Ubuntu Linux Arrives on Dell PC's and Laptop's

Ending all speculation, Dell has finally unveiled three computer (laptop and desktop) models pre-loaded with the Ubuntu version of Linux.

The 3 models, according to Dell, are: 'XPS 410n' and 'Dimension E520n' desktops, and the 'Inspiron E1505n' notebook; are available now with Linux Ubuntu 7.04 factory installed.

Dell says the move is a direct result of extensive customer feedback received since February this year. As part of the feedback, around 30,000 people suggested that Dell offer systems with Linux pre-installed, and a good number of these advocated Linux's Ubuntu version.

Neil Hand, Vice President of Consumer Product Group, Dell, said, "The interest and enthusiasm from customers who challenged us to deliver a consumer Linux solution has been met with by a team of dedicated professionals within Dell and Canonical, Ubuntu's sponsor, who've made this happen in a phenomenally short period of time."

However, as Ubuntu reportedly has no software licensing costs, the three offerings would be at the low end of Dell's price sell. And, hardware options in all three have been configured to best suit the Linux platform. Besides, the company says it will continue to add support for all associated drivers and Linux-specific devices.

The 'Inspiron E1505n' notebook features a 15.4-inch WXGA display, Intel T2080 processor, and Intel Media Accelerator 950, while the 'Dimension 520n' desktop includes a 17-inch flat panel monitor, Intel Core 2 Duo E4300, and 256MB Nvidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache. Both these models start off at a price tag of $599 (Rs 24,294 approx).

Whereas, the 'XPS 410n' is the top tier of the Ubuntu offerings, with a 19-inch flat panel, Intel E4300, and DVD burner. Naturally, it is priced beginning $849 (Rs 34,435 approx).

Stealth Releases 'LPC-450' Mini PC

Stealth Computer, a leading manufacturer of PCs and peripherals, has released a Core 2 Duo small form factor or mini PC, which it says is so small that it can fit in the palm of a user's hand.

Sporting the small rugged chassis design, the new Mini PC, 'LPC-450', promises to deliver performance up to five times faster than its predecessor.

Based on Intel's Core 2 Duo processor, the 'LPC-450' measures 5.7-inch x 9.9-inch x 1.65-inch, or as the company claims, is about the size of a hard cover novel yet surpassing the performance of most desktop and notebook PCs available today.

Ed Boutilier, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stealth Computer, said, "The Stealth 'LPC-450' is the most powerful small form little PC we have ever offered. We believe it offers the most processing power per square inch of any personal computer available today."

The 'LPC-450' features a multitude of I/O connectivity built into its impressively small design such as Gigabit LAN, Serial, 3-USB 2.0, FireWire, Video, Audio, PS/2 Mouse and Keyboard ports.

In addition, the mini PC has a built-in 2.5-inch high-shock hard drive with up to 160GB of storage space for archived data. There is also an optional Solid State Hard Drive or Flash Drive for applications requiring extra high shock.

Besides, the mini PC also packs a slim DVD/CD-RW optical drive with an optional DVD burner.

The Stealth Core 2 Duo based 'LPC-450' is compatible with Microsoft Vista or XP and Linux, and can be custom configured to meet the exact needs of the OEM or end user.

Meanwhile, the 'LPC-450' is now shipping with a price range starting at $1,395 (Rs 56,588 approx).

Moser Baer Develops Next-Gen BDR

Moser Baer India has reportedly announced the development of its Gen-Next optical media format, the high-speed 8x Blu-ray disc (BDR).

The company, along with the recently acquired OM&T, former R&D subsidiary of Philips, has developed what it claims is the world's first 8X BDR.

It is learnt that Moser Baer was also the first company in the world to ship the blue laser based HD DVD-R product to global OEM customers.

According to Ratul Puri, Executive Director of Moser Bear, this is a major achievement, and gives a significant advantage in the fast growing next generation optical format market.

With the latest innovation, consumers can record a 2-hour transmission equivalent of high definition (HD) quality data, in less than 15 minutes. Typically, next generation formats have capacities ranging from 15 GB to 50 GB, and offer more than 5 to 10 times the data storage capacity of standard DVD media.

The new high speed Blu-ray disc format was presented at the recently-concluded 4th Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) meeting in Fukuoka in Japan.

While the BDR market is generally witnessing developments in the 1x-4x recording speed discs, Moser Baer, with its innovative technology, has demonstrated new benchmarks in the 1x-8x speed disc category.

According to Moser Baer, the 8X BDR discs are compatible with Version 1.2 book specifications, and can be recorded on at low speed.

The company believes these next generation formats offer an ideal solution for reliable business backup, including medical and government imaging, photography, videography, as well as HD video recording.

Forza Motorsport 2 Hits India's Gaming Market

The high octane Forza Motorsport 2, eagerly awaited sequel to Microsoft's Xbox 360 exclusive motor racing game, Forza Motorsport, is hitting Indian roads today.

