One IT pro explains why he fears and embraces disruptive cloud and mobile platforms

Betanews welcomes reader contributions. Here, Eric Neumann responds to two February 21st posts by Joe Wilcox -- "iPad is not a PC" and "5 reasons Macs will never outsell PCs." If you would like to submit a post, please email joewilcox at gmail dot com.

Being a business IT professional, I have been watching with great interest and excitement the emergence of the iOS model of computing and cloud movements hitting the personal and now commercial computing worlds. However, I must add that initially I have also viewed these big changes with fear; as recently as 2006, my career was purely based on the SME IT status quo of on-premise Microsoft and LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stacks.

One IT pro explains why he fears and embraces disruptive cloud and mobile platforms

Betanews welcomes reader contributions. Here, Eric Neumann responds to two February 21st posts by Joe Wilcox -- "iPad is not a PC" and "5 reasons Macs will never outsell PCs." If you would like to submit a post, please email joewilcox at gmail dot com.

Being a business IT professional, I have been watching with great interest and excitement the emergence of the iOS model of computing and cloud movements hitting the personal and now commercial computing worlds. However, I must add that initially I have also viewed these big changes with fear; as recently as 2006, my career was purely based on the SME IT status quo of on-premise Microsoft and LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stacks.

Gmail outage locks some users out of e-mail

Google was still working to restore access to its Gmail e-mail service to a handful of customers on Monday, a day after an outage prevented a few users from accessing their e-mails. A message posted to the Google Apps status page at 10:40pm Eastern Sunday said engineers were "working to restore full access," and full access would be restored in the "near future."

No update had been provided as to if the issue had been fully resolved, although the company noted the issue affected only .08% of the total Gmail user base.

Google: Gmail access restored soon to all affected

Google said late Monday that it would have e-mail access restored to those who found themselves locked out of their accounts due to a glitch in a storage update applied to Gmail servers on Sunday. The company noticed the update was malfunctioning and pulled it before it could cause additional trouble.

As opposed to the .08% of all Gmail users affected, Google revised that number down to .02%. This translates to about 34,000 or so locked out of their accounts, versus the 136,000 originally thought to be affected.

Google's Chrome OS laptop saved my butt

When I was a school kid in Maine, teachers said that if March roared in like a lion, meaning snowy stormy, it would go out like a lamb -- and vice versa. I got the storm in a faulty Snow Leopard rather than the Lion. This morning my 11.6-inch MacBook Air crashed and wouldn't reboot. If not for moving my computing life to the cloud, I would have lost an important day of productivity and lots of valuable data.

BackupGoo: Affordable safety net protects your Gmail data

Few people give a second thought to files and data stored in the cloud, but just like local data, it is important to backup online information. The recent problems suffered by Google Gmail highlights the importance of ensuring that your online data is safeguarded, and BackupGoo provides a quick and easy way to back up your Google account in its entirety.

After providing your Google username and password, the application is able to access your account and can then be used to download your emails, documents, calendars, contacts and more. If you do not use all of Google's services -- not everyone has a need for Google Docs, for instance -- you can select precisely what you would like to backup and where the files should be stored on your hard drive.

Report: Apple negotiating for unlimited music downloads

MobileMe's expected refresh was notably absent from Apple's event Wednesday announcing the debut of the iPad 2, however Cupertino may be working behind the scenes to make a revamp of the cloud service part of a larger push towards streaming content.

Sources have told Bloomberg that Apple is currently in negotiations with several record labels including Universal, Sony, Warner, and EMI with hopes that an agreement could be reached by midyear. Apple wants the labels to allow unlimited access to their content across multiple devices.

Chrome OS update makes Google Cr-48 worthy cloud PC alternative

This week, I unexpectedly started using Google's Cr-48 notebook running Chrome OS as my production system. On Monday, my 11.6-inch MacBook Air fatally crashed, leaving no real alternative since a friend has my Windows laptop. So I fired up the Cr-48, which I reviewed in December in seven parts. It has been a great week that got better after installing yesterday's Chrome OS update -- "0.10.156.46 (Official Build caa798a8)."

I started using the Cr-48 full time a second time with sense of urgency. I couldn't fall back to MacBook Air. It was sink or swim. Treading water wouldn't be good enough. Swim I did: As a work replacement PC, the Cr-48 has proved its worthiness, with Chrome OS obviously being major reason; Google synchronization is another. This second week's use also has me reconsidering the merits of the browser as a user-interface motif.

Tip: Access your files in the cloud from iPad and iPhone

Online backup providers are ten-a-penny these days, so finding your own unique selling point in an increasingly crowded market takes a little bit of thought. SpiderOak has been selling online backup space for around 18 months now -- it's not the cheapest option, but it does boast a user-friendly client that makes the whole backup process that little bit easier. It works across Windows, Mac and Linux, and it's capable of syncing folders between different computers to ensure you always have access to the latest versions of your files, whatever computer you're sitting at. SpiderOak also offers a free iPhone app, recently updated to version 1.2 with full iPad support, which allows you to access and use your backup files directly from your mobile device.

The great thing about SpiderOak is that it offers a free lifetime's 2GB worth of storage, believing that when you use that up you'll want to upgrade to a subscription offering more storage. That's all well and good, but SpiderOak charges $100 a year (or $10 a month) for 100GB storage space. That's off-putting to many, and it's a shame it doesn't follow Wuala's example in offering smaller packages for less (such as its extremely competitive entry level 10GB package for just €19 a year).

Chrome 10 seeds Google's Cloud OS ambitions

Google is preparing anyone using Chrome 10, which released yesterday, for launch of Chrome OS. The new standalone browser has reached feature parity -- for business, consumer or IT pro evaluator users, anyway -- with Chrome OS browser front-end running on Google Cr-48 laptops. Chrome 10 is a much bigger browser release than even Google's boasting -- "speedier, simpler, safer" -- lets on. Google is beginning its biggest push yet to the cloud, and Chrome OS is quickly, and I do mean quickly, approaching v1 release. Apple and Microsoft had best watch out, because among major platform developers they have the most to lose should Google's cloud ambitions succeed.

Chrome 10's standout features, at least for cloud computing, all begin with "s": sandbox, search, services, simplicity, security, settings, speed, stability and synchronization. Many of these attributes interrelate or aren't new to this browser release -- they're improved for cloud readiness.

Risk-averse enterprises get Google relief: They can delay and schedule Apps upgrades

If there is one truism about IT organizations -- they're risk averse. Some are so against making changes they even take unnecessary risks to avoid others, like continuing to use Internet Explorer 6 even as Microsoft pushes hard to get businesses on a more modern, and safer, browser. Today, Google extended a concession to IT organizations by offering a second track for Google Apps that lets IT organizations delay and take seemingly more control over upgrades. The program smacks against one of cloud computing's benefits: Seamless and seemingly maintenance-free upgrades.

Google Apps' administrators can now choose "Rapid Release" or "Scheduled Release" options. The first track assures that users have the most up-to-date software. The second allows administrators to delay updates, which will be released to them on Tuesdays. Google provides a calendar of planned upgrades, seven days in advance of new features' release.

AVG LiveKive joins crowded online backup market

AVG has launched a beta of its brand new online backup service. LiveKive will offer cloud-based backup, synchronising and file-sharing for its users, and the beta version launches with a one-size-fits-all free storage plan of 5GB for a year. No paid-for packages are currently available while LiveKive remains in beta.

Once signed up through the AVG landing page, users can then download the backup client, currently codenamed AVG AirSpace. This is a rebadged version of the same client used by rival online backup provider, SpiderOak

What are your alternatives now that Google is abandoning Gears?

