Chromium OS lands on the Archos 9, doesn't do much

Trying to satisfy that browser-only touchscreen tablet urge? Well, you're sort of in luck. Those Atom-powered Archos 9 tablets are out and about, and the fine folks at UMPCPortal have slung a copy of Google's Chromium OS onto one. Unfortunately, since there's no touchscreen keyboard in the OS (yet), and the touchscreen input isn't even recognized, this is more of a "proof of concept" than a killer app. Still, we like where this is headed.

Kalai's Flickr

A few of Kalai's creation taken from Canon EOS 1000D

Artemia

A sample of the Artemia(Brine shrimps) taken @ vepalodai on august 6th 2008.

Diwali

We has so much fun during Diwali this year,Inigo was abroad and it was me and my SIL alone,We travelled all the way to Saravanan anna's place and had loads of fun.A little preview of the fun we had is attached in the post 

God's weird creation

Had a chance to see this peculiar leaf which had 2 shades,cud nt resist taking a pic. Thot wud share it.

Windows XP-powered ITG xpPhone now available for pre-order

If you’re a glutton for the punishment that Windows XP on a mobile phone likely is, then ITG has exactly what you need. The “world’s first mobile phone that runs Windows XP” is now available for pre-order from ITG’s English website. Looking rather big and boxy (is this a new trend?), the xpPhone packs some impressive specs inside its brushed aluminum frame:
AMD Mobile CPU
4.8-inch, 800×480 pixel touchscreen display
QWERTY keyboard
512Mb/1GB memory
Dual hard drives: SSD (8/16/32/64GB) and HDD (30/60/80/120GB)
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth
GPS
WiMAX (optional)
GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA (HSDPA/HSUPA), CDMA/CDMA2000, CMDA 1X/EV-DO, TD-SCDMA, TD-HSDPA
7 hours of continuous use with standard battery, 12 hours with extended battery
Windows XP OS

The substantially-sized slider supports nearly all major 3G networks and can be configured from the ordering page to be compatible with AT&T, Vodafone or Orange. No word on pricing details or launch date for the time being, but is anyone out there thinking about taking the plunge?

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Sprint to launch WiMAX-enabled Android smartphone in 2010

As is well known, Sprint and Clearwire are slowly pushing forward on their ever expanding 4G network. Mirroring a report from back in June of this year, Sprint is once again said to be working on a WiMAX-enabled smartphone that will support both 4G and 3G connectivity. Just as current CDMA mobile phones switch switch between 1xRTT and EV-DO, the new handset will manage WiMAX and EV-DO signals in a similar manner. The big question is not whether or not Sprint will make such a smartphone, but which OS will this new handset run? Analysts suggest that Android will the platform of choice with Samsung as the manufacturer supplying the necessary hardware. This rumored 4G/3G smartphone will reportedly launch when Clearwire reaches the 100 million subscriber mark in the US, a goal expected to be achieved towards the end of 2010.

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Kingston unveils 256GB thumb drive for well-heeled memory fiends

We're sure that it's only a matter of moments before a 256GB thumb drive this bulky is something of a joke -- hell, it wasn't so terribly long ago that cramming 256MB into something this size was an accomplishment. That said, if you're a netbook user looking for a storage bump, it looks like Kingston's got your back: this guy boasts transfer rates of up to 20 MB/sec. read and 10 MB/sec. write, and for all of you Vista fans, supports Windows ReadyBoost. Now, for the bad news: only available in Europe and the UK, and custom made upon your order (presumably after the check clears) this modern technological marvel will run you £565.67 ($924).

Next-gen iPod touch rumored to get camera, microphone, fairy dust coating

According to a "well connected source" in the Wired camp, the iPod mills in China are hard at work as we speak, churning out next-gen iPod Touch models with integrated cameras and microphones. This certainly jibes well with the tips we've received regarding both this device and a cam-equipped nano -- although we're still skeptical about the rumored OLED iPods. The article goes on to suggest that once you add a mic to the mix, all you need is a MiFi and the Skype application for "the iPhone experience" on Verizon's (or Sprint's) network. Seems like an awful lot to go through just to avoid AT&T, but we suppose that it's good to have options.

Dell Adamo gets $500 price drop, whole new lease on life

After no small amount of external pressure, Dell has finally managed to do some major damage on the Adamo's number one drawback: the price. The starting mark for the 1.2GHz machine has been slashed from $1,999 to $1,499, while the high-end model with SSD and a 1.4GHz processor is down to $2,299. Still not in the same general galaxy as most consumer-aimed Dell products, but quite a lot closer to the realm of possibility.

