Jabra-Stone Bluetooth Headpset

I remember back in the day where Bluetooth just kicked off, and having a cellphone with Bluetooth connectivity, much less a Bluetooth headset, was considered to be high end. Fast forward a few years and we have Bluetooth technology embedded in just about most entry-level handsets and above. This is a good thing as well since more and more countries have outlawed drivers from talking on the phone while on the road unless they have a hands-free kit of sorts, which is where Bluetooth headsets come in handy. Jabra is a name that is associated with quality Bluetooth headsets, and their latest release would be the Jabra Stone that will usher in a new era in style after breaking the mold of the traditional Bluetooth headset.

For starters, the Jabra Stone will look very different from other Bluetooth headsets in the market, where it will elegantly wrap itself behind the ear to do away with the typical on-face microphone design that is extremely popular, merging both style and functionality into a single device. Apart from that, it comes with a wireless portable charger that also functions as a compact carrying case which is tiny enough to fit into the palm of your hand. All you need to do is plug your headset into the charger and power up whenever and wherever you want in order to stay in touch over your phone at all times. The Jabra Stone will also feature Noise Blackout Extreme whenever you remove the microphone arm off your face.
Apparently, the Jabra Stone will come with up to 8 hors of talk time and 12 days of standby time with the Jabra Stone Charger, while the Jabra StatusDisplay makes it a snap to check current battery levels and Bluetooth connectivity with but a glance. You can connect up to two Bluetooth-enabled devices to the Jabra Stone simultaneously. It will hit the market from November 8th onwards at AT&T retail stores for $129.99 a pop.

Press Release

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Apple Macbook

Apple more or less refresh their hardware design around once a year, and they normally do so with their line of iPods and Macs getting most of the attention and love. This time round is no different, where the extremely popular MacBook line has just been updated to feature a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design that bosats a brilliant LED-backlit display that looks stunning even under extremely bright light, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad as well as Apple’s innovative built-in battery which is touted to offer up to seven hours of battery life. This would definitely increase the market value of MacBooks by taking technology and design cues from the higher end MacBook Pro line, despite it being the ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac users.

The use of a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure results in it being much more lighter and durable, and a special non-skid bottom surface lets you work wherever you are. Tipping the scales at a mere 4.7 pounds, the new MacBook is a snap to tote around. As for its innovative built-in notebook battery, it supposedly lasts up to 1,000 recharges, resulting in fewer depleted batteries and less waste. That’s approximately 3 years of charging for each day of use, which by that time most people would have moved on to another notebook. Should your battery deplete faster due to extreme use, fret not as you can always pick up replacements that are going for $129 each inclusive of installation and environmentally responsible disposal of your old battery.
Features of the new basic MacBook are as follows :-
13.3″ widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display
2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache
1066 MHz front-side bus
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
Slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Mini DisplayPort
Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Gigabit Ethernet port
Built-in iSight video camera
Two USB 2.0 ports
One audio line in/out port
Glass Multi-Touch trackpad
Built-in, 60WHr lithium polymer battery
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter
Of course, depending on the configuration of your choice, the price will move from the $999 price point to a much higher level.

Press Release

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Apple iMacs

Apple has not forgotten about those who love their iMac line by updating this range with a couple of new models that will boast a brilliant LED-backlit 21.5″ and 27″ widescreen displays. Apart from that, you can be sure that they will be extremely beautiful machines to look at, thanks to a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all aluminum enclosure. All new iMacs will ship with a wireless keyboard alongside the recently unveiled wireless Magic Mouse that holds the title of being the first mouse with Multi-Touch technology in the world, giving you a somewhat similar user experience that can be found on other multi-touch products by Apple including the iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpad.

