Sharp has the smallest sensor in the world

Small technological feat to Sharp which presents the smallest photo sensor never designed, but still 12.1 Megapixels!

Smartphones and tablets include sensors photo still more small but whose resolution only increases. As such, the nippon Sharp has a new cap in the miniaturization of these sensors. It is, according to the manufacturer, the smaller sensor ever developed to date.

1/3.2 CMOS format, it is only 11 x 11 x 5.47 mm. What does prevent him from boarding an image stabilizer, a backlight module to improve the quality of the photographs (including in low light conditions), and to propose a resolution of 12.1 Megapixels.

A technical feat, especially this sensor is capable of filming in HD 1080p. Quite logically, they are first Sharp products that integrate this sensor, including the Aquos SH - 01 d and 102SH who must exit at the Japan before the end of the year. But after, this small sensor photo/video will be produced in mass and there are chances that found integrated with products sold in us.

The Sharp Aquos SH - 01 d and 102SH

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Streaming and direct download: operators and search engines might have to filter and block

A procedure for interim relief is to compel ISPs and search engines to "blacklister" some direct download and streaming sites.

Several organizations representing the industry of cinema and video are drafting an injunction over 100 pages, assigning interim access providers to Internet and search engines to remove French Web sites streaming and download direct Allostreaming, Alloshowtv, Alloshare and Allomovies. This APC (Association of film producers), FNDF (National Federation of film distributors) and the SEVN (Union of the digital video Edition), which visibly preparing their offensive for some time and did not want wait the Hadopi make his report on the filtering of Streaming potential to move to the attack.

Thus, Orange, Free, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and others, but also Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc., are covered by the injunction and will be heard for a hearing in chambers on December 15. It is based on the L336-2 of the Code of the intellectual property section, introduced by the Hadopi law, that these organizations demand the implementation of measures to stop and prevent any copyright infringement, and taking into consideration the possibility of filtering and blocking of these sites. The recent decisions by justice in part similar cases suggest that these organizations are likely to be granted blocking.

Remains to be seen if ISPs and search engines will be used, and if yes how knowing that European law is evolving to a protected Net neutrality and that the European Commission would not operators are required to filter content on their networks. Follow closely, because if justice however gives reason to the complainants, they could follow by extending the list of affected sites...

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Of new Samsung mSATA SSD sticks

An engraving in 20 nm, the encryption on the fly, to increase performance, Samsung reviews its PM830 range for the good of the ultrabooks...

No need to make Samsung or format mSATA, interface of choice for the finest laptops with very little room to integrate a disk with the classic format.

This known and recognized leader out a new range of mSSD. Available 64 GB to 256 GB - 32 GB for the manufacturers of hybrid hard disk drives - and even, these chips will form part of the PM830 family exit low this year.

Engraved 20 nm and using 6 Gb/s SATA 3 interface, they are advertised to 500 MB/s read and write to 260 MB/s, in sequential course. A good point that may be of interest to companies in need of security, these SSD have integrated encryption AES 256 bit chip, thus facilitating the use of a secure environment and protection of sensitive data loss or theft of the laptop.

The ultrabooks and other mobile products are taking the weight on the market, especially with the price decline is planned on the ultrabooks. These flash in Samsumg disks might be good to find a place in these products.

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Fall of snow on the MS - I of Thermaltake

MS - I Commander disguises in snowman, for enthusiasts of "white" configs.

The approach of the holiday of the year, in Thermaltake teams are inspired. The constructor indeed proposes a "new" housing in winter dress, all white dressed, called order MS - I Snow Edition. As version black this enclosure exit last July, he can redeem graphics cards like the Nvidia GTX 590 or AMD Radeon HD long format 6990. Another small aesthetic point, this Snow Edition is delivered with a blue fan iced to blow inside the box (of air which will be not more cold so far).

  

Side connections, this provides housing in front of a USB 2.0 port and a second in USB 3.0. Inside, there are a total of 5 bays 3.5 inches and a Bay 2.5 inches, and three locations 5.25. A stylized window is affixed to the side panel to keep an eye on what is happening in the tower. The price of this box is the order of €40 Germany and the latter should arrive quickly enough in France.

