Archive for the ‘Announce’ Category

SWSPG adds new members and announces commercial TVWS pilot deployments

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

The Singapore White Spaces Pilot Group (SWSPG) added six new members today, and launched three commercial pilot deployments of TV White Spaces (TVWS) smart radio technology.

The three founding members of the SWSPG added six new members today.

The three founding members of the SWSPG added six new members today.

The three founding members (Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R), Microsoft Singapore and StarHub) of the SWSPG introduced the following six members today.

  1. Neul Ltd, a Cambridge, UK-based TVWS Solutions and Services Company.
  2. Adaptrum, a Silicon Valley, US-based TVWS technology and solutions provider; whose TVWS System ACRS 1.0 was certified by the FCC and commercially deployed in the US.
  3. Power Automation Pte Ltd (a joint venture between Singapore Power and Siemens) which is a provider of smart grid solutions.
  4. Singapore Island Country Club, a golf and country club in Singapore.
  5. Spectrum Bridge Inc, a developer of spectrum management systems and a provider of spectrum sharing solutions, whose TVWS platform was the first to obtain FCC certification in the US.
  6. ZDW Systems Pte Ltd, an equipment manufacturer and solutions provider for wireless communications coverage enhancement networks.

The group also announced the first series of commercial pilot deployments of TVWS smart radio technology in Singapore.

“The Singapore TVWS pilots are very timely with the on-going digital TV transition and rising trends of the Internet of Things and Smart City regionally,” said Michael Thatcher, Chief Technology Officer, Public Sector, Microsoft Asia Pacific.

This will hopefully introduce a new class of wireless connectivity to Singapore, putting the island nation at the forefront of a new wave of wireless services innovation and Smart City applications.

With the support of IDA, these first three commercial pilot projects will attempt to demonstrate the characteristics and benefits of TVWS solutions in different environments and with different usage applications.

The first demo will penetrate the dense vegetation and challenging terrain of the SICC to enable wireless connectivity.

“IDA welcomes industry-led efforts such as the TVWS commercial pilots by the SWSPG. We will continue to support and provide regulatory guidance to industry initiatives looking at new and innovative ways to deploy TVWS,” said Aileen Chia, Deputy Diretor-General (Telecoms & Post), Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore.

The second demo will provide long-range wireless Internet coverage across the waters at the Singapore harbour.

The third demo will support smart grid applications that will impact the million households in Singapore.

These commercial pilots are conducted under a test licence from IDA and utilise a TVWS Geo-location Database developed by Microsoft, with the advice and inputs from IDA.

Nokia and Microsoft media event in New York

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Nokia and Microsoft are hosting a media event in New York today – probably to launch one or more smartphones running on the Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Nokia and Microsoft joint media event: 9:30am (ET), 10pm (Singapore Time).

Nokia and Microsoft joint media event: 9:30am (ET), 10pm (Singapore Time).

The joint conference from Nokia and Microsoft will take place at 9.30am (ET) today. That’s 10pm tonight in Singapore.

You can tune in here to follow the live webcast.

RIM unveils details of BlackBerry US$10k Developer Commitment initiative

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

RIM has announced the details to two initiatives to attract developers to the BlackBerry 10 platform: the US$10k Developer Commitment initiative and Built for BlackBerry initiatives.

RIM BlackBerry 10 US$10K Developer Commitment.

RIM BlackBerry 10 US$10K Developer Commitment.

First announced during BlackBerry 10 Jam Singapore, the US$10,000 Developer Commitment initiative is offered to developers that meet the following criteria.

US$10K Developer Commitment

Developers must certify their apps through the Built for BlackBerry program and submit them prior to the launch of BlackBerry 10.

RIM Built for BlackBerry developer initiative.

RIM Built for BlackBerry developer initiative.

Over the period of 12 months from launch of BlackBerry 10, if the app earns at least US$1,000 on its own but less than US$10,000, RIM will pay the developer the difference between the revenue earned and US$10,000.

Developers are only eligible to receive this one time. In the event where the app earns less than US$1,000 or more than US$10,000, the app is not qualified to be part of the program.

Built for BlackBerry

The Built for BlackBerry program will be initiated this September and allow developers to submit their BlackBerry 10 apps for third-party review.

