Apple gives $45 Battery Credit to Canadian iPod Users

Canadian residents will be happy to get this news directly from Apple. The company has announced to offer $45 credits to those iPod users, who have bought the portable media player before 24th June 2004. This settlement is also applicable on a new first-, second- or third-generation iPod. Moreover, the proposed settlement also states that Apple has to pay the legal fees too.
This decision is considered to be carried forward due to the lawsuit, which was filed in Montreal and Toronto that blamed Apple’s iPods to not deliver a battery life that was up to the mark. Two Canadian owners of iPod sued Apple for its lifetime iPod batteries that were less than half that advertised (eight hours). In the second year of use, the rechargeable batteries of iPod conked out after merely three hours of playback between single charges.
Around 80,000 Canadians, including 11,310 Quebecers, said Montreal lawyer Philippe Trudel, who represented Lenzi are expected to be eligible for the credit.
In addition, one more lawsuit has been filed, which is still pending, mentioning that iPod Nano has 7.45 GB of storage, instead of 8GB. Montreal law student David Bitton, the man behind the lawsuit, claims to get a 7.5 % refund of purchase price.

France Telecom talks to Apple for 3G iPhone Price Cut

The most hyped phone in the world - the iPhone, is in the news again. In most of the countries, the price of the revolutionary handset has slashed down. We had reported about O2 reducing the iPhone’s price soon after T-Mobile announced the iPhone price cut in Germany. Last year, within 3 months of the iPhone’s debut in the US, Apple dropped the price of the device.
After a long journey, Apple is now facing yet another problem of price cut, but this time it’s in France. Orange, the mobile phone and Internet access division of France Télécom, is discussing with Apple to lower the price of the iPhone.
Currently, the iPod-cum-iPhone device’s sells for EUR 399 (8GB version), which is quite expensive as compared to other smartphones in the market. The 16GB model carries a price tag of EUR 499. Till date, the French network operator has noticed a sales figure of approximately 100,000 units.
However, the telecom company, who has exclusive rights to distribute the iPhone for three years, is not planning to change the iPhone pricing policy at present. They want the next-generation models to be affordable to the masses. On the other hand, Apple is forcing Orange to adopt the European policy moving to a subsidized model.
The iPhone uses EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) networks and does not employ the higher speeds of 3G (third-generation) mobile networks or the more advanced HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) networks that are available in some markets.
Next month is the rumored release of the Apple 3G iPhone. After the official launch, we can comment on France’s scenario.

Jasper GPU for Xbox 360 Gaming Console, to be Introduced Soon

Microsoft is stern on its decision to increase its sales. And to reach that path, the company has planned to upgrade the GPU of the Xbox 360. After the August launch of a Falcom 65-nm CPU and a 90-nm GPU, a revamped GPU that would replace the 90-nm GPU is set to release. This latest version will be come under the codename Jasper.
The Xbox 360 gaming console is expected to consume less power thanks to the 65nm manufacturing process. It is said that the enhanced hardware also checks into the so-called red ring of death matter that defuncts the 360. The main reason is overheating.
According to BetaNews, the 65-nm Xenon microprocessors, which are used in the Xbox 360 are packaged and tested by IBM, whereas the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and the northbridge (memory controller hub) are developed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
Meanwhile, Microsoft will apparently roll out Pegatron’s Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 gaming console very soon. The company boasts to achieve over 60 percent of GTA IV games sold in the first week.
The new GPU Jasper is slated to unveil by August.

Camera on Stolen Laptop assists Owner to Catch Thieves

A computer-savvy White Plains woman named Kait Duplaga, who works at an Apple store in The Westchester mall, caught hold of the thieves through her stolen laptop’s in-built camera.
The victim, who stays with two roommates in an apartment, has proudly solved the crime herself by logging into her stolen Macintosh laptop and clicked a photograph of the suspect via the integrated camera. Here goes the motivational story.
On 27th April, three roommates entered their apartment and noticed that their home had been ransacked. Very useful and costly technology products, such as two laptops, two flat-screen televisions, two iPods, gaming consoles, DVDs and computer games were missing.
Few days later, the victim’s friend saw her online through his computer. And to re-check whether it was her who is using the internet or somebody else, the friend informed Kait.
As she was not online, she signed onto another computer and took advantage of the “Back to My Mac” program that helps to determine the stolen Macintosh laptop. She found that her laptop was indeed signed onto the Web and the thief is using it to shop online.
Smartly she activated the stolen computer’s camera that enables her to view who is in front of the Macintosh. Initially, she couldn’t see anybody. After sometime a man was seen. She immediately took the photograph of that person. She was also able to get the other thief’s picture with the same technique.
The photographs were shown to her roommates and they recognized them as Edmon Shahikian and Ian Frias, who are victim’s friend’s friend. They had come at their apartment for a get-together few weeks ago. These photographs were given to the police and the culprits were soon arrested.
This is an ideal situation that informs people to not panic and act intelligently to punish the guilty parties.

