Technology Effect

Microsoft and Nokia have announced that they are holding a joint event later this month in Cologne, Germany. The party is set for August 17 and promises “exciting actions and surprises” that will make it an evening to remember. Free food, free drinks, live act, and DJ, what else could you ask for? Well, maybe Nokia’s first Windows Phone Mango device? Microsoft’s Windows Phone Mango update was recently released to manufacturing, which supports a rumored September launch of various Mango devices. A Fujitsu-Toshiba handset with Mango has already been officially revealed, but it’s set for a Japan-only release. Nokia’s Mango device, codenamed the “Sea Ray” was leaked in June when Nokia CEO Stephen Elop unveiled the handset in an internal meeting. The device appears near identical to the Nokia N9 that runs on the MeeGo OS, featuring a sleek button-less front-face covered with gorilla glass on a pillow-shaped body sporting an 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. Another vide

Sony’s first entries into the tablet market are the codenamed S1 and S2 Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets. The company has already revealed them to the public with plenty of teaser videos and even a press preview, although most details on the tablets still remain a mystery. Today, however, some new information on these slates have emerged. According to CNET, a source familiar with the company’s plans for the S1 and S2 tablets, says that the duo will be available in both 16GB and 32GB models. The S1 tablet will have both a Wi-Fi-only model as well as a Wi-Fi and 3G model. The S2, however, will only come in a Wi-Fi and 3G capable model. Additionally, the source points out that the S1 will feature a 9.4-inch IPS display with TruBlack and Bravia display technologies as well as a full-sized SD card slot. And when probed about battery life, the source mentioned that the S1 is “comparable to the iPad 2.” Accessories such as a dock and at least one Bluetooth keyboard are planned f

A screenshot of multimedia design program Adobe Edge as provided by Adobe Systems. (Adobe Systems) Adobe Systems released Edge — their HTML5 design tool — at midnight Monday. Edge is the most aggressive move yet by Adobe to establish a foothold among developers in the HTML5 arena. Edge is a motion and interaction design tool for visual web and interactive designers who want to use web standards to create animated Web content in HTML, CSS and java script. Edge works natively with Web standards, rather than working with a proprietary format, allowing designers to bring in an existing design and enhance it. Asked if Edge is a sign that Adobe is abandoning its multimedia platform, Flash, Adobe’s Web Segment Group Product Manager Devin Fernandez said that wasn’t the case, insisting the development of Edge is an addition to Adobe’s suite of multimedia design products — not a replacement. Fernandez cited Flash’s continued use in high-end video and data-driven a

Miriam Salpeter If you have an ear to the online sphere, you know Google+, Google’s newest social platform, is all the rage. While Google+ is still in invitation-only mode, early results indicate it could be a keeper. The Wall Street Journal estimates Google+ had 20 million visitors in three weeks. (Google declines to comment, and leaders are cagey when asked for specifics.) Many early adopters are excitedly proclaiming the new network a replacement for everything from LinkedIn to Twitter to Facebook. No one knows how things will shake out in the social networking sphere, but there is no doubt Google+ heightens the importance of your Google profile. If you use Google for search and have a profile already, you may have noticed Google provides search results “from people you know.” Current Google search results may include links (even on page one) identified as being shared by your community, assuming your contacts sha

Skype 5.5 for Windows was officially released Wednesday after being available in beta form, and the Internet calling software and the social network continue to become more intertwined. The update allows users to see which of their Facebook friends are online and instant-message with them via a Facebook Contacts tab, without leaving the application. Users can also perform Facebook tasks including status updates, commenting on posts, and liking posts directly via the Skype homepage. Skype 5.5 for Windows also features streamlined controls for video and group calls, a new call control toolbar with redesigned icons, easier saving of phone numbers in the section labeled “call phones,” and an improved graphics interface when calls are placed on hold. Readers, are you using Skype 5.5 for Windows yet?