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Mobile phone chip designer Arm has announced a deal with open-source software manufacturer Ubuntu to get the OS onto netbooks.

A specially packaged version of the system will run on netbooks, with Arm's presence in the tiny-laptop market marking a change from its usual territory of high-end phones.

Prototypes of the system will be developed in time for next June's Computex show, according to the BBC.

"It's significant in that it is taking Arm onto larger screen formats," Rob Coombes, Director of mobile marketing at Arm, said.

"They'll be for people who want a small internet-centric device."

Mobile versions too

Canonical, Ubuntu's commercial sponsor, has already announced plans to develop both netbook and mobile versions in the near future, and this deal with Arm is clearly part of these plans.

Last month, founder of Ubuntu and CEO of Canonical Mark Shuttleworth confirmed the company was looking increasingly at the mobile and netbook markets, thanks to a deal with Intel to help develop a mobile platform.

"Linux is a perfect platform for consumer electronics, and the rate of adoption there is fantastic, but it's highly fragmented. There are many different projects/environments/frameworks for Linux on smartphones," he said, according to ArsTechnica.

"Intel has really set the pace with hardware enablement in free software. They invest a lot in it, and they invest it well - they work like an open-source project to a much greater extent than any other manufacturer."

The Sony AR Series has been in existence for two years, but has been constantly evolving to include the latest features for the entry-level desktop replacement market.

The latest iteration is the Sony VAIO VGN-AR71J (£599 inc. VAT), which is a hulking 3.9kg laptop dominated by its 17-inch Super-TFT screen.

HD skills

A sticker on the case proclaims Full HD (high definition), but sadly, this does not mean the screen will natively support this standard as the screen only has a resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels. Instead, it means there is a HDMI port that allows you to stream Full HD content from the laptop to a suitably enabled HD television.

The screen delivers sharp and bright images and the use of the nVidia GeForce 8400M GS GPU makes this a machine that can be used for playing games at a decent frame rate. That said, this is a mainstream adapter so won't be able to run high-end games.

Budget CPU

This laptop proved disappointing when it came to performance.

Using an Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor, as this name suggests, it has two processing cores but is still a fairly basic chip, so should only be used for entry-level tasks.

The addition of 3072MB of memory means that Windows Vista Home Premium loads and runs smoothly and the 200GB hard drive is big enough to store all your media files with ease.

Tough design

The chassis is made of thick and sturdy plastics finished in matt black. Along with the black keyboard, this machine looks rather subtle and subdued. The build quality is great and the large screen is held firmly in place by two solid hinges.

The keyboard lacks a dedicated numeric keypad, with the standard-sized keyboard positioned in the centre of the body. The keyboard is incredibly comfortable to use, but sadly in the vast expanse of plastic that surrounds it, it simply feels lost.

The tiny touchpad, which is the same colour as the main chassis and easy to miss, also seems lost, but it is the mouse buttons that suffer the most. Small and perched on the edge of the chassis, not only are they awkwardly placed, but the size of them makes them fiddly to use.

Media buttons to the left-hand side of the keyboard allow you to control volume and media settings, while two quick-launch buttons allow you to set up your favourite tasks to instantly launch.

The Sony VAIO VGN-AR71J is a solid and well-built machine, but the base design is starting to show its age.

Xbox Live users were hit with numerous technical problems over the weekend, with hundreds of users being booted off the service.

The problems come a few days before the much-touted new Xbox Live Experience launches this coming Wednesday (19 November), featuring cutesy Mii-like avatars.

Microsoft's Xbox Live evangelist, Larry 'Major Nelson' Hyrb claims on his blog that over the weekend: "the Xbox Operations Centre noticed that a large number of members were disconnected from Xbox Live, some more than once."

Prevention is best cure

Hyrb added that they were "working to determine the root cause of this issue and to prevent it from happening again."

Xbox Live is down again today for maintenance for a couple of hours.

Stay tuned for much more on the Xbox 360's cutesy new dashboard upgrade throughout the week.

President-elect Barack Obama is set to wean himself off his BlackBerry addiction, according to new reports, due to the potential threat of hackers. This is in addition to the requirements of the Presidential Records Act - which mean all of Obama's correspondence is placed on public record.

With all this in mind, it seems that Obama is going to have to significantly change his tech habits after taking office on 20 January next year, with no more of those early hours Blackberry emails.

"Given how important it is for him to get unfiltered information from as many sources as possible, I can imagine he will miss that freedom," said Linda Douglass, a senior adviser who travelled with Obama on the campaign trail.

No to Twitter and email?

