Microsoft announces new mice and webcamsToday Microsoft has announced a pair of new LifeCam webcams and a trio of new mice aimed at notebook users. The new webcams include the LifeCam VX-7000, which is intended for desktop use with its universal attachment base.The design of the clamp allows the camera to sit closer to the display for a more integrated look. The VX-7000 has a 2.0 megapixel sensor that allows it to shoot high quality video and uses an all glass element lens.The camera can also shoot still images at 7.6-megapixels interpolated and uses a 71-degree wide-angle lens. The VX-7000 also automatically adjusts for low-light conditions and will retail for $99.95 in September. Microsoft also announced the LifeCam NX-3000, which is for mobile use with notebook computers. The NX-3000 has a max resolution of 640 x 480 and can shoot still images at 1.3-megapixels. The lens swivels to allow notebook users to adjust the camera for ideal shooting conditions. Microsoft also included video effects for video calls and included a carry case. The NX-3000 will be available in September as well for $59.95.
The trio of new mice Microsoft announced starts with the Mobile Memory Mouse 8000. Microsoft is billing the mouse as the industry’s first notebook mouse to include 1GB of flash-based storage. The flash memory is inside the USB wireless transceiver. The mouse uses a magnetic recharging cable that connects to the end of the USB adapter and to the mouse allowing for charging without the need for a dock. 
The 8000 gives you the option of using the wireless adapter or with the flip of a switch, turning the mouse into a Bluetooth device for use sans USB adapter on notebooks equipped with internal Bluetooth. The mobile Memory Mouse 8000 will be available in October 2007 for $99.95.
Other new mice from Microsoft include the Wireless Notebook Mouse 7000 and Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000. Both these mice will retail for $49.99 each with the 5000 available in October and the 7000 available in September. The 7000 uses 2.4GHz wireless technology, connects via a USB adapter to your PC, and has built-in Vista shortcuts. The 5000 is a Bluetooth mouse requiring no transceiver for use with notebooks that have Bluetooth built-in. The last desktop mouse announced by Microsoft was the SideWinder Gaming Mouse.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Microsoft Introduces a Trio of New Mice and a Pair of Webcams
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Sony Develops Bio-Battery.
Sony Develops "Bio Battery" Generating Electricity from Sugar - Achieves world's highest power output for passive-type bio batteries -Sony announced the development of a bio battery1 that generates electricity from carbohydrates (sugar) utilizing enzymes as its catalyst, through the application of power generation principles found in living organisms.
Test cells of this bio battery have achieved power output of 50 mW, currently the world's highest level2 for passive-type3 bio batteries. The output of these test cells is sufficient to power music play back on a memory-type Walkman.
4 prototype bio battery units (left) connected to Walkman for playback
In order to realize the world's highest power output, Sony developed a system of breaking down sugar to generate electricity that involves efficiently immobilizing enzymes and the mediator (electronic conduction materials) while retaining the activity of the enzymes at the anode. Sony also developed a new cathode structure which efficiently supplies oxygen to the electrode while ensuring that the appropriate water content is maintained. Optimizing the electrolyte for these two technologies has enabled these power output levels to be reached.
Sugar is a naturally occurring energy source produced by plants through photosynthesis. It is therefore regenerative, and can be found in most areas of the earth, underlining the potential for sugar-based bio batteries as an ecologically-friendly energy device of the future.
Sony will continue its development of immobilization systems, electrode composition and other technologies in order to further enhance power output and durability, with the aim of realizing practical applications for these bio batteries in the future.
The research results presented here have been accepted as an academic paper at the 234th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition in Boston, MA USA, and were announced at 11 am local time on August 22, 2007.
The Bio battery mechanism.
The newly developed bio battery incorporates an anode consisting of sugar digesting-engymes and mediator ,and cathode comprising,oxyzen reducing engymes and mediator,either side of the cellophane separator.The anode extracts electrons and hydrogen ions from the sugar through enzymatic oxidation as follows.
Glucose-->Gluconoloctone+2H++2e-.
The hydrogen ion migrates to the cathode through the separator.once at the cathode the hydrogen and the electrons absorb oxyzen from the air tp produce water.
(1/2)O2 + 2H+ + 2e- -->H2O.
