Archive for February, 2010
Sony Ericsson Announces Three New Mobile Phones
Sony Ericsson started off the proceedings at the Mobile World Congress in style with the announcement of one known and two unleaked handsets. The phones in question are the Xperia X10 Mini, the X10 Mini Pro and the Vivaz Pro – the last one being the only handset whose existence was known prior to the announcement. The Xperia Mini series will complement the flagship Android handset, the Xperia 10 that is set to be released in the next few weeks.
The Xperia X10 Mini, Mini Pro:
The Xperia X10 Mini is really what its name says. A credit card sized version of the Xperia X10 (which if you’re not aware, sports a mammoth 4-inch touchscreen), it runs Android 1.6. Both phones are virtually identical except for the slide out keyboard on the Pro version. The Mini and the Mini Pro feature a 2.55-inch QVGA touchscreen. Like in the X10, they also come with the Timescape application that integrates text messages and social networking updates of your phone contacts at one place. Both the phones support HSPA 900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, HSPA 850/1900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. For imaging purposes, there is a competent 5 megapixel camera
at the rear of both the phones. Thanks to GPS, the camera supports geotagging of images. Both the phones come with a 3.5 mm audio jack for music and on the connectivity front, feature Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as well.
Even though these phones are small in size, they do weigh a lot, thanks to the features they pack in. The X10 Mini Pro weighs 120 grams, and is 32 grams heavier than the X10 Mini – which tips the scales at just over 88 grams. On the software front, there is full access to the Android Market. The Mini and the Mini Pro will be available starting this very quarter.
Vivaz Pro:
Sony Ericsson Vivaz, if you are not aware, happens to be the company second Series 60 based handset after the Satio, which did not particularly hit the sweet spot since its release last year. The Vivaz, earlier known as the Kurara, is the second phone in the world that can capture 720P videos. The first of course is Samsung’s Omnia HD – also a Series 60 handset.
There was an image of the Vivaz with a slide out keyboard leaked a few weeks ago. That phone has now seen official acknowledgment in the form of the Vivaz Pro. The slide out keyboard laden Vivaz Pro also boasts of the same features – but comes with a smaller 5.1 megapixel camera. The former, as you might be aware, has an 8 megapixel camera. Other features include A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack and a 3.2-inch screen. The Vivaz Pro is expected to arrive only by mid 2010. The Vivaz and its Pro brother come with a 720Mhz processor and the latter boasts of a longer battery life.
Swisscom Releases faster mobile broadband Services
Swisscom, the leading telecommunications service provider in Switzerland, will soon offer its mobile broadband subscribers improved data speeds and faster access to broadband services. The operator is upgrading its 2G and 3G networks to prepare for growth in data traffic driven by increased use of smartphones, and has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to upgrade its mobile packet core network.
We are seeing mobile broadband traffic throughput doubles every eight months, which is putting a lot of strain on our existing network capacity,said Guido Garrone, head of network and IT, Swisscom. Therefore, we decided we needed a future-proof network that can be scaled to keep pace with the tremendous growth we see coming in data traffic. We’ve asked Nokia Siemens Networks to deliver the network components like GGSN and RADIUS AAA against a tough deadline, and to integrate the new system into our live network without any service interruption for our subscribers.
While operators must focus on improving end-users service experience and rolling out new applications, they also need to rein in costs to stay competitive,said Dietmar Appeltauer, head of the central and east European region at Nokia Siemens Networks. Our offerings will help Swisscom reduce its operational expenses through consolidation of its mobile broadband infrastructure, and will enable it to scale up its network and move to next-generation technologies via simple upgrades.
Swisscom will replace its existing authentication, authorization, and accounting system with Nokia Siemens Networks One-AAA server that allows the operator to manage subscriber access to new, customized services. By employing economical, off-the-shelf, hardware the platform lets Swisscom offer its mobile broadband services to an increasing number of users very efficiently.
