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  • IFA 2009: The Countdown Is On!

    IFA 2009 – the business event no. 1 for consumer electronics – will take place in Berlin from September 4-9.

    IFA 2009 will be the second time that the leading brands in consumer electronics and in the household appliance industry have been displayed together.

    This year over one thousand companies will be occupying 200,000 square metres of display space!

    For one week international media interest will be concentrated on IFA. Also the Biz-News journalists will be reporting directly from Berlin covering the latest in CE products.

    Apart from providing the hot news, we’ll be video interviewing the representatives of all the major and interesting companies, which will demonstrate us their newest products and share with as their opinions and expectations related to the CE market.

    In 2009 the main industry topics at IFA will be devoted to HDTV & wireless communications, innovative audio and smart interfaces, as well as ecology and lifestyle.

    Traditionally a large number of new technologies and products make their debut at IFA.

    Here are the expected CE highlights for IFA 2009:

    • VideoWeb S500 – a world first for the first hybrid HDTV satellite receiver
    VideoWeb is presenting the first receiver to combine HDTV broadcasting, internet TV and numerous internet applications in a single unit. The VideoWeb S500 is a high-performance HDTV computer which is constantly updated over the internet with the latest applications and product additions.

    • LG entire screen LED backlighting
    At this year’s IFA LG is presenting its new Slim Direct LED technology which guarantees outstanding picture quality on new LCD TV sets, despite extremely slim lines. Covering the entire rear surface of the screen, the advantage of these LEDs over conventional Edge LED technology is that that they can be partially dimmed. So-called local dimming increases the contrast and reduces power consumption. LG’s new LH9500 will be one of the highlights at IFA displaying this technology.

    • New TV stars from Philips
    The 9700 series once again sets standards in terms of picture definition, contrast and image dynamics. Featuring a characteristic design and brushed aluminium front they look good in every size (40, 46, and 52 inches). All models have a hybrid tuner for receiving analogue cable, DVB-T and DVB-C with CI+ broadcasts. Picture quality is outstanding with the Full HD screen (1920x1080p), while 200 Hertz Clear LCD technology and the Perfect Pixel HD Engine ensure images are detailed, clear and razor sharp.
    .
    • SV series from Toshiba – fully automatic high-end TV sets
    With its SV models, Toshiba is introducing its first television sets with LED backlighting, which, by combining picture quality, ease of operation and eco-friendliness ensure that viewers can enjoy a premium viewing experience.

    • HD+ Ready receivers from Humax
    Digital equipment specialists and HDTV pioneers Humax are eager for scheduled new HDTV transmissions from SES Astra and private broadcasters to begin. When HD+ is launched in late 2009 Humax will naturally be supplying innovative und easy-to-operate new sets.

    • New TV sets from Sharp
    With Sharp, compared with the alternative method of installing LEDs on the sides, the LEDs covering the rear surface of the LCD provide an even lighting effect and more intense colour. However, LED backlighting technology is not the reason why the two new AQUOS series have received the accolade of “best picture”.

    • New headphones from Sennheiser
    The heart of the HD 800 is a completely new sound transducer and an innovative headphone design. The looks of the HD 800 are the perfect match for its outstanding sound quality. Uncluttered styling and a black and silver finish make this a genuine designer object.

    • Mitsubishi Electric’s new full HD beamer
    Mitsubishi Electric is presenting two new home cinema beamers at IFA, the HC6800 and HC3800. Both of these newly developed products offer Full HD viewing quality, and with their high light intensity are suitable for use not only in dark a projection room but also in the living room.

    • Loewe Reference Home Entertainment System
    Even before the start of IFA journalists were rating the new Loewe Reference Home Entertainment System as the ultimate in design. The Loewe Reference 52 Full HD+ 200 flat-screen TV exceeds all expectations. Featuring a massive 52-inch screen and measuring barely 60 millimetres in depth its sheer presence is impressive.

    • A new sat nav from Falk
    The new F12 high-end sat nav from Falk features a larger storage capacity, high-speed processor, realistic building images, the ability to input special destinations by voice command or clicking on the screen, and is due to become the new flagship of Falk’s sat nav range.

    • T-Mobile – second-generation Android Smartphone, more mobile TV and mobile navigation
    T-Mobile is presenting impressive mobile communication, information and entertainment innovations at IFA. These include the T-Mobile G2 Touch, the second-generation Android-based mobile phone, which can be customised to a virtually unlimited degree. Android Market™ applications allow users to add numerous functions of their choice.

