Most Popular Cars of 2009

The year 2009 will go down in history as a watershed moment for the automotive industry. American icons General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection, seizing as much taxpayer money as possible in their efforts to fend off impending doom. Both survived, but under much different circumstances than anticipated decades earlier.

Going or almost gone from the GM’s portfolio were Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac and Saab along with a myriad of employees. Chrysler, sold to Italian automaker Fiat SpA, was now under the control of Canadian-born chief executive Sergio Marchionne and harboured an immediate need for new product. A summer launch of the Cash for Clunkers program would help both, but for how long?

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Ford was in amazingly good shape, declining offers for government aid in an effort to keep its counterparts from going under. Ford realized, without a healthy GM and Chrysler, it too would be out of business, not large enough on its own to keep afloat the supply network necessary to run an entire industry. New products were streaming full speed into the market, with Taurus, Fusion and Flex leading the way.

Not surprisingly, Yahoo! Autos most searched for car brands in 2009 represent the strengths and sometimes failures experienced in the auto industry this past year. Toyota and Honda placed first and second on our list. Both companies shared the spotlight with successes in new products, the 2010 Toyota Prius, and continuing sales of mainstays such as the Honda Civic and Accord. Not all was roses, however, Toyota suffered from unexpected recalls while both companies encountered downward trends and the need to exit racing, specifically Formula 1, to conserve cash and develop new products faster.

Ford ranked third, with Nissan fourth and BMW fifth. Nissan did feel the pinch of a tighter economy, but under the strong leadership of CEO Carlos Ghosn, it seemed well positioned to tread carefully while others succumbed to economic pressures. BMW continued their A-plan of designing new and exciting vehicles such as the 535i Gran Turismo, and for the most part, consumers responded. With additional product set to launch, both Nissan and BMW appear poised for additional success in 2010.

When it came to ranking the most searched for individual models, it turns out that the enduring popularity of the iconic American muscle car, such as the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang, is still tough to beat. In fact, five of the top 10 most searched cars are American made. However, smaller, fuel-efficient models are still top of mind with consumers as evidenced by the continued popularity of the Honda Civic, Mini Cooper and Smart ForTwo.

(source)

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iPhone 3GS Supreme is diamond encrusted, spectacularly expensive

Seeing as how the iPhone’s exclusive status has been slipping, it was inevitable that the bourgeoisie would invent a new way to distinguish themselves from the lowly masses. Enter a designer by the name of Stuart Hughes, already expertly familiar with slapping precious metals onto slightly less precious mobile phones. He classes up a 3GS handset with a 22 carat solid gold body, which he then sprinkles with no less than 190 diamonds. And just to make sure none of the riff raff can get their hands on it, this creation is priced at £1.92 million ($3.2 million), which places it precisely £1.92 million outside our budget. Completing the, erm, value proposition is a storage chest cut from a single block of granite, which you may peep after the break.

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LG / Cyon SU630 caught in the wilds of South Korea

Were you shocked and surprised when LG put out a Christmas Edition of its Korea-only LG-SU630? Neither were we — but we are mighty amused that a certain reader named James Roberson was cool enough to take us up on our (joking) plea for pictures of the handset when he came across one at the electronics market in Seoul recently. This isn’t the Christmas edition, but it’s all LG-SU630 — as indicated by the Cyon logo and 8 megapixel camera ’round back. Get a closer look in the gallery below. And for our next request, do you think you could send us a Sciphone Dream G2? We hear they’re pretty amazing.

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Olympus Pen E-P1 Gets Covered In Swarovski Crystals

The retro-styled Micro Four Thirds Olympus Pen E-P1 digi-cam has been ruined, sorry enhanced with a "dazzling makeover" by Crystal Roc.

Now covered in hundreds of "sparkling" Swarovski crystals it will be available exclusively to order from Harrods' Micro Anvika department.

In a special limited edition wooden box, which includes "two lenses" (no details provided - presumably the 14-42mm zoom and the 17mm "pancake" lens) and a matching flash, the crystal-encrusted Pen gets a price tag of £1999.99.

Those not interested in stuck-on crystals would do well to hang on for the launch of the next-gen, slightly tweaked Olympus Pen E-P2, due in January.

(source)

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What is Blu-Ray?

