(Image Courtesy: Nirav Baxi)
Sony Ericsson W200i Walkman
Sony Ericsson has launched the W200i Walkman series music phone with Bass Reflex Headphones.
The W200i comes with a digital music player, 20-channels preset stereo FM radio, expandable memory with 128 MB card, mega bass, and VGA camera. It bundles a Bass Reflex Headset, HPM-64 with an ergonomic in-ear design.
With the W200i, one can simultaneously click quality pictures with the 4x zoom VGA camera and play games, send multimedia messages, and connect to mobile services in the same device. The phone comes with pre-loaded Java games.
The phone has been designed with a single dedicated Walkman key for consumers to enjoy their favorite music whenever they want.
The W200i is priced at Rs. 7,795.
The W200i comes with a digital music player, 20-channels preset stereo FM radio, expandable memory with 128 MB card, mega bass, and VGA camera. It bundles a Bass Reflex Headset, HPM-64 with an ergonomic in-ear design.
With the W200i, one can simultaneously click quality pictures with the 4x zoom VGA camera and play games, send multimedia messages, and connect to mobile services in the same device. The phone comes with pre-loaded Java games.
The phone has been designed with a single dedicated Walkman key for consumers to enjoy their favorite music whenever they want.
The W200i is priced at Rs. 7,795.
Ash-Abhishek wedding - Unseen pictures
Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan got married more than a week ago, on April 20, but the buzz about their wedding still goes around.
Abhishek and Aishwarya at the mandap.
Ash, who has played the coy bride quite a few times on screen, looked beautiful in her elaborate sari. Abhishek wears a more serious look.
Soon after the wedding, the couple flew down to Tirupati to seek Lord Venkateswara's blessings. They were accompanied by Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Shweta Nanda, Anil and Tina Ambani and Amar Singh.
Karan Johar, seen here, was deeply involved in the wedding. He choreographed the sangeet, which took place on April 18. He takes a break, as Preity Zinta adjusts his turban. She was one of the few contemporary heroines invited to the wedding.
Abhishek and Aishwarya at the mandap.
Ash, who has played the coy bride quite a few times on screen, looked beautiful in her elaborate sari. Abhishek wears a more serious look.
Soon after the wedding, the couple flew down to Tirupati to seek Lord Venkateswara's blessings. They were accompanied by Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Shweta Nanda, Anil and Tina Ambani and Amar Singh.
Karan Johar, seen here, was deeply involved in the wedding. He choreographed the sangeet, which took place on April 18. He takes a break, as Preity Zinta adjusts his turban. She was one of the few contemporary heroines invited to the wedding.
Motorola's Solar Powered Handsets
Motorola plans to increase the battery life of phones naturally so the battery hogging mobile phones can live a bit longer. The concept is not really new but Motorola is working on it; LCD powered Solar panels.
This way the LCD will be powered as well as the battery will get charged. The hope that this concept will turn into reality is still unsure but will always be most welcome.
This way the LCD will be powered as well as the battery will get charged. The hope that this concept will turn into reality is still unsure but will always be most welcome.
5 gadgets to simplify your digital life
With a number of portable storage devices available in the market, the power to transfer data, like documents, photos, music, etc., is now at your fingertips.
Here are the five devices that allow you to do this.
External hard disk
External USB hard disks usually measure about 2.5 inches in width. The USB hard drives are portable, which means you can connect the hard disk to any personal computer. Your PC will recognise the device without installing any driver. These devices come in various storage capacities, starting from a couple of gigabytes to 40 GB, 60 GB, 80 GB, 120 GB and so on. This means that you can store any type of data in bulk in these external hard drives and transfer them to any PC.
Cost
A 40 GB portable hard disk from a good brand costs Rs 3,000 while an 80 GB drive from same brand could cost you less than Rs 4,000. For a little more money, you get double the storage capacity.
Points to note before buying
Connectivity Interface: USB drives do not require any driver installation. These days most external hard drives are USB enabled, so there is not much to worry about.
Speed: The higher the speed at which the hard disk works or transfers data, better the performance. The disks are rated in terms of revolutions per minute, which means the higher the rotations, the faster would be the data transfer rate.
Warranty: Manufacturers usually provide a warranty for a couple of years, but do check out the terms and conditions.
Power consumption: Compare the power consumption of a few devices before finalising which one to buy. If you plan to use the drive with your PC then this should not bother you much as a little increase in power consumption will hardly have much effect on your power bill. However, if you plan to use the device frequently with your laptop then this might be a point to note. In case you are using the battery backup to connect to an external hard disk, then the hard drive will use some of the battery backup.
Pen drive
Pen drives are really small, keychain-sized storage devices which weigh just a few grams and can easily slide into your pocket. These usually have small storage sizes ranging from a few megabytes, say 256 MB, to a couple of GBs.
Like portable hard drives, these pen drives also do not require any driver installation. You can get a 1 GB pen drive of Chinese make for about Rs 500 to Rs 700, while the 2 GB piece would cost you about Rs 1,000. Your computer will recognise the USB device as an external device to which you can transfer data to and fro.
Points to note before buying:
Check out the warranty/guarantee terms and conditions.
Before making any purchase, check out the memory space you would need.
Music players
Most portable digital music players can also double up as portable media to store data (any kind of file or application). Music players come with memory sizes ranging from just a couple of MBs to 80 GBs and come in a number of designs and sizes.
You can get these music players from local manufactures selling iPod lookalike models (Chinese made replicas) at a fraction of the cost, or from well known brands Like Apple, Sony, Creative and Toshiba.
Unbranded MP3 players cost between Rs 600 to Rs 1,500 (up to 1 GB) while branded ones like the iPod Shuffle (1 GB) cost about Rs 4,000 to 7,000.
