ஐம்பதுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட தமிழ்நாட்டு குடும்பங்களை சிதைத்த வடநாட்டு கொள்ளையர்களை தமிழக போலீஸ் வேட்டையாடுகிற கதைதான் தீரன் அதிகாரம் ஒன்று !

நிற்க !

ஒரு குற்றவாளியை கைது செய்ய வந்திருக்கிறோம், விசாரணைக்கு வந்திருக்கிறோம் என்கிற பெயரில் தர்மபுரியில் விழுப்புரத்தில் சத்தியமங்கலம் கிராமங்களில் நடத்தப்பட்ட வன்முறையை எல்லாம் கடுமையாக கண்டித்து விட்டு,

ராஜஸ்தானில் அதே மாதிரியான தாழ்த்தப்பட்ட - பழங்குடியினர் கிராமத்தில் தமிழக போலீசார் அரங்கேற்றுகிற வன்முறையை பார்த்து ரசித்துக் கொண்டே, கொல்லுங்க என தியேட்டரில் கத்துகிற இந்த எண்ணத்தை நமக்கு விதைத்து எது ?

வில்லன் - தமிழனைக் கொன்ற வடமாநிலத்தான், இரக்கமில்லாதவன், அவனை தமிழன் பழி தீர்க்கிறான் என்கிற அடிப்படையில் பல்லுக்கு பல் - கண்ணுக்கு கண் என்கிற நம்முடைய ஆழ்மன வன்முறை பசிக்கு தீனி போட்டிருக்கிற வகையில் புத்திசாலித்தனமாக இயக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது இந்தப்படம்.

“ஏங்க போலீசை ஊருக்குள் நுழைய அனுமதிக்க மறுக்கிற வன்முறை கிராமத்தில் என்ன செய்ய முடியும் ?”

அரசாங்கம் அந்த கிராமத்திற்குள் நுழைய முடியாது ஏனெனில் அந்த கிராமத்தில் இதற்கு முன் சாலைகள் பள்ளிக்கூடங்கள் மருத்துவமனைகள் மின்சாரம் குடிநீர் என எதற்காகவும் அரசாங்கங்கள் உள்ளே நுழையவேயில்லை என்பதையே காட்சிகள் காட்டுகின்றன.

Your choices for flooring have evolved and expanded over the years, to include options such as vinyl, laminate, rubber, tile and more. But through all of these changes and evolutions, hardwood has not only persevered, but has proven itself as the preferred flooring choice for residential and commercial settings.

But what is it about hardwood flooring that keeps people coming back?

The enduring beauty – Hardwood offers a timeless beauty that lasts a lifetime and beyond. It’s beloved for its ability to complement any décor.

Its cleanliness – Hardwood is simple to clean and care for, and won’t trap dust or negatively impact indoor air quality.

Eco-friendly flooring – Hardwood is easily the most environmentally friendly style of flooring available. Hardwood comes from trees (with the exception of hardwoods like Bamboo, that actually come from grass), which are a renewable resource. In recent years, the industry as a whole has shifted its focus towards sustainable forestry, meaning that the hardwood forests used for flooring are growing nearly twice as fast as they’re being harvested.

And unlike nearly any other style of flooring on the market, hardwood is biodegradable, recyclable and the least energy-intensive flooring material.

What to keep in mind as you search for your ideal hardwood flooring.

The important thing to consider when shopping for hardwood floors is remembering that this is a lifelong product. As such, it’s important to take your time choosing your flooring. Factor in beauty, durability, environmental soundness, affects on your air quality and, of course, affordability.

Many customers choose not to go with hardwood flooring because of the initial costs. However, keep in mind that hardwood flooring is far more durable than other flooring types and will actually increase the value of your home.

In today’s market, you’d think that more and more customers would turn toward newer types of flooring. However, hardwood remains the most sought after and respected style of flooring made available to homeowners and commercial settings. View our extensive catalog of hardwood flooring now, and be on your way to a healthier, durable, easy-to-maintain floor that will last you a lifetime.

