Future Technology 2010 The year of technology invention milliongenerator HQ

Water Powered Cell Phones by 2010

Yet another cool invention from Samsung. After they did break many European and American markets, they plan to knock out those solar power fanatics, by using water as a power source. Yes, you heard right. They intend to make fuel cell batteries that can power anything you can use in your pocket (cell phone, radio, mp3, etc). In fact, it’s not an invention in the full sense of meaning. It’s merely an innovation, an effort to bring the fuel cell technology to the market.

The working principle is this: water reacts with a metal, produces hydrogen, hydrogen is fed to a fuel cell, which produces electricity. The power is impressive, it can make 3W of electricity! Your cellphone uses maximum 2W when it’s emitting your voice on air.

Now, I suspect that the precious secret metal is nothing else than aluminum, since aluminum+lye+water truly gets you hydrogen. I’ll try to make a simple fuel cell like those band aid ones to see if I can manage to get electricity at least to power a LED!

Samsung says that the project will be finished by 2010. They already have a working prototype, but they want to improve it and make it safe enough before releasing it to the energy-hungry market.

New inventions for 2010! (aka the future)

Confused? then let me explain. We’re currently in the future that as a child I looked forward to but it’s slightly more disappointing than I expected it to be, for instance the following things are missing:

• Flying Cars – car’s don’t really seem to have changed at all…
• Space Bases/Travel/Stuff – 50% of the stuff we send into space explodes :(
• Robots – OK we have a few things that can [vacuum your carpet], but nothing more really…

Nothing particularly outrageous, but still they’re all wrong :(

So here are my predictions for 2010 (the new future). They’re split into two categories:

• Concrete predictions – Stuff that totally will happen!
• Fluffy predictions – fluffy ideas that I can argue I got right – possibly contains humour

As a side note this idea has been totally scraped from the [last Lug Radio podcast] but now that it’s under a [Creative Commons License] it’s all good :D.

Fasten your seatbelts…

Concrete Predictions

• 1 Terabyte iPod – that’s a lot of songs kids
• Nuclear Fusion – putting stuff together can create at least as much energy as breaking it apart!
• Electric Cars – like the [Tesla] but I think that they’re going to become more common as better batteries are invented

Fluffy Predictions

• iPod connections on everything – most probably your microwave
• A generation of Adults with massive forearms from playing Wii too much in their childhood
• Linux kicking ass on the desktop – yeah yeah laugh it up, one day it will come true…
• Companies becoming more open – more open development, methods, what they’re thinking, what they’re planning etc
• Maybe a laboratory under the sea….maybe in another 10 or so years… :)

Come on then, what are your predictions for 2010?

Mobile GPS software: Nokia launches a free navigation service

In these days, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a good sense of orientation when you are driving. It is enough if you have one of those devices known as satellite navigators (aka automotive navigation systems or satnav) at hand.

But those gadgets are not cheap at all. Currently, the most inexpensive satellite navigator costs about $100, and the most sophisticated one costs about $400. Besides, if you need additional services such as traffic reports or suggestions about how to avoid traffic congestions, then you have to pay a monthly subscription.

However, all of this might change soon. Satellite navigation is moving more toward the mobile phones market. And now, Nokia has launched a free satnav service, which is called OVI Maps. This service does not even require an Internet connection in order to operate.

In sharp contrast with other similar services, the OVI Maps users won’t have to update the maps themselves or download several updates from Internet. Instead, Nokia stores those maps directly (and automatically) on mobile phones.

If you want to know more about this service, please click here

Hands On With the Apple iPad The iPad underwhelms in terms of hardware and software, but there’s a lot of potential for innovative content.

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Hardware: Awkward to handle

While the iPad is super slim at only a half-inch thick, I had some difficulty handling it. At 1.5 pounds, it is too heavy to hold in one hand, which is troublesome if you plan on using it as an e-reader. Other e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle 2 or the COOL-ER e-reader, are much lighter in hand and therefore make for a much more comfortable user experience. Using two hands is much more comfortable, but if you're reading a long novel, that could get quite tiresome.

Compared side-by-side, the iPad's 9.7-inch 1024-by-768-pixel LED-backlit display appeared dimmer than my iPhone 3G's (auto-brightness disabled, brightness set to maximum). Whites, in particular, looked much brighter on my iPhone. Apple had no comment, however, when I inquired about the difference. Although, one Apple spokesperson pointed out that a phone--which we expect to use outdoors as easily as indoors--might need to be brighter.

iPad OS: A giant iPhone interface

One of the biggest rumors leading up to the event was that iPhone OS 4.0 would be released in conjunction with the iPad. Instead, the iPad is running iPhone OS 3.2 (which has not been released for actual iPhones yet).

