Blu-ray Disc (also known as Blu-ray or BD) is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are for storing PlayStation 3 games, high-definition video, and data storage, with up to 25 GB per single layered, and 50 GB per dual layered disc. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs.
The name Blu-ray Disc derives from the blue-violet laser used to read the disc. While a standard DVD uses a 650 nanometre red laser, Blu-ray uses a shorter wavelength, a 405 nm blue-violet laser, and allows for almost six times more data storage than on a DVD.
During the format war over high-definition optical discs, Blu-ray competed with the HD DVD format. Toshiba, the main company supporting HD DVD, ceded in February 2008, and the format war ended, then in July 2009, announced plans to put out its own Blu-ray Disc device by the end of 2009.
Blu Ray Disc
- Media type High-density optical disc Encoding MPEG-2, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, and VC-1
- Capacity 25 GB (single-layer).
- 50 GB (dual-layer) Block size 64kb ECC Read mechanism 405 nm laser:
- 1× at 36 Mbit/s (4.5 MByte/s)
- 2× at 72 Mbit/s (9 MByte/s)
- 4× at 144 Mbit/s (18 MByte/s)
- 6× at 216 Mbit/s (27 MByte/s)
- 8× at 288 Mbit/s (36 MByte/s)
- 12× at 432 Mbit/s (54 MByte/s) Usage Data storage
- High-definition video
UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service) is a third-generation (3G) broadband, packet-based transmission of text, digitized voice, video, and multimedia at data rates up to 2 megabits per second (Mbps). UMTS offers a consistent set of services to mobile computer and phone users, no matter where they are located in the world. UMTS is based on the Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication standard. It is also endorsed by major standards bodies and manufacturers as the planned standard for mobile users around the world. Once UMTS is fully available, computer and phone users can be constantly attached to the Internet wherever they travel and, as they roam, will have the same set of capabilities. Users will have access through a combination of terrestrial wireless and satellite transmissions. Until UMTS is fully implemented, users can use multi-mode devices that switch to the currently available technology (such as GSM 900 and 1800) where UMTS is not yet available.
3G Systems are intended to provide a global mobility with wide range of services including telephony, paging, messaging, Internet and broadband data. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) started the process of defining the standard for third generation systems, referred to as International Mobile Telecommunications 2000 (IMT-2000). In Europe European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) was responsible of UMTS standardisation process. In 1998 Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) was formed to continue the technical specification work. 3GPP has five main UMTS standardisation areas: Radio Access Network, Core Network, Terminals, Services and System Aspects and GERAN.
HSDPA, short for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, is a new protocol for mobile telephone data transmission. It is known as a 3.5G (G stands for generation) technology. Essentially, the standard will provide download speeds on a mobile phone equivalent to an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line in a home, removing any limitations placed on the use of your phone by a slow connection. It is an evolution and improvement on W-CDMA, or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, a 3G protocol. HSDPA improves the data transfer rate by a factor of at least five over W-CDMA. HSDPA can achieve theoretical data transmission speeds of 8-10 Mbps (megabits per second). Though any data can be transmitted, applications with high data demands such as video and streaming music are the focus of HSDPA.
HSDPA improves on W-CDMA by using different techniques for modulation and coding. It creates a new channel within W-CDMA called HS-DSCH, or high-speed downlink shared channel. That channel performs differently than other channels and allows for faster downlink speeds. It is important to note that the channel is only used for downlink. That means that data is sent from the source to the phone. It isn't possible to send data from the phone to a source using HSDPA. The channel is shared between all users which lets the radio signals to be used most effectively for the fastest downloads.
The widespread availability of HSDPA may take a while to be realized, or it may never be achieved. Most countries did not have a widespread 3G network in place as of the end of 2005. Many mobile telecommunications providers are working quickly to deploy 3G networks which can be upgraded to 3.5G when the market demand exists. Other providers tested HSDPA through 2005 and are rolling out the service in mid to late 2006. Early deployments of the service will be at speeds much lower than the theoretically possible rates. Early service will be at 1.8 Mbps, with upgrades to 3.6Mbps as devices are made available that can handle that increased speed.
