NVIDIA and Windows Touch

Windows 7 will change the ways you interact with your PC. How you ask? Windows Touch. Touch refers to the way Windows lets you interact directly with a computer using a finger. Compared to using a mouse, keyboard, or pen, touch can be much more engaging, natural, and convenient. The Windows Touch technology in Windows 7 is an evolution of the technology that is rooted in Windows Vista. In Windows Vista, single-touch input improved the interaction when using the pen stylus and the mouse of earlier Tablet PC platforms. With Windows 7, users can directly manipulate their computer environment through multitouch for the first time. Users can use a variety of gestures directly on their computer screen to move data, including: Touch, or mouse-such as behavior: tap, double-tap, right-click, drag, and select. Touch gestures- such as Flicks (navigational and editing). Multitouch gestures-- such as zooming in, zooming out, panning, and rotating. A Windows 7 PC powered by NVIDIA GPUs will deliver faster, more engaging Windows Touch experiences. NVIDIA GPUs are well known for accelerating 3D interfaces. The Windows 7 Aero desktop, now designed using the DirectX 10 API and designed for Windows Touch, is no exception. From the new taskbar previews to Aero Peek, Flip, Snap, and Shake, NVIDIA GPU provides a snappy 3D experience. Windows 7 also uses the GPU to reduce memory consumption by half by eliminating the need to keep a second copy of each window in system memory. This frees up system memory for other applications and keeps your PC responsive. Multi-touch capability was designed into the core of Windows 7 and is a perfect fit for the new highly visual GPU-accelerated applications like Cooliris and Super Loiloscope. Cooliris lets you browse the web in 3D and now with the addition of Windows Touch, the experience becomes even more immersive. With Super Loiloscope you can have fun creating videos and applying effects with the touch of your finger. Touch input does not replace the keyboard and mouse, it enhances them. Touch is a natural and intuitive way to interact with you PC when you are doing common computing tasks such as: Web browsing Interacting with photos Playing games Organizing music and video (creating playlists, sorting media, and organizing content) Reading and sorting e-mail Using documents Managing a Windows workspace As you can see, your Windows 7 Touch experience will be faster, smoother, and more immersive with an NVIDIA GPU in your PC.

Windows phone Designer Themes

Fashion Week is in full swing in New York City this week, and today, were excited to announce five designer themes created just for Windows phones. The themes, which include custom palettes and wallpapers, were designed by some of todays hottest designers: Diane von Furstenberg, Vera Wang, Isaac Mizrahi, Rock & Republic and Ron Arad. We feel these designer themes are great examples of how Windows phones are moving into the consumer space and our Windows phone offerings on October 6 will continue this expansion of the brand. Smartphones are just as much a fashion statement as the clothes you wear and are quickly becoming a must-have accessory. The designer themes are just one more way that Windows phones help folks customize their device to fit their style. No other mobile platform offers this level of self-expression. Were excited to team up with these designers to let people customize their mobile device to fit their personality and express their style. Its time to cast aside your drab default wallpaper and devices theme and make this year about style, color and fun! These Windows phone exclusive designer themes will be available for free on all Windows phones running Windows Mobile 6.5 on October 6 and can be downloaded for free from Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

Lenovo IdeaCentre D Series Home Server now available for purchase in the United States

Previously announced, Windows Home Server category grows with the announcement of the Lenovo IdeaCentre D400, we are pleased to confirm that Lenovo is now taking orders in the United States. Lenovo, a leading Chinese PC manufacturer recently followed up their launch in their home market by bringing the IdeaCentre D Series Home Server models to the United States. This series consists of the IdeaCentre D400 AU and IdeaCentre D400 BU. For $499.99, the AU version ships with 1GB RAM and will come with a 1TB hard drive. At $599.99, the BU version also has 1GB RAM and ships with 2TB of storage space. The Lenovo model has 4 hard drive bays to accommodate storage expansion. Reminder: Windows Home Server software has a technology called Drive Extender that allows users to add internal and external drives of any size to increase the pool of available storage space on the home server. Now Available for purchase! Image: Lenovo IdeaCentre D400 The IdeaCentre D series are now available for purchase on Lenovo's web page. Who will be the first customers to get their hands on this new model? We already put in our order! -Nicole

