Google Maps for Android Gets Biking Directions, Navigation Shortcut, Sharing, and More Tweet

Starting today, Google Maps for mobile has a few new ways to help you and your friends quickly get to where you’re going whether you’re on 4 wheels or 2 (or maybe even 3). With Google Maps 4.2 for Android you can now get biking directions on the go, start Navigation from your Home screen, share places with friends, and more.

Biking directions
Since launching biking directions on desktop Google Maps, we’ve wanted to get you biking directions, lanes, and trails on your phone too. Just in time for National Bike Month, select the bike icon when getting directions to get an optimal bicycling route in the U.S. If you’re in the mood for a more scenic ride, you’ll also see the Bicycling layer on the map which shows dedicated bike-only trails (dark green), roads with bike lanes (light green), or roads that are good for biking but lack a dedicated lane (dashed green). You can always turn on this layer from the Layers menu to pick your own route. Add in the Labs’ Terrain layer, and you can decide to either climb or avoid that big hill on the way home!

Google Navigation shortcut
If you’re driving instead of riding, we wanted to make it easier and faster for you to get on the road with Google Maps Navigation as soon as you’re ready. With the new Navigation shortcut, you can pick a destination and be on your way with as little as 2 taps of your finger. Select the “Navigation” icon in your phone’s app launcher to get the new destination selection view. Then, speak or type your destination, pick one from your contacts, choose a starred place, or select a recent destination. Navigation will begin and you’re good to go. Make it even easier on yourself by adding the Navigation icon right on your Home screen.

Sharing
Once you figure out where you’re going, why not get some friends to meet you there? From any search results page, choose to “Share this place” to send that place’s info, such as its address and phone number, to whomever you like. If you want to meet someone on a street corner or gather friends at an outdoor concert, you can also send an exact location from the map -- even a snapshot of your current location. Just use the share option after selecting a point on the map, your “My Location” blue dot, or yourself in Latitude if it’s enabled. Whether you’re sharing a place or a location, you’ll be able to send it to small groups via an email or text message or send it widely with apps like Google Buzz, Facebook, or Twitter.

Get these new features by searching for Google Maps in Android Market from Android 1.6+ phones (On your phone now? Tap here). Update Maps to version 4.2, available in all the countries and languages where Maps is currently available. Visit our Help Center to learn more, ask questions in our Help Forum, or give us suggestions and vote on other people’s on the Mobile Product Ideas page.

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Motorola Motoroi heading to UK after spec boost Tweet

Remember the Motorola Motoroi Android handset we snapped at the Motorola stand at Mobile World Congress in February? Well Motorola has confirmed to Pocket-lint that while that specific model won't be making it out of South Korea, a better model will.

The news comes as the company launches the Motorola XT701, yet another variant on the Motoroi design at an event in Taipei. The XT701 is based on the same design as the Motoroi, sports a faster HSPA connectivity, but dumbs down on the camera front offering only a 5-Megapixel camera.

So what does this have to do with a new UK handset? Well, it seems like Motorola will launch a device based on the same, or at least a similar design, but with even better features in the UK, sources within the company have exclusively told Pocket-lint.

From what we were told, the new handset should launch within the next few months, it will have an 8-megapixel camera with a Xenon flash just like the Motoroi and it will be able to play back and record 720p video. It will also have a mini HDMI connector, just like the Motoroi, but we were told to expect different components inside.

This should include a faster processor, although our source wasn’t giving us any specific details here.

Motorola is lagging behind HTC and some of the other Android handset manufacturers a little bit here, as Motorola has yet to release a single Android handset with a processor faster than 600MHz.

On the software side we should see Android 2.1, which co-incidentally is the version shipping on the XT710 while the Motoroi gets to make do with Android 2.0.

It’s also very likely that Motorola will install its Motoblur UI on the UK version of this handset, our man on the inside told us, although it will be down to operators as to whether or not they will take it with or without Motorola's interface. Interestingly it's something the XT701 and Motoroi won’t have.

And those not keen on the idea of this new yet unannounced handset, don't worry, our source told us to expect to see a lot more Android devices from Motorola this year.

source

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Official New York Times App for Android Available with Videos Tweet

The New York Times launched their official app for Android called the NYTimes. Similar to the iPhone version however one added perk you won’t find on Apple’s baby are videos from NYT. If you’re a reader of the times or convert from iPhone and missed this app, fear no more it’s here.
Key Features of NYTimes:

* Enjoy the award-winning journalism of The New York Times
* Play videos from NYT
* Various sharing tools
* Offline reading and font size adjustment

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Samsung officially presented its new “green” cell phone - Samsung Of seek Tweet

The company Of samsung Of mobile officially announced its new cell phone Of samsung Of seek (SPH-m350) - inexpensive and compact apparatus with built-in sliding QWERTY by keyboard, sensory display and support of the networks of the third generation of the North American operator Of sprint. As note the producer, his novelty, which will be supplied in several color formulation of housing, it possesses intuitive- intelligible sensory control and tuned menu, allowing to the user of the possibility of direct access to the frequently utilized applications and to functions.


One additional special feature, which is directly connected with the production of telephone itself, concerns ecology. The fact is that beside the fact that telephone itself and its packing are produced on the technology, called to decrease environmental pollution, the company Of sprint and Samsung, as they declare, first in the USA they decided to propose for their clients to use free proposal on processing of their previous cell phones, batteries, accessories and wireless maps. For this purpose, the buyers Of samsung Of seek can use for repacking of old technology container from the novelty and use, the entering the complete set, paid post label. All expenditures on the delivery, the processing and the utilization of contents and directly very packing of company are taken to itself.

Samsung Of seek is proposed on the price of 29,99$ with the condition of signing with the operator of two-year-old agreement.

Brief technical characteristics Of samsung Of seek (SPH-m350):

* Sizes: 104,7[kh]52,8[kh]14,7 mm
* Weight: 109 deg.
* Display: 2,6- one inch, sensory, TFT, by the permission of 240[kh]320 of points, that reflects are more than 262 thousand colors
* Camera: 1,3 [MP]
* Memory: 128 mb. RAM/256 mb. ROM; microSD of the map of memory with volume to 32 Gb
* Built-in musical [pleer]
* Presence the Internet browser and the diverse clients of electronic mail and systems of the exchange of the instantaneous communications
* Vocal collection
* Support to the wireless technology Of bluetooth
* Storage battery: 1000 [mA]/[ch]

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By [vympelKom] it demonstrates the possibility of technology LTE Tweet

[GK] “[VympelKom]” on the exhibition “connection -[Ekspokomm]-2010” in “[Ekspotsentre] in red Presnya” demonstrates the new solutions for the particular and corporate users. First of all is demonstrated the technology LTE, which is the result of the evolution of the networks of the honeycomb connection of the second and third generation. LTE ensures the theoretically accessible speed of transmission of data to 326,4 Mbit/s.

Together with the supplier of equipment, the company Of alcatel-Lucent, “[Bilayn]” for the first time will be conducted in Russia the demonstration of the possibilities of technology LTE, which makes it possible to propose to users not only output into the Internet at the high speeds, but also trouble-free operation with the multimedia applications, conducting of video conferences and so forth the demonstration of connection on the base of technology LTE is conducted in 13 ranges at the frequency of 777-787 [MGts]/746-756 MHz.

The visitors of stand “[Bilayn]” also can see the possibilities of 3d- television and learn about the prospects for the development of this technology. On the stand is shown the realization of 3D-[kontenta] through the service “of video on the demand” (Video-on-Demand), and also the living broadcasting of television channel in size 3d. Furthermore on the stand is demonstrated the domestic digital television “Of [bilayn]”, which already use more than 50 thousand subscribers in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. In the year the company improved this service, increased a quantity of television channels, added new functions (similar as support to the social network Of twitter, the system of personal recommendations, interactive interrogations, “[Multirum]”, the survey of the weather forecast, plugs and rates of change in the Internet).

To the corporate users “Of [bilayn]” it demonstrates the possibility of service “office in 5 minutes”, which ensures connection to the Internet and telephone communications in the small offices, where there is no technical capability of the fixed access to the tele-communications. So the visitors of stand can [protestirovat] the service Of blackBerry, which becomes ever more popular among the Russian businessmen.

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Sony renewed mini- laptop computer VAIO P Tweet

The company Of sony renewed mini- laptop computer VAIO P, this compact solution with the 8- one inch screen obtained a number of new possibilities. For example, the device obtained the new more productive processors Of intel Of atom Z530/Z540, accelerometer and [tachpad].

[Tachpad], by the way, is located nonstandard: it is build it the framework of display. But two buttons “of mouse” are located along the sides of screen, thus, them convenient to press by thumbs, holding mini- laptop computer by two hands.



From other special features Of sony VAIO P it is worthwhile to note support GPS, digital compass and sensor of illumination. The renovated portable computer will be put on the market in June, it will cost $799. The solution will be accessible in several colors, and, not only of classical black and white, but also bright - orange, green and pink.

