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  • Panasonic Develops World's Largest 152-Inch Full HD 3D Plasma

    Panasonic annonced that it has developed the world’s largest 152-inch 4K x 2K (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) definition Full HD 3D plasma display. The display features a new plasma display panel (PDP) Panasonic developed with its new quadruple luminous efficiency technology.

    According to Panasonic, self-illuminating plasma panels offer "excellent" response to moving images with full motion picture resolution, making them suitable for rapid 3D image display.

    The company claims the new panel achieves a higher illuminating speed, about one fourth the speed of conventional Full HD panels.

    The panel also incorporates a crosstalk reduction technology, essential for producing clear 3D images. Compared to other display technologies that use line-at-a-time driving method, PDPs use frame-at-a-time driving method that gives PDP TVs an advantage in crosstalk reduction in principle.

    Panasonic has developed this technology to minimize double-image that occurs when left- and right-eye images are switched alternately. The development has resulted in the 3D compatible plasma display that can render clear and smooth high-quality pictures by accurately reproducing video sources.

    (photo Gizmodo)

    “The new 152-inch panel also uses a new technology that enables even and stable discharge,” as the company states.

    “Thanks to this discharge technology, the new panel can provide full HD images for left and right eyes formed with twice the volume of information as regular full HD images across the vast expanse of the screen equivalent to nine 50-inch panels with super high resolution (4,096 x 2,160) – four times the full HD (1,920 x 1,080) specification – while maintaining the brightness.”

    Because 3D plasma displays can reproduce highly realistic images, they are considered ideal not only for home theater use but also for a wide variety of uses such as business, medical, education and commercial applications.

  • Digium and Aumtech Certify a Multi-Language Speech Recognition Server Solution with Asterisk

    Digium and Aumtech, Speech and Computer Telephony Integration company, announced a partner relationship between the companies.

    According to them, Asterisk users now have a high-quality, low-cost Speech alternative, featuring server-based licenses that support 48+ ports of Automated Speech Recognition for less than the cost of one or two competitive ASR licenses.

    Aumtech’s solution provides 48+ ports of multi-language speech recognition for the Asterisk platform with support for $1,975 per port.

    The firm is introducing its Media Resource Control Protocol (MRCP) Connector utility, which enables Asterisk customers to access the high-quality Microsoft Speech Services 2007 ASR for a fraction of the cost of competitors’ ASR engines, as the company claims.

    This includes unlimited grammars and multiple languages of ASR. Aumtech says the list of 14 available languages and voices is constantly growing, and there are successful installations in North America, South America, Europe and the Far East.

    Asterisk users can access this speech solution on Asterisk and on a variety of Interactive Voice Response solutions, including Aumtech’s VoiceXML 2.1 Certified IVR platform, or other standards-based IVR platforms.

    The Aumtech MRCP Connector for the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Speech Server allows companies using Linux to build speech-driven applications with the Microsoft ASR product.

    Since the MRCP Connector is based on the WC3 Forum’s open standard, applications running on open platforms such as Asterisk can access Microsoft’s Speech Recognition functions through Aumtech’s Connector. Existing Speech applications are also candidates for deployment on this solution, since industry standards ensure code portability.

    Bill Miller, Digium’s vice president of product management, said, “Our Asterisk customers have long recognized the value of Speech Recognition applications; however, most have delayed implementing these technologies due to the high entry costs. Aumtech’s solution is the lowest-cost at higher capacities for world-class Speech technology and may prove to be the ‘tipping point,’ finally bringing speech to the masses, and will benefit our customers worldwide.”

    Digium is the creator, sponsor and driving force behind Asterisk, the most widely used open source telephony software. The company’s software and hardware products enable businesses to implement turnkey unified communications solutions or to design their own VoIP systems.

    Aumtech is the Automatic Speech Recognition systems provider for large enterprises, governments, and global carriers. Its innovations include the first SIP-based IVR, Automated Outbound IVR Notification, and a standalone CTI product, called ESP (“Economical Screen Pop”).

