Code-named FroYo (from frozen yogurt), Android 2.2 is the latest iteration of Google’s OS named after a desert, following Eclair (2.0/2.1), Donut (1.6), and Cupcake (1.5). Android 2.2 is expected to arrive at the Google I/O conference on May 19 and 20.

Phones running Android 2.2 will be able to tether via USB and act as a Wi-Fi hotspot for other Wi-Fi enabled devices, according to TechCrunch . The blog shows screenshots of the FroYo interface, where users can u their Android smartphone to act as a modem, and also share the phone’s Internet connection with other devices via Wi-Fi.

It’s unclear whether carriers will enable USB and Wi-Fi tethering on Android 2.2 for a cost, or if they will allow this to happen at all (note that AT&T hasn’t enabled iPhone tethering yet). It would be interesting to though to see whether Google bundles this feature automatically with Android 2.2, without giving carriers an option.

If carriers won’t enable tethering, then full Adobe Flash support will prove very useful for browsing the Web on an Android 2.2 phone. Andy Rubin, Google’s VP of engineering, said in a New York Times interview that Flash will find a home in Android, after it got booted off the iPhone .

Overall, we can also expect a sizable performance boost in Android 2.2. The Android Police site claims to have benchmarked Android 2.2 on a Nexus One handset and discovered performance improvements of up to 450 per cent over Android 2.1. It’s unclear how Android Police got hold of ForYo in the first place, and it can’t be verified that the software they tested is legit.

It is also speculated on developer forums that Android 2.2 will let users install applications on an SD card , a popular feature request, especially from those who want to install many apps, but are limited by the small built-in memory of their phone.

What we don’t know yet though, is which phones will run Android 2.2. The Nexus One is a given first candidate, as it is Google’s own phone, but it could take a while for other Android smartphones running customised versions of the OS (like HTC Incredible ) to receive the latest update.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com

Just a while back, images and screenshots of the OS running in emulated mode showed that the system is pretty much close to being completed. While there are still a couple of so bugs and graphical hiccups that need to be smoothened out, it appears that most of the system is already fit to run on commercial handsets. The only question now when Microsoft will be finished with the polishing process.

Of course, it is pretty pointless for an OS to be ready when there are no phones that can support it. But even that concern is already covered. As early as February and March of this year, many phone manufacturers have announced that they will be making WP7 devices that will be ready by the time the OS is ready for launch.

LG is first on the table with actual pictures and a name for their upcoming Panther smart phone. Samsung , Sony Ericsson and HTC and several other manufacturers have also been named among the list of WP7 phone makers.

The OS was first announced last February at the Mobile World Congress by Steve Ballmer. There he wowed the crowds with a demonstration of the impressive new user interface which will be used in the new Windows mobile platform; the weeks that followed since the initial announcement was filled with updates and additional information about the features that will be present and supported by WP7.

Part of that list includes XNA games support (for 3D graphics and more), Silverlight (along with the MSN Player), Zune, Bing and even the Xbox Live Games service. The OS has been announced to be ready by the end of this year.

Source: http://www.blog.best-mobile-contracts.co.uk

That generosity will be rewarded. «As of 5/11/10, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru HD , and Penumbra Overture pledge to go open source,» the developersblogged. «We are preparing the sources right now and will be releasing them ASAP.» The sale was a huge success, began many conversations, and it provided insight into the behavior of gamers. Here’s a look at what comes next.

«It’s still pretty surreal. Once it was launched, it was immediately clear that we were on to something,» Jeffry Rosen, the cofounder of Wolfire Games, told Ars. Raising a million dollars was seen as possible, but it was certainly a best-case scenario. «At the end, people really, really wanted to support the bundle and push it to make the million dollar milestone—we started seeing donations as large as $3333.33 and $1337.00 come in at the last few hours,» Rosen explained. «Reddit completely lit up: I would estimate redditors to be the single largest benefactor, by far.»

A lot of people were talking about DRM and piracy, but fewer were talking about the actual games in the bundle. Did the games themselves—which are more than worth your time—get lost in the shuffle? «I think we introduced a huge number of gamers to the indie community, and I hope they like what they see,» Rosen said. «All of our forums are extremely busy now with activity. With Lugaru , people are actually already contributing patches, now that it is open source, and improving it.»

