LG Blu Ray Player To Stream Netflix Movies

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Thursday, July 31, 2008


Tonight, LG released a Blu Ray player that can play Netflix movies. Nicely price at $500 or even less, it will be able to play over 12000 videos thanks to Netflix movie database. The LG device is not the only one that is being hooked up with Netflix as the new model of the XBOX 360 will also have the capability. To access Netflix via the device users must have one of at least eight different subscription types that Netflix has listed on its website. To connect to the Internet, the device will need a wired broadband connection, Once a movie is selected, it will begin playback in thirty seconds and will play in 1020p HD format.

How Are You Going To Watch The Eclipse?

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Thursday, July 31, 2008

Not a day goes by without me thanking God for the Internet. Today it's because I am going to be watching the eclipse online tomorrow from 10:30 to 11:00 am on NASA's website. It will also be broad casted online on MSNBC. If you want to view the eclipse online here's the link. You wouldn't be needing any special glasses.

The Future Of Coud Computing

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Two major companies, Yahoo inc and Hewlett Packard have formed a partnership to define the future of Cloud Computing. Together they will establish laboratories that will be primarily used for cloud computing research purposes. Cloud computing is a system by which computers can access programs hosted by third party data centers. One of the laboratories will be located on the University of Illinois campus while the others will be located on HP and Yahoo facilities. Some popular examples of cloud computing software are Facebook and Google Apps

New Search Engine Fails To Excite

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Tuesday, July 29, 2008


Cuil, a new search engine that was launched yesterday has failed to excite the first set of people who used it on Monday. Cuil was reportedly described by its developers as the world's biggest search engine with over 120 billion indexed web pages. To test it, I performed a search for my site on Google (It's the first result to show up.) When I tried the same on Cuil all I got was a blue screen telling me there was nothing to display. That pretty much did it for me, I'm not interested in any search engine that does not bring up my site in search results.

Apple Apologises Over Mobile Me, Again!!!!!

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Sunday, July 27, 2008


We are really tired of hearing it but they are not tired of saying it, they means Apple. Apple is apologising over mobile me for what is probably the one millionth time. The biggest Apple flop of the year, Apple knows just how much consumers will remember its excesses as far as Mobile Me is concerned. The Mobile Me service was meant to replace the .MAC as an application for Email and other Internet services and all this was achieved in twenty four hours the worst day of some people's lives. Most users are currently unable to access Email while millions more report that their messages and contacts have all disappeared. Meanwhile Apple has pledged to stay on top of things. For now it looks like they are still beneath things.

Software Group To Sue Ebay

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Saturday, July 26, 2008


The software and information industry association has indicated its willingness to sue eBay over what it describes as eBay's uncaring attitude to the sale of pirated software on its site. The SIIA further states that the only action eBay takes against offenders is to remove auctions that have been identified by the SIIA as pirated. The SIIA claims that over 75percent of the software sold on eBay is pirated. I don't know how true the statistics are but eBay still remains my number one destination for computer accessories.

At Last, A Wikipedia For Google.

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Thursday, July 24, 2008


Late last year, Google hinted at the possibility of creating an online encyclopedia (similar to wikipedia); Google Knol. It was released in Beta around the same period and now It has been made official Google has officially released Knol. The service allow users who are experts in their various fields to contribute to a knowledge base. These contributors will also be paid according to the AdSense revenue their web pages make. One conspicuous difference between Knol and Wikipedia is that the writer's name will be posted at the end of every article. Google Will also allow multiple articles on the same topic. Articles will be edited by third parties with the consent of the author through what Google terms moderated collaboration.

Open ID Comes To MySpace

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Thursday, July 24, 2008

Two of the web's most visited websites, Digg and Myspace have announced their intention to join the Open ID Network. Open Id is a system that uses 1 user ID and password to log in to multiple sites. e.g Google and Blogger.For Digg, a popular News sharing site, Users will be able to gain access to it's rich web tools via their Facebook accounts. Myspace on the other hand plans to go along with the system that exists between AOL, Yahoo and Google. For those of you who remember, this brings back fond memories of when Microsoft tried to make its net passport the ultimate gateway to the web. I really do not see the usefulness of an open ID system, currently My login name and password are more or less the same for every site I have ever considered worthwhile to join. Maybe that explains the reason I did not notice any changes with the log in procedure for any of my web services. For the rest of you however, you may find it to be welcome news and I'll advice you to take advantage of it.

