Asus adds HD capable Eee Box models to line

December 3, 2008 – 4:27 pm

Asus has announced a pair of new Eee Box models called the Eee Box B204 and B206. The two new systems add some interesting features and capabilities to the Eee Box line.

Asus is calling the two machines the world’s smallest desktop PCs with HD capability. The two tiny Eee Box systems get their HD capability thanks to the addition of a discrete ATI Radeon HD 3400 series graphics card. The HD content is decoded with the video card and sent out to HDTVs via HDMI out on the rear of both models.

The B204 is the more interesting of the two new machines and offers up Bluetooth and a built-in battery that functions as an uninterruptable power supply. Neither of those features is offered on the B206. The remainder of the features between the two machines are the same.

Both sport Microsoft Windows XP Home, an Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB of HDD space, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and onboard Realtek ALC662 audio codec along with an optical audio out. Both systems also include a wireless remote control to allow access to content from across the room.

Asus is mum on pricing and availability for both the systems, but it should be cheap. This could make for one of the best HTPC systems around and would make for a heck of a good way to watch Hulu on the big screen in your living room. I hope that Asus has the issues with viruses and bum install discs fixed when the machines start to hit the market.

Source: Ars Technica

plehry | Systems & Servers | Comments (0)

JVC turns on the first 720p billboard in Times Square

December 3, 2008 – 4:27 pm

JVC 720p Billboard in Times Square

Is bigger always better? JVC’s new LED display in Times Square doesn’t have the size of Walgreens or Toshiba (and lets be real, no one is touching Dubai) but it is the first one in proper 720p (1280×720) resolution, no scaling or head tilting necessary here. After calling the crossroads of the world home since 1979, the new improved board lit up yesterday at 19 x 34-feet, capable of displaying 60fps with a mere 8mm pixel pitch ensuring things look good even close up. You can thank the same Clear Channel Spectacolor and D3 LED folks that were behind the Walgreens installation for this 12,500 lb screen, and we suppose you can also blame them for not letting us play some Call of Duty on it as well. Check the gallery or if you’re in the area just take a walk over for a new and better look.

Source: Engadget

plehry | 3D Graphics, Audio and HDTV | Comments (0)

Ads come to Battle.net as Activision monetizes free service

December 3, 2008 – 4:25 pm

Activision Blizzard has a very easy-to-understand business plan: monetize everything it can, as quickly as it can, across as many platforms as it can. The result is a strong slash-and-burn mentality when it comes to the games industry, and a new deal with Massive Inc. to sell ads in its games shouldn’t come as a surprise; in-game advertising isn’t a new idea. What’s frightening is the announcement that those ads are coming to Battle.Net. Don’t worry, it sounds like there are even more plans to turn Battle.net into a cash cow.

The good news is that the ads won’t be appearing in-game. “Through this relationship, Massive will serve advertising to a highly engaged audience that visits Blizzard Entertainment’s collection of heavily trafficked Web sites and plays using Battle.net, the company’s online game service with millions of active users,” the announcement stated. When StarCraft 2 is released, millions of gamers will be using Battle.net to set up games and chat with friends, and all those eyes are worth money. Who wouldn’t want to be reminded to upgrade your RAM or order a pizza while you’re on Battle.Net?

Battle.net Advertising

This move was hinted at back in October, when Diablo III’s Jay Wilson was quoted as saying, “We are looking to monetize Battle.Net so that we get to keep making these games and updating features. We kind of have to.” That led to much hand-wringing and speculation. Would we see microtransactions? Pay to play? Right now it looks as if the easiest way to make money off Battle.net is to place ads on the service, but this could be the first of many ways for Activision Blizzard to profit from the service.

Blizzard’s Rob Pardo spoke about some other future plans that don’t sound promising. “With Battle.Net we’re definitely looking at possible different features that we might be able to do for additional money… I think World of Warcraft is a great example to look at,” he stated. “We charge people if they want to switch servers or if they want name changes, things that aren’t core to the game experience, they’re really just optional things that some people want.” Be sure you really, really like the name you choose when the newly revamped Battle.net launches, in other words.

These new ideas and money-making schemes aren’t being shoehorned into the existing Battle.Net, as Activision Blizzard is hard at work creating a revamped version of the service for StarCraft 2 and Diablo III. That means that the team can start from the ground up and decide what services the company would like continue to give away for free, and which it would like to make for-pay.

The amount of eyes that will be on Battle.Net when these two upcoming games are released will be staggering. It’s somewhat depressing that instead of a blessing, Activision Blizzard sees that as an opportunity to maximize the earning potential of the service. Blizzard has long been known as one of the good guys in gaming, but it’s unclear how long Activision CEO Bobby Kotick will allow them to keep that reputation.

