Joga.com is the latest social networking site on the block. The site was created by Google and Nike, which targets football fans. For now, it is by invite only but it should be expected to go live by this week.

“The two companies have been working on the site for the past eight months and are expected to publicly unveil it this week, BusinessWeek has learned. Nike is supplying the content, and Google is the technical partner. But the site looks similar to other social-networking outlets such as News Corp.’s (NWS) MySpace.

ONE GOAL. Joga.com is a free network where members will be able to create Web sites and send e-mail, photos, and video clips, as well as access Nike content related to its sponsored athletes such as Brazilian superstar Ronaldino or U.S. soccer prodigy Freddy Adu, according to Nike officials who confirmed the new initiative. Google officials did not return calls.”

I wonder would this be better then Orkut, hope Nike and a niche footballer market would be able to make this a success.

Link -   Nike, Google Kick Off Social-Networking Site

Google has reported that it has taken BMW.de off its index, as the german site had violated Google’s guidelines, particularly the principle that states: “Don’t deceive your users or present different content to search engines than you display to users.”

The violation was due to BMW’s german site displaying certain pages in one way when the search engine visited the page but when a Web user opened the page, a redirect mechanism would display a completely different page.

It is said that this is an industry wide method, for companies trying to get top rankings in the search engines. This exclusion is meant to be an example for Google to let others know that they mean business.

But I wonder, does BMW.de really need to employ such tactics ?

Read More
BMW German Site taken off Google Index for Cheating
Search Tangle

by Robbie Darmona

Xbox 360 is sure to be the most innovative product of nowadays’ gaming technology. With its striking qualities and design, it has become the long desired dose for all game addicts. What tends to be the most magnificent feature in XboX 360, is physics. Technological advances in physics on XboX 360 are significant. The effects are overpowering and the physics simulation is closer to reality than it has ever been with other XboX versions before. What is more, many effects are allowed to happen simultaneously, which adds to the feeling of reality. XboX 360 has another priority over other games: namely, the wireless. The wireless controller has the same speed as the wired one, and the wireless networking connects you with other players no matter where you arе. The XboX 360 Memory Unit now inserts straight into the console itself, not into the controller. Moreover, the headset cable plugs directly into the controller. The controller on its side has innovative and modern design that allows for better grasp.

Here are some other specific aspects of XboX 360.

1) The first one is A.I., which stands for Artificial Intelligence. A.I. allows non-player characters (NPCs) to behave in realistic ways. Your enemies are as evil as real, your friends are open hearted and love you so sincerely that you almost respond them. The sophisticated intelligence offers you an opportunity to command and play with large groups of NPCs.

2) Another specific feature of XboX 360 is the High Definition. Unlike the older versions of XboX, in which game developers could choose whether to support HD graphics, XboX 360 requires that all games have HD options. The resolution settings are in the System Menu on the XboX 360 Dashboard. You can use either the XboX 360 Component HD AV Cable, or the XboX 360 VGA HD AV Cable. The main thing to be put in here, is that XboX 360 offers dynamic high-definition support. If a game is designed with 720p in mind, but the capacity of your TV supports only 480p, XboX 360 complies with the best resolution that your TV offers.

3) The third aspect is Graphics, which XboX 360 is so famous with. All XboX 360 games have been edified to support widescreen formatting and 720 progressive scan. The resolution options are interchangeable. All games are able to run at 480 i -that is the resolution of an ordinary TV. It runs also on 480p, 720p and 1080 i -so no matter what kind of resolution your technology device offers you, XboX 360 can be fitted everywhere.

4) The GPU has a stylish appearance and highly functional design. To serve an example, the texture filtering and MSAA can be done at full rate with no performance penalties. For more information click XboX 360 Graphics

The other thing worth mentioning is that the full graphics potential of XboX 360 can barely be grazed here. There are many amasing innovations that you will come to discover yourself. So far, XboX 360 is the most advanced leap gaming technology has taken in the sphere of graphics. The other aspects of the XboX 360 are also incredibly developed. XboX 360 is the dream of every game connoisseur.

