Large Hadron Collider starts circulating protons in two directions

Beams of protons are circulating in both directions around the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for the first time after a 14-month shutdown for major repairs.

CERN scientists said that the achievement, made this morning, brings the £5 billion “Big Bang machine” closer to full operation and sets the stage for it to start smashing particles within weeks.

Detectors around the LHC’s 27km (17 mile) ring have already started to pinpoint traces of collisions between particles in the beams and equipment, showing that they are in good working order. Engineers may now bring the two beams together in the next few days to stage small collisions to help scientists to calibrate the detectors, with higher-intensity collisions scheduled before Christmas. High-energy collisions for new physics are then expected in January.

The LHC was retarted on Friday. Steve Myers, CERN’s director of accelerators and technology, said that the first days of resumed operations had been an “enormous success”. “We have two beams circulating simultaneously in the LHC,” he said. “All this bodes very well for the detectors and the project that is in front of us, and will surely lead to new exciting physics discoveries.”

A horrible bus accident on the road

The scenario was the same as in some thriller movies when the bus has no brakes and it cannot be stopped...

A similar thing happened in one Russian city yesterday. The bus was going at a great speed and it was only on the main city street that the driver realized he couldn’t stop it. The bus overturned 19 cars in all. Riding at a high speed, the bus projected cars in all directions.
Seeing that he could do nothing, the driver opened the door and the passengers began to jump from the bus in motion.
Then the bus ran into a car and dragged it until a street pole in which the bus crashed in and caught fire. The driver survived. The exact number of victims is unknown.

45-Ton Crane Smashes a House

A 45-ton crane fell on a house in Santa Rosa, California, while it was trying to remove a 150-year-old tree. It almost split the house in two…
Luckily, nobody was injured in this accident.

Trucks Show

In western Finland, approximately four hundred kilometers from Helsinki, is located place
called Alahyarma. There was review of the most beautiful of the Scandinavian trucks - Power Truck Show.

Madagascar's Stone Forest

A couple of weeks ago, we featured a story of how NatGeo photographer Stephen Alvarez’s went deep underground to explore the caves in the corner of Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.

This time, Stephen, along with Neil Shea and biologist Hery Rakotondravony and colleagues went the opposite way – they climbed Madagascar’s astonishing Tsingy de Bemaraha stone forest:

Evacuation of Swans in Hamburg

The swans who left in cold Hamburg were transportated to the south

Russia's Victoria Radochinskaya crowned Mrs World 2009

Russian Victoria Radochinskaya has won the Mrs World 2009 beauty pageant, which took place in the Vietnamese city of Vung Tau.

Seventy-eight participants, aged between 19 and 41, competed for the title of the world's most beautiful married woman. Vietnam, the host country, was represented by two contenders.

The final round of the competition took place on Sunday.

Victoria Radochinskaya, 31, became the 15th winner of the contest since it was first held in 1985. The PR specialist received the $150,000 jewel-studded crown from last year's winner, Ukrainian Natalya Shmarenkova.

First runner-up was Mrs America Andrea Robertson, a professional model.

The Most Detailed Apple Tablet Rumors Yet: Coming January 19

January 19, 2010. That's when iLounge says the Apple tablet will be announced by. And it'll go onsale in May or June, like the iPhone.

iLounge has a trove of new rumor about the Apple tablet. Briefly, they say it runs iPhone OS, and that there will be two tablets—one with 3G and one without—with about 7x the touchable surface area as the iPhone, with a resolution that's high enough to read books, magazines and "cropped" newspaper pages. Which is what it's supposedly designed to do: Replace books and magazines, while being a better media player and web browser than the iPhone.

Interestingly, they say that the original tablet had a 7-inch screen, but it was deemed too small, and the latest version is 10.7 inches. (Which differs slightly from the "consistent" 9.7 inches coming out of the Asian trade magazines for the last few months.)

But they also say there's still a 20 percent chance that Steve Jobs will kill it. Again. So, uh, fingers crossed, guys!

