New Noise Blackout feature with Jabra BT530 Bluetooth headset
August 15, 2008
The new Jabra BT530 with Noise Blackout feature has been announced by GN Netcom, and according to GN Netcom this Noise Blackout feature reduces ambient sound without compromising voice quality.
The Jabra BT530 is the first Bluetooth product to feature the new Noise Blackout technology, which has been developed by GN Netcom. Noise Blackout uses dual microphones to capture sound, intelligently filtering background noise only.
“Used together with advanced DSP technology and Audio Shock Protection that monitors incoming audio volume, sound is balanced to filter out background noise, leaving both sides of the call with a natural sounding voice quality.”
The Jabra BT530 weighs .35 ounces and specs are as follows: Noise Blackout technology; High Performance with Bluetooth 2.0, including Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and eSCO; A2DP & DSP technology; Multipoint technology; Auto-pairing.
With the Jabra BT530 also comes: 8 ear gels and one ear hook provided for added comfort; Micro USB Charger Connection; and has Acoustic Shock Protection; Dual microphone, with 5.5 hours talk time and 250 hours standby time.
The Jabra BT530 will be available at stores beginning of September for roughly .99
Source – slashphone
Zumobi Olympics widget launched by Lenovo and Intel
August 15, 2008
With the Olympics running in full flow it is obvious business are going to try and cash in on a little media coverage, and now it is the turn of Intel and Lenovo, who have teamed to release a free mobile phone widget via Zumobi.
Everyone wants to get in on the Olympic news, business want to grab some spotlight advertising while ordinary folk just want to keep abreast of what is going down in Beijing.
Well with this cool Lenovo/Intel widget is showcases content from lebovo’s “Voices” and “Olympic Podium” websites, and will keep mobile phone users updated on the news and athletes in Beijing.
The Olympics widget uses the “Zumobi 4” interface, which no doubt existing Zumobi fans will be delighted with. The mobile Olympic widget by Lenovo and Intel is available on Windows Mobile 5 and 6, BlackBerry Curve, Pearl and Series 88xx, and for the first time the Apple iPhone.
Source – zumobi via intomobile
Gateway P-7811FX
August 15, 2008
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Finally we have the pleasure to tell you about a new notebook from Gateway, while there has been a long time since we haven’t heard news from this company regarding new portable computer additions. The latest laptop is optimized for video gaming and entertainment on the go as well, included in the P-Series FX Edition line of Gateway laptop computers, and being powered by the Intel Centrino 2 processing technology.
Besides the strong high-end capabilities, Gateway P-7811FX is also an affordable model and the company’s first powered by the newest Intel technology with faster multi-tasking support at lower power consumption.
“The Gateway P-7811FX is a great choice for customers such as students and professionals who want a notebook that can handle all of their computing needs - from creating videos and playing games to tackling work, school and home projects,” said Todd Titera, senior manager, notebook product management. “And while the new notebook is ideal for demanding gamers and enthusiasts who want the latest technology, its affordable price also makes it perfect for digital media hobbyists and casual PC game players.”
Coming at a retail price of 1,399.99, Gateway P-7811FX has other cool components such as the NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS video card with 512MB DDR3 dedicated graphics memory for real-time 3D imaging, 2.26GHz processing speeds, 4GB memory, 200GB HDD storage capacity, second drive bay, all working to display the best results on a 17-inch large wide screen with a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels.
Additional elements include HDMI connectivity, cool illuminated multimedia keys for direct access to audio and video controls, built-in 1.3MP web camera for char conferences, VoIP support, wireless 802.11 Draft-N support, a 5-in-1 media card reader, 3 USB ports, Multi-Format Dual Layer DVDRW w/DVD-RAM with LabelFlash, and the Microsoft Windows Home Premium 64-bit Edition operating system pre-installed.
Mars robots begin test campaign
August 15, 2008
By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News
Engineers have unveiled the latest prototypes for a European rover that is due to land on Mars in 2015.
BBC News has had exclusive access to the test vehicles which are being put through their paces by space company UK Astrium at its HQ in Stevenage.
The British team on this European Space Agency (Esa) project has nicknamed the prototypes Bruno and Bradley.
The six-wheeled robots are claimed to be the most robust and manoeuvrable planetary rovers to be built.
