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- Mozilla: Brazilians to get first phones running Boot to Gecko
- Gmail Meter brings detailed analytics to your inbox
- What crisis? Sony Music buys EMI's back catalogue for $2.2 billion
- Brammo's 100MPH Empulse coming May 8th, spooks electrons with six-speed gearbox
- Lenovo ThinkPad T430 with Ivy Bridge surfaces on university website
- QNX's Watson-connected Porsche 911, hands-on (video)
- Microsoft reveals the fourth version of Windows 8: Enterprise
- Sony patent application aims to put names to faceless MMO players, organize real-world meetups
- Nokia head of sales resigns, department aims to reduce 'layers of management'
- Nokia Lumia 610 headed to the (Pacific) 'Ring of Fire' in coming months for €189
- AT&T Translator app hands-on: smashing the language barrier (video)
- AT&T opens Watson API up to developers
- Samsung brings another eight patents to the Apple knife-fight
- OWC's Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD is Mac bootable, strictly neutral
- Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models
- Barobo's Mobot goes up for pre-order, slinks toward your impressionable children (video)
- Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE listed as 'coming soon' on Bell Canada's site
- Verizon's vitals: quarterly revenue up five percent to $28 billion, earnings of $1.7 billion
- Killer Wireless-N 1202 and E2200 Ethernet controller launch, aim to squash your ping times
- Intel's first smartphone coming soon: Xolo X900 gets April 24 release date
- Nokia's Q1 2012 financials: $9 billion in sales can't stop a $1.7 billion loss
- Spotify previews overhauled Android app
- Barclays releases PayTag: the NFC card you glue to your phone (video)
- Toshiba pushes AT270 Tegra 3 tablet through the FCC, gets Excited
- Alienware's M11x is no more, bigger is apparently better
- Alienware refreshes M14x, M17x and M18x with new graphics, same old processors
- PlayStation Suite's 'open beta' SDK available to download now
- YouTube wants more videos to have background music, adds audio editor
- Samsung adds 20.3-megapixel NX20, NX210 and NX1000 to mirrorless cam lineup (update: now with video)
- HTC's J ISW13HT WiMAX smartphone slips out for KDDI, quickly takes cover
- New water-resistant coating protects your phone, the planet (video)
- Droid 4 gets first official update, better battery life and sluggishness fixes in tow
- Sony SmartWatch torn down and dissected, wishes it were a Pebble
- Londoners mourn as teletext goes dark, a victim of the DTV transition
- Kodak Gallery iOS app: now with 100 percent more physical printing at Target / CVS
- Nikon adds D3200 to its DSLR range, we go hands-on! (video)
- Apple offering free Snow Leopard update to MobileMe holdouts
- Hauppauge announces StreamEez to broadcast live HD video
- Interphase's Penvue interactive display system highlights its strengths (video)
- Retired Boeing 737 repurposed as garage-kept flight simulator (video)
| Mozilla: Brazilians to get first phones running Boot to Gecko Posted: 19 Apr 2012 11:18 AM PDT
We got to fiddle with Mozilla's HTML5-based mobile OS, Boot to Gecko, for the first time a couple of months ago, and found it to be a promising platform, but one that wasn't ready for prime-time. However, it appears that Brazilians on Telefonica will get the first crack at buying BtG phones, and the handsets are set to go on sale by the end of this year or in early 2013. The good news -- for our South American readers, at least -- came from Gary Kovacs, Mozilla's CEO, who made the announcement in Sao Palo today. Unfortunately, Kovacs failed to say what kind of hardware will run the web-based OS, but Pablo Larrieux, the chief innovation officer of Telefonica Vivo, indicated that the handsets will be unlocked and priced to move: they'll cost as much as a featurephone. [Brazil flag photo via Shutterstock.] |
| Gmail Meter brings detailed analytics to your inbox Posted: 19 Apr 2012 11:01 AM PDT
Just in case a constantly increasing unread messages counter isn't providing enough details about the flow of messages to your inbox, the Official Gmail Blog has pointed out the Gmail Meter tool for detailed monthly activity breakdowns. A Google Apps script developed by Romain Vialard, it can show you stats on volume, daily traffic, traffic pattern, email categories, time before first response, word count and thread lengths; providing an even deeper dive than Google's own Account Activity dashboard. Setting this up on one's account requires setting up a Google docs spreadsheet and then installing the script on it and requesting a report, there's a YouTube video embedded after the break and a tutorial linked below to help you along. On the plus side, now when someone asks "why haven't you responded to my email yet?", you can show them they're still well within the average time before first response window. |
| What crisis? Sony Music buys EMI's back catalogue for $2.2 billion Posted: 19 Apr 2012 10:41 AM PDT
While its parent company goes through a dramatic reinvention, Sony Music's scraped together $2.2 billion to lead a consortium that's just bought EMI's music publishing business. While it'll sell off the three Virgin and Famous Music labels to avoid competition concerns, the company will gain access to three million songs from artists like Frank Sinatra, Jay-Z and Adele. It won't affect the day-to-day running of EMI's record label, which is a separate entity, but it will make Sony the biggest music publisher in the world. It's hard not to envisage a future in which the company's influence in the way we buy and listen to music becomes even greater -- especially given that EMI led the charge in abandoning DRM all those years ago. |
| Brammo's 100MPH Empulse coming May 8th, spooks electrons with six-speed gearbox Posted: 19 Apr 2012 10:30 AM PDT
By rights, Brammo's street-fighting Empulse should have gotten here quicker, but at least we now have a firm launch date. Sporting an all-new six-speed gearbox in place of the one-speed original, Brammo's spec sheet shows a 121-mile city range (or 56 miles on the highway), 100+ MPH maximum hustle and a re-juicing time of 3.5 hours in fast-charge mode. We're not sure if the price has budged from the original $14,000 estimate, but if you want to see what that ballpark sum might get you, the video after the break is all yours.
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| Lenovo ThinkPad T430 with Ivy Bridge surfaces on university website Posted: 19 Apr 2012 10:04 AM PDT
Who would've thought the scholars over at St. John's U. would be the ones to unintentionally reveal an unannounced Lenovo laptop? In this particular case, the star of the informal unveiling is a certain 14-inch ThinkPad T430, which we imagine is just one of many notebook refreshes we're going to see once Intel goes official with Ivy Bridge. Of course, the main attraction here is the T430's Core i5-3210 CPU, that's paired alongside 6GB of RAM, a 500GB, 7200RPM hard drive and a 6-cell battery -- at least in this specific model. Much to our disappointment, however, we couldn't spot any info related to pricing or availability, though the university's laptop program home page makes it seem as if it's up for grabs now. So, those hitting the books at the Big East school can head to the source below and see if you can claim one of these for yourself. |
| QNX's Watson-connected Porsche 911, hands-on (video) Posted: 19 Apr 2012 09:46 AM PDT
Remember that QNX-loaded Porsche 911 we sat down with (in?) at CES? Well, it's back and it learned a few new tricks en route to New
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| Microsoft reveals the fourth version of Windows 8: Enterprise Posted: 19 Apr 2012 09:25 AM PDT
We're sure some of you aren't as interested in the Windows 8 versions destined for workplace drudgery as you are the home editions, but admit it, the IT guy inside of you is a little curious. As detailed in an official blog post, the new unique feature in Windows 8 Enterprise is Windows To Go, which we think of as Windows on a stick. Basically it allows you to run your corporate image on a home PC or other personal devices -- the opposite of that USB disk you carry to work with portable versions of your favorite unsanctioned apps. Also new is the ability to automatically sideload internal Metro apps as well as enhancements to the virtual desktop client. Of course Windows 7 Enterprise features like DirectAccess, BranchCache and AppLocker are still there, but some features like BitLocker are now available in the Pro version of Windows 8 too. If you were thinking you might like these at home, don't forget that Enterprise is only sold with Software Assurance (Microsoft's perpetual upgrade program), but that does bring extra abilities too, like a free Virtual Desktop Access license -- you didn't think you got that for free did you -- and the optional Companion Device license that extends your VDI and Windows To Go rights to four more personal devices. Now, if it just included the ability to boot directly to the desktop, then most corporation's biggest concern with Windows 8 would be appeased. |
| Sony patent application aims to put names to faceless MMO players, organize real-world meetups Posted: 19 Apr 2012 08:57 AM PDT
Dear MMO players, Sony's getting worried about your indoor tan. Really. The electronics giant's even gone so far as to file a patent application to get you out of your parent's basement and into the great outdoors. Alright, so the move isn't altogether altruistic -- it's more of a means to a promotional end -- but from the looks of this USPTO doc, the company's outlined a method to create a program that would encourage gamers to head into the daylight for organized events where everyone knows your online name. Of course, there'd be rewards and other incentives (trophies, perhaps?) on hand to coax you out of that Snuggie and help foster a sense of community. Not to worry, though, Bunim / Murray haven't got their MTV-friendly reality cams targeted on this concept, yet. |
| Nokia head of sales resigns, department aims to reduce 'layers of management' Posted: 19 Apr 2012 08:28 AM PDT
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| Nokia Lumia 610 headed to the (Pacific) 'Ring of Fire' in coming months for €189 Posted: 19 Apr 2012 08:02 AM PDT
