TechnoGag

De' Longhi to acquire Nokia facility in Romania

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:24:04 PST

Espoo, Finland and Treviso, Italy - Nokia Corporation, a global leader in mobile communications, and De' Longhi SpA, a global leader in household appliances, today announced that they have agreed terms for De' Longhi to acquire Nokia's production facility in Cluj, Romania, subject to approvals by the relevant authorities.

The transaction is expected to be finalized during the first quarter of 2012 and the parties have agreed to keep the terms confidential.

De' Longhi plans to make the facility a key part of its development strategy, aimed at supporting its fast-growing international presence. The facility will also enable De' Longhi to adapt and diversify its production network so as to partly rebalance its manufacturing structure from the Far East to Europe, where De' Longhi already operates a plant in Italy.

After announcing its plans in September 2011 to end manufacturing in Cluj and focus feature phone production in locations closest to suppliers and key markets, Nokia has been active in seeking potential buyers for the facility in close consultation with the relevant authorities in Romania.

Robert Andersson, senior vice president at Nokia, who led the discussions, said: "As we assessed the interest in our facility, Nokia was determined to find a major investor with clear plans for growth and committed to creating jobs here in the immediate future. De' Longhi was the ideal candidate in both respects and we are really pleased to have been able to secure the future of the facility so quickly."

Since ending production in Cluj in November 2011, Nokia has continued to support impacted employees with a number of proactive measures, including financial support and assistance with retraining and job search.

Huawei also unveils new MediaPad color series, operating on Android 3.2

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:30:00 PST

Las Vegas, USA, January 10, 2012: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced that the Huawei MediaPad is now one of the world's first tablets to come pre-loaded with the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

First launched in June 2011, the original MediaPad was the world’s first 7-inch Android 3.2 tablet. This latest version of the MediaPad once again provides users with the very latest Android experience, along with access to the newest and hottest services and apps available in the Android marketplace.

Huawei also unveiled its new MediaPad color series – fashionable MediaPads in three new colors: shadow black, classic brown, and passion pink and running on Android 3.2. Both MediaPad versions have a high-quality display, with screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels at 217 PPI and supporting 1080P Full HD video playback. Additionally, they come with a Qualcomm dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and have a battery capacity of six hours or more.

“In a tablet market defined by staid black and white tablets, the new colorful MediaPad offers a personalized look without the need for an external case,” said Richard Yu, Chairman, Huawei Device.

“With a hardware package that includes a high-quality screen, a powerful dual-core processor, and long battery life, these colorful MediaPad embodies a rare combination of style and performance.”

Huawei’s new MediaPad color series and the MediaPad with Android 4.0 will be available in selected markets in the first quarter of 2012. Existing MediaPad owners will receive an OTA Android 4.0 upgrade to their tablets by the first quarter of 2012.

Commerce Commission dealing with daily deal sites at the source

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:27:43 PST

The Commerce Commission has stemmed a growing tide of complaints about daily deal and group buying websites with a proactive approach to educating the websites about consumer law.

Greg Allan, Manager Competition Branch, says the Commission was on the case as soon as it started to see concerning trends emerging in the daily deal and group buying market place.

“Earlier last year, our intelligence unit identified this as an area where we were increasingly likely to see complaints. We then started to see numbers of complaints reported to the Commission begin to climb. As a result, we’ve been targeting the websites, talking to them about their compliance programmes, checking how they vet advertising, and how they deal with complaints,” said Mr Allan.

Under the Fair Trading Act, it is illegal for any business whether they are operating in the real or virtual world, to mislead consumers, give false information, or use unfair trading practices.

While issues continue to emerge, Mr Allan said the levels of complaints to the Commission have been steadily dropping since it we began talking to the websites about these issues.

“We have been particularly heartened to see a number of these websites taking responsibility, including by issuing refunds to customers whose deals haven’t gone according to plan,” said Mr Allan.

Mr Allan said it was particularly important as the market evolved that the Commission’s focus remained on the websites rather than the individual traders as the websites are in a better position to obtain compliance before offers are published.

“These deals are now targeting consumers in real time. You could be walking down the street and want a meal, and look to your smart phone to find out which deals are nearby. You can buy on the spot, download the barcode, walk into a restaurant and get the deal.”

“The fast-changing nature of these deals means we have to be ahead of the game, rather than picking up the pieces at the end, which is why we’ve taken a proactive approach,” Mr Allan said.

“Consumers also need to know their rights and do their homework. Anyone looking to take up a deal should carefully check the offer, including the terms and conditions, and if unsure of any part of the offer, contact the supplier making the offer to confirm details ” said Mr Allan.

Huawei Unveils World’s Slimmest Smartphone

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:39:40 PST

Las Vegas, U.S.A., January 9, 2012: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, unveiled the world’s slimmest smartphone today at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The Huawei Ascend P1 S is 6.68mm thin and features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED 960 x 540 touchscreen with Corning® Gorilla® Glass. The Ascend P1 S is also the fastest and most compact smartphone in its class with a dual-core 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 Cortext-A9 processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

“We’re excited to unveil the world’s slimmest smartphone here at CES 2012,” said Richard Yu, Chairman of Huawei Device. “The Ascend P1 S demonstrates our ongoing commitment to innovating high quality devices that utilize the latest hardware and software technologies.”

Huawei also unveiled the Ascend P1 which, as part of the same smartphone series, boasts the same functionality while measuring 7.69mm. Delivering the ultimate in elegance and speed with a 1670mAh/1800mAh battery, the Huawei Ascend P1/P1 S series provides the fastest multi-tasking, video replay and gaming experience in its class.

The Huawei Ascend P1/P1 S series feature a super-sleek and narrow 64.8mm body, elegant contours and an effortlessly stylish design. The PPVD back cover coating evenly distributes heat, and provides a strong metallic, three-dimensional design with a delicate texture. The Ascend P1/P1 S is available in metallic black, ceramic white and cherry-blossom pink with more colors to come to match your personal style wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.

The Ascend P1/P1 S brings your digital world to life with its impressive 8-megapixel BSI rear-facing and 1.3-megapixel HD front-facing cameras with dual flash LED and HDR effect optimization. The Ascend P1/P1 S allows you to capture special moments in sharper, brighter and clearer detail both in light and dim environments. Relive your most memorable moments on the Huawei Ascend P1/P1 S with its stunning 1080p HD video-capture capabilities. Its high speed data connectivity through 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth and in-built social media capabilities enable you to instantly share your photos and videos via social media.

The Huawei Ascend P1/P1 S will be available in Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Australia, Middle East, and China from April 2012.

Nokia Lumia 710 and the Nokia Lumia 800 signal new smartphone dawn for Nokia in Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:31:46 PST

Toronto, CAN - Today, Nokia Canada announces the availability of the first two smartphones in the Nokia Lumia family, the Nokia Lumia 710, available exclusively at Rogers Communications, and the Nokia Lumia 800, available exclusively at TELUS.

