Examples of apps to curb texting while driving

Some services that aim to curb distractions from phones used while driving:

— Cellcontrol: This service from ObdEdge LLC uses a $60 device that plugs into the car's onboard diagnostics port, which is usually under the steering wheel. A separate application for the driver's phone costs $25 to download and $8.95 a month to use. The phone connects to the device in the port through wireless Bluetooth technology. When the device detects that the car is moving, it tells the phone to lock texting, calling or both, depending on the user's settings. Cellcontrol works with BlackBerrys and phones running Windows Mobile and Symbian software. Originally designed for companies to use in their fleet cars and trucks, it is now marketed to consumers as well.

— iZup: This application from Illume Software uses a phone's GPS chip to determine if it's in motion, then locks predetermined phone functions such as texting and calling. The service can't tell if you're the driver or the passenger. To use the phone as a passenger, you must have a password and go to iZup's Web site to temporarily disable the service. The service works on BlackBerrys, Windows Mobile and Android phones. The cost is $4.95 per month or $49.95 per year.

— DriveSafe.ly: The iSpeech Inc. application doesn't detect if you're driving. Instead, you tell it that you're driving by turning it on. The app will then will read incoming text messages aloud. If you forget to turn it off after getting out of the car, DriveSafe.ly could create some embarrassing moments. The service is available for BlackBerrys, iPhones, Android and Windows Mobile phones. A free version reads out only the first 25 words of each message. The "Pro" version costs $13.95 to buy, with no service fees.

China’s Geely inks binding deal to buy Sweden’s Volvo Cars from Ford for $1.8 billion

Geely to buy Volvo from Ford for $1.8 billion

STOCKHOLM — Zhejiang Geely Holding Group signed a binding deal Sunday to buy Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo Cars unit for $1.8 billion, representing a coup for the independent Chinese automaker which is aiming to expand in Europe.

The purchase gives Geely a European luxury car brand with a reputation for safety and quality at a time when China, which last year surpassed the U.S. as the world's largest car market, is eager to improve its competitiveness by acquiring foreign automotive brands that might help it improve its technology and expand into overseas markets.

The price, which includes a $200 million note with the remainder to be paid out in cash, is far less than the $6.45 billion Ford paid for the Swedish automaker in 1999. The U.S. automaker has been trying to sell Volvo since late 2008 to focus its resources on managing its core Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands.

"We think it's a fair price for a good business, and yes, we're happy with the deal we've achieved with Geely," said Ford Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth on Sunday at a news conference at Volvo Cars headquarters in Goteborg, on Sweden's west coast. Booth added that his company believes that, under Geely, "Volvo can continue to build its business and return to profitability."

The agreement was signed by Booth and Geely's chairman, Li Shufu, and witnessed by Li Yizhong, the Chinese minister of industry and information technology, as well as Swedish Minister for Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson.

In a statement, Geely said it has secured all the financing necessary to complete the deal, as well as "significant working capital facilities to fund Volvo Cars' ongoing business." The sale is expected to be completed in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.

The deal also covers further agreements on intellectual property rights, supply, and research and development arrangements between Volvo Cars, Geely and Ford. The U.S. automaker has committed to provide engineering support, information technology, access to tooling for common parts and certain other services for a transition period to smooth the separation.

Li, whose comments were translated by an interpreter, described the deal as "a milestone" for both Geely and Volvo, adding that his group will make a Volvo CEO public "in due course."

Geely said it aims to keep Volvo's existing manufacturing facilities in Sweden and Belgium, but that it also will explore manufacturing opportunities in China. Volvo Cars will remain separate from Geely's other operations, with its own Sweden-based management team and a new board of directors, the company said.

"China, the largest car market in the world, will become Volvo's second home market. Volvo will be uniquely positioned as a world-leading premium brand, tapping into the opportunities in the fast-growing China market," Li said.

As Western automakers unload unprofitable assets, they are finding keen buyers in Asia.

In 2008, Ford sold its Jaguar and Land Rover brands to India's Tata Motors Ltd. for $1.7 billion, a third of what it paid for them. In addition, General Motors Co. attempted to sell its rugged Hummer brand to a Chinese heavy equipment maker, but is now winding that brand down as the deal collapsed. China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings has also agreed to buy some powertrain technology from GM's Swedish Saab unit.

Geely, an independent automaker that has struggled to upgrade its image in overseas markets, has long coveted a bigger foothold in Europe and has earlier been rumored to be bidding for Opel and Saab. The long-awaited Volvo acquisition is therefore important for the company, which has gradually built its business with little government support.

Analyst Zhang Xin, with Guotai Junan Securities in Beijing, said Geely's pledge to keep Volvo's factory and business teams in Sweden after the takeover limits its leeway to cut costs.

"Reality is always much crueler than what people would wish. Geely wants to build itself as a new 'international Geely,' so they sought a strong foreign brand like Volvo," Zhang said. "Geely should foresee many difficulties. How will it manage to run Volvo well? How will it deal with the factory and employees? How much more will Geely have to spend to operate Volvo?"

Volvo, whose first car left its Swedish factory in 1927, employs nearly 20,000 workers, most of them based in Sweden. The group, initially a subsidiary of ballbearing maker SKF, was listed on the stock exchange in 1935. In 2009, it sold 334,808 cars. It currently has 10 models on the global market, with its crossover XC60 being the best-seller. The United States, Sweden and Britain account for its three biggest markets.

In a statement Sunday, Volvo Cars CEO Stephen Odell said Volvo managers fully endorse the sale to Geely.

"We believe this is the right outcome for the business, and will provide Volvo Cars with the necessary resources, including the capital investment, to strengthen the business and to continue to move it forward in the future," he said.

Volvo dealers in the U.S. said Sunday that Geely's assurance that the cars will still be made in Sweden has allayed customers' concerns about quality control. Chinese automakers seeking to expand into U.S. markets have faced quality questions from consumers concerned about defects and problems with a number of Chinese exports ranging from drugs and foods to furniture and appliances.

"They do show concern, but we are assuring them the quality of the car is still going to be there," said Chris Gastmeyer, sales manager at Volvo of Orange County in Santa Ana, California, on Sunday.