Olympus TP-7 Telephone Recording Device rolled out

Olympus has launched a stunning telephone recording device called Olympus TP-7. This is a perfect device to record cell-phone interviews that the traditional telephone voice recorder set ups for landline cannot.
This Olympus microphone plugs into a recorder and your ear. On plugging, it records whatever it hears. It’s perfect for journalists, lawyers, students etc. The sound quality is as good as hearing it through the cell phone directly.
Olympus TP-7 has a sensitive microphone for recording phone conversations. It does wonders with both cell phone and landline. It also includes all necessary adapters. It records both sides of the conversation directly to the voice recorder. This could prove to be an amazing device in the customer service industry for recording calls.
Weighing one pound, its frequency varies from 50 to 20000Hz. Its connector is a 3.5 mm mini plug. It is priced at $18 and is presently being shipped only within U.S.

Dell’s Three Slim Inspiron Notebooks - 1435, 1535 and 1735, Leaked

Seems Dell is getting ready to launch its slim laptops. Dell is expected to introduce three Inspirons laptops namely 1435, 1535 and 1735.
Dell’s upcoming Inspiron notebooks are similar in design but the thickness ranges between 1.0 to 1.5-inches, while the screen size varies between 14 to 17 inches depending on the model. The numbering of the models is in line with other Inspiron models.
Specifications can vary but you may come across a Core 2Duo 2 16 GHz processor, multi format card reader, optional 3G connectivity and slot- loading Blu-ray drives. 1535 is rumored to go on sale from 26 May, followed by 1735 in June and 1435 later in October. These features are enough to judge the intensity of competition faced by its rivals like Macbook.
The leaked pictures reveal the tapering design that stretches from around 38mm at the thickest and 25mm at the thinnest. The side hinges look as if they have come straight from the XPS 1330 and 1530.
Dell is the largest mid-range laptop manufacturer that provides cheap, affordable solutions to everyone looking for a laptop. They surely know what people look for and have come up with these laptops that are thinner than the usual Inspiron.

C300 and X530, two new entry-level Handsets unveiled by Samsung Telecommunications India

Samsung Telecommunications India has just launched two entry level slide-up phones, namely the C300 and the X530 mobile phones in the Indian market.

The C300 slide-up handset is around 18.8mm thick and weights just 94g. This phone features a 4.5cm, 65K color LCD screen, WAP 1.2 for easy access to the Internet and an embedded speakerphone. What is more, this entry level phone has a 1000 phone book entry, a good set of polyphonic ringtones, and a voice memo for message recording.

The Samsung X530 slide-up phone has been designed for advanced multimedia entertainment. Weighing just 75.5g and measuring 17.9mm thick, this handset features a VGA camera with 4x digital zoom and multi-shot functions.

The X530 handset features a large, 1.9-inch, 65k TFT color LCD screen. It also comes loaded with refined poly ring tones, a speakerphone, IrDA, WAP and GPRS functions.

The best part about the C300 and the X530 entry-level handsets is that they are packed with advanced security features such as Mobile Tracker. This feature significantly increases a user’s chances of recovering lost or stolen phones, and Emergency SOS Messaging that sends instant alerts to key contacts informing them about emergency situations.

The Samsung C300 handset comes in a ‘Noble Black’ color and is priced at Rs.4,199, while the X530 handset which comes in Golden Brown and Silver colors is priced at Rs.6,499.

LG KG 288 and KG 285 Entry-Level Mobile Phones Unveiled in India

LG Electronics India Pvt. Limited (LGEIL), has launched two new mobile phones, named KG 288 and KG 285.

These feature-rich, fully loaded phones extend the company’s entry portfolio and have been developed for customers who prefer stylish color phones. The unique feature of the handsets is anti-theft tracker.

Anil Arora, Business Group Head, GSM said, “LG has always been on the forefront in launching new technology and wrapping it up with the style quotient. In our latest offering, we have continued with this trend by providing the customer attractive features at unbeatable prices.”

Both the entry-level mobile phones feature a TFT 65K Color Display; 300 entries in the phone book memory and 100 SMS memory. They also come with an excellent quality speaker, stopwatch, calendar and dual band.

Featuring FM stereo radio with a hot key for the FM radio, the LG KG 288 has the ability to play FM on speakers. It also sports an inbox headset for FM listening.

Boasting the best keypads in the class, KG 288 and KG 285 are available in deep blue color and carry a retail cost of Rs. 1949 and Rs.1649 respectively.

