After playing with the new Modu cellphone system, I'm impressed about how well their idea works. The core module integrates very well with the jackets, even if some were not operative. it feels very much like Apple's philosophy—allegedly one of Modu's role models. Could this idea work in the consumer electronics jungle? After seeing it in action, Modu may have a chance.

First of all, Modu will have to pull the support from service providers and third-parties. Right now it is getting it from Israel, where Modu hails from, and European companies like giant carrier Telecom Italia and GPS-maker Magellan.

Secondly, it's about the hardware. The product itself is almost there. The core module is very small and feels solid, with a simple domino-like user interface that is very easy to understand and use, with a micro-USB interface and a proprietary port on the bottom.

The current prototypes, however, only have two hours of talk time and three hours of music playback (with 72 hours' standby time). While very similar to other cellphones of this size, this is a design trade-off that, if not solved, may prove a challenge for Modu. The good thing is that the jackets have their own battery power, which is added to the battery of the core module. when the core module is inside a jacket you will, allegedly, have the typical battery life of whatever device Modu is impersonating at the time.

The tiny handset has a minimalist interface, is extremely light and responsive. The jackets, which have extra hardware and software to expand the phone's abilities, can convert it into a multimedia player, a big-screen PDA or gaming handheld, whatever you may think about. it can also add a personality to stand-alone devices. Their idea is that Modu will be the center of an inexpensive "gadget ecosystem," carrying your personality and data into both specialized and generic devices, like computers and TVs.

Think of it like a Nintendo cartridge, providing abilities and functions to the basic system. Instead of plugging into a console, however, it is the main system that gets inserted into the cartridge, a hardware envelope that may have bigger screens, different hardware input interfaces, extra storage, ports or any other features the hardware designers think about.

And these hardware envelopes are not just about functionality. Modu thinks that many consumers will be attracted to the idea of customizing their core modules with jackets that not only provide extra functionality but are also an aesthetic statement. Working with partners, Modu says there can be specially designed and branded jackets (think high-class fashion brands or sport teams) that will give users a way to customize their daily experience in any way they want.

The whole take-my-personal-data everywhere makes sense. it is, after all, what we are all doing on a daily basis with our regular phones and multimedia players. Apple has the same thing in mind with their home-to-go iPod patents—which have yet to arrive to an actual product—using the ubiquitous media player as a personal data pod that would allow you to bring your personal info, music, photos, favorites, hottest documents and passwords everywhere you go. Connect it to a computer and the computer will basically adopt your personality for as long as the pod is connected.

Modu wants the same thing—not centered around the computer but, rather, expanded into whatever device you may have on you. The difference between Modu and Apple, however, is that the Cupertino Massive already has its own ecosystem, which started with the Mac, followed with the iPod and, after the latter's raging success, spread through a multitude of devices that have iPod connectors.

In the case of Modu, we will have to wait to see who exactly joins the party and how the consumers respond.

Send an email to Jesus Diaz, the author of this post, at jesus@gizmodo.com.

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Norwich Union is offering an usage-based auto insurance policy called "Pay as You Drive". the insurance firm uses GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to calculate monthly insurance premiums based on when, where and how often the car is used, to give the customer better control over the monthly premiums, according to Norwich Union of the U.K. Norwich Union is the U.K. business of British insurer Aviva Plc.

The in-car GPS devices allow Norwich Union to build the insurance policy around each individual motorist, according to Norwich Union. Customers will receive monthly bills based on car usage, including time of day, type of road, and mileage, the company said. the bills will look similar to mobile phone bills, with the premiums for each trip calculated and totaled, it added. This transparent approach will help customers control their auto insurance, Norwich Union added. the pricing for "Pay as You Drive" insurance can begin from as low as a penny per mile.

The "Pay as You Drive" insurance also allows a range of in-car features including round the clock access to a personal assistant through the car's in-car assistance Button that can provide the user with help and support in the event of an accident or breakdown, a free 30-day trial of satellite navigation and a free 30-day trial of speed camera detection, according to Norwich Union.