He said customers are comforted by the fact that the cars are still made in Sweden and that it's business as usual at this point.

Mike Kessler, new car sales manager at Volvo of Santa Monica, said he isn't seeing much worry from shoppers as it appears the manufacturing will remain the same. But staff are eager to see what changes are in store after the transfer in ownership.

"We are dying to see what happens because we need a jump-start," he said.

The sales staff hasn't received any information yet about the plans of its new owners but Kessler hopes Geely has plans to help build new car sales and leases.

"We are basically on hold," he said. "I'm hoping it gets exciting."

AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach in Shanghai and Sarah Skidmore in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.

Pakistan court maintains curbs on AQ Khan

Pakistan court maintains curbs on AQ Khan

LAHORE, Pakistan — A Pakistani court Monday maintained restrictions on a nuclear scientist who allegedly leaked atomic weapons secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

The case of A.Q. Khan is being watched closely in the United States and other Western nations because they fear he may be a proliferation risk.

Khan was detained in December 2003 and admitted on television to sole responsibility for operating a network that spread nuclear weapons technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya. Khan, regarded by many Pakistanis as a hero for building the country's first nuclear weapon, has since retracted that statement.

Khan, now in his 70s, was pardoned by then-President Pervez Musharraf, but immediately placed under de facto house arrest. Since then, he has challenged that in the courts, and in recent years has been allowed some freedom.

The Lahore High Court ruled Khan was still not allowed to talk about nuclear weapons technology and must inform security agencies before he leaves his house so they can accompany him wherever he goes, according to his lawyer Ali Zafar.

Zafar said the court had slightly eased some of the curbs, saying Khan must now inform authorities a half-day in advance if he wants to travel outside of his home town, Islamabad, as opposed to a full day previously. Within Islamabad, the notice was cut from one hour to a half-hour.

Zafar said there were no plans to appeal the verdict.

The court dismissed another petition filed by the government asking that Khan be questioned over a recent report in The Washington Post based on an account allegedly written by Khan that said Iran had tried to buy nuclear weapons from Pakistan in the late 1980s.

Zafar said his client had never spoken to the Washington Post and had presented an affidavit in court saying that.

Government officials say the security around Khan is for his own safety, but many analysts say the powerful military and intelligence agencies restrict his movement because they fear he may implicate them in past nuclear proliferation.

Climate Change Chocolate Bar

Bloomsberry, LLC, a Salem, MA-based chocolate maker that sells its bars in whimsical wrappers, have now teamed up with TerraPass, a green energy broker, to offer these "Climate Change Chocolate" bars.


The wrappers have printed on them 15 tips to reduce your carbon footprint on the world, and in addition have included in their sale price, enough carbon energy credits from TerraPass to offset your carbon footprint for one day.

You can read more about the global warming confection at TerraPass' website...

http://www.terrapass.com/lp/index.chocolate.html

The Fizz - Screw-on Ice Cream Float Cup

The Fizz is a plastic cup that screws on to a plastic PET bottle allowing you to create a mobile ice cream float.

Once you screw the cup to a bottle, fill it up with ice cream, then insert a straw, and finally, squeeze the bottle. This fills the cup with soda, allowing you to sip out a mixture of ice cream and soda.

The cup is reusable, but not dishwasher safe.

Fruit Stickles - Flavored Fruit Skewers

Fruit Stickles are wooden skewers used for sticking together chunks of fruit. Except the skewers are seasoned with cinnamon and tropical fruit flavors that leach into the fruit chunks.

The idea is that gives fruit an extra boost of flavor to tempt children into eating more fruit.

The seasoning contains no sugar, just pure seasoning. It's similar to the cinnamon toothpicks that restaurants used to give out in the 70s, except for making fresh-fruit shiskabobs.

I'm sure this can be extended into meat seasoning skewers, for real shiskabobs.

Visit Fruit Stickles online...
http://www.callisonsfinefoods.com/index.php?q=stickles

Subtle Butt - Fart Pads

A company called The Pond Inc. is now selling a product called "Subtle Butt", billed as a fart neutralizer, to eliminate smelly flatulence.

It's an activated carbon fabric pad, measuring 3.25" x 3.25" square, and adheres to the inside of your underwear with two self-adhesive strips.

As the wind breaks, Subtle Butt filters the flatulence, absorbing and neutralizing its odor. Now you can eat as many burritos you want and still have a social life.

http://www.garmentguard.com

INTEL® CORE™2 PROCESSORS

Intel® Core™2 processors deliver performance and energy efficiency to PCs so your whole company can be productive. By combining proven performance with advanced power-saving features and optional Intel® Centrino® wireless technology, PCs powered by an Intel® Core™2 Quad processor or Intel® Core™2 Duo processor let you get more done in less time.

Intel® Core™2 Duo processor product brief

45nm Intel® Core™2 Duo Desktop Processor

45nm Intel® Core™2 Duo desktop processors enable PC users both in the office and at home to increase performance and energy efficiency while enabling the ability to run multiple compute-intense applications at one time. Designed for multimedia-centered, high-definition applications, these processors support smaller, more capable, and quieter desktop PCs.

Intel® Core™2 Duo desktop processors are designed for multimedia and HD applications, while supporting smaller and quieter desktop PCs.

Intel® Core™2 processor with vPro™ technology

THE INTEL® CORE™2 PROCESSOR WITH VPRO™ TECHNOLOGY

Get the increased productivity and lower costs your business demands with the built-in security and manageability of PCs powered by Intel® Core™2 processors with vPro™ technology. Upgrading now will help you avoid the escalating software and hardware support costs of older PCs, as well as the potential expense of security threats, all while reducing system downtime.

• Understand
• Evaluate
• Implement

Animation: Security & manageability

Security and manageability on the chip

Help protect and manage your business better while reducing costs. With proactive security and remote manageability features built right into the hardware, these platforms help safeguard PCs while reducing deskside visits.