From productivity apps to lifestyle apps to games, developers will be able to submit their BlackBerry 10 WebWorks or BlackBerry 10 Native app to the Built for BlackBerry program, and when cleared through the review, will receive the “Built for BlackBerry” quality status.

The “Built for BlackBerry” designation will convey to customers the added level of evaluation an app has gone through and that it meets RIM’s high standards for quality and performance.Developers will be able to display this title on their website, on the BlackBerry App World storefront, and anywhere else they market their apps.It is a means for professional developers to differentiate their apps on BlackBerry App World.

The program will be free for now.

News flash: Nikon D4 and D800 win EISA awards

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

Nikon D4 has received the “European Professional Camera of the Year 2012-2013 Award” while the Nikon D800 has received the “European Camera of the Year 2012-2013 Award”.

Nikon D4 (left) and D800. Not shown to scale.

Nikon D4 (left) and D800. Not shown to scale.

The Nikon D4 and Nikon D800 FX-format digital-SLR cameras were awarded the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) Photo Awards.

Read the citations by EISA for the two cameras below.

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New headphones: Sennheiser Amperior

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

Audio specialist Sennheiser has launched the Amperior headphones (S$499), which will make its debut in Singapore at COMEX 2012 on 30 August.

Sennheiser Amperior, available from 30 August at S$499.

Sennheiser Amperior, available from 30 August at S$499.

Modeled on the Sennheiser HD 25 DJ headphone, the new Amperior is DJ-inspired and designed for the urban lifestyle.

The Sennheiser Amperior headphones come with a luxurious aluminium finish in silver or blue.

The headphones come with an aluminium finish in silver or blue.

The rugged headphones can cope with an extremely high sound pressure level and offer professional-level sound.

Powerful neodymium magnets provide natural, lifelike sound reproduction with a frequency response of 16 to 22,000 Hertz.

The closed design reliably keeps out background noise, while the adjustable headband and low weight ensure a comfortable fit.

The ear cups can be rotated for the classic DJ monitoring style: one-sided listening.

The headphones are are equipped with a 3.5 millimetre stereo jack plug and the nominal impedance has been reduced to allow optimum connection to portable players.

Integrated smart remote controller.

Integrated smart remote controller.

For those who want to control Apple products such as an iPad, iPhone or iPod directly, an additional cable with an integrated smart remote is included.

This can be used not only to regulate the volume and select tracks but also to take phone calls and activate the voice control feature.

Below are the key tech specs.

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New headphones: Sony Extra Bass

Monday, August 27th, 2012

Sony has launched its new Extra Bass series of headphones. The four new over-the-ear headphones and three new in-ear headphones will be available in Singapore from September 2012. Prices TBA.

Update (25 September, 2012):

Here are the pricing for the Extra Bass Series of headphones.

X-Bass In-Ears
MDR-XB30EX S$49
MDR-XB60EX S$79
MDR-XB90EX S$119
X-Bass Over-band
MDR-XB200 S$49
MDR-XB400 S$79
MDR-XB600 S$119
MDR-XB900 S$199
Sony's Extra Bass series of 7 new headphones will be available in Singapore from September 2012.

Sony’s Extra Bass series of 7 new headphones will be available in Singapore from September 2012.

Sony’s Extra Bass series of headphones promises superior sound quality and deep, powerful bass to music lovers.

The Extra Bass series of headphones feature a special driver unit, as well as an Advanced Direct Vibe Structure that offers a high enclosed structure to deliver superior sound isolation and an extremely powerful bass to compliment every genre of music.

Over-the-Ear: XB200, XB400, XB600 and XB900
Sony Extra Bass MDR-XB900 over-the-ear headphones.The Extra Bass range of over-the-ear headphones is extremely portable due to their folding design.

The headphones also feature elasticised leather-covered urethane pads which form a comfortable, seamless seal over the ears.

In-ear: XB30EX, XB60EX and XB90EX
Sony Extra Bass MDR-XB90EXDespite their small sizes, these in-ear models still pack a strong punch when it comes to reproducing those pulsating beats that is such a common staple in modern music.

Vertical in-the-ear structures and hybrid silicone ear buds ensure a comfortable fit over long periods of time.

