OWC ships upgraded SuperDrives, Blu-ray options

Other World Computing has announced new SuperDrive upgrades for current and legacy Macs. The new drives feature DVD burn speeds up to 20X for desktop tower replacements and 8x speeds for notebooks, iMacs, Mac Minis and G4 Cubes. Dual-Layer DVD burning is supported across the entire line and OWC is offering options for Blu-ray support, LightScribe labeling and DVD-RAM support.

OWC ships upgraded SuperDrives, Blu-ray options

Other World Computing has announced new SuperDrive upgrades for current and legacy Macs. The new drives feature DVD burn speeds up to 20X for desktop tower replacements and 8x speeds for notebooks, iMacs, Mac Minis and G4 Cubes. Dual-Layer DVD burning is supported across the entire line and OWC is offering options for Blu-ray support, LightScribe labeling and DVD-RAM support.

ooma adds multiple phone lines, reduces costs

On Wednesday, VoIP phone line provider ooma announced it has enhanced its phone system by adding features while reducing costs. The service now allows users to add as many as nine virtual phone numbers, each with their own area code, giving users the option to assign a new number to a user's home office business and assign a specific number to each member of the family. Ringtones for each phone number are customizable so users know which number is being phoned, or each virtual phone line can be assigned to a specific phone in the home. Each number has its own voicemail inbox with individual settings, including those outlined below.

Beatles confirm game deal for 2009

The Beatles today confirmed that the first computer-focused release of their music will come through a deal with Rock Band maker Harmonix as well as its partner MTV. The unnamed title, now said to be separate from the Rock Band series in contrast to earlier claims by others, will be devoted solely to the Beatles and should represent a progression through their music. Both of the surviving Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, have contributed input to the project along with widows Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono Lennon.

Kenwood intros Prodino mini audio system

Kenwood on Tuesday announced the introduction of its new mini audio system, the Prodino, or CORE-A55. The 20W system does not have an optical drive or an FM tuner, relying on a wide range of external connections for its source files. Digital audio files stored on an SDHC, miniSDHC or microSDHC memory cards up to 32GB in capacity, where applicable, can be played back thanks to the Prodino's front-mounted SD card slot, while the back panel has a USB connection for linking to personal music players, USB flash drives and Windows PCs.

Nokia N96 now available at Best Buy Mobile for $800

The N96 smartphone from Nokia is now available for purchase at Best Buy Mobile, priced at a high $800. While the lofty price tag was expected for the company's flagship handset, it's nevertheless more than four times the price of an iPhone or T-Mobile G1, though the N96's price is contract-free. The online Best Buy listing for the Finnish-made smartphone is $100 dearer, at nearly $900. It is, however, back-ordered. Certain Best Buy Mobile stores will have working demonstration models of the handset on-hand for potential customers to play with.

Intel, ASUS launch 'community-designed' PC concept

Hardware makers Intel and ASUS have announced a new project, which the two companies say is designed to foster a "community-designed" PC. Through the creation of a website called WePC, the corporations say they hope to gather suggestions for the ideal qualities of a new computer, to be produced at an unspecified point in the future. Some participants are expected to be awarded prizes, but neither the prizes nor their criteria have been formalized.

CMEL demos 25-inch, millimeter-thick OLED panel

At the FPD International exhibition in Japan on Wednesday, Taiwan-based Chi Mei EL (CMEL) demonstrated a 25-inch Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display that is less than 0.04 inches thick (under one millimeter) thick, according to a report. It was the largest such display at the show, sporting specs that include 1366x768 resolution and the ability to display 16.7 million colors.

FCC official "optimistic" white space gets OK

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell on Wednesday said he was "very optimistic" that his organization would vote in favor of allowing unlicensed white space frequencies to be used for wireless Internet access across the US. The official touts the airwaves as a potential springboard for innovative technology and believes enough support exists that the vote among FCC commissioners could be unanimous, creating a quick path to greenlighting white space for real-world use.

Alltel tries iPhone rivalry with Samsung Delve

Alltel on Thursday became the last major US carrier to take its turn at a full touchscreen cellphone with the Samsung Delve. The handset has some of the styling cues of the Instinct for Sprint but uses non-touch call and menu buttons. Importantly, it also stands as the first American phone to carry Samsung's TouchWiz interface, which lets users add software widgets to the phone's home screen for quicker access to apps or surface-level information. The Delve goes without a smartphone operating system like other high-end devices such as the Omnia, however.

ASUS getting into Android smartphones?