Points to note:
Portability: Check whether any software or driver needs to be installed in case the device is simply to be used for storing data. Most USB devices are plug and play compatible, so you do not need to do anything special to turn them into storage devices, but you need to check all the same.
Storage limit: A few devices have limited storage capacity and cannot be used to store data other than music. All branded hard disk-based MP3 players have the data storage feature by default. In case of unbranded devices, it would be best to check with the dealer.
Universal Drive Adapter
Cannot transfer files from your outdated PC? Don't worry. Here's a nice little device that can help turn your old computer's hard disk into a portable hard disk.
Usually, the hard disks we use in desktops are connected to the computers through a serial port, which are not plug and play compatible - they need some drivers to be installed.
But with the Universal Drive Adaptor, you can make your serial port hard drive USB compatible by simply connecting your old hard disk to the USB 2.0 and the IDE adapter cable to make it plug and play compatible (only for Windows 2000 and XP). Do remember, you would need to supply external power to this device.
Cost: This hardware is available online for $25 plus shipping charges.
Memory cards
Memory cards are compact storage media (hardware to store data). They come in different sizes and need different types of card readers (devices which read and write data to memory cards). But nowadays you can also get card-reading devices which incorporate card readers for all memory cards built into one. Memory Stick, Memory stick Pro, Memory stick Duo, MultiMedia Card, Multimedia card for Mobile, SD Card and Smart Card are some of the memory cards available in the market. Though memory cards are usually used in portable devices like digital cameras, voice recorders, cell phones and music players to store and transfer data, they can also be used to transfer data between PCs. Memory cards can store from 8 MB to 2 GB of data, depending on the type of card.
Points to note before buying:
Do make sure of the type of memory card used in your mobile phone, digital camera or music player. All media cards have different physical sizes, hence if any of your devices mentioned above support memory cards, then they would have slots of varying sizes for the memory card.
Here are the five devices that allow you to do this.
External hard disk
External USB hard disks usually measure about 2.5 inches in width. The USB hard drives are portable, which means you can connect the hard disk to any personal computer. Your PC will recognise the device without installing any driver. These devices come in various storage capacities, starting from a couple of gigabytes to 40 GB, 60 GB, 80 GB, 120 GB and so on. This means that you can store any type of data in bulk in these external hard drives and transfer them to any PC.
Cost
A 40 GB portable hard disk from a good brand costs Rs 3,000 while an 80 GB drive from same brand could cost you less than Rs 4,000. For a little more money, you get double the storage capacity.
Points to note before buying
Connectivity Interface: USB drives do not require any driver installation. These days most external hard drives are USB enabled, so there is not much to worry about.
Speed: The higher the speed at which the hard disk works or transfers data, better the performance. The disks are rated in terms of revolutions per minute, which means the higher the rotations, the faster would be the data transfer rate.
Warranty: Manufacturers usually provide a warranty for a couple of years, but do check out the terms and conditions.
Power consumption: Compare the power consumption of a few devices before finalising which one to buy. If you plan to use the drive with your PC then this should not bother you much as a little increase in power consumption will hardly have much effect on your power bill. However, if you plan to use the device frequently with your laptop then this might be a point to note. In case you are using the battery backup to connect to an external hard disk, then the hard drive will use some of the battery backup.
Pen drive
Pen drives are really small, keychain-sized storage devices which weigh just a few grams and can easily slide into your pocket. These usually have small storage sizes ranging from a few megabytes, say 256 MB, to a couple of GBs.
Like portable hard drives, these pen drives also do not require any driver installation. You can get a 1 GB pen drive of Chinese make for about Rs 500 to Rs 700, while the 2 GB piece would cost you about Rs 1,000. Your computer will recognise the USB device as an external device to which you can transfer data to and fro.
Points to note before buying:
Check out the warranty/guarantee terms and conditions.
Before making any purchase, check out the memory space you would need.
Music players
Most portable digital music players can also double up as portable media to store data (any kind of file or application). Music players come with memory sizes ranging from just a couple of MBs to 80 GBs and come in a number of designs and sizes.
You can get these music players from local manufactures selling iPod lookalike models (Chinese made replicas) at a fraction of the cost, or from well known brands Like Apple, Sony, Creative and Toshiba.
Unbranded MP3 players cost between Rs 600 to Rs 1,500 (up to 1 GB) while branded ones like the iPod Shuffle (1 GB) cost about Rs 4,000 to 7,000.
Points to note:
Portability: Check whether any software or driver needs to be installed in case the device is simply to be used for storing data. Most USB devices are plug and play compatible, so you do not need to do anything special to turn them into storage devices, but you need to check all the same.
Storage limit: A few devices have limited storage capacity and cannot be used to store data other than music. All branded hard disk-based MP3 players have the data storage feature by default. In case of unbranded devices, it would be best to check with the dealer.
Universal Drive Adapter
Cannot transfer files from your outdated PC? Don't worry. Here's a nice little device that can help turn your old computer's hard disk into a portable hard disk.
Usually, the hard disks we use in desktops are connected to the computers through a serial port, which are not plug and play compatible - they need some drivers to be installed.
But with the Universal Drive Adaptor, you can make your serial port hard drive USB compatible by simply connecting your old hard disk to the USB 2.0 and the IDE adapter cable to make it plug and play compatible (only for Windows 2000 and XP). Do remember, you would need to supply external power to this device.
Cost: This hardware is available online for $25 plus shipping charges.
Memory cards
Memory cards are compact storage media (hardware to store data). They come in different sizes and need different types of card readers (devices which read and write data to memory cards). But nowadays you can also get card-reading devices which incorporate card readers for all memory cards built into one. Memory Stick, Memory stick Pro, Memory stick Duo, MultiMedia Card, Multimedia card for Mobile, SD Card and Smart Card are some of the memory cards available in the market. Though memory cards are usually used in portable devices like digital cameras, voice recorders, cell phones and music players to store and transfer data, they can also be used to transfer data between PCs. Memory cards can store from 8 MB to 2 GB of data, depending on the type of card.