The launch was announced by Microsoft Game Studios, along with content developer, John Wendel, and Rajesh Rao of Dhruva Interactive, a key partner in the India game development process.

Speaking at the launch, John Wendel said, the Forza Motorsport 2 will 'enable gamers experience never-before speed in the new world of pace'.

Developed by Turn 10 of Microsoft Game Studios, the sequel is expected to build on the euphoria around Forza Motosport, and enhance overall gaming with Xbox 360.

Forza Motorsport 2 sees more than 300 of the world's hottest cars revving-up and racing it out on more than 45 tracks carved out of twelve environments, which include several real-world licensed racing circuits such as Silverstone, Tsukuba, and Laguna Seca.

Add to this, new real-world licensed circuits, an advanced Physics engine courtesy top automotive engineers and programmers, plus detailed camera effects like blooming, lens flare, heat shimmer, and crashing; and Microsoft says, you have a game that simulates genuine car racing like never before.

Elaborating on game play, John Wendel, said, "With this game, we are confident of bringing out the 'Schumacher' in gamers, and raising the bar further in terms of quality of overall game content and game play, as well as consumer excitement around the title."

An exhilarated Mohit Anand, Country Manager, Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft India, said, "With the launch of Forza Motorsport 2, we are geared to provide discerning gamers in India a real-life car racing experience that will satiate their speeding fantasies. With high speed action, adrenaline pumping dangerous overtakes, and the thrill of driving some of the world's hottest cars, Forza Motorsport 2 is bound to take gaming to a new level of entertainment in India."

The new game is available beginning today, via Microsoft resellers throughout the country. It carries a price tag of Rs 1,895.

According to Anand, earlier, they were selling gaming titles for Rs 2,599 each, which has been brought down with the pricing of this game. Presently, the company has over 70 gaming titles on the market, with plans to introduce two new titles soon.

Sony announces the Big 80 GB PS3!!!

Last month, there were stories about Sony coming up with a new, larger capacity PlayStation 3 (PS3) gaming console.

Now, Sony has put an end to the speculation by announcing the launch of a version of its PS3 console with an 80GB hard disk drive (HDD) in South Korea.

The company says that the PS3 console, which was launched last year, typically comes with a 60GB HDD. In some markets, Sony offers a second version with 20GB drive, but as sales have tipped in favor of the higher capacity model, the company is discontinuing the 20GB model.

Satoshi Fukuoka, a spokesman for Sony, said that the 80GB version will start selling next month in South Korea, where online games are enormously popular, and broadband connections are more widespread. Broadband tends to enhance certain games, and players are able to download features for games from the Internet.

Fukuoka said that though there is no concrete plan to sell the model in other markets, it could be an option depending on the needs of different regions. Also that while not confirmed, the company is considering selling the 80GB PS3 in the US.

Meanwhile, the 80GB PS3 is learnt to have specifications similar to the existing 60GB model, moreso in terms of core components and things like Cell, RSX, Blu-ray drive, and network capabilities.

The new 80GB PS3 model will go on sale in South Korea on June 16 this year, and will cost $581 (Rs 23,570 approx).

And, for all PlayStation fans who don't happen to be South Koreans, here's hoping you too get to lay your hands on the BIG PS3!

Google Unveiling 'Hot Trends' Today

Google is now getting into the business of trend-spotting, of telling us what's hot and what's not...

The search giant is reportedly today unveiling a new feature named 'Hot Trends' which tracks current top-100 fastest-rising search trends. And the top-100 list would be refreshed several times daily, basis data from millions of Google Web searches conducted up until an hour before each update, Google says.

A combination of two of Google's existing products, Zeitgeist and Trends, 'Hot Trends' will also offer a glimpse into users' Web search habits, although not as dated.

Google says the new feature will provide a sneak-peek into what's hot and not - in ways that even social philosophers could not have imagined.

According to 'Hot Trends' Software Engineer, Amit Patel, there are things happening around us all the time that we are not even aware of, and it is this gap that 'Hot Trends' intends to address.

As it is, Google is privy to a wide range of searches, ranging from the sublime to the mundane, the profound to the plain idiotic.

While Google Zeitgeist is like a retrospective look at what users' had on their minds - say a week or a month or a year back, 'Hot Trends' will give a more contemporary, 'here and now' snapshot of what is on people's minds.

Besides, 'Hot Trends' will add depth by linking to not only related sites, but also to associated Google News stories and blog searches, Google claims. The feature will also allow users go back in time to check top-rising trends on a particular day or at a particular time.

Apart from unveiling 'Hot Trends,' Google is also ramping up its 'Trends' service to help users find not only the top countries or cities that searched for a particular term, but also to see how search habits differ from region to region, spanning a total of 70 countries.

Meanwhile, Google says 'Hot Trends' will look for the hottest trends and not the hottest topics, which experts insist still center around sex and more sex. 'Hot Trends' will effectively screen 'inappropriate language' and 'pornography,' Google maintains.

