Apple Buys Israeli Flash-memory Company

Apple confirmed Wednesday that it has bought Anobit Technologies, an Israeli maker of flash memory technology already used in many of Apple's gadgets.

Applespokesman Steve Dowling said that Apple buys smaller tech companies from time to time, but generally does not give a reason why or say what it plans to do with them. The company did not say how much it paid for Anobit, although Bloomberg said a source close to deal quoted a purchase price of "about US$390 million".

Flash memory is used in digital devices such as cameras and music players. It's lighter and more durable than memory used in computer hard drives, though it stores less information. Apple's iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air, which don't have hard drives, rely on flash memory.

Owning the manufacturer guards Apple against supply constraints in the industry and allows the company to customize the technology so it works more smoothly with the iPhone and other devices. Israeli publication Calcalist reported in December that Apple was in talks to buy Anobit. Apple made the acquisition to secure intellectual property and for a competitive edge in flash products and pricing, said Jefferies analyst Peter Misek in a research note last month.

Apple doesn't often announce acquisitions. It recently bought Siri Inc ahead of integrating that company's voice-recognition technology into the iPhone 4s and mobile advertising company Quattro Wireless in 2010, among other deals.

Anobit could not be reached for comment after business hours in Jerusalem Wednesday. Bloomberg reported earlier that Apple had confirmed the deal.

Source: http://english.kompas.com

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Lenovo A60

Specifications
Lenovo A60

Network	2G 3G	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 HSDPA 900 / 2100
Size	Dimensions Weight Display	116 x 59.9 x 12.6 mm (4.57 x 2.36 x 0.50 in) 135 gram TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches (~165 ppi pixel density)
Memory	Phonebook Call records Internal Card slot	Yes Yes 220 MB microSD, up to 16 GB
Data	GPRS EDGE 3G WLAN Bluetooth Infrared port USB	Yes Yes HSPA 7.2/5.76 Mbps Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, hotspot v2.1 with A2DP microUSB v2.0
Features	OS CPU Messaging Alert Browser Radio GPS Games Camera Video Colors Java	Android OS, v2.3.5 (Gingerbread) 650 MHz Cortex-A9 SMS, MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML FM radio Yes Yes 3.15 MP Yes Gray via Java MIDP emulator - Loudspeaker - Dual SIM (Mini-SIM) - 3.5mm jack - Multitouch - Geo-tagging - Accelerometer, proximity, compass (sensors) - MP4/WMV/H.264 player - MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+ player - Organizer - Photo/video editor - Document viewer - Voice memo/dial - Predictive text input - Clock - Calendar - Alarm
Battery	Stand-by Talk time	Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh Up to 200 h Up to 6 h

Image: http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_a60-pictures-4711.php

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Movies by CraigWorks 0.1.8b

Movies by CraigWorks is an application that combines a movie collection organizer and a home theater PC software in one. Unlike most movie organizers, this application runs as web server and is accessed using a standard web browser like IE, Firefox and Chrome, so the interface is very familiar and easy to use. Computers on your network can all have access to the server to browse your collection.

Other movie organizer functions include importing movie information and images from the web with option to override, as-you-type searching through all movie attributes, and ability to relate movies together (e.g. sequels, original, re-make, etc..) and group movies (e.g. by age group, hand-picked favorites, etc…) through custom lists. Lastly, TV episodes are supported as well.

As for home theater PC software abilities you are able to link movie files and play them using the integrated VLC media player or your own external player. See media information on your files like what encoding and container format is being used. Setup custom settings (e.g. vlc options, image sizes, image quality) for each display. Keep history of played movies including last position by display. Using the remote controller feature you can start and control a movie on another display. And stream movies to an iPad. Support backup and restore of data and images. Best of all the software is free!

System Requirements:

Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.6+

VLC Media Player 1.0.4. Make sure to include Mozilla Plug-in during install.

Homepage

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AVG AntiVirus Free 10.0.1391a3789

With this free distribution version of the popular AVG Anti-Virus system, you will get a reliable tool for your computer protection against computer viruses.

