Satio Software Update Tweet

Here’s the list of highlights:

* Support for WVGA video recording – The already great video recording will be enhanced to fit the wide screen format and hence resolution is also slightly increased to 864 * 480 pixles. (the preset size will still be VGA, user has to change to get WVGA)
* Upload of pictures to Facebook – It will be possible to upload pictures directly from the picture menu you have on the home screen or from the Media UI.
* Youtube video uploading – It will be possible to upload videos to Youtube directly from the Media UI.
* Conversational messaging – “Conversations” will be nicely integrated in the messaging menu in order to easily find and inspire to more conversations with your friends.
* DLNA support – The new software will support DLNA media server for easy transfer of audio and still pictures. (Note that video is not supported)
* UI improvements – On top of above, several minor UI improvements have been done in order to optimize the user experience.
* The Facebook application that is now available on PlayNow for free download will be included in the sw.

Labels:

HTC Desire: first phones ship Friday! Tweet

Want a HTC Desire but don’t fancy waiting until April for the current Android flavour of the month? No problemo: we’ve got word of stock arriving this very week, so read on and we’ll clue you in on the when and where.

Mobiles.co.uk, an arm of the Carphone Warehouse, has tipped us that stock of the HTC Desire, the Sense coated version of the Google Nexus One, arrives on Friday, so now might be the best time to pre-order if you want your five megapixel OLED smartphone to rock up at the door for the weekend.

The site is currently selling the HTC Desire on Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone tariffs (Though Three and Virgin Mobile will also sell the phone), and the prices now look a lot more reasonable than the first deals that appeared: all three operators are offering very attractive 18 month deals, even ones with free handsets and a decent number of minutes. We’d certainly opt for one of them rather than locking yourself in for a full two years, especially since HTC has now topped the HTC Desire already with the Evo 4G.

Head on over to the site now for a peek at all the HTC Desire tariffs on offer and a chance to nab one earlier than HTC itself promised.

source

Labels:

XPERIA X10 Unboxing Tweet

A short video showing unboxing of the first commercial samples of XPERIA X10. All shot with the Sony Ericsson Vivaz in 720p HD.
NOTE: Kit content varies between markets so there might be other things in the XPERIA X10 kits sold on your market!

Labels:

Sony Ericsson Vivaz video preview Tweet

A quick video preview of the brand new Sony Ericsson Vivaz.

Labels:

Equalizer Application in Satio Tweet

This clip shows how the separate Equalizer application available on PlayNow looks in the Sony Ericsson Satio.
Note: The application works on both Satio and Vivaz but will need the latest software update to work on Satio.
Note2: sorry for the somewhat shaky recording - I didn't have my tripod at hand so I had to hold the Vivaz for filming with one hand while navigating the Satio with the other.

Labels:

free hagada for cell phone (with java) Tweet

free hagada for cell phone (with java)

Labels:

Create an app and win money with Calling All Innovators Tweet

GLOBAL – With up to $1.5million USD up for grabs, the Calling All Innovators competition, first announced in January, is hotting up. And with the June deadline for submissions looming, now is the time to get your submission planned, if you’re not already. The challenge is simple in concept: create an app that has the power to change lives. Read on after the jump to find out more.

Developers can submit apps to four different categories:

* Eco/Being Green – Despite what a certain frog says, it’s not so easy being green. Design an app that will take the pain out of preserving the planet: one that helps individuals reduce their personal carbon footprint or make more environmentally sound purchases.
* Entertainment – We want you to rock our world and change lives using the music, multimedia or gaming features available on the latest Nokia mobile devices.
* Productivity – The true promise of mobile technology is efficiency on the go. Can you think of a way to use mobile technology to streamline personal finances, business operations or utility consumption? We want to hear from you.
* Life Improvement – We know that mobile technology can improve the education, health prospects and agricultural output in developing countries. We want you to show us how a simple app can better the lives of thousands.

The prizes on offer are pretty astounding. Each category has prizes for the top three amounting to $50,000 per category:

Grand Prize: $30,000 USD in cash.

2nd Prize: $15,000 USD in cash.

3rd Prize: $5,000 USD in cash.

There are also a selection of prizes which go across all four categories and can be awarded regardless of whether the app is a category finalist. These include:

Best application for the Nokia N900: $50,000 (USD) in cash.

Best cross-platform application using Qt: $50,000 (USD) in cash.

Best mobile computing application: $50,000 (USD) in cash, plus the winner of this special prize will be included in a multi-million dollar global marketing campaign that will be used to help promote the winning app.

Best locally relevant application with global potential: $15,000 (USD) in cash.

You might think that’d be it in the prize stakes, but you’d be wrong. There’s more on offer in local countries as well, for Calling All Innovators is a global competition, with a selection of localised mini competitions running alongside. Some of the countries taking part will be offering additional local prizes (check out the full list here).

Ideas for Calling All Innovators can be submitted via the Calling All Innovators website up to the end of the Nokia Developer Summit on June 10 2010, with the award ceremony for finalists taking place at Nokia World in September.

So that’s it for prizes then? Erm, no, actually. Running alongside the Calling All Innovators competition is Nokia’s Growth Economy Venture Challenge where a $1million USD venture capital investment is on offer to the creator of an app which has been designed exclusively to help improve the lives of others (think Nokia Life Tools). Be quick for this one though, as the submissions deadline is April 18 2010.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit www.CallingAllInnovators.com now to enter.

Labels:

MyDailyApp – WikiHow Survival Kit, Super Street Fighter II and 10X10 Tweet

GLOBAL - It’s been a busy week for the folks over at MyDailyApp. Not only did Shazzam hit 1 million downloads, David Blaine joined the app scene and they managed to fit in a quick guitar tutorial just by using the device in your pocket.

We’ve trawled through the latest app offerings and picked our top trilogy of treats for this week. Join us after the jump.

There’ve been more than a handful of games available in the Ovi Store recently, but, I personally, have been waiting for this one. It’s the vintage Super Street Fighter II. You’ve KO’d on your console now you can do it on your Nokia. Play as T-Hawk, Dee-Jay, Feu Long and 12 other warriors and unleash devastating combinations as you battle your way to the coveted title of World Champion.

Game play is exactly like the original with that awesome arcade feel. Plus, each character’s signature moves are present and in-tact. Watch the video for a nostalgic look back and head over to Ovi Store to get your kicks into action. Game on.

Moving away from games our next app is Wiki Survival, and this must be the essential app for any quiz enthusiast, albeit one that doesn’t mind cheating.

This app includes anything and everything you need to know. Ripping information instantly from it’s sibling website it’s also pretty handy when you’re in a bit of a sticky situation by using the survival tool. From how to avoid being bitten by a rattle snake to how to change a spare tyre it’s a pretty useful app to have in your back pocket. A word of warning though, all the content on the app is user generated and there’s no guarantee that it’s solid fact, so a touch of common sense is needed too. Best not to trust that one that has the ultimate guide to bear boxing.

The WikiHow Survival kit is free to download on Ovi Store, and is exclusively for use on the Nokia N900.

Finally, we have 10×10. A mobile version of a web app that displays the 100 pictures that matter most globally on an hourly and daily basis and, wait for it, does it all without any human interaction. Another David Blaine app? Read on to find out how.

Think of 10×10 as an online news patchwork quilt. It’s constructed every hour of every day by an automated program which scans RSS feeds from international news sources and selects the top 100 pictures which correlate with the news.

Unlike the website the phone app doesn’t display all 100 pictures at once, instead you’ll see around 20 per page. A feature that both the web and phone app includes is the history function, allowing you to select a date and hour since 2004 and then get the pictures of what was happening on that date within that hour. It’s a great way to catch-up with the news rather than trawling through your RSS feed and it’s pretty simple to use, by all accounts.

10×10 mobile is available now in Ovi Store and it’s free. The app runs on Nokia S60 5th edition (Touch UI) devices and does need an internet connection to get up and running. Watch the video for more.

Labels:

Get the most out of your phone with great value multimedia tariffs from Orange Tweet

* Mobile internet* on the latest mobile devices from £20 a month on Dolphin Pay Monthly (PAYM), with unlimited texts and e-mail included
* More bite given to Panther Pay Monthly (PAYM) price plans with unlimited texts and four multimedia services as standard
* Free one month taster of a multimedia service available on any plan for all new and upgrading pay monthly customers, with six to choose from including Sky News and Sports, email and sat nav with Orange Maps
* Brand new Orange Games Zone launches, offering two free games a month from the Orange Games catalogue

In a move to help customers get the most out of their mobile phones, Orange is offering a range of new price plans to make multimedia services such as email, Orange Maps and the mobile internet more accessible and even better value for money from 1st April.

There has been huge growth in mobile internet usage with more and more customers realising the great services that are available on their phone, such as access to social networking sites, with Orange seeing on average nearly 1,900,000 unique users using these per month.

