Top Techs to watch in 2010

The year will start as 2009 ended, with the introduction of USB 3 and SATA/600.  These boast speeds up to 10x that achievable before.  They will really open up hardware, especially removable storage, allowing external hard drives to transfer data at their true speeds.  Intel’s new Lightpeak technology could well smash these two however, at last a proper fibre-optic technology capable of connecting, well just about anything really and with a theoretical throughput of a massive 100Gbits/sec. Still on storage, we can expect to see SSDs take off as system drives, sadly they’re still far too expensive for data drives, but a 64Gb drive, easily big enough for a good sized Windows installation, can be picked up for only £100. Larabee, again from Intel is a new graphic technology that uses x86 CPUs to crunch more data than the numeric processors on traditional graphics cards.  The theory, Intel says, is that they are much more efficient at performing complex maths operations.  So far the early demonstrations from Intel are promising, and this could change PC and console gaming considerably. Apple could finally invade the corporate space in 2010 with the first Mac Mini running OS X Server having recently been launched.  For cheap network storage or a file or print server for a small office this is ideal given its small form-factor.  Maybe we can expect to see more offices switching to Macs as a result, though prices may still need to drop. Google Chrome OS might not be an especially useful operating system in the 90% of the time you’re away from a wi-fi internet connection.  There can be no doubt however though that it will be THE big tech story of 2010 and will generate levels of publicity we’ve not seen since Windows 95, while Google’s Android operating system will probably overtake Apple iPhone OS and Windows Mobile in market saturation. Finally, and this is one technology I sincerely hope catches on this year, OLED screens could finally make cheap and energy efficient monitors a reality.  This could significantly reduce the price of netbooks and budget laptops, especially with the increasing popularity of SSDs bringing them down in price too.  Bring it on! [http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk]

The 10 Technologies that changed the Noughties

Looking back at 1999 and the technology we were using it’s amazing to think just how far we’ve come in that time. I had a slow as hell PC with precious little storage and a CD burner back then. For mobile computing I was using a Psion series 5 which was cutting edge at the time, especially for its keyboard that would go on to inspire modern laptop keyboards today. And a mobile phone, didn’t have one, why would I? In the next ten years everything changed. Here I’ll look through just ten of the technologies that have changed the way we live and work in the last ten years. 1) The Internet It’s hard to believe now but the at end of the nineties huge numbers of people, including myself, we still using dial up internet connections at only 56k. The advent of broadband and then the speed increases we’ve had have completely changed and revolutionised the way we work and live our lives today. Just look at what the modern internet has given us. Cloud computing and web apps, IPTV and services such as the BBC’s iPlayer, social networking and a rich shopping experience nobody could have imagined before. 2) MP3 There can be no doubt that MP3, an innocuous and initially controversial audio file format, has changed so much about the way we live our lives. It’s done what no other file format before or since has done and created huge new industries and tens of thousands of jobs around the world. On top of this, the crowning achievement is the freedom it’s allowed us in having our music, and subsequently, our video collections with us whenever we want. 3) Digital Cameras In their infancy at the end of the last century, digital cameras have also revolutionised the way we live and work. They’re now such an important part of our everyday lives that we tend to forget how special it was, and how difficult it was, getting photographs before. 4) 3G Despite the hype surrounding 3G when it launched in 2003 many people failed to conceive how useful it would ultimately turn out to be. What followed was, much in the same vein as MP3, an explosion of job creation and new innovation that sprung out from this technology. 5) Flat Screens Another technology that has changed the way we live and work is flat screens. In their various guises over the last decade (plasma, LCD, OLED etc.) they’ve helped bring about a freedom to work, watch video or browse the web wherever we are. 6) DVD & Blu-Ray Do you still have VHS cassette tapes in your home? Do you think of them as clunky and embarrassing? You wouldn’t be alone with this. The manufacturing cost savings of DVD alone meant that huge movie libraries were finally within the reach of the masses, compared to up to £80 for a movie on VHS only a few years before. What’s more the advent of DVD saw television companies finally able to squeeze more life out of their programming and the box set was born. 7) GPS For many GPS is the time-saving technology of the last decade, but it’s been so much more than a way to help us get from A to B and only at the end of the noughties are we really beginning to use it to its full potential. Geo-tagging and augmented reality have begun to show the way forward, and the future for GPS is very bright indeed. The final three technologies in my list have all sprung out of the big ones mentioned already. 8) Laptops & Netbooks Internet for the masses, wherever and whenever you want. I would include wi-fi in this list but for laptops and netbooks in recent years 3G has been just as, if not more important, in providing access anywhere for anyone. The price drops that the technologies of the last ten years have allowed have really brought mobile computing into the mainstream. 9) Mobile Phones I can remember the clunky, unreliable, brick phones I had before the advent of the modern mobile. Just compare what we had then to the mobiles we use today. Back then I resisted having a mobile because it was only there for calls. Now however text messaging and the internet mean the mobile is a personal companion and repository of all knowledge from train times and restaurant reviews to maps, and much more. 10) Touch Screens Touch screens, once the joke of the computing world, have come of age in the last few years with multi-touch now almost taken for granted by the masses. In reality this is a massive achievement and one that, like GPS, is only beginning to hint at what its capable of. One things that I realised coming out of this is that the general public are significantly more excited and accepting of new technologies than they were only ten years ago. You only have to look at the speed with which the iPhone took off to see how touch screen technology, once something only used by a few people, came to be accepted into the mainstream so quickly. [http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk]

