Sony Boasts 50M PSPs Sold; Still Behind DS

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. was proud to announce to the world today that its PlayStation Portable system has reached the 50 million mark in sales.

The PSP hit the 50 million milestone in January 2009 after having launched in December 2004 in Japan, March 2005 in North America, May 2005 in Asian countries and regions, and September 2005 in Europe/PAL territories.

The device has since seen three major hardware revisions, with the first slimming and lightening the unit considerably. The third and current version adds a built-in microphone, which works with Skype for VoIP calling.

Sony also pointed out that more than 2,000 games on UMD are available worldwide, with cumulative software sell-in units reaching 200 million to date. Sony did not, however, mention figures regarding movies on UMD -- something generally regarded as a failure.

The PlayStation Store also gave PSP gamers a new option to purchase and play games. Now gamers can purchase PSP games, including some PSone classics, directly on the PlayStation Store for download onto a Memory Stick, giving the system a digital downloads service currently with more than 500 titles.

Of course, in the handheld market, the king is Nintendo. The DS’s popularity and reach have given it worldwide sales of nearly 97 million by the end of 2008, with more than 533 million games sold. But given the fact that no other handheld has been able to stand toe-to-toe with a Nintendo portable, Sony’s PSP should be considered a resounding success.

Fujtisu Sells HDD Business To Toshiba

Although we heard rumors last month, Fujitsu officially announced that Toshiba will be buying its hard disk drive (HDD) business. The move comes shortly after Fujitsu announced that it will cease production of HDD heads.

The transfer between the two companies is expected to be completed in the first quarter of fiscal 2009. The transfer will take place with Fujitsu creating a new company consisting of its HDD-related businesses and functions, which Toshiba will than take an 80-percent stake in. Fujitsu will initially retain a 20-percent stake in the new company to help provide for a smooth transfer, but Toshiba will eventually gain full ownership. The new company will be a subsidiary company of the Toshiba Group.

Toshiba hopes that the purchase of Fujitsu's HDD business will help strengthen its 2.5-inch and smaller HDD business, as well as give Toshiba entry into the enterprise HDD market. Fujitsu is currently a leader in the enterprise HDD market and a growing demand for such data storage systems is expected. Toshiba's entry into the enterprise HDD market will also give the company an opportunity to bring its own SSD technology into the enterprise market, fusing Fujitsu's enterprise HDD technology with its own SSD technology. Toshiba is aiming to capture over 20-percent of the overall HDD market by 2015.

Fujitsu also announced that it will be selling its HDD media business to Showa Denko K.K., with the transfer to be complete by April-June of 2009. Fujitsu's HDD media business is responsible for the manufacturing of aluminum media used in server HDDs and for the development and manufacturing of glass media used in compact notebook HDDs. Showa Denko is the world’s largest independent vendor of HDD media and the company's purchase of Fujitsu's HDD media business will help strengthen its media offerings for server drives. The move will also give Showa Denko direct access to the HDD-related intellectual property, knowledge and development capabilities held by Fujitsu.

Fujitsu posted a revised consolidated earnings projections for FY 2008, with it now stating a net loss projection of 50 billion yen ($544M), compared to the previous net loss projection of 20 billion yen ($217M). The company's full year net sales and operating cost projections remained unchanged though. Fujitsu had a net income of 48.1 billion yen back in FY 2007.

Tom's and AMD Overclocking Contest Opens!

Listen up, AMD overclocking enthusiasts, Tom’s Hardware’s next big competition is for you!

Starting Today, those of you with AMD Phenom 9950 Black Edition processors will have the opportunity to push your CPU to the limit for a shot of being crowned the winner of the AMD CPU Virtual Overclocking Contest.

For this month’s contest, we’ll be sticking with the Phenom 9950 Black Edition, but those of you with the Phenom II 940 will get your chance in March.

As long as you have an AMD Phenom 9950 Black Edition and are a U.S. Resident (sorry international folks, but those are the rules we’ve been given), then you’re qualified to compete! Here's the kicker though: you can enter even if you're not going to overclock! Non-competing entries will be placed in a weekly random drawing for prizes, but if you don't compete, you can't get dibs on the grand prizes.

To get started, you will need to prepare and then send us some information. When you enter, you'll automatically be emailed a copy of the requirements and rules.

For starters, we’ll have to know about the rest of your system besides just the requisite CPU. Tell us your motherboard model, memory configuration, graphics card, and any hardware and software modifications. We’ll also need to know your cooling method (e.g. air, water, liquid nitrogen, or, for the brave, liquid helium; where appropriate list any non-stock heatsink and cooling fan manufacturers and models).

We want to see what your bad ass rig looks like too. The winners of the Phenom 9950 Black Edition and Phenom II 940 will be flown out to our offices here in Los Angeles, all expenses paid for, to receive the prizes and have an opportunity to replicate or even exceed the winning overclock! Best of all, you'll get to hang out with us and AMD.

Intel and LG Team Up for Smartphone, MIDs

Intel and LG are teaming up in the mobile market.

The worlds number one CPU maker and the number three mobile handset maker are joining forces on multiple fronts. LG announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that it would be using Intel's upcoming Moorestown chip in one of its future handsets. The new processor, which should be released later this year, is intended for the mobile (phones, MIDs, and netbooks) market, and combines the CPU, memory controller and graphics power onto one piece of silicon.

While details are scarce. the deal also includes some software stipulations. Along with the Moorestown processor, LG will also use Intel's Linux-based Moblin 2.0 operating system. Also, the new Intel platform brings with it scalability. While the initial Moorestown chip will be a 45 nanometer design, it will eventually be brought down to 32nm, which brings power and heat reduction with it. "LG and Intel's common goal is to unleash rich Internet experiences across a range of mobile devices while delivering the functionality of today's high-end smartphones," the companies said in a joint statement.

According to Cnet, LG and Intel are also teaming up for a slew of Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs). While the line between MID and smartphone is increasingly blurred, a good guess would be that these MIDs would lack a dedicated phone function, and have a layout more reminiscent of a laptop or tablet. While MIDs can be robust as far as features are concerned, asking consumers to buy an "Internet Device" that cannot make phone calls without using VoIP is asking a lot. Furthermore, while using VoIP is great when on a WiFi connection, using it over mobile broadband will require a subscription. Seeing as most people would have a phone as well as an MID, that's a lot of cash spent on hardware, and even more spent on multiple monthly data and/or phone bills.

On the flipside, some may prefer to use an MID with a larger keyboard for things like email or business applications. Like with anything else, the consumer will ultimately decide if this MID market is worth keeping around, or the lines between mobile devices will become even more confusing than they already are.

Intel Sues Nvidia; Nvidia Says Intel is Afraid

On Monday, Intel filed a lawsuit against Nvidia, which apparently stated that the chipset license agreement the two companies signed four years ago does not extend to Intel’s future generation CPUs with integrated memory controllers.

The original deal allowed Nvidia to produce chipsets for Intel CPUs without integrated memory controllers. At the time however, Intel did not have any integrated memory controllers in its plans and so no stipulation was in place to forbid Nvidia from making chipsets for CPUs with memory controllers.

Today, Nvidia responded to the court filing with a press release stating that “we are confident that our license, as negotiated, applies," and that "Nvidia has been attempting to resolve the disagreement with Intel in a fair and reasonable manner for over a year."

Although currently shipping Nvidia chipsets are not affected by this dispute, future chipsets from Nvidia designed for Intel's Core i7 or future Atom processors are at risk. Nvidia's upcoming Ion platform for use with future Intel Atom processors is one such a product that may be affected by the court filing, as future Intel Atom processor are expected to feature an integrated memory controller. Judging from Nvidia's response, it seems Nvidia believes Intel is trying to inhibit Nvidia from releasing innovative products such as the Ion platform.