Blu-Ray is an optical storage format developed by Sony and Phillips. Blu-Ray was created to store large amounts of high definition video and sound. Blu-Ray gets its name from the type of laser it uses to read and write data from and to the disc, the color of the laser is a hue of blue-violet. Due to the extreme density of these optical discs the data needs to be smaller to fit onto the disc, a blue-violet laser has a shorter wavelength than the normal red lasers used today.

Blu-Ray technology is so-named because of its use of blue laser technology in storing and reading data. Being on the shorter wavelength end of the light spectrum than the red laser used for DVD and CD technologies (405 nanometer for Blu-Ray versus 650 nanometer and 780 nanometer for DVD and CD technology), blue laser is capable of storing a much larger amount of data using the same space because of a much smaller "spot size" requirement. Blu-Ray's 405nm wavelength blue-violet laser uses an 0.85nm pickup aperture.

Single-layer Blu-Ray disks currently store 23.3GB of data, which dual-layer Blu-Ray disks are able to store 46.6GB of data.

There is currently a market war taking place against both HD DVD's and Blu-Ray DVD's. These two types of DVD's are fighting to see who will be the new form of media for the years to come. As of yet, neither media type has made enough inroads to garner a champion.

Obviously the major benefit of Blu-Ray DVD's is that it is able to hold more data on one disc, therefore allowing high definition audio and video. The more data you have, the more data can be read to give a clearer picture with more color and vividness.

One of the benefits of Blu-Ray technology is that because data is so close together, early types of Blu-Ray discs would be contaminated by slight scratches. However, a new coating has been developed that makes Blu-Ray discs extremely difficult to scratch.

Blu-Ray is looking to make inroads into the consumer electronics market with the Blu-Ray DVD player with its Sony PlayStation. The Sony PlayStation will include a basic Blu-Ray DVD player which might spur sales of media and make it the de facto standard.

The disadvantages to Blu-Ray discs are that they are quite expensive. For instance, players are selling at about the $1,000 mark and DVD discs will be more expensive than their standard DVD counterparts. Another disadvantage is that since there are two standards, both Blu-Ray and HD, most people are sitting on the sidelines to see who the winner is. Because Blu-Ray has been developed in part with Sony, Sony has included DRM or digital rights management that will make it more difficult for people to place shift and time shift their content.

Blu-Ray Technology

BD Formats

There are three formats being developed for Blu-Ray technology. The BD-ROM or Blu-Ray read-only disc format will be used to store movies, computer games and software. The Blu-Ray recordable or BD-R will provide users the opportunity to store larger amounts of data and HDTV recordings in one disc. The BD-RE or Blu-Ray rewritable disc format will provide users the ability to change the disc's contents.

Disc Capacity

The main advantage of Blu-Ray technology is its capability of storing massive amounts of data in one disc. Blu-Ray technology will enable users to store an average of 25GB-27GB worth of data into just one layer. This is equivalent to 4 hours worth of HD video and audio. Moreover, Blu-Ray dual layer discs will have a storage capacity of up to 54GB. Research on Blu-Ray discs with up to four layers and with storage capacities of up to 200 GB is currently underway.

Supportable File Formats

Blu-Ray discs are capable of supporting different file formats such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 High Profile AVC and VC-1 coder decoders which enables the discs to store up to four hours worth of HDTV audio-video per layer. It is also capable of supporting the different multi-channel audio file formats such as the different file formats of Dolby and DTS as well as PCM audio file formats. BD rewritable and recordable disc formats will also be backwards-compatible with older formats such as MPEG-2 while newer codecs will enable Blu-Ray technology to support new file formats in the future. The integration of Java cross platform will also enable the Blu-Ray disc to have interactive menus as well as the capability to add new content or updates such as new subtitles through the Internet.

Regional Codes and Security

For security, Blu-Ray supports mandatory HDCP encrypted output, ROM-Mark watermarking, BD+ dynamic cryptology, and the Advanced Access Content System (AACS).

Blu-Ray discs will have three regional codes: one for countries in the Amercian continent as well as countries in east Asia except China and Japan, another for countries in the European and African continents and another one for all the other countries in the Asian continent such as China, Russia, etc.

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Google-powered netbooks to debut in 2010

Washington - Google on Thursday provided a peek beneath the hood of its new Chrome operating system, making the software public and promising it will run netbooks by the end of next year.

Google-crafted Chrome OS will be tailored exclusively for applications hosted as services in the Internet "cloud" and debut on low-cost, bare-bones netbooks that have been a booming segment of the laptop computer market.

