TechTalk: Exploring the Latest Technology News, Updates, Reviews, and Gossip

HCL Infosystems has launched the HCL "Leaptop Series 39", designed for Indian conditions, where the ambient temperatures are higher and the surface temperature of laptops tend to become uncomfortably hot. The HCL Leaptop Series 39 is designed to achieve a lower temperature differential of below 6 degrees on its palm rest surfaces. Developed under its "Design for India" program, the Leaptops meet the Energy star 4.0 compliance standard . HCL has also showcased its range of Leaptops, the Z35 series, the series 28 and 24, its latest "MTV Edition", the "HCL MiLeap series" and a range of HCL accessories including the "Dictamail" and the "FM Companion". George Paul, Executive Vice President, HCL Infosystems said, "Over the past three decades, with our understanding and expertise of the Indian market, HCL has always been at the forefront of bringing in technological innovation in the country. We are committed to bring, cutting

Its been a while since we reviewed a Philips product. Of course, that doesn’t mean we've forgotten the company, considering its reputation as a brand. Indeed, I have here with me a cool-looking innovative home theater system. This single ‘Soundbar’ (model HTS8140) is a horizontal speaker system with an integrated DVD player, and that pretty much makes up the full HTS. Oh, there's a huge subwoofer too. Design and Build The system comprises two units: a sturdy, heavy subwoofer and a broad horizontal unit that has the DVD drive in the centre and the speakers on the sides. The sub is a straight-edged rectangular unit, with the top surface sporting a glossy black finish. The sides have a soft cloth wraparound finish that stops short about two inches from the top panel. These top two inches have a brushed metal finish. The unit looks very stylish; even the rear is covered in cloth, concealing the driver. The unit is backward firing, and the reflex port too is positioned on the back p

Some months ago we did a comprehensive review of the iPod Classic. The new Classic has little by way of new features except some minor things like the Genius playlist that's now a standard feature in all iPods with a screen. Design-wise too the basics remain the same. One thing that comes as a relief is the inclusion of a new capacity: 120GB. This is ideal for those who don’t really want a humongous 160GB hard drive, but could do with a little more than the 80GB offered on the lower-end model. 120GB makes for a huge repository and should be ample for most users. The 120GB Classic is a bit thinner than the 160GB, boasting dimensions of 103.5 x 61.8 x 10.5 mm and weighing about 140g. The 2.5-inch color LCD with LED backlight stays the same, offering a resolution of 320 x 240 at 163 pixels per inch. If you're upgrading from the older iPod classic you will notice a lot of changes in the interface. There’s a cool split-screen effect, with the artwork and other random information see

It seems like Nokia may be adding a new handset to their SuperNova range according to reports. The slider handset being called the 7100s (yet to be made official) looks a little similar to Nokia’s 5610 XpressMusic handset. According to these reports the handset will have a Symbian S40 UI and come with features that include a media player, FM radio and a 1.3MP camera. Other features will include Bluetooth 2.0, Flash Lite 2.1.1 support, microSD card support for external memory and an Opera Mini browser. Since there’s nothing official about the handset yet, there’s no pricing or date for its release.

It’s been a while since the Meizu M8 made the tech scene but it’s back now and with some exciting news too. The M8 is apparently due for a launch sometime in December this year and that’s not the only thing that's got me raving. The fact that the Taiwan-based distribution company is also planning on an official Indian launch is what is making this a big deal. It's not like there’s a shortage of i-Killers, but this just happens to be the closest competitor... or was it the HiPhone? The M8 will make its first official appearance in China and then make its way here. Geek IT, the Taiwanese company has commenced retail operations in India so it’ll be no big deal to bring the phone here. Some of the specs of the M8 include a 3MP camera, media player, integrated FM radio EDGE support and Bluetooth possibly with an A2DP profile. The handset will also be equipped with a 3.2-inch touch screen LCD and run on a version of Windows CE. There’s no word on 3G support. The M8 has gone through a

Samsung’s newest 8MP camera phone that we spoke of just a few days ago has now been officially launched as the Pixon. According to the reports and a press release the handset is the world’s slimmest full-touch 8-megapixel camera phone. The Pixon has a 3.2-inch WQVGA touch screen display and features that include x16 digital zoom, auto-focus, fast-shutter, face detection and geo-tagging since it comes with internal GPS. Other features include a media player that supports Samsung's DNSe for audio, an FM radio, Bluetooth with A2DP and microSD card support for external memory. The handset also has a dedicated website called - The Photographic Adventures of Nick Turpin. "Now everyone will be able to ‘get their pics on’ so much more quickly and easily. For the first time you will have a camera on your phone capable of delivering the quality of image of a regular camera. The big benefit is not just the ease with which people will now be able to capture and share camera-phone shots, b