Click below for a detailed discription of the different species of hardwood.

Due to personal reasons in their hometown of Perth, Australia, the Ledgers were unable to attend the L.A. ceremony. The late actor's trophy was accepted by Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan.

"On behalf of all of us who worked with Heath on Dark Knight, I accept this with mix of sadness and incredible pride," Nolan said. "He will be eternally missed but he will never be forgotten."

This Ledger's first Golden Globe win. He was previously nominated in drama lead for Brokeback Mountain. Ledger, who passed away of an accidental overdose Jan. 22 of last year, is the second actor to win a posthumous Globe, following Peter Finch (Network) in 1977.

Comment on this article at TVGuide.com >

It's Girl Scout cookie order form time, which always fills our household with a great deal of anticipation -- and a little bit of frustration. While the cookies are mostly delicious, each year I feel a profound sadness, because I see more parents and less Girl Scouts trying to sell me cookies. In fact, I'd guess it's been three years since I've seen a Scout at my work cubicle with an order form. Am I the only one who thinks the Girl Scouts are getting soft?

Of course many parents of Scouts who are reading this already have their fists in a ball, because they have the one daughter who works like Jack Lemmon in "Glengarry Glen Ross" to get the Trefoils out the door. So let's be clear: This isn't directed at you. But for all the other slackers out there, I'm proposing this Girl Scout cookie customer Bill of Rights. I'm not sure what kind of punishment will be attached, but it has to be something stiff, and the parents will serve the sentence. (Do the Girl Scouts have a court-martial?)

Amendment I: Prohibition of parents selling cookies. Call me old fashioned, but when I buy Girl Scout cookies I want to see an actual Girl Scout. Preferably in uniform. I understand the need for parents to chaperone, but I'm always internally annoyed when a friend or colleague approaches me (or worse yet, sends an e-mail) with an order form, and no child in sight. Double the annoyance if a real Girl Scout doesn't drop off the boxes, either. I hated selling stuff as a kid, but it was a valuable lesson about responsibility and communication in the adult world.

Take your kid out of school for an hour or two so they can approach people at your work. Chaperone them every step of the way when they're knocking on strangers' doors. Drive to a much nicer neighborhood where you're not afraid to go door-to-door. (The hills will be good exercise!) But outside of a broken leg, I'll accept very few excuses for parents selling cookies for their children.

Amendment II: Protection from Thin Mint and Samoa shortages. I love to see the kids with their parents set up in BART stations and in front of local grocery stores. But the charming picture is too-often ruined as I discover pyramids of boring shortbread cookies, and not a single Samoa in sight. Last year there appeared to be a West Coast shortage of Thin Mints, and I'm surprised it didn't lead to rioting. The lesson here: Unless you want youre children to see a grown man cry, stock up on the good cookies.

Amendment III: Right to eat cookies with trans fat. Girl Scout cookies are perfect the way they are, so please stop messing with the recipe. After removing the trans fats last year, the cookies were maybe 15 percent less delicious. I'm scared that the next step on this runaway political correctness train is to make the cookies organic, or start selling boxes of raisins. We promise to eat really, really well the rest of the year! Leave the cookies alone!

Amendment IV: The power to buy 15 boxes in a week. When all the talking heads on the cable shows talk about econimic stimulus, I'm surprised no one brings up the bump our country is about to get from Girl Scout cookies. Bosses need to be flexible about letting kids sell at the workplace. And if we're going to force the Girl Scouts to sell cookies face-to-face, then we have to buy the product. Assuming you aren't about to lose your house, it's your responsibility to clear out some freezer space (Thin Mints are better frozen!) and buy at least one box from every Girl Scout who comes to your cubicle or door.

Your Friend Who Only Watches Entourage: Because she doesn't seem to understand that there are, in fact, actors out there besides Jeremy "Hg" Piven.

People Who Think Tina Fey Isn't Funny: They will totally ruin an amazing acceptance speech with their derisive snorting. And yes, these people do exist.