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Create a shortcut to switch users

Fast user switching has been a very useful feature of Windows for multi-user computers. Dating back to Windows XP, fast user switching allows multiple users to be logged into a computer at once. This is very useful if a user is in the middle of work but another needs to use the computer shortly. Fast user switching will allow the other user to log in while still retaining the other users session. Once the other user is finished the session can be switched back to the original user.

Creating a shortcut to switch the active user is as easy as creating a shortcut to c:\windows\system32\tsdiscon.exe

1.Right click where you want the shortcut to be created and select New and then Shortcut.

2.Copy and paste “c:\windows\system32\tsdiscon.exe” into the location box and hit Next.

3.Give it a name and hit Finish.

Meralco planning internet over power lines in the Philippines

While the concept of channeling the internet over power lines is far from new, it has yet to be implemented in any significant manner. If a top power distributor in the Philippines has its druthers, however, all that will change in the not-too-distant future. Manila Electric Company, better known as Meralco, is gearing up to use its power lines to bring broadband internet to more of the country, which currently sees just 20 million out of its 90 million inhabitants with access. In fact, the company has already made clear that it is "set to implement the pilot test," with the results guiding it in "determining scope and coverage of the project." Come to think of it,Long way to go India

ReadyBoost comes to the Rescue

ReadyBoost helps your computer by giving it more high-speed memory. If your computer is running low on RAM then it has to kick a lot of applications out of high-speed physical memory to the paging file on your hard drive.

This usually results in a big hit in performance and increased activity on your hard drive.ReadyBoost helps this situation by giving Windows an alternative to having to stick data into the slow paging file on your hard drive. Instead, ReadyBoost uses a USB storage device that is faster than a hard disk. This results in a performance boost because Windows will have a high speed alternative than using the slow paging file on your hard drive.

In order for ReadyBoost to work, it requires a USB storage device that meets minimum performance and space requirements:

1.The device must be at least 64 MB

2.The device must be USB 2.0

3.It has to be able to read at 3.5 MB/s

4.It has to be able to write at 2.5 MB/s

To get started using ReadyBoost, follow these steps:

1.Plug in USB storage device.

2.Go to Computer and right click on the removable storage device and select Properties.

3.If your device is compatible, you will see a ReadyBoost tab. Click on that.

4.Select Use this device and select the amount of space on it you want to dedicate for the ReadyBoost

system file.

5.Click OK and you are finished.

Note: This facility is available in Windows Vista and above

How to Kill processes from Command prompt(cmd)

I’m sure you are familiar with the traditional way to kill or end a process in Windowsusing Task Manager. This method is effective but not nearly as fun as killing a process in Command Prompt. Additionally, killing processes in Command Prompt provides much more control and the ability to end multiple processes at once.

All of this is possible with the TaskKill command. First, let’s cover the basics. You can kill a process by the process ID (PID) or by image name (EXE filename).

Open up an Administrative level Command Prompt and run tasklist to see all of the running processes:

C:\>tasklist

Image Name————PID——Session Name——Mem Usage

===========================================================

firefox.exe—————-26356——Console———-139,352 K

regedit.exe—————24244——Console————-9,768 K

cmd.exe——————18664——Console————-2,380 K

notepad.exe————–17364——Console————-7,892 K

notepad.exe————–24696——Console———–22,028 K

notepad.exe————–25304——Console————-5,852 K

explorer.exe—————2864——-Console———–72,232 K

In the example above you can see the image name and the PID for each process. If you want to kill the firefox process run:

C:\>Taskkill /IM firefox.exe /F

or

C:\>Taskkill /PID 26356 /F

The /f flag is kills the process forcefully. Failure to use the /F flag will result in nothing happening in some cases. One example is whenever I want to kill the explorer.exe process I have to use the /F flag or else the process just does not terminate.

If you have multiple instances of an image open such as multiple firefox.exe processes, running the taskkill

/IM firefox.exe command will kill all instances. When you specify the PID only the specific instane of firefox will be terminated.

The real power of taskkill are the filtering options that allow you to use the following variables and operators.

Variables:

STATUS

IMAGENAME

PID

SESSION

CPUTIME

MEMUSAGE

USERNAME

MODULES

SERVICES

WINDOWTITLE

Operators:

eq (equals)

ne (not equal)

gt (greater than)

lt (less than)

ge (greater than or equal)

le (less than or equal)

“*” is the wildcard.

You can use the variables and operators with the /FI filtering flag. For example, let’s say you want to end all processes that have a window title that starts with “Internet”:

C:\>taskkill /FI “WINDOWTITLE eq Internet*” /F

How about killing all processes running under the your username(savio) account:

C:\>taskkill /FI “USERNAME eq savio” /F

It is also possible to kill a process running on a remote computer with taskkill. Just run the following to kill notepad.exe on a remote computer called Savio:

C:\>taskkill /S Savio /U RemoteAccountName /P RemoteAccountPassword /IM notepad.exe /F

To learn more about taskkill run it with the /? command just like any other Windows command.

