Latest News - Page 3196

When it comes to accessories like cables, docks and all sorts of other stuff for Apple devices like iPods and the iPhone, Scosche is a big favorite for many. Scosche is also big on accessories for the iPad as well. One of the first things that many iPad buyers realized when they went to charge their iPad from a computer is that not all USB ports are up to the task of charging the iPad thanks to the iPad needing 2.1 amps of power. That means many notebook and PC USB ports won't charge the iPad.

Scosche put some cool chargers for the iPad up for pre-order a while back called the reVIVE II chargers. Both of the chargers are very similar with one notable difference. One of them is designed for use in the home with your AC outlet and the other is designed for use in the car via a DC outlet. Both of the chargers pack in dual USB ports.

One of those USB ports has the 2.1 amps of power you need to charge up your trusty iPad. The other USB port is a normal 1 amp unit that can charge your iPhone or any other device needing power from USB. The DC car version will charge your gear just as fast as the AC wall version will. The car version of the reVIVE II charger is available right now for $24.99 and the home version is offered for $29.99. Both of them can be purchased on Scosche.com.

Logitech is probably best known for all of its sweet gaming peripherals like the G9 laser mouse and the G15 gaming keyboard. Logitech is a lot more than a gaming peripheral company though and has some of the best general-purpose keyboards on the market. I don't think I could get through my day without my trusty Logitech Illuminated keyboard.

Logitech is also a big name in other categories like Harmony remote controls and webcams. The company has shipped out a new HD webcam called the C910 that is now available to purchase around the world. The C910's full name is the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910. The thing is capable of recording video from your computer in full 1080p. That will be great for the users who make their own VLOG or like to upload to YouTube.

The webcam will also support video calls in 720p HD resolution using the major IM services and Logitech Vid HD software. That is assuming you have the bandwidth needed for full motion HD video calls on your internet service. The camera also features one-click upload to Facebook, stereo audio, and the ability to take 10MP sill shots. Logitech also builds in face recognition tech letting you log into sites using your case and tech called RightLight 2 to make sure your video is clear and well exposed in any light. You can order the C910 now for $99.99.

Home theater systems can get very expensive if you want audiophile quality speakers and components. In a large room you can pretty much choose any size speakers and be ok. In a small space like a bedroom or a conference room where surround sound is needed choosing speakers that are too large just won't work for space reasons. Gefen has announced a new set of surround sound speakers called the GefenTV Conference Room Speakers.

The speaker set consists of five different satellites providing two front and two rear channel speakers along with a center speaker. A subwoofer for improved bass is not included, but these are designed for audio quality not deep bass says the maker. Gefen says that the speakers are designed to work best with its own GefenTV Audio Processor, but they will work with any AV amp you want to use.

The part number for the five speaker set is GTV-CR-5SP and they will set you back $999. That is a crazy expensive price tag for a set of speakers that lack a sub if you ask me. The speakers each have connectors that will work with the five common types of speaker wires. The connectors support barb wires, spade lug connectors, pin connectors, and two types of banana plugs. Each of the speakers has a single 100mm low frequency driver with a 25mm voice coil. Each also has a single 25mm high frequency driver.

Razer is known for making some of the coolest gear for gamers around with a line of keyboards, mice, and audio solutions. The company is also known for choosing names for its products from the animal and insect world. For instance its keyboards are named after spiders, the gaming mice are named after snakes, and its audio offerings are named after water living creatures such as the Barracuda sound card.

Razer has released its latest audio offering and the product is called the Orca. If you watch Animal Planet you know that is the killer whale. The Orca gaming headphones are made in a green color with black trim. With the name being Orca you might expect black and white colors. Perhaps this is the color for irradiated killer whales.

The headphones come with two cables that can be interchanged. One of them is short for listening to music on the go and a longer extension is included to allow the gamer to listen to music on the PC or with the computer. The headphones are made with an ergonomic design and the cables are braided fiber for durability. The connector on the headphones is a 3.5mm unit meaning they will plug directly into most music devices and computers. The Orca headphones will sell for $59.99.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has made some critical, yet valid points that even providers and other industry experts agree to in relation to the Coalition's wireless plan as a means to attempt to uplift the condition of Australia's internet.

Stephen says "The Coalition's focus on wireless defies the advice of industry experts who agree it is a complementary technology to fibre and will not deliver the high speeds and capacity needed for the delivery of healthcare, education and business applications of the future.

Even providers agree that hybrid fibre coaxial is not the answer to Australia's broadband future. Like wireless, broadband on HFC is shared, which means the more people using it, the slower it gets".

Apart from a customised pod at its Canberra Data Centre, Centrelink's data centres are more than 20 years old now and the federal agency has reached a time where it needs a storage upgrade; a mighty big one.