The Nokia Booklet 3G + Windows 7 = Awesome Mobility

Today at Nokia World 09, Nokia will be talking more about their upcoming new mini laptop the Nokia Booklet 3G which was announced last week. Nokia has just announced that the Nokia Booklet 3G will ship with Windows 7. The Nokia Booklet 3G comes with built in A-GPS functionality. Because of this, it can take advantage of the Windows Sensor and Location Platform which means your PC and programs can know where they are for location aware computing. With built in 3G/HSPA capabilities, it will also utilize Windows 7s mobile broadband enhancements. The Nokia Booklet 3G + Windows 7 is an exciting combination! The Nokia Booklet 3G brings Nokias extensive experience to the PC for a fresh perspective. With the Nokia Booklet 3G, Nokia wants you to be able to leave your cables and chargers at home just like with a mobile phone. With up to 12 hours of battery life, the Nokia Booklet 3G is perfect for all-day mobility. Nokia as adopted its overall design DNA with the design of its first laptop. The Nokia Booklet 3G features a premium design with a chassis made from a single piece of machined aluminum. The aluminum chassis is strong and robust. It requires no fan (thats right no fan) making for one quiet PC. The HD display for the Nokia Booklet 3G is glass covered for a crisp and clear view of the screen. Nokia wanted to keep the design clean and uncluttered so the Nokia Booklet 3G includes a single HDMI port, 3 USB ports and a single headphone jack that doubles also for a microphone. The performance is equally as impressive as its design. The Nokia Booklet 3G is designed to go from being shutdown to checking email or browsing the web in around a minute. For a better look at the Nokia Booklet 3G, I suggest checking out this really slick video here. A for the full spec line-up, click here. I look forward to checking out the Nokia Booklet 3G in the very near future. Stay tuned for more information (it will be available in a number of markets the 4th quarter 2009) and pricing.

Windows 7 on ASUS and the Future of Innovation

Working at ASUS, I have witnessed, first-hand, the great strides made in technological innovation and exceptional focus that goes into our high-quality products. Instilled with traditional values of hard work and discipline, ASUS continues to build upon its success that has made it far more than just the worlds leading motherboard company. And now with Windows 7 just around the corner, we have already been running beta versions effortlessly on our systems to ensure maximum compatibility and optimized performance. Personally, I have used Windows 7 on a number of our notebooks and have truly enjoyed the streamlined features and incredible performance that makes my already fast notebook even faster. Loading programs, finishing my work, or just surfing the Web - Windows 7 simply makes everything looks better, perform faster, and is much more intuitive than other operating systems. Meeting the great people at Microsoft, I can see the amount of detail and research that has gone into making Windows 7 into what I see today. Building off Windows Vista, Microsoft further refined and finessed the architecture to create an easier so that everything I want to do is done better. ASUS is thrilled to provide users with a new experience - based on high-speed, innovative ASUS technology and reliable Windows 7. The benefits are numerous. I have had the privilege of using Windows 7 on ASUS notebooks and would recommend it to anyone thats interested in eye-catching style, ultimate performance, advanced security, and reassured dependability. Marcus Teixeira Marketing Team at ASUS

Writing Blog Posts with the Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000

