iPHONE HACKED

It sure sounds like a steal. On Aug. 31, George Hotz plans to trade in his iPhone for a metallic blue Nissan (NSANY) 350Z sports car and three brand-new iPhones. But the 17-year-old's device is no ordinary Apple phone. Hotz hacked his iPhone and unlocked it so that it can be used on a variety of cell-phone networks, becoming the first person known to have done so. The person buying Hotz's phone, Terry Daidone, believes he's the one getting the deal because Hotz has agreed to work for him at his cell-phone refurbishing company, CertiCell.

Daidone says he doesn't plan to sell unlocked iPhones just yet. Rather, he says that he wants Hotz to teach CertiCell's technicians the secrets to unlocking other kinds of cell phones. But that could change—if he can clear up legal questions surrounding the practice of unlocking mobile phones. "As the need arises to unlock phones, we should be at the forefront of that," Daidone says.

Apple (AAPL) and AT&T (T), the sole authorized supplier of the iPhone in the U.S., are doing what they can to make sure that legal clearance never comes. The two companies have put their lawyers on the case, applying pressure on hackers involved in unlocking iPhones to try to get them to stop. Much is at stake. AT&T has been hoping that as the exclusive provider of the iPhone, it will see a surge in new customers and monthly service charges of at least $60 from each one. Apple is supposed to get a cut of the revenues. If iPhones are unlocked, they can be used on the wireless networks of rivals like T-Mobile USA—and AT&T gets zippo. AT&T wouldn't comment for this story, while Apple didn't return a request for comment.
Fuzzy Laws

So will Apple and AT&T's legal action deter hackers? Hardly. Individual users are already allowed to unlock their own phones under an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that the U.S. Copyright Office issued last November. The exemption, in force for three years, applies to "computer programs…that enable wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telephone communication network, when circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of lawfully connecting to a wireless telephone communication network."

What's less clear is whether companies and hackers can legally unlock the phones and then sell them to others, or sell unlocking software. "The law here is unclear," says Jonathan Kramer, founder of Kramer Telecom Law Firm in Los Angeles. "There just isn't any case law in this area for us to figure out how it plays out."

Experts believe that AT&T and Apple will point to the DMCA's section 1201, stating that "no person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title." They will claim that a phone lock is just such a technological measure that protects copyrighted work: namely, cell-phone software.
Hackers Undeterred

Problem is, it could be argued that, in reality, the lock only protects access to a carrier's communications network—and communications services aren't copyrightable under the Act, explains Jane Ginsburg, professor of literary and artistic property law at Columbia Law School. "This law was written for DVDs and video games," she explains. "What's going on here is using the Copyright Act to achieve another objective."

Indeed, this time, hackers may have the law on their side. Remember, decades ago, automakers built their instrument panels so that only authorized radios of their own manufacture would fit in. Eventually, U.S. courts ended that practice. "If Apple and AT&T push too hard, they might see a revision of [the Copyright Act, and it won't be in their favor]," says Richard Doherty, director of consultancy the Envisioneering Group.

That's why, for now, some hackers contacted by AT&T lawyers still plan to release their wares. "Over the next few days…you will get what you are looking for," promises an Aug. 27 message posted on the Web site of UniquePhones, which helps people unlock mobile phones.
Opening Up the Networks

Demand for unlocked iPhones, which sell for $499 and $599, is rising. Already, the phone has become a cultural phenomenon, with enthusiastic fans going to great lengths to get their hands on one. Consumers in rural areas where AT&T doesn't have a network or in markets with spotty AT&T coverage may want to use the popular device through T-Mobile's network. Overseas, consumers want to try it in conjunction with Orange (FTE) and Vodafone (VOD) wireless service. "If Apple offered unlocked iPhones for $1,200, they'd probably sell some," Doherty says.

Many hope that the legal wrangling will, eventually, result in major shifts in how the U.S. wireless industry operates. For one, a case could pave the way to making all wireless networks more open to unlocked phones. In the next five years, 10% to 15% of U.S. wireless users could move to unlocked phones, figures Andrei Jezierski, founder of venture consultancy i2 Partners in New York (see BusinessWeek.com, 12/4/06, "Motorola, Nokia Set Cell Phones Free").

Plus, to answer pent-up demand for untethered phones, a cell-phone carrier could differentiate its offerings by selling all of its handsets unlocked, says David Chamberlain, an analyst with consultancy In-Stat. "It's an anomaly that the phones are tied to individual carriers," he says. "Can we change that business as usual? Maybe. But people who want that will fight for a very long time."

Windows Genuine Advantage cries wolf (again)

Over the weekend, thousands of Microsoft customers who tried to download patches or updates for Windows were falsely accused of running a pirated version of Windows.

Microsoft blamed the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) glitch on server problems, since fixed. WGA is an anti-piracy program which determines the validity of Windows software running on customer PCs - and phone backs to Redmond with the results.


Between Friday and Saturday, Windows users who tried to update their system were greeted by WGA declaring them liars and cheats.

Microsoft is investigating the cause of the error.

