Nvidia rolls out SLI compatibility for Core i7 and i5

Nvidia Corporation announced that Intel and the world’s other leading motherboard manufacturers – including ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte and MSI – have all licensed Nvidia SLI technology for inclusion on their Intel P55 Express Chipset-based motherboards, which are designed for the upcoming Intel Core i7 and i5 processor in the LGA1156 socket.

As a result, customers who purchase a validated P55-based motherboard and Core i7 or Core i5 processor (when available) can equip their PCs with any combination of Nvidia GeForce GPUs, including Quad SLI, for the ultimate visual computing experience.

“SLI technology is a perfect complement to the processing prowess of our new Core i7 and Intel DP55KG desktop board,” said Clem Russo, VP and General Manager of Intel Client Board Division at Intel Corporation.

The announcement marks Nvidia SLI technology's availability for all consumer PC platforms, including the Intel Core i7, Core i5, Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors, as well as those based on the AMD Phenom II CPU. In addition to raw graphics performance, NVIDIA GeForce GPUs also provide gamers with additional capabilities not found on any other discrete graphics solutions, including PhysX technology for deeper gaming immersion, and stereoscopic 3D gaming with 3D Vision technology.

“Only the best-designed motherboards are capable of tapping into and reaping maximum benefits from the powerful synergy between SLI technology and the P55 platform,” said Joe Hsieh, General Manager of ASUS’ Motherboard Business Unit. “ASUS has honed the art and science of motherboard design with the ASUS P7P55 Deluxe and ROG Maximus III Series motherboards, which deliver unparalleled performance and stability.”

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic gets unboxed

The younger sibling of Nokia’s ultra-popular 5800 XpressMusic is all set to hit UK markets in a couple of days. Ahead of the launch of the 5530 XpressMusic, phone retailer Mobiles.co.uk delivered an unboxing and hands-on video, while Gaj-It has put up its mini-review for the same on its site.

Before we go ahead, here’s a small recap of how the 5530 differs from its elder brother: a smaller 2.9-inch screen (compared to the 5800’s 3.2-inch screen), 4GB microSD card included (as compared to the 5800’s 8GB), no 3G, video recording of 220x176 pixels at 15fps (as compared to the 5800’s VGA recording at 30fps), a faster 434MHz processor (as compared to the 5800’s 369MHz processor), and a smaller 1000mAh battery (as compared to the 5800’s 1320mAh battery).

Firefox 3.6 alpha impresses with spiffy, speedy performance

The Mozilla Foundation has released an update to its popular Firefox browser, Firefox 3.6 alpha 1. Codenamed ‘Namoroka’, derived from a national park on Madagascar, Mozailla was quick to note that this version is “intended for developers and testers only”, as it is unstable and could contain many bugs.

The purpose of this update is supposed to be an improvement in “end-user perceived performance”, for which Firefox has thrown in a faster JavaScript engine, improved start-up speed and other small tweaks.

The interface has obviously gone through a lot of work, as our first experience showed a remarkable difference in the current FF 3.5 we are running and the 3.6 alpha. The start-up from a cold boot has gotten much faster – still not as fast as IE or Google Chrome, but it is no longer a noticeable delay.

Page loading speeds for a lot of sites have improved while scrolling through the site seems to have become smoother. A quick look at the developer notes says that there has been an update made to mouse scroll speed.

There is some more eye-candy in the form of preview panes in the default Ctrl+Tab scrolling. A small preview pane, much like what you would get with Alt+Tab in Windows, shows up with all your tabs in it. Quite handy, but not a feature that wowed us given that other extensions were already doing this.

Still, overall, Firefox 3.6 alpha 1 feels spiffy. Chrome and Safari might still be faster, but all statistics aside, Mozilla’s new venture ‘feels’ faster than its predecessors – an important achievement for the browser, which has always suffered a bit in terms of clunkiness

Could the new Nokia RX-51 tablet change the company’s fortunes?

The feature that turned us on about this rumour was the introduction of the Maemo 5 Internet Tablet operating system that it is purported to carry. The biggest problem with the N97 and the 5800 XpressMusic has been the Symbian S60 5th edition, which is simply not an OS that can match up to its competitors. Tech pundits have long been talking about Nokia’s need to create a new OS from scratch that is meant for touch-based navigation, and the Maemo 5 might just fulfill that.

While all reports suggest that this is primarily an Internet tablet, the device does have a slot for a SIM card. Throw in a little bit of attention to call and messaging capacities, and Nokia just might have a winner on its hands here.