Microsoft Hardware announced earlier today the new Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000. Last week, I met with the awesome folks from Microsoft Hardware and they handed me a Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 to use here in my office. Several of my latest blog posts (including this one) were written using the Comfort Desktop 5000. A desktop is essentially a keyboard + mouse set. The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 comes with the Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000 and the Wireless Mouse 5000. The Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000 is designed to encourage a natural wrist posture with a slight 6-degree curve. I spend a great deal of time typing on a PC so as you can imagine, having natural wrist posture is pretty important. It also features a soft-touch palm rest with a textured design. Like with previous keyboards from Microsoft Hardware, the Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000 comes with removable feet. If you are someone that wants their keyboard tilted upward from the front, you can configure the feet for this. I personally like the keyboard tilted up from the back so this is the configuration I am running currently. The Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000 has low-profile quiet touch keys which make typing more comfortable. It also features Media Keys for one-touch quick access to volume and playback controls. The Wireless Mouse 5000 utilizes Microsofts BlueTrack Technology. That means this mouse can be used on more surfaces than any laser or optical mice could. The transceiver (2.4GHz wireless) for the desktop snaps into the bottom of the mouse. The design of the Wireless Mouse 5000 utilizes rubber on the sides for an easier grip. A 2 color battery life indicator will let you know when your batteries need replacing and the Wireless Mouse 5000 allows for one-touch access for Windows Flip. The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 takes advantage of Windows 7 in several ways. It utilizes Taskbar Favorites, which I blogged about back in June. Taskbar Favorites maps the order of applications on the Windows Taskbar in Windows 7 to the My Favorites hot keys on a Microsoft Hardware keyboard. The My Favorites hot keys are the 5 numbered keys usually at the top of the keyboard. So for example if Internet Explorer 8 is the first pinned application on your Windows Taskbar in Windows 7, it gets mapped to the #1 My Favorites hot key on the Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000. To utilize Taskbar Favorites in Windows 7 today with your Microsoft Hardware keyboard, click here to download the latest version of IntelliType (version 7). This fall, Microsoft Hardware will be supporting Device Stage in Windows 7 which will include the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000. NOTE: The above screenshot is not final and is used as an example for this blog post. And the Wireless Mouse 5000 takes advantage of Windows 7s enhanced Windows Flip capabilities with thumbnail previews of running applications. The Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 will be available starting this month at an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.).