Characteristics Of sony VAIO P11S1E:

* Display: 8- one inch, 1600x768 of the points
* The operating system: Windows of 7 Home Of premium
* Processor: Intel Of atom Of z540
* Working storage: 2 Gb
* Drawing: Intel GMA 500
* Camera: MOTION EYE
* Accelerometer
* Digital compass
* Sensor of the illumination
* the GPS- receiver
* The wireless connection: Wi-Fi of 802.11b/g/n, 3G, Bluetooth of 2.1+EDR
* 2 USB- ports
* Time of the off-line operation: to 5 hours (from the standard storage battery)
* Sizes: 245[kh]120[kh]19,8 mm
* Weight: 0,632 kgf

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Nokia 1706 Nokia of 6702 Slide - novelty for the Chinese market Tweet

We propose to your attention to be introduced to the information about the new models of cell phones from the Finnish company, intended for the Chinese market. By the first model in the list goes Nokia 1706, which is inexpensive monoblock with the support CDMA of the networks:



At the given moment there is no additional information about this telephone, in contrast to the following model - Nokia of 6702 Slide, which, as can be seen from name, is the cell phone, made in the form factor “slider”.

Nokia of 6702 Slide is this four range GSM of [smartfon], on the base of the operating system Of symbia, with the following characteristics:

* Sizes: 95,2[kh]46,1[kh]15,9 mm
* Weight: 110 deg.
* Display: 2,6- one inch, TFT, by the permission of 240[kh]320 of the points
* Camera: 5 [MP] with optics Of carl Of zeiss
* Communications: USB, Bluetooth
* Support Of java MIDP of 2.0 applications
* Memory: 60 mb., slot under microSD of the map of the memory
* Storage battery: Li -Ion (BL-4CT) of 860 [mA]/[ch]

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The square rotator Of motorola Of flipout will leave in June Tweet

In the Internet penetrated the details about [smartfone] Of motorola in the uncommon form factor of square rotator. We already mentioned about it in the news: then it was known under the designation Of motorola Of twist. But now, as reports source, became known the final name of this model - Motorola Of flipout. It also published several images of [smartfona], similar to the official. Judging by them, apparatus will be accessible in the black, green and pink colorings. Motorola Of flipout works under control of the operating system Of android 2.1 and interface Of motoBlur.


As already mentioned, the greatest interest, perhaps, causes the form factor of [smartfona]. This is the device of square form with the QWERTY- keyboard and the 2,8- one inch sensory display with the permission QVGA. It is built on the processor TI OMAP3410 with a clock frequency of 700 MHz, equipped 3,1-[Mp] with camera, with GPS- receiver supports the wireless connection Of wi-Fi and Bluetooth. [Smartfon] is intended for the networks GSM and WCDMA, its release is expected in June, there is no precise information as yet about the cost.

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LG GS107: simple compact telephone Tweet

The company lg Of electronics represented on the Russian market GS107. In telephone GS107 compact sizes (103,9 x of 43,5 x of 12,9 mm) and small weight furthermore, GS107 is represented in 3 colors: black, gray and white. Large buttons are distinctly isolated from each other, which especially will approach to elderly people, by which is important the convenience with the accomplishment of bells and writing of communications. 1,5- one inch screen qualitatively reflects the points of menu, and also large colorful numbers with the collection of phone number.

The operating time is also important merit: because of the capacious battery (lithiumionic, 950 [mAch]) the telephone can work long time. Fm- radio gives the possibility to delight in by dear transfers and musical Heath without the connection of head sets. GS107 is created in order to accomplish bells and to write WITH SMS, without puzzling itself by the mastery of new functions. Price on GS107 is 990 rubles.

Technical characteristics:

* Network: GSM (900/1800 MHz)
* Display: 1,5- one inch 65K TFT of 128 x of 128 points
* [Ringtony]: the 32-[golosnaya] polyphony
* the Fm- radio
* USB 2.0
* Storage capacity: 1 mb.
* Battery: 950 [mAch]
* Sizes: 103,9 x of 43,5 x of 12,9 mm

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MTS and Comstar declared about the passage to the united brand MTS Tweet

MTS and “Comstar- united teles-system”, the most important operator of the integrated telecommunication services in Russia and the CIS, entering the group of companies MTS, declared about the beginning of the process of the transfer of products and services Comstar- Oates into the use Brenda MTS. Toward the end 2011 on the telecommunication market of Russia within the framework the groups of companies MTS (into which enter MTS, Comstar- Oates, [MGTS]) will remain two Brenda - MTS and [MGTS].

Within the framework the process of the integration of Brenda [Gruppy] companies Comstar- Oates - Comstar and Stream (including Stream TV) in Moscow and regions in all user segments will be gradually substituted by brand MTS. For guaranteeing the smooth passage will be provided the period, when products for the mass segment, those earlier moved under the brand Stream, will be proposed under the brand MTS Stream. Final passage under the brand MTS of these products and the failure from Brenda Stream will occur to the end of 2011.

Thus, within the framework the groups of companies MTS under the brand MTS in the entire territory of Russia will be allowed the complete spectrum of services to the connection: the mobile and fixed connection, mobile and fixed wide-band Internet access, services of paid TV, Wi-Fi.

Change they will not touch Brenda [MGTS] (company it will continue the rendering of telecommunication services in Moscow under its brand) and, in the initial stage, products “Comstar -WiMAX”.

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[Skay] link and Alcatel-Lucent will inject EV-DO Of revision B Tweet

Operator [Skay] link and company Of alcatel-Lucent declared about the conclusion of agreement on the introduction of the functionality of 3G/CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Of revision B (Rev.B). The introduction of the technology EV-DO Of rev.B (Evolution-Data Of optimized Of revision B), telecommunication standard for the wireless transmission of data, completely based on IP, makes possible for operator to enlarge the possibilities of network, without changing the width of radio channel, and substantial to increase the speeds of transmission of data both from the base station to the subscriber - to 6,2 Mbit/s and from the subscriber to the base station - to 3,9 Mbit/s.

In accordance with the agreement is planned the development of the acting network EV-DO in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Krasnodar. Within the framework the realization of this project Of alcatel-Lucent will in 2010 develop at the existing base stations CDMA Of [skay] link the technology EV-DO Of revision B. the new level of the development of network and the expansion of its functionality they will make it possible to increase the speed of transmission of data and to grant to the subscribers Of [skay] of link more rapid and more comfortable access to [kontentu] of network the Internet from different devices (computers, laptop computers, [netbuki], [leptopy] and other mobile devices).

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Mobiado Professional 105EM Ebony Review Tweet

Mobile-review have posted a review of the Mobiado Professional 105EM Ebony. Here is their final impression.

There is nothing new in this way of replica production. For a while now all kinds of fake Nokia 8800 variations exist on the market, based on Nokia 5310 Xpress Music internals. Due to their thinness these boards (6500 Classic and 5310XM) are widely used by the Chinese manufacturers.

Just how exactly Chinese masters of counterfeite manage to get these boards is a dark secret, but these fakes are mass manufactured, so there are two simple explanations: a) PRC based Nokia factories work three shifts instead of two and sold the boards under the table by a railroad car or b) In 2007-2008 the Finnish giant encountered serious problems with production cost accounting in China. Now we can no longer find the fakes based on the 6700 boards – aperantly the problem with component leaks seems to be solved.

Let’s return to Mobiado. At the end we have a fake that is different from the original only by the lack of special menu themes and, of course, such design materials as cocobolo wood, 24-carat gold, high grade steel and sapphire glass are replaced with surrogates. All that taken together makes Mobiado Professional 105EM Ebony a much better quality fake (in every aspect) than Vertu Ferrari. It is an incomparably more interesting purchase. Partially, because this handset creates a larger Wow effect than Vertu.

You can take Vertu Ferrari out of your pocket to show off, but under no circumstances you can give it to other people not to be exposed. For instance, as a wallpaper my Vertu Ferrari had a picture of Lamborghini Gallardo. Profit! The Chinese see no difference between European brands.

On the other hand, with Mobiado Professional 105EM Ebony you can safely give it to anybody to play with and get total approval. Generally speaking, the main advantage of the phone is that you won’t feel ashamed taking it out of the pocket. It has none of cheap fake kitsch and decently copes with all tasks, managing to be a not too expensive phone and a bling to show off at the same time. With all that, Vertu fakes have one undisputable advantage over those of Mobiado – utility. Vertu is a kind of go anywhere rover you can put into your pocket together with keys, throw on the floor. In emergency situations it can be used as a set of knuckles or another heavy blunt object. And nothing will happen to it. The 105EM Ebony, on contrary, requires very tender handling. The phone is elegant and fragile; there is no place for brute force there. Besides, the phone requires permanent care. Any touch leaves the ridge patterns that are not easy to remove. While using I wrapped it in a velvet cloth that was also used to wipe the phone clean. That has a certain touch of nobility the fake inherited from the original. The majority of costly accessories require constant attention from their owners. Mobiado should be wiped, Longines should be winded, Yorkshire terrier should be brushed, Porsche should be washed, repaired and filled with petrol. The opportunity to join the world of C. C. Capwell and Donald Tramp costs 270 Euro. That is the price in Mobilike that was kind to give me the handset for testing. For advanced forum fans I would say that Internet is full of inexpensive offers.

