Archive for October, 2011

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InfiniTV 4 USB Turns a PC Into Cable Set-Top Box

October 27th, 2011
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Ceton has released a cool gadget that will turn your Windows 7 desktop or laptop into a streaming cable box. Called the InfiniTV 4 USB, it allows users to watch and record up to four live channels of HDTV at once, using their hard drive as a DVR. It will also stream live HD channels or recordings to multiple HDTVs throughout the home via a Media Center Extender like the Xbox 360 console. All it needs is a cable connection and a single CableCARD like this one.

“Adding InfiniTV 4 USB to your PC with Media Center brings all of your TV and video content together in one device, including four simultaneous channels of basic and premium high-definition cable TV plus DVDs, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and any Internet video service you can access online,” the company said. “Windows Media Center is a free feature included in most versions of Windows 7, so you can get rid of those expensive set-top box rental costs and annoying monthly DVR service fees and use your PC with InfiniTV instead.”

The device is reportedly compatible with most US-based cable providers, and it’s even compatible with Switched Digital Video (SDV) Tuning Adapters. Yet with multiple viewers watching multiple channels throughout the house, you’d think the “source” PC would need beefy specs, but that’s not the case.

According to the requirements, consumers interested in using the InfiniTV 4 USB device will need a computer with a 2.0 GHz or faster dual core or quad core processor, 3 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended), an HDCP-compliant graphics card or on-board graphics, HDMI output or DVI output with separate 5.1 audio output required for Dolby 5.1 surround sound, and 350 GB of available hard disk drive space to record 50 hours of HDTV recordings. PC’s also need Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate installed. Other requirements include the Multi-stream CableCARD (M-Card), available from your cable TV provider, and of course a cable TV subscription.

“With today’s economy, consumers are looking for ways to get more out of the gear they already own, and shave a few costs in the meantime,” said Gary Hammer, Ceton CEO. “Windows Media Center and InfiniTV 4 USB help families actually get more out of their cable subscription, lets them ditch cable set-top boxes and monthly rental fees, all while giving them a better way to enjoy TV.”

InfiniTV 4 USB is available starting today at a suggested retail price of $299 from Amazon, Cannon PC, Fluid Digital, Micro Center, the Microsoft Store, Newegg, Velocity Micro and Zones.

Source:http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Media-Center-InfiniTV-Ceton-SDV-DVR,13827.html

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Dell unveils Latitude ST business tablet

October 27th, 2011
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Dell will sell a new Latitude tablet for businesses with Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, and it is also preparing to bring the OS’s successor, Windows 8, to tablets.

The Latitude ST has a 10.1-inch screen and is designed for use in enterprises, said Kirk Schell, executive director and general manager for Dell’s Business Product Group. The tablet has provisioning, security and management features aimed at businesses.

Dell has put its consumer tablet business on the backseat as it tries to focus on devices that straddle both work and play. Dell is trying to establish a larger presence in enterprises, and has said that its future tablets and smartphones will be aimed at audiences that want them for both business and personal use. Dell has already released Streak tablets with different screen sizes that run Google’s Android OS, and Venue smartphones that use both Android and Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating systems.

The ST tablet is an expansion to the Latitude line of laptops and desktops for businesses, Schell said. A separate keyboard can be attached to the tablet to turn it into a PC, but the tablet form factor is more advantageous as it is highly portable, Schell said. The tablet will offer seven hours of battery life, and weight starts at 1.8 pounds (816 grams).

The product will be available on Nov. 1 in 53 countries, according to the company’s website. The tablet runs on Intel’s Atom Z670 processor with a clock speed of 1.5GHz, and has up to 128GB of storage.

There are advantages to having a tablet with Windows 7, Schell said. Large companies especially want a Windows device, and the tablet will run legacy applications and fit easily into existing IT environments. By comparison, devices with Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS may need workarounds to fit into some IT installations. However, Schell said that the company would offer an OS like Android depending on customer need.