Partner Hardware Ecosystem Continues to Line Up to Support Windows 7

Hi everyone! My name is Gary Schare and I run our hardware ecosystem marketing team. Building on Marks recent post on software readiness, I wanted to provide a deeper look at hardware readiness. Hardware compatibility is a critical feature of Windows 7. We must have strong support from the hardware ecosystem to ensure that all of you have a great experience using Windows 7 with the devices and peripherals you rely on every day. This experience can range from it just works when I plug it in to it lights up a new feature of Windows 7 (like Device Stage, Play To, etc.). The ultimate endorsement of this experience is the Compatible with Windows 7 logo which is earned by products that pass rigorous compatibility and reliability tests. We have been working closely with hardware partners on readiness since very early on in Windows 7 development. These activities range from 1:1 technical engagement with top-tier OEMs and device makers, the Windows Ecosystem Readiness Program which scales out to tens of thousands of vendors, webinars and readiness events in the US, Asia, and Europe to assist our hardware partners as they prepare their products for the Windows 7 Logo. All these efforts have paid off, and Windows 7 Logo momentum is very strong. We now have printers, scanners, networking cards, storage devices, video capture cards, and ultra mobile systems that have already earned the Compatible with Windows 7 Logo, and many more on the way. Represented in this group of devices are some of the biggest names in the industry. Here are a few examples, organized by topic: Home Networking Home networking was once very intimidating for the average customer. That is why we have improved Windows Connect Now (known to the Windows hardware industry as Windows Rally) to help consumers easily set up a wireless network or add a device to the network in seconds. Top companies such as Linksys by Cisco and D-Link are taking advantage of this technology to help their customers. The Linksys group at Cisco is integrating Windows Connect Now into new and currently shipping routers and network media devices. These devices will earn the Compatible with Windows 7 logo. Robert Berlin, Director, Home Networking and Peripheral Product Management, Cisco Consumer Business Group: The Windows 7 platform approach to open standards, such as Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) help to enable easier connectivity of computers with home networking products such as our Linksys by Cisco routers and media entertainment products. We look forward to providing the added benefits of Windows 7 to our products for our customers to experience on their home networks. Other great companies like D-Link are also taking advantage of Windows Connect Now to help lower support calls for their products and create a streamlined set up experience for their customers. Dan Kelley, D-Link: The key to a great user experience is connectivity and Windows 7 provides D-Link with a platform and the proper resources to insure our devices provide a seamless connectivity experience out of the box. Device Experiences One of the great innovations in Windows 7 is Device Stage. Device Stage lets you see your device status and run common tasks from a single, branded window thats customized for each device. Device manufacturers around the world are building customized experiences for Device Stage so their customers can easily discover new features in their devices (and even some old ones too!). One of the many partners taking advantage of Device Stage is Sandisk.Their full line of Sansa portable media players support Device Stage allowing their customers to easily sync audio and video, access the user manual and forums, update firmware, purchase accessories, and more. Greg Stevens, Director, Integration & QA, Sandisk: Were very excited for the upcoming launch. All our current and legacy Sansa portable media players support Windows 7. We also were the first company to earn the Compatible with Windows 7 logo for any portable media players. The Sansa Clip, View, and Fuze have passed Microsoft testing for compatibility and reliability with Windows 7 under the Windows Logo Kit program. Graphics Performance Our partners have also been making lots of headway with Direct X. DirectX 11, introduced in Windows 7, provides an unprecedented visual experience for next-generation games on new hardware. Its an experience that accelerates elegantly across multiple processor cores, display resolutions, memory congurations, and graphic adapters. Im especially excited by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which delivered the first DirectX 11 graphics processor! This is fantastic for the adoption of the DirectX 11 platform, and great news for all the gamers out there. Ben Bar-Haim, Corporate Vice President, Software Engineering, AMD: The development of Windows 7 has been