    • The Navigon MobileNavigator for iPhone
    The long list of technical specifications includes Reality View Pro, a lane assistant (Pro), a speed assistant, daytime and night-time operating modes, and an option for displaying POIs en route, thus setting the MobileNavigator apart from its competitors.

    …and many more.

    Be with us at IFA 2009 from September 4th!

  • Pillar First to Deliver 2TB SATA to Enterprise Customers

    Pillar Data Systems, the provider of Application-Aware storage systems, is the first network storage company to make 2 terabyte SATA drives available to the enterprise market.

    The drives have been introduced in a frame of the company’s initiative to “Stop Storage Waste” and will be available as a part of the its Axiom storage system.

    The new drives push the Axiom’s overall usable capacity to over 1.6 petabytes per system, while driving down overall power consumption by 50 percent and space consumption by 2X.

    According to the company, Pillar is the only storage vendor to guarantee 80-percent utilization on its Axiom storage system. “No other open systems storage array on the market today can deliver that level of disk utilization without performance degradation,” they assure.

    The Pillar Axiom differentiates performance based on application priority, what Pillar calls Application Aware Storage. The company claims that this system “can dramatically reduce floor space and energy demands, and lower Total Cost of Ownership by up to 50 percent.”

    Additionally, the Axiom system performed the fastest rebuild times in the industry, according to an independent analyst report. In April the Demartek’s study showed the Pillar Axiom 500 performed the fastest drive rebuilds – up to 71-percent faster – with minimal impact to application performance, when compared to competitors EMC (EMC CX3-40) and Network Appliance (NetApp FAS3050c.)

    “As drive sizes continue to increase, more storage will be wasted unless you have a storage architecture that can utilize the full capacity with no performance degradation,” said Bob Maness, Vice President of Pillar Data Systems.

    “Our latest innovations around SSDs and now 2TB drives will make it even easier for end-users to increase capacity and performance, while improving the overall efficiency of their system,” he added.

  • Nokia Unveils N900 – The New Company’s Flagship Handset

    Nokia has finally launched the N900 – running on the new Maemo 5 latest company’s smartphone, which has evolved from Nokia’s previous generation of internet tablets.

    “The open source, Linux-based Maemo software delivers a PC-like experience on a handset-sized device” says the company’s announcement.

    Nokia N900 packs an ARM Cortex-A8 600 MHz processor, up to 1GB of application memory and 3D graphics accelerator with OpenGL ES 2.0 support. The result is, as the company promises, “PC-like multitasking, allowing many applications to run simultaneously.”

    New Nokia comes with a 3.5-inch 800×480 pixel touchscreen, the full physical slide-out QWERTY, internet connectivity with 10/2 HSPA and WLAN, Wi-Fi 54Mbps data transfer, Mozilla-based browser and full Adobe Flash 9.4 support.

    To get the most out of the 5MP camera, Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash and 800 × 480 resolution video recording, Maemo software and the N900 come with a new tag cloud user interface.

    The device also features GPS with pre-installed Ovi Maps, Bluetooth 2.1, FM transmitter, TV-out and 1320mAh battery.

    The panoramic homescreen can be fully personalized with shortcuts, widgets and applications. Maemo software updates happen automatically over the internet.

    N900 has 32GB of storage, which is expandable up to 48GB via a microSD card.

    "The Nokia N900 shows where we are going with Maemo and we’ll continue to work with the community to push the software forward. What we have with Maemo is something that is fusing the power of the computer, the internet and the mobile phone, and it is great to see that it is evolving in exciting ways," said Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President of Nokia.

    Nokia N900 will be available in select markets from October 2009 with an estimated retail price of EUR 500 and will be displayed at Nokia World, Stuttgart, on September 2.

  • Blu-ray Won’t Replace DVD as the Primary Drive for PCs

    Despite a rapid rise in the sales of consumer Blu-ray players, a fall in their prices and an increase in the number of high-definition movie titles, Blu-ray drives in PC systems have been left singing the blues, according to iSuppli.

    iSuppli’s recent report says that by 2013, Blu-ray drives will be found in only 16.3 percent of PCs shipped, up from 3.6 percent in 2009.

    “BDs won’t be replacing DVDs as the primary optical drive in PC systems through at least the year 2013,” said Michael Yang, senior analyst for storage and mobile memory at iSuppli.