The affordable Nokia Lumia 710 was designed to make the Nokia Lumia experience accessible to more people around the world and at launch was widely praised as the best Windows Phone experience at its price point. The stunningly social Nokia Lumia 800 features familiar Nokia elements like head-turning design, vivid colours, outstanding Carl Zeiss imaging capabilities, and a unique unibody construction.

Based on the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango release, the Nokia Lumia smartphones are designed to appeal to people with active social lives and combine the powerful social and Internet experience of Windows Phone with the ability to take pictures in almost any conditions and share with friends in seconds, as well as access to thousands of the most popular apps, including exclusive Nokia experiences.

Both smartphones come equipped with the signature Lumia experience, Nokia Drive, which delivers a full-fledged personal navigation device (PND) with free, turn-by-turn navigation and dedicated in-car-user-interface.

The Nokia Lumia 710 will be available this February for $49.99 on select 3-year plans as part of Rogers' Smartphone Lite lineup of affordable devices.

The bold Nokia Lumia 800 will be coming soon only to TELUS in black, as well as cyan and magenta options for customers looking to stand out from the crowd.

"I am extremely excited to introduce the Nokia Lumia family of smartphones to Canada. The Nokia Lumia 710 and the Nokia Lumia 800 combine our passion for design and powerful functionality with the intelligence and capability of Windows Phone," said Richard White, General Manager for Nokia Canada.

Nokia Lumia 710: Designed to be personal and affordable

- Deeply integrated social networking experience through Windows Phone 7.5 Mango; stay in touch across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter right from the people hub

- Best Internet browsing experience with Internet Explorer 9

- Available in black, with optional Xpress-On covers in a variety of colours to suit your mood and style

- Access to thousands of apps in the Windows PCanahone Marketplace

- 3.7" WVGA TFT, ClearBlack capacitive touch screen with pinch zoom, 800 x 480 pixels and 16 million colours

- 5 MP camera with auto focus, LED flash, high definition 720p video recording with 30FPS and one-touch image sharing

- 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB program memory, 8GB internal user memory, and up to 7.6 hours of 3G talktime

- Access to Microsoft SkyDrive for cloud storage

Nokia Lumia 800: Stunningly social

- Head-turning unibody design in vivid colours: cyan, magenta, black

- Deeply integrated social networking experience through Windows Phone 7.5 Mango; stay in touch across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter right from the People Hub

- Best Internet browsing experience with Internet Explorer 9

- Vivid 3.7" AMOLED, ClearBlack display with WVGA 800x480 pixels, 16 million colours and 2.5D curved glass

- 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB program memory, 16GB internal user memory, and up to 9 hours of 3G talktime

- Access to Microsoft SkyDrive for cloud storage

- Access to thousands of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace

- Leading imaging capabilities with Carl Zeiss optics, pocket-to-picture-to-post in seconds, 8MP camera with autofocus and touch focus capability, dual LED flash, high definition 720p video recording with 30FPS and one touch image sharing

Investigating the Hype: Samsung Galaxy Nexus Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:45:18 PST

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus was released last month in the U.S., and it’s already being talked about all over the world. The Galaxy Nexus is thought to be the frontrunner of a new class of Android phones that are faster, better, and stronger than the previous generation of Androids. Running on Android’s new operating platform, Ice Cream Sandwich, this smartphone is lightning fast and certainly gives the somewhat disappointing iPhone 4s a run for its money. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a good phone, and Google did an excellent job promoting it. However, is it all it’s cracked up to be?

As previously mentioned, the phone runs on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform. This freshly updated platform allows web pages and apps to load faster. Ice Cream Sandwich’s built-in navigation system is far more accurate than the navigation system used on previous Android smartphones. The phone instantly detects exactly where you are (instead of being a little off like the navigation system of previous Android platforms).

Android’s 4.0 platform also allows users to take pictures in a panoramic mode, turn their smartphones a Wi-Fi hotspot, share apps with other Android phone users wirelessly, and store information and music on a cloud service that is built into the phone. Ice Cream Sandwich enables the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to do anything an ordinary smartphone can do plus quite a bit more.

The phone also boasts a 1.2 GHz processor (dual-core), 1 GB of RAM, and a whopping 32 GB of memory. All in all, if you consider the specs of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, you might come to the conclusion that it really is the best smartphone on the market right now. The only question is: will it hold that title when the iPhone 5 is released or when other Android phones adopt the Ice Cream Sandwich platform? Only time will tell. All we know for now is that Samsung Galaxy Nexus users are having a blast with their smartphones.

NOTE: Author’s Bio: Melissa is a visiting blog writer (Blog Content Guild)who specializes in writing about Android phones, international technology, and Dell coupons for deals.

Huawei Pushes the Boundaries with Vision

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:30:59 PST

Huawei Mobile today launched its most stylish and advanced Android Smartphone to date. The Huawei Vision brings together cutting edge technology and stylish design at an unbelievably low price.

The unique launch event was held this morning at Sydney’s cutting-edge venue, White Rabbit Gallery. Incorporating augmented reality elements to show-off the design and features of Vision, the event allowed guests to experience the world through Huawei’s eyes – truly pushing the boundaries of reality.

Huawei Australia Devices Marketing Director, Mark Treadwell, told guests that the Vision had been designed with the end-user in mind.

“Vision epitomises everything that Huawei stands for,” he said. “The award winning[i] Vision pushes the boundaries of accessibility, style, cutting edge technology and user experience with a unique curved screen, 3D user interface, Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and host of smart features, all at a very competitive price.”

Featuring a streamlined aluminum alloy unibody, Vision measures just 9.9mm at its thinnest point and boasts a 3.7 inch curve design touch screen. Made using the same technology applied to the production of Swiss watches, each Vision screen takes up to 17 hours to craft, creating a 3D touch screen experience, brought to life with a 3D mobile interface and offering consumers an exceptional 3D experience.

Running on a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM 8255 processor, Vision features a customisable user interface that enables home screen panels to be explored easily and rendered in a number of ways, including as a 3D carousel interface.

The feature-packed Vision has a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and supports 720p video recording and playback, with Bluetooth V2.1 with A2DP and high-speed Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n connectivity. Vision also offers access to thousands of apps through the Android Market and a full range of messaging capabilities, including Push Email and IM.

The Huawei Vision is available from Thursday 24th November, exclusively through Allphones for $279 outright or on a $19 Optus cap.

“Allphones is delighted to see new manufacturers coming into the market with fantastic hardware designs and using the latest technology platforms,” commented Shaun Colligan, CEO, Allphones.

“Huawei has shown its strength in the market over the past 12 months and we look forward to developing our partnership over the coming years. Vision is exclusive to the AMT Group, and all the staff are extremely excited about the prospect of this fantastic new handset.”