Best Tech Deals After the Holidays

Courtesy of countless post-holiday retail and online sales, Dec. 26 can be the one you score an incredible after-season deal. With consumers gorged to their limits and stores still chock full of overflowing merchandise, retailer desperation reaches a peak, and discounts can easily outstrip the pre-Christmas sales. Looking to use this opportunity to snag that shiny new smartphone, laptop or HDTV? We've compiled tips to help post-holiday binge shoppers stuff their empty stockings full of today's hottest gadgets and futuristic accessories for a fraction of what they would have cost as little as 48 hours sooner. Shop smart — buy the gadgets and consumer electronics everyone else isn't. After-holiday sales typically depend on desperate retailers trying to unload stock that didn't move before Christmas. While that means you won't find hot items that sold out early (i.e. Barnes & Noble's Nook eReader) suddenly under deep discount, you can discover plenty of great deals on equally exciting high-tech gifts that others may have overlooked. "Look for products in categories that haven't been selling as well, for example desktop PCs or digital music players without Apple or iPod on the box," says Digital Trends' own technology analyst Scott Steinberg. He also recommends keeping an eye on highly-competitive categories where prices reliably drop just weeks after a new product comes out, like CDs, DVDs, video games and Blu-ray discs. In addition,  Ben's Bargains' content manager Ken Hoo says that sales of navigation systems have reached a standstill this year, leading to superior pricing for today's shoppers. Look to retail stores for premium discounts. Online stores offer many of the best deals in the run up to the holidays, but afterward, brick-and-mortar stores face far more pressure to move stock from their cramped aisles. Call ahead to make sure retailers carry the item you're looking for. In addition, don't quit looking just because you've found the right item at a single outlet. Even if you end up finding multiple vendors that offer the same price, some retailers offer added perks like free delivery, complementary accessories (e.g. carrying cases and magazine subscriptions) and cash back in the form of store gift cards. Hoo also believes that traditional retailers offer shoppers the best shot at deals in the days following Christmas, but urges them to buy with caution. Many clearance items may take the form of returned items, factory models or refurbished goods, which aren't always in the same shape they originally arrived at the store in. Use the Web and online resources to discover the best deals. Even if you don't utilize the Web to purchase high-tech gadgets and appliances, it's imperative that you seek out its wisdom when doing supporting research. Picking the right bargain isn't as hard as it sounds, with an endless variety of user-friendly deal-hunting sites and resources at your fingertips. These tools can help you cut through the clutter, find the best savings, and know what you're getting yourself into long before ever setting foot inside a local retailer. Begin shopping the day after Christmas. You're best off braving stores the day immediately after Christmas, when sales will be going on strong, but shelves won't yet be entirely picked over. "Retailers are not going to wait," says Hoo. "They want to have all these sales out there where they're ripe for the taking." Steinberg agrees that sharp consumers will act immediately. "Rather than wait until the New Year to shop, you'll find better deals in that window after Christmas and before January," he says. From a retailer's perspective, that's the magic hour to sell, sell, sell, before year-end accounting books swing shut like jail cell doors on the first of January. If you can hold back from buying before Christmas, that's when retailers are going to try to goose those numbers, and if you're there to help them, you stand to be handsomely rewarded. Don't wait for "the next big thing." The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January is Ground Zero for announcements on an array of next-generation gadgets that manyk shoppers hope will push down prices on current-gen goods. Don't be fooled, however: These unveilings won't deflate current market values anytime soon. Unless the item is question is about to ship or presently hitting store shelves, current prices won't budge. "These announcements let people know that certain devices will be coming, but usually prices will only drop after a product is actually released," says Hoo. "That's when vendors want to start clearing older models out." Says Steinbert: "Smart shoppers will hit the ground running and take advantage of post-season sales to stretch their holiday cash further. Act now or forever hold your gift card..." Digital Trends