Source: Ars Technica

plehry | Games | Comments (0)

Logitech serves one-billionth mouse

December 3, 2008 – 4:24 pm

Logitech One Billionth Mouse

Look, we’re not going to go and get all sappy about Logitech shipping it’s billionth mouse. After all, we still prefer our fingers for pointing and keyboards for quick navigation around the ol’ computer. Still, a claim of one billion served is always notable, be it computer peripherals or hamburgers. Logitech’s very first mouse was the Logitech P4 introduced in 1982. For the very first mouse ever, you’ll have to contact Douglas Engelbart, its inventor. Or just click on over the break for pics of the P4 and Engelbarts original toothless sawblade.

Source: Engadget

plehry | CPUs, Boards & Components | Comments (0)

SQL-as-a-Service with CloudSQL bridges cloud and premises

December 3, 2008 – 4:22 pm

On Tuesday, software-as-a-service company Zoho announced CloudSQL: a new, cloud-friendly middleware layer giving cloud applications access to its SaaS reporting and database software, Zoho Reports. Though still in its early stages of development, CloudSQL will bridge the gap between software-as-a-service, cloud computing, and on-premises software by allowing cloud developers to access data on Zoho’s servers through web services, and on-premises developers to access it using SQL as if it were a conventional database.

Currently, CloudSQL can only use data from Zoho’s online reporting and data analysis service, Zoho Reports. Other Zoho services will be made available in the future, including Zoho CRM, and Zoho Creator, the company’s web application platform.

More intriguing is what Zoho wants to do after providing access to its own services; the company intends to extend the CloudSQL middleware so that it can be used to access non-Zoho data sources. The middleware will provide federated access to these various data sources, to give uniform access to disparate data stored within the cloud.

Zoho SQL Cloud

The data providers are not the only area where Zoho wants to provide interoperability. Applications will be able to query the data using SQL, the standard language for relational database data manipulation. As developers know all too well, although there is an ANSI standard for SQL, the implementations found in major databases are often only loosely based on this standard, with each vendor preferring its own proprietary SQL dialect. This is a common headache for programmers striving to make their application independent of the underlying database technology (and hence portable between different database vendors).

CloudSQL’s solution is to support all of the major SQL variants; ANSI, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, PostgreSQL, and Informix. Developers can thus use the variant that they’re familiar with (or even the code they already have) with CloudSQL. Though the SQL support is currently extremely limited—presently it supports read operations, but nothing that creates or modifies any data—if Zoho can pull this off, it should provide an interesting new way to solve the problem of database lock-in.

The final piece of the puzzle is the actual interface developers use to perform their queries. The web service interface is a natural fit for cloud applications as Zoho’s own proof-of-concept application, hosted on Google’s Python-based App Engine, demonstrates, but it may be less attractive for on-premises software. These programs are typically written using Java or .NET, and both of these environments have their own support for communicating with databases. To address this, Zoho is developing JDBC and ODBC drivers for CloudSQL. These will allow developers of Java and Windows/.NET applications to use data services accessed through CloudSQL as if they were regular databases, using all the same tools and techniques as they are used to.

CloudSQL is not the only database-like system for the cloud; Microsoft has SQL Server Data Services to provide web service-based access to a limited subset of SQL Server functionality, and Amazon has its SimpleDB providing non-SQL access. What sets CloudSQL apart is the level of interoperability it will provide. If it delivers all that is promised, it will be a unique data access service offering a highly compelling bridge between the world of on-premises software and in-cloud data.

Source: Ars Technica

plehry | The Online World | Comments (0)

Wee bit of trouble: Nintendo can’t trademark ‘Wii Remote’

December 3, 2008 – 4:21 pm

Oh, woe is Wii. Sure, Nintendo’s latest console is printing money, but it has a little problem on – or, rather, in – its hands: the US Patent Office has suspended a request by the company to issue a trademark for the “Wii Remote.”

GamePolitics reports the application was put on hold due to the fact that “remote” is such a widely-used term, but the USPTO is willing to compromise. As long as the word “remote” is always preceeded by the word “Wii” (in all marketing, manuals, etc.) and Nintendo admits it holds no trademark on the word “remote,” the government will reconsider.

Why not just go with “Wiimote,” something that we (not Wii) and, well, everyone else have been calling it from day one? GamePolitics points out that Nintendo did, in fact, try for that one – only to learn that a Florida company markets a TV remote for children under the name “Weemote.” D’oh. Perhaps Nintendo could take this opportunity to re-brand the controller? Think of the possibilities: the “WaggleWand,” the “GameBaton,” the … “Einhänder!” Oh, wait. Why don’t you give it a shot? (And, as the Superintendent says, “Keep it clean!”)

Source: Joystiq

plehry | Consoles | Comments (0)

SnorePro might stop you from snoring (but probably won’t)

December 3, 2008 – 4:20 pm

Snore Pro

We’ll level with you: the Snore Pro sets off a few snake oil alarms — it does, after all, claim to fix a problem that has been seemingly incurable from time immemorial. The device (which is not exactly cool looking) apparently has a two-pronged approach to help snorers kick the habit: first, it delivers an “electronic stimulation” to the wearer’s skin causing a sleep disturbance (which the company compares to a nudging spouse). Secondly, it claims to record each and every snore. The recorded data theoretically provides the user with feedback about their progress and gives them clues as to why and when they snore. We don’t know when it’s going to be available or how much it will cost, but we hope it’s less expensive than the weight loss pills and the real estate pyramid scheme software we just ordered.

