Techno

Wireless Start-Up Fails to Get Financing

2008-01-09T15:12:00.000+08:00

Frontline Wireless, which wanted to build an innovative cellular network for both private use and local public safety agencies, has collapsed because it could not raise enough money to bid in the government auctions of wireless spectrum that start later this month.

The company’s failure raises questions about the ability of the auctions to raise the $14 billion or more that the federal government wants in exchange for the broadcast spectrum that will be freed next year by the shift from analog to digital television.

Last month, Frontline filed an application to participate in the auction. But it was not able to make the required deposit of $128 million that was due last Thursday, a person involved in the company said.

Frontline was one of the few newcomers to the wireless industry that have spoken publicly about making a major bid in the auctions. Some big companies, like Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile, are not bidding, although Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Google have indicated they would make offers.

Frontline was started by Reed E. Hundt, a former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, along with veteran wireless executives and a group of elite Silicon Valley venture capitalists. The company was backed by L. John Doerr, the venture capitalist with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers; James L. Barksdale, the former chief executive of Netscape Communications; and K. Ram Shriram, the former Netscape executive who was also an early backer of Google and is now a managing partner of Sherpalo Ventures.
The company’s chief executive was Haynes Griffin, the former chief executive of Vanguard Cellular Systems, which was acquired by AT&T.

Despite these connections, and a year spent lobbying to create a range of frequencies intended specifically for a combination of private service and public safety communications, Frontline failed in frenzied negotiations in recent weeks to find the financial backing it needed, according to a person who has been involved in the company.

“It was a funding issue,” said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of F.C.C. rules meant to limit collusion among bidders in the auction.

Mary Greczyn, a Frontline spokeswoman, read a statement that said the company, based in Greensboro, N.C., “is closed for business at this time.” She declined to answer any questions.
The minimum bid for the spectrum was set at $1.4 billion, although commission rules gave Frontline a 25 percent discount because it was a small business. Still, the winner of the auction will have to pay for its prize this spring, and it would then have to spend many billions of dollars to build out the network.

Because the range of frequencies that Frontline was bidding on is meant to be shared with local police, fire and emergency workers, the F.C.C. has imposed a strict timetable to force the network to be built quickly.

As compensation for that demand, the F.C.C. intended this block of spectrum to be somewhat less expensive than the other national blocks of frequencies that do not involve cooperation with public safety agencies. Still, analysts suggest that it may simply be too onerous for a newcomer to the wireless industry to use this range of frequencies.

Blair Levin, a telecommunications analyst with Stifel Nicolaus, said that in contrast to past auctions, in this one investors are wary of backing start-ups that will have to compete with the established giant wireless carriers.
“I see very little interest from people on Wall Street in their backing new wireless entrepreneurs,” he said.

source : www.nytimes.com

Microsoft Bids for Search Software Firm

2008-01-09T14:49:00.000+08:00

Microsoft bid $1.2 billion on Tuesday for a Norwegian search software company, in what analysts said was mainly an effort to add more tools to its lucrative Office products, but was also being done with an eye toward fending off Google.

Fast Search and Transfer, based in Oslo, is a specialist in the search technology used inside companies and government agencies to cull information from documents, databases and software applications.
Its software helps teams of workers quickly search the corporate storehouse of information for answers about procurement, marketing, manufacturing and product design.

Fast is not a competitor in consumer Web search and advertising, a market dominated by Google and one where Microsoft is investing heavily and struggling to make progress.
Yet the planned purchase, analysts said, does give Microsoft technology that it could potentially use to enhance its Web search business.

There are some significant differences between Web search and so-called enterprise search technology. In consumer searches, the popularity of a Web page, for example, is an important factor in determining its relevance, while popularity tends to be less important in ranking corporate information sources.

In a conference call, Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft’s business division, which includes Office, declined to discuss any specific plans for Fast before its shareholders vote on the friendly offer.

But he said the two companies have talked about how elements of Fast’s technology might becaused in Microsoft’s Web search.
“Absolutely, we were excited by the great team and the great work done at Fast,” Mr. Raikes said.

Google does compete in the enterprise search market with specialized software packaged in a slender server computer, called the Google Search Appliance. And Microsoft sees enterprise search as a promising new market where it wants to get a leg up on Google and other rivals.
“With this acquisition, we are the clear leader in enterprise search,” Mr. Raikes said.
The Microsoft move also comes at a time when Google has begun to go after the corporate market with a package of online alternatives to Microsoft’s Office products.
The search giant’s offerings, called Google Apps, include Web-based e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software at no charge or, with technical support, for $50 a user each year — a fraction of the cost of Microsoft’s desktop products.
The Microsoft strategy, analysts say, is to add new technology and features to Office, which dominates the market for productivity programs. The company is increasingly moving to make the popular Office products a familiar dashboard used by corporate workers to do all kinds of tasks.

Microsoft has already offered enterprise search with SharePoint, a product in the Office family that lets groups of workers collaborate. And Microsoft has had a partnership with Fast for providing enterprise search.
But by purchasing Fast, Microsoft can more fully integrate the Norwegian company’s technology into its Office technology. Mr. Raikes pointed to the advantage of having “a single vendor with solutions that span the full range of customer needs.”
In a statement, John Lervik, the chief executive of Fast, welcomed the Microsoft bid, which represents a 40 percent premium over the closing price of Fast’s shares on Monday. Fast’s clients include Reuters, the United States Army, Fidelity Investments and America Online.
Mr. Lervik said the Microsoft purchase “validates Fast’s momentum and leadership in enterprise search.”
Industry analysts viewed the planned Fast purchase as a logical step for Microsoft’s big Office business, but one with an uncertain impact on its wider rivalry with Google.
“This is mainly about enterprise search and Microsoft’s strategy for expanding and defending its Office business,” said David M. Smith, an analyst at Gartner. “How the acquisition fits into Microsoft’s larger search strategy is a bigger question.”

The bid sent shares of Fast’s publicly traded competitors soaring. Mike Davis, an analyst at the research firm Ovum in London, said it could herald a wave of takeovers of similar companies like Endeca of Cambridge, Mass., which is privately owned, and Autonomy of Britain.

source : www.nytimes.com

Samsung F200 Unlocked GSM Phone. Swivel Your Hips, Swivel Your Handset

2007-12-13T13:28:00.000+08:00

Hey E-Readers!

Looking for a cool way to take your music on the road? You’re not toting around a cell phone and an MP3 player, are you? Get with it! In fact, get a Samsung F200 Unlocked GSM Cell Phone. This sleek little beauty is designed to be as small as a portable audio player (one of the small ones, anyway) but as useful as a phone.

In fact, you can use it as a phone! Because it is one. Intrigued?
The Samsung F200 cuts all the useless stuff off of its body. The result is a swivel design phone that has everything you need and want, and nothing that you’re never going to use.

It is a tri-band GSM phone, meaning you can use it on a multitude of networks around the globe. As you might expect with a phone designed for mobile music, the F200 designers knew you’d run out of storage space. So they included MicroSD connectivity for mucho portable song tracks.
Opens Like a Jack Knife

I mentioned before that this phone is a swivel design. They’re getting more and more creative on how a phone opens/hides the keypad nowadays. This phone is no exception: it swivels open with the flick of a finger. Not slides, glides, or clamshells (New action verb! Tell the world!) but swivels, like a pocketknife or other handy doo-dad. All that aside, the LCD screen is pretty large. The lack of a full QWERTY keyboard isn’t missed. Hey, if texting is your thing, get a texting-oriented phone. This one’s strictly for the music lovers.

Related Video: Samsung F200 Unlocked GSM Cell Phone
Audiophiles: Your Phone is Ready.
When the phone’s closed, you can control your music with the intuitive minimalist keypad. When a call comes in, the music stops and you flick the phone open and chat away. When you hang up, you’re free to return to your music. The F200 even supports stereo Bluetooth headsets, which makes concert recordings very, very cool.

