OpenOffice has just hit a big milestone in that it has passed the 300 Million download mark just recently. This number was reached in almost 8 years as the project was first started in April 2002.

For those of you who are not aware of what OpenOffice is, it’s a free alternative to Microsoft Office and allows users to create documents, spreadsheets and do most other things that the paid MS version of the software can do.

300 Million downloads represents a good number of users who have downloaded or re-downloaded the software since it’s launch. [Read more…]

Apple [AAPL] have taken their store down (globally) which indicates they are updating with new products, changes to products or perhaps something not worth worrying about. What we do know about is Aperture 3 which was just published as a press release this morning. Other updates “might” include pricing for the UK iPad.

Apple Aperture 3

Aperture 3 is Apple’s photo editing software that has just received an update to version 3. The new version includes over 200 new features that includes Faces, Places and Brushes.

The software makes it easier to organise photo libraries. Other features include the ability to quickly edit pictures and give 1 click photo effects. [Read more…]

TomTom uses a system called IQ Routes that uses real time and historical data to calculate the optimal route to your destination. By recording speeds of traffic at all times of the day the system knows which roads are slow and which route will get you to your destination the quickest. Two years worth of data has been collected with average speeds being calculated on free flowing highways in the US and the data reveals that people in the US don’t speed in general.

The report found that in some cases, speed limits were exceeded but in general the average speed was below the limits imposed on the roads tracked. Although we mentioned IQ Routes in the title of this post and the post it’s self, the data is actually calculated using data from Speed Profiles who provide the historical database to TomTom and integrated as IQ Routes. The data is collected anonymously from GPS units sat in cars that are connected up via a mobile phone’s data plan so real time information can be collected. [Read more…]

Fujifilm and IBM have been working on increasing the capacity of magnetic tape and have managed to create a tape capable of storing up to 35TB of data on it. 35TB allows the tape to hold the contents of 35 million books which if printed/shelved they would require a shelf 248 miles long.

The 35TB capacity has increase storage by 44 times compared to the next largest tape and has been achieved by making the magnetic particles smaller and still capable of keeping their state. The tape measures 800 meters in length and per square inch 29.5 billion bits of data can be stored. [Read more…]

Apple introduced a couple of iMac’s last year that had screens measuring 21.5 inches and 27 inches. Digitimes are now reporting that Apple [AAPL] are to introduce a 22 inch model that will function as an “all-in-one” type device complete with a multi-touch screen.

I doubt the iMac all in one is going to be announced at the Apple event next week, but perhaps we will see the new iMac launched later on this year.

Production of the 22 inch iMac will go to Quanta and Sintek Photronic are apparently supplying the touchscreens for the unit. [Read more…]

Over the last few weeks rumours of an event by Apple [AAPL] have been floating around with some people believing that the Apple iSlate would be making an appearance at this event. Official confirmation has now come through saying that an event will be held on January 27.

At the moment Apple have just said that the event is being held to show off their “latest creation” with no indication of what that creation might be.

The event is to take place at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts Theater in San Francisco at 10am pacific time at which point all rumours of an iSlate or a tablet device will be proved true or a pile of rubbish. [Read more…]

Motorola are launching two new satnavs called the TN700 and the TN500. Each of the devices are described as being connected although connectivity needs to be done with a bluetooth connection to a mobile phone with a dataplan.

When connected up the Motorola satnavs use data from Google to augment the internal POI database allowing for more location based POI’s to be downloaded from the web while on the move. [Read more…]

A new patent was published yesterday morning that shows an insight what Apple could be coming up with for the next few months. The title of the image above indicates that the next gen iPhone could have an advanced touchscreen. Also the patent indicates that iPod Touch and MacBooks as well as a MacBook tablet device are also to be included in this.

‘Apple’s patent generally relates to displays having pixels that include capacitive elements, and more particularly to displays in which capacitive elements of the pixels that form part of the display system that generates an image on the display also form part of a touch sensing system that senses touch events on or near the display.”

[Read more…]

If you are baffled by the choice of GPS navigation systems available to you and you are looking for something that is easy to use, looks good and is not bulky, then the newly announced TomTom Ease may be for you. The TomTom Ease features a sleek light weight design and integrated EasyPort mount – making the device the most compact TomTom device available yet. The TomTom Ease, and the attached mount, can easily fit into a pocket, purse or small glove compartment. [Read more…]

Skype have announced that they are soon to launch Skype functionality for HD TV’s. Some new TV’s in 2010 will come with Skype firmware installed allowing for calls to be made through the TV allowing users to step away from the computer.

Also new Skype software for the PC has been launched. The new version is Skype 4.2 Beta that allows users to make HD calls from their PC at a 720p resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.

‘With HD-quality Skype video calls, we can bring our users even closer to the ones they love through an even richer, more meaningful video calling experience, said Josh Silverman, CEO of Skype. ‘Imagine being able to see the sparkle of your grandchild’s eyes or the setting of your best friend’s engagement ring. Through the innovation of Skype’s engineers and our hardware partners, these scenarios are now possible without having to buy expensive equipment or software.

[Read more…]

A new system has been created by Microsoft that could see Guitar Hero being played with an air guitar. The system is called the muscle computer interface.

The new technology uses EMG sensors places around muscles in the arms that detect movement from your hands and fingers. By placing the sensors on to the arm it allows for a more hands free operation for times when you are unable to hold a remote control or game controller. Other ideas are that of controlling an iPod type device while jogging allowing you to switch tracks or change volume by just flexing a muscle or two. [Read more…]

Blu-ray discs could soon see the storage capacities increased from 25GB to 33.4GB per layer thanks to a new methods of reading and writing data.

The science behind the new capacity is quite detailed and involves something known as i-MLSE (Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation) that in the near future will be calculated real time allowing for the larger capacities to be read successfully. [Read more…]