The Lumia 610 is a colorful thing, It's about to launch in the burning Ring of Fire. The full press release is after the break. Nokia Lumia 610 starts rolling out in Asia Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced today that the Nokia Lumia 610, its most affordable Lumia smartphone, has begun rolling out in Asia. It will go on sale first in the Philippines in the final week of April, and in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam in the following weeks. The Nokia Lumia 610 will also begin selling in other regions this quarter. The Nokia Lumia 610 is designed as the perfect introduction to Windows Phone for a younger audience. PeopleHub makes it easy to keep in touch with friends, providing instant access to social networks and bringing all mobile, email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn contacts into one place. It also makes it easier to browse the Web with Internet Explorer and to access games through Xbox Live. The Lumia 610 will also come with WiFi tethering and flip-to-silence, features that will be made available across the Lumia portfolio. Available with Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Transport and Nokia Music, people can also choose from thousands of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace to further personalize the experience. With a distinctive profile and finely beveled metallic edges, the Nokia Lumia 610 is built to convey both quality and aspiration. "The Nokia Lumia 610 will introduce Windows Phone to a new generation of smartphone users, offering something very different to the monochromatic smartphones filling shelves today," said Jo Harlow, Head of Smart Devices at Nokia. "PeopleHub, Nokia services and quality apps - coupled with a fast and friendly interface - will make for a great smartphone experience at a great price." The Nokia Lumia 610 is also a great smartphone for students who will appreciate the built-in Microsoft Office app. Word mobile, PowerPoint mobile, Excel mobile to manage documents, and OneNote mobile to capture notes, ideas, pictures and voice memos make working on the go easier. With SkyDrive, files and notes can be synchronized, and opened and edited from the PC or the phone. The Nokia Lumia 610 will be available in black, cyan, magenta and white, and will sell at an estimated retail price of EUR189 before applicable taxes and subsidies. To learn more about the Nokia Lumia 610, please visit www.nokia.com/lumia610. |
| AT&T Translator app hands-on: smashing the language barrier (video) Posted: 19 Apr 2012 07:29 AM PDT
Translation apps aren't exactly the newest or sexiest thing in the world of technology, but we've got to hand it to AT&T for whipping up a rather impressive demo. The company showed off a next-gen version of its AT&T Translator app, which may one day allow people to communicate in real time regardless of their spoken language. The app uses the carrier's new Watson Speech API, in this case via a VoIP call on a pair of iPads, to not only transcribe dialog, but translate it from English to Spanish (and vice-versa), then play it back in the target tongue using a computer generated voice. This isn't like the Google Translate app on your phone -- the translation happens in near real time, with only a slight latency as your words are fed through the system. The demo wasn't without its hitches (the room was noisy and filled with bloggers totting wireless devices), but it went more or less as planned, and our gracious hosts were able to complete a call requesting a taxi cab. One day AT&T hopes to make this a standard feature of its services, eliminating the language barrier once and for all. To see the app in action check out the video after the break. |
| AT&T opens Watson API up to developers Posted: 19 Apr 2012 07:02 AM PDT
Admit it, you don't have nearly enough opportunities to talk back to your phone. AT&T is giving you more. The company today announced that it will be offering its Watson real-time speech-to-text software to developers as APIs aimed at a number of different application types -- things like web search, question and answer apps and anything that uses AT&T's U-Verse TV services. A number of additional varieties are also in the works, including gaming and social media. Check out a cheery informational video after the break. |
| Samsung brings another eight patents to the Apple knife-fight Posted: 19 Apr 2012 07:00 AM PDT
The Mamas and the Papas used to dream about it, but California's been turned from sunny idyll into blood-spattered battleground as the global conflict 'twixt Samsung and Apple continues. Samsung's pulled out a further eight patents to rebuke Apple's Northern District court injunction that's got designs on banishing the Galaxy Nexus from our shores. Two of the patents are licensed under FRAND terms, muddying the waters even further over the contentious subject of common patent sharing. Meanwhile, both company CEOs are being made to engage in sit-down talks with the hope that Judge Lucy Koh won't make them share a dorm room at summer camp. |
| OWC's Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD is Mac bootable, strictly neutral Posted: 19 Apr 2012 06:35 AM PDT
If you've ever tried to jam a regular SSD into your Mac, then you'll know that many off-the-shelf drives feel like they're tailored and tested for, ahem, someone else. Not so with OWC's Mercury Accelsior, which claims to be the only Mac bootable and Mac supported PCIe SSD on the market. Regardless of which platform you use it with, however, the dual-SandForce card promises some neat tricks with its 24nm Toshiba Toggle NAND. Sequential read and write speeds are around 50 percent higher than what you'd get from a regular SATA III drive, with the cheapest 120GB model ($360) offering 758MB/s reads and 743MB/s writes. Random performance is notched up too, with around 100K IOPS in both directions. The 960GB version costs a coldly precise $2,096, but still -- a potential side order for when the Mac Pro line finally gets another refresh? Other World Computing today introduced the OWC Mercury Accelsior, the industry's first both Mac-bootable and PC-bootable, fully supported PCIe SSD card. By utilizing the fastest data interface available in a Mac Pro or PC-the PCIe slot-the Mercury Accelsior offers nearly 3x the performance vs. an SSD in a SATA 2.0 3Gb/s drive bay with well beyond even 6Gb/s speeds of up to 780MB/s. Now owners of PCs and Apple Mac Pros can stop waiting for I/O-intensive apps like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, or Avid Pro Tools to render, capture or process; and can experience near instantaneous booting and application launches. The Mercury Accelsior will be highlighted along with other OWC storage solutions in booth #SL14110 during the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show being held this week in Las Vegas. Fully Bootable, No Drivers Needed The OWC Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD card is AHCI compliant, so no drivers are required for a truly Plug and Play solution. Besides turning a computer into a speed demon, this high-performance SSD is bootable on PCs and is the only Mac-bootable, Mac supported PCIe SSD available. Massively boosting data transfer rates is only one of the benefits to the Mercury Accelsior. With its custom SandForce Driven Accelsior SSD blades, the Mercury Accelsior card enables Mac and PC users to enjoy a more responsive and productive computing experience along with cooler, quieter, and more energy efficient operation compared to standard hard drives. Those benefits don't come at the expense of reliability, however, as SandForce RAISE technology provides RAID-like data redundancy protection and reliability. Boosts Entry Level Server Applications and Gaming Too In addition to video-editing and multimedia creation / management deployment, the Mercury Accelsior takes entry level servers and even gaming to entirely new levels of performance. With up to 100,000 IOPS, business-critical applications like online transaction processing databases are given an instant boost. For gamers, the Mercury Accelsior's extreme performance speed dramatically reduces game level-loading, object streaming, and save times for more play time and less waiting. As easy to install as a memory module, yet robust enough to handle the rigors of professional multimedia production environments, the half-height Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD card is the clear choice for pro audio and video studios producing HD-quality work. This game-changing, high-performance upgrade is designed and built in the U.S. from domestic and imported parts and backed by a three-year warranty. Upgrade as Your Capacity Needs Grow With OWC factory configurations from 120GB (2 x 60GB) up to 960GB (2 x 480GB) and the ability to upgrade to larger Mercury Accelsior SSD blades in the future, the Mercury Accelsior is future-ready for growing capacity needs. Pricing, Availability The Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD card is available for immediate ordering in the following dual Mercury Accelsior blade SSD capacity configurations: 120GB (2 x 64GB for 128GB total flash) $399.99 A 240GB model (2 x 128GB for 256GB total flash) priced at $549.99 will be available in early May. The only Mac-bootable, Mac-supported PCIe SSD available DuraWrite for extended SSD endurance "The performance boost Mercury Accelsior offers is just staggering," said Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. "Adding well beyond 6Gb/s speeds to a Mac Pro or PC with proven OWC SSD technology completely transforms the machine's capabilities. Then, when you consider its Plug and Play, yet future-ready design to enable adoption of emerging SSD technology developments, it simply is a 'must-have' for any PCIe-equipped computer user." |
| Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models Posted: 19 Apr 2012 06:01 AM PDT
Sometimes, standard two dimensional photos, even those taken by a 41-megapixel sensor, simply aren't enough to accurately depict a three dimensional object. Enter Arqball Spin, a free app that lets anyone with an iOS device create high-quality 3D models of whatever they like. Using the iPhone's camera, the app takes a series of images and uses some software black magic to create the finished product. The model, or "spin", can be cropped and adjusted (brightness, saturation and contrast) like a regular photograph, plus users can create custom annotations to identify or comment on specific parts of the "spin" as well. Viewers can then rotate the model 360 degrees and zoom in on any part that piques their interest. While it's currently an Apple-centric affair, support for DSLRs and other hi-res cameras (by uploading videos to the company's website for processing) and other mobile platforms is in the pipeline. The app works best if the object is situated on Arqball's stage, which rotates at an optimal three RPM -- the stage isn't available yet, but the company's going the Kickstarter route to get the capital needed to start manufacturing. Those who pitch in now can grab a stage for $60, and it'll cost $20 more if you want to wait until it's on sale. Of course, the app still functions if you want to hold your iPhone or iPad and walk around your subject, but you won't get near the quality result that you can when using the stage. Because the "spins" are hosted on Arqball's servers, they can easily be embedded on any website via HTML. By making photo-realistic 3D modeling so easy and accessible, Arqball sees this technology as a perfect fit for online retailers, educators, and, ahem, even gadget reviewers. While the app holds obvious commercial appeal, the company's not counting out casual users, and hopes to see a future filled with user-created 3D content. We got to see the app in action, and walked away thoroughly impressed with both the speed of the app and the detailed models it produces -- but you don't have to take our word for it, see a sample spin and our hands-on video after the break.