To meet this demand, Orange is introducing re-vitalised packages, with a range of multimedia services now included on Dolphin and Panther tariffs. New and upgrading customers will also be offered the chance to experience a free 30 day trial of one of Orange’s entertaining mobile services.

The changes include:

Panther tariff: from £30 PAYM**
For the mobile user who wants it all. From only £30 a month, the Panther animal plan is packed with unlimited texts, unlimited internet, unlimited email plus sat nav with Orange Maps, and 50 photo messages every month.

Dolphin tariff: from £20 PAYM***
To help make it even easier for customers who always want to stay in touch, the Dolphin tariff is now available with mobile internet, as well as unlimited texts and e-mail included as standard from £20 a month.

Free multimedia trial
All new and upgrading pay monthly Orange customers will be offered a free month long optional taster on their mobile on any of our top six multimedia services including Orange Games Zone, Sky News and Sports, mobile internet, email, sat nav with Orange Maps or photo messaging with no commitment required. If they like what they try, the service will cost just £5 per month from their second month.

Orange Games Zone
At just £5 a month, Orange Games Zone offers every customer two free games from the Orange Games catalogue. Games are downloaded in full and gamers keep their games even after they have unsubscribed from the service. Subscribers also enjoy a 20% discount on all games purchased over their allocated two gaming credits.

Orange is also bringing back Canary on pay monthly, with customers who love to talk and text receiving unlimited texts and more minutes. While the refreshed Racoon tariff is perfect for customers wanting to keep in touch, now with more minutes as well as unlimited landline calls.

Neil Macgeorge, Director of Pay Monthly at Orange UK: “We want our customers to be able to make the most out of the latest mobile phones and all that they have to offer. These revitalised packages offer exciting multimedia services such as mobile internet, email and sat nav with Orange Maps, all at great value for money.

We also believe that in giving all new and upgrading pay monthly customers a month long free trial of one of our entertaining mobile services, those who have yet to experience such services will see why so many others find them indispensible.”

Customers will be able to experience the new tariffs on some of the latest mobile devices, including the hotly anticipated white Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and the HTC Desire.

To find out more, and to see full terms and conditions, visit Orange shops or go to our revamped online site where mobile internet services are made simple: www.orange.co.uk/shop

Labels:

Be energy efficient with your mobile - t's easy to be green Tweet

Being green can make your life easier as well as easing the strain on planet earth.http://conversations.nokia.com/easy-to-be-green/

Labels:

Orange calls for UK employees to reclaim the summer Tweet

To mark the start of British Summer Time and some extra hours of daylight, Orange today calls on workers to reclaim the summer for themselves.

Orange is encouraging UK workers, 90% of whom spend on average up to an hour on their daily commute1, to make their time more productive by using communications tools, including mobiles and laptops. By taking advantage of the ability to connect and work from more places than ever before using the UK’s biggest 3G network, we could all take back those extra hours of daylight, to catch up with friends, sightsee or even grab a 2 for 1 pizza and show at the cinema with Orange Wednesdays.

To spur employees into action, Orange has identified the top five hidden gems in six of our major cities that workers could use this time to discover. For those who fancy going off the beaten track in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester or Bristol, Orange suggests the following:

* Birmingham: Is laughter your preferred medicine? Have a chuckle at the Glee Club
* Bristol: Sup a glass of what’s claimed to be the world’s strongest cider, Exhibition Cider, at the Coronation Tap in Clifton
* Cardiff: Explore Dyffryn Gardens, selected by the British Tourism Association as one of the UK’s top 100 gardens
* Edinburgh: Sample a fine Scottish haggis at Macsween of Edinburgh, where you can sample recipes from three generations of haggis makers
* London: Enjoy authentic cockney pie and mash at M. Manzes, established back in 1902 by the present owner’s grandfather
* Manchester: Unwind and relax in a secretly located tiered garden, the Fletcher Moss Gardens

What do you think? If you have a better suggestion, why not share your idea and take a quick, one minute survey on the Orange Connected Britain interactive map.

“The continued development of mobile technology means that we’re now able to choose to be and work in more places than ever before,” said Robert Ainger, Director of Corporate business, Orange UK. “This year, we want to encourage Britain’s employees to think about how they spend their time and to consider working more flexibly, to allow them to do more of the things they want to. Working remotely, whether from home or on the journey there, can be just as productive as working from the office. So why not use the reach of our top-ranking network2 to finish off some emails, make a few calls or organise the diary for the week and then make the most of your free time?”

Notes to editor
1 From research of 3,281 UK office workers, carried out by YouGov on behalf of Orange. Total sample size was 3,281 adults working in an office. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23rd June – 1st July 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
2 Orange retains position as the top mobile broadband provider in the UK

As per wave seven of the independent YouGov Dongle Tracker survey.Total sample size was 4,944 adults, of which 2,037 used mobile broadband by means of a dongle, modem stick, or datacard. Orange’s mobile broadband sample was 187 customers. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th January and 20th January 2010. MVNOs have been excluded. The survey was carried out online. The figures have not been weighted.

Labels:

Orange reveals Cheryl Cole is queen of the mobile Tweet

When it comes to searching for news, celebrity gossip, music and video on our mobile phones, one name dominates the Orange charts – Cheryl Cole.

X-Factor gossip, a new album, and strife with Ashley has rocketed the Girls Aloud star into the public consciousness, and onto our mobile phones.

According to the latest research from the Orange Digital Media Index (ODMI), Cheryl Cole is the UK’s most searched for celebrity* by customers, raking in 40% more mobile searches than her nearest rival, Miley Cyrus or Twilight star Robert Pattinson.

Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of Cheryl Cole full tracks are being downloaded each month from the Orange Music Store. “Fight For This Love” tops the music download chart, pipping Grammy-winners Lady Gaga and The Black Eyed Peas to the no.1 spot**.

Finally, Cheryl Cole’s “Fight For This Love” video also tops the video download chart, beating the trailer for blockbuster “Twilight: New Moon” and the “X Factor Final” into second and third place respectively***.

Paul Jevons, Director of Products, Portals and Services for Orange, said: “Mobile searches are a real barometer of fame and reflect the public’s fascination with celebrities when on the move. With Britain’s Got Talent on the horizon, the nation’s other sweetheart - Amanda Holden – could well challenge Cheryl for the number one spot.”

The latest ODMI findings reveal celebrity searches have increased by 800% since the previous report, with the biggest upsurge in any search term including “music”, “entertainment” and “social networking”.

The full Orange Digital Media Index will be available early next month from orange.co.uk/newsroom.

Labels:

Youth Panel to select ‘Best of the Best’ to celebrate 15th anniversary of the Orange Prize for Fiction Tweet

As part of the Orange Prize for Fiction’s 15th anniversary celebrations, six teenagers will form a youth panel to select their favourite winner from the previous 14.

The four girls and two boys, aged between 17–18, will read all the past Orange Prize winners from Helen Dunmore’s A Spell of Winter published in 1996, to last year’s Home by Marilynne Robinson. The 14 books will be whittled down to a shortlist of four before a final judging meeting to decide on the youth panel’s ‘Best of the Best’.

The panel were selected from entries sent into Spinebreakers.co.uk, the online community for book loving teenagers, where they will continue to share their judging experiences and debate the books they have read.

“Last year we introduced the concept of the youth panel who shadowed the main jury and it was fascinating to see how their shortlist and winner were completely different. From this we were able to gain insight and create debate around the reading habits of a younger audience, something no other UK literary prize has done before.” commented Kate Mosse, novelist and Honorary Director of the Orange Prize.

“On the 10th anniversary of the Orange Prize in 2005, Andrea Levy’s Small Island, was selected as the ‘Best of the Best’ by all the previous jury chairs. We look forward to seeing what this year’s youth panel will make of the impressive back catalogue of Orange Prize winners.”

Youth panel member, Hazel Compton, commented “I’m excited to take part in this year’s Orange Prize 15th celebrations. It’s an incredible list of books and it’s going to be a tough deciding on the winner but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

The youth panel consists of:

* Hazel Compton (18), is from Norfolk and currently Studying Art History and English Literature at the University of East Anglia. She enjoys rock climbing, painting and has written for the student newspaper as well as the online magazine Rusemag.com.
* Kate Edwards (17), is from Glamorgan and studying English Literature, History, Art and Religious Studies and her favourite authors include Jon McGregor, Irvine Welsh, Patrick Gale and Joanne Harris.
* Fergus Ewbank (18), is from York and studying English at Goldsmiths University in London and enjoys music, photography and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Virginia Woolf and Hunter. S. Thompson.
* Pooja Gohil (17), is from Bradford and studying Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English Literature and hopes someday to combine both her scientific aspirations with her pleasure in reading and writing.
* Conrad Landin (17), is from London and studying English, Latin, History and Politics at A-level and his favourite authors include George Orwell, Sam Selvon and R.D. Wingfield. He is an avid theatre goer and writes part time for the Camden New Journal.
* Kirsty Woodford (17), is from Cardiff and studying English, Maths, Physics, Religious Studies and Welsh, she has won a number of creative writing competitions and also runs and edits her school's newspaper.

