Yamaha Launches A2DP Bluetooth Speaker

Yamaha has launched a 10 watt, A2DP-compatible, Bluetooth speaker called the NX-B02. The device is designed to handle output from Bluetooth-compatible PCs, PDAs, and of course your mobile phone. In case that wasn't enough, it's also equipped with a 3.5mm line-in socket, so you can easily connect your MP3 player or PMP.

The NX-B02 has dual 4.5cm (1-3/4-inch) full range speakers, and each speaker has an SR-Bass (Swing Radiator Bass) diaphragm. This diaphragm moves by the vibration of the main diaphragm and efficiently increases bass energy, producing larger sound pressure levels for deeper and stronger bass.

The speaker can be used as a portable device as it runs on four AA batteries. According to Yamaha, battery life is about four hours with alkaline batteries and seven hours with NiMH batteries. You can also choose to run it on the AC adaptor that comes with the package.

The NX-B02 is priced at Rs 7,883 ($199.95).

X-mini Capsule Speakers

Here comes a pocket-sized savior for laptop owners who have so far been used to the tinny sound their small speakers put out. The X-mini runs the danger of being overlooked, for it is tiny. I'm normally critical of anything that looks suspiciously small (and therefore presumably incapable of driving sound), but in this case I was happily proved wrong. Indeed, I was pleasantly surprised by its performance.

The speakers are a one-stop solution for all those travelers who are looking to carry something less weighty. I was impressed by the words "Hearing is believing" written on the cover.

The player can easily fit anywhere in your laptop bag, and if it’s your office desktop that you are buying the speaker for, you need worry only about locating it amidst all the clutter. The mid section can be unscrewed to reveal a jack in the box, quite literally, for the speaker extends a bit vertically. In performance, this trick only guarantees a slightly improved bass response.

Stripy Music Studio

From wall systems to PC speakers, we've come a long way over the past decade. We may take this progress for granted, but the fact is we owe a lot to technowizards who helped make the transition. The latest device to undergo upgrades is the portable speaker! It's not radically new, perhaps, but the advances are still encouraging.

Portable speakers need to be small and light enough to carry around, and powerful enough to be able to sustain the mood in a hotel room. I have seen some devices worth mentioning, but the one I'm talking about marks a comfortable equilibrium. Yes, the Stripy Music Studio speakers can be your perfect travel companion – they are small, stylish (very important) and offer great sound. They are ideal for your office computer too.

The speakers comprise two satellites and a volume hub. The satellites incorporate a cool swivel design that allows you to focus sound in any direction. Or you can just keep them upright. I like the compact form factor, but I don't like the fact that they can't be charged for remote playback. No electricity, no music. This sucks, so kindly look elsewhere if you plan to go camping.

Each satellite has room at the bottom to store the cables running out of them. Talking of cables, you may constantly run the risk of entangled wires. All the connections are hosted on the volume hub; three of them actually. This includes inputs from each speakers, and one DC slot for the power.

I like the cool purple ring that illuminates when the speakers are powered on. All you need to do is press and hold down the white dome on the volume hub until it turns purple. This also happens to be the volume knob: press it once and it will turn blue, and you can control the bass level. Green means treble.

That's all there is to these speakers really. A 3.5mm plug allows you to listen to music on MP3 players, your phone if it takes a 3.5mm jack, or, as I mentioned earlier, your computer. Both left and right speakers come with 1.5m cables.

As far as the performance is concerned, you may be impressed or not based on what you're looking for. The speakers are virtually incapable of driving a strong bass response; that's not what they're all about. For this purpose alone, I tested them with a loud bunch of friends out of the city. The speakers delivered more than what we bargained for.

The sound is loud, but jars when cranked up real high. Clarity is good, and mids are quite satisfactory. In a quiet neighborhood, you will find that the speakers can deliver better sound – the sound does seem to reproduce pretty well at moderate volumes. This is why I don't recommend that you take these speakers along to any event where plenty of loudmouths are invited.

The highs easily overshadow the lows, but you can control that, if only to a degree. To test the clarity on these small speakers, I played a movie on my iPod... and boy, did it rock! You can watch movies, listen to music... so what else would you need?
Stripy Music Studio is not only stylish, but functional as well. If you travel a lot, and miss listening to your music while staying in an assortment of hotel rooms, pick these up – you can let them play as you drift off to sleep. The speakers look good, are durable, deliver decent sound, and cost Rs 3,000. If this fits your budget, go for it.

Sony Unveils New iPhone, iPod Dock

Designed for bedrooms, studio apartments or college dorm rooms, Sony has unveiled its latest clock radio with a dock for the iPod and iPhone. The device features a wireless remote with full access to the iPod and iPhone devices' menus (the iPhone handset must be in iPod mode), as well as to alarm clocks, radio tuning and volume functions. It also charges the device while docked. An adjustable backstop mechanism ensures that most devices fit snugly and securely in the clock radio's cradle. It's also compatible with the smaller iPod players. Because of its supplied cable and line-in jack, other digital music players can be easily connected to the unit.

Sony's ICF-ClipMK2 clock radio also has a full-function alarm clock. Users can choose to wake up or fall asleep to music, the radio or a buzzer. When first powered on, the Automatic Time Set (ATS) feature will display the correct time (formats and time can be changed to other time zones as well). The unit also has automatic Daylight Savings Time adjustment. Adjustable brightness control over the LCD display provides easy readability.

The ICF-ClipMK2 clock radio comes in both black and white designs. It will be available in May for about Rs. 3,996 ($100) at Sony Style stores and at authorized dealers in the US.

XFX Introduces 9600 GT in India

XFX today announced the arrival of its latest premium product XFX GEFORCE 9600 GT.

This new card supports next-generation GeForce graphics with PureVideo HD technology, which enables the PC to play HD DVD and Blu-ray video playback with brilliant clarity. This card is also the first product in the 9600 GT series to offer up to 90 percent greater performance than any GeForce card in its class. It supports Microsoft DirectX 10 support, NVIDIA’s Quantum Effects technology, Lumenex engine as well as Unified Architecture ensuring optimium game performance.

It standard runs at a core speed of 650 MHz, with XFX overclocked versions available in the Extreme and XXX editions pushing 680 MHz and 700 MHz. The 9600 GT is HDMI capable with the use of HDMI certified components. The 9600 GT XXX edition is fully HDMI certified and includes a HDMI component kit and Company of Heroes DVD as a bonus game bundle.

The 9600 graphics card is available with Rashi Peripherals and its nationwide branches across India at an estimated street price of Rs. 13990 with a 3 year warranty.

LG Shine Now in Titanium

Following the success of the LG Shine handset within the Black Label Series, LG has unveiled a new addition - the LG Shine Titanium color variant in bar and Slider form factors. LG Shine Titanium boasts of being the only phone in the market sporting a Titanium finish metal body. It incorporates the same features as the original LG Shine handset.

Anil Arora, Business Group Head, GSM said, “The new colours of Shine Slider will extend our success of the Shine series and will appeal to consumers who want their phone to say something about their personality. LG Shine color variants will magnify the modern style and chic image of the consumers, while the forthcoming premium handsets with unique design variations promise to be even more desirable, adding technology enhancements to unbeatable design.”

