All You Want to Know

According to tech site TechARP, Microsoft has set the maximum hardware specification that OEMs will be able to pre-install the cheaper netbook-only Windows 7 SKUs onto.

The three SKUs considered here are:

• Windows 7 Starter
• Windows 7 Starter for Small Notebook PC
• Windows 7 Home Basic For Small Notebook PCs (China only)

Microsoft already has a similar limitation in place on OEMs offering XP on low-cost systems, called the Microsoft Windows XP Home Ultra Low Cost PC (ULCPC) program.

Here is the new Windows 7 maximum hardware spec. I’ve added the current spec for comparison.

• CPU: Single core CPUs no faster than 2GHz and with a TDP no greater than 15W.
  Currently the limitation is only 1GHz, or the following CPUs: Intel Atom N270, N280, 230, Z500, Z510, Z515, Z520, Z530, Z540, Z550, or Intel Celeron 220, or AMD MV-40, 1050P, TF-20, Geode LX, Athlon 2650e, Sempron 210U, or VIA C7-M ULV, Nano U1700, U2250, U2300, U2400 or U2500.
• Screen size: No larger than 10.2″.
  Currently the limitation is 12.1.
• RAM: 2GB.
  Currently the limitation is 1GB.
• Storage: 250GB HDD or 64GB SSD.
  Currently the limitation is 160GB HDD or 32GB SDD.
• Graphics: No limitation
  Currently the limitation is no greater than DirectX 9.
• Touch: No limitation.
  Currently the limitation is resistive only

So, basically what’s really changed is that you can have more RAM and storage but the screen size has shrunk by nearly two inches and with a more rigid CPU requirements.

One last morsel: MacTalk reports that Vodafone has declared the current 16GB iPhone has been labeled “End of Life,” meaning new iPhones are on their way.

When? Gruber predicts the announcement will be made at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, which kicks off June 8, and the phone will hit stores in July. That’s a reasonable assumption, because Apple announced the current iPhone 3G at 2008’s WWDC. Also, Apple will likely have to hold WWDC sessions devoted to the new iPhone’s API, and the company would of course have to announce the product first.

See Also:

• Next-Gen iPhone Will Contain a Compass
• Screenshot Hints at Video Recorder in iPhone 3.0
• Apple Hints at Video Conferencing for Future iPhones
• Easter Eggs Give Clues to Next-Gen iPhone
• Next-Gen iPhone Specs, Launch Date Revealed?
• Apple Bestows Cut-and-Paste, MMS on iPhone Users
• Job Listing Hints at More Powerful Processor in Future iPhones …
• What Apple Needs to Fix to Keep the iPhone Competitive
• Rumor: Next-Gen iPhone Will Be a Snoozer Upgrade

Cooper Martin Clothing

If you have ever broken a major appendage, you quickly realize that the simple things in life are now, not at all simple. That explains why so many people who, for example, break a leg, resort to wearing sweat pants or shorts; it's not just the easiest but sometimes the only option.

The company Cooper Martin agrees, that's why they came up with their line of clothing for just this occasion. The clothes have strategically placed zippers and Velcro on business casual clothing.

You can see how it works at www.cooper-martin.com

Photo Shower Curtain

Some family pictures are priceless and it's not enough for them to have that prized spot on the mantel, so why not immortalize it in a shower curtain; it's cooler than you think.

The makers at www.photoshowercurtain.com take your favorite photo and turn it into a customized curtain; either for a standard bath tub size or stand alone shower.

The makers claim you can launder the curtain and never have to worry about fading or warping.

You can see it for yourself at www.photoshowercurtain.com.

Finis Circuit Trainer

The couch potato in all of us can come up with many excuses of why we can't exercise today and fitness companies, like Finis, are getting wise to lazy ways.

The circuit trainer performs the job of a timer, but better. How it works, you set the amount of time you want to workout then set the amount of time you want to rest; the trainer lets you know when each time is up and it's time to get going again.

The Circuit Trainer lets you know when time is up through lights and a buzzer.