An Online Gaming Portal for Summer

An online gaming portal named www.onlinerealgames.com has been launched by Hyderabad-based 7Seas Technologies.

A hundred-odd games have been hosted on the portal, all of them developed out of its 6,000 square-feet state-of-the-art gaming development centre in Hyderabad, 7Seas Technologies claims.

The games on offer span a variety of genres, including action, racing, shooting, kids games, and puzzles.

An eclectic mix, the games range from traditional folk-based like 'Rooster Cup' to the usual Cricket- or Sudoku-based, to the more specialized ones like the racing game, Xtremedrive. 7Seas says there's something for every person on their gaming portal.

What's more, some of the games can be played in multiple languages, including Telugu, English, Hindi, Marathi, Korean, Tamil, Kannada, and so on.

Apart from games, www.onlinerealgames.com is offering things like free ring tones, free radio, free live TV, wall papers, screen savers, chat, and e-mail facility to make possible a more holistic entertainment experience for the user.

Besides, there are surprise gifts up-for-grabs for those who excel in the online games, 7Seas says.

For those who wish to register on www.onlinerealgames.com, they can do so free-of-charge..

MSN Live Earth Website Launched

MSN has today unveiled a new, enhanced LiveEarth.MSN.com Web site as part of its exclusive online media partnership with Live Earth.

The Live Earth series of concerts are scheduled for July 7 at the Wembley Stadium in London. The objective being to get more than 2 billion people together, and try and educate them about climatic change, and the dire need to combat the climate crisis.

A new song 'Hey You' inspired by- and written exclusively for- the upcoming concerts will be performed by Madonna at the event. Beginning today, 'Hey You' can be exclusively downloaded for free from MSN.com and LiveEarth.MSN.com.

And MSN has pledged to offer 25 cents for each of the first 1 million downloads of this song to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

In keeping with the central idea of Live Earth, the new LiveEarth.MSN.com site sports an innovative design, marrying rich entertainment with credible information about climate change.

With the help of photos, videos, and editorial content, the site aims to heighten users' knowledge regarding climate change, and make them aware of solutions for combating the impending crisis.

Besides, publishers Grist.org, Hearst, TreeHugger, and Rodale have partnered with MSN to provide thoughtful programming and content on climate change for the site.

And, leading organizations devoted to environmental causes including the Alliance for Climate Protection, Conservation International, and Environmental Defense are going to be lending content and counsel to the site.

The site will offer access to Live Earth through videos, photos, and information about artists and venues.

In coming weeks, the site will feature a video show player designed specifically for Live Earth content. The player will allow viewers watch videos in DVD-style, along with the ability to create their own playlists to share with friends.

On the day of the concert, the player will allow viewers switch between live and exclusive on-demand footage. MSN plans to add a Soapbox feature plus interactive maps later.

Commenting on the partnership, Joanne Bradford, Corporate Vice President and Chief Media Officer of MSN, said through the new Web site, they will give their 465 million-odd monthly users an exciting and interactive experience that will educate them about climate change and spur them to take action.

Kevin Wall, Founder and Producer of Live Earth, said Live Earth is all about engaging a global audience with tools to tackle the climate crisis, and MSN would play an instrumental role in helping Live Earth reach an unprecedented audience.

Moser Baer Eyeing New Releases

Moser Baer is reportedly planning to buy at least 15 to 25 percent of new Indian movies released this year.

Talking about the initiative, Harish Dayani, Chief Executive Officer of Moser Baer's Entertainment Division, said that the company is looking to acquire at least 50 percent of new movie releases. And, that they intend to acquire 15 to 25 percent of new releases in all languages this year. Going forward, they might also consider buying bulk titles from production houses.

Moser Baer says to begin with, it has bought the very latest Hindi titles, including Vikram Bhatt's "Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi", Quartet Film's "Ek Challis Ki Last Local", and Anil Sharma's "Apne". The company will make these movies available at Rs 34 per DVD and Rs 28 per VCD within a month of release.

Having entered the home video segment last December, Moser Baer has released 75 Hindi titles so far. The company says it has acquired about 1,500 Hindi titles, and plans to acquire another 1,000 titles in a bid to acquire 50 percent market share.

Reportedly, older films are being offered by Moser Baer for Rs 28 per VCD and Rs 34 per DVD, and it is promising the same rates for newer films.

The company is also eyeing Hollywood releases, and with 500 Hollywood titles in its kitty, has secured a spot at this year's Cannes Festival, as per company sources.

Moser Baer already has tie-ups with production houses such as American Cinema International, Lake Shore Production, and Amity Entertainment, and is reportedly in talks with other production houses.

While pricing of the international releases is not entirely clear, it would likely be in the region of Rs 100.

World's First 12.1 Megapixel Digicam

Sony has introduced the world's first 12.1-megapixel compact digital camera, the Cybershot DSC-W200.

