Verizon Launches RIM BlackBerry Storm November 21, $199.99 on Contract

The BlackBerry Storm (model 9530) from Research In Motion – the first touch screen BlackBerry smartphone with the world’s first “clickable” touch screen – will be available November 21 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

The BlackBerry Storm is not only a stylish smartphone, it's also a workhorse for enterprise decision makers, helping them stay connected to the people and business information that matter most to them. With the BlackBerry Storm smartphone, business customers can connect globally in more than 200 countries for voice and more than 150 countries for data worldwide. In the U.S., Verizon Wireless customers will benefit from the nation's most reliable wireless voice network and the pervasiveness of Verizon Wireless' reliable high-speed 3G Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) network. Incorporating the world's first "clickable" touch screen, the BlackBerry Storm lets business customers conduct research on the Internet, access their intranet and edit Microsoft(R) Word, Excel(R) or PowerPoint(R) documents directly on their BlackBerry Storm while on-the-go.

Click to see its features and specifications:

BlackBerry Storm Features



BlackBerry Storm Specifications

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Engineering As A Career In Nigeria

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, is a body set-up by the Decrees 55/70 and 27/92 (now Acts 110). The Decrees empowered the Council to regulate and control the training and practice of engineering in Nigeria and to ensure and enforce the registration of all engineering personnel (i.e. Engineers, Engineering Technologists, Engineering Technicians, and Engineering Craftsmen) and consulting firms wishing to practice or engage in the practice of practice of engineering. [7]

COREN has been able to regulate that a person desiring to become a registered Engineering Personnel must, after obtaining the approved/accredited required academic qualification, must have four (4) years post-graduate experience which must be under the supervision of a senior registered Engineer. Council believes that the continuing effectiveness of an engineering personnel depends on his contact with a recognized professional society and therefore advises engineering personnel to belong to a recognized professional society. It must be emphasized that membership of a society does not by itself grant automatic right to registration. Council still needs to satisfy itself that the academic qualification is registrable for the category applied for.

APPROVED SCHEDULE OF ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS INTO ENGINEERING CADRES

S/N	ENGINEERS	TECHNOLOGISTS	TECHNICIANS	CRAFTSMEN
1.	B.Sc, B. Eng, B. Tech in Engineering	HND in Engineering from COREN accredited Polytechnics or Monotechnics.	ND in Engineering from accredited Polytechnics or Monotechnics.	WAEC Technical/NABTEB
2.	HND in an Engineering field + COREN accredited PGD in the same field, e.g. HND Civil Engineering + PGD Civil Engineering.	Degrees in Engineering from East Bloc translated as B.Sc in Engineering.	Full Technological Certificate (FTC) – Technician.	Trade Test I
3.	HND in an Engineering field + NSE Graduateship Exam in the same field, e.g. HND Electrical + NSE Grad in Electrical Engineering.	Diploma – Grad from Continental Europe.	Technicians Professional Examination for registered Craftsmen.	Craft Certificate from City & Guilds.
4.	B.Sc Physics with Electronics or B. Sc Computer Science + COREN accredited PGD in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or NSE Grad in Electrical/Electronics Engineering = B.Sc or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Electrical/Electronics Engineering.	B. Tech in Engineering from some accredited American Universities as contained in ABET List.
5.	B. Sc Physics + COREN accredited PGD or NSE Grad in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering = B.Sc. or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Met. &Mat.	Technologists Professional Examination for registered Technicians
6.	B. Sc Chemistry or Industrial Chemistry + COREN accredited PGD or NSE Grad in Chemical Engineering = B.Sc. or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering.
7.	HND in an Engineering field + COREN accredited Post HND in the same field.
8.	Diploma – Engineer from Continental Europe.
9.	Degrees in Engineering from the East Bloc translated as M. Sc.
10.	B.Sc (Building) + PGD (Civil) or NSE Grad in Civil.
11.	New B.Sc in some countries in Eastern Bloc as degree.
12.	H.N.D in a field + M.Sc in the same field.
Note: For further clarification on foreign qualifications, Consult ABET or FEANI

The decree specifies the abbreviation to be used by each cadre as follows: A Registered Engineer shall use the abbreviation “Engr” before his name. A Registered Engineering Technologists shall use the abbreviation “Engn. Tech” after his name. A Registered Engineering Technician shall use the abbreviation “Tech” after his name. A Registered Engineering Craftsman shall use his full title “Craftsman” with his trade in bracket under his name.

It is illegal:

1. For any firms or persons to engage in engineering practice unless they are:
Fully registered by COREN to practice in their appropriate cadre (except engineering personnel still undergoing practical training e.g. pupil engineers, etc, for the purpose of acquiring the requisite experience for registration). Financially up to date in the payment of their practicing fees.

2. For any person, government or company to: Engage a non-registered engineering person or consulting firm to execute or participate in doing engineering work in an engineering project (except engineering personnel still undergoing practical training e.g. pupil engineers, etc, for the purpose of acquiring the requisite experience for registration). Use non-engineering personnel to perform engineering functions. Assign non-engineering functions to engineers below managerial levels, particularly where the engineering functions are available. Engage expatriate engineering personnel to do engineering work when qualified Nigerian engineering personnel are unemployed and available to be engaged to do such work.

COREN has established a network of Inspectors headed in each of the many zones around the country by a Chief Inspector. The Inspectors are very senior, experienced registered engineers selected from branches of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in the various zones. These Inspectors, constituted into teams of four or more members, are empowered to visit industrial and construction sites as well as company offices and work locations to ensure that COREN regulations are being observed. Their indictment of any person or firm will lead to possible prosecution. Inspectors will ensure that:

· All those assigned engineering functions are engineering personnel and are duly registered by COREN.

· All registered engineering personnel have paid their practicing fees.

· Engineering personnel are not used for non-engineering jobs when they can appropriately be engaged in engineering function, and

· Consulting firms engaged by Industry or Government for engineering jobs are fully registered by COREN.

The Inspectors will also ascertain that engineering personnel not yet registered by COREN are not employed on or promoted to positions beyond the following levels:

· Unregistered engineers NOT TO BE APPOINTED OR PROMOTED BEYOND the level of Senior Manager or equivalent (Grade Level 10).

· Unregistered technologists in engineering NOT TO BE APPOINTED OR PROMOTED BEYOND the level of Principal Technologists (GL.10).

· Unregistered technician NOT TO BE PROMOTED OR APPOINTED BEYOND the level of FOREMAN or Equivalent (GL.06)

It is illegal for any tertiary institution to run engineering programmes at the University degree and Higher National Diploma Levels without full accreditation of COREN. Defaulting institutions shall be compelled to close down such programmes instantly. It is illegal and an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment as prescribed by Decree 55/70 to engage non- engineering personnel to do engineering work.

By law, engineering practice is defined to include any professional service or creative work requiring the application of special knowledge of mathematics, physics and engineering in form of consultation, invention, discovery, valuation, research and teaching in recognized engineering institution, planning, operation, maintenance, supervision of construction and installation involving investigating, advising, operating, evaluating, measuring, planning, designing, specifying, laying and directing, constructing, commissioning, inspecting or testing in connection with any public or private utilities, structures, buildings, machines, equipment, processes works or projects. The Federal civil Service commission, the States Civil Service commission, the local Government Service commissions, the Federal and State government parastatals and companies and industries within the organized private sectors shall in particular ensure compliance.

