BWITTER

conference calling

2009-07-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called part listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party merely listens into the call and cannot speak. It is often referred to as an ATC (Audio Tele-Conference).

Conference calls can be designed so that the calling party calls the other participants and adds them to the call - however, participants are usually able to call into the conference call themselves, by dialing into a special telephone number that connects to a "conference bridge" (a specialized type of equipment that links telephone lines).

Companies commonly use a specialized service provider who maintains the conference bridge, or who provides the phone numbers and PIN codes that participants dial to access the meeting or conference call.

Three-way calling is available (usually at an extra charge) for many customers on their home or office phone line. To three-way call, the first person one wishes to talk to is dialed. Then the hook flash button (known as the recall button in the UK and elsewhere) is pressed and the other person's phone number is dialed. While it is ringing, flash / recall is pressed again to connect the three people together. This option allows callers to add a second outgoing call to an already connected call.

Business

Businesses use conference calls daily to meet with remote parties, both internally and outside of their company. Common applications are client meetings or sales presentations, project meetings and updates, regular team meetings, training classes and communication to employees who work in different locations. Conference calling is viewed as a primary means of cutting travel costs and allowing workers to be more productive by not having to go out-of-office for meetings.

Conference calls are used by nearly all United States public transportation to report their quarterly results. These calls usually allow for questions from stock analyst and are called earning calls. A standard conference call begins with a disclaimer stating that anything said in the duration of the call may be a forward looking statement, and that results may vary significantly. The CEO, CFO, or Investor Relations officer then will read the company's quarterly report. Lastly, the call is opened for questions from analysts.

Conference calls are increasingly used in conjunction with web conferences, where presentations or documents are shared via the internet. This allows people on the call to view content such as corporate reports, sales figures and company data presented by one of the participants. The main benefit is that the presenter of the document can give clear explanations about details within the document, while others simultaneously view the presentation.

Conference calls are also beginning to cross over into the world of podcasting and social networking, which in turn fosters new kinds of interaction patterns. Live streaming or broadcasting of conference calls allows a larger audience access to the call without dialing in to a bridge. In addition, organizers of conference calls can publish a dial-in number alongside the audio stream, creating potential for audience members to dial in if and when they wish to interact.

Party line

Conference calls can also be used for entertainment or social purposes, such as the party line or a group call. People call in to a specified telephone number, and are connected to conversations with other callers. This serves as a way to talk to and perhaps, subsequently, meet new people. However, conference calls are most commonly used by businesses.

Flat Rate Conferencing

Flat rate services are now being offered which enable conference call users to have unlimited access to a conference bridge at a fixed monthly cost. Because telecommunication carriers offer free long distance bundled with local service, this alternative is gaining widespread popularity for budget conscious businesses and non-profits.

In the UK, there are conference services offered on a pay as you go basis where the cost of the phone calls (using 0844, 0750 or 0871 numbers) from each of the participants covers the cost of the conference service. With this service type there is no monthly charge and usually no contracts to sign.

Prepaid Conference Calls

Prepaid conference call services allow businesses and individuals to purchase conferencing services online, and conduct conference calls on a pay-as-you-go basis. Typically, a conference call PIN and its associated calling instructions are displayed immediately online after being purchased and/or sent via email. Generally, prepaid conference call services are used with a landline telephone, mobile phone, or computer, and there is no need to buy additional expensive telecommunications hardware or add/switch long distance service. Some services allow you to start or join a conference call from virtually any country worldwide--with appropriate telephone access.

Large telecommunications providers such as , AT&T Embarg (formerly Sprint), Verizon and other large to medium conferencing service providers maintain a dominant position in the conferencing niche; servicing many of the World's biggest brands. However, the Internet and improved global VoIP networks have helped to significantly reduce the barrier of entry into this niche

Free Conference Calling

Free conferencing is different from traditional conference calling where the organizer of the conference call pays either a flat rate fee or per minute charge or a mixture of both. It has no organizer fees and allows for multiple people to meet at the price of their long distance connections.

Premium conferencing

Here participants dial in on a premium-rate number typically beginning with the prefix ‘09’, the conference being hosted by anyone that adds value to the call in order to justify the premium rate element: this could be a celebrity, a sports personality, astrologer, lawyer, or expert in any given field. That person then receives the majority of the accrued revenue. Premium conferencing can also be used for charitable fundraisers.