Nokia Siemens Networks will also provide its Flexi Network Gateway (Flexi NG) packet core platform to boost network capacity for efficiently handling the growing demand for high speed mobile data services. The Flexi NG offers optimally balanced and highly scalable throughput, signaling capacity with integrated service awareness capabilities.Nokia Siemens Networks will provide its network management system, NetAct, for improving Swisscom operational efficiency and ensuring high-quality services. Delivery of the overall network upgrade has begun and will be complete later this year.
Hp Releases Pavilion All in One MS214IN Desktop
The HP MS214in has the same design as most HP laptops and desktops. The combination of glossy black with silver has become a trademark of HP now, and makes it looks quite elegant. The design of the stand is similar to that of the Apple iMac. It is not carved out of metal, but the build of the plastic body is pretty decent.
The 18.5-inch widescreen has a resolution of 1366 x 768 and the display portrays colors quite well. HD movie looked pretty good on it but we felt that the maximum brightness was a bit too low for our liking. This is especially evident when you are sitting in a sunny room. A speaker strip placed right below the LCD panel emits fairly audible sound with decent clarity. A webcam above the screen delivers decent clarity and a speedy frame rate.
The peripheral ports are placed conveniently at the sides. On the left, we got two USB ports, a card reader and headphone/microphone jacks. On the right, we have a tray-loading DVD writer and buttons to increase or decrease brightness. There is not a button to turn the display off though, which is slightly disappointing. The rest of the ports, including a LAN, four USB, and an S/PDIF are placed at the back.
Another sore point that needs to be mentioned is that, unlike most all-in-one PCs we have seen, the HP Pavilion is powered by a chunky adapter that adds to table clutter. We would rather have liked it to be integrated into the body so that a single power cable would run to the electric socket.
The HP MS214in is powered by a dual-core AMD Athlon X2 that runs at 1.5 GHz. That, along with the 2 gigs of RAM and a 7200 rpm drive, keeps Windows 7 Home Basic running at a fair pace. But the Home Basic version does not have Windows 7s full Aero UI that apart from looking fancy also improves usability.
The ATI Radeon HD 3200 is an entry-level dated graphics chip. It’s better than Intel onboard GMA4500 graphics,but definitely not suitable for running modern games at their fullest settings. This was evident when we ran the Street Fighter IV benchmark. At max settings,it belted an un-playable 11.7 frames per second. Thus, games that are a couple of years old can run smoothly with toned down settings.
The power-draw of this PC while idling ranged between 42 to 44 watts. On full load, it shot up by just 10 watts, drawing a steady 55W. It consumes almost half power as compared to its elder Touchsmart 300 cousin. Thats comparatively low power consumption for an entire PC. This is possible thanks to the power-efficient Athlon 3250e processor. Another reason could be the lower-than-usual max brightness.Due to the older AMD chipset used, it has only support for Wi-Fi 802.11 b and g. This could be a problem if you’re using an 802.11n router, as you wouldn’t get the faster connectivity that 802.11n standard supports.
The HP Pavilion All-in-One MS214in Desktop.Since this is a niche segment device, such pricing can be expected. An entry-level Lenovo IdeaCenter A600 (30112VQ) model also costs the same. But it comes with a faster 2 GHz Intel dual-core processor, a bright 21.5-inch full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) display and a 500GB hard drive. It’ll be a good choice if you want to watch a lot of HD content. The only sore point is its Intel X4500 graphics.
Google to Build High-speed Internet Network
Google Inc plans to build a super-fast Internet network for up to half a million people, a project that could pressure telecommunications companies to loosen their control of Web access in the United States.
