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  • Palm Preparing Second Pre-like Smartphone For 2009


    With a launch date for Palm’s much anticipated Pre still to be announced along comes news that Palm is preparing a second Pre-like handset for release this year.

    The smaller and slimmer device will be pitched at a different part of the smartphone market, according to Techcrunch.

    Palm is said to be "very far along" on its second Pre-like handset, which will run the new WebOS operating system.

    Spec details – such as whether it will have a touchscreen keyboard – are unknown.

    Equally unclear is what effect a second device, launched so soon after the Pre, will have on the flagship smartphone’s sales.

    Elsewhere, more information has been emerging on the Pre this week, with iSuppli estimating that the Palm smartphone costs around USD $170 to make.

    The calculation is based on the device’s hardware and manufacturing costs using second-quarter component and assembly pricing.

    The breakdown of the USD $170.02 consists of a hardware cost of USD $137.83, manufacturing and basic test costs of USD $9.58, and software and licensing costs of USD $22.61.

    The analysis does not include shipping, logistics, marketing and other channel costs.

    iSuppli expects Palm will try to sell the Pre to wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp for about USD $300.

    But the analysts said the actual cost to consumers will be around USD $200 due to an expected carrier subsidy.

    Just when the Pre will be released is still largely a mystery, although the latest projection is 7th June.

    An interesting choice, if correct, as this is the day before Apple holds its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC).

    And that is where the next generation iPhone is widely believed to be set for release.

  • MACH Aims To Offset EU Mobile Roaming Charge Cap Losses


    MACH has announced a range of solutions designed to offset the impact on mobile operator roaming revenues of the recent European Union (EU) pricing regulations.

    The company says its EU Compliance Power Pack will immediately counter the forecast reduction in revenues by implementing smart rating and price optimisation.

    It says this allows mobile operators to reprice certain services such as voice and SMS in order to create new revenue streams offsetting the anticipated effects of the EU regulation.

    The measures introduced by European regulators impose wide-ranging pricing restrictions and administrative obligations on mobile operators.

    Voice, SMS and data service prices will be capped with effect from 1st July 2009, with further reductions in caps becoming effective in 2011.

    Operators will also be required to bill on a per second basis under the new regulations.

    The legislation also requires operators to notify subscribers of high usage to avoid so-called "bill shocks", requiring real-time usage reporting and notification processes.

    European officials said they will monitor changes to other operator charging structures to ensure that these are not increased to compensate for the impact of the new legislation.

    Lodewijk Cornelis, CMO at MACH

    Lodewijk Cornelis, CMO at MACH, said its Power Pack includes a solution to the "bill shock" problem, by triggering timely customer notification whenever a usage threshold is reached.

    He said this solution gives mobile operators the ability to provide customers with timely data usage information while roaming.

    "The regulations approved by the European Parliament, combined with increasing competition both from within the mobile industry and from alternative communications technologies, mean that operators have to continuously monitor and reassess retail and wholesale pricing strategies," he said.

    "MACH solutions turn, what seems at first sight to be, a huge obstacle to growth into an opportunity for operators to differentiate their offerings and reduce their operational costs."

    The EU is also preparing legislation to force carriers to allow VoIP to run on their cellular networks.

    Earlier this month, EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said that "action" should be taken against carriers that use their market power to block "innovative services".

    Cornelis said the new solutions allow operators to use sophisticated simulation techniques to optimise retail and wholesale pricing of non-EU roaming traffic, increasing revenues while at the same time maximising customer value.

    He said The Power Pack also handles the complex task of rating usage data in real time by reference to regulatory capping, and its applications process all of the administrative changes to inter-operator tariff structures to ensure accurate and timely settlement before and after the regulations come into effect.

    MACH clears two out of every three roaming calls on GSM and CDMA networks and settles more than 60 per cent of the inter-operator wholesale invoice amounts.

  • Truphone Improves iPhone Mobile VoIP App


    Truphone has launched a major upgrade to its free mobile VoIP application for the iPhone.

    The latest version of the Apple handset’s first-ever VoIP app boasts increased ease of use, speed of function response, intuitiveness and simplicity – along with improved voice quality.

