Eye-Fi adds Wi-Fi to any Digital Camera!

First your phone went wireless, then your laptop, now finally your camera!
Never scrounge around for a USB cable again! Eye-fi is a magical orange SD memory card that will not only store 2GB worth of pictures, it'll upload them to your computer, and to Flickr, Facebook, Picasa (or 14 others) wirelessly, invisibly, automatically!
This little guy looks like a normal 2GB memory card and works with nearly any camera that takes SD memory. There are no antennas, no protrusions, no subscription fees, and no cables.
Here's how it works: You set up the card once with the included USB card reader (tell it which wireless network it should use, and type in the password if you have one), choose the photo sharing service of your choice (you have plenty of options), then slip the card in your camera.
From then on, you never have to touch anything. Just take photos. Whenever your cameras near the wireless network you selected and idle, Eye-fi will upload all your photos (JPEGs only) to your online photo sharing service. Next time your computer's online, they'll download there, too!
Yes, it is practically a magic.
Eye-Fi SD card comes in three varieties:
1). Eye-Fi Home ($79.99)
2). Eye-Fi Share ($99.99)
3). Eye-Fi Explore ($129.99) More Info
So what will you ever do with all those cables now?
Source: http://photojojo.com

Long awaited Windows XP SP3 RTM launching on April 21

Microsoft Corp. will release Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to computer makers and some IT professionals next week, and it will offer it to all users via Windows Update April 29, two weeks from today, according to an internal schedule obtained by the Neowin.net Web site.
Although others had previously pegged SP3's release to the last half of April, Neowin's dates are the most specific seen so far.
According to the site, the service pack will debut April 21, when it's shipped to computer manufacturers, offered to volume licensing customers and posted for download on TechNet and the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), which are subscription services for IT staff and developers, respectively.
Most users, however, will first be able to obtain SP3 on April 29, when Microsoft lists it on Windows Update (WU) for download.
However, Microsoft won't turn on the automatic download and installation of SP3 until June 10, according to Neowin. "This delay should give system administrators an ample amount of time to prepare for the upgrade or simply come up with an excuse for when things go awry," said Neowin.
Company administrators and users have been able to block the automatic distribution of Windows XP SP3, as well as Vista SP1, since December 2007, when Microsoft published the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit.
In a broad way, Neowin's timeline meshes with the one Microsoft followed when it launched Windows Vista Service Pack 1 in February and March.
Although the company held SP1 for six weeks after RTM, or release to manufacturing, because of balky drivers, it posted the service pack to WU on a Tuesday. It also said it would not push SP1 to users who have WU set to automatically download and install fixes until several more weeks have passed. Vista SP1 also reached OEMs, volume license customers and TechNet and MSDN subscribers before the general public.
Late last month, a Malaysian site that had correctly predicted the RTM date for Vista SP1 as well as that update's release to WU, said that XP SP3 would arrive in the second half of this month, with a first-wave rollout of the Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish versions.
The last time Microsoft made an XP SP3 move was on March 25, when it posted Windows XP SP3 RC2 Refresh to WU.
As it has previously, Microsoft today again declined to get specific about Windows XP SP3's delivery date, saying only that it's slated for the first half of 2008.
Source: http://www.computerworld.com

IBM develops New kind of High Capacity Memory

IBM has allegedly developed a new type of digital storage that could greatly increase the capacity of portable devices, while reducing their price. ‘Racetrack’ memory, as this technology is called, uses spinning electrons to store more data, and enables these systems to operate faster than regular hard drives.
This technology is similar to flash memory, in that it has no moving parts, which reduces the likelihood of mechanical malfunction. However, unlike flash memory, it can write data very quickly, and does not wear easily out over time.For years, scientists have been looking into storing data inside the was between magnetic domains. However, it has been too difficult and expensive to get significant results. Stuart Parkin, head of the team researching this technology, has said that his team was able to store data in columns of magnetic material on a silicon wafer. The data moves on the columns at high speed, hence the name ‘racetrack’.
This technology is currently considered “experimental”, but IBM anticipates that we will see devices utilizing it within the next ten years.
Source: http://www.crunchgear.com

Windows 7 going to be launched in 2009!