The LG Shine with new color variants has a 2 mega-pixel auto focus camera certified by Schneider Kreuznach and an expandable memory up to 1 GB with microSD cards. Access to Shine’s menu system is by an easy-to-use multi-function scroll key. It has a wide 2.2-inch mirror LCD screen and supports GPRS and EDGE network compatibility, Bluetooth with A2DP and USB connectivity. It also has applications like Yogasanas for health conscious people, E2E dictionary, E-mail and Document Viewer.

LG Shine Titanium Shine Bar will be available for Rs. 8,290 and the slider variant will be available for Rs. 12,490. Also the shine silver bar variant is now available for Rs. 7,990 and silver slider for Rs. 11,990.

Gigabyte Introduces Powersaving G31 Motherboards

GIGABYTE has announced the launch of the G31 Series of motherboards based on the Intel G31 chipset. These motherboards use the Dynamic Energy Saver technology and deliver huge power savings and better power efficiency to computers. Two models will be available in this series – GA-EG31M-S2 and GA-EG31MF-S2.

"GIGABYTE Dynamic Energy Saver Series Motherboards are able to provide exceptional power savings of up to 70% improved power efficiency without sacrificing computing performance, our entry model GA-EG31M-S2 is DES compliant", said Rajan Sharma, General Manager – MB and VGA BU – Gigabyte India.

The motherboards from the G31 Series are compatible with high-end processors including Intel Core 2 multi-core and 45nm processors and come equipped with a dual Channel DDR2 800 memory which gives performance to the most demanding applications on your PC. It also has the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 that supports Microsoft DirectX 9.0 and Windows Vista Aero experience, which improves realism and delivers excellent graphics performance. The EG31M-S2 Series also has the Ultra Durable2 design for its CPU VRM (Voltage Regulator Module). This ensures better cooling, lower power loss and longer lifespan for computers in daily operation, and boosts system stability under extreme conditions.

The Gigabyte GA-EG31M-S2 is priced at Rs. 5500 while the GA-EG31MF-S2 is priced at Rs. 6000. The motherboards are distributed by Avnet (India), Ingram Micro and Redington.

Samsung Adds Soul to Ultra Mobile Range

Samsung’s new handset – the Soul, or Spirit Of Ultra – is the latest addition to its Ultra Series. This 3G, HSDPA-enabled, quadband slider is just 12.9mm thick and has a stylish metallic finish. It’s equipped with Magical Touch by DaCP, which is a unique navigation panel under the 2.2 inch QVGA, 16 million color screen.

Magical Touch navigation is essentially a miniature display panel that adapts in sync with the function you’ve selected. The icons change according to the function. For instance, if you have a video playing on the screen, the icons would depict functions like Rewind, Forward, Play and Pause, using the universal symbols for the same.

Other features include a 5 megapixel camera with face detection, image stabilizer and Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), Bluetooth with A2DP profile, integrated FM radio and a nifty music player that incorporates Bang & Olfusen’s ICEpower digital power amplification technology.

The GUI has undergone a bit of an upgrade in terms of look and feel, and now comes with themes that are more customizable. External memory is supported via microSD cards.

There’s no word on the official price yet, but the Soul should be available in Europe from April. Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long to show up in our part of the world.

Samsung Launches Another Music Phone

Samsung and Symbian seem a great combo. The two companies have decided it’s time they worked with each other, and have announced the tie-up in the latest Samsung SGH i450 mobile phone.

This is a music phone that runs on Symbian OS, v9.2 and S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1. The i450 is a dual slider phone that’s well equipped for audio playback as well as high speed Internet browsing (3.6 Mbps) though HSDPA.

The keypad slides out from the bottom of the i450 and a set of metallic speakers slide out from the top. The i450 is equipped with a touch-sensitive arch-like half-wheel that can be utilized for navigation when the phone is in landscape mode.

Once again, Bang & Olufsen have contributed their bit to Samsung’s music phone range with their ICEpower amplifier. The i450 may have just 35MB of internal memory, but this can be extended using microSD cards(up to 4GB).

The i450 is equipped with a 2 megapixel camera at the rear and a secondary VGA camera in front above the 2.4 inch LCD display (240 x 320 pixel resolution) for video calling.

The i450 was on display at the Symbian Smartphone Show in London on October 16 and 17. Price and availability are yet to be revealed.

Gigabyte Introduces 9600 GT 512 MB GPU

Gigabyte today announced the launch of their new graphics accelerator, the GV-NX96T512H-B. The new card features the GeForce 9600 GT chipset with 512 MB GDDR3 memory, 64 stream processors as well as support for HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection). The new product is compatible with the new PCI Express 2.0 bus architecture, is equipped with DirectX 10 support and adopts the latest Unified Shader architecture with full support for SM 4.0.

The new card features NVIDIA's latest advanced technologies including GigaThread technology, which, through the use of a massively multi-threaded architecture, is able to create thousands of independent, simultaneous threads, providing processing efficiency for advanced, next generation shader programs. Additionally, the GIGABYTE GV-NX96T512H-B supports NVIDIA’s Quantum Effect technology, enabling a new level of physics effects to be simulated and rendered on the GPU. The card also features the Lumenex engine, which introduces 16x Anti-aliasing and 128-bit floating point High-Dynamic-Range (HDR), for ultra realistic rendering of lighting effects.

The GV-NX96T512H-B is available for Rs. 12,500

Motorola May Release RAZR V9 Ferrari Limited Edition

With all of the hub-bub on the MOTO front with executives coming and going and re-working the company's mobile handset division, Motorola is still managing to hook up with the big names like Ferrari and apparently launch a few Limited Edition handsets with the renowned car maker.

The MOTO Z8 Edition was launched somewhere at the end of last year and this 'souped' up RIZR Ferrari colored handset came loaded with goodies that included videos, wallpapers and ringtones as well as a rather generous pre-registration to the official Ferrari website.

MOTO's latest, it seems, is the RAZR V9 that will also bear the famous Prancing Horse, and come with a lamb-skin case that will have the Ferrari logo. The handset's specs won't be any different. Some of the features include a 2MP camera, Bluetooth with A2DP, MicroSD card support and a secondary 2-inch semi-touch sensitive, external display.

The good news so far is that the handset just might make it to Asia but you know these darn Limited Editions cost a bundle. No price has been officially pinned to the handset yet.

Stay Tuned.

Porsche P'9521

The trend today is – if you have a big brand name, why not ‘mobilize’ it? Plenty of companies are doing it, from fashion houses like Prada and Christian Dior to watch makers like Tag Heuer. Even carmakers seem to be getting into it. Big names like Lamborghini, Ferrari, Hummer and now Porsche are, after conquering the roads, aiming for the airwaves. Porsche's P'9521 is out in India and I managed to get hold of one. It's been a long time coming, but it's here now and here’s what I have to say about it.

Form Factor
The P9521 Porsche Mobile is, well... not as you’d imagine one of their cars to be. If you’re thinking sleek, sexy, curvy, you couldn’t be more wrong. The P'9521 is more of a Cayenne and not a Carrera. It's actually handmade from a single block of Aluminum. Although that does give the handset a squared -off block shape, it also gives it a totally rugged and macho feel. It has a 1.1-inch AM-OLED screen with a 128 x 96 pixel ratio. It's made of Dark Mineral Glass that’s scratch resistant. The black shiny glass does give the handset a certain classy and elegant look and feel to it. Though of course, it’s a finger print magnet, but I doubt anyone’s going to complain.

