UNWIRED 2012 is here again. This time, it will be held at Marina Bay Sands on the 31st  May 2012. If you want to heard from the industry leaders like Google, IDA, StarHub, Samsung, Microsoft and more about the impact of mobile cloud applications and services as well as demos of Windows 8, do not miss it!

Here is the details of the event: -

What: UNWIRED 2012 conference
When: May 31, 2012, 1pm
Where: Angsana 3F, Level 3, Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956

Website: www.unwired.com.sg

Each conference pass costs S$80 but there’s a discount code that members can use for 25 per cent off – MBS50.

Click Here to UNWIRED 2012 Website

More details: -

Hot topics:

The half-day session consist of three discussion panels, with ample chances to network with professionals and users in the industry. The panels will discuss:

1. the future of mobile cloud services for consumers and corporates
2. smarter networks for a smoother mobile experience
3. a unified interface for phones, tablets and PCs to access cloud services

Who should attend:

1. Managers and executives from telecom/wireless, software development and Internet services industries
2. Developers of mobile and Internet applications
3. Vendors of telecom equipment/handsets
4. Corporate users of mobile applications and technologies

What makes it different:

It’s independent: Helmed by former tech and telecom journalist Alfred Siew, topics are selected and speakers participate independently, so an open discussion is ensured.

It’s open: Panels as well as Q&As encourage participation from the audience, in a conference aimed at sharing lessons learnt and fathoming the road ahead for the wireless and mobile industry.

Remember the Iron Man or Avengers bracelet I blogged about a few days ago? I had some fun with some of the bloggers recently “testing” out this magnetic bracelet. It is meant to be fun and I guess many are amazed that this thing really has “power”. Watch the video after the break.

BTW, we were having dinner at this restaurant and I basically “forced” them to help me. Renhao is my camera man and Justin Ng is my guinea pig.

What I want to show is the difference before and after you wear the magnetic bracelet. I saw this test many years ago and I have done it using different magnetic bracelets or even pure magnets coil round the wrist. They will work anyway. I guess it is because of the magnetic property (magnetic field) that make you more “stable”.

Magnetic bracelets or necklace are usually worn by sports men or women (especially golf, in my opinion). This simple test is actually a very visual way to represent stability with the magnetic bracelet. I am not sure if there will be any medical benefits from it or not.

To do the test: -

• Without wearing the magnetic bracelet, ask the person to place the palm overlapping each other in front of him/her. Then use your fist to apply force onto the palm.
• Do note that this is not to test the strength of you or that person. The aim of doing it is to show that with a force on the palm, it is quite normal that the person will fall/move forward
• Next, wear the magnetic bracelet and perform the test again. You will see immediately effect.
• The person will feel more stable even though the same amount of force is applied.

Do it for the sake of fun and do not forcefully do it on a person. I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE for any injuries

Here is the video (sorry that I have to do it so fast as I know that the memory card is almost full).

For your info, I bought this bracelet after watching The Avengers (Tony Stark wears it in one of the scene before he don his Iron Man Mark VII suit). The name of this bracelet is actually Limited Edition Avengers MAGTITAN NEO LEGEND from Colantotte. You can check for more information here. Have fun with your magnetic bracelets

Check out Jabra latest offerings of the EASY series. Both EASYVOICE and EASYCALL are entry level bluetooth earpiece. They are retailed at RRP SGD88. More information after the break.

Jabra expands EASY series with new Jabra EASYVOICE and Jabra EASYCALL as Asia’s mobile phone users switch to smartphones

 Tablet adoption also driving demand for affordable entry-level Bluetooth headset with Multi-use, DSP and A2DP features for multimedia streaming capability and hands-free voice calls

Singapore, 16 May 2012 - Jabra, a world leader in creating hands free communications solutions, introduces two new easy-to-use, intuitive headsets to the Jabra EASY product line: Jabra EASYVOICE™ and Jabra EASYCALL™ for easy, enjoyable mobile experience and intuitive features for the no-nonsense multi-taskers. The EASY series, marked by clean, streamlined and minimalist-inspired designs, are also characterized by very easy-to-use, compact and intuitive features and controls at affordable, entry-level prices.

