Nokia Designs Phone that Detects Lightning

New patent aims to warn callers of impending lightning strikes

Finnish phone maker Nokia has applied for a U.S. patent on technology that will equip mobile handsets with the ability to detect lightning.
Lightning bolts typically produce radio waves in the frequency range of 10 Hz to 5 GHz. This often produces pops and crackles audible on AM/FM radio receivers and TV sets. Nokia plans to provide software in the phone to detect and analyze those signals, providing information to handset users on their proximity to approaching lightning strikes.
According to the patent application, the Nokia system would use two adjacent radio channels to detect the atmospheric disturbances, allowing the phone to provide its owner with as much as 10 minutes warning before a thunderstorm actually becomes visible at the user's location.
"There is a large population that would benefit from such a safety feature," the application states. "To some persons, it might provide only a nice-to-know everyday knowledge. To a considerable number of persons, however, storm and lightning originated threats have significant implications in the form of an increased risk, loss of property or even fatal consequences."
Nokia claims that an accurate lightning predictor would be particularly useful to people who spend a significant amount of time outdoors, allowing them "to take suitable safety measures in time, for instance seek shelter." Aviators would also be a valuable target market for the weather-enabled phones.

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Xbox Killed Baby, Lawsuit Claims

Bereaved parents blame Microsoft, Wal-Mart for a deadly house fire that claimed an infant's life

An Illinois lawsuit alleges that Microsoft and mega-retailer Wal-Mart are at fault for a fire sparked by a faulty Xbox 360 power cord. The suit was filed in December 2006 by the family of Wade Kline, a baby who perished in the accident.
The case came to light this week when Wal-Mart filed a motion to move the proceedings from a state court to a federal jurisdiction. Along with Microsoft and Wal-Mart, an unnamed power-supply maker is also named as a codefendant. The Kline family is seeking $50,000 in damages for the fire that destroyed their Warsaw, Ill., home.
The lawsuit alleges an overheated electrical supply line for an Xbox 360 sparked the blaze, according to an article in InformationWeek, however the suit claims the fire occurred in late 2004. The magazine concludes that the product involved must have been a first-generation Xbox (not Xbox 360) unit.
Microsoft recalled 14 million Xbox power cords because of potential fire hazards in February 2005, about two months after the Warsaw fire occurred.
In a statement released by Microsoft, the company expressed sympathy for the family, "However, we are not aware of any evidence that an Xbox caused the fire."

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Halo 2 Vista Delayed Due to Nude Content

Master Chief spills hot coffee on self; needs extra time to recover

For those of you who have been waiting for the PC version of Halo 2, looks like you will have to wait a little longer – that is, if you’re able to tear yourself away from the Xbox 360 Halo 3 beta. Microsoft has once again pushed back the release date for the Windows Vista edition of Halo 2 to May 31.Halo 2 Vista was originally set for release on May 8, but Microsoft decided to push it back in order to make some important improvements to the install experience and to touch upon other technical issues. "Halo 2 for Windows Vista did not release to retailers on May 22, as previously announced, and will now ship from manufacturers on May 31," a Microsoft representative said. "Shadowrun will be the first game to debut the highly anticipated Games for Windows Live system on May 29. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers."
Interestingly enough, reports are now surfacing that nudity is the cause for Halo 2 PC release. In an email statement received by Next-Generation, Microsoft said, “It has come to our attention that an unfortunate, obscure content error which includes partial nudity was included in our initial production of “Halo 2” for Windows Vista. As such, we have updated the initial game packaging at retailers with a label, so customers are aware before purchasing the game. Additionally, we’ve developed an online update which can be downloaded from www.halo2.com to remove the content. At Microsoft we take the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) guidelines very seriously and hold ourselves to high standards, with our customers always in mind.”
While Microsoft is officially calling it a delay, some stores have already received shipments and are selling copies. Stores such as Circuit City and other retail chain websites list the PC shooter as currently shipping and available for in-store pickup.

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Transformers Movie

The Earth is caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between two races of robots, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, which are able to change into a variety of objects, including cars, trucks, planes and other technological creations.

http://www.transformersmovie.com/

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Heartbeat Indicator Mouse

"Heartbeat Indicator" is not only a mouse, but also is an indicator for user's health when the user are using it while they are working. When the user grasps it, his or her thumb and palm will touch on its sensors which are inside the mouse and it starts to detect the user's health situation. For the users who needs special care about their health situation, it will send the information to hospital or their caregivers cell phones through the network by PC on a regular time schedule. Moreover, it will remind the users how long they have worked. Designer: Kwok Lau

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Glo-Go Bikini Top and Skirt Shed Light on the Subject

Nobody noticing you there, girl? Put on this Glow-Go bikini top and skirt, and be the center of attention until your batteries run down after about 10 hours. They're part of the GloFur collection by designer David Lee, who won't really say how they work but we suspect it has something to do with a bunch of wires and LEDs.
This little bra will cost you $78, while the matching skirt goes for $124. Check out the gallery below and you'll see there's a variety of electronic clothing with which to decorate your already-appealing female parts. After the jump, check out an almost not-safe-for-work video of these illuminating garments in action.

