Samsung: Valentine’s Day sparkles

Chic curves and modern elegance are the hallmark of consumer electronics; always a great choice for either him or her!

There are no gifts that can truly express all the warmth of Valentine’s Day, but that sure doesn’t stop us from trying. This year, break away from the usual chocolate and roses by standing out with a stylish gift that shines beyond the romantic season.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the crème de la crème of the tablet market and has received global recognition for its slick design and high-performance applications. Just a few months old within the Gulf, consumers are able to experience PC-like web browsing and enjoy all forms of multimedia content on the perfectly sized 7-inch display.

Combined with a 1GHz processor, support for the latest Adobe Flash Player 10.1, and native Arabic-language functions, the Galaxy Tab is the best way for loved ones to stay in touch wherever they may be. Average retail price for Galaxy Tab is AED 2899.

All those special moments can be recorded with the latest Samsung ST600 camera—the perfect creative tool whether you’re taking a self-portrait in the home or a couple’s shot at your favorite restaurant. The dynamic Dual Display feature lets you see the shot on the front-side LCD before taking it, so you can smile for the camera and be the photographer at the same time.

The stunning 14.2 megapixel sensors come with a 5x optical zoom capability that ensures all the details are captured just as you remember them. Average retail price for ST600 is AED 1399.

The Samsung Champ mobile phone introduces a new touch experience for users who want to combine their need for pragmatic efficiency with their desire for multimedia and social networking on the go. Starting price for Samsung Champ is AED 349.

Women or men, young and old—who doesn’t enjoy a designer gadget?

Dubai: Gulf Bike Week stuns crowds

Thousands of bike lovers took part in the biking event of the year

It was bikes galore, during the Gulf Bike Week here in Dubai; an event that attracted 40,000 bike lovers and enthusiasts, being the largest bike festival in the Middle East.

A one-of-a-kind event in the biking industry here in the region, the event showcased the latest in bikes; accessories; off-road vehicles; motorcycles gear; and custom designed bikes, as well as off-road bikes; all-terrain vehicles; cruisers; off-road bikes; quad bikes; and urban terrain vehicles.

Harley Davidson and Suzuki were just some of the major bike brands showcasing their latest creations in this urban bike lover’s festival. The event hosted over 150 exhibitors showcasing bikes and off-road vehicles of all types, shapes, colours and sizes.

Crowds were wowed at the stunt arenas, which showcased dangerous bike stunts done by professional bike performers making watchers cheer in awe of the amazing and thrilling tricks that sent bikers flying and flipping up in the air at an amazing height. The Rage skate park also saw visitors trying their hand at their own skating stunts.

Those who owned a bike or are part of a bike club also had the chance to take part in the show bike park , where bikers can show off their motorbikes by just parking in the limited spacing park; it was bike heaven as one thousand bikes were on display.

Bike owners also had the opportunity to enter their bike into a custom bike building competition. Custom bike builders entering their latest builds in the show will battle it out to win a prize to travel to Sturgis to take part in the World Championship itself.

Another highlight of the event was the piazza music stage that showcased 12 local rock bands battling it out at the Rolling stones battle of the bands competition. Visitors truly got a taste of the rock music scene here in Dubai. Dahab, The Brownies, Behold The Locus, I.E.D., Fist In Your Face, RaSh Radio, Lazzy Lung, Revolution Junkies, We Left As Skeletons, Tim Hassall & The August Company, SimpleXity, Universal Rogue all performed amazing rock tunes that rocked the event.

The event in its eleventh year seems to be more jammed packed with events each year, and sees more and more visitors. It is also the first year that the Gulf Bike Week is added to the international affiliate programme of the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building.

Love sells

The love-struck Indian market is expected to be "gung-ho" about Valentines Week spending this year

It's official – Love hurts. No, we’re not talking about post-break up tears and lonely nights; a two month-long study in India has found that it’s really your wallet (not your heart) that takes the biggest hit for love.

Carried out by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), the study found that in India alone, Valentines Week, that’s right, week, not day, is a USD 2.6 billion business.

In India, the celebrations start right from February 7 (Rose Day) moving on to February 8 (Proposal Day), February 9 (Chocolate Day), February 10 (Teddy Day), February 11 (Promise Day), February 12 (Kiss Day), February 13 (Hug Day), and the grand finale on February 14, Valentine's Day.