There’s web browsing as well. All this in a phone that costs much less than anything you’d expect to pay. Intrigued? Check out our Samsung F200 Unlocked GSM Cell Phoneby clicking through the link below! You’ll be glad you did, believe me.

source : news.tigerdirect.com

Apple iPhone 8GB

2007-12-12T11:56:00.000+08:00

The iPhone brings together several features of the iPod, digital camera, smartphones and even portable computing to one device, with a widescreen display and an innovative input method.
Featuring a new input technology called "Multi-Touch" the iPhone features only a single "home" button, and is controlled by sliding a finger across its touch-sensitive 3.5-inch, 160 pixel-per-inch display.

The iPhone, which runs Mac OS X, has full iTunes integration and can also seamlessly sync data with a desktop, including music and videos from iTunes, contacts, calendars, photos, notes, bookmarks and email accounts.

The 11.6-millimeter thick device also sports a 2-megapixel camera, headset jack, 3.5-millimeter audio jack, SIM tray, a "sleep-wake" switch, speaker, microphone input and an iPod dock connector. The quad-band GSM + EDGE phone also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities. Jobs noted 3G capabilities will come in the future.

Three smart sensors also help control the iPhone's behavior. A proximity sensor shuts down the display and touchscreen when the phone is held to the ear. An ambient light sensor automatically adjusts screen brightness to save power. Meanwhile, an accelerometer lets the phone know whether to display in portrait or landscape mode.

In the box-
iPhone
Stereo Headset
Dock
Dock Connector to USB Cable
USB Power Adapter
Documentation
Cleaning/polishing cloth

source : shopping.yahoo.com

Samsung F500-A Slim and Trim Multimedia Music

2007-12-05T14:10:00.000+08:00

Lots of phones play MP3s nowadays. But not all of them look good and provide a host of other features while they do it. The Samsung F500 Ultra Video Media phone combines all the tools you want without having to make excuses about its appearance. In fact, the F500 sports an innovative design that you rarely see in stateside phones: A dual sided display.

This isn’t a flip phone or even a slider model, even though you can swivel the keypad to support the screen for easy viewing.

The Samsung F500 Ultra Video Media Phone literally has one large 2.5-inch LCD screen on one side and an almost 1.5 inch screen on the other. The larger screen is for your MP3 and multimedia playback. That side of the phone features an easy to use touch pad control array along with the bright, full color QVGA TFT display.

The other side is smaller, but houses such useful information as your business contacts, addresses, recent calls, etc. You get the idea.
I mentioned that the base swivels. This allows you to do a number of things, including get creative with the 2.0 megapixel onboard camera. But it also allows you to set the thing down on a table and watch whatever’s playing through your viewing screen.

Turning the keypad also reveals a microSD flash memory slot, so you can carry all your music with you. You can even peruse the Internet via the WAP 2.0 web browser. If that screen isn’t large enough, there’s even a TV output so you can send your data to a larger display. The phone even plays DivX video files!

This multimedia phone is absolutely loaded with features: in fact there’s too many to list here. So enjoy our TigerTV video blog about the Samsung F500 Ultra Video Media Phone. You can get one for yourself (or just peruse our complete specifications!) by clicking on the related links below. If you’ve been after the perfect music, picture, and video capable phone but don’t want to carry around a brick in your pocket, consider the Samsung F500. You’ll be glad you did!Samsung F500 Ultra Video Media Phone.

source : http://www.news.tigerdirect.com/

Toshiba Qosmio F45-AV413 Refurbished Notebook PC-Pearl Whithe Perfection

2007-12-03T10:39:00.000+08:00

Qosmio notebooks are designed to give you the opportunity to enjoy premium movie, music, and multimedia quality. The Qosmio F45 product lineup provides the style and elegance that audio/video enthusiasts have come to expect from the Qosmio brand! It sports a striking piano-key white glossy finish, easily accessible volume control knob and Qosmio AV Controller. This alone makes these notebooks perfect media players!

Providing a first-class multimedia experience whether at home, in a dorm room, or on the go, the Toshiba Qosmio F45-AV413 Refurbished Notebook PC packs two Harman Kardon Bass Reflex stereo speakers, a built-in subwoofer and Dolby Home Theater technology into a compact notebook frame.

This high-end speaker configuration dramatically compliments the visual experience by delivering a sophisticated suite of audio technologies, such as Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Live, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker.

As a result, users have the freedom and flexibility to enjoy rich home-theater quality sound in a variety of playback environments including your favorite music, movies and games. The more mundane specs of this PC haven’t been neglected either. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 1.66GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of DDR2 system memory, and 240GB of hard drive space. It also has a Fingerprint reader for extra security and a built-in webcam so you can creat website content and/or keep in touch with friends with the push of a button.

To enhance the overall multimedia experience on the Qosmio F45, Toshiba incorporated a full gigabyte of Intel Turbo Memory Technology. This new flash-based, solid-state storage technology reduces the time it takes the Qosmio F45 to boot, launch movies, run multimedia applications and games as well as return from hibernation mode. Labelflash (another goodie) allows users to laser-etch both labels and images directly on specially coated DVD discs for a professional look. How cool is that?

Qosmio F45-AV413 Unique Specifications

· Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit version)

· Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T545051.66 GHz, 2MB L2, 667MHz FSB with 64-bit

· 2048MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memoryMaximum capacity 4096MB

· 1024MB Intel Turbo Memory

· 240GB (5400 RPM) using two Serial-ATA hard disk drivesPrimary 120GB + Secondary 120GB· DVD SuperMulti (+/- R double layer) with Labelflash drive supporting 11 formats· 15.4-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite display1280×800 native resolution (WXGA)

· Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with 8MB-256MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory

· Two built-in Harman Kardon stereo speakers with subwoofer

· Dolby Home Theater

· Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)

· Embedded Webcam and microphone

· Fingerprint reader

Additionally, the Qosmio F45 lineup incorporates the draft 802.11n wireless protocol, which delivers transfer speeds up to five times faster than the previous 802.11g standard. This new wireless technology makes it possible for users to download large files, such as movies and television shows in a fraction of the time, while providing greater security, faster Internet browsing, and a richer wireless Internet experience.

source : www.news .tigerdirect.com

The HP Compaq 6515b Notebook PC-Mixing Business with Beauty

2007-12-03T10:23:00.000+08:00

Historically, HP’s business notebooks have always been rock-solid business workhorses, although somewhat uninspiring. They have always stocked a powerful mix of components for a reasonable price. But the HP Compaq 6515b, however, has a number of features that make it an exciting notebook!

First, HP has made the 6515’s looks much more stylish. More importantly, the 6515b packs in pretty much every feature a business user will ever need, including options for 802.11 draft-n wireless and either EV-DO or HSDPA WWAN compatibility. The HP Compaq 6515b Notebook PC incorporates a top-of-the-line AMD Turion 64 X2 processor and runs on Windows Vista Business, for less than $850.00!

The HP 6515b is powerful enough for typical office work, and its thorough feature set and affordable price makes the HP Compaq 6515b a solid choice for small businesses that want to outfit their workers like the big guys.HP clearly believes that it’s not necessary to fix something that isn’t broken. The HP Compaq 6515b keeps the well thought out design found on previous generations of HP business laptops, borrowing touches from its consumer line as well. The roomy keyboard lets you pound out lengthy documents without cramping your fingers. And the HP Compaq 6515b keeps things simple with a smooth gliding touch pad for easy navigation.

The well-thought-out design extends to the laptop’s 14.1-inch wide-screen display, equipped with HP’s own BrightView glossy finish which makes colors jump off the screen, and makes it easier to work on spreadsheets and documents for long periods of time without straining your eyes. With a native resolution of 1,280×800, text and icons looked crisp without being too small, while movies looked razor sharp. The biggest surprise comes from the speakers located along the HP Compaq 6515b’s front edge, which are amazingly rich and clear, even at the highest volume. When it comes to ports and connections, the HP Compaq 6515b has everything a mobile worker will need.

