IBLOG SPACE

This sweet concept phone designed by Du Jun carries the Sony Ericsson brand . I am sure it officially has nothing to do with Sony Ericsson, if for no other reason that it’s too cool for the brand. The concept phone looks normal enough when closed. The coolness starts when the phone is opened up in any of several ways. The phone can flips up or swivel out. It has dual screens inside that allow the user to watch video with both screens pushed together. The concept can be taken apart for what appears to be an intercom function. That would be cool for keeping up with the wife when she goes shoe shopping at the mall while I am looking at stuff that doesn’t suck. This concept is one of those really cool designs that will probably never see the real world.

Being able to control your DVR at home from anywhere you might be is a big deal. Say you are out and are going to be home later than you expected and the big game is on. With remote scheduling apps for devices like the iPhone and iPad , you can just schedule the recordings without actually being home. There have been apps for the iPhone and other smartphones for a while now with DirecTV and Dish Network for this sort of thing. Dish Network has announced that it has created the first DVR scheduler app that is optimized for the iPad specifically. The app is a full featured DVR scheduler that allows the user to control multiple receivers. The app allows the user to schedule recordings, manage conflicts, delete programs, and shows up to nine days of programming at a time. The app is compatible with most of the Dish Network SD and HD DVRs. The app also turns the iPad into a remote for controlling the boxes. You can download the iPad app free on the App Store now.

Every been out and about, and realized that you forgot your car charger? And then you realize your phone is about to die (or, maybe you realized both things at the same time). So, what do you do? Ask some store around you, or perhaps the person you’re with, if they know what to do? Well, what if you had a small USB hub on you at all times? One that’s solar powered, no less? That would just solve all of your problems, now wouldn’t it? That’s exactly what the USB Solar Charging 4-port Hub (with Flashlight) is. Besides having a really long title, which gets right down to the point, the hub is actually pretty useful. It comes with a rechargeable battery at 130mAh, and as the title suggests, that battery can be charged from either direct sunlight, or itself being plugged in. It comes with seven mobile phone connectors, which should take care of most every phone that anyone would still be utilizing in this day and age. It’s small enough to be portable, and features things like an LED indica

We’re big fans of Sanyo’s Xacti HD camcorder range, and we love bathtime, so the new waterproof Xacti VPC-CA102YL is destined to be a hit here at SlashGear. Capable of recording Full HD 1920 x 1080 video, the CA102 can store over 480 minutes of footage in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format onto a 64GB SDXC memory card; alternatively it can take 14.4-megapixel photos. There’s also a 5x optical zoom, speed shooting mode which can snap up to 22 photos at 7fps, and a battery good for 60 minutes of solid video recording. The waterproofing is good for up to 1oft below the surface, and an integrated HDMI port (along with the SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot) makes viewing content easier than previous Xacti camcorders that demanded an adapter cable or cradle be used. What’s kept the same is the distinctive pistol-grip form factor and the rotating 2.7-inch LCD display, and the whole thing measures in at a pocket-friendly 3.37 x 1.47 x 4.34 inches. The Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA102YL will hit US shelves later thi

Irex’s demise may not be quite so clear cut; while the ereader company filed for bankruptcy back in June, Dutch financial site Fd.nl is reporting that having secured new financing they’re looking to restart operations. As of September 1st 2010 the company will relaunch as IRX Innovations, focusing on the business and enterprise market rather than the competitive consumer segment. Irex managed to get their ereaders into Best Buy stores, but increasingly competitive devices from Amazon and Sony undermined their high-priced models. No word on whether the new IRX Technologies will continue with the same hardware or launch new designs

You can never have enough space on your DVR for storing TV shows that you like. When the network season is in full swing your DVR can fill up very fast thanks to the tiny HDDs that most cable and satellite firms put inside a DVR. Apricorn has been offering a line of DVR Expanders for a while now that are external HDDs optimized for video storage and streaming that work with various DVRs. The company has announced that it has updated the DVR Expander with a new design. The new design brings the latest in passive cooling technology to the DVR Expander allowing for quiet and cool operation. The largest version is still a 2TB unit and pricing starts at $99 for the 500GB version. The 2TB DVR Expander sells for $249.