HTC already had an i-Killer in their Touch and the much better HTC Touch Diamond. They even took it one step further with the Touch Pro and its slide out QWERTY keypad . It doesn't seem though like that was enough. Their latest offering is a handset that’s yet to make an official scene in some way, and all we have right now are a few candid images of the same. Reports say that the handset in question, is being referred to as the HTC Touch HD. In case you’re wondering, the HD stands for High Def and the reason it carries that tag is because of the screen resolution that is supposed to support a 480 x 800 pixel resolution. Yup, WVGA. The handset runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and comes equipped with a Qualcomm 7201A processor (@ 528MHz) with 512MB ROM and256 MB RAM (+32MB on processor). The same reports state that the Touch HD will be equipped with GPS, a 5MP camera with no flash though, microSD card support for extra memory and a 3.5mm earphone socket. According to some of

Velocity Mobile , a nine month old collaboration between one of the world’s largest notebook computer manufacturers and a team of veteran wireless designers and engineers, have announced the retail availability of their first touchscreen phone, the Velocity 103. The company's belief is that the simplest solution is often the best solution and have thus tried with this handset to combine an easy-to-use Odyssey Interface, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone operating system and their Velocity Over The Air updates. The outcome is a sleek but rather similar-to-HTC form factor. "Consumers these days are demanding more from their phones. Our research tells us that people want experiences, not applications and functions," said David Hayes, president and managing director, Velocity Mobile. "Velocity Mobile has brought together some of the greatest minds and best of breed partners in the industry to deliver positive experience and value to consumers." Velocity Mob

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs took the wraps off a revamped line of iPods on Tuesday and trumpeted a truce with NBC Universal that means the TV network will begin selling programs again on iTunes. The iPod announcements were largely expected, and investors were less than energized, sending Apple's shares down $6.24, 4 percent, to close at $151.68. The iPod upgrades Jobs revealed Tuesday in a theater in San Francisco include two slick new Nano models, oval-shaped devices that Jobs said are the thinnest iPods Apple has ever made. They are less than a quarter-inch thick. A $149 version comes with 8 gigabytes of memory (enough for 2,000 songs); a 16-gigabyte version (which holds 4,000 songs) is $199. The new models acknowledge the incredible appetite for iPods - Jobs said Apple has sold 160 million iPods since their introduction in 2001, making them the runaway leader among portable music players. But Apple has to work hard to differentiate them from the iPhone, Apple's cell phone/iPod

Sony Ericsson has announced the G705 - a slider mobile phone - with a 2.4" screen, turbo 3G and full HTML browser. "The G705 is ideal for those who need a bit of help organising their busy life," said Catherine Cherry, Global product marketing manager at Sony Ericsson. "This life-enhancing phone has everything you need to keep track of your daily activities and is perfect for keeping in touch with friends. It also allows you to stay fully up-to-date thanks to the full HTML browser, email support, and desktop RSS feeds - all delivered at turbo 3G speeds." The G705 features a 3.2 megapixel camera, video capabilities and Wi-fi. It allows RSS feeds to be delivered straight to the phone's desktop, has built-in FM radio and aGPS combined with Google Maps for Mobile and Wayfinder navigation. Also announced today is the G705u, the first UMA enabled phone from Sony Ericsson. UMA enables users to seamlessly roam between the mobile network and local area networks than

The BlackBerry Thunder was going to be RIM’s answer to the iPhone. With its large touch screen and seemingly sleek design, it could not go wrong. It's even undergone a name change. It's now called the BlackBerry 9530 Storm. What reports are stating is that the 9530 will be launched in a CDMA version exclusively for Verizon. Of course the company is still working out the kinks in the handset. There’s no word yet on the official availability or the pricing so stay tuned.

