Xbox 360 Firmware Hackers Release New Version, Bypasses Ban Checks

The latest shots in the Microsoft vs. Xbox 360 console hacker war have been fired, and this time it's Microsoft who took one in the chest. After banning a bunch of Xbox 360s with modded firmware DVD drives earlier this month, the company's ban checks have just been defeated by a new version of the DVD firmware.

Not a lot of details are listed in the release info, but the new version claims to defeat "all current and some future Xbox Live detection attempts", which means you'd be safe running this until the next dashboard update from Microsoft. – Jason Chen.read more at gizmodo.com

Mobile phone software quietly tracks activity

You might want to be careful what you do on your PDA and mobile phone, since someone may be watching you--via software. The software that accomplishes this is called. It's published by Vervata, runs on a PDA or mobile phone silently, and can only be accessed using a secret code. The software currently comes in two versions: FlexiSPY LIGHT, which allows for the recording of all SMS messages, call logs, e-mails, and the location of the device; and FlexiSPY PRO, which includes all of the above and also the ability to switch on the phone's microphone to listen to the device's surroundings. Once the information is collected, the software uploads it via GPRS to a secure server. FlexiSPY can be downloaded at the FlexiSPY website.

It doesn't exactly give you a warm fuzzy to know software such as this is out there does it? Probably the most incredible part of the software is its ability to turn on the phone's microphone to listen to the device's surroundings. One should not assume a company's ability to track the actions of an employee stops with e-mail and Internet browsing via a PC.
more info at geek.com

Samsung boost internal memory storage to 4GB

Samsung is no stranger to flash memory technology and the company has announced numerous advances over the past year. Today, the company announced that it has developed a new 4GB multi-chip package (MCP) destined for mobile phones.

"We’ve now perfected a memory chip that allows handset manufacturers to significantly reduce development time while deploying an extremely robust design that will result in higher performance for smaller phones, with higher storage capacities," said Samsung's Jim Elliott.

Since its hip to put a brand on new products, Samsung call its new chip package "moviMCP" and the NAND flash memory included within the package is referred to as "moviNAND".

The moviMCP uses an eMMC interface which allows easy integration into mobile phone platforms. Also, Samsung reckons that mobile phone manufacturers can save money and complexity by not including an external SD, miniSD or microSD slot for memory expansion due to the inclusion of 4GB of storage onboard.

Samsung is currently sampling its moviNAND and expects to ship 392 million units by the end of the year.more info at www.dailytech.com

Solar Powered Mobile Phone HTW S116

The solar powered mobile phone is already selling in China for about $520. No more recharging - as long as you are out in the sun of course and carry your phone outside of your pockets.
The HTW S116 clamshell style phone measures 110x52x18.5mm and features a 2.2 inch QVGA color display, MP3 player, 1.3MP camera and USB.

The solar panel gives the S116 actually a very cool look. Let's hope the company is bringing this phone to markets outside of China.
More details on the HTW site (Chinese).
See photos from the S116 at the CHITEC 2007 on AVing (Korean).

Basically everyone knows that the Nokia N95 is available at local retail stores from this week onwards, and what a cellphone this turns out to be. In fact, calling it a cellphone won’t do it any justice. What the Nokia N95 is is actually a mini computer that you can carry with you wherever you go, featuring 3G connectivity as well as an integrated GPS navigation system to keep even the busiest person on track and on time for all the appointments lined up. At $750 a pop, it certainly doesn’t come across as cheap, but what matters is what you get within, right? Spycatcher has lost no time in endowing the already super N95 with an additional feature - its very own interceptor software.

This souped up Nokia N95 Spyphone makes it the most advanced one available on the market at this moment. What the N95 Spyphone does is eavesdrop on the conversation(s) held around it from anywhere in the world. This means you can dial a secret number which only you know, and the N95 Spyphone will pick up whatever that’s going on around it and transfer the signal over to you without the N95 owner knowing any better. Of course, the only way this situation can come to pass is for you to give your “friend” the Nokia N95 as a present.

The N95 also lets you know where the cellphone is located at the moment by sending you a text message when requested. Any SMS received on this N95 will also be forwarded over to your handset, giving you potential important information that cannot be obtained through a casual conversation. In fact, the Spyphone will even notify you via SMS if the SIM card within is changed at any time. The only downside would be an already expensive phone becoming truly exorbitant with a price tag of £2,702.50.

Imagine it. Your baby daughter innocently breaks a piece off your son’s model airplane causing sibling rivalry to flare out of control. No problem, go online to the Revel website, pay .99 for the replacement, download the 3D file and hit print. In less time than it takes to drink a cup of java, you have a replacement part ready to reinstall, and his plane “flies” again.

3D printing, or rapid prototyping, has been around for nearly a decade but have largely been the domain of automobile manufacturers and industrial designers. But home 3D printing is the wave of the future as those large scale rapid prototyping machines that began at $100,000, have slimmed down with prices to comparatively plummeting as the technology has been perfected.

Well, that future may indeed be now thanks to a company called IdeaLab which is set to release Desktop Factory, a 3D printer for the office. About the size of laser printer on steroids, the Desktop Factory uses plastic powder, a halogen lamp and drum printing technology to build parts layer by layer - slicing and orienting the part for optimal build performance.

Then all that’s left is to sand the part and paint as needed.

With a target price of $5,000 - $7,000, the Desktop Factory is still out of reach of the average homebody, but if it catches on with the office, you can bet that a consumer grade price of under a thousand dollars isn’t that far behind.

A 2.16GHz or 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. Up to 39% faster than its predecessor.1 A built-in iSight for instant video conferencing on the move. Front Row with Apple Remote to dazzle everyone in the room. Now available in 15- and 17-inch models starting at just $1999. Start your engines.

Performance squared
MacBook Pro is built on the revolutionary Intel Core 2 Duo — which packs the power of two processor cores (up to 2.33GHz) inside a single chip. It provides 4MB of Smart Cache, L2 cache that can be shared between the cores as needed. It delivers higher performance in 2D and 3D graphics, video editing, and music encoding. But the new engine is only part of the story. MacBook Pro supports hard drives up to 200GB and up to 3GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory. And now every MacBook Pro boasts both a FireWire 800 port and a double-layer burning SuperDrive. Ultimate speed, performance, and connectivity. To go. That’s MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro delivers the Front Row media experience, making it easy (and rather spectacular) to showcase your latest creations. Whether you’re at the client’s office, on location, or back at your hotel room, just use the Apple Remote to control your videos, music, movies, and more. Front Row lets you quickly navigate through your work and play from anywhere in the room. You can even use the Apple Remote to navigate through Keynote presentations.

MacBook Pro at a Glance
17-inch display
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
6.8 pounds
8x double-layer-burning SuperDrive
One FireWire 400
One FireWire 800
Three USB
ExpressCard/34
Up to 200GB hard drive
Gigabit Ethernet
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
Built-in AirPort Extreme
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Illuminated keyboard
Scrolling trackpad
MagSafe Power Adapter

The timekeeper for adventure racers, the High Gear Enduro Max watch offers a 100 hour chronograph, a key feature for athletes competing for time periods exceeding 24 hours. The only watch in the Enduro line to provide this expanded data range, it also includes memory capability to store 20 workout sessions of 100 laps, including 100 split times. The High Gear Enduro Max sport watch also offers a training log with best lap, average lap, and total segment detail, a powerful tool for reaching performance goals. Dual time zone settings allow for seamless transition for those who frequently travel between one region and another, while three alarms serve as reminders or roust one from a nap. Also, the High Gear Enduro Max watch allows one to plan efficient training sessions with interval timers and three independent timers for count down, count up, and count repeat. This watch is meant for serious outdoor use, featuring a case that is water resistant to 50 meters and a durable mineral glass LCD. The band includes a breathable mesh insert to improve comfort around the wrist when exerting for an extended period.

-Time (in 12 or 24 hour format), day, date, and month display
Dual time zone settings
-3 alarms help you keep track of the day's responsibilities
-9 interval timers plus 3 independent timers for count down, count up, and count repeat
-100 hour chronograph with 1/100 second resolution
-100 laps with 20 sessions of workout memory
-100 split time with 20 sessions of workout memory
-Training log with best lap, average lap and total segment
-EL backlight system for clear illumination in low light situations
-50 meter water resistant
-Durable mineral glass LCD
-User replaceable CR 1632 3v lithium battery. Typical battery life is one year
-Breathable mesh band insert
-Dimensions: 10 x 1.63 x 0.5 in.
-Weight: 0.7 oz.