a tremendously collaborative effort, with the Microsoft and AMD teams working together to help ensure that today's customer-centric platforms can take full advantage of Windows 7, as well as preparing Windows 7 for the rapidly evolving future of computer hardware. Everything from the development of DirectX 11, improved memory efficiency, superior display management, driver model robustness, and the new GPU acceleration infrastructure for desktop and scientific applications points to an advanced operating system designed to the needs of the computer industry for years to come. And More There are many other partners getting ready for Windows 7 across a variety of device categories. To learn more about what theyre doing, you can visit ReadySet7.com where weve brought together stories and videos from our hardware and software partners. Here are a few examples. Dwight Diercks, Vice President of Software Engineering at NVIDIA: All of our hard work teaming with Microsoft over the past two years will pay off for NVIDIA GPU owners when Windows 7 launches. Our customers are demanding an experience that is faster and more visual, and the new GPU-accelerated features like DirectX Compute are sure to blow people away. Hanoz Gandhi, Vice President of Products, Belkin: Belkin is committed to giving our customers the ability to create a reliable network that seamlessly integrates with the upcoming release of Windows 7. We are working closely with Microsoft to test Windows 7 with our products and plan to provide support for Windows 7 after its publically available. Ikuaki Kitabayashi, General Manager of Planning and Design, Epson: One of the key innovations in Windows 7 is Device Stage, which brings together the formerly independent features of Epsons multifunction printers into one location, allowing users to see device status and run common tasks from a single window, thereby providing seamless device usability. Also, a photo-realistic icon that represents their physical device further improves the ability to interact with Epsons multifunction printers. With HomeGroup, Epson printers are easily shared with other PCs in the home, while being protected by dependable security measures. In addition, Epsons network projectors support the Windows Network Projection feature in Windows 7. Finally, the Windows Rally program has really allowed Epson to focus on making the most of Windows 7s advanced device management and networking features, and optimizing the user experience. Tzumu Lin, CEO of WonderMedia Technologies, Inc: We are pleased to offer support for Microsofts much-anticipated Windows 7 throughout our portfolio of feature-rich Networked Media Devices. Our WonderMedia PRIZM platform offers proven and certified building blocks for Windows 7-based devices, allowing end-users to enjoy the full Windows 7 experience and optimal system performance. Scott Rader, Director of Product Management, WD Branded Products: Our close working relationship with MSFT allowed us to take advantage of the features of Windows 7 to provide our customers a seamless, user-friendly experience while keeping their content secure and readily accessible. Frank Martin, Sr. Director of Product Planning, Brother International Corp: Windows 7 will take the user experience to the next level of features and usability. Brother is ready to utilize these new resources which can offer a truly rich user experience. We can' wait for our customers to have such a great experience with Windows 7 and Brother Products. James Brailean, PhD., CEO, Packetvideo: PacketVideo is working with Windows 7 to leverage the innovations for Device Stage to enable consumers to enjoy their photo, video and music files on connected devices throughout the home without limitation or hassle. This is through PVs TwonkyMedia server, a best-in-class solution that has been adopted by leading consumer electronics manufacturers in the industry, and mobile handset connectivity solutions to the PC. RK Parthasarathy, Vice President of Marketing, Ubicom: Ubicom is expanding the definitions of the connected home and digital lifestyle through our flexible, highly integrated technology for networking, media and peripheral functionality. The ability to interoperate with Windows 7 ahead of public release ensures compelling user experiences for our customers products when they hit the market. Todd Antes, Vice President of Computing and Consumer Networking, Atheros: Robust support for Windows 7 is another important way that Atheros is demonstrating our commitment to delivering the best possible wireless experience in devices throughout the digital home and in the growing array of computing products, including notebooks and netbooks. We are pleased to have obtained the Compatible with Windows 7 logo for both our networking and computing solutions. RELATED BLOG POSTS: Partner Software Ecosystem Continues to Line Up to Support Windows 7 An Ecosystem Update for Windows 7