Recently I showcased some color screen mobile handsets priced below the Rs 5000 mark. Of course, there are even cheaper color handsets with even fewer features. There are plenty of mobile users who wouldn’t mind a minimalist handset with simple features – they make great gifts for first-time mobile users and for those who lead uncomplicated lives. Here are a few color display handsets that will get the essentials done and won’t cost you more than Rs 3000. During my daily commute I get ample opportunity to see mobiles used in their most natural habitat – and here are some that pop up most frequently. Intex IN 2222 – Rs 1999 A well-equipped entry level handset, the IN 2222 has a sleek black form factor with a 1.5 inch CSNT display, sporting a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels and 65K colors. It has plenty of media functionality in terms of an audio player and an integrated FM radio, and photo and video caller tone support. The In 2222 supports GPRS and comes with a few games and a flashligh

The 4 GB flash drive has a retractable USB connector and measures 40.6mm long by 18.4mm wide and 7.2mm thick. Each JetFlash V95 comes with a leather carrying-strap and is available in Onyx Black (JFV95C) and Satin Red (JFV95D), both with 4GB memory capacity. Austin Huang, Regional Head - Sales, SAARC and APAC, Transcend, "The JetFlash V95 is an innovative marriage of fashion and technology that not only offers elegant distinctive styling and ultra-portable convenience, but also performs brilliantly as an advanced storage device". Users can download and install Transcend's JetFlash elite data management tools onto the JetFlash drive to enhance their mobile productivity. JetFlash elite can turn the JetFlash V95 into a key to automatically log on to website accounts, or even temporarily lock the computer to prevent unauthorized access. Users can also browse their bookmarked websites and check their email from any compatible computer with the Internet Favorites and Mobile Ema

Nokia is launching its N96 in Delhi today a few days before the iPhone 3G is launched here in India. The N96 was initially set to launch first in the UK on the first of October. But Nokia seems to have changed their plans and are launching it here first. The timing is so wickedly correct. Even as we wait for the iPhone, Nokia is dropping this fully loaded beauty into our laps and we estimate the price to be somewhere in the vicinity of Rs. 36,000. The quandary about what phone to buy just got bigger and more complicated with these two behemoths launching so close together. The Indian market is truly getting to be the biggest mobile market on the planet and personally, being spoilt for choice, we have no complaints whatsoever.

Nokia has introduced the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte, a new premium mobile phone engineered from carbon fibre, titanium, polished glass and stainless steel. The 8800 is custom built to ensure the precision engineering that these materials require. The minimalistic and seamless surfaces, slide mechanism and light weight of the phone all feature throughout the Nokia 8800 Arte line. Also available on the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte are soundtracks and wallpapers created exclusively for the range. The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte offers the tap-for-time feature - consumers can tap the steel surface below the display twice and a clock appears on the screen. Background images organically change during the day, giving a unique appearance to the display. The turn-to-mute silencing mechanism allows individuals to silence incoming calls by turning the phone over, screen-side down. In addition to 3G capabilities and a 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera, the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte has an OLED display and built-in me

Long weekend coming up, so why don't I sign off with a bang? The latest LCD TV models from Samsung and LG have already been reviewed by us, and while they proved competent, neither was perfect in all respects. So it should be fun to play god and pit the 42-inch LG Scarlet against the 40-inch Samsung Series 5. On we go... Aesthetics and Form The LG Scarlet has become quite famous for its red back panel, which no doubt looks beautiful, but it’s at the rear! Are any consumers going to fall for this? There's no sensible explanation for putting the most striking design element where it's least likely to be seen. It must be some inside joke on LG’s part. The on/off button on the Scarlet is an awesome piece of work – no doubt about that. It’s a hole carved through the bezel’s bottom panel, which has a transparent ridged rim. It is touch-sensitive, and lights up subtly when on. On the other hand, the Series 5 is basic, with the high gloss black finish all over and a thin metallic s

Palm is really getting very friendly on the Windows Mobile Platform as we see yet another handset to be launched with the Windows Mobile OS. The Palm Treo Pro is quite a snappy looking handset dressed in black. According to reports, the handset will support HSDPA, Wi-Fi, microSD external memory support, infrared, Bluetooth and a 3.5mm earphone socket. The same reports also state that the Treo Pro comes equipped with a 320 x 320 pixel touch screen, built in GPS (seems like that’s becoming a pre-requisite) and comes preloaded with Adobe Reader and Telnav. It has 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM.