A pre-tender notice has been sighted which gives indication that Centrelink is planning to issue a request for tender (RTF) by October which could be as much as $40 Million. With this, it would purchase enterprise storage equipment that includes disk, mainframe, data protection and archiving products.

Some other inclusions on the list of purchases would be an enterprise document and record management system (EDRMS), software for storage management (SRM), reporting and chargeback and professional services for deployment and projects.

Telstra has today launched its first prepaid Android phone; HTC's Wildfire. This phone comes with a few nice features not seen on the more powerful HTC Desire, with a major highlight being Swype keyboard input which is a global exclusive for Telstra on this phone.

The Swype software allows the user to input text using swiping finger gestures across the on-screen keyboard as opposed to tapping individual keys. It is said to be a much faster mechanism for input once the user has gotten a bit of practice time in.

HTC's Wildfire also comes with a Bluetooth contacts importing tool for easier importation of important data from older phones made by other manufacturers. A new Flashlight app is included as well; this making use of the phone's LED camera flash.

After the Coalition let it be known late last week that they plan to axe the NBN in favour of a wireless based broadband plan, the ICT sector is full of people shaking their heads at this idea. Internet Industry Association Chief Executive Peter Coroneos has shared his views on this and says that any credible national broadband plan would require fibre as a central element.

"We appreciate the value of wireless technology, but for the reason we argued (in our manifesto) it will never be a substitute for fibre".

While Optus and Telstra haven't yet commented, a cross-section of telecommunications and technology interest groups said that a wireless-centric policy would actually take the country backwards.

It's becoming clearer as to what the Opposition plans to do with the NBN, should it win the election on August 21. Opposition finance spokesman Andrew Robb was on ABC Radio this morning and gave good indication of what would most likely be happening if a Coalition return to power takes place.

The project will definitively be halted, But what has been done so far (incl. the Tasmanian leg of the NBN of which portions are already in operation and serving households) will remain in place, but will more than likely be sold off to telecommunications operators.

Mr Robb went on to say that while the Opposition would be ditching the NBN, they acknowledge that an internet alternative is still a strong point of focus for them and there is promise of a faster, better system on the cards that can be built for a lot less than the $43 Billion that will be swallowed up by the NBN.

Have you ever had your phone die either on the road with a friend or at their house, oly to realize they don't have a charger that works with your phone? It's happened to me more than once, and I've always wondered why there couldn't just be a standard connection over all cell phones. Well, the forward thinkers in the European Commission have heard these same outcries, and are set to make micro-USB the standard for smartphones and data-enabled phones starting in January 2011.

This stems from an agreement that was signed by the top ten mobile manufacturers last year. Yes, that includes Apple. According to Dennis Abbott, an EC spokesman, "Introduction of the universal charger will make life much simpler for EU consumers. When you discover you've left your charger at home or work, you will be able to use someone else's, knowing it will fit your phone. How cool is that?"

I can only hope that this piece of legislation can make its way over to the U.S. and across the rest of the world as well. With these phones already having to follow this standard in Europe, there's no reason for heir equivalents elsewhere to be any different. In this case, hooray for conformity!

Mark Hurd, the CEO of Hewlett Packard (HP), has resigned from his position today after a marketing consultant for the company accused him of sexual harassment. The Board of Directors of HP launched an independent investigation of the accusations on June 29th after a letter was sent to outside legal counsel about the incident.

HP general counsel Michael Holston spoke to reporters today about the incident and also stated CFO Cathie Lesjak will take over on an interim basis while Marc Andreesen and three directors undergo the task of finding a permanent replacement. This comes as a large blow to the company, which has undergone a fairly large turnaround and was seeing improved earnings and had acquired Palm for a larger foothold in the mobile market.

Here is the statement released by Mark Hurd: (courtesy of BusinessInsider)

Australian developed tool "Wave" was being promised to revolutionize the way people electronically message each other and was one of many projects Google was keen to add to its arsenal.

Unfortunately, Google Wave is a wipout after the company today announced it plans to axe the facility. It is being said that the main reason for its demise is due to the complexity of it; while it has clear advantages over any other types of electronic messaging services available, particularly e-mail, it was quite new and involved.

Google Australia's Lars Rasmussen who thought up and put the concept into action had this to say; "We had a lot of interest after we first showed a demo and then when we got it out into peoples' hands there was a fair bit of disappointment because it didn't change the world overnight.

If you're proud of your shiny new iPhone 4, be sure to hold onto it real good when standing / walking over a hard surface, or at least invest in a decent case for it.

Apple went on this big spiel leading up to the release of the new-gen phone about how it uses 'aluminosilicate glass' which it said is the same type of glass used in the windshields of high-speed trains and and helicopters. In their words exactly, Apple said it was "chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is ultradurable and more scratch resistant than ever".

