Computer Gadgets New

The current world record for an unmanned flight stands at just over 30 hours and was set by the Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk. But that record has unofficially been smashed by a new aircraft developed by QinetiQ.

The QinetiQ Zephyr Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) managed a flight time of 82 hours and 37 minutes soaring over the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The flight was done to test a communications payload and did not meet the criteria to be classed as an official world record.

The Zephyr weighs just 30kg due to its carbon fibre frame, and is capable of carrying up to 2kg of cargo. To launch, it is held by 3 people and they run to gain speed before releasing the craft. When in flight it can be controlled via satellite communication or be set to run on autopilot.

The UAV is powered via solar energy and a rechargeable battery. The wings of the Zephyr have a layer of amorphous silicon solar arrays that provide the required energy and recharge the battery. The battery is present to allow the UAV to continue flight through the night.

Simon Bennett, managing director of QinetiQ’s Applied Technologies commented:

The Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona was an appropriate setting for Zephyr’s world beating flight as many landmark aviation developments have taken place there in recent years. In addition to setting a new unofficial record, the trial is a step towards the delivery of Zephyr’s capability for joint, real-time, battlefield persistent surveillance and communications to forces in the field at the earliest opportunity.

Read more at QinetiQ, found via guardian.co.uk

Matthew’s Opinion
The designers think this is just the start and those long hours will soon turn into months with a bit more development. That means we will have the capability of launching UAVs that could potentially provide commercial services as well as acting in a military capacity.

The technology should also be looked at by the aviation industry for commercial flights. Covering the wings and upper fuselage of commercial aircraft with the same solar arrays would surely produce a significant amount of energy to power on-board gadgets. The only question would be as to how resilient the arrays are to the elements and the constant take-off, fly, land, routine of these planes.

When I first heard the word “Albatron”, I got it mixed up with the major grocer Albertsons, and couldn’t help but think of their motto: “It’s your store”.  Now, after looking at the Albatron Tee PC, I can’t help but think Albatron’s motto should be: “It should be my PC”. 

The Albatron Tee PC is essentially a tablet pc in the form of a netbook.  It has a 7-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 480.  It also has an ARM926 400MHz processor as well as 128MB of flash memory.  If you want any more memory, you can always use the included SD memory card slot. 

The Albatron is ready to go with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options and has a 1.3-megapixel webcam.  The user also has the option of inserting it into a docking station that will equip it with USB ports, audio ports and integrated speakers. 

We have no word on the pricing, availability date, or where it will be available.  However, I would be willing to put down a few hundred dollars on this, as I can think of some good mobile uses for it. 

Via [SlashGear]

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Early tests of the BlackBerry Bold reveal that the new handset is suffering from the same 3G connection problems as the iPhone 3G.

Citigroup investment research analyst Jim Suva tested the Bold, which has yet to be released in the United States, and told AppleInsider that the device experiences unstable 3G network connection, sometimes switching over to the EDGE network — the same symptoms many have reported about Apple’s iPhone 3G. Suva speculates that the Bold won’t be released in the United States until AT&T rectifies its 3G network issues.

If they persist, network issues will come as a concern to BlackBerry Bold customers. blackberry owners are primarily enterprise users, and dropped calls would stifle productivity.

This report coincides with Wired.com’s findings in a recent study inviting iPhone 3G users around the world to report their 3G speeds. In our study, we observed 3G network performance varied greatly among different 3G carriers throughout the world; users in Europe, which has some of the most mature 3G networks, reported the fastest overall results. We believe the issue is more closely tied to the carrier network than the iPhone itself.

Another study by Teknik & Trender found iPhone 3G performed the same in terms of reception when compared to other similar handsets run through a test chamber.

With all things considered, the lack of 3G improvement seen after the recent iphone software update, combined with these studies, add up to the idea that mobile networks are playing a greater role in network performance than the handsets themselves.

New BlackBerry suffering same 3G connection drops as iPhone [AppleInsider]

During the past couple of weeks, China has made headlines for something as positive as hosting a truly epic Olympic opening ceremonies to something as pathetic as jailing pro-Tibet video bloggers. One of the big stories to emerge from the games in the tech world was the country’s decision to ban the use of iTunes due to one single album whose proceeds went directly to the Dalai Lama.