Points to note before buying:
Do make sure of the type of memory card used in your mobile phone, digital camera or music player. All media cards have different physical sizes, hence if any of your devices mentioned above support memory cards, then they would have slots of varying sizes for the memory card.
BlackBerry Pearl White now available
Research in Motion (RIM) has launched its sleek and stylish "BlackBerry Pearl White" smart phone in the country.
With a sophisticated lustrous White finish, Pearl White is an easy-to-use phone with support for email, messaging, organiser, and Web browser. It comes with a digital camera, multimedia player, and an expandable memory slot.
The Pearl White smart phone has BlackBerry's premium phone features including: speaker independent voice recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD); dedicated send, end, and mute keys, speaker phone, and Bluetooth support for hands-free usage with headsets and car kits as well as other Bluetooth peripherals.
It also includes intuitive call management features such as smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing, and call forwarding, as well as an intuitive user interface with an easy-to-use trackball, dedicated menu and escape keys, and context-sensitive menus that make navigation instinctive and fast. The built-in digital camera comes with 3 zoom levels (up to 5x) and flash, and the multimedia player supports MP3 and AAC music files, as well as MPEG4 and H.263 video formats.
The Pearl White comes with 64MB built-in flash memory; an ultra-bright, high resolution (240 x 260) color display; an innovative light-sensing technology that automatically optimises the screen, trackball, and keyboard lighting for indoor, outdoor, and dark environments.
The BlackBerry Internet service allows access to up to 10 supported personal and corporate email accounts. The enterprise server supports Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise environments, and features a new set of IT policy controls for managing the smart phone's features and usage.
The BlackBerry Pearl White is now available at Airtel and Hutch for Rs. 24,990.
World's Most Compact AVCHD Handycam CX7K from Sony
Sony has introduced the new Handycam CX7K (HDR-CX7K), the first Memory Stick capable Handycam camcorder that records high-definition videos and captures up to 6.1 mega pixels of still images in various Memory Stick media including the Memory Stick PRO DUO, Memory Stick PRO-HG DUO and Memory Stick Micro. As the lightest and most compact AVCHD camcorder available in the market, the Handycam CX7K can easily fit into one's palm at only 6.9cm x 6.7cm x 13.1cm . With Sony’s original low power consumption technology, the Handycam CX7K can shoot continuous for 6 hours deemed to be one of the highest stamina for AVCHD Handycam camcorders.
Movie Recording Time:
HD Picture Quality Mode 2GB Memory Stick 4GB Memory Stick 8GB Memory Stick
AVC HD 15M (XP) Approx. 15 min Approx, 30 min Approx. 1 h
AVC HD 9M (HQ) Approx. 25 min Approx. 55 min Approx. 1 h 55 min
AVC HD 7M (SP) Approx. 35 min Approx. 1 h 5 min Approx. 2 h 20 min
AVC HD 5M (LP) Approx. 45 min Approx. 1h 25 min Approx. 2 h 55 min
SD Picture Quality Mode 2GB Memory Stick 4GB Memory Stick 8GB Memory Stick
9M (HQ) Approx. 25 min Approx. 55 min Approx. 1 h 55 min
6M (SP) Approx. 40 min Approx. 1 h 20 min Approx. 2 h 50 min
3M (LP) Approx. 1 h 20 min Approx. 2 h 40 min Approx. 5 h 25 min
Based on the new xvYCC international standard, x.v.Colour technology assures supremely life-like colour reproduction. Compared to conventional camcorders, x.v.Colour approximately doubles the range of colours that can be reproduced, close to what the human eye can see.
It is the one and only camcorder that records high-definition videos on one of the smallest media available, the Memory Stick. Customers can now leverage on the Memory Stick media to playback videos directly from the Handycam CX7K to VAIO notebooks and PLAYSTATION 3 without transferring movies to the hard disk of the devices.
Packed into the compact Handycam CX7K are Sony's original ClearVid CMOS sensor and Enhanced Imaging Processor that deliver clear movies shot in dim environment or in twilight based on the minimum illumination of only 2 lux . It can also achieve Smooth Slow recording for slow-motion recording of objects that are too quick for the human eyes to perceive especially in sports such as a golf swing. A 3-second video recorded can be playback in a 12-second slow motion video with audio recorded in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. The dual recording mode realized by both the ClearVid CMOS sensor and Enhanced Imaging Processor allows both videos and high quality still images to be captured concurrently. With the Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization technology, the Handycam CX7K captures stable videos despite inevitable hand movements.
Similar to the latest AVCHD HDD Handycam SR8, SR7 and SR5, it has a simple-to-use GUI to shoot, review, change in settings and even edit images. Specific sections of the video footage can be split and deleted with the divide function. A favourite playlist can also be created for quick and easy access to the popular videos. Besides the conventional visual index and date index search, users can also search with the new film roll index function by displaying thumbnails of scene captures at specific intervals or the new face index function that displays faces detected by the face detection engine . To avoid the hassle of handling a PC, the Handycam CX7K has an easy one-touch "Disc Burn" function in the bundled Handycam Station that transfers videos directly to an AVCHD or DVD disc.
Alternatively, one can use the Easy PC Back-up function that backups new videos in the PC's hard disk automatically. With the Picture Motion Browser software installed, user can extract still images up to 3 mega pixels from video content, edit videos and save them in an AVCHD or a DVD disc.
The new Handycam CX7K series will be available in Asia Pacific from July.