You can learn all about it at www.finisinc.com

Source : http://www.9news.com

The first is the explanation that Oracle was putting about on Monday. This holds that vertical integration of all aspects of hardware and software is the next step being demanded by the customers of enterprise technology companies, who want one throat to choke when something goes wrong.

But it hardly feels as though customer expectations have changed enough to force Oracle to buy a deeply troubled server company to take on entrenched rivals like IBM, HP and now Cisco. Not does this explanation take account of the fundamental nature of the enterprise technology industry, which relies on deep technology and business partnerships.

The other explanation is that Oracle had to move quickly to outmaneuver the slow-footed IBM, so it was willing to take on the unappealing hardware business just to get its hands on Sun’s software assets. It then follows, according to this view, that Oracle will now turn around and unload the hardware side as soon as it can, perhaps in pieces.

To judge from the people we’ve spoken to, neither of these explanations quite gets to the bottom of what is going on.

One good pragmatic reason for assuming Sun’s struggling hardware business is that, for the arch cost-cutters at Oracle, this is where many of the biggest opportunities for expense savings lie. Oracle has promised $1.5bn in operating profits from the Sun deal in the first year. Slashing hardware costs is likely to be a quick way to get there - and if the economy turns, Sun’s highly cyclical hardware arm could even provide a pleasant surprise.

One person familiar with Oracle’s thinking suggests that the company will act quickly to narrow the focus of Sun’s hardware on a smaller number of high-end system designs. And a person close to the Sun camp admits that Sun itself simply failed to act aggressively enough to cut costs - though this person adds that a big acquirer like a Oracle also has many more opportunities to save money than Sun could have done on its own, for instance by combining salesforces.

Another pragmatic reason to take on the hardware business is that it offers Oracle a strategic hedge. In a world dominated by a handful of giant systems companies, life as a pure software company could become uncomfortable: what if big partner/rivals like IBM and HP become less enthusiastic about selling and supporting Oracle’s software?

Being able to offer its own hardware gives Oracle a fall-back, according to one person close to the transaction. The very existence of an Oracle hardware division changes the equation and removes a potential weapon in the hands of its enemies.

Of course, none of this changes Oracle’s main motivation for the Sun acquisition: getting its hands on Java, Solaris and MySQL. But it does help to explain why a software company with operating profit margins of 35 per cent is willing to take on a business that recently has had trouble making any money at all.

Source : http://blogs.ft.com

First up is the TG02 and TG03, which build upon the already announced TG01 that includes a 4.1-inch touchscreen, HSDPA, microSD card slot, accelerometer and 9.9mm thick form factor. The difference between the two yet to be officially announced handsets are an IPX4 water resistant rating with a 3.2MP camera for the TG02, and a 5MP camera with 5.1 Dolby Digital output for the TG03, but sans IPX4 rating.

The MIDs, the K01 and K02 feature a 4.1-inch and 3.5-inch touchscreen respectively, while both include a slide out QWERTY keyboard and a 3.2MP camera.

Last of the leaked handsets is the L01, which boasts the largest of the screens at 7-inches and some funky stand alone keyboard that is very reminiscent of the Touch Book.

You can expect most of these handsets to launch between Q4 2009 and Q1 2010.

Source : http://www.gadgetreview.com

The camera has a sensitivity of ISO 200 to 3200 which can be extended from ISO 100 to ISO 6400 equivalent. With the 2.7 inch LCD being capable of rotating around and with it having Live View, it makes taking pictures that little bit easier in some situations. The D5000 has a HDMI output compatible with HD TV’s allowing you to playback direct from the camera on to your TV when needed. Other capture features are also included which are wide area, normal area, face detection and new subject tracking. The subject tracking feature is capable of locking on to an individual and if they move out of the cameras view and then back in they will still be kept in focus on the camera. 19 scene modes are included to help you capture the right type of photos for the type of scene you are shooting in.

Available from Amazon.

The Nikon D5000 costs $849 with a 18-55 VR kit lens.

