HTC Desire HD

We saw our first images of the Desire HD over the weekend, and just as day follows night, video leaks typically follow pictorial ones. You'll already be familiar with the mooted specs -- including 720p HD video recording, WVGA screen resolution, and an 8 megapixel imager -- so what else does this handset tour reveal? Well, the family resemblance to HTC's other 4.3-inchers is inevitably apparent to see, with the Desire HD sticking its headphone port at the bottom just like the HD2, and employing a dual LED flash à la the EVO 4G. Beyond that, it looks like yet another well
rounded device from the prolific Taiwanese phone maker -- hurry past the break to see it for yourself.

Dell Studio One 19 Desktop all-in-one PC

Dell has a new all-in-one PC, the Studio One 19 Desktop, which looks rather fetching in its all-white version. (The stand is a bit on the swoopy-doopy side, but I still like it.)

Prices vary, as is the Dell way, but I’d consider the $800 model the basic entry point as it adds a multi-touch screen. Even the $1,000 model won’t be much of a gaming rig with a laptop-class


Nvidia GeForce 9400, as well as a laptop-class 1,366 by 768 pixel monitor across the line.

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Apple to unveil iPhone 5 on October 4

Apple plans to unveil its next generation iPhone next month, technology blog AllThingsD said Wednesday.

AllThingsD cautioned that Apple could "change its plans anytime," but said the present plan calls for Apple's new chief executive Tim Cook to preside over the launch of the iPhone 5 on October 4.

Cook, 50, replaced Apple's ailing co-founder Steve Jobs as chief executive of the Cupertino, California-based gadget-maker last month.

Citing "sources close to the situation," the Dow Jones-owned AllThingsD said the iPhone 5 would go on sale within a few weeks after the announcement.

Jobs, 56, the Silicon Valley visionary behind the Macintosh computer, the iPod, iPhone and iPad, stepped down as Apple's CEO on August 24.

Jobs has presided over Apple's splashy product launches in the past and AllThingsD said "the pressure will be on Cook to turn in a good performance."

"What will be interesting to see, of course, is if Jobs himself will also make an appearance, which is something that is likely to be determined by his health, in a decision that will be made very close to the event," it said.

Jobs underwent an operation for pancreatic cancer in 2004 and a liver transplant in 2009.

Apple released the iPhone 4 in June 2010 and sold 20.34 million of the devices last quarter.

Apple shares have been trading at record highs this week and the stock was up 1.37 percent at $419.13 on Wall Street on Wednesday.

iPhone 5 hardware spec check

iphone 5

With Apple now on the record about an October 4 iPhone event, analysts are reaffirming their prognostications about the phone's hardware--and adding an item or two to a growing list of specifications.

Chris Whitmore, Deutsche Bank Equity Research, said in a research note Monday that he expects an iPhone 5 with aluminum unibody construction, better camera, and a slightly larger screen size. No big surprise there.

Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, said on Tuesday he expects better graphics silicon--not unlike the big performance increase that Apple boasted about for the iPad 2.

Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster probably had the most intriguing speculation this this week, saying today he expects speech-based features for the iPhone.


So, without further ado, here are the iPhone 5 upgrades expected:

    * More memory: Possibly 1GB of memory, twice the amount in the iPhone 4.
    * Higher-resolution camera: likely 8-megapixel versus current 5MP.
    * Near-Field Communication (NFC): for virtual wallets. Possible but not certain.
    * Voice control: speculation says new tech will allow voice navigation.
    * Improved graphics: similar to Imagination's PowerVR SGX543 graphics silicon used in the iPad 2.
    * Dual-core Apple A5 chip: a virtual certainty that the iPhone 5 will get a boost in chip performance.
    * iOS 5: new iOS with iMessage, tabbed browsing and lots more.
    * 3G: Qualcomm chipset that will allow connection to both CDMA and GSM networks.

But Apple will need to pick up the pace on new phone introductions next year, according to Rodman & Renshaw's Kumar. "The last iPhone came out 16 months ago. Meanwhile rivals are updating products every three to four months," he said.

Conspicuously absent from the list of iPhone 5 specs is 4G. But Kumar says that 4G on Apple devices won't come any earlier than 2012.

Microsoft, Samsung strike licensing deal

The Omnia W, the first Samsung phone using Windows Phone Mango, will get more marketing support under this deal.
(Credit: Samsung)

Microsoft and Samsung Electronics said today that they had struck a cross-licensing agreement, avoiding the potential litigation that has plagued most technology companies.

