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Dell refreshes its XPS family of laptops with Nvidia Optimus and JBL Audio

Posted by Unknown
Friday, October 22, 2010
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Dell has finally gone and updated its popular XPS line of laptops, which now contains 14, 15.6 and 17.3-inch models with Nvidia discrete graphics with Optimus switching technology, JBL audio with Waves MaxxAudio 3 digital processing tech, Intel WiDi, 3DTV connectivity, webcam, and HD video capabilities. At their base configuration, the Dell XPS 14, XPS 15, and XP
S 17 are priced at $899, $849, and $949 respectively.

Indian pricing and availability have not yet been released, so stay tuned to thinkdigit.com for more details about the Dell XPSfamily when they come out. Check out the full specifications below:




Dell XPS


New Dell XPS Specifications :





XPS 14

XPS 15

XPS 17


Processor

Processor

Processor


Intel CoreTM i7 840QM (1.86GHz/4MB cache)

Intel CoreTM i7 840QM (1.86GHz/4MB cache)

Intel CoreTM i7 840QM (1.86GHz/4MB cache)


Intel CoreTM i7 740QM (1.73GHz/4MB cache)

Intel CoreTM i7 740QM (1.73GHz/4MB cache)

Intel CoreTM i7 740QM (1.73GHz/4MB cache)


Intel CoreTM i5 560M (2.66GHz/3MB cache)

Intel CoreTM i5 560M (2.66GHz/3MB cache)

Intel CoreTM i5 460M (2.4GHz/3MB cache)


Intel CoreTM i5 460M (2.4GHz/3MB cache)

Intel CoreTM i5 460M (2.4GHz/3MB cache)

















Operating System

Operating System

Operating System


Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit

Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit

Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit


Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit

Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit

Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit


Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit














Memory

Memory

Memory


6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory

6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory

6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory


8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory

8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory

8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory










12GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory










16GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory














Chipset

Chipset

Chipset


Intel HM57

Intel HM57

Intel HM57














Video Card

Video Card

Video Card


NVIDIA GT425M GeForce

NVIDIA GT435M GeForce

NVIDIA GT445M GeForce


NVIDIA GT420M GeForce

NVIDIA GT420M GeForce

NVIDIA GT435M GeForce














Audio and Speakers

Audio and Speakers

Audio and Speakers


JBL 2.0 Designed & Certified Speakers +Waves MaxxAudio

JBL 2.1 Designed & Certified Speakers +Waves MaxxAudio

JBL 2.1 Designed & Certified Speakers +Waves MaxxAudio 3


2.0 Audio: 2 X 3W = 6W Total

2.1 Audio: 2 X 4W + 12W sub-woofer 20W Total

2.1 Audio: 2 X 5W + 12W sub-woofer 22W Total














Hard Drive

Hard Drive

Hard Drive


Up to 500GB8 SATA hard drive (7200RPM)

Up to 640GB8 SATA hard drive (7200RPM)

Up to 1280GB7 SATA hard drive (7200RPM)


Up to 256GB8 Solid State hard drive

Up to 256GB8 Solid State hard drive

Up to 256GB7 Solid State hard drive














Optical Drive

Optical Drive

Optical Drive


16x DVD+/-RW (standard), Blu-Ray Disc™ burner; 9.5mm tray load

16x DVD+/-RW (standard), Blu-ray Disc™ combo (reads Blu-ray Disc™ & writes to CD/DVD); 12.7mm tray load

16x DVD+/-RW (standard), Blu-ray DiscTM combo (reads Blu-ray Disc™ & writes to CD/DVD); 12.7mm tray load














9-in-1 media card reader

9-in-1 media card reader

9-in-1 media card reader


Supporting SD, SDIO, SDXC, SDHC, MS, MS Pro, MMC, MSXC, xD

Supporting SD, SDIO, SDXC, SDHC, MS, MS Pro, MMC, MSXC, xD

Supporting SD, SDIO, SDXC, SDHC, MS, MS Pro, MMC, MSXC, xD














Power

Power

Power


6-cell LI (2.6Ah) standard; Up to 5 hours, 23 minutes of battery life

6-cell LI (2.6Ah) standard; Up to 5 hours, 14 minutes of battery life

6-cell LI (2.6Ah) standard; Up to 4 hours, 25 minutes of battery life


9-cell LI (2.8Ah); Up to 8 hours, 29 minutesof battery life

9-cell LI (2.8Ah); Up to 9 hours, 9 minutes of battery life

9-cell LI (2.8Ah); Up to 7 hours, 32 minutes of battery life














Camera

Camera

Camera


2.0MP HD with single digital mic (H.264)

2.0MP HD with single digital mic (H.264)

2.0MP HD with single digital mic (H.264)