Once again, Google has announced the end of development for its Gears browser plug-in -- most recently in a blog post yesterday. Aaron Boodman reiterates: "We [are] shifting our focus from Gears to HTML5." Timing isn't good for users of the most-popular web browsers. Google won't support gears in Internet Explorer 9, which released two days ago and Firefox 4, which is set to ship next week. However, Google has confirmed the feature will remain present in its own browser, Chrome, up until version 12. Chrome 10 shipped last week.

Gears is a technology that allows compatible websites and services, including Google's own Google Docs and Google Mail, to be accessed offline before resynchronising when an Internet connection is reestablished. It enables users to store offline and backup copies of email, documents stored in the cloud and more

Wuala brings online backup to iOS devices

Swiss online backup provider Wuala, which is part-owned by hard-drive manufacturer LaCie, has released a new iOS app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Wuala for iPhone/iPad is a free download from the Apps store and gives Wuala users remote access to their backed up or synchronised files from their iOS device.

Wuala is an online backup service that runs on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, allowing users to keep their files backed up in a remote location. The Pro version also supports synchronizing folders between an unlimited number of computers as well as file-sharing and file versioning. In addition to accessing their files through an iOS device, Wuala users can also gain access through their web browser (Java is required for this function to work).

Frenzy makes your Dropbox social

Dropbox is a handy online service that can be used to synchronize files between multiple computers, share files with others and backup important documents. Using Frenzy for Mac, it can also be transformed into a personal social networking tool that makes it easy to share files and links with friends and colleagues. The app is available as a free beta version and it is compatible with both free and paid-for Dropbox accounts.

Setting up the app is a breeze. Simply launch the software and indicate which of your Dropbox folders should be used for sharing, and the content you choose to share can only be seen by friends with Macs running Frenzy. To make it as easy as possible to share with others, keyboard shortcuts can be used to share files and web links without the need to explicitly launch an app. Once something has been shared, Frenzy returns focus to the app you were using so you can get straight back to what you were doing.

Google expands social collaboration features in Docs

Expanding on moves first made last April to make Google Docs more collaborative, Google on Wednesday further expanded on social aspects of the online document service. Comments are now "seamless," the company says, and easier to manage through new e-mail functionality.

Previously users had to check the document itself to view new comments, which the company admitted was not the best solution. Google has changed this so that a new comment would be directly e-mailed to the document owner. Replying to the comment would be as easy as replying to the email. Also, new participants can be added through the use of an @mention.

Exchange Online 2010, Office 365 to get free BlackBerry services

Microsoft on Wednesday announced that BlackBerry mobile e-mail for Exchange Online 2010 is now free for all new customers to the Business Productivity Online Suite, and when Office 365 launches later this year, it will include Hosted Blackberry Services for free.

Previously, Microsoft placed an additional $10 per month per user charge for syncing Exchange Online with BlackBerry devices. According to the company's announcement on Wednesday, current paying customers will soon be given options to take advantage of this change.

Google iOS app gets new name, more search focus

Google's iOS app has undergone a makeover and rebadging. Previously known as Google Mobile App, Google Search still provides easy access to all of Google's online tools, such as Google Docs and Gmail, but the search interface has been redesigned and gesture support has been added. The main focus of the app, as reflected in the name change, is web searching, but links to other online services are still available via a button.

Web searches can be performed in a number of ways -- typing in the usual way, by using voice commands or by taking photographs with your iPhone's camera. However a search is performed, once the results are displayed, a swipe to the right provides access to options that can be used to refine your search, limiting results to images, news, videos and a number of other categories.

Sky News releases app for iPad -- free now but not for long

To accompany its various other iOS apps, Sky News has released a dedicated iPad news app that provides access to the 24 hour news station and a range of other content. The app is currently free of charge to everyone, but in the future access will be free to Sky subscribers, while a monthly fee with be payable by anyone who does not have a satellite package. The app is more varied that other news services, providing a number of different ways to access the latest and recent news.

As Sky News is a 24 hour rolling news channel, the option to view the channel live is to be expected. There is also the option of browsing through the news in Timeline mode which provides access to a collection of news video from the last 24 hours. Whether you are watching live or recorded video, a rewind option is always available so you can review sections you have missed

Do you like Google's new Chrome logo?

I can't say that I like the old one. But the new? You simply have to share what you think about it. One of the things the social web is good for is telling vendors where to put their new logos. Many an online social mob has forced vendors to give up a new logo or other branding change. Remember last year's online revolt against the new Gap logo?

So what's your reaction to the new Chrome logo (OK, Google calls it an icon)? Does it appeal to you? Please answer in comments, or email joewilcox at gmail dot com.

Use SuperPreview to make your site compatible with major web browsers

When you're developing a website, it's important to check how your pages are displayed in all the main browsers. But that's not always straightforward, especially with Internet Explorer, as you can't easily install multiple versions on the same system.

Fortunately there's a simple alternative in Microsoft's Express Web SuperPreview, an Expression Web component that's also available as a stand-alone trial version. The latest version has just been released and it makes a very useful addition to every web developer's testing toolkit.

A look at the difference between T-Mobile's 3G and 'new' 4G speeds

This week, T-Mobile lit up its highest speed HSPA+ networks in Orlando, New York, and Las Vegas, promising a theoretical maximum speed of 42 Mbps downstream. The company expects to deliver this level of service to 25 major U.S. markets by mid-year.

On the CTIA show floor today, we've pitted T-Mobile's 3G and 4G networks against one another on two devices which are nearly identical in design: the Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant and the Samsung Galaxy S 4G.

Six must-see Sony Ericsson Xperia Play videos

I know this is a frivolous post, but I'm a sucker for good marketing -- and Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play promo videos are among the best seen for a long time. If you haven't tasted the fun, fury and frenzy, now is the time. If these videos can't help sell Xperia Play, Sony Ericsson should pack it up and go away.

Surely the handset manufacturer needs something to liven sales. During 2010, Sony Ericsson fell out of the top-5 cell phone manufacturers, as measured by end-user sales, according to Gartner. Market share fell from 4.5 percent in 2009 to a puny 2.6 percent in 2010. Unit shipments also declined from about 52 million units to nearly 42 million. How the mighty has fallen.

Hands on with HTC HD7S: aka the Windows Phone that used to be T-Mobile's

HTC and Microsoft are in their third year of creating smartphones in the "HD" product line, and the two companies look to have finally hit their stride with the new HD7S, which is a slightly revamped version of the four-month-old HD7, completely ready for a world where T-Mobile USA no longer exists.

In early 2009, the HTC Touch HD was unveiled, a 3.8" WVGA touchscreen device which was obviously a post-iPhone device in chassis design, but was powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 which mandated a stylus and resistive touchscreen. By 2009, this was already something of a doomed interface in the smartphone category.

Microsoft announces Windows Embedded Device Manager 2011

At the Microsoft Management Summit on Thursday, Microsoft announced the release of Windows Embedded Device Manager 2011, an extension for System Center Configuration Manager 2007 that allows IT to manage Windows Embedded Standard and POSReady devices such as thin clients, digital signage, and, of course point of sale terminals.

Microsoft is accelerating the evolution of enterprise embedded devices, and today's announcement of Windows Embedded Device Manager 2011 follows the release of Windows Embedded Standard 7 SP1 earlier this month.

Use CyberGhost to browse the Internet anonymously

There are numerous reasons why anyone would like to browse the Internet anonymously, and there are various programs available that can clean up traces of Internet activity after the fact. There are also great concerns about IP addresses, which can be used to track users and even restrict access to web sites. CyberGhost 2011 is a free VPN tool that can be used to route web traffic through anonymous servers, hiding users' real IP addresses.

The main purpose of the program would appear to be ensuring that you remain anonymous online, but the 'Video portal' section of the software interface reveals that the tool can also be used to watch online videos that might ordinarily be subject to regional restrictions. With various servers in use around the world, CyberGhost can make it appear as if users are actually located in different countries.