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$ 100 grant Intel on each Ultrabook?

On each sold ultrabook, Intel would slide a $ 100 ticket in the pocket of the manufacturers. The skier denies...

The DigiTimes reveals that Intel founder would subsidize its partners on the market of the ultrabooks $ 100 by machine. Information which, if proven, would that confirm the commitment of Intel on this new platform dedicated to quickly dominate the portable PC sales. In addition, the manufacturer of processors would also set up a specific fund, with a nice sum of $ 300 million, has the mission to promote the concept of the ultrabook and help manufacturers to put in place revenue strategies on this emerging market segment.

But back a moment on this grant. Why has it been implemented by Intel? A priori, the reason would be most logical: manufacturers have for most of the evil machines that meet the specifications of the fondeur-side technical specifications but side budget, with a label that is not supposed to exceed $ 1000.  We see recently that the cost of returns a ultrabook 13 "with SSD average is estimated at $ 690 for the components, and $ 940 once labour, distribution and marketing added.

Meanwhile, Intel has denied the existence of such a grant. While the President of Acer has confirmed there is little price declines to wait on the market of the ultrabooks by mid-2012 and 2013.

> read the Asus UX31 ultrabook test
> read the Acer S3 ultrabook test

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Bulldozer: where are past the 800 million transistors?

And no, the Bulldozer would not 2 billion transistors, but only 1.2 billion...

At the launch of the new FX-Series (Zambezi) processors on psychopharmacology Bulldozer, AMD had indicated that these chips contained 2 billion transistors. Be more than twice as more than a Phenom II X 6, a record for a chip x 86. Yet, there are a few days, the PC Games Hardware website indicated that AMD had confirmed that the Bulldozer had finally 1.2 billion transistors. And today, said AnandTech have been contacted by AMD was asked to amend its articles on the Bulldozer processors to replace the 2 billion transistors by 1.2 billion.

What changes in the density of transistors on chips gives x 86 engraved in 32 nm, relegating the Bulldozer behind the Sandy Bridge-E and the Westmere of Intel, respectively to 5.22 and 4.72 million transistors to the mm², against 3.81 million in mm² for Zambezi processors (and 6.35 million to the mm² on the basis of 2 billion). However, as explained by our colleagues of Hardware .fr, none of these figures would be correct, and according to a specialist dies of processors, the Bulldozer are approximately 1.6 billion transistors... Which has no impact to the consumer, who looks to reason, the price/performance ratio. And do not rely on us to count the number of transistors of a Bulldozer...

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Try Windows Phone from Android or iOS

Attend a demo of Windows Phone 7.5 on your Apple or Android phone, it is possible...

When seen pass this news on a few sites, we had not done attention to the fact that when one spoke of test Windows Phone browser, was in fact mobile browser. At the time, change a lot of things and well merit a small brief because it is interesting to see this new strategy developed by Microsoft to encourage holders of smartphones competing to try without duress its mobile OS.

A clever kick that allows, from any iPhone or Androphone, an idea of the interface of Windows Phone 7.5. An emulator that has the particularity to be dynamic, and therefore to allow the navigation in some menus, to understand the functioning of the tiles, and see the benefits of Microsoft mobile system. A guided tour with which Microsoft hopes to take advantage of a certain "wow effect"...

A mini Web site requires a browser compatible Internet HTML 5 to operate, and which could fold a few additional Microsoft customers in shops has much-needed to boost its market share. What booster more sales of Nokia Lumia 800?

> emulating Windows Phone on your Android smartphone or iOS

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Noctua handles better the PWM with his do-FD1

The Austrian Noctua revises its PWM chip for more silence.

The principle of the PWM in fans is not yesterday (see), regulating the temperature of the component underneath more just the speed of rotation of the blades. But Noctua improves this principle and will propose in its new range of ventirads a new generation of smart to smooth the impulses sent to the engine often generating a small audible clicks at low speed.