HP also provides an outstanding one-year warranty that includes toll-free, 24-7 phone support and return-to-depot service. You can add a very low cost on-site coverage, or upgrade to on-site coverage and extend the warranty to three years for a very affordable price. HP rounds out its service and support with a solid online help site that is second to none, integrating a user forum and real-time chat with a tech support representative.

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

Thanksgiving Wishes from Slant Six

2007-11-25T12:54:00.000+08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Slant Six! While we celebrated our Canadian turkey day earlier in October, we hope that you all have a great holiday. I have actually taken the week off to spend time with family and to play some games. I finally have some time to dig into my fearsome PS3 backlog, including Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed and Motorstorm Devil’s Weekend.

I wanted to check in and let you know that we appreciate all of the positive feedback that we’ve received on SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike, which launched on November 6th. Tactical Strike is a departure from previous SOCOM titles on PSP, and I know that has been a source of concern for some of the SOCOM faithful. The team at Slant made TS for fans of the US Navy SEALs, for the SOCOM hardcore, for tactical gamer and for anyone that wants a puzzle/action/combat game made specifically for PSP. We knew that TS would challenge ideas of what SOCOM is about, and it has been very rewarding to read the forum posts by skeptical gamers giving the game a chance and then realizing that TS is a deep and addictive play experience.
A demo of the game became available on the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, which was launched yesterday. Be sure to download it and try it out over the long weekend if you don’t already have SOCOM: Tactical Strike in your PSP. I also want to highlight some of the excellent reviews that we have been receiving:
GameSpy: 4/5 stars“There’s tons of genuine pulse-racing tension to soak up as you lay down the ground work, and the deep satisfaction delivered when a plan comes together is exhilarating.”
Poket Gamer: 9/10“…this is fact turns out to be one of the system’s finest and it’s not difficult to see why: it looks great, plays just as well, and gets an exceptionally solid job done with remarkable style.”
PSPFanboy: 95/100“This is an easy candidate for PSP GOTY. Gorgeous, believable graphics, innovative gameplay, and massive levels are just part of the game’s unique appeal.”
Have a great weekend!

source : blog.us.playstation.com

Asus Eee PC (White)

2007-11-25T12:37:00.000+08:00

For several months before its release, the Asus Eee PC was one of a handful of small, inexpensive PCs that had tech types buzzing with anticipation. While the other systems, the Intel Classmate and the One Laptop Per Child XO, are aimed at the educational needs of children around the globe and not generally available to consumers, the Eee holds no such highbrow pedigree--it's for sale directly from Asus to the laptop-buying public.

The initial buzz on the Asus Eee had the 7-inch, Linux-based laptop coming in as low at $199. In the end, the price is a more realistic $399, which includes a low-end Intel Mobile CPU, 512MB of RAM, and a 4GB solid-state flash hard drive (versions with 2GB and 8GB hard drives will also be available). The obvious limitations of the tiny hard drive, low-power CPU, and lack of the Windows operating system may be enough to scare away many potential users, but despite the system's budget origins, we found it hard to dislike when viewed as a highly portable Web surfing and office productivity machine.

The Asus Eee is certainly worth a look as a second laptop for travelers, or perhaps a first laptop for kids--one you won't be afraid to leave in accident-prone hands. It's certainly a more attractive option than any of the UMPCs (which have screens of 5 inches or less) we've seen this year, which we generally found to be high in price and low on usability, and much less expensive than recent ultraportable laptops (which generally have 11- or 12-inch screens).

Price as reviewed $399
Processor 900MHz Intel Mobile CPU
Memory 512MB RAM
Hard drive 4GB SSD
Chipset/Graphics Intel 910
Operating System Linux (customized by Asus)
Dimensions (WDH) 8.8 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
Screen size (diagonal) 7.0 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter [pounds] 2.0/2.4 pounds
Category Ultraportable

The Asus Eee looks like a fairly conventional ultraportable laptop, shrunk down by about a third. With a small 7-inch screen, the laptop weighs 2 pounds and measures 8.8 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep by a little less than an inch thick. In all, the Eee PC is about the size of a trade paperback book; it can fit in a large jacket pocket without too much trouble. The pearlized white look is attractive, if generic, and the typically understated Asus design keeps the system from looking too cheap.

Cramming all the things one expects from a laptop into a package this small presents some difficult design questions, and the Asus Eee answers most of them about as well as can be expected. The biggest challenge is the keyboard. Tiny keyboards, as on ultraportable systems such as the Toshiba R500 or Sony VAIO TZ150, are hampered by both Chiclet-size keys and unfortunate compromises in key placement and double-mapped keys. The Eee takes it a step further, with some of the tiniest keys we've ever had to deal with. At least most of the space is saved for making sure the actual letter keys are a usable size, which makes typing at least possible, if not entirely easy. Other keys, including the backspace, tab, and control keys, are smaller--mere slivers of their usual selves, and especially hard to hit. The tiny touchpad measures 1.75 inches by 1.25 inches and works well on the whole, but there's only a single mouse button--click on the left side for the left mouse button, and the right for the right mouse button. We'd prefer two separate buttons. Overall, the keyboard is easier to use than any UMPC we've seen, but far more cramped than any other ultraportable PC.

The 7-inch screen looks even smaller than it is thanks to the large black screen bezel that frames it. At least the extra space around the screen serves a purpose: a Webcam sits above the screen and tiny speakers reside on the left and right sides of the display, emitting tinny but passable sound for things like YouTube videos. With a resolution of 800x480, there's not a lot of screen real estate to spare, but the combination of low resolution and a tiny screen make for letters that don't (usually) require squinting. One niggling annoyance: at 800 pixels wide, many Web pages are too wide for the screen and require horizontal scrolling. We'd happily trade the thick screen bezel for an extra inch or so of screen real estate and a 1024x768 resolution, even if it meant we'd lose the Webcam and would have to get along with even smaller speakers.

The biggest adjustment most users will encounter with the Asus Eee is trading Windows for the Linux operating system. While this machine is technically capable of supporting Windows, and Asus plans to sell a version with the Microsoft OS in the near future, right now, Linux is the only option. While the scant 4GB hard drive and unfamiliar (to many) operating system might make it hard to get the software you need, the Eee actually sports a very user-friendly custom Linux installation, and many of the apps you'll want are preloaded and easy to access through a series of tabbed desktop pages.

Firefox is there for Web surfing and OpenOffice 2.0 for working with word-processing documents and spreadsheets. Both should already be familiar to Windows users (and OpenOffice is an especially appealing solution, as it reads and writes the popular Microsoft Office formats, and is worth checking out even for dedicated Windows users). There's also a generic media player, an instant messaging client that works with AOL, Yahoo, and other popular IM systems, and a handful of preinstalled casual games. Under the settings tab, you can check system information, add and remove programs, and perform diagnostic tests. It's a reasonably useful selection of software, and for Web surfing and working with documents, perfectly acceptable. You may, however, miss some popular software that won't run on Linux, such as iTunes or Photoshop.

Asus Eee PC 4G Average for mainstream category
Video VGA-out VGA-out, S-video
Audio Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader 4 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, mulitformat memory card reader
Expansion None PC Card slot
Networking Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth
Optical drive None DVD burner

With three USB ports, a VGA out, and standard headphone and mic jacks, the Asus Eee offers decent connectivity. FireWire is the one missing standard element, aside from the obvious absence of an optical drive. The SD card slot offers a good opportunity to boost the hard drive space, allowing you to pop in your own flash memory, easily doubling the system's 4GB drive (only about 1.3GB of which is actually free), with your own 4GB SD card, which you can get for around $50.

