Microsoft unveiling ARM-powered Windows OS

Microsoft products currently run exclusively on Intel chips, but according to a Bloomberg report, that could soon change. Sources have said that the software giant is developing a Windows operating system that would run on ARM's chip architecture. The new OS will supposedly be unveiled at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in January.

The rumored low-power operating system would be targeted toward tablets and smartphones, Bloomberg said. If the rumors are true, this would be a dramatic shift for Microsoft, considering the company's longstanding relationship with Intel.

The move makes business sense, however, considering the explosive growth in the use of mobile devices in recent years. A low-power OS based on ARM's blueprint would open up new markets for Microsoft. More companies would be able to run Windows on their hardware, as ARM powers a majority of tablets and mobile devices. Intel's chips, on the other hand, require a lot more power, so aren't as suited for battery-powered devices.

While it could be a gain for both Microsoft and ARM, this report doesn't bode well for Intel. Currently almost all PCs and laptops use Intel's x86 chip product line. Computer manufacturers, though, would have more opportunities, since they would be free to build ARM-based products capable of running Windows.

Android 3.0: Coming In March?

In the world of Android, things can move pretty fast.

Case in point: Just weeks ago, Google took the wraps off of Android Gingerbread, the latest and greatest version of its mobile operating system. Aside from the newly launched Samsung Nexus S device, no phone even has the software yet -- heck, plenty of users are still waiting for the Android 2.2 upgrade -- but that's not stopping people from looking even further ahead.

They're looking, of course, toward Honeycomb -- the next major stop on Google's Android development track. All signs point to Honeycomb bringing some significant changes to the Android OS; if everything goes as expected, it'll be the first version of Android to be fully optimized for tablets. And if a report published this week is correct, it'll make its way into the world in March.

20 Years of Browsers

Twenty years ago this month, Tim Berners-Lee compiled and tested the very first Web browser, WorldWideWeb. To celebrate this anniversary, let's take a look back through the Web browser family photo album. You'll see everything from baby pictures to portraits of the mature products that users enjoy today. 

Synology releases NAS server for the budget-conscious

Synology has released latest NAS storage addition to its DiskStation range, the DS211+. Designed to cater for the budget-conscious business user or power user, the device includes two hot-swappable drive bays with support for the latest 3TB drives. Depending on whether a users chooses to set it up in a RAID configuration, the DS211+ offers up to 6TB of storage.

It ships with Synology’s DiskStation Manager software that offers users the ability to automatically back up data whether it is attached to a PC, Mac or Linux network. Users can access data stored on the device wirelessly over their network or via the internet. It also offers support for streaming media to UPnP enabled devices. The DS211+ includes an SD card slot that allows users to directly import photo to the device.

The Synology DS211+ is shipping now for $400.

Unique Eyelid Branding Technique Used By BMW In Advertisement (video)

If you think marketing and advertising campaigns already consume to much of your daily life from TV, magazine and the Internet. You might be interested to know that BMW has started experimenting with an even stronger way to make sure you remember their advertising message using a new flash projection technique that brands the BMW logo onto viewers eyelids for a short time.

 

Their new advert was shown at a movie theater in Germany, and managed to leave viewers with an image of the BMW logo on the back of their eyelids. Watch the video after the jump to see how this new advertising method was achieved.

This new type of advertising worries me as in a flash of light any company could now affect your perceived thoughts of a product and make you part with your hard earned cash even easier. What are your thoughts, should this type of advertising be used on consumers?

Hitachi Ships Thin 7mm 500GB HDD

Hitachi has announced that it is now shipping its new and very thin 500GB HDD called the Travelstar Z5K500. The new HDD is a single platter drive that is only 7mm thick. The average 2.5-inch HDD is a 9.5mm form factor.

The new and thin form factor allows the Hitachi HDD to be used in standard 9.5mm devices and it can be used in ultraportable devices that need a thinner HDD as well. The drive is not only thin, but it has low power needs too with 1.8W in operation and 0.55W at idle. The drive is also very quiet with 1.9 bels idle and 2.1 bels when in use.
Hitachi has also shown off a new G-Drive Slim external storage drive that is the thinnest external storage drive on the market. It has 500GB of storage and will ship early in Q1. Pricing for the external drive and the 2.5-inch HDD alone are not announced at this time.