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Marie Jones

Digital Word Is More Interesting Than Printed Text, Say Readers

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Readers are consuming text off a digital screen almost as much as reading printed paper text, according to a new survey.

Tablet and iPad users surveyed by Gartner say they find screen reading easier than reading printed text.

The survey was carried out in six countries – The US, UK, China, Japan, Italy and India –  with 52 percent saying they found reading on their tablet or iPad easier than reading books, while 42 percent said it was about the same.

However, 47 percent of laptop users found it harder to read on their screens than reading printed text.

“There are concerns that digital media will cannibalise print media, based on the general decline in newspaper sales and take-up of online news services in many parts of the world, but the evidence from our research is that print and online are not generally regarded as direct substitutes by consumers,” said Nick Ingelbrecht, research director at Gartner. “Something more complicated than a straightforward substitution of print to digital media is taking place.”

“Trying to sell the same basic content to the same consumer in different formats risks alienating the consumer, who will baulk at paying twice for the same thing,” said Ingelbrecht.

Gartner says there are benefits in having both print and online access, and that multichannel content distribution is essential for reaching consumers who are consuming near equal amounts of print and digital text.

According to the Gartner survey, across the demographics, screen reading is now virtually on a par with print consumption.

Ingelbrecht said there is a need to improve media tablets and screen readers to become more competitive with paper in terms of weight, form factor, screen resolution, waterproofing, ruggedness, easy highlighting and note taking, so that consumers can take and use their devices at the beach, in the bath or out into the sun where they take their paper books, newspapers and magazines.

 

Other results showed that around 40 percent of respondents had no experience of using e-readers, such the Amazon Kindle, Amazon Kindle DX and Barnes & Noble Nook.

Hi Def Or Low Res, Gefen 1080p Scaler Handles It All

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Need to integrate audio/video systems using displays with different native resolutions? Look no further.


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Gefen has introduced a new high definition 1080p scaler that improves multi-display system performance with switchable digital audio imputs.

This means installers no longer have to set the lowest common resolutions among all displays when sending signals to more than one display in a room.

The Gefen ToolBox HD 1080p Scaler automatically scales up or down any high definition signal to meet the maximum resolution supported by the connected HDTV display.

For example, if one display supports 720p as its maximum resolution, while three other displays support 1080p full HD, when the HD 1080p Scaler is connected to the 720p display, it  accepts the 1080p input and downscales it to 720p, while the other displays receive the highest resolutions they are capable of.

Thus 1080p resolutions  can be viewed on displays with 1080p full HD capability, while lower res displays are scaled down to their  maximum resolution.

In a home entertainment scenario, a 720p projector and 1080p display can both be connected to the same audio/video source. With the 1080p Scaler connected to the projector, the signal is automatically downscaled to 720p, while the display receives a full HD signal.

 

All video resolutions can also be manually scaled up or down to accommodate any type or size display using HDMI.

Three switchable digital audio inputs and outputs support coax, optical and HDMI devices. You can input coax or optical audio and bypass the HDMI audio or output it as HDMI audio. You can also input HDMI audio and output it as coax, optical and HDMI. All three audio outputs are live. Users select their audio using the menu button, RS-232 or IR remote.

Tablet TV And E-Readers Take Over

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A new survey from Nielson shows how mobile connected devices are transforming our habits with a growing army of consumers now opting to browse tablets while watching TV, and take their eBooks to bed.

Nielsen surveyed around 12,000 connected device owners and quizzed them about their tablet and e-reader habits.

The results show how tactile both the tablet and e-reader have become, with 70 percent of tablet owners using their devices while watching TV and 61 percent of users saying they take their e-readers to bed.

Tablet TV is also becoming more popular with Google TV aiming to run on Android in the near future, and several US TV networks already supplying  apps and websites that run on tablets.

Many consumers already use their tablets as a control device for all kinds of household electronic items in the home, not least as a TV remote.

Tablet owners say they spend 30 percent of time watching TV with their tablets, while e-reader owners said they only spent 15 percent of time watcing TV with their devices. 