VLC Media Player gets a facelift for Mac OS X

Non-profit organization VideoLAN has released a minor update to its open-source and acclaimed cross-platform media player, VLC Media Player 1.1.8. This release is notable largely for the fact the Mac OS X version sports a subtly redesigned interface, but also includes various codec, demuxer and language updates, some new encoder packages and various fixes that apply to all platforms.

VLC Media Player is renowned for being able to handle most video formats without requiring the installation of additional codec packs. All major formats -- including Windows Media Video, QuickTime, Real and Flash -- are supported by VLC, which is also capable of capturing, playing and even streaming video from external sources. These include online streams, DVD, DVB and supported MPEG encoding devices, making it a popular one-stop solution for video playback.

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager provides a management solution for the virtualized data center that helps enable centralized management of IT infrastructure, increased server utilization, and dynamic resource optimization across multiple virtualization platforms.

Adobe AIR Runtime for Windows 2.6.0.19120

Adobe AIR lets developers use proven web technologies to build rich Internet applications that run outside the browser on multiple operating systems. It offers an exciting new way to engage customers with innovative, branded applications, without requiring changes to existing technology, people, or processes. From shopping on eBay to managing music, Adobe AIR means applications that are easier, more powerful, and more fun to use.

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 Beta 2

System Center Configuration Manager enables a powerful user-centric approach to client management. This approach addresses the growing reality that people want to move fluidly between multiple devices and networks by making it easier for IT to support users with configurations tied to their identity instead of to individual systems or devices. As a result, IT can help people work the way they want, practically wherever they want with a familiar experience across different devices and contexts.

Blackberry Tablet confirmed, will support Flash

Rumors of a BlackBerry tablet have been circulating for months, and statements from Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar on Friday have rekindled the discussion with a little bit more accuracy.

A source close to RIM confirmed to Betanews that Kumar's statements were accurate, including the screen size, and the dual camera setup. But they gave us a bit of additional information that the rumors haven't covered yet: Flash support.
Click here to find out more! In May, when Boy Genius Report wrote about it, it was estimated to be 8.9" in size, and equipped only with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, making it a companion device to the owner's BlackBerry, sort of like what Palm attempted with the Foleo.

In June, the Wall Street Journal followed up, saying that the device will have a slide-out keyboard, and will run on "a new version of the BlackBerry operating system...[with] a universal search bar."

Some of what the Wall Street Journal report discussed can be seen in the BlackBerry 6 video that was released today.
In his note on Friday morning, Kumar said the BlackBerry tablet will actually be a 7" device with a 1GHz Marvell Processor that has two cameras for video conferencing.

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said Flash 10.1 would be coming to BlackBerry in the second half of 2010, and in June, the company released Flash Player 10.1 to its mobile platform partners; which included support for Android, webOS, Windows Phone, LiMo, MeeGo, Symbian, and, as expected, BlackBerry.

Our source said that the BlackBerry tablet will indeed include Flash, and will have a hardware-based Flash accelerator.

Even though the iPhone is a huge success in the United States, it is still far behind BlackBerry in market share. The shoe is on the other foot in the tablet market, though, where Apple has gotten a strong head start with the iPad, even though the company has outspokenly denied support for Adobe Flash.

While the effect a Flash-supportive BlackBerry tablet will have on the consumer market is unclear, it may prove to be a very desirable companion device for mobile enterprise users.

Unfortunately, our source did not confirm earlier reports about the tablet's December launch date. However, the holiday season is a beneficial time to launch new hardware, and seasonal buying has done wonders for devices like the Motorola Droid which launched during last year's holiday season and went on to become the best-selling Android phone to date.

Nokia C7 Showroomprice, Review, Features and Specifications

Nokia introduced its new Global GSM phone that suits the need of all the people who want multiple facilities in just a single device. Nokia is a world popular mobile manufacture that knows for its creativity and style which suits the requirements of all the local people. Nokia has introduced its new Nokia C7 phone that is available at suitable showroom price of Rupees 16000/- Price in India. Nokia C7 phone comes equipped with a lot of advanced features and specifications. This Nokia C7 Smartphone is a very best handset that offers you opportunity of chatting, messaging, webs surfing and much more. It looks very attractive with 3.5-inch screen display.

To capture beautiful images, Nokia C7 Smartphone has 8 Mega pixels camera with quality of 3rd generation dual LED flash. To store valuable data, Nokia C7 Smartphone has 8 GB Internal Memory that can be expanded up to 32 GB (max total 40 GB) through MicroSD memory card slot. For video calls, the Nokia C7 Smartphone has also a secondary camera with VGA 640 x 480 pixels. Nokia C7 Smartphone has few buttons like menu key, call key, power key, end key, voice key, volume keys and capture key. Plus the Nokia C7 handset has also On-screen alphanumeric keypad for full keyboard.

To get entertainment, Nokia C7 phone has seeveral entertainment features like Ovi Music Unlimited service, Stereo FM radio, FM transmitter (88.1 – 107.9 MHz),Ovi Music store, Audio codecs: MP3, WMA, AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB and Nokia Music Player. In connectivity option, Nokia C7 handset has Bluetooth 3.0, 2mm Charging connector, Micro USB connector and charging, High-Speed USB 2.0 (micro USB connector), USB On-the-Go and 3.5 mm AV connector. It also comes with some other special features and specifications. Get more familiar with Nokia C7 Showroom price, Review, Features and Specifications. Have a look on Nokia C7 Showroom price, Review, Features and Specifications.

Nokia C7 Full Features and Specifications

General info

2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network : HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100
Announced : 2010, September
Released Date : Released 2010, October

Size info

Dimensions : 117.3 x 56.8 x 10.5 mm
Weight : 130 g

Display info

Display Screen size: 3.5-inch
Resolution: 16:9 nHD (640 x 360 pixels) AMOLED
16.7 million colours
Capacitive touch screen
Accelerometer
Compass
Proximity sensor
Ambient light detector

Keys and input info

Physical keys (menu key, call key, end key, power key, lock key, volume keys, voice key, capture key)
Finger touch control
On-screen alphanumeric keypad and full keyboard
Dedicated camera and volume keys
Possibility to use capacitive stylus

Colours info

* Frosty metal
* Charcoal black
* Mahogany brown

Battery info

* BL-5K 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery
* Talk time : up to 576 mins
* Standby time : up to 555 h

Storage info

Internal memory: 8 GB
MicroSD memory card support up to 32 GB (max total 40 GB)

Operating Frequency info

* Quad band GSM
* WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100
* Flight mode

Data Network info

* GPRS/EDGE class B, multislot class 33
* HSDPA Cat9, maximum speed up to 10.2 Mbps, HSUPA Cat5 2.0 Mbps
* WLAN 802.11 b/g/n
* Capability to serve as data modem
* Support for MS Outlook synchronisation of contacts, calendar and notes

Connectivity info

* Bluetooth 3.0
* 2mm Charging connector
* Micro USB connector and charging
* High-Speed USB 2.0 (micro USB connector)
* USB On-the-Go
* 3.5 mm AV connector
* FM Radio and Transmitter

Software platform & user interface info

* Symbian^3 OS for Nokia
* Java MIDP 2.1
* HTML 4.1

Email and messaging info

* Easy-to-use email client with attachment support
* HTML support for email
* Unified email client for multiple protocols: Yahoo!® Mail, Gmail™, Windows Live™, Hotmail and other popular POP/IMAP services, Mail for Exchange, IBM Lotus traveler
* Push email and expanded portal support available through Nokia Messaging for email and instant messaging

Browsing and internet info

* Web browsing with touch control
* Flash Lite 4 will support a majority of Flash Player 10.1 content
* Nokia Mobile Search
* RSS reader
* Support for streaming video
* Unified home screen access to Facebook and Twitter through Ovi by Nokia Social client
* Social networking profiles visible in phone contacts
* Upload and view photos and video and see locations via Ovi by Nokia Social client
* Social networking events visible in phone calendar