As mentioned earlier, the new iMac will come with stunning LED-backlit displays that are suited for movie buffs as it has a 16:9 aspect ratio that makes it perfect for watching high definition movies and TV shows directly from iTunes, while editing and watching your own videos or photos via iLife is also a cinch. As for the 21.5″ model, it will have a maximum resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels while the much larger 27″ machine will come with a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution. Both models are tipped to rely on IPS technology to deliver consistent color across an ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle.
In terms of graphical performance, the new iMacs don’t disappoint as they boast NVIDIA’s GeForce 9400M integrated graphics solution or the ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics in the 21.5″ model. If you feel that neither are suitable for you, there is always the option to pick up the 27″ model that comes with ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics. You can have up to 16GB of RAM from the standard 4GB it ships with if performance is of utmost importance to you, while other features include a built-in iSight video camera, mic and stereo speakers, AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and an integrated SD memory card slot.

Press Release

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Xbox 360

Are you using a cheap, hefty memory card to save content on your Xbox 360? If so, you might want to make some changes.

Microsoft spokesperson Major Nelson announced on his blog that "unauthorized Memory Units will no longer work with the Xbox 360" once consumers download and install the system's anticipated November update. While the move is meant to thwart piracy, it's also incited some backlash from 360 gamers.

At issue is the fact that a standard, first-party Microsoft memory card holds a rather paltry 512MB of storage and retails for $29.99. Gamers looking for more bang for their buck have been able to purchase third-party cards with up to 4GB of storage for only $50 -- nearly eight times the space for less than twice the price. But once the update goes live, any card not recognized by Microsoft as an "approved" device will simply fail to work with the system.

Disgruntled 360 owners have been weighing in on Major Nelson's blog (currently sporting roughly 400 comments), frequently pointing out that chief competitor Sony lets users save games with any USB-compliant storage device and can even swap in non-Sony branded hard drives.

So which cards won't work? That's a little tough to say, as Microsoft has yet to issue a full, specific list of approved and non-approved cards. However, they do offer tips for figuring out whether or not your card cuts the mustard.

And before you simply decide to pass on the update, consider the wealth of goodies packed inside: Facebook and Twitter functionality, 1080p HD movies on-demand through Zune video, streaming music through Last.fm, and news services through MSNBC, to name a few.

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Apple iMac Magic Mouse

On the heels of announcing blockbuster earnings for the past quarter, Apple unveils a slew of new products, including a pair of iMacs with razor-sharp, 16:9 displays, a redesigned plastic MacBook, and a new mouse that you can swipe with your fingertip, à la the iPhone.

First up: Meet the "Magic Mouse," a touch-enabled successor to the tepid, trackball-toting Mighty Mouse. A sleek, smooth sliver of plastic, the wireless Magic Mouse comes without dedicated buttons or wheels; instead, you perform simple multi-touch gestures (like tapping, swiping, and "zooming" on the iPhone) on the mouse's curved surface to select, rotate, or otherwise manipulate items on the screen. Lefties and righties can also configure the Magic Mouse as they see fit, according to Apple. I've yet to try the new Magic Mouse in person, but Engadget says that the new peripheral "feels much thinner than its predecessor," and that "the whole front of the unit provides a satisfying, unified click." Interesting. The price tag: $69.

Next: the new iMacs, including a 27-incher and a 21.5-inch model. Both retain the basic, all-in-one iMac design, but the upgraded models arrive with what look to be gorgeous new LED-backlit displays, complete with 16:9 aspect ratios ideal for movie fanatics. The new 21.5-inch iMac boasts a 1920 by 1080-pixel display, same as on your standard 1080p flatscreen, while the 27-inch model comes with a whopping 2560 by 1440 pixels ... or in other words, 1440p. Nice.

The two new iMacs also deliver upgraded graphics chipsets, with the choice of integrated Nvidia GeForce 9400M or dedicated ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics in the 21.5-inch model, or discrete ATI Radeon HD 4670 or 8850 graphics in the 27-inch iMac.

As usual, the new iMacs don't come cheap, but even the priciest 27-inch model starts south of $2,000, with the 3.06GHz, 4GB 21.5-inch iMac (with a 500GB hard drive) beginning at $1,199, while the cheaper of two 27-inch configurations (with a 3.06GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive) starts at $1,699. Not included in the mix: Blu-ray support.