The multimedia capabilities of the phone seem to be quite impressive too, with the RX-51 packing a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens.

The screen seems to be a 3.5-inch touch-screen TFT, which slides up to reveal a full Qwerty keypad. Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth and all other such options should probably be included too.

In a market that is increasingly making Internet usage the primary function of mobile phones, with calling and SMSing relegated to secondary activities, could this be the handset that changes Nokia’s fortunes?

Let i know what you think in the comments section.

Transcend launches ultra-fast CompactFlash cards for Indian photographers

When using a DSLR camera, the reading and writing speeds of your flash card as well as its durability are of utmost important. The new CompactFlash (CF) card from Transcend seeks to address these issues.

The Extreme Plus 600x CF cards use ultra DMA 6 (UDMA), the fastest speed available for flash cards, to deliver transfer speeds of up to 92MB/s read and 87MB/s write. This ability to instantly store extremely high-resolution image data makes consecutive shooting and non-stop video recording easier than ever.

To assure robust, long-life durability and guaranteed performance, Transcend’s 600X CF cards are manufactured using only the most advanced Flash controllers and premium quality NAND Flash memory chips. In addition, each card contains built-in ECC (Error Correction Code) that automatically detects and corrects errors during data transfer, and also utilizes a sophisticated wear-leveling algorithm for consistent long-life operation. For further peace of mind, all Transcend CF cards are comprehensively tested for compatibility, speed and reliability.

Summing up the features:

• Ultra-fast 600X performance with four-channel support

• Manufactured with brand-name MLC NAND Flash chips

• Conforms to CF Type I standards

• Data transfer rate: 87MB/s write, 92MB/s read

• Supports Ultra DMA mode 0-6

• Support high-end DSLR

• CompactFlash 4.0 compliant

• Built-in hardware ECC technology for detecting and correcting errors

• ATA interface

• Low power consumption

• Multi-platform compatibility

• RoHS compliant

Available with a 2-year warranty, the 8GB CompactFlash card retails at Rs 8,000, while the 16GB card will set you back by Rs 16,000

Xbox Live Update releases, available in India

The much-hyped Xbox Live update that Microsoft presented at the E3 Expo in June is now available for download across the world. Users need just to connect to Xbox Live to receive a message asking them to update to the new version.

Here are the major features in the Xbox Live update and our feelings about the same:

1) Games on Demand: The new Xbox Live update lets you download full games through a digital e-store on to your hard disk, using Microsoft Points (which we fondly refer to as “Allard Bucks”) or a credit card. The pricing, though, is horrid. There is absolutely no benefit over packaged game pricing, so the notion to download and store a game on a small hard disk does not seem enticing.

2) Avatar Marketplace: Microsoft has introduced the ability to customise your avatar to the hilt with a new marketplace where you can buy clothes and accessories. But with prices ranging up to 400 Allard Bucks, it is a total rip-off. We wanted to pick up a storm trooper costume but the greedy bastards at Lucas sell the armour and the helmet separately. And then you buy the light-saber! So that's a lot of Allard Bucks for looking like everyone else. Ubisoft, though, is selling its Splinter Cell: Conviction stuff for decent prices, so be sure to check that out.

3) NetFlix: The new Xbox Live update brings with it access to the popular NetFlix service for movies on demand. However, we do not think this is available in India yet. We could not access it through the console, probably because of an IP check. We hope that perhaps someone like BigFlix could be roped in for the Indian audience.

4) Content Rating: The most useless new feature is that you can also rate content. Here’s the idiotic part – you can rate games that you have not played, and even those that have not yet been released. Wow just Wow.

Source:Thinkdigit.com

What are Microsoft and Nokia talking about behind closed doors?

If there needed to be any more indicators of how dominant forces like Apple, Google and BlackBerry have become in the mobile market, here’s the best one yet. In the unlikeliest of tie-ups, Microsoft and Nokia are looking to make a deal to build a mobile version of Microsoft’s Office suite, reports the Wall Street Journal.

It was just a short while ago that Symbian and Windows Mobile ruled the mobile operating system market for high-end phones; QuickOffice was routinely compared to Microsoft’s Pocket Office with staunch loyalists on both sides. To be honest, we have always found QuickOffice to be vastly superior to Pocket Office, so the availability of the latter would not entice us in any way.

But last year, Microsoft and Nokia cut a deal that made it easier for users of Nokia phones to access email on corporate networks running Microsoft's Exchange software.

And the new deal with Nokia, the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones, could help Microsoft play a broader role in mobile devices while fortifying its Office business in the face of competition from free Web-based word processors, spreadsheets and other applications from Google, Sun Microsystems, etc.