The Teradata warehouse provides a scalable, high-performance and data warehouse for collecting, correlating and analyzing the data generated for the new insurance policy, according to Teradata. the analytical power and scalability of the Teradata data warehouse will enable Norwich Union to continue rating and managing more number of customer trips on a daily basis, while managing the associated risk, Teradata added. Norwich Union will also be able to take advantage of the increase in information by combining with other data like traffic information to customize the product to meet the needs of different customer segments, it added last week.

In just two years, the 5,000 drivers in the pilot have recorded data on nearly 100 million miles from over 10 million trips, Teradata said. Norwich Union expects data collection rates to increase more than fifteen-fold in the first year after the complete launch, with the Teradata system capable of scaling to various levels. every trip made by a customer on each day will be analyzed in the Teradata warehouse and the intelligence passed on to the billing system to generate individualized customer premiums, according to Teradata, a data warehousing software division of NCR in Dayton, Ohio.

Norwich Union selected the Teradata active data warehouse as the base for its requirements after in-depth analysis and evaluation. the data warehouse is a critical, operational component of the service, and the insurer needed to move its operations to a data warehouse that could support continued increases in data volumes, without compromising on performance or increasing total cost of ownership (TCO).

The 'Pay as You Drive' insurance shows how technology can bring unexpected benefits to customers, by using new developments in GPS and data warehousing to charge customers for actual usage and risk, the company said.

Teradata Professional Services worked in tandem with Norwich Union to provide the design, and helped in the implementation of the data warehouse and the disaster recovery solution, according to Teradata. the data warehouse will be supported by a duplicate disaster recovery system that completely mirrors the main system. Teradata Professional Services will also support the backup, archive and recovery services, and business critical support, Teradata said. the data warehouse will be capable of utilizing nearly 100 terabytes (TB) of data storage totally, it added.

The Norwich Union project shows how data warehouses are being used to deliver operational applications as well as decision support, according to Teradata. the data warehouse approach has allowed Norwich Union to bring a revolutionary new product to market, Teradata said.

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GPS Business News asked her a few questions regarding the future of the navigation market: the slowdown of PND sales, the trend towards free smartphone navigation software and the new opportunities opening up to auto manufacturers. Watch the video below:

Strategy Analytics: "We Do Still Think There Is a Role for PNDs... If They Get ...

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PHOENIX -- former major-league slugger Albert Belle has pleaded guilty to one count of stalking his ex-girlfriend, authorities said Wednesday.

Belle, who remains jailed here, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 24 in Maricopa County Superior Court -- the day before his 40th birthday.

Prosecutors said Belle faces at least a 90-day jail sentence plus supervised probation and must avoid all contact with the victim.

Belle was arrested May 17 at his Scottsdale home and prosecutors said he will not get credit for time already served.

Scottsdale police arrested Belle after they investigated allegations that he made harassing telephone calls to his former girlfriend and violated a court order prohibiting contact with her.

The felony stalking charge was filed in February. Belle's ex-girlfriend told police that she discovered a Global Positioning system tracking device that had fallen off her car in January and that Belle had threatened her.

The volatile Belle often ran into trouble on and off the field during his playing days.

A five-time All-Star outfielder, Belle hit 381 career home runs in a 12-year career that began with the Cleveland Indians in 1989.

He also played for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore before retiring in 2000 after his second season with the Orioles.

Copyright 2006 by the associated Press

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MapMyIndia has introduced a navigation unit, called the MapMyIndia Light. the unit is not only for “in-car” usage, but which can be also be used while walking around. It has been tested successfully in new Delhi and is capable of figuring out routes all the way up to Bhubneshwar and Vizag. Equipped with a database of more than 400 cities in India, the gadget can be used to explore even obscure routes in the countryside. It connects with over 4,10,000 towns and villages, and identifies 9,45,000 points of interest.