Nikon D5000 Features

• 23.6 x 15.8 mm CMOS sensor
• 12.9 million total pixels
• 12.3 million effective pixels
• Supports high ISO sensitivities
• Nikon DX-format sized CMOS sensor
• Airflow control system
• Image Sensor Cleaning
• Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)
Image processor Nikon EXPEED
A/D conversion 12 bit
• 4,288 x 2,848 (L)
• 3,216 x 2,136 (M)
• 2,144 x 1,424 (S)
• NEF (compressed RAW)
• JPEG: Fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8), or basic (approx. 1:16) compression
• NEF (RAW) + JPEG (any size)
• AVI Motion-JPEG
• File format AVI (Motion-JPEG)
• Image size (pixels) 1280 x 720; 24fps, 640 x 424; 24 fps, 320 x 216; 24 fps
• Audio: Monaural on/off selection
• Exposure: Determined with matrix metering utilizing output from the image sensor
• Exposure lock available
• Exposure compensation available in P, S, A, M modes
• Maximum single clip length: 1280×720/ 5 minutes, others 20 minutes
• Nikon F mount with AF contacts
• Approx. 1.5x lens focal length (Nikon DX format)
• AF-S, AF-I
• Other Type G or D AF Nikkor
• Other AF Nikkor/AI-P Nikkor
• Type D PC Nikkor
• Non-CPU
• IX Nikkor/AF Nikkor for F3AF
- All functions supported
- All functions supported except autofocus
- All functions supported except autofocus and 3D Color Matrix Metering II
- All functions supported except some shooting modes
- Can be used in mode M, but exposure meter does not function; electronic range finder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster
- Cannot be used
• 11 focus points (1 cross-type sensors)
• Multi-CAM 1000
• AF working range: -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, normal temperature)
• Contrast Detect in Live View mode
Lens Servo • Single Servo (AF-S)
• Continuous Servo (AF-C)
• Automated selection of AF-S or AF-C, (AF-A)
• Focus Tracking automatically activated by subject’s status in (AF-A)
• Manual focus [M], Electronic range finding supported
• Single point from 11 focus points
• Center point narrow or wide zone
• Liveview (Tripod mode): Contrast AF on a desired point anywhere within frame
• Single point AF
• Dynamic Area AF
• Automatic-area AF
• 3D Tracking AF (11 points)

Via: DPReview

"The insurance industry is saying to the homeowner, If you choose to live here, that's great, but you have to take on more of the risk," says Jayna Neagle, of the Washington, D.C.-based Insurance Information Institute. "It's all about sharing the risk."

If you live where tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes are a regular occurrence, catastrophe insurance is an important consideration. Ask these questions to avoid paying too much or choosing a company that a disaster could drive out of business:

Do you have proper coverage?

Amazingly, most people don't. For instance, only 20 percent of homeowners in floodplain areas carry flood insurance, even though their flood risk is 26 times their fire risk.

Similar figures hold in many earthquake- and storm-prone areas. Find out if you need catastrophe coverage by calling your agent or state insurance board.

Obtain information on flood, storm or quake risks in your region and compare it to risks posed by the "normal" hazards your homeowner's policy covers; if catastrophe risk exceeds normal risk, buy expanded coverage. This Old House: Beef up your insurance

Is the insurer financially stable?

A huge catastrophe can shake the stability of weaker insurance companies, putting them at risk of a default that could leave policyholders uncovered. A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's now rate insurance companies to reflect their ability to withstand such catastrophes.

Check an insurer's rating with A.M. Best, S&P, or Consumer Reports magazine. Look for an A rating or better (such as AAA or A++). Avoid lower-rated companies (those with a B or lower rating).

Are the premiums and deductibles reasonable?

Double-digit increases in catastrophe premiums are common in high-risk storm and earthquake areas. These increases vary widely by company and region, so if your premium jumps up, shop around for an insurer that's not as exposed to catastrophe-related payouts. This Old House: Insure yourself against storms

Also be aware of the change to "percentage deductibles" that require homeowners to cover a percentage of the damages rather than a set figure. For example, if the deductible is 5 percent and losses are $100,000, the policyholder covers the first $5,000.