Rumours re-surface about a Google Netbook

We’ve only just stopped deliberating on whether there will be a Google phone or not, and now an old rumour about a Google Netbook is starting to surface again. Google are keeping us all in suspense these days. So is there a Google Netbook with Chrome operating system in the offing? At the moment we have no idea because as we said, it’s all rumour and speculation and Google haven’t actually said anything and until they do we will continue to speculate. However, if what we are hearing is true, and Google are going to be producing Google branded phones and Netbooks then many people are bound to be wondering what Google are playing at. We tend to think of Google as an Internet company, mostly because of their dominance in the search engine market and in internet advertising but if they’re going to be producing phones and netbooks too then what’s that all about? Well it may be a tad surprising for some to learn that Google has been expanding into different areas all along and already produce a massive range of products so instead of asking why they would produce a phone and a netbook perhaps we should be thinking why not? According to a recent story in TechCrunch, Google has already been in talks with a hardware manufacturer to produce the Google Netbook and have given the company a request for proposal which included a list of technical details for the portable device although the actual technical specifications are still unknown. There is speculation though that the Netbook will run on an ARM processor and it will incorporate the new Nvidia Tegra graphics chip and of course that it will feature Chrome operating system. Ok so that’s about it really, not much to go on, but if the rumours turn out to be true which could well be the case, the next question is how would Google make the Netbook available to customers? Well the talk around Nexus One phone is that the phone will be made available unlocked and directly to the consumer. Could this be what they might do with a Google Netbook too, sell it directly to the consumer? Others believe that a Google Netbook would most likely be available through one or more carriers who will subsidise the netbook. So what’s it to be? As Google is keeping its mouth shut only time will tell. Information from geekwithlaptop

Get Ready For The Google Branded Chrome OS Netbook

Google has said from the beginning that they plan on working with select manufacturers to ensure a good Chrome OS experience for users when devices first hit the market next year. From an early FAQ: “The Google Chrome OS team is currently working with a number of technology companies to design and build devices that deliver an extraordinary end user experience. Among others, these companies include Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba.” Most of the tech world now considers it a given that Google will be selling its own unlocked phone, called the Nexus One, to customers directly early in 2010. A few stragglers are still debating the finer points of the difference between Google working with handset manufacturers and carriers on a good Android experience v. them dictating the hardware specs and selling it directly to users. While they work that out for themselves we’re off to the next story – the Google Chrome OS Netbook (although we think Google has a few surprises left around the Nexus One, too). Most people assume that “working with” around Chrome OS means the same thing as “working with” around Android – lots of meetings to make sure the devices and software work together as well as possible. But sometimes those pesky hardware guys just don’t do things quite right. And when you’re competing against Apple, everything most definitely needs to be quite right. That may explain why Google has, according to multiple sources, been talking to at least one hardware manufacturer about building a netbook for Google directly. As in Google gave the company a RFP with quite detailed technical specifications and has begun discussions on building it. They’re not in any particular hurry and seem to be aiming for the 2010 holiday season, a full year from now. Our understanding is that Google intends to have the devices built, branded with Google, and then sell them directly to consumers. The only firm tech spec we’ve heard is that they’ll be mobile enabled, and likely tied to one or more carriers with a subsidy. I’m dying to get my hands on that RFP and have been feverishly calling our contacts in Taiwan and China to see if we can get someone to quietly hand it over to us. In particular I want to know whether Google is going with an Intel Atom processor, the current leader in netbooks, or may be considering an ARM CPU. I’d be willing to bet one of our writers’ right hands that it’s ARM. And I’d even go out on a limb and suggest that they may very well be targeting Nvidia’s Tegra line. Those chips are outperforming Atom in every way, say some of the hardware guys we know. HD Flash video no problem (something the Atom can’t do), and at a fraction of the power usage. What does that mean? It means next Christmas you may be getting a high performance Google branded netbook running Chrome OS for next to nothing. And if it’s running ARM, Intel is going to be freaking the hell out about it. As an aside, if you need a netbook now, I’d recommend the Nokia Booklet 3G. It’s amazing, and you can get it for $300 with a 2 year AT&T data plan. Nokia may not be able to make phones anyone gets excited about any more, but that netbook is cool. by Michael Arrington

Nokia 6700 Classic Gold Edition Phone will be released in 2010

The Nokia 6700 classic Gold Edition is made from a 18-carat gold finish and features custom wallpapers to complete the look, alongside a carry case and memory card. The handset offers a 5.0-megapixel camera with LED flash, auto-focus and full-screen view finder. Users will be sure conversations can be heard loud and clear with Uplink Noise Cancellation (UNC) technology. A built-in A-GPS receiver uses Nokia Maps to help users find their way. Features Sleek 18-carat gold finish with gently rounded corners for style, comfort and convenience Built-in 5.0-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash makes taking photos easy Integrated Uplink Noise Cancellation (UNC) technology removes background noise and ensures users are heard more clearly -- with up to 5 hours of talk time Browse the Internet faster with HSDPA (up to 10Mbps) Nokia Maps and a built-in A-GPS receiver helps users find the way The new 6700 handset will be released in the first quarter of 2010 and have an estimated retail price of $540.