The pocket device, which is described as “sleek, trendy and stylish”, has been priced at Rs. 11,990. in comparison to other devices in the market, this product seems to offer value for money as it is relatively cheaper and has a database of cities that is almost double the size of those such as in the SatGuide Moov 300.

Ideally, the device eliminates the headaches of pestering pedestrians for directions or having to log onto the internet and printing them each time. Moreover, you can also access “point of interest” from any location. this makes hunting down petrol pumps, ATM’s, restaurants, etc. a lot simpler. the Navigator device has won the “Geospatial Product of the Year 2008” award and enables traveling confidently.

CarTradeIndia.com is happy to offer you the MapMyIndia Navigator. please click here and an executive will contact you.

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By ZAIHAN MOHAMED YUSOF

HE'S the sort of driver who would "go the extra mile" to keep his car safe and secure.

Whenever Mr Abdul Rahman Majid, 49, parks his car, he makes sure that it's in an area with human traffic.

He also parks his car "head in" and turns the front wheels to one side.

This is to make it difficult for thieves to tow away his $120,000 Honda Odyssey.

He also uses steering and brake pedal locks.

The Singaporean real estate agent did all these when he visited Tebrau City in Johor Baruon24 Jan.

Before leaving his car, he also made sure that his central locking and alarm system were on.

Yet, 25 minutes later, he was shocked to find that his car had been broken into.

And Mr Abdul Rahman has no idea how the thieves did it because there were no signs of forced entry.

"I was so confident that nobody could penetrate the car's security system," he said.

Mr Abdul Rahman and his family had gone to the mall, which is about a 20-minute drive from the Causeway, to return a faulty cleaning apparatus.

When they returned to his car, he was surprised to see that its glove compartment was open.

When Mr Abdul Rahman tried to disarm the car's alarm, the windows began moving up and down.

"I knew something was wrong because when I tried to deactivate my car alarm, I didn't hear the usual beeping sound."

His daughter's laptop, which was inside a bag on the back seat, was gone.

His GPS system, which was inside the glove compartment, a haversack and a handphone were also missing.

Mr Abdul Rahman, who estimated his loss at $3,000, made police reports in Johor Baru and Singapore.

When he checked with the carpark security guard, he was surprised to learn that his car alarm had not gone off.

"It's amazing that the thieves were able to get into my car despite me having all these security features. I don't know how they did it,"he said.

So how did the thieves do it?

One possible way is by using an electronic gadget that sends a radio frequency similar to the car's alarm system, said an expert who deals with car theft cases in Malaysia and declined to be named.

This enables thieves to open the car doors without tripping the alarm or by using force.

Those in the car industry will know where to get the device, which he said can even be found on the Internet.

"We've come across the use of this device in Malaysia, but it's not that rampant. It's more commonly used in Europe and Eastern Europe as a favoured method of breaking into a car cleanly," he said.

Car thieves are also known to "neutralise" the alarm system by short-circuiting wires in the signal lights.

Then they enter the car using a master key.

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This week at the Geneva auto show, where the new Mini Countryman crossover made its auto-show debut, Mini also introduced a new electronic infotainment system, called Mini Connected — as if there weren’t enough going on inside the pie-plate speedometer of a Mini.

Mini Connected is designed to integrate — among other things — streaming Internet radio into the car. the system can also be customized to function as a navigation aide and to receive the usual navigation features, like GPS tracking, traffic data and weather information. and in keeping with the Mini’s not-your-average-dashboard look, the system’s circular high-resolution display panel will be in the middle of the speedometer. Mini Connected is controlled by a joystick on the center console.

But Mini Connected will need some help to operate, according to Mini’s parent company, BMW — mainly, an Apple iPhone. the iPhone will interface with the in-car system via a USB connector. the iPhone’s data service will provide the link to the Internet, according to BMW. It’s not clear whether other smartphones will be able to “talk” to Mini Connected, but it is likely the system will eventually migrate to other models in the Mini line, like the Clubman and hatchback.