Despite the internet uproar over the weekend, according to Microsoft's WGA blog, fewer than 12,000 systems were affected worldwide. Microsoft denies reports that the error caused some computers to gut itself of features such as DirectX.

From the WGA blog:
This validation failure did not result in the 30-day grace period starting and no one went into reduced functionality mode as a result. The experience of a system that failed validation in this instance was that some features intended for use only on genuine systems were temporarily unavailable. Those features were Windows Aero, ReadyBoost, Windows Defender (which still scanned and identified all threats, but cleaned only the severe ones), and Windows Update (only optional updates were unavailable; security and other critical updates remained available).

Customers who received an incorrect validation response can fix their system by revalidating at the WGA site. Microsoft recommends the affected systems are rebooted to restore the system to normal.

The SNAFU mirrors a similar server outage last year which flagged genuine copies of Windows as pirated booty.

False positives, in addition to privacy concerns have fueled debate on just how advantageous WGA is to legitimate customers.

It is telling to us that Microsoft must constantly remind its customers that it hasn't added WGA because of spite:

"WGA's goal is not to punish the people who purchase these programs; they, of all people are the most victimized," wrote Alex Kochis, WGA senior product manager in the WGA blog. "The goal is to give these people a tool to let them know they have been victimized and can do something about it." ®

VMware VDI shops get thin-client option with Pano Logic

IT shops looking to implement VMware virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) -- server-hosted desktops running in virtual machines (VMs) -- now have another
For more on virtual desktop infrastructure:
VDI benefits without VDI: Desktop management

What technology makes VDI possible?

VDI versus server-based computing desktops



thin-client option for end users' desks.
For more on virtual desktop infrastructure:
VDI benefits without VDI: Desktop management

What technology makes VDI possible?

VDI versus server-based computing desktops


Pano Logic Inc., a startup in Menlo Park, Calif., announced its Pano desktop computer, a thin-client device designed specifically for desktop virtualization and in particular for VMware Inc.'s VDI.
[Pano Logic is] definitely targeted at the average business user, but I'm able to watch Windows video on it.
Ryan Ritchie,
IT manager, R Systems

Compared with traditional thin clients from vendors like Wyse Technology Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and NEC Corp., the Pano device is notable for what it doesn't have: no CPU, no memory, no software, no operating system and no drivers. What the device does have are connectors to a keyboard, monitor and mouse, audio ins and outs, an Ethernet connection, and a USB.

Since the device has no processing resources of its own, Pano runs what it calls a Pano service within the Windows OS, which does things like translate the display Remote Desktop Protocol and present remote USB devices back to Windows. Taking this approach, Windows believes that the device is local, and users can use normal, native drivers for all their USB devices, Pano reported.

The benefits of a stripped-down device are easier management, the ability to share devices between users, low power consumption and low cost (about $300), said Mike Fodor, Pano Logic vice president of product management. But for now, end users will have to content themselves with "YouTube quality" audio and video, he said. Pano Logic hopes to resolve quality issues down the road, however. "We recognize the trend of more audio and video and have plans for a silicon solution in the future," Fodor said.

Sony caught playing with rootkits again

Sony's Microvault USB memory key deploy software that could render users vulnerable to a malware attack, security vendor F-Secure claimed.

The Sony devices feature an integrated fingerprint reader that allows the user to securely store information. Unlocking the information however requires the installation of special software on a Windows computer.

Among things, the application creates a hidden directory on the user's hard drive. At least some anti virus applications will be unable to access and scan the contents of this directory, claimed F-Secure researcher Mika Tolvanen. This potentially allows malware authors to hide their creations from security software.

The technology offers rootkit-like, a term that is used for applications designed to hide files and processes from the end user as well as the system. Rootkits are best known for their use by malware authors, who use it to prevent detection and removal of their creations by security applications. The term originally referred to tools that allow attackers to gain root access to Unix systems without the owner's knowledge, but has since taken on the meaning of cloaking technologies.

The Microvault case closely resembles a highly publicized security scandal from 2005. Sony at the time used rootkit technology to hide digital rights management software from end users when they tried to play certain audio CDs on a Windows computer. The XCP software, developed by First 4 Internet, was generally considered to be clumsily architected.

Sony initially denied that its technology comprised any security risk, but quickly subsided when malware emerged that exploited the flaw. The firm paid several millions settling lawsuits.

Sony's entertainment division at the time deployed the rootkit technology to prevent users from uninstalling the digital rights management technology, an action that critics charge to be at odds with fair use.

In the case of the Microvault memory keys, F-Secure suggested that the file could be hidden to ensure the accuracy of the data signatures, thereby protecting the data stored on the device.

"We feel that rootkit-like cloaking techniques are not the right way to go here," Tolvanen commented.

F-Secure said that it was unsuccessful in contacting Sony.

Sony didn't immediately respond to request for comment.

Sony gets jump on Blu-ray iMac with new TV/PC

While Apple watchers wait for Apple to deliver on its promise of a Blu-ray equipped Mac, Sony has moved directly into iMac territory with a Blue-ray equipped version of its all-in-one 22" TV/PC today. Let's take a gander at what's inside.