Obama famously had over 130,000 friends on Twitter over the course of his Presidential campaign, so one has to wonder if he will ditch Twitter as well as the BlackBerry…

It is still not decided if Obama can keep using email, "perhaps even in a read-only fashion," according to MSNBC news.

"Several authorities in presidential communication said they believed it was highly unlikely that he would be able to do so."

Black Friday is of course a tempting day to buy a cheap notebook. Although I believe most of you will try to score a deal on a super cheap netbook. In case you think about buying a notebook on Black Friday, Notebooks.com has a guide featuring 15 things to ...

An artist in San Francisco has come up with an ingenious way to replace her lost eye – by installing a web camera in her face.

Well, that's what Tanya Vlach eventually wants to do, and this foray into bionic territory is all in the name of art.

Writing on her blog, Vlach comments: "I am attempting to recreate my eye with the help of a miniature camera implant in my prosthetic/artificial eye.

"The intraocular installation of an eye-cam will substitute for the field of vision of my left eye that I lost in 2005 from a car accident.

"While my prosthetic is an excellent aesthetic replacement, I am interested in capitalising on the current advancement of technology to enhance the abilities of my prosthesis for an augmented reality."

Advancement of technology

Vlach lost one of her eyes in a car accident in 2005, and is shunning regular prosthetics for something a bit more tech-based.

And it's not just any webcam that Vlach wants, she's created a technical wish-list, which includes: 3X optical zoom, a 4GB SD card slot and still-image capabilities.

Speaking to the New York Daily News, Vlach said: "There have been all sorts of cyborgs in science fiction for a long time, and I'm sort of a sci-fi geek.

"With the advancement of technology, I thought, 'Why not?'

Valve is offering players one of the best PC gaming bargain bucket deals ever known to man – the studio's entire back catalogue of 22 superb games, including its newest game Left 4 Dead, for a mere $99 dollars.

Valve: The Complete Pack includes three CounterStrike games, ten Half-Life games, Portal, Team Fortress 2 and the Day of Defeat series, among other gaming gems to keep you more than happy through the holiday season.

If you wanted to buy the lot, then Valve would previously have charged you $235.

If you happen to have missed out on any of the must-play episodes of Half Life 2 over the last year or two, then the pack is already worth investing in.

The full list of games available are as follows and for more on Left 4 Dead, check the game's official website.

Counter-Strike

Counter-Strike: Condition Zero

Counter-Strike: Source

Day of Defeat

Day of Defeat: Source

Deathmatch Classic

Half-Life

Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch

Half-Life 2: Episode One

Half-Life 2: Episode Two

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast

Half-Life Deathmatch: Source

Half-Life: Blue Shift

Half-Life: Opposing Force

Half-Life: Source

Left 4 Dead

Peggle Extreme

PortalRicochet

Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress Classic

This week T3 joined forces with Dyson in a product design workshop, where our brief was to design an air-powered product.

Naturally, we looked at the film Back To The Future for inspiration, and decided to re-work the hoverboard for the 21st century. As you can see from the photos in the gallery, we decided our hoverboard should take the form of a tricycle, for easy switching between flying and scooting

Full article

It seems bizarre that parts of Asia have not been able to force Apple to broker a deal to bring the handset to its shores, despite the likes of China being among the biggest users even without an official carrier.

But at least the tides are beginning to change with news of True Move, the third largest mobile network in Thailand, setting a deal to bring the handset to the country.

It looks likely to be heading to Taiwanese shores in time for Christmas, although there is still no news on what price the company has agreed for the US' best selling phone.

China finally in on the act?

It looks like the Chinese wait for the iPhone 3G is going to be over soon as well, as talks with China Mobile look set to conclude in the near future.

The problem stems from China Mobile wanting to get a diluted version of the handset, with no Wi-Fi and 3G coverage (the original iPhone clearly is too old hat, despite ticking one of these boxes), and Apple saying 'no dice' (or something similar in a more professional way).

But AppleInsider has seen an advert for an "iPhone quality assurance engineer" in Beijing on the Apple careers site, though it has since been removed, presumably as it's been filled.

The AFP has said nobody has confirmed the story at either end of the deal, but it seems that all the signs are pointing to a bigger iPhone sales bonus for the Apple team soon.

Our hands-on Windows 7 pre-beta review shows that things are looking promising for Windows 7.

Windows 7 will run faster than Vista, and it's breaking new ground with support for multi-touch displays, but we can think of seven more simple things that Windows 7 needs to address.

One way to make Windows 7 a hit is to take a look at what Apple has got right (and wrong) with OS X, to see what Microsoft can learn from its experience.

So, here are seven things we'd like to see in Windows 7.

