Lee's Tech Talk

Nintendo to Launch DSi in April 2009

2009-03-03T15:22:00.001-08:00

Nintendo DSi launches April 5 in the United States

2009-02-18

Nintendo pioneered hand-held entertainment in the '80s and made it fully mobile with the Game Boy video game system. Now, Nintendo is transforming the way people access, experience, create and share content with the new Nintendo DSi system, the third iteration of the world's best-selling portable video game system. Nintendo DSi launches in the United States on April 5, 2009, at an MSRP of $169.99. The colors available at launch will be Blue and Black.

"Ever since the arrival of the first Game Boy, consumers worldwide have turned to Nintendo for their portable gaming," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Nintendo DSi builds on Nintendo's commitment to bringing fun and creative entertainment to everyone, and will allow consumers to personalize and share their very own experiences."

Some features that will be built into the system and ready to enjoy upon purchase include the Nintendo DSi Camera, Nintendo DSi Sound and Nintendo DSi Shop. The most noticeable feature of the slim Nintendo DSi system is its two cameras – one camera is on the external body, and the second one points at the user when the device is flipped open. As the first truly interactive digital camera in a video game system with 10 different interactive "lenses" that can manipulate your photos, the Nintendo DSi Camera offers an easy way to take and share your photos with family and friends. The cameras also present people with unprecedented ways to interact with their games while giving developers a new tool to devise creative games and experiences. If the touch screen gave Nintendo DS a sense of feel and the microphone allowed it to hear, the two cameras give Nintendo DSi the sense of sight.

Another enhanced feature is the Nintendo DSi Sound application, which serves as both an interactive voice recorder and music player that allows users to play with their music while they listen to it. Users can access different audio filters or control the pitch and speed of recorded voice or music files to alter voices or change the tempo of a song. The mic is located between the two screens when the device is flipped open, and there is also a stereo headphone output that lets users listen to music saved on an SD card, even with the screen shut.

In the world of software, Nintendo DSi will be the platform for the most relevant and fun on-the-go games and applications. The Nintendo DSiWare application will populate Nintendo DSi with software that can be downloaded using Nintendo DSi Points directly to the portable system, just as WiiWare has with Nintendo's Wii console. Developers big and small are invited to create software that makes use of the properties and functions of the hardware. Nintendo DSiWare games and applications will be available at a range of values, starting at 200 points.

In addition to downloadable games, Nintendo DSi is able to play games made specifically for the system and sold at retail. The system can also play most Nintendo DS™ games, and will have access to a library of more than 850 titles originally made for that system.

Also on April 5, a new Nintendo DS game, Rhythm Heaven, will join this roster of games available for both Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS owners in the United States. Having sold more than 1.6 million copies since its July 2008 launch in Japan and still increasing sales today, this infectious game challenges players to tap and slide the stylus on the touch screen in time to original music created by legendary Japanese pop-star producer TSUNKU♂. Simple gestures with the stylus combined with fun music and quirky visuals make Rhythm Heaven a completely unique musical experience for players of all ages.

Additional features and news of Nintendo DSi will be revealed as April 5 approaches. For more information about Nintendo DSi, visit www.nintendodsi.com.

Google Steps Further into the Future with BioWallet

2009-02-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

What is BioWallet ?

BioWallet is a biometric authentication system for the Android platform that performs the identification of a user based on something that he/she is, other than something that he/she knows or owns. Currently, it supports iris and handwritten signature based authentication. BioWallet is also a password and secrets manager that stores the sensitive information using strong biometric encryption techniques and allows the user to recover them without remembering any password.

BioWallet is basically a “safe wallet” that can store sensitive information (passwords, certificates, documents, conversations, notes, pictures, etc.). This information can only be accessed to by the user resenting his/her iris or signing in the touch screen. The data is kept secret even if the device is lost or stolen using strong biometric encryption techniques.
The user doesn’t need to worry anymore remembering a lot of different and difficult passwords or using the same simple password for everything.
Advanced users can also digitally sign their documents or encrypt the communications.

