Archive for the ‘LATEST EQUIPMENT’ Category

I PHONE 4S IS A WINNER WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR THE 5S

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Can’t wait for the iPhone 5? Get your minor improvements with Apple’s latest instead.


IT’S A revamp rather than a breathtaking redesign but Apple’s iPhone 4S is a worthy heir to the throne.

Extra grunt under the bonnet, a spruced-up camera and improved reception – that’s the iPhone 4S in a nutshell. It’s an incremental upgrade in the tradition of the iPhone 3GS, retaining the form factor of the previous model while improving the spec sheet to give resource-hungry apps more headroom.

The iPhone 4 is certainly no slouch but the 4S raises the bar with its A5 processor, first seen in the iPad 2. That extra grunt isn’t immediately obvious, especially as the iOS 5 software upgrade doesn’t appear to have slowed the iPhone 4 (a welcome change from previous iOS updates).

You will also want to upgrade to the latest versions of Lion and iTunes to take advantage of all of iOS 5′s features, which will chew through almost two gigabytes of your monthly data allowance (perhaps more if you have multiple computers and iGadgets).

Spend time with the 4S and the A5 processor’s extra grunt peeks through in several places.

The time it takes to launch the camera has always been a telltale sign of a sluggish iPhone. With nothing else running, an iPhone 4 running iOS 5 takes about 2.5 seconds to launch the camera and open the iris so it’s ready to shoot. The 4S cuts this down to about 1.5 seconds.

Under iOS 5, you can also launch the phone’s camera from the lock screen and use the volume button to capture shots, which is an improvement for when you’re trying to quickly capture the moment. The volume button trick is one of many features owners of hacked iPhones have enjoyed for some time and it’s good to see Apple finally acknowledging the iPhone’s shortcomings rather than dictating how people should use their devices.

There’s also extra grunt from the new processor when browsing the internet. Throwing complicated webpages at the mobile version of Safari, such as the non-mobile version of theage.com.au and other media sites, shaves anywhere between 10 per cent to 40 per cent off page loading times. We’re only talking about a few seconds of difference, but it is clear the 4S’s faster powerplant helps.

The A5 processor really makes its presence felt when you start to push the phone. For example, the iPhone 4S is clearly happier than the iPhone 4 when running the TomTom satnav app while playing music in the background. The iPhone 4S also has less trouble keeping up when editing large files in Apple’s Pages word processor app.

Along with a performance boost, the A5 also lays the foundation for new features.

Graphics-intensive games don’t always look better on the iPhone 4S but this is deceptive, as some games now tone down the effects for older iGadgets. Firemint’s Real Racing 2 is a classic example: it plays almost as smoothly on the iPhone 4 but look closely and you see the effects are ramped up when running on the 4S’s faster processor.

Apple has also introduced AirPlay mirroring to the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Rather than just streaming video clips and photos to an Apple TV via your home wi-fi network, these devices can now mirror any application on your television. This could be handy for work and play, whether for business presentations or using the handset as a gaming controller while watching the action on television.

AirPlay mirroring is an obvious threat to the Wii, particularly as some games such as Real Racing 2 are adding split-screen support for multiple devices. This lets up to four players race on the television simultaneously, like Mario Kart Wii.

In terms of hardware, the improved eight-megapixel camera is the iPhone 4S’s other big drawcard – not just the extra megapixels but also the new optics and improved aperture. You’ll see more detail in your photos, particularly when peering into the shadows of an otherwise bright scene. Low-light photos contain less fuzziness, or ”noise”. Unless you’re a purist, the 4S’s camera is probably good enough to replace your digital happy snapper.

The iPhone 4′s reception issues are well documented but the 4S’s redesigned antenna eliminates the so-called ”death grip”. Reception suffers if you hold the iPhone 4 the wrong way but not so with the iPhone 4S Livewire used, on loan from Vodafone. Even if your telco’s network is partly at fault, the new 4S should be happier in areas with dodgy coverage.

Most of the iPhone 4S’s other improvements are courtesy of the iOS 5 software upgrade. Older models miss out on a few features, such as the Siri voice-interaction system, which is in beta. Early reviews have been a little gushing – Siri is a technological marvel but not always the most practical way to interact with your phone. Frustratingly, Siri’s location-aware features are restricted to the US for now.

Siri alone isn’t reason enough to upgrade from the iPhone 4; it’s a sleeper that will mature in time.