Enter the BlackBerry Gold in all its splendor. RIM has finally launched their latest handset - The Bold. The handset is RIM’s first smartphone to support HSDPA and has features that include a half-VGA LCD display (480 x 320 resolution at 217 ppi), a 624 MHz processor, integrated GPS and Wi-fi support as well as 1GB internal storage memory and a microSD/SDHC expansion memory slot. The Bold also features a 2 megapixel camera with video recording capability, built-in flash and digital zoom. The advanced media player can display pictures and slideshows and play movies in full screen mode (thank goodness). Audio can be played over the handset's dual speakers stereo sound, and when using headphones or external speakers, the media player gives the user an equalizer with 11 preset filters. With the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, users can stay easily connected to their email, calendar, contacts and other corporate applications in IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise e

Hitachi has introduced the DZ-BD10HA - a Blu-ray Disc Hybrid Camcorder with the ability to record onto the Blu-ray. The DZ-BD10HA contains several new features and improvements including a newly developed 7 mega pixel CMOS image sensor, which captures videos and stills in FullHD (1920 x 1080). It can also record up to 4 hours 20 minutes of 1920x1080 video or 8 hours 40 minutes of 1440x1080 video onto the built-in 30 GB HDD. Additionally, the built-in SDHC card slot provides added flexibility by allowing for Full HD video and still recordings. It also offers a dubbing function that allows Full HD video to be transferred with a single push of a button from either the HDD or SDHC card to the BD drive, all within the camcorder, without having to connect to a PC. Editing functions such as split, splice, delete, merge, and transitions can also be performed within the camcorder before dubbing for additional functionality. The Transcoding feature allows for the camcorder to transfer full HD vi

Transcend has introduced a new 64 GB high speed SLC 2.5-inch Solid State Disk (SSD). Austin Huang, Regional Head - Sales, SAARC and APAC, Transcend, said, "Transcend's 2.5" SSD can be used in most notebook computers and mainstream PCs just like a regular hard drive. When it comes to performance, Transcend's new SLC flash memory-equipped 64GB SSD offers data transfer rates that greatly surpass even the fastest 2.5" hard drives, delivering data read/write speeds of up to 119MB and 64MB per second, respectively. With these high-speed transfer rates and virtually non-existent (less than 0.1ms) latency, Transcend's SSD accelerates computer boot-up times, makes games and applications open faster and run more smoothly, and improves overall system responsiveness." Transcend's Solid State Disk's integrated ECC (Error Correction Code) ensures reliable data transfer and increases system integrity. Its built-in wear leveling technology also guarantees ultra-

Lenovo, in its capacity as an official sponsor of the Olympic Games has released a couple of limited edition USB drives. These drives have been released under the Mascot series and are priced at $29 for 4 GB. In all, six drives have been released with their front side printed with a Fuwa image. Apart from this, the company is offering a 1 GB titanium limited edition drive that comes with a swiveling USB plug in a special mahogany box. Considering the amount, the company has probably already had to spend, it may be brave enough to venture a guess that we just might see an Olympic branded laptop sooner or later.

Intex Technologies (India) has announced nine new notebooks - Intex Lifestyle Book, Gaming Book, Tablet Pad and 3 variants each of Business book and Education book - to cater to varied consumers like working women, gaming and fashion enthusiasts, professionals, students, etc. All the notebooks are Wi-fi and Bluetooth enabled. The Intex Lifestyle Book has been put together with the working woman in mind and features a 12.1'' TFT-LCD screen. The laptop weighs 1.8 kgs, comes in 3 color options - pink, black and white and runs on Intel's Dual Core processor. This model has been priced at Rs. 33,000. The Intex Gaming Book is as the name suggests designed for high end gaming and complete entertainment. The machine is features Intel Centrino technology, Nvidia Graphic power, SRS WOW technology-based speakers and an inbuilt hybrid TV Tuner. It costs Rs. 75,900. The Intex Tablet Pad is features a 12.1" TFT touch screen which can rotate at 180 degrees, weighs 2.1 Kg and is price

Catering to its Indian patrons, Logitech has announced the launch of its Tri Color optical mouse in time for our Independence Day. The new mini optical mouse that adopts the colors of the Indian flag is a simple plug-and-play device and comes with an all-terrain optical sensor. The mouse also has Logitech's integrated cord wrap feature that enables the user to wind the cord neatly into the mouse for easy packing. The Logitech Tri Color Mouse is priced at Rs. 640, is available at all leading electronic stores and has a replacement warranty of 3 years.

