It has been quite long since the first of the free laptop giveaways began. Some have gone on to be featured on famous news channels, too. But still, there is a huge doubt on whether the offers we see are true and legit?

The huge number of sites that promote such free laptop offers only make matters worse because we cannot ascertain to a full degree of trust, if these are legit or not. There are something like tens of thousands of websites today that promise you a free laptop or any other free electronic stuff that ranges about $400 or more, for ‘completing a couple of offers or surveys which take no more than an hour of your time.’

Bottom line: People have got free laptops. The only thing is, it is not so ‘free’ after all, because you will find that you end up spending a meagre amount of money. Sure it is quite less, but you still have to spend that.

There are basically three major ways in which the offer works. The most primitive of these, that came out first, is the concept of sign-ups to various offers or surveys. Once you do this (this usually takes a couple of hours or lesser), the site gives you the laptop that it promised. Even to this day, this seems to be the most common type, but also note that this is how most of the fraudulent sites cheat people.

Then, there are the mobile broadband and mobile phone deals which give you free laptops for life for using their service. This is pure, legitimate and convincingly simple. Because the service providers want more customers, they go about marketing and lure customers through their offers. It is under such offers that they give you laptops. You will however have to spend money on the service!

The Nokia 5228 has a dedicated Media Bar for instant access to the music player from the home screen and has battery life to support up to 33 hours of music playback from each charge. The handset has a large touch screen display providing a stunning user interface which is easy to use.

The handset has a 2 megapixel camera which can also be accessed from a dedicated camera key, and is supported by up to 3 times digital zoom and a CMOS sensor. There are also a variety of other helpful features to allow the user to easily take the perfect photo first time when utilising the camera. Photos can also be captured in landscape orientation as well as enhanced through a range of white balancing and colour toning modes available. Video recording is also possible with up to 4 times digital zoom and support for many video modes also. There is an integrated editor for both video clips and images meanwhile.

The 5228 features the Nokia Ovi Player for music playback, supporting all the major audio file formats and dedicated music keys along with support for podcasting. The integrated speaker offers one way to listen, while there is also a 3.5mm stereo audio jack connection for traditional headphones. Ovi Music support is also featured, along with support for music ringtones on this handset. For live news and music, the user can also enjoy the integrated FM radio.

The OSS browser offers the user a full HTML and XHTML supporting web browser along with support for Javascript, and Mobile Search as a search engine besides those otherwise featured on the Web. The handset features a range of good connectivity including high speed USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 2.0 for wireless file sharing over a close proximity. Meanwhile, the device is not short on storage memory with 70megabyte internally provided and up to 16 gigabytes available for addition through its microSD card slot.

Messaging is also made easy with this phone as it features an easy to use email client which offers full support for all the major email protocols as well as email attachments. Mail for Exchange 2008 is also preinstalled on this device. Both text and multimedia messaging are also supported along with a common inbox for both, and easy multiple deletion. Audio messaging is also available through Xpress.

The Nokia 5228 is an impressively designed handset featuring a large 3.2 inch touch screen and typically easy to use Nokia user interface combined with some powerful features and software. The phone is capable of messaging, email and more along with great music playback functionality.

The next big breakthrough in mobile Internet technology is the development and implementation of 4G Wireless Internet. With 4G, the system will deliver a comprehensive and fully secure service that provides users with “ultra” broadband Internet access. It will also allow the capacity to stream full, feature length movies straight off of the Web, an all-IP (Internet Protocol) based system that enhances security and efficiency and even high end gaming services all in one package.

With current Internet service, constrained data transfer rates inhibit the performance of many Web services. There is simply no capacity, for instance, to stream full, feature length movies with the current technology, nor is there the capability to play online games while simultaneously browsing the Web, sending emails and doing research. With the coming 4G wireless Internet revolution, all of this will be possible for the same household network.

Another feature of 4G wireless Internet is that it is fully integrated. This means that your access to the Internet can be facilitated by any 4G Web enabled device. In a few years, nearly every device you own will be able to provide this. From your laptop to your television to your mobile phone, even your alarm clock and the on-board navigation system in your vehicle will access the Internet through the exact same system.