AT&T sues Verizon over 'there's a map for that' ads

Whoa -- we just got word that AT&T is suing Verizon for false advertising over Big Red's "There's a map for that" ads. We're reading the complaint and motion to stop the ads right now, but here's what AT&T says is the big problem:

In essence, we believe the ads mislead consumers into believing that AT&T doesn't offer ANY wireless service in the vast majority of the country. In fact, AT&T's wireless network blankets the US, reaching approximately 296M people. Additionally, our 3G service is available in over 9,600 cities and towns. Verizon's misleading advertising tactics appear to be a response to AT&T's strong leadership in smartphones. We have twice the number of smartphone customers... and we've beaten them two quarters in a row on net post-paid subscribers. We also had lower churn -- a sign that customers are quite happy with the service they receive.

AT&T also says its network reaches about the same number of people as Verizon's, so we're thinking it's a little miffed that it's being portrayed as an also-ran here. We'll update as we learn more, keep it locked!

1080p HD Is Coming to YouTube

We're excited to say that support for watching 1080p HD videos in full resolution is on its way. Starting next week, YouTube's HD mode will add support for viewing videos in 720p or 1080p, depending on the resolution of the original source, up from our maximum output of 720p today.

As resolution of consumer cameras increases, we want to make sure YouTube is the best home on the web to showcase your content. For viewers with big monitors and a fast computer, try switching to 1080p to get the most out of the fullscreen experience.

The world's first iPhone virus is reported to be in the wild, targeting users who have cracked, or jailbroken, their phone.

The virus, which so far appears to be confined to Australia, changes the users wallpaper to an image of 1980s pop star Rick Astley, and displays the message Ikee is never gonna give you up.

Only those users who have cracked, or jailbroken, their phones and not changed their passwords from the default "alpine" can be affected.

Security firm Sophos said that once in place, the worm attempts to find other iPhones on the mobile phone network that are similarly vulnerable, and installs itself on them.

iPhone 3GS Supreme is diamond encrusted, spectacularly expensive

Seeing as how the iPhone's exclusivity status has been slipping, it was inevitable that the bourgeoisie would invent a new way to distinguish themselves from the lowly masses. Enter a designer by the name of Stuart Hughes, already expertly familiar with slapping precious metals onto slightly less precious mobile phones. He classes up a 3GS handset with a 22 carat solid gold body, which he then sprinkles with no less than 190 diamonds. And just to make sure none of the riff raff can get their hands on it, this creation is priced at £1.92 million ($3.2 million), which places it precisely £1.92 million outside our budget. Completing the, erm, value proposition is a storage chest cut from a single block of granite, which you may peep after the break.

LG BL40 New Chocolate Christmas Edition

LG BL40 New Chocolate Christmas Edition is a brand new special edition of the already-available BL40. It should be launched in South Korea on December 10 for a price that’s not known at the moment.

The LG BL40 New Chocolate Christmas Edition is dressed in a black case with golden accents and comes with a voucher than can get buyers prizes of up to 5 million KRW (more than $4,000).

That aside, the New Chocolate Christmas Edition also has an 8MP autofocus camera, instead of the 5MP one featured by the original BL40.

LG GD910 Watch Phone review

You're not how much money you have in the bank, you're not the car you drive, you're not the contents of your wallet, you are not your freaking khakis – oh, who are we kidding, if you're reading a site such as this, you're all about your khakis. To sate that "look good, feel good" need in all of us, LG has brought out the ultimate in techie chic: a watchphone. This is not just any watchphone though, this is a £500 ($808) droplet of Orange-tinted exclusivity that straddles your wrist and demands onlookers' attention. Do the consumer in you a favor and come along past the break where we have the full scoop on the GD910.

New Nokia N900

Nokia released a few videos about Nokia newly launched N900 phone and his Maemo OS

The first video is a nice promo showcase of the N900, the second is a hands-on tour of the device presented by Jussi Makinen, Marketing Manager, Maemo Devices @ Nokia and the last one is a presentation of the Maemo 5 OS user interface.