COREN over the years have been advocating for graduating engineering students of the nation's tertiary institutions to be exposed to a mandatory one year internship programme called Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE) before proceeding on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. This novel programme is still far from taking off.

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Verizon Wireless Enables Green Growth

There’s no reason why business and environmental objectives can’t go hand-in-hand. With Verizon Bbusiness, you get a communications team with the resources to deliver a secure global IiP network, the expertise to create advanced collaboration solutions, and the dedication to help going green make good business sense.

It’s gratifying when both a company and its customers can “do well by doing good.” For Verizon, that opportunity comes every day by virtue of our leadership in global communications, which enables our customers to do business both more effectively and in a more environmentally friendly way. Far from being a mere bumper sticker slogan, “going green” underscores Verizon’s enormous opportunity—and responsibility—to positively impact our planet’s environment while helping its customers realize the transformative power of broadband networks.

Verizon has 240,000 employees worldwide and operates one of the Earth’s most interconnected and expansive communications networks. In the U.S., we lead the industry by deploying a large- scale, all-fiber network to the home, and we operate the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network. These state-of-the-art networks enable us to offer the most advanced communications services available today—services that drive productivity while mitigating adverse environmental impacts.

Enabling Global ‘E-commerce’
As a global IP leader, our expansive global network provides the foundation for e-commerce. Some of the world’s largest Internet-based “e-tailers” rely on Verizon Business to host and remotely manage the application infrastructure at the heart of their businesses. By replacing bricks and mortar for business-to-business or business-to-consumer e-commerce, companies can control their procurement and distribution costs while reducing their carbon footprints.
Through Supply Chain Managed Services, Verizon Business facilitates the business-to-business exchange of standard transactions electronically between business partners. Automating the purchase-to-pay cycle of a company’s processes not only enables direct benefits like eliminating paper and inefficient manual processes, but also permits “just in time” processing which can streamline inventory, storage and 3PL (3rd Party Logistics) expenses.
Audio, video and web conferencing can foster collaboration among workers and students in various locations. Mobility solutions can enable teleworking (anywhere/anytime connections to corporate resources). Along with secure e-mail and instant messaging, these solutions can dramatically reduce the
need for travel by allowing people to come together via our innovative offerings.

Numerous multinational corporations worldwide are using Verizon Business’ communications services to go green and also work smarter. They’re employing advanced collaboration solutions such as high definition (HD) conferencing and telepresence to improve productivity across their operations, reduce employee air travel and support their overall corporate social responsibility initiatives.

In addition to helping manage costs and energy associated with real estate and travel, Verizon’s broadband networks can enable remote monitoring and adjusting of energy use at “smart buildings,” remote reporting of traffic congestion to “smart cars,” and remote monitoring of patient health to “smart doctor’s offices.”

Practicing What We Preach
Verizon practices what we preach. In addition to using our own communications services, the company has implemented a wide range of initiatives to conserve energy and protect environmental resources. With more than 32,000 buildings around the world and more than 59,000 vehicles in our service fleet, we are sensitive to our own potential environmental impact. For example, the company has introduced 100 Toyota Prius hybrid sedans and is piloting the use of hybrid-powered vans. Additionally, we’re implementing alternative technologies such as fuel cells and small natural-gas turbines to power our network equipment and reducing energy usage in many of our buildings with new, highly reflective roofing materials.

Last year, in celebration of Earth Day, Verizon Business teamed with Computershare to implement its successful eTree program and have American Forests plant a tree for each large business or government customer that chooses electronic billing over paper. This program is modeled on the successful eTree program Verizon implemented for shareholders opting for electronic versions of annual reports, proxies and other shareholder communications materials. Please visit our Web site at verizon.com/responsibility to learn more about our corporate responsibility strategy and what we are doing to reduce our environmental impact.

Environmental conservation is everybody’s business. It also happens to make good business sense. Each individual and organization contributes to the production of carbon emissions, whether we’re heating and cooling our homes or offices, driving our cars or flying to business meetings. At Verizon, we’re harnessing the power of our networks and the expertise of our people to enable a win-win—making our customers more effective and productive while enabling them to do their part for the environment.

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Major League Baseball and Verizon Announce FiOS TV Service Agreement

Major League Baseball and Verizon announced today that MLB Network and the MLB Extra Innings Package will be offered on Verizon's FiOS TV service as a result of new multiyear agreements.

MLB Network will be available to all Verizon FiOS TV customers as part of the Essentials and Extreme HD packages on Channel 86, when it debuts Jan. 1, 2009. Verizon also will offer a high-definition (HD) simulcast of the MLB Network on Channel 586. MLB Network -- which will air live games, original programming, highlights, classic games and coverage of baseball events -- is expected to be available to approximately 50 million homes on TV systems across the country, the largest launch in cable history.

In addition, Verizon and Major League Baseball have entered into a new multiyear agreement to provide the MLB Extra Innings package on FiOS TV, offering baseball fans up to 80 out-of-market Major League Baseball games per week. The two agreements mark the first television arrangements between Major League Baseball and Verizon.

"We are looking forward to launching MLB Network on Verizon FiOS TV, which is the fastest-growing television provider in the country," said Tony Petitti, MLB Network president and CEO. "MLB Network will offer baseball fans an insider's perspective that has never been seen before. This partnership further expands on our ability to bring the ultimate coverage of the national pastime to fans on a 24 x 7 basis."

Terry Denson, vice president - FiOS TV content and programming, added, "Verizon FiOS TV is the best place to watch sports. Baseball fans will be able to keep up with their favorite teams and rivalries, with access to 80 games from around the country each week. And FiOS TV's stunning rock-solid picture will make fans feel like they're sitting right behind home plate."

Chris Tully, Major League Baseball senior vice president, broadcasting, said, "The MLB Extra Innings package plays a key role in our continuing effort to provide fans around the country with access to as many MLB game telecasts as possible. Adding Verizon FiOS TV to our roster of MLB Extra Innings distributors provides our fans with more choice in accessing the package."

MLB Network and the MLB Extra Innings Package join Verizon FiOS TV's extensive channel lineup, which offers customers more than 400 total channels, including a growing number of HD channels, with 100 HD channels already available in most markets. FiOS TV also offers more than 11,000 video-on-demand titles each month - 8,500 of which are free of charge.

Verizon, the nation's fastest-growing television service provider, delivers FiOS TV over the country's most advanced fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes and businesses. Verizon's FiOS TV service was selected as the top-ranked residential television service provider in the Northeast region by J.D. Power for 2008. FiOS TV is currently available to more than 8.2 million homes in 14 states: California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

The MLB Extra Innings agreement is subject to ratification by the Major League Clubs.

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Sprint Wireless Integration with Cisco Unified Communications Manager Launched

Sprint has announced availability of Sprint Wireless Integration with Cisco Unified Communications Manager, an integrated mobility solution that delivers fixed mobile convergence to businesses - only on the Now Network(TM). Sprint Wireless Integration extends customers' Cisco Unified Communications Manager functionality to Sprint mobile phones, providing productivity, cost efficiencies, and greater control of mobile devices.

"Sprint Wireless Integration takes convergence to a whole new level," said Dan Dooley, president of Wireline, Sprint. "It not only converges your desk and mobile phones, but it allows all calls within your enterprise to be "on-net." No other solution in the marketplace offers this kind of convergence. This is a great example of Sprint leveraging our core wireline and wireless assets and working with best-in-class partners to deliver a unique and compelling solution to our customers that no other competitor can match."