Without the common frame of reference we get from our standard benchmark tests, including iTunes and Photoshop, it's difficult to judge the Eee's performance, especially as it comes with its own set of preinstalled software, doubtlessly tuned to the limitations of the hardware. We can't imagine 512MB of RAM or a 900MHz Intel Mobile processor would results in a pleasant Windows Vista experience (maybe the stripped down Vista Basic version in a pinch), but these meager specs suffice for lean Linux. We were able to surf the Web and work on some office documents with absolutely no stuttering or slowdown, which was a pleasant surprise. Gaming is a no-go, beyond the strictly casual variety (our favorite preinstalled game: Crack Attack). For its intended purpose of getting online while on the road, we found the Eee PC to be more than up to the challenge.

We were not able to run our normal DVD playback battery test, but in anecdotal testing, we were able to use the Eee for a little under 3 hours while running a mix of Web browsers, OpenOffice documents, and playing MP3 files. Asus says the 4-cell battery is rated for 3.5 hours, which is decent for an ultraportable laptop, especially one this inexpensive.

Asus covers its laptops with a standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty, and it offers online Web-based help and a toll-free phone number. The company's support Web site includes the expected driver downloads and a brief FAQ but lacks useful features such as user forums or the chance to chat in real time with a technician.

source : reviews.cnet.com

Tips : Choosing the Right Music Download Service

2007-11-20T15:01:00.000+08:00

Downloading music today is simple, fast and LEGAL! You can find vintage classics, 70s disco, European house and any other type of music of your liking. There are many Know which service will work with your iPod. Know which service specializes in independent artist and record labels. Understand which service you can recommend songs to all of your friends with. Well help you get the low-down on music downloading.

Todays Online Music Services

Now that music downloading has become legitimate and legal, you have several choices of online music providers to download music from. There are advantages and disadvantages to each provider’s services that you need to be aware of. The costs for each provider’s services are comparable and for the most up-to-date fees, check with each service provider. You can download songs using a dial up connection, but it will be extremely slow. With a broadband Internet connection, you’ll be listening to CD quality music – instantly! We’ll help you decipher what you can expect from some of the online music providers on the Internet today and choose
the provider which best meets your music needs.

eMusic®eMusic is the world’s leading digital retailer of independent music, second only to iTunes in number of downloads sold. The eMusic website offers a global catalogue of more than 1.7 million tracks from established and emerging artists in every genre from the world’s leading independent labels. eMusic gives consumers flexibility with an inexpensive, low-risk way to explore great new music they wouldn’t find otherwise, and unlike other download services, its universally compatible MP3 files play on any device including the iPod®. eMusic uses a download manager that enables you to download and organize your music library. eMusic does offer a free trial that requires a valid payment method to secure uninterrupted services after your free trial period has expired. eMusic accepts all major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JCB and Carte Blanche. It also accepts debits cards issued by Visa and MasterCard. eMusic offers three subscription programs to choose from.

eMusic Basic - 30 Song Downloads per month
eMusic Plus - 50 Song Downloads per month
eMusic Premium - 75 Song Downloads per month

Downloads do not rollover from one period to the next. Your downloads refresh every thirty days at the same time of day that you signed up. This means that your downloads may refresh on a different day each month.eMusic is the only service that allows you to burn an unlimited number of CDs. You can also transfer music to any computer as well as any portable music player or digital device that supports MP3s (including the market leading iPod).

Apple iTunes Music Store (http://www.itunes.com) iTunes offers more than 3.5 million tracks from all four major music companies. You can download single songs for a small fee. You can now purchase new and classic movies from and Disney films. TV Shows, audiobooks, iPod games and FREE Podcasts are available from iTunes. Enjoy 30-second song previews along with online radio stations and video streaming. Burn as many CD’s as you want or download files into the iPod (but not most other portable media players). The iTunes player is available free for both Mac and Windows. When downloading the iTunes Jukebox, be prepared for a large file download (35MB).

Napster (http://www.napster.com) offers several services for music lovers. First, Napster offers a FREE service. There are a few catches to this service though. You can listen to every track in Napster’s 2,000,000 song catalog up to 3 times for FREE. After the 3rd free play of any single track, you can either purchase the track or become a Napster subscriber. As a Napster subscriber, you can download an unlimited number of full-length songs to your PC, but you cannot burn the tracks to CD. As a Napster To Go subscriber you can transfer those tracks to your compatible portable player without paying a per track fee. Napster provides a list of compatible music players via its website. With its monthly subscription service, you receive…

Unlimited access to 2,000,000+ songs on your PC for one monthly fee.
Listen to an unlimited number of full-length songs while you are connected to the Internet.
Download an unlimited number of high quality music files to your PC and listen to them online or offline. Keep the music you downloaded for as long as you want to be a subscriber.
Members can also buy songs to keep forever to burn to CD or transfer to a compatible MP3 player. Members pay a reduced rate when they purchase multiple songs with Napster Track Packs.
You can access your Napster subscription on up to 3 PCs using the same user name and password.
Enjoy Napster’s 50+ commercial-free, interactive radio stations. Skip forward or back, look through all the songs on the station and download your favorites. You can also create your own radio stations based on music you select from your Library.

With Napster To GO you receive all the features of Napster’s Subscription plus you can transfer an unlimited amount of music to your compatible MP3 player. If you cancel your Napster subscription, you’ll automatically become a Napster Light member and the music you downloaded from Napster will no longer be playable at the end of your current billing period. Any songs you purchased will continue to play and are yours to keep. Napster requires you to download its proprietary software to utilize its service. Napster bills for its service via major credit card or paypal.

MusicMatch MusicMatch (http://www.musicmatch.com/) has long been known for its music jukebox software for creating and organizing MP3s. Built into MusicMatch Jukebox 10 (requires download), the MusicMatch Music Store features an extensive library of music you can purchase per track or per album. You can now browse their catalog prior to downloading the software. MusicMatch offers similar features to iTunes and Napster with more than 1,000,000 tracks to choose from. The Music Match Jukebox also incorporates a patent-pending software called MusicMatch® Music Discovery Engine. Input any artist name and the Music Discovery Engine will display the 50-100 most closely related artists. You’ll also get a list of each artist’s tracks in popularity order, so when you discover an artist you’ve never heard of it will take you right to the best music from that artist.

Rhapsody Music StoreRealNetworks, makers of RealPlayer and Listen.com also offer an online music service called Rhapsody (http://www.rhapsody.com/).With unrestricted access to over 1,000,000 songs and pre-programmed/customizable radio stations, this digital music service compares quite well in service to Napster. Rhapsody offers three different membership plans. The first is a free account. This allows you to share your personal music with others, even if they do not have the Rhapsody music player. You can also listen to Rhapsody Channels - music from any genre you choose, played with no interruptions. You can also access your membership and your music from any Web browser. Rhapsody’s second service is Rhapsody Unlimited. This service gives you all the benefits of a free account plus unlimited access to listen to any song you want from a library of millions of songs and thousands of artists. They also have a per song downloading fee which is nominal and the monthly service fee for Rhapsody Unlimited is comparable to all of the other services on the internet today. Its third choice of service plans is called Rhapsody to Go. This service encompasses all the features of Rhapsody’s Free and unlimited service and adds the feature “Transfer Music”. Transfer Music allows people who use Windows XP to simply click and drag a track to their MP3 player. Rhapsody also offers an additional feature to its Rhapsody To Go plan. You can Automatically Refresh Your Mix of Rhapsody Channels of favorite music, with no interruptions, and automatically give you a whole new mix every time you plug your MP3 player into your PC.