Nokia to favour Maemo for future smartphones

It appears that that the Financial Times Dutchland have sources telling them that Nokia is set to replace its favourite Symbian OS with Maemo.

Nokia has been suffering from a decline in smartphone sales, and apparently they blame Symbian. According to the article, Nokia believes that Symbain is not as flexible as Maemo and as such is not very suitable for smartphones.

Adding a feature like touchscreen support had taken considerable effort in Symbain, and the operating system's old architecture has become overly complicated with over 20 million lines of code.

It is difficult to constantly adapt Symbian to the changing smartphone market. To truly compete with Google's Android based smartphones such as the ones by HTC, or the iPhone and Blackberry phones, Symbain will no longer be adequate.

What does this mean for Symbian? Not much really. For most of the lower-powered devices using Symbian right now, Maemo and Android are in any case unfeasible. Devices using Symbain will continue to come out. What would be interesting though, would be if Maemo could be made capable of running Symbian applications, as that would instantly provide Maemo adopters with a range of applications.

Part of Nokia and Intel's recent partnership was to develop Maemo and Moblin in a way that they could be compatible, so leading further progress for both operating systems. Mobile devices and computers are slowly nearing towards convergence, Maemo, Moblin and Android for example, are all based on Linux, traditionally a desktop OS, and in the future the operating environments are only bound to get more powerful.

Sony launches Vaio W netbook series in India

Sony has released its first ‘netbook’ (no, you were not supposed to call the Vaio P pocket series by that name) in the Indian market, the Vaio W series.

The model features an isolated keyboard with springy and responsive keys making it comfortable and easy to use. Its carefully designed touchpad and mouse keys make the PC functional and mouse movements easy to control. The Vaio W model comes in three vibrant colors- pink, white and brown. A more subtle shade of the exterior hue finishes the inside of the PC while the touchpad is lined with a splash of brightness.

The Vaio W also features a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels –a widescreen format that lets you view full-width web pages without side-scrolling.

Fitted with a 160GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM, Sony has thankfully gone with Windows XP as the operating system of choice, eschewing Vista.

With the Vaio W, fun comes standard. Built into every model is Vaio Multimedia Suite, a collection of video and photo editing tools that make it easy to create your own high-quality home movies, slideshows and more, no matter where you are. Of course the Vaio W features built-in Wi-Fi for a fast connection to internet hot spots and your home network. But it also keeps you plugged into your favorite media. With Vaio Media Plus, you can stream photos, videos and music from the Vaio W and enjoy it all through your PS3 on your compatible TV.

Easily transfer data, such as photos from your digital camera or music from an MP3 player, to and from the PC with the unit’s two convenient USB ports. Incorporated Bluetooth technology enables peripherals such as a wireless mouse to be utilised without tying up the unit’s ports. A built-in Webcam and microphone let you video chat with family, friends and colleagues.

The Vaio W Series mini notebook will retail for Rs. 29,990 at all Sony Center stores and retail partners across the country.

Sony X Series Walkman (NWZ-X1051)

Sony's Walkman line recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and the latest iteration of a brand that was born a portable cassette player is by far the most ambitious. The NWZ-X1051, aka the Walkman X Series, is available in 16GB ($299) and 32GB ($399)—the same capacities and prices as the iPod touch. Wi-Fi enabled, with a touch screen and the integration of popular Web services like Slacker Internet radio and YouTube, the Walkman has evolved into a robust music and video player. There's also built-in noise cancellation, and the player comes with a pair of earphones that sound great when combined with the user-adjustable EQ. My only major complaint: The Web experience isn't great—Sony's browser is no match for Apple's Safari. And you don't get access to an App Store with thousands of titles that comes with the iPod touch. Even so, the X Series Walkman is a well-designed device that's the best non-iTunes-centric player you can buy.

Measuring 3.8 by 2.1 by 0.4 inches (HWD), the all-black X Series boasts a super-crisp, 3-inch, 432-by-240-pixel organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen and a unique sparkly (but not overly flashy) body that resembles a cross-cut slab of granite. Our Editors' Choice for portable media players, the iPod touch, has a 3.5-inch screen with a slightly higher resolution (480 by 320), but the touch is also bigger than the X Series. Because the touch's screen is larger, both devices offer similar levels of sharpness.

New BlackBerry Curve 8520 for under Rs 16,000!