The internal display is a brilliant 2.2-inch QVGA screen with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution. The display portion of the handset, although you won’t see it at first, can swivel around and be placed down over the keypad. Firstly this is to facilitate the use of the 3.2 megapixel camera that can only be activated in this mode and secondly it’s a whole lot more comfortable to watch videos like this. The reason being, when reversed it has an auto rotation feature that can flip the screen any which way you want while watching videos. The Biometric sensor for fingerprint scanning is located just under the screen and this too serves a dual purpose. For the camera it can be used to activate and navigate through the camera settings and for videos it can be used to skip or play and pause the file.

The keypad is totally flat and may take a bit of getting used to if you have fat thumbs, as it’s extremely responsive and you might end up pressing two keys simultaneously. But trust me, when you get the hang of it, and you will, you’ll find the texting so much better than most other handsets. It also has a light sensor to conserve energy. The camera lens is located at the rear of the handset and it also has 2 LED flashes that double as a really bright torch if necessary.

The P'9521 doesn’t have a Hot Swap Slot for the 2GB micro SD card it comes with and it’s not extremely easy to remove it either. Then again with 2GB, would you want to? I think not. The proprietary USB and handsfree port is located at the top of the handset and the camera key that can also be used to activate the audio player is located on the side. Below that is the Zoom/volume keys. The P'9521 phone also has 2 stereo speakers located on either side. Although it seems bulky, it weighs in at 139 grams which is not too bad.

Norge 75 Bookshelf Speakers

Norge is a brand that's weathered many a storm and taken on some fancy competition, yet never yielding to gimmicks or tall claims. The company makes only audio gear, such as stereo amps and speakers, so a lot of audio purists opt for Norge as the products are very reasonably priced. They're from India, not Norway, which probably explains how costs can be cut.

From what I've seen so far, most of Norge's gear fall in the band of decent-to-good, notwithstanding some obvious flaws. Do the new Norge 75 bookshelves offer any significant enhancements? Can decent sound can be achieved from a device whose cost runs into just four digits? I'm as curious as you are; so let's go ahead with our review.



Design and Features
These are classic bookshelf speakers with a basic straight-edged rectangular cabinet; the type that brings back memories of a bygone analog era. The cabinet is MDF, with a PVC coat of light oak. Though the beauty of PVC is arguably in the eye of the beholder, this one does look warm and rich.

The front panel is coated in black and supports the tweeter and woofer drivers, making this a two-way reflex design. The bass port is at the back, along with the most basic speaker connectors. The design is unpretentious, but some may want a jazzier look – perhaps some smooth curves to make things interesting. All that comes at a cost, so whatever we have is not bad.

The silk dome tweeter is 30 mm in size, while the woofer with a 'specially treated' cone is 5.5 inches. Encouragingly, the drivers are from Wavecor. The weight is 5.5 kg, which I think is on the lighter side.

Nokia Launches 2 New XpressMusic Handsets

Nokia has added two more devices to its music range of handsets: the 5220 and the 5320 XpressMusic.

"Today's additions to the XpressMusic range up the ante with new ways for consumers to access their media, as well as interact and share content with friends and communities anytime, anywhere," said Jo Harlow, Vice President, LIVE category, Nokia.

The 5320 features 3G social entertainment capabilities with Web 2.0 access. A new voice-controlled Say and Play feature lets you say the name of an artist or song to play it. Like other XpressMusic handsets, the 5320 also has dedicated music keys, and thankfully a 3.5mm audio jack. According to Nokia, the handset can deliver up to 24 hours of playback time.

Other features include an audio chip for hi-fi sound quality, extendable memory up to 8GB, HS-USB for fast music transfer, and HSDPA for fast access to data. This loaded handset has a full-featured Internet browser, access to Ovi, and Nokia Search 4.1, which allows users to find and share media content and information. It also allows for N-Gage gaming in the convenient landscape mode.

The other handset (Nokia 5220 XpressMusic) seems to have a bit of a lopsided design. No, it’s not your eyes playing tricks; the phone is actually designed that way. It has a built-in lanyard that makes it easy to carry around. Other features include dedicated XpressMusic keys, a 3.5mm audio jack, and support for external memory via microSD cards.

These handsets are equipped with 2 megapixel cameras and FM radios. Both are compatible with the recently launched Nokia Music Store, where consumers can choose from more than 2 million tracks and browse, download, stream and sync, either to a PC or side-load directly to a mobile device.

Nokia 5320 and 5220 XpressMusic are expected to begin shipping in the third quarter of 2008 with estimated retail prices of Rs 13,980 (€220) and Rs 10,166 (€160) respectively, before taxes and subsidies.

ROKR U9 in India

Motorola has launched the MOTOROKR U9 in India. The ROKR U9 was unveiled by Motorola's brand ambassador and international rocker and musician Wyclef Jean who presented the first ROKR U9 to Miss India World 2008 Parvathy Omanakuttan.

The ROKR U9, part of Motorola's music range of handsets is the upgrade to the PEBL and comes equipped with Motorola's CrystalTalk Technology, Bluetooth with an A2DP profile, an external touch semi-sensitive display (only for controlling audio) and a 2 megapixel camera. What makes this phone stand out from being just another Motorola handset is the external display that gives users the feeling that it's floating just under the surface of the handset. It supports animated screensavers as well.

The U9 comes with Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 and supports Windows WMAv10 plus Janus DRM, MP3, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ enhanced file formats. For PC connectivity it supports USB 2.0. It has 25MB internal memory and supports external memory via microSD cards (up to 4GB). Motorola Setup, Backup and Text allow easy setup of the device for Internet browsing, phonebook and text message backup over the air on to secure servers as a free service to users.

The price of the ROKR U9 has not yet been revealed so stay tuned.

Nokia Launches N81

Nokia's recently launched N81 and N81 8GB multimedia phones are now available globally. Designed specifically for music and gaming, these devices come with dedicated music and game keys and are loaded with memory so you can store more and play more.

The 3D Multimedia Menu introduced in these devices is the first step to bringing a new user interface to the Nokia Nseries range.

"Accessing your portable music and games collection is not enough anymore," said Jonas Geust, vice president, Multimedia, Nokia. "Today people want to be more in control of how and where they consume their digital entertainment. They want to discover new favorites and share them without being confined to one location – and it's devices like the Nokia N81 that facilitate this."

The Nokia N81 and Nokia N81 8GB also offer access to songs through the Nokia Music Store. And with their integrated Nokia Music Players, creating playlists and managing music collections on the move is simple. For enhanced sound quality, compatible high-quality headphones or speakers can be used with the standard 3.5mm headphone connector.

A preview of the N-Gage games service is also available in the devices, including playable demos of EA Sports FIFA 07, Asphalt 3: Street Rules, and Space Impact Light. After the launch of the N-Gage later this year, the full N-Gage application will be available for download. Players can then sample all N-Gage games for free and buy the ones they want.

The estimated retail price of the Nokia N81 is 360 Euro before subsidies or taxes. The 8GB version is expected to retail for 430 Euro before subsidies or taxes.

Motorola and Kodak Handset Seems to be Real

I mentioned a while back that Motorola and Kodak were planning on launching a 5 megapixel camera phone sometime soon and although it’s not yet completely official a few images of the device have been leaked and according to the grapevine the handset is going to be called the ZN5.

Apart from the obvious camera of 5 megapixels (auto-focus natch) it would also have a Xenon flash and a secondary LED for video. This cameraphone would also be able to capture images in RAW format, which is not something to sneeze at. The ZN5 is also said to be quite a slim handset at about 11.8mm thick and will come equipped with a 3.5mm earphone socket, TV out and USB (hopefully not proprietary in any way) slot. It will run on a Linux based OS probably like the MING and should also have a keypad similar to the ROKR E8 which changes according to the features.

