Mirror, mirror on the tube

Philips Electronics has introduced the Mirror TV, an LCD integrated into a mirror that comes in three sizes: 17-, 23- and 30-inch, reports SACM. However, the mirrors can be larger, with the image appearing as a window within an otherwise conventional mirror. When the LCD is turned off, it simply acts as a mirror.

The Mirror TV uses a polarised mirror technology, which transfers close to 100% of the light through the reflective surface. The design hides the electronics and is ideal for non-traditional viewing spaces when it is installed flush to the wall.

Dell Computer and wireless phone and data provider T-Mobile have struck an agreement aimed at speeding the proliferation of high-speed wireless Internet access, known as WiFi.

Under the agreement, Dell customers can now get 2 000 free minutes of the T-Mobile HotSpot WiFi service within the first 30 days of activation, when they sign up for a new, qualifying HotSpot service plan, Reuters reports.

There are now more than 2 600 public HotSpot locations, making T-Mobile HotSpot the largest commercial WiFi network.

India`s prime minister began a visit to Shanghai, China`s economic powerhouse, yesterday, by saying the two countries could combine their complementary strengths in information technology instead of competing, reports Reuters.

Atal Behari Vajpayee, making a landmark trip to China, told a business meeting in Shanghai that the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 offered a chance for Indian and Chinese tech firms to work together, despite linguistic and cultural barriers.

Companies from developed countries, which won software contracts for major events such as the Olympics in the past, would in turn subcontract to Indian firms, he said.

A beta version of a new toolbar utility by search engine Google.com blocks pop-ups, and includes a utility for bloggers. Google Toolbar version 2.0 beta, available on the beta site at Google.com, is set to automatically block pop-ups for users with Internet Explorer browsers version 5.5 or higher.

Google`s toolbar is a plug-in application that places a Google search box directly into a user`s browser, Extreme Tech reports.