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  • Official: Motorola Mobility To Be Bought by Google for $ 12.5 Billion

    It's official! Motorola Mobility shareholders have approved the transaction by which the company will be acquired by Google for $ 12.5 billion, but the ball is now in the competition authorities' field, which have already opened an investigation after which they will also have to give their consent for this transaction.

    Motorola expects the deal will be completed at the beginning of 2012. In mid-August Google announced that it would buy Motorola Mobility in what is the biggest transaction in the history of web giant.

    Motorola shareholders approved unanimously the transaction, the company being convinced that competition authorities will also give their consent. U.S authorities have also opened an investigation in September in order to see if a so big transaction has or not a negative impact over the market competition.

    Motorola estimates that all approvals will be obtained before the beginning of 2012, and the transaction will be initiated at that time.

    Motorola Mobility separated earlier this year by Motorola Group, which five years ago started to have serious difficulties in mobile segment, but also because they didn’t react quickly enough to come up with competitive touchscreen devices.

    Motorola recorded in 2009 losses of $ 1.2 billion and last year earned operational profit of $ 76 million.

    Explaining why Motorola, the company in Mountain View mentioned in the press release of announcing this important transaction that this company has 80 years of history, invented the mobile phone three decades ago and in 2008 decided to use Android OS on the entire range of smartphones, being among the first large companies that have adopted this operating system.

    Google made a stock of Android adoption and says that over 150 million terminals were activated since 2007 and so far, and 550.000 are added daily.

    Android handsets are sold in 123 countries under the logos of 30 smartphones manufacturers.

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    Kaspersky Lab In a Partnership with TAG Heuer
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    HTC Edge – The First Smartphone with Quad-Core Processor

  • Kaspersky Lab In a Partnership with TAG Heuer

    Kaspersky Lab has signed a partnership agreement with TAG Heuer, the famous Swiss luxury watches manufacturer. The latter, in collaboration with ModeLabs Manufacture, launched the first luxury smartphone with touchscreen, called TAG Heuer Link, which runs Google’s Android.

    For this new smartphone, Kaspersky Lab developed TAG Heuer Mobile Security (powered by Kaspersky), a security solution, which is offering a high level of data stored in the phone.

    “Kaspersky Lab and TAG Heuer share common values, such as cutting-edge technology and an ongoing process of innovation,” said Eugene Kaspersky, President and CEO at Kaspersky Lab. “TAG Heuer Mobile Security is our first project in the luxury segment and we want to further develop this partnership.”

    The new smartphone TAG Heuer Link is a powerful communication tool, developed by Swiss engineers, assembled in France and equipped with Android OS. According to the company, TAG Heuer Link was made with quality materials and with the most advanced components used in horology and automotive industries, including diamonds and pink gold. The stainless steel used for this phone is also used to create surgical instruments and is hypoallergenic and resistant to corrosion.

    TAG Heuer Mobile Security offers a high level of protection against network attacks, malware for mobile phones and SMS spam. Besides the fact that it grants users the possibility to locate where the phone was lost or stolen, using the GPS Find function, the software offers the opportunity to store all digital files in encrypted folders and to lock or delete remotely all the files from the phone.

    Thanks to Mobile Security software from Kaspersky Lab, the owner is able to effectively manage the private contacts, to filter out the unwanted calls and SMSs by entering contacts in “black” and “white” lists and to restrict children’s access to the phone.

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  • RIM Launches Blackberry Bold 9790 and Blackberry Curve 9380

    Canadian smartphone manufacturer Research In Motion has announced today in Jakarta two new models from the series running the new operating system Blackberry 7. The new smartphones, BlackBerry Bold 9790 and BlackBerry Curve 9380, will be offering a unique design and an impressive suite of features.

    BlackBerry Bold 9790
    The new model from Bold family does not differ very much from the previous 9900. The only difference worth mentioning is its design. BlackBerry Bold 9790 has embossed buttons over the QWERTY keyboard, while the device’s back looks very much like BlackBerry Torch 9850. The new Bold presents – like the BlackBerry 9900 – a touchscreen in addition to the physical QWERTY keyboard.

    BlackBerry Bold 9790 has a 1GHz processor, NFC support and an internal memory of 8GB, which can be easily expanded with a microSD card.