There's still no pricing or official release date for the handset, so stay tuned.

Microsoft, Sony Ericsson Enter Alliance

Sony Ericsson on Sunday announced a new premium handset aimed at capturing the web convergence market, blending multimedia with mobile web communication in its first product using Microsoft Corp.'s operating system.


The Xperia X1 will launch in the second half of 2008 and will be sold worldwide, including in the United States.

It marks the first time Sony Ericsson is using Microsoft Windows Mobile in a departure from its collaboration with Symbian, an open operating system that's partly owned by Sony Ericsson.

Executives said their focus was on the user experience, not the operating system, and said that many Sony Ericsson signature features, including a patented nine-panel interface, had been built on top of the Windows operating system.

Sony Ericsson executive Steve Walker said Microsoft Mobile was the "ideal" platform for the X1.

"In the case of the X1, Microsoft gives us an opportunity to build on," Walker said. But he said that did not necessarily mean that subsequent handsets in the Xperia sub-brand would be based on Microsoft.

The handset features an arc sliding mechanism with a 3-inch-wide DVD-quality video display, a full keyboard alongside a touchscreen, and optical device for navigation.

Sony Ericsson executives declined to give pricing on the handset or say how many it plans to ship.

The partnership was announced on the eve of the Mobile World Congress, the largest wireless industry conference bringing together more than 50,000 industry executives from some 1,300 companies.

"With Sony Ericsson we are now working with the top five handset makers around the world," Microsoft product manager John Starkweather said in an interview before the Barcelona wireless conference.

Samsung, Motorola Inc. and LG all ship cell phones with Microsoft Mobile, while Nokia Corp., the largest handset maker by volume, incorporates some Microsoft technology, including Windows Media Player.

Microsoft expects to ship 20 million new phones using Windows Mobile in the fiscal year that ends June 30, Starkweather said.

Logitech Announces Speakers for Gamers

Logitech today expanded the G-series of PC gaming peripherals, with the Logitech G51, a 5.1 speaker system featuring 360-degree surround sound with dual Matrix modes for a more immersive gaming experience.





Using Logitech's proprietary Matrix surround sound technology, the G51 speakers split the audio signal into six channels of sound, without degrading the audio quality. That means, even if their game doesn't provide six-channel audio, people can enjoy it anyway. As a result, gamers can gain the competitive advantages of surround sound - first-person-shooter gamers; for example, can now hear enemies creep up behind them. If they're being shot at, they'll know what direction the bullets are coming from.

With 155 watts of total RMS (root mean square) power, the G51 speakers feature Frequency Directed Dual Driver (FDD2) technology, which produces a uniform sound field by housing two drivers in each satellite. FDD2 overcomes high-frequency overlap that leads to uneven sound - a major barrier to dual driver speakers in the past. The result is uniform, intense sound from any place in the room. And with laser-tuned audio drivers, the speakers provide clear audio with less distortion.

G51 Surround Sound Speaker System is available at a suggested retail price of Rs. 12,995 with a warranty of 2 years.

List of computer hardware manufacturers

Cases / Chassis
List of computer case manufacturers:

Akasa
Antec
AOpen
AplusCase
Arctic Cooling
ASUS
Chassis Plans
Chieftec
Cooler Master
Enermax
Foxconn
Gigabyte Technology
HEC Compucase
Intel
Lian Li
NZXT
IXIUM
RAIDMax
SilverStone Technology
Sunbeam Tech
Supermicro
Thermaltake
Ultra Products
Zalman




CD/DVD
AOpen
ASUS
Philips-Lite-On Digital Solutions (PLDS) (PBDS before Lite-On's acquisition of BenQ's optical drive division)
Hewlett-Packard
Hitachi-LG Electronics Data Storage (HLDS)
Panasonic
Pioneer
Plextor
TEAC
Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology (TSST)
Sony-NEC (Sony NEC Optiarc)




Central processing units
List of x86 central processing unit manufacturers:

AMD
Intel
VIA Technologies
Other architectures:

ARM Limited (ARM)
IBM (POWER)
Marvell Technology Group (ARM)
Sun Microsystems (SPARC)
Texas Instruments (ARM)




Controller cards
3ware
Adaptec
Areca
HighPoint Technologies
Promise Technology
Supermicro
Tekram




Digital video interface
AJA Video Systems
BlueFish444
DELTACAST




Display screens
List of computer display manufacturers:

3M
Apple Inc.
Acer
AG Neovo
ASUS
BenQ
BTC Korea Co., Ltd. (brand name NFren)
Chassis Plans
Chi Mei
Dell
Eizo
Hewlett Packard
IC Power
LG Electronics
NEC
Philips
Samsung
Sharp
Sony
ViewSonic
Westinghouse




Graphics cards
AOpen
ASUS
ATI Technologies
BFG Technologies
Chaintech
Club 3D
Colorful
eVGA
EPoX
Foxconn
Gainward
Gigabyte Technology
HIS
Inno3D
Jetway
Leadtek
Matrox
MSI
Palit
PNY Technologies
Point of View
PowerColor
Sapphire Technology
Sensoray
Universal abit
XFX



Graphics chipsets
ATI Technologies
NVIDIA
S3 Graphics
Intel
Silicon Integrated Systems



Hard disks
List of hard disk manufacturers:

ExcelStor Technology
Fujitsu
Hitachi GST
Samsung
Seagate Technology (also Maxtor)
Toshiba
Vantec hard disk enclosure
Western Digital
List of defunct hard disk manufacturers




Keyboards
List of keyboard manufacturers:

Alps
A4Tech
BTC
Chassis Plans
Cherry
Chicony
Fujitsu Siemens Computers
Genius
Ideazon (Zboard)
Key Tronic
KeyScan
Labtec
Samsung
Logitech
Microsoft
Mitsumi
mahendra Ltd
Saitek



Loudspeakers
List of computer speaker manufacturers:

Altec Lansing
Bose
Creative Labs
Edifier
Harman Kardon
JBL
Klipsch
Logitech
Midiland (out of business?)
Trust



Mice
List of mouse manufacturers:

A4Tech
Creative Technology
i-ball
Logitech
Microsoft
Mikomi
Mitsumi
OCZ Technology
Razer USA Ltd
Trust




Modems
List of modem manufacturers:

3Com
Aopen
Agere (formerly Lucent)
Motorola
Rosewill
U.S. Robotics
ZyXEL




Motherboards
List of motherboard manufacturers:

Abit
AOpen
Arima (Flextronics)
ASUS
ASRock
Advansus (Industrial Motherboards)
BFG Technologies
Biostar
Chassis Plans
Chaintech Ceased manufacturing motherboards.
DFI
ECS (also PCChips)
EPoX
eVGA
FIC
Foxconn, manufacturer of Intel motherboards
Gigabyte
Intel
Jetway
Magic-Pro
MSI
Sapphire Technology
Shuttle
Soyo
Supermicro
Tyan
Universal abit (ABIT)
VIA
XFX



Network cards
List of network card manufacturers:

3Com
Belkin
Broadcom (chipset maker)
CNet Technology
D-Link
Intel
Linksys
Netgear
Realtek (chipset maker)
SMC Networks
Via Technologies (chipset maker)
Zoom Technologies
Aztech




Pendrives
List of USB flash drive manufacturers:

