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

China launched a second weather satellite on Tuesday to help improve forecasts for this August's Beijing Olympics, state media reported. The 2,295-kg satellite Fengyun-3 will provide mid-range forecasts over 10 to 15 days, Xinhua news agency reported. Detailed weather predictions are important because climatic conditions can have a major impact on Beijing's attempts to rid the skies of pollution fo r the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that some endurance events might have to be shifted if the air quality is not good enough and the earlier they know about that possibility, the easier it is to re-schedule. There are also concerns that rain, which is common in early August in the Chinese capital, might ruin the opening ceremony at the roof-less Bird's Nest National Stadium on August 8. Attempts to counter the threat by weather manipulation are also reliant on accurate forecasts. Beijing authorities have claimed some success in stopping rain ove...

RIM will launch touch-screen BlackBerry in Q3: report BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd (RIM.TO)(RIMM.O) plans to launch a touc h-screen version of the wireless e-mail device in the third quarter as an answer to Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPhone, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The device, known as the Thunder, is to be sold exclusively through Verizon Wireless in the U.S. and Vodafone PLC abroad , the Journal reported on its Web site, citing people familiar with the matter. RIM declined to comment on the report, stating that it does not comment on rumors and speculation. Earlier this week, rumored details of a touch-screen BlackBerry surfaced on the Internet. In February, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said the company may bring out a touch-screen device if customers want it. This week, Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM announced its BlackBerry Bold, a sleek smartphone with a keyboard aimed at its core base of business users. In...

Windows to run on One Laptop Per Child computer M icrosoft Corp (MSFT.O) reached an agreement to make available its Windows operating system software for the One Laptop Per Child Foundation's XO Laptop, the company said on Thursday. Microsoft was not part of the project started by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nicholas Negroponte to develop an inexpensive laptop computer for elementary school children in developing countries. In recent months, the two sides have engaged in more serious talks and started testing the XO Laptop's Sugar software package on Microsoft's Windows operating system, which runs on more than 90 percent of the world's computers. Microsoft said it plans to start trials of Windows on the l ow-cost laptop in key emerging markets as early as June. Customers will be able to choose to run the computer on either a Windows or a Linux operating system. Sugar was designed only to work with ...

EU says Google map images could be a problem BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The ability of Google Inc's map service to put detailed street-level images on the Internet could raise concerns in Europe if it was introduced there, the EU's data protection agency said on Thursday. Google's Street View offers ground-level, 360-degree views of streets in 30 U.S. cities. It has become popular among drivers but courted controversy over potential privacy invasion. " Making pictures everywhere is certainly going to create some problems ," European Union Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx told a news conference to present his annual report. But Hustinx, who works with Europe's national authorities to set consistent rules on data and privacy protection through the 27-country bloc, said he was confident Google would take into account European law in any future introduction of the product. " Apparently there is the capacity to adapt ...

In Japan, robot babysitter always ready to play FUKUOKA, Japan (AFP) - Japanese parents who can't find a good babysitter now have an alternative that never gets tired -- a friendly robot at the local department store. Major Japanese retailer Aeon Co. said Tuesday it has introduced a 1.4-metre (four-foot-seven) yellow-and-white robot at a store in the southern city of Fukuoka in charge of entertaining the children. If parents want to leave their children with the kid-sized machine, they arrange for the youngsters to wear special badges that bear codes which the robot can read. The robot can then identify the children by their names and ages and chat with them, even though its vocabulary remains limited. The robot, developed with leading robot-maker Tmusk, can also use a projector in one of its eyes to beam advertising messages -- or to show pictures that it has captured with a camera installed in the other eye. Tmsuk and Aeon plan to further ...

Bhoothnath Movie Preview BOOTHNATH is a story of a deceased grandfather with his grandson. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, Rajpal Yadav, Satish Shah, Aman Siddiqui and Tejas are two main kids. King Khan will be seen playing a cameo (a special appearance) in BHOOTHNATH along with Big B thus putting an end to the much hyped cold war between him and Big B. For the first time BR Chopra banner have hired Vivek Sharma to direct BHOOTHNATH. After hits like Dard-e- Disco and many others the Vishal Shekar duo will be giving the music for BHOOTHNATH. The movie will be released on 9th May 2008. Movie Preview: U Me Aur Hum "Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed, We vowed our true love though a word wasn't said The world was in bloom, there were stars in the skies, Except for the few that were there in your eyes. The night seemed to fade into blossoming dawn, The sun shone anew but the dance lingered on. Could we but relive that sweet moment sublime, We'd f...

Facebook enhances privacy controls SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook said Tuesday it is giving users more control over who gets to see personal information posted in profiles at the hot social-networking website. Privacy updates to be available by Wednesday include letting Facebook users categorize friends into lists, with access to profile information determined by which list someone is on. Prior to the change, any friend granted access to a Facebook profile could see anything posted there. People were left to choose between denying certain friends access to their profiles and censoring website postings. Facebook's more than 68 million active users will also be able to give "friends of friends" automatic access to their profile pages. The privacy enhancements come as Facebook rolls out French, German and Spanish language versions to win more users outside US borders and works to regain the trust of members ...