Moving right along, we've got a redesigned white plastic MacBook, which now takes on the "unibody" design of its bigger MacBook Pro brothers. The MacBook's new polycarbonate shell weighs in at about 4.7 ounces and measures 1.8 inches thick, and it also comes with a non-replacable seven-hour battery—again, same as with the updated MacBook Pro line. Other improvements include an LED-backlit display and a bigger multi-touch glass trackpad. Prices still start at $999, though (for the 2.26GHz model with 2GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive).

Last but not least: an upgraded Mac Mini, now with a faster processor (up to 2.66GHz) and more memory (up to 4GB), with prices starting at $599. Power users can also snap up a 2.53GHz Mini with dual 500GB hard drives and Mac OS X Server Snow Leopard pre-installed, for $999.

So, what do you think: Ready for the touch-sensitive Magic Mouse? How about the new, cinema-ready iMacs? Still chafing at Apple's high prices, or do the new price points sound reasonable?

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Triton AX-720

This isn’t the first time that we have covered one of TRITTON’s gaming headsets, and if the company keeps making headphones of this quality, then it won’t be the last, either.

Although the AX 720 is designed to work with the XBox, PS3, and PC, it certainly would give the gamer the most mileage if used with the first two. The AX720 includes a 720 AMP, and it is designed as a Dolby Digital recorder to place the gamer into a whole new realm of sound.
No software CD was included with the setup, but you will need to set it up with the optical cable if you really want to experience the full effect of the sound with the included AMP.
Not only can you use the AX 720 as gaming headphones, but these comfortably-fitting headphones can be used for all sorts of applications such as an MP3 player, or even an iPhone. The best part is that these headphones have an extra long cable that can “come apart” allowing you to disconnect from your experience without taking the headphones off. The microphone can also be used for voice recordings, and just wearing these things make me feel like a pilot.
All in all, TRITTON makes its gaming headphones a sound experience. You should be able to purchase the TRITTON AX 720 headphones at retails everywhere for about $129.99.

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Aspire Revo

Acer has jumped aboard the nettop revolution Stateside with a brand new AspireRevo R3610-U9012, where this extremely compact nettop has a volume of all but one liter. At that size, it is extremely tiny despite managing to cram in enough parts that help it deliver a decent performance in terms of an entertainment center for the whole family. Measuring roughly the size of a book, the AspireRevo R3610 ought to be an easy fit in just about any home, even if it is a super small apartment that you normally find in Tokyo. Apart from being a multimedia hub that caters for casual gaming and entertainment purposes, it is also a fully functional home office computer.

Inside, you will find the new NVIDIA ION chipset that supports NVIDIA CUDA technology and Microsoft DirectX, providing one with the ability to watch HD movies in 1080p resolution, enjoy DirectX 10 games as well as benefit from the 3D capabilities of Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (when October 22nd rolls around, that is). Underneath the hood, you will find a low power, dual-core Intel Atom 330 processor that was specially made for both nettops and netbooks, being the right fit for social networking, VoIP, email, browsing and other online activities. Since it consumes very little power, you can be sure that there is no need for an extra large fan oto go with this, resulting in a comfortable, quiet environment while you work (and relax).
You can pick up the Acer AspireRevo R3610-U9012 Nettop for $329.99, where it will also come with the following :-
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Intel Atom 330 Processor (1.6GHz)
Integrated NVIDIA ION Graphics Solution
2GB DDR2 SDRAM Memory
160GB SATA Hard Drive
Six USB 2.0 Ports (Two Front, Four Back)
HDMI Port
eSATA Port
VGA Port
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
802.11b/g/Draft-N Wireless
Gigabit Ethernet
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
USB Stereo Speakers
High-Definition Headphone and Microphone Jacks

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Shakira Undercover for her college in UCLA

How did Shakira manage to take a summer history class at UCLA in 2007 and not make headlines until after the course was over?

The Colombian-bred international pop star revealed her successful game plan in a recent interview with the UK's The Guardian.

"I used to wear a cap and a big backpack," Shakira explained. "I looked like a boy. I didn't get recognized."

When onlookers got suspicious and inquired whether or not she was the "Hips Don't Lie" singer, she told them that her name was Isabel, which is actually one of her middle names.

Her simple plan worked. Professor Robert Cleve, who taught the Introduction to Western Civilization: Ancient Civilizations from Prehistory to Circa A.D. 843 class, had no idea "Isabel" was actually a pop star.