That’s the bonus prize:the games that are now open source. You’ll want to check back for the licenses—no one is going to get rich reselling modified games—but poking around the code and improving the experience or trying your hand at creating content is going to be a great thing for the independent gaming community.

«When I saw this flurry of positive contributions, it immediately reminded me of its mirror image—the rush to be the first cracker to crack each new DRM scheme… It makes me a little sad to see all this effort expended on games with DRM. Could it work the same way in reverse?»Rosen wrote on the blog. «When Aquaria, Gish , and Penumbra Overture open up, I hope the community will help build them up with the same vigor that crackers tear DRM down.»

What did we learn?

Just as impressive as the money raised was the amount of information gained about the community that picked up the bundle. There was a blog postdetailing the popularity of the bundleon Linux and Mac OS X systems—much higher than assumed. Thepiracy rate was also explored, and that launched a heated conversation in our comments about what those numbers mean.

Publishers complain about piracy, and gamers complain about DRM, but in this case something new and novel was attempted, and the end result was profits for the developers, a ton of publicity, and another lump of cash for two very deserving causes.

«We are still finishing up, but whether it’s us or someone else—I guarantee you will see more of these. We’ve already gotten a number of requests to purchase the website’s code,» Rosen told Ars. «You can bet there are many others already in development whether it’s from developers directly or from other people.»

What’s next now that the sale has reached its conclusion? You can still donate and receive the games, but Rosen is going to return to his passion. «I have not really slept properly in over a week, so it will be great to be able to relax and rejoin my brother, working on our game.»

Source: http://arstechnica.com

Jonathan «Wolf» Rentzsch announced Wednesday he canceled the C4 conference after four years organizing it because of new wording in a section of the iPhone OS 4.0 software developer kit.

«With resistance to Section 3.3.1 so scattershot and meek, it’s become clear that I haven’t made the impact I wanted with C4. It’s also clear my interests and the Apple programming community’s interests are farther apart than I had hoped,» Rentzsch said.

Central to the matter is the battle between Apple and Adobe Systems concerning Flash , an Adobe programming foundation widely used on the Web but banished from the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch . Apple further restricted even native applications originally written in Flash with new wording in section 3.3.1 of the iPhone OS 4.0 SDK, leading Adobe to cancel a Flash-for-iPhone programming tool as well . CEO Steve Jobs explained in a rare open letter in April, but his words didn’t satisfy Rentzsch.

«By itself Section 3.3.1 wasn’t enough to cause me to quit C4. I’ve weathered Apple lying to me and their never-ending series of autocratic App Store shenanigans. But unlike previous issues such as the senseless iPhone SDK NDA [nondisclosure agreement], the majority of the community isn’t riled by 3.3.1. On this issue, Apple apologists have the loudest voice. They offer soothing, distracting yet fundamentally irrelevant counterpoints to Apple’s naked power-grab.»

Rentzsch said he was motivated to produce C4 because he wanted to marry Mac programmers’ «maniacal focus on user experience» with better low-level programming tools.

«I believed the best way to move software forward was to inform Apple programmers about better ways to build software–to infect the best top-downer minds with fertile discontent,» he said. «My hope was that developers would care primarily about user experience yet also be passionate about utilizing lingual and tooling advances.»

Apple has thwarted that hope, though, with the new SDK license terms. Those read: «Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).»

«Section 3.3.1 has broken my spirit,» Rentzsch said. «Apple is crazy-innovative in terms of hardware and software design, but I can count the total number of software engineering advances they’ve made on one hand. Section 3.3.1 makes developers wholly reliant on Apple for software engineering innovation.»

Apple, which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday, has offered an explanation for the change to the programming tools license.

«We know from painful experience that letting a third-party layer of software come between the platform and the developer ultimately results in substandard apps, and hinders the enhancement and progress of the platform. If developers grow dependent on third-party development libraries and tools, they can only take advantage of platform enhancements if and when the third party chooses to adopt the new features,» Jobs said in his open letter. «We cannot be at the mercy of a third party deciding if and when they will make our enhancements available to our developers.»

Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen , follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank , or contact him through Google Buzz .

