Opera Unite: a Web server on the Web browser

Opera today unveiled Opera Unite, a new technology that shakes up the old client-server computing model of the Web. Opera Unite turns any computer into both a client and a server, allowing it to interact with and serve content to other computers directly across the Web, without the need for third-party servers.

Opera Unite makes serving data as simple and easy as browsing the Web. For consumers, Opera Unite services give greater control of private data and make it easy to share data with any device equipped with a modern Web browser.

For Web developers, Opera Unite services are based on the same open Web standards as Web sites today. This dramatically simplifies the complexity of authoring cutting-edge Web services. With Opera Unite, creating a full Web service is now as easy as coding a Web page.

Opera Unite is available in a special version of the Opera 10 desktop browser from Opera Labs. Opera Unite services run directly in the browser.

It is easy to use Opera Unite

1. Download the Opera Unite build from http://labs.opera.com/.
2. To start Opera Unite, click the Opera Unite logo in the lower left-hand corner of the browser and log in with your existing Opera ID — the same Opera ID used for other Opera services such as My Opera and Opera Link. Opera Unite will prompt you to register an Opera ID if you do not have one.
3. Now you are ready to use Opera Unite. Simply access your Opera Unite services from the Opera Unite panel of the browser. New services can be installed from http://unite.opera.com/.
4. Running a service will give you a direct Web address to the Opera Unite service on your device, for example: http://notebook.jondoe.operaunite.com/photo_sharing/, where “notebook” is the name of the local device serving content, “jondoe” is your username, and “photo_sharing” is the Web service being accessed. That link will also allow others to access the same Web service from your computer through their Web browser.
5. You may also see which friends are using Opera Unite services on your My Opera Unite home page.

Current Opera Unite services are as follows:

• File Sharing

  Securely share a file from your personal computer without waiting to upload it. First select the folder from which you would like to share files. Opera Unite then generates a direct URL to that folder. By giving that link to your friends, you can share files without routing through a third-party Web service.

• Web Server

  Run entire Web sites from your local computer with the Opera Unite Web Server. After selecting the folder containing your Web site, you can share and host it from the given Opera Unite URL. Opera Unite will automatically recognize index files and create the Web site as you designed it.

• Media Player

  Rock out wherever you are by accessing your MP3s and playlists from any machine. After selecting the folder containing your playlist, use the Opera Unite direct link to play your tracks directly in any modern Web browser.

• Photo Sharing

  Share your photos direct from your PC, without uploading them online. Once you select your photo folder, the photo-sharing service will create a thumbnail image gallery of your photos. Clicking the thumbnail will present the photo in its original resolution.

• The Lounge

  The Lounge is a self-contained chat service running on your computer. Your friends can access the chat room via the direct link, which will not require them to sign into any service. Depending on your privacy settings, you need only provide the generated password to your service in order for people to log in to your chatroom.

• Fridge

  Post a note on your friends’ virtual refrigerators. By sharing the direct link to your refrigerator, you and your friends, family or colleagues can exchange notes securely and privately in real time.

These six services represent the beginning of what is possible. Web developers can unleash their creativity to design unique Web services and, in doing so, unlock the full potential of Opera Unite.

What our CEO says

“Today, we are opening the full potential of the Web for everyone,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. “Technology moves in distinct cycles. PCs decentralized computing away from large mainframes. Opera Unite now decentralizes and democratizes the cloud. With server capability in the browser, Web developers can create Web applications with profound ease. Consumers have the flexibility to choose private and efficient ways of sharing information. We believe Opera Unite is one of our most significant innovations yet, because it changes forever the fundamental fabric of the Web.”

One Web developer to another

“What interests me about Opera Unite is how current technology and the social world are now interconnected,” said Molly E. Holzschlag, Web evangelist, Opera. “Using open standards including HTML, CSS and JavaScript, developers and even enthusiasts with a little standards savvy can make their own Opera Unite service. Opera Unite allows people the ability to be imaginative with their skills and create a wide range of technical and social applications using the same open standards used today.”