The long-term acceptance and success of HSDPA is unclear, because it is not the only alternative for high speed data transmission. Standards like CDMA2000 1xEV-DO and WiMax are other potential high speed standards. Since HSDPA is an extension of W-CDMA, it is unlikely to succeed in locations where W-CDMA has not been deployed. Therefore, the eventual success of HSDPA as a 3.5G standard will first depend upon the success of W-CDMA as a 3G standard.
WiMAX meaning Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is a wireless digital communications system, also known as IEEE 802.16, that is intended for wireless "metropolitan area networks". It is a telecommunications technology that provides wireless transmission of data using a variety of transmission modes, from point-to-multipoint links to portable and fully mobile[citation needed] internet access WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations. In contrast, the WiFi/802.11 wireless local area network standard is limited in most cases to only 100 - 300 feet (30 - 100m). The name "WiMAX" was created by the WiMAX Forum, which was formed in June 2001 to promote conformity and interoperability of the standard. The forum describes WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL.
WiMAX can be used for wireless networking in much the same way as the more common WiFi protocol. WiMAX is a second-generation protocol that allows for more efficient bandwidth use, interference avoidance, and is intended to allow higher data rates over longer distances.
WiMAX is the next-generation of wireless technology designed to enable pervasive, high-speed mobile Internet access to the widest array of devices including notebook PCs, handsets, smartphones, and consumer electronics such as gaming devices, cameras, camcorders, music players, and more. As the fourth generation (4G) of wireless technology, WiMAX delivers low-cost, open networks and is the first all IP mobile Internet solution enabling efficient and scalable networks for data, video, and voice. As a major driver in the support and development of WiMAX, Intel has designed embedded WiMAX solutions for a variety of mobile devices supporting the future of high-speed broadband on-the-go.
Mobile WiMAX is the next revolution in wireless technology that will enable pervasive, high-speed connectivity to meet the ever-increasing demand for broadband Internet on the go. Delivering the next leap in the mobile network evolution with fourth generation (4G) wireless, WiMAX will drive a wide array of devices well beyond what's available today, including notebooks, phones, consumer electronic devices, Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and more.
IEEE 802.16 Specifications
Range 30 mile radius from the base station for LOS (line-of-sight).
Range 4-6 miles radius from the base station for NLOS (Non-line-of-sight)
Maximum data speed supported as 70 Mbps.
Licensed frequency band: 2- 11 GHz
Un-licensed frequency band: 10- 66 GHz
Line of sight is not needed between user and the base station unless very high date rates are required at the user premises.
The good: The HTC Touch Pro2 features a sharp, spacious touch screen and an easy-to-use full QWERTY keyboard. The Windows Mobile smartphone also includes conference call management tools for business users and offers good call quality. It also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
The bad: The smartphone is heavy and bulky. No U.S. 3G support on this version and it's expensive. Onboard memory is low, and we would have liked an upgraded camera.
The bottom line: With a feature set to match its large size, the HTC Touch Pro2 will be a great device for power and business users once it finally hits North America and adds U.S. 3G support.
Specifications: Band/mode: W-CDMA 900/2100 / GSM 850/900/1800/1900 ; OS provided: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional ; Talk time: Up to 510 min
Model
HTC Touch Pro2 (T7373)
Processor
Qualcomm® MSM7200A™, 528 MHz
Operating System
Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
Memory
ROM: 512 MB RAM: 288 MB
Dimensions(LxWxT)
116 X 59.2 X 16.65 mm (4.57 X 2.33 X 0.66 inches)
Weight
178.5 grams (6.3 ounces) with battery
Display
3.6-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 800 WVGA resolution Adjustable tilt screen
Network
HSPA/WCDMA:
Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz
Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
Europe/Asia: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
(Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent.)