Huawei Launches Ultra-Stylish Android 2.3 Smartphone

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:39:12 PDT

Huawei has introduced its latest Android Gingerbread smartphone, Huawei IDEOS X3, to Australia. Running on Google Android 2.3, the ultra-stylish Huawei IDEOS X3 blends sleek hardware and high-performance software to help users synch their social communication channels even more seamlessly.

Boasting a full range of Android applications and 3.2 megapixel camera, Huawei IDEOS X3 measures just 11.2 mm at its sleekest point, making it the thinnest device on the market with a 3.2 inch capacitative multi-touch screen.

With its Android 2.3 operating system, Huawei IDEOS X3 also features a refined user interface that makes the smartphone easy to navigate, more intuitive and more power-efficient. It supports the “Huawei Handset Over-the-Air and Online Upgrade” (HOTA) solution, providing users with easy and timely upgrades.

“We are delighted to present Huawei IDEOS X3, the smartphone that strikes the perfect balance between speed, connectivity and style,” said Huawei Australia Devices Marketing Director, Mark Treadwell.

“Taking advantage of a faster and more intuitive keyboard, Huawei IDEOS X3 allows users to breeze through texts and calls while controlling all browsers, emails and apps in one place, for a seamless user experience.”

Huawei IDEOS X3 will be exclusive to Vodafone and available through the following channels: Vodafone stores, Mo’s Mobiles, Crazy Johns, Allphones, Woolworths, Coles, Australia Post, Dick Smith & Big W.

Key features:

Operating System: Android 2.3

Display: 3.2” HVGA (480x320) Capacitive Touch TFT

Memory: MicroSD expandable memory (up to 16GB)

Camera: 3.2MP FF camera

Battery: 1500mAh Li-ion

Processor: MSM7227, HSDPA 7.2Mbps, UMTS900/2100M

Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, MicroUSB, WiFi b/g/n

Dimensions: 110 x 56.5 x 11.2

Weight: Less than 115g

Huawei Brings Dual SIM Android Smartphone to Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:57:45 PDT

Huawei Mobile has launched its first dual SIM Android Smartphone in Australia. Running on Google’s Android 2.2 operating system, Huawei Deuce features an active dual SIM and dual standby capability, giving users the option to run two numbers simultaneously.

Boasting a 3.2 inch, 480x320 pixel capacitative touchscreen and a 3.2 megapixel camera, Huawei Deuce offers GPS with Google Maps, Google Search, Gmail and access to all the latest games and apps on the Android Market.

Featuring Bluetooth V2.1 with A2DP, high-speed WiFi 802.11b/g/n internet connectivity and a complete range of messaging capabilities, Huawei Deuce delivers seamless and flexible communication.

“Huawei Deuce is the ideal choice for consumers wanting a smartphone that gives them the option of operating two SIM cards simultaneously, without draining their wallets,” said Huawei Australia Devices Marketing Director, Mark Treadwell.

“Allowing you to switch between numbers on one sleek handset, or take advantage of different plans, the Huawei Deuce offers exceptional choice and makes staying touch with family, friends and colleagues easy and convenient.”

Huawei Deuce is available now for $249 outright at Allphones, Dick Smith and Harvey Norman.

Key features:

Operating System: Android 2.2

Display: 3.2” HVGA (480x320) Capacitive Touch TFT

Memory: MicroSD expandable memory (up to 32GB)

Camera: 3.2MP FF camera

Battery: 1500mAh Li-ion

Processor: MSM7227, 600MHz

Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, MicroUSB, WiFi b/g/n

Dimensions: 112 x 57 x 12.7

Weight: 113g

THINNER, LIGHTER, FASTER - TOSHIBA ANNOUCES LASTEST CONSUMER LINE-UP

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:23:26 PDT

Leading with the world’s thinnest and lightest 13.3” Ultrabook™, Toshiba (Australia) Pty Limited today unveiled its refreshed consumer line-up in New Zealand.

“With approximately 20 products arriving in store – from tablets, notebooks and a new All-in-One (AIO) to our stunning Ultrabook™ – this range showcases Toshiba innovation at its best,” said Justin White, Toshiba Product Marketing Manager (Australia) Pty Limited.

“One of the stand out features of our latest line-up is a richer entertainment experience with enhanced sound and audio technologies.”

Heading up the range is Toshiba’s Satellite Z830 – the company's first Ultrabook™ which is due to arrive in stores in early November. Featuring a 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processor and weighing in at just over a kilogram it also measures less than 16mm in thickness.

Joining Ultrabook™ is the new Toshiba 7” Tablet (AT1S0) which will be available from the end of October. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, coat pocket or handbag, the 7” Tablet (AT1S0) weighs in at just 399g and will appeal to consumers who want entertainment-optimised features in a very portable size.

For home use, Toshiba has introduced its latest All-In-One (DX730) with a more vibrant 23” Full HD touchscreen with fingertip control. This means consumers can enjoy a great experience surfing the internet, watching TV and movies, or connecting with loved ones using the HD web cam. It is available now in stores.

Telecom refunds customers after inaccurate broadband meter readings

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:46:50 PDT

Telecom has admitted breaching the Fair Trading Act after misleading some customers about the amount of broadband data they used.

Telecom said the inaccurate readings for approximately 97,000 customer accounts between November 2010 and June 2011 were due to a software fault in broadband data usage meters. Telecom discovered the fault following complaints from a number of their customers.

The result of the inaccurate readings was that around 47,000 of the customers were impacted in one or more of the following ways:

· Customers had the speed of their broadband service reduced (or ‘throttled’) to dial up speed once the reading reached their data cap.

· Customers upgraded to a more expensive monthly broadband plan to increase their monthly data allowance due to an incorrect perception about their data usage.

· Customers were charged overage fees for the amount of data that they used above their data cap.

· Customers reduced their data usage so as to not exceed their monthly data allowance.

· Customers were charged early termination fees for changing providers as a result of incorrect perceptions about their data usage.

Telecom issued a public statement in June 2011 outlining the fault and their intention to refund affected customers. To date, Telecom has written to their affected customers and has refunded more than $2.7 million.

“We’re pleased to have reached a settlement with Telecom and that they have made prompt refunds directly back to the customers who have lost out,” said Stuart Wallace, Commerce Commission Competition Manager.

“Telecom brought this issue to our attention as soon as they were made aware by their customers and have co-operated fully with the Commission. Due to Telecom’s immediate admission of a breach of the Fair Trading Act, followed by appropriate compensation to customers, the settlement is the best possible outcome for those customers and avoids potentially lengthy and costly court hearings paid for by taxpayers,” added Mr Wallace.