To sum up the phone is worth the money. It is significantly better than fakes of Vertu, Blackberry or iPhone. People not familiar with handset market told me that they would buy this phone if they saw it on a shelf of a local store. But… There is only one “but” that should prevent you from purchasing the 105EM Ebony - anyway no one will believe that you have a real Mobiado! The rest is self deception.

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WiGig version 1.0 Tweet

Specifications:

Designed to address the specific requirements of various platforms, our 60 GHz technology will enable the broadest ecosystem of interoperable systems. It does not need to be retrofitted or adapted for future applications. The WiGig technology has also been adapted to coexist with millions of wireless devices already in use around the world.
Specification Highlights

The WiGig version 1.0 specification includes the following key elements:

* Supports data transmission rates up to 7 Gbps – more than 10x faster than the highest 802.11n rate
* Supplements and extends the 802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC) layer and is backward compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard
* Physical layer enables both the low power and the high performance WiGig devices, guaranteeing interoperability and communication at gigabit rates
* Protocol adaptation layers are being developed to support specific system interfaces including data buses for PC peripherals and display interfaces for HDTVs, monitors and projectors
* Support for beamforming, enabling robust communication at distances beyond 10 meters
* Widely used advanced security and power management for WiGig devices

_
Become a WiGig member

WiGig members get access to the published WiGig spec and are able to develop next-generation wireless products under royalty-free terms. Visit our Join Us page to become a member and gain the benefits of membership, including access to the WiGig specification.

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Wi-Fi, WirelessHD Cozy up to WiGig Standard Tweet

The Wireless Gigabit Alliance may be on its way to dominating the market for multi-gigabit in-room wireless networks after the powerful Wi-Fi Alliance said it would study the group's specification as part of Wi-Fi certification and a key rival announced it would include WiGig in dual-mode chips.

The WiGig Alliance last month released a specification for wireless networks that use frequencies in the 60GHz band for throughput as high as 7G bps (bits per second). The 60GHz band is just beginning to be used for consumer applications but may be attractive for future uses such as streaming high-definition video because it can offer such high speeds, albeit without the range to cover an average home. Unlicensed frequencies are available in the band in most countries, according to WiGig.

Under an agreement that is being announced Monday, the Wi-Fi Alliance will evaluate WiGig technology for integration into its future 60GHz specification. As part of the same agreement, the WiGig group will gain access to Wi-Fi Alliance specifications so it can further align its own technology to those standards.

Also on Monday, SiBeam, the main proponent of an alternative 60GHz technology called WirelessHD, said it is now making dual-mode WirelessHD/WiGig silicon. The chips are available now in sample quantities, and SiBeam will have a reference design for customers in June, said SiBeam President and CEO John LeMoncheck. Unlike the developers of WiGig, SiBeam is already shipping chips that are being integrated into consumer electronics products such as TVs. But it is the only significant chip maker behind WirelessHD.

SiBeam isn't giving in to WiGig, LeMoncheck said. Rather, the two technologies have different strengths and SiBeam is offering to provide its customers with both, he said. While WirelessHD was designed for video streaming between two devices, WiGig is oriented more toward data networking and is not as well-suited to video, he said. WirelessHD has theoretical throughput of 28G bps compared with WiGig's 7G bps, so it's better equipped for the higher-definition video standards of the future, according to LeMoncheck.

"They are fundamentally different in terms of the applications they serve and where they play, and we as a chip company are happy to serve both those markets," LeMoncheck said.

Another high-speed wireless technology, WHDI (Wireless Home Digital Interface), is also available on some shipping consumer products but doesn't directly compete because it operates in the 5GHz range.

The WiGig Alliance was formed about a year ago by many of the biggest makers of Wi-Fi silicon along with Microsoft, Nokia and major consumer electronics makers. It completed a technology specification in December and last month released it to outside developers, free of royalties.

Wi-Fi chip makers Intel, Broadcom and Atheros have voiced a desire to make WiGig an extension of Wi-Fi, allowing users to take advantage of multi-gigabit speeds while near to a device or access point and falling back to conventional Wi-Fi rates when they move beyond the range of the 60GHz signal. With Wi-Fi already widely adopted around the world, being combined with that standard could give WiGig an easy path into networked products and users' homes.

On Monday, the two groups are announcing a cooperation agreement that seems set to bring the two standards together, though all the Wi-Fi Alliance is committing to so far is studying the WiGig specification for possible use.

"We certainly will evaluate thoroughly their specification and perhaps certify for it," said Wi-Fi Alliance CEO Edgar Figueroa.

The 60GHz task group within the Wi-Fi Alliance may study the WiGig specification for weeks or months before deciding what components, if any, to bring into its own 60GHz standard, said Ali Sadri, chairman and president of the WiGig Alliance. The Wi-Fi Alliance is not an official standards body but effectively has the power of one because its widely recognized brand name is the one most associated with the wildly popular wireless LAN technology. The group has already jumped ahead of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to set de facto standards such as Draft 802.11n.

The role of the Wi-Fi Alliance is to make sure products from different vendors work together in all the ways they claim to when a consumer gets them home and tries to make them communicate, Figueroa said. Thus, if WiGig were made part of Wi-Fi and products got a special certification for that capability, consumers would know they could smoothly hand off a session from 60GHz to other Wi-Fi bands, he said.

If WiGig were offered as part of mass-market, relatively low-cost Wi-Fi chips, consumer electronics vendors could include the standard without investing in a separate processor, which is an important consideration in a price-driven market, according to industry analysts.

For its part, WiGig has already written into its specification procedures for handing off sessions to the existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi frequency bands. But the Wi-Fi Alliance can afford to take its time considering what else it might tap into for the high-frequency standard, said Parks Associates analyst Kurt Scherf.

"Why commit at this point? They've got all the power," Scherf said.

Monday's deal may not be exclusive for either side. Interoperability with Wi-Fi would probably begin with basic functions such as LAN connectivity and Wi-Fi Direct, a peer-to-peer form of data communication, Sadri said. To certify WiGig products for other uses, such as wireless HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), WiGig may turn to other standards bodies such as HDMI Licensing, he said.

Meanwhile, the tie-up would be unlikely to bear fruit in the form of consumer products until the second half of 2011, in the estimation of Scherf.

But a partnership between WiGig and Wi-Fi could be a turning point in the 60GHz market, analysts said.

"It is potentially a game-changer," said In-Stat analyst Brian O'Rourke. The partnership gives WiGig more credibility and Wi-Fi a path to higher speeds than the 100Mbps to 600Mbps that 802.11n offers, he said.

Given this deal, SiBeam probably will have to find a way to interoperate with Wi-Fi, analysts said. But SiBeam's LeMoncheck thinks there is little need for a handoff capability from WirelessHD to Wi-Fi because WirelessHD is designed primarily for video streaming within a room.

Integration with Wi-Fi probably would be a gradual process, O'Rourke said. For one thing, there are special challenges to adding 60GHz capabilities to a chip. "The higher the frequency, the more difficult the manufacturing issues," he said. "As the frequency goes up, the interference issues are multiplied."

Yet even late next year won't be too late to capitalize on demand that is still nascent, Scherf of Parks Associates said. Users simply don't need 7G bps to link a laptop to a nearby monitor or storage device, he said. The first application that will really demand such a technology probably will be streaming or copying movies from Blu-Ray discs wirelessly rather than over an HDMI cable, he said.

source

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Sprint Bails on Google Nexus One, Joining Verizon Tweet

Sprint May 10 said it will not support Google's Nexus One smartphone on its network, making way for the Android-based HTC EVO 4G. Sprint is joining Verizon Wireless as the second major U.S. wireless phone operator to give up on the Android-based device. When Verizon decided to cancel the Nexus One, media and analysts proclaimed the Webstore model a failure for Google, arguing that carriers were backing away from the Nexus One because they viewed it as competition to their own smartphone sales channels. Sprint's decision to back off the device today lends more weight to this argument.

Sprint May 10 confirmed it will not support Google's Nexus One smartphone on its network, joining Verizon Wireless as the second major U.S. wireless phone operator to give up on the Android-based device.

A Sprint spokesperson told eWEEK the Nexus One won't be coming to its 3G wireless network because the company is throwing its muscle into the HTC EVO 4G, the first smartphone based on 4G Wi-Max network run by Sprint and Clearwire.

Sprint's decision to bail on the Nexus One comes two weeks after Google said the Nexus One would not be offered on Verizon's network. Google began pointing visitors to its Webstore to the HTC Droid Incredible from Verizon.

The Nexus One has been cannibalized by the Droid Incredible and HTC EVO 4G, both more advanced smartphones running the Android 2.1 operating system, but with other perks and features that make it a step up from the original Android 2.1 device.