"When combined with a CPU, Ion enables a two-chip PC architecture for Intel processors two years ahead of Intel’s own solution. In addition, the Ion platform offers 10x the performance of Intel’s current three chip design." Nvidia continues to state, "given the broad and growing adoption of Nvidia’s platform innovations, it is not surprising that Intel is now initiating a dispute over a contract signed four years ago. Innovations like Ion, SLI, Hybrid power, and CUDA threaten Intel’s ability to control the PC platform."

The Nvidia Ion platform was recently put to the test and the results showed that the Ion platform was indeed a winner, offering excellent power savings and excellent graphical performance. Although the Intel Atom processor had been designed for use in inexpensive netbooks and nettops, Nvidia was able to show with its Ion platform that GPU performance does not need to be sacrificed to achieve a low cost Intel Atom-based system. With future Intel Atom processors expected to also feature integrated graphics solutions though, there may even more pressure on the long-term viability of the Ion platform.

Although the Nvidia Ion platform will likely appear first in inexpensive desktop systems, if rumors hold true it may be Lenovo that is first to release notebooks featuring the Nvidia Ion platform. According to a Commerical Times report, an 11-inch, a 12-inch and possibly a 13-inch Ion-based notebook will be released by Lenovo in the second quarter of 2009.

Dell Mini 10 Specs, Pricing Revealed

Dell first showed off its 10-inch entry to the netbook market at CES, and today we finally learn more about the final shipping configurations.

Detailed on the Direct2Dell blog, the Dell Mini 10 will be available on the Dell website for consumer orders starting February 26 with configurations beginning at $399.

The base model will come in black, with other colors (likely at a charge) white, pink, blue, green and red. As previously reported, the Dell Mini 10 will come packed with one of two Intel Atom CPU options, the Z520 at 1.33 GHz or the Z530 at 1.66 GHz. Other standard features include the following:

• an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam
• an HDMI out port
• integrated 802.11g Wi-Fi
• a 3-cell 24Whr battery
• 160GB 5400rpm hard drive
• a 4-in-1 memory card reader

With the 3-cell battery, the Mini 10 will weigh 2.86 lbs.

Aside from the HDMI out port, the Mini 10 is starting to read a lot like the rest of the 10-inch netbooks on the market from Asus, Acer and MSI. Even though Dell touted the Mini 10 as being a higher-end netbook with a 720p display and a TV tuner, the initial shipping model will offer neither. Instead, it will have the usual 1024 x 576 like the rest of the pack.

Dell does promise that the 720p display and TV tuner will be coming in future models, as are Bluetooth, integrated GPS and mobile broadband. The company did not offer an ETA on those options, giving the competition some time to beef up their own 10-inch offerings.

The Bigger, Quieter Xbox360; Not from Microsoft

Is your Xbox 360 noisy? Perhaps you don't own an Xbox 360 because you've heard that they're noisy (maybe). This week a company called Quiet PC launched a line of Xbox 360 consoles that aren't Xbox 360 consoles at all.

What Quiet PC has done is taken out all the innards of an Xbox 360, and implanted them into a custom made Lian-Li XB-01B case, made specifically to hold the Xbox 360 motherboard as well as everything else. Everything moves over. All the ports and connectors on a real Xbox 360 enclosure is on the Lian-Li XB-01B.

The biggest benefit of the Ultra-Quiet Xbox 360s are the fact that they come with two huge fans: a 120mm and a 100mm low RPM fan. To enclose everything however, the new case is quite large--in fact, the Ultra-Quiet Xbox 360 is double the size of a normal Xbox 360. Quiet PC states that the size allows components to be spread out and free up space for low-RPM but high-CFM active cooling.

Quiet PC is currently shipping pre-built Xbox 360s as well as bare enclosures for those who want to do the transplant themselves. Quiet PC sells both the Arcade, Premium and Elite versions of the Xbox 360 in the new modification, and units come with a 360-day warranty--since gutting the original Xbox 360 voids Microsoft's warranty. Curiously, the new warranty is five days short of a full year.

Pricing starts at $435 USD for the basic Ultra-Quiet Xbox 360 Arcade.

Nvidia Bringing Tegra to the Android Platform

Nvidia has allied with the Open Handset Alliance and Google to support the increasingly popular open-source Android software platform. Advanced graphics and better battery life on the way.Zoom

The Tegra chips combine an ARM-based processor core and a GeForce graphics core coupled with features such as OpenGL ES 2.0, programmable pixel shader, vertex and lighting and most of all Direct3D Mobile support. Other features such as 1080p and 720p H.264 decoding are just icing on the cake. Power requirements of Tegra chips is also relatively low offering up amazing performance without much worry for carrying around pockets full of spare batteries.

The current lineup of Tegra chips includes the Tegra 600 running at 700 MHz, Tegra 650 running at 800 MHz and the APX 2500 and 2600 running anywhere between 600 MHz to 800 MHz as of the time of this writing.

Zoom

Nvidia’s decision to support the Android platform is an attempt to drive Tegra adoption among major smartphone makers. Nvidia displayed an Android-based phone or device with a Tegra chip this week at the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC). Nvidia also wants to help bring about affordable Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) to the general public based on the Android&Tegra convergence. A $99 Tegra-based MID is also expected to be announced by Nvidia at the MWC this week.

This new Tegra based MID includes full high-definition 1080p video playback and full Wi-FI and 3G mobile broadband connectivity capabilities. The “always-on” device can go for days between battery charges according to Nvidia. No other details are available at this time.

Android HTC Magic Touchscreen Now Official

The first touch screen Google Android based phone has officially been announced by HTC, and it's called the HTC Magic.

Sporting a 3.2 inch HVGA touchscreen, HDSPA, GPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and a trackball, the Magic is certainly looking to bring as many bells and whistles to the table while it attempts to compete with the iPhone market. A proprietary headphone jack is perhaps the only let-down of the Magic as it stands, but this has been the case for virtually all HTC phones in recent years.

Cell service provider Vodafone will be the first to unleash the HTC Magic on European markets, with others service providers to follow after an unannounced Vodafone exclusive period. North American and Pacific-Asian market release dates have yet to be announced.

Official specs are as follows:

• Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201a, 528 MHz.
• Memory: 512 MB ROM, 192 MB RAM.
• Dimensions: 4.45 x 2.17 x 0.45-inches.
• Weight: 4.18 ounces with battery.
• Network: HSPA/WCDMA 900 / 2100 MHz (no love for the States) with 2Mbps up, 7.2 Mbps down; quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz.
• Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD HVGA 480x320
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, mini USB, and GPS
• Input: Trackball with Enter button, Capacitive touchscreen with on-screen keyboard (both portrait and landscape)

Silicon Power's 256 GB SSD Released

This morning Silicon Power said that it plans to release a 256 GB version of its 2.5-inch SATA II SSD.

Building upon the original 128 GB version previously released, the new 256 GB 2.5-inch SATA II SSD (solid state disk) will not only feature a larger capacity, but read speeds of 165 MB/sec. and write speeds of 98MB/sec. Unfortunately, the drive utilizes a Jmicron JMF602 controller, which is terrible with SSDs, unless it ships with revision B of the same chip. We're waiting for confirmation from Silicon Power on which revision its drive uses.

According to the company:

"Customers can easily install the SSD in laptops, PCs or other devices that support SATA II SSD," said the company in a press release. "Silicon Power 2.5” SSD with SATA II or IDE interface is fully compatible with RoHS requirement, with capacities ranging from 8GB to 256GB."

Silicon Power did not specify a release date or price, but the 128 GB version costs around $360.00

LG, Samsung develop solar-powered cell phones

LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics will unveil next week prototype handsets that are recharged by solar panels built into the case.

Samsung's phone, called Blue Earth, is a touch-screen model with rounded corners designed to look like a "well-rounded pebble," Samsung said.

Continuing the environmental theme, the phone is made from recycled plastic and doesn't include harmful substances such as brominated flame retardants, beryllium and phthalates.

The solar cells on the phone occupy most of the rear of the phone's case.

The Samsung "Blue Earth" cell phone prototype has a touchscreen and is made of recycled plastic.