HIGHLY SECURE
The information is encrypted with military grade security (AES 256 bits) and only can be decrypted using your biometric characteristics. The encryption is even resistant to brute-force and dictionary based attacks because the internal keys used are generated long enough and completely random to prevent them.

EASY TO USE
The application has been designed to be both powerful and easy to use by non technical people. Two different profiles will give you what you want: power and flexibility for “advanced” users and ease to be used by people that “just want it to work”.

PROTECTS YOUR PRIVACY
Your biometric data are never sent outside your mobile device or stored, so they are safe even if the phone is lost or stolen.

This information was pulled from the BioWallet website. Go check it out.

Microsoft Offers $250K Reward to Catch Worm Authors

2009-02-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Michael Barkoviak / DailyTech

‘Confisker continues to infect a large number of computers while security experts try and figure out what to do.’ -

Microsoft has created a new technology industry posse and a $250,000 reward for people who help turn over the creators of the Conficker worm.

The Conficker worm multiplied like wildfire, and spreads through a hole found in Microsoft Windows systems, though the vulnerability was patched in October. It also is able to disable anti-malware protection and will block an infected PC from visiting anti-malware vendors Web sites to receive updates.

Security experts are even more worried about the possibility the worm calls home every 24 hours to at least 250 servers each day for instructions or directed actions.

The Houston police department was forced to stop arresting people with traffic warrants because the worm spread its way through the police and city court’s computer systems. Violent offenders were still arrested, but those with outstanding traffic warrants were simply issued citations instead of being arrested, Houston police officials said.

There also was a Conficker outbreak among French military computers, which led to several fighter planes being grounded until everything could be fixed.

Microsoft is working with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and PC security experts while trying to identify the worm’s creators. VeriSign, NeuStar, Public Internet Registry, Global Domains International, AOL, F-Secure, George Tech, and several other organizations have joined the fight to help capture who ever created the Internet worm.

“As part of Microsoft’s ongoing security efforts, we ”http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/02/microsoft_offers_250000_reward.html?hpid=sec-tech" rel="nofollow">constantly look for ways to use a diverse set of tools and develop methodologies to protect our customers," Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Group G.M. George Stathakopoulos said in a statement. “By combining our expertise with the broader community we can expand the boundaries of defense to better protect people worldwide.”

Security company Symantec reported that more than 2.2 million IP addresses over the past five days have been infected with two different forms of the worm, three months after it first hit the Internet. To date, it’s infected at least 10 million PCs since first being introduced into the wild.

MAGIC JACK Saves Money. .. and it works too!

2009-02-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

By: L Jones

I have a Magic Jack. I wasn't given one to test or a paid blogger. I am simply a consumer who went online and ordered the Magic Jack digital telephone system. It's not really a system, just a small USB gadget that you plug into your computer and voila, instant telephone service. I wanted to tell my story.

I was watching television at night when this infomercial comes on and it's talking about Magic Jack; how you get long distance and local telephone service for only $19.95 a year. We all know how infomercials are. They promise you all kinds of things from super fit body to better health and most of the time it's all crap. The commercial seemed used cars man like; a bit too pushy and to good to be true. So I passed on it.

December 2008, I see the commercial again. This time, I have to look a bit more closely. We're in a recession, money's getting tight. I need to find a few places to pinch some pennies. I tell myself, the $56 that it will take to get it to my house is a small investment if it works. The commercial begins to look more believable, so I decide, what the heck. Two days later it gets delivered.

Long story short, I love it. This baby works. The sound quality is equal to my Comcast telephone service, but better because it's nearly $500 dollars cheaper for the year. It was easy to install; just plug it in and follow the prompts. I'm sold on the product and I hope you will be too. Go out and get you one.

(secret: you can get them at Best Buys and some Radio Shacks)

Netbooks: Things to Know Before You Buy

2009-02-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

By: L Jones
Smaller is not so bad when it comes to the recent rush of netbooks that have now flooded the electronics market of late. I particularly fell in love at first site with the 8.9" screens and the glossy case finish. It's not the most practical, the glossiness that is, but it looks sexy.

There are few things you should consider, before making your purchase. This little wonder machines look similar enough, but they can be very different.