Yahoo and Microsoft combine forces to challenge Google

Yahoo will receive at least $150 million by the middle of 2009 from Microsoft if the two companies can close an advertising and search agreement, according to reports. In a related incident at Barclays Capital Global Technology Conference, a Yahoo executive stated that Yahoo was already grooming certain engineers to be shuffled over to Microsoft. Yahoo’s engineer grooming efforts have apparently been underway for some time and ultimately will target at least 400 existing search engineers. "We are well down the line; we have dedicated teams running the search business and running the transition of the search business," Yahoo chief financial officer Tim Morse said during the Barclays Capital Global Technology Conference. On Dec 4th, Yahoo and Microsoft announced their agreement to position Bing as a more viable contender to Google in 2010. By combining Bing with Yahoo’s current market share, experts predict that the partners will assume 30% of the existing search engine market in North America. The deal also calls for Bing to become the back-end search technology for all of Yahoo’s sites, while Yahoo assumes worldwide sales efforts for both companies. Yahoo can be released from the 10-year agreement if Google’s RPS (revenue per search) becomes higher than the combine RPS rates of Microsoft and Yahoo. Yahoo can also terminate the contract if Yahoo’s RPS rate is lower than Google’s 12 month average RPS. Mike Albee [LA Business Tech Examiner]

Google and Facebook -Contrasts in Privacy

The headlines recently have been dominated with news of online privacy. Facebook has implemented changes that affect the privacy of status updates, and Google made headlines for its apparent disregard for privacy. The difference between how Facebook and Google have addressed privacy issues offers a stark contrast. While Facebook has quickly responded to criticism and backlash, and has implemented additional changes to try and accommodate concerns, Google CEO Eric Schmidt dismissed privacy concerns entirely. Facebook has faced challenges with privacy and what sorts of controls it has in place to ensure that users can exert some control over who is able to view their status updates, photos, events, and other Facebook entries. The Canadian government pressed the issue and succeeded in pressuring Facebook into changing a handful of practices to address privacy concerns. As Facebook implemented changes this week, which were previously announced and anticipated--a change of pace for Facebook changes, there was immediate backlash. Facebook is struggling to figure out how to capitalize on member status updates for real-time search to be more like Twitter, and it is going through some growing pains to establish the right mix of sharing and security. Google is also faced with constant criticism and concern from privacy advocates. Google is the monolithic Big Brother of the Internet, crawling and indexing every last byte of data that exists and presenting it to the general public in a matter of milliseconds through its various search offerings. The difference between Facebook and Google as it relates to privacy is that Facebook appears to listen to concerns and respond by implementing changes to try and address issues, while Google seems to be dismissive. The Google response is to just stress why you should trust it, or why you shouldn't care about privacy. In a CNBC interview, Google CEO Eric Schmidt explained his stance on online privacy "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place. If you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines --including Google --do retain this information for some time and it's important, for example, that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act and it is possible that all that information could be made available to the authorities." The problem with that point of view is that it assumes you can only be concerned about privacy when you are doing something illegal or unethical. It doesn't take into consideration the myriad ways that data can be inadvertently leaked or compromised by search engines like Google. Just because executives and managers want information to be private, it doesn't mean that they are trying to hide anything like shady accounting a' la Enron, or illegal pyramid schemes a' la Madoff. It simply means that some information is sensitive or confidential for a reason. For businesses that rely on Google Docs or Gmail, there is a level of trust there that Google will respect the privacy of that data and protect it from unauthorized access. Comments like those made by Schmidt provide a reason to think twice about using Google for any sensitive or confidential communications. As Google plants cookies on PC's to expand the scope of personalized search, or becomes the focal point for Internet traffic with its public DNS, it is privy to a great deal of information which could be used to reach conclusions. It is important for Google to take privacy seriously. Facebook and Google are facing many of the same challenges. Whether you like the changes introduced by Facebook or not, its hard not to appreciate its attempts to respond to concerns rather than taking the Google approach that unless you wear a tinfoil hat or have terrorist connections you have no right to be concerned about privacy. -- Tony Bradley [PC World]

Privacy advocates slam Facebook change

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Privacy advocates slammed revamped Facebook privacy controls on Thursday, saying the change masks a move to get members to expose more information online. "These new privacy changes aren't so great for privacy," said Nicole Ozer, northern California technology and civil liberties policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) rights group. "It's great that 350 million people are being asked to think about privacy, but if what Facebook says is true about giving people more control over their information, they have a lot more work to do." Online rights organization Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) labeled aspects of Facebook's privacy change "downright ugly." The world's leading online social network fired back, saying its critics are wrong and that time will prove that Facebook is taking "a giant step forward." The controversy came a day after Facebook began requiring users to refine settings with a new software tool that lets them specify who gets to be privy to each piece of content uploaded to the website. While the Facebook privacy overhaul has laudable features, there is a push to get the online community's members to expose information, according to EFF. "Facebook's new changes are obviously intended to get people to open up even more of their Facebook data to the public," EFF lawyer Kevin Bankston said in a blog post. "The Facebook privacy transition tool is clearly designed to push users to share much more of their Facebook info with everyone, a worrisome development that will likely cause a major shift in privacy level for most of Facebook's users, whether intentionally or inadvertently." Prior to the change, Facebook users could keep everything but their names and networks private. A newly created "public" category at Facebook now includes names, profile pictures, home cities, pages users have joined as "fans," gender and friend lists. "There is a whole lot more information that users have no ability to keep private," Ozer noted. Software that walks people through modifying privacy settings recommends making more personal information public and doesn't allow stricter settings than were previously in place, according to the ACLU. "If users aren't careful, the transition tool will transition them to less privacy," Ozer said. The privacy change doesn't address the ability of third-party applications installed in Facebook profiles to mine data from the social network, according to the ACLU. "Facebook's system now is if I am friends with you, I am friends with all the stupid apps you run too," Ozer said. "Even if your friend takes a quiz, they could be giving away your personal information." Names, profile pictures and claimed home cities are public, so people can find friends, colleagues, and other acquaintances they want to connect with in the online community, according to Facebook. Users are not required to provide profile photos or specify the town where they live. "It is not that big of a change," said Facebook director of global communications Barry Schnitt. "The vast majority of users have already made this information available to everyone." More than 20 million Facebook members used the new privacy tool Wednesday night and more than half selected their own settings instead of relying on automated recommendations, according to Schnitt. "This data shows that privacy advocates are wrong and that users are much smarter in paying attention to privacy than advocates think," he said. "The process is more transparent and transformative than they give us credit for. When they see how many people around the world have made choices about privacy this will be hailed as a giant step forward." Facebook said its privacy settings let members avoid being listed in Internet search engines or receiving unsolicited messages. "People come to Facebook to connect and share, not to hide," Schnitt said. "When users find their friends or are found by friends, they get a much better experience and that is what they want." by Glenn Chapman