ASUS could be the next Asian cellphone maker after HTC to make Android phones, according to claims by reported market insiders. The company until now has made Windows Mobile devices almost exclusively but would launch a device based on the Google mobile OS sometime within the first half of 2009, releasing self-branded models first in its Taiwan-area home and later customizing the devices for "overseas" regions. No technical details have been released, though ASUS focuses heavily on 3G data and regularly adds GPS.

Extra-thin Pantech Slate lands at AT&T

As promised earlier this month, the Pantech Slate handset is now available for purchase on AT&T's website, with the provider quick to point out it's reportedly the thinnest handset in the world with a QWERTY keyboard at under 0.4 inches thick. The Korean handset is meant for users who send text messages or e-mails heavily but who don't want the price of a smartphone.

SecondLight prototype for MS Surface a "magic lens"

At the currently ongoing PDC show in LA, Microsoft is holding demonstrations of its Surface PC for members of the industry and developers. At the same time, Microsoft showed off a notable new version of the Surface PC developed by the software giant's engineers from Cambridge, England. Called SecondLight, it allows the table to project different images than those projected on its screen on a translucent surface such as tracing paper held above the surface. The images are projected through the table itself, with Microsoft describing the technology as a magic lens.

Bang & Olufsen backs out of cellphones, more

Danish luxury device maker Bang & Olufsen is already exiting the cellphone business as well as other fields, the company has revealed. Although the company has only released two products, the Samsung co-developed Serenata and the earlier Serene, company chief Karl Kristian Hvidt Nielsen explains that B&O will have to leave the market as collapsing property values have made it harder for buyers to afford its products in general. The company instead plans to focus on "core products" such as TVs and speakers and will also drop DVD players and other non-essential devices.

Google, Microsoft help found anti-censorship group

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are among the founding members of a new anti-censorship group called the Global Network Initiative, reports indicate. The organization also has the backing of investor, human rights and press freedom groups, such as the Center for Democracy and Technology. The GNI is specifically aimed at forming a consistent approach to dealing with countries that block free speech on the Internet, such as China. Many governments around the world filter search results, or simply prevent citizens from accessing certain websites.

HP dv3500t quietly disappears

HP's dv3500t has already but inexplicably disappeared from the company's online store. The 13.3-inch notebook surfaces in a search of the company's site but results in a dead product link, leaving only the 12-inch tx2500z tablet and the 14-inch dv4 series as HP's smallest mainstream notebooks. The company had only revealed the system on October 1st.

Lenovo gives S10 netbook instant-on Linux mode

Lenovo today revealed an upgraded version of its IdeaPad S10 netbook that caters to owners looking for quicker access to the Internet. Where most netbooks have to wait as they boot into either Windows XP or a full Linux distribution, the S10e adds a Linux-based SplashTop interface dubbed QuickStart that starts up almost instantly and gives immediate access to most common Internet functions, including web browsing with Flash support, messaging and audio or video chats.

NAVist III brings near-PC functionality into cars

Seoul-based HS Networks is showing off a car navigation and entertainment system at tradeshows that can play movies and audio tracks on CDs and DVDs, and perform functions usually associated only with entertainment PCs. The NAVist III is a double-DIN receiver that houses a removable hard disk drive and has a DVD optical drive. Users interface via a 7-inch screen that will show the contents of a DVD or an optional rear-view camera, or photos stored on the HDD or an SD card. DivX-encoded video files are also supported.

Verizon growth slower than AT&T in summer

Verizon today reported quarterly results that reveal the company's wireless business growing at a slower rate than AT&T. The carrier claims to have added 2.1 million net new customers but notes that about 630,000 of these came from the buyout of Rural Cellular earlier in the year, giving the company an actual growth rate of 1.5 million new customers versus AT&T's net 2.0 million without similar deals; about 120,000 of the Rural Cellular customers will have to leave due to an exchange deal.

Gates making plea to FCC on white space?

Bill Gates is petitioning the Federal Communications Commission directly to bring a quicker end to the debate over white space mobile Internet access, Microsoft revealed today. The executive is making a personal call directly to FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell to dissuade him and others from delaying a decision on permission to use the special white space frequencies, which sit in between regular licensed airwaves and promise to supply open and potentially free long-range wireless data.

HP teases Mini-Note 1000 netbook

HP today dropped a hint as to its future netbook direction through its shopping home page by posting a teaser graphic for the Mini-Note 1000. An ordinary version of the Vivienne Tam Edition, the system should have the same 10-inch display as the designer netbook but with a more conventional black exterior. Despite the larger size than the 8.9-inch Mini-Note 2133, the system should also be lighter at less than 2.3 pounds and will still measure less than one inch thick.