"She told me she was visiting from Colombia and that she was just doing this for her own enlightenment and enjoyment," Cleve told the Associated Press in 2007. "She looked like just an ordinary student. She wasn't flamboyant...she didn't act like a big celebrity or anything."

The singer, whose song "She Wolf" is No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, sat near the front of the class and regularly stayed afterwards to ask questions, Cleve added. "I was really impressed with how intelligent she was," he said.

Shakira decided to take the class after wrapping the tour for her album, "Oral Fixation."

When most celebs need a break from the business, they typically take a real vacation. They travel to a remote destination, relax, and clear their minds.

But Shakira said challenging her mind instead was the ideal getaway after the tour.

"It was such a long tour, I needed a break from me," Shakira told The Guardian. "The universe is so broad, I cannot be at the center of it. So I decided to go to the university and study history for a summer course, just to kind of switch gears, taste the student life."

Shakira has been known to spend her spare time studying, and learning about the countries she visits, her manager Fifi Kurzman told The Associated Press.

While Shakira did not attend the last few classes, she told The Guardian that she enjoyed the experience. "I would go to the university over and over again if I could," Shakira said.

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Five Technologies That Could Change Everything

It's a tall order: Over the next few decades, the world will need to wean itself from dependence on fossil fuels and drastically reduce greenhouse gases. Current technology will take us only so far; major breakthroughs are required.

What might those breakthroughs be? Here's a look at five technologies that, if successful, could radically change the world energy picture.

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They present enormous opportunities. The ability to tap power from space, for instance, could jump-start whole new industries. Technology that can trap and store carbon dioxide from coal-fired plants would rejuvenate older ones.

Success isn't assured, of course. The technologies present difficult engineering challenges, and some require big scientific leaps in lab-created materials or genetically modified plants. And innovations have to be delivered at a cost that doesn't make energy much more expensive. If all of that can be done, any one of these technologies could be a game-changer.

1. Space-Based Solar Power

For more than three decades, visionaries have imagined tapping solar power where the sun always shines in space. If we could place giant solar panels in orbit around the Earth, and beam even a fraction of the available energy back to Earth, they could deliver nonstop electricity to any place on the planet.

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The technology may sound like science fiction, but it's simple: Solar panels in orbit about 22,000 miles up beam energy in the form of microwaves to earth, where it's turned into electricity and plugged into the grid. (The low-powered beams are considered safe.) A ground receiving station a mile in diameter could deliver about 1,000 megawatts -- enough to power on average about one million U.S. homes.

The cost of sending solar collectors into space is the biggest obstacle, so it's necessary to design a system lightweight enough to require only a few launches. A handful of countries and companies aim to deliver space-based power as early as a decade from now.

2. Advanced Car Batteries

Electrifying vehicles could slash petroleum use and help clean the air (if electric power shifts to low-carbon fuels like wind or nuclear). But it's going to take better batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries, common in laptops, are favored for next-generation plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. They're more powerful than other auto batteries, but they're expensive and still don't go far on a charge; the Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid coming next year, can run about 40 miles on batteries alone. Ideally, electric cars will get closer to 400 miles on a charge. While improvements are possible, lithium-ion's potential is limited.

One alternative, lithium-air, promises 10 times the performance of lithium-ion batteries and could deliver about the same amount of energy, pound for pound, as gasoline. A lithium-air battery pulls oxygen from the air for its charge, so the device can be smaller and more lightweight. A handful of labs are working on the technology, but scientists think that without a breakthrough they could be a decade away from commercialization.

3. Utility Storage

Everybody's rooting for wind and solar power. How could you not? But wind and solar are use-it-or-lose-it resources. To make any kind of difference, they need better storage.

Scientists are attacking the problem from a host of angles -- all of which are still problematic. One, for instance, uses power produced when the wind is blowing to compress air in underground chambers; the air is fed into gas-fired turbines to make them run more efficiently. One of the obstacles: finding big, usable, underground caverns.

Similarly, giant batteries can absorb wind energy for later use, but some existing technologies are expensive, and others aren't very efficient. While researchers are looking at new materials to improve performance, giant technical leaps aren't likely.