The One Who Knows Nothing About Pop Culture: In my case, this is a friend who says that "94 percent" of his pop culture knowledge comes from me. Exclude them so that when you ask why Tom Cruise was even nominated for Tropic Thunder, you don't have to deal with responses like, "Tom Cruise was in Tropic Thunder?"

Is there anyone I left out? You tell me, PW-ers.

Glamour was definitely in high gear, but for many of our favorite fashionistas, understated was the way to go. Nude and pale pink colored dresses were a popular pick and favored by stars of all ages including Vanessa Hudgens, Elizabeth Banks, Penelope Cruz, and Demi Moore. While Demi looked lovely in a Dior silk chiffon style, Penelope was the heart stopper in strapless Armani Prive with Swarovski crystal detail.

Click here to see our picks for the best and worst dressed.

Also opting away from bright colors were those bridal wannabees in different variations of white like Salma Hayek, Kate Beckinsale, Sandra Bullock, Miley Cyrus and Eva Mendes. While there were few flaws in this snow-white group, Miley once again looked way too mature in Marchesa. She should have switched with mom who wore something short and sparkly and more appropriate for Miley. On the other hand, Eva won our award for white in a Dior silk taffeta gown and gorgeous turquoise and diamond necklace from Van Cleef and Arpels. Beautiful!

Despite the small overall size, we found the keyboard fairly easy to use. At first, the lack of a touchpad worried us, but the trackpoint was fast and responsive, and after 15 minutes or so, we got fairly used to navigating with it--a very light tap on the pointing stick will give you a left mouse click. We're still not entirely sold, however, and still think a touchpad is better for many tasks.

The 1,600x768 screen has a higher resolution than many 15-inch laptops. Some initial attempts at online video streaming played fine, and the built-in Verizon-powered mobile broadband worked as advertised.

Even with Vista as the operating system, the Vaio seemed to run about as well as any Intel Atom system with XP we've used (2GB of RAM and an SSD hard drive help). With Windows 7, purportedly excellent for Netbooks, it would probably fly (relatively speaking).

It's hard to convey just how small this thing actually is. In the photos below, you'll see it positively dwarfed by an HP Mini 1000.

(Credit: Yahoo)
Decker has undergone two full rounds of in-depth interviews with Yahoo's board, according to sources.

And, in executive recruiting circles, more than one in-depth interview with an internal candidate signals a strong contender, said David Nosal, CEO of executive recruiting firm Nosal Partners.

"If she has gone through two rounds of full interviews with the board, it sends the signal that she is being given strong consideration," Nosal said. "Rarely do boards go through a second round of full interviews, unless there is something significant they see there, whether it's for an internal or external candidate."

A number of industry players and major Yahoo investors had discounted Decker as a viable CEO candidate for the struggling Internet search pioneer, following Microsoft's failed buyout bid of $33 a share for the company. Yahoo, which had traded at roughly $19 a share before the initial bid became public last January, closed Wednesday at $12.71 a share.

But one source familiar with the search noted: "She has always been a strong candidate."

And at least one influential Microsoft source noted that Decker is well regarded at the software giant, even though the companies weren't able to strike a buyout, or partial deal for just the search business.

For Yahoo, naming Decker as CEO could potentially bode well for its efforts to quickly reignite talks with Microsoft, given that an outside hire would need time to analyze the different aspects of Yahoo's businesses before holding discussions to potentially sell off parts of the company.

Meanwhile, strong outside candidates have reportedly included former Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin, whose expertise with the carrier could have come in handy in righting Yahoo's failed effort to win the Verizon search business. Sarin is reportedly no longer interested in the Yahoo CEO gig.

And an All Things Digital post Wednesday notes Autodesk CEO Carol Bartz is another serious contender for the post.

Although sources familiar with the search say there is no deadline for naming a CEO and that it's hoped one could be selected by the end of the quarter, executive recruiters say there is an artificial deadline.

"A search of this magnitude you can never rush, but since it's one of the most high-profile CEO searches, there are any number of people who have made it be known in, or outside, the U.S. that they are interested in the job. I would imagine that Yahoo would be into its second or even third round of interviews with a short list of candidates," Nosal said.

