AMD's Lightning Bolt: Low Cost Thunderbolt Alternative for USB 3.0/DP

One of the things I love the most about AMD is the balance it provides to Intel. While I've spent much of CES looking for Thunderbolt products and lamenting the cost of controllers and devices, AMD put together a concept it calls Lightning Bolt.

Lightning Bolt is an AMD technology that can deliver USB 3.0, DisplayPort and Power over a single cable with mini DisplayPort connectors. I saw the technology demonstrated live, however I wasn't allowed to take any photos.

The technology is designed to be very simple and affordable. On the notebook side is a mux that combines power, DisplayPort and USB 3.0 into a single DP-like cable. The other end of the cable would connect to a Lightning Bolt breakout box that would provide USB 3.0, DisplayPort and power ports.

The cable is a standard mini-DP cable with changes on only two of the pins. AMD's goal is to enable affordable, single-cable docking stations for notebooks. The cost of the mux and associated components on the notebook side would be minimal, around a dollar. The mux would eventually be integrated into a notebook (the AMD demo had them external for demo purposes) and all you'd see is a mini-DP interface with some sort of indication that it was a Lightning Bolt interface. Given that it's a simple mux on the notebook side I'd assume that it would be possible to enable miniDP passthrough and display Lightning Bolt entirely if you wanted to.

There are performance and power limitations to this design. AMD claimed USB 3.0 transfers would be faster than USB 2.0, but not full speed. No word on how much power you'd be able to send over the interface either. As far as the docking stations go, AMD expects that they'll cost about as much as a USB 3.0 hub.

Lightning Bolt won't be ready in time for Trinity's launch in the middle of the year, but AMD hopes to have it on the market by the end of the year.

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Gorilla Glass 2

20% thinner and same strength

Kyivstar introduced new mobile handsets under its own brand

Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar has announced three new models of mobile terminals under its own brand: touchscreen phone Bloom, as well as two Android smartphones - Shine and Spark, all three devices manufactured by ZTE.

These phones have already installed features - access to music, games, communication, and self-service "My Kyivstar" / "My DJUICE». For owners of branded smartphones, "Kyivstar", a special service for the economical use of the mobile Internet - "Internet Unlimited"

Kyivstar Bloom :



Mobile Phone Kyivstar Bloom has a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera. The phone supports Java. For the amount of 649 UAH ($ 1 ~ 8 USD), the user receives the device with the following characteristics:

Support for communications standards: GSM / GPRS / EDGE 900/1800 MHz
Dimensions: mm 103h53h13
Weight: 100 gr.
Display: 3.2 inch touch screen
Camera: 2 MP
FM-radio
Supporting microSD memory cards (up to 8 GB)
Communications: Bluetooth v2.1, micro USB
Support JAVA games
Kyivstar Shine :



Kyivstar Shine is 1199 UAH has the following specifications:

Support for communications standards: 3G/HSDPA/WCDMA 2100 MHz; GSM / GPRS / EDGE 900/1800 MHz
Dimensions: 104.5 h55h13, 5 mm
Weight: 100 gr.
Platform: Android 2.2
Display: 2.8-inch
FM-radio
Camera: 3.2 MP
MicroSD slot for memory cards (up to 32 GB)
Communications: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, micro USB, GPS, 3.5 mm audio jack
Kyivstar Spark :



Kyivstar Spark will cost customers an operator in 1699 UAH for which they receive a unit with the following characteristics:

Support for communications standards: 3G/HSDPA/WCDMA 2100 MHz; GSM / GPRS / EDGE 900/1800 MHz
Dimensions: 115h57h12, 5 mm
Weight: 110 gr.
Platform: Android 2.3
Display: 3.5-inch
FM-radio
Camera: 5 MP
MicroSD slot for memory cards (up to 32 GB)
Communications: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, micro USB, GPS, 3.5 mm audio jack

Samsung introduced a new thin and light notebooks Ultra Series 5

Samsung Electronics has introduced a new ultra-thin and light notebook series 5 Ultra, offering high performance and expandability.

Laptops equipped with the Ultra 5 processor Intel Core i5 second generation system ExpressCache of Diskeeper and graphics card AMD Radeon HD.

The line of new laptops includes models with screen sizes 13 and 14 inches, which are equipped with processors Intel Core i3-2350M and i5-2467M, up to 8 GB of RAM and a graphics card AMD Radeon HD. As a result, series notebooks 5 Ultra can be downloaded in just 20 seconds out of hibernation for two seconds and at the same time increase the speed of running applications in half compared with previous-generation laptops with conventional hard drives, thanks to technology companies ExpressCache Diskeeper. In addition, 14-inch notebook series can be equipped with five Ultra standard hard drive capacity to 1TB.

Both models are equipped with laptop screens Samsung HD LED SuperBright brightness of 300 cd / m ² with Image Enhancer technology and anti-reflective coating.

Sales in Russia series notebooks 5 Ultra will be available from February 2012.

The new line of digital cameras from Samsung with a long lens, and Wi-Fi

Samsung Electronics announced the launch of a new line of digital cameras with long lens and support for Wi-Fi, which it believes are intended for that category of users who are engaged in tourism and travel frequently.

Models WB850F, WB150F and ST200F differ powerful optical zoom and high image quality. With support for Wi-Fi new cameras allow users to share their photos with friends or post them on photohosting, from anywhere in the world where there is wireless connectivity.