Wireless

Wireless

Wireless


Wi-Fi Options:

Wi-Fi Options:

Wi-Fi Options:


Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000

Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000

Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000


Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 802.11 a/b/g/n (3x3)

Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 802.11 a/b/g/n (3x3)

Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 802.11 a/b/g/n (3x3)


Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 802.11 a/g/n

Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 802.11 a/g/n

Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 802.11 a/g/n


Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11 a/g/n

Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11 a/g/n

Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11 a/g/n














Mobile Broadband Options: (WWAN)

Mobile Broadband Options: (WWAN)

Mobile Broadband Options: (WWAN)


Dell Wireless 5540 HSPA mobile broadband10 mini card

Dell Wireless 5540 HSPA mobile broadband10 mini card

Dell Wireless 5540 HSPA mobile broadband9 mini card


Dell Wireless 5620 EVDO-HSPA mobile broadband10 mini card

Dell Wireless 5620 EVDO-HSPA mobile broadband10 mini card

Dell Wireless 5620 EVDO-HSPA mobile broadband9 mini card














WiMax:

WiMax:

WiMax:


Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11 a/g/n

Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11 a/g/n

Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 802.11 a/g/n














Bluetooth Options:

Bluetooth Options:

Bluetooth Options:


Bluetooth Internal (3.0) mini-card

Bluetooth 3.0

Bluetooth Internal (3.0) mini-card














WiDi, GPS enabled

WiDi, GPS enabled

WiDi, GPS enabled














Wired communications

Wired communications

Wired communications


Integrated Gigabit ethernet 10/100/1000

Integrated Gigabit ethernet 10/100/1000

Integrated Gigabit ethernet 10/100/1000


Modem upsell via USB dongle

Modem upsell via USB dongle

Modem upsell via USB dongle














Ports, Slots & Chassis

Ports, Slots & Chassis

Ports, Slots & Chassis


Externally Accessible

Externally Accessible

Externally Accessible


Mini DisplayPort (1),

Mini DisplayPort (1),

Mini DisplayPort (1),


3 total USB 2.0 (2 / 1 eSATA/powershare combo)

2 total USB 3.0

2 total USB 3.0


Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45)

1 USB 2.0 (eSATA/powershare combo)

2 total USB 2.0 (1 / 1 eSATA/powershare combo)






Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45)

Integrated network connector 10/100/1000 LAN (RJ45)


HDMI 1.4

HDMI 1.4

HDMI 1.4


AC adapter connector

AC adapter connector

AC adapter connector


Audio jacks (headphone with SPDIF support (2), 1 Mic-in)

Audio jacks (headphone with SPDIF support (2), 1 Mic-in)

Audio jacks (headphone with SPDIF support (2), 1 Mic-in)














Dimensions & Weight

Dimensions & Weight

Dimensions & Weight


Width: 13.9" (352.8mm)

Width: 15" (381mm)

Width: 16.3" (414.9mm)


Height: 1.2" (31.4mm) front /1.4" (35.4mm) back

Height: 1.3" (32.2mm) front /1.5" (38.2mm) back)

Height: 1.3" (32.8 mm) front /1.5" (38.5mm) back


Depth: 9.7" (247.4mm)

Depth: 10.4" (265.4mm)

Depth: 11.3" (287.3mm)


Weight: Starting weight of 5.35lbs. (2.43 kg) with 6 cell battery; 5.72lbs (2.6kg) with 9-cell battery.





Weight: Starting weight of 6.14lbs. (2.78kg) with 6-cell battery; 6.51lbs.(2.96kg) with 9-cell battery

Weight: Starting weight of 7.57lbs. (3.43kg) with 6-cell battery; 7.94lbs. (3.6kg) with 9-cell battery.














Others

Others

Others


Multimedia control buttons

Multimedia control buttons

Multimedia control buttons


External display, wireless on/off, extended battery life, brightness -, brightness +, backlit keyboard activation, mute, volume -, volume +, rewind, play/pause, forward, touchpad deactivation button

External display, wireless on/off, extended battery life, brightness -, brightness +, backlit keyboard activation, mute, volume -, volume +, rewind, play/pause, forward, touchpad deactivation button

External display, wireless on/off, extended battery life, brightness -, brightness +, backlit keyboard activation, mute, volume -, volume +, rewind, play/pause, forward, touchpad deactivation button














Capacitive keys

Capacitive keys

Capacitive keys


Windows Mobility Center, Audio control panel, user configurable launch button

Windows Mobility Center, Audio control panel, user configurable launch button

Windows Mobility Center, Audio control panel, user configurable launch button














LED lights

LED lights

LED lights


Palmrest: battery indicator, wireless and caps lock; hinge: hard drive activity and battery charge.