Finally, Mini Connected will also come with the somewhat controversial Mission Control feature that was introduced last year in a couple of special models, the Mayfair and the Camden. Mission Control is a vocal nudge — some might call it a nag — that will ask the driver to mind fuel levels and the air temperature, as well as comment on the driving. Fortunately, the “voice” can be silenced with a switch.

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WINGDALE two City of Poughkeepsie men are due in the Town of Dover court March 11 on charges of petit larceny, trespass and criminal possession of stolen property.

State police from the Dover Plains barracks were dispatched to a suspicious person complaint on White Oak Circle in the Town of Dover on Monday around 1:17 a.m., police said.

A keen-eyed resident saw the two subjects in her driveway and neighborhood, going through several cars, and gave police a detailed description of the suspects and the car they were driving, said state police Sgt. Michael Collier.

When troopers arrived, they found a car with two people inside matching the womans description. inside the car, police saw several GPS navigation systems, police said.

Police interviewed the driver, Michael Nutt, 23, and the passenger, a 19-year-old City of Poughkeepsie man, and determined the GPS systems were stolen, police said.

Police charged Nutt and the 19-year-old with petit larceny, trespass and criminal possession of stolen property. Colier said the investigation is continuing and additional charges may be pending.

Police also charged Nutt with second-degree forgery, a felony.

The 19-year-old was issued an appearance ticket. Nutt was arraigned in the Town of Dover Court and remanded to Dutchess County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail. they are due to return to court March 11 at 6 p.m.

Anyone with additional information may call state police Troop K headquarters at 845-677-8300 and ask for the Dover Plains barracks.

The Journal typically doesnt print the names of those charged with misdemeanors.

Police charge two City of Poughkeepsie men for possessing stolen GPS devices

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Archos offered relatively few details on the new tablets, which it said will both ship this spring. Compared to the company's Linux- and Android-based Internet Tablets, such as the most recent Archos 5 Internet Tablet, the new devices are underpowered, running on an unnamed 600MHz ARM9 processor instead of an ARM Cortex-A8-based Texas Instruments OMAP3x system-on-chip (SoC). however, the prices, ranging from $180 to $225, are considerably less than the Archos 5 Internet Tablet's $500 price (with 500GB storage). Archos also announced that it will introduce a new range of Internet Tablets this summer that run ARM Cortex-based SoCs ranging up to 1GHz, with screen sizes from three to 10 inches.

Archos 7 Home Tablet The Archos 7 Home Tablet accompanies its ARM9 600MHz processor with 2GB or 8GB of memory, says Archos. Appearing similar to the compamy's previous Archos 7 Internet Tablet, the device offers a seven-inch touchscreen, weighs about 350 grams (0.8 Ibs), and measures only 12mm thick, or just under a half inch. Equipped with WiFi, a USB connection, and speakers, the battery-operated tablet supplies up to seven hours of video playback and up to 44 hours of music, says Archos. The device appears to lack other Internet Tablet features such as Bluetooth, GPS, or an FM radio.

The Archos 8 Home Tablet is equipped with 4GB of RAM, and provides an 8-inch touchscreen surrounded by a large DPF-like frame, says Archos. Designed to plug into an outlet in the kitchen, bedroom, or office desk, the Archos 8 Home Tablet appears to lack a battery. The Archos 8 is designed primarily for web browsing, slide-show viewing, web services, and video content. The Archos 8 shares its sibling's 12mm thickness, but weighs a bit more at around 400 grams (0.9 Ibs).

Archos 8 Home Tablet

Pre-installed Android apps on both devices include email, web browser, photo viewing and sharing tools, and access to Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites, says Archos. The devices also support YouTube streaming, offer an MP3 player, and provide access to the free music streaming service Deezer, says the company.

Other services include news, weather, and local business directories, which can be configured to appear as live widgets on the home screen. Home Tablet users can customize their tablets with Android apps from Archos' Appslib store, which also serves the Android-ready Archos 5 Internet Tablet, says the company.