"We believe there is a better model of computing we can give users," vice president of Chrome OS Sundar Pichai said while demonstrating the in-progress software at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

"That is what Chrome OS is. Speed, simplicity and security. We want Google Chrome OS to be so blazingly fast... We think it should be like a TV, you turn it on and you are in the application."

Google is working with computer makers to build Chrome OS into netbooks to be available in stores in time for holiday season shopping at the end of 2010.

Chrome OS will only be available pre-loaded on netbooks that are compatible with the software, according to Pichai.

"We are really focused on making a netbook that is lean and mean and runs the Internet really well," said Chrome OS engineering director Matt Papakipos.

Chrome OS will eventually expand to other computing devices, but the priority is to have it in netbooks within a year, according to Pichai.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin brushed off questions about whether Chrome OS will challenge the long-time dominance of Microsoft Windows operating systems in the global computer market.

"Call us dumb businessmen, but we really focus on user needs rather than on strategies related to other businesses," Brin said.

"There is a real need to use computers easily. We believe the web platform is a much simpler way; where web machines are more stateless and more cache-like."

Google made the Chrome OS code available on Thursday to outside developers so they could start crafting software or applications to work with the system.

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LTE

Definition: LTE (Long Term Evolution) is a wireless broadband technology designed to support roaming Internet access via cell phones and handheld devices. Because LTE offers significant improvements over older cellular communication standards, some refer to it as a 4G (fourth generation) technology along with WiMax.

With its architecture centered on Internet Protocol (IP), Long Term Evolution promises to have excellent support for browsing Web sites, VoIP and other IP-based services. LTE can theoretically support downloads at 300 Megabits per second (Mbps) or more based on experimental trials. However, the actual bandwidth available to an individual LTE subscriber will likely be significantly less.

Long Term Evolution technology remains in a research and development mode, and industry specifications are not fully ratified. Expect networking products and services based on LTE to be globally available only in a few more years.

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History of Video Recorders

Jerome Lemelson

Digital Handycam

A camcorder can be used to make memories for future generations to enjoy. Previously, the world of record and memory-keeping was limited to still pictures or text. Today, individuals can use camcorders to store actual events, as they take place. Capturing memories has never been quicker or simpler thanks to the invention of the high tech, video recorders that are seen in today’s world.

In 1980, the inventor by the name of Jerome Lemelson received the first patent on the now popular camcorder. He had tried to patent the idea in 1977, but the U.S. patent office rejected the idea, claiming that it was too far fetched. Little did they understand about the revolution that the video recorder would undertake in so short of a time frame. In addition to the invention of camcorders, Lemelson also invented components for the ATM, the barcode scanner, and the Walkman. The world of technology and digital video production has come a long way thanks to Jerome Lemelson and his incredible mind.

When a person thinks of camcorders, they most likely do not consider the internal components. Inside those small digital handycam recorders are many components, including a mini VCR. The handy cams are so tiny that one may have a hard time believing this, but in every type of camcorder, this crucial component exists. Also included inside is a CCD, which helps measure the light used to show the images, as well as lens and motors that deal with zoom, focus and aperture.

The camcorder was one of the most fascinating inventions to come around in a long time. With this invention, the world was given the opportunity to not only record the faces of people and the events of their lives, but to also capture the sounds of the events. As time goes on, a person’s memory fades and the voices of loved ones become a distant sound never to be heard again. With one of the many high definition video recorders on the market today, a person can capture a voice in time that will last for generations to come.

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Digital Camera : History

Camera is one of the best way to keep the memory of the old time. One can anytime take picture and just print it or keep it in computer so to keep safe his/her old memories.

Digital camera is one of the best creation done by the scientist’s. It was Steven J. Sasson who gave the final result by developing the complete Camera.In 1975 he began to start the research on the project which was given to him by his supervisor at eastman Kodak Company.He set about building the digital circuitry from scratch, using oscilloscope measurements as a reference.

In 1972 Texas Instruments introduced the first film-less electronic camera. In 1981 Sony released the Mavica, the first electronic still camera. Mavica recorded the still images to a mini disc, that could be read by a video recorder.

The true Digital camera arrived in 1986 it was a still camera.The Image sensor could record 1.4 million pixels and produce 5 x 7 photo print. However the camera was not used by many people because very less people could afford it as it was too costly at that time.