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| Barobo's Mobot goes up for pre-order, slinks toward your impressionable children (video) Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:30 AM PDT
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| Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE listed as 'coming soon' on Bell Canada's site Posted: 19 Apr 2012 05:01 AM PDT
Just a couple of days ago, Canadian carrier WIND quietly outed its soon-to-be Nokia Lumia 710, and now it's Bell's turn to follow suit by teasing an upcoming device of its own. Unlike WIND, however, Bell isn't flaunting a Mango-flavored handset, but instead a Gingerbread-loaded Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE. As you may have guessed by the "LTE" stuffed in its relatively long dub, this Sammy slab will be able to surf through the Mobility network's Long Term Evolution waves. Sadly, the product page isn't showing us just how much cash you'll have to unleash, or how "soon" we can expect it to hit shelves around the True North. No worries, though, since Bell does have a signup page waiting for you to kindly place your name on it. |
| Verizon's vitals: quarterly revenue up five percent to $28 billion, earnings of $1.7 billion Posted: 19 Apr 2012 04:33 AM PDT  Verizon is remembering how to turn to subscribers into cash, reporting consolidated revenues up 4.6 percent year-over-year to $28 billion and earnings of $1.7 billion -- boosting earnings-per-share by 15 percent. By comparison, revenues were $27 billion in Q1 2011, and a mere $18 billion last quarter, which resulted in a $2 billion net loss. Big Red's performance is now as strong as ever, with subscriber numbers up five percent to 93 million, and with 47 percent of those customers using insanely profitable devices called smartphones. On the TV and broadband side side, its FiOS unit now tops five million internet customers, and added a net total of 180,000 video subscribers. And that new $30 upgrade fee hasn't even kicked in yet. April 19, 2012 – 1Q 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Consolidated 59 cents in diluted earnings per share (EPS), compared with 51 cents per share in 1Q 2011 - a 15.7 percent increase. Wireless 7.7 percent year-over-year increase in service revenues in 1Q 2012; 8.9 percent year-over-year increase in retail service revenues; highest growth rate in three years; data revenues up 21.1 percent; 28.6 percent operating income margin and 46.3 percent Segment EBITDA margin on service revenues (non-GAAP). 734,000 retail net customer additions, excluding acquisitions and adjustments, includes 501,000 retail postpaid net customer additions; continued low retail postpaid churn of 0.96 percent. 93.0 million total retail customers; 88.0 million total retail postpaid customers. Wireline 193,000 FiOS Internet and 180,000 FiOS Video net additions, with increased sales penetration for both products; net increase of 104,000 broadband connections from 4Q 2011; FiOS Internet customers now total more than 5 million. 8.1 percent year-over-year increase in consumer ARPU; 63 percent of consumer revenues generated by FiOS. 11.6 percent increase in strategic services revenues, representing 51 percent of global enterprise revenues. NEW YORK - Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today reported double-digit percentage growth in year-over-year quarterly earnings results and increased cash flow in first-quarter 2012. Verizon Wireless posted another quarter of profitable revenue growth, while Verizon's Wireline segment posted another quarter of customer and revenue gains for FiOS fiber-optic services, and increased sales of strategic business services. Verizon reported 59 cents in EPS in first-quarter 2012, an increase of 15.7 percent compared with first-quarter 2011 earnings of 51 cents per share. There were no adjustments in either period. 'On Track to Continue to Deliver Strong Results' "Verizon delivered double-digit earnings growth and strong cash flow this quarter," said Lowell McAdam, Verizon chairman and CEO. "We built momentum coming out of 2011, and our results show that we continue to execute in the key growth areas of our business. Verizon Wireless produced both great growth and great margins, and we produced another strong quarter of FiOS growth. We are confident we will improve Wireline margins for the full year. Our repositioning of Verizon Enterprise Solutions has better aligned our strengths in high-growth markets, and we expect our enterprise business to contribute even more to overall Wireline revenue growth and profitability over time." He added: "We remain confident in our ability to take advantage of the growth opportunities we see, and we are focused on driving operating efficiencies. We are on track with our plans and expect to continue to deliver strong results." Strong Cash Flows, Increased Capital Efficiency In first-quarter 2012, Verizon's total operating revenues were $28.2 billion on a consolidated basis, an increase of 4.6 percent compared with first-quarter 2011. Consolidated operating income was $5.2 billion in first-quarter 2012, compared with $4.5 billion in first-quarter 2011. Consolidated EBITDA (non-GAAP, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) totaled $9.2 billion in first-quarter 2012, compared with $8.5 billion in first-quarter 2011. Cash flow from operating activities totaled $6.0 billion in first-quarter 2012, an increase of $922 million compared with first-quarter 2011. Capital expenditures totaled $3.6 billion in first-quarter 2012, a decrease of $798 million compared with first-quarter 2011, as Verizon improved its capital-to-revenue efficiency. Free cash flow (non-GAAP, cash flow from operations less capex) was $2.4 billion in first-quarter 2012, compared with $672 million in first-quarter 2011. Verizon expects increasing free cash flow levels through 2012. Verizon Wireless Delivers Strong Financial, Operational Results In first-quarter 2012, Verizon Wireless delivered strong growth in revenues and retail customers; increased retail postpaid ARPU (average monthly service revenue per user) and smartphone penetration; and delivered a strong EBITDA margin. Wireless Financial Highlights Service revenues in the quarter totaled $15.4 billion, up 7.7 percent year over year. Retail service revenues grew 8.9 percent year over year, to $14.9 billion, an increase of 110 basis points over fourth-quarter 2011 and the highest growth rate in three years. Data revenues were $6.6 billion, up $1.1 billion - or 21.1 percent - year over year, and represent 42.9 percent of all service revenues. Total revenues were $18.3 billion, up 8.2 percent year over year. Retail postpaid ARPU grew 3.6 percent over first-quarter 2011, to $55.43. Retail postpaid data ARPU increased to $23.80, up 16.0 percent year over year. Retail service ARPU grew 3.4 percent, to $53.66. Wireless operating income margin was 28.6 percent. Segment EBITDA margin on service revenues (non-GAAP) was 46.3 percent. Wireless Operational Highlights Verizon Wireless added 734,000 retail net customers in the first quarter, including 501,000 retail postpaid net customers. These additions exclude acquisitions and adjustments. At the end of the first quarter, the company had 93.0 million retail customers, a 5.2 percent increase year over year, including 88.0 million retail postpaid customers. At the end of the first quarter, nearly 47 percent of Verizon Wireless' retail postpaid customer phone base were smartphones, up from 43.5 percent at the end of fourth-quarter 2011. Retail postpaid churn was 0.96 percent, an improvement of 5 basis points year over year. Total retail churn was 1.24 percent, an improvement of 9 basis points year over year. Verizon Wireless continued to roll out its 4G LTE mobile broadband network, the largest such network in the U.S. As of today, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service is available to more than 200 million people in 230 markets across the U.S. - more than two-thirds of the population. Verizon Wireless introduced five new 4G LTE devices in the first quarter 2012: the Droid 4 and Droid Razr Maxx by Motorola, the Spectrum and Lucid by LG, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. In addition, the Apple iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G became available from Verizon Wireless in mid-March. In first-quarter 2012 in the Wireline segment, continued strong demand for FiOS services led to revenue growth generated by U.S. consumer wireline customers and continued gains in FiOS sales penetration. Globally, continued strong sales of strategic services helped mitigate lower revenues resulting from Verizon's targeted efforts to eliminate products that do not meet the company's profitability requirements, and continued secular pressures in wholesale. Wireline Financial Highlights First-quarter 2012 operating revenues were $9.9 billion, a decline of 2.0 percent compared with first-quarter 2011. Wireline operating income margin was 1.6 percent, compared with 2.8 percent in first-quarter 2011, and Segment EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) was 22.6 percent, compared with 23.6 percent in first-quarter 2011. Consumer revenues grew 1.7 percent compared with first-quarter 2011. Consumer ARPU for wireline services was $97.88 in first-quarter 2012, up 8.1 percent compared with first-quarter 2011. ARPU for FiOS customers continued to total more than $148 in first-quarter 2012. FiOS services to consumer retail customers represented 63 percent of consumer wireline revenues in first-quarter 2012. Global enterprise revenues totaled $3.9 billion in the quarter, up 0.9 percent compared with first-quarter 2011. Sales of strategic services - including Terremark cloud services, security and IT solutions, and strategic networking - increased 11.6 percent compared with first-quarter 2011 and represented 51 percent of global enterprise revenues in first-quarter 2012. Verizon added 193,000 net new FiOS Internet connections and 180,000 net new FiOS Video connections in first-quarter 2012. Verizon had a total of 5.0 million FiOS Internet and 4.4 million FiOS Video connections at the end of the quarter. FiOS penetration (subscribers as a percentage of potential subscribers) continued to increase. FiOS Internet penetration was 36.4 percent at the end of first-quarter 2012, compared with 33.1 percent at the end of first-quarter 2011. In the same periods, FiOS Video penetration was 32.3 percent, compared with 29.1 percent. Broadband connections totaled 8.8 million at the end of first-quarter 2012, a 3.3 percent year-over-year increase. The net increase of 104,000 broadband connections from fourth-quarter 2011 was the highest quarterly net-add total since second-quarter 2009. Verizon continued to expand its next-generation 100 gigabit-per-second network, enabling several more network routes in the U.S. and two additional routes in Europe. The company also took advantage of the fully activated Europe India Gateway submarine cable system. The 15,000 kilometer high-bandwidth optical system, with a design capacity of 3.84 terabits per second, provides much needed diversity for future Internet, e-commerce, data, video and voice services from the United Kingdom to India. Verizon Enterprise Solutions, a sales and marketing organization that harnesses all of Verizon's cloud, mobility and technology solutions for business and government customers globally, unveiled strategic agreements in first-quarter 2012 to develop offerings in mobile health, electronic health records management and secure e-prescribing. The organization also announced a digital-signage solution for retail customers, powered by Verizon's 4G LTE network and infrastructure; unveiled new telematics solutions for the automotive and transportation industries; and rolled out a cross-platform open video communications capability. NOTE: See the accompanying schedules and www.verizon.com/investor for reconciliations to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for non-GAAP financial measures cited in this document. |