He added he would be "surprised, if not disappointed," if Yahoo does not name a CEO within the next 30 to 45 days.

Executive recruiter Jon Holman of the Holman Group noted that if a CEO is not found within a four-month period after launching a search, the process "begins to grow hair."

"If six months go by, you know that the board has seen a bunch of people and you begin to think that the board doesn't know what it wants, or the board is looking for a Superman that doesn't exist, or no one wants the job," Holman said. "All those alternatives are bad. You don't want the company to look like damaged goods."

Yahoo announced on November 17 that its founder and CEO Jerry Yang would step down and resume the role of chief Yahoo once a new CEO was selected. In the meantime, Yahoo is nearing its two-month mark in its search.

Yahoo declined to comment on Decker and the CEO search.

The Pre announcement garnered a ton of pre-show buzz, and dominated news coverage on the opening day of the event. But the Pre wasn't the only thing noteworthy about this year's gadget extravaganza here. High-definition televisions got Internet access and lost their wires, Netbooks and notebooks became harder to tell apart, and wireless products came in some surprising packages.

As the show comes to a close Saturday, here's a look back at some of the most important themes that emerged.

Blurring the line: Sony's "not a Netbook" Lifestyle PC is dwarfed by HP Mini Netbook.

(Credit: CNET)
High-definition television makers are getting real
CES is usually a competition among TV makers to see who can make the largest screen or thinnest set. While there was still an element of that here, the top-tier television manufacturers also competed another way: to find who could make the new HDTV most accessible to the mainstream consumer in a down economy.

Toshiba's Scott Ramirez put it best: Sure we could make a 150-inch TV. "But nobody buys those."

Well, not nobody. But not nearly as many as buy, say, a 37- or 42-inch TV. And TV makers, who are expecting their revenues to drop considerably over the next year to $64 billion in 2009, down from $76 billion last year, according to DisplaySearch.

In other words, it makes business sense to be kind of boring right now. For example, the Sharp E67U LCD introduced here isn't super exciting, and neither is Toshiba's new, plain-old Toshiba LCD brand--a step down from its flagship Regza line of LCDs--but they get the job done.

TV with bells and whistles
That doesn't mean HDTV makers aren't adding new gee-whiz features to some of their sets. Wireless TV was everywhere: LG, Panasonic, Toshiba, Geffen. After several years of teasing, manufacturers are finally integrating wireless chipsets into their sets that allow TV signals to be sent without HD cables between TVs, disc players, set-top boxes, and notebooks.

Internet TV also became widespread. Yahoo and Intel partnered on the Yahoo Widget Channel, which allows Samsung and Toshiba TVs, among others, to get content feeds directly on the TV screen. Panasonic added Amazon Video on Demand to its VieraCast service, and LG, which already has Blu-ray players that stream Netflix, added the same service to some of its high-end panels.

LG watch makes phone calls.

(Credit: Nicole Lee/CNET Networks)
Internet on your camera, phone calls on your wrist
CES also saw more nifty tech allowing wireless access in some unlikely places. LG led off the event's press day by sending its CEO up to the stage sporting a 3G-enabled touch-screen wristwatch that makes phone calls and plays music. Whether it's practical or gimmicky is open to interpretation, since no one has really tried it yet. Europeans will be able to buy one by the end of the year.

Sony introduced a Wi-Fi point-and-shoot digital camera, the first of its kind, at the company's keynote address on the opening day of the show. Users will be able to use the phone's touch screen to access the Web and upload photos wirelessly.

And EyeFi is now doing for wireless video uploads what it already does wireless photo uploads. The new EyeFi Card is an SD card that will upload HD video right to YouTube without wires or docking stations.

Blurring the line between Netbook and notebook
Dell announced its third Netbook in four months, the Inspiron Mini 10. It's just one of the tiny clamshell-shape computers that seem stuck between Netbook and notebook, as its 10-inch screen seems to hover closely to a subnotebook. But it's got an Atom processor and it's priced below $500, traditional specs of a Netbook.