Sprint Wireless Integration is delivered using the Sprint IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture, built into Sprint's IP/MPLS network, which not only minimizes equipment required on the customer premises but also allows for intelligent routing and "on-net" calling capabilities nationwide.

The solution uses a customer's existing Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Unified Internet Protocol (IP) phones, and a Cisco Unified Border Element (provided by Sprint). A Sprint Global MPLS connection provides connectivity directly to Sprint's IMS Core, allowing Sprint CDMA phones (3G) to be fully integrated into the Cisco Unified Communications Manager.

Sprint Wireless Integration targets a minimum of 100 users and provides the business enterprise the opportunity to minimize capital costs and allows customers to pay only for the service they use.

"We're constantly in motion as we go through our day from workspace to workspace," said Steve Slattery, vice president and general manager of Cisco's IP Communications Business Unit. "Customers using Cisco Unified Communications Manager with Sprint Wireless Integration leverages Sprint's unique wireline and wireless assets to collaborate, enhance productivity, and reduce operating costs through on-net dialing."

Sprint Wireless Integration allows abbreviated dialing from the mobile device. Calls are transferred seamlessly and transparently between devices in a user's workspace such as a Sprint mobile phone and a Cisco Unified IP phone. It provides businesses numerous ways to save on telecom expenses.

Key benefits:

* Leverage existing assets. Sprint Wireless Integration is a network-based solution that uses your existing Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Sprint mobile phones, so getting started is easy and doesn't require a large capital outlay.
* Reduce trunks. Sprint Wireless Integration leverages the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) in Sprint's core network. The "all-IP" architecture enables calls to be routed more efficiently. Because many calls can be moved onto your IP network or routed around your enterprise altogether, you'll be able to reduce trunk usage.
* Extend class of service. Class of service can be extended to your mobile devices, so you can enforce such restrictions as international dialing or 900-number dialing on your mobile phones - just as you do on your desk phones. You can even set restrictions for your mobile devices, such as "no-outbound calls" or "intra-enterprise calls only" for users who require those limits.
* Track mobile calls. Mobile calls can be tracked and logged with Cisco Unified Communications Manager.
* Increase flexibility. With Sprint Wireless Integration, you can provide new employees intra-company dialing and corporate voicemail the day they start, anywhere on the Nationwide Sprint Network. If an employee leaves the company, their single phone number remains a company asset, which can then be passed to a new employee.

End-user features:

* Simple dialing. Employees can reach co-workers by just dialing their extension. There are no access codes or additional dialing required. Calls outside of the corporate dial plan can be reached by dialing the 10-digit number, so employees don't have to change their address books.
* One phone number. Increase "reachability" with one phone number that rings both the desk phone and the mobile phone simultaneously. Because the existing desk phone number is used, employees won't have to notify customers of the change.
* One voicemail. All messages go to the enterprise voicemail, so callers only need to leave one message, and employees only have one voicemail inbox to clean out.
* Simple interface. Sprint Wireless Integration is available on Sprint CDMA phones (3G). In addition, intuitive end-user clients are available for some phones with graphical menus for easy access to all of your functions. (Ask your Sprint representative about available options.)
* Mid-call transfer. Calls can be transferred seamlessly between the mobile and desk phone without anyone on the call knowing the transfer took place.

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IBM and Intel® Drive Adoption of Open Switch Specification for Blade Servers

IBM and Intel Corporation announce that they are extending their collaboration in the blade server market to drive adoption of an open industry specification for blade switches. This will enable switch vendors to maximize return on their research and development by developing products to a single design, reaching more customers with just one product.

Switches are essential components of every blade system, channeling data to and from the server. As part of the agreement announced today, IBM will extend the BladeCenter switch specification for blade servers to the Server Systems Infrastructure (SSI) organization on a royalty-free basis, allowing switch vendors to create one product that works across the BladeCenter and SSI ecosystems and driving more switch products for clients to choose from. The companies also announced plans to work together to establish a third-party Switch Compliance Lab, where the developer community can test and verify their blade server products for BladeCenter and SSI environments.

The announcement today builds upon a history of IBM and Intel collaboration on blade technology -- starting in 2002 with the development of the first BladeCenter servers and continuing in 2006 when IBM, Intel and other industry leaders formed Blade.org, the industry consortium driving open innovation in blade-based solutions that today has over 200 members.

SSI is an industry organization established over 10 years ago to enable server builders to develop compliant and interoperable building blocks for blade, chassis and manageability software technology. The incorporation of the open switch specification into SSI is intended to broaden the market for switch module vendors as they collaborate on SSI-specified blade switch solutions with Intel and IBM. In this segment, Blade Network Technologies, Brocade, NextIO and others have committed their support for the open specification. By extending its switch specification and ecosystem to affiliated members of SSI, IBM is driving greater adoption of BladeCenter-compatible switches.

"The extension of the BladeCenter switch specification and ecosystem to SSI advances open specifications for blade systems," says Alex Yost, vice president of IBM BladeCenter. "Making the switch design in our open BladeCenter specification available to a broader set of vendors demonstrates IBM's commitment to foster openness in the blade server market."

Demand for a common switch specification comes at a time when blade servers are becoming a critical ingredient in IT infrastructure. The availability of the open BladeCenter switch specification to SSI members allows them access to the more than 25 specification-compliant switches on the market today.

"By working with IBM, we have expanded ecosystem support for SSI blade specifications to over 70 vendors," says Kirk Skaugen, General Manager, Server Platforms Group, Intel. "Continued IBM and Intel collaboration will go further to expanding the entire blade server market. This is good for customers who will benefit from increased choice from a breadth of server, networking and storage vendors while enabling each product to maximize return on the R&D invested."

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Microsoft Security Update Turn Pirate's Screen Black

An anti-piracy tactic by Microsoft that turns some computer users' screens black is setting off a wave of unexpected indignation among Chinese consumers, posing renewed problems for the software maker in the huge China market.

In the days since Microsoft deployed an updated anti-piracy tool here, some Chinese have fumed about what they see as an invasion of privacy. Users of legitimate software have been turning their own screens black in protest. One authorized user complained to the police.

"It's a crime," said Beijing lawyer Dong Zhengwei, who filed a complaint against Microsoft with the Public Security Ministry. The ministry hasn't responded.

"The black-screen plan implies that Microsoft can hack all its users, not just the pirates," Dong said. "That's not fair."

Microsoft defended its actions, saying the company complies with Chinese law. It issued a statement late last week promising its anti-piracy campaign would not be used to collect personal information. It is also offering steep discounts on some software to give consumers an affordable legal alternative.

At issue is a software feature that searches for pirated copies of Windows and is part of the XP operating system and Vista. In conducting the search, the tool logs certain information about the personal computer and then notifies the user if it detects illegal copies or counterfeits.

While the tool has been in use for several years, the update released last week by the Internet is more intrusive when it detects a fake copy of XP: it turns the PC's desktop black, replacing the user's background image. A piracy warning appears in the corner of the screen. Though the user can override the blackout, it reappears every 60 minutes.

In all other ways, the blacked-out computer still works. Users not yet affected can avoid getting hit by disabling Windows' automatic update feature, though they will then might miss security updates. For those already hit, software patches to avoid the black screen are already circulating online.

But Chinese computer users' outrage points to continuing problems for the world's largest software maker in what is projected to become the world's biggest computer market.