Movie Recording Time:
HD Picture Quality Mode 2GB Memory Stick 4GB Memory Stick 8GB Memory Stick
AVC HD 15M (XP) Approx. 15 min Approx, 30 min Approx. 1 h
AVC HD 9M (HQ) Approx. 25 min Approx. 55 min Approx. 1 h 55 min
AVC HD 7M (SP) Approx. 35 min Approx. 1 h 5 min Approx. 2 h 20 min
AVC HD 5M (LP) Approx. 45 min Approx. 1h 25 min Approx. 2 h 55 min
SD Picture Quality Mode 2GB Memory Stick 4GB Memory Stick 8GB Memory Stick
9M (HQ) Approx. 25 min Approx. 55 min Approx. 1 h 55 min
6M (SP) Approx. 40 min Approx. 1 h 20 min Approx. 2 h 50 min
3M (LP) Approx. 1 h 20 min Approx. 2 h 40 min Approx. 5 h 25 min
Based on the new xvYCC international standard, x.v.Colour technology assures supremely life-like colour reproduction. Compared to conventional camcorders, x.v.Colour approximately doubles the range of colours that can be reproduced, close to what the human eye can see.
It is the one and only camcorder that records high-definition videos on one of the smallest media available, the Memory Stick. Customers can now leverage on the Memory Stick media to playback videos directly from the Handycam CX7K to VAIO notebooks and PLAYSTATION 3 without transferring movies to the hard disk of the devices.
Packed into the compact Handycam CX7K are Sony's original ClearVid CMOS sensor and Enhanced Imaging Processor that deliver clear movies shot in dim environment or in twilight based on the minimum illumination of only 2 lux . It can also achieve Smooth Slow recording for slow-motion recording of objects that are too quick for the human eyes to perceive especially in sports such as a golf swing. A 3-second video recorded can be playback in a 12-second slow motion video with audio recorded in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. The dual recording mode realized by both the ClearVid CMOS sensor and Enhanced Imaging Processor allows both videos and high quality still images to be captured concurrently. With the Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization technology, the Handycam CX7K captures stable videos despite inevitable hand movements.
Similar to the latest AVCHD HDD Handycam SR8, SR7 and SR5, it has a simple-to-use GUI to shoot, review, change in settings and even edit images. Specific sections of the video footage can be split and deleted with the divide function. A favourite playlist can also be created for quick and easy access to the popular videos. Besides the conventional visual index and date index search, users can also search with the new film roll index function by displaying thumbnails of scene captures at specific intervals or the new face index function that displays faces detected by the face detection engine . To avoid the hassle of handling a PC, the Handycam CX7K has an easy one-touch "Disc Burn" function in the bundled Handycam Station that transfers videos directly to an AVCHD or DVD disc.
Alternatively, one can use the Easy PC Back-up function that backups new videos in the PC's hard disk automatically. With the Picture Motion Browser software installed, user can extract still images up to 3 mega pixels from video content, edit videos and save them in an AVCHD or a DVD disc.
The new Handycam CX7K series will be available in Asia Pacific from July.
LG Chocolate Card Phone KE820 launched
Buoyed by the success of its Chocolate Phone (KG800), LG has launched the Chocolate Card Phone, KE820.
An ultra slim phone the size of a credit card, KE820 features a 2.0 mega pixel auto focus camera, continuous video recording, and Bluetooth, among others.
It also has a MP3 Player with ring tones, graphic equalizer; FM Radio with 12 station memory; and FM via speaker phone.
The phone supports all music formats like MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+. With the 256MB memory card, one can store all his/her favorite songs. The phone comes with USB compatibility, a USB Pen Drive, external memory card slot, built-in modem, speaker phone, and tri-band (900/1800/1900).
The KE820 is priced at Rs 14,500, along with free accessories including a 256MB Micro SD Card, Leather Carry Pouch, USB Data Cable, and Stereophonic Headset Kit worth Rs 2,500.
An ultra slim phone the size of a credit card, KE820 features a 2.0 mega pixel auto focus camera, continuous video recording, and Bluetooth, among others.
It also has a MP3 Player with ring tones, graphic equalizer; FM Radio with 12 station memory; and FM via speaker phone.
The phone supports all music formats like MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+. With the 256MB memory card, one can store all his/her favorite songs. The phone comes with USB compatibility, a USB Pen Drive, external memory card slot, built-in modem, speaker phone, and tri-band (900/1800/1900).
The KE820 is priced at Rs 14,500, along with free accessories including a 256MB Micro SD Card, Leather Carry Pouch, USB Data Cable, and Stereophonic Headset Kit worth Rs 2,500.
(Video) Nissan Pathfinder commercial
(This video may contain content that may be inappropriate for some viewers.)
Nissan Pathfinder commercial emphasizing the independent front suspension system in the vehicle.
Nissan Pathfinder commercial emphasizing the independent front suspension system in the vehicle.
AOL now in India!!
Internet giant AOL launched a version of its portal in India on Thursday, including sections devoted to Bollywood, cricket and international music.
The new site, AOL.in, will have tailored news and entertainment, as well as features such as free email, instant messaging and mobile services.
“India is one of the world’s fastest-growing online markets and our India portal will help us compete for users and advertisers in this important region,” Ron Grant, president and chief operating officer of AOL, said in a statement ahead of the official launch in Bangalore.
The launch comes after an overhaul of AOL’s business model last year, when it decided to give away most of its services for free to boost online advertising sales.
Citing a report from Kaufman Brothers, AOL said the Indian market had about 45 million Internet users at the end of 2006.
The report projected the region’s Internet usage could double to 94 million by 2008 and triple to 147 million by 2010.
AOL also has portals for France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Austria, as well as ones in the United States targeting Latino and Chinese populations.
The new site, AOL.in, will have tailored news and entertainment, as well as features such as free email, instant messaging and mobile services.
“India is one of the world’s fastest-growing online markets and our India portal will help us compete for users and advertisers in this important region,” Ron Grant, president and chief operating officer of AOL, said in a statement ahead of the official launch in Bangalore.