“As smartphone usage rapidly expands in Singapore and across Asia-Pacific markets, new smartphone owners want simple hands-free solutions to maximise their use of various smartphone apps, Internet and email access and voice-calls. With A2DP as a standard multimedia streaming feature in the Jabra EASY series, users can stream music, songs, podcasts, GPS directions,” said Jonathan Tang, Jabra APAC Managing Director.

“As tablet adoption spreads into Asia, an increasing segment of smartphone users will also own a tablet. All Jabra EASY headsets have Multiuse™ technology so users can simultaneously be connected to both their smartphone and tablet to better enjoy their time and use of their devices, whether it is searching online for info, enjoying games, music, multimedia, or using social media,” added Jonathan Tang.

Staying true to its name, all Jabra EASY series Bluetooth headsets retail at an easy price of RRP S$88 each. Both Jabra EASYVOICE and Jabra EASYCALL are available in the black colour and team up with the Jabra EASYGO, available in black, white and red colours since August last year.

Jabra EASYVOICE

Bluetooth headset newbies can rest easy. Jabra EASYVOICE™ takes care of initial set up and configuration to your smartphone. Sleek, in smooth lines brushed with stainless steel, Jabra EASYVOICE™ effortlessly pairs with your smartphone. With voice alerts for your hands-free smartphone lifestyle, you can always be sure of its connected status with your mobile gadgets. Jabra EASYVOICE™ is available at auhorized Jabra mobile channels.

Jabra EASYCALL

Compact and well-designed in slim, sophisticated matte black finish with a large easy-to-locate answer/end call button, Jabra EASYCALL™ makes the perfect nifty gadget for the multitasking businessmen on the move. With Multiuse™ technology, Jabra EASYCALL™ pairs up to 2 Bluetooth-enabled devices so you can stream podcasts from your iPad without having to miss a single critical call or email from your smartphone. Experience richer audio, clear voice calls and vibrant music with advanced Digital Signal Processing technology. Jabra EASYCALL™ is available at Challenger, Apple premium resellers: Epicentre, Nubox and authorised Jabra resellers.

Absolute user-friendliness

The Jabra EASY series is designed to be the most friendly line of headsets delivering quality and the most easy-to-operate Bluetooth experience in the market. Designed with first-time users of Bluetooth headsets in mind, the EASY series incorporates intuitive features such as StatusDisplay™ with battery status and Bluetooth connection status as well as dedicated power on/off slider for greater ease of use. Jabra EASY series headsets feature Jabra Voice Guidance to feed battery and connection status audibly into your ear.

A2DP for multimedia streaming

Jabra EASYGO™, Jabra EASYVOICE™ and Jabra EASYCALL™ ensure users a safer and a more pleasant commute everyday with music streaming capabilities made possible with multimedia streaming technology, A2DP. For motorists, Jabra EASY headsets provide a much safer drive to take hands-free voice calls. In addition, GPS directions can also stream directly and clearly into the driver’s ear for a hassle-free car journey.

Easy and clear calls

The Jabra EASY series feature Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology to ensure natural, crystal clear sound for every call through noise and echo reduction. Automatic volume adjustment means audio volume stays constant even as users move from a quiet office out to the bustling streets.

Comfort All Day

Lightweight at only 8g, the Jabra EASY series of Bluetooth headsets is easy on the ears with ultimate comfort eargels that mould according to ear size and optional earhook to fit securely over the ear for customised snug fit.

Key Specifications Jabra EASYVOICE™, Jabra EASYCALL™ and Jabra EASYGO™, include:

• Bluetooth 3.0 technology
• A2DP for multimedia streaming – GPS, Music, Podcast
• Crystal clear sound with Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
• Multiuse™ technology connects up to 2 devices simultaneously
• Automatic Volume Adjustment
• Jabra StatusDisplay™ – shows battery life and connectivity
• Auto-pairing for fuss-free setup
• Earhooks – in 2 different sizes and Ultimate Comfort Eargels™ for ultimate comfort
• Voice guidance on connection status and battery level
• Talk time up to 6 hours; standby time up to 8 days

# # #

About Jabra

Jabra is the brand of GN Netcom, a subsidiary of GN Store Nord A/S (GN) - listed on NASDAQ OMX. Jabra employs approximately 850 people worldwide and in 2010 produced an annual revenue which amounted to DKK 1,973 million. Jabra is a world leader in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of a broad range of hands-free communications solutions. With a reputation for innovation, reliability, and ease of use that goes back more than two decades, Jabra’s consumer and business divisions produce corded and wireless headsets, plus mobile and in-office speakerphones that empower individuals and businesses through increased freedom of movement, comfort, and functionality.

