LG OPTIMUS SOL: Sol curry

LG’s updated its Optimus smartphone with a couple of mid – range options and the SOL adds on to the already crowded shelves. Encased in a piano black plastic body, the 3.8 – inch blower sports an ‘Ultra’ AMOLED WVGA display, packs in a 1GHz processor and runs Android Gingerbread. The inclusion of Wi – Fi Direct and DLNA sharing is a pleasant surprise. There’s a gig of internal storage and it comes with a 2GB microSD in the pack… useful since it boasts of DivX/Xvid playback capabilities out – of – the box. An FM tuner is also on board.

As usual, LG decks up Android with its Optimus UI. You can pinch to view thumnails of the seven home screens, jump directly to the desired one with a tap, and even choose the one to display when the home key is tapped. The app drawer classifies apps according to the ones preinstalled and the ones you download. You can create your own app categories… a pinch collapses or expands headings. Preloaded apps include Polaris Office for document editing. Social+ widget for displaying social feeds and also a network data monitor widget.

The 5 – meg snapper can do 720p vids, but its below par – the lack of flash doesn’t help things. The screen is quite vibrant thanks to the AMOLDED goodness and the phone performs without any hiccups. It sure is a capable device, but doesn’t have any standout feature to distinguish it from others. At a similar price point, there are other contenders such as Sony Ericsson’s Xperia ray and even LG’s own dualcore Optimus 2X vying for your dough.

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Travelling to China? Leave your laptop at home

American Government officials and private business people travelling to China are taking more and more precautions against hacking and digital espionage, according to a report in The New York Times. While many people simply leaving their electronics behind, others have separate devices for travelling or follow elaborate routines for blanking out the hard drives before leaving and sanitizing them once again upon return. Travellers have also learnt to take the batteries out of their phones to protect themselves from spyware that might clandestinely start recording their meetings and conversations.

China isn’t the only offender, but its growing importance in world politics and economics make it a huge danger. Laptops that make it back from China are often infected with malware that spreads across a company’s network as soon as they connect to it upon return. The malware then sneaks into other computers, printers and networked appliances in order to avoid detection and allow remote attackers to gain access to corporate secrets.  Top government officials are said to be fully aware that every single laptop taken into China by officials in various government had returned without some sort of deliberate and persistent malware infection. It is also illegal to carry encrypted storage devices into China without prior government approval.

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BRAG CARNELIAN : EXOTIC ENTERTAINMENT

In an age svelte consoles, tablets, handhelds and smartphones that usually inhabit the pages of T3, the Brag Carnelian stands out. It’s an oddity, a heavily priced one at that – so much so that If you were to work out its cost, it could fetch you two Tata Nanos. Yes, in these heavy times rising hardware prices, 99 – cent apps and exponentially cheaper consoles, it seems like an awful extravagance.

Then you switch it on, and fire up. The Elder Scrolls V.Skyrim  in all its high – res glory. All those pricing concerns melt away. As good as the game was on slightly inferior devices, you can’t help but feel that the most intricate of details gave seemingly come alive. Water looks real enough to take a bath in, the fireballs spewed by the game’s iconic dragins seems to singe on each touch. An hour in and we can’t believe we actually settled for playing it on anything less.

In a way it’s unsurprising. Chance upon the specs and you’ll realise that this is a brute of a system. It ploughed through heavy hitters like indie PC – killer Hard Reset, our favourite post – apocalyptic shooter, Metro 2033 and Batman Arkham City without a hitch at a glorious 2560×1440 resolution with all the bells and whistles turned on. Thanks to the liquid cooling it wasn’t too noisy either.

The Carnelian isn’t exactly the most cost – effective solution to complement the fact that PC games are as cheap as they are and yes, you can build a discontinuing their Aurora desktop range in the country, you’re short of options for a branding gaming rig.

Having said that, if you’re an enthusiast with money to burn, you can’t go wrong with Brag’s latest.

Price: 1,85,000 Rs

Specifications

• Processor: Intel Core i7 3930K@ 3.2 GHz, Liquid cooled
• Memory / Storage: 16GB DDR3/120GB SSD, 2TB HDD
• Optical Drive: Blu – ray writer
• GPU: AMD Radeon HD7970, 3GB
• Connectivity: N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, DVI, USB 3.0

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KEY STROKE OF GENIUS

Stylish, laser – powered multi – touch keyboard and mouse duo morph into any interface you fancy

There’s a new wave of keyboards in town. Designer – turned – inventor Jason Giddlings ‘ multi – touch keyboard and mouse is the future of peripherals and promises to change the way we interact with computing devices, morphing into different interfaces as per your needs. The multi – touch device also supports gestures, and comprises of two “fourier transforum infrared “ (FTIR – Google it, why don’cha ) glass sheetsm and hence can be tailored to multiple purposes, from traditional QWERTY to video editing or gaming setups. The mouse is similarly adaptable, putting key controls under your palm.