According to Chris Draper, Astrium’s ExoMars rover vehicle industrial manager, they can go literally where no rover has gone before.
“Obviously, the American MER rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) that were put up by Nasa enjoyed an extreme amount of success. They were able to travel large distances, well beyond their planned lifetimes. But we’re hoping that with our baby, we’ll be able to go places that are actually much further.”
EXOMARS MISSION CONCEPT- Set to leave Earth in 2013; primary aim is to search for life
- Will launch on a heavy-lift rocket, such as the Ariane 5
- Vented landing bags allow for a larger payload
- Rover will carry a 16.5kg ‘Pasteur’ instrument suite
- 30kg geophysics/environment static station also possible
- This would study the weather and listen for ‘Marsquakes’
- Concept to cost Esa states more than first estimates
Each prototype has six-wheel steering, which means that they can turn all six wheels and crab sideways.
They also have what engineers describe as “wheel walking capability”. This means that when the vehicles come across a particularly steep or slippery slope, they can anchor themselves with five of the wheels and inch each wheel forward one at a time, to crawl over an obstacle.
The prototypes have a unique intelligent navigation system which enables them to plot their own course.
Such is the distance between the planets, it can take 20 minutes for an instruction sent from Earth to arrive at Mars. The delay means instant commands to change direction are not possible and so a rover must have autonomy to make decision if, for example, it is approaching a dangerous precipice.
And because the rover will make its own decisions, it can also cover more ground.
ExoMars’ primary mission is to search for signs of past or present life.
To do that, it will make its way to locations thought most likely to support life and drill up to two metres into the ground. Sub-surface soil samples will be analysed by an onboard laboratory.
The rover will have the largest array of scientific instruments to be taken to Mars. So if it gets strong indications that organisms might be present, it will be able to subject samples to a wide range of tests to confirm initial readings.
But the executives at Astrium are concerned that after having done the groundwork in developing the vehicle systems (the chassis, locomotion and navigation systems), the company might actually lose the opportunity to build the final flight vehicle.
"It’s quite a tense period for us in Astrium and for the other companies involved in building ExoMars"Dr Ralph Cordey, UK Astrium
The concern stems from the recent funding difficulties faced by the Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC), the agency which supports astronomy and space science in the UK.
The company won its role on the mission as leader of vehicle development partly because of the funding the STFC put through Esa. But Astrium’s science business development manager, Dr Ralph Cordey, said that given the recent squeeze on British astronomy and space resources, he was now unsure if that same level of funding would continue.
“It’s quite a tense period for us in Astrium and for the other companies involved in building ExoMars; and for all the many, many scientists who will depend on this mission,” he told BBC News.
“On the one hand, we are moving ahead with a great momentum, as you’ve seen. This is not a paper project - there is real engineering going on and we are on the verge of building the real hardware that will go on to the planet Mars. 
“But on the other hand, we do have a real problem. In order to complete the project, further funding needs to be made available and it won’t be until November that we are sure that that is in place.”
The cost of ExoMars has risen dramatically since European space ministers first approved the venture in 2005. Revised estimates to be agreed next month with industrial partners mean the price for ExoMars will nearly double from its original 650m-euro price tag.
If the UK wants to maintain its position on mission, it will have to boost its financial commitment to ExoMars or come to some other compensatory arrangement with Esa.
If the UK plays the wrong hand at the next space ministers’ meeting in November, UK Astrium warns, the contract to build the flight vehicle could go to a space company sited in another Esa member state.
The STFC said: “The UK will be working with its international partners to try to bring about a mission that has high impact and is affordable, in a process of negotiation that will culminate in decisions at the ministerial in November 2008.
“Meanwhile, it remains a high strategic priority for the UK as emphasised previously.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation
Zepto Orion A15
August 15, 2008
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Yet another laptop from Zepto named after a Greek mythology character. Orion A15 was named after the skilled hunter occupying a place in the stars after his death, and this idea is represented by the black laptop model with a stylish finish sporting an illuminated Ze[to logo on the back.
This 15.4-inch model is powered by the Intel Centrino 2 technology with minimum 3MB Smart Cache and 1066Mhz Front SideBus, which work together to deliver high operating speeds at a lower power consumption.