So, what’s the verdict? The iPhone 4S is an impressive upgrade and the extra grunt lays the foundation for a new generation of apps and services. If you’re buying a new iPhone today, spending extra on the 4S compared with a discounted 4 is a wise long-term investment. But the improvement isn’t enough to ditch your iPhone 4 if you’re in the middle of a two-year contract, unless there’s a feature exclusive to the A5 processor you simply can’t live without.

Unless the iPhone 4 is already starting to feel sluggish, current owners might want to hold out for next year’s mythical iPhone 5.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

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ENTER THE NEW OLDER LOOK PHONE

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

NEW PHONE GETS REVAMP WITH OLD TIME LOOK


While most phones are getting smaller and being crammed with non-phone functionality, the “Sixty” cordless phone from French company Sagemcom harks back to an earlier age of domestic communications … with an injection of 21st Century design and technology.

  • The Sixty offers rotating lights and sound effects during dialing
  • The Sixty has a folded zig-zag form that transforms the stocky rotary phone into an slick-...
  • The Sixty offers hands-free calling, caller ID and a 150 name and number capacity phone bo...
  • The Sixty retro cordless phone

The Sixty delivers a new twist on the 1960′s Bakelite telephone by transforming the stocky rotary form into a folded, slimline design and adding a digital time fascia and capacitive touchscreen. The non-retro functionality includes hands-free calling, caller ID, 150 name and number phone book, phone conferencing, multiple languages, and an integrated digital answer machine.

The drilling bell tone of yore has been replaced with more modern polyphonic ringtones, although these include a reproduction of the original “ring ring” for those who want to retain some of the old-skool feel. There’s also rotating lights and sound effects during dialing.

One 1960s element that doesn’t make a comeback is the curly phone cord – instead there’s a wireless handset with a 10 hour battery life.

The Sagecom Sixty is available for £99.99 (US$167) … and it’ll come in any color you like as long as it’s orange.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

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ANDROID PHONES AND APPLE FALSE PATENTS

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

IS GOOGLE ANDROID -SAMSUNG THREATENED BY APPLES FALSE PATENTS?

Google’s chief legal officer has launched a blistering attack on competitors, including Apple, for attempting to stifle innovation by using “bogus patents” to target Google’s Android partners including Samsung.

David Drummond, who is also Google’s senior vice-president, wrote in an explosive blog post that the patent wars were pushing up the prices of Android smartphones and tablets. This was part of a “hostile, organised campaign” being waged by Apple, Microsoft and others to “strangle” Android, which Google provides free of charge.

His remarks come after Apple succeeded in hobbling the Australian launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 after accusing it in the Federal Court this week of infringing 10 Apple patents including the “look and feel” and touchscreen technology of the iPad.

Mr Drummond implied that Microsoft and Apple were getting “into bed together” to stifle Android’s success. He revealed that more than 550,000 Android devices were being activated worldwide every day through a network of 39 manufacturers and 231 carriers.

He said this competition was yielding “cool new devices and amazing mobile apps for consumers”.

“But Android’s success has yielded something else: a hostile, organised campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents,” he wrote.

Apple sought injunctions preventing Samsung from selling or advertising the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia – and demanded all of Samsung’s stock be sent to it to be destroyed.

Samsung has agreed not to market the US version of the tablet in Australia but has said it will launch a modified version and has agreed to send Apple samples of the device seven days before it goes on sale. It is likely Apple will also seek injunctions preventing the sale of the Australian version upon receiving the samples.

Patent experts claim that Samsung will not be able to modify the tablet sufficiently to avoid infringing Apple’s broad and far-reaching patents on multi-touch, gestures, list scrolling and other features.

Separately, the FOSS Patents blog has broken down some of the patents in question and argues it will be difficult for any Android maker to escape an Apple infringement suit.

Apple is suing Samsung in nine other countries as well and has launched other legal attacks on HTC and Motorola for allegedly infringing its patents with Android devices and stealing its ideas. Google itself faces patent suits from Oracle, which seeks billions of dollars in damages, claiming Google’s Android infringes its Java patents.

Mr Drummond cited these patent battles as well as the fact that a consortium including Microsoft and Apple recently bought thousands of Novell and Nortel’s old patents and were using them to demand a $US15 licensing fee for every Android device. He said this would make it more expensive for phone manufacturers to license Android than Windows Mobile.

“Patents were meant to encourage innovation, but lately they are being used as a weapon to stop it,” he wrote.