A copy of the settlement agreement can be found on the Commission’s website at: www.comcom.govt.nz/fair-trading-act-enforcement-actions-register

VERTU PRESENTS CONSTELLATION AT PALAZZO SERBELLONI, MILANO THE MOST EXQUISITE TOUCH

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:27:30 PDT

Vertu, the market leader in luxury mobile phones celebrated the highly anticipated launch of its first touchscreen handset, Constellation in Milan last night.

Friends of the brand gathered for the evening and were able to admire the new touchscreen smartphone by Vertu at the magnificent Palazzo Serbelloni. The Constellation touchscreen model strikes the perfect balance between an unparalleled art of craftsmanship and modern technology offering an unrivalled range of category leading exclusive services.

The glamorous evening event was attended by a whole host of international and Italian guests from across the arts and fashion world including acclaimed actress Tilda Swinton, Hollywood star Uma Thurman, model Chanel Iman who acted as the DJ at the event, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon actress Michelle Yeoh, actor Clive Owen and top models Rosie Huntington-Whitely and David Gandy.

Vertu prides itself on being a pioneer of delivering relevant, tailored luxury information and services direct to a mobile handset through Vertu Concierge and continue to expand this proposition to deliver an unparalleled customer service.

Palazzo Serbelloni was the perfect venue of choice by Vertu as it is one of the most significant buildings in Milanese Neo-classicism, a setting rich in cultural traditionalism and heritage. History met modernity with a state of the art and awe inspiring installation designed by Vertu brand ambassador and Chinese architect, Ma Yansong. The first structure in Europe was expertly showcased in the beautiful courtyard of the Palazzo giving guests the one off opportunity to experience the wonders of the Constellation handset being brought to life through this carefully hand crafted installation.

The evening was hosted by Perry Oosting, Vertu President who commented, “We are delighted to launch our first touchscreen handset in Milan, enabling us to fully share our exceptional passion and expertise in mobile phones, craftsmanship and exclusive services with one of the most important and discerning markets in the world. We are pleased to be able to celebrate our first touchscreen phone, Constellation with our friends of the brand in Milan.”

World renowned for creating the most luxurious mobile phone whilst offering exclusive services, Vertu was also proud to re-open its new Montenapoleone boutique which features some of Vertu’s most beautiful and important collections, including Signature, Constellation Quest as well as the most recent touchscreen addition Constellation.

The Via Montenapoleone store concept offers a soft and inviting ambience whilst showcasing the Vertu handsets in an invigorating and thought-provoking manner. Vertu customers have the opportunity to experience the unique in-store elements such as a spectacular chandelier featuring LED glass panels controlled by a remote to provide various strengths of lighting.

A testament to timeless elegance and sets an unprecedented standard for luxury, It is perfectly positioned more than ever before to cater to Vertu’s European and worldwide clientele recognising the demand for state of the art technology, exquisite craftsmanship and a concierge service of superlative quality.

Vertu also combined this special date with the simultaneous launch of its new integrated website vertu.com. Designed to provide a seamless experience for existing customers and first time buyers alike it has, at its core, the Vertu handset and exclusive lifestyle services for which the brand is renowned. Inspired by the new Vertu brand campaign, the site provides the perfect medium to highlight all aspects of Vertu and incorporates an e-Commerce platform and owners’ portal. The new site was launched Tuesday, 18th October, and is available in eight different languages worldwide.

PLAYSTATION®VITA LAUNCHES IN FEBRUARY 2012 IN NEW ZEALAND

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:53:04 PDT

Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand confirmed today that PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) will launch on 23rd February, 2012. This follows an announcement made by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today confirming that PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) will launch throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Australasia from 22nd February, 2012.

Available in Europe from €249.99 (RRP), New Zealand from NZD $449.95 (RRP) for the Wi-Fi model, the 3G/Wi-Fi model will retail for €299.99 (RRP), NZD $549.95(RRP). PS Vita will offer uncompromised portable gaming experiences, anytime, and anywhere.

“PlayStation Vita is a revolutionary device, which will offer the best possible portable gaming experiences available on the market. Its impressive feature set is designed to provide the ultimate gaming experiences on the go. This, combined with social connectivity means there will be not only innovative new ways to play, but also new ways to connect with others,” said David Hine, Sales and Marketing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment New Zealand.

He continued, “We are incredibly excited about the upcoming launch of PlayStation Vita.”

Leveraging PlayStation’s legacy of delivering deep and immersive gaming experiences, the PS Vita system will bring to consumers new ways to play through a unique feature set such as a stunning OLED front touch screen and rear touch pad, dual analog sticks, motion sensors, and dual cameras.

With more than 80 games currently in production from first and third party studios including “LittleBigPlanet,” “Wipeout 2048,” “Resistance: Burning Skies™,” “Uncharted Golden Abyss™,” Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed,” EA Sports’ “FIFA”, Activision’s ‘Call of Duty’, and many more, the PS Vita is poised to deliver gameplay experiences unmatched by any handheld or mobile device on the market.

In addition, with both 3G and Wi-Fi support, PS Vita will draw consumers deeper into the gameplay experience and enable them to connect and play with the world around them, including their friends and other PS Vita owners through native PS Vita applications – near, and Party. A variety of social networking and communications services such as Facebook, foursquare, Skype™, and Twitter will also be available on PS Vita.

Kiwis adopting faster broadband

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:47:42 PDT

New Zealanders are opting for faster Internet speeds, larger volumes of data, and easier access to the Internet, Statistics New Zealand said today.

The majority of Internet subscribers are choosing plans which allow them larger quantities of data. The number of subscribers on a 20 to 50 gigabyte (GB) monthly data cap plan more than doubled in the last year. In the year ended June 2011, the average subscriber consumed an estimated 9GB of data per month, which is equivalent to watching about 45 hours of streaming video.

A greater number of subscribers had access to faster upload speeds in 2011.

The proportion of those with upload speeds of 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) or more increased by over 70 percent in the year ended June 2011.

The most common upload speeds remain between 256 kilobits per second (kbps) and 1.5Mbps, however, the number of subscribers using slower speeds is declining.

The number of subscribers using alternative technologies, such as cellular, cable, and satellite connections, increased by almost 50 percent between June 2010 and June 2011. Additionally, almost 2 million New Zealanders used a mobile phone to access the Internet in the three months prior to 30 June

2011.

“This reflects the developments in Internet-accessible devices such as tablets, pocket WiFi, and smartphones,” ICT Statistics Manager, Jean Watt said.

The total number of broadband subscribers increased 14 percent since 2010 to almost 1.5 million subscribers. The number of broadband subscribers overtook the number of dial-up subscribers for the first time in 2007. Four years later broadband subscribers accounted for over 85 percent of the overall number of subscribers to the Internet.

The Internet Service Provider Survey covers all Internet service providers in New Zealand and is run annually.

