Microsoft adds touch screen to zune

REDMOND, Wash. -

The next generation of Microsoft's Zune music player, due in the fall, will have a touch screen, Web browser and an HD Radio receiver.

The new device, called the Zune HD, will also carry a high-definition video output that will let people play files through a docking station on HD televisions, Microsoft said Wednesday. And the Zune's screen will use organic light-emitting diodes, a technology that helps improve battery life and image quality.

Microsoft has managed only single-digit market share for the Zune since its 2006 debut, but the company is continuing to invest in the device as an alternative to the dominant portable music player, Apple Inc.'s iPod. Microsoft says the new Zune will be the first with a receiver for HD Radio, which lets radio stations transmit extra channels alongside their regular broadcasts.

Microsoft also plans to link the Zune video service and the Xbox video game console.

(This version corrects that the Zune video service, not its music service, will be tied to Xbox.)

What the Bing is Microsoft Thinking?

If I was Microsoft, and I was coming out with a new search engine, I would make all efforts to disassociate it from the name Microsoft. Let’s face it, when it comes to new tools, we all want the little guy to win. Now that Google is itself a monolith, we’re all looking for the next underdog.

What we get instead is Bing.

Bing may be brilliant, and it will have to be in order to knock down Google. But not only does it need to be brilliant, it needs to have a name worthy of verbification (with apologies to my English teacher). Everyone knows that Google is the Kleenex of search engines. We even have sites like www.letmegooglethatforyou.com for those who feel the need to be condescending toward the search-handicapped. What was search called before Google? Nobody ever said “Let me AltaVista that for you.”It is clear that, in choosing the name “Bing,” Microsoft is hoping people will use it as a verb. They even went with a single syllable, possibly thinking that it would more easily roll off the tongue.

What if they’re right? What if “Bing” does become incorporated into our vocabulary? The new Microsoft search engine had better be good. It must be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. If it is not, people might use its name in a way that Microsoft hadn’t intended.

The preview does look promising. Bing appears to organize data in useful ways. It tells you which direction plane ticket prices are going? (How do they know?). In giving results to health questions, it gives weight to reputable sources. When searching for products or businesses, it appears to sort data in useful ways across sites. Let’s hope it is better at finding us what we want and isn't just better at promoting its partners.

For Microsoft's sake, I hope they don't bing this one up.

Sony Ericsson Unveils PS3-compatible Cell Phone

It's not the PSP phone, but it's close. Sony Ericsson yesterday unveiled three new mobile phones including Aino, a cell phone that can sync with both your PlayStation 3 and PC. Aino also features an 8.1-megapixel camera with geotagging capability; 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity; a physical keypad; and a three-inch touchscreen.

Pull From PS3

Using the Remote Play feature designed for the PSP, Aino can pull almost any content off your PS3, including music, videos, and photos. What about games, you ask? Sorry, HD video and games are not syncable, but like I said, this is not the fabled PSP phone that first hit the rumor mill in 2007; Aino is just a phone that happens to talk to your PS3.

The upside is you can use the Remote Play feature to pull files from your PS3 wherever you are in the world. Sony Ericsson didn't specify whether Remote Play will work over a 3G connection. Aino will also sync with the media files on your PC via Sony Ericsson's proprietary Media Go multimedia manager. Just drop your Aino into its charging stand and Media Go takes care of the rest via Wi-Fi. Aino users in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and the U.K. will also be able to take advantage of the PS3's TV place-shifting and DVR feature PlayTV. Sony first unveiled PlayTV in 2007, but the feature has not yet come to North American PS3 models. PlayTV lets you use your PSP or Aino to remotely watch recorded and live television over the Internet via your PS3.

Out of the box, Aino comes with a charging stand, wireless stereo headphones, and an 8GB SD card -- Aino is not compatible with Sony Memory Sticks. Aino will come in black and white, and be available in select markets this fall. Sony Ericsson did not specify when or if Aino will be coming to North America, but I'd say its arrival here is a pretty safe bet.

Other New Phones

Alongside Aino, Sony Ericsson also announced two other phones: Satio and Yari. Satio is the ultimate camera phone, including a 12.1-megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch widescreen touch display; and running the Symbian OS. Satio previously debuted as Idou at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sony Ericsson's Yari packs a respectable 5-megapixel camera, but is designed for the gamer with a built-in accelerometer for iPhone-style gesture and motion gaming. Satio and Yari will be available this fall; U.S. release dates were not announced.