    Truphone 3.0 also offers an integrated IM client which ties MSN Messenger, AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and Skype compatibility into a single page.

    Calls to users of Truphone, Skype and Google Talk are free over Wi-Fi.

    Use over cellular data is also possible.

    Similar improvements to Truphone for the Apple iPod touch are expected soon.

    Geraldine Wilson, CEO of Truphone, said the upgrade dramatically has also improved its UI and account management tools.

    "We’ve eliminated the need for compression by utilizing new advances in signal processing, making calls crystal clear," she said.

    All in all, Wilson claims competitors will have a "tough time" matching Truphone 3.0 in terms of quality and performance.

    The improvements certainly make Truphone a viable alternative to Skype, which also faces competition in the form of Vopium on the iPhone.

  • IP PBX Call Handling Boosted By Vocalocity Web Dashboard


    Vocalocity has launched a user dashboard that works through a Web browser rather than through separate PC software.

    The development gives users of its hosted IP PBX service click-to-call functionality and on-screen call summaries – functions previously only available to web-based VoIP solutions.

    While many IP PBXs let users click to make calls and view calling activity on their computer screens, hosted services typically haven’t had such capabilities.

    The new Vocalocity service enables managers and staff to see the real time status of all extensions in their organization.

    Called the VocalocityPBX Dashboard, the new features allow phone administrators to create customized views organized by user and status, in an interface similar to instant messaging services.

    The Dashboard provides all users with an at-a-glance view of the people in their organization or on their team, along with the status and availability of the user.

    Vocalocity says other benefits of the Dashboard include:

    • Summary view of all active calls, conferences and queues
    • Real-time view of co-worker status – on a call, away, etc.
    • Click-to-call features, enabling users to dial any external number with a click of the mouse
    • Simple status options to update co-workers, such as "Do Not Disturb"
    • Instant access to a directory of all company extensions

    David Politis, executive vice president and general manager of Vocalocity, said the Dashboard might not seem like a groundbreaking feature.
    But he said it was significant for customers and their ability to work more efficiently.

    "This feature allows our customers to use their hosted VoIP system more effectively, enabling them to see who is on the phone or who is available in real-time, as well as if they want to take a call or route it to someone else in the organization," he said.

    Politis said managers could also use Dashboard to monitor employee phone use, such as how long a team member has been on the phone or who they are on the phone with.

    He said the developments were fuelled by customer demand for more visibility in their call activity.

    Vocalocity is offering the Dashboard as a standard feature for all new and existing customers.

  • XConnect Appoints IP Expert Shockey To Board


    Richard Shockey has joined the advisory board of XConnect, the VoIP and Next Generation Network (NGN) interconnection service provider.

    A pioneer in ENUM (Electronic NUMbering) and expert in VoIP, Shockey is a founder and has been co-chair since 2002 of the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) ENUM Working Group.

    His appointment is expected to strengthen XConnect’s position in the carrier ENUM and federation-based interconnect sector.

    Eli Katz, CEO and founder of XConnect, said ENUM registries are at the heart of the company’s peering and federation infrastructure.

    He described Shockey as the "godfather" of ENUM technology and services.

    "He probably has the greatest understanding of this vital infrastructure component and its commercial applications of anyone in the industry," he said.

    Richard Shockey

    Shockey also co-chairs the recently-formed IETF working group DRINKS (Data for Reachability of Inter/Intra NetworK SIP), dealing with provisioning data for VoIP/NGN peering federations.

    Based in Washington, DC, he has participated in IETF working groups on other subjects including SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), the dominant IP-based communications signaling protocol.

    He has also helped develop several commercial products based on ENUM, the protocol devised to enable routing of IP-based calls and services using telephone numbers.

    From 2000 until early this year, Shockey was a director and distinguished member of the technical staff at NeuStar.

    Previously, as a consultant, he developed IP communications solutions for such companies as HP and Xerox.

    In addition to his IETF roles, Shockey is a member of the board of directors and technical working group co-chair of the SIP Forum, an organization of IP communications companies that promotes adoption of SIP-based products and services.

    He also chairs the SIP Forum’s SIPconnect task group, which produces specifications for interconnecting SIP-based IP PBXs with service providers.