The launch comes after an overhaul of AOL’s business model last year, when it decided to give away most of its services for free to boost online advertising sales.
Citing a report from Kaufman Brothers, AOL said the Indian market had about 45 million Internet users at the end of 2006.
The report projected the region’s Internet usage could double to 94 million by 2008 and triple to 147 million by 2010.
AOL also has portals for France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Austria, as well as ones in the United States targeting Latino and Chinese populations.
How to speed up Windows XP's shutdown?
Tips for getting out of Windows more quickly.
Don't Shut Down, Hibernate
There are only two reasons to shut down Windows: to save electricity, and to reset the operating system when it starts acting goofy. If nothing really bad is happening, XP can run reliably for days or even weeks between boots. So instead of shutting down your system, tell it to go to sleep. Putting Windows into Hibernate mode copies the contents of your machine's RAM to your hard disk, then powers everything down, which saves just as much electricity as shutting it down--from the hardware point of view, the two actions are identical. Hibernating XP and waking it out of hibernation take much less time than closing it and rebooting.
Close Programs First
Windows must close every running program before it can shut itself down, which is time consuming. Of course, you could close each program manually beforehand to speed up the shutdown--but unless Windows seems to take forever to close, that won't save you much time. However, if your shutdowns are unusually slow, you could try closing your running programs (both your applications and your system tray icons) prior to turning Windows off. If your system shuts down more quickly, one of those programs is causing the hang-up.
Watch Out for Bad Drivers
Buggy or improperly installed drivers can also cause shutdown difficulties. Check to see if your device drivers need updates by right-clicking My Computer and selecting Properties, Hardware, Device Manager. Look for entries with yellow question marks or red exclamation points: A question mark indicates that Windows is using a generic driver for that device instead of one designed for it, and an exclamation point means that the device is not working.
The drivers for graphics boards, sound cards, and printers are most likely to need an update. Visit the vendors' Web sites to download the updated drivers to your PC. Then right-click the entry in Device Manager, choose Update Driver, and step through the wizard, selecting "No, not this time" to the Windows Update question, and choosing the "specified location" option when it appears. When you're able to navigate to the driver file, select it and click OK to install it. When you finish updating your drivers, close all open windows.
Terminate Terminal Services
Windows XP's Terminal Services can also cause recalcitrant shutdowns. That's more, if you never use remote desktop, fast user switching, remote assistance, the terminal server, or other Terminal Services, you don't need them. To shut it off, select Start, Run, type services.msc /s, and press Enter. Find and double-click the Terminal Services listing. (Of course, if you don't have Terminal Services installed, your slow shutdowns have another cause.) Change "Startup type" to Disabled or Manual and click OK.
Don't Clear Virtual Memory
If you use Windows XP Pro (but not the Home edition, alas), you can speed up your shutdowns by verifying that you're not clearing your virtual memory whenever you exit Windows. Select Start, Run, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options in the left pane. In the right pane, scroll to Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile. If the option is enabled, double-click it, select Disabled, and click OK. (You may not have this option on your system.)
Reduce Windows' Wait Time
You can speed up some shutdowns--and risk losing unsaved data--by reducing the time Windows waits for a program to stop itself properly before taking this job into its own disruptive hands. Then select Start, Run, type regedit, and press Enter. In the left pane navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control. Double-click the WaitToKillServiceTimeout item in the right pane. Set it to a value lower than the default 2000 (or 2 seconds), perhaps to 1000 (1 second). Click OK, and then reboot.
Don't Shut Down, Hibernate
There are only two reasons to shut down Windows: to save electricity, and to reset the operating system when it starts acting goofy. If nothing really bad is happening, XP can run reliably for days or even weeks between boots. So instead of shutting down your system, tell it to go to sleep. Putting Windows into Hibernate mode copies the contents of your machine's RAM to your hard disk, then powers everything down, which saves just as much electricity as shutting it down--from the hardware point of view, the two actions are identical. Hibernating XP and waking it out of hibernation take much less time than closing it and rebooting.
Close Programs First
Windows must close every running program before it can shut itself down, which is time consuming. Of course, you could close each program manually beforehand to speed up the shutdown--but unless Windows seems to take forever to close, that won't save you much time. However, if your shutdowns are unusually slow, you could try closing your running programs (both your applications and your system tray icons) prior to turning Windows off. If your system shuts down more quickly, one of those programs is causing the hang-up.
Watch Out for Bad Drivers
Buggy or improperly installed drivers can also cause shutdown difficulties. Check to see if your device drivers need updates by right-clicking My Computer and selecting Properties, Hardware, Device Manager. Look for entries with yellow question marks or red exclamation points: A question mark indicates that Windows is using a generic driver for that device instead of one designed for it, and an exclamation point means that the device is not working.
The drivers for graphics boards, sound cards, and printers are most likely to need an update. Visit the vendors' Web sites to download the updated drivers to your PC. Then right-click the entry in Device Manager, choose Update Driver, and step through the wizard, selecting "No, not this time" to the Windows Update question, and choosing the "specified location" option when it appears. When you're able to navigate to the driver file, select it and click OK to install it. When you finish updating your drivers, close all open windows.
Terminate Terminal Services
Windows XP's Terminal Services can also cause recalcitrant shutdowns. That's more, if you never use remote desktop, fast user switching, remote assistance, the terminal server, or other Terminal Services, you don't need them. To shut it off, select Start, Run, type services.msc /s, and press Enter. Find and double-click the Terminal Services listing. (Of course, if you don't have Terminal Services installed, your slow shutdowns have another cause.) Change "Startup type" to Disabled or Manual and click OK.
