ZPower has developed silver-zinc batteries for use in notebooks and mobile devices. It is showcasing the new battery technology at Intel Developer Forum. The company says that the silver-zinc chemistry offers 40 percent more runtime than traditional lithium-ion batteries, along with environmental and safety advantages.
Over 95% of material used in the silver-zinc batteries can be recycled and reused. Environmental impact is lessened since the need to mine for new materials is minimized. ZPower will be one of the first companies to offer financial incentives to consumers who recycle their silver-zinc batteries.
The new batteries are also safer than other batteries currently used for portable devices. Silver-zinc batteries contain no lithium and are inherently safe. Also, the new technology has water-based chemistry that is not flammable. The battery is therefore free from the problems of thermal runaway and fire. So you won’t have exploding Dell laptop or iPod nanos anymore.
ZPower says that major notebook manufacturers will roll out laptop based on the technology in 2009. The notebooks will be dual chemistry enabled, which means it will work with either silver or lithium-ion batteries. You won’t be able to replace your present notebook’s lithium-ion batteries with the new silver-zinc batteries. Notebook makers will offer the silver-zinc battery as a premium option for extended battery life.
[Via ZPower]

Most concept designs don’t end up being a product and we don’t care much about them. But some designs are really great and like most people we want products based on those designs. Designer Yoonsang Kim has design new earphones in shape of question mark and the design is not only sexy but functional too. Because of the question mark shape the headphones fit perfectly in different ears and they can loop together to make carrying them simpler. According to the designer, the new design keeps bacterial growth to a minimum by removing dark areas created in the ear by traditional earphones. There is no information about whether the headphones will be produced or they end up being just a design.
[Via Yanko Design]

Rumors about MacBook and MacBook Pro updates coming in September have been around for past few months. But if you consider the latest small footprint Centrino 2 CPUs announced by Intel at the Developer Forum, it is very likely that we will see MacBook Air updates very soon.
Intel had designed a special small-footprint Merom processor for Apple to use in the extremely thin MacBook Air. Intel had also compressed the 965 chipset to reduce it footprint by 60 percent, there by decreasing the power requirement for the system. Intel’s chip had just 20W TDP but was a powerful Core 2 Duo chip.
On Thursday, at Intel Developer Forum, the company announced new Centrino 2 processors that will have TDP of just 17W making them ideal for the Macbook Air. The two processors that Intel announced are SL9400 with 1.8GHz speed and SL9300 with 1.6GHz speed. Both the processors will have 1066MHz front side bus and 6MB of L2 cache.
Lenovo and HP have already announced that they will use the chips in their thin and light notebooks. But it is believed that this time also Apple will get preferential treatment and Intel will design a special 2.0GHz chip for the company with same TDP. Notebooks based on the new chip should start shipping in September and it is possible that Apple might update Macbook Air in October.

Toshiba Matushita Display Technology and Idemitsu Kosan announced yesterday a new small-molecule organic electroluminescent display technology that both companies are developing. The main focus of the new technology is to reduce power requirement and increase lifetime of the displays. Toshiba says that the new technology will enable displays with 30 times longer life span and 1/10th power requirement compared to current OLED display technologies.
The joint venture has developed a 2.2-inch display with QVGA resolution based on Organic Electroluminescent Displays technology. The new displays has a half life span of 60,000 hours and only uses 100mW of power making it ideal for use in mobile phones and portable media players. These displays can also realize high-speed motion on the screen without blur and with a wide viewing angle.
The companies used a proprietary low-temperature poly-silicon technology to manufacture the display. Toshiba will start volume production of small-to medium sized organic EL display panels for mobile equipment based on the technology soon.
[Via Toshiba Displays]

Kevin Rose the founder of Digg has posted on his blog image of upcoming iPod nano and a video with information about the upcoming iPods and Mac OS X update 10.5.6. The rumors he has posted are:

Kevin has been source of many Apple rumors with varying accuracy. But his claims about the iPod nano are consistent with the claims made by iLounge few days ago. Most rumors about the upcoming iPods have said that Apple won’t change the pricing but will double the storage at the same price point. We will find out more very soon as our sources also indicate that Apple will announce the new iPod lineup as soon as the back-to-school promotion ends on September 15th. Check Kevin’s video about the upcoming iPods below.

Intel at its Developer Forum going on in San Francisco demonstrated “wireless resonant energy link”, a technology that Intel says will one day charge our laptops wirelessly. The technology is already used to recharge toothbrushes and many companies have also demoed charging stations based on the technology for use with handheld devices like mobile phones and portable media players.
MIT physicist Marin Soljacic first discovered the technique of resonant induction wireless power transmission, but the efficiency of the transmission was so low that it was used for only electronic gadgets with very low power requirement. Distance was another problem, to charge a toothbrush you have to keep it above the charging station, basically making it wired.
Intel demonstrated the technology by using a setup of two metal arrays connected to a power amplifier. The arrays resonate at a certain frequency to establish an energy link. Transmitting power from one array to the other. In the demo the unit transferred 60 watts over two feet with 75 percent efficiency. Till now most companies that have worked on the technology have been able to achieve up to 40 percent efficiency.
According to Intel the technology is safe for humans, but it would take at least few years to make a product based on the technology as it is still in research stage.