NTT DOCOMO today issued a few Press Releases. One of them that caught my attention is the enhancing of their cloud-based services and to be under their new “docomo cloud” brand.

With this, they have add and enhanced a few cloud based services. One of the new services is the Mail-Hon’yaku-Concier app. With the app, it can translate from Japanese language to English, Korea and Chinese from social networking or emails. The service uses cloud-based mobile interpretation technologies that DOCOMO currently is developing.

Another interesting enhancement is the Shabette-Concier app. Many compare it with Siri for iPhone. Based on the PR, it will be enhanced to provide precise answers to inquiries on a wide range of topics and will also enable smartphone features to be operated by voice (Japanese only).

Here is the Press Release.

I think this map compiled by Open Signal Maps basically shows how fragmented Android devices can be. You are looking at 1363 different devices compiled in the 6 months by over 61,000 participants.

If you can understand the model numbers, many of them are Samsung devices (GT) and based on brand compilation, here is the results.

There are other details like Android versions, screen sizes and etc.

Click Here to Check Out the Android Devices Compilation

(source)

Attended the launch of Sony Walkman Z1050 yesterday. It is an Android-powered (Gingerbread) device with a 4.3-inch screen. The new Walkman Z1050 has a 16GB capacity and will retail for S$429.00. It is available now at all Sony stores and authorized outlets.

Here is the specs for this Sony Walkman Z1050

And the Press Release.

Have you heard about Songify app from Smule. It is an app that turns your speech into a song. Speak into your Android device and Songify will do its work and transform the voice into music and song.

Check out the video how normal people can become singers by talking to the Songify app. It has been a long wait.

Click Here to Songify on Google Play Store

(source)

Kudos to blogger who confronted a newspaper editor who plagiarized his work a few days after he wrote it. This blogger, Duane Lester，from Missouri eventually won and got compensated.

I think the argument point is pretty simple. As a newspaper, if you want to copy a blog post or an article from someone, at least let them know about it with their consent.

In this case, what I read from Gizmodo is that they copied everything and just added another paragraph to the blog post that Duane made a few days ago. Thanks goodness he filmed the whole episode down. I guess the editor is trying the scare tactic first but Duane was firm on his rights and also he kept his cool.

Here is the video.

I did not write anything about the content of the blog post here. You can follow the link below for more information.

Click Here to read Duane Lester blog post on this issue

(source)

Twitter is starting to “think” for you by giving you a highlight of what is happening in Twitter. It is a weekly digest via email. From my first highlights, I can only relate to 20% of the content. Hopefully, they can fine-tune it to be more relevant.

Based on Twitter’s blog: -

Stories feature a design similar to the recently updated Discover tab, emphasizing who shared each story beneath summaries to help you decide which ones matter most to you. Click any headline to finish reading the story, add your take by tweeting directly from the email, and see related Tweets from the people you follow.

Click Here to Read More About It from Twitter Blog

This is something exciting for Windows Phone users. Aviary has announced the release of their developer tools. What this means is that developers can tap on the vast selection of photo editing tools on Aviary on integrate it to their apps.

I know it is hard to visualize what I am trying to tell you. Here is a video that you can check out. It shows the soon to be release ROWI V2.1 (it is a twitter app) that has Aviary integrated into it.

Here are more details about the SDK.

The Windows Phone Aviary SDK has the following features:

• Redesigned SDK from the ground-up to take advantage of the Metro design principles of Windows Phone
• The same, easy integration process: add our editor to your project in as little as 15 minutes, with just a few lines of code
• Customizable color theme
• Controllable output size based upon developer preferences — you decide what makes the most sense for your app or service
• … Not to mention that Aviary for Windows Phone has all the standard features as the rest of our mobile SDKs

And some apps that will have Aviary integrated that I copied from WPCentral.

• Rowi Twitter
• 4th & Mayor
• Postcard on the Run (brand new launch title from iOS)
• rekap

Looking forward on the Aviary Photo tools.

Click here to read more about Aviary SDK on Windows Phone