Worried About Germs On Your Cellphone? VIOlight Has You Covered!

VIOlight, the leading brand of toothbrush sanitizers, announces today the availability of the first ever UV Cell Phone Sanitizer that eliminates up to 99.9% of germs and bacteria on cell phones, and other small electronic devices. VIOlight's germicidal UV light - the same ground-breaking technology used in hospitals - decreases the number of strep, E. coli, salmonella, listeria, and H1N1 virus germs and bacteria in three minutes.

Studies show the average cell phone carries more germs per square inch than doorknobs, soles of shoes and most toilet seats. "Our goal is to help make people's lives healthier with every product we develop," said Joel Pinsky, co-developer and founder of VIOlight. "Consumers can now utilize the same UV technology used to clean their toothbrushes for their cell phones and other small electronics devices they use every day."

The VIOlight Cell Phone Sanitizer is battery operated, portable, and easy to use. To activate, place your cell phone, earbuds, Bluetooth headsets or other small electronic device into the cradle, close the lid, and a blue-violet indicator light signals that the sanitizer is working. The twin UV bulbs automatically shut off after three minutes when your device is ready.

The Cell Phone Sanitizer is available now for $49.99 at Brookstone, Hammacher Schlemmer, and Cellphone.violight.com.

Staples Now Offers Rebates Via PayPal

I've played the mail-in-rebate game for as long as I can remember, all the way back to the mail them in and hope and prey that your check comes in the mail days. Now days the rebate game has changed dramatically. For some sites gone are the days of filling out forms you can submit all your rebate information online - no clipping, no mailing, no hassles.

Staples has always led the way in the new paperless MIR game. They were one of the first large retailers to take all the hassles out of the rebate game and make the rebate process easier. For years now they've used the Easy Rebate system which allow you to submit almost all of their rebate offers online which removes the delay in mailing along with the postage cost and there is no worry that Staples didn’t receive the rebate. You can track the rebate online and so far I haven’t had any issues with rebate payment.

Now they've gone a step further and are allowing you to receive your payments electronically through PayPal. With the new PayPal payment system users can skip the snail mail process altogether which should actually make receiving rebate payments quicker and easier as there is no wait time for the check to arrive. This new option should also help ease concerns from many rebate shoppers who note that the rebate postcards often get lost in the mail.

Staples has said that not all their rebates will allow for PayPal payment so you'll need to check for the option when submitting. Staples has a short FAQ about the PayPal rebate payment option. It unclear, what if any, PayPal fees might apply, so users might check into that before opting for the option. But getting your rebate a little quicker might be worth a few pennies.

Skype And Facebook Unite

Skype today announced the launch of the new Skype 5.0 for Windows, with Facebook integration.

The Facebook integration makes Skype even more social. For the first time Skype users can keep up-to-date and interact with their Facebook News Feed, including posting status updates, commenting, and liking, directly from Skype. Even better, the Facebook Phonebook in Skype allows users to call and SMS their Facebook friends directly on their mobile phones and landlines with just a few clicks. If your Facebook friend is also a Skype contact, you can make a free Skype-to-Skype call.

With Facebook integration, you can:

• see your Facebook News Feed in Skype
• post status updates that can be synced with your Skype mood message
• comment and like friends’ updates and wall posts
• call and SMS your Facebook friends on their mobile phones and landlines
• make a free Skype-to-Skype call if your Facebook friend is also a Skype contact

"We're working with companies such as Skype to make it easy to find your friends anytime you want to connect," wrote Ethan Beard, director of Facebook's Developer Network, in a blog posting.

Source: Skype Blog

Tom's Hardware Wants Your Help Choosing CPU Tests For 2011

Tom's Hardware wants you, well not literally, but they do want your input as to which tests you'd like to see featured in their updated CPU charts for 2011. That's right if there is a new benchmark, game application or something else out there you'd like to see featured on the new CPU test charts for 2011 now is your chance to tell them and they might just listen!

Here’s the current list of test they'll be featuring:

• Apple iTunes 10.0.1
• TMPG 4.7 with DivX 6.9.2 and Xvid 1.2.2
• MainConcept Reference 2.0
• HandBrake 0.9.4
• Autodesk 3ds Max 2010
• WinRAR 3.92
• 7-Zip 4.65
• Adobe Photoshop CS5
• AVG Anti-Virus 11.0
• 3DMark Vantage
• PCMark Vantage
• SiSoftware Sandra 2010
• Metro 2033
• Just Cause 2
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• DiRT 2

Two things to keep in mind: Tom's would prefer to use free/trial/open source software, making reproducibility an option for as many of our readers as possible and the apps they are going to be willing to use will likely be the ones most applicable to the largest number of readers out there. So don't go all crazy suggesting some lame duck software no one has ever heard of or some totally niche test that only the geekiest of geeks would be willing to try. The have said there 'may' be room for a handful of more fringe tests but I'm sure that doesn't included something totally out there!

Fro more details checkout Tom's Hardware Wants You: CPU Tests For 2011

Google TV Now Taking Over Televisions Near You

Late last week Logitech became the first company to officially announce a Google TV device when they introduced the world to the $300 Logitech Revue. This week Sony is following suite with the introduction of several new Google TV devices. Sony's announcement includes five devices in all. Four HDTVs (24-, 32- , 40- and 46-inch) with prices from $599 to $1,399, plus a rather oddly built white set-top box with built-in Blu-ray player for $399.

The new Sony Internet TV devices are built on the Google TV platform featuring the Android OS, running the Google Chrome browser and includes a powerful Intel Atom processor offering the ability to quickly search across Internet and television content for easy access to entertainment and information.

The models also feature Dual View, allowing users to watch television while tweeting about what they’re watching, checking their fantasy football scores, or finding related content on the web.

They also deliver a truly personalized entertainment experience with the ability to bookmark content for easy access and add applications from the Android Market (coming in early 2011). The models feature Sony’s premium streaming service “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity” as well as pre-installed apps including CNBC, Napster, NBA, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, and YouTube.

Each set will feature an oddly shaped hand-held RF QWERTY keypad remote which incorporates an optical mouse making it easier to navigate content, type in search terms, and control the TV’s user interface. Additionally, Sony promises that select mobile devices such as an Android phone, can control the TV with an app that will be available for download from the mobile Android Market later this fall.

The Logitech Revue with Google TV includes a compact companion box that connects to any HDTV and a Logitech Keyboard Controller – a wireless compact keyboard that’s built specifically for the Google TV.

Additional accessories include the Logitech TV Cam which allows you to connect your TV Cam to your Google TV system, and have high-definition video calling directly from your HDTV, right in your living room. There is also a Logitech Mini Controller a compact palm-sized keyboard/ touch pad/remote control combo with the same power as the Keyboard Controller. The mini controller allows y to search, play, pause, rewind and fast-forward shows. And you can surf the web with a built-in combination touch pad/D-pad.

For Android and iPhone users Logitech has created the Logitech Harmony app for Android and iPhone. With the Harmony’s activity-based control, just one touch of “Watch Google TV” on your smartphone screen turns on all necessary devices and gives you control of your home entertainment system, including volume and video playback.