Under the deal, Samsung has agreed to pay Microsoft royalties for technology used in its Android-based tablets and handsets. In addition, the companies agreed to work together to further develop and market Windows Phone devices.

The deal represents a rare example of compromise in an industry where lawyers have been the preferred weapon. Over the past few years, Microsoft has been more aggressive in extracting licensing agreements with electronic manufacturers using any kind of smartphone technology. It previously struck a similar deal with HTC.


Perhaps just as important is the agreement to provide marketing and development support. While Samsung was an early supporter of the Windows Phone platform, most of its resources backed Google's Android software. The Galaxy S II, which runs on Android, is widely considered its flagship device.

Samsung recently unveiled the Omnia W, a mid-market Windows Phone, and the first Samsung device to run on the updated Mango variant of the software.

With the carriers only halfheartedly providing marketing support to Windows Phone, Microsoft needs as many allies as it can get.

"Microsoft and Samsung see the opportunity for dramatic growth in Windows Phone, and we're investing to make that a reality," Andy Lees, president of the Windows Phone division, said in a statement.

Samsung, meanwhile, can hardly afford another legal battle as it deals with multiple lawsuits and complaints around the world in its legal tussle with Apple.

Intel finds a way to let go of MeeGo

Here we go again. Like the Moblin operating system before it, Linux-based MeeGo will be merged out of existence.

MeeGo will become Tizen, Intel announced today.

"Intel joined Linux Foundation and LiMo Foundation in support of Tizen, a new Linux-based open source software platform for multiple device categories," the company said in a statement. "Tizen builds upon the strengths of both LiMo and MeeGo and Intel will be working with our MeeGo partners to help them transition to Tizen."

The initial release of Tizen is expected in the first quarter of 2012, enabling the first devices in the market mid-2012, Intel said. The operating environment will support smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, Netbooks, and in-vehicle infotainment devices, Tizen said on its Web site.

Tizen development will be open and led by a technical steering team composed of Intel and Samsung.

The Tizen project, hosted at the Linux Foundation, will "offer" an operating system and a "robust, flexible standards-based HTML5 and WAC Web development environment."

Meego began as Moblin, an OS for small devices like Netbooks and smartphones. But its shot at the consumer device market came to an abrupt end earlier this year when Nokia ditched it in favor of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform. LG, less unceremoniously, also backed away from the OS after initially indicating it might use it on a smartphone.

Laptop Use can Make Men Sterile

This article provides interesting information leading researchers to
believe that with the increased use of laptop computers by males
there is a greater risk of becoming infertile.
Men, if you value your fertility – be wary of your laptop computer. According to a new study, laptop computers may contribute to
infertility and sterility in men.



Laptop Risks: Sterility in Men?

In a study presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting, researchers took sperm samples from fifteen men. Some of the samples were exposed to radio frequency electromagnetic waves from WiFi for four hours, while the remainder were not. At the end of the four hours, the sperm exposed to the WiFi signal from a laptop were not only less mobile, but they had more DNA fragmentation and damage. DNA houses the all-important genetic material that codes for proteins that control the cell. Decreased sperm motility is a common cause of male infertility problems since sperm have to be mobile enough to reach and fertilize the egg.

Can Laptops Cause Sterility in Men?

This isn’t the first time there have been concerns about laptop risks and male infertility. In a previous study, researchers found that laptops heat up the scrotum and testicles when men place them in their lap. This can contribute to sterility in men since the testicles need to be several degrees cooler than the rest of the body to produce healthy sperm. This study shows that there may also be a non-thermal effect of laptops on sperm counts and that the stimulus may be the electromagnetic waves that come from WiFi. These waves seem to damage DNA and decrease sperm motility.

Male Sterility: Laptop Risks Times Two

It seems that laptops contribute to male infertility in two ways – by overheating the testicles and by the effects of WiFi on sperm DNA. Either way, using a laptop could make it more difficult to conceive.

Laptop Risks and Male Sterility: The Bottom Line?

If you use a laptop computer, put it on a table – not in your lap. No one knows for sure whether the damage laptop computers do to sperm are temporary or permanent. But why take the chance? Laptops are portable and convenient, but, if you’re a male, don’t let them damage your sperm and keep you from conceiving.