Common causes of poor conference calls

There are three common causes of poor quality conference calls:

People simply not showing up.
Lack of familiarity with behaviour and protocol.
Technology.

Each of these causes requires a different kind of corrective action. However, there is usually one primary root cause; for example, people may not be showing up because the technology does not work, or the technology may not work because people are not familiar with it.

Technology problems tend to fall into two kinds: lack of bandwidth and poor equipment. Again, it is worth checking which of these apply in the case of technology problems.

Vodafone Investing in India

2007-03-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

John Ribeiro, IDG News Service

An Indian NGO (non-government organization) called Telecom Watchdog has filed a petition with the High Court of Delhi, alleging that foreign shareholding in mobile services operator Hutchison Essar Ltd. is in breach of the Indian government's regulations on foreign direct investment (FDI).

Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd. (HTIL) announced in February that it had entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc to sell its 67 percent direct and indirect equity and loan interests in Hutchison Essar for a total cash consideration of US$11.1 billion.

India's Essar Group, HTIL's joint venture partner in Hutchison Essar, holds 33 percent of the equity in the joint venture, with some 22 percent of this held by an Essar group company registered abroad.

Indian government regulations allow a maximum of 74 percent foreign holding in an Indian telecom services company.

If one were to add HTIL's 67 percent interest in Hutchison Essar with the 22 percent held by an Essar entity abroad, it would appear that the total foreign equity is in excess of the 74 percent limit, but there are other Indian shareholders besides Essar also involved, said an informed source. Telecom Watchdog was not immediately available for comment.

HTIL spokeswoman Mickey Shiu said Thursday that Hutchison Essar was fully compliant with Indian rules on foreign direct investment. Shiu confirmed that there were other Indian shareholders besides Essar, but declined to give a breakdown of its 67 percent interest in Hutchison Essar.

The petition by Telecom Watchdog alleges that as a result of HTIL's arrangements with Indian shareholders of Hutchison Essar, the foreign shareholding in Hutchison Essar is in breach of the foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations in India. It alleges that HTIL provided loans to its Indian partners to help them acquire equity in Hutchison Essar.

HTIL shareholders vote Friday on the proposed sale of HTIL's interest in Hutchison Essar to Vodafone.

The Indian government's Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) is meanwhile looking into all aspects of the transaction between HTIL and Vodafone. The scrutiny by the FIPB follows Vodafone's request for government approval for the proposed sale of HTIL's interest in Hutchison Essar to a Vodafone subsidiary, and is not an investigation into any irregularities in foreign holding in the company, Shiu said. The FIPB had approved HTIL's reorganization of its holding and the shareholding pattern in Hutchison Essar last year as way back as July last year, she added.

Negotiations are still going on between the Essar Group and Vodafone on a shareholder agreement. The Essar Group wants joint control of strategic decisions at Hutchison Essar.

FOR A SECURE WEB BROWSING USE FIREFOX 2 WITH GOOGLE TOOLBAR GET IT NOW it's free

2007-03-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

The award-winning Web browser is now faster, more secure, and fully customizable to your online life. With Firefox 2, we’ve added powerful new features that make your online experience even better.

WindowsMinimum System Requirements
233 Mhz processor
64 MB of RAM
50 MB of free disk space

Microsoft Windows 98

Mozilla Recommends
500 Mhz processor
256 MB of RAM
100 MB of free disk space
Microsoft Windows XP

MacMinimum System Requirements
PowerPC G3 processor
128 MB of RAM
75 MB of free disk space

Mac OS X 10.2.x

Mozilla Recommends
PowerPC G4 or Intel processor
512 MB of RAM
150 MB of free disk space

LinuxMinimum System Requirements
233 Mhz processor
64 MB of RAM
50 MB of free disk space
Linux kernel 2.2.14 (with glibc 2.3.2, XFree86-3.3.6, gtk+2.0, fontconfig/xft and libstdc++5)

Mozilla Recommends
500 Mhz processor
256 MB of RAM
100 MB of free disk space
a modern Linux distribution

Enjoy a Better Web Experience
There’s a lot to do on the Web, and Firefox 2 is full of helpful features to make your time online more productive.