Benefits Of Integrated Technology

With a fully integrated wireless Internet system, a user will be able to check stock quotes, sports scores, the weather forecast and just about anything else from the device of his preference. This could be the television, or the alarm clock as you prepare for your day. The same preferences and search history will be available across all devices in the system. Also, the feature will allow you to access any one of your devices through another device over the Internet. If you are stuck at the office and you left something very important on your home desktop computer, you can have it in seconds because all of your devices can be linked.

Powered By WiMax

WiMax technology allows for the powerful use of wireless broadband Internet. It can deliver data at transfer speeds that peak at 128 Mbits per second.

The Infrastructure

The 4G infrastructure that is currently being constructed and implemented around the U.S. will offer users a “packet based” Internet stream that allows mobile users to download and uplink data in large chunks. The high bit rate also allows for fast Web streaming of music, videos and movies. The 4G network will allow legacy compatibility, meaning users of 3G and 2G devices will have access to the network. The only problems they will face will be significantly slower browsing of the Web due to the limitations of their mobile devices.

Seamless Connectivity

The key benefit of 4G wireless Internet technology will be the ability to seamlessly transition from one network apparatus to another during international travel. No more having to switch out SIM and DIM cards and maintaining expensive international mobile accounts for your travels. The same device you use in the U.S. will work everywhere else around the globe.

Have you ever wanted a free Compaq laptop? Well, you are not alone. I have searched online, up and down, left and right, to find the best deals available for Compaq computers that cost nothing. While there are many scams that suck on to kids, or students, or the disabled, the unemployed, or even for teachers, there are tons of legitimate deals available on the internet.

I have a lot of experience in the freebie world of the internet. It all started when I was searching for free things online. Who doesn’t do that these days, and especially in this economy. After awhile, I found that people could get free electronics online. At first, I didn’t believe it… I mean, who can really get expensive things for free unless you are friends with Bill Gates.

What I found is that with feedback type websites, also known as survey websites, you can get free things. I received my free Compaq laptop not too long ago. All they really want is you to fill out a survey. This information is very valuable to every company in the world. For this information, they give away free computers and other electronics because with all the money they make, they are able to market a lot of it off to people like you and I. You can complete these sites within 45 minutes; the only problem you will find is the shipping times. They are not fast, and usually will take three to five weeks to get to your doorstep. But when it is free, who cares!

Since the debut of the iPod there has been a war going on. A secret, stealthy war that we’ve all been apart of, in fact, we’re the prime targets of this war. On the outside, the iPod is just a nice, expensive MP3 player. On the inside, it is a device that is used to direct our attentions to Apple’s music store and Apple’s media player software, known as: Itunes. Shortly after the iPod was released Microsoft began developing it’s own kind of monster. They dubbed it the Zune. It was alot like the iPod, but it had more functionality, though everyone liked the iPod, because they all already had one. The Zune tried to persuade it’s listeners to use Microsoft’s media player software, Windows Media Player. And then there was one more faction at the heart of this war, collaborating between the two, trying to get them to work together in one single, slightly non-commercialized package, Winamp.

Now what side are you going to be on in this war? Are you going to be using Windows Media Player 11, iTunes 7, or Winamp 5.52. We’re going to take this decision and make it a lot easier for you in this comparative analysis of each of the best media player software out there by listing the features, pros, and cons, and overall ease of use of each media player.

iTunes 7

The latest version of iTunes is 7.6 and it was released on January 15th, 2008. It’s Apple’s main free media player software, and it features the iTunes Store, easy syncing to your computer and your iPod, Cover Flow, encode music into a variety of formats, and it also has a big selection of internet radio stations to listen to. It has a really easy to use user interface, everything is at your finterips, and your iPod syncs with the software automatically. Though, I found the iPod syncing a little annoying, because typically it just loads up your iPod with everything it can find in your Music Library, and it doesn’t make it very easy to pick tracks to exclude. Also the fact that it just does it automatically everytime I plug in my iPod makes it really annoying, I’d rather have it wait for me to tell it when to sync. The iTunes Store is something that Apple is especially proud of because you can buy over 2 million songs for only $0.99 each, you can also purchase movies for your iPod, and they’ve just released their movie rental program that seems promising.

