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Oonagh Reidy

Nice 1 Gerry! Harvey’s Giveaway 10″ Toshiba Tab With Laptops

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If you fancy buying a Toshiba notebook this weekend, then you’re in luck as you can get a freebie tablet worth $468.


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Harvey Norman is in a generous mood and is throwing in a free Toshiba Tablet with every laptop bought by the same make.

However, you will need to buy one worth over $1000 for this to happen.

Among the models including in this pretty sweet deal are: 15.6″ Toshiba Satellite P750/05S with Intel Core i7 2GHz processor, a massive 4GB RAM, Blu-ray Drive, TV Tuner, HDMI port and GB NVIDIA graphics card, priced at $1598.

The next models up the Satellite P750/05F, which has almost identical specs but a larger 8GB RAM memory for $1798 and with WiFi and Bluetooth.

The high end 3D HD widescreen 17.3″ Toshiba Qosmio X770/00X with 8GB RAM, Core i7 and 2Ghz processor, Blu Ray player, Harman Kardon speakers, USB, and HDMI connections is the other model coming with token tablet. Yipee!

So what about the tab? Tosh’s 10.1″ AT100 HD Tablet on Android Honeycomb 3.0, valued at $468, boasts twin cameras 5MP (back) 2MP (front), Tegra 2, NVIDIA graphics, Toshiba Media Player and more apps than you can shake a stick at.

But lo and behold, not to get left behind, JB Hi Fi are also slashing 15% off, you guessed it, Toshiba 14″ and Dell 15″ notebooks, selling decent spec models both for under $700.

 

The yellow retailer is also discounting 15% off DSLR  cameras.

The Good Guys are also flogging low spec Samsung ES80 cameras for $69. Other deals from The Guys we liked include 32″ LG HD TV for $469.

Harvey Norman Shuts Norman Ross NZ

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Harvey Norman is phasing out NZ brand Norman Ross and closing all stores

A closing down sale was advertised at the storefront of its Norman Ross Palmerston North store in New Zealand, as reported by Fairfax media.

However, a company spokesperson denied the store was closing: it “is being rebranded as a Harvey Norman store” and the company is phasing out the Norman Ross brand and its three stores.

“The Harvey Norman brand is our primary brand and we are looking at strengthening this by rebranding the Norman Ross stores to Harvey Norman stores,” the spokesperson said.

Harvey Norman operates Norman Ross stores also in Auckland and Christchurch, and these too are being shut and rebranded as their Aussie parent Harvey Norman, CN can confirm.

An employee at the Auckland store told CN: “there was no more growth in the Norman Ross” stores and the company wanted to progress as Harvey Norman.

Harvey Norman said New Zealand sales fell 1.3% in Q1 2013 July- September.

The Norman Ross store at Palmerston North will close on February 28 as will Christchurch.

 

All staff are to be retained and deployed into the rebranded Harvey Norman store.

The first Norman Ross store opened in Wellington in December 2007. The retailer is due to release its earnings figures soon.

Harvey Norman Shares fell -0.42% to $2.36 on the ASX today.

‘Bigger Is Better’: Sharp’s 80″ LCD Hits OZ

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Look out Australia: 80″ LCD is coming to a living room near you.
Meet the biggest consumer TV in OZ – Sharp’s new 80-inch 3D Quattron LCD TV (LC-80LE940X) – available from the end of the month.

And ‘bigger is better’ says its Japanese maker who has kitted out the monster TV with Aquomotion Pro Technology and Yamaha’s LSI Audio Engine to “bring the cinematic experience home,” says Sharp Marketing Manager, Mark Beard.

You can browse Internet and use applications including YouTube Leanback (especially for TV – plays a personalized videos feeds in full screen and in HD), Facebook and Skype.


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The 80″ television features 4th Generation Quattron with High Speed LCD a full LED backlight for excellent colour contrast, aluminium frame bezel.

It also boasts a dual core processor for faster application speeds, USB Media Playback for hooking up additional content and USB Timeshift Plus function to pause, replay and record live programming.

The new 80-inch model is more than just a television, it combines all the AV needs of the home, says Sharp. Without a stand, the 80″ TV has dimensions (in mm) of 1867X1114X99 and is 63mm at its thinnest part, and weighs 53kg.

With the stand, which comes included, the Sharp set weighs 57kg.

 

As for those concerned about whether they have enough space to fit an 80″ screen –  LCDs of this size have an ideal viewing distance of three meters – meaning you don’t need a huge living area to enjoy the big screen.

However, big ain’t cheap.

The Sharp 80″ has a RRP $10,999.00 and includes a pair of 3D glasses and a wireless dongle. It will be available in all major electrical retail outlets at the end of August.

Facebook Fear! Social Networks A Dead Giveaway: Aussies

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Posting or tweeting locations on Facebook and Co could lead to break ins, 90% of Aussies believe.