The company says that the DSC-W200 combines an amazing detail of 12.1-megapixel resolution with high sensitivity for shooting without a flash even in very low light.

Besides, the DSC-W200 has advanced high-tech features like Face Detection, D-range optimization, in-camera retouching, and red-eye reduction, along with Super SteadyShot image stabilization that keeps blur to a minimum, the company says. And for shooting and sharing on location, it has a large 2.5-inch LCD screen that makes viewing exceptionally easy.

With a compact Silver Aluminium body, the camera also has high definition (HD) output for displaying still images on HDTV screens, optical viewfinder, and Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens.

Sony says the DSC-W200, which has more megapixels than most digital cameras, is able to capture greater image definition to enable big prints and tight crops without losing sight of detail.

The advanced Super Hole Accumulated Diode (HAD) CCD design allows more light to pass through each pixel, thus increasing sensitivity and reducing noise.

Other key features include: Sony Bionz processor for improved picture quality and high-speed operation; DRO technology for automatic contrast and exposure correction; HD slideshow with music for playback on camera LCD screen or HDTV; up to 300 shots with LCD screen on; MPEG Movie VX (VGA 30fps movie mode with audio); PictBridge for direct connection to printer without need for PC; and 31MB of internal memory.

The camera has an on-screen function guide, along with an on-screen menu in choice of 17 languages, including Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

The camera is supplied with a rechargeable battery, charger, AV and USB cables, wrist strap, and is compatible with a wide range of optional Sony accessories.

Meanwhile, the DSC-W200 will be available within a month's time in India through Sony branded stores, and will likely carry a price tag of Rs 17,000 approximately.

Logitech Unveils 'Fun Mice'

Logitech has just announced their 'fun mice' series that according to the company, will turn the workstation into a 'fun station'.

Introduced in four different designs; namely the Racer mouse, the Tiger mouse, the Zebra mouse, and the Spot mouse, all 'fun mice' are made to fit into small- and medium-sized hands, and can be easily ferried around.

The Racer mouse is about two-thirds the size of a standard Logitech mouse, and can fit into even a child's hand, says Logitech. Besides, it does not require either set-up software or a mouse pad, and can be connected as a second mouse for kids.

The Zebra mouse can fit into smll- and medium-sized hands, and like the Racer mouse, does not require any set-up software. The Zebra mouse can be controlled on virtually any surface according to Logitech. It can be used with a notebook, and makes for a great travel companion.

A colorful mouse, the Tiger mouse is designed to add a 'fun edge' to computing. As the name suggests, it looks like a Tiger, and promises optimum performance on practically any surface, without needing set-up software. Again, this mouse too makes a good travel companion, else it can be used as a second mouse for the family computer.

The Spot mouse, according to Logitech, is for those who feel normal mice are too big for their hands. Similar to other 'fun mice' the Spot mouse too works sans set-up software, and can be attached to either a notebook or a computer.

All Logitech 'fun mice' are immediately available through Neoteric Informatique for an approximate price of Rs 995 each, with a 3-years replacement warranty.

To make their offer more exciting, Logitech is offering a Racer/Zebra/Tiger/Spot 'fun umbrella' along with the corresponding 'fun mouse' (limited edition-in the picture above)

US Military Blocks Web site Access

The US military has reportedly blocked access to MySpace, YouTube, and around eleven other social networking Web sites for its soldiers using Department of Defence computer networks.

The Department of Defence said the decision has been taken for security reasons, to protect sensitive information from being seen by the enemy, and to reduce drag on the military's bandwidth ability.

The sites covered by the ban include: video-sharing sites - YouTube, Metacafe, iFilm, StupidVideos, and FileCabi; social networking sites - MySpace, BlackPlanet, and Hi5; music sites - Pandora, MTV, 1.fm, and Live365; and the photo-sharing site, Photobucket.

It is learnt that US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been increasingly using community-oriented Web sites such as YouTube and MySpace to share videos, images, or stories about their daily lives with loved ones and the world.

Commander Jeffrey Gordon, spokesman for the Department of Defence, pointed out that the regulation is intended primarily to prevent military Internet connections from being clogged with uploads or downloads of data-rich files such as video clips. The ban is also meant to guard against infiltration by malicious or spying software hidden in files created by hackers.

Gordon says that the bottom line is bandwidth, which is the most important consideration. They have to make sure the network is reliable. Restrictions were imposed on MySpace, YouTube, and other Web sites after a usage study showed they were the most visited by soldiers.

However, as regards US soldiers who are deployed in battle zones in the Middle East, and have their only access to the Internet through Defence Department networks, the move is being criticized, as they say it has affected morale, and cut off their only link to family and friends.

The Pentagon has responded to this feeling by saying soldiers would still be allowed to use personal laptops and non-military computer servers to access sites including YouTube and MySpace.

