BetaNews | Google Testing Web 'Page Creator' Beta

BetaNews Google Testing Web 'Page Creator' Beta: "As Microsoft waves goodbye to FrontPage in Office 2007, Google seems to be picking up the slack and is beta testing a new Web-based HTML editor dubbed 'Page Creator.' Google's service utilizes AJAX to give it the feel of a desktop application, but at the moment the tool's functionality remains limited.
Google Page Creator currently enables Google Account holders to create single pages, with up to 100MB of storage. The company provides a free URL at http://username.googlepages.com to access the pages a user creates. Google says Page Creator does not currently support making full 'sites' of content."

Sony Shows the Smallest HD Camcorder Yet - Softpedia

Sony Shows the Smallest HD Camcorder Yet - Softpedia: "Miniaturizing digital devices is a trend we're all used to already, but things just got a little more amazing as Sony will soon start selling a new consumer high-definition (HD) camcorder, its smallest and lightest: the new Sony HC3E digital high definition video camera. The HC3E features Sony's ClearVid CMOS sensor, which records movies with higher sensitivity resulting in better picture quality. The camera also allows users to take pictures at 4 megapixels.

Also new is an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) output for watching HD content on a suitable television. The previous model supported HD output on analogue and iLink connectors. Like the last model, the HC3 records video in HDV format, which uses conventional MiniDV cassette tapes.

The camera also features a large 2.7inch LCD screen, that gives clear images, and an antireflection coating, weighs only 500 grams since it's meant to be very compact and portable, and has a Carl Zeiss Vario lens, that supports up to 10x Optical Zoom, therefore allowing very clear and vibrant close ups. Also, the camera is capable of recording still images of 2.3 megapixels, as well as recording movies thanks to the Dual Rec function."

Microsoft Redefines the Computer and Reduces It to the Motherboard - Softpedia

Microsoft Redefines the Computer and Reduces It to the Motherboard - Softpedia: "The millions of dollars necessary to feed the army of lawyers and to pay the penalties imposed by the European Union on the giant from Redmond have to be covered in some way, and one of the solution lies within OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) licenses.

As you know, this type of license is distributed by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (a person or company who builds and sells computers) and can only be used on one computer. Up until now, the owner of such a license has been allowed to change a number of components, any of them, without having to purchase a new one.

But as FlexBeta announces, this will no longer be possible and that is because of a slight modification in the license agreement.

Microsoft has redefined the concept of computer and has reduced it to the motherboard, which means that a newly acquired motherboard requires a new license for the operation system."

Goodbye China! The US Congress Might Forbid Us to Play with You from Now On - Softpedia

Goodbye China! The US Congress Might Forbid Us to Play with You from Now On - Softpedia: "The corporations' goldmine, the new El Dorado of the Internet, China has succeed to attract numerous US corporations that were seduced by the dazzling perfume of the 111 million Internet users (at the end of 2005) in this country.

But all this might soon crumble, and the companies might end up with millions of dollars invested into an Asian nothing and that's because of a new proposal which will be introduced this week in the US Congress.

If it is approved, every American company with a website in China will have to relocate it somewhere else, otherwise harsh fines might be imposed on them and their executives might even be imprisoned."

BetaNews | Analyst: PS3 Delay Likely, Cost at $800

BetaNews Analyst: PS3 Delay Likely, Cost at $800: "Microsoft may end up the only manufacturer with a next-generation game console on the market for at least another six months, says Merrill Lynch. A delay in Sony's PlayStation 3 could cause the electronics giant to miss the crucial holiday season in a majority of the major markets, according to analysts.
Merrill Lynch Japanese analyst Hitoshi Kuriyama told clients in a research note late last week that he was seeing evidence of a delay in the PS3 that could push the launch into autumn in Japan and late 2006 in the US. Any further delays would mean the console's debut into 2007, he warned.
Rumors of a delay in the console's development first began to circulate shortly after the launch of Microsoft's Xbox 360. However, Sony dismissed such talk, saying it was on track to release the PS3 in the spring of this year.
Behind the delays is Sony's choice to use the Cell processor and Blu-ray drive, Merrill Lynch said in a follow-up report. The initial bill of materials for the console could also reach $800, with that figure gradually falling to $320 within three years."

New Power6 IBM Processor Trashes Competition with 6 GHz - Softpedia

New Power6 IBM Processor Trashes Competition with 6 GHz - Softpedia: "Only a few days ago we were getting so thrilled about a Japanese team of enthusiasts who managed to overclock a Pentium 4 processor and take it up to 5 GHz. Still, that's literally yesterday's news since IBM trashed that record by announcing the Power6 processor, which will be able to run at a maximum 6 GHz, and dismissing the heat and power consumption problem that Intel, AMD and the rest of the gang fears so much. If we were to believe IBM's statements, this little baby will offer twice the speed the competition does, no matter if we're talking AMD, Intel or Sun Microsystems.

The Power6 processor will run between 4GHz and 5GHz and it has been proven to chew away data at a speed of 6GHz in the lab. IBM admitted to having undergone some process technology breakthroughs that have allowed it to raise the GHz bar higher while keeping heat and power consumption issues under control."

New Power6 IBM Processor Trashes Competition with 6 GHz - Softpedia

New Power6 IBM Processor Trashes Competition with 6 GHz - Softpedia: "Only a few days ago we were getting so thrilled about a Japanese team of enthusiasts who managed to overclock a Pentium 4 processor and take it up to 5 GHz. Still, that's literally yesterday's news since IBM trashed that record by announcing the Power6 processor, which will be able to run at a maximum 6 GHz, and dismissing the heat and power consumption problem that Intel, AMD and the rest of the gang fears so much. If we were to believe IBM's statements, this little baby will offer twice the speed the competition does, no matter if we're talking AMD, Intel or Sun Microsystems.