BusinessWeek is reporting that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimates that Apple will make 13 million iPhones this year and 45 million next year. BusinessWeek has also learned that Apple plans to build 40 million to 45 million iPhone 3Gs in the 12 months through August 2009. When Apple launched the iPhone 3G it planned to build 30 million phones in 12 months, but had to change their plans because of the very high demand. Apple didn’t comment on the estimated numbers but reiterated that it expects to reach the stated goal of selling 10 million iPhone 3Gs in 2008.
Analyst Michael Cote told Fortune magazine that Apple sold 3 million iPhone 3Gs in the first month, when the iPhone was only available in 22 countries. Apple has added 20 more countries this Friday and the company plans to add 30 more countries by end of this year. Apple will also expand distribution in US by adding 986 Best Buy stores. This would definitely keep the sales momentum going.
Munster also expects Apple to release cheaper models at its annual Macworld show in January. The move could help Apple meet the aggressive targets set by many analysts.

Archos has introduced three new Internet / multimedia devices Archos 5, Archos 5G and Archos 7.  The three devices include touchscreen, WiFi and up to 320GB storage. The difference between Archos 5 and 5G is that 5G adds 3G HSDPA broadband antenna and it only comes with 30GB storage.
The Archos 5 will come in option of 60GB, 120GB and 250GB storage capacities, with 4.8-inch touchscreen (800 x 480). It is 0.50-inch thick and will ship in September at a starting price of $349. The Archos 7 will feature a 7-inch touchscreen (800 x 480), option of 160GB or 320GB storage and is 0.63-inch thick. It will also ship in September for around $499.
All three models will support full Internet browsing and VGA video recording for TV shows directly to the devices via Archos DVR station or clip-on tuner accessories.

Information about the new PSP was leaked via a FCC filing few days ago. But Sony officially announced PSP-3000 at Leipzig Games Convention. The new unit has the same slim and light design of the previous PSP but adds a new LCD screen that dramatically enhances the image quality. The new LCD has higher contrast level, better response time and wider color gamut. The LCD also adopts an anti-reflection technology, which enables users to see the screen more clearly when outdoors. PSP also adds a built-in microphone that will allow users to enjoy games with microphone capabilities and Skype for making VoIP calls. Other features on PSP include 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution screen, WiFi b, USB support and Memory Stick card slot. The PSP-3000 will measure 6.66” x 0.73” x 2.81” and weigh 6.7oz. It will ship in three colors “Piano Black”, “Pearl White” and “Mystic Silver” starting this October.  The above image is a comparison between the screen of previous generation PSP and the new PSP-3000; you can see the difference in image quality.

Canon’s Chinese website has posted complete details about rumored Canon 50D DSLR camera, almost confirming its existence. The web pages and Google cache related to 50D’s specifications have been replaced now with an error page from Canon Chinese website. The screenshot of the Google cache page can be seen here.
 Based on the information posted on Canon’s website, the camera will come with 15.1-megapixel COS sensor, new DIGIC 4 image processor, 1.6x crop, ISO range of 100 to 12,800, 9 point auto focus, auto brightness processing, 3-inch LCD screen and 100,00 cycle shutter. The 50D will be made using rugged magnesium alloy body and will feature an auto dust reduction system. It will support type 1 and 2 compact flash cards for storage. Canon EF-series lens and Canon EF mounts will be compatible with the camera.
The image formats supported by the camera are JPEG and RAW. User will be able to take 16 RAW or 60 JPEG images in continues mode at 6.3 frames per second. There is no information available about release date and price. To get more information visit Photography Bay’s website.

Royal Bank of Canada’s analyst Mike Abramsky said today that Apple’s back-to-school promotion is showing signs that it will drive the company to a record breaking quarter in which sales of Mac could exceed 3 million. Mike quotes data from recent IQ / ChangeWave survey which shows massive back-to-school sales. This increase in sales could lead to 44 percent year-over-year growth resulting in 3.04 million Mac sales for the quarter ending in September.
RBC also said that Apple’s global PC share would rise to 4.2 percent in 2009 from 2.9 percent in 2007. According to Mike every 0.25 percent increase in market share adds $1 billion in incremental revenue and this will increase total Mac sales revenue by more than $5 billion in just two years.
Two factors are responsible for Mac sales growth according to the survey. The first is Apple’s back-to-school offer that gives an iPod touch ($299) free via mail-in rebate with purchase of a qualifying Mac system. The second factor is iPhone halo effect, more than 17 percent of respondents said that they are more likely to consider a Mac after having purchased and experienced that new iPhone 3G.
Abramsky also says that Apple will sell around 5.1 million iPhones this quarter. If we add all the above-mentioned sales figures it looks like Apple will have another record-breaking quarter. The company might even end up having the highest revenue ever in its history this quarter.
[Via AppleInsider]

Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates and famous comedian Jerry Seinfeld will feature in ad campaign designed to mend Windows Vista’s image. Wall Street Journal claims that Microsoft has paid Seinfeld $10 million to appear in ads along with Bill as a part of the highly talked about $300 million advertising campaign for improving and clearing up Windows Vista’s reputation. The new campaign will be called “Windows not Walls” and it will take a shot at Mac OS X closed environment. Apple doesn’t allow installation of its OS on any other computer except those manufactured by the company itself.
The first part of the campaign was the “Mojave Experiment” and after seeing the videos on the Mojave website, I did not get any good vibes for Vista, but felt sorry for the naive people in the videos. I hope Windows not Walls campaign will have some positive effect.
Crispin Porter + Bogusky is developing the ads and the TV campaign would start on September 4th. Microsoft will take a non-confrontational approach to counter Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign. If Microsoft follows Apple, and designs ads similar to I am a Mac and I am a PC ads, Jerry can easily replace Justin Long the Mac guy but will Bill be able to match the funny and innocent John Hodgman the PC guy. Anyway it looks like Bill was serious about acting when he showed the audition video in his last day at Microsoft video. The video is really funny so definitely watch it below.

At Intel Developer Forum currently being held in San Francisco, Hynix Semiconductor introduced world’s first 16GB 2-rank DIMM DDR3 memory module. The 16GB capacity was made possible by using MetaRAM’s new DDR3 technology for Registered Dual Inline Memory Modules (R-DIMM). Hynix also announced a 8GB model using the same technology. Hynix claims that by using the MetaRAM’s DDR3 technology the memory capacity in servers and workstations can be increased three times without decreasing the performance.
MetaRAM, the company behind the new technology has also demonstrated a prototype 24GB DDR3 module that works at 1,066 million transfers per seconds (MT/s) in a channel. The company claims that with three 16GB DIMMs transfer rate of 48GB per channel at 1,066 MT/s is possible, compared to the maximum of 16GB per channel achieved by competitors. The new memory chips will be used in future Intel Xeon based workstations and servers.
[Via MacNN]

Palm officially announced their new top of the line Treo pro smartphone. The phone is based on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 pro and uses a Qualcomm MSM7201 400MHz processor. The Treo pro comes with 2.5-inch 320 x 320 touchscreen, 2.0-megapixel camera, microUSB, 100MB storage, microSDHC card slot (supports up to 32GB) and 3.5mm headphone jack. Why all the smartphone makers are not giving more built-in storage space, 100MB is useless in today’s wireless world. Ever smartphone should come with at least 4GB of onboard memory. For communication the phone support quad-band GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz), tri-band UMTS (850, 1900, 2100MHz), WiFi b/g and Bluetooth. The phone comes with built-in GPS and Google Maps software for directions. It measures 4.49” x 2.39” x 0.53” and weigh 4.69oz making it the thinnest Palm phone ever. The battery on the phone will last for 5 hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby time. The Unlocked Treo pro will be priced $549 and Palm has not announced the exact shipping date for the phone.
[Via Palm]

Apple launched the iPhone 3G in 22 countries on July 11th 2008 and it will launch iPhone in 20 more countries on August 22nd 2008. The new iPhone 3G comes with a 3.5” multitouch screen, 8GB or 16GB storage capacity, 2.0-megapixel camera and earphones with built-in microphones. The cellular and wireless radios supported are GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz), UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100MHz), WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 and Assisted GPS. The battery life on the phone is 5 hours talk time on 3G and 10 hours on 2G, in standby the phone will last 300 hours.
iPhone is definitely the best handheld (mobile) computing platform out there. On the positive side the new phone adds 3G support, GPS, App Store and Microsoft Exchange making an already superior platform better. On the negative side battery is not user replaceable, no A2DP support, no voice activated dialing and no video recording. But as Andrew D. Smith of The Dallas Morning News says in his review of the device, “Apple’s iPhone 3G is really a computer that makes calls.”  New features can be added to iPhone just by software update.
Below is the list of some of the best iPhone reviews present online. Click on the links below to read the reviews:

