Mike Slocombe

E60; E61; E70: Nokia Launches Eseries Phones For Business Bods
Nokia has announced the Eseries phones, a new range of devices designed for swivel action execs and be-suited business bods.
With the range initially comprising of three new phones aimed at money-rich, time-poor office types, all the Eseries will run on the Symbian Series 60 platform 3rd Edition, sport QVGA or better displays and incorporate push email including BlackBerry and attachment editing.
The Nokia E60, Nokia E61 and Nokia E70 claim superior voice functionality and quality, with the devices supporting advanced voice services like Internet (Voice over IP) phone calls, Push to talk and SIP-based services, backed by a range of local connectivity options including WLAN, Bluetooth and Infrared and USB.
The devices are the first in the industry to support remote device management based on OMA DM*, letting IT managers remotely control and protect corporate data on the device and fiddle about with phone configurations. Or just have a good nose about.
“When we carefully considered the requirements of our customers when developing these devices, two clear new trends emerged: the need for IT departments’ to have a secure and manageable platform, and the need for devices to support a variety of employee preferences and different working styles,” said Niklas Savander, senior vice president of Nokia’s business device unit.
Nokia E60 (above)
Starting off the new range is the E60, an attractive, traditionally styled 3G phone with VoIP, speakerphone, a 24-bit 352 x 416-pixel display, and a low-voltage RS-MMC slot.
Offering useful business features like integrated speakerphone, conference calling and voice-aided applications like Push to talk, and IP-based telephony, the phone supports GSM/EDGE 900/1800/1900 and WCDMA 2100.
Nokia E61 (right)
Next up is the E61, which looks to be shoving its slimline oar (0.55 inches) into Treo/Motorola Q/Blackberry territory, with the device supporting multiple mobile email clients like BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink, Nokia Business Center, Seven Mobile Mail, Seven Always-On Mail, and Visto Mobile.
Looking like an E60 after an encounter with an elephant, the wide and flat E61 sports a full QWERTY keyboard, landscape 24-bit QVGA display (352 x 416-pixel display), miniSD slot and quad-band GSM/EDGE and WCDMA 2100 connectivity.
Full attachment handling (documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF viewer and ZIP manager) is built in with an editing function for documents, spreadsheets and presentations included.
Nokia E70 (left)
Finally, the E70 features the same, slightly strange, flip-open QWERTY keyboard phone seen on Nokia’s 6800 series.
The phone comes with a full party box of gizmos and gadgets, including a 352×416-pixel display, 2 megapixel camera with CIF-resolution video capture, USB 2.0, miniSD slot, and Wi-Fi 802.11g/e/i.
The phone will be available in a GSM/EDGE 850/1800/1900 version for the Americas, plus a 3G version for Europe and Asia.
All three Eseries phones are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2006 worldwide.
Nokia
12 October, 2005
Xara Xtreme Goes Open Source/Cross Platform
UK-based software developers Xara, have announced an update to their sophisticated vector graphics program Xara X, adding new functions and renaming it Xara Xtreme.
Although not as well known as rival programs Adobe Illustrator CS and Macromedia Freehand, Xara has long been our vector program of choice, offering a simple interface, powerful editing tools, a comparatively tiny download (just 21 meg) and the ability to render pages at scorchio speeds that leaves the competition for dead.
Capable of handling photos, business graphics, drawing and illustration needs, Xara keeps the feature set streamlined and focused, offering unrivalled speed at a bargain price.
In this latest version, the Xara Picture Editor has been updated and a new Live Effects tool allows Photoshop and Xara plug-in effects to be applied to photos and vector graphics.
The rendering engine has been tweaked for even faster performance, with improved Illustrator compatibility and import/export tools.
CEO Charles Moir is extremely enthusiastic about the product, “It absolutely knocks the stuffing out of Adobe and the new Microsoft product. In terms of ease of use, shear flexibility and performance. Adobe has tried for 10 years to get close to our performance levels and cannot. Microsoft are not going to be able to either. I guarantee it.”
Linux, Mac and Open Source versions planned
Xara have also announced that they intend to create Xara XTreme for Linux and Mac users in response to customer demand, with an Open Source version in the pipeline.
Moir table-thumped “We’re going to a place that Microsoft and Adobe cannot go. The Open Source world is the acknowledged largest threat to established giants such as Microsoft. We felt it was necessary for us to shake up the graphics world a bit, and making one of the most powerful, easiest to use graphics applications Open Source should do the trick.”
Xara Xtreme is available for Windows now, at just $79 (~£45~€66).
Xara XTreme
12 October, 2005
Samsung GSM Handsets Offer MP3 Wireless Streaming
Just like the Smash aliens falling over laughing at the sight of humans mashing potatoes, one day people may look back in amazement that people used to walk around the streets with bits of wire hanging from their lug’oles.
