Head units

The Latest Technology With Elegant Design
Latest generation technology means the widest flexibility and the greatest convenience. InPhase headunits feature class leading high power 4×60w internal amplifiers, high end 4V RCA outputs and full face displays with either flip-down or fully motorised access. They will play home-burned CDs and the RDS-EON radio section features autostore and one-touch station memory function. There is an auxiliary audio input, a phone mute circuit and the deck will decode CD Text.

You can play your MP3 files via CD or by the SD card slot (up to 4GB) or the USB port. This allows connection of all generic MP3 players. The ID-3 tag system will identify your music. A DSP circuit offers Classic, Pop or Rock settings as well as ‘flat’ for the audiophile type. A perfect marriage of high technology and high end functionality with designer looks, In Phase headunits are an unbeatable system hub.

Logitech

Logitech G13 Gameboard

[Pro Gaming Controller for Mac & PC]

The Logitech G13 advanced Gameboard is the company’s latest gaming peripheral to be unveiled. This game pad from Logitech aims to offer gamers - both hardcore addicts and casual gamers - excellent functionality in a sleek design.
The Logitech G13 is ergonomically designed and navigating the board is intuitional. The joystick on the left side of the keyboard allows you make maximum use of your thumb’s dexterity

The Logitech G13 features:

Three gaming modes
25 programmable keys
Programmable analog stick
87 game-controlling options
Allot custom profiles to buttons for select games
Create macros for a game while playing the game
A 160 x 43 GamePanel LCD for live stats, system information, and communication with other players
Pre-configured settings for games such World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and many others.
Backlit keys useful in low-light or lightout play conditions
Onboard memory useful in configuring multiple player profiles
Weight of the G13 gaming pad is nicely distributed so it won’t move or slip when you play
Inspite of its sleek design and cutting-edge features, with a price tag of nearly $80, the Logitech G13 is twice as expensive as other branded gaming pads. The price of this gaming pad may prove to be an impediment in getting gamers to leave their keyboards for the gaming pad.

Internet Car Radio

Internet Car Radio From Blaupunkt and miRoamerBlaupunkt and miRoamer launched the world’s first in-dash internet car radio at the CES held earlier this month. Blaupunkt provides the hardware for this exciting idea which frankly in our opinion should have happened earlier. The internet sets you free and now you’re free to access internet radio in all its limitless glory while driving on Route 66, the Grand Trunk road, the Silk Route, or up Kensington High Street.
You can access endless music channels, news, talk stations, AM/FM, etc from all around the world. As of now internet connectivity is through an external device such as 3G/HSDPA/HSPA devices via Bluetooth. When connecting to the internet via an external device the existing mobile service provider serves as the default network. Later models will come with an in-built modem. Bluetooth connectivity means you can access the phone, your address book, and navigation device.
The two prototype models named the New Jersey 600i and the Hamburg 600i will connect the car owner to miRoamer stations numbering in tens of thousands.
You can create a profile and then add playlists on miRoamer.com, these can be accessed while on the road. This saves time as you can directly access stations instead of having to search for them via the device.

Intel My Wi-Fi Personal Area Network

Intel’s new My Wi-Fi technology enables the creation of a Personal Area Network [PAN]; basically your own personal Wi-Fi network which you can use to connect your laptop with eight other clients or better still share an incoming internet connection with those eight clients and pay for just the one connection.

If your laptop is based on the Intel Centrino 2 processor then a simple wireless driver and software update will have My Wi-Fi running on your machine. My Wi-Fi allows a dual interface in which your computer stays connected to one access point as well as clients connected in the PAN. This is made possible with the help of the Intel 5100 Wi-Fi and 5300 Wi-Fi Link adapters to enable both wireless LAN and Wi-Fi PAN connections simultaneously. Running the two networks simultaneously and separately opens up interesting sharing and networking possibilities.

My Wi-Fi works with all Wi-Fi equipped consumer devices. Intel has attempted to address the issue of security with a “push-button encryption” that lets both devices talk to one another in a secure mode.

Twitter Botanicalls

Twitter Botanicalls Kit

[Get Plants Tweeting You To Water Them]

Yesterday we covered the Tweet-a-Watt Kit that serves to tweet your household’s power consumption in a little KWH tweeting action and now, thanks to this Botanicalls Kit, you can have your plants tweeting you to inform you of their soil moisture levels and even tweet you to tell you they need watering (or just tweet you to offer thanks for having watered them).
Stemming (pun wholly intended) from a collaboration between Rebecca Bray, Robert Faludi, Kate Hartman and Kati London, whose prime aim appears to be ’successful inter-species understanding’, the Botanicalls Kit acts as a networked communication system for your plants consisting of a moisture sensor which communicates with Twitter via your Wi-Fi network via an integrated Ethernet connection - thus allowing your plants to keep you updated via Twitter, wherever you may be, with respect to their current status.If you are interested in the resulting communications, the inventors have a plant going by the name of Pothos who’s not only live on Twitter but has already gained over 2,970 followers as it offers tweets such as ‘Water me please!’, ‘You didn’t water me enough’ and ‘thank you for watering me.’ (as well as offering numerous moisture level updates).
So now, thanks to this and the aforementioned Tweet-a-Watt kit, you can have your home tweeting its power consumption as your plants remind you to water them and, somewhere in all of this, you may even add a few tweets of your own (perhaps if only to explain to your followers why your energy usage is so high or why it is that you’re patently ignoring your plant’s requests for a drop of the wet stuff.

You can update yourself with Pothos’s current status by following its twitter updates here (at the time of writing its waiting to be watered) or you can learn more concerning the Twitter Botanicalls Kit by linking through to the Botanicalls website

Video Camera Pen

Video Recording Ball Point Pen

[4GB Spy Cam Makes You Look Like a Nerd]

We’ve featured a fair few spy cams here on TFTS - who could possibly forget such gems as the Spy Cam Hairdryer, the Spy Cam Calculator and, of course, the Spy Cam Belt Buckle, to name but a few - but, of them all, this Video Recording Ball Point Pen strikes us as being the most accomplished covert ops surveillance gadget that we’ve featured to date.
Unfortunately, in order to gain the best vantage point when out on your clandestine missions, you’ll have to swallow your pride and go for the nerd look (the pen in breast pocket look has never been particularly appealing, has it?). But, well, if you want to make it as a spy you have to learn to sacrifice your personal pride on occasions in exactly the same way Bond never actually does. I know this because MI5 have approached me at least once in the past but, alas, I failed the entrance exam’s practical in (stupidly, looking back at it) actually managing to get a laptop packed with top secret info from A to B without loosing the damn thing on public transport. Oh well.Anyway, less of the digression.
This spy cam pen, known merely as the Video Camera Pen, can purportedly record up to two and a half hours of video - in 352 x 288 resolution - in AVI format, with audio, thanks to packing 4GB of integrated storage capacity and, along with offering the capability to capture audio ranges up to 50′ the pen, far from being a dummy, actually works (and is refillable, perhaps even with invisible ink).
Coming with integrated USB connectivity allowing you to upload you covert surveillance videos to your laptop (which you’ll consequently loose if you’re in any way connected with the UK government) the Video Camera Pen will set you back just shy of $130.