LG didn't release much information about its prototype phone, but images from the company show what appears to be a version of its KF750 Secret handset with, like the Samsung phone, solar cells covering the rear of the phone's case.

In both phones, which were announced almost simultaneously by the companies in South Korea today, the solar panel doesn't provide enough power to run the phone directly and is used to recharge a conventional battery inside the device.

So will the new phones mean an end to chargers?

Almost certainly the answer is: not initially. Samsung confirmed that its Blue Earth phone comes with a charger, but added that it's an energy-efficient one that draws just 30 milliwatts in standby mode.

LG's prototype has solar panels that recharge the battery.

LG says it hopes to commercialize solar-charged phones when it has a model that provides three minutes of talk time after charging for 10 minutes.

In the dark confines of a pocket or bag the phones won't be able to charge, so users will have to ensure they are regularly out in the light. Also, since the solar panels occupy the rear of the devices, they'll have to be kept face-down for maximum efficiency, which might lead to scratching and scuffing of the display itself.

Still, development of the handsets shows that companies are thinking about making Earth-friendly products or are at least thinking about the environmentally conscious consumer and the growing market for "green" products.

Both companies offered no timing for when the prototypes might become commercial models or pricing details.

Lenovo device delivers e-mail via BlackBerries to turned-off ThinkPads

Business travelers will be able to use their BlackBerry smartphones to automatically forward e-mail to their ThinkPad notebook PCs with a $150 device developed by Lenovo Group Ltd. and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM), the two companies said Monday.

Called Lenovo Constant Connect, the service has a hardware and software component that was developed over two years by Lenovo engineers in Beijing, Japan and North Carolina, said Rich Cheston, a distinguished engineer and executive director in Lenovo's software and peripherals business unit, in an interview on Friday.

The hardware part is a small ExpressCard device with 512MB of flash RAM and a Bluetooth antenna that pairs up with the user's BlackBerry via Bluetooth to download any new e-mail. That e-mail is stored on the ExpressCard device and replicated to the ThinkPad e-mail client after the user turns the laptop back on.

That way, a traveler rushing between flights or in a taxi can get the latest e-mail without having to stop, turn on the PC and and log in over a Wi-Fi hot spot, Cheston said.

Lenovo Constant Connect also serves as an alternative to 3G wireless services from Verizon and other companies, and -- for e-mail only -- it can be faster and more efficient than instant-on systems such as Phoenix Hyperspace and Splashtop, which still face problems related to Wi-Fi availability.

While BlackBerries typically cut down large images and other attachments, Lenovo Constant Connect's software will pull the e-mail all the way from the user's corporate Exchange e-mail server to get full-size attachments, Cheston said. This is done using AES 128-bit encryption and other security provided by BlackBerry, he said.

For domestic travelers with unlimited BlackBerry data plans, users should not have to pay anything beyond the $150 price of the Lenovo device. However, international travelers may face higher charges, depending on their BlackBerry roaming contract.

The device will be available in the second quarter in the U.S., and worldwide later this year.

It will work with any BlackBerry running Version 4.2 of the BlackBerry OS or later. It will work initially with Microsoft Outlook and POPmail services such as Google Inc.'s Gmail, with Lotus Notes compatibility coming in the second half of the year.

The device draws very little electricity from the ThinkPad, Cheston said. Any ThinkPad in shutdown, sleep or hibernate mode that has more than half an hour of powered-on battery life should have enough juice to power the device, he said.

The device requires unique electronics and software in the ThinkPad, and thus wouldn't work on a Dell laptop, for instance, Cheston said.

HTC takes aim at iPhone 3G with updated HTC Touch Diamond2

High Tech Computer (HTC), the largest maker of handsets that run Microsoft Windows Mobile software, unveiled updates to two of its most popular smartphones on Monday, the HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2 handsets.

The sleek new handsets are both 3G touch-screen devices, but while the Touch Diamond2 is a consumer smartphone designed to compete with Apple's iPhone 3G, the Touch Pro2 is geared toward business people and could be a hit with its speaker phone function.

Both handsets continue the Touch line's tradition of attention to design and detail. They are both metallic colors mixed with chrome and black and are designed to make people stop and ask "What is that?" according to Horace Luke, chief innovation officer at HTC.

"This is definitely more of a trendy look. I think 2009 is turning out to be a little more bling, a little more confidence," he said.

HTC improved both handsets by a large measure over their predecessors, starting from the screens, which are much larger, more visually stunning and more responsive to touch commands.

The software inside -- a customized version of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 with a new version of HTC's TouchFLO 3D -- has also seen major improvements.

Two new features are Push-Internet, which enables the handset to download favorite Web site information at specified times so users don't have to wait for the sites to download. The handsets also have so-called unified communications so people's contact books and most recent conversations are easily accessible no matter what form they came in, either from a phone call, SMS (Short Message Service) or e-mail.

The new Touch Diamond2 has several advantages over the original Touch Diamond. For starters, the Diamond2 sports a larger screen at 3.2 inches, compared to 2.8 inches for its predecessor. The overall handset is still slim at half an inch thick and small enough to fit easily into your pocket.

The larger screen offers two noticeable benefits right away. The touch function works much better than on the older model and HTC's 480-by-800 wide-screen VGA resolution, the same as on many laptop PCs, is stunning.

Luke said the improved touch-screen functionality is because of improvements on the company's TouchFLO 3D software.

The Touch Diamond2 also boasts a 5.0-megapixel camera with mechanical auto-focus, a bid to make cameras in handsets work more like regular digital still cameras. Users can snap pictures much faster because of the mechanical auto-focus, according to HTC.

The device will be available in Europe and Asia early in the second quarter of this year, with North America to be included later in 2009. The Touch Pro2 will be available globally beginning early in the summer, HTC said.

Adobe preps full Flash player for smartphones

Adobe Systems Inc. said on Monday that it will release its first full-fledged Flash multimedia player for smartphones by year's end.

Google, Microsoft, Palm and Nokia are all expected to release systems or phones next year that will be able to display the same videos and applications as the most recent Flash 10 player for desktop computers, said Adobe.

Adobe plans to demonstrate the beta of Flash Player 10 for smartphones at this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

But Adobe said that it was still not close to delivering Flash players that would work with Apple Inc.'s iPhone or Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry.

And analysts are divided on whether that will ever happen.

Adobe has been working on a Flash player tailored for the iPhone for almost a year, after Apple CEO Steve Jobs complained about Flash's performance on the iPhone.

"We've made a lot of progress, but there is still a lot of engineering work to be done," said Anup Murarka, director of partner development and technology strategy at Adobe's platform business unit.

Adobe has optimized Flash's performance on the ARM v6 CPU used by the iPhone, and the ARM v7 to be used by the upcoming Palm Pre.

"We're working with Apple on what we have," Murarka said. "We're committed to make the Flash plug-in work on the iPhone."

Adobe is at an even earlier stage with RIM.

"We've had some initial conversations and are evaluating different approaches to be taken," Murarka said. "There is a lot of interest from BlackBerry enterprise customers to be able to build Flash apps. But there is no working solution yet."

Stewart Robinson, an analyst at Strategy Analytics Inc. in the U.K., said he is optimistic that with Adobe "working frantically behind the scenes to get Flash onto the iPhone ... it will happen, but not until much later this year."

But Jack Gold, an independent analyst at J.Gold Associates LLC, was less optimistic, for two reasons.

The first is technical. "Adobe wants Flash to run really well. To get high performance, you need to run in the lower layers of the OS or phone," Gold said. Windows Mobile, Nokia's Symbian and Google's Android are relatively open to that, but operating systems such as those on the BlackBerry and iPhone are not, he said.

The other reason, at least with Apple, is business. "Apple wants to push its own technology -- in this case, QuickTime," Gold said. "It has its own interests at heart. Look at how long it took to get Flash onto Macs. I honestly don't think you will see Flash on the iPhone anytime soon."

Microsoft unveils mobile apps store, backup service

Microsoft will introduce an application store with its newest version of Windows Mobile software, it planned to announce at Mobile World Congress, where it also was to formally open a limited beta for its My Phone data backup offering.