So then, with that in mind, take a look at this picture of someone's new pride and joy :-

Ahh, technology; a road that never ends and there's always something new on the horizon. A pretty funky iPhone application was launched today by the Commonwealth bank which more or less gives the ability to point their phone at a house from out the front and access both its sale price as well as giving a virtual peek inside.

The new app harnesses mobile phone camera and location based tech to map the user's position; then it simply matches it with information about the house such as how many bedrooms and bathrooms it has, the exterior or interior (or both) sale photographs and also its most recent sale price. Said information is obtained via property website Realestate.com.au and rpdata.com.

A CBA spokesperson has confirmed the information is made available publicly to anyone with the iPhone and its new app installed. There is no charge for using this facility (at this stage, at least). the CBA feels this is the way to go after noting results from a study by a media company initiative whereby it was determined that Australians are spending an average of 27 minutes a day online on their smartphones and that 70% of decisions in the home lending market have been made while online.

Telstra's really pushing to outdo its competitors with its range of iPhone 4 plans. Further testament to this is word today that it has risen its data allowance for minimal extra cost, though apparently this is in part due to a glitch in their billing system.

Several people have now reported that they've been given the opportunity to get 6GB of data connected to their plan for only $20 on top of the plan's fee. While Telstra does advertise a 6GB plan in its range, this usually costs $129. However, the loophole is allowing customers to get 6GB on their plan for as little as half that amount.

While there are small inconsistences in what is being offered to various customers, according to several Whirlpool users there looks to be a good chance of getting a similarly awesome deal when talking into Telstra shops to see what's on offer.

More dirty deeds from the inevitable; Telstra is reported to have been rorting its iPhone 4 customers at its T-Life stores by charging them prices that are significantly higher than what is advertised on their website.

It has been said that in some instances there are stores asking customers to sign contracts that agree to more than $1,000 of additional charges versus what is advertised here. Also, while it is well known that Telstra charges its post paid customers an up front cost for its 16 or 32GB iPhones, depending on the size of the monthly cap, some T-Life stores are also tacking on further monthly handset fees that adds up to hundreds of dollars across the full term of the contract.

A member of the Whirlpool forums has said that he approached the T-Life store manager about these discrepencies and was given a charming reply. Apparently the manager said that because he is the owner of the franchise he can charge whatever the hell he wants. He doesn't have to issue subsidised phones nor does he have to follow the iPhone 4 plans that Telstra have on their website.

So, the iPhone 4s are now in many aussies hands country wide; thoughts? - Are you holding off for a bit (or forced to due to sell-outs of initial batches) and wondering if it really is the right way to go over some other phones you've been eying off recently? - Stuart Kennedy of The Australian IT column gives his thoughts and also brings up that wretched antennagate issue plaguing folks in the states.

Does the 'gripe of death' haunt us Aussies, too? - Apparently so.

The fault works like this: grab an iPhone 4 with your hand wrapped around the gadget so that it covers the antennas at the base of the case and the presence of your paw throttles the life out of the network connection.

The past couple days have been sprinkled with rumors of Android 2.2 finally being ready for release over several handsets, and now it has been made official. Engadget got word directly from HTC that Froyo, the newest Android OS, will be available this weekend for owners of the HTC Desire in Europe.

This rollout is for unlocked versions of the phone; those that are locked into a carrier may have to play a little bit more of the waiting game to get their hands on Froyo. This update is expected "in several weeks' time" as testing is finished up. Along with the OS, the update for the Desire is also unlocking 720p recording mode, the HTC App Share widget, iTunes sync, and the Smart Caller ID feature.

The entire HTC release: (courtesy of Engadget)

Victoria's state government sees logic in giving a number of hospitals in the state a bunch of Apple iPads; no less than 500 to be handed out. The trial is set to commence from January of next year; details of which hospitals would be getting some of the iPads weren't disclosed at this time.

Daniel Andrews whom is Victoria's Health Minister said the roll-out is costing about $500,000 in total; the iPads are going to be handed over to graduate doctors, nurse practitioners and advanced practice nurses for use while treating patients.

"The iPads will allow doctors and nurses to access any web-enabled application run by their hospital as they move around the hospital, as well as allowing them to tap into health information resources. The iPads will connect via the Wi-Fi networks that allow secure, safe wireless connectivity within the hospital while not affecting other important and sensitive electronic patient care equipment."

Want to take a dive into the newly legalized jailbreaking of your Apple product but confused on where to start? Jailbreak Matrix has a roadmap to get you on your way to the joys of jailbreaking.

Jailbreak Matrix has posted a huge chart covering the iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad and all of the possible firmware for each. Combining that with possible baseband and boot loaders, you end up with the tools needed and version of iTunes you can use for a jailbreak with a higher possibility of success. They even hook you up with a step by step process to make the process as easily as possible. Just remember, nothing is guaranteed and you're voiding your warranty......if you care about that sort of thing.