Navigation info

* Integrated GPS, A-GPS receivers
* Ovi Maps with free car and pedestrian navigation
* Wi-Fi network positioning
* Compass and accelerometer for correct orientation of display
* Use Nokia Ovi Suite to get the latest country maps for Ovi Maps for free

Camera info

* 8 megapixel camera
* 3rd generation dual LED flash
* Face recognition software
* Secondary camera for video calls (VGA, 640 x 480 pixels)
* Automatic location tagging (Geotagging) of images and videos
* Video HD quality 720p resolution
* Shoot 16:9 videos in HD
* Video capture in 720p 25 fps with codecs H.264, MPEG-4
* Video sharing and playback : HD 720p Video playback on TV

Music & audio info

* Ovi Music Unlimited service in selected markets
* Nokia Music Player
* Ovi Music store
* Audio codecs: MP3, WMA, AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB
* FM transmitter (88.1 – 107.9 MHz)
* Stereo FM radio

Nokia C7 ShowroomPrice in India: Nokia C7 is available in India at Rs. 16000/- (Price in India)

BlackBerry Bold 9780 Price, Review, Features and Specifications

BlackBerry is a famous mobile maker that recently launched its new Blackberry Bold 9780 Phone in India.Blackberry Bold 9780 Phone comes loaded with quality features plus specifications and available at suitable price of 25,000 to 30,000 approximately in India. This price range from 25,000 Rupees to 30,000 Rupees approximately are the appropriate price range for the quality equipped features and specifications of BlackBerry Bold 9780 Phone. It is a very best handset that provide quality mobile experience to the mobile phone users.

It runs on Blackberry 6.0 Operating System and get powered by 624 MHz processor CPU. It looks very attractive with 2.4 inches display screen with 400 x 360 pixel resolution and QWERTY keyboard.To capture beautiful images,BlackBerry Bold 9780 phone comes equipped with 5 Mega – pixels camera which has 2592×1944 pixels and has quality of autofocus as well as LED flash. To store valuable data, BlackBerry Bold 9780 Phone has 256 MB storage, 512 MB RAM in Internal memory that can be more expanded up to 32GB through microSD Card slot. To get entertainment, BlackBerry Bold 9780 Phone comes with audio/video player that supports Media player MP3/WMA/AAC+/Video player DivX/WMV/XviD/3gp.

It is a very cool handset for the internet users because it supports GPRS, EDGE and HTML Browser.To data transfer,BlackBerry Bold 9780 Phone has Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and microUSB v2.0. In special features,BlackBerry Bold 9780 Phone has Organizer,Predictive text input ,Voice memo/dial, games downloadable,etc. It also comes with some other special features and specifications. Get more familier with BlackBerry Bold 9780 Price, Review, Features and Specifications. Have a look on BlackBerry Bold 9780 Price, Review, Features and Specifications.

BlackBerry Bold 9780 Full Features and Specifications

General info

2G Network : GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network : HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
Announced : 2010, October
Release Date : Released 2010, November

Size info

Dimensions : 109 x 60 x 14 mm
Weight : 122 g

Display info

Type : TFT, 65K colors
Size : 480 x 360 pixels, 2.44 inches
- QWERTY keyboard
- Touch-sensitive optical trackpad

Sound info

Alert types : Vibration, MP3 ringtones
Loudspeaker : Yes
3.5mm jack : Yes

Memory info

Phonebook : Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records : Yes
Internal : 256 MB storage, 512 MB RAM
Card slot : microSD, up to 32GB, 2GB card included

Data info

GPRS : Yes
EDGE : Yes
3G : HSDPA
WLAN : Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UMA
Bluetooth : Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
Infrared port: No
USB : Yes, microUSB v2.0

Camera info

Primary : 5 MP, 2592×1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Video : Yes
Secondary : No

Features info

OS : BlackBerry OS 6.0
CPU : 624 MHz processor
Messaging : SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser : HTML
Radio : No
Games : Yes + downloadable
Colors : Black, White
GPS : Yes, with A-GPS support
Java : Yes, MIDP 2.0
- BlackBerry maps
- Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Media player MP3/WMA/AAC+
- Video player DivX/WMV/XviD/3gp
- Organizer
- Voice memo/dial
- Predictive text input

Battery info

Battery : Standard battery, Li-Po 1500 mAh
Stand-by : Up to 528 h (2G) / Up to 408 h (3G)
Talk time : Up to 6 h (2G) / Up to 6 h (3G)

HTC HD7 Smartphone Showroomprice, Review, Features and Specifications

HTC introduced its new Windows phone 7 based Smartphone that is named by HTC HD7.HTC HD7 Smartphone comes with a lot of outstanding features plus specifications and available at suitable price of 31,800 Rupees in India. HTC HD 7 Smartphone is an upgraded version of HTC HD2 smartphone. This HTC HD7 Smartphone is completely full touchscreen handset with only four special buttons front, search, back and menu.It is a very large sized windows device that has 4.3 inch capacitive touch screen ( S-LCD , 480 x 800 pixels, 16M colors) display with quality of multi-touch input support.

It get powered by 1GHZ processor for getting services in high speed like browsing and during moving through applications.HTC HD7 Smartphone comes with HTC hub application that let you opportunity of accessing several features like weather updates, stock updates, etc. Multimedia features of this HTC HD7 Smartphone is also so amazing included with 5 Mega Pixel camera added with quality of auto focus and dual LED Flash that support HD video recording at 720p.It has a a kick stand just above the camera to stand it for viewing movies and videos with comfortable sitting or sleeping. To provide exellent sound quality , HTC HD7 Smartphone comes with front facing stereo speakers,inbuilt Dolby and SRS surround sound software.

It is also enriched with different features like a Micro USB port,A-GPS,Bluetooth with A2DP,Youtube client, new version of Microsoft Pocket Office,1230 mAh battery,WLAN and social networking apps. Get more familier with HTC HD7 Smartphone Showroomprice, Review, Features and Specifications. Have a look on HTC HD7 Smartphone Showroomprice, Review, Features and Specifications.

The Intel Counter Part

Intel E2140 / E2160 / E2180 @ Rs. 2600 /- + VAT
XFX 630i (nvidia 7150) @ Rs. 3450 /- + VAT
2 GB DDR-II 667 MHz (Transend / Kingstone) @ Rs. 1850 /- + VAT
160 GB SATA-II 7200.10 (WD / SAMSUNG / Seagete) @ Rs. 1825 /- + VAT
DVD RW (IDE - Any brand) @ Rs. 1100 /- + VAT
Any local cabinet with default 450 watts SMPS @ Rs. 1200 /- + VAT
Microsoft / Logitech Keyboard Mouse combo @ Rs. 650 /- + VAT
LG 17" CRT 700E @ Rs. 4150 /- + VAT
Logitech / Creative 2.1 Speaker @ Rs. 1100 /- + VAT
Any Local UPS @ Rs. 1400 /- + VAT

TAX @ 4% 773 /-
Total Rs. 20098 /-

HTC HD2 T8585 Mini Computer

HTC HD2 delivers an experience your senses have been waiting for. The unprecedented 4.3-inch pixel-packed display is stunning. Its the world’s first capacitive touch technology on a Windows® phone along with 1 GHz processing power ensure a smooth and lightning fast response to the lightest touch of your finger.
Most importantly, it is our first Windows phone to embody HTC Sense™ – a holistic experience that focuses on making phones work in the most intuitive way. HTC Sense is based on three core principles – make it mine, stay close, and discover the unexpected.
Qualities:
1GHz Snapdragon™ processor
ROM: 512 MB
RAM: 448 MB
Windows XP or Windows Vista®
Microsoft® ActiveSync® 4.5 for Windows XP
Microsoft® Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1
for Windows Vista
157 grams weight (5.54 ounces) with battery
Internet Sharing through USB or Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Router, G-Sensor, Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor
Browser: Opera Mobile™
3G:
Up to 7.2 Mbps download speed
Up to 2 Mbps upload speed
GPRS: Up to 114 kbps download speed
EDGE: Up to 560 kbps download speed
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g

Memory:

Phonebook:Practically unlimited entries and fields,
Photocall Call records:Practically unlimited Description

Asia Pacific:
HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

HTC Ignite price in india

HTC Ignite is the upcoming windows smartphone coming in india at a very competitive price. HTC Ignite will runs on microsoft windows phone 7 operating system & powered by 800MHz Qualcomm processor. HTC Ignite is has 3.7-inch Touchscreen display, 5 Megapixel camera, 512 MB RAM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, connectivity option and many more features.