AMD Graphic Cards

AMD Release ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series

‘TeraScale’ Graphic Cards [AMD ATI RV770 HD4870 & HD 4850]

AMD have officially launched their new ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series of graphics cards offering up to an astounding 1.2 terraflops of processing power in the case of the new flagship HD 4870 card which, apart from sporting 800 stream processors totalling some 956 million transistors and next-gen GDDR5 memory, is, according to AMD, more than twice as fast as their ATI Radeon HD 3870 GPU.

The New DirectX 10.1 / OpenGL 2.0 top of the range ATI Radeon HD 4870, which is powered by the TeraScale graphics engine and employs AMD’s new RV770 graphics processor, comes with 750MHz core speed and is the first GPU to utilise the new GDDR5 standard memory providing twice the bandwidth per pin of GDDR3 (circa 3.6 gigabits per second) whilst the ATI Radeon HD 4850 offers core speeds of 625MHz paired with the aforementioned GDDR3.

AMD ATI Radeon HD 4870 Series Key Features:
=>TeraScale Graphics Engine - The new TeraScale graphics engine features over one teraFLOPS, nearly one billion transistors and 800 stream processors so you can enjoy the high resolutions and fast frame rates previously only available with dual-card systems.
=>Advanced Memory - GDDR5 memory provides twice the bandwidth per pin of GDDR3. =>Enhanced Anti-Aliasing & Anisotropic Filtering - High performance anisotropic filtering and 24x custom filter anti-aliasing (CFAA) smooth jagged edges and create true-to-life graphics, for everything from grass to facial features.
=>DirectX 10.1 - Play today while preparing for tomorrow with state-of-the-art DirectX 10.1 graphics capabilities.
=>ATI CrossFireX Technology - ATI CrossFireX technology with up to quad GPU support offers superior scalability so your system is ready to level up when you are.
=>PCI Express 2.0 - Support for PCI Express 2.0 will prepare you for bandwidth-hungry games and 3D applications.
=>Unified Video Decoder 2 (UVD 2) - UVD 2 frees up your CPU for other tasks so you get The Ultimate Visual Experience for even the most processing-intensive content, including VC-1, H.264 and now MPEG-2. Also, take full advantage of Blu-ray functionality with dual-stream, picture in picture (PIP) capabilities.
=>Accelerated Video Transcoding (AVT) - AVT allows you to convert videos to H.264 and MPEG-2 formats up to 19x faster than when using a just CPU.3 Full 1080p files can be converted to H.264 and MPEG-2 up to 1.8x faster than real-time.3
=>Upscale Beyond 1080p - Watch the hottest Blu-ray movies or other HD content at full 1080p display resolution and beyond.1
=>Enhanced DVD Upscaling - Watch standard DVD movies in near high-definition quality with DVD upscaling. The GPU uses post processing algorithms to enhance standard and low resolution videos and movies on your HD display.
=>Dynamic Contrast - Dynamic Contrast automatically adjusts the contrast and brightness during scenes to consistently deliver a crisp, vibrant picture.
=>HDMI - Enjoy the latest audio technologies using HDMI with 7.1 digital surround sound support. Also, xvYCC support allows the user to enjoy a wider range of color when connected to a capable HDTV.
=>Dynamic Power Management - ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series graphics cards deliver high performance when needed and conserve power when the demand on the graphics processor is low.
=>More Performance Per Watt - ATI Radeon HD 4800 series delivers up to 2x the performance per watt of AMD’s previous generation GPUs.

Both AMD’s ATI Radeon HD 4870 and their ATI Radeon HD 4850 GPUs have begun shipping as of today and will set you back around $300 and $200 respectively.

Tech lighting device

New materials boost efficiency of blue OLEDs by 25%

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory announced a new host materials for a blue phosphorescent OLED boost efficiency by at least 25 percent and help solve "weakest link" in development of cost-effective white OLEDs.

The weakest link in OLED research is the absence of an efficient, long-lasting blue light to accompany the red and green," said Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientist Asanga Padmaperuma. Development of better host materials to manage the flow of electricity through the device could help solve that problem.

Padmaperuma and his collegues have designed, synthesized and tested new materials that improve the power efficiency of blue OLEDs by at least 25 percent.
The most promising technology is the organic light-emitting diode, or OLED. These multi-layered devices produce light by running an electrical current through a specially engineered host material into which light-producing phosphorescent molecules are embedded or "doped." The white light envisioned for large-scale applications, such as rooms and buildings, consists of red, green and blue light.

Modistech to unveil ultra-thin OLED lighting device

Philips show transparent OLED lighting prototype

Scientists at Philips Research are currently progressing towards the development of transparent OLEDs. Now Philips show us some picture from the new windows as light application.
This means OLED panels could function as ordinary windows during the day and then morph into panels of light after dark, either by imitating natural light or by emitting attractive interior lighting.

During the day, people would be able to create their own private area by turningtransparent glass walls, windows or doors into walls of light whenever they liked. Transparent OLED panels are expected to emerge onto the market within the next 3to 5 years.

Tech Mobile

Logic Wireless Logic Bolt Mobile Phone

Enormous changes are available in the mobile phones by means of technology. The handsets are also designed with overwhelming features and new designs. Some of the advanced features existing are touchscreen, WiFi, 3G, GPS and HSDPA. Logic Wireless Logic Bolt Mobile Phone is said to be the first projector handset introduced in the mobile market. This handset has dual usage; it can be used as a mobile phone and also as a projector. The display size of this mobile phone is 2.4” touchscreen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.The projector works with the help of the Bluetooth in this GSM device and it operates on quad band network. Also the users can enjoy taking quality pictures with the help of 3MP camera. Talking about the display it is available in different sizes with a range from 36 inches to 64 inches which depends upon the lighting conditions. The total resolution of the display is said to be 640 x 480 pixels. Storage capacity is one of the main factors that one has to look on before going in for a mobile phone and based on that, it comes with an onboard storage of .
This can be expanded up to 20GB, which is easily supported to all devices. Analysing this mobile phone based on the features that are available, this is best suitable for the business users. With the help of projector option and good storage capacity, the business people can store all data for power point presentation and videos too. This mobile phone can be easily connected to other devices with the help of Bluetooth technology.Read expert reviews on Blackberry, Doro, Garmin, Emporia, MWg mobile phones and compare mobile phone offers at Missphones, mobile phone comparison site.

Samsung YP-CP3 PMP Leaked

P2club web site announced to upcomging a Samsung touchscreen PMP known as the YP-CP3. The device comes packed with a 3.0″ touchscreen (400×240 resolution), a retro joystick controller, FM tuner, voice recorder, a microSD slot, MP3 player, WMA, Ogg, WAV, FLAC, RM, MPEG4, WMV, SVI, RMVB and text support.

Touchscreen Tech

Pulsing Touchscreen Tech Spells Out Braille




A new kind of touch-screen technology could bring Braille to cellphone displays, allowing the blind to read mobile content — if they do a little extra learning first. Best of all, it can be done with existing screens.


Researchers at the University of Tampere in Finland took a Nokia 770 Internet Tablet and wrote custom software that would vibrate the piezoelectric layer in the touch-screen to mimic the bumps felt in the 3x2 matrix of dots that make up a Braille character.


When the reader puts his finger on the screen, raised dots are “displayed" by a fast, intense vibration. Gaps are represented by a lower level, longer lasting buzz. According to the New Scientist, when a sequence of six dots is pulsed at 360 milliseconds apart, each character could be read in little over a second.


