Telecom services provider Sprint are hoping to add wireless cellular connectivity to all your favourite gadgets, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
With this type of technology you could browse for restaurants on your GPS navigator or upload pictures directly from the camera to Flickr at anytime and any place.
Vice president of strategy for analytics firm Interpret, Michael Gartenberg says: ‘Sprint understands that we are getting to a point where almost every digital device would want to be connected to a fast ubiquitous network. Wi-Fi isn’t everywhere and consumers want the assurance of ubiquitous connectivity that wide area networks can offer.’
Through its partnership with Amazon, Sprint has already taken the first step towards creating this model.
Amazon has started off the first version of its e-book reader Kindle with Sprint’s wireless connectivity to help users download e-books over the air.
This kind of wireless capability is something other gadget makers are likely to jump at, Sprint is already in talks with many different gadget companies!
Gartenberg adds: ‘More and more we are going to see this become attractive to all sorts of vendors, especially if they can integrate it at a low cost.’
Each year the government compiles a theoretical shopping basket of goods which best reflect the current UK consumers spending habits and for the very first time Blu-ray discs make an appearance.
The Office for National Statistics announced on Monday the outcome of its annual review to reflect changes in lifestyle and the ‘shopping basket’ is split into five categories. In the technology section the following are included; Freeview Box, MP4 Player, Blu-ray disc, TV rentals and DVD rental internet subscription.
Interestingly, the items removed from the technology section were; MP3 players, DVD film rental, TV, video and DVD rentals!
Sony Ericsson has launched the outdoor MS500 wireless speaker.
The company says the ‘superior sound quality and cool design of the MS500 will impress all your friends’.
And I’m inclined to agree, the speaker looks very sleek and would look great during the summer at the beach or a barbecue.
The MS500 speaker is available in orange, black, white and pink, and is designed for the outdoors with a durable splashproof shell and a strap, for attaching to a bag or the like.
But does the sound quality of this gadget match up to the look??
The Sony Ericsson speaker is powered by two AA batteries, which they claim allows for 5 hours of playback.
Measuring at 113 x 83 x 45mm, the speaker weighs 155 grams and can pump out 2 Watts worth of sound.
So that would be a yes I suppose, but I would like to try the speaker out for myself to ensure sound quality.
With Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, users can stream music from their phone as well as control the playback and volume.
What do you think, will you be rushing out to buy this trendy little speaker??
Navigating your way though a HDTV manufacturers range can be a tough job with multiple ranges and mystifying names that only the marketing department understand. So here is a quick rundown of Panasonic’s 2009 Range of LCD TVs and Plasma TVs. These are the same TVs announced at CES last month – starting at the bottom we have:
Panasonic X1 Series HDTV
The Panasonic X1 series is the entry level for 720p HDTVs, and are divided between LCD’s for the 26, 32 and 37-inch sizes and plasma for the 42 and 50-inchers. As a bonus the LCD HDTV’s come with an iPod dock that lets you play music and video via the remote on an interface on the screen. Note that the X1 plasma LCD HDTV’s are panels from last year’s line.
Panasonic X1 LCD HDTVs:
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TC-L26X1 26 Inch
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TC-L32X132 Inch
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TC-L37X1 Inch
Panasonic X1 Plasmas
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TC-P42X1 42 Inch
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TC-P50X1 50 Inch
Panasonic S1 Series LCD HDTV
Next up in the Panasonic LCD HDTV Range is the S1 Series which steps up to 1080p/120Hz (for LCD models) land, and is a series still split into LCDs and Plasmas, showing that the distinction between flat-TV types is something people care less and less about at the store. On the plasma TVs, this will be the lowest you can go to still get the new 2009 Plasma Panels, which have increased motion resolution and contrast. Also new in the Panasonic S1 range is 54-inch plasma TV, a size Panasonic hasn’t done before.