    “They eventually will find success, but during the next five years, that success will be limited in the PC segment.

    According to Yang, the two main reasons hampering the adoption of Blu-ray drives in PCs include costs as well as the lack of a library of movies that justifies the need for consumers to move to a different drive in their PCs.

    Cost, Yang said, is the primary impediment. Given the high price of the product, consumers are unwilling to pay the extra money in order to obtain a high-definition drive. “The cost issue is amplified by the fact that the library of content is so small that there really isn’t a reason for users to switch at the moment,” Yang added.

    And while this is changing and studios are rolling out more Blu-ray content every week, there remains a long way to go.

    A tertiary factor worth mentioning is the difficulty of supplanting an incumbent storage medium in PCs—a distinction currently held by the DVD-RW drive.

    “From a historical perspective, each of the successful storage media in PCs has gained popularity only when content became available and when consumers actually understood that what they were getting was easy to use and worth the cost,” the report says.

    For instance, the once-ubiquitous 3.5-inch floppy drive had a lifespan of 15-plus years, surviving well past its prime. Eventually, it was replaced by CD-ROMs—which, in turn, gave way to DVD drives.

    A changeover occurred and the floppy disk finally supplanted when it became apparent that CD-ROMs not only offered a distinct advantage but were also the medium being adopted by everything from music to games to movies.

    Such a pivotal moment, Yang said, has not yet arrived for the Blu-ray drive. “It’s undeniable that Blu-ray delivers a higher-definition picture, better sound quality and larger storage space for home entertainment,” he remarked.

    “However, these benefits may have little or no value when viewing the content on a smaller desktop or laptop PC screen and using poor speakers.”

    Until BD costs decline and user knowledge increases, the technology will continue to struggle – the report concludes. 

  • Spectra Logic Launches Next Level Tape Storage Solution

    Spectra Logic, a provider of data protection solutions, has launched what it claims is the industry’s first integrated system for deduplication, remote site replication and automated migration to tape.

    Demand for integrated management of tiered backup solutions is increasing as more companies consider using deduplication in their data protection environments.

    Spectra’s solution integrates disk-based deduplication to tape by providing policy-based, integrated remote site replication and automated migration of replicated data to tape.

    According to the company, Spectra’s nTier Deduplication is “fast, scalable and easy-to-manage.” As a fully scalable deduplication appliance for small and medium-sized organizations, nTier Deduplication offers the ability to add capacity to installed appliances as needed.

    nTier Deduplication achieves increased deduplication efficiency by sharing deduplication catalogs among remote sites. Users no longer need to establish multiple policies across numerous sites or purchase separate software to move replicated deduplication data to a tape archive.

    “As data volumes grow, IT Administrators are continually challenged to protect everything they need to protect,” said John Webster, senior analyst at Illuminata.

    “The integration and policy-based automation of deduplication with other data protection processes available with nTier Deduplication helps IT administrators more easily and quickly meet their growing data protection obligations.”

    nTier Deduplication can be scaled up to 60TBs of raw capacity, without interrupting data availability and without requiring any migration of data.

    The simple field capacity upgrades are available as needed and do not require a disruptive unit replacement. The solution eliminates the need for additional equipment, multiple policies or third-party software.

    nTier Deduplication runs up speeds up to 900MB per second, and the company assures that it’s compatible with all major backup software applications. Base pricing for an nTier500 v80 Deduplication appliance starts at $23,500.

    At the same time Spectra has announced the general availability of its latest storage management software – BlueScale 10.6 that offers high availability features for the enterprise that were previously only available on disk.

    Integrated into Spectra T-Series tape libraries, BlueScale 10.6 delivers the first “hot spare” drive available for tape libraries, proactive notification of potential hardware failure with Hardware Lifecycle Management (HLM) and auto-discovery of new media through its Media Lifecycle Management (MLM) enhancements.

    The company says that “the intelligent remote management capabilities allow customers to monitor the health of media and hardware, alleviate unscheduled site visits, and reduce costs and resource requirements.”

    BlueScale 10.6 is available as a free upgrade to existing customers with current support contracts.

  • JAJAH Brings SIP Trunking Services to the Enterprise

    JAJAH, the IP communications company, is working with Microsoft to provide SIP Trunking services to Microsoft enterprise customers globally. According to the firm this will allow companies to make high quality voice calls over JAJAH’s IP Platform in the cloud, without requiring an infrastructure upgrade.