The lack of a fresh, new interface for the iPad is disappointing. There might be some incremental differences between versions 3.1 and 3.2, but to me on the surface, the iPad's interface looked exactly like a blown-up version of my iPhone 3GS'. And in my opinion, the OS doesn't translate very well from the much smaller iPhone 3G to the iPad. It's not so much about the touch aspect of the interface; in fact, navigating by touch is a huge benefit on this roomy screen, superior to, say, the joystick-based navigation of the comparably sized, non-touch Amazon Kindle DX screen. But images, icons, and text aren't as crisp as expected on the higher-resolution iPad. I found it much like watching standard definition video on an HDTV; Apple doesn't seem to have optimized the operating system's visuals for the iPad's display.

Because of the larger display, pretty much all of the native applications we're used to viewing on the iPhone look and function better on the iPad. Video playback, in particular, is stunning on the iPad, but we're disappointed by the lack of Flash support (though that exclusion wasn't exactly surprising, it remains a grievous omission).
As a photo viewer, the iPad shines. Photos looked superb on the iPad's display, and it uses all of the familiar multitouch gestures (flick, pinch to zoom) found on the iPhone's photo app. The iPad's photo application is much better than the iPhone's, too, with on-the-fly slideshow creation (complete with transitions) and different ways of viewing the images (including sorting by places, people, events, and a mini-thumbnail bar at the bottom of the screen to jump quickly to other photos in the album). Unfortunately, the sorting capabilities will only work if you're using iPhoto--which means that those of who use any number of alternative imaging applications for the PC or the Mac (the majority of potential iPad users) are left in the dark with regard to those features.

Touch keyboard disappoints

Like the rest of the OS, the touch keyboard is a larger version of the iPhone's. But unlike on the iPhone, the keyboard has no letter magnification when you press a key, and I found I missed this visual cue immensely. And unsurprisingly, it lacks haptic feedback (part of Android phones). You get no physical or visual feedback when you press a key and that's frustrating if you're trying to pound out a long e-mail. The experience, oddly, is akin to typing on the native Android OS' touch keyboard.

Apple will be offering a keyboard dock accessory, which gives you an actual physical keyboard to work with ($69). You can also place it in the iPad Case ($39), which allows you to angle it slightly. This feels much more comfortable than just laying the tablet flat and typing. Both of these items are sold separately, though.

iPhone apps don't fly on iPad

One of the big concerns among developers and users before the iPad's announcement was whether iPhone apps would work on the device. Thankfully, they do, but the experience isn't exactly ideal. You can either view an iPhone app as a small window or doubled to fill the display. I demoed the Assassin's Creed and Oregon Trail apps, and was put off by the obvious pixelation. Text in Facebook looked fuzzy, too.

Clearly, this an interim fix until actual apps are developed for the iPad. And I expect many app makers will create versions optimized for iPad. I see a lot of gaming potential for the iPad, but cool 3D graphics game like Assassins Creed just doesn't work on the iPad.

Luckily, the iPad isn't shipping for another 60 days, so hopefully more content will be developed by then. And who knows? Some of the issues I've noticed on this demo unit may be fixed by then.

Right now, I'm not sold on either the hardware or the software. But excellent, optimized content might change my opinion.

New Invention Ideas & Cool Gadgets

Exclusive Garia Luxury Golf Car

Golf is often associated with old men who have nothing better to do than fill their time, hitting a small ball across miles of land. But, the game is played by everyone, and a new company have catered for the hardcore golfer, willing to invest heavily into their pasttime. Golf can be relatively expensive at the best of times, with the correct clubs, correct bag, correct balls and a course membership. Well add on top of all that another $17,499 and you will also be able to afford this new...


Computer

Personal computers are now commonplace in most homes throughout the world, and are relied on heavily by both individuals and businesses. The invention of the computer is relatively new, emerging into our lives relatively late in the 20th century. The technology to build such intricate and sophisticated systems was simply not available prior to this, though advancements in microelectronics made the vision of a computer a realistic one. The two innovations in electronics which allowed for...

Norton Launches New 2010 Products with New Detection Technologies

With cybercrime a constant menace online, Norton's latest 2010 products has a new security model to combat the multitude of malware and phishing threats. Known as Quorum, this new method "tracks files and applications and dozens of their attributes such as their age, download source, digital signature, and prevalence. These attributes are then combined using complex algorithms to determine a reputation. As a file is distributed across the Internet and these attributes change, Quorum updates the reputation of the file. This reputation is especially important when a file is new, likely to be a threat, and traditional defenses are not likely to detect it."



HWM's editor, David Chieng had an opportunity to talk with Mr. David Hall, Regional Consumer Product Marketing Manager for Symantec Asia Pacific recently, with a HWM ViewPoint video as the result.

Norton Launches New 2010 Products with New Detection Technologies
Systems and Software | Just Announced
Fri 23 Oct 2009

With cybercrime a constant menace online, Norton's latest 2010 products has a new security model to combat the multitude of malware and phishing threats. Known as Quorum, this new method "tracks files and applications and dozens of their attributes such as their age, download source, digital signature, and prevalence. These attributes are then combined using complex algorithms to determine a reputation. As a file is distributed across the Internet and these attributes change, Quorum updates the reputation of the file. This reputation is especially important when a file is new, likely to be a threat, and traditional defenses are not likely to detect it."