Now, the Chinese government has re-opened the iTunes store to their country, without the album in question for sale. This is (obviously) good news for Apple, as they continue to march into new markets. China has been a new frontier for the company, along with a few other American tech companies that are widely criticized for usually bowing to Chinese censorship. Google, for instance, was reamed when it was revealed that a Google Images search for ‘Tiananmen Square’ in China would result in nice, touristy images instead of those ingrained in our minds from the protests of 1989 that reside within all of our minds.

Songs for Tibet features a handful of artists that you probably remember from 1999, including Ben Harper, Moby, and Garbage performing mixes or live versions of some of their lesser known songs. It’s still available on iTunes and elsewhere here in the States, if you want to voice your disapproval with the Chinese machine through John Mayer.

Read more at Wired

HTC has sent word that it’s now making a software ROM upgrade available on its website that will bring Windows Mobile 6.1 to the AT&T Tilt. Along with the upgrade Tilt users will now have access to the HTC Home Screen, Video Share Calling, Threaded SMS, MS Voice Command, OneNote Mobile, Remote Desktop Monitor, Enroll Domain, Managed Programs, and more.

It’s about time the update rolled out. One thing that has really become apparent is how long it takes to get upgrades out the door for phones nowadays. Of course, Apple is making it more obvious how long everyone else takes since it seems to spit out an update every couple of weeks lately.

Windows Mobile 6.1 is a nice upgrade especially since some of the often missed features include optimization of the OS for improved battery life, stability, and responsiveness.

Read more or grab the upgrade at HTC.com

Canon’s two latest models from its budget-friendly A-Series digital cameras are definitely something to look forward to when they are released sometime in September. These cameras are the PowerShot A1000 IS and PowerShot A2000 IS. Finally, Canon has decided to do away with the bulky and heavy form factor of its old A-Series cameras and decided to make their new generation slimmer, lighter and more compact. Canon has even throw in a very powerful feature which is the ultra-zoom optical range.

Features common to both the A1000 IS and A2000 IS are their 10-megapixel resolution sensor and the presence of the DIGIC III Image Processor plus the A1000 IS gets a 4x optical zoom while the A2000 IS gets a higher 6x optical zoom. Both models are also equipped with an optical image stabilization lens and high ISO Auto sensitivity.

For other features, we are looking at a 2.5-inch LCD for the A1000 IS and 3-inch LCD for the A2000 IS. The digital cameras also feature an optical viewer, face detection, Easy Mode and Easy Playback modes, print/share button for direct printing and downloading, ID Photo Print and Movie Print as well, motion detection automatic red eye correction.

Product [Canon] Product [Canon]

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A woman from North Carolina has been arrested for taking what started as a virtual relationship a little bit too far.

Kimberly Jernigan, a 33-year old Second Life player met a 52-year old player from Claymont, Delaware in-game and a virtual relationship began. That relationship eventually led to a real world meeting at which point he broke it off.

A few months after that meeting and Jernigan clearly decided she didn’t want the relationship to be over. She made the journey from North Carolina to Delaware and attempted to kidnap he ex-boyfriend from his place of work with a gun, but failed.

Not giving up she then decided to locate where he lived, a task made more difficult by the fact he had just moved. Being a postal worker in real life she apparently started posing as one in Delaware to try and find out what his new address was. She was successful and proceeded to break in to his apartment through a window.

For some reason she had taken her dog with her, but it was being noisy so she used the duct tape she had bought to bind the dog and leave it in the bathroom. She then waited for her ex to arrive with a taser, BB gun, handcuffs and the rest of the duct tape ready to kidnap him. He did eventually arrive, saw someone in his apartment and ran away before she could do anything.

He phoned the Police, they came and rescued the dog and found Jernigan an hour later by identifying her car. She is now in custody facing charges of burglary, attempted kidnapping and aggravated menacing. Her dog is fine.

Read more at CBS3.com or watch the news report video

Matthew’s Opinion
It’s scary that some people can commit themselves so much to something or someone that telling them it is over just isn’t enough. I can’t imagine what Jernigan would have done if she had managed to get her man, but thankfully we will never know.

