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Oonagh Reidy

HTC Gingerbread: Flash, Fast ..Do You Desire S?

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HTC’s new breed of Android 2.3 Desire S and Wildfire S Gingerbread entered the mobile arena with much furore last night.


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HTC Desire S

The new HTCs running Gingerbread are updates to the original Desire and Wildfire, among the first Androids to hit Aussie shores last year. 

And how times have changed. And not just for Android. HTC is also making its mark in the market here, which was reflected in the launch turnout last night at Sydney’s upmarket Quarter Twenty One venue.
So, down to the hard facts. What is the Desire S and Wildfire S bringing to the table that’s new and not already been done. And why would one want to buy it over the slew of Android’s hitting town every day?

As pointed out by Smarthouse last month, HTC have released dated handsets on to the market here, such as the Incredible S, months after Europe and the US.

The 3.7 inch WVGA touchscreen (480 x 800 res) Desire S is a “next gen” premium device and hits the sweet spot for people who want a “premium Android smartphone experience,” said Ben Hodgson, Manager, HTC Australia.
Specs-wise it comes with HTC Sense, super fast speed with 1GHz processor, 5 MP camera (front and rear), HD video, and “presents multimedia content brilliantly,” say HTC. And if you loved the Desire, this “stays true” to the original model, say its Taiwanese maker. 
The device is made from single block of aluminium making it feel solid and natural in your hand through a slimmer unibody design.  
And for multimedia junkies it delivers crisp virtual surround sound via SRS WOW HD and microSD memory card (which is SD 2.0 compatible) and also supports Flash 10.2. 
 

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HTC Wildfire S

Up close, Desire S lighter than the original model the screen is crisp clear – the res has been improved 30-40 per cent, say its makers, and seems far more responsive and instant in functionality thanks to Qualcomm’s upgraded 1GHz 8255 Snapdragon processor.

It also runs for longer (about 24 hours) without dying and the battery is bigger. 
Gingerbread 2.3 has introduced 300 new Android changes including more widgets, skins and sounds. 

Price-wise, it can be bought outright for $648 or on a $59 cap for $5 a month additional charge for the phone, identical to the Samsung Galaxy II if memory serves me correctly. (Hmm, funny that). 

And what’s more, it will also be released just a day before the new Galaxy II on May 31, which is getting its Aussie media debut tonight.

Wildfire on the other hand is the middle of the road option, “is affordable and compact without compromising the quality” and aimed at the younger market, Hodgson adds.  
The 3.2 inch touch screen (320 x 480 res) Wildfire S is the small brother to Desire S and has some similar specs with  5 MP camera and the same microSD capability and also boasts a 600 MHz processor. So, almost as fast but not quite. 
Wildfire S is also social networking friendly with Facebook ‘share experience’, Friend Stream (which groups friends’ networking updates including Twitter and MySpace together) and other extras including remembering friends birthdays and other vital information. 
But, it does entertain and has really fast streaming to boot and offers mobile Foxtel capability offering up to 33 TV channels, straight to the Wildfire S screen. 
It is also lightweight at 105 g (3.7 ounces) and comes with other quirks like digital compass and light sensor. 
Both models offer the strong element of personalisation on the user interface which users love with HTC’s and these two new numbers are no different. 

 
Price-wise, Wildfire can be bought for $360 outright but also come with plan although these have yet to be announced, probably before its release on July 19th. 

Telstra has an “exclusive” grasp on both HTCs for now.
“The original HTC Desire was a huge hit with our customers and helped usher in Australia’s interest in Android-powered phones,” said Andrew Volard, Director of Telstra Mobile Products. 
We’re equally pleased to bring the affordable and compact Wildfire S to our customers. It’s tailored especially for our younger customers with strong social networking features and lots of entertainment options including Mobile FOXTEL from Telstra.” 

GDay Mate: NBN Turns To Townsville As Telstra Deal In Doubt

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Looks out QLD, Wayne Swan trekked to Townsville to switch on NBN today – the first state location. And hold on to your hats, farmers.


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Agri workers and miners can also gain from the NBN, the Deputy Prime Minister insisted. 