The Logitech Revue is currently only available for Pre-Order directly from Logitech while the Sony Internet TV and the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player are currently on pre-sale at www.SonyStyle.com and www.BestBuy.com.  They will be available for purchase at Sony Style on October 16 and at Best Buy shortly after.

NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 Introduced

NVIDIA this week introduced the latest addition to its Fermi class of graphics processing units (GPUs), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 430, which was specifically designed to provide the horsepower needed to power today's digital media PCs and provide the high definition video and audio experiences that desktop customers demand.

The GeForce GT 430 utilizes the Company's latest 40nm GPU, codenamed GF108, which is already designed into a variety of desktop and notebook platforms from the world's leading OEMs, including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Samsung, Sony and others. For customers looking for a viable desktop upgrade from lowly integrated solutions, the GeForce GT 430 is a major step up, delivering unparalleled experiences in photo and video editing, Blu-ray 3D, as well as the next generation of GPU-accelerated Web browsers and Web content. And, when combined with NVIDIA 3D Vision™ technology and a compatible display, the GT430 is also the only GPU in its class that allows consumers to experience their digital content in full stereoscopic 3D.

Offering up to 1.5x the gaming performance of previous generation products, the GeForce GT 430 also adds support for DirectX 11 (DX11), the industry standard for game development. Most importantly, the GT 430 delivers unmatched out-of-the-box game compatibility(i) and playable frame rates in all of today's top 30 games(ii), when compared to integrated graphics solutions.
Key features of the new GeForce GT 430 include:

• Support for HDMI 1.4a, a TV standard for delivering 3D content and advanced multi-channel digital audio
• Special video engine to accelerate Blu-ray 3D content, delivering optimal 3D visuals at a full 1080p resolution
• High-definition 24-bit multi-channel audio up to 192KHz, and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD audio bit streaming
• Dedicated video processing engine for reduced system power and heat
• Support for NVIDIA PhysX technology, the industry's most comprehensive, cross-platform physics solution 

GeForce GT 430 Specifications:

GPU Specs:

• 96 Cuda Cores
• Graphics Clock 700 MHz DDR3
• Processor Clock 1400 MHz
• Texture Fill Rate 11.2 (billion/sec)

Memory Specs:

• Memory Clock 800 - 900 MHz DDR3
• Standard Memory Config 1 GB DDR3/GDDR5 (2GB per GPU)
• Memory Interface Width 128-bit
• Memory Bandwidth 25.6 - 28.8 GB/sec

Feature Support:

• NVIDIA 3D Vision Ready
• NVIDIA PureVideo Technology HD
• NVIDIA PhysX ready
• NVIDIA CUD Technology
• Microsoft DirectX 11
• OpenGL 4.0

Display Support:

• Maximum Digital Resolution 2560x1600
• Maximum VGA Resolution 2048x1536
• Standard Display Connectors HDMI
• VGA (optional)
• Dual Link DVI

GeForce GT 430 Benchmarks and Reviews

• Legit Reviews - ASUS ENGT430 GeForce GT 430 1GB DDR3 Video Card Review
• OCC - ASUS ENGT430 Review
• HotHardware - NVIDIA GeForce GT 430: Cheap DX11 Graphics
• PureOverclock - ASUS GeForce GT 430 1GB
• KitGuru - nVidia Geforce GT430 Review
• Hardware Canucks - ASUS GeForce GT 430 1GB Review
• Benchmark Reviews - ASUS GeForce GT 430 Fermi GF108 Video Card
• Hardware Heaven - Zotac GeForce GT 430 Zone Edition Review
• Funkykit - Review: Zotac Geforce GT 430 (1Gb DDR3) 

Related News:
MSI launches N430GT-series graphics cards
PNY Debuts GeForce GT 430 Graphics Card (PDF)
SPARKLE Announced GeForce GT 430 Graphics Cards
ZOTAC Unleashes GeForce GT 430 Series Graphics Cards
GeForce your PC for the Ultimate Performance Upgrade with Inno3D GeForce GT430!
GIGABYTE Launches Brand New Home Theater Solution NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 Graphics Card
The EVGA GT 430 Has Arrived!


Source: NVIDIA Press Release

Google No Longer Offering Free 411 Service

On November 12, 2010 Google will be officially saying goodbye to GOOG-411 the companies free voice-powered directory assistance service.

Originally launched back 2007 GOOG-411 was the first of Google's services to use speech recognition. At the time of its launch the 411 service was a great idea and very well received by users that were tired of being hit with directory assistance fees from their cellphone carriers. Google has said the company is making the change because many cell phone users are moving to smartphones with internet access and they no longer need to dial 411 to get contact information. However for those of us still in the stone age and not using smartphones it is sad to see the service shuttering.

Google will ve offering a bit of a reprieve for GOOG-411 that don’t use a smartphone, and you’re trying to call a business. Those users can send a text message with the name and location of the business to 466453 ("GOOGLE") and Google will text you back with the information.

Get Looney Tunes Character Voices On Your TomTom GPS

Voice navigation is a great feature on any GPS unit but lets face it sometimes those voice can just be flat out annoying. So I say lets add a little fun to the mix, and that's just what the folks at VoiceSkins.com have done in the form of some of our favorite Looney Tunes characters.

VoiceSkins.com, in association with Warner Bros., Consumer Products and TomTom, brings the classic and official Looney Tunes characters to TomTom navigation devices for the very first time. Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam are the first two out of five Official Celebrity GPS VoiceSkins to have recently launched with Daffy Duck and Sylvester/Tweety launching this month and another long time Looney Tunes favorite Pepe Le Pew coming in November.

All Looney Tunes voices will be available in English. The Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam voices are available for download immediately for $12.95. TomTom customers will also be able to download free of charge various official warning alert sounds voiced by Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam, along with free start up screen wallpapers for customizing their devices.

To hear clips of the voices -- and to find out more about them -- visit www.tomtom.com/looneytunes.

If Looney Tunes isn't your thing VoiceSkins.com offers several other great packages including the original Homer Simpson voice, recorded by Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Snoop Dogg and the official Star Wars voices.

Don't Pay Best Buy $30 For PS3 Firmware Upgrade

It appears as though Best Buy is screwing bilking non-tech customers out of their hard earned cash by charging them a $30 fee for upgrading their new Sony PS3 to the latest firmware. A practice which we see as very unscrupulous!!

According to gaming site DualShockers, who originally reported seeing the advertisements at the Best Buy in Staten Island, New York City, Best Buy has the audacity to advertise a service that even the most un-tech friendly of users can do themselves.That's right folks even grand-ma can update the firmware on the PS3, its that easy! Bu the folks are misleading their none-tech customers and are charging them $30 for something that can be done for free at home!

