iPhoto '08: The Missing Manual

By David Pogue, Derrick Story
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Product Description

Apple has taken iPhoto 08 to a whole new level. Now, in addition to handling upwards of 250,000 images, the program lets you easily categorize and navigate through those photos with a feature called "Events". Plus, new editing tools let you copy and paste adjustments between photos. Books and calendars have been improved, too, as has the program's ability to publish pictures on the Web.

Apple makes it all sound easy: drag this, click that, and you're done. But you can still get lost, especially if you're a newcomer. iPhoto '08: The Missing Manual explains how to take advantage of all these powerful tools and new features without confusion or frustration. Bestselling authors David Pogue and Derrick Story give you a witty, objective, and clear-cut explanation of how things work, with plenty of undocumented tips and tricks for mastering the new iPhoto.

Four sections help you import, organize, edit, share, and even take your photos:

    * Digital Photography: The Missing Manual offers a course in picture-taking and digital cameras -- how to buy and use your digital camera, how to compose brilliant photos in various situations (sports, portraits, nighttime shots, even kid photography), and how to get the most out of batteries and memory cards.


    * iPhoto Basics covers the fundamentals of getting your photos into iPhoto, organizing and filing them, searching and editing them.


    * Meet Your Public teaches you all about slideshows, making or ordering prints, creating books, calendars and greeting cards, and sharing photos on web sites or by email.


    * iPhoto Stunts explains how to turn photos into screen savers or desktop pictures, using plug-ins, managing Photo Libraries, and even getting photos to and from camera phones and Palm organizers.


You also learn how to build a personal web site built with iWeb, and much more in this comprehensive guide. It's the top-selling iPhoto book for good reason.

http://astore.amazon.com/thebook-it-20/detail/0596516185/105-3470171-6634068

Intel’s Quad-Core Chips for Notebooks Emerges on Horizon.

Recent market rumours suggest that Intel Corp. plans to release its quad-core microprocessor for mobile applications sometime in the third quarter of this year. The launch of the new chips, which destiny is to power mobile gaming machines or workstations, is likely to coincide with the launch of Intel Centrino 2 platform.

The first mobile processor with four processing engines will be Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300 chip that is based on code-named Penryn (enhanced Core 2) micro-architecture and sports 12MB of level-two cache, uses 1066MHz processor system bus and has thermal envelope of 44W – 45W. The forthcoming microprocessor will be produced using 45nm process technology.

Intel’s code-named Montevina platform for notebooks is projected to be launched in the middle of the year. Intel is planning to change its brand-name for the upcoming notebook Montevina platform to Intel Centrino 2 “in order to clear up confusion for consumers”, it was reported earlier this year.

Intel Centrino 2-based laptops will feature code-named Echo Peak Wi-Fi/WiMAX controller combo or code-named Shirley Peak Wi-Fi controller. The former will allow to connect not only to wireless local area networks (WLANs), but also to wide-area networks (WANs), a valuable feature in countries and cities with WiMAX coverage.

In fact, WiMAX support may be the most important difference between “Intel Centrino” and “Intel Centrino 2” notebooks. Other changes, including performance boost of central processing units (CPUs) and the availability of quad-core mobile processors for high-performance laptops may be seen as insignificant for the vast majority consumers. Nevertheless, a number of gamers and professionals will definitely appreciate Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9300 central processing units.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Form : http://www.xbitlabs.com/

New chips on the block

By Vivian Yeo, ZDNet Asia, Friday, March 14, 2008 06:24 PM

The microprocessor war rages on between Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) this year, with the latter expected to release its first products based on the 45-nanometer low-power chip microarchitecture mid-2008.

Aside from the battle of the 45-nm chip, the two rivals are set to clash in the traditional notebook processor space. AMD will be unleashing its Puma platform, consisting of the processor code-named Griffin and the RS780 mobile chipset. Intel, on the other hand, is planning a refresh of its Santa Rosa platform, to include the new Penryn processor.

Nehalem, the successor to Penryn, is also due out in the second half of 2008, said Intel's Asia-Pacific communications manager Nick Jacobs. The second-generation 45nm processor features improved performance and power efficiency as well as new server features, and has the ability to scale from two to over 16 threads and one to more than eight cores.