Windows Marketplace for Mobile will come with Windows Mobile 6.5, the newest version of the operating system, and will give users access to thousands of applications, said Scott Rockfeld, group product manager for Windows Mobile. Microsoft also introduced Windows Mobile 6.5 at MWC on Monday, saying the software should become available on phones early in the second half of the year.

While applications stores have been around for some time, Apple's easy-to-use App Store, accessible from the iPhone, popularized the idea of buying and downloading mobile applications. Now, independent companies, operators and mobile phone makers are building stores that are accessible from handsets and that offer wireless downloads.

Nokia also planned to announce at MWC a new application store that will carry content and programs for users of its phones that run the S60 and S40 operating systems.

Offering an applications store is "table stakes" these days, said Sean Ryan, an analyst at IDC. However, Microsoft hasn't disclosed a lot of details about its store, such as how easy it will be to use. "So there are still a lot of factors out there. But as a concept it's a good thing and something they need to do," he said.

While Windows Mobile phones come in many different form factors, Microsoft offers developers a module they can use to ensure their applications work across all the phones, Rockfeld said. That means most applications in the store should work on most phones.

He sought to minimize the potential conflict between Microsoft and its device-maker customers and operator partners, some of which may also be building application stores. "This isn't the end-all be-all," Rockfeld said. "Handango will be there, mobile operators will have their stores. We're not forcing anyone to make the decision to come to us."

In addition to the Handango mobile application Web site, PocketGear launched a store for Windows Mobile applications last week. PocketGear also runs a store for Palm applications.

Microsoft has already begun doing outreach to the developer community to let them know how the store works and how they can get their applications into it, Rockfeld said.

Another new service that Microsoft will offer and that the company planned to discuss at MWC is My Phone. Details about the mobile backup service leaked out in early February. It is now available in a limited invitation-only beta, Rockfeld said.

Acer Takes on Smartphone Market

Acer has jumped head first into the smartphone market with its Tempo family of devices. They are all touch-enabled and based on Windows Mobile, the company announced on Monday.

The Tempo family is to a large extent the result of Acer buying Taiwanese smartphone maker E-Ten last year. Developing its new smartphones wouldn't have been possible without the R&D know-how it got via that deal, according to Aymar de Lencquesaing, the head of Acer's Smart Handheld Business Group.

The first set of devices will be based on the existing version of Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. Included is, for example, the M900, which comes equipped with a QWERTY keyboard, a 3.8-inch screen, and a fingerprint scanner for authentication. It also has HSDPA (High-Speed Download Packet Access) support, built-in GPS (Global Positioning System), and a 5-megapixel camera.

For users who aren't fond of QWERTY keyboards there is the F900, which also comes with 3.8-inch screen. It has a 3.2-megapixel camera, and you also get faster uploads using HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access) and support for Wi-Fi.

Both phones will start shipping at the end of March or the beginning of April, according to Acer. Pricing will be announced at the time of launch.

The company is also working on a second set of smartphones that will be based on Windows Mobile 6.5, which was also announced on Monday, and come out by the end of the year.

De Lencquesaing also dropped hints about Acer working on smartphones based other operating systems than Windows Mobile, including Android, but didn't provide any details.

Acer's goal is to become one of the top five smart phone vendors, which means it would at least have to displace Sharp from the fifth spot and sell about 1.3 million units per quarter, according to third quarter sales statistics from Gartner.

Nokia Will Ship N97 Loaded With Skype Calling Software

Nokia, Qualcomm to Work on Smartphones Together

The world's largest mobile phone vendor and the biggest cellular chip developer said Tuesday they plan to make 3G (third-generation) mobile devices together for the North American market.

Nokia and Qualcomm, which ended a long running patent battle in the middle of last year, will co-develop advanced devices based on UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), which is designed to succeed the most common mobile phone airwave standard in the world, GSM (Global System for Mobile communications).

The partners will design mobile devices based on S60 software, which uses the Symbian OS. The devices will also use advanced chipsets from Qualcomm.

The first devices from the two companies are expected to launch in the middle of next year. They will be compatible with the upcoming Symbian Foundation platform, the companies said in a statement.

Last July, Nokia agreed to pay Qualcomm a multi-billion dollar amount in back payments and future royalties after a long court battle over wireless patents. At the same time, the companies said they would work together in the future.

How-To: Use Your iPhone as a Wireless Laptop Modem

I travel a lot. And if you’re a geek like me, you can’t go a full day sans internet access without experiencing some severe withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, my iPhone, with all its WiFi and 3G goodness, has been instrumental in feeding my addiction while on the road. But though Apple’s smartphone provides the best mobile browsing experience out there, the small screen and touch controls still don’t compare to the pixel real estate and tactile qwerty speed of a laptop. Not to mention such luxuries as Flash compatibility, page caching, and tabbed browsing.

So the next time you’re stranded without an open WiFi network (but your 3G signal is going strong), you’ll be glad you installed Addition’s iPhoneModem 2 (free to try, full license is $9.99). Unfortunately, Apple has apparently deemed the app to be in conflict with its App Store Terms and Conditions, so it is only available for jailbroken phones via Cydia. Here’s a quick guide:

1) Jailbreak your iPhone.
Download and install QuickPwn, an easy-to-use jailbreaking application for Windows and Mac (the latest version works with iPhone OS 2.2.1). Run the software and follow the onscreen instruction very carefully!

2) Install iPhoneModem by Addition.
QuickPwn installs an app on your phone called Cydia, which is essentially the App Store for apps that were rejected from the official App Store (or, for whatever reason, the developer chose not to release through Apple). Run Cydia, search for iPhoneModem by Addition and install it. Keep in mind you can only delete Cydia installed apps via Cydia’s Manage-Sources function. Now download and install the helper app on your laptop and you’re almost ready to go.

3)Set up the network.
Run the helper app and hit Connect. The helper app sets up an ad hoc wireless network that can be accessed via iPhone. The default network it creates is called “iPhoneModem” and does not have a password (you can change this in the Preferences of the helper app). Now open up your iPhone’s Settings and tap WiFi. Make sure WiFi is turned on and select the network “iPhoneModem” (or whatever you called it). Type the password if you assigned one. Open up the Modem iPhone app and everything else will configure automatically. After a few moments the helper app and the iPhone app will confirm that a connection has been established and you can browse away with all the comforts of your laptop!

Shortcomings:
While 3G seems plenty fast on a phone, it feels a little slow on a laptop. Also, most major web browsers work but not all are supported. In addition, a lot of other internet applications aren’t supported, but for all intents and purposes, you should be able to browse just fine.

*Note: If you haven’t already discovered, jailbreaking your iPhone opens up a world of possibilities, including themes and apps that aren’t allowed in the App Store. While it technically voids the warranty, you can easily return your device to its original state with the “Restore” feature in iTunes, wiping all traces of the jailbreak hack.

Sony Unveils "Smarter" Cyber-shot Cameras

After unveiling a handful of new Cyber-shot point-and-shoot cameras at CES earlier this year, Sony today further bulked up its camera line with six more additions to the Cyber-shot line. The new T-, W-, S-, and H-series cameras are not yet available, but will be showcased at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) tradeshow at the beginning of March.

Although the new cameras span from lower-end pocket cams to touchscreen cameras to a bulkier, high-zoom model, most of them have one thing in common: An intelligent auto mode. According to Sony, the new intelligent auto mode is enabled by default, and the cameras will optimize the scene mode, facial recognition, lighting settings, and image stabilization accordingly.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 and Cyber-shot DSC-T90

The 12-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T900 will offer a whopping 3.5-inch-diagonal LCD touchscreen, optical image stabilization, and the aforementioned intelligent auto mode. In addition to automatic shot optimization, the new T-series cameras also recognize and tag faces in the images, and on-camera images can be automatically sorted depending upon who's in the shot. Other key features include 720p HD movie mode with HDMI-out and a stereo mic, in-camera photo-editing features, ISO equivalencies of up to 3200, and a range of color options (black, silver, red, and bronze). The T900 will be available in March for $380.