  • CloudBerry Backup Lets Users Back up Windows Home Server to Amazon S3

    CloudBerry Lab has released CloudBerry Backup version 1.3 – an application that allows users to backup their data online to their Amazon S3 accounts.

    CloudBerry Backup is also available as a Windows Home Server add-on. It integrates with the WHS console and offers scheduled backup to cloud storage, hosted on Amazon S3.

    According to the company’s announcement, newer version features full support for Windows Home Server Drive Extender that lets users seamlessly increase disk storage by adding new drives. These do not appear as new drive letters, but simply increase the available space.

    Backup Window is a new feature of the scheduler that help specify for how long backup job should run so that it for example only runs during the night time while not impacting users computer performance and network bandwidth in the day time.

    Besides, there is an improved support for the operations involving Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service.

    CloudBerry Backup works on Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7. Command line interface allows partners and advanced computer users integrate backup and restore plans with other routines.

    A single-user license for CloudBerry S3 Backup 1.3 for Windows costs $29.99. It will be offered without charge to students, educational institutions and non-profit organizations.

    CloudBerry Lab was established in 2008 by a group of IT professionals with the mission to help organizations in adopting Cloud computing technologies “by closing the gap between Cloud vendor propositions and consumer needs through development of innovative low-costs solutions.”

  • Discovery, Sony and IMAX to Launch 24/7 3D Television Network in the U.S.

    Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX announced a joint venture to be established to develop the first 24/7 dedicated 3D television network in the U.S.

    Discovery, Sony, through its U.S. affiliate, Sony Corporation of America, and IMAX each will be equal partners in the joint venture. According to the companies, it will be launched in the U.S., with a goal of “driving consumer adoption of 3D televisions and giving the network long-term leadership in the 3D home marketplace.” In the future, the companies also will explore international distribution opportunities in selected markets.

    The new 3D network will feature content from genres that are “most appealing” in 3D, including natural history, space, exploration, adventure, engineering, science and technology, motion pictures and children’s programming from Discovery, Sony Pictures Entertainment, IMAX and other third-party providers.

    Discovery will provide network services, including affiliate sales and technical support functions, as well as 3D television rights to Discovery content and cross-promotion across its portfolio of 13 U.S. television networks.

    Sony will provide advertising/sponsorship sales support, and will seek to license television rights to current and future 3D feature films, music-related 3D content and game-related 3D content, while providing cross-promotion at retail stores.

    IMAX also will license television rights to future 3D films, promotion through its owned-and-operated movie theaters across the U.S., and a suite of proprietary and patented image enhancement and 3D technologies.

    Governance for the joint venture will be handled by a board of directors comprised of members from each of the three companies, with the day-to-day operations run by a separate staff and management team that will report to the board.

    The parties informed they have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent. Specific financial terms of the venture were not disclosed.

    “It is clear to us that consumers will always migrate to a better and richer entertainment experience, and together [with Discovery and IMAX] we are determined to be the leader in providing that around the world,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President of Sony.

  • Google Officially Announces Nexus One – the “Superphone”

    At the special Android press conference in Mountain View, Google officially confirmed the company’s first phone – the Nexus One.

    This HTC-branded device is running Android 2.1 and comes with 3.7" AMOLED 480×800 WVGA display, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, 512MB flash onboard memory and 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB), 5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash and geo tagging, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, compass, GPS, accelerometer and light and proximity sensor.

    There is also an option of personalized laser engraving: up to 50 characters on the back of the phone.

    Android 2.1, a version of the platform’s Eclair software offers applications like Google Maps Navigation (offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output), Email (multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support), Phone book (aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook), and Android Market with the access to more than 18,000 applications.

    Additionally, it futures voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields and voice-searching.

    Nexus One is initially available from the new Google web store in the US without service for $529 or starting at $179 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile USA. It is also coming to Verizon this Spring and Vodafone later this year.

    Google will initially take orders from consumers in the US and three other markets – the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

    In the coming months Google plans on partnering with additional operators. They also expect to launch more phones with Android handset partners (including Motorola) and to expand the web store to more countries.

