Windows 7 In Box – Access All Fuctions in One Place

If you newly shifted from window xp to Window 7. you might be difficult to find out the control panel options like change simple settings like System settings, managing user accounts keyboard & Mouse settings, , starting various Windows tools etc. window 7 in Box is specially designed for guide the new operating system. this tool provide the access to almost every functions of windows. These functions are grouped in one categories. Those functions are described above and you also seen below in screenshot.

This is portable app , you are also able to carry with USB for any window 7 PC.

Features

• Spyware,Adware,Malware Free.
• Nothing to install.
• Runs from the Desktop or a Flash Drive.
• Uses very little Memory.
• Access almost all the functions and settings of Windows 7.

Download Windows 7 In a Box [via]

MCSE and System Administrator Job Interview Questions – Part 4 – PC Technician

This article set is targeted at both the interviewer (who needs a pool of valid questions they can ask) and the candidate (who wants a pool of sample questions they can prepare for). Needless to say, both MUST know what they're talking about. Also, although I consider these questions as a thorough verbal test for the candidate's knowledge, in most cases, when he or she passes this phase, I will also ask them to perform an actual hands-on lab based on my written exercises. As I said before, I might also include these in a future parts of this series.
I wish to thank Shachaf Cohen of John Bryce Training in Israel who has helped me to compile a large part of this article's questions.
I have deliberately left out the answers to these questions. I want YOU to research them and take the time to actually learn these topics, if you don't know them already.
Most sub topics start off with relatively easy questions where the candidate is supposed to demonstrate their knowledge on that topic. A few sentences will be enough to show their (lack of) knowledge on the topic.
As always, your comments and feedback are more than welcome. Use the "Comment" form below to send them in. If you're using this interview question sample in your own environment please drop me a line telling me how it works for you. Also, placing a link to my site and giving me credit for my work is expected.

PC Hardware

• What is FSB?
• What are Vcore and Vi/o?
• On what type of socket can you install a Pentium 4 CPU?
• What is SMP?
• Which Intel and AMD processors support SMP?
• How do LGA sockets differ from PGA and SEC?
• What is the difference between Pentium 4 and Pentium Core 2 Duo? Explain the new technology.
• How does IRQ priority works?
• What technology enables you to upgrade your computer's BIOS by simply using a software?
• What happens if you dissemble the battery located  on the Mother-Board?
• How do L1, L2, and L3 work?
• How should we install RAM on a Dual-Channel Motherboard?
• What is the advantage of serial over parallel bus?
• Is USB using serial or parallel bus? What about Firewire?
• How much power is supplied to each USB port?
• When should you change your bus-powered USB hub to a self-powered USB hub?
• What is a UPS?
• What is the difference between standby and online UPS?
• What is LBA (in Hard-Disks)?
• How many Hard Disks can you install on an E-IDE controller?
• Can you configure two hard disks to use the Master setting on the same PC?
• What is the difference between Narrow-SCSI and Wide-SCSI?
• What is SAS?
• What are the three main reasons for using RAID?
• Is RAID 0 considered to be a redundant Solution?  Why?
• How many disks can be used for RAID 1?
• How RAID 5 works?
• What is the smallest number of disks required for RAID5?
• What other types of RAID do you know?
• What are the six steps for laser printing?
• What is the difference between PCI-EX x1 and PCI-EX x16?

Microsoft-based Operating Systems

• What is the difference between a workgroup and a domain?
• What are the major advantages of working in a domain model?
• What types of operating system installation methods do you know?
• What is an answer file?
• How would you create an answer file for Windows  XP? How would you create one for Windows Vista?
• How do you perform an unattended installation on Windows XP?
• What is Sysprep?
• How do you use Sysprep?
• What is the major difference between Newsid and Sysprep?
• What is the function of the pagefile.sys file?
• What is the function of the hiberfil.sys file?
• What is the Registry?
• How can you edit the Registry? Name at least 3 ways of doing that.
• What should you do if you receive a message stating: "The following file is missing or corrupt: 'WINDOWS'SYSTEM32'CONFIG'SYSTEM"?
• How would you repair an unsuccessful driver update?
• When should you use each of the fallowing tools: System Restore, LKGC and Recovery Console?
• How do you set different print priority for different users?
• How can you reset user's passwords if you don't know his current password?
• What's the difference between changing a user's password and resetting it?
• You want to grant a user the right to perform backups – should you add him to the administrators group?
• What is MMC?
• What is gpedit.msc?
• How would you use the MMC to manage other servers on your network?
• You set a local policy for your Stand-alone XP Professional – would the local policy effects the administrators group?
• What new in the Windows Vista Local Policy?
• What is the difference between User Privileges and User Permissions?
• What is Safe Mode?
• Which logs can be found in Event Viewer?
• What is msconfig? On which OS can it be found?
• Can you upgrade XP Home Edition to Server 2003?
• Which permission will you grant a user for a folder he need to be able to create and delete files in, if you do not want him to be able to change permissions for the folder?
• What is the difference between clearing the "allow" permission and checking the "deny"?

Networking

• What is a NIC?
• What is a MAC Address?
• When would you use a crosslink cable?
• What are the main advantages and disadvantages of Fiber-Optic-based networks?
• What is the difference between a Hub and a Switch?
• On which OSI layer can a router be found?
• What is CSMA/CD?
• What is multicast?
• What is Broadcast?
• What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
• Describe some of the settings that are added by TCP and by UDP to the packet's header.
• What are TCP Ports? Name a few.
• What is a TCP Session?
• What three elements make up a socket?
• What will happen if you leave the default gateway information empty while manually configuring TCP/IP?
• What will happen if you execute the following command: "arp –d *"?
• What is ICMP?
• When would you use the ping command with the "-t" switch?
• What command-line tool would help you discover for which port numbers your computer is listening?
• What is APIPA? How would you recognize it?
• What is a Cyclic Redundancy Check?
• What would you type in at a command prompt to view the IP settings for the computer that you are sitting at?
• What command would you type in at a command prompt to view the IP address of the remote computer?
• What is the W Value for class B?
• What is the Net ID of an IP Address of 18.9.25.3 with Subnet Mask of 255.0.0.0?
• What is CIDR?
• What is 255.255.255.255 used for?
• What is the maximum number of hosts for a Class B Network?
• What is the (default) class type of 195.152.12.1?
• What is the subnet mask for 10.0.10.1/17?
• What is the result when changing from a subnet mask of 255.255.224.0 to a subnet mask of 255.255.240.0?
• How can you access a shared folder from a remote computer? Name at least 3 methods.

MCSE and System Administrator Job Interview Questions – Part 3 – Exchange

This article set is targeted at both the interviewer (who needs a pool of valid questions they can ask) and to the candidate (who wants a pool of sample questions they can prepare for). Needless to say, both MUST know what they're talking about. Also, although I consider these questions as a thorough verbal test for the candidate's knowledge, in most cases, when he or she passes this phase, I will also ask them to perform an actual hands-on lab based on my written exercises. I might also include these in a future part of this session.
I have deliberately left out the answers to these questions. I want YOU to research them and take the time to actually learn these topics, if you don't know them already.
Most sub topics start off with relatively easy questions where the candidate is supposed to demonstrate their knowledge on that topic. A few sentences will be enough to show their (lack of) knowledge on the topic.
As always, your comments and feedback are more than welcome. Use the "Comment" form below to send them in. If you're using this interview question sample in your own environment please drop me a line telling me how it works for you. Also, placing a link to my site and giving me credit for my work is expected.