10 biggest complaints about Windows 7

Users of the new operating system say the upgrading process is buggy. But once the kinks are worked out, customers are liking Windows 7 a lot more than Vista Microsoft launched Windows 7 in late October to much fanfare. But, just like with previous Windows upgrades, complaints about bugs have already started rolling in. A whopping 31% of clients have reported problems with upgrading to Windows 7, according to a recent survey of more than 100,000 customers conducted by consumer helpdesk firm iYogi. "Most of the problems that customers have with Windows 7 have to do with installation, or application and data migration," said Vishal Dhar, co-founder of iYogi. "These are all fixable problems, but they're annoyances and they're time consuming." One common gripe, experienced by 9% of installers, is that the half-hour to an hour-long upgrade process gets to the "62% completed" point and then freezes. It's a problem that Microsoft is aware of, and can be fixed by rebooting the computer, going into advanced settings, and typing in a code that instructs the computer to ignore plug-ins. However, issues didn't stop with the upgrade process. Many users still experienced glitches even after successfully installing Windows 7 on their machines. Most common among those complaints was that basic "applet" programs, like Mail, Movie Maker and Photo Gallery, were missing. That's because Windows 7 deletes those programs and makes users download them from the Windows Live Essential Web site. IYogi said 26% of their customers were confused about that extra step. Others had problems getting their computers to work properly: Eight percent said their DVD drives couldn't be found and 2% couldn't sync their iPhones with Windows 7. One in seven users also complained that the sleek new "Aero" theme doesn't work. The Aero theme enables users to see through a window to view the desktop or other programs that are open behind it. According to iYogi, most of the 14% of users that have problems with Aero don't have the graphics capabilities on their PCs to handle the program. Other common complaints included an inability to view file extensions, too many "mini-dumps" (memory images saved on the computer when it crashes), problems with the "Aero snap" feature, changes to custom icons and problems with the new taskbar. Microsoft (MSFT), which debuted Windows 7 on Oct. 22, did not return requests for comment. Smoother sailing once it's debugged. Once the bugs from upgrading have been worked out, users have had a relatively hassle-free experience. And those who bought a new computer with Windows 7 preloaded have seen the fewest issues. "Customers who finally get it up and running love Windows 7," said Dhar. "We haven't had a lot of people calling for usability issues, because it's a much more intuitive interface than Windows XP." That's not to say that Windows 7 is perfect. According to Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at Yankee Group, one of the biggest annoyances with the new operating system is that the "ribbon menus" at the top of programs have been redesigned and must be relearned. In previous Windows versions, the menus remained very consistent (File, Edit, View, Insert, etc.), but in Windows 7, they can be wildly different from application to application. "It took me a long while to figure out how to print," said Kerravala. "Microsoft tried to improve the user interface, but there's a learning curve because it's inconsistent." Microsoft also did away with many favorite applications like Windows Movie Maker, which is particularly surprising given the propensity of cell phone videos and Flip video camera movies. But all of the gripes about Windows 7 pale in comparison to the angry complaints about Microsoft's previous Windows iteration, Windows Vista. That version was an outright disaster after it was released in 2007. Vista was plagued by bugs, software incompatibilities, sluggishness and annoying security alerts. The episode nearly destroyed the tech giant's reputation with consumers. "While there are a few bugs, I haven't seen or heard of any show-stoppers," said Laura DiDio, principal analyst at ITIC. "In fact, just the opposite. Some Vista users can't wait to upgrade. So far, this has been a home run for Microsoft." -- CNNMoney --