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MAC JUICE ON TAP : Mobee Magic Feet

Keeping your achingly stylish Apple wireless kwyboard, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse fully charged, the complimentary and equally sexy Mobee Magic Feet inductive charging station props up your peripherals with six hours of side-by-side battery boosting keeping you in full working order for up to ten days. It also adds fours USB ports to your PC – hatting armoury while sitting sleekly on your desk 24/7.

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Everything But the Box Terra MK3: FAT BOTTOMED GIRILS

Remember the saucy number by Queen that eulogised women with large posteriors? That’s the song that rang true in our minds when we were introduced to EBTB’s Terra Mk3 bookshelf speakers. While Freddie Mercury stood amongst the crowd of rock singer – performers  for his showmanship. EBTB does it with its eccentric designs that are anything but cuboidal. But are they fat enough to make the rockin’ world go around?

It didn’t take us long before we had the 30mm tweeters and 4 – inch bass – mid driver belting out tracks as best as they could. Just under the midrange driver and in front of the spherical enclosure is the bass reflex port. What’s more, there is a tweakable dial on each of the bottoms… kinky ! Actually, they are meant to tone down the highs, depending on your preferences.

At first, these lacquer – finished, high – gloss speakers were a little stiff when it came to reproducing adequate bass. However, they dealt with the highs and mids quite well.  It was only after extended usage did the mid – bass drivers seems to loosen up a little. Adding much – needed body to the soundtracks.

The Mk3 is bright – sounding, which everyone may not prefer, so the HF dial at the back is a plus. While the lows were not as full – bodied as we would have liked, the speakers never skipped a beat or boomed along lazily. Ideally, these should be paired with EBTB’s monster ball, the Subterranean II ( Model 2 ) subwoofer. While the Mk3s were not as detailed for layered music, they were superb with simpler orchestrations like a jazz routine or an acoustic ballad. If you have the moolah, you should take these girls down beside you that red firelight.

Read More

MAC JUICE ON TAP : Mobee Magic Feet

Keeping your achingly stylish Apple wireless kwyboard, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse fully charged, the complimentary and equally sexy Mobee Magic Feet inductive charging station props up your peripherals with six hours of side-by-side battery boosting keeping you in full working order for up to ten days. It also adds fours USB ports to your PC – hatting armoury while sitting sleekly on your desk 24/7.

Read More

Everything But the Box Terra MK3: FAT BOTTOMED GIRILS

Remember the saucy number by Queen that eulogised women with large posteriors? That’s the song that rang true in our minds when we were introduced to EBTB’s Terra Mk3 bookshelf speakers. While Freddie Mercury stood amongst the crowd of rock singer – performers  for his showmanship. EBTB does it with its eccentric designs that are anything but cuboidal. But are they fat enough to make the rockin’ world go around?

It didn’t take us long before we had the 30mm tweeters and 4 – inch bass – mid driver belting out tracks as best as they could. Just under the midrange driver and in front of the spherical enclosure is the bass reflex port. What’s more, there is a tweakable dial on each of the bottoms… kinky ! Actually, they are meant to tone down the highs, depending on your preferences.

At first, these lacquer – finished, high – gloss speakers were a little stiff when it came to reproducing adequate bass. However, they dealt with the highs and mids quite well.  It was only after extended usage did the mid – bass drivers seems to loosen up a little. Adding much – needed body to the soundtracks.

The Mk3 is bright – sounding, which everyone may not prefer, so the HF dial at the back is a plus. While the lows were not as full – bodied as we would have liked, the speakers never skipped a beat or boomed along lazily. Ideally, these should be paired with EBTB’s monster ball, the Subterranean II ( Model 2 ) subwoofer. While the Mk3s were not as detailed for layered music, they were superb with simpler orchestrations like a jazz routine or an acoustic ballad. If you have the moolah, you should take these girls down beside you that red firelight.