AMKETTE
SanDisk
Kingston
Sony
Transcend
IBALL
TREK
ORCHID
PQI
SENSEI
VERICO
Seagate
Quantum
Umax



Power supplies
List of power supply unit manufacturers:

Akasa
Antec
Channel Well Technology
Chieftec
Codegen Technology
Cooltek
Cooler Master
Corsair Memory
Enermax [1]
FSP Group (Fortron Source brand)
Gigabyte
HEC Compucase
Hiper
LC-Power
linkworld
Mushkin
NesteQ
Nexus
OCZ Technology Computer Memory
PC Power and Cooling Power Supplies
Rosewill
Seasonic
Seventeam
SilverStone Technology
Tacens
Tagan Technology
Thermaltake
Trust
Tuncmatik Iyi Elektrik
Vantec
Xilence
Zalman



Printers
List of printer manufacturers:

Brother
Canon
Olivetti
Epson
HP
Lexmark
OKI
Dell
Samsung
Konica Minolta
Xerox
TVS| TVS Dot Matrix Printers



RAM
List of RAM manufacturers:

Apacer
Adata
Centon Electronics
Corsair Memory
Elpida Memory
Fujitsu
G.Skill
Hynix
Hyundai
Infineon
Kingston Technology
Kyocera
Micron Technology - Manufacturer of Avant, Crucial, K-Byte & Spectek brands
Mushkin
Novatech Solutions
OCZ Technology
Patriot
PQI
Qimonda
Rambus
Renesas Technology
Samsung
Sony
Supertalent
Toshiba
Transcend
Tyan



Solid-state drives
Adata
BiTMICRO
Fusion io
HyperOS Systems
Lexar
Memoright
Mtron
PNY
PQI
Samsung Electronics
SanDisk
STEC, Inc.
Super Talent Technology
Transcend



Scanners
List of Image scanner manufacturers:

Canon
Epson
Fujitsu
HP
Microtek
Mustek Systems
Ricoh
Umax
KeyScan



Sound cards
List of sound card manufacturers:

ASUS
C-Media
Creative Technology
E-MU Systems
M-Audio
Razer USA Ltd
RME
TerraTec
Turtle Beach Systems
VIA Technologies



TV tuner cards
List of TV tuner card manufacturers:

ASUS
AVerMedia Technologies
Elgato
Hauppauge
TerraTec
TechnoTrend AG
KWorld Computer
Leadtek
LifeView
Pinnacle Systems
Prolink Microsystems



Webcams
List of webcam manufacturers:

Creative Technology
Genius
Intel
Labtec
Logitech
Microsoft
Philips
Trust

LG Officially Launches the KF510 Globally

We said it would be out in March and here it is, LG’s KF510 has been launched globally today, but don’t expect it on shelves so soon. With it’s dazzling color gradations of Stardust Dark Gray and Sunset Red on the full metal exterior, smooth slider and of course gleaming LED lights of the navigation touchpad.




This slim slider is just 10.9mm thin. It has a 2.2 inch TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and 256k colors. Its other features include a 3 megapixel autofocus camera with a flash and image stabilizer technology, Bluetooth with an A2DP profile, a media player for audio and video and an FM radio. It also supports external memory via microSD cards and supports EDGE and GPRS.

What makes this phone really stand out are the LED lights on the touch sensitive navigation pad. The KF510 uses a new ‘Interactive Touch Lighting’ system that is animated in sequence to the features being used on the phone. The handset also has an Auto Luminance Control (ALC), which self-adjusts to the brightness of the LED screen.




"With its sleek aesthetic and superior technology, it will appeal to many discerning consumers that value both style and substance." said Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

LG-KF510 will be available at most major mobile retailers in regions including Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, from April. Sadly no price tag seems to have been disclosed yet.

HardCopy IT

HardCopy IT – 1:2 Portable, HDD Duplicator



HDD capacities are increasing, thus, HDD imaging needs are increasing. Keep up the pace with VOOM’s state-of-the-art technology that breaks the speed barrier. Perfect for porting to new drives, HDD back-up, PC roll-outs, secure wipe of confidential data, and more. The HardCopy IT provides professional-class duplication/wipe capabilities at entry-level pricing.



Lightweight and easy to use, the HardCopy IT clones HDDs at up to 5.5 GB/min., requiring minimal training; designed with 2-line LCD instructions/status and VOOM’s renown 3-button interface. SmartImage feature allows even faster imaging – duplicates file system and files only (works with NTFS and FAT). Includes wipe feature that can be set for entire drive wipe or post-clone wipe.



This quality-engineered product is based on VOOM’s proven HardCopy forensic technology, trusted worldwide in the computer forensics market – the most demanding HDD imaging market. VOOM IT! with confidence . . . and do what you do best, even better.



[HardCopy IT Brochure]

HardCopy IT Capabilities

Image ATA drives at up to 5.5 GB per minute
Clone – exact block for block duplicate
Smart Image – copies only file system and files/ works with NTFS or FAT
Complete wipe – speed up to 5.5 GB/min
Post-clone image wipe – if destination drives(s) are larger than source, set to wipe remaining blocks
Benefits

Cut your imaging time in half
Very light weight less than a pound, plus the laptop style power supply
Manual is included, but it is so easy to use that most users never open the manual
Designed and built with Voom’s proven HardCopyTM forensic technology already in use worldwide for safe, fast and secure duplication

Sony to Sell Golf Ball-sized Speakers

The new speakers from Sony are as tiny as golf balls but deliver the big, robust sound of a top-notch home-theater sound system.

The roughly cube-shaped speakers, to go on sale in Japan next month, measure just 1.7 inches on each side, Sony Corp. spokeswoman Eiko Sato said Thursday.

The 90,000 yen ($870) system includes five golf ball-sized speakers as well as a bigger, 17 inches tall box for the amplifier and subwoofer, a feature for producing bass sounds.

The Home Theater System HT-IS100 will go on sale in North America and Europe, but pricing and dates aren't decided yet. The technology for achieving the miniature size cannot be disclosed, Sato said.

The system connects to TVs, Blu-ray disc recorders, Sony's PlayStation 3 video game consoles and other gadgets, according to Sony.

Free Dynamic and Static DNS Services and Domain Name Servers

List on this page are free DNS services that provide your site with nameservers, whether your site has a static IP address or whether it has a dynamic IP address.

If you need reliable DNS services and don't want to rely on free services, or you need more sophisticated DNS services for load balancing, you might want to check out a commercial service like EasyDNS. Besides the more advanced DNS services provided, commercial DNS services typically also have numerous redundant name servers located in separate locations, thus potentially making the service more reliable.
What are Static/Dynamic DNS and Why Do I Want Them?

When you host your website on a commercial or free web host, you usually get a static IP address for your website - that is, an IP address that doesn't change. (IP addresses are the like street addresses on the Internet.) Although web hosts typically provide the name servers for your domain name hosted on their servers, you may sometimes want to outsource your DNS so that you can freely manage your own domain names (such as when you want the freedom to create new subdomain names that reside on different web hosts). Some people outsource their DNS because they have numerous servers in diverse locations answering to the same domain name (for load balancing) - they have more sophisticated DNS needs than the typical site (in this case, they may want something known as round robin DNS). Still others simply don't want to put all their eggs in one basket.

Dynamic IP addresses usually occur when a website is hosted on someone's personal computer, and that computer is only connected to the Internet when the owner connects to his/her ISP. The ISP gives that computer an IP address that is different everytime it connects. If this is your situation, you will need a dynamic DNS service that will update their nameservers with your new IP address each time you log on.