Colourful, affordable Nokia 603 - packed with everything you need to try something new

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:14:18 PDT

Nokia today announced the Nokia 603, a colourful, affordable, no compromise smartphone preloaded with the latest apps and featuring single-tap pairing, sharing and tag reading with NFC. Alongside the Nokia 603, the daringly-designed Nokia Luna Bluetooth Headset completes the NFC-enabled easy pairing experience in an affordable package.

The Nokia 603 is designed to appeal to first time smartphone users and those upgrading from older products, particularly existing users of Nokia smartphones who will welcome a device that offers all the latest technology and features in a package that is still uniquely Nokia.

"The Nokia 603 continues the renewal of our smartphone range with products that are uniquely matched to the needs of people around the world," said Tuula Rytila, Senior Vice President, Nokia. "Whatever the price-point, our aim is to ensure all Nokia smartphones are crafted for use, have Nokia's trusted quality, are better connected, and contain unexpected surprises like the ability to tap to pair and share with NFC."

Featuring the latest Symbian Belle software, the Nokia 603 also benefits from up to six customizable homescreens and dynamic live widgets for improved personalization and prioritization of your favourite content.

Thank you, Steve Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:43:26 PDT

Apple issued a statement saying "Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being.

Sony Ericsson announces block buster title Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light first to Android on Xperia™ PLAY

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:51:48 PDT

Sony Ericsson is adding to its ever growing ecosystem of over 150 optimised titles for Xperia™ PLAY with a partnership with world renowned Square Enix®. Revealed today the partnership will bring much loved titles such as “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light™” exclusively to Android on Xperia PLAY in November 2011. More established hits from Square Enix will then follow in the coming months.

“With a unique control pad and immersive graphics that enable an enriched gaming experience, Xperia™ PLAY is bringing a unique and exciting dimension to smartphone gaming,” said Ben Cusack, Head of Mobile for Square Enix Europe. “This is just the start of what we plan to do together, but right now, we are delighted to be able to show off the full potential of our games with this innovative smartphone, bringing them to life as our creators intended.”

“Xperia™ PLAY continues to redefine smartphone gaming. By bringing some of the world’s most popular console games to the Xperia™ PLAY we’re delivering an unrivalled smartphone gaming experience,” said Tim Harrison, Head of Content & Marketing Strategy for Sony Ericsson. “And this is still really only just the beginning - we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with new games and new experiences optimized for Xperia PLAY, ensuring that consumers have the best gaming possible experience on a smartphone, whatever games they are in to.”

Sony Ericsson continues to make Xperia™ PLAY available to more consumers in more markets around the world. The smartphone has recently gone on sale in the US on the AT&T network and on the 14th September, the company announced that Xperia™ PLAY will launch in Japan with NTT DOCOMO in October 2011.

Introducing "Amazon Silk": Amazon's Revolutionary Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser, Available Exclusively on Kindle Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:37:38 PDT

Amazon Silk introduces a radical new paradigm - a "split browser" architecture that accelerates the power of the mobile device hardware by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services cloud (AWS). The Silk browser software resides both on Kindle Fire and on the massive server fleet that comprises the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). With each page request, Silk dynamically determines a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2 (i.e. which browser sub-components run where) that takes into consideration factors like network conditions, page complexity and the location of any cached content. The result is a faster web browsing experience, and it's available exclusively on Kindle Fire, Amazon's new Kindle for movies, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing.

"Kindle Fire introduces a revolutionary new web browser called Amazon Silk," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. "We refactored and rebuilt the browser software stack and now push pieces of the computation into the AWS cloud. When you use Silk - without thinking about it or doing anything explicit - you're calling on the raw computational horsepower of Amazon EC2 to accelerate your web browsing."

Modern websites have become complex. For example, on a recent day, constructing the CNN.com home page required 161 files served from 25 unique domains. This degree of complexity is common. In fact, a typical web page requires 80 files served from 13 different domains. Latency over wireless connections is high - on the order of 100 milliseconds round trip. Serving a web page requires hundreds of such round trips, only some of which can be done in parallel. In aggregate, this adds seconds to page load times.

Conversely, Amazon EC2 is always connected to the backbone of the internet where round-trip latency is 5 milliseconds or less to most web sites rather than the 100 milliseconds seen over wireless connections. In addition, EC2 servers have massive computational power. On EC2, available CPU, storage, and available memory can be orders of magnitudes larger than on mobile devices. Silk uses the power and speed of the EC2 server fleet to retrieve all of the components of a website and deliver them to Kindle Fire in a single, fast stream.

In addition to having more horsepower than a mobile processor, AWS has peering relationships with major internet service providers, and many top sites are hosted on EC2. This means that many web requests will never leave the extended infrastructure of AWS, reducing transit times to only a few milliseconds. Further, while processing and memory constraints lead most mobile browsers to limit the amount of work they attempt at any one time, using EC2 frees Silk from these constraints. If hundreds of files are required to build a web page across dozens of domains, Silk can request all of this content simultaneously with EC2, without overwhelming the mobile device processor or impacting battery life.

Traditional browsers must wait to receive the HTML file in order to begin downloading the other page assets. Silk is different because it learns these page characteristics automatically by aggregating the results of millions of page loads and maintaining this knowledge on EC2. While another browser might still be setting up a connection with the host server, Silk has already pushed content that it knows is associated with the page to the Kindle Fire before the site has even instructed the browser where to find it.

A typical web request begins with resolving the domain names associated with the server and establishing a TCP connection to issue the http request. Establishing TCP connections for each request consumes time and resources that slow down traditional browsers. Silk keeps a persistent connection open to EC2 so that there is always a connection at the ready to start loading the next page. Silk also uses EC2 to maintain a persistent connection to the top sites on the web. This approach reduces latency that would otherwise result from constantly establishing TCP connections. Further, Silk's split architecture uses a pipelined, multiplexing protocol that can send all the content over a single connection.

Finally, Silk leverages the collaborative filtering techniques and machine learning algorithms Amazon has built over the last 15 years to power features such as "customers who bought this also bought..." As Silk serves up millions of page views every day, it learns more about the individual sites it renders and where users go next. By observing the aggregate traffic patterns on various web sites, it refines its heuristics, allowing for accurate predictions of the next page request. For example, Silk might observe that 85 percent of visitors to a leading news site next click on that site's top headline. With that knowledge, EC2 and Silk together make intelligent decisions about pre-pushing content to the Kindle Fire. As a result, the next page a Kindle Fire customer is likely to visit will already be available locally in the device cache, enabling instant rendering to the screen.

"Silk"

The name "Silk" is inspired by the idea that a thread of silk is an invisible yet incredibly strong connection between two different things. In the case of Amazon Silk, it's the connection between the Kindle Fire and Amazon EC2 that creates a better, faster browsing experience. For more information on Amazon Silk, visit www.amazon.com/silk.

Exclusively on Kindle Fire

Silk is available exclusively on Kindle Fire. To pre-order Kindle Fire, visit www.amazon.com/kindlefire.

