New Technology Reviews!.: Costs

Avatar 3D Blu-ray costs £225 on eBay UK

Thereis clearly considerable demand for the 3D Blu-ray version of James Cameron’s Avatar with copies changing hands on <a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AVATAR-3D-BLU-RAY-DVD-VERY-RARE-EXCLUSIVE-AND-GENUINE_W0QQitemZ270673066959QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=178212672614&rvr_id=178212672614&cguid=abd9f2a012c0a0aa1222f712ffd6ae6a">eBayUK for £225</A> and upwards this week. Thereason 3D early adopters are willing to pay so much is because Panasoniccurrently has the exclusive rights to sell the Avatar 3-D Blu-ray with its new 3D TVs. <img alt="£225 for a blu-ray?" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/images/avatar_3d_blu-ray_mockup-420-90.jpg" title="£225 for a blu-ray?" width="420"> Thereis already a handful of decent 3D Blu-ray releases available to the new 3D TVowner this Christmas season, but it is clear from the eBay prices that Avatar is the movie that many want to really show offtheir new purchase to the rest of the family this Yule. Panasonicis selling its new Viera 3D TV along with the copy of Avatar 3D and two pairs of 3D glasses in a ‘3D Full HD UltimatgePack’ to appeal to the hardcore 3D early adopter market. At thetime of going to press, there is no word on when a stand-alone version of Avatar 3D will be made available tonon-Panasonic 3D TV owners. So if youdon’t happen to have bought (or be looking at buying) a Panasonic 3-D TV in thecoming months, yet are still desperate to own Cameron’s 3D blockbuster, you maywell have to dig deep to nab one of the few copies available on online auctionsites. Disneyrecently announced that it is set to release the 3D Blu-ray version of Alicein Wonderland next week, just intime for some surreal 3D fun this Christmas.

Avatar 3D Blu-ray costs £225 on eBay UK

Thereis clearly considerable demand for the 3D Blu-ray version of James Cameron’s Avatar with copies changing hands on eBayUK for £225 and ...

Intex Launches Projector Phone; Costs Rs. 12,000

<img alt="Intex Launches Projector Phone; Costs Rs. 12,000" border="0" height="150" src="/113553matter.jpg" width="200"> Intex has announced its next-generation dual-SIM mobile phone - V Show IN8810 with built-in projector in India. Samsung already has a pico projector based handset - Beam GT-i8520 with Super AMOLED touchscreen. Full touchscreen bearing V Show IN8810 will be made available in India from December 1 for Rs. 12,000. On the other hand, the Beam i8520 with pico projector is available for Rs. 38,000. Of course there's vast difference between both the phones right from the hardware to the software bit. New V Show IN8810 handset can support 36-inch screen size for projection and offers up to 3 hours of projection time. Means you can watch one Hindi movie in a single charge. The LED technology based projection lamp has life of 20,000 hours so after that, the quality will drop or deteriorate. This dual-SIM smartphone supports two GSM+GSM connections. <img align="baseline" border="0" hspace="0" src="/113553intex.jpg"> Its 3.2-inch touchscreen can be used to enjoy multimedia since it carries a video player with a recorder. With mere 64MB internal memory, one can add up to 16GB of memory card to it. Intex has packed a camera in back panel with LED flash to record video at 25 frames per second. A front facing camera is also placed for video chat. The price seems pretty interesting for an LED projector lamp bearing mobile phone. Amongst the recent Android and Symbian based models, this new V Show will hopefully manage to make a room for itself.

Intex Launches Projector Phone; Costs Rs. 12,000

Intex has announced its next-generation dual-SIM mobile phone - V Show IN8810 with built-in projector in India. Samsung already has a pico p...

Report: Xbox Kinect costs just £35 in parts

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Home%20Entertainment/Kinect%20Xbox%20360/product_005-200-200.jpg"> A report has suggested that Microsoft's claim to be making a profit on each Kinect for Xbox 360 it sells is by no means an exaggeration, with a predicted bill of materials cost of just $56 dollars per unit. The <a href="http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4210649/Kinect-s-BOM-roughly--56--teardown-finds-">EETimes report</A> on a teardown by UBM TechInsights suggests that the total cost of materials is just under £35, which given that it sells for £130 in the UK, represents a significant mark-up. Considering that Microsoft is apparently spending a billion dollars split between marketing Kinect and its Windows Phone 7 mobile OS, you can safely project that a good percentage of that profit is going on advertising. R&D Of course, there are other factors such as research and development to consider, something that Microsoft has already publicly stated cost hundreds of million dollars. The console is already selling well in the UK following its launch this week, with demand outstripping supply for the time being. And with the busy Christmas shopping period now in full swing, you'd imagine that Microsoft's big investment will begin to show some returns in the coming weeks.

