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USB 3.0 spec released today, promises 10X speed boost

Sujit Maharjan — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:15:40 +0000

The ubiquitous USB interface was officially updated to version 3.0, with developers delivering the final “SuperSpeed” USB specification and a comprehensive review of the technology at a conference today. The new standard will provide a maximum bandwidth of 5.0 Gbps, which is more than ten times what is offered by USB 2.0, while also being more power-efficient than its predecessor.

To put things into perspective, developers said the new spec can handle 25GB transfers in a mere 70 seconds, whereas the same transfer would take 13.9 minutes with the current USB 2.0 protocol and 9.3 hours on USB 1.0. USB 3.0 is backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 hardware but won’t work with USB 1.0 devices due to significant changes between the original format and its third generation.

The first USB 3.0 standalone controllers are expected to hit the market in the second half of 2009, according to the announcement, with consumer products arriving in 2010. Additional information on the new spec can be found here.

Microsoft to ship Vista SP2 beta to developers next week

Sujit Maharjan — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 09:01:33 +0000

Microsoft will be sharing details on Windows 7 next week, but there will also be news around Vista, with the company planning to distribute a beta of Service Pack 2 to a small group of Technology Adoption Program members. Some of the features to be included with SP2 are native Blu-ray recording in Vista, a revised search feature, Bluetooth 2.1 support and more.

This should be the last service pack for Vista, with Microsoft now shifting its focus to Windows 7 and its planned release date either in the first half of next year (if rumors are to be believed) or late 2009 / early 2010 (if you’re going by what Microsoft is saying). In any case, it seems SP2 will bring few but worthy features ahead of Microsoft’s next big release.

Fallout 3 available for pre-purchase through Steam

Sujit Maharjan — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 08:57:11 +0000

If you’re itching for Fallout 3 but don’t feel like standing in line for hours or would rather download it than get a hard copy, you can now officially get the game as a pre-purchase through Steam, for the same price tag that the PC version has in stores.

Digital distribution will definitely boost sales, as we’ve already seen how well Steam has been received. There isn’t any mention on how DRM or copy protection will be different from the DVD version sold in stores compared to the version on Steam, but you can imagine it is probably like any other Steam release.

Five low-power Core 2 Duos launching this year

Sujit Maharjan — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:45:00 +0000

In addition to Intel planning to shortly discontinue several of their processors, the company is also preparing to make several new low-power Core 2 Duo CPUs available before the end of this year.

Five new models, including the T9800, Q9000, P9600, T9550 and the T8700 are planned, all of which will have a TDP of only 35W, fairly low as far as desktop processors go. All the units are dual-core. It’s unlikely that these CPUs are intended specifically to be paired with the upcoming P55 chipsets, as the release date is too early for that. The low TDP will probably not carry over to all newer CPU models, as P55 itself will have room for CPUs with a TDP up to 95W.

Google suffers another Gmail outage

Sujit Maharjan — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:37:54 +0000

Earlier this week Google announced it had detected a problem that prevented Gmail users from accessing their accounts. Although Google said the bug affected only “a small number of users,” that was little comfort for Google Apps administrators who were fielding angry complaints from business users who actually pay for Google’s email system.

The outage lasted about 30 hours and has since been fixed, but the company offered no explanation as to what caused the problem nor as to why it took them so long to repair. This is just the latest in a series of incidents that have affected Gmail, following a similar problem in August and a couple of lengthy outages back in 2006, which understandably has raised some questions among IT professionals about the efficacy of using SaaS solutions as a foundation for business communications

IP addresses to run out by 2010?

Sujit Maharjan — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:29:48 +0000

Thirty-one years after the first internet protocol structure was put in place, the internet is in danger of running out of IP addresses – at least according to Google’s chief internet evangelist Vint Cerf. The man often referred to as “the father of the internet” recently talked up the next-gen IP addressing scheme, IPv6, and the need for a transition from the current IPv4.