1. Easier product versions
Keep it simple, please Microsoft. Having too many different versions of your product is too confusing for the buying public to understand. Should they go for the Home, the Professional or the Ultimate version?

Vista shipped in six different editions, while OS X 10.5 Leopard came in just one (if you forget the server edition). If Microsoft can at least halve the number of editions in Windows 7 then it will be a huge step in the right direction.

2. New visual hooks
So far Windows 7 looks pretty much like another version of Windows Vista. That's not such a bad thing: each successive version of OS X had a similar look, but subtle things were changed in each version to give it its own unique visual identity. Apple knows the value of a nifty graphic effect. For example, OS X's widgets drop onto Dashboard with a fantastic ripple effect and Time Machine sends you down a 3D time tunnel.

These visual fancies might not be of any real use, but they wow people enough to draw them in, where they get hooked on the other great features of OS X. Microsoft needs to develop a few interesting new visual hooks of its own if Windows 7 is going to land with a bang.

3. Less alerts
Probably the best feature of OS X is that half the time you don't even know its there. OS X has a minimal (if slightly tired looking) interface - there's no imposing Start menu button or task bar, for instance. Instead, there's a simple Dock that's totally customisable and can be hidden if you find it distracting.

OS X doesn't keep bugging you with warning messages, either - Vista's constant warnings and alerts can feel like somebody constantly jabbing you with their finger. The first indications are that Windows 7 is a step in the right direction in this respect, giving you the ability to choose which prompts you'd like to see. Let's hope development continues in this vein, and that we never hear from the likes of that infernal Office paperclip assistant ever again.

4. Invisible security and backup
The key with security in an OS is to make sure it doesn't get in the way of using your computer. Admittedly, this is a harder challenge for Microsoft than for Apple, but there are still some good lessons to learn from Apple's approach to security.

Microsoft: people don't find it helpful when you block a website because its 'security certificate' isn't valid, especially since this seems to apply to most of the non-Microsoft websites on the Internet. It's just annoying and breeds a culture of fear.

Included in security is backup, again an area where Apple is ahead when it shouldn't be. Why is it that Apple can come up with an easy to use backup system like Time Machine while Microsoft can't? Windows 7 needs a proper built-in backup solution.

5. Clear naming
Microsoft needs to stop coming up with dreadful marketing-speak for different parts of its operating system. A good example is "Windows Genuine Advantage" - what on earth is that?

Look at what Apple does - System Preferences is full of obviously named stuff like "Appearance" and "Date and Time". Already Microsoft seems to be making the same mistakes all over again in Windows 7. Windows Security Center is renamed "Windows Solution Center". That might sound more positive, but it's not helpful in telling you what it does.

Another example is Windows 7's "Device Stage". It's some sort of wonder-window for managing any device connected to your computer. The thing is, normal everyday people don't call these things 'devices'. They call them what they are, like cameras or printers.

6. Pain-free registration
Take a look at the difference between registering Windows and registering OS X - Windows registration is a bag of hurt, and inadvertently ends up making you feel like a criminal. You must register to use it, which involves entering deliriously long product codes, then verifying them over the internet, or on the phone. Then if Windows detects your hardware has significantly changed it can lock you out of your own PC! Is there really any need for this? With OS X you don't even need to enter a serial number. There's no need for Microsoft to go to that far, but it could loosen the reigns a little.

7. Proper search
Microsoft really has to get this right in Windows 7. The Spotlight icon on the Leopard menu bar gives users access to a system-wide search that is fast and accurate. It's not flashy, but it just works. As Steve Jobs famously said when he introduced Spotlight, it shouldn't be easier to find a file on the web than it is to find a file on your own computer.

Now read Windows 7 explained in seven sentences

The W580 has been a staple of GSM phone carriers ever since it was released simply because it does most things well (including music) at a low-enough price. Still, there were definite limitations, and the device now has a RAZR-like overabundance that signals a time for something new. The W760 promises to check off some the remaining flaws -- including the addition 3G -- but also faces a tougher ...

iZotope has released iDrum 1.7, updating the software-based virtual drum machine with a new song editor, 50 new kits, the ability to create rhythms in differing time signatures and more. The song editor allows users to create drum patterns in iDrum alongside existing tracks, and keeps the effects in time. Added within the new kits are live acoustic drums, hip-hop sounds, dance track effects and ot...

The JVC LT-32DE9BJ has a couple of distinct advantages over its fellow contenders.

One is price – it's the most affordable among many of its rivals thanks to some aggressive retail discounting – and the other is an integrated 160GB hard drive with full Freeview+ PVR functionality.

Basic features

If it all seems too good to be true, you won't be surprised that there are some compromises too.