This comes as the $11 billion NBN Co/Telstra deal is flung into fresh doubt and delays to the project widely rumored, as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission give the agreement terms the once over – and were far from happy with what it found. 
ACCC Chairman Rod Sims has strongly defended his criticism of sections of the agreement but did admit all questionable issues were capable of being resolved and should not delay roll-out of the NBN – despite press reports to the contrary. 
“The launch of the NBN today is yet another example of how the Gillard Government is delivering for North Queensland,” Treasurer Swan said. 
The Townsville trial site in the Queensland town is due to run until October – the fourth location on mainland Australia. 
After that, residents and businesses connected to the $36bn high speed broadband service will be able to sign up with their preferred ISP, with Internode recently releasing its NBN pricing structure, which proved more costly than expected.
 “The NBN will significantly support growth and create business opportunities for Townsville with its diverse regional economy and strengths in mining and agriculture,” Swan added. 
Investment in the NBN is essential for Australia to be an “knowledge-based economy” in the future, as desired by Julia Gillard’s government – the creators of the controversial project. 
Townsville residents and businesses can now avail of benefits NBN can give education, telehealth, business and even e-government services, the Department of Communications said. 
“The NBN will provide the connectivity to allow telehealth services – such as the application to assist diabetes patients profiled at today’s launch – to becomephen e part of the primary healthcare system between a patient at home and their GP,” Commmunicaitons Minister,Senator Stephen Conroy, said. 
NBN Co is testing network design and construction techniques ahead of the national rollout and planning and construction of the NBN is now “well underway.” Willunga in South Australia is to follow shortly as the next test site. 
 

“These sites are showcasing the diversity of conditions NBN Co will encounter across Australia in the network roll-out,” Conroy added. 

Other second release sites in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, announced 3 August, include: Queensland at Springfield Lakes, Toowoomba and Aspleyin Brisbane, in New South Wales at Riverstone in Western Sydney and Coffs Harbor, and in the ACT at Gungahlin. 
This release also includes extensions to existing works in Armidale and Kiama (NSW) and Townsville (QLD). 
Work on these is to kick off this month. 
NBN Co is negotiating construction contracts for the second release sites in other states and the Northern Territory, and expects to final arrangements in the near future.

‘Uh-oh, Battery Looks Sketchy’: Samsung Scoffs At Apple

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Samsung’s hilarious send up of iPhone fanatics will have Apple seeing red. It even take a swipe at the dodgy battery and lack of 4G on the 4S in its latest ad campaign for Samsung’s Galaxy S II in the States.
The Samsung ad broadcast this week, a clear send up of recent iPhone 4S mania, shows hippy, cooler than school types – although not specifically referred to as Apple –  queuing up outside a store frantically awaiting the latest smartphone. 

Basically, the fans are depicted as part of a cult following, who are so under the spell of the promised-land iPhone, they don’t even care if the device is a dud.

One “fan” utters: “Guys I’m so amped I could stay here for three weeks”. Another shouts: “Hey, I think two people just left!”

To which another replies, “Why would they be leaving when we’re only 9 hours away.”

Other utterances among the over-anxious ‘fans’ include:  “If its looks the same, how will people know I upgraded?”

And smartphone rival Samsung also take the knife to Apple’s  iPhone 4S recent battery woes: “Uh-oh blogs are saying the battery looks sketchy” one ‘fan’ decries.

And when the impatient fans eye Galaxy smartphone users nearby, their attention is averted, but when they discover it is a Samsung, one of the cult posse declares:

“I could never get a Samsung ..I’m creative” while tapping on his laptop (presumably a Mac).

“Dude, you’re a barista,” his mate replies.

 

“This phone is amazing” one Samsung Galaxy S II owner breezily declares, hops in a taxi and takes off.

“Why don’t you just get a 4G phone?” another S II user asks the, apparently, “in” Apple crowd.

Samsung are trying to push their Galaxy S II advantages over the iPhone 4S, which include a bigger screen and faster 4G web speeds.

It then looks to lure iPhone addicts with the final utterance: “The next big thing is already here.”

REVEALED: Yahoo! ex-Boss Has Cancer

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One day after he quit as Yahoo Chief, Scott Thompson has cancer, reports indicate.


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Thompson, who Sunday stepped down from the top job at troubled Internet giant, Yahoo!, in a dramatic end to the controversy over a computer science degree his CV (and various company bio’s) claimed he held, later found not to be the case.

Thompson’s resume stated he held a bachelors degree in accounting and computer science – a credential that would definitely given him a leg up in the race for the top job at the search company – but in fact, it emerged this was a straight accounting degree.

Read: Fake Science Degree Nobbles Yahoo Boss

And after the drama, it now emerged the former Yahoo boss has thyroid cancer, reports WSJ.