Sony came out on the other side, showing off its flashy new Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC, an impossibly small notebook, with tiny keys, no touch pad, an Atom processor, and an 8-inch widescreen. But it retails for $900, making it pricier than some of Sony's traditional notebooks.

Everyone is doing an all-in-one

Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 all-in-one desktop

(Credit: Lenovo)Lenovo introduced its sleek A600 all-in-one desktop at the show. That means all the top-tier PC makers--Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer/Gateway, Lenovo, Sony, and not Toshiba--offer this format now, and at prices much lower than when the all-in-one style first gained popularity.

Lenovo's also hits at a symbolic price point: the A600 starts at $999.

"All-in-ones have always been the form factor everyone wants but can't necessarily afford," noted Richard Shim, PC industry analyst for research firm IDC.

And as the desktop market has shrunk considerably over the past several years with the rise of cheaper and more powerful notebooks, manufacturers are looking for ways to keep the revenue for the desktop market from falling off. The new, lowered price threshold will be "really significant" for the entire desktop PC market, said Shim, because, "Once you start moving (the average price) down, you start boosting demand."

Mozilla currently has Google set to be the default search engine in Russian Firefox, but it concluded that Yandex was the better choice, according to a blog post by Mozilla General Counsel Harvey Anderson on Friday.

"Over the past few months, we have listened to feedback, talked with our localizers, studied the trends of our Firefox Yandex builds, and reviewed the Yandex user experience. All this activity led us to the conclusion that our Russian users really wanted direct access to the Yandex search services in official Firefox RU builds," Anderson said.

"As a result, we're planning on setting Yandex as the default search provider for the Firefox 3.1 Russian locale builds," he said. Version 3.1 is due in coming weeks, after a third beta version is released and tested.

Mozilla gets the vast majority of its revenue through a partnership under which Google shares revenue from search ads. In 2007, that was $66 million of Mozilla's $75 million total revenue.

Details on the change can be seen in the Mozilla bug tracker, which specifically refers to "the new business arrangement between Mozilla and Yandex in Russia."

I was lucky enough to walk the show floor at Macworld and although it wasn't as exciting as previous years, there was still plenty of excitement. Some highlights include software launches, third-party hardware, and--of course--Mac, iPod, and iPhone accessories. Overall, Macworld was as crowded as ever with many vendors excited for the future of Apple, but some were wondering what the future will hold for the show now that the company will no longer be participating. I guess we'll have to wait until next year (the dates are already reserved for 2010), but it's a shame that the main reason for the show will no longer be in attendance.

I've added many apps to my iPhone over the past few weeks to pass the time during holiday travel, and--judging from many companies at Macworld--the new apps and games are going to keep on coming.

This week's apps include a budgeting application and a game so we can start the New Year off right by continuing to be responsible while we have fun in 2009!

Enter your transactions as you go to stay on budget.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)Squirrel helps you stick to your New Year's resolution of managing your money by helping you keep track of all your transactions on your iPhone. Simply enter your current balance and stay on top of transactions by entering new data as it happens. Squirrel gives you complete flexibility for naming your transactions and categories. What's more, you can download Squirrel for your Mac so you can keep your finances in sync on your iPhone and at home.

Navigate your Rolandos through large colorful levels with lots of moving parts

(Credit: CBS Interactive)Rolando ($9.99) was released during the holidays and may be one of the best games yet for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Featuring smooth cartoon graphics, jazzy music, and cute sound effects, this platformer challenges you to get your Rolandos safely to the exit of each level. Tilt your iPhone to get them rolling and utilize several touch-screen motions to guide your Rolandos past obstacles while you avoid baddies called Shadow Blocks. As you progress, you'll need to manage more Rolondos and use creative methods to get past sticky situations. Overall, Rolando is one of the most polished games I've seen on the iPhone and I recommend it highly for those looking for a great platform-type game.