For example, the Incredible boasts the HTC Sense user interface and an 8-megapixel camera; the EVO 4G should hold some speed advantages over 3G units such as the Nexus One.

Google and Sprint pointed to innovation as the reason for the sublimation of the Nexus One, but the smartphone isn't helped by the fact that Google sells the device solely through its Webstore.

Google began selling the Nexus One unlocked for $529 or for $179 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile in the United States Jan. 5 from that Webstore, a move to supplant carriers as the middlemen to bring the device to the market.

At the time, Google officials said the smartphone would be coming to Verizon and Vodafone in the spring. Sprint stoked the Nexus One fires March 17 when it issued a press release pledging to support the Nexus One. The device launched on Vodafone's network April 30.

When Verizon decided to cancel the Nexus One, media and analysts proclaimed the Webstore model a failure for Google, arguing that carriers were backing away from the Nexus One because they viewed it as competition to their own smartphone sales channels.

Sprint's decision to back off the device today lends more weight to this argument, summed up well here by Business Insider.

With Sprint joining Verizon as the latest carrier to give up on the Nexus One, it is unlikely the device will find much more traction in the United States, supported on the smallest wireless network in T-Mobile.

Google CFO Patrick Pichette said April 15 the Nexus One was profitable and analysts estimated the company sold between 250,000 and 300,000 units of the device. That makes the device successful to a degree, even if it's only a fraction of the one million-plus Verizon sold of the Motorola Droid.

Android on the whole has nothing to worry about as a platform.

With roughly three dozen Android devices saturating the market, the OS is taking share from Apple's iPhone. NPD said Android posted 28 percent market share in the first quarter, beating iPhone's 21 percent.

source

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Mobile Phone Track Tweet

Mobile Phone Track uses proven research methodologies and a world-class market intelligence infrastructure, combined with strategic insights from our team of wireless experts, to provide monthly, model-level tracking of U.S. wireless handset sales. Its detailed insight on current mobile handset trends uncovers opportunities for future growth.

The service delves into consumers’ purchasing behavior and mindset to provide an unparalleled view of the U.S. mobile phone market. The data is updated monthly and is available back to April 2005. Companies use Mobile Phone Track to conduct granular analyses of sales by manufacturer, brand, retail channel, and wireless carrier. It allows them to track mobile devices’ purchase and usage patterns and examine the market performance of specific technological features associated with mobile phones sold through the retail channel.
Key Measures

* Industry, category, brand, and model-level sales and trends
* Sales by channel and by individual retailer
* Sales by technology attribute
* Sales by wireless carrier
* Average selling prices and pricing trends
* Consumer demographics, behaviors, and attitudes
* Sales of voice and data service plans
* Segmentation of the prepaid and postpaid wireless markets

Business Benefits

* Benchmark performance
* Monitor new model and feature acceptance
* Support product planning decisions
* Create accurate market forecasts based on reliable sales data
* Adjust pricing strategy based on retail conditions
* Fine-tune marketing messaging and strategies
* Strengthen channel relationships for improved distribution
* Determine what’s driving the growth or decline of your business
* Track competition and assess your competitive position
* Understand the dynamic wireless handset market better than ever before

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Google Android Nabs No. 2 Spot from Apple iPhone, NPD Says Tweet

NPD said May 10 that Google Android has supplanted Apple iPhone as the No. 2 smartphone operating system in the U.S. Android logged 28 percent share of the market, besting the 21 percent tallied by the iPhone and second behind Research In Motion, which grabbed 36 percent. Two things could help iPhone regain the No. 2 OS spot from Android: Apple iPhone 4.0 and an iPhone launch on Verizon's leading wireless network. Tapping into just a portion of the 90 million-plus subscriber base on Verizon would enable the iPhone to gain traction on Verizon's popular Droid lineup.

Google Android has supplanted Apple iPhone as the No. 2 smartphone operating system in the United States, according to fresh data released by the NPD Group May 10.

The market researcher analyzed unit sales to consumers in the first quarter and found that Android logged 28 percent share of the market, besting the 21 percent tallied by the iPhone and second behind Research In Motion, which grabbed 36 percent. AllThingsDigital has posted NPD's line graph here.

The data is something of a surprise when one considers the latest data from researchers such as comScore and IDC. ComScore found that Android garnered 9 percent share from December through February, while the iPhone locked up 25 percent share for that period.

IDC said that Apple's iPhone sold 8.8 million smartphones for Q1 and that HTC and Motorola, two prominent Android smartphone makers, combined to ship about 5 million phones for the quarter. HTC's sales were led by the Android-based Hero, Droid Eris and myTouch 3G. Motorola unit sales soared from the Droid, Cliq and Backflip, all Android devices.

But Samsung and others also make Android devices, and there are more than 30 Android phones on the market.

By sheer volume, it is quite possible Android beat out the iPhone for the quarter, particularly with Verizon Wireless heavily marketing the Droid, Droid Eris and new HTC Incredible, both based on the most current Android 2.1 software.

Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD, affirmed that strong sales of the Droid, Droid Eris and BlackBerry Curve helped keep Verizon's smartphone sales on par with sole iPhone provider AT&T in the first quarter.

Smartphone sales at AT&T garnered 32 percent of the smartphone market, followed by Verizon Wireless at 30 percent, T-Mobile at 17 percent and Sprint at 15 percent.

"As in the past, carrier distribution and promotion have played a crucial role in determining smartphone market share," said Rubin. "In order to compete with the iPhone, Verizon Wireless has expanded its buy-one-get-one offer beyond RIM devices to now include all of their smartphones."

Two things could help iPhone regain the No. 2 OS spot from Android. First, Apple is launching its iPhone 4.0 in June, adding multitasking and folders to build on the iPhone 3GS experience.

Second, Apple has yet to launch the iPhone on Verizon's leading wireless network. Tapping into just a portion of the 90 million-plus subscriber base on Verizon would enable the iPhone to gain traction on Verizon's popular Droid lineup and give Android a good dusting overall.

source

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Solo Wi-Fi Receiver Tweet

Wireless Radio & Media Streamer.

Online music on your home stereo.

The Solo Wi-Fi Receiver provides free internet radio from every corner of the world. Listen to the hottest online music services like Pandora, Live365 and SIRIUS or your digital music collection directly on your home stereo.

Take your home stereo into the digital age with the Solo Wi-Fi Receiver.

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Is Android Really Outselling Apple? Tweet

Here’s a curveball of a data point: Android is now outselling the iPhone.

Really? Really, says NPD.

The consumer research shop says U.S. sales of smartphones using Google’s mobile operating system climbed past Apple in the first three months of this year. Google (GOOG) nabbed 28 percent of the market, while Apple (AAPL) claimed 21 percent, NPD says. Less surprising is that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIMM) still leads the market, with 36 percent.

Here are the data in chart form: Android is the green line with the prominent spike:

NPD’s numbers come from self-reported online consumer surveys (corporate sales aren’t included), so there’s likely some variance between its results and actual sales data. And indeed, NPD’s numbers look quite different from the most recent numbers from comScore (SCOR), which showed Google with a 10 percent share in February.* Still, NPD is usually considered a reasonably accurate estimator of retail sales, so the report is worth taking seriously.

The best argument in support of NPD’s numbers, meanwhile, is that Google’s handset and carrier partners, particularly Verizon Wireless (VZ) and Motorola (MOT), have been pushing their Android phones hard in recent months. And perhaps potential iPhone buyers are in a wait-and-see mode until June, when Apple is expected to unveil a next-generation handset. But this explanation requires an awful lot of iPhone buyers to be awfully savvy about Apple’s product cycle.

Anyway, this isn’t necessarily terrible news for Apple, as the company faces a possible federal antitrust probe. The NPD number is certainly more humble than the data Steve Jobs was boasting about last month when he noted that the iPhone had 64 percent of the mobile browser market.

*Important distinction between the NPD and Comscore data: NPD is measuring sales, and Comscore is measuring installed base. So entirely possible for those two data sets to sync up. More in Digits.

source

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We’re back! Opera Mobile 10 on Maemo Tweet

We’re proud to present the first preview build of Opera Mobile 10 for Nokia N900 and N800/N810.

Back in 2005, Nokia released the Nokia N770. The included web browser was developed by Opera Software. In 2008, Nokia chose to stop including Opera with Maemo, switching instead to a browser developed internally. Today’s preview build marks our unofficial return to the Maemo platform, after a little over 3 years of absence.

This Maemo version of Opera Mobile 10 was created as a hobby project by a small team of developers in their spare time. In total, about 6 man-weeks were spent on creating the release. It’s worth pointing out that this is not an officially-supported release. As such, it has not undergone our usual quality assurance processes, and at times may not feel as polished or complete as an official release. This also means that there may never be a “final” release of Opera Mobile 10 for Maemo devices, since it’s just that much more fun to add shiny new features rather than fixing boring old bugs.
Opera Mobile running on N900 and N800

The preview build contains the same features available in Opera Mobile 10 for Symbian and Windows Mobile smartphones. These include fast and economical browsing with Opera Turbo, bookmark and Speed Dial sync with other Opera products, and of course multiple tabs. For more information, see our rundown of Opera Mobile 10 features.