Technical Interview Questions – Exchange 2003

• Tell me a bit about the capabilities of Exchange Server.
• What are the different Exchange 2003 versions?
• What's the main differences between Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2000/2003?
• What are the major network infrastructure for installing Exchange 2003?
• What is the latest Exchange 2003 Service Pack? Name a few changes in functionality in that SP.
• What are the disk considerations when installing Exchange (RAID types, locations and so on).
• You got a new HP DL380 (2U) server, dual Xeon, 4GB of RAM, 7 SAS disks, 64-bit. What do you do next to install Exchange 2003? (you have AD in place)
• Why not install Exchange on the same machine as a DC?
• Are there any other installation considerations?
• How would you prepare the AD Schema in advance before installing Exchange?
• What type or permissions do you need in order to install the first Exchange server in a forest? In a domain?
• How would you verify that the schema was in fact updated?
• What type of memory optimization changes could you do for Exchange 2003?
• How would you check your Exchange configuration settings to see if they're right?
•  What are the Exchange management tools? How and where can you install them?
•  What types of permissions are configurable for Exchange?
• How can you grant access for an administrator to access all mailboxes on a specific server?
• What is the Send As permission?
• What other management tools are used to manage and control Exchange 2003? Name the tools you'd use.
• What are Exchange Recipient types? Name 5.
• You created a mailbox for a user, yet the mailbox does not appear in ESM. Why?
• You wanted to change mailbox access permissions for a mailbox, yet you see the SELF permission alone on the permissions list. Why?
• What are Query Based Distribution groups?
• What type of groups would you use when configuring distribution groups in a multiple domain forest?
• Name a few configuration options for Exchange recipients.
• What's the difference between Exchange 2003 Std. and Ent. editions when related to storage options and size?
• Name a few configuration options related to mailbox stores.
• What are System Public Folders? Where would you find them?
• How would you plan and configure Public Folder redundancy?
• How can you immediately stop PF replication?
• How can you prevent PF referral across slow WAN links?
• What types of PF management tools might you use?
• What are the differences between administrative permissions and client permissions in PF?
• How can you configure PF replication from the command prompt in Exchange 2003?
• What are the message hygiene options you can use natively in Exchange 2003?
• What are the configuration options in IMF?
• What are virtual servers? When would you use more than one?
• Name some of the SMTP Virtual Server configuration options.
• What is a Mail Relay? Name a few known mail relay software or hardware options.
• What is a Smart Host? Where would you configure it?
• What are Routing Groups? When would you use them?
• What are the types of Connectors you can use in Exchange?
• What is the cost option in Exchange connectors?
• What is the Link State Table? How would you view it?
• How would you configure mail transfer security between 2 routing groups?
• What is the Routing Group Master? Who holds that role?
• Explain the configuration steps required to allow Exchange 2003 to send and receive email from the Internet (consider a one-site multiple server scenario).
• What is DS2MB?
• What is Forms Based Authentication?
• How would you configure OWA's settings on an Exchange server?
• What is DSACCESS?
• What are Recipient Policies?
• How would you work with multiple recipient policies?
• What is the "issue" with trying to remove email addresses added by recipient policies? How would you fix that?
• What is the RUS?
• When would you need to manually create additional RUS?
• What are Address Lists?
• How would you modify the filter properties of one of the default address lists?
• How can you create multiple GALs and allow the users to only see the one related to them?
• What is a Front End server? In what scenarios would you use one?
• What type of authentication is used on the front end servers?
• When would you use NLB?
• How would you achieve incoming mail redundancy?
• What are the 4 types of Exchange backups?
• What is the Dial-Tone server scenario?
• When would you use offline backup?
• How do you re-install Exchange on a server that has crashed but with AD intact?
• What is the dumpster?
• What are the e00xxxxx.log files?
• What is the e00.chk file?
• What is circular logging? When would you use it?
• What's the difference between online and offline defrag?
• How would you know if it is time to perform an offline defrag of your Exchange stores?
• How would you plan for, and perform the offline defrag?
• What is the eseutil command?
• What is the isinteg command?
• How would you monitor Exchange's services and performance? Name 2 or 3 options.
• Name all the client connection options in Exchange 2003.
• What is Direct Push? What are the requirements to run it?
• How would you remote wipe a PPC?
• What are the issues with connecting Outlook from a remote computer to your mailbox?
• How would you solve those issues? Name 2 or 3 methods
• What is RPC over HTTP? What are the requirements to run it?
• What is Cached Mode in OL2003/2007?
• What are the benefits and "issues" when using cached mode? How would you tackle those issues?
• What is S/MIME? What are the usage scenarios for S/MIME?
• What are the IPSec usage scenarios for Exchange 2003?
• How do you enable SSL on OWA?
• What are the considerations for obtaining a digital certificate for SSL on Exchange?
• Name a few 3rd-party CAs.
• What do you need to consider when using a client-type AV software on an Exchange server?
• What are the different clustering options in Exchange 2003? Which one would you choose and why.

Daniel Petri’s MCSE and System Administrator Job Interview Questions – Part 2 – Active Directory

This article set is targeted at both the interviewer (who needs a pool of valid questions they can ask) and to the candidate (who wants a pool of sample questions they can prepare for). Needless to say, both MUST know what they're talking about. Also, although I consider these questions as a thorough verbal test for the candidate's knowledge, in most cases, when he or she passes this phase, I will also ask them to perform an actual hands-on lab based on my written exercises. I might also include these in a future part of this session.
I have deliberately left out the answers to these questions. I want YOU to research them and take the time to actually learn these topics, if you don't know them already.
Most sub topics start off with relatively easy questions where the candidate is supposed to demonstrate their knowledge on that topic. A few sentences will be enough to show their (lack of) knowledge on the topic.
As always, your comments and feedbacks are more than welcome, you can use the form after the article. If you're using this interview question sample in your own environment please drop me a line telling me how it works for you. Also, placing a link to my site and giving me credit for my work is expected.

