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Current News
November 20, 2008 ASUS announces Eee Top ET1602 all-in-oneSpotted as a pre-order a few weeks ago, ASUS has finally formally announced the Eee Top ET1602 and ET1603, its latest devices to bear the Eee brand name.
The Eee Top ET1602 is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and Windows XP Home with an "Easy Mode" user interface. It comes with a 15.6-inch touchscreen display, 1GB RAM, 128MB of shared video memory, a 160GB hard drive, a 1.3MP camera, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, an SDHC memory card slot, and built-in 4W speakers. It comes with a number of pre-installed applications including StarOffice, Skype, Eee Memo, Eee Cam and more. The ET1603 adds an ATI Mobility Radeon HD3450 graphics card.
As of now, they have only been announced in Taiwan where the ET1602 is selling for TWD$18,900 (about USD$570). Pricing for the ET1603 with better graphics has not been revealed.
Source: Engadget
 HP iPAQ Data Messenger and iPAQ Voice Messenger now on Vodafone UK siteThe recently announced HP iPAQ Data Messenger and iPAQ Voice Messenger have landed on the Vodafone UK web site. Still showing as 'coming soon', you can now register to receive an email to let you know when they become available.
The iPAQ Voice Messenger is powered by a 528MHz Qualcomm 7201A processor and Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard. It comes with quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM and tri-band (900/1900/2100MHz) UMTS/HSUPA connectivity, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a 20-key thumb keyboard and 5-way optical navigation key, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, integrated Assisted GPS, a 3.1MP autofocus camera with LED flash, a microSDHC card slot (up to 8GB), and a 1260mAh battery. It measures 5.0 by 1.36 by 11.4 centimeters and weighs 107 grams.
The iPAQ Data Messenger shares very similar specifications but comes with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, a larger 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display (with automatic screen orientation), a slide-out QWERTY keyboard instead of the thumb keyboard and a1140mAh battery. It measures 5.7 by 1.74 by 11.4 centimeters and weighs 160 grams.
Vodafone prices and specific release dates are not available yet but HP had indicated it would sell the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger for about £333 and the iPAQ Data Messenger for £399 (prices include VAT) and that they would be available in November.
Globalive to partner with MTS in bid for national wireless network?Investment banking firm Genuity Capital Markets has suggested that a partnership between Globalive and MTS Allstream would provide both companies with advantages in building out their wireless networks. Globalive could gain an alternative source of financing while MTS would be able to sell Globalive Wireless services to its enterprise customer base. An investment in Globalive would also protect MTS from a hostile takeover bid from one of the established national players.
Globalive plans to start offering mobile phone services in the second half of 2009. A partnership with MTS would still live Globalive with a hole in Quebec. A partnership with Quebecor-owned Videotron could cover that gap to turn Globalive into a national carrier.
Globalive also recently secured non-recourse vendor financing from Orascom Telecom. While specific amounts were not revealed, they are estimated to be at least USD$350 million.
 Microsoft updates Zune Pass to include free tracks to keepMicrosoft is changing the way its subscription-based Zune Pass works. So far, it has allowed unlimited downloads but these vanished as soon as you stopped subscribing to the service. Now, subscribers will also be able to keep ten tracks permanently each month that they are subscribed.
Microsoft also boasts that about 90 percent of its over four million songs are now available in DRM-free MP3 format. Hopefully you are able to permanently rather than DRM-laden tracks.
One thing to keep in mind: The ten tracks will not roll-over so make sure you collect your ten each month or you will lose them. November 19, 2008 Apple releases firmware update for new glass trackpadsApple has released a firmware update for an issue affecting its latest MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks. Introduced back in mid-October, the new notebooks feature an innovative multitouch glass trackpad. Instead of relying on hardware buttons, the whole trackpad can act as buttons when you press down on it.
This firmware update addresses an issue where trackpad clicks may not be recognized on MacBook (Late 2008) and MacBook Pro (Late 2008) systems.
The new firmware can be downloaded via Mac OS X's Software Update or manually by simply downloading and executing it.
Google Android headed to Japan next year?Google Android could be headed to Japan and North Korea courtesy of NTT DoCoMo and its South Korean partner KTF. The two companies are considering developing an Android-based smartphone for release in 2009. A final decision is still pending though, according to a DoCoMo spokesperson.
Using Android would allow the companies to sell their smartphone at a price about 20 percent lower than other smartphones. Much of the price difference can be attributed to the fact that Google offers Android for free.
Assuming that DoCoMo does go ahead and is not beaten to the punch by a competitor (for example, KDDI Corp), this new phone would be the first to be powered by Android in Japan and South Korea. November 18, 2008 Microsoft releases new Zune firmware and softwareMicrosoft released firmware version 3.1 for its line of Zune digital media players. The new release comes with three new free games and updates for the Zune Social and the Zune software as well. Not bad for a point release.
On the game front, Microsoft added Checkers, Sudoku and Space Battle. It also added a new multiplayer mode and single player difficulty levels to Texas Hold'em Poker.
The Zune Social also got a bit of attention. There is a new feature that will let you find like minded listeners as well as navigation improvements.
The Zune PC software and Zune firmware also got some tweaks to improve stability and performance.
To get the firmware update, a simple Zune sync should suffice. You can also update the PC software using the 'Check for updates' function.
 Internet Explorer 6 Mobile to be available only on new devicesJust a few days ago, we learned a number of new details about the upcoming Internet Explorer 6 Mobile. If you have been eagerly looking forward to getting your hands on it since then, Microsoft has some bad news for you. In the comments about the original story is one that Internet Explorer 6 Mobile will only be available on new devices. The comment was posted by a member of the Windows Mobile team:
Regarding making IE Mobile available as a separate download or update, the rich media experiences that IE Mobile 6 enables require more powerful, advanced devices. That is why it will not be available as an upgrade or direct download for current phones, but rather will be made available on new phones.
A few questions come to mind immediately:
- What kind of device will be needed to run Internet Explorer 6 Mobile?
- How is it that other browsers can deliver comparable functionality without restricting use to the latest devices?
If Microsoft does not reverse this decision, it may find itself driving its users to other browsers or worse to other mobile operating systems. Meanwhile, the new IE Mobile version is expected to start to show up in new devices by the end of the year or early in 2009.
Source: Brighthand
 Google Mobile App for iPhone adds Voice Search and My Location featuresGoogle has announced that its Google Mobile App for iPhone now comes with Voice Search, a feature that lets you speak your query and get Google results back using the new iPhone formatted result page. If Location Services is enabled on your iPhone, it will also use your location to present geographically relevant links (like the nearest restaurants).
Among the other features of the Google Mobile App are Google Suggest, a search history, easy access to other Google products like Maps, Gmail and News from the Apps tab, and more.
The Google Mobile App is available for both the Apple iPhone and iPod touch through the Apple App Store. Other Recent Stories
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