If it weren’t for her being a postal worker she may never have found his new address. Hopefully now she can get some help alongside whatever punishment she receives for her actions. As for her ex-boyfriend, I’m sure all his future relationships will not be started via Second Life or any other online environment.

Canon has announced two new simple-to-use printers, the PIXMA iP4600 and PIXMA iP3600. Both printers, aside from boasting of easy-to-use software also feature individual ink tanks and fast print speeds that are capable of delivering high-quality photo prints and documents. They are both bundled with ChromaLife100+ ink set and Easy-PhotoPrint EX software. The photo editing software comes with Canon’s Auto Photo Fix for a quick way to make photos look better when printed. The iP4600 is capable of printing a 4×6 inch lab quality and borderless photos in 20 seconds while the iP3600 can do the same in 41 seconds.

For their other features, both printers offer a maximum color resolution of 9600 x 2400 dpi and have Canon’s FINE print head technology. In addition, the iP4600 comes with a built-in automatic duplexer to let users print double-sided documents easily and two paper trays for holding around 300 pages of paper. For its part the iP3600 comes with a Smart LED equipped individual ink tanks and dual paper paths. For their printing speeds, the iP4600 can max out 26ppm for black and 21ppm for color printing. The iP3600 gives out a good 26ppm black and 17ppm color printing speeds.

The PIXMA iP4600 retails for $99.99 and the iP3600 will burn $79.99 off your budget.

Read [Canon Press Room]

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The company M2E Power was formed last year and aims to bring renewable energy gadgets to the marketplace. The first of these being a device that generates energy as we move.

M2E says they have now proved their technology works and aim to bring a product to market next year. The device is meant to sit in you pocket and as you move slowly generates energy. It does this by harvesting the energy from electromagnetic fields produced within the M2E device. As you move this energy is slowly produced, collected and stored in a lithium-ion battery. That energy can then be transferred into your mobile device’s battery.

The key point to the M2E charger is the fact it allows energy to be produced without encumbering the wearer. All it needs is movement to charge and the more movement it experiences the quicker it will charge. Regan Rowe, director of business development at M2E said:

Someone with an old pick-up truck with no shocks will have a glorious time with M2E technology, but someone with a Mercedes will have to spend more time charging.

In terms of performance the technology is capable of producing the equivalent of 60 minutes talk time on your cell phone after 6 hours of motion. As a backup you can also plug it into the mains for a quick charge if you think you’ll need the extra juice, but don’t have time to perform the motion.

M2E are also looking to use their technology in new cars to help power specific components and are working with the military to utilize energy production to power devices the modern soldier uses.

Read more at CNET and the M2E Power technology overview

Matthew’s Opinion
The rate at which the M2E tech produces energy is relatively slow, but this isn’t meant to be an energy solution used in isolation. What it does is generate energy from activities you would perform anyway so is a bonus reward for those activities.

I can envision loads of applications beyond just energy generated from walking. You could actually install a flexible pocket in your car that you pop the M2E device in when you drive. It would experience more movement as it bounced around in the pocket generating energy faster. You could also put them on a wrist or leg strap when you go to the gym for a workout, or attach one to your dog’s collar when you take them for a walk.

The device seems relatively simple so I’m hoping that the cost is also minimal. I think it will have to be for people to consider buying them as a backup energy device.

The storage capacity of flash drives tend to get larger and it seems the Lexar JumpDrive is no exception. Lexar Media has announced the new 16GB JumpDrive Secure II Plus USB flash drive. The new drive will also include a pre-loaded 30-day trial of Dmailer V7 software which allows the backing up and synchronization of files including those used with Outlook and Outlook Express.

Another nice feature behind the new flash drive is the built-in capacity meter. This 10-bar meter gives users a quick visual indicator of the space still available on their flash drive without the need to plug it in first.

For additional security the flash drive also includes a File Shredder feature which allows for files to be discarded securely from the device. The 16GB JumpDrive Secure II Plus USB flash drive will retail for US$99 and will be available beginning in September.

It’s mind blowing that we now have flash drives with more capacity than hard drives available only a few years ago. Of course, like any flash drive, you have to also be worried about security due to the portability of the device. That’s what makes the flash drive’s File Shredder feature a nice bonus to ensure the integrity of erased data.

Read more at the Lexar Media press release.