22nd May 2006 Archive
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MS unveils PC rental plan
Pay-as-you-go computing for emerging markets
Microsoft today launched a technology to enable the delivery of PC rental schemes in emerging markets modelled on mobile phone pay-as-you-go packages. Dubbed FlexGo, the framework allows suppliers to rent out PCs activated by pre-pay cards. Consumers buy access to the machine for a certain period of time - when the card runs dry …
PCs 22 May 2006, 09:33
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Re-enact great Jedi, Sith battles with... an Apple MacBook
Dark side or light side
Today's silliest idea: hack the motion sensor on an Apple MacBook and use the output it generates to pump out Star Wars authentic lightsabre sound effects. That's what one imaginative coder has done in a bid for 15 minutes of internet fame. With the MacBooks available in black and white, dark side and light side duality- …
Mac 22 May 2006, 10:03
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Nintendo DS Lite UK debut detailed
iPod-like black and white models on offer
Nintendo will release the DS Lite in the UK on 23 June, the videogames pioneer said today. The redesigned handheld console will set British buyers back £100. It will cost €150 (£102) in continental Europe, the company added. Taking a lead from Apple's iPod, Nintendo said the DS Lite will be available at launch in two colours …
Consoles 22 May 2006, 10:20
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Romeo proposes on Apple's NY store webcam
Bless
Last week saw the opening of Apple's new NY Fifth Avenue store - an event marked by throngs of Machead faithful descending on the glass cube shrine of the electronic cult of Jobs. And all very jolly it was too, according to the official pics of the event, with the great unwashed rubbing shoulders with the great and the good …
Mac 22 May 2006, 10:59
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LG shows slimline 2.2Mp camera phone
But not as thin as Samsung's latest
LG today touted its latest attempt to claim the crown for the world's thinnest mobile phone handset. The KG320, announced earlier this year, is just 9.9mm thick - only 0.9mm thicker than Samsung's SCH-V870 credit card-shaped handset. LG's offering is lighter - 73g to 81g - and packs in 128MB of on-board memory, though it …
Phones 22 May 2006, 12:46
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Pentax Optio W10 waterproof 6Mp camera
Review Safe to use in the desert... and underwater
Pentax's WP series of waterproof cameras has received a boost with the W10, a 3x optical, 4x digital zoom compact boasting a six-megapixel resolution, shake-reduction technology and a hat full of scene modes. While the camera's styling could be called bland, it's bland in a curvy way. All the edges are neatly rounded with …
Cameras 22 May 2006, 13:27
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BenQ Siemens readies Q-Fi music phone
Touts EF71's surround sound speakers, ten-band equaliser
BenQ Siemens has launched its latest music phone equipped with its 'Q-Fi' music system: a ten-band equaliser hooked up to a pair of built-in 3D surround-sound speakers, fed by the company's own music playback app and activated with dedicated controls. The EF71 sports a brushed aluminium clamshell casing. There's a 2.2in, …
Phones 22 May 2006, 13:53
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Nvidia ships Quadro FX 3500
Dell gets first shout at new workstation GPU
Nvidia has launched its latest "high-end" workstation-oriented graphics card, the Quadro FX 3500, with Dell claiming to be the first OEM to introduce a machine equipped with the part. The card itself contains 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM clocked at around 675MHz and connected across a 256-bit bus to deliver 42.2GBps of memory …
Bits 'n' Chips 22 May 2006, 14:15
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Verizon to ship $300 Motorola Q on 31 May
BlackBerry-like smart phone arrives at last
Verizon and Motorola have confirmed that the carrier will begin selling the handset maker's Windows Mobile 5.0-based smart phone, the Q, on Wednesday, 31 May, and that the deal will be an exclusive one. Speculation had centred on a 29 May launch, but what's a couple of days when Motorola's already missed its Q1 2006 deadline …
Phones 22 May 2006, 14:37
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Griffin TuneFlex gets gratis cassette adaptor
Got in-car iPod use taped?
Accessory specialist Griffin Technology today said it will bundle a cassette adaptor with its TuneFlex articulated iPod Nano automobile mount to save buyers from being forced to fork out for one separately. The TuneFlex remains a handy way of using a Nano in a car. The mount plugs into a cigarette lighter socket for power and …
Media players 22 May 2006, 15:29
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LG quietly launches 8GB music player
No clickwheel, just a touch-sensitive OLED
LG UK has launched an 8GB HDD-based alternative to Apple's iPod with the catchy name 'MFJM53'. But there's nothing pedestrian about the player's design, with its clean lines and 1.77in, 262,144-colour, touch-sensitive OLED screen. The MFJM53 is primarily a Windows Media device, supporting tracks with and without DRM. But it's …
Gadgets and Gizmos 22 May 2006, 16:56


Samsung LN52A650 52" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1920x1080, HDTV)
Panasonic TH-42PX80U 42" Plasma TV (Widescreen, 1024x768, 15,000:1, HDTV)
Panasonic TH-50PZ800U 50" Plasma TV (Widescreen, 1920x1080, 30,000:1, HDTV)
Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL52XBR6 52" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1920x1080, 3000:1, HDTV)
Samsung LN46A650 46" LCD TV (Widescreen, 1920x1080, HDTV)