    Enterprises using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 can now connect directly with JAJAH’s global carrier-grade IP network to make high quality voice calls.

    The company says that in addition to the ‘significant’ cost-benefits, JAJAH’s extensive range of calling solutions integrate seamlessly into the enterprise, so voice calls can be made from computers and landlines.

    JAJAH’s SIP Trunking services connect phone calls from computers, IP-phones and mobile phones to virtually any device in the world.

    SIP Trunking is the delivery mechanism that underpins unified communications, providing the function of connecting an organization’s PBX(s) to the necessary service providers. In doing so, it ensures phone calls and other IP-based communications originating from an employees’ phone or computer are connected to the destination.

    "The combination of JAJAH and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 gives enterprises a powerful and rich external telephony solution," said Warren Barkley, Microsoft Senior Director Unified Communications.

    "Enterprises across the world can implement VoIP and unified communication easily and cost effectively with Microsoft and JAJAH," added JAJAH CEO Trevor Healy.

  • Save the Date for Motorola’s Android Sholes and Morrison

    With the giants of the mobile phone industry battling it out at the top, little has been said about the struggling Android platform that was rumored to be a unique way users could interface with their phones. While not entirely without its merit Motorola has suffered with the few struggling Windows Mobile platform phone it’s tried to release, making little impact in the cellular market.

    It’s unfortunate that the power players in the mobile market have literally ousted some of the more well known brand names in the industry, specifically Motorola, which does not even rank in the top ten of most used phones. Will they be relegated to focus on the less expensive consumer market or is there room for them to still make a splash?

    Mark your calendars friends, because September 10th will see a huge announcement regarding Motorola’s unveiling of their own Android phone line. This announcement is the planned cornerstone for the rebirth of Motorola.

    The event which will take place in San Francisco, CA has had little information released on just what the announcements will be. Still, rumors say that the announcement of the Sholes and the Morrison phones will be the first out of the gate.

    The first, Sholes, will be a high end phone focusing on the professional power user focusing on high processing speeds and a 5 megapixel camera. The second, Morrison, will be a more economically based Android phone which will end up on the T-Mobile network and support 3G.

    These phones are just the first in what is expected to be a long line of phones on various networks in order to regain some of the market share lost to the bigger brand names in play.

    Motorola looks to increase excitement with their innovation and the possibility of a glimpse into Android 2.0 which could very well power these new phones and offer such extras as entire phone search, multi-gesture shortcuts and multi-touch.

    For now, it’s stated that the phones will come activated with the Blur interface which looks to tie every social aspect of the individual into a unique experience with the OS. This would definitely attract a vast majority of mobile users as connectivity through various networks has been on the rise, and would be a high selling point if the platform is able to show ease of use.

  • Innovation Come to BlackBerry as RIM Acquires Torch Mobile

    There’s no doubt that the mobile market is a hot market. Competition is stiff, but the so far the clear winner by leaps and bounds has been the Apple iPhone.

    The market for second is easily becoming close with Blackberry fighting to keep its position and Palm looking to break into the market but eating some of Blackberry’s market share with the Palm Pre.

    Still, the iPhone may not stay on top forever and Blackberry has taken a bold step in the right direction. If one thing has kept the iPhone ahead of the game, it’s been its clear dominance in the ease of use market.

    Blackberry has always had dependable technology and has also established itself amongst the corporate market, something iPhone has been unable to do in recent years. As Blackberry users look for innovation, Research in Motion (RIM) take a bold step in redefining their browser by acquiring browser development company, Torch.

    The Toronto based developer has created an open-source browser called Iris, which like Mozilla, has offered innovative design for mobile browsers, to include tabbed interface. This tabbed interface has worked well for the various mobile devices that Iris has been put on, and now with the ability to be included on Blackberry devices, the acquisition could prove beneficial for both parties.

    In what is sure to be a step forward in tackling Apple, RIM released a statement stating that Torch will work closely with RIM developers to “contribute to the ongoing enhancement of the BlackBerry platform.”

    Torch has gone further to state on their own website that any contributors, Committers and Reviewers will remain on board as active participants in the WebKit development community.

    It remains to be seen if Blackberry can truly take on the overwhelming lead that Apple has with their iPhone, but with unique innovation that Torch can bring to the table, RIM has the ability to increase the ease of use to all their devices.