Because of the temporally linear nature of the pulses, even those used to the parallel delivery of normal Braille had to do some work to learn the new sequence, but it didn’t take long. The technology could be added to any phone with a piezoelectric layer in the display and screen-reading software would be even simpler to implement than text to speech.
The project is still experimental, but with so few barriers, it could become real very quickly.

Waterproof Digital TV

Waterproof 1Seg Digital TV From Panasonic

Panasonic has launched two waterproof, portable VIERA LCD displays, the SV-ME750 and SV-ME700 models. Both of the two models mentioned above are 5-inch Panasonic 1Seg broadcasting portable TV with 480×272 resolution. Each device is equipped with the ability to play music files in MP3, WMA or WAV formats, or display pictures in slideshow. The only differences between the two of them is the fact that the more advanced model, the SV-ME750 is also capable of recording TV broadcasts on SD/SDHC cards and includes 2GB SD Card. The all new Viera will be available in black, pink and white and will hit Japanese stores later this month. The SV-ME750 will retail for 45,000 yen ($500) and 38,000 yen ($420) for the SV-ME700.

Digital Vision AB

Digital Vision AB (publ) Completes Successful Reorganization

Digital Vision’s reorganization has been successfully completed, its goals have been met and the company can continue to run its operations with increased financial strength. The reorganization has been implemented without a composition, which means that all trade creditors will have their debts repaid in full. The company’s suppliers will, during the coming days, receive payment for their outstanding invoices from the time before the reconstruction, and the holders of convertibles will receive the interest payments withheld during this period.

“This is of course a great day,” says Klas Åström who now takes over as CEO. “The reorganization has been a success on many levels and we are now in a very good position. Since the reconstruction began almost six months ago, we have implemented many improvements in our operations and have laid the foundation for the new Digital Vision. The focus has been on product innovation, cost reduction and cash flow and we have further strengthened the financial procedures and enhanced our sales channels. Added to this, our financial situation is now secured, as the recently undertaken share issue is closed.”

While the company was under reconstruction, the following actions have been taken:

• Appointment of new CEO and new CFO
• Reduction in operating costs and financial costs
• Total review of the business model and sales strategy
• Cash issue of about 35 million SEK - with preferential rights to existing shareholders to avoid dilution
• Offset issue of 40 million SEK - lowering the debt burden and reducing financial risk

Through the share issue, the company has received several new strong and committed owners. Since cash is now secured, the company can continue major development projects and focus on long-term growth.Digital Vision AB shares (ISIN code SE0000556292 and order book ID 3571) will now be moved from the observation segment back to the ordinary list on the NASDAQ OMX exchange.

“During the time that I have been working with the reorganization, I have come to know the company, staff and products very well,” Klas Åström continues. “Our team is extremely capable and have a huge desire to make Digital Vision a success. We have a strong product portfolio and are active in a market that is growing. Despite the difficult situation the company has been in, the good relationships with both customers and suppliers has been maintained. I see excellent opportunities to project our technology into new markets and I look forward to continuing to deliver products of superior quality.”

Canon

Canon Kiss X3 DSLR

The new Canon EOS 500D (EOS Kiss X3) features a 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor that is ideal for large detailed prints. The camera also offers a high ISO sensitivity up to 3200 which is expandable to 12800. The Canon EOS Kiss X3 will be available in April 2009 for around $800.

Fujifilm’s digital camera with seven colors

Fujifilm’s digital camera with seven colors:

Fujifilm Korea announced the launch of its 7.2M stylish compact digital camera ‘Z10fd’ in Korea market, which features 18.8mm-thick portable design and seven brilliant colors.

New tech scores at World Cup

New tech scores at World Cup



World Cup 2006, the biggest sporting event on Earth, kicked off in Germany on June 9 and runs through the final on July 9. Soccer, aka football worldwide, is one of the simplest sports--you need only a ball and field to play--but this year's tournament will see some technology creeping onto and around the field and new opportunities for fans to follow the action.
Each match will be played with a new Adidas "Teamgeist" ball with a 14-panel configuration that forms a perfectly smooth exterior. The new ball construction promises to give players increased accuracy and control. But goaltenders have complained that "Teamgeist" veers randomly giving the strikers an added edge.
On Amazon.com, the 2006 FIFA World Cup Teamgeist Match Ball carries a list price of $128.70. More on the balls later.

CINEMA 4D 10

Robust, Professional, Easy-to-Use 3D Animation Software

The 10th generation representing two decades of excellence.The tenth generation of CINEMA 4D is a milestone in the development of professional 3D software, and a testament to two decades of excellence by MAXON's programming team. Professional 3D animation tools have never been more approachable.
The most accessible 3D application
CINEMA 4D’s intuitive interface and logical workflow make it possible for those new to 3D artistry to dive in and be productive quickly. Feedback is smooth and interactive so you can let your creativity run free.
State-of-the-art technology

CINEMA 4D’s state-of-the-art architecture means it’s always the first to benefit from new technologies and advancements. Most recently, MAXON was the first to release 64-Bit Windows and Intel-based Macintosh versions. You’ll never have to wait to take advantage of the latest hardware.

Modularity makes it suitable for all industries.
The basic application contains everything you need to create high-end 3D images and animations. For those artists whose work demands more than the basic application, MAXON provides numerous modules that are integrated seamlessly. Modules can also be purchased individually or in affordable bundles.

There’s a CINEMA 4D to satisfy the needs of every artist and industry where 3D graphics are utilized. Take a tour through our solutions pages to see the myriad of industries where CINEMA 4D dominates and thrives. Then download a demo version and see for yourself.
CINEMA 4D is available in several languages including English, German, French, Spanish, and more.

System Requirements
Minimum System requirements

Mac OS X 10.3.9 or Windows 2000 / XP

512 MB RAM, CPU 1GHz

Suggested System requirements

Mac OS X 10.4 or Windows 2000 / XP

1024 MB RAM, CPU 2 GHz

QuickTime 7.1

OpenGL-ready graphics card

DVD-ROM-drive, hard drive.

Depending on license, Macintosh or Windows only.

Registration with MAXON Computer is required for

long-term use of software.

Wireless Electricity

Tired Of Being Wired
If phones, mice and keyboards could get wireless, why not everything else? In fact, about a undred years ago, that untamed genius, Nikola Tesla had already begun to build a tower at Wardenclyffe, N.Y. to demonstrate the transmission of electricity without the use of wires. On a umbler scale, researchers at MIT are in the process of repeating the experiment with their own deas and less ostentatious techniques

WiTricity
Marin Soljacic, Assistant Professor of Physics at the MIT, has spent a considerable number of years trying to figure out how to transmit power without cables. Radio waves lose too much energy during their passage through the air and lasers are constrained by the necessity of line-of-sight. Soljacic decided to use Resonant Coupling, in which two objects vibrating at the same requency can exchange energy without harming things around them. He used magnetic resonance and along with his colleagues Jon Hoannopoulos and Peter Fisher, succeeded in lighting up a 60 watt bulb two metres away. What they did was this: two resonant copper coils were tied to dangle from the ceiling, two meters away from each other. Both were tuned to the same frequency and one had a light bulb attached to it. When current was made to pass through one coil, it created a magnetic field and the other resonated, generating an electric current. And then there was light. The experiment succeeded in spite of a thin screen being placed between
the two copper coils.