However, e-reader owners said they spent 37 percent of their device usage time in bed, which clearly shows that the book at bedtime is fast being replaced by the e-book at bedtime.

Job Seekers Turn to Technology

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The hunt for a job is being revolutionised by technology, which is increasingly being used by job-seekers as a means of standing out from the crowd.

According to the BBC, a technological revolution is occuring in the world of job seeking, with recruitment agencies being squeezed out by tools such as social media.

Several potential employees are taking advantage of new ways of gaining exposure in front of future employers by posting video resumes on YouTube.

Video allows them to show off their personalities in a way that a paper CV cannot, gaining them an additional ‘wow’ factor in front of employers.

Graeme Anthony, who needed to get a job in PR, exploited the medium when he sat behind a table pitching his skills, and posted the video onto YouTube.

His novel approach was immediately picked up on by London PR agency, Frank PR, who invited him in for an  interview and awarded him the job.

Graham Goodkind, chairman and founder of Frank PR, told the BBC that he was surprised so few candidates resorted to such hi-tech tricks.

“It’s always amazed me in this day and age, that when things are moving so quickly from a technological point of view, CVs and resumes are really the same as they were 10, 15 or even 20 years ago.

“So this really opened up our eyes to how it really could be done and we wanted to meet the guy straight away.”

In addition to posting your video on networks like YouTube, job seekers are also helped along the way by a number of videos explaining better ways of marketing themselves, as wells as tips on how to make video CVs.

Fancy That: Touchscreen & Lens Control On Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3

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It’s intelligent, interchangeable and incredibly compact considering it’s not a traditional point and shooter. The new Limix digital Micro Four Thirds shooter from Panasonic has a 16MP Live MOS sensor and 1920×1080 full HD video recording and comes with all the benefits of an interchangeable lens camera in one small package.


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With a 25 percent reduction in size and weight from its G2 model, Panasonic’s redesign of the high sensitivity signal processing results in stunningly clear ad sharp images even when taken at high ISO sensitivity.

An articulating 3 inch touchscreen replaces the dials on the G2 giving more intuitive control of menus by touching and sliding your finger to get the desired focus, playback and effects you want. You can even trigger the shutter from the touch display.

Panasonic claims the DMC-G3’s high speed touch focusing and shooting achieves a 0.18 second speed, and mechanical frames achieve four frames per second consecutive shooting at full resolution.

Budding photographers can also get more creative by adjusting colours more intuitively, and a ‘Photo Style’ feature gives finer control of contrast, sharpness, saturation and noise reduction.

The camera body itself is made of light aluminium, and gives an ergonomic grip. It’s due to arrive in Australia in July, in black, red and white.

 

The DMC-G3 is compatible with Panasonic’s 3D lens, the H-FT012E. In addition to the eleven LUMIX G Series lenses, the DMC-G3 can use any interchangeable lens that complies with the Four Thirds standard via an optional mount adaptor. Adaptors for the Leica M/R lenses are also available.

A variety of touch-control operations make playback quick, easy and more fun. For example, with Touch-Scroll Playback, you simply slide your finger across the LCD to scroll through images.  And with Touch-Zoom Playback, you can simply touch a part of the image to enlarge it to as much as 16x.

Pricing and lens kits are yet to be announced.

IBM Slapped With $1.1M Sexual Harrassment Claim

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A Melbourne woman who claims she feels ‘worthless’ and has become ‘a hermit’ after repeated claims of sexual harrassment and bullying over two years by a senior manager at IBM, is suing the global technology and innovation company for $1.1million dollars at the Australian Human Rights Commission after it failed to act on her complaints.

The once high performing sales consultant, who earned more than $159,000 per year and took home bonuses of several thousand dollars per month, suffered serious stress related illness and attempted suicide twice, according to Maurice Blackburn Special Counsel, Siobhan Keating, who is representing her case at the AHRC today.

Now in her 40s, the woman claims her senior manager, who no longer works for IBM, made sexual remarks about her, repeatedly rubbed himself against her as he walked by her work station, placed his hand on her leg and up her dress during an office function, and bullied her by being threatening and intimidating, yelling abuse, making unreasonable work demands and called her ‘stupid’.
 