HWM's editor, David Chieng had an opportunity to talk with Mr. David Hall, Regional Consumer Product Marketing Manager for Symantec Asia Pacific recently, with a HWM ViewPoint video as the result.

8 Mobile Technologies to Watch in 2009, 2010

Analyst firm Gartner has just released a report that highlights eight up-and-coming mobile technologies which they predict will impact the mobile industry over the course of the next two years. According to Nick Jones, vice president and analyst at the firm, the technologies they've identified will evolve quickly and will likely pose issues that will have to be addressed by short term strategies.

The eight technologies identified include the following:

Bluetooth 3.0

This is one of the no-brainers on the list. The bluetooth 3.0 specification will be released this year and devices will start to hit the shelves by 2010. At this point, it's expected that the 3.0 spec will include faster speeds, reportedly transferring files at 480 megabits per second in close proximity and 100 megabits per second at 10 meters. It will also feature an ultra-low-power mode that Gartner predicts will enable new peripherals, sensors, and applications, such as health monitoring. The technology will be backwards compatible, allowing old devices to communicate with new ones, so there's no reason for it not take off in the upcoming years

Mobile User Interfaces + Mobile Web/Widgets

Mobile user interfaces and mobile web/widgets were listed separately, accounting for two items on the list, but we think they can be lumped together. They all point to how mobile computing is rapidly becoming a new platform for everything from consumer mobile apps to B2E (business-to-employee) and B2C (business-to-customer). (Gartner did not include B2B on their list.) Modern day smartphones like the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, the upcoming Pre, and others deliver better interfaces for browsing the web, thus making it accessible to more people. Widget-like applications, including those that replicate thin client technology, will become more common especially in B2C strategies. Yet the mobile web still has challenges ahead. For example, there are no standards for browser access to handset services like the camera or GPS, the report notes.

Location Awareness

Location sensing, powered by GPS as well as Wi-Fi and triangulation, opens up new possibilities for mobile social networking and presence applications. Technology's earliest adopters are already familiar with social networks like Brightkite and Loopt which let you reveal your location to a network of friends. But we're still on the tip of this iceberg. Take for example, the iPhone IM client Palringo, they're just now adding location services to their application. This allows users to see how far away their contacts are, introducing a whole new dimension to mobile communication. Over the next year or two, this sort of technology is expected to become more commonplace, but it will also raise questions about privacy. Will you want your network of online friends and acquaintances to really know your exact location? Will turning off location awareness signal that you're up to something sneaky (so asks the suspicious wife, husband, boss, etc.)? As a society, we will have to answer these questions and more in the near future.

Near Field Communication (NFC)

NFC is a technology that provides a way for consumers to use their mobile phones for making payments, among other things. It's something that has taken off in many countries worldwide, but certainly not all, and definitely not in the United States just yet. Unfortunately, Gartner predicts that the move towards mobile payment systems will still not occur this year or the next in mature markets like the U.S. and Western Europe. Instead, NFC is more likely to take off in emerging markets. Other uses of the technology, such as the ability to transfer photos from phone to digital photo frames, will also remain elusive to more developed markets.

802.11n & Cellular Broadband

802.11n, a specification for wireless local area networks (WLANs), initially gave us pause. Although not ratified as an official standard yet, the technology is already commonplace. However, until it "goes gold" so to speak, it won't really infiltrate the mobile world. Even the ubiquitous iPhone only support 802.11 b/g at the moment.

On the flip side, the other internet connection technology, cellular broadband, has the potential to make Wi-Fi almost unnecessary, at least for achieving high speeds. In addition to mobile phones, laptop makers will likely continue to incorporate this technology into their netbooks and notebooks using modern chipsets that provide superior performance to our current crop of add-on cards and dongles.

Display Technologies

Display technologies will also see improvements in the upcoming years. New technologies like active pixel displays, passive displays and pico projectors will have an impact. Pico projectors - the tiny portable projectors we saw being introduced at this year's CES - will enable new mobile use cases. Instant presentations in informal settings could become more common when there isn't large, cumbersome equipment to set up. The different types of display technologies introduced in 2009 and 2010 will become important differentiators between devices and will impact user selection criterion, says Gartner.

Latest Invention: Washing Machine That Doesn't Need Water

British company Xeros looks forward to conquer the American market with its latest invention, a new washing system able to save a lot of water using nylon beads. The beads tumble wash clothes using 90 percent less water than traditional washers.

In addition, the company's latest invention, which is currently in the development stage, requires less detergent. Xeros claims that there would be no need for tumble drying and if the homes in the United States would switch to the new system, the emissions of carbon dioxide would be considerably reduced. The result would be as though 5 million vehicles have been removed from the road. The company also says that the new washing machine will save 1.2 billion tons of water each year, which equals 17 million swimming pools.