Installing Xp on a Dell Inspiron 1525

Every Dell Inspiron 1525 laptops that we get in the market comes with Windows Vista alone and few people find it difficult working around with Vista and they need Windows Xp to be installed desperately as i was. The main problem in migrating from a Vista to a Xp in Dell is that the XP cd that we have wont have the driver for the SATA hard disk.

There are 2 solutions to this.(Will tell you the hard one first).anyways before deciding to migrate to Windows Xp, better have a backup of all you r data and also download all the necessary drivers for Windows Xp from Dell’s support page

1.While downloading all the necessary drivers, dont forget to get the SATA driver for the hard disk,embed the SATA driver alone with a bootable XP disc and then burn it. You can use nLite to embed a data to the Bootable disc s data and then make a bootable disc.

I know this would confuse everyone.So let’s go with an easy one

2.People thos can play around with the BIOS can do this, press F2 while booting which takes you to the BIOS screen and you can find an option SATA in the menu.Change the SATA mode to ATA(previously it will be AHCI).Save the settings and ther you go . You can use an ordinary bootable Windows XP cd for installing XP in your machine

After installing Windows, Install all the drivers and keep in mind to install the bluetooth driver atlast.Some machines might not accept the bluetooth driver if installed first or in-between.

Please get back if you have any queries.

AT&T's iPhone 3G S pre-orders already sold out

Bad news for folks hoping a pre-order would save them from that yearly camp out in front of their local Apple Store: iPhone 3G S pre-orders have sold out, and folks who are making new pre-orders are being told that they'll have up to two weeks to get a phone. AT&T customers who do already have pre-orders in still have to line up at 7AM to nab a phone, but at least they've got a guaranteed slot if they show up, while the rest of the world will have to battle over remaining stock when Apple Stores open at 8AM and AT&T stores open to general customers at the same time. Looks like we might get a good riot or two out of this.

Apple to charge for redownloading apps from the App Store over the air

If you're on an iPhone right now and you see this picture here, you probably have an overwhelming feeling of doom in the pit of your stomach right about now -- or at least you should. Our tipster noticed that this message appeared while redownloading Google Mobile -- not the end of the world, since Google Mobile is free and all, but it's a strong hint that Apple will at least be giving devs the option of charging every time their app is redownloaded over the air, even to the same device from the same iTunes account. We've seen the message ourselves, only with free apps so far, but it's definitely something that could end up making the ownership experience a little more expensive in the future. Good thing for the 32GB iPhone 3G S, we guess, where you'll never have to delete a single app in your life if you don't want to -- but regardless, it's extraordinarily lame move on Apple's part if it ends up staying in there.

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ASUS: "Our goal is to provide products that are better than Apple's"

ASUS might have launched the netbook era with the original Eee PC and followed up on that with wave after wave of successfully more innovative designs like the Seashell, but that's not enough for vice chairman Jonathan Tsang, who says the company's goal is "to provide products that are better than Apple's." No pulling punches here! According to Tsang, ASUS spends very little on marketing, instead preferring to spend the majority of its budget in engineering products so innovative consumers are forced to take notice. We don't know if that strategy will actually work -- especially since true competition with Apple would have to involve software, not just hardware -- but we will say that it's clear ASUS is doing everything it can to drive the industry forward, not just lying back and copying rivals like MSI and Acer. That's all thought-provoking enough, but there's more: Tsang also says ASUS has a motion-controlled game console that provides better tracking than the Wii sitting on the shelf because content deals are "complicated." Same with an ebook reader. "We don't have the chicken, so cannot have the egg." Well damn -- and we really like eggs, too. Hit the read link for the full interview

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Find My iPhone is live, totally found our iPhone

We wouldn't really say we "have it together" when it comes to remembering where we put our keys / phone / small children, so Apple's announcement of the Find My iPhone service for MobileMe users came as quite a relief. The service just went live, and with a quick toggle of a preference pane in iPhone OS 3.0 the phone is fully prepared for all sorts of lost and found scenarios -- along with acting as an incredibly intuitive (if pricey) stalking mechanism. Find My iPhone works exactly as advertised, giving us a fairly good location estimate from within our lead-lined underground fortress, and sending annoying messages to the phone complete with sound, even when the handset is switched to silent, though unfortunately the sound is a sort of sonar ping that strikes us as incredibly difficult to locate, unless of course our phone is taken by whale. The only other problem is that both the location function and the message service took a couple minutes to track down our iPhone -- not a deal breaker, but we don't know what the hangup could be. After the device is pinged, a confirmation of the event was sent to our MobileMe email address. A live, enthralling video demonstration is after the break.