What are your favorite apps? Does Squirrel have enough features for your budgeting needs? Got any good games for me to check out? Let me know in the comments!

To executives like Douglas Steenland of Northwest Airlines, the idea of doing business without a BlackBerry is about as appealing as reverting to rotary dial phones and Telex machines.

"It's the proverbial blessing and curse," Steenland said of his BlackBerry, which sends e-mail messages wirelessly. "It's a blessing because it liberates you from the office. It's a curse because there's no escape."

That is why there was so much anxiety throughout corporate America over this week's news that a long-running patent infringement battle between the maker of BlackBerry, Research in Motion, and NTP, a tiny patent holding company, might cause a service shutdown, perhaps within a month.

Indeed, the prospect of life without BlackBerries is so frightening to Northwest--a heavy user if ever there was one--that the airline immediately demanded a conference call with RIM executives and one is scheduled for Tuesday.

"Everybody here hopes that somebody else will fix the problem," said Andrea Newman, Northwest's senior vice president for government relations. "But no one really knows what the problem is or what it will take to fix it."

RIM, which is based in Waterloo, Ontario, promises it has a solution that will keep its beloved BlackBerries humming even in the face of an injunction. While most analysts view the prospects of a shutdown as unlikely, they have little faith in the proposed solution, which has potential legal pitfalls of its own. What's more, the history of the struggle between the companies means that no outcome is certain. (RIM declined to comment.)

In an interview early this year and more recently at an investors' conference in New York, James Balsillie, the chairman and co-chief executive, said that the company had developed a new software technology that did not infringe on NTP's patents and would provide a way to escape any injunction.

RIM has offered little additional information about its new system other than to say that switching over to it would not require subscribers to acquire new devices or to alter their current units.

"On this subject they seem to have an attitude that they wish that people would stop talking about it," said Kenneth Hyers, a wireless research analyst with ABI Research who is based in Raleigh, N.C. The company briefed Hyers this week, he said, and indicated only in broad terms that the software modifications would be made at a network level.

"That begs the question, 'If they've been sitting on this all this time, why haven't they implemented it?'" he said. "Their answer is that this is a major network upgrade and nobody wants to mess with the network if they don't have to."

That, Hyers added, suggests that installing the software will not be as easy as RIM suggested.

While the change, if it is made, will not require any action by subscribers, it's not clear if it will alter how the BlackBerry e-mail service operates.

Balsillie has said that the new system has been tested with focus groups but he offered no details.

Any changes to the experience of users, said Avi Greengart, the principal mobile devices analyst at Current Analysis in Sterling, Va., could undermine a chief reason for BlackBerry's success. There are 3.65 million BlackBerry users worldwide.

"You now have a very nice, seamless e-mail experience with BlackBerry," Greengart said. "If you want to do just voice and e-mail, it's hard to beat a BlackBerry."

There is one party who says he knows the details of the change but who also has a vested interest in the case. Donald Stout, the patent lawyer who is a co-founder of NTP of Arlington, Va., said RIM showed him its alternative system.

While he formally agreed not to disclose its details, Stout said

It works like this: Use a camera-equipped cell phone to snap a photo. Send the photo to a blog address via the phone's e-mail service. A blogging program posts it on the Web. Voilà! Instant blog.

"It's like a mobile reality show," says Reinhard Seidel of UCP Morgen, which is developing blog technology. Firms like UCP Morgen say to expect cell phone blogs soon.

It's not a phone

At No. 1 cell phone maker Nokia, any employee who calls the new N-Gage video game device a "phone" has to pay an office fine of $1 or 1 euro, whichever has the highest exchange rate, says Nokia executive Nada Usina. That's because the N-Gage, with its bright screen and hefty processing power, is more Game Boy than phone.

Using a cell phone connection, two N-Gage owners can remotely play video games against each other. But making a call requires a headset, unless you want to hold the bottom of the taco-shaped N-Gage to your face.

Play away

For years, you've been able to play video games on Sony Ericsson cell phones. But using the phone's tiny keypads to maneuver is tough.