Like an iMac, the Sony VAIO LT has all of its guts loaded into its monitor. It also has a 1680x1050 widescreen display, Vista Ultimate, a 1.3 megapixel camera, a built-in Blu-ray drive, 802.11n wireless support, and 2GB of RAM. Unfortunately, the hard drive capacity, type of Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and further information on the included discrete GPU are unknown at this time. Sony claims the hard drive will have plenty of room for recording HD content, and a GPU powerful enough to handle graphics-intensive games and HDTV. In order to watch TV or HD content on the VAIO LT, users will need to install a CableCARD that can be rented or bought from most cable companies.

One of the coolest features of the new VIAO PC/TV is its ability to be mounted on a wall. Because it only has a 22'" screen, it's probably best suited for office walls and not for hanging above the mantel in your living room. Sony also claims that users will be able to turn the TV off or on without having to worry about the PC shutting down or booting up--meaning, you won't need to wait for your TV to boot.

The VAIO LT will be available in October for $1,900 without the Blu-ray drive, or $2,900 with the Blu-ray drive.

UPDATE: The Sony VAIO LT has a recordable Blu-ray drive, which can store up to 50GB on dual-layer Blu-ray discs. This explains the $1,000 price difference between the Blu-ray and non-Blu-ray models.

iOMEGA, kewl network storage

At one time, network storage was an expensive proposition. Iomega is aiming to shatter the preconception with its new line of Home Network Hard Drives. The drives, available in 320GB, 360GB, and 500GB capacities, set new low-water marks for network storage. The 320GB model costs $149, as will the 360GB model when it ships in September. The 500GB model carries a retail price of $199.

According to Tom Kampfer, president and COO of Iomega, the goal with these new hard drives is to make network storage mainstream, by closing the differential in price from getting a standard USB 2.0 and a drive equipped with ethernet. With these new models, the gap falls to about $20--the cost of a meal out. Kampfer sites the prevalence of home networks as a big motivator in Iomega trying to move into this space; Iomega's next step-up 500GB StorCenter costs $299.

To achieve the lower costs, Iomega is leveraging some of its advantages in volume production—as well as using a different chipset than the one found in its recently announced StorCenter line of network-attached storage devices. This means, among other things, that you will see a performance difference between the Home and StorCenter lines.

The Home models have both ethernet and USB 2.0 connectivity (useful if, for whatever reason, you need to jack the unit directly into a PC for a direct connection), and are optimized for use by up to four users simultaneously. These models also include Iomega's Discovery Tool Home utility for Windows, and two licenses of EMC Retrospect HD backup software (a $50 value unto itself).

Intel's vPro Chips Mean More Security for Businesses

With the introduction of its latest vPro microprocessors on Monday, Intel contends it is injecting a heavy dose of new security capabilities for the benefit of business customers and third-party technology providers alike.

By wrapping a set of expanded security features around the vPro Core 2 Duo chips, the chip giant maintains it can help IT departments more easily protect and support their desktop systems, in large part by offering additional hooks for other vendors' PC defense and management tools.

With the addition of features that extend malware behavior-detection further onto the CPU level and wall off virtualized software systems from attack, Intel says it can greatly enhance the chips' interaction with complementary security technologies.

By adding new capability for desktops to communicate directly with so-called network access control (NAC) systems, Intel contends it can offer full-fledged security management opportunities that circumvent the need for device-OS interaction.

"The time [available] to respond to vulnerabilities is down and the sophistication of malicious attacks is increasing," said Gregory Bryant, general manger of Intel's Digital Office Platform Division. "We're trying to make security more proactive by driving it into the platform itself."

Intel is also touting other systems management and power-efficiency features in the chips, formerly known by the code-name Weybridge, but its sales pitch for the new vPros is centered on its security tools.

Bryant acknowledges that it may take years for the processors to find their way onto a large share of enterprise desktops. However, the vPros' technologies are aimed at other emerging IT phenomena such as virtualization and NAC, he said, which will help the processors fall in line with those trends.

Silicon Valley Wide-Eyed Over a Bride

Sometimes good fortune arrives in fairytale-like flurries.

23andMe

Anne Wojcicki quietly wed Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google.

Consider Anne Wojcicki, the 33-year-old former health care investment analyst who this month married a handsome young computer scientist, who just happens to be one of America’s richest men.

As if the swirl of excitement around the Silicon Valley pairing of Ms. Wojcicki and Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, were not enough, Ms. Wojcicki has captured still more attention with a biotech company she recently co-founded, 23andMe. And her husband’s company is an investor.

Google disclosed last week in a regulatory filing that it has invested $3.9 million in 23andMe, a start-up that, according to its Web site, is developing ways “to help you make sense of your own genetic information.” The company’s name refers to the number of paired chromosomes in human DNA.

In an interview, Google’s chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, declined to comment about 23andMe’s business or its future products, but he said that in the course of evaluating the potential investment, the company had instituted an array of checks and balances to ensure objectivity, including the recusal of Mr. Brin from any discussions.

“That was all done by the book beyond belief,” Mr. Schmidt said.