This appears also to have been a reason for the 54 year old stepping down from the top job at Yahoo, although he denied any wrongdoing over the CV affair, and is believed to have cited “personal reasons” in his resignation to Yahoo!.

The mistake in the Yahoo! boss’ academic credential was uncovered by Yahoo hedge fund – and major shareholder – Third Point.

Thompson had only been at the helm at the Internet giant since January after replacing Carol Bartz, who got the boot after three years in the job.

Yahoo! confirmed Sunday Mr Thompson has “left the company” but failed to divulge any further information.

The resignation came just days after the embattled company announced it was setting up a “special committee to review Thompson’s academic credentials, as well as the “facts and circumstances” related to the review and disclosure of his credentials prior to his appointment as CEO.

 

Thompson denied any wrongdoing in the CV affair and claims he was unaware of the error, although it is likely has was asked during interview discussions of his academic background.

Ross Levinsohn was named on Sunday as as interim Chief Executive Officer at the troubled company, effective immediately. 

Look Out Gerry! Amazon To Invade OZ

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Amazon are on the property prowl…and have Oz firmly in their sights.


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Amazon’s arrival could put the Fire under local retailers

That’s according to local property execs who say Amazon are trawling local greenfield sites to develop a local warehouse to distribute its goods – everything from Kindles, books, electronics and clothing – meaning headaches for everyone from Gerry Harvey, JB Hi-Fi, to Myer and Solomon Lew’s Pacific Brands.

No word where in Australia the warehouse would be based, but it looks like the development could be a core part of the e-tailer’s Asia Pacific strategy, reports SMH.

Amazon execs are said to be preparing to come Down Under to check out potential sites for themselves said to be located along the “eastern seaboard,” the report states.

And Amazon are coming at an excellent time and this is a “massive opportunity” for the internet mammoth to enter the Aussie market, says Telsyte analyst Sam Yip, who points out the market here is about 24 months behind US, in terms of digital commerce.

Local sites test the waters and then US multinationals come in and capitalise on consumer sentiment, which is now pointing firmly towards online buying.

This happened last year when local group buying sites like Spreets, Jump On It opened up the market for discounted goods and then US big guns like Groupon pounced, pushing Aussie players aside.

Amazon is currently the No. 9 most visited website in Australia, with around 3 million visitors spending an average of 14 minutes browsing every month, according to recent statistics.

However, it currently ships goods from Amazon.com in the US but a local distribution centre could significantly boost local market share by cutting shipping costs and waiting times for customers locally.

But although Amazon entry here is a huge threat, all is not lost for local players, says Yip.

Aussies are not loyal to online sites, they are loyal to deals only – whether its Harvey’s, Spreets or Catch Of the Day.

Big name Aussie retailers like Coles, who are forecasting significant amounts of business online, Dick Smith and Harvey Norman have also recently ramped up its digital offering, meaning the battle is on.

 

Local retailers have also woken up to the fact they need to do more than just place their wares on show in an online forum and have begun offering major discounts online, which was critical to the development of e-commerce here, says Yip.

OZ consumers spent $15.9 billion in online purchases last year, that’s a whopping 64% lift on 2010 figures and now see websites as a major discount channel.

Amazon has the brand and the power to now capitalise on this. Expect Fire.

Land War: Telstra Sue Qld

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Its not all sunshine in Qld as the state’s dispute with Telstra gets nasty.


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Telstra tower Warwick QLD. Image: Flickr

Telstra’s landmark tower in Canberra.And its all over rent – with Telstra suing the state over sky high rents.

But isn’t land cheaper in the good ol’ sunshine state? Apparently not.

Telstra leases around 500 sites in urban and remote locations from the Queensland government, which house telecom equipment supporting fixed line/ wireless services, via its Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM).

Rent on these sites is set by the Land Regulation 2009, which commenced on 1 July 2010, but the price which the QLD Environment Dept now charges telco carriers for land used for sites is “significantly higher than rent charged to other Crown land users for other comparable sites,” a Telstra spokesperson told SmartHouse.

This is because the new 2009 regs use one methodology to calculate the rent for telco sites and another for other comparable sites.

“Telstra believes that this is discriminatory towards telcos, and consequently is prohibited by clause 44 of Schedule 3 of the Telecommunications Act 1997,” the spokesperson added.

The telco is now seeking a ruling from the Federal Court on whether the current regulation is discriminatory or not, in a case filed on April 3rd last.

A spokesperson for newly elected Liberal Premier in Queensland, Campbell Newman, confirmed the government had been informed of Telstra’s legal action and ”would like to see this matter resolved quickly, in the interests of Queensland taxpayers” report Fairfax Media.