Source: http://news.cnet.com

But now Apple is catching up to other device creators that have integrated Facebook, like Palm and HTC — at least for the iPhone OS. Apple is going to allow people to sync Facebook friends’ contact information with their iPhone contacts, and include some form of Facebook access for developers within the iPhone SDK, according to Business Insider .

Other reports of deeper Facebook integration with Apple software have been coming out recently. One is that iTunes might let users more easily share their recent purchases with Facebook friends (this functionality currently exists, but in limited form).

Signs of contact syncing have already appeared. The upcoming 4.0 version of the OS includes an option to “Link New Contacts…” and software files point to Facebook syncing not just for contacts but for Facebook events.

Syncing for Apple’s iPhone OS apps isn’t a surprising move. More interesting is the possibility that Apple will encourage app developers to integrate Facebook for social features themselves. While gaming is big on both platforms, sharing games with friends has been much harder on the device; social gaming as we know it is just starting to emerge. Apple is planning to augment the OS with a Game Center that includes ways to share games with friends — perhaps Facebook will be integrated here, so games can be shared more easily with Facebook friends?

We’ve previously examined the potentially symbiotic relationship between the two companies: Apple makes devices, operating systems and a few complementary pieces of software; Facebook provides a “social operating system” that enhances other types of software by helping people to share relevant information with each other. Sure, Apple has an established payment system (iTunes) while Facebook is arguably working on one (its Credits virtual currency). And sure, Facebook has valuable new advertising products while Apple is starting to work on one.

But right now the companies’ core businesses do not overlap. They can help each other, potentially at the expense of a mutual rival (Google).

Perhaps most importantly, users have shown both companies that they want tighter integrations. The Facebook app for the iPhone has consistently been one of the most popular on either company’s platform, with 34.2 million monthly active users and 17.8 million daily active users as of today (see our graph from AppData, below).

Perhaps we’ll see the expected and hoped-for official Facebook iPad app emerge as part of the new OS launch, as well? Look for more at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7.

Source: http://www.insidefacebook.com

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That’s not a coincidence.

Entering Game 7, the Penguins had scored three of their past four power-play goals with Canadiens defensemen serving time, and three came with the shutdown pairing of Hal Gill and/or Josh Gorges in the box.

«We can’t be taking penalties,» Gorges said. «We’re relied on heavily to kill those penalties, so we’ve got to be out on the ice in those instances.»

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said drawing penalties on the Canadiens’ defensemen is by design, but that Gill and Gorges weren’t targeted.

«If you play in the offensive zone time after time, they’re going to have to let you go eventually or draw a penalty,» Crosby said. «They’re logging key minutes on their penalty kill, but who’s in doesn’t matter. It’s just a great result of our game if we’re making guys have to hold us and hook us and obstruct us to get to those areas.»

The Canadiens held Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal to a combined three tallies, but hoped to do so without penalty in Game 7.

«Don’t put yourself in position where you have to lunge and take penalties, especially against guys like Crosby and Malkin,» Gorges said. «They’re so good at baiting you into jumping them and then they spin off. That’s when you get your stick up. You have to be smart to contain them.

«Whatever you do, just try to stay out of the box.»

With the season on the line, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma made one significant lineup change.

Left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky, a notable disappointment since joining the Penguins in a trade from Toronto in March, replaced center Mark Letestu in Game 7 against Montreal at Mellon Arena.

Ponikarovsky had been a healthy scratch in Games 5 and 6.

The 30-year-old winger has been a mammoth disappointment since joining the Penguins, scoring only three goals in 28 games despite playing the majority of time on center Evgeni Malkin’s line.

Ponikarovsky started on Malkin’s line Wednesday.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma is generally noncommittal about line changing and who he may match up against other top lines. For the first time all series, however, Bylsma acknowledged on the morning of Game 7 that he would attempt to have center Jordan Staal on the ice against Montreal right Mike Cammalleri.

The Penguins vaunted third line of Jordan Staal, Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy — so valuable in last year’s playoff run — entered Game 7 against Montreal with a combined minus-15 rating in the postseason. Everyone else on the Penguins playoff roster is a combined plus-25.

Injured Montreal defenseman Hal Gill returned to the lineup after missing Game 6 because of a gash on the back of his leg.