Google has invested in a handful of other start-ups, including FON and Meraki, both Wi-Fi start-ups, and Current, a company that delivers high-speed Internet access using existing power outlets.

Jon Murchinson, a Google spokesman, said that aside from 23andMe, none of the investments involved companies owned by a close relative of a senior Google executive.

Mr. Schmidt said that the Google investment in 23andMe would eventually benefit Google and its users.

Ms. Wojcicki (pronounced Wo-JIT-skee), and her 23andMe co-founder, Linda Avey, 47, declined to be interviewed at this stage in the company’s development.

23andMe, with headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., is based on the concept of individualized genetic mapping. “What used to cost billions now costs only $1,000,” Martin Varsavsky, an entrepreneur who has invested in the company, wrote recently in his blog. “So for the price of a laptop you can now learn the most intimate details of your genetic self.”

Mr. Varsavsky wrote that as medicine advanced, those who have had their genes mapped could be notified of developments concerning their own genes, including news of relevant drug discoveries.

Then there is the networking aspect.

“And what about relatives?” Mr. Varsavsky wrote. “If people are joining so many social sites to find out what they have in common, why not find out who the person who is closest to you in the genetic sense is?”

Even without a bit of mapping, Ms. Wojcicki’s own distinguished genetic heritage is evident. She comes from a family of intellectual high achievers. Her father, Stanley, is the chairman of the physics department at Stanford University; her mother, Esther, is a journalism teacher at Palo Alto High School. Ms. Wojcicki, the youngest of three daughters, attended Yale University, graduating in 1996 with a degree in biology.

The couple met after Ms. Wojcicki’s older sister, Susan, now a Google vice president, sublet the garage of her house in Menlo Park to Mr. Brin and his partner, Larry Page, 34, for their search-engine start-up.

Google has declined to disclose any details of the wedding, but according to various news reports, the location was such a closely guarded secret that wedding guests boarded the jet owned by Mr. Brin and Mr. Page unaware of their exact destination until they arrived on a private island in the Bahamas.

Guests who attended said the bride wore a white swimsuit, the groom a black one. Some guests took a boat while others — including the bride and groom — swam to a nearby sandbar, where the couple exchanged vows.

Ms. Wojcicki is known for her high energy and approachable, easygoing, personal style. People who knew her in high school in Palo Alto said that she was studious but far from isolated. While at Yale, her mother said, Ms. Wojcicki was a competitive ice skater and played on the varsity ice hockey team. She also had a job as an activities coordinator in her dormitory.

Esther Wojcicki, who has worked at Google as an educational consultant, described her daughter as “an idea factory.” In the past, she said, her daughter has had various health care related business ideas, and 23andMe is the first to come to fruition. Ms. Avey, her partner, has been involved with several start-ups in the past.

Ms. Wojcicki said that she was surprised when her daughter told her of the unusual wedding she had planned.

“She said, ‘Mom, I’m going to swim to my wedding,’ ” said Ms. Wojcicki. “And she pulled it off.”

Spurning some of the usual trappings of great wealth, Mr. Brin, who is worth some $14 billion, and Ms. Wojcicki live in a quiet residential neighborhood in Palo Alto.

In addition to Google, a handful of venture firms have invested in 23andMe as well. The total investment is estimated at around $10 million, part of which is being used to repay a $2.6 million personal loan from Mr. Brin.

“This is a completely new thing, and that’s exactly why we invested,” said Patrick Chung, a partner with New Enterprise Associates, a venture capital firm in Menlo Park, Calif. “Everyone can relate to this. Everyone has a genetic blueprint.”

Mr. Chung said that he was particularly impressed by Ms. Wojcicki’s ability to discuss the scientific aspects of her new company without losing her audience. “She’s really, really smart and still completely accessible,” he said. “And that is a gift.”

Google's Latest Purchase Could Mean More Cool Free Software

Google just bought GreenBorder, maker of Windows security software GreenBorder Pro. GreenBorder Pro is designed to protect against malware invasions and Internet attacks; the software is no longer available for download as the company transitions, and as every employee presumably bounces off walls and jumps for joy.

The company's site says it is still supporting existing customers. I wrote about GreenBorder Pro last year, along with other software that takes a similar approach to security. Instead of attempting to identify and block particular attacks or pieces of malware like traditional antivirus apps, GreenBorder Pro changes the operating environment with virtualization and modified user permissions such that attacks can't worm their way into your system or access your documents. It runs Firefox and Internet Explorer in this kind of protected environment, and can do the same for downloaded and e-mailed documents.

I think this secure-the-environment idea is a smart approach, and evidently Google agrees. Many other similarly themed security products have popped up over the past year (we're working on an upcoming review of one of them, WindowZones). My only beef with GreenBorder was that it charged a recurring yearly fee of $30 a year, like antivirus software, instead of a one-time, up-front price like most programs.

But the company didn't have the excuse of using the recurring fee to run research labs and supply signatures. The yearly fee just covered software updates. So the big question now is, will GreenBorder become another free Google download? Google isn't yet talking, but my own guess, based on pure personal speculation, is that Google will roll it into the Google Pack alongside the current Norton Security Scan and Spyware Doctor Starter Edition options.