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There have been increased reports of “opportunistic crime” occurring due to information obtained online, according to ADT Security, who revealed alarming new research yesterday.

Savvy criminals are learning when people are out of the house by checking peoples Facebook status, Twitter updates, allowing them to learn when homes are vacant, warns ADT Security.

“While sharing information with your online network is fun, it’s important to think twice before updating your Facebook status, tweeting or checking into foursquare” warns Michael Bates, ADT Residential Manager.

But there are things you can do to prevent criminals taking advantage of the info you have posted on the web: setting your profile to private, turning off location finders, or not accepting unknown people as friends.

Even “a bit of self-censorship when it comes to announcing an extended holiday – can help prevent falling victim to burglary or vandalism while away from home,” says Bates

ADT’s Secure Homes report surveyed 2000 residents from metropolitan and regional Australia and also revealed 30% of respondents had been the victim of a break-in.

Forced entry through a window is the most common means of entry for burglars accounting for 41% of break-ins, while entry through the back door (17%), front door (12%), an unlocked window (10%), garage (6%) and balcony (3%) were also common.

The survey also revealed some generational differences when it comes to home security. In the event of a break-in, ‘baby boomers’ are more concerned about identity fraud than other generations, with 62% identifying it as their primary concern.

Comparatively, less than half of Gen Y respondents cited this as a concern (48%).

 

Gen Y showed greater concern for their PC/laptop (72%) than personal records, cash or a camera while Gen X said the loss of personal records as their greatest concern rather than jewellery, cash and home theatre equipment.

The humble lock and key remains the home protection measure of choice for most of us (89%) although guard dogs (20%), bars on windows and doors (18%), warning signs and stickers (19%) and motion sensor lighting (15%) were also used.

Just 5% of respondents used CCTV surveillance in-house.

BlackBerry SOS Message To iPhone, Droid

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BBM for iOS and Android could launch this year

BlackBerry shares the BBM love by offering its “ground breaking” instant messaging to iOS and Android users this year. 

The startling hook up was announced as BlackBerry Live kicks off in Florida, and could push the BB platform and encourage take-up among iPhone and Android mobile users. 

The former Canadian phone king plans to invade Apple iOS 6 and Android (4.0 or higher) platforms with BlackBerry Messenger, which is “subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.”
If Cupertino and Android give the go ahead, BBM could replace instant ‘over the top’ messengers like iMessage, WhatsApp as the instant messenger of choice for millions of teens and adults alike who have eshewed SMS in favour of freebie systems. 
“iOS and Android users would be able to experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people,” BlackBerry said in a statement. 

BBM, which runs of BlackBerry servers, also has personalised profiles and avatars, and “D” and “R” statuses, which show up in chats to let people know their message has been delivered and read.
BBM was the original instant messaging system and one of the reasons BlackBerry has managed to stay afloat (and in the hands of many a teenager) against the cool iPhone and Androids 
“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service.” 
“We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry
BBM has more than 60 million active monthly users that collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many compared to rival mobile messaging apps. 
BlackBerry also just announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform allowing users to connect with businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they like. 
BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year.
Oh and other good news from BB – yes, the BlackBerry Z10 finally Skypes.   

RUMOURED: HTC Velocity OZ First 4G Phone

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A nifty HTC 4G ready Android is said to be winging its way here this month, according to sources at CES today.
As reported by SmartHouse last week, Telstra is set to release two new 4G smartphones, one of which is said to be a 4.5″ qHD screen (960_540) Velocity, which will launch this month according to sources at CES electronics show in Vegas today.

Read Telstra Close To Releasing Two New 4G Smartphones Here

So what’s in a Velocity? A all-powerful dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 8MP camera with HD, 16GB memory which can be doubled thanks to a microSD card slot and HTC Sense, reports Gizmodo. 

It is said to run Android Gingerbread 2.3, whcih will probably get an Ice Cream Sandwich makeover in the not too distant future.

Next generation 4G networks are taking over from 3G, promises double the web speeds, and users in coverage areas – mostly along the east and west coast – can expect typical download speeds from 2Mbps to 40Mbps and upload speeds from 1Mbps to 10Mbps. All the main telcos including Optus and Vodafone are developing 4G networks.

Telstra’s 4G-ready Next G network is already live but has yet to flog a handset to match.

 

The telco has yet to make any official soundings on specific 4G handsets, although they do have an online registration for customers interested in a ‘HTC 4G’ handset.

Telstra’s other 4G handset is rumoured to be a Samsung model, possibly a Galaxy SIII.

Facebook Push ‘Offers’ To Millions

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Facebook have upped the f-comm ante – demanding a fee from business to make Offers.


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Facebook Offers has been expanded letting Aussie firms big and small flog goods/services online Offers directly from their Page.