Well, this one caught us by surprise. Research In Motion usually has a price tag of Rs 20,000 or higher on all their new BlackBerry handsets launched in India. So when a press release from Bharti Airtel landed in our inbox and said the new Curve 8520 would be available for Rs 15,990, it was reason for a double take.

The phone sports a 2.64-inch TFT screen (65K colours, 320x240 pixels) that offers the latest version of the wonderful BlackBerry OS. The popular ‘pearl’ trackball, however, is missing and has been replaced by a standard trackpad.

The full Qwerty keypad stays intact and holds 256MB of memory underneath. Of course, this can be increased by a further 16GB provided you have a microSD card of that size.

In a perplexing move, the handset is adorned with dedicated music keys. We say perplexing because a standard 3.5-mm audio jack seems to be missing! So RIM wants you to play your music, but just not use your own headphones while you’re at it.

The 2-megapixel camera on the back is not going to impress anyone, nor is the standard connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, microUSB port, GPS and A-GPS (with BlackBerry Maps). And no, there is no 3G on board.

For what can only be a phone targeted at the office-going professional, a reported talk-time of 4 hours and 30 minutes seems a bit less to us. Still, for that low price tag, we guess the company had to cut corners somewhere…

Interested readers can grab the handset from any Bharti Airtel showroom from August 7 onwards.

Samsung announces LED TV line-up for India

Samsung India has introduced its 8000 series of LED televisions, along with a few new models for 7000 and 6000 series, bumping up its LED catalogue in the country to seven models.

The 8000 series is the company’s premium line-up of LED TVs, with the new model – 55B8000 – sporting a 55-inch screen.

These cutting edge TVs use LEDs as their primary light source, rather than traditional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL). Benefits of using LEDs include ultra-high contrast ratios, slim depths that allow for more artful designs, plus increased energy savings.

The key features are:

1) Picture Clarity: Each of the three Samsung LED HDTV Series feature high dynamic contrast ratios, producing darker blacks and brighter whites for vivid colour ranges. The Ultra Clear Panel also allows light to pass through the screen, thus reducing reflection from ambient light.

All three series also have high refresh rates to reduce ghosting, thus making them ideal for video games too. The 8000 Series boasts of a refresh rate of 200Hz, while the 7000 and 6000 Series reach rates of 100Hz.

2) Slimness: By using Edge LED technology, Samsung has been able to shave the thickness of all three series down to ultra-thin depths of just 1.16 inches.

3) Design: Samsung’s Crystal design begins with a deep piano black bezel that fades into distinct chrome that finishes as a clear prism along the outer edges (8000 Series ) or light ruby highlights (7000 and 6000 Series). The intensity of the colour subtly changes depending upon the viewing angle, and further accentuates these TV’s slim bezels.

4) Connectivity: Samsung’s LED HDTVs can connect to a variety of other devices and play content with ease, through USB 2.0 and HDMI ports. The DLNA Wireless feature in the 7000 and 8000 Series also lets the user seamlessly watch content from the PC without any wires or cables.

5) Pre-loaded Content: The Samsung LED TVs come with a built in Content Library Flash which includes pre loaded content and lets users enjoy all cultural experiences including galleries, Games, cooking to yoga.

6) Eco Friendly: Energy consumption in the Samsung LED TVs is reduced by over 40 per cent as compared to traditional LCD HDTVs of similar size. LED TVs are mercury-free and lead free, which adds another degree of environmental friendliness and safety compared with other currently available backlight technologies.

The Samsung Series 8000 55-inch TV, 55B8000, retails at Rs 3,00,000.

The Series 7000 55B7000 (55 inches) costs Rs 2,75,000; the 46B7000 (46 inches) is available for Rs 1,80,000; and the 40B7000 (40 inches) costs Rs 1,40,000.

The Series 6000 also has three sets, with the 46B6000 (46 inches) retailing at Rs 1,50,000; the 40B6000 (40 inches) coming for Rs 1,25,000; while the 32B6000 (32 inches) will set you back by Rs 69,990.

Nokia N97 Mini is real, launch date, specs and price leaked

First of all, the N97 Mini is expected to be launched at the Nokia World 09 expo in Stuttgart on September 2-3. The gadget is also expected to retail at about 100 euros less than the N97, bringing its price tag to about 450 euros (Rs 31,ooo approximately).

The site, which is basing its report on a writer at Mobile-review.com, has also found out the reason behind the name: “Rumor has it that another major handset vendor was prepping the launch of a smaller version of its flagship phone with the ‘Mini’ suffix attached to it. So Nokia’s marketing team decided on a spoiler and leaked their own version of Mini name first. Oh, the games those handset marketers play to go one up over the other.”

