How To Upload Games, Wallpapers, Ringtones in Cell phone
Saturday, July 12th, 2008
This topic is not for gizmo geeks, but useful for starters who have just bought a new mobile phone and don
Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
G8 aims its guns at ‘cellphone piracy’
Saturday, July 12th, 2008G8 aims its guns at ‘cellphone piracy’
How would you feel if your cellphone network wrote to you on behalf of sports governing bodies demanding you quit sharing video clips of goals, home runs and slam dunks? It seems it could happen: file sharing on cellphones and the distribution of sports video clips look like becoming the latest forms of digital content to come under the scope of the onerous global copyright clampdown the G8 heads of government discussed in Japan this week.
As we revealed last week, the G8 is pushing its member states - and their fellow travellers - to enshrine a high level treaty called the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in their national laws. Among many other measures, ACTA-based legislation will ensure that Internet Service Providers around the world are held liable for the downloading and uploading actions of their customers ??? forcing the ISPs to disconnect the broadband lines of people who use music and video P2P networks for fear of facing criminal sanctions themselves.
But one communique issued from the midst of the G8 hints at a fresh raft of terribly smart brainwaves. The G8 Intellectual Property Experts Group on 8 July admits that in addition to focusing on copyright enforcement for ???recorded music, motion pictures, software, books and journals??? the group is, alongside the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, studying the use of the humble cellphone in copyright infringement.
“The study will focus on digital piracy…through such methods as internet piracy, direct computer to computer transfers, LAN file sharing and mobile phone sharing. The study may also incorporate a case study of digital piracy in the sports broadcasting industry,” it says.
Join a few dots and you can see where this is heading: it’s not only ISPs that will be monitoring their users for copyright infringement, but also cellphone networks. There won’t be single digital thing you can do that someone, somewhere won’t be monitoring. When will copyright holders realise that getting companies to attack their own customers is very, very bad business?
The visionary computer scientist Jaron Lanier once said: “The internet perceives censorship as damage and routes around it”.
People attacked by their own internet and cellphone providers will be routing around them, too.
Paul Marks, Technology Correspondent, New Scientist
Yahoo’s search engine challenge
Saturday, July 12th, 2008
With Google increasingly dominating search, Yahoo has called on the wisdom of the crowds in its efforts to catch up.
Yesterday, the company invited companies or individuals to use its search engine technology to build whatever innovative web pages they can think of. This gives start ups a way in to the multi-billion dollar search market without having to invest the millions needed to build a search engine of their own.
Yahoo, in turn, will make money by serving ads on the results pages of the subsequent searches.
The questions is: what kind of specialised search engines do we need that aren’t available now?
A quick trawl round the office led to suggestions for a time-based search engine which allows you to find out when specific events occurred (when was the battle of Waterloo, for example) but also to search for events by the time at which they occurred. For example, find all references to Barack Obama between 1996 and 1999.
Another idea is a “What’s on” search engine that properly aggregates events and listings and can be searched by location, date and event. No site seems to have really nailed that yet.
And perhaps a way to search government-owned information might be useful. Who knows what nuggets might be unearthed from public records offices, were the information easily accessible?
That’s our ha’penny’s-worth. Anybody got any better suggestions?
Justin Mullins
New Scientist consultant
Swiss Army Knife now a 8GB flash drive
Thursday, July 3rd, 2008The Swiss army knife with USB drive 2GB model has been there for a long time. Now its time to upgrade!
The upgrade is now to a multitool with an 8GB storage capacity.
Some of the features include a pen, red LED tactical light, 1.4 inch blade, nail file, flat tip screwdriver, scissors, lanyard anchor and of course the 8GB flash drive itself.
The 8GB Swiss Army Knife USB Drive is available through Chinavsion for appox $44 USD.
Microsoft Stops Sales of Windows XP
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008In an attempt to boost sales of its most recent operating system (Windows Vista), Microsoft yesterday ceased sales of Windows XP, their previous operating system.
The popular operating system will still be sold separately until June 2010, but major computer manufacturers can no longer buy it for installation on new computers. Smaller companies, however, will be allowed to sell it installed until the retail date expires.
The decision was made much to the dismay of many loyal Windows fans, who claim that Windows XP is far superior. XP was originally scheduled to stop sales earlier this year on Jan. 31, but increased demand persuaded them to push the date back five months.
Users who want XP on their future computers will have to purchase XP separately and legally “downgrade” to their preferred software of choice. This may entail the purchase of both programs.
Windows Vista Ultimate currently costs upwards of $300.00 when bought off of the Microsoft Web site, and can run anywhere from $200.00 to $350.00 when bought form a different vender. By comparison, Windows XP can cost between $135.00 and $250.00 when bought form other venders.