The NHL is enjoying its best television ratings in years. NBC’s playoff ratings are up 4 percent despite not being able to feature the Penguins-Capitals series, which likely would have been a ratings bonanza.

The Belle Centre in Montreal sold out Wednesday even though no game was played there. Montreal fans packed the building while watching Game 7 against the Penguins on the big screen.

Last Friday’s Bruins-Flyers game received better ratings in Boston than an NBA playoff game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics and a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Former Penguins Hal Gill has received most of the praise, but his defense partner with Montreal has raised his profile in the postseason. Some of his thoughts before Game 7 on Wednesday night:

What is the mood among teammates facing another Game 7 on the road?

This is where we (wanted to) to be. We (were) excited to be here, playing against the defending Stanley Cup champions in a Game 7 situation.

Was there a feel of destiny to this team at any point?

Coming into these playoffs, we weren’t supposed to be here. Nobody gave us a shot. So I don’t think we (were) out to try to prove a point to anybody but the guys in this room, this organization, to show that we know what we’re capable of. You throw the Xs and Os out the window, throw anything that’s come up to this point out the window. It’s a battle of who wants it more and who’s going to do the little things. That’s what Game 7 is.

What is the impression in your room of defenseman PK Subban?

I don’t think he’s fazed by it. I don’t want to say it’s because he doesn’t understand the situation because he definitely does, but it’s like his mentality is it’s just another game to him. He’s out there having fun. He’s playing his game. He does what he does: that’s …. gets in the corners, mixes up. He likes to skate with the puck. I don’t think his game’s going to change, no matter what the situation is. He just goes out there and plays, and that’s why he is as good as he is.

«It was. I didn’t expect to see him, so it was funny.» — Penguins center Sidney Crosby, on a morning-skate ringer who also goes by the name Vladimir Malkin.

«My wife will probably shake her head right now. I’m occasionally prone to do the lucky suit, or a suit that’s won a lot of games. It may be a tie, may be a suit. I let a lot of the other suits dry out after the regular season, and these ones get a lot of play in the postseason.» — Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, on owning a lucky suit.

«He’s a little sneaky guy.» — Canadiens defenseman Jaroslav Halak, on winger Mike Cammalleri, who had scored six series goals before Game 7.

It was believed entering the second round of the playoffs that Montreal’s defensemen were a possible weakness. However, the Canadiens’ depth on the blue line is one of the biggest reasons the series was stretched to seven games. Despite injuries to the likes of Hal Gill, Jaroslav Spacek and Andrei Markov, Montreal’s play on the blue line has been impressive. The emergence of PK Subban and Josh Gorges — and the resurgence of Roman Hamrlik and Marc-Andre Bergeron — has helped Montreal make it this far.

«Only good teams make it this far in the playoffs. They have a bunch of guys who are getting the job done.»

The Western Conference final will feature No. 1 seed San Jose battling No. 2 seed Chicago. It is the first 1-2 conference final since Detroit and Anaheim played for the West in 2007. A look at other 1-2 conference finals since 1994:

Source: http://www.pittsburghlive.com

Most monitoring tools depend on mapping tools to gather information about network devices and links; then they measure and display the aggregate usage levels of each link and device. But monitoring tools designed to support ITIL go beyond aggregate throughput measurements to display network usage levels and end-user visible performance for each application.

That means ITIL monitoring tools would also work at Layer 7 and provide information on how long it takes for users to get a response after hitting «Enter.» These tools measure the time it takes data to transit the network, how long it takes for the application to process the input, and then how long it takes for the response to transit the network on the way back to the end user. That way, for example, if a user ought to get a response in one second but must wait 10 seconds, the networking team can tell whether the problem is with the network or the application itself.

ITIL monitoring tools are offered by a host of vendors, including CA Technologies, EMC and HP, as well as smaller vendors such as Infoblox and Ipswitch.

ITIL monitoring tools: What to consider when buying

Network configuration information must be kept up to date and accessible by ITIL monitoring tools. This means creating configuration databases, but the approach to doing this has changed in ITIL v3. ITIL v2 called for a single Configuration Management Data Base (CMDB) containing configuration information for every aspect of the network. This included detailed information on network devices, servers, OS software and application software. The CMDB included all of the information normally described as configuration information but also included information on software version level, support contract status and so on. But a single CMDB proved to be unwieldy in practice. ITIL v3 suggests creating multiple databases such as one for network devices, one for server hardware, one for applications and so on.