The Advanced Direct Vibe Structure allows for Capacity Optimisation that allows for the adjustment of the front diaphragm’s capacity to fine-tune the tone balance of both mid and high frequency sounds.

Here are the tech specs for the Sony Extra Bass series of headphones.

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New camera: Samsung WB100

Monday, August 27th, 2012

Samsung has announced the launch of the WB100 in Singapore. The 16-megapixel prosumer camera is priced at S$369 and has 26x optical zoom from 22.3mm wide to 580mm.

The 16-megapixel Samsung WB100 has 26x optical zoom and wide angle at 22.3mm.

The 16-megapixel Samsung WB100 has 26x optical zoom and wide angle at 22.3mm.

The WB100 will be available in black and red at COMEX 2012 with free promotional bundle of SD card and camera case worth S$55.

Samsung WB100
Megapixels 16.2 MP
Sensor 1/2.3″ CCD
Optical Zoom 26 x
Wide angle 22.3mm
Max zoom 580mm
LCD 3″ TFT
Movie HD 1280×720 30fps (H.264)
Flash Built-in
Image stabilisation Dual IS
Size /mm 114.48 x 79.26 x 86.45
Weight 403 g *
Aperture F3.1 to F5.9
Battery 4 x AA
Price S$369
* Weight excludes battery and memory card.

The Samsung WB100 makes a good travel companion with its long zoom and wide angle, all squeezed into a compact body.

The Samsung WB100 comes in black or red.

The Samsung WB100 comes in black or red.

The camera comes with Dual Image Stabilisation (OIS + DIS) and records 720p/30fps HD video.

Available from 30 August at COMEX 2012.

Available from 30 August at COMEX 2012.

It also captures 3D photos and features a Live Panorama Mode.

The camera includes Smart Filter and Magic Frame features for in-camera creative photo-effects.

TODAY! BlackBerry Bold 9790 in Pure White

Saturday, August 25th, 2012

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 is now available in Pure White in Singapore. RRP S$608 (incl. GST). SingTel sells it from today. M1 and StarHub from 7 September.

The Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9790 is available in Singapore TODAY!

The Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9790 is available in Singapore TODAY!

Powered by BlackBerry OS 7.1, the Bold 9790 Pure White has both a touch screen and BlackBerry’s popular QWERTY keyboard. It also has a precise optical trackpad.

Available from SingTel, M1 and StarHub.

Available from SingTel, M1 and StarHub.

The smartphone comes with 8GB memory and card slot for up to 32GB of additional storage..

BlackBerry 7.1 OS incorporates a new feature called BlackBerry Tag.

By simply tapping the NFC enabled BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone against another NFC enabled BlackBerry smartphone, customers can instantly invite a friend to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM)

Or exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos, and other multimedia content.

They can also pair their BlackBerry smartphone with an NFC enabled Bluetooth device.

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 can also boost a customer¹s productivity with Mobile Hotspot, which allows them to share their cellular connection with up to 5 Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptops and tablets.

New printer: Canon SELPHY CP900

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

Canon has announced its first Wi-Fi-enabled compact photo printer. The SELPHY CP900 hits the shelves in Singapore on 30 August at S$199.

The Canon SELPHY CP900 compact printer comes in black, white or pink.

The Canon SELPHY CP900 compact printer comes in black, white or pink.

With built-in Wi-Fi, the SELPHY CP900 enables users to instantly and wirelessly print photos taken with smartphones and tablets anytime, anywhere.

White Canon SELPHY CP900 compact printer.The compact printer can connect wirelessly to iOS and eventually to Android devices.

It can also connect wirelessly to a wide range of commonly-used devices like laptops and PCs to print photos.

iPhone/iPad users can print photos via Canon’s EasyPhotoPrint app which can be downloaded from the Apple App store.

The Android application will only be available end December 2012.

If you’re using a BlackBerry or Windows Phone, then you’re out of luck. You won’t be able to print directly from the smartphone or tablet to the CP900.

Black Canon SELPHY CP900 compact printer.

Black Canon SELPHY CP900 compact printer.

The SELPHY CP900’s wireless capabilities also support DPS over IP (this is a standard for interconnecting devices over LAN/wireless) for cameras to connect and print wirelessly without going through a router.