Here's the breakdown from the reports and the advertisement:

A PlayStation 3 Slim 120GB is $299.99 at most retail stores and online. But if you head to you local Best Buy you may see it priced at $329.98 as part of a 'package deal' This package deal is advertised as including the latest firmware upgrade from Sony. The firmware includes the following changes/fixes

• Play all Blu-ray movies & PS3 games
• Eliminates bugs & glitches
• System runs smoother
• Improved connection to Facebook
• Power save settings
• Photo gallery and video editor
• Adds PlayStation Plus (Subscription Based)
• Improved System Settings

The issue at hand here is that the $30 'upgrade' that Best Buy is charging it's customers for is something that basically runs by itself on any internet connected PS3 for nothing. Yes that's correct folks it practically installs itself and I all but guarantee its easy enough anyone can do it.

Performing a firmware update on the PS3 is as simple as going to the system menu and selecting system updates and requires nothing more than a few button presses on the controller (and of course an internet connection).

Best Buy has done some pretty shady things in the past but to me this one takes it. The sad part is that they seem to see nothing wrong with bilking unsuspecting customers. When asked by Industry Gamers confronted Best Buy about the policy the company stated the upgrade offer had been in place for nearly two years and the company denied any wrong doing stating:


"While many gamers can handle firmware upgrades easily on their own, those customers who do want help can get it from Geek Squad, and we continue to evaluate this offering to ensure it meets their needs," said a Best Buy spokesperson. "The service goes beyond a firmware updates, and includes user account setup, parental control setup and other components."

Sadly many customers out there will see the deal and think its something they need to spend the extra cash on not knowing its something they can do on their own within a few mins times.

Intel Releases New Acronis Based SSD Cloning Utility

Cloning your drives can be a useful tool for migrating to another newer drive or just for having a duplicate copy of your entire installation for back-up. This week Intel, along side Acronis, released a new tool aimed at existing Intel SSD users that will do just that.

The Intel Data Migration Software, powered by Acronis, is an easy-to-use cloning utility that allows users to create a full working copy of their operating system, applications, documents and personal settings to be moved to their new Intel SSD in a matter of minutes.

The software creates a complete working copy of your old hard drive right down to the very last byte. This copy is then moved over to your new drive, assuming that is the amount of data on your old drive doesn't exceed the size of your new SSD.

AT&T Adds Three Android Based Motorola Smartphones

AT&T today announced it is significantly expanding its portfolio of Android devices by introducing three new Motorola smartphones powered by Android, the Motorola BRAVO, Motorola FLIPOUT and Motorola FLIPSIDE. All three smartphones will feature the Android 2.1 platform and the latest version of Motorola’s MOTOBLUR

MOTOROLA FLIPOUT

MOTOROLA FLIPOUT delivers an enhanced user experience, with a stylishly square, affordable and innovative pivot design. FLIPOUT whips open to reveal a full keyboard below its touch screen with a dedicated fifth row for numbers. Users can customize the color to match their mood with Dark Sapphire and Saffron battery covers included in the box for personalization. Additional colors will be available for purchase in AT&T stores and online. Get all the MOTOROLA FLIPOUT details at http://att.com/flipout.

MOTOROLA BRAVO

BRAVO offers the power of Android, an 800 MHz processor and a large screen all in a compact design. The device features a 3.7-inch full WVGA touch screen experience, enhanced Web-browsing and entertainment while on the go. With a 3-megapixel camera with digital zoom and auto focus, customers can catch memorable moments to share with one-touch social media uploads to Facebook, MySpace, Picasa and PhotoBucket. Motorola BRAVO is a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) enabled device, so customers can stream, store and share entertainment with multiple devices around the home—including PCs, TVs and other mobile devices using an existing home Wi-Fi network. Get all the MOTOROLA BRAVO details at http://att.com/bravo.

MOTOROLA FLIPSIDE

MOTOROLA FLIPSIDE enables users to seamlessly manage their work and personal life. With a full slide-out QWERTY keypad, FLIPSIDE’s 3.1”-inch high-res HVGA display supports pinch to zoom gesturing, while the laptop-like track pad provides an alternative way to navigate with one hand while keeping your fingers off the screen. Users can stay connected to work with full push corporate e-mail, support for Microsoft Exchange, unified inbox and enhanced features for IT compliance like remote wipe and password enforcement. Get all the MOTOROLA FLIPSIDE details at http://att.com/flipside.

Enhanced MOTOBLUR

MOTOBLUR is Motorola’s exclusive experience that syncs contacts, posts, messages, photos and much more — from your favorite social media sites, work and personal e-mail, and last.fm — and automatically delivers them to the home screen. MOTOBLUR can locate or remotely wipe lost or stolen devices, MOTOBLUR can also automatically restore a user’s contacts, log-in information, home screen customizations and e-mail with one username and password.
The new and enhanced MOTOBLUR functionality and features include:

• Filter social networking and Messages widgets – filter by social networking account, by contact(s) or by contact group to only see the information you want.
  
• Screen customization – move and resize preloaded widgets on up to seven home screens
  
• Battery Manager – manage battery consumption by operating in one of three performance modes
  
• Personal and Corporate e-mail – pushed directly to the device
  
• Improved social networking functionality – Retweet, like Facebook comments and more
  

Pricing

FLIPOUT will be the cheapest of the three phones will a list price of $79.99 while the FLIPSIDE will be available for $99.99 and BRAVO will come in with the highest price tag of $129.99. Each requires a new two service agreement and 2 year smartphone data plan from AT&T. The phones are expected to be available by this holiday season.

Source: Motorola

Skype Hits Android Market

Skype today announced the release of Skype for Android, a client for mobile handsets, built for smartphones running Android OS version 2.1 or above. With this latest release, the majority of smart phone users globally will now be able to experience the benefits of Skype on the move using either a WiFi or mobile data connection (GPRS, EDGE, 3G). Skype for Android is downloadable for free from the Android Market or consumers can visit www.skype.com/m to find out more details about how to get the application.
Skype for Android enables users to:

• Make free Skype-to-Skype calls over WiFi or mobile data connection (GPRS, EDGE, 3G)* to other Skype users anywhere in the world using Skype’s SILK codec for CD-like audio quality.
• Make low rate Skype calls to landline or mobile phones
• Send and receive instant messages to one or a group of friends on Skype
• Synchronize contacts between Skype and the native address book and after synchronization place Skype calls directly from the native address book.
• See when Skype contacts are online and available to call or chat
• Easily import names and numbers to the Skype application from the native address book
• Receive calls on their Skype online number

Mark Douglas, Product Manager of Android said: “The Skype experience is ubiquitous today. More and more people are using Skype to do things together when apart. With the addition of Android, we are pleased that Skype is now available on three of the most popular mobile platforms today: Android, iOS and Symbian”S


Skype Press Release

Microsoft Announces Windows Phone 7 Worldwide Launch Event

Update: Microsoft has been making changes to the official invite page ever sense this story broke last night. Originally the site was quoted stating "T-Mobile reps will be present for device showing and their service offering discussion / Microsoft developer architect will demonstrate Windows Phone 7 applications." That has since been changed to read "We will present a Windows Phone 7 device / Microsoft developer architect will demonstrate Windows Phone 7 applications."

The event invitation, which was located here has since mysteriously been removed. Leaving many with unanswered questions. Several sites however have been reporting that when the new Windows 7 phone debuts on October 11th devices from T-Mobile as well as AT&T will be available.