1. Understand how ITIL tools interface before making your selection. Interfaces must exist among the specified ITIL databases. For example, monitoring tools update the performance-specific database throughout the day to record information about changing network usage levels. An interface must exist to the network configuration database to inform monitoring tools if a device or link is reconfigured or fails.

Compatibility should not be an issue when purchasing a full set of tools from a single vendor but can be an issue when integrating tools from multiple vendors. To address the compatibility question, some vendors have created supported interfaces to widely used products from other vendors or added open APIs to their products.

2. Select ITIL tools that enable you to zero in on what is causing performance slowdowns. Reacting to slow performance in a vital application requires speedy determination of the cause. Low-cost monitoring tools may show all of the activity in the network but make it difficult to focus on the critical flows. Since there is so much going on in the network, it can be difficult to get all the extraneous information off the screen to focus on your specific needs. Tools must have the ability to be tailored to monitor critical applications.

3. Select an ITIL monitoring tool that can measure the duration of individual transactions. Throughput rates are important, but end users care how long the transaction takes after hitting «Enter.» If transaction times are acceptable for key applications, there is little need to worry about the underlying transaction details.

The first step in using these tools is to map the network. The initial network scan often identifies devices that can be removed. If switches have unused ports, eliminate a switch by consolidating active links onto fewer switches. The scan may also detect illegal devices, such as when employees buy their own Wi-Fi access points and connect them to the network, creating a serious security vulnerability.

Rescan the network at regular intervals. Changes to the network should be recorded in the configuration database, but not all will be. Determine how often to rescan based on your past experience with undocumented changes.

ITIL network monitoring: Choosing which applications to watch

It is common to begin the process of analyzing network applications by making a detailed analysis of the performance of network devices. That is useful information; but, instead, begin analyzing by choosing just one application, ideally the one that causes the most calls to the help desk. Use the mapping and monitoring tools to understand which servers are used, the paths between them, expected data rates, and required latency. Identify what aspect of the overall application is causing problems — it may be an issue in a server or contention for disk or network congestion. Focus on the problem and solve it. The result will be an immediate end-user-visible improvement. The positive feedback will create confidence that the time and effort devoted to ITIL has been worthwhile.

After thoroughly reviewing the initial application, continue the process to other applications. Use the understanding gained from each analysis to continue to monitor application performance, detect problems, and anticipate future capacity issues as business requirements cause traffic levels to change.

Understanding applications and network traffic is difficult enough when components remain in place and the number of ports on a device is fixed. But monitoring network health becomes an order of magnitude more difficult after the introduction of virtual servers that can move from one physical server to another, plus virtual network interfaces that can be created or destroyed in real time. Interfaces between system and network management tools must allow changes in the virtual environment to be quickly communicated.

Where previously the description of a server would include information about its physical aspects, OS, database and applications, with virtualization there must also be a constantly updated record of virtualization software, as well as the number of VMs that run on it and the set of applications that run on them.

Most importantly in all of this, the network and system staff must work together to understand the range of possible physical servers for each application and configure both servers and the network to provide solid performance wherever applications are executed.

Source: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com.au

«Anwender können den «HomeServer e-TRAYz» weltweit unter einer einfachen Webadresse erreichen und seine Inhalte über eine intuitive und umfangreiche Benutzer- und Rechteverwaltung mit Familienmitgliedern oder Freunden teilen. Dazu verfügt das Gerät über moderne Download- und Filesharing-Dienste wie «e-Torrent», «e-Downloader» und «RapidBox».»