Industry Giants Join Forces To Deliver Wireless HD

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Giants in the electronics industry have joined forces to develop a new type of Wireless HD. Cooperations in the joint effort include, Sony, Motorola, Samsung, Amimom, Hitachi and Sharp. They plan to complete the new standard by 2009 and deployment will begin immediately it is finalized. WHDI the proposed name for the new standard will be capable of delivering 3Gbps bandwith in a 40Mhz channel of the 5Ghz band and its performance is supposed to be unaffected by walls and other barriers.

Intel Slashes Prices Of Core 2 Duo

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Tuesday, July 22, 2008


Intel has slashed prices of one of its top processors, the dual core PC processor to a little under $200. This may be to enable favourable competition with its chief rival AMD. Intel has however not made any adjustments to the prices of its mobile processors such as Intel Centrino. Intel's most advanced processor chip to date is priced at $851 while chips from AMD such as the Athlon x26400 in a similar mould are not only cheaper but faster. Intel's first quad core mobile processor is being prepared to be launched this august.

Facebook Sues Gernan Social Networking Site.

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Monday, July 21, 2008


Facebook has sued studivz, a German social networking for infringing on intellectual property rights. If you take a look at the site in question, you will observe that its interface is a similar if not an exact replica of Facebook's. In response Studivz claims it has received no such lawsuit and has been badmouthing facebook since the story broke. Facebook is the most popular social networking sites and is valued around two billion dollars.

I Phone hackers strike again.

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Monday, July 21, 2008

I Phone hackers have released a software that will aloow users to run unlicensed third party apps on their device. However they have not yet come up with anyhthing to break the SIM lock so the I Phone remains exclusive to AT&T or at least for now.

The 3G I Phone, What's Hot and What's Not

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Saturday, July 19, 2008


It's been a little over a week since what could be said to be the most anticipated gadget this year was released, yes a lot of hype but how many positive comments and reviews have been justified. I didn't get the first I Phone and didn't bother with the second, the idea of waiting in an endless line for an apple phone was not very likable, I would rather I waited in line for a Harry Potter novel. We'll take a look at what buyers think about the new I Phone, whats new and what hasn't changed. First of all The I Phone didn't have a rosy Start the Friday morning it was released, Complaints were rife after it took forever to get it activated, a sure sign of the bad hype that would soon follow. Secondly its 3G capability, one of its most hyped features hasn't been helped much by AT&T unsurprisingly bad coverage. Its GPS System also fell short of expectations, apple becomes better at being disappointing each year. To cap it all it was soon in short supply in stores and AT&T had enough good sense not to make it available online. They'll rather see us on weary legs. Enough of the badmouthing already so lets look at the I Phone's bright sides. In physical design it's obviously thinner, lighter and hence more compact, an improved camera plus support for many third party applications which in my opinion is the best part or the least disappointing.

No WiFi Offer For 3G I Phone.

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Friday, July 18, 2008


Hours after posting an announcement on its website that offered free WiFi access to 3G I Phone owners, AT&T has withdrawn the offer claiming it had been posted in error. This is not the first time that AT&T would announce free WiFi offers in error. Currently the 3G I Phone is estimated to have sold over 2million copies worldwide.

Toshiba Introduces 400GB Hard Drives

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Wednesday, July 16, 2008


Toshiba will release a 400GB 2.5 inch disk drive this September. Announcing the news today, Toshiba says that the new disk drive is designed for low noise emissions and minimum power consumption. The drive will be released with other 7200 RPM hard drives.

New Line Of Microchips From intel, Another Line From MIT

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Tuesday, July 15, 2008


Yesterday Intel unveiled its new line of processors, the Centrino 2, which it says will increase the battery life of computers while operating at faster speeds. Already major computer makers have announced models that will be released with the new chip. These include HP, Lenovo, Fujitsu and Sony. The new Intel chip will be launched officially next week. Intel is also planning to release its first quad core processors for laptops next month. For those of you who use windows vista, it may be worthwhile to note that forcing it to run on multiple cores speeds up your computer during and after boot up. Also, researchers at MIT may have succeeded in creating an entirely new line of microchips. Before this announcement analysts had predicted that this line would not be available untill after 2013. Using advanced nanotechnology research, MIT researchers have created lines about 25nanometers wide and separated by spaces as minute as 25NM. This is a far cry from the 65NM size on today's most advanced computer chips.

Movies For PS3 And PSP

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Tuesday, July 15, 2008


Sony clearly does not wish to be outdone by its rivals in the gaming industry, just a day after Microsoft announced that Netflix will soon be available to users of the XBOX360, Sony is now offering its customers a service that allows them to watch TV, Video and many more via the PSP AND PS3 consoles. In case you do not know TV Programmes have been available in online format since the popular websiteJoost was launched. Sony says that video will be available in both high def and standard format. Renting movies will cost somewhere between $2.99 and $5.99 while a one time purchase will be in the range of $9.99 to $14.99.