Improved Tabbed Browsing
We love tabs as much as you do, so Firefox 2 will open new web pages in tabs by default. Each of those tabs has its own close button, but don’t worry - if you accidentally close a tab, just go to the History menu to bring it back from the list of “Recently Closed Tabs.” You’ll never be crunched for space anymore, either. When you have too many tabs open to comfortably fit in a single window, scroll arrows will appear on either side, and a button on the right side will always show you an easy-to-read list of all your open tabs.

Spell Checking
Sometimes you’re in a rush, and can’t remember if it’s “i” before “e” or the other way around. Firefox 2 has built-in spell checking to keep you from making any mistakes in your blog posts and Web-based email, so you can worry about more important things.

Search Suggestions
Some of the search engines in Firefox 2 can read your mind, and actually suggest search terms for what you’re looking for. Just start typing into the Search bar, and a drop down list of suggestions will appear. (Works for Google, Yahoo! and Answers.com.)

Session Restore
Losing your place while you’re doing things on the Web is a pain. Now, with Session Restore, if Firefox has to restart or closes when it comes back you’ll pick up exactly where you left off. The windows and tabs you were using, the text you typed into forms, and the in-progress downloads you had running will all be restored. You can even set Firefox 2 to always restore your previous session instead of loading a home page, so you’ll never lose your place again.

Web Feeds (RSS)
What do news headlines, indie rock podcasts, and pictures of kittens have in common? They’re all things that you can subscribe to with Web feeds. Firefox 2 gives you full control over Web feeds, showing you a preview and letting you choose how you want to subscribe. You can use a Firefox Live Bookmark, or a feed reader that you’ve installed on your computer, or through a Web service such as My Yahoo!, Bloglines or Google Reader.

Live Titles
Keep an eye on that auction or the status of a delivery using the new Live Titles feature in Firefox 2. Compact enough to fit as a bookmark label, Live Titles are regularly updated summaries of the most important information on a Web page. As the information on the page gets updated, so does your Live Title. Try one out in Firefox 2 by bookmarking www.woot.com.

Integrated Search
Firefox helps you find whatever it is that you’re looking for. The Search bar comes pre-loaded with search engines for Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, eBay, Answers.com, and Creative Commons. Wherever you are on the Web, you can enter a search term in the Search bar and receive immediate answers from the search engine you’ve chosen. You can select a new search engine from the Search bar menu at any time, and add search engines from hundreds of your favorite Web sites.

Live Bookmarks
Firefox Live Bookmarks let you view Web feeds such as news and blog headlines in the bookmarks toolbar or menu. With one glance, quickly review the latest headlines from your favorite sites and click to go directly to the articles that interest you.

Pop-up Blocker
Firefox keeps you in control of the Web pages you’re viewing, blocking annoying pop-ups. Firefox’s pop-up blocker notifies you when pop-ups are blocked via the information bar or icon on the lower right of the screen.

Streamlined Interface
The user interface in Firefox 2 has been updated to improve usability without altering the familiarity of the browsing experience.

Accessibility
Firefox delivers a better browsing experience for everyone - including those who are visually impaired. Firefox includes support for DHTML accessibility. Web developers can create pages that reduce the amount of tabbing required to navigate a document to minimize keystrokes for those with mobility disabilities. Firefox also includes support for Microsoft Active Accessibility, Microsoft’s accessibility API standard for Windows. This support allows Firefox to work with screen readers such as GW Micro’s Window-Eyes and Freedom Scientific’s JAWS. Firefox 2 (Windows version) meets US federal government requirements that software be easily accessible to users with physical impairments.

Stay Secure on the Web
The Web is a great place, but sometimes you’ll encounter bad people. Firefox keeps you safe from spyware, hackers, scammers and spammers, using the power of a vigilant and passionate community to protect you 24/7.

Phishing Protection
Phishing Protection takes Firefox’s security to a new level, helping to safeguard your financial information and protect you from identity theft. When you encounter a Web site that is a suspected forgery (known as a “phishing” site) Firefox will warn you and offer to take you to a search page so you can find the real Web site you were looking for.

Open Source, More Secure
At the heart of Firefox is an open source development process driven by thousands of passionate, experienced developers and security experts spread all over the world. Our openness and active community of experts helps to ensure our products are more secure and updated quickly, while also enabling us to take advantage of the best third party security scanning and evaluation tools to further bolster overall security.