Archos background and Angstrom Linux distro

Announced in February 2009 and shipping last September, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet is an upgraded, Android-ready version of a Linux-based tablet first introduced in August 2008 (along with a seven-inch Archos 7). Igny, France-based Archos has been making Linux-based PMPs for years, including the PMA400, the Archos 604, and the 7-inch Archos 704.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet(Click to enlarge) in November, Archos announced an alternative Angstrom Linux installation for the Archos 5 Internet Tablet that can replace Android for developers interested in an OpenEmbedded build environment and "true standard Linux." on Feb. 17, Archos announced the release of the distribution, which is being made available in proof-of-concept" pre-release form, said the company. (For more background, including details on Angstrom and contact information, please see our previous coverage, here.)

Availability

The Archos 7 Home Tablet will be available in 2GB and 8GB flash memory versions at a recommended price of 130 Pounds (about $195) and 150 Pounds (about $225), respectively, starting in April. on the Archos Home Tablet Web page, here, the company says the Archos 7 Home Tablet will start at a lower $179 price in the U.S.

The Archos 8 Home Tablet, meanwhile, will be available in 4GB at a recommended price of 130 Pounds starting in may, says Archos.

Related stories:

• Android tablet plays 720p video
• Tablet maker spins Angstrom-based dev firmware
• Linux PMP adds Android telephony
• Android tablet offers WiFi, optional 3G
• PMPs run Linux on ARM Cortex
• Nokia debuts smartphone-like Maemo 5 Linux device
• Android-based gadgets to ship in October
• Linux-based PMP flexes codecs
• Android on ARM "very snappy," analysts say
• Qualcomm snaps to with "smartbook" push
• Android invades more netbooks, smartphones, and -- Moblin?
• ARM netbook ships with detachable tablet
• HD-ready PMP ships with Plaszma Linux SDK

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FUEL Database on MontaVista Linux whether building a mobile handset, a car navigation system, a package tracking device, or a home entertainment console, developers need capable software systems, including an operating system, development tools, and supporting libraries, to gain maximum benefit from their hardware platform and to meet aggressive time-to-market goals.

Breaking New Ground: the Evolution of Linux Clustering With a platform comprising a complete Linux distribution, enhanced for clustering, and tailored for HPC, Penguin Computings Scyld Software provides the building blocks for organizations from enterprises to workgroups to deploy, manage, and maintain Linux clusters, regardless of their size.

Data Monitoring with NightStar LXUnlike ordinary debuggers, NightStar LX doesnt leave you stranded in the dark. Its more than just a debugger, its a whole suite of integrated diagnostic tools designed for time-critical Linux applications to reduce test time, increase productivity and lower costs. You can debug, monitor, analyze and tune with minimal intrusion, so you see real execution behavior. And thats positively illuminating.

Virtualizing Service Provider Networks with VyattaThis paper highlights Vyatta's unique ability to virtualize networking functions using Vyatta's secure routing software in service provider environments.

High Availability Messaging Solution Using AXIGEN, Heartbeat and DRBD this white paper discusses a high-availability messaging solution relying on the AXIGEN Mail Server, Heartbeat and DRBD. Solution architecture and implementation, as well as benefits of using AXIGEN for this setup are all presented in detail.

Understanding the Financial Benefits of Open SourceWill open source pay off? Open source is becoming standard within enterprises, often because of cost savings. Find out how much of a financial impact it can have on your organization. Get this methodology and calculator now, compliments of JBoss.

Embedded Hardware and OS Technology Empower PC-Based PlatformsThe modern embedded computer is the jack of all trades appearing in many forms.

Data Management for Real-Time Distributed SystemsThis paper provides an overview of the network-centric computing model, data distribution services, and distributed data management. it then describes how the SkyBoard integration and synchronization service, coupled with an implementation of the OMGs Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can be used to create an efficient data distribution, storage, and retrieval system.

7 Advantages of D2D BackupFor decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.

Linux-based iPhone killer available online in March

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