The new 2010 Intel® Core™ i3 processor

The All New 2010 Intel® Core™ Processor Family

The new 2010 Intel® Core™ i7 processor, Intel® Core™ i5 processor, and Intel® Core™ i3 processor deliver intelligent performance for desktop and laptop PCs. Each core works on two tasks simultaneously, enabled by Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology).

Ideal for graphic and compute-intensive applications, these processors offer IT a sound investment for the business requirements of today and tomorrow. With Intel® Turbo Boost Technology built in, you can increase business productivity and performance while maximizing speed to match workloads. Based on 32nm Intel® microarchitecture, these processors offer the foundation for reliable, responsive, and energy-efficient PCs.

Animation: The all new Intel® Core™ processor family

Animation: The All New Intel® Core™ Processor Family

Get in-depth information on how PCs powered by the new Intel® Core™ processor family delivers next-generation intelligent performance that automatically adjusts to unique workloads with smart energy-efficiency, manageability, and security features built in.

The new 2010 Intel® Core™ i5 vPro processor

THE ALL NEW 2010 INTEL® CORE™ VPRO™ PROCESSOR FAMILY

PCs built with all new 2010 Intel® Core™ vPro™ processors are specifically designed for business, delivering cost savings and control using Intel's most intelligent security and manageability technologies. With programmable defense filters that automatically guard against malicious attacks, Intel Core vPro processors help safeguard laptop and desktop PCs from malware by continually polling for the presence of software agents.

Intel vPro technology helps IT reduce maintenance costs by enabling remote configuration, diagnosis, isolation, and repair of infected PCs even when the operating system is unresponsive or the PC is turned off.

PCs powered by a new Intel Core vPro processor are more energy efficient thanks to energy saving features that help PCs meet ENERGY STAR¹ requirements.

Animation: The all new Intel® Core™ processor family

Animation: The All New Intel® Core™ Processor Family

Get in-depth information on how PCs powered by the new Intel® Core™ processor family delivers next-generation intelligent performance that automatically adjusts to unique workloads with smart energy-efficiency, manageability, and security features built in.

The new 2010 Intel® Core™ i7 vPro processor

THE ALL NEW 2010 INTEL® CORE™ VPRO™ PROCESSOR FAMILY

PCs built with all new 2010 Intel® Core™ vPro™ processors are specifically designed for business, delivering cost savings and control using Intel's most intelligent security and manageability technologies. With programmable defense filters that automatically guard against malicious attacks, Intel Core vPro processors help safeguard laptop and desktop PCs from malware by continually polling for the presence of software agents.

Intel vPro technology helps IT reduce maintenance costs by enabling remote configuration, diagnosis, isolation, and repair of infected PCs even when the operating system is unresponsive or the PC is turned off.

PCs powered by a new Intel Core vPro processor are more energy efficient thanks to energy saving features that help PCs meet ENERGY STAR¹ requirements.

Animation: The all new Intel® Core™ processor family

Animation: The All New Intel® Core™ Processor Family

Get in-depth information on how PCs powered by the new Intel® Core™ processor family delivers next-generation intelligent performance that automatically adjusts to unique workloads with smart energy-efficiency, manageability, and security features built in.

Asus Eee PC 1201T Seashell – small goes BIG

Asus has launched the newest variant of their highly acclaimed Eee PC range, the Eee PC 1201T. The latest netbook from the Eee PC Seashell Series features AMD MV-40 CPU and RS780MN chipset to provide superior processing and graphics performance. The Eee PC 1201T also supports smooth 1080p HD video experience and has a 12.1" widescreen display with HD (1366x768) resolution. Stylishly designed incorporating cues of the Eee PC Seashell series; it also has a large ergonomic chiclet keyboard for unsurpassed comfort to keep your fingers at ease during long hours of working. In spite of the large screen and all the processing muscle, the incorporated Super Hybrid Engine lets the Eee PC 1201T deliver a battery life of up to 6 hours*.

About the launch of this latest netbook, Mr. Stanley Wu – Country Product Head – System Business, ASUS (India) said, "The Eee PC 1201T is our latest 12" netbook that is feature rich and packs in a powerful configuration. Featuring the AMD MV40 processor, 2 GB RAM and 320 GB hard disk, this netbook is aimed at users who want more processing power and storage capacity from their netbooks. The build quality and finish is top notch and we hope that it appeals to the users looking for a more powerful netbook than those available in the market at the moment.” He further added, “If you see the evolution of the Eee PC which can be heralded as the first netbook ever, what began as a basic 7” netbook has today transformed into a 12” feature rich multimedia device and this is largely a result of the demand in the market for such products."

Further added Mr. Deepanshu Sharma, Business Head: Emerging Opportunities, AMD India, “The Eee PC 1201T powered by the AMD Athlon processor brings amazing multi-media performance and multi-tasking to a compact yet full-featured notebook, without compromising battery life. Great for your regular internet based applications like search, email, chat and social networking and even better for DVDs, digital music and photos.”

The Eee PC 1201T provides users 1080p HD video experience with stunning vibrancy, crisp visual splendor via a 12-inch high definition display. It also features the 2nd Generation AMD® Ultrathin platform, which provides balanced performance across a myriad of applications.

Seemingly crafted by nature itself, the Eee PC Seashell draws its inspiration from seashells and its opalescent and glossy exterior is crafted by the innovative in-Mold Roller technology. It's so light and compact, you can take it anywhere with you! And with sleek curves and smooth lines hugging its lustrous shell, the Eee PC Seashell will easily charm passers-by wherever it goes.

Experience the clear and vibrant pictures and movies you've previously enjoyed on a bigger scale with the Eee PC 1201T. With the largest screen ever featured on an Eee PC, its 12.1" widescreen 16:9 display provides HD-quality visuals at resolutions of up to 1366 x 768.The Eee PC 1201T comes preinstalled with ArcSoft SimHD, which up scales standard definition video content to high definition. SimHD, a plug-in for ArcSoft TotalMedia Theater, dramatically enhances the quality of images and supports a wide range of file formats. Users can enjoy a smooth 1080p HD video experience on the unit's 12.1" high definition screen.

With the exclusive Asus Super Hybrid Engine's increased power efficiency, the Eee PC can deliver an impressively long battery lifespan—eliminating worries about power while on-the-go and easily keeps users connected for full day.