Automated Update
Firefox’s update system always checks to see if you’re running the latest version, and notifies you when a security update is available. These security updates are small (usually 200KB - 700KB), giving you only what you need and making the security update quick to download and install. The automated update system provides updates for Firefox on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux in over 40 different languages.

Protection from Spyware
Firefox will not allow a Web site to download, install, or run programs on your computer without your explicit agreement. Period. You will be notified whenever downloading or installing software, and Firefox will always tell you what’s happening so that you can stay in control of your computer.

Clear Private Data
Firefox offers the ability to clear all your private Web browsing data with just one click with the “Clear Private Data” tool. You can be confident that when you clear your private data in Firefox it’s gone - whether you are using your own computer or one at the library.

Personalize Your Browser
Choose from thousands of useful Add-ons that enhance Firefox. It’s easy to personalize Firefox 2 to make it your own.

An Add-on for Everyone
You can choose from over 1,000 add-ons at the Firefox Add-ons Web site. A Firefox add-on can help you comparison shop, share bookmarks with your friends, see the weather in a corner of your browser, write to your weblog, get news, listen to music - all from inside the browser you already love. You can even change the appearance of your browser - from buttons to colors and fonts - so that it matches your own personal style.

Add-ons Manager for Extensions and Themes
The new Add-ons Manager improves the user interface for managing extensions and themes, making it even easier for you to customize Firefox 2. Install, uninstall, enable and disable your add-ons in a single place.

Search Engine Manager
You can now quickly add, remove and re-order your search engines in the Search bar. Firefox 2 will also detect when a Web site has a search engine that can be installed, and will install it for you with a single click in the drop-down menu.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2

2007-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

Sony H2 Overviewby Stephanie Boozerand Shawn BarnettReview Posted: 05/19/2006

Last year, Sony released the Cyber-shot DSC-H1 as a new form factor addition to its long and very broad line of digital cameras reflecting the company's commanding position in the digital camera marketplace. Like many other long zoom cameras, the Sony H1's miniature SLR look and feel immediately instilled confidence, with the big grip and large lens barrel housing the excellent 12x optical zoom lens. The newly-released DSC-H2 model updates the H1 with a larger CCD at 6.0-megapixels, and extends a few capabilities as well, with a wider ISO range and an optional function guide for onscreen help. Most of the H2's functions will be familiar to users of other Sony digital cameras, and newcomers to the line will appreciate the camera's simplicity. The Sony H2 features the same 12x optical zoom lens and Image Stabilization technology as the H1, and offers full manual to full auto exposure control, with a nice selection of creative tools at the user's disposal. Read on for all of the details!

Basic Specifications
Resolution:
6.00 Megapixels
Lens:
12.00x zoom(36-432mm eff)
Viewfinder:
EVF/LCD
LCD Size:
2.0 inch
ISO:
80-1000
Shutter:
30-1/2000
Max Aperture:
2.8
Mem Type:
MS Duo/MS PRO Duo
Battery:
AA
Dimensions:
4.2x3.2x3.6in(108x81x91mm)
Weight:
20.7 oz(591 g)
MSRP:
$400
Availability:

Sony H2 User Report

Like its predecessor, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1, the new Sony DSC-H2 digital camera takes direct aim at the Long Zoom Family Camera market, offering an impressive 12x optical zoom lens along with full manual exposure control, while not getting too complicated for novice users. For the most part, the H2 is an update of the H1, with a larger, 6.0-megapixel CCD, expanded ISO options (80 to 1,000 equivalents), and expanded partial manual exposure control modes (Aperture and Shutter Priority shooting options). Control layout is slightly different from the previous model, as are the overall dimensions (just slightly), but the most noticeable physical difference is the smaller 2.0-inch LCD display. We loved the large, bright 2.5-inch LCD display on the H1 model, and do miss its presence on the H2. That said, the H2's 2.0-inch LCD monitor is fairly bright, even outdoors in bright daylight.