In which case I'd expect you could also download a re-branded version on its own, like you can with Picasa. I don't think GreenBorder will become part of Google Apps, since Apps is a collection of hosted services that doesn't require a software download. But hey, I could be wrong. Or Google could even roll it into Google Desktop.

However the company handles it, if it offers GreenBorder free to consumers, I'll cheer the move. Though not nearly as enthusiastically as the GreenBorder employees are no doubt cheering right now.

Sony & HD Radio Bandwagons >>>> DUH

Sony on Tuesday unveiled two new HD radio receivers, a tabletop unit and an in-car device. While Sony is certainly not the first manufacturer to offer HD radios, the backing of such a large corporation could mean good things for the format. HD radio boasts better signal quality in both the AM and FM bands, as well as the ability to broadcast multiple signals over the same frequency.

Microsoft to Sell Touch-Screen Computer Built Into Coffee Table .............

May 30 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. will sell a coffee- table-shaped touch-controlled computer that can give product information to shoppers, provide directions to hotel guests, or display menus for restaurant diners.

Microsoft will manufacture the horizontal-screened machines itself, rather than using personal-computer makers. Buyers of the device include T-Mobile USA Inc., Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Harrah's Entertainment Inc., said Microsoft General Manager Pete Thompson. The computer, called Microsoft Surface, will go on sale for $5,000 to $10,000 in November.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, is developing new forms of computers that are easier and more natural to control. The company expects such devices to become part of a multibillion-dollar industry sometime after 2010. Microsoft will probably release a consumer version of the Surface computer in three to five years, Thompson said.

The 30-inch display allows several people to use the table at once, for instance, to move and resize photos with their hands. Microsoft plans to tweak the design to accommodate each customer. The device can be made taller for in-store displays meant to be operated by standing customers.

T-Mobile USA, the fourth-largest U.S. mobile-phone company, plans to use Surface to let store visitors get information on new phones and load content such as ring tones and games. In a sample program built by Microsoft, placing a mobile phone on the touch screen brought up details about the phone and allowed a user to page through service plans. Ring tones could be selected and delivered to the phone.

A similar demonstration for Harrah's, which operates casinos such as Caesars Palace and the Paris, let users place their Harrah's reward card on the screen and make purchases with the points on the card. Users could navigate a map of Harrah's Las Vegas properties and book restaurant reservations and show tickets.

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer will unveil the product today at the Wall Street Journal's D conference in Carlsbad, California.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dina Bass in Seattle at

Samsung First to 16-Gb Flash

Samsung Electronics said Sunday that it is the first to manufacture 16 gigabit (Gb) NAND flash chips, which will allow for memory cards up to 16 gigabytes (GBs), the highest capacity available. The chips are fabricated using a 51-nanometer manufacturing process.

"In rolling out the densest NAND flash in the world," said Samsung Semiconductor's Jim Elliott in a statement, "we are throwing open the gates to a much wider playing field for flash-driven consumer electronics." He added that Samsung's process technology was "a 'half generation' ahead of the industry."

The Seoul, South Korea-based company said that 51-nm NAND chips can be produced 60 percent more efficiently than those using the 60-nm process. Last summer, Samsung announced 60-nm, 8-Gb NAND flash.

16-GB Memory Cards

Samsung said that with its multilevel cell (MLC) structure, the new design can increase the storage capacity of flash to capacities up to 16 GBs in a single memory card. The chip will be targeted toward memory-intensive portable devices, such as music phones.

"No one will ever underestimate the appetite for storage" on mobile devices, noted Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis. He said that with the iPhone coming out with 4-GB or 8-GB capacities, and with Sony Ericsson's Walkman Phone W950 having 4 GB, four to eight gigs will be the "new normal" for enthusiasts. Both devices use flash memory.

He also noted that memory needs for portable devices are growing not only because of digital music and video players, but also because of GPS devices. Users might want to store maps and points of interest locally on a GPS device, he said.

Read-Write Speeds

In addition to highlighting the storage-capacity increases, Samsung touted the chip's read-write speeds as well. The company said that, because of the new process technology, read-write speeds can be accelerated by approximately 80 percent over current flash speeds.

The company noted that the 51-nm, 16-Gb chip can process data in 4-KB pages, as opposed to the 2-KB pages that 60-nm flash memory can handle. The new chips use the same four-bit error-correcting code (ECC) as 60-nm NAND so that the same system interfaces can be used with only minor upgrades to firmware. The company said that if another ECC had been required, new "costly controllers" would have been required as well.

So portable devices such as multimedia phones can support the new capability of handling 4-KB pages, Samsung will offer "an optimized suite of flash software and firmware-incorporated storage devices." The company said that memory cards and MP3 controllers that support 4-KB pages are already available.

Samsung also noted that with this kind of support for the new chips, it expects the worldwide market to grow rapidly. The company is projecting aggregate global sales of $21 billion through 2010.

PlayStation 4 plans

Kutaragi says that previously he has been unable to talk about "the next step" because the PS3 still hadn't launched worldwide. "We've introduced PS3 in Europe, so now I can openly talk about [future plans]", he says.