Virgin Digital (http://www.virgindigital.com) is the digital entertainment platform of the Virgin Group Ltd. Virgin Digital features a pay-as-you-go download Music Store. It also features unlimited music streaming and a music download subscription service called Red Pass. Commercial-free Internet radio, CD ripping/burning and portable device management tools. To access Virgin Digital Red Pass, the cost is again comparable to all of the other service providers online today. This allows you to download as many songs as you want. They also offer a per-track download fee and they sometimes give you a discount if you purchase the entire artist’s album. Virgin Digital supports a host of MP3 players, however it is not compatible with the iPod. To have the ability to burn CDs from Virgin Digital, you must purchase the track. Using the Red Pass service will only allow you to listen to tracks that you download. If you purchase a song from Red Pass, you can play it back on up to 3 computers. A major benefit of Virgin Digital is Free Music Insurance. This feature allows you to access and reacquire or re-license music you have purchased with the account that you are currently logged into. You are able to replicate your collection in the case of system failure or computer upgrade. You can also use it to keep the music library on several of your personal computers in sync with each other. You can also share your Red Pass account with other people.

source : http://www.news.tigerdirect.com/

4 Tips for Public Hot Spot

2007-11-20T14:34:00.000+08:00

When traveling city-to-city and town-to-town, we see signs promoting Wi-Fi access, sometime for free. Everywhere you look, someone has a laptop or other Internet capable Wi-Fi device and they’re surfing the net. But how do they gain access to the

Wi-Fi network? We’ll give you a few tips on public

Wi-Fi hotspots – how to find them and connect to them.

Many laptops, cell phones, portable music players and other devices have Wi-Fi built into them. But what is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) - Wi-Fi is the brand of technology of wireless local area networks based on the 802.11 specification. Wi-Fi was developed for use with mobile computing devices, and is also used in wireless internet and VoIP phone access.

The logo from the Wi-Fi Alliance that certifies network devices comply with the IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet standard. In the early 2000s, Wi-Fi/802.11 became widely used, and within a short time, all laptops and other handheld devices came with Wi-Fi built in. Earlier laptops could be Wi-Fi enabled by plugging in a Wi-Fi PC Card.

Now that we understand what Wi-Fi is, how can you use it when your in the airport, coffee shop, or even McDonalds?

1. XP Sniffer

If you are running Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista, you can use the operating system to search for Wi-Fi networks. Most of the time, this will work and if the network is not password protected, Windows will guide you through the connection process. In some locations, you may need a password to connect to the network.

2. Make sure you’re using 802.11g

If you need to purchase a Wi-Fi card for your laptop or wireless device, make sure it works on the 802.11g network. The “g” network is the most widely used and secure version of Wi-Fi. It will also connect with the “b” network, an older and slower network. “If you are just getting a card, you should go for ‘g’,” says Biju Nair, a vice president of wireless products at PCTEL, a wireless communications company based in Chicago. Using a ‘g’ card will allow you to take advantage of speeds up to 54Mbps.

3. Learn the Warchalk

No, it’s not a declaration for war. Wi-Fi enthusiasts mark areas where Wi-Fi hotspots are available and free. Most warchalk markings contain four components: a password at the top, a Web site on the left, the protocol on the right, and the connection speed on the bottom. Knowing what numbers and letters mean will allow you to connect to the Wi-Fi network and get you surfing in no time at all.

4. Wi-Fi Security

Before you connect to that wireless network, don’t forget about your security. Once you connect, your laptop or Wi-Fi device is open for the browsing. Install a Firewall on your laptop or device and make sure you anti-virus program is up-to-date and activated.

Wireless networks are popping up everywhere and many are for public use. If you find that you can’t connect to a Wi-Fi network, there are two probable reasons why. One or both of these problems can sink your Wi-Fi connection. The first is that your equipment may not be compatible to the Wi-Fi network. The second is that it may be a secure network and you need the password to access it. Don’t fret if you can’t connect, there’s probably another network just around the corner that is willing, able and ready for you to connect to.

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

Tips : 5 E-mail Dos and Don'ts

2007-11-20T13:50:00.000+08:00

According to recent surveys, business professionals spend about two hours per day organizing and managing their e-mail. That’s an average of 520 hours per year spent managing e-mail.

“Ineffective, improper and incorrect use of electronic e-mail on company computers exposes organizations to wasted time, bad press, and the possibility of legal action”, notes Al Borowski, a recognized expert in e-mail etiquette who runs a Pittsburgh-based communications training firm, Connect All the Dots.

We’ll give you five tips on e-mail in the workplace to help protect yourself and your business.

The majority of communication today is done by use of e-mail. In an instant, you can communicate an entire idea or story to someone in the office next to you, or in another country. The problem today with e-mail is if you send an incomplete message, a message to the wrong person or an inappropriate message. But what can you do to make sure you stay out of the e-mail hot seat?

1. Don’t rely Upon your Spelling & Grammar Checker Alone

Spelling and grammar checking features in today’s e-mail clients should not be relied upon only. Many times, these features may correct the word or phrase and completely change the sentence’s meaning.When sending e-mail to a coworker or client, keep your e-mail professional and concise. There is no need for outrageous fonts, pictures, embedded html and other types of graphics or audio.

“E-mail has become your electronic stationery and business card”, says Leah Ingram, a Certified Protocol Consultant based in New Hope, Pa. “If you aren’t presenting a professional image in your e-mail, then what does that say about the rest of your business dealings?”

2. Know what Constitutes as a Politically Incorrect E-mail

Some subject should be considered prohibited. If you’ve used e-mail longer than a month in your entire life, chances are you’ve received the infamous chain letter e-mail, e-mail from the foreign dignitary or e-mail about the guy and the lady joke. What you MUST keep in mind is if this e-mail you are about to send will be offensive to others. If you have to think about it more than 5 seconds, it probably could be considered offensive to someone.

3. E-mail at Work, Belongs to your Job

Contrary to popular belief, your e-mail at work is not your private information. Many companies have policies set in place explaining in full detail that all incoming and outgoing information is the company’s property.

In a survey taken in 2005 by the American Management Association, nearly two thirds (60%) of companies surveyed rely on some sort of surveillance software to monitor employee e-mail use.

If you are a business owner, you may want to purchase and install surveillance software on your computers. You are within your full rights if the employee is notified that the information being transmitted on your company computer is monitored. This can save your company from embarrassment and from legal concerns.

4. Secure Your E-mail

Using software features such as Information Rights Management (IRM) can prevent any e-mail recipient of your message from copying from, forwarding or printing the e-mail you sent to them. IRM can limit the distribution of sensitive information to unintended recipients.

5. Know When E-mail Just Won’t Do

Sometimes, it’s best just to pick up the telephone and call the person you were going to send an e-mail to. Some information is to sensitive to send via e-mail and e-mail can also be very impersonal. If the person is in the same office, pay a little trip to them.

“Don’t use e-mail to avoid an uncomfortable situation or to cover up a mistake”, says Laura Stack, productivity expert based in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and author of “Leave the Office Earlier.”

Following these 5 tips will help you keep your e-mail professional and keep you out of trouble. Information that is transmitted on company computers can always be tracked if that information is private, it can lead to major issues and problems. Protect yourself – don’t use company e-mail for private use.

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

5 Tips for Selecting the Right Mobile Printer

2007-11-20T13:34:00.000+08:00

In today’s fast paced mobile world, mobile printers have proven to be invaluable. Mobile printers have reduced operating costs, increased productivity, increased revenue and made the mobile computing experience more efficient.

Choosing the right mobile printer for you or your business’ needs is not a simple task. You have several factors to consider: printer features, connectivity options, print technology and print media. We’ll take the mystery out of purchasing a mobile printer for you or your business by giving you five simple tips for selecting the right mobile printer!

When searching for the right mobile printer for your needs or the needs of your business, there are five questions you must ask yourself:

What is the Ease of Use?

Mobile printers that are difficult to connect, bulky or heavy will slow you down and create more difficulties than benefits.

What is the Battery Life?

How long will the printer’s battery last? You need to have at least 2-3 hours of battery life to use the mobile printer effectively.

What is the Printer’s Dependability?

