Maxit Mag

The U.S. government issued on Thursday a recall of 35,000 Sony batteries and the Tokyo-based company said it would recall a further 65,000 batteries worldwide.

Sony Corp said five PC makers including Hewlett-Packard Co and Toshiba Corp will recall 100,000 computer battery packs made by the Japanese electronics maker due to a fire hazard. The recall affects around 74,000 notebook PCs sold by HP and 14,400 from Toshiba. The faulty batteries are also used in laptop PCs from Dell Inc, Acer Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd, Sony said.

PC makers have reported 40 cases of overheating, including four cases where users suffered minor burns and 21 cases of minor damage from fires and overheating, a Sony spokeswoman said.

Sony blamed the faulty batteries on factory changes dating back up to four years, which it believes may have affected the quality of some battery cells. Other incidents of overheating may have involved a problem with raw materials, the company said.

Consumers have been advised to immediately remove the recalled battery from their notebook computer, and contact their computer manufacturer to determine if their battery is included in the recall and to request a free replacement battery. Consumers may use the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives.

Link: Reuters

Dell has launched the XPS OneTM 24 and continues the (PRODUCT) RED program that contributes to the fight against AIDS in Africa. The updated design boasts a 24-inch, edge-to-edge 1080p HD display and premium JBL dual stereo speakers and sub woofer for immersive entertainment experiences.

The XPS One 24 is an all in one desktop PC integrating an array of sought-after features, including HDTV, DVR, optional Blu-ray Disc player and recorder, component stereo system, video phone, and media library.

The XPS One 24 features NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT video graphics for eye-popping visuals, while Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 quad core processor handles complex multimedia activities.

Each purchase of an XPS One 24 (PRODUCT) RED system contributes $50-$80 (depending on the configuration) to the Global Fund, which helps fight HIV and AIDS in Africa.

The XPS One 24 is available in the U.S. with price starting at $1,699.

Link: Dell

Qik, the live mobile video streaming platform, has announced alpha support for Blackberry devices from Research In Motion (RIM), including Blackberry Pearl and BlackBerry Bold.

Qik's free service allows users to stream video live to the Internet in just two clicks from their mobile phone. Those watching the videos on the Web can take part in live interactive chat with the person broadcasting.

"We are excited to bring our lifestyle technology to the millions of Blackberry users worldwide," said Ramu Sunkara, co-founder and CEO of Qik. "In our quest to bring mobile live video sharing to the masses, we now support the broadest range of platforms including Symbian, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and Java-enabled mass market phones."

Qik is initially launching in alpha on the following handsets running Blackberry Operating System 4.5 and above. Owners of the above devices can get Qik by registering at http://qik.com/. Support for these devices is expected to enter beta in the coming weeks, and support for additional BlackBerry handsets is expected soon after.

OCZ has unveiled their latest 15”Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Gaming Notebook based on the Intel Centrino 2 platform. The laptop offers enthusiasts and gamers options to perfect their own mobile powerhouse for their own applications.

Featuring the Intel Centrino 2 platform, the 15.4-inch, 1280x800 notebooks OCZ DIY notebook comes equipped with ATI Raedon HD3650 GPU with 512MB of dedicated memory and DirectX 10.1 compatibility.

User-definable options include up to 8GB of DDR2 memory, along with a choice of hard drives ranging from 80 to 500GB at 5400/7200RPM. There is also a choice of optical drives between a dual-layer DVD drive and Blu-Ray player.

The rest of the specs include HD surround sound, A4-sized keyboard with a Vista key and a 6-cell battery.

OCZ is offering one year of warranty for the notebook, as well as LCD and the battery.

Link: OCZ Technology

Hammer Storage has introduced morespace Portable, a compact, lightweight portable hard drive that allows users to instantly add more space to both PCs and Macs.

With a skinnable face and compact design, morespace Portable features a 2.5 inch drive with capacities ranging from 160GB to 750GB. The USB 2.0 device weighs just 5 ounces and is small enough to fit into a shirt pocket, allowing consumers to take data with them wherever they go.

Morespace Portable sets itself apart by the use of customizable skins - which also protect it from scratches. One skin is included with the morespace Portable unit to get consumers started.

"Morespace Portable is the perfect answer for the consumer that needs more storage capacity immediately, and needs to be able to take it with them and access it in multiple locations. Hammer Storage is able to break down cost barriers by utilizing Bell Micro's market leadership in hard disk drives and storage, giving us the ability to offer morespace Portable at the extremely competitive price point of less than 26 cents per GB of storage," said Andy Dorian, retail value add manager for Bell Microproducts.

While the price has not been revealed, Morespace Portable is expected to be available in early 2009.

Link: Engadget

Microsoft has announced Windows Azure, the cloud-based service foundation underlying its Azure Services Platform. The Azure Services Platform is an industry-leading move by Microsoft to help developers build the next generation of applications that will span from the cloud to the enterprise datacenter and deliver compelling new experiences across the PC, Web and phone.

The cloud-computing architecture allows companies to create software and services that can be accessed from centralized data centers. The primary storage, computing, and networking tools would be hosted in Microsoft's data centers.

The Azure Services Platform will bring together several of the company's developer services including SQL, .NET, Live, SharePoint, and Dynamics CRM. Applications can be created using the .NET framework, Visual Studio, or other technologies and open source standards such as Eclipse, Ruby, PHP, Python, XML, HTTP, representational state transfer (REST), and Atom Publishing Protocol (AtomPub).

Microsoft claims its Azure Fabric Controller technology is designed to distribute the workload evenly across servers, while instantly rerouting work in the event of a failure.

