Nokia-branded batteries at risk of overheating -- 46 million devices affected

Here we go again kids. After all those notorious fires related to the batteries used by the world's largest handset manufacturer, Nokia has issued a product advisory for the BL-5C, Nokia-branded battery. That's right, Nokia branded, not just those third-party knockoffspointing the finger at previously. A staggering 46 million batteries in fact, all manufactured by Matsushita (aka, Panasonic) between December 2005 and November 2006, are said to be at risk of "dislodge." According to the release, "in very rare cases" the Nokia-branded BL-5C batteries could short circuit leading to an explosive burn. Nokia goes on to say that the danger only exists while charging the battery and of the 100 or so reported incidents, "no serious injuries or property damage have been reported." Oh really? So the loss of a leg no longer constitutes serious injury? The BL-5C is one of just 14 different batteries used in Nokia products so be sure to check the list below to see if your phone is one of the 52 Nokia handsets affected. If you're unlucky (or lucky, depending upon your viewpoint) enough to be affected, then Nokia will provide a replacement battery free of charge.

Update: We just received word from Nokia that the "overheating" referred to in their advisory will not result in an explosion or even a fire. At worst, batteries will "overheat, expand, and pop out of the phone (due to the expansion of the battery)." Of course, it states right on the battery that it "may explode if damaged" and "do not short circuit" so this little clarification likely won't make you feel any better now will it?
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Sync, world's best MP3 player/phone car integration system

If you'll be buying one of the 12 vehicles in the Ford, Lincoln or Mercury brands with the option to get your music, phone and text messaging all in SyncMicrosoft-Ford accessory for less than the cost of an iPhone and just a bit more expensive than a Zune. Ford just released information on pricing and the vehicles the system will be initially available in, and we've got the whole scoop below the jump. If you remember, we had the chance to do an exclusive hands-on with the Sync system back in January before the Detroit Auto Show, and we've got to say again there's no in-vehicle integration system that works better out on the market. At least one of us would gladly pay $395 for the system -- there's only that one catch -- we're not planning on buying a Ford anytime soon. Rats -- foiled again! via bluetooth, we've now found out you'll be able to get the

FORD SYNC WILL MAKE IN-CAR CONNECTIVITY MORE AFFORDABLE THAN EVER

* Ford Sync™ - developed in collaboration with Microsoft - is a fully integrated, voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system that works with most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital media players.
* Sync will be standard on Lincoln products and widely available on Ford and Mercury vehicles. Option price: $395.
* Sync will be available in 12 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products beginning this fall, and in nearly all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products within two years.

DEARBORN, Mich., August 9, 2007 - Ford Motor Company today confirmed the distribution and pricing strategy of Ford Sync, an advanced in-car communication and entertainment system developed in collaboration with Microsoft. Sync will be standard on Lincoln vehicles and widely available on Ford and Mercury vehicles. In most cases, Sync will be included as standard equipment on high-series models from Ford and Mercury - the Ford Edge Limited or Ford Focus SES, for example. On models where Sync is optional, it will be priced at $395.

"Consumer reaction to Sync has been extremely positive since our launch earlier this year," says Cisco Codina, Ford's group vice president of North America Marketing, Sales and Service. "This positive reaction has convinced us to make the system widely available across our range of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products. The simplicity and capability of Sync have tremendous appeal and the affordability we are confirming today is certain to drive ever greater interest."

Sync is a Ford-exclusive technology based on Microsoft Auto software which provides consumers the convenience and flexibility to bring digital media players - Apple iPods, Microsoft Zunes, and other MP3 players - and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones into their vehicle and operate the devices via voice commands or with the vehicle's steering wheel or radio controls. Simply stated: with Sync, consumers are able to use their voice to command their digital media players and Bluetooth mobile phones.

Sync is an on-board computer platform loaded with software that seamlessly integrates the vehicle with today's popular portable electronic devices. Since it is a software-based system, it is updatable and should be able to support the devices and services of tomorrow.

"Drivers want a simple solution to stay connected to the information, entertainment and people most important to them while on the road," said Velle Kolde, product manager of Microsoft's Automotive Business Unit. "Ford Sync, based on the Microsoft Auto software platform, is an updatable, smart and convenient solution for connecting your car with your life."

Demand for In-Car Connectivity is on the Rise

According to research firm IDC (www.IDC.com), the popularity of digital media players continues to grow. A survey in 2006 found nearly 25 percent of U.S. households had at least one media player and ownership among younger consumers was even higher: nearly 60 percent of people aged 18 to 24 owned at least one.

In a related trend, Ford research indicates that over 70 percent of new car buyers are now looking for the ability to use digital media players in their new cars.

Likewise, mobile phone use is commonplace in North America. There are more than 200 million mobile phones in the U.S., according to the Consumer Electronics Association. More mobile phones than ever are Bluetooth enabled. Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications mechanism that replaces traditional cable connections for portable devices. Using Bluetooth technology, Ford Sync can seamlessly connect to a user's mobile phone while it is in the vehicle.

According to the Bluetooth SIG, the special-interest group that manages the Bluetooth protocol, the top-selling phones of all major U.S. carriers have been Bluetooth enabled since 2006 and approximately 70 percent of new mobile phones sold today are Bluetooth enabled.

