical strategy and university programmes, IBM. "We're finding that a combined education in business, technology and social sciences is the right education needed for students to have the baseline of skills for innovation. The rapid expansion of SSME has been exciting to see, in emerging markets from Vietnam to India, to established economies like the U.S. and Germany."

SSME has spread to 250 universities in 50 countries on six continents offering degree programmes and specific courses. Some examples include: The University of Pavia, Italy, has a Service Engineering Master's degree, including a course focussed on helping the re-engineering of the Italian health system, in order to make it more efficient and more innovative. Students are developing their final thesis and dissertation in cooperation with Maugeri Hospital; and Vietnam National University has an IT Services Management programme.

Many universities in the United States have SSME programmes and research centres. Some examples include: North Carolina State University has an SSME concentration in their MBA and Masters of Engineering programmes; University of Maryland Smith School of Business has two centres that involve SSME, the Center for Excellence in Service and the Center for Complexity in Business; and University of Washington has a Global Integrated Systems Engineering programme.

There also has been an industry-wide call that has ratified the need for Service Science-related skills. Organisations calling for a curricula change include the Service Research and Innovation Initiative (SRII), the Technology Professional Services Association (TPSA), the Service and Support Professionals Association (SSPA), the Association for Services Management International (ASMI) and the Center for Innovation Management Studies.

"Service businesses are the fastest growing part of the global technology industry. Yet most companies struggle to make service investments that lead to strategic outcomes or real innovation," said J.B. Wood, president and CEO of the TPSA, SSPA and ASMI. "We understand how to do product research and development but not service research and development. What's missing is the toolbox for companies to apply classic research techniques and disciplines to this important market. Service science is that toolbox."

In support of service research, service innovation and SSME, there are now 27 SSME research innovation centres at universities around the world. These centres offer practical experience and industry participation to interdisciplinary teams of university researchers. IBM also advises on student competitions that improve service systems to create a smarter planet, as well as sponsors award programmes for both students and faculty, around SSME.

CLB Approves Tech Mahindra's Bid For Satyam

India’s Company Law Board (CLB) has approved Tech Mahindra's proposed acquisition of a 31 per cent stake in Satyam Computer Services Ltd. Tech Mahindra has been asked to deposit Rs 1,756 crore for the deal by 21 April 2009 in a designated account. Venturbay Consultants Private Limited, a subsidiary controlled by Tech Mahindra Limited, was declared as the highest bidder to acquire a controlling stake in the fraud-hit Satyam on Monday.
The approval allows Tech Mahindra to make a mandatory open offer for a 20 per cent stake from shareholders and nominate its executives to Satyam’s board.

The Company Law Board, by its order, has granted Tech Mahindra the right to appoint no more than four of its nominees as directors on the company's board, upon Tech Mahindra depositing in escrow, in cash, the total funds necessary to consummate the Public Offer. The present six directors of the company appointed by the Central Government will continue on the board of the company until further orders of the Company Law Board and no additional directors need be appointed by the Central Government.

The CLB, in its order, has also directed state and central government agencies not to initiate any action, in exercise of their powers, against Tech Mahindra's nominee directors for acts prior to 9 January 2009, without the prior leave of the Company Law Board, for as long as Company Petition 1 of 2009 is pending before the Company Law Board.

Since Satyam has to restate accounts for nearly six years, the CLB has also allowed Satyam to file all required documents, including quarterly earnings reports, by 31 December 2009. Satyam last filed results in October 2008 for the July-September quarter.

According to sources, Satyam may get a new name and also a new CEO with the change of the owner. Ram Mynampati, the interim chief executive officer of Satyam Computer Services, may exit when Tech Mahindra takes management control of the Hyderabad-based IT firm.

No attack on Iran says Bush mouthpiece

NYT

The Jerusalem Post based its article on a report on Israel Army Radio, which cited a senior official in Israel. The official was quoted as saying that only the hesitancy of Mr. Bush’s secretaries of state and defense, Condoleezza Rice and Mr. Gates, stood in the way of an attack.

“An article in today’s Jerusalem Post about the President’s position on Iran that quotes unnamed sources — quoting unnamed sources — is not worth the paper it’s written on,” the White House press secretary, Dana M. Perino, said in a statement.