13
Mar
2007
AV Zombie: According to reports in the Japanese press, Matsushita, parent of Panasonic, is planning to shed 5,000 jobs in order to streamline its worldwide operation and raise profitability.
It’s the first major restructuring to be announced by the company since 2001, when it cut 25,000 positions.
12
Mar
2007
Dailytech: (…) Emotiv Solutions debuted the Project Epoc system, a brain-computer interface system comprised of a headset that is able to read the electric signals of the human brain. It also has the ability to detect and process a player’s conscious and unconscious emotions during game play. The technology was unveiled during the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.
The Epoc is primarily aimed at increasing the amount of realism for gamers, but it could also alter the way humans and computers interact according to Nam Do, Emotiv chief executive. The game reportedly makes it possible for gamers to control and manipulate the virtual world in a video game with thoughts and/or emotions.
12
Mar
2007
Reuters: Calls made on cell phones do not affect hospital medical devices, U.S. researchers said on Friday, but store anti-theft alarms might make implanted heart devices misfire.
Tests at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (US) showed normal use of cell phones, also called mobile phones, caused no noticeable interference with patient care equipment, they said.
But a portable CD player caused an abnormal electrocardiographic (ECG) reading when a patient used it near one of the leads of the device, according to one of several reports in the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
And at least two reports suggest that anti-theft devices set up near the doors of retail stores can cause implantable rhythm devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators to malfunction.
Most hospitals forbid the use of cell phones.(…)
12
Mar
2007
Engadget: The 27 leaders of the European Union have decided that all member states will have to use energy efficient lighting before 2010. The switchover, which will affect all of the EU’s 470 million+ citizens, was developed with the aim of meeting targets to reduce energy usage by 20 percent by 2020.
To that end, a commission will be accepting proposals for enabling the switchover “for office and street lighting to be adopted by 2008 and on incandescent lamps and other forms of lighting in private households by 2009.”
12
Mar
2007
Heise: According to a study entitled Global Tech Insight 2006 conducted by TNS Infratest, most Germans still tend to shy away from television and Internet on their cell phones. Only 14 percent of cell phone users use their mobile devices to surf the Internet, while only two percent use a TV function. In contrast, 16 percent listen to the radio over their mobiles. The study found that mobile phones are still most frequently used to make calls, write text messages, and take photos.When asked why they were not using other services such as mobile Internet, television, and radio, the majority of cell phone users stated that they did not need them or that the costs were either too high or too hard to understand. In addition, some of the people surveyed stated that the quality of images on mobile TV services was not sufficient.
12
Mar
2007
Crave: (…) A study commissioned by phone retailer MPhone has surmised that both genders generally like the same models but want different colors. (Stop the presses!) The report also contained the blockbuster finding that “men were twice as likely to buy black phones,” according to Gadgets Weblog.
And how reliable is this research? Consider this statement from an MPhone rep: “While we know who is ordering the phones, our data does not indicate who is actually going to be carrying the phone. This may affect our results any number of ways.”
Gee, thanks.
12
Mar
2007
Engdaget: As Bloomberg sets out to install a high-tech GPS video monitor in every New York City taxi cab, many drivers are prepping to strike.
Philadelphia cab drivers faced the same challenges last year and decided to strike, however, units were installed anyway — indicative of what we might see later on this year.
The monitors would be mandatorily installed in the backs of all 13,000 NYC cabs, providing entertainment with commercials and allowing credit card transactions.
The meter activates GPS tracking of each trip’s beginning and end destination, which many drivers claim is an invasion of privacy. Also, drivers who are buying their vehicles will be forced to shell out $2,900 to $7,200 for use of the units over a three-year period.
12
Mar
2007
Reuters: European Union consumer chief Meglena Kuneva has hit out at Apple Inc.’s bundling of its popular iPod music players and its iTunes online music store, according to German weekly magazine Focus.
“Do you think it’s fine that a CD plays in all CD players but that an iTunes song only plays in an iPod? I don’t. Something has to change,” EU Consumer Protection Commissioner Kuneva was quoted as saying in a preview of an interview to be published on Monday.
Apple could not be immediately reached for comment on the report.
Norway, a European country that is not in the EU, is battling Apple for the same reason. In January, it said the computer and software giant must liberalize its music download system by October 1 or face legal action.
Pressure on Apple has been building, with consumer rights organizations from Germany, France, Finland and Norway recently agreeing a joint position in their battles against iTunes. (…)
12
Mar
2007
AV Zombie: Sales of HD disc formats haven’t exactly set the world alight, but that hasn’t stopped UK-based New Medium Enterprises from championing its high-capacity Versatile Multilayer Disc (VMD) format at the recent Media-Tech expo in Spain.
The company demonstrated an ‘off the shelf’ DVD drive equipped with HD VMD PC playback software, along with its new HD VMD media player. It says proprietary PC drives will go on sale in Q3 07.
VMD technology can provide up to eight information layers on each side of a DVD (delivery 20GB a side) and can be utilized for both blue laser and red laser formats.
“The release of the HD VMD PC products is timed perfectly to coincide with the launch of HD VMD content from various distribution partners in key regions,” said Mahesh Jayanarayan, NME CEO. VMD claims to have support from content providers and distributors in 12 regions worldwide, including Brazil, Central Europe, China, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Japan, the Middle East Russia, Scandinavia and the US.
12
Mar
2007
EETimes: Matsushita Electric received final bids on Friday (March 9) from two suitors for the sale of its JVC subsidiary.As expected, Texas Pacific Group (TPG) and Cerberus Capital Management tendered bids, according to industry sources. Matsushita, which holds 52.4 percent of JVC’s equity, declined to comment on the bids.
TPG is seeking to buy out all of JVC’s stock. Cerberus is proposing a management buyout involving JVC’s management team. Sources said TPG offered a better price based on JVC’s stock price.
Matsushita said it will select a bid and complete a deal by the end of March, which is the end of its current fiscal year. (…)
09
Mar
2007
BornRich: Remember, the Fujitsu’s Turntable PC, we told you about (…) which allows you to control your MP3s, either from the laptop itself or from a connected player. Now, if you are a musician and not just a listener then we have SoundGate, a computer specially designed for musicians by Nicolas Gonzalez Garrido.
The SoundGate tablet PC comes preloaded with software tools that help individual learning, add tutor lessons and live playing. The Tablet facilitates the creative process by recording playing sessions, recognizing and transcribing music, prompting sheet music and lyrics, generating electronic accompanist sound and displaying onscreen timing and metronome.
The SoundGate PC features a 10″ touchscreen LCD screen and a QWERTY flip keyboard which is just fine for writing lyrics. The SoundGate PC features playback/record buttons on top and volume knobs inside . I/O ports include headphones jack, RCA, USB, XLR, 6.3 mm audio jack, LAN/Magic and integrated optical drive. Music special functions include jog-dial with two used defined soft keys and two buttons for choosing an effect to apply to the songs and one for controlling the intensity of that effect.
09
Mar
2007
AV zombie: Samsung is planning to invest 147.4 billion Won (nearly 120 million euro) in an LCD TV module plant in Trnava, Slovakia. The company says it will open its doors early 2008, producing TVs for the growing European market.
The company already has TV and monitor plants in Budapest Hungary and Galanta Slovakia. (…)