Samsung Telecommunications India (STI), has announced the launch of its full touch screen, ultra-slim lifestyle segment mobile phone – the Samsung TouchWIZ (F480)- in the Indian market. The TouchWIZ is being launched to coincide with the Olympic Games 2008. Announcing the launch of this new phone, Sunil Dutt, Country Head, Samsung Telecommunications India, said, "Given the growing consumer interest in touch screen phones , the Samsung TouchWIZ offers a brilliant full touch navigation experience; widgets with 'Drag and Drop' technology and User Interface with Haptic Feedback which makes the experience of using the phone highly interactive and easy." The TouchWIZ has 'drag and drop' technology, which allows widgets to be selected from the left panel of the screen and dropped anywhere on the home screen. Since the Widgets comprise widely used applications like clock, calendar, alarms, music player, FM, games and profiles, this equips the user to set hotkeys on th

Access to product upgrades are one of the perks of being in the tech industry. If you've come across a great product, you can't wait to see what the company’s going to come up with next. For instance, Nokia's E61 and then the E62 made Symbian a force to reckon with in the business world, and the upgraded and slimmer E61i with a 2MP camera took it a step further. And now the E71 is here. This time Nokia's gone beyond a step – it's a big leap, in fact. Form Factor The design is superb.The E71 seems to be a culmination of elegance, style, and class, with functionality kept utmost in mind. I think its steel shell gives it a macho look and feel. The display may be a little smaller than the E61i at 2.36 inches, but on the whole the E71’s specs are way better. The QWERTY keypad looks rather compressed, however, and will take a bit of getting used to. But the five-way nav-pad and relevant shortcut keys are located for easy accessibility. The prominent bottom portion of the

The PMP is called the Creative Zen Mosaic. It has a rather chic design for a small PMP with features that include MP3/WMA playback as well as Windows Media DRM 10 support. It also allows users to view their images in JPEG format and AVI video file formats as well. It also has a voice recording feature and an integrated FM radio. Another interesting feature that Creative has included is the Microsoft Outlook 4 ToDo list and appointment calendar, address book and syncing, so users can have all their schedules stored. The Mosaic weighs in at just 43g and has dimensions of 79.5×40.0×12.8mm. It’s available in 3 capacities – 8GB, 4GB and 2GB. According to Creative the PMP can provide users with up to 32 hours of music playback. It has 8 EQ presets and a custom 5 band manually adjustable graphic EQ as well as Smart Bass Boost. It also has in-built speakers to share music. The Mosaic comes equipped with a 1.8 -nch TFT color LCD sporting a resolution of 128 × 160 pixels. The second player that

Since our last Wi-Fi router review, the market in India has expanded steadily and the device has today become a mainstream product. This expansion has been made possible by companies such as Netgear, D-link, and Linksys, which have gradually introduced a wide variety of products for Wi-Fi networking in virtually all categories, at prices ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 7,500. Looking to capitalize on this burgeoning market, well-known networking company Belkin recently introduced its range of Wi-Fi products in the country. We spent some time testing the N1 Vision router, which happens to be the company's flagship model. So how did it fare? Read on to find out... The N1 Vision is one of the smartest looking candidates we've got for review. Unlike other drab routers, this one has tried to set itself apart by going in for a polished smooth finish. For starters it stands upright on a nicely designed silver base, while the body on the front has a smooth glossy finish similar to that off

Sony Computer Entertainment’s 3D puzzle game ‘Echochrome’ is now available for the PSP at almost all major retailers across India. The game’s available for Rs. 999, and here’s a little about it: It’s a simple concept: guide your walker through a series of 3D black and white mazes. At first glance, it seems impossible: the mazes contain holes, dead-ends and impossible-to-reach walkways and you find yourself walking in circles. However, by using the simple controls, you can tilt your view of the world, and before you know it, what you see is what you get. By viewing the maze from a completely new angle, you create a completely new maze. Rotate the maze to make a hole disappear behind a column, create a new walkway or join a staircase to another walkway. With a little perseverance, you can manipulate the maze to walk wherever you like.