Typically, one of the first places that we get a glimpse of what future Apple products will look like is when a case manufacturer gets a mockup in hand to start designing cases ahead of the product release. Inevitably, the case and the device mockup hit the web. Such is the case today with Hardmac unveiling images of what it said to be a case for the coming iPod touch 4 . According to Hardmac, this same source offered pics of an iPod mini case last year allowing the publication to pinpoint that the iPod would have a camera. What can be gleaned from the case images and the mockup device inside this time around is that the iPod touch 4 has a camera and flash. The thing looks a lot like the iPhone 3GS with a curved back rather than the flat glass back of the iPhone 4. That’s really all we can tell from these images.

Corsair has launched a new Hydro series H70 CPU cooler . The new cooler is a self-contained liquid cooling unit that will work for both Intel and AMD series CPUs. The H70 is a follow-up to the existing H50 CPU cooler with some upgrades. The upgrades include a double thickness 50mm radiator with a higher capacity heat exchanger. The pump/cold plate unit of the cooler is also upgraded. The H70 also has a pair of 120mm speed adjustable cooling fans in a push/pull configuration. The H70 is prefilled so all the user needs to do is installed the device inside their computer and go. The cooler is also designed to be space efficient and low in mass to make it fit inside more cases. All the accessories and mounting tabs needed for installation are included.

It’s no Torch but the BlackBerry Curve 9300 has gone up for sale through Canadian carrier Rogers Wireless, despite not having been officially announced by RIM themselves. As expected, the Curve 9300 is pretty much an 8520 with a hot injection of 3G. $79.99 – and a three-year agreement – gets you the handset, complete with a 3-megapixel camera, dual-band UMTS/HSPA, a 2.8-inch QVGA display but not, despite what Rogers’ spec sheet reckons, Android 2.1 as the OS. Meanwhile the Curve 9300 is accompanied by the Motorola FLIPOUT, also fresh to Rogers, and on sale in Canada now from $29.99 on new, three-year agreements. That has a 2.8-inch touchscreen, MOTOBLUR and a rotating QWERTY keyboard

Cooler Master is debuting its first gaming mouse specifically made for the MMO gamer at Quakecon. The mouse has a 4000dpi twin laser sensor. The mouse also uses a custom laser engine and is up to the task of playing any type of games, not just MMOs. The Inferno has 128kb of onboard memory to store profiles and macros so drivers aren’t needed. The mouse has 11 buttons that can all be programmed. Using software, the total buttons available for programming expands to 32. Other features of the mouse include a 1ms response time, 1000Hz polling, and a maximum speed of 115 inches per second. The mouse uses a right hand design. Pricing and availability are unknown.

Epson has added a pair of new AIO printers with style and looks to its Artisan line. The new printers are the Artisan 835 and 725 both sporting LCD screens and the ability to scan and print. The 835 has a 7.8-inch smart touch panel on the front with all the controls for the printer. It also has a 3.5-inch color LCD for seeing what you are printing without needing a PC. It can print, scan, copy, and fax and has a 30-page automatic feeder. The 725 has an enhanced touch panel on front for controls and has an LCD for viewing images. Both of the printers have integrates 802.11n WiFi and can print photos directly from the iPhone. The Artisan 835 printer sells for $299.99 and the 725 sells for $199.99. Both of the printers will launch in mid-August. A white version of the 725 will also be available.

Evercool has launched a new notebook cooling solution aimed at laptop gamers called the Battle Hero. The device is an angled notebook cooler that you set heat generating gaming notebooks on. It is compatible with notebooks from 9-inches to 15-inches. The cooler also has a pair of drawers inside it for storing the USB cable that powers the fans and other small items. The dual fans are quiet with 16dBA of noise output when in use. The device is made from aluminum, it measures in at 324mm x 270mm x 35 mm, and the fans spin at 1500rpm. Evercool uses an interesting and decorative design on the Battle Hero that will fit right in at your favorite LAN party. Pricing is unannounced.

We are mostly familiar with NZXT from its line of cool computer cases like the Phantom that was unveiled recently. That’s not all the company is about though and it has expanded offerings with a new series of power supplies called the HALE90 family. The HALE90 line of PSUs are available in multiple power ratings. The largest is a 1000W unit and the smallest is a 550W unit. Between those two are PSUs rated for 650W, 750W, and 850W. All of those PSUs are 80 Plus Gold certified for efficiency. The small 550W PSU has a standard design, but all of the other units in the line are modular designs. The modular design means that you can use only the cables you need eliminating clutter inside your PC. All of the PSUs also sport a single +12V rail and will fit inside typical ATX cases.