Researchers create nanotube memory that can store data for a billion years

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley have developed an ultra-dense memory chip that is capable of storing data for up to a billion years (besting silicon chips by roughly... a billion years). Consisting of a crystalline iron nanoparticle shuttle encased within a multiwalled carbon nanotube, the device can be written to and read from using conventional voltages already available in digital electronics today. The research was led by Alex Zettl, who notes that current digital storage methods are capable of storing mass amounts of data, but last just decades, while, say, some books have managed to last nearly a thousand years, though the amount of data they contain is quite small. The new method, called shuttle memory, is based on the iron nanoparticle which can move back and forth within the hollow nanotu. Zettl believes that, while shuttle memory is years away from practical application, it could have a lot of archival applications in the future. There's a video after the break, hit the read link for more tiny details.

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onOne's DSLR Remote for iPhone fires your Canon from afar

Sure, EOS Utility will let you control the Canon DSLR of your choice from the comfort of your PC, but what if you want to add one more enticing level of indirection to the equation? Well, sport, for that, you'll need a little app for the iPhone from onOne called DSLR Remote, which connects via WiFi to a utility on your computer -- which is in turn cabled to your camera. It's not on the App Store just yet, but there'll be two versions available: Professional, for an introductory price of $9.99, which allows you to control a host of camera settings, and the $1.99 Lite, which simply lets you fire the shutter. The coolest part might be Live View compatibility, which would make a great poor man's security camera (if you can call a 5D Mark II a poor man's anything) -- if only it weren't for the instant rejection the app would face had they made it 3G-compatible, right?

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Sony Ericsson's facial recognition patent plays the perfect song to complement your mood

We don't expect this to be indicative of any near-term projects for the now financially hindered phone maker, but one of Sony Ericsson's recently unearthed patents paves the way for some interesting uses. From what we gather, while listening to music on your device, a picture of your face would be taken. That image would then be run through software that interprets your mood, and an appropriate next song based on those emotions would be picked -- so much for the art of mixtapes. Presumably, it'd also require a phone or device with a camera mounted on the same side as the screen, so unless mobile video conferencing takes off in a huge way, we can't see people paying extra for a phone or device with this configuration. And if you just got dumped over SMS, we hope it doesn't intepret those tears as a good time to play that Damien Rice song you two fell in love with. Hit up the read link for the full patent details.

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Hitachi's Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Wooo cellphone does 720p video recording

While it won't be the first handset to capture 720p video (hello, OmniaHD!), Hitachi's Mobile Hi-Vision Cam Woo is still apt to garner quite a bit of attention. As the leaked images hosted down below show, this clever flip phone packs 1,280 x 720 video recording, a 5 megapixel sensor, HDMI interface and a microSDHC slot for good measure. A generous tipster has informed us that said phone is slated to launch this coming Monday on KDDI, though we fully expect that envious North Americans won't ever get to toy with one on their home turf

Japanese University uses free iPhones to track students

Tokyo-based university Aoyama Gakuin gives their students free iPhones. While at first glance this seems like a fantastic deal, the iPhones are apparently used to track the students. The iPhones will allow the University to tell if the students are physically on campus or not. The goal is to prevent cheating during roll calls, and can also be used for digital lectures (podcasts), doing homework and taking tests. 

Would this fly in the US with all of our privacy advocates? Probably not, but a free iPhone is tempting.  

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Nokia launches 6600i Slide

Nokia has announced its 6600i slide. This phone is the successor to the 6600 and basically just adds a 5 megapixel camera, brushed metal body, and 3G. 

Here are the specs via BGR: 

•  Dual-band WCDMA (850/2100MHz) and quad-band GSM/EDGE 
  
•  S40 
  
•  2.2″ QVGA display 
  
•  5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, 8x digital zoom and dual-LED flash / VGA video recording at 15fps 
  
•  Bluetooth 2.0, FM tuner, accelerometer, microUSB 
  
•  20MB internal memory and 1GB microSD card in box 
  
•  1100 mAh battery 
  
•  3 / 4 hours talk time (GSM / UMTS), 14.5 days stand-by 
  
•  93mm x 45mm x 14mm, 110g 
  
•  Available in both black and silver in Q3 for approximately 200€ ($272 USD) before subsidies and taxes.

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Multicard-lovin' dual SATA HDD dock keeps the dream alive

It's funny, really. Years back, we figured this SATA HDD dock was a one-off device that would get swept under the rug as quickly as it reached prominence. And yet, here we are in May of 2009 looking at the latest iteration of a product that won't ever stop reinventing itself. Brando's Dual SATA HDD Multi-Function Dock with One Touch Backup (yeah, seriously) doubles up on elder models by holding two 2.5- or 3.5-inch hard drives, and it also accepts a litany of flash cards. Lastly, this adds an eSATA connector to the traditional USB 2.0 socket for a bit more flexibility, but we still can't justify the $89 price if you already own a predecessor (or three).