Although Bluetooth headsets are OK for taking calls, what people really want is to be able to wirelessly listen to their sounds as they strut about the streets as well – something that Samsung reckon will be possible with their new SGH-E750 and SGH-E760 handsets.
Both tri-band handsets follow Samsung’s well-established clamshell design, with a 1.3 Megapixel camera onboard as well as new functions like a digital compass and gesture recognition for mobile gaming.
The SGH-E750 camera also comes with an integrated flash, with the SGH-E760 including a “digital power amp” and twin speakers for enhanced audio.
Using CSR’s BlueCore3-ROM (BC3-ROM) and proprietary BlueCore Host Software (BCHS) – whatever they are – Samsung’s phones can wirelessly stream MP3 music via Bluetooth to the latest Bluetooth stereo headsets, like their very own SBH100.
Apparently, the BlueCore3-ROM thingy is currently the only Bluetooth technology offering native MP3 support, thanks to its internal CODEC, software and DSP.
Samsung say that MP3 music streams offer better audio quality and require lower data transfer rates than the Sub Band Coding (SBC) format used by other Bluetooth silicon vendors.
Just in case you haven’t had enough acronyms yet, we can tell you that the handsets employ A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) and AVRCP (Audio Visual Remote Control Profile) to support music streaming and hands-free call handling from Bluetooth stereo headsets.
The integrated BlueCore Host Software helps reduce the power consumption of the Bluetooth device by implementing all of the Bluetooth lower power modes such as deep sleep, letting uses take full advantage of all handset features without draining battery life.
Matthew Phillips, VP Asia commented, “GSM accounts for more than 2/3 of the world’s mobile telecommunications industry and consumers are increasingly demanding access to the latest developments in technology.”
“Listening to music with a wireless headset has always been popular with consumers using proprietary technologies for home cinema. As phones now support MP3 music playback, we have brought that flexibility to the mobile phone industry using the universal Bluetooth standard,” he added.
The SGH-E750 and SGH-E760 handsets are expected to be available on GSM networks worldwide in Q4 2005.
Samsung
12 October, 2005
Samsung Partners Pentax to Make Digital SLRs
With the corporate might and phenomonal R&D budgets of Nikon and Canon continuing to create cameras that dominate the dSLR (digital Single Lens Reflex) market, smaller brands are discovering the benefits of pooling their resources to produce rival products.
Way back in July, we reported on dSLR makers Minolta teaming up with digital compact kings Sony to jointly develop digital dSLR cameras, and today Samsung have announced a similar deal with Pentax.
Both companies are hoping to share their respective competencies to “enhance competitiveness in the burgeoning digital SLR market,” read, Blimey, this markets getting a bit hot, we need scale.
The partnership will draw on Samsung’s digital image processing technologies, brand recognition and digital convergence technologies while Pentax can offer an established dSLR brand with a huge range of interchangeable lenses. It can’t hurt that Samsung currently are one of the biggest players in LCD screens production.
Pentax already have four well regarded digital SLRs under their belts, while Samsung – who announced their intention to become a “top-class Digital Camera manufacturer” in May 2005 – have enjoyed rapid sales growth with attractive products backed by strong marketing.
Samsung’s recent Pro815, an advanced prosumer compact digital camera, attracted praise for its innovation while Pentax’s *ist dSLR range has won many friends, although failing to match the popularity of rival Nikon and Canon products,
Samsung has the No. 1 market share in Korea with a share of around 30% and is one of the fastest growing brands in digital cameras on the planet, with market share doubling in the last year.
Continued growth is predicted for the world-wide digital camera market, with pundits expecting the tally for 2005 to be around 82 million unit sales, soaring to 89 million in 2006.
Falling prices have contributed to the digital SLR market growth rate exceeding the overall digital camera growth rate, with 2005’s expected 4 million unit sales to be surpassed by a predicted 5 million unit sales in 2006.
Samsung
12 October, 2005
Digital Music Grabs 60% Of Single Market
BPI, the UK record label industry association has released its third-quarter report revealing that it’s boom time for the Brit digital music industry.
There’s a veritably frenzy of digital downloading going on, with UK single track download sales totalling 25 million since the format launched, with 5.7 million sales in 2004 and a thumping great 16.9 million sales already notched up this year.
According to the BPI, weekly sales regularly top half a million, with digital downloads accounting for over 60 percent of the entire singles market – compare that to the 3.6 percent market share at the beginning of 2004.
Digital is also claiming a bigger share of the Top 75 singles chart, growing from 15.9 percent when the combined chart launched in mid-April to 25.5 percent at the end of August.
But with the Yin of the increased digital music sales comes the Yan of declining retail sales, with the BPI reporting a 21.8 percent decline in physical single sales.