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HP Wins $5.6 Billion NASA Contract

HP to provide U.S. federal agencies with IT

NASA awarded Hewlett-Packard a seven-year, $5.6 billion contract to provide the agency a wide range of new technologies. HP products offered by the indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, also called the "NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) IV Class 5," will include workstations, desktops, blade PCs capable of handling Linux and Unix, servers and printers, along with other pieces of hardware.
Under the SEWP IV, federal agencies will be able to acquire technology solutions at low prices – guaranteed at or below U.S. General Services Administration schedule prices – with low 0.6 percent surcharges, capped at $18,000 for orders more than $3 million.
The entire federal government and its authorized prime contractors can purchase HP technology through SEWP IV. In addition, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has made NASA SEWP IV its mandatory contract for the acquisition of technology.
“As the federal government looks to maximize investments, reduce costs and increase efficiencies, it needs a technology partner that delivers products and complete solutions that operate seamlessly in complex IT environments,” said Jack Novia, managing director and senior vice president, Technology Solutions Group – Americas, HP. “With this NASA SEWP IV contract, HP is pleased to extend our partnership with federal government agencies and help them accomplish their mission goals.”
HP delivered more than $620 million worth of products and services to federal government agencies from 1992-2007 through the previous NASA SEWP II and SEWP III contracts.

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Intel Goes Lead-Free for 45nm, Again

Intel is taking the next step in environmentally friendly products

Intel Corporation announced on Tuesday that the future of its microprocessors will be lead-free and environmentally friendly. This follows a big tech industry shift towards products that are more environmentally friendly. The shift will begin with its line of "green" 45-nanometer high-k metal gate (Hi-k) processors, which includes the next-generation Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad and Xeon processors.Lead is mainly used in a variety of micro-electric "packages" and "bumps" that attach the Intel chip to "packages", which are then wrapped around the chip and used to connect it to the motherboard. Package designs include pin grid array, ball grid array, and land grid array, and will all be 100 percent lead-free.With the introduction of 65nm Yonah, Chipworks -- a company that reverse engineers chip packaging -- discovered that Intel silently transitioned from lead-tin solder-ball interconnects to plated copper pillars. Since then, all 65nm Intel processors no longer use lead for interconnects."Intel is taking an aggressive stance toward environmental sustainability, from the elimination of lead and a focus on greater energy efficiency of our products to fewer air emissions and more water and materials recycling," said Nasser Grayeli, Intel vice president and director of assembly test technology development, Technology and Manufacturing Group.Lead, which can cause neurological damage in humans if ingested, was used in electronics for decades due to its electrical and mechanical properties. Intel produced its first lead-free flash memory product in 2002, and began shipping products with 95 percent less lead than previous chips in 2004. The remaining 5 percent was replaced by a tin/silver/copper alloy in the first-level interconnect, the solder joint that connects the silicon die to the package substrate.In February 2003, the European Union adopted the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive. The directive mandated that all electronics sold must be near lead-free by June 2006. Special clauses protected microprocessors from utilizing some lead in their design, but AMD and Intel both opted to go lead free before the call to action date anyway.Production on the Intel lead-free 45 nanometer high-k processors, codenamed Penryn, will begin in the second half of this year.

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iPhone: AT&T Exclusive for Five Years

AT&T hopes for iPhone to be synonymous with the company in five year exclusive
Apple’s iPhone is arguably this year’s most hotly anticipated consumer devices. AT&T already accelerated its plans to rebrand the Cingular properties in preparation of the iPhone’s arrival – and apparently, its efforts may be well placed as the iPhone could be an AT&T-exclusive for five years, according to a USA Today story.
Being an AT&T-exclusive means that the iPhone will remain a GSM phone, leaving it clearly out of reach for CDMA wireless users. Verizon Wireless and Sprint are both CDMA shops, and customers of those carriers who wish to get the iPhone will have no other choice but to make the move to AT&T.
T-Mobile is another GSM carrier in the U.S., and its network would likely be able to support the iPhone’s calling features, but the AT&T will be the only company authorized to officially sell and market the iPhone. Furthermore, all iPhone’s sold through AT&T will be ‘locked’ to the network, disallowing those phones to connect to another carrier even with a different SIM card.
"I'm glad we have (the iPhone) in our bag," says Stan Sigman, CEO of wireless at AT&T. "Others will try to match it, but for a period of time, they're going to be playing catch-up."
According to data collected by Forrester Research, about 78 percent of U.S. households have a mobile phone. Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester, believes anybody who wants a cell phone has one. The other 22 percent without cell phones, he says, "are the very young, the very old and the economically challenged" – none of which are target markets for the iPhone.