Technical Interview Questions – Active Directory

• What is Active Directory?
• What is LDAP?
• Can you connect Active Directory to other 3rd-party Directory Services? Name a few options.
• Where is the AD database held? What other folders are related to AD?
• What is the SYSVOL folder?
• Name the AD NCs and replication issues for each NC
• What are application partitions? When do I use them
• How do you create a new application partition
• How do you view replication properties for AD partitions and DCs?
• What is the Global Catalog?
• How do you view all the GCs in the forest?
• Why not make all DCs in a large forest as GCs?
• Trying to look at the Schema, how can I do that?
• What are the Support Tools? Why do I need them?
• What is LDP? What is REPLMON? What is ADSIEDIT? What is NETDOM? What is REPADMIN?
• What are sites? What are they used for?
• What's the difference between a site link's schedule and interval?
• What is the KCC?
• What is the ISTG? Who has that role by default?
• What are the requirements for installing AD on a new server?
• What can you do to promote a server to DC if you're in a remote location with slow WAN link?
• How can you forcibly remove AD from a server, and what do you do later? • Can I get user passwords from the AD database?
• What tool would I use to try to grab security related packets from the wire?
• Name some OU design considerations.
• What is tombstone lifetime attribute?
• What do you do to install a new Windows 2003 DC in a Windows 2000 AD?
• What do you do to install a new Windows 2003 R2 DC in a Windows 2003 AD?
• How would you find all users that have not logged on since last month?
• What are the DS* commands?
• What's the difference between LDIFDE and CSVDE? Usage considerations?
• What are the FSMO roles? Who has them by default? What happens when each one fails?
• What FSMO placement considerations do you know of?
• I want to look at the RID allocation table for a DC. What do I do?
• What's the difference between transferring a FSMO role and seizing one? Which one should you NOT seize? Why?
• How do you configure a "stand-by operation master" for any of the roles?
• How do you backup AD?
• How do you restore AD?
• How do you change the DS Restore admin password?
• Why can't you restore a DC that was backed up 4 months ago?
• What are GPOs?
• What is the order in which GPOs are applied?
• Name a few benefits of using GPMC.
• What are the GPC and the GPT? Where can I find them?
• What are GPO links? What special things can I do to them?
• What can I do to prevent inheritance from above?
• How can I override blocking of inheritance?
• How can you determine what GPO was and was not applied for a user? Name a few ways to do that.
• A user claims he did not receive a GPO, yet his user and computer accounts are in the right OU, and everyone else there gets the GPO. What will you look for?
• Name a few differences in Vista GPOs
• Name some GPO settings in the computer and user parts.
• What are administrative templates?
• What's the difference between software publishing and assigning?
• Can I deploy non-MSI software with GPO?
• You want to standardize the desktop environments (wallpaper, My Documents, Start menu, printers etc.) on the computers in one department. How would you do that?

Harry Potter to headline Sony PlayStation video store

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be available to download on Sony's brand new PlayStation video store upon its pre-Christmas launch later this month.

The adventures of everyone's favourite young wizard will join Bruno, Casino Royale, Star Trek, Transformers 2, Angels and Demons and Crank 2 as inaugural titles which will be downloadable to the PS3 and PSP.

Sony has inked deals with all the major studios, including Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox and Universal meaning we're likely to be greeted with all the major blockbusters (and Hannah Montana) as they're released.

 The store is slated for a November launch with HD and SD versions available.

Windows 7 begins the long process of replacing Vista and XP

With all the launch parties, cute ads, and reviews going on, you could be forgiven for thinking that the whole world was suddenly going to turn over to Windows 7 on the day of release. Unfortunately, that kind of instant turnover (hmm… sounds delicious) isn’t really feasible in the real world. Some people are getting 7 when they get a new computer.

Some want to see it on a friend’s PC before they drop the bills on it. Others are still using the RC. And there must be some like myself who are just waiting for the initial hiccups to be worked out — something I’m waiting on with Snow Leopard as well.

So what kind of gain is Redmond looking at? Round-about a 1% increase in October. Now before you put your flaming hats on, Mac-lovers, that’s a 1% absolute increase, meaning that the percentage of computers running 7 in the world went from 1.75% to 2.82%. That’s a pretty significant gain, though I admit it is ripe for mockery by the ignorant.

The 1% gain, indicated by statistics collected by StatCounter, is accompanied by a 1.2% drop in Vista and .5% drop in XP installs. It’s worth considering that since these are based on computers browsing around the internet, a lot of business PCs and servers are probably left out of the count — though they too will take a while to ramp up as IT departments figure out just how they want to go about it.

OS X gained half a point during October too, so they’re not standing still either. 7 represents a bigger threat than the divided XP/Vista front. In a year that 2.82% will probably have the decimal point moved right one place, and its user-friendly features and critically-acclaimed status may actually put a bit of pressure on Cupertino. We’ll soon see, though.

The perfect room: a bed, TV, and an Xbox 360

Clearly the designers of this media room don’t care if you sit too close to the TV.The whole house is featured over on Design Sponge, but this media setup caught my attention. I’m jealous.

Kid’s Loft – The French movie poster from “Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down” I got from my brother who worked with Pedro Almodovar for over 10 years. The TV swings out so they can watch TV from their desks. Boi Sconces are from Pucci International, king size futon upholstered in espadrille fabric from Donghia. We set up a king upholstered mattress to lounge, play X-box and have kids sleep over.

I was constantly getting yelled at for sitting too close to my 27-inch TV growing up. You’ll get a headache! It’s bad for your eyes! Blah, blah, blah. Well, I can tell you I never got a headache from it and my eyes are bad because of genetics, not from watching Captain Planet two feet away from the TV.

Actually that media room is kind of my dream bedroom: a king size mattress stretching from wall to wall and a TV with an Xbox 360. That’s all you need, really.

The HyperMac will charge your Mac notebook and iPhone off the grid

The HyperMac from Koyono aims to keep your MacBook and iPhone charged when you don’t have access to a power outlet. If they had swappable batteries, this wouldn’t be an issue. Apple, however, decided that no one actually wants to change batteries on the go anymore; that’s a last gen feature. That’s fine. The HyperMac looks like it should get the job done.

So basically what this thing does is power and charge a MacBook and iPhone (or any USB device) simultaneously. The battery pack even runs at both 16.5V and 18.5V like the OEM Apple chargers, which means the battery shouldn’t be put under any unnecessary strain.

There are three sizes available: 60 WH, 100 WH, 150 WH. These things aren’t cheap either. All three models use a lithium ion battery pack that can be recharged up to 1000 times and are encased in aluminum to match the MacBook. The 60 WH model runs $199, with the 100 WH and 150 WH models fetching $299 and $399 respectively but also coming with a free DC MacBook Car Charger. Pricey, yes, but also one of the only solutions to run a Mac for extended periods.

No unlimited Spotify use for Orange iPhone users

It seems the onus now rests upon Vodafone to serve up an iPhone deal to get O2 sweating.

Orange Apple iPhone customers will not have unlimited access to streaming sites like Spotify and YouTube with the network claiming users must stay within the 750MB data allowance.

 After the buzz-killing announcement that Orange's new iPhone tariffs fail to beat what is already on offer from O2, today's news casts further doubt on the network's ability to shake up the 3GS landscape.


"We recognise that iPhone customers will use popular streaming services such as YouTube, Spotify," a company spokesman told ElectricPig. "As a result we do not intend to apply network protection controls, as long as customers remain within their usage allowance."

 So basically, what Orange is saying is 'we're kind enough to let you eat the luxury box of chocolates you're paying a fortune for, but you're not allowed to eat the whole box.'

 O2, who is prepared to let you eat as many chocolates as you want, will be as buoyed by this news as it was by the revelations that Orange were unable to undercut its lofty tariffs.

