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Hexus: BenQ presents two new digital projectors; the SP920 and the SP870. Both XGA projectors (1,024 x 768 resolution) deliver an ultra-high brightness level, with the SP920 boasting an impressive 6,000 ANSI lumens, and the SP870 5,000 ANSI Lumens.

Users will no longer have to turn off lights when showing presentations, as the BenQ SP920 and SP870 are suitable for high-ambient-light environments ranging from meeting rooms to auditoriums.

These two models are at the top end of BenQ’s data & home digital projector range.

In addition to featuring a super brightness level, the SP920 and SP870 also packs in the punches with a full suite of features including 2,000:1 sharp contrast ratio, BrilliantColor, Presentation Timer, Quick Auto Source, 30-second Quick Cooling, Lamp Care, Wall Color Correction, 3D colour management, and Blackboard Mode.

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Electronista: BenQ may shift much of its handheld business from cellphones to Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), according to unofficial reports from within the company. The contacts claim that the launch of an Intel Atom-based MID in the summer will signal the start a transition to where most every mobile device from BenQ will fulfill similar roles, which include basic web browsing and e-mail access as well as media playback and video conferencing. Cellphones will only be made as customers request them, according to the claims.

The electronics maker has often been just a smaller player in the cellphone industry. Although BenQ’s cellphone sales have increased by about 40 percent from quarter-to-quarter, the company has sold no more than 50,000 phones and recently left the lucrative Chinese market. The small output gives BenQ little room to bargain as carriers look to cellphone manufacturers with large scale and thus cheaper phones.

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Techradar.com: BenQ has released one of its most connected phones yet; a smartphone that works seamlessly on both mobile and WiFi networks, meaning you can go between GSM and WiFi without dropping a call.

The E72 uses Windows Mobile 6 software, so you can cater to all your business needs on the move. Aesthetically, the phone is great too – at just 13mm thick, it’s one of the slimmest smartphones on the market.

Packed into the slender chassis is some IM software. This is the first device of its kind to use instant messaging and means that no matter what IM network you use – be it MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo ICQ, AOL or Jabber – you can log in and start texting.

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Absolute Gadget: We quite like going to the cinema. But we also like the phrase “cinema class projectors”, which means you won’t have to fork out a mortgage for a small popcorn or swap seats to avoid the seven-foot guy who’s plonked down in front of you. And BenQ has two news ones in its range… 

The W5000 and W20000 both feature BenQ’s Senseye technology, Texas Instruments’ 1080p DLP DMD chipset, and a HQV high-performance video processor.

That gives the W20000 a contrast ratio of 20000:1, while the W5000 offers 10000:1.

According to BenQ, both offer true cinematic full 1080p HD experience and perform seamlessly with a wide range of devices – from conventional VCR players to the latest HD-DVD or Blu-ray players.

“The projectors enhance image contrast via their Dual Iris technology, so that bright images become brighter and dark images become darker,” read a statement from BenQ projected onto a wall.

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NaviGadget: BenQ will be introducing a mobile internet device (MID) at CES 2008 called BenQ MID. Even though the press release does not mention an embedded GPS receiver a picture we found has an icon for GPS meaning the new device will have some sort of maps and/or directions capability – possibly using an external GPS receiver via bluetooth.BenQ MID includes various wireless connectivity options such as WiFi and 3.5G. It will have a generous 4.8 inch (12 cm) touch screen which will let you browse the full-internet and still consume less power than regular UMPC’s.

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Engadget: As if there wasn’t enough scandal surrounding the bankruptcy of BenQ Mobile, the dead handset company has just filed its third lawsuit since July against former parent company BenQ. This time BenQ Mobile’s insolvency administrator Martin Prager wants €26 million Euro to pay executive bonuses that BenQ the parent approved, but BenQ Mobile had to pay after BenQ pulled the investment plug.

In July Prager filed two lawsuits that amounted to €80 million for account payables made by BenQ Mobile to BenQ in 2006. BenQ’s considering counterclaims against those July suits.

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PC Retail: Taiwanese technology firm BenQ has announced it is to rebrand as Qisda. Standing for ‘quality innovation speed driving and achievement’, the new name for its corporate business replaces the six year-old BenQ branding.

In a statement, the firm said: “BenQ will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Qisda and will keep BenQ as its brand name. The own-brand product lines will remain the same as now, covering wireless communication products, mobile phones, LCD monitors, LCD TVs, Joybook notebooks, optical storage products, MFPs and scanners.”

The company will focus on its four key markets of LCD monitors, projectors, multi-function peripherals and mobile phone handsets. The company will retain its consumer electronics division, although it will be focusing most of its attention on its profitable LCD division, which currently accounts for 35 per cent of the company’s revenues.

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IFdesign: (…) when a mobile phone tries to do everything, the solutions are always too complex. The functionality loses its familiar forms to communicate with users that result in difficult use and compromised experience. (…) The Black Box concept is to recall and respect the classic long-time conventions and real-world experiences of using various common tools and devices; keep only the meaningful and minimal interface elements to fulfill the maximal user desires. Back to classics. Back to basics.

(source: Earlyadaptors)

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Yahoo: Siemens AG tried Sunday to blunt fierce criticism from politicians, labor unions and the media for unloading its mobile phone business on a Taiwanese company which has failed to keep it afloat.

The German electronics and engineering conglomerate ceded its unprofitable handset business to Taiwan’s BenQ Corp. last year as part of a restructuring drive under chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld. (…)

However, BenQ unexpectedly pulled the plug last week, saying it could not afford to pump in more capital and that it saw only “a very slim chance” of turning the business around.

BenQ Mobile filed for insolvency protection on Friday and a court-appointed administrator said Saturday that he had three months to try to salvage it.

With 3,000 German jobs at stake, labor leaders and politicians have accused Siemens as well as BenQ of betrayal and are putting massive pressure on the Munich-based company to step in to help.

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Heisse: Having taken over Siemens’ mobile phone division, the BenQ group’s mobile phone business in Germany is now facing imminent collapse. BenQ Mobile GmbH would in all likelihood in the next few days file for bankruptcy, a spokesman of the company said in Munich today. The move will affect the headquarters in Munich and the production locations Bocholt and Kamp-Lintfort, where about 3000 people are employed.

In a press release by the parent company it says that the company had “resolved to discontinue capital injection” into BenQ Mobile GmbH & Co OHG. The revenue and margin development during the important Christmas season would definitely fail to meet expectations, the company has declared.

Update: The bankruptcy of Siemens’ erstwhile cell phone division with its 3000 employees is now official. BenQ Mobile had filed for bankruptcy protection, a spokesperson of the Municipal Court in Munich stated today. The daughter company of the Taiwanese BenQ group is thus facing imminent collapse.

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Nothing to see on the BenQ Siemens website. However, Gizmodo is bringing the news about the Oxyon, a slider phone that looks like a clone of the Apple iPhone (which – mind you – doesn’t exist yet).
Gizmodo: Not content to let LG and their Chocolate phone hog the title of world’s sexiest phone, BenQ-Siemens has been quietly working on a prototype of a new device to wow the world. The fruit of their efforts? This Oxyon phone with a white, iPod-like finish and a slide out dial pad. Wow indeed.
Ignoring potential usability issues with a vertical dial pad, the phone’s features seem pretty top notch. It’s got a VGA display, 3-megapixel camera, MP3/AAC/WMA/WAV playback and a microSD slot for expandability. It won’t be released until sometime in 2007.

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Heise: The Taiwanese group BenQ wants to sell its mobile phone manufacturing division that goes by the name of Mobile, a report in the upcoming edition of the German manager magazin will claim. Despite the change of ownership sales of what used to be Siemens mobile phones were not making the kind of progress the company had hoped, the report by the magazine goes on to say. Hence BenQ’s CEO Kuen-Yao Leedie was aiming to sell the company’s mobile phone manufacturing division to an outsourcing specialist. (…)

BenQ took over Siemens’ mobile phone division in October 2005. Back in August the word still was that BenQ was not expecting to make a profit until next year. A short time ago the company had moreover announced that it would not be present at next year’s CeBIT event with a stand of its own.

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