We have two additional treats for Maemo users: this is the first public release of Opera Mobile to include Carakan — our new Javascript engine.

Unfortunately, JIT support for ARM was not yet stable enough to include, but the speed advantage we gain from Carakan compared to Opera Mobile running on other platforms is already quite substantial.

The second treat is the Mobile debut of our Vega rendering library which — among other things — is responsible for rendering all the exciting new eye-candy like CSS3 rounded corners and shadow effects.

There are a number of known issues with this build, listed below:

* Adobe Flash and other plugins are not supported.
* Screen tearing may be visible when panning, especially in portrait mode. We expect to fix this in a future update.
* The built-in on-screen keyboard is not supported. Use the physical keyboard or the on screen keyboard included with Opera Mobile.
* There is no power management support. In practice this means that if you open a page with animations and leave Opera running, you will soon be using a payphone. Power is drained even when Opera is running in the background and/or the screen is turned off.
* If you set Opera as the default browser, for example by installing the Browser Switchboard, an extra empty tab will get opened every time you open a link from an external application.

Opera Mobile 10 on Maemo supports portrait screen mode, and will choose screen rotation automatically by default, based on the device orientation. It is also possible to select a specific screen mode manually from the settings menu. This works out-of-the-box on the N900. For the setting to work on the N800/N810 you need to install an additional kernel driver for rotation support.

The fullscreen button on N800/N810 only affects the native titlebar and menu. The “fullscreen” setting in the settings menu only affects Opera Mobile’s UI elements.

Download and install Opera Mobile 10 on your Nokia N800/N810/N900 using the phone’s default browser.

In case you encounter problems, please report bugs and issues using our bug wizard. We also welcome feedback on our forums.

Many thanks to the other Opera Mobile teams, as well as to the Carakan and Graphics teams for all their help in making this possible!

Best regards,
The Smooth Sailing Team at Opera Software’s Göteborg, Sweden office
(Fredrik Öhrn, Gustav Tiger, Vjaceslavs Klimovs and Anders Höckersten)

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The Vodafone Series: Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Tweet

How's it going? Tell someone with the one-hand compact Xperia™ X10 mini phone. Navigate via the intuitive touchscreen interface. Have whatever you want, right at your fingertips. Your indispensable navigation app? Your music? A news site? You choose what's important to you. Just take your pick for the four corners of your home screen. Change whenever you feel like it. Want more convenience? Add a widget and have it right under your fingertips, at the centre of the screen.

Visit www.vodafone.com and select your country to find great deals

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Nokia N8 hands on videos Tweet

Nokia N8 hands on videos

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Updated Bing App for Windows Phone Tweet

We’re happy to announce two new features to the Bing app for Windows phones. The first is a redesign to the home page. We changed the navigation to give people faster access to common searches, such as Movies and Traffic.

The second feature is turn-by-turn navigation for Windows 6.x phones, powered by Bing Maps. We took advantage of the Microsoft Tellme team’s expertise in voice applications to deliver an amazingly lifelike voice experience for the turn-by-turn navigation. If you have a Windows phones on Sprint, T-Mobile, or AT&T you can use the voice guided navigation.

Now when getting directions with Bing, you’ll see a new “Navigate” button. By selecting it, Bing will calculate your route, and guide you as you drive. You can select the fastest or shortest route, choose to avoid traffic and/or tolls, get a map or a list of directions, and see arrows and hear alerts to know which way to turn next.

clip_image002 clip_image003 clip_image004 clip_image005

The navigation feature is compatible with the phones below. If you have one of these and are in the U.S., check your phone for the update or go to m.bing.com.

Windows phone

HTC Fuze

HTC Pure

HTC HD2

HTC Tilt 2

HTC Touch Diamond 2

HTC Touch HD

HTC Touch Pro

HTC Touch Pro 2

Motorola Q9c

Samsung Jack

Samsung Omnia II

Samsung Propel

T-Mobile Dash 3G

Justin Jed - Bing for Mobile

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Microsoft's Latest Concept Smartphone Tweet

How will smartphones work in the future? Microsoft provides a vision of how various futuristic devices and systems will be working seamlessly in the future.

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World-Renowned Mobile App Experts Signed on to Lead APPCON(TM) 2010 Sessions Tweet

Workshops Set to Cover Full Spectrum of App Business from Enterprise Deployment and Start-Up Strategies to Technology Platforms at World's Only Mobile App-Centric Forum.

LAS VEGAS -- A virtual "who's who" of experts in the mobile App arena from around the world have signed on to lead the cutting-edge curriculum taking shape for APPCON™ 2010, the world's only mobile App-centric developer and business conference and expo set for August 24-26 in Las Vegas.

Conference organizers today announced a snapshot of the speaker/session lineup that features world-renowned experts covering a full spectrum of topics in the contemporary App business, from App development and technical strategies for developers, architects and technical managers to enterprise deployment, startup-strategies and other business and marketing aspects of the exploding App environment.

"This promises to be the most distinguished gathering of App experts anywhere in the world covering topics that provide a virtual one-stop-shop for technical and business expertise to help APPCON™ attendees take their mobile App efforts to the next level," said Susan Schwartz, president of ConvExx, a full-service show and event production company based in Las Vegas that is co-producing APPCON™ with Taptopia. "We're thrilled to have such highly-regarded speakers on the roster for this inaugural event."

Highlighted speakers include:

•


Renaun Erickson, a Flash platform evangelist at Adobe Systems, who will lead the session Using Adobe Technologies to Build Applications for Multiple Platforms. Erickson will bring his wide range of experience with the Flash platform, as well as ActionScript, Flex, AIR, PHP, ColdFusion, video, audio, logging, SIP/VoIP, casual games and mobile, to demonstrate how Adobe's technology stack can be integrated to build multi-platform applications for desktop, tablets, mobile and set-top boxes to create a richer experience across multiple screens and devices.


•


Jon Manning and Paris Buttfield-Addison, co-founders of Secret Lab, an Australian mobile App powerhouse and world-wide mobile software development company, will lead the sessions 2D Game Tips & Tricks and Designing for Multi-Touch, respectively. In the 2D Games session, the duo will address design and coding tips and tricks for building fun, addictive and easy-to-use 2D games, including optimization techniques, common pitfalls and how to avoid them. For multi-touch, the team will cover design patterns, pitfalls and opportunities that compelling multi-touch user interfaces bring to the future of mobile Apps. The Secret Lab team is highly sought-after for their experience in delivering App-related training on behalf of Apple and the iPhone Boot Camp, and they are co-authors of iPhone and iPad Game Development for Dummies, to be published by Wiley Wrox®.


•


Jon Fletcher, SNL Kagan mobile entertainment analyst, will lead the session Mobile App Entrepreneur Success Stories. Successful entrepreneurs in the mobile App industry will discuss the secrets to their successes across multiple platforms. Already on the list of presenters is Todd Marks, president of Mindgrub Technologies, LLC, an information architect and user experience specialist, Marks founded Mindgrub to create web applications that enable instant information travel and has developed enterprise systems for clients such as Adobe, Motorola, ORACLE, A&E, Universal Records and Discovery Communications, the FBI, National Security Administration, the US Navy, Wrox Press and O'Reilly Media.


•


J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., principal analyst, Mobile & Wireless, with MobileTrax LLC, will lead Funding Your Startup: Expert advice for App developers looking to raise capital for their ventures. The session will address market positioning and opportunity, business models, competition and sources of capital, as well as the all-important exit strategy. In addition to a distinguished panel of investors, Purdy will provide his own insights based on his expertise both in the wireless industry and venture capital. He is currently managing director with Yosemite Ventures and spent five years as a venture advisor for Diamondhead Ventures where he identified, attracted and recommended investments in emerging mobile and wireless companies.




"The lineup for this event is positioned to offer something for just about anyone interested in the mobile App space," said Bryan A. Scott, president of Taptopia, a provider of mobile technology solutions for event organizers, convention centers and their related vendors. "From deeply technical sessions to the business potential—and even Penn Jillette's perspective on the industry—APPCON™ is shaping up to be a world-class event in just its first year."

In all, APPCON™ features more than 40 sessions that cover a wide range of the most important mobile App technologies and applications in a practical and technical fashion. The premier developer conference and expo runs August 24-26 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The event is dedicated exclusively to mobile Apps across all major platforms and carriers and provides a rare opportunity for developers to dive deep into current technologies and platforms to meet the tactical mobile needs of businesses and brands.

For exhibitor information, download the APPCON™ Exhibitor Prospectus or contact Susan Schwartz at 702-450-7662 x240 or by email at sschwartz@appconlv.com.

For more information about APPCON™ 2010, visit www.appconlv.com or follow us on twitter @appconlv http://twitter.com/appconlv.

About ConvExx:

ConvExx, an independent show management company is headquartered in Las Vegas, NV and has produced shows all over the US and around the world. ConvExx produces tradeshows and conferences, as well as consumer events, including the Trade Show 200 Top 10 show – The SEMA Show, and the Las Vegas BikeFest®. For more information about ConvExx and all its services, please visit www.ConvExx.com or call 702-450-7662, ext. 102.

About Taptopia, Inc.:

Taptopia, a provider of mobile technology solutions, is headquartered in Dallas, TX and provides its solutions to event organizers, convention centers, and their related vendors. The company's solutions encompass leading and proven software and hardware technologies for today's most popular mobile platforms. Taptopia's team is comprised of serial entrepreneurs and technology evangelists who have been innovating and building mobile technology solutions for consumers and enterprise markets for at least a decade. For more information about Taptopia and all of its services, please visit www.Taptopia.com or call 972-479-8822. Taptopia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Metiscan, Inc. (MTIZ.PK).

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3D Content and Content Delivery to Star at SID/IMS' Future of TVs Conference to Be Held During Display Week 2010 in Seattle Tweet

CAMPBELL, Calif. and AUSTIN, Texas -- While 3D movies are breaking box office records, few people have seen other types of 3D content such as sports, gaming, documentaries and TV programs, which are more likely to drive 3D TV sales. As a result, the upcoming Future of TVs Conference (part of the Market Focus Conference Series being held on May 26-27 in Seattle during the Society for Information Display's annual Display Week) is a must-see event as it will be showcasing exactly that kind of content. Produced by IMS Conferences, a division of IMS Research, the event will feature a 3D Theater and will show the following content:

* Sports
o Boxing
o ESPN
o Sony Classic Golf Tournament
o NHL Hockey Winter Classic
o NASCAR
* Movies /Concerts
o U2 3D
o Kenny Chesney
o Phil Driscoll
o Despicable Me Movie Trailer
* Documentaries
o Over Kauai
o Yellowstone
* TV Programs and Commercials
o Chuck
o SoBe
o Toyota
* Gaming
o Avatar Video Game
o Other PC games


3D technology sponsors include NEC, which is providing the 3D projector; RealD, which is providing 3D glasses and a silver screen; and Strong Ballantyne, which is managing the integration. Content is being provided by 3ality, ESPN, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, NVIDIA and Sony. Content will be played at both 24fps and 60fps, depending on the content.

In addition to the 3D Theater, another highlight of the event is a panel session on 3D content delivery with an elite group of executives representing all aspects of 3D content creation and delivery. The panel will address:

* Challenges associated with capturing different types of content in 3D. Attendees will also hear from the front lines of setting up ESPN's FIFA World Cup coverage on what kind of shots are most effective
* The costs associated with capturing and creating content in 3D
* The status of 3D broadcast standards
* How TVs need to change to maximize 3D performance
* How much 3D content is coming via broadcast and packaged media
* If STBs will change and how will service providers roll out 3D content/services
* What role will console and PC gaming play in 3D adoption


Panel participants include:

* Peter Lude - Senior Vice President, Solutions Engineering at Sony Electronics. Mr. Lude oversees Sony's US-based engineering efforts for digital cinema systems, software development and other professional media solutions, which includes image capture and transmission. He is a 25-year veteran of the broadcast and media industries, having started his career at several television stations prior to founding an independent Systems Integration and consulting firm in San Francisco. That firm - Lude Broadcast Engineering - was subsequently acquired by Sony to form the nucleus of the systems integration business in North and South America. Mr. Lude has been involved in the design and construction of hundreds of large scale media facilities, including digital cable headends, DBS satellite facilities and high-definition production centers. He holds a patent in the area of datacasting, serves as Editorial Vice President for SMPTE, is an active member of SBE and IEEE and is a graduate of the College of San Mateo.
* Jon Shapiro - Emmy-winning Film, Television and Music Producer and Chairman of the 3D@Home Consortium Content Creation Committee. Jon Shapiro has been involved in the conception, development and production of mainstream entertainment in virtually every professional music, film or TV medium including animation, digital 3D, HDTV, 35mm and IMAX 15p/70mm film, and 5.1 Direct Stream Digital surround audio. After producing mainstream family entertainment such as feature film "Richie Rich" and the "Curious George" TV & Movie franchise, Mr. Shapiro has, for nearly a decade, played a leadership role in the establishment and explosive growth of next-generation digital stereoscopic 3D movies and TV. He is a co-founder and board member of 3ality Digital, the world's preeminent digital 3D live-action technology and production company. Since its inception in 2006, 3ality Digital has developed and delivered technical and creative solutions for 3D filmed and live broadcast entertainment -- from feature films to commercials, from live sporting events and concerts to network TV shows. Mr. Shapiro was producer of the acclaimed motion picture, "U2 3D," the first ever live-action film produced and exhibited in digital 3D; and he is co-founder and partner in a new 3D TV channel debuting in 2011 that will help ignite and sustain the rollout of next-generation stereoscopic TV into the home. He is also Chair of the 3D@Home Consortium Content Creation Committee which oversees an industry-wide effort to speed the commercialization of 3D into homes worldwide and provide the best possible viewing experience by facilitating the development of standards, roadmaps and education for the entire 3D industry – from content, hardware and software providers to consumers.
* Faisal Ishtiaq – Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Motorola. Faisal Ishtiaq is a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Motorola researching the next generation of video technologies and experiences. Faisal has been instrumental within Motorola as it develops solutions to bring 3D TV to the home. He led a cross functional and organizational team to assess the various overlapping technologies and standards for 3D TV distribution that have culminated in the much highlighted Motorola's leadership in the 3D TV distribution space. Faisal is also working with the 3D@Home consortium to address the issues of bringing the highest quality 3D video over the Cable and IPTV infrastructures and to assess additional technologies that would be necessary.
* Rambo Jacoby – Display Marketing Manager, NVIDIA. Rambo is responsible for maintaining NVIDIA's display roadmap, alignment with partners and strategic display initiatives. He has also played a key role in the launch of NVIDIA's 3D TV Play software that enables consumers to connect their NVIDIA-based PCs to their 3D TV and play over 400 PC games along with streaming 3D content from the internet and PC-based Blu-ray players. Prior to this position, he led the development of NVIDIA's highest end notebook graphics modules from an engineering and design standpoint.


In addition to 3D content and content delivery, The Future of TVs Conference will also address 3D TVs, merchandising 3D TVs in retail, wireless, remote control advances, implications of internet connected TVs for service providers and content developers, outlook for OLED TVs, advances in LED TVs and an industry/financial analyst panel session.

Zoran is a Silver Sponsor of the event. For more information about the Future of TVs Conference, which has one-day or two-day registration options, or other Market Focus Conference events on Lighting and Touch, please visit www.sidmarketfocus.com.

About Display Week

The 48th SID International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, or Display Week 2010, will take place May 23-28, 2010, at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Display Week is the premier international gathering of scientists, engineers, manufacturers and users in the field of electronic-information displays. For more information on Display Week 2010, visit http://www.sid2010.org/, become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @DisplayWeek. Share Display Week-related tweets using the hash tag #SID2010.

About SID

The Society of Information Display (SID) is the only professional organization focused on the display industry. In fact, by exclusively focusing on the advancement of electronic-display technology, SID provides a unique platform for industry collaboration, communication and training in all related technologies while showcasing the industry's best new products. With more than 6,000 members worldwide, the organization's members are professionals in the technical and business disciplines that relate to display research, design, manufacturing, applications, marketing and sales. To promote industry and academic technology development, while also educating consumers on the importance of displays, SID hosts more than ten conferences a year, including Display Week, which is the premier international gathering of scientists, engineers, manufacturers and users in the field of electronic information displays. For more information, visit http://www.sid.org/.

About IMS Conferences

IMS Conferences is focused on the organization of international summits and conferences that explore the real world implementations of leading-edge technologies. Its events bring together international executives from technology companies, content & service providers, operators, policy & standard makers, distributors, analysts and retailers. The conferences comprise a mix of keynote speeches, case studies, panel debates and networking sessions, and are known for their high caliber of content and speakers. As a division of IMS Research, a leading global electronics market research company with over 80 analysts worldwide, IMS Conferences is able to draw on a wealth of analyst experience and industry contacts to ensure that its summits and conferences address the key issues facing each industry. IMS' client base includes most leading global electronics companies active in markets such Consumer Electronics, Displays, Lighting & LEDs, Communications & Wireless, Semiconductors, Automotive & Transportation, Factory Automation, Medical Electronics, Power & Energy and Security.

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Denali Advanced Integration Hosts HP CEO Mark Hurd for Repeat Engagement Event Tweet

Leading CEOs and CIOs Gather for Industry Round Table to hear from Mark Hurd and HP Channel VP Stephen DiFranco.

REDMOND, Wash. -- Denali Advanced Integration hosted a CEO/CIO Round Table Event at the Harbor Club in Seattle with Mark Hurd, chairman and chief executive officer of HP, and Stephen DiFranco, vice president and general manager of the Americas Solution Partners Organization at HP.