Fujitsu to Offer New Range of Cloud Services

IT services provider Fujitsu (http://solutions.us.fujitsu.com) announced on Tuesday it will be offering end-to-end enterprise cloud services designed for enterprises and ISVs in North America. Launching sometime in Q1 2010, the enterprise cloud services will let companies move existing multi-platform and multi-vendor mission-critical systems to enterprise clouds. Fujitsu has previously introduced enterprise cloud services in Japan and EMEA. The company says this announcement in North America is "another step in a global rollout." To prepare for the launch, Fujitsu has upgraded its environmentally-friendly data center at its Sunnyvale, California headquarters to the Tier III level. The data center will more than double its available raised floor space, reduce carbon emissions by 21 percent, increase available power and cooling capabilities that will significantly expand the data center's effective capacity by over 800 percent, and include Tier III-level enhancements to both electrical and mechanical redundancy. The facility will also incorporate green technology including a hydrogen fuel-cell generator supplying power to the cooling systems and the use of bio-fuels in the expanded generator farm. The data center will now be able to support the cloud application interface specification, which it recently submitted to the Open Cloud Standards Incubator of the Distributed Management Task Force to promote interoperability of cloud computing environments. So far, email management software CoolRock Software and ecommerce solution Intershop Communications are just a couple of customers that have already said they intend to use the Fujitsu cloud computing solution. The cloud services are designed for enterprises in manufacturing, finance, healthcare, retail and other compute- and data-intensive industries. Fujitsu is offering a complete range of cloud solutions, including system construction, operations, maintenance services and full-featured vertical applications. To comply with vertical industry standards and regulations, retail transactional applications will be hosted in a PCI-compliant data center and health care applications will be hosted in a HIPAA-compliant environment. "Offering Fujitsu cloud services in North America is another important step in our global rollout of end-to-end cloud computing," says Jack Noble, executive vice president of IT services at Fujitsu America. "The new Fujitsu cloud services will provide our global partners and clients with the opportunity to control costs, massively scale their infrastructures and applications on a pay-as-you-go basis, and confidently support a whole new generation of computing solutions on a future-proofed infrastructure." -- By Justin Lee

USB Corrupt, Now What? - Data Recovery

Also considered as a flash memory storage device, a USB is an external or removable storage medium that can be used to store, or transfer data. It can also be used to backup your data to restore your data at the time of data loss. But, as nothing is immune to corruption, so as the case with USB. In most cases, when the USB gets corrupted, the data saved in it cannot be accessed. This is a situation of catastrophe as you might have stored your most valuable information in the USB, which is no more available. In such a case, you can use an updated backup file to restore the data. However, if there is no backup, then you can always rely upon a Hard Disk Recovery software to recover your data successfully. For instance – You connect your USB to your system and you observe that all the files the folders in the USB have been transformed into strange or weird characters and you cannot access any of the data that was previously stored. This is the time when you realize that all your important data has become inaccessible and there is nothing much you can do about it. But, every problem has a solution and this issue can also be solved. But before explaining the resolution part, let us first talk about the cause of the problem. Cause: The primary cause of such a behavior is corruption of the USB drive. A USB may get corrupt due to the following reasons: * Virus infection. * Accidental deletion. * It may also damage when attached to the system during format the hard drive of the computer. After any of the above situations, the USB drive may corrupt and you may lose your data. Resolution: The data from the corrupted or damaged USB drive can be accessed and recovered successfully by using an advanced hard disk recovery application. High-intense techniques are used by the software to ensure quick and accurate hard drive recovery. Also, the graphical user interface of the utility makes it easy to use and understand. Thus, you need not be technical savvy to use the software. After using the application, you will surely be able to recover all your data comprehensively. Stellar Information Systems Limited is a reputed organizations that provides various Hard Drive Data Recovery Software to recover our data after almost all data loss scenarios. Stellar offers complete data recovery from almost all operating systems like Windows, Linux, Mac, etc. The company also renders complete recovery of data after physical damage of the hard drive. About Jacob: Posted By: Jacob Luis

Free File Sharing – Life in IT Age Made Easier

The other day my seven year old daughter kept pestering me and her mom for some concrete information and photographs supporting the same on our Family Tree. While it was easier telling her orally about who all were there in our great family starting with our great grand parents, and we could also produce some photographs of our immediate family. But how on earth are we going to get her pictures of say my dadaji and dadiji who hardly left behind a few black and white snaps and that too torn and faded over time. How we wished we had ready access to at least these kind of photographs in order to make our family tree complete. But the times have fortunately changed and changed for the good. First the computer and then the Internet and both have combined to lead us to the age of Free File Sharing. Most sites allow some or a certain category of files for Online file sharing. And there are whole sites devoted simply to Free Online File Sharing. They in fact encourage its valued customers to not only to freely download whatever interests them in their sites but also if possible to Upload file online a few things as well. Simply put Online Free File Sharing allows and enables you to have open, unhindered access to other people’s documents, data, photographs, images, statistics, videos, etc. And all for free. The files can be on anything under the sun. If you are a student you can have all the access you would need to all relevant documents relating to your subject of study. Industry related data if you are a professional. Virtually all these online files are available for free and easily reached with the press of a few buttons in your keyboard. Some people call this kind of sharing of files online P2P sharing (Peer-to-Peer or Person-to-Person) sharing. But alas, all good things have a dark underlining to them. So does Free File Sharing. It most certainly comes with a few pitfalls and perils that you as the user be better aware of. Free File Sharing is not always legal. Since all kinds of files on people, industry, firms, cities, music, films, documentaries are all the time sent around freely there are bound to be copyright and intellectual infringements. To cite an example, the music industry and film line artists are not at all happy at the plummeting sales of their original scores that are a direct consequence of the free file sharing concept. Secondly the spectre of spyware, malware and all other kinds of viruses that inhabit the cyber space making their ugly present felt in your systems is always there. They can slow down your systems, gain access to your personal folders and data, or even cause your system to crash. All the same Free Online file sharing is a novel and very useful concept that is increasingly finding acceptance at all levels. Free Offline Sharing of fies is also possible. This is done through the use of pen drives, CDs and network cables. Sometimes even hard disks are copied from one system to the other. Adarsh Sharma is the webmaster of Latestt.com. For more information about Free File Sharing, Online file sharing and Upload file online visit the site. About Adarsh: By: Adarsh Sharma