The other addition to the T series is the Cyber-shot DSC-T90, which has almost identical specs but a slightly smaller 3-inch-diagonal LCD touchscreen and no stereo mic for its 720p HD movie mode. The T90 will be available in April for $300 in five colors: black, silver, blue, pink, and brown.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20

New to Sony's high-zoom H series is the Cyber-shot DSC-H20, a bulkier 10-megapixel camera with a 10x optical zoom. However, it only offers a 38mm film equivalent on the wide-angle end. Making up for that somewhat is its HD movie mode, which shoots 720p clips and offers optical zoom while taking video. A 3-inch LCD screen, intelligent auto mode and face recognition, in-camera editing apps, and ISO equivalencies up to 3200 round out the H20's specs. It will be available starting in April for $280.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 and Cyber-shot DSC-W230

Two new cameras are also being added to the mid-range W series of Cyber-shots. The 12-megapixel Cyber-shot W290 offers the new intelligent auto and face-recognition features, optical image stabilization, 720p HD movie mode, a 5x optical zoom that starts at 28mm on the wide-angle end, and a 3-inch LCD screen. It will be available in April for $250 in black, silver, blue, and bronze.

The slightly lower-end DSC-W230 has similar specs, but lacks the wide-angle lens (4x optical zoom starting at 30mm) and doesn't shoot HD video (only standard-definition MPEG1 clips). The W230 hit stores in April for $200 in four colors: black, silver, red, and blue.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980

The lowest-end of the new product is the only new Cyber-shot that doesn't offer the intelligent auto functions. The 12-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-S980 has a 2.7-inch LCD, a 4x optical zoom starting at 33mm, and digital-only image stabilization. It comes in at just $150, available in April.

Windows 7 Starter Rumored at $200... Really?

Microsoft has yet to even hint at pricing for its upcoming Windows 7, but websites are now reporting details citing anonymous sources.

We saw the first report from German site Windows Secrets, which started off by placing a $199.95 price tag on Windows 7 Starter. The site also listed Home Basic at $259.95; Professional at $299.95; and Ultimate at $319.95. Shortly after, Ars Technica repeated the exact same information, though did cite that it did not come from a trusted source.

We’re still not sure of the pricing, but all four price levels do match up against what the four versions of Windows Vista are listed at on Microsoft’s comparison website -- so it’s possible that Microsoft is keeping the same tiers.

What is somewhat curious is that Windows 7 Starter could be nearly $200. This version of Windows will be quite limited with only being allowed to run three applications at a time, lower screen resolutions, no live thumbnail previews and limited processor support. Its purpose is for low-cost PCs and netbooks -- but with those systems already costing as little as $300, one has to wonder how a $200 OS will fit into the bill of materials.

The other prices, however, for Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate all seem plausible and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the rumored prices stick. It’s the comparatively high price of the Starter SKU that has us scratching our heads.

Palm Pre Targeted to Hit Sprint Inventory March 15

Since the unveiling of the Palm Pre at CES, people have been dying to get their hands on the real thing, but there's no real word on a specific launch date aside from “mid-year.”

According to the lads over at Boy Genius Report, we can expect to see the Palm Pre in stores in mid-March, which will certainly put the Pre ahead of the launch of the rumored new iPhone "2,1".

BGR cites an internal memo from Sprint, the official carrier for Palm Pre, which includes a time sheet for when Sprint will be phasing out older devices. The sheet shows a target in-stock date of 3/15 for the Pre, detailing that it also will be replacing the Palm 755P which has a projected EOL in late May. BGR speculates that while it may be in stock by March, the company will likely be trying to shift the left over 755P stock and might not launch the Pre until May or June.

While that’s more than likely the case, we’re betting we’ll see the Pre before we see the next iPhone. Palm could well get the crowd that are anxious to get the latest touchscreen phone but can’t wait for Apple to announce the next iPhone. Time will tell. No official word from Palm or Sprint. We’ll keep you posted.

For now, check out our initial coverage of the Palm Pre from CES 2009.

MSI Ships All-In-One PC This Month

For consumers who like everything crammed into one package, MSI has your tasty ticket with the new NetOn AP1900 AIO PC.

Originally showcased at CES '09, MSI's new all-in-one PC, the NetOn AP1900, will officially hit retail shelves later this month as reported by TechConnect Magazine (although a thorough search of MSI's press release archive has yet to reveal such a claim). According to the site, the NetOn focuses on office workers, the educational segment, businesses, and shops. Featuring an 18.5-inch WXGA LCD capable of up to 1366x768 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio, the NetOn not only frees up space with its compact all-in-one design, but provides the business and educational end-user the processing power they need.

Under the hood, the NetOn sports the 1.6 GHz Atom N270 CPU, Intel's 945GSE chipset, integrated graphics, 1 GB of SODIMM DDR2 RAM and a 160 GB hard drive. The package also features a Super Multi DVD drive, a fixed 1.3 megapixel webcam, a 4-in-1 card reader, two 3w speakers, and WiFi and Gigabit Ethernet connections. Completing the package is a 35mm thick secsi black shell equipped with a VESA wall mount bracket. The NetOn also comes bundled with a keyboard and mouse, and is Energy Star 5.0 compliant, with a noise level less than 24 dB.

"MSI NetOn AP1900 is the first All-In-One MSI desktop system," said the company. "It is equipped with Intel Atom processor, which helps to improve performance and to save energy. The MSI NetOn AP1900 has an excellent electronic circuit design, which consumes only 35 Watts at full speed operation. It can save up to 86% of power in a 24-hour period, compared to normal desktop computers that consume at least 250 Watt. MSI NetOn AP1900 is a registered system for EPEAT and is Energy Star 5.0 certified. Next to that, the system produces less than 26dB of noise due to the advanced technology, even during intensive computing applications."

The specs also state that the computer comes with Windows XP Home installed, and has four USB 2.0 ports built-in. Look for NetOn AP1900 all-in-one PC later this month.

Nvidia Tegra Microsoft Phone? Maybe, Maybe Not

With Apple having made a splash on the mobile and smartphone industry, it’s nearly expected that Microsoft would eventually jump in at some point for a piece of the pie.

Microsoft’s answer to those expecting some sort of phone--even a Zune phone--are met with denials that the company is working on such a product. An analyst at Broadpoint AmTech, however, believes that we could be seeing a phone product from Microsoft sometime in the next six months. He even goes as far to say that it’ll be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra technology.

The fact that Nvidia Tegra is geared towards powering the Windows Mobile platform already means that the chip company is already working with Microsoft on certain design specifications, particularly for the next versions of the mobile OS.

So far only HTC has committed itself to Nvidia Tegra, but the Broadpoint analyst believes Microsoft will be next: "We believe the HTC ramp in '09 is the more material of the two as we have some concerns on the channel for Microsoft's handset distribution given the lack of prior carrier relationships/handset qualification history," he wrote Thursday, according to CNet.

Of course, there’s also the possibility that it could be a three-way partnership between Nvidia, Microsoft and HTC in bringing a Microsoft-branded smartphone to market. HTC’s already shown that it can work closely with other companies to bring out specialized handsets--something we saw with the (deep breath) T-Mobile HTC G1 Google Android phone.

Microsoft adherent Mary-Jo Foley wrote in her All About Microsoft blog that her sources are pointing to the Redmond company making a reference design for other manufacturers follow and improve upon--but Microsoft itself won’t be releasing the hardware under its own brand.

“The (Zune phone) chassis 1 spec is challenging the manufacturers to come up with something that will please customers,” said Foley’s source, adding that Microsoft was pitting a handful of cell-phone makers against one another to come up with the best implementation of the spec.

With Dell, Acer and Asus/Garmin already plotting to release smartphones, it would be unlike Microsoft to try to seize a part of the market. As far as a Microsoft-centric smartphone that goes beyond just running Windows Mobile, it’s not a question of if, but how and when.

