Sunday, 31 August 2008

IFA: Sharp Unveils its Thinnest LCD TVs Yet

Sharp has developed a new range of LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs that are thinner and have larger screens than its previous thinnest televisions.

The Aquos XS1-series measures 23 millimeters at its thinnest point. In comparison, the X-series models that Sharp put on sale in Japan in March this year, which were 34 millimeters at their thinnest point. Those TVs were available in 37-, 42- and 46-inch screen sizes.

Pricing and launch plans for other markets were not announced.

Sharp managed to slim down its LCD TV by removing the tuner to a stand-alone box and by employing an LED (light emitting diode) backlight system. The panels used in the TV sets have a contrast ratio of 1 million-to-one so black areas of the video image are deep black rather than the grey they sometimes appear on other panels.

The TVs are energy efficient too and reduce power consumption by adjusting screen brightness based on the ambient light where they are being used.

They also feature a sound system that was developed in collaboration with Pioneer.

The announcement was made at the IFA electronics show in Berlin and followed similar thin-TV announcements earlier in the day from Panasonic and Sony.

At 23 millimeters the sets aren't nearly as thin as the 9.9 millimeter LCD that Sony launched at IFA. But Sony's set only comes in a 40-inch screen size while the Sharp sets will be 52-inch and 65-inch models, so they won't be directly competing in the same parts of the TV market.

Zenith Announces Sub-15K Laptop and Desktop

Zenith Computers, today announced the launch of a new laptop and desktop under the brand name 'EcoStyle'. According to the company, the Zenith EcoStyle laptop priced at Rs. 14,999, will be the lowest priced Windows OS enabled laptop in the market; while the desktop PC will be available at Rs 11,999. The EcoStyle PC and laptop will be available across India through Zenith's chain of authorized dealers and exclusive showrooms will stock these computers.

The laptop is Net enabled, and comes preloaded with the Microsoft productivity suite: an Operating System (Windows XP Home Edition), Microsoft Works (includes Word Processor, spreadsheets and PPT viewer), and Microsoft Windows Live Suite (Includes Email Client, Messenger and Family Safety from Windows Live OneCare).

 The EcoStyle PC will give the customer an option of choosing Windows Vista Starter or Microsoft Windows XP Home. The laptop weighs 2.2 kg and has dimensions of 185mm x 250 mm x 70 mm. The desktop will also come preloaded with the Microsoft productivity suite.

The company further states that in addition to the portability and the relevant content, both the computers have an added advantage of reduced power consumption and on an average, they consume 30 percent less power.

Saturday, 30 August 2008

Google Map Maker Launched in India

Google announced the launch of Google Map Maker in India. A global product conceived and developed by the Indian engineering team, Google Map Maker allows users to add or edit features, such as roads, businesses, parks, schools, apartment buildings, localities and more. With Google Map Maker tools, users can add detailed information about these locations and this user- created geographical content is updated and made visible immediately to all other users.

Google Map Maker also introduces peer moderation allowing users to review the data their peers have entered to ensure map quality and accuracy.

“Google Map Maker solves an inherent need especially for countries such as ours where maps data is sparse. This product embodies our passion to empower people everywhere, to share knowledge of the places they know best by creating maps,” says Dr. Lalitesh Katragadda,  Software Engineer and Creator of Google Map Maker.

“This is a great achievement for our engineering team. India is a challenging market – but one that has inspired us to really focus on creating technology that addresses real issues around local content and usability" said Dr. Prasad Ram, Head of Google R&D.

"This launch is the reinforcement of our commitment to bring more useful information to people around the world and especially in hyper-growth countries like India where maps are changing on a daily basis given the rapid pace of infrastructure development," he added.

Other than India, Google Map Maker is available in 57 countries in Asia, the Island Nations, and the Caribbean.

Viewsonic Showcases 120Hz Display

ViewSonic unveiled its first 120Hz desktop LCD technology. The 22-inch120Hz prototype delivers good video performance on traditional gaming, entertainment and graphic applications, while also delivering stereoscopic 3D.

The 22-inch 120Hz display coupled with 3ms gray-to-gray response time provides better Motion Picture Response Time (MPRT). Features, such as integrated 2Wx2 stereo speakers and Dual Link DVI digital input, combine to expand entertainment options.

The display offers front-of-screen performance, including Professional Color Certification, 1680x1050 resolution, 300 nits of brightness and 1000:1 contrast ratio.

The first displays with ViewSonic’s 120Hz technology are expected later in the year at select resellers, retailers and retailers. Pricing is not yet available.

New Webcam from Microsoft Hardware

Microsoft Hardware announced the launch of LifeCam VX-700 webcam. The LifeCam VX-700 combines compact design with a VGA camera. The package also includes a headset with a microphone.

The universal attachment base allows the webcam to work with any desktop PC or a Laptop. Also, video calling can be done with its plug and play feature facilitates compatible with Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft office communicator and other popular messaging services.

“Technology and design are two factors that have always been paramount to Microsoft Hardware. With the launch of VX-700 we once again have a product that will excite our customers,” said Geetha KB, Product Marketing Manager, Entertainment and Devices Division – Microsoft Hardware.


Priced at Rs. 999 plus taxes, the LifeCam VX-700 will be available in computer hardware retail store across India from August 27, 2008.

Dell Launches New Laptops and Desktops

Dell has launched two new desktops and two new Vostro laptops aimed at users in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

The two new laptops are the Vostro A860 and the A840. The former has a 15.1 inch anti-glare wide-screen while the latter has a 14.1 inch screen. Among the desktops, the A180 comes with the choice of either Intel Celeron or Core 2 Duo processors and the A100 uses the Intel Atom processor.

Dell has mentioned in its press release that these computers have been launched especially for education and small business users in countries which Dell classifies as “emerging economies.” However, apart from the “affordable” tag, the pricing is still a mystery. It does sound like Dell might finally be getting into the low-budget business PC's market in India which already has a couple of big names. This space needs watching.

Abacus Brings GeForce 9400 GT Graphic Card

Close on the heels of other vendors, Sparkle has introduced its Geforce 94000GT video card, aimed at budget users who still seek modest gaming performance as well as the ability to play HD video. The card is available in 512MB and 1GB video RAM versions as well as in ‘Passive’ version that does not have a fan, in order to cut out noise. Instead the Passive versions have a large heat sink to dissipate the heat. This makes it ideal for HTPC use.

The Geforce 9400 GT is based on the advanced 55nm process which produces less heat and consumes less power as well. Its core clock runs at 550MHz and memory at 1600MHz and has 16 stream processes. Outputs include VGA, DVI, TV and has HDCP support. According to Sparkle, compared with the previous generation GeForce 8500 graphics cards, the Sparkle GeForce 9400 GT graphics cards lead 55 percent in 3DMark Vantage Performance test, 75 percent in 3DMark Vantage High Test.

The Sparkle Geforce 94000GT is distributed by Abacus Peripherals across its 16 branches of all over India.
Abacus. It comes with a 3 years warranty support  with sealed pack and a free gift inside.