The washing machines does its job using small nylon beads that eliminate stains off clothes and lock them into the molecular structure of the nylon. The beads can be used for hundreds of washes and afterwards they can be easily recycled. The technology behind the new washing machine is the result of a research carried out at the University of Leeds. It has been used in a concept washing machine by the Cambridge Consultants.

After carrying out tests for over three years, Xeros, a spinout from the University, managed to achieve an agreement with Kansas City-based GreenEarth Cleaning, which intends to market Xeros' latest invention across North American continent in 2010.

Lockheed Martin IronClad PC-on-a-Stick secures Desktop and Data for Telecommuters

The IronClad shrinks a laptop' hard drive, including the entire operating system, software applications, and files, onto a fully encrypted flash drive - a PC-on a-stick that delivers hardware-level protection against today's most insidious malware threats

For most people the name Lockheed Martin relates to missiles, rockets, simulators, robotics, satellites, aircraft and advanced military systems but look up the company’s “about us” page on the global web site, and you’ll see that the 140,000 LM employees who bring in around US$43 billion in revenues each year, see themselves as working for a security company. Which might serve as some degree of confidence that the company’s new IronClad “PC on a stick” USB drive offers military-strength security for their out-of-office computing. The IronClad shrinks a laptop’s hard drive, including the entire operating system, software applications, and files, onto a fully encrypted flash drive - a “PC on a stick” that delivers hardware-level protection against today’s most insidious malware threats, and it costs way less than a Longbow helicopter, a Cassini satellite, Titan rocket or SR-71 Blackbird.

The IronClad™ is a totally secure “PC on a stick” which users on-the-go can plug into just about any computer or laptop in the world, and have instant, secure access to their own personal desktop and files.

The IronClad technology runs the operating system directly off of the flash drive, meaning the user’s files never touch the hard drive of the borrowed computer, and the device leaves no trace that it was ever there.

“Imagine leaving the office at the end of the day and, instead of slinging a laptop bag on your shoulder, you tuck a flash drive the size of a stick of gum in your pocket,” said Charles Croom, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Cyber Security Solutions. “With IronClad drives, employees who need to work at home or on travel, or field operatives who deploy around the country or around the globe, can carry not just their files but their entire computer on a three-inch USB drive. We’ve built a smart network around each drive, so IT managers have round-the-clock control of and visibility into the status and security of every device.”

Steve Ryan, senior vice president at IronKey said, “USB storage devices are rendered relatively useless without the proper authentication and security precautions in place. IronKey is a security company first and foremost, and IronClad drives leverage IronKey’s highly secure architecture design. We are very pleased to be working with Lockheed Martin to deliver this trusted, secure product with hardware-only password checking, secure virtual desktop and remote management capabilities.”

IronClad technology works by integrating advanced features at the hardware, software, and network levels: Rugged, Secure Hardware: Built on IronKey’s proven secure USB drives, each IronClad drive includes at least 8GB of 256-bit encrypted storage, wrapped in a rugged, water- and shock-resistant metal casing.

Patent-Pending Mobile Computing Software: Custom Lockheed Martin technology lets users run their entire desktop – from the operating system to specific applications and files – directly off of the USB drive. Built-in advanced virus protection lets users plug into any shared or public computer with confidence.

Network-Wide Management: Each IronClad drive is a node on a centrally-managed network that lets IT organizations control security policies, keep watch on each drive, and carefully manage the applications that can or cannot be installed on the drive.

Croom noted that IronClad technology is envisioned as a key component of an organization’s cyber security strategy. “Data at the ‘edge’ – carried by your mobile employees on laptops and smart phones – is significantly harder to physically protect than the data inside the walls of your building,” he said. “The enterprise management tools built into each IronClad drive make it significantly easier to monitor, control and manage your cyber security profile. We envision this system as a key component of any IT organization’s smart, layered cyber security architecture.” IronClad technology will be featured at the 13th Annual Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Kickoff Technology Policy Exhibition, on January 26, 2010.

IronClad drives and enterprise management software are available directly from Lockheed Martin and will soon be available via Lockheed Martin’s GSA schedule purchasing vehicle.

Extreme P55: Four LGA 1156 Motherboards Over $250

With better efficiency and more aggressive Intel Turbo Boost binning, LGA 1156-based processors could be the right choice for some high-end machines. We look at a few premium motherboards that make these builds possible. Do they best Intel's X58 platform?

Nothing But The Best?

What defines a high-end system? Many proclaimed enthusiasts have expressed to us that the LGA 1156 platform simply wouldn't be a suitable starting point for them, simply because it’s not designed to host a large number of high-bandwidth devices, such as graphics cards. And yet, most games don’t need more than a single Radeon HD 5970 to play at super-high settings. Moreover, not every high-end user wants to play games all day, and companies like EVGA and MSI have a workaround for those whose graphics desires exceed what Intel's mid-range platform was really designed to do.

Setting aside the debate over P55's suitability for hosting multiple graphics cards, a few key advantages that could put a shiny new LGA 1156-based processor into the hands of a high-end user include higher efficiency, higher stock performance via improved Intel Turbo Boost ratios, better overclocking, and reduced heat output for those who desire a quiet workstation build (there's a reason Intel came to market with its Xeon 3400-series CPUs, after all).

