Kindle DX

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The graphite and display overhaul that Amazon gave its Kindle DX earlier in the month has now been applied to its third generation 6-inch model. The new Kindle will be available with 3G and Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi only, is 15 percent lighter and 21 percent smaller than its predecessor but still retains the 6-inch display and now comes with double the storage capacity.

The 6-inch Kindle will now be available in two options, one with 3G and Wi-Fi and one with Wi-Fi only. The 3G model weighs 8.7 ounces and retains the pencil-like thinness of the previous generation. The Wi-Fi only model is similarly 1/3 of an inch thin but is marginally lighter at just 8.5 ounces. Either way, both models come in lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine.

Further Reading : Here

Pandigital

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This article discusses 7-inch color e-reader gets B&N eBookstore integration.
Pandigital digital photo frame manufacturer has announced its entry into the world of e-readers with a novel seven-inch color complete. Readers Android-based multi-touch features gigabytes of internal memory, supported by Mobile ARM processor and has two modes of reading. Users will also benefit from corporate partnerships with Barnes & Noble, provides access to over one million titles as well as services such as book-borrowing LendMe technology.

For the first dip into e-reader market, Pandigital has managed to print a partnership agreement with Barnes & Noble to allow users access to B & N eBookstore and related services. And more than half a million free-to-download classical, e-book service allows users to search, purchase and download the magazine, newspaper and book title with a WiFi connection in seconds.

7-inch 800 x 600 color touchscreen LCD multimedia display novel features edge-to-edge glass, an automatic orientation sensor for portrait and landscape adjustment, SD / MMC card slot for expanding on 1GB internal memory and a mini-USB 2.0 port for direct connection to a computer or laptop. This is supported by the ARM 11 processor running 800MHz Mobile 2-based Android operating system.

In addition to 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity, this device also benefits from an onboard dictionary, font size can be adjusted, some bookmarks, web browser and email application, a multimedia player, alarm clock, calendar, and, naturally, can be used as a photo viewer also. The 5.5 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches, 16 ounces reader supports most of the common formats including ePub, PDF, HTML, MP3, AAC, JPEG, PNG and MPEG4 video. The battery is said about six hours.

Has a color LCD screen is perhaps more direct response than the Kindle and angle iPad, the benefits of this type of rack, and the contrast is better than e-Ink display. night mode read The novel is able to offer some relief for tired eyes though, inverting the text and background colors to see more wisely.

The novel will be available in early June for U.S. $ 199.99, which includes display stand, USB cable and power adapter.

Article Source:
http://www.gizmag.com/pandigital-novel-ereader-announced/15233/

Green IT

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This article give you tips : 5 Steps to Green IT .

The greening of the technology industry is a trend thats developing with impressive velocity, and with good reason. According to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, e-waste is the fastest-growing part of the waste stream, and the Environmental Protection Agency estimates e-waste accounts for 2 percent of the municipal solid waste stream in the United States.

Whats more, the toxicity of many materials that drive modern IT operations means that e-waste can end up exacting a higher toll on public health than its 2 percent share would suggest. More than 1,000 chemicals used during electronics production, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems and other illnesses.

Meanwhile, now that technology is as essential to enterprises as the air we breathe, the demand on our power grids has forced technology companies to begin creating and manufacturing more energy-efficient and sustainable products to reduce power consumption.

Certainly, there are environmental reasons for going green, but a green focus also can result in significant savings. Whereas in 1996, when IT departments spent 17 cents of every dollar powering and cooling a new server, IT departments 10 years later were shelling out 48 cents per dollar, according to a September 2006 IDC report. IDC also predicts that number will grow to 70 cents per dollar by 2010. Whatever the goals, IT managers have more options than ever for getting their companies thinking and acting green. eWeek Labs has created the following guide that will help make your company a better friend not only to the planet but also to your organizations pocketbook.

