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Airtel launched Net PC today claiming to be “a next-generation computer that never goes obsolete and never crashes”. Really? To straighten the marketing lingo, it’s basically a PC in the clouds (on the server) and for Rs. 7,999 Airtel gives the user a 15-inch LCD monitor, keyboard and mouse. A user also gets a 10GB storage and Companion, a small router-like device from Nivio, responsible for storing all the user data on the cloud.

The idea is attractive but there are many reasons why this initiative can turn into failure.

- Net PC requires Airtel broadband. This requirement cripples the potential user base. Imagine a user wanting a Net PC but cannot do so because Airtel does not provide broadband service in his area.
- Add to it, crappy broadband plans. Airtel is offering monthly plans – Rs. 699 (256Kbps conn, 3GB bandwidth, MS Office Standard), Rs. 899 (256Kbps conn, 3GB bandwidth, MS Office Standard with Admin rights) and Rs. 1,199 (256Kbps conn, 3GB bandwidth, MS Office Premium with Admin rights). These are recurring expenses since the plans are on monthly basis and did I say they are unattractive?
- If broadband plan prices are not a deterrent, the bandwidth is. Who in the world can be satisfied with 3GB/month bandwidth when he has to edit his office docs, download content on his 10GB space and then re-download on the USB drive, surf the internet, all from the same account.
- A user cannot use it like a normal PC. What happens if the Airtel connection is down?

Despite all the aforementioned reasons if you’re still intrigued by the idea of a “crashless” PC, you can head over here to register yourself one.

The D-Day is not very far but new iPhone claims are coming thick and fast these days. John Gruber, recognized for nailing Apple rumors in the past has come out to confirm a few things. According to him, the next iPhone will get a 600MHz processor, 32GB storage (which was also confirmed by T-Mobile Austria), compass and a camera capable of shooting videos. Couple of things he wasn’t sure but said can happen is the RAM upgrade as well as improved battery life despite of new features in the iPhone.

Other Apple related tidbits from him: No tablet PC will be shown at WWDC, a branding modification for Macbook Pros and Macbook and an iPhone Mini is under construction but won’t be released in July.

Asus’ yet another Eee PC have surfaced online which can be preordered from online retailers. Dubbed as Eee PC 1000HV, the netbook is similar in specs and looks to 1000HE but the major advantage 1000HV gets from the inclusion of 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450 GPU. Apart from this, everything seems to be normal – 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, 802.11b/g/n, card reader, Bluetooth 2.0, USB/VGA ports, Ethernet, 1.3MP webcam and 6-cell battery giving 5 hours of runtime. The reduced battery life as compared to 1000HE (Our review) is understandable since this one houses a discrete graphics card.

There’s no official price yet but retailers are demanding 449 Euros ($627).

Sharp released DX Series of LCD TVs in Japan that boast to be the world’s first TV with integrated Blu-ray players. This means a user can insert a BD disc into the TV and enjoy the movie right away without the need to own an additional Blu-ray player for it. It sure is nifty but one thing that can damp your expectations is that this one’s HD ready, capable of playing at 1366×768 resolution. But if that’s not your concern, the TV could be a good buy when it comes out on June 20 in Black or White for 150,000 Yen (almost $1600).

T-Mobile’s leaked Android roadmap is the culprit again. It has now revealed Motorola’s sliding QWERTY Morrison that is expected to launch in the holiday season. No details whatsoever but with Morrison, T-Mobile will take its upcoming Androids count to 5 with Houdini, G2, BigFoot, Morrison and Huawei’s touchscreen phone. On Motorola’s side, this will be the third Android after Calgary and Ironman. Boy, the days ahead will be full of Androids.

Sony is in preliminary talks with music publishers to offer song downloads to users on PlayStation Network (PSN). While this will be targeted majorly at PSP users, the probable and logical extension will be to offer the same to PS3 users as well. This move from Sony can be viewed as tit for tat to tackle Apple’s iPhone, which predominantly is known for music but offers decent gaming experience, in short barging in PSP’s territory.

As mentioned before, the talks are in preliminary stages so there’s nothing concrete but since Sony has its own music label, kickstarting the service alone and showing its true potential to others wouldn’t be a bad choice.

The service is expected to come along with the launch of next gen PSP that is rumored to ditch the UMD and adopt a digital way to download content.