New items have in their arsenal of technology support SMART Wi-Fi (wireless transmission of images to your computer), the functions of Auto Backup, pictures are automatically saved to your hard drive, using Wi-Fi connection.

Model WB850F, equipped with a GPS-receiver, working together with the service, "Live Tags» (Live Landmark), allows one-click download maps and useful information on nearby objects (Point of Interest), making any trip more enjoyable and comfortable . Digital compass, set this camera also allows user to locate and its distance from certain geographical locations. And for the download and view maps in the model corresponds to a special function WB850F MapView.

The model has WB850F lens with a 21-fold increase, WB150F - 18x superzoom, the model ST200F-10x zoom. addition, the model is set WB850F matrix (16.1 MP) with a backlit (BSI CMOS), which allows to reduce noise and distortion, even in low light conditions. The model features a large AMOLED-display 3-inch.

WB850F able to record video with a resolution of Full HD (1080/30p), a model and WB150F ST200F with HD resolution (720/30p).

LG’S GLASSES-FREE CINEMA 3D MONITOR CERTIFIED BY UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES

LG’s D2500 Becomes World’s First Glasses-Free 3D Product to be Certified by
Underwriters Laboratories for its Product Safety

LG Electronics’ (LG) glasses-free CINEMA 3D monitor, the D2500, became the world’s first glasses-free 3D monitor to be certified by UL, (Underwriters Laboratories) for product safety, strengthening LG’s leadership in the glasses-free 3D product segment. The certification was officially presented to LG at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

“Our glasses-free CINEMA 3D monitors will continue to lead LG in the glasses-free 3D market,” said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Company. “We will strengthen our glasses-free 3D product line-up to further distance ourselves from the competition.”

D2500 also received the Certificate of Validation on five different types of tests conducted by UL, including those for 2D Color Characteristic, 3D Color Characteristic, 3D Contrast, 3D Crosstalk and 3D Vertical Viewing Angle. UL is internationally renowned for its product quality and safety certifications of electronics products.

The D2500 uses the Parallax Barrier technology, which creates an illusion of depth based on a series of light-blocking barriers attached to the front of the LCD panel, which ensure the left and right eyes see different images. In order to ensure optimal 3D image quality, the D2500 also uses a head-tracking technology that tracks the user’s head and eye positions in real time through the imbedded web cam, thereby adjusting 3D images in accordance with the user’s viewing angle and distance from the CINEMA 3D monitor.

In addition to the UL certification, the D2500 has also been certified by TUV Rheinland as a glasses-free 3D product. TUV lauded the D2500 as exhibiting excellent contrast ratio and color production.

Now Shipping, SAMSUNG SUR40 For Microsoft Surface Dazzles Retailers At National Retail Federation (NRF) Conference 2012

New PixelSenseTM Technology Enables SUR40 to See and Respond to Touch and Objects, Creating New Possibilities for Interactive Displays in a Variety of Settings

Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation and the number one worldwide brand of professional commercial display LCD products, is demonstrating its digital solutions leadership at a showcase event featuring the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface and a variety of applications from development partners at the National Retail Federation (NRF) conference, being held Jan. 16 and 17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York in Room 1A17 (on Level One of the convention center).

Available now through Samsung channel and reseller partners, a CES Best of Innovations 2012 award-winner, the Samsung-Microsoft collaboration incorporates Microsoft Surface 2.0 software and touch technology into an interactive and engaging 40-inch Full HD LCD that can be used horizontally as a table, mounted vertically on a wall or embedded in other fixtures and furniture.

“Both retailers and consumers are adapting to ever-evolving ways of interacting with information and merchandise and have expressed a desire for technology that delivers information in an engaging and visually dynamic way,” said Todd Bouman, vice president of product marketing for Samsung Electronics America, Enterprise Business Division. “With the availability of the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface, Samsung is energizing the retail space and anticipates an all-new approach to customer engagement.”

Superior Screen, Smart Device
The Samsung SUR40 is an interactive, collaborative multi-touch device, offering a thin, 4-inch profile and a large screen size. It integrates Samsung’s LCD panel capability with touch technology, combining Microsoft’s massive multi-touch and object recognition software to maximize the performance of a brand new type of touch screen technology – PixelSense.

Microsoft’s PixelSense technology – which gives LCD panels the power to see without the use of cameras – and the Microsoft Surface 2.0 software, the premier touch-first experience for end users, have been combined with Samsung’s display leadership to create an industry-changing information display device. The new SUR40 makes it possible for people to share, collaborate and explore together using a large, thin display. Not only can the SUR40 recognize fingers and hands, but it can also detect other objects placed on the screen supporting up to 50 points of contact at one time.

The SUR40 features a 40-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) LCD LED panel combined with one of the world’s largest piece of Gorilla protection glass for optimized screen durability and to protect from external shock and liquid ingress. It provides highly accurate touch interaction from multiple people at the same time and superior object recognition as each pixel has a camera element. Its natural interaction enables users to ‘grab’ digital information with their hands and interact with content through touch and gesture.

The SUR40 also provides developers with the opportunity to build apps that are specialized to vertical user-case scenarios as diverse as hospitality, retail, public sector, professional services, healthcare and finance to name a few. It offers a rich sound experience and can connect to a wide range of peripherals such as bar code scanners, cameras and printers through WiFi (802.11.n), Bluetooth or Ethernet connections to create a seamless digital entertainment environment. Surface 2.0 developers will showcase several never-before-seen solutions for the new device at NRF this week, with an emphasis on innovative retail experiences.

Major consumer brands and other technology partners such as FUJIFILM, Industrial Color, Le Métier de Beauté and Pepsico Beverages Canada have near-term plans to use the Samsung SUR40 to support immersive retail scenarios, professional tools and/or marketing efforts.

“The Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface is an intelligent, specialized device, that can deliver highly-customized, engaging experiences for retailers and their customers,” said Somanna Palacanda, director, Microsoft Surface. “We’re eager to see the impact this innovative technology will have on a variety of industries and to continue to learn about and address customer needs.”

Availability and Pricing
Shipments to customers will begin in January 2012. Estimated Street Pricing for the SUR40 for Microsoft Surface for U.S. customers will start at $8,400 (display only) and $9,049 (tabletop unit with matching stand). Pricing for other countries and/or regions may differ.

For more information or to find out how to order, call             1-866-SAM-4BIZ       or visit www.samsung.com/business.

Key Specs:


About Samsung Electronics America Enterprise Business Division
Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), based in Ridgefield Park, NJ, is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. The company markets a broad range of award-winning consumer electronics, information systems, and home appliance products, as well as oversees all of Samsung’s North American operations including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Semiconductor Inc., Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc. Samsung is committed to serving the needs of consumers ranging from the home user to the Fortune 500 elite while supporting the valued channel partners who serve our customers. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com/business or call             1-866-SAM-4BIZ      .


About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com

Huawei Marine Begins Manufacturing Phase of Global Financial Network Express Project

Huawei Marine Networks Co., Ltd. (Huawei Marine) announced the signing of a construction contract of Hibernia Atlantic’s Global Financial Network (GFN) Project Express. Huawei Marine recently completed the first phase of the project’s marine survey work and is now commencing the manufacturing of the necessary cables and wet plant for the project.

The Project Express segment of the GFN is scheduled to be ready for service during the summer of 2013. The system will involve a minimum of a 4-fibre pair repeatered submarine cable, providing connectivity between New York and London, initially using 40G technology with upgrades to 100G planned in the future.

The first phase of the system begins with laying a 4600KM cable from Brean in Somerset, United Kingdom to Halifax, Canada. This cable will then connect to Hibernia Atlantic’s current low latency cable, which runs from Halifax to the United States, passing from Lynn, near Boston, and onwards to New York. The new system will also include five branching units for future connectivity enhancements to the United States, Continental Europe, and Ireland.

Project Express will become an essential route on Hibernia Atlantic’s GFN, uniting hundreds of global banks and financial exchanges with a single connection. Built specifically for the financial community, the GFN meets demanding performance and reliability requirements. Project Express will further strengthen the GFN by reinforcing it as the fastest path across the Atlantic, providing additional fast and secure links throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

As the first transatlantic subsea cable to be built in 10 years, Project Express will offer the lowest latency route from New York to London with less than a 60 millisecond round trip, making it the fastest and most direct route connecting both major continents.

Mr. Bjarni Thorvardarson, Chief Executive Officer, Hibernia Atlantic, said: “Project Express has taken another huge leap forward in the process of deploying the fastest transatlantic connectivity available to our GFN customer base. While we have been working to advance this project through marine surveys and letter agreements, this final closure of the full agreement is a major milestone in delivering this momentous project.”

Mr. Nigel Bayliff, Chief Executive Officer, Huawei Marine, said: “Project Express is an exciting one for Huawei as it allows us to utilize our advanced digital coherent transmission technology, implement our delivery and installation capabilities, and draw on our experience from a number of submarine projects, to complete this significant and technically challenging system. Once completed, we believe that the Hibernia Atlantic Express will be a huge contributor to the faster transport of critical transactions from one key financial city or exchange to the next.”

New series of laptops from LG Super Ultrabook

LG Electronics has introduced four new notebooks in the exhibition Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 in Las Vegas. Two new models of LG Series Super Ultrabook, Z330 and Z430, exhibit, according to the manufacturer, performance and slim sleek design, previously unseen in conventional ultrabukah, whereas P535 and A540 models set new standards for 3D-notebooks.

Z330 is the most compact model in the latest series of LG Super Ultrabook, which stands out opportunities that go beyond the requirements of Intel Ultrabook and going beyond them, while remaining attractive both in terms of performance and portability.

14-inch model Z430 Series Super Ultrabook is characterized by high productivity and high-gloss compact body. Running on a processor Intel Core i7 and equipped with solid state drive and hard drive, laptop-book Z430 is loaded in just 12 seconds (thanks to technology, Super Speed ​​Boot) and provides a large amount of memory and 500 GB.

LG P535 notebook family CINEMA 3D has a stylish design, high functionality and features CINEMA 3D.

Model A540 laptop promoted by both 3D-solution without the need for special glasses with a high quality 4.1 channel sound.

Ericsson explores silicon photonics technology for Terabit super-channels

Ericsson participated in the research project APACHE, Agile Photonic Integrated Systems-on-Chip Enabling WDM Terabit Networks, funded in part by the European Union. The project has resulted in the fabrication of a set of InP opto chips on silicon that aims to enable aggregated Terabit traffic capacities for high-speed broadband services.

Ericsson helped prepare the research results for commercial adaption in products for the telecom market. The devices will play an important role in increasing network capacity cost-effectively when deployed in optical networks.

The project demonstrated photonic circuits capable of handling multiple 100Gbps data rates and a multiplicity of modulation formats that will enhance the transmission efficiency of optical fiber. The "monolithic-on-hybrid" silicon photonics integration approach allows for increasing integration and high-yield fabrication of complex photonic circuits.

The consortium, headed by the National Technical University of Athens (Greece), comprises the Centre for Integrated Photonics (UK), Heinrich Hertz Institute (Germany), PhoeniX Software (The Netherlands), Athens Information Technology Centre, AIT, (Greece), and Ericsson units in Sweden, the UK and Italy. The project started officially April 1, 2008, and concluded in late 2011. Public project results are available on the website, www.ict-apache.eu.

LG AIMING FOR HOME APPLIANCE LEADERSHIP WITH DOUBLE DIGIT SALES GROWTH IN 2012

LG to Focus More Aggressively on Premium and
Smart Appliances and Greater Localization in Markets

LG Electronics (LG) revealed its home appliance business strategies for 2012 in a discussion with members of the media at the tail end of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Moon-bum Shin, Executive Vice President and CEO of LG Home Appliance Company, announced that LG’s primary goal this year is to strengthen its business foundations so that it can achieve the top position in the home appliance category by 2014. In order to achieve the objective, LG plans to enhance its competitive advantage in the refrigerator and washing machine segments and make strong investments in smart appliances. Despite the global economic downturn, LG aims to achieve double digit sales growth rate this year.

“To accelerate our performance and growth amidst the global economic challenges, we will pursue value-oriented qualitative growth with a greater focus on products and businesses with higher profitability potential,” said Mr. Shin. “The competition is more intense but with a proactive investment strategy and progressive development of technologies with solid growth potential, we believe we can elevate the standards of the appliance market.”

On top of that, LG is pushing the boundaries of smart appliances with new and improved Smart ThinQ™ technology, offering enhanced convenience and smarter savings. The upgraded Smart Manager introduced at this year’s CES help consumers maintain their daily nutritional balance and greatly enhance convenience in the kitchen. LG’s unique Health Manager feature offers specific, nutritious meal plans and recipes of up to a week based on a family’s profile and medical conditions. Smart Shopping offers online grocery shopping directly from the refrigerator’s LCD panel, or by smartphone.

LG’s Smart Appliances, combined with the upgraded Smart ThinQ™ technology, will continue to position the company as the leader in consumer-oriented, ultra-convenient appliances. Followed by the successful introduction of four smart appliances in 2011, LG plans to gradually extend its line-up of smart appliances in the near future.

In addition, LG will continue to provide upgraded premium lines of the company’s representative energy-efficient yet large-capacity refrigerators equipped with LG’s Linear Compressor and washing machines equipped with the Inverter Direct Drive™ motor, raising the bar for the value-added products market. In 2012, LG aims to be the top selling washing machine brand in the globe for the fifth consecutive year, as it has done since 2008. Refrigerator production is expected to ten million units for the third consecutive year. Their overall productivity is expected to increase with continuous innovation.

And finally, having taken over the reins of LG’s HA business unit just one month ago, Mr. Shin feels strongly that LG’s success in history has been its ability to meet the diverse needs of consumers in different regional markets. In developed markets, LG will adhere to the energy standards of the North American, European and other developed markets by introducing washing machines equipped with the Inverter Direct Drive™ motor that consume less energy compared to conventional LG models. In emerging markets such as Central America, South America, Southeast Asia and CIS, LG will offer more specialized products that appeal to the specific demands of local consumers, such as refrigerators that operate in homes with uneven electricity supplies.

Beats Electronics Is Breaking Up with Monster

The popular headphone line parts ways with its manufacturing partner

In a Las Vegas hotel a few days before the start of the Consumer Electronics Show on Jan. 10, Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine takes out an iPad and swipes through photos of celebrities wearing headphones from Beats Electronics, the company he co-owns with rapper Dr. Dre. There’s Nicole Kidman, the late Steve Jobs listening to his iPod, and Kobe Bryant sporting a pair in L.A. Lakers purple. Before Beats, “Guys were making headphones that looked like medical equipment,” says Iovine.

Nowhere to be found among the photos is Noel Lee, the chief executive of Monster Cable Products, which has manufactured the headphones under exclusive license since their debut in 2009. The partnership between Beats and Monster, an electronics company best known for expensive stereo cables, has been an unmitigated success. Its products captured 53 percent of the $1 billion annual headphone market last year, according to researcher NPD Group. Now the partnership is coming to an end. Beats has opted not to renew its five-year contract with Monster when it ends late this year.

Though both companies publicly say the separation is amicable, the relationship turned sour over financial terms, with divergent views on which side deserves the most credit for the line’s success and Beats balking at its share of the revenue, according to two people who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. While Monster manufactures and helped design the headphones, and even takes credit for the idea (“They wanted to do speakers and I said, ‘The new speaker is the headphone,’ ” says Lee), Iovine and Dr. Dre are the partnership’s frontmen. The pair marshaled their celebrity friends to successfully position Beats headphones as something more than run-of-the-mill audio gear. “Now a big part of what you’re paying for is the brand and fashion,” says Ben Arnold, director of industry analysis for NPD.

At CES, Lee was busy preparing his company for a Beats-free future. Audio gear sales, most of which came from the Beats partnership, last year accounted for nearly 60 percent of privately held Monster’s revenues and profit, says Lee, who gets around conferences like CES on a Segway scooter that’s gold-plated, just like some of the company’s pricey HDMI cables. After the split, Beats will retain the rights to the bass-thumping sound technology, the prominent circular design, and the brand. So last year Lee asked nearly half his 650 employees to come up with Monster-branded headphones. “We’re competing with ourselves,” Lee says of the Beats products he’s trying to outdo. “We can be the Apple (AAPL) of the headphones space, with or without Beats.”

With Beats already dominant among hip twentysomethings, Lee is targeting athletes, women, business professionals, and others who haven’t yet been persuaded to spend hundreds of dollars on headphones. He showed off the company’s offerings, which became available for preorder to distributors on Jan. 9. One $200 pair of in-ear headphones bears the name of the ’70s soul act Earth, Wind & Fire. A Miles Davis line has earbuds shaped like trumpets and a volume controller that looks like piston valves. In all, there are eight new lines in 50 different styles. “We hope people will recognize what we’ve done in terms of sound with the Beats products,” Lee says.

Meanwhile, Beats is moving on. The company’s sound technology is already in many computers made by Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), the Chrysler 300 S sedan, and smartphones created by HTC, which took a 51 percent stake in Beats last year for $300 million. Beats also wants to expand into TVs and specialized audio gear for athletes. “We have very big ambitions for Beats beyond headphones,” says Iovine. “Music has got to succeed on the phone or else the record industry will never thrive.” He’s not particularly worried about the competition from other high-end headphone makers, such as Philips Electronics (PHG) and Bose, or his former partner. “You never get anywhere if you’re always looking left and right,” he says. “They’re doing their thing, and we’re doing ours.”

The bottom line: Monster is rolling out eight lines of headphones to compete with its former partner, Beats, in the $1 billion market.

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The LunaTik Touch Pen seamlessly goes from paper to tablet with a click of a button.

It writes. Both ways!

HELLO AGAIN!

Thank you for checking out our LunaTik Touch Pen project. Ever since we launched the TikTok+LunaTik Watch Kits on Kickstarter last year we have been constantly asked when we were going to do another project. Well, we have been working on a variety of ideas which we plan to launch in the near future. One of the first ideas is a simple and obvious solution inspired by the way we work between the analog and digital worlds every day.

INSPIRATION

Paper and pen will never be replaced. However, more and more people are embracing their iPads and tablets to take notes and capture ideas in a new hybrid analog-digital workflow. These users continuously switch between paper and touch screen during the day. This means they require both a traditional ink pen and a digital stylus.

While both are great on their own we would prefer to have our everyday pen be compatible with iPads and tablets with a click of a button eliminating the need to carry both items. This was the inspiration for the LunaTik Touch Pen. The idea was born from a desire to integrate our pen of choice, the rollerball, with the digital stylus.


OBSESSIVE DESIGN

The Lunatik Alloy Touch Pen is manufactured from premium materials and features an aircraft grade aluminum barrel, a die cast clip that is hard coated with PVD plating, high grade silicone rubber grip as well as our patent-pending dual mode tip that allows you to seamlessly use the LunaTik Pen with any touch screen. Our custom engineered materials are designed to meet our demanding specifications for touch screen responsiveness and flow. And on paper, the Touch Pen uses precision Japanese rollerball components for a fluid inking experience.

We are also offering a LunaTik Plastic Touch Pen in a range of colors that are more expressive and less expensive in case you are always losing your pens like us. :)

With either the Alloy or Plastic Touch Pens, going from paper to screen is as natural and simple as clicking your pen like you always have. Once you have transitioned to the digital side you have endless ways to express yourself with the same pen through a wide range of note taking and creative apps. While we love multi-touch as much as anyone we believe that the stylus is an important tool for certain types of precision input that fingers were not designed for.

KICKSTART US THE REST OF THE WAY

So here is where you come in. Designing products is what we, MINIMAL, do day-in and day-out for big brands. We also enjoy designing our own products. But as with TikTok+LunaTik, funding, minimum order quantities, manufacturing and distributing a new product and category is a whole other story. Kickstarter is a great way for us to test and realize many of the ideas that we have in our small studio that we believe people will love but big companies are too scared or too slow to do. And we love creating cool stuff without the big company politics and indecision. We believe in the emerging power of community and the individual to bring ideas to life and challenge convention.

WHERE THE FUNDING GOES

Products take a lot of time and money to develop and launch. Here are some areas where the pledge money helps to make the product a reality.

Tooling & Development. Our tooling and development will be approximately $50,000 based on the current designs.
Minimum Order Quanities (MOQs). Factories often require MOQs  thousands of units per design. This is a huge risk for a startup. Kickstarter can validate whether you should produce the product or not.
Patents. The patents we have filed protect this simple idea from being knocked off by every pen manufacturer on the planet. We hope someday all pens have this functionality. Just not next week. Everyone wants the Kickstarter products they support to stay original and unique longer than that.
Development trips. Ideas are worthless without execution. Over the next several months we will need to go to Asia to manage and oversee development, tooling and production to make sure the products live up to your expectations.
With your support we are targeting to have these products in your hands by April. We hope that you are inspired and excited by the idea and choose to support the project. Either way please spread the word and share with your friends.

THANK YOU!

NOTE: All included Japanese rollerball cartridge inks are black.

Downloadable Touch Pen Gift Cards available for the holidays

It gives. Both ways! Do you plan to give your LunaTik Touch Pen pledge reward as a gift to friends and family this holiday season?   Since product won't be ready until spring, we thought creating a holiday gift card for both Alloy and Plastic Touch Pens would be appreciated in anticipation of what is coming in 2012.  Happy Holidays!

NVIDIA Tegra 3 - based infotainment and digital dashboards Audi

NVIDIA Corporation today announced that Audi has chosen the NVIDIA Tegra mobile processor 3 for their information and entertainment systems and new digital instrument panels, which will replace traditional panels throughout the manufacturer's model range, from around the world since 2013.

As noted in the companies, the integration of such systems in the car and its user-friendly interface with realistic graphics will make the process of driving safer and easier, thanks to the timely appearance of an important and understandable at a glance information.

The basis of infotainment systems and instrument panels will serve visual computing modules (Visual Computing Module) processor-based Tegra 3. They are computer subsystem processor Tegra, Memory and IO-controller, specifically designed for cars. With VCM, Audi can easily and quickly introduce new technologies of visual computing in their cars to give them advanced visual features.

Samsung has unveiled a new line of camcorders in 2012

Samsung Electronics has unveiled a new line of camcorders, which offer several new features designed for videolyubiteley with very different capabilities and ambitions.

Samsung QF20 :

QF20 - Full HD camcorder equipped with the technology, Switch Grip, which makes the process of shooting flexibility than ever. Along with the advertisement of QF20, Samsung also claims its widespread use in camcorders, wireless Wi-Fi, reversing the idea of ​​storing and sharing videos. Model Samsung F80 - it's easy to use family camera, and W300 with secure housing suitable for travel lovers and adventure holidays.

Samsung Q20 :

Q20 model is a "successor" of popular camera Q10. It is equipped with technology Switch Grip II with the ability to record in an upright position, which opens up the ability to shoot videos from any angle convenient for you. Switch Grip technology means that any user may be hand held camera, with built-in G-sensor device automatically turns the image on the display, making it possible to capture both the right and left hand, and now upright. Thanks to Wi-Fi module older model, Samsung QF20, allows you to upload and share content videos to Facebook and Youtube, as well as to copy the data onto your computer without wires.

Compact camera Samsung Q20/QF20 with a 20x optical zoom, supports video recording in Full HD 1080i format and feature a range of creative functions. Such a device, according to the manufacturer, suitable for a young family, the model is easy to use, portable and lightweight. The new feature Shake It, presented in Q20/QF20, makes it possible to use randomly selected shoots video effects. It's enough just to shake the camera. The cameras are equipped with several effects of interval shooting (Time Lapse), including a return over time, you can use to show a short video, as during the day revealed a flower or melting ice cream on the table. Meanwhile, the recording function is one-touch (One Touch recording) and touch screen make the management of the shooting and editing video as easy as never before.

Samsung W300 :

Samsung W300 adds a line of pocket camcorders with increased strength and is designed for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. The camera body is waterproof to a depth of five meters, withstands damage from falling from a height of two meters and protected from dust. It can take with you everywhere and take all his adventures as a Full HD 1080/25p. A number of innovative features makes the W300 an ideal solution for extreme shooting, and the additional float in the model W350 allows the camera to shoot video, while it floats on water. Matrix BSI CMOS 5 megapixel lens and F2.2 improves the quality of shooting in low light conditions. Technology Switch Grip (only available for the W350) ensures correct orientation of the video even when shooting at white water rafting on the river and skydiving.

Samsung F80 :

Samsung F80 - it's stylish and comfortable family video camera that provides high quality HD-video recording. The model is equipped with a number of useful functions and supports data transfer via HDMI. With the 52-times optical and 65-fold zoom, intelligent F80 literally brings the owner of the bright moments of family life. The camera can shoot smoother and clearer video with 1280 x 720 (25 fps) with a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor 1 / 3, 2. " Among the extra features worth noting scaling up to 1080i when viewing via HDMI and the ability to add background music to make the movie truly memorable (feature Smart Background Music II).

Each new line of Samsung camcorder offers a variety of creative possibilities for creating full movies without the need for a wealth of experience of installation and even without a computer. Program My Clip, which is present in all models of the line, gives users a simple and convenient tool for the creation of the film, allowing you to select the best shot moments and arrange them in proper sequence. Updated feature background music Smart BGM II (Background Music) helps to create a special atmosphere in the film with the ability to sync your music and automatically adjust the volume of the soundtrack. All cameras can also shoot high quality photos.

Wireless Router TP-LINK TL-WR842ND: create a network for themselves

TP-LINK company announced the release of the wireless router TL-WR842ND. New model replaces the TL-WR841ND. According to the manufacturer, its engineers have added a lot of useful innovations to the 300-megabit Wi-Fi, support for Dual Access and IPTV, and two powerful 5 dBi antennas.

On the back of the TL-WR842ND are 10/100-megabitny WAN-port to connect to your ISP, four 10/100-megabitnyh LAN-port to the LAN port USB 2.0, the power button Wi-Fi and combined WPS button and reset. To the USB port can connect a printer or USB-drive, the data from which will be available in the local network via media server, and when you turn on FTP-server and the Internet.

Thanks to the support WDS TP-LINK TL-WR842ND can extend other wireless networks, connecting to them as a customer. Button WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) designed for semi-automatic setup a secure wireless network - to connect to the router adapter that supports WPS, enough to click once on each device.

TP-LINK TL-WR842ND supports up to four SSID - it allows you to create multiple independent wireless networks. The first function is useful for companies who need to share data or departments to provide network access to visitors, not fearing for the safety data on the LAN. Additionally, TL-WR842ND can install up to five VPN tunnel using the protocol IKE, various encryption mechanisms (DES/3DES/AES) and authentication (MD5/SHA1). This makes it possible to connect to your home or office network over the Internet from anywhere in the world.

For users who do not want to delve into technical details, the kit contains a CD with the setup wizard, it will help to establish an Internet connection, set up a wireless network and protect it, step by step in just a few minutes.

TP-LINK TL-WR842ND appears in Russian stores in early February for a suggested price of 1500 rubles.

The family of Xperia™ phones supporting ANT+ is growing

When we announced the Xperia™ S the other day (and the Xperia™ ion on the US market), it also meant we added new devices to the family of Xperia™ phones supporting ANT+. ANT+ is a wireless personal network protocol mainly designed for gathering and transfer of sensor data, and it has become especially popular within the sports and health industry. Yesterday Dynastream (the company behind ANT+) announced an ANT+ emulator for Android™, which means it is now possible to develop ANT+ apps using just the Android™ device emulator, and an ANT USB stick plugged into a PC. Find out more after the jump!
In the ANT+ ecosystem, an Android smartphone could be used in several different ways. It could be the sensor broadcasting data, or the receiver storing data and possibly displaying it. But it could also be the Internet gateway to publish data. Or, it could be everything at once. At Sony Ericsson, we’re happy to have included support for this interesting and useful technology in the new Xperia™ S and Xperia™ ion. Besides these phones, Sony Ericsson has released several phones supporting ANT+ previously, including all 2011 Xperia™ phones except Xperia™ PLAY.
To find out more about ANT+ and the latest news about the ANT+ emulator, we spoke with Jeff Fung, who is one of the main developers at Dynastream.

Jeff Fung at Dynastream.
So Jeff, what makes ANT+ such an interesting technology for developers?
I think it’s an exciting technology, not only because it allows the phone to be used as a display device for the millions of ANT+ biking, running and heart rate sensors that are already in the consumer’s hands, but also because it opens up many new possibilities for phone connectivity in other areas, such as connecting to ANT+ health and activity monitoring devices, geocache tags, and ANT+ enabled light electric vehicles. All of these use cases are defined in published ANT+ profiles available to ANT+ adopters at the ANT website.
What’s so good about the ANT wireless protocol?
The flexibility of the ANT wireless protocol allows for low power connectivity between all ANT-enabled devices regardless of their role (master/slave) on other networks. Peer connections between phones as well as connections between phones and other “hub” or master devices, allow for some interesting use cases. One example could be to use sports watches and bicycle computers to control the phone’s calling, music, messaging, and camera functions.  
How does the new ANT+ emulator for Android™ work?
The ANT+ emulator allows you to run and develop ANT+ enabled applications in the standard Android™ emulator running on a Windows PC. It works by bridging the ANT+ communications from the Android emulator to an ANT USB stick plugged into the PC. This allows for the development and debugging of ANT+ enabled applications inside of the emulator environment without the need to use an actual ANT+ enabled smart phone. Our hope is that this will open the door for more developers to start creating their own innovative ANT+ applications.
So if I’m interested in developing ANT+ enabled apps, how do I go about getting started?
The first step is to get the ANT+ Android application API from the ANT website, where the ANT+ emulator is also available.  The official ANT+ profile documentation can be found in the ANT+ Adopter’s Zone.  The ANT+ Adopter’s Zone also contains many other useful things such as the ANT+ device simulators which can be used to simulate ANT+ devices for testing your applications. Finally, the ANT+ forums are a great place to ask and find answers to any questions you may have regarding developing ANT+ applications.
What can ANT+ developers expect going forward?
In the spring of 2012, we will be releasing an updated ANT+ Android API which will allow for better sharing of the ANT radio between multiple applications. The API will also add a better interface base around devices defined by the ANT+ device profiles.  Our hope is that this will make it even easier for applications to make use of ANT+.  Please stay tuned to the ANT website  for future announcements regarding this next release.
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We hope that all you aspiring ANT+ developers are inspired to get started on this – at Sony Ericsson, we certainly think this is an exciting technology. If you’ve got any questions on this topic, feel free to drop us a comment and we will try come back with an answer as soon as possible. So what do you say developers, is ANT+ interesting to you? What health or fitness apps do you miss today?

Vestberg delivers Networked Society message to Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012

It was a busy Consumer Electronics Show (CES) keynote presentation debut for Ericsson President and CEO, Hans Vestberg, as he enlightened his audience about the company’s role in making an all-connected future in the Networked Society a reality – demonstrating some truly futuristic technology in the process.

Vestberg crammed a lot into his 60 minute January 11 presentation in Las Vegas, including a history of Ericsson’s innovative influence in the development of communications, predictions about the uptake of mobile broadband and the subsequent benefits such global connectivity will bring to people, business and society in the Networked Society. He showed an example, on the huge auditorium screen, of the difference new voice technology can make to the gaming industry through Ericsson’s In-Game Communication solution.

Vestberg also addressed the relevance of the ICT industry and connectivity to the consumer electronics industry.

His presentation included the announcement of new partnerships in shipping and education (with Maersk Line and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)) as evidence of how business in the Networked Society means new opportunities.

He was joined on stage by Michael White, the President of Maersk Line in North America, and Carlo Ratti, of MIT’s Senseable Cities Lab, for the respective announcements.

Vestberg was also joined on stage by Christopher Mikkelsen, cofounder of Refugees United, to show how the global reach of connectivity can change the lives of refugees. About 65,000 people now subscribe to the secure search-engine service – a partnership between Ericsson, Refugees United, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and operator MTN – aimed at reconnecting families and friends separated by tragedy.

Vestberg concluded the fast-paced presentation by demonstrating new "capacitive coupling" technology in which his body was used as the conduit to transfer a photograph from a device onto a laptop, and in turn on to the auditorium big screen.

His audience was impressed. You can see it for yourself, alongside all of the above, in our film of Vestberg’s CES 2012 keynote presentation.

Maersk Line: real-time connectivity will help us change ocean cargo transport industry

The high seas are to become part of the Networked Society thanks to a partnership Ericsson and Maersk Line, the world’s largest shipping company. Michael White, the President of Maersk Line in North America, outlines the real-time monitoring benefits the installation of Ericsson communication technology will bring to the company’s fleet – and its customers.

Ericsson mobile and satellite communication technology will be installed across the entire fleet of about 500 Maersk Line vessels – 400 of which will be completed in the next two years. Some of the Maersk Line vessels are among the largest to sail the oceans. The partnership also includes a seven-year global managed services support agreement, to include round-the-clock network monitoring and onboard maintenance services in several large ports.

With more than 90 percent of global cargo transport via ocean traffic, White says the deal with Ericsson supports the company’s ambitions to innovate and change the shipping industry.

"There are multiple operational efficiencies that can result from this implementation," he says. "We expect to have real-time access to information about vessel operation, bunker fuel consumption and electric conditions. We might even be able to monitor and prevent any difficulties in systems on board before they happen.

"But the single biggest benefit will come from our ability to proactively manage bunker consumption through real-time data. In this business, with the size of these vessels, the difference of even a few hours of real-time information could make the difference between cost and operational savings."

Barts and The London NHS Trust reduce missed appointments with Orange's patient appointment reminder service

Orange has today announced that Barts and the London Hospital NHS Trust has significantly reduced the number of missed outpatient appointments since the implementation of Orange Health Gateway, an automatic appointment reminder text service. The service, which is powered by iPlato, was launched in August 2010.

To help reduce the number of missed appointments, the Trust selected Orange Health Gateway, a two way service, which enables it to send timely, personalised patient appointment reminders via SMS. The Trust sends approximately 2,000 texts each day and receives around 100 replies requesting to cancel  or reschedule appointments, helping to improve productivity and enable the long-term improvement of patient care.  Since the implementation of text reminders, the number missed appointments has reduced by over 20 per cent in some services.

Gregory Bird, Deputy General Manager, Outpatient Services at Barts and the London NHS Trust said, “This kind of two way texting system turns a simple SMS into a productivity tool, enabling patients to quickly and easily notify us if they wish to cancel or reschedule their appointment. This two way communication helps save time and hospital resources, and the cancelled appointments can be reallocated to another patient. The service allows us to optimise attendance rates and better manage capacity and demand. Detailed system reports also help us to improve data quality. Patient care is at the heart of everything we do and appointment text reminders play a key part in this.”

Kate Jack, Head of Public Sector and Health at Orange, said, “This project is all about enabling more effective patient communication. Orange Health Gateway is a simple but effective tool that allows hospitals to make substantial time and efficiency savings. Mobile technology is revolutionising how hospitals operate and, with patient numbers increasing and staff under increasing pressure to meet efficiency targets, it has never been more important.”

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About Orange UK
Orange is the key brand of the France Telecom Group, one of the world's leading telecommunications operators. With almost 131 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates.

In the UK, Orange provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population, and 3G coverage to more than 93%.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Brand Services Limited.

On July 1 2010, the company became part of Everything Everywhere, one company that runs two of Britain's most famous brands - Orange UK and T-Mobile UK - with plans to transform the industry by giving customers instant access to everything, everywhere, offering them the best value, best choice and best network coverage in the country. Everything Everywhere Limited is the UK’s biggest communications company, with a combined customer base of almost 28 million people and more than 720 retail stores across the country. Everything Everywhere Limited is registered at Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9BW under the registered company number 02382161.

For more information please call the Orange Press Office             0870 3731500      , or visit www.orange.co.uk/newsroom

About iPLATO
iPLATO Healthcare is an innovation company dedicated to mobile health since 2004. iPLATO’s evidence based mobile health solutions have proven to improve patient access to healthcare, to enable powerful health promotion targeted at people at risk and to support people with long term conditions.
Serving millions of patients and thousands of healthcare professionals every day iPLATO has emerged as the leader in mobile health. Across this network the company is running campaigns to promote smoking cessation, weight loss, childhood immunisation and pandemic awareness as well as mobile patient support services for people with diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy, COPD and HIV.