The design is functional, so there's no illuminated branding going on here, and it's an HD Ready rather than Full HD panel with a resolution of 768 horizontal lines. It is still compatible with 1080i signals though, and has three HDMI inputs, one located at the side.

There's no USB interface, or a VGA socket for your computer. You might be able to connect a computer via HDMI, but you'd have to choose a compatible display mode.

It comes supplied with a table stand as standard, but it can also be wall-mounted with a bracket. The onscreen GUI is far less sophisticated than that of, say, the Sony, and it looks clunky with its low-resolution icons, but it's easy enough to negotiate.

Dual channel recording

The JVC's PVR, made by Humax, has twin tuners, which means you can record two channels at the same time.

If you try and schedule a third that clashes, the set automatically seeks an alternative screening of that programme, if it can't find one it will then ask which one you want to scrap. There's a handy 8-day EPG for lining up your recordings and enough room on the 160GB HDD to store a few days worth of programming.

The Freeview+ specification, meanwhile, means all manner of useful options are available, like Series Link and Split Programme recording. The Freeview broadcasts look a little soft, but the recordings are faithful.

Impressive HD performance

The JVC's image is at its best with DVD and Blu-ray.

A 720p video signal from my PS3 playing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End platter shows the JVC at its best. It can't quite match its 1080p rivals for detail and doesn't make any big claims about its modest contrast ratio, but it still presents an impressive HD video signal.

It's a shame that standard-definition fare and even JVC's own menu graphics look so unfocused in comparison.

Audio comes second

Sonically the JVC LT-32DE9BJ is limited by its miniscule speakers. They are enough to fill a modest room, but don't expect musicality – the mid-band is way too muddled for that. It's worth trying out some of the audio processing though. Turning on the Hyper Sound processing will give the treble and bass a useful boost.

The JVC LT-32DE9BJ isn't the best set in terms of picture or sound quality - the 768-pixel resolution screen puts an upper limit on the amount of HD detail and the onscreen graphics look distractingly low-res - but add in a very slick PVR and it becomes a much more tempting proposition, especially at this price.

I suspect that families in particular will love using this set.

BT has confirmed that a second generation V-Box PVR/VOD box is on its way, and it'll not only look different but be more interactive and eco-friendly. So says BT Vision's Consumer CEO Dan Marks.

Manufactured by both Pace (which took over the Philips subsidiary responsible for the original V-Box) and Motorola, the next V-Box will to be launched in 2009.

Full article

If you harp after the days of old, and your gadgets are starting to appear on the Antiques Roadshow you're going to love the Nokia 6600 slide. Sticking with Nokia's classic mobile blueprint it takes you back to when phones were, well, dull.

This phone just works. Updated from the even older 6500 slide it looks pretty, sporting a sleek black finish with some "modern" blue tapering on its side. Sliding open like a futuristic door out of Star Trek, it includes Nokia maps and an Opera web browser with GPRS to boot. Yet it still doesn't feel special.

Full article

MacVide has launched iPod Converter 1.8, and update to its audio/video mp4 converter that fixes bugs and adds a bitrate calculator. The user can also set up an approximate output file size in version 1.8. The converter supports numerous video formats, including AVI, WMV, MOV, MPG, ASF, DivX and more, and outputs mp4 files playable on iPods, the iPhone, Apple TV and others. It can crop out black ba...

This is a little off-topic, but I'm actually amazed at the audacity of Motrin in drumming up their little social networking play aimed at Mommy bloggers. The video itself looks like they took something from column A that could cause pain ("Baby slings!") and added a body part ("Backs!") and got Motrin. The easiest equivalent to this I can think of off hand would be something like "You're a Japanese woman and you wear a kimono with those crazy wooden shoes! Ha! You're crazy and sleepy! It sure is hard on the back! Take Motrin." The reasons behind the kimono and the baby sling are far more detailed and varied than Motrin implies and, in reality, a baby sling isn't that bad nor is a Kimono nor do you wear both every day. Try getting your hand trapped in a fold down stroller one evening and then we'll talk pain. Also, try pushing a baby out of your hooha, but I don't know much about that.

This is a little off-topic for CG at least, but I’m actually amazed at the audacity of Motrin in drumming up their little social networking play aimed at Mommy bloggers. The video itself looks like they took something from column A that could cause pain (”Baby slings!”) and added a body part (”Backs!”) and got Motrin. The easiest equivalent to this I can think of off hand would be something like “You’re a Japanese woman and you wear a kimono with those crazy wooden shoes! Ha! You’re crazy and sleepy! It sure is hard on the back! Take Motrin.” The reasons behind the kimono and the baby sling are far more detailed and varied than Motrin implies and, in reality, a baby sling isn’t that bad nor is a Kimono nor do you wear both every day. Try getting your hand trapped in a fold down stroller one evening and then we’ll talk pain. Also, try pushing a baby out of your hooha, but I don’t know much about that.