Leica S2 DSLR in August

Announced last year in Photokina, Leica S2 DSLR finally should come on the market, for now only the British Market, in August this year. It is a camera intended for extremely demanding professionals who want a compact design and performance, and are therefore willing to pay as much as is required. Leica S2 DSLR also has a resolution greater than 37 megapixels, and for comparison, it is between Canon EOS 5D and EOS-1D. According to an official statement of the company, they intended to provide "quality of the central format and ease of handling 35-mm appliances. From Leica also said that believe that this model "have the best professional camera in the world at this time." Price of Leica S2 DSLR and its equipment for the British market are 16,000 pounds for the base model, 19,000 for S2-P, and the lenses are from 3100 to 5160 pounds.

A New Era for the PC Gets a Little Bit Closer

Time sure does fly, doesnt it? Seems like just yesterday I was blogging about the important milestone reached with the availability of the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC). Now I already find myself blogging about Microsofts latest step forward to help improve the consumer experience on the PC with the Windows 7 Release to Manufacturing (RTM). Even though I work for a technology company, I really do think of myself as a consumer. And in that sense, Im just as interested in the user experience as anyone else contemplating a PC purchase. I dont buy a PC for the different individual technology pieces; I purchase based on what all the features allow me to do when they fit together. Ultimately, our products dont mean anything if they arent empowering the end user. And yes, that involves a lot of pieces, including the operating system. Thats why Im excited about this milestone. Its the kind of feeling you get when you know something really big is coming. And Im pleased to report that were making major strides already. AMD just announced the WHQL-certified ATI Catalyst (TM) 9.7 Unified Driver (you can download the ATI Catalyst driver here). This is a crucial piece of the puzzle designed to help you get the most out of your ATI Radeon (TM) graphics technology when running Windows 7. This, combined with the upcoming DirectX 11- (DX11) enabled ATI Radeon graphics cards, will help deliver something we like to call The Ultimate Visual Experience (TM). One feature of AMDs DX11-enabled graphics cards that is designed to enhance Windows 7 in all new ways is the compute shader, which allows our ATI Stream technology to help enable what I was getting at before that seamless user experience. This technology enables a wide number of Windows 7 applications to be sped up in a way thats completely transparent to users. For example, it can accelerate the conversion of video for playback on portable media players through a simple drag-and-drop interface. Something that consumers everywhere are used to taking an hour can now happen in just a few minutes. This leads me back to the importance of a complete PC experience: consumers dont want confusing downloads or complex requirements they want everything to happen seamlessly. AMD has been working with Microsoft over the past six years to help make this happen. I have to say, its all coming together with Windows 7. With rich multimedia functionality, and the performance of multi-core and 64-bit microprocessor technology, combined with AMD superior graphics technology, we think the consumer is now empowered to do what they want with ease. Whether thats watching movies gaming, or social networking it all just works. And, if youre interested in looking at the virtualization features included in Windows 7, you should read A New Window on Client Virtualization by Matt Kimball. Nigel Dessau Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at AMD His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMDs positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such links sites and no endorsement is implied.

Thoughts from Lenovo on Windows 7

Windows 7 RTM is finally here! It feels like its taken a long time to get here and yet all the effort made time pass by quickly since we started working with Microsoft in early 2007. Our Lenovo teams from around the world have been engaged with Microsoft to help bring Windows 7 to this milestone. Since Microsoft will tell you about Windows 7 features, I wanted to share a snapshot of how Lenovo and Microsoft have worked together on Windows 7. Beginning with the Basics Our collaboration between software and hardware began with many meetings over many months to discuss technology strategies, customer needs, priorities and schedules. Testing started early with Lenovo PCs in the Microsoft labs from the start of development ensuring Lenovo PCs work well with Windows 7. We started our testing with the beta in the first half of 2008, providing ongoing feedback as we received each new version of code. Technology Deep Dives We identified several technology areas for joint focus, and we spent many months collaborating on performance, touch, WWAN, Fingerprint , XP Mode, Device Stage, Display Connectivity and more: Performance: PC performance will be a significant measure of the success of Windows 7. This means not just the performance of Windows 7, but all the pieces that make up a PC: BIOS, device drivers, applications and how they are configured to work together. We worked with Microsoft to improve Windows 7 and all of these components. Our developers have kept performance a key measurement in their work and requirements to our suppliers. As a result, Windows 7 runs significantly faster, especially on solid state drives making the new ThinkPad T400s the fastest Lenovo laptop yet. Touch: Multi touch has created a buzz in technology circles, and weve been working with Microsoft to bring you not only great hardware but software solutions that offer expanded usability. Weve worked together since the prototype stages and soon we can show it off. Quality Testing and More Testing! No matter how great the technology is, it doesnt matter unless it is a quality solution. We start with a quality design and then test every part of the solution, every step of the way during the development phase of both Windows and Lenovo PCs. Our testing includes not only the new PCs you havent seen yet, but PCs customers already own to so they can be seamlessly upgraded to Windows 7. We test the hardware, every piece of software and how they work together. And we do this for 25 languages! Applications are Important Too As part of a Windows 7 Lenovo PC, youll not only get a great new operating system but a set of applications designed to embrace and extend the new technologies. Lenovo developers have redesigned our ThinkVantage solutions to bring you enhanced functions, improved usability and improved performance on Windows 7. We also work with our software suppliers to ensure their solutions are ready and perform well on Windows 7. Enterprise Customers Enterprise customers bring a unique expertise to testing a new operating system because of their requirements for manageability and mass deployment. Lenovo has been working with enterprise customers who started testing Windows 7 early, providing technical assistance along with device drivers and applications for use in their corporate environments. Finishing Touches More work yet to do As we receive the RTM version of Windows 7, we now begin the finishing touches to bring a new operating system to customers as part of Lenovo PCs. Well add the applications and drivers to Windows 7 and run the final performance, compatibility and Windows logo testing on our PCs. This RTM milestone marks the final phase to launch a new set of products across the PC industry. Lenovo still has a lot to finish before the Windows 7 launch on October 22, but we will be ready to bring you significantly better performance and great new functions on day one. Our manufacturing team is ready to produce Windows 7 on all our product lines: ThinkPad business laptops, ThinkCentre business desktops, ThinkStation workstation PCs, IdeaPad consumer laptops and netbooks and IdeaCentre consumer desktops. Debra Kobs-Fortner Director of Software Strategy, Lenovo

