New Flash Memory Chips of Intel and Micron
Intel and Micron plan to unveil new 25-nanometer flash memory chips on Monday via their IM Flash Technologies joint venture, the first commercial chip products made using advanced 25nm manufacturing technology. The new 64 gigabit (8 gigabyte) MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory chip will give the companies a significant cost advantage over rivals, chip market researcher Objective Analysis said in a research note. The research note was inadvertently sent out ahead of an official announcement by Intel and Micron, which is slated for Monday. An Intel representative confirmed the new chips and said they are aimed at smartphones, solid-state drives (SSDs), and portable media players such as iPods. “We are currently sampling it with production expected in the second quarter,” Intel said via e-mail. The use of tiny 25nm technology puts the companies ahead of rivals in the flash industry. Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest producer of flash memory, is starting work on 30nm technology this year and plans to use it in most production lines by the end of 2010. The nanometer measurement describes the microscopic size of transistors and other parts on a chip. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, about the size of a [...]
Find Bug in Chrome and Get Rewards
We’ll pay $500 to $1,337 for every security bug you find in Chrome. In an attempt to minimize security vulnerabilities in its Web browser, Google has announced a new program that could earn you a few bucks. The search giant is paying between $500 and $1,337 per security flaw found in either Chrome or Chromium. The reward varies on the severity of the bug, and those deemed particularly critical or clever will receive the larger amount. Google admits that this program is nothing new, tipping its hat to Mozilla for the organization’s “long-running and successful vulnerability reward program.” Virtually any security hole found in Stable, Beta, and Dev builds of the browser is eligible, and even some Chromium project plug-ins (such as Google Gears) and third-party components (like WebKit or libxml) qualify for payment. Naturally, cash is doled out on a first come first served basis, so if you find a bug, be quick to submit it. Unfortunately, payment cannot be issued to some countries, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.
Apple iPad Lauched
It’s official, Steve Jobs has just revealed the much anticipated Apple Tablet, it’s name the Apple iPad. On stage just moments ago, Apple’s founder and CEO held up the device to the thunderous applause of the audience. The rumors surrounding it have been the talk of the town for months, but now Apple has put them to rest. This device is real. Steve Jobs and his team have just begun to dive into the details of the iPad. We will be constantly updating this story with new information: Keep refreshing to see our latest updates and photos of the device.
Nokia X6 16GB launched
Today sees the Nokia X6 get its very own baby brother in the form of a new 16GB model. Unlike its 32GB sibling, the 16GB version does not come with music but its sizable on board storage still boasts enough space for 5,500 tracks. Outside that substantial storage sits a lush 3.2-inch wide-screen capacitive touchscreen and four new finishes: all black, all white, white with pink highlights and white with yellow highlights. The Nokia X6 16GB will be available this quarter.
Panasonic introduce DMC-FX66, DMC-TS2, DMC-ZS5, DMC-ZS7 and DMC-ZR3
Panasonic is just announced quite a handful of Lumix compact cameras, featuring both the new Venus Engine VI and Venus Engine HD II that claim to perform quicker with better noise reduction. What is more exciting is that these are all compatible with the forthcoming SDXC cards too, but check out their “Happy Mode”, it makes photos more vivid and true to the color of the scene you memorized. DMC-FX66: This one is a 14.1 megapixel slim camera with an F2.8-5.9 25-125mm (5x zoom) ultra-wide-angle lens (with Power O.I.S lens-shift stabilization). The 720p video capture and 1.06 second start-up time are sweet too, but no AVCHD Lite here. On the back there’s a 2.7-inch 230k-dot screen with wide viewing angle. All this is just 5.11 ounces including battery. DMC-TS2 (FT2): This camera has a lot in common with the FX66 above, same sensor, same image stabilization, same scene modes (but with three extra), same focus modes and same screen. The main differences are its AVCHD Lite 720p video format, F3.3-5.9 28-128mm (4.6x) lens and added ruggedness — waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 2m, freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and dustproof. It’s of course slightly heavier too — 6.63 ounces including [...]