Make your own Opera Unite service

• An introduction to Opera Unite
• Opera Unite developer’s primer
• Markuper — The Opera Unite service template library

When you have finished your new Opera Unite service, just upload it to http://unite.opera.com/ and share it with the world.

Microsoft’s Free Anti-Virus App Morro Revealed

There has been talk on the interweb about Microsoft’s upcoming free Anti Virus solution for Windows. Neowin is reporting that the application is codenamed Morro and they have a few screenshots for it as well.

The software product, codenamed “Morro” after a beach in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is already being tested by Microsoft employees and a trial version will be made available “soon”. Microsoft has stated that Morro would be available by the end of 2009 at the latest.

“Morro” is likely to be targeted to compete with the low end of anti-virus products from other providers, and it will not have much of an impact on sales of full-blown security suites. According to Janice Chaffin, president of Symantec’s Consumer Division, “Microsoft’s free product is basically a stripped down version of the OneCare product Microsoft pulled from the shelves. A full Internet security suite is what consumers require today to stay fully protected.”

iPhone OS 3.0 First Look

Almost two years later with millions of handsets sold since its initial launch, the iPhone has certainly become the defining phone for the industry. Like it or not- Apple got it right with the iPhone. Its not a perfect device and there shall never be one, but they have continously improved upon the experience that the original iPhone offered. And tomorrow, with the launch of OS 3.0, you will see an extremely significant upgrade.

The Video below below shows you some of the features of the new O/S. It introduces quite a few things to the iPhone such as Universal Seatch, A2DP support and Copy/Paste. Although most of these features introduced with OS 3.0 have already been implemented in one way or the other on other Smartphones, its always exciting to see how Apple does things. Lets roll

There you have it- I have tried to walk you through what I think are the most important changes. Arabic support will certainly fuel the sales for iPhone in the region while MMS support, Universal Search and Copy’n'Paste will make the phone even more attractive. I have yet to play with Background Notifications and as soon as the apps I use are updated for it, I will write about it- its probably the most significant change in iPhone. Tethering is also something I need to look at- not sure if Etisalat supports it or not but will keep that for the upcoming article as well along with the “Find My Phone” feature and the wider availability of the Landscape Keyboard. As the title of the article says, this is just the first look

Seagate Savvio enterprise hard drive delivers record energy savings

Seagate today announced that its Savvio® 10K.3 hard drive has achieved exceptional results in the Storage Performance Council’s new benchmark extension, SPC Benchmark 1C/Energy (SPC-1C/E), which includes the industry’s first energy use data for storage components that are audited and peer reviewed. The benchmark highlights anticipated energy use in environments that impose zero (idle), light, moderate or heavy workload demands upon the Test Storage Configuration. The 24-drive array, configured with over 7 Terabytes of storage, reported an outstanding Annual Energy Use of 1,765.41 kWh and projected Annual Energy Cost of $211.85 at $0.12/kWh [1], making it a compelling choice for Tier 1 storage solutions on price, power, capacity and performance.

The SPC’s new industry-standard SPC-1C/E benchmark extension consists of the complete set of SPC-1C performance measurements and reporting, combined with measurement and reporting of energy use. SPC-1C/E is the first industry-standard performance benchmark to provide energy use reported data in conjunction with storage performance reported data.

“The SPC congratulates Seagate on its Savvio benchmark results using SPC-1C /E,” said Walter E. Baker, administrator for the Storage Performance Council. “The new SPC-1C/E Reported Data is a refinement for the storage industry which demands ever-increasing performance along with system power savings that can be measured in real-world environments.”

Seagate Savvio 10K.3 drives offer the best combination of enterprise performance and power efficiency, with up to 300GB capacity for mainstream servers and external storage arrays. The 2.5-inch footprint enables the lowest power profile of any tier-1 mission-critical drive. Savvio 10K.3 drives include PowerTrim technology to enable lower cooling costs and reduced total cost of ownership to data centers that require optimized power and performance

Kingston Technology First to Market with a Massive 128GB Capacity USB Drive

 

Kingston Technology Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, has announced the release of the DataTraveler® 200 the world’s first 128GB USB Flash drive, for users in the Middle East. The DataTraveler 200 provides users with the option of a password to protect their data, as well as giving consumers and business users the flexibility to carry vast amounts of data with them at all times.