“A smartphone might involve as many as 250,000 (largely questionable) patent claims, and our competitors want to impose a ‘tax’ for these dubious patents that makes Android devices more expensive for consumers. They want to make it harder for manufacturers to sell Android devices. Instead of competing by building new features or devices, they are fighting through litigation.”

Mr Drummond said this was an “anti-competitive strategy” designed to “strangle” Android.

Google has responded by attempting to buy up its own cache of patents and has hired one of the US Federal Trade Commission’s top patent lawyers. Despite its criticisms of Apple and Microsoft for joining to buy Nortel’s patents for $US4.5 billion, Google also put in a bid.

Microsoft’s general counsel Brad Smith fired back with a tweet: “Google says we bought Novell patents to keep them from Google. Really? We asked them to bid jointly with us. They said no.”

Microsoft’s PR team backed Smith’s tweet up with a picture of an email that appears to corroborate his remarks.

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has previously accused Apple of responding to Android’s success with lawsuits rather than innovation.

“We have not done anything wrong and these lawsuits are just inspired by our success,” he said last month, commenting on Apple’s battle with HTC.

Kimberlee Weatherall, an Australian intellectual property lawyer, blogger and academic, wrote on The Conversation website that “the breadth of monopoly Apple is claiming” over basic smartphone features was “breathtaking”.

“I’d like to think Apple won’t be able to maintain a claim that broad, but in patent law, you never know – it all depends on what existed before the date of the patent,” Ms Weatherall said.

One of the patents “seems to cover most commands given using more than one finger on a touchscreen of any computing device (mobile phone, tablet, or anything else). Think ‘pinch to zoom’ and everything else”.

Technology companies, particularly Microsoft, Apple and Google, are buying up stacks of technology company patents in order both to demand licensing fees and to protect themselves from patent litigation by other companies.

In a recent interview with TechCrunch, Google general counsel Kent Walker argued that a patent wasn’t innovation but rather “the right to block someone else from innovating”.

“Patents are government-granted monopolies. We have them to reward innovation, but that’s not happening here.”

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

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IPAD 2 A WINNER IN MOST CIRCLES

Friday, March 25th, 2011

iPad 2 is prettier,

perkier

and visibly nimbler

Reviewed by Stephen Hutcheon

March 25, 2011 – 10:32AM

Thumbnail image for video asset.

The look of iPad ecstasy

The iPad 2 goes on sale in Australia and while most of those who have waited for several hours are successful, a few latecomers don’t make the first cut.

iPad 2
$579-$949

To get the iPad into shape for its second coming, Apple has had to apply a few nips and tucks, the obligatory feature augmentation and some serious liposuction.

The result is that, 10 months after the first version was launched, the iPad 2 – which goes on sale later today – is prettier, perkier and visibly nimbler.

Apple's iPad 2Apple’s iPad 2 

While I’m sure there are design aesthetes who will be excited by the new “pogo pin” earphone jack, it’s another new hardware feature that will command most of the attention for first-time buyers and would be upgraders.

The dual front- and rear-facing camera is a useful addition even if you don’t think you’re going to be making use of video calling either through Skype or Apple’s own FaceTime standard.

But, be warned, the cameras Apple uses are very low res and, while you can use the rear-facing camera to record video at 720p at 30 frames per second, it delivers only sub megapixel stills. And the forward-facing camera shoots in grainy VGA-quality.

Tablet wars.

Two of the iPad’s known competitors – the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v and the Motorola Xoom – sport 8 and 5 megapixel rear cameras, respectively. And while megapixels aren’t everything, video and stills look better and sharper.

But Apple knows what it’s doing. It’s in the company’s DNA to be parsimonious with the specs of the features it includes in its device. If it maxed out on all the features and loaded the iPad with everything first up, there would be no reason to upgrade to iPad 3, or 4 or 5.

That said, the cameras on the iPad 2 are good enough for their intended use. I can’t see too many people whipping their iPads out to snap photos or shoot video.

The iPad 2 tips the scales at 612 grams.The iPad 2 tips the scales at 612 grams. Photo: Stephen Hutcheon 

If you are one of those people who wants to use it for that purpose, I’d wait another year for iPad 3.

By now, everyone who cares knows that the iPad 2 is thinner, faster and (marginally) lighter, so I won’t dwell on those aspects. Shedding 106 grams in the scheme of thing does not make a huge difference but it is remarkable that the iPad 2 is now thinner than the iPhone 4.

