Sony confirms two new e-book readers

There have been rumors lately that suggested Sony is readying two new e-book readers. This news has been confirmed by Sony who has responded with an official update to its reader line of e-book devices. The two new models are the PRS-300 Pocket Edition and PRS-600 Touch Edition. It is expected that these models will be less expensive than the PRS-505 when it was initially launched. There is also some speculation that there will be a price drop on bestselling books from $12 to $10 that matches similar pricing from Amazon's Kindle Store and the Barnes & Noble e-book store. Sony has already helped drive lower-cost books by adding Google's catalog of free, public domain titles.

The new e-book readers will have a 600x800 e-paper display with 512MB of built-in memory and will accept both memory sticks and SD cards for extra storage. There will also be a new native Mac client for loading books over USB in addition to the existing Windows version.

The PRS-300 has a 5-inch display with direction pad to browse through the titles. It supports both Sony's own bookstore downloads as well as more generic formats like PDF and Word. On the other hand, the PRS-600 has a larger 6-inch touchscreen display that is described as more readable than that for the PRS-700. It no longer includes the side lighting as part of its price drops.

The readers will ship later this month at prices of $199 for the PRS-300 and $299 for the PRS-600. Also Mac users who already own the PRS-505 and PRS-700 will receive both Mac software and Reader firmware to recognize it by the time the new devices are in stores.

Links: http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/08/04/sony.reader.book.cost.leak/

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/08/04/sony.prs.300.and.prs.600/

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Nikon launches four new Coolpix digicams

Nikon has added four new digicams under its Coolpix line-up of compact cameras. These models are as under:

Coolpix S640 – First in line is the 12.2 megapixel Coolpix S640 which has a 5x zoom Nikkor lens with 28mm (equivalent) wide-angle coverage plus an ultra-fast autofocus system. This model claims to have the fastest startup time of just 0.7 seconds and also has a short shutter-release time lag. A highly sensitive optical lens shift VR image stabilization mechanism delivers sharper and cleaner photos in a wider variety of situations. The user can set ISO settings as high as 6400 and can limit auto sensitivity to a maximum of ISO 100 to 400 or 800 for effective control over image quality.

It has a 2.7-inch clear color display with a wide viewing angle and subject tracking ability that automatically detects a human face and then continues to track and focus on that subject. The Coolpix S640 will be available in Champagne Silver, Calm Black, and Precious Pink at an RRP of $499.

Coolpix S1000pj – This camera is quite unique as it is the first camera that has a built-in projector that lets users project photos or movies clips on any flat surface at up to 40 inches in size. A handy projector stand and a remote control (used to operate the projector) are included in the package. This model features an effective resolution of 12.1 megapixels and a 5x Zoom-Nikkor lens with 28mm (equivalent) wide-angle coverage, along with a similar image stabilisation system to the Coolpix S640.

It is equipped with Nikon's new Smart Portrait System that includes Face-priority AF (which can recognize up to 12 faces is a frame), smile timer, blink proof functions, and a skin softening function that analyses and improves a framed subject's skin. The Coolpix S1000pj will be offered in black at an RRP of $699.

Coolpix S570 – This new model is an upgrade to the S560 and it comes in four colors i.e. Silver, Black, Red and Pink. It has a 5x Zoom-Nikkor lens with a resolution of 12.0 megapixels. It has the same Smart Portrait System as the Coolpix S1000pj and offers a maximum sensitivity of ISO 3200. Its RRP is $349.

Coolpix S70 – It has a 3.5-inch clear color OLED touch screen display that combines intuitive fingertip shooting control with a variety of exciting playback options. Touch control also makes viewing and retouching images more efficient. It offers the benefits of vivid color reproduction, sharp contrast, and absence of after-images. There are advanced new shooting features that include Touch Shutter, which releases the shutter at a touch after focus on the subject.

The S70 has a 12.1 megapixels resolution and a 5x Zoom-Nikkor lens that covers focal lengths from 28-140mm (35mm format equivalent). The Coolpix S70 will be offered in Champagne, Red and Black colours for an RRP of $599.