Through this process of electrochemical reaction,the electrons pass through the outer circuite to generate electricity.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Sony VGN-TXN15P/B
The featherlight Sony VGN-TXN15P/B supports broadband and lasts a long time on one battery charge. Roving professionals who need to write short notes and answer e-mail in the field might enjoy this 2.9-pound unit with a built-in DVD drive and a gorgeous little LED-backlit screen. But mainstream users will find its snail-like performance and cramped keyboard a compromise.
The VGN-TXN15P/B is impressively feature-rich for a laptop that measures 10.7 by 7.7 by 1.2 inches (width by depth by height). It includes the standard connections--such as network and modem jacks, a monitor port, two USB ports, and a PC Card slot--plus welcome extras, such as a fingerprint reader and a FireWire port. Our test unit's instant-on AV button saved time and battery life by bypassing the Windows Vista Business operating system, allowing us to view thumbnails of photos on a Memory Stick or SD Card or to play a CD or DVD. For the latter activity, however, you'll need headphones, as the stereo speakers are shrill.
Icons are tiny on the 11.1-inch WXGA screen, but text and graphics are bright and easy to read and see, thanks to an antireflective coating. A combination keystroke lowers and raises screen brightness; unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to disable the annoying high-pitched beep that sounded each time I used it.
The VGN-TXN15P/B offers excellent battery life but slow speed. Our test unit's 7800-mAh battery lasted a little over 6.5 hours on one charge in our battery performance tests. Its 1.2-GHz Core Solo U1400 processor combined with 1GB of DDR2-400 SDRAM produced a relatively low WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 32. (That score, however, matched the mark of a Fujitsu LifeBook P7230 equipped with the same processor.) The VGN-TXN15P/B seemed zippy enough to handle e-mail, word processing, and surfing the Internet, but not much more.
A couple of design problems also prevent a wholehearted recommendation. The keyboard is very small, with Chiclets-size keys that are flat and slippery. My petite hands partially covered the touchpad, repositioning the cursor repeatedly as a result. The VGN-TXN15P/B might have the world's tiniest optical drive eject button, too: It's so small, I had to use my fingernail or the end of a pencil to press it.
While you might be able to overcome these annoyances with practice, the VGN-TXN15P/B should not be your first choice if you need to do heavy-duty word processing. For anyone looking for a no-wires, all-day-battery laptop, though, the freedom this $2300 unit (as of 6/6/07) offers is attractive.Technorati Profile
The VGN-TXN15P/B is impressively feature-rich for a laptop that measures 10.7 by 7.7 by 1.2 inches (width by depth by height). It includes the standard connections--such as network and modem jacks, a monitor port, two USB ports, and a PC Card slot--plus welcome extras, such as a fingerprint reader and a FireWire port. Our test unit's instant-on AV button saved time and battery life by bypassing the Windows Vista Business operating system, allowing us to view thumbnails of photos on a Memory Stick or SD Card or to play a CD or DVD. For the latter activity, however, you'll need headphones, as the stereo speakers are shrill.
Icons are tiny on the 11.1-inch WXGA screen, but text and graphics are bright and easy to read and see, thanks to an antireflective coating. A combination keystroke lowers and raises screen brightness; unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to disable the annoying high-pitched beep that sounded each time I used it.
The VGN-TXN15P/B offers excellent battery life but slow speed. Our test unit's 7800-mAh battery lasted a little over 6.5 hours on one charge in our battery performance tests. Its 1.2-GHz Core Solo U1400 processor combined with 1GB of DDR2-400 SDRAM produced a relatively low WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 32. (That score, however, matched the mark of a Fujitsu LifeBook P7230 equipped with the same processor.) The VGN-TXN15P/B seemed zippy enough to handle e-mail, word processing, and surfing the Internet, but not much more.
A couple of design problems also prevent a wholehearted recommendation. The keyboard is very small, with Chiclets-size keys that are flat and slippery. My petite hands partially covered the touchpad, repositioning the cursor repeatedly as a result. The VGN-TXN15P/B might have the world's tiniest optical drive eject button, too: It's so small, I had to use my fingernail or the end of a pencil to press it.
While you might be able to overcome these annoyances with practice, the VGN-TXN15P/B should not be your first choice if you need to do heavy-duty word processing. For anyone looking for a no-wires, all-day-battery laptop, though, the freedom this $2300 unit (as of 6/6/07) offers is attractive.Technorati Profile
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)