Source: Engadget

plehry | Gadgets | Comments (0)

Microsoft: OpenOffice better than Google Apps

December 3, 2008 – 10:59 am

Steve Ballmer has insisted that OpenOffice is a far better rival to Microsoft’s Office than Google’s applications suite, and insisted that he isn’t worried about people skipping Vista and moving straight onto Windows 7

The Microsoft CEO, talking at the Gartners Inc conference, told the assembled audience that he did not consider Google the company’s biggest rival in terms of applications, in a market that Office currently dominates.

When asked about Google’s online applications, Ballmer said: “People don’t use it. People try Google Apps, they don’t use it. You can’t even put a footnote in a document!”

Very primitive

When pushed, Ballmer added that he felt Google has ‘very primitive’ capabilities. “We have better competition today than Google Docs and Spreadsheets. We get more competition from OpenOffice and StarOffice frankly.”

Ballmer also talked about the growing mood that Vista should be skipped in favour of its successor Windows 7.

“Our next release of Windows will be compatible with Vista. The key is let’s get on with it. We’ll be ready when you want to deploy Windows 7,” said Ballmer, who remains insistent that Windows 7 deserves its major release tag.

“It’s not minor because it’s a lot more work than a minor release. It’s a major release. Windows 7 will be Vista, but a lot better.”

Source: Tech Radar

plehry | OS, Software and Networking | Comments (0)

HTC Diamond arrives at Rogers

December 3, 2008 – 10:46 am

The popular HTC Diamond mobile Smartphone, first introduced in Canada by Telus Mobility this past summer is now available on the Rogers Wireless network.

The Windows Mobile 6.1 WiFi enabled mobile phone sports a 2.8 inch touch screen that allows users to control the device with the touch of a finger using HTC’s TouchFLO 3D interface.

“Rogers is thrilled to offer the stylish HTC Touch Diamond smartphone” said John Boynton of Rogers Wireless. “Customers are increasingly looking for a smartphone that can offer them not just mobile email and phone features, but personalization components such as music, media and video.”

HTC Diamond
HTC Diamond
Features of the HTC Diamond include:

* Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
* Integrated GPS for use with maps software for a full turn-by-turn satellite navigation experience.
* 2.8 inch VGA touch screen
* 4GB of internal storage for photos, videos and music
* 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus
* Opera Web Browser
* Email Support
* Mobile TV capable
* Built-in microphone, speaker and FM radio

In addition to Web browsing, the HTC Touch Diamond includes a customized YouTube application for easy access to video content and automatic screen orientation that changes the display from portrait to landscape view by turning the Diamond sideways.

The HTC Touch Diamond is now available from $500 from Rogers Wireless with discounts on 36 month plans.

Source: Digital Home

plehry | Cellular | Comments (0)

Berlusconi plans to use G8 presidency to ‘regulate the internet’

December 3, 2008 – 10:45 am

Italian president and media baron Silvio Berlusconi said today that he would use his country’s imminent presidency of the G8 group to push for an international agreement to “regulate the internet”.

Speaking to Italian postal workers, Reuters reports Berlusconi said: “The G8 has as its task the regulation of financial markets … I think the next G8 can bring to the table a proposal for a regulation of the internet.”

Italy’s G8 presidency begins on January 1. The role is taken by each of the group’s members in rotation. The holder country is responsible for organising and hosting the G8’s meetings and setting the agenda. Italy’s last G8 presidency in 2001, also under Berlusconi, was marred by riots at the annual meeting in Genoa.

Berlusconi didn’t explain what he meant by “regulate the internet”, but the mere mention of it has prompted dismay among Italian commentators. Berlusconi owns swathes of the Italian mass media.

The left-wing newspaper L’Unita wrote: “You can not say that it is not a disturbing proclamation, given that the only countries in the world where there are filters or restrictions against internet are countries ruled by dictatorial regimes: those between China, Iran, Cuba, Saudi Arabia.”

La Stampa reports Italian bloggers are planning to protest against any move by the president to tighten government control over the web tomorrow. They plan to display anti-Berlusconi banners on their websites.

Any G8 move next year to “regulate the internet” led by Berlusconi is likely to attract criticism. He has often been accused of using his power to try to silence dissent. He lost a long-running libel battle against The Economist earlier this year after it said he was not “fit to run Italy” and was this week suing American critic Andrew Stille for defamation*.

However, the governments of industrialised nations have been ramping up their rhetoric against internet content they view as unacceptable. The UK has introduced new laws and revived arcane ones to clamp down on extremist websites and niche pornography. Australia is busy implementing filters.

Source: The Register

plehry | The Online World | Comments (0)