New Nissan 370Z

"When I get hot, I go topless." So sayeth the license plate frame of many a convertible. Though it's typically employed as a double entendre, the cheeky adage actually describes the new 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster quite well. The new Z Roadster is making its world debut on the eve of the 2009 New York auto show alongside the 2009 Nismo 370Z.

We already know the 370Z is hot. In our first test, it hit 60 mph in 4.7 sec and wiped out the quarter mile in 13.3 sec at 105.7 mph. It's likely we'll see similar performance from the new the Z Roadster, but it has packed on some pounds over the base car, so expect the numbers to climb a tick or two.

New VW Passat

The rendering specialists at AutoBild have come up with images of the next Passat. It gets a bit more character in the twin swage lines running down the side of the body, a feature that is looking like the next big design thing. The front end continues the tripartite bumper design VW has recently taken up, but swaps the giant headlamps for some sleek, stylized numbers reminiscent of Audi.

We aren't sure about the sedan design. It looks like it could be a contender with character... or it could be a sedan just trying to be fancy. The wagon, however, looks pretty sexy. We'll know when we see it in the flesh, but the Passat CC is probably a good indicator in the mean time, so if you like that, then you'll probably like this.

New Jaguar very soon

For a long time, worrying about Jaguar was the only sensible thing to do. While it was never exactly clear if the marque had (ever) achieved profitability, we enthusiasts were only too happy to give them the benefit of the doubt. After all, the English automaker serially gifted us with watershed designs. Sublime mechanical creatures like the E- and D-Type sports cars, as well as the curvacious Mark II and original XJ. How could we not be totally and utterly smitten? Yet somehow, the once proud automaker eventually found itself adrift in mediocrity, turning out maligned and slow-selling products with an unpleasant odor of unreliability as the money began to run dry. When the then Ford-owned brand launched headlong into its "democratization of luxury" strategy that resulted in the lamentable 2001 X-Type and serious talk of an SUV, well, we couldn't help but grow gravely concerned.

After all, how could a company like Jaguar – a firm that prided itself not only on voluptuous design and sporty handling but also sybaritic appointments and a refined, aristocratic manor speak with a straight face about "the democratization of luxury?" The very concept was oxymoronic to the point of absurdity: when a given commodity is within easy reach of the masses, it ceases to be a luxury good. Simple as that. Predictably, it didn't take long for consumers to cotton on to this revelation, and the savior X-Type was broadly lambasted and narrowly purchased.

New 5th series coming soon

With the 2009 Audi A6 facelift now on sale and the 2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class just a month away from hitting showrooms, attention now turns to the next-generation BMW 5-Series. A class leader since its inception, the 5-Series Sedan and Touring wagon remain crucial vehicles in BMW's lineup and with the next-gen versions now just months away speculation about the final design has been heating up.

The new 5-Series Sedan is set to arrive in late 2009 for the 2010 model year and heavily disguised prototypes have already been seen testing around the streets of Munich. While those prototypes revealed few details, these latest computer generated rendering gives us a clear indication as to what to expect for the new executive wagon.

Funny story

Our dad started new Diet. Every morning he will fight against bear in order to lose some pounds...

LG’s flagship SL9000 ‘BORDERLESS’ LED TV

LG unveiled its flagship SL9000 ‘BORDERLESS’ LED TV to a string of 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' at IFA 2009 this week, where it stood out from the pack with a uniform, seamless surface from edge to edge, with no visible frame. By using a special sheet of laminate film LG was able to eliminate the gap between the screen and the bezel and also reduce screen glare. The SL9000 is also extremely thin at just 2.9cm, with the end result being a TV that appears to be a continuous sheet of smoked glass.

Although the SL9000’s design appeals when it is turned off, LG has also managed to cram the TV’s glossy enclosure with plenty of technology to ensure it impresses on the picture and sound fronts as well. An LED backlight provides for a 3,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and the set runs LG’s TruMotion 100Hz technology. Other specs include 178 degree viewing angle and 500 cd/m2 brightness.