| Killer Wireless-N 1202 and E2200 Ethernet controller launch, aim to squash your ping times Posted: 19 Apr 2012 04:30 AM PDT
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| Intel's first smartphone coming soon: Xolo X900 gets April 24 release date Posted: 19 Apr 2012 03:29 AM PDT
Intel's first Atom smartphone is now available, and it's Lava's Xolo X900. It has managed to outpace both Lenovo's K800 and Orange's Santa Clara, arriving on the Indian carrier next Monday. When we handled the Xolo X900 in Barcelona a few months ago, the 1.6 GHz Atom Z2460 processor seemed pleasantly responsive, although we were less enamoured with the phone's middling build quality. The four-inch 1024 x 600 display is accompanied by a one-megapixel camera on the front, plus a primary 8-megapixel shooter on the back capable of burst-shot photography. Despite its plastic build, Intel's new mobile offering won't come all that cheap; the Xolo X900 by Lava is priced off-contract at around 22,000 INR ($420). At the moment, we're still waiting to hear how Orange and Lenovo will price up their own Medfield-powered offerings -- both are expected to emerge in the next few months. XOLO X900, First Smartphone with Intel Inside Launches in India Market Lava also announced its long-term partnership with Croma, a national chain of mega stores of consumer electronics and durables, for promotion and sale of the XOLO X900 The partnership between Intel and Lava was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. The XOLO X900 is based on Intel's smartphone reference design featuring the Intel® Atom™ processor Z2460 with Intel® Hyper Threading Technology and supporting HSPA+ 3G connectivity. The high-performance 1.6 GHz Atom™ processor with Hyper Threading Technology brings speed and multi-tasking performance to consumers' fingertips. The leading-edge 400 MHz graphics clock and the full 1080p HD video encoding and playback make this phone a perfect entertainment device, providing users with an immersive gaming and video experience. It also features an 8-megapixel camera delivering advanced imaging capabilities including burst mode that allows 10 pictures to be captured in under a second. The XOLO X900 is housed in a sleek design with a 4.03-inch high-resolution LCD touch screen for crisp text and vibrant images. At launch, the X900 will run on Android Gingerbread*, with a planned over-the -air software upgrade to Android's Ice Cream Sandwich* platform shortly thereafter. Intel's technology enables a high-performance user experience, all while maintaining great battery life – up to 5 hours of 3G browsing, 45 hours of audio and 8 hours of talk time1. "Through XOLO X900, we are happy to bring to the Indian market a device that addresses the needs of those for whom speed and performance matters. After our success in feature phones with over 10 million happy customers in under 3 years, XOLO will be a differentiated player in the fast-growing smartphone segment. The initial reviews of XOLO X900 have been very positive and independent benchmarks clearly point to the fact that when it comes to speed and performance, XOLO X900 is the gold standard," said Vishal Sehgal, co-founder and director, Lava International. "The first smartphone with Intel inside is now available to Indian consumers," said Mike Bell, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the Mobile and Communications Group. "The boundaries of personal computing are expanding. As we enter the India market with our first smartphone from Lava, the device not only showcases the rich capabilities and user benefits of Intel computing, but also highlights the exciting possibilities of what's still to come." Commenting on the long-term strategic partnership with Lava, Ajit Joshi, MD and CEO, Infiniti Retail Limited, said "We at Croma are extremely pleased to collaborate with Intel and Lava to get this exciting new product into the market. We always endeavor to get the latest and best products first to our consumers and this is a step in that direction. We are very optimistic about the prospects of this exciting new product." Starting 23rdApril, the XOLO X900 will be available for purchase to customers from Croma and Xolo.in, followed by availability in other retail chains, general trade and online stores from early May. |
| Nokia's Q1 2012 financials: $9 billion in sales can't stop a $1.7 billion loss Posted: 19 Apr 2012 03:05 AM PDT
Nokia's released the bundle of spreadsheets that comprise its 2012 Q1 financials, just a week after it acknowledged that it would make a loss, despite bullish sales of the new Lumia 900. The numbers reveal that the company had net sales of €7.4 billion ($9.7 billion), down from €10.4 billion ($13.6 billion) at the start of last year. Net sales are down 30 percent year-on-year, which means the company's posting a loss of €1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) for the first three months of 2012. That loss is broken down as €772 million to restructure Nokia Siemens Networks, €101 million to restructure the Devices & Services and Location & Commerce departments, principally in shedding employees and relocating its factories to Asia. It had forecasted an operating margin of three percent below "break even," and says it's likely to remain that way well into the second quarter. Stephen Elop pointed out that much of the loss is due to both increased competition and the costs of restructuring, but also seemed to tacitly confirm rumors we'd heard that UK carriers have been resistant to Nokia's new direction, saying that establishing momentum in the country has been "challenging." However, it's still promising to arrest the slump and in a statement to Moody's on Monday, the company pledged that it was prioritizing "cash conservation" exercises, although its liquid cash reserves have fallen 24% in a year, meaning that the company's only got €4.8 billion ($6.3 billion) put aside for a rainy day. |
| Spotify previews overhauled Android app Posted: 19 Apr 2012 03:00 AM PDT
We'll be the first to admit that we were a little disappointed when yesterday's "special announcement" turned into a bit of a Coca-Cola / Spotify lovefest. And while it's not the iPad app that many iOS music lovers have been clamoring for, Android users have a Spotify-related reason to rejoice this morning. The service's app is getting an overhaul for Google's mobile OS, a full redesign that includes, among other things, full support for Ice Cream Sandwich. Also on the Android docket are new navigation, added social features and hi-res artwork. The app is currently available as a preview. Spotify's promising even more features -- like Last.fm scrobbling -- before it hits the Google Play store. No word yet on exactly when that might be. Update: You can now give the preview a run for yourself, provided you're on Spotify Premium. Hit up the source link for the download. |
| Barclays releases PayTag: the NFC card you glue to your phone (video) Posted: 19 Apr 2012 02:35 AM PDT
If you don't have a fancy NFC-enabled phone then it's hard to join the mobile wallet club. Fortunately, Barclays has introduced the PayTag that turns any phone into a contactless card. It's a square of plastic a quarter the size of a credit card that's sticky on one side -- yup, you just jam it on the back of your phone and hey presto, you can buy sandwiches, or any purchase up to £15 (£20 from June), without opening your wallet. The sticky squares will be rolling out exclusively to British Barclaycard customers over the next few months, although we're not sure what it'll do to the trade-in value of your handset. Barclaycard today announced the launch of Barclaycard PayTag, a new way to pay with your mobile telephone Barclaycard today announced the launch of Barclaycard PayTag, a new way to pay with your mobile telephone. Millions of Barclaycard customers will be offered the chance to make payments with any mobile phone by simply sticking a Barclaycard PayTag to the back of their handset. Available at no cost, and exclusively to Barclaycard Visa cardholders, Barclaycard PayTag is an extension of a customer's credit card account. At a third of the size of a normal card, it can be discreetly and simply stuck to the back of any mobile phone. Once attached, it can be used to make payments of £15 and under, rising to £20 in June, by simply being held over a contactless payment terminal. David Chan, CEO of Barclaycard Consumer Europe, said: "Today, we are offering the choice of mobile payments to millions of our customers at no additional cost to them. More than half of us say that the item we're most lost without is our mobile phone[1], so we're giving people the option of using them to make easy, convenient, everyday payments without the need to upgrade their current handset." The announcement comes as Visa predicts that the number of contactless point-of-sale terminals in the UK will rise by 50% to 150,000 this year. Major retailers that offer, or are introducing, contactless include Waitrose, McDonalds, Boots, WH Smith and Tesco. By the end of 2012, London buses will also accept contactless payments, followed by the Tube and the rest of the transport network in the Capital in 2013. Barclaycard PayTag is safe and secure, and comes with the same 100% fraud protection as any Barclaycard. An exclusive group of customers will be invited to receive their Barclaycard PayTag in the coming weeks, before they are offered to millions of Barclaycard customers later in the year. David Chan, adds: "Barclaycard is developing a wide range of initiatives which will ultimately enable everyone to enjoy the benefits of mobile payments. Barclaycard PayTag is another milestone on our journey to make paying easier, and sits alongside other easy ways to pay with your mobile such as those we offer in partnership with Orange." Last week Barclaycard and Orange announced that credit or debit card holders from all UK banks would be able to load money onto Barclaycard's mobile payments application, in the Quick Tap wallet. This will open up the opportunity for contactless payments to more Orange customers. Orange also confirmed that it would be making Quick Tap available on a range of Android smartphones, with the first to be announced in the coming weeks. Research carried out on Barclaycard's behalf predicts that £3 billion worth of purchases will be made with mobile phones in the UK in 2016[2]. Barclaycard PayTag provides customers with the choice of simple mobile phone payments now, without having to wait to upgrade, and at no additional cost. To find out more and to register interest in Barclaycard PayTag, please visit barclaycard.co.uk/paytag. |
| Toshiba pushes AT270 Tegra 3 tablet through the FCC, gets Excited Posted: 19 Apr 2012 02:01 AM PDT
If a pair of hands-on treatments and an official press release somehow aren't enough to convince you that Toshiba's 7.7-inch slate is ramping up to a public debut, take it from the government: the Excite 7.7 just hit the FCC. This thin (0.3-inch) Tegra 3 tablet sauntered through CES without so much as a model number, eventually picking up the name AT270 at Mobile World Congress and finally snagging itself a spot in Toshiba's Excite series earlier this month. Its siblings are making their way through the FCC as well, offering 10 and 13-inch variations on the $500 slab. Salivating? Keep your mouth closed, this little number doesn't hit stores until June 10th. Of course, if Federal documents can satiate your appetite, satisfaction is but a source link away. |