Today’s contenders for P55 supremacy run the gamut from a $250 gamer's board with advanced overclocking features to a $280 premium model with all the latest interfaces and a $340 product that supports a nearly insane number of up to six graphics cards. Our next page details the features that each motherboard boasts in an effort to overcome the mainstream market stigma associated with P55-based platforms.

Coming gadgets for home and work: Style, design, and accessories

Britney Spears and Paris Hilton decorate their mobile phones with Ed Hardy cases. Little swarovsky crystals are also used in order to customize some smartphones. And due to the successful market penetration of the iPhone, having one is not a sign of exclusivity anymore; so, many people want to transform them into a singular gadget by adding ornaments and accessories. For that reason, several design companies, which are dedicated to “highlight” computers and mobile phones, were prominent participants at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (CES 2010). In particular, besides the technology, the show also included other elements to decorate gadgets; for example: precious and semi-precious stones, remarkable color combinations, and some complex and daring tattoos. The price is a secondary thing, even if the accessories are more expensive than the devices (prices range from $40 for a decal to $1,500 to insert crystals or stones in a device). Although it could be excessive for some people, other people think it is worthwhile to be the center of attraction. Under this premise, some headphones (which previously were intended to have a tiny size in order to be hidden under the clothes) have bigger sizes (apparently, the bigger, the better). For example: The headphones included in the new iWave’s Crystal Clear Collection; they look very fashionable and are a good choice if you like to isolate yourself from the surrounding environment. Definitely, some good designs can take the gadgets to another level.

Google risks losing focus amid expansion

Moving to cut its reliance on search, the company is challenging Microsoft and Apple.

Computerworld - Google Inc. started the new year the same way it ended the old one -- trying to expand its business to lessen its dependence on its lucrative search offering.

This month's unveiling of the Google-branded and -designed Nexus One mobile phone, last summer's disclosure that the company is developing an operating system, and last September's release of the Google Wave collaboration tools pushed the company pretty far afield from its phenomenally successful search roots.

Analysts agree that Google must find new markets to at least maintain its growth rate, but they note that any path it takes is fraught with risk.

"The phone is a potentially a brilliant move," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group. "You've got to credit them with the guts to try this."

However, he added that Google must beware of losing its focus. "There is a risk here of Google losing its way, [but] there's risk with regard to everything," Enderle said. "If all of us avoided risk, we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning."

Those risks became evident after the Jan. 5 launch of Google's smartphone, when angry users flooded message boards with complaints about confusing support options.

"Customer support is a huge effort even for a company of Google's size, because they have never really had hardware support inside Google," said Ken Dulaney, an analyst at Gartner Inc. Added Will Stofega, an analyst at IDC, "It's almost inconceivable these problems weren't anticipated."

Stofega predicted that Google will overcome its Nexus One difficulties, which he said should serve as a lesson for company executives.

Just over 11 years ago, Google was launched as a search engine business and used its single offering to quickly grow into an online behemoth -- one of the great Internet success stories. Today, Google owns the search market, with a 64% share.

Three or four years ago, Google focused its first expansion efforts on adding popular features like Google Maps and Google Earth to its search tool. Then it brought out the hosted Google Apps cloud computing suite and the Android mobile operating system.

In recent months, Google has disclosed that it is developing a Linux-based online operating system and a browser that will challenge Microsoft Corp.'s Windows and Internet Explorer. The Nexus One targets popular devices like Apple Inc.'s iPhone and Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry.

"Underneath it all, Google doesn't think of itself as a search company, even though that's been their big success," said Enderle. "Ultimately, search isn't sustainable. Google search could become irrelevant. The market has a tendency to move, and one-trick ponies have a history of not surviving."

Analysts also said that taking on the top industry players' strongest businesses is risky, noting that Microsoft moved quickly to counter Google's attacks.

"These two companies really squared off this year," said Jim McGregor, an analyst at In-Stat. "For Google, it's about expanding, and for Microsoft, it's about a life-or-death challenge. This is going to be a prolonged activity."

Analysts wouldn't predict whether Google's moves into new businesses will succeed.

But Dan Olds, an analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group Inc., gave Google credit for trying to expand.

"In general, I think Google is pursuing the right strategies," said Olds. "However, at some point, these new lines of business will need to earn their own way. Right now, virtually every Google initiative is supported by the cash cow -- the search business and its advertising. The other businesses need, at some point, to earn their keep."

RCA Airnergy: World’s first realistic wireless charger

RCA Airnergy: World’s first realistic wireless charger

CES 2010 was a great festival that covered tons of new releases by numerous companies. Wireless devices have always been a center of attraction. At the festival, RCA showcased the world’s very first realistic Wireless Charger. RCA’s Airnergy is here to answer all questions pertaining to wireless charging technology.

