NewsFactor Network

Tech News by NewsFactor Network (http://www.newsfactor.com).

Samsung Unleashes Its Galaxy Tab on Apple's iPad

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:57:23 -0500 - Samsung on Thursday introduced the Galaxy Tab, a tablet PC aimed at the heart of Apple's iPad, at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany. Samsung presented the tablet with a pun that cites a "new galaxy of possibilities."

The Galaxy Tab has a seven-inch display and weighs .84 pounds. It comes with 16GB or 32GB of internal storage and a 32GB microSD expansion slot. The iPad competitor also features a touchscreen, Wi-Fi, GPS, 802.11 and Bluetooth.

What the Galaxy Tab has that the first iPad doesn't is back- and front-facing cameras. The front-facing camera allows face-to-face video telephony over 3G. The rear-facing camera captures still images and video that consumers can edit, upload and share.

The Galaxy Tab also acts as a mobile phone. Samsung is billing the device as fit to use as a speakerphone on the desk, or as a mobile phone on the move via a Bluetooth headset.

"The fact that the device makes calls is a definite differentiator, and it also has a front-facing camera, which means you can do video conferencing," said Michael Disabato, managing vice president of network and telecom at Gartner. "I'm expecting to see that in iPad version two next year because Apple was roundly struck in the butt about not having that capability."

Samsung Bets on Growth

The tablet uses Samsung's popular Swype software that promises faster text input. The Tab offers HD movie playback, navigation, augmented reality, e-reading capabilities, and a PC-like browsing experience. The device also runs Adobe Flash, unlike Apple's iPad.

Samsung developed the Reader's Hub, an e-reading application that gives consumers access to a digital library of books. Meanwhile, the Media Hub offers a gateway to films and videos, and the Music Hub gives access to music. The company is using the DivX format, which means no file conversions are...

HP Wins 3PAR as Dell Declines To Top $2.4 Billion

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:57:37 -0500 - Dell declined Thursday to continue its pursuit of 3PAR after Hewlett-Packard increased its bid to $33 per share, or about $2.4 billion. Though Dell had submitted a revised offer of $32 per share just hours earlier, 3PAR's board of directors said it considers HP's final bid the "superior proposal."

Dell's initial cash offer for the storage technology provider, submitted Aug. 16, was $1.15 billion, or $18 per share. However, HP submitted a $1.6 billion counter offer on Aug. 23, which Dell then matched. Though Dell bumped its 3PAR bid to $1.8 million on Aug. 27, HP immediately responded by boosting its offer to $2 billion.

"We took a measured approach throughout the process and have decided to end these discussions," said Dell Senior Vice President Dave Johnson. "We believe our strategy of creating open, affordable and capable solutions resonates well with customers and will enable us to continue to outgrow the industry."

A High-end Scale-Out Architecture

HP said last month that the acquisition of 3PAR's next-generation storage architecture would help the computer giant accelerate its converged-infrastructure strategy, which provides clients with access to a sizable portfolio of intellectual property across storage, server and networking solutions. IDC Vice President Benjamin Woo noted that HP is due for a full refresh for its mid- to high-end storage portfolio.

"3PAR will ultimately have some overlap between the HP EVA and XP product lines," Woo said Thursday. "However, it brings to HP an opportunity to deliver to its clients a high-end scale-out architecture that neither the EVA or XP offers."

The 3PAR acquisition also helps HP with its positioning toward a converged data center, Woo observed. "3PAR's client list is a valuable one for HP," Woo said. "It offers a route for service providers."

Several analysts had expressed concern that Dell's acquisition of 3PAR would...

Toshiba Will Offer Android-Based Folio 100 Tablet

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:31:19 -0500 - The rapidly growing category of tablets has a new family member. On Thursday, Toshiba announced that its Folio 100, a 10.1-inch, Android 2.2-based tablet computer, will be on sale in Europe by the end of October.

The tablet could capture as much as 15 to 20 percent of that market in Europe by the end of next year, according to Gianluca Dianese, Toshiba's head of marketing for digital products in that region. He made the prediction at the IFA 2010 consumer electronics show now taking place in Berlin, Germany.

Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth

The Folio, expected to sell for about $500, will come with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, Bluetooth and 16GB of storage. Toshiba told news media that it will also release a model that plays 3-D video, which is beginning to emerge on portable computing devices. On Wednesday, Sony showed prototypes of VAIO laptops with 3-D.

The Folio can boot up in 30 seconds, runs on a Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, and features a 1.3-megapixel camera, a display resolution of 1024x600, and battery life up to seven hours. Ports include mini-HDMI, USB and a SD/MMC card reader. As with other new Android devices, it will support Flash 10.1, a competitive advantage against Apple's iPad. Apple is not allowing Flash to run on the iPad, preferring instead the emerging, standards-based HTML5.

The iPad, whose popularity has jump-started the tablet category, is beginning to acquire rivals, although no major competitor has yet emerged. A variety of companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Research In Motion and Google, are expected to release tablets in the next few months. Dell, ASUS and Samsung have already done so.

Apple's iPad success has been largely driven by its ecosystem of a large library of third-party applications that run on the tablet, in addition to the vast number of music and other entertainment offerings in...

Sony Shows Prototypes of a Planned 3-D VAIO Laptop

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:09:36 -0500 - A laptop computer with 3-D video and games. Sony, hoping that could be the Next Big Thing, showed prototypes Wednesday of an upcoming VAIO 3-D laptop at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany, and announced plans to launch a 3-D TV channel.

The laptop, with a 3-D button and active-shutter glasses, will formally debut in the spring, according to Sony CEO Howard Stinger. The prototypes use a frame-sequential technology that alternates between left- and right-eye views, with blank screens between them to keep them separate enough for the mind to create good-quality three dimensions. The video is displayed at 240 frames per second to create 60 fps video.

A 'Long Ways to Go'

Sony is moving forward quickly on 3-D across its product line, in addition to TVs. It also announced at IFA that existing Blu-ray HD DVD players and the PlayStation 3 game console will be updated with firmware so they can play 3-D. Stringer demonstrated a variety of 3-D titles, including Major League Baseball, Mortal Kombat, Virtual Tennis 4, Killzone 3, and others.

The company also announced a 3-D video projector and said its 3-D TV channel will focus on natural history, children's programs, science and movies. New 3-D feature films in the works from Sony include The Green Hornet, Resident Evil Afterlife, and new sequels in the Spider-Man and Men in Black franchises.

Richard Shim, an analyst with industry research firm IDC, said the market for 3-D laptops at the moment is restricted to aficionados, and this kind of product -- and 3-D in general -- "has a long ways to go before it will be mainstream."

The presence of 3-D display technology on a laptop raises the possibility of third-party development of 3-D applications. Shim noted that this "chicken and egg problem," where developers will be reluctant to develop for...

AOL Rejects Bing and Renews Search Ties To Google

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:26:20 -0500 - When Microsoft launched its Bing decision engine in 2009, it may have held out hope for an alliance with AOL. In fact, there were even rumors that Microsoft would buy out the struggling Internet service provider. But AOL has shunned Bing in favor of Microsoft's online nemesis, Google.

On Thursday, Google announced a five-year renewal and expansion with AOL. Google will continue providing search services to AOL's global content network, including all its properties. In return, AOL will get an undisclosed share of the search advertising revenue. In the new deal, Google will also include mobile search and YouTube.

"This agreement combines Google's expertise in search and advertising with AOL's strength in online content," said Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Google. "It's particularly exciting to see our relationship expand into video and mobile. These areas are now at the heart of users' online experiences and at the core of both of our businesses."

New Search Trends

The renewed partnership includes new features that aim to improve and expand the Google products and services AOL users can tap into. Of course, it all starts with search products. Google is enhancing its search to improve the consumer experience across AOL's network of sites. On the advertising-products front, Google will provide AOL with ad formats that promise AOL consumers a better, more relevant ad experience.