The Latitude ST can run virtualization technology from VMware and Citrix, and the tablet can be remotely configured and managed the same way as a PC, Schell said. The tablet can be remotely managed and updated through a Kace appliance, which can track software compliance and hardware configurations and changes.

Schell did not say if the ST tablet will be directly upgradable to Microsoft’s Windows 8, but said the company would release a tablet in the future based on the upcoming OS. Microsoft has not yet provided a Windows 8 release date, but Intel executives have said Windows 8 would come out next year.

As an OS designed for tablets, Windows 8 will let legacy applications be controlled by touchscreens, Schell said. Dell is working with Microsoft on application development for the OS, Schell said.

Dell will compete in the enterprise tablet space with Hewlett-Packard, which offers the Windows 7-based Slate 500, and Cisco, which offers the Android-based Cius tablet. Apple’s iPad is the top enterprise tablet, finding acceptance to access email, calendars, the Web and corporate documents.

The Latitude ST can also take the form of a consumer tablet and be used to surf the Web and check email, Schell said. The tablet has 2GB of DDR2 RAM, Wi-Fi, an SD card reader and an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) port. Optional items include a 3G chip for mobile broadband connectivity.

Source:http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221240/Dell_unveils_Latitude_ST_business_tablet?taxonomyId=154

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The best thing for Battlefield 3 on consoles was a PC Lead Platform

October 27th, 2011
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PC gamers have grown accustomed to Consoles being the lead platform for games. For most developers it makes sense; consoles are where the money is. Unfortunately for PC gamers it often leaves their versions of the game inferior; buggy, unsuited to their more powerful hardware or saddled with controls and menus that don’t quite gel with the keyboard and mouse controls PC gamers swear by. It’s something we saw with id’s recently released Rage, which runs wonderfully on consoles but can be a broken mess on PC’s. id’s John Carmack admitted that they didn’t see the PC as lead platform on the title.

As we’ve seen with Battlefield 3, of which the PC version was lead and given extra love – that the tide is changing, and the platform is getting the attention it deserves. Thing is, it’s beneficial to console games as well, or so says Battlefield producer Patrick Bach.

“Our biggest benefit for the console has been that we’re leading on PC,” Bach said to PC Gamer. “It has forced us to push the limited technology of consoles compared to the PC to a new level, because we set the bar with what we wanted to create on PC and said, ‘How the heck are we going to do this on consoles?’”

“Developing primarily on PC made DICE prioritise its decisions on what to ditch in the console version. The PC version can include things that are “really cool but not key for the gaming experience,” he said. “You know it’s easier for you to make those decisions when you have a robust PC build to look at, and the console versions look great because of the PC.”

Personally, I think that although current consoles are still capable of giving us great gaming experiences, with their hardware being as old as it is it really is in gamers’ best interest for developers to lead on PC, and push the boundaries of gaming – with regards to graphics, AI and gameplay – as far as they can. It’ll give us better games in the end, and give developers an edge when the next generation of consoles does roll around.

Source:http://www.lazygamer.net/xbox-360/the-best-thing-for-battlefield-3-on-consoles-was-a-pc-lead-platform/

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Apple objects to German cafe trademark

October 27th, 2011
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Apple’s no stranger to trademark disputes. For example, two years ago it attempted to block the registration of Woolworths then-new ‘apple peel’ stylised-W trademark.

Apple thought – or at least claimed – that the Woolworth’s logo was too similar to its own. Since Woolworths application included use of the trademark in Class 9 (which covers data processing equipment and computers, mobile phone covers and accessories, computer devices and computer peripheral devices, telephones, and computer hardware and software) it’s not hard to see why Apple objected.

But Woolworths was granted trade mark registration number 1258297, so it seems Apple lost the argument.

