Jawbone has released a new Bluetooth speaker that just oozes contagious tunes.
Tony Ibrahim
Review: Sony’s Xperia S Thrives In Quad-Core Shadows
Sony’s Xperia S comes with a feature-set akin to the heavy weight flagships of yester-year, so why is it all the better for it?
Free Webinar: How To Start A Successful Online Business
E-Web is hosting a free online seminar focusing on how to start up an online business.
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Also examined will be the “5 costly mistakes that nearly every online business makes.”
The webinar is ideal for people who aren’t confident with technology as questions can be asked via chat during the session. Three webinars will be available between August 28th and August 30th.
E-web has been recognised by Deliotte as one of the fastest growing companies, while BRW has recognised it as the fourth best place to work in Australia. But it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows for the marketing company because in 1998, E-Web was founded in the CEO’s bedroom.
The webinar, then, will be conducted by a company who understands the trepidation budding entrepreneurs are facing.
To register your place in the webinar, simply click here.
Lenovo Chief To Microsoft: Our Hardware Is Better
Microsoft’s entrance into the tablet market has, politically correct phrases aside, pissed companies off. But despite feeling betrayed, Lenovo is one company that isn’t sweating.
Lenovo’s CEO Yang Yuanqing offered his thoughts on Microsoft competing against the hardware companies it typically works alongside in an earnings call:
“Although we don’t like Microsoft providing hardware, for us, it just adds one more competitor.”
“[They’re] just one of our many competitors. We are still confident that we are providing much better hardware than our competitors including Microsoft.”
“They are strong in software, but [we] don’t believe they can provide the best hardware in the world. Lenovo can.”
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Lenovo isn’t just talking hot air. The company has the second largest stake of the PC hardware market at 15 per cent and claims it is closing in on top-dog HP, who has 15.7 per cent.
In the earnings call, the Chinese company revealed it reached $8 billion in sales for the quarter, a jump of 35 per cent compared to the same period a year ago. These sales generated a net income of $141 million, which TechRadar estimate is an increase of 30 per cent from last year.
Lenovo has had particular success in Asia Pacific and Latin America regions, as shipments grew by 59.2 per cent in the quarter. Shipments in China alone grew by 9 per cent.
Asia comprised 21 per cent of Lenovo’s total sales for the quarter, while North America accounted for 15 per cent of their global sales.
It is hoping its Windows 8 tablet, the ThinkPad Tablet 2, will mirror the success the company has had in the PC market.
“To be frank, we’re not that worried about [Surface],” Yuanqing added. “Microsoft is still our strategy partner. We are very optimistic on the Windows 8 launch so we will fully leverage that to launch our new products.”
One reason why Lenovo might not be sweating Microsoft’s surface is because they’re rumoured to be working on a second Windows 8 tablet, a Windows RT version powered by Nvidia that has a flip-out keyboard.
On the Surface, that sounds awfully familiar.
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Google Aggresively Invest $600mil In YouTube TV
Google is upping its YouTube capabilities by sourcing original content and creating an online alternative to conventional broadcasting methods, claims Electronista.
Unnamed sources have been cited, claiming Google is prepared to invest $500-600 million in the project on professional video content. Initially, the company was only to spend $100 million.
It’s also been reported Google is trying to court other content sources, such as cable TV productions, in addition to its existing content base.
Some individual deals are setting the company back tens of millions of dollars, as Google dig deep to fight off competing industry veterans.
“They are throwing around huge money,” says an executive who has found himself bidding against Google for video content.
A move to source its own content could reduce Google’s dependency on traditional programs and channels, especially for projects like Google TV. At one stage, Google was banking on its Android platform merging the best of TV and online content, but some companies are actively blocking Android access to their websites.
Through applications, YouTube already penetrates Android and iOS mobile devices, while its mobile website caters to the remaining mobile community.
Recently Google also acquired Motorola Mobility, who currently manufacture mobile set-top boxes, already putting one of Google’s billion-dollar feet in the broadcasting door.
Infotainment: Google PLAY Now On TVs, PCs & More
Google is now offering movies, music, books, apps and games to PC users via its Play store, which is now being promoted on the company’s ubiquitous search engine.
HPs TouchPad Experiences Apple Like Sales
HP’s recently defunct tablet has sold out as consumers lined up, waited and stampeded stores trying to get their hands on the dramatically reduced product.
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The tablet was discounted by roughly 80%, with the base model dropping down from $499 to just $98 within four days of its Australian launch.
With the price dropping fast, people were stampeding Harvey Norman stores who had exclusive rights to the tablet’s launch. Within four days, Harvey Norman’s General Manager for Computers Ben McIntosh, estimated 1,100 TouchPad tablets were sold, but when the price tumbled down to $98, the remaining thousands were cleared out by end of trading.
According to McIntosh, HP said it could allocate a “few hundred” TouchPads for Harvey’s online store, but HP themselves had sold out by 5pm.
McIntosh told the SMH he hoped to get more stock by overnight air freight, but it would now be impossible since US BestBuy sold more than 200,000 tablets over the weekend,
“There are none [left] unfortunately. I thought there might have been some more available but BestBuy in the States sold a massive amount over the past week so literally HP’s got none,” he said.
Price USA, an online middleman for US transactions has hit twitter in response to a myriad of TouchPad requests, pleading “please, please, please no more orders for HP tablets.”
The flailing webOS tablet has cultivated large online support, with users campaigning for a version of Android’s Honeycomb that will work with its hardware. Website Hcknmod.com is offering a $1500 reward to whoever can adopt the software first.
Read: TouchDroid? HP TouchPad To Run Android
Some buyers who were lucky enough to snatch a TouchPad have turned into investors selling the tablet on eBay with a 100 per cent mark up, with the retailing $149 32GB model being sold for $300.
Despite the below cost price cut, McIntosh said the TouchPad losses will be passed onto Hewlett Packard, but chose not to reveal how much the loss was worth.
Creative On New Sound Blasters, Wireless Speakers & Voice
Creative has brought back the Soundblaster and equipped it with an array of voice capabilities to create an all-in-one speaker for the home and office.
D-Link Unveil The ‘Swiss Army’ Router
D-Link has released a wireless router designed for USB sticks and is the size of a power adapter.
The D-Link all-in-one Mobile Companion (DIR-505) has an Ethernet and USB port, allowing users to convert their fixed home network or mobile USB dongle into a wireless network securely. The router will do everything you’d expect, with the added perk of sharing multimedia files wirelessly if you plug in a flash/hard drive to iOS and Android tablets and smartphones.
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It has four mobile modes, acting as a router, WiFi Hot Spot, Access Point or repeater. Check out the graphic below for a breakdown.
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| Source: D-Link |
The mobile companion was designed with travellers in mind, who value a functional, lightweight and space saving solution. An example of the versatility stems from the USB port, which will take the USB cable of a device and charge it. This saves travellers from having to pack two charging devices.
“We listened closely to the needs of travellers and mobile device owners who are looking for a versatile wireless networking device that is both compact and easy to install,” said Maurice Famularo, Marketing Director, D-Link Australia and New Zealand.
“Considering its size and versatility, the All-in-one Mobile Companion is like the ‘Swiss army knife’ of wireless devices, packing an assortment of wireless networking capabilities into a single device small enough to fit inside a pocket or laptop bag.”
Unfortunately, D-Link hasn’t released Australian pricing or availability for the router, but a spokesperson confirmed those details will be made available within the week so stay tuned for an update.
Is Sony Launching A Super-Slim 16GB PS3 For $150?
Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 have snubbed customers after a cheap console with their high price tags, but reports are surfacing a US$150 PS3 console is on the cards.