The Internet company has locked horns with the likes of AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc over the issue of net neutrality: Google wants telephone companies to permit consumers to run any Web application they want, while carriers do not want to lose control of networks they have invested billions of dollars to build. In building the test network, Google wants to demonstrate a carrier could easily manage complex applications that use a lot of bandwidth without sacrificing performance. Google said on Wednesday it does not plan to build a nationwide network and its goal is only to develop a trial service at a “competitive price” to 50,000 to 500,000 people, offering Web speeds of up to 100 times faster than most consumers get today. “In a big way, this is about Google wanting to make a case for net neutrality,” said PRTM consultant Daniel Hays, adding that Google wants to “demonstrate these services can be provided profitably at satisfactory levels of performance.” In a blog describing the new network, Google imagined a doctor discussing and looking at three-dimensional medical images with a patient far away, students joining a class from various locations in 3-D, or someone downloading a high-definition movie very quickly. Google said the network would run on fiber optic lines to homes, but declined to give more details.
Google asked cities and states interested in joining the experiment to apply to Google by March 26 and said it eventually would build the network in a number of U.S. locations. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski immediately hailed the move, saying “big broadband creates big opportunities.” The FCC is about a month away from submitting a national broadband plan to Congress. Google’s “significant trial will provide an American test bed for the next generation of innovative, high-speed Internet apps, devices and services,” Genachowski said in a statement. Google has long argued it can sell more Web ads — the way it makes money by encouraging Internet use.
Analysts said they did not think Google would end up competing directly with carriers as it would cost the Internet company hundreds of billions of dollars to build a nationwide broadband network from scratch. “If somehow they were able to widely deploy this, it would be bad for the cable and telecom folks. I’m skeptical the economics will work to allow them to deploy it widely,” said Hudson Square Research analyst Todd Rethemeier. A Verizon spokesman described the Google move as a “new paragraph” in the “exciting story” of Internet development. AT&T declined to comment. Google has had mixed success in previous attempts to become an Internet service provider. In 2006, it partnered with EarthLink Inc in an attempt to provide free wireless Internet access to the entire city of San Francisco. The plan fell through in 2007 over financial concerns. At the same time, however, Google built a free wireless network across its headquarter’s city of Mountain View, Calif. Each of those attempts, however, leveraged wireless broadband access. This time, Google is dealing in hard lines.
Oppenheimer & Co analyst Timothy Horan said he suspected building out the trial broadband network would cost Google about $1,000 to $2,000 per subscriber if it bought unused fiber lines already underneath many cities. “They can buy a lot of this stuff fairly inexpensively that’s out there already,” he said, adding that communications service providers, such as Level 3 Communications Inc, would have lines to sell to Google. Google said it would pay for building the network itself without seeking financial partners or government subsidies and then charge consumer and business customers. “We’ll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections,” Google product managers Minnie Ingersoll and James Kelly wrote in the blog. Google said it wanted the project to become an open-access network, enabling products such as Internet telephony. “I think there are a lot of partnership opportunities and we are definitely interested in having those discussions,” Ingersoll said.
Sony halts OLED TV sales in Japan
Weak demand has forced Sony to put an end to its OLED TV in Japan.
The company is canceling production and sales of the 11-inch XEL-1–which sells for $2,500–in its native country, though Sony said it plans to continue spending on production and R&D in other countries.
Unveiled three years ago, the world’s first OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TV received praise for its vibrant colors and sharp display. TVs with OLED screens are also ultrathin and more energy efficient than LED or plasma sets. But the XEL-1′s small screen and high price virtually guaranteed that the product would never win a huge market share among average consumers.
OLED displays have taken off in cell phones and other mobile devices where the screen sizes are small. But OLED TVs have been difficult and expensive to produce, especially in larger sizes. Though Sony kept promising it would introduce a 27-inch OLED TV, that product never materialized. A Wall Street Journal story from August also noted that Sony’s poor financial performance at the time would likely signal an end to the production of future OLED TVs.
Other manufacturers, such as Samsung and LG, have demoed their own OLED TVs at trade shows. But, like Sony, these companies have bumped into the challenge of mass producing such sets. So none of the announced products has actually hit the market.
Sony’s exit from the technology could be the nail in the coffin for OLED TV, at least for now, as companies look to other less costly innovations such as 3D TVs and LED backlit LCDs.