Adobe Unveils Free Web-based Photoshop

The long-awaited, Web-based and free version of Adobe Photoshop is now available as a beta, Adobe announced Thursday.

Photoshop Express allows users to store up to 2GB of images, make edits to their photos, and share them, all online.

It is a way for Adobe to compete with free applications like Google’s Picasa, which have emerged over the last few years.

Since it’s to be used by consumers, the company has put a lot of effort on ease-of-use. In a few clicks, users will be able to make standard edits, such as removing blemishes and red-eye, converting to black and white, cropping and resizing. No experience is required, Adobe said.

Users will also be able to integrate with social networking sites like Facebook.

Photoshop Express works with all major browsers, including Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari, Adobe said. It requires an Internet connection and Flash Player 9 to work.

The tool is based on Flex, Adobes cross-browser plug-in technology for multimedia.

At first, Photoshop Express is available only to U.S. residents and only in English. Users may experience slow performance if accessed outside of the US, Adobe warned. Future plans include availability in other languages and countries.

This isn’t Adobe’s first foray into Web-based services. Adobe announced the availability of Premiere Express, an online video editing available on partner sites such as MTV and Photobucket, early last year.

Transcend Intros High-Speed DDR2-1066 RAM in India

Transcend Information has announced the availability of its latest memory innovation — a 4GB aXeRam DDR2-1066+ Extreme Performance dual-channel memory kit in India.

This new product uses top-binned, premium quality DRAM chips and custom polished aluminum heat sinks. Transcend’s 4GB aXeRam DDR2-1066+ dual-channel kit includes a matching pair of 1066MHz tested and verified 2GB DDR2-1066+ modules which provide dual-channel memory bandwidth of up to 17GB/s. To ensure compatibility, all aXeRam modules use robust six-layer PCBs that fully comply with JEDEC (the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) standards.

The 240-pin Unbuffered DIMMs included in the kit are each made of 16 high-quality 128Mx8 DDR2 DRAM chips. Each chip is selected with the strictest quality and performance standards and is manufactured using small Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array (FBGA) packages to assure better thermal dissipation, electrical efficiency and improved overclocking performance.

Its memory includes Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP), which allow users to automatically configure EPP-enabled motherboards with aggressive memory settings for better memory and system performance, especially when using dual video cards.

The kit’s two identically matched 2GB modules are specifically designed for use in dual-channel configuration. It also includes custom high-purity aluminum heat sinks with distinctive gold and black styling and superior heat diffusion characteristics.

High capacity 4GB kit is enhanced for dual channel motherboard and a stable 2.0V operation. The module includes EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles) for easy overclocking. It is compatible with Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.

It is priced at Rs. 8300 and available through Supertron Electronics and Mediaman Infotech. The modules enjoy a warranty of three years and the support of a global service network.

Kingston Introduces DataTraveler 110

Kingston is expanding its line of USB flash drives with the introduction of the DataTraveler 110 (DT110) model. The drives are designed for ultra-fast read/write speeds on lower price points, the DT110 drive is available in capacities up to 8GB.

The DT110 features a capless, retractable USB connector for ease-of-use and safe housing. It is available in different colors according to its capacity: purple (1GB), blue (2GB), red (4GB) and green (8GB) and these are priced at Rs. 625, Rs. 925, Rs. 1595 and Rs. 3425, respectively.

The drives are designed to be compliant to hi-speed USB 2.0 specifications. These are compatible to various operating systems including Windows Vista, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP (SP1 and SP2), Mac OS 10.2x and higher and Linux (2.6 and higher).

The DT110 drives can operate at the temperature of 32º F to 140 º F and can be stored at -4º F to 185º F. These support plug and play technology and are backed by a five-year warranty and free technical support. Windows Vista ReadyBoost is not supported on these drives.

The Kingston DT110 drives are distributed in India by Avnet India, HCL, Ingram Micro, Kobian Electronics and Transtek Infoways.

MSI Unviels MSI N9800GX2 Series Graphics Card

MSI unveiled its latest MSI N9800GX2 Series graphics card. The card is engineered for extreme graphics performance. The MSI N9800GX2 Series is a dual GPU-based graphics card that provides a complete, high definition entertainment and gaming solution for the PC. The MSI N9800GX2 Series comes with total 256 units stream processors and a combined 512-bit memory interface.

With nVidia HybridPower technology, two on-board GPUs and total 1GB graphics memory built-in, MSI N9800GX2 is claimed to be the fastest graphics card available.

The nVidia HybridPower technology delivers graphics performance when the user needs it and low-power operation when the user doesn’t. The technology lets the user switch from GeForce 9800 GX2-based graphics card to the motherboard GeForce GPU when running less graphically-intensive applications for a silent, low power PC experience.

The MSI N9800GX2 Series supports Quad nVidia SLI technology. A 4-way AFR (Alternate Frame Rendering) is also provided, for the world’s fastest gaming solution under Windows Vista with state-of-the-art drivers.