Ford Sync Becomes Widely Availability

Sync will be available on nearly all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products within two years. The launch will begin this fall, initially with the Ford Focus, Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX. By the end of the year, Sync will be standard or available on the following 2008 model-year vehicles:

Ford Edge

Mercury Sable

Lincoln MKX

Ford Explorer

Mercury Milan

Lincoln MKZ

Ford Explorer Sport Trac

Mercury Mountaineer

Ford Focus
Ford Fusion
Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus X

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 260,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com

Bluetooth Weakness Raises Call Interception Problem

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The fact that phone conversations supported by Bluetooth technology are subdued to the danger of being intercepted has been proved. Eavesdroppers now have a new technologically evolved solution for listening to people's personal conversations, all with the littlest effort.

The greatest danger that this action involves is that it needs only little resources and can be conducted just about by anyone. Moreover, this possibility has been available for some time now and nothing has been done in order to reduce its consequences.

The main problem that makes it possible for third parties to intercept the conversations between other people stands in the way headsets establish their connection with mobile phones. Wireless headsets are "paired" with cellulars through a secure password which is, in theory, meant to make sure that nobody else can enter the connection between these two devices, no matter whether that happens accidentally or on purpose.

Still, many mobile phones never actually reach the "pairing mode" status, which leaves their connection open for eavesdroppers. A large number of handsets are set to stand by default in pairing mode, although it is recommended that users activate the service by themselves every time they need it. Moreover, they should change their PIN number when that is possible, in order to increase security level.

Instructions on how to build yourself an antenna rifle capable of intercepting phone calls using Bluetooth technology can be easily found over the internet. The thing that makes it accessible for just about anyone is that it needs only few and cheap parts. All that it needs is three foot-long common or garden yagi array antenna to the barrel of a standard rifle. Its performance is a fairly high one, as it can intercept calls from distances larger than one kilometer.

The Bluetooth SIG is trying to work with this problem and has just announced a "Core Specification Version 2.1+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)" Bluetooth firmware. This is meant to improve security by using a simple six digit passkey instead of a 16 digit alphanumeric character random PIN code.

42 Loudspeakers and 6 Channels in a Box? Yamaha YSP4000 "Surround Bar"

Well folks, it looks like October will bring very good things closer to our craving fingers and ears, as the Yamaha YSP-4000 will be on the loose then. You still have some 2 and a half months to have about $1,800 ready by then, so you can be sure you'll get this wonderful piece of audio surround tech.

So, what's on, might you ask? The Yamaha YSP-4000, that's what's on. This large loudspeaker is called a Sound Projector; it is the result of long researches following the success of the initial YSP-1, but everything has been taken to the next level or even the next level after it as the Yamaha YSP-4000 manages to embed pretty much all the tech support you could ever dream about these days.

Basically, the Yamaha YSP-4000 is a large box loaded (and I really mean LOADED) with no less than 42 speakers: 40 "beam drivers" and 2 woofers, all administered by most complex sound processors and crossovers, managing to reproduce the sound and feel of real 6-channel sound arrays spread in your room.

The Yamaha YSP-4000 sports nothing but the wiring connected at the back panel and can reside above or below your TV, on a stand or shelf, or even wall-mounted in the case of flatpanel TVs.

The Yamaha YSP-4000 comes XM Satellite Radio ready and sports 2 HDMI input/outputs; even more, there is little technology not present in the Yamaha YSP-4000 or at least fully supported. This Sound Projector runs with XMHD, Neural Surround, HDMI, Dolby Digital, Pro logic II, DTS, SRS and is... you've guessed it, iPod-ready as well. You name it, the YSP-4000 sports it!

Even if the Yamaha YSP-4000 is not a wall-wrecker, the 6-channeled 120W are more than enough to fill your room with rich, enveloping sound. If you feel like getting rid of wires in your surround sound endeavors and are a sucker for new, very cool tech, the Yamaha YSP-4000 may be your dream come true.

IRISPen 6, The Perfect Tool for Cheating at Exams

Although portable scanners are not as popular as they used to be a few years ago, there are still some companies out there that roll ouch such devices, albeit very specialized and advanced ones. And the latest announcement of this type comes from the Belgian company I.R.I.S. Group, who has just launched the IRISPen 6, a portable scanner that features an enhanced OCR engine as well as a lot of very useful and user-friendly functions.

The most important advantage provided by the IRISPen 6 is the fact that it actually replaces manual encoding work with fast and accurate scanning (like any scanner does, except for the fact that this particular device is portable). The fact of the matter is that the technical specs of the device itself are not very impressive, the secret of its advanced recognition features laying with the included software.

This, the device comes packed with several important software applications, including an advanced and highly accurate OCR engine, which allows the users to insert the printed text directly into their software applications. And since we've mentioned cheating in the title, it's worth mentioning the fact that it can be used for scanning various lecture materials and taking them along to the exam room, stored in the memory of any device with text viewing capabilities (namely, a smartphone or PDA).

Here's what Pierre De Muelenaere, President and CEO of the I.R.I.S. Group, had to say about this product: "We have already previewed the IRISPen 6 at several retail shows around the world and have seen a great interest and enthusiasm from the buyers. We are convinced that this product, with all its enhancements, will be a new hit for I.R.I.S. The new OCR engine, developed by our own R&D team, is very powerful. Retyping the text you need is only a matter of very few seconds".

The IRISPen 6 is available in 3 different versions: IRISPen Express, the entry-level version, priced at around 130 US dollars, the IRISPen Executive, which is the fully-featured high-end version (available at a MSRP of around 200 US dollars), and finally, the IRISPen Translator, a dedicated recognition and translation tool (with a price tag of around 150 US dollars).