Windows Vista Now Cheaper
It seems as if Microsoft is getting less on its premium products,and there is nothing it can do about it.Microsoft India has made public a wide range of price slashes on the retail versions of its recent graphical giant operating system,Windows Vista.
The price reductions are anticipated to be beneficial for individuals buying their own copy of Windows Vista,the price reduction is effective immediately and will be applicable only for Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate editions.The price cut will roll out across 70 countries.
The price of the full retail version of Windows Vista Ultimate will drop from $399 to $319 and the price of the upgrade version of Windows Vista Ultimate will drop from $259 to $219 and morover upgrade version of Vista Home Premium will drop from $159 from $129.Shop around and you’re likely to get a far better price. For example, right now Amazon.com is selling the full version of Vista Ultimate for $329.99. If similar discounts are available post price drop then Vista Ultimate could fall well below $300 a copy
“Today, there is a transformation taking place in the way consumers purchase software. With the rise of the retail industry in India, we are witnessing increasing demand for off-the-shelf computer software from the do-it-yourself audiences. This reduction in pricing will enable us to reach out to this set of consumers, while at the same time providing our channel partners with a greater opportunity to sell original software,” said Prasanna Meduri, Director – Windows Client Business Group, Microsoft India.
Globally, the revised rates of Windows Vista vary from market to market and the price cut in India is at par with emerging markets.
Sony XEL-1 OLED TV Review
Sony’s XEL-1 represents the first widely available OLED-based TV. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and its benefits, according to the company, include improved contrast ratio, wider viewing angles, and better color reproduction. According to our tests on the Sony XEL-1, most of those claims have merit. Of course, this is an 11-inch TV for $2,500, and its 960×540 native resolution doesn’t even qualify it as an HDTV, so its appeal as a product is limited to only the most profligate wastrels. Sony hasn’t announced any plans to produce larger sizes in 2008, and we expect that bigger OLED sets, whether from Sony or another manufacturer–Panasonic, Hitachi, Samsung Electronics, at least, have made large investments in OLED–will cost a mint thanks to manufacturing difficulties and the usual high price of early-generation technology. Nevertheless, if the XEL-1 is any indication, OLED looks like the real (next big) thing.
The first thing most people notice when they see the minuscule XEL-1 is the outsize base, and the second is the sliver-thin panel itself. These two design characteristics go hand-in-hand. OLED allows the XEL-1’s panel to measure a vanishing 3mm deep, and thinner OLED prototypes have been demonstrated–even ones that can be rolled up like a parchment scroll. We don’t see much utility right now for a thinner thin-screen TV–what, is 4 inches too thick?–and the panel’s lack of depth poses a significant design problem: where do you plug everything in? The width of an HDMI port, for example, is about 6mm without including the housing required to secure it, and other, older port types are larger.
In many other important ways, OLED seems to behave much like plasma–which is a good thing. The Sony XEL-1 evinced no smearing or blurring in motion even with difficult test material, which helps back up Sony’s claim regarding OLED’s fast response times. Off-angle viewing on the XEL-1 was as good as we’ve seen from any display, and the image remained bright and non-washed-out from any seating position. Uniformity across the screen was also essentially perfect. Unfortunately, Sony decided to coat the XEL-1’s screen with a finish that reflected a good deal of ambient light from the room–hopefully future OLED sets will have less-reflective screens.
Canon Ixy 820 IS Digital Camera Released
Canon Ixy 820IS is introduced by Canon Inc. as the successor of the Ixy 810 digital camera.The Ixy 820IS boasts some enhancement compared to 810 including a bigger sensor from 8MP to 10 MP, ISO from 1600 to 3200 and Lens from 35-140mm to 37-185mm.
The retail package will include Ixy 820IS camera, hand strap, a 32 MB SD card, rechargeable battery with its charger, driver CD, data cable and an AV cable.Will be available this Spring, no pricing is informed so far.
Transcend’s Storejet 160GB And 250GB HDD
Transcend which is among worldwide leaders in producing digital media and storage devices fora bang launched its new external/portable HDD(Hard Disk Drive).This launch also comes in India with the 250GB version the StoreJet 25 mobile.This Attractive looking HDD weighs upto 206g and has the following parameters of size 134 x 80.8 x 18.8 mm.What’s fascinating about this HDD is that, its rugged,shockproof,Silicon case lets you store data, with utmost reliability.
To add tto its reliability against damage, loss of data data and breakage pertaining to falls it comes with US military standards (MIL-STD-810F – Transit Drop) with advanced two-stage anti-shock technology. To make sure that it is maximum compatible with desktop and notebook computers, it brings with it a high-speed USB 2.0 interface that provides data transfer rates up to 480Mbps, while offering the convenience of plug and play.
Just hold on if u think you are done with its features,it also comes with a ‘OneTouch’auto backup button,elite storjet 2.0software for better scheduling,security,power management and File compression.It also is compatible with almost all leading Operating Systems such as Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS 9.0 or later, and Linux Kernel 2.4.2 or later. 
The other features are:-
- Backwards compatible with USB 1.0/1.1 .
- USB powered- no AC/DC adapter needed .
- Bright LED indicates power / data transfer activity.
- Power Management: Enabling StoreJet’s power-saving mode when idle .
- Lightweight contoured aluminum case for easy carrying .
Transcend’s 250GB StoreJet .5 SATA portable hard drive is available in the Indian market at the price of Rs. 7900 and comes with a warranty of two years.
AOL Takes Over Bebo For $850 Million
AOL added to its bid inorder for increased traffic and advertising knocks as the in competition internet company agreed a $850 million for the social networking site BEBO, inturn getting a chance in the growing social media fraternity.As matter of fact Bebo still walks under the shadows of MySpace and Facebook, it is strong in some foreign markets though,including Britain.
AOL top officials are planning to draw the engaed traffic to AOL’s other free, ad-supported Web sites, especially internationally, while counting on AOL’s instant-messaging communities, AIM and ICQ, to try to grow Bebo in the United States.
“This is going to be the cornerstone of our strategy to really go after the social media space,” Ron Grant, AOL’s president and chief operating officer, said in an interview.
In a Press conference for the reporters, AOL’s Chief Executive Randy Falco called the acquisition “game-changing for AOL,” a move that will power the company’s strategic push into advertising.
AOL has been working out ways to improve ad revenue to pullback steep declines in dial-up Internet subscriptions. After several quarters of strong growth, AOL’s advertising expansion has been slowing, putting pressure on the company’s parent, Time Warner Inc., to sell the Internet unit.Falco said Time Warner’s willingness to spend $850 million in cash indicated its commitment to AOL’s future, though eMarketer analyst David Hallerman likened the move to renovating a home before selling it at a higher price.
Company officials declined comment on recent reports that Yahoo Inc. has stepped up talks with Time Warner about buying or forming a joint venture with AOL as Yahoo tries to fend off a $40 billion-plus takeover bid from Microsoft Corp.
The Bebo acquisition could make a Yahoo-AOL deal less likely by adding one more integration headache to the mix, said Roger Kay, who heads the market research firm Endpoint Technologies Associates.The deal is AOL’s largest since it bought MapQuest for $1 billion in 2000 (not counting AOL’s $106 billion purchase of Time Warner in 2001).San Francisco-based Bebo Inc. has about 100 employees and plans to launch in five countries this year.
Samsung SGH-i550W Review
Samsung is great at coming up with head-turning handset designs, but the i550W happens not to be one of those. Instead, it follows a very safe formula–black casing with a gray strip running around the sides, traces of metallic silver for a sophisticated look, a textured back casing that doesn’t attract smudges, and the right size for a comfortable grip in hand.
The 2.5-inch QVGA screen takes up almost half of the phone’s front, so it’s inevitable that something else has to give. Our concerns were initially with the longish and thin alphanumeric keys which remind us of the ones on the Nokia N82 and Sony Ericsson W880i. Fortunately, our worries were unfounded. Although the keys are smaller compared with the traditional rectangular button, these are well-spaced-out and provide good tactile feedback.
The i550W comes with a 3.5mm audio port and that is on the top edge of the set covered by a protector. This lets us plug in our headset from the top, so there won’t be anything protruding from the sides when the phone is in our pockets. Elsewhere, there’s a microSD expansion card slot on the left and a connector port behind a sliding door on the right.
Previously, users who want built-in GPS on their phones had only Nokia to choose from. Now they have an additional option. The mapping solution is different on the i550W, though, at least we think so. Our prototype unit was loaded with Route 66 maps, but that may change when the commercial set comes along.
Connectivity options on the i550W are plentiful. Besides Wi-Fi, the triband phone comes with HSDPA and Blueooth stereo A2DP. There’s also a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with built-in LED flash for snapshots and an FM radio for music over-the-air. According to the literature, the i550W uses a 1,200mAh cell which is rated for up to 7 hours of talktime and about 21 days on standby.
Overall, the i550W looks like a promising addition to Samsung’s current lineup of mobile devices. The company has had Windows Mobile devices and, now with Symbian S60 onboard, things are going to be interesting. Put simply, there’s almost an OS for everyone. Although we weren’t able to test out many of the i550W’s features on our production set, suffice to say that the specifications of the unit already give it a lot of headroom in an otherwise saturated market segment. Built-in GPS is, of course, a bonus, though we’re not sure how much impact that would have on the battery life.
Its All Happening On Xbox360
Xbox360 has been an ever happening place,with a number of games launched,some of which are gold editions and the others stepping up to improve the playability of the games.
Bully: Scholarship Edition was released recently, and its already spoiling the mood of gamers around the world wit its constant stutters and hell an amount of audio glitches.Rockstar has been monitoring all these talks around and express their surprise over such a behaviour,well infact they are putting it on Xbox’s old hardware for the ongoing problems.However they are working on patches to overcome the tehnical faults which initially was never anticipated.
The other happenings include..
KOIE has sealed the launch of their upcoming game Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends which is going gold and will be playable for the Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 from the third quarter of march. The Xbox 360 version is an expansion that will be available on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 2400 MS Points, but only to those who already own Samurai Warriors 2. 
The Playstation 2 version will be available in stores on the same date, which can be used to amp up the Samurai Warriors 2 experience or be played on its own as an entirely new Samurai Warriors experience.
Featuring new characters, levels and play modes, Samurai Warriors 2 XL aims to enhance the Samurai Warriors experience by adding a multitude of new features such as enabling owners of SW2 to power up all of the original characters with new charge attacks, a fifth new weapon and increase their growth level from 50 to 70. Players are also able to use the brand new SW2 XL characters in SW2’s Survival, Story and Sugaroku modes.
Nokia N78 Review
Nokia today introduced the Nokia N78, a multimedia computer that combines music, navigation and photography with the benefits of mobility. The Nokia N78 is designed to take advantage of the new suite of Nokia services, including the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and Share on Ovi – a new online service that enables consumers to share their personal media. The Nokia N78 is expected to start shipping during the second quarter of 2008, with an estimated retail price of approximately 350 euros, before taxes.
The Nokia N78 packs a powerful range of technologies, including integrated A-GPS, with free Nokia Maps, WLAN and high-speed HSPDA 3G connectivity, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and support for microSD memory card, currently available at up to 8 GB, to store favourite music and media. The novelties of the N78 are geotagging of photos and an integrated FM transmitter that allows music to be played on any FM radio, in a car or at home.
“The Nokia N78 truly lives up to the Nseries promise of delivering unparalleled mobile multimedia experiences with the very latest technologies and services,” says Jonas Geust, who oversees Nokia’s Nseries devices. “The Nokia N78 empowers people to explore their passions, enjoy their favourite music and share their experiences with others and is set to continue the range of well-balanced Nseries devices such as the successful Nokia N73.”
Sansa Fuze PMP Digital Media Player
Sandisk has officially announced the Sansa Fuze digital media player. The Fuze looks like it will fit nicely between the clip, and the View. That’s currently where the e200 series is seated, but I have a feeling Sandisk will be discontinuing that model in the near future.
Features:
- Capacity: 2, 4, and 8GB with microSDHC slot
- Display: 1.9″ QVGA
- Audio: MP3, WMA (and WMA DRM), and Audible
- Video: MPEG-4 simple profile at 30 fps
- FM Tuner and Voice recorder
- Battery life: 24 hours for Audio, 5 hours for video
- Dimensions: 3.1 x 1.9 x 0.3 in.
Like Apple did with their Nano line, certain colors are capacity-specific. The 8GB model will only come in Silver, and Red Blue, and Pink only come in the 4GB configuration. The 2GB model will retail for $79, the 4GB for $99, and the 8GB for $129. The Fuze isn’t anything groundbreaking of course, but if it sounds as good as the clip then it might be worth picking up.
Gigabyte MS808, The World Class 3G Phone
Gigabyte showed at the Mobile World Congress the GSmart MS808 smartphone that supports digital TV reception. The phone is powered by a Marvell PXA310 624 MHz processor, 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM. It is features also SiRF Star III GPS chipset and supports DVB-T , DVB-H, T-DMB, ISDB-T, DMB digital TV receptions. There are also a 3 megapixel camera and a 0.3 Megapixel front camera.
Gigabyte GSmart MS808 is a smartphone made for world traveler. Comes in a sleek design with 116 x 60 x 14.1mm dimension, Gigabyte MS 808sports a 2.8-inch touchscreen with VGA resolution.Doesn’t matter where you are, as long as there are 3G/3.5G network, MS808 can support it with its HSDPA, WCDMA 2100, EDGE, GSM850/900/1800/1900, and GPRS network supports.
Powered by a 624 MHz Marvell PXA310 processor, this Gigabyte smartphone is running Windows Mobile 6.1 OS and boast lots of key feature such as GPS, DVB-T/DVB-H/T-DMB/ISDB-T/DMB, Wifi b/g and3MP camera with autofocus. The Gigabyte MS 808 will be released at Q2 2008 while its price is unknown so far.