Microsoft has made it official, the company will be holding a worldwide launch event October 11th for the new Windows Mobile and Windows Phone 7 Series.

The event will be held Monday, October 11, 2010 from 3 pm – 4:30 pm at the NYC Microsoft Technology Center. According to the the announcement the company will provide an "Insider's look at Windows Phone 7 and the Microsoft experience it brings to life."

Perhaps and even more interesting aspect of the event is that T-Mobile reps will be present for device showing and their service offering discussion. So it appears as though the announcement confirms that T-Mobile will be a launch partner.

More details can be found via the event invite page (link now dead).

NVIDIA Settles In Laptop GPU Class Action Lawsuit

Considering the time frame involved, and the lack of recent publicity many of you out there may have long forgotten about the issue by now, but anyone that was hit by those defective NVIDIA GPUs back in 2008 will want to take notice.

NVIDIA has finally reached a settlement in the class action lawsuit that was the result of hundreds of thousands of laptop users being afflicted with defective GPUs. That means that anyone with an affected Apple, Dell or HP laptop will be eligible for some form of compensation. In the case of Apple and Dell laptops, that includes a replacement of the GPU or MCP, while users of an affected HP laptop will actually get a full replacement laptop "similar in kind and value." Anyone that has already paid to have their laptop repaired due to the GPU issue is also entitled to a full reimbursement provided they have the necessary documentation for the repairs.

A list of the models affected can be found here. You can also click here to see if your specific model is affected by this settlement. For full details checkout the NVIDIA Settlement home page.

iFixit Tears Down the New Apple TV Device

We just can't get enough of the geeks over at iFixit. It seems like every week they are tearing down something new and we love it. This week they got their geeky little hands on one of the new Apple TV box and as all good geeks do they immediately stripped it down to see what's inside.

 

Image courtesy iFixit.com

The 15 step teardown shows disassembly of the device, however it is not recommended that users use them as disassembly instructions. As with all iFixit teardowns there are tons of great pics and step by step instructions and descriptions of what you are looking at.

Want more iFixit goodness? Checkout these related articles:

• Find Free iPhone, iPod, iMac And Mac Mini Repair Guides At iFixit
• Google Nexus One Teardown
• The iPad Stripped Down
• iFixit Tears Apart The New 15" MacBook Pro
• iPhone 4 Teardown Shows Off the Goods
• iFixit Motorola Droid 2 Teardown
• iFixit Now Offers Gaming Console Repair Guides, Tools and Parts

Apple Launches New Gaming Site

Apple last week launched a new section on its site that aims to sell its gear to gamers. Available at www.apple.com/games, the new site promotes gaming on the Mac, iPod, and iPod touch, pairing game trailers and downloads with Apple-written coverage of the most important titles. In addition, the site lets you buy games via the online Apple store and includes cheat codes, game mods, community tools, online gaming guides, peripherals, game histories, and hardware specs of interest to gaming aficionados.

Featured Mac games at press time included Diablo 3, The Sims 3: Fast Lane Stuff, Supreme Commander 2, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, and more. Cherry-picked iOS titles included Fruit Ninja, The Sims 3: Ambitions, Time Crisis 2nd Strike, Real Golf 2011, Pizza Boy, and Spider-Man: Total Mayhem, with a special focus on iPad-optimized titles like The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, Puzzle Agent HD, Epic Citadel, Mirror’s Edge, and others.

Verizon Launches Trade-In Program For Old Phones

Verizon has introduced a new program that might be interesting for those of you out there that are wanting to get a little cash back from your old cellphones and don't want to be bothered with the eBay or Craigslist route. The program is called the Verizon Wireless Trade-in Program.

Under the new program you can trade in any wireless device, working or not, for credit towards a Verizon wireless purchase in the form of a gift card. The one downside however is as with many of these trade-in programs Verizon doesn't offer much money for your device. For instance, a working iPhone 3GS with a cracked screen will get you a messily $12.60 while the same device with a screen that is undamaged will get the user $36. On the upside however the service might be a safer alternative than going through the standard reselling procedures as I'm sure Verizon will be extra careful to remove any and all user data before doing anything else with the phones.

The service is fairly straight forward and easy to use. Select your phones manufacture, select the model and then check off a few questions such as: Does the display work? Once the device is appraised you then have the option to agree to the appraisal. Once this is complete Verizon will send you a prepaid envelope to ship them you phone. Your Verizon Wireless gift card will arrive within 2 weeks of receipt of your device and can then be used as cash at Verizon stores.

Movie Studios Think We'll Pay $30 To Watch New Movie Releases At Home

Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Co. are reportedly in talks with In Demand, Cox Communications, Comcast, and Time Warner to offer customers the option of watching newly released films in the comfort of their own homes for as much as $30 per showing. According to the reports the new releases would be available, via Video-On-Demand, shortly after hitting theaters and several weeks before being releases to DVD.

Testing for the new services has already begun with Sony Corp. testing the market with users of its Bravia TV by offering the Will Smith movie “Hancock” in 2008 and the animated film “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” in 2009 for $24.95. Time Warner Inc. Chief Financial Officer John Martin told the Goldman Sachs conference in New York last week that the company’s Warner Bros. studio expects to begin tests on the service later this year. He said he expected the offering to be priced at $20 to $30 per viewing.

The major question is why would consumers opt for such a high priced single viewing service option? Well for one, if you are a larger family (3 or more) and the movies are released within a shortened time frame the $30 cost could actually save you quite a bit over in theater costs. Ticket prices have been skyrocketing over the years with adult tickets costing well over $10/person and kids tickets averaging well over $6/child.

The National Association of Theatre Owners, a Washington-based industry group, is obviously opposed to the idea of offering the new VOD option stating “Any promotion, advertising, marketing or testing of premium VOD needs to be done within the existing in-home window time frame [of the exclusive 120-day theatrical “window” exhibitors have for a typical release]."

The NATO is concerned that any deviation from the 120-day theatrical window would not only affect ticket sales but also undercut the value of "theatrical exhibition".

I for one don't see this as being a very viable option. Personally rising ticket costs and expenditures have kept me out of theaters over the past few years and I don't see that changing anytime soon. So I don't think I'd be willing to shell out an additional $20-25 just to see a movie that has already been in theaters for a few weeks. I'd be perfectly willing to wait the extra time saving me my hard earned cash to see a new release on DVD or Blu-Ray as apposed to spending the extra money for thew VOD service.

Want To Know Whats New At Google? There's A Page For That

Google is constantly releasing or updating products or features and while the official Google Blog Network covers all the changes following the more than 100 blogs can be a bit overwhelming. Enter  Google New, a new site from Google new site from the company covering all kinds of products, policy issues, technical projects and much more.

Google New was created to help all of us Google users find the latest product and feature launches from Google. The site is an aggregate of all the our favorite Google Blogs providing an all in one approach to delivering information on various Google projects.


Official Google Blog: One place to find everything new from Google

Google Awards $10 Million To Five Project 10^100 Winners

Two years and approximately 150,000 idea later and Google has finally announced the winning ideas for their Project 10^100 initiative. The program, which kicked off exactly two years ago today, called for ideas that would help improve the lives of people around the world.