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NASA Rover Discovers New Evidence of Water on Mars

Findings collected by the Mars rover Spirit gets scientists excited for what other secrets the Red Planet may hideScientists have conducted a lot of research to discover signs of water and possible life on Mars. A recent discovery by a NASA rover has created excitement in the scientific community: the Mars rover Spirit collected soil samples that makes scientists strongly believe Mars was once wet. The rover found some Martian soil with high levels of silica, which needs water to crystalize. Basic chemical analysis on the soil revealed the soil composition contained up to 90 percent silica. This soil, located in Gusev Crater, is the strongest evidence that water, at some point in the planet's history, existed.Scientists are unsure how the silica deposit in the crater originally formed. The most likely theory is that soil mixed with acid vapors, created by volcanic activity, along with a strong presence of water. Another popular idea is that the silica was created from water from a hot spring.Spirit's discovery "reinforces the fact that significant amounts of water were present in Mars' past, which continues to spur the hope that we can show that Mars was once habitable and possibly supported life," said Doug McCuistion, NASA Mars exploration program director.Oddly enough, the silica discovery happened due to a Spirit mechanical problem. The bright patches of silica-rich soil were discovered when one of the rover's wheels dragged through the topsoil, revealing the bright colored silica-soil underneath.Scientists are anxious to continue their research to discover what else is on the Red Planet. Research indicates ice under the Martian surface varies in depth from location to location.Late last year, NASA researchers used the Mars Global Surveyor to discover water flowed recently on the Red Planet.

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Blizzard Officially Reveals StarCraft II

Classic RTS gameplay to be revitalized with StarCraft II, coming to PC and Mac

After months of speculation on what Blizzard’s next big title will be, it was revealed today at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in South Korea that StarCraft would indeed be getting a sequel. StarCraft II was announced in front of thousands of attendees at the special event, who received a presentation that included a StarCraft II cinematic trailer and a gameplay demonstration by the development team.
Rather than go down the massively multiplayer route that Blizzard’s fantasy world has gone, StarCraft II is designed to follow in the footsteps of the original – to be the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game. In addition to the requisite online play through Battle.net, StarCraft II will include a single-player campaign. In addition, the game will come with the same map editing tools used by Blizzard’s designers so users can create new maps.
StarCraft II will feature the return of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races, overhauled and re-imagined with several new units and new game play mechanics. The single-player campaign is to pick up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, though Blizzard was tight-lipped on revealing any part of the new story.
While Blizzard has created a 3D engine system for Warcraft III, and to an even greater extent for World of Warcraft, the developer says that StarCraft II will feature a custom 3D graphics and physics engine with the ability to handle “several large, highly detailed units and massive armies on-screen simultaneously.”
“With StarCraft II, we’ll be able to do everything we wanted to do with the original StarCraft and more,” stated Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We recognize that expectations are high following the long-running popularity of the original game, but we plan to meet those expectations and deliver an engaging, action-packed, competitive experience that StarCraft players and strategy gamers worldwide will enjoy.”
No release date came with the announcement, but Blizzard did confirm StarCraft II will simultaneously release on Windows and Macintosh PC platforms. Despite recent successful efforts by other RTS franchises to move to home consoles, Blizzard says it has “no current plans to bring the game to any console platform.” Further information about the game, including details on the single-player, multiplayer, map-editor features and system requirements will be announced in the months ahead. Screenshots, trailers and other media can be found on the official StarCraft II website.
Although Blizzard is a U.S.-based game developer, the StarCraft franchise is unquestionably the most popular amongst gamers in South Korea – a likely reason for the location of the announcement. According to the Korea Times, nearly 4 million copies of the original StarCraft have been sold in Korea alone since its debut in 1998, making up about 42 percent of its global sales of 9.5 million copies.

Reference: Marcus Yam,dailytech

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Avis Debuts In-Car Wi-Fi

Mobile units turn rent-a-cars into rolling hot spots

Avis Rent A Car System has made good on its January 2007 promise to offer mobile Wi-Fi Internet access in its vehicles.
The rental car agency has launched the service this week for renters at San Francisco International Airport, with plans to roll out the service in San Jose, Calif., Los Angeles and Newark, N.J., during the coming weeks.
The mobile devices rent for $10.95 per day, and can be used in or out of the car. Manufacturer Autonet Mobile states that its namesake device allows users to remain connected anywhere, whether in the car, at a business meeting or in a hotel room. The portable devices can be powered via the car's cigarette lighter or plugged into a wall outlet.
Autonet Mobile's in-car Wi-Fi router uses the company's patent-pending TRU technology to perform session, link and content management on the network, minimizing network disconnects while the user is in motion. The company claims its technology offers "a seamless, secure connection whether you’re driving through tunnels, over bridges or even between cities."
Internet access is provided via both 3G and 2.5G (EVDO, 1xRTT) cellular data networks
Avis expects to announce availability of the devices in several more U.S. markets during the third quarter, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, San Diego and Seattle.