LG XD5 Mini External Hard Drives

LG has launched a new range of external hard drives, designed to be used with netbooks, the LG XD5 Mini External Hard Drives.

The LG XD5 Mini External hard drives feature 2.5 inch hard drives, the drives measure just 13mm thick and come in a range of colors and sizes.

The drives are available in 320GB and 500 GB capacities, and a choice of colors which include white, black, red and pink, and they come with a SATA II interface for faster data transfer.

The LG XD5 Mini External Hard Drives will be available in Korea initially, the 320GB model will retail for about $86 whilst the 500GB model will retail for $120.

There is no word on when we will see them in the US and Europe.

Our President Doesn't Tweet

Obama let people know at a press release that he doesn't use twitter, but is an advocate for the new technology.

40 hours of GTA straight forward

"I think staying away from coffee and eating dates during my game helped me to stay alert and fit," Patnaik said. I guess he was talking about "dates" the fruit, because a marathon video game player couldn't possibly be talking about the company of women.

Why am I telling you about a marginally difficult record in an older game during a play-session that took place in a faraway land? Because kids today are wimps, even in Mumbai.

Guinness rules stated that Patanik got a 10 minute break every hour, and he managed to go for 40 hours and change. Compare that achievement to the records set by marathon dancers of the 1920s. When the "walkathon" craze was at its peak in the 1920s and 30s, dancers remained on their feet, continuously moving, for thousands of hours... and they only got a ten minute break every hour. In 1930, Mike Ritof and Edith Boudreaux danced for 5,152 hours straight at a ballroom in Chicago. That's six months of continuous movement. At the end of it, they won $2,000. Ritof and Boudreaux would laugh at 40 hours sitting in a chair, playing a video game.

So, Chirantan Patnaik, call me back when you've played a video game for half a year straight, and then I'll be impressed. I think I could easily play a game for 40 hours. I've played games for 12 hours in a row without thinking about it. What about you? What's your longest gaming-time?

The Sexiest Man Alive: Johnny Depp

Break out the Bordeaux, the whoopee cushions and the bangin 'Keith Richards guitar solos, because the 2009 Sexiest Man Alive party is officially under way. Bringing the fun with him wherever he goes - whether it's onscreen in fizzy roles like Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise or at home with his family on their private Bahamian island - is just one reason why Johnny Depp, who also scored the honor in 2003, has joined an elite club of two-time SMA title holders (only Brad Pitt and George Clooney have matched the feat). At 46, the father of two still reigns as Hollywood's most irresistible iconoclast; as one-of-a-kind as his beloved 15-year-old boots and as smoldering as his favorite Cuban cigars.

Samsung Omnia II

We finally got a good, hard look at the Verizon-customized version of Samsung's Omnia II, and we've got good news and bad news: the good news is that the phone's a darker, more reasonable shade in person than it was in that press shot we'd seen before, but the bad news is that we've confirmed it's running 6.1. Anyone daring to release a 6.1 phone at this point is at serious risk of getting laughed out of the room unless they offer an upgrade path mere minutes afterwards, so we're hoping that by the time this is on shelves, it'll either be running 6.5 out of the box or there'll be an update program announced in conjunction with the release. Otherwise, the display's absolutely phenomenal (indoors, anyhow) and TouchWiz seems to work as well as it did on the original model, though scrolling through menus got a bit laggy at times - isn't it kinda weird that a years-old platform can practically max out a circa-2009 device? Check out a quick gallery below.

179,997 Comlaints

Family Gay promo

The Federal Communications Commission (those guys in the PTV episode of Family Guy!) releases a Quarterly Report of indecency complaints every 3 months. As detailed in this report there were 578 complaints in January, then 505 in February, and then a crazy 179,997 in March! That happened to be the month that Family Gay aired on Fox (brain-dead horse, Peter being injected with gay gene etc) and the PTC weren’t too happy with this. They put out an Action Alert Against Family Guy urging the public to take action and complain to the FCC. Whilst their is no direct link, it sounds like Family Guy probably managed this outstanding feat!