Though a large lens barrel and fairly large LCD monitor dominates a large portion of the camera body, Sony managed to keep all the necessary functions close at hand and easy to operate. The grip area offers a firm hold on the camera, with rubbery texture that really grabs your fingers as they wrap around the camera. The lens is large enough that you'll want to support the camera with your left hand and wrap your right hand down to cup the camera's bottom. Your thumb finds a decent resting place on the back, slightly overlapping the zoom buttons. A series of raised bumps helps keep your thumb from slipping off. The Five-way navigator is below and within easy reach, but the buttons are firm enough that they're not easily activated by accident. It is not impossible, though, so you should be careful, especially when shooting vertically, because your thumb can move and press a button unintentionally.

A half-press on the shutter begins the focus operation. In low light, a very bright orange LED illuminates the scene when necessary, reaching impressively far for effective autofocus even in near- or total darkness. The fast Multi-point AF determines the closest object and focuses quickly, showing brackets around the areas that will be in focus. Everything about the camera feels quality and performs competently. When necessary, a pop-up flash deploys automatically, or the user can pop it up by switching to either of the forced flash modes.

The Sony DSC-H2's zoom is fast and smooth, not to mention quiet. With some experience and finesse, you can move the zoom either slowly or quickly, by varying the pressure applied to the buttons. If it's more comfortable in bright daylight, the EVF offers a good view, at the same 354 x 240 resolution that the back-panel LCD displays; it's a little small, but serves its purpose. The Super SteadyShot image stabilization system is activated with the press of a button. It can be set to "Shooting" or "Continuous" mode in the Setup menu. In Shooting mode, the stabilization only becomes active when the shutter is pressed, but if you want to see the effect of the stabilization, put the camera in Continuous mode

I was able to capture some great baseball shots from pretty far away via the digital zoom, and I was impressed with the results, especially at night. Though it has high ISO settings, I'd avoid them in all but the most urgent situations; the baseball shots were set by the camera to ISO 320, and turned out great.

Typical of consumer digicams, the Sony DSC-H2 does tend to oversharpen its image a bit, but exposure is usually quite good, with or without flash. Sharpness can be adjusted in the menu, as can contrast and saturation, so the user has some control over how the camera renders its images.

Actually, "control" is probably the best way to describe the Sony H2, because it offers a very simple interface, yet perhaps the most control over light gathering of any camera in Sony's lineup. It's that huge focal range that gives you such a feeling of power: With just the press of a button, you're suddenly all the way across the house to where junior is making a silly face, and you're more likely to get a sharp shot with the help of the Super SteadyShot.

One favorite feature of mine is the intelligently designed battery/Memory stick door. It is hinged in the middle, so you can get to the Memory stick without having to turn off the camera or remove the batteries. Just pull to release the Memory Stick half of the door, or slide to the right to release the whole thing, exposing both batteries and memory card. That the Sony DSC-H2 is designed to work with only two standard AA batteries is impressive indeed.

Included with the camera are two Sony NiMH AA Stamina batteries, delivering 2100 mAh at 1.2V. They'll last about 400 full-resolution shots with the LCD enabled, which is pretty good. Alkaline, Manganese, Lithium, and NiCd batteries are not recommended. Unlike most current manufacturers that use AAs, Sony includes a charger and two batteries right in the box with the H2, a valuable addition. I suggest you buy at least two more, even though the battery life on this camera is pretty good (though less so than other Sony cameras due to the zoom lens and Super SteadyShot mode). Read my NiMH battery shootout page to see which batteries currently on the market are the best.

The Sony DSC-H2 is an impressive offering, and should do well against other long-zoom cameras and as I've often pointed out, optical image stabilization is a huge benefit for long-zoom cameras. It is handsomely constructed, with a feel of quality. It also has reasonable heft offering a more stable shooting platform. Its flexible exposure modes and quality lens should give most users a great experience.

Basic Features

6.0-megapixel CCD.
12x zoom lens (equivalent to a 36-432mm lens on a 35mm camera).
Max 16-52x digital Smart Zoom (depending on res), plus 24x Precision Digital zoom.
Electronic optical viewfinder.
2.0-inch color LCD monitor.
Full Manual through Automatic exposure available, including Aperture and Shutter priority and seven Scene modes.
Built-in flash with five modes and an intensity adjustment.
32MB internal memory.
Sony Memory Stick Duo storage (no card included), compatible with Memory Stick Pro Duo.
USB 2.0 computer connection.
2 AA NiMH rechargeable batteries and charger included.
Software for Mac and PC.