| Alienware's M11x is no more, bigger is apparently better Posted: 19 Apr 2012 01:02 AM PDT
While Alienware's revealed a trio of updated machines for its gaming laptop range, one device, the M11x, was conspicuously absent. Yes, the 11-inch gaming midget won't be getting the same attention and will be "phased out", according to Alienware at a recent press event. While the device was critically well-received when it launched, gamers were now apparently looking for greater keyboard space and a larger screen in their mobile gaming purchases -- and this went for battery-life too. Those looking for a small form-factor in their mobile gaming rig will have to step up to the hulking 14-inch M14x. Hey, don't get too upset -- at least there's now an optical drive option. |
| Alienware refreshes M14x, M17x and M18x with new graphics, same old processors Posted: 19 Apr 2012 01:00 AM PDT
Sure, they may look the same, but Alienware's decided to give what's going on inside its glowing gaming laptops a thorough refresh. Starting with graphics support, the 2012 update of the M14x, M17x and M18x will all be able to handle NVIDIA's 600 series graphics with GDRR5 memory, bolstered by support for the new PCI Express 3.0 -- which Alienware reckons will give double the bandwidth seen on version 2.0. Memory has been given a kick with 1600MHz dual channel memory now the base standard on all three customizable machines, starting at 6GB, up from 4GB in the older models. Capacity for the smaller M14x is locked down at 16GB of RAM, while the large M17x and M18x will be able to utilize up to 32GB. Additionally, these freshened-up models will pack Intel Core i7 processors -- but it's the Sandy Bridge kind. While an Ivy Bridge version is logically the next step, it looks like we'll have to wait for Intel to let its new hardware out to play before we see it in these gaming laptops. On the storage side, Alienware's keen to trumpet new support for mSATA technology, with the new storage medium capable of acting as either a boot drive to optimize Windows or as a caching drive for improved gaming performance -- we reckon the latter sounds like more fun. In fact, with the options of standard SSD, mSATA and more pedestrian storage drives, there's up to 23 different HDD options on the M18x alone. Customization-wise, the M14x also gets the new option of a built-in Blu-ray drive. Audio hasn't been ignored either, with Creative's new Sound Blaster Recon3Di High-Definition hardware folded into each of the laptops, with the same built-in speakers that got the Klipsch seal of approval last time around. Overall, it looks like there should be plenty to chew over in benchmark comparisons between the 2012 update and the models it replaces. Still, we can't shake the feeling that Alienware must be at least planning to upgrade its laptops elsewhere -- perhaps its worth waiting a little bit longer. |
| PlayStation Suite's 'open beta' SDK available to download now Posted: 19 Apr 2012 12:52 AM PDT
As promised last month, Sony has launched its PlayStation Suite SDK on open beta. Machinations have continued since November behind closed beta doors, but the free SDK is now available for anyone to download. Developers will be able to make content accessible for all PlayStation-certified devices, from the PS Vita to Sony's batch of Android phones and tablets. The official version is still pegged for launch later in 2012 and will demand an annual subscription for access. During the open beta, users can create games that use both physical buttons and touchscreen input with a PC-based simulator, test and debug those creations on willing Sony devices and debate away in the dedicated developer forum. Those with lofty game-making dreams for the PlayStation Suite can download the open beta at the source link below, but expect to sign a new contract when the full SDK goes official. SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INITIATES OPEN BETA OF Tokyo, April 19, 2012– Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that the open beta of Developer Program for PlayStation®Suite (PS Suite) is available to the public starting today. The PS Suite initiative delivers the world of PlayStation® to open operating system based portable devices. With the aim of offering a more streamlined development environment for creating content for portable devices, Developer Program for PS Suite provides developers with an early version of PlayStation®Suite SDK (PS Suite SDK) *1 before the official launch later this year. Developers are also able to receive technical support from SCE through the developers forum where developers can exchange useful information *2. Starting today, SCE will release the open beta version of PS Suite SDK (free of charge) through Developer Program for PS Suite (Open Beta). With the open beta version of PS Suite SDK, developers can conduct performance verification of their content on PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) in addition to PS Certified devices. The open beta version of PS Suite SDK incorporates a 2D graphics game engine and 2D physical engine, as well as a variety of content samples which utilize these libraries, in order to help developers create content that is optimized for portable devices. (Please refer to the special site link for more information) http://www.playstation.com/pss/ In close collaboration with its business partners, SCE will further accelerate the expansion of PlayStation™Certified (PS Certified)*3 devices. SCE will also release the official version of PS Suite SDK along with the official launch of Developer Program for PlayStation®Suite later this year. The official development program will allow developers to distribute their content through PlayStation®Store*4 on a commercial basis, after completing the license agreement with SCE ($99 US annually) *5. SCE will further expand the PlayStation® entertainment experience on an open operating system, through PS Suite, in the fast evolving mobile market. *1 A set of development tools and software libraries for PS Suite. *2 Developers need to sign in with a Sony Entertainment Network（SEN）account to post comments in the developers forum or conduct performance verification on PS Vita. *3 The license program to expand PS Suite, dedicated for portable hardware manufacturers. SCE will not only license logos but also provide necessary development support. As of April 19, 2012, the line-up of PlayStation™Certified devices include Xperia™ arc, Xperia™ acro,Xperia™ PLAY, Xperia™ acro HD, Xperia™ S, Xperia™ ion from Sony Mobile Communications AB, and "Sony Tablet" S and "Sony Tablet" P from Sony Corporation. Model name may vary by region. Sales area may vary by model. *4 Users can download vast digital content including games through PlayStation Store for PS3, PSP, PS Vita and PS Certified devices. *5 The license fee differs by countries or regions. The phased rollout of target countries or region will be announced later when ready. After closing the license agreement, developers are able to use PS Suite SDK and conduct verification on PS Certified devices and PS Vita to distribute their content on PS Store. PS Suite SDK itself is available free of charge. About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes, develops and markets the PlayStation®2 (PS2®) computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system and the PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system. SCEI has revolutionized home entertainment since they launched PlayStation in 1994. PS2® further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP® is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games with high-quality full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3® is an advanced computer system, incorporating the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. PS Vita is an ultimate portable entertainment system that offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. SCEI also delivers the PlayStation® experience to open operating systems through PlayStation®Suite, a cross platform and cross device initiative. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI, along with its affiliated companies, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC., and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and its division companies, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and Sony Computer Entertainment Asia develops, publishes, markets and distributes hardware and software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide.
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| YouTube wants more videos to have background music, adds audio editor Posted: 19 Apr 2012 12:33 AM PDT
Need something to fill in the awkward silence between your vlog's unscripted stuttering? YouTube's got your back. In yet another attempt to make your crummy videos just a little better, the streaming outfit has revamped its audio editing suite, giving users access to over 150,000 tracks and a simple sound mixer, to boot. Sure, YouTube's tracks may not be as catchy as your favorite Flaming Lips single, but at least you won't have to worry about copyright infringement. Check out YouTube's quick demo of the feature after the break. |
| Samsung adds 20.3-megapixel NX20, NX210 and NX1000 to mirrorless cam lineup (update: now with video) Posted: 19 Apr 2012 12:00 AM PDT
You probably know Samsung best as the mobile tech giant that it's exploded to become. The Korean company has also unleashed a blockbuster television or two in the past few years, along with some of the most gorgeous tablets to come out of the Far East. One area where Samsung has yet to dominate is the digital camera market, however -- the company pumps out some pretty innovative imagers, that for one reason or another haven't caught on like their Japanese counterparts, including those from the likes of Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony. Sure, Samsung's point-and-shoots could be labeled as gimmicky under-performers, despite their success in Asia, but its mirrorless cameras have been established as viable competitors in the fast-growing ILC market -- from a performance perspective, at least. What the firm really needs to gain share is a killer model with an incredibly competitive price -- an entry-level cam that comes in at, say, $499 with a decent kit lens. Sadly, there's no sub-$500 ILC in this latest bunch, with the NX20 priced at $1,100 and the NX210 set to retail for $900. The NX1000 has yet to get a price tag, though based on those first two flavors, we wouldn't be surprised to see it hit stores with a $700 sticker. There's more to these cameras than price -- well, there is and there isn't, depending on your needs -- but in a market with offerings as solid as the $600 Sony NEX-C3 and $1,100 Olympus E-M5, what Samsung really needs is a product that drops jaws not because of its high megapixel rating, but rather its very low price tag. The company has built a solid portfolio for 2012 -- all three NX cameras include the same 20.3-megapixel Samsung-manufactured APS-C CMOS sensor with an ISO range up to 12,800, 1080/30p video, an 8fps full-res burst mode, integrated WiFi and a 3-inch display, though body size, user interface and other features will differ. Join us past the break for a closer look at each camera. (Update: Courtesy of our sister site Engadget Chinese, we've added some hands-on videos.)