Over the past 10 years of the Google-AOL relationship, search and video have become hot trends in the search market. The new five-year deal takes those trends into account. As AOL renews its focus on mobile apps and content, the companies said they will work together to expand the alliance to cover mobile search. And AOL and YouTube have agreed to a content partnership that will bring AOL's video content to YouTube.

"Today is another important step in the turnaround of AOL,"...

Windows Phone 7 Goes to Mobile Device Makers

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:37:09 -0500 - Finishing touches complete, Microsoft sent its latest Windows Phone 7 operating system to equipment manufacturers Wednesday, paving the way for a round of Windows-based mobile devices to debut in time for the holiday season.

"While the final integration of Windows Phone 7 with our partners' hardware, software and networks is under way, the work of our internal engineering team is largely complete," wrote Microsoft's Terry Myerson on the company's Windows 7 blog.

Bold Promise

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series in February at the Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona, Spain, promising a fresh approach to phone software and design. The new OS brings together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone. "In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience," Ballmer said.

He demonstrated the new system's "live tiles" that show real-time content directly, rather than static icons, and a dedicated hardware button for Bing that allows searches while using applications. Windows Phone 7 devices also feature six hubs for people, pictures, games, music and video, marketplace and the Office suite of productivity software.

"It's a big step forward even from versions as recent as [Windows Mobile] 6.5," said Strategy Analytics wireless-device analyst Alexander Spektor. "Microsoft has revamped the user experience and refocused the way they present information and the types of information they present. They made it more about the social space, the gaming aspect, and the web [browsing] aspect."

Microsoft said in February that the company has Windows Phone 7 commitments from worldwide partners, including AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, Sprint Nextel, Telecom Itali, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone, Dell, HTC, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and others. But which company will be the first to debut...

New VMware Products Advance 'IT as a Service' Vision

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:06:52 -0500 - With cloud computing and virtualization growing by leaps and bounds, industry heavyweight VMware announced Tuesday a variety of new cloud-computing products and services to support its "IT as a Service" vision. The announcement was made at its VMworld 2010 event, now taking place in San Francisco, Calif.

The company said it intends to move beyond "IT as cost center." President and CEO Paul Maritz said that, just as the company set out two years ago "a vision to modernize the data center and transform IT," so it will now take steps to "bring this new world of IT as a Service and hybrid cloud computing to reality."

More Apps on Virtual Than Physical Servers

He noted a report from industry research firm IDC that, in 2009, the number of server applications on virtualized infrastructures surpassed the number on physical servers, and that the growth rate for virtual machines is 28 percent annually, worldwide.

IT as a Service is focused on outcomes, such as operational efficiency, competitiveness and rapid response, by using VMware's cloud-infrastructure solutions that span resources. The emphasis, the company said, is to "focus on the features our customers need," rather than focusing on "technologies needed to support IT."

With the new infrastructure model, the company said, IT can produce service in a "self-service model." The new cloud-infrastructure products and service utilize a "hybrid cloud model" that combines aspects of private and public clouds.

vCloud Director enables IT to create "virtual data centers," or VDCs, which are logical pools of resources with specified management policies, service-level agreements, and pricing. IT can then offer the VDCs, along with application services such as virtual appliances, VMs and OS images, to its users through self-service. IT teams, in essence, act as service providers to their own businesses.

vShield, vCloud Datacenter Services

Three new products -- vShield Edge, vShield...

HP, Hynix Aim To Replace Flash Memory with ReRAM

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:41:50 -0500 - As the 3PAR bidding war rages on, Hewlett-Packard is taking a deep breath and turning its attention to Hynix Semiconductor -- at least for a moment. On Wednesday, HP announced a joint development agreement with the memory supplier for a new circuit element.

Called memristor, the new circuit element will be integrated into a future generation of memory products -- but there is plenty of work to do to develop new materials and process integration technology that will bring memristor technology from the research phase to the commercial market. The result of the partnership is expected to yield resistive random-access memory (ReRAM).

ReRAM is nonvolatile memory with low power consumption that some industry watchers say could be the successor to flash memory in mobile phones and MP3 players. ReRAM could also serve as a universal storage medium because it can behave as flash, DRAM or even a hard drive.

