Technology News and Gadgets Updates: 12/07/10

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

AMD launches flagship hexa, tri and dual-core Phenom II and Athlon II processors

AMD has announced three new processors for the Phenom II and Athlon II desktop CPU lines, with new hexa-core and dual-core flagships, as well as an Athlon II tri-core CPU.

All three processors are backward compatible with the AM2+ socket, apart from the current AM3 standard.

The price of the previous hexa-core flagship, the Phenom II X6 1090T, has also fallen to $235 ~ Rs. 10, 600 (expect it to fall in India to approximately that figure, after the 1100T BE becomes available in the upcoming weeks).

Find more details of the new processors below:

Model Number	Frequency	Total L2 Cache	L3 Cache	Packaging	Thermal Design Power	CMOS Technology	Price
1100T	3.3 GHz	3MB	6MB	socket AM3	125W	45nm SOI	$265 ~ Rs.11,900
565	3.4GHz	1MB	6MB	socket AM3	80W	45nm SOI	$112 ~ Rs. 5,100
455	3.3 GHz	1.5MB	-	socket AM3	95W	45nm SOI	$87 ~ Rs. 3,900

Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Google Opens Online Bookstore

Google Inc. launched Google eBooks, its long-anticipated digital bookselling enterprise, on Monday
The venture, now rolling out across the Web with hundreds of thousands of popular titles for sale and millions more free, will compete for a slice of the digital books business, which is valued at close to $1 billion and is expected to grow in the coming years.
Google eBooks, formerly called Google Editions, represents another opportunity for the Web giant to go toe-to-toe with two of its powerful rivals, Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., and to open up a new stream of revenue outside of online advertising.

"Publishers want more competition in the marketplace, and we already have a big investment," said Tom Turvey, a director of strategic partnerships at Google. "We're trying to extend the value of content that exists in the world by enabling people to find it and buy it.Journal Community.Customers will be able to store their Google-purchased titles online on their own bookshelf accessible via their Google account. They will be able to start reading e-books on one device or computer and switch midway through the book to other devices without losing their spot, Google engineers said.

Pricing is similar to other major e-books vendors, with new releases from publishers operating under the so-called "agency pricing model," in which publishers set the consumer prices, generally priced under $20. Google eBooks will set its own prices for books sold by publishers under the traditional wholesale model.

Earlier: Google E-Book Venture Set to Launch
The new service is an extension of Google Books, a book-search site linked to the company's main Web search engine. Launched in 2004, it displays full copies or previews of millions of books and points consumers to places where they could be purchased, including Amazon.com. Now Google will sell books directly through an online store and allow others, including independent bookstores, to sell Google eBooks on their own sites and get a share of the revenue. Mr. Turvey said the company will not require other sellers to give Google their customers' financial information or email addresses. "We're not interested in pursuing the customers of booksellers," he said.
Mr. Turvey said that all of the country's major publishers are participating in Google eBooks, which means the Google e-book store will have a full complement of competitively priced best-sellers. It will also contain a wide array of scholarly, scientific and professional titles that may not be available elsewhere, making it "the largest e-book store on the planet," said Scott Dougall, a Google product management director. Google eBooks will become available outside the U.S. starting in the first quarter of 2011.
Among the major publishers that have signed up is Bertelsmann AG's Random House Inc., which is selling its books to Google at a wholesale price and allowing Google to set the consumer price. Random House is the only major publisher that has declined to adopt the so-called "agency pricing model," under which publishers set the consume price, and hasn't signed an agreement in the U.S. to sell its books directly on Apple's iBookstore.
"The Google e-book store will enable us to increase the readership and the revenue for our authors, and that's what we're here for," said Stuart Applebaum, a spokesman for Random House. Mr. Applebaum noted that Random House's relationship with Apple remains unchanged.
Mr. Turvey said that he expects many members of the American Booksellers Association to eventually use Google eBooks to sell digital titles to their customers, as well as other retailers not affiliated with the ABA. In addition, he said that bloggers and others who wish to direct their visitors to Google's digital titles could earn a commission through an affiliate program. He declined to say how much affiliate sellers will receive, except to say that the rates will "be competitive."
Mr. Turvey noted that some retailers will likely begin exploring the option of selling a bundle that combines a physical book with a digital edition. Some publishers fear that bundling could help drive down e-book prices, but it's likely that there will be a wide variety of experimentation in this area.
Disclaimer: All information on this news has been compiled from their respective official websites or through public domain sites and leading newspapers. Although, we have taken reasonable efforts to provide you with accurate information, but we assumes no responsibility for the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the Information and would advise you to verify it from the official product provider. We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. If you would like to advertise on our site please contact us

