Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • XStreamHD Beams "Blu-ray" Quality Video Direct-to-Home


    XStreamHD has successfully tested a transport system that delivers Full HD movies, music, and games directly to subscriber homes via satellite.

    The system, tested on the AMC-16 satellite at 85 degrees west ongitude, will be able to provide content throughout North America.

    XStreamHD, which first announced its plans for the innovative new satellite delivery system in January at CES 2008, had expected to launch the service in October.

    George Gonzalez, founder and CEO of XStreamHD, said today that the service will be able to deliver Full HD (1080p) content to homes, independent of Internet or cable congestion, by unlocking existing FSS (Fixed Satellite Service) capacity.

    He said the XStreamHD test had shown that the network’s could deliver Blu-ray quality video with up to 7.1 lossless channels of DTS Master Audio.

    The company is to offer its customers access to movies, HDTV, music and electronic games.

    There’s no word yet about partnerships for movies or HDTV content but as XStreamHD will be showcasing its transport system next month at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, more might be revealed then.

  • iPhone As A Netbook?


    Predictions about Apple’s intentions for the upcoming Macworld Expo are ripe – with the latest being the launch of a netbook that works like an iPhone.

    Technology Business Research analyst Ezra Gottheil believes that as with the iPhone, users will download mobile applications for the netbook from Apple’s App Store.

    According to the analysts, Apple would benefit from allowing such a device access to its App Store, through which Apple reports iPhone users have downloaded more than 300 million apps since its launch in July.

    Gottheil claims Apple will announce its a netbook-like device at next month’s Macworld conference in San Francisco and will launch it in the middle of 2009.

    While Apple as always is giving nothing away, one thing is certain: this Macworld Expo will be Apple’s last appearance at the event.

    The company has announced that chief executive Steve Jobs will not be giving the keynote at the event that is traditionally Apple’s largest of the year.

    Instead, Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of product marketing, is to give the keynote on Tuesday January 6, 2009.

    While the move will undoubtedly reignite speculation about Jobs’ health, successor and a myriad of other issues, the only explanation from Apple came in a statement saying: "Apple has been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris."

  • Tried PC Videoconferencing – Well How About On An HDTV?


    With webcams now commonplace on PCs and laptops it seems natural that they should take the next step – to HDTVs.

    Videoconferencing expert Emblaze VCON says it has developed technology that allows up to six different users to interact through home TV screens.

    Linor Shachar, VP sales and marketing for the Israeli company, told hdtv.biz-news that it hoped to have found a partner "within months" to develop its TV videoconferencing solution.

    Emblaze is best known for its desktop videoconferencing applications.

    She said having the ability to videoconference from your home HDTV set was the logical "next stage" with the advent of internet-connected televisions.

    "It’s very interesting and we are very confident that it will be everywhere," she said.

    "We have the technology, now we are looking for a partner."

    Shachar said the preferred partnership was with a TV manufacturer and the intention was to have the technology embedded rather than as a set-top box.

    She said companies such as LG were already working on HDTVs with built-in cameras.

    The Emblaze technology will allow a user to open up to six windows on the screen and videotalk with others.

    "So, for instance, you might be watching a football match on TV and want to speak to a friend," said Shachar.

    "You can do that through a window within the main TV screen."

  • Copy And Paste On The iPhone – Finally


    The lack of copy and paste on the iPhone could soon be a thing of the past if a new web service called Pastebud is as good as it appears.

    Although still to be launched Pastebud’s creators have put a demonstration of their service on YouTube showing how iPhone users can copy and paste text from Safari into Mail and between web pages.

    Based on the YouTube demo, it works through bookmarks that allow users to go between Web pages and email.

    Users are then able to highlight text and hit a button to copy, flip to the another page and hit paste.

    As a web-based service users don’t have to download software onto their iPhones – meaning it bypasses Apple’s App Store altogether.

    While Pastebud may be quite limited in copy and paste capabilities, it will definitely be gratefully received by iPhone users.

    Video below:

  • Sony Ericsson Among 14 Newbies To Open Handset Alliance


    It looks like 2009 could be an interesting year for Android following the announcement by the Open Handset Alliance that it has 14 new members.

    Topping the list of newcomers most likely to offer a handset to rival Google’s HTC-built G1 is Sony Ericsson.

    The list also includes ASUS and navigation systems manufacturer Garmin.

    ASUS has already announced its intention to build a Google smartphone and there has been much speculation about Garmin’s efforts to produce a phone.

    Sony Ericsson has so far used the Windows Mobile – most notably for its recent Xperia handset – and Symbian platforms.

    Now it is promising "consumer focused multimedia handsets" that draw on the successes of the Walkman and Cyber-shot sub-brands.