Google Music

None of the companies involved will confirm the new Google Music service - we have "no comments" or absolute silence from Google, LaLa, MySpace and iLike. But the new service is all but confirmed. And we have the screenshots showing how the service, which will be announced on October 28, will look to prove it.

"NEW MOON"

New Moon opened Sunday the 20th (in case you died and didn't hear about it) and its no surprise every single teenage girl across the US went to see it. New Moon broke new records, opening with $140.7 million gross over the three day weekend and $258 world wide!!. It also opened on Midnight with the highest Open Day gross, reaching over $72.7 million.

Man crashed Bugatti

Andy House isn't just the man who crashed his Bugatti Veyron into a lake. He's also the man who owns the repaired Ferrari Enzo crashed by actor Eddie Griffin. Holy super car t-shirt meme crash overload!

House himself confirmed to us he owns the Enzo crashed by Griffin. Ironically, the business House owns is Performance Auto Sales, which sells repaired exotic cars. According to House he's one of the largest salvage auto dealers in the world. We asked him if the car was salvageable or not and here's what he replied in an email:

Not sure if the car is salvageable yet, have not had a chance to go survey the damage. I am one of the largest salvage excotic dealers in the world. This car should be repairable but at what cost Im not familiar with. This was a personal car and one that I was very proud of.. it is by far the nicest car that I have ever owned, looking to replace it now!

AOL

AOL has now asked 2,500 employees to voluntarily quit their jobs. The company is restructuring, and now anyone that volunteers will get a larger sufferance package, than anyone who stays, or who is later laid off. And because of this downsize AOL is also selling off MapQuest to Microsoft.

The new USB 3.0!

USB 3.0, the next generation of USB (Universal Serial Bus) had been usb-3.0-superspeedintroduced at September 2007 in Intel Developer Forum and officially announced in November 2008. This new generation of USB is capable to increase the data transfer rate ten times faster than its predecessor, no doubt it is called the SuperSpeed USB. SuperSpeed USB or USB 3.0 can transfer data up to 5.0 Gbps (625 Mb/s); USB 2.0 runs at maximum speed of 480 Mbps

Mozilla releases first beta of Firefox 3.6

Those keen to try out Mozilla's latest browser - and its new process to update the software more frequently - now can try Firefox 3.6 beta 1 for Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Among the features in the new version, according to Mike Beltzner, Mozilla's director of Firefox, and Mozilla evangelist Chris Blizzard:

• Personas, which lets people customize the browser appearance. Personas has been available as an add-on, so there are plenty of Personas skins to choose from.

• Faster execution of Web-based JavaScript programs, better browser responsiveness, and faster startup time. Mozilla has been working on JavaScript performance for many months, but the urgency of that and other performance improvements increased with the arrival of Google's Chrome browser.

• The ability to drag and drop files from the computer to the browser. This is useful for uploading files to Web sites, as will a feature not in the beta but planned for the final version, support for the multiple-file input tag so more than one file can be added in Web forms.

• Expanded support for geolocation technology so it can provide a Web site with an approximate physical address of the user, not just latitude-longitude coordinates.

• The ability to detect the computer's orientation for machines that offer accelerometer support.

• Video built into Web pages with the HTML5 "video" tag now can be viewed full-screen.

Russia banned new Call of Duty

Russia has banned sales of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, the hottest-selling video game of all time, because it contains a scene in which civilians are massacred at a Russian airport.

The Blackberry Storm 2

The BlackBerry Storm2. To say it has been highly anticipated would be an understatement. Before the original BlackBerry Storm was available to customers, the first rumors of the Storm 2 began to surface. Research in Motion even acknowledged the existence of the new device much earlier than they historically would, when RIM's co-CEO Jim Balsillie said in a presentation to analysts and investors (reported by Reuters) in May 2009 that they were working on a next generation of its BlackBerry Storm as part of a continuing push into the retail market. From that point, it was less than two weeks later when the first photos of the new BlackBerry Storm were posted to the internet right here at CrackBerry.com which was followed up soon after when we brought you the first video of the BlackBerry Storm 2 in action. In the weeks following and leading up to the Storm2's "official" announcement, youtube has been full of "unofficial" BlackBerry Storm2 9550 and 9520 previews (Verizon's Storm2 is the 9550; Vodafone's is the 9520) showing off early-stage hardware and firmware. Due to this unofficial nature, most early Storm2 videos/photos disappeared from the web as quickly as they appeared, but now that we have an official review unit you can rest assured knowing Storm2 content is now here to stay.