    "The Nexus One belongs in the emerging class of devices which we call ‘superphones,’ with the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset making it as powerful as your laptop computer of three to four years ago. It’s our way to raise the bar on what’s possible when it comes to creating the best mobile experience for consumers," said Andy Rubin, VP of Engineering.

  • Skype Teams Up with TV Makers and Goes HD

    Skype announced support for Skype video calls on PCs in 720p high definition, as well as Skype software embedded into internet-connected widescreen televisions from its consumer electronics manufacturer partners.

    The latest version of Skype for Windows can deliver up to 720p HD-quality video calling at 1280 x 720 resolution, at up to 30 frames per second.

    To make an HD video call, we will need a high-speed broadband connection, an HD webcam, a PC with a 1.8 GHz dual-core processor and Skype 4.2 Beta for Windows.

    New HD webcams are due to arrive at CES 2010. FaceVsion and In Store Solutions introduces new HD webcams that are optimized to work with Skype. The new Skype Certified HD webcams handle the video encoding and processing onboard, removing the need for a high-performance computer to encode the HD video.

    At CES, Skype also announced partnerships with LG and Panasonic to offer Skype–enabled HDTVs. Skype software will be embedded into Panasonic’s line of 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs and LG’s 26 new LCD and plasma HDTVs with NetCast Entertainment Access.

    Both lines are expected to be available in mid-2010. Both LG and Panasonic will offer specially-designed HD webcams that are optimized for Skype video calls as separate accessories that can be plugged into the televisions. These webcams support 720p HD and include special microphones and optics that can pick up sound and video from a couch-distance.

    The new HDTVs will deliver familiar Skype features including:

    • Free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls
    • Calls to landline or mobile phones at Skype’s rates
    • The option to receive inbound calls via a user’s online Skype number
    • Skype voicemail, if it is set up
    • Being invited to participate in voice conference calls with up to 24 other parties
    • Support for up to 720p HD video calls, depending on the availability of high-speed broadband and a HD webcam

  • VIZIO Selects WirelessHD for New Line of LCD HDTVs and Wireless HDMI Adapters

    VIZIO announced that it has chosen to add WirelessHD technology and SiBEAM 60 GHz chipsets, based on the globally available WirelessHD standard, for a new line of LCD HDTVs and wireless HDMI adapters.

    VIZIO is also in the process of joining WirelessHD as an Adopter with the intent of incorporating WirelessHD technology into a wide range of product offerings for the consumer.

    SiBEAM is a fabless semiconductor company developing intelligent millimeter wave technologies. The company is the first to build 60 GHz chipsets using CMOS technology. The first of many applications for SiBEAM’s innovative technology is based on WirelessHD.

    As with its first generation chipsets, SiBEAM’s second generation transmitter and receiver chipsets employ SiBEAM’s OmniLink60 adaptive beam-forming systems. According to the firm, these systems dynamically steer content to the specific receiving station, maintaining stable connectivity regardless of any obstacles that may obstruct its path, all while delivering the “highest quality” wireless A/V and data.

    By operating at 60 GHz, the chipsets do not interfere with Wi-Fi 802.11g, 802.11n, and cordless telephone systems operating at 2.4 and 5 GHz. All SiBEAM chipsets offer data rates 20 times faster than other available options and remain the only standards based wireless technology that can transmit A/V at 4 Gbps over the air, as the company claims.

    VIZIO will demonstrate WirelessHD technology using chipsets from SiBEAM in their new line of XVT Pro LCD LED HDTVs this week during the 2010 CES. SiBEAM will also be showing a WirelessHD-powered VIZIO LCD TV and Blu-ray player.

    “Our customers seek out VIZIO products for their combination of advanced performance, function, form and most of all unequalled value,” said Matthew McRae, VIZIO VP of Products.

    “Working together with SiBEAM, we’re thrilled to introduce WirelessHD-based products to our customers who want a complete, high quality wireless entertainment experience with easier and faster setup. By incorporating WirelessHD into a range of new products, VIZIO will be among the first to introduce wireless solutions to the mainstream market.”

    VIZIO’s first WirelessHD-based products are expected to be available to consumers later this year.