Introducing the All-New Kindle Family: Four New Kindles, Four Amazing Price Points

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:33:13 PDT

Millions of people are already reading on Kindles and Kindle is the bestselling e-reader in the world for four years running. Today, Amazon is excited to introduce an all-new Kindle family: three all-new Kindle e-readers that are smaller, lighter, and more affordable than ever before, and Kindle Fire - a new class of Kindle that brings the same ease-of-use and deep integration of content that helped Kindle re-invent reading - to movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps, books, games, and more.

"We've now reached the magical two-digit price point for Kindle - twice: the new Kindle and Kindle Touch are only $79 and $99. Kindle Touch 3G is the new top of the line e-reader with free 3G - no monthly fees or annual contracts - and is only $149," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO.

"Kindle Fire brings together all of the things we've been working on at Amazon for over 15 years into a single, fully-integrated service for customers. With Kindle Fire, you have instant access to all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, the convenience of Amazon Whispersync, our revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, the speed and power of a state-of-the-art dual-core processor, a vibrant touch display with 16 million colors in high resolution, and a light 14.6 ounce design that's easy to hold with one hand - all for only $199. We're offering premium products, and we're doing it at non-premium prices."

New Latest Generation Kindle--Fits In Your Pocket--Only $79

The new latest generation Kindle is for readers who want the lightest, most compact Kindle at an incredible price. The latest generation Kindle features a new design that is 30 percent lighter at just 5.98 ounces, 18 percent smaller, and turns pages 10 percent faster. Kindle is now small and light enough to fit easily in your pocket and carry with you everywhere, yet it still features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight.

The new latest generation Kindle is only $79. Kindle is available starting today at www.amazon.com/kindle.

New Addition to the Kindle Family--"Kindle Touch"--Only $99

Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes - still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch is also lighter, smaller, eliminates battery anxiety with extra-long battery life and holds thousands of books.

New "X-Ray" Feature

Amazon invented X-Ray, a new feature that lets customers explore the "bones of the book." With a single tap, readers can see all the passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon's community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers. Amazon built X-Ray using its expertise in language processing and machine learning, access to significant storage and computing resources with Amazon S3 and EC2, and a deep library of book and character information. The vision is to have every important phrase in every book.

The new Kindle Touch is only $99. Kindle Touch is available to customers in the U.S. for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindletouch and ships November 21.

New Top of the Line Kindle e-reader--"Kindle Touch 3G" --Only $149

Kindle Touch 3G is a new addition to the Kindle family for readers who want the top of the line e-reader. Kindle Touch 3G offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch - small and light, easy-to-use touch screen, storage for thousands of books, and extra-long battery life - with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle's free 3G connection means you never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot - you simply download and read books anytime, anywhere in over 100 countries around the world. Amazon pays for the 3G connection so there's no monthly fee or annual contract.

The new top of the line Kindle Touch 3G is only $149. Kindle Touch 3G is available to customers in the U.S. for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindletouch3G and ships November 21.

All Kindles have instant access to the Kindle Store with the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. Millions of free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle devices, and Kindle customers can now borrow Kindle books from their public library. Kindle books are "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" - on Kindle, Kindle Touch, Kindle Touch 3G, Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PCs, Mac, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry, Windows phones, and web browsers with Kindle Cloud Reader.

All three new Kindle e-readers also come with special offers and sponsored screensavers that appear when you're not reading. Customers enjoy special money-saving offers delivered wirelessly sponsored by AT&T, the Dove beauty brand and Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card by Chase. Kindle e-reader customers will also receive special offers in their own backyards from AmazonLocal, Amazon's local deals marketplace with discounts on local services, products, and experiences. Customers can also choose to purchase a Kindle without special offers and sponsored screensavers.

New Class of Kindle--"Kindle Fire"--Only $199

All The Content--Over 18 Million Movies, TV Shows, Songs, Apps, Games, Books, and Magazines

Kindle Fire puts Amazon's incredible selection of digital content at your fingertips:

Over 100,000 movies and TV shows from Amazon Instant Video, including thousands of new releases and popular TV shows, available to stream or download, purchase or rent - all just one tap away. Amazon Prime Members enjoy instant, unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 11,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost. Kindle Fire comes with one free month of Amazon Prime.

Over 17,000,000 songs from Amazon MP3, including new and bestselling albums from just $7.99 and individual songs from $0.69.

Over 1,000,000 Kindle books, including thousands of bestsellers, children's books, comic books and cookbooks in rich color.

100 exclusive graphic novels, including Watchmen, the bestselling - and considered by many to be the greatest - graphic novel of all time, which has never before been available in digital format, as well as Batman: Arkham City, Superman: Earth OneGreen Lantern: Secret Origin and 96 others from DC Entertainment.

Hundreds of magazines and newspapers - including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Wired, Elle, The New Yorker, Cosmopolitan and Martha Stewart Living - with full-color layouts, photographs, illustrations, built-in video, audio and other interactive features are available from the new Kindle Fire "Newsstand." Kindle Fire customers will enjoy an exclusive free three-month trial to 17 Condé Nast magazines, including Vanity Fair, GQ and Glamour.

All the most popular Android apps and games, such as Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, Cut the Rope and more. All apps are Amazon-tested on Kindle Fire to ensure quality and Amazon offers a new free paid app every day.

Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser - "Amazon Silk"

The Kindle Fire web browser Amazon Silk introduces a radical new paradigm - a "split browser" architecture that accelerates the power of the mobile device hardware by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services Cloud. The Silk browser software resides both on Kindle Fire and on the massive server fleet that comprises the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). With each page request, Silk dynamically determines a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2 (i.e. which browser sub-components run where) that takes into consideration factors like network conditions, page complexity, and cached content. The result is a faster web browsing experience, and it's available exclusively on Kindle Fire. Additional technical details are available in the Amazon Silk press release, released today at www.amazon.com/pr. To see a video about Amazon Silk go to www.amazon.com/silk.

Simple and Easy-To-Use

Amazon designed the Kindle Fire user interface from the ground up to make it easier than ever to purchase, manage, and enjoy your digital content. Just like with Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire comes automatically pre-registered to your Amazon.com account so you can immediately start enjoying your digital content purchased from Amazon or shop for new content. All of your digital content is instantly available to enjoy and manage with a simple, consistent experience across all content types.

Free Cloud Storage

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire offers free storage for all your Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. Amazon digital content is automatically backed up for free in the Amazon Cloud's Worry-Free Archive where it's available for re-downloading anytime.

Amazon Whispersync Now for Movies & TV Too

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire uses Amazon's popular Whispersync technology to automatically synchronize your Kindle library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across the widest range of devices and platforms. With the introduction of Kindle Fire, Amazon is expanding this technology to include video. Start streaming a movie on your Kindle Fire, and when you get home, you can resume streaming right where you left off on your TV - avoid the frustration of needing to find your spot.