"Paranormal Activity"

The new scary movie for halloween is "Paranormal Activity" a big hit so far! The movie premiered at the Screamfest Film Festival in the U.S. on October 14, 2007, and was shown at the Slamdance Film Festival on January 18, 2008. The movie received a limited release in several U.S. cities on October 9, 2009, and had a nationwide release on October 16, 2009. The movie centers on a young couple, Katie and Micah, who are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. The movie is presented in a documentary style, using "found footage" from the camera set up by the couple to capture what is haunting them, in a similar manner to The Blair Witch Project, and The Last Broadcast. It has set the record as the most profitable independent film ever made having earned over $100 million with a production budget of $15,000.

New cell phone by Palm Pixi

It's hard to believe that Palm is already pushing its second webOS device, the Pixi, out the door. It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were eagerly awaiting the release of the Pre, a phone that was considered to be the last gasp for the badly ailing company, and now it's poised to add an entirely new handset to the mix. The Pixi -- a sleek, tiny device -- seems clearly aimed at the only market Palm has recently enjoyed unfettered success with: the Centro demographic. From the looks of things, the Pixi is positioned to step into the role of the "cheap and cute" smartphone once firmly controlled by the company's previous (and now discontinued) Palm OS offering. Of course, the landscape in 2009 is very different from the landscape of 2007, with fierce competition -- both from outside as well as the company's own sister product. Can the Pixi find a place in the smartphone race, or does it do too little to distance itself from the pack? We've got the answers inside, so read on to find out!

New cell phone by Google Inc. and HTC Corp.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose track of the really important things in your life. Your social calendar is just a bit out of synch and friends are just a bit too far out of reach. Until now… The T-Mobile G1™ redefines what it means to be kept in the loop.

Feel the exhilarating power and freedom of having all the communication tools you’re used to in your hand. Mobile Internet services are at your disposal with quick one-touch access to Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk™ and Google Calendar™. Explore even more of the world with detailed street, traffic and satellite views via integrated Google Maps™.

Dazzle your friends with the large sensationally crisp 3.2” display. The touch-sensitive navigation is finger friendly and super intuitive but you can swing it out of the way to use the full five-row QWERTY keyboard. There is plenty of room to respond to emails, messages and even chat.

This is it

Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson's creative partner and the director of the stage show is also directing the film, which is being produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware. Executive producers are John Branca and John McClain. The film will be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing. Tickets for the limited two-week engagement of the film go on sale beginning September 27

New Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2

The most-anticipated game of the year and the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game of all time, Modern Warfare 2 continues the gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse.

New SonyEricsson Android

As expected, Sony Ericsson announced an Android-based Xperia handset on Tuesday. Known as the Xperia X10, Sony's first entry in the Android space introduces a new Wireless Stereo Headset, along with a new user interface platform called UX and new apps dubbed Mediascape and Timescape.

According to specs provided by Sony, the X10 will run the Donut edition of Android, version 1.6, as opposed to the newer 2.0 (or Éclair) edition. The X10's very long list of features also includes a 4-inch WVGA TFT touchscreen, an 8.1 megapixel camera with up to 16x digital zoom, stereo Blueooth (A2DP), Wi-Fi, and GPS.

New Apple Store in New York

On Wednesday evening workers removed the plastic covering over the enormous glass storefront of the Upper West Side (NYC) retail store at 67th Street and Broadway, revealing a single, stone-walled room lit by ceiling lights at night, and flooded with sunlight during the day. Besides the ground-level space with four rows of display tables, there is spiral glass staircase leading down to a lower level, presumably the same size as the 8,500 square-foot main level. The size and scale of the store, and the amount of stone that was used both eclipse any previous Apple store project. The only stainless steel visible is on the huge backlit Apple logo suspended from the inside ceiling. View a photo gallery of the store.