Google to release new smartphone with "Android" software

Google Inc. unveiled a new smartphone, developed with Samsung Electronics Co., along with a new version of its Android software as the Internet giant continues an assault on Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
The move follows Google's short-lived effort to market a handset called the Nexus One, which was released in January and discontinued in the summer.
The new model, the Nexus S, will be introduced in the U.S. in mid-December and sold exclusively at Best Buy Co. retail stores and on Best Buy's website. It will cost $199 with a two-year T-Mobile USA contract, and be sold for $529 without a service contract.
Google is shifting strategies it used with the Nexus One, which was only sold directly to consumers through a Google Web store in a bid to side-step the traditional model of sales through carriers.
Some executives at wireless carriers said the Nexus One didn't sell well and Google closed its Web store a few months ago.
Google Vice President Andy Rubin, who leads the Android team, has said more than 100,000 Nexus One units were sold in three months and that it inspired other handset makers to build other Android devices that have sold well.

The Nexus S will feature front- and rear-facing cameras so users can make video calls, similar to the iPhone. It also includes technology that could help people make payments with their devices when they're on the go.
Google, in a blog post, said the new Android software that will power the Nexus S, known as Gingerbread, includes support for so-called near field communications technology. Such technology can enable third-party developers to create mobile payment applications so users could use their phones as digital wallets.
The company also said the Nexus S is the first smartphone to feature a four-inch contoured display, designed to better fit the palm of the hand and the side of user's face.
Google licenses the Android software free to hardware makers such as Samsung. The company won't make any money from direct sales of the Nexus S, a Google spokesman said.
But the Nexus S, which joins dozens of other Android devices made by numerous manufacturers, could help boost awareness and demand for Android-powered phones, while spurring other companies to develop new handsets that exploit the software, said Charles Golvin, a mobile analyst at Forrester Research.
"If all the innovation is left to the folks who make the networks or devices, we don't get a whole lot of innovation," he said.
Android is designed to ensure that Google's Internet search, maps and other services will be a mainstay on mobile devices. The company sells ads alongside its Internet search results and helps place ads within mobile-device applications such as game. Two months ago Google executives said the company was on track to generate $1 billion annually in mobile-related revenue.
Android, the No. 3 mobile operating system in the U.S. as of October, is quickly gaining on Apple and Research In Motion Ltd., maker of the BlackBerry, according to research firm comScore Inc.
Very few phones are sold in the U.S. without contracts. But those who buy the Nexus S without a service contract can insert SIM cards from carriers that operate on the so-called GSM network, including AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG.
The phone won't work with carriers that use a different cellular technology, including Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. A Google spokesman wouldn't comment on whether other carriers are considering offering the phone with a contract.
The Nexus phone will be marketed to consumers as "the new Android phone from Google" and Samsung will handle customer support, according to the Google spokesman. Samsung also makes the Galaxy Tab, a rival to Apple's iPad tablet.

Apple updates iPhone operating system

The newest version of the operating system that powers iPhones, iPads and the iPod touch - iOS 4.2 - is ready for installation.

IPad users will notice the biggest changes, since this is the first ever update for that machine's operating system. It will allow multitasking on the tablet computer, so multiple applications can run at once with the possibility of transferring data between them.

IPad users have also missed out on the themed folders for sorting apps that iPhone users have been able to enjoy for a while.

The new Mail software can aggregate several accounts into one inbox, while a Game Center offers a sampling of simple online games.

But there is something new for the iPhone - AirPrint, which allows printing via a wireless connection. Initially, the function will be supported by multiple HP printers. To download and install the system updates, the devices have to be hooked up to a computer running the iTunes programme.

Facebook revamps users' profile pages

Facebook on Sunday unveiled new profile pages that give photos centerstage, allow users to highlight important friends and go into far more detail on their jobs.

Previous changes on the world's largest social networking site have sometimes resulted in criticism on how the company handles privacy issues, generating occasional backlashes against Facebook. The revamp comes amid ongoing speculation about when Facebook will launch an initial public offering.

In a blog post, Facebook software engineer Josh Wiseman said the overhaul would make it "easier for you to tell your story and learn about your friends."

Users with the new profile get a strip of photos at the top of their profile pages. Under the old system, users keep photos under a separate tab.

Bigger photos accompany lists of interests, such as favorite television shows and sports teams, helping them pop out from the screen.

Users can also list their friends by relationship, grouping family members together and highlighting their best friends.

The changes make it easier for Facebook users to integrate details about their work lives into their pages, a shift for a service used largely for social activities.

There is much more room for job information such as specific projects a user has worked on. The move highlights Facebook's potential to compete with LinkedIn, a career-networking Web site with 85 million members. It too is considered a strong IPO candidate.

Wiseman said Facebook would gradually roll out the redesign over the next year, giving users the option to switch to it immediately if they like.

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg was set to discuss the changes on CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday night.