Japanese company Keian has introduced the PSd (Personal Storage disk) — a waterproof/dustproof/shockproof SD card that, like SanDisk before them, doubles-up as a portable USB drive. Keian claims maximum read and write speeds of 13.5MBps and 11MBps respectively, in capacities from 128MB ($31) to 2 gig ($213). Makes the perfect gift for your peculiarly unwashed, […]

If you believe US-based Unicon Systems, then their Linux-based MBridge is more than just another handheld PMP, it’s some type of revolutionary device and the “key to a complete computer free life.” It features a 3.5-inch 320 x 240 TFT display capable of 262k colors, two USB 2.0 connectors, a USB On-The-Go, a SD slot, […]

People who paid the $250 lifetime subscription fee for Microsoft’s Program Guide (the EPG service for certain non-Media Center PVRs), rejoice! The software giant recently announced that the MSPG service will henceforth be offered gratis — and hey, Microsoft is even doing the “responsible” thing and implementing a refund program for anyone who’s bought a […]

So it seems that Google may actually have a plan for world domination after all, involving cheap PCs that connect exclusively to a private “Googlenet.”

Oracle tried to acquire open-source database maker MySQL, an indication of the profound changes the software giant is willing to make as it adapts to the increasingly significant collaborative programming philosophy. Though it is increasingly diversified, Oracle’s primary business is selling its own proprietary database software. MySQL, in contrast, is a leader among several companies […]

Well, it looks like our train service is finally entering the 21st century. Having finally completed a working train line from Manchester to London after three years digging (not that I’m bitter), you can now get train details and route information via text messaging. Using technology developed by Kizoom and mBlox, National Rail has two text-based […]

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany are working on the next generation of OLED technology, including the ability to create displays that can become completely transparent and be turned on and off at will. Uses envisioned for the displays include OLED overlays on top of LCDs that could be used to display specific information […]

Google has launched a beta for hosted e-mail accounts that feature the user’s domain instead of gmail.com. The hosted-Gmail beta, which is going head-to-head with a similar beta that Microsoft launched in November, is offering 2GB of storage, e-mail search tools and a control panel to manage user accounts, aliases and mailing lists, as part […]

In France Orange launched this pair of mobile goggles in November. The network says they are great for viewers who want to draw attention to themselves in public watch mobile TV or surf the web while on the move. They apparently retail for around 300 Euros and work in conjunction with a Samsung D600e phone […]

It may be Valentines’ Day but a couple of protesters from the Australia-Tibet Council failed to feel the love for Google over its decision to censor sensitive content from its Chinese search engine. In fact, the protesters said they planned to end their relationship with the search heavyweight. The protestors, who stood outside Google’s Sydney offices […]

A federal judge criticised Microsoft on Tuesday for what she called “foot-dragging” in regard to the company’s compliance with an antitrust settlement. At a quarterly status conference about the compliance mandates, US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly echoed the US Department of Justice’s latest concerns that the software giant isn’t moving fast enough to develop technical […]

Following an expected crackdown on piracy in the country, China is predicted to foster a legal digital music download market worth $222 million by 2008, according to a report released Tuesday by market research firm In-Stat. The firm points to the launch of several legal music stores and the legitimization of some unauthorized services, along […]

Mountain View, Calif. - Looking to expand its targeted advertising platform to other forms of media, Google, said on Tuesday that it will acquire dMarc Broadcasting, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based provider of digital technology for the radio broadcast industry. Google said that it plans to integrate dMarc’s technology into its AdWords platform, creating a new […]

A San Francisco start-up released an early test version of its open-source Songbird music software on Wednesday, with which it ultimately hopes to undermine the dominance of Apple Computer’s iTunes. Pioneers of the Inevitable is hoping to create “the Firefox of MP3,” a reference to the open source Web browser that has eaten into Microsoft’s Internet […]