Don't Clear Virtual Memory
If you use Windows XP Pro (but not the Home edition, alas), you can speed up your shutdowns by verifying that you're not clearing your virtual memory whenever you exit Windows. Select Start, Run, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options in the left pane. In the right pane, scroll to Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile. If the option is enabled, double-click it, select Disabled, and click OK. (You may not have this option on your system.)
Reduce Windows' Wait Time
You can speed up some shutdowns--and risk losing unsaved data--by reducing the time Windows waits for a program to stop itself properly before taking this job into its own disruptive hands. Then select Start, Run, type regedit, and press Enter. In the left pane navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control. Double-click the WaitToKillServiceTimeout item in the right pane. Set it to a value lower than the default 2000 (or 2 seconds), perhaps to 1000 (1 second). Click OK, and then reboot.
Sony launches PS3 in India at Rs 39,990
Consumer electronics major Sony India on Thursday launched its high definition gaming console PlayStation3 (PS3) at a price of Rs 39,990. The company aims to sell 10,000 units of Playstation3 and 50,000 units of Playstation2 during this financial year.
The Indian gaming market, which includes computer games, mobile games and consoles, is expected to grow to $425 million by 2010 from $50 million (including grey market) at present, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe sales and marketing director Tim Stokes told TOI. “Sony is a leading player in the market and would work towards retaining its position here,’’ he added.
Sony has initially shipped 1,200 units of the console for sale in India. The company plans to sell half of its new consoles through its own outlets ‘Sony World’, while the balance would be sold through retail chains and music stores.
The PS3 comes with the blu-ray disc drive which provides a high definition next generation gaming and movie experience at home, as well as up to 50 gigabyte of data capacity for video game developers to store content—five times the capacity of a DVD. PS3 also features a 60-GB hard disk drive and built-in wi-fi adapter.
Microsoft (Xbox) and Nintendo are the main competitors for Sony in the gaming business. The premium version of Xbox is available in the country at Rs 27,990, while Nintendo is yet to be officially launched.
Stokes said the company was targeting over five-fold jump in its gaming business in India, which would primarily be driven by earlier versions of its console—PS2 and the portable version PSP.
The company has also slashed the prices of the earlier versions of its gaming consoles. It would now sell PS2 for Rs 7,990 while the portable PSP would be sold for Rs 9,990.
The company’s main volumes will continue to come from the earlier version Playstation2, Stokes said. The Playstation2 was launched in the country in 2003. Stokes said that the company has been seeking lower duties and levies from the existing 35%, to bring down prices for the Indian consumer. At present, the segment attracts an import duty of 10%, a CVD of 16%, besides various state and central levies. The company is also developing India-specific gaming content which will hit the market later this year.
Sony has sold three million units of PS3 across North America, Japan and Europe since its launch five months ago. Buoyed by the increased buying power of the Indian customer, Sony India MD Masaru Tamagawa said the company is targeting a twofold jump in the consolidated revenues to $2 billion by 2010.
“The group, including consumer electronics, mobile phones, entertainment, music and pictures crossed $1 billion revenue mark in 2006,” he added.
The consumer electronics division, Sony India, closed the previous fiscal at Rs 2,300 crore and we are anticipating a 30% increase in our revenues from this division year on year,” he said.
Free broadband internet connections @ 2Mbps from BSNL and MTNL
The Govt. plans to offer internet connectivity @ 2Mbps for free through BSNL and MTNL.
The government proposes to offer all citizens of India free, high-speed broadband connectivity by 2009, through the state owned telecom service providers BSNL and MTNL. While consumers would cheer, the move holds the potential to kill the telecom business as we know it.
You have heard of free municipal broadband-many cities in the US have drenched themselves in wireless broadband connectivity, freely accessible to residents. The idea is to boost economic activity in general. The Govt. of India plans to achieve free broadband connectivity at a speed of 2 MB per second across the country, with a similar goal. Senior government officials expect to be able to achieve this goal spending only a portion of the burgeoning corpus of the Universal Service Obligation Fund to which all telecom operators contribute 5% of their revenues every year. It is estimated that the unutilised sum from the USOF has touched Rs. 9194.12 crore by March 2007 end.
The current technological trend is for voice calls also to shift to the internet, using voice over internet protocol (VoIP). The Department of Telecom (DoT) will be taking a series of steps to make its plans for free broadband a reality. These include, using the USOF to set up an extensive optic cable network across the country, opening up the long distance sectors to further competition, allowing free and fair access to cable landing stations, permitting the resale of bandwidth, setting up webhosting facilities within the country and asking all the internet service providers to connect to the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI).
The government proposes to offer all citizens of India free, high-speed broadband connectivity by 2009, through the state owned telecom service providers BSNL and MTNL. While consumers would cheer, the move holds the potential to kill the telecom business as we know it.
You have heard of free municipal broadband-many cities in the US have drenched themselves in wireless broadband connectivity, freely accessible to residents. The idea is to boost economic activity in general. The Govt. of India plans to achieve free broadband connectivity at a speed of 2 MB per second across the country, with a similar goal. Senior government officials expect to be able to achieve this goal spending only a portion of the burgeoning corpus of the Universal Service Obligation Fund to which all telecom operators contribute 5% of their revenues every year. It is estimated that the unutilised sum from the USOF has touched Rs. 9194.12 crore by March 2007 end.
The current technological trend is for voice calls also to shift to the internet, using voice over internet protocol (VoIP). The Department of Telecom (DoT) will be taking a series of steps to make its plans for free broadband a reality. These include, using the USOF to set up an extensive optic cable network across the country, opening up the long distance sectors to further competition, allowing free and fair access to cable landing stations, permitting the resale of bandwidth, setting up webhosting facilities within the country and asking all the internet service providers to connect to the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI).
Experts break internet speed records, twice
A group of researchers led by the University of Tokyo has broken internet speed records — twice in two days.