 Spotify, which is selling its Premium subscription service on the basis of unlimited music, will be less chuffed seeing as Orange contracts will only amount to around 13-hours of streaming. Factor in regular web surfing habits and users will be running out of free data by the weekend.

 It seems the onus now rests upon Vodafone to serve up an iPhone deal to get O2 sweating, but it's yet to reveal its plans for the handset.

Swedish government promises superfast broadband to all

[Sweden] The Swedish government is following in the footsteps of the Finns (well almost), as their IT-ministry is now promising that 90 percent of all Swedish homes will have access to a 100 mbit/s broadband connection before 2020.

According to Swedish IT-minister Åsa Torstensson it isn’t possible to function in the information society of today without a fast internet connection. You hear that? This is the information society, people!

The Swedish government is therefore launching a new broadbrand strategy, according to which there needs to be a set minimum level of broadband speed.

Today that minimum level is 20 kbit/s, which clearly isn’t anywhere near enough if you’re going to download lots and lots of movies.

Sweden is one of the more well connected countries in Europe and about 89 percent of the population have internet in their homes.

DIY: How to give your iPhone’s chrome bezel a brushed metal look

The iPhone is one sexy kit, but it generally doesn’t doesn’t stay that way for long. So if your chrome bezel is scratched up, why not give it the brushed metal look? All it takes is a two-sided kitchen sponge and a bit of work to give your iPhone a different look.

Windows Mobile HTC HD2 will not have Android Market

While offering Android apps would prove a massive boost to the WinMo platform, the company has its own big plans having recently launched the Windows Marketplace for Mobile alongside update 6.5.

 A mistake on T-Mobile's website yesterday had many tech sites convinced that the incoming HTC HD2 Windows Mobile handset would have access to the Android Market app store.

While it seems absolutely ludicrous that these two smartphone behemoths would join forces to see Android apps sold on a WinMo platform, some reports suggested it could be a reality.

A quick call from T3 to T-Mobile's PR agency today unearthed that the post was a mistake from the network provider that would be hastily pulled from its website, although no official comment would be made.



While offering Android apps would prove a massive boost to the WinMo platform, the company has its own big plans, having recently launched the Windows Marketplace for Mobile alongside update 6.5.



2010 will see the release of Windows Mobile 7, which the company hopes will do for its much-maligned mobile OS what Windows 7 has done for its PC platform after the disaster of Vista.



HTC's Peter Chou last week said the company was pledging full support to Windows Mobile and would not be offering the HTC HD2 on the Android OS.

Too expensive? DJ Hero sales ‘modest’

While there’s no hard numbers, an analyst over at Capital Markets has called the sales of DJ Hero “modest.” Usually you want phrases like “brisk pace” and “exceeding expectations” when you release big ticket games like DJ Hero, but it doesn’t seem to be happening here.

You already know why: the game is too expensive. It’s asking a lot of consumers to spend at least $120 on a video game ($200 for the special edition), the genre of which may be played out, when the economy still hasn’t picked up for the average person yet.

Or maybe the DJ culture isn’t as attractive as the whole rock and roll culture?

It should be noted that the game isn’t necessarily bad, with our own Greg Kumparak saying it “doesn’t suck horribly.” High praise from the big man.

I also don’t recall seeing a big marketing campaign behind the game. Maybe people just don’t know enough about it?

Whatever the reason, the game isn’t quite a huge hit.

Britain opens its first rehab clinic for gamers

Sufferers spend days at a time glued to their computer screens - going without food, sleep, or any social interaction. As a result they suffer malnutrition, relationship-breakdown and postural problems.

A rehab clinic in Somerset has now opened its doors to people with serious gaming addictions.

The centre will adapt its Minnesota Method Twelve-Step programme, which it normally uses to treat people addicted to drugs, drink and gambling, to treat gamers that exhibit similar behaviour.

Patients at the clinic will take part in group therapy, video sessions and therapeutic tasks including vacuuming and washing up.

According to The Telegraph: “Sufferers spend days at a time glued to their computer screens - going without food, sleep, or any social interaction. As a result they suffer malnutrition, relationship-breakdown and postural problems.”

Brian Dudley, the centre’s chief executive told the The Telegraph that he believed between five to ten per cent of the nation know someone addicted to an online game.

Dudley believes that the rise and rise of online games such as World of Warcraft, which requires players to invest large amounts of time to progress, has triggered this new addiction.

With the recent release of Championship Manager, there are sure to be bleary-eyed, pale-skinned addicts across the country that don’t know what day it is. If this sounds like you, contact the centre now.

Giveaway: 5G iPod Nano case from iSkin

Who wants an iPod nano case? I’ve three brand new cases from iSkin that want nothing more than to protect your precious iPod nano. These are for the latest camera-equipped models, but they will work just fine for the 4G models too. All you need to do is leave a comment describing why you want one after the jump. Since I have three cases, three different people will win.

How fun.The contest will run until 11/10/2009. Be sure to use your real email as that’s how I’ll contact the winners.

Apple sells only 5,000 official iPhones in China

Not that this should surprise anyone, but Apple has sold only 5,000 iPhones since last week when it officially launched. The phrase “officially launched” is key, since people there have been able to buy the iPhone on the gray market for some time now. And it’s a superior phone on the grey market, since the official phone doesn’t have Wi-Fi. That’s right: a smartphone nearly in 2010 that doesn’t have Wi-Fi.

The phone isn’t particularly expensive, but that’s not the issue. The issue is that China Unicom and Apple have released a crippled version of a phone that had already been widely available.

Who’s gonna buy that? Apparently very few people!

Someone, and I don’t know who, expects Apple to sell as much as 460,000 official iPhone in China per year. Keep in mind that that’s still less than the number of grey market phones, so all of this is sorta silly.

Warner Bros. replaces Microsoft as Family Guy sponsor

The Family Guy-Microsoft story has been tearing this country apart for too long. No more! Seth MacFarlane & Co. have found a new sponsor for their Almost Live special, and it’s none other than the movie Sherlock Holmes, which stars Robert Downey, Jr.

You’ll recall that Microsoft dropped its sponsorship of the show last week when it saw a rough cut of the special. Too raunchy, said Microsoft. No it’s not, replied MacFarlane. Well, we’re leaving and taking our money, said Microsoft. Oh boy, replied MacFarlane.

But there’s nothing to worry about, for Warner Bros. has stepped in with its checkbook and credit line to save the day.

It’s good news for those of you who still watch Family Guy.

iPhone 4 rumours start thanks to Chinese retailer

Could the iPhone 4 have been leaked thanks to a Chinese retailer? Known for leaking parts of the iPhone 3GS to the internet, which turned out to be the real thing, they're a source which is being taken very seriously by other sites, including Gizmodo.

Today's leak shows the midboard, which is a part of the phone designed to keep the motherboard and screen separated, to avoid interference. It looks roughly the shape and size that is expected to be in an iPhone, and while China Ontrade wasn't very forthcoming with further details, they did reveal that the iPhone has a new design, with an "amazingly beautiful" back.


 

Just where did China Ontrade get this information from? Reportedly from Foxconn, which is one of the companies Apple uses to manufacture its products. It's a leak which needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, but as they've shown to be correct before, we're going to start wishing even harder for a brand new design for the iPhone 4, which will undoubtedly go on sale next summer.



The iPhone has just gone on sale in China as of last week, where an official 32GB handset costs 6,999 Yuan, or around £625/$1,024USD. That price doesn't even include the cost of the monthly contract, suddenly making our disappointment at the tarrifs Orange is imposing on iPhone users diminish quite a bit.

Left 4 Dead 2 demo now available for Xbox Live Gold members

Previously available for pre-orders only, Left 4 Dead 2's demo is now on Xbox Live for all Gold subscribers, because taking demos away from Silver members is a great way to make Gold appear more valuable than it is. The demo should give you a good idea of what to expect in Valve's soon-to-be successful zombie sequel -- more of the same, but even better.

At the time of writing, I can see the demo on Xbox Live, but I keep getting an error message. Either that means too many people are downloading it, or Microsoft has screwed up for everyone as usual. In any case, it's there, but you might have to be patient.

Now I will continue getting myself excited for the game.

Sony PSP Go sells just 28,000 on first day in Japan

The Sony PSP Go, the company's great hope of reviving its handheld gaming fortunes, appears to have fallen short of expectations after sales figures revealed a meagre 28,000 units were shifted in Japan on the first day.

The console, which ditches the unpopular UMD format for a 16GB hard-drive and downloadable games, hasn't performed nearly as well on home soil as the first two incarnations of the PSP. The original PlayStation portable sold 171,293 on day one in the land of the rising sun, with the PSP 2000 shifting a lofty 130,000 handheld beauties.

The good news for Sony is that the PSP Go performed 28-times better in Japan than it did in Australia, where it flogged, yes you guessed it, 1,000 consoles.



We don't have any UK (or US) figures yet, but we'd imagine the lofty price tag of £200 means it's unlikely to have performed any more triumphantly.

Acer outs 18.4-inch Core i7 laptop, I shall call it GIGANTOR!

Acer’s new 18.4-inch AS8940G-6865 is a desktop replacement. And by “desktop replacement” I mean that you could attach four legs to it and use it as your desk. It’s big, is what I’m trying to say. Don’t actually attach legs to it, but I guess take with you the impression that this is a large laptop. Also, it’s powerful, so keep that in mind as well.

The machine boasts a newfangled quad-core Intel Core i7 CPU 720QM at 1.6GHz, an 18.4-inch LCD at 1920×1080 resolution, 4GB of DDR3 memory, an NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M GPU with 1GB of dedicated DDR3 video RAM, 500GB SATA hard drive, Blu-ray/DVD burner combo drive, 8-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

There’s also five USB ports, an HDMI port, eSATA port, card reader, webcam, VGA output, Dolby audio, draft-N wireless, “touch-capacitive media control interface,” and a travel weight of more than 10 pounds.

Pricing starts at $1350 – Newegg seems to be first out of the gate to sell the machine.

Full press release:

New Acer Aspire Notebook PC Maximizes Performance with New Intel Core i7 Quad-Core Processor and Windows 7 Technology

New Aspire AS8940G-6865 Notebook with 18.4-inch Display Delivers Intensive Gaming, Entertainment and Multimedia Performance

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Acer America today introduced the Acer Aspire AS8940G-6865 notebook PC, featuring the new Intel® Core™ i7 Quad-Core 720QM processor and Windows® 7 Home Premium. This mobile processor delivers extremely fast performance for the most demanding applications such as playing games and editing digital photos and videos.

Designed for entertainment and multimedia enthusiasts, the Aspire AS8940G-6865 offers superior performance, innovative features and advanced technology for mobile users. This new notebook boasts a large 18.4-inch widescreen HD display for extraordinary visual quality, advanced NVIDIA graphics, Blu-ray technology, a high-quality audio system, a large hard drive and ample memory, making it a mobile powerhouse. The addition of Windows 7 to this new notebook provides users with a new level of performance, simplicity and ease of use.

The Aspire AS8940G with the Intel Core i7 processor delivers a breakthrough in PC performance, allowing users to multitask between applications quicker and enjoy faster performance overall. The new processor features Intel Turbo Boost Technology(3), which accelerates processor clock speed up to 75 percent to match a user’s workload(4) demands, giving more power when it is needed the most. Intel Hyper-Threading Technology(5) allows applications to work better in parallel, making multitasking quick and easy.

“This new Aspire notebook offers multimedia enthusiasts the ultimate in mobile entertainment – cinematic quality sound and visuals, an industry-leading feature set, and the performance to handle demanding digital media,” said Preeta Anil, Product Manager, Notebooks for Acer America. “The addition of Intel’s new Core i7 processor further boosts the power and performance of the Aspire AS8940G for games, movies, videos and more.”

Superior Technology for Mobile Cinema and Gaming

For the ultimate cinematic experience, the Aspire AS8940G-6865 features cutting-edge visual and sound technology. This new notebook includes an 18.4-inch full HD widescreen CineCrystal™ LED backlit display with a 1920×1080 resolution that exhibits true HDTV with a 16:9 aspect ratio in a new edge-to-edge design that’s perfect for widescreen movies. The certified Dolby Home Theater® Audio Enhancement technology combined with the Acer CineSurround sound system with five built-in speakers and the Acer Tuba CineBass booster bring clear tones and deep bass beats for incredible entertainment.

Users can enjoy the clarity and precision of Blu-ray Disc™ high definition technology for watching Blu-ray movies in extraordinary detail as well as burn CDs and DVDs of music, photos and files. The NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 250M graphics maximize the gaming experience by providing intense computing power. Additionally, the 1GB of dedicated video memory allows buffering capacity for seamless graphics and visuals.

Further enhancing the multimedia experience, Acer’s Touch-Capacitive Media Control Interface allows consumers to quickly and easily control their entertainment choices, including media playback and volume levels. The Aspire AS8940G also comes equipped with a FineTip keyboard with backlight, making it more user friendly when watching movies or listening to music in a dark environment.

Mobile Performance and Connectivity

Additional popular technologies allow customers to stay connected and be productive while on the go. The integrated media card reader, DVD burner and 500GB of hard drive storage enable customers to quickly and easily view, download, store and share their digital media content. Additionally, the Aspire AS8940G offers users further flexibility and expandability with an extra eSATA hard drive port.

The Acer Crystal Eye™ webcam delivers smooth video streaming and high quality images for online chats and business video conferences, even in low-light situations. The built-in digital microphone conveys superior voice quality, keeping background noise levels low and minimizing echoes.

Consumers can connect via 802.11a/b/g Draft-N with expanded wireless features, and all models include Gigabit Ethernet for a fast wired connection.

Pricing/Configurations/Availability

The Acer Aspire AS8940G-6865 notebook will be available for U.S. customers at leading retailers this holiday season. A sample configuration follows.