NX20 NX210
NX1000 Update: We've now had a quick play with the NX1000 and our primary impression is that it's light -- just 360 grams, which really isn't bad when you consider the full-grown APS-C sensor lounging inside. Samsung claims it's the most "portable" compact ILC on the market and we're not feeling argumentative. Alas, still no price. Capture, connect and share with a Samsung SMART CAMERA Share life in perfect detail with the NX1000, NX20 and NX210 - the world's first SMART compact system cameras with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity BEIJING, China – April 19, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies is breaking new ground with its award-winning NX series with three new compact system cameras (CSC) that pioneer built-in Wi-Fi connectivity: the NX1000, NX210 and NX20. Now professional quality images can be easily captured, shared and stored straight from your camera - wherever you are in the world. Introducing the NX1000, NX210 and NX20 The innovative additions to Samsung's NX range represent the future in CSC technology: SMART cameras with in-built Wi-Fi technology that allow users to connect to wireless networks without any additional cards or devices. Full Wi-Fi connectivity is complemented by an impressive range of features, continuing the heritage of innovation that the NX series has been consistently recognized for since the launch of the NX10 in 2010. As standard, all three NX models feature a 20.3 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, developed in-house by Samsung to give high quality images in rich color and detail. They are also fully compatible with the NX series' unique i-Function system, enabling users to control parameters using the lens itself, adjusting the image without ever having to move off target. With Samsung's range of nine lenses and professional standard accessories, the NX eco-system ensures that all imaging ambitions can be realised, whatever the user's photographic speciality or interest. Enhancing Samsung's 2012 SMART CAMERA ecosystem, these latest additions to the NX range have been designed to satisfy the ambitions of users of all abilities, whether an experienced professional or someone just looking to trade-up from their point-and-shoot. The NX1000 is highly portable and its eye-catching compact design makes it as useable as it is attractive. Available in stunning White, classic Black or eye-catching Pink it houses a feature-rich range of specs, with technology such as Smart Auto 2.0 and the Smart Link Hot Key, making it simpler than ever to shoot and share great images instantly. The NX210 follows the NX's design heritage, with a premium metallic finish. Like its predecessor the NX200, the NX210 also offers a 3.0" AMOLED display for viewing images and Full HD movies in brilliant resolution. With easy access to Wi-Fi functions, the NX210 allows quick sharing with friends and family, whilst with Samsung Mobile Link users can show off their best images on phones and tablets, or on the big screen with TV Link connecting the NX210 wirelessly to internet-enabled TVs. The NX20 is the perfect match for enthusiast amateur or professional photographers looking for a highly portable camera that gives the professional look and feel of a DSLR but at a fraction of the size and weight, with the addition of an ergonomic grip to fit comfortably into the hand. Delivering impressive speed with its 1/8000s Fast Shutter, breath-taking images are shown on its clear 3.0" clear AMOLED swivel display, increasing visibility by approximately 20%. The NX20 also incorporates a range of functions and manual controls in order to deliver pro-standard pictures every time, including SVGA EVF so users can frame images like a professional. In-Built Wi-Fi for simple sharing and saving With Samsung's latest SMART features, users can share pictures at the touch of a button, uploading to social networks including Facebook and Picasa, or emailing them to friends and family – all straight from their new NX camera. The cameras also offer further options for capturing and displaying images via other devices, including the ability to link to a Samsung smartphone and use as a remote viewfinder, and - with the Samsung Mobile Link function - to display images on devices such as tablets or internet-enabled TV. Creative control at the touch of a button Pictures shared on the spur of the moment are no longer restricted to simply shooting and sending - with the creative features of the new NX cameras, Facebook pictures can be artistic without ever going near a computer. The ten Smart Filters and added Selective Color function, for example, mean that users can adjust the look and feel of shots as they take them. In addition, all three cameras also feature Panorama and 3D Panorama, allowing the whole story to be told in one complete picture. With the Smart Panel featured on all the new models, settings and features can be easily accessed and applied, making creative photography easier than ever. Mr. Myoung Sup Han, Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics, commented: "The three new additions to the NX range mark an evolution in Samsung's SMART CAMERA offering, demonstrating our understanding that digital imaging is about sharing the best moments with family and friends, and not only about taking great pictures. Samsung is paving the way, introducing the world's first SMART Compact-System-Cameras for professional standard images that are worth sharing." "With the inclusion of in-built Wi-Fi connectivity, our customers can now share pictures and videos straight from their NX camera. More importantly, however, the NX camera's wireless connectivity does not mean sacrificing fantastic image quality – you can now have the best of both at your fingertips. This dedication to innovation will make Samsung a leader in the SMART CAMERA market." |
| HTC's J ISW13HT WiMAX smartphone slips out for KDDI, quickly takes cover Posted: 18 Apr 2012 11:31 PM PDT
Ooh, what do we have here? Japanese site Sumahon!! (a play on the word for "smartphone" in good, old Nihon) reports that HTC posted details about a new WiMAX-capable phone for KDDI to join the carrier's WiMAX Samsung Galaxy S II -- the HTC J ISW13HT. The company apparently jumped the gun, though, as the page has since been unceremoniously pulled -- but not before the aforementioned site grabbed some screenshots. According to the tale of the tape, er, phone, from the site, the ISW13HT rocks Android 4.0 with a coating of Sense 4.0, a Snapdragon S4 chip, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage plus a microSD slot. One screen grab also states that the phone has a 4.3-inch qHD display. Sizewise, the handset is 66mm wide, 132mm tall and 10mm thick. Weight is listed at about 142 grams. A visit to the official ISW13HT page reveals a "page not found error" but that likely won't be the case for long -- that "Spring 2012" grab probably wasn't created for kicks. |
| New water-resistant coating protects your phone, the planet (video) Posted: 18 Apr 2012 11:03 PM PDT
Water, the life-long foe of all things electrical. Protecting our digital finery from its evil infiltration is a task many have undertaken, and the latest battalion to join the foray is Daikin Industries. The chemical company is developing a water-resistant coating that could save many devices from a watery grave. We've seen similar ideas before, but Daikin's promises to have good eco-credentials thanks to its low toxicity. Formed by dissolving a fluoropolymer in fluorinated solvent, the coating takes just a minute to dry and is extremely thin -- between 0.1 and 1 microns. The coating isn't designed for full waterproofing, but rather to raise the base level resistance to liquid attacks. Most interestingly of all, it can also be applied to porous and meshed surfaces, such as mouthpiece grills. It's hoped to be commercially available from December this year, so you'll have to try to avoid any little accidents until then.
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| Droid 4 gets first official update, better battery life and sluggishness fixes in tow Posted: 18 Apr 2012 10:33 PM PDT
A promised upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich this is not, but who are we to scoff at fresh software that improves battery life? Per Droid-Life that's exactly what Motorola has in store for the Droid 4 with its first official update -- née 6.13.219. Hitting the airwaves in the coming week, there's more than just longevity tweaks, with a new MotoCast widget, improved WiFi connectivity and fixes pertaining to "sluggishness and blank screen lockups." Time will tell if that'll tide you over until Motorola unleashes Google's latest, but until then, placate yourself by reading more at the source link below. |
| Sony SmartWatch torn down and dissected, wishes it were a Pebble Posted: 18 Apr 2012 10:09 PM PDT
Wondering how the innards of Sony's SmartWatch compared to the Motorola's MotoACTV? Wonder no more. One cmw has dissected the aforesaid timepiece, noting that most of what's inside doesn't live up to the superior hardware found in Moto's unit. Aside from finding a 110mAh battery (compared to 258mAh in the MotoACTV), there's also a Micrium uC/OS-II. For those just here for the eye candy, there's a bit of that down in the source link, too. When asked for comment, Pebble simply quipped: "Everyday I'm Shufflin'." [Thanks, John] |
| Londoners mourn as teletext goes dark, a victim of the DTV transition Posted: 18 Apr 2012 09:42 PM PDT
Despite the many advantages of digital broadcast television, the transition is separating Europeans from a reliable source of information known as teletext. Citizens of London are the latest to experience the loss, as analog signals in the region were switched off just yesterday. Ceefax, a service of the BBC, has provided millions of Britons with news, sports, weather, television listings, subtitles and games for the past 38 years, and is now accessible only in Kent, Sussex, north-east England and Northern Ireland. Soon, it may cease to exist altogether. Seen as a precursor to the internet, teletext is a free service that's heavily rooted in analog PAL signals, where small packets of data are sent in the vertical blanking interval, which is otherwise unnoticed by viewers. Because the information is broadcast, users were never subject to network congestion, and only needed to wait a brief moment for their desired page to be transmitted -- more advanced televisions even cached this information locally. As part of the airwaves, the service is naturally free, and in that sense, it lacks a suitable replacement. As with all progress, however, there are casualties, and teletext was an unfortunate bystander. Those who cherished the service can take a moment to relive the memories in the links below. |
| Kodak Gallery iOS app: now with 100 percent more physical printing at Target / CVS Posted: 18 Apr 2012 09:22 PM PDT