"As a matter of course, I have the vision of PlayStation 4, 5 and 6, which will merge into the network."

According to the EE Times Kutaragi is also busy drafting up plans for ways to cut the manufacturing costs of the PS3, with design models planned for 2 years time.

First Public Beta Of Windows Server 'Longhorn' Available

Three months after the launch of Windows Vista consumer versions, the Redmond giant unveiled the first public beta of the next edition of Windows Server, code-named Longhorn.

Microsoft also announced that the final version will be launched in the second half of this year. "As they take it for a test drive, our customers and partners will find we made some vast improvements in Windows Server 'Longhorn' to help them reduce costs and adapt to changing business needs," said Bill Laing, general manager of the Windows Server Division at Microsoft. "Between early adopter customers and Microsoft IT, we have hundreds of servers running in production environments today. If there's one message we want to send today, it is get ready, download and evaluate."

The Beta 3 release of Windows Server "Longhorn" marks the beginning of the second wave of innovation to be delivered by Microsoft over the next year. Following on the heels of launch of Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system are Windows Server "Longhorn" and the next versions of Visual Studio, code-named "Orcas," and Microsoft SQL Server(TM), code-named "Katmai." These products will provide organizations with an advanced development and Web platform as well as streamlined data management and analysis, enabling infrastructure optimization.

Ward Ralston, a senior technical product manager in the Windows Server group, said "We're very excited and proud that we're able to deliver the Beta 3 milestone on time and with features we've promised our customers. And we've introduced new features that weren't on the radar in Beta 2."

In Beta 3, customers will see new features and enhancements that include stronger security, better performance, new server roles and features, and additional server management and remote administration tools.

New and improved features in Beta 3 include the following:

- Windows PowerShell is now included in the product.

- Active Directory Federation Services improvements allow customers to implement new policies and make it easier to set up a relationship between trusted partners.

- The Server Core installation option now comes with additional roles and enhanced functionality, such as print services and Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services.

- The Server Manager console includes additional remote administration tools to provide a more integrated management environment.

- Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, now on by default, provides a persistent and more secure environment beginning at installation.

- NAP is integrated with Microsoft Update and Windows Update to enable administrators to decide which updates are critical and set policies accordingly. It also has a new administrative interface for simplified setup, scalability and better performance.

Beta 3 is accessible here.

Adobe releases Lightroom 1.0, updates Camera Raw

The digital photography software market is probably going to get a whole lot more interesting over the next few months. That's because Adobe is releasing their Photoshop Lightroom software from its beta-testing cage and launching version 1.0. And it's out today. In case you've been living under a rock or still use that film stuff, Lightroom is Adobe's answer to Apple's much-touted and oft-maligned Aperture editing software.

As such, the target market for both pieces of software is the same (reasonably advanced digital photographers), so there could be quite the sales war.Speaking of selling, Lightroom will run you $199 ($100 less than Aperture) until April 30, 2007, when the price goes up to $299. So if you're planning on buying, now's the time.

For those of you who have been using various beta versions, you'll need to pony up or find some other software by February 28, when the time is up for the beta versions.Adobe Camera Raw got an update today as well, to version 3.7.

The Nikon D40 and Pentax K10D cameras are now officially supported, but the big change is that version 3.7 of the (free) plugin is that it's required for Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and Premier Elements to be compatible with Lightroom features (exporting, etc.), since Lightroom and Camera Raw use the same processing technology.

If you haven't heard much about Lightroom, or are still on the fence, be sure to check out Ars Technica writer Dave Girard's massive Lightroom review, coming later today. Happy editing!

PS3 to Get Download Service

After all the speculation comes the real thing... Very soon, PS3 owners will be able to download Sony music and TV shows on their consoles. According to reports, Sony has revealed plans to start a service, wherein PS3 owners will be offered movies, music, HD and standard definition TV for download.

The news follows the launch of PS3 in Europe, with an Australia launch planned in March this year. The console was first launched in North America and Japan in November 2006. Now, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has already launched its video download service, Xbox Live, in November 2006. Several other video download services are also compatible with the console.

While PS3 packs a Blu-ray player, Xbox 360 comes with an add-on HD DVD option. So, both companies are following the oft beaten track of projecting their consoles as more than just gaming devices...

Jobs: No Java for you

Developers hoping to create applications for the Apple iPhone are bound to be disappointed if information trickling out of Apple is to be believed, especially if they wanted to create those applications in the Java programming language. In an interview with German magazine MacWelt, Steve Jobs has this to say about Java:

Java’s not worth building in [to the phone]. Nobody uses Java anymore. It’s this big heavyweight ball and chain.
Other phone manufacturers would no doubt disagree on this point. For example, Motorola's new Linux-based MOTORIZR Z6 features a Java VM. It's hard to buy a phone these days without it. According to Java's creator Sun Microsystems, Java technology is used in over 4 billion devices worldwide.