Printing from a memory card or external drives is also possible.

The SELPHY CP900 is equipped with a slot compatible with the widely-used SD/SDHC/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/ MMCplus/HC MMCplus storage cards.

It also has an USB slot for easy access to photos saved in a flash drive or hard disk.

Pink Canon SELPHY CP900 compact printer.

Pink Canon SELPHY CP900 compact printer.

The SELPHY CP900 uses a dye-sublimation system which provides excellent gradations at a high 300×300 dpi resolution.

The printer has three new optimisation scenes – Cloudy, Blue Sky and Sunset – and automatically and intelligently analyses and corrects images, correcting their brightness, contrast and reduces noise before printing.

Users can preview photos with the 2.7” LCD Display which has a wide viewing angle.

With the increasing popularity of photo-sharing software and apps like Instagram which captures photos in a square format,

“With an increasing amount of consumers using their mobile phones and popular apps such as Instagram to take photos, the SELPHY CP900 provides creative solutions which will allow for a more personalised, long-lasting copy of their photos and memories,” said Andrew Koh, Senior Director and General Manager of the Consumer Imaging and Information Products Group, Canon Singapore.

The SELPHY CP900 enables users to print square format photos from Instagram with the new 54 X 54mm square ratio paper.

Canon sticker labels available in this new size allow for easy personalisation on any surface.

The SELPHY CP900 can also print postcard size and ID photos of up to 28 different sizes (ICAO standard) with cropping.

佳能推出了新的袖珍型照片打印机。SELPHY CP900 利用dye sublimation 可引出鲜艳持久的照片。苹果iPhone使用者可利用其无限衔接能力方便印刷。Android使用者得等到年尾才会有适用的运用程序。Windows Phone 以及 BlackBerry 用户则无法直接通过手机传送印刷。” – 科技点心(微薄)

To maximise cost-efficiency, the SELPHY CP900 is also able to print ID photos of up to two different people on a single sheet of paper.

To prevent fading, photos printed with the SELPHY CP900 are protected by a durable protective print over-coating.

This protective over-coating helps preserve these precious memories for up to 100 years if kept in a photo album.

Forrester ranks Polycom top for video collaboration

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

In a new independent report from Forrester Research, Polycom has been ranked top for video collaboration strategy and current offerings.

Cisco was ranked a close second while Huawei was out of the top three.

The Forrester Wave: Room-Based Videoconferencing, Q3 2012 Report

The Forrester Wave: Room-Based Videoconferencing, Q3 2012 Report

Polycom received perfect scores in the categories of quality of experience, interoperability, product roadmap, partnerships, security and compliance.

“Polycom has a diverse portfolio of endpoints including a range of options that run the gamut from mobile and room-based systems to immersive telepresence,” wrote Phillip Karcher, the author of the Forrester Research report.

Polycom is a global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC), with a global ecosystem of over 7,000 partners.

The report, titled “The Forrester Wave: Room-Based Videoconferencing, Q3 2012”, uses 39 criteria to evaluate the top vendors in the industry, looking at video collaboration solutions for every work environment – from mobile and desktops to room systems and immersive telepresence – along with the services that support them.

The Forrester Wave report also discusses the growing interest in “face to face” video collaboration, which is helping businesses increase productivity, improve employee engagement and trust and lower costs.

“Polycom will also continue to offer the industry’s broadest multi-vendor integration and lowest TCO. For our more than 415,000 customers globally, Polycom is delivering innovations in video collaboration that are changing the way people work, collaborate, learn, govern, create and even help save lives,” said Andy Miller, CEO Polycom.

Polycom RealPresence video collaboration solutions deliver secure, high-quality video to companies of all sizes, so that teams can meet face-to-face with colleagues, partners and customers anywhere people work ― in the office, at home, on the go, or on the manufacturing floor, in a hospital or, at a movie set.

The RealPresence Platform provides the robust provisioning, management, scalability, reliability, flexibility and security required both for video enterprises and their private video clouds serving thousands of users, as well as for Video-as-a-Service (VaaS) delivered from the cloud potentially to tens of millions.

Read more about the Polycom RealPresence Video Collaboration Solutions below.

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