The Eee PC Seashell's chiclet keyboard is more comfortable to type on and hence leads to less fatigue for prolonged hours of use.

Model: Eee PC 1201T-BLK007W

Price: Rs. 21,490/- (excluding taxes)

Warranty period: 1 year

Gigabyte unleashes next-Gen performance GPU

Gigabyte has announced the latest GV-R5700 series graphics cards. Gigabyte’s GV-R577D5-1GD-B and GV-R575D5-1GD are built on the highly anticipated ATI Radeon^T HD 5700 Series GPUs ─which utilizes the latest 826 million transistors on 40nm fabrication process and GDDR5 memory. Gigabyte HD 5700 Series graphics cards provide Microsoft DirectX 11, ATI Eyefinity Technology, ATI Stream technology, Quad mode ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU support, UDV 2 and PowerPlay, and offer an incredibly immersive HD gaming experience and unrivaled performance.

The Gigabyte HD 5700 Series graphics cards feature ATI's latest 2^nd Generation TeraScale graphics engine, boasting the power of more than 2 teraFLOPS with 800 and 720 stream processors respectively. With 1GB GDDR5 memory, the Gigabyte HD 5700 Series provides twice the data per pin of GDDR3 memory at the same clock speeds. Utilizing ATI Eyefinity Technology, each gamer can run up to 3 displays from a single graphics board and expand the field of view across all displays. Gamers can enjoy the ultimate gaming experience with innovative “wrap around” multi-display capabilities with ATI Eyefinity Technology. Furthermore, benefiting from ATI Stream Technology, end-users can easily unleash the massive parallel processing power of GPU for physics, artificial intelligence, stream computing and ray tracing calculations, and tackle demanding tasks like video transcoding with incredible speed.

In addition, Gigabyte HD 5700 Series graphics cards fully support for Microsoft DirectX 11 for life-like realism and stunning 3D gaming effects. Gamers can get striking 3D visual effects and dynamic interactivity with DirectX 11 support, including features like Tessellation, HDR Texture Compression, Multi-threading and DirectCompute. Microsoft DirectX 11 brings new levels of visual realism to gaming on the PC and gamers can dominate the competition with Gigabyte GV-R5700 Series graphics cards.

In order to provide the best digital audio/video interconnection between a computer and display monitor or home-theater system, the Gigabyte HD 5700 Series graphics cards are capable of outputting DispalyPort signals. The DisplayPort interface can support higher resolutions, richer color depth, and increased refresh rate performance, delivering 10.8Gbps of bandwidth over previous generations of connectivity options such as DVI, LVDS and VGA. With added DisplayPort connectivity on the Gigabyte HD 5700 Series graphics cards, PC gamers are able to play all the latest games on their large-screen home theater displays, providing an audio and visual experience unmatched by any of today’s console gaming systems. Furthermore, the Gigabyte GV-R5700 Series are equipped with ATI PowerPlay technology for breakthrough power and consumption, maximizing performance per watt by delivering the highest level of high performance when needed and conserving power when the demand on the GPU is low.

Gigabyte’s GV R577D5-1GD-B is priced at Rs 10900 and GV-R575D5-1GD-B is priced at Rs 9900 and are distributed in India by Avnet (India), Ingram Micro, Redington (India) and Neoteric Infomatique Ltd

XFX ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series Graphics Cards

The XFX ATI Radeon HD 5770 and HD 5750 graphics cards supersize performance capabilities, accelerating mundane tasks while significantly boosting gaming performance.

XFX ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series graphics cards come with the latest ATI advances: Eyefinity Technology, ATI Stream Technology and Microsoft DirectX 11 compatibility. ATI Eyefinity Technology instantly triples your visual real estate, supporting up to three displays for the ultimate in innovative “wrap around” capabilities—all with exceptionally crisp picture quality. ATI Eyefinity engages a user’s peripheral vision, putting them literally in the middle of the game. At the office, users can multi-task without needing to flip between windows or keep as many palettes or panels open as you would like while editing images or videos.

ATI Stream Technology unleashes the massive parallel processing power of a user’s GPU to help speed up demanding every day applications, so that video playback, editing and transferring of content to portable media players is fast and simple. DirectCompute 11 improves PC performance by taking on some or all of a DirectX 11-enabled application’s processing load, freeing up the computer’s main processor for other tasks.

As the first fully Microsoft DirectX 11-compatible GPUs in their class, the XFX ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series delivers unrivaled visual quality and intense gaming performance. Enjoy in-your-face 3D visual effects and dynamic interactivity, with Express 2.0.

Video lovers will appreciate ATI Avivo HD video and display technology, which enables users to watch the hottest Blu-ray movies or other HD content beyond 1080p. Unified Video Decoder 2 (UVD 2) delivers a richer video playback experience.

The 5700 Series is further supersized with GDDR5 memory, 1.8X of graphics performance boost with ATI CrossFireX technology in dual mode, and unparalleled anti-aliasing and enhanced anisotropic filtering for slick graphics and supreme realism. The 5700 Series also features 40 nm process technology, which improves processor performance by using less power and having better transistor efficiency than previous generation technology. ATI PowerPlay technology offers dynamic power management that scales the power draw to the activity so when GPU activity is low, the power draw is minimal. The series also supports OpenGL 3.1 and PCI Express 2.0.

For a limited time, in select regions, the XFX Radeon HD 5770 buyers can immediately experience the DX11 advantage with a free bundle coupon for BattleForge and a launch exclusive addition of Fallen Skyelf Shadow Card for Battle Forge.

Talking about new Series card Mr. Manish Saraf, Business Manager, Rashi Peripherals Pvt. Ltd. said, Improved Performance & DirectX 11-compatibility, together it is dual benefit to the consumers. We expect huge demand of this XFX ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series Graphics Cards in this winter season.

ZyXEL Announces Its 802.11n Products Comply with the Final IEEE 802.11n Standard

ZyXEL Communications has announced that ZyXEL’s 11n wireless products comply with the latest and final IEEE 802.11n standard. Furthermore, all of ZyXEL products that have achieved Draft 11n certification from WiFi Alliance (WFA) will be Wi-Fi Certificated n compliant and identified with its logo.