Send your pictures from iPhone to the printer!

Kodak Company today announced agreements that will provide mobile imaging services to help people store, share, organize and print their digital images, moves that will make the familiar Kodak brand a leader in this new category. This market is rapidly growing, according to projections by market research firms such as IDC, which forecasts more than a billion camera-enabled mobile phones in use over the next three years. Kodak will provide imaging services for Cingular Wireless and has also entered into agreements with wireless leader Nokia to help customers get more out of their camera phones. KODAK Mobile Service offers camera phone users anytime, anywhere access to all of their digital photos and phone-captured video.

Google Chrome OS

the new browser designed by Google to work exclusively with web applications. Chrome OS is set to have a publicly available stable release during the second half of 2010.The operating system is based on Linux and targets specifically designed hardware. The user interface takes a minimalist approach, resembling that of the Chrome web browser. Because the browser will be the only application residing on the device, Google Chrome OS is aimed at users who spend most of their computer time on the Internet.

Windows 8 coming up soon

Microsoft started working on the new version of software. They say that will assume all the issues the people have with Windows 7 and fixed them in Windows 8.

Four more teams qualified for South Africa and European qualifying almost over

Switzerland, Slovakia, Honduras and Argentina all qualified for the 2010 World Cup last night which brings the total number of teams that have booked their place in South Africa to twenty-two.

When the football ended last night it also confirmed the teams from the European Qualifying Group that have made the play-off match stage that take place on November 14th and 18th.

The European teams qualified for that are; Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine, France and the Republic of Ireland.

Some of the bigger European teams that haven't made the World Cup finals for next year and will possibly be looking for new management fairly soon include Scotland (who if we are honest are never likely to make another World Cup), Norway, Croatia, Turkey, Poland, Czech Republic and Sweden.

The full list of qualified teams as of October 15th 2009 is below.

New Motorola CLIQ

The good: The Motorola Cliq has a great design with a brilliant display and easy-to-use controls and keyboard. Its feature set is rich and functional, and Motorola made some welcome improvements and user interface tweaks.

The bad: The Motorola Cliq lacks a file manager, a camera flash, and some basic organizer features. You can store apps only on the integrated memory, and the memory card slot is stashed behind the battery cover. Call quality wasn't perfect and the handset was occasionally sluggish.

The bottom line: With its excellent design, user interface improvements, and admirable feature set, the Motorola Cliq gives a big boost to the Android operating system. We had some performance quibbles with the device, and the MotoBlur interface can be a bit much, but the phone has a lot to like.

Specifications: Band / mode: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband) ; Talk time: Up to 360 min ; Combined with: With digital camera / digital player

New MacBook

To illustrate just how good the internals are on the MacBook, just compare them to the current base 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both have a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo with a 3MB L2 cache, a 1066 MHz frontside bus and a 2GB default RAM. They also have a really similar LED backlit display, which eliminates the problem of narrowed viewing angles that we docked the first generation unibody MacBooks for, and both now have the same contrast ratio. The only difference is that the Pro has a 60% greater color gamut.

Google Maps Navigation

This new feature comes with everything you'd expect to find in a GPS navigation system, like 3D views, turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting. But unlike most navigation systems, Google Maps Navigation was built from the ground up to take advantage of your phone's Internet connection.

New Motorola DROID

The DROID is an odd and beautiful device. Looking at the hardware from a purely philosophical standpoint, the ID of the phone seems staunchly defiant. Instead of taking its cues (and lines) from current contenders in the smartphone space, the DROID is all hard edges and angular slopes. The construction is a mix of plastic and metal, and the phone has a solid, expensive heft to it. Couple that weight with soft touch materials and gold highlights, and the effect is somewhere halfway between a Vertu device and the European version of the Hero -- and it's a good mix.