The call was answered by people from more than 170 countries whom submitted more than 150,000 ideas. Google then selected 16 big ideas and asked the public to vote for their favorites. The five ideas that received the most votes are the winners of Project 10^100.

Here are the brief summaries of the five programs Google is donating to:

Idea: Make educational content available online for free
Project funded: The Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization that provides high-quality, free education to anyone, anywhere via an online library of more than 1,600 teaching videos. We are providing $2 million to support the creation of more courses and to enable the Khan Academy to translate their core library into the world’s most widely spoken languages.

Idea: Enhance science and engineering education
Project funded: FIRST is a non-profit organization that promotes science and math education around the world through team competition. Its mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by giving them real world experience working with professional engineers and scientists. We are providing $3 million to develop and jump start new student-driven robotics team fundraising programs that will empower more student teams to participate in FIRST.

Idea: Make government more transparent
Project funded: Public.Resource.Org is a non-profit organization focused on enabling online access to public government documents in the United States. We are providing $2 million to Public.Resource.Org to support the Law.Gov initiative, which aims to make all primary legal materials in the United States available to all.

Idea: Drive innovation in public transport
Project funded: Shweeb is a concept for short to medium distance, urban personal transport, using human-powered vehicles on a monorail. We are providing $1 million to fund research and development to test Shweeb’s technology for an urban setting.

Idea: Provide quality education to African students
Project funded: The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a center for math and science education and research in Cape Town, South Africa. AIMS’ primary focus is a one-year bridge program for recent university graduates that helps build skills and knowledge prior to master's and Ph.D. study. We are providing $2 million to fund the opening of additional AIMS centers to promote graduate level math and science study in Africa.

Logitech Announces ‘Host With The Most’ Winners

Logitech's search for the ‘Host with the Most’ to help introduce the world to the new Logitech Revue with Google TV is now officially over and they have selected three lucky winners. The lucky geeks whcih will represent LA, NYC and SF are as follows:

Los Angeles: Rob Blasko

New York City: Praneet Kailey

San Francisco: Nixie Pixel

The three lucky winners will be paid to host several launch parties for the new Logitech Revue at each of the three lofts over the coming weeks. The will also be asked to blogs, Twitter, Facebook and create videos for YouTube showing of the new the Revue.

AMD Announces New CPUs, Slashes Prices On Older Models

Today AMD unveiled six new speedier CPUs to refresh not only their newer Phenom II lineup but also their aging Athlon II budget line.

For the budget minded AMD introduced three new chips into its budget Athlon II lineup. First up is the new Athlon II X2 265 (3.30 GHz). The X2 265 is based on the 45 nm Regor die, it features 2 MB of L2 cache, rated TDP of 65W, and is priced at US $76. Next is a new triple-core Athlon II X3, the new Athlon II X3 450 (3.20 GHz). The X3 450 is based on the 45 nm Rana die, and is essentially a cut down Propus die with one core disabled. It has TDP rated at 95W and sells for $87. The last addition to the budget lineup is the new quad-core Athlon II X4 645 (3.10 GHz). The X4 645 makes use of the full Propus die, rated TDP at 95W and is priced at $122.

Next up, AMD introduced a new "high-end" six-core model the new Phenom II X6 1075T Black Edition. The new chips is essentially the same as the current Phenom II X6 1090T, except that it's clocked at 3.00 GHz not 3.2GHz like the 1090T. The Phenom II X6 1075T is priced at $245 or about $50 cheaper than the Phenom II X6 1090T. Next up AMD added a new quad-core Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition. This new chip is clocked at 3.50 GHz, the highest AMD default clock speed to date, and is based on the older Deneb die instead of derivation from Thuban. This new chip displaces the X4 965 BE, and is priced at $185.

Lastly, there's the the dual-core Phenom II X2 560 Black Edition. Aimed to compete with Intel Core i3 processors, this model is priced at just $105, but offers a clock speed of 3.30 GHz, 512 KB L2 cache per core, 6 MB L3 cache, and TDP rated at 80W. It's based on the Calisto die, which is Deneb with two cores disabled. So its possible you might get lucky unlocking the disabled cores on any of the motherboards out there that have core unlocking enabled.

Twitter Hit With Major XSS Hack

Just after 7:30am EST this morning Twitter was hit with a major XSS hack that spread like wildfire. The bug was first discovered by security researchers at Kaspersky Lab who then noted that the several Twitter accounts had already been hit.

"Apparently, there is an actively exploited XSS vulnerability on Twitter. From my first preliminary analysis, you'll have to hover over a link to activate it and so far I have just seen some proof of concepts from people I follow. However, this vulnerability looks at least semi-wormable, so better turn JavaScript off on Twitter for now," Kaspersky Lab researcher Georg Wicherski said in a blog post on the bug.

In all it is expected that more than 500,000 users may have been hit by the the exploit before Twitter could patch the hole. According to a post by Del Harvey (@delbius), the head of Twitter's Trust and Safety Team the security hole was patched at about 9:45 AM ET.

The original attacks leveraged a common javascript feature, onmouseover, which showed a pop-up window that displays the logged-in user's Twitter cookie. The attack later incorporated a cross-site request forgery component that forced users to retweet a piece of code.

Update: Twitter has now responded to the issue: All about the "onMouseOver" incident

Logitech Unveils New Wireless Trackball

Logitech today announced the new Logitech Wireless Trackball M570, designed to deliver comfort and control to those who are looking for an alternative to touchpads or traditional mice. The Wireless Trackball M570 is uniquely designed for all-day comfort and features the leave-in Logitech Unifying receiver.

The trackball M570 features a traditional Logitech design for added comfort and ease of use. The traditional Logitech sculpted shape supports your hand to let you work all day in comfort. The tried and true Logitech 2.4 GHz wireless connection lets you control your laptop, desktop computer of home theater PC from up to 30 feet away. Additional features include up to an 18-month battery life, a standard set of programmable buttons with back/fwd and scroll wheel.

The Logitech Wireless Trackball M570 is available now at most retailers for an MSRP of $59.99

Internet Explorer 9 Beta Available Tomorrow

The first widely available beta of Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 will be available tomorrow for those of you running Windows Vista SP2 and Windows 7. Sorry XP fanboys the new beta is not available for earlier versions of Windows including those of you still running a none updated version of Vista.

The Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview has been available for quite awhile and gives users a pretty good look at what the new browser will look like. This however will be a full beta release that should have most of the new features that will be packaged into the final version.

You can checkout the countdown to the Internet Explorer 9 Beta celebration at MS' Beauty of the Web page which will provide full details on download information on 9/15.

Keep in mind this will be a beta release so you may want to hold of installing it on any critical machines.

NVIDIA Launches Budget Minded GTS 450

NVIDIA this week announced the latest addition to the company's Fermi-class of GPUs, the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 -- which was designed to deliver the best DX11 price/performance in the $129 USD price category. According to the latest Steam survey, a leading indicator of the hardware used by PC gamers today, 56 percent(i) of gamers play at mainstream resolutions, typically between 1600x1050 and 1280x1024. The GTS 450 was specifically designed to excel at these resolutions, delivering awesome DX11 performance with 4X antialiasing turned on, enabling more gamers than ever before to experience incredibly detailed characters, terrain and game environments with blazing fast performance and awesome visuals.