Pros:

Cover Flow is a cool way to look through your music. The iTunes store has a huge database of songs, movies, and TV series for you to download. Many internet radio stations for you to check out

Cons:

I find the automatic syncing of the iPod a little annoying Typically only has good MP3 player support for the iPod, if you have a different MP3 player you’re on your own.
Windows Media Player 11

Windows Media Player 11 is Microsoft’s answer to a fully capable media player. It has a less cluttered user interface than WMP10 and the look has been smoothed out so it looks alot nicer than it did before. It features the typical audio, video, media playback, visualizations, MP3 player syncing, good organized library with CD ripping capabilities. You can also connect it to your Xbox 360 to pull songs and videos from your PC to your 360 which is an amazing feature to have so instead of wasting space on your Xbox, and having multiple copies of your favorite songs everywhere just stream it from your PC while you’re playing your favorite 360 game. It’ll also stream videos so you can watch them from your PC on your TV. This feature alone is something worth checking out WMP11 for, however you can still do this if you don’t have Windows Media Player by using Windows Media Connect software available at Microsoft’s Website.

Pros:

Ability to connect your Xbox 360 to your PC for media sharing and streaming Spiffy new interface to keep things looking fresh

Cons:

The format support isn’t as good as other programs Need a genuine copy of Windows to use it
Winamp

There’s something about saving the best for last that makes it all worth while. Winamp is the original ultimate media player, and has been around since ancient times. You can do just as much as the other media players with Winamp, and more. It can sync to your iPod and other PlaysForSure devices. Also comes with visualizations, and extremely easy and good to organize library system. The ability to remove duplicate files from your library. Also features a new skin to keep up with times in their latest release. Winamp also has plugin functionality and a wide database of plugins on their main website. Winamp also has the functionality of connecting to your Xbox 360 and letting you stream music from it, however the system is still in it’s beta, and doesn’t work as flawlessly as it should when it’s ready for a stable release. But instead of just being able to stream your music and videos, it has the ability to take the best of the best from YouTube, AOL Videos and many more video websites and display them on your TV via your 360. That, I think is an impressive feature to have. The only downside is the ripping capability in the free version of Winamp. If you don’t have the pro version, the quality and speed of the ripping is hardly worth waiting for, you’d be better off finding another program for ripping through a google search rather than dealing with that. But if you shell out the cash for the pro version the ripping is well worth it, because it has the ability to rip it into practically any format you want, and any quality you desire.

Pros:

Easy to manage your music library Many streaming video and radio channels to choose from Ability to connect to your Xbox 360 and stream videos and music to it Easy iPod syncing

Cons:

Touchy software, sometimes crashes while doing random things like loading up your iPod or ripping a CD Bad ripping performance until you purchase the Pro version

So there you have it. Each media player has it’s pros and cons, there is no one solution, but whatever you prefer, iTunes is for the common iPod audience, WinAmp is for the music power users, and Windows Media Player 11 is suitable for the rest in between.

The future contains ever shrinking microprocessors, memory modules and devices. This technology drives our productivity to greater heights, while allowing the professional a greater sense of mobility and interconnectivity. In this article we will discuss some of the most promising technologies coming to a mobile device in the near future. From ultra small, ultra stable flash memory for USB drives to ultra powerful smart phones and mobile computers.

A New Era of Processors

Intel recently announced in its 2010 Intel Developer Forum that it will be releasing in the second half of 2011 a new line of processors codenamed Sandy Bridge to replace the current Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 lines and may even show up in some mobile devices, competing with more prominent manufacturers in mobile technology like ARM. In statements from Intel, the new processor will house a ring architecture that allows a built in processor graphics engine to share resources such as cache therefore increasing a devices computing and graphics performance while maintaining energy efficiency.

One goal of this new family of processing is to enhance current usage of computers in the most common applications like HD video, 3D gaming, multitasking and online multimedia and social groups. As notebooks become ever more popular and threaten to eclipse the desktop, these new developments will help to keep users in the mainstream of technology.