And If This Comes Through...
One of the most obvious results is that we won’t have dozens of cables to trip over in our offices and rooms. Primarily, the aim of this research team is to achieve a cable-free environment
wherein your laptops PDAs and mobile phones could charge themselves (with all the electricity floating around) and even, maybe, get rid of the batteries that are so
much an essential part of our portable devices today. Magnetic fields interact very weakly with biological organisms and this little fact makes it infinitely safer for us. While this experiment appened about a year ago, the team is still hard at work trying to use other materials so as to increase the efficiency of the transfer of power from 50 per cent to 80 per cent. Once that happens, both, the industry as well as individuals

USB Modem Stick

Swann Security - USB 2.0 DVR Guardian
Swann specialises in all kinds of security hardware for the home and small business. Its USB 2.0 DVR Guardian is a USB version of its four-port video capture device, which can take signals from cameras - a £90 Swann Bulldog camera with LED night illumination was supplied for testing - and display them on a PC screen. More than that, though, it can relay the video via the Internet to any Windows PC capable of a broadband connection.
The DVR Guardian has a single USB connection at one end and six co-axial connectors at the other. The four yellow ones of these are composite video and the two white ones are audio. There's software compression of the video signal to MPEG 4, if you record it. The PC replaces a video recorder, though this does mean you have to tie up a £300 computer rather than a £50 recorder.
One of the claims made for this device is that it's a DIY solution, and it is, if you have a good level of networking knowledge. To judge this, decide for yourself whether the following set up - which is only skimpily covered in the single-page installation sheet - sounds daunting.
Assign the PC that will run DVR Guardian and its software a static IP address (you could use one assigned dynamically via DHCP, but risk the camera going off-line if the server assigns it a different address next time you turn the PC on). Point a browser at your router and open four designated ports for access. Create new inbound and outbound rules for those ports, using the static IP address you assigned at the start. Swann points you to www.portforward.com, a third party Web site specialising in port forwarding, to help with this.

Now go to another third-party site, www.whatismyip.com, and discover your system's IP address, which you'll need to sign into the camera software from the remote location. This applet downloads from your PC and isn't digitally signed, so you may have to lower your security level to get Windows to accept it. On one remote machine this software hung when we ran it, but it was fine on another and colleagues said they could see us waving.
The picture quality is fine in daylight and at night you get true Bill-Oddie-with-a-badger night vision, so you can still see what's going on. Up to four cameras can be connected to the device at once and you can view these as a mosaic, or boost one up to full screen. The maximum resolution of 352 x 288 (PAL) makes it look a bit rough round the edges, but no more so than a conventional VCR recording.

Vodafone - USB Modem 7.2 and USB Modem Stick There is a school of thought that says the days of the traditional ISP are numbered. Why? Because of mobile broadband. With every UK operator now offering a modem that uses USB, is self-installing under Windows XP and Vista, and that offers connections for download at up to 3.6Mbps, you can see why.
These modems are really designed for use out and about with laptops but there is nothing to stop you plugging one into your desktop PC when you want the connection there. If there is a price war, and unlimited access comes down to a point where it competes with traditional ISPs, then the choice between fixed and mobile broadband is a no-brainer. I'll take the mobile, please.
Vodafone isn't content with the 3.6Mbps scenario, though, and has started to roll out 7.2Mbps download speeds. Starting in December last year in a few Central London postcodes and some airports, the plan is to gradually increase the coverage. Along with this launch came two modems capable of the higher speed.
Both are USB devices, and both are available for the same pricing, which could be free depending on your contract choice. The boringly named USB Modem 7.2 is a bar-of-soap style device, white in colour, with a red band that pulses when data is being transmitted. It connects via a USB cable and comes with short (19cm), and long (80cm) cables.
Meanwhile the USB Modem Stick is, as its name suggests, designed to plug directly into a USB port. It is smaller than the USB Modem 7.2 and looks like a slightly oversized flash drive. It comes with a cable which could prove very handy if the stick obscures a second USB port that you want to use, as it did on our test laptop.
The desktop software which self installs when you connect either modem to your laptop or PC includes an SMS module with contact manager. It shows data usage in both volume and time for the current and previous months, which is handy if you are on a limited use tariff and need to keep an eye on things.
During testing both modems worked perfectly. We were not in a 7.2Mbps zone when we tested them, but they both found a 3.6Mbps connection and worked with that. You can tell what speed you are connected at by the colour of a light on each of the modems and by checking the desktop software.
Finding a 7.2Mbps connection is likely to be a challenge for many at this stage, as only some airports and London postcodes are up and running. However, Vodafone does have plans for a wider rollout, and in the meantime the 3.6Mbps connections should be solid and stable if our experience is any kind of indicator.
Vodafone - USB Modem 7.2 and USB Modem Stick features - Verdict
The plug and play system really does work, and both modems are stylish to look at and small to pocket. As we said at the start, if the tariffs start to fall on unlimited access, fixed line ISPs will need to watch their backs.

DGS-1248T Gigabit web Switch review

D-Link - DGS-1248T Gigabit Web Smart Switch review
Green, it seems, is the new black, with IT companies increasingly keen for their products to be seen as environmentally friendly. Some of the claims need to be taken with a pinch of salt, but D-Link's new Gigabit Web Smart Switch really can make a difference, and help save both the planet and your cash.
Here's the idea. Network switches are normally designed to run all of their ports on full power all of the time, regardless of whether there's anything attached or how far away an attached device actually is. The “Green Ethernet” technology in the D-Link switch, however, can put its ports into low power standby mode if there's nothing at the other end and, where there is, adjust the power level to suit the cable length involved.
The end result can be big savings in the amount of energy required. Up to 50 percent or more in some cases, it's claimed, depending on how the network is setup and used. You also gain from lower heat emissions, leading, according to D-Link, to longer product life compared to a standard switch.

It sounds impressive and it really does seem to work, although the hardware involved doesn't look any different from what you'd normally expect. Not all of D-Link's Web Smart Switches have the new Green Ethernet technology, but three do, all 19-inch rack-mountable and each with with a single built-in power supply.
We tested the top of the range, 48-port DGS-1248T, although for smaller companies there's a cheaper 24-port version (the DGS-1224T at £156.51 + VAT) and a 16-port model (the DGS-1216T at £104.33 + VAT). All are driven by low-power, 90nm processors while the 16- and 48-port switches are both fanless, further saving on the power needed to run them.
Build quality is top notch and there's no skimping in terms of functionality either. As the name implies, the ports are all Gigabit-capable, arranged in banks of auto-sensing 10/100/1000Mbps connectors with, alongside, a set of SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) slots to take fibre-optic adapters, should you need them.
Four SFP slots are provided on the 48-port model, with two on the others. Unfortunately the Green Ethernet features don't apply to fibre connections. Neither do the SFP slots add to the port count; plug in an SFP adapter and the associated UTP port will stop working.
Because it has extra functionality beyond basic Layer 2 switching, you need to be able to get inside and manage the Gigabit Web Smart Switch. This can be done using SNMP if you've got suitable software, but we used the built-in Web interface which needs nothing more than a browser.
Using this we found it easy to do things like manage the Green Ethernet technology although, in truth, it's either on or off and comes ready enabled, so under normal circumstances there's nothing to do. Even on a modest network, however, you may want to take advantage of the various other options, such as support for VLAN segmentation, port trunking and Quality of Service (QoS). You also get a number of integrated security tools worth turning on.
Priced to appeal to small companies, these new Gigabit Web Smart Switches are well worth considering just for their switching features alone. Add in the Green Ethernet technology and they're even more of a bargain

D-Link Ethernet switch

D-Link Green Ethernet switch slashes power consumption

D-Link offers significant power savings with Smart Switch

Independent testing has shown that companies rolling out D-Link's Green Ethernet switches can reduce operating expenses, even when the switch is fully saturated with network traffic.

The testing was conducted at Ixia Labs' EMEA site in Marlow by independent network kit testing outfit Broadband-Testing.
A subsequent report filed by Broadband-Testing labs director Steve Broadhead shows conclusively that D-Link's claims for its DGS-1224T 24-port Green Ethernet Gigabit Smart Switch have been validated by the tests.
"With default gigabit mode enabled, and with a 100 per cent network traffic load, the Green Ethernet switch consumed 47 per cent of the power used by D-Link's own DGS-3627 24-port switch," he said.
Broadhead compared D-Link's Green Ethernet switch with its DGS-3627 24-port switch and a D-Link DGS-3426P 24-port Power-over-Ethernet switch. The test used Ixia's XM12 test hardware and its new IxGreen software application, allowing network load testing data and power consumption readings taken from a hardware multi-meter to be compared.
At zero per cent and 50 per cent network traffic load, the DGS-1224T Green Ethernet switch consumed 64.1 per cent and 53.7 per cent respectively of the power used by D-Link's DGS 3627 switch.
One method by which D-Link's hardware reduces power consumption is that its switch places the port to which the device is connected on less power-consuming standby mode when a connected device is turned off. D-Link's switches can also adjust power output according to network cabling distances.
D-Link's Green Ethernet switch offers an opportunity to significantly reduce power costs for firms using switches close to their full network capacity.
However, one of the current problems with testing switch power consumption is the lack of a global standard for running such tests, which means that useful comparisons between competing network kit could be undermined by claims of " non-standard testing".
Ixia system engineer James Ramsay said that datacentres are under significant pressure to reduce cooling problems, and that the industry needs a global energy efficiency metric covering Europe and the US.
Nigel Moulton, European enterprise and SME vice president at D-Link, said that all D-Link switching products would be moved to similar 'green' hardware configurations over the next six to nine months, and that its wireless LAN systems and network attached storage hardware would be "similarly specified".
Moulton added that there are macroeconomic considerations, but that CIOs could justifiably offer green network hardware to network IT managers as a " serious consideration".

Network tech

New network technology wave to slash standby energy use
Imminent new standards promise
to revolutionise the way IT equipment turns itself to standby

While efforts to tackle the IT industry's burgeoning energy consumption have to date largely focused on PCs and the giant server farms that run the internet, the energy used by another critical component of the world's IT infrastructure, the networking technologies that bind everything together, has gone largely unnoticed.
However, from later this year a wave of networking technologies built around new energy-efficient standards are set to emerge, promising to slash IT energy use and save more than $250m (£176m) a year in US energy bills alone.
According to David Law, consultant at network equipment manufacturer 3Com and chairman of one of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) working groups tasked with developing the new standards, new technologies could soon deliver huge improvements in energy efficiency while slashing the amount of power IT and communications equipment uses when it is on standby.
The new systems are to be underpinned by two new industry standards, IEEE 802.3az for energy-efficient Ethernet and IEEE 802.3at for power over Ethernet, which after years of development should both be formally ratified within the next 18 months.
Law said that the first of these standards, which is due to be voted on this July and should be formally ratified by June 2010, will provide a protocol to replace the current model of ensuring that the Ethernet cable that links a computer to the internet is always on with a more intelligent system.
Under the new standard, that Ethernet link would sit in an idle, power-saving state most of the time and only turn itself on when a "wake signal" lets it know that there is data that needs to be transmitted. Because the laptop or PC would know that data would only be sent following a wake signal, it too would be able to spend more time with certain components in sleep mode, Law explained.
"As the PC or laptop knows it will not have to do anything until it gets the wake signal, it can have adapter cards or port switches in idle too," he added. "One test showed that an adapter card was able to go from consuming one watt to just a tenth of a watt – it might not seem like much, but globally the savings could be massive."
Research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggests that using 1G Ethernet cables capable of supporting the new standard would cut US energy bills by up to $250m a year.
The second standard, IEEE 802.3at, similarly promises to revolutionise standby modes for devices with smaller energy requirements, such as phone and wireless internet points.
The standard, which Law said was on track to be ratified this September, will result in an increase in the amount of power that can be transmitted over Ethernet cables from the current level of 12.95W to 25.5W.
Law said that the increase in power would allow a "whole new class of products to be powered over Ethernet cables", such as sophisticated desk phones and wireless access points.
He added that in addition to allowing these new products to do away with mains cables, the technology would allow firms to use the same Ethernet cables to automatically switch the devices to standby when they are not in use overnight or at weekends, potentially delivering sizable energy savings.

Webbing telcom companies

In an attempt to compete with Cisco on a grander scale, Brocade is poised to buy Foundry Networks for nearly $3 billion.
As a maker of hardware and software that connects corporate servers and data storage, Brocade is thinking that the acquisition can round out their offerings with network switching and routing systems. Plus, with the U.S. military and intelligence agencies Foundry brings to the table can’t hurt either.
The combined company will enable both Brocade and Foundry to exit out of their niche roles and catapult them into a more networking technology leader. The reason for this, as the WSJ goes on to point out, is that many networking devices have difficulty connecting to each other and have contributed to high energy costs and wasted space in the datacenter. Why would you want to purchase two products when one will suffice? What the WSJ does not talk about is the administrative and human resource costs associated with building and maintaining this type of infrastructure. Green technology aside, it just makes sense to purchase products that combine key components of the networking infrastructure. Probably a good move regardless of the huge fluctuations in stock price this generated.

TV

Sony floats waterproof Bravia XDV-W600 1-Seg TV for the bath
It's round, white, and floats in the tub and goes by the name XDV-W600 -- the latest Bravia TV to numb the mind. The little 1-Seg set features a 4-inch, 16.7-million color, 272 x 480 pixel LCD; AM/FM tuner; 2GB of internal memory to record up to 10-hours of 1-Seg television broadcasts; and up to 23-hours of viewing off the internal rechargeable + 2x AA alkaline batteries. It also carries an IPX7 and IPX6 waterproof rating making it submersible for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1-meter and capable of withstanding penetration by your Jacuzzi's water jets. Although it would likely distort the video into a fisheye view, we really wish that advances in curved and circular LCDs had progressed to the point of mass production -- that square display kills the aesthetic on these ovular TVs. Ships in Japan on October 30th for an expected ¥39,800 (about $368).

McPerson's 37-inch I-TV does it all... or nothing
There's a select group of red flags that appear when a product is, or is dangerously close to becoming, vaporware, and we've seen just about all of 'em when looking at McPerson's I-TV. Apparently, this so-called do-it-all LCD TV first appeared last year, but now it sports a different look and a flashy website that will make you wish your speakers were inoperative. The set supposedly functions as a home automation controller, DVR, DVD player and Media Center PC, and just in case you doubted its prowess, this thing is somehow Viiv-certified and able to run OS X. Specs wise, you'll find a 37-inch 1080p panel, dual 40-watt speakers (um, right), 7.1-channel audio out, built-in WiFi / Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet and a slew of ports. Considering McPerson threw nearly everything in here save for the proverbial kitchen sink, it's not all that shocking to find a £3,924.49 ($8,235) pricetag floating around the intarweb, and if anyone has any actual proof that this thing exists, feel free to dash our doubts in comments.

Japan's Segnity: the talking TV
If you've ever dreamed of a cute little television which would speak to you (and we're pretty sure you have), you're in luck. Thanks to E-Revolutiona and Takara Tomy, that dream is now a reality. The two companies have gotten together and produced a 2.7-inch, QVGA TV called the Segnity which runs on AAA batteries or USB power, features a 1seg tuner (a a mobile terrestrial digital audio / video / data broadcasting service in Japan), and... talks to you. Apparently, the little display (which comes in black or white) will asking you things like, "Are you leaving already?" when you attempt to switch it off. No word on whether it whispers subliminal messages to you while you sleep, or threatens to kill you if you return it -- but we can certainly hope. Available at the end of September for about ¥10,000 (or $86). Check the video after the break to see the annoying device in action. [Warning: read link not translated]

Philips to launch Ambilight successor Aurea

Consumer electronics manufacturer Philips will demo their successor to Ambilight-- the ambient lighting technology that generates light effects on the sides of a television -- at European expo IFA on August 30. The new technology, named Aurea, will be featured using a film by director Wong Kar called Seduction by Light. From early photos, the new sets incorporate the lighting directly into the frame, instead of using the previous method of a glass frame around the set.

700MHz band: future home to worldwide mobile broadband standard
If you've been losing sleep over not knowing precisely what was going to happen to all that spectrum space that will be freed up when the imminent analog-to-digital cutover takes place, your insomnia is about to be (at least partially) cured. The US of A apparently pushed hard for a worldwide consensus on spectrum use -- suggesting that a common approach was more reasonable than each nation choosing separate frequencies for next-generation services -- and sure enough, it ended up getting exactly what it wanted. Apparently, the 700MHz band will now be reserved for a mobile broadband standard accessible throughout much of the globe, including most of North America, Central America, South America, Europe, China, India, South Korea and Japan. Of note, Europe was able to land a concession that enables it to offer up "about half of the bandwidth available for mobile services in their region" compared to what is offered elsewhere, but the agreement definitely makes the forthcoming auction that much more interesting.

N_TechTouch Mobile

HTC Touch Diamond

This very awaited phone, was a major uprgrade to the existing devices running Windows Mobile, it boosted a bunch of new features that were much awaited by HTC followers, so lets get strated.

Official Website: http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=46278

Alternate Names: O2 XDA Diamond and T-Mobile MDA Compact IV

Manufacturer: High Tech Computer Corporation

Predecessor: HTC Touch Cruise

Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 ProfessionalScreen Resolution: 640-by-480-Pixels VGA Screen

Dimensions :102 mm (L) X 51 mm (W) X 11.35 mm (T)Processor Qualcomm® MSM7201A™ 528 MHz

Camera: 3.2 MP with auto focus and second camera for video callGPS Included

User Interface HTC TouchFlo 3D

Data: HSDPA 7.2

Major Improvements over predecessor

Built-In AccelerometerOS Upgrade from WM 6.0 to WM 6.1UI Upgrade from Orignal Touchflo to TouchFlo 3DScreen resolution upgrade from QVGA Screen to VGA ScreenIncreased ROM from 256 MB to additional 4GB of internal storageIncreased RAM from 128 MB to 192 MBUpgraded software for HTC applicationsNew Web browser Included, upgrade for P.I.E 6.0 to Opera Mobile 9.5More powefull processor from 400mhz to 528 mhz

What does it have over everybody else?

Even with all the buzz about the Diamond, there's really isn't anything that they Diamond has that's unique or better than everybody else, except the TouchFlo 3d INTERFACE, which the Touch Pro also has.

When can you officially get it?

Q3 2008 for Europe and Asia, Late 2008 for US

What it's missing?

The Touch Diamond, like the iPhone lacks a micro-SD card slot, this makes it an undesired product for people who want to have more than 4GB of storage on their phone and the flexibility of a MicroSD card. Big bumper, this was one of the iPhone family's biggest downfalls, now the Touch Diamond shares it. Another downfall that the Diamond shares with the iPhone is the lack of a physical keyboard, this has been a problem with every phone in the Touch series with the exception of Pro and Dual. The keyboard is probably the biggest problem with the Diamond and makes it very Buissness and Texters repelant.

BlackBerry Bold (9000)

Official Website: http://www.blackberry.com/blackberrybold/

Alternate Names: Blackberry 9000

Manufacturer:Research In Motion (RIM)

Predecessor: Blackberry 8830 (chronologically)

Operating System: Blackberry OS 4.6

Dimensions :4.5" tall x 2.6" wide x 0.5" deep

Processor 624MHz Intel PXA270/Marvell Tavor PXA930 processor (reports differ)

Camera: 2 MP with flashGPS Included

User Interface (New) Blackberry UIData HSDPA 3.6

Screen Size ???????

Screen Resolution 480 by 320 Pixels HVGA

Major Improvements over predecessorOS

Upgrade from BB OS 4.2 to BB OS 4.6New Blackberry UI Screen resolution doubled from QVGA Screen to HVGA ScreenSoftware updates for RIM applicationsMore powefull processor from 312 MHz to 624 MHz

What does it have over everybody else?

The Bold is tied with the Omnia for the most powerful processor with a 624 Mhz Marwell. And eventough it's screen is only HVGA, it looks great on a it smaller physical size, so good that CNET called it the best looking screen ever on a cell phone.

When can you officially get it?

Summer 2008

What it's Missing?

This is, according to many, the biggest bumper in the Bold, lack of a touchscreen, this closes the door to a lot of functionality and possibilities otherwise present in touchscreen phones.The Bold, like the Touch Pro lacks a respectable amount of internal storage, with only 512 MB it makes a very weak case against iPhone's 8 and 16GB or the Diamond's 4GB. The Bold infact has the least amount of internal storage of all the major 08 smart phones.The Blackberry Bold also includes a front keyboard, widely considered as a eyesore, this also means that it has the smallest screen size of all the major 08 smartphones, big time bumper.

Previous Phones/Devices
Sony Clie SJ20 - Stopped Workin
Samsung T519 - Still Works/retired for the Wing

Palm TX - Got stolen
T-Mobile Wing - Sold then Got Stolen
Current: T-Mobile G1
Running JF 1.43 ADP 1.1h

Samsung Omnia

A lot of people have shown enthusiasm about this phone on the thread, sorry for the long time it took to put up the specs put here it is. Samsung Omnia

Website: http://www.samsungomnia.com/

Alternate Names: Samsung i900 and ATT i907

Manufacturer: Samsung Inc.

Predecessor: Samsung i830

Operating System: Windows Mobile Professional 6.1

Screen Resolution: 240-by-400-Pixels WQGA

ScreenDimensions : 112 by 56.9 by 12.5

Processor Marwell 624 Mhz

Camera: 5 MP with geotaging, auto focus, image stabilizer, face detection etc etc...