The Round Table was an opportunity for senior executives from Denali and HP to meet with local business leaders to discuss and deploy best practices solutions for business and ways to transform IT to create opportunities for business growth. Multiple C-level executives of enterprise-sized, public sector, healthcare and emerging market organizations attended. Attendees provided positive feedback about the event and said they enjoyed the unique opportunity for face time with a driving force in the IT industry.

"Denali Advanced Integration is honored to host the Chairman and CEO of multi-billion dollar global IT leader HP for a second straight year," said Mike Daher, Founder of Denali Advanced Integration. "HP is well positioned to outperform the market. The strength of their technology portfolio, investments in growth, and leveraging their scale across their entire portfolio positions HP to take full advantage of an improving economy. Denali shares Mr. Hurd's vision for the needs of customers now and into the future."

In addition to forces affecting the IT industry, discussion topics included converged infrastructure, HP's recent 3Com and Palm acquisitions and their positioning within the HP portfolio, and the improving economic conditions – all current issues for today's C-level decision makers.

About Denali Advanced Integration

One of the Pacific Northwest's fastest growing companies for five consecutive years, Denali Advanced Integration is a market-leading, full-service, IT solution provider in North America and was recently awarded the Power of Technology in Community Innovation award by HP. Denali is an HP PartnerONE Elite partner holding multiple designations including Converged Infrastructure, Healthcare, Blade Servers, SMB, Enterprise Storage, Business Critical Systems, Thin Clients, Data Center, Services, Virtualization, Exchange, Blade PC and Workstation, HP Networking, ProCurve, and Office Printing for managed printing services. Denali holds key partner alliances with HP, Microsoft, Frontline, CA, Motorola, IBM, Intel and more. Denali Advanced Integration offers the sales and technical resources to help customers gain control of their technology acquisition cycle cost effectively. See www.denaliai.com.

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Spring 2010 Global IPTV Market Leaders Report Tracks Over 6 Million New Subscribers in 6 Months Tweet

SAN JOSE, Calif, -- MRG Inc. announces new leaders in the global IPTV Market Leaders Report — APRIL 2010 (MLR), which semi-annually ranks IPTV Vendors and Operators worldwide. Including over 6 million new subscribers and 50 new IPTV Operators since October 2009, the report ranks over 100 Vendors in 24 regional sectors within the six product categories of Access Ports, Content Protection/DRM (CP/DRM), Set-top-Boxes (STB), Middleware, Video Headend (VHE), and Video-on-Demand (VOD).

"Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola and Microsoft lead the global Market Leader Rankings in five of the six IPTV product categories," said Jose Alvear, IPTV Senior MRG Analyst. "What this means is that Vendors having a more complete IPTV ecosystem are more dominant than Vendors with just one IPTV product." Larger Vendors are building a full IPTV ecosystem so they can continue to work with large Telcos around the world. For example, Motorola recently acquired a CP/DRM Vendor (SecureMedia) and a VOD Vendor (BitBand), and now appears in all six IPTV product categories. However, in the Middleware, CP/DRM and Set-top-Box categories, smaller Vendors serve just a few regions, and sometimes just a specific country.

"Many small Vendors have created regionalized market models allowing smaller Operators to develop their own regional look and feel which is very appealing to them," said Alvear. "Yet, large Tier-1's have in-house tools to do the same in their markets. Ultimately, it may be these highly flexible applications and market models that allow IPTV Operators to grow in today's challenging regional markets."

New features in this report include added Vendor-ranking profiles for all companies ranked within the top 10 in all regional sectors. Also, with the addition of up/down arrows alongside the Vendor rankings, it is easy to see how many ranking positions a Vendor has changed since the last report. "We strive to make improvements to the rankings and our methodology as needed to better serve our customers," said Alvear.

More details are available at www.mrgco.com/iptv/mlr0410.html. Or, contact Rob Smith at MRG, rsmith@mrgco.com, or, telephone 1-408-453-5553 (San Jose, CA, USA). The price of this 103-page (indexed) report is $3,995 USD for a printed copy, $5,200 USD for a PDF format Departmental License, or free to subscribers of the IPTV Tracking Service. Consult us for a Corporate License or for the IPTV Tracking Service.

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Small Businesses Embrace SAP in Latin America Tweet

WALLDORF, Germany -- The SAP® Business One application has become the staple solution to manage and streamline business operations and processes across a small company's entire business. In 2009 alone, thousands of small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) around the globe chose solutions from SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), of which over 50 percent of the small companies came from Latin America. Specifically designed to meet the needs of small businesses, SAP Business One provides an integrated application for all core business functions, helping small companies gain insight across their operations and maintain a competitive edge.

Working with its channel network in Latin America, SAP has achieved substantial success with customers including:

* Umbilical Cord Bank of Mexico – The Umbilical Cord Bank of Mexico offers its customers the service of storing umbilical cord blood stem cells in laboratories to potentially be used in the future to treat diseases such as leukemia. The company implemented SAP Business One to manage and improve its financial processes while also delivering insight into the business to plan ahead and react more quickly to new business opportunities.
* Dataformas – Headquartered in Costa Rica, Dataformas is the market leader in printing technology products and computer brands including HP, Lexmark, Epson and Samsung. Dataformas implemented SAP Business One to control its core business functions, such as inventories and accounts receivable. With proven technology and the inclusion of industry best practices, SAP Business One facilitates and supports the growth of the company.
* FastPack S.A. – Based in Chile, FastPack S.A. is a leader in the supply and distribution of products in stainless steel, carbon steel and valves for application in industries such as mining, energy, cellulose, petrochemical, engineering and assembly, and gas and refinement, among others. FastPack S.A. implemented the SAP Business One application to integrate all its internal processes, including sales opportunities and generation, importation of products, stock movements, and financial and billing processes.

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4G WiMax: The Solution to Ireland's Broadband Crisis Tweet

- Irish Firm Imagine Bids to Radically Improve Ireland's Position in the European Broadband League

- Irish Government Hopelessly Inadequate in in Preparing Ireland for Future Technologies

Imagine Communications Group has said that Ireland will have a world-class broadband and phone network in the next 12 months as a result of a comprehensive EUR100million investment in the new 4G technology WiMax.

The Irish firm was responding to the latest OECD report on broadband which ranked Ireland at the bottom of the European league table on broadband speeds. Imagine is rolling out the first national 4G WiMax network in Europe this year, with the support of Intel and Motorola, to enable faster Internet speeds and better phone services at low prices.

Ireland's over-reliance on the outmoded and over-exploited 3G network for broadband access to date has directly led to its lowly position on the OECD broadband chart, with OECD regulators even refusing to classify 3G as broadband.

Imagine's Commercial Director Mr. Brian O'Donohoe has said the rapid deployment of the superfast 4G WiMax network will shoot Ireland up the European broadband league table.

"This week's OECD statistics show that Ireland has dropped to 29th position for broadband speeds, after being placed 26th in September 2008," Mr. O'Donohoe said. "The new 4G WiMax network is faster and more reliable than 3G, has no expensive line rental charges like DSL and is available at half the cost of older technology providers like Eircom".

"The Irish Government, Comreg and the existing market players have been hopelessly inadequate in preparing Ireland for future technologies and the damning OECD report has created a significant opportunity for 4G WiMax in Ireland," said Mr. O'Donohoe.

WiMax is backed worldwide by Intel, Motorola, Time Warner, Google and many other major multinationals. The new technology is already allowing Imagine to make high speed broadband available and affordable to businesses and consumers in counties Dublin, Wexford, Kildare, Sligo, Louth, Westmeath and Longford, with 30 new locations now being rolled out each month.

Imagine's biggest competitor in Ireland, Eircom, has the highest line rental fees in Europe and Imagine WiMax customers will automatically save up to EUR400 a year on top of benefitting from lower broadband and phone bills.

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Obopay Announces New Offering: Mobile Money For Banks Tweet

Obopay's bank-branded mobile money solution enables banks to quickly and seamlessly join growing wave of mobile transactions.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Obopay, the pioneer in mobile payments, announced Mobile Money for Banks, which will allow banks to deploy their own branded mobile money service. Designed to make bank accounts the anchor for all current and future mobile money transactions, the service combines complete brand control and a full range of mobile transactions and applications with simple low-cost integration and deployment. Mobile Money for Banks includes the ability to send and transfer money, makes payment card acceptance available to everyone and can be implemented in 30 days or less.

One of the biggest advantages of Mobile Money for Banks is the opportunity to replace a substantial amount of cash and check transactions, which turns a cost center into a revenue opportunity for the bank. Cash and checks remain the predominate payment method used by consumers and cash alone is still projected to make up over 27 percent of all consumer payment methods by 2012 according to The Nilson Report, this despite continued growth in debit card usage. According to Payment News, less than 30% of all small businesses accept any form of electronic payment. It's not surprising therefore that mobile payments are among the top areas in which banks plan to invest in 2010 according to Ovum, and that they will be "mainstream" and a top ten mobile application by 2012 according to Gartner. Smartphones are at the center of this movement. In the U.S., there was a 39% year-over-year increase in shipments of smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2009. In that same period, Apple's iPhone shipments grew by 98%. Smart phones are expected to continue to grow to make up nearly half of all phones in the market by 2011 according to Nielsen.

