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February 2007 |
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Welcome to B&D System Engineers newsletter for February.
We would like to keep you up to date with the latest IT developments and
trust you will enjoy reading this newsletter.
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| Notebooks |
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2007 certainly looks to be an interesting year
for the notebook. Microsoft's new operating system, Windows
Vista, promises to make 64-bit computing the standard, and as
such, they are anticipating more and more 64-bit software in
2007.
Intel Core Duo processors and AMD 64-bit CPU's should completely phase out their 32-bit
couterparts as the huge performance benefits of 64-bit become
increasingly noticeable to end-users.
Notebook prices hit
all-new lows in 2006, to the point where one could purchase an
entry-level notebook for as little as R4000. In part, this was
due to component manufacturers shifting their production plants
to the Far East, a trend that is almost sure to intensify in
2007. It's good news for the consumer though - although prices
probably won't drop much from their current levels, you can
expect a lot more computing bang for your buck in 2007.
The
idea of a notebook functioning as a desktop replacement has
become ever more appealing in the last year, and it is the
believe that in 2007 this trend will continue to grow. As
powerful, inexpensive notebooks come into their own, the idea of
a desktop machine as a dedicated workstation is one that quickly
loses its sheen.
Capable of offering comparable
performance, which business user wouldn't pay a little extra to
get a notebook? Falling component prices and the power of 64-bit
computing may soon relegate the PC to a multimedia / games
station. |
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| Camcorders |
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So you've thought about buying
yourself an awesome new HDTV? With not much HD content to watch,
you will at least be able to make home videos in HD with more HD
camcorders appearing in 2007.
Panasonic is bringing out
two models - the HDC-SD1 which records directly onto SDHC Memory
Cards, while the HDC-DX1 records on traditional DVD disks. Both
of them use 3 CCD camera systems usually found in more high-end
video recorders, while they also feature the world's first
5.1-channel surround sound system with 5 microphones. Just don't
expect long recording times in HD - the SD1 can do one hour
worth of recording while the DX1 manages only 40 minutes.
Sony's
HDR-SR1 includes not only HD recording of up to 1080i, but also
does it on an internal 30GB hard disk. 30GB gives you about
seven hours of HD footage, which you can then download to PC or
view directly on your big screen TV. The SR1 also boasts a
beautiful 3.5" touch-screen and One Touch Wide Angle Shooting
that allows you to instantly switch between the 4:3 and 16:9
aspect ratio.
HDTV - it already started in 2006,
but 2007 will see High Definition TV go massive. Prices are
already starting to drop and with Blu-ray and HD-DVD machines
becoming available in SA soon, viewers will at last be able to
experience what viewing in HD is all about.
More information about HDTV and HD Broadcasting in next month's newsletter |
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For more information please click on the link |
| Cellphones |
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2006 was a great year for cellphones
- for the first time they incorporated three megapixel digital
cameras, TV reception became a reality through DVB-H (Digital
Video Broadcasting Handheld) and you could surf at spectacular
speed thanks to HSDPA. So what's up for 2007?
Everybody
reckon 2007 will stand out as the year of the business phone.
There is a whole range of smart phones appearing that, despite
the fact that they contain a full QWERTY keyboard, are slim
enough to slide into your shirt pocket. They all come with push
email and a full range of office applications and connectivity
options you need to not have to sit in the office to do some
work.
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Advanced email capabilities
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| Supports the most common features of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel (Microsoft Office 97, 2000, XP and 2003). Compatible with Zip Manager and Adobe Reader Multi-tasking abilities: send and receive emails while talking on the phone Access to up-to-date calendar and contact information Works in offline mode – read and write email even when network is unavailable Large user memory: up to 64 MB + support for miniSD card.
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| Ease of use |
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| Large, advanced high-resolution screen shows images sharper and reduces scrolling Documents and applications appear with high clarity User-friendly, sleek design Easy to configure Rapid and simple deployment and management Feature rich device – conference calling capability, speakerphone, email, and messaging. |
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More about the Nokia E61 |
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Get a richer web experience with the Nokia N80 Internet Edition. Browse with ease via advanced web navigation and connect quickly using Wireless LAN, WCDMA or GSM connectivity. And with integrated VoIP technology, you can even start making calls over WLAN broadband. |
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| With 3 megapixels and up to 20x digital zoom, you can capture, print and share images from anywhere in the world. Even view your photos and videos wirelessly on a compatible television via UPnP architecture.