The N97 Mini is also expected to cut down on the built-in memory, slashing its count to 8GB – half that of the N97. The screen, too, will be diminished to 2.9 inches, although the ability to display 16 million colours at 640x360 pixel resolution remains intact.

The slide-up form factor and the Qwerty keypad will remain, although the navigation pad of the N97 will be done away with in the Mini.

Western Digital launches 1TB and 750GB My Passport portable hard drives

Western Digital has launched its new 750GB and 1TB 2.5-inch hard drives in India, complete in its My Passport Essentials package.

The new Scorpio Blue 2.5-inch hard drive series is powered by the well known 333GB-per-platter technology and can offer a capacity of up to 1 TB.

With an extraordinary transfer rate of 3 gigabits per second, these drives are perfect to be used in portable storage solutions.

“The convergence of the growing mobile computing and digital media trends produces demand for desktop-like capacities in portable devices. Our new WD Scorpio Blue drives enable people to take even more of their digital collections with them wherever they go and, realizing the value of their data, back up their notebooks on their My Passport drives,” remarked Sharad Srivastava, Director, Director India and South Asia, Western Digital.

The WhisperDrive technology that these drives employ makes them absolutely noiseless while being used. In order to meet the highest combined shock tolerance specifications required for mobile and notebook applications, they also possess the ShockGuard. Moreover, it is ensured by the SecurePark feature that recording head does not touch the disk surface.

The 1TB drive retails at Rs 12,980 while the 750GB drive will set you back by Rs 9,880.

Nokia touchscreen may get upgraded to ‘5800i’ XpressMusic

Nokia’s ultra-popular touchscreen phone, the 5800 XpressMusic, may soon be seeing an upgrade. The US’ Federal Communication Commission (FCC) recently leaked images of what seems to be a new iteration of the phone, dubbed the 5800i.

Training their microscopes on these two images and over reports of some tests, the guys over at GSMArena unearthed two significant changes to the phone.

First, the 5800i does away with Wi-Fi, for some reason. One of the reasons the phone was so popular was because it threw in almost everything but the kitchen sink, so removing a key feature might not go down well with enthusiasts.

The second feature addresses one of the biggest complaints with the 5800 – its substandard camera. GSMArena seems to think that while it’s still a 3.15-megapixel camera, the sensor may have gotten larger.

Ultraportable notebook from Lenevo

Especially designed for executives on the move, Lenevo ThinkPad X200 Notebook is the latest ultraportable laptop in town. With all high tech modifications involved in it, this model has also scored number 1 position in the top 10 list of Ultraportable Laptops in the PC World. The ultraportable design starts from it lightweight only of 1.34 kg. This model comes with nine cell battery set with lengthy backup of 9.3 hours and a 12.1-inch wide screen made with magnesium alloy with scratch and spill proof body and a full size keyboard. The laptop operates with finger print reader and the cursor scroll pad has been replaced with a red direction control button in the middle of the keyboard. Hard drive with 160-320GB 7200RPM shock-mount ensures the safety of important data even after sudden impact or damage. The adjustment of a light on the top of the screen has made it more easy to work during night hours as well. The whole set comes with a docking station which includes DVD burner as well. This product is available at Sky Nepal Pvt Ltd (IBM/Lenovo Business Partner),Thapathali and priced Rs 1,40,000. -- HNS SPECS · Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz P8600 · 4 GB DDR3 Memory · Windows Vista Business

Toshiba's new series laptop

Toshiba Computer Systems Division (CSD) announced the expansion of its mini notebook range with the Toshiba NB200. The 10.1'' mini notebook offers a unique matte finish and compelling pleated textured cover design with a chrome hinge. NB200 will be available in Satin Brown and other colours like Snow White, Indigo Blue and Silky Pink will be added onto the portfolio eventually. The NB200 is powered by the latest 1.66GHz Intel Atom Trade Mark Processor N280 with Intel 945GSE graphics chipset and comes preloaded with Windows XP Home, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, Wifi (802.11b/g), and 10/100 Ethernet interfaces.

Toshiba has introduced Signature series also announced its new 13.3 `' ultraportable, the PORTEGE M900 notebook PC. It comes with a choice of four modern colors -- signature brown, white, red, and pink.
The weight starts from 2.15kg, basic measurements of 317mm x 230.6mm and a height of 29.5 mm at the front and 38.2 mm at the back. It is powered by an Intel Centrino2 processor Technology including Intel Core trade Mark 2 Duo processor P8700 (2.53 GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066 MHz FSB) and 2048 MB system memory.