For games and applications that feature tessellation -- the key feature of DX11 -- the GTS 450 is up to 65% faster than the closest competitive product(ii). Even in last generation DX9 and DX10 games, the GTS 450 is faster by over 30%(iii), including in the blockbuster PC title StarCraft II. This makes the GTS 450 a terrific GPU for playing this year's hottest games including the upcoming holiday titles like Civilization V and Hawx2, both of which feature support for DX11 and tessellation, and other games, such as Dead Rising 2.

"The GeForce GTS 450 makes huge strides in expanding DX11 capability to the masses," said Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development, Firaxis Games. "Civilization V plays beautifully on the GTS 450 and looks even more amazing with 3D Vision technology."

"We are excited about the GeForce GTS 450, which brings awesome performance to a very affordable price point," said Shinsaku Ohara, Producer of Dead Rising 2 at Capcom. "By delivering a great gaming experience mixed with some cutting-edge features such as support for 3D Vision, we are confident that fans of Dead Rising 2 will have a great platform to play on."

With full support for NVIDIA 3D Vision technology, the GeForce GTS 450 also provides the graphics horsepower and video bandwidth needed to experience games and high definition Blu-ray movies in eye-popping stereoscopic 3D. And with NVIDIA SLI technology, the industry's most scalable multi-GPU platform, gamers will be ecstatic to almost double their gaming performance by adding a second GTS 450 to their PC, when budget allows.

The GeForce GTS 450 is available starting today from the world's leading add-in card partners, including ASL, ASUS, Colorful, ECS, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, Jetway, KFA2, Leadtek, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, Sparkle, Zotac and others. For more information, visit the product page.

GTS 450 Benchmarks and Reviews:

• AnandTech - NVIDIA’s GeForce GTS 450: Pushing Fermi In To The Mainstream
• BenchMark Reviews - Gigabyte GTS 450 Video Card Review | NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 GF106 Video Card Review
• HardwareCanucks - NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 1GB Single & SLI Review | ASUS GeForce GTS 450 1GB DirectCU TOP Review
• Guru3D - GeForce GTS 450 review roundup

More Reading:

• ZOTAC Takes Fermi Mainstream with New GeForce GTS 450 Series
• Leadtek launches WinFast GTS 450 Extreme Graphics Cards
• MSI Launches Latest N450GTS Cyclone Series Graphics Card
• GIGABYTE Launches High Performance NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 Series Graphics Cards
• ASUS Announces the ENGTS450 DirectCu Series Graphics Cards
• EVGA Intros its GeForce GTS 450 Lineup

Don't Like Google Instant? Turn It Off

I've read many criticisms of Google's newly introduced Instant Search function that provides predictive searches. Many out there, me included, would rather not have predictive searches pop-up as we are typing in our search terms. Well Google has kindly offered a quick easy solution for us, its as simple as changing your search preferences.

From the top of the main Google search page, click settings then select search settings. From there scroll down to the bottom of the "Global Preferences" section. You'll see a box similar to the one pictured above that says Google Instant. Click the "Do not use Google Instant" button and scroll to the bottom of the page to save your settings. From now on, or at least until you clear your cookies or log out of your Google account, you'll no longer use Google Instant's predictive search.

Apple Opens Door For Adobe Will Allow Third Party App Developers

Apple has begun to backslide on their restrictions for App development and inclusion into the App Store. The company officially announced today that it is backing off previous statements and restirctions of not allowing third party development tools.

The changes are big news for devs that don't want to be limited to a set standard of tools. The announcement didn't specifically mention Adobe or the new CS5 Adobe Packager but many view this as a direct inclusion of the new tools. By lifting the restrictions Apple has essential said you can use Flash to develop your apps, and then compile them to work on the iPhone and iPad utilizing the Adobe Packager tool-set.

We should make one thing clear, the inclusion of the new third party dev tools does not mean that Flash is coming to iOS as a plugin: You still won’t be able to view Flash content on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. This change in Apple’s policy just means developers can use third-party tools such as Flash to create apps sold through the App Store.

The second part of Apple’s announcement may be even less expected. Apple plans to provide a more open set of guidelines for developers to follow to get their apps included into the app store.

In addition, for the first time we are publishing the App Store Review Guidelines to help developers understand how we review submitted apps. We hope it will make us more transparent and help our developers create even more successful apps for the App Store.

In the past Apple has singularly denied or removed Apps for no apparent reason and in some cases with little to no cause. By publishing the guidelines developers will know what they can and can’t get add to their apps versus, say, an Android application. Third-party programmers will have a clearer sense of whether or not to invest time and money in developing an app, whereas before they were subject to rejection without knowing what they weren’t allowed to do.

Apple’s seven-page list of guidelines divides reasons for app rejections into 11 categories with several different sub-categories. Reasons for rejection are still the basics and objectionable material such as nudity, vulgarity, discrimination ect. There are also several new technical offenses: Apps that crash will be rejected, any thing that majorly changes the UI or potentially harms the device for example. More details can be seen via PDF thanks to Wired.com.

This new stance and approach Apple is taking is not only great news for developers but for consumers alike. Having a clearer understanding of which Apps may be accepted means more developers can and will work on cross platform apps, which in turn means more apps for everyone.

Read More: Statement by Apple on App Store Review Guidelines

Apple Releases iOS 4.1 for iPhone, iPod touch

Apple has released their newest operating system update available for your iPhone 3G, 3GS or 4 via iTunes. Dubbed iOS 4.1, the new releases promises to fix performance issues with the iPhone 3G, proximity sensor issues with the iPhone 4 and Bluetooth bugs. In addition to these fixes users will get their hands on several of Apple latest features including the new Game Center, HDR photography, HD video uploads via YouTube over Wi-Fi, the option to rent TV shows from iTunes right on your phone and lets not forget of course the addition of the new Ping social network.

For the most part users will jump on the new update as you guys of course want the latest kool-aid Apple is serving up. But for those running a jailbroken phone the iPhone Dev Team is warning that you may want to stay away from the new update for now. iPhone Dev Team members posted a warning on their blog today advising anyone with a jailbroken iPhone, or anyone running the recently updated ultrasn0w unlock utility on an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 against updating to the new iOS 4.1 update.

The iOS 4.1 update kills the current jailbreak and unlock exploit for the what may be a short time or possibly the foreseeable future. iPhone Dev Team member @MuscleNerd tweeted earlier today "@pod2g got latest exploit just as 4.1 went public (lots of work left...keep away from 4.1 for now!)."

The Dev Team is apparently working with this new exploit to potential create a new jailbreak which may be dubbed 4.1.0 TinyUmbrella. For now however they are informaing users that "There’s currently no known way to revert your baseband — if you update your baseband you’ll lose the ultrasn0w unlock, possibly forever. Please stay away from this 4.1 release until a safe jailbreak procedure (which also preserves ultrasn0w) is developed and released."