Printers that fail intermittently or continuously will decrease your productivity, impacting bottom line of your business and creating additional costs.

What types of Customer Support do I Receive?

The type and level of support that you receive after the purchase of your printer can become a major determining factor of which mobile printer to choose.

How easy is the Printer’s Integration?

How easy, or how difficult will it be to integrate your mobile printer into your existing network or to connect it to a single computer?

Mobile printers were once only for the elite, however now many on-the-go people and businesses employ mobile printers as part of their tools of the trade. Mobile printers have been proven to increase productivity, increase revenue, reduce operating cost and improve customer retention in a competitive marketplace.

Industries that have seen significant gains from implementing mobile printing solutions are: warehouse and distribution center, route accounting and delivery, outside sales and service, restaurants and hospitality centers and law enforcement agencies.

Prices of wireless technology and wireless products continue to decrease, making it more of a reality for small business to acquire multiple mobile printers and for every laptop owner to own a mobile printer. Although selecting the right printer for you or your business needs can be a daunting process, printer manufactures are beginning to offer printers with a choice of options at different price points. Even though the lowest priced printer are extremely tempting, these printers are not always the best choice, especially for a small business.

Printer Communication Types

Mobile printers receive prints jobs via two different options – cabled and wirelessly. The majority of mobile printers on the market today offer the ability to connect your mobile printer to your laptop via a type a communication cable, most likely USB. However, you now have the option send print jobs to your mobile printer via a wireless connection. Mobile printer manufacturers differ on wireless options they support. The types of wireless options are as follow:

IrDA - Infrared Data Association

This was the first wireless technology implemented. IrDA provided secure transmissions, was inexpensive and required less power than other wireless technologies. Unfortunately, IrDA use is declining because of its need for line-of-sight to print documents.

Wi-FI – Wireless Fidelity

Wireless fidelity has become the choice of wireless communication in industries such as: manufacturing, medical, retail and warehousing & distribution due to its wider communication range. Line-of-sight is not needed and print jobs can be transmitted from computer to mobile printer up to 1,000 feet away. The downside is that Wi-Fi uses more power than IrDA or Bluetooth.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth has become the wireless technology leader due to its transmission range of about 30 feet and is lower battery power consumption. Many industries such as outside sales & service, law enforcement and the medical industry prefer Bluetooth because it allows you to communicate via radio signals with up to seven other Bluetooth enabled devices.

5 Tips for Choosing the Right Mobile printing Solution

1. Ease of UseBefore selecting your new mobile printer, read through the printer’s documents and gain as much information as possible to understand the operation of the printer and its maintenance. You want to choose a printer that is simple to operate and requires little to no maintenance. You also want to check into the printing options is has, print speed, media that it uses, battery power and form factor. If the printer requires you to carry multiple spare batteries or boxes of media, this may not be the right printer for you.

2. Battery LifeWhen choosing your mobile printer, verify what type of battery it uses. Most mobile printers now use the popular Li-Ion batteries, yet some still use NiCad and NiMH. The Li-Ion battery when compared to the later two provides more battery life, more battery charges and is lighter.

3. Printer DependabilityThere’s nothing worse than meeting with a client and just as you are finalizing the deal, your printer fails. The best way to avoid downtime is to purchase a reliable printer, these are usually “ruggedized” mobile printers. These printers have ratings that inform you of what types of condition can they operate in. In addition to the ruggedized rating, the printer should have a way of communicating a hardware failure and also a way to indicate its operating condition.

4. Customer SupportMobile printer manufacturers provide customer support and warranties. Some manufacturers offer extended warranties, extended customer support and help desk support – usually for a price. When choosing your printer regarding support, verify what type of phone support you will receive. Some manufacturers don’t offer 800 number support and some only offer support during specific hours of the day.

5. Printer IntegrationBefore purchasing your printer, you MUST verify the compatibility with your current devices and future upgrades. There can be conflicts with operating systems, programming languages, computing platforms and communication & security standards. To increase your chances of mobile printer compatibility, you should as these questions:

Are the mobile printer’s drivers compatible with your current network?
What characters and fonts are available?
What are the printer’s requirements?
What language does the printer use?

Mobile printers have become a near necessity for the mobile employee. Mobile printers have increased productivity, improved cash flow & revenues, reduce operating costs and enhance customer retention in a competitive market. Choosing a mobile printer can be a daunting task, but if you follow these five tips, we can make this process as painless a possible and help you to choose the right mobile printer for your needs.

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

10 Tips For a Healthy PC

2007-11-20T13:24:00.000+08:00

It can be an angering experience to press your PC’s power button and nothing happens. It’s also an agitating computing experience to see your computer go from lighting fast to molasses slow. To extend the life of your PC and keep it running in the best condition possible – here are 10 Tips For a Healthy PC.

1. Clean Out Your System UnitThe inside of your PCs tower or desktop case gathers dust and dirt over time. This is because of the electrical charge inside the case and the incoming air while your PC uses it’s fans to cool sensitive parts such as the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).At least once a year, you should remove the access panel and blow the dust and dirt out of the case with a can of compressed air. You will want to blow away the dust off of the optical drives, hard drives, processor, behind the motherboard and all of the other parts in the case. Be sure to follow the directions on the can of compressed air also.

2. Clean Your Keyboard and MouseOver time, your keyboard can accumulate dust, dirt and other foreign matter (sandwich crumbs, candy, peanuts etc). This can be cleaned out also by using the same can of compressed air. Simply tilt the keyboard vertically and use short bursts of air between the columns of keys in a downward motion. This will blow the debris from the top of the keyboard to the bottom and out. (Remember to follow the directions on the can of compressed air for use, storage and disposal)For mice that have a ball, remove the cover plate and clean the ball with warm water and mild soap and dry. Clean the rollers inside of the mouse with a lint-free swab and alcohol. Place the ball inside the mouse and replace the cover plate. If you use an optical mouse, there are no moving internal parts and cleaning inside the mouse is not needed.

3. Remove Unwanted Programs and FilesPrograms and files that are no longer utilized can take up lots of hard drive space. This creates longer access times when your computer has to search through thousands of files to find the one you need.When you have a program that you no longer use, uninstall the program using either the programs uninstall wizard or your computer’s uninstall utility. When files are of no longer any use, remember to delete them also. Don’t forge to empty your recycle bin.

4. Delete Your Cookies Cookies can benefit your Internet experience by saving the data from visited web sites. However if the web sites that you frequent are constantly changing, cookies are of no use to you – they only take up hard drive space. Many anti-virus software suites contain maintenance utilities that can delete your cookies. If you do not own a software package with this feature, you can use your computers utility program to delete the cookies. Using Microsoft Windows, this utility can be found by following this path.
Left Click the Start Button ~ Programs ~ Accessories ~ System Tools ~ Disk Clean Up
You will want to perform this utility on all of your PCs internal hard drive at least once every two weeks.

5. Disk DefragmentationPerform a disk Defragmentation on a monthly basis. This utility is a process that eliminates fragmentation in system files. It does this by physically reorganizing the content of the hard drive in order to place the files closer together and creates larger spaces for future information to be saved. Many anti-virus software suites include a Defragmentation program. If yours includes this software, just follow the directions for hard drive defragmentation. If not, access your Windows operating system disk defragmenter by using the following path.
Left Click the Start Button ~ Programs ~ Accessories ~ System Tools ~ Disk Defragmenter

6. Antivirus SoftwareAntivirus software programs attempt to identify, quarantine and delete malicious software and computer viruses. Unfortunately, many people don’t use this software, don’t update the antivirus definitions or don’t have an antivirus software program installed on their PC.First, ensure you have an antivirus program installed on your PC. Some of the most common and popular antivirus programs are Symantec’s Norton Antivirus, Computer Associates’ Internet Security Suite and Kaspersky Internet Security. You must perform a definitions update to the software at least once a week and scan your PC at least once a week. Many antivirus software programs will allow you to set a schedule so that the software automatically scans at a designated day and time.