“For consumers and business users in the region, who are in constant need of added memory to store large amounts of data, the DataTraveler 200’s immense 128GB storage capability lets users store as much data as 182 music CDs** or up to 27 DVD movies***,” said Antoine Harb, Business Development Manager for Kingston Technology in the Middle East.. “Business users benefit as they can carry around large databases or files whilst they are out of the office. The password protection facility helps safeguard data and requires no admin rights, making the DT200 a terrific solution for the home or office.”

“With a majority of Middle East residences travelling for their summer vacations, the new DT200 is the ideal device to store their memories, without worrying about running out of storage space. While the regions’ memory market is growing at an extremely fast rate, we’re certain the DT200 will spearhead the growth for superior memory in the Middle East,” added Harb.

The Kingston Technology DataTraveler 200 features a capless design that protects the USB connector when not in use and is enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost™. The drive is also available in 32GB and 64GB capacities.

The DT200 is backed by a five-year warranty and 24/7 tech support. For more information, visit www.kingston.com/Europe.

DataTraveler 200 Product Features and Specifications:

• Capacities****: 32GB, 64GB and 128GB

• Dimensions: 2.77″ x 0.49″ x 0.89″ (70.39mm x 12.52mm x 22.78mm)

• Operating Temperature: 32º F to 140º F (0º C to 60º C)

• Storage Temperature: -4º F to 185º F (-20º C to 85º C)

• Simple: just plug into a USB port

• Practical: durable, capless design

• Guaranteed: five-year warranty

• Safeguarded: includes Password Traveler security software for Windows

• Enhanced: for Windows ReadyBoost™ on Vista-based systems

 

Samsung introduces Samsung JET, Smarter than a Smartphone

 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the latest in mobile handset innovation, Samsung Jet, at a series of global launch events in Dubai, London, Singapore. Samsung Jet enjoys the benefits of both advanced features of a smartphone and easy-to-use user interface of a conventional mobile phone.

Samsung Jet is not simply another full touch mobile phone; it brings a brand new concept of mobile phone to today’s consumers. ‘Smarter than a smartphone,’ Samsung Jet supports the latest smartphone features which include multi-task manager and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, bringing user-friendly menu navigations in a sleek and compact design.

Samsung Jet boasts world firsts in both display technology and speed of performance. Its pioneering 16M WVGA AMOLED display (3.1”) offers the most vivid and colorful full touch mobile experience available; the WVGA AMOLED screen provides a resolution that is four times higher than a WQVGA screen. Its 800MHZ application processor delivers breathtaking speed and stunning performance, making Jet the fastest full touch handset on the market today.

With its eye-catching brilliant screen, Samsung’s latest TouchWiz 2.0 user interface gives an unrivalled user experience and includes iconic new features such as motion UI, smart unlock, customizable widget screen, which are all perfect for managing your life at work and at play.

Samsung’s Dolfin Internet browser is designed to let users surf the net and access popular websites, especially social networking sites, with ease and speed. The browser enhances the mobile internet experience by allowing users to view up to five web pages simultaneously and bookmark their favourite websites as widgets on the phone’s homepage. A built in ad-blocker, multiple downloading and background downloading feature, and multi-purpose address field, further enhance the experience while Dolfin’s unique one finger zoom enables users to zoom in and out of web pages using only one hand.

Chuljin Kim, Vice President Sales & Marketing Group – Middle East & Africa

Mobile Communication Division, Digital Media & Communications Business, Samsung Electronics explained, “Samsung Jet provides a seamless and unrivalled mobile experience as a result of our accumulated technology leadership and pursuit of perfect craftsmanship. Our aim is to deliver ultimate satisfaction to our consumers and I believe that Samsung Jet answers the calls of today’s mobile users who want smart features and easy-to-use user interface. This product perfectly reflects our consumer-oriented strategy.”