Gaming Consoles Get Boosts

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Monday, July 14, 2008


Microsoft, maker of the XBOX 360, has entered into a partnership with Netflix that will allow gamers access to over 10000 movies through the online movie rental company. Gamers will have to pay a monthly subscription fee of 9$ and also posses annual gold membership for XBOX live, the 360's online service. Meanwhile another gaming console maker, Nintendo has announced a new product that improves the sensitivity of the wii game controller. Unlike standard controllers the wii controller uses the hand motion of the user to move objects within the game hence making gaming more realistic. The Nintedo wii remains the strongest console on the market.

Microsoft Discontinues 20GB X Box Model

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Sunday, July 13, 2008


Microsoft today discontinued the production of its 20GB X Box model and also cut prices down to 299$. This is the second product that the software giant has announced an end to production for this month. The 20GB X Box model will be replaced by one with 60GB storage. So far the X Box 360 has failed to impress well enough in the console market, lagging behind the Nintendo wii and struggling with the PS3

Customer Dissapointment Clouds Release Of I Phone

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Friday, July 11, 2008


People who endured interminable waits on long lines to buy the new I Phone could not hide their disappointment and frustration when they discovered they could not activate their phones. To compound matters the only method of activating the phone that Apple provided was In store so lines continued to grow longer as the day progressed. Save for the SOS call function, The I Phone was virtually useless and could not even be connected to I Tune servers via the Internet. The I phone was released in 21 countries and started selling by 8:AM this morning in the United States.

Hopping To Dc

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Things are gonna be quiet here for at least one week. I will be heading to DC tomorrow and with any luck should be back next week Thursday. I sincerly hope the lines in front of the I Phone stores in DC are not as long as those here. Grace and Peace

Blu Ray Equipped Laptops

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Wednesday, July 09, 2008


Computer Manufactures are swiftly integrating the new bluray disc format into their products, A laptop such as the HP Pavilion dv5z comes with a blu ray disc and surprisingly represents better value for money than most blu ray devices. If you are currently using a laptop that only has a normal DVD drive, you can upgrade your computer with a blu ray drive after purchasing and installing one or two video cards. This option however is more expensive than buying a new laptop. This website provides a lot of information about drives that will be compatible for your laptop or desktop. If you choose to stick with your old laptop, why not give it a try.

3G I Phone Hits Stores This Friday

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Tuesday, July 08, 2008


The 3G I Phone from Apple will roll into stores this Friday. It will start to be sold as early as 8AM on Friday morning and will be available to buyers at 199$ for the 8GB model and 299$ for the 16GB model. Although cheaper than the last I phone, Existing customers with AT&T will have to pay more money for both models. This also includes a two year plan that is anything but cheap. There is also an activation fee included. The 3g I Phone will have to be activated in AT$T stores so if you want to buy yours today, be prepared to wait in line. Of course there is always the option of purchasing it online when it becomes available on eBay.

Blackberry Thunder to be released on T mobile

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Sunday, July 06, 2008


Just last week I got and confirmed reports from a very reliable source that Blackberry will indeed be releasing a touchscreen phone named the Blackberry Thunder. There have been reports that claim that Blackberry will release the thunder on the Verizon wireless network but we have confirmed that it will be tied to T mobile network in the United States. As for other locations we are being kept in the dark. With a release date sometime this fall, the Thunder is a late entrant to the touch phone market and if it does not come loaded with killer features, Blackberry will pay dearly for releasing it after the Instinct and the 3G I Phone.

Google Talk Comes To I Phone

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Friday, July 04, 2008

I phone users can now access Google's IM application through the phone. The application will also be made available on the I pod touch. The IM application can only be available through the I phone's safari browser. More information is available on the Google mobile blog

Announcing our new Domain

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Dear readers, Chicken Run has moved to a new domain. We are now at www.technoengaged.com. If this affects your subscription come to our New Website to resubscribe. Thanks for your support.

3G I Phone In Limbo As Demand For Samsung Instinct Heats Up

Posted by Thomas Xavier Gilberto | Tuesday, July 01, 2008


Demand for the instinct has exceeded pre sales expectations according to SPRINT. This has resulted in shortage of the unit across the Nation. This development may mark the end of the I phone's reign in the touch phone market. The Instinct is Sprint's latest smart phone and its fastest selling to date. Meanwhile another challenger to the I phone's supremacy, the blackberry thunder, is being prepared for release. According to unconfirmed reports the Blackberry Thunder will most likely be launched on the T mobile network. The Touchscreen war will fully commence soon. It remains to be seen who will emerge unscathed.