ASUSTeK Computer Inc. today announced the P535 tri-band PDA phone, which incorporates full wireless functionality, GPS and high quality auto-focus camera in a compact formfactor, offering a comprehensive spread of business and lifestyle applications in an exceedingly handy platform.
Staying Connected
The P535 helps the business executive stay connected while on the move, offering push email, Internet access, off-site synchronization of calendar and contact information over wireless (802.11b+g) or mobile phone GPRS networks. Coupled with the ability to view and edit Office documents, the P535 is the indispensable power tool of the mobile, dynamic workspace.
Integrated GPS
Originally developed for military use, Global Positioning System now has a wide range of civilian applications, for both work and play. Navigating appointment venues in a foreign land, tracking distance and speeds on road trips, treks or while jogging – the P535 offers the wonders of GPS in a compact, handy formfactor.
Integrated Auto-focus Camera
The P535’s integrated auto-focus 2.0 megapixel camera is not only capable of high quality pictures, it’s also a business card scanner, picking up contact details off photographed business cards in a snap – especially convenient when attending business conventions.
Easy Encryption
ASUs has packed the P535 with proprietary user-friendly software and features. Among the most useful, is the Secret Folder, through which the user can encrypt and protect sensitive personal or business information from prying eyes.
Leading Platform
Underlying the P535’s many features, is the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system, the leading mobile platform with plenty of support and software available, full suite of multimedia playback functionality, and most importantly, the reliance on flash memory: data stored in the P535 remains stored, even if the P535 has lost all power.
Specifications Summary:
Processor: 520MHz Intel® XScale™
GPS: SiRF Star III single chip
Communication: Triband, GSM 900/1800/1900; GPRS Class 10
Memory: 256MB NAND Flash ROM and 64MB SDRAM
Display: 2.8", 240 x 320 pixels, 65,000 TFT
Battery: 1300 mAh Li-ion
Talk Time: 2.5~5 hrs *
Standby Time: 150~200 hrs *
Camera: 2M-pixel autofocus camera with flash light
Connectivity: WLAN 802.11b+g, Bluetooth Version 2.0 plus Enhanced Data Rate, USB 1.1
Remote Presenter: Remote control of PC/laptop presentation via Bluetooth
Expandability: MiniSD card slot
Stereo Headset: 2.5mm Audio Jack
Dimensions: 109 x 59 x 19 mm
Operating System: Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU 3.2
Video: MPEG4 video recording at QVGA 15fps
Voice recognition: Text to Speech; Speaker Independent
Saturday, October 6, 2007
ASUS P535 Triband PDA GPS Phone
Gigabyte GSmart i350
GSmart i350
GSmart i350 is built in with the latest GPS chip SiRF Star III, GPS tracking and photo sharing features. Running on the latest operating system, Windows Mobile 6 Professional, GSmart i350 delivers exquisite images on a 2.6" VGA touch screen. The design centrals on the principal of minimalism with round outlines and a classy color of mysterious black, creating a confident look of pure freedom. The compact size, lightness and style make i350 ideal for the fashion-conscious who appreciates a handy navigation tool.
GPS Tracking
Treasured memory is easily kept and shared with GSmart i350 as it not only takes good photos with its auto focus camera, it also lets you take GeoTagged photos, record your tracks and make description of your photos. You can use any mapping software which supports .kmz and .gpx file format, such as Google Earth, to display and edit the tracks, making web blogging easier than ever.
Wise Talk
Ever felt tired of being chased everywhere because of mobile phone? Wise Talk is the 100% in-house built software which gives you the freedom of deciding when to pick up a call. The Overdub feature simulates background noises to your callers to camouflage your actual location. Try out the sound of airport or concert or meeting room. The Answering Machine can playback pre-recorded greetings. When there is an incoming call, You can even set different greetings for different callers.
Bluetooth Application
This simple Bluetooth interface skips through complicated settings and allows you to quickly exchange files and vCard with friends. When 2 devices both activate BT Application, you can exchange vCard and files in the same channel.
Pocket Remote
Connect i350 to your PC through ActiveSync and then you can directly control i350 from PC. You can use PC’s mouse to click or input text using the keyboard.
CPU Profile
Enjoy smooth and efficient data management by selecting your preferred CPU profile according to present usage scenario.