At it Developer Forum Intel introduced its media processor CE 3100, Intel’s first system on chips (SoC) for consumer electronics devices. The CE 3100 is aimed at optical media player, cable set-top boxes, and digital TVs. The processor combines features like high definition video, high quality audio and advanced 3D graphics, with the performance, flexibility and compatibility of IA based hardware and software.
The CE 3100 also has Intel Media Play Technology that will use on-chip hardware decoders for videos encoded in standard formats like MPEG-2, H.264 or VC-1 and will automatically route the Internet videos (non-standard format like DivX or flash) to a software codec running on the IA processor. Intel is working with Yahoo for content that will make use of features present on CE 3100 and it has also formed The Intel Consumer Electronics Network, a member based community of hardware, software and services providers. The company will begin shipments of the CE 3100 next month.
[Via Digi Times]

Vodafone will launch the iPhone 3G on August 22, 2008 in India and if you have pre-registered with Vodafone, you can get it before others. All you need to do is drop in at a select Vodafone Store between August 20 and 21 and confirm your booking by paying Rs 10,000 through cash or credit card. Vodafone will give you an appointment date and time starting August 22, When you can come and experience a full demonstration as well as collect your iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3G will be priced Rs 31,000 ($710) for 8GB model and Rs 36,100 ($825) for 16GB model.
Vodafone says that the sooner you confirm your iPhone booking, the earlier you’ll get your iPhone. As the company has limited stocks and it will be on first come, first serve basis. Vodafone has given no information about the cost of monthly plans or data plans that will be required with the iPhone purchase. It is believed that Airtel will also price the iPhone 3G similarly.
[Via Vodafone]

Joystiq has posted that Xbox 360 will receive a $50 price drop by September 7th. This drop will make the 60GB model $299 and the Elite $399. The Xbox Arcade will receive a more substantial price drop of $80 and the new price will be $199. Joystiq’s price drop report is further confirmed by a leaked Radio Shack flyer for week of September 7th that shows Xbox Elite for $399 and Arcade for $199. The price drop shows that Microsoft will do anything to maintain its lead over Sony PS3 and price drop before holiday season might be just the right thing.

Last week, Brenton Hush, HSBC’s Chief Information Office for Australia and New Zealand said, “We are actually reviewing iPhones from a HSBC Group perspective… and when I say that, I mean globally.” HSBC today made an official public statement and clarified that it is not considering the switch.
HSBC’s UK spokesperson said, “I don’t know if he was miss quoted or if it was made up, but I can put the rumors to bed now and state there is no truth in it at all. It’s simply not going to happen.”
We don’t know what HSBC was planning, but we are sure this rumor definitely benefited HSBC. Because of the rumors the main mobile phone supplier to HSBC, RIM will give them better deals in future to protect its corporate market share.

Nokia announced their new luxurious handset, 8800 Carbon Arte. The casing of the handset is made using high-end materials like carbon fiber and titanium. The phone has a 2-inch 16.7 million color OLED screen with 240 x 320 resolution and a 3.2-megapixel camera. It measure 4.3” x 1.8” x 0.6” and weighs 5.3oz. The new 8800 supports tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900MHz) and UMTS (2100MHz only) for European 3G networks. Bluetooth with A2DP profile support and 4GB of internal memory are also present on the phone. Two unique features on this luxury phone are the ability to tap the area below the screen to reveal the display clock and users can simple flip the phone face down to silence an incoming call.  The battery life for the phone is 3 hours talk time and 12.5 days standby time. The Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte will ship in Q3 for Euro 1100 (US$1625). The price and casing of the phone are definitely high-end but the features are quite ordinary, as you can get a phone with all the above features for less than $500.

Lenovo updates its ThinkPad X300 series of thin and light laptops. The new ThinkPad X301 series adopts the Centrino 2 platform and uses the ultra-low voltage Core 2 Duo processors. The X301 will be available with 1.2GHz U9300 and 1.4GHz U9400 processors; both the CPUs will have 6MB L2 cache and 1066MHz front side bus. The 64GB SSD on X300 will be replaced with 80GB SSD or an option of 128GB SSD.
Lenovo says that the ThinkPad X301 notebook provides on average nearly 20 percent better performance over the ThinkPad X300 notebook due to the latest DDR3 memory and the new Intel Core 2 Duo ultra low volt processor.
The new laptop will support DisplayPort along with VGA output for watching high definition content on multiple displays. The ThinkPad X301 offers models with high-speed (3G) mobile broadband and WiFi to connect wirelessly to the Internet, and also with Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband technology to connect wirelessly to other devices. Models supporting WiMAX will be available later this year. Lenovo will start shipping the laptop on August 26th for around $2,599.

Apple has just released iPhone Firmware Update 2.0.2 and as before the release note just says “Bug Fixes”. Apple has provided no other information about the firmware. The new firmware can be downloaded through iTunes by clicking ‘check for update’ option when you connect your iPhone. The update weighs in at 248.7 MB and is available now. We will post more information about the new features in the update as soon as we get more information.