According to J. Robert Hunter, insurance director for the Consumer Foundation of America, homeowners are not always clearly notified of the change. "A lot of people have been misled," Hunter says. "The disclosure is really vague, buried in a lot of fine print." This Old House: Do you have enough insurance?

When you're ready to buy, try these shopping tips:

1. Purchase all your insurance (homeowner's, auto, life) from an insurer that offers a multiple-policy discount. Also check if your insurer gives a "loyalty" discount for staying with them for three to five or more years.

2. Go with a high deductible; this can save up to 20 percent in premiums if you have savings to do it.

3. Install smoke detectors, a burglar alarm, storm shutters, dead bolts, and a fire-sprinkler system to reduce the premium on your homeowner's policy. The same goes for using storm- or earthquake-resistant construction methods or materials.

Source : http://www.cnn.com

CHICAGO -(Dow Jones)- Despite a surge in piracy off the coast of Somalia in recent years, capped by the dramatic rescue of a U.S. cargo ship captain there Sunday, insurers are still willing to offer piracy insurance, although at dramatically higher prices.

"In general, the price is up five- to 10-fold from 18 months ago," when the surge in piracy off Somalia began to take off, said Peter Townsend, executive director for the marine practice group at insurance broker Aon Corp. (AOC). "The demand is there."

Piracy insurance generally covers physical loss or damage to the ship or its cargo, along with kidnap and ransom coverage for the crew. Townsend said he helped develop coverage that also includes the daily loss that comes from having a detained ship sit unused while the owners negotiate ransom with pirates.

Piracy-insurance prices are usually set per shipment no more than a week before a planned passage through the area plied by Somalian pirates, which includes the Gulf of Aden and parts of the Indian Ocean. Though prices vary widely, it might cost a shipper $30,000 to $50,000 for $3 million to $5 million of coverage for a single voyage through the area, Townsend said.

Townsend said prices tend to dip immediately after a spate of hijackings. " Underwriters feel that, if several vessels are being held, the likelihood is decreased" that there will be another pirate attack in the following days.

He said Sunday's rescue of the captain of the American-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama by U.S. Navy Seal sharpshooters probably won't decrease piracy, despite the death of three of the pirates during the rescue.

"The rewards [of piracy] outweigh the risks, in their view," Townsend said. " The loss of three pirates will harden their resolve. It is a risky business."

Townsend said he couldn't say if the Maersk Alabama was insured, but he said many shippers play the "percentages" and hope their ship will be one of the many that make it through unattacked. However, the surge in piracy in the past two years is increasing interest. Most piracy insurance is underwritten through the Lloyd's of London insurance market, where groups of insurers take on risks.

One insurer that offers the coverage, Chubb Corp. (CB), said last month that prices generally were up around 20%. A Chubb spokesman said the company didn't break out its total premiums of profitability on the coverage, but that it wasn't a major part of its business.

Townsend said pirates off the Somali coast detained 111 vessels and 800 seafarers in 2008, which was about a 200% increase from the year before. So far in 2009, 40 vessels have been detained.

In 2008, Townsend estimated, around 30,000 vessels traveled through the area, which he called a "major artery" for shipping.

-By Lavonne Kuykendall, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4141; lavonne.kuykendall@ dowjones.com

Source : http://money.cnn.com

Telecom services provider Sprint is hoping to make that possible by offering excess capacity on its cellular network available to gadget makers, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

"Sprint understands that we are getting to a point where almost every digital device would want to be connected to a fast ubiquitous network," says Michael Gartenberg, vice president of strategy for Los Angeles based analytics firm Interpret. "Wi-Fi isn't everywhere and consumers want the assurance of ubiquitous connectivity that wide area networks can offer."