Businesses with 400+ fans can now jump on the Facebook Offers bandwagon, in another tweak to the service.

The offers will appears in the newsfeed of users who are fans of the company and on its homepage.

The Social Network says it received positive feedback from businesses who said that “Offers has helped them drive business results,” in an announcement today.

“Today we are happy to announce that Offers will be available globally, and that we’ve added some new features that will make Offers even better for people and for businesses.”

The service was first released in Oz last April.

Offers will remain free for the millions of Facebook users to claim, however.

The social network aren’t forcing companies to give any particular discount for Offers but say at least 20% “will generally reach more people. “

However, business will have to pay for the privilege of flogging their gear on the social network and the fee Facebook is demanding is based on the amount of eyeballs it wants to hit.

Facebook  are charging companies $5 per post if they wish to reach 96-176 people and the more businesses spend on advertising and targeting the higher the audience reached, the network insists.

“Over the months since the beta launch, we’ve seen that targeting and advertising help get the right Offers in front of the right people.”

 

The move will also help Facebook push into the sphere of m-commerce (mobile) f-commerce (Facebook) and may also boost its revenues, if Offers can get sufficient eyeballs and interest among the 955 million Facebook members.

“Offers will help to drive sales, traffic and reach in fans news feed,” the network said today.

Businesses can also include bar codes and unique codes in their Offers.

Get Melbourne Cup LIVE on Mobile

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And they’re off: Telstra getting in ahead of Melbourne Cup with racing app, where you can watch Melbourne Cup action live.
Racing fans can watch Victorian and Sydney races live on their iPhone via the Racing Network Official app for iPhone

As well as live streaming to your Apple phone, the app also provides punters with: race replays,  results, form guides, odds, horse profiles, expert race commentary and the latest racing news. (All that’s missing is a TAB).

But bad news for Android and iPad users – their racing app wont be live and kicking until early 2013.

Telstra, who has exclusive rights to provide live streaming of all Victorian races, including the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, and Sydney metropolitan races after teaming up with partnership between ThoroughVisioN (TVN) which holds the  racing rights.

Giddy up, horsey! Stream Melbourne Cup live on your iPhone

The racing app is available on other phone providers, whether its Voda and Optus, and is free to download from Apple iTunes Stores.

You can also live streaming the races including Melbourne Cup for a day ($10), month ($20) or year subscription via the iTunes store or online via www.racingnetwork.com.au.

Racing Network online subscribers can access the iPhone app for free by using their racingnetwork.com.au subscriber details.

 

However, Telstra customers won’t be charged for data usage.

Telstra’s Executive Director of Digital Media and IPTV, J-B Rousselot, said the new app was the first of its kind in Australia and a big win for Australian racing fans.

“We’re delighted to be launching the Racing Network app in time for the Spring Racing Carnival, giving punters access to all the action, live at their fingertips, wherever they might be,” Mr Rousselot said.

Cisco Warns “Tough Hand” on HP

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Cisco boss pledges to play hard ball against rival HP.


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John Chambers this week warned HP of the mammoth task recently appointed Chief Meg Whitman has in front of her, as she looks to turnaround the PC giant.

“There’s not been a company ever turned around by the fifth CEO on the job,” Cisco CEO John Chambers told Reuters, who also indicated his company was prepared to play hard ball and seize advantage against its market rival.

“Its a tough hand to play, but clearly as a competitor I like competing against that hand, and we are going to try and accelerate while they are struggling,” Chambers added.

Ex-eBay boss Meg Whitman replaced Leo Apotheker mid last year after a tumultuous period, where the PC giant toyed with the idea of dumping its hardware business.

The PC giant recently announced a shocking Q3 profit tumble of 568% with net loss earnings of $8.9 bn.

The stern warning from its rival comes as HP moves ever increasingly into Cisco’s territory of networking and services, with more and more of its profits coming from its software business.

Palo Alto based HP recorded 65% growth in software services in its recent Q3- one of the only divisions recording growth.

The No. 1 PC maker saw revenue in hardware–including desktops & notebooks, and imaging–all slumping in the third qurter.

Read: HP In The Horrors, Earnings Stumble 568%

 

“HP is still in the early stages of a multi-year turnaround, and we’re making decent progress despite the headwinds,” Whitman said on the massive profit slump in August.

The Hewlett Packard CEO previously admitted the tough task ahead of her, but indicated she is prepared for the long haul ahead.

However, Chambers may have some tough decisions of his own to make.

One securities analyst warned Cisco may need to decide if it is to make new acquisitions in order to enter new markets, like HP and Dell did.

“Does Cisco need to embrace this trend and, for example, buy a NetApp (to diversify into storage?,” said FBN Securities analyst Shebly Seyrafi.

“These are questions they are probably contemplating right now.”