Acer Aspire AS8940G-6865
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 720QM (1.60GHz, 6MB L3 Cache, 1333MHz FSB)
18.4″ Full HD Widescreen CineCrystal™ LED-backlit Display
(1920×1080 Resolution, 16:9 Aspect Ratio)
4GB DDR3 Dual-Channel 1066MHz Memory
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 250M with 1GB dedicated DDR3 VRAM
500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive (1)
4X Blu-ray Disc™/DVD SuperMulti Double-Layer Drive
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 5100 802.11a//bg/Draft-N Wi-Fi CERTIFIED®
Acer Crystal Eye™ Integrated Webcam
Touch-Capacitive Media Control Interface
5 USB 2.0 Ports, 1 HDMI Port, 1 eSATA Port
8-cell Li-Ion Battery (4800mAh)
Dolby Home Theater® Audio Enhancement
Acer CineSurround Sound System (5 built-in speakers)
Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
MSRP $1,349.99

OMG! A leaked backplate for some sort of upcoming Apple device!

So what’s all this then? A company called China Ontrade is selling an iPhone Generation 4 2010 backplate with camera holes for $23.42. China Ontrade, interestingly enough, was the company that started selling iPhone 3GS screens a few months before launch.

What does this prove? Not much. Maybe they’re trying to drum up excitement or maybe Apple, in all their wisdom, is releasing the 4G model for the holidays, a highly unlikely turn of events. iPhones come out in the summer time, just in time for back-to-school, and this might be a mislabeling.

But maybe – just maybe – China knows something we don’t. How would you like them apples?

Bang & Olufsen 40-inch BeoVision 10 launches

 

With Pioneer no longer producing high-end TVs, it's up to manufacturers such as Loewe and Bang & Olufsen to sate the appetites of cash-rich consumers. Step forward BeoVision 10, the slim LCD TV from B&O which comes in an unusual square shape.

It's an LCD TV, but has LEDs all around the edge, for extended brightness and a high-end, premium look that you just can't fake. Measuring 40-inches, it has a refresh rate of 200/240Hz, brightness is 450 cd/m2 and the contrast ratio is 4000:1.

 

It's wall-mountable, and almost looks like a picture frame when it's up there, due to its square shape. It's their thinnest 40-inch TV yet, at 6.4cm in thickness, and is on a hinge so you can angle it to face you.

 

"BeoVision 10 is the Bang & Olufsen answer to a flat screen concept designed to be wall mounted. In every detail the design has been optimised for wall placement, at the same time it has been very important for us to secure an outstanding sound performance - also when it comes to an extremely flat TV like this one", Bang & Olufsen's product manager Heidi Hausted Fredberg said.



Available soon, the Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 10 will cost £6,000.

Orange Wednesdays app now available for iPhone

The app will feature the latest film reviews, previews, trailers and have up to date information on screen times as well as the all important option to redeem your 2 for 1 cinema voucher.

In preparation for November 10th when Orange will start selling iPhones, the network has today launched an Orange Wednesdays app - which will make the hugely popular promotion easier to access.

The app will feature the latest film reviews, previews, trailers and have up to date information on screen times as well as the all important option to redeem your 2 for 1 cinema voucher.


The handy search feature also allows you to find your local Orange Wednesday cinema and you can also invite a friend by email with details of the film - which is very handy. The app is available to download from the iTunes store for free.

The Beatles' digital downloads available online thanks to BlueBeat

Last night, speaking to the Telegraph, a spokesperson for EMI said that the company had not given BlueBeat.com permission to sell the tracks and that they would be "looking into" the matter.

The Beatles' entire back catalogue is available to download for the first time ever at 15p per track on Bluebeat.com, after years of holding out against online retailers such as iTunes, eager for some Beatles music.

In addition to offering each and every track as a digital download, BlueBeat.com is also letting users stream each track for free.

However, it’s unclear whether EMI and Apple Corps have actually given the site permission to sell the Fab Four’s hits.

Last night, speaking to the Telegraph, a spokesperson for EMI said that the company had not given BlueBeat.com permission to sell the tracks and that they would be “looking into” the matter.

Despite this, it’s still possible to buy a digital copy of Abbey Road now for just $4.25 (£2.60), five times cheaper than the price of a typical iTunes album.

Google Wave App Store official

Google has confirmed that its Google Wave tool will come bundled with its own application store. The online real-time collaborating tool will allow developers to market their own apps within the store, while Google will (happily) take a share of the revenue.

The addition of an app store is a clear statement that Google is taking this thing seriously. With Apple's ever growing App Store showcasing over 100,000 approved apps, think of this as an app store for the internet, but the fact that they will be waving cash at developers should make it more of a tempting offer.

Currently only available in beta, and with only 600,000 testers worldwide, Wave is a mash-up of online documents, instant messaging and plug-ins for things like Google Maps and Weather that can all be displayed publicly in a "wave".


With limited numbers of testers using the tool, it's too early to tell whether it'll take off. But, in the event of a mass Wave breakout, a pair of early adopters, Gina Trapani and Adam Pash from lifehacker.com, have written a handy comprehensive guide on how to get your head around it.

Samsung X120 Review

Aside from a slightly below-par battery life, it is hard to find fault with the X120

If you are in the market for a netbook, but want something that is a little bit nippier than your average sub-£400 ‘mini-puter’ that are all the rage right now, then Samsung’s new ultra-thin and light X120 could well be just the ticket.

Samsung’s X120 will set you back around £500, so the machine sits nicely somewhere in-between Sony’s (reassuringly expensive) £1300-plus VAIO X Series and Apple’s £1000-plus MacBook Air at the very top end, and the slimmer but slower (and hence slightly cheaper) netbooks such as the ASUS Seashell, Acer’s Aspire One and Dell’s Mini 10.

 

The problem with netbooks, as Sony well knows with its ultraportable VAIO P Series, is that up to now they have been fine for dabbling around on the internet now and then, but incredibly frustrating for using as a regular work machine. As a rule they have not really been powerful enough to cope with the demands of producing ‘stuff’ – be it copy for your blog or reports and spreadsheets on Microsoft Word and Office while on your travels. After all, the ASUS Eee PC – pretty much the template for the modern netbook - was originally developed and designed as a low-cost educational machine for developing countries.


Samsung’s designers have thankfully chosen to just ignore the ‘cheap as chips’ Eee PC influence and to squeeze as much power into this tiny beast as they could, while keeping the overall cost lower than similar offerings from the likes of Sony and Apple.


It’s 25.4mm thin, combining the power-optimized performance of a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium 1400 processor with a lovely and bright 11.6-inch high definition LED screen. Watching movies you’ve downloaded or catching up with TV on the BBC iPlayer is a joy, although setting the screen brightness to the highest levels does tend to sap the battery a little. We were getting between two and three hours on average, while away from a power source. Although we were hammering the thing with Skype, Spotify, MS Word and countless other apps all up and running. More astute use of apps is sure to extend that battery life a little.


Most notably, you can hardly feel the weight of this machine, but it seems to performs as quickly and efficiently as most other laptops in the £800 to £1200 price bracket, which is the most immediate and obvious benefit of Sammy’s netbook. You soon realise that you don’t have to feel that you are lugging a computer around with you to have a reliable, fast machine on hand whenever you need to pitch-up in a coffee-house or airport lounge on your travels to get some all-important work done fast.