While Chinese know their Internet is monitored and censored, that rarely creates such a stir. Rather the reaction against Microsoft's Big Brother-esque tactics show Chinese consumers' persisting belief that there's little wrong with buying cut-rate pirated goods.

Knockoff software and electronics are rampant in China. Brand-name computers are sold by retailers with pirated software bundled in, helping to keep prices low. More than 80 percent of personal computer software in China last year was pirated, according to the U.S.-based Business Software Alliance. One in five Chinese consumers do not know they're using pirated software, Microsoft said in a statement.

In an upstairs corner of a Cybermart electronics emporium in downtown Shanghai, saleswoman Jin Li stood in a pink smock under a large Microsoft sign, the shop's counters cluttered with computer parts, mobile phone trinkets and imitation iPods. The shop isn't a licensed Microsoft seller.

"We just wanted to put a brand name up there," Jin said, nodding at the sign.

Customers, she said, have a main complaint about Windows XP. "The real thing is definitely too expensive. They can download it or buy it pirated for 10 yuan," or less than $2, she said. "The real thing is hundreds of yuan. What do you think?"

That easy availability threatens Microsoft's potential profits.

Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told a business forum last month that China will surpass the United States as the largest consumer market for personal computers within two years. But software piracy in China has undercut sales of the real thing, keeping Microsoft from meeting revenue growth targets, according to Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell.

The focus on the Chinese consumer has grown with the China market. For years, Microsoft aimed its anti-piracy campaigns at businesses, the government and other large customers. Two years ago, the Redmond, Washington-based company began signing deals with computer makers both inside and outside China to install genuine versions of its software before PCs reach the stores.

Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China Ltd., a Beijing tech consulting firm, said the updated Genuine Advantage push is likely an attempt to use shame to target business customers and professionals who do not want to be seen using a fake product.

"There's a little bit of a Big Brother effect," said Clark. "As for the youth, Microsoft probably couldn't win them over in any case."

The move has only increased bitter feelings toward a company perceived by many to charge too much.

"There's absolutely no need for such a monster cash cow like Microsoft to take this obviously dramatic step and make itself the No. 1 enemy of most Chinese PC users," said Steven Lin, a spokesman for the video sharing Web site Youku.com, in an e-mail. "Business/government users are their primary income source in China, how much more can they squeeze from ordinary users who can make on average $500 (3,400 yuan) per month? They're crazy!"

So far, the Chinese government has made no comment, though the Web site of People's Daily, the Communist Party's flagship newspaper, allowed plenty of room for Chinese to vent.

As of Thursday, almost 80 percent of more than 10,000 people responding to a poll on the site said Microsoft should solve the piracy issue by further lowering its prices.

Still, with piracy rampant across the country, lower prices might not be enough.

As the day of the black-screen update loomed in China, a poll taken by the popular Tencent QQ instant messaging system showed 84 percent of the more than 90,000 respondents said they were using pirated software -- and 60 percent said they'd keep doing so.

"Actually, I'll still use pirated software," said 24-year-old Shanghai advertising salesman Tai Chenggong, whose screen turned black this week after downloading a fake copy of Windows for free. "It still works, no problem."

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Sprint to Launch WebCapTel(R) On the Go, for Customers Hearing Loss

Sprint announces the availability of Sprint WebCapTel(R) On the Go, a new, free mobile Web-based service that allows hard of hearing customers to read word-for-word captions on Windows Mobile 6 Web browsers, such as the Diamond by HTC, Mogul by HTC, Palm Treo 800w and the MOTO Q9c by Motorola. In addition, this service is also compatible with the Safari 2.0 Web browser. This new service is expected to help an estimated 30 million Americans with hearing loss.

"Sprint is committed to equal access to all individuals," said Mike Ligas, director of Sprint Relay. "As such, we pride ourselves on offering the newest technology to hard of hearing individuals. This new solution offers the hard of hearing community mobility by being able to read real-time Web-based captions on Windows-enabled mobile devices."

With Sprint WebCapTel On the Go, users can make calls using two phones -- reading captions on a wireless phone and listening and speaking on a second phone. Prior to making a call, the user would log onto www.sprintcaptel.com on one mobile device to read text captions of what the other party is saying. For more information on Sprint's wireless devices and select plans, go to the Sprint Relay Store at www.sprintrelaystore.com.

Sprint WebCapTel On the Go is an extension of Sprint's existing WebCapTel service, which also provides captions during phone calls, but requires a computer with an Internet browser of Internet Explorer 7.0, Firefox 3.0 or Safari 2.0 on which to display the captions. This new and free service is available almost anywhere as long as the wireless device is equipped with Windows Mobile 6 or an Apple Safari Web browser. Sprint WebCapTel On the Go changes spoken words and sounds heard on a telephone into words to read.

"Sprint WebCapTel On the Go allows individuals with hearing loss the mobility that many of us take for granted," said Robert Engelke, president of Ultratec, Inc., the company that developed CapTel technology. "It gives people with hearing loss the independence to make and receive telephone calls without the necessity of wireline phones or computer connectivity."

This free service is available for customers anywhere in the United States and within U.S. Territories. However, calls to or from international locations, such as Canada or Mexico, are not available. To learn more about this free service, visit www.sprintcaptel.com or www.sprintrelay.com/webcaptel.htm

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Sprint and MiCTA to Provide Cost-Effective Wireless Solution to Universities

Sprint today announced the expansion of its existing partnership with MiCTA, a national association of more than 19,500 members from higher education, healthcare, libraries, K-12, government and other non-profit organizations that helps identify and resolve common voice, data and video issues and problems for its membership. Under this new expansion, Sprint will now offer discounted wireless services and solutions to the students of MiCTA higher-education institution members. Sprint, a MiCTA partner since 1989, is also the association's exclusive provider of wireless services and among its preferred list of partners for wireline services as well.

"We are pleased to join with Sprint to offer students discounted wireless services under our Educational Services agreement," said John Sundstrom, president of MiCTA. "Our positive experience with Sprint gives us confidence that students' wireless needs will be well-served through this cooperation."

MiCTA serves as a clearinghouse of information for these technologies, provides information on new products and services and offers these solutions to members at reduced cost and improved quality. With this new expansion, MiCTA's higher-education members will now be able to offer their students with Sprint's differentiated solutions at highly competitive prices. Key benefits include:

-- 10 percent discount for students on their rate plans

-- Waived activation fees for students, an instant savings of $36

-- Additional discounts available for add-on services, including
messaging, Vision Pro Pack and other Vision services

-- Higher education institutions will receive administrative fees
from MiCTA to market the program based on new student
activations

"Sprint has a strong business focus on the education vertical and is always looking for simple and innovative ways to offer the best experience to our higher education customers," said Ed Davalos, national director of education sales at Sprint. "Our expanded partnership with MiCTA is another testament of our continued commitment to this sector and allows us to extend the reach and visibility of our wireless solutions portfolio to additional universities across the country."

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The New 2009 Nissan GT-R Can Tell The Police When You Overspeed

Michael S. Malone

Weires, an attorney who lives in Florida, is apparently something of a car nut and, like most of his peers, he fell in love with the new 2009 Nissan GT-R. Enough in love that he ordered one.

In case you haven't heard about the GT-R, it is basically an ICBM tipped over on its side. It's just an absolute screamer of a car -- 480 HP, 0-60 in a reported 3.2 seconds -- and even at the $82,000 Weires paid for his Super Silver version (Nissan just bumped up the price by seven grand), it is still one of the world's best automobile performance buys.