The fairly big but the company does deserve to be taken to task mostly because this kind of thing isn’t fair to companies who actually do a good job at social networking. By good job I mean they take it one step at a time and they have a real message, not some drummed up animation made by an associate at the ad agency who happened to really like MySpace. The best and only example of social network marketing I can think of is Obama. That’s it. I’ve seen others try and succeed on a limited scale, Samsung Mobile being a notable example, but remember: social networking is about “social networking.” It is perceived as a way to keep your friends up to date on what’s going on and I hardly consider Motrin a friend. I’d consider it a troll until proven otherwise and that process requires a building of trust.

I’ve been on a lot of calls recently with PR folks trying to help them figure out this whole social media thing. In fact, they consider an email with HTML a “social media” message. It’s thinking like this - the idea that if it has more than one color it’s premium content - that is helping marketers create social media explosions in the blogosphere rather than the dull roar they’re looking for.

What could Motrin have done? As MarketingPilgrim notes, they could have sent the video to some blogger moms who could have told them that it was condescending. The blogger moms would have had some say in the message, Motrin could turn their gimlet eye to fixing the ads, and the campaign would have subsumed itself into the background noise of the Internet and, interestingly, could have turned moms to Motrin. Now, however, I doubt any baby luggers, male or female, would consider Motrin an option. After all, generics are cheaper.

In response to popular concerns with online credit card fraud, Visa Europe has announced a newly designed credit card, complete with a keypad and digital number display, according to the Daily Mail.

Some unsettling statistics released to coincide with Get Safe Online Week suggest that the average UK earner is worth as much as £14,500 per fraud attempt to online criminals.

UK citizens are worth much more to online crime syndicates because of their high average earnings and sheer number of web enabled users.

GetSafeOnline.org's newest survey discovers that in emptying out savings and maxing out credit cards before moving on to their next victim, each British person on the national average wage of £23,764 can be worth a small fortune.

"Experts at GetSafeOnline.org have estimated that working adults on an average salary can be worth £14,500 (per fraud attempt) to online criminals – taking into account recommended savings allowance and typical access to plastic credit," says the press release.

Nearly half don't have latest AV software

Apparently, a massive 48 per cent of UK internet users are still not updating anti-virus, almost a quarter do not have anti-spyware and one in five use one password for all websites.

"The internet is a great place to be," said GetSafeOnline.org's managing director Tony Neate.

"We are actively encouraging more people to go online, but in doing so, to ensure that they are safe and secure. We want to draw attention to the fact that online criminal activity can be a sophisticated business, but that each of us can take steps to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim.

"If internet users invest a relatively small amount of time and money in ensuring they are fully protected and up-to-date, the risk of such financial loss is almost negligible.

"To install the essential software and learn about the key safety measures on the Get Safe Online website takes a matter of a few hours – a small but worthwhile inconvenience compared to the potential loss."

The fact remains that many people are simply not taking the requisite action to protect themselves, and TechRadar has witnessed entire online identities being sold of UK people for tens of dollars.

It's a worrying situation, but one which Get Safe Online hopes to remedy by telling people about a few simple precautions.

Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. announced today the development of a new video-processing technology that enables a complete wraparound view of a vehicle's perimeter in real time, to enhance the driver's field of view. The new driver assistance technology ada...

Gaming on the iPhone and iPod touch comes in many forms, but a lot of genres still lack representation on the mobile platform. Cross one more off that list as Tricky Software, Inc. introduces Armado, a 3D platformer for Apple’s handheld devices.Tricky Software is a new development studio staffed by former EA employees.

Don't blink or sneeze while watching Barack Obama restructure the FCC, a top telecom attorney says. The new administration is expected to roll back some of the actions taken under Kevin Martin's leadership of the FCC.

Adobe’s Flash Player is on 98 percent of all desktop computers, but it is still struggling to make the jump to mobile phones. If you want Flash on a mobile device, right now you have to settle for a compromised version: Flash Lite. Monday Adobe will demonstrate the full Flash Player 10 running on a Windows Mobile phone, and will ship in 2009.

Today Intel and AMD spin in competing press-releases their leadership in Supercomputing. AMD's supercomputer press-release is titled: "AMD Dominates Top 10 Supercomputer Sites and Provides the Muscle for World’s First Entirely x86-based Supercomputer...