Device Control
TouchFLO™ 3D Zoom bar
Keyboard
Slide-out 5-row QWERTY keyboard
GPS
Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity
Bluetooth® 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0, audio jack, and TV Out* in one)
Camera
Main camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus Second camera: VGA CMOS color camera
Dell Alienware gaming laptop : Hard-core gamers and technology enthusiasts will find much to celebrate with the new Dell Alienware M17x laptop. The new Dell Alienware M17x laptop is the most powerful 17-inch gaming notebook in the universe and delivers a pulse-pounding, life-like experience. In support of the launch, Dell unveiled a new “All Powerful” marketing campaign to reach gamers throughout the universe and that it will expand Alienware’s presence from six to 35 countries. Just as Dell’s Adamo brand represents premium craftsmanship and design, Alienware represents premium performance in the Dell consumer product portfolio and is the new standard-bearer in the broader gaming and technology space.
Processor: Intel Core 2 Extreme X9300 Frequency of the CPU (GHz): 2.53 RAM: 8 GB RAM type: DDR2 Capacity HDD 1 (GB): 500 Rotational speed of the disc 1: 7200tr/mn Capacity HDD 2 (GB): 500 Rotational speed of the disc 2: 7200tr/mn Disk interface (s) drive (s): Serial ATA Turbo Memory: NA 1 Optical Drive: Combo Blu-ray/BD-RE Optical Drive 2: No TV Tuner: No Television command: No Fingerprint Reader: No WebCam: Yes
size of screen (inches): 17 Format of the screen: 16:10 Screen resolution: 1920 x 1200 pixels Graphics card: 2 x Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M Graphics memory: 2 x 1024 MB DDR3
Windows 7 will be available on October 22. It includes tons of little refinements — and a few big ones—many suggested by you. The result? Everyday computing is faster, simpler, easier.
Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Faster and more reliable performance means your PC just works the way you want it to. And great features like Windows Media Center and Windows Touch make new things possible. Get to know Windows 7, and see how it can simplify just about everything you do with your PC.
Perhaps the biggest surprise - and for Microsoft, possibly the biggest boost - is a feature that has been announced but not yet available: Windows XP Mode, which will run XP applications in an XP compatibility box, but make them appear as if they are running directly in Windows 7 itself. In this way, Microsoft hopes to give users the best of both worlds - the compatibility of XP and the shinier new Windows 7 interface.
The feature sounds underwhelming until you dig into the details. According to Microsoft, you won't actually have to manually run Virtual PC to run those XP applications once you've installed them; instead, they will appear to work directly within Windows 7.
You'll just have to run Virtual PC the first time and run the application - from that point on, it will appear to be just other application running directly in Windows 7 (at least, that's the promise). And you won't have to buy XP separately - your Windows 7 EULA (end-user licence agreement) includes XP as well. In essence, you get two operating systems for the price of one.
This solves one of Microsoft's biggest problems with XP very cleverly - it's such a solid, stable operating system that people simply don't want to give it up to move to a newer operating system. Now they don't have to - they can run XP as if it were a part of Windows 7. Microsoft says Windows XP Mode will soon be ready for download.
Canon has unveiled its latest model, the Rebel T1i (500D). It's the fifth generation of Rebel and enters the market at a difficult time - in the midst of a global economic downturn and against the fiercest competition we've ever seen in the entry-level DSLR sector. So what has Canon done to make this latest model in the longest-established family in the sector live up to the edgy and exciting image implied by its US naming?
The 500D/T1i doesn't quite have to be the everyman camera that its predecessors were. The introduction of the Rebel XS (1000D) in June 2008 means the T1i no longer has to appeal to everybody who doesn't want to stretch to buying into the 50D class. As a result, the 450D was able to bulk up its feature set to include a selection of features that price-conscious shoppers don't necessarily realize they want, such as a larger viewfinder and spot metering. The result was probably the most complete Rebel we'd seen.
Higher resolution sensor (15.1 vs 12.2 effective megapixels)
Extended ISO range up to ISO 12800
HD video capability
New 3.0 inch 920K pixels screen
Adjustable noise reduction and highlight tone priority
Face Detection in Live View
Peripheral Illumination Correction
HDMI output
Larger buffer in continuous shooting
Digic 4 style menu design
There's a full explanation of the differences between the 500D/T1i and it predecessor on the coming pages but, in general terms, it's a gentle re-working of the 450D. So you get the 15MP sensor much like the one that appears in the 50D, helping this to become the first entry-level DSLR to feature video (and 1080p HD video at that). You also get the lovely 920,000 dot VGA monitor that has been slowly working its way down most manufacturer's DSLR line-ups. There are a handful of other specification tweaks that come from the use of the latest Digic 4 processor but essentially this is most of a 50D stuffed into the familiar 450D body.