Toshiba also introduced Toshiba Satellite L510 that offers a range of three CPUs to choose from including Intel Pentium Dual-core and Intel core Trade Mark Duo Processors.

Toshiba Computer Systems Division , a division of Toshiba Singapore Pvt Ltd today announced the official appointment of new distributor, IT Trade Revolution Pvt Ltd (ITTR), in Nepal.
It is authorised to establish a network of re-sellers here.

HP notebooks

HP has launched a new brand of affordable notebook PCs that merge business func- tionality with sophisticat- ed design to stand out in the crowd. The HP ProBook series joins the award-winning HP EliteBook series to form one of the most versatile business notebook portfolios in the industry. Inspired by minimalism, the design of the new HP ProBook series combines matte and glossy surfaces while stripping the extraneous, leaving only a stylish and clean look.

Distinguished by a choice of merlot or glossy noir finishes, a unique keyboard design and a set of professional innovations previously found only on higher-priced models, the HP ProBook series delivers HP's best combination of business features, functionality and value. The stunning HP ProBook S-series delivers exceptional style and aggressive pricing that will captivate small and medium business users. It's not just about good looks or low cost, the HP ProBooks deliver the right blend of features and professional innovations to provide a great user experience.

The standard series (Sseries) of the new HP ProBook models incorporate a mercury-free design and features high-definition (HD)(1) LED backlit displays in a choice of 14inch, 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch diagonal widescreen sizes.

The keyboard's innovative layout provides a visually open and spacious keyboard with keys raised from the surface. Usability is the same as with traditional keyboards.

The HP ProBook portfolio holds an Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool silver rating. The HP ProBook models configured with Microsoft Windows operating system also have power saving capacity by switching the PC into lowpower mode after a period of inactivity.

Windows 7 Ultimate cracked already!

Almost everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before Windows 7 got cracked by pirates, but to have its security already compromised just a week after it was released to manufacturing is a new low, even for Microsoft.

The company’s operating systems have been notoriously easy to crack and are very widely pirated, especially in countries with non-stringent copyright laws like India. Come on, you have to know at least 10 people using a pirated version of Windows, right?

Neowin reports that the new crack and activation, allegedly by Chinese hackers, is built on the Windows 7 Ultimate version given to Lenovo. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are given copies of the operating system much before it is released in the market, so that they can get their various devices ready for the launch.

“The news comes from various Chinese forums who state that you can already pass Windows Genuine Advantage validation offline, OEM style,” the site said. “The leaked .ISO was originally posted on a Chinese forum, which was then downloaded in order for people to get hold of the boot.wim, and in turn retrieving the OEM-SLP key, plus the OEM activation certificate. Microsoft uses the same digitally signed OEM certificate, which has an .xrm-ms extension, as that in Windows Vista. Another point to note is that the key is a master one, which can be used to activate other OEM branded installations, like ones from Dell, HP or indeed Lenovo.”

A Microsoft spokesperson has confirmed to Neowin: "We are aware of reports of activation exploits that attempt to circumvent activation & validation in Windows 7, and we can assure customers that Microsoft is committed to protecting them from counterfeit and pirated software. Microsoft strongly advises customers not to download Windows 7 from unauthorized sources. Downloading Windows 7 from peer-to-peer Web sites is piracy, and exposes users to increased risks – such as viruses, Trojans and other malware and malicious code—that usually accompany counterfeit software."

Source:thinkdigit.com

LG Introduces Ultra-Slim LCD TVs

At LG’s fifth annual summer line show in New York City, the company introduced two new HDTV lines, the SL80 and SL90. Both caught my attention for their attention to design.

The SL90 LG had on display was still a prototype; the company flew the display unit in especially for its media showcase. And even though this prototype had a rough edge or two, it clearly showed off the potential for this TV to transform the design landscape for LCD HDTVs.

The 47SL90 on show uses a Super IPS LCD panel, and has seamless, edge-to-edge glass. The effect is highly effective: The glass coating of the panel stretches elegantly from one side to the other, with a slim (less than one-inch) bezel. The edge-to-edge glass looks very striking; LG is the first to offer this technology. Slim HDTVs were all the rage at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2008, but the furor died down and few products made it to market.

The SL90 Series (available in 42-inch and 47-inch screen sizes)uses LED backlighting technology with local dimming. The SL90 Series supports 120Hz for improved fast-motion performance, but not LG’s even better 240Hz technology. LG’s Tim Alessi, director of new products development for home entertainment, says that the SL90 LG could only be produced with 120Hz technology because the edgelit backlighting used by the LEDs can’t be used in conjunction with the scanning backlight technology used by the company’s approach to 240Hz.