However, the fact remains that only Pentagon computers and networks are available to many troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And apart from blocking access to social networking Web sites, the Pentagon has also introduced regulations that clamp down on blogs by soldiers. Troops must now have any proposed blog site and its content previewed and approved first.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground

Video game publisher, Activision, has introduced a new game to the 'Tony Hawk' skateboarding game franchise, called "Tony Hawk's Proving Ground".

Currently being developed by series creators, Neversoft, "Tony Hawk's Proving Ground" follows the multi-platform releases of the earlier 'Tony Hawk's Project 8' and 'Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam' titles.

The company says that "Tony Hawk's Proving Ground" will have the greatest amount of freedom, and deeper customization than any other 'Tony Hawk' game so far.

The game features a video editor with full-featured editing tools and visual effects for creating skate videos, and a fully customizable online 'Skate Lounge' where players can meet online and organize games.

In addition, the game will offer players the ability to utilize new game play mechanics like skateable terrain altering and building, and bowl carving.

Talking about the game, Joel Jewett, President of Neversoft, said, "Tony Hawk's Proving Ground drops players into the skateboarding world like never before. Players can skate the best lines, define their own style, and produce their own videos. They can even take it further by tricking out their own Skate Lounge, where they can hang out and skate with others online."

Meanwhile, "Tony Hawk's Proving Ground" will ship later this year for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and Wii platforms.

AMD Announces 'Phenom' Chips

AMD has introduced a quad-core family of chips for desktop PCs, called 'Phenom', which is based on the "Barcelona" quad-core Opteron server chip technology that the company is planning to launch in the middle of this year.

The company said that the 'Phenom' line, which will include single-die quad-core and double quad-core segments, is both energy efficient as well as virtualization-ready.

In a statement, Bob Brewer, General Manager of Desktop Division, AMD, said that AMD has always enjoyed a great bond with the enthusiast community, and the introduction of the AMD 'Phenom' processor family will take their relationship to new heights.

Besides improved performance, the 'Phenom' line boasts of integrated DDR2 memory controller, HyperTransport technology links, and 128-bit Floating Point Units.

Ian McNaughton, AMD's Product Manager for Athlon 64 FX products, explained that adding the 'Phenom' chip to the company's line of desktop processors would allow AMD to push dual-core processing from top-of-the-shelf desktops to the entire mainstream product family. McNaughton revealed this is a key strategy at a time when users are looking for better results from running Windows Vista, doing complex media creation, and multi-tasking.

Under the Phenom family, AMD will now offer desktop chips, including 'Phenom FX' (in one or two quad-core chips), 'Phenom X4' and 'Phenom X2' (in quad-core and dual-core), 'Athlon X2', and 'Sempron'.

While the 'Phenom FX' and the 'Phenom X4' will be available in the second half of this year, the 'Phenom X2' will start shipping at the end of this year.

Microsoft Offers 'Halo 3' Sneak Peek

Microsoft has come out with a sneak peek preview of its much awaited "Halo 3" game for its Xbox 360 gaming console.

The company held invitation-only previews of the game in New York and San Francisco last week, in advance of the public test, or 'beta' of the game, which goes live day after tomorrow.

Going by the preview, the game once again puts players in control of 'Master Chief', a futuristic soldier trying to save humanity from an alien coalition known as the 'Covenant'. And to make things more realistic, developers of the game, Bungie Studios, have made the movements in "Halo 3" more closely follow the laws of real-world physics. For example, there are dead bodies, which will float in the water, much like they would in the real world.

It is however learnt that the opinions on the preview of "Halo 3" have been divided. Some of the gamers are happy, but many of them remain unsatisfied with the game. One of the most common complaints is regarding the graphics of the game, that they are not so different from those in the prequel, "Halo 2".

Speaking on the occasion, Shane Kim, Head of Microsoft Game Studios, said that he definitely believes that "Halo 3" is going to be bigger than "Halo 2". Retailers know what "Halo 2" did, and that they would not want to be caught 'out of stock'. Kim said the company plans to launch "Halo 3" in autumn this year.

Craig Davison, Director of Marketing, Microsoft, said that in addition to being one of the year's hottest-selling games, the publicity surrounding "Halo 3" should also spur some consumers to run out and buy an Xbox 360.

Hackers enter Microsoft campus

It's is 'Blue Hat' time again at Microsoft. How much the software giant may hate hackers for creating security holes in its product, the company does seem to value their technical prowess.


The Redmond giant has once again invited an exclusive group of "responsible" hackers into its Washington campus to show the software giant where it's gone wrong.

The company's famed Blue Hat conference is an internal Microsoft event, where Microsoft employees and executives learn from top security researchers from across the world, and use the knowledge they gain to improve the security of Microsoft products.