The Orange Prize for Fiction was set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout the world to the widest range of readers possible and is awarded for the best novel of the year written by a woman. Any woman writing in English – whatever her nationality, country of residence, age or subject matter – is eligible.

Previous winners are Marilynne Robinson for Home (2009), Rose Tremain for The Road Home (2008), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Half of a Yellow Sun (2007), Zadie Smith for On Beauty (2006), Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005), Andrea Levy for Small Island (2004), Valerie Martin for Property (2003), Ann Patchett for Bel Canto (2002), Kate Grenville for The Idea of Perfection (2001), Linda Grant for When I Lived in Modern Times (2000), Suzanne Berne for A Crime in the Neighbourhood (1999), Carol Shields for Larry’s Party (1998), Anne Michaels for Fugitive Pieces (1997), and Helen Dunmore for A Spell of Winter (1996).

www.orangeprize.co.uk

Labels:

Orange unveils new channel-partner programme Tweet

Announced at the Orange Indirect Business Channel Conference held in London, the Orange Partner Programme demonstrates a renewed and refreshed commitment to the Indirect channel, with particular focus on the business and SME dealerships. The new scheme will launch at the beginning of April, and builds on Orange’s growing momentum gained in 2009, which saw record customer additions in Q4 2009 through both Direct and Indirect channels.

The Orange Partner Programme has the following tiers:

* Approved Orange Partner: Entry point for dealers. Distributors will be key to introducing and gaining accreditation for their key Orange dealers.
* Specialist Partner: Evolution of the existing Federated Dealers scheme. Federated dealers will now become Orange Specialist (Business) Partners, and operate renewed trading agreements, targets and objectives.
* Principal Partner: Highest tier status, reserved for Orange Specialist Partners committed to almost exclusive selling of Orange, and with key joint growth plans in place.

In recognising the loyalty and commitment from the dealers and distributors in the Orange Partner Programme, Orange will in turn be offering all partners access to enhanced marketing, sales and service support, as well as new products and tools to improve communication around reporting and performance tracking.

Orange will also be extending the product range it offers its partners to help them meet the needs of their business customers. From Q3, Orange Partners in the Indirect channel will be able to sell Managed VPNs to businesses, as well as offer Orange Wirefree Extension, helping office workers to access business applications safely and securely from outside the office, and reducing company call rates.

Orange has also announced its intention to increase levels of revenue sharing, to encourage high value, long term relationships with customers. This increased revenue share over time enables Orange to reward those Partners able to introduce and retain the more valuable longer term customers. Whilst exact details are not being made public at this stage, Orange are aiming to reveal the new revenue share level by July 2010.

In recognising the need for dealers to upgrade customers directly, Orange will also be providing its dealers with enhanced customer insight to help them tailor offers at the point of upgrade.

Guillaume Van Gaver, Vice President Sales and Loyalty, Orange UK said “We have momentum, and we need to sustain this if we are to achieve our ambition of becoming the leading network partner in the Indirect Business channel. That’s why we are giving a renewed focus to the channel, and launching a new and improved Partner Programme which will deliver long term value for us all so that we can achieve our goals together. ”

Orange will also be moving its monthly price book to a quarterly basis which will help facilitate work through longer sales cycles and ease the planning process.

About Orange UK
Orange is the key brand of the France Telecom Group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 131.8 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates.

In the UK, Orange provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population, and 3G coverage to more than 93%. At the end of December 2009, Orange had more than 17.4 million customers in the UK – 16.5 million active mobile customers and approximately 900,000 fixed line internet customers.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited.

For more information please call the Orange Press Office 0870 3731500, or visit www.orange.co.uk/newsroom

Labels:

Orange unveils new mobile gaming offerings Tweet

* Three new mobile gaming offerings, Playtomo, Games Zone and Orange iPhone Games
* Playtomo, a mobile operator first, allowing customers to play free games and share their gaming experience through their favourite social networking sites
* All iPhone customers able to access games designed or published by Orange

Orange announced it is introducing three new mobile gaming offerings, building on its position as the number one operator for mobile gaming. In a move to bring innovative ways for customers to enjoy entertainment and gaming on their mobile phones to market, this announcement sees a mobile operator first with the launch of Playtomo, access to free games and exclusive competitions on a range of phones including iPhone and Android handsets with Games Zone, and games produced by Orange for the iPhone.

These latest gaming offerings build on Orange’s existing gaming services as well as the recent partnership announcement with HMV, by identifying new ways of delivering greater value products and services to customers.

The latest gaming services from Orange include:

* Playtomo, a social gaming service allowing all UK customers to play games for free and share the fun with friends through social networking sites on their mobile phones(1)
* Games Zone, a subscription gaming service offering Orange customers two free games each month, exclusive competitions and 20% discount on additional purchases(2)
* Orange iPhone Games, giving all UK iPhone customers access to mobile games designed and produced by Orange, available to download from the Apple App Store(3)

Playtomo is the new social gaming service from Orange designed specifically to be used with customers’ favourite social networks such as Facebook. The first of a kind offered by a mobile operator, the Playtomo service offers a selection of free, high-quality games ranging from card games to action and adventure platform games. Available to download from Orange’s mobile portal, Orange World, Playtomo integrates directly into social networks so users can share their scores, points and challenge their friends to get involved. Contact lists are easily imported to the service so friends can be invited to join in the fun from any UK phone operator.

Games Zone, Orange’s new subscription based mobile gaming service, is available to download from Orange World and the Orange Shop online. For just £5 a month, customers will receive two games every month from the Orange catalogue and can keep them once their subscription has ended. A further 20% discount is offered on all other games after they use their two-game credit, as well as access to exclusive competitions. Games Zone is also available on a one month free trial to new or upgrading Pay Monthly customers as part of Orange’s new multimedia Animal tariff refresh announced today.

Orange iPhone Games brings tailor-made games to UK iPhone customers through the Apple App Store. Designed specifically or published by Orange for iPhone customers, Orange iPhone Games allows users to enjoy even more entertainment on their mobiles from the trusted Orange brand, including off-road racing, a selection of card games such as Blackjack and Poker and Playtomo.

Neil Holroyd, Head of Gaming Products and Services for Orange, said: “This is an exciting time for Orange, with the launch of these new mobile gaming offerings forming a key part of our strategy to evolve our business through entertainment. Innovative gaming services such as Playtomo and Games Zone give customers the best possible gaming experience and value for money on their mobile phone, while enabling us to develop our offering and maintain our lead as the number one gaming operator in the UK.”

Labels:

China Becomes the World Leader in LCD-TV Production Tweet

Boom in domestic demand drives surge in production.

Much like the Cathode Ray Tube-Television (CRT-TV) market, China has become the world’s leading production center for Liquid Crystal Display-Televisions (LCD-TVs), according to iSuppli Corp.

Thanks to the government’s active stimulus program, consumer interest and declining prices, the number of LCD-TVs sold in China is set to reach 49.1 million units by 2013, up from 29.4 million units in 2009.

In the same time, the LCD-TV production among domestic Chinese OEMs, i.e. designed by Chinese companies, reached 40.3 million units in 2009, a 109 percent increase from 2008. This number will increase to 47 million units in 2014.

Disappearing Companies
China’s LCD-TV industry changed significantly during the course of 2009 as more and more small companies disappeared or began buying boards to assemble directly. iSuppli forecasts this transformation will continue during the next four years as more companies either become obsolete or change their product focus.

China’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 LCD-TV makers in 2009 failed both in terms of production and profits because of the decreased output in the market and as a result of the leading companies receiving more government support. The LCD-TV industry adopted a more centralized structure, forcing many small LCD-TV makers to quit the market, and those that survived will more than likely exit in the next three years.

The Semi-Knock Down (SKD) or Complete Knock Down (CKD) service providers have declined rapidly, and board providers as well as their customers should switch output to the domestic market and focus on the 32-inch and smaller market. Some professional markets, such as the digital signage segment may offer a way for these companies to compete with leading companies in the domestic market. As China’s LCD-TV market becomes more focused, it will be important for global companies to build up long-term partnerships with leading Chinese LCD-TV makers.

DTMB to Ramp Up in 2010
The digital terrestrial television standard in China, Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcast (DTMB), failed to achieve many shipments 2009, similar to 2008. However, shipments of DTMB-compatible sets should rise to 9.8 million units by 2014, up from 4.0 million units in 2010.