In addition to announcing three new phones, Sony Ericsson said it will release details about its own application store during next week's JavaOne conference in San Francisco.

iPhone 3G price drops almost $100 in Indonesia

To celebrate Telkomsel's 14th anniversary this month, Indonesia's sole iPhone 3G provider is cutting Rp. 1 million (approximately $96 at this writing) off both the 8GB and 16GB models, bringing the prices down to Rp. 2,999,000 ($289) and Rp. 3,999,000 ($386) with a 12-month contract.

 

The timing of the promotion seem to coincide nicely with the rumored announcement of the third generation iPhone, but for those who are not aware of Apple's supposed plans, this latest price drop may leave an unpleasant taste.

Having launched the iPhone 3G barely two months ago, this is the second time Telkomsel has altered the price of the phone. Initially available at varying prices across three different plans, they evened the prices in early April to Rp. 3,999,000 for the 8GB and to Rp. 4,999,000 ($482) for the 16GB.

Unlike with providers in some other countries, such as the U.S., Singapore, or Australia, Telkomsel only imposes a 12-month contract instead of a 24-month period, mainly due to local market's unfamiliarity with this particular model of purchase, and possibly due to the proximity of a new iPhone release.

In fact, aside from iPhone 3G customers, no such contract exists between the providers and the customers. It is only recently that RIM has started working with the three local telcos who offer BlackBerry services to lock customers to some sort of contract. Only a small number of wireless broadband customers are locked under contract to their respective providers.

When Telkomsel announced iPhone 3G  pre-order in January, roughly 39,000 people registered interest within the first month, but less than 6,000 actually purchased the iPhone when it was finally made available in late March, due to the confusion surrounding conditions and eligibilities.

Those who were not existing Telkomsel customers or whose average bill was not at or above a certain amount could not buy an iPhone under contract and could not therefore take advantage of the more affordable pricing option. They were instead offered the ability to purchase iPhones at the pre-paid option, which meant bearing the full brunt of the cost upfront at Rp. 9.6 million ($926) for the 8GB iPhone and Rp. 11.2 million ($1081) for the 16GB model, including in both cases tax and 500MB of mobile data package per month for 12 months. With this anniversary promotion, the pre-paid option also received a million Rupiah price drop.

The big question among Indonesian minds now is whether Telkomsel will offer the next iPhone model as soon as it is made available by Apple or whether they will make their customers wait several weeks to allow for the older iPhone 3G to fully run out.

Samsung Recalls 160,000 Jitterbug Phones

Thousands of phones sold by Jitterbug, a mobile operator that specializes in simple handsets for limited uses such as emergency calls, are being recalled because they can't be used to call 911 in some rare cases.

Jitterbug sells bare-bones handsets and no-contract service plans geared toward seniors and other consumers who don't make heavy use of cell phones. One of its phones, the Jitterbug OneTouch, has dedicated buttons for the Jitterbug operator, one preset number, and 911 in place of a numeric keypad. Jitterbug has service and roaming agreements with many CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) operators around the country.

That phone, as well as the standard Jitterbug phone with a keypad, have been recalled because they can't be used to call 911 emergency lines in some areas where they should be able to. Manufacturer Samsung Telecommunications America is recalling about 160,000 of the phones for a free software upgrade that can't be done over the air, according to Jitterbug Founder and Chairman Arlene Harris. There have been no reported accidents or injuries caused by the phones, according to a notice by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Users would only run into the problem in rare circumstances, according to Harris. In an area where there is a CDMA network but Jitterbug doesn't have a roaming agreement with the carrier, the phones can't be used for regular calls and users receive an "out of range, try again later" message on the handset's screen. While the phones should still be able to reach 911 through the local network, the recalled handsets cannot.

Customers could only encounter this problem in a few small areas of the country, Harris said. Samsung is conducting the recall voluntarily and is helping Jitterbug reach its customers by letter. Phones purchased from Jitterbug today don't have the flaw, Harris said.

Palm's new smart phone synchronizes with iTunes

NEW YORK - Palm Inc. said Thursday that its much-awaited new smart phone, the Pre, can connect to Apple's iTunes software and download music and photos just as if it were an iPod or iPhone.

The feature might be unique for a device not made by Apple Inc., though third-party software is available that lets some digital music players masquerade as iPods in iTunes.

Palm Inc.'s new phone goes on sale June 6, with Sprint Nextel Corp. as the exclusive launch carrier. It will be $200 with a two-year contract and a rebate, competing with Apple's iPhone in the market for high-end smart phones.

Jon Rubinstein, Palm's executive chairman and former Apple executive, said he didn't worry about objections from his former employer.

"We're trying to make customers happy," he said at The Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif., where he offered a demonstration. "It's a great feature."

Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr declined to comment.