It's not quite as earth-shattering as Zuck's deal to snap up Instagram, but one of the pioneers of photography is making waves any way it can. Kodak Gallery has been available on the App Store since November of last year, but starting this week, users will be able to order photos right on their iPhone for pickup at participating Target and CVS locations in America. Kodak claims that the time between order and pickup is usually around an hour, with all prints (available in 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 sizes) arriving on Kodak photo-quality paper. Pricing, as you'd expect, will vary by store, and more deets can be spotted in the release after the break. KODAK Gallery Becomes the First Major Online Photo Company to Monetize Mobile Photo Sharing KODAK Gallery is the only leading photo service to enable mobile consumers to order prints from their iPhone EMERYVILLE, CA, April 19, 2012- KODAK Gallery (www.kodakgallery.com), the only online photo service uniquely designed for celebrating KODAK MOMENTS together, announced today that consumers can use the KODAK Gallery app for iPhone to conveniently order KODAK-quality prints for same day pickup at Target and CVS stores nationwide. "Mobile consumers want the convenience of ordering prints from their phones and they want them right away – we know this because they've been demanding it from us," said Mark Cook, Vice President of Social and Mobile Products for KODAK Gallery. "Whether you're browsing your vacation photos while waiting for your flight home, checking your phone during lunch, or relaxing on your couch – being able to use a mobile app to quickly order prints and pick them up at a Target or CVS store, is the ultimate convenience for the 'need it now' mobile consumer. With this new release, a group of friends can attend a party together, pool all the photos they take on their phones real-time into a shared Group Album, then pick up prints or enlargements of their favorite shots on their way home." The print to store capability is now available at more than 1,200 Target and more than 6,500 CVS locations throughout the US. How it Works By using the KODAK Gallery app for the iPhone, shoppers can choose their photos and pick them up at any participating Target or CVS store, in about one hour (timing may vary). Customers can choose their premium glossy prints in three size options: 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10. The photos, printed on KODAK quality paper, can be picked up and paid for at the photo counter at participating stores (pricing is set by the individual retail stores and may vary by chain and location). The Mobile Photo Leader "It's clear with the Instagram acquisition that mobile photo apps are critical to the future on any consumer Internet service," said Victor Cho, General Manager of KODAK Gallery, Eastman Kodak Company. "In the photo business, the winner will not be the player with the best web experience, but the one with the best mobile experience. KODAK Gallery continues to demonstrate its leadership here and --unlike Instagram --we have a directly connected and established photo-product revenue stream such photo books, photo cards, photo gifts and prints." The KODAK Gallery app is one of the highest-rated and most popular photo apps, ranking in the top 20 free photo apps in the Apple App Store and in the top five in the Amazon Appstore. More than one million photos are uploaded every week using the KODAK Gallery app-and that number continues to grow. KODAK Gallery recently announced that ANDROID users can use the app to share a single photo or album to a Pinterest board. Pinterest is now the second most popular way people share photos – more than twice as popular as Facebook – on ANDROID. |
| Nikon adds D3200 to its DSLR range, we go hands-on! (video) Posted: 18 Apr 2012 09:01 PM PDT
Nikon's recent cashback promo gave us a twinge that new consumer models might be around the corner, but as of today there's just the one: the almost entry-level D3200, which Nikon hopes will complement the cheaper D3100 without supplanting it. The price gap between these two low-end DSLRs is significant -- around $150 based on current D3100 prices, with the black D3200 and regular 18-55mm kit lens expected to hit shelves at the end of April for $700. What does that extra outlay get you? Quite a lot, actually: a hefty resolution upgrade to 24-megapixels with an Expeed 3 processing engine, versus 14-megapixels mustered by D3100; an extra ISO notch of 6400, providing more flexibility in low-light situations; and also a much higher-res LCD display for cleaner live-viewing and playback, with around four times as many pixels as the D3100's grainy window. Read on for some initial impressions and a hands-on video, and you'll see that there are a couple of subtler selling points too.
Nikon makes a really big deal out of Guide Mode, which has been expanded on the D3200 to offer even more tuition to DSLR newcomers. It might sound gimmicky, but actually the interface is well intentioned: you twist the mode wheel to Guide and the camera asks if you want a desired effect, such as a blurred background in a portrait, or more red in a sunset, and then it efficiently guides you through the steps needed to make it happen -- in this case, opening up the aperture or shifting the white balance respectively. Of course, if you actually digest what Guide Mode tells you, or if you simply read up on the basics of photography online, then this feature will quickly become irrelevant, so it probably shouldn't be regarded as a determining factor in any buying decision, even if it is a nice thing for newcomers to have. In terms of the hardware itself, it's outwardly very much like the D3100, and that's a good thing: the camera feels equally well built, well laid out (especially if you like your Nikons, which we do), small and lightweight. In another sense these similarities are also bad, because they leave you with a tough buying decision. Are the better resolution, image processing, LCD and ISO worth the money? Alas, we can't make that call without seeing actual images from the D3200, and Nikon won't let us do that without final hardware. In the meantime, however, there's one other factor to consider: the $60 WU-1A WiFi dongle that will let you beam your photos straight to your Android smartphone or tablet, and later in the year to your iOS device too. We weren't able to try out the device, but we do know that it's meant to do more than just file transfer, also allowing you to use your Android device as a remote viewer and shutter release. And yes, if that functionality appeals, then the D3200 is currently your only option within the Nikon range. Your decision after that will be whether to go for traditional black or funky red. Hmmm... SIMPLY STUNNING: THE NEW NIKON D3200 IS THE SIMPLE WAY TO CHRONICLE MEMORIES WITH SUPERIOR IMAGE AND HD VIDEO QUALITY The Nikon D3200 Provides New D-SLR Shooters a Powerful Combination of Effortless Operation, 24.2- Megapixel High Resolution and Wireless Connectivity to Mobile Devices MELVILLE, N.Y. (APRIL 19, 2012) – Today, imaging leader Nikon Inc. introduced the new 24.2-megapixel Nikon D3200 HD-SLR; a camera designed for photo enthusiasts ready to step up to a D-SLR or for the busy family memory keeper with an active lifestyle who demands a camera that can keep pace. From low-light to fast action, the D3200 delivers the amazing image quality Nikon is known for, either indoors or outside. Whether new to photography or upgrading from a point-and-shoot, the D3200 features Nikon's acclaimed instructive Guide Mode to help unleash the photographer in everyone. From candid action shots to staged portraits that flatter, the Nikon D3200 provides the power to capture every moment easily and beautifully with stellar image quality and in stunning Full HD (1080p) video. Ready to tag along for any outing, the Nikon D3200's compact, lightweight body makes it easy to pack for a quick day trip or the long haul. A host of advanced features, including a super high resolution 24.2- megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor, Full HD (1080p) video recording with full time autofocus (AF) and 4 frames-per-second (fps) high-speed continuous shooting mode, prepare the D3200 for challenging lighting conditions and fast paced action. Also, Nikon D3200 users will be able to take advantage of the new WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter. When connected to the camera, this optional adapter can wirelessly send images to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, preview an image before shooting and control the camera remotely. "When every moment is as precious as the next one, having a camera that takes the guesswork out of photography is important," said Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing, Nikon Inc. "The Nikon D3200 HD-SLR offers effortless functionality and easy-to-use connectivity to mobile devices that answers the call for a capable, entry-level D-SLR that will change how you share amazing images with your friends and family." Stunning Images to Last a Lifetime The new Nikon D3200 delivers outstanding image quality no matter the user's skill level by leveraging Nikon's renowned technologies. The new 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor allows for incredibly sharp images with stunning detail and less noise, while Nikon's EXPEED 3TM image processing engine helps to create clear, lifelike images and video with vivid colors, smooth tonal gradations and low noise.The Nikon D3200 grants users impressive performance in low-light, affording the ability to shoot with assurance even during night games and school plays. With a native ISO range that extends from ISO 100 to 6400, the D3200 can also be expanded to a high of ISO 12,800 for extreme low-light situations resulting in previously impossible photos. Additionally, Nikon's Scene Recognition System works in tandem with the camera's 3D Color Matrix Metering II to recognize factors such as color and brightness for balanced exposures, accurate AF, faithful white balance and beautiful flash photos. Effortless Operation Beautiful Home Movies in Full HD When images alone can't tell the whole story, the Nikon D3200 offers the full HD experience of high quality 1080p video. Users can create memorable, cinematic quality videos at 24 or 30 fps and easily share HD content online with friends and family or on their own HDTV via the HDMI output. Capturing videos on the D3200 is simple, even when in Live View. With a dedicated video record button and easy access to the Live View switch, users can capture video clips before the moment is gone. Additionally, videos play with astonishing detail and clarity on the D3200's 3-inch, high resolution 921,000-dot LCD screen. A Camera to Keep Pace with an Energetic Existence An active lifestyle requires a capable camera that is ready at a moment's notice, and the Nikon D3200 packs powerful technology to tackle just about any challenge. Delivering up to 4 fps in high-speed continuous shooting mode, the D3200 helps ensure that important, spontaneous and easy-to-miss memories are captured, from a baby's first smile to a game winning grand slam. Additionally, the The Nikon D3200's power is amplified when combined with the versatility of Nikon's legendary NIKKOR optics and powerful accessories. Compatible with Nikon's dedicated DX-format lenses and over 50 FX- format lenses as well as Nikon's Speedlight System, the Nikon D3200 puts creativity at the user's fingertips. The optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter for the D3200 allows the connected user to easily share photos taken on the D3200 to an AndroidTM platform based smartphone or tablet, so friends and family can enjoy the moment almost as quickly as it happens.1 Android platform users are able to wirelessly transfer images from the camera to a mobile device, preview the image before shooting photos, and even remotely control the camera from up to 49 feet. The Application for use with an Android platform smartphone (2.3 series) and tablet (3.x series) is expected for release in May 2012.2 Additionally, an Application for the iPhone® and iPad® mobile digital device is expected for release in Fall 2012.3 Price and Availability The Nikon D3200 outfit with the versatile AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR image stabilization lens will be available in late April 2012 for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $699.95* in either Black or Red. The optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter, sold separately, will be available in late May 2012 for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $59.95*. For more information on the Nikon D3200, NIKKOR lenses, additional Nikon D-SLR cameras and accessories, please visit www.nikonusa.com. |
| Apple offering free Snow Leopard update to MobileMe holdouts Posted: 18 Apr 2012 08:49 PM PDT