I’ve never had a big problem with the weight of the original iPad and I’m a heavy user. It’s still much easier than lugging a laptop around but I can’t get excited about the loss of a mere 100-odd grams.

The original iPad is slightly heavier at 718 grams.The original iPad is slightly heavier at 718 grams. Photo: Stephen Hutcheon 

The speed upgrade and the addition of a gyroscope will make game playing on the iPad an even better experience than has been the case with the first version.

Two other impressive elements worth a mention are both accessories.

The Smart Cover, Apple’s own patented screen protector is a stroke of genius. You have got to marvel at how the design team worked an ostensibly low-tech feature into such a clever solution.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs presents the iPad 2
 

Steve Jobs unveils Apple’s iPad 2

Apple CEO Steve Jobs presents the iPad 2 Photo: AP

  • Apple CEO Steve Jobs presents the iPad 2
  • Extremely thin design.
  • Smh.com.au on the iPad 2.
  • Steve Jobs takes to the stage in San Francisco.
  • Steve Jobs introduces the iPad 2.
  • Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the iPad 2.
  • Steve Jobs speaks about the new case protector for the iPad 2.
  • Steve Jobs speaks at the Yerba Buena Center.
  • Steve Jobs introduces the iPad 2.
  • Tallking money ... Steve Jobs takes to the stage.
  • Steve Jobs ... returned from medical leave.
  • Steve Jobs unveils the iPad 2.
  • The iPad 2 will go on sale in the US on March 11.

Hinged by magnets, the Smart Cover snaps into position when held close to the contact points on the edge of the iPad. The cover folds back and underneath to provide a rest which tilts the iPad at an angle to allow video or FaceTime viewing or typing.

I have no doubt that Apple will sell a stack of these multi-coloured covers that will retail for between $45 and $79.

The other useful accessory is the $45 HDMI adapter that allows you to mirror anything from the screen of your iPad to a flat screen TV or projector screen. This will be particularly welcomed by anyone who uses their iPad in a classroom, for demonstrations or even at home.

The iPad 2 represents a generous overhaul of the original iPad. The improvements in speed and the inclusion of cameras alone make this a better device than version one. And although the competition is catching up, the iPad 2 will keep Apple in the lead.

Someone asked me whether the iPad 2 would provoke pangs of envy for early adopters who jumped in and bought the first model. The answer is: yes.

And did I mention that it comes in white?

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

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CNET VIDEO COMMENTS ON THE LATEST ANDROID SMART PHONES

Friday, March 4th, 2011
Best 5 Android phones

Best 5 Android phones

Are Android phones the best? These five handsets might persuade you that the iPhone is yesterday’s news.

Watch video

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SAMSUNG ANNOUNCES ITS MIGHTY NEW SMART PHONE.ONE TO WATCH OUT FOR.

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Samsung announces

slimmed down Galaxy

S II smartphone and

upsized Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet

By Darren Quick

01:07 February 14, 2011

The Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Ahead of Mobile World Congress 2011, which officially kicks off today, Samsung has unveiled the successors to its Galaxy S smartphone and Galaxy Tab tablet at its Unpacked event in Barcelona. At just 8.49 mm thick, Samsung is touting the Galaxy S II as “the world’s thinnest smartphone,” while thanks to its larger 10.1-inch TFT display, the next iteration of the Galaxy Tab will be known as the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

  • The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
  • The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
  • The Samsung Galaxy S II
  • The Samsung Galaxy S II

Galaxy S II

Running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), the Galaxy S II packs a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus display and 8-megapixel rear camera, along with a 2-megapixel front facing camera for video calls. The 480 x 800 Super AMOLED Plus display increases the number of sub-pixels by 50 percent for improved image sharpness, contrast ratio and color gamut. It also provides a wider viewing angle and increased outdoor visibility than first-generation Super AMOLED displays.

The device’s dual-core processor enables multitasking capabilities, while its improved 3D hardware capabilities are designed to deliver fast and smooth 3D games and video. Its video credentials include the ability to play and capture 1080p Full HD video using the 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. The grunt under the hood also enables a new custom TouchWiz 4.0 user interface and the inclusion of Samsung Hubs, which are integrated mobile applications categorized by Social, Readers, Game and Music.

Samsung is also pushing the business credentials of the phone with the inclusion of enhanced conferencing and connectivity services from Cisco, what it calls “the most comprehensive mobile implementation of Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync,” and secure remote device management from Sybase.

