Panasonic is set to roll out a new line of cordless phones that are shock, splash and dust resistant.
Mendelson Tiu
Banking Scams Anger Consumers
Users are heading to blogs, forums, and discussion boards to express their banking frustrations.
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| Online Discussion Relating To The Big Four |
Nielsen Online’s Director of Analytics, Mark Higginson said that banks should keep in touch with their customers by knowing what they are saying online.
“The findings of our study only serve to further emphasise to companies the importance of knowing what consumers are saying online. As more and more brand managers acknowledge this fact, we have certainly seen increases in the number of our clients looking to track, analyse and understand their online sentiment.”
53 percent of negative comments associated with Westpac in May 2009 related to a New Zealand couple who received an erroneous deposit of $10 million into their account, whereupon they withdrew the money and went into hiding.
Many of the comments ridiculed Westpac or wished the couple well (“I’d love to see them get away with it,” one commentator said). Westpac’s overall sentiment levels online were skewed by the incident – only 12 percent of online discussion in April regarding Westpac was negative, compared to 34 percent in May following the error.
A massive 50 percent of online discussion around the Commonwealth Bank’s rate rise involved negative comments towards the bank. The bank did have its supporters though – around 21 percent of commentators defended the bank’s right to raise interest rates, while just over a quarter (29%) stayed on the fence, providing neutral opinions.
On other topics, the Commonwealth Bank also elicited numerous comments about scam emails – 11 percent of comments relating to the Commonwealth Bank in May were about scam emails purporting to be from the bank.
Other online discussion threads covered areas such as mortgage application processing delays. With mortgage application processing times extending as a result of the rush of first home owners signing up for a new home before the Government grant runs out, 20 percent of negative comments online about all the big four banks were about how long they were taking to process mortgage applications.
Nielsen said that the National Australia Bank escaped mostly unscathed by consumers’ online comments, having generated the highest percentage of positive sentiment online (23%).
WD Drive Displays Stored Data
Western Digital has unveiled a new external drive that has a customizable e-label that displays what is on the drive and how much space is left.
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The e-label also shows available capacity and whether the drive is locked via WD SmartWare software’s powerful password protection and hardware-based encryption.
The new My Book Elite drives also come with integrated WD SmartWare software that launches automatically, and feature user-selected password protection combined with 256-bit hardware-based encryption.
WD’s Vice President of Marketing for Branded Products Group, Dale Pistilli said, “The new My Book Elite drives’ unique new e-label smart display and integrated WD SmartWare software give consumers an elegant and practical way to organize their content while enjoying the peace of mind that their data is backed up and secure.”
“Even when the My Book Elite drive is unplugged, consumers can easily see at-a-glance what is stored on their drive, how much capacity is available and whether the drive is locked,” added Pistilli.
The Western Digital My Book Elite is available now for $199.99 (1TB), $249.99 (1.5TB), and $399.99 (2TB).
Telstra Showcases Fastest Wireless Broadband
Telstra has today unveiled the fastest wireless broadband modem on the planet capable of reaching speeds of up to 21Mbps.
Executive Director, Wireless Engineering and Operations, Mike Wright confirmed today that Telstra was on track to super charge Next G network speeds with the 21Mbps capability by the end of the year.
The company has hosted its first public enhanced HSPA (eHSPA) data session, showcasing the enhanced network speeds and demonstrating the capabilities of the super-fast new modem. Trials of the 21Mbps mobile broadband modem will begin in December with a full commercial launch to follow early next year.
“This is truly game-changing. The new technology will unlock opportunities for many of our customers by bridging the gap between wired and wireless broadband connectivity. The surge in available data speeds will allow more Australians to work away from the office. They will be equipped to integrate new applications – including web conferencing, live high definition streaming video, high-speed web browsing and seamless virtual private network access – into the way they do business on the move,” said Mike.
“While for consumers, it means access to a whole new world of internet-hosted mobile applications and the mainstream adoption of the mobile phone as the preferred way to access and browse the Internet and email in Australia. Working with our partners Sierra Wireless, Qualcomm and Ericsson, we have developed the world’s fastest mobile broadband device – almost three times faster than the fastest devices currently available – which will push the speed barrier to levels not seen anywhere else on earth.”
Mr. Wright also said that while the new, faster peak network speed was the headline benefit, eHSPA provides other critical enhancements to the Next G network.
“Apart from speeding up our already super-fast network, eHSPA gives us improved network efficiency to build capacity and maintain the quality of our service so we can continue to welcome customers to the Next G network,” added Mr. Wright.