ZyXEL’s draft 2.0 products comply with the final IEEE 802.11n standard and will fully interoperable with its future products. Providing extreme wireless performance and extended coverage, ZyXEL 11n products will fulfill customers’ increasing high-quality multimedia demand and bring them to a new level of wireless connection. Offering high-quality features such as advanced QoS technology for effective multimedia bandwidth allocation and backward compatibility with the existing 802.11b/g devices, ZyXEL’s 11n products provide consumers with a better and stable Internet experience.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has officially ratified the IEEE 802.11n as a standard with improved data rates and ranges for wireless local area networks (WLANs). The new amendment to IEEE 802.11n standard helps the data communications industry addressing the escalating demands on higher-bandwidth file transfers and next-generation multimedia applications. The compatibility between draft 2.0 products and the final standard provides operators the investment protection with their existing infrastructure and planned 802.11n installation.

ACT! by Sage 2010 Contact And Customer Manager

Sage India has announced the new ACT! by Sage 2010 contact and customer manager. New features include integration with social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Plaxo, compatibility with a subscription-based ACT! E-marketing service, and fully customizable opportunities to support various sales models. ACT! 2010 also debuts a new look and user navigation that achieves 25 percent higher productivity than competing systems according to a Keystroke Level Modeling competitive study conducted by Measuring Usability, LLC.

“Social media can augment contact management and CRM systems with valuable information to help marketers create more thorough customer profiles,” explains Sheryl Kingstone, director of enterprise research, Yankee Group. “Tools like ACT! are advancing integration of social media into the sales cycle so users can develop more meaningful and profitable customer relationships.”

Thomas Abraham, Managing Director, Sage India, said “ACT! has an installed base of over 700 customers in India and is the best selling solution for Lead Management, Sales Automation & Contact Management in India. With this new version the value we bring to Indan SMBs is significant and should definitely accelerate adoption rate for cost effective Sales Management applications.”

Social Media Technology brings information from social networking profiles and tools including LinkedIn®, Facebook, Twitter, Google Maps, Google News, Plaxo and ZoomInfo, among others, conveniently into ACT! contact records so users can quickly collect and learn more information about their customers and prospects.

New Look & Navigation makes ACT! even easier to learn and provides instant access to search functions from any view. Big “easy” buttons take users to tasks most often used and related tasks are grouped for efficient use in contact, group and opportunity views. A new Welcome Page displays help information, tips, news and common tasks on one screen.

New subscription-based ACT! E-marketing Service provides templates for e-mail design, survey and Web forms for gathering recipient feedback, drip marketing controls for automating campaigns with multiple e-mails, and a marketing results tab for identifying the most qualified prospects to follow up with based on e-mail open and click-through metrics.

Sales Tracking Enhancements display opportunities within customizable ACT! contacts, groups and companies so users can easily track history and set security options for each.

Dashboard Views & Reports help ACT! users manage their sales pipeline with new contacts and administrative dashboards, 12 new dashboard charts and 13 new reports for identifying and better understanding the biggest sales opportunities. A new reports view lets users see all available reports, mark favorites for quick access, and customize descriptions to fit personal needs.

Netgear unleashes RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N gigabit router WNDR3700

Netgear has announced the availability of next-generation, versatile, high-performance wireless router, RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNDR3700 to fulfill the unique lifestyle needs of different customer segments.

Designed to meet the needs of Netgear prosumers, media enthusiasts and people on-the-go, the latest full-featured NetgearWNDR3700 wireless router offers dual band reliability, gigabit Performance, storage access and green features; new 3G and WiFi router enables mobile broadband access virtually anywhere.

Atul Jain, Country Manager (India & SAARC),Netgear Technologies India said, “The Netgear RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNDR3700 is crammed with full of unique features like ReadyShare for high-speed access to a USB hard drive from any device on the network, broadband usage metering, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) support and video Quality of Service (QoS).”

NETGEAR’s RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is one of the first consumer routers to be compatible with DLNA-certified products. This feature enables media enthusiasts and gamers to stream digital content to new DLNA-compliant HDTVs and gaming consoles. Additionally, NETGEAR is pioneering broadband usage metering in a series of its products; the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router is the first to include this feature. This enables consumers to accurately monitor their usage of download traffic in a given time period so they can stay within the limits designated by their ISP.

Dual band technology enables concurrent use of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, offering twice the bandwidth with better connections and less interference. Additionally, the router’s eight ultra-sensitive, internal, metamaterial antennas are fine-tuned for each frequency band, delivering extended range beyond competing routers.

The RangeMax also has something called ReadyShare that provides access to external USB storage devices for anyone on your network. By plugging a USB drive into the router you get read/write wireless access from any PC on the network. Additionally, multiple file formats are supported (e.g., FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, EXT2, EXT3) as is HTTP and FTP access from outside the home or office.

As evidence of its industry-leading performance and features, NETGEAR’s RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNDR3700) has been honored with a “Best of Innovations” in the Home Networking category of the Consumer Electronics Show Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Awards, the industry’s highest accolade. It, along with NETGEAR’s other product innovations, was on display in the Interop,IT Expo, held in Mumbai (7-9 October 2009) was well applauded for secured WiFi connectivity ,more wireless channels, less interference and better connections.

Netgear’s RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNDR3700) is now available in India through authorized distributors –Rashi Peripherals & Ingram Micro. The router is backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support with a pricing of MRP. 11,000/- only.

Kingston Technology Ships 12GB Hyper X Kits for Intel Core i7, X58 Platforms

Kingston Technology Company, Inc.has announced it is adding 12GB triple-channel HyperX memory kits in support of Intel’s LGA1366 Core i7 systems. The DDR3 XMP-ready kit consists of six 2GB modules running at 1600MHz and 1.65 volts.

The 12GB memory kit helps increase overall system performance in 64-bit operating systems. System builders and ultra enthusiasts who deploy 12GB of Kingston triple-channel memory will find performance increases in such tasks as video encoding, processing large photo files, graphical rendering and extreme PC games.