Link:http://www.photoreview.com.au/news/productnews/four-new-nikon-coolpix-digicams.aspx

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T-mobile HTC Touch Pro 2 set to release on August 12

T-Mobile and HTC announced the upcoming availability of the HTC Touch Pro2, a device with an intuitive touch screen and user interface that enables customers to simplify their communication and mobile Internet experience while staying connected. The device will be available in a mocha finish to T-Mobile customers beginning Aug 12.

The HTC Touch Pro 2 is enabled for T-Mobile’s expanding high-speed 3G network and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g, and should offer fast data delivery and an enhanced Web-browsing experience along with popular features such as built-in GPS and location-based services. It features a 3.6” color WVGA touchscreen that slides back and tilts up to reveal a full-QWERTY keyboard, the screen is well-positioned for reading and creating e-mail, browsing the Web, using applications, and playing videos and games. A 3.2MP camera with auto focus sure helps.

The HTC Touch Pro2 has a single contact view displays the individual conversation history regardless of whether voice, text or e-mail was used. It also includes something called the Straight Talk technology, an integrated e-mail, voice and speakerphone. Straight Talk delivers a high-fidelity voice and sound experience enhanced by asymmetric speakers and advanced noise suppression with full-duplex acoustics – as reported by Engadget. The HTC Touch Pro2 is also stereo Bluetooth capable.

“This summer, many people are balancing summer vacations and time away from the office with the pressures of the workplace,” said Travis Warren, director, product marketing, T-Mobile USA to Engadget, “We are pleased to announce the HTC Touch Pro2, a uniquely designed device that will help customers manage their day-to-day activities, whether they are in the office or working from an airport, the local playground or the car.”

“The HTC Touch Pro2 offers the most powerful productivity experience available on a mobile phone, while also delivering unparalleled elegance in both its exterior and user interface design,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America to Engadget, “HTC and T-Mobile have a history of introducing groundbreaking products and this collaboration continues with the debut of this highly anticipated device to the U.S. market.”
The new HTC Touch Pro2 is expected to be available by mid-August at T-Mobile retail stores, select authorized dealers and online at the official site of T-mobile.

About T-Mobile USA
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. operation of Deutsche Telekom AG’s Mobile Communications Business, and a wholly owned subsidiary of T-Mobile International. By the end of the first quarter of 2009, more than 148 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.2 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM.

About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry and continues to pioneer industry-leading mobile experiences through design, usability and innovation. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

Links

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/29/t-mobile-announces-htc-touch-pro2-for-august-12-availability/
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2009/07/t-mobile-touch-pro2-ofc.jpg

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Acer upgrades its Aspire Predator series Desktop

Acer has recently released the specs and pricing of its Predator series flagship PC, the ASG7710-A41. The upgrade includes a 3.06GHz Intel Corei7 -950 CPU which is faster than the 2.93GHz i7-940-based model currently available in the US. The new PC retains the same Intel X58 Express chipset and 1TB hard drive, but has now got two NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 graphics cards with 1GB of RAM (2GB in total) as compared to the US model's single GeForce GTX 260. Both share 6GB of RAM, however, with a maximum capacity for 12GB. Other features include:

• Blu-ray disc drive
• 11 USB 2.0 ports
• Two eSATA ports
• Multi-card reader
• Four DVI-D ports
• Two gigabit Ethernet connections
• Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit OS

This PC comes bundled with a G15 keyboard and a G9 laser mouse. The price of this model is $2,730 and it will be launched in Europe first and later in the US. The exact shipping date has not yet been disclosed.

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Sleek and Elegant LED designer lights

Jasper Hou, a designer by profession, has recently designed a new kind of LED designer lamp that uses mechanical energy to give off light. There is a timer base attached to the bottom of the lamp in the form of a circle, the user has to rotate the base in order to set the time duration for which he wants the lamp to be on. Once the timer has been set, it slowly unwinds, the mechanical energy released from this movement is then converted into electrical energy so that the LED can glow. Talking about the design, it is sleek, elegant, and a head-turner. It is available in a variety of colors pink, white, green, blue, and yellow.