Technology called by the constructor is called DDS for Smooth Commutation Drive, clear rising ridges giving the impetus to fans will not net, but slightly spreading in time, thus eliminating the operation of the fan noise, particularly at low speed. Austrian engineers also worked on these chips to control energy consumption for reduce of 25 to 40% the need electricity compared to the heatpipe without PWM.

Comparison with the previous generation PWM is not specified, which can go immediately less interesting. Always is it that this advance in the field of the silence of operation of the computers is good to take.

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Chrome really happened before Firefox? And Windows 7 to XP?

Conflicting figures come to fall on the market for Internet browsers. Some benefit to proclaim loud and clear that chromium is passed before Firefox. Are they right?

You are probably already fallen on a news which announced that the Internet: Google's Chrome browser, has to pass before Firefox at the global level. This is true. Finally only if one focuses on the figures provided by StatCounter that place for the first time over the Mozilla browser with 25,69% of market share, 25.23% chromium. Internet Explorer on the head despite his unbroken fall with 40,63%.

                    

Then, Chrome before Firefox? Perhaps not entirely. Indeed, if one prefers to opt for the figures from Net Applications, Chrome is still behind Firefox, the latter keeping the advantage with 22.14% of market share against 18.18% for Google browser. A more pronounced difference, so that Internet Explorer is always above 50% with 52,64% of market share.

Disparities of course explained by the methodology and sites referents taken into account in the calculations are based on the analysis of the statistics of visit of large panels of Web sites. What also makes StatCounter to announce that Windows 7 has benefited last weeks to pass before Windows XP with 41.1% of market share against 37.9% at the global level. While Net Applications shows 34.6% for Windows 7 and 48.9% for Windows XP.

If trends are nevertheless similar, impossible to know who really is right. All one can do is remind the basis for the calculation of each. StatCounter aggregation and analysis 5 billion Web pages every month and more than 3 million sites. NET Applications is working on a much smaller sites panel, about 40,000, but adds to its analysis data obtained from its partners, which include the largest industry groups.

Difficult to them. Therefore say that chromium dangerously competition Firefox, and that Windows 7 is taking precedence over XP, history should not be set...

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RAM high performance notebook

Revenge of memory for laptop arrives, and it will hurt!

New bars of memory for laptops are appearing on the side of Corsair. Consistent with past generations of processors, the "revenge" format SoDIMM are timed to 1600 MHz and 1866 MHz, what booster performance. This is also what indicates the Vice President of memory in Corsair, Thi the: "as more complex applications and games are available on the market, many laptop users seeking an easy way to improve the performance of their systems and to improve the user experience".

Indeed, with the arrival of the DSS, the reactivity of the portable PC disks made a jump forward. Processors is better sought by sending data massively since these flash drives, memory is often bottleneck because under big bottleneck by assemblers. Offer of efficient-in DDR3 RAM array is - more - not expensive in view of the current memory. As Thi the: "This is one of the best ways to have a more reactive machine if the investment of a disk SSD has been completed".

Rated specs, two references to the frequency of 1600 MHz 9-9-9-24 to 1, 5V, a kit of 8 GB (2 x 4 GB under the label CMSX8GX3M2A1600C9 to $ 75) and the bar of any single 4 GB (CMSX4GX3M1A1600C9) to $ 40. Another reference is also available in 1866 MHz, 10-10-10-27 to 1, 5V, a kit of 8 GB (CMSX8GX3M2A1866C10) at $ 150.

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Tegra 2: targets not achieved for the dual-core SoC?

Small update on the situation of the Tegra chips. Tegra 2 is imposed on the Android tablets but these sales are not sufficient to allow Nvidia to achieve its objectives.

While the Asus Transformer differential, first tablet integrating a chip Tegra 3, SoC Nvidia quad-core (but not Optimus... haha), prepares to leave, it is time for the firm to the Chameleon to make a first review on Tegra 2. ARM chip which was the first to integrate two hearts of execution, which allowed him to quickly imposed himself as unmistakable Android tablets processor. Whether the Galaxy Tab, the Tab A500 Iconia or even the first Asus transforming, all embark this SoC. Logical when you know that this chip has been selected by Google as a focal point for the Android Honeycomb shelves platform.