The fifth such event on the Microsoft campus, kicked off this week, focuses on mobile security, hardware hacking, Microsoft's security tools and the underground vulnerability economy. According to the event schedule on Microsoft Website, sessions include: Death by 1,000 Cuts (will do a deep dive into the technical aspects of the Web application security threat, while keeping a steady eye on the consumer issues that drive large-scale website design); Breaking and breaking into Microsoft security tools (the session discusses how a hacker will analyze, test, break, and evade various types of security tools); Emerging mobile security problems, or how we learned to stop worrying and love Windows Mobile (the talk examines the security problems unique to mobile devices, explore how hackers are attacking these devices, and investigate several vulnerabilities affecting currently-shipping Windows Mobile products); Your Tamper-resistant hardware makes a great sport for hackers (in this talk, practicing hackers provide examples of how security systems in consumer devices have been foiled, and will present some material on how silicon-based security systems could be defeated); and Your underground vulnerability economy (the talk discusses the underground economy, the engine that fuels and is fueled by the online crime and abuse every user endures).

The multi-day meeting of Microsoft employees with hackers provides both sides with a glimpse into the other's world.
The provides Microsoft employees find ways to develop more secure software, gives them a security reality check from hackers and fosters dialogue between the company's security team and external security researchers.

Microsoft began hosting these in 2005, when the company invited several hackers to Redmond for the first time. Enthused by the gathering's success, Microsoft decided to host such events twice a year. The Blue Hat conferences are, however, closed to most outsiders.

Microsoft is said to have modeled and named Blue Hat conference on the popular Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. Many of the Black Hat talks focus deep into security flaws found in software. The Blue Hat name is tweaked to reflect Microsoft’s corporate color.

Google Earth Adds Sound to Visuals

According to reports, Google Earth will soon add ethnic sounds to visuals to enable users hear what a place sounds like, as well as what it used to sound like.

Bernie Krause, Director of California-based company, Wild Sanctuary, which has created the software to embed sound files into relevant locations on Google Earth, said their objective is to bring the world alive to readers. They believe while a picture tells a thousand words, sound tells a thousand pictures!

Krause has spent nearly 40 years collecting over 3,500 hours of sound recordings from across the globe, in the bargain, covering more than 15,000 animal noises, plus sounds from an array of habitats, including cities, deserts, mountains, and the marine environs.

Krause added he hopes this will make virtual visitors more aware of the impact of human activity on the environment, a dire need of the hour.

Krause said his sound collection is of consistent quality, besides being enriched with time, date, and weather information. He added that users would be able to hear modern-day sounds at a particular location, and then travel back in time to compare them with sounds associated with the decades gone by.

The sound enhancement to Google Earth will be available for download at wildsanctuary.com, following its launch at the Where 2.0 conference in San Jose, California, on the 29th of this month.

Nokia Launches Mobiles with Alerts

Nokia has launched the first mobile phones that include alerts encouraging people to unplug the charger once the battery is full.

The company said that mobile phones sounding a beep and displaying an alert - "Battery is full, please unplug the charger" - could help in saving enough electricity to power around 85,000 homes in a year.

Starting with the new Nokia 1200, Nokia 1208, and Nokia 1650, the alerts will be rolled out across the Nokia product range.

Kirsi Sormunen, Vice President of Environmental Affairs, Nokia, said, "Around two-thirds of the energy used by a mobile phone is lost when it is unplugged after charging, but the charger itself is left in a live socket. We want to reduce this waste, and are working on reducing to an absolute minimum the amount of energy our chargers use. The new alerts also play an important role, encouraging people to help us in this goal by unplugging their chargers."

It is learnt that these alerts are part of a series of environmental initiatives that mobile manufacturers, led by Nokia, agreed to take action on this year. And Nokia is the first of these manufacturers to integrate these alerts into its products.

Nokia has decided to put the alerts into mass market products first to help maximize potential energy savings. The Nokia 1200, Nokia 1208, Nokia 1650 are targeting high volumes of sales in fast growing markets such as India, China, and Latin America, the company said.

The company has set its goals to further reduce energy consumption of its chargers. By 2010, it has set itself a lofty goal of reducing by an additional 50 percent the amount of electricity a charger consumes while still plugged into the mains.

Coming to your Consoles: The Simpsons!

Electronic Arts (EA) has announced the upcoming release of 'The Simpsons Game,' a new video game based on the hit television series.

The company said that 'The Simpsons Game,' which has been created in partnership with Gracie Films and Twentieth Century Fox, is not based on the upcoming Simpsons movie, but is an original story from writers who create the TV program.

EA said the action-comedy would feature the entire voice cast from the TV show, who would reprise their roles for the game.

In 'The Simpsons Game', players must use exciting, all new powers to save the world from rising chaos, with Homer, Marge, Bart, Maggie, and Lisa being playable characters. Besides, players will have to make a journey through all of Springfield, battle an array of villains, and fight their way through various parodies of multiple popular video games.

Scot Amos, Executive Producer of the Project, said, "Our goal in developing 'The Simpsons Game' is to create the most original game ever, which is a lofty goal, and only possible given the close collaboration with 'The Simpsons' creative team. We are also especially proud of the game's warm visual feel, which captures - for the first time ever in a game - the look of the TV show."