As the time passed, the advancement in the cameras took place at a very faster pace. Also, their prices started to reduce .

Since the mid 90s, the cost of Cameras has reduced to a significant amount, so that it can be afforded by the common man. The advancement in technology has has been rapid and so is the reduction in price. Nowadays, a person can afford more than 1 camera in a family. Also the cameras have started to come in the latest Mobile Phones which has even increased it’s popularity.

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A Boon For Professionals-D3 Cameras

The newest experience of the world and thrill of photography is here for the people of the world now as now the time has gone when photography was considered as the work of only professionals and was looked upon as a fairly difficult job to hang out with. With the launching of the new D3 from Nikon, the definition of a digital camera has faced an extreme change as it has truly changed the face of the normal experience of photography in the present day world.

The days of easy as well as user friendly photography are now in the race as the exciting new features of the D3 camera of Nikon is designed in a way which aims to make photography a thrilling experience without any complex systems to interfere in the experience of fun. The new exciting highly advanced gadget named D3 comes with a price of around $5,800.As this hi-tech gadget is a fairly expensive one, it is far beyond the reach of the people belonging to middle class but as far as professionals are concerned, this gadget is a boon as it provides features and functions that give an entirely new face to their profession of photography as taking photos is now a lot more smooth as well as easy task now.

The D3 camera comes with a new technology of Big Pixels ISO range that enables it to take excellent photos even in conditions when the surroundings are too un suitable to take a photo.Moreover,D3 camera is also loaded with an anti blur system that contributes to its high picture quality and also improves the quality of the images even when the camera is unable to be in a still position in order to take a photo.D3 in real sense is a complete package for the professionals of the field of photography as they are entitled to receive each and every feature they require in order to make their customers happy by presenting them life like photos of their memorable moments to them.

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What is EVDO?

EVDO is an acronym for "Evolution Data Only" or "Evolution Data Optimized" which is a standard for high speed wireless networks used for Broadband Internet connectivity. EVDO enables computer users to have high speed Internet access without the help of a hotspot. Just by inserting an EVDO card into the computer, users get connected to the Internet within seconds and have Net access at DSL-compatible speeds.

While traditional wireless networks assign a dedicated path between the source and destination for the entire duration of the call very similar to fixed-line telephone networks, EVDO transmits several users' data through a single channel using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) as well as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to achieve higher throughput and better utilization of network bandwidth.

The standard underwent many revisions denoted as Rev. 0, Rev. A, and Rev. B and so on. Rev. 0 supports forward link speeds up to 2.4 Mbit/s. while Rev. A can go up to 3.1 Mbit/s. EVDO is part of the CDMA2000 family of standards and has been adopted by many service providers offering high speed broadband connectivity for mobile phone users through CDMA networks. It was developed by Qualcomm during the late 90s. Since the standard was a direct evolution from the 1xRTT standard which carried only data, it was initially called Evolution Data only. Later on, since the word 'only' seemed to add a negative connotation to the name, the name was switched to Evolution Data Optimized. Since the new name was more marketable and sounded more hi-tech, it stuck.

EVDO uses the current broadcast frequencies of existing CDMA networks which is a major advantage when compared to competing technologies which often require expensive hardware and software changes or upgrades to the network. Verizon and Sprint are the two major service providers in the US using EVDO. Verizon has implemented Rev. A throughout its network, and Sprint is rapidly catching up. While there is also a large presence of EVDO technology in Korea, it has made relatively no impact in Europe and countries in Asia which predominantly use the W-CDMA standard for high speed data access.

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Sony PSP Go

Product Summary:

The good:

For starters, Sony has removed the UMD media slot and opted instead for 16GB of internal storage. It’s also shrunk the screen from 4.3 inches (diagonally) to 3.8 inches while maintaining the same resolution at 480×272 pixels and its wide-screen aspect ratio. Also, the Sony-proprietary Memory Stick Pro Duo slot has been swapped out for the smaller M2 Micro memory card slot. And finally, a slider mechanism has been incorporated to hide the controls when not in use and it now comes with Bluetooth for syncing with headsets.

The bad:

First of all, it’s expensive – despite lack of touch screen and second analog stick. The position of the display controls, analog stick, and volume is gauche. Users would not be able to play UMD games or use old PSP accessories and finally, the battery’s no longer removable, meaning no chance to bring a replacement for longer trips.