Flash's Successor?

"The memristor has storage-capacity abilities many times greater than what competing technologies offer," said Dr. S.W. Park, executive vice president and CTO at Hynix. "By adopting HP's memristor technology, we can deliver new, energy-efficient products to our customers more quickly."

According to HP, memristors require less energy to operate, are faster than present solid-state storage technologies, and can retain information even when power is off. The memristor, short for "memory resistor," was postulated to be the fourth basic circuit element by Prof. Leon Chua of the University of California at Berkeley in 1971 and was first intentionally reduced to practice by researchers in HP Labs in 2006.

"When you are talking about new-generation memory technology, the opportunities are huge," said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. "We are seeing memory expanding and becoming a critical element across a wide variety of IT products, including servers and storage. Enhancing memory has become an increasingly critical point...

Review: Flipboard Lets You Choose Your Editor

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:33:16 -0500 - Most of the articles that show up in your newspaper or magazine are chosen by professional editors. What if they are picked out by a friend from college instead? Or a colleague from work? Or your mom? Anyone you know, really?

That's the concept behind Flipboard, a new application for Apple Inc.'s mega-selling iPad.

It's a marriage of the new media ethos that we've all become news editors for our online contacts and the traditional media's talent for packaging the news in a way that's inviting and cohesive.

Flipboard takes the random links that accumulate on your Facebook or Twitter account -- plus your friends' personal status updates and tweets -- and makes something like a digital magazine out of them.

Blurbs of text and photos recommended by friends become fodder for a continuously updated collage of content. You can also add sections to your magazine compiled from the tweets of just one contact or a specific publication -- Spin magazine, say, or The Huffington Post.

The pages are laid out much like a newspaper or magazine. A swipe of the finger flips open the next page on the iPad's dazzlingly vivid screen.

And you can use the app to post comments to an item on Facebook or e-mail articles to friends.

For a week or so, I've made this hodge-podge my daily reading.

Flipboard comes with enough flaws that I won't be canceling my newspaper or magazine subscriptions just yet.

But I think the app has promise.

As much as the blizzard of Web links that confront me every day have begun to dictate my reading habits, I still want a comprehensive take on the day's events -- something more than a link on a Facebook page. And there's an obvious appeal in keeping tabs on what the people I actually know and care about are interested in reading.

Flipboard...

New Sony E-Readers Have Touchscreens, Higher Prices

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:30:35 -0500 - Facing competition from Amazon.com, Apple and Barnes & Noble, Sony on Wednesday released updated models of its of e-readers. But Sony is taking a different approach from its rivals with touchscreen technology on all three of its e-readers, wireless connectivity on only the higher-end model, and prices higher than market leader Amazon for two of the readers.

The new models are the five-inch Pocket Edition PRS-350, the six-inch Touch Edition PRS-650, and the seven-inch Daily Edition PRS-950. The 350 will retail for $179.99, the 650 for $229.99, and the 950 for an estimated $299.99.

Infrared Touch Technology

Only the 950 has wireless, both 3G and Wi-Fi, which is raising eyebrows among e-reader watchers. Both Amazon's Kindle and the Barnes & Noble nook have models with built-in Wi-Fi and 3G, or just Wi-Fi. To download new books, the two lower-end Sony e-readers connect to a computer via USB.

In addition, the non-wireless Pocket Edition and Touch Edition cost more than the equivalent Kindle model. This also raises eyebrows, since the conventional wisdom has been that e-reader makers were competing to get the lowest cost, with some user surveys indicating the market would really take off when e-readers are available for under $100. The trade-off is the touch technology, with page turning by a finger swipe and a stylus, which all Sony's e-readers now have and which Amazon's do not. The Touch and Daily Edition models featured touchscreens in their earlier incarnations.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has told news media he is wary of capacitive touch technology because it adds another screen layer and increases glare. Sony is using infrared sensors on the edge to avoid adding another layer.

The Pocket Edition PRS-350, weighing 5.64 ounces, has 2GB of built-in memory, which can store up to 1,200 e-books. A single battery charge can handle two...