Speeds represented are peak network downlink speeds. Actual customer download speeds will be less and will vary due to network configuration, congestion, distance from the cell, local conditions, hardware, software and other factors.
See: www.telstra.com
Cut Your Electricity Bill With ViewSonic LED Monitor
ViewSonic claims that its VX2250wm LED monitor provides up to 40 percent energy savings over a typical 22-inch monitor and can lower energy usage without sacrificing image quality.
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This monitor has a Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 10,000,000:1, Full HD 1080p ViewLED technology, and mercury-free WLED backlight that automatically detects image signal and controls backlight brightness.
It also comes complete with integrated stereo speakers, DVI and VGA inputs, and can be mounted on the wall (VESA-compatible).
Viewsonic’s Country Manager, William Tse said, “From armchair environmentalists to Mac users, many of our customers are concerned with reducing energy costs, without compromising on their entertainment experience. The ViewSonic VX2250wm-LED allows users to make a considerable energy saving while providing unrivalled picture quality and a rich feature set, and we are proud to be leading the way in the green LED movement.”
The ViewSonic VX2250wm-LED is available this month for $299.
WD Rolls Out Powerline Kit
Western Digital has launched a powerline AV kit that allows a user to stream audio and video files using a power outlet.
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The WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit comes with four ports on each of the two adapters, allowing users to connect their router and up to seven additional devices to their high-speed network.
WD claims that the Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit provides data transfer speeds up to 200 megabits per second (Mbps) and is simple to set up. All a user needs to do is to simply plug one of the two adapters in the kit into their router and an electrical outlet then plug the other adapter into another outlet where they need access to wired network connections.
WD’s Vice President of Marketing for its Branded Products Group, Dale Pistilli said, “Consumers are accumulating an increasing number of Internet-capable connected TVs, video game consoles and media players providing access to exciting online content through services such as YouTube. Wireless networks, while popular, don’t always deliver the reliable high-speed connections needed to sustain HD video streaming. Meanwhile, drilling holes for new Ethernet cables is complicated, expensive and messy. With the WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit, it’s truly easy to enjoy all the HD streaming and broadband Internet capabilities of these great new devices anywhere there is an electrical outlet.”
The Western Digital Livewire is available now for $169.99.
ISP Filtering May Block Important Sites
The Federal Government plans for mandatory internet filtering may see a wide range of material disappearing from Australian computer screens, according to a report published today.
Untangling The Net: The Scope of Content Caught By Mandatory Internet Filtering was prepared by leading Australian media public policy specialists and members of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, Professors Catharine Lumby, Lelia Green, and John Hartley.
The report findings suggest that mandatory internet filtering will put Australia at odds with other Western liberal democracies who have opted almost unanimously for self or co-regulation. While mandatory internet filtering is conventionally framed as a tool to prevent child pornography access, the Government’s policy will catch a far broader scope of content.
The authors also said that it is time to review Australia’s complex and inconsistent media content regulation system to take account of the online era.
Director of the Journalism and Media Research Centre at UNSW, Professor Catharine Lumby said, “The internet is not a medium: it is an entirely new media environment. We need to rethink our flawed and complex system of media content regulation to respond to this new era.”
According to a consultation paper released yesterday by Minister Stephen Conroy the government will introduce legislation which will enable the creation of an RC (Refused Classification) list. Legislation will then be introduced to require all ISPs to mandatorily filter this list. Under the classification guidelines for RC content there is clear potential for a far wider range of material to be placed on this than clearly abhorrent categories of material such as child pornography or active incitement to violence.
While the study found clear public policy reasons for the Government denying access to information that might facilitate access to child pornography or compromise national security, the authors found that material that could potentially be deemed RC includes sites promoting public health initiatives such as harm minimisation in drug use, sites dealing with contentious political debates and sites in designed to give young people an opportunity to discuss sexuality and safe sexual practices.
Professor Lelia Green of Edith Cowan University said, “Under mandatory filtering, the pool of internet content filtered will greatly increase, making it even more important that we pay attention to the scope of the content caught and the right of the public to know what they are being protected from.”
Of a more immediate concern are questions about whether the community will have access to information about what is on the blacklist. The report recognises the complex particularities of the online world, the current flaws in Australian media regulation and the associated inconsistent treatment of online content and delivery compared to traditional media.
With reference to international research, the report argues that Australia should apply a classification system that carefully balances the risks and opportunities of the online world.