According to Cerf, out of the 4.2 billion possible IP addresses, there are only around 600 million left. While that may sound like an awful lot, with the amount of expected mobile devices logging onto the internet, he predicts that we will run out of IP addresses within the next year or two. As alarmist as that may sound, the fact remains that IPv6 has been ready for a decade but it has yet to take off in many portions of the world. IPV6 can provide up to 2^128 addresses (340 trillion trillion trillion), and Cerf is urging ISPs to inform customers of the upcoming switchover.

Yahoo Releases Messenger 9.0 with Bolder Interface and Pingbox Feature

Sujit Maharjan — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:46:01 +0000

This past Tuesday Yahoo released the latest version of their instant messaging program, Messenger 9.0. With the release, they’ve introduced a slew of new features including a brand new interface, chat window, improved spam control, and the Yahoo Messenger Pingbox.

The new interface is more spread out than previous versions, allowing for larger avatars and the ability to post status messages. Also included in the new interface is the ability to import your contacts in bulk from your e-mail, IM, or Facebook contact lists using third party operator TrueSwitch. TrueSwitch will search through your address books and find users already on Yahoo and shoot them a friend invite on your behalf.

The new chat window ups the ease-of-use factor, allowing users to drop maps, images, videos or links directly into the chat box when you want to share them with your friends. Being able to check out videos and images without even leaving your IM client is mighty convenient. Yahoo also made a reversal from their dime-sized emoticons, scaling them down to give them a much cleaner look.

The final big feature is the Yahoo Messenger Pingbox, which is brand new with this release. It allows for web site owners (such as bloggers, eBay sellers, and social networking power users) to chat in real time with anyone visiting their site. This is a step up over lurking your inbox, waiting for a reply e-mail from the site owner that you’re trying to get in contact with. For the owner of the site these Pingboxes are simple to use, and highly customizable. Everything from the aesthetics of the window, to sending out a broadcast message to your site’s users, you’ll be given lots of control.

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Microsoft drops email, photo apps from Windows 7

Sujit Maharjan — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:22:01 +0000

Microsoft has confirmed that applications for simple activities such as e-mail and photo editing won’t be included with Windows 7. Specifically, Photo Gallery, Windows Mail and Movie Maker will be ditched in favor of optional downloadable apps that tap into Windows Live and offer the same functionality. The company argues that this will ensure a quicker turnaround for the launch of Windows 7 and that it opens up the possibility of working with partners down the line.

Speaking to CNET.com, Windows Live general manager Brian Hall said the company decided it was pointless to offer two different programs for each function, particularly since this confuses customers and makes support more complicated. The announcement further highlights Microsoft’s strategic shift to online services and is also a much welcome step towards making Windows 7 less bloated than Vista. It could also help the Redmond giant avoid antitrust problems for tying operating system features to specific services.

T-Mobile officially unveils first Google Android phone

Sujit Maharjan — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:45:38 +0000

After many months of speculation, the first Google Android-powered mobile device has finally been announced: the T-Mobile G1, also known as HTC Dream. The G1 targets both the iPhone and the Blackberry – with touchscreen functionality and a slide-out QWERTY keypad – and will be the first phone to provide access to the Android Market.

Specs include built-in support for T-Mobile’s 3G (HSDPA) and EDGE networks as well as Wi-Fi, 3MP camera, a full HTML web browser, pre-installed 1GB microSD memory card, and one-touch access to popular Google applications including Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and others. The G1 will be available at T-Mobile retail stores beginning October 22 for $179 plus a two-year voice and data agreement. The iPhone certainly got the ball rolling, but will Google’s Android take things to the next level? Time will tell

Google rated in the top 10 most valuable brand names

Sujit Maharjan — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:43:20 +0000

Remember when Google used to be the underdog? Those days have long since passed. So far gone, in fact, that Google has been rated as one of the 10 most valuable brand names in the world. It is now sitting up there with huge brand names that go back decades or even over a century like Coca-Cola and IBM.

That’s a very high place to be – it puts them above companies like Nintendo, Nokia, Apple and many others who have had tangible hardware for many years longer than Google has existed. That’s a testament to how well Google has done and how much people have responded to what they offer. However, no more can Google truly be called a “rebel” company – they are a massive, worldwide entity, one that has made their kingdom on advertising.