    BlackBerry Curve 9380
    Curve series has always been designed for customers who want an affordable and powerful BlackBerry device and the new model does not disappoint. BlackBerry Curve 9380 is very similar to BlackBerry Storm, being the first device in Curve series with a 3.2-inch touchscreen. The new Curve presents a lot of social media applications preinstalled, such as Twitter, Facebook, BlackBerry Messenger or Social Feeds.

    BlackBerry Curve 9380 is expected to have a 5-megapixel camera and a 800GHz processor with 1GB of storing memory.

    Rumors inside RIM say that their brand new BlackBerry Bold 9790 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 will be available globally in the next few weeks, but they didn’t disclose any pricing details.

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  • Vidyo First to Achieve 100 HD Rate Matching Ports on a Virtualized Machine

    Vidyo announced it has virtualized the first video conferencing infrastructure and delivered an HD video conference on over 100 concurrent lines. To date, virtualization in the video conferencing market has been limited to call control. Vidyo has now virtualized media processing, enabling service providers to offer unlimited multipoint scalability and low latency rate matching capability on demand to accelerate the adoption of high quality, universal video conferencing on any endpoint.

    "Vidyo's virtualization of the media plane is as significant to the video conferencing industry as VMware's virtualization of the compute plane was to the data center," said Ofer Shapiro, co-founder and CEO of Vidyo.  "Vidyo has already enabled service providers to offer telepresence calls at pennies instead of dollars per minute. Today's technology announcement marks a new era of virtualized video conferencing with unprecedented scalability, flexibility and affordability by providing media processing when and where it is required. Hardware-based solutions are not scalable and have limited capacity for multipoint video conferencing, requiring costly MCU devices that have to be pre-provisioned in data centers instead of providing availability on-demand."

    "Virtualization has affected almost every aspect of IT, and network infrastructure is the last untapped bastion," said Zeus Kerravala, Principal Analyst, ZK Research. "Vidyo is the first company to demonstrate the impact of virtualized video conferencing in terms of scalability and economics on the most expensive part of the network infrastructure. There is no longer a reason for video conferencing to be a hardware investment; customers need to select a software-based architecture today that can address tomorrow's future growth needs."

    Multipoint media processing mixes multiple video streams, a function traditionally performed by a transcoding multipoint control unit (MCU) which is not scalable.  Expanding video conferencing services from hundreds of thousands of rooms to hundreds of millions of mobile and desktop endpoints requires a new approach for multipoint scalability. Leveraging virtual machines allows service providers and enterprise companies to scale video conferencing capacity on demand by creating a virtual machine and running a VidyoRouterTM, with no incremental hardware required.  Companies still get all the benefits of Vidyo's patented Adaptive Video LayeringTM technology, which provides the most efficient bandwidth utilization, local error correction, and real time video optimization for unprecedented video quality over the Internet. 

    The Vidyo Difference

    The Vidyo communication and collaboration platform is software-based, highly flexible and can be easily customized for individual enterprise and vertical market video conferencing needs. The patented VidyoRouterTM architecture introduces Adaptive Video LayeringTM, which dynamically optimizes the video for each endpoint leveraging H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC)-based compression technology and Vidyo's IP. Adaptive Video Layering eliminates the MCU and offers unprecedented error resiliency and low latency rate matching thus enabling natural, affordable, high-quality video to work over the Internet, LTE, 3G and 4G networks. The platform allows users to quickly leverage the latest hardware innovations and new consumer devices, making it uniquely attractive to partners. Vidyo has been active driving H.264 SVC and SIP videoconferencing interoperability in various standards bodies since 2005.

  • Storage Predictions for 2012: Infiltration of ‘Small Data’ and a New Kind of Cloud

    Drobo has released storage industry predictions for the coming year. These predictions are based on the company’s interactions with thousands of customers, analysts and industry luminaries.

    "The pace of change in the storage industry is going to accelerate in 2012," said Tom Buiocchi, CEO of Drobo. "Cloud strategies are evolving rapidly, solid-state media will have its day, and Big Data technologies will find their way to 'Small Data' customers. Any vendor with an old school product line is going to learn some new lessons the hard way in 2012."