Forget PMPs, the best thing to kill time while traveling is a handheld gaming console. Whether it's a train commute or a flight abroad, a handheld game console will make the hours fly. If you find it hard to keep up with storylines and complex move lists because of your busy lifestyle, here are some games you can simply pick up and play, without the hassle of a learning curve. Our recommendations cover the two handheld consoles popular today. Five Favorite Games for the PSP There's only so much you can do on the PSP, considering it's an all-round portable entertainment unit – but it's games we're talking about in this article. The great thing about the PSP is that you have the option to keep any game on standby if something comes up in the middle of your gameplay, and resume when you're done. This is one reason why we've featured games that have a low learning curve. Let's start with the most obvious choice... Loco Roco This is the king of all pick-up an

Washington (ANI): Latin actress Eva Longoria is busy piling on the pounds for her role in the upcoming season of Desperate Housewives. Longoria who plays high maintenance Gabrielle Solis in the show was seen with a larger frame and two kids in the last season. "I ate everything in sight - Pasta pappardelle and pizza. Oh, Tony and I went crazy this summer," Contactmusic quoted Longoria, as saying. Longoria, 33, who will also be sporting a bob in the show said her husband gave her the first snip before the reluctant hairstylist actually cut her hair. "I had to cut my hair for the show because Gabrielle has short hair. I wore a wig in the last episode, but I didn't want to wear a wig this whole season, so I was like, "I'm going to cut it," the actress said. "Kenny said, "Tony, you're going to do the first cut, so she can't be mad at me. Tony did the first snip. He did more and then he did more and then Kenny cleaned it up," Eva add

Microsoft Corp. will let independent developers sell video games for the Xbox 360 console - and keep most of the profits - beginning this holiday season, the company said Tuesday. In a move to "democratize game development" and broaden the range of titles available for the Xbox 360, Microsoft said it will let game makers who are members of its $99-a-year XNA Creators Club submit their games for peer review. If they pass, the game creators can sell their work on the Xbox Live Marketplace, the console's online store. Microsoft had already announced in February it will make games developed by amateurs, hobbyists and students available for download on the Xbox 360's online service. But it did not say whether, and how, developers would be able to make money off their games. The new arrangement lets game makers pick a price tag between 200 and 800 "Microsoft Points" for their titles. Eight hundred of these points are roughly worth $10. Developers will receive up

This August will be three years since the first Walkman phone was launched. In celebration, Sony Ericsson has unveiled three new Walkman phones - the W902, The W595 and the W302. The W902 features a scratch-resistant 2.2" QVGA display, a 5 megapixel camera and music navigation keys. It comes bundled with headphones and an 8 GB Memory Stick Micro (M2). It is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Volcanic Black, Wine Red and Earth Green in Q4 of 2008.

BenQ has unveiled its latest offering for the Indian market - the BenQ V2400W LCD monitor. The 24" widescreen monitor has the distinction of being the world’s slimmest LCD monitor in its category with its thickest point measuring just 24 mm. It's got a cool design with unexpected asymmetry and aerodynamic curves, with an overall mirror-black finish and a subtle blue LED. It's got HDMI with HDCP, DVI-D and VGA inputs. It has BenQ's proprietary Senseye+photo Human Vision Technology that enhances colors and five preset modes – Dynamic, Photo, Standard, Movie and sRGB. The V2400W LCD monitor is also NSTL-compliant. It has a response time of 4 ms while the contrast ratio is 4000:1. BenQ V2400W LCD monitor is available at BenQ IT Zones and through BenQ dealers for Rs. 25,000. Technorati Profile

Opera has released a beta version of its latest mobile browser, Opera Mobile 9.5. Available for Windows Mobile phones and some Series 60 handsets, the beta browser was released last week. The lower-end version of Opera's mobile browser is Opera Mini which, unlike Opera Mobile, is free. Opera Mobile 9.5 uses the same zoom technology as Opera Mini, but also allows the user to save pages and images. It also has a revamped user interface and is, according to Opera, "among the fastest browsers, if not the fastest". According to the company, Opera Mobile 9.5 is the most standards-compliant mobile browser available. However, Opera has warned those intending to download Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 that, being a beta, the browser does contain bugs and "may cause data loss or other unintended actions".