HARD DRIVE: The first thing I look at is the hard drive size. The hard drives range from 2gb to 160gb. I always look for the ones that are either a 120gb or 160gb. The prices are so close, sometimes the same, why cheat yourself on storage.

OPERATING SYSTEM: Second, I look at the operating system. The two prevalent ones that I have noticed are Windows XP Home and Linux. Both operating systems will give you about the same functionality, it's just a matter of choice. Linux is very similar to Mac.

BATTERY: Third, I look at the type of battery. At present, there is the 3,4, and 6 cell. The 9 cell may already be out as well. The difference ranges between 2 1/2 hours and all day battery life. The more powerful battery you chose, the more you will pay for your computer. 4-cell is a good buy and you still will get a great deal.

COST: Once I've looked at these three features, I look at the price. These netbooks should not run you more than $399; unless you need the top of the line of course.

There are other features, like the webcam, wi-fi, bluetooth, the amount of USB ports etc. that you should also check out.

Alienware Area-51 ALX - 2009 Best Performance PC

2009-02-05T05:21:00.000-08:00

For all you gaming enthusiast out there, this will come as no surprise to you, but for everyone else, I have an announcement. The Shopper's Choice Award 2009 for best performance PC is the Alienware Area-51 ALX. This is the second year in a row that Alienware has been bestowed with this honor.

This head of the pack performance PC does not come cheap. The direct price from the manufacturer is around $4,549 for the base model; so dig deep in those pockets, because this one is the mother load.

You can check out more about the Alienware Area-51 ALX and other Alienware products at http://www.alienware.com/ or call 800-254-3692

2009 Philadelphia Auto Show

2009-02-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity of going to the Philadelphia Auto Show this year. I was hoping for concept cars, but it was not to be.

Anyway, I took some pictures and put them on my Flickr account. Enjoy.

WowWee Spyball

2009-02-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

The WowWee Spyball is an amateur spy's dream toy. Or at the very least a kick butt digital camera. The tiny remote controlled robotic ball has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and gets around on sleek wheels, capable of smooth mobility and quick 360-degree turns.

The Spy ball can morph from a ball to a camera and back within seconds, and it does so quietly, so you can sneak around and get some dirt on people. Another cool feature is that when it’s connected to a home network, the Spyball can be controlled remotely via the Internet.

Price: TBA

Release: TBA

Meade ETX-LS Telescope with LightSwitch & Built-in Imager

2009-02-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

Article from: Opt Corp

Right now this latest technological innovation is so hot, that even we don't know everything about it... At least not until it is officially unveiled at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada in January, 2009!

For a lot of telescope users, aligning the telescope is always a frustrating experience - even when it is considered a "Go To". There's always something you have to know... Be it the perfectly correct time, the date, your latitude or longitude. How many new users have been stumped by not knowing the names of the alignment stars? Or not being able to see an alignment star that is blocked by a tree or a house? All of these little things can add up to beginning an observing evening in an unpleasant way and that's not what enjoying astronomy is all about. Now imagine yourself setting up a very portable telescope called the Meade ETX-LS. Thanks to its new LightSwitch™ Technology, you simply turn it on and let it do the work. Inside a built-in Integrated Sensor Module (ISM) takes over the job and Global Positioning System (GPS) connects with overhead satellites to automatically recognize your telescope's position on Earth. Once this fix takes place, this means your telescope also understands the local time - without even looking at a watch! As silent as a cat on wheels, the Level North Technology (LNT™) sensors take over and the Meade ETX-LS seeks out two alignment stars and automatically begins charting out a "real time" night sky map in its memory banks for your own personal time and location.

But, the Meade 6" ETX-LS doesn't stop there...

It's a marvelous experience to look through a telescope at a distant object - but nothing can match the experience of knowing things like how far, how fast, how hot, how high, etc. Thanks to The Astronomer-Inside™, the Meade 6" f/10 ETX-LS delivers like no other telescope on today's market can. Right at the telescope the user has the capabilities of a complete audio/visual library at their fingertips... just waiting to give you a full tour of the night sky. Thanks to a built-in speaker and video-out jack, the whole family can share in the fun! Just think of what a great outreach tool the Meade ETX-LS can be...