Report: Xbox Kinect costs just £35 in parts

A report has suggested that Microsoft's claim to be making a profit on each Kinect for Xbox 360 it sells is by no means an exaggeration,...

How Cloud Computing Can Cut Data Center Costs

Cloud computing is the use of computer resources over the Internet, utilizing a remote, dynamic, and scalable computing system. Computer servers provide managed IT services to users remotely, offering a technology infrastructure without requiring an investment in physical computing resources. Essentially, computing systems are available through Internet access rather than expensive in-house systems.Data center services -- from data storage to data protection and disaster recovery -- are available without a costly, dedicated IT department. Instead of having a server room and a complex assortment of computing devices to run business systems, all IT services are available remotely. This paradigm is a massive cost saver because it eliminates the large up-front capital expense of an in-house data center as well as the ongoing operational expense of computer and software maintenance and upgrades, and the IT staff to manage them. Companies that take advantage of cloud computing leverage efficiencies to reduce their operating costs and pass those savings onto their clients.Eliminating Capital ExpendituresThe use of cloud computing eliminates the need for capital expenses involved in information technology. Through cloud computing, IT infrastructure including hardware, software, and services are offered on a utility or subscription plan. This enables any company to have world-class IT infrastructure without having to set up a single piece of hardware or install any software. These benefits nearly totally eliminate barriers to end-user access to necessary services. With managed IT services delivered through the Cloud, costs are tied to use, not physical assets; there is not an up-front set-up or operational cost that would be commensurate with actual use.With remote access to managed IT services through cloud computing, the burden of infrastructure and management are removed from the end user company. World-class design, implementation, and management are handled by the IT service provider as are hardware, software, and firmware. The cloud computing option can more easily adapt to technology innovation and eradicates downtime by employing virtualized resources and redundant systems. Cloud computing offers leading edge capabilities, allowing users to take advantage of technology innovation without the risk inherit in an in-house roll-out. Generally, the cloud computing IT service provider features an expert IT support and service department available 24x7x365 to monitor, report, and correct any issues. This eliminates the risk that the end user organization will be crippled by a problem which their potentially smaller IT department could not immediately resolve.Managing Operating ExpensesIn many rental or leasing programs, the operating costs for the equipment is roughly identical if the equipment was instead bought out-right; the fundamental savings are on the capital expense side. However, with cloud computing, operating expenses can actually be lower than a similar system installed in-house.For example, the average business runs its data center 10 hours a day. During off-hours, the system is typically idle. With cloud computing, IT infrastructure and managed IT services can be utilized around the clock. Computing power is constantly available, maximizing efficiency. This cost savings is passed on to the cloud computing customer. This setup is similar to having a traditional IT department leasing their services during off-hours, reducing costs for everyone involved.Personnel costs are streamlined in the same manner. Most IT implementations do not require a full IT department for routine support, but do need more manpower during outages, upgrades and turnarounds, peak usage loads, or when problems arise. With cloud computing, the IT service provider offers a dedicated. 24x7x365 workforce for data center and managed IT services fields a constant volume of work, offering further reductions to operating costs in relation to in-house technology systems.SecurityData security has rapidly moved into the forefront of most people's minds. From identity theft to corporate espionage and the vandalism of government websites, the safeguards on computer systems have become as important as the lock on the front door.A data center or colocation facility is well-suited to handling the latest security threats and viruses. They are inherently more responsive and flexible because it is their core business. In addition to managing against malignant attacks and natural disasters, data protection, backup, and disaster recovery are vital to any business and its critical customer and operational data. . After just one incident where months or years worth of information is lost, any manager readily appreciates the need for meticulous backups and redundancy.Ultimately, cloud computing leverages technological efficiencies to offer remote services with lower operating costs while eliminating an end user's capital investments. The managed IT services provided are of top quality and are readily accessible through always-on Internet portals. Dedicated staff, hardware, and software solutions are utilized in an on-demand configuration for safe, secure, and effective data storage and management.	 	 		 			 				 					 						Steve Bulmer is CTO and an author for Consonus, a solutions provider of <a href="http://www.consonus.com/" target="_new">data center services</a>, IT consulting and infrastructure and managed services. Consonus offers <a href="http://www.consonus.com/data-centers/data-center-virtualization.aspx" target="_new">cloud computing</a> virtual systems tailor-made to fit any business need.

How Cloud Computing Can Cut Data Center Costs

Cloud computing is the use of computer resources over the Internet, utilizing a remote, dynamic, and scalable computing system. Computer ...