Further Reading : Here

The Top Ten Emerging Information Technology 2010

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Moving into a new decade, technology is only going to become more advanced, and with that, more services are needed to support new technology and its infrastructure. Businesses must use technology to stay in operation and be profitable, but even more; they must be using the newest technology that fits their needs so that they have a competitive advantage and remain profitable. This is especially important in a tough economy as Ann Bednarz highlights in her piece on technology industry trends; if you’re selling to the enterprise, ROI will be crucial to making a sale in 2010 as budgets become tighter and tighter.

When selling an enterprise technology solution, you must communicate how your solution is going to help the customer solve a problem or an opportunity. These technology trends were identified using current business drivers within Fortune 1000 companies and what they’re saying they need to fix or expand in 2010. These are areas will not only be important next year, but over the course of the next few years, and they will have a profound impact on how businesses operate and where they spend their IT budgets.

• Cloud Computing
• Green IT (data center greening, desktop power use)
• Mobile Devices (laptops, smartphones)
• Virtualization
• Security Compliance (government regulations, data breaches)
• IT Cost Optimization
• Outsourcing and Insourcing (service providers)
• Software as a Service (SaaS) (software via the internet)
• E-Commerce
• Grid Computing

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_D_Pickering

Fits.me virtual fitting room: say goodbye to clothing size mishaps

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If you’re like me, the idea of clothes shopping – let alone having to try on multiple sizes of shirts in a tiny dressing room – is downright tedious and a waste of my precious time. So you’ll understand my interest in the Fits.me virtual fitting room. It’s an online changing room where you simply enter your sizing statistics and a robotic mannequin models how various sizes will look on your torso – all from the comfort of your own home.
The Fits.me is a sizing solution developed for online retailers. By providing an online dressing room, it aims to help customers make more informed decisions about their online purchases, increase customer satisfaction and maybe reduce purchase returns due to incorrect sizing.

The customer enters their body measurements – chest, waist, height, arm length and torso type. Then the robotic mannequin proceeds to adjust to the exact size and shape of the customer. Now all that is left to do is to choose a size from small to extra extra large. The customer then sees photos of the mannequin modeling the various sizes of clothing. A front and side view and arm length information is also included. Want a shirt to fit more snugly around the chest? Decrease the shirt size and see what happens. Indulged a little too much lately? Increase the waist measurement and see how that sweater looks now.

At this stage, the Fits.me system is only available for men, but a female fitting room is expected soon. Could this signal the end of strangers taking your inner leg measurement? See Fits.me to try out the virtual fitting room.

Article Source:
http://www.gizmag.com/fitsme-virtual-fitting-room-say-goodbye-to-clothing-size-mishaps/15791/

The ten worst passwords on the web, and why you really should read this article

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You’re not fooling anyone with that “123456” password of yours. “Password” isn’t much better, and sorry ladies, but “princess” is also no good. These are among the findings in a report released by Imperva, a data security firm that analyzed 32 million passwords recently exposed in the Rockyou.com breach. Not only did they identify the most common, and thus easily-guessable passwords, but they also suggested some effective methods for creating secure ones.

Rockyou.com is a website where users can develop apps to use on social networking sites. Last December, a hacker gained access to all of Rockyou’s members’ usernames, email addresses and passwords (which had been stored in plain, unencrypted text) and posted the passwords to the Internet. Given that many people use the same username and password for all of their online dealings, such as banking, the results could have been disastrous. Fortunately, the perpetrator seemed to be mainly interested in exposing Rockyou’s insufficient security, as they didn’t post the usernames or emails.

Imperva analyzed the hacked data, and compiled their findings in the Consumer Password Worst Practices report. Of the 32 million passwords involved, the ten most common were:

• 123456
• 12345
• 123456789
• Password
• iloveyou
• princess
• rockyou
• 1234567
• 12345678
• abc123

It was found that almost half of the members used names, slang words, proper words, or trivial passwords such as consecutive digits, or adjacent keys on the keyboard.
So, what sort of password SHOULD people be using?
Imperva made the following recommendations:

• It should contain at least eight characters (30% of users had passwords that were six letters or less)
• It should contain a mix of four different types of characters (i.e: upper case, lower case, numbers, symbols)
• It should not be a name, word, or contain any part of your name or email address

The report also suggests using a different password for every website, not sharing your passwords with third parties, and using the first letters of each word in a sentence as your password (For instance, “this little piggy went to market” would be “tlpWENT2m”).

“The data provides a unique glimpse into the way that users select passwords and an opportunity to evaluate the true strength of passwords as a security mechanism,” said Imperva CTO Amichai Shulman. “Never before has there been such a high volume of real-world passwords to examine.”

Article Source:
http://www.gizmag.com/worst-passwords-on-the-web/13960/

ipad

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Apple has announced that its iPad will be available in an additional nine countries from Friday, July 23. All varieties of both the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models will hit Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.

The release will bring to 19 the number of countries where the iPad is available, following the initial US release on April 30 and the May 28 release to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK that was initially delayed due to US customers snapping up the bulk of stock.

Just 80 days after its initial US release Apple had notched up sales of three million of the devices, putting paid to speculation from pundits before its release that consumers might not embrace a device that sits somewhere between a smartphone and a laptop.

If you’re one of those still questioning the benefits of the iPad check out our hands-on iPad review.

Article Source:
http://www.gizmag.com/ipad-release-for-nine-more-countries/15763/

Samsung's Galaxy Beam Smart Projector Phone

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Samsung's Galaxy Beam Smart Projector Phone will be available in Singapore to StarHub customers from July 17. The unit will feature a built-in Texas Instruments DLP Pico Projector which will enable you to project from your phone onto a wall. There's also Offline and No SIM modes, Hand Writing Recognition (English and Simplified Chinese), RSS Reader, Mobile Widgets and much more. This is going to be an amazing new product – it might be worth taking a trip to Singapore just to have a look at one!
Let’s get straight into the specifications:

• Display - 3.7 inch WVGA Super AMOLED
• Camera - 8.0 mega-pixel camera with auto focus and flash
• Projector - Texas Instruments DLPPico Projector
• OS - Android 2.1
• Network - HSUPA 5.76 Mbps / HSDPA 7.2Mbps, 3G (900, 1900, 2100 MHz), EDGE, GPRS
• Video - MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, DivX, Xvid
• Audio - MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA
• Connectivity - Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, DLNA, Mobile AP (wireless internet tethering), TV out, GPS
• Battery - 1800 mAh battery, 7 hours (3G) talk time and 530 hours (3G) standby time

Now comes the fun part. What the phone can do? With the Galaxy Beam, you will be able to project your images and videos onto any flat surface, so you can share your media with a group of people all at once, making it great for business meetings. You will also be able to project streamed media from your phone such as videos, so if you find yourself at a friend’s house with your favorite program about to start and they don’t have the Discovery channel, you can whip out your Samsung Galaxy Beam and save the day.
The Texas Instruments Pico Projector has the ability to project a screen as small as 5 inches and as big as 50 inches.

StarHub will be the first operator globally to launch the Galaxy Beam. The phone will make use of the Android platform (V2.1) and will come with apps such as the StarHub Mobile TV app.
It will also come with the augmented reality browser, Layar. With Layar you will be able to find restaurants and bars, find your way home, find which bands are playing in the area, the list goes on.
The Galaxy Beam will only be available to StarHub customers in Singapore, so to the rest of us, patience is a virtue. If you are in Singapore you can get one starting from $0 (on selected StarHub plans of course). Drooling yet? I am quite excited about this one and I cannot wait to see it in action. Samsung via Phones Online.

Article Source:
http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-galaxy-beam-smart-projector-phone-gt-i8520/15737/

IBM hot water-cooled supercomputer

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IBM has announced that its first-of-a-kind hot water-cooled supercomputer has been installed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich). Named the Aquasar, the system not only consumes up to 40 per cent less energy than an air-cooled machine but the direct utilization of waste heat in the building's heating system translates to an 85 per cent cut in carbon dioxide emissions.