Socket AM3: AMD's Phenom II Gets DDR3 : Introduction

Introduction

Running in second place is a strong motivator to do things differently—or even better—than your competition. For AMD, that has meant trying to develop a reputation for smoother, less disruptive platform transitions.

When Intel launched Core i7, it was a given that you’d need an X58 motherboard with the company’s LGA 1366 interface. Before that, LGA 775 served the Core micro-architecture well. But again, that was a complete departure from Socket 478, as the device required a completely new motherboard. Each step of the way, Intel has tweaked the packaging of its CPUs, altering thermals and mechanical load limits. Each new socket has addressed those alterations in kind.

A History Of Smoother Socket Launches?

Say what you will about its current performance deficit versus Intel’s fastest Core i7 processors, but AMD’s approach to adding functionality and shifting platform technologies has arguably been a bit less disruptive—at least on the surface. Missing from the below chart is Socket 940 and Socket AM2+. Socket 940 was only somewhat relevant to enthusiasts who purchased high-end Athlon 64 FX chips. And Socket AM2+ is perhaps the best example of AMD unveiling a new socket without stranding customers who invested in AM2. You could drop a newer AM2+ CPU in an older AM2 board and not run into trouble, aside from losing split power plane and HyperTransport 3.0 support.

What the table doesn't reflect are the situations where a new 140 W CPU might fit into a given socket, but still not work due to a motherboard design inadequacy (AMD and early 780G boards) or a fresh micro-architecture is launched on an existing platform, requiring new motherboards as a result of voltage changes (Intel and its Conroe).

Disruptive Socket Launches
Year	AMD	Intel
2001		Socket 478
2002
2003	Socket 754
2004	Socket 939	LGA 775
2005
2006	Socket AM2	(Intel launches Core 2 Duo, most motherboards need to be replaced)
2007
2008		LGA 1366
2009	(Socket AM3–new processors work in old motherboards, but not the other way around)

Now, with the unveiling of Socket AM3, AMD brings half of that same story over to its newest PGA-ZIF interface. You see, AM3 processors include the DDR2 and DDR3 memory controllers needed to drop into either AM2/AM2+ or AM3 motherboards. However, aging AM2/AM2+ processors don’t have the DDR3 memory controller to drop into an AM3 motherboard. We have to imagine more enthusiasts would be interested in adopting modern 45 nm CPUs and recycling their platforms than keeping a dated processor, hoping to only upgrade the motherboard, so that's an acceptable trade-off to us. Just to be sure no mistakes are made, AM3 processors come armed with 938 pins—two shy of the 940 needed in an AM2/AM2+ configuration.

More Dell Mini 10 Details Trickle Out

Although Dell doesn’t appear as keen in the netbook market as its Taiwanese OEM competitors, the Mini 10 does appear to be just as competitive as anything out there.

The thing is, though, that that Mini 10 isn’t out available yet, making it hard to judge against the other 10-inch netbooks on the street. Still, we liked what we saw at CES 2009 and are eager to learn more.

Dell’s still keeping its cards close to its chest, but a slide from Engadget reveals a few more details. For starters, the 1366 x 768 “720p” resolution is the high-end option, as there now lists a 1024 x 576 resolution as well.
While all the other 10-inch netbooks run 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processors, the Mini 10 will give users the choice of a 1.3 GHz on top of the usual 1.6 GHz -- though both will be Silverthorne.

Netbooks by nature of form factor do not have built-in optical drives, but the slide lists and optional “DVD slice,” which is sure to be a slimline external drive. Finally, there lists an option between 3- and 6-cell batteries.

The more premium hardware, such as the TV tuner, multitouch trackpad and higher resolution leads us to believe that the Mini 10 will be a bit more expensive than the rest, but hopefully Dell will reveal all soon.

Intel Shipping Upgraded Atom, HD Video Chipset

Intel is now shipping the N280 version of its popular Atom processor to OEMs for use in netbooks.

While the N280 doesn’t differ from the N270 in clock speed, with both running at 1.6 GHz, the newer chip benefits from being paired with the new GN40, which brings with it HD video acceleration.

As handy as netbooks have proven to be at casual web browsing and even the odd video, it does trip up when it comes to the more intensive multimedia features. The GN40 chipset adds hardware help for playback of 720p video, making the Atom N280 set probably a better companion now than a portable DVD player (particularly if you have high-def video encodes).

The Atom N280 itself has a lower thermal design power at 2 W compared to the N270 at 2.5 W, but with the beefier chipset, the N280 and GN40 TDP jumps to 16.5 W. The N270 with the N945GSE has a TDP of 11.8 W.

Of course, the upgraded N280 with the GN40, while better with videos, doesn’t really measure up to what Nvidia brings to the table with the Ion chipset. We took a look at the Nvidia Ion paired with the Atom in more of a nettop form, but such a chipset would be mighty impressive in a netbook.

For now, however, the Atom N280 and GN40 is the only available option for 720p video from a netbook -- and it’s not bad if you can get several movies' worth out of it from the Asus Eee 1000HE.

Archos Working on Android-based PMP/Phone

Is PMP manufacturer Archos is dipping its toes into the mobile handset market?

Archos, a company revered for its PMP devices, is now entering the mobile phone market as well. Sometime in the third quarter of 2009, Archos will release a new Internet Media Tablet (IMT), a device that looks to combine touchscreen PMP/multimedia goodness with the Android OS from Google. While products from the French PMP manufacturer have been equipped with Wi-Fi and 3G mobile broadband for well over a year, the IMT is the first product from Archos that is meant to be a phone as well as a media player.

"We are continuing to advance our efforts in the IMT space with the introduction of this new product," said Archos CEO/founder Henri Crohas. "Support for an Android-based device represents a historical opportunity for ARCHOS to combine all the best of our IMTs with a phone in a single device delivering high quality video and a full web experience in true mobility."

After looking over the specs, this Archos 5-based handset/PMP looks to be a serious contender in the phone market. The Android IMT will have a 5-inch touchscreen, up to 500 GB of storage, "access whenever and wherever to TV, movies, photos, music and games," and will also support a myriad of standard and high definition video formats. Along with Wi-Fi, the 10mm thick handset will support 3.5G HSUPA mobile broadband. On the software side, the Android-powered device will have full page web browsing and Flash/Flash Video support.

At the heart of the new IMT is the OMAP 3 processor from Texas Instruments, the same processor powering the highly anticipated Palm Pre. "TI remains committed to helping ARCHOS advance its product line and deliver a new class of devices that builds on a history of delivering rich multimedia experiences," said Remi El-Ouazzane, vice president and general manager for TI's OMAP platform business unit. "The OMAP 3 platform, with its support for the Android OS, is a powerful tool to support HD video, high quality multimedia and connectivity anytime and anywhere."

If Archos can pull this new IMT off, it may have one of the hottest phones of 2009/2010. See the full press release here.

Xbox 360 Update May Cause System Failures

Microsoft's Xbox 360 has come under criticism once again as reports emerge that say the latest round of updates may have caused far more problems than it fixed.

A 13-page thread on the official Xbox.com forum is filled with users who updated their consoles with the February 3rd mandatory Dashboard update and experienced a range of problems after shutting down the console and powering on again.

Common problems that users have reported are the system refusing to power on with a "Red Ring of Death," an error code E71 or E74, random freezing in games after varying periods of time and graphical glitches. Microsoft does not give many details about the aforementioned error codes, only that they are caused by "hardware failures." Microsoft states a few basic fixes on this support page such as disconnecting and reconnecting cables and devices such as the hard drive.

Some of those who did not end up with failed consoles reported problems running certain resolutions over HDMI, including one user who couldn't output more than 480p.

The mandatory update was released to address "the issue that a few folks were having with audio and their HDMI connection." It seems that those "few folks" won't be able to tell if the issue was resolved or not.

The Xbox 360 console is infamous for its frequent system failures. Last year, Microsoft was involved in a lawsuit over the so-called "Red Ring of Death," where it was claimed that the software giant had concealed the failure rates of the console to prevent damage to its reputation.