7. Pop-ups, Spyware and Malware With Internet usage, you’re bound to receive a pop-up or pop-under, spyware or malware. Pop-ups and pop-unders are online forms of advertisements. They usually activate when you visit certain websites and are normally generated by JavaScript. Spyware is designed to intercept or take control of a computer’s operation without the consent of the user. Malware is designed to infiltrate or cause damage to a computer system. You must protect your computer system against this type of software and this is done by pop-up and pop-under blocker software and Spyware / Malware scanning software. There are many software programs available that can detect and remove this malicious software. Many are part of antivirus software suites such as Computer Associates’ Internet Security Suite and Kaspersky Internet Security.

8. Leave Your PC OnStarting your PC is one of the most stressful things you can do to your PC’s components. If you choose not to leave your PC on all the time, you can simply set Windows’ Power Management to hibernate rather than shut down.

9. Don’t Leave Your Monitor OnMonitors have a life expectancy and to extend the usage, when you are not using your computer, turn off the monitor.

10. Surge ProtectorPower surges and brownouts happen all the time. These are fluctuations with your homes power every time you refrigerator’s compressor starts, your air conditioning turns and other devices in your home. It is extremely important to protect the sensitive components of your PC by utilizing a surge protect and NOT and power strip.

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

Hard Drive How-To: The Where, Why, and How of Disc Defragmentation

2007-11-20T13:15:00.000+08:00

Information that appears to be a neatly arrayed bunch of data stored safely on your PC can actually be strewn haphazardly around your [tag]hard drive[/tag]. This makes it as easy for your computer to find and recall data as it is to find a pair of clean socks in an otherwise messy room. The difference is, that your computer will eventually find the data—you and your socks are out of luck. But this [tag]disorganization[/tag] (which ironically is born of fastidious design) can cause your machine to run slower, expand more energy, and in some very serious cases, crash altogether.
This happens because your computer does not store large files all together. It breaks those mammoth storage jobs up into more manageable pieces, which it then stores in correspondingly sized free space on your Hard Drive. This actually ensures that the drive fills evenly, but it also makes your computer work harder to read a single file from start to finish. The solution to this disorganized yet systematic situation is called [tag]defragmenting[/tag]. Basically, Defragmenting your hard drive reorganizes those scattered file bits back into contiguous segments.
If you use the provided [tag]Windows XP[/tag] Disk Defragmenter, there are several things you should know. The first is that while you can run the defragmentation process while using other applications, the program cannot defragment any files that are currently in use. You’ll have to close everything and reboot in safe mode in order to defragment everything. And even then, there are certain files that Windows needs to run that won’t be a part of the process.
To get to the defragmenter: Click on the Start Menu, All Programs, Accessories, [tag]System Tools[/tag], and select Disk Fragmenter. If you’ve got more than one drive active on your computer, you’ll have to select which drive to defragment when the application opens. Once that is done, you’ll be given the option to choose between Analyze and Defragment. Analyze creates two graphs which show how many contiguous and fragmented files you have on your hard drive, as well as how much free space you’ve got. If you press the Defragment button, then the disk starts defragmenting whichever hard drive you’ve selected.
The length of time the process takes depends on several factors. Of course, the severity of the fragmentation is one important issue. The size of the drive, the relative amount of free space still available, and the amount stored on the HDD in question also all play a role. A drive with significant fragmentation could take hours to completely reorganize. Don’t fret, though—handy software and graphs provided by the Disk Defragmenter will let you know before hand whether or not this process is going to take all day. You can also receive status reports on the progress being made within your machine. Also, this allows you to keep an eye on your machine, ensuring that it won’t lock up.
As with any preventative PC [tag]maintenance[/tag], performing periodical defragmentations will reduce the time it takes to complete the process, and makes the defrag process less traumatic for your system.
It’s important to know that Windows Vista users may experience more fragmentation because of the frequent drive swapping that Vista employs. Because of this, it’s important for [tagVista[/tag] computers to perform defragmentation duties more often than machines running previous versions of Microsoft operating systems. Luckily, Vista programmers anticipated this fact, and have scheduled Vista to automatically run a defrag program every Wednesday at 1 a.m.
You’ve got to leave your computer on for this to work, though. So if you want your PC to automatically defragment itself, then leave your PC running on Tuesday nights. Or conversely, you can always schedule these defrag sessions for a more convenient time.
While defragmentation might seem like a unnecessarily micro-managing task to undertake, it is well worth your while. As it turns out, running a defrag operation on a brand new machine helps it run faster than it would just removed from the box and plugged into the wall (think trial software). That being the case, it stand to reason that your machine’s Hard Drives could use a spring cleaning from time to time, as well.

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

Bluetooth to Meet its Little Cousin Wibree

2007-11-20T13:08:00.000+08:00

The folks in charge of the Bluetooth wireless standard announced this week that Nokia, the world’s largest manufacturer of cellular phones, will be contributing a spin off technology that will equip devices too small in size to accommodate Bluetooth with wireless connectivity. The technology in question is called Wibree, and will open up the wireless field to wearable devices to wireless world.
Everything from wrist watches and pillboxes that communicate directly with cellular phones to toys that detect the presence of other toys (New Transformers are going to be so cool) are in the mix. Wibree does have a slower data rate and weaker power consumption than Bluetooth. This means smaller batteries that don’t require as much power consumption.
The Bluetooth camp as well as Nokia have said this new merging of technologies is due to the public demand for smaller, ultra-low power wireless solutions for devices not ordinarily equipped with such solutions. What’s interesting is that this merging of technologies means that Nokia is virtually giving away the research and development that it painstakingly created during Wibree’s infancy. This is not an unheard of move for a cellular company, however. Sony Ericsson did the same thing when it released the original Bluetooth sans licensing. Both companies believe that the widespread adoption of the new technology helps them more than a restrictive licensing scheme would.

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

Rogers Canada gives users 72Mbps Wireless Americans jealous

2007-11-20T12:30:00.000+08:00

Rogers Communications is leaping ahead of the pack in North America with their announced 7.2MB wireless internet trials now beginning. This is by far the fastest wireless network yet in North America, making Americans a little jealous of their friends from Canada.
While individuals in many European countries have been enjoying videocalls as standard practice for sometime now, Americans have been attempting to get their fix from a variety of non-real-time sources, but Rogers brings Videocalling home to Canada.

According to the Rogers press release, “Following the successful expansion of its revolutionary high-speed network - HSPA - to 25 Canadian markets earlier this month, Rogers today announced it has begun field trials of its 7.2 Mbps wireless data service. The Brampton and Montreal trials utilize 3.5 generation wireless HSPA/UMTS technology (High Speed Packet Access/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), enabling a peak download speed of 7.2 Mbps, by far the fastest in the country.”

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

I'm on Mt.Everest-Can you hear me now?

2007-11-20T12:20:00.000+08:00

Cell phone users can cross at least one place off the list of “dead spots” where they receive little or no cell phone signal: Mt. Everest. Yes, one of the tallest mountains in the world and arguably the favorite for expert extreme mountain climbers, Everest now has it’s own cell phone tower.
The Chinese government had to hire yaks and local porters to navigate the equipment for the cell phone tower up the side of the mountain. The station site sits at an impressive 21,325 feet above sea level, and has a scant 38% of the regular oxygen levels we’re used to enjoying.
The station has more purpose than just being the coolest cell phone tower in the world and for calling for help when you’ve run out of oxygen. It is designed so that next year, the bearer of the Olympic torch can carry to the summit (yes, that’s the top: circa 29,035 feet in the air) not only the enduring symbol of enduring sportsmanship the world over, but also a telephone. In case they need to call someone once they get to the top.

source : www.news.tigerdirect.com

Sony VAIO VGN-CR205E/P Notebook PC Preety In Pink

2007-11-20T11:02:00.001+08:00

The Sony VAIO VGN-CR205E/P adds unique style to your mobile computing with stunning “cosmopolitan-pink” good looks. This Sony PC offers unique eye-catching features, impressive attention to detail, and an amazingly light, thin profile.