So Sony Ericsson created a gizmo that looks like a controller for a video game. Snap your cell phone into the middle of it and use the gizmo to play. Several of Sony Ericsson's cell phones will fit the controller, expected to be released later this year for $50 to $75.

No plan needed

For the hip-hop fan in your life, consider an MTV cell phone from Kyocera Wireless. To dial, you slide the front panel of the pager-sized phone to reveal a tiny keyboard. Owners can download special MTV ring tones, graphics and other music-themed features.

But forget about buying a monthly service plan. The MTV phone is offered only by Virgin Mobile. Its customers pay upfront for minutes, starting at 25 cents, and buy more when they run out. It's not cheap, considering long-distance minutes via a regular phone often run 5 to 7 cents.

New business lingo

During the tech boom, the industry coined "b-to-c" for businesses that sold to consumers and "b-to-b" for businesses that sold to businesses. Now comes "m-to-m."

It stands for "machine-to-machine" and refers to equipment that can automatically send status reports, usually via a cell phone text message. A street-corner newspaper rack, for example, could notify a distribution center that it's empty. Or a swimming pool could let cleaners know bacteria levels are high.

Although m-to-m technology has been around for years, improvements are now making it easy and cheap. Nokia just released a matchbook-sized device that can be installed in a vending machine, for instance, and call if the machine is short on Doritos.

"All the pieces of the puzzle are there," says Michael Lang, CEO of m-to-m developer Airdesk.

"We just need to put the puzzle together."

Philips said it will build a production line for the 3 millimeter lenses that are aimed at low-cost imaging products, such as digital cameras that fit inside a mobile phone or a home security system.

By charging the sides of the tube with a small electric current, one of the two fluids is drawn to the edges while the other fluid fills up the remaining space in the tube. The place where the two fluids meet functions like a lens.

By changing the current, this lens can be shaped hollow, curvex or anything in between, so that it can focus on objects far away or as close as 5 centimeters.

The lens will be on display at this month's CeBit electronic trade fair in Hannover, Germany. It is the first of its kind and the technology has been patented, Philips said.

"Consumers want all their devices to connect and communicate wirelessly," said Louis Burns, an Intel vice president. "Content delivery must be a high-quality audio and video experience."

Intel sees the addition of those features to its PCs as a vital push to make playback of multimedia content and home networking essential elements in consumer desktops. It predicts that a number of future products, including televisions and stereo equipment will be able to access wireless networks. But the strategy, which lowers the price of gadgets and is a boon to consumers, could leave some companies out in the cold.

Similar strategies traditionally have driven some competitors out of markets. The chipmaker's decision to add graphics to its PC chipsets in 1999, for example, preceded a major consolidation among graphics chipmakers. The number of companies working on graphics chips shrank from around 40 in 1998 to today's handful. The motherboard market and other industries have experienced similar threats.

Likewise, as PC makers such as Intel begin adding Wi-Fi access points to desktops, consolidation is expected to occur among Wi-Fi gear makers. Currently, PC users who want to set up a Wi-Fi network typically purchase an access point that is installed between the DSL (digital subscriber line) or cable modem and the computer. The wireless access point allows laptops and other desktop computers to share the Net connection. Under Intel's plan, the access point would be incorporated with Intel's chipset, eliminating the need for a separate device.

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Intel's EPC initiative also could put the squeeze on digital video recorder (DVR) makers like TiVo, analysts said.

"When Intel enters a market, competitors either scramble for the exits or entrench for the storm," said Richard Doherty, an analyst with research firm The Envisioneering Group.

Competitors agree, but assert that it's not a knockout punch.

"This is low-hanging fruit for Intel, and it makes a lot of sense...as they look to sell more chips for desktops," said Kevin Allan, a director of product management at NetGear. "Will it dramatically impact our business? I don't think so. We welcome their entry, because it will help to grow the market the same way Centrino did."

Intel has even joined industry groups, such as the Digital Home Working Group (DHWG), to connect consumer products to networks. The goal of the DHWG is to allow consumers to use a network to access and share resources on home devices in the same way they share a printer or broadband connection at work.