    Based on that its likely that Android-based Walkman and Cyber-shot handsets are in the offing.

    The Alliance said that new members will either deploy compatible Android devices, contribute significant code to the Android Open Source Project, or support the ecosystem through products and services that will accelerate the availability of
    Android-based devices.

    The full list of new members is: AKM Semiconductor Inc., ARM, ASUS, Atheros Communications, Borqs, Ericsson, Garmin, Huawei Technologies, Omron Software, Softbank Mobile Corporation, Sony Ericsson, Teleca AB, Toshiba and Vodafone.

  • USB Device Plays HD Content On PC


    DiBcom has launched an HD-ready digital terrestrial decoder in a USB key device that gives viewers free high-def content on their PCs.

    The French mobile TV hardware maker claims the device is a world first – other manufacturers are already offering USB devices that receive over-the-air HD broadcasts although not in such a small package.

    DiBcom has partnered with broadcaster CANAL+ to offer French viewers its 18 free channels and premium CANAL+ HD channel.

    With a double receiver, the CANAL+ KEY also makes it possible for a connected PC to be used as a PVR.

  • Acer Smartphone Gets Launch Date


    The first Acer-branded smartphone is to go on sale in the first quarter of 2009.

    While no details have been released – handset info or precise regions where it will be sold – it does at least firm up what have until now been largely speculative reports.

    The first Acer-branded handsets are expected to launch in first-quarter 2009 initially in Western Europe and Russia, with other markets to follow later.

    The company appears optimistic about the smartphone market, which it signalled its intent to enter with the purchase of Taiwan smartphone maker E-Ten Information Systems earlier this year.

    While Acer is confident the smartphone segment will be a major growth driver for the company over the next 3-5 years, it is equally bullish in other areas.

    With news of its smartphone activity came an similarly optimistic forecast from Acer about its growth opportunities for 2009.

    The company expects its notebook shipments to increase 15-20 per cent in 2009 and overall sales to grow 25-30 per cent year-on-year.

  • Second Android Smartphone Arrives


    Australia-based Kogan Technologies has announced it is to begin selling two Android handsets from next month.

    The Agora and Agora Pro models will be the second phones to be launched – after T-Mobile’s G1 – with the open-source operating system.

    Similar in appearance to classic BlackBerry smartphones, the Agora’s will come with 3G connectivity, a 2.5-inch LCD, a 320×240-pixel touchscreen, a five-way central navigation key, a microSD slot, a QWERTY keyboard with backlighting, and Bluetooth 2.0.

    Functions include Google Search, Gmail, the YouTube video player, Google Maps, Google Talk, and Google Calendar, as well as support for a variety of video, audio and mail-attachment formats.

    The Pro version, which also has a two-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, and GPS, will work on networks around the world.

    Due for release on 29 January, both models can be preordered from Kogan’s web site. The standard Agora is priced at about USD $194, while the Pro version will cost about USD $399.

    Although with similar specs to the G1 and very reasonably priced, it remains to be seen whether consumers will put their faith in a little known brand.

    What is certain is that if Kogan can bring what appears to be a well put together Android handset to the market, others will be able to do so too.

    Hopefully that means 2009 will see more new Android smartphones coming online.

  • HD Webcam Shoots Real-time 720p at 30fps


    Samsung is expanding its range of CMOS image sensors with a new high-definition 1/4-inch, 1.2 Megapixel (Mp) system-on-chip (SoC) webcam.

    The S5K4AW is intended for embedding in both notebook and desktop computers.

    Developed specifically for real-time HD video capture, the imager supports 720p HD video at 30 frames per second, and captures VGA video at up to 60 frames per second.

    Dr Yiwan Wong, vice president of marketing for Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Division, said that by incorporating a technique called binning in 2×2 pixel groups, the S5K4AW addresses the oft-encountered problem of using webcams in low light.

    He said the imager is 3x more sensitive than current sensors.

    The binning technique also mean the imager can display standard VGA format without the need for cropping.

    Wong said this eliminates the "annoying problem" of losing the top or the bottom of a scene while video conferencing or video file sharing on social media networks such as YouTube.

    Mass production of the S5K4AW is expected in the first half of 2009.

  • Blu-ray Storage Capacities To Keep Climbing


    Pioneer has announced plans for a one terabyte (1TB) Blu-ray disc that could be on the market by 2013.

    With a 400GB disc already ready for launch and a half-terabyte disc expected to follow shortly, there may be some questions about how such an abundance of storage can be used.

    One answer may be the advent of upgraded high definition standards that take up even greater amounts of disc space.

    The possibility for progressively increasing to higher densities was a major reason that Blu-ray won over its rivals.