"Nehalem-based products will be the first family of Intel processors to use the QuickPath system architecture, which will significantly improve overall system performance," said Jacobs. "The QuickPath system architecture will include integrated memory controller technology and improved communication links between system components."

AMD has also set its sights on multi-thread applications and multi-core technology in the year ahead.

"2008 will be the year where more multi-threaded applications will be introduced into mainstream market and multi-core technology will start to be fully utilized," said Bryan Low, AMD's vice president for sales and marketing in South Asia, in an e-mail. Besides Puma, AMD will be introducing the Spider platform, which incorporates the Phenom processor.

Intel is also banking on its Menlow platform comprising the Silverthorne processor and Poulsbo chipset to lead the charge in the Mobile Internet Device and ultramobile PC (UMPC) markets. Menlow, as reported previously, is on schedule to ship in the first half of 2008. Already, Apple is said to have plans to use Silverthorne in its products.

With the slew of new products, both Intel and AMD will be working hard at winning market share, and achieving profit margins.

According to figures released in January by research organization IDC, Intel commanded about 76.7 percent of the global microprocessor market in the fourth quarter of 2007. AMD held a market share of 23.1 percent during the same period. The average market shares of both companies for the entire 2007 calendar year were similar to Q4 figures.

Form : http://www.bangkokpost.com/

Apple iPhone SDK: Has Apple really unlocked the toolbox?

A development kit for the iPhone is not going to make the hackers shut up shop, writes Claudine Beaumont

EU paves way for rival to Google Last week, Apple finally unveiled details of the software development kit that will allow people to write applications for the iPhone and the iPod touch. Still a target: iPhone's SDK is unlikey to deter hackers The kit, known as an SDK, is already available for developers to work with, and iPhone users will get their first chance to download these Apple-sanctioned applications when the iPhone 2.0 software is released in June. Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, must hope that providing a development platform for iPhone fans will prevent people from hacking their devices and installing applications on to the phone by nefarious means. Part of the reason the iPhone has been so avidly hacked is that it runs a stripped-back version of Apple's powerful OS X operating system, and tech geeks have been desperate to unleash what they see as the phone's latent computing potential. There's also been an appreciation, even among the most ardent Apple fans, that the iPhone lacks features considered standard on other handsets, such as instant-messaging capabilities, the ability to collect and read RSS feeds, and currency conversion tools. The SDK will - in theory - give developers a rich set of tools to develop software that makes the best of the iPhone's most innovative features, such as its touch screen, and the three-way accelerometer that can sense when you flip the phone between portrait and landscape formats. In practice, however, Apple will be in total control of apps. Programs will be distributed through the iTunes music store, and must be approved by Apple before they can be sold. The iPhone will remain a tightly controlled platform. It's a far cry from the "homebrew" community of program-makers who create software for hacked iPhones - one of whom has even come up with a tool that allows people to play old Nintendo NES games on their iPhones. Apple has softened the blow slightly by allowing developers to set their own prices for their programs, and to keep 70 per cent of the sales revenue, with the remainder going towards running the App Store area of iTunes. But many technology fans, as well as amateur and professional developers, are disappointed by the shackles on the platform. It's like giving a child the keys to a sweet shop and then telling them they can't touch anything. "Apple is betting its future in the smartphone market on a control-freak business model," says Information Week's Mitch Wagner. "Developers might decide that Apple's business model is too much hassle and give their business to competitors instead. And Apple needs third-party developers to ensure the ongoing success of the iPhone." One of the key problems is the lack of clarity about what Apple will and won't allow on iPhones. It has already said it won't distribute programs that can be considered pornographic, malicious, illegal, or which would hog bandwidth. But what about programs that compete directly with parts of Apple's business? Would Amazon be able to build an application for the iPhone that makes it easy for people to buy DRM-free music from its store? Will the Last.fm streaming service be welcome? It's not entirely clear, and Apple is being as tight-lipped as ever about such issues. "The Apple SDK, as many have come to find, has arguably crippled much of the functionality that set the iPhone apart when first released," says blogger Jonathan Zdziarski, in response to the news this week that applications developed for the iPhone won't be able to run in the background while you use other features. If you receive a phone call halfway through an instant-messaging chat, the IM session will be automatically closed. It will be impossible to judge the shrewdness of Apple's decision to limit the scope of the SDK until the new iPhone software is launched in June. But what is clear is that with new, open-source mobile phone platforms such as the Google-backed Android gaining a head of steam and showing early promise, Apple will have to ensure its development program fosters creativity rather than stifles it. Otherwise, people will just keep on hacking their iPhones to get their phone, their way. You might not realise it, but Microsoft and Apple have a very close working relationship, particularly when it comes to developing the Microsoft Office suite for the Mac computing platform. Microsoft has just released Office 2008 for Mac, and to celebrate, we have several copies of the software to give away, as well as a new MacBook laptop computer. Office 2008 for Mac provides a rich creative environment for all your word processing, presentation and email-based tasks. The user interface is simple and streamlined, with a clean, simple look and feel that makes it really easy to use. Microsoft has added a host of clever new features, including Document Elements, a one-click gallery that helps users to build professional-looking documents simply, while Entourage, Office for Mac's email program, now has a new My Day feature to help you organise and manage your time more effectively. For your chance to win a copy of Office 2008 for Mac and a new MacBook, answer this question: Who is the chairman of Microsoft? Form : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/03/15/dlclaud115.xml

