170 Mbps broadband through an electric socket !

Matsushita Electronics (Panasonic ) demonstrated an exceptionally high-speed Internet connection capable of 170 Mbps through an ordinary electrical socket at a trade-fair in Japan on Thursday.By using new products with the new chip embedded in them, users can access a broadband network by just plugging into the electricity. Matsushita's strategy, as it displayed, is to use the electrical network as an alternative route for an Internet connection, and also as a replacement for Wi-Fi. While almost all houses have electrical power, not all have broadband, or a net connection, thus by using this system anyone can surf, download and watch HD movies in any room in the house. The broadband race heats up !!

A Bigger Bang on Flash

The Rollong Stones new album 'A Bigger Bang ' will be released on a new mini flash card in November by San Disk , the world’s largest supplier of flash data storage cards. San Disk's microSD card named Gruvi can be played on any device that uses a SD card slot, e.g. PDAs , mobile phones, or laptops. The Stones new album is the first music release to use SanDisk's new TrustedFlash technology.

Ipod Nano damage complaints

Having posted on the coolness of the iPod Nano earlier this month, there seems to be all lot of people moaning and whinging about how their screens cracked from being in their pockets and how easily scratchable the screen is . When you buy something for $249 then spend another $20 on a skin to protect it, preferably before you use it ! Then you read something like this http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars/3 and you wonder what the fuck people are complaining about !

V3 Razr - Hugga Bear's take

Having posted on the Motorola V3 Razr a few weeks ago, this is my friend Hugga Bear's more positive take on it. I was never seduced by the looks of the V3 Razr. In fact my initial reaction was that it was an overpriced shell for the same OS and firmware in much cheaper phones. My affair began in a quest for a Bluetooth phone compatible with my car. Determined to keep my existing service provider with the best network in the United States, I purchased Verizon’s only Bluetooth phone, the Motorola V710. Alas Verizon had crippled the BT stack in the phone rendering almost all BT functionality useless. So reluctantly I decided to switch from CDMA to GSM and I sprung the extra sheets for the V3 RAZR. The phone does everything it’s supposed to. Like Rundaas, I have no need for a camera, video playback, games or the need for my phone to microwave my dinner. It paired instantly with my car uploading the entire address book and I enjoy the complete hands-free integration. Incoming calls are identified on the screen in my car, the radio mutes and I answer calls using a button on the steering wheel. Out going calls are voice activated. Simply say “Call Home” and the system dials the call. No wires, no plugging in. The phone remains in my pocket. The phone also pairs with my laptop so I can connect to the internet with it remaining in my pocket. With voice dial, the multiple entry feature is not only redundant but actually a nuisance. An additional prompt is necessary to identify which number you wish to dial. E.g. instead of just requesting “Erd mobile” you request “Erd” and are subsequently prompted to add “mobile, home or work”. So am I hooked on the V3 RAZR ? YES ! The slim form factor is far more than just eye appeal,“pocket friendly” is an understatement. The fact that I do not notice that the phone is in my trouser pocket renders ugly belt clips and holsters unnecessary. The hardest part of leaving the RAZR will be noticing that the phone is on my person.

The 100 Mbps Broadband race

Telewest is looking at technology which could eventually boost broadband speeds up to 100Mbps, the company announced today.The company claims it will achieve this hundred-fold increase in broadband speeds, compared with the average connection today, thanks to its investment in Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) standards.Telewest is hoping to launch a service based on DOCSIS 3 middleware which will allow download speeds between 50Mbps and 100Mbps by the end of 2006. Meanwhile UK Online and Be are planning to roll out 24Mbps ADSL2+ services later this year in London for about 30 quid a month. In comparison, here in sunny Spain a paltry 2 Mbps is offered at extortionate rates thanks to Telefonica's dominant monopoly and general ineffiency. While Britain is zooming ahead in the broadband race, Pedro needs to start whipping his ADSL donkey's garn just to get to the starting line, let alone try and compete in the race !!

iPod Nano - a cool slice of Apple

Apple has served up its latest cool slice of technology in the iPod Nano resulting in the death of the iPod Mini. The Nano is very slick looking, especially in black, sporting a colour screen enabling one to view photos, and is as wide as a pencil ! With a price of $249 for 4GB of flash memory, it appears expensive in comparison to the 20GB iPod for $299, but I guess its the 42 grams, portability and general cool, one is paying for. Strangely and illogically the headphone jack is at the bottom as opposed to the top which will cause difficulty in attaching add-ons and will be upside down in your pocket as a result! Sept 20th : there are now various moans about the screen scratching very easily !!