During warm summer months, one of the best places to work is in the server room of a networked office building or data center that uses cool air to prevent processor overheating. Such systems though are not too energy efficient so IBM started on a novel approach to cooling servers about a year ago as part of an initiative to create new technologies to solve business problems. Using warm water as a coolant might seem counter intuitive but the results speak for themselves.

Read More Here !

Free Parking Spot Locator

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It’s a frustrating situation. You’re aimlessly circling the blocks, hoping to stumble across a free parking space, but with no clue as to where such a space might be. Well, as we so often like to say here at Gizmag – “A new invention could change that.” Researchers from Spain’s Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have helped develop a system that detects free parking spots, then guides drivers to the closest ones using a process that’s reportedly better than GPS.

The system is known as XALOC, which stands for (are you ready?) Xarxes de sensors per a la gestió d’Aparcaments públics i LOCalització. For those two or three readers not fluent in Catalan, that translates to “sensor networks for the management of public parking and location.”

Each parking spot in the system has a wireless sensor on the ground, in the middle of the space. These sensors can tell whether or not their space is occupied, and transmit that information to a central data station via the Internet. This information is processed, then sent to display panels on the streets, that indicate the locations of the current free parking spaces.

Read More

Invisible Computer Mouse

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Pranav Mistry, Pattie Maes and Liyan Chang from MIT's Media Lab have managed to create an invisible computer mouse for just a few dollars. Using an Infrared laser and tracking camera, the Mouseless system registers and interprets a user's hand movement and translates it into onscreen actions such as cursor movement and button clicking.

While others take the familiar input peripheral to new levels by cramming as many buttons as possible onto it or making the surface available for multi-touch interaction or even moving the whole experience to the end of a user's leg, Pranav Mistry and colleagues have dispensed with its physical form altogether.

With their Mouseless prototype, a user's hand movements are tracked with a line-capped Infrared laser beam and an Infrared camera. The beam's plane is aimed just above the surface of the user area and when the user cups the hand, as if holding a physical mouse, this breaks the beam at the points where each finger touches the surface The camera then registers and interprets the changing field shapes and translates them into movement or action, such as clicking and double-clicking.

Read More

Yolink: Searching Beyond Search Results

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Search is one of the main tasks performed online, and yet often it doesn't work as well as it should. Take, for example, the common experience of "back-clicking," when a user has to return to the results page several times before finding the information she's looking for. According to a 2009 comScore survey, 30 percent of searches are abandoned in frustration, and two-thirds of the rest required users to refine their queries before getting the desired result.

A new product called Yolink, which launched this week, aims to help users figure out which search results are most relevant. It does this by looking at the contents of the Web pages that a list of search result link to. The company bills itself as a step toward semantic search, because it attempts to find meaning in the contents of a Web page. And it can do this even though most pages aren't marked up in the formats typically used to help machines interpret content. The product is made by TigerLogic, a company based in Irvine, CA.


Read More

Micro Book

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The MicroBook from MOTU aims to bring professional level studio recording capabilities to a Mac or PC computer. The bus-powered USB interface offers users up to four simultaneous inputs as well as a host of studio mixing tools and audio analyzers. It uses industry standard Mac and PC drivers to ensure maximum software compatibility and is small and light enough to fit in a pocket.

Despite its compact size, the MicroBook audio interface packs in some mighty studio quality recording tools for musicians on-the-go or would-be engineers. It can record up to four inputs simultaneously from dedicated guitar and mic sockets at the front and a couple of line-in sockets to the rear. Audio is output via balanced TRS quarter-inch main outs, stereo "mini" line out, S/PDIF digital out, and phones.

Further Reading:
http://www.gizmag.com/microbook-personal-bus-powered-usb-recording-studio/15596/