The device features neo-technological circuitry that converts WiFi energy into electricity using air as the medium! The Airnergy utilizes a mini-USB port for connecting to other devices. During a test at the CES, Airnergy successfully charged a Blackberry from 30% to full in about 90 minutes harnessing the power from WiFi signals.

New ultra slim Panasonic DMC-FP3 has touchscreen and records HD videos

Available in three colors silver, black, and navy blue, the Lumix DMC-FP3 is a new slim camera on an additional diet. The 3” touchscreen LCD display (230k pixels) with touch focusing is another feature not often seen in cameras of its caliber (but will definitely soon be ver popular). Other specs also include a 14.1 Megapixel CCD, 4x optical zoom, image stabilization, face detection and best of all, our favourite – HD Video capability.

Latest Technology Innovations Introduced At 2010 Consumer Electronics Show

Latest Technology Innovations Introduced At 2010 Consumer Electronics Show

Photographers take photos of a 6.9 mm thick Infinia television by LG Electronics during a press event at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Venetian January 6, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology tradeshow, runs from January 7-10 and is expected to feature 2,500 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 110,000 attendees.

Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2010

Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2010

Gartner, Inc. analysts today highlighted the top 10 technologies and trends that will be strategic for most organizations in 2010. The analysts presented their findings during Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, being held here through October 22.

Gartner defines a strategic technology as one with the potential for significant impact on the enterprise in the next three years. Factors that denote significant impact include a high potential for disruption to IT or the business, the need for a major dollar investment, or the risk of being late to adopt.

These technologies impact the organization's long-term plans, programs and initiatives. They may be strategic because they have matured to broad market use or because they enable strategic advantage from early adoption.

“Companies should factor the top 10 technologies into their strategic planning process by asking key questions and making deliberate decisions about them during the next two years,” said David Cearley, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “However, this does not necessarily mean adoption and investment in all of the technologies. They should determine which technologies will help and transform their individual business initiatives.”

The top 10 strategic technologies for 2010 include:

Cloud Computing. Cloud computing is a style of computing that characterizes a model in which providers deliver a variety of IT-enabled capabilities to consumers. Cloud-based services can be exploited in a variety of ways to develop an application or a solution. Using cloud resources does not eliminate the costs of IT solutions, but does re-arrange some and reduce others. In addition, consuming cloud services enterprises will increasingly act as cloud providers and deliver application, information or business process services to customers and business partners.

Advanced Analytics. Optimization and simulation is using analytical tools and models to maximize business process and decision effectiveness by examining alternative outcomes and scenarios, before, during and after process implementation and execution. This can be viewed as a third step in supporting operational business decisions. Fixed rules and prepared policies gave way to more informed decisions powered by the right information delivered at the right time, whether through customer relationship management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) or other applications. The new step is to provide simulation, prediction, optimization and other analytics, not simply information, to empower even more decision flexibility at the time and place of every business process action. The new step looks into the future, predicting what can or will happen.

Client Computing. Virtualization is bringing new ways of packaging client computing applications and capabilities. As a result, the choice of a particular PC hardware platform, and eventually the OS platform, becomes less critical. Enterprises should proactively build a five to eight year strategic client computing roadmap outlining an approach to device standards, ownership and support; operating system and application selection, deployment and update; and management and security plans to manage diversity.

IT for Green. IT can enable many green initiatives. The use of IT, particularly among the white collar staff, can greatly enhance an enterprise’s green credentials. Common green initiatives include the use of e-documents, reducing travel and teleworking. IT can also provide the analytic tools that others in the enterprise may use to reduce energy consumption in the transportation of goods or other carbon management activities.

Reshaping the Data Center. In the past, design principles for data centers were simple: Figure out what you have, estimate growth for 15 to 20 years, then build to suit. Newly-built data centers often opened with huge areas of white floor space, fully powered and backed by a uninterruptible power supply (UPS), water-and air-cooled and mostly empty. However, costs are actually lower if enterprises adopt a pod-based approach to data center construction and expansion. If 9,000 square feet is expected to be needed during the life of a data center, then design the site to support it, but only build what’s needed for five to seven years. Cutting operating expenses, which are a nontrivial part of the overall IT spend for most clients, frees up money to apply to other projects or investments either in IT or in the business itself.

Social Computing. Workers do not want two distinct environments to support their work – one for their own work products (whether personal or group) and another for accessing “external” information. Enterprises must focus both on use of social software and social media in the enterprise and participation and integration with externally facing enterprise-sponsored and public communities. Do not ignore the role of the social profile to bring communities together.

Security – Activity Monitoring. Traditionally, security has focused on putting up a perimeter fence to keep others out, but it has evolved to monitoring activities and identifying patterns that would have been missed before. Information security professionals face the challenge of detecting malicious activity in a constant stream of discrete events that are usually associated with an authorized user and are generated from multiple network, system and application sources. At the same time, security departments are facing increasing demands for ever-greater log analysis and reporting to support audit requirements. A variety of complimentary (and sometimes overlapping) monitoring and analysis tools help enterprises better detect and investigate suspicious activity – often with real-time alerting or transaction intervention. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these tools, enterprises can better understand how to use them to defend the enterprise and meet audit requirements.