Easy to Hold in One Hand

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire was designed to disappear so you can lose yourself in the content. Weighing in at just 14.6 ounces, Kindle Fire is small and light enough to hold in just one hand and carry everywhere you go. The lightweight, compact design makes Kindle Fire perfect for web browsing, playing games, reading and shopping on-the-go.

Brilliant Color Touchscreen

Content comes alive in rich color on a 7-inch full color LCD touchscreen that delivers 16 million colors in high resolution and 169 pixels per inch. Kindle Fire uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology - similar technology as used on the iPad, for an extra-wide viewing angle - perfect for sharing your screen with others. In addition, the Kindle Fire display is chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, which means it is incredibly durable and will stand up to accidental bumps and scrapes.

Fast, Powerful Dual-Core Processor

Kindle Fire features a state-of-the-art dual-core processor for fast, powerful performance. Stream music while browsing the web or read books while downloading videos.

Free Month of Amazon Prime

Right out of the box, Kindle Fire users will experience the benefits that millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy - unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of over 11,000 movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video and the convenience of Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items from Amazon.com.

Only $199

The all-new Kindle Fire - with all the content, Amazon's revolutionary cloud-accelerated browser, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, 14.6 ounce design that's easy to hold with one hand, brilliant color touchscreen, and a fast and powerful dual core processor - is only $199. Customers in the U.S. can pre-order Kindle Fire starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefire and it ships November 15.

For high resolution images and video of the all-new Kindle family, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle.

Nokia N9 begins shipping

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:34:39 PDT

Espoo, Finland - The Nokia N9, designed for people who appreciate exceptional design and craftsmanship as well as the latest smartphone technology, has begun shipping to customers and stores.

"Since we announced the Nokia N9 in June this year, the feedback that it has gotten from discerning and avid smartphone users across the world has been nothing short of fantastic," said Ilari Nurmi, Vice President of Marketing, Nokia. "With the innovations in industrial design, user interface, and the Qt developer experience, the Nokia N9 sets the bar for how natural technology can feel, and represents the first in a number of products from Nokia that will be brought to life in similar fashion."

The beautifully designed Nokia N9 features an intuitive user interface that's controlled with a simple swipe. With no home key, there's more room for apps to shine. Three home views - Applications, Events and Live Applications - enable people to navigate through the smartphone easily and get to their favourite content faster. Other features include:

3.9-inch AMOLED screenmade from scratch-resistant curved glass

· Easy single-tap pairing with NFC-enabled accessories such as the Nokia Play 360 wireless speaker and sharing of content through NFC technology.

An 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss autofocus sensor and wide-angle lens for HD-quality video and photo capture, and large lens aperture for great camera performance even in low-lighting conditions; easy capture and share of images and videos with social networks

· Mobile Internet radio*, with a great range of music out-of-the-box and no fees or account creation necessary, available for the first time as part of the Nokia Music offering; just press play. And the music sounds even better on the first smartphone to come with Dolby Digital Plus decoding and Dolby Headphone post-processing technology.

· Free turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation with voice-guided maps for more than 100 countries and in more than 50 languages

· Top social networking, communication, entertainment and gaming apps preloaded for a hassle-free out-of-the-box experience

· Global and local apps available through Nokia store for further personalization and new discovery opportunities

The Nokia N9 is available in three colours - black, cyan and magenta with 16GB and 64GB storage options to accommodate plenty of content and will be on sale in countries around the world.

The estimated retail price of the Nokia N9 16GB and 64GB is approximately EUR 480 and EUR 560 before applicable taxes or subsidies, with pricing and availability varying from region to region and operator to operator.

To learn more about the Nokia N9, visit http://swipe.nokia.com

Amazon Announces Digital Video License Agreement With Twentieth Century Fox

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:18:33 PDT

Amazon.com today announced a licensing agreement with FOX that will allow Amazon Prime members to instantly stream a broad selection of popular movies and TV shows from the FOX library. This deal will bring the total number of Prime instant videos to more than 11,000 movies and TV shows later this fall.

FOX titles available to Prime members will include contemporary movies such as, "Speed," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Doctor Dolittle," "Last of the Mohicans," and "Office Space," as well as classics like "The Longest Day," "All About Eve," "9 to 5," and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." FOX also brings to Prime members a selection of popular TV series including "24," "The X-Files," "NYPD Blue," "Arrested Development," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Ally McBeal," and newly available on digital video, "The Wonder Years."

"We have received very positive feedback from Prime members about Prime instant videos. Customers love the instant access to thousands of movie and TV favorites," said Steve Oliver, director of Video at Amazon.com. "Since the launch of Prime instant videos in February, we have more than doubled the library to 11,000 titles and will continue to add more of our customers' favorite movies and TV shows to Prime instant videos."

About Prime Instant Video

Prime instant video is a benefit for paid Amazon Prime members. Prime members get unlimited, commercial-free, instant access to more than 11,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost. Since the launch of Prime instant videos, Amazon has secured licensing deals from partners such as CBS, FOX, NBCUniversal, Sony, Warner Bros. and many more.

About Amazon Instant Video

For customers who are not Prime members, or who are looking to instantly purchase or rent movies and TV shows, Amazon offers Amazon Instant Video. Amazon Instant Video is a streaming video service that provides more than 100,000 titles including new release movies, TV shows the day after they air, as well as contemporary and classic videos in SD and HD. Customers can instantly watch movies and TV shows from Amazon Instant Video or Prime instant video on a Mac, PC or directly on a TV with any of the 300 compatible devices.

New Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse G400 Offers Rock-Solid Performance When Your Sights Are Set on Victory

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:54:12 PDT

Today Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) unleashed the Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse G400, a rock-solid performer with a high-precision optical sensor that gives you consistent tracking and precise aiming – no matter how fast you move your hand.

Featuring a 3600 dpi optical engine, the Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse G400 delivers precision targeting and pinpoint accuracy, while in-game dpi switching lets you change the mouse’s tracking characteristics to match the situation. Go from pixel-precise targeting (400 dpi) to lightning-fast maneuvers (up to 3600 dpi) without ever having to interrupt play.

The mouse also communicates over USB at a blazing-fast 1000 reports per second – as fast as USB can go, and eight times faster than standard USB mice, so your movements are reflected in the game as quickly as possible, giving you increased accuracy.

“The Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse G400 is designed to take everything you loved about the MX518 and improve on everything you didn’t,” said Bryan Simpson, General Manager of Logitech New Zealand. “Every device feature is designed to offer the precision you need to consistently play a top-notch game.”

You’ll appreciate the Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse G400’s sculpted comfort grip that supports your hand, reducing discomfort during long gaming sessions.