The latest game, which currently bears a working title of 'The Simpsons,' will sport 16 levels. Each will take the form of an episode of the series, with a unique title animation, setting, and story. And within each episode, players will take control of two family members, or play one of them with a friend in a split-screen two-player mode.

Meanwhile, 'The Simpsons Game' is currently under development by EA's Redwood Shores Studio, and is scheduled for release at the end of this year for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation 2 (PS2), PlayStation Portable (PSP), Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS.

Nvidia Intros GeForce 7200 GS GPU

Nvidia Corp today introduced the Nvidia GeForce 7200 GS graphics processing unit (GPU), a new and faster entry-level GPU.

According to Nvidia, the GeForce 7200 GS is designed to offer a low-cost upgrade from integrated graphics solutions, and is built for Microsoft Windows Vista. Incidentally, Windows Vista is the industry's first operating system to require a dedicated GPU to realize its full potential.

The GeForce 7200 GS performs up to 50 percent faster than latest integrated graphics solutions in common 3D benchmark tests, claims Nvidia.

GeForce 7200 GS GPUs provide full support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0, Shader Model 3.0 for more realism in 3D games and applications; high dynamic range (HDR) lighting support for advanced 3D realism; and Nvidia PureVideo technology for smooth, home theater quality video, superb picture clarity, and vivid colors on any display.

Commenting on the new GPU, Ujesh Desai, General Manager of Desktop GPUs at Nvidia, said, "Windows Vista, which benefits greatly from additional 3D performance, is gaining market share, and mainstream applications such as Microsoft Maps, Google Picasso, and iTunes are also starting to take advantage of 3D graphics. By making a small investment in graphics performance, customers buying Vista PCs can go from an underwhelming experience to one that delivers exceptional performance and features."

Graphics cards equipped with Nvidia GeForce 7200 GS GPU are available from e-tailers and retailers worldwide beginning today, and are priced under $50, and being offered in PCs from leading OEMs and system builders.

Leading add-in card partners including Albatron, Asus, Biostar, ECS, EVGA, Foxconn, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision, Leadtek Research, MSI Computer Corp, Palit Microsystems, Point of View, PNY Technology, Sparkle Computer, XFX, Zogis, and Zotac are offering graphics cards based on the Nvidia GeForce 7200 GS GPUs.

Microsoft, Yahoo! to Co-operate?

With all the speculation over Microsoft pursuing a Yahoo! acquisition on the one hand, and on the other, counter speculation regarding possible pitfalls of such an integration, latest reports have cleared the air... to a certain extent...

It is learnt that Microsoft-Yahoo! merger talks are no longer active, even as possibilities of mutual co-operation between the two remain.

Which means, there is still room for Microsoft and Yahoo! to cooperate as part of a partnership or a JV (joint venture), in which Microsoft will likely spin-off some of its online properties to Yahoo!, a report in the Wall Street Journal says.

The report reads, "both companies discussed a possible merger or other match-up that would pair their respective strengths."

A Microsoft-Yahoo! merger, had it happened, was being seen as a potentially powerful combined front versus Google's dominance of online search and advertising.

As several analysts pointed out, a combination of not only the two companies' Internet efforts, but also that of their client and consumer bases would have created a very strong competitor against Google.

Yet, they were also quick to point out the possible challenges of such a merger, especially in the areas of culture, control, and cost.

All said, Yahoo! would have been no mean acquisition for Microsoft... With a market capitalization of around $42 billion, the Yahoo! deal might have qualified as the largest attempted in Microsoft history...

Yahoo! Photos to be Shut Down

Yahoo! is planning on axing its online photo storage site, Yahoo! Photos, instead, asking users to shift to other options, more prominently, it's own Web 2.0 photo sharing site, Flickr, a Yahoo! official confirmed.

So, come June, and millions of registered Yahoo! Photos users will be presented multiple options, including upgrading to Yahoo!'s Flickr service or to outside photo storage sites, or even rival sites, said Stewart Butterfield, Director of Product Management at Yahoo!, and Co-founder of Flickr.
Butterfield said while users would be asked to upgrade to outside photo storage sites such as PhotoBucket, which is extremely popular with MySpace users, etc; or to the more conventional Kodak Gallery; or to Snapfish; top priority would be accorded to Flickr nevertheless.

Flickr was sold to Yahoo! in 2005 by Co-founders, Butterfield and wife, Caterina Flake.

Commenting on the development, Jeff Weiner, Executive Vice President of Network Division, Yahoo!, said the move is part of their ongoing efforts to align Yahoo!'s resources, and focus on core strategic priorities.

But yes, Yahoo!'s announcement comes pat after a huge surge in growth of California-based PhotoBucket. From just a quarter of the market about a year ago, PhotoBucket's share has grown to nearly 40 percent last month, according to Hitwise Data.