Sony Cybershot DSC W200 | Digital Camera Review | Introduction

Sony CyberShot DSC-W200 underwater review : I am in Dahab, Egypt and I am taking the Sony DSC-W200 to the seaside in an exclusive manner: on a camel. The diving spots near Ras Abu Galum are only accessible by camel from Dahab. The trip will take approximately an hour and a half. This is a good opportunity to try the Sony W200 camera on land before taking it underwater.

Sony W200 - Camel trip
To be honest, I find myself really stupid to agree with the guide on going to Ras Abu Galum. The diving areas closer to Dahab are spectacular enough and we would be able to go to them in a comfortable jeep. Why on earth would I go on a camel trip? I don't even dare to sit on a donkey, let alone on a camel.

Diving spot Blue Hole
We meet the camels at a famous diving spot; the Blue Hole. That's also the spot where the road ends and if you want to continue.... The camels are still having their meal as we arrive and they react somewhat irritated when I get closer to take pictures of them. They pull ugly faces at me, so I give up and retreat.

Sony CyberShot W200 Diving gear
When they finish their meal, the diving gear is loaded onto them. And thankfully the camels are laying down so we don’t have to lift the diving gear to a great height. Some camels get to carry four aqualungs and other camels receive two bags and the remaining diving equipment. This way you need as many camels as divers and it is possible to dive twice. Next, it is my turn to ascend a camel.

Form : http://www.letsgodigital.org/

Compact W300 Camera By Sony Boasts 13.6 Megapixels

The megapixel count on consumer level digital cameras has really skyrocketed in recent years.

You've got to wonder why soccer moms need this much resolution, because they're effectively getting enough pixels for one giant wall poster. Maybe they want to posterize their sons and daughters or something. Whatever the case, digital camera makers are fulfilling their mega-megapixel desires.

Take the new Sony W300, for example. It's a reasonably slim and otherwise unassuming digital camera, but it boasts an effective resolution of 13.6 megapixels. This is a huge leap for the compact point-and-shoot market, especially when you consider that most people would do just fine with five or six megapixels. It's not as powerful as a DSLR, but you are able to shoot at 5 fps if you dial it down to 3MP.

Other features include 3x optical zoom, ISO 6400, smile detection, and automatic scene detection. Look for the Sony Cyber-shot W300 to sell for $350 when it launches this May.


Form : http://www.htlounge.net/

Product Review: Asus Eee PC 2g Surf

I'm a contractor. This means I've moved around a lot working in different offices, and I've often lamented the lack of a means of checking my email and searching for jobs without using the client's Internet facilities (which would probably be barred anyway).

Anyone who's tried to do serious browsing or emailing on a mobile phone will probably relate to how bloody frustrating it is, so I decided that a small laptop was needed. One I could bring into work and connect to mobile roadband with. I needed something light, with a proper keyboard, reasonably sized screen, but small enough to be innocuous and not arouse corporate suspicion that I may be writing this review rather than designing service management processes. I didn't want to spend a lot, and there isn't a lot available under the £400 mark that I was prepared to live with or spend the money on. Most options were compromises between price, weight, and functionality.