Operators of the highspeed Internet2 network announced on Tuesday that the researchers on December 30 sent data at 7.67 gigabits per second, using standard communications protocols. The next day, using modified protocols, the team broke the record again by sending data over the same 20,000-mile path at 9.08 Gbps.
That likely represents the current network’s final record because rules require a 10% improvement for recognition, a percentage that would bring the next record right at the internet2’s current theoretical limit of 10 Gbps. However, the Internet2 consortium is planning to build a new network with a capacity of 100 Gbps.
With the 10-fold increase, a high-quality version of the movie The Matrix could be sent in a few seconds rather than half a minute over the current Internet2 and two days over a typical home broadband line.
Researchers used the newer Internet addressing system, called IPv6, to break the records in December. Data started in Tokyo and went to Chicago, Amsterdam and Seattle before returning to Tokyo.
The previous high of 6.96 Gbps was set in November 2005.
Speed records under the older addressing system, IPv4, are in a separate category and stand at 8.8 Gbps, set in February 2006.
The Internet2 is run by a consortium of more than 200 US university. It is currently working to merge with another ultrahighspeed, next-generation network, National LambdaRail.
The announcement of the new record was made at the Internet2 consortium’s spring meeting, which ends on Wednesday in Arlington, Virginia.
Operators of the highspeed Internet2 network announced on Tuesday that the researchers on December 30 sent data at 7.67 gigabits per second, using standard communications protocols. The next day, using modified protocols, the team broke the record again by sending data over the same 20,000-mile path at 9.08 Gbps.
That likely represents the current network’s final record because rules require a 10% improvement for recognition, a percentage that would bring the next record right at the internet2’s current theoretical limit of 10 Gbps. However, the Internet2 consortium is planning to build a new network with a capacity of 100 Gbps.
With the 10-fold increase, a high-quality version of the movie The Matrix could be sent in a few seconds rather than half a minute over the current Internet2 and two days over a typical home broadband line.
Researchers used the newer Internet addressing system, called IPv6, to break the records in December. Data started in Tokyo and went to Chicago, Amsterdam and Seattle before returning to Tokyo.
The previous high of 6.96 Gbps was set in November 2005.
Speed records under the older addressing system, IPv4, are in a separate category and stand at 8.8 Gbps, set in February 2006.
The Internet2 is run by a consortium of more than 200 US university. It is currently working to merge with another ultrahighspeed, next-generation network, National LambdaRail.
The announcement of the new record was made at the Internet2 consortium’s spring meeting, which ends on Wednesday in Arlington, Virginia.
(Video) New Earthlike planet discovered Gliese 581
European astronomers have spotted what they say is the most Earth-like planet yet outside our solar system, with balmy temperatures that could support water and, potentially, life.
They have not directly seen the planet, orbiting a red dwarf star called Gliese 581. But measurements of the star suggest that a planet not much larger than the Earth is pulling on it, the researchers say in a letter to the editor of the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
"This one is the first one that is at the same time probably rocky, with water, and in a zone close to the star where the water could exist in liquid form," said Stephane Udry of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland, who led the study. "We have estimated that the mean temperature of this super-Earth lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, and water would thus be liquid."
Most of the 200 or so planets that have been spotted outside this solar system have been gas giants like Jupiter. But this one is small. It appears to have a mass five times that of Earth's.
"Its radius should be only 1.5 times the Earth's radius, and models predict that the planet should be either rocky, like our Earth, or covered with oceans," Udry said in a telephone interview.
The research team includes scientists credited with the first widely accepted discovery of a planet outside our solar system, in 1995. Many teams are looking for planets circling other stars. They are especially looking for those similar to our own, planets that could support life. That means finding water.
"Because of its temperature and relative proximity, this planet will most probably be a very important target of the future space missions dedicated to the search for extra-terrestrial life," Xavier Delfosse, a member of the team from Grenoble University in France, said in a statement. "On the treasure map of the universe, one would be tempted to mark this planet with an X."
Gliese 581 is among the 100 closest stars to Earth, just 20.5 light-years away in the constellation Libra. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles.
It is smaller and dimmer than the sun, so the planet can be close to it and yet not be overheated.
"These low-mass stars are the ones where we are going to be able to discover planets in the habitable zone first," said planet-hunter David Bennett of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, who was not involved in the research.
Bennett cautioned that current temperature alone does not mean water still exists on the planet. It could have burned off ages ago, when the star was hotter than it is now.
Udry's team uses a method known as radial velocity, using the European Southern Observatory telescope at La Silla, Chile. The same team has identified one larger planet orbiting Gliese 581 already and say they have strong evidence of a third planet with a mass about eight times that of the Earth. Future missions, perhaps in 20 to 30 years, may be able to block the light from the star and take a spectrographic image of the planets. The color of the light coming from the planet can give hints of whether water, or perhaps large amounts of plant life, exist there.
They have not directly seen the planet, orbiting a red dwarf star called Gliese 581. But measurements of the star suggest that a planet not much larger than the Earth is pulling on it, the researchers say in a letter to the editor of the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
"This one is the first one that is at the same time probably rocky, with water, and in a zone close to the star where the water could exist in liquid form," said Stephane Udry of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland, who led the study. "We have estimated that the mean temperature of this super-Earth lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius, and water would thus be liquid."
Most of the 200 or so planets that have been spotted outside this solar system have been gas giants like Jupiter. But this one is small. It appears to have a mass five times that of Earth's.
"Its radius should be only 1.5 times the Earth's radius, and models predict that the planet should be either rocky, like our Earth, or covered with oceans," Udry said in a telephone interview.
The research team includes scientists credited with the first widely accepted discovery of a planet outside our solar system, in 1995. Many teams are looking for planets circling other stars. They are especially looking for those similar to our own, planets that could support life. That means finding water.