Windows Mobile 6 "My Phone" Beta Coming Soon

Users of Windows Mobile 6 based phones will soon have a new application to tinker around with thanks to Microsoft.

The WM6 based application, now known as "My Phone," is set to the released into the wild by Microsoft in the very near future. One of the key features of the product and service is offline storage of photo, video, text, and calendar based data. Additionally, users can choose to share their data with others through My Phone.

It should be noted, however, that the My Phone application is a different animal when compared to Microsoft's "Live Mesh" product. My Phone is designed to automatically synchronize data with the My Phone service, while Live Mesh relies on the user to transfer shared data. My Phone has also been designed for the Windows Mobile 6 platform, whereas Live Mesh is multiplatform.

The public beta test of the My Phone application and service is expected to go live sometime in mid-February.

ITunes Store Getting an Early Jump on Valentine's Day

It's February, and you know what that means, right? No, Groundhog Day is over. No, not Flag Day in Canada (but thanks for remembering!). No, there's no leap day this year, sorry (you're not very good at this, are you?). It's that Hallmarkiest of Hallmark holidays, Valentine's Day. And yes, it's time to start planning a gift for that special person in your life. Apple has created a special Valentine's Day page on the iTunes Store to help you out.

The page is full of Valentine's Day promotions. From Frank Sinatra love songs to the movie Moulin Rouge, there is a little something for everyone.

If Sinatra isn't your cup of tea, then maybe a collection called Today's Love Songs--24 songs from John Legend, Usher, and Kelly Clarkson, among others (all but two tracks are in DRM-free iTunes Plus format).

Apple even has some Chet Baker, one of my personal favorites, as well as romantic-themed audiobooks, podcasts, and TV show episodes.

You'll also find iPhone apps such as Candy Hearts, iFlirt, iDesire, Love Quotes and iPropose. iPropose lets you send your marriage proposal over the iPhone with a "Yes or No" option--I'm lucky that app didn't exist when I met my wife, or I might still be single.

HP Mini 2140 Puts It At The Head Of The Class

Netbooks continue pouring into the market at a brisk pace, and the market's leading notebook maker—Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ)—is making sure people know it's not sitting on the sidelines.

The company's new HP Mini 2140 Notebook PC, unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is an aggressive entry into the space. HP provides a netbook with a number of key features that other manufacturers have had difficulty delivering: a nice, comfortable keyboard, decent performance and wide-screen viewing.

In addition, HP brings the Mini 2140 to market below the $500 price point (listed at $499), ensuring it will fight and claw for every point of share in the mobile PC space even as it scales down to the netbook space.

The Test Center reviewed a Mini 2140 that came to the lab loaded with Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) XP Home Edition, Service Pack 2, and built with an Intel (NSDQ:INTC) Atom processor at 1.60GHz and 1 GB of RAM. The system also came with a 160-GB hard disk drive.

Using Primate Labs' Geekbench 2.1 benchmarking software, the Mini 2140 scored 877—not the best-performing netbook we've seen but far from the slowest, either. We installed the six-cell battery that came with the system rather than the three-cell and ran our standard battery life test: turning off all power-saving software and running a video from the hard drive until the system shut down. Under this test, the six-cell battery lasted a full five hours almost to the second. That's among the best we've seen in this class.

The six-cell battery, it should be noted, is designed to tilt the unit slightly up toward the display. That's not really obtrusive and, actually, the slight angle makes typing a little easier. HP lists the weight of the Mini 2140 as 2.6 pounds, but we found that it came to 2 pounds, 15 ounces with the six-cell in. That still makes it light and comfortable enough to carry around all day or slip into a carry-on bag for air travel.

Speaking of typing, the keyboard is one of the areas where HP engineering makes a noticeable difference. Compared with other netbooks, the Mini 2140's 10-inch-wide keyboard is nice and comfortable and feels like a normal, "full" keyboard. It's not missing any shift keys, nor are any traditional English keys placed in a weird spot to make everything fit. HP says it's 92 percent of the size of a normal, QWERTY keyboard, but it's hard to notice the missing 8 percent.

HP also added what it calls DuraKeys engineering: a clear coating over the keys to preserve them and keep the lettering from wearing over time. It also gives it nice touch.

Since tiny, uncomfortable keyboards have been a major complaint of first-generation netbooks, HP's effort pushes it to the head of the class in this segment.

The 10.1-inch, wide-screen LED screen is very bright and easy on the eyes (for someone with 20/20 vision) and makes moderate multitasking or movie viewing much easier than even displays that are just an inch smaller.

Other features: sound through its built-in speakers is fine, as is its built-in Webcam. Neither is overwhelming, but both are enough to get the job done on the go.

There is one glitch: HP has pre-loaded XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2, but the system was unable to immediately log onto wireless networks that presented WPA2 encryption. The problem was solved by downloading and installing Microsoft's hot fix for that OS. It's not a deal-breaker, but it is an annoying step HP itself might have taken before shipping the systems.

The bottom line: If HP and other vendors continue to improve netbooks at the current pace we're now seeing, netbooks could start doing what they failed to do last year: eat into sales of full-blown notebooks.

Regardless of the market positioning or overall trends, the HP Mini 2140 starts the company off in 2009 with a nice entry into the space and one that gets a four out of five technical stars for its effort.

Asus N10Jc Netbook Straddles The Line

Asus should get credit for inventing the netbook space, as it was the first manufacturer to officially hit the market with its eePC in late 2007—and saw it take off in sales and become a smashing success.

Since then, one manufacturer after another has raced to get to market with similar devices and get a piece of the action, while Asus has focused its efforts on building out its lineup. The company's N10Jc netbook features both higher performance than previous versions and—with street pricing between $630 and $680—a higher price tag as well.

The Test Center had an opportunity to take a look at the N10Jc. The system came to us with an Intel (NSDQ:INTC) Atom N270 chip at 1.60GHz, 1 GB of RAM and preloaded with Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2. Immediately, you have to notice the size of the system compared with previous Asus netbooks: It has a 10.2-inch screen and on our scales weighed in at 3 pounds, 8 ounces. That makes it bigger and heavier than other models.

What do you get for $630 or so?

You get a mobile PC that performs OK; it scored a Geekbench 2.1 rating of 888, which is on par with systems in its class. It also provides the option of boosting performance with an Nvidia (NSDQ:NVDA) GeForce 9300M graphics card and several software-based options for regular, "super" or gaming performance. Its screen is one of the best, brightest netbook displays the Test Center has ever seen and, combined with the graphics capability, makes movie viewing or delivering multimedia presentations (it also has a VGA port) a wonderful, top-notch experience.

We ran our standard battery life test on the N10Jc. Turning off all power-saving options and running a video from its hard drive continuously until it shut off, the N10Jc ran for 2 hours and 40 minutes before stopping. That rates somewhere between middling and "eh."

For a consumer, the device seems fine but expensive. But Asus is billing this as a corporate netbook; examining it through the prism of business use requires a separate checklist. How portable is it? At 3 pounds, 8 ounces, it's heavier than most netbooks but its design, fit and finish make it as easy as carrying a textbook. Battery life is a drag, though, even with the capability of turning on power-saving options.

Asus says the warranty goes a step beyond what we've seen out of netbooks in that it provides accidental damage coverage; it's also one of the first netbooks we've seen with biometric security (in the form of a fingerprint reader as well as facial recognition) and it has an Express Card slot and a Webcam.

It's fashionable with a glossy, gold-and-chrome colored clamshell with rounded corners. Its keyboard, at 10 inches, provides a nice, comfortable, full-size feel to it. At the vents, it runs a hair under 90 degrees, which is noticeable but not uncomfortable.

Were the N10Jc closer in price to previous netbooks, it would be a home run. Were it closer in performance to similarly priced notebooks, it would be great. But the device fits into an awkward place in the market that makes it difficult to recommend.

