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ACMA Urges Re-registering Of Do Not Call Numbers

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The ACMA has urged people who signed up for the Do Not Call Register in 2007 to re-register to avoid getting unwanted telemarketing calls.

According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, registrations for the Do Not Call Register are valid for three years. Anyone who signed up when the service was launched in May 2007 should re-register now to maintain protection from unwanted marketing calls.

The Chairman of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, Chris Chapman said, “It’s now time to re-register your numbers if you want to make sure you don’t receive telemarketing calls. Any numbers not re-registered by their three-year expiry deadline will be automatically removed from the register. So the best way to protect yourself from the days when you’d sit down to dinner and the telemarketing calls would start is to re-register your numbers now.”

There are currently more than 4.3 million home, mobile and VoIP numbers on the Do Not Call Register, with 93 per cent of people who registered noticing a reduction of telemarketing calls.

‘It’s fast, free and easy – simply call 1300 792 958 or go to www.donotcall.gov.au, where you can learn more and re-register,’ concluded Chapman.

Premium HP Notebook Quite Expensive

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Users who want a Windows 7-based notebook that looks like an Apple Macbook should check out the Envy. This well-constructed 13-incher from HP is slim and can get the job done thanks to its powerful hardware. However, its high price tag may put off some users, especially now that there are notebooks with similar specifications selling for a fraction of its price.

Olin Wireless Charger Very Limited

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Following our review on the new Uniden Power Pad last week, we were curious to see how the new Olin Wireless Charger For iPhone would compare.


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Like the Uniden Power Pad, the Olin Wireless Charger is easy to use. Every time we needed to charge the unit, we simply had to drop it on the mat. Out of the box you get an AC adaptor, charging pad, and a receiver sleeve for the iPhone.

Once the iPhone in placed in the receiver sleeve, a user can place it onto the charging pad for charging. The blue light will illuminate during the charging process and will switch off as soon as the charging is done. Olin says that the wireless charger comes with over/under voltage protection, short circuit protection and overcharge protection.

Since the package only comes with one sleeve, you can only charge your iPhone out of the box. In addition, the pad only has enough space for the iPhone, making it very limited. It could have been better if Olin added an accessory similar to Uniden’s Power Disc to charge other products, but as of this time of writing, it seems that there isn’t any.

It took about two hours to fully charge our iPhone. During our test, we heard a faint but annoying ticking sound coming from the unit. It is only by turning up our digital radio that we were able to drown the sound.

Overall, we found the Olin Wireless Charger For iPhone to be very limited. Sure it charges your iPhone, but for $149, we were expecting more from this product. If you want a wireless mat that can charge more than your iPhone, then we recommend the Uniden Power Pad Deluxe Kit that comes with the pad, an iPhone sleeve and a power disc with 8 interchangeable tips for $179.95.
 

New D-Link VPN Router For Home Offices

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D-Link has rolled out a new VPN router with 4-port switch designed for small and home offices.


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The D-Link DIR-330 can create a secure, encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN) allowing up to eight remote users to access a central network through the Internet simultaneously. It can be connected to a cable or DSL line to share high-speed Internet access and doubles as a 4-port full-duplex 10/100 switch to connect up to 4 Ethernet-enabled devices.

The router also functions as a wireless 802.11g/802.11b access point to connect wireless devices to your network. The DIR-330 encrypts all wireless transmission using WPA or WPA2 to ensure wireless security. It also protects the network from online intruders and potential attacks with Dual Active Firewall protection using Network Address Translation (NAT) and Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) technologies.

D-Link Australia and New Zealand’s Marketing Director, Maurice Famularo said, “With small businesses becoming increasingly network dependent, the need to invest in a reliable networking and security solution is crucial,” said Maurice Famularo, Marketing Director, D-Link Australia & New Zealand. “The D-Link DIR-330 offers high return on investment through robust security features, flexible configuration and superb network protection for small and home office networks.”

The D-Link DIR-330 Wireless G NetDefend Broadband VPN Router with 4-Port Switch is available now with recommended retail prices of $275.

BenQ Now Offering 27 LED Monitors

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BenQ announced that it now has 27 different LED monitors to suit any user. The new screens use less energy, are greener, and brighter than conventional displays.

