Solar-powered laptop launched by Samsung

A new laptop to be launched in Russia by Samsung will use solar panels that are directly integrated into the unit’s lid. The NC215S will be available in August and run Windows 7 and Samsung claims that it will be able to offer a battery life of up to 14.5 hours.

Initially unveiled at the Africa Regional Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, the new device has now been confirmed for the Russian market. It is also likely to be popular in African markets, where permanent sources of power are often not available. Samsung Electronics Africa hopes to reach $10 billion in sales by 2015.

Samsung has an established interest in solar power, launching a mobile phone using the technology in 2009 at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona. Although the ‘Blue Earth’ device did not mark a breakthrough for the technology, it has increasingly also been used by other manufacturers - Fujitsu has also been examining the technology as part of a recent computing design competition.

The new netbook offers a conventional netbook configuration with a 10.1in, 1024 x 600-pixel display and a weight of 1.3kg. An Intel Atom N570 (1.66 GHz) dual-core processor, 1GB of Ram and a 250GB or 320GB drive are the device’s main features. Prices have not yet been announced and there are currently no UK release plans.

Now, T-shirts to charge your cellphones

LONDON: Imagine plugging your mobile into your T-shirt to charge its battery. It may sound a bit utopian but it's now a reality, thanks to scientists who've developed such a garment which uses loud music to power up a cell phone.

A team at telecoms giant Orange has unveiled the new T-shirt that charges mobiles while one watches musical bands in action; users just have to plug their phones into the T- shirt for a quick top-up charge whenever they need it.

The futuristic garment works by using noise-responsive technology -- simply, the louder the music, then the quicker the phone charges, say its developers.

How to Meet Your Girlfriend's Parents ?

Have you ever been in the nerve-wracking situation of meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time? Afraid of what impression you will make? While parents' expectations of their daughter's significant other can vary widely from household to household and culture to culture, following these instructions will at least show a good faith effort on your part and increase your chances of being invited back for baked ziti dinner night.

Steps

1. Find out as much as you can about the parents from your partner. What do they do for a living? Do you have any common interests? Have they been on holiday recently? Are there any subjects which are off limits? This gives you a heads up on conversation topics - and what to avoid.
2. Anticipate the most difficult questions. You know what they are--about your future (i.e. career, financial stability), your commitment to their daughter (i.e. marriage), and your background (e.g. religion, education). Pretend that her parents already know that you just lost your job, that you can't afford an engagement ring or a house and probably won't be able to for several years, that you got arrested that one night, or whatever else you dread them asking about. Develop the most responsible, slick answer you can think of in advance. See Warnings below.