"Because of its temperature and relative proximity, this planet will most probably be a very important target of the future space missions dedicated to the search for extra-terrestrial life," Xavier Delfosse, a member of the team from Grenoble University in France, said in a statement. "On the treasure map of the universe, one would be tempted to mark this planet with an X."
Gliese 581 is among the 100 closest stars to Earth, just 20.5 light-years away in the constellation Libra. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles.
It is smaller and dimmer than the sun, so the planet can be close to it and yet not be overheated.
"These low-mass stars are the ones where we are going to be able to discover planets in the habitable zone first," said planet-hunter David Bennett of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, who was not involved in the research.
Bennett cautioned that current temperature alone does not mean water still exists on the planet. It could have burned off ages ago, when the star was hotter than it is now.
Udry's team uses a method known as radial velocity, using the European Southern Observatory telescope at La Silla, Chile. The same team has identified one larger planet orbiting Gliese 581 already and say they have strong evidence of a third planet with a mass about eight times that of the Earth. Future missions, perhaps in 20 to 30 years, may be able to block the light from the star and take a spectrographic image of the planets. The color of the light coming from the planet can give hints of whether water, or perhaps large amounts of plant life, exist there.
Sony Ericsson W999i mobile phone
The pictures of this model from Sony Ericsson are making rounds around the web. The picture below shows a very similar looking handset to be launched.
The model seems to be the W999i and will hopefully follow the steps of W950i with a smart OS.
The phone has a QWERTY keypad, a lift off from Sony Ericsson's M600.
It is expected that the handset will be of around 12.5 mm thickness and will house a 2 MP auto focus camera.
The phone screen will be 2.4-inch and support a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
There is no official announcement from Sony Ericsson as yet.
The model seems to be the W999i and will hopefully follow the steps of W950i with a smart OS.
The phone has a QWERTY keypad, a lift off from Sony Ericsson's M600.
It is expected that the handset will be of around 12.5 mm thickness and will house a 2 MP auto focus camera.
The phone screen will be 2.4-inch and support a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
There is no official announcement from Sony Ericsson as yet.
Spiderman 3 - The most expensive film ever made
Upcoming film 'Spiderman 3' may be the most expensive movie ever made, with reports claiming that more than 500 million dollars could have been spent on its production.
Although sources associated with film production claim that 350 million dollars have been spent on the production of the movie, reports published in Radar magazine say that the total expenses may have crossed the 500 million-dollar mark after the inclusion of the cost of publicity and marketing.
Laura Ziskin, one of the film's producers, however refuted the claims of the 350 million dollar expenditure on the movie that opens on May 4. While she refused to reveal the actual amount spent on the film's production, she did claim that the project was a super-expensive movie.
"I refuse to say the real number because it makes me choke. 'Spider-Man 3' was a super-expensive movie - the most expensive film we've ever made. But there's no way you can get to $300 million," the New York Post quoted her as saying.
A representative for Sony Pictures says that only 270 million dollars have been spent on the movie. The source also told that each day's cost of shooting was around one-million dollars, and that the producers have spent heavily on computer generated special effects.
Palm Treo 680 smart phone launched
Palm has introduced the GSM/GPRS/EDGE quad-band smart phone Palm Treo 680 in India. The Palm Treo 680 smart phone will appeal to feature-phone users who want a more capable mobile-computing device.
The Palm Treo 680 smart phone has a new design, having an internal antenna; a full, easy-type keyboard, perfect for writing SMS messages and emails; and an optimal 320 x 320 vibrant color screen for viewing Web pages, photos, media, and more.
It has a unique phone user interface (UI) that further simplifies Treo innovations, such as the ability to respond to calls with a preset text message, adding new phone numbers to existing contact information, and three-way calling. The Treo 680 smart phone, can also be used as an MP3 player, and has an integrated digital camera with video-capture support and video player.
Additional features include: 64MB of user-available storage expandable to 2GB; enhanced email and messaging wherein Exchange ActiveSync now synchronizes even contacts besides calendar and email; improved SMS and MMS capabilities for a better user experience; improved Web browser; enhanced multimedia, allowing users to stream music, play MP3s, and manage and share photo albums; built-in dial-up networking (DUN) capabilities; Documents to Go, wherein users can view, edit, and share Microsoft Word and Excel documents, in addition to viewing full-featured Adobe PDF files and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations; plus Bluetooth 1.2 that allows users connect wirelessly with other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Palm Treo 680 smart phone is priced at Rs 25,500.
The Palm Treo 680 smart phone has a new design, having an internal antenna; a full, easy-type keyboard, perfect for writing SMS messages and emails; and an optimal 320 x 320 vibrant color screen for viewing Web pages, photos, media, and more.
It has a unique phone user interface (UI) that further simplifies Treo innovations, such as the ability to respond to calls with a preset text message, adding new phone numbers to existing contact information, and three-way calling. The Treo 680 smart phone, can also be used as an MP3 player, and has an integrated digital camera with video-capture support and video player.
Additional features include: 64MB of user-available storage expandable to 2GB; enhanced email and messaging wherein Exchange ActiveSync now synchronizes even contacts besides calendar and email; improved SMS and MMS capabilities for a better user experience; improved Web browser; enhanced multimedia, allowing users to stream music, play MP3s, and manage and share photo albums; built-in dial-up networking (DUN) capabilities; Documents to Go, wherein users can view, edit, and share Microsoft Word and Excel documents, in addition to viewing full-featured Adobe PDF files and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations; plus Bluetooth 1.2 that allows users connect wirelessly with other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Palm Treo 680 smart phone is priced at Rs 25,500.
(Trailer) Pathfinder
A Viking boy is left behind after his clan battles a Native American tribe. Raised within the tribe, he ultimately becomes their saviour in a fight against the Norsemen.
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