To succeed, the national standard needs several factors in its favor. These factors include the right business model, government support, impetus from leading companies, ability to solve the real demands of consumers and a mature ecosystem. As such, it is currently impossible for small fabless companies to be successful.

Labels:

Victoria Fodale Joins ABI Research Mobile Devices Team Tweet

ABI Research is pleased to announce the addition of a new senior analyst to its mobile devices research team. As Senior Analyst, Mobile Devices, Victoria Fodale analyzes the range of handset segments that make up the mobile handset industry, including smartphones, enhanced phones, low-cost and ultra-low-cost handsets, as well as a range of related topics and technologies including among others, mobile device operating systems, form factors, user interfaces and use cases.

“ABI Research is fortunate to attract the caliber of talent that Victoria brings to our team of analysts,” says vice president and chief research officer Stuart Carlaw. “Her respected history of analyzing numerous technologies in the mobile industry is what initially attracted us to her, and we expect this experience to be an invaluable addition to ABI Research’s coverage of the global mobile handset industry.”

Victoria brings a wide range of experience and skills to her role, from writing and editing through consulting and professional services to market analysis. Prior to joining ABI Research she spent five years as Senior Analyst/Manager of Market Data and Intelligence at In-Stat where she focused on networking, broadband, and wireless technologies.

Earlier positions included that of Director of Education at Drake Certivo (of which she was a founding director), Product Manager/Product Designer at ComputerPREP, and Technical Writer/Editor for Honeywell Space Systems. She has also provided extensive consulting and design services to Microsoft's product and service programs.

Victoria has been quoted in many business and technology publications including Business Week, CNET, GigaOM, Investor’s Business Daily, and more.

She has spoken and participated in a number of industry events including the WPAN Technology Outlook in Seoul, Korea, and the first China Global Wi-Fi Summit in Beijing, as well as CES, CTIA, and Interop.

Victoria earned a BS (Honors) in Journalism from Arizona State University, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Instructional Technology from San Diego State University.

Labels:

N900 Maemo OS on HTC HD2 Tweet

N900 Maemo OS on HTC HD2.

Labels:

iPad Arrives This Saturday Tweet

CUPERTINO, California—March 29, 2010—Apple’s magical new iPad will be available in all 221 US Apple® retail stores and most Best Buy stores this Saturday, April 3, beginning at 9 a.m. Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life.*

“iPad connects users with their apps and content in a far more intimate and fun way than ever before,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We can’t wait for users to get their hands and fingers on it this weekend.”

Apple retail stores will offer a free Personal Setup service to every customer who buys an iPad at the store, helping them customize their new iPad by setting up their email, loading their favorite apps from the App Store, and more. Also beginning Saturday morning, all US Apple retail stores will host special iPad workshops to help customers learn more about this magical new product.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, most Best Buy stores, select Apple Authorized Resellers and campus bookstores. The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3.

Labels:

Teaser on how to do cool UI features on Android Tweet

Last week some colleagues from the Android UI software development team at Sony Ericsson contacted me to talk about the possibilities of releasing tutorials for some of the UI features the UI development team has been working on for X10 mini. Since this is really cool stuff that will definitely be valuable for Android developers no persuasion was needed and we have now started to work on a series of tutorials that will be posted in the Developer World blog, http://blogs.sonyericsson.com/develop... . The tutorials will come with sample projects and .apk for developers for further exploration.

Labels:

10 Mobile Technologies Going into 2011: Gartner Tweet

A new Gartner report highlights 10 mobile technologies that enterprises should expect to feel the effects of, and invest in, through 2011. Among them are Bluetooth 4, the mobile Web, app stores and enhanced location awareness.

Bluetooth 3 and 4, app stores, mobile widgets, and touch screens are among 10 mobile technologies that savvy organizations should expect to feel the impacts of through 2011, according to a March report from Gartner Research.

Released in advance of the Gartner Wireless, Networking & Communications Summit, beginning in San Diego April 19, the report highlights technologies that, as enterprises emerge from the recession and begin spending money again, will “evolve in ways that affect corporate strategies, significant numbers of customers or employees will adopt or expect them, or will address particular mobile challenges that organizations will face,” states the report.

Completing the top 10 are the mobile Web, platform-independent mobile application development tools, enhanced location awareness, cellular broadband, M2M technology and device-independent security.

“In consumer terms, one technology that people will notice most will be Bluetooth 4, which brings a low-energy mode,” Gartner analyst Nick Jones told eWEEK. “It will also enable a lot of peripherals to the mobile phone and have a battery life of potentially years.”

Such peripherals, Jones said, could include “intelligent, simple jewelry” with unique functionality and health care solutions, such as a device that measures a person’s blood pressure or heart rate on a jog.

We’ve also only seen the beginning of the app store revolution, Jones said.

“I think app stores are, if you like, the second of three phases of mobility,” Jones said. “The first was a device-centric world. The iPhone marks the next era: the device plus application. And the third phase that we’re starting to see emerging is device plus cloud, or plus services. It’s not just about the apps on the device anymore, but that they give you access to things in the cloud.”

Noting that Apple is the current app store king and Nokia the dominant OS provider, Jones expects Android to take the No. 2 OS spot in the future.

“I think we’ll see some shifting in where the developers are focusing,” Jones told eWEEK. “There are many hundreds of million of Nokia users in the world, and developers may start thinking, ‘Even though they’re not big downloaders, we could make money just by virtue of their numbers.’”

Also notable in the report is that, by 2011, 85 percent of the handsets shipping globally are expected to include some form of browser, however primitive, which Gartner says is important because it will allow organizations to deliver simple applications to large numbers of handsets at low costs.

“In mature markets, the mobile Web and associated Web adaptation tools will be a leading technology for B2C [business-to-consumer] mobile applications through 2012, and should be part of every organization’s B2C technology portfolio,” states the report.

By 2011, we should also expect to see GPS shipping on 75 percent of devices headed to “mature markets,” such as Western Europe and Japan, and electronic compasses on 30 percent of smartphones. Combining location and direction, says the report, “enables applications such as augmented reality viewers, which have started to emerge for tasks such as location-aware search and social networking.”

Going forward, we can also expect to see still more location-aware applications geared toward both consumers and enterprise workers, as well as enterprises using services such as Twitter, which supports location tagging and awareness—which consumers should, of course, have the option of opting into.

“There may be a bit of a generation gap here,” said Gartner’s Jones. “Many young people are much happier to make the details of their life known. Some people will worry about privacy, though, and they can just turn certain things off.”

source

Labels:

EKOORE ET10TA Presentazione Tablet pc con Ubuntu Linux Tweet

EKOORE ET10TA Presentazione Tablet pc con Ubuntu Linux

Labels:

Gartner Outlines 10 Mobile Technologies to Watch in 2010 and 2011 Tweet

Future Wireless Trends to Be Discussed at Gartner Wireless, Networking & Communications Summit, April 19-21, in San Diego.

STAMFORD, Conn. —   Gartner, Inc. has identified 10 mobile technologies that will evolve significantly through 2011 in ways that will impact short-term mobile strategies and policies. Investments in mobile applications and technologies will increase through 2011 as organizations emerge from the recession and ramp up both business-to-employee (B2E) and business-to-consumer (B2C) mobile spending.

"We are highlighting these 10 mobile technologies that should be on every organization's radar screen," said Nick Jones, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. "These mobile technologies were selected because they will evolve in ways that affect corporate strategies, significant numbers of customers or employees will adopt or expect them, or they will address particular mobile challenges that organizations will face through 2011."

The 10 mobile technologies to watch in 2010 and 2011 include:

Bluetooth (3 and 4)
Two new Bluetooth versions will emerge by 2011: Bluetooth 3 will introduce 802.11 as a bearer for faster data transmission, and Bluetooth 4 will introduce a new low-energy (LE) mode that will enable communication with external peripherals and sensors. Both versions will include other technical improvements to improve battery life and security. Gartner believes that Bluetooth 3 will facilitate corporate and consumer functions demanding large bandwidth (e.g., downloading images and videos from handsets). Bluetooth LE will enable a range of new sensor-based business models in industries such as fitness, healthcare and environmental control and will be used by handset and PC peripherals to enable new functions, such as PCs that autolock when users move away from them.

The Mobile Web
By 2011, over 85 percent of handsets shipped globally will include some form of browser. In mature markets, such as Western Europe and Japan, approximately 60 percent of handsets shipped will be smartphones with sophisticated browsing capability and the ability to render conventional HTML sites in some manner. The growth in smartphones with relatively large and high-resolution screens will encourage greater numbers of people to access conventional websites on mobile devices, and will make it possible to deliver some B2C applications using conventional Web tools without adaptation. In mature markets, the mobile Web, along with associated Web adaptation tools, will be a leading technology for B2C mobile applications through 2012, and should be part of every organization's B2C technology portfolio.