Reference:Steve Kovsky ,dailytech

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China to Launch Lunar Satellite in September

The Chinese space program plans on launching a lunar satellite later this year

The ambitious Chinese space program plans to launch the Chang'e 1 orbiter in September -- the first of three steps towards having moon samples brought back to Earth. Assuming the Chang'e 1 is able to successfully orbit the moon, it will then be sent on a mission to land on one of several designated zones of the lunar surface. Officials hope Chang'e will send 3D images of the moon's surface back to Earth, along with studying lunar microwaves and estimating the thickness of soil on the moon's surface.Phase one of the mission is to launch the probe to orbit the moon, which will take place later this year; phase two is to land on the lunar surface to take samples of the lunar surface; in phase three, another orbiter will land and take lunar and soil samples before heading back to Earth.The moon rover mission would be launched in 2012, assuming everything else goes according to plan."The moon probe project is the third milestone in China's space technology after satellite and manned spacecraft projects, and a first step for us in exploring deep space," said Sun Laiyan, Chinese space agency chief.China first announced plans for the lunar orbiter last year. The space program is still interested in manned space missions, including a possible space walk in the future.In 2003, China became the third country, behind the United States and former Soviet Union, to successfully put a human in space on the nation's own rocket. The country plans on conducting a space walk by 2008. China's developing space capability grabbed headlines in January after the country destroyed an ageing satellite by hitting it with a missile which was launched from Earth.

Reference:Michael Hoffman,dailytech

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IBM Unleashes 4.7 GHz POWER6 Microprocessor

IBM claims to be launched the world's fastest chip for UNIX servers

IBM just launched the dual-core 64-bit POWER6 processor running at 4.7 GHz, which doubles the speed of the previous generation POWER5 while using nearly the same amount of electricity to run and cool it.
The POWER6 processor is a result of a five-year R&D period, is composed of 790 million transistors and is built using IBM’s 65nm process technology. IBM scientists targeted the way instructions are executed inside the chip to improve performance. For example, in the POWER6, the number of pipeline stages – the chunks of operations that must be completed in a single cycle of clock time – are kept static, but each stage is made faster, removing unnecessary work and doing more in parallel. As a result, execution time is reduced.
Earlier this year, IBM hinted that its new POWER6 architecture may hit frequencies higher than 5 GHz.
The POWER6 chip has a total cache size of 8 MB per chip – four times the POWER5 chip – to keep pace with the processor bandwidth. With 300 GB/s on tap, IBM boasts that its processor has so much bandwidth that the POWER6 chip could download the entire iTunes catalog in about 60 seconds. IBM believes that it has designed the POWER6 chip with a balanced amount of bandwidth and processing power.
“Like the victory of IBM’s Deep Blue chess-playing supercomputer 10 years ago this month, the debut of POWER6 processor-based systems proves that relentless innovation brings ‘impossible’ goals within reach,” said Bill Zeitler, senior vice president, IBM Systems and Technology Group. “The POWER6 processor forges blazing performance and energy conservation technologies into a single piece of silicon, driving unprecedented business value for our customers.”
To facilitate the lower energy demands of the new chip, the POWER6 designers separated circuits that can’t support low voltage operation onto their own power supply “rails,” allowing IBM to dramatically reduce power for the rest of the chip. IBM engineers also used new method of chip design that enables POWER6 to operate at low voltages, allowing the same chip to be used in low power blade environments as well as large, high-performance symmetric multiprocessing machines.
In another design to reduce energy consumption and heat production, processor clocks can be dynamically turned off when there is no useful work to be done and turned back on when there are instructions to be executed. Also, the chip has configurable bandwidth, enabling customers to choose maximum performance or minimal cost.
Parts of the memory not being utilized is dynamically turned off and then turned back on when needed. In cases where an over-temperature condition is detected, the POWER6 chip can reduce the rate of instruction execution to remain within an acceptable, user-defined temperature envelope.
The chip is fast too, as a server built by IBM using the POWER6 architecture is the first ever to hold all four major benchmark speed records for business and technical performance. IBM says that its new 2- to 16-core server is multiple times faster than the HP Superdome or Itanium machines.
The POWER6 chip is also aimed as being a midrange consolidation machine, containing special hardware and software that allows it to create many virtual servers on a single box. IBM calculates that 30 SunFire v890s can be consolidated into a single rack of the new IBM machine, saving more than $100,000 per year on energy costs.
IBM plans to introduce the POWER6 chip throughout the System p and System i server lines. The POWER6 chip in the new IBM System p 570 server is the first UNIX microprocessor able to calculate decimal floating point arithmetic in hardware. Until now, calculations involving decimal numbers with floating decimal points were done using software. The built-in decimal floating point capability gives tremendous advantage to enterprises running complex tax, financial and ERP programs.

Reference:Marcus Yam ,dailytech

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80GB PlayStation 3 Bound for South Korea

The roomiest PS3 yet will hit Korea on June 16

Unlike the Xbox 360, the 2.5-inch hard disk drive inside the PlayStation 3 can be upgraded by the user at any time. Sony’s Korean division appears to be well aware of this, and according to official information posted on the PlayStation Korea website, the territory will be getting an 80GB hard drive inside the machine when it launches June 16. Neither the 20 GB nor the 60 GB PS3 consoles will be available in South Korea.
Rumblings of this first came in March when Sony filed with the FCC papers describing a PlayStation 3 with an 80 GB hard drive inside. Sony did not confirm nor deny the plans for an 80 GB unit at that time, saying only, “As mentioned when we made the product announcement for PS3, the system will have different configurations (thus, 60GB HDD with memory card slots and Wi-Fi and 20GB HDD without memory card slots or Wi-Fi both exist). Application to the FCC has been made with various possibilities in mind, however, it does not lead to a new product announcement at this time.”
Aside from the 80 GB hard drive, the hardware of the Korea-bound PS3 is identical the European model – which also means software-based, instead of hardware-based, backwards compatibility. A spokesperson for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe told GamesIndustry, “The chassis of the 80GB Korean PlayStation 3 is identical to the chassis of the European version. The only exception is the larger hard drive.” The spokesman continued adding that “At this moment in time, there are no plans to introduce the 80GB version of PlayStation 3 in Europe.”
Sony Computer Entertainment America has yet to provide comment on the 80 GB PlayStation 3 announcement.

Reference:Marcus Yam,dailytech

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BYB Balance Cell Phone

Balance is an authentic luxury-smartphone. Up to now, these two categories (luxury and smart) have diverged, and few well-executed alternatives exist. The choice of material (titanium and stainless steel) and its mechanism (a shell-slide solution) impart exclusivity to the phone, while its features satisfy the most exigent business and multimedia requirements. The 45 x 73.5 x 10.25 mm concept combines the advantages of shell- and slider phones; when placed inside a pocket, the phone’s two inner touch-sensitive screens are protected, its storage therefore requiring no special attention. Flipped over, however, the advantages of the slider can be fully made use of, while in desk stand mode, the phone can be used as a clock or a digital photo frame, without the aid of a separate stand. The phone can be operated in multiple ways, either via the touchscreen displays (main - 2.8 inch , 400 x 240 pixel, 262K TFT), or with the help of the buttons located around them. Furthermore, the MindPad - first introduced on account of the BYB MulTicket – allows the user to draw characters and symbols using simply his/her finger, which are then interpreted by the device, thus allowing for rapid and simple input. The backside touts a 5.1 megapixel camera equipped with auto focus, 2x optical zoom, QuadLED assist light, concealed by an active optical safer. The phone is GSM/3G/HSDPA compatible, with WiFi, BT 2.0 and GPS connectivity. Furthermore, it is equipped with a 3.5 mm and a MiniUSB port, and its 512 MB internal memory can be expanded with the help of a MicroSD card.

Designer: Bence Bogar [ Product Page ]

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Electronic Go (Chinese Chess) Board

Simulate playing Go (a strategic board game for two players) wherever whenever with a touch of technology. The styling uses the traditional calligraphy and painting of the open-book system and the OLED board can be rolled up like a scroll and conveniently transported. Endless entertainment.

Designer: Tommy Chen

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Keychain Pocket Watch

Keys are central to moving and arriving. Whether for your car, motorcycle, house or office, keys are inseparably linked to getting somewhere on time, so the ISI Pocket Watch unites a keychain with an unpretentious digital timepiece. Its cube form is both appealing and functional, and by simply pulling the cord, it displays the time even in total darkness. The digital display is housed in a semitransparent cube measuring 20mm square and the time is only visible when the cord is gently pulled. A separate turned aluminum holder houses two button cell batteries to power the clock.

Designer: Francisco Cubides

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Tedious Rubik’s Cube MP3 Player Concept

Several companies have spent the past 6 or 7 years improving and streamlining the interfaces of MP3 players with touch sensitive wheels, strips and screens so maybe it’s time to start heading in the other direction.
This concept MP3 player by designer Hee Yong is based on the popular Rubik’s Cube puzzle and requires a bit of thinking to operate. To turn it on you simply need to start playing with the cube and each layer has a different function like play, pause or skip. I assume you need to properly align certain columns or rows to get it to do what you want and of course the only way to turn the player off is to complete the puzzle.
Somehow I don’t think they need to rush out and patent their design.

By Andrew Liszewski

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AMD "Puma" Mobile Platform Details Unveiled

AMD prepares to take on Centrino with more power saving features

AMD is preparing to take on Intel’s Centrino, current Santa Rosa and upcoming Montevina, platforms with the next-generation Puma mobile platform. At the heart of Puma is AMD’s next-generation Griffin-core 65nm mobile processor, ready to take on Intel’s Core 2 Duo with a power saving vengeance. Griffin is a dual-core mobile processor geared towards enhanced performance without sacrificing battery life. AMD’s Griffin features extensive power saving characteristics, more so than its upcoming Barcelona-family, such as an improved split power plane. The split power plane supported by Griffin allows the memory controller and each processor core to operate with independent voltages. Griffin’s DDR2 memory controller also features an improved DRAM pre-fetcher and enhancements in efficiency. With the split power planes, the memory controller’s power plane operates at a lower voltage than the two CPU cores. AMD's Technical Director Sales and Marketing, Giuseppe Amato, hinted that independent core voltage would be an upcoming announcement on Griffin earlier this year. The upcoming AMD Barcelona features split power planes for the processor cores and memory controller. Griffin one-ups Barcelona by allowing each processor core to have its own voltage plane, allowing each core to operate with different frequencies and voltages. The system can theoretically disable one core to conserve power with split voltage planes, for minimal idle power consumption.Griffin also supports HyperTransport 3.0 with enhanced power management features. HyperTransport 3.0 allows Griffin to scale the link widths on demand to reduce power consumption. Griffin can also disconnect HyperTransport when it is not needed, even when the processor cores are executing instructions. AMD’s upcoming 780G will join Griffin to form the Puma platform. Again, Amato detailed much of this platform earlier this year as an AMD780-based solution.The AMD 780G delivers DirectX 10 graphics with the Universal Video Decoder, or UVD, for hardware accelerated Blu-ray and HD DVD high-definition video playback. Multiple display output capabilities are supported with the AMD 780G including DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort. The chipset also supports HyperTransport 3.0 and PCI Express 2.0.New to the AMD 780G is AMD’s PowerXPress technology that allows the system to switch between integrated and external PCIe 2.0 graphics dynamically without restarting Windows. The technology promises “the best of both worlds” by enabling the integrated graphics core when the notebook is running on battery power and automatically switching to the higher performing external graphics while plugged in.Other notable features of the AMD 780G include support for HyperFlash via upcoming SB700 south bridge. HyperFlash is similar to Intel’s Turbo Memory technology and allows notebook manufacturers to attach flash memory to the south bridge for enhanced performance.Expect Puma to succeed Trevally in 2008.

Reference:Anh Huynh,dailytech

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Samsung, LG Philips Showcase More AMOLED Displays

Samsung and LG announce new active matrix organic light emitting diode displays

Samsung SDI and LG Philips LCD separately announced new active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays. LG Philips announced the development of the world's first full-color, flexible AMOLED that uses amorphous silicon (a-Si) technology, while Samsung announced the mass production of its new ultra-thin displays.The Samsung AMOLED display touts a 2.2-inch screen at a 320x240 resolution, 262, 000 color reproduction, a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, with a 100% NTSC color gamut, and a life span of around 50,000 hours when set at 200cd/m2 brightness. The display also has a thickness of 0.52-mm.While the LG Philips display holds the same resolution as the Samsung model, this model can reproduce 16.77 million colors. This 4-inch display stands at a thickness of 150-nm, barely thicker than a human hair. Its durability and protection against heat is due to a stainless metal foil substrate, improving the manufacturing process and product stability.“This display capitalizes on the strengths of OLED technology and its image quality is really something to behold,” said Hyunhe Ha, executive vice president and the head of the Small & Medium Displays Business Unit at LG.Philips LCD. “Although we are still in the initial stages with this technology, we expect to make some exciting advances in the near future. LG.Philips LCD is focused on customer-centered technology development to introduce products that customers want.” Using the a-Si backplane technology, LG is allows to use its existing TFT-LCD production line for the AMOLEDs, making the product commercially viable. Samsung is starting mass production on its displays, and LG will be showing its display at the Society for Information Display (SID) 2007 in Long Beach, California on May 20th.

Reference:Nirav Sanghani,dailytech

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Dell to Release Tablet PC in Q3

Dell on Tablet PCs: "We're coming!"

Dell has been sitting on the sidelines as companies like Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Gateway and Lenovo have embraced the Tablet PC form-factor. Dell will no longer sit on the bench and instead will get into the game the latter half of 2007.
The company posted a short minute-long video on its Direct2Dell blog site which discusses its new Latitude XT Tablet PC. The Latitude XT will be marketed at the education, medical and corporate sectors according to Dell's Jeff Clark.
Clark notes that the device will be one of the lightest Tablets in its class and will feature advances in the touch-screen interface to make it more practical to use. The prototype that Clark showed off in the video features a 12.1" widescreen display running Windows Vista. All of the usual connectivity options are there including Bluetooth and WiFi along with a fingerprint scanner.
Thankfully, the Latitude will be based on Intel's Santa Rosa-based Centrino Pro platform. That means that the tablet will feature support for 802.11n and Intel Turbo Memory along with improved X3100 integrated graphics.

Reference:Brandon Hill,dailytech

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Honda's 68MPG FCX Fuel-Cell Sedan to See Limited Service in '08

Honda promises limited consumer trials of its FCX in Japan and the United States along with a new sub $25k hybrid

Honda's hydrogen fuel-cell based FCX prototype has been making the rounds on the auto show circuit for quite some time now. Honda is looking to trade-in the bright lights and show floor turntable for bumper-to-bumper traffic and left lane hogs with a production version of the four-door sedan.
Honda won't say just how many of the vehicles they will make available to John Q. Public, but there are only 20 current-generation Honda fuel-cell prototypes traveling America’s roads. Most are being used by government fleets, while just two are in the hands of actual consumers who lease them for $500 USD per month.
"The consumer focus is where we need to put more attention," stated Steve Ellis, a fuel-cell marketing manager for Honda. "We started with fleets, added a few consumers, now we're going to swing the pendulum."
Honda's FCX prototype uses a 95kW (127HP) electric motor which is powered by a 100kW Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEFC), 171 liter hydrogen fuel tank and a bank of lithium-ion batteries. When working together, the powertrain is able to power the FCX up to a top speed of 100MPH. The FCX also has an estimated 68MPG and a range of 270 miles. Motor Trend pegged 0-60 acceleration at 9.0 seconds -- roughly that of a current-generation Honda Civic with a 140HP 1.8 liter internal combustion engine (ICE).
In other Honda news, the Japanese company is also looking to introduce another hybrid car in the sub-$25,000 price range. The vehicle will feature "unique styling" in the same vein as Toyota's Prius. Honda admits that sales of its Civic Hybrid have lagged behind those of the Toyota Prius mainly due to its more pedestrian looks that don't set it apart enough from garden-variety ICE Civics (save for the whacky wheels).
Honda sold just 31,253 Civic Hybrids during 2006. Toyota’s Prius, on the other hand, saw 2006 sales of 106,971 units making it Toyota’s third-best selling car behind the Camry (448,445 units) and Corolla (387,388 units).

Reference:Brandon Hill ,dailytech

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Update: Proposed Senate Bill Calls For Increased Fuel Economy, Auto Industry Cringes

The auto industry says that a proposed Senate bill has requirement that are unattainable

It seems that while traffic congestion has gotten progressively worse over the past ten years, Americans have had a hankering for going nowhere faster. Fuel economy numbers haven't increased nearly as much as horsepower has in today's vehicles.
Your garden variety family sedans are now considered underpowered if they don't have at least a 250HP engine available on the option sheet. The Toyota Camry, America's best-selling car, is available with a 3.5 liter V6 engine putting out 263HP and can blast 0-60 in the low six second range. The V6-powered Camry is rated at 19/28 (highway/city), under the new 2008 EPA mileage ratings.
Chrysler is no stranger to high horsepower sedans, either. The company's Chrysler 300C and Dodge Charger R/T come equipped with 5.7 liter 340HP Hemi V8 engines (15/23) -- if that isn't enough, the 6.1 liter 300 SRT-8 and Charger SRT-8 pump out 425HP (13/18).
America's thirst for speed and auto manufacturers' propensity to quench that thirst may be coming to an end if a proposed Senate bill introduced by Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) passes. The new bill would require fleetwide CAFE standards for auto manufacturers to increase dramatically over the next 13 years. Fuel economy would have to rise from 27.5MPG for cars to 28.5MPG by 2015. That number would then jump to 35MPG by the year 2020 with 4% annual increases thereafter.
The 27.5MPG standard has held steady for nearly 20 years due to lobbying by auto manufacturers.
Not surprisingly, auto manufacturers aren't too happy with the proposed bill. "Basically, it is unattainable up until 2020 and unattainable afterward," said Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. "We think this is still going to be a big burden on Americans who need work vehicles."
The auto manufacturers, however, aren't the only ones against the new bill. Fellow democratic senator Carl Levin represents Michigan and thinks that the bill is misguided. "More progress can be made in reducing oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions if we focus our resources on leap-ahead technologies instead of forcing companies to make incremental improvements to meet an arbitrary standard," said Levin.
In early April, President Bush called for the United States to reduce its gasoline usage 20 percent by the year 2017. Bush noted that the move would cost the industry roughly $114 billion USD between 2010 and 2017 to comply.
Updated 5/8/2007: The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee today approved the bill.