Except for the ASUS Eee PC. A small sub-notebook running a customized Linux build and coming pre-loaded with Openoffice, Skype, and several other tools.  The manufacturers have done a good job of providing you with just about everything you'd need day to day. You can create documents, spreadsheets, and databases. You can watch movies (DivX supported out the box), play a few games, listen to MP3s and connect to the net through the built in wireless, modem or RJ45 network port (or external USB 3g modem but more on this in a moment) and talk to people on Skype and Pidgin instant Messenger which supports major chat networks (MSN,AIM,YIM,AOL, and ICQ plus others). Handily, and curiously, the manufacturers have provided application icons which are links to Google Docs and Wikipedia - giving these the impression of being applications rather than mere web addresses.

The 7" screen is small but usable, and the battery life is quoted as being 3.5 hours (depending on use). The Eee has a QWERTY keyboard which, though smaller than a full size keyboard, still allows fairly rapid typing with few mistakes once you get used to it. The Eee has 3 USB 2.0 ports, and external VGA connector as well as headphone & microphone jacks plus a smart card expansion slot.

In the box, as well as the Eee, mains charger, manual, quick start guide, warranty card and restore CD come a support CD with Windows XP drivers and an instruction guide detailing how to install XP. Having even having been a Windows user for years, I'm actually very happy with the standard Linux OS and applications and installing Windows is something I've not needed to consider.

Continues : http://blogcritics.org/

Northtec announces its competitor to Asus EeePC

If the UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) hasn’t reached its breaking point yet, it soon will.  The market has seen company after company announce competitors to the Asus EeePC after it became one of the best selling models on the market.

So far a worthy competitor looks to be the ECS G10IL and what it lacks in a cool name more than makes up for by it’s MacBook-like design; let’s not forget the CloudBook either.

As Asus is preparing to release its EeePC 900 which features a 9-inch display with a higher resolution; Northtec is just getting started.

While the EeePC 900 and G10IL are reported to have relatively powerful mobile processors the Northtec promises a rather weak (but cheap) offering.

DesktopLinux reports that the Northtec Gecko laptop will features a VIA C7M processor at 1GHz (note that the 800MHz Intel A110 processor rates as faster) and runs Linpus Linux Lite.

That version of Linux will run on processors as slow as 366MHz (remember when that was considered fast) with as little as 128MB of memory and 512MB hard drive space.  It also supports resolutions as low as 640 x 480.

Linpus is based on Xorg and makes use of some Gnome elements with Northtec’s president calling it “similar to gOS.”  If I were him, that’s not a fact I would so readily advertise.  However, he said it can be replaced with other Linux versions or even Windows if Gecko customers choose to do so.

Form : http://tech.blorge.com/

New Nokia N95 firmware coming; Flash Lite 3 and Widget support in the mix

Nokia hasn't forgot the N95 owners and is preparing a major firmware update for the device. Aside from the standard stability and performance improvements, the new firmware also brings Flash Lite 3 and S60 Widgets (Web Runtime) support to the N95.

And I thought N95's lack of RAM was an obstacle? Kudos to Nokia. Once again they proved just how Symbian OS is capable operating system.

Anyway, the new N95 firmware version should be available soon on the NSU and will be available progressively at the official Nokia Points and Nokia Service Points in the next few days.

[Via: SymbianFreak]

Reggie hypes up Nintendo early for E3

March 16, 2008 - Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime spoke in a short interview recently on what Nintendo's bringing to the Wii and DS in the second half of this year. Although not revealing anything specific, Reggie commented that "We’re gonna unveil the whole second half during E3."

When prodded to comment whether a new Mario or Zelda game will be appearing this year, Reggie replied "All I can tell you is what we announce during E3 is going to be fantastic. The gamer’s gonna be excited, and the expanded audience is going to be excited. We’re gonna have a ton of great content."

Further prodding on the subject of Donkey Kong's return yielded no results either, with Reggie only saying "You know… I’m not gonna go there."

Form : http://www.aussie-nintendo.com/?v=news&p=22870