Sony CyberShot DSC-W180 digital camera : Great pictures to fit everyone’s pocket; Sony has announced a new CyberShot digital camera. The slim and stylish Sony CyberShot W180 offers superb picture quality and outstanding value. The Sony Cyber-shot W180 is the perfect no-fuss choice for anyone who wants to capture family moments, holidays and nights out. The Sony W180 looks great with slim, clean lines and a choice of silver, black or red colour finish options. Ideal for first-time photographers, the camera is beautifully easy to use, with a simple slide switch to select photo/movie/playback modes. For maximum creative freedom, a choice of seven Scene Selection modes adjusts camera settings automatically to suit virtually any subject.
Also supplied with the Sony CyberShot W180 is the latest version (4.2.01) of Picture Motion Browser software (for PC). The software makes it easy to manage and share your collection of digital photos and video clips and for uploading these to YouTube, Picasa or other image and video sharing web-sites.
Sony Cybershot DSC-W180 features
• Effective Pixels : 10.1 megapixels • Sensor : 1 / 2.33 type Super HAD CCD • Lens : Sony camera lens • Zoom : 3x Optical Zoom • ISO : 3200 • Face Detection function : Yes • Smile shutter function : Yes • LCD Display : 2.7” Clear Photo LCD • Camera battery Life : 145 mins • Image stabiliser : SteadyShot • Camera colours : Silver, Black, Red
Samsung Star S5233 is a candybar phone work on quad-band GSM network. It features touch WQVGA TFT 262k colors display, 3MP camera, FM Radio, Bluetooth v2.1, HTML browser, Organizer and Speakerphone.
Samsung Star will be available in Pink, White and Black colors and will sell across Europe, Africa and Asia.
The phone runs a number of standard widgets for photos, music, clock, calendar, etc. on the left side of the screen that you can drag and drop into the home screen for easy access. The home screen is also extended to 2 more screens just by swiping your finger sideways (there are 3 small dots that indicates which screen you are in). This is one feature from Android I like since it gives an impression that you have a larger virtual screen to work on.
At the bottom of the screen are 3 physical buttons — two for making/dropping calls and a center button that functions as cancel/back button. While the phone is just 12mm thick, the phone feels thicker than it seems although you get a good hold of it with one hand.
The speakers in the front is loud and crisp at low volume (probably due to the DNSe) but doesn’t have enough bass. The camera at the back is 3.15MP (2048×1536 pixels) but no autofocus so captured images aren’t even decent enough to post here. If you’re looking for connectivity options, the Samsung Star might not be for you — no WiFi, no 3G (just GPRS/EDGE), no GPS — just Bluetooth with A2DP.
The new Philips Xenium X830 is one of those phones where you would be completely amazed at what it can offer in large print but then in the small print you’d find out that it actually boasts multiple flaws. I must admit this new upcoming Xenium X830 flagship does look fab, a nice three inch TFT touchscreen display with five megapixel camera and autofocus to start off with. Its main feature is of course a battery that will last you 1.5 months until your next charge if you just leave it on standby but what it lacks is often unrealised until we take a look at its full specs.
The full specs of the X830 are listed below, you will notice that it won’t have 3G, WiFi or GPS, these are features that you would expect for a phone of its class. We hope they’ve just forgotten to put them in!
Quad-band GSM connectivity with GPRS and EDGE
3 inch TFT touchscreen display with 320 x 240 pixels and 262k colors
This the new DVR-BZ130. It is the latest Mitsubishi digital video recorder (DVR). It comes with a built in 320 GB hard drive, Blu-Ray recorder along with one analog / digital tuner which allows simultaneous recording of two programs. The remote control is also simplified for easy operation. Whats unique is the ‘Auto cut’ feature which removes the commercials in the recordings. For more information click www.gadgetlite.com.