Google Instant Adds Predictive Search To Your Search Results

Google has unveiled the latest incarnation of the companies search page which now includes "Google Instant," or predictive, real-time search results.

Google Instant is something similar to the predictive text input found in most smarthphones, as with the previous Google search function as you type words appear in the search box. Now however the search page updates with new search results adding in each word typed. This new search-before-you-type instantly adds new search results to what you have typed, predicting the most likely completion of the sentence or words streaming results in real-time for those predictions. This gives users a smarter and faster search that is interactive, predictive and powerful.

Here are a few of the core features in Google Instant:

• Dynamic Results - Google dynamically displays relevant search results as you type so you can quickly interact and click through to the web content you need.
• Predictions - One of the key technologies in Google Instant is that we predict the rest of your query (in light gray text) before you finish typing. See what you need? Stop typing, look down and find what you’re looking for.
• Scroll to search - Scroll through predictions and see results instantly for each as you arrow down.

Here’s a video from the Google Blog that explains Google Instant in greater depth:

To bring Google Instant to life, the company needed to implement several new technologies including a new caching systems, the ability to adaptively control the rate at which we show results pages and an optimization of page-rendering JavaScript to help web browsers keep up with the rest of the system. In the end, Google needed to produce a system that was able to scale while searching as fast as people can type and think—all while maintaining the relevance and simplicity people expect from Google.

For now Google is rolling out Google Instant to US users via Google.com for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and IE 8. The company promises they will also be offering Google Instant to users in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the U.K. who are signed in and have Instant-capable browsers. Over the coming weeks and months there are plans to work to roll out Google Instant to all geographies and platforms.

Samsung Launches Possible iPad Killer The Samsung Galaxy Tab

Samsung has announced their new, and rather impressive looking iPad killer dubbed the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The Android powered tablet (MID device) features a 1Ghz Cortex A8 processor, 512MB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, with an expansion MicroSD card slot for up to an additional 32GB of storage. The Galaxy Tab comes with a 1.3MP front-facing camera and a 3MP rear camera with LED flash, great for taking thpse late night pictures in the dark. The device also comes 3G data-ready, and has a 5Ghz dual-band 802.11n WiFi built-in card. The battery is a 4,000mAh battery, which Samsung says is good for up to 7 hours of battery life.

Other additions include a speaker on the bottom of the device for not just sound but speakerphone support. Built in Bluetooth 3.0 and a 30-pin dock connector that allows HDMI, USB and other accessories to be added onto the tablet. The Galaxy Tab has a screen that is a bit smaller than we'd have hoped featuring a rather small 7-inch TFT LCD screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 (WSVGA). Total overall measurements are 19 (7.5 in) centimeters by 12 (4.75 in) cm by 1.2 cm with an overall weight of 380 grams.

As far as application support goes the Tab runs a Samsung modified version of Android 2.2 Froyo customized by Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 GUI. The OS provides full feature support as with any other Android OS which also means it has Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

For media junkies users can watch movies in a number of different formats, including DivX, Xvid, WMV and MPEG-4 as well as all flash based movies from sites like Hulu and Joost.

Pricing has not officially been released nor has a carrier for 3g support been announced, however speculation suggests the Galaxy Tab will cost anywhere from $200-300 more than the iPad and further speculation puts Sprint at the front of the pack for carrier service. Again this is all speculation until Samsung makes an official announcement

My thoughts:

Specs wise, so far at least, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is one of the better tablet PCs we've seen on the market. Making it more likely to be competitive with the iPad. With little to no pricing information its really hard to say exactly how competitive Samsung can actually be. If the rumors are true and they are $200+ above the mark the iPad has set then I'm afraid they are already doomed to fail.

Personally I'd much rather have seen Samsung release a slightly larger devices. Something more comparable in size to the iPad. I'd rather trade better overall functionality to ultra-portability any day. Tablet/MID device makers are, in my opinion, trying to hard to breach the gap between a smartphone and a PC. I'd like to see a tablet in the 12-14" range that offers much great ease of use and full functionality.

Samsung press release

Win A MSI R5870 Lightning, MSI N460GTX Hawk or MSI R5770 Hawk GPU

MSI, along with popular hardware review site TechPowerUp, are teaming up to hold a hardware giveaway contest on GPU-Z from September 1st, 2010. Anyone who downloads the new GPU-Z v0.4.6 application and answers all 5 questions will have a chance to win a new MSI R5870 Lightning graphics card for free! There will be three lucky winners each month, and the contest will not expire until October 30th, 2010.

Contest page：
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/contest3.php

The details of GPU-Z hardware giveaway contest:

1. The giveaway starts September 01, 2010 and ends October 31, 2010 (2 months).
2. Prizes will be given away in the week of October 1st and the week of November 1st.
3. This contest is open to participants from all countries.
4. All platforms are welcome to submit their entry, including notebook and IGP.
5. All submissions have equal odds to win.
6. All cards are welcome and eligible to win, not only MSI.
7. Anyone, any age can enter where legal.
8. Winners will be chosen at random from all contest submissions since the beginning of the giveaway. You only have to submit once for the entire duration. 
9. Entry into to giveaway is only possible using GPU-Z on the tab "MSI Giveaway".
10. Only one entry per system per IP.
11. If a winner cannot be contacted after 5 days another winner will be chosen at random.
12. Information submitted in the contest questionnaire will be made available to MSI.
13. You will not receive any communication to your submitted E-Mail address other than a winning notification in case you win.
14. Winner will not be responsible for shipping fees.
15. TechPowerUp or MSI shall not accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by you or any other participant entering the Competition or as a result of accepting any prize. TechPowerUp or MSI are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telecommunications network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software failure of any email or entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, telephone lines or at any web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to your or any other person's computer or mobile telephone related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in the competition. TechPowerUp and MSI also reserve the right to change or amend the rules if necessary.

Prizes：

1. MSI R5870 Lightning x 2 (one every month)
2. N460GTX Hawk x 2 (one every month)
3. MSI R5770 Hawk x 2 (one every month)

Oracle Giving Students Free Passes to JavaOne Conference

JavaOne and Oracle Develop are offering free Discover Passes to all qualifying students offering those students complimentary admission to the upcoming JavaOne and Oracle Develop conferences.

What Students Get: Admission to any session in the Java Frontier track for students, JavaOne, Oracle Develop and OpenWorld keynotes, three Exhibition Halls and the Mason street tent. Space permitting, you can also attend any JavaOne and Oracle Develop technical sessions, Birds-of-a-Feather sessions (BOFs), and Hands-on-Lab (HOL) sessions.

On top of the benefits that the free Discover Pass to qualifying students offers we have organized a special Java Frontier track for students. These sessions are designed for those with some or no programming experience. Students with no programming experience will discover tools and projects related to programming. Students with programming experience will learn tricks and tips for programming complex logic and deepen their knowledge of projects like Open Source.

To qualify for the free passes you must be enrolled in an accredited nonprofit institutions of learning during the Fall semester/quarter of 2010, taking a minimum of six (6) units, and you must be at least 18 years old.