Bottom line:

If you’re an existing PSP owner and planning to upgrade, think again. Yes, the PSP Go is a sleek and sexy design, but its high price tag and some frustrating caveats is something to think about.

Specifications:

Size & Weight

* Approximately 128 mm (W) x 69 mm (H) x 16.5 mm (D)
* Approximately 158g

CPU

* PSP® CPU (System clock frequency 1 – 333MHz)

Memory

* 64MB main memory

Sound

* Built-in stereo speakers

Main Input / Output

* Wi-Fi (802.11b)
* Microphone

Supported Video Codec

* Memory Stick Video Format:
o MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
o H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile (AAC LC)
* MP4 Format:
o MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
o H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile – CABAC only – (AAC LC) / Baseline Profile (AAC LC)
* AVI
o Motion JPEG (Linear PCM or µ-Lau)

Supported Music Codec
* Memory Stick Audio Format:
o ATRAC3™
o ATRAC3plus™
o MP3
o MP3 (MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer3)
o MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC)
o WAVE (Linear PCM)
o WMA (Windows Media Audio 9 Standard Only)

Supported Photo Codec

* JPEG
* TIFF
* BMP
* GIF
* PNG

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Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700

Samsung officially enters the Android phone market-after Motorola, T-Mobile, and Sony Ericsson-as they introduce the Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700. Running on Google's Android operating system, this new touchscreen mobile phone also comes with a number of Google services like Maps, Search, Google Talk, and YouTube.

Like any other Android phone, the Galaxy Spica will support the Android Market service for your application needs, but what sets this apart among its contemporaries is that it will be the first to support DivX videos without having to convert them. Other features include 800MHz processor, a built-in 3-megapixel camera, a USB port, microSD storage, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi connectivity, and 1500 mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700 is available in Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (countries that were part of USSR), and is slated to be available in Africa and the Middle East. It is unsure whether this phone will be available in the United States.

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What is HSDPA?

HSDPA is associated with various Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks. These include the Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications.

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is also known as High-Speed Downlink Protocol Access. HSDPA is a protocol for mobile telephones. It is a third-generation (3G) High-Speed Packet Access technology designed to speed up network capacity and data transmission rate of cellular phones.

Currently, HSDPA can support speeds ranging from 1.8 Mbps to 14.4 Mbps. While this is not very fast compared to various wired networks, it is a major milestone considering the speed available to cellular technology.

Although HSDPA is mostly identified with its downlink speeds, it also has the ability to greatly expand transfer capacity. HSDPA networks can transfer up to 30 GB of data monthly and as much as 300 minutes of cellular television viewing and 1000 minutes of talk time.

Current HSDPA Technology

At present, there are 100 HSDPA-capable networks operating in 54 countries worldwide. A large number of these networks offer 3.6 Mbps downlink speeds. However, more networks are beginning to switch to faster 7.2 Mbps downlink speeds. Only a number of networks presently offer a full 14.4 Mbps speed

HSDPA competes with a rival format, the Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) provided by Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular providers.

HSDPA Capable Devices

Aside from having a cellular plan with a company offering HSDPA access, the only requirement for logging into the HSDPA network is having a cellular device capable of using the technology. A current total of 171 handset models and other mobile devices can use an HSDPA network. Some of these HSDPA capable devices are famous cellular brand and model names such as the Nokia N95, the Palm Treo 750, and the Motorola RAZR as well as many of its various versions.

In addition to the various HSDPA handsets in the market, several HSDPA notebooks and laptops with access to the data network are available. Such products are offered by several major computer manufacturers including Dell, Acer, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, Fujitsu, Panasonic, and Lenovo.

Future HSDPA Technology

Although 14.4 Mbps is the current cap on downlink speed over HSDPA, networks are preparing to be upgraded with a new type of HSDPA system. Dubbed as HSPA Evolved, this new HSDPA technology is designed to increase download speeds to 42 Mbps upon release, with the possibility of reaching greater speed values in the future.

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Spawn HD-720

The gaming industry has become quite popular that more people today have around two or more different gaming consoles in their homes to play with. Too bad that the number of TV sets in the home may not follow such increases. This can sometimes mean that other family members may be using the TV set and prevent you from playing with your favorite video game for the meantime. It's a good thing that there is now the Spawn HD-720 available in order to help resolve such issues.