 

So aside from a slightly below-par battery life, it is hard to find fault with the X120 netbook. Or slimbook. Or ultraportable. Whatever you want to call it. If pressed, you could say that the form factor, while nice and slim and well-built, is a bit ‘samey’ and it certainly doesn’t turn eyes as much as its predecessor the Samsung NC310. When placed alongside a Sony VAIO X netbook, the chrome-edging looks far less sexy. But then, that’s why you pay the big bucks. And if you have £1300 and more to spunk on a netbook, then you’re not going to look twice at this.


The only other gripe would be that the multi-touch trackpad - while one of the better trackpads we’ve tried on a netbook to date – still failed to excite us as much as similar style trackpads on MacBooks and other higher-end ‘puters. It wasn’t that it was in any way broken or that it hindered the task in hand, more that it didn’t feel as quick and intuitive.


That very minor moan aside, for a genuinely portable multimedia PC that doubles up as a handy little workhorse, the Samsung X120 ultrathin notebook is hard to beat, with Windows 7 running as zippily as we’ve seen it on most far beefier desktops and laptops and a very decent quality in-built audio system for those Spotify sessions while on the move.


The fact that it packs in a very handy HDMI output port, for when you’ve pitched up back in your lounge and want to carry-on with that iPlayer catch-up session, was the final cherry on the netbook-shaped cake that is the Samsung X120.

Sony MHS-PM1 Snap review

The PM1 can boast of crystal clear filming on paper it doesn't quite match this quality in practice

The world of video recording is changing. With Apple launching its latest iPod nano with video capabilities (completely bypassing a stills camera feature) the options to film everything around you are getting bigger, while the devices to help you achieve this are getting smaller.

Sony’s MHS-PM1 (given the snappy name of the Snap) is the company’s smallest camcorder yet, and possibly the strangest-looking pocket shooter you will ever see. Not that being strange is a bad thing, it just looks as if Sony has thrown all the design rules out of the window and created an HD cam that looks more like a mobile phone.

 

The design of the device is what makes the MHS-PM1 such a great camcorder to use though, as it helps you film footage you wouldn’t expect to with such a small gadget. This all because of the MHS-PM1’s swivel lens. It allows for a 270-degree viewing angle which is great for getting footage at awkward angles – something that is almost impossible to do with a fixed-lens camcorder. It also means you can now film yourself easier than ever before – perfect for those who don’t want to stay behind the camera. The swivel lens is also the way you power up and power down the camcorder. This is simple but very effective.

Despite its small size (a mere 2.2 x 4 x 0.9 inches), it manages to record 1080p 30fps footage. This is almost unheard of on such a small camera, with the PM1’s major rival Flip Mino HD managing just 720p. JVC, however, matches the camcorder with its recently announced Picsio range.

But it’s not the size of the pixel count but what you do with it that matters. And while the PM1 can boast of crystal clear filming on paper it doesn’t quite match this quality in practice.

Granted, the camera is perfect for outdoor shooting, but it doesn’t seem to like the indoors too much, with the camera adding noise to a picture when the lights are low. This isn’t noticeable when viewed on the cam’s 1.8-inch screen (which could have been made a tad bigger) but connect to a big-screen HD TV and you will see that there’s more grain than you would hope for. Flip the scene mode to Low Light and things do improve but the noise problem doesn’t completely go away.

Use the PM1 within its limits – face it, you’re never going to get Spielberg-like shots with a camcorder the size of a wallet – and you’ll be rewarded by a camera that’s fun to use and one that will film high-quality footage that can be uploaded straight to your Mac or PC through the free PMB (picture motion browser) software. You can also upload your movie marvels to the likes of YouTube with use of the Sharemark button. And if you want to show off your still photos, up to 5MP in size, then this also links here to online web album Picasa, when you sync the device to your computer through the cam’s USB2.0 port.

Fitting nicely in your pocket this is a take-anywhere device that will document whatever you throw at it in a quick and simple way. The controls of the camera are easy to use, with dedicated record and photo capture buttons making it a breeze to take still images seamlessly while you are recording movie footage.

 

Images are recorded straight to Memory Stick Pro Duo, which could be a bugbear for some. Sony has stuck to its guns and continued to deliver products which solely use its proprietary format, even though every man and his dog is using SD for media storage.

So, unless you have a bundle of Sony products you will have to fork out for a card, adding extra money to your purchase. And don’t even think that the 12MB internal memory will do the job, as it will fill up before you can say ‘high definition’.

While there’s a number of niggles with the PM1 – lack of HDMI output, no optical zoom and poor image stabilisation – its ease of use outweighs almost all of its problems. If you want a bit of variety from the Flips of this world, then the PM1 is definitely a contender.

Rumor: Walmart selling $199 Xbox 360 with $100 gift card on Saturday?

Well what have we here? It seems that a “retail tipster” sent Kotaku the following inventory screen showing this potentially enticing deal: an Xbox 360 Arcade system for $199 “with $100 GC.” Let’s pretend for fun that “GC” means “gift card” shall we?

You’ll also notice a few other pretty aggressive deals: 42-inch TV for $498, HP laptop for $298, Sony Blu-ray player for $148, and so on and so forth.

This is still all in the rumor phase, although there’s apparently an official announcement expected tomorrow. The above screenshot looks plausible, too, I suppose.

VIA’s 3000-series Nano CPUs promise longer battery, increased performance

VIA has introduced its updated line of Nano processors, built for netbooks and all-in-one computers. The 3000 series promises a 20% performance boost over existing Nano CPUs while managing to reduce overall power consumption by 20% as well.

The processors range in speed from 1-2GHz and all feature an 800MHz frontside bus.

According to VIA’s press release:

“Based on the 64-bit superscalar ‘Isaiah’ architecture, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver the most compelling thin and light notebook computing experience with their rich HD entertainment capabilities, including support for flawless playback of high bit-rate 1080p HD video, as well as low power consumption resulting in longer battery life.”

The new processors are currently available to system builders and are expected to show up in retail markets in the first quarter of next year, presumably to take on Intel’s upcoming line of PineTrail processors.
 

Here’s the full press release:

VIA Introduces New VIA Nano 3000 Series Processors

VIA’s fastest and most power efficient processors yet deliver richest mobile and all-in-one desktop computing experience

Taipei, Taiwan, 3 November 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms,　today introduced its new VIA Nano 3000 Series processors, bringing enhanced digital media performance and lower power consumption to Windows 7 thin and light notebook and all-in-one desktop PC markets.

Based on the 64-bit superscalar ‘Isaiah’ architecture, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver the most compelling thin and light notebook computing experience with their rich HD entertainment capabilities, including support for flawless playback of high bit-rate 1080p HD video, as well as low power consumption resulting in longer battery life.

With a host of advanced features including 64-bit support, advanced CPU virtualization technology, SSE4 for enhanced multimedia processing, and the industry-leading encryption and security capabilities integrated in the VIA PadLock™ Security Engine, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors also provide a secure, high-performance solution for emerging cloud-based computing environments.