Publicists know how to attract attention and THQ’s latest attempt will mostly hit the target. To commemorate the launch of Big Family Games on Wii, THQ sent a gold-plated Wii to the Queen along with the first copy of the game. The Royal family is one of the most looked upon families and when someone gifts them something unique, we have to notice.

Big Family Games, as the name implies, is meant for family which involves 24 games including Football, Golf, Tennis, Ladder Golf, Lawn Darts, Horseshoes, Bocce etc.

Americans now have one more home server to choose from, this time coming from the largest selling netbook vendor. Acer’s Windows based Aspire easyStore Home Server is apt for home and small business users who want to share, preserve and access data from a centralized location.

The Aspire easyStore will go for an affordable $399 and fits in a Atom 230 processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 1TB HDD and three hot swappable HDD bays that can ramp up the storage up to 7TB. It also includes different ports like five USB, one eSATA and a RJ-45 LAN.

Macrumors caught hold off a couple of job listings that hints about the few features that will possibly make it to the iPhone 3.0. The first job listing is for a low level programmer who understands processor architecture, specially ARM and its NEON vector unit.

The current and the previous iPhone and iPod Touch models use ARMv6 processors and NEON, which is an architectural extension to ARM processors specifically gains from ARMv7 Cortex procs. ARM NEON’s official page also mentions that NEON helps to achieve 2x of performance than ARMv6, somewhat confirming yesterday’s rumor.

Apple is also hiring a highly skilled engineer who can deliver cutting edge embedded video processing technologies. Well, whatever that means, this could be something iPhone can benefit of. The job includes working on real-time media and networking apps that uses Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

Panasonic unveiled couple of camcorders in its home market that features something, worthy enough for a ‘world’s first’ tag. TM350 is the world’s first HD camcorder that has a 64GB of flash storage and can record full 1080p content for about 16 hours in AVCHD (H.264) format. The camera integrates a 3MOS sensor that can handle low light recording better than CCD, face detection, 5.1 channel surround audio, 10.6-megapixel for still images, 12x optical zoom, SDHC slot for addition memory and sports photography mode for shooting up to 60 frames per second.

The other camera to show its face is TM30. It brings in 32GB of internal memory and is touted as the lightest camera for its storage. The mere 250 gram camera integrates a CMOS sensor, 16X zoom, SDHC card expansion and still imaging capabilities similar to TM350.

Both the camcorders will start shipping from June 25 and TM350 will sell for $1,568 while TM30 for $1,045.

Ken Brinkman was a proud owner of his unibody Macbook Pro until this happened. His notebook’s MagSafe cable went kaput by burning itself as well as damaging the notebook. Thankfully, he was not injured but Macbook Pro’s resurrection looks doubtful. He does not even know if Apple will give him a replacement or not.

The rumor already claimed Dell was cooking something and today they have given us a confirmation. Dell’s Doug Anson, Technology Strategist is showing Dell Mini 10v netbooks running different operating systems including Android’s Cupcake version. Though he does not go beyond saying Android is “small and a snappy” environment, it actually is the first step by them towards porting the OS onto a product that can be commercialized in the future.

If the hefty fine and an abusive monopolist tag was not enough for the chip maker, former friend turned foe have accused Intel of unfair pricing. Nvidia’s CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang told Reuters that Intel’s Atom chip pricing is unfair but won’t seek the legal way, at least for now.

According to him, Intel uses price discrimination by selling a single Atom chip for $45 but sells a three-chip set for $25.

Intel on the other hand refutes Nvidia’s accusation by saying that they compete fairly. “We do not force bundles on any computer makers and customers can purchase Atom individually or as part of the bundle. If you want to purchase the chip set, obviously there is better pricing.”

Nvidia and Intel are already locked in a lawsuit which started with Nvidia using Atom chips for the sale of its own ION platform.

Apple has listed a topic in its support pages claiming that the iPod or iPhone earbuds can give a quick shock to one’s ears by discharging small amount of static electricity. Though Apple does not take the responsibility for such a shock, they do mention that any hardware or earbud is capable to produce a charge which is similar to “dragging your feet across a carpet and receiving a static shock by touching a door knob.”

The dry air is to be blamed that builds up on the device eventually releasing it through the earbuds. To avoid such shocks, Apple has also listed some solutions.