While banks hope consumers would prefer to use a mobile payment system from their trusted financial service provider, banks are going to face increasing competitive pressure from non-traditional players outside the industry as well as their traditional competitors. The roughly five million people who donated by text message following the disaster in Haiti, for example, were facilitated by carriers rather than banks. In Canada, carriers have come together to establish a competitive mobile payment service.

"Any bank that isn't looking at how to enter the mobile money market as quickly as possible is risking the loss of business to competitors, the carriers, or PayPal", said Bob Hedges, Managing Partner of Mercatus, "Given the considerable level of consumer interest, what banks need is a solution that is easy to implement, inexpensive and fast to deploy. We should anticipate a wave of bank deployments over the next six months."

Mobile Money for Banks gives financial institutions the opportunity to bring to market quickly branded smart phone, Blackberry and iPhone applications, as well as Mobile Internet, SMS and IVR services and a full range of website capabilities. It is quick and low cost for banks to deploy because it leverages established connections and payment processes to existing payment networks and it provides maximum mobile coverage through established distribution with mobile carriers.

"We have been at the forefront of mobile payments for five years," said Obopay CEO Carol Realini. "Mobile Money for Banks incorporates our knowledge and expertise in the most successful use cases, applications and capabilities with technology that makes it extremely easy for banks to get into mobile payments with their own brand."

Mobile Money for Banks includes the following products:

* Get Paid by Obopay


Enables payments to be received for products or services. Anyone, including small businesses or individuals, can accept debit card or ACH payments from anyone. Money is received directly into the recipient's bank account. This includes the capability to accept payments directly from a mobile phone, website or email. Obopay offers a number of tools that people can use to get paid including payment buttons for websites, payment links for emails or email invoices, and social networking widgets.

* Mobile P2P by Obopay


Enables bank customers the ability to link and send money to anyone directly from their own bank account using a debit card. Obopay takes care of validation and regulatory compliance. Recipients don't have to be signed up for the service to receive the money and can direct the funds into their own bank account using their debit card number or bank account and routing number. They can also direct the funds to a pre-paid card, if they choose, and get instant access to the funds for online shopping.

* Family Money by Obopay


Enables bank customers to send money instantly to family members for emergencies or regularly scheduled payments. Family members receiving the money can direct it to their own bank account if they have one or, if the senders prefer, they can provide them with their own personalized prepaid card, which is great for teens. Parents can "top-off" funds instantly from their accounts or on a regularly scheduled basis. Use of the prepaid debit card allows parents to monitor spending in real time.

* Transfer Money by Obopay


Enables account-to-account transfers, allowing customers to exchange funds from their bank accounts to accounts outside of their bank. This is accomplished by simply linking the accounts they want to send money to by entering that account's debit card number or its bank account and routing number.

Obopay offers a variety of inexpensive and flexible integration options including fully branded standalone service offerings for web and mobile applications, as well as single sign on (SSO). Payment system integration options enable the bank's accounts to be anchors for all mobile transactions through integration with existing debit card network connections, or through the ACH network. Core banking integrations are also available.

About Obopay

Founded in 2005, Obopay, Inc., (banks.obopay.com) offers financial institutions an open, trusted, secure and interoperable mobile payments service by transforming any mobile phone into a convenient and easy way to send and receive money. The company's Mobile Money for Banks offers bank-branded, account-centric mobile service quickly, painlessly and at low deployment cost. Obopay's broad-based offering addresses the needs of consumers and businesses around the world by providing a ubiquitous service that delivers value, empowers lives and improves opportunity for merchants both in the physical and virtual worlds. The company provides innovative mobile money services making it easy for mobile phone users to securely send and receive money, top-up their mobile, buy online, buy via mobile, pay bills and pay small businesses. Obopay believes the power is in the network and has established global partnerships that include Nokia, MasterCard, Citibank, AT&T, Verizon, Essar, Yes Bank in India, Blackberry and Societe Generale. Global headquarters are in Redwood City, CA with operations in India.

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AVerMedia(R) Information, Inc., USA Announces New Marketing Director for the Presentation Products Division Tweet

Former Nokia Marketing Executive Steve Siegel Takes on AVerMedia Marketing Leadership for the Americas.

MILPITAS, Calif. -- AVerMedia® Information, Inc., the leading provider of digital multimedia and presentation technology, announced the appointment of Steve Siegel to the position of Marketing Director for AVerMedia's Presentation Products Division. Based in AVerMedia's American headquarters in Milpitas, CA, Siegel is responsible for driving overall marketing activities including online, channel and reseller marketing initiatives for AVerMedia's AVerVision Document Cameras, AVerPen Collaborative Learning Solutions and AVerKey PC to TV Scan Converters in the North and South American markets.

Siegel brings over 15 years of solutions and product marketing experience from global organizations such as Nokia, Compaq and IBM. Siegel has been responsible for strategic marketing planning, product marketing, channel relationships, defining and delivering solutions to market for business mobility, enterprise software solutions as well as bringing commercial PC products to market.

"I am anxious to add my experience to AVerMedia's current marketing and product initiatives while helping to expand into new markets," says Siegel. "I look forward to maximizing the efforts of the US Marketing team while increasing positive corporate and product brand awareness."

"Steve's extensive background and experience in strategic market planning, analysis and execution will add a higher level of experience and success to AVerMedia's current and future growth," says Arthur S. Pait, President of AVerMedia Information, Inc. USA. "Furthermore, his experience in driving solutions to market through various channels will further advance success for AVerMedia and our partners alike."

For more information about AVerMedia's extensive offering of interactive presentation products and services, visit www.averusa.com or call toll free 877-528-7824.

About AVerMedia® Information, Inc:

AVerMedia is the technology leader in Interactive Digital Multimedia Video and Software Technology Development, Manufacturing, Sales and Marketing. Focusing on Corporate, Government and Education markets, AVerMedia designs, manufactures and develops interactive classroom solutions, video communication products and digital surveillance solutions. Product lines include AVerPen Interactive Collaborative Learning Solutions, AVerVision Document Cameras, AVerComm Video Conferencing solutions and AVerDigi Digital Surveillance Solutions. As a leader in innovative manufacturing, software and environmentally friendly products, AVerMedia is also highly involved with community and social responsibilities.

AVerMedia is a registered trademark of AVerMedia Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Tarsin Delivers Popular Hallmark Mobile Greetings and Dilbert Mobile Applications to Nokia's Ovi Store Tweet

Brands Extend Reach to New Storefront Through Tarsin's Capsa Platform-designed Apps.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. -- Tarsin, Inc., announced that two applications designed with its groundbreaking Capsa platform are now available on Nokia's Ovi Store. Mobile phone users navigating the Ovi Store will be able to download and enjoy the popular Hallmark Mobile Greetings and United Media's Dilbert Mobile apps, available today at Ovi Store by Nokia.

With the Capsa platform's flexibility, Hallmark Mobile Greetings, Dilbert Mobile and other apps continue to gain traction by establishing personal connections between brands and consumers through mobile. Since its launch last summer, Hallmark Mobile Greetings users have been connecting across devices and mobile networks thanks to Capsa's interoperability. Capsa's regional support makes it easy for users across various countries to enjoy daily Dilbert strips on the go. Migrating to Ovi Store will make these and other Capsa-based apps available to an even broader audience, spurring more downloads and connections to these brands.

Capsa is the unique foundation that fuels broader consumer connections for brands, while eliminating the need to retool and customize apps to fit requirements of each mobile device or operator network. With hundreds of on-the-go products available today, this "design once, deploy multiple times" value proposition is more important than ever. Because of Nokia's flexibility and worldwide reach, when Capsa-based apps come to market, brands' offerings have the potential to reach consumers in more than 180 countries.

"This collaboration with Nokia echoes our pledge to make the mobile environment more approachable and successful for brands," said John Osborne, CEO and co-founder of Tarsin. "Success in this space is not just about a mere device – it's about what the developer community can empower on that device. Our Capsa architecture enables app designs that relate to consumers on the global level, helping brands achieve personal connections that span markets, devices and operators. We look forward to continued work with Nokia to bring Capsa-based applications to Ovi Store."

About Tarsin, Inc.

Founded in 2002, Tarsin (www.tarsin.com) is a privately funded, international mobile software development firm with offices in the United States and United Kingdom. The company's revolutionary Capsa platform is the industry's first universal mobile content delivery that is carrier, operating system and device agnostic. The force behind some of today's hottest applications, Capsa provides an end-to-end, Web standards-based framework that enables brands and mobile operators to design once and deliver unprecedented mobile experiences. A history working with diverse businesses from retail, publishing, consumer packaged goods to entertainment, Tarsin provides professional application development and consulting services to clients, helping define and create mobile strategies so these brands can build and reenergize personal connections with consumers.

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