  • 3G and Wireless Data Boom in China

    The release of 3G licenses in China is spurring a wireless data boom, with national revenue from such services rising by 18.9 percent in 2009 and nearly doubling from 2008 to 2013, says iSuppli.

    According to the research group, as the one-year anniversary of the issuance of 3G licenses in China approaches, wireless data revenue, including both messaging and non-messaging service, is set to rise to $19.3 billion in 2009, up from $16.3 billion in 2008.

    By 2013, data revenue will surge to $31.5 billion, increasing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.1 percent from $16.3 billion in 2008.

    iSuppli predicts that non-messaging revenue soon will exceed messaging revenue as carriers expand mainstream adoption of 3G services. Non messaging service revenue will reach $20 billion in 2013, up by a factor of three from $6.8 billion in 2008.

    “The rapid growth of China’s data services is being enabled by the monumental spending of the nation’s wireless carriers on mobile infrastructure equipment,” said Will Kong, an analyst covering China research at iSuppli.

    “The carriers this year will spend about $6.3 billion on mobile infrastructure equipment, up 28 percent from 2008. This will represent a near-term peak, with spending in 2010 declining by 2.4 percent to $6.1 billion. During the next five years, carrier spending will continue to decline but will remain at a high level of more than $5.5 billion annually.”

    Kong claims that, although China Mobile achieved strong financial performance this year, its subscriber growth rate will decline. This is because China Telecom and China Unicom will place greater competitive pressure on China Mobile, especially in non-messaging services, by leveraging their network and handset advantages.

    In fact, China Mobile already has lost substantial market share in terms of new subscribers. The company’s share of wireless subscribers dropped to 58.2 percent in September, down from 78 percent in January.

    iSuppli forecasts mobile subscribers at China Telecom and China Unicom will exceed 100 million and 200 million, respectively, in 2013. By leveraging their advantages in networks and handset products, China Telecom and China Unicom will place even more pressure on China Mobile.

    iSuppli expects that China Mobile’s incremental market share will be stable at around 60 percent for the next few years.

    China Telecom and China Unicom will continue to subsidize mobile phones in order to provide attractive consumer prices.

    And both carriers will be supported by their parent companies, keeping them solvent. iSuppli also believes China Telecom and China Unicom will focus on long-term returns to gain more market share rather than on short-term profits.

  • Poken: Say Goodbye to Business Cards

    Stephane Doutriaux

    Poken is a startup based in Switzerland with offices in Silicon Valley, CA. Poken has established itself as the social business card for staying connected. The Poken network makes it easier to connect and stay in touch with the people that you meet.

    The first product is a fashion accessory that you can carry on your keychain and easily share your social media information by touching pokens and connecting with them on the poken platform.

    Data is wirelessly and instantly sent from one device to the other based on the proximity and now both users will have the contact information that matters most in a digital world.

    The Poken network online allows you to download your data stream to view your contacts, allowing you to see who you just met. The data includes all of their social profiles allowing you to to connect with them on a much deeper level. Simply explained, you can see their latest Tweets, their latest Facebook updates, their Flickr profile, etc, all based on what profiles they filled out and added to their Poken.

    "Many people easily forget name, I’m one of them, but we remember people more easily when we can see faces or key in on information that remind us of where we met them," says CEO and Founder, Stephane Doutriaux in an interview with Smartphone.Biz-News.com.

    The network has now become an action verb. The hope for this startup is that more and more people Poken each other.

    The Concept of Poken

    The idea first came to Stephane while in business school, completing his MBA program. Originally from Canada, transplanted to Switzerland, Stephane enjoyed the camaraderie of his classmates but all good things come to an end. On graduation day everyone was exchanging emails, phone numbers, but residence information was hard to share because few had permanent locales.

    It’s too easy to assume that everyone has a Facebook or LinkedIn account, and in this case, it was just not so. In various countries around the world, certain popular networks are not as popular and substituted with local niche networks. In this case it made it hard to keep track of everyone.

    Stephane notes that "In the world today, internationalization is changing how we communicate and stay in touch with one another."