Motorola intros pair of MOTONAV GPS systems

Motorola on Monday announced the release of two new portable navigation systems, the MOTONAV TN20 and MOTONAV TN30. The entry-level MOTONAV TN20 provides turn-by-turn directions via its 3.5-inch touchscreen and speaks street names out loud. It includes over one million points of interest and maps for the continental US from NAVTEQ, which can be searched and displayed in either two- or three-dimensional views. A built-in sensor will adjust the display's colors to make it suitable for nighttime operation.

Willcom intros new phones, tech, services

At a press conference on Tuesday, Willcom announced the release of a few updated and new handsets as well as new technologies and services. The Willcom 03 slider phone, introduced earlier this year, will be available in a new black color starting November 7th and includes a new feature that translates roughly to "hand-painted chat" that allows users with compatible devices to chat live by drawing or writing on the devices' touchscreen. Another new service, dubbed Willcom meeting, will launch on November 4th and allow as many as seven users to talk at the same time, with invitations to the conference call that can be sent via e-mail.

Numark intros portable USB turntable

Numark has recently announced the PT-01USB, which enables users to convert songs from vinyl records to digital WAV or MP3 files. The portable, battery-powered turntable uses a USB port to connect to Windows PCs or Macs and save the music playing on or through the device. Apart from tracks recorded on vinyl, an auxiliary input makes it possible to convert tracks from cassette decks or other sources into digital formats. The PT-01USB operates as a traditional record player as well, with an RCA line output letting users connect it to a DJ, PA or stereo system. A built-in speaker lets it function on its own.

Cowon O2 touch player comes to US

Cowon today has quietly launched an Americanized version of the O2, its most recent video-oriented touchscreen player. The device is a close cousin of its Korean original and carries a 4.3-inch, 480x272 display as well as the processing power to decode 720p video in some formats. Although it denies the use of the T-DMB TV tuner that would only work in Korea, the O2 continues to support relatively exotic formats that include Monkey Audio and OGG as well as video formats like Matroska and MTV. Several common formats are likewise supported and include both AAC and H.264.

Fanatec intros RennSport Cockpit for racing gamers

Fanatec, a maker of high-end gaming controllers for gaming consoles and PCs, on Tuesday announced the release of its RennSport Cockpit for racing games. Made up of the aluminum roll cage that allows gamers to adjust the seat, pedal placement and steering wheel angle, the set-up includes a wide fiberglass seat that features an original design, similar to Fanatec's GTR-series products. The shifter attachment mounted on the right-hand side of the rig can be mounted on the left-hand side to suit drivers used to shifting with their left hand.

Sanyo intros photo frame with e-mail, RSS feeds

Sanyo on Tuesday announced the upcoming release of its 7-inch digital photo frame, the HNV-M70, featuring a 16:9 aspect ratio and LCD resolution of 800x480 pixels. The ALBO-series frame has the ability to display JPEG- or BMP-format photos sent to it via e-mail or text from cellphones or uploaded via more traditional methods. A built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi module and network support allows users to sync their photo collections from web-based albums such as Picasa Web Album and Photo Warehouse. The frame also supports RSS feeds, capable of receiving and displaying updates from up to 10 different websites.

MvixUSA shows NAS with iTunes, torrent, web services

MvixUSA is bringing a versatile Network Attached Storage device to the market, the MvixBOX or WDN-2000, the company announced on Tuesday. The two-bay NAS doubles as a media server, as it is capable of torrent sharing in addition to dynamic website hosting and data back-up capabilities. While the product ships without any included hard-drives, it is capable of housing two 1.5TB SATA HDDs. The MvixBOX does ship pre-configured with Apache, MySQL, SQlife and PHP web servers as well as dynamic DNS functionality. For network access, a gigabit Ethernet connection is present.

Microsoft reveals Office Web

Microsoft today backed up the unveiling of Windows 7 with Office Web, the company's first ground-up, web-based production suite. The online apps include simpler versions of Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Word that share a similar interface to Office 2007 and will let users both edit and view documents anywhere they have a broadband Internet connection. Microsoft explains that the feature will give users a consistent experience and access to Office even on mobile devices with advanced web browsers.

Dell outs new-look OptiPlex desktops

Dell today launched a whole new range of workhorse desktops that include some of its most significant redesigns yet. The OptiPlex 960 has a much more industrial, metal design that leaves much of the front to a grill that helps cool the components inside. Combined with newer Intel hardware, this makes some systems as much as 43 percent more power-efficient than their previous generation equivalents and comes with better remote management.