Reference:Brandon Hill ,dailytech

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Chrysler Jumps on Hybrid Bandwagon With Aspen, Durango

Yes, it still has a HEMI

Chrysler doesn't want to be left out in the development of hybrid vehicles and is racing to get two full-size SUV hybrids out the door in 2008. Chrysler's first hybrid vehicles available in North America will come in the form of the Dodge Durango and it's blinged out counterpart: the Chrysler Aspen.
Both SUVs will feature the infamous 5.7 liter V8 HEMI engine with Multi-displacement System (MDS) and a two-mode hybrid system. The hybrid system was developed in conjunction with General Motors and the BMW Group.
Power will come from the electric motors alone, the 5.7 liter HEMI engine or any combination of the two. In addition, two electronic continuously variable transmission (ECVT) modes as well as a transmission with four forward gears are also available.
"The all-new Chrysler Group HEMI Hybrid will offer our customers the best of both worlds: renowned performance and significantly improved fuel economy," said Frank Klegon, Executive VP of Product Development for the Chrysler Group. "With the new HEMI-powered Chrysler Aspen Hybrid, we are delivering the ultimate combination of fuel efficiency, overall performance and capability in a premium full-size SUV."
Chrysler estimates that overall fuel economy for the big SUVs will improve by 25 percent. City MPG is expected to be boosted by 40 percent. The 4WD versions of the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango are currently rated at by the EPA for 14/19 (city/highway) 2007 and 13/18 for 2008.

Reference: Brandon Hill ,dailytech

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Acer Working With BMW Design House on New Notebooks

Acer will soon have notebook computers with BMW 'flame surfacing'

Personal computers and exotic cars do not appear to be closely related, but thanks to Acer, the two are married through Ferrari-branded notebook computers and LCD monitors. Soon, Acer will be getting another automotive brand in its computing garage.
Acer is working with a BMW design house on an upcoming line up Aspire "Gemstone" notebooks, reports IDG. Unlike the Ferrari products, however, the BMW co-designed notebooks are aimed at the average consumer who is a little more sensitive to price and value.
The new design is said to be curvaceous and sleek black, taking on some cues of the latest cars from BMW -- though it is unknown if Chris Bangle or Adrian van Hooydonk will have any influence on the design. Under the hood users will find advanced features for notebooks, such as an HD DVD drive and the requisite Dolby surround sound and HDMI port for outputting digital video.
Rather than selling only a couple limited notebook models, as is the case with Ferrari, the Acer is working with BMW’s design subsidiary on as many as 40 different models. Both Intel and AMD processors will be offered, along with screen sizes as large as 17 inches.
Despite the BMW influence on the notebooks, Acers says that the products will not be carrying any premium on price. "End users won't see a difference in price," assured J.T. Wang, chairman of Acer.

Reference:Marcus Yam ,dailytech

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Nissan and NEC to Bring Lithium Ion Hybrids in 2009

Nissan plans to "add lightness" by using Li-ion instead of NiMH
Current hybrid vehicles on the road today run on nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries. Nissan and NEC plan to buck the trend and adapt lithium-ion battery technology into upcoming hybrid vehicles.
"Together Nissan and NEC's engineers have addressed the key challenges of cost, performance, safety and reliability. We believe that we have a breakthrough technology: the lithium-ion battery produce we will produce," Nissan executive vice-president Carlos Tavares said.
Lithium-ion batteries are generally regarded as superior to nickel-metal hydride for higher capacities in smaller form factors. This will enable automakers to implement hybrid technology power source into a smaller and lighter package. Furthermore, weight savings afforded by lithium-ion technology will positively affect nearly all aspects of the vehicle’s characteristics.
"Co-development with Nissan has enabled a superior-class battery that we expect to spread in the market at an unmatched speed," added NEC executive VP Konosuke Kashima.
The big concern over using lithium-ion batteries in automobiles is that the battery technology is more prone to safety concerns, such as fires or explosions. Lithium-ion batteries are also generally less durable than nickel-based designs.
Nissan and NEC plan to research and develop the technology to meet safety standards and to begin production in 2009. The evenly split joint venture between the two companies involved in the development is imaginatively called “Automotive Energy Supply Corporation,” which will supply batteries for Nissan's first internally developed hybrid car planned for launch in 2010.
“The evolution of battery technology will be a deciding factor in bringing tomorrow's electric vehicles closer to reality,” Nissan Senior Vice President Minoru Shinohara said at a news conference. Shinohara added that the venture’s battery technology has twice the power of conventional batteries at half the size.
Last September, Nissan broke ties with Toyota to move away from nickel-metal hydride technology. Toyota has since then led the automotive industry in hybrid vehicle sales and has recently launched the world`s most expensive (and luxurious) hybrid. Although hybrids are met with much fanfare, most analysts believe that such vehicles will make up only 6 percent of market by 2013.

Reference:Marcus Yam ,dailytech

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