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MicroSD-to-USB Mobidapter is a smartphone's best friend

Okay, so maybe it's just a microSD-equipped smartphone's best friend, but you get the idea. Unlike traditional [insert flash format here]-to-USB adapters, Elan's Mobidapter provides a direct bridge from your microSD slot to your external USB hard drive. The result? Dead simple phone backups and file transfers, all without the use of a PC in the middle. Elan asserts that the currently unpriced device will begin shipping in mid-June, and if you're still baffled about how this thing operates, check the yawn-inducing demonstration vid after the break.

                                

                               

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Nokia's N86 8MP cruises through the FCC's database

When Nokia unveiled its N86 back in February, we Yanks were given no hope whatsoever that a US release was in the cards. We're doing our best to stifle our excitement, but it sure looks like a stateside launch is a lot closer now that said handset has made its way through the dark and murky halls of the FCC. Seen here in a lovely, washed-out shade of black, the 8 megapixel, OLED-equipped dual-slider seems no different than the one we toyed with in Barcelona, save for the whole US-friendly aspect, of course. 

HTC Touch Pro2 for Sprint spotted in the wild

We've known that a version of the HTC Rhodium / Touch Pro2 was inbound for Sprint at some point this summer (assuming no delays), but would mark the first time we've seen one in what appears to be finished production trim. A SprintUsers poster claims that the global roaming-capable device should be hitting retail mid-June with the portrait QWERTY Snap following in July -- and yes, we'd be more inclined to ignore the noise had said poster not also provided the glorious pictures. Looking good -- really good, actually -- but good luck tearing any eyes away from the Pre kiosks in the stores next month, HTC.

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Microsoft's latest ad: iTunes and the iPod are crazy expensive

We've been wondering when we'd see the next Laptop Hunters ad from Microsoft, but it looks like the company's throwing a change-up: its latest 30-second spot features Wes Moss, Certified Financial Planner, explaining that iTunes "costs a lot" while Zune Pass "costs a little." The argument, of course, is that at a buck a song (or more), filling up your iPod costs way more than the $15 / month cost of the Zune subscription service, but we've got a feeling that Wes just won't convince as many people as Lauren and Giampaulo -- while we certainly think Zune Pass is a great deal, especially with the 10 free tracks a month now included, most people have plenty of music from all kinds of sources already, and an additional monthly bill in the current economy doesn't seem all too appealing. Plus, well, this argument has never really worked for services like Yahoo and Rhapsody in the past, so we're not sure it's going to work now. But that's just us -- we're sure you've got your own opinions, so check out the vid after the break and sound off.

P.S. If Wes looks familiar it's because he was a contestant on Donald Trump's The Apprentice. He was fired.

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New iPhone specs leaked -- 600MHz CPU, 32GB, 3.2MP cam

Take this for what it is -- a totally unverified rumor from a Chinese forum -- but a set of specs for a next-gen iPhone have leaked out along with this screenshot, and they're not entirely far-fetched. According to the alleged leak, iPhone model MB717LL 9 ("iPhone2,1" perhaps?) will have a 600MHz processor (up from the current 400MHz unit), 256MB of RAM (from the current 128MB), 32GB of storage, a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, as well as a digital compass and FM radio, all while retaining the same battery, basic shape, and screen size. Do we believe it? Well, if we were to conservatively guess at specs for a next-gen Apple phone that's pretty much what we'd come up with -- with the exception of FM -- so we're not shaking our heads too hard. Plus we've definitely seen evidence that a compass will figure into the equation, and there's endless whispers that the camera will see an upgrade. Still, only Steve and the gang know for sure, and we're (probably) not finding out till they're ready -- WWDC, are you here yet?

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DIY semi-funtional keyboard pants destined for the geek catwalk

Did you ever spot a really boss concept and think, "Hey! I could totally cobble this into reality"? No? Well, Zach did. He saw a concept pair of pants with a functioning keyboard, and proceeded to make his very own. Essentially, he chopped a keyboard in half, then used a laser cutter and some good old fashioned sewing to get the keys into the trousers. Because the board had been cut in half, only the left side of it still functions, but, as you'll see from the video after the break, that's good enough for a game of Tetris. Hit the read link for more detailed instructions if you want to make your own.