Millionen von Haushalten generieren Milliarden von Dateien für ihre Multimediageräte, aber nicht einmal ein Prozent der Haushalte in Deutschland verfügt über einen geeigneten Netzwerkspeicher, der diese Daten dauerhaft sichert und den Nutzern zur Verfügung stellt. Dieses Problem löst der neue «HomeServer e-TRAYz» von TrekStor. Der Netzwerkspeicher bietet alle wichtigen Funktionen und Anwendungen, die ein moderner Haushalt mit vielen Multimedia-Dateien braucht, um diese zentral nach den Wünschen der Nutzers zu verwalten. Der neue NAS-Server genügt hohen Ansprüchen, ist aber einfach über eine individuelle Weboberfläche zu bedienen und mit einem Start-Preis von nur 134,99 Euro (ohne Festplatten) sehr kostengünstig. Besondere Highlights des Gerätes sind der weltweite Zugang über das Internet, die einfache Verwaltung von Nutzern und ihren Rechten sowie der Upload von Dateien für Anwender ohne Benutzerkonto. Dazu ist ein Kopieren von USB 2.0-Datenspeichern mit nur einem Knopfdruck möglich und es stehen im weltweit von Insidern und Entwicklern unterstützten «Xtreamer-Forum» viele kostenlose und teilweise verblüffende Applikationen zur Verfügung, ähnlich wie bei Android oder Apple.

Im edlen gebürsteten Metallgehäuse mit anthrazitfarbenem Finish haben zwei 3,5-Zoll-SATA-Festplatten mit insgesamt bis zu vier Terabyte Speicherkapazität Platz. Der Server kommt ohne Lüfter fürs Netzteil aus, da dieses extern angeschlossen wird. Der Lüfter, der die Festplatten kühlt, ist intelligent gesteuert und extrem leise. Beide Festplatten werden ohne «Schrauben» in das Gehäuse geschoben und können optional über die RAID-1-Funktion für maximale Datensicherheit gespiegelt werden. Durch einen Druck auf den an der Rückseite des Gerätes angebrachten Copy-Knopf überträgt der Server automatisch alle Inhalte, die sich auf angesteckten Speichern wie USB-Sticks oder USB-Festplatten befinden. Auf diese Weise können auch externe USB-Lesegeräte für Speicherkarten (z. B. SD und SDHC) angeschlossen werden, um deren Daten auf den Server zu kopieren. Die Anschlüsse des NAS-Servers befinden sich auf der Rückseite: einer für schnelles Gigabit-LAN (RJ-45) und zwei für USB-Geräte (USB-Host). Auf der Vorderseite sitzen LED-Anzeigen für Power/Access, HDDA, HDDB, USB und Netzwerk.

Die Benutzeroberfläche des Servers erreicht der Anwender über den Browser seines PCs. Auf diese Weise stehen viele Anwendungen und Funktionen zur Verfügung, um den Server zu verwalten und zu nutzen. Die intuitiv angelegten und gestalteten Buttons ermöglichen einen schnellen Zugriff auf die umfangreiche Benutzer- und Rechteverwaltung sowie auf weitere Dienste. Der Einrichtungsassistent hilft hier bei allen notwendigen und optionalen Einstellungen. Beispielsweise kann mit der «DDNS»-Funktion (Dynamic Domain Name Server) in einfachen Schritten ein Domainname generiert werden, um den Server über das Internet erreichbar zu machen. Weiter können über «e-TRAYz Web» Ordner und Dateien aufgerufen und verwaltet oder per «SyncFolder» kinderleicht per Klick mit Freunden synchronisiert werden. Auch eine automatische Synchronisation zuvor festgelegter Ordner lässt sich einstellen. Möchte der Anwender Daten mit Freunden teilen, ohne ein weiteres Benutzerkonto einzurichten, schickt er einfach einen Link per E-Mail, über den ausschließlich auf die verlinkte Datei zugegriffen werden kann. Möchte der Empfänger ohne Benutzerkonto im Gegenzug Daten hochladen, ist dies über die zuvor freigeschaltete «RapidBox» möglich.

Via des Buttons «e-Torrent» wird eine integrierte Suchmaschine geöffnet, die auf «Mininova» und «Isohunt» zurückgreift und die Suche nach Torrent-Dateien sowie deren Download ermöglicht. Besonders praktisch: Zum Download großer Dateien steht ein «e-Downloader» zur Verfügung. Werden hier ein oder mehrere Links zu kostenlos downloadbaren Dateien angegeben, startet und beendet der Server das Herunterladen anschließend automatisch.