New Pictures of the Apple Tablet
New pictures claiming to be the Apple Tablet have surfaced, and they are the most realistic ones we have seen yet. The images was posted by designer Dustin Curtis, reveal what appears to be the tablet on top of a MacBook Pro. While we can not verify or debunk their authenticity, they are the most complete images we have seen yet of the rumored device. Without the interface running, any video, or a picture of its backside, we can not even guess as to whether they are real. Our gut says no, but they are convincing images. Take a look at these pretty pictures we will do the investigating to try to determine if they are real.
EU clears Oracle’s purchase of Sun Microsystems
The European Commission granted Oracle an unconditional approval to take over Sun Microsystems on Thursday, following a controversial and drawn out examination of the deal.The deal still awaits approval in other jurisdictions, including Russia and China, but approval in the European Union is a big step forward for a deal hailed by some as transformational for the entire software industry, and by others as the killer of one of the most successful open source programs in the world, the MySQL database. Last November the Commission, the E.U.’s top antitrust regulator, expressed serious concerns about the planned deal because it would mean that Oracle, the world’s largest proprietary database developer, would gain control of MySQL, an open source database division of Sun that has in recent years been stealing market share away from its more expensive rivals: Oracle, IBM and Microsoft. However, it swept those concerns aside in December after Oracle promised to safeguard MySQL for five years after the deal goes ahead. Controversially, this pledge was made to vendors, software developers and customers of MySQL, and not to the Commission itself. Explaining its decision, the Commission said its concerns about MySQL were not as great as it initially suspected. “The [...]
New SSD 512GB from Kingston
Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of the second-generation SSDNow V+ solid-state drive. The SSDNow V+ solid-state drive has Windows® 7 TRIM support, is available up to 512GB and provides faster performance than the previous generation. ”The new SSDNow V+ is an ideal solid-state drive for high-level consumers and in corporate environments where efficiency and performance are important as more system resources are in use,” said Ariel Perez, SSD business manager, Kingston®. “Users will be more productive as the drive now features TRIM support, is available in higher capacities and is speedier overall with improved read/write speeds.” The addition of TRIM support helps keep the SSDNow V+ maintain optimal write speed throughout its lifespan. Using PCMark® Vantage 1.0.1 for Windows 7, the 512GB SSDNow V+ drive received a score of 28,264, whereas a 7200RPM hard-disk drive reached 3,294**. PCMark Vantage 1.0.1 for Windows 7 runs a series of tests such as operating system startup, importing photos, adding music to Windows Media Center and application loading. The score is an indicator of how many bytes are moved per second. The SSDNow V+ is the [...]
Optio I-10, H90, and E90 of Pentax
With a couple of leaks to get our mouths watering, Pentax has at last confirmed its new trio of Optio cameras: the I-10, H90, and E90. The SLR-inspired I-10 sports a 5x zoom, 12.1 megapixel sensor, 2.7-inch LCD and 720p / 30fps video capture. There is also optical image stabilization, smile capture, and face detection to round out the feature set; not bad for a $300 camera. Meanwhile, the similarly classy, 80s-inspired H90 checks most of the same boxes;including HD video, 12.1 megapixel stills and 5x zoom; with a $180 pricetag, we can only guess its sacrifices involve a downgraded lens, sensor or general sense of class. Finally, the E90 throws off all classic pretension and does up 10 megapixels, 3x zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD for a mere $100. No optical stabilization here, but the 6400 ISO and Digital Shake Reduction mode should help out a little bit.
The History of the Nokia Tune
It all started in the year 1993 and with the launch of Nokia’s 2100 series. The new Nokia 2100 phones were more advanced than previous Nokia’s and had more than 20 pre installed ringtones. Anssi Vanjoki suggested that one of the pre installed ringtones could be Nokia’s own ringtone. His proposal for the so called Nokia tune was Francisco Tárrega’s (1852-1909) “Gran Vals”. The Gran Vals was also at that time used on Nokia TV-commercials. Anssi Vanjoki gave the notes of the Gran Vals to Lauri Kivinen and tried to sell the idea of a Nokia Tune to him. At first Kivinen thought it quite unnessecary for a phone to have several ringtones. Hadn´t people been doing just fine with one ringtone? Despite skepticism things were developed furher in Oulu, Finland, where Nokia ringtones were developed. In 1994, the Nokia 2100 series phones were launched and the Nokia tune could bee heard all over the world. The Nokia 2100 series was a success story, planning to sell 400 000, but sold 20 million