Palmrest: battery indicator, wireless and caps lock; hinge: hard drive activity and battery charge.

Palmrest: battery indicator, wireless and caps lock; hinge: hard drive activity and battery charge.














TV tuner

TV tuner

TV tuner




Yes (optional integrated)

Yes (optional integrated)

Yes (optional integrated )


Does science education need a dose of danger?

Posted by Unknown
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
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A sign that reads 'THIS RIDE MAY KILL YOU' looms in the background as the Madagascar Institute demonstrates its 'Jet Ponies' ride at World Maker Faire.

(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET)

QUEENS, N.Y.--Under the shadow of the Cold War-era Titan II and Atlas rockets set up outside the New York Hall of Science, this weekend's World Maker Faire extravaganza was, more than anything, a tribute to the more colorful fringes of hands-on innovation, science, and engineering. And the "makers" who populated its tents and booths wanted nothing more than to get the thousands of children in attendance interested in physics, engineering, biology, and even metalwork.

The kids were enthralled. This was not the kind of science you saw in a textbook: there were exploding chemistry experiments, flame-throwing robots, model rockets, lessons in laser cutting and soldering, and a perpetual whir and hum of jet engines that made one man comment, "Sounds like a large vuvuzela." Parked in the middle of the outdoor exhibits was the BioBus, a repurposed school bus that's now loaded with microscopes so that kids can learn about cell biology, including a tissue sample donated by comic television pundit Stephen Colbert.

Even the most offbeat exhibits, staffed by costumed hipsters and artists whose look was far more Burning Man than Bunsen burner, played up the importance of science education. "Can I get a big shout-out for math?" artist Mark Perez asked to a crowd of hundreds of eager children and parents who were about to watch him orchestrate the Life Size Mousetrap, a 50,000-pound feat of mechanics that took Perez a decade and a half to build and which spent the weekend using a two-ton safe to smash a taxi.


John Jay College of Criminal Justice set up a 'CSI'-worthy fake bloody crime scene at Maker Faire to get kids interested in forensics.

(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET)


Explaining the machinery and workings of the Life Size Mousetrap, Perez gleefully played up the fact that many components were extremely heavy, unstable, or potentially dangerous. "This, folks is why I can't get insurance!" he proclaimed.

With all the outcries from Silicon Valley titans that U.S. schools aren't producing the engineers and scientists at the rate that the technology industry needs, a let's-get-rowdy science festival like the Maker Faire brings up an interesting, and potentially controversial point. Maybe science education needs a lot more of the stuff that could send squeamish parents running for the hills. Perhaps the ranks of young future scientists are being thinned by the filter of a world in which the nightly news convinces us to believe that kids are at risk from everything from walking into the backyard unsupervised to logging onto their instant-messaging clients, and in which a combination of budget cuts and safety concerns means that chemistry and physics equations often never get the chance to jump off the textbook page.


Just earlier this month, a coalition of tech CEOs joined the Obama administration in launching Change The Equation, founded by the likes of ex-Intel Chairman Craig Barrett and Xerox CEO Ursula Burns among other chief executives, and backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a $100 million donation to the public school system in troubled Newark, N.J., thatmarked the launch of his own education-focused initiative, Startup: Education.


With all this education reform talk, supporters might want to keep in mind the likes of Maker Faire and the expressions on children's faces as they saw the Mentos & Diet Coke experiments and ArcAttack's Tesla-coil music in real life. Maybe science education needs to be more like the stuff of the YouTube videos that kids are posting on one another's Facebook profiles and zapping over Instant Messenger, from pop band OK Go's music-video odes to wacky physics to the craziest moments from MythBusters. In the process, it might have to be a little edgier.

Some educators seem to be clued in. One of the more "serious" setups came from Manhattan-based John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which had constructed a sort of pop-up education center for kids to learn about forensic science and crime scene analysis. This involved a fake crime scene with a pair of bloody corpses, displays about blood-spatter analysis, and T-shirts with bullet holes to explain differences in varieties of firearms.


The more irreverent exhibits were in-your-face risky. An artists' collective in Brooklyn, the Madagascar Institute, had set up a pasture of intentionally terrifying carnival rides with names like "The 360-Degree Swing Of Death" and hand-painted signs that reminded visitors "Safety Third!" "This Ride May Kill You," and "Fear Is Never Boring."


The Madagascar Institute, of course, is purposely pushing it. But if Maker Faire is any indication, science for kids doesn't have to be boring, either.



Super Wifi gets FCC go-ahead

Posted by Unknown
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The Federal Communications Commission has, as expected, released unlicensed spectrum, hoping it will boost the market for wireless internet.




The unanimous decision to sell off the so-called 'white space' should see the widespread introduction of Super Wifi, already being trialled across the country. It is the first significant block of spectrum to be sold off in 20 years, and the FCC says it could generate as much as $7 billion in economic value each year.