The study looked at the willingness of people to spend more than they normally do during the week of love. “Young lovers,” it says, are willing to over-spend on everything from flowers to teddy bears, cards, jewelery, and dinner.

All this, of course, is great news for business; everyone from roadside florists to high-end restaurateurs are minting money during the week-long celebration of love.

The study found that, this year, people will be spending a whopping 120 percent more than the last year. Secretary General of Assocham, D. S. Rawat, said, "Owing to the improved economic situation this year and increased spending power of individuals, youths and eligible bachelors are gung-ho about breaking all previous records as they are likely to spend almost over 120 percent as compared to the previous year.”

Assocham surveyed 1200 people ranging from students to professionals. Respondents said that they were willing to spend between INR 5000 and INR 150,000 for V-Day, depending on their individual capacities.

Greeting card manufacturer, Archies Limited, reports a 16 percent turnover during Valentine's week, and 10 times the regular sales figures.

"It is not just youngsters who shop, even those in the age group of 40-50 extensively shop for the occasion," said an Archies respresentative.

Coming soon: The new iPad

If media reports are to be believed, the new iPad could be coming our way soon!

Apple fans, put away your old iPad – the Wall Street Journal reported this week that Apple has already started work on a new version of its tablet.

The new iPad will reportedly be thinner, lighter, and faster than the current version; it will also have increased memory capacity, and that's not all.

The new iPad will come fitted with a more powerful graphics processor and a front-facing camera; the lack of a front-facing camera on the current version has been one of its' main criticisms.

Other tablets in the market – such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab – come equipped with a camera at the front for ease of video conferencing.

So far there has been no comment from Apple directly.

Katrina and Salman in a Yash Raj film

Buzz is they’re pairing up for a movie soon

Looks like Salman Khan’s relationship with Katrina Kaif is really on the mend. Buzz is that Sallu and Kat have signed on for a Yash Raj Films movie to be directed by Kabir Khan. And we hear that Katrina is even in talks to star in another movie from the YRF banner, this time with Shah Rukh Khan.

It’s obvious that Kat is still in Salman’s good books, not only did he get dancing with her in Farah Khan’s ‘Tees Maar Khan’ but she even came over to his house to celebrate his birthday in December last year.

But will this friendship continue if Katrina works with Shah Rukh, still clearly a Sallu enemy? Or will Kat smooth things over so all will be well? SRK and Katrina have never worked together, and, who knows, their jodi might be just the kind of first-time pairing that leads to a blockbuster. Watch this space for updates

Amazing and Futuristic Laptop Concepts

Curved iMac Concept

HP LiM Laptop Concept

HP LiM concept is set to feature a 19″ transparent touch OLED screen along with a wireless keyboard. The touch screen slides down to create a more ergonomic touch experience and easy navigation. It also features a virtual trackpad thus cutting down on mouse costs

Gelfrog Laptop Concept

Watch out, Apple. Here comes gelfrog. Looking like something right out of Mars Attacks! (“We come in peace”) with its green elastic outer “skin”, the organic-looking notebook utilizes super-pliable elastomer to act as a smart skin. The result: An almost durable yet lightweight device that won’t be toast if you drop it. The clever folks at Frog Design have factored in chameleon-like functions that include the gelfrog acting as a mobile mirror, a photo slideshow, a video projector, and even running a cloning algorithm that scans the user’s outfit and re-projects a matching and complementary pattern.This futuristic laptop is easy accessible, very durable and it adapts to the individuality of the user. The stylish laptop is called Gelfrog and it features some good educational products and knowledge attributions.

LG e-Book Laptop Concept

LG introduced e-Book, an ecological laptop concept that uses fuel cell batteries and features organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology. This concept notebook received a Red Dot Award nomination for “Best Concept Design” for 2006.The batteries of the LG e-Book use natural gas, methanol, and other eco-friendly liquid fuels. The fuel is stored in a transparent cylindrical hinge.

The LG’s future laptop uses organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels for display instead of the current liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. Unlike LCD, OLED does not need a frame around it, and it consumes less electricity. The keypad will also be made of a singe OLED panel, like the one used in LG’s Chocolate Phone, according to the report.