A success which was less to the appointment on the market of smartphones, where manufacturers prefer the Qualcomm chips or their own ARM home, such as the Exynos Samsung or the A5 at Apple. Outcome of the races, the curves of sales would not allow Nvidia to achieve its objectives with Tegra 2, which had been fixed at 25 million copies shipped.

However, Nvidia continues to believe in its Tegra line, having set the same ambitious Tegra 3, and this targets despite the resurgence of competition on the market of the ARM SoC. Indeed, chip quad-core Nvidia (not to mention his companion heart) will be strong to knowing that she not was chosen as a reference platform by Google for Android 4.0, and that Qualcomm as Texas Instruments come with a new generation of chips ahead superstar on paper. The part is not lost or poorly engaged for the moment, but Nvidia will have to get up the sleeves to impose its Tegra.

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A USB 3.0 indestructible?

The USB S107 in ADATA is almost! In any case, it is stronger than the average.

ADATA, Taiwanese giant of the memory of any kind, launches a USB 3.0 fast and resistant to shocks and water. Named S107, it offers speeds of 100 MB/s read and 50 MB/s write on paper. Oriented nature lovers, this silicone covered key is obviously equipped to a good old "Man vs. Wild"... or almost. Note that the CAP can be clipsé in the carabiner attachment, to avoid losing it, and even at the Office. Available in blue or red, this S107 exists in three versions: the 8 GB to €16,90, the 16 GB to €25,90 and the 32 GB to €55,90. Prices rather correct if the advertised rates are respected and that the seal is really in the appointment.

   

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Kindle Fire: large shipments, big success?

The Quanta assembler reached 3.5 million of Kindle Fire sent to Amazon, and think power to deliver 1.5 million more.

The Kindle Fire visibly continues the road to success. The small digital slate 7-inch Android of Amazon, oriented contained and sold $ 199, is more and more followers. That Quanta, which manages the production of the product lines, speeds up the pace and would be able to deliver up to 5 million copies by the end of December, or early January, according to well informed analysts. Another company, Wintek, which manufactures the Kindle Fire touch screens, also reached its target of delivery of 3.5 million coins before January.

However, other manufacturers of the Assembly of the Kindle Fire chain do not seem to keep the pace, preferring work flows tended to avoid the management of stocks and therefore loss of money in the case where the tablet of the bookseller online only to not sell as much as planned during Christmas. Because if there is anything that is not known, these are actual sales figures. That's not counting on the fact that this not expensive slate can be "rootée" and it is therefore possible to make a true Tablet open more only centered on the installed default interface pushing consumers to purchase exclusively on digital book giant Portal...

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Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on x 86

Some developers seek to the last version of Android for x 86 processors.

Recently, a version of Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 for x 86 platform Android runs on Internet. A first porting code is before any intended to developers for a few more or less promising tests on tablets and netbooks. Visibly, the optimizations made to this version the pré-destine primarily for AMD processors, better used.

Chih-Wei Huang, one of the developers who made a name bossant on porting of Android on x 86 platforms, explains that this version supports WiFi and touch multi-point. However, GPUS are not put to contribution to the acceleration OpenGL ES. Idem, forums, photo and Ethernet port sensors are not yet recognized.

Remember of course that this kind of ports is not official and that Google has nothing with these versions. The giant focusing on the ARM of its mobile operating system version, leaving it to those who wish to adapt it to the processors x 86. Note that AMD is not foreign to some of these optimizations in the Ice Cream Sandwich code for x 86. More information on some specialized, as Android - x 86 .org sites.

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The 2D to 3D conversion comes home Acer

Acer, with its HR274H of 27 inches, converts 2D 3D with glasses on the nose for €599.

For fans of games in relief with the last graphic card "which is going well" for 3D high-definition, Acer sells a new 27 inch screen, the HR274H, which converts on the fly, while that between 2D and renders it in 3D, with the polarized glasses provided.

The screen in him even has a 1920 x 1080 definition, of a response time of 2 ms (for a display without conversion), two 2W speakers and displays a brightness of 250 cd/m2. Side connections, it has only two HDMI 1 4 ports and a VGA port. It is regrettable that Acer did not make the effort to integrate a DVI port on the monitor, especially given the label of the price with $ 599.