Read More

10 Things… Tech heads are irrationally scared of

• Unwanted PC seizure
• Vintage tapes being found
• Phone loss
• Micro face cancer
• The toilets of others
• Children who know tech
• Emailing the CEO
• Cash machines
• The Airport
• Webcams

Unwanted PC seizure

You’ve never done anything other than work, buy Blu – rays online and play QWOP on your office computer. But you also know its previous owner was that sweaty guy with the Red Dwarf t-shirt who smelled of boiled lamb and left in a hurry. Could it be that any second now the “special police” will burst through the window, find a buried folder and send you down for a lengthy and disagreeable stretch in nonce town? Yes, in a word.

Vintage tapes being found

You were a bit of tormented singer-songwriter when you were a teenager, and recorded all your yearning balladry onto cassettes. Then you left them behind when you moved out. So where are said tapes now? They’re still sitting there, waiting for your children to find them. Then they’ll listen to Love is Killing Me ( reprise ), Window Pain, Requiem for my Loneliness and An Eternity of Misery and subsequently never look you in the eye again.

Phone Loss

If there’s one thing that’s more painful to lose than a close friend, it’s your beloved smart phone. The 24 hours before you find it in the fridge are filled with sweaty terror, stomach – churning dread and dark malaise: “How will all the people contact me?” Finally, you see The Precious sitting under that industrial block of cheddar and notice you have 22 missed calls, Job offers? Invites to parties? No. it was you ringing from the house phone.

Microwave face cancer

Cooking food in the old “potty ping” is responsible for your headaches and that lump on your neck, sure as your phone is killing your every sperm. Luckily, the microwave will not have time to kill you. The lasagne sat-fat fests meant for two that you scorch inside it every night will see to that.

The toilets of others

More specifically, those of potential in – laws. You just know it won’t be able to deal with what you’ve just done. Oh yes, it may have a doily on its head and delightful pine seating, but an effective flush ? forget it. Here goes 3-2-1… Nothing. So to refill, then try again. Oh dear. After an hour of this, and long after the dessert course arrived downstairs, you start to weep, before finally slopping off to bed and hoping for the best.

Children who know tech

They’re all over the internet, jumping on anyone who dare mistake their quadcore for a dualcore, or who mentions digital zoom ratings when everyone know only optical zoom is relevant, pausing only to lambast tech publications for their “Apple bias”. If only there was a way to lean through their monitors and clip them round the ear. Get off our virtual lawns, you pesky kids.

Emailing the CEO

A “personal” mailing from the boss to you and the 7,300 other people you work with has made clear there’s to be no pay rises, and counselled. “Feel free to email with any concerns.” So you reply with some detailed queries about his or her “road map”. Fear grabs you as soon as you hit send. Will you now be seen as a troublemaker? Or could it be you’ll get the promotion for your chutzpah? Neither, you’ll just be told a month later that a “company – wide review” is in place and times are tough, to which you should always reply with a thumbs – up smiley.

Cash machines

Up there with toilet rims , hand rails in hospitals and most trains, cash machine keys look like they’re laced with a cocktail of sweat, spit, blood, flu, E-Coli, herpes, bubonic plague and cholera.

The Airport

You know you haven’t got TNT in your blog; you know your passport is in your jacket pocket; you know your briefcase is in your hand. Still, this doesn’t stop you checking all three every 30 seconds or so. You’re also sure this is the time you’ll finally succumb to that childish urge to say, “No, I asked the Taliban to pack it for me,” as your laptop and camera cables poke suspiciously out of your carry bag.

Webcams

Even wonder if that little camera built into your laptop is beaming your image to some far off land, or to everyone you know while you’re busy “relaxing”? No? Oh good, Just us then…

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LENOVO U300S: PORTA PARTY

Ultrabooks are finally a category that isn’t just the purview of Apple-loving hipsters, extending to people who well, actually do something with their laptops rather than just look fashionable at coffee shops. To prove its point, Lenovo has thrown its hat into the ring with the U300s. The first thing that hits you is its slim, borderline anorexic looks. Carved form a block of aluminium, it is quite striking. Decked with grey accents, it has an appearance that’s quite unlike other ultrabooks in its category. Its appearance is quite befitting the discerning business class who yearn for some added style while working on presentations. This notion is further heightening by the 13.3-inch-screen – more than enough room to multi-task between documents, emails and spreadsheets. It’s a welcome change from the usual fare that’s an inch or two shorter on display space.
In terms of specs, the U300s is available ini5 or i7 variants. Battery life is decent, clocking around five hours. That’s just about enough to get you through a long flight, if used judiciously. Its equipped with a 128GB solid state drive, which is by no means generous but should suffice if you don’t plan on storing movies or music. This is strictly a professional affair and it shows, what the ergonomic Chiclet-shaped keys that allows a modicum of comfort to ease you through a harrowing day of computing. While the U300s is a solid piece of kit, we feel a tad short-changed by omissions such as backlit keys and a LAN port. For the price, it should have these features-something the non-hipster ultrabook-seeking folk would definitely clamour for when the inevitable refreshed, revamped model hits.