The Power6 processor will run between 4GHz and 5GHz and it has been proven to chew away data at a speed of 6GHz in the lab. IBM admitted to having undergone some process technology breakthroughs that have allowed it to raise the GHz bar higher while keeping heat and power consumption issues under control."

Search Engine for Programmers - Softpedia

Search Engine for Programmers - Softpedia: "A Silicon Valley startup claims to have come up with a better way for programmers to find source code. Traditionally, developers use the regular search engines, such as Google, but those are not really tailored to code searches.

Developers are not simply code writers. They must also go through project documentation, license information, hints, and so on. The company claims that its search engine can deliver the precise information programmers need to solve their immediate problems.

'Krugle is a search engine for programmers,' said Krugle co-founder and CEO Steve Larsen. 'Today programming is more about efficiently assembling and integrating code, that it is about writing new code from scratch. The problem is, finding and evaluating the available code takes too much time. That's the problem Krugle solves.'"

BBC NEWS | Technology | Google takes aim at chat rivals

BBC NEWS Technology Google takes aim at chat rivals: "Google is to integrate its popular e-mail service with instant messaging, allowing users to chat and send e-mails from the same web browser window.
The company hopes the new feature, known as Gmail Chat, will attract users by offering instant messaging without having to use a separate program.
Google's existing chat service lags behind rivals AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft.
The new facility will be visible to existing subscribers from within Google's Gmail browser window.
People will only be able to start conversations with fellow Gmail account holders, or those contacts using services compatible with Google's messaging facilities.
They include US-based Earthlink, the Jabber.org network and e-mail providers in the Philippines, China and Italy. "

BetaNews | Kama Sutra Virus a Dud So Far

BetaNews Kama Sutra Virus a Dud So Far: "Reports indicate that damage from the Kama Sutra virus appears to be minimal thus far, however at least one security firm warned that the real results from the worm may not be known until later in the weekend.
The virus, which is also known as 'Nyxem,' 'MyWife' and 'Tearec,' compromises files and was designed to activate on Friday, February 3. It will attempt to stop antivirus software and delete all Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, ZIP, RAR and PDF files from a user's PC."

BetaNews | Fiat Puts Windows Mobile in New Cars

BetaNews Fiat Puts Windows Mobile in New Cars: "Italian automaker Fiat has joined forces with Microsoft to unveil a voice-activated in-car communications system called Blue&Me at the Geneva Motorshow this month. Blue&Me is based on Windows Mobile for Automotive and offers a wide range of functionality, along with connectivity to wireless devices.
For example, drivers can activate their mobile phones and make calls using the car's built-in Bluetooth support. A USB port in the glove box allows drivers to connect their own MP3 files for listening on the road. The Windows platform promises support for any number of devices, rather thank locking users into specific hardware. Fiat's Alfa Romeo will be the first line to offer the Blue&Me system."

Google AdSense, Monopoly in the 'Do No Evil' Style? - Softpedia

Google AdSense, Monopoly in the 'Do No Evil' Style? - Softpedia: "Without making too much noise about it, Google has started to test a new type of online advertising, and we are talking about interstitial, floating and expanding ads.

What would happen if Google AdSense implemented the new feature on a large scale? Well, first of all, the sites which collaborate with this service would have at their disposal a complete package of advertising solutions, the only one not included being the IntelliTXT technology.

Secondly, rich-media oriented companies, like Fastclick and PointRoll, would have to compete against the 'do no evil' giant.

As Jennifer Slegg, the Google AdSense forum moderator at Search Engine Watch, was quoted as saying by CNET's Elinor Mills: 'If AdSense offered rich media to all publishers, it could really hurt competitor companies offering similar rich media ad formats because of the vast number of publishers that AdSense has. In terms of dominating the online advertising market, AdSense rich media could seal the deal to make AdSense the force to be reckoned with, by not only dominating the online text ad and graphical banner-style advertising, but in the entire online advertising market'."

BetaNews | Microsoft Looks to Cell Phones for Poor

BetaNews Microsoft Looks to Cell Phones for Poor: "Possibly out of a sense of rebuke, Bill Gates talked about his own plan to bring computing to the poor this week at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Instead of proposing a laptop like Nicholas Negroponte of MIT, Gates says the future of low-cost computing is cell phones.
The phone would use a television set, a keyboard and an adapter to turn a specially designed cell phone essentially into a computer. Microsoft says cell phones are a better route since they are already so ubiquitous.
Some have speculated that Microsoft's decision to enter developing markets is due to the fact that the company was rebuffed over using Windows software on the $100 laptop. One report described Gates as 'privately bitter' over the group's decision.
Apple was also turned away when free copies of Mac OS X were offered for the device. However, Negroponte has repeatedly said that those who buy the laptops are free to install whatever operating system they wished."

BetaNews | European Papers Threaten Google News

BetaNews European Papers Threaten Google News: "Google may soon have to fight another legal battle, as the Paris-based World Association of Newspapers (WAN) announced that it was looking into ways to challenge sites like Google News. The problem lies in the fact that these sites aggregate news content, but in most cases do not pay for access.
The members of the organization feel as if they are due compensation for access to to their content. 'The search engines are increasingly aiming their strategic efforts at traditional content originators and aggregators like newspaper publishers,' WAN President Gavin O'Reilly said in prepared remarks.
'The irony is that these search engines exist, largely, because of the traditional news and content aggregators and profit at their expense,' he added.
O'Reilly called the actions of Google News the 'napsterization'' of content, alluding to the long fight between the music download service and the record industry. He also dismissed any talk that these services are acting as some kind of Robin Hood by freeing the content from greedy providers.
'Google, Yahoo and other search engines are not some new breed of social benefactors of information -- they are assuredly commercial,' he argued."