Netbook For Free Within One Year

Netbook will be free within one year?! According to the Linux Foundation, Executive Director of the organization, Jim Cemlin, said at the meeting in Beijing that mobile operators should consider providing free netbook computer with Linux operating system to users. Providing companies will earn of many customer contacts and sales of application. He proposed the reduction of prices of mobile phones, as well as the promotion of netbook computers which are often cheaper than high class smartphones but with larger possibilities. Mobile operators in China have already announced plans to offer mobile phones with a discount, but this is the first time proposal for sharing of complete computers. Cemlin says that low cost Linux operating system is in great advantage of high cost Microsoft Windows, which is another reason which should make Linux more attractive for suppliers of services. Telecommunications companies can also earn from application store, similar to those that exist for smartphones. Cemlin said that with time when netbook computers should become cheaper and using Linux can only help to this trend. He concluded his speech with prediction that within one year price of some netbook PC will be - zero. [via]

How to enlarge your notebook batteries life

 

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Most of our time, the capacity of our notebook battery is not enough for our work and life. If you dont have money for Apple Macbook , Dell and HP that have acclaimed battery life of 8 hours, this few tips will help to enlarge your notebook battery life a little longer:

1. Use only the power cord that came with your notebook or other authorized replacement.
2. When you dont use it, follow the correct maintenance for your notebook.
3. Don't leave it in direct sunlight, areas where it will be exposed to extreme temperatures such as car trunks.
4. If your notebook has power management features, use it, so the system will run at lower processor speeds when enabling power management features and it will go into "sleep" mode faster when inactive.
5. Buy notebooks with internal Li-Ion batteries. Non Li-Ion batteries must be fully discharged and recharged every 2-3 weeks.
6. If you don't use your notebook for a period of time, you must fully discharge then recharge it, so the battery will last longer.

12 Megapixel Nokia Phone with Optical Zoom

 

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According to PhoneReport, who can call on unnamed sources, Nokia, in the period more than half year will upgrade some of its mobile phones with cameras of resolution of 12 megapixels. However, it is mentioned and even more important fact - mobile phones should come with the objectives that will offer "true" optical zoom.

The first such Nokia mobile-camera (or camera-mobile) should be presented at the end of this year, or, more likely, early next year. Specifically, in February will be held Mobile World Congress, which is famous traditionally for the presentation of new cell phones and technology of most manufacturers.