But Intel is not the only manufacturer with big designs for the microprocessor. ARM has announced its next-generation processor, the Cortex A15, a 2.5 GHz quad-core designed for mobile computing only days after Samsung announced a dual-core Cortex A9. The Cortex A15 contains architecture that is similar to that used in the dominant amount of smart phones and mobile devices popular today. Due to these likenesses, the integration into the current market will be seamless, easily utilizing such programs as Adobe Flash Player, various Java platforms, MS Windows Embedded, Symbian, Linux and an ARM Connected Community of 700 software and hardware developers and designers.

The technologies in the new ARM processor will enable hardware virtualization, the ability to address up to 1Tb of memory and error correction developments designed for improved fault tolerance, all the while maintaining low power consumption.

We can look forward to seeing both of these technologies empower the mobile device user into realms not thought possible with current technology. With applications in Smartphones, Mobile Computing, Digital Home Entertainment Equipment, Wireless Infrastructure and even some server technology we will no doubt encounter the effects of this new era of processors

Flash Memory at Its Smallest

In recent news reports, Hynix, Samsung and Toshiba have all announced production of “20-nm class” NAND chips, with Toshiba reaching as small as 24-nanometer. This new process will allow more chips stacked together for higher capacity NAND flash memory modules. The technology is being applied to 2-bit-per-cell 8GB chips which are purported to be the smallest and highest density memory parts in the world. In the future we can look forward to this process being applied to 3-bit-per-cell 4GB products.

The Toshiba chips use DDR technology for faster data transfer, and have applications in devices such as smartphones, media players, and tablets to name a few. Previously available in the market have been the 8GB NAND chips using 32-nm technology.

This could mean good things for the consumer. Firstly, this is liable to incite a price war bringing the cost of this new technology lower than would be expected with only a single manufacturer creating them. Also, as large corporations manufacture their newest devices to meet market demand, costs for lower capacity NAND flash like USB drives, which are still in very high demand, could go down. Look for price reductions later this year.

So what does all of this mean for the business professional on the go? Why, more go of course. I look forward to testing and even purchasing some of this technology, improving my careers, both professional and academic.

Technological development seems to be happening at an ever-increasing rate these days. Even as a new product is being stocked on electronics stores shelves, chances are that there is an entire team working on improving it in order to create the next generation of technology. Very few people, however, have the resources to buy every new product. You can nonetheless stay in the technology loop by checking out technological online content with satellite internet.

When computers were still relatively new, many people shrugged off the idea of learning about the related technology. The logic was that the technological information could be handled by individuals such as IT specialists. For some years, computers were important in just a limited number of professional fields. Scientists and bankers were some of the professions to adopt specific programs but these were often limited in scope. Most people initially used their dial-up connected computer to send emails and access some news information online.

Things have changed a great deal since then. While IT continues to be a booming business around the world, average folks are also starting to become more interested in understanding how technology works. Satellite internet links up more people every day as information accumulates online. The benefits of understanding the basics are substantial. Not only can you do quick fixes and save lots of money, but you also become a more marketable candidate on the job market. Most professionals are expected to know program basics to create documents, email regularly, research, and organize numbers. You can make yourself stand out in the crowd by going beyond the basics and learning a bit about how electronics like computers and smartphones work.

Reading up on technology can also ensure that you are in the loop when it comes to new inventions and devices. If you live in a smaller town or rural area, you might not head into the electronics store very often. Even if you do, chances are that the selection is much more limited than what is found in a city. The latest products sometimes take time to reach less-populated areas. Fortunately, you can learn about these products with satellite internet broadband. In addition to articles and images, you can even find videos on sites like YouTube that show these products in use.

When it comes to learning about breakthroughs that are being made in the scientific field, satellite internet again proves to be an invaluable service. Mainstream newspapers normally have technology sections that are written in easily-understandable language. If you want something more in-depth, you can check out the sites of computer science magazines or visit discussion forums.