Horizon Laptop Concept

his flexible OLED monitor concept which supposes the OLED material would roll up inside the white stand and allow the user to choose the optimum screen size. Supposing that the material could compact itself that tightly, he goes on and mounts a cd drive behind the translucent screen and for good measure throws some invisible projection technology in as well.

Acer Frameless Laptop Concept

It has recently been reported that Acer is working on a new laptop concept with a frameless touch keyboard and frameless touch screen.

Is it true? Probably… The concept presumably uses a reinforced glass substrate from Corning (maybe Gorilla Glass). It is not known at the moment when this frameless laptop will be unveiled, but I wouldn’t expect it for another year or two at the earliest although the source who provided the details to DigiTimes estimates the second half of this year.

Sony Ericsson Irikino Tablet Concept

Dell XPS Baton PC Laptop Concept

The Dell XPS Baton PC can work as a laptop or desktop computer, depending on the use of the screens and their positioning. The device can even be turned into some sort of tablet or an eBook, but variations can go on an on, each more astonishing than the last.

Canvas Laptop Concept

Kyle Cherry has developed the laptop of the 21st century. The futuristic concept is called Canvas and is supposed to provide a better quality for the designer and also it’s said that it will raise the productive rate of the artist. The laptop will feature a very thin touchscreen and the other components will look just about the same but they will be better adjusted.

IBM Laptop Concept For Spies

his IBM laptop concept is truly out of this world, and Nicolas Lehotzky sure has a wild imagination. You will find a security knob as well as hidden USB ports (how irritating) to help you in your espionage activities. The built-in paper shredder should come in handy to do away with any incriminating evidence just in case you’re a little short on intestinal fortitude to bite on that cyanide pill once caught by the authorities.

Scientists accepting QURAN as a BOOK of ALLAH !

Microsoft hack scare

Some versions of Microsoft Windows' operating system are vulnerable to attack from hackers; a flaw in the software can let hackers take full control of your personal computer

Once again, Microsoft Windows is under fire with several versions of its operating system being vulnerable to hackers.

Earlier this week, Microsoft had warned its users about the bug in a special alert saying that Microsoft is still looking for the workaround to the problem that it says may leave a personal computer open to attacks from hackers, including taking control of a PC system remotely.

The software giant said that it is not aware of any such attacks yet, where a hacker has tried to exploit the system’s vulnerability. According to Microsoft, the problem involves the way Windows renders graphics on versions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

However, the company claimed that its' recently launched operating system for personal computers, Windows 7 and the latest operating system for servers, Windows Server 2008 R2, are completely free from the said flaws.

In December 2010, Microsoft started investigating possible Internet Explorer and FTP security flaws in the company developed operating systems. It is believed that one of the flaws provides a possible opportunity for remote code execution attacks via Internet Explorer. The other flaw could enable denial of service attacks by exploiting vulnerability in Internet Information Services FTP 7.5.

As an initial preventive measure Microsoft suggested to its users to deploy Microsoft’s Enhanced Mitigation Experience Tool kit [EMET], as a workaround; both run as a part of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

The flaw is said to work by bypassing protections normally enabled by Microsoft’s address space layout randomization [ASLR] and data execution prevention [DEP] technologies.

It is anticipated that the company may provide additional guidance to help customers protect themselves from any such attacks or issue a fix through its monthly security update process.

Ehrlich bags Abu Dhabi Parliament building bid

The Federal National Council (FNC) has selected US-based firm Ehrlich Architects to design and build the UAE’s Federal National Council building

The tender, floated last month by the FNC, will see the construction of a 1.3 million square feet monument at the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

Initially, 14 firms from nine countries were invited in early 2010 to submit their entries in Phase 1 of the International Design Competition for the new FNC Building.

A shortlist of four companies was selected to continue to the more detailed Phase 2: Ehrlich Architects (USA), Foster + Partners (UK), Massimiliano Fuksas Architects (Italy) and Zaha Hadid Architects (UK).

“The New Parliament Building Complex will balance Islamic heritage with UAE’s global contemporary aspirations, where modernity and tradition are in harmonious balance,” explained Steven Ehrlich, Ehrlich Architects’ Design Principal.

“The architecture for the FNC’s new home will communicate its increasingly vital role in the lives of all UAE citizens,” Ehrlich added.

In the second phase, Ehrlich Architects partnered with UAE-based architecture firm Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ) and landscape architecture firm ValleyCrest Design Group, to create a plan for the new parliament building which captures unique identity of the UAE.