Special Features

Super Steady Shot optical image stabilization for steady shots at telephoto focal lengths.
High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Beach, High-speed shutter, Landscape, and Portrait preset modes.
Movie recording mode (with sound).
Multi-Burst slow motion mode and Burst continuous shooting mode.
Email (VGA) modes.
Shutter speeds from 1/2,000 to 1/4 sec in Auto mode; 1/2,000 to one second in Program mode; and 1/1,000 to 30 seconds in Manual mode.
Aperture range from f/2.8 to f/8, depending on zoom position.
Image Sharpness and Contrast adjustments, plus Image Color options.
Self-timer for delayed shutter release.
Macro (close-up) lens adjustment.
Spot, Center-Weighted, and Multi-Metering modes.
Adjustable AF area and four AF modes.
Auto ISO setting or 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,000 ISO equivalents.
White balance (color) adjustment with seven options, including a manual setting.
DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) and PictBridge printing compatibility.

In the Box

Included with the Sony DSC-H2 digital camera are the following items:
Neck strap..
Two NiMH AA batteries and charger..
USB cable.
AV cable.
Lens Adapter ring.
Lens Hood.
Lens Cap and retainer cord.
Software CD containing Picture Package (ver.1.6 for Windows), Pixela ImageMixer VCD2 (for Mac), a PC-based tutorial, and USB drivers.
Quick-guide manuals and registration information.

Recommended Accessories

Extra NiMH batteries. (Read my NiMH battery shootout page to see which batteries currently on the market are the best.)
Large capacity Memory Stick Duo or Large capacity Memory Stick Duo PRO. (Memory Stick PRO versions can handle high-res movie data and give faster download times.) This should be used for all current Sony cameras.

Conclusion

Pro:

Quite fast, good shutter response, very good shot to shot speed
Image stabilization works well, is a great help with a long zoom lens like the H2's
Better than average color accuracy
Very capable movie mode
Very fast multi-burst mode, great for analyzing golf/tennis swings
LCD is usable in very bright light
Very good low-light shooting capabilities
Image noise at ISO 200 and below is pretty good
Bright AF-assist light
Design is chunky but compact, fits the hand well
Good battery life

Con:

Slightly warm skin tones
Auto white balance had a hard time with household incandescent lighting
Rather contrasty default tone curve
High chromatic aberration lens distortion, noticeable in some images at the edges
Image noise high at ISO 400 and up; at 800 and 1,000 images are almost unusable
Anti-noise processing trades away some subtle subject detail at all ISO levels
Smaller 2.0-inch LCD display than preceding model

Like the preceding Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1, the Sony DSC-H2 offers optical image stabilization with a very long zoom lens. The Sony H2 provides more manual exposure control than many other long zoom digital cameras, yet is easy to use in full-auto mode, and its seven preprogrammed scene modes help with tricky subjects. The design and layout of the H2 is very user-friendly, and the camera boasts accurate EVF and LCD displays. Occasionally modes can get confusing to those more familiar with Sony's other point-and-shoot models, but a brief look at the manual will quickly make it all clear. The Sony DSC-H2 is fairly fast on the draw, with faster than average shutter response, a smooth and responsive zoom, and very good shot to shot cycle times. Optical quality is very good, but we were disappointed with the high chromatic aberration and softness in the corners at telephoto; that's part of the tradeoff found in a very long zoom that we think most will find acceptable. In use, the camera was great for a day at the stadium, as well as chasing the family around the yard. As I mentioned, though, I'd avoid the high ISO settings completely, relying instead on the Super SteadyShot to handle low light. That the Sony H2 does all its tricks with two AA batteries is impressive, and two spare NiMH AA's will give you another 400 shots. Overall, given the low price and good performance, the Sony H2 is a bargain in a 6 megapixel 12X zoom, and a clear Dave's Pick.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2 Digital Camera (6.0MP, 2592x1944, 12x Opt, 32MB Internal Memory, Memory Stick Pro Duo - MPN: DSCH2)
Price Range: $289.00 - $379.99 from 18 Sellers

Kelis Charged With Disorderly Conduct

2007-03-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

Fri Mar 02,12:43 PM ET

Kelis was charged early Friday with trying to disrupt an undercover police operation by screaming racial profanities and rushing toward two female officers posing as prostitutes, authorities said.

Kelis Rogers-Jones, 27, was detained at 4:30 a.m. and charged with the two misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence, a Miami Beach police arrest report said.

The singer was released on $1,500 bond hours later, Miami-Dade County jail spokeswoman Janelle Hall said.

Kelis' publicist, Tracy Nguyen, wouldn't comment on the arrest, and it wasn't immediately clear if the singer had a lawyer.

The arrest report said the officers were posing as prostitutes along a main avenue in the South Beach nightclub district when Kelis started screaming racial profanities at them. She then rushed toward them and had to be restrained by her friends, the report said.

Kelis calmed down for a few seconds, but then started shouting at the officers and charged them again, the report said. She resisted arrest while being handcuffed

BBC Creating Two Channels for YouTube

2007-03-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

Fri Mar 02, 8:35 AM ( ANYTHING entertainment )

The British Broadcasting Corp. said Friday it has signed a deal with Google Inc.'s YouTube that will allow the popular Web site to show excerpts of the broadcaster's news and entertainment programs.

The BBC said it will offer two branded "channels" on YouTube, the video-sharing Web site bought by Google in 2006.

Under the deal, YouTube will create a channel called "BBC Worldwide" to show clips from hit BBC programs including motor show "Top Gear," spy drama "Spooks" and the nature documentaries presented by David Attenborough.

It will also create a channel to be called "BBC World," which will show news clips from the BBC's commercially operated international news channel of the same name.

BBC Director General Mark Thompson said YouTube was "a key gateway through which to engage new audiences in the U.K. and abroad."

YouTube Chief Executive Officer Chad Hurley said he hoped the deal would "open up an entirely new audience for content."

Oracle to buy Hyperion for $3.3 billion

2007-03-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO ( ANYTHINGnews) - Business software maker Oracle Corp. will buy Hyperion Solutions Corp. for $3.3 billion in cash, renewing a shopping spree aimed at toppling rival SAP AG.

The deal announced Thursday will give Oracle an arsenal of Hyperion products that are used by more than half of SAP's customers. Hyperion's tools, known as "business intelligence" software, help chief financial officers and other top corporate executives track their company's performance.

Redwood Shores-based Oracle will pay $52 per share for Santa Clara-based Hyperion. The price represents a 21 percent premium above the most recent closing price of Hyperion's stock, which has traded between $26.65 and $45.18 during the past year.

Hyperion shares surged $8.71, or 20.3 percent, to $51.55 in Thursday morning trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, where Oracle shares gained 41 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $16.84.
Oracle's acquisition could trigger a scramble for other leading business intelligence software makers such as France-based Business Objects SA and Canada-based Cognos Inc., said AMR Research analyst Bruce Richardson. He thinks Business Objects would be a logical takeover candidate for SAP and Cognos may elicit a bid from IBM Corp.

"This is just the first blow in the (business intelligence) market," Richardson said.
For now, investors appear more concerned about how Oracle's takeover of Hyperion might harm the other business intelligence software makers. Business Objects shares dropped $1.58, or 4.4 percent, to $34.52 in Thursday trading on the Nasdaq, where Cognos shares fell 64 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $37.47.

The Hyperion acquisition extends an aggressive expansion that Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison launched to upgrade his company's business applications software, the computer coding that automates a wide range of administrative tasks.

Oracle is dominant in database software, but growth in that market has been tapering off in recent years — a factor that convinced Ellison that Oracle needed to seize a bigger piece of the business applications market.

Germany-based SAP has long been the leader in the business applications field, but Oracle has been narrowing the gap by snapping up an array of other software makers, most notably PeopleSoft Inc. and Siebel Systems Inc. Oracle has spent more than $20 billion on 30 acquisitions during the past three years.

"Oracle is determined to drive more consolidation...and make things a bit more uncomfortable for their rival SAP," said Mayiz Habbal, a managing director for Celent, a consulting firm.
Despite Oracle's expansion, SAP remains the business applications leader. Meanwhile, Oracle's market value during the past three years has climbed by roughly the same amount of money that the company has spent on its acquisitions.