10 iPhone Apps to Help You Survive the Holidays

Sometimes going home for the holidays can be a case of collective insanity. I tend to fly on the big travel days when the airport security lines are ridiculously long, my flight is more expensive, and my family is more stressed than normal. This year, I plan to use my iPhone as a problem solver for all my holiday woes. From traveling, to shopping, to entertaining the kiddies, these iPhone apps cover everything but those family fights (even the iPhone’s not that miraculous!). Brave the Travel Madness 1. Flightcaster This app doesn’t just tell you your current flight status, it actually predicts the likelihood that your flight will be delayed. It takes into account factors such as weather, incoming aircraft, other delays, and historical data, and then gives you a percent chance that your plane will be on time, less than 1 hour delayed, and more than 1 hour delayed. At $7.99 it’s a bit pricey, but its ability to forecast delays definitely makes it worthwhile (you can also access the same data on their site for free if you’d prefer). It worked like a charm for my flights, but obviously results may vary. Now, if only it could actually prevent delays. Price: $7.99 2. GasBag For those of you driving instead of flying, you’ll love this app. GasBag helps you find the cheapest gas station in any given area so you can fill up without breaking the bank. Simple and easy to use, although it doesn’t have data for every location and station. Another app to check out is GasBuddy ($2.99) which serves a similar purpose. Price: Free Save Money on Gifts 3. ShopSavvy This great app allows you to scan the barcode of any item in a store and see prices online and from nearby retailers. With this app you can ensure you’ll get the best price for every gift, even when you’re shopping in a hurry. Warning: you may get so caught up with the coolness of this product that you scan way more products than necessary. Price: Free 4. Yowza Mobile Coupons With Heroes actor Greg Grunberg as the co-founder, this app has made quite a splash. At a time when everyone is looking for ways to save money, this app helps you do just that. You won’t find a coupon for every store, and not all of them will be useful, but in my opinion, if you find even one great deal from this app then it has more than proved its worth. Price: Free Take Stress Out of the Holiday Meal 5. GroceryIQ Around the holidays, grocery stores can be as crowded as the aiports. That why it’s important to know exactly what you need so you don’t have to make more than one trip. With GroceryIQ, you can create lists of items you need to get and even organize your lists by aisle or store so you can shop as efficiently as possible. If only this app could buy the groceries for you, then it really would be perfect. Price: $0.99 6. Epicurious With 25,000 recipes, this app should have everything you need to make your holiday meals happen. It even has holiday-specific recipes for Christmas cookies, edible gifts, and Christmas and Hanukkah dinners. My favorite category is the aptly-named “I can barely cook.” You can also email recipes and use its step-by-step mode. Price: Free Keep the Kids Entertained 7. Movies Sometimes on hoildays everyone gets cooped up in the house for a bit too long. This can lead to stress, fights, and kids throwing footballs in the living room. Sometimes the best solution is simply finding an excuse to get out. The Movies app allows you to see what movies are currently playing near you, look up reviews, and find theaters and show times. Price: Free 8. Goofy Mad Libs The iPhone has a huge selection of apps for young kids, however, the one problem those apps don’t solve is the worry associated with actually handing your precious iPhone over to a child. Goofy Mad Libs has the perfect solution, where you can ask kids for the Mad Libs, read them the silly story, and never have the iPhone leave the comfort of your own hands. This app even has a free version called Mad Libs Lite if you’d like to try it out first. It’s also great for car trips. Price: $3.99/Free Throw the Perfect Holiday Party 9. Mixology The perfect holiday party requires the right drinks, and Mixology will help you create them. Select drinks by category (including hot drinks which may be just right for a holiday-themed party), liquor type, or name. You can also use the liquor cabinet feature to select what you have on hand and have the app suggest what drinks you could make. If almost 8,000 drinks sounds like too many options, you can also shake the phone to get a random drink selection and take the choice out of your hands. As a bonus, there are bartending tips and techniques if you want to impress your friends (or just not embarrass yourself). Price: Free 10. Pandora () The right selection of music requires a lot of time considering your guests, your song selections, and how each song fits your party’s mood. Or, you could just use the Pandora app instead. Select a song or genre for Pandora to work from and you’ll have a whole party’s worth of music with one minute of prep. Pandora even has Christmas and holiday music, so it can truly accommodate any taste (good or bad). Cost: Free *** by Megan Berry

Are Facebook Users Too Friendly For Their Own Good?