It can be used as a bed side lamp which can be timed accordingly, so that it automatically switches off even after the user is fast asleep.

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Apple and other new mobile phone companies gain on old giant Nokia, Samsung and Motorola

Three of the top five cellphone manufacturers have faced steep drops in their market share in spring while Apple and other newer participants are on the rise, according to a final estimate by IDC. Confirming some predictions by the companies themselves, the study infers that Nokia, Motorola and Sony Ericsson all lost double-digit percentages of their market share from a year ago. Motorola and Sony Ericsson lost the most, falling 47 percent and 43.4 percent in the number of phones shipped to come down to account for just 5.5 percent and 5.1 percent of the market each.

However, even world’s largest cell phone company Nokia's phone shipments have also dropped sharply and have fallen 15.4 percent from year to year. It still holds the top-spot with 38.3 percent of the whole market though. The two Korean firms LG and Samsung were the only two of the top five to make headway and saw tangible gains of their own, shipping 6 percent and 14.2 percent more phones respectively to reach third place (11.1 percent) and second pl

ace (19.4 percent) – reports electronista.

While Nokia has made a slight recovery in smartphones and is mostly affected by poorer sales of low- to mid-range phones, the Motorola and Sony Ericsson losses hold partly from their weaknesses in smartphones.

IDC puts the smaller competitors in the category “Others”, but Apple is believed to have snapped up a noticeable portion of the remaining market. Its 5.2 million iPhones shipped equate to about 1.9 percent of the total market of 269.2 million phones. Also RIM’s share for the BlackBerry is being quoted as 7.8 million units shipped, although the number would be difficult to gauge as the company's quarterly results schedule doesn't match most of the industry.

Links

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/07/31/idc.phones.in.q2.2009/

http://images.macnn.com/esta/content/0907/idcphonesq22009-lg.jpg

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Nikon introduces an impressive entry-level DSLR in D3000

Within days of unveiling the high-end D300s, Nikon introduced a second DSLR today intended for the entry level segment previously occupied by the D40x and D60. The D3000 still shoots at 10.2 megapixels but has the more modern imaging system of the D5000 and gets 11-point autofocus (up from just 3-point). The active D-L

ighting system improves dynamic range and both 3D matrix metering as well as 3D tracking. Nikon also throws in a special Guide mode – which should be extremely helpful to new users, as it lets the user pick shot settings based on icon-driven menus that reflect common situations rather than simply adjusting aperture, ISO or shutter speed.

In terms of features, the new D3000 even goes beyond the recent D5000 at times. It brings a Miniature mode that facilitates the rotation of

the lens relative to the image plane, called tilt, and movement of the lens parallel to the image pl

ane, called shift. One additional stop-motion mode lets photographers link many related photos together into a single video for either its namesake mode or time-lapse shots – as reported by Electronista.

But don’t think it gives you everything and takes nothing. It takes away the video recording of D5000. It also has a much reduced light sensitivity range. Like the D5000, the D3000 has a dust removal system for its sensor but doesn't own an internal autofocusing motor and thus needs users to buy AF-S lenses with their own motors.

The D3000 comes with an 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 VR lens at a price of $600. It is expected to ship by late August.

Links

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/07/30/nikon.d3000/

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30TB transfered in just 1 second !!!

Well, after reading the heading of this article, the first thing that might come to your mind is that, is it really possible? The answer is Yes, thanks to a new technology developed jointly by KDDI R&D labs and Japan's National Institute of Information and Communication technology. They have together managed to make the most advanced fibre optic cable in the world that can transfer data up to 10-times faster than the existing cables. Currently, the cables can transfer upto 3TB/sec but this new technology will be able to achieve speeds of 30TB/sec. It means one can transfer the content of approx. 720 DVDs (2 hours each) in just 1 second. KDDI hopes to commercialize this technology and connect all the major cities of Japan with this cable.

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