And it’s built to last – with longer-life buttons and slick polytetrafluoroethylene feet that glide effortlessly and are designed to withstand demanding play. The mouse also features eight programmable buttons that allow you to control your mouse's performance without complicated reconfigurations.

Pricing and Availability

The LogitechÒ Optical Gaming Mouse G400 is available now in New Zealand for a suggested retail price of $79.90.

To find out more about the LogitechÒOptical Gaming Mouse G400, please visit www.logitech.com.

Huawei launches IDEOS X1 smartphone in Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:56:55 PDT

Leading telecom solutions provider Huawei has today launched the latest model in its line of affordable Android powered smartphones.

The all-new IDEOS X1 runs on Google’s Android 2.2 operating system, combining advanced technical capabilities with an updated user interface and a sleeker handset than its predecessor. The innovative IDEOS X1 is available for under $100 with Optus.

Boasting a 2.8 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen and 3.2MP camera, the IDEOS X1 also features integrated access to Google Maps, Google Search, Gmail and the Android Market.

“The IDEOS X1 is the perfect choice for consumers wanting a smartphone that gives them quick and easy access to all the apps they love, without draining their wallets,” said Huawei Devices Head of Marketing, Mark Treadwell. “Running Android 2.2 and weighing only 100 grams, the IDEOS X1 offers a better experience than other entry-level smartphones – both practically and aesethically.”

The IDEOS X1 will be available only through Optus from 1 July for RRP$99 on pre-paid. Gavin Williams, Marketing Director, Optus Consumer says, “We're very pleased to be offering our customers an affordable and highly impressive Android Smartphone. Devices such as the X1 from Huawei really demonstrate the range of smartphone options which are available on the Android platform, as well as the quality handsets which are available across a range of price points for both pre-paid and post-paid customers.”

“With some of the great value offers available from Optus pre-paid, the Android smartphone experience is now something that a huge range of customers can experience,” he said.

For less than $100, the Huawei IDEOS X1 is packed with features, including:

•Android 2.2 operating system•HSDPA 7.2Mbps (optimal hardward speed)•2.8” QVGA (320x240) TFT Capacitive Touch Screen•3.2 Megapixel Camera •MicroUSB (High Speed USB)•512M (ROM) and 256M (RAM) Internal Memory· Proximity and Ambient Light Sensor

· Google Maps / Google Search / Gmail / Android Market

· Integrated Social Media Clients including Facebook and Twitter

Boasting a 2.8 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen and 3.2MP camera, the IDEOS X1 also features integrated access to Google Maps, Google Search, Gmail and the Android Market.

LinkedIn Data Reveals New Zealand Men are Savvier Online Professional Networkers Than Women

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:36:19 PDT

LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/), the world's largest professional network with more than 100 million members worldwide and more than 350,000 members in New Zealand, today released data on the differences between men and women when it comes to networking professionally online.

LinkedIn studied the details of professionals across multiple industries and countries and has found that globally and in New Zealand, men tend to be savvier online networkers than women.

LinkedIn's data got even more interesting when it was spliced by industry. LinkedIn discovered that what you think would be a male savvy industry (such as railroad manufacture) is actually a female savvy industry. Interestingly, the opposite was not true. Men were still savvier in traditionally male-dominated industries such as machinery.

Top New Zealand industries where women are savvier online professional networkers

* Railroad manufacture

* Wireless

* Program Development

* Marketing and advertising

Top New Zealand industries where men are savvier online professional networkers

* Machinery

* Law enforcement

* Human resources

* Newspapers

"Networking experiences can actually be quite different for men and women – even at the same event, within the same organisation, or in the same industry or community", says Cliff Rosenberg (http://au.linkedin.com/in/cliffrosenberg), LinkedIn's managing director in Australia and New Zealand.

"Some professionals may find networking in person to be tedious or intimidating and any such barriers can be removed in an online environment. LinkedIn provides the best platform and tools to cultivate their networking skills and build strong professional connections".

"Instead of thinking about networking as a cringe-worthy activity of handing out business cards and talking about themselves, professional women can think about networking as a way to build their social capital.

It's not just about keeping in touch with old colleagues, but building relationships with people who will be useful to us in the future", says Kathryn Jackson(http://nz.linkedin.com/in/careerbalance), Executive Coach and author of 'Essential Questions to GROW Your Team'.

In addition to reviewing the savviest networkers by industry, LinkedIn also took a look at some of the largest companies in New Zealand. Here are a few examples of how these companies ranked on LinkedIn's "Battle of the Sexes" online professional networking savviness scale.

Organisations found to have savvier female online professional networkers* The New Zealand Defence Force

* Auckland City Council

* Te Wananga o Aotearoa

Organisations found to have savvier male online professional networkers

* Ministry of Education of New Zealand

* Westpac

* The Accident Compensation Corporation

To declare a winner in the battle of the sexes argument, LinkedIn developed an online professional networking "savviness" ranking that measured two variables: the ratio of connections that men have compared to the ratio of connections that women have, and the ratio of male to female LinkedIn members.

Nokia and Accenture finalize Symbian software development and support services outsourcing agreement

noreply@blogger.com (Mico Santos) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:24:35 PDT

Espoo, Finland - Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) have finalized an agreement for Nokia to outsource Symbian software development and support activities to Accenture. Plans of the agreement were first announced on April 27, 2011.

Under the agreement, Accenture will provide Symbian based software development and support services to Nokia through 2016. Approximately 2,800 Nokia employees located in China, Finland, India, United Kingdom and the United States, are expected to transfer to Accenture at closing, which is expected to take place in the early part of October, 2011.

"We look forward to partnering with Nokia as they continue to support Symbian and transition to the Windows Phone ecosystem," said Marty Cole, chief executive, Accenture Communications and High Tech group. "The highly skilled group of technologists and engineers transferring to Accenture will complement our current mobility skills and enhance the breadth, depth and scale of our capabilities, allowing us to meet the growing global demand for mobility services across many industries."

The agreement calls for Accenture to support and further develop Nokia's Symbian platform and to become the preferred supplier to Nokia on their transition to Windows Phone. Accenture will seek opportunities to leverage transferring employee skills and capabilities to provide mobility software, business and operational services around the Windows Phone platform to Nokia and other ecosystem participants. Accenture will also seek to retrain and redeploy transferred employees.

"Our collaboration with Accenture allows us to meet our ongoing commitment to support our Symbian smartphone customers and continue to leverage the talent that has the deepest experience on the platform," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president for Smart Devices, Nokia. "As we move our primary smartphone platform to Windows Phone, we will look to explore potential opportunities to tap this talent pool as they develop and expand their knowledge and capabilities beyond Symbian."

Accenture will also work with Avanade, a technology service company that is majority-owned by Accenture and focuses on Microsoft technologies, to provide further services to Nokia.

The definitive agreement includes customary closing conditions.