Yup, it’s official now. Sprint will be selling Palm Pre from June 6, that’s two days before Apple’s WWDC event starts. Besides trying to steal some thunder off WWDC, they have pegged the price same as the current iPhone 3G. It will go for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two year contract. Customers will also be able to buy Palm’s Touchstone inductive charging solution for $69.99.

LG today showed 42- and 47-inch LCD TV panels that are touted to be the world’s slimmest LCD panels. The panel’s thickness measures only 5.9mm which is achieved by the edge-lit LEDs and also by the use of in house developed Light Guide Sheet instead of the regular Light Guide Plate.

These panels support full HD playback, has a color saturation of about 80 percent and features 120Hz tech with a response time of 8ms. The panels are lightweight too, 42-inch weighs 6.1kg while 47-inch weighs 7.3kg, about 50 percent lighter than CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlit product.

Nokia has announced 6600i Slide that will take over the reigns from the original 6600 Slide. The phone ups from 6600 Slide in many departments like the brushed steel cover, chrome center key and a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash. 6600i Slide also integrates an accelerometer which helps to the screen take tap commands for rejecting or silencing the call or to snooze the alarm. Other things include 3G support, 2.2-inch display, microSD card slot which can expanded up to 16GB.

The phone will make its way to the retail market in the third quarter this year at a 200 Euros ($273) price tag.

Dell’s trying to lure school/college going lads with its new Latitude 2100 netbook. The funky looking netbook comes in five color options and is said to be developed after taking important inputs from students, teachers, parents etc. Apart from the regular netbook features, Dell has added ruggedness for extra durability and also a Network Activity Light on the lid which can be monitored by the teachers. Specs-wise, it has an N270 Atom processor, 10.1-inch screen with optional touchscreen, 1GB RAM, upto 250GB HDD or 16GB SSD, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, card reader, 3-cell or optional 6-cell battery and various I/O ports.

Dell also allows netbook personalization which can be done by printing the school logo or name on the back of the battery pack.

The netbook is available now with price starting from $369.

It looks like Sprint has spilled the beans on the Pre release date. Notebooks.com managed to take a screenshot of the countdown timer which reveals the day to June 6. The official confirmation is expected today but this date seems to be legit as the site has now taken down the post.

NTT DOCOMO unveiled 18 new handsets that will be a part of Docomo’s STYLE, PRIME, PRO and Evangelion series. All the phones are FOMA 3G enabled and brings in a lot of power packed features that will be released from this month till July.

The docomo STYLE series includes F-08A, L-04A, N-08A, P-08A, P-10A and SH-05A. Off all the new phones in this series, N-08A, P-08A and SH-05A are the most interesting ones that features an 8-megapixel camera along with screens larger than 3-inches. For full specifications.

The docomo PRIME series goes for the audience that does a bit of gaming and enjoys videos and music. The series includes F-09A, L-06A, N-06A, N07A, P-07A, SH-06A. While all the phones does not give less than 3-inches of screen estate, SH-06A is impressive in this lot because of a 10MP sensor with face detection and autofocus features. For full specifications.

Docomo’s SMART series goes for the business class crowd and gives them a selection of two phones, the N-09A and P-09A. The spec list is almost head to head but N-09A features an 8 megapixel camera while only 3.2 megapixel for P-09A. For full specifications.

The PRO series is targeted at technology hungry users and offers HTC’s Magic, known as HT-03A, Toshiba’s 1GHz phone, T-01A and Sharps AQUOS’ SH-07A that comes with 10MP camera, receives two mobile TV channels simultaneously and can be easily attached Blu-ray recorders. For full specifications.

Finally, the NERV phone that will appear in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance film will also hit the retail shelves. The phone boasts a 3.3-inch screen and a 10MP camera. For full specifications.

Sony has officially introduced a trio of DSLRs targeted at first time DSLR adopters. The 10.2-megapixel A230, A330 and 14.2 megapixel A380 go head to head in features except that A330 and A380 boast a screen that can be tilted up or down. Common features include SteadyShot INSIDE, 2.7-inch display, Quick AF Live View, HDMI-out, GUI with on-screen Help Guide and integrates a dedicated slot for MS PRO Duo, MS PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC cards.