Because the SL90 Series uses LED technology, though, the set is extremely thin: It measures just 1.15 inches in depth.

The SL80 Series, also introduced today, is a little deeper: This slim CCFL-based display measures 1.8 inches deep. The SL80 otherwise looks the same as the SL90, with edge-to-edge backlighting, and it uses LG’s 240Hz technology for handling fast action. The SL80 will be available in 42-inch, 47-inch, and 55-inch screen sizes, and will carry a $200 premium over the LG LH55 Series, the company’s current high-end 240Hz series.

The SL90 will ship in October; pricing has yet to be announced. The SL80 will ship at the end of August.

Nokia 6760 slides into India AT&T network

The recently-released Nokia ‘Surge’ for the US-based AT&T network made quite a few heads turn. The Finnish company has now repackaged the device and launched it in the Indian market under the name of ‘Nokia 6760 Slide’.

The 123-gm handset sports a 2.4-inch TFT screen that displays 16 million colours at 320x240 pixels. The top also sports a 5-way joypad and the usual Nokia buttons, along with three multimedia keys. The concentration on multimedia, however, is a bit perplexing as the phone still comes with a 2.5-mm headphone jack. The stereo FM radio compatibility doesn’t really matter much then, right?

The camera on the back is fitted with a 3.15-megapixel CMOS sensor. Although it can record QVGA video, there is no sign of an autofocus or LED flash for still images.

Running on Symbian S60 v3.2, the device has 128MB of onboard memory, which can be expanded up to 8GB via a microSD card.

For connectivity, the 6760 is equipped with 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, microUSB port and GPS and A-GPS.

The phone does take care of its business clientele, though, as it comes with Quickoffice and PDF reader pre-installed.

The 1500mAh battery claims a talk-time of five hours and a standby time of around 20 days.

Available in three colours – red, black and white – the 6760 Slide retails at Rs 14,000.

Nokia launches two new camera-centric phones

In the camera-phone department, Nokia has regularly lagged behind Sony’s Cyber-shot series and Samsung’s high-end handsets. The company is not seeking to reverse its fortunes with two new offerings, the Nokia 6700 Classic and the Nokia 6303 Classic. The 6700 is the big brother of the two, featuring a 5-megapixel sensor while the 6303 settles for 3.15-megapixel pictures. Both cameras are equipped with autofocus and LED flash, and can shoot VGA video footage at 15 frames per second.

While both phones come with a 2.2-inch screen that displays 16 million colours at a resolution of 240x320 pixels, the 6700 also has an accelerometer fitted underneath to auto-rotate the screen when you change your orientation.

The 6303, on the other hand, is a bit more music-minded as it features a 3.5-mm audio jack to connect your favourite headphones.

The 6700 has 170MB of internal memory, while the 6303 comes with 64MB built in. Of course, this can be expanded with a microSD card of up to 16GB for the 6700 and 4GB for the 6303.

For connectivity, both phones feature EDGE, Bluetooth 2.1 and a microUSB port. The 6700, though, goes a bit further and throws in 3G and GPS too.

As for battery life, the 6303 classic will give you seven hours of continuous talk-time, while those on the 6700 will have to settle for a slightly lesser average of five hours.

Considering these specifications, pricing the 6303 classic at Rs 8,000 and the 6700 classic at Rs 14,000.

Buffalo launches portable HDD with built-in USB cable

Buffalo, a manufacturer of wired and wireless networking, storage and memory solutions, has launched its MiniStation PX series in India.The integrated Flex Connect USB 2.0 Cable snaps into chasis for pack-and-go portability and ensures that you never lose your cable again, said the company. What’s more, the device is powered by the same USB cable and does not require an external adapter, thus making it extremely easy to carry with you.

The MiniStation is equipped with Buffalo's BumperBody shock absorbers that surround the hard drive inside a sturdy body that also has rubberised protectors on the outside. The shock resistant protection elements surrounding the hard disk protect your data from damage.

Optionally, users can turn on the integrated hardware encryption feature to automatically encrypt the data on the drive. Full Disk Encryption (FDE) protects data from unauthorised access if lost or stolen. E-Z Logon allows users to enter their password only once, and can remember password on the computer and allows users to log on automatically. The MiniStation PX Series helps store, back up and transport digital files.