Features:

Automatic update functionality

The AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run

The AVG E-mail Scanner, which protects your e-mail

The AVG On-Demand Scanner, which allows the user to perform scheduled and manual tests

Free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product

AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files

Great customer satisfaction!

Please note that any previous version of AVG Free will be un-installed automatically during the installation of the new AVG Free.

A 64-Bit version is also available: AVG AntiVirus Free 10.0.1321a3540 (64-Bit)

Homepage

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Bologna Motor Show concludes with Dovizioso second in Memorial Bettega rally

The 36th edition of the Bologna Motor Show concluded on Sunday after two weeks of activities related to the four wheeled world. Apart from manufacturer’s new editions on display, the show hosts various competitions and exhibitions every year that are pure adrenaline on the Mobil 1 Arena circuit. Yesterday the Memorial Bettega rally took place, a rally wherein professional Rally car face off with guests from other racing disciplines.

The winner of this edition was Norwegian WRC driver Petter Solberg, with MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso claiming second in the final.

The Italian was the main protagonist at the 27th edition of the Memorial Bettega, the highlight of the second week of the Bologna Motor Show. With impeccable driving at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RS, Dovizioso won the semifinal against Jari-Matti Latvala before the thrilling final against Solberg.

“Today went well and I beat all of the challengers, including the best, and only the final didn’t go perfectly and I made a few mistakes. I didn’t win, but in front of people like Petter,” added Dovizioso, who remains open to future forays competing on four wheels. “I could participate every day in races like this, though I don’t know if I could be as competitive in a “real” rally.”

The 2011 edition of the Motor Show featured various tributes to Marco Simoncelli. One of the first events of the Bologna Motor Show featured a tribute video to the late Italian star, with an additional homage video played this past Saturday at the Bettega Memorial Rally - a competition that ‘Super Sic’ would not have missed.

Source: http://www.motogp.com

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Pirro: "I want to make a statement in MotoGP"

Michele Pirro shared his expectations and goals ahead of his upcoming season aboard the Gresini team’s CRT. "It's definitely an important milestone," began the 25 year-old. "I’ll be joining the best riders in the world in the highest category of racing on board a great team.”

Pirro recently extended his partnership with the Italian team, about which he said: “I am happy I’m staying with them, they are like family and after everything that happened at the end of the season, I really wanted to stay. My first place at Valencia gave Fausto (Gresini) and the team the strength to take the next step they needed to continue. After what happened in Sepang, the motivation to continue racing was at risk, but that victory helped us want to try to build something positive.”

After a competitive season in the Moto2 Championship, the Italian is ready to make the lead into the premier class where he will confront the challenge of the new CRT category, which will commence in 2012. “People are saying that it is the future,” said Pirro. "Of course in the beginning it will be criticized, just like the Moto2 class was. But after the first year, it should be possible to develop the performance of the CRT bikes even further.”

Following his win at the final round in Valencia, most expected that he would run a second term in the 600cc Moto2 class. But the two-time 1000cc Italian Superstock champion surprised everyone by opting instead for the jump to MotoGP. "I admit I waited until the last second to decide whether to continue with Moto2, especially after learning about the circuits and the category in general. With a few improvements to the bike, most likely we could have had a successful season. But I spoke with Fausto several times and he has always had the utmost confidence in me and encouraged me, and has never stopped believing in my abilities, so I'm really happy and proud to represent the Gresini team in MotoGP.”

“Staying in Moto2 surely would have allowed me to develop further in the class as a rider, and taking on this new opportunity will be a lot of hard work. But I'm happy, we will work hard to do our best to have a good season, although, given the newness of the class it’s difficult to predict too much. I am prepared and excited to invest in this new project."

The San Carlo Honda Gresini Team will run a prototype Italian FTR chassis with a Honda CBR 1000 engine, which he went on to describe: "The bike is promising, FTR has always made good chassis and of course the Honda engine and will strong. Although Aprilia and BMW are further ahead in development, I will still try to focus and prepare myself to start from where we are to move the project forward. Hopefully we can adapt the chassis to the tires, but for my part I will have to learn everything about the bike, from the electronics to the best suitable riding position. But most important will be the first test, which is expected to be in February.”