Lithium-ion technology may hold the greatest promise for grid storage, where it doesn't have as many limitations as for autos. As performance improves and prices come down, utilities could distribute small, powerful lithium-ion batteries around the edge of the grid, closer to customers. There, they could store excess power from renewables and help smooth small fluctuations in power, making the grid more efficient and reducing the need for backup fossil-fuel plants. And utilities can piggy-back on research efforts for vehicle batteries.

4. Carbon Capture and Storage

Keeping coal as an abundant source of power means slashing the amount of carbon dioxide it produces. That could mean new, more efficient power plants. But trapping C02 from existing plants -- about two billion tons a year -- would be the real game-changer.

Techniques for modest-scale CO2 capture exist, but applying them to big power plants would reduce the plants' output by a third and double the cost of producing power. So scientists are looking into experimental technologies that could cut emissions by 90 percent while limiting cost increases.

Nearly all are in the early stages, and it's too early to tell which method will win out. One promising technique burns coal and purified oxygen in the form of a metal oxide, rather than air; this produces an easier-to-capture concentrated stream of CO2 with little loss of plant efficiency. The technology has been demonstrated in small-scale pilots, and will be tried in a one-megawatt test plant next year. But it might not be ready for commercial use until 2020.

5. Next-Generation Biofuels

One way to wean ourselves from oil is to come up with renewable sources of transportation fuel. That means a new generation of biofuels made from nonfood crops.

Researchers are devising ways to turn lumber and crop wastes, garbage and inedible perennials like switchgrass into competitively priced fuels. But the most promising next-generation biofuel comes from algae.

Algae grow fast, consume carbon dioxide and can generate more than 5,000 gallons a year per acre of biofuel, compared with 350 gallons a year for corn-based ethanol. Algae-based fuel can be added directly into existing refining and distribution systems; in theory, the U.S. could produce enough of it to meet all of the nation's transportation needs.

But it's early. Dozens of companies have begun pilot projects and small-scale production. But producing algae biofuels in quantity means finding reliable sources of inexpensive nutrients and water, managing pathogens that could reduce yield, and developing and cultivating the most productive algae strains.

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Samsung New chip

Samsung isn’t just about fancy and large TVs in addition to cool solar-powered cellphones, as the company does have quite the repertoire of gizmos and devices to satisfy just about and gadget lust.

This time round, the consumer electronics, telecommunications and information technology giant has recently announced that it has managed to roll out the world’s first single chip compatible with the newly approved North American mobile digital TV broadcasting standard successfully. In layman’s terms, this means the new chip will probably see a slew of new portable media players released in the US to feature the ability to handle all your portable TV cravings regardless of where you are. This is made possible by merging the radio frequency (RF) and digital chip components into one single 65 nanometer (nm)-scale chip. When compared against standard multiple-chip sets, the solitary chip offers makers of various mobile devices including cellphones, car-mounted televisions and portable media players an optimal solution that is more compact, uses less power, and is more affordable.
The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) did start work on moving towards standardizing mobile digital TV broadcasting by utilizing the current digital TV broadcasting spectrum alongside its facilities since May a couple of years ago. A recently concluded membership vote has seen the ATSC Mobile DTV being adopted as an ATSC standard officially. According to Mr. Byung Duck Cho, executive vice president of the Digital Media and Communications R&D Center of Samsung Electronicsm “Prior to Samsung’s technical demonstration at the 2006 NAB Show, industry experts believed that the compatibility of mobile TV broadcasting technology with the existing ATSC broadcasting system was not possible. In early 2005, Samsung Electronics decided to apply significant resources to ATSC standardization. “Samsung succeeded in ATSC Mobile DTV standardization through its dedication and support in cooperation with the ATSC, broadcasters, and other electronics manufacturers. Through this collaborative accomplishment, Samsung Electronics aims to advance its leadership in the North American mobile market with mobile TV.”
You sure won’t come up short in terms of entertainment as more than 70 broadcast stations have already announced their support of this initiative and will broadcast on a trial basis across North America before the year is over.

Press Release

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