(END)

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Article by Robbie Darmona - an article writer who writes on a wide variety of subjects. For more information click XboX 360 Graphics

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The IBM notebook version ThinkPad T43, one that is particularly targeted at professional buyers, has the speed
and power to run any typical business application. The ThinkPad trade name of IBM notebook computers has garnered the status of being notebooks of significant quality, solidly constructed, with a sleek design and a highly
professional appearance given their typical matte black color.

This IBM notebook model, like some others in the T series, comes with notable and impressive features like a keyboard light, a biometric fingerprint reader, shock absorbers for the hard-drive, an embedded security subsystem, and a speed dial function for multiple network connections.

Furthermore, this particular IBM notebook is both thin and lightweight. Available in either a 15-inch or a 14.1-inch
SXGA screen, it has a TFT monitor and is housed within a strong Titanium composite case. The optical drive comes as either a CD-RW or a DVD-RW drive.

The bay you’ll find in this IBM notebook is called the UltraBay.  It is a fully modular bay which can be used for
an extra battery, an alternative optical drive or even as a tray for  holding a secondary hard drive.

You may find that one of the most attractive feature of this IBM notebook is the keyboard. The keys have been
neatly arranged in 7 rows. Given the inclusion of a pointing stick, a touch-pad and multiple mouse buttons, you have several options for screen cursor movement.

Just above the keyboard, you’ll find the power button, a volume up and down button and a mute button. Similarly. you can find the Access IBM button which will launch an IBM application called Access IBM.  Access IBM serves as a guide to using, protecting, configuring and updating software on your IBM notebook.

Just as with any other IBM notebook in the ThinkPad series, you won’t find a “Windows” key.  Still, the keyboard of this IBM notebook is basically unmatched in both convenience and ergonomics.

Powered by a Pentium M processor, this IBM notebook model comes with an integrated Intel 2915 PRO/Wireless 802.11 a/b/g internal wi-fi card and has an Ultra-Connect Wireless Antenna which is hidden in the upper right-hand area of the monitor. The fingerprint reader eliminates the need for users to remember multiple passwords (now that’s a nice feature!).

It comes with a standard 6-cell Lithium Ion rechargeable battery that should last over 3 hours. The IBM notebook
ThinkPad T43 comes standard with multiple features and utilities.  In addition, you’ll get a 3 year customer
carry-in global hardware warranty.

While an IBM notebook tends to carry a somewhat higher price tag than alternative models from other notebook
manufacturers, this is a very popular notebook since it is a feature rich, reliable notebook, with an excellent
warranty and all the qualities most business notebook users find essential.  And the IBM brand helps convince the accountants that it’s a wise purchase option.

—————————————————-
Richard, a computer professional and writer, has a strong interest in software and computer hardware. Visit
Completely Notebooks at http://Completely-Notebooks.net for more on notebook computers and accessories.

Australian comoany, TELSTRA, has introduced its BigPond Movies Download service, which lets users on the internet dowloads movies, films, TV series and music videos off its site.But don’t get too excited just yet.

But while Telstra said people would be able to start watching a movie while it was downloading, other media observers warned that Big Pond customers’ standard download speed of 256 kilobytes a second was still “non-commercial” and would create headaches for users.

“The biggest problem that BigPond Movies has got is BigPond,” EL & C Baillieu media analyst Ivor Ries said.

“You’d be waiting a year to download a movie at that speed. It’s a joke.”

The Age Australia

There are a host of people in the world today that are constantly trying to gain access and steal personal and financial information from your computer at all times.  If you store important information on your computer, here are some secure ways to protect yourself from hackers.

Millions of people have had their personal and financial information stolen by hackers.  It is a priority to protect your computer each time you surf the net.  One of the easiest ways to protect your computer is to have a virus and Trojan horse software running on your computer that can alert you to danger.  Virus software not only protects your computer from a malicious virus that can damage your data, but also protects your computer from spyware and Trojan horses.  Trojan horses are small computer code that sneaks into your computer, finds personal and financial information and then sends that data to a hacker database.

Spyware usually is not as dangerous, but can be very annoying.  Spyware is software that is secretly or inadvertently downloaded when you download other software, usually free software. Spyware usually sends you advertisements and keeps track of the sites that you have visited.  Virus software and spyware software can help you delete these annoying files and help protect you from downloading new spyware programs.  So follow the above tips to protect your computer.

Bluetooth technology is one of the most popular wireless technologies on the market today.  Out for only a few years, Bluetooth is catching on as a practical and affordable way to transmit data from one device to another.  If you are in the market to buy a wireless device, here are some tips.

The most common uses for Bluetooth are wireless head sets, transferring data from digital camera to printer or transferring data from a computer to a PDA.  Bluetooth Wireless technology has completely changed the way we use our devices.

Wireless headsets are the perfect gadget for anyone stuck behind the wheel of their car or for a person that roams his office and doesn’t want to be connected to a cord.  Most Bluetooth wireless headsets have hours of talk time and have a clear range of 30 feet.

If you own a digital camera and want to print photos on your printer without the help of a computer, Bluetooth can help.  Bluetooth enabled cameras and printers can transfer data fast and easily and in only a few minutes.

The same thing goes for data files that can easily be swapped between PDA’s and your computer.  Want to transfer your telephone book to your PDA fast and quickly, use Bluetooth technology.  So for most of your wireless needs, look into Bluetooth technology.

Let’s face it, who really uses Microsoft’s MSN search services? I know I don’t. Microsoft has always been aiming for a bigger market share in the search frontier, but has lost out to its rivals google and yahoo. Now, it is on the fight back, the software giant said that it might be offering users cash($$$) in using its search technology. Now isn’t this a nice offering by Microsoft, to share it’s wealth.

Microsoft Offers $$$ to Search

Its Christmas time and being the season of giving, everyone is flocking to buy gifts for their family and friends. When it comes to high tech gifts, consumers have an unlimited choice to chose from, digital cameras, game consoles, handhelds pda, cell phones, ipods, laptops and many more.

If you are looking for a music/mp3 player as a gift, which is your most preferred brand, Apple’s Ipod, Creative Zens or other mp3 players?

Personally, I would get an Ipod as it looks so much better then its competitors and I am not alone. Morgan Stanley polled consumers on their purchase plans during this holiday season. The polled results showed that consumers planned to buy more Ipods then cell phones. On top of that, “Of all the consumers planning to purchase an iPod this holiday season, only 4- percent said they would purchase another brand of MP3 player if a store was out of their desired model. Also interesting, more people plan to buy iTunes gift cards this season than non-iPod branded MP3 players.” - Appleinsider.com

Read the Entire Article

Ok maybe this has not reach the mech warrior level yet, but the US army is testing out a new exoskeleton for their soldiers. Darpa wants to use technology to let soldiers carry up to 220 lb in backpacks over all types of terrain and for extended lengths of time. They believe the key is wearable robotic exoskeletons and have invested $50 million in the project.

There is already a prototype called the Bleex 1 which consists of a pair of hydraulically powered leg braces, more than 40 electronic sensors, a control computer, and an internal-combustion engine providing power from an attached backpack. The plastic and carbon-fiber braces are affixed rigidly to the soldier through a customized pair of standard Army boots, with more compliant and giving connections at the chest and waist. A Bleex 2 would be coming out soon.

Read More about the Bleex

I am looking forward for such a gadget, it will make road marches easier for us all. On top of helping soldiers move greater distance with ease, the technology can help disabled person walk again.

Software pirates have the edge in their battle against the police, according to Channel News Asia.

More than half the computer software used in the Asia Pacific region last year was illegally downloaded and cost the region billions in lost economic potential, a study released Thursday said.

According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the regional software piracy rate was 53 percent in 2004, unchanged from the previous year.

Even in Singapore, with one of the most stringent laws against possesion and distribution of pirated software, piracy rate stood at a dismal 42%. Singapore’s piracy figures are already one of the lowest in the Asia Pacific region, the study revealed. Vietnam, the biggest culprit, leads the piracy chart at 92%.