Another use for free DNS services like those listed below is when you have registered your own domain name in order to reserve it for future use, but don't have a website to point it to (yet). Some of the free DNS services allow you to park your domain at any of your existing websites.
Related Pages

* Free Web / URL Redirection Services
* How to Register Your Own Domain Name
* Tips on Choosing Your Own Domain Name
* How to Install and Configure the Apache Web Server on Windows
* How to Install and Configure PHP 4 on Apache for Windows
* How to Add CGI Script Support to Apache on Windows

Disclaimer

The information provided on this page comes without any warranty whatsoever. Use it at your own risk. Just because a program, book, document or service is listed here or has a good review does not mean that I endorse or approve of the program or of any of its contents. All the other standard disclaimers also apply.
Free DNS Services and DNS Servers for Static and Dynamic IP Addresses

FreeDNS - Free DNS, Dynamic DNS, Static DNS New

FreeDNS provides free dynamic and static DNS. You can create DNS entries for an unlimited number of domains and up to 20 subdomains per account. Subdomain names from your domain, unfortunately, are also free for others to use for their websites. If you set your status to "Private", others will still be able to use subdomains from your domain name, but you'll be allowed to screen them. Note though, even before you accept or reject the application, that website will be "live" on the Internet. This service also provides web redirection, including URL cloaking.
The Public DNS Service

This is one of the oldest and longest running free DNS services providing 2 name servers for your website. If you need a name server or two for your site, and don't wish to use your web host's name servers or pay for commercial DNS services, try this one. Managing your domain records require some expertise though, since they do not provide you an easy interface like some of the other free and commercial DNS servers. However, you really get to control nearly every aspect of your domain records. You can add A records, CNAME records, MX records and nearly everything else that can go into the name server records for your domain You can have unlimited number of domains here. Note: they rely on donor hardware and connectivity for their name servers.
Mydomain and MyDNS Domain Name Services

They provide free DNS services for your domain name, free email forwarding, free URL redirection for your domain (with or without cloaking/stealth, with path forwarding), free parking, the ability to change your MX records, A records, SOA records, etc.
EveryDNS

EveryDNS provides static DNS services, dynamic DNS resolution, redirection of your domain name to an existing URL, etc. Although the service is free, they solicit donations to support their services.
DYNU Dynamic DNS Service

This dynamic DNS service will allow you to host your own website, FTP, email, telnet, chat server on your own machine. You get a subdomain name (yourname.dynu.com) and a small program which will inform the DNS server whenever you're online as to which IP address you're at.
Yi.org Dynamic DNS and Web Redirection

Want dynamic DNS or web redirection? You get subdomains like yourname.whyi.org, yourname.yi.org, yourname.weedns.org, yourname.b0b.com which you can point to any IP address you like, and a URL (eg, yi.org/yourname/) which you can redirect to any URL.
DynDNS

You can get up to 5 subdomain names like yourname.dyndns.org which you can redirect to either a static or dynamic IP address. Alternatively, they also provide URL or web redirection where you can get hostnames (subdomains of domain names like doesntexist.org, webhop.net, webhop.org, etc) that are redirected to your actual URL. I'm not sure if there are any advertisements imposed on your site when you use their web redirection service.
ZoneEdit

ZoneEdit allows you to get free DNS services for 5 domains, provided your domains do not get a lot of traffic (according to their FAQ, "a lot" means something like a million hits per year or 200MB worth of traffic per domain; note this is 200MB worth of DNS queries, not the bandwidth used by your web pages). You can also forward your email, park your domains, and run websites on your own computer with their dynamic DNS services.
No-IP Dynamic DNS, Static DNS for your Dynamic IP

No-IP offers you Dynamic DNS so that you can run your websites from your own computer. They also provide you with a short hostnames (like yourname.hopto.org) that you can redirect to your existing website, ie, URL redirection. They also redirect email sent to you@yoursite.no-ip.com to up to three email servers/addresses of your choosing. You can have up to a maximum of 5 subdomain names here.

Fly SX100

Slim and sleek mobiles rule the roost these days when it comes to making fashion statements. Though manufacturers may design some really cool-looking and stylish handsets, it remains to be seen how well they work. The SX100 is one such handset, and I put it through its paces to see if it lives up to expectations.

Form Factor
The SX100 is a looker all right. It has a sleek, elegant appearance and feel. At just 11mm thick it’s slim enough to carry in a credit card compartment in your wallet. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I’m sure some of you would get that impression too. It has a decently sized 1.7 inch display with a 220 x 176 pixel resolution. The keys may seem a bit thin, but it’s not a problem even for those with plump digits. The five-way nav-pad is great for navigating menus.


On one side is a proprietary USB/handsfree slot. Thankfully, the Fly has provided a converter to 3.5mm so you can use your own earphones... and it does make quite a difference using your own earphones. A dedicated camera key that activates the 2 megapixel camera with an LED flash is located on the same side at the bottom. On the other side are the volume/zoom keys.


The SX100 supports external memory and although the compartment for the microSD card may not be accessible from the outside, you won’t need to remove the battery to get to it as it’s just under the cover. Happily, even the SIM can be removed without touching the battery.

Features and Performance
The SX100 is a decently loaded phone. It has easy-to-navigate menus and a clear interface. The menu styling can be customized and selecting items form various sub-menus is quick. All the regular features of a basic phone are intact, including a calendar for keeping dates and memos as reminders, and a separate to-do List option.


Other features include an alarm, world clock, calculator, unit converter, stopwatch and even a health feature to calculate BMI and bio-rhythm (not that anyone would use these functions, but hey, they’re there just in case). It also has a flight mode and a file manager option for locating data. Video and picture caller ID are supported.


From the media angle there's a music player with nine EQ presets and a repeat and shuffle mode. As for the quality, well, using your own earphones makes a difference. The sound is adequately loud but not spectacular. It sounds a bit like you’re in a large hall, on any setting. The bundled video player is okay. What I was quite unhappy about was the FM radio's pick-up – I was unable to get a clear signal during much of my commute, and the AMR recordings from radio were quite inaudible. There's a voice recorder and melody composer for making ringtones, apart from a few games. The loud speakerphone is a plus

CeBIT 2008: SE Unveils Stylish Slider

Sony Ericsson has unveiled the T303, an attractive phone that is small with a high-end feel as it has a mirrored screen, metal housing and chrome finish. This slider has features that include Bluetooth and USB connectivity, Sony’s TrackID feature and an integrated FM radio. It also supports GPRS. The T303 is equipped with a 1.8 inch display that has a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to support any external memory.




"The T303 is a great addition to the Sony Ericsson T-line of products, combining premium finish and materials with a good feature-set to deliver ‘style with substance’." said Lykke Tærsbøl, Senior Designer at the Sony Ericsson Creative Design Center. "Our aim was to create a phone that would function equally as a daily companion as well as something to show off on a night out."

The T303 will be available in selected markets from mid 2008, though there's no mention of any pricing yet.

Spice Corp Launches $20 Mobile Phone

Indian telecom company Spice Corp Ltd (SCL) has unveiled a no-frills mobile phone that will retail at about Rs 800 ($20) early April, the company's chairman said.

"Though we have taken various measures to reduce the cost price for the end user, it will be a technologically advanced instrument," claimed SCL Chairman BK Modi.