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| The internet is changing. Let the Nokia N80 Internet Edition show you how. |
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More about the Nokia N80 Internet Edition
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Intellegent inside, dynamic outside. The Nokia N76 is a revolution in one-touch technology. Play thousands of songs without ever opening your device. Shoot high resolution images. Connect instantly to the web. Upload and share via Flickr. Search and surf with the Nokia web Browser and Mini Map. The Nokia N76 is the multimedia computer that lets you do it all; and with personal color options, tempered glass, and mirrored steel, you'll stand out doing it. |
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More about the Nokia N76
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| WD Passport Portable Drives |
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| Pack up your office files and take them home. Carry thousands of songs or pictures.
These drives are simple to use, light and easy to carry, and require no power adapter--
they are powered directly through the USB cable. Key Features
Easy -Installation is a snap because you don't really "install" this drive; you just plug it
in and it's ready to use. There is no CD to install; the included software loads from the
drive the first time you plug it in.
Smart -Powered by the USB bus, so no separate power supply needed.
Ultra-portable -This ultra-portable drive fits easily in your pocket or purse, weighs
only a few ounces and holds tons of valuable data.
Synchronized and
Secure -WD Sync™ synchronization and encryption software lets
you save your critical data, and take it with you. Plug your drive into any PC, edit files,
read e-mail, and view photos. Then sync all of your changes back to your home or
office computer. (Windows only)
Google™ software -Search your drive, manage your photos, and simplify Web
searches with included Google software. (Windows only).
Fast -5400 RPM hard drive – almost 24% faster than 4200 RPM drives.
Stylish -Elegant glossy black case with soft-touch base
Compatible -Use with Windows® and Macintosh® computers
Ideal For
- Carrying important files and e-mail between work and
home or on the road
- Sharing large files between
office and home, between Mac and PC
- Backing up your existing notebook hard drive for extra data safety
What it holds
- Up to 45,000 digital photos
- Up to 40,000 songs (MP3)
- Up to 4,000 songs (uncompressed CD quality)
- Up to 12 hours of Digital Video (DV)
- Up to 71 hours of DVD quality video
- Up to 19 hours of HD video
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| My little Black Book |
How much hard drive space is enough?
Unfortunately, like money, celebrity news and Danish ice-cream,
enough always seems to be just a little bit more.
Thankfully
the My Book Essential Edition external hard drive from Western
Digital has sated our appetite for data storage for quite some
time. With a generous 250GB hard drive the My Book can hold
around 19 hours of video or as many as 62 500 songs. Performance
from the 7200 RPM drive was more than adequate. USB2.0 data
transfer speeds made moving large files a painless operation.
That
the My Book is extraordinarily sleek and good looking, whisper
quiet, fully plug-and-play (no software installation is
required), and comes preloaded with Google Desktop, Picasa and
Google toolbar only sweetens the deal. Perfect for notebook or
desktop users looking to break free from the confines of limited
hard drive space. |
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Self-erasing paper?
Scientists invent a way to make image prints last just one day
Researchers at the Xerox
Research Center of Canada have determined that the role of paper
in the modern office is changing. Increasingly, it is more often
used for display purposes than for storage. Information and
documents are stored electronically, and are often printed out
when being referred to in meetings and the like. Statistics
indicate that about 45% of pages are printed for daily use, and
about 21% end up in the bin on the same day.
For the past
three years, the company has been co-developing technology with
PARC (Palo Alto Research Center Inc.) that allows paper to be
reused. A current prototype system allows a copier to print a
limited quality document onto specially coated paper, and have
it disappear off the page about 16 hours thereafter. The process
uses no toner, and appears to allow unlimited reuse, with the
limit essentially being the paper's physical life (so far,
experiments have achieved 50 prints on a single piece of paper.)
Currently, this process is still in the experimental stages,
with the researchers working to improve the print quality and to
exert more control over the lifespan of the resulting documents.
The process relies on compounds that change colour when exposed
to light of certain wavelengths, and then gradually reverts, or
reverts immediately when heated.