Außergewöhnlich ist der Zugriff auf das «e-TRAYz Paket Managementsystem» (EPKG), einer offenen Plattform für Applikationen. Hier finden sich beinahe täglich neue Open-Source-Tools zur kostenlosen Installation und Erweiterung der Server-Möglichkeiten. Möglich macht dies die Kooperation mit dem «Xtreamer Forum», das eine große und aktive Anwender-/Entwickler-Community umfasst.

Das Herz des Datenspeichers bilden der NAS-Chipsatz aus der «OXE8xx»-Familie mit einem «ARM9 Core» Prozessor, der mit 370 MHz getaktet ist. Der Server ist geeignet für die Kommunikation mit den Betriebssystemen Windows XP, Vista und 7 sowie MAC OS X und Linux ab Kernel 2.6.x. Er verfügt über die folgenden Remote-Accesses und Clients: «e-TRAYz Web» für Windows, MAC OS X und Linux, darüber hinaus über den «e-TRAYz Connector» für einen Zugriff über Laufwerksbuchstaben unter Windows XP, Windows Vista und Windows 7.

Der «TrekStor HomeServer e-TRAYz» ist ab sofort in drei Versionen – ohne mitgelieferte Festplatte, mit einer 1 Terabyte oder mit einer 2 Terabyte Festplatte – ab einer unverbindlichen Preisempfehlung von 134,99 EUR (ohne Festplatten) erhältlich. Im Lieferumfang sind neben dem «TrekStor HomeServer e-TRAYz», ein Netzteil, eine Installations- CD und eine Bedienungsanleitung enthalten.

Links zum Thema:

Source: http://www.hartware.de

With yesterday’s major update to iOS comes a major new source of revenue for both Cupertino and app developers: iAd, Apple’s new mobile advertising service.

In a best case scenario, iAd will result in cheaper apps that deliver interesting, interactive advertisements finely targeted enough that you’ll actually want to play around in them. The worst case? Invasive, privacy-invading ads spreading across all ads that are just as annoying and irrelevant as the braying flash banners splashed across a Yugoslavian torrent site… just with no way to install AdBlock.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to get rid of iAd on your device… at least until the jailbreaker community comes up with their own iAdBlock. That said, you can easily prevent Apple from using your personal details to serve you up user-targeted iAds. Just click this link on your iOS 4 capable device, and Apple will no longer use your personal information to serve you up user-targeted ads.

To be fair, all this is likely to do is make iAds more irrelevant and annoying than they would be otherwise, but if you’re worried about privacy — or just don’t want to help Apple along as they try to build a Google-challenging advertisement empire — it’s good to know Cupertino’s made it easy to tell them to shove off.

Source: http://www.cultofmac.com

Although I cannot divine Apple’s plans, I know this much: after the iPad came out, salespeople at Apple stores were consistently pointing out (maybe too consistently to be just a coincidence) that the iPad would serve as an adequate replacement for the Air.

To state the obvious (or maybe not the obvious for Apple store employees), the iPad really doesn’t come close to approximating the Air.

As I own both, I can say this with some degree of authority. To mention just a few of the Air’s advantages: full-sized, physical keyboard, bigger screen, USB port, built-in ability to print, full-fledged Apple OS X, dual-core Intel processor, Nvidia graphics, and multitasking. The list is pretty long. (I won’t even get into the lack of Flash support in the iPad here.)

It would be hard to believe that smarter heads at Apple don’t see this. Regardless, here’s a better way for Apple (officially) and Apple store employees (unofficially) to explain why the Air has become so stale: because so many people buy the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the Air (which has a 13-inch screen) is more or less redundant. The logic is easier to swallow.

That said, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is still a pretty conventional laptop (5.6 pounds) compared with the Air’s cutting-edge design (3 pounds). And although I would understand if Apple doesn’t update the Air–for the reason stated above–I still hope it does. The internals of the Air are screaming to be refreshed. As I’ve mentioned before, upgrades could include new low-power Core i7 processors, larger/faster solid-state drives (or 1.8-inch 5400RPM hard disk drives), built-in 3G/4G, and, generally, an overhaul that yields better battery life.

There’s still nothing out there like the Air, which was launched with aplomb in early 2008. Dell made an admirable attempt with the Adamo and Hewlett-Packard tried with the Envy, but neither could match the original ultra-thin aluminum flair of the Air.

Source: http://news.cnet.com