And in the same period, Yahoo! Photos' market share has gone down drastically to 5.8 percent, while the Flickr share has grown from 3.7 percent to 4.5 percent, says Hitwise Data.

For the last two years, Yahoo! has supported both Yahoo! Photos and Flickr. However Yahoo! Photos by nature is more conventional as compared to Flickr that has been attracting a steady flow of amateur and professional photographers interested only in sharing digital photos online.

Its 'Burnout Paradise' this Winter!

Electronic Arts (EA) has christened the next chapter of its popular demolition racing series as 'Burnout Paradise,' slated to arrive alongside on both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PS3 this winter, the company announced.

Developer of 'Burnout Paradise,' UK-based Criterion Games, said it has greatly improved upon the game's Gen-Next graphics.
And, judging from the game's very first trailer released by EA, graphics appear visibly more detailed than those in 'Burnout Revenge' for the Xbox 360, which is till date the only Gen-Next 'Burnout' edition.

While none of the famed 'Burnout' car crashes are featured in the trailer, EA says 'Burnout Paradise' promises a truly Gen-Next game play with the most explosive pile-ups in the history of the franchise.

According to EA, this is more so because 'Burnout Paradise' sports an open world environment, giving gamers license to roam about 'Paradise City' at will, embark on a destruction spree with their cars, and earn points along the way - only to get their hands on leaner, meaner machines, capable of inflicting worser damage.

"We have been working towards 'Burnout Paradise' for quite some time. Next generation consoles have opened up a raft of new gameplay opportunities, and the Criterion team has leapt at the chance to innovate," said Executive Producer of 'Burnout Paradise,' Pete Hawley

Hawley has promised some 'big surprises' in terms of new features and online capabilities, but says the new title's game play will remain true to the essence of 'Burnout'.

Up, Close & Personal with 'iGoogle'

Think 'Google,' and what comes to mind is 'simplicity' not 'style'.

However, in a slight departure from this frame-of-mind, the search giant is set to offer a newer personalized home page and ecosystem under a new brand dubbed 'iGoogle'.
While Google's 'basic' personalized home page was introduced nearly two years ago, in recent times, the company has been adding several customization features to it.

These include: the ability to choose from an array of themes with custom colors for the personalized home page, and the ability to refer back to the user's personal Web search history.

Google is now working to bring all of this together, according to Google's Vice President in charge of Search and User Experience, Marissa Mayer.

Mayer said 'iGoogle' refers to what was formerly called the 'Google Personalized Home Page,' as also the ecosystem the company is building with thousands of gadgets or optional features on the Home Page.

As part of the newer enhancements, Google has added a geographic dimension to search results, based on an individual's selection of home location on Google Maps.

Meanwhile, Web history will be an optional feature, available only to those users who have signed up, and given permission to Google to track their Web surfing activity.

Starting midnight (California time) Monday, the new personalization features have already begun appearing on Google user pages.

Also part of the new initiative, Google is now offering personalized versions of its search services in 40 countries (up from 22), and 26 languages (up from 15).

Google's Lead Engineer in charge of Personalization, Sep Kamvar, said they want to personalize the traditional notion of search.

Kamvar said everyone is 'eclectic' in their own way, and hence, they cannot go about designing products for average persons.

The 'EA Amplify Artist Search' Begins

Electronic Arts (EA) in association with partners, Sony BMG, AXN, Gibson, Microsoft, and Motorola, has launched the "EA Amplify Artist Search," a pan Asia Pacific (APAC) search (contest) for the hottest emerging music bands from the region.

Open to residents of India, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, and Thailand, the contest invites all unsigned bands/artists from across the APAC region to showcase their musical talents on EA's music community portal, or the EA Amplify Web site (www.EAamplify.com) in pursuit of that 'big break'.
Country Finalists (Finalist and Runner-Up Finalist) will be selected from each of the participating countries by a distinguished panel of judges comprising local representatives from EA, Sony BMG, Animax, Gibson, Microsoft, and Motorola.

Then from amongst the Country Finalists, the Regional Grand Prize winner will ultimately be selected by a separate panel of judges comprising regional representatives from EA and Sony BMG.

The Regional Grand Prize winner will get to sign a record deal with Sony BMG as also have their track on one of EA's upcoming blockbuster games.

And irrespective of whether they win the Regional Grand Prize or not, all Country Finalists will win a host of prizes including an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Guitar from Gibson, an Xbox 360 from Microsoft, and a MotoRokr E2 mobile phone from Motorola.

For entry into the competition, bands of 2 or more persons need to register on www.EAamplify.com (registration is free), and submit their band profile and song in MP3 format only on the Artist Search Competition Page.

Winners of 'Country Finalists' will be announced on www.EAamplify.com around June 11, while those of the 'Regional Grand Prize' will be announced about seven days later.

Announcing the contest, Jon Niermann, President of EA Asia Publishing, said they hope to generate a lot of excitement for this pan-regional competition both among music and video game communities.

Further information about the contest rules and participation is available at EAamplify