Still upset about Windows Vista? Don't worry. According to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, it should all be over soon.
News wires were abuzz Friday with gossip that Microsoft may be planning to release its follow-up to Vista, currently known as Windows 7, as early as next year. Previous reports had the next-generation OS shipping no sooner than 2010, but now -- for some strange reason -- it seemsMicrosoft may be upping its timetable.
For now, the rumors are based on little more than offhand comments by Microsoft executives. At a meeting in Miami, Gates remarked that a new version of Windows should arrive "sometime in the next year or so." Meanwhile, the Windows XP support timetable suggests that 2010 might coincide with the one-year anniversary of Windows 7.
Pretty thin stuff. Still, for those of us who have been soundly disappointed with Vista, it's hard not to get caught up in the hype.
But the truth is that speculation that Windows 7 might arrive in 2009 has been floating aroundfor at least a year.No matter how tight-lipped Microsoft tries to be, no matter how much it seems like a long shot, it seems as though we simply want to believe that a major new Windows milestone is imminent.  
It's funny -- because nobody really knows what Windows 7 might look like when it finally arrives. There has beenplenty of speculation,and a few more portentous-sounding statements from Gates and company, but that's about it.
My feeling? It's best to take all talk of Windows 7 with a great, big grain of salt. Remember what happened with Vista itself. Despiterepeated delaysthat pushed Vista's ship date back by months, the version we finally gotlacked much-touted featuresand -- well, you know the rest.
If you ask me, we shouldn't be focusing on what features the next version of Windows may or may not bring, but on whether Microsoft's development divisions are still able to deliver quality products at all. There's talk that Windows 7 will ship with aleaner, more efficient kernel.I suspect, however, that a leaner, more efficient Microsoft would ultimately benefit customers even more.

Windows XP SP3 to be launched in Second Half of April 2008

Microsoft Corp. on 4th of Feb. 2008 has released Windows Vista Service Pack 1 & now its going to release the long awaited Service Pack 3 for a very popular OS, Windows XP.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 would be last and final service pack for the OS before it gets discontinued retail sale on 30th of June 2008.

Details of Windows XP Service Pack 3:

1. Windows XP Service Pack 3 will contain hotfixes and updates released since Windows XP SP2. It will also include an expanded set of product keys for Windows XP Professional that were originally introduced in Windows XP SP2c.
   
2. Microsoft clarified that there will not be any integrated SP3 release for Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows XP Tablet Edition. That means you won't be able to buy or obtain a complete Windows XP Media Center Edition / Tablet Edition SP3 CD. In addition, users of Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows XP Tablet Edition will only be able to update to Service Pack 3 through Windows Update.
   
3. All languages will now be released in two waves. Earlier, Microsoft said that languages support for Windows XP Service Pack 3 will be released in three waves. What was previously identified as wave 2 and 3 have now been combined into a single wave 2.
   
4. Microsoft has also delayed RTM for Windows XP Service Pack 3 to provide sufficient time to incorporate feedback from the beta testers. (In other words, they can't make their original deadline!)

Due to the changes in language releases and Windows XP SP3 RTM's release, here's the updated schedule:

Wave	Languages	Planned RTM
1	Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish	Second half of April 2008
2	Arabic, Chinese (Hong Kong), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Swedish, and Turkish	Approximately 21 days after Wave 1 RTM

With the exception of Windows XP Media Center Edition and Windows XP Tablet Edition, Windows XP Service Pack 3 will be released in both standalone and integrated formats. It will be available in both CD and DVD formats, except for the Japanese language version which will only be in DVD format.
Source: http://www.techarp.com/

The Future of Mobile Phones - Nokia Morph concept

New York, US and Espoo, Finland - Morph, a joint nanotechnology concept, developed by Nokia Research Center (NRC) and the University of Cambridge (UK) - was launched today alongside the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition, on view from February 24 to May 12, 2008, at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Morph features in both the exhibition catalog and on MoMA's official website.
Morph is a concept that demonstrates how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes. It demonstrates the ultimate functionality that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces.

Dr. Tapani Ryhanen, Head of the NRC Cambridge UK laboratory, Nokia, commented: "We hope that this combination of art and science will showcase the potential of nanoscience to a wider audience. The research we are carrying out is fundamental to this as we seek a safe and controlled way to develop and use new materials."

Professor Mark Welland, Head of the Department of Engineering's Nanoscience Group at the University of Cambridge and University Director of Nokia-Cambridge collaboration added: "Developing the Morph concept with Nokia has provided us with a focus that is both artistically inspirational but, more importantly, sets the technology agenda for our joint nanoscience research that will stimulate our future work together."

The partnership between Nokia and the University of Cambridge was announced in March, 2007 - an agreement to work together on an extensive and long term programme of joint research projects. NRC has established a research facility at the University's West Cambridge site and collaborates with several departments - initially the Nanoscience Center and Electrical Division of the Engineering Department - on projects that, to begin with, are centered on nanotechnology.

