Camaro PC more flashy than hot performer

Most people, particularly gamers, want high-performance computers. Meanwhile, muscle car fans love the Chevy Camaro. How about combining the two: a PC that's a dead ringer for a Chevy Camaro.

That's what you can buy at ChevyMall.com. Colors include Aqua Blue, Black, Cyber Gray, Inferno Orange, Rally Yellow, Silver Ice, Summit White, and (probably the most desired) Victory Red. Pricing starts at $1239.99.

Unfortunately, the PC looks a lot hotter than it really is. For example, the CPU is a very modest dual core Intel® Atom N330. There's no SSD option, either, and the only upgrades you can make are to increase the RAM from 4GB to 8GM and the hard drive from 250GB to 500GB. Don't expect SLI, either: graphics are NVIDIA ION.

The machine is loaded in terms of ports and such, and integrates them well into the "car." For example, there are two USB ports in the grille of the car, a slot-load DVD drive at the front bumper, and two more USB ports on the back. It has the requisite VGA port, Gigabit LAN port, and an HDMI port, as well as audio out and a microphone. It also has built-in 802.11n, and runs Windows 7.

Fully pimped out, the Camaro Personal Computer is only $1599.99. As we said, however, it's hardly as hot as the exterior makes you think it is. Still, it will look nice beneath your desk. Unfortunately, as much as you might want it to, particularly with the new channel "The Hub" which is showing the first generation Transformers cartoon, it won't change itself into an Autobot.

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Steve Jobs: No USB 3 any time soon

Apple has a mixed record when it comes to adopting industry standards. For example, the company was the first OEM to install USB and Firewire on its desktop machines but has yet to include HDMI connectivity in its laptop line; the recently refreshed Mac Mini line were the first Apple products to sport an HDMI output. Now, Mr. Jobs has provided us with his two cents in an email response to a request for Apple to adopt USB 3.0:

We don’t see USB 3 taking off at this time. No support from Intel, for example.

The optimist in you might be hoping that Apple is holding off in favor of Intel’s upcoming Light Peak technology. Light Peak will feature an optical cable with a bandwidth of 10Gb/s (that’s gigabits) and will be a universal replacement for SCSI, SATA, USB, FireWire, PCI Express and HDMI. Are we hoping for too much?
source:[bgr][9to5mac]

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iDuple: Another Indian Internet Tablet – 5 Sec. Boot Time, 50GB Cloud Storage

Here is iDuple for you – yet another Indian tablet PC but this one is with a difference! This tablet from iDuple basically has one app – just a web browser. It does not have a hard drive and the tablet boots in just 5 seconds.

So does the lack of a hard drive mean you can’t install apps, store files, and perform other activities that you do on a PC? No, because the iDuple tablet is designed in such a away that when you turn it on, the tablet remotely connects you to a server that runs a virtual operating system.This mean you will be requiring an always-on internet connection just for turning on the tablet.

Actually the OS, your storage and your apps – everything is in the cloud. This way the tablet won’t require a lot of storage or a fast processor to handle resource-intensive applications as they’re run by a remote server. This is a valid reason for the price of the tablet to be on the lower side. However you do need a pretty good internet connection for using the tablet. Users also get 50GB of cloud-based storage space for their files. You can take a look of the virtual OS that is being run on the tablet, here: iduple.com/webtop.

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Wi-Fi Direct certification begins; bye-bye, Bluetooth?

The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced that Wi-Fi Direct certification is about to begin. With that, you might see your Bluetooth headset replaced with a Wi-Fi Direct one, if all goes well.

Wi-Fi Direct allows device-to-device Wi-Fi interaction, without a network. That sort of capability has been around for some time, but the technology has been proprietary. With the Wi-Fi Alliance's participation, Wi-Fi Direct devices have a standard to adhere to.

In addition, Wi-Fi Direct devices would have a much longer range, and much faster throughput. it will use 802.11b/g/n channels, so rates could be as high as 300Mbps.

There's a short video explaining Wi-Fi Direct below, as well as the full press release.




