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Friday, April 4, 2008

Motorola Smart Rider to be released in June

At the "CTIA Wireless 2008" in Las Vegas, Motorola has announced its "Smart Rider" phone, an in-vehicle phone featuring GPS navigation, interactive voice activation, and Bluetooth. The "Smart Rider", which uses GSM technology, is claimed to offer various GPS services including turn-by-turn navigation and voice-guided driving instructions; precise on-screen directions and detailed maps on a 2.8-inches high-resolution color display; real-time traffic reports and automatic re-routing; and enabling of location-based services (LBS) and fleet management applications.

With Bluetooth technology, users can move freely between offices, homes, and their vehicles -- with active calls, contacts, and other personal data automatically getting transferred from their handsets to the in-vehicle device. The device also allows multiple user profiles for secured access to personalized phone-book settings for up to three drivers. Meanwhile, interactive voice activation, built-in microphone, and speaker phone ensure hassle-free driving, the company said. Golan Haver, business unit manager for Motorola Car Phones, said at the launch that the "Smart Rider" re-defines what communication on-the-go is all about, and the main focus is placed on transforming the user experience. The Motorola "Smart Rider" is expected to ship worldwide in June this year. There is no word on pricing of the phone yet. Source

Acer's Gemstone Blue Laptops Launched

Acer has launched the Aspire 6920 and Aspire 8920, under the brand -name Gemstone Blue, a brand new notebook PC series designed to bring the enjoyment of High Definition (HD) anywhere you go. These laptops seek to offer key multimedia innovations, superior display features, 2nd generation Dolby home theater experience and innovative features such as the "cine dash media console". The company is positioning these new introductions as ultimate notebook for consumers who desire the perfect mix of productivity and entertainment.


The new series certainly comes loaded in its specifications. The laptops are built featuring the Intel Core2Duo processors, the mobile Intel T5500 and T7500 Express Chipset with 2GB RAM and 3GB RAM respectively and an integrated module for wireless connection, supporting Acer SignalUp with InviLink Nplify wireless technologies. They also pack in storage space of 250 GB and 320 GB respectively.


Acer is first to market with 16" and 18" notebook series that features a Full HD CineCrystal LCD, 8ms response time and native 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. The Aspire 6920 and 8920 also feature an HDMI port with HDCP support. In addition, the new notebook series is equipped with a Wide Color Gamut display which seeks to deliver 33% more color range than the typical notebook panels.The Aspire 6920 and 8920 also come with the brand new CineDash media console, a touch-sensitive interface that gives you a new way to manage entertainment and launch Acer Arcade in seconds, as well as navigate menus, adjust volume and control your media on the fly.
"Caring through innovation, Acer's products are designed to fulfill customer needs, be it fresh technology or unique design", said Mukund, Managing Director, Acer India. "New form factors, fewer technical differentiation’s between products and the growing need for branded products are factors contributing to the growth of the industry."
The 6920 is expected to retail at Rs. 49,000 upwards and the 8920 will be available at a price point of Rs. 79,000 upwards.Having been present for the launch of this product, I was able to spend some time with the new units. The 8920 is a very impressive product. It offers very powerful specifications of a T7500 CPU, 3 GB of RAM, 320 GB storage; an 18.1 inch full HD screen and a Blu-ray drive at around Rs. 80,000. It's powered by Nvidia's latest 9650 chipset. When you add it all up together it offers a laptop that is currently unrivaled in its weight-class.Source

Microsoft Surface in Stores

AT&T and Microsoft have formed a collaborative alliance to bring Microsoft Surface to a retail environment, and give customers the ability to explore their mobile worlds using touch and device recognition technology.Microsoft Surface is a 30-inch table-like display that looks like something Isaac Asimov wrote about but never got published. It gives individuals or multiple people the opportunity to interact with devices and content in a way that feels familiar - by using touch, gestures and placement of devices on the display. AT&T plans to place Surface in its retail stores and give its customers the opportunity to learn about the growing universe of mobile applications and devices. The interactive touch displays will work without a traditional mouse or keyboard and will allow customers to review features of a particular mobile device by simply placing it on the display. Surface will recognize the device and provide a graphical overview of its capabilities. Customers will be able to place two devices side by side on the unit and easily compare their features.


Customers will be able to view interactive coverage maps at the national, state, local or street level, using touch and hand movement to scale and move the maps, determining their coverage area. In the future, they will be able to drag and drop ring tones, graphics, video and more by "grabbing" content with their hands from a menu on the display and "dropping" it into the phone.Microsoft Surface is the first commercially available surface computer from Microsoft. Beginning April 17, customers can experience Microsoft Surface in select AT&T retail locations, including stores in New York City, Atlanta, San Antonio and San Francisco. Based on the success and learning from these initial pilot deployments, plans for further expansion across AT&T’s 2,200 U.S. retail stores will be determined.In addition to these features, AT&T and Microsoft will continue to collaborate on new and innovative ways to expand Surface capabilities in AT&T stores.
"We are thrilled to bring this groundbreaking new technology to our stores so we can introduce customers to their mobile worlds in a very personal and easy way," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility. "We look forward to working with Microsoft to continue developing new ways for our customers to learn about the ever-growing lineup of mobile devices and applications."
"Microsoft Surface transforms the retail environment from a transaction destination to a customer engagement destination," said Robbie Bach, president, Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft. "With innovative and intuitive ways of accessing information and digital content on Microsoft Surface, consumers now have an entirely new, unique and personalized shopping experience. We’re excited to have AT&T bring this to life and be the first company showcasing Surface in its retail locations."
AT&T plans to unveil the new displays in stores located in New York City, Atlanta, San Antonio and the San Francisco area on April 17, followed by additional stores in other markets based on the success of the first phase of deployments.Source