20 biggest tech launches of 2008

[soniyaa]

The year 2008 was a hot year on product launches front. The year saw some of the coolest technology debuts across categories: mobiles, cameras, software, LCDs .... These launches pushed the benchmarks higher in their respective categories. Some got applause for their looks, others for features and some for their attractive pricing. Here's bringing to you some of the biggest product launches of the year 2008.

[soniyaa]

Google Chrome

Internet search giant Google made its surprise entry in the browser space with Chrome. The Google browser aims to take on Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla Foundation's Firefox. Google termed the launch as "a fresh take on the browser." Among the key features, Chrome puts the tab ****ons on the upper side of the window, not below the address bar like those seen in Firefox and Internet Explorer. Web programmes can be launched in their own dedicated windows. As a default homepage, the browser offers a "speed dial" feature, similar to the one in Opera browser. This gives users a view of their most visited Web pages in nine screenshot thumbnails. Similarly, users can also view some of their recent searches, recently bookmarked pages and recently closed tabs. Like IE8, Chrome also comes with privacy mode or **** mode feature. This mode lets users create an "incognito" window where "nothing that occurs in that window is ever logged onto your computer." This is a read-only feature with access to one's bookmarks or favorite sites. The browser has an address bar ‘omnibox' with auto-completion features. It offers search suggestions, top pages that a user visited and pages he didn’t visit but are popular. The omnibox also gives suggests searches. For safe browsing experience, Chrome will regularly keep on downloading a list of harmful sites. This is the Internet search giant's attempt to fight malware and phishing attacks. The browser also supports multi-tasking. Just like in a typical operating system each application is given its own memory and its own copy of global data structures. Applications will launch in their own windows so that if one should hang or crash it won’t affect the others.

[soniyaa]

Apple 3G iPhone

July 2008 saw the launch of second-generation Apple iPhone. Called 3G iPhone, the gadget earned rave reviews for its unique design, touchscreen interface and other features, though many lamented lack of common features like higher megapixel camera, flash support, message forwarding and MMS capability. In looks, the phone's black plastic skin back has been replaced by silver-aluminum back. While the 8GB model comes in black only, the 16GB version is available in both black and white. Weighing 4.8 ounces, the 3G iPhone measures 0.48 inches. The 3G technology gives iPhone fast access to the Internet and email over cellular networks around the world. The new version also makes it possible to surf the Web, download email, get directions, and watch video -- even while users are on a call. The touchscreen phone promises 5 hours of 3G talktime, 10 hours of 2G talktime, 5 hours of 3G Internet time, 6 hours of Wi-Fi Internet time, 7 hours of video playback, 24 hours of audio playback, and 12.5 days standby time. In India, the phone is offered by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, who sell the 8GB model for Rs 31,000 and 16GB for Rs 36,100.

[soniyaa]

Firefox 3.0

The latest version of Mozilla Foundation's popular browser Firefox 3.0 went live in June this year. The new version adds several new features that enhances the users browsing experience as well as makes it more secure. In fact, Mozilla claims that Firefox 3.0 runs twice as fast as the previous version while using less memory. An important addition in the version is One-click site info where the users can click the site favicon in the location bar to see who owns the site and to check if their connection is protected from eavesdropping. Also, the Identity verification is prominently displayed in the new version. When a site uses Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificates, the site favicon ****on will turn green and show the name of the company users are connected to. The new version has enhanced malware protection which warns users when they enter a site which can install viruses, spyware, trojans or other malware. Version 3 also lets users to access Web Forgery Protection page that displays the content suspected of web forgeries. Also, the new version of Firefox automatically checks new add-ons and plugins and will disable older, insecure versions. Another interesting feature is 'Smart Bookmarking' which lets users add bookmarks from the location bar with a single click. A dropdown box will let him name it, choose a folder to put it in as well as add a tag to categorise it

[soniyaa]

Sony Reader PRS-505

Another big launch of the year was Sony e-book reader PRS-505. The reader uses an electronic paper display developed by E Ink Corporation, that has 170 dpi (dot per inch) resolution and eight-level grayscale. The Reader is viewable in direct sunlight, requires no power to maintain the image, and offers portrait or landscape orientation. Measuring 175 x 122 x 8 mm, the Reader weighs 250 grams. It has a 6-inch SVGA display, and comes with the memory capacity of 256MB with memory slot. The Reader can hold around 160 eBooks. It offers minimum font size of 6 pt. Sony Reader comes bundled with Sony's software called Connect. It also supports Windows XP, but does not work on Windows Vista. The reader supports Sony’s BBeB (BroadBand eBook, LRX or LRF), TXT, RTF and PDF file formats.