WiFi Direct PR

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HyperMac will stop selling MacBook charging cables on November 2 -- Apple wins, you lose

Uh oh, HyperMac just announced that it will cease the sale of MacBook charging cables and car chargers -- on November 2nd at 00:00 US Pacific Time, they'll be gone for good. While the HyperMac batteries will be sold, you won't be able to charge your MagSafe-equipped MacBook without the cable, so what's the point? This, obviously, is the direct result of the patent-infringement lawsuit Apple filed over Sanho's unlicensed use of Apple's MagSafe power connector. And while it may be a victory for Apple legal, it's an unsettling blow to consumers like Engadget editors who need the extra juice to augment the life of Apple's non-removeable MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro batteries. Read the full statement after the break.

Update: We've spoken with Daniel Chin, President of Sanho Corporation, who tells us that his company is, "in middle of license negotiations with Apple and ceasing the sale of the MagSafe cables was a perquisite for negotiations to go on." So there is still hope for a legal solution to this mess. Otherwise, it'll be soldering guns and X-Acto knives at dawn.

Dear Valued Customers,

As part of our ongoing comprehensive licensing negotiations with Apple regarding a wide array of technologies and issues, we have decided to cease the sale of the MacBook charging cables and car charger on November 2, 2010.

While we will continue to sell the same batteries together with the rest of our product line after November 2nd, they will not be able to charge MacBooks without the cables.

If you wish to get the world's ONLY external battery and car charger solution that works with ALL MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro (supports dual voltage) as well as the iPad, iPhone 3/3GS/4, iPod and all other USB devices, NOW is the time.

On November 2, 2010 00:00 U.S. Pacific Time, they will gone for good.

As we have very limited stocks, do order early to avoid disappointment. We will continue to sell until November 2nd and while stocks last.

We wish thank the many customers who have already gotten the HyperMac External MacBook Battery and those of you that gave us wonderful reviews.

[Source Engadget]

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Super WiFi – No Mobile Phone Bills? Free WiFi?

Free Internet access and mobile telephony is on the way. It’s all thanks to old-fashioned analogue TV, or, more precisely, the amount of the electromagnetic spectrum released by the switch from analogue to digital TV. What was once a geeky pipe dream is now a likelihood. So what exactly is it?

With the replacement of analogue TV by digital, much more has changed than mere picture and sound quality, or the ability to deliver 3D pictures. Even though there are many more digital channels than there ever were analogue ones, they need only about half the amount of the spectrum previously used by analogue TV. The reason digital bands need much less “space” is because channels don’t “bleed” like analogue ones. Due to the possibility of interference between one analogue channel and another, the amount of bandwidth allocated to each had to be wider than was strictly necessary. It’s a bit like the hard shoulder on each side of a highway. Vehicles don’t need it most of the time, but it’s there just in case. In analogue TV terminology, the equivalent of the hard shoulder is called the guard band. The total amount of guard band freed-up by the switchover is referred to as white space. As much as 70% of the spectrum used by analogue TV was made up of white space. Digital TV doesn’t have any significant bleed problem, so it doesn’t need this extra bandwidth.

The amount of spectrum released is enormous. Not surprisingly, the TV operators wanted to hold onto it for their own future uses. Recently, however, in the US the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided that most of the white space would be made freely available to everyone. Any operator could apply to use it without having to pay a huge sum for a license. The FCC holds no sway over the rest of the world, but since much technological innovation is kick-started in the US, the decision will profoundly impact most of the developed world.

It’s still uncertain what all the freed-up spectrum will be used for. One proposal gaining traction is what’s termed Super WiFi. Unlike the area of the spectrum used by current WiFi, which limits coverage to a few hundred meters, signals using some of the freed white space frequencies can travel kilometers. In theory, a single mast could provide coverage to an entire town or city suburb. This has huge implications not just for current WiFi, but more significantly, for mobile telephony. If an entire town is effectively a free high-speed wireless hotspot, then with a suitable phone, anyone in town can make free calls through services like Skype and Google talk. No one within the hotspot would want or need a traditional cell phone. Fixed line phones would be amusing curiosities.

