News Archive for 07/12/31

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Raytel announces EGO Drive GPS navigator

12/31, 1:05pm

Raytel EGO Drive

Raytel has announced that at next month's CES expo, it will be demonstrating the EGO Drive, an unusual GPS navigator. While it includes a 4.3-inch touchscreen and 2D or 3D mapping, the distinguishing factor may be its wireless remote control knob, which lets users handle some basic functions without having to lean over to the dash or pull it out of a pocket.

The unit further features advanced Bluetooth support, which not only enables hands-free calling but also stereo audio streaming. Users can play MP3, WAV and MPEG-4 files on the system, with data being copied either to internal memory via USB, or held on SD cards up to 2GB in size.

Vonage, Nortel settle patent lawsuits

12/31, 12:25pm

Vonage, Nortel settle spat

Canada's Nortel is the latest to settle a patent dispute with VoIP carrier Vonage, Reuters reports. Unlike the company's recent legal problems, however, Vonage was in this case the originator, having inherited a 2004 lawsuit when it bought Digital Packet Licensing in 2006; in question were patents relating to 411 and 911 services, along with so-called "click-to-call" technology. Nortel filed a counterclaim earlier this month, which may have been the trigger for the settlement.

Crucially for Vonage, which has been in serious financial jeopardy for several months, the agreement will require no cash damage payments. Instead, each side will let the other license three of its patents in a limited arrangement.

ASUS giving next Eee PC WiMAX wireless, 8.9-inch LCD?

12/31, 12:10pm

ASUS Eee PC with WiMAX Tip

ASUS will give its Eee PC ultra-compact notebook wide-area 4G wireless when a new version is revealed next week, the company says on a special preview website. Though leaving few clues, the company makes clear that it will use Intel's WiMAX in the system to supply fast broadband Internet access at cellular-like distances. The system is certain to arrive in the US through Sprint's involvement with the project, which will make sure the new Eee can take advantage of the cellular provider's upcoming Xohm WiMAX service. The debut is expected on Monday, though an actual launch may hinge on Sprint's 4G network, which launches during the spring.

Acer, Fujitsu, Lenovo readying Penryn notebooks

12/31, 11:00am

Lenovo ThinkPad Penryn Tip

Even more system builders are known to be gearing up for Penryn notebook launches that will launch early next year, according to further updates from Notebook Italia. Unlike its often conservative efforts in the past, Lenovo plans to update both its premium T61 (shown) and mainstream R61 ThinkPads with the new processor: each will get a baseline 2.1GHZ Core 2 Duo with the enhanced 3MB of cache and other benefits of the newer chip design; the thinner, titanium T61 will come with 1GB of memory, a 120GB disk, and integrated Intel video as standard while the bulkier R61 will use its cost savings to use doubled RAM, a 160GB drive, and offer NVIDIA's Quadro NVS 140M for faster 3D graphics.

Report: music sales in holiday free-fall

12/31, 10:55am

Music Sales Free-Fall

Music sales during the holidays have dropped by a dramatic extent in 2007, Variety magazine writes. Although a handful of titles such as Josh Groban's Noel have fared well, the overall number of albums sold has dropped from 105.3 to 83.9 million between 2006 and 2007 for the peak holiday shopping period following US Thanksgiving -- a drop of about 21 percent, the publication says. Sales during the last week hit a predicted spike and jumped 42 percent but were still 18 percent down from the year before.

LG preps 52, 84-inch multi-touch LCDs, more

12/31, 10:00am

LG Multi-Touch

LG Phillips LCD has today revealed some of its first multi-touch displays and is targeting them at users who want to bring the technology to large rooms and public spaces. At 52 and 84 inches, the two new displays are the largest yet to allow more than one point of contact: the 52-inch is the largest contiguous LCD of its kind while the 84-inch model combines four 42-inch screens. An IR sensor registers two points of contact and can also recognize gestures, allowing users to zoom into a map or manipulate a photo with more natural input. Either set functions as a 1080p display that works with most computers and offer virtually the same light output as a view-only display despite the touch input.

iPhone 1.1.3 firmware demonstrated in video

12/31, 9:50am

iPhone 1.1.3 firmware demo

One site claims to have acquired a pre-release version of Apple's v1.1.3 firmware for the iPhone, revealing several features. In contrast to reports from earlier this month, the new account does not make any mention of disk modes or voice recording, but rather concentrates on improvements to Google Maps and the home screen. In the latter case users can drag and drop icons by holding their finger on one for a few seconds, which "shakes free" all icons to be moved around as desired. Users can then shuffle around items in not just the primary screen, but also in the dock, or to and from the newly-accessible secondary pages. Tapping the Home button locks icons back in place.

Leaks hint at Penryn notebook details

12/31, 9:05am

Penryn Notebook Leaks

Details of several notebooks running the mobile version of Intel's Penryn architecture have been leaked and point to the likely specifications for other systems as well, according to Notebook Italia. Sony is expected to have one of the most comprehensive updates with upgrades to its VAIO AR, CR, FZ (pictured), and SZ notebooks. As should be common to many systems based on the 45-nanometer Intel processor, clock speeds will be higher: the CR, SZ, and the base FZ will start with 2.1GHz Core 2 Duos, while the top FZ and the standard AR will reach 2.4GHz; fulfilling predictions of large memory, Sony will ship every system with at least 2GB of RAM and as much as 4GB on the 2.4GHz portables, which also sport Blu-ray drives.

BlackBerry 9000 spotted; no touchscreen after all?

12/31, 8:25am

BlackBerry 9000 Photo Leak

Research in Motion's BlackBerry 9000-series has been spotted but may be an evolutionary design rather than the major shift expected by some, according to an update from the third-party BlackBerry Forums. A photo allegedly taken near the company's Waterloo, Canada campus reveals a device that offers a major redesign of the BlackBerry Curve but retains the chief formula equipped with a conventional screen, it also keeps the trackball of the earlier model but includes larger, easier to hit keys on its keypad and is thinner overall than its predecessors.