Sprint has already taken the first step towards this model through its partnership with Amazon. Amazon kicked off the first version of its e-book reader Kindle with Sprint's wireless connectivity to help users download e-books over the air. In its latest version, Kindle allows users basic web surfing using Sprint's network without paying any additional data access charges.

This kind of unobtrusive wireless capability is something other gadget makers are likely to jump at. Sprint is already in talks with Garmin, SanDisk and Eastman Kodak, says WSJ.

"More and more we are going to see this become attractive to all sorts of vendors, especially if they can integrate it at a low cost," says Gartenberg.

BOSTON, March 23, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ ----John Hancock led the industry in total individual life insurance sales in 2008, according to a recent survey of 78 major life insurers by LIMRA International (LIMRA).

According to LIMRA, John Hancock Life Insurance had sales in 2008 of $835 million in premium*. The company also increased its industry-leading market share to more than seven percent and led the industry in average face amount of approximately $1.3 million.

"We are extremely pleased to lead the industry in life insurance sales, especially in light of the challenging economic backdrop in 2008. Our sales results again demonstrated strength across our entire product portfolio," said Steve Finch, President, John Hancock Life Insurance. "We strive to be an industry leader in product innovation, continually enhancing our portfolio to meet our clients' needs."

John Hancock finished first in the industry in variable life (including variable universal life) sales, with sales of approximately $237 million*, according to LIMRA.

"We have placed strong emphasis on variable universal life over the past few years. We believe that for clients with long term horizons our variable universal products are well designed to meet their needs. They remain an attractive and appropriate product," Mr. Finch said.

John Hancock finished second in the industry in universal life sales with sales of nearly $496 million*, and the company maintained its market share of nearly 10 percent, according to LIMRA.

Term and whole life sales again produced strong results, with sales of $84 million and $17 million respectively.

"We remain committed to further strengthening our product portfolio, our service capabilities and our underwriting expertise to provide even greater value for our clients and producers," Mr. Finch said. "We know that our customers and their advisors have many options for meeting their financial objectives and we appreciate that they have chosen to place their trust and confidence in John Hancock."

*Annualized premium plus 10% of excess premium for US individual life insurance as reported to LIMRA

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$405 billion (US$330 billion) as at December 31, 2008.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.

Survey Source: LIMRA International, U.S. Individual Life Insurance Sales Survey, Fourth Quarter YTD 2008 results. Sales based on annualized new premium.

Source :

http://www.jhancock.com

A study for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that nationwide nearly one in five workers is uninsured, a statistically significant increase from fewer than one in seven during the mid-1990s.

In Illinois, the study found that 16 percent of workers between ages 19 to 64 were uninsured in 2007, the latest year such figures are available. In 1995, 11.6 percent of workers in Illinois were uninsured.

The study found that the problem is cost. Total premiums for employer plans have risen six to eight times faster than wages, depending on whether individual or family coverage is picked.

About 20.7 million workers were uninsured in the mid-1990s. A decade later, it was 26.9 million, an increase of about six million.

Source : http://www.examiner.com

Dell's Adamo ultraportable is finally here.

Ever since Apple first introduced its MacBook Air, consumers have been lusting after ultra-thin, ultra-light laptops that still pack a solid performance punch. While many manufacturers have come to challenge the Air, from Lenovo's X300 series to Voodoo's Envy 133, Apple's offering has maintained its dominance. As of today, that dominance will be challenged yet again.

Dell's Adamo will go on sale later today, with an expected shipping date of March 26. The Adamo (Adamo means "to fall in love with" in Latin) carries many of the high end features one would expect with an ultraportable of this caliber. The 13.4-inch, 720p display is made from "edge-to-edge" mineral glass, and the entire laptop chassis is machined from one piece of aluminum. For storage, SSD is the only option, with 128 GB being standard.

"Great design needs to be timeless and evoke emotion in people", said Alex Gruzen, Senior VP of Dell's consumer products division. "While a premium computing experience was assumed for Adamo, the intent was for people to see, touch and explore Adamo and be rewarded by the select materials and craftsmanship you would expect in a fine watch." Judging from the sentiments of Gruzer and the Adamo's insides, Dell undoubtedly put style before performance with this ultraportable.