So you can understand why Weires wanted one of these Ultimate Rice Rockets and plunked down the money in advance.

And then something amazing happened: Suddenly, after years of dreaming about the car after he first saw the concept design, and after months of waiting in line, Weires suddenly canceled his order.

Why? Because he found out that the GT-R is going to have tucked away deep inside and attached to its chassis a black box similar to the ones we always hear about after airplane crashes. Yeah, that's right: an electronic data recorder (EDR) that keeps track of everything from air-bag sensors to throttle controls to engine performance gauges.

Worse, at least to Weires, was that the GT-R contained an even more sophisticated version of EDR called a "Vehicle Status Data Recorder" (VSDR) -- this little baby not only activates when a crash is imminent, but runs all the time.

Think about that for a moment, and then think about your driving history.

Dude, I live in Silicon Valley, the land of the California Rolling Stop, the ignored speed limit signs and the place where the Rice Rocket was invented. And, in this land of automotive scofflaws, I am the guy who a friend once described as "driving like I just robbed a bank."

I have done things with cars that make me burst into sweat just recalling them. And if you are a red-blooded American male -- or, from what I've seen lately, an American teenage girl -- your driving history is probably very similar to mine. And you can understand why a sports car enthusiast and lawyer like Weires might object to having a driving behavior monitor strapped beneath his seat.

The automobile makers tell us not to worry, that these devices are only there to identify design weaknesses in the car so that those problems can be improved in future models. According to AutoWeek magazine, Nissan says that the VSDR in the GT-R does not record sounds or images but "always records and stores vehicle-operating data between periodic inspections, which can assist and be used for servicing, diagnosing and performing warranty repairs."

It was that last part that made Weires jumpy -- and understandably so, once you picture the scenario where the Nissan dealership refuses to honor the warranty on your engine because you over-revved it twice last Thursday.

But I think there's a lot more to worry about. Right now, carmakers also see EDRs and VSDRs as a way to protect themselves in product safety lawsuits. And law enforcement folks understandably like the idea of showing up at an accident scene, plugging in their laptop and downloading information on the final moments before the crash: Did the driver brake? Veer? Why did the side air bags not open? Etc.

It also sounds pretty benign, even useful. But unlike Weires, I'm a technology guy -- and I have a very acute sense of how seemingly harmless new technologies have a tendency to metastasize into something far nastier and, usually, end up invading our privacy or diminishing our freedoms. And, perhaps due to my own driving history, the story of Weires and his black box had sirens going off in my head.

Think of the worst possible scenarios, and whatever you come up with has a good chance of happening. For example, you know those random checkpoint stops that the police set up every year around the holidays to catch drunks. I've never been a big fan of them, mostly for civil liberties reasons, but like most people I endure this little inconvenience for the perceived larger good.

But what about a checkpoint where the cop walks up, plugs his laptop into your car and then tickets you for going over the speed limit three times last week? Put up some "smart" speed signs that send out signals to your car's black box and it would be simple to make the comparison. Like that one?

How about this -- because the black box also records the forces, such as yaw, on the car, the cop could also check the number of times you overstressed the car's suspension and arrest you for reckless driving. Oh, did I mention that there is nothing to keep the black box from recording your conversations in the car, your movements, the places you visited, etc., etc. Drive into the wrong neighborhood and you may void your car insurance -- and do so in real time when your black box gains a wireless "voice."

The car companies and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration assure us that even if they were to gather this information, they would never, ever use it for the wrong reasons. Sure, just like Google promises to never look up your identity and to throw out all search records every six months. Just trust them -- even though, by their very behavior in all of this, the automakers and the NHTSA have already shown that they don't trust you. Oh, did I mention the small print in the owner's manual that says all of your car's black box info belongs to you … except when requested by a court order? I'm sure that makes you feel all safe and warm inside.

So, the solution is to just not buy a Nissan -- right? Well, no. In fact, most U.S. carmakers have already, or are about to, install EDRs. If you've got On-Star in your car, you certainly already have it. And if a car has an EDR, a new federal mandate requires that it monitor 30 different data points by 2012. Take a Ball-peen hammer or a jumper cable to your car's black box and you will be breaking the law.

The good news is that some carmakers have no plans to install EDRs. For some, such as Kia, it's a cost consideration on their low-priced cars. More interesting is at the other end of the spectrum, where Mercedes and other German cars don't carry black boxes because they are deemed to violate privacy laws.

Shouldn't that be some kind of clue? When the Germans -- who, after the Gestapo and the Stasi, know a little something about surveillance and the loss of privacy -- ban these devices, why should we let them into our daily lives?

I'm predicting a run on old cars very soon. Maybe it's finally time to buy that '67 GTO and laugh as I pass all those suckers whose powerful new cars refuse to let them exceed the speed limit.

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Earthquake Scientists Look For Volunteer Trackers

Earthquake scientists want to borrow your laptop or maybe a little space in your basement or garage.

Researchers don't have enough high-tech monitoring stations to track every instance of ground shaking, so they are enlisting help from ordinary people to document quakes and pinpoint areas of possible damage.

Almost anyone can participate by equipping laptop computers with special software or installing quake sensors at home.

"If they can provide scientific data that can prepare us for events in the future, then that's extremely important," said Tom Jordan of the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California.

The epicenter of the movement is in California, the most quake-prone state in the continental United States. Each year, some 10,000 temblors rattle Southern California alone, though most are too small to be felt.

The Quake-Catcher Network was launched earlier this year to tap into the computing power of some 300 participants worldwide, including 50 volunteers in California.

The network relies on a sensor called an accelerometer that is built into many newer laptops to detect sudden motion. If the computer is dropped, for instance, the sensor can alert the hard drive, shielding it from potential damage and preventing data from being lost.

Volunteers download software that links their computers to others in the network and sends information about shaking to scientists through the Internet.

Since any movement -- passing trucks, neighbors moving furniture or a pet jumping on the desk -- can trigger a laptop's internal sensor, scientists scan incoming data only when the U.S. Geological Survey determines that an actual quake has occurred, based on readings from its field stations.

"If there's a bunch of laptops that trigger in one location, there's probably an earthquake," said seismologist Elizabeth Cochran of the University of California, Riverside, who is a leader of the project.

In the past, people could only report ground shaking in their neighborhood by logging onto the USGS Web site and filling out a questionnaire.

The computer network, run by Stanford University and UC Riverside, supplements data from about 800 permanent monitoring stations in California that beam readings to the USGS, the chief federal agency in charge of monitoring for quakes.

Emergency personnel use the data to locate potentially hard-hit areas. The more sensors that can record shaking, the more accurate the picture about possible damage.

The volunteer system is similar to the one already used by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project at the University of California, Berkeley. Started in 1999, the SETI system harnesses shared PC power to analyze radio-telescope data for sounds of alien intelligence. It now boasts more than 1 million volunteers.

The Quake-Catcher system was put to the test in July during a magnitude-5.4 quake that was centered in the hills east of Los Angeles. The temblor rattled a large swath of Southern California, but caused little damage. Fewer than a half-dozen laptops with the software sensed the quake, and only three sent back clean signals seven seconds after the fault ruptured.

While scientists were pleased that some laptops detected motion, they acknowledged the system needed work.

Seismology graduate student Julian Lozos of UC Riverside was among those whose laptop sent back good data. Since installing the program last winter, he has kept it running except when he sleeps and has not noticed any slowing of his computer's performance.