Flash Memory. Flash memory is not new, but it is moving up to a new tier in the storage echelon. Flash memory is a semiconductor memory device, familiar from its use in USB memory sticks and digital camera cards. It is much faster than rotating disk, but considerably more expensive, however this differential is shrinking. At the rate of price declines, the technology will enjoy more than a 100 percent compound annual growth rate during the new few years and become strategic in many IT areas including consumer devices, entertainment equipment and other embedded IT systems. In addition, it offers a new layer of the storage hierarchy in servers and client computers that has key advantages including space, heat, performance and ruggedness.

Virtualization for Availability. Virtualization has been on the list of top strategic technologies in previous years. It is on the list this year because Gartner emphases new elements such as live migration for availability that have longer term implications. Live migration is the movement of a running virtual machine (VM), while its operating system and other software continue to execute as if they remained on the original physical server. This takes place by replicating the state of physical memory between the source and destination VMs, then, at some instant in time, one instruction finishes execution on the source machine and the next instruction begins on the destination machine.

However, if replication of memory continues indefinitely, but execution of instructions remains on the source VM, and then the source VM fails the next instruction would now place on the destination machine. If the destination VM were to fail, just pick a new destination to start the indefinite migration, thus making very high availability possible.

The key value proposition is to displace a variety of separate mechanisms with a single “dial” that can be set to any level of availability from baseline to fault tolerance, all using a common mechanism and permitting the settings to be changed rapidly as needed. Expensive high-reliability hardware, with fail-over cluster software and perhaps even fault-tolerant hardware could be dispensed with, but still meet availability needs. This is key to cutting costs, lowering complexity, as well as increasing agility as needs shift.

Mobile Applications. By year-end 2010, 1.2 billion people will carry handsets capable of rich, mobile commerce providing a rich environment for the convergence of mobility and the Web. There are already many thousands of applications for platforms such as the Apple iPhone, in spite of the limited market and need for unique coding. It may take a newer version that is designed to flexibly operate on both full PC and miniature systems, but if the operating system interface and processor architecture were identical, that enabling factor would create a huge turn upwards in mobile application availability.

“This list should be used as a starting point and companies should adjust their list based on their industry, unique business needs and technology adoption mode,” said Carl Claunch, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “When determining what may be right for each company, the decision may not have anything to do with a particular technology. In other cases, it will be to continue investing in the technology at the current rate. In still other cases, the decision may be to test/pilot or more aggressively adopt/deploy the technology.”

Dell Studio XPS 8100 Powerful Desktop

Dell Studio XPS 8100 Powerful Desktop

Dell has rolled out its latest technology, the new Dell Studio XPS 8100 desktop PC which is said to replace the Studio XPS 8000. This powerful desktop pc is equipped with Intel’s latest processors the Core i5 or Core i7 which is clocked up to Core i7-870 2.93GHz. Aside from that beast-like specification it can also handle up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and up to 3TB of hard drive capacity. This latest technology is also packed with high quality dedicated ATI or NVIDIA graphics card for multimedia usage. Other features includes Blu-ray drive or DVD SuperMulti burner, an optional Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card, an optional WiFi, a 19-in-1 media card reader, a eSATA port, and a THX TruStudio PC to enhance music and movies. The Dell Studio XPS 8100 runs under Windows 7, and cost starts at $649.

Latest Technology Innovations Introduced At 2010 Consumer Electronics Show

Latest Technology Innovations Introduced At 2010 Consumer Electronics Show

LAS VEGAS - JANUARY 07: A general view of the Microsoft booth at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center January 7, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology tradeshow, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 2,500 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 110,000 attendees.

LG’s Latest Device: GT450 Android Smartphone

LG’s Latest Device: GT450 Android Smartphone

LG has unveiled its latest device, the new GT450 Android Smartphone. This handset will meet the needs of most people, specially with their social networking activities. The LG GT540 features a 320 x 480 pixel display with a 3.2 megapixel camera. You can store your files inside a microSD card that can be max out to 32 GB. Other features includes a Motion UI Player, which apparently offers a unique video playback experience using DivX and WMV format. As you’d expect from a Google Android Smartphone it’ll come with bunch of techie applications, including Google Search Gmail Google Maps, YouTube and Facebook. This latest device is expected to launch worldwide in April 2010, currently there is no word on possible pricing for the handset.

Free gadget giveaway: WD 1TB USB portable external hard drive

Its the first free gadget giveaway of 2010! We’re giving away a free Western Digital My Passport Essential SE USB 2.0 portable external hard drive with a massive capacity of 1TB (approx. 1,024GB)! If you were given a new laptop or desktop computer during Christmas but it doesn’t quite have the internal memory capacity you might have liked then this might be exactly what you need!