The US already have the opportunity to purchase this screen which will be available in our country a few months. See also what will be worth the LG DX2500 screen which operates, he, a 3D without glasses technology.

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Selection Christmas 2011: PC configs

Jingle Bells... Christmas approaching, and it must begin to think about the gifts that trôneront at the foot of the FIR. History of honoring our computer and high-tech theme on this occasion, we offer a few selections of products by writing.

After the computers laptops and tablets and smartphones that should be the Kings under the tree, our selection of Christmas 2011 returns with PC best practices by the mittee configs'. More difficult than to the usual, because at the time of the choice of components, we fell on a problem of size: the price of hard drives. Impossible to do without hard disk in the mounting of a config, and if it is possible to work around the problem by going to search for an SSD, it is not within the reach of all the awards. The floods in Thailand have therefore difficult us, causing prices in full blast, as we analyse it recently. But we have the challenge and managed to build towers with small onions, budgets and expectations.

To offer or afford a small desktop configuration for Christmas, we have chosen you this package discreet and good invoice in Fractal Design. Generally, this type of configuration is not intended for leisure activities in high definition, we have capitalized on an Intel processor version Core i5 processor very good performance for applications every day without so far shut out a few small games for children for example.

Of course, this small PC remains scalable and will accommodate a graphics card later if further cravings to games are felt.

          

Although some manufacturers out models of computers that connect to the TV show for home cinema sessions, we looked to mount a silent configuration having a WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) coefficient high enough so that it can be put next to the TV furniture without too much compromise.

The Cooler Master Silencio housing all dressed in black is covered with block foam cone on each wall to absorb the maximum lower noise emitted by the internal components. The graphic part is able to support the Blu - ray 3D with this same optical drive in the selection.

We could choose a remote control to operate the system at the bottom of the sofa, but on reflection, this choice has generated too many stormy discussions to the mittee ' and we rely to Santa on the issue.

          

The price of hard drives disrupted on the choice of components for configurations of this year. Especially for it, because a gamer is generally seeking a quick configuration, with of storage space. Therefore, it must take a disc tray for storage and an SSD for the system. But here, we could not make this choice because the HDD prices are fair theatricality and we had to choose between speed and storage space. We have chosen a sufficient 60 GB solid state disk to install one or two games and the operating system, leaving you free to select a storage disk you may already have also (until prices fall).

To stand out in a LAN party, this package In Win called BUC will spend not unnoticed. To be sure, because it is full of small tricks making it attractive, including hard disk drives "hot-swap" via a trap in the sidebar. For internal components, the 560 GTX graphics card is overclockée and compatible with Nvidia 3D Vision technology.

On this configuration, we know that the choice of the keyboard is something enough display, we therefore have the choice not to add here to keep even one or two gifts in the list and so (to) make a little surprise.

          

Christmas..., winter, snow... This Fractal white Design package is (almost) we unanimously, but nothing prevents to take the black version, if you prefer. The idea was not to seek the config that can be the most expensive, but effective configuration for pleasure.

A very good Core i7 overclokable running at 3.4 GHz mounted on a card mother "professional" in Asrock, all with 8 GB of RAM high performance. We have added to this beautiful gift list, forgiveness, of components, a beautiful card graphic in Sapphire (an AMD Radeon HD 6970 2 GB) with two fans to expire the calories that you he'll spend. Indeed, for the processor, we thought this system of water cooling in Corsair already mounted as a conventional heatpipe but offering of silence and an evacuation of heat directly outside of the box, thus avoiding to disrupt the flow of air created for the graphic part and the rest of the enclosure.

As for the configuration of the gamer, we did not the choice of the keyboard. In the hope that Father Christmas choose for you the best of keyboards/mice of the year (a good TRA and a RAT 9?).

          

This, of course, this are just ideas and a few blows of heart components. All being possible, because that's also the pleasure of the Mount House, customize his machine to best suit its needs and expectations...