Bottom line: VARs have to field questions every day about whether a netbook or a notebook might be the right solution for a customer. It should be a lively discussion, focusing attention on use patterns, budget and technical capability. Unfortunately, Asus has been so good and so early at working to build up this segment of the market that this entry has a hard time finding an easy, logical place in the conversation. We look forward to more from Asus, as the gray areas between netbook and notebook become much clearer.

Phenom II X4 3.6GHz and RV740 This Year?

Over the weekend, there was quite a lot of buzz about an AMD Phenom II X4 processor clocking at 3.6 GHz by the end of the year as well as the possibility that the ATI RV740 will be used in the upcoming Radeon HD 4730 and HD 4750 SKUs.

ZoomAccording to German website News-AMD, AMD plans to release the 45 nm Phenom II X4 chipsets, clocking up to 3.6 GHz, in Q2 of this year. However, the site quickly went offline due to "incorrect interpretation," with a newer version of the original article going up yesterday. Based on information stemming from recently "leaked" AMD roadmap slides highlighting the release of the Phenom II X4 950 (4 x 3.1 GHz) in Q2 2009, the site speculates that the 3.6GHz version will see a release before the end of the decade. The theory utilizes a model number roadmap using increments of ten (because apparently no one could agree on increments of 5). As a result, the AMD Phenom II X4 960 clocks at 4 x 3.2 GHz, the AMD Phenom II X4 970 clocks in at 4 x 3.3 GHz and so on.

If all goes according to plan, the upcoming Phenom II X4 950 will support DDR3 1333 MHz memory, 4 GHz HyperTransport interface speed, and Socket AM3. Supposedly, the chip will also have a 125W thermal envelope and 8 MB total cache, however TechReport speculates that the cache splits into 6MB of L3 and 512KB of L2 per core. Currently AMD's fastest processor is the Phenom II X4 940, clocking in at 3.0 GHz with 8 MB total cache. AMD is said to top that processor as well with the release of the Phenom II X4 945, a Socket AM3 version of the 940.

Additionally, TechPowerUp reports that AMD is on course to release the first GPU built on the 40 nm silicon process, the RV740, catering to the sub-$150 market. According to the site, the GPU will come packed with 640 stream processors and a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. There's also speculation that the RV740 may be implemented in two SKUs: the Radeon HD 4730 and the Radeon HD 4750, stemming from a thorough inspection of the information files packed with the just-released ATI Catalyst v9.1 drivers. It's assumed that the RV740 will make its debut at CeBIT held in Hannover, Germany on March 3-8, however AMD has not released anything official regarding the GPU.

Overclocking: Core i7 Vs. Phenom II : Introduction

Introduction

This match-up needs no introduction—but I’m going to throw one down anyway.

It’s no secret that Intel has dominated our performance tests over the past year. First, its Core 2 Duos at 45 nm gave enthusiasts a great platform for aggressive, yet relatively safe overclocking. The company’s Core 2 Quads cost quite a bit more, but they managed to deliver smoking speeds in the applications optimized for multi-threaded execution.

The recent Core i7 launch further cemented Intel’s position as the performance champion. Its Core i7 965 Extreme, clocked at 3.2 GHz, demonstrated gains straight across the board versus its outgoing flagship, the Core 2 Extreme QX9770. And the Core i7 920, Intel’s sub-$300 entry-level model running at 2.66 GHz, seems to have little trouble reaching up to 4 GHz on air cooling.

There was once a time when Intel didn’t handle its technology shifts as smoothly. As recently as the Pentium 4 Prescott core (OK, that was a while back), Intel struggled to maintain an advantage against AMD’s Athlon 64. But now, with the marketing of its "tick-tock" approach to rolling out lithography advancements and micro-architecture tweaks, things have certainly turned around. How is AMD expected to compete?

Core i7 920 and Phenom II X4 940 go head-to-head

Up until now, AMD has relied on the loosely-translated term "value" to keep in the game. On its own, the Phenom X4-series is a moderate performer. AMD knows this, and has priced the chip more competitively than Intel’s quad-core offerings to attract attention. However, the Phenom hasn’t had to exist alone in an ecosystem backed by third-party vendors. It’s instead complemented by AMD’s own chipsets, mainly the 790GX and 790FX. Of course, those platforms extend comprehensive CrossFire support for its own graphics cards, which have been capturing hearts since mid-2008.

Combined, AMD’s processors, chipsets, and GPUs have fared better than any one of those components would have alone. Thus, we’d consider the company’s efforts to emphasize its Spider platform—the cumulative result of all three puzzle pieces—a success.

AMD Needs Something New

In light of a new competitive challenge—Intel’s Core i7—AMD is revamping its Spider platform with a new processor and the addition of software able to tie all of the hardware together. As you no doubt already know from reading Bert’s story, this latest effort is called Dragon.

But we’re not here to rehash the details of Phenom II. Rather, in light of significant enhancements to the CPU architecture’s overclocking capabilities (and indeed, confirmation from AMD that all of the "magic" that went into its ACC [Advanced Clock Calibration] technology is now baked into Phenom II), we’re eager to compare the value of AMD’s fastest 45 nm chip to Intel’s entry-level Core i7 920—the one most enthusiasts would be likely to eye as an overclocking contender.

In the pages that follow, we’ll describe how each platform was overclocked, just how hot each system got, how much they cost, how well they perform at their top speeds, and, ultimately, which should be on the short list for your next upgrade.

Samsung Develops 4Gb DDR3 for 32GB RDIMMs

Samsung announced this week that it has developed the world’s highest density DRAM chip.

Using its 50 nm technology, Samsung has made the world’s first 4 Gb DDR3 DRAM chip. "We have leveraged our strength in innovation to develop the first 4Gb DDR3, in leading the industry to higher DRAM densities," said Kevin Lee, vice president, technical marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc.

"By designing our 4Gb DDR3 using state-of-the-art 50-nm class technology, we are setting the stage for what ultimately will result in significant cost-savings, for servers and for the overall computing market," he added.

The South Korean electronics company said that its low-power 4Gb DDR3 is of the ‘green’ variety, which it is pitching as a selling point to data center managers because it “will not only provide a reduction in electricity bills, but also a cutback in installment fees, maintenance fees and repair fees involving power suppliers and heat-emitting equipment.”

Samsung’s new 4 Gb DDR3 DRAM chips operate at 1.35V, and the company even does the handy math for us by saying it’s a 20 percent improvement over a 1.5V DDR3. Also, its maximum speed is 1.6 gigabits per second (Gbps).

The company goes on to explain that 4 Gb DDR3 can consume 40 percent less power than 2 Gb DDR3 (in the case of 16 GB module configurations) because of its higher density and because it uses only half the DRAM (32 vs. 64 chips).

4 Gb DDR3 can be produced in 16 GB RDIMMs for servers, as well as 8 GB DIMMs for workstations, desktops and laptops. Samsung can then double that number using its dual-die packaging technology, giving a potential 32 GB. How 'bout that?

MSI Teases WindBox Release... Again

When we first got a peek at the MSI WindBox in November, we loved it. When we saw it for ourselves at CES 2009, we still loved it.

ZoomEssentially, the WindBox is an ingenious but simple device that mounts itself inconspicuously on the back of an LCD monitor, transforming it into a space-saving, self contained computer.

The hardware inside the little box is almost identical to that found inside the MSI Wind netbook, which is also little different from nearly the entire netbook market.

The WindBox is slightly different in thermal design in that it has no active cooling, which means it’ll operate in near silence, save for the hum of the hard disk drive

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ZoomWhile we had suspected much of it ourselves already, MSI today released specifications on the WindBox -- the Atom N270, Intel 945GSE + ICH7M, Intel GMA 950 graphics, LAN, b/g Wi-Fi and 1 GB RAM. Perhaps the one sore point is that it only features VGA out, meaning that monitors accepting DVI input wouldn’t be all that they could be.

Unfortunately, MSI’s press release today was still mostly a tease, offering a vague release date of 2009 Q1 without any price. We hope to get our hands on one soon.