Aside from its jaw-dropping esthetics, the Sony VAIO VGN-CR205E/P N otebook PC is also an Vista-powered entertainment powerhouse. The instant AV Mode feature lets you watch a DVD or listen to music with the push of a single button–without having to boot up the system! (Any multimedia head will tell you how cool this is.) And you can control all playback functions with the convenient, built-in multimedia controls.

This laptop is pink, but it’s no sissy. The Sony VAIO VGN-CR205E/P is powered by an Intel Pentium T2330 1.6GHz processor and comes with 1 gigabyte of DDR2 memory (maximum of 4 GB). It also features 802.11 draft “N” wireless connectivity, which is a rarity in Laptop computers. We’ll talk more about this in a moment. An onboard 1.3-megapixel webcam lets you snap photos and video-chat your brains out! Other features include a brilliant 14.1-inch XBRITE-ECO screen, 200 gigabyte hard drive, multi-format/dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive (which also burns CDs), and dual flash media ports for a veritable plethora of cards.

Coming Soon to a (Pink) Screen Near You

Okay, let’s take a look at why this Sony VAIO VGN-CR205E/P Notebook PC is worth your while (and your money!). Sony makes much more than just laptops and they’re thrown everything they have at the VGN-CR205E/P display. The 14.1-inch WXGA LCD screen is capable of razor-sharp graphics and full 16:9 widescreen movies, thanks to a 1280 x 800-pixel resolution. Because of the onboard Intel X3100 Graphics Media Accelerator, the Sony VAIO VGN-CR205E/P Notebook PC can display interlaced HD content as well. Sony’s XBRITE-ECO technology delivers brilliant colors and stunning clarity. As if that weren’t enough, the LCD screen features an anti-reflective coating for clear images from any angle.

Give me an “N”…

The most portable Laptop in the world wouldn’t be much fun if you couldn’t connect to the web. This PC is more fun than a barrel full of pastel-pink monkeys; all you need is a wireless network (your own will do nicely). Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, the Sony VAIO VGN-CR205E/P offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It’s also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks.

The Basic Specifications:

Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium T2330 dual-core–Delivers additional computing resources and help expand the PC’s capabilities by providing higher throughput and simultaneous computing.
Hard Drive: 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) Can hold a digital audio library of over 26,000 songs and still have room left over for movies, games, and a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive provides higher data transfer speeds.
Memory: 1 GB of DDR2 (2 x 512 MB DDR2) with 4 GB maximum–perfect for high-end video editing and 3-D gaming.
DVD/CD Drive: Dual-layer DVD drive compatible with a wide range of formats, including DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs (up to 8.5 GB of data). Speeds: 4x for DVD+R DL, 4x for DVD-R DL, 8x for both single layer DVD+R/-R, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, 5x for DVD-RAM, and 24x for CD-R/RW. Reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.
Connectivity:
· 3 USB 2.0 ports
· 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port
· 1 VGA, 1 S-Video· 1 ExpressCard/34 slot· Memory Stick/Memory Stick DUO slot (with MagicGate functionality)
· Secure Digital memory card slot (compatible with MMC cards)
· 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack

A Little Bit About Windows Vista

You want a Vista PC. Why? Well, Windows Vista Home Premium includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. You can watch DVD movies, access your digital music, even use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows–even High Definition Television content. Vista makes it easier than ever to share files between all the PCs in your household as well as manage your laptop settings for increased online and wireless security.

source : http://www.news.tigerdirect.com/

The affordable Way to Outfit your Apple Products

2007-11-20T09:42:00.000+08:00

Apple Inc. is big on everyone’s wish list this year, so get ready to fork over the green. If you’ve purchased anything from an iMac to an iPod, you’re going to want to accessorize–and it’s going to cost you. I’ve decided to spend the week showcasing a few things that are designed specifically for use with Apple products, as well as some that will save you money over Apple’s version.
Whether you’re after more storage or more noise, it’s undeniable that Apple has made some serious moves this year. Have you scratched your iPhone yet? I promise that you will. Run out of storage space because you’ve gone a bit nuts on iTunes? Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Amazed at how much an Apple-brand monitor (pssst! They call them displays. Don’t make this mistake in the iStore, they’ll confiscate your earbuds.) costs? Me too. In fact, that’s what inspired me to write up this little series of mine. Enjoy!

The first Apple product we’re going to talk about is iPods. I know, these are nothing new. But without going anywhere near the iPod Touch for a moment, lets review: since the iPod’s release, there have been scores and scores of gadgets for, with, and in alternative to, the most popular portable music player IN THE WORLD. (It’s true, don’t hate.) While we’ve probably posted iPod accessories in the past, it’s important to remind those with short memories of these great products, especially as the all-important (to us, anyway) shopping season approaches.

After the holiday cheer wears off, plugging into your portable iTunes library by plugging earbuds into your ears is going to get a little old. Besides, how else are you going to listen for tigers sneaking up behind you? Big cats aside, check out the Logitech iPod Audio Station. I’m a bit biased here, I’ve got to admit. That’s because I’m in a position to see and hear all the tests, gossip, and professional opinions that go along with selling all this high tech computer and electronic stuff. Everything that comes out of Logitech is well designed, does what it’s supposed to, and offers much more quality than what you’d expect for the price.

The Logitech iPod Audio Station is no exception. For starters, it has a very simple yet elegant design. No matter how fancy/futuristic you go, you can’t beat the high-end speaker on the top, low-end woofer on the bottom blueprint. And Logitech has a habit of packing way too much sound into the diminutive speaker sets they design. There’s 40 watts RMS going to each of the two speaker arrays (thus the stereo denomination), 32 watts to the woofer and 8 watts to the tweeter. If you don’t know, speakers that produce the high end of the sound range are called tweeters; low-end speakers are commonly referred to as woofers.

Logitech iPod Audio Station

The sound quality of this iPod dock is impressive. And yes, it is primarily designed as an iPod dock. Obvious benefits abound: The Logitech iPod Audio Station charges your iPod as it plays, and you’ll never wonder where you left the little guy again. It also can tune in to FM/AM radio stations, which makes an excellent alternative when you get bored with the cornucopia of iTunes downloads you’ve amassed.
But what about in the car? On this, comfort takes a back seat: PLEASE DON”T WEAR EARBUDS or EARPHONES WHILE DRIVING! We care about you. If you crash, then you obviously didn’t pay heed to our council. You should have bought the Xtrememac Airplay Boost FM Transmitter. Don’t discount this product because it has a hyper-cool spelling of “extreme” in the title. It really does work, and works very, very well at that.

What this little device does is broadcast your iPod playlist over an FM radio frequency, which lets you dial it in to your car stereo. For those keeping track, this lets you use an iPod (shiny, new) even with a vehicle that doesn’t have a CD player (moldy, old). And it’s way more elegant than those players that require you to insert a faux cassette into the car’s tape deck. Ick. Because this Xtrememac product lets you choose the FM frequency, there’s no danger of interference from an existing station. And the frequency scanner appears right on the iPod screen, so there’s no guesswork on your part.
Both these incredible accessories might seem trivial, but when you factor in the price of these add-ons compared to some of the stuff you’ll find offered on the Apple site, the advantage becomes clear. The Logitech Ipod Audio Station is well under 100 dollars, even less than that when you consider the rebate. And the Xtrememac Airplay Boost FM Transmitter is less than 50 bucks. Take that to the apple store, and see what you walk out with. It won’t be spare change, I can tell you that much. Stay tuned this week for more gear that’ll outfit your apple without outclassing your budget!

source : http://www.news.tigerdirect.com/