TC Ignite tech specs
Network supports
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100
Display Type & Size
S-LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches
Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
Multi-touch input method
Camera
5 MP, 2592×1944 pixels, autofocus
Video , 720p
front camera No
Camera Features Geo-tagging
OS & CPU
OS Microsoft Windows Phone 7
CPU 800 MHz processor
Connectivity
Data GPRS, EDGE
3G HSDPA, HSUPA
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP

Default Canon SX 130 IS vs Sony DSC - H55

I cant decide between SX 130 and H-55. Both are almost around the same price and with same features. SX 130 uses AA batteries which is my main concern. I'm not a pro wit cams. l just need cam for family occasions, group pics wit friends. Also i need good flash for taking pics at night. Bulkiness is not an issue for me. cam sometimes used by my parents also so i need a good both auto and manual controls.

Some ppl said canon has AA battery issues. I wanna know AA battery or Li-ion battery is good for digi-cams.
I would suggest you H55 just coz its hasselfree for u...u can carry it everywhere...your parent can easily take pics...photography is not your hobby then I would go with H55

Doono abt others but I had an olympus digicam with AA cells...and it took me 12-14 hours to charge it...soo had to purchase an extra pair of cells...not happy with AA cells

Mozilla Firefox 4 released

To celebrate each download, Mozilla has launched http://glow.mozilla.org/, a website that tracks each download across the world and plots it on a world map. It also provides additional statistics about the geographical distribution of downloads. It seems quite appropriate to showcase the latest HTML5 features of the browser by demonstrating them in showing how the browser is spreading across the world. Looking at the browser statistics for today, Firefox 4 already seems to have surpassed the antiquated Firefox 3.5 in usage, although this doesn't indicate much right now.

It has been nearly 3 years since the last major update to the browser. To be fair, Firefox 3.5 was quite a major update, however it has been nearly 2 years since that too, and the browser landscape has changed considerably since then.

Google Chrome has had a significant impact on the browser market by starting a competition over browser JavaScript performance, spurring browser developers to boost their own JavaScript engines. The only winners are the users.

Firefox had not aged well in the meantime, due to the long gap between Firefox 3.6 and 4.0, a gap that it vows to never have again thanks to a rapid release cycle. It has been almost painful to see Firefox 3.6 lag so far behind in so many ways, while the nightly development versions have shown great progress, it's a good thing this won't happen again.

So what does Firefox 4 have to offer? We will do a more thorough review later, but here are the essentials:

New minimal UI — Firefox 4 features a new UI with minimal chrome and tabs on top. Windows versions now use Aero, and put tabs in the title-bar on maximize. Linux users too can disable their menu-bar and use the Firefox button instead.

* Firefox button — this unified button contains the features people use most often, and replaces the menu.
* Home page — Firefox 4 has a new locally hosted home-page that loads instantly
* JägerMonkey — MUCH faster JavaScript performance
* Panorama — a completely new rich way of organizing and managing tabs
* AppTabs — you can now pin tabs to the tab bar to have them launch automatically each time you launch your browser whether you restore your session or not. AppTabs collapse to the left of the titlebar to a tab the width of the websites icon
* Switch to tab — instead of ending up with multiple tabs open to the same page, Firefox now searches in open tabs while you are typing an address and offers to switch you to an already open tab
* Firefox Sync — Firefox 4 no integrates sync out-of the box, and makes it easy to sign up, configure your sync account, and to add new devices to Sync with
* Do not track — Firefox 4 user can opt out of bring tracked by websites by selecting an option in their preferences. Of course it is up to the website in question to regard the request
* Content Security Policy
* Revamped Add-on manager — Firefox 4 includes the new add-on manager that opens in a tab instead of a small window, includes an add-on details page, and better add-on search and discoverability features
* Startup time — Firefox now loads much faster and does not automatically restore your session. Instead the home page displays an option to do so on launch
* Support for latest standards — Firefox 4 comes with improvements to HTML5 and CSS3 support, and new standards such as:
o WebGL — 3D content rendered right in the browser
o WebM — Google's new open format for HTML5 video
o File API
o Audio API
o HTML5 parser
o IndexedDB
* Hardware acceleration — Firefox 4 now features hardware acceleration of web content on Windows and Mac OS

Speed Up Shutdown Times, Fast Shutdown System

It's not only startup times that you'd like to speed up; you can also make sure that your system shuts down faster. If shutting down XP takes what seems to be an inordinate amount of time, here are a couple of steps you can take to speed up the shutdown process:

Don't have XP clear your paging file at shutdown
For security reasons, you can have XP clear your paging file (pagefile.sys) of its contents whenever you shut down. Your paging file is used to store temporary files and data, but when your system shuts down, information stays in the file. Some people prefer to have the paging file cleared at shutdown, because sensitive information such as unencrypted passwords sometimes ends up in the file. However, clearing the paging file can slow shutdown times significantly, so if extreme security isn't a high priority, you might not want to clear it. To shut down XP without clearing your paging file, run the Registry Editor and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

Change the value of ClearPageFileAtShutdown to 0. Close the Registry and restart your computer. Whenever you turn off XP from now on, the paging file won't be cleared, and you should be able to shut down more quickly.

Enable Quicker Startups with a Boot Defragment

There's another way to speed up XP startup: make your system do a boot defragment, which will put all the boot files next to one another on your hard disk. When boot files are in close proximity to one another, your system will start faster.

On most systems, boot defragment should be enabled by default, but it may not be on yours, or it may have been changed inadvertently. To make sure that boot defragment is enabled on your system, run the Registry Editor(RUN->REGEDIT) , and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction

Edit the Enable string value to Y if it is not already set to Y. Exit the Registry and reboot. The next time you reboot, you'll do a boot defragment.

Speed Up Boot and Shutdown Times

No matter how fast your PC boots, it's not fast enough. Here's a hack to help you get to your desktop more quickly after startup, and to let you walk away faster after shutdown.

The quickest way to speed up boot times is to use the free Microsoft utility BootVis.exe. Although it's intended primarily for developers, anyone can use it to analyze their boot times and see where there are slowdowns. More important, the tool will also automatically make system changes to speed up your boot time, so you don't need to go into a lengthy analysis of where your slowdowns are and how to solve them.

Depending on your system and how it's set up, you may see only a moderately faster startup time, or you may speed up boot time dramatically. I've seen reports of improvements ranging from a little over 3 seconds to more than 35 seconds. The improvements I found on my systems were moderate—7 seconds faster on one, and 10 seconds faster on another. Think of all the things you could accomplish with another 10 seconds in the day!

The BootVis utility traces boot time metrics and then displays the results in a variety of graphs showing total boot time, CPU usage, disk I/O, driver delays, and disk utilization. Download it from http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/platform/performance/fastboot/BootVis.asp and extract it into its own folder. Go to the folder and double-click on BootVis.exe. To analyze how your system boots, choose Trace Next Boot. (Choose Trace Next Boot + Driver Delays if you want to trace delays caused by drivers as well as your normal boot sequences.) Tell the program how many times to reboot and run the test (the more times it runs, the more accurate the results, although the longer the test takes to run). Click OK, and your system will reboot. After you log on after the reboot, you'll see this message:

Please WAIT for Bootvis to launch!

