Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade Prices Slashed

Microsoft India has lowered the price of Xbox 360 Arcade gaming console for the Indian audience. The Xbox 360 Arcade console price was introduced for Rs. 16,990 last year in June. Now, the price of Xbox 360 Arcade has been dropped to Rs. 14,676. Apparently, this price cut doesn't apply to special bundles.

Xbox 360 Arcade is a bare bones version of the gaming console that comes with Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, standard AV cable, an Xbox LIVE Arcade Compilation Disc that includes 5 Arcade games and 256MB Memory Unit. We aren't sure as of now whether 512MB internal memory unit loaded Arcade SKUs are available in India.

Do note that Kinect for Xbox 360, the controller free gaming device, would be usable with this Arcade model via a special adapter cable. But that will be taken care of when Kinect is announced for India.

The price cut on Xbox 360 Arcade is effective immediately so if you have been planning to buy one, now is a good time.

Samsung mobile offers 67-day standby time!

Korean giant Samsung has unveiled a rugged phone called Samsung Xcover E2370 which offers a standby time of 67 days.

This means the phone's battery can last upto 2 months (1,600 hours) in a standby mode, or upto 22 hours in talktime mode.

The phone features a 128×160 pixel TFT display, packs a 5MB internal memory and a VGA camera.

Other key features include Bluetooth, GSM/EDGE connectivity, music player, flashlight with a dedicated button and a microSD slot for upto 2GB memory expansion.

The phone is certified with IP54 rating which means it can withstand dust and water.

Sony launches SD/SDHC cards

Sony has launched a range of SD/SDHC and microSD/microSDHC cards. Providing memory capacity to consumers in compact devices, these cards can be used in cameras, mobile phones & laptops which use SD card format.

The new range of memory cards are all class-4-speed for high-definition recording and include unique benefits like x-Pict story and File Rescue software.

Speaking on the launch, Masaru Tamagawa, MD, Sony India said “The new memory cards range SD/SDHC and microSD/microSDHC will complement Sony’s existing Memory Stick line up, satisfying the needs of a broader range of users, and strengthening Sony’s position as a full line media supplier. In addition to the current models, Sony also intends to expand the product line-up to address the price conscious customers and capture 35% share in the SD card market by 2010-11."

Class 4 data transfer speed means stable HD video recording and better speed to cope with the advanced functions of compact digital cameras. Sony’s SD/SDHC memory card range features storage capacity of up to 32GB, while the microSD/microSDHC memory cards are able to store up to 8GB of data.

With File Rescue software, users can retrieve photos, videos, or music files that were damaged or deleted by mistake. The same is available as a simple download which is free of cost. Then there's x-Pict story, which will let them combine their choice of music with their favorite pictures.

Priced between Rs 600 to Rs 1500, the new range of Memory cards will be available across all Sony Center stores and other major electronic outlets across India.

Sandisk launches 64GB SD card

SanDisk Corporation has begun shipping the 64 GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card. The company's highest capacity SD card ever offers up to 15MB/sec read speed2 and Class 4 speed rating.

The new card is ideal for capturing and storing massive 1080p High-Definition video files and then transferring them quickly to a computer.

SDXC cards are based on the new SD 3.0 specification, which makes it possible to manufacture cards with storage capacity up to 2 terabytes (TB)3. The SDXC card's exFAT file structure helps consumers record long-duration HD videos. The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card can store more than eight hours of such video.

“SDXC is the successor to the world’s most popular card format,” said Susan Park, director, retail product marketing, SanDisk. “The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card delivers the speed and capacity consumers need for extended HD video recording and improved rapid shooting of still images. The card is an ideal complement for recently-announced SDXC-compatible cameras and camcorders.”

The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card comes with a lifetime limited warranty.

Gigabyte's USB 3.0, SATA 3.0 Mainboards

Gigabyte has announced seven new Gigabyte P55A-series motherboards featuring new Fast 333 onboard acceleration. Three technologies USB 3.0, SATA Rev. 3.0 and three times boost in USB together combined offer blazing fast data transfer speeds to Intel P55 Express chipset based Gigabyte motherboards.

New Gigabyte motherboards are Windows 7 ready, support LGA 1156 socket bearing Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors with DDR3 memory modules. The seven new Gigabyte P55A series use USB 3.0 certified host controller from NEC Electronics. As per the USB 3.0 specifications, phenomenal 5GB/sec speeds are promised. But this will help only when more USB 3.0 specification based peripherals would be made available in the market.

The seven Gigabyte P55A series motherboards are:

GA-P55A-UD6
GA-P55A-UD5
GA-P55A-UD4P
GA-P55A-UD3P
GA-P55A-UD3R
GA-P55A-UD3

Supporting the all new Serial-ATA revision 3.0 version, high-speed storage devices can offer data transfer speeds of up to 6Gbps. SATA rev 3.0 is capable of boosting transfer speeds by up to four times than those available in SATA 2.0 when storage drives are configured in RAID 0 mode.