Mobile Widgets
Widgets are installable Web applications that use technologies such as JavaScript and HTML. Many handsets support widgets running on their home screens, where they are easily visible and accessible. Despite the lack of standards, widgets provide a convenient way to deliver simple, connected applications, especially those involving real-time data updates (such as weather forecasts, e-mail notifications, marketing, blogs and information feeds). Because widgets exploit well-understood tools and technologies, they have lower entry barriers than complex native applications, and thus can be a good first step to assess the demand for an application on a specific platform before undertaking expensive native development.

Platform-Independent Mobile AD Tools
Mobile platforms will become more diverse through 2012 although consolidation will not have started, and, in some markets, five or more platforms may have a significant presence. Therefore, tools that can reduce the burden of delivering installable applications to several platforms will be very attractive. Platform-independent application development (AD) tools cannot deliver a "write once, run anywhere" equivalent to native code; however, they can significantly reduce the cost of delivering and supporting multiplatform applications that provide a more sophisticated experience than the mobile Web and operate outside signal coverage.

App Stores
App stores will be the primary (and, in some cases, the only) way to distribute applications to smartphones and other mobile devices. App stores also provide a range of business support functions, such as payment processing, that assist smaller organizations. Gartner believes that app stores will play many roles in an organization's B2C and B2E strategies. They will be a distribution channel for mobile applications and a commercial channel to sell applications and content (especially in international markets), and they will provide new options for application sourcing. Many applications will exploit ecosystem cloud services.

Enhanced Location Awareness
By the end of 2011, over 75 percent of devices shipped in mature markets will include a GPS. GPS will be the primary, but not the only, means of establishing handset location. Wi-Fi and cell ID systems will remain important in situations where GPS is unavailable or unreliable. The popularity of location-aware handsets will enable a wide range of B2E and B2C location-aware applications, and will serve as a foundation for more-sophisticated contextual applications in the future. However, organizations must be sensitive to local privacy regulations, ensure that applications that expose location are "opt in," and remain on alert for new risks and concerns that will be raised by location awareness.

Cellular Broadband
During 2010 and 2011, the availability of multimegabit wireless broadband performance will continue to grow as mobile networks enhance their broadband performance. Continuous improvements in wireless broadband performance will increase the range of applications that no longer require fixed networking, and make cellular broadband a more effective fallback when fixed connections fail. Embedded cellular networking will become a standard feature of many corporate laptops, and will enable new types of network-connected devices and business models, such as e-books and media players.

Touchscreens
Touchscreens are emerging as the dominant user interface for large-screen handsets, and will be included in over 60 percent of mobile devices shipped in Western Europe and North America in 2011. Touch-enabled devices will also make increasing use of techniques such as haptics to enhance user experience. Organizations developing native handset applications may need to exploit single and multitouch interfaces and haptics to give their applications a compelling and competitive user experience.

M2M
Many network service providers increased their commitment to machine to machine (M2M) in 2009, so a good range of both national and multinational M2M service options will be available in mature markets during 2010 and 2011. Although the M2M market is very fragmented, it's growing at over 30 percent per year. Low-cost M2M modules will enable a wide range of new networked devices and business models. Key applications include smart grid, meter reading, security/surveillance, automotive systems, vending and point of sale, remote monitoring, and track and trace.

Device-Independent Security
This isn't strictly a single technology, but refers to a collection of security technologies, application technologies and sourcing options that enable the provisioning of applications that are secure, but less tightly tied to specific devices and platforms, and that, in many cases, do not require security tools to be installed on the client. It includes thin-client architectures, applications as a service, platform-independent forms of network access control (NAC), portable personality, virtualization, and hosted security services, such as "in the cloud" virus scanning. Device-independent tools cannot provide the rigor of fully installed security, but a blend of several of these tools can enable CIOs to deliver applications that can run on a wider range of devices while reducing security risks.

Additional information is available in the report "Ten Mobile Technologies to Watch in 2010 and 2011" which is available on the Gartner Web site at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1311324.

About the Gartner Wireless, Networking & Communications Summit
Mr. Jones will provide more-detailed analysis on future scenarios for the wireless industry at The Gartner Wireless, Networking & Communications Summit. The Summit offers new concepts and best practices to increase ROI on wireless investment, insights on the future of wireless, and unbiased perspectives on devices, systems, integration and the latest trends. Gartner analysts will provide advice and best practices for successful wireless and networking implementations at the Gartner Wireless, Networking & Communications Summit taking place April 19-21 in San Diego, California. Additional information is available at www.gartner.com/us/wireless.

Members of the media can register for the Summit in by contacting Christy Pettey, Gartner Public Relations, at +1 408.468.8312 or at christy.pettey@gartner.com.

Additional information from the event will be shared on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Gartner_inc and at #GartnerWireless.

Labels:

Opera Mini is money Tweet

Opera Mini is money.
Operators gain $1.25 billion per year in revenue with Opera Mini.

Opera Mini generates more than $1.2 billion per year for mobile operators around the world, according to Opera’s State of the Mobile Web Report. The United States leads the way, with Opera Mini generating more than $146 per user, per year.

Opera’s State of the Mobile Web Report, published monthly, provides information on the top global trends affecting the mobile Web. The full report is available from http://www.opera.com/smw/ (English only). In addition to exploring the mobile data revenues for operators in the top 10 countries, the report highlights global statistics, profiles the mobile browsing habits in North America and includes a brief look at the uptake for the Opera Turbo optimization and compression feature in Opera Mobile.
Global Trends

In February 2010, Opera Mini had over 50.5 million users, a 1.7% increase from January 2010 and more than 145% compared to February 2009.

Those 50.5 million people viewed more than 22 billion pages in February 2010. Since January, page views went down 5.6%, partly because February only has 28 days compared to January’s 31. Since February 2009, page views have increased 200%.

In February 2010, Opera Mini users generated over 330 million MB of data for operators worldwide. Since January, the data consumed went down by 1.9%, also due to the fewer number of days in February. Data in Opera Mini is compressed by up to 90%. If this data were uncompressed, Opera Mini users would have viewed over 3 petabytes of data in February. Since February 2009, data traffic is up over 164%.

The top 10 countries for Opera Mini usage in January 2010 were: Russia, Indonesia, India, China, Ukraine, South Africa, Nigeria, the United States, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. Nigeria continues its ascent up the top 10 countries for Opera Mini usage — overtaking the United States in February. Also in February, China passed Ukraine to take the number 4 spot.

Nigeria continues its ascent up the top 10 countries for Opera Mini usage – overtaking the United States in February. Also in February, China passed Ukraine to take the number 4 spot.
Operator revenue trends

* In February 2010, people browsing with Opera Mini (in the top 10 countries according to unique users) spent approximately 103.8 million dollars. That figure translates to approximately 1.2 billion dollars per year.
* Using $1 per megabyte as a global average, Opera Mini users generate nearly $4 billion for operators worldwide each year.
* From a per-user perspective, Opera Mini users spent approximately $4 on average in the month of February, which comes out to $48 per year. The heaviest spending occurs in the United States ($146.40 user/year) and the United Kingdom ($102/user/year), whereas the least spending occurs in India ($8.76/user/year) and South Africa ($11.52/user/year).

North America trends

* In Part 3 of this month’s report, we look at countries in North America and the Caribbean. The top 11 countries using Opera Mini in that region are the United States, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Trinidad & Tobago, Panama and Puerto Rico.
* From February 2009 to February 2010, page views in the top 11 countries of North America and the Caribbean increased by 153%, unique users increased by 109% and data transferred increased by 84%.
* Since our last spotlight on North America and the Caribbean, Honduras jumped from #7 to #5, Guadeloupe moved from #9 to #8, and several new countries made their way onto the list (Trinidad & Tobago, Panama, and Puerto Rico).
* Growth rates in North America and the Caribbean: Guadeloupe and Panama lead the top 11 countries of the region in terms of page-view growth (2,555.3% and 897.5%, respectively). Guadeloupe and Dominican Republic lead the top 11 countries of the region in growth of unique users (5,725.3% and 384.2%, respectively). Costa Rica leads the top 11 countries of the region in page views per user, with each user browsing 359 pages on average each month.
* In North America and the Caribbean, among mobile Web users, Google is at the top of the rankings in 10 out of the top 11 countries. In Puerto Rico, Google is number 2 (behind Facebook).
* In North America and the Caribbean, Facebook is also very popular, taking the #1 spot in Puerto Rico, the #2 spot in six of the top 11 countries and the #3 spot in two of the top 11 countries.
* Opera Mini users in North America and the Caribbean use several different handset brands, including BlackBerry, LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. In the United States and Canada, BlackBerry handsets occupy the number 1 spot. In five out of the 11 countries, Sony Ericsson handsets are number 1. In four out of the 11 countries, Nokia handsets take the number 1 spot.