Elements of Morph might be available to integrate into handheld devices within 7 years, though initially only at the high-end. However, nanotechnology may one day lead to low cost manufacturing solutions, and offers the possibility of integrating complex functionality at a low price.

Morph concept technologies might create fantastic opportunities for mobile devices:

• Newly-enabled flexible and transparent materials blend more seamlessly with the way we live
• Devices become self-cleaning and self-preserving
• Transparent electronics offering an entirely new aesthetic dimension
• Built-in solar absorption might charge a device, whilst batteries become smaller, longer lasting and faster to charge
• Integrated sensors might allow us to learn more about the environment around us, empowering us to make better choices

Latest Solid-State Drives may have speeds up by 500%

Intel and Micron Technology on Friday said they have developed technology for a high-speed solid-state drive that's five times faster than current products used in consumer and professional devices ranging from hand held computers and notebooks to digital cameras and camcorders.
The NAND flash memory chips developed jointly by the two companies can reach speeds of up to 200 MB per second for reading data and 100 MB per second for writing data, the partners said. Current memory chips have maximum read-write speeds of 40 MB and 20 MB, respectively.
Solid-state drives are used for storage today in just about any electronic device that holds data. Current technology is fast enough for handling photos and standard video in computers or an Apple iPod, but performance problems become an issue in handling high-definition video, which consumers are expected to start demanding as they become accustomed to watching HD televisions. HDTV's are among the hottest selling consumer electronics products today.
With HD video files requiring multiple gigabytes of storage, the need for technology that can move the content in and out of a storage device quickly, so it can be played on a hand held gadget or recorded in a camcorder, becomes critical. Other applications include digital photography, where faster storage would translate into faster shutter speeds for sports photography, for example.
"These are all areas where performance does matter and consumers or users are willing to pay for it," Joe Unsworth, analyst for Gartner told InformationWeek. "These products are going to have a premium associated with it."
Being able to charge more for a faster solid-state drive is important because memory is mostly a commodity market today, where manufacturers compete for business on price. With current technology good enough for use in Apple iPods and smart phones, most consumers would be unwilling to pay more for a faster drive.
As a result, Micron and Intel are expected to try to differentiate themselves from the pack with speed, and consumers and professionals who want it are likely to be willing to pay more. "We don't expect this high-performance NAND [flash memory] to be widespread," Unsworth said. "But when you're talking video and professional photography, companies are willing to pay that premium to have that performance [in products]."
Micron is expected to release a high-speed 8 GB solid-state drive in the second half of the year, with higher-capacity products expected to follow later, Unsworth said.
Micron will manufacture flash memory devices with the new technology through IM Flash Technologies, the company's joint venture with Intel.
The faster solid-state storage technology is emerging at the same time as new interface standards. One important standard is ONFI 2.0, which stands for open NAND flash interface. The specification makes it possible to move larger amounts of data faster to and from a digital camera or within a notebook, where a solid-state drive is being used in place of a traditional hard disk drive. SSDs are far more expensive than HDDs, but they are also more rugged and reliable and faster, making them desirable in some applications, such as in devices used by the military or utility workers.
Micron's and Intel's latest technology supports ONFI 2.0. In addition, future high-speed SSDs developed by the companies also will support USB 3.0, which is considerably faster than current USB 2.0 ports commonly used in computers today, and PCI express, which is the specification for slots on a motherboard where peripherals, such as graphics cards, are attached.

Windows Vista SP1 to be launched on Feb. 4

Microsoft Corp. will release Windows Vista Service Pack (SP1) on Monday, Feb. 4, according to reports Friday from Tech ARP, a Malaysian Web site.
Vista SP1 will make RTM on Monday, said Tech ARP, with computer makers receiving media later in the week to install the updated operating system on new laptops and desktops. Bits will also be posted for download on Monday, the site claimed.
"Microsoft will be deploying SP1 in two 'waves,'" said Tech ARP. The first, on Monday, will include just five of the 36 available language packs -- English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. The second wave, slated for one to two weeks later, will include all 36 language packs.
Previously, Microsoft has said it would break SP1 into two stand-alone installers for businesses: a 450MB package that includes the five packs, and a 550MB installer that offers three-dozen languages. Both are expected to be available for download from Microsoft's Web site.
SP1 will also be offered to users through Windows Update, Microsoft Update and presumably Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). That update will weigh in at around 65MB. Microsoft explained the smaller size in a change-log posted to its support site: "Windows Update...utilizes an efficient transfer mechanism to download only the actual bytes changed."