“Australia needs to avoid simply applying our current flawed and inconsistent media content regulation regime to a media landscape that is still emerging. The challenges of this environment are equally an opportunity for our Federal Government to rethink media content regulation and to engage in a wide-ranging public discussion about how we move into the 21st century,” concluded Professor Lumby.
Australians To Buy One Million Tablets In 2011
Telsyte is predicting that over one million tablet devices will be sold in Australia in 2011 as more content, updated software and better hardware become available.
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The company said that a number of factors including the push for more media tablet apps, rapid cannibalisation of other markets, increase in features, decrease in price and greater familiarity amongst consumers will drive the sales of tablets next year.
Apple is expected to remain the leader in the market with a 60 percent share next year (down from 90 percent in 2010), while Android devices are expected to have 35 percent market share in 2011.
In addition, Telsyte estimates that around 400,000 Australian consumers will be using a media tablet by the end of 2010, with approximately a quarter sharing a device. The company estimates that around 20,000 Australian businesses have purchased at least one media tablet for their organisation.
Telsyte also forecasts the media tablet market to grow from $292 million in 2010 to $1.35bn in 2014.
Telsyte Research Director, Foad Fadaghi said, “The Australian media tablet market is poised to explode. Media tablets are an industry transforming device with implications for hardware vendors, media organisations, software companies and telecom carriers.”
Logitech Mouse Works On Any Surface
Logitech has launched a new line of mice that can be used on clear glass and high-gloss surfaces.
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Logitech’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Control Devices Business Unit, Rory Dooley said, “Laptops have gained popularity in the last several years because of the freedom they afford – people today want to be able to connect to their digital world anytime, anywhere. However, until now, no mouse has been able to match that flexibility. Thanks to Logitech Darkfield, whether you’re checking the morning news from the granite counter top in your kitchen or at work manipulating a spreadsheet from your glass desk, you can be confident that your Logitech mouse will be up to the task.”
Logitech’s Darkfield uses dark field microscopy to detect microscopic particles and micro-scratches on these surfaces, rather than tracking the surface itself. Similar to the way in which our eye sees the clear night sky, the mouse’s sensor sees the clean areas of glass as a dark background with bright dots – the dust. Then, the sensor interprets the movement of these dots to track exactly where you’ve moved the mouse.
The Logitech Performance Mouse M950 has a flexible micro-USB charging system that lets you recharge your mouse through your computer or a wall outlet – even while you’re using it. Four customisable thumb buttons put your most important controls – like application switching and zooming – at your fingertips. And, force-sensitive side-to-side scrolling (software enabled) lets you quickly navigate around Web pages.
Thanks to its compact size, the Logitech Anywhere Mouse M905 works wherever you do and a travel pouch helps protect the mouse while in-transit. The contoured shape fits naturally into most hands and back and forward buttons, placed within reach of your thumb, help you surf the Web efficiently.
Both of the new Logitech mice feature the recently announced Logitech Unifying receiver. The tiny wireless receiver stays in your notebook, so there’s no need to unplug it when you move around. Plus, you can easily add up to five other compatible Logitech keyboards and mice to the single receiver, including the recently announced Logitech Keyboard K340, Logitech Marathon Mouse M705 and the Logitech Wireless Mouse M505.
The Logitech Performance Mouse M950 ($199.95) and Logitech Anywhere Mouse M905 ($149.95) are expected to be available next month.
Affordable LCD Monitors From Samsung
Samsung has unveiled a new line of LCD monitors that comes with a power saving feature and wide viewing angle at an affordable price.
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The 30 Series includes the B2030 (20-inch), B2230 (21.5-inch) and B2430L (23.6-inch) to suit any desk space. It comes with a power saving feature called Magic Eco that offers four power saving modes that adjust the brightness of your screen. In addition, the company claims that its monitors use only 0.3W of power in standby mode. The new range also has a Magic Angle feature that allows a user to view images vividly from any angle.
The B2230 and B2430L deliver images with high brightness (300cd/m2) and contrast ratio (70,000:1), with the company promising intense natural colours and lifelike detail.
Samsung’s Product and Marketing Manager, Emanuele Silanesu said, “We are aware that consumers are looking to save money as well as do their bit for the environment any way they can. By helping keep energy consumption down over the life of the monitor, the Samsung 30 Series ensures you can enjoy your entertainment at a highly competitive price point.”
The Samsung 30 Series is available in store now at an RRP of $249 for the B2030 and B2430L and $299 for the B2230.