GPS Included

User Interface TouchViz UIData HSDPA 7.2

Sony Xperia X1

Xperia was the first contender officially announced this year, this HTC designed, Sony owned phone is one of the most awaited phones of the year, lets get started.

Official Website: http://www.sonyericsson.com/x1/?lc=en&cc=SG

Alternate Names: None

Manufacturer: HTC for Sony Ericsson

Predecessor: None (First one in the Xperia Series)

Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional

Dimensions :110 x 53 x 17 mm

Processor Qualcomm® MSM7201A™ 528 MHz

Camera: 3.2 MP with viewfinder and second camera for video call

GPS IncludedUser Interface Xperia Panel UI

Data HSDPA Screen Size 3 Inches

Screen Resolution 800 by 480 Pixels WVGA

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Adobe Digital Edition Portable 4.29
Adobe® Digital Editions software offers an engaging way to view and manage eBooks and other digital publications. Use it to download and purchase digital content, which can be read both online and offline. Transfer copy-protected eBooks from your PC to other computers or devices. Organize your eBooks into a custom library and annotate pages. Digital Editions also supports industry-standard eBook formats, including PDF/A and EPUB.Did you get here automatically from Adobe Acrobat® 8 or Reader® 8 software or from Digital Editions? Click the install badge below to download and install the latest version of Digital Editions, which provides the eBook capabilities integrated with previous versions of Acrobat and Reader.Digital Editions 1.6 allows you to organize, manage and read reflowable PDF and EPUB content from eBook retailers, libraries and other digital content distributors who use Adobe Content Server 4 to DRM-protect their content. You can also move DRM-protected eBooks to mobile devices including the Sony® Reader Digital Book.Top features:* Interface designed for digital reading* Fast, free download* Content portability* Support for Sony® Reader PRS-505* Powerful markup features* Support for PDF and EPUB, a reflow-centric XHTML-based format* File organization

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# Multilingual support;
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intel Tech

INTEL CORE 2 EXTREME

Whether it's gaming, digital photography, or video editing, today's high-impact entertainment demands breakthrough technology. Now with a new version based on Intel's cutting edge 45nm technology utilizing hafnium-infused circuitry to deliver even greater performance and power efficiency.When more is better-with four processing cores the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor delivers unrivaled¹ performance for the latest, greatest generation of multi-threaded games and multimedia apps.Now with a new version based on Intel's cutting edge 45nm technology utilizing hafnium-infused circuitry to deliver even greater performance and power efficiency. The Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor QX9770 running at 3.2 GHz delivers the best possible experience for today's most demanding users.12 MB of total L2 cache1600 MHz front side bus

Intel® Board D945GCPE

The Intel® Desktop Board D945GCPE Essential Series offers a cost-efficient integrated graphics solution for the budget conscious user.This board is built with affordability and flexibility in mind, and supports Intel® Core™2 Duo processors, Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core processors, Intel® Pentium® D processors, Intel® Pentium® 4 processors, Intel® Celeron® 400 Sequence processors, and Intel® Celeron® D processors up to 1066/800 MHz system bus in the LGA775 package. Other features include dual-channel DDR2 667/533 MHz SDRAM, Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (Intel® GMA 950), integrated 10/100 Network Connection, Intel® High Definition Audio (4 channel audio) and up to eight USB 2.0 ports.

Processors

Intel Refreshes Core 2 Duo Range

In a quiet but very important product release, Intel has announced the latest refresh of its Core 2 Duo range of processors. This new lineup gets a speed boost as the FSB has been bumped up to 1333 MHz from 1066 MHz. The number of processors that are being introduced include 3 dual-core processors and one quad-core.
The opening processor in this lineup, is the newly introduced E6550, which is clocked at 2.33 GHz and is aimed at filling the gap between the earlier E6400 and E6600 processor range. This new processor will retail at US$ 163. The next processor being introduced is the E6750, which is clocked 330 MHz faster than the E6750 i.e. 2.66 GHz. It will be retailing at US$ 183. The final dual-core processor is the E6850 which is 330 MHz faster than the E6750 i.e. 3 GHz and will retail at $266. On the quad-core front the new processor being debuted is the Core 2 Quad Q6850, which is clocked at 3 GHz and will carry the “Extreme” tag. This is reflected in the pricing of the C2D Q6850 which is US$ 999.
Though these new processors offer a tangible bump in speed and performance, the good thing that comes out of the release of the new range is that the older range of C2D processors will no doubt see a slash in prices. These will make the current generation products far more competitive and cut into AMD's budget processor market. For further details please check out this link.

CPU runs off 1 watt of electricity

VIA has developed a new fanless Eden ULV processor that chugs along at 500MHz, requiring just 1 watt of electricity to run. Whenever it is idle, the processor will sip a mere tenth of a watt - talk about efficiency! The low power requirements found in this new processor will target firms that design and engineer embedded systems which require low power consumption, while those looking for an eco-friendly design will definitely welcome this development. There will be 1GHz and 1.5GHz versions that consume 3.5 and 7.5 watts respectively as well in case you need more juice. When will such power saving measures reach the mass consumer market? Then we don't need those huge 600W monstrosities, unless you are running on a dual video card setup to meet Bioshock requirements.

AMD

AMD - Athlon 64 FX-62 and Socket AM2 review

With the launch of Athlon 64 FX-62, AMD has also rolled out its new AM2 platform. This is a move from Socket 939 and Socket 754 to a new processor socket which has 940 pins. That number may sound familiar, but this isn't the same 940-pin layout that is used by the Opteron server processor, hence the name AM2 rather than a number.
AMD is changing its entire range of desktop processors over to AM2, from the highest Athlon 64 X2 to the lowest Sempron. The reason for the change is that AMD has decided that the time is right to shift from DDR system memory to DDR2, which is the same type of memory that Intel started to use with the LGA775 version of Pentium 4.
At that time, DDR2 was relatively slow and had horrendous latency (lag) but Intel was determined to pursue clock speeds that went beyond 4GHz so it needed memory that could provide adequate bandwidth. AMD is in a different position as it has raised clock speeds quite slowly from the initial 1.6GHz of the first Opteron to 2.6GHz with FX-60, and it's only now, with the 2.8GHz of FX-62, that it feels the need for DDR2. Well, that and the fact that 800MHz/PC2-6400 DDR2 is now fast enough to offset the latency problem.
You need to make sure that you choose memory that is fast enough to support your new AM2 processor, so here is a short list of recommended configurations:
AM2 Athlon 64 FX-62 with DDR2-800/PC2-6400 or DDR2-1066/PC2-8500AM2 Athlon 64 X2 with DDR2-667/PC2-5300 or DDR2-800/PC2-6400AM2 Athlon 64 and Sempron with DDR2-533/PC2-4200 or DDR2-667/PC2-5300
The other physical change is that the AM2 heatsink frame mounts through four holes on the motherboard, compared to the two holes used by Socket 754 and 939, but ironically the same as the Socket A Athlon circa 2001. The AM2 heatsink attaches to the frame with two clips, rather than the six clips used on the earlier version, and while this looks like a backward step we doubt that it will cause any problems.Athlon 64 has the memory controller integrated within the processor rather than the motherboard chipset, so there was no need for any dramatic change to the new wave of motherboards apart from a change in processor socket and the memory slots. Indeed, ATi's Radeon Xpress 3200 chipset supports both the old and new Athlon 64, but Nvidia has decided to roll out a new family of chipsets for AM2 called Nforce 500.
There are currently four members of the family with the fully-featured Nforce 590 SLI at the top of the tree, Nforce 570 SLI in the mid-range, Nforce 570 below that and Nforce 550 so far down the pecking order that you'd be better off with Nforce 4, if you were given the option.
The 590 SLI has a pair of graphics slots, each with 16 PCI Express lanes, just like the Nforce4 32 chipset. In total 590 SLI supports 46 lanes of PCI Express. In addition it has LinkBoost which will automatically overclock the graphics buses when you plug in 'compatible' graphics cards, which currently means the GeForce 7900GTX.



