Dell's M109S pocket projector

• Ultra Portable – At 92.5 x 104.6 x 37.1 mm and a mere 360g, you’ll hardly notice it's in your laptop case.
• DLP^® and BrilliantColor^TM technology – Millions of precision mirrors use light more efficiently to generate lifelike images and vibrant colors.
• 858 x 600 SVGA Native Resolution – Displays up to 480,000 pixels with a 4:3 aspect ratio, right from the palm of your hand.
• 800:1 typical (Full On/Full Off) Contrast Ratio – Projects clear images and easy-to-read text. Anytime, anywhere.
• Easy Connectivity – A multi-input cable delivers easy connectivity to laptops, desktops, DVD players and gaming consoles.
• Long Projection Life - The M109S utilizes mercury-free LED light source of usage life up to 10,000 hours¹, helping to save money and reduce maintenance to a minimum as no replace of LED module light source is required.
• Password Protection - Keep critical presentations safe and secure.
• Green Machine - With the efficient, mercury-free LED technology, you can help protect the planet and your bottom line.

IBM deal to buy Sun Microsystems hits delays

The proposed IBM-Sun deal is still on, but discussions could take several more days as IBM lawyers perform due diligence, according to Reuters.

The news service cited "people with knowledge of the matter" as saying that a deal is unlikely to be struck before next week at the earliest, as IBM looks at various parts of Sun's software and server business.


But the move could raise anti-trust concerns with US regulators, the report said. Sun and IBM have a combined 65 per cent of the $17bn (£11.7bn) market for Unix servers, which are mainly used by large enterprises and government organisations.

IBM still leads the server space with nearly a third of the market, followed by HP, Dell and Sun.

Sun has been seen by analysts as vulnerable to an acquisition for some time, given that it has never been fully able to monetise its technology assets and recover from the drop in demand for its high-end servers at the beginning of the decade.

Reports in The Wall Street Journal suggest that IBM may offer nearly double Sun's Tuesday closing share price of $4.97 (£3.58), in a cash deal totalling around $6.5bn (£4.68bn). The newspaper said that IBM is examining the terms of Sun's various technology licences to check for any conflict with IBM's business.

Sun's shares closed on Friday down 6.14 per cent at $8.10 (£5.60) on the Nasdaq, giving the company a value of about $6bn (£4.1bn).

Samsung N310 Netbook kills germs fast

Samsung has announced a 10-inch Netbook which, among other things, kills bacteria. The N310 has been styled by award-winning Japanese designmeister Naoto Fukasawa and will presumably be welcomed with open--but latex-gloved--arms by OCD sufferers.

It boasts a frameless 10-inch screen and pebble design keyboard, which Samsung reckons is 93 percent of the size of a desktop keyboard for easy typing.

The N310 weighs about 2.6 pounds with a four-cell battery, which Samsung claims will give you up to five hours without busting out some mains supply. Battery savings come from the LED display and optimized performance from the Intel Atom processor.

It'll ship with Windows XP Home Edition, so it doesn't overtax the 1GB of RAM. Other features include a 160GB hard drive, a 1.3-megapixel camera and a three-in-one memory card reader. You get no less than three USB ports and the option of Bluetooth.

As if that wasn't enough, it also "uses the latest medical technology" to smear the keys with a "special finish" that makes it "almost impossible for bacteria to live and breed." We don't recommend using it to clean your toilet, however. The N310 will be available in May. No word on price yet, but we'll keep you posted. If you'll excuse us, we're off to wash our hands again.

Panasonic releases Lumix G Vario 7-14mm lens

Panasonic today unveiled a new interchangeable ultra wide-angle zoom lens called the LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH. In spite of its impressive wide-angle zoom range of 7-14mm (35mm camera equivalent; 14-28mm), the new lens is surprisingly compact and lightweight for casual on-the-go use.

Taking advantage of its wide, 114-degree angle of view, users can easily fit subjects into the frame even when shooting indoors where the distance is limited. The world looks extraordinary when viewed through the new lens, allowing photos and movies to be recorded with a uniquely rich perspective.

This high-performance lens system achieves outstanding compactness by combining 16 lens elements in 12 groups, including two aspherical lenses and four ED lenses. Image resolution is high from corner-to-corner even at the wide-angle setting. It also features F4.0 brightness over the entire zoom range thanks to its large-diameter glass moulded lens elements.