Now the Apple is taking on a much smaller business – there’s a privately owned cafe in Bonn, Germany called Apfelkind (‘Apple child’), which has applied to register a trademark consisting of a picture of an apple with a child’s silhouetted face:

Apple has reportedly taken exception, suggesting the similarity between the two logos could confuse consumers. Well, yes – trademarks have to be defended, and ‘confusion’ (actual or likely) is the basis for allegations of trademark infringement.

Apple’s lawyers used Mr Justice Foster’s “a moron in a hurry” test when arguing that the then Apple Computer logo couldn’t be confused with that of Apple Corps, but they don’t seem to apply it when they come across other companies’ trademarks that include an apple element.

Source:http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/strategy/50703-apple-objects-to-german-cafe-trademark

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Nokia, Microsoft smartphone union aims to beat Apple, Google

October 27th, 2011
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Nokia, the Finnish cellphone maker, introduced two smartphones on Wednesday, the first fruits of its alliance with Microsoft, in a bid to curb its declining market share.

Nokia’s chief executive, Stephen A. Elop, presented the Lumia 800, a 420 euro ($584) touch-screen device, and the Lumia 710, a 270 euro handset at a company product introduction. Both devices are being sold in six European countries and will be sold later this year in parts of Asia. Other smartphones are planned for the United States, but not until early next year.

Analysts said the Nokia smartphones, the result of an eight-month collaboration with Microsoft, could also help Microsoft extend its dominant computer software business into the cellphone and mobile device market. The software has received positive reviews, but few handset makers are using it.

The new lineup aims to revive Nokia’s tarnished reputation as an innovative force in mobile phones, an industry it pioneered and dominated until Apple and Google, helped by more user-friendly software, wrested control of the smartphone business four years ago.

“Nokia really needed this to happen today, and this is a new start for the company,” said Pete Cunningham, an analyst based in London with the research firm Canalys. “This helps stop the bleeding and will help Nokia get back in the game.”

Elop, a former senior Microsoft executive who made the decision to enter the software alliance with his former employer in February, said the new Lumia devices showed that Nokia, which is based in Espoo, Finland, was delivering on his promise of a turnaround. “This signals our intent to be today’s leader in smartphone design and craftsmanship,” Elop told 3,000 people attending the company’s Nokia World conference in London.

During an interview, Elop said Nokia was planning to push its smartphones into the United States, where it has struggled, early next year. He said Nokia was in advanced talks with the four major US operators, which together sell more than 90 percent of all cellphones in the country. Nokia’s new smartphones for the United States, Elop said, will run on high-speed 4G networks that use a technology called LTE, or Long Term Evolution, as well as on older 3G networks.

They will also be made to run on networks that use the CDMA standard, which is used by the market leader, Verizon Wireless. Elop said Nokia was listening closely to phone operators and would be flexible in meeting their demands. “If you do the math, you may come to the conclusion that clearly we are in good conversations with those operators,” he said

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash., is using its business connections, its server software powers a lot of cloud computing centers used by network operators, to help Nokia re-establish relationships with US operators, he said. “When we enter a market, it is not just dipping your toe in the market, but coming in with the appropriate levels of investment by us,” Elop said. “It takes work. It takes money. We are being very deliberate.”

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/nokia-microsoft-smartphone-union-aims-to-beat-apple-google/articleshow/10506650.cms

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InfiniTV 4 USB Turns a PC Into Cable Set-Top Box

October 27th, 2011
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The InfiniTV 4 USB device is out to replace your cable box using Media Center on Windows 7.

Ceton has released a cool gadget that will turn your Windows 7 desktop or laptop into a streaming cable box. Called the InfiniTV 4 USB, it allows users to watch and record up to four live channels of HDTV at once, using their hard drive as a DVR. It will also stream live HD channels or recordings to multiple HDTVs throughout the home via a Media Center Extender like the Xbox 360 console. All it needs is a cable connection and a single CableCARD like this one.