For households connected with satellite broadband, there are extra benefits as well. Multiple email accounts normally come as part of the service, which means a personalized address just for you. Storage is also included so that you have plenty of space for your online communications. You can even sign up to receive emails about technological updates, the perfect way to stay in the loop in a fast-paced world.

TV channels on PC or laptops are here to stay. The questions to ask yourself are what are the benefits and do I want to watch it. In other words is it for me. You can have access to over 4000 and some suppliers advertise 6000 TV channels on PCs. When most people read this they think “what a load of rubbish, who can ever want that many channels” . However if you go through a process of elimination and ask yourself how many of those channels am I going to watch, you will find that even if you do not want to watch foreign language movies , children’s programs, arts, animal programs, if you watch TV at all you will still have access to more of that particular genre than what you have now.

Sport is always a good example, if you are interested in a sport that is mainly played overseas it is hard to get coverage, the rugby league world cup is going to be played shortly and many of the cable TV channels will not be showing it live, if at all, however with TV channels on PC you will be able to access it by watching overseas television programs. Some providers are now offering television from over 75 countries. This gives you the advantage of getting a different perspective on world news, world sport and if you are living abroad this is an opportunity to see some of your own movies, sport and news.

This works for minority sports and the main sports. The main golf tournaments are televised but do you get live coverage where you live, not always. Watching TV channels on PC or your Laptop offers flexibility that cannot be matched with a TV, if you want to quickly catch up with the news or the financial markets or see an update on your team you can look on your computer and be located anywhere. Certainly for people who are on business trips, holidays and out of town the chance of catching up on their TV shows is a great idea.

Once you decide there is an advantage in watching TV channels on PC you will want to know the cost. At the moment Satellite TV channels on PC are much cheaper than cable or sky TV and I believe it is only going to get cheaper. Not having to buy any extra hardware makes it very easy to access, there is no downside whilst waiting for the company to put up a dish and make any physical connections.

With the speed of the changes in technology your services will only improve and with competition prices will be kept down. A one off payment is the only cost you should incur. If you are asked to pay monthly charges you are being ripped off. This will entitle you to download the software immediately and again make sure you are being offered all future updates at NO cost. Already during this year alone we are seeing improvements to the quality of the picture and the extra options of radio channels and downloading your own media. TV channels on PC and Laptops is just the beginning, it is convenient, fun and allows you to choose your own form of entertainment.

As the smart phone market gets smoldering hot a Famous American company says that it appears that a Taiwanese company that manufactures smart phone handsets may have borrowed or closely copied some of their patents. The plaintiff denies it of course, and we shall see in the future if any of these claims of imitation stick. Nevertheless, both smart phone makers are in a significantly tough market for world-wide Smart Cell Phone sales. Yes, even here in the US.

These lawsuits are quite serious, well at least the charges by the American Company appear to be, and it’s interesting that this company chose the Taiwanese based company to go after, instead of the a US based firm which makes the software. If the American Company wins such a case this might cause the Taiwan manufacturer to no longer offer their top smart phone models that compete directly with the American Company, which really do look and feel like an the American high-tech smart phone handset to most of the personal tech reviewers (based on all the YouTube reviews), and Taiwan company has a number of new handsets which are about to be marketed in the USA. Does this mean the American Company is trying to preempt this introduction?

The question is does the Taiwan company’s touch sense like technology really violate the American Company’s patents? The American Firm thinks so, and it’s highly prolific spokesperson has gone out of his way to make light of it, demanding healthy competition to continue, but for companies to compete, using their own technology without stealing it from the American Firm. If all this sounds like a bunch of fighting words, well in a way they are, I suppose. If the Taiwan company’s newest products come to the US it will most likely be sold in conjunction with a certain carrier’s 3G wireless program. And there are nearly 102 new clone types on their way in the near future in 2010.

Some have speculated that a popular US based software for smart phones had trouble working with a certain Taiwan smart phone, and the software had trouble negotiating the registry. If so, did the Taiwanese firm borrow something from the American firms OS, or is the American firm angry that the Taiwan models at the upper end look, feel, operate the same (or very similarly) and thus, are basically clones? The battle lines in the smart phone space appear to be headed to court, the US International Patent Court for starters.