Xerox has filed for
patents on the technology, which it calls "erasable paper." It
is currently part of a laboratory project that focuses on the
concept of future dynamic documents.
Scientists at PARC
(the birthplace of the laser printer) are also looking at ways
to build a device that could write the image onto the special
paper. PARC researchers have developed a prototype 'printer'
that creates the image on the paper using a light bar that
provides a specific wavelength of light as a writing source. The
written image fades naturally over time or can be immediately
erased by exposing it to heat. |
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Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 file formats
Microsoft has added new file formats to Microsoft Office
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 to reduce file size, improve
security and reliability, and enhance integration with external sources.
To help ensure that you can exchange documents between
Microsoft Office releases, Microsoft has developed a Compatibility
Pack for the Office Word, Office Excel, and Office PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.
The Open XML Formats usher in a new era of openness and transparency for
Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Solution developers can take advantage of a host of
new integration opportunities to connect documents to important sources of information.
What are the benefits of Office XML formats?
The new Office XML Formats introduce a number of benefits not only for developers and the solutions they build, but also for individual users and organizations of all sizes.
Integration of business information with documents
Office XML Formats enable rapid creation of documents from disparate data sources, accelerating document assembly, data mining, and content reuse. Exchanging data between Microsoft Office applications and enterprise business systems is simplified.
Alter information inside a Microsoft Office document or create a document from scratch using standard tools and technologies; access to Microsoft Office applications is not required. Employees can improve productivity by publishing, searching, and reusing information more quickly and accurately in the environment they choose.
Open and royalty-free specification
Office XML Formats are based on industry standard XML and ZIP technologies, support full integration by any technology provider, and are available via a royalty-free license. Format specifications will be published and made available under the same royalty-free license that exists for the Microsoft Office 2003 Reference Schemas, openly offered and available for broad industry use.
Compact, robust file format
Smaller file sizes and improved recovery of corrupted documents enable Microsoft Office users to operate efficiently and confidently and reduces the risk of lost information. Office XML Formats use ZIP compression technology to store documents offering potential cost savings as it reduces the disk space required to store files and decreases the bandwidth needed to transport files by e-mail, over networks, and across the Web.
Why is this an improvement over the current binary file formats?
The Office XML Formats will offer some key improvements over the current binary file formats in use within Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint today. Because these file formats are compressed, the resulting document sizes will be much smaller, in-between 50 and 75 percent in some cases. The file formats architecture also improves recovery of damaged files. Developers gain more granular control of the content within the files allowing them to index, remove sensitive information, and dynamically assemble documents.
How will the file format be different from the XML file formats used in Microsoft Office 2003?
The new file formats differ from the current Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas in two ways:
XML files are ZIP compressed to reduce document sizes
Data within a document (for example, comments, charts, images, document metadata) is segmented and stored in different components with the file. This modular, compact design is small but easy for developers and other programs to access.
When posted publicly, the new specifications will have an open, royalty-free license.
Will there be an XML file converter for people using previous releases that don't support XML?
Yes. Microsoft will release converters for Microsoft Office XP and Microsoft Office 2003, so customers using previous releases of Microsoft Office will be able to open files created using the new file formats.
Installing the Compatibility Pack
By installing the Compatibility Pack along side of Microsoft Office XP, or Office 2003, you will be able
to open, edit, save, and create files using the Open XML Formats new to the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Office 2000 users, as well as users of Windows 2000 SP4 and later, can convert Open XML Formats to binary file formats from within Windows Explorer. |
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Our Support hours are from 08h00 until 18h00 (Monday to Friday) |
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The central Support number is 086 123 HELP (4357) |
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Technical and on-site support is available during normal
business hours: |
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Monday to Friday 08h00 to 17h00. |
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Telephonic support
is available Monday to Friday 08h00 to 18h00 |
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Support e-mail Address:
support@bdse.co.za |
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Support Desk – Web Access:
http://support.bdse.co.za |
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All support requests must be logged through the support desk, either by telephone, email or through the web portal
A field technician is not able to log a support request on your behalf;
Support requests may only be logged by our designated support staff
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Remember to visit our website at
www.bdse.co.za
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Life at B&D |
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| B&D System Engineers understands that there is more to a job than work. |
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Newsletter |
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| Read more about the
latest technology. |
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