“Adding InfiniTV 4 USB to your PC with Media Center brings all of your TV and video content together in one device, including four simultaneous channels of basic and premium high-definition cable TV plus DVDs, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and any Internet video service you can access online,” the company said. “Windows Media Center is a free feature included in most versions of Windows 7, so you can get rid of those expensive set-top box rental costs and annoying monthly DVR service fees and use your PC with InfiniTV instead.”

The device is reportedly compatible with most US-based cable providers, and it’s even compatible with Switched Digital Video (SDV) Tuning Adapters. Yet with multiple viewers watching multiple channels throughout the house, you’d think the “source” PC would need beefy specs, but that’s not the case.

According to the requirements, consumers interested in using the InfiniTV 4 USB device will need a computer with a 2.0 GHz or faster dual core or quad core processor, 3 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended), an HDCP-compliant graphics card or on-board graphics, HDMI output or DVI output with separate 5.1 audio output required for Dolby 5.1 surround sound, and 350 GB of available hard disk drive space to record 50 hours of HDTV recordings. PC’s also need Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate installed. Other requirements include the Multi-stream CableCARD (M-Card), available from your cable TV provider, and of course a cable TV subscription.

“With today’s economy, consumers are looking for ways to get more out of the gear they already own, and shave a few costs in the meantime,” said Gary Hammer, Ceton CEO. “Windows Media Center and InfiniTV 4 USB help families actually get more out of their cable subscription, lets them ditch cable set-top boxes and monthly rental fees, all while giving them a better way to enjoy TV.”

InfiniTV 4 USB is available starting today at a suggested retail price of $299 from Amazon, Cannon PC, Fluid Digital, Micro Center, the Microsoft Store, Newegg, Velocity Micro and Zones.

Source:http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Media-Center-InfiniTV-Ceton-SDV-DVR,13827.html

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Manatee County teachers submit grades to new computer system

October 27th, 2011
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No complaints surfaced from elementary school teachers Wednesday regarding the district’s new FOCUS computer software system, district and teachers union officials said.

Elementary school teachers were asked to submit grades for report cards into the new system Wednesday afternoon — two days after they were told to “log out of FOCUS immediately.” Associate Superintendent Scott Martin gave that directive because the district’s more than 2,000 teachers caused the new software to slow down or crash.

“A notice was sent out Wednesday to remind them this time was reserved for elementary school teachers,” Martin said after a high number of educators had logged in Wednesday afternoon.

Computer grading system’s woes plague Manatee school district
More problems for Manatee County schools’ computer grading system

The reminder led many teachers to log off, leaving room for elementary school teachers to submit grades. But the solution to stagger the number of users on the new computer system offers no consolation to Manatee Education Association President Pat Barber.

“They’re working through the issues,” Barber said. “They’ve been given extra time to do it.”

Monday had been set aside as recording day. Students were not in school. Teachers were given all day to submit grades in the system.

But by noon, Martin emailed all employees restricting usage on the new technology that cost the district nearly $1 million to install.

The email said, “We are obviously experiencing performance issues with FOCUS relative to grade entry and posting today.”

Barber said the slowdown and other capacity issues that plagued the new software were a repeat of what happened in early October when progress reports were due. School employees complained that the system wouldn’t allow them to log on. Grades were lost. Class lists couldn’t be found.

Palmetto High School teacher Jim Kapper said it’s hard to believe district officials didn’t test the impact the county’s 2,000 teachers would have on the system. He said district officials did that on the previous Pinnacle system.

“It’s frustrating from a teacher’s point of view,” the construction technology teacher said. “If they require it of employees, they better doggone make sure it works.”
Two additional processors were purchased for the FOCUS system in early October when the first problems occurred involving the progress reports. It’s unclear what will be done in the future to resolve problems.

“We don’t want to make any knee-jerk reactions,” Martin said. “We want to evaluate all options including hardware updates.”

Source:http://www.bradenton.com/2011/10/27/3601993/teachers-submit-grades-to-system.html

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