“With a 10-point drop in the region’s average software piracy rate, the software sector could grow three times faster over the next four years than it did in the last four years and spur expansion of the IT sector,” he said, adding “the region could do better”.

Asia’s IT industry is worth 195 billion dollars and brings in at least 120 billion dollars in tax revenues, BSA said.

Economic growth aside for the moment. Just why do people opt to buy pirated sotware in spite of increased pressure and threats of arrest from authorities? And there isn’t even guarantee that the software you buy off the roadside software hawker will work!

Well for one, it’s a lot cheaper!

Students and educators are eligible to obtain Office Professional Edition 2003 for only US$199 from authorized education resellers, according to the Microsoft website. And that’s only because students and educators get a special discount. Normal users like us have to pay more!

The same software off the street? You can get it for only S$10. And when i say only, i mean ONLY.

The economy suffers? The IT sector crashes? So what, right? The most important thing is i save more than S$300 dollars right now. Let the rich people buy the real stuff and support the economy. Surely there are more than enough rich people around.

I’m not sure i agree with either side of the fence.

What do you think?

BBC.com is reporting that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 being a big hit in Europe and North America, isn’t doing that well with the initial launch in Japan. Queues formed for its main launch event in Tokyo but early sales were reported to be slower than at other launches.

The software giant, Microsoft hopes to overcome its rivals Sony and Nintendo, and gain greater market share. It rushed to launch the Xbox 360 in Japan, in order to become the first to offer/release the next generation consoles to the Japanese market. Beside being the first to launch, it is also selling the Xbox 360 at a lower rate compared to the other markets “Xbox 360 costs 39,795 yen ($331; £188)”.

So would it be a Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 or Nintendo Revolution for you …

Read Entire Article - Xbox 360 Sales in Japan

When humans interact or build a relationship, we always like to have phyiscal touch. In the past, being able to touch your loved ones, friends and associates by hugging or a simple hand shake was relatively easy, as your loved ones would mostly be living in close proximity.

These days, with the internet, - the ability to communicate around the global almost instantly and rampant immigration, we find ourselves having to maintain relationships across contienents. As great a tool the internet maybe, it still lacks the ability for phyiscal touch.

Today, scientists from Singapore have already moved to the next dimension, according to Reuters. They devised a vibration jacket for chickens (bird flu prevention ?) and are studying electronic children’s pajamas for cyberspace hugs, while researching for ways to transmit the sense of touch over the Internet.

How does this work ?

A wireless jacket for chickens or other pets can be controlled with a computer and gives the animal the feeling of being touched by its owner, researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) told Monday’s edition of The Straits Times. The next step would be to use the same concept to transmit hugs over the Internet, they said.

“These days, parents go on a lot of business trips, but with children, hugging and touching are very important,” the paper quoted NTU Associate Professor Adrian David Cheok as saying.

NTU is thinking of a pajama suit for children, which would use the Internet to adjust changes in pressure and temperature to simulate the feeling of being hugged. Parents wearing a similar suit could be “hugged” back by their kids, he paper said.

Cyberspace Hugging Anyone ? - Reuters UK
Singapore scientists embrace plan for cyberhugs - sabcnews.com

Great News!

Maxell Corporation is introducing the future of Optical storage media with Holographic Recording Technology. This revolutionary technology is a true breakthrough in optical media, with the ability to provide uncompressed storage capacities achieving 1.6 TeraBytes per disk and data rates as high as 120 MBPs.

“Holographic media makes it possible for millions of pages of information and high definition images to be held on one small, relatively inexpensive disc,” said Steven Pofcher, senior marketing manager at Maxell. “Imagine having a person’s entire medical history, complete with MRI images, or storing a broadcast network’s entire HD Library on a single disc. These are both possible with holographic technology, which has such large capacity that approximately a half million 300-page books can be stored on a single disc.”

When will this wonderful device be out for the masses ?

The first generation of holographic media with 300 GB of storage capacity and a 20 MBPs Transfer Rate is scheduled for release in late 2006. For more information on Maxell products, please visit Maxell’s Web site, www.maxell-data.com.

I sure am looking forward to give it a try.

Maxell Holographic media Press release