  • Feature Phones Still Rule the U.S. Market

    According to The NPD Group, a market research company, when it comes to sales of mobile phones in the U.S. feature phones still rule the market, even as smartphone sales continue to increase their share of overall handset sales.

    NPD’s Mobile Phone Track information reveals that unit-sales of new feature phones fell 5 percentage points to 72 percent of new handset sales in the Q2 2009, while sales of new smartphones reached 28 percent of overall consumer purchases – a 47 percent increase in the category’s share since last year.

    Overall handset sales volume in the U.S. grew 14 percent year over year in Q2 2009, as sales revenue increased 18 percent. The average selling price of all mobile phones increased 4 percent year over year – reaching $87 in Q2.

    According to NPD’s Q2 2009 ranking of handsets, the LG enV2 and Samsung Rant led feature phone sales, while Apple iPhone 3G and RIM Blackberry Curve were the top-selling smartphones.

    “Despite their ties to pricey data plans, the rich Internet access capabilities of smartphones are attracting consumers wooed by lower device prices,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at The NPD Group.

    The research shows that Wi-Fi capability increased three-fold since last year, with 20 percent of all new handsets equipped with this capability.

    Touch screens on both feature phones and smartphones have also seen tremendous growth since last year, with 26 percent of all new handsets purchased in Q2 including this feature. Physical QWERTY keyboards, by comparison, were available in 35 percent of handsets sold.

    “Feature phones are taking on more of the physical characteristics of smartphones, and often offer greater exposure to carrier services.With the price gap between smartphones and feature phones narrowing, to remain competitive feature phones need to develop a better Web experience, drive utility via widgets, and sidestep the applications arms race,” Rubin said.

    NPD Group compiles and analyzes mobile device sales data based on more than 150,000 completed online consumer research surveys each month. Surveys are based on a nationally balanced and demographically representative sample, and results are projected to represent the entire population of U.S. consumers.

  • Apple Explains the Removal of Google Voice from App Store

    Not long after Apple removed the official Google Voice application and any other applications that use Google Voice functionality from its iPhone App Store, the Federal Communications Commission has asked both Apple and AT&T to clarify the reasons of the removal.

    The companies just answered FCC and published their statements.

    A bit surprisingly, Apple stated that the company has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it.

    As they explain, “the application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail.”

    Apple seems to be concerned also about the proper data protection: “When using Google Voice the iPhone user’s entire Contacts database is transferred to Google’s servers, and we have yet to obtain any assurances from Google that this data will only be used in appropriate ways.”

    The company gives the examples of other applications that have also fall into this category.

    Answering the question if Apple did act alone, or in consultation with AT&T, in deciding to reject the Google Voice application, the firm assures that it is acting alone and has not consulted with AT&T about whether or not to approve the Google Voice application.

    “No contractual conditions or non-contractual understandings with AT&T have been a factor in Apple’s decision-making process in this matter,” the statement says.

    “Let me state unequivocally, AT&T had no role in any decision by Apple to not accept the Google Voice application for inclusion in the Apple App Store. AT&T was not asked about the matter by Apple at any time, nor did we offer any view one way or the other,” said Jim Cicconi, AT&T senior executive vice president, external and legislative affairs.

    “AT&T does not block consumers from accessing any lawful website on the Internet. Consumers can download or launch a multitude of compatible applications directly from the Internet, including Google Voice, through any web-enabled wireless device. As a result, any AT&T customer may access and use Google Voice on any web-enabled device operating on AT&T’s network, including the iPhone, by launching the application through their web browser, without the need to use the Apple App Store,” says the company’s statement.

    Apple reminds that “there is a provision in Apple’s agreement with AT&T that obligates Apple not to include functionality in any Apple phone that enables a customer to use AT&T’s cellular network service to originate or terminate a VoIP session without obtaining AT&T’s permission.”

    For example, AT&T’s Terms of Service prohibit an AT&T customer from using AT&T’s cellular service to redirect a TV signal to an iPhone.

    “From time to time, AT&T has expressed concerns regarding network efficiency and potential network congestion associated with certain applications, and Apple takes such concerns into consideration,” Apple says.

    Asked to explain any differences between the Google Voice iPhone application and any VoIP applications that Apple has approved for the iPhone, the company answered that it does not know if there is a VoIP element in the way the Google Voice application routes calls and messages, and whether VoIP technology is used over the 3G network by the application.

    They also assured that they had never approved any application that works over AT&T’s 3G network.