As DPFs go, the Kodak M1020 is one of the larger ones I’ve had the opportunity to review. While that holds true, it also comes equipped with some trendy technology that is taking this industry to a new level. Here’s what I have to say about the new DPF. Form Factor The M1020 has a large 10.2 inch aSi TFT active matrix display with an 800 x 480 pixel resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. What makes this DPF stand out are the touch-sensitive controls on the bottom and side of the display that offers users a slide control option for scanning through images. Kodak calls this Quick Touch technology. It's kind of like the iPhone's but on a really large scale. Do keep in mind that the screen isn’t touch-sensitive, however. It’s a very neat and slim design with no untidy buttons and slots. On the rear, at the top, is a power button, an SD card slot, and volume controls. There are two sockets on the side of the rear panel for audio in and audio out. A CF card slot, USB, and Mini USB port

Panasonic has introduced the Lumix DMC-FZ28 digital still camera, featuring a 27mm wide-angle Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens with an 18x optical zoom. The FZ28 also boasts 10.1 megapixel resolution. For image processing, the FZ28 features the Venus Engine IV that can snap off consecutive shots at 13 frames per second in High Speed Burst Shooting mode. In High Sensitivity mode, the FZ28 can capture photos with sensitivity up to ISO 6400 in extremely low light situations. The engine allows the FZ28 to shoot up to 460 photos (CIPA) on a single battery charge thanks to improvements in power efficiency. Panasonic’s iA (intelligent auto) mode, which makes it easy for anyone to take photos, has been further enhanced. The newly added AF Tracking function automatically tracks the subject once the AF has been set even if the subject moves around, making it easier to capture sharp, well-focused photos of decisive moments. The FZ28 continually monitors the light source and automatically activates the

Panasonic has introduced two new cameras - the FX150 and the DMC-LX3. FX150 The FX150 is a 14.7-megapixel model, an addition to the Lumix FX Premium range of digital cameras. It is equipped with a 28mm wide-angle lens and comes with the Venus Engine IV allowing 330 pictures (CIPA) per battery charge. The FX150 offers easy manual control, letting users adjust the shutter speed as desired. The bracketing function includes the exposure bracketing available on previous models plus a new color bracketing function that can record color, monochromatic and sepia shots of an image at the same time with a single press of the shutter button. The FX150 also introduces a new multi-exposure function that creates an interesting artistic effect by superimposing up to three consecutively shot images, while the user views the previous image on the monitor. The FX150 features a 2.7-inch large LCD and can also record original picture data in RAW file format enabling the user to develop the image with the

IDLDPL has launched the YES YMP-91 MP5 player in India. Users can transfer RM and RMVB format video from internet sources to their MP5 players via the built-n USB 2.0 connector. Users can also upload digital books and novels to the player. The built-in SD, MMC card slots allow users to extend the 2 GB memory capacity of the MP5 player that features a compact and slim design with a 3-inch high definition LCD display. The device supports a wide range of digital formats including MP3/WMA/AAC/FLAC/APE/RM/RMVB/JPEG/BMP etc. It also features a slide show functionality. The player comes in black and offers a playing time of 16 hours for audio and 6 hours for video. It also features FM Radio and a voice recorder and comes bundled with a manual, earphones, USB cables and installation CD. Deepakraj Singh, Product Manager, YES, IDLDPL said, "YMP-91 is just not like any other MP5 player which is build on false statements. The gizmo being pocket and user friendly satisfies everybody's dema

CherryPal Inc, has launched its cloud computer, that is a completely new type of PC with no moving parts and containing 80 percent fewer components. It uses only two watts of power and is designed to be highly secure. The CherryPal, which is currently available for pre-orders, retails for $249 and requires no monthly subscription fee and no other hidden costs. "Today's typical PC is based on a computing model created 25 years ago, before the Internet, web browsers and global warming," said CherryPal CEO Max Seybold. "We have developed a new computing model that makes CherryPal the easiest to use, greenest, most affordable computer available today." The CherryPal desktop consumes just two watts of power, compared to the 114 watts of power used by the average desktop machine, delivering a 98 percent decrease in energy consumption. Using 80 percent fewer components dramatically reduces the amount of resources it takes to manufacture a PC. Also, since there are no

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Videogames are getting smarter with virtual enemies improvising during battles, storylines shifting based on moral choices and in-game characters sending players text messages for help. Titles unveiled at the just-concluded Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles feature artificial intelligence (AI), making in-game worlds more realistic and less predictable. "There was a lot we had to do," Peter Hines of Bethesda Softworks said as AFP tried the studio's eagerly-awaited "Fallout 3" shooter game, set in a post nuclear war Washington, DC. AI software in "Fallout 3" lets enemies change tactics depending on what players do. "They are being smart about being in a combat situation," Hines said. The game is also designed so that players' choices effect which computer-controlled factions become their allies or enemies. A "Project Origin" action horror game built by Monolith Productions for Warner Interactive Stu