Unlike many smartphones that sacrifice features for form factor, Samsung Jet packs all of this into a super sleek body and super cool frame. Samsung Jet also boasts a host of multimedia features including a 5 mega pixel camera, built-in GPS, DNSe & SRS Sound Effect technology for superior sound quality, and DivX and XviD video support for hassel-free video downloading and viewing.

Samsung Jet launches today at ‘Samsung Mobile UNPACKED’ events in London, Dubai and Singapore. Featuring the latest in live technologies and entertainment, the events will provide an exciting hands-on experience with the new handset. The events will also mark the culmination of a global teaser campaign, where one lucky winner from each country will unpack a Samsung Jet ‘live’ for the first time.

The Samsung JET is available at all major electronics outlets across the region and is retailed at AED 2249.

 

Hands-on with Samsung Jet SmartPhone

Samsung launched their “Jet” mobile phone today at the extremely posh Atlantis hotel in the Palm Jumeirah. Called Jet because of its speed, the handset features an 800MHz CPU as well as 2GB onboard storage that can be expanded to 16GB. The phone has all the specs of a high-end phone such as HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1

However, the first thing you’ll notice about the Jet is the beautiful 3.1″ WVGA screen- it is the best screen I’ve seen on a mobile phone. The AMOLED screen has a resolution of 800×480 and with 16M colors, the color reproduction is stunning to say the least.

The phone runs on Samsung’s proprietary O/S called Samsung Handset Platform or SHP. Samsung plans to develop applications for the O/S and at the moment they have around 30 widgets ready for you to play with. At some time in the future, they plan to get the SDK out for developers to build applications. It won’t happen with the Jet but is more targeted for future Samsung handsets. Already bundled with the phone are “Dolphin” browser based on Webkit 3.0 and Microsoft Exchange support through ActiveSync. I got a chance to play around with one at the launch event. Applications did launch mighty fast with the 800MHz CPU and although the phone felt quite snappy overall, there were times when it felt a tad bit sluggish. The biggest complain I have is that the touch screen is not a capacitive screen but a resistance touch screen meaning its designed more for the stylus than your finger. The following are some videos using the device. We’ll start with the one showing the desktop and then moving on to the camera which is 5.0 MegaPixel. Samsung already has an 8.0 MP camera in a phone with plans for a 12MP camera so if you’re wondering why they chose a 5MP, its probably to lower the costs. Besides, higher MP doesn’t make a better camera and from what I saw, the picture quality on the Jet was awesome. It has dual LED flash as well which will help in darker environments. Next, we have a video of the Task Manager which is pretty cool. As you can see the Jet is capable of multi-tasking and running applications in the background unlike the current champ of touch screen phones. For all the people that are left handed, Samsung has a nice little touch for you- the interface adjusts for the left handed person so scroll bars shift to the left of the screen instead of the right. One very nifty feature is the gesture functionality on the lock screen- you can set gestures in the shapes on alphabets to launch applications or dial numbers directly from the lock screen cutting time. There you have it folks- some interesting footage showing the capabilities of the Jet. We should hopefully have a review sample in the near future for a full-on review. Priced at AED 2250 (about US$620), the Jet should be available to buy this week.

du launches 24 Mbps, the fastest broadband speed for home in the Middle East

In yet another market first, du, the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider, today announced the launch of new broadband speeds up to an unparalleled 24Mbps, the fastest broadband speed in the UAE and the highest broadband speed in the Middle East.

The new broadband speeds will be available to all du customers availing home services. In an unprecedented move, existing du customers who have subscribed to 4 Mbps broadband will get double the broadband speed of 8 Mbps at the same earlier price of AED 449 per month, 8 Mbps broadband customers will get 16 Mbps at a lower price of AED 549 per month and 12 Mbps broadband customers will be upgraded to 24 Mbps at the same earlier price of AED 749 per month, the fastest in the Middle East.

The new broadband packages are useful to meet high-bandwidth requirements such as online gaming, streaming audio and video, high volume data downloads. All the high speed broadband come as a packaged solution, pre-bundled with anti-virus and anti-spyware software to offer the highest levels of security and peace-of-mind while surfing the internet.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “We pride ourselves in product and service innovation and our latest launch is a result of our continuous efforts to bring the very best available in broadband internet. In an increasingly digitally convergent world, availability of high internet bandwidth is a primary need and with our new broadband packages we are offering more choice, greater value and an unmatched user experience for our home services customers.”