High Speed Data Transmission
i350 is equipped with Bluetooth 2.0 and USB2.0 to provide high-speed transmission, making file transmission & synchronization fast and efficient.
ITEM INFORMATION
Service GSM 850/900/1800/1900 ， GPRS class 12
Operating Sys. Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional
Main Display 2.6 inch, 260k color VGA TFT LCD touch panel
Size 110 × 54 × 18mm
Weight 130g (w / battery)
Battery Li-Ion 1300 mAh
Talk Time Up to 4.5 hours
Standby Up to 160 hours
Phonebook Maxium 500 contacts
Multimedia Messaging Service E-mail, SMS, MMS, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Mobile Direct Push
Camera 2 mega pixels with auto focus, digital zoom, and video recording
Ringtone 192 polyphonic ringtone, MP3, WMA, AMR, MID
GPRS/WAP GPRS Class 12/ WAP 2.0
External Memory Mini SD (SDHC compatible)
CPU Marvell PXA270, 520 MHz
Memory NAND 256MB + SDRAM 64MB
Data Transfer Interface Bluetooth 2.0, Mini USB 2.0
Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11b + g
Application Windows Live, IE, Windows Media Player, PowerPoint Mobile, Excel Mobile, Word Mobile
GPS Locating Service Built-in SiRF Star III
Friday, October 5, 2007
Fined $220,000 for music file sharing!
A single mother who took a stand against America’s biggest record companies over music piracy was fined $220,000 (£108,000) yesterday.
Jammie Thomas, a Native American from Minnesota, is one of 26,000 people whom the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has sued over the past four years for alleged use of music “file-sharing” software.
The 30-year-old made legal history after refusing to pay an out-of-court settlement, as all others challenged over their behaviour before her had done, but her failure to carry the case is likely further to embolden the music industry in its attempts to protect copyright.
federal jury sitting in Duluth, Minnesota, ordered Ms Thomas, who has two children aged 11 and 13, to pay the six record companies that sued her $9,250 for each of 24 songs they focused on in the case.
The sum is equivalent to about five times her annual salary.
The fine will almost certainly go uncollected and is expected to drive Ms Thomas into bankruptcy.
The record companies alleged that she had shared 1,702 songs in all.
These songs included tracks by the Swedish “death metal” band Opeth, although tracks by Janet Jackson, Green Day, Guns ’N’ Roses, Journey, Destiny’s Child and others are believed to have been at issue in the case.
The companies accused her of offering the songs online through a Kazaa file-sharing account.
During the three-day trial, she denied having a Kazaa account but the 12-strong jury agreed unanimously that she had shared the files using the name “tereastarr".
Their witnesses, including officials from an Internet provider and a security firm, testified that the Internet address used by “tereastarr" belonged to Ms Thomas.
Last year Kazaa settled its own music piracy lawsuit with record companies for $100 million. In the UK the music industry has taken legal action against more than 100 individuals, although none of those cases has yet been contested in court.
Ms Thomas lives in the small northern town of Brainerd, Minnesota, and works for the Department of Natural Resources of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a Native American tribe.
According to the tribe’s website, its members “struggled with poverty and despair” until the opening of two casinos in the 1990s.
The case had threatened to become another PR disaster for record companies. After they were initially accused of refusing to offer a legitimate alternative to file-sharing, the companies are now being attacked for the way they price their music.
iPhone vs. iPod Touch
A few months ago, to much fanfare and (possibly well deserved) hype, Apple released the iPhone.
People oohed and ahhed.
And a small number (1, 2, 3) OK…lots of people bought them.
Then Apple did something really interesting. Within a few months of the iPhone release, they dropped the price of the iPhone, by 33% (from $599 -> $399), and almost simultaneously released the iPod Touch.
The price drop really annoyed existing iPhone owners, and the new iPod Touch once again made people ooh and ahh.
The iPod Touch, is essentially an iPhone, without the phone, camera and a number of other features. The Touch is only 15 grams (1/2 ounce) lighter and 3 mm thinner than an iPhone. They have the same sized screen and function almost identically.
Why is this at all interesting?
First, people paid a premium price for the iPhone even though it was clearly quite expensive, AND it had a poor cell phone carrier plan. With the price drop, a customer revolt ensued, but Apple seems to have handled it well with a $100 Apple credit for any of the original iPhone purchasers.