Retailing normally at $250, the WD 1TB USB portable external hard drive is a book like ultra portable device (dimensions of 8 x 12.6 x 1.5 cm and weighs only 182g) which means what whatever you store in it, music, videos, photos, you’ll be able to bring it with you wherever you go.
Here are some of its features…
You can pack up your office files and take them home with you thanks to the My Passport Essential SE from Western Digital! This glossy black hard drive has a huge capacityof 1 TB, yet it’s so compact and lightweight that you can pop iteasily into your pocket. You don’t need to use the mains to power upthe My Passport Essential SE just plug it into your computer’s USB port and you’re ready to transfer photos, videos and music files. The My Passport Essential SE is compatible with PC and Mac.
Automatic, continuous backup
New updates for SmartWare Software available from Western Digital
Password protection and 256-bit encryption, securing private or sensitive data
Retrieving lost data effortlessly
Adding extra storage space for photos, videos and music

Latest Gadgets: GlobalSat BU-353 WaterProof USB GPS Receiver

Latest Gadgets: GlobalSat BU-353 WaterProof USB GPS Receiver

Introducing a latest gadget, The new GlobalSat BU-353 Water-Proof USB Mouse GPS Receiver , is power-driven by SiRF Star III chipset is a new-generation GPS chipset that has enormously high sensitivity, low power usage and more speedy time-to-fix. Its working ability is the best in low visibility location or frail signal tracking such as travelling in big city that are surrounded by tall buildings. The size of this latest gadget is very small, and it is waterproof! This latest device can be applied to marine environments, aviation, and commercial use such as fire truck, cars, utility vehicles and buses.

Latest Gadgets: Leica X1 Digital Camera

Leica M9 has now released its latest version the new Leica X1. This new rangefinder camera is packed with excellent design and put on view characteristics which make this latest gadget unique from other digital cameras. It is designed by considering the ease and usefulness of the users.

Kensington Wall Ultra Compact Notebook Power Adapter

Another latest technology has been released, introducing the new Kensington Wall Ultra Compact Notebook Power Adapter. This power adapter has some neat features, one of its techie features is that it supports most types of notebooks, and it has additional adapters for mini and micro USB. Really cool isn’t? One more thing which is good with this gadget is that it is very compact in the sense that it only weighs 7.1 ounces with a dimensions of 4.5 x 2.2 x 0.8 inches.There are two models available, the $99 K38066US and the $119 K38067US, which also includes an adapter for use in suitably equipped airline seats.

CES: LG's N+ Multi Computing solution

CES: LG's N+ Multi Computing solution

LG has 31 flavors of users on noe system

(Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

LAS VEGAS-Ever had the desire to put 31 users on one PC? No? Not even a little? OK, well, I guess I'll just be leaving then...Oh, now you're interested once I start walking away? Typical human.

LG's N+ monitor technology supports up to 31 desktop LCD monitors on a single computer. The targeted applications being schools, offices, and call centers.

According to LG. these N+ monitors (model N224WA) can be installed in just a few minutes and can reduce the amount of maintenance and IT support needed for a typical office. Problem is, if that one PC dies, everyone loses work. So, everyone has kind of a symbiotic relationship with their colleagues using this set up.

The N224WA also offers USB ports for a keyboard and mouse and includes a 5ms response rate. Additionally, LG says "this system offers consumers straightforward management including easy software and hardware set up, and central control support."

CES: Samung's OLED photo frame

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My photo of a random gray wall never looked so good.

(Credit: Samsung)

LAS VEGAS-This week at CES, Samsung unveiled what they're calling the slimmest digital photo frame yet for for displaying "high quality' images, the Samsung 700Z Digital Photo Frame.

The frame has a foldable "L" stand design and an active matrix (AM) OLED panel. The device uses DLNA licensed technology to sync with other home and/or mobile photo and video devices.

Samsung claims the the 9x6x4.6-inch Samsung 700Z can also be used as a secondary home or office monitor by connecting it to a PC through a USB cable, up to a resolution of 1024x600. According to Samsung the frame can be viewed from a wide 180 degree angle as well.

Bluetooth allows users to share multimedia content across devices wirelessly, including uploading mobile photos and sharing pictures across multiple 700Z frames.

The Samsung 700Z has a suggested retail price of $300 and will be available in stores March 2010.

CES: Lenovo attempts multi touch tablet netbook-Ideapad S10-3t

CES: Lenovo attempts multi touch tablet netbook-Ideapad S10-3t

Dubbed the S10-3t, this latest tablet style netbook by Lenovo boasts capacitive touchscreen technology which the company claims is the first of its kind. What then makes the S10-3t special is that it would be able to recognise multitouch without the use of a stylus, in other words, the S10-3t will be equipped to do multitouch using just our fingers.

VoIP major IPEVO has come up with their latest product called as Tubular bluetooth speakers. Tubular receives its name from a special design of interlocking of its speakers. Both speakers can be locked together to form a tube shape. When you need to performe a live action, simply unlock them with a gentle twist. Relocking them takes a second. Line up the joining symbols together and give a gentle twist. This unique feature keeps both of the speakes together so you are not worried of searching one or the other.