The Spawn HD-720 is a device that you can connect with your gaming consoles and allow you to access them through your PC or laptop. You do not have to wait for other family members to stop watching television before you can play your video games. Spawn HD-720 allows you to play them through your PC or laptop through a broadband Internet connection.

All you need to do is to hook up your gaming consoles to your Spawn HD-720 and a broadband Internet connection. You can then go to your computer, connect to the Spawn website through an account that you need to create and download the Spawn player in your PC to allow playing video games. You can them play your console games through your PC in real time speed, whether you are a a floor below or even thousands of miles away from your gaming console. You can also invite your friends for access into your gaming console in case you wish to play together with them. The Spawn HD-720 is available at spawn Labs for US$200.

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What is WCDMA?

WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) is the radio access scheme used for third generation cellular systems that are being rolled out in various parts of the globe. The 3G systems to support wideband services like high-speed Internet access, video and high quality image transmission with the same quality as the fixed networks. In WCDMA systems the CDMA air interface is combined with GSM based networks. The WCDMA standard was evolved through the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) which aims to ensure interoperability between different 3G networks.

The standard that has emerged through this partnership project is based on ETSI's Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and is commonly known as UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA). The access scheme for UTRA is Direct Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA). The information is spread over a band of approximately 5 MHz. This wide bandwidth has given rise to the name Wideband CDMA or WCDMA.

In WCDMA, there are two different modes of operation possible:

* TDD: In this duplex method, uplink and downlink transmissions are carried over the same frequency band by using synchronized time intervals. Thus time slots in a physical channel are divided into transmission and reception part.

* FDD: The uplink and downlink transmissions employ two separated frequency bands for this duplex method. A pair of frequency bands with specified separation is assigned for a connection. Since different regions have different frequency allocation schemes, the capability to operate in either FDD or TDD mode allows for efficient utilization of the available spectrum

Key Features of WCDMA

The key operational features of the WCDMA radio interface are listed below:

1. Support of high data rate transmission: 384 Kbps with wide area coverage, 2 Mbps with local coverage.

2. High service flexibility: support of multiple parallel variable rate services on each connection.

3. Both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD).

4. Built in support for future capacity and coverage enhancing technologies like adaptive antennas, advanced receiver structures and transmitter diversity.

5. Support of inter frequency hand over and hand over to other systems, including hand over to GSM.

6. Efficient packet access.

WCDMA Technical Specifications:

Multiple Access Scheme: DS-CDMA

Duplex Scheme: FDD/TDD

Packet Access Dual mode: (Combined and dedicated channel)

Multirate/Variable rate scheme: Variable spreading factor and multi-code

Chip Rate: 3.84 Mcps

Carrier Spacing: 4.4-5.2 MHz (200 kHz carrier raster)

Frame Length: 4.4-5.2 MHz (200 kHz carrier raster)

Inter Base Station synchronization:

FDD: No synchronization needed

TDD: Synchronization required

The chip rate may be extended to two or three times the standard 3.84 Mcps to accommodate data rates higher than 2 Mbps. The 200 kHz carrier raster has been chosen to facilitate coexistence and interoperability with GSM.

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Hallods F43 MP4 player packs a 4.3-inch 720p screen, outed in Japan

Looks like the wait for a real HD PMP is finally over: Hallods of Japan has just released their F43 MP4 player featuring a 4.3-inch 1280x720 screen, easily beating other sub-5-inch, 480p screens found on big names like the Archos 5 and Viewsonic's VPD400. Under that sharp screen is 8GB of internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD slot, along with a battery life of about four hours and ten hours for video and music, respectively. Like many PMPs out there the F43 supports videos encoded in MPEG4, FLV, RMVB and DivX-WVGA. Sure, there's the ironic lack of HDMI output, but for ¥16,800 ($188) this is still a pretty good deal. Let's just hope Hallods will send them over to the US soon.

(source)

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Motorola i9 made memorable by ModeShift Morphing

It’s been a while since we talked about the Motorola Stature i9, the “thinnest iDEN Push-to-Talk flip ever”. Granted, it is a slim 15 mm thick, but you can’t sell a cell on thinness these days.

I had a chance to try it out for myself, and one of the features that I found very amazing is the ModeShift Morphing technology. You know how most clamshell phones have that secondary screen that does nothing more than just show the time and what the camera can see for self-portrait shots? The i9 really fulfills the potential of the Secondary Screen.