Link: Electronista

These days cameras are very common accessory in the mobile phone handsets. Generally, the mobiles equipped with 1 to 3.2 megapixcel camera are available in the market. But in near future you could take the pleasure of professional photography through your mobile phone. Yes, the Digital Imaging Systems launches a 9 megapixel camera module that could be fitted inside the mobile phone.

 The new DIS6931 includes high quality lenses, mechanical shutter, auto-focus and a neutral density filter. And it is able to capture images at 3488×2616 resolutions. It supports a variety of different view finder and HTDV sizes with frame rates up to 30fps. You can be able to capture sport’s shots with the mobile handset with in-built DIS6931. The autofocus functionality offers a response time of less than 300ms and a fast click-to-capture time (which is the key problem with many phone cameras) of less than 200ms.
If you want more information about this module camera, then you must visit Photokina fair in Cologne, Germany where DIS is exhibiting their latest creation.

Link: Electronista

LaCie has announced the LaCinema Rugged, the latest generation in multimedia products to provide high quality movie viewing with the compact and acclaimed reliability of LaCie’s trusted mobile enclosure.

The Rugged features a unique scratch-resistant aluminum shell, internal anti-shock absorbers, and a shock-resistant rubber bumper to better protect media files against everyday blunders.

The LaCinema Rugged allows users to enjoy their collections on the go or at home and also provides the convenience of a centralized media library with graphic menus and an easy-to-use remote control.

It is compatible with both Mac and Windows environments. Once the data is transferred to the portable drive it is ready to be viewed on any display, an HDMI connection or legacy composite video connection. It also functions as an external hard drive.

Offered in the capacities of 250GB, 320GB and 500GB, it will be available worldwide in November at the retail price starting at 199USD.

Link: Lacie

Logitech has announced the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller, Premiere Edition for the PS2/PS3 versions of the "Guitar Hero" - enabling gamers to play like a rock star.

The premiere edition of Guitar Controller features authentic materials including a wood neck, a rosewood fingerboard and metal frets. Logitech’s design also offers the one-piece contoured shape preferred by many of the world’s leading rock guitarists.

To minimize button noise, Logitech uses rubber dome technology on the fret board controls. The guitar controller also incorporates a New Touch-Sensitive Neck Slider, located so strumming is not always necessary to rack up the points. Additionally, the Neck Slider can be used in Guitar Hero World Tour’s new Music Studio to create an even wider away of sounds.

“There’s no better feeling than being the guy with the best instrument when you walk into your friend’s house to jam on Guitar Hero,” said Ruben Mookerjee, Logitech’s director of product marketing for gaming. “We designed this guitar for that experience.”

The Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller uses 2.4 GHz wireless technology to provide a range of up to 30 feet from the console. Just plug the USB receiver into the console and you’re ready to rock. The Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller, Premiere Edition is expected to be available in the U.S. in December for $250.

Link: Logitech

SanDisk has announced SanDisk Cruzer Enterprise with anti-malware protection from McAfee. The solution includes the McAfee Scan Engine, which offers advanced heuristic analysis for comprehensive detection of both known and unknown threats. It also protects corporate USB flash drive users from data leaks. The “always on” safeguard blocks malware from entering the secure USB flash drive even when the device is used outside of the firewall.

McAfee Anti-Malware Technology in Cruzer Enterprise protects users from infection with an automatic anti-malware scan that prohibits file transfers to the secure USB drive when it detects infection on a host PC. The scan engine examines every file saved or copied to the USB flash drive.

Cruzer Enterprise safeguards all files stored on the drive with advanced hardware-based 256-bit AES encryption. Users are required to create a complex password during the set-up process. The combination of encryption and password protection makes it extremely difficult for unauthorized users to access data should the drive be lost or stolen.

“The McAfee Scan Engine has been battle-tested over many years and is the foundation of McAfee’s anti-malware solutions. SanDisk Enterprise Cruzer customers can rest assured that they have reliable and accurate detection from malicious code,” said Christopher Bolin, executive vice president and chief technology officer, McAfee.

Link: SanDisk

Samsung has announced the I7110, the latest slim and sleek bar type smartphone based on S60 and Symbian OS.

The I7110 offers a 2.6” AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen, to deliver outstanding experiences in navigation, multimedia, and connectivity. The AMOLED screen provides sharp images even under intense sunlight.

It also offers 5 megapixel camera featuring auto focus and LED flash, offers advanced video recording and play features and supports multi-codec formats including DivX. 50MB of internal memory and a SDHC-supported micro SD slot allows users to store digital contents up to 16GB.

It also boasts geo-tagging and navigation capabilities in pedestrian and driving modes. The FM transmitter enables drivers to receive the voice navigation guide via car speakers. The I7110 comes equipped with HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity. The smartphone’s 1,200 mAh battery can facilitate up to 11 hours of talk time and extended multimedia experience.

While the price has not been revealed, Samsung is planning to release their new Symbian based i7110 smartphone in Russia from November 2008.

Link: Samsung Mobile

Iridium Satellite has unveiled its smallest, most powerful satellite phone - the Iridium 9555. It offers a significantly reduced size, a more hand-friendly form factor and internally stowed antenna. It is 27 percent lighter and 30 percent smaller than 9505A handset.

Featuring a brighter screen with an intuitive user interface, it also offers a speaker phone, improved SMS and email capabilities, and an upgraded mini-USB data port.

The phone is water and shock-resistant and is engineered to withstand and perform well in the most rugged, remote and industrial environments.

"The 9555 is yet another example of our continuing investment in our products, services and infrastructure," said Don Thoma, executive vice president, marketing, Iridium. "In designing the 9555, we believe we have responded to our customers' needs.”

The 9555 handset will be available from Iridium service partners starting in November 2008.

Link: Iridium