Some contend that the American Firm is suing the Taiwan company, because the clones, which are running another US Firms’s software and by filing against the Taiwan company it will prevent a clash of the titans between two of the largest market cap tech companies in the world. If the American Firm is successful this could help hold their latest handset technology’s price point, thus, helping yet, another US enterprise’s smart phone which sells for $199 as well. Nevertheless, the world is about to be flooded with smart phones in 2010, and not just from the Taiwan firm.

The American Company has noted extremely large share price increases, at a time when it is about to come out with its flat reader product, so, Wall Street Analysts are giving the American Firm the benefit of the doubt that it can keep this game running forward far into the future, indeed, their current stock prices have obliged thus far. This could be one of the largest patent challenges of all time between East and West, so we shall see.

Note: This article author did not use the actual names of any company in this article due to censorship strategies used by the article submission site, to protect themselves from liability as the are practicing “defensive” rules to prevent problems. But suffice it to say, with a little bit of searching of the news and all the other legitimate article sites, you will quickly figure out which companies are involved. You can easily find this information in any main-stream newspaper, or tech magazine such as;

The Wall Street Journal New York Times Washington Post CNET NBC ABC CNBC MSNBC Wired Fast Company Bloomberg Business Week Forbes

Overclocking gives your computer an added edge. By overclocking, you push your hardware to be at its ultimate performance. CPUs can often perform more than their official specifications. A 3 ghz can actually run at a peak of 3.3 gigahertz performace. One can safely and successfully push their hardware performance to its fullest. That’s where overclocking comes in.It speeds up your system and provides strong signals.

Although not an absolute, the general rule is, the higher the model, the greater chances of a successful and problem free overclocking. Newer models have more developed parts that are able to run higher than rated speeds and can adjust well to overclocking. A better way to determine if your pc is capable of being overclocked is to find, dowload (for trial and subsequent purchase, but some may be free), and use a software that works at identifying your computer processor.

Getting full specs or information on your hardware can give you clues as to how able your computer peripherals are in adjusting to speed modification and if they are able to endure standing heat. By knowing your pc’s limit you may be able to determine how far you can overclock your computer.

Besides software downloads, much information can be gotten thru internet research. There are numerous overclocking databases online. Most PC websites tackle issues on overclocking. You may also join forums specifically tackling overclocking issues.Most forums nowadays are free for joining. There you are able to glean wisdom from computer enthusiasts who have expert knowledge on overclocking.

Not all hardware can be successfully overclocked. This is most especially true with older computers as their hardware peripherals are not as fully developed and flexible as that of more recent models. Proceed to overclock with great care. Check your computer specs well before overclocking it. Older computers are less able to adjust to speed modification and may experience great problems after being overclocked. When you overclock an unable pc, chances are, you will experiece system data loss, frequent booting problems, frequent system shut downs, frying, crashing, and complete system breakdown. So, know full your computer make up before attempting to overclock it.

Every CPU has a set internal number, it’s called a clock multiplier. Multiply that number with that of the ‘front- side bus’ (the reference clock) and you get the processor’s clock speed. By increasing multiplier settings or only the ‘front-side bus’ or by doing both, one can overclock the CPU. However, CPU manufacturer products often have multiplier locking. This is a measure they take to ensure that the intended speed is run by the processer. When the multiplier is locked, it can’t be changed or modified in the BIOS. They do this foremost to prevent CPU ‘re-markers’ from peddling inferior products expensively. Consequently, overclocking is prevented.

The good news is, not all of them are locked. Manufacturers are now offering product lines which do not have the multiplier locking feature. With these new product series, one only needs to adjust the multiplier from ten to eleven without needing to overclock via front-side bus.

Overclock your computer slowly, a level at a time. Abrupt speed setting changes may cause instant system instability or breakdown. Slow overclocks allow you to have a thorough observation on how your computer is reacting to the modification. Work on each level for a long time to see possible system problems before moving on to the next level. Overclock only when hopes are high for your hardware. If not, just budget for a new one. Else, you may find yourself spending much on repairs.