Apparently, Seagate's Barracuda XT would be first hard disk to support SATA rev 3.0 connectivity interface. However, we'd like to know if the Windows 7-iPhone sync woes would continue with these new motherboards based on Intel P55 series chipset. Asus had also launched USB 3.0 featuring Asus P7P55D-E Premium motherboard

50 things Internet is killing

The Internet has been touted as one of the most useful tool for the last two decades, and has had a huge impact on our lives, but along with its benefits, the World Wide Web has also had some negative impacts on people.

While tasks that once took days can be completed in seconds, traditions and skills that emerged over centuries have become redundant.

The Telegraph has compiled a list of 50 things that are in the process of being killed off by the web and other tools of modern communication, from products and business models to life experiences and habits.

These things are:

1. The art of polite disagreement

2. Fear that you are the only person unmoved by a celebrity's death

3. Listening to an album all the way through

4. Sarah Palin

5. Punctuality

6. Ceefax/Teletext

7. Adolescent nerves at first porn purchase

8. Telephone directories

9. The myth of cat intelligence

10. Watches

11. Music stores

12. Letter writing/pen pals

13. Memory

14. Dead time

15. Photo albums and slide shows

16. Hoaxes and conspiracy theories

17. Watching television together

18. Authoritative reference works

19. The Innovations catalogue

20. Order forms in the back pages of books

21. Delayed knowledge of sporting results

22. Enforceable copyright

23. Reading telegrams at weddings

24. Dogging

25. Aren't they dead? Aren't they gay?

26. Holiday news ignorance

27. Knowing telephone numbers off by heart

28. Respect for doctors and other professionals

29. The mystery of foreign languages

30. Geographical knowledge

31. Privacy

32. Chuck Norris's reputation

33. Pencil cricket

34. Mainstream media

35. Concentration

36. Mr Alifi

37. Personal reinvention

38. Viktor Yanukovych

39. The insurance ring-round

40. Undiscovered artists

41. The usefulness of reference pages at the front of diaries

42. The nervous thrill of the reunion

43. Solitaire (PC’s most popular game)

44. Trust in Nigerian businessmen and princes

45. Prostitute calling cards/ kerb crawling

46. Staggered product/film releases

47. Footnotes

48. Grand National trips to the bookmaker

49. Fanzines

50. Your lunchbreak

Courtesy: ANI

Samsung Marine

A submersible mobile phone, Samsung Marine provides water protection up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes.Encased in anti-shock material, Samsung Marine can withstand bumps, bangs, scrapes, dust and water.

The phone is adaptable for even the toughest environments -- including rain, fog, humidity, sand, and extreme temperatures. The Marine is equipped with outdoor friendly features such as external speakers, noise cancellation and a flash light.

Multimedia features include a built-in camera, camcorder, FM radio, a music player, and expandable memory up to 8GB. The phone is priced at Rs 7,030 and available in two colours. javascript:void(0)
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Nokia's new low-cost phones

The world's top handset maker Nokia, which saw its worst-ever quarter in January-March, has made three new additions to its low-cost cellphone portfolio.

Targeted at the emerging markets, the new launches include a sub-Rs 6K 3G phone. With the launch the mobile giant aims to further solidify its marketshare at the low-end. In fact, Nokia's wide offering at the low end has kept it ahead of its traditional rivals like Samsung Electronics, though the Finnish firm has been losing marketshare at the top end to rivals like Apple and Research in Motion.

Here's looking into the specs sheet of the Nokia's three new low-cost additions.

Nokia 2730 classic
Candybar Nokia 2730 Classic is the cheapest 3G phone to date. Equipped with a 2-inch QVGA (320x240) display, the phone has a micro USB connector, 30MB of expandable memory and Bluetooth 2.0.

The 3G ready phone also supports EDGE. The phone has a 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom. Nokia 2730 classic also comes with a standard 3.5mm jack. The phone offers 3.3 hours of talktime (or about 17 days of standby). It also has Ovi Mail and packs Nokia’s Life Tools.

Nokia says the phone will be available in the second quarter of this year at a price of Rs 5,300. The company also says that the new 3G handset is targeted at entry-level prepaid users in both developing and developed markets.

Nokia 2720 fold
Clamshell Nokia 2720 fold sports a 1.8-inch display with a resolution of 128x160. The phone packs 32MB of memory and has no further memory expansion option. The phone has 1.3 megapixel camera and offers Bluetooth 2.0 support.

The phone, however, is not 3G ready but supports EDGE. Nokia says the phone will make its debut in the fourth quarter of this year at an expected price of Rs 3,600.

Nokia 2720 fold also includes Ovi Mail, Nokia Life Tools and supports up to 18 days of standby time and approximately 5 hours of talk time. The phone also has an FM radio with the ability to record radio, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), Bluetooth and MP3 ring tones.

Nokia 7020
The other low-cost phone from Nokia is 7020. The clamshell phone sports a 2.2 inch, QVGA display. The phone comes with 45MB of internal memory with support for further memory expansion.

Nokia 7020 has a 2 megapixel camera and is a Quad band GSM phone with EDGE support. The phone like Nokia 2730 classic does not supports 3G. Nokia says the phone will be available from the fourth quarter of this year (October) at an approximate price of Rs 6,000.