Pirro isn’t new to 1000cc bikes, having won the Italian 1000cc Superstock Championship in 2007 and 2008, riding a Yamaha YZF-R1 for the Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni team. The next season he won the Italian Supersport Championship, and in 2010 rode as a replacement for the injured Vladimir Ivanov of the Gresini Racing Moto2 team, with which he remained for the next season as a regular rider.

The Italian’s career path saw him jump to the highest category in just a few years’ time. “For every rider, the ultimate goal is to race in MotoGP, but I’ll admit that this step in my plans was expected to happen in a couple of years. The important thing now is to work well with the team and have fun at the same time, because when everything goes your way and you can ride without problems, the results gradually come. In a few years I’ve done what many of my colleagues take much longer to achieve, but I believe I've earned each step along the way to the higher categories."

"I don’t want to just 'participate' in the MotoGP class, I’d also like make a statement. Even if the level is high, and I’m racing with the best riders in the world, I want to try to be competitive with them. I realize that in the beginning this won’t be easy, it will be difficult to achieve much because of the different technical circumstances, but hopefully the first year with CRT is an investment for the future, to grow and be competitive in the coming seasons.”

Source: http://www.motogp.com

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Tintin Goes Native, Belgium Red Carpet for Spielberg Film

Brussels. Belgium rolled out a royal red carpet on Saturday for Tintin, its most celebrated son, as Steven Spielberg premiered his blockbuster movie in the comic book hero’s home capital.

Posters of the intrepid boy reporter with the quiff and funny pants were plastered across town, and a parade of vintage cars, as portrayed by author Herge in albums set in the 1940s, was organized to coincide with the event.

Spielberg flies in for the first public screening of “The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn,” an Avatar-style movie that will bring the boy hero and his trusty sidekick Snowy to cinemas elsewhere from Wednesday.

Co-produced by “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson, Spielberg’s “Tintin,” in the director’s own words, is billed as a kind of “Indiana Jones for kids.”

Loosely based on several of the 24 Tintin comic albums, the story kicks off in a well-known Brussels antiques market, and city authorities are looking to a tourist bonanza for “the most celebrated of Belgians” — as the posters say.

Tintin and Spielberg, whose project dates back 30 years, headlined papers and TV broadcasts in anticipation of the movie, which gets its red-carpet premiere early afternoon before Spielberg leaps onto a high-speed train to Paris for a second premiere later on Saturday.

“There’s a lot of excitement over the movie,” said Dominique Maricq, an oldtimer at Herge Studios. “We’re curious to see how Hollywood portrays him.”

Welcoming Spielberg’s decision to unveil the 3-D animation in Belgium, Maricq said that from the start Belgian specialists had been “impressed by Spielberg and Jackson’s determination to respect the spirit of Tintin’s world, to not turn him into an American super-hero.”

Even one of the King Albert II’s daughters will be attending the red carpet event.

But among the most avid spectators will be a Belgian retiree who has the distinction of being the sole person ever to have played Tintin on screen — 50 years ago in a French production.

Jean-Pierre Talbot, a round-faced 68-year-old retired schoolteacher with a Tintinesque quiff, became an actor by fluke after being spotted on a beach by a film director as resembling the comic book hero.

“I’m upset and a little emotional,” he said before seeing the Hollywood rendition. “I never acted again but for people here I’ve remained Tintin.”

Created in 1929 by Herge, whose real name was Georges Remi and who was then in his early 20s, Tintin and his colorful and sometimes foul-mouthed companions have achieved cult status for millions worldwide.

Shot using motion capture technology, the Spielberg movie uses real-life actors — Jamie Bell of “Billy Elliot” fame as the fresh-faced hero, Daniel Craig as the villain Red Rackham — to breathe life into its characters.

Jackson is to direct two sequels.

Claire Rosemberg

Agence France-Presse

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com

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