 

The telco has been in discussion with DERM for over two years about the high rents, however has been been unable to reach agreement.

Many of the sites asociated in the dispute are used to provide basic telecommunications services to regional and remote Queensland communities, the spokesperson added.

It is not clear if any other telco’s operating in Qld are looking to take legal action similar to Telstra. Optus could not be contacted for comment at the time of writing.

Aus Post Digital Mailboxes Open ‘In Months’

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Digital MailBoxes will be here in a matter of months
That’s according to Australia Post Ceo, Ahmed Fahour, who says the electornic mailboxes will be” effectively your letterbox, your filing cabinet and your bank account but seamlessly combined in a secure online environment.”

The digital mailboxes allow users get digital mail, bills and do banking over a secure website, Fahour told a business lunch on Thursday in Sydney, reports AAP.

He also said more 24/7 parcel lockers are soon to be available, alluding to the massive boost Oz Posts’ parcel service has got in the e-commerce age, pushing volumes up 10%.

“Over the last three years our parcel volume has grown by 10 per cent per annum driven by online shopping,” he confirmed.

Three out of four items bought by Aussie consumers online are purchased on domestic websites “despite all the rhetoric about international”.

The secure lockers will be “within a 10 minute drive, either from work or at home, of these lockers,” he said, adding 200 in total are planned, amking it even handier for consumers to buy online.

Aus post are investing $2 billion to transform its national logistics network and create a ‘universal digital platform’ – the biggest singel investment in its history.

In 2011-12 Oz Post profit  increased 16.6 per cent to $281 million. 

Optus Slash 180 Top Posts As Struggles In ‘Changing Market’

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Singtel-owned Optus has the scissors out – cutting 180 management jobs.


The cuts at middle and senior management level are in a bid to slash costs at the number two telco in order to “compete in a rapidly changing market,” it said today. 

 A further 70 vacant jobs will be left unfilled. The cuts will mainly affect sales and marketing commercial divisions. The news comes as its main rival, Telstra, said last week 300 jobs are to be shipped overseas,160 of which are set for India. 

”These changes will assist in lowering operating expenditure and deliver incremental productivity gains to enable Optus to compete in a rapidly changing market and manage growth for the digital future,” Ms Ciszak said. 

”There will be no direct impact to our customer experience from these changes,’ it reassured customers.

Optus’ net profit for the full year to March 31 last was $3.8 billion, down 2.1 percent, and  $992 million, down 2.3 percent for Q4. 


Shares of the Singapore owned giant dived 0.02c to $2.50 following the announcement today, an 0.8% fall. 

Mac Mini-Me: Apple Packs Intel Core i5 Punch $699

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Mac has gone mini. Packing the same punch as its MacBook Air big brother, Apple’s new mini boasts dual-core Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics or a quad-core Core i7 server (3 options).And at just 19.7 cm square and 3.6 cm thin, it lives up to its name with a compact aluminium design, making it an ideal office partner.

Running on Mac’s new Lion X OS, features include: new Multi-Touch gestures, system-wide support for full screen apps as well as Mission Control, giving users an “innovative view of everything” running on a Mac.
Mini’s Thunderbolt I/O allowing connection to peripheral devices and RAID arrays through a single cable, and iLife apps for multimedia management. 

 “Ulta fast” Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and an impressive four USB ports (two more than MacBook Air) are all standard on mini desktop.  
 With three configuration choices as above, other options include up to 8GBs of memory, a faster 7200 RPM hard drive and a 256GB solid state drive. 
 However, in a departure from previous models, mini lacks a disc drive, so not ideal if watching DVD’s is your thing. However,  hook it up to a PC, laptop, or MacBook Air SuperDrive and away you go. 
 “The new Mac mini delivers up to twice the processor and graphics performance of the previous generation in the same amazingly compact and efficient aluminium design,” Apple said yesterday. 
 Mini prices start at AUD$699 inc GST and hit stores from today. 
 “Mac mini delivers the speed and expandability that makes it perfect for the desktop, living room or office,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. 
 “With faster processors, more powerful graphics and Thunderbolt in an incredibly compact, aluminium design, the new Mac mini is more versatile than ever.” 
 The desktop is the industry’s greenest, Apple claims, and meets standards like Energy Star 5.2, has a highly recyclable aluminium enclosure and PVC-free components.
 

Several other options are also available. 

For more information on specs and configurations visit www.apple.com/au/macmini/features.html.