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Antivirus: the new Security Essentials available in beta

Microsoft offers to test the latest beta of its Security Essentials free antivirus. In the program, an improved ergonomics and a new engine for the detection of threats.

Since yesterday, the beta of the new version of the Microsoft free antivirus, Security Essentials, is available on the Internet to Connect to the Publisher program members. A program in which all can access to try this beta version, provided to connect to the website with a Windows Live ID, create a public profile by giving its coordinates and use a valid email box. This beta is available for all versions of Windows not covered Security Essentials, namely Windows XP SP3, Vista and 7, all in 32 and 64-bit.

Then, that will make this new version of the system of protection already Unveils beta? A simplified interface and improved performance. Essentially, therefore. A new scan engine has been developed while a system of automatic removal of dangerous files can be set, history to review the decline in the number of actions required by the user.

For the rest, Security Essentials will continue to offer the same benefits that currently, that is to say a well integrated system, light and discreet antivirus. The inverse of the factories to gas which are sometimes similar software suites dedicated to security. Remains to be seen if, indeed, the performance will be improved when the final version is released.

> try the latest beta version of Microsoft Security Essentials

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3D without glasses to the top for this screen 25 "?

LG Announces a 25 inch screen offering 3D without glasses and the 2D conversion to 3D.

A new monitor 3D without glasses like no other will make its appearance the year next in the LG constructor. For an optimal 3D vision, and without glasses, must be that people are to monitor, or almost, the angle of vision for these auto-stéréoscopiques technologies are very limited. With the DX2500, a 25-inch diagonal and certified TUV Rheinland (the first in its category), the restriction is lifted.

How? And well by adding everything simply a camera on the screen to track the position of the persons to modify the used for viewing 3D Parallax barrier. Information sent by the camera are then used for the calculation of the position in real time. LG does not explain how it works when several people are before, but the manufacturer has clearly found a solution to this problem.

To complete the picture, this screen will be able to convert on the fly content 2D to 3D, what make the photos, videos, or games in relief even when they are not provided for. For the moment, step price is announced, but we will not miss it back you all these promises made by LG.

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Windows 8 ARM will be limited to the Metro interface

Microsoft has decided. The ARM of Windows 8 version will only offer a single interface: Metro.

Somewhere, it is in doubts. But despite this, Microsoft had left planné doubt as to the availability of the classic interface of Windows 8 (the traditional Office) on the ARM of the OS version. Indeed, until now, full compatibility was black, and therefore could imagine having access to any Windows 8 on terminals powered by ARM chip. But finally, this will not be the case, Microsoft coming to confirm that these machines will have to satisfy the single interface Metro, the dynamic tile database derived from Windows Phone 7, thought for the touch and shelves.

Thus, the desktop interface, but also Classic applications will not right to call in Windows 8 ARM. Confirmation of the thing comes from Paul Thurott, who announced this in a podcast of Mary-Jo Foley. Therefore, forget all demos made by the editor which showed a Windows 8 identical on all platforms, with a complete system on ARM platforms.

The Metro interface will be the only supported by Windows 8 ARM

However, the Metro interface should remain accessible on the x 86 PC, history to offer the quick toggle between the Office and dynamic tiles, as Microsoft had shown its BUILD Conference. There is therefore not, on Windows 8 ARM, to graphically identical to the traditional version applications, as Steve Ballmer had announced. Developers of applications for Windows 8 ARM will necessarily develop software using the graphical interface of Metro as.

Of course, this announcement causes many reactions on the canvas. Some were satisfied, fearing the base install a system managing the two interfaces is too heavy to handle for a terminal to the tablet. Others, however, believe that it is the system thought of the base will lose interest, this resulting decision inevitably a segregation between the versions. Also, developers are many worry about the lack of clarity on the subject of Microsoft. How should they work their applications in the SDK? Should they necessarily create applications managing the two sets of instructions ARM and x 86? Will they be able to publish their creations for the Metro interface only?

Finally, that will be the manufacturers? Windows 8 shelves based on x 86 (as the model under Intel Core i5) given Developers Conference BUILD processors capable to turn the two interfaces, or shelves ARM limited to Metro? They will have a priori the choice. But what choice will be for interested consumers? At Microsoft to take a position once and for all, and to explain in a clear manner its strategy with Windows 8.

