Discover The Latest Technological (science news) News

September 1st, 2008 admin Posted in news |

By Shaun Parker

The world of technology is in disarray and not just because of the old news that is the Yahoo takeover by Microsoft. The EU are at loggerheads with the US over the tariffs that are charged for high tech goods. The problem is focussed around the EU hiking up prices on a number of goods including multi-function printers and TV set-top boxes that have internet capabilities.

The US are not happy as they believe this to be in violation of the terms of the World Trade Organisations Information Technology Agreement, or ITA which eliminated duties om high tech products from 1997 to encourage trade. The EU began charging duties on these specified products since 2005 arguing that they are no longer exclusively high tech products, they are in fact consumer products and therefore fair game.

The US are none too happy about this and the mediations have broken down. The US have called in the World Trade Organisation asking them to mediate the situation as formal consultations between the US and EU to resolve the US concerns about the suspected violation of the 1996 WTO accord have broken down. The US believe that EU tariffs are inconsistent with the WTO accord and they discourage technological development in the IT sector.

Another organisation which has the net worth of a small nation which has been in the news recently is Apple. The word on the massively lucrative cyber street is that Apple has recently overtaken Google in the market value race. The source is in fact Mac Daily News however it has not been contested by anyone from Google, they claim that Apple is worth 157,012,662,240 dollars compared to Google at 156,392,862,560 leaving a difference of 619,799,680 dollars.

Although these figures look more like IP addresses, Microsoft are still the daddy with a net value of over 250 billion dollars. The unfathomable wealth of these companies could clear national debts of various developed counties, solve world hunger or fund the Elton John 70th Birthday party however at the moment the global battle of these companies still rages.

One of the top companies Google does seem to have a pre-occupation with worthy causes, as it has set a company called Google dot org which is researching into sustainable energy sources. 10.25 million dollars has been pumped into climate and energy initiatives such as solar thermal power and wind energy sources. Currently it might seem like a good cause as such, however Google could stand to make a bundle if the research bears fruit.

Shaun Parker is a correspondent covering technology news and an expert on information technology.

A Guide To The Latest News From The Camera World
By Dominic Donaldson

The IFA is the world show for consumer gadgets and there have been some mouth watering unveilings taking place in Berlin for IFA 2008. Although this year has been set to be dominated by the HDTV crowd as the technology has become mainstream, there are some other areas of interest such as audio and digital camera technology. This article provides objective coverage of the latest technological advances in the world of digital cameras.

Big news dominating the IFA is the buzz that Microsoft and Nikon have signed a patent cross-licensing agreement. This will help the development of current and future product lines by sharing technology to make products more compatible. The two giants have had a long standing relationship and this agreement will allow them innovate openly creating new features for customers. It is set to improve the Nikon range of digital cameras making them even more compatible with editing software.

Another leader in digital cameras is Samsung who have recently announced their new line of digital LCD photo frames. There are four different models just launched and will be available from September from 120-200 dollars, and if you are saying, that is one expensive photo frame then wait to hear some of the features.

They have a touch screen feature which allows you to browse photos, WiFi connectivity and Samsungs InfoLink fature which allows you to get over 400 channels of news, sports and financial info. They can also be used as a second monitor for your computer so they are not just to use with digital cameras.

If you need to print on the go then Canon has launched the ultimate companion to your latest digital camera. The Selphy printer Duo includes the ES3 and Es30 which are the latest models replacing the ES2 and ES20 respectively. They are the ultimate in portable printer practicalities with sport carrying handles and compact, sleek design. Other improved features are the LCD screens and the new image effects which have been added to the print options.

As a companion to your protable printer Cannon have announced the launch of the digital camera EOS 50D DSLR which will not generally be compatible because if you spend this much on a camera you might be wanting better print quality than either of the Selphy Duo have to offer.

It comes in at around 1500GBP however you get what you pay for with 6.3 frames per second shooting speed in bursts of up to 90 jpegs, ISO levels of 3200 that are expandable to an ultra sensitive 12,800 and an improved self cleaning sensor unit, however the price tag pushes it toward the professional.

Dominic Donaldson is a journalist covering digital cameras and writes on all aspects of the photographic industry.

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