According to BenQ, LED panels are mercury free making them more readily recycled at end of life, while their manufacture does not pollute our waterways making them the clear environmental choice. Its entire range of LED-backlit monitors are thinner, lighter and provide a contrast ratio up to 10,000,000:1. They are also extremely energy efficient, using around 30 per cent less energy than conventional CCFL displays.

“When set to ‘eco mode’ a feature of BenQ Proprietary Senseye 3 technology found on all BenQ LED-backlit monitors, the monitors consume a further 30 per cent less power again, making the full power saving in excess of 60 per cent and on some models, up to 71 per cent is evident, which theoretically means that a household or business could more than halve the amount of energy they currently consume powering their computers,” says BenQ.

BenQ Australia’s General Manager, Chee Chung said, “With more than twenty years expertise in developing display products of the highest standards, BenQ will continue to lead the market with strong competencies and market intelligence, and it is BenQ’s belief that Full HD16:9 LED monitors will quickly become the benchmark for visual enjoyment.”

“LED panels offer a number of benefits over conventional LCD displays. While it might take a few minutes for LCD to power up, LED is ‘instant-on’ and flicker-free.  In a nutshell, you will get a clean crisp, stable picture in a sophisticated looking product which draws less energy and may actually pay for itself in energy savings within it’s lifespan, depending on how much it is used,” added Chung.

BenQ’s range, incorporating 27 different models of Full HD 16:9 LED monitors range in price from $149.00 to $549.00.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge An Affordable Option

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The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge is aimed at business users who want a notebook that is portable, easy to use and affordable. For $999, this 13-incher offers good performance, various connectivity options, and has features that will help you preserve important data files.


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The ThinkPad Edge sports a matte finish (in Midnight Black) with a silver-grey band framing the exterior. Input and output ports that include a VGA out, HDMI, Ethernet, headset jack, 5-in-1 multimedia card reader, and three USB ports are found on both sides of the notebook. One of the USB ports is powered, which means it can be used for charging devices such as an iPod instantly (even if the computer is turned off). There is no optical drive on the Edge, which may or may not be an inconvenience for some users.

Opening the lid reveals a glossy 13-inch LED-backlit screen and an all-new keyboard design. The keys on this spill-resistant, “island-style keyboard” are well-separated and curved, making it easy for us to type documents. Lenovo has also swapped the function keys, putting priority on special functions such as turning on the webcamera or increasing/decreasing the volume rather than the default F1-F12 function.

If this feature is not useful, a user can simply go to the BIOS setup utility and change the Default settings to ‘Legacy’. The unit also comes with a TrackPoint and a multi-gesture touchpad for added versatility.

The Edge is powered by a 1.5GHz AMD Athlon Neo X2 L325 dual-core processor and has an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics card, allowing users to create presentations or show videos without problems. The unit has 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and comes pre-installed with Windows 7 Professional (32-bit), Norton Internet Security, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Microsoft Office 2007 (60-day trial), Microsoft AutoCollage, Windows Live Essentials, and Skype.

 

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Lenovo has also included utilities that help you make the most out of the notebook. The Power Manager can shift between high performance and high energy savings, change sleep and display settings, and show battery status (charge completion time, cycle count, and status). The Access Connections will scan and display all available wireless networks and connects with a single click. Also available is Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Toolbox, a program that helps you keep your computer running at peak performance, diagnose hardware problems, and access all of Lenovo’s software.

The 13.3-inch LED screen is bright and produces good colours, but its reflective finish gets annoying especially when watching movies. The speakers located at the bottom of the notebook produced good audio so long as it is not pushed. Users who plan to watch TV shows or movies on the Edge can expect it to last for more than three hours (the unit lasted for 192 minutes in our video playback test).

The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge is a good notebook for business users. We loved the new keyboard layout, bright screen, touchpad and TrackPoint options, and easy to use utilities. This 13-inch notebook is available now for $999.

Talk All You Want With New Vodafone and 3 Caps

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Vodafone Hutchison Australia is set to launch new postpaid cap plans that offer unlimited voice calls (3-to-3 or Vodafone-to-Vodafone) and mobile internet data allowance, in addition to the usual included value. These new cap plans will be offered by 3 and Vodafone starting this Thursday.


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Click here to see the new Vodafone Cap Plans

In a press conference held by VHA this afternoon, General Manager of Voice and Broadband, Edward Goff said that they want to give users three things: unlimited value, flexibility, and choice.

“These caps offer endless same network standard national voice calls, and what separates us from our competitors is the fact that our customers don’t need to exhaust their monthly Cap value before reaping the benefits of unlimited same network standard national voice calls. Vodafone and 3 customers will immediately benefit from endless same network standard national voice calls from the very first call they make,” said Goff.

The new Vodafone and 3 plans offer unlimited Vodafone -to-Vodafone standard voice calls and unlimited 3-to-3 calls, within Australia, 24 hours a day, seven days a week from just $29 a month.  In addition to this, the company also said that users can now use their whole Cap value on International voice calling and texting. “This will make it even easier to stay in touch with family and friends in Australia or overseas,” added Goff.

 

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Click here to see the new 3 Cap Plans

Postpaid users who sign up for a $49 cap or above will also receive monthly data allowances that can be used for Internet browsing.

For Vodafone users, it means:

  • A $49 cap will now come with 50MB of data or unlimited Blackberry Email and Internet browsing +50MB;
  • A $69 Cap comes with 500MB of data or unlimited Blackberry Email and Internet browsing +500MB; and     
  • A $79 Cap comes with 1GB of data or unlimited Blackberry Email and Internet browsing +1GB

For 3 users, it means:

  • A $49 cap will now come with 50MB of data;
  • A $69 Cap comes with 100MB of data or unlimited Blackberry data + 100MB; and     
  • A $79 Cap comes with 250MB of data or unlimited Blackberry data + 250MB

“New Postpaid customers on contracts above $49 per month can also count on a generous monthly data allowance, to enjoy internet and email on the go.” said Goff.

As part of the new Postpaid plan refresh, Vodafone and 3 will also be launching new month-to-month SIM Only contracts aimed at customers who want to ‘pay as they go’.

 

“There has never been a better time to jump on the Vodafone and 3 bandwagon. We’re thrilled to be launching a new and exciting range of products. We’re certain this launch will rattle the market. If you want incredible value, flexibility and freedom, Vodafone and 3 have you covered,” concluded Goff.

The Vodafone SIM Only Cap (month-to-month) includes:

  • $20 – $200 Vodafone to Vodafone; $150 included value; 50MB Mobile Internet
  • $35 – Unlimited Vodafone to Vodafone; $350 included value; 250MB or unlimited Blackberry Email and Internet browsing + 250MB
  • $55 – Unlimited Vodafone to Vodafone; $550 included value plus unlimited standard TXT and PXT in Australia or to Overseas; 500MB or unlimited Blackberry Email and Internet browsing + 500MB

The 3 SIM Only Cap (month-to-month) includes:

  • $20 – 225 minutes of 3 to 3 calls; $150 included value; Planet 3 (Sports or News and Info); 50MB Mobile Internet
  • $35 – Unlimited 3 to 3 calls; $350 included value; Planet 3 (Sports or News and Info); 250MB Mobile Internet or unlimited Blackberry data + 250MB
  • $55 – Unlimited 3 to 3 calls; $550 included value; Unlimited national SMS and MMS; Planet 3 (Sports or News and Info); 500MB Mobile Internet or unlimited Blackberry data + 500MB

Plantronics Bluetooth Earpiece Charges As You Go

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Plantronics has unveiled a new Bluetooth earpiece that comes with a charging case, allowing users to triple the talk time of the device.


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In a press briefing this morning, Peter Petrides, National Retail Sales Manager of Plantronics Australia, said that the new Discovery 975 moves away from the conventional rectangular design and is aimed a consumers who want a lightweight headset that is packed with a lot of features and easy to use.

The Discover 975 picks up from where its predecessor left off, with the new device sporting improved noise cancellation and audio quality. It comes with two microphones that cancels background noise, reduces wind noise with its ‘WindSmart’ technology, and claims to have an adaptive 20-band equaliser that delivers rich, full voice.

The highlight of the Discovery 975 is its carrying case – it comes with an LCD screen that not only displays the earpiece charge level, but also displays the remaining battery life. Once the earpiece is docked, it automatically charges it and will provide users with an additional 10 hours of talk time.

“Consumers expect great outbound noise cancellation in a premium headset, without sacrificing usability, comfort, and quality. We’ve spent nearly five decades perfecting all aspects of headset design from inbound audio quality to fit. For customers seeking the perfect blend of innovative design and advanced audio technologies, the Discovery 975 is the solution,” said Petrides.