One area where the Adamo beats the MacBook Air is thickness. While the Air has a maximum thickness of .75-inches, the Adamo maxes out at .65-inches. However, it should be noted that the Air comes up to .75-inches from .16-inches, whereas the Adamo is .65-inches throughout its body. The Adamo also comes in about one pound heavier than its veteran rival.

While the Adamo is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the ultraportable market, it's lackluster hardware may be an Achilles heel.

The text that replaces an abbreviation can be as simple as your name and address, or as complex as a rich text document that contains formatting and images. TypeIt4Me works with variables such as date and time, and can insert the current contents of your clipboard. You can control the position of the cursor, defining its location after TypeIt4Me expands an abbreviation; trigger AppleScripts; or nest other TypeIt4Me clippings within the current expanded abbreviation.

TypeIt4Me is available for $27. A 30-day demo is available.

Look at the picture above. It’s an original Steve Ballmer created before my eyes on the wall of a conference room here at The Times.

Simple, isn’t it?

Well, that’s the point that Mr. Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft, was trying to make when he drew it. I was talking to him about Microsoft’s plans to offer companies cloud computing services — software that will run on Microsoft’s new network of big data centers. As I learned about the Azure system, Microsoft’s new cloud operating system, I started to wonder if it is overly complex. I asked if Microsoft was risking taking on too much, as it did with Longhorn, the operating system rewrite that led to the ill-fated Windows Vista.

“It’s not anything like Longhorn,” Mr. Ballmer said. “And it’s not really that complicated.”

He jumped up, grabbed a marker and drew a big black rectangle divided into smaller rectangles on the white board.

“This is what we look like in the data center,” he said.

He was referring to all of the software Microsoft currently sells to run on corporate servers and the tools to develop them. That currently is a $13 billion-a-year business for Microsoft (22 percent of its total revenue) and its fastest growing segment. All of those products, Mr. Ballmer said, are being rewritten so customers can run them on Microsoft’s computers in addition to their own.

“Anything that has been a server needs to be a service,” he said.

So in the center box he wrote “Windows Server”—the company’s core product for data centers.

“Windows Server becomes Windows Azure,” he said. Steve Ballmer

That is going to be a service that will let companies build applications to be run from Microsoft’s data centers.

The next block up represented SQL Server — Microsoft’s database product.

“I’ll bet by the time we’re done, if I win, this will be called SQL Azure,” he said, implying a bit of a branding debate. Nearby were boxes for Microsoft’s other server products — Exchange for e-mail, SharePoint for collaboration, etc.

The trapezoid at the very top of Mr. Ballmer’s picture represented Office and other PC software products that it sells to big companies, much of it meant to interact with the server software, like Exchange.

As he has before, Mr. Ballmer insisted that these PC programs are not all going to be replaced with Web sites, like Google Docs or Gmail.

“Everyone says ‘You have to run in a browser.’ That’s nonsense,” he said. “When you run in the browser, you are not running HTML, you are just downloading code to the browser instead of downloading code to the PC.”

What is important, Mr. Ballmer argued, is giving Microsoft software the ability to use the Internet as needed. For example, corporations will be able to start their own social networks to enable employees to work together better. You’ll use this network from within Office.

He also suggested that the move will increase Microsoft’s earnings from corporate services. That’s because it will be able to charge both for the software itself and Microsoft’s service to operate that software on its own machines.

The company’s costs will rise and its profit margins will fall as it builds out its data centers. Software, after all, has remarkable margins because it doesn’t really cost anything to deliver an additional office license to a corporate client. But Mr. Ballmer said that Microsoft will still come away with more dollars in profit for every worker using its cloud-based services than it does from software.

“Shareholders don’t get fed by percentages,” he said.

So far, little of this is actually making money for Microsoft. It started selling the early version of cloud-based Exchange and SharePoint services last year. And it is testing its new systems with big companies including Coca-Cola Enterprises and Nokia. But Mr. Ballmer said he didn’t think Microsoft was behind its potential rivals.