SPECIFICATIONS

PROCESSOR- Intel core i5 245M up to 2.3GHz

MEMORY- 4GB STORAGE -128GB SSD

GRAPHICS- Intel HD3000

DISPLAY-1366*768 13.3-inch

CONNECTIONS- USB

SIZE/WEIGHT -324*216*15mm/1.32kg

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Nokia's Plan B: Patent litigation

HTC CEO Peter Chou, and Nokia CEO Stephen Elop shared a panel discussing the prospects of Windows Phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in February.
(Credit: Roger Cheng/CNET)

Just a few short months ago, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and HTC CEO Peter Chou sat next to each on a panel to discuss their mutual respect for each other and shared optimism over the Windows Phone platform.

Now, the two are poised to duke it out in the courtroom.

Nokia said today that it had filed lawsuits against HTC, Research in Motion, and ViewSonic, claiming that each has illegally used 45 of its patents relating to all manner of wireless technology.

Related stories

    * Nokia cites 45 patents in lawsuits against HTC, RIM, Viewsonic
    * Motorola wins injunction against Windows 7, Xbox 360 in Germany
    * Apple doesn't want jurors to see Samsung logo at trial
    * Unwired Planet sets sail on patent offensive
    * Judge scolds Apple over 'frivolous' lawsuit filings

The quick about face by Nokia underscores the company's willingness to look for new sources of revenue beyond selling handsets. Indeed, just as Oracle has gone after Google over the use of Java in Android, Nokia is going after some of its competitor. Armed with a healthy war chest of patents, Nokia could lean on its licensing business as the company continues its attempt to break into the smartphone market with its line of Lumia Windows Phones. With its financials still extremely weak, the company could use all the help it can get.

Nokia is just one of many companies jumping into the legal fray. Beyond Google and Oracle, Apple has been a key player in much of the litigation in the wireless industry. Apple has sued a number of Android players, including Samsung Electronics, HTC, and Motorola Mobility. The fracas is such that Google felt it necessary to acquire Motorola, which boasts its own wealth of patents, to protect Android and the company's partners.

Nokia, however, is better equipped than most when it comes to the legal arena, The company has actually faced off with Apple -- and won. Last year, the two companies settled their dispute, with Apple agreeing to pay a one-time fee and a recurring licensing fee to Nokia. While the fee went undisclosed, estimates at the time pegged the payment to be in excess of $600 million.

Nokia hasn't always had the same success. When the company settled its long-standing dispute with Qualcomm in 2008, it ended up having to pay. Nokia had to pay a one-time fee of around $2.3 billion, as well as a recurring fee, to Qualcomm.

Still, given its more recent success against Apple, Nokia has to be feeling confident against HTC, RIM, and ViewSonic. The company certainly needs any financial boost it can get from its lawsuits. The company posted a loss in the first quarter and warned that second-quarter results wouldn't be much better.

The tough results come as Nokia attempts to get its Lumia smartphone in the hands of more consumers. In the second quarter, Nokia launched the Lumia 900 in the U.S. through AT&T, spending a massive amount of money to raise awareness of the phone. Stunts include taking over Times Square for a brief concert, with blue flashing banners touting the Lumia 900, as well as a temporary promotion that gave early buyers a $100 credit -- essentially making the phone free -- as compensation for a glitch found in some of the devices.

While litigation and any possible settlement would come months -- if not years -- away, any such victory could bring an unexpected boon to Nokia. The company certainly needs all the victories it can get.

Read More

Nokia's Plan B: Patent litigation

HTC CEO Peter Chou, and Nokia CEO Stephen Elop shared a panel discussing the prospects of Windows Phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in February.
(Credit: Roger Cheng/CNET)

Just a few short months ago, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and HTC CEO Peter Chou sat next to each on a panel to discuss their mutual respect for each other and shared optimism over the Windows Phone platform.

Now, the two are poised to duke it out in the courtroom.

Nokia said today that it had filed lawsuits against HTC, Research in Motion, and ViewSonic, claiming that each has illegally used 45 of its patents relating to all manner of wireless technology.