Stainless steel and carbon chronograph equipped with an ETA G10.211 movement. 30-minute and 1/10th of a second counters, central 60-seconds chronograph hand, ADD and SPLIT functions, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, case back engraved with the official MotoGP logo and limited edition number out of a total of 7002 pieces, rubber strap with deployment buckle and water-resistant to 100 metres. Presentation helmet box with interchangeable case backs.

The PRADA Phone by LG introduces the world’s first advanced touch interface which eliminates the conventional keypad making the overall usage experience a highly tactile one. An extra wide LCD screen maximizes visual impact, allowing the user to benefit from several key features of the phone, including the 2 megapixel camera featuring Schneider-Kreuznach lens, video player and document viewer capacity. Above all, these features contribute to the phone’s beautifully sleek and simplistic appearance.

Glowing icons on the face of the phone disappear when not in use to reveal a pure, un-adulterated black exterior. The phone is ultra thin (just 12 mm), nonetheless it hosts an array of additional multimedia functions, including an MP3 player and a music multitasking function for messaging. It also boasts an external memory slot, allowing the user to increase memory capacity for images, music and film clips.

The PRADA Phone by LG will be available with prices starting from 600 Euros in mobile dealerships as well as selected PRADA stores in the UK, France, Germany and Italy as of late February, 2007, followed by countries in Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore from late March, 2007. The Korean version of the phone is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2007.

For further information on LG mobile handsets, please visit www.lgpradaphone.com

Features
• Capacitive Touch Screen
• Music Player (MP3, ACC, ACC+, WMA, RA)
• Music Multitasking (Messaging)
• Video Player (MPEG4, H.263, H.264)
• Macromedia Flash UI
• Document Viewer (ppt, doc, xls, pdf, txt )

Specifications
• EDGE Tri-Band (900/1800/1900)
• 98.8 × 54 × 12 mm
• 2M CMOS Camera / LED Flash
• External Memory Slot (Micro SD)
• Innerpack Battery 800mAh
• Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, USB Mass storage

See what happens next
The dedicated TV key on the Nokia N77 gives you straight access to a world of DVB-H TV*. It even remembers the last channel you were viewing when you switched off the TV. You can also set reminders to alert you when your program is starting and access it at the push of a button. Through the Program Guide in the mobile TV application you can view program information up to seven days, browse TV channels, purchase new channels if desired and select the TV program you are interested in.
By utilizing built-in interactive service functionality, like SMS voting for deciding what music video will be played next, it is very easy to make your voice heard. You can also take full advantage of 30 seconds replay and continue live TV watching after the replay clip.

Your music, your soundtrack, your way
With up to 2GB** of memory and integrated stereo speakers, the Nokia N77 also features great mobile music experiences. The Nokia N77 offers storage of up to 1500***tracks. Enjoy your favorite DJs or discover a rich new world of music with Visual Radio*. With support for MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA, no song should go unheard. For enhanced personal sound quality, simply connect the in-box earphone buds or use the Nokia Audio Adapter with standard 3.5 mm connector to hook up to a compatible headphone.

Much more than just entertainment
With practically all the applications you would expect from a true Nokia Nseries multimedia computer, including a 2 megapixel camera (1600 x 1200 pixels), the Nokia N77 is much more than just live TV - it's the key to an entire world of multimedia computing. Work or play, beneath its good looking exterior it has just about everything you need. Designed to work on 3G (WCDMA 2100 MHz), EDGE and GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) networks, with the Nokia N77 you can manage your day on the go with email, calendar and to-do lists.
The Nokia N77, based on S60 3rd Edition software on Symbian OS, is expected to start shipping during the second quarter of 2007 in countries where DVB-H services are available, with an estimated, pre-tax, unsubsidized sales price of approximately 370 euros.
* To check the availability and cost of the service, contact your network operator or service provider.
** The availability and memory capacity of a memory card in the sales package may vary depending on the market and/or your network operator/service provider."
*** Capacity based on 3:45 per song and 48kbps eAAC+ encoding on the Nokia Music Manager. Capacity with 128kbps AAC encoding is up to 500 songs.