Choose from Multiple Splash Screens on Startup windows xp

Depending on my mood, I might not want to be greeted by huskies every morning. There are times when I want to be greeted by the normal startup screen, and other times when I want to see Andy Warhol's famous painting of Marilyn Monroe, or Al Pacino from the movie Scarface, all available from http://www.themexp.org. So I've made a startup menu that lets me choose which graphic should be my startup screen.

To create a startup menu, first download all the screens you want to use. Then rename the ntoskrnl.exe or ntoskrnlSP1.exe of each so that the filename describes the screen, for example, ntospacino.exe, ntosmonroe.exe, and ntosspongebob.exe. Copy them each into C:\Windows\System32. Don't touch the existing ntoskrnl.exe file there; you'll keep that as one of your options. Because you're not changing that file, you don't have to boot into Safe Mode to make any of these changes.

Following the instructions in Previos Post, create a multiboot screen by editing your boot.ini file. In the [operating systems] section of the boot.ini file, create a new entry for each of the screens from which you want to choose. Copy the existing primary XP entry and append /kernel=newbootscreenfilename.exe to the end of it, where newbootscreenfilename.exe is the filename of the bootscreen you want to use for that entry. Also edit the description so that it describes the bootscreen. For example, if the primary entry is:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
you would create this entry for the Sponge Bob startup screen:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Sponge Bob Startup Screen" /
fastdetect /kernel=ntosspongebob.exe
Create as many entries as you want in the [boot loader] section. My boot.ini file looks like this:

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Huskies Startup Screen" /
fastdetect /kernel=ntosspongebob.exe
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Pacino Startup Screen" /
fastdetect /kernel=ntospacino.exe
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Marilyn Monroe Startup Screen"
/fastdetect /kernel=ntosmonroe.exe
Whenever you start up XP now, you'll be able to choose from your normal startup screen or any of the others you've put on the menu. If you have a laptop, for example, you might set up a menu that lets you choose a business-like startup screen at work and a more entertaining one at home.

Choose from Multiple Splash Screens on Startup windows xp

Depending on my mood, I might not want to be greeted by huskies every morning. There are times when I want to be greeted by the normal startup screen, and other times when I want to see Andy Warhol's famous painting of Marilyn Monroe, or Al Pacino from the movie Scarface, all available from http://www.themexp.org. So I've made a startup menu that lets me choose which graphic should be my startup screen.

To create a startup menu, first download all the screens you want to use. Then rename the ntoskrnl.exe or ntoskrnlSP1.exe of each so that the filename describes the screen, for example, ntospacino.exe, ntosmonroe.exe, and ntosspongebob.exe. Copy them each into C:\Windows\System32. Don't touch the existing ntoskrnl.exe file there; you'll keep that as one of your options. Because you're not changing that file, you don't have to boot into Safe Mode to make any of these changes.

Following the instructions in Previos Post, create a multiboot screen by editing your boot.ini file. In the [operating systems] section of the boot.ini file, create a new entry for each of the screens from which you want to choose. Copy the existing primary XP entry and append /kernel=newbootscreenfilename.exe to the end of it, where newbootscreenfilename.exe is the filename of the bootscreen you want to use for that entry. Also edit the description so that it describes the bootscreen. For example, if the primary entry is:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
you would create this entry for the Sponge Bob startup screen:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Sponge Bob Startup Screen" /
fastdetect /kernel=ntosspongebob.exe
Create as many entries as you want in the [boot loader] section. My boot.ini file looks like this:

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Huskies Startup Screen" /
fastdetect /kernel=ntosspongebob.exe
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Pacino Startup Screen" /
fastdetect /kernel=ntospacino.exe
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Marilyn Monroe Startup Screen"
/fastdetect /kernel=ntosmonroe.exe
Whenever you start up XP now, you'll be able to choose from your normal startup screen or any of the others you've put on the menu. If you have a laptop, for example, you might set up a menu that lets you choose a business-like startup screen at work and a more entertaining one at home.

Change the Boot Picture that Appears on the XP Startup Screen

Many people, myself included, would prefer to see a more interesting splash screen (also called the startup screen) than the default gives you on start-up. You can change your splash screen to any of hundreds that have been created, or make one of your own—for example, with your picture or company logo on it.

Once you've found the image you want to use as your splash screen, download it. It will be downloaded as a .zip file. I create a general folder for all my boot screen files, called C:\Bootscreens, and then for each bootscreen I download I create a new folder—in this instance, C:\Bootscreens\Wild.

Unzip the contents of the .zip file into the folder. There will be one or more files, including ReadMe files. The boot screen itself, however, will be named ntoskrnl.exe. If you have XP Service Pack 1 installed, you may have to use a different file, named ntoskrnlSP1.exe, that may also be in the downloaded .zip file. Check the documentation of the file you download to make sure. If you're not sure if you have Service Pack 1 installed, it's easy to find out. Right-click on My Computer, and choose Properties General. Your version of the operating system will be displayed. If you have Service Pack 1, it will say so on that screen.

You might think that all you have to do is copy the new ntoskrnl.exe over the existing one and then restart your computer in order for the changes to take effect. That's not quite the case, though. You first have to get around a feature of Windows XP that protects system files from being overwritten. Windows File Protection automatically replaces certain files with the original XP version of the file if they've been replaced, and ntoskrnl.exe is one of those files. However, if you make the change in Safe Mode, Windows File Protection won't kick in and you can safely copy the file.

Reboot your PC and press F8 immediately to get into Safe Mode. Now go to the C:\Windows\System32 folder and find the ntoskrnl.exe file. Copy it to another folder or rename it as a backup so that you can revert to it when you no longer want to use your new bootscreen, or if something goes wrong when you install the new screen. Now copy the new ntoskrnl.exe file into C:\Windows\System32. (If you have to use the ntoskrnlSP1.exe file, rename it to ntoskrnl.exe first, and then copy it over.)

Reboot your computer again but don't go into Safe Mode this time. Your new splash screen will now appear every time you start your PC. To revert to your old splash screen, repeat the steps, copying your original ntoskrnl.exe file over your new one.

Showing Startup Menu Even if You Have Only One Operating System

Even if you have only one operating system, you can create a boot menu that will let you choose to load your operating system with different parameters. For example, for menu choices, you might have your normal operating system; a mode that lets you trace any startup problems; and Safe Mode. To give yourself the option of operating systems with different parameters, create separate entries for each new operating system choice. For example, for the version of the operating system that traces potential startup problems, you could create this entry:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition"
/fastdetect /bootlog /sos
This entry creates a startup log and also displays information about the drivers and other operating system information as it loads.

For the version of the operating system that loads in Safe Mode but that still allows networking, you could create this entry:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /
fastdetect /safeboot:network
The boot.ini file would look like this, assuming that you want the menu to display for 30 seconds and you want normal XP startup to be the default:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Trace Problems XP Home Edition"
/fastdetect /bootlog /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Safe Start XP Home Edition" /
fastdetect /safeboot:network

edit the file boot.ini, how boo.ini works and edit boot.ini

Customize Multiboot Startup Options


Edit or create a startup menu that lets you choose which operating system to boot into in multiboot systems, or create a menu that lets you choose different startup options for your single operating system if you have only XP installed.

If you've installed another operating system (in addition to XP) on your system, your PC starts up with a multiboot menu, which allows you to choose which operating system you want to run. The menu stays live for 30 seconds, and a screen countdown tells you how long you have to make a choice from the menu. After the 30 seconds elapse, it boots into your default operating system, which is generally the last operating system you installed.