This decline has, however, been more than offset by the hefty growth of digital song purchases – up 288 percent – helping the overall singles market grow by a massive 49 percent. Significantly, these figures do not include subscription sales or paid-for streams.
Once again, the death of vinyl has been exaggerated with the 7-inch physical singles market registering 80 per cent growth with 800,000 sales.
A clearly chuffed BPI Chairman Peter Jamieson said: “This year digital made the transition from mere potential to becoming a significant revenue stream. But this is just the beginning.”
“While the record label model of investing in the best new music talent remains the same, the emergence of innovative new digital services means that the record companies can offer consumers even greater choice as to how to access their music.”
The report also highlighted figures from The Official UK Charts Company which suggested that digital punters are taking advantage of increasing consumer choice, with 81% of all download sales being non-chart titles.
Out of the 1.5 million different songs available legally online, around 80,000 different tracks are being sold each week – up from 55,000 last August.
BPI
11 October, 2005
Archer Field PC ‘Extreme Environments’ Pocket PC
Hardcore outdoor types with lantern jaws will be whooping in their Goretex trews at the prospect of getting their hands on the new rugged Archer Field PC Pocket PC by Juniper Systems.
Designed for ‘in-the-field information management’, the super tough Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 device is waterproof and dustproof to IP67, and laughs in the face of 5 foot drops on to concrete.
Sporting a magnesium case clad in a protective elastomer overmould, the Archer Field PC measures 6.5″ x 3.5″ x 1.7″ (165 x 89 x 43 mm) and weighs 17 ounces (482 grams).
Lurking inside, there’s a nippy Intel Xscale PXA270 CPU running at 520MHz, with 64MB RAM and 128MB flash ROM.
Memory can be expanded by using either the Compact Flash (Type I or Type II) or SD slot, with all the connectors fully sealed against the elements. Also bundled in the package is Microsoft ActiveSync 4.0, Terminal Services Client, Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, MSN Messenger and Pocket Internet Explorer.
The 3.5″ (89 mm) TFT active matrix transflective LCD offers QVGA resolution (240 x 320 pixels) and supports portrait and landscape views.
The rechargeable Li-Ion battery pack serves up 20 hours on a full charge, with 3 to 4 hours needed to completely recharge the battery.
Juniper Systems
11 October, 2005
Top UK Cop: iPods Fuelling Crime
Like a big flashing sign above the listener’s head saying “Mug Me!” the distinctive white headphones of iPods continue to attract the unwanted attentions of ne’er-do-wells in the street.
With the latest Home Office crime statistics expected to reveal that muggings rose by almost 40% in some parts of the country last year, police are blaming the sharp rise in the street robberies on the increasing popularity of iPods, MP3 players and expensive mobile phones.
Chief superintendent Paul Forrester of Merseyside police said students and teenagers strutting around with expensive gear were virtually asking for it, commenting: “Some children carry phones and iPods worth over £600 and they are making themselves walking targets.”
Metropolitan police chief Sir Ian Blair was equally quick to point the finger of blame at all things Apple Mac: “It is very obvious when someone is wearing an iPod. That is what is fuelling this.”
Figures from the Metropolitan police revealed that the practice of purloining iPods increased more than fivefold since last November 2004, with incidents rising from ten a month to 52 in May this year.
Similarly, the number of iPods pinched from motors went in an equally upward direction, leaping from 178 cases in November 2004 to 395 in May this year.
Insurance company Norwich Union have found themselves shelling out for pilfered iPods by the bucketful, replacing 1,721 lost or stolen iPods between January and September this year, compared to just 36 during the same period last year.
Our advice to iPod users: forget about making a style statement, dump those daft white headphones in double quick time and get yourself something more discrete!
11 October, 2005
P990: Sony Ericsson Offers 3G and Wi-Fi
Sony Ericsson has beefed up its flagship P-series smartphone range with the new 3G P990 phone.
The new phone builds on the huge popularity of the P-series – the single most popular smartphone design on the planet – and bolts on 3G, 802.11b Wi-Fi connectivity, adding BlackBerry Connect and VoIP support into the package.
The phone offers all the benefits of UMTS including video calling, high-bandwidth multi-media downloads and the ability to surf the Internet using the new Opera 8 browser which can work in landscape mode.
Naturally, Sony are keen to shove their oar into Blackberry’s waters, with the P990 prepared for all major push e-mail clients enabling full e-mail access with attachments.
As usual, the phone sports a removable numerical keyboard which can be flipped out to reveal a 35-key QWERTY button pad on the camera’s body.
Hardcore texters with fingers the size of prime beef sausages may have trouble using the teensy weensy keys, but as any Treo/Blueberry-owner will tell you, a hardware keyboard is a lot more fun than poking around a screen.
There’s also an improved autofocus camera onboard, offering 2 megapixel resolution, digital zoom and a photo light.