    Among Drobo's predictions:

    • It’s the end of cloud storage as we know it today.  Pure cloud adoption will become less common than a hybrid approach that tightly integrates public and private cloud architectures with modern on-premise storage systems. This trend will hold true for both home users and small-medium businesses (SMBs). According to recent cloud usage research conducted by Drobo, 96 percent of SMBs (up to 500 employees) report they will store at least 50 percent of their data on-site for a minimum of the next three years. Factors cited included cloud performance, security and reliability concerns. Both businesses and individuals did state that they wanted tighter and more automated integration between their on-site data and their cloud provider. As stated by Buiocchi, "The cloud is going to have one foot on the ground for some time to come."
    • 'Small Data' eclipses Big Data in importance.  Today there is big buzz around Big Data, but the fact of the matter is Big Data is relevant to only the largest of companies and data hoarders—similar to the perspective that only one percent of the population owns 99 percent of the nation’s wealth. It’s the one person, family or business having to navigate the protection and management of their own data that affects the largest group of people: 100 million individuals and small businesses nationwide alone. This is the more pervasive problem (when compared to Big Data), and it highlights a persistent oversight of the entrenched, legacy storage system vendors that focus on the one percent while under-serving the "little guy." The numbers are too big to ignore—while Big Data will continue as a top issue in 2012, it’s the 'Small Data' opportunity that will explode.
    • Consumerization of IT continues as enterprise storage features hit the SMB and home user market.  It happened with PCs years ago and now it’s happening with tablets. In 2012 it will happen with personal and small business storage. Automated data protection, advanced thin provisioning, and powerful data-tiering with solid-state drives (SSD) are among the innovative technologies that entered the enterprise market first, but in 2012 they will further permeate home and small business offices. Will most new home or small office users know how to describe these cool, geeky storage features? Probably not, but they will know that storage has never been so easy to use, reliable and fast. 2012 will be the year that the idea of storage for the rest of us takes on a larger role in our lives, better protecting our rapidly growing digital universe.

  • HTC Edge – The First Smartphone with Quad-Core Processor

    Smartphones market is loading as we speak with more efficient and innovative devices. According to pocketnow.com, Taiwanese manufacturer HTC is preparing to launch, early next year, the first smartphone with quad-core processor!

    The first images with the phone have already been offered by an anonymous source, and its probable specs have thrilled the technology enthusiasts. With a 4.7-inch screen, the smartphone has a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, making it by far the most powerful phone on the market. With an announced internal memory of 1GB and with a 8-megapixel camera, HTC aims very high. And because a smartphone with such specifications should have a next-generation operating system, HTC Edge will come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

    Among other features, is mentioned the high speed HSDPA connectivity (21 Mbps) and the Bluetooth 4.0 technology. It is also possible to be launched a HTC Edge version for the next-generation mobile networks (LTE 4G).

    Disadvantages of processor with multiple cores
    Nevertheless, the latest smartphones equipped with dual-core processors and with energy systems have their disadvantages. First of all, a quad-core processor will put pressure on phone’s battery and will consume its power very fast. In addition, installing multiple cores inside the phone – the internal computer that controls all processes inside the phone – will heat up the system. But there can also be benefits: developers can be more creative and can expand further than they did so far by using some more-demanding games for the system, with improved graphics.

    Officially presented next year
    Most likely, this new HTC smartphone will be presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, scheduled to start on February 27.

    The only mobile device that has received a quad-core processor so far is the 2nd generation of Asus Transformer tablet. The gadget has not yet been officially presented, therefore doesn’t exist any data about its functionality.

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  • Samsung Presents New 4G Communication Solutions

    During the 4G World 2011 event, held in Chicago, Samsung made a few demonstrations of its smart solutions Smart LTE and Voice over LTE, which take full advantage of the 4G technology.

    Samsung has shown the improvement in data transition provided by Samsung Smart LTE solution, which is designed to support a large influx of mobile data traffic in congested urban areas. According to the company, applying its advanced technology of radio resource allocation, Samsung Smart LTE solution allows mobile service providers to reduce the interference that occurs inside network’s sectors and cells, making possible the efficient expansion of the signal range without reducing its intensity.