Mama had it right -- procrastination is bad -- but mama never knew Apple. For Leopard users still clinging tightly to their MobileMe account, it looks like the path to iCloud just got a wee bit cheaper. Qualifying MobileMe holdouts are reportedly receiving email notifications that point them to a special portal; behind a registration form, folks are finding a free copy of OS X 10.6 (on DVD, no less). The goal here is to get customers to make yet another jump to Lion (an extra $29), but the idea of keeping most of that cloud functionality via iCloud is certainly enticing. As MacNN so accurately points out, it's odd that Apple's not including the $69 USB drive version of Lion, which contains the ability to boost even Leopard users to OS X 10.7. If you're one that generally skips out on reading those automated Apple emails, you might want to make an exception for this one. |
| Hauppauge announces StreamEez to broadcast live HD video Posted: 18 Apr 2012 08:35 PM PDT
Hauppauge, not satisfied with only bringing DVR-like functions to the Broadway this week -- has unleashed a new box called the StreamEez that links your HD video camera to your computer for live broadcasts. HDMI or component video hook it up on the cam side, USB on the computer side. It uses H.264 video compression and is compatible with sites like USTREAM that require the RTMP protocol. The box plus Windows software starts at $299. Everything but the price probably sounds pretty familiar since the incredibly similar Livestream Broadcaster is also just about on the scene, though, it'll run you about $195 more. Take a gander at the PR after the break. StreamEez is an Affordable, Simple to Use, Easy to Install High Definition Video Streamer Box That Enables Any Organization to Broadcast Live LAS VEGAS, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hauppauge Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAUP) has announced the release of StreamEez™, a high definition video streamer designed for organizations that want a simple to use, high quality video streamer to broadcast live events over the Internet. StreamEez was designed to serve as a powerful tool for any organization with live streaming needs; typical applications could include live streaming over the Internet for organizations sponsoring political events such as town hall meetings, church groups wanting to broadcast religious services and other groups that need a high quality live streaming solution. The StreamEez box connects to an HD video camera using either HDMI or Component Video, compresses the camera's video using a built-in high quality H.264 encoder into a form that is compatible with many common streaming video sites such as USTREAM and Justin.tv. StreamEez then connects to a laptop computer (that is equipped with the Hauppauge StreamEez control application) via USB, making a connection to the streaming Internet website for live broadcast. StreamEez is based on the same high quality video encoders that were developed for Hauppauge's popular line of HD video recorders, Colossus and HD PVR. StreamEez requires a small laptop computer to act as the video server, an HD video camera that has HDMI or Component Video output, the SteamEez device plus an Internet connection and an account with a streaming video site. All encoding and formatting of the high definition video signal is done inside StreamEez, making the video transmission the highest quality possible. Since most organizations streaming live events store the video equipment between broadcasts, StreamEez is designed to make set up and removal fast and easy. The StreamEez device is in a rugged housing and connects to the laptop PC via a USB cable. And because it is based on well proven hardware encoding technology, the best possible video stream is created with minimal bit rates, which delivers a superior end-user experience. StreamEez is compatible with several popular video streaming sites and uses standard protocols such as RTMP. Pricing on the StreamEez box and Windows-based application software starts at $299. About Hauppauge Hauppauge Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAUP) is a leading developer and manufacturer of digital TV and data broadcast receiver products. Through its Hauppauge Computer Works, Inc., PCTV Systems Sarl and Hauppauge Digital Europe subsidiaries, the company designs and develops digital video boards for TV-in-a-window, digital video editing and video conferencing. The Company is headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, with R&D offices in New York, Braunschweig, Germany and Taipei, administrative offices in New York, Singapore, Taiwan, Ireland and Luxembourg, and sales offices in Germany, London, Paris, The Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Singapore and California. The Company's Internet web site can be found at http://www.hauppauge.com. Hauppauge and WinTV are registered trademarks of Hauppauge Computer Works, Inc. Other product or service names herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE Hauppauge Digital, Inc. |
| Interphase's Penvue interactive display system highlights its strengths (video) Posted: 18 Apr 2012 08:06 PM PDT
If you've ever been on the receiving end of "death by PowerPoint," you'll know just how tiresome a passive presentation can be. Interphase hopes its new Penvue (pronounced Pen-View) portable interactive display system can maybe help spice things up a little. The hand-held unit is about the size of a mouse, and has a corresponding wireless receiver that plugs into anything with a VGA connection. Using "invisible targets" based on missile technology, you can digitally draw on whatever screen you are using it with, altering pen color and thickness as you go. You can also flip it into mouse-mode for regular navigation, aided along by a number of gyroscopes and an accelerometer. The kicker is the price, with Penvue costing $700 ($500 for educational institutions) which the makers claim is a fraction of more conventional systems. Is the writing on the wall for interactive whiteboards? Head on past the break for the promo video to find out.
Interphase Unveils Interactive Display System During DEMO Spring 2012, Bringing Rocket Science to the Palm of Your Hand Wednesday, 18 April 2012 penveu™ Brings True Interactivity to the Education, Enterprise, and SoHo Markets at an Affordable PriceSANTA CLARA, Calif. – April 18, 2012 –Interphase Corporation (NASDAQ: INPH) today announced the debut of penveu™ – an incredibly disruptive interactive device that radically evolves the industry by enhancing the functionality of installed projectors and large screen displays. The company will be demonstrating the product's capabilities on stage tomorrow, at DEMO Spring 2012. When presenting, training, or teaching, the relationship between presenter, presentation, and audience must be engaging and interactive to be effective. However, the products available in today's $1.8 billion interactive whiteboard (IWB) market fall short of achieving this. While users in this market value portability, accuracy of pointing, freedom of movement, ease of use, and price, IWBs don't offer portability or freedom of movement, and need to be calibrated manually and often. Products like the Air Mouse simply don't have the functionality to provide full interactivity or accuracy. penveu disrupts the industry norms by enhancing the functionality of currently installed projectors and large screen displays - making ANY flat surface interactive - in a device that brings rocket science to the masses in a sleek, pinpoint-accurate, interactive display that fits in your pocket - for a fraction of the current market price. The penveu system addresses the display and IWB market needs through superior technology – satellite and military navigation systems that are only now available to commercial markets - and extremely competitive pricing. With the cost for IWBs ranging from $1,000 to $8,000+, most K-12 schools find them coveted and out of reach for most classrooms due to budget limitations. Corporations also find them too pricey. Nevertheless, the market is booming despite the individual expense to corporations or educational institutions. According to FutureSource Consulting, the IWB market is expected to grow to $1.8 billion in 2012 from $1.1 billion in 2009. This represents only a portion of the interactive presentation market - which also includes interactive projectors. penveu has the unique ability to address the installed base of all projectors and large screen monitors/TVs, and is positioned to address the existing 80+ million of these installed devices, which most interactive presentation solutions currently available on the market cannot. "penveu has developed interactive technology that changes the dynamics of a classroom or boardroom," said Matt Marshall, executive producer of DEMO. "We chose penveu because it consciously disrupts a market that until now has become inefficient for the customers it serves, with very little innovation or evolution." The IWB market is far from saturation; only 2.8 million are currently installed, while more than 31 million classrooms and countless number of conference rooms exist across the globe. The market potential is extraordinary. penveu is portable and incredibly easy to use, with no required software or driver installation, no calibration needed, and is OS/platform agnostic. This all at a cost that is 66 percent less than the current market alternatives – with pricing starting at $499 for the education market. "The penveu interactive display system brings affordability and flexibility to the classroom and the enterprise," said Yoram Solomon, Ph.D., vice president and general manager of penveu. "This delivers on Interphase's corporate mission to innovate, simplify, and evolve, and in doing so delivers the key building blocks for interactivity and better learning in the classroom, and a collaborative atmosphere in the conference room." Availability penveu will be available as of July 2012 and offered for purchase via the company website, as well as Amazon, M & A Technologies, TigerDirect, CompUSA, and Circuit City. Educators can make their purchases through these channels, as well as JourneyEd and the Academic Superstore. In addition, customers can visit www.penveu.com for more information and demonstrations. Key Features: No calibration required Portable – fits in a briefcase or pocket Compatible with any computer connected to a projector, large screen display, or TV using a VGA connector, regardless of operating system: PC, MAC, iPad, Android, or Linux Accurate - points, writes, and interacts with any computer, tablet, or laptop from a distance of up to 40 feet Has the ability to fully interact with any screen or display, including: fabric surfaces, walls, HDTVs, whiteboards, monitors, etc. Natural and intuitive user interface that includes a pen tip with multiple color choices, mouse+ controls, visual, audible, and tactile feedback, and pressure-controlled line width, among other features Screen Capture, 8GB to 32GB external storage Absolutely NO software or driver installation needed Affordable pricing – education market device (8GB) offered at $499 |
| Retired Boeing 737 repurposed as garage-kept flight simulator (video) Posted: 18 Apr 2012 07:44 PM PDT
A fresh concept it's not, but a fresh look? Yeah, we'll take that. California resident, air traffic controller, pilot and all-around gentleman James Price has converted the actual nose of a 1969 Boeing 737 into his own personal flight simulator. According to the man himself, he "gutted" the bird, installed "all new" parts, slid it into his garage and... well, took a few minutes to show it to the world. While pretty much any flight sim owner would claim that his or hers was "just like the real thing," it's hard to deny that fact with this one. We're told that it took some three years to complete, and the end result leaves no doubt of James' toiling. Head on past the break for the vid. |
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