Browser-based applications using Javascript and Flash are likely to work just fine on the Apple iPhone. But forget about anything that needs to be installed onto the handset. In an interview with the NY Times Jobs says:
We define everything that is on the phone. You don’t want your phone to be like a PC. The last thing you want is to have loaded three apps on your phone and then you go to make a call and it doesn’t work anymore. These are more like iPods than they are like computers.

And in a Newsweek interview, he says:
You don’t want your phone to be an open platform. You need it to work when you need it to work. Cingular doesn’t want to see their West Coast network go down because some application messed up.
Perhaps someone should tell Steve about one of the advantages of supporting Java: managed applications in Java or .Net are inherently safer than unmanaged applications. Unmanaged applications, written in languages like C++ or Objective C (the standard OSX programming language), are closer to the hardware and can suffer from problems like wild pointers, buffer overruns, and incorrectly using deallocated memory. Managed applications don't have pointers and leave memory management to the virtual machine they run in.

They also have the advantage of being compiled once into a portable intermediate representation (bytecode) that can be run on any hardware architecture. C/C++ applications must be built separately for each and every architecture you want to support. Ironically, this flexibility doesn't necessarily come with a performance penalty; real world studies have shown that managed apps run as fast or faster than unmanaged apps in most cases.

It will be a few months before the Apple iPhone is available to customers, and a lot can change between now and then. Maybe a phone call from Sun CEO Johnathan Schwartz could start the ball rolling and change Jobs' mind. But for now, it looks like application development on the iPhone will all be done in-house and it won't be done in Java. That would be a real shame.

Intel files countersuit in Transmeta patent case

January 11, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- Intel Corp. has filed a countersuit against Transmeta Corp. in an ongoing patent infringement disagreement between the two companies.

Transmeta first sued Intel in October, saying Intel's Pentium and Core PC processors violate 10 Transmeta patents. Intel, in a court document filed Tuesday, denied it had infringed any Transmeta patents, instead accusing Transmeta of infringing seven of its own patents.
Intel's claims cover a variety of patents on processor functionality, including power usage and packed data.

Transmeta's patents aren't legitimate, because Transmeta officials "withheld, concealed and/or mischaracterized" information about other patents and technologies in their patent applications, Intel lawyers wrote in the counterclaim, filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
Instead, Transmeta infringed Intel patents that came before the Transmeta patents, Intel lawyers wrote.

Transmeta won't have a comment on the Intel countersuit until it can study it further, a Transmeta spokesman said.
Nine of the 10 Transmeta patents in the October lawsuit cover basic processor functions like scheduling and addressing instructions on the chip.
Transmeta, founded in 1995, targeted Intel's market dominance in the notebook PC market.

Transmeta developed software that reduced power consumption, allowing PCs to run longer, but its processors did not gain a large market share. Intel has recently focused on lowering power consumption as well.
In its first nine years of business, Transmeta, based like Intel in Santa Clara, Calif., posted $650 million in losses. In 2005, the company switched business models and now focuses on licensing its technology.

In November, Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled a converged computer and mobile phone that runs on a Transmeta processor.

$100 Laptop Goes to CES 2007

A standard modern laptop requires 40 watts of power, while XO reportedly uses just three watts to browse the Web, and less than even a single watt to display an electronic book. Its screen can operate either in color or black and white. In black-and-white mode, it can be viewed clearly even in the brightest sunlight. The laptop also features a video camera and built-in speakers.

However, the target of giving the laptop at $100 is not yet achieved. Meanwhile, the cost has surely come down to $130 so far, with the aim of reaching the $100 target by 2008.
According to OLPC officials, the goal price is less than $100 per unit, which the initiative hopes to achieve by 2008. By keeping the price low, the initiative hopes that governments in the developing world will be able to afford them.

Reportedly, OLPC expects to start delivering the machines this summer, with the aim of delivering around 5 million units in the first year. Libya and Nigeria may be among the first countries where these laptops will be rolled out.

In addition, there are reports saying that a yo-yo like device has been developed to recharge the XO. It can be used by attaching the yo-yo like-device to a fixed object such as a door or tree, and then pulling a string to recharge the battery. This is very much similar to a pulley system.
Interestingly, the device will be given to students who receive a $100 laptop, and will also be sold to consumers in developing countries to be used as a mobile phone charger with the claim that it will recharge a mobile phone in about five minutes.

Gadgets galore for 2007

IT'S the world's biggest gadgets and gizmos exhibition - packed full of the latest techology you'll be fiddling with this year and beyond.

The Consumer Electronics Show, held in Las Vegas each January, is a mecca for geeks from across the globe.

I've been trudging around as much of its staggering 1.8million net square feet of space and 2,700 exhibitors in a bid to track down the best and worst on show.

Like Sharp's 108-inch LCD telly, a beast of a TV that would grace the walls of any house, assuming you have a mansion to hang it in.

It's the world's largest, claim the firm, and measures a phenomenal EIGHT FEET high by just under FIVE FEET wide.

Only at the prototype stage, it's not even been priced up, it's that expensive!

Like the look of these cute pandas?

UK cuts over 500 websites in effort to streamline

n an effort to streamline access to government, Tony Blair's government is shutting down hundreds of websites, streamlining the UK government's online operations into a handful of portals and major sites, reports the BBC.