Also Thursday, the chief executive of Verizon Wireless, Lowell McAdam, said his company will carry the Pre within six months, although a Sprint Nextel spokesman said Sprint will be the exclusive carrier until at least the end of the year. Palm's Rubinstein declined to comment.

AT&T eyes sale of Palm Pre

AT&T Inc's (T.N) Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said on Wednesday that the No. 2 U.S. mobile service would be keen to sell Palm Inc's (PALM.O) high-profile Pre phone at some point in the future.

Pre -- due to go on sale on June 6 exclusively at AT&T's smaller rival Sprint Nextel (S.N) -- is seen as Palm's best hope to win back market share lost to rivals such as Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPhone.

AT&T is the exclusive U.S. provider for the iPhone. In response to a question about the Pre at the All Things Digital conference near San Diego, Stephenson said Sprint currently has the exclusive rights for Pre but added that he would like to sell the Pre one day.

"Would I like to see that on our network some day? Of course I would," said Stephenson. "We obviously talk to all the handset manufacturers. We want a broad selection of devices in the lineup. That's important. Devices right now are what's driving the customer adoption as much as anything."

Verizon to sell Palm Pre, new BlackBerry phones

Palm Inc's (PALM.O) iPhone competitor Pre got an unexpected boost on Thursday as No. 1 U.S. mobile service Verizon Wireless said Pre would be part of its upcoming device line-up, sending Palm shares up 8.8 percent.

Palm is depending heavily on Pre to revamp its own business and regain market share from rivals such as Apple Inc (AAPL.O). Pre is also seen as key to helping stem customer losses at Verizon's smaller rival Sprint Nextel Corp (S.N), which is launching the Pre exclusively on June 6.

Verizon, the No. 1 U.S. mobile service, will offer Pre in the next six months or so, company Chief Executive Lowell McAdam said during a conference webcast.

Verizon Wireless said its phone line-up would also include a new version of the touchscreen controlled BlackBerry Storm from Research In Motion Ltd (RIM.TO)(RIMM.O) and a new BlackBerry called Tour. Also slated are devices from Motorola Inc (MOT.N) and phones based on Android, the Google Inc (GOOG.O) mobile system.

"Over the next six months or so you will see devices like Palm Pre and a second generation Storm," on the Verizon Wireless network, McAdam said. "You can expect to see us launch a steady stream of new devices from multiple vendors."

Some analysts had worried that Palm was limiting Pre's success by forging an exclusive agreement with Sprint, which lasts at least until year end, as first reported by Reuters in February and confirmed by Sprint on Thursday.

As a result, UBS analyst Maynard Um said Verizon's Pre news was encouraging for Palm investors. But the analyst predicted increasing competition in the advanced phone market, saying that Motorola "could be the wildcard in the smartphone race" as it has the potential to be most aggressive on price.

"However, visibility in an increasingly competitive market is still limited," the analyst said in a research note.

Um also said he expects other new Palm phones based on the same operating system as Pre. For example Randall Stephenson, the chief Executive for AT&T Inc (T.N), the No. 2 U.S. mobile service, had said during a conference on Wednesday that his company would also like to sell Pre but he did not give a timeframe. AT&T uses a different network technology to Sprint.

The comments come ahead of Sprint's long-awaited Saturday, June 6, launch of Pre and the expected announcement of a new iPhone from Apple in the week after that.

Top executives from both Palm and Sprint have said they expect Pre shortages around the launch because of strong demand.

McAdam's announcement was also a boost for Motorola Inc (MOT.N), which has been steadily losing market share and is pinning its hopes on the launch of a new line-up of advanced phones based on Android later this year.

Source NEW YORK (Reuters) -

Sony Ericsson Offers Nintendo-Like Gaming Phone

Sony Ericsson took a step closer to integrating with parent Sony on Thursday by announcing the Aino, a touchscreen mobile phone that synchronizes with Sony PlayStation 3 video-game consoles.

The Aino comes with an eight-megapixel camera and connects to the PlayStation through an included charging stand. It offers wireless connectivity through GSM, UMTA, HSPA and Wi-Fi. The phone also has a microSD card slot.

The handset maker also showed off the Satio mobile phone, which it had previously announced as the Idou. The Satio has an unusual 12-megapixel high-resolution camera and a 3.5-inch touchscreen. It will be the first Sony Ericsson smartphone to use the Symbian Foundation operating system.

Also introduced at an event in London was the Yari, a 4.1-ounce mobile phone built for gaming. It has a slider keyboard and an accelerometer so the user can wave it like a Nintendo Wii controller to interact with games. The phone also has a five-megapixel camera and GPS. It can use GSM, UMTS and HSPA wireless services.