The memory kit has been tested with great success on motherboards with six sockets such as the Gigabyte GA-X58-UD6 and Asus P6T Deluxe motherboards.

Kingston HyperX memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support

XFX launches ATI Radeon HD 5970 Graphics Card

XFX takes technology for a trip down the fast lane with the debut of The XFX ATI Radeon HD 5970 graphics card. The fastest dual GPU-on-a-PCB card on the planet, in addition to the base powerhouse, this card also comes in an “I’ve-never-seen-that-kind-of-performance-before” Black Edition with an exclusive performance enhancing Overvolt Tool.

Created for the true performance enthusiast, this card offers the ultimate in speed, with the XFX ATI Radeon HD 5970 scoring in excess of X10000 in 3DMarkVantage v. 101, the highest single graphics card score achieved to date. It also features all of the latest, state-of-the-art technologies that hardcore gamers want, including ATI Eyefinity technology, ATI Stream technology and full DirectX 11 support.

ATI Eyefinity technology puts users in the game by expanding the user’s field of view across up to three displays. No detail is lost with innovative ‘wrap around’ capabilities that deliver an incredibly intense gaming experience.

ATI Stream technology boosts system performance by offloading tasks that were previously CPU bound to the GPU. In addition to creating a better-balanced platform, it accelerates everyday applications and helps increase productivity.

Introducing the card, Kapal Pansari, Director, Marketing, Rashi Peripherals said, “It’s a true amalgamation of multiple horse power in a graphic card. The XFX ATI Radeon HD 5970 comes loaded with latest state of art technologies which a hard core game enthusiast would dream of. The XFX ATI Radeon HD 5970 comes in standard and the Black edition from XFX, wherein the Black edition is the factory overclocked version delivering the ultimate punch to high end graphics pleasing the movie buffs and the gamers alike taking the experience to greater heights. ”

Full DirectX 11 support enables users to play the latest HD games with unparalleled quality and ultra-fast frame rates. And, performance enthusiasts can tune their rigs for maximum performance.

Dual second generation terascale engines offer more than 4 teraFLOPS of compute power delivering more speed and performance than any other graphics card available. And ATI CrossFireX technology increases gaming performance up to 180% in dual mode with quad GPU support.

GDDR5 memory provides twice the bandwidth per pin of GDDR3 memory, for great speed and higher bandwidth. And, ATI PowerPlay Technology with enhanced support for GDDR5-based boards scales power draw according to activity, so that when GPU activity is low, the power draw in minimal. Power draw is further minimized with 40 nm process technology and ATI CrossFireX™ technology ultra low power (ULP).

The HD 5970 also features DirectCompute11, which improves performance by taking on some or all of a DirectX 11-enabled application’s processing load, freeing up the computer’s main processor to take on additional tasks. And, with complete Microsoft Windows 7 support, users can take full advantage of all of the new Windows 7 features, including built-in drag and drop transcoding.

Movie buffs will appreciate Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio support, which provides a fully immersive high-definition audio experience with the latest Blu-ray movies, and ATI Avivo Technology Enhanced Unified Video Decoder 2, which provides a richer video playback experience with enhanced Unified Video Decoder features.

Black Edition owners will appreciate the power to fine tune the GPU and memory voltages with the XFX OverVolt Tool. Designed to work only with this Black Edition model, it is the resource to extend the overclocking capability of this amazing card.

Speed. Flexibility. Power. The XFX ATI Radeon HD 5970 graphics card delivers it all. The XFX ATI Radeon HD 5970 Black Edition will be available at an estimated street price of INR 45,000.00 all across the country.

Brocade delivers Advanced Ethernet and MPLS Services Faster, Further, and more, most-Effectively with Compact NetIron CER 2000 Series Router

Brocade has announced the Brocade NetIron CER 2000 Series compact multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) router, featuring industry-leading hardware-based routing capacity, in a compact 1U form factor: 24 or 48 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) ports with two 10 GbE uplinks. Unmatched in its combination of throughput, compact size, and efficiency, the NetIron CER 2000 enables service providers to more broadly, rapidly, and cost-effectively deploy high-margin business virtual private network (VPN) and IP voice, video, and data services while helping to reduce their cost per megabit.

The new NetIron CER 2000 addresses the needs of service providers that are facing increased edge and aggregation routing demands and are nearing the “revenue footprint” and performance limitations of their current networking infrastructures. Combining industry-leading forwarding capacity with strong price/performance value, the NetIron CER 2000 helps service providers increase revenue footprint, maximizing the number and types of advanced services then can be deployed in a given area. It does so by helping to significantly decrease both capital and ongoing maintenance costs while also helping to generate new revenue from value-added service offerings.

The NetIron CER 2000 enables service providers to offer wire-speed Carrier Ethernet services—such as E-LINE, E-LAN, and E-TREE services—with its multicast and Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities to support triple-play applications. It features scalable MPLS with VLL, VPLS, VPLS-PBB, and advanced resiliency at multiple layers using MPLS Fast Reroute, hot-standby LSPs, and fault detection and recovery with Brocade Metro Ring Protocol (MRP)/MRP2. In particular, the NetIron CER 2000 can benefit service providers and data centers by:

Doubling the routing capacity and tripling the forwarding performance of competitive solutions in the smallest possible space

Providing the fastest route to advanced business and MPLS services based on the same OS -- Brocade Multi-Service IronWare -- that powers the high-end NetIron MLX and NetIron XMR chassis-based routers

Offering vertical consolidation with at least 33 percent space compression when compared to chassis-based products

Improving operational efficiency with 66 percent power consumption savings and front-to-back airflow for more efficient space and power usage.

The platform is optimal for use as a Carrier Ethernet/Metro edge router, an MPLS Provider Edge (PE) router, or as a high-capacity border router for small data centers and enterprise branch offices with Ethernet connectivity. Additionally, the NetIron CER 2000 features a highly scalable BGP implementation for compact route-reflector applications to help reduce complexity and cost for service providers.