The pre-loaded Google Picasa software allows users to organise photos and Turbo USB ensures increased file transfer rates. Users can back up their data with Memeo Auto Backup for Windows and Macintosh. The MiniStation can also be used with Apple’s Time Machine.

Available in three colours – red, black and white – Buffalo's MiniStation PX Series comes with a warranty period of three years. The MiniStation HD-PX320U2 (320GB) is available for Rs 9,000 and MiniStation HD-PX500U2 (500GB) is priced at Rs 14,000.

Western Digital Unveils 1TB, 750GB Notebook Drives

Western Digital on Monday released its new 1-Tbyte and 750-Gbyte WD Scorpio Blue 2.5-inch internal SATA hard drives.
Both drives are in the 12.5-mm form factor, so they will fit in notebooks and small form factor desktops. The new 1TB capacity doubles the 500GB capacity that had become the large capacity standard for 2.5-inch hard drives. They also deliver a high performance 3Gb per second transfer rate.
The 750GB WD Scorpio Blue internal drive is available now for $189.99 and the 1TB version will be available for $249.99.
Both can be purchased as external USB 2.0 drives as part of WD's Passport Essential SE line for $299.99 (1TB) and $199.99 (750GB). They have WD features like WhisperDrive for quiet use, drop resistant ShockGuard, and SecurePark for more shock tolerance.
The internal and external drives show that users are still clamoring for more and more storage, especially with the prevalence of smartphones and digital cameras that can capture video. These drives mean that you don't have to forego insane amounts of storage just because you have a laptop.
Because of the current price point, and since the drive is 12.5mm, it's unlikely you'll see them in netbooks, but you may eventually see them in high-end nettops, or more likely in small form factor systems like the Apple Mac mini.

Spice launches S-5330 flip open phone

Teletalk Pvt Ltd -- the sole authorised distributor of Spice Mobile phones in Nepal -- has launched Spice S-5330 in the market considering the rising demand for mobile phones among customers of different age groups.
The S-5330 finally gives users a folding phone with an ideal blend of style and powerful features just for Rs 4150. This stylish Slim Music mobile with a flip is an elegant and ultra-slim model and has expandable mem- ory up to 2 GB. Users can store up to 512 songs in MP3 format.
The versatile S-5330 also has a one-touch audio player that sup ports MP3, MIDI, AMR, and WAV music for mats. "It provides the option to set your favourite song or recorded sound as your singtone.
It comes with a 1.8 inch screen which gives incredible visual experience to the user while watching images and surfing the inter net. The phone comes with 3D graphic user interface and lets the user choose among various styles.

Firefox Is Faster, but Not as Fast as Google Chrome

When Mozilla released a new version of Firefox a couple of weeks ago, its developers promised a faster browser, and Firefox 3.5 delivers, racing past IE and Safari in our latest set of page-loading speed tests. But its page load times are still about two-tenths of a second slower than Google Chrome.
Google Chrome showed the fastest page load time in five of the eight sites we tested it against, with an average page loading time of 1.699 seconds. However, Firefox 3.5 also put on a strong showing, coming in a close second with an average page-loading time of 1.762 seconds. For the most part, the difference between Chrome's page-loading times and those of Firefox is approximately two-tenths of a second. In our previous testing, Firefox 3.0.7 came in fourth in a four-browser field.
Internet Explorer 8 and Safari 4 both did a decent job loading pages, but fell behind Chrome and Firefox with average page-loading times of 1.833 and 1.964 seconds, respectively. Opera 10 Beta came in last, roughly a half second behind its nearest competitor.
By far the most inconsistent results involved loading PC World's Twitter feed page. We saw load times ranging from about 1 second to over 20 seconds. Since Twitter has a history of server issues, we think this has less to do with the browsers themselves, and more to do with Twitter, although we were surprised by the wildly inconsistent results. For this reason, even though we list the loading times for the Twitter page in our results chart (click on the thumbnail image above), these loading times are not taken into account for the overall average loading time.
Some browser vendors, such as Apple and Mozilla, have touted big improvements in JavaScript performance. That has made some browsers shine in benchmark results. For example, Safari 4 earned the highest scores in both the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark and the Peacekeeper browser benchmark. But Apple's browser was at the back of the pack in our real-world page- loading tests. Browser benchmarks typically take elements that impact page-loading speed out of context, so while they'll give you a feel for how well a browser handles JavaScript or HTML rendering, for example, they won't tell you how fast a browser feels when you're clicking around from site to site. By comparison, our tests use real, popular sites to get a better idea of what you'll experience with any one of these browsers.