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It's always trainset for the optical fiber...

The number of subscribers to the fiber progresses slowly in France, slower than ADSL. The very high speed is still not be generalized.

On the third quarter the FTTH (Fiber to the Home) has attracted in France that new 19,000 subscribers, bringing the total of households connected directly by a strand of fiber to the very high speed to 175.000. In one year, are in total only 72.000 new homes that have chosen this way of connection. And yet, despite a very slow start, the deployment continues to be, with now some 1.35 million connected housing (150,000 strands of fibre from until the additional subscriber).

Problem, deployments are in priority in dense areas, most profitable a priori, but these are areas where ADSL coverage is very good and where the flows obtained on the pair of copper are sufficient for many Triple-Play subscribers. Result, Internet users are not the tail to pass to the fiber as soon as it is available in their commune, that the conditions of accessibility often impose the access provider (only 450,000 households are eligible for at least two offers). That means steps that - even simplified - are too tedious for some, even when it comes to surfing at 100Mbit. Skimp embedded yet, suppliers are processing not to communicate the benefits of very high speed.

On the hungry (Fiber to the Building), essentially proposed by Numericable, the observation is as usual a bit better with 24,000 new customers and a total of 425.000 connected homes. And a total 600,000 families, in France, currently benefiting are therefore of very high speed, against 420 a year ago. Could be expected that with the efforts made in this area, the progression is more marked. Because the continuous high speed him to recruit more, with 270,000 new homes connected for a total of 21.8 million lines, which 98% by ADSL.

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Hard drives: Western Digital production resumes

Small update on the situation of Western Digital in Thailand, where the manufacturer has been able to reopen one of its production units.

We follow closely the situation in Thailand, where Western Digital - disk hard - a world leader in saw its plants be put out of action produce following terrible floods. Since then, everyone is his commentary on the shortage begins to strike and could continue for a good part of the year 2012. Which has the impact visible to blow up the prices of the drives, as we see there is little in analyzing price at online stores.

In this context, any encouraging news is good to take. In this case, it is Western Digital announced have been able to boost its production on one of its sites where floods receded, at Bang Pa - In. A site where a single plant to resumed, while she was drowned under 2 metres of water since October 15. Rule pumping and a reconstruction of the power supply helped revive manufacturing. In the other buildings at the site, reclamation continues and the machines were transported to be analyzed and repaired.

However, Western Digital is not ready to see the end of the tunnel. Indeed, we also learn that another plant of the same site will not resume before March 2012. A plant paramount as it manufactures the sliders of the disks (the heads of reading and writing), forcing the manufacturer to find heads from other suppliers. Finally, Western Digital evaluates for the first time the harm suffered, and considers that the flood will cost him between 225 and 275 million dollars on the only fourth quarter 2011.

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Panasonic is back for Grandad and Grandma

Funny back than the Japanese Panasonic market motive in France with these phones for visually and hearing evil...

Believe it or not, Panasonic chose to target seniors for his return on the French market of mobile telephony. A market that he had gradually abandoned from 2005, focusing especially on mobile phones for the Japanese market and its specificities. This return is fairly quietly, with two phones, but not of Lumix Phone (model Android which works best in the Japan) to the horizon. Instead, two feature-phones (phones to advanced features, but not smartphones) with large keys and well legible displays.

         

On the left the KX-TU301 and right KX-TU311, two mobile for seniors signed Panasonic

KX-TU311 provides for a system which numbering to the voice that repeats the number composed, and to identify the person who calls the sound emitted by the phone. What facilitate the use of the mobile to the people who have trouble to see, even if this kind of functions also exist on other phones advanced market. KX-TU301 is almost identical, but incorporates a reduction technology of interference for people who use of hearing aids, with a volume whose possible range is wider than the conventional phones. Finally, a big red button on the back of the device allows to call an emergency number pre-registered.

These two phones Panasonic, that suit also probably to visually and evil-hearing, will be launched in France from the month of April, at the respective price of 99 and 79 euros.

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