Casio intros handset with 8.1MP camera, 3.1-inch OLED

Casio, in conjunction with KDDI AU, on Monday announced the upcoming release of the EXIFILM-series W63CA flip phone that features one of the most advanced cameras in the industry, with an 8.1-megapixel camera carrying a nine-point autofocus and a wide-angle mode. The CDMA handset also sports a 3.1-inch, 480x800 OLED screen that rotates in the same fashion as a tablet PC's screen and can be left facing outside so users can enjoy streaming video provided by the phone's 1Seg support in Japan.

Cox plans cellular service for 2009

Cox Communications on Monday said it would launch its own cellular service in 2009 that would make it one of the first new national providers in the US in years. The format of the expansion hasn't been made public but will see Cox offer both voice and data service on its network that includes tight integration between phones and the company's cable service.

UK's Orange to get HTC Touch HD exclusively

One of the UK's wireless service providers, Orange, announced on Monday it will carry the upcoming HTC Touch HD exclusively in the country until 2009. The news follows on the footsteps of Germany's O2, which announced earlier it would offer the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional-based smartphone starting in early November, the same time period announced by Orange. Apart from the Orange handset's support of the carrier's mobile TV service, the specs are similar to the reference Touch HD model, including the capability of accessing the Internet over the carrier's high-speed HSDPA data network.

GeForce 9400M to dominate notebook graphics?

Apple's latest MacBooks are poised to lose their graphics advantage in short order, a new report suggests. Acer, ASUS, Dell and HP have confirmed plans to launch notebooks with NVIDIA's GeForce 9400M integrated graphics chip, which has been described as substantially faster than many other integrated chips currently in use. Some of these companies claim that the 9400M could spread to as many as 20 percent of Intel-based notebooks, branching out from MacBooks, which were the first with the technology.

Aliph Jawbones in blue, pink hit Best Buy

Aliph today launched a pair of new color variants for its second-generation Jawbone headset. The Babbling Blue and Rambling Rosé (light pink) hues are meant to fit in with the fashions of men and women and support the existing black, gold and silver colors of the Bluetooth headset.

Verizon-brand Samsung femtocells spotted at FCC

Verizon will soon join Sprint in offering a femtocell option for its cellphone owners, an FCC filing shows. A Samsung Ubicell branded with the carrier's logo has turned up at the American regulator and performs a similar function as Sprint's AIRAVE by creating a local CDMA hotspot that uses the Internet connection for . The Verizon edition, however, appears to include an optional GPS receiver to find the Ubicell's position.

Access debuts ALP 3.0, ALP mini operating systems

Access -- most famous for developing Palm-compatible operating systems after its acquisition of PalmSource -- has announced a new version of its Access Linux Platform, v3.0. For the public the most notable difference should be a new appearance, with more detail and enhanced transitional animations. Also present is LiMo (Linux Mobile) support, which should enable the use of standardized Linux apps for phones, rather than just ALP- or Palm-specific ones.

Bell, Solo Mobile holiday line-up revealed

A Monday report from BGR lists upcoming handsets Canadian wireless provider Bell and Solo Mobile will launch in time for the Christmas shopping season. The same report alleges Bell will sell a Motorola handset in 2009 running the Android OS that debuted in the T-Mobile G1. Apart from Bell getting a slew of handsets that include such high-tech smartphones like the BlackBerry Storm plus HTC's Diamond and Touch Pro, the provider will also introduce new plans.

Samsung preps 8MP phone camera with 3X zoom

Samsung is close to releasing a cellphone with a camera that's both high-resolution and with real optical zoom, according to a report by Telecoms Korea. The combined package would include an eight-megapixel sensor like those in shipping Samsung camera phones but would also have a 3X zoom system to deliver longer-ranged and more accurately focused shots than most cellphones, which normally rely on digital zoom that simply scales pixels upwards.

Buffalo unveils DriveStation 2Share HDD/NAS

Buffalo Technology has unveiled the DriveStation 2Share external hard drive, which can be used either as a traditional hard disk to backup a single computer, or networked to allow sharing between several computers. The 2Share is available in 500GB, 640GB of 1TB capacities, all using one or two 3.5-inch 7,200rpm SATA drives. The models connect to computers via USB 2.0, and a network via Ethernet.

Sony intros large, 4:3 S-Frame photo frames

At the PhotoPlus Expo on Wednesday, Sony Electronics introduced two new digital photo frames to its S-Frame range, including the 8-inch DPF-D80 and the company's first 10-inch frame, the DPF-D100. Both sport 800x600 LCD screens and are the first Sony frames with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Compared to a 16:9 ratio, photos appear larger thanks in part to the elimination of borders.