In fact, I had more fun accessing the features of the camera when it was closed than when it was open. All I had to do was push the menu button on the side, and I could access the main menu which included the Media player, 3.1 MP Camera, and Camcorder. The secondary screen had this odd frame with light up buttons that included haptic feedback for navigation. In short, the ModeShift Morphing allows the i9 to become a PMP when it is shut.

All in all, I would have to say that the i9 is one of the better basic cell phones that you can buy. It is available now from Sprint for $199 after mail-in rebate or Boost Mobile for about $299.

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BigShot Camera lets you handle assembly

It used to be you heard about electronic and mechanical geniuses getting their start through tearing apart any gadget or motor they can get their hands on.  Purely to see what made it tick and if they could perhaps get the whole mess back together again.  Sadly, today’s kids get a little bit jipped in that department.  A lot of electronics once taken apart have a void warranty and on occasion can even have harmful materials within.  Well BigShot is a working camera that allows for the kids to build the camera.

It’s a great way to get kids interested in the technology world and gives them a camera of their own that they can proudly show off.  Once the camera kit is all put together it can be powered by either a battery or by cranking it.  To work the crank you just need to crank it 6 times per picture.  It also has lenses on a rotating wheel that allow for prism, wide angle and other type shots to be taken.  Right now the BigShot camera kit isn’t available.  BigShot hopes that they’ll be able to make the camera cheap and available to kids worldwide.  However, it’s too early to tell as to whether or not they’ll actually succeed at that.

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Voice Recording Email Sender

At first you might look at the Voice Recording Email Sender with some skepticism, thinking to yourself, “Well, if I need to send them an e-mail, I’ll just sit down at my computer and type up my message, or, heck, I’ll just text ‘em! If I really need to leave them a voice message, I’ll just pick up my handy-dandy conventional-as-hell cell phone and give ‘em a call!”

However, you’re assuming that in those dire moments when you absolutely need to speak to someone in particular, everything is going to be fine and dandy. You are assuming that you will have your phone on your person and that they have their mobile on their person; you are assuming that it’s charged and ready to go and that the ring volume is set loudly enough to be heard. You are assuming that you will have a computer readily within reach, and that they will have a mobile phone that will be able to respond to your nonsense.

The point is, you assume too much.

With the Voice Recording E-Mail Sender, you can ensure that that monolithically essential message gets relayed. Before you find yourself in a troublesome position, head on over to Computer Gear and purchase your easy-to-use E-Mail Sender at an obnoxiously reasonable price of $39.99!

(source)

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NPR Internet Radio by Livio

Internet radio takes another big step as Livio introduces its latest device that aims to broadcast stations and programs from the National Public Radio (NPR). The NPR Radio gives users free access to over 1,000 NPR radio streams from across the United States, more than 800 podcasts, as well as NPR's audio archives. It also comes with a "My NPR" button so users can quickly store and access their favorite states.

In addition to NPR stations and content, the NPR radio provides a comprehensive list of more than 16,000 Internet radio stations from around the world, all of which can be accessed by either WiFi or Ethernet connection.

The NPR Radio is available in the US for US$199.99 at NPR's online store as well as LivioRadio.com. Proceeds from the sale go to support NPR programming and its stations.

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Makita LXT Cordless Lithium Ion Flashlight

Heavy duty flashlights can be quite a godsend especially in dark places that one may experience during storms, blackouts and other unfortunate circumstances. Having a handy light source at home or in the car may prove to be valuable in times like these. The Makita LXT Cordless Lithium Ion Flashlight may prove to be just the thing you might look for.

This handy flashlight offers high illumination power at 4,500 Lux, thanks to its Xenon light bulb for extra brightness. It is powered by an 18 volt lithium ion rechargeable battery that can provide continuous lighting for up to 4.3 hours per charge. Its compact design makes it quite easy to use and handy to carry anywhere. A 4-point head position pivot provides added versatility when used. The Makita LXT Cordless Lithium Ion Flashlight is available at Makita for US$60.