Opera Turbo statistics

Opera Turbo is a feature in both Opera for desktop and Opera Mobile that uses our servers to optimize and compress Web pages. In February 2010, Opera Turbo on Opera Mobile was used by 645,000 unique users to view over 73 million pages, resulting in 4.1 terabytes of data transferred (post-compression).

Opera desktop statistics may be found in our Opera Turbo report, also published monthly: http://www.opera.com/otr/
What we say

“We like to think of Opera Mini as a win-win solution,” said Jon von Tetzchner, co-founder, Opera. “Consumers who would otherwise not pay for the mobile Web can do so without fear of ‘sticker shock’ when they see their bill. People paying for a flat-rate data plan can enjoy quick and hassle-free browsing over EDGE or 3G connections. Operators attract new customers for their data packages, and their strained networks can catch their breath while our servers do the heavy lifting.”

State of the Mobile Report archive: http://www.opera.com/smw/archive/

Labels:

Frame agreements with China Mobile and China Unicom, valued at USD 1.8 billion Tweet

*
Network expansion to speed up the fastest-growing economy
*
Better quality and performance to boost 56.3 percent penetration rate
*
Faster 3G network and boosted network capacity for millions of tech-savvy Chinese

With a potential customer base of 1.3 billion, telecom operators are now taking steps to further expand and boost China's communication infrastructure and related services. China Mobile and China Unicom today signed 2G/3G frame agreements with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC).

Living in the fastest-growing major economy in the world for the past 30 years, the Chinese have developed increasing technological needs. A steadily rising number of the Chinese population is going mobile. In 2009, there was an additional 106 million new mobile subscriptions, bringing it to a total of a 747 million. With a penetration rate of 56.3 percent, there are no signs of the market cooling down. The fixed broadband market also shows strong growth of about 20%, bringing it to a total of 103 million subscriptions at the end of 2009.

Today, 99 percent of the population has mobile coverage, thanks to operators' recent network expansion to rural areas. However, new additions and increased usage, especially with non-voice services, has put pressure on the networks and operators. Because of this, the operators are investing in maintaining quality and performance levels, especially in larger cities.

Mats H Olsson, Head of Ericsson Greater China, says: "The signing of the significant frame agreements is a manifestation of our continued strong cooperation with our Chinese customers. We are confident that we will do an even better job in supplying the latest technology and best-in-class services in time to support Chinese operators in fulfilling the demand of this tremendous market growth".

Under the agreement with China Mobile, Ericsson will provide a radio access network including a multi-standard radio base station RBS 6000 and mobile soft-switching technology, which will drastically boost the capacity of the network and evolve it into an IP network. With such solutions, Ericsson will also help China Mobile to achieve their energy saving goals. The framework contract is worth USD 1 billion and will be implemented during 2010.

In the agreement with China Unicom, Ericsson will provide a faster 3G network with HSPA Evolution technology to secure higher speed and better user experience for consumers. In addition, Ericsson will further expand cooperation with China Unicom in the area of IP and broadband, supplying IP routers, fiber access technologies GPON and 40G WDM as well as IP multimedia subsystem (IMS). The framework contract is worth USD 800 million and will also be implemented during 2010.

Labels:

China market: 3G user base in steady growth Tweet

The user base of 3G mobile communication service in China has been steadily growing, with the number of subscribers increasing by 1.52 million in February 2010 to 16.06 million, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on March 29.

China Mobile Communications, China Telecom and China United Telecommunications (China Unicom) are the only three 3G mobile telecom carriers in the country.

MIIT: China 3G mobile communication user bases

Operator


Increase in subscribers, February 2010 (1,000)


Number of subscribers as of end of February 2010 (million)


Standard; number of cities covered by infrastructure

China Mobile


790


6.86


TD-SCDMA; 238

China Telecom


320


5.14


CDMA2000; 342

China Unicom


410


4.06


WCDM; 335

source

Labels:

Saratoga County, N.Y. and Motorola Announce Contract for Interoperable Countywide Public Safety Radio System Tweet

Project 25 digital system will allow agencies throughout county to effectively communicate.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – The Enterprise Mobility Solutions business of Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) and Saratoga County, N.Y. announced an $11.8 million contract for a Project 25 (P25) countywide communications system providing interoperability with state, county and local agencies.

The new Motorola ASTRO® 25 IP Digital Trunked Simulcast System is designed to provide seamless interoperable emergency communications coverage throughout the county and will be used by sheriff’s police, firefighters, EMTs and other first responders.

“The current radio system is over 20 years old and the need for interoperable mission critical communications has been a priority ever since the tornadoes that touched down in Mechanicville and Stillwater in 1998,” said Paul Lent, director of emergency services, Saratoga County. “In a major emergency like a tornado, no single agency has all the necessary tools and resources. These events demonstrate how imperative it is that government agencies throughout the county have interoperable communications so they can seamlessly communicate with each other.”

The Saratoga County system will use a 12-site, 700/800 MHz trunked IP-based P25 network to provide countywide digital radio coverage across nearly 850 square miles for law enforcement, fire and other first responders. The system also includes new dispatch equipment, including eight Motorola MC7500 IP consoles at the County Jail and four MC7500 consoles at the County Complex in Ballston Spa, to efficiently dispatch calls to first responders.

Project 25 is the functional and technical American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for digital two-way radios developed in a joint standards effort between the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, International Inc. (APCO), the National Association of State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD) and numerous federal sponsor agencies.

The Motorola system will utilize P25 technology on Motorola’s XTL and XTS series of digital mobile and portable radios, which are capable of operating in 800 MHz and 700 MHz. The system also includes integrated voice and data, GPS location, data applications and software that is upgradeable to the APCO P25 Phase 2 TDMA standards.

“Motorola is committed to providing Saratoga County with the most advanced, interoperable public safety communications system that will help first responders communicate on a daily basis, as well as in the event of a major emergency,” said Dave White, Motorola vice president. “Motorola has been working with public safety agencies throughout New York State for many years and we look forward to developing this key communications project in Saratoga County that will greatly benefit the safety and security of the county and its citizens well into the future.”

“The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors believes the new countywide communications system is an important project for the county to undertake and will be a valuable tool in providing enhanced communications between public safety agencies throughout the county,” said Mindy Wormuth, chairman of the Saratoga County Public Safety Committee. “The board is dedicated to the successful completion of the project and looks forward to the day when our first responders will be using the new system.”

The ASTRO 25 network will allow Saratoga County to manage and monitor who is communicating, when they communicate and to whom they communicate. This level of control lets the county designate priority access to first responders to help ensure seamless mission critical communications regardless of the number of users accessing the network.

“Saratoga County has been focusing on creating interoperable radio communications for several years and this new system will provide us with state-of-the-art technology that we need to enhance the protection of our citizens and our first responders,” Lent said. “Our new Motorola system will give us advanced capabilities such as increased frequencies, talk groups, system redundancies and advanced interoperability for agencies throughout the county.”

In addition to Saratoga County, other New York counties that have recently selected Motorola P25 trunking systems to meet their mission critical communications needs include Tompkins County, Onondaga County, Madison County, Nassau County, Rockland County and Oswego County.

Labels:

Samsung Galaxy S Demo - CTIA 2010 Tweet

Directly from the CTIA 2010 show room floor in Las Vegas. Initial overview video of the Samsung Galaxy S that was officially announced at CTIA 2010.

Labels:

Motorola Wins Over Massillon Cable with High-Performance, Flexible Optical Node Platform Solution Tweet

Ohio-based Massillon selects Motorola optical nodes to extend network bandwidth capacity, accelerating the delivery of personal media experiences.

HORSHAM, Pa. – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) announced a win for its SG4000 optical node platform with Massillon Cable. Massillon will deploy Motorola’s 1 GHz SG4000 nodes along with the Motorola GX2 optical headend platform to reduce the size of subscriber serving areas and drive fiber deeper into the network. The resulting extended capacity will provide greater opportunity to introduce advanced services, including more high-definition television (HDTV), video on demand and faster Internet speeds to give consumers a more personal media experience.

“The flexible nature of Motorola’s solutions means we can continue to upgrade our network while maintaining our competitive edge and keeping our subscribers happy with new broadband and television services,” said David Hoffer, Chief Operating Officer, Massillon Cable. “As HDTV, on-demand and broadband service rates increase, Motorola’s fiber-deep solution combines new optical and virtual node capabilities that allow us to responsibly evolve to meet that demand.”

The Motorola SG4000 is a top-of-the-line, optical node platform that can be configured as an optical hub, segmentable node or a combination of both by adding or removing optical and RF modules. This flexible, modular approach allows Massillon to transition to fiber deeper in its network as additional capacity is needed. Massillon can protect the investment it has already made in infrastructure components, while laying the groundwork for higher-bandwidth services in the future.