LCD TVs:
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TC-L32S1 32 Inch
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TC-L37S1 37 Inch
Plasma TVs:
Panasonic G1HDTV Series
The Panasonic LCD HDTV line tops out with the G1 series These are the highest-end LCD TVs at the 32 and 37-inch sizes that Panasonic do, but with not much to distinguish the G1’s from the S1 series apart from an extra HDMI port, a nicer bezel and an increased contrast ratio
LCD TVs:
Panasonic G10 HDTV Series
The Panasonic G10 series is the point in the line where Viera Cast, Panasonic’s built-in streaming software service is a feature. These HTD TV’s are also THX-certified with a special THX preset for optimised picture settings, with sizes going up to the new 54-inch plasma.
Plasma TVs:
Panasonic V10 HDTV Series
The Panasonic V1 series plasma TVs are Panasonic’s top-of-the line, big-screen plasmas, available in sizes up to up to 65 inches. They have everything found on the Panasonic G10s, adding 24p cinema frame rate playback and the bigger-sized panels. The 2009 V10 series are due for the summer with the two biggest sizes due in August.
Plasma TVs:
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TC-P50V10 50 Inch Plasma
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TC-P54V10 54Inch Plasma
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TC-P58V10 58 Inch Plasma
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TC-P65V10 65 Inch Plasma
Check back regularly for prices and availability of the Panasonic 2009 LCD HDTV’s on Giant Buyer
The device that was developed in Japan (where else) resembles a conventional set of headphones plugged into ears. Known as the Mimi Switch (Ear Switch in English), it connects to a micro-computer capable of controlling electronic devices of all shapes and sizes.
Using an in-built set of infrared sensors, the Mimi Switch is able to detect the smallest of movements in the ear caused by different facial expressions.
A mere wink, facial twitch or raised eyebrow is enough to activate the remote control to operate electronic gadgets such as iPods, light switches, dishwashers and TV sets.
Kazuhiro Taniguchi, creator of the Mimi Switch said: ‘You will be able to turn on room lights or swing your washing machine into action with a quick twitch of your mouth.’
‘An iPod can start or stop music when the wearer sticks his tongue out, like in the famous Einstein picture. If he opens his eyes wide, the machine skips to the next tune. A wink with the right eye makes it go back.’
‘The machine can be programmed to run with various other facial expressions, such as a wriggle of the nose or a smile.’
The scientist is planning to patent the new device in Japan and internationally before marketing it commercially in the next two to three years.
Samsung have decided to up its game by redefining the traditional bulky blu-ray player to an extremely sleek, slender and speedy slot loading blu-ray player instead.
It is loaded with features including Profile 2.0/BD-Live, Netflix and Pandora streaming, 1GB onboard memory, built-in Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, "Touch of Color" style accents and 802.11n Wi-Fi via an included USB dongle.
Its one of the flattest blu-ray players on the market at only 38mm thick which makes it ideal for bolting in place beneath a wall mounted television, but is also supplied with a stand for those who prefer their blu-ray players to be placed on a hard surface.
The Samsung BD-P4600 blu-ray player is due to be available in the UK from April 2009.
The ZTIC (Zone Trusted Information Channel) is a USB stick designed for secure online banking.
Developed in Zurich by IBM, this gadget opens an SSL connection with the bank’s servers, keeping the data safely on its side of things and displaying the transaction on the hardware itself.
Even if your connection is breached by a ‘man-in-the-middle’ attack, the hacker’s funny business will be exposed on the device’s display, which comes equipped with a big red ‘panic’ button just in case.
It is important to note that this USB has no storage of its own and is purely for secure online banking.
Pricing and availability for banking institutions has yet to be announced.
What a clever little stick!!
Panasonic, Sony and Philips have announced the establishment of a ‘one-stop’ licensing program for blu-ray technology and are currently working with other patent holders to achieve this.
It is hoped that the less expensive and simplified process will encourage more companies to develop blu-ray products.
Previously, companies wishing to build blu-ray disc hardware had to acquire a number of licenses including a separate license for CD, DVD and blu-ray functionality. The new program will combine all the separate elements together into one single license and subsequently aims to reduce license costs by up to as much as 40%.
The new independent licensing company funded equally by Panasonic, Sony and Philips will be set up in the USA, with branches in Asia, Europe and Latin America.
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