Pricing:

8 Mbps: AED 449 per month

16 Mbps: AED 549 per month

24 Mbps: AED 749 per month

Each package includes 5 email addresses with 1 GB mailbox size, 20 MB web hosting space and Antivirus & Antispyware.

Dell Introduces Adamo

Dell Middle East yesterday announced the immediate availability of the celebrated Adamo laptop, the centerpiece of the Adamo by Dell brand, which has set a new benchmark worldwide for precision craftsmanship and design. The highly stylized laptop, the world’s thinnest, was introduced at a showcase event in the new Dell Store located in The Dubai Mall, where models showed off the laptop dressed in ultra-chic and elegant abayas, created by acclaimed Emirati designer Ms Badr Al Badoor of Abaya Couture. Through its association with Abaya Couture in the UAE, and high-end fashion brands like TUMI in the United States, the new Adamo laptop is a key pillar in Dell’s consumer product portfolio and has become the standard bearer for the industry in terms of design.

The Adamo is now available at Dell’s new flagship store alongside an extensive range of other Dell and Intel products from award-winning netbooks and laptops to desktops from across Dell’s consumer brands. The Dell store, located at the heart of the Dubai Mall’s electronics area, while not the first, is certainly the largest and most stylish of the UAE’s two outlets. Shoppers will now be able to touch, feel and test the products in the chic, modern and spacious, multi-level space, enhancing the experience at the heart of the Dell brand.

Designed to challenge people’s perceptions of what a computer is, the Adamo by Dell brand was inspired by fashion, luxury brands and timeless design. Adamo, derived from the Latin word meaning “to fall in love,” is set to seduce the world’s trendsetters as the first in a new line of personal computing products designed to perfectly combine lifestyle appeal with must-have technology.

ADAMO BY DELL SET TO TEMPT THE MIDDLE EAST WITH WORLD’S THINNEST LAPTOP

With a chassis crafted from a single piece of aluminum, featuring precision detailing and a backlit keyboard, the Adamo is cool and sophisticated in its Onyx and Pearl colours. Its edge-to-edge glass display offer striking high definition (16:9) on its 13.4 inch display, while benefiting from cool, quiet and robust solid state drives. The Adamo is WiFi and Bluetooth™ enabled, comes with a full complement of connectivity ports and features the latest Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Intel processors adapted by Adamo.

Commenting on the new Adamo, Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst, Enderle Group said: “Dell continues to signal a commitment to design and personalization across its entire product line and has made significant strides forward in the past year. The Adamo laptop is a showcase for this commitment and a flagship product that will draw buyers to the brand.”

Alex Gruzen, senior vice president of Dell’s consumer products added: “Great design needs to be timeless and evoke emotion in people. While a premium computing experience was assumed for Adamo, the intent was for people to see, touch and explore Adamo and be rewarded by the select materials and craftsmanship you would expect in a fine watch.”

Commenting on the new Adamo, Amer Husaini General Manager of Dell’s MEA Consumer Business said, “The new Dell store was created to showcase the complete Dell range in one convenient location, and the Adamo is a great way to launch the store as it epitomizes the Dell Consumer range – style, quality and innovation. This is a further statement of intent in our absolute commitment to the retail market across the Middle East.”

The Dell store has been opened in partnership with Intel, and Intel’s Khaldoun Aboul-Saoud Regional Manager for Market Development for the Gulf added “The store gives Dell and Intel the opportunity to showcase the latest processor technology, such as the Adamo which features Intel’s latest Ultra Low Voltage processors across the whole range, and we are excited to see it here in the region.”

The Adamo will offer as standard, Intel® Core 2 Duo processors with Intel® Centrino ® technology, DDR3 system memory and Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-bit. A travel friendly laptop, it will also come with the option to utilize mobile broadband* and can provide up to 5+ hours of battery life. ***

Asus Rampage II GENE

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