LG KF 510, KP 320 and KP 110 Mobile Phones Unveiled in India

Targeting at an array of Indian consumers, LG has rolled out three new mobile phones in the country. Called, KF 510 slim slider phone, KP 320 camera phone and KP 110 music phone, these handsets range from the budget-conscious to the high-level communication medium.

With their individual rich features, KP 320 extends the Dynamite series and KP 110 enhances the Bullet series, while KF 510 is a stand-alone device maintaining its own pride.

“We are very excited about the launch of these three handsets and expect tremendous response for consumers. KF510 is an exceptionally slim slider phone; KP320 comes with advanced features and is economically priced; and KP110 is a fully loaded music phone. These handsets have been launched to delight our consumers across various consumer segments suiting every budget requirement,” explained Anil Arora, Business Group Head, GSM, LGEIL.

Housed in a dark grey metal casing, the KF 510 comes in a dynamic touchpad, an interactive touch lighting and emotional animation and scratch resistant tempered glass. Designed for fashion-oriented masses, the 10.9 mm thick slider handset is termed as Touch Lighting Phone. It features a 2.2-inch display with 240×320 pixel resolution, 3 megapixel camera with a startup time of about one second, image stabilization, LED flash and red eye reduction. The included light sensor ensures automatic adjustment of screen brightness according to ambient lighting condition. Moreover, the slider phone also sports an MP3 & MPEG-4 player, FM radio, WAP, GPRS and EDGE connectivity along with the QVGA video support for recording and playback.

The 3 megapixel camera KP 320 phone sports an auto focus, video-recording, music player and TV out function to view pictures. As a value addition, the phone features 90MB of memory, up to 4GB with MicroSD memory cards, 2-inch 262k colors TFT display with a 240×320 pixels resolution, Bluetooth, USB, Internet and email capabilities, document viewer and speakerphone. The latest Dynamite series handset runs on a 900 mAh Li-Ion battery and is enclosed in a stylish leather finish body. The dimensions of the KP320 are 107×46x13.5 mm and it weighs just 81g.

The KP 110 music phone is an addition to the Bullet series. This lightweight device is equipped with FM Radio and MP3 playback, up to 500 phone numbers and 500 SMS messages storage ability as well as up to 2GB of microSD memory card slot. It is compliant with GPRS and WAP connectivity along with hands-free speaker, flight mode vibration alert and an anti theft mobile tracker. Users can enjoy a battery life of up to 4 hrs of talk time and 400 hours of standby time.

Interested consumers can purchase the LG KF510 for Rs. 12,250, LG KP 320 for Rs. 7,990 and LG KP 110 for Rs. 2,899.

Samsung’s guru 200 excites the users

Samsung’s recent launch of its new entry level phone handset Guru 200 in India has excited the prospective users. The multi-utility features that the company has incorporated in the telephone handset is rarely available in handsets that are available in the market. And they simply lack in handsets with a similar price tag. The Guru 200 is priced just Rs 3000/ and has host of features that make it hot. The best thing about the handset is its long battery time. For Indian consumers for whom electricity outages is normal it gives them 9 hours of talk time without charging. The phone also allows the users to record FM radio for several minutes. The record can be sawed as ring tone as well. It features multimedia services such as speaker phones and MP3 ring tone facility. Added features include Java games (Cricket and Sudoku), emergency SMS, and nine hours of talk time. The handset displays local holidays and its database enables users to communicate in a blend of Hindi and English .The Call Time Limit feature allows users to personally set a talk time limit per month, in order to put a cap on their talk time. A Smamsung official says "Guru 200 offers a strong value proposition to consumers at the entry level mobile phone segment. True to our 'Next is what' campaign, this phone offers FM recording as the 'Next' key feature in its latest Guru series of handsets."

New Yahoo Tool

Bangalore: Separating wheat from the chaff during Internet searches can be a challenge: major search engines tend to substitute quantity for quality, returning many thousand results few users have the time to go through.

When it guesses that the user might be looking for more in-depth information, a new Yahoo tool provides, a lot of additional material — mostly visual — to provide an encyclopaedia-like page of multimedia reference material. It is called Yahoo Glue Pages — and it was substantially developed at the Bangalore end of Yahoo’s R&D labs.

Interestingly, the initial or beta release, of Glue Pages, is limited to India — and to the www.yahoo.in portal. “This is the first time that Yahoo India is launching a product ahead of the rest of the world,” explained Tapan Bhat, Yahoo’s U.S.-based senior vice-president.

While a normal Yahoo search at Yahoo.com, on “Aishwarya Rai” sees a list of conventional links; the same search if done at the ‘glued’ Yahoo.in site, brings up videos of her interview on American late night David Letterman Show; a clip of her Miss Universe triumph from You Tube; music tracks from her films; a portfolio of photos from the Flickr photo sharing site — as well as leads to related terms.