Blending familiar Arabic patterns with contemporary forms and the latest technological advances, the design of the new parliament building will create maximum functionality and environmental sustainability.

The winning model for the parliament building is supported by a striking 100-meter-diameter dome structure; a soaring “flower-of-the-desert” that will create a shaded micro-environment, while casting Islamic patterns of sprinkled light onto the white marble Assembly Hall.

Moreover, the dome of the parliamentary building will be visible for miles across the water and will shine dramatically at night.

According to local news sources, Ehrlich Architects declined to reveal the value of the contract and timeframe to start the construction of the monument

Dubai: Zardari married?

There are ongoing rumors that Asif Zardari, the President of Pakistan has recently gotten married to Tanveer Zamani.

Tanveer is reportedly an American citizen with a Mediterranean descent and the rumor has it that they got married in Dubai last week. She lives in New York and is ironically a big supporter of the Bhutto party. She also owns properties in Dubai, Manhattan, Pakistan and the UK and has a PhD from the UK in International Politics.

These details have been revealed by online sources, which also reported that the ceremony has not yet been held but that all the other aspects of their marriage, including the paperwork have been finalized.

For the occasion, a camel, six cows and nine goats have allegedly been sacrificed in celebration.

Zardari was married to the late Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in December 2007. Shortly after, Zardari became the chairman of the PPP.

At this point, none of these facts have been completely solidified and many people including media analysts are attempting to confirm all aspects of this news.

Reportely, Zardari is one of the four richest men in Pakistan, could that be the biggest motivator behind this marriage or was true love the drive behind this marriage?

Lenovo presents IdeaPad

The all new laptop from Ideapad gives its users a laptop and a tablet in the same device; all you have to do is detach the screen and you are good to go with your portable tablet

The hype in the market for the IdeaPad U1 convertible/laptop tablet has already been on the boom for quite some time. Lenovo is still checking the pulse of the audiences and prolonging the waiting period.

The company now plans to release this innovative laptop by the second half of the current year.

A huge crowd gathered around in Las Vegas to see the spectacular IdeaPad U1. The audiences witnessed the laptop, which has a screen that is detachable to form a tablet. It is handy, convenient and stylish at the same time. Moreover, consumers enjoy the benefit of having a two in one gadget, which means less cost and fewer devices lying around the house.

The IdeaPad U1 is said to be in its prototype stage; to be shipped by June/July, and the price is expected to range around USD 1000. To make the deal more interesting, sources have revealed a little fact about this pc cum tablet; just when the tablet is detached from the laptop its operating system acts as a version of Android.

For people who know the difference between Linux and Android tablets, would really appreciate the shift of IdeaPad from Linux to Android, as Androids are sleeker and have multiple applications, as compared to Linux.

The feel of this IdeaPad U1 from the touch screen is similar to that of the iPad. Other features include a configuration of aluminum and glass weighing 1.58 lb.

Lenovo is offering the device in various colors, along with the added advantage of its laptops already being attractive and vibrant essentially to match your look, which might just beat Dell’s Inspiron Duo convertible tablet/laptop in terms of quality and attractiveness.

Awaiting consumers are anticipating a reduction in the weight of this duo functional gadget and interested buyers have just a span of 6-to-7 months of wait to go to get their hands on this new device.

Blackberry’s PlayBook hits Dubai

The new BlackBerry Playbook from Research In Motion (RIM), scheduled for release in the US during the second quarter of 2011, has made its debut at the RIM Developer Day in Dubai.

The seven-inch device will have a battery life of up to eight hours continuous usage time, and even more in standby time, according to Mike Al Mefleh, Director of Product Management at RIM Middle East.

"[Battery life] in terms of talk time and performance time is up to eight hours and this is plenty of time to do your email and browsing. In terms of standby time, it is going to be much longer than that," Mefleh said. "The product is still in development and what I am going to show you is still a beta version so, we are still a few months away. However, we do know from our testing and everything that we have done that the battery is very competitive."

Playbook will support the Arabic language, and will have access to browsers besides the BlackBerry browser, such as Google Chrome and Firefox. The device will feature a dual core processor with I GHz per processor, and will have one gig of RAM.

PlayBook will operate on the powerful QNX, which is used in several high security applications.