    Youngky Kim, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Telecommunication Systems Business at Samsung Electronics, said: “It’s clear that LTE is the central point of the transition from voice-service-based communication towards the one based on data service. Thus, the telecommunications industry is currently working on finding the most effective ways to satisfy user demand for multimedia and data services at a higher speed, while continuing to provide stable voice services of the highest quality.”

    Samsung has also made a VoLTE demonstration using complete solutions, including networking equipment, but also smartphones and chipsets compatible with LTE. Samsung provides a high quality of the service VoLTE (QoS), ensuring uninterrupted voice communications, even in case of overloaded network.

    Both network equipment and the smartphones used in proving the VoLTE solution are expected to hit the market in 2012.

    Samsung has also introduced SmartMBS, a multi-standard base station that brings together the LTE, 4G and 3G technologies in a single platform. SmartMBS allows quick and easy integration of the LTE technology into existing networks at considerably reduced costs. SmartMBS has a bandwidth range of 65MHz Remote Audio Unit (RRU), equipped with Software Defined Radio (SDR) capabilities.

    Samsung supported the launch of the first commercial services LTE and Mobile WiMAX in USA. Having an extensive experience in OFDMA technology, the company already created dozens of partnerships with mobile operators in order to help them implement 4G solutions, including Sprint and MetroPCS in the US, KDDI in Japan and Mobily in Saudi Arabia.

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    Ubuntu Linux Mobile – An alternative to Google Android

  • Ubuntu Linux Mobile – An alternative to Google Android

    Google’s Android OS will soon have Ubuntu Linux for mobile devices as competitor, an operating system developed under open source and available for use for free.

    Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux, revealed that after finalizing the latest version of the operating system for PCs, their efforts will be focused on extending this platform towards the most popular computing platforms currently used. Thus, in the near future we will have available Ubuntu Linux distributions for tablets, Smart TV devices and, of course, smartphones.

    In the preparation for this expansion, Canonical is currently in talks with many of the producers of mobile devices chipsets, including ARM, a leading manufacturer of processors for tablets and smartphones.
    Through this extension into the world of mobile devices, Ubuntu becomes a direct competitor to Android OS, an operating system which, ironically, is compromised even by Google creator, after the recent acquisition of Motorola, one of the major mobile phones manufacturers in the world.

    The acquisition of Motorola Mobility is not seen well by the other hardware manufacturers, because it transforms Google from simple software developer in hardware manufacturer. Thus, Android OS ends up being caught in a conflict of interests arisen between Google’s creator and the other mobile devices manufacturers. This way, Ubuntu Linux is seen as the saving solution, a free and flexible alternative, coming from a company far less intimidating than Google.

    Interestingly, the strategy chosen by Canonical is ingenious, but without a solid brand that has resonance among the users of tablets and smartphones, its success or the potential failure depends almost entirely on the partnerships concluded with the hardware manufacturers.

    The delivery of Ubuntu OS on as many devices is essential for its promotion, but it remains to be seen whether the facilities offered will be able to rise at the standards of a strong competition, such as the one provided by Google with its Android 4.0.

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  • App-based Infotainment to Revolutionize In-Car Driver Experience at Content & Apps for Auto USA 2011

    Enhanced content and applications have made it possible for OEM’s to offer future-proofed and constantly updateable in-car infotainment direct to the driver. Plus, connected infotainment solutions are set to grow substantially: according to analytics, globally shipments will reach 27 million by 2016.

    Compelled by these figures, OEMs have spent the past 12 months rapidly launching their own content and app strategies. Influenced by enhanced smartphone and tablet capabilities many integrating next-gen content and services through advanced platforms and cloud-based technology.

    The content & apps market is at a crucial tipping point. If a real return on investment is to be achieved – the following challenges must be overcome:

    – Are consumers willing to buy dedicated in-car apps?
    – How to engage the app developer community?
    – How will new players such as software developers influence content offerings?
    – Will we see a convergence in platform technology?

    To answer these crucial questions Telematics Update will gather BMW, Toyota, Ford, HTC, Nokia, Amazon, Audible, HD Radio, Tune In, Hyundai, GM, Audi, Honda, Pandora, Mercedes, ESPN, Yahoo, ABC News Radio and many more on November 29-30, San Diego, Hilton Mission Bay Hotel Resort & Spa, San Diego, California.