Sony is currently taking pre-orders of the cameras along with lenses and other accessories. The A380L, A330L and A230L will cost about $850, $650 and $550, respectively. The L series one-lens kit comes with the SAL-1855 standard zoom lens while the A380Y, A330Y and A230Y will cost about $1050, $850 and $750, respectively which comes with both the SAL-1855 standard zoom and SAL-55200 telephoto zoom lenses.

If this picture is to be believed, we’re looking at the much rumored PS3 Slim alongside PS3 in a Chinese factory. Given its plasticky finish this could be a prototype or maybe some PS3 wannabe able to play 100,000 games off the cartridge. We’re not sure yet. Maybe the upcoming E3 will have some answers.

Nokia has announced three budget phones that boasts internet connectivity at a very affordable price. The 2730 Classic is Nokia’s cheapest 3G phone and brings in a decent amount of features for its 80 Euros ($108) price tag. The phone features a 2-inch QVGA screen, 2MP camera, Bluetooth, FM Radio, Nokia Life Tools, Ovi Mail and a talk time of 3.3 hours and 17 days of standby time.

Next up is 6600 Fold’s lookalike, the 2720 Fold. Running on Series 40 software, the phone touts a simple 3 step process for emails via Ovi Mail and comes with Nokia Life Tools, Bluetooth, FM Radio, FM recording, MMS and a talk time of around 5 hours and standby time of up to 18 days. The phone will hit the retail shelves in third quarter for a cheap 55 Euros ($74).

Lastly, the 7020 clamshell is targeted towards fashionistas with its design, color and metal finishes. The phone has a 2.2-inch display, 2MP camera, FM Radio, MP3 Player and microSD card slot supporting up to 16GB. On the software front, the phone is loaded with Nokia Life Tools, Ovi Share, Ovi Store, Nokia Messaging, Opera Mini browser, Nokia Maps and pre-bookmarked addresses of social networking sites. It has a 4.5 hours of talk time, 15 days of standby time and will arrive in the last quarter of this year for 90 Euros ($122).

Acer’s working hard to match its Taiwanese competitor’s Eee PC line. They are looking to add one more to its expanding family of Aspire One. The Aspire One 571, which looks similar to D250 adds few new things that you wouldn’t find in a run-of-the-mill netbook. The screen size though remains the same at 10.1-inches but Acer has upped the resolution at 1280×720 with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It also integrates a co-processor from Quartics apart from Intel’s N280 which will do the encoding and decoding of the HD content.

Also, one more unusual thing the AA1 571 boasts is the inclusion of an optical drive. It’s not a regular optical drive but a small 32mm Vmedia discs that was seen a year back on Spice’s handset.

B7300 which showed its face in March has added few more details to its name. Destined to come on China Mobile, this quad-band GSM phone does not support 3G or Wi-Fi. It operates on Windows Mobile 6.1 and has a touchscreen display (320×400) with TouchWiz UI. The phone is also expected to reach the European market in the coming months.

Remember the Nokia 5800XM getting capacitive touchscreen rumor which eventually got debunked? Apparently, Nokia spoke the truth because a new report surfaced today claims that a Taiwanese company has been given the mantle to provide them with capacitive touch panels for ‘another’ Nokia phone. Wintek, the current provider for 5800XM resistive touch panels will supply them with capacitive ones.

There are no details available regarding the phone but if we were to make a guess, it could be something to beat Samsung’s i8910 HD since it enables the user to use the same OS on a capacitive screen. We are not sure about the HD part though.

It’s time for celebrations for India’s top cellular operator. Bharti Airtel today confirmed that they have surpassed the 100 million subscriber mark, making them the world’s third operator to achieve such a figure in a single country.

A big celebration is in the offing but wouldn’t it be nice if they include their customers too. How about some free talktime or free SMSes?

Intel at the Saarland University’s Visual Computing Institute showed a die image of the Larrabee based chip, confirming the undergoing development of the platform. The Larrabee chips will pit against Nvidia’s GeForce and AMD’s ATI Radeon cards with x86 32 processor cores and will have its own vector math unit as well as cache and memory logic on the edges. Seemingly, this die looked the final one but when asked for a hi-res image, Intel turned it down by saying that the chips could be based on a different die when it comes out in the market. The Larrabee chips are expected in the first half of 2010.