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Magnetometer finding its way into next iPhone

Add "compass" to that list of rumored features -- again -- for the next, still-unconfirmed iPhone revision, alongside video production capabilities, a slide-out keyboard, OLED display, LTE / Verizon support, and EV-DO rev. B (okay, not really that last one). Boy Genius Report has obtained two screens allegedly from an unreleased iPhone OS build that suggest a magnetometer'll be part of the new hardware. Given turn-by-turn navigation is now an option for developers, we'd say having directional support is almost a necessity. Why there's also an option for Kitchen Sink in the image we haven't the foggiest, but we're gonna go ahead and add "holographic plumbing assistant" to that wishlist.

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Proxicast's Cell-PAK: it's a portable 3G / WiFi hotspot, but rugged

If you've been toying with the idea of buying a bulletproof shell for your CradlePoint portable hotspot, we're guessing that Proxicast's Cell-PAK is an entirely better option. Said box, which is described as a rugged, self-powered 3G + WiFi wireless hotspot in a box, was designed to provide "mission-critical wireless communications" in the jungle, on the battlefield or in your backyard. Aside from having its very own battery pack for completely untethered access, the device comes encased in an impact and water-resistant MIL-spec rated chassis, and we're told that it can accept "any 3G modem from any cellular carrier worldwide." We're talking over a dozen hours of wireless access from anywhere that you can retrieve signal, and there's even an external high-gain antenna to help with that. Now, if only that $1,295 price weren't so gigantic...

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Nokia E71x now available from AT&T

It's been an awful long time in coming, but AT&T's customized remix of Nokia's lovely E71 -- the E71x -- is now available for sale direct from the carrier's site. As was revealed a little over a month ago, pricing comes in at just $99.99 on contract after rebate, which seems like a steal for a device with this level of capability and sex appeal. Of course, you'll need to be okay with S60 3.2 -- but if you can get past that, you've got a gorgeous all-metal shell, full QWERTY, HSDPA, 3.2 megapixel cam, and WiFi waiting for you.

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Are You a True BlackBerry Addict? Free App Tells the Tale

You BlackBerry owners know you spend a lot of time on your little phone but you might be surprised to know just how much time you are clicking and spinning. A free app will keep tabs of everything you do on your BlackBerry and give you the scoop that shows just how much time you spend on the phone.

The I Love Blackberry app tallies your daily, weekly and monthly use of the phone so you will know just how serious your affliction really is. The free app can be downloaded direct to your BlackBerry here.

G.E. boasts of physical storage breakthrough; 500GB on a single disc

As Blu-ray finally begins to gain traction on a wider scale, G.E. is again boasting of a physical disc storage breakthrough with the potential to hold 10 to 20 times more data than a Blu-ray disc and 100 times more data than a DVD. This isn’t the first time G.E. has spoken of its progress in holographic storage research but the New York Times is now reporting the company has made a new breakthrough. G.E.’s technology encodes holographic light patterns onto in a disc and packs data far more densely than the optical technology used by DVDs and Blu-ray discs. In fact, the technology in its current lab state is said to allow for up to 500GB of data storage on a single disc. For comparison, a Blu-ray disc holds 25 or 50GB and a DVD holds 5GB of data. The key to G.E.’s success with this technology of course, is making it affordable — other companies will be introducing holographic storage solutions as soon as this year. InPhase Technologies for example, will soon introduce a specialized holographic storage system geared towards the medical industry. InPhase’s solution however, requires expensive discs and readers that cost tens of thousands of dollars. G.E. plans to show off its work at a conference in Orlando in May, so perhaps some light will be shed on G.E.’s efforts in making the technology a bit more accessible.

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Bluetooth 3.0 is in the house, now with more oomph

Are you happy with your current Bluetooth experience, but aching to give it a little kick in the pants? Fret not because Bluetooth 3.0 is here right on schedule and it’s way faster than its predecessors. With the 802.11 radio Protocol Adaption Layer, transfer speeds can hit up to 24 megabits per second. If that isn’t impressive or means little to you, Bluetooth 2.0 transferred data at speeds of 2 to 3 megabits per second. Almost miraculously, the increase in speed doesn’t mean extra battery drain. On the contrary, Bluetooth 3.0 includes power-saving controls built in. Transferring files via Bluetooth should no longer be a burden or hassle — gone are the days of using Bluetooth file transfers as a last resort for large or bulk files. When will it become widely available? The process has already begun, but the technology really won’t be hitting consumers for another nine to twelve months. Patience, young grasshoppers.

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Virtualized Windows XP coming to Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate users

Color us intrigued. The gang at SuperSite for Windows have revealed what they know about a pretty awesome Windows 7 feature: XP Mode, a virtualized copy of Windows XP with Service Pack 3. It'll reportedly be a free download for Professional and Ultimate Edition users, a shame it won't be coming to all versions. Unlike many other Virtual PC options, the environment won't require a separate workspace so you can run the individual apps as you would alongside those native to 7 -- in the example pictured, that's Word 2003 in XP mode next to Word 2007. It all sounds vaguely similar to the XP compatibility mode found in Vista, but if we're understanding this right, XPM should make legacy compatibility much less of a hassle. We haven't heard any reports of it being found in the leaked Release Candidate build, so if you're antsy to get a glimpse now, hit up the read link for a gallery.