“The multi-network capability of the SG4000 makes it an ideal solution for operators facing network transitions,” said Joe Cozzolino, senior vice president, Motorola Mobile Devices and Home business. “It’s part of a broader portfolio of products designed for the migration of existing HFC networks to fiber-deep architectures and future fiber-to-the-home architectures. We’re pleased that Massillon Cable has selected our platform for its network development plans and look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with Massillon in the future.”

The Motorola SG4000 includes provisions for up to nine optics modules in the lid, allowing it to scale from a basic node to a fully segmented 4x4 optical distribution hub. The modular design of the SG4000 enables multiple applications, such as HFC, RFOG, and Ethernet switching, to be supported within the same housing. Motorola also offers a complementary DOCSIS®-based monitor transponder solution for cable operators looking to monitor and control optical nodes using their existing DOCSIS infrastructure.

Labels:

Skype Application For Chatting Via TV Tweet

Almost all the chatting fans need Skype software. Because, Skype offers interaction function, either by voice or IM and SMS, on mobile or PC.

Well, if you already have a Nokia mobile phone, do not have to bother anymore. The reason, Skype and Nokia have issued a Skype program for the Symbian operating system that works on their phone. This means that the Nokia smart phone users can use Skype, either through Wi-Fi networks as well as data connections via GPRS, EDGE and-3G. Customers can download the Nokia Ovi Store for free.

Interestingly, now, Skype has also developed a VoIP communication face to face Through HD TV. Most recently, Skype have signed a partnership with world-class HD TV vendors, such as LG Electronics, Samsung, and Panasonic. Skype application will be integrated with TV web technology.

This application will facilitate the whole family to communicate face to face with relatives across the continent. This product can be found on the Viera TV Panasonic that equipped with a special camera kind of webcam. Does the Skype TV chat application will be displaced through the chat via mobile phone or computer?

Read other techno articles: YouTube down two hours, download Novarra web browser, secure Google Chrome, new Facebook virus, Samsung Galaxy Super Amoled smartphone, download Blackberry Xobni freeware and download latest Blackberry platform.

Labels:

Why YouTube Down About Two Hour? Tweet

MOUNTAIN VIEW - Not only Wikipedia have technical problems and about one hour not accessible. The YouTube, video sharing site from Google services are also can't accessed about one hour on Thursday march 25th, morning for U.S. time. Google confirmed the occurrence of these problems, but did not specify what those technical problems. YouTube is down between one to two hours and then if you visit got error message "HTTP/1.1 Service Unavailable".

"YouTube recovered after experienced technical problems successfully solved," a Google spokesperson said as reported by PC Magazine. "We understand how important YouTube for many people and apologize for any inconvenience that may occur," he added.

The same thing had happened on March 2th, 2010 ago. At that time, the video on YouTube can not run. In next time, we hope this problems does not happen again and can be a lesson for all.

See other technology news: Novarra web browser, secure Google Chrome web browser, Google Nexus One, Apple adult content, Blackberry new browser, Freshbooks Blackberry and Blackberry Xobni Mobile Applications.

Labels:

Nokia bought Novarra to Strengthen Web Mobile Browser Tweet

Espoo - The world's largest mobile phone producer, Nokia, strengthening the web mobile browser device's features with the acquisition of Novarra, a web browser developer company mobile phone devices based in Chicago.

"Mobile browsers and Novarra artificial service platform will be used to give a better the surf experience on Nokia mobile phones," Nokia said in the announcement of the acquisition last week.

Artificial Novarra web browser named Vision supports Flash content and video, complex HTML and JavaScript and AJAX, RSS, and ohter widgets. Other features are also generally sophisticated desktop browser, like options fit to screen, zooming, scrolling, and password management.

As we know that the Novarra browser has been used in various mobile phones vendors like Nokia, Motorola, LG, LTE, Kyocera and more. Novarra web browser developed for GSM and CDMA network.

See also other technology news: Google Chrome web browser, new Facebook virus, life is beautifull virus, Nokia N900 smartphone, Motorola Android Backflip smartphone and download Twitter Blackberry App freeware.

Labels:

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 review: Larger than life Tweet

Gsmarena have posted their review of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10. Here are the phone's features and their final impression.

Key features

* Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support
* 10.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA support
* 4" capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 854 pixel) resolution and scratch-resistant surface
* 16M-color ready (65K effective colors under Android OS v1.6)
* Android OS v1.6 with complete Sony Ericsson UI customization
* Timescape and Mediascape UI
* Excellent social networking integration
* Excellent build quality
* Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz CPU, OpenGL ES 2.0 support; 384 MB of RAM
* 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash, touch focus, image stabilization, geotagging, face and smile detection
* WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) video recording @ 30fps
* Wi-Fi and GPS with A-GPS
* 1GB storage, microSD slot, bundled with an 8GB card
* Accelerometer and proximity sensor
* Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
* microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
* Document viewer
* Li-Po 1500 mAh (BST-41) battery

Main disadvantages

* No DivX and XviD video playback
* No smart and voice dialing
* No secondary video-call camera (or videocalling whatsoever)
* No free GPS navigation solution
* No Flash support for the web browser
* No FM radio
* An extra xenon flash would’ve made the very good camera perfect
* Feeble loudspeaker
* Poor audio quality



The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is company’s first Android-powered device. But being first is not always a good thing. You have to face some serious initial expectations and justify them. That is the best case scenario. But obviously Sony Ericsson haven’t read that script. Even now, several months after our two X10 previews, there are still some final touches needed.

We really hope we’ll get a new software update quite soon and we’ll be able to write off many of the stuff we frowned at this time around.

That put aside, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is a promising device with (mostly) bright future waiting for it. It’s quite a looker, as you see, but it’s also powerful and smart.

You just can’t miss the zippy 1GHz processor, or the marvelous 4” capacitive display which takes the whole front. The 8-megapixel autofocus snapper on the back either. On top of that you get great connectivity capabilities and all the popular social networks which are a tap away from you no matter where you are in the phone menu.

The two UIs, namely the Timescape and the Mediascape (which is actually not a general UI, but a media interface), look fresh and do great what they were meant to do.

But there’s still some stuff that needs polishing. And Android ver. 1.6 is now considered almost outdated – especially for a high-end flagship.

The good thing from a user’s point of view though is that there are at least four other devices that you can choose from in this market segment.

HTC Google Nexus One and its brother from a different father, the HTC Desire, are just as powerful as the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 but both have some advantages over the X10. They feature the latest (so far) version of the Android OS, support multi-touch and have AMOLED touchscreens and a little bit more RAM memory. However, both can’t match the 8-megapixel camera of the XPERIA.

Next up is another smartphone made by HTC, the WinMo-based HTC HD2. Windows Mobile devices, as we know them now, are a dying breed but that shouldn’t discourage you from buying one of those. The HD2 has a huge capacitive touchscreen display able to deliver excellent image quality. Also on board is the well-known 1GHz Snapdragon CPU as well as an inbuilt GPS receiver and support for the standard connectivity trio – HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You also get a 5-megapixel autofocus sharpshooter recording VGA videos at 30fps. Not to mention the access to a huge choice of third-party apps (although not as conveniently concentrated in a single AppStore).

Last but not least is the iPhone 3GS. Its processor isn’t that fast, there is no multi-tasking, the display doesn’t measure 4 inches and is of lower resolution. The camera is a joke, and a bad one too. However, there is still no device that can beat iPhone’s UI and the overall experience (not to mention its industry-leading AppStore).

As we already mentioned, we expect the retail firmware update to come knocking on our door any moment now, so we’ll update this review should we see improvements in any aspect of the XPERIA X10. For now it remains what it is – a huge leap from what we saw several months back and an exceptional high-end cameraphone with only a few faults that can be exused.

Labels:

HTC Legend review: A Hero becomes a Legend Tweet

Gsmarena have posted their review of the HTC Legend. Here are the phone's key features, main disadvantages and their final impression.

Key features

* Aluminum unibody design
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
* 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
* Android OS v2.1 with latest Sense UI
* 3.2" capacitive AMOLED touchscreen of HVGA resolution
* Qualcomm MSM 7227 600 MHz CPU, 384 MB RAM
* 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and VGA@30fps video recording
* Web browser comes with Flash support
* Multi-touch zooming in gallery and web browser
* Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and GPS receiver
* Digital compass for automatic navigation of maps
* Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and turn-to-mute
* Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP); File transfer over Bluetooth
* Standard microUSB port for charging and data
* Standard 3.5mm audio jack
* FM Radio with RDS
* microSD card slot with support for up to 32GB cards (2GB one included)
* Tethering support right out-of-the-box
* Social networking integration with Facebook and Twitter
* Direct access to the official Android application repository

Main disadvantages

* No video-call camera (or videocalling whatsoever)
* No dedicated shutter key or lens cover
* No TV-out port
* No voice dialing
* No DivX or XviD video support out of the box
* Dodgy flash video support

The HTC Legend has the tough task of filling the shoes of what was considered the best Android handsets. What makes this task even harder is the fact that the Hero lost its top-shelf status just before its successor was announced.