The shutdown of hundreds of government websites is part of a plan to make it easier for users to access information. The Cabinet Office believes that people prefer to find what they need quickly and easily rather than choosing to surf across huge numbers of sites. What a concept.

The British government had 951 sites, only 26 of which are guaranteed to continue after the revamp. 551 sites will definitely be taken down. Citizens will be mainstreamed into the BBC website and two main portals, Directgov for individuals and Business Link for businesses.

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said there had been a need to "deal decisively" with the proliferation of government websites.

About £9m a year was expected to be saved over three years by cutting back on "vanity" sites that do not serve a useful purpose. The need to to streamline the sites was made because there had been a serious proliferation of government websites. The government is expected to save about £9m a year on cutting superfluous sites.

Apples New Phone in the market SOON!!!!

In one of the worst-kept secrets in recent memory, Apple announced the iPhone -- its combination cellphone and music player -- at Macworld on Tuesday, to rapturous applause and adoring coverage from gadget lovers.

Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs did one of his trademark keynote speeches, filled with ultra-cool photos and an interactive demo with the new device, as well as celebrity walk-ons from Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang.

All of the gee-whiz adoration from Apple fans and gizmo-lovers aside, the key question is: Will the company's newest venture disrupt the cellphone industry in the same way the iPod disrupted the digital music market?

At first glance, the answer seems to be yes. The main differentiating factor for Apple is not necessarily the functionality of the new device, but the design and usability -- in other words, not so much what the iPhone does as how it does it.



 

Orb Brings All Digital Media on Gamer's TV, with the help of Wii

When Nintendo announced it had opened up Internet access on the new Wii recently, the people who bought the popular video game console got an unexpected holiday gift- a simple new way to enjoy all of the digital entertainment on their home PC directly on their living room TV screen using Orb Networks software as the bridge.

Orb's free software allows you to enjoy all digital media from your home PC as well as online videos from the growing source of Internet TV and content sites on any other networked device with an internet browser -- be it other PCs, lap tops, PDAs or mobile phones with streaming players- and now TV with the Wii.

"What Nintendo did -- offering Internet connectivity on its game console was so simple and easy -- yet it tears a big hole into the walled content garden erected by gaming manufacturers," said Joe Costello, Chairman and CEO of Orb Networks.

"Consumers want the freedom to surf the Web while sitting on their sofas but that really just scratches the surface of what is available. People can get any digital content on their home PC, be it videos, music, TV, photos, whatever they want, and watch it on their TV screen without limitations or additional fees, which is what Orb promises and the Wii helps deliver. Nintendo opened the door for millions of gamers to see the power of what the Internet can offer in terms of media freedom, choices and access: other gaming manufacturers should follow suit, and the content providers and programmers should notice."

SanDisk Unveils 32-Gigabyte Solid State Drive

SanDisk introduced a 32-gigabyte (GB)a, 1.8-inch solid state drive (SSD) as a drop-in replacement for the standard mechanical hard disk drive. Initially aimed at enterprise users as the first step toward mass consumer adoption, SanDisk SSD offers field-proven durability to keep mobile PCs working in the toughest of conditions and improves the overall user experience.
Previously, large capacity flash-based drives had been used primarily by the military, aerospace and telecom industries, which demanded high performance and reliability under challenging environmental conditions. But now the declining cost of NAND flash memory has made SSD a viable and economically attractive alternative to existing technologies in a wider variety of applications, including mobile PCs aimed at enterprise and consumer users.
Using NAND flash enhanced by SanDisk’s patented TrueFFS flash management technology, SanDisk SSD delivers two million hours mean time between failures (MTBF). With no moving parts, it does not need to spin into action or seek files in the way that conventional hard disk drives do. These characteristics, combined with SanDisk's advanced flash management technology, make it possible for SanDisk SSD to deliver excellent performance compared with hard disk drives and competing solid state drives.

Buying Crackdown or Playing Halo 2??

It is not a surprise that Microsoft’s beta-sign-ups for Halo 3 multiplayer are now sort of a “forbidden realm” for most of the fans. Well, Microsoft thought at giving those unfortunate fans another chance.
Halo 3, the third game in the best selling Xbox game franchise Halo, is a highly-anticipated first-person shooter video game under development by Bungie Studios for the Xbox 360. An official announcement on the developers' website states that Halo 3 will end the current story arc of the Halo trilogy. A public beta test will be available this spring, with the full game coming out sometime later in the year.
Since fans are eager to test themselves Halo 3’s pre-release slogan “finish the fight”, Microsoft came up with the idea to shoot two targets with a single bullet. For those who buy the Xbox 360 game Crackdown with a specially marked box, Microsoft will provide an invitation to participate in the coveted “Halo 3” multiplayer beta program when it becomes available.
According to the official press release, when the “Halo 3” multiplayer beta surfaces in autumn 2007, owners of “Crackdown” with access to an Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, hard drive and a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription simply need to load their copy of “Crackdown” into their Xbox 360 console and use the disc as a key to download the beta from Xbox Live Marketplace and join the battle in “Halo 3” multiplayer.