When mounted on the DMC-GH1 Lumix G Micro System Camera, the new lens allows use of the advanced contrast AF system, which includes a Face Recognition function, for more convenient, more enjoyable shooting. Seven blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings.

The LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH lens also features a highly reliable metal mount, and uses multi-coated lens elements that minimise ghosts and flare to further enhance its optical performance. The optimally designed lens hood enables use even under strong sunlight.

LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH specifications

Focal length	7-14mm
35mm equivalent focal length	14-28mm
Diagonal Angle of view	114° (W) - 75° (T)
Maximum aperture	F4.0
Minimum aperture	F22
Lens Construction	• 16 elements/12 groups • 4 ED glass elements • 2 aspherical elements
Number of diaphragm blades	7, Circular aperture diaphragm
Minimum focus	0.25m / 0.8ft
Maximum magnification	Approx. 0.08x / 0.15x
Image stabilization	No
Supplied accessories	• Front and rear caps • Lens Hood • Lens Case
Weight	300 g (10.58 oz)
Dimensions	70mm diameter x 83mm (2.76 x 3.27 in)
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds

IEEE 1394 Interface

The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer, frequently used by personal computers, as well as in digital audio, digital video, automotive, and aeronautics applications. The interface is also known by the brand names of FireWire (Apple Inc.), i.LINK (Sony), and Lynx (Texas Instruments). IEEE 1394 replaced parallel SCSI in many applications, because of lower implementation costs and a simplified, more adaptable cabling system. The 1394 standard also defines a backplane interface, though this is not as widely used.

IEEE 1394 has been adopted as the High Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) standard connection interface for A/V (audio/visual) component communication and control. FireWire is also available in wireless, fiber optic, and coaxial versions using the isochronous protocols.

Since the mid 1990s, consumer grade camcorders had included a four-circuit 1394 interface, though, except for premium models, this is becoming less common. It remains the primary transfer mechanism for almost all high end professional audio and video equipment. Since 2003 many computers intended for home or professional audio/video use have built-in FireWire/i.LINK ports, especially prevalent with Sony and Apple's computers and the older iPods. The legacy (alpha) 1394 port is also available on premium retail motherboards.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless protocol for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks (PANs). It was originally conceived as a wireless alternative to RS232 data cables. It can connect several devices, overcoming problems of synchronization.

Class	Maximum Permitted Power mW (dBm)	Range (approximate)
Class 1	100 mW (20 dBm)	~100 meters
Class 2	2.5 mW (4 dBm)	~10 meters
Class 3	1 mW (0 dBm)	~1 meter

Version	Data Rate
Version 1.2	1 Mbit/s
Version 2.0 + EDR	3 Mbit/s
WiMedia Alliance (proposed)	53 - 480 Mbit/s

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, founded in 1999 as Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA), comprising more than 300 companies, whose products are certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, based on the IEEE 802.11 standards (also called Wireless LAN (WLAN) and Wi-Fi). This certification warrants interoperability between different wireless devices.

The alliance was founded because many products did not correctly implement IEEE 802.11 and some included proprietary extensions. This led to incompatibilities between products from different manufacturers.

The Wi-Fi Alliance tests the wireless components to their own terms of reference. Products that pass become Wi-Fi certified and may carry the Wi-Fi logo. Only products of Wi-Fi Members are tested, because they pay membership and per-item fees. Absence of the Wi-Fi logo does not necessarily mean non-compliance with the standard.

In France, Poland, the United States, and some other countries, the term Wi-Fi often is used by the public as a synonym for wireless Internet (WLAN); but not every wireless Internet product has a Wi-Fi certification, which may be because of certification costs that must be paid for each certified device type.

Wi-Fi certification is provided for technology used in home networks, mobile phones, video games, and other devices that require wireless networking. It covers IEEE 802.11 standards, including 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n.

Wi-Fi is supported by most personal computer operating systems, many game consoles, laptops, smartphones, printers, and other peripherals.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 Specifications

Sensor	• 1/1.63" sensor • 11.3 million total pixels CCD • 10.1 million effective pixels • Primary Color Filter
Image stabilization	• Lens-shift • MEGA O.I.S. (Auto/Mode1/ Mode2)
Image sizes	4:3 Aspect Ratio: • 3648x 2736 pixels • 3072 x 2304 pixels • 2560 x 1920 pixels • 2048 x 1536 pixels • 1600 x 1200 pixels • 640 x 480 pixels • 3:2 Aspect Ratio: • 3776 x 2520 pixels • 3168 x 2112 pixels • 2656 x 1768 pixels • 2112 x 1408pixels • 2048 x 1360 pixels • 16:9 Aspect Ratio: • 3968 x 2232 pixels • 3328 x 1872 pixels • 2784 x 1568 pixels • 2208 x 1248 pixels • 1920 x 1080
Movie mode	• QuickTime Motion JPEG • 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 640 x 480 pixels 30 fps or • 320 x 240 pixels 30 fps/10 fps • 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps • HD（16:9 Aspect Ratio）: 1280x720 pixels 24fps"
Output formats	• JPEG ( Exif 2.21 standard) • RAW
Image processor	Venus Engine IV
Lens	• 2.5x zoom • f=5.1-12.8mm (35mm Equiv.: 24-60mm) • F2.0 - F2.8 • LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON • 8 elements in 6 groups • 4 Aspherical Lenses / 4 Aspherical surfaces)
Focus modes	• Normal • Macro • Quick AF • Continuous AF • Manual Focus (Joystick) • One Shot AF • AF Area Select • AF Tracking
AF assist lamp	Yes
Shooting modes	• Intelligent AUTO • P(Program) mode • A(AperturePriority) mode • S(Shutter Priority) mode • M(Manual) mode • Motion Picture • Custom1 • Custom2 • Scene mode
Scene modes	• Portrait • Soft Skin • Self-Portrait • Scenery • Sports • Night Portrait • Night Scenery • Food, Party • Candle Light • Baby1 • Baby2 • Pet • Sunset • High sensitivity • Starry Sky • Fireworks • Beach • Snow • Aerial photo • Hi-Speed Burst • Flash-Burst • Film Grain • Pin Hole
Metering	• Intelligent Multiple • Center Weighted • Spot
AE Bracketing	+/- 0.3/0.5 EV
Exposure compen.	• +/-2 EV • 0.3 EV increments
Sensitivity	• Auto • 80 • 100 • 200 • 400 • 800 • 1600 • 3200 • High Sensitivity Mode : Auto(1600 - 6400)
Shutter speed	• P: 1-1/2000sec (Selectable minimum shutter speed) • A/S: 8-1/2000sec • M: 60-1/2000sec • Starry Sky Mode : 15, 30, 60sec.
Aperture values	• Wide: F2.0 - F8.0 Tele: F2.8 - F8
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Shade • Flash • Halogen • Color Temperature • White Set 1 • White Set 2 • White Balance Adjustment
Drive modes	• Single • Continuous
Burst speed	• 2.5 frames/sec Max. 8 images (Standard), Max 4 images (Fine), Max 3images (RAW) • High-speed Burst Mode: approx. 6 frames/sec (recorded in 3M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9)
Self-timer	10 sec. / 2 sec.
LCD monitor	• 3.0", 3:2 Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display • 460K dots • Field of View : approx. 100% • AUTO Power LCD mode
Viewfinder	Optional
Flash	• Auto • Auto/Red-eye Reduction • Forced On • Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction • Forced Off • Flash Synchro 1st / 2nd • Flash output Adjustment (1/3EV step, -2 - +2 EV) • Hotshoe
FLash coverage	0.8 - 8.3m (Wide/Macro/ISO Auto), 0.3 - 5.9m (Tele/ISO Auto)
Connectivity	• DC Input • AV Output (NTSC/PAL) • HD AV Output (Component) • USB2.0 High speed
Storage	• SD Memory Card • SDHC Memory Card • MultiMediaCard (Still image only) • Internal Memory (approx. 50 MB)
Power	• Li-ion Battery Pack (3.7V, 1150mAh) • Battery life: 380 pictures (CIPA standard) • AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC) (Optional)
Dimensions	108.7 x 59.5 x 27.1 mm
Weight (with battery)	Approx. 265 g

Surround sound

Surround sound, using multichannel audio, encompasses a range of techniques for enriching (expanding and deepening) the sound reproduction quality, of an audio source, with additional audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. The three-dimensional (3D) sphere of human hearing can be virtually achieved with audio channels above and below the listener. To that end, the multichannel surround sound application encircles the audience (left-surround, right-surround, back-surround), as opposed to "screen channels" (center, [front] left, and [front] right), i.e. ca. 360° horizontal plane, 2D).