With MEF 9, 14, and 21 certification, NEBS Level 3 certification; hot-swappable, redundant, load sharing AC/DC power supplies; a N+1 redundant, replaceable cooling system; and front-to-back airflow, the NetIron CER 2000 extends the Brocade NetIron router family and further demonstrates carrier-class availability.

“Bandwidth needs, applications, and user numbers are increasing, while provider budgets are flattening or declining,” said Marc Randall, senior vice president of products and solutions at Brocade. “A high-density, MPLS-enabled compact router, such as the Brocade NetIron CER 2000, is an often-requested addition to our product line that meets a clear market need.”

Cyberstar to roll out HP Optical Disk Drives

Cyberstar Infocom Pvt. Ltd has announced the release of HP ODDs (Optical Disk Drives) in India.

Cyberstar will be the official distributor and reseller for HP ODDs, will target Tier1, Tier2 and Tier3 cities. Cyberstar will responsible for the entire South Indian market.

“We are proud to roll out HP Optical Disk Drives in India and in the process of bringing the various models of DVD writers to the market which highlights key features in comparison to the products of the same line”, said Mr.Raj Rathi, Founder and CEO of Cyberstar Infocom (P) Ltd. He also expressed that Cyberstar is very excited about the response that they have been receiving from the market.

Cyberstar is unveiling the following models for HP in the ODD line of products:

Internal PATA / SATA DVD Writer

Internal– DVD Rom

External DVD Writer with USB

Blu-ray drives

HP ODD writers are superior in technology hence would be available at a premium over competition.

Gigabyte launches GA-X58A-UD7

Gigabyte Technology CO. has launched their latest flagship motherboard, the GA-X58A-UD7. Based on the Intel X58 chipset, the GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 delivers all the killer next generation features that gaming enthusiasts and power users have been waiting for including GIGABYTE’s 333 Onboard Acceleration features with support for USB 3.0, Serial-ATA Revision 3.0 (6Gbps) and a 3x USB Power Boost, as well as multi-GPU support for NVIDIA 3-Way SLI and ATI CrossFireX and support for Intel’s upcoming 32nm high performance processors.

“Gigabyte is once again raising the standard by which all other motherboards are judged with our latest flagship GA-X58A-UD7,” commented Henry Kao, Vice President Gigabyte Motherboard Business Unit. “Featuring next generation storage capabilities including USB 3.0 and SATA 3, as well as Gigabyte’s own unique 3x USB Power Boost, the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 truly epitomizes everything that a highest performance, highest feature set motherboard is all about.”

Continuing Gigabyte’s technology leadership, the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 features the revolutionary Gigabyte Ultra Durable 3 design, with 2 ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers to enable dramatically lower system temperature, improved energy efficiency and enhanced stability for overclocking. The GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 also features the Gigabyte Smart 6 technology, offering a combination of 6 innovative software utilities that provides an easier and smarter way for managing your system, including improved system performance, faster boot-up time, secure platform management as well as easy to enable system recovery with a click of mouse button.

The Gigabyte E GA-X58A-UD7 supports the latest Intel Core i7 processors for the LGA 1366 socket as well as Intel’s next generation 32nm processors, offering a high level of future CPU headroom for users wanting to maintain cutting-edge levels of performance. With the memory controller integrated directly into the processor die, the GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD7 also supports triple channel DDR3 memory for blazing fast memory performance.

The Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard supports the latest generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology made possible through an onboard NEC uPD720200 host controller. With superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps, users are able to experience an almost a 10x improvement over USB 2.0. Additionally, backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 assures users of long term use of their legacy USB 2.0 devices. The onboard NEC SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology also provides new power management features that include increased maximum bus power and device current draw to better accommodate power-hungry devices.

Yet another onboard feature of the Gigabyte X58A-UD7 is Marvell’s new SE9128 chips for high-speed SATA Revision 3.0 compatibility, delivering superfast 6Gbps link speeds for twice the data transfer rates of SATA Revision 2.0 (3 Gbps). When used in RAID 0 (Stripe) mode, the Gigabyte X58A-UD7 offers even faster data transfer rates of up to 4x the speed of current SATA interfaces. Another advantage of the Marvell SE9128 is its onboard RAID processor, which enables hardware based data balancing for ultra low CPU utilization, providing a much more powerful RAID solution compared to traditional software based RAID.

The Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 motherboard features a 3x USB power boost, delivering greater compatibility and extra power for USB devices. Gigabyte’s unique USB power design is also able to efficiently regulate output over the full voltage range, which greatly enhances USB device compatibility. In addition, dedicated lower resistance fuses ensure lower voltage drops, and provide a more stable and plentiful power delivery.

Gigabyte launches NVIDIA GeForce GT240 Series Graphics Cards with Premium Audio Experience

Gigabyte Technology Co has presented the latest GeForce GT240 Series graphics cards - “GV-N240D5-512I & GV-N240D3-1GI”. Thanks to advanced 40nm process, GV-N240D5-512I and GV-N240D3-1GI provide better performance while using less power. Even during hardcore overclocking the graphics cards can still run in low operating temperatures. Using GDDR5 memory, GV-N240D5-512I promises high speed gaming experience. Both GV-N240D5-512I and GV-N240D3-1GI are supported by Gigabyte specially-designed large fan sinks which allow cool air to flow freely to and guarantee quick heat dissipation.

GV-N240D5-512I and GV-N240D3-1GI support DirectX 10.1 and shader model 4.1. Users can enjoy premium high-end 3D gaming visual experience. Also, both GV-N240D5-512I and GV-N240D3-1GI support the hottest Microsoft Windows 7 operating system which enables users to have a more interactive and efficient GPU-accelerated environment. Along with NVIDIA CUDA and PhysX technology, gamers will see lifelike, real-time 3D physical effects and character interactions. In order to provide ultimate entertaining experience, the GV-N240D5-512I and GV-N240D3-1GI feature native HDMI output, delivering fully integrated support for deep color and 7.1 digital surround sound. In addition, GIGABYTE GV-N240 Series are featured on golden plated HDMI connector to fulfill users’ high definition audio and video needs simply through one cable. GV-N240D5-512I and GV-N240D3-1GI will be a perfect choice for HTPC solution.

GV-N240D3-1GI implements Gigabyte Ultra Durable 2 boards that guarantee outstanding cooling, lowest power loss, and longer product life. Lower RDS (on) MOSFETs have lower power consumption during the switching process, resulting in less heat generated by the GPU. Ferrite Core chokes hold energy much longer than common iron-core chokes and lower ESR Solid Capacitor are more stable and reliable than other cards on the market.

Gigabyte products are distributed in India by Avnet (India), Ingram Micro, Redington (India) and Neoteric Infomatique Ltd. Gigabyte’s GV-N240D5-512I is priced at MSRP Rs 8000 and GV-N240D3-1GI is priced at MSRP Rs 8400

Inspan launches latest G41 motherboard

Inspan Infotech has announced the launch of the latest G41 motherboards from Mercury. Inspan Infotech is premier distributor of Mercury PC components in India. Mercury PGG41Z mother boards features Intel G41 and ICH7 chipsets. This motherboard supports Intel core 2 Quad processors and supports FSB up to 1333MHz. With this motherboard, Inspan completes the portfolio of the motherboards for its partners.

Mercury PIG41Z delivers higher experience in digital entertainment along with productivity with its better and reliable performance. This motherboard supports Intel Core2 Quad processor which combines two dual core processors in to a single package that plugs into a single chip socket. This helps in speed and performance especially while multitasking. Another key feature of this motherboard is the latest connectivity standard USB2.0 for faster data transfers up to 480Mb/s. Integrated 6 channel high definition CODEC delivers the higher sound experience comparable to home theater systems. Dual DDR2 800 helps in doubling the bandwidth of system memory up to 12.8 GB/s enhancing the computing performance.

“With the introduction of Mercury PIG41Z motherboards, we feel we have supported our partners in selling the latest technology products their customers. It helps them to pitching the right product & technology mix to suit to customer requirements” saidSudhir S, Managing Director of Inspan Infotech, "Inspan continuously makes every effort to enable its partners to take on the challenges whether it is technology or the offer. Of course our Principals value our feedback and come out with such products to fulfill the demands of the market” adds Sudhir.

ASUS Unveils First Motherboards to Feature True USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s Performance

ASUS has announced a range of enhanced motherboard solutions that deliver true USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s data throughput performance. The ASUS Xtreme Design P7P55D-E Series motherboard has onboard support while the ASUS Xtreme Design P7P55D Series utilizes the ASUS U3S6 PCIe x4 expansion card to deliver the latest USB and SATA data transfer capabilities. Equipped with the Intel P55 Express chipset, the P7P55D-E / P7P55D Series supports the latest LGA 1156 socket for Intel Core i7/Core i5 Processors. Additionally, they also feature exclusive Hybrid Technology—Hybrid Processor, Hybrid Phase, and Hybrid OS—to give users intelligent performance enhancement, active cooling, and rapid online access.

"The introduction of these motherboards and expansion card is a way forward to the future where USB 3.0 and SATA6Gb/s performance will be standard. Reiterating our position of being industry leaders in the motherboard segment, the launch of these motherboards is in sync with our overall strategy of providing the most innovative solutions in the market at an appropriate time." commented Mr. Vinay Shetty - Country Head - Component Business, ASUS (India) about the launch of these motherboards.

ASUS’ unique expansion bridge design fully unleashes USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s transfer rates for both the P7P55D-E Series and the U3S6 expansion card. This specially-designed onboard IC doubles the bandwidth of the PCIe interface from Gen 1 to Gen 2, delivering ten times faster USB 3.0 throughput compared to the previous USB 2.0 standard. Additionally, by eliminating transmission bottlenecks, the expansion bridge increases hard disk read and write speeds by up to 50%. Transferring a 20GB HD movie now takes less than 70 seconds, while a 4MB song requires less than 0.01sec. Similarly, by inserting the ASUS U3S6 PCIe x4 expansion card into P7P55D Series motherboards, users can achieve the same rapid throughput with the latest USB 3.0 devices and SATA hard disks.

The ASUS P7P55D-E/P7P55D Series includes new Xtreme Design innovations—Hybrid Processors, Hybrid Phase Technology and Hybrid OS for optimized performance and enhanced stability. Hybrid Processors enable intuitive, real-time overclocking and automatic performance tuning for users to gain the processing power and speeds associated with a higher-end CPU. For enhanced stability, the P7P55D-E and P7P55D Series include the world’s leading Hybrid Phase power feature, which combines multi-phase power delivery with real-time phase balancing to improve cooling of active components. Users can also rapidly access online applications such as Skype, Instant Messaging, and over 1,000 Flash-based games with Express Gate. Additionally, with Windows 7 drivers included, users can conveniently start using Windows 7 and experience its benefits.

Gigabyte USB 3.0 Motherboard Microsite Helps Develop SuperSpeed Ecosystem

Gigabyte has announced the launch of the Gigabyte USB 3.0 microsite to help drive adoption of the new SuperSpeed interface within the PC industry. The new microsite is a source for information about USB 3.0 features, performance, Gigabyte motherboards with USB 3.0 capabilities, compatible 3^rd party USB 3.0 devices and also ‘where to buy’ information.

Gigabyte has been the leader in USB 3.0 motherboards ever since they were first to launch USB 3.0 motherboards on October 27^th, 2009 with the introduction of 7 new Intel P55 chipset models. GIGABYTE went on to launch the GA-X58A-UD7with USB 3.0 on November 19^th and on November 26^th was first with 3 new USB 3.0 motherboards for the AMD platform.

“Gigabyte currently offers 11 USB 3.0 motherboard models that cater to a wide range of high-end and mainstream price points and preferences, and we’re planning on launching several new entry level models in the near future so that more Gigabyte motherboard users will be able to benefit from SuperSpeed data transfer,” said Tim Handley, Deputy Director of Motherboard Marketing at Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. “We hope to work with every USB 3.0 device vendor to ensure compatibility and the best quality products and experience for our customers.”

Gigabyte products are distributed in India by Avnet (India), Ingram Micro, Redington (India) and Neoteric Infomatique Ltd.