Related stories

    * Nokia cites 45 patents in lawsuits against HTC, RIM, Viewsonic
    * Motorola wins injunction against Windows 7, Xbox 360 in Germany
    * Apple doesn't want jurors to see Samsung logo at trial
    * Unwired Planet sets sail on patent offensive
    * Judge scolds Apple over 'frivolous' lawsuit filings

The quick about face by Nokia underscores the company's willingness to look for new sources of revenue beyond selling handsets. Indeed, just as Oracle has gone after Google over the use of Java in Android, Nokia is going after some of its competitor. Armed with a healthy war chest of patents, Nokia could lean on its licensing business as the company continues its attempt to break into the smartphone market with its line of Lumia Windows Phones. With its financials still extremely weak, the company could use all the help it can get.

Nokia is just one of many companies jumping into the legal fray. Beyond Google and Oracle, Apple has been a key player in much of the litigation in the wireless industry. Apple has sued a number of Android players, including Samsung Electronics, HTC, and Motorola Mobility. The fracas is such that Google felt it necessary to acquire Motorola, which boasts its own wealth of patents, to protect Android and the company's partners.

Nokia, however, is better equipped than most when it comes to the legal arena, The company has actually faced off with Apple -- and won. Last year, the two companies settled their dispute, with Apple agreeing to pay a one-time fee and a recurring licensing fee to Nokia. While the fee went undisclosed, estimates at the time pegged the payment to be in excess of $600 million.

Nokia hasn't always had the same success. When the company settled its long-standing dispute with Qualcomm in 2008, it ended up having to pay. Nokia had to pay a one-time fee of around $2.3 billion, as well as a recurring fee, to Qualcomm.

Still, given its more recent success against Apple, Nokia has to be feeling confident against HTC, RIM, and ViewSonic. The company certainly needs any financial boost it can get from its lawsuits. The company posted a loss in the first quarter and warned that second-quarter results wouldn't be much better.

The tough results come as Nokia attempts to get its Lumia smartphone in the hands of more consumers. In the second quarter, Nokia launched the Lumia 900 in the U.S. through AT&T, spending a massive amount of money to raise awareness of the phone. Stunts include taking over Times Square for a brief concert, with blue flashing banners touting the Lumia 900, as well as a temporary promotion that gave early buyers a $100 credit -- essentially making the phone free -- as compensation for a glitch found in some of the devices.

While litigation and any possible settlement would come months -- if not years -- away, any such victory could bring an unexpected boon to Nokia. The company certainly needs all the victories it can get.

Read More

New ticket to Harvard and MIT: An Internet connection

(Credit: Harvard University)

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today launched an initiative to make its education material available online for free.

Through an initiative called edX, the two storied learning institutions will develop an open-source software platform and offer some of their courses online starting this fall. Harvard and MIT will govern the not-for-profit joint venture and dedicate $30 million each in grants and institutional support.

With edX, Harvard and MIT are seeking to learn about online education to enhance how they offer classes online, both to remote students and students on campus, university officials said a press conference in Boston.

"Online education is disruptive, it will completely change the world," said Anant Agarwal, the director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. "Our goal is to educate one billion people around the world."

A prototype class in circuits and electronics attracted 120,000 registered students, who will receive a certificate and a grade for completing the classes.

Harvard and MIT hope to offer courses from other universities at edX and that other universities will use its open-source software. MIT content will branded "MITx," the name of MIT's online education program launched last year, and Harvard classes as "Harvardx."

There is growing activity in online learning at universities, non-profits, and start-up companies. MIT launched OpenCourseWare ten years ago to make its class content online. Over the past few years, the Khan Academy has helped popularize online learning with videos on a wide range of topics. Udacity and Coursera are two companies offering free online instruction, too.

In addition to familiar video lectures from teachers, edX will develop software to enhance learning with tests, personalized coursework, and collaboration tools for students. The software will gather information on how students use the software to gain insight into effective teaching methods, said Agarwal. Officials said the universities will use edX for research to better enhance the residential learning experience on campus.
Related stories

    * Need to learn stats? Coursera has you covered
    * MIT open sources online learning
    * Khan Academy hires first Google employee

How the venture will be funded over time is still an open question. The universities are considering different business models, such as charging for certificates.

For its first classes, students will receive a certificate and grade for completing an online class, but not issued under the names of Harvard or MIT. Students already at MIT and Harvard can't take edX classes for credit.

What classes will be offered online is also being determined, officials said. Above all, the launch of edX is a recognition that the Internet is deeply affecting university-level education.