It integrates the Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics chipset with 384MB shared memory, DirectX 10 support, OpenGL 2.0 and Shader Model 4, for great views during gaming and while playing with the Windows Vista Aero feature on the 1280 x 800-pixel display.
Like the latest models introduced by Zepto, Orion A15 has the Night LED mode that allows you to turn off all the other indicators, leaving only the hard drive light On, for a simpler way of knowing when the portable computer is functioning.
Specifications include 8Gb maximum system memory, 2.8GHz Dual Core CPU speeds, TV Tuner, Turbo Memory Crad, Wireless LAN, 3.8 hours of battery life, built-in web camera, microphone, HDMI connectivity, SPDIF audio out, http://www.ubuntu.com/ Linux Ubuntu support, and other cool elements, encased in durable yet elegant aluminum reinforced chassis.
For a price of £517.10 Zepto offers the lower cost configuration with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 processor clocked at 2GHz, 80GB S-ATA hard drive storage capacity, DVD burner, Bluetooth 2.0+EDT, and built-in microphone. At £752.41 the notebook has 4GB memory, 320GB hard drive, DVD burner, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, microphone and Windows Vista Home Basic operating system pre-installed. This one is powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 providing speeds of up to o 2GHz.
Lenovo IdeaCentre K210 Complete System Desktop and Montior Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 3GB DDR2-667 500GB SATA II DVDRW Flash Reader, Vista Home Premium SP1 19? LCD Widescreen Just $749.99
August 15, 2008
These Lenovo K210 IdeaCentre PCs are powerful desktops with the latest technology including the new Intel GMA 3100 graphics integrated graphics with advanced high-definition video playback capability. Powered with a Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, 3GB of DDR2-667 memory, 500GB SATA II hard drive, Intel Pro 10/100 LAN, and a SATA DVDRW drive running Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 32-bit operating system, you have to rub your eyes twice to see such a low total price of 9.95 complete.
Shadowrun
August 14, 2008
Most Played
Since its release early last year, Shadowrun has been on the receiving end of a lot of flack, and to be honest, it’s mostly deserved. The single player mode is almost non-existent - you can only play against bots with less intelligence than a ’80s calculator - and there are no options to speak of. You can’t even fiddle with weapon sets to get a ‘swords only’ match going. It doesn’t look much prettier than an original Xbox game, and the art style is laughable. I promise the first time you lay eyes on a dwarf kitted out in full riot gear you’ll, well, laugh.
Despite its flaws, though, for the past two months Shadowrun has been in my Xbox 360 more than any other game. It may lack Halo’s controllable vehicles, custom matches and whatnot, but multiplayer is pleasingly balanced with a good sense of teamwork. Plenty of people still play online too: usually there’s a good 30-odd games going, a fact no doubt helped by Shadowrun’s cheap price tag. I got my copy in Gamestation’s infamous ‘4 for £20’ deal alongside Fatal Intera, The Darkness and Monster Madness.
Like Counter Strike, at the start of a round you can purchase weapons (sniper rifles, katanas, shotguns - nothing too exciting, really), and also magic and technical abilities. The better your team is doing, the more money you earn. If you’re on the losing team, your magic attacks use up less essence and dead bodies take longer to dispose of, which increases the chances of another playing being able to resurrect you.
Resurrecting is a funny old thing, because when your resurrector snuffs it your health-bar rapidly starts to fall - so you feel inclined to protect them. Magic attacks are good fun too: the ‘tree of life’ will provide health for anybody that stands under it, you can also make spikes pop up out of the floor to block exits, and summon monsters to protect areas. Then there’s the ability to teleport, turn into a cloud of smoke, and glide through the air. Using a gust of wind to send grenades flying back to where they came from is just one of the little tricks to learn.
There aren’t that many maps, but they all have their own unique features, amongst them a shanty town with plenty of small corridors, a power station with a sniper tower, and a temple with an underground maze. The character each have unique skills too: humans start off with more money than anybody else, elves are fast and regain health but are weak, trolls are strong but slow, and dwarfs can withstand a head shot and drain the magic power of those around them. Trolls are good for newcomers, but more experienced players tend to go for elves. Troll players tend to get a little bit of stick for some reason, but with a mini-gun in their claws they’re something to fear.
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