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QuickOffice for iPhone available now

QuickOffice for the iPhone has been released and is available in the App Store. QuickOffice allows the iPhone to edit and view Microsoft Word and Excel files which can be essential for business users. 

The suite costs $19.99 and delivers important features like cut-and-paste. You can also format text, add bullets, and work in landscape mode. In Excel docs, you can use over 125 functions and advanced formulas. 

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WinMobile Torrent v.3 Released

Adisasta, solution provider for mobile people, announces the release of WinMobile Torrent v.3 (wmTorrent v.3) for Windows Mobile. wmTorrent v.3 supports Windows Mobile Professional, Classic or Standard in all display modes. 

This latest version of wmTorrent boasts many new features and enhancements. In addition to the standard torrent functions supported in the previous version, wmTorrent v.3 supports: trackerless torrent, peer exchange, plain text and RC4 protocol encryption, consolidated or full file saving mode, http seeding, Unicode UTF-8, saving to file directly without temporary file, file format compatible with most desktop client and many more. 

Pricing and Availability 

wmTorrent v.3 is commercially available to OEMs and end users. 

wmTorrent v.3 is available in English language and is compatible with Windows Mobile Classic/Professional/Standard 5.x or later. All Windows Mobile screen resolutions are supported. A free, 5-day trial can be downloaded, or wmTorrent can be purchased for US$25.00 from

www.wmTorrent.com 

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Nokia E71x coming May 4?

It looks like the Nokia E71x could finally be arriving at AT&T on May 4. Nokia Experts reports a tipster sent them some valid looking information that shows a May 4th launch date for the E71x. You can see the "launch date" on the bottom of the picture. 

They also report receiving several PDF document with information about the E71x. You can see the documents on their web site at the source link below.

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Obama to get encrypted BlackBerry soon

Remember when the Secret Service supposedly told President-elect Obama that he could not use a BlackBerry? Obama won that battle and has been using a BlackBerry for personal use. Apparently the NSA has been working on a souped-up BlackBerry that President Obama will be able to use for official business, including accessing Top Secret data.

The Washington Times reports Obama will receive a BlackBerry 8830 in a few months that he'll be able to use at the White House and during Presidential travel. 

"The top-secret BlackBerry 8830 is in the final stages of development by the National Security Agency, which will soon begin checking to make sure its encryption software meets federal standards. The device could be ready for use in the next few months. " 

The President's BlackBerry will feature a software called SecureVoice, by the Genesis Key Inc. (Why in the world would they tell everyone what software is on the BlackBerry?) The software is so strong it can apparently turn any BlackBerry 8830 or Curve into a device that can beat hackers, eavesdroppers and spies.

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Eizo's FlexScan EV2023W / EV2303W LCD monitors turn off when humans are away

Not that we haven't seen LCD monitors get less demanding when it comes to energy, but we've yet to see a company take eco-friendliness this far. Professional LCD maker Eizo has just announced a new pair of panels (the 20-inch FlexScan EV2023W-H and the 23-inch EV2303W-T) that boast a "human presence sensor." As the phrase implies, these displays are designed to shift to power saving mode when it realizes that its master has vacated the area, and when they return, it automatically flips back on in order to keep from being bashed by one of many USB-connected peripherals. Unfortunately, it seems the human detection timer can't be changed from 40 seconds, and no, there are no current plans to implement a robot presence sensor once the Apocalypse is realized

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Giant keyboard art in Shenzhen metro station offers tech-friendly seating

If you're at the Shenzhen Metro station any time soon, you'll unlikely happen across the beautiful, beautiful sight above. The station -- which is in Shenzhen just north of Hong Kong -- has installed some keyboard art that really speaks to the typist in our souls -- we even type in our dreams occasionally. The keys function as seats to relax in while you wait for your train, though why they chose the keys they chose (Enter, M, <, L, P and ;) is anybody's guess.

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Apple's App Store hits a billion downloads

Here's to another billion -- and not just from the App Store. Windows Mobile, Symbian, Android, webOS, BlackBerry -- we're expecting every bit as much out of you guys, so let the games (and the productivity apps, utilities, flatulence simulators...) begin.