"Today in higher education generally you can choose to view this as an era of threatening change and unsettling volatility or a moment charged with the most exciting opportunities to educators in our lifetimes," said MIT president Susan Hockfield.

Read More

New ticket to Harvard and MIT: An Internet connection

(Credit: Harvard University)

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today launched an initiative to make its education material available online for free.

Through an initiative called edX, the two storied learning institutions will develop an open-source software platform and offer some of their courses online starting this fall. Harvard and MIT will govern the not-for-profit joint venture and dedicate $30 million each in grants and institutional support.

With edX, Harvard and MIT are seeking to learn about online education to enhance how they offer classes online, both to remote students and students on campus, university officials said a press conference in Boston.

"Online education is disruptive, it will completely change the world," said Anant Agarwal, the director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. "Our goal is to educate one billion people around the world."

A prototype class in circuits and electronics attracted 120,000 registered students, who will receive a certificate and a grade for completing the classes.

Harvard and MIT hope to offer courses from other universities at edX and that other universities will use its open-source software. MIT content will branded "MITx," the name of MIT's online education program launched last year, and Harvard classes as "Harvardx."

There is growing activity in online learning at universities, non-profits, and start-up companies. MIT launched OpenCourseWare ten years ago to make its class content online. Over the past few years, the Khan Academy has helped popularize online learning with videos on a wide range of topics. Udacity and Coursera are two companies offering free online instruction, too.

In addition to familiar video lectures from teachers, edX will develop software to enhance learning with tests, personalized coursework, and collaboration tools for students. The software will gather information on how students use the software to gain insight into effective teaching methods, said Agarwal. Officials said the universities will use edX for research to better enhance the residential learning experience on campus.
Related stories

    * Need to learn stats? Coursera has you covered
    * MIT open sources online learning
    * Khan Academy hires first Google employee

How the venture will be funded over time is still an open question. The universities are considering different business models, such as charging for certificates.

For its first classes, students will receive a certificate and grade for completing an online class, but not issued under the names of Harvard or MIT. Students already at MIT and Harvard can't take edX classes for credit.

What classes will be offered online is also being determined, officials said. Above all, the launch of edX is a recognition that the Internet is deeply affecting university-level education.

"Today in higher education generally you can choose to view this as an era of threatening change and unsettling volatility or a moment charged with the most exciting opportunities to educators in our lifetimes," said MIT president Susan Hockfield.

Read More

Turn an old MagicJack into a Google Voice accessory

Things I didn't know existed until just recently: The Obihai OBiTalk, a gizmo that plugs into your router and pairs with SIP-based voice-over-IP services like Google Voice; and GVJack App, a Windows utility that links a MagicJack to your Google Voice account.

Why are these products significant? Simple: Google Voice offers free local and long-distance calling -- through the end of 2012, at least. After that, it's anybody's guess. Google might continue the free-phone goodness, or it might start charging for service. (If the latter happens, it's a good bet it'll be cheap.)

Whatever the case, GVJack App offers an intriguing solution for inexpensive home-phone service. The software costs $19.95, though you can try it free for seven days to make sure it works to your liking.

Based on my experiences, it should. I tested it with an old, expired MagicJack dongle I haven't touched in probably 2-3 years. (By "expired" I mean the associated account is no longer active.) After some initial hiccups, it worked like a charm.

In case you're unfamiliar with it, MagicJack is the gizmo that plugs into your PC and provides unlimited local and long-distance phone service. (There's also MagicJack for iPhone, which is pretty cool.) The newer MagicJack Plus works similarly, though it can plug into your router for PC-free calling (which is far more convenient). Whichever MJ you use, you will need a PC as part of this equation.

If you don't already own a MagicJack, you can pick up a used one on Ebay for around $10-15. (GVJack App's developers say they can be had for "under $3," but I've yet to find one selling for anywhere near that price. If you know a good source, by all means share it in the comments.)

After installing GVJack App, I plugged in my old MagicJack, connected a phone, and picked up the handset. Dial tone! But then, when I tried to dial a number, the software didn't seem to capture all the digits I'd pressed, and the call didn't go through. This happened repeatedly until I exited GVJack App, unplugged the MagicJack, and then restarted everything.

From there it was smooth sailing. I could make and take calls via Google Voice, and the sound quality proved excellent for incoming and outgoing calls alike.