In addition to UBS 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, and DLNA, the Galaxy S II also features support for Bluetooth v 3.0 + HS, boasts optional NFC connectivity and supports HSPA+ 21.1 Mbps. There’s also an accelerometer, A-GPS, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, digital compass, proximity sensor and gyroscope and choice of 16 or 32 GB capacities, expandable via microSD cards of up to 32 GB.

The Samsung Galaxy S II measures 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49mm and weighs 116g. It is expected to be available in Q2 2011.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The other device to get an update is Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. Also powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, the device will be one of the first operating the tablet-centric Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). It will sport the same widescreen aspect ratio of its predecessor, but the size increased to 10.1-inches with a higher 1280 x 800 pixel resolution.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 shares a several features in common with the Galaxy S II smartphone. There’s the 2-megapixel front-facing camera (up from the 1.3-megapixel camera found on the original Galaxy Tab) and an 8-megaipixel rear-facing camera (up from 3.2-megapixels), which again provides the ability to record 1080p Full HD video.

There’s also W-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, USB 2.0, gyroscope, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, HSPA+ 21.1 Mbps support and choice of 16 or 32GB storage capacities. Bluetooth support is of the 2.1 + EDR variety and there’s no microSD card support. It measures 246.2 x 170.4 x 10.9mm and weighs 599g.

Unlike the Galaxy S II, Samsung has signed a deal with Vodafone to exclusively sell the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Asia and Europe from March. The company hasn’t yet released details of when the Tab 10.1 will be available in the U.S.A.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

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SONY-ERICSSON RELEASE NEW SMARTPHONE PLAYSTATION-XPERIA

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Sony Ericsson releases Playstation

smartphone – Xperia PLAY

By G. Team

03:05 February 14, 2011

Sony Ericsson releases Playstation smartphone - Xperia PLAY

Sony Ericsson releases Playstation smartphone – Xperia PLAY

Sony Ericsson finally showed the world the new Playstation gaming smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Spain today. The PlayStation-certified Xperia Play runs the Android Gingerbread OS and will be available next month, accompanied at launch by 50 titles downloadable from Android Market, but with a lot more coming. The phone has a slide-out gamepad that features a PlayStation-style D-pad, thumb sensors and X, O, square and triangle action buttons and combines a PlayStation-quality gaming experience with the very latest Android smartphone technology.

  • Sony Ericsson releases Playstation smartphone - Xperia PLAY
  • Sony Ericsson releases Playstation smartphone - Xperia PLAY
  • Sony Ericsson releases Playstation smartphone - Xperia PLAY
  • Sony Ericsson releases Playstation smartphone - Xperia PLAY

U.S. mobile operator Verizon will be the first to offer the Xperia Play in early spring, Sony Ericsson expects to reveal other mobile carriers shortly.

Initial launch partners include Electronic Arts, Namco Bandai, Digital Chocolate and Gameloft and some of the major titles in the launch offering include Dungeon Defenders 2, Dead Space, FIFA and Battlefield, Reckless Racing and Assassin’s Creed.

Official press release:

Introducing Xperia PLAY –

the world’s first PlayStation

certified smartphone

February 13, 2011, Barcelona, Spain – Sony Ericsson today announced the game changing XperiaTM PLAY, the latest phone in its XperiaTM range of Android based smartphones.

Xperia PLAY delivers the smartphone functionality that the most serious power users could need, teamed with the immersive gaming experience that any gamer would want.

In portrait mode, the Android smartphone offers all the benefits that users have come to expect from Sony Ericsson’s existing range of XperiaTM smartphones with best-in-class entertainment experiences, a great 5 megapixel camera, a brilliant 4” multi-touch screen and great social networking features.

However, slide out the gaming control and users enter a new world of immersive mobile gaming. The slide out game pad reveals a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Qualcomm’s optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor deliver silky smooth 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption so Xperia PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time.

Rikko Sakaguchi, Executive Vice President and Chief Creation Officer at Sony Ericsson commented: “Today is a very proud moment for Sony Ericsson as we bring something truly revolutionary to the market. Living up to our vision of Communication Entertainment, Xperia PLAY will forever change the way people think about smartphones and mobile gaming.

XperiaTM PLAY will run on Gingerbread (version 2.3), the latest version of Google’s AndroidTM platform. The XperiaTM PLAY will also be the first PlayStation Certified device. This means it will have access to PlayStation® game content provided through the PlayStation® Suite initiative, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment and due to launch later this calendar year.

Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products and Services Group at Sony Corporation said: “I am delighted to see Xperia PLAY as the first PlayStation Certified smartphone to hit the market. Xperia PLAY provides a unique consumer offering and is yet another example of great products and services coming to market that leverage Sony’s strong assets.”

Sony Ericsson has partnered with key publishers in the gaming industry to deliver a rich, vibrant ecosystem at launch and post launch with many leading new titles available via the AndroidTM Marketplace. Leading franchises coming to Xperia™ PLAY includes EA’s The Sims 3 and a multiplayer version of FIFA 10 for mobile. GLU Mobile/Activision will be bringing Guitar Hero while Gameloft’s titles include Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. Sony Ericsson is also partnering with Unity Technologies, using its award-winning development platform, to ensure a continuous flow of high quality 3D game titles.

Mr Sakaguchi continued: “The launch of Xperia PLAY could not have been possible without the close collaboration of both Google and Sony Computer Entertainment. The commitment of so many industry leading game publishers further demonstrates that Xperia PLAY will deliver on the long-held expectations from consumers the world over.”

XperiaTM PLAY and PlayStation Certified gaming are great examples of the kind of innovation that’s possible in the open Android ecosystem,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.

A pre-loaded application will enable users to easily discover and download titles that have been optimised for game play on Xperia PLAY, access recently played games and see information about the games they have downloaded.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will be available globally in selected markets from March 2011

What do Sony’s content partners say?

Electronic Arts, Travis Boatman, VP of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile: “EA collaborated closely with Sony Ericsson to bring exciting versions our best-selling consumer favourites such as The Sims™ 3 and EA SPORTS™ FIFA 10 to the Xperia PLAY. The device’s dedicated gaming keypad gives FIFA players what matters most in a footy game — ultimate ball control, quick player selection on the pitch, effortless passes and more. The Xperia PLAYS’s unique gamepad also delivers robust control in The Sims 3 bringing a whole new life simulation experience to fans of the franchise. We look forward to watching consumers interact with our great games in new ways through the Xperia PLAY.”

Gameloft, Michel Guillemot, President: “We are pleased to partner with Sony Ericsson to offer a catalogue of 10 of our best-selling games at launch of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY,” said Michel Guillemot, President of Gameloft. “My vision since the creation of Gameloft was to turn video games into a true mass market form of entertainment. This vision is realized with the launch of Xperia PLAY, which combines a perfect smartphone for daily use as well as a real game controller to provide the best gaming experience ever seen on a mobile phone. Gameloft will support the launch with more than 20 titles over the next 6 months that will take full advantage of the power of this device.”

Glu Mobile, Niccolo de Masi, CEO: “Glu’s strategic relationship with Sony Ericsson aligns us with a leading innovator in mobile and gaming. We look forward to accelerating our momentum in social mobile gaming with compelling offerings on Sony Ericsson’s newest mobile devices.”

Content partners at launch include: Sony Computer Entertainment Digital Chocolate Digital Legends Electronic Arts Fishlabs Gamehouse Gameloft Glu Mobile Handy Games Namco Bandai Networks Polarbit PopCap Trendy Entertainment Unity Tecnologies

For further information, images and videos visit www.sonyericsson.com/mwcnews

Xperia™ PLAY at a glance:

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY

Camera

5.1 megapixel camera Auto focus Flash / Photo light Geo tagging Image stabiliser Send to web Touch focus Video light Video recording Video blogging Music

Album art Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP) Google™ Music Player Music tones (MP3/AAC) PlayNow™ service* Sony Ericsson Music player Stereo speakers TrackID™ music recognition application Internet

Android Market™* Bookmarks Google™ search* Google™ Voice Search* Pan & zoom Web browser (Webkit) Communication

Call list Conference calls Facebook™ application (from Android Market™) Google™ Talk* Noise Shield Polyphonic ringtones Speakerphone Sony Ericsson Timescape™*** Twitter™ application (from Android Market™) Vibrating alert Messaging

Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM) Conversations Email Google Mail™* Instant messaging Picture messaging (MMS) Predictive text input Sound recorder Text messaging (SMS) Design

Auto rotate Keyboard (onscreen, 12 key) Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY) Picture wallpaper Touchscreen Wallpaper animation Entertainment

3D games Dedicated gaming keys Flash Lite™ Gesture gaming Motion gaming Video streaming YouTube™ Organiser

Alarm clock Calculator Calendar Document editors Document readers E-Manual Flight mode Google Calendar™ Google Gallery 3D™ Infinite button Phone book Set-up Wizard Widget manager Connectivity

3.5 mm audio jack aGPS Bluetooth™ technology DLNA Certified Google Latitude™ Google Location Service Google Maps™ with Street View Media Transfer Protocol support Micro USB Connector Modem Synchronisation via Facebook™** Synchronisation via Google Sync™ Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync® Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync USB 2.0 high speed support Wi-Fi™ Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality * The service is not available in all markets. ** Requires Facebook™ application installed on the device.