He said this product will prove that India is not only equipped to give the best of technology but even the cheapest at most competitive prices. Also, he didn't rule out the possibility of prices of such phones going down further.

The new voice-only phone was exhibited at a global expo in Barcelona in Spain Monday and evoked tremendous interest among mobile service providers from around the world, Modi said.

The phone does not offer a screen but will provide excellent voice clarity. An audio programme would announce the digits that are dialled to prevent errors. A Braille version will also be simultaneously introduced to benefit visually challenged users.

"Spice got nearly 40 MSPs inquiring about it at the expo itself. We have tied up with one Indian MSP to provide the phone as a package deal."

The service provider's name will be announced along with the phone launch in April this year.

Designed in India by Spice Corp Ltd, the new phone is being manufactured in China in partnership with Spice's Chinese partner.

Available in a range of attractive colours and compact and lightweight design, the phone will be compatible with all types of SIM cards currently available in the market and function on most connection types.

Within a year of launch, Modi was confident of selling between five to 10 million pieces. "Initially, we are targeting the entire Middle East, SAARC and ASEAN group of countries. Then we shall explore other markets."

He said that presently there is only 20 percent mobile penetration in India. "The remaining population has never set eyes on a mobile phone."

Worldwide, cheap mobile phones make up for nearly 20 percent of the total market. But more than half the world's population has never used a phone, so the demand potential is immense, Modi said.

The $1-billion Bombay Stock Exchange-listed SCL is an upcoming telecom company currently operating in two telecom circles – Karnataka and Punjab – and has applied for licences in other circles.

Logitech G51 5.1 Speaker System

Any product that comes into the Tech2.0 lab in bubble wrap gets a bonus point! Actually I wish it were that simple. If it's a familiar brand like Logitech we kinda know what we’re in for, especially when it comes to multimedia speaker systems.

We were aware that Logitech had released its G51 5.1 speaker system, which is specially targeted at gamers and PC users. Naturally, it was only a matter of time (a few days) since its release before we got our greedy paws on it...


Design and Features
Logitech's speaker aesthetics are in step with the times and, more importantly, so is their functionality. The system comprises five metallic-finish satellite speakers with slight bulges housing the lower driver. The exterior is black with a faint metallic luster, and with a chrome-colored plate on the bulge. The face bears the Logitech logo.

On opening the black cloth grilles, the satellite drivers are exposed – looking rather like alien eyes, straight out of some new-age RPG. These are dual 2-inch drivers, which Logitech refers to as ‘laser tuned’. The sub is all-black, with a downward firing 5.25 inch woofer. I like downward firing subs because of the increased ‘kickbutt’ factor.

The main part of the system is a control pod, typically available with all Logitech systems, though this one looks different; it's a bit like video game controller, again in black-and-chrome. It has a mute buttons, I/O for mics and phones, plus a largish round dial in the center to switch modes and control volume etc.

A 'Matrix' switch does the task of converting stereo to 5.1 surround, though if you want authentic surround-sound your soundcard must support 6 channel out, and of course the game should have surround-sound tracks.

The subwoofer has all the needed inputs/outputs, in a vertical array lined up on the left side of the back panel. The power rating of the system is 155 watts.

Motorola YUVA W270

Not everyone has the need for a mobile with everything in it. There are lots of people who simply need a phone to make and receive calls and messages. Of course, having some entertainment features isn't a bad thing. Motorola’s W270 is the perfect example of simplicity and style – with a few extras thrown in.

Form Factor
The W270 is quite a stylish phone for the entry level segment. Its shiny, reflective black exterior looks quite cool. Beneath the cool exterior lies a subtle alert in the form of 3 icons. A green icon that flashes when a call comes in or if you have a missed call, a blue icon for messages, and an orange icon for battery status. The W270 has a small 1.6 inch display that looks even smaller considering the empty space around it. Its resolution is 128 x 128 pixels with 65K colors.



While the keypad is large with a 5 way nav-pad and dedicated keys for the music player and FM radio, it also proved the biggest problem. For some strange reason, the keypad is so much slower than my fingers. To elaborate – I could type faster than the phone could process. And even then it gave me more errors than I care to talk about. The space key didn’t seem to function half the time. As you can imagine, messaging was a real b*tch! Of course, I'm willing to give Motorola the benefit of the doubt that the issue is only with this particular piece.



On one side of the W270 is a 2.5mm handsfree socket and on the other side is where you’ll find the standard miniUSB connector that doubles for PC connectivity as well as the charger. Just above is a dedicated key that will take you right to the multimedia menu. The volume keys are also on the same side. Unfortunately, the handset doesn’t come with a hot-swap slot for the microSD card, so you will have to remove the battery.

Features and Performance
As I said, the W270 is an entry-level handset with a few tweaks. It has a stereo FM radio, but lots of entry-level handsets (including Motorola's own W220) has it too. The pickup is just about okay. You can expect some static in a few places if you’re a daily commuter. The music player is actually quite good. It lacks options for music control, but the sound quality is better than average.




Other features include the usual – alarm clock, stopwatch, calculator and a calendar to save tasks or appointments. Thankfully the ringer and speaker phone are quite loud so you’ll always hear the alarm or phone even if you’re in another room.

Nokia E90 Communicator

Enter, the Big Daddy of all phones! The E90 may look like and perhaps feel like any other communicator, but is it really? The answer is a resounding NO! The previous models, although still quite popular in many arenas has nothing on this baby. With a combination of elegance, style and a sturdy demeanor, the new addition to the business i.e. "E" class of Nokia phones has promised to overshadow its predecessors. But whether or not it can actually live up to that is what we’re here to find out. So let's get to it.



Form Factor
Although the design is quite like any Communicators of yore, this one has a few upgrades. For example this is the first to have a fully functional ‘External Phone’ with a 16million color display and a resolution of 240x320 pixels. The reason I refer to it as an ‘External Phone’ is simply because it pretty much looks like any other Nokia phone inside some sort of shell. Whatever a normal S60 phone can do, the outer phone can do as well. No exceptions this time. This may also be the first time Nokia has placed the power switch on the side of the screen rather than on top.


The rear houses the 3.2 megapixel, Auto-Focus camera with a flash and the speakers. At the very bottom you'll notice a little flap, which is where the microSD card can be inserted. All you have to do is slide it open and insert the card. The bottom is where you’ll find the mini USB (2.0), charger pin and a 2.5mm earphone socket. What’s most noticeable are the two steel hinges. This is another factor that sets the E90 apart from the previous models. The steel hinges make the phone a lot sturdier and add a certain rugged appeal to it. On the side are 2 keys. The one on the top is a dedicated voice recorder key, and the one at the bottom just below the infrared sensor, is the shutter release key for the camera. However, it's not a dedicated key to activate it which is quite odd.

Flip it open and this is where all the magic happens. The large internal screen is what this phone is all about with a crystal clear resolution of 800x352 pixels and 16 million colors. On the sides of this fabulous screen are 2 pairs of keys. On the right just underneath the secondary camera is a set of call take and end keys and on the other side of the screen is a set of soft keys. But I don’t like the positioning too much as they’re a bit too far from the nav-pad, so you end up having to adjust your hold every now and again when selecting options.


The Full QWERTY keypad makes the E90 look like a miniaturized laptop. At the very top of the keypad Nokia has graciously provided us with direct shortcut keys to various functions and one key to call your own (Open key). There’s also a separate key to switch on the keypad light when it's dark and on the other side of the keypad is a five way Nave-Pad. So that’s it for the design of this big boy. Let's see what he’s capable of doing.