But don't stop there, either... the Meade ETX-LS has even more to offer.

Built on the foundation of Meade's superb Advanced Coma Free Optics in a size capable of revealing all the Messier objects and such a huge portion of the NGC catalog as to keep most observers happy for a lifetime, this telescope is going to offer outstanding planetary and lunar views at a professional level. What more could you ask? What's that you say? Eyes like a CCD camera? Then stop dreaming and take a look at tomorrow's technology... the built-in ECLIPS™ CCD Camera. Now you can take vibrant, high-resolution, low-noise images of objects right at the telescope and view them on the spot using the scope's video output function. What's more, you can also store them on an SD card for later modifications - or sharing! Just exactly what does that mean? Can you imagine sending Grandma an email with a picture of comet you just viewed? Or how about an image of Saturn? For those who really like challenges, a built-in CCD camera means you can push the Meade ETX-LS beyond its visual limits by taking timed exposures of objects far fainter than the human eye can see - and revealing them right at the telescope before your eager eyes!

If this sounds like the telescope for you, then read on....

Meade ETX-LS LightSwitch Telescope Features...

Single arm fork Altitude-Azimuth (Alt-Az) mount provides rigid structure with large precision roller bearings on both axis designed to carry large OTAs.
Precision worm gear drives with 4.875” main gears in both axis for smooth and accurate tracking and slewing.
Long fork arm length to allow clearance with the base for most cameras.
Runs on internal “C” cell batteries for 3-5 hours of portable field operation with hand control holder built into base.
Off-On LightSwitch and USB and other ports for accessory equipment.
Heavy-duty stable tripod with quick attachment of the mount
6” ACF optical tube assembly (OTA) provides 6" clear aperture with 1524mm focal length for an f/10 system.
Advanced Coma-Free optical system for performance that only professionals or extreme amateurs have had.
Standard SC threaded back cell that accepts most existing accessories designed for all Schmidt-Cassegrain models over the last 30 years.
Integrated Sensor Module (ISM) with GPS and Level North Technologies (LNT).
Electronically Controlled Locate Identify Position System (ECLIPS) CCD imaging module.
Multimedia output includes professionally produced audio and video content for hundreds of objects and custom guided tours designed for your location, time and date.
Multimedia presentations feature the voices of Sandy Woods of “Star Date” astronomy radio program and George Woods, Hollywood actor and the voice on many productions.
Built-in speaker in drive base and audio out jack for audio instructions and object descriptions.
Video out for video presentations and images of many objects, instant display of images from the ECLIPS imager and easy on-screen menu navigation.
AutoStar III hand controller easily control telescope for automatic location of objects, tours and many other features including 100,000 object database.
ECLIPS CCD Imager is an essential part of the LightSwitch alignment system.
Sensitive wide-angle color 640x480 CCD imager for taking your own astrophotographs. Save your photos on a SD card (user supplied).
With a video monitor connected to the video out jack, see real-time images of the objects you see in the eyepiece.
New electronics provide full USB support for accessories like additional DSI CCD cameras.
SD card slot for easy software upgrades and storing your astrophotographs.

Better pre-order this one now. Just a thought

USB 3.0 - Fasten Your Seatbelts

2009-02-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

By: L Jones

You have a need for speed? Well your prayers have been answered. 2010 looks to be the year for speed as new USB 3.0 devices will soon begin filling the shelves and web pages of computer and electronic stores.

The USB 3.0, dubbed the Super Speed USB will be up to 10 times faster than the current version of the universal serial bus, the 2.0. The 3.0 supports up to 5Gbps (gigabits per second) , where as the 2.0 currently supports 480 Mbps(megabits per second). The 3.0 cables will sport a newer thicker look; there are five (5) extra lines inside the cables. I can also read and write simultaneously. Still wanna ride with no sealtbelt.

Before we go any futher, I want you to know that this is not a DTV jack move; the USB 3.0 is backwards compatible, so you don't need to go out right away and buy all new stuff.

So, there you have it. When the first device rolls off the assembly line and into the store, I'll give you a heads up. Until then, I leave you with this quote:

"Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology." -John Tudor