Skype for Symbian Phones (Nokia)

One day after Skype yanked support for Windows and Java mobiles, citing a lack of consistent quality across handsets, the proprietary VoIP outfit is showing its love for Symbian. Skype’s free mobile app for Nokia’s Symbian OS has left the beta stage and is now available directly from the mobile Ovi Store or alternatively the Skype website. Skype for Symbian will run on any Nokia smartphone using Symbian^1, the latest version of the mobile OS. (A list of the compatible devices is available here). The app works over both a 3G mobile data connection or WiFi, and it allows users to make free Skype-to-Skype calls across the globe, along with gratis instant messaging, text messaging, and picture and video sharing.

Earlier this month, Skype announced a partnership with the mobile carrier Verizon to make a similar smartphone app for select BlackBerry and Android phones on Verizon’s network. It would seem as VoIP applications spread across more mobile devices, service providers must warm up to the idea that data plans will replace voice as the main source of revenue. Skype already runs on the iPhone over WiFi only, although a 3G-enabled version is expected soon. The company said "soon" it will update the Symbian app so that it will work on Symbian mobiles from other manufacturers, including Sony Ericsson. ®

 

Source : TheRegister.co.uk

Image Source : Skype Xtras

Mac Upgrade Kit Includes Sledgehammer and Checkbook

According to this spoof, “upgrading your Mac is now easy as forking over the cash for a new one.” PC and Mac owners alike, what is your take on upgrading?

Skype absolves Microsoft from outage blame

Skype has clarified an earlier statement which appeared to blame Microsoft’s monthly patch for last week’s outage of the VoIP service. Skype had attributed the two-day crash of its service to a large number of Windows users logging on after rebooting their systems to install Microsoft’s monthly updates. The flood of log-on requests effectively launched a denial-of-service attack against Skype’s log-on service.

Owing to a lack of additional information, the justification seemed to blame Microsoft. On Tuesday, however, Skype posted a full admission that sought to clear the software giant.”We do not blame anyone but ourselves,” wrote Skype spokesman Villu Arak in a blog posting. “The Microsoft Update patches were merely a trigger for a series of events that led to the disruption of Skype, not the root cause of it. And Microsoft has been very helpful and supportive throughout.”

Can your backup solution do this? (DPM 2007)

DPM

Well then you need to head on over to the DPM Team blog or Jason Buffington’s blog and start learning about Data Protection Manager 2007 and the other magic he has up his sleeve. In fact, Jason just posted a nice screencast at http://blogs.technet.com/jbuff/archive/2007/08/20/how-dpm-filter-technology-really-works.aspx on the VSS writers that are used to backup the workloads they expect to be important to you. Check it out!

Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.1 Released

WVHA is a scalable agent-less assessment tool that integrates information from multiple network sources and assists customers and partners to determine the readiness of their workstations and laptops for Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office. WVHA provides in-depth analysis of hardware, installed software and device compatibility and delivers specific and actionable upgrade recommendations for each PC discovered on the network for migration to Windows Vista and 2007 Microsoft Office. This tool does not require any “agent” software to be installed or deployed on machines inventoried and thus simplifies setup and usage.

wvha21

What’s New in WVHA 2.1?
This new release incorporates feedback from many Microsoft partners, customers and field employees and includes new capabilities including:
# Faster discovery of large enterprises up to 25,000 workstations and servers

# Localized versions available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, LATAM Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese

# Inventory by network subnet (IP range scanning)

# SNMP discovery that gives customers and partners the ability discover non-Windows machines and network devices

Amazon leaks price, date of first Windows Home Server box

Details and prices of the first home server running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Home Server software were posted briefly on several online stores yesterday. Systems are scheduled to ship Sept. 15 at prices starting at $599.

According to listings on such e-tailing sites as Amazon.com, PCMall.com and onSale.com, Hewlett-Packard Co.’s MediaSmart Home Server will be sold in two models at prices of $599 and $749. The pair are identical with the exception of the amount of included storage: the $599 server contains 500GB, while the $759 unit offers 1TB.

Both servers will be powered by a 1.8-GHz Sempron processor from Advanced Micro Devices Inc., and come bundled with HP’s Photo Webshare software, an add-on to Windows Home Server (WHS) that builds a photo-sharing Web site and serves it from the MediaSmart box. None of the for-sales listings spelled out the amount of memory in the servers, however.

Google Earth given celestial view

The constellations of Andromeda, Hydra and Vulpecula are now just a mouse click away for amateur star-gazers, following the launch of Google Sky. The tool is an add-on to Google Earth, a program that allows users to search a 3D rendition of our planet’s surface. Sky will allow astronomers a chance to glide through images of more than one million stars and 200 million galaxies. Optional layers allow users to explore images from the Hubble Space Telescope as well as animations of lunar cycles.

“The basic idea is to take Google Earth and turn it on its head,” Ed Parsons, Geospatial technologist at Google told the BBC News website. “So rather than using it to view imagery of the Earth, use it to view imagery of space.” Dr John Mason of the British Astronomical Association, Britain’s largest body for amateur astronomers said: “Light pollution and air pollution is now so bad in many areas that all you can see when you look up is a few dozen stars. If this helps people to realise just what they are missing, it is a jolly good thing.”