Google™ services*

* These services may not be available in every market Android Market™ Client

Gmail™ Google Calendar™ Google Gallery 3D™ Google Latitude™ Google Maps™ with Street View Google Media Uploader Google Music Player™ Google Phone-top Search Google Search widget Google Sync™ Google Talk™ Google Voice Search Set-up Wizard YouTube™ Screen

16,777,216 colour TFT Capacitive multi-touch 4 inches 480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA) In-Box:

Xperia™ PLAY Battery Stereo portable handsfree 8GB microSD™ memory card Charger Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer User documentation Facts

Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm Weight: 175 grams Phone memory: up to 400 MB Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32 GB Memory card included: 8GB microSD™ Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Processor: 1 GHz Scorpion ARMv7 Talk time and networks Networks

Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min* Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs* Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min* Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs* Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min* Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs* Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min* MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min* Networks

UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100 GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 UMTS HSPA 900, 2100 GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 CDMA2000®, cdmaOne, EVDO

Colours: Black, White

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha


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NON TRACEABLE BLACKBERRY MOBILES USED BY CRIMINALS TO AVOID DETECTION

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Bikies’ BlackBerrys

beat law

Natalie O’Brien

February 6, 2011

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Bikie gangs and organised crime groups are believed to have foiled police attempts to tap their phones by importing untraceable, encrypted BlackBerrys from Mexico.

The telecommunications black hole exploited by the Comanchero gang and drug cartels has come to light after countries around the world – worried about terrorism and national security – threatened to ban BlackBerrys unless they were given the codes to break the encryption on emails and messages.

This website understands that the Comanchero have linked up with a Mexican drug cartel importing cocaine into Australia and are sharing technology.

”There is nothing strange in organised crime having better access to technology than the authorities,” said Michael Kennedy, a former NSW detective and an academic at the University of Western Sydney. ”The bikies are becoming more entrepreneurial and, after all, organised crime is a business enterprise. Crime groups will share technology if it helps them.”

The Comanchero are thought to use the Mexican phones with global roam activated. It costs a great deal of money to constantly use the roaming facility but for criminals, communications that cannot be monitored are priceless.

What makes the BlackBerrys so hard to tap is that Mexico has no reliable register of handsets, mobile numbers or users. Vendors are unregistered and sell the phones and SIM cards for cash, no questions asked. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime reports Mexico has 83 million mobile phones and government attempts to set up an official registry are failing.

As well, the encrypted BlackBerry messaging service is routed through a server Australian authorities haven’t been able to access.

It is not known how many of the phones are in Australia and in the hands of organised crime groups. But experts agree the criminals will keep the technology among themselves as long as they can.

”The Australian Crime Commission is aware that organised crime networks will continually take opportunities, some real and some imagined, to use new technologies to try to escape the law,” said its chief executive John Lawler.

The Australian Federal Police would not say whether they had seized Mexican phones. But a spokesman said they were working with national and international authorities and industry groups to ensure it was up to speed ”on the challenges posed by criminal networks”.

Last year,  this website revealed that the feared Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel was regularly importing cocaine into Australia. It was also revealed that several men with ties to Mexico, the US and Guatemala had set up a drug distribution network in NSW, which is now understood to have included links to the Comanchero group.

Former NSW Police assistant commissioner Clive Small said the Mexican operators were trying to expand their drug markets in Australia, so would be seeking out new contacts like the bikie gangs to buy their shipments.