Surround sound technology is used in cinema and home theater systems, video game consoles, personal computers and other platforms. Commercial surround sound media include videocassettes, Video DVDs, and HDTV broadcasts encoded as Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital, or DTS. Other commercial formats include the competing DVD-Audio (DVD-A) and Super Audio CD (SACD) formats, and MP3 Surround. Cinema 5.1 surround formats include Dolby Digital, DTS, and Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS).

Most surround sound recordings are created by film production companies or video game producers; however some consumer camcorders have such capability either built-in or available separately. Surround sound technologies can also be used in music to enable new methods of artistic expression. After the failure of quadraphonic audio in the 1970s, multichannel music has slowly been reintroduced since 1999 with the help of SACD & DVD-Audio formats. Some AV receivers, stereophonic systems, and computer soundcards contain integral digital signal processors and/or digital audio processors to simulate surround sound from a stereophonic source.

Olympus C-470 Zoom

Olympus C-470 ZOOM

The Olympus C-470 Zoom sets a new standard for digital cameras. An impressive list of high quality features including four million-pixels, 3x optical zoom and the unique Olympus 1.8” anti-glare LCD screen are combined for the first time with an unbeatable competitive price.

Features

* 4.0 million pixels
* 3x optical zoom (equiv. to 35–105mm on a 35mm camera) f3.1-5.2
* 1.8 inch sunshine LCD (134,000 pixels)
* 8 scene programmes (e.g. Portrait, Night Scene and Indoor)
* Movie recording function with sound
* PictBridge support
* TruePic TURBO image processor
* Ergonomically designed body

Supplied with:

* 16MB xD-Picture Card
* New rechargeable battery (LI-12B, 1230mAh) and charger
* Olympus Master 1.0 software

The C-470 ZOOM is planned for release in October 2004, priced £219.99 ($299).

Above all, the C-470 ZOOM strikes a perfect balance between usability and Olympus’s renowned strict technical standards. With a resolution of four million pixels and the TruePic TURBO image processor (enabling better picture quality and reduced processing time), this camera captures images in the finest detail. This high performance is boosted even further by a precision 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 35–105mm on a 35mm camera) featuring three aspherical elements. Finally, for even better close-ups, a seamless 4x digital zoom provides a total magnification power of up to 12x.

Handling all this photographic power is made easy by a range of scene programmes. For most users and conditions the automatic shooting mode is perfect. However, the Olympus C-470 ZOOM also includes eight programme modes for more tricky situations such as portrait, indoor, beach and snow scenes. Users may also switch to a movie mode, with sound, in which recording is only limited by the amount of available memory.

With all these easy-to-use options it will be a challenge to put the camera down. Fortunately, the Olympus C-470 ZOOM comes with a new, long-lasting lithium-ion battery. And when it’s time to print the images, PictBridge support makes it easy to print directly on compatible printers, such as the Olympus P-10.

HSDPA(High-Speed Downlink Packet Access)

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a 3G (third generation) mobile telephony communications protocol in the High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) family, which allows networks based on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) to have higher data transfer speeds and capacity. Current HSDPA deployments support down-link speeds of 1.8, 3.6, 7.2 and 14.4 Mbit/s. Further speed increases are available with HSPA+, which provides speeds of up to 42 Mbit/s downlink.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented Mobile Data Service available to users of the 2G cellular communication systems Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), as well as in the 3G systems. In the 2G systems, GPRS provides data rates from 56 up to 114 kbit/s.

GPRS data transfer is typically charged per megabyte of traffic transferred, while data communication via traditional circuit switching is billed per minute of connection time, independent of whether the user actually is using the capacity or is in an idle state. GPRS is a best-effort packet switched service, as opposed to circuit switching, where a certain Quality of Service (QoS) is guaranteed during the connection for non-mobile users.

PENTAX announces White K2000 DSLR camera

PENTAX imaging has announced a limited edition white version of the K2000 camera with a double zoom kit. The camera continues to use a 10.2 megapixel sensor and a 2.7-inch wide-view LCD monitor, and is still tailored towards newcomers: a custom image mode containing six preset options and a full auto picture mode potentially take full control of the scene rather than pushing the user into manual control. Other touches include ten different scene modes, a help button, and a dust alert function for the sensor. For the limited edition PENTAX includes an smc 50-200mm F4-5.6 AL lens and smc 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 Al lens, both of which come in the same white as the camera body. Pricing isn't available for the camera, though the existing model sells for $800; the white version appears in February.