Mendelson Tiu

Linksys has today released the WRT54G2, a Wireless-G router that features the same sleek industrial design sported by its Ultra RangePlus family of Wireless-N routers.

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According to Linksys, the new design features an internal antenna technology which integrates the antenna into the router body without compromising signal coverage.

Linksys’ Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand, Graeme Reardon said, “The successful Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G broadband router is an iconic product in home networking. We have taken that high benchmark and improved further upon its performance, ease of use and updated it with our latest industrial design. The result is the WRT54G2, and we believe this router will continue to be a hallmark of the home networking environment, like its predecessor.”

The new industrial design was chosen for its high-tech lines and increased weight, instilling a sense of style while offering superior performance and range. The decision to include internal antennas and a new color palette were also the results of extensive market research.

Besides the new design, the WRT54G2 ships with the Linksys EasyLink Advisor (LELA) application, which is a technology advisor that makes life easier for consumers. This simple-to-use software package is designed to take away the technical hassle setting up wireless network and helps to keeps the network highly secure and connected.

LELA will automatically check for updates for all Linksys by Cisco products on the network, and can securely configure other connected devices and computers. The intuitive interface will help simplify set-up and maintenance of a home network.

The unit can be configured with just one simple button on the WRT54G2. The WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) feature is designed to help make securing wireless devices easier. Simply push the WPS button on the router and on another WPS-enabled wireless device to create an encrypted wireless connection between them.

The Linksys WRT54G2 is now available with an RRP of $89.95.

See: www-au.linksys.com

In addition to new high-speed SDHC cards, Lexar also unveiled a couple of new USB backup drives that provide users with a portable easy-to-use file backup solution.

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The Echo SE plugs into a computer’s USB port to perform automatic backup and transfer of files, at read speeds up to 28MB/s and write speeds up to 10MB/s. Echo ZE, which measures 20.1 by 15.1 millimetre size and has a ‘plug-and-stay’ design, backs up essential files at any time. Both drives are interoperable between Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, as well as Mac OS X operating systems.

Lexar’s National Sales Manager, Richard Clarke said that a recently survey revealed that about 1/3 of users expressed interest in a flash-based drive with automatic backup software.

“The Echo line has been designed specifically for users on the go. Whether it’s backing up business proposals when travelling or your university assignments whilst in the library, the Echo SE and ZE drives provide secure, high-capacity options to meet the needs of today’s netbook and notebook user without the cables and external drives that traditional backup solutions require,” said Clarke.
The drives include built-in Echo backup software developed by Dmailer for Lexar. Other features include targeted file backup, file versioning, and offers optional AES 128-bit encryption.

The Lexar Echo SE and Lexar Echo ZE backup drives are available now on Lexar.com, for the recommended retail prices of:

–    Lexar Echo SE 16GB AU$83.50 / 32GB AU$148.45 / 64GB AU$278.35
–    Lexar Echo ZE 8GB AU$46.40 / 16GB AU$83.50 / 32GB AU$148.45

Samsung Australia has launched two new notebooks that sport a scratch-resistant casing that withstands bumps and knocks as well as a security software that tracks your PC when it gets lost or stolen.

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Launched at an event this afternoon, the Samsung R-Series range (R780 and R580) comes with an Intel Core i5-520M Processor, and sports a new red infused crystal finish. It also has an LED touchpad lighting, low profile island keyboard, and a numeric keypad.

The R-Series come with HD LED displays that support 16:9 aspect ratio and video playback, include a range of tools like a USB sleep-and-charge port, AnyPC remote PC access application, as well as a Phoenix FailSafe software that tracks your PC when it’s stolen. Samsung says that this service lets you track the location of a lost or stolen notebook and encrypt, manage, retrieve or erase your vital data.

Samsung Australia’s Product and Marketing Manager, Emmanuele Silanesu said, “The Samsung R-Series notebooks are the complete all-rounder. Offering outstanding mobile performance and entertainment in a distinctive standout design, this really is the device for Australians who need everything in one. With advanced graphics, multimedia capabilities and large hard drives the new R-Series notebooks are designed to satisfy the increasing demand of today’s consumers for systems that play incredible HD games and movies whilst multitasking with business applications.”