“With the VIA Nano 3000 Series, we are launching our fastest and most power-efficient processors yet,” commented Richard Brown, VP International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “Coupled with our market-leading digital media chipsets, they enable the richest experience across a broad range of mobile and all-in-one system designs.”

VIA Nano 3000 Series

VIA Nano 3000 Series processors are built on the successful 64-bit, superscalar architecture that powers the VIA Nano 1000 Series and 2000 Series processors, which have been adopted by leading OEMs worldwide for a growing number of market-leading mini-note, small form factor desktop, and energy-efficient server designs.

Available at speeds from 1.0GHz to 2.0GHz, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver up to 20% higher performance using up to 20% less power than current VIA Nano processors and boast a number of new features including support for the SSE4 multimedia instruction set and VIA VT virtualization technology.

Fully compatible with all Microsoft operating systems, including the new Windows 7, as well as all popular Linux distributions, the VIA Nano 3000 Series processors use the NanoBGA2 package, making them pin-to-pin compatible with VIA Nano 1000 Series, VIA Nano 2000 Series, VIA C7, VIA C7-M and VIA Eden processors for easy upgrades of existing designs.

VIA Nano 3000 Series Availability

VIA Nano 3000 Series processor samples are currently available for OEMs and motherboard vendors, and will enter mass production in Q1 2010.

Redfly Mobile Companions now play nicely with BlackBerrys

Alright, BlackBerry owners, don’t rush all at once. I know you probably wanna get in on the Redfly mobile companion game but we need to remember to act civilized. It’s understandable that you’re excited that Redfly can now kick it with BlackBerrys along with Winmo phones, but don’t flood the servers all at one time.

The latest Redfly update isn’t really a surprise. The company announced BlackBerry support was coming, but we just didn’t know when. But with the update, the Redfly C8N and C7 can now extend the desktop of the BlackBerry Bold 9000, Curve 8900, and Tour 9630 to the Redfly’s 800×480 resolution display. Oh, and the update is free. Just don’t push and shove to get it.

The TwitterPeek is a Peek that tweets

Remember the Twitter Peek thingie Peter Ha spotted last week? Yeah, it’s official now and is actually a neat little device if you Twitter a whole lot and don’t carry a smartphone. Wait, what?

So the TwitterPeek gives you an always-connected view of Twitter over a nationwide cellular network. You can tweet and twat all you want. The device runs $99 with 6 months of service or $199 with a lifetime of the device service.

I’m sure the TweeterPeek is a wonderful device, but most feature phones now include a Twitter app. So if you’re really getting into Twitter, first reevaluate your life, and then check out your cell phone provider’s offers to make sure you simply can’t upgrade your phone to get access to Twitter. Or you can just drop $200 on the TweeterPeek and call it good. Your call.

Peek Unveils TwitterPeek – Making It Affordable for Millions More to Twitter on the Go

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Peek, the maker of the award-winning Peek email and texting device, debuts the world’s first Twitter mobile device today exclusively on Amazon.com. TwitterPeek promises to unleash the thrill of Twitter on-the-go by enabling millions to tweet interesting news, stories, and ideas as soon as they happen – in real time – without an expensive smartphone or data plan.

Twitter has become a worldwide phenomenon, but – until now – the millions of Twitter users without a smartphone haven’t been able to fully experience the fun of Twitter on-the-go. “TwitterPeek will make it easy and affordable for everyone who doesn’t have a smartphone to really enjoy Twitter on–the-go,” said Peekster-in-Chief Amol Sarva.

TwitterPeek delivers the world of Twitter in a sleek, palm-sized gadget sure to top this year’s holiday gift list. “Twitter die-hards will appreciate its ‘always-on’ instant tweet delivery and newbies will finally ‘get Twitter’ once they have TwitterPeek in hand,” continued Sarva. “Even businesses that Twitter will dig TwitterPeek as a convenient way to stay connected with their customers.”

At $99 including unlimited nationwide service, TwitterPeek offers affordability no smartphone can match and a user experience far superior to SMS text messaging Twitter with a traditional cell phone.

Key features of TwitterPeek are:

Unlimited tweets and direct messages

Always-on instant tweet delivery

Views links (as plain text) and Twitpic images

Nationwide coverage. No wi-fi signal necessary.

Full QWERTY keyboard, color screen, click scroll wheel

30-day money back guarantee

1-year manufacturers warranty

Availability:

TwitterPeek is available exclusively on Amazon.com and TwitterPeek.com from November 3, 2009.

The original Peek Classic and Peek Pronto email and texting mobile devices are available at Amazon.com, GetPeek.com, Costco.com, and select Blockbuster and RadioShack stores.

Cost: TwitterPeek

$99 includes device plus 6 months of unlimited Twitter service ($7.95 per month for service thereafter)

$199 includes unlimited Twitter service for lifetime of device

No contracts

What exactly makes a camera EVIL?

So we know what a DSLR is, we know what a P&S is, but what exactly do we call those new little cameras with the removable lenses? Is it an “Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens” camera? Well, CNET is asking just that question, and you can contribute to their poll if you’d like. Or hang out with us cool kids.

The writer does raise an interesting point, what exactly do we call the new generation of cameras? How exactly do you classify a camera like the Panasonic GF1, or the GH1? They aren’t exactly point and shoot, but they aren’t DLSRs either. Make your contribution to the democratic process (it’s ok, you can still vote if you’re a felon) and pick the new name and acronym.

Japanese rules volleyball: one player must be robotic

There’s not much for me to add here. In addition to walking normally, robots can now play pool, baseball, volleyball, and make ramen. Anybody else feeling a bit like an endangered species?

Build your own battery powered USB charger

 Battery powered USB chargers are nothing new — but building one yourself, that’s something different. Using a few components from your local electronics store and a 9v battery, you too can solder together your own little frankencharger.

It’s a pretty easy build. Solder the battery connector wires to a regulator, and then from the regulator to the female end of a scavenged USB cable to the regulator, and you’re set. The hardest part will be finding a female end of a USB connector, unless you want to just chop the end off of a cable. You can read about the whole process here (there’s a little more to it then I’ve described).

One thing to be aware of: I contacted an electric engineer friend of mine, and he advised me to be very cautious with this build. It is a strong possibility that this device could short out and destroy the device you are trying to charge. In this case, it might be better to spend the $20 and buy one from your favorite retail outlet.
Source: Crunch Gear

And now Creative is jumping into e-book readers and tablets and funcookers and such

We’re withholding judgment on the Zii platform until somebody really gets a chance to use it in a final form (you can see video of it running Android here), but little did we know that Creative has more planned for the vaguely-defined media platform than PMPs.

They’ve just announced that we can expect a sort of media player/e-book reader with the Zii branding sometime… sometime in the next couple years I’d say. They actually showed a unit, boasting about its color touchscreen, but apparently nobody thought to take pictures. So we’re all left wondering — but whatever you’re picturing in your head right now is probably about right.

Except you there, with the freckles. What you’re thinking is wrong. So, so wrong.

Like so many other functiondrogenous tablet-shaped devices, you can expect to watch some media, access some services like Facebook and Twitter, and probably a few other things. Beyond that, it’s pretty much anybody’s guess.