Logitech’s peripheral department has been busy again, this time pushing out a game-centric trio of keyboard, headset and mouse. The Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 , Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse G700 and the Logitech Gaming Keyboard G510 are all of the opinion that more buttons are better, and as such are heavily encrusted. The G930 headset and G700 mouse are both wireless, the former having 7.1-channel surround sound and three programmable shortcut keys, and the latter having a full 13 buttons with macro support. There’s also a dual-mode scroll wheel – which can both precisely step through options and whip through long webpages – and an optional plug-in USB cable for when your battery is running low. As for the G510 keyboard, that has an LCD display, user-selectable custom backlighting, 18 programmable keys with macro support and can recognize five simultaneous keypresses. It also has an integrated USB audio interface, so you can plug in a regular 3.5mm headset if the G930

Havas has announced that it has taken a majority stake in Acmic Interactive in India and the company is being renamed as Euro RSCG 4D Matrix, with immediate effect. Acmic is said to be one of the largest search companies in India, servicing domestic and global clients. Headquartered in Bangalore, its range of digital services includes search engine marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, display advertising, mobile marketing, analytics, web design and hosting services and digital brand management services.Acmic was established by Ravi Shankar, a search marketing veteran with over 10 years of experience, and Sandeep Madhavan, an ex-Yahoo Australia executive.With the investment by Havas’ Euro RSCG, Acmic officially becomes Euro RSCG 4D Matrix with Shankar serving as the chief executive officer. He will report to Suman Srivastava, chief executive officer of Euro RSCG India. "We've had great success in bringing digital into t

The festival of Janmashtami is the focus of a new TVC created by Mudra for L&T Mutual Funds. In the commercial, a dahi handi, suspended at a height, is broken by forming a human pyramid. According to an agency release, the ad is supposed to  be a metaphor for the "uncertainty and perils in the path of wealth creation, the importance of solid expertise and the need for a strong foundation in building wealth sustainably". Arijit Ray, president - Mudra West, explained the challenges in the category, "The first challenge that the industry is dealing with is the onslaught of communication messages - over 40 players talking about different areas of strengths. The task of brands to connect gets increasingly difficult in such a competitive and cluttered environment." He added that the fundamental task for L&T Mutual Funds was to establish a clear position in the mind of the consumer. "At a fundamental level, the greater challenge is to dec

The new Playboy iPad App has prompted criticism from online tech and media forums that the absence of nudity is a gaping hole in the premium priced content.Priced at $4.99 (£3.20), the HD downloadable digital version of Playboy magazine has been edited to comply with Apple’s strict no-nudity policy. The previous iPhone app also toed the no-nudity line and was priced at $0.99 (63p). US media website Minonline criticised the lack of pictorials and cartoons typical of the printed magazine, despite the inclusion of "attractive headshots". The website said: "The problem for Playboy is that the missing pieces are so obvious because they are so well known." The criticism throws an interesting light on the future of iPad publishing and whether full priced iPad Apps for magazines can be defended if a considerable amount of the original content is absent. Playboy Enterprises is currently investing in its digital business. The company launched

The second edition of Spikes Asia, since the Cannes Lions organisation took over the festival, is scheduled for September 19-21, 2010 at Suntec City, Singapore. Jury chair David Lubars has this to say about why he’s excited: “According to the Gunn Report, the most awarded print campaign on the planet last year was created by an agency in Malaysia. The Big Won named an agency in Japan as being the most awarded digital agency. And, as president of the ’09 Cannes Film and Press juries, I witnessed myself brilliant pieces coming from all points in Asia. Clearly, some of the best work in the world is being done in Asia.” 1.Spikes has been around as a festival since 1989 , "the region’s oldest and most prestigious awards for creative advertising" According to Terry Savage, chairman of Cannes Lions, "It held two important strengths when we got involved. The first was the reputation of the awards was high - it was seen as being difficult to win. T

Praveen Sharma (popularly known as “Perry”), chief operating officer of  Madison Media Plus who led the Bharti Group of businesses, is moving on from the agency. Taking his place will be Ashish Singru, whose previous assignment was with the corporate marketing group at Microsoft at Redmond, where he looked after strategic media planning, campaign evaluation and business analytics.   Speaking about Sharma’s departure, Sam Balsara, chairman and managing director, Madison World, said, “Perry did a terrific job for us in leading one of our largest businesses and I respect his decision to now move from a media agency function. Perry is a true blue professional and what is more a thorough gentleman and the manner in which he has handled his departure at Madison is an example for younger advertising and media professionals to draw inspiration from. I wish him all success in future.”   On Singru’s appointment, Punitha Arumugam, chief executive officer, Madison M

Grey Mumbai has won the advertising business for Adani Township and Real Estate Co, a part of the Adani Group. The assignment begins with the launch of what is said to be Gujarat’s largest township, spread across 572 acres in Ahmedabad.   This account was won in a multi-agency pitch. Speaking on the win, Hari Krishnan, vice president and branch head of Grey Mumbai, said, “It’s a real pleasure and a privilege to be chosen by the Adani Group, one of the most dynamic, ambitious and respected corporate entities in India. This win can be attributed to our understanding of the category and the consumer and our refreshing creative approach. We demonstrated the difference that integrated marketing can do in a category like this. We look forward to this exciting partnership.”   Jishnu Sen, chief operations officer, Grey India, added, “It's great to see the momentum we created is continuing. This is a year of hits!  Great evidence that our strategy is working

This festival season, get set to watch high quality digital television without pinching your pockets. Reliance BIG TV (RBTV) the leading Direct- to- Home (DTH) service provider in the country has announced a matchless price for its unique High definition cum advanced digital video recorder product. At just Rs 4990/-, consumers can now avail of the dual features of high- definition television viewing with digital video recording all this in just one single box. Available across the country, this unique HD- DVR box is capable of recording up to 200 hours of video programming thereby offering double the recording capacity as compared to other competitive products in the market. Moreover, it offers five times clearer & sharper image quality with two million pixel resolution and digital surround sound effect. The digital video recording also offers other features like Pause, Play, Rewind LIVE TV and Record LIVE TV to allow you to record a program while watching another channel –

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: On 31 March, Wire and Wireless (India) Ltd. ended its only Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) service in the country after making no impact on the market, sinking in losses of over Rs 1 billion. Four months later, the scenario is no different and the technology that would have put digitisation on the fast track stands unused. Several multi-system operators (MSOs) have applied for a HITS licence but are not particularly enthused as they await a more comprehensive policy. “We want the government to allow the DTH signals to be used for HITS. This would save the sector from duplication of transponder use. There are other issues on content and tariff that need to be addressed,” says WWIL CEO Sudhir Agarwal. Allowing the download of DTH signals for HITS would mean that WWIL need not have a separate teleport and uplinking facility as the MSO can use the existing infrastructure of its sibling company Dish TV India, India’s leading direct-to-home (DTH) operator. Digicable Netwo

KATHMANDU: Home TV, Nepal’s first DTH service, has been inaugurated officially by Information and Communication Minister Shankar Pokharel today in the Capital. The inaugural ceremony was held at Home TV’s Earth Station located at Bhainsepati, Lalitpur. “We are proud to introduce Home TV as Nepal’s first DTH service,” said D B Sherchan, chairman, Home TV. “Our technology is able to catch the signals straight from the satellite and broadcast it to the television,” he said. “Home TV is set to provide its services to all parts of Nepal at an affordable price,” said the CEO of Home TV, Mahendra Kumar Poudel. “Home TV will also provide other facilities including its own dedicated channels for Child Games, Personal Video Recording, Songs and Movies on Demand and so on,” he said. Home TV is the product franchise of Satellite Channel Pvt. Ltd. Source: The Himalayan Times

Vikram Kaushik Age: 59 years Designation: Retiring as MD & CEO of Tata Sky Education: Masters in History from St. Stephens College, Delhi Personal Interests: Studying Mandarin Chinese and French, yoga, reading up on philosophy and spending time with the family. There are seven DTH players today, ARPUs are low; taxation, you claim, is high for this industry. What is the way ahead for it to make profits? On the licence fee, TDSAT [Telecom Disputes Settlement And Appellate Tribunal] has now ruled that it should be levied at adjusted gross revenues and not gross revenues, removing cost of content, hardware and taxes already paid. Similarly, TRAI has recommended that the percentage should be reduced to 6 percent from the current 10 percent, so hopefully the government will look into it and we shall have a level playing field. The second piece of taxation relief in the near future would be from the state governments. We’ve proposed to the committee handling GST that entertainment