The Samsung R-Series is available now at selected resellers and retailers including JBHiFi, The Good Guys, Bing Lee, and Myer from $1099.

Lenovo has unveiled a new all-in-one desktop PC aimed at small and medium business.

The ThinkCentre A70z comes with Intel Pentium Dual Core or Core2Duo processors and claims to deliver fast boot up times. Its small profile saves 70 percent more space, takes less time to set up, and consumes less power than traditional desktops says Lenovo.

Lenovo’s Business Manager, Desktop and Monitors, Otto Ruettinger said, “We’ve heard from a number of IT managers in a variety of industries, from education, to finance to healthcare, and they’ve all told us they need desktops that conserve space, save on energy consumption and are easy to maintain and service. The new ThinkCentre A70z exceeds these needs – not only is it compact, super energy efficient and quick to service, but it’s also high performance and extremely affordable.”

The ThinkCentre A70z includes a 19-inch, 16:10 Widescreen LCD monitor, with users being able to mount the all-in-one to a wall. It also comes with a single power cable that minimises clutter, with the back of the monitor sporting a built-in handle for easy transport.

Other features include a choice of Intel Core2 Duo or Pentium Dual Core processors, Direct X10 support, a DVD drive, six USB ports, two audio speakers and optional Wi-fi, built-in webcam, and support for up to 500GB of data storage for lots of photos, music and work files.

The AIO also comes with Lenovo’s suite of ThinkVantage Technologies (TVTs) that can help businesses save money by speeding productivity and reducing downtime. Lenovo offers a variety of enhanced warranty options as well as its ThinkPlus Priority Support service plan on the new A70z.

The ThinkCentre A70z all-in-one will be available in early December with models starting at $999.00.

Kingston has announced that its DataTraveler Vault – Privacy Edition USB Flash drive is now compatible with Apple Mac operating systems.

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According to Kingston, files stored on the Data Traveler Vault are secured by a hardware-based, 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). The drive is protected from brute-force attacks by locking down after 10 unsuccessful login attempts.

 After lockdown, a reformat is necessary to make the Flash drive operable again. For additional protection, the DTVP is made of aluminum and is waterproof up to a depth of four feet.

Kingston Technology’s Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Vaughan Nankivell said, “Our DataTraveler Vault – Privacy Edition has been popular with enterprise and government customers who use Windows-based systems and are looking for a safe and secure way to transport portable data. We are happy to add Mac support to this 100-percent secured drive so the Apple community can be assured they have an on-the-go storage solution that is the best on the market at safeguarding data.”

The Kingston DataTraveler Vault-Privacy Edition is available now with an RRP of $749 for the 16GB model and $1139 for the 32GB model.

See: www.kingston.com/anz

Telstra aims to get push-to-talk technology that needed push with the launch of the TalkNow ZTE 159 phone; a 3G tough phone built for the outdoors that comes with an assisted GPS feature and a new Talk Now function that instantly turns the phone into a walkie talkie.

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The ZTE 159 is perfect all-around phone for manufacturing, trade, construction, and even transport industries who have a lot of ‘on the field’ users.

In addition to the AGPS function and Talk Now function, it also comes with a Xora TimeTrack function that can track any device connected to your ‘network’ by logging in to the Xora website. By activating ‘Shift Start’ on the mobile device, users will be logged on to the network and can be immediately tracked down by any office supervisor or administrator who visits the Xora website. 

The Xora TimeTrack also allows a supervisor to schedule and/or dispatch jobs for a mobile user. In this way, users can immediately download all assigned or available jobs and see all the corresponding job details. It is also a 3G unit that connects to Telstra’s Next G network, providing users with blistering uploading and downloading speeds. 

The build quality and layout of the keys is similar to the F165 (Country Phone). The number keys are big and well-spaced, making it easy for anyone to input numbers or letters when composing text messages. The 159 has a dedicated Foxtel, Telstra Biz, Back, and Clear keys, as well as five-way navigation keys that also functions as hotkeys to Telstra My Place, Main Menu, Message folder, and Contact list. In addition, volume control buttons and a Telstra Talk Now (TTN) button can be found on the unit’s left side, while a USB port for charging and syncing files can be found on its right.