The Plantronics Discovery 975 will be available starting 1 April 2010 and through major telco stores and will have an RRP of $179.95.

Regulate Social Website Usage In The Office Says AVG

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While social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be used by companies as a valuable marketing channel, AVG has urged business owners to monitor how employees use the websites.

Security expert and professor in the Computer Science department at Columbia University, Herbert Thompson said that people may post personal details such as their Mother’s maiden name, which is often used by secure web sites as password prompts.

“People are posting indiscriminately – they throw weird information out there. What has happened is there has been a growth in the technology for information sharing but not a commensurate education in what information we should share,” says Thompson.

Companies should then consider creating and enforcing regulations on how social networking sites should be used, especially in relation to company business.

“Ignoring the increased usage and influence of social networking and Web 2.0 tools leaves organisations at the risk of misuse, potentially leading to the disclosure of sensitive information or misrepresentation of the company,” said Evgeny Kaganer, Ph.D., lead researcher and assistant professor, IESE Business School.

 

According to Lloyd Borrett, AVG (AU/NZ) Marketing Manager, in addition to developing high-level policies for the use of social networks, there are some simple guidelines that managers can provide to staff to minimise the risks.

“The fact that they are so user friendly makes them dangerous. You don’t mind your friends knowing where you live, or when your birthday is, or what your mother’s maiden name is, but if the bad guys manage to hack into your friend’s account, then they find out that information as well,” said Borrett.

Borrett advises that something as simple as creating separate passwords for each site, that are also different from log-ins for company systems, can be effective. Being generally cautious about who staff interact with and what applications they install is a good guideline.

“Your mother advised you to never talk to strangers. The same goes for social networking sites. If you don’t know who they are, don’t talk to them,” he added.

“Finally, be careful what applications you agree to install. There are a million people developing applications for these sites and something tells me they are not all good guys,” concluded Borrett.

Lenovo Reveals Fastest Ultraportable Notebook

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Lenovo is set to launch the industry’s fastest ultraportable notebook that weighs 1.5 kilograms, comes with an Intel i7 processor, and can last up to 11 hours.


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At over three gigahertz and under 1.5 kilograms, the ThinkPad X201 sports an extremely thin and light design. The company has optimised the X201 and outclocks competitors in its class by 25 percent and includes Intel’s normal volt Core Processors while competitors offer low volt processors. The X201 also gets extremely long battery life with up to 11 hours.

In addition, Lenovo is also introducing four new Think-branded products: the ThinkPad X201s laptop, the thinnest and lightest ThinkPad; the X201 tablet; and the powerful W701 and W701ds mobile workstations.

Lenovo Australia and New Zealand’s Product and Marketing Director, Chris Kelly said, “We’re continuing to push the envelope on innovation to give our mobile customers faster, more powerful and smarter ThinkPad laptops. These PCs incorporate the latest computing technologies and extra Lenovo features to make the PC experience more simple and productive.”   

 

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The new W Series mobile workstations come with Intel Core i7 Series processors (with Intel Turbo Boost and Intel Hyperthreading technologies) and NVIDIA Quadro FX 2800 and 3800 Series GPUs. In addition, the W701 and W701ds are the only 17 inch mobile workstations to feature an optional built-in colour calibrator to help professionals in computer aided design and digital content creation ensure accurate colours are displayed. They are also the only mobile workstations to feature an optional built-in WACOM digitiser and pen to manipulate fine details. The W701 and W701ds are certified to run the most popular applications from independent software vendors, Dassault Systemes CATIA, SolidWorks,  PTC Pro/E and more.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X201 tablet features a 12.1 inch capacitive multitouch screen with a touch-based hardware interface and Lenovo SimpleTap navigation application, dual functionality, Windows 7 Business operating system, and sports the latest Intel Core processors. It also comes with an Expresscard slot, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet connectivity, and comes with an optional DVD drive connection.

The ThinkPad X201, X201 tablet will be available early March and the W701 and W701ds will be available late March through business partners and www.lenovo.com.au.  

Pricing for the X201, X201 tablet, W701 and W701ds start at approximately $2549, $3849, $6299 and $7999, respectively. Pricing for the ThinkPad X201s is available through Lenovo business partners.