The project was initially limited to Apple computer users but was expanded this summer to include Lenovo Thinkpads. Scientists are also developing software compatible with other PCs.

Scientists who are not involved in Quake-Catcher said it could be helpful to detect low rumblings, but might run into problems involving larger events.

"When the ground really gets going, a recording instrument needs to stay well-connected to the ground to record the motion, but a laptop will be jumping all over the place," USGS seismologist Susan Hough said in an e-mail.

The USGS is embarking on its own volunteer program by tapping homeowners willing to donate space in their basement or garage for a portable seismometer. As part of its NetQuakes project, the agency plans to begin deploying the devices as early as this year in the San Francisco Bay area on a test basis. Public participation could start next year.

The USGS and its partners operate a network of permanent stations, but it is limited by cost and other factors. For example, a seismic station on the southern San Andreas Fault, which has not ruptured in more than three centuries, cost about $70,000 to install and another $3,000 a year to maintain, the agency said.

To participate, residents must have a wireless Internet connection to allow the device to communicate with the USGS network.

Like Quake-Catcher, the USGS will only scan volunteer data from NetQuakes after an actual quake.

"Someone stomping on the instrument isn't going to cause us to analyze the data," said project leader David Oppenheimer, a USGS scientist.

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Intel To Close The Gap Between Man And Machine By 2050

Intel Corporation's chief technology officer took a fascinating look at how technology will bring man and machine much closer together by 2050.

Justin Rattner, during his keynote today at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, predicted big changes are ahead in social interactions, robotics and improvements in computer's ability to sense the real world. He said Intel's research labs are already looking at human-machine interfaces and examining future implications to computing with some promising changes coming much sooner than expected.

"The industry has taken much greater strides than anyone ever imagined 40 years ago," Rattner said. "There is speculation that we may be approaching an inflection point where the rate of technology advancements is accelerating at an exponential rate, and machines could even overtake humans in their ability to reason, in the not so distant future."

Cutting the Last Cord, Wireless Power

Imagine being able to walk into an airport or room with your laptop and instead of consuming battery, it is recharged. Based on principles proposed by MIT physicists, Intel researchers have been working on a Wireless Resonant Energy Link (WREL). Rattner demonstrated powering a 60-watt light bulb without the use of a plug or wire of any kind, which is more than is needed for a typical laptop.

The magic of WREL is that it promises to deliver wireless power safely and efficiently. The technology relies on strongly coupled resonators, a principle similar to the way a trained singer can shatter a glass using her voice. At the receiving resonator's natural frequency, energy is absorbed efficiently, just as a glass absorbs acoustic energy at its natural frequency. With this technology enabled in a laptop, for example, batteries could be recharged when the laptop gets within several feet of the transmit resonator. Many engineering challenges remain, but the company's researchers hope to find a way to cut the last cord in mobile devices and someday enable wireless power in Intel-based platforms.

Programmable Matter: Computers that Change Shape

Intel researchers are also investigating how millions of tiny micro-robots, called catoms, could build shape-shifting materials. If used to replace the case, display and keyboard of a computing device, this technology could make it possible for a device to change physical form in order to suit the specific way you are using it. A mobile computer, for example, could be tiny when in a pocket, change to the shape of an earpiece when used as a mobile phone, and be large and flat with a keyboard for browsing the Internet or watching a movie.

Rattner described this as a difficult exploratory research agenda, but steady progress is being made. He demonstrated for the first time the results of a novel technique for fabricating tiny silicon hemispheres using photolithography, a process used today to make silicon chips. This capability is one of the basic structural building blocks needed to realize functional catoms, and will make it easier to bring the necessary computational and mechanical components together in one tiny package less than a millimeter across. The technique is compatible with existing high-volume manufacturing and enables the possibility to produce such catoms in quantity at some point in the future.

Dr. Michael Garner, program manager of Emerging Materials Roadmap, joined Rattner onstage to discuss the importance of research of novel silicon technology, keeping Moore's Law alive and well through the next decade and beyond. Among other things, Intel is researching how to go beyond planar transistors to 3D transistors and is looking at using compound semiconductors to replace silicon in the transistor channel. Looking further out, Intel is exploring into a variety of non-charge-based technologies that could one day replace CMOS altogether.

Robots: From the Factory Floor to Your Kitchen

Robots today are primarily used in the factory environment, designed to perform a single task repeatedly and bolted down. To make robotics personal, robots need to move and manipulate objects in cluttered and dynamic human environments, according to Rattner. They need to be cognizant of their surroundings by sensing and recognizing movement in a dynamic physical world, and learn to adapt to new scenarios. Rattner demonstrated two working personal robot prototypes developed at Intel's research labs. One of the demonstrations showed electric field pre-touch that has been built into a robot hand. The technique is a novel sensing modality used by fish but not humans, so they can "feel" objects before they even touch them. The other demonstration was a complete autonomous mobile manipulation robot that can recognize faces and interpret and execute commands as generic as "please clean this mess" using state-of-the-art motion planning, manipulation, perception and artificial intelligence.

In addition to robots becoming more human-like, Rattner said he believes more innovation will emerge to make human and machine interaction more robust. Randy Breen, chief product officer of Emotiv Systems, joined Rattner onstage to demonstrate the company's EPOC* headset. The Emotiv EPOC identifies brainwave patterns, processes them in real time and tells a game what conscious or non-conscious thoughts the user has had, like facial expressions, conscious actions or emotions. A user with the headset could think about smiling or lifting an object, and an avatar in a game would execute it. EPOC can currently identify more than 30 different "detections" through the 16 sensors on the headset.

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Treo Pro Smartphone By Palm Made Simple

The Treo^™ Pro smartphone by Palm is thoughtfully designed for people who define their workday the way they see fit. Respond to business and personal email, stay on top of appointments and contacts, and use Wi-Fi or GPS when you’re out and about. Then watch a video on YouTube, catch up with news and sports on the web, or listen to a few songs. Treo Pro. Perfectly balanced.

PHONE + MOBILE OFFICE
Whether you’re rehearsing a presentation over breakfast, making changes to a spreadsheet at the ballpark, or picking up email1 while you’re picking up the kids, getting work done on the go is easy.

Phone
Look up a contact directly from the Today screen by entering just a few letters of their name. Then call, email, or text them right from the same screen.

Messaging
Chat-style messaging lets you keep track of the entire conversation, while the full keyboard makes it comfortable to type messages of any length.

Windows Mobile® 6.1
Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional Edition provides the familiar look and feel of Windows®, plus mobile versions of applications you use every day. Download, view, and edit Word- and Excel®-compatible files. Rehearse PowerPoint® presentations. Even review PDF and open ZIP files. And do it all with the ease of a touchscreen and a keyboard at your fingertips.

Touchscreen
The large color touchscreen gives you one more way to access the applications you use most—great for checking email or opening your calendar. Just tap the screen to navigate without scrolling through menus.

Organizer
Carry your calendar, contacts, tasks and notes, so you’re prepared and organized wherever you go. You can sync with Outlook®, accept meeting invites, look up people in your company’s directory, or set an Out of Office email reply when you’re away from your computer.

Add-on applications
Boost productivity by adding an expense tracker, shopping list, or any of the other applications made for the Windows Mobile Professional platform. Even use sales force automation software or your organization’s custom applications.