The DHWG is meeting later this week to work on creating guidelines to network devices and determine if a new name for the group is needed. But old habits die hard, and Intel's proactive behavior has rankled some in the group, according to sources. The chipmaker developed its own home networking guidelines and is proposing them for adoption by the DHWG.

The road ahead
Intel will add Wi-Fi to desktops through a version of the Grantsdale or Alderwood chipsets that come with a special input/output controller chip, called the ICH6W. That chip, along with an add-in card that includes radio gear such as an antenna, turns a desktop into 802.11b or 802.11g Wi-Fi access points, Intel said.

Technically, Wi-Fi access won't be free because it will cost PC makers to add it to new computers. But it will likely be less than an independent access point. Additionally, PC makers have shown they can often absorb the price of new features.

The chipmaker said these desktops will provide a relatively easy-to-use access point that allows notebooks and other wireless devices to share a broadband Internet connection and files. Thus, a consumer or a small business that purchases a PC with the built-in Wi-Fi access point will not need any other gear to create a basic Wi-Fi network.

While the concept is attractive, it will take time for these features to migrate to mainstream PCs. The features will mostly be used in higher-end systems in the $1,000-plus range. Lately, the average selling price for a desktop purchased at retail has hovered around $700, according to market researcher NPD Techworld.

PC-based access points have some potential limits as well, including location. While it's generally best to locate an access point centrally, that might not be convenient for PC owners, analysts said.

Secondly, a PC would have to be turned on all the time so that client devices could connect to the network. That uses a lot more power than a stand-alone access point.

Indeed, while some PC manufacturers have expressed interest in building Wi-Fi access points and EPC-style machines for consumers, it's not a universal desire at the moment. Some manufacturers will also offer the access points on small business PCs. But at least one PC executive said he isn't yet convinced. The Intel gear will have to be easy to configure--or else consumers won't be able to use it, he said.

In the meantime, gear makers are focusing on products that connect to a wireless network established by an access point. Manufacturers have already begun offering routers that have storage-sharing features as well as devices that allow consumer electronics devices, such as stereos, to connect to wireless networks.

Meanwhile, EPCs will be fitted with Pentium 4 chips, will provide a vault for storing music and video, and won't require additional monthly service fees, executives from Intel and Microsoft have said.

But DVR pioneer TiVo, for one, says it's ready for a fight. It is moving to make its DVRs cheaper and easier to use with new models, price cuts and rebates. The company believes that the device that's the easiest to use will prevail.

"The PC folks are trying to make a PC not look like a PC," said Ted Malone, director of product marketing at TiVo. "There is still a consumer perception problem that (an EPC) is still a PC and can you get it to work (as easily as a) TV."

Ultimately, Virgin Digital will work on mobile phones, handheld devices and other consumer electronics gear, said Zack Zalon, president of Virgin Digital. The product will include a jukebox, the ability to burn, rip and encode songs onto CDs, access to Virgin's digital music club and its Radio Free Virgin Internet radio stations,

Zalon declined to comment on pricing for the online store, which will let consumers buy songs individually or subscribe to the service.

"We're not releasing the (pricing) information but it'll be hyper competitive," Zalon said. The prevailing per-song price for legal, purchased music downloads is 99 cents.

Virgin Digital will be moving into an already crowded field, populated by Apple Computer's iTunes software and online music store, and myriad others--from Roxio's revived Napster service to MusicMatch.

"We're not afraid not to be first movers in this space," Zalon said. "We think that if we time it right, it will be the second movers who win.

Virgin Digital already has a leg up with the more than 100 million people who come through its Virgin Megastores annually, giving Virgin valuable market and customer preference information, Zalon said.

The Virgin Digital software product, which will be available for download through the Internet and on CD that Virgin will make available in its record stores and other avenues, will support Microsoft's Windows Media Audio, or WMA, format, Zalon said.

WMA files work on a host of digital music players, except Apple's, which does not support WMA.

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