JavaOne and Oracle Develop are being held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco September 19 - 23, 2010

To Register: Call the JavaOne and Oracle Develop help desk Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) at 1.866.382.7151 (U.S. and Canada) or +1.650.226.0820 (international).

or

Create a PDF copy of your current Student ID and your 2010 Fall schedule of classes and either e-mail to javaoneinfo@eventreg.com or Fax to +1.650.226.0840. Your credentials will be reviewed, and if you qualify, you will be sent a confirmation e-mail with event registration details.

More details:

• Calling All Student Developers: Get into JavaOne and Oracle Develop for FREE!
• JavaOne and Oracle Develop Registration
• JavaOne Track Descriptions
• Oracle OpenWorld 2010

eBay Tightens PayPal's Monopoly Officially Bans Third Party Online Checkout Options

Most eBay sellers that are familiar with the eBay seller agreement know that eBay holds a tight reign on the services sellers can use to collect payments and while Google Checkout and several other third party services have never explicitly been disallowed the company has never listed most of them as accepted payment services.

According to a recent post by Todd Lutwak, eBay’s vice president of the seller experience, the company is instituting a new policy that will disallow collections of payments from not only Google Checkout but any and all third party online payment services.

Once the new policy takes affect PayPal will stand as the only online payment method available to users. The company claims the move is intended “to give eBay buyers a consistent, speedy checkout experience and to ensure support for fast-growing sales via mobile platforms...,”

Clearly this has more to do with eBay owning PayPal than the user experience. Users have for years complained about the monopolistic approach eBay has taken towards PayPal. This seems to me nothing more than eBay looking to further double dip on their sellers!

Read more via eBay:

• Special Seller Update: eBay Checkout
• Third party phase-out

Apple's Press Event In A Nutshell

Personally I hate sitting through press events, even if I could do it from the comfort of my own home as with today's streaming event from Apple. There is something about hearing company clonies dragging on and on about their latest greatest product and how much I need it in my life that kind of bores me. So I wait for the condensed version, dissect it, and draw from it the information I want or need.

Well for those of you that share my disdain for the ramblings of cooperate heads here is the condensed version of Apple big event:

Apple Introduces New iPod touch

Apple announced the new iPod touch, packed with new features including Apple’s Retina display featuring 960 x 640 pixels—four times as many pixels than before, FaceTime video calling, HD video recording, Apple’s A4 chip, 3-axis gyro, iOS 4.1 and Game Center—all combined in a new thinner and lighter iPod. The new iPod touch features up to 40 hours of music playback and seven hours of video playback on a single battery charge.

The new iPod touch will be available next week for a suggested price of $229 for the 8GB model, $299 for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

Apple Announces New iPod nano With Multi-Touch Interface and iPod Shuffle

Apple today unveiled a completely redesigned iPod nano featuring Apple’s Multi-Touch interface that lets users navigate their music collection by simply tapping or swiping a finger on the display. Nearly half the size and weight of the previous generation, the new iPod nano features a polished aluminum and glass enclosure with a built-in clip.

The new wearable iPod shuffle has an all-aluminum enclosure with a built-in clip and comes in five brilliant colors—silver, blue, green, orange and pink. The new new iPod shuffle will sale for just $49 while the new iPod nano with Multi-Touch will have a starting price of $149 and should be on-sale in time for the holiday season.

Apple Introduces iTunes 10 With Ping Social Music Discovery

One of the more exciting announcement was the announcement of the newest version of iTunes, iTunes 10 with Ping, a new music-oriented social network for following your favorite artists and friends to discover what music they’re talking about, listening to and downloading. iTunes Ping lets you post your thoughts and opinions, your favorite albums and songs, the music you’ve downloaded from iTunes, plus view concert listings and tell your friends which concerts you plan to attend.

iTunes 10 will also allow users to rent their favorite HD TV shows commercial free from ABC, ABC Family, Fox, Disney Channel and BBC America and watch them at home or on the go for just 99 cents an episode. Apple promises that thousands of episodes are going to be available, many the day after broadcast, to watch on your Mac or PC, iPhone, iPod touch and the all-new Apple TV, and you have 30 days from the moment you rent an episode to start watching it, and 48 hours after that to finish it.

iTunes 10 is available immediately as a free download at www.itunes.com.

Apple Premieres a New Smaller Apple TV

Apple's new entry into the set-top market is the new $99 Apple TV box. The new Apple TV box features streaming content from ABC, ABC Family, Fox, Disney Channel and BBC America for just 99 cents and first run movies for $4.99. Users will also have the option to stream content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe, as well as music, photos and videos from PCs and Macs to directly to their HD TVs.

Apple TV will be available late this month for a suggested retail price of $99 (US) and can be pre-ordered beginning today on Apple’s online store (www.apple.com).

Virgin Mobile Now Offering $40 Unlimited Mobile Broadband2Go Plan

Starting last week Virgin Mobile updated the companies mobile Broadband2Go service with two new price tiers a new $40 unlimited mobile broadband plan and an inexpensive $10 option for 100 MB, good for 10 days from purchase.

“Many unlimited broadband offerings require a contract or are on networks with limited range, so they don’t meet the need for flexibility or true mobility,” said Neil Lindsay, chief marketing officer, Virgin Mobile USA.  “The introduction of Virgin Mobile’s prepaid unlimited broadband for $40 a month will provide the access you need on a nationwide network without a contract.”

New Broadband2Go Plans
Signing up for the new unlimited plan also means customers no longer need to monitor data usage – and try to figure out how much they need --

Price        Expires    MBs/GBs    Web Browsing        Video        Emails
$40        1 month        Unlimited    Unlimited        Unlimited    Unlimited

$10        10 Days        100 MB        5 HRS            25 MIN        10,000

To use Virgin Mobile's new mobile broadband plans, you must also purchase the carrier's MiFi 2200 mobile hotspot for $150 or the Ovation MC760 USB device for $80. Devices are available at Best Buy, RadioShack , Sprint Stores, Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile stores, Walmart and online at BestBuy.com, Target.com, Walmart.com and VirginMobileUSA.com.

Source: Virgin Mobile Press Release

Microsoft Makes Arc Touch Mouse Official

After weeks of the Microsoft Hardware team teasing about a new device on Twitter the company has made the device official with the announcement of the new Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse.

The new mouse features Microsoft’s first capacitive sensing touch scroll strip for easy navigation — just move a finger slowly for controlled scrolling or flick for hyperfast scrolling. The strip also has three tap “buttons” for added functionality: page up, page down and the middle click area, which is reprogrammable for whatever mouse function the user needs most. Switching from a scroll wheel to a touch strip is made easier with haptics, a vibration technology that simulates the bumps users would feel while using a traditional scroll wheel.

The Arc Touch Mouse is equipped with BlueTrack Technology, letting consumers track on virtually any surface, and a tiny magnetic snap-in Nano transceiver stores conveniently on the bottom of the mouse. Two AAA batteries give the Arc Touch Mouse more than six months of battery life, and the two-color battery life indicators let people know when the power is running low.

The Arc Touch Mouse will be available for the estimated retail price of $69.95 (U.S.). It is available now for presale on Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and Buy.com, and it will ship in early December.