GPS AND WI-Fi
With GPS and Wi-Fi, you can find where you’re going—and then have wireless connectivity options when you get there.

GPS
Search for the nearest café using GPS and arrive easily thanks to turn-by-turn directions on your touchscreen. (Ah, there it is.) Before you leave, look up the address of your next meeting, and get there without worrying about being late or getting lost.

Wi-Fi
Just press a button and you’ll be online faster than you can say double non-fat latte. The instant-on Wi-Fi button lets you join a local Wi-Fi network, whether you’re in a hotel lobby or an airport, a conference room or a café.

EMAIL + WEB
The Treo™ Pro smartphone by Palm works at mobile wireless broadband speeds, so you can do the things you want to do—even away from your computer.

Outlook® email
Stay on top of your latest Outlook® email on your touchscreen thanks to Microsoft® Direct Push Technology. You can even view graphics and links in HTML email.

Personal email
Check your Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo! account and make dinner plans for the weekend. You’ll never miss a thing and always be in touch.

Web
Check news, stocks, or sports scores with Internet Explorer® Mobile. Access your company data in seconds. Stream audio or video without annoying pauses and delays.

High-speed modem
You can even use the Treo Pro as a high-speed modem for your laptop when you’re traveling for business. Suddenly all this speed makes perfect sense.

MUSIC + VIDEO
The large color touchscreen brings your photos and videos to life. Add a pair of headphones, and you’ve got an entertainment center to go.

Windows Media® Player Mobile
With Windows Media® Player Mobile, you can listen to music or podcasts on the train to work. Or watch video clips when you’ve got a few minutes to spare.

Photos
Snap a picture of your son’s first little league hit, and share it with his grandparents as it happens.

Built-in storage
The Treo™ Pro smartphone by Palm gives you plenty of room to carry songs, photos, and videos, and you can always add gigs more with a microSDHC expansion card.

PALM SHORTCUTS
Palm shortcuts and a touchscreen make Windows Mobile® simply effortless, so you can do the things you need to do much faster. With the Treo™ Pro smartphone by Palm, a little ease goes a long way.

Wi-Fi
Join a Wi-Fi network with one touch.1 There’s no scrolling through menus or navigating to different screens—just press a button on the Treo Pro and you’re connected.

Web
Do a quick web search by typing directly on the Today screen. You’ll get your answers without having to locate and launch another application.

Voicemail
The voicemail light flashes on the front of the device, letting you know that you’ve got a new message without even turning on your phone.

Calendar and email
One-touch shortcut buttons take you directly to email and Calendar. So when you need to quickly access your inbox or look up an appointment, there are no complicated steps or wasted time.

Ringer Switch
Palm makes it quick and easy to silence your phone for meetings—just by sliding the ringer switch. No menus, no scrolling, no worries.

SPEC
Platform: Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional Edition

Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7201 400MHz

Display: 320x320 transflective color TFT flush touchscreen

Radio: HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM radio
Tri-band UMTS – 850MHz, 1900MHz, 2100MHz
Quad-band GSM – 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz

Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g with WPA, WPA2, and 801.1x authentication

GPS: Built-in GPS

Bluetooth: Wireless Technology Version: 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate

Memory: 256MB (100MB user available), 128MB RAM

Camera: 2.0 megapixels with up to 8x digital zoom and video capture

Battery: Removable, rechargeable 1500mAh lithium-ion; Up to 5.0 hours talk time and up to 250 hours standby

Expansion: microSDHC cards (up to 32GB supported)

Connector: MicroUSB™ 2.0 for synchronization and charging

Audio: 3.5mm stereo headset jack

Dimensions Length: 4.49", Width: 2.36", Depth: 0.53", Weight: 4.69 oz

Color: Obsidian

System Requirements: Windows® XP, Windows Vista™

Software on device
ActiveSync®; Adobe Reader LE; Bluetooth®; Bubble Breaker; Calculator; Calendar; Communications Manager; Contacts; File Explorer; Get WorldMate; GoogleMaps; Internet Explorer® Mobile; Messaging; Microsoft® Office Mobile including Excel® Mobile, OneNote Mobile, PowerPoint® Mobile, and Word Mobile; My Treo; Notes; Pics & Videos; QuickGPS; Quick Tour; SIM Manager; Solitaire; Sprite Backup; Streaming Media; Tasks; Telenav; Voice Command; Windows Live™; Windows Live™ Messenger; Windows Media® Player Mobile

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Intel And Yahoo Unites Internet With Television

Intel Corporation and Yahoo! Inc. previewed plans for the Widget Channel, a television (TV) application framework optimized for TV and related consumer electronics (CE) devices that use the Intel Architecture. The Widget Channel will allow consumers to enjoy rich Internet applications designed for the TV while watching their favorite TV programs. The Widget Channel will be powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine, a fifth-generation applications platform that will enable TV watchers to interact with and enjoy a rich set of “TV Widgets,” or small Internet applications designed to complement and enhance the traditional TV watching experience and bring content, information and community features available on the Internet within easy reach of the remote control. The Widget Channel will also allow developers to use JAVASCRIPT, XML, HTML and Adobe® Flash® technology to write TV applications for the platform, extending the power and compatibility of PC application developer programs to TV and related CE devices. In addition to supporting the Yahoo! Widget Engine, Yahoo! will also provide consumers Yahoo!-branded TV Widgets that are customized based on its category-leading Internet services.

TV Widgets will enable consumers to engage in a variety of experiences, such as watching videos, tracking their favorite stocks or sports teams, interacting with friends, or staying current on news and information. Viewers will be able to use TV Widgets to deepen their enjoyment of the programming they are watching, discover new content and services, or share their favorites with friends and family. TV Widgets can be personalized because they will be based upon popular Internet services such as Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sports, Blockbuster® and eBay® that viewers have customized for use in their daily lives.

"TV will fundamentally change how we talk about, imagine and experience the Internet," said Eric Kim, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the company's Digital Home Group. "No longer just a passive experience unless the viewer wants it that way, Intel and Yahoo! are proposing a way where the TV and Internet are as interactive, and seamless, as possible. Our close work has produced an exciting application framework upon which the industry can collaborate, innovate and differentiate. This effort is one of what we believe will be many exciting new ways to bring the Internet to the TV, and it really shows the potential of what consumers can look forward to."

"On the PC and mobile devices, Yahoo! is a leading starting point for millions of consumers around the world," said Marco Boerries, executive vice president, Connected Life, Yahoo! Inc. "Yahoo! aims to extend this leadership to the emerging world of Internet-connected TV, which we call the Cinematic Internet™. By partnering with leaders like Intel, we plan to combine the Internet benefits of open user choice, community, and personalization with the performance and scale embodied in the Intel Architecture to transform traditional TV into something bigger, better and more exciting than ever before. By using the popular Yahoo! Widget Engine to power the Widget Channel, we intend to provide an opportunity for all developers and publishers to create new experiences that can reach millions of TV viewers globally. Yahoo! plans to enable the Cinematic Internet™ ecosystem, which will benefit consumers, device makers, advertisers and publishers."

Widget Channel Framework and TV Widget Developers

Underlying the Widget Channel will be a powerful set of platform technologies, including the Yahoo! Widget Engine and core libraries that expose the powerful functions enabled by the Intel Architecture. The Widget Channel framework will use established Internet technologies to dramatically lower the barrier of entry for developing applications optimized for TV. To help create new TV Widgets for the Widget Channel, Intel and Yahoo! plan to make a development kit available to developers, including TV and other CE device makers, advertisers and publishers. The Widget Channel will also include a Widget Gallery, to which developers can publish their TV Widgets across multiple TV and related CE devices and through which consumers can view and select the TV Widgets they would like to use.