China Requires ID To Buy Mobile Phone Numbers

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:34:09 -0500 - China began requiring identification on Wednesday from anyone purchasing a new mobile phone number in what it says is a bid to stamp out rampant junk messages but that some say gives the government a new tool for monitoring its citizens.

The rules apply to everyone, including foreigners visiting China for a short stay, the China Daily newspaper reported.

The paper said the regulation was "the latest campaign by the government to curb the global scourge of spam, pornographic messages and fraud on cellular phones."

But some say China is looking for a way to track people who might spontaneously join protests. Users could previously buy low-cost mobile phone SIM cards anonymously with cash at convenience stores and newspaper stands and use them right away.

"I think the government has an eye on Iran where protests were fueled by text messages and Twitter and they are doing this for social stability reasons," said Wang Songlian, research coordinator with the Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

She added that the new requirement fits a pattern of tightening government control over new communication technologies.

China censors Internet content it deems politically sensitive and blocks many Web sites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Following ethnic riots in far western China's Xinjiang, international phone service and the Internet in the region were suspended for months.

The new regulation probably won't impact Chinese dissidents, many of whom already have their phones closely monitored, but it could help police track down ordinary people who take part in protests, Wang said. China has seen a growing number of protests sparked by labor disagreements, anger over pollution or other issues.

The ID requirement is also raising new privacy concerns and will likely upset some customers unwilling to give personal information to vendors and telecom companies for fear it will be resold, said Duncan Clark, managing director...

Logitech Sees a Future in Television

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:30:27 -0500 - Every day, tech gear maker Logitech churns out an average of 376,000 computer mice in every conceivable color, shape and size. If the company is known for any one product, it's the mouse, the little PC navigator that's the hallmark of office desks all over the world.

But now, Logitech wants to be more dominant in the living room, courtesy of Google TV. It's partnering with the search giant on Google's initiative to bring the Web to the TV-viewing experience. A new Logitech set-top box, scheduled for release in the next few weeks, will bring Google and the complete Internet to your set. The idea is to mix in YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, AOL and other Web sites with CBS, NBC and ABC, and use Google search to find out what to watch.

Logitech already makes powerful, pricey TV remotes, and it leads the market for PC webcams. But its core product, the mouse, isn't selling as well as it used to, and the Swiss-based company, which has its U.S. headquarters here, needs a new hit. Hello, Google TV and Logitech Revue.

Much like the mobile Web before the iPhone, TV makers are only beginning to make the Internet available on television sets. The results to date: not good. They're "so lackluster that more than a third of people buy them, bring them home, and then ignore the connected features of the TV altogether," says James McQuivey, an analyst with Forrester Research.

Logitech says Google TV will be different. "This will be the first platform to bring seamless access to the complete Internet on TV," says Gerald Quindlen, Logitech's CEO. He believes consumers will respond to Google TV as they did to the iPhone. Apple's device proved consumers wanted access to the full Internet and wouldn't settle for partial access, he says.

Google TV will be...

Plan Your Vacation Using Geoservices

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:31:03 -0500 - There are a lot of uses for online geoservices. One of the most common is holiday planning.

The first step is scoping out the planned vacation spot to check details, like whether the hotel is as close to the beach as promised in the catalog; or how far away the next town is; or whether a six-lane highway happens to lead right past the hotel.

Even a simple camping trip can be planned via computer. Use Google Maps or Microsoft Bing to input a destination. Seconds later, a map, including surrounding areas, will pop up. A zoom function allows you to get as close or far away as you desire.

Google Maps' satellite views can provide a first feel of the area surrounding a hotel or vacation house. Panorama shots in Google Street View can show more details of the surrounding area, though that's only possible in cities like Paris, where the service is used. Bing also offers a bird's eye view of sites, with plenty of detail.

And then there's Google Earth, which can be used to plan trips away from cities. Its satellite photos show meadows, forests, rivers and lakes. It also displays geographical data for a location. Once that data is put into a navigation device, it can quickly lead a person there.