"The OS QNX is very reliable, very robust, and very secure; it has been in the market for some time. It is being used in nuclear plants, in the very important banking systems, in transportation and healthcare,” Mefleh explained.

Featuring a 5MP camera on the back and a 3MP camera on the front, PlayBook’s camera boasts high-picture quality. The screen enjoys a high-definition of 1080x600 resolutions, and has an outstanding touch technology that is comparable to the iPad.

The PlayBook also supports the Adobe Flashplayer 10.1, which provides high quality video playback.

Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have been integrated into the tablet device. Users can link their devices to their existing BlackBerry phones, to download or view emails and documents, as long as they are on the 5.0 operating system and above.

Instead of storing the documents, any data is immediately wiped off the PlayBook once the BlackBerry phone is unplugged. This high-security feature is what will make the PlayBook appeal to the professional and executive market over its rivals.

Blackberry’s designer and manufacturer, RIM, has said that it hopes to release the device with at least 4,000 apps

Shortage of IP’s

The Internet is running out of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, used by computers to communicate and the remaining small pool of existing IP addresses show a critical moment in the IPv4 address limit. This would eventually have global impact for the future network operations of all businesses

The world will soon run out of Internet addresses as the number of devices connected to the Web explodes unless organizations move to a new Internet Protocol version, the head of the body that allocates IP addresses said.

Rod Beckstrom, chief executive of ICANN, said only 8 or 9 percent of ipv4 addresses were left, and companies needed to switch to the new standard of ipv6 as quickly as possible.

"We are running out," he told Reuters in an interview. "That move really needs to be made; we're seeing this scarce resource run down."

Japan is already using the IPv6 to connect thousands of earthquake sensors through a computer system that sends automatic alerts to television programmes and also helps in traffic system.
Currently all devices use the IPv4 protocol, gadgets like mobiles,ps3,music players and cameras run on their own IP addresses, that’s why the shortage. IPv6 will come with an added advantage of holding longer characters and numbers.

Toshiba to launch 10.1-inch Android Tablet

Engadget has taken a brief look at Toshiba’s new Android Honeycomb-based 10.1 inch tablet, and has easily established that the upcoming device has what it takes to stand out from the rest.

Although the device is still unnamed, certain features have been made public.

The unique attributes of this tablet, include a full size USB in a mini USB jack; HDMI; SD card slot; and a rubberized, spill-resistant, replaceable back cover.

The tablet weighs marginally more than the iPad – the iPad's weight is 1.6 pounds and Toshiba’s tablet weighs in at 1.7 pounds. It will also feature an all new version of “Honeycomb”, an operating system optimized for tablets from Android.

Toshiba says that the tablet will be competitively priced and will be officially unveiled at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, later this week.

Hop, skip, jump and charge

Motion harvesting technology could soon be embedded into your cellphone, allowing you to charge your phone with a simple hop, skip, or jump

Commuting to work, walking, shopping or even dancing; all these activities could soon help you charge your cell phone, thanks to an emerging technology that converts regular motion into power.

Motion-harvesting technology can give mobile phone users longer times between electric charging, and will be a highly sought-after feature.

An Idaho-based startup, M2E Power, recently announced that it will start selling a cell phone charger next year that can convert six hours of everyday movement (or about two days of toting it around) into one hour of talk time.

The company hopes to one day embed its micro-generator and a battery storage system into the cell phone itself.

Motion-harvesting mobiles might not become a blockbuster hit in industrialized nations, but could fill a real need in developing nations where the power grid is woefully lacking, but cell phones are turning into a daily necessity.

In early 2010, there were a quarter of a billion cell-phone subscribers in Africa, according to the International Telecommunications Union. In India, there are about 300 million cellphone subscribers to date, and China has more than 550 million subscribers.

International Energy Agency and the World Bank statistics show that there are roughly more than 1.6 billion people without access to modern electricity grids or long power outages, most of them in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia.

A Nokia spokesperson commented that Nokia is, "keeping an eye out" for a variety of charging options including power generated by human movement.

A spokesperson at Motorola voiced similar views, saying that motion-harvesting was a viable external power source in the short-term, and noted that it could become an integrated solution in the long-term, as power generation becomes an important design issue.

Ultimately, the determining factor in whether motion-harvesting technology makes it into mass-market cell phones will be the cost of developing such a technology, and making it financially viable for companies like Nokia and Motorola to use.