You also get a pair of Gigabit LAN ports which can be combined with DualNet to give the equivalent of a 2Gbps connection, while FirstPacket prioritises your Internet traffic so Counter Strike doesn't suddenly fall foul of Windows Update or some other horror.
This is a good idea, but we find the biggest problem with Windows in respect of Internet traffic is that an application such as e-mail or your firewall will grab the Windows focus and present a pop-up that has to be dealt with. If you're gaming in full-screen mode, the pop-up can either kill your game or it can remain invisible behind the game yet still demand attention.
On the subject of firewalls, Nvidia has dropped the hopeless ActiveArmor firewall that it introduced with Nforce4. And every member of Nforce 500 supports Intel's Azalia HD audio.
Nforce 570 SLI supports 28 lanes of PCI Express with x16 for a single graphics card or dual x8 for each graphics card in SLI, just like Nforce4 SLI. It doesn't support LinkBoost but it does have FirstPacket and DualNet. The Nforce 550 doesn't support any of the new technologies, which effectively makes it an Nforce4 with support for AM2 processors.



So, what is the upshot of the move from Socket 939 to AM2? Well, naff all really.The previous king of the performance charts was the Athlon 64 FX-60, which uses Socket 939 and runs at 2.6GHz on dual channel DDR memory. The new FX-62 runs at 2.8GHz and has exactly the pro rata performance increase that you would expect from the extra 200MHz, which means that the new Socket, new chipset and the change to DDR2 memory have precisely zero effect.
That's not to say that Nforce 570 SLI is a failure, as it has enormous potential in a high-end gaming PC with a pair of GeForce 7900GTX graphics cards, provided you have the necessary £3,000.



Neither does it mean that dual channel memory is pointless, as you can be sure that AMD has made the switch to give its high-end processors the headroom that they require for speed bumps in future. We regard the idea of DDR2 in a low-end PC as a pointless exercise but at least it does very little harm.

Motherboard

ASUS P5KR Motherboard Review

ASUS’s P5K range of motherboards based on the new Intel P35 chipset comes in a range of flavours, from the very basic to the super-loaded, today we take a look at the P5KR, which seems to offer a good number of features for not a lot of money.
Currently there are at least 10 different variants of the P5K series of motherboards available on the Australian market which are based on the P35 chipset (even more which are based on the G31 and G33 chipset with integrated graphics) and they range in price from AU$180 for the P5K-SE up to nearly AU$400 for the P5K Premium. The P5KR we’re looking at today is closer to the bottom end of the range, sells for around AU$210 and comes with the following specifications:

>> LGA775 CPU Platform (Support for Core 2 Duo/Quad/Extreme, Pentium D, Pentium 4 CPUs)
>> 800/1066/1333MHz CPU Front Side Bus Support
>> Intel P35 Northbridge/iCH9R Southbridge Chipset
>> DDR2 667/800/1066MHz Dual Channel Memory – 4 x Slots, 8GB Max Total
>> 6 x SATA-II Ports (1 x External/eSATA)
>> 12 x USB2.0 Ports (6 on Back Panel, 6 by header on motherboard)
>> 2 x PCI-Express x16 Slots (One Supports x16, other supports x4 or x1 modes) – Crossfire Compatible
>> 1 x PCI-Express x1 Slot, 3 x PCI Slots
>> 2 x Firewire400 Ports (1 x Rear Panel, 1 x Motherboard header)
>> 8-Channel Audio w. S/PDIF output.
>> 1 x GigLAN Port
>> 1 x ATA-133 Connector, 1 x FDD Connector, 1 x Serial Port Header, 3 x Aux Fan Connectors
>> 12” x 9.6” ATX Form Factor

3DMAX

3ds Max is a full-featured 3D graphics application developed by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It runs on the Win32 and Win64 platforms. As of October 2007, 3ds Max is in its tenth version, named 3ds Max 2008, which was announced during SIGGRAPH 2007. 3ds Max adds enhanced support for complex pipelines and workflows.

Features

MAXScript
MAXScript is a built-in scripting language, and can be used to automate repetitive tasks, combine existing functionality in new ways, develop new tools and user interfaces and much more. Plugin modules can be created entirely in MAXscript.
Character Studio

Character Studio was a plugin which since version 4 of Max is now integrated in 3D Studio Max helping user to animate virtual characters. The system works using a character rig or "Biped" which is pre-made and allows the user to adjust the rig to fit the character they will be animating. Dedicated curve editors and motion capture data import tools make Character Studio ideal for character animation. "Biped" objects have other useful features that automated the production of walk cycles and movement paths, as well as secondary motion.

Scene Explorer

Scene Explorer, a tool that provides a hierarchical view of scene data and analysis, facilitates working with more complex scenes. Scene Explorer has the ability to sort, filter, and search a scene by any object type or property (including metadata). Added in 3ds Max 2008, it was the first component to facilitate DotNet managed code in 3ds Max outside of MAXScript.
DWG Import

3ds Max supports both import and linking of DWG files. Improved memory management in 3ds Max 2008 enables larger scenes to be imported with multiple objects.
Texture Assignment/Editing

3ds Max offers operations for creative texture and planar mapping, including tiling, mirroring, decals, angle, rotate, blur, UV stretching, and relaxation; Remove Distortion; Preserve UV; and UV template image export. The texture workflow includes the ability to combine an unlimited number of textures, a material/map browser with support for drag-and-drop assignment, and hierarchies with thumbnails. UV workflow features include Pelt mapping, which defines custom seams and enables users to unfold UVs according to those seams; copy/paste materials, maps and colors; and access to quick mapping types (box, cylindrical, spherical).
Constrained Animation

Objects can be animated along curves with controls for alignment, banking, velocity, smoothness, and looping, and along surfaces with controls for alignment. Weight path-controlled animation between multiple curves, and animate the weight. Objects can be constrained to animate with other objects in many ways—including look at, orientation in different coordinate spaces, and linking at different points in time. These constraints also support animated weighting between more than one target. All resulting constrained animation can be collapsed into standard keyframes for further editing.
Skinning
Either the Skin or Physique modifier may be used to achieve precise control of skeletal deformation, so the character deforms smoothly as joints are moved, even in the most challenging areas, such as shoulders. Skin deformation can be controlled using direct vertex weights, volumes of vertices defined by envelopes, or both. Capabilities such as weight tables, paintable weights, and saving and loading of weights offer easy editing and proximity-based transfer between models, providing the accuracy and flexibility needed for complicated characters. The rigid bind skinning option is useful for animating low-polygon models or as a diagnostic tool for regular skeleton animation. Additional modifiers, such as Skin Wrap and Skin Morph, can be used to drive meshes with other meshes and make targeted weighting adjustments in tricky areas.