All three phones are expected to become available in the third quarter.Prices were not given

3G Auction a Priority for India's Communications Minister

India's auction of 3G licenses will be a priority, A. Raja, the country's minister of communications and information technology, told the Press Trust of India news agency on Thursday after he was sworn in to the post.

Raja did not specify a timeline for the auction.

The auction has been frequently postponed because of differences between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on the floor price for the auction. The Ministry of Finance favored an increase in the floor price to raise more revenue from the auction, according to sources.

Elections to the federal parliament, started in April, further delayed the auction.

Raja, who was minister of communications and information technology before the elections, was sworn in again on Thursday after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was re-elected this month.

No longer dependent on communist members of parliament for its majority in parliament, the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to push through economic reforms in a number of sectors, including communications.

The communications ministry announced in December plans to auction 3G licenses and spectrum by January 16. Both Indian and foreign bidders were to be allowed to bid, though the foreign winning bidders would be limited to a 74 percent stake in companies operating 3G services.

Sony Ericsson introduces Christmas line-up

Sony Ericsson introduced a new phone on Thursday that allows consumers to connect to their PlayStation3 gaming consoles, part of its Christmas line-up and its strongest sign yet of integration with parent Sony Corp.

The world's fifth-biggest handset maker, which has slid down the rankings as the mid-market handset segment has been squeezed, said telecoms operators were hungry for phones that could drive data usage without needing huge subsidies.

"What they are looking for are chances to offer unlimited broadband data tariffs while reducing customer acquisition costs," Lennard Hoornik, Sony Ericsson's global head of marketing, told Reuters.

Sony Ericsson said it would launch a virtual software applications store -- joining a host who have rushed to ape the phenomenal popularity of Apple's AppStore -- and would announce details at next week's JavaOne Conference.

Money-losing Sony Ericsson is in need of new models to renew its offering since the appeal of the years-old Sony-branded Cybershot cameraphones and Walkman music phones has faded.

The Aino phone will allow users to manage media stored on their PlayStation3, much like the PSP mobile console and helping position the video-gaming console as a media hub, but will not allow them to play games or access high-definition video.

Sony Ericsson has rapidly lost market share in recent quarters as demand for so-called feature phones has suffered during the recession. Market expansion has been seen at the high-end smartphone and low-end emerging-markets extremes.

"At last there's a cooperation between a Sony product and a Sony Ericsson phone," said Ben Wood of UK-based research firm CCS Insight. "Previously, it was just branding. We see it as a statement of intent."

Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Japanese electronics maker Sony and Swedish telecoms gear maker Ericsson, is battling with deep losses and is expected to need at least 100 million euros ($139 million) in extra funds in the next year.

Sony Ericsson said the Aino, which will allow consumers to access media content from their PlayStation gaming machine on the move, would be available in the fourth quarter, along with two other phones presented at a London event.

The Satio, previously announced at February's Mobile World Congress as the Idou, has a 12-megapixel high-resolution camera, while the Yari contains a Nintendo Wii-like gesture sensor for gaming.

Satio will not go on sale until the fourth quarter, which could mean Sony Ericsson would miss the chance to be first to market with a 12-megapixel camera phone, said CCS's Wood.

Japan university gives away iPhones to nab truants

TOKYO -

A prestigious Japanese university is giving away hundreds of iPhones, in part to use its Global Positioning System to nab students that skip class.

Truants in Japan often fake attendance by getting friends to answer roll-call or hand in signed attendance cards. That's verging on cheating since attendance is a key requirement for graduation here.

Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo is giving Apple Inc.'s iPhone 3G to 550 students in its School of Social Informatics, which studies the use of Internet and computer technology in society.

The gadget will work as a tool for studies, but it also comes with GPS, a satellite navigation system that automatically checks on its whereabouts. The university plans to use that as a way check attendance.

Students who skip class could still fake attendance by giving their iPhone to a friend who goes to class. But youngsters aren't likely to lend their mobile phones, which are packed with personal information and e-mail, according to the university.

U.S. universities use the iPhone for various, other purposes. At Stanford University, students have developed iPhone applications in a course. At Duke University, the gadget is used to get around the campus and find information about course listings and other events.

Aoyama Gakuin signed a deal earlier this month with Softbank Corp., the exclusive vendors of the iPhone in Japan.

The number of students using the iPhone is expected to reach 1,000 in the program — the first time the iPhone is being used on such a scale at a Japanese university.

The iPhone will be used to relay course materials, lecture videos and tests. The university hopes students will develop software applications and other lifestyle uses for the cell phone.