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Creative TravelSound i85 adds external speaker, FM tuner to iPod nano

There's really no easy way to say it -- Creative's TravelSound i85 is bordering on unsightly, so devout fashionistas should probably look elsewhere. For those who always put design second and utility first, this here device adds a portable speaker and FM tuning abilities to Apple's fourth-generation iPod nano (the tall, thin one, for those unaware) and even includes a built-in rechargeable battery for pumping out up to 15 hours of house jams. Aside from operating as a gaudy wrist adornment, it can also double as a stand (horizontally or vertically), though there's no Dock Connector pass-through (just a miniUSB plug). Worth $99.99? That's between you and the monster underneath your bed.

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Microsoft profits sink for the first time in 23 years

In a not totally surprising -- yet still kind of striking -- turn of events, Microsoft is reporting that its sales have fallen for the first time in 23 years. You read that right, 23 years. According to numbers that the company has just released, sales fell 6 percent year-over-year, while overall net income dropped a staggering 32 percent. Those numbers are significant, but what's more telling is where those losses are coming from. Namely? Netbooks. Apparently, in the midst of a global downturn consumers really are buying cheaper, especially when it comes to tech, which puts a fairly significant crunch on Redmond's bottom line. A CNN reports suggests that the presence of Linux on those devices has contributed to the hurt here, but it's more likely that the combo of a market still unwelcoming to Vista and the wide popularity of XP on the low-power systems has more to do with these dipping profit margins. Oh, and that general, awful market depression. Still, it should serve as some kind of wake up call to Microsoft that just being the biggest doesn't guarantee that the money will keep rolling in the way it has in years past -- clearly the big picture isn't as sharp as it's always been. Hey Windows 7 -- no pressure, right?

Update: We've tweaked some language in the post that made the situation sound more dire than intended. Don't worry everyone, we know Microsoft isn't going anywhere.

Via CNN

Washington DC announced as first MPH mobile TV market

In the 22 city-strong foot race to get a live MPH-based mobile TV network up, running, and available to anyone who wants it, it looks like Washington DC's poised to come out on top. Raleigh has already deployed a handful of transmitters for the benefit of bus-goers, but the Open Mobile Video Coalition has announced that Washington DC's local CBS, PBS, NBC, and Ion affiliates plus a Fox-owned independent will all be ready to roll with MPH transmissions by late summer; of course, what remains to be seen is what sort of hardware will be ready to take advantage of the tech by then. We can likely count AT&T and Verizon out for offering MPH-enabled handsets seeing how they're still trying to figure out how to profit from their MediaFLO-based networks, so T-Mobile and Sprint's decisions to take a wait-and-see approach to the mobile TV phenomenon may really end up working in their favor here. Moving beyond the phones, it's said that Dell will be showing some sort of netbook this week with an integrated MPH tuner at the NAB show in Vegas this week, while Kenwood has in-car solutions in the works. As long as the broadcasts stay free -- which by all accounts they will -- the standard has a fighting chance at relevancy, assuming hardware comes to the table.

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World's first waterproof solar cellphone from Sharp

In continuation of a recent trend of major manufacturers announcing a new-found interest in making a buck off developing nations solar-powered cellphones, AU (KDDI) and Sharp have announced the June launch of this unnamed solar handset. Besides being the world's first waterproof solar handset, it charges to a minute of talk or 2-hours of standby after just 10 minutes in the sun. No other specs were announced though we seriously doubt it'll be a power-sucking feature- or smart-phone. Naturally, it'll still be a boon to people where electricity is scarce but what about the industrious guy who owns the village car battery?

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Fujitsu testing self destructing flash drives

Fujitsu has developed a USB flash drive that automatically erases data or prevents someone from copying data from the flash drive. Fujitsu is currently testing these drives and claims that they can significantly reduce data theft.

The flash drive houses a processor and a battery and the drive can be programmed by the user to fit his needs. For instance, he can set the drive to erase the data automatically after 24 hours or the USB drive can delete the data as soon as its inserted in an unauthorized machine and make the drive unusable. Another thing that this drive supports is the file redirect technology. With file redirection activated, the data is safely stored on the drive and a user selected server and an unauthorized PC cannot e-mail, print or copy the data from the device.

Video: Epson's multitouch X-Desk is your next coffee table

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for Epson to get into the touch-surface game -- most of the larger versions are projector-based, and Epson's been making great little beamers for quite some time. Showcased earlier this year at ISE 2009 alongside a multitouch air hockey table, the Core 2 Duo-powered X-Desk boasts a 1,024 x 768 resolution panel and possesses the ability to recognize up to 16,000 objects using "Smart Tags." Also of note, gesture recognition software enables users to actually speak to the table and see results, though there's no word on whether raising your voice or blurting out obscenities improves efficiency. Like all of these things, we've nary a clue when they'll really be available for the layperson to purchase, but you can certainly live vicariously by hopping past the break.

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