You can customize that multiboot menu and how your PC starts by editing the boot.ini file, a hidden system file, to control a variety of startup options, including how long to display the menu, which operating system should be the default, whether to use the XP splash screen when XP starts, and similar features. And as you'll see later in this hack, you can also use the file to create a startup menu that will allow you to choose from different versions of your operating system—for example, one that you'll use for tracking down startup problems, and another for starting in Safe Mode.

The boot.ini file is a plain text file found in your root C:\ folder. You might not be able to see it, because it's a system file, and if you can see it, you might not be able to edit it, because it's a read-only file. To make it visible, launch Windows Explorer, choose View Tools Folder Options View and select the radio button "Show Hidden Files and Folders." To make it a file you can edit, right-click on it in Windows Explorer, choose Properties, uncheck the Read-Only box, and click OK.

Editing Files
To edit the file, open it with a text editor such as Notepad. Following is a typical boot.ini file for a PC that has two operating systems installed on it—Windows XP Home Edition and Windows Me:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /
fastdetect

As you can see, there are two sections in the file: [boot loader] and [operating systems]. To customize your menu and startup options, edit the entries in each section. Before editing boot.ini, make a copy of it and save it under a different name (such as boot.ini.old), so that you can revert to it if you cause problems when you edit the file.

Following are details about how to edit the entries in each section:

[boot loader]
This section controls how the boot process works; it specifies the default operating system and how long a user has to make a selection from a boot menu, if a boot menu has been enabled. The timeout value specifies, in seconds, how long to display the menu and wait for a selection before loading the default operating system. If you want a delay of 15 seconds, for example, enter 15 for the value. Use a value of 0 if you want the default operating system to boot immediately. If you want the menu to be displayed indefinitely and stay onscreen until a selection is made, use a value of -1. The default value specifies which entry in the [operating system] section is the default operating system. (The default value is used even if there is only one operating system in the [operating system] section.) To change the default operating system, edit the setting, in our example, to default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT.

So, in our example, if you change the menu settings so that the screen appears for 10 seconds before loading the default operating system, and the default operating system is Windows 2000 Professional, the section reads:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating system]
This section specifies which operating systems are present on the computer, and detailed options for each one. XP uses the Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) path to specify the location of the boot partition. In our example, the ARC path is:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
The first parameter, which identifies the disk controller, should be 0. The second parameter, the disk parameter, should also be 0. The rdisk parameter specifies the disk number on the controller that has the boot partition. The numbers start at 0. So, if you have three hard disks installed and the second hard disk has the boot partition, the setting is rdisk(1). The partition parameter identifies the partition number of the boot partition. Partitions start with the number 1. The final section, which in our example is \WINDOWS, specifies the path to the folder where the operating system is installed.


/BASEVIDEO
Starts XP using the standard VGA driver. It's most useful if you can't boot normally because of a video driver problem.

/BOOTLOG
Logs information about the boot process to the ntbtlogl.txt file in the C:\Windows folder.

/CRASHDEBUG
Loads the debugger at boot, but the debugger remains inactive unless a crash occurs.

/DEBUG
Loads the debugger at boot and runs it.

/FASTDETECT
Disables the detection of serial and parallel devices.

MAXMEM:n
Specifies the maximum amount of RAM that XP can use.

/NOGUIBOOT
Does not allow the XP splash screen to load during boot.

/NODEBUG
Stops the debugger from loading.

/SAFEBOOT:switch
Forces XP to boot into the safe mode specified by the switch parameter, which can be minimal, network, or minimal(alternate shell). In minimal safe mode, only the minimum set of drivers necessary to start XP are loaded. In network safe mode, networking drivers are loaded in addition to the minimum set of drivers. In minimal(alternate shell) the minimum set of drivers are loaded and XP boots into the command prompt.

/SOS
Displays the name of each driver as it loads and gives descriptions of what is occurring during the boot process. It also offers other information, including the XP build number, the service pack number, the number of processors on the system, and the amount of installed memory.



When you've finished editing the boot.ini file, save it. The next time you start your computer, its settings will go into effect.

In our example, if we want the menu to appear for 45 seconds, the default operating system to be Windows 2000, and the XP splash screen to be turned off when we choose to load XP, the boot.ini file should look like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=45
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /noguiboot
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /
fastdetect

Oracle drops support for Intel's much-maligned Itanium chip, Whats Solution For This???

"Intel management made it clear that their strategic focus is on their x86 microprocessor and that Itanium was nearing the end of its life," the company said in a statement. Intel disagreed with Oracle's claim however, saying it remained "committed" to the platform.

Intel's relationship with Itanium has been a rocky one since its 2001 debut. Its architecture was made incompatible with the x86 line of processors from the start, meaning applications had to be written specifically for it. It also typically performed at much slower speeds to its competitors.

The chip never seemed to have good sales, and was upstaged by AMD's own 64-bit processors which were x86-compatible. This forced Intel to produce 64-bit server chips that were x86-compatible as well, effectively marooning Itanium and further damaging the platform.

Oracle's comments also seemed to upset HP, which is the largest producer of servers based on Itanium. The chip was the result of a collaboration between HP and Intel during the 1990s, although Intel now is responsible for its development.

With its acquisition of Sun, Oracle also became a competitor to Itanium with its plans to continue development of the SPARC chip. HP seemingly believes this is somewhat anti-competitive -- akin to Sun attempting to push customers to its own product by ending support of a competitor's.

"We are shocked that Oracle would put enterprises and governments at risk while costing them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity in a shameless gambit to limit fair competition," HP executive vice president Dave Donatelli told Businesweek.

LG Thrill 4G, a dual-core 3D-ready Android phone, and the HTC HD7S, a Windows Phone 7

The nation's largest GSM carrier on Monday announced two new smartphones aimed at the higher end as it works to differentiate itself after losing exclusivity of the Apple iPhone. The LG Thrill 4G, a dual-core 3D-ready Android phone, and the HTC HD7S, a Windows Phone 7 device with a five megapixel built in camera, will be available in the coming weeks.

Both devices will sport large 4.3-inch screens, with the LG Thrill able to run on AT&T's new 4G network. The LG Thrill would also be able to shoot 3D imagery and video through its own built in five megapixel camera, and no glasses would be required in order to view the imagery.

BlackBerry PlayBook excitement product starts

"Previews of the BlackBerry PlayBook have generated tremendous excitement and we know that customers are eager to get their hands on one," Craig McLennan, RIM's Regional managing director for North America, said in a statement. Well, considering how many ways RIM announced the tablet over the past six months or so, is it any surprise there is anticipation? I was beginning to wonder if PlayBook was a phantom product RIM hauled out just for tradeshows (The company made the launch announcement at CTIA Wireless, which starts today).

BlackBerry PlayBook is the other tablet. It's not Android or Apple. It's different. If PlayBook can ship in volume, RIM is better positioned than many other tablet manufacturers to quickly capture market share:

1. Like Apple, RIM controls the entire product -- from hardware to software to cloud services -- and so the user experience. RIM is better positioned to differentiate its tablet than are most manufacturers able to do with theirs.

2. Distribution, extended from iPod and iPhone, is one of the most important ingredients for iPad's rapid sales success. RIM, along with Samsung, is one of the few tablet makers with the distribution reach necessary to make PlayBook successful, where others will likely fail to sell. Today, RIM stated that PlayBook would be available through 20,000 retail outlets at launch.

3. BlackBerry has a huge following, including the President of the United States. Loyal customers looking to extend the BlackBerry experience can hope to get more from PlayBook than competing tablets.

4. RIM excels at lifestyle marketing, as does Apple and Nokia. More importantly, there is a BlackBerry lifestyle, particularly among email-obsessed business users, who are one of PlayBook's target markets.