Keating said: “Despite complaining to four managers, and our client’s obvious and visible distress which was affecting her performance, no action was taken for almost 18 months.

“The attitude of IBM in the face of these serious allegations, including repeatedly turning a ‘blind eye’, urging our client not to make a formal complaint, and not wanting to be told of details, exacerbated the damage to our client’s career and health and pushed our client to the edge.

The effect on the woman is said to be devastating, after losing her career and suffering from low self-esteem, loss of confidence, insomnia, anxiety and severe depression.

Keating said: “The claim in the Australian Human Rights Commission takes into account pain and suffering, the loss of future earnings as a high salaried professional, and medical expenses. Maurice Blackburn will seek to expedite the case and, if it is not resolved in the AHRC, Federal court proceedings will be promptly issued.”

 

Keating’s client, who wishes to remain anonymous, issued a statement in which she said:  “I just feel worthless. I feel I have no future now. I can’t get a job. I feel I’m not worth anything anymore. I was put down for so long; told I was incapable. I put IBM on a pedestal, I was proud of my job but now – nothing.

“I was always called the social butterfly and was really outgoing. Since that all happened, I just became a hermit. I don’t go out now, I’ve just been home for so long – thinking – it’s just been really hard. As much as I try [to go out], I just can’t.

“He used to scream at me every day. I did nothing wrong, and no one did anything about it – nobody.”

Keating said: “No one has a right to bully or sexually harass a colleague at work. IBM’s continued poor handling of this matter has harmed our client in the most severe of ways.

 “We allege that the conduct of the senior manager was unlawful and that IBM’s inaction was unlawful. These are serious issues that should have been dealt with immediately.
 

InComm Pushes Game Cards Into Oz

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US Based InComm, has made a move into the Australian market, providing its stored value gift and prepaid cards for gaming in the run up to Christmas.


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More than 800 stores linked to gaming retailers EB Games and convenience retail chain 7-Eleven will carry the digital content cards, that can be used to purchase games such as Facebook’s FarmVille and Mafia Wars, and the Disney Club Penguin, both instore and online.

Since 1992, InComm’s technology has made the buying process easier for consumers, by enabling them to purchase stored value gift cards which can be gifted to all ages, while streamlining the selling process for product and retail partners.

In the US, the company’s top tier brands can be found in top big box, grocery, convenience, chain drug, discount, electronics, office supply and other consumer retailers. Among its product range it includes pre-paid wireless airtime and handsets, digital music, ringtones and games, re-loadable debit cards, digital software and gift cards.

InComm’s push into Australia will focus on the digital content cards, and it has teamed up with Zynga, Disney and Nexon.

Next year, the company will be launching Toys R Us and Game.

Qantas To Fly Daily To South Africa

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Qantas has begun a daily schedule of flights to South Africa today with the addition of its seventh weekly non-stop service between Sydney and Johannesburg on Tuesdays.

The move provides Qantas customers with greater flexiility for travel between Australia and South Arica.
Qantas Chief Executive Officer, Alan Joyce, said: “South Africa is a key market for Qantas, particularly with our business travellers, and we are pleased that we can now offer customers a daily service between Sydney and Johannesburg.
“The new service will also be operated by a four class Boeing 747-400, adding an additional 350 seats per week to the route.
The daily schedule complements Qantas’ daily codeshare services between Perth and Johannesburg with South African Airways, who will also codeshare on Qantas’ daily Sydney- Johannesburg services.
Qantas continues to be the only carrier to operate non-stop services between Sydney and Johannesburg.
The new service will also deliver much needed additional freight opportunities for exporters throughout Australia and Asia on what is traditionally a sector limited by weight restrictions.
To celebrate the launch, Qantas is offering all inclusive online return fares to Johannesburg starting from $1,609 from Sydney, $1,426 from Melbourne and $1,566 from Brisbane for travel between 21 September and 30 November 2010. 
Bookings made through Qantas telephone sales may incur additional charges. The sale ends on  28 September 2010.