  • 2011 Peak For SD DTT STB semiconductors


    High-definition Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) set top boxes (STBs) offer semiconductor makers a short term spike in opportunity.

    But standard definition (SD) DTT STBs will be a more sustainable market for manufacturers, according to In-Stat.

    The researchers forecast that the semiconductor opportunity in SD DTT boxes will peak at nearly USD $500 million by 2011.

    Gerry Kaufhold, In-Stat analyst, said the US analog shut off has driven a surge of HD converter boxes in 2008 and 2009.

    "However, this bubble will wane, while the SD DTT market continues to grow across a broader set of geographic markets," he said.

    Other findings from In-Stat include:

    • The European DTT STB Market Value will peak in 2011 at $1.6 billion.
    • On a European country basis, UK leads the market, followed by Spain, France, Germany, and then Italy.
    • Total DTT STB unit shipments will peak at 44 million in 2009.
    • Key component categories include the Demux/CPU/AV decoder and the MPEG-2 MP@HL/Graphics IC

  • VholdR Offers First Wearable HD camcorder


    VholdR has unveiled what it describes as the first wearable HD camcorder.

    Weighing just four ounces, the 5 Megapixel ContourHD can record 1280×720 video at 30fps or SD video at 60fps with H.264 codec.

    Designed to snap onto a helmet or goggles – the company’s owners are extreme sports enthusiasts – the anodized aluminum camcorder has a 135-degree wide-angle lens with rotation and dual laser alignment.

    There’s a 2GB microSD card included and it supports MicroSD cards up to 16GB – giving up to 8 hours of HD and 16 hours of SD on a single card.

    The ContourHD, which comes with a removable Lithium-ion battery, starts shipping on May 15th for USD $280.

  • Sprintcam V3 HD Demos Slow-Motion Capabilities


    I-Movix’s new SprintCam V3 HD produces slow-motion output equivalent to 20 to 40 times slower than normal speed.

    That sounds great – and the showreel below by David Coiffer proves just how great it looks as well.

    Made for NAB 2009 exhibition, the short video is mostly 1000FPS shots, made during a recent rugby competition in the Stade de France, Paris.

    The camera is the first broadcast-integrated, native HD, ultra-slow-motion solution offering frame rates of 500 to 1,000 fps with instant replay.

  • HD Videoconferencing – A "Compelling" Option For Business


    High definition video has "raised the game" for videoconferencing and telepresence systems.

    That’s the opinion of Rick Snyder, president of Tandberg Americas, who says HD videoconferencing offers a "really compelling visual experience".

    He says this – and the fact the current economic climate has required business travel budgets to be cut – means more and more companies are looking seriously at HD videoconferencing.

    "We think that in the next few years, HD will become the norm," he said

    Speaking at the recent VoiceCon 2009, Snyder suggests that today’s HD videoconferencing systems offer a very compelling ROI – in some cases their cost is equivalent to a couple of international business trips.

    So as well as increasing productivity he says they can have a positive impact on a company’s bottom-line – and on the environment.

    Below is a video interview with Rick Snyder (his comments on HD start at 4.12mins) from VoiceCon.

  • Zoho Expands Mobile Device Coverage For Business Apps


    Zoho has extended mobile support for its free web applications to all the major smartphone platforms.

    Initially only available for the iPhone and Windows Mobile, Zoho Mobile now supports Android, BlackBerry and Symbian mobile platforms as well.

    It offers six apps geared towards collaborative business productivity:

    • Zoho Mail
    • Zoho Calendar
    • Zoho Writer
    • Zoho Sheet
    • Zoho Show
    • Zoho Creator

    Zoho’s Raju Vegesna said mobility was an important aspect for its on-line applications.

    The company has so far launched 19 different applications — from CRM to Mail, Reports, and Wikis.

    He said all its current and future mobile initiatives will be available under Zoho Mobile as mobile support is expanded to all upcoming applications.

    Zoho is entering an increasingly competitive market, with Google upgrading its apps’ mobile experience.

    Microsoft has also been making noises about providing mobile support for its Office products.

    Zoho is certainly taking the right approach by ensuring that its apps function across all the major mobile platforms.