Just over a year ago, Clayton Roueche, head of a Canadian drug smuggling ring with Australian connections, was jailed for 30 years. The boss of the drug gang known as the ”United Nations” had been running his empire using a coded BlackBerry telephone. He was eventually caught – not by telephone surveillance but by border security officials in Mexico.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

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SMART PHONES HELP TO SAVE LIVES

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

Calling all heroines & heroes:

Fire Dept app could help save lives

By Paul Ridden

13:25 January 26, 2011


Around three hundred thousand people in the U.S. are said to suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) each year, so with survival rates standing at less than eight percent and brain death taking a grip just four to six minutes after an attack, every second counts. The San Ramon Valley Fire Department is therefore calling on members of the public who have been trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to help. A new location-aware iPhone app has been developed that notifies registered users within the 155 square-mile (401.5 sq km) San Ramon Valley, California region when their skills are needed to save lives.

If a cardiac emergency happens in a publicly accessible location, the freely available iPhone app developed by the San Ramon Fire Department will use the smartphone’s GPS capabilities to identify registered users trained in CPR in the vicinity and let them know that someone nearby needs help. It will also direct the local heroes to the exact location of the closest public access Automated External Defibrillator.

“The creation and deployment of a smartphone application that notifies trained bystanders of nearby cardiac arrest events completely redefines the traditional meaning of a witnessed arrest by expanding awareness over a much broader area,” said Fire Chief Richard Price. “Providing actionable, real-time information during a sudden cardiac arrest emergency, including mapping the victim and rescuer locations, along with the nearest AED locations, is the quintessential use of GPS technology on a mobile phone today.”

Users are offered the choice of incident notification by type and can also use the app as “a virtual window into San Ramon Valley’s 9-1-1 dispatch center.” They can also use the app to view the current status of incident alerts, including information about when the professionals are due to arrive at the scene. The Fire Department also utilizes the technology to communicate with over 700 members of the Community Emergency Response Team.

A limited version of the app has been in public testing for the past six months with more than 22,000 iPhone users, and has now been released as full version 2.0.3 to the iTunes store. It will run on any iPhone or iPad running iOS 4.2 or later.

The initiative has been applauded by the American Heart Association. “Fast action can save a life when someone collapses during a cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Junaid Khan. “CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.” It’s also received a warm welcome from numerous other organizations, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Contra Costa Emergency Medical Services and the National EMS Management Association.

For those who don’t live in the area of coverage, you can let your curiosity get the better of you and download the app to listen in to what’s going on. However, with Chief Price confirming that the technology is to be shared with other public safety agencies around the globe, similar initiatives may soon pop up in your area too.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

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IPHONE MEDICAL APPLICATION FOR SKIN CONDITIONS

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Handyscope turns an iPhone

into a digital dermoscope

By Darren Quick

20:08 January 23, 2011


Call me crazy, but I’ve always found some peace of mind knowing that the latest medical gadget scanning some worrisome part of my body isn’t an accessory for a smartphone, but costs in the millions of dollars and is the result of years of expensive research and development. However, as someone who has more than their fair share of moles dotted all over their body, I’m willing to make an exception for the handyscope. Consisting of an optical attachment and an accompanying app, the handyscope turns an iPhone into a digital dermoscope to provide an instantaneous up close look at potential skin cancers.

  • An iPhone slides into the handyscope
  • The handyscope digital dermascope accessory for iPhone
  • The handyscope lens features built-in LEDs
  • The handyscope digital dermascope accessory for iPhone

The handyscope features a case into which an iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 slides so that the iPhone’s camera aligns with the handyscope’s lens system. The device is then placed flush against the patient’s skin, which is illuminated by polarized light from the built-in LEDs. The device features a standardized zoom and auto-focus with images captured with a single tap using the iPhone app.

The images can be immediately viewed full screen with a magnification of up to 20x and saved with another tap. The shooting date and time is automatically recorded with saved the images, while patient data and other comments can also be added manually. The data is all encrypted and can be password protected so there’s no doctor/patient privilege privacy concerns.

One of the big pluses of the device, aside from its portability, is the ease with which images of suspicious moles can be shared with colleagues or uploaded to a second opinion service where world-renowned specialists can weigh in with their view.

“We developed the handyscope for all doctors who want to have the possibility to take pictures of the skin and work with them later. It is an alternative for those who miss the ?capture-and-save-function’ when using conventional handheld dermatoscopes,” explains Andreas Mayer, chief executive officer of FotoFinder.

The handyscope has its own in-built 2400mAh battery pack, which will keep the LEDs running for up to eight hours and can be recharged with the standard iPhone USB cable.

FotoFinder will launch the handyscope in February at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New Orleans. Health professionals can order the handyscope for 1,166.20 euro (approx. US$1,590), while the app costs US$11.99 through the iTunes App Store.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

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