Blackberry Killer!

There are more and more devices being released that make use of Microsoft Exchange 2003 direct push. These make them a direct rival for the Blackberry devices and with many users already having the hardware and software to make use of these phones using them means there are no additonal service charges excluding the data costs and many mobile phone contracts are offering mobile data at very lost cost.

The latest device on the growing list is the Motorola Q9, its styled to look and behave like the full keyboard Blackberry emailer phones.

Not only is this phone a very good email device but also offers very good mobile video and music feature as well as many other applications built into the handset. Here is a summary of the features:-

• Simple, elegant and stylish, the ultra-slim MOTO Q™ 9, at only 11.8 millimeters thick packs in a host of advanced features
• QWERTY keyboard and large, crisp display
• Quad-Band (GPRS/EDGE) functionality
• Video capture at 15fps and playback at 30fps
• HSDPA technology for fast data transfers, streaming media and web browsing1
• Connectivity: EMU, USB 2.0 full speed transfers and data access
• Integrated Class 2 Bluetooth wireless technology
  (A2DP, AVRCP - stereo) for hands-free connectivity with compatible Bluetooth enabled stereo devices2
• Messaging via MMS, SMS, Instant Messaging and Windows Pocket Outlook
• Supports a variety of audio formats including AMR NB, AMR WB, MWA, MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WAV, MIDI
• Video formats supported includeH.263, MPEG4, WMV, H.264 decode
• Integrated 2.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom and LED photo indicator light
• Special productivity features: Opera browser, Attachment Viewer or Editor, Voice Recognition, File Manager, Voice Notes, VPN capability and Anti-Virus protection
  
  

By Grant Peck

Windows Genuine Advantage cries wolf (again)

Over the weekend, thousands of Microsoft customers who tried to download patches or updates for Windows were falsely accused of running a pirated version of Windows.

Microsoft blamed the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) glitch on server problems, since fixed. WGA is an anti-piracy program which determines the validity of Windows software running on customer PCs - and phone backs to Redmond with the results.

Between Friday and Saturday, Windows users who tried to update their system were greeted by WGA declaring them liars and cheats.

Microsoft is investigating the cause of the error.

Despite the internet uproar over the weekend, according to Microsoft's WGA blog, fewer than 12,000 systems were affected worldwide. Microsoft denies reports that the error caused some computers to gut itself of features such as DirectX.

From the WGA blog:

This validation failure did not result in the 30-day grace period starting and no one went into reduced functionality mode as a result. The experience of a system that failed validation in this instance was that some features intended for use only on genuine systems were temporarily unavailable. Those features were Windows Aero, ReadyBoost, Windows Defender (which still scanned and identified all threats, but cleaned only the severe ones), and Windows Update (only optional updates were unavailable; security and other critical updates remained available).
Customers who received an incorrect validation response can fix their system by revalidating at the WGA site. Microsoft recommends the affected systems are rebooted to restore the system to normal.

The SNAFU mirrors a similar server outage last year which flagged genuine copies of Windows as pirated booty.

False positives, in addition to privacy concerns have fueled debate on just how advantageous WGA is to legitimate customers.

It is telling to us that Microsoft must constantly remind its customers that it hasn't added WGA because of spite:

"WGA's goal is not to punish the people who purchase these programs; they, of all people are the most victimized," wrote Alex Kochis, WGA senior product manager in the WGA blog. "The goal is to give these people a tool to let them know they have been victimized and can do something about it."

Aussie gov anti-porn filter 'useless', says teen

The anti-pornography filtering software dished out by the Australian government at a cost of AUS$84m has been broken in minutes by a teenager, according to reports.

"I downloaded it on Tuesday to see how good it was, because for 84 million dollars, I would have expected a pretty unbreakable filter," 16-year-old Melbourne teenager Tom Wood told the ABC after showing his local rag how to down the filter in a few clicks.

"Tried a few things, it took about half an hour and [it] was completely useless," he explained.

The AUS$189m NetAlert programme aims to provide all families with a free content filter as part of the conservative government's broader campaign against web filth. Prime minister John Howard launched the scheme earlier this month.

Communications Minister Helen Coonan said: "Sadly, just as a seatbelt will never prevent every fatal car crash, as the government has always maintained, no filter is foolproof." True, if rather crass, Minister.

The vendor responsible for the software is investigating Wood's "hack", she added. It also reports that child safety campaigners are using the news to insist that ISPs do compulsory content filtering. ®

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RBS Contactless Credit Cards

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has demonstrated a technology that uses radio waves to transmit data and make a payment.

The contactless cards allow payment for items up to £10 by touching specially-enabled RBS debit or credit cards to a terminal.

In a publicity stunt designed to show off the speed of the transaction, a Formula 1 car from the RBS-sponsored AT &T Williams team used the new type of card to buy food at a McDonald's drive-through in London.

The bank said that trials of the cards show they can halve the time taken for a cash transaction. UK retailers will start using the new technology from September 2007.

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Low Power x86 Processor from Via

VIA Technologies has announced an x86-compatible processor that consumes just 1W of power, which falls to 0.1W when in an idle state.

The new addition to VIA's Eden ultra low voltage (ULV) line-up runs at 500MHz and is aimed chiefly at embedded applications and ultra-mobile devices. As such, it is most likely to be found in single-board computers and entry-level thin clients rather than PCs, but enables the x86 platform to squeeze into a smaller, lighter chassis.

When combined with a VIA CX700/M system media processor supporting multimedia, connectivity and storage, the chip can be used to build systems with a maximum power consumption of less than 10W, VIA claimed.

"With its performance, energy efficiency and compact size, our new VIA Eden ULV processor provides a way for embedded developers to add real value to their systems and push the market forward," said VIA vice president of marketing Richard Brown.

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