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LG Chocolate Touch from Verizon Wireless

 

So you’ve heard about a brand new kind of chocolate in town that won’t help lower your blood pressure due to the presence of anti-oxidants, especially when this is the type of chocolate which requires you to fork out a monthly subscription fee. We’re talking about the LG Chocolate Touch here that is available from Verizon Wireless, boasting qualities that will make audiophiles happy thanks to its patented Dolby Mobile feature that offers a dramatically richer listening experience with its potent bass and sparkling clarity. Among the other functions of the LG Chocolate Touch include :

• FM radio with 12 presets
• Integrated Song ID
• Dedicated side key for easy access to favorite songs
• Bluetooth-capabilities
• “Join the Band” feature
• The “Join the Band” piano function allows customers to play along on a full scrolling 88-key keyboard
• Dolby Mobile equalizer
• Touchscreen display
• Access to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites
• 3.2 megapixel camera

Expect to exchange $79.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate for the LG Chocolate Touch in a new two-year customer agreement that is on a Nationwide Calling Plan.

Press Release

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A light between your credit cards

With about the size of a normal sized credit card, this small flip up lightbulb is convenient to have in your wallet.

Whenever you need a small light to search for your keys, simply grab this cut-out lightbulb and flip it up. It'll immediately light up.

What's the point of this when we have lights in our cellphones? I guess it's just a cool thing to have.

More info available here.

(source)

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Japanese Nano Tech Water Maze Game

Pachinko with water? That's what the Nano-Tech Japanese Aqua Dance Game accomplishes with hyper-beading "Adesso WR" technology using a nano-tech agent invented and patented by Nikka Kagaku Co., Ltd. of Japan. On a game-scale we're happy, on a water park scale where you zoom down slides with giant balls of water chasing you we're even happier. Maybe one day, until then...

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Sharp releases AQUOS LX series, prepares for the tenth anniversary

Sharp is approaching to the tenth anniversary of its AQUOS LCD flat panels. To give it a proper pump, they have prepared a new line-up for AQUOS series. The LX series is coming November 10 in Japan and only then it will spread to other markets. Sharp engineers have done a good job improving AQUOS over the years, and with the latest LX series they haven't changed their habits. As usually, there is a choice between four models with different screen sizes and other features. Follow the link to see the detailes.

Four different screen sizes for AQUOS LX are 60", 52", 46", and 40". First three of them sport cool duo bass sub-woofer ARSS 6 speakers,. The 40 inch would not be sold with them. Anyway, most of other features are common for all four of LXs. The newly developed LED backlight system provides 2,000,000 : 1 contrast ratio, but they haven't stopped with that. Sharp’s exclusive UV2A photo-alignment technology manages to improve white and black shades while keeping energy consumption in two-thirds scope of the previous GX series result. Practically almost every piece of technology was updated for LX, it hard to bring them altogether, but, from what hasn't been mentioned, I emphasize new High-Picture-Quality Master Engine and Preferred Image Sensor. AQUOS Familink II has also been updated. All in all AQUOS remained AQUOS, only ten years better. Happy anniversary!

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Lexmark T656dne monochrome laser printer

Lexmark is an old hand when it comes to printer technology, and their latest T656dne single-function monochrome A4 (8.5″ x 11″) laser printer will be the first in the industry to come with the current rage these days – a touch screen display. What’s the point of this, you ask? Well, we will take a look at it in greater detail after the jump, but before we do that, we will provide a further introduction of the T656dne. Utilizing Lexmark’s award-winning Embedded Solutions Framework (eSF), the T656dne is able to offer businesses the ability to tap into its powerful solutions platform and function more efficiently as eSF is able to expand the usefulness of the T656dne by meeting specific needs within the business.

Apart from the Lexmark T656dne monochrome laser printer to enable solutions capabilities for large workgroups, it is also able to offer access to preloaded and customizable applications with but a simple touch of an icon on the touch screen display. Once the Lexmark T656dne is powered up, users can access a variety of unique applications available from the 7″ color touch screen including the following :

• Forms and Favorites, which reduces waste associated with preprinted forms
• Eco-Settings, which helps increase energy savings and reduce wasted pages and toner
• Showroom, which demonstrates the possibilities of using the touch screen as a unique communications medium
• Change Background, allowing businesses to display a company logo or personalize the background image
• Change Language, which can be enabled during setup, allows users in multilingual environments to easily change the display language

Expect the Lexmark T656dne to churn out up to 55 pages per minute (ppm), and interestingly enough, it will even come with an internal 80GB hard drive that will store all the tailored software applications while providing ample storage capacity. If you’re a home user you might not want to pick this up and settle for something more entry-level, however small businesses and home office setups might want to consider the Lexmark T656dne printer if one does handle monochrome documents from time to time.

(source)

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