RIM's pricing is aggressive -- actually fairly competitive considering there is, like iPad, WiFi-only models available. Android tablet manufacturers should take note. Anyone shopping for iPad 2 will find PlayBook pricing to be familiar: 16GB ($499); 32GB ($599); 64GB ($699).

Size also is important in pricing. I see that many of the blog posts or other news stories about BlackBerry PlayBook emphasize the similar pricing to iPad 2. Yes, but for a substantially smaller tablet. The iPad is a 9.7-inch tablet, while the PlayBook is 7 inches. Most competing Android tablets are more like 10 inches. PlayBook's size is closer to smartphones than most other tablets, which could disuade some buyers. Then there is the size difference to iPad 2 for the same price. Does size matter?

PlayBook specs:

* 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with 1024 x 600 WSVGA resolution
* 1 GHz dual-core processor
* 1GB RAM
* 16GB, 32GB or 64GB internal storage
* Front-facing 3-megapixel and rear-facing 5-megapixel cameras
* 1080p HDMI port
* WiFi "N"
* Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR
* GPS
* Accelerometer
* Gyroscope
* Digital compass
* Flash 10.1
* BlackBerry Tablet OS
* Measures 130 mm x 194 mm x 10 mm and weighs 425 grams

So I've got to ask, as I so often do about new products: Will you buy the BlackBerry PlayBook? Why or why not? Please answer in comments, or email joewilcox at gmail dot com.

Good News WOT security browser plug-in now supports Facebook and Twitter links

WOT rates websites for both security and privacy, based on community feedback from millions of WOT users worldwide. These ratings are displayed as clearly visible icons using traffic light colors to help identify safe sites (rated green) from potentially dangerous and hazardous ones (amber or red). The current site's rating is displayed in the browser toolbar. If a site is rated red, access will be temporarily blocked and the user clearly warned that the site in question is considered dangerous. This can be overridden by the user, but provides an additional layer of security by helping to steer users away from malware-infested and fake websites.
The new features are available now to both Apple Safari and Google Chrome users with version 1.1 of the plug-in, while Firefox users can install a beta version of the plug-in ahead of its final release within the next few weeks, when the updates should also be made available to Opera and Internet Explorer users.

Easy Photo Uploader for Facebook 0.9.2.2

Easy Photo Uploader for Facebook will resize and send photos to Facebook album from the shell explorer. Right click on any photo format (including raw files, CR2, NEF, etc.) and the program will send by batch the pictures in any new or existing Facebook photo albums. Resize is done with the best quality possible, and the highest resolution accepted by Facebook.

BurnAware Free 3.1.6

BurnAware products allow users to burn CD, DVD and BD discs with data, audio and video in a simple and hassle-free manner. These disc burning tools are intended for users seeking balanced, lightweight and easy to use burning tools for everyday use.

BurnAware Free is a full-fledged disc burning tool - fast, lightweight, feature-packed and, most importantly, 100% free. The program burns all types of CD, DVD and Blu-Ray discs containing data, digital photos, music and video. With BurnAware Free, you will be able to create bootable or multisession CDs and DVDs, high-quality audio CDs from your collection of MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG and FLAC files, burn disc images, copy discs to backup ISO images and do a whole lot more.

SysAdmin Anywhere 4.0.4 Beta

SysAdmin Anywhere makes it so much easier to administe Active Directory-based networks by providing a single tool to do whatever you need use it to manage domains, servers, computers, users, and groups.

Vermilion Desktop Composer 0.19

Vermilion Desktop Composer is a revolutionary approach to a tried and tested format of computer music composing. The program attempts to pick up where Buzz left off, taking a fully open approach to composing, and requiring nothing but a PC with sound. It releases regularly and is desperate for feedback on any level.

Micromax Mobile Price List In INDIA

Micromax MODU-T Rs.10000
Micromax W900 Rs.7620
Micromax Andro Rs.6700
Micromax Q66 Rs.5240
Micromax Q55 Rs.4700
Micromax Q5c Rs.4299
Micromax Q6 Rs.4290
Micromax X550 Qube Rs.4260
Micromax X510 Pike Rs.4000
Micromax Q7 Rs.3830
Micromax Q75 Rs.3800
Micromax GC360 Rs.3560
Micromax C350 Rs.3500
Micromax Q5fb Rs.3480
Micromax X505 Rs.3430
Micromax X360 Rs.3050
Micromax GC256 Rs.2900
Micromax Q50 Rs.2890
Micromax X330 Rs.2480
Micromax X260 Rs.2480
Micromax Q2+ Rs.2470
Micromax X250 Rs.2450
Micromax X225 Rs.2095
Micromax C2i Rs.1749
Micromax X1i+ Rs.1670
Micromax X220 Rs.1660
Micromax X1i Rs.1450
Micromax X114 Rs.1428
Micromax X215 Rs.1280
Micromax C112 Rs.1200

Spice Mobile Price List In INDIA

Spice S-1200 Rs.13140
Spice Mi-300 Rs.9990
Spice G-6565 Rs.9500
Spice D-6666 Rs.6160
Spice S-7000 Rs.5500
Spice QT-95 Rs.5499
Spice QT 65 Rs.4999
Spice QT 68 Rs.4999
Spice QT-66 Rs.4940
Spice D-5555 Rs.4819
Spice M-6000 Rs.4300
Spice M-940n Rs.4230
Spice QT-56 Rs.4000
Spice M-940 Gold Rs.3970
Spice QT-60 Rs.3780
Spice D-90 Rs.3500
Spice QT-55 Rs.3190
Spice C-6600 Rs.3100
Spice QT 61 Rs.3050
Spice M-6262 Rs.3000
Spice M-6464 Rs.3000
Spice M-67 3D Rs.3000
Spice M-5252n Rs.2800
Spice M 5170 Rs.2799
Spice QT-58 Rs.2630
Spice M-5151 Rs.2510
Spice M-6363 Rs.2500
Spice M-6 Sports Rs.2450
Spice M-5454 Rs.2400
Spice M-5161 Rs.2360
Spice C-5300 Rs.2350
Spice M-5262 Rs.2350
Spice QT-50 Rs.2300
Spice KT-5353 Rs.2299
Spice C-5060 Rs.2200
Spice QT-52 Rs.2159
Spice M-5161n Rs.2060
Spice M-4330 Rs.2000
Spice M-4580 Rs.1870
Spice M-4580n Rs.1800
Spice M-5055 Rs.1750
Spice M-4242 Rs.1490
Spice M-3636 Rs.1490
Spice QT-44 Rs.1430

HTC Mobile Price List In INDIA

HTC HD7 Rs.27400
HTC Desire HD Rs.26500
HTC HD2 Rs.25900
HTC Desire Z Rs.25000
HTC Mozart Rs.24900
HTC Legend Rs.23000
HTC Desire Rs.22300
HTC HD Mini Rs.20750
HTC S710 Rs.13700
HTC Wildfire Rs.13450
HTC Tattoo Rs.12600
HTC Smart Rs.7100

Blackberry Mobile Price List In INDIA

Blackberry Torch 9800 Rs.32613
Blackberry Storm2 9520 Rs.29900
Blackberry Tour 9630 Rs.27990
Blackberry Bold 9780 Rs.26285
Blackberry Bold 9700 Rs.24706
Blackberry Bold 9000 Rs.21154
Blackberry 8820 Rs.20190
Blackberry Curve 3G 9300 Rs.17723
Blackberry Curve 8900 Rs.17500
Blackberry Pearl 3G 9100 Rs.17496
Blackberry Pearl 3G 9105 Rs.17267
Blackberry Storm 9500 Rs.15799
Blackberry Pearl 8100 Rs.14988
Blackberry 8320 Rs.14741
Blackberry Curve 8310 Rs.14067
Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220 Rs.11654
Blackberry Curve 8300 Rs.11500
Blackberry Curve 8520 Rs.11500
Blackberry 8800 Rs.9615