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TTN: Turns your phone to a long range walkie talkie

Performance:

The large and bright screen with clear text and icons made it easy for us to navigate through the menu and access the various functions.

Different options like Tools, Browser, Multimedia, Games and Apps, and Telstra My Place were easily accessible with the touch of the OK button. Programs like File Manager, Calendar, Stopwatch, Calculator, World Time, Bluetooth, Syncml, GPS, Alarm, and PocketNews are found under the Tools option, as other applications like Telstra Business, Foxtel Mobile, Yellow search, BigPond Music, Web Mail, Call 1234 Info, BigBlog & Photos, Whereis Maps, Downloads, and My Stocks can be found under the My Place sub-menu.

The 159 also comes with a Message, Contacts, and Calls sub-menu for quick access to stored e-mail or SMS, stored numbers on the handset and SIM card, or calls made to and from the handset.

The Telstra Talk Now function lets a user talk to other users and is similar to a walkie-talkie or two-way radio device. For $10 dollars a month, the TTN service allows a user to make a Push to Talk call, send a text message, leave a voicemail, or start a conference call with up to 30 users all at once. This feature is most useful for business or tradesmen that constantly need to communicate with important contacts or colleagues at any single time. This feature is easy to use: simply press the TTN button, highlight the user/users you want to talk with, and press the TTN button again. It took less than five seconds to establish a connection between two units and we have found the connection to be clear and free of static.

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The 1.3-megapixel camera located at the back of the 159.

The AGPS function (under tools sub-menu) gave us our exact GPS location and we were able to use the Whereis maps to go to nearby points of interest like ATMs, restaurants, hotels, etc. Although the ZTE 159 is not a substitute for stand-alone navigation devices, the phone was still able to take us where we wanted to go.

The Telstra F159 has a 1.3-megapixel camera that can take photos up to 1024 x 1280, can shoot videos, and even perform video calls with the use of the secondary camera. This phone does not have any memory card slot available, which limits the number of photos and videos a user can take. Then again, this phone will be used by business professionals, so there is really no need for any memory card slot to be available.

Telstra promises up to 400 hours continuous idle time in GSM mode (350 hours in WCDMA mode) and up to 250 minutes of talktime on the GSM network (300 minutes in WCDMA). Using the phone for video calls will give you up to 150 minutes, while watching Mobile Foxtel reduces the battery life significantly.

Roll over to the next page for product specifications, conclusion, and final rating.

The perfect on-the-go 3G phone – that is what we think about Telstra’s new ZTE 159. An RRP of $729 may seem expensive, but with features like TTN, AGPS, and XORA software on the phone, it is clearly a good investment.

The Telstra TalkNow function is available for only $10 per month for unlimited access to all of the Telstra TalkNow features when you sign for a 24 month Telstra Business plan. AGPS adds extra functionality to the Whereis software and will not incur charges.

Product Specifications:

Handset Standards:
WCDMA 850MHz, 2100MHz with HSDPA data
900MHz GSM, 1800 MHz GSM, and 1900 MHz GSM

Features:
225MHz processor, 262K colour screen, MMS Video and Picture, E-mail, Calendar, Speakerphone, Voice Recorder, Bluetooth, MP4 video, MP3 audio, 1.3-megapixel camera, video call, USB connectivity, MIDP 2.0 JAVA

Storage Space:
60MB Internal SDRAM

Continuous Idle Time:
400 hours in GSM mode, 350 hours in WCDMA mode

Continuous Talk Time:
360 minutes on GSM network, 300 minutes on WCDMA network, Video call 150 minutes

Battery Life:
400 charge cycles

Dimensions: 123 mm x 51 mm x 23 mm
Weight: 160g

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Telstra TalkNow ZTE 159 | $729 |  | www.telstra.com.au

For: Tough construction; Telstra Talk Now feature; AGPS function; Xora TimeTrack program; Ease of use
Against: No memory card slot; Cannot use PTT to mobile phones in another service provider
Conclusion: A phone that implements TTN and AGPS functions well. Possibly one of the best outdoor business phones we have seen this year.