“This is all so early,” he said. “It’s early for Amazon. VMware is just barely there. We’re barely there. Google isn’t there yet.”

Most of these companies don’t have much experience selling to big companies, he said.

“It took us 10 years to establish our enterprise capability and this company, Google, hasn’t really begun to focus,” Mr. Ballmer said. “We understand what the enterprise needs: security, compliance, archiving.”

That’s why I keep wondering about the scope of what Mr. Ballmer is trying to do. Azure and the related products are meant from the start to have all the features that a multinational company might need to run sophisticated applications. His picture may well look simple to chief information officers who see in it a mirror of the software they already buy from Microsoft.

I said one more time to Mr. Ballmer that his approach seemed much riskier than that used by Google and Amazon, which can start by offering simple services and then can build them up over time.

Mr. Ballmer replied he was quite confident that Microsoft’s “story is right.”

He added, “We are taking the complexity out, not the capabilities.”

Cisco watchers are largely unimpressed with the deal. In short, analysts and writers who cover Cisco consider the Flip's market of 2 million units too small for Cisco to bother with, and Pure Digital's selling price of $590 million too small a return for investors Benchmark Capital and Sequoia Capital.

Gartner analyst Nick Jones:

This leaves me totally puzzled. $590 million is loose change for Cisco. But why spend even loose change on a brand no-one has heard of outside the US and which has sold about 2 million units in its entire history. Last year the mobile industry shipped well over 800 million handsets with cameras, the latest models like the Samsung Omnia can already shoot HD video which is on the cusp of mainstream mobile adoption. The chips and camera modules on mid to high-end devices will all head to HD over the next couple of years. So products like Flip are going to be buried under an avalanche of HD enabled handsets. I can understand Flip wanting to sell out before the tsunami arrives but why would Cisco buy?

Network World columnist Brad Reese:

A spectacularly successful cash out for Pure Digital's venture capital investor - Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital (keep in mind that Moritz and Sequoia were also the original venture capital backers of Cisco), [but] not be a wise acquisition for Cisco.

First, how do Cisco's valuable channel partners benefit with Cisco capital and management attention focused on products sold in mass retail outlets for between $130 and $230, and whose success has spawned a large group of copycat competitors?

Second, Cisco's expertise is in developing and supporting complex technology. I fear Cisco risks being "dumbed down" ... for example, a recent report shows Cisco gaining market share in [small to medium business] routers but losing ground in the high-end router segment to Juniper Networks.

PEHub blogger Lawrence Aragon, who writes about private equity:

It sounds like a pretty good deal, but you have to understand that the VCs put $95 million into Pure, which makes the Flip digital video camera. Assuming they own half of the company, that’s a return of just over 3x their money. For a middle-of-the road VC firm, that would be a decent return, but for big name backers Benchmark Capital and Sequoia Captial that’s pretty much a dud.

Did Pure Digital's investors push for a relatively cheap acquistion before the Flip loses its market share? Does Cisco have plans for the Flip, or for Pure Digital, that aren't obvious from outside the company? Cisco's press release suggests Cisco, an enterprise IT colossus, is trying to become a household brand as well:

"The acquisition of Pure Digital is key to Cisco's strategy to expand our momentum in the media-enabled home and to capture the consumer market transition to visual networking."

The consumer market transition to visual networking? Sounds like Cisco is looking to sell cameras to the makers of YouTube home videos. Good luck competing with Apple and Logitech.

Source : http://www.thestandard.com

It is beautiful, an engineering marvel. It is fanless, silent and slim. For anyone who's ever hated carrying a briefcase—or wanted a computer that goes well with Gaultier—the Vaio P is the ne plus ultra of ultraportable computers.

For the rest, it's a $900 laptop that can barely keep up with netbooks half its price.

Sadly hobbled by Windows Vista's bloat, only those with undemanding performance requirements will enjoy it straight out of the box. Install XP or Windows 7, however, and its promise becomes more apparent.