Melissa Weber, Queens NY Teacher Arrested for having Sex with 14yo Student

Melissa Weber, 27, a middle school social studies teacher in Queens New York is accused of having sex on 7 different occasions with one of her 14 year old students.

The incidents allegedly started on or around April 13 and continued for about a month. The boys mom was encouraged by friends and members of the school’s PTA to investigate after they told her they suspected inappropriate behavior between Weber and her son.

The boy’s mother found out Melissa Weber’s phone number and checked her son’s cellphone, finding that there were literally hundreds pf phone calls and text messages between the two. Some of the text messages from Weber warned the teen boy to not tell anyone about their relationship and near the end when Weber feared getting caught, one message simply said “Erase your phone.”

Weber, of West Babylon, New York is awaiting an arraignment hearing for the charges of statutory rape, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. She could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.

[Source: New York Post]

Kavya Shivashankar

Kavya Shivashankar, a 13-year-old girl from Kansas, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee 2009, outspelling 11 other finalists. The word that gave her the win was "Laodicean." Ahem, to be honest with you guys, this is a new word for me, this is the first time for me to meet this word. The meaning of the word is "lukewarm or indifferent, esp. in religion, as were the early Christians of Laodicea."

Kavya, a sweet smiling girl brought home $40,000 and a big trophy. Wow, I have about 10 years in my hand to prepare my little boy for a contest like this :)

Noemi Letizia, the mistress to 72 -year-old Italian PM and billionaire Silvio Berlusconi. He denied having an improper relationship with Noemi Letizia. The 72-year-old said he would resign if caught lying about it.

Political scandals in Italy are not uncommon like Noemi Letizia and the PM. News comes that finally the wife of PM Silvio Berlesconi, Beronica Laro, wants a divorce to the billionaire tycoon and head of the Italian government after knowing about Noemi Letizia. Now, meet the girl who was the last straw in the long suffering Italian saga, Noemi Letizia.

Noemi Letizia has been quoted as saying she calls Berlusconi “papi” or “Daddy” and has been photographed sporting a gold and diamond necklace the premier reportedly gave Noemi Letizia as a birthday gift.

Noemi Letizia: Pictures of Noemi Letizia

Noemi Letizia, the mistress to 72 -year-old Italian PM and billionaire Silvio Berlusconi. He denied having an improper relationship with Noemi Letizia. The 72-year-old said he would resign if caught lying about it.

Political scandals in Italy are not uncommon like Noemi Letizia and the PM. News comes that finally the wife of PM Silvio Berlesconi, Beronica Laro, wants a divorce to the billionaire tycoon and head of the Italian government after knowing about Noemi Letizia. Now, meet the girl who was the last straw in the long suffering Italian saga, Noemi Letizia.

Noemi Letizia has been quoted as saying she calls Berlusconi “papi” or “Daddy” and has been photographed sporting a gold and diamond necklace the premier reportedly gave Noemi Letizia as a birthday gift.

Naoemi Letizia Pictures below

ROLAND GARROS 2ND ROUND: RAFA NADAL VS TEIMURAZ GABASHVILI

After a day’s rest and a ‘full-on training session’, Rafa will return to his beloved French Open clay courts today in the last match of the day. The World No.1 will face Russia’s Teimuraz Gabashvili in the second round of the tournament, in front of hundreds of fans who will be waiting for him at the Suzanne Lenglen stadium.

Yesterday afternoon, Rafa trained for a couple of hours under a dull Paris sky, and prepared himself for his second meeting against the Russian. The pair met for the first time at the beginning of the season at the Miami Masters Series event, which Rafa won in straight sets: 6-2, 6-2.

Against Gabashvili, Rafa expects to play better than he did in the first round because he felt “he was standing around more than usual, and that extra hundredth-of-a-second [wasted] could change things [drastically],” said Rafa, “I’ve played short, without a real game plan and without consistency. I have to [make sure] I play more inside the court and that my shots hurt more.”

“I trust and hope [my presence at] the tournament is long, so that I can adapt, get better and have a better feeling,” concluded Rafael.

Now, let’s not forget that today is also a very exciting day for soccer fans, who like Rafa, will be following closely tonight’s Champion’s League final between Manchester United and Barcelona.

Rafa of course, is very excited about it and as he shared with his fans yesterday on his blog, he hopes he can watch it “on-site after my match,” depending what time he finishes. Otherwise he will watch it “at my hotel with my team and other players staying there as well”.

And for those who are wondering, Rafa will be supporting Barcelona. “I like ManU a lot and I always play with them at Play Station but Barcelona is Spain so I will cheer for them.”