Although the P990’s touch screen display is physically smaller than its predecessors, Sony’s boffins have managed to squeeze in more pixels, upping the resolution to 320×240 with 262k colours.
The P990 will be the first commercially available smartphone to use the enhanced Symbian OS version 9.1 and the UIQ 3.0 user interface, which has been optimised for one handed use.
Boasting 80MB of RAM with support for Memory Stick Duo Pro cards up to 4GB, delivery is expected in Q2 of 2006, with variants of the phones including P990i Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) – GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and P990c Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) – GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Mainland China
Sony Ericsson P990
11 October, 2005
FinePix Z2: Fujifilm’s Superslim Camera Announced
Fujifilm has announced the Fujifilm FinePix Z2 Zoom, a new member of the superslim Z-series, offering 5.1 megapixel resolution and sensitivity up to ISO 1600.
Declared a “sensitive supermodel that’s naturally slim” by some cheesy PR hack, the FinePix Z ramps up the feature set and improves on its well regarded predecessor, the Z1.
The camera is housed in an attractive wraparound, glossy shell-design body, measuring 90 x 55 x 19 mm (3.5 x 2.1 x 0.7 in) and weighing just 130 g (4.6 oz).
The FinePix Z2 Zoom comes with the same reinforced glass 2.5″ screen, but now boasts a higher resolution of 232,000 pixels, and the camera offers a wider aperture range up to F8.0, improved metering (256-zone, up from 64-zone) and a longer maximum shutter speed of four seconds.
Like several other recently released cameras, Fujifilm have improved low light performance by ramping sensitivity up to ISO 1600, letting users indulge in moody, dimly lit scenes.
Fujifilm claim that their Real Photo Processor will help users create more natural-looking images, without the harsh effects often caused by camera flash or the blurring caused by camera shake or subject movement.
Getting carried away with their self-professed ‘chic’ claims, Fujifilm suggests that the camera’s continuous shooting feature (max 2.2 fps, up to 3 frames) might be ideal for capturing “catwalk catastrophes”.
In the real world, the camera’s 3x optical zoom (36 – 108 mm, 35 mm equiv) means that anyone looking to snap a Kate Moss exclusive will have to be pretty close to the catwalk, with the camera’s slow f3.5 – 4.2 lens meaning that higher (and noisier) ISOs would be needed to capture any drug-fuelled stumblings.
The flash isn’t likely to help much either as it can only muster 0.6m – 2.3m coverage at the telephoto end – about par for the ultra compact market.
Naturally, there’s a movie function onboard, capable of capturing 30 frames per second VGA video with sound.
Adrian Clarke, Fujifilm’s Director of Photo Products, was on hand to talk about irony: “It’s ironic that most ultra-slim cameras struggle where they are most frequently used – in low-light social situations, such as parties. With four times the sensitivity, combined with iconic design, the FinePix Z2 Zoom is a camera that truly qualifies as an evening companion.”
The FinePix Z2 Zoom will be available from UK retailers in white or black finishes from November 2005, with pricing to be announced closer to the date.
Fujifilm
10 October, 2005
Yahoo Podcast Search Site Launches
Keen to get their size nines stamped all over the fast-growing podcasting revolution, Yahoo have launched a spanking new podcast service designed to make it easy for punters to rummage through the zillions of audio files available and find the stuff that interest them.
The beta Yahoo Podcast service aims to let folks search podcasts by keyword, categories or user-generated topic coding (‘tagging’), with the home page flagging up notable podcasts, based on popularity, user recommendations and ratings.
Surfers will also be able to listen to or subscribe to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds for individual shows, episodes or entire series.
“We intend to be the most comprehensive source for podcast content,” said Geoff Ralston, Yahoo!’s chief product officer.
The service will offer a unique feature that lets users find content quicker by speeding up playback without the the broadcaster’s voice sounding like Mickey Mouse on helium.
As Geoff Ralston explained in an interview with PodTech, “You can hear someone and understand someone talking at a much higher speed. The problem is that when you speed it up naturally the pitch goes up, but we done some work to lower the pitch down. So it actually stays relatively normal and much more comprehensible.”
Although Podcast search services aren’t new – companies like AOL, Blinkx, Odeo.com and Podcast.net already offer services – Yahoo’s heavyweight clout make this move significant, with Ralston commenting, “We feel like we are really getting ahead of the curve with this.”
Unlike rival Podcast search sites, Yahoo! isn’t bundling in tools for creating podcasts at the moment, although that’s likely to happen in the future, with Joe Hayashi, Yahoo!’s director of product management saying, “This is all about discovery for now. Step One is all about growing the ecosystem.
With search engines constantly trying to dream up new advertising revenue-boosting services to retain and attract punters, it can only be a matter of time before the other Internet big boys respond with their own Podcast services.
Yahoo! Podcast
10 October, 2005