"We know from experience that unlicensed spectrum can trigger unexpected but hugely beneficial innovation. For example, years ago, there was a band of low-quality spectrum that was lying fallow. Nobody could figure out what to do with this so-called 'junk band', so the FCC decided to free it up as unlicensed spectrum," said FCC chairman Julius Genachowski.

"The result was a wave of new technologies – baby monitors, cordless phones, and eventually a real game changer: Wifi. Today, Wifi is a multi-billion industry and an essential part of the mobile ecosystem."

The move was opposed by police and firefighters, who wanted the frequencies reserved for emergency services and broadcasters concerned about interference.

AT&T and Verizon were also unhappy about the proposal - because the spectrum would likely be reserved for smaller carriers, they'd miss out at the trough.
In its decision, the FCC has aimed to appease some of these concerns by ordering that devices will have to be designed in such a way that they don't interfere with broadcast channels or wireless microphones.

Commenting on yesterday's ruling, vice president of communications for the National Association of Broadcasters Dennis Wharton said the NAB was still reviewing the details.

"NAB's overriding goal in this proceeding has been to ensure America's continued interference-free access to high quality news, entertainment and sports provided by free and local television stations," he said.

PS3 Jailbroken with Modded Controller

Posted by Unknown
Monday, September 27, 2010
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Sony might have blocked the loophole which allowed its PlayStation 3 games console to get jailbroken, but hackers have found a new way to jailbreak the electronics giant's device.

A hacker, Hasuky, uploaded the jailbreak details on a Spanish forum, Elotrolado to enable users of PlayStation 3 break in to their gaming console.

According to tech news site Geek, Hasuky used a Sixaxis controller, an official component of the PS3 device, to integrate a PS Groove USB modchip into the device in order to jailbreak the PS3 games console.


As soon as modchip is soldered with the Sixaxis, the users can easily defy all restrictions on the console and can run the jail broken device easily. However, the modchip integration is not suitable for users who are not technically competent.

The move will also void the warranty of the console and may also affect the controller.

Google Celebrates 12 Birthday With New Doodle

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Google has uploaded a new cake shaped doodle on its search engine home page to celebrate its 12th anniversary today.

The Mountain View, California-based internet search giant has taken special permission from the Visual Artists and Gallery Association (VAGA) of New York to upload a classic painting by Wayne Thiebaud as its logo, tech news site Erictric has revealed.


Thiebaud is an emminent 89 year old painter, based in Los Angeles, California and is famous for his association with the Pop Art movement of America.

The painter is known for his pictures of cakes, pastries, toys, lipsticks and other things signifying the Pop Art culture.

Although the company remains doubtful about the date when it was established, 7 September is known to be its birthday. The company went on to decide 27 September as an official anniversary date after celebrating it on the seventh of the same month for a few years.

Second-Generation iPad: 7" Display, Dual Cameras? Let the speculation begin.

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The next edition of the iPad could have a lot in common with Samsung's Galaxy Tab. GigaOM reports that analyst Ashok Kumar has stated that Apple might be working on a new 7" version of the iPad for launch in 2011. This slate will pack both front and rear-facing cameras.

Let's put on our thinking caps for a moment here. We know that a new iPad is coming out next year. Apple hasn't announced it, but we have the iPhone's upgrade schedule to use as a guide. The industry is moving too fast for Cupertino to sit on their laurels for a full year. The front-and-rear facing cameras are definitely likely, possibly even "all but" guaranteed.

So now we're down to that 7" form-factor. Apple might want to go with a smaller screen in order to reduce the iPad's weight and make holding it one-handed for extended periods of time easier. Or they might be trying to cut on costs more. Personally, I doubt any 7" iPads will be released solo. Apple may increase the line to include 7" and 10" models, though.

Twitter Hit By Second Worm In A Week

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Twitter was hit by another malicious attack which led to an obscene message automatically being posted from an affected user's Twitter account.

The micro blogging platform has responded by disabling the offending link and is said to be quickly resolving the issue which allowed the worm to spread on the platform.




Users found that their account was posting a message that declared their love for goats, after they clicked on a link which read, 'WTF: '.

When users clicked on the link, they were redirected to a website which used CSRF (cross-site request forgery) technique to fool Twitter into posting the message.

Security firm Sophos explained via blog post: “All the user sees if they visit the link is a blank page, but behind the scenes it has sent messages to Twitter to post from your account. The messages obviously couldn't be sent if you weren't logged into Twitter at the time you clicked on the link.”

One of the more well known Twitter user was celebrity blogger Robert Scoble, who immediately warned his followers about the malicious link when he discovered it.

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