Intel Launches 3 New Motherboards

Intel has launched three new motherboards – the Intel Desktop Board DX48BT2 Extreme Series (formerly codenamed ‘Bone Trail 2’), the Intel Desktop Board DG35EC Classic Series (formerly codenamed ‘Eva Cove’), and the Intel Desktop Board D945GCLF Essential Series (formerly codenamed ‘Little Falls’).




According to Intel, the DX48BT2 Extreme Series board is designed for extreme gaming performance, and therefore unleashes the fastest native 1600 MHz front side bus and memory support. This helps it in providing powerful performance and extreme overclockability. This board supports Intel Core2 Extreme processors featuring quad or dual-core processing and a faster 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz FSB and is built with the Intel X48 Express Chipset with ICH9R. There are two DIMM sockets designed to support up to 4 GB of DDR3 1600 MHz memory or an option of four DIMM sockets designed to support up to 8 GB of DDR3 1333/1066/800 MHz memory. The board has 2 IEEE 1394a ports and 12 USB 2.0 ports, dual full-speed PCIe 2.0 slots + x4/x16 PCIe slot and 2 PCI expansion slots, and 6 SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports. Further included in the DX48BT2 board are Intel Matrix Storage Technology, and the Dolby Home Theater.

For mainstream users, the Intel Desktop Board DG35EC Classic Series board is built with performing integrated graphics supported on Intel architecture. Based on GMA X3500 integrated graphics, the board supports a range of processors including Intel Core 2 Quad and Intel Core 2 Duo processors. The integrated graphics and connectors meet a variety of digital needs including 1080p video playback for movie clips, media streams and the latest generation of HD videocameras, without the need for an add-in video card.

The final product release is aimed at a new category of computers called Nettops - a new family of affordable desktop computing devices purpose-built for Internet-centric usage models. The Intel Desktop Board D945GCLF integrates a microprocessor, chipset, motherboard, and heat sink into a single unit. The Intel Desktop Board D945GCLF will use the new Intel Atom Processor and will be available towards the second-half of the year.

Transcend Introduces 4GB aXeRam DDR2-1066

Transcend has introduced its 4GB aXeRam Extreme Performance DDR2-1066+ dual-channel memory kit designed specifically for overclocking in the Indian market. This kit includes a matching pair of 1066MHz tested and verified 2GB DDR2-1066+ modules, which provide dual-channel memory bandwidth of up to 17GB/s. The 240-pin unbuffered DIMMs included in the kit are each made of 16 high-quality 128Mx8 DDR2 DRAM chips.




This new product also includes support for Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP), which allow users to automatically configure EPP-enabled motherboards with aggressive memory settings for better memory and system performance, especially when using dual video cards.

Austin Huang, Regional Head - Sales, SAARC & AP, Transcend said, "We are responsive to our customer's evolving needs. Gamers, animators, and all power users have a strong appetite for powerful memory resulting in enhanced performance. Transcend's aXeRam memory will deliver amazing overclocking performance while maintaining rock-solid system stability."

The Extreme Performance kit carries a 3 year warranty. However the price of the product is not known as of right now. We will update it as soon as we have more information.

Computer Maintenance Tips

Santa may have brought you a new computer or peripheral for Christmas, but he didn't tell you how to take care of it. Now is a good time to get some good computer maintenance habits developed before you get yourself into trouble.

Ten tips to keep your computer running smoothly:

1. Never, never, turn your computer off with the power switch until Windows has shut down.

The one exception to this rule is when your computer locks up and your hard drive is not running (hard drive light is not blinking). In this situation, you can turn the power off without harmful effects to the hard drive. As cutting the power can also result in lost data or Windows files, you should only do this when you have to.

Following this rule will prevent permanent hard drive defects caused by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the drive disc, and it will prevent a host of Windows problems.
Whenever possible, recover from crashes by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time. Press them again to reboot your computer.

2. I highly recommend that you purchase an UPS (uninteruptable power supply) for your computer. This will keep your computer from crashing during power outages, and will protect your computer from low and high voltage occurrences.
An UPS is far superior to a surge protector and will save your computer from almost any power type of disaster. (See #1 above for what happens when your computer crashes.)

3. Backup, backup, backup, any data you cannot afford to lose to at least two separate physical drives. So backup data to floppies, Zip disks, CD-RWs etc.
The time to backup is when you create something you can't afford to lose. Don't wait until tomorrow.

4. Run Scandisk and Defragment at least once a month. This will keep your hard drive healthy and prevent crashes. Alternatively, purchase Norton Utilities and use it to keep your hard drive healthy.

5. Never unplug peripherals from the computer when it is powered up. Unplugging with the power on can short out the connector socket or the motherboard.

The only exception to this rule is if you know a peripheral is "hot pluggable". If you do not know what "hot pluggable" means then ignore this exception.

6. Do keep at least 100 MBs of your C: drive free for Windows to use. If you use Windows Me or Windows XP then you should have 200 MBs of free space on your C: drive.
If you do not have enough free space you will choke Windows and it will start dumping data to your hard drive, or it will just get really, really, slow.
Use the ADD/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to delete unneeded programs from your drive.
You can also use Cleansweep included in Norton Utilities to clean up your drive. If you do use Cleansweep or another hard drive cleaner, do not delete shared files unless you back them up. The cleaners do a rotten job of knowing if another program uses shared files.

7. Do not let a lot of programs load up when you start your computer. They use valuable memory and Windows Resources (Windows internal workspace).
All programs in your Windows System Tray (in the lower left of your screen) are running on your computer. Close them if you don't need them or run them and configure them not to load when you boot up.
Other programs running in the background can be found by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time.

8. Do use a virus checker regularly. Everyone should use a virus checker. The best type of protection is continuous monitoring from a dedicated anti-virus program like Norton Antivirus.
The second best thing is to use is the free online virus checker Housecall provided by Trend Micro.

9. If you have a high speed Internet connection you need a firewall program. A firewall program keeps those who want to hijack your computer from gaining access to your system. You really do not want someone else running your computer.
I suggest you purchase and run Norton's Personal Firewall program. Your firewall should boot up with your computer to protect it from invasion. A free personal firewall program is available from Tiny Software.

Case in point: When I run Windows Me for 10 hours or more with my DSL connection, my computer is usually attacked by a hacker at least once.
Do not think you are safe from hackers!! Hackers use search programs to seek out computers at random. Get a firewall program and use it.

10. Keep track of the software disks you receive with your computer and new peripherals. These disks contain valuable software drivers and programs for Windows and are needed when Windows must be reloaded. Keep these disks and your Windows software disks in a safe, dry, place -- you never know when you will need them.

Disney and Sharp to Launch Cinderella Mobile

Sharp has gotten together with cartoon legends Walt Disney and have created a new mobile handset to be launched sometime in the first week of June. The handset being called the DM002SH is a Cinderella-themed handset and will be equipped with Disney Mobility Services.




The DM002SH handset will feature an external OLED display (0.5 inches) and a large 2.6-inch WQVGA display with a 400 x 240 pixel resolution. It will support Bluetooth, external memory via MicroSD cards and come with 50MB of internal user memory. This Disney mobile will also have a 2 megapixel camera.

The Cinderella-themed mobile will be out in Clear Crystal, Brown Topaz, and Pink Diamond colors. The price is not yet out, so we’ll have to wait for a week or so. Stay Tuned.