Lenovo Announces New T-Series ThinkPad Laptop The T400s

Lenovo announced today a new T-Series ThinkPad Laptop called the T400s. Lenovos T-Series laptops cater to business customers looking for a powerful and thin laptop. Lenovo put a lot of effort in designing this laptop to be light, durable, robust, and powerful key elements to a great business laptop for the mobile worker. Ive had the chance to play with a T400s here in my office for the last few days and it has been a great experience so far. The T400s will ship with the following specs: Choices of Intel 2.53 GHz Core2Duo processors and graphics Choices of up to 128GB SSD or 250GB hard drive storage 9.5 mm slim DVD burner or Blu-Ray player Ethernet (Gigabit) & WiFi Optional WiMAX, WWAN, Bluetooth and Ultra-wideband Connectivity 34mm Express Card slot or 5-in-1 multimedia card reader Almost 6 hours of battery life Display Port and VGA connectors (Supports 2 External Monitors!) Energy Star 5.0 Compliant 2 Built-in USB Ports 1 Built-in eSATA/USB Combo Port (Total of 3 USB Ports) Fingerprint Reader TPM 1.2 As you can see, with these specs the T400s is quite powerful. It also can come jam-packed with network connectivity options (including support for Mobile Broadband) helping keep you connected no matter where you go. Because security is super important to the Mobile Worker the T400s comes with a Fingerprint Reader and TPM 1.2. With TPM 1.2, BitLocker can be used in both Windows Vista and Windows 7 to secure the laptop. You also get your choice of storage. My T400s had a 250GB hard drive. The design of the T400s is pretty slick. The T400s uses Lenovos Top Cover Roll Cage, which they first introduced with the X300, in the construction of its frame. This roll cage is made out of reinforced monocoque carbon fiber which is the same stuff they use on airplanes and super-fast cars. This keeps the T400s pretty light. It weighs in at just under 4lbs (with a 6 cell battery) which is about 20% less than its T400 predecessor. A non-SSD hard drive may also add some weight to the laptop as well as they tend to be a little bit heavier. But Lenovo gives you the choice to choose (as mentioned above). This is a pretty thin laptop, measuring in at 0.83 inches (yes, I measured!). Part of the ability to keep this laptop so thin is that Lenovo uses a very thin 14.1 inch LED screen. For the T400s, Lenovo tweaked the keyboard a bit. The keys are much closer to each other likely to prevent gunk from getting underneath. The Delete and ESC keys are also larger. The touchpad is now flush with the palm rest and is textured to help people feel its location. I also discovered that the T400s has an always on USB port in the back. This means that if the system is in sleep/standby or hibernate mode you can still plugin devices like MP3 players or mobile phones and have them charge off the laptops battery. Another very interesting aspect of this laptop is how Lenovo optimized it for VoIP. Many businesses are utilizing VoIP for their communications. This laptop can essentially serve as your communication hub when youre out-and-about. Lenovo added a new toggle switch at the top of the keyboard so that you can easily increase and decrease your system volume putting the user in more control of their audio. Im told this will become a standard for all Lenovo laptops going forward. The speaker volume has been amped up to be more than 2x greater than audio levels see on the T400. And the speakers themselves have been moved to the sides instead of on the palm rest area seen on the X300 series laptops. Lenovo put 2 digital microphones in for better recording. The dual microphones are expected to cut down the amount of ambient noise picked up during your VoIP calls and improve clarity with sound. And of course you can have audio without video. The T400s comes with built in 2.0 megapixel webcam that can shoot video up to 30fps. The webcam also has Lower Light Capture Capability to capture decent video is very low-lit conditions. Lenovo puts Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate on their business laptops. The T400s I have came with Windows Vista Business. However I decided to put Windows 7 (the Windows 7 RC) on it. Instead of upgrading from Windows Vista, I did a clean install. Windows 7 picked up most of the drivers with updates to many of them available for me on Windows Update. I had everything up and running very quickly. With Windows 7 and the T400s, I am able to secure the laptop with a variety of features from Windows 7. Windows 7 has BitLocker (which we introduced with Windows Vista). Using TPM, I was able to encrypt the hard drive of the laptop to ensure if the laptop ever gets lost so that no one can get the data off the hard drive. Windows 7 has a new biometric framework and in combination with UPEKs biometric software I was able to quickly enroll fingerprints for a further enhanced security. UPEK takes advantage of Windows 7s biometric enhancements. This process was incredibly easy. As mentioned above, the T400s can come with built in Mobile Broadband. Windows 7 brings enhancements that take advantage of Mobile Broadband making it easy to connect and stay connected. I had fun playing with this laptop. Special thanks to Lenovo for the opportunity! The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s will become available at www.lenovo.com starting at $1,599.