    The final $100 registration discount will expire on Friday 4th November sign-up via this secure link.

    About Telematics Update
    Telematics Update Conferences are the most prestigious in the industry. We produce the largest telematics events in North America, Europe & Asia, and attract the most influential speakers providing a rich environment for establishing strategic relationships and networking.

  • Samsung Launches Galaxy Note

    Samsung has finally announced the availability of Samsung Galaxy Note on the European market. The company's new smartphone will be available in November through the major European mobile operators, like Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone.

    Galaxy Note has the first and the largest HD Super AMOLED screen, measuring 5.3 inches. According to the company, this is an intelligent expansive, high-resolution screen, offering immersive viewing experience, "the most performing in its class." The S Pen, along with the full touchscreen of the device, is creating a truly unique user experience. Users can enjoy multi-tasking, can create and view more, with fewer interruptions, even in motion.

    The digital S Pen can be used for precise drawings or fine art, while the superior handwriting recognition allows the user to capture and share any idea on other devices without the need for subsequent digitization; handwritten text is converted with accuracy in digital characters.

    Specially designed applications

    Along with Galaxy Note, Samsung announced the launch of "S Choice", a new menu category in the Samsung Apps, with applications designed specifically for the Galaxy Note's S Pen function. The new applications include Soonr Workplace, OmniSketch, Zen Brush, ComicBook! and iAnnotate PDF. Soonr Workplace enables team collaboration through the annotation option directly in the various file formats stored in Soonr Cloud, while iAnnotate PDF offers direct annotation for S Pen in PDF files. OmniSketch allows drawing using S Pen as a brush, while Zen Brush simulates an oriental brush.

    Unique visual experience

    The high-resolution screen of Samsung Galaxy Note allows users an improved visualization of e-books, PowerPoint presentations, news applications and web pages, with scrolling and minimal zooming. The HD Super AMOLED screen of the Galaxy Note is large enough to allow split-screen and multi-tasking operations. The most commonly used native applications can run side by side, thus reducing interruptions. In addition, 5.3-inch screen is the largest ever included in a mobile device; having a thickness of only 9.6 mm, the new Samsung Galaxy Note perfectly fits in your pocket.

    Power and performance

    Galaxy Note’s 1.4 GHz dual core processor ensures a higher speed. Fast network speeds are possible thanks to the HSPA+ or LTE-enabled connections featured by the new smartphone. This means that users can play videos by real-time streaming or play with friends through online gaming platforms (facilitated by Samsung Game Hub).

    SPECIFICATIONS

    Network:
    – HSPA+ up to 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
    – 4G LTE
    – EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
    Processor:                
    – 1.4 GHz Dual Core Processor
    Display:                      
    – 5.3” WXGA (1280 x 800, 285 PPI) screen
    – HD Super AMOLED
    Platform:                    
    – Android 2.3(Gingerbread)
    Camera:                      
    – Main (Rear): 8 MP with LED Flash / Front : 2 MP
    – Action Shot, Beauty, Panorama Shot, Smile Shot
    Video:                        
    – 1080p Full HD video recording & playback
    – Recording: 1080p@24~30fps/ Playback: 1080p@30fps
    – Codec: MPEG4/ H.263/ H.264/ DivX, Xvid, WMV, VC-1
    Audio:                          
    – Codec: MP3, AAC, AMR, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG
    – Music Player with SoundAlive
    – 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS
    Multi Input:                 
    – Full touch + S Pen (Advanced smart pen)
    Connectivity:              
    – Bluetooth® technology v 3.0 + HS
    – USB 2.0 HOST
    – Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
    Sensor:                        
    – Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity, Barometer, Light
    Memory:                      
    – 16 GB internal memory + microSD (up to 32 GB)
    Battery:                        
    – Standard battery, Li-on 2,500 mAh
    Features:                    
    – Samsung Touchwiz/ Samsung Live Panel UX
    – S Memo/ S Planner/ S Choice (Apps for GALAXY Note)
    – Samsung Apps Samsung kies 2.0/ Samsung kies air
    – Social Hub, Readers Hub, Music Hub
                                          

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