Intel and Yahoo! are working with a range of industry-leading companies that are planning on developing and deploying TV Widgets, including Blockbuster*, CBS Interactive*, CinemaNow*, Cinequest*, Comcast*, Disney-ABC Television Group*, eBay*, GE*, Group M*, Joost*, MTV*, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.*, Schematic*, Showtime*, Toshiba* and Twitter*. These and other companies and individuals will be able to innovate, differentiate and deploy TV Widgets across multiple TV and related CE devices using the Widget Channel framework. Additional information on the Widget Channel framework and the Yahoo! Widget Engine can be found at www.intel.com/go/celink and connectedtv.yahoo.com/newsroom.

Intel Architecture

Intel Architecture (IA) is at the heart of millions of PC-, MID- and server-based Internet clients, which has helped enable the proliferation of Internet-based content and services while providing users with an uncompromised Internet experience. Accelerating the delivery of the Internet to the TV, Intel today extended performance, headroom and connectivity of IA into a new family of "purpose built" system-on-chip (SoC) media processors for Internet-connected CE devices, including optical media players, U.S. cable set-top-boxes, digital TVs and other connected audio visual products.

Intel's first CE IA-based SoC, the Intel® Media Processor CE 3100 (formerly "Canmore"), is a highly integrated chip which includes a high-performance IA core and other functional I/O blocks to enable high definition video decode and viewing, home-theater-quality audio, 3-D graphics, and the fusion of the Internet and TV experiences. The Widget Channel software framework is designed to work with a new generation of Internet-connected CE devices based on Intel's purpose built SoC. The hardware and software compatibility of IA also provides support for broadcast and Internet content.

Intel also plans to release the Intel Media Processor CE 3100-based hardware development system called the "Innovation Platform" which will provide the initial development and validation environment for developers of TV Widgets on the Widget Channel.

An Open Framework

Finally, Intel and Yahoo! are working with industry members to promote the development of open and consistent standards necessary to grow the TV Widget ecosystem. As part of their efforts, the companies are sharing an early version of a development kit for the Widget Channel with selected TV Widget developers now.

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Intel Moves Future Core™ Processors Into Turbo Mode

In his Intel Developer Forum keynote today, Pat Gelsinger detailed the road map for Intel's continued march toward pervasive, higher performance and power efficient computing. The senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group discussed new features of the company's next-generation processor family including a new turbo mode that shifts the processor into a higher gear for mind-blowing performance without a heat penalty.

The company's first desktop PC chips branded Intel® Core™ i7 processors and initial energy-efficient, high-performance server products (codenamed "Nehalem-EP") will be first to production. Intel is also planning to manufacture a second server derivative designed for the expandable sever market ("Nehalem-EX"), and desktop ("Havendale" and "Lynnfield") and mobile ("Auburndale" and "Clarksfield") client versions in the second half of 2009.

"Our engineers have put together an incredible processing family here that will include a tremendous amount of new processor features all centered on delivering faster computer performance and terrific energy efficiency," Gelsinger said.

The next-generation Core microarchitecture also features Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology* delivering up to 8-threaded performance capability on 4 cores in the initial versions and best-in-class memory bandwidth thanks to the new QuickPath Interconnect. QuickPath is a technology that connects processors, chipsets and memory together, and delivers up to three times the memory bandwidth of previous generation Core microarchitecture solutions.

The new Intel Xeon processor X7460 with 6 cores and 16MB L3 cache for expandable servers launching in September has already broken multiple performance world records¹. An 8-socket IBM System x* 3950 M2 server became the first platform to break the 1 million tpmC barrier on the TPC*-C benchmark. New 4-Socket performance records include TPC*-C on HP Proliant* DL580 G5, TPC*-E on Dell PowerEdge* R900, SPECjbb*2005 on Sun Fire* X4450 and SPECint*_rate2006 on Fujitsu-Siemens PRIMERGY* RX600 S4.

Gelsinger also discussed the industry's first many-core Intel Architecture (IA) based design, codenamed "Larrabee." Expected in 2009 or 2010, the first product based on Larrabee will target the personal computer graphics market, support DirectX and OpenGL, and run today's games and programs. Larrabee is expected to kick start an industry-wide effort to create and optimize software for the dozens, hundreds and thousands of cores expected to power future computers.

The Intel executive also outlined Intel's vision for the next wave of the Internet, called the Embedded Internet. Emerging markets in the embedded computing space such as IP networking and security, video intelligence, medical, in-vehicle infotainment and home automation can greatly benefit from the always-on Internet connectivity. Gelsinger said that this area is another growth opportunity for Intel and the high-tech industry, and predicted that there will be 15 billion devices connected to the Internet as a result of the rapid rise of the embedded internet.

Where Will Mobile Computing's "On-the-Go, Go?"

Showing the breadth and health of Intel's next-generation processors, David (Dadi) Perlmutter, executive vice president and general manager of Intel's Mobility Group today demonstrated the first working laptop platform codenamed "Calpella."

"Calpella will redefine how we compute on-the-go by giving users a stunning new computing visual experience, better manageability and security, enhanced turbo mode features and evolutionary power management for notebooks," said Perlmutter. "It is all about dramatic mobile performance without compromise."

New Mobile Processors Unveiled

Building on the recent Intel Centrino® 2 launch for notebook PCs in July, Perlmutter unveiled Intel's first-ever mobile-focused quad-core laptop workstation – the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor. While the products include four cores, they only use 45 watts of power.

Perlmutter also introduced the company's second-generation dual-core mobile processors for increasingly popular ultra thin and light notebook PCs.

He also outlined upcoming mobile platform enhancements including the Intel High-Performance SATA Solid-State Drive product line for faster system responsiveness, lower power consumption and rugged, reliable operation and available later this year, Intel Anti-Theft Technology, which features intelligent hardware-based detection and response mechanisms that enable IT managers or service providers to disable the platform and/or access to data in case of loss or theft.

WiMAX Connecting Soon

Emerging WiMAX 4G networks around the world will be connecting the plethora of mobile platforms and devices, and specifically within the United States where Sprint XOHM* plans to turn on its first citywide network in Baltimore in September. Globally, more than 400 WiMAX trials and networks² extend the richness of the mobility experience. Perlmutter also announced that Dell has now joined other computer-makers such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Panasonic, and Toshiba as publicly committing to include the Intel® WiMAX/WiFi Link 5050 Series module to future laptop product lines.

Barrett: "Get involved"

During the conference's opening keynote, Intel Chairman Craig Barrett applauded the developer community for technology innovations that contributed to unimagined advances in entertainment and business productivity during the past 40 years. He said the impact of their work is borderless and challenged them to collaborate and use their technology expertise to inspire and empower the billions of people who have recently joined the world's free economic system.

"Technology is a tool to address some of the world's most pressing challenges related to health care, education, economic development and the environment," said Barrett, who also chairs a United Nations initiative on technology in the developing world. "No nations or individuals are untouched by these issues. Get involved. Be part of the solution."

Barrett also announced that Intel will award four $100,000 prizes to the most innovative ideas for applying technology to meet unmet needs related to education, health care, economic development and the environment. Ideas will be evaluated for sustainability and innovativeness of the solution.

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