The presence of compatibility issues creates a problem for businesses that have networks based on the XP format. Upgrading may generate more problems with the network than it will benefits.
Microsoft boasts that Vista has an updated security system, improved searching features, and a flashy new interface called “Aero.”
Many users complain that the operating system requires too much RAM, the amount of memory a computer recall at random, creating bugs and slowing down operating speed. For lap top users this decreases battery life significantly, although this can be fixed by switching from Aero to an older interface.
A “Save XP” petition, which has recently been submitted to Microsoft, on popular computer Web site Infoworld has garnered more than 210,000 signatures from users who don’t want to have to buy Vista on their next computer. (more…)
Microsoft Wants One Laptop Per Child System To Run Windows XP
Saturday, December 8th, 2007One Laptop Per Child XO laptop were in talks with Microsoft to integrate the Windows XP operating system. Recently, Microsoft planned to start working on a version of Windows XP for the OLPC XO laptop, with its limited trials, which is expected to be out in January.
Non-profit Foundation OLPCs XO laptop that has been created for developing countries is already shipping in few countries with a Linux Operating system. However, the low-cost flash-based computing device will get formal design guidelines from Microsoft on Windows XP support by mid-2008. This designing machine is expected to deliver a high-quality Windows experience.
Developed to provide education, fostering local innovation, and enabling jobs and opportunity, versions of the XO PC running Windows wont be available in the U.S. or Canada.
Microsoft aims to provide a high-quality Windows experience on the XO device; if this is achieved, then Windows XP for the XO could be available as early as the second half of 2008. And the Government looking forward to buy the One Laptop Per Child XO laptop, needs to consult Microsoft regarding the possible Windows XP availability date, pricing and support policies.
Cigarette Box Covert Wireless Camera with MP4 Receiver
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007Cigarette Box Covert Wireless Camera with MP4 Receiver
Super cool wireless covert pinhole camera fitted into a silicon rubber casing for hiding into any standard sized cigarette box plus a high quality wireless MP4 receiver. When fitted into a cigarette box, this pinhole wireless camera becomes almost undetectable to the human eye. Incredibly easy to set up, all you need is to poke a hole in the cigarette box, set the MP4 receiver to the correct channel, and you will be able to see and record whatever the camera sees. This is a gadget worthy of James Bond. It is available anywhere in the world.
Receiver Specifications
Receiving Frequency: 2.4GHz
Intermediate Frequency: 480Mhz
Frequency Stabilization: +/-100Khz
Demodulation Mode: FM
Antenna: 50ohm SMA
Receiving Sensitivity: <-85dBm
Power Source: Built in Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
Dimension: 120×68x25mm (LxWxD)
Channels Available: 4
Channel Scan and Channel Skip for multiple Cameras
AV OUT/IN (NTSC/PAL)
MP4 Receiver Specifications
Memory: 64MB
External Memory: SD/MMC Card (max 2GB)
Display: 2.5 Inch TFT LCD
Video Format: MPEG-1/4, AVI/ASF/ADPCM Video Resolution: 882×240 FPS (Frames per Second): 30fps
Music Format: MP3
Bit rate: 32-320Kbps
Picture Format: JPG, JPEG
Earphone Jack: 3.5mm
SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio): 60dB
Output of earphones: 20mW x 2 (16Ohm)
Output of Speaker: 1W (16Ohm)
Languages: English, Chinese
USB: 2.0
System: Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP
Camera Specifications
Image Device: 1/4 inch sharp CCD
TV system: 628×582(PAL)/ 510×492(NTSC)
Horizontal Definition: 420
Angular Field of View: 38 deg
Minimum Illumination: 0.5Lux/F1.5
Synchronization System: Internal
Backlight Compensation: Auto
White Balance: Auto
S/N Ratio: >48dB
Operation Temperature: 0 ~ 5 deg C
Transmission Frequency: 2.4GHz
Locked Frequency
Power Adapter: DC 5V
Dimension: 62×48x15mm (LxWxD)
Recommended Max Range for Objects: 2~3 Meters
Transmission Range: 10~15 Meters
Rubber Silicon case for fitting in Cigarette box
MP3 Sunglasses 4 GB
Monday, November 26th, 2007Smooth MP3 Sunglasses 4GB - MP3 WMA WAV MusicSmooth looking black sunglasses for not only keeping out the suns rays, but for listening to up to 4GB of digital music in MP3, WMA, or WAV format. This cool looking MP3 Sunglasses combo will comfortably fit on the head, and as a added bonus, the high quality attached earphones can be adjusted in a variety of positions for the best possible fit in your ear. Keep the harmful suns rays out of your eyes, and at the same time take your music and files with you wherever you go with these made in China wholesale MP3 gadget sunglasses.
Manufacturer Specification
Other Features: