iPad Application Development!

Before making any strategy to develop iPad application development, you need to understand the usability and advanced features of this new technological revolution, iPad. Being a larger form of iPhone, iPad is also larger in terms of operating systems and hardware. With the availability of the increased display size, it can be easily transformed into a new class of device in any standard format. The device gives a productivity platform rather than a way to use a greater form of medium system.

Talking about the usability and size, iPad lies in the middle of the Mac and the iPhone. It should be treated as an acknowledgment of the greater display size but an indication of the firm market position of its own. You will hardly get such powerful software application in any such computer platform of such category. Another important thing that should be mentioned here is iPad is not just a better technological experience but it is a target for applications from the normal desktops. By using this, you will get so many growing opportunities that will push your future easily for a generation next experience.

New Opportunities on iPad!

The iPad is the home of new things to experiment. You can get a specific class of device that is not remarkable for viewers or creators but equally important for creators and editors as well. You can work on developing different kinds of productivity platforms in a more sophisticated and smooth workflows.

Developers across the world get massive opportunities to define a new way for them to experience with new iPad!

Source : Ezine

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HP webOSTouchPad with Russell Brand. Promo Video

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

HP webOSTouchPad with Russell Brand. Promo Video

A video promotional made in the UK with Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.

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Mobile App Development - Significance of Outsourcing

As the sale of iPhone, BlackBerry and the Android based phones increases, the demand of mobile application development is going on increasing. This is because no business would like to lose any opportunity to be contacted by its prospective customers/clients.

In this kind of scenario, the business has got two options; either go for starting the in-house operations or outsource the work to any professional mobile application developer.

Both these options have their own pros and cons.

In-house Operations:

In case of in-house operations, the business can exercise maximum control over the progress made on the mobile application project taken at hand. When the company opts for in-house operations it has to setup the whole infrastructure and regularly monitor the development. When the mobile application development work is taken at hand, you need to employ people who deliver the application on time, whereas, when you outsource it there is hardly anything to be worried about. It is usually difficult to find skilled workers for running in house operations. Most of the businesses do not opt for the in-house operations for mobile application development because of these tedious tasks involved in starting them (in-house operations)

Outsourcing the work:

Usually outsourcing the mobile application work is more popular than the in-house operations. Some of the factors responsible for this are as follows.

• Mobile web application development is neither too easy nor too difficult. Actually it depends on the technical and communication expertise of the application developer. When the work is outsourced to any company, first it needs to be made sure whether the employees of that company are expert at technicalities.

• When the work is outsourced to any company it becomes the responsibility of that company to fulfill the commitment made. If the application outsourcing company wants to retain its clients then it has to deliver results on time and also meet the quality standards.

• When the work is outsourced, the work giver does not have to worry about the copyright act. The copyright is very much similar to the property right. This means that the copyright is totally transferable. When the third party completes the outsourced work and delivers the mobile application along with the rights to change it, the buyer of the application becomes the sole owner of the application and not the person who initially developed it.

• After outsourcing the work the company needs to be concerned only about the result, not the modus operandi of completing the work.

• It is now an undisputed fact that outsourcing the iPhone application development work saves a lot of time, money and resources. Moreover if you are intelligent you can also get a commitment from the service provider about the return on investment.

• The business should remember that outsourcing is not the ultimate panacea to all the tasks or issues. Usually one needs to be careful in the initial stages of placing the order with any Mobile Application Development service provider.

Source : Ezine

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News on Android Application Development

Many don't really understand the basics of Android Application Development. All they know is that they love their new Android phone. For many people, Androids are still robots like from Star Trek that have incredible learning abilities and look human but are really only a machine. So let's start off with a true definition of the word:
Android:

Android is a software stack for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. It was purchased by Google in 2005. The Android mobile operating system is based on the Linux kernel. Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance worked on Android development and release. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and future development of Android.

With a new and better understanding of the Android platform, we are ready to dive into Android Application Development. Let's begin with the basics. The Android platform offers an impressive feature set:

Features:

• Application framework enables reuse and replacement of components
• Integrated browser based on open source WebKit engine
• Optimized graphics powered by custom 2D graphics library, 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
• Media support for common audio, video and still image formats (AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF, MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC)
• GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
• SQLite for structured data storage
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, EDGE, 3G (hardware dependent)
• GPS, compass, camera and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
• Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
• Rich development environment includes a device emulator, memory and performance profiling, tools for debugging, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE.

This is an impressive list and the idea of Android application development can be intimidating for some. A quick look at Android documentation may give you headache. There you'll find articles like "Backwards Compatibility", "Avoiding Memory Leaks", and "Introducing GLSurfaceView". Even though these topics are essential to successful mobile app development there may be a much simpler way to go.

A number of app development tools exist to aid the newcomer, or n00b for those who are tech savvy. Superb mobile development frameworks that guide and direct the development of an app are now available. The best known of those is the Corona SDK.

Corona is the most advanced mobile development platform today because it offers an unequalled tool set that opens the door for amazing technological advancements. Perhaps the most important is the ability for cross-platform development.

Corona offers the only complete solution for developing across platforms, OS versions, and screen sizes. With Corona SDK, you can simply write once and build to iOS or Android at the touch of a button. Plus Corona automatically scales your content from phones to tablets, saving extra work.

Android application development is here to stay. And it's made even easier with the exceptional tools mentioned above, namely Corona SDK. Look for cheaper, more intuitive Android applications and devices in the future.

Source : Ezine

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Deutsche Bank's analyst Chris Whitmore says: Expect both, an iPhone 5 and a 4S.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Roberto Gómez.

Deutsche Bank's Chris Whitmore is telling clients to expect both -- an iPhone 5 ( to match iOS5 and an iPhone 4S.

"With Nokia and RIMM struggling," he writes, "the time is right for Apple to aggressively penetrate the mid range smart-phone market (i.e. $300-500 category) to dramatically expand its total addressable market and market share."

As Whitmore sees it, an iPhone 4S that is unlocked, priced around $349, and comes with a pre-paid voice plan would "drive significantly greater penetration" into an addressable market that has grown to include 1.5 billion potential customers in 98 countries, two thirds of whom prefer pre-paid plans.

In the U.S., most cellphones are subsidized by carriers with contracts that allow them to recoup the cost of the phone in monthly payments. But as the above chart shows, there are large swaths of the world -- especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where iPhone penetration is low -- where customers prefer to pay the full cost of the phone upfront.

Note that analysts for some time have been calling for Apple to release a lower cost, pre-paid iPhone, and that Whitmore does not cite any sources or claim any inside knowledge for his two-iPhone theory.

His analysis is supported with the figure 5 chart of Pre-paid vs Post-paid subs by region of Apple´s announced carrier relationships, bellow.

Source: CNNMoney

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HP today added new products to the HP Digital Learning Suite. HP webOS TouchPad included. Derry Township School chooses HP.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús


HP today added new products to the HP Digital Learning Suite. HP webOS TouchPad included. Derry Township School chooses HP for student Computer Program.


The new HP Digital Learning Suite offered is:

• HP TouchPad with webOS, which HP is demonstrating to educators for the first time at ISTE
• HP EliteBook 2760p with multitouch technology and convertible options to use as a tablet
• HP Z210 Small Form Factor Workstation with educational applications in a space-saving design
• HP 3105m Notebook PC for students who need a full-feature notebook at an affordable price
• HP t5335z and t5565z Smart Clients that enhance student learning while helping to reduce schools’ overall management and maintenance costs
• HP Mobile Calculating Lab, an easy-to-use classroom solution that helps bring math and science to life

Press Release:

Derry Township School District Chooses HP for Student Computer Program

New tablet, PC and mobile products showcased at ISTE technology in education conference

PHILADELPHIA, June 28, 2011

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HP today added new products to the HP Digital Learning Suite and announced that the Derry Township School District of Hershey, Pa., has chosen HP notebook PCs for the expansion of its one-to-one computer program to schools throughout the district.

During a media luncheon at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2011 conference with education customers and HP executives, Al Harding, director of Technology at the Derry Township School District, discussed details of the program, including classroom application, achievement scores and professional development for educators.

Also at the luncheon, HP introduced the following products as part of the HP Digital Learning Suite to the education market:

• HP TouchPad with webOS, which HP is demonstrating to educators for the first time at ISTE
• HP EliteBook 2760p with multitouch technology and convertible options to use as a tablet
• HP Z210 Small Form Factor Workstation with educational applications in a space-saving design
• HP 3105m Notebook PC for students who need a full-feature notebook at an affordable price
• HP t5335z and t5565z Smart Clients that enhance student learning while helping to reduce schools’ overall management and maintenance costs
• HP Mobile Calculating Lab, an easy-to-use classroom solution that helps bring math and science to life

HP additionally announced that three large school districts have chosen HP Networking solutions to improve network performance and keep pace with the demands of thousands of students and faculty.

Derry Township one-to-one computer program expands with HP

Derry Township is changing the way teachers teach and students learn through the integration of technology in the classroom. Beginning in middle school, students are using HP notebooks to complete lessons in subjects such as writing and math. For example, students can write in online journals that they submit to their teachers electronically for feedback, or gather information and download images online and collaboratively write a narrative on their own computers.⁽¹⁾

“Since implementing the computer program, our district has seen writing test scores increase at an impressive rate among middle school students,” said Harding. “The program has been praised by teachers, students and parents alike, and we’re looking forward to expanding it to additional schools in our district.”

Due to the program’s initial success, this fall it will expand into the high school and additional schools throughout the district. To ensure the program’s continued success, teachers are enrolled in professional development classes that go beyond learning how to use the HP notebook to truly integrating technology into lesson plans.

HP Digital Learning Suite products

The HP TouchPad with webOS is a versatile education tool that helps create a more collaborative and interactive learning environment. The HP TouchPad offers easy access to the web, allowing teachers to illustrate abstract concepts with online resources.⁽²⁾ Teachers and students have a next-level multitasking experience, premium audio playback with stereo speakers and Beats Audio™ technology, and the ability to find information on the device or in the cloud using the Just Type feature.

The versatility and durability of the HP EliteBook 2760p Notebook PC make it an ideal tool for teachers and students. As a traditional notebook, the HP EliteBook 2760p offers a touch-enabled display for input and a spill-resistant keyboard with drains. When in tablet mode, the HP EliteBook 2760p converts digitally handwritten notes to text or sends them as they are to classmates and teachers. Students can use their fingers on the screen to navigate applications, turn pages and complete tasks on the go.

HP Mobile Calculating Lab brings math and science to life

The HP Mobile Calculating Lab is a powerful, easy-to-use and affordable classroom solution. Real-time data streaming enables students to connect concrete experiences directly to abstract math and science concepts. The lab’s lightweight, compact measurement tools are ideal for field experiments, extending the learning environment beyond the confines of the classroom. Experiments and lesson plans are available at no additional cost on the Teacher Experience Exchange website.

Making teaching with technology easier and cost-efficient

The HP 3105m Notebook PC offers students a full-feature notebook with complete functionality at an affordable price of $449.⁽³⁾ The HP 3105m starts at less than 3.5 pounds, includes a full-size keyboard and has up to 9.5 hours of battery life.⁽⁴⁾

The new HP t5335z and t5565z Smart Clients deliver an unmatched combination of flexibility and affordability to the zero client market and offer intelligent capabilities that allow end users to be up and running in seconds with no configuration or management required on the device side, helping to reduce IT costs dramatically. Schools worldwide have turned to HP Thin Client education solutions for rich computing experiences that give teachers and administrators control and enhance student learning, while helping schools stay within budget by reducing overall management and maintenance costs.

HP Catalyst initiative grants

HP also expanded the HP Catalyst initiative – run out of the HP Office of Global Social Innovation – to 56 members with the addition of 21 new organizations and a new “STEM-preneur” consortium that will be led by Tsinghua University.

Each organization is receiving a grant valued at more than $150,000 and will join the prestigious international network of leading educators who are exploring innovations in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for secondary and post-secondary students. The initial five consortia are leading ground-breaking educational research in the following areas: The Multi-Versity, Pedagogy 3.0, Global Collaboratory, The New Learner and Measuring Learning.

The new STEM-preneur consortium will explore how technical education can be combined with the passion of entrepreneurship. In addition, students from University of the People, the world’s first tuition-free, online academic institution, will work with the Catalyst network through internships within the consortia on projects across a number of education technology areas.

HP has invested more than $10 million across 15 countries since the launch of the HP Catalyst initiative in 2010. A complete list of funded organizations is available at www.hp.com/go/hpcatalyst.

More information on HP education products and solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/k12.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

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HP Helps Telekom Serbia Transform Operations for Better User Experience.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

HP Helps Telekom Serbia Transform Operations for Better User Experience

First project will upgrade network operations center

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 28, 2011

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HP Enterprise Services today announced that Telekom Serbia has completed the first steps in a transformation of its operations and business support systems (OSS and BSS) that will increase agility, reduce costs and improve the customer experience.

As the leading provider of fixed, mobile and broadband services in Serbia and neighboring Balkan states, Telekom Serbia determined that better service-level management was essential to enhancing the customer experience, and, ultimately, maintaining its leadership in an increasingly competitive market.

To improve Telekom Serbia’s service-level management, HP Solutions Consulting Services, a global, communications industry-specific business consulting practice, helped the company transform OSS functions including service fulfillment (activation of new customers on the network) and service assurance (detection and resolution of network problems). HP also helped the company evaluate key BSS functions including billing and customer care systems. 

HP provided two key deliverables that helped Telekom Serbia build a service-centric OSS-BSS environment that is flexible, standards-based and closely aligned with business objectives: a detailed transformation roadmap with a governance plan and a redesign of processes and organization for the network operations center (NOC).

“Telekom Serbia is committed to providing world-class service to its customers, and HP is a trusted partner in our ongoing effort,” said Milan Simic, chief information officer, Telekom Serbia. “HP’s industry expertise and consulting methodology provided us with an independent analysis that underpins our strategic OSS-BSS roadmap.”

Using a holistic approach, HP examined Telekom Serbia’s existing environment, including OSS-BSS architecture, processes, technologies and organization. Then, after evaluating the company’s business objectives, HP delivered a transformation roadmap that identified 30 initiatives and highlighted four of the most important.

Throughout the consulting engagement, HP Solutions Consulting Services applied its expertise in transformation management, operational excellence, and strategic and financial advisory. 

HP used HP COSMOS, a framework that provides a representation of interrelationships and interdependencies at all business levels. HP COSMOS incorporates industry standards and combines them with HP experience and best practices to streamline business integration.

“Telekom Serbia can achieve efficient operations and a better customer experience with the service-centric OSS-BSS blueprint provided by HP,” said Teresa Schlegelmann, worldwide managing principal, Solutions Consulting Services, HP Enterprise Services. “Our holistic approach helps operators transform all aspects of their business consistently, while minimizing disruptions.”

HP redesigns Telekom Serbia NOC processes

One of the first tasks in the OSS-BSS transformation roadmap focused on Telekom Serbia’s NOC, which is responsible for identifying and resolving performance problems that can affect network availability for customers.

Since the NOC is at the center of other related operations, Telekom Serbia saw that improving NOC processes would have a multiplier effect, improving operations in all the surrounding groups, such as service planning, provisioning, customer care, IT and core network.

HP, using HP COSMOS and a proven IT strategy and architecture methodology, redesigned nine NOC processes. Each was defined specifically in terms of business process industry standards, and was related to the Telekom Serbia business and operational environment. 

HP also recommended a new organizational structure for the NOC and defined specific roles and responsibilities to streamline process execution.

The new processes will enable the Telekom Serbia NOC to improve key operations, such as streamlining the path from problem to resolution, which can eliminate problems before they appear to customers.

More information is available at www.hp.com/go/SCS.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

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HP builts own Facebook app for the webOS TouchPad. Video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

HP builts own Facebook app for the webOS TouchPad.Video.

HP webOS TouchPad will launch in July 1st with their own made Facebook application and it seems is the first official Facebook app world´s made for a tablet. Meaning, there is no other OS for tablets that have made an own Facebook application, Blackberry Playbook was made  with the help of Facebook platform and Adobe.

 Along the left rail, which pops in and out, you’ve got your main navigation: Newsfeed, Messages, Events, Places, Friends, and Photos.  

The Newsfeed can be viewed in both a stream view or a more tablet-friendly tile view.  The tiles make better use of typography and images.

Also notice the addition of Places and Photos to the left rail navigation. Places opens up a map with nearby activity and the ability to check in. Photos displays your Facebook photos in a tiled album view.  Profiles also highlight people’s photos.  You can toggle between their wall, info, and photos.

The app really takes advantage of the extra screen real estate to good effect.  Photos and Places especially shine.

Source: TechCrunch

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Advantages of Android Application Development Service Provider

Android App Development is now becoming one of the most popular tools for development. Besides the tough functionalities, it provides an array of benefits for the mobile application developers. It can be handled easily and easy to implement because it is open source based. The (SDK) facilitated by the Android assists the developers to start developing and working on the applications instantaneously and the app can be implemented faster.

The Google has developed Android, a mobile platform. The software for the mobile devices is stacked in the Android. The android mobile platform constitutes of operating system (OS), the middleware, main applications, and a (SDK). The SDK facilitates the developers with the APIs and tools needed for Development. The distribution platform is of an open nature. This permits the developers to develop the applications and freely distribute them. One can even sell them through the internet. The initial investment is very less because the android is open source. There are a number of benefits.

Some of the major benefits of this are as follows.

• Android is based on Linux. This facilitates easy accessibility to rich development environment and core functionality of the mobile device.
• It allows quick information gathering. It also provides the accurate information sought.
• The cycle is drastically reduced.
• The development tools are easy to use.
• All the information and services are provided to the developers without any biasness.
• It provides rich browser facilities as well. This facilitates the developer to provide enhanced services.

The Google Android App. can be worked out either with or without the help of a professional Android app. development service provider. The former option is feasible if the user is well versed with the technology for Mobile App Development. On the other hand if the application developer is not adept at using the SDK tools provided by Android, the same option can backfire and lead to loss of time, money and resources. Most of the people prefer the later option and avail the services of a professional And. App. Developer.

The use of the smart phones to access the internet is increasing day by day. There are many smart phones having Android platform. If the business wants its website to be compatible with these smart phones then the website needs to be designed or modified. This is where Android mobile app. development plays a crucial role.

The users of Android phones want the phone to be used not only for telecommunication but also as an office computer. The user may need some extra features to be added on to the android phone. This is another situation where the Android Mobile Application becomes necessary.

It is always recommended to avail the services of a professional Android app. Developer and reap the advantages of Android App. Development.

Source : Ezine

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Stanford's video processing in the cloud allows interactive streaming of online lectures. Video.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Stanford researchers designed software that allows a viewer to zoom and pan while streaming online courses. They recently released the code to the public

Stanford researchers have publicly released the program code for software they first created to convert static videos of class lectures into interactive online video streams.

Typically, recording college courses requires a specially designed lecture hall outfitted with remotely controlled cameras. A person operates the cameras from a control room, zooming closer as the speaker writes on the board or panning as she walks across the room.

The Stanford Center for Professional Development operates nine of these specially designed classrooms to record engineering courses for technology industry professionals. They've posted these videos online since 1996.

But the technology is expensive. Electrical engineering professor Bernd Girod estimates one of these classrooms costs more than $100,000.

"Our students thought about technological advances, took initiative and said, 'We can do the same thing for $500,'" he said.

Girod and his students simplified the recording equipment to three items: a tripod, a wireless microphone and a high-definition camcorder. Then they designed software that processes the video so the viewer can zoom and pan around the room during playback. Alternatively, the program can control the view automatically.

From lecture to streaming video, humans only intervene to set up the camcorder and upload the video file to a remote server accessed online. Since the program works in the cloud, users only need a web browser to access the interactive video.

Girod and his students launched their ClassX platform in September 2009. The team released the program code as open-source software in early April.

The website currently houses 25 courses, as well as numerous seminars and workshops. The system has been used to record courses large and small, from an advanced electrical engineering class with 15 students to a large introductory biochemistry lecture with more than 200 students. Chalkboard lectures, projected slides and chemistry demonstrations all display clearly.

L.A. Cicero

Postdoctoral student Ngai-Man Cheung and graduate students Sherif Halawa and Derek Peng are writing algorithms for Stanford's ClassX project.

The software divides the original video into rectangular "tiles" and considers each tile its own video stream. The server stores the tiles in a variety of resolutions, from a wide view at the back of the room to close-up shots. To reduce the amount of information sent while streaming, the program transmits only those tiles that a viewer requests. When a user zooms in, the server delivers the close-up stream.

The ClassX interface pairs the lecture video with slides from a computer presentation. The program automatically analyzes the video using advanced computer vision algorithms and synchronizes the slides with the video, advancing the displayed slide when it changes in the video. Slide synchronization also makes it extremely easy to jump to a specific topic within the lecture, which can be tedious when searching through a single 75-minute video.

The courses remain archived on the web. Lecturers can choose to make them accessible to members of the Stanford community or the public.

Graduate student Derek Pang is one of the students developing ClassX Mobile, an extension of the platform for tablet computers and smartphones. For now, the system is still experimental. The software must handle the unpredictable connectivity of wireless networks, perform without reducing battery life and work with the limited computing power of mobile devices.

"In the future, I fully expect to see students riding their bikes across campus watching lectures and making pinching gestures with their fingers to zoom in," Girod said with a laugh.

Until recently, ClassX was a side project for students – a "labor of love," Girod said. ClassX Mobile was developed as part of the Stanford-based Programmable Open Mobile Internet 2020 research center funded by the National Science Foundation. Now the Stanford President's Office has allocated funds that will allow the team to hire a web developer for a project that unifies three complementary online education platforms on campus: ClassX, CourseWare and Open Classroom.

Graduate student Sherif Halawa said there's good demand for ClassX.

"Many professors use it once and then come back wanting to use it in future courses. They recommend it to others, too," he said.

When ClassX first launched, two classes used it each quarter, Halawa said. This spring, the team hosted nine courses.

The Stanford Center for Professional Development currently offers 50 to 60 recorded courses each quarter. That puts the high-tech videotaping rooms in great demand. "Scheduling is a big challenge," said Joyce Rice, the center's director of marketing.

ClassX provides an alternative recording method when the center can't cover a course, Pang said. With basic video equipment and storage space on a computer server, any classroom can become a place for online instruction.

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HP Discovery 2011, Vienna: Video Preview.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

You just enjoyed the technology and sessions event in Las Vegas, HP Discover 2011. Now if you are going to visit or live in Europe you can have access to this great HP Discover event in Austria, Vienna in Nov 29-Dec1, 2011. HP made a video preview:

http://www.hp.com/go/discover -- 29 Nov-1 Dec, Messe Wien, Vienna -- Learn more and register today! http://www.hp.com/go/discover -- Come see the complete ecosystem of 

HP and partner solutions for Enterprise Business.

Source: HP

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2012: Dell placed orders for 10 million business-use notebooks to Compal.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Taiwan-based ODM Compal Electronics has obtained orders for 10 million business-use notebooks to be delivered in 2012 from Dell, according to industry sources. Compal declined to comment.

Dell placed 2011 orders for 7-8 million business-use notebooks with Compal and 2-3 million units with Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry), but has decided to shift 2012 orders from Foxconn to Compal, the sources said. Compal is expected to account for 90% of Dell's total shipments of business-use notebooks in 2012, the sources indicated.

Compal's main notebook ODM clients will be Acer, Dell, Lenovo and Toshiba, in 2012, the sources noted, adding orders released from Hewlett-Packard and Asustek Computer to Compal are expected to increase from 2011 levels.

Business-use models will be a main source of growth in global notebook demand in the second half of 2011, the sources said, adding Compal expects to ship 48 million notebooks, 3.8 million tablet PCs and eight million LCD TVs in 2011.

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Asustek Computer will start marketing its low-priced netbook, the Eee PC X101

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Asustek Computer will start marketing its low-priced netbook, the Eee PC X101, in July with models running on MeeGo available at US$199 and those running on Windows 7 available at US$310-350, according to industry sources.

The Eee PC X101 is powered by an Intel low-power Atom N435 1.33GHz single-core CPU, the sources noted.

Other branded notebook vendors including Acer, Lenovo and Samsung Electronics also plan to launch Atom N435/MeeGo-based netbooks soon, said the sources, noting that the Atom 435 netbooks released by Asustek and Acer will also support Intel's AppUp Center technology.

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Apple picks up key smartphone patent; cleared for Nortel bid.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

PCMag.com reports that Apple has been granted a “long sought-after patent” which was said to be “so broad and far-reaching that the iPhone maker may be able to bully other smart phone manufacturers out of the US entirely.” 

While the details of the patent are complex, PCMag said that one legal source had said that it “essentially gives it ownership of the capacitive multitouch interface the company pioneered with its iPhone.” This could lead to lawsuits involving a range of smartphone vendors including HTC, Samsung, Motorola, RIM and Nokia. 

But it also cited Florian Mueller, an intellectual property activist, who said that an Apple action would only be successful if the alleged infringement implemented Apple’s patented technology wholesale – not if rivals are able to show demonstrable differences between user interfaces. The validity of the patent could also be challenged.

Separately, it was reported that the US Department of Justice has given approval to Apple to bid on the patent portfolio of failed networking giant Nortel Networks. The company is set to come up against tough competition for the intellectual property, which is set to take place next week, with Google, Ericsson and Intel also believed to be in the race.

Related articles

• Apple's new multitouch patent (FAQ) (news.cnet.com)

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Sony Ericsson unveils Android, featurephone devices.

WorldWide Tech & Scince. Francisco De Jesús.

Sony Xperia Active

Sony Ericsson announced two more Android smartphones, which it said “offer consumers unique design and technology for an entertaining experience.” 

The company said that Xperia ray is targeted at customers who want a “sleek and beautiful design,” with a 9.4mm form factor and 3.3-inch screen. It has a 1GHz processor, and uses Sony technology such as a Mobile Bravia image engine and Exmor R 8.1MP camera.

 Xperia active has a compact design and is dust proof and water resistant, and also “uniquely incorporates wet finger tracking.” It also comes “pre-loaded with sports apps.” Both devices are powered by the latest version of the Android platform (Gingerbread 2.3).

In addition, the company announced a new featurephone, called txt, which has a full QWERTY keypad and SMS shortcut key. It also has a “friends” application which enables users to see Facebook and Twitter updates from their top-five friends. 

The device will be available in multiple colours, and will go on sale “globally in selected markets” from the third quarter. For its Android device owners, the company has added two new products to its Smart Extras accessory range. LiveDock is a docking station which “gives consumers the ability to seamlessly integrate their Sony Ericsson smartphone into their home,” while LiveSound is a wireless headphone accessory.

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Taiwan: Chunghwa Telecom set for Chinese play.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Taiwanese operator Chunghwa Telecom is mulling the creation of a joint venture with Chinese telecoms companies in order to expand its software and value-added services business into the bigger mobile market, Dow Jones Newswires reports. 

The company has already made some “first steps” into the market through deals with China Telecom and China Unicom, as it looks to grow its business beyond a saturated domestic market.

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Amazon to launch tablet PCs in August-September.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Amazon is poised to step into tablet PCs and will launch models as soon as August-September, with targeted global sales of four million units for 2011, according to Taiwan-based component makers.

The timing of launch is to meet the peak sales period prior to Thanksgiving in the US and the year-end holidays in the US and Europe, the sources pointed out.

Amazon adopts processors developed by Texas Instruments, with Taiwan-based Wintek to supply touch panels, ILI Technology to supply LCD driver ICs and Quanta Computer responsible for assembly, the sources indicated. Monthly shipments are expected to be 700,000-800,000 units.

Amazon will provide streaming movie services for users of its tablet PCs, the sources noted.

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Telefonica and America Movil pick up Costa Rica clearance.

WorldWide Tech & SCience. Francisco De Jesús.

Telefonica’s Movistar and America Movil’s Claro units are reported to have picked-up authorisation to launch their operations in the Costa Rican market, once they pay the relevant licence fees. 

According to Telecompaper, Telefonica is paying US$95 million for its 850MHz, 1800MHz, and 2100MHz frequencies, while America Movil is paying US$75 million for its 1800MHz and 2100MHz spectrum.

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Malaysia: ZTE and Axiata ink supply deal

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

ZTE signed a five year equipment supply contract with the Malaysia-based Axiata Group, which it said will serve as a “common platform for purchases of telecommunications and other products as well as the provision of related services by ZTE for Axiata and its group of companies.”

 Axiata’s affiliates and subsidiaries include Celcom in Malaysia, XL in Indonesia, Dialog in Sri Lanka, Idea in India and M1 in Singapore.

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Australia: Telstra rolls out HD voice on Next G.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Australian market-leader Telstra has switched on HD voice across its Next G network, claiming it will offer much clearer voice calls for subscribers using HD-compatible phones. 

The upgrade uses a technology called Wideband Adaptive Multi-Rate coding (WB-AMR), which uses the same network capacity to double the voice bandwidth compared to traditional mobile and fixed network calls.

 “The difference between a standard and HD call is the voice equivalent of comparing a VHS with a blue-ray DVD, HD Voice calling sounds like you’re talking face to face, even if you are hundreds or thousands of kilometres apart,” said Mike Wright, executive director at Telstra's Networks & Access Technologies unit.

 According to its supplier Ericsson, Telstra is now the operator with the largest HD voice network in the world, covering more than 2.1 million square kilometres of Australian landmass.

Telstra said that HD voice would be free to access for subscribers using compatible phones such as Nokia’s 6720, E52, E72 and N8-00, and the HTC Desire S.

 The operator also plans to launch Sony Ericsson’s Neo-Xperia HD-compatible handset next month and “expects a large percentage of new devices to be launched with HD Voice support in the coming year.” 

Although rival Australian operators Optus and VHA have yet to support HD voice, Telstra’s Wright told ZDNet Australia that the market leader was keen on enabling the feature to work between networks.

 "I guess the best analogy is: when we first had SMS, it used to only be within networks, so as soon as there's a critical mass, we're interested in connecting customers so we would start to talk to Optus and VHA about an interworking capability,” he said. 

Earlier this year Canadian operator Wind Mobile launched HD Voice services, claiming it to be "a North American first." Orange is also a strong proponent of the technology.

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