Second, that the difference in price between an 8GB iPhone and an 8GB iPod Touch is only $100. $399 for the phone. $299 for the Touch. Makes you wonder. Is the phone portion such a commodity or are Apple’s margins really good on the Touch?
Third, and most important IMHO, Apple now has two different products that fundamentally share the same technology. And while this can be viewed as line extension (iPod, iPod nano, iPod shuffle etc.), in many ways this is really a big step forward for the iPod. It now becomes a mobile, wireless device, and not simply a portable music/video player. And the rumours are that the multi-touch pointing technology is next headed for the laptop.
So from a Product Management perspective, what can be learned?
- Always keep innovating.The iPhone may be as great as all the hype, maybe not, but it truly is different in many ways when compared to other high end mobile phones. But note that in all the hype about the iPhone, was there any mention that this was Apple’s second kick at the telecom can? Anyone remember the ROKR? OK, it was a Motorola phone, but Apple was certainly involved in it’s development. Can anyone say boooring?
- Communicate those innovations in intelligent and articulate ways to your market/customers in advance of the launch. By giving people 3 months notice of the launch of the iPhone, Apple ensured that word would spread and demand would grow. Many software companies wait until the ship date to communicate to the market and customers. This is a guaranteed way to delay revenue.
- Leverage your technology investments and deliver multiple solutions to different market segments.It’s always great to create a completely new product with new technology and new functionality. But, what’s even better is to get multiple returns on a single technology investment by being able to repackage, reposition, and resell different slices of the same technology to address problems for different users and use cases. If you are in the BUSINESS of technology, and not simply the technology business, this is something you really need to focus on.
Sony drops price of PS3 in UK
Sony will announce tomorrow that has bowed to consumer pressure by not only reducing the price of its 60GB console, but also creating a 40GB version priced at £299 to go up against the Xbox 360 Elite.
Confirmed by multiple sources in the games industry in the UK, Pocket-lint has learnt that Sony Europe will officially drop the price of the games console in the UK by £56 to £369 in an attempt to boost sales ahead of the Christmas rush.
"We are currently under strict NDA, however that NDA runs out in the next 48 hours", a retail source told Pocket-lint.
As part of the deal the newly introduced value pack, which included an extra controller and games, will be phased out, Pocket-lint has been informed by multiple sources within the industry.
"Although we aren't sure when in October it's happening we are aware that the price will drop to £369, with shops probably selling for £349, and a 40GB model launching as well to compete against the Xbox 360", a major games publisher told Pocket-lint.
In attempt to offer an even more compelling alternative to the newly launched Xbox Elite, Sony has also said it will be launching a 40GB "Core" version.
As previously rumoured, the new PS3 console will still feature the Blu-ray drive as standard, come with 40GB hard drive, Wi-Fi connectivity and a SIXAXIS controller, but it will lose two of its four USB slots and the memory card reader.
It will also lose the backwards compatibility chip, although this isn't likely to affect UK customers, as in Europe backwards compatibility is done via software.
The rumours of the new unit, which were broken by Pocket-lint last month, means that if you include the cost of buying the Wi-Fi adapter and HD DVD drive to the Xbox Elite, the move means the new PS3 will be £160 cheaper, although you will get a bigger hard drive with the Xbox.
The price will also make it one of the cheapest Blu-ray players available in the UK.
"Sony is clearly hoping to make a comeback against the Nintendo Wii, which is currently outselling the PS3 four to one".
PS3 Graphics Chips Going To Toshiba?
Reuters reports that Sony is in talks with the Toshiba Corporation regarding a possible sale of Sony hardware facilities in the Oita region of Japan. These facilities are responsible for the production of graphics chips that are used in the PlayStation 3.
This follows Tuesday's news of a partnership between Sony and Infineon Technologies (a German semiconductor manufacturer), to design dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. Under the partnership, Sony will team up with Qimonda (who're part of Infineon) to produce the chips for products such as cameras and mobile phones.
There were rumours last month that Sony is planning to sell semiconductor assets to Toshiba, which included some of their facilities that produce the Cell microprocessor at the heart of the PS3. According to these rumours, any possible sale came with the caveat that Sony would still have a ready supply of Cell chips for the PS3, which presumably would be the case with any sale of the graphics chips facilities as well.
This recent activity reflects restructuring that is being undertaken by the electronics giant, in order to re-focus their hardware production after their chip operations became unprofitable last year.