Mobiles can come equipped to play movies and TV, but that puts a lot of strain on your eyesight, and their data storage capacity.
Music phones are emerging as the quality players in mobile entertainment.
Some of the models on show at Europe's largest mobile phone show, 3GSM, already look slick enough to nudge MP3 players off the shelf.
The secret of their success is that phones can now become mass-storage devices, using tiny, removable memory chips many gigabytes in size that can take thousands of tracks. Some have embedded memory that can hold yet more.
The relentless pace of technology innovation means those storage capacities are only going to grow.
Dan Inbar from computer memory maker SanDisk said: "In the past, the doubling of capacity has been every 18 months. Now it is coming down close to 12 months.
"Of course the other side of that is the applications that go with it. Currently the applications are running very, very fast as well."
Mobile downloads
Music on your mobile is about more than just a phone with room for more than just the top 20. The owners of music phones really want the ability to download songs when they are out and about.
Lots of companies are lining up to offer these sorts of services and while they jockey for position they know there is an elephant waiting in the wings: Apple's iTunes.
Apple's previous foray into phone music, the Motorola-designed Rokr, could not do mobile downloads; the recently announced iPhone, while not yet on the market, should.
UK-based Omnifone is offering a download subscription service which it is promoting as a cheaper and fresher alternative to what it says may come from Apple.
"Apple's business is an Apple-centric solution," said Rob Lewis, head of Omnifone. "Steve Jobs wants to be centre stage of hardware and digital music sales.
"We believe that together with 23 mobile operators and all the other manufacturers - who are already creating a billion devices every year - we can create a really compelling alternative for consumers that gives them the freedom to play and download music wherever they want on whatever device they want to buy."
The figure of a billion phones a year is the reason everyone is so interested in music phones and downloadable tracks, not least because the number of MP3 players knocking around is a fraction of the number of mobiles.
High costs
But there are concerns about cost. Consumers already complain that downloads to mobiles are overpriced and come with some hefty hidden charges.
Andrew Bud of the Mobile Entertainment Forum told us: "We have to give consumers confidence by making the pricing transparent. Customers have to know what they are going to pay when they buy it.
"Today that is not the case, because today they can buy a full track download for £1.50 or a couple of dollars, but in many territories they will be charged an additional amount of money that is not clear and sometimes may be as high as £20 ($39) for the data download charges associated with that. And that's a real problem."
Music phones look all set for take off but, as always, buyers beware.
As you are weigh up the pros and cons of which phone to buy and how much memory to install for downloading on the move, be sure to read the small print of your phone contract first.
Do that and these phones could put a skip into all our of our steps.
Technology by BBC News
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
GRISOFT’s AVG Anti-Virus is First to Receive Checkmark Certification on Windows Vista Business Edition
Avalanche Technology Group, the Australasian distributor of AVG security software, announced today that AVG Anti-Virus has earned Checkmark certification from West Coast Labs on Windows Vista Business Edition.
This is the first anti-virus program to successfully pass the certification requirements for anti-virus level 1 (detection), anti-virus level 2 (cleaning) and Trojan protection for the business edition of Windows Vista operating system.
“The Checkmark System is a certification service that is at the forefront of technology validation,” said Chris Thomas, operations director at West Coast Labs. “For AVG, this achievement demonstrates their ability to remain at the vanguard with technology trends in the security industry.”
AVG Anti-Virus provides security protection against viruses, worms, Trojans and potentially unwanted programs that infect computers and networks. AVG security programs are light on system resources and include free updates and 24/7 technical support throughout the two- or one-year license duration.
“GRISOFT continues to offer the most comprehensive and proactive security solutions to businesses and home users,” said Larry Bridwell, Global Security Strategist for AVG. “Checkmark certification is another success in our ongoing effort to ensure our products contain the highest threat protection and certification possible. We are very proud to be the first to provide this latest certification for Microsoft’s newest operating system.”
WCL Testing
Level 1: For a product to be certified to Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level One the product must be able to detect all those viruses which are "In the Wild". This gives a clear and independent indication to end users of those anti-virus products that they can be relied on to perforn to Level One functionality.
Level 2: For a product to be certified Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level Two the product must comply with Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level One and, in addition, disinfect all viruses on the "in the wild" list which are capable of disinfection.
Trojan: The product must be able to detect all trojans in the West Coast Labs Trojan test suite, which is regularly updated. The product should not cause any false alarms (based on testing against the West Coast Labs false alarm test suite).
About West Coast Labs www.westcoastlabs.org WCL is an independent technical consultancy, specializing in the independent testing and validation of the functionality and performance of information security products and services.
With a global client base among the world's leading security technology developers, WCL has a reputation for technical expertise, quality of service and independence. Tests are carried out with pre-defined objectives, to agreed criteria and within a structured methodology appropriate to the individual test.
About Checkmark Certification www.check-mark.com Owned by West Coast Labs, Checkmark brings a superior quality testing and certification service to technology developers through independent, industry-accepted standards on product effectiveness and performance for the benefit of corporate end-users and decision-makers. Far more than a static record of functionality tests, The Checkmark system is a proactive process of delivering critical product information, certification and performance data to support decision-makers' information-gathering and decision-making processes in a wide range of security technology sectors.
About GRISOFT www.GRISOFT.com Founded in 1991, with corporate offices in Europe and the USA, GRISOFT is focused on developing software solutions that provide protection from computer viruses. GRISOFT's primary focus is to deliver the most comprehensive and proactive protection available on the market.
Distributed globally through resellers and through the internet, the AVG Anti-Virus product line supports all major operating systems and platforms. More than 40 million users around the world use GRISOFT AVG products to protect their computers and networks.
Employing some of the world's leading experts in antivirus software, specifically in the areas of virus analysis and detection, software development, and antivirus support, GRISOFT is uniquely positioned to continue its leadership in the industry. GRISOFT continues to invest in R&D, teaming with leading universities to maintain its technological edge.
GRISOFT has experienced incredible growth in the last decade, particularly in the last few years, due to its ability to apply technical expertise to the protection of both businesses and home users. GRISOFT is continually expanding to address the needs of the global market.
About Avalanche www.avalanche.com.au Established in 1997 and based in Melbourne, Avalanche Technology Group Pty Ltd is a wholly owned Australian company that distributes a range of innovative business software solutions to the Australian and New Zealand markets. The products, which focus on real business needs, provide outstanding technical solutions and exceptional value for the client.
Avalanche is the Australian and New Zealand distributor of GRISOFT´s AVG security portfolio and FinePrint Software´s pdfFactory and FinePrint products. Avalanche has a 900-strong reseller network across Australia and New Zealand.
For more detailed information please contact: Peter Cameron Avalanche Technology Group 1300 855 005 Shuna Boyd BoydPR 02 9418 8100
Technology by arnnet
This is the first anti-virus program to successfully pass the certification requirements for anti-virus level 1 (detection), anti-virus level 2 (cleaning) and Trojan protection for the business edition of Windows Vista operating system.
“The Checkmark System is a certification service that is at the forefront of technology validation,” said Chris Thomas, operations director at West Coast Labs. “For AVG, this achievement demonstrates their ability to remain at the vanguard with technology trends in the security industry.”
AVG Anti-Virus provides security protection against viruses, worms, Trojans and potentially unwanted programs that infect computers and networks. AVG security programs are light on system resources and include free updates and 24/7 technical support throughout the two- or one-year license duration.
“GRISOFT continues to offer the most comprehensive and proactive security solutions to businesses and home users,” said Larry Bridwell, Global Security Strategist for AVG. “Checkmark certification is another success in our ongoing effort to ensure our products contain the highest threat protection and certification possible. We are very proud to be the first to provide this latest certification for Microsoft’s newest operating system.”
WCL Testing
Level 1: For a product to be certified to Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level One the product must be able to detect all those viruses which are "In the Wild". This gives a clear and independent indication to end users of those anti-virus products that they can be relied on to perforn to Level One functionality.
Level 2: For a product to be certified Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level Two the product must comply with Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level One and, in addition, disinfect all viruses on the "in the wild" list which are capable of disinfection.
Trojan: The product must be able to detect all trojans in the West Coast Labs Trojan test suite, which is regularly updated. The product should not cause any false alarms (based on testing against the West Coast Labs false alarm test suite).
About West Coast Labs www.westcoastlabs.org WCL is an independent technical consultancy, specializing in the independent testing and validation of the functionality and performance of information security products and services.
With a global client base among the world's leading security technology developers, WCL has a reputation for technical expertise, quality of service and independence. Tests are carried out with pre-defined objectives, to agreed criteria and within a structured methodology appropriate to the individual test.
About Checkmark Certification www.check-mark.com Owned by West Coast Labs, Checkmark brings a superior quality testing and certification service to technology developers through independent, industry-accepted standards on product effectiveness and performance for the benefit of corporate end-users and decision-makers. Far more than a static record of functionality tests, The Checkmark system is a proactive process of delivering critical product information, certification and performance data to support decision-makers' information-gathering and decision-making processes in a wide range of security technology sectors.
About GRISOFT www.GRISOFT.com Founded in 1991, with corporate offices in Europe and the USA, GRISOFT is focused on developing software solutions that provide protection from computer viruses. GRISOFT's primary focus is to deliver the most comprehensive and proactive protection available on the market.
Distributed globally through resellers and through the internet, the AVG Anti-Virus product line supports all major operating systems and platforms. More than 40 million users around the world use GRISOFT AVG products to protect their computers and networks.
Employing some of the world's leading experts in antivirus software, specifically in the areas of virus analysis and detection, software development, and antivirus support, GRISOFT is uniquely positioned to continue its leadership in the industry. GRISOFT continues to invest in R&D, teaming with leading universities to maintain its technological edge.
GRISOFT has experienced incredible growth in the last decade, particularly in the last few years, due to its ability to apply technical expertise to the protection of both businesses and home users. GRISOFT is continually expanding to address the needs of the global market.
About Avalanche www.avalanche.com.au Established in 1997 and based in Melbourne, Avalanche Technology Group Pty Ltd is a wholly owned Australian company that distributes a range of innovative business software solutions to the Australian and New Zealand markets. The products, which focus on real business needs, provide outstanding technical solutions and exceptional value for the client.
Avalanche is the Australian and New Zealand distributor of GRISOFT´s AVG security portfolio and FinePrint Software´s pdfFactory and FinePrint products. Avalanche has a 900-strong reseller network across Australia and New Zealand.
For more detailed information please contact: Peter Cameron Avalanche Technology Group 1300 855 005 Shuna Boyd BoydPR 02 9418 8100
Technology by arnnet
Thursday, February 15, 2007
BBC Watchdog reviews Xbox 360 ring-of-death
LAST NIGHT, BBC television show 'Watchdog' featured consumers disgruntled with their purchase of the Microsoft Xbox 360 console.
Watchdog reported that not only are users plagued with problems faulty units, Microsoft is attempting to charge customers with £80-£85 repair fee, after just a year of use.
Watchdog producers decided to go ahead with the programme, after receiving over 250 complaints from angry consumers.
Highlights have already appeared on video-sharing/tv-stealing service Youtube.
Microsoft has responded to claims by the BBC programme that it is charging excessive amounts for Xbox 360 repairs, and also stating that there is no systemic problem with the console.
In an official statement issued to GamesIndustry.biz, Microsoft said that the vast majority of Xbox 360 owners have had an outstanding experience with the console.
But Microsoft then conceded: "That being said, we have received a few isolated reports of consoles not working as expected. It's important to note that there is no systemic issue with Xbox 360 - each incident is unique and these customer inquiries are being handled on a case-by-case basis."
Microsoft has still not revealed details of how many Xbox 360 units have been found faulty, but did state that the return rate is significantly lower than the CE industry average of between three and five per cent.
Interestingly, we've had confirmation from a reader that the infamous 'towel-wrapping' of a faulty Xbox 360 does indeed work. Its thought that the over-heating caused by the towels resets the problematic lead-free solder around the embedded BGA graphics chip, allowing it to reconnect to the motherboard socket properly - at least temporarily.
Please note, we won't be offering any compensation if you try the towel-fix and things go wrong. We suggest paying the £80 to get Microsoft to fix it for you, instead of possibly burning your house down.
Technology by Dean Pullen
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
AMD goes low power for quad-core
AMD is preparing a new micro-architecture for its quad-core processors codenamed 'Barcelona' that promise to further cut power consumption, the company revealed at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco.
A micro-architecture is the design on a chip that allows software to interact with the chip architecture. It sits one layer below the instruction set architecture such as the IA-32 that is used in today's AMD Opteron and Intel Xeon processors.
AMD is updating its PowerNow energy management technology for the server chip, allowing each processing core to dynamically adjust frequencies for each individual core depending on compute demands.
The chip also is able to maintain power to the memory controller while cutting down the power on the processor, potentially allowing for additional energy savings.
'Clock gating' technology will allow the chip to shut down certain areas of the processor that are not being used.
While the power management improvements allow the chip to run at cooler temperatures, AMD also promised that the processors will provide a performance boost.
The company claimed that the addition of its L3 cache would increase performance for applications such as web hosting, databases and email servers.
The improvements will allow the chip to outpace Intel's quad-core processors by 40 per cent on average, according to AMD.
Intel is currently ahead of AMD in the race for the raw performance of its chips. But AMD is generally expected to take back the lead when it launches its quad-core processors.
Intel's quad-core chip bundles two dual-core dies in a single package, each with its own cache memory.
When data has to travel from the first core to the fourth, or when one core has to pull information from the cache memory on the other chip, the information has to travel a relatively long distance, causing a jump in power consumption and a drop in chip performance.
AMD's chips, by contrast, feature a monolithic design where all cores and cache memory are bundled on one physical chip.
AMD Tecnology by Tom Sanders in California, vnunet.com
A micro-architecture is the design on a chip that allows software to interact with the chip architecture. It sits one layer below the instruction set architecture such as the IA-32 that is used in today's AMD Opteron and Intel Xeon processors.
AMD is updating its PowerNow energy management technology for the server chip, allowing each processing core to dynamically adjust frequencies for each individual core depending on compute demands.
The chip also is able to maintain power to the memory controller while cutting down the power on the processor, potentially allowing for additional energy savings.
'Clock gating' technology will allow the chip to shut down certain areas of the processor that are not being used.
While the power management improvements allow the chip to run at cooler temperatures, AMD also promised that the processors will provide a performance boost.
The company claimed that the addition of its L3 cache would increase performance for applications such as web hosting, databases and email servers.
The improvements will allow the chip to outpace Intel's quad-core processors by 40 per cent on average, according to AMD.
Intel is currently ahead of AMD in the race for the raw performance of its chips. But AMD is generally expected to take back the lead when it launches its quad-core processors.
Intel's quad-core chip bundles two dual-core dies in a single package, each with its own cache memory.
When data has to travel from the first core to the fourth, or when one core has to pull information from the cache memory on the other chip, the information has to travel a relatively long distance, causing a jump in power consumption and a drop in chip performance.
AMD's chips, by contrast, feature a monolithic design where all cores and cache memory are bundled on one physical chip.
AMD Tecnology by Tom Sanders in California, vnunet.com
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