When this happens, it will be game-changing. It’s easy to see why the mobile phone networks among others are not happy. They spent billions for their licenses and in the not too distant future, many of their customers may start to disappear. Their concern is understandable. It’s a bit like owning a chain of bookshops, then, one day, a free library opens beside each one of them. Maybe it’s not fair, but there’s a valid argument that says mobile phone companies have over-charged users for years and have easily recouped their investments. One thing is sure: few users will shed tears for them.

Some experts predict that within five years WiFi, as we now know it, will be replaced by Super WiFi. Some even predict that the only mobile telephone operators around will be those offering versions of VOIP telephony. Google’s development of the Android system seems inspired. It’s not inconceivable that in a few years, Google could be one of the major new global mobile phone operators.

Many technological giants have flung their hats into this ring. Microsoft, Google, Dell, HP, Intel, Philips and others have all set up what’s called The White Space Coalition. Even though they compete in many areas, they all share the ambition that the white space should be harnessed to deliver high-speed broadband Internet access.

Of course, politics will intervene. Governments’ compulsion to interfere and control will lead to “national interest” obstacles. Nevertheless, the FCC’s decision in the US has global significance. It means that the tide has turned. There will be great opportunities for clever entrepreneurs. The best thing they can do is find those opportunities and lead the revolution. No doubt, the smart ones are already doing just that.
[via Source]

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Latest Archos 101 Android tablet will come with Android 2.2

Archos has been well known for dishing out handheld devices and more recently Android based tablets and portable media players and this time Archos has a brand new Android OS tablet, so let’s have a closer look at it.

This model is named Archos 101 Android Internet Tablet and it comes with a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen. This tablet is powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and a 3D OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics accelerator, and as for operating system, you’ll be pleased to hear that Archos 101 Android Internet Tablet will be using the latest Android OS, Android 2.2 firmware – Froyo.

This tablet comes with 8GB or 16GB of internal storage space but you can easily expand its storage space by popping in a microSD/SDHC memory cards. The Archos 101 comes with a USB port and an HDMI output and it has a built-in camera, microphone, and speaker. Besides that, this model has bluetooth and WiFi support and it supports a wide range of multimedia formats such as MPEG-4 HD, H.264 HD, WMV9, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, FLAC.

The new Archos 101 Android Internet Tablet is available in two versions and the 8GB model will be priced at $299.99 while the 16GB will cost $349.99.

[via iTechNews]

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Universal Memory

What is Universal Memory?

Universal Memory approaches memory storage in a radically different way. Universal Memory is the term given to the next wave of storage solutions that are about to hit the world.

Why do you need Universal Memory?

The next generation of memory devices plan to replace the current generation by outperforming current storage solutions in two basic aspects of memory storage. The first aspect is power consumption, and the second aspect is the density of memory. This generation of low-power, high density memories will probably be able to store memory even without electricity running through them.

Which companies are involved?

The list is pretty long. IBM, HP, Motorola are all researching different universal memory strategies. Samsung and Toshiba are also in the race. Companies that specialize only in memory solutions like Everspin and Hynix are obviously involved. A company called Nantero has developed promising wafers with 10 billion bits of memory.

How will it be done?

Current research have different approaches in different labs. One approach is to use the nanoscale structures on the silicon wafers themselves. Other approaches include molecular memory and magnetic random access memory.

When will we see it?

Predictions vary from 2011 to 2020.

Will it be any good?

Portable devices stand to benefit the most. The memory promises to store all the data in any DVD ever made in a single laptop sized box.

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How would you change HP's Envy 14?

The gaming laptop of 2010? Maybe so, but it's unquestionably one of the most hyped and most highly anticipated. HP's 14-inch Envy hits a sweet spot in the size department, and during our time with it, it also managed to hit a slew of other high notes. Of course, it wasn't without its flaws, but that's not what this section is about. We're anxious to hear how you folks feel about your newly (or not-so-newly) acquired Envy 14. Any qualms with the trackpad? Loathing the lack of a VGA output? Still uninstalling bloatware? Frustrated by the lack of a Radiance display option at the present time? Go on and tell us what you really think in comments below, particularly how you'd change things if you and Rahul Sood (or similar) switched shoes for a day.
[via:engadget]

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