GVJack App provides a wealth of calling features, including a priority-call table (certain numbers get a special ring), call screening, talking caller ID, automatic redial, and so on. Suffice it to say, GVJackApp is considerably more versatile than MagicJack proper. Interestingly, when you exit the software, your MagicJack goes back to its normal function (if you need it to). No permanent changes are made.

To summarize, for $20 plus the cost of a MagicJack, you can enjoy unlimited phone service at least through the end of the year. The only real downside is that, as with the original MJ itself, you need to leave a PC running 24/7. If that's a dealbreaker, the Obihai OBi100 sells for as little as $43.99 and gives you the flexibility of working with services other than Google Voice.

Read More

Turn an old MagicJack into a Google Voice accessory

Things I didn't know existed until just recently: The Obihai OBiTalk, a gizmo that plugs into your router and pairs with SIP-based voice-over-IP services like Google Voice; and GVJack App, a Windows utility that links a MagicJack to your Google Voice account.

Why are these products significant? Simple: Google Voice offers free local and long-distance calling -- through the end of 2012, at least. After that, it's anybody's guess. Google might continue the free-phone goodness, or it might start charging for service. (If the latter happens, it's a good bet it'll be cheap.)

Whatever the case, GVJack App offers an intriguing solution for inexpensive home-phone service. The software costs $19.95, though you can try it free for seven days to make sure it works to your liking.

Based on my experiences, it should. I tested it with an old, expired MagicJack dongle I haven't touched in probably 2-3 years. (By "expired" I mean the associated account is no longer active.) After some initial hiccups, it worked like a charm.

In case you're unfamiliar with it, MagicJack is the gizmo that plugs into your PC and provides unlimited local and long-distance phone service. (There's also MagicJack for iPhone, which is pretty cool.) The newer MagicJack Plus works similarly, though it can plug into your router for PC-free calling (which is far more convenient). Whichever MJ you use, you will need a PC as part of this equation.

If you don't already own a MagicJack, you can pick up a used one on Ebay for around $10-15. (GVJack App's developers say they can be had for "under $3," but I've yet to find one selling for anywhere near that price. If you know a good source, by all means share it in the comments.)

After installing GVJack App, I plugged in my old MagicJack, connected a phone, and picked up the handset. Dial tone! But then, when I tried to dial a number, the software didn't seem to capture all the digits I'd pressed, and the call didn't go through. This happened repeatedly until I exited GVJack App, unplugged the MagicJack, and then restarted everything.

From there it was smooth sailing. I could make and take calls via Google Voice, and the sound quality proved excellent for incoming and outgoing calls alike.

GVJack App provides a wealth of calling features, including a priority-call table (certain numbers get a special ring), call screening, talking caller ID, automatic redial, and so on. Suffice it to say, GVJackApp is considerably more versatile than MagicJack proper. Interestingly, when you exit the software, your MagicJack goes back to its normal function (if you need it to). No permanent changes are made.

To summarize, for $20 plus the cost of a MagicJack, you can enjoy unlimited phone service at least through the end of the year. The only real downside is that, as with the original MJ itself, you need to leave a PC running 24/7. If that's a dealbreaker, the Obihai OBi100 sells for as little as $43.99 and gives you the flexibility of working with services other than Google Voice.

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Verizon's LTE-powered in-home broadband goes national

While Sprint and T-Mobile are struggling to launch their 4G LTE networks, Verizon apparently has enough LTE to power your devices at home.

Starting Thursday, Verizon's HomeFusion Broadband service will bring LTE-powered Internet access nationwide. The service, which originally launched in March in six markets, feeds Internet to connected devices in the domicile, ranging from computers to gaming consoles.

Verizon's HomeFusion LTE will zip into homes through professionally-installed antennae receivers affixed on the outside of the house (this will cost you $199.99), then transmit signal to a Wi-Fi router inside the house. Using Wi-Fi, customers can connect up to 20 devices. Customers should expect downlink speeds of between 5 to 12 Mbps and uplink speeds ranging from 2 to 5 Mbps.
Related stories

    * FCC extends review process for Verizon-cable deal
    * Verizon's 700MHz spectrum may not be so valuable after all
    * Verizon's 4G LTE blankets two-thirds of U.S. population

Verizon envisions HomeFusion as an alternative to traditional residential broadband, especially for those with fewer options in their area.

Plans include rates of $60 per month for 10GB of data, $90 per month for 20GB, or $120 per month for 30 GB, with a $10 per GB penalty for each plan after reaching the cap.

Verizon is granting 50 percent more data for the first two full billing cycles of service, so customers will have to keep an eagle eye on their usage after those first two months.