    Aside from exchanging emails and phone numbers, another option was to surf the school alumni network which is manually exhausting and very hit and miss.

    In an example Stephane gave, with 90+ people in his graduating class alone, he was not always sure if he found the right "John Smith" in the database, and if he didn’t, he started his search all over again. It just didn’t seem functional, and created more confusion and frustration when you sent invites, hoped they responded, hoping the invite didn’t go into junk mail.

    "Finding people can be filled with too many barriers," states Stephane.

    This was where the inception of Poken came from, a quick touch and go system that could gather you everyone’s information, giving you multiple points of contact.

    The name itself came from a lot of brainstorming. In Facebook you can poke someone which gives them access to your profile for a few days, and it says that you’re wanting to get to know them. A token is a piece of information in the digital world, so Poken was the natural combination of both those words. An important factor to the entire process was it had to be something that did not exist already, but was catchy enough to attract attention.

    Thus Poken as it stands today was born.

    The World Pokens

    Staying connected is increasingly important, especially with a younger generation that is constantly switching jobs or residences. To be clear, Poken is more than just the little devices you see on our site, Poken in a broader sense is the act of connecting with people in the real world. Poken looks to create ways that people can build a network, they are also looking at mobile devices and other real world products that makes sense to use when you connect with people in the real world.

    Poken strives to be as universal as possible. They added many popular networks, and depending on what countries took off, they’d look at them and see what networks were heavily used there and create a network connection for them. Now an open API exists where the networks themselves are able to create their own social connections for the product to recognize.

    "The debut of Poken has been a wild ride. I had a startup back in 2000 that didn’t get as far as Poken has today so I’m happy to see that it’s been received well," Stephane shares.

    Poken started out with fundraising efforts, and building a strong team, but what gained them traction and notoriety was an online site that encouraged users to spread Poken around them, share with their friends, and accumulate points and popularity, and for some even money. That really started working well in many different countries, and in some that could not support the bandwidth required for a system like Poken. So it was very surprising.

    The Poken interface is very simple and logical, where users can upload information from their keychain accessory, no drivers, no installation required. Click the link on the drive and the website pops up. You’ll see the people that use Poken and when you met them.

    The timeline matches your real world experiences with the people you meet. Finding people is simplified since it’s easier to remember a general timeline as opposed to finding them on Facebook contacts when you can’t remember their name. The timeline has proven to be effective for users so the user interface has remained for now.

    Currently Poken is sold in more then 40 countries. For 2010 they are working on updates to the tools used to create a Poken network with a more targeted strategy. They are still a relatively small startup, so no TV or billboard, no Superbowl ad, but keep doing what they do best.

    A focus on building tools for advertisers and event organizers is key in their plans. The hope is to encourage people to use Poken where they are at establishing an ecosystem of contacts.
     

  • Biz-News.com: A Retrospective of 2009

    Dear HDTV.Biz-News.com Reader,

    Yet another year of hard work with great rewards has gone by.
    This year Biz-News.com has brought new features that we hope have enhanced your reading experience.
    We have realized 85 exclusive interviews with C-Level executives who have introduced their companies to us and have explained how their innovative ideas are changing the Tech sector.

    We have partnered with 70 sector events worldwide and have covered major events like GSMA Barcelona, IFA held in Berlin, The Canalys Mobility Forum in London and the European Tech Tour Web & Mobility Summit held in Switzerland. Our video footage on the events and video interviews with companies showing their newest product launches have been a great success amongst our readers.

    We have also been chatting to followers through our biz_news Twitter account and have generated interesting discussion topics across various LinkedIn groups.

    This year we will, for second year running, award the “Biz-New.com Product of the Year 2009” for the VoIP, Smartphone, HDTV and Storage categories. Voting is open to the public, you choose your winner, voting closes on February 15th 2010.

    During 2010 Biz-News.com plans to keep our readers on top of the news, maintaining journalistic standards and bringing you the latest updates on the industry. Keep reading us for sector updates, interviews with expert analysts, one to one interviews with industry leaders and exclusive video coverage at mayor events.

    We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a successful start of 2010!

    Best wishes,
    The Biz-News.com Team

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