About as small as a laptop can be while retaining a decent keyboard, the P is 9.7" x 4.7" x 0.8" and weighs just 1.4 pounds. It has a high-definition 8" LED-backlit display, 2GB of RAM, 3G internet, WiFi and GPS. The base model has a 60GB hard drive, with optional SSD upgrades. That keyboard is nearly full-size, and in the chiclet style long used by Sony and Apple, recently adopted by cheaper brands.

It has a GoBi radio, which means in principle that it can get 3G data from both Evdo and HSDPA networks. In the U.S., however, it is exclusive to Verizon. U.S. units also lack the faster processors available in Europe and Japan (you can buy imports from Dynamism) but gain integrated GPS, a feature not found abroad.

It's a nice package, for sure, but it uses a slower version of Intel's Atom chip, the Z520, which leaves it huffing and puffing to keep up with cheaper alternatives like the HP Mini.

Battery life is also poor: you'll get a little over 2 hours on balanced settings. The long-life battery doubles that, but makes the P about a third of an inch thicker. Small type on the 200dpi display can be hard on the eyes. The track-nub is surprisingly good — there was simply no space for a trackpad — but some people find it irritating and difficult to use.

More disappointing was poor video and gaming performance, even accounting for the low specifications. This is almost certainly a software issue: Intel and Sony need to step up and provide better drivers for the P's GMA 500 video chip. While it looks gorgeous, the plastic finish is fingerprint-friendly and it doesn't feel very durable.

It's hard to talk about the Vaio P without talking about its ads. After announcing it at CES to the technology tribes, Sony turned its marketing attention to professional women, deploying a bizarre campaign centered around robot fashion mannequins who wandered Manhattan making geolocated Facebook updates.

At a party at the company's Madison Avenue flagship store, I got to observe the mannequins do their thing--stand very still, looking pretty, holding Vaio Ps out for the fashion press to nervously inspect.

It's art, and I kind of liked it, but it makes one wonder just how much it would have cost Sony to make sure OpenGL worked better.

Whoever Sony wants to sell it to, here's who I think will like it: portability junkies who find netbooks too cumbersome, but who still want a usable keyboard. If the idea of that appeals to you — and you're prepared to pay for it — go for it. If you're even slightly ambivalent, however, wait until Windows 7 is out so you can avoid the hours of tinkering that the Vaio P demands to get the most from it.

I has a 160GB hard drive, a webcam, gigabit ethernet and WiFi, and is sold with Windows XP. There are 5 USB ports and a memory card reader.

How, then, does it differ? Where the Eee is round, the X50 is square. And it has a handle.

Shuttle x50 [Slashgear]

Source : http://gadgets.boingboing.net/

Unlike Microsoft's silly but sort of understandable proscription against mice on home consoles, Sony doesn't mind letting gamers use a mouse on their lap. Swiss peripherals maker SplitFish has released a new model of their FragFX mouse, the V2, with offers "significant improvements", but is presented here primarily because it looks odd. It is eighty of your dollars.

When learning to write you put the pen between your thumb and finger. With a traditional mouse the ball is right in the middle of the mouse as that’s the only place it would fit. Since optical mice have been around they have also had their optical sensors right in the middle of the mouse. However, Elecom have made the M-SN1UL with a sensor out side of the mouse where if you were holding a pen, the tip would be. By doing this it means that your mouse gets the precision of holding a pen while moving it around. The optical sensor on the M-SN1UL is 1600dpi.

Will it actually work as described? or will it just seem the same as any other mouse? I expect the latter but if anyone has used one or will do in the future then let us know if it’s worth buying.

Via: EverythingUSB

Source: http://www.gadgetvenue.com

Heaven Media have also confirmed the attendance of eSports broadcasting company QuadV, in the form of Paul Chaloner, Stuart Saw, and Jason Atkins, who bring with them many years of experience in broadcasting, both online and to television networks around the world.

Source: http://ve3d.ign.com