Read More

Verizon's LTE-powered in-home broadband goes national

While Sprint and T-Mobile are struggling to launch their 4G LTE networks, Verizon apparently has enough LTE to power your devices at home.

Starting Thursday, Verizon's HomeFusion Broadband service will bring LTE-powered Internet access nationwide. The service, which originally launched in March in six markets, feeds Internet to connected devices in the domicile, ranging from computers to gaming consoles.

Verizon's HomeFusion LTE will zip into homes through professionally-installed antennae receivers affixed on the outside of the house (this will cost you $199.99), then transmit signal to a Wi-Fi router inside the house. Using Wi-Fi, customers can connect up to 20 devices. Customers should expect downlink speeds of between 5 to 12 Mbps and uplink speeds ranging from 2 to 5 Mbps.
Related stories

    * FCC extends review process for Verizon-cable deal
    * Verizon's 700MHz spectrum may not be so valuable after all
    * Verizon's 4G LTE blankets two-thirds of U.S. population

Verizon envisions HomeFusion as an alternative to traditional residential broadband, especially for those with fewer options in their area.

Plans include rates of $60 per month for 10GB of data, $90 per month for 20GB, or $120 per month for 30 GB, with a $10 per GB penalty for each plan after reaching the cap.

Verizon is granting 50 percent more data for the first two full billing cycles of service, so customers will have to keep an eagle eye on their usage after those first two months.

Read More

Sony Vaio T ultrabook announced (in Europe for now)

(Credit: Sony)

Sony has jumped into the ultrabook business with the new Sony Vaio T series laptop, announced May 2 in Europe (with US details forthcoming, we assume).

The initial specs, reported by CNET UK, include an Intel Core i3 CPU and a 1,366x768 display.
Related stories

    * Ivy Bridge, the ultrabook edition, due by Computex
    * Microsoft's got the hots for Nook
    * Dell says XPS 13 ultrabook exceeds sales expectations

The CPU is potentially problematic, because it's the previous second-generation Intel Core i-series model (also known as Sandy Bridge), rather than one of the new third-generation chips (sometimes referred to as Ivy Bridge).

The high-end quad-core Ivy Bridge chips are available now, the more mainstream dual-core Core i3 and i5 versions are expected imminently.

According to CNET UK:

    With a low resolution screen and an older generation processor, is this too little, too late? There's no word on pricing yet, but it's due to go on sale from June...At 17.8mm thick, it's pretty slim, at roughly the same thickness as the stunning Asus Zenbook UX31. It's a few millimetres chubbier than the Z Series though and at 1.6kg, it's weightier too. Given that ultrabooks aim to be as slim and as light as possible, it's a shame not to see Sony at least match its other laptops in the size stakes...It's got a resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, which is a little disappointing given that the 13-inch Asus Zenbook manages to pack in 1,600x900 pixels into the same space.

Stay tuned for updates on the US availability and specs for the Sony Vaio T.

Read More

Sony Vaio T ultrabook announced (in Europe for now)

(Credit: Sony)

Sony has jumped into the ultrabook business with the new Sony Vaio T series laptop, announced May 2 in Europe (with US details forthcoming, we assume).

The initial specs, reported by CNET UK, include an Intel Core i3 CPU and a 1,366x768 display.
Related stories

    * Ivy Bridge, the ultrabook edition, due by Computex
    * Microsoft's got the hots for Nook
    * Dell says XPS 13 ultrabook exceeds sales expectations

The CPU is potentially problematic, because it's the previous second-generation Intel Core i-series model (also known as Sandy Bridge), rather than one of the new third-generation chips (sometimes referred to as Ivy Bridge).

The high-end quad-core Ivy Bridge chips are available now, the more mainstream dual-core Core i3 and i5 versions are expected imminently.

According to CNET UK:

    With a low resolution screen and an older generation processor, is this too little, too late? There's no word on pricing yet, but it's due to go on sale from June...At 17.8mm thick, it's pretty slim, at roughly the same thickness as the stunning Asus Zenbook UX31. It's a few millimetres chubbier than the Z Series though and at 1.6kg, it's weightier too. Given that ultrabooks aim to be as slim and as light as possible, it's a shame not to see Sony at least match its other laptops in the size stakes...It's got a resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, which is a little disappointing given that the 13-inch Asus Zenbook manages to pack in 1,600x900 pixels into the same space.

Stay tuned for updates on the US availability and specs for the Sony Vaio T.

Read More