The HTC Desire, Google Nexus One and Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 are now battling it out for a spot at the top of the Android food-chain and the HTC Legend has been relegated to the mid-range segment where fierce competition arises.

In theory the HTC Legend puts enough new stuff on the table to justify its existence. More RAM, faster CPU, AMOLED screen and aluminum unibody all sound like perfectly good reasons for an upgrade. The Android 2.1 is hardly a factor as the Hero's own Android 2.1 update is just around the corner. We will let you decide for yourselves if the rest of the upgrades are worth the price premium but both devices seem like a decent deal at this stage.

If you are looking to step outside the Sense UI world, you might also want to check out the Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica. Admittedly target at a bit younger audience than the Legend it comes at a lower price for a similar package but lacks the shiny aluminum case, which might or might not matter to you.

If it has to be AMOLED then the Samsung I7500 Galaxy is even willing to throw DivX and XviD support to the mix. Again it's not quite the looker but offers a viable alternative to those wanting to save a few bucks but do insist on those deep blacks that only OLED screens can provide.

Of course, the Android fans wanting the ultimate performance will have to dig deeper in their pockets and reach for one of the abovementioned trio - HTC Desire, Google Nexus One and Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10. The three 1GHz Snapdragon-powered handsets have the speed and plenty of it. Plus you can pick between an 8 megapixel snapper and an AMOLED display.

There are also some HTC Legend alternatives outside the Android world. For about the same kind of cash you can get an unlocked iPhone 3G and sacrifice some hardware power for access to one of the richest mobile AppStores and all the consequent fun. You can also wait a few weeks for the HTC HD Mini and have a taste of the Sense UI running on WinMo 6.5.

So the HTC Legend certainly has a competitor or two for its place under the sun, but it looks well prepared to tackle them. With the Android platform expanding as rapidly as nothing else we have seen before, chances are there will be enough customers out there for it.

It will probably fail to achieve the iconic status of its predecessor, but that is a task given to the HTC Desire. However reaching a similar amount of sales is on the cards, which leads to better support for the owners, which in turns makes the HTC Legend an even better deal.

Labels:

Motorola BACKFLIP review: Back and forth Tweet

Gsmarena have posted their review of the Motorola BACKFLIP. Here are the phone's key features, main disadvantages and their final impression.

Key features

* Unique form factor and sturdy build quality
* Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support (7.2 Mbps HSDPA)
* 3.1" 256K-color 320x480 pixel capacitive touchscreen
* Android OS v1.5 (upgradeable to later versions) with MOTOBLUR UI and Live Widgets
* Folding four-row QWERTY keyboard
* BACKTRACK touchpad at the back of the screen
* Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 MHz processor; 256 MB of RAM
* 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging
* CIF (352 × 288 pixel) video recording @ 30fps
* Wi-Fi and GPS with A-GPS
* 512MB storage, microSD slot, bundled with a 2GB card
* Accelerometer and proximity sensor
* Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
* microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
* Noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone
* Office document viewer

Main disadvantages

* Poor sunlight legibility
* No multi-touch
* One-finger zoom works only on the BACKTRACK touchpad
* No smart and voice dialing
* Limited camera features, lens on the QWERTY keyboard
* No free GPS navigation solution
* No Flash support for the web browser
* No FM radio
* No DivX and XviD video playback
* Below par audio quality

We can almost hear some users say thinking out of the box is overrated. We understand that and – more importantly – the Motorola BACKFLIP can get over people doubting it. It’s a bold design, eccentric indeed, but it works. The Motorola BACKFLIP will tease you to give it a try. Though obviously not everyone’s cup of tea, it has what it takes to sustain that interest.

It is certainly not the best QWERTY phone in terms of ergonomics but Motorola went creative with the communicator form factor with a certain target audience in mind.

Inside that unusual body is a first generation Android – but upgrading to later versions is reportedly on the way. The MOTOBLUR on top is the right thing to give the younger crowd. That is the kind of audience by the way to best appreciate a keyboard folding the other way. Besides, in everyday use the Motorola BACKFLIP is hardly as different as one might imagine at first.

Now, is this the best choice for you? Considering proper alternatives is always a wise thing to do, but the unique BACKFLIP concept makes that harder this time around. Let’s check out some of the alternatives to put things in proper perspective.

The device to come closest to the BACKFLIP is Motorola’s own DEXT MB220. Running on the same OS version and UI, the DEXT is pretty much the same package in a more conventional side-slider form factor. So if the strange fold is all that bothers you here, the DEXT is a definite must consider. You lose the trackpad at the back of the screen but you might save a few bucks too.

Those of you with a few extra dollars to spare – do check out the Motorola MILESTONE. One mean Android, it’s among the best QWERTY communicators. The MOTOBLUR UI won’t be badly missed as long as you are getting a screen so much better and a superior keyboard. Not to mention the latest version of the Android OS.

Finally, the LG GW620 is hardly as exciting but a viable alternative for the ones not completely convinced by the Motorola approach to Android.

There seems to be a near perfect match – both specs and spirit – outside the Android realm too. The Nokia N97 mini is going after the same market too but obviously isn’t as willing to experiment. The young Finn has a higher-res resistive screen and better multimedia performance. The BACKFLIP has its unique shape and superior keyboard to boast. In the end, it’s Symbian vs. Android, different ammo, same goal.

So, to wrap it up: the Motorola BACKFLIP is good enough and few phones out there are creative enough to match it. You know, it’s a phone that will have you wonder which way is up. But if you’re willing to think different, no way is down.

Labels:

HTC Tattoo review: Your phone, your ink Tweet

Gsmarena have posted their review of the HTC Tattoo. Here are the phone's key features, main disadvantages and their final impression.

Key features

* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
* 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
* Heavily customizable: exchangeable covers
* Android OS v1.6 (Sense UI), upgradeable to 2.1 Eclair
* 2.8" resistive touchscreen of QVGA resolution
* Qualcomm MSM 7225 528 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM
* 3.15 megapixel fixed-focus camera
* Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and GPS receiver
* Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
* Standard miniUSB port for charging and data
* Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
* microSD card slot, up to 8GB support (a 2GB card in the box)
* Standard 3.5mm audio jack
* Direct access to the official Android repository
* Smart dialing
* Stereo FM radio with RDS

Main disadvantages

* QVGA resolution doesn’t do Android/ Sense UI graphics justice
* No video-call camera
* Camera lacks auto focus, flash and has a rather basic UI
* CIF@15fps video recording (352 x 288 pixels) is below par
* No voice dialing
* No DivX or XviD video support or a third-party application to play that
* Poor MP4 playback performance - barely watchable in video resolution above QVGA
* No Flash support for the web browser
* No Bluetooth file transfers (not without rooting)
* No TV-out port

The HTC Tattoo took the plunge to a lower segment of the smartphone market to give Android some fresh air and open space. It was quite a while ago really but now that more and more droids are keen to think small, let’s see how it works for one of the pace setters. Compact size and reasonable price tag, the HTC Tattoo was among the first to try and sell Android to the masses.

The Tattoo will undoubtedly benefit from a recent surge in QVGA droids: the Android Market is always busy anyway but more native applications available are undoubtedly welcome. Not to mention the one-of-a-kind customization which lets it stay fresh (on the outside at least) for years.

Of course it’s not all rosy in the Tattoo garden. QVGA resolution is the Android way of staying within budget but Symbian will offer you nHD res even cheaper. It’s a matter of touchscreen experience against hardware and price tag, says the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

One should also make sure not to miss the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini if looking for a cheap and compact Android. The baby XPERIA doesn’t exactly fit the bill for cheap but is as compact as they get these days. The X10 mini pulls better imaging and overall performance which is not to be ignored as well.

If the low-res screen is a deal breaker, take a look at the Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica. It matches all the major features of the Tattoo and doubles the pixel count, but at an obviously higher price.

Then, there’s the HTC Touch2 for the unconvinced by Android. Coming with the Sense UI, it will make sure user experience feels familiar. A PocketPC in an equally compact package and signed by HTC – there must be plenty of users who believe they can’t go wrong with that one.

All that said, the HTC Tattoo doesn’t seem to have a direct rival in the classical sense of the word. There isn’t another handset with the exact same price tag and a close enough feature set to make the choice between the two strictly a mater of brand loyalty. And finding a niche is always a good thing, especially in the mid-range segment.

Even that aside, the HTC Tattoo is a pretty attractive package: customizable to the point of being one-of-a-kind, nice and shiny interface (well, QVGA but still), decent performance and a reasonable price tag. Cool and friendly smartphone, unbothered by the high-end hustle and bustle.

Labels: