The Technophilez

AT&T has set forth a separate policy for the iPhone; see return policy excerpt below

Apple Branded Equipment

Apple branded equipment is covered by a 14-day return policy and must be returned to the original point of purchase. If the Apple branded equipment is returned unopened and in the original shrink wrapping, it will be refunded back to the original payment method. Opened Apple branded equipment that is returned within 14 days will be subject to a 10% open box restocking fee. All products must be packed in their original, unmarked packaging including any accessories and manuals that shipped with the product.

Service Cancellation

You may cancel service within 30 days from the activation date to avoid the early termination fee of $175.

You will be responsible for all applicable usage fees, prorated access charges, taxes, surcharges or other charges through the termination date.

If you cancel service within the return period but do not return the equipment within the return period or if equipment is not returned in like-new condition, you may be charged the full retail price of the equipment.

If you paid a security deposit, it will take 1 to 2 billing cycles to process the return of the security deposit. The charges for service used on the account before the service termination date will be applied against the security deposit.

Mars rover Opportunity will make what could be a trip of no return into a deep impact crater in an attempt to peer further back than ever before into the geologic history of the Red Planet.

The descent into Victoria Crater received the go-ahead because the potential scientific returns are worth the risk that the solar-powered, six-wheel rover might not be able to climb back out and would be forced to end its days there, NASA officials and scientists said Thursday.

The rover has been roaming the surface for nearly 3 1/2 Earth years, or some 1,200 Martian days, so scientists and engineers want to send it in while it still appears healthy and before the inevitable breakdown of vital parts that would certainly trap it there.

"This crater, Victoria, is a window back into the ancient environment of Mars," said Alan Stern, the NASA associate administrator who authorized the move.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has turned thumbs down on net neutrality.

In a report on broadband availability and connectivity, the FTC found little reason to protect consumers and content providers from attempts by large telecommunications providers to charge more for faster delivery.

"In the absence of significant market failure or demonstrated consumer harm, policy makers should be particularly hesitant to enact new regulation in this area," FTC Chair Deborah Platt Majoras wrote.

Majoras asserted that broadband Internet access was "moving toward more – not less – competition." (Complete statement - pdf file)

“The primary reason for caution is simply that we do not know what the net effects of potential conduct by broadband providers will be on all consumers, including, among other things, the prices that consumers may pay for Internet access, the quality of Internet access and other services that will be offered, and the choices of content and applications that may be available to consumers in the marketplace,” Majoras said.

Majoras' position largely echoed statements she made in 2006 while addressing the Progress & Freedom Foundation, a conservative-oriented think tank.

"Broad regulatory mandates that employ a 'one size fits all' philosophy, without regard to specific facts, always have unintended consequences, some of which may be harmful and some of which may not be known until far into the future, " she said at the time.

FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz issued a separate concurring statement (Complete statement - pdf file) that supported the FTC's position with regards to consumer protection, but said that reactive antitrust actions might not work as well to protect consumers as enacting net neutrality into law.

"The report also soberly reminds us that regulation often has unintended side-effects...But it seems to me equally clear that this report shows that doing nothing may have its costs as well," Leibowitz wrote.

With Manhunt 2 mired in controversy, Rockstar Games is changing the subject – to Grand Theft Auto IV.

The developer announced Tuesday that it was taking orders for the special edition of the much-anticipated game, due Oct. 16. Pre-orders are being taken at retailers and at www.rockstargames.com/warehouse ) for the $90 special editions for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as well as the $60 regular edition.

Included in the premium packages:

• The game in a custom metal safety deposit box with keys on a Rockstar keychain.

• A limited edition Rockstar duffel bag.

• The Grand Theft Auto IV Art Book with exclusive production images.

• A GTA IV soundtrack CD.

"All of the items have been created with the utmost attention to detail to create a unique Grand Theft Auto IV experience for any fan of the series," the company said in its statement.

Rockstar also plans to post a new full-length trailer for the game on Thursday, noon ET at http://www.rockstargames.com/IV.

In his iPhone review, Walt Mossberg mentions that the device will work with Microsoft Exchange, allowing access to one of the most widespread corporate email systems. One of the many pre-launch arguments against the iPhone was that it is not for business users.

To function with Exchange, Apple would presumably have to license ActiveSync from Microsoft. If true, it marks a significant turn for Apple, and means that it is taking a serious crack at the business market. Of course, like the iPod, it will still be dangerous in the workplace.

Google plans to launch a Linux version of Google Desktop on Wednesday, almost three years after the product's launch for the Windows operating system.

The application, designed for indexing and finding data in PCs, as well as for searching the web, also comes in a Mac OS X version, introduced in April of this year.

Like the Mac OS X version, Google Desktop for Linux is a beta, or test, product. The Windows version shed its beta tag already, meaning Google considers it a more stable and mature product.

At this point, Google Desktop for Linux does not feature the Sidebar and Gadget features present in the Windows version.

Gadgets are mini-applications that display things such as email, weather data, photos and news on the desktop. The Sidebar is a vertical panel where the Gadgets can be organised.

This Linux version, developed by Google's Beijing engineering team, is available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, simplified and traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese.

Google Desktop for Linux runs on Debian 4.0, Fedora Core 6, Ubuntu 6.10, SUSE 10.1, and Red Flag 5.

Users can download it for free from Google's website.

Microsoft Corp. introduced two new online services to its Windows Live line-up on Tuesday and said it plans to release more Web offerings this year to beef up its Internet strategy.

Microsoft plans to take on Web competitors Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. with its "software plus services" strategy, that aims to leverage its dominant market position for software running on the computer to a new suite of services delivered over the Internet.

The company offers a suite of online services including e-mail and Web search under its Windows Live brand. Microsoft said it will introduce test versions of two new free services: Windows Live Folders and Windows Live Photo Gallery.

Chris Jones, Microsoft's corporate vice president, said the company will unveil the next wave of services later this year, but its goal will be to stitch together the disparate Windows Live services and offer a more unified experience.

"Soon we'll begin to offer a single installer which will give customers the option of an all-in-one download for the full Windows Live suite of services instead of the separate installation experience you see today," said Jones in a posting on Microsoft's Web site.

Windows Live Photo Gallery is a new version of the photo application found on Microsoft's two most recent operating systems, Windows XP and Windows Vista. It simplifies how people can share photos on their Windows Live Spaces site, Microsoft's social networking platform.

The sharing feature of Microsoft's new Photo Gallery is similar to how users can publish pictures from Apple Inc.'s iPhoto application to the company's .Mac online service.

Microsoft said it is open to eventually letting users post to other photo sharing sites such as Yahoo's Flickr, if it can establish common protocols and standards with those Web sites.

Windows Live Folders will provide up to 500 megabytes of online storage in the United States in a limited test release. Microsoft said it will gauge usage during the test release and possibly add more capacity if needed.

Microsoft sees Windows Live Folders as a way people can share documents, but not necessarily a place where users can back up all the files on a computer hard drive.

Google has been widely rumored to be working on an online storage service, but the company has remained mum on the issue. However, Google offers a variety of services that include large amounts of free data storage, including Gmail and Docs & Spreadsheets.

Web radio broadcasters across the United States were preparing for a 'Day of Silence' on June 26 to protest the U.S. government's plans to boost royalty payments to artists and record companies by more than 300 percent, when their music is played online.

"These proposals will bankrupt the industry," Jake Ward, a spokesman for the lobbying group SaveNetRadio Coalition, said on Monday. "They're killing the Golden Goose."

The 'Day of Silence' is being organized by SaveNetRadio Coalition, whose 14,000 members include: Yahoo Inc., Viacom Inc, and RealNetworks Inc..

SaveNetRadio said the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board's March decision to boost royalty rates will kill the fledgling industry, if goes into effect on July 15. It is hoping the 'Day of Silence' will help raise public awareness of the issue.

The organization said the proposal also requires additional administrative fees which the organization estimated could cost Webcasters around $1 billion.

Apple announced today that iPhone users will be able to activate their new iPhones using iTunes on a PC or Mac computer  without having to wait in a store while their phone is activated. Activating iPhone takes only minutes as iTunes guides the user through simple steps to choose their service plan, authorize their credit and activate their iPhone. Once iPhone is activated, users can then easily sync all of their phone numbers and other contact information, calendars, email accounts, web browser bookmarks, music, photos, podcasts, TV shows and movies just like they do when they sync their iPods with iTunes.

"Users will be able to activate their new iPhone in the comfort and privacy of their own home or office, without having to wait in a store while their phone is activated," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "There are tens of millions of people in the US who already know how to sync their iPods with iTunes, and syncing their new iPhone with iTunes works the same way."

iPhone activation requires an Internet connection, an iTunes Store account or a major credit card; a valid Social Security number (as required by AT&T), 
a PC or Mac with a USB 2.0 port running Mac OSX v10.4.10 or later;  Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later; or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise or Ultimate Edition. iPhone requires a new two-year AT&T service plan. Customers with existing AT&T accounts will have the option of keeping their existing phone number and upgrading their account to work with iPhone.

Pricing & Availability

iPhone goes on sale at 6:00 p.m. (local time) on Friday, June 29 and will be sold in the US through Apple's retail and online stores and AT&T retail stores. iPhone will be available in a 4GB model for $499 (US) and an 8GB model for $599 (US), and will work with either a PC or Mac(R). All iPhone monthly service plans are available for individuals and families and are based on a new two-year service agreement with AT&T. Individual plans are priced at $59.99 for 450 minutes, $79.99 for 900 minutes and $99.99 for 1,350 minutes. All plans include unlimited data (email and web), Visual Voicemail, 200 SMS text messages, roll over minutes and unlimited mobile-to-mobile and a one-time activation fee of $36. Family plans are also available.

The Wi-Fi Alliance on Monday launched the action phase of its plan to get faster wireless networking products into the market, kicking off certification testing of gear based on a draft version of the IEEE 802.11n standard.

The industry group that popularized wireless LANs expects 802.11n Draft 2.0 products with its seal of approval to be on the market before September. Those routers, access points, clients and other products should work with other certified gear based on the draft standard as well as existing Wi-Fi gear that uses the 802.11a/b/g standards. They'll also need to pass security and multimedia quality tests. Eight labs in Spain, Taiwan, Japan and the U.S. are now testing products, according to the industry group, which has about 300 member companies.

The emerging 802.11n specification, which is more complicated than earlier wireless LAN standards because it involves the use of multiple antennas and a large amount of radio spectrum, has been a tough nut for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE) to crack. After watching lengthy fights over the proposed standard, the Wi-Fi Alliance last year jumped on Draft 2.0 of the standard as a common ground for vendors to build products that work together. The IEEE is still working on a final 802.11n specification and expects it to be finished in March 2009. There is no guarantee of interoperability between products based on Draft 2.0 and those using the final standard.

Wi-Fi Alliance certification is intended to let consumers buy Draft 2.0 products from different vendors and know they will work together. However, some industry analysts don't expect enterprises to invest in the new generation of technology until the final standard is approved, because they need to be sure they have a wide range of products to choose from over a long period of time.

Both Draft 2.0 and the final standard are intended to run at more than 100M bps (bits per second), faster than many wired Ethernet connections. The products now being certified can deliver as much as five times the throughput and twice the range of earlier Wi-Fi gear, according to a Wi-Fi Alliance news release. In addition to working with other Draft 2.0 products, the certified products will comply with the group's WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) security specification and its WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) standard for ensuring high-quality voice, video and gaming.

Samsung Electronics announced that they have begun to mass-producing 1.8-inch solid-state drives (SSD) at 64GB (gigabytes). Aimed at notebook computers, the new drives are the highest density SSD available today for mobile computing applications.

“We see sharply increasing interest in SSDs among OEMs worldwide amid a growing push to launch premium SSD-based notebooks, particularly in the ultra-mobile category,” said Jim Elliott, director, flash marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc.

SSDs are growing in popularity because they offer greater reliability, faster boot times and faster application start-up times than hard disk drives. This makes them a popular choice for IT managers looking to get more “bang” for their buck when ordering hardware for notebooks. SSDs can also improve battery life by up to twenty percent in notebooks, Samsung says. The 64GB SSD consists of 64 eight Gigabit (Gb) single-level cell flash memory chips. Samsung’s use of 51nm process technology permits fabrication of much smaller components, with each chip having circuitry 1/2500th the width of a human hair.

Samsung said that industry wide attention on ultra-light, ultra-slim notebook PCs with flash memory based SSDs reflect early market support for this new storage medium. In addition to their new 64GB SSD, Samsung has already introduced 32GB SSDs into ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPCs).  Not just for notebooks, SSDs also are being considered for server applications such as in advertising and for Web search engines. On the home front digital consumer products such as camcorders, PDAs and printers can now be equipped with SSDs ranging from 4GB to 64GB.

Samsung also recently released their new N2 Series drives. “The N2 Series drives offer the fastest boot times, lowest power consumption, and quietest operation available in the 1.8” form factor,” the company said in a press release. The new drives, with capacities ranging from 80GB to 120GB, are designed to meet the demands for high-capacity storage in compact mobile consumer devices such as PDAs, MP3 players, cell phones, camcorders, digital cameras and ultra-light notebook PCs.

The N2 Series drives features a 4,200rpm spin rate, PATA/ZIF interface with 8MB cache memory, a 15,0ms seek-time, and a two second Drive Time to Ready. Samsung’s SpinPoint N2 120GB Series is currently shipping with a $249 MSRP.

A little known fact about the PlayStation Portable is that each one on the market operates its games with an underclocked processor. Although the unit ships with a MIPS R4000-based CPU designed for a clockspeed of 333MHz, almost every single PSP game runs at 222MHz.

Sony revealed during GDC 2005 that its development kits limited the clockspeed allowed to developers, though official reasons were not revealed. Some believe that running at a lower clockspeed would drain the battery at a noticeably slower rate than if the processor were allowed to run at full speed.

Sony may be slowly unlocking more power to its developers as the PSP gets further into its lifecycle. High Impact Games’ Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is said to run at 266MHz, representing the handheld’s most demanding game yet.

Now confirmed by SCEA, the latest v3.5 firmware update for PSP – which also adds the ability Remote Play with the PlayStation 3 – finally allows developers to use the full 333MHz the PSP CPU is capable of. The PSP’s newly unshackled abilities do not affect already released games, however, as the speed increase will only be realized and utilized in games that specifically call for the CPU’s top speed.

While licensed software hasn’t pushed Sony’s handheld to 333MHz, modified firmware has. Software released by PSP modders allow for homebrewers to set clockspeeds to 333MHz, resulting in smoother framerates, but at the expense of battery life.

Sony has not yet announced any games that will take advantage of the full CPU speed.

Apple has released a second update of its Safari 3 browser beta.  Version 3.02 of the previously Apple-only browser fixes some security issues that could potentially allow information to be gathered from users computers.

A timing issue meant that web pages could change the URL in the address bar without actually loading the page.  This could allow 'spoofing' of a legitimate site could lead users to believe their information was safe when it was really at high risk.

New versions of the Safari beta for both Windows and Mac OS x are available at Apple.

After being bombarded on all sides with criticism of the game’s bleak setting and sadistic methods of violence, Take-Two Interactive has decided to temporarily shelve their controversial sequel, Manhunt 2. While the company will continue to support the title and reserve it for a possible future release, it will take all the time it needs to fully examine its options.

“Take-Two Interactive Software has temporarily suspended plans to distribute Manhunt 2 for the Wii or PlayStation platforms while it reviews its options with regard to the recent decisions made by the BBFC and ESRB,” said a Take-Two representative in a prepared statement (provided by Next-Gen.biz). “We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game. We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment.”

Manhunt 2 was initially refused a rating by the BBFC, thereby effectively banning it from publication within the U.K. Soon thereafter, America’s ESRB attached the game with a preliminary rating of AO, which then prompted both Sony and Nintendo to restrict the title from being released on their console systems.

With this new change, the game’s original intended release date of July 10th will most certainly be affected, but it may be too early to tell when or if the game will be released in the future.

YouTube is again being used to distribute malware, this time a variant of the nuisance Zlob adware.

According to Secure Computing, attackers are using a fake video link on the site to initiate infection with the Trojan, which bombards its victims with porn adware, before installing data-stealing code.

What makes matters worse is that the only defense against such attacks on the popular video-hosting website is the diligence of YouTube's security personnel, who can remove attacks as soon as they find them. However, according to Secure's Paul Henry, this still gives the malware distributors a window of opportunity of at least hours.

"The fact is, no one expects to find malware hidden in YouTube files. Yet the medium's popularity is highly alluring as a mass distribution vehicle for malicious code. What's alarming is that- from a security perspective- many users and organizations will be blind sided and potentially seriously exposed," he said. "Hackers look at cost of ownership. On YouTube it [the period of opportunity] is half a day."

The trend to compromise legitimate websites to distribute malware was the latest frontier for criminals, with a string of well-known sites having been hacked in recent times, he said. YouTube's allure was its massive and trusting user base, which cuts across every demographic.

Secure's solution was for companies to invest in 'reputation services' such Secure Computing's own, TrustedSource. Equally, companies might choose just to block access to YouTube.

YouTube-related hacks are nothing new. Last November, one appeared on MySpace that posed as a video from the site, but which turned out to be a similar malware scam to the Zlob hack without actually using the site itself.

More recently, hacks hosted on the site itself have started appearing, or using the promise of a YouTube video as bait.

One researcher even claimed to have uncovered a nest of vulnerabilities on the site, none of which YouTube's owners, Google, had been willing to discuss until he threatened to go public.

Orb announced today that its free MyCasting service now offers a "no hassle" alternative for people to share photos and home videos with family and friends online.

Users select the photos and videos, designate them for sharing and Orb makes them available on a webpage with the user's unique URL. Users can add as many photos and videos as they want to their public page.

"This is online social networking for the rest of us," said Herve Utheza, Vice President and General Manager for Orb Networks, who said Orb's user survey cited sharing as one of the top reasons people want to use the free service.

Utheza went on to say that another benefit to the free service is that it doesn't require any additional hardware to work. "You are basically using all of the stuff you already own -- a PC and an internet connection -- and you are ready to get started."

Sony expects a sharp increase in the number of games released for the PlayStation 3 this business year, in a move that should help the game console's slumping sales, the Nikkei business daily quoted the head of Sony's game division as saying in an interview.

President Kazuo Hirai was quoted by the Nikkei newspaper as saying that 200 software titles and 180 download-only titles would be released for the PS3 in the current business year to next March.

At present, there are 60 software titles and 50 download-only titles available for the PS3 worldwide, the newspaper said.

Hirai told the Nikkei that Sony would work with game software publishers on marketing, including events and in-store promotions, to help ensure an increase in the release of games.

It's not the blockbuster that some industry analysts envisioned, but Yahoo has sealed its first deal under new CEO Jerry Yang. Hoping to deepen its appeal to hard-core sports fans, Yahoo is buying Rivals.com, a Web site that provides extensive coverage of collegiate athletics.

Financial terms of the acquisition to be announced Thursday aren't being disclosed — an indication that the sales price is too small to dent Yahoo's finances.

It is predicted that Yahoo's broader reach will add "rocket fuel" to Rivals.com's growth. Yahoo's sports section drew 15.1 million visitors last month to rank second in the category behind ESPN's 17.6 million, according to Media Metrix.

Apple on Wednesday released Mac OS X 10.4.10, addressing several issues in the operating system.

Among the changes with the update is a fix for an issue in which a Bluetooth headset may show up as an available device for sound output in the Sound preference pane after it had been removed from Bluetooth preferences.

The update also addresses several USB issues including improving reliability when using the IR remote control after waking from sleep. Reliability when mounting external USB hard drives has been improved as well. Users of the Tom Tom GO 910 should no longer have a problem with the device being recognized when connected via USB to an Intel-based Mac.

Mac OS X 10.4.10 adds RAW image decoding support for several cameras including the Panasonic DMC-LX1, Panasonic DMC-LX2, Leica M8, Leica D-LUX 2, Leica D-LUX 3, Fuji S5 Pro, Nikon D40x and the Canon EOS 1D Mk III.

An issue where some DNG images may appear tinted or distorted has also been corrected and compatibility of Mathematica 6 with 64-bit Macs has been improved.

Several other minor issues have also been fixed.

The update is available through the Software Update preference pane.

The publisher of the Grand Theft Auto series has shocked gamers by announcing that additional downloadable content for GTA part 4 will only be available on the Xbox 360, shunning the PlayStation platform that made the series a hit.
Additional game levels and missions will be available to download over Xbox Live. Given the cross-platform nature of the game, it was also assumed that the same would be true for downloads on the PlayStation Network, but now it seems that this isn't going to be the case. There are all sorts of suggestions about how much Microsoft paid for this exclusivity, but no confirmed numbers.

GTA4 is out on October 19, and the episodic content is undated, but don't expect it to hit until the new year.

Microsoft scored a coup obtaining a simultaneous release for the game across the Xbox and PlayStation, and further securing exclusivity for downloadable content has got to be one in the eye for Sony. However, the firm could yet have the last laugh, as livid PS3 gamers cause a very public stink that could be embarrassing to Take Two.

Apple's widely anticipated music and video playing iPhone will allow subscribers to wirelessly stream material from Google's popular video sharing site YouTube, Apple said on Wednesday.

YouTube has begun encoding its videos in a new format to improve quality and save battery life when viewed over wireless devices.

The iPhone will be the first mobile device to use the new format, Apple said. More than 10,000 videos will be available on the iPhone when it hit stores on June 29, with more material added each week.

AT&T on Tuesday launched what it said is the first service letting callers share live video between cell phones.

The new AT&T Video Share service won't apply to the iPhone, which uses an older network. AT&T has an exclusive deal to offer service for much-anticipated Apple Inc. device.

But the launch of the video service adds to the company's momentum as it gears up for the June 29 introduction of the iPhone, which it called a "game-changer" for the telecommunications industry.

Video Share was introduced in three markets — Atlanta, Dallas and San Antonio — to start with and will be available elsewhere in late July.

It works only on the company's 3G, or third-generation, wireless network and requires a Video Share-capable phone, AT&T said. The company said it will offer Video Share service packs for $4.99 and $9.99 a month, depending on included minutes. Without a plan, the service costs 35 cents a minute.

Microsoft has agreed to modify its new Vista operating system in response to complaints that its desktop search function puts Google Inc. and other potential competitors at a disadvantage, a source familiar with the case told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Justice Department and Microsoft are expected to provide details of the proposed changes in a joint report filed in federal court later on Tuesday, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Update 6/20/2007

Microsoft will let PC users and manufacturers like Dell Inc. set a different program such as Google Desktop as the default instead of Vista's "Instant Search," according to a U.S. Justice Department report released late Tuesday. Microsoft will also add a link to that alternate program in the Windows Start menu.

This comes after Google filed a 49-page document with the Justice Department in April, claiming that Vista's desktop search tool slowed down competing programs, including Google's own free offering. Google also said it's too difficult for users to figure out how to turn off the Microsoft program.

Microsoft initially dismissed the allegations, saying regulators had reviewed the program before Vista launched. However, Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said in an interview last week that the company was willing to make changes if necessary.

In response to claims that Vista's "Instant Search" slows competing products, Microsoft agreed to give competitors technical information to help optimize performance.

Microsoft said it expects the changes to be implemented in its first service pack for Vista, putting to rest speculation among Microsoft watchers that the company would do away with its practice of catchall software upgrades. The software maker plans to release an early version of Service Pack 1 by the end of the year.

Microsoft and Intermap Technologies announced today the launch of Microsoft's enhanced Virtual Earth 3-D viewing platform based on Intermap Technologies' highly accurate and up-to-date elevation data for all of Great Britain. Intermap is also creating similar maps for all of Western Europe and the continental United States. The resulting product delivers a more seamless and accurate 3-D experience for all Internet users visiting Microsoft's Live Search Maps for England, Scotland and Wales.

"This is a fundamental change for the industry as Microsoft raises the bar for accuracy and realistic 3-D experiences," said Eric DesRoche, senior vice president of automotive and consumer electronics at Intermap. "While an accurate visualization application is important to deliver to consumers, our relationship with Microsoft begins to pave the way for the delivery of additional value-added products for the business and consumer markets within Great Britain, Europe and the U.S."

Gateway today recalled 14,000 batteries used in its laptop PCs after four customers reported that their computers had overheated, a similar condition to the massive battery recall that swept the industry in 2006.

Dell, Apple, Lenovo Group, and other vendors recalled more than 8 million batteries made by Sony when customers began complaining that the rechargeable lithium-ion cells could overheat and catch fire after being dropped. Gateway recalled 35,000 batteries in that episode, beginning in October 2006.

However, the new recall affects battery cells made by Samsung Electronics and assembled into battery packs by Simplo Technology, of Taiwan, Gateway spokeswoman Lisa Emard said today.

Gateway, the third-largest PC vendor in the U.S., expects both vendors to help cover the cost of the action.

"We're working with our suppliers to cover the cost of replacement battery packs and other direct costs. We expect our costs to be limited to incidental expenses associated with administering the exchange program," Emard said.

Recalls Difficult

Even when they offer free replacement batteries, PC vendors face a challenge in persuading laptop users to participate in recalls. Earlier Tuesday, Toshiba launched a campaign to remind laptop users to return Sony batteries, after one user's computer burst into flames eight months after the previous recall began.

Gateway expects better results from this recall since all the PCs were purchased through direct channels, either over Gateway's Web site and phone lines or through professional direct sales, Emard said. That means Gateway still has the buyers' addresses, and plans to contact them with news of the exchange program.

The recall affects certain Gateway 400VTX and 450ROG series notebooks sold between May 2003 and August 2003, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The faulty batteries are identified by part numbers 6500760 or 6500761 and say "made by SMP" on a label pasted on the underside of the battery pack.

"The root cause of this failure becomes apparent as the batteries age and perform repetitive charging cycles," Emard said. Of the four customer complaints, one had caused minor property damage while the others simply overheated, she said.

from pcworld

The chief architect of Sony's PlayStation game console stepped down Tuesday as the Japanese company struggles to defend its dominance in the video game industry and revive its reputation as an electronics pioneer.

Ken Kutaragi, 56, retired as Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s chairman and group chief executive, the gaming unit said Tuesday. The unit is now headed by Kazuo Hirai, SCE's former president and chief operating officer.

Kutaragi had already been relieved of day-to-day responsibilities as president last year but stayed on as chief executive and chairman. In April, he announced his intention to retire from those positions this month.

Though no longer a board member, Kutaragi will hold an advisory post at the gaming unit, according to SCE official Sayoka Henmi.

The departure of Kutaragi, an icon among gamers, marks the end of an era at Son. that saw the company dominate the video game industry with its flagship PlayStation consoles.

But it also highlights troubles amid a series of blunders over the rollout of its PlayStation 3 and intense competition from Nintendo Co.'s Wii console and Microsoft' Xbox 360.

Kutaragi's most recent brainchild, the PlayStation 3, has been marred by embarrassing production shortages and a $600 price tag that some fans said was too steep. It went on sale late last year.

Tokyo-based Sony shipped 5.5 million PS3 machines in the fiscal year through March 31, fewer than the 6 million the company had targeted. Nintendo shipped 5.84 million Wii consoles worldwide during the same period.

The PS3's hefty startup costs have weighed heavily on the company's fight to drive up profit in its core electronics division. Sony is not expecting to post a profit in its game business until the fiscal year ending March 2009.

The flop has added to the woes facing the maker of the iconic Walkman, which has ceded its leadership in portable music players to Apple Inc.'s iPod.

Microsoft unveiled on Sunday a new brand name for its Internet-based television platform, a service deployed by 10 companies including AT&T Inc.

Microsoft Mediaroom, formerly known as Microsoft Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), will link with computers found in the home to allow users to access a PC hard drive to listen to music or view photos on a TV screen, the company said.

The television push by the world's largest software maker aims to deliver TV over high-speed Internet networks and hopes the software will eventually open up the TV to a world of services already on the Web.

Microsoft said Mediaroom will also enable some applications that access the Internet without a Web browser, so users can view streaming online video or look at photos uploaded onto the Internet.

The company said it will introduce a toolkit to allow developers to create applications for the Mediaroom platform.

Microsoft launched a redesigned MSN portal optimized for mobile phones on Sunday, stepping up its offering at a time when more powerful devices increase the demand for richer content on handsets.

U.S. mobile Internet use still represents only a fraction of computer-based Web usage, but technology heavyweights like Microsoft see increasingly powerful mobile phones and faster networks opening the door for new services and content.

"We firmly believe there is an inflection point here," said Phil Holden, Microsoft's director of mobile Web services. "There's a new battle, a new frontline developing on the mobile phone."

Microsoft's new MSN Mobile portal -- http://mobile.msn.com -- offers news, sports information, entertainment features and access to services like e-mail, search, maps and instant messaging all on one page.

When a user accesses the portal, the MSN platform detects the handset and optimizes the site for that device, adjusting things like font sizes for different screens.

The number of U.S. mobile Internet users is expected to more than triple to 110 million in 2011 from the current 32 million, according to Sterling Market Intelligence and Opus Research.

Microsoft will launch SCi Entertainment Group PLC's Lara Croft Tomb Raider Anniversary video game over its Xbox Live Internet portal, the first time a full-scale computer game has been launched in this way by the company.

Xbox 360 games console owners will be able to purchase a serialization of the full-game from September in episodes and download them over the Internet through Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace. The computer game won't be available in shops until later in the year.

Both Microsoft and SCi Entertainment, which owns publisher Eidos Interactive, say that digital downloading of computer games is a growing part of their business strategy.

XBox 360 computer console owners already in possession of the Tomb Raider Legends game will be able to download the first two Lara Croft episodes in September, with the latter two parts following soon afterwards.

While Tomb Raider Anniversary launched worldwide in June on Sony's PlayStation 2 and Windows PC's, a physical copy of the game won't be marketed to Xbox Live customers through shops until later this year.