The Hyperion deal represents yet another shot across SAP's bow. "Thousands of SAP customers close their books with the Hyperion product," Oracle President Charles Phillips said during a Thursday conference call with analysts. "We are achieving a critical mass in SAP accounts."
About 55 percent of SAP's customers run Hyperion software, estimated AMR Research. "Larry has got to love that," Richardson said.

To help boost profits, Oracle has typically laid off some workers after its recent deals have been completed. Oracle executives didn't discuss potential job cuts in Thursday's analyst call about the Hyperion acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of April.

Although Oracle expects most of the gains from the Hyperion deal to be driven by increased sales, "there are going to be some very significant (cost) efficiencies," Chief Financial Officer Safra Catz said during Thursday's conference call.

Hyperion has about 2,700 employees while Oracle has more than 56,000 workers.
Oracle expects Hyperion to increase its earnings by at least penny per share in its fiscal year ending in May 2008 and another 4 cents per share in the following year, Catz said.

Hyperion earned $63 million on revenue of $765 million in its last fiscal year. Oracle is expected to earn about $5 billion on revenue of nearly $18 billion in its fiscal year ending in May. Oracle is scheduled to release the results of its most recent quarter on March 20.

Airbus faces flak over rescue plan

2007-03-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

PARIS (ANYTHINGnews) - European plane maker Airbus faced flak from trade unions and scepticism from investors on Thursday, a day after unveiling a radical restructuring plan which labour groups hope to shoot down with strikes and demonstrations.

In a separate setback, the company announced that it had stopped development of the cargo version of its A380 superjumbo jet following a series of cancellations.

Three clients had placed orders for the giant cargo plane by last November, but two have since been scrapped and a third was also poised to be cancelled.

In France, Germany and Spain on Thursday, unions reacted with anger and bitterness to Airbus's restructuring plan which will entail the loss of 10,000 jobs, the sale of factories and increased outsourcing to sub-contractors.

Three french unions called for a half-day strike at the company's French factories on Tuesday and a pan-European day of action was announced for the middle of the month.

"There's a lot of anger among Airbus employees. Everyone is mobilised," said Jean-Francois Knepper, an official from France's Force Ouviere trade union.

In Germany, staff at two factories stopped work for the second day, and the state premier in Lower Saxony Christian Wulff gave his support, declaring: "We reject Airbus' plans to abandon its plants."

A pan-European day of strike action was announced for sometime between March 14 and 18 by the European metalworkers' union FEM after a meeting in Brussels.

In investment circles, questions were raised about how the measures to save 5.0 billion euros (6.6 billion dollars) by 2010, and 2.1 billion euros a year thereafter, would be put into effect.

Shares in Airbus parent company EADS plunged 4.98 percent to 26.62 euros on the Paris stock exchange in a broadly weaker market.

Analysts stressed that the plan was vulnerable to political meddling, that the company faced a fierce battle with trade unions and that a capital injection was likely to be required.

Furthermore, the company faced a strengthening euro -- making its planes more expensive in international markets -- and risked falling further behind rival Boeing. "

This challenging plan has to succeed in full for the group to remain competitive against Boeing," warned analysts at French investment bank Societe Generale. At Exane BNP Paribas, analysts said: "

The risks linked to execution of Power8 are already significant: the unions could use the French election campaign to mount strong opposition."

French politicians are particularly sensitive to job cuts in the run up to presidential elections in April and May.

The Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal called for a moratorium on the plan and expressed solidarity with the workers.

Over four years, Airbus is to cut 4,300 jobs in France, 3,700 in Germany, 1,600 in Britain and 400 in Spain to rectify deep problems which came to light as a result of long delays in its star project to build the A380 superjumbo airliner.

The decision to freeze development of the cargo version of the A380 case came after US freight group Fedex scrapped its order for 10 A380F planes in November after Airbus announced a two-year delay in deliveries.

Fedex competitor UPS said last week that it was also considering cancelling an order for 10 planes this year while the International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC), which handles aircraft leases, scrapped an order for five cargo planes and chose instead five passenger jets.

Airbus, created in 1970 as a European industrial initiative to compete with Boeing in the strategically important airline sector, was long held up as an example of European cooperation and vision. But by the 1990s, weaknesses in the structure of the company had become apparent and a compromise reorganisation was agreed, with difficulty.

The crisis of the last six months has again raised deep questions about the role of the state in industry, and the place for national interests in a European single market.