The latest research conducted by IT security firm Sophos shows that it’s very easy to convince Facebook users to reveal their personal info to complete strangers. This is nothing new, mind you – after all, many users see Facebook as a possibility to make new friends – but it is worth noting that simply friending someone you don’t know nothing about can result in identity theft. Here’s how Sophos conducted their research: “Sophos created two fictitious users with names based on anagrams of the words “false identity” and “stolen identity”. 21-year-old “Daisy Felettin” was represented by a picture of a toy rubber duck bought at a $2 shop; 56-year-old “Dinette Stonily” posted a profile picture of two cats lying on a rug. Each sent out 100 friend requests to randomly-chosen Facebook users in their age-group. Within two weeks, a total of 95 strangers chose to become friends with Daisy or Dinette – an even higher response rate then when Sophos first performed the experiment two years ago with a plastic frog. Worse still, in the latest study, eight Facebookers befriended Dinette without even being asked.” At Sophos, they call it the “rubber duck attack”. The moniker is silly on purpose, as it shows how you can gather someone’s personal info without any technical expertise, simply by working within the social network’s rules. It’s important to point out that Facebook gives very extensive privacy options for every profile; you can read the details on how to protect your data in our Facebook privacy primer. While there’s nothing wrong with being friendly, even with strangers, Facebook users need to understand that this friendliness can cost them, and the price of identity theft can be very high. Check out a video showing how the “rubber duck” tactic can be used for identity theft below. mashable.com

Low-Power Monitor for Businesses Introduced by NEC

NEC has introduced to the market its 22 inches, LED-backlit desktop display which reportedly consumes about half of the power as compared to the previous models. The new offering also reduces radiated heat, weight and packaging by a significant amount. According to the company the MultiSync EA222WMe consumes 52% less power as compared to its predecessors and the cables, as well as the monitor itself, are without any mercury, halogen and arsenic. "LED backlight structure has improved tremendously along with cost reduction, and the adoption of the LED backlight technology will continue to accelerate over the next few years", Lynn Gu, product manager for NEC Display Solutions said. For backlighting, NEC's latest offering employs light-emitting diodes, which are a general and commonly employed form of illumination used in LCDs. The monitor has specifically been designed for use in businesses, education, Government and healthcare sectors. Tilts, swivels and pivots are other interesting features of the monitor, which also offers a variety of input options to suitably adjust resolution and color depth. Also, among the energy saving features are off-timer and a light sensor that adjusts the display according to light. by Amandeep Dhaliwal

Google Unveils New Public DNS Lookup Service

Search engine giant Google has taken another step forward when it comes to dominating the internet by unveiling a new DNS service. Google Public DNS, will essentially speed up the internet for users, resolving a host, AKA taking the web address that a person types and matching it with the corresponding IP. “Our research has shown that speed matters to Internet users, so over the past several months our engineers have been working to make improvements to our public DNS resolver to make users’ Web-surfing experiences faster, safer, and more reliable,” said product manager Prem Ramaswami in a blog post. The service will record the user’s IP, but according to Google this is just a temporary measure lasting only 24 to 48 hours. Other personal information such as registration information, and contact details will not be available for the savvy internet user, and Google promises that they will not be documenting this info. “We believe that a faster DNS infrastructure could significantly improve the browsing experience for all web users. To enhance DNS speed but to also improve security and validity of results, Google Public DNS is trying a few different approaches,” wrote Ramaswami. -- dbtechno

Lets you use your phone to control your computer

Asus new Maximus III Extreme motherboard Asus has a long history of giving their motherboard owners ways to tinker, tweak and change their motherboard settings and computers for awhile now. First, they rolled out the Splashtop Instant Operating System to all their motherboard, giving Asus owners a way to nearly instantly power on their machine for light tasks like web browsing, email and Skype. But their latest is really impressive: Bluetooth control. With Asus’ new Maximus III Extreme P55-based motherboard, which Asus sells unders their Republic of Gamers lineup of devices, motherboard owners will be able to use Bluetooth to change their system settings. Asus claims that the mainboard actually “enables users to tweak system settings wirelessly over Bluetooth via a mobile phone.” While you won’t be able to pair your Bluetooth phone and, for example, change the BIOS settings, Asus says that RC Bluetooth allows users to “review the status of their systems’ hardware and tweak parameters wirelessly from a Bluetooth-enabled PDA phone.” What that specifically means is you could use your phone as a remote control from across the room to, say, dial-out on Skype, or change the system volume, or play the next song in iTunes, or go into sleep mode, or a host of other useful stuff. Asus’ innovation, then, is turning any Bluetooth phone into a full remote control for the Maximus III Extreme motherboard, and any computer built upon it. Unfortunately, there’s no specific mention of price or release date, so who knows when you’ll be able to build a machine with one. Read more at ASUS