Posimotion intros battery-operated G-Fi VS

Posimotion has introduced what it claims is the "world's first" mobile Wi-Fi network hub designed for gamers. About the size of a wallet, the G-Fi VS supports ad-hoc 802.11b/g connectivity between devices within a 100-foot range. The device allows gamers, including iPhone and iPod Touch users, to set up impromptu networks for multiplayer games or to share files and digital media.

Verizon tops J.D. Power cellular retail study

A J.D. Power study released on Thursday has revealed that the percentage of salespeople aid during a buyer's purchase of a wireless service or handset has been decreasing since 2006. At the same time, the survey measured overall customer satisfaction based on four factors, each with a different weight or importance associated with it. Sales staff was first with 51 percent of the weight, store display was at 17 percent with store facility and price/promotion close behind at 16 percent each. Based on these factors, Verizon was tops, scoring 715 out of 1,000 points, with Alltel not far behind, at 710. T-Mobile was third with 696 points, AT&T had 691 points and Sprint Nextel was last among the major carriers, at 669. The industry average was 698.

Philips intros MP3 player with Bluetooth phone link

Philips has hoped to boost its GoGear portable audio player line with the GoGear LUXE, a unique player built expressly to tie in with a phone. The device is designed to be wearable as a fashion item and to serve as a Bluetooth headset; the LUXE not only pairs wirelessly with a phone to warn of incoming calls but carries dual microphones of its own to answer the call with active noise canceling. A one-line display shows incoming calls without having to fetch the phone from a pocket.

HTC Touch Pro for Sprint gets launch info

Wireless provider Sprint on Friday announced it will soon offer the HTC Touch Pro for sale and use on its network, bringing with it HTC's TouchFLO 3D interface on its 2.8-inch screen along with a five-row QWERTY keyboard and Windows Mobile 6.1. Like the Touch Diamond, the slider has a built-in 3.2-megapixel camera that can scan business cards and produce video. Sprint will bring some of its in-house features to the Touch Pro, including Sprint TV and the ability to download songs from the Sprint Music Store. Access to YouTube will be made available thanks to a custom HTC application.

Verizon settles Klausner voicemail lawsuit

A lawsuit filed by Klausner Technologies regarding visual voicemail technology was filed against a number of wireless providers earlier this summer, and one of those companies, Verizon Wireless, has decided to settle it out of court, according to a Friday report. Klausner reportedly granted Verizon Wireless and its subsidiary, Vodafone Group, a patent license, allowing it to use the voice message alerts. The exact terms of the agreement were not disclosed, though the deal was closed on Thursday.

MacBook Pro with true SLI, 8GB RAM possible

The new MacBook Pro could be enabled to take advantage of current and upcoming GeForce 9400M performance features through a simple update, NVIDIA tellsGizmodo. At present, Apple's implementation of dual graphics processors is limited versus Windows counterparts as it runs only one chip at a time and requires users to log out and back in to switch between the two. A driver or firmware update, however, is said to possibly enable the power side of Hybrid SLI in Mac OS X and would switch automatically between the GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT as users revert to battery power or plug back in.

Dell outs Vostro A90 business netbook

Dell Japan today provided a look at one of the few netbooks explicitly with business in mind. The Vostro A90 is stylistically very similar to the home-oriented Inspiron Mini 9 but comes in a more somber all-black trim and with more features in its base model than the earlier computer, including 1GB of minimum memory, an 8GB flash drive and previously option-only items like Bluetooth and a VGA camera. Windows XP is also its only operating system choice.

BlackBerry subs drop, hinge on Bold & Storm

BlackBerry subscription rates have dropped significantly and now leave Research in Motion dependent on its new devices to avoid a potentially damaging level of fall sales, a research note from AmTech Research analyst Rob Sanderson says today. He notes that weekly subscription rates have fallen by 20 percent from September to October and that forecasts of 2.9 million new BlackBerry users by the end of its current quarter, which ends in November, are currently "at risk."

Gefen unveils rack-mounted switcher for HDMI v1.3

Gefen has released a 3x1 rack-mounted switcher with support for HDMI v1.3. "Always on" switching allows users to instantly change between three 1080p HDMI inputs, such as a Blu-Ray player, Apple TV or Sony Playstation 3. The output can be connected to an HD monitor or projector and it works with the latest generation of HDMI, which includes supports features such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS master audio.

Logitech debuts Premiere Edition guitar controller

Logitech on Thursday announced the release of its newest gaming peripheral, the Wireless Guitar Controller Premiere Edition for Guitar Hero for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles. The guitar is designed to replicate a real instrument and sports a wood neck, a rosewood fingerboard, metal frets and a gig bag. It also represents the frist device in an upcoming line-up of premium peripherals for the Guitar Hero game series that are targeted at frequent players or avid musicians who want a similar experience.