Telecoms News
July 31, 2007
Lumison, one of the UK's leading business-class ISPs, has warned of the implications of current flooding and the industry’s wider sensitivity to risks in the future, and that future floods in vulnerable areas could put the entire country’s internet infrastructure at risk. The chief executive officer of Lumison has reported that the potent combination of flood risk in the Thames gateway, ...
UK’s internet infrastructure at risk from future flooding
by Lin FreestoneLumison, one of the UK's leading business-class ISPs, has warned of the implications of current flooding and the industry’s wider sensitivity to risks in the future, and that future floods in vulnerable areas could put the entire country’s internet infrastructure at risk. The chief executive officer of Lumison has reported that the potent combination of flood risk in the Thames gateway, ...
Hauppage introduces low-cost HDTV tuner for PCs
by Janet Harris
Hauppage Digital has unveiled a £99 TV tuner card which enables free to air HD content to be viewed on a PC or linked TV. No subscription is required to watch the content.
The Hauppage WinTV-NOVA-HD-S2 card plugs into a PCI slot on a desktop PC and connects with a satellite ...Predicted 500 million global broadband users by 2010
by Lin FreestoneStrategy Analytics, a technology consultancy, predicts that by 2010 there will be more than 500 million mobile broadband subscribers in the world, with xDSL (ADSL etc.) representing over 50% of the market. It is predicted that, within the next three to five years, using a mobile handset to check e-mail, upload holiday photographs, blog or engage in multi-player games, with or ...
NXP invests €90m in wireless-USB technology
by Jan HarrisNXP Semiconductors plans to invest over €90m in wireless chip research and development, to make wireless-USB a mainstream technology for consumer electronic devices. NXP has expanded its existing research centre in Singapore to carry out the development work on W-USB technologies. Wireless USB is based on ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, supported by the WiMedia Alliance. With speeds of up to 480Mbit/s over distances up ...
Further delay to O2 broadband service
by Lin FreestoneFor the third time, O2 has announced a delay to the launch of its broadband service in the UK and Germany. No official reason has been given for the delay but it is speculated that the service is experiencing teething problems. When O2 bought small ISP Be Broadband, it had originally planned to have a service running at the beginning of ...
HD Photo standard considered by JPEG
by Janet Harris
The Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG), the leading standards organisation for image compression technologies, has submitted to its national body members, a new project which would lead to the standardisation of Microsoft's HD Photo file format if formally approved.
Standardisation of HD Photo, provisionally titled JPEG XR, would allow camera, printer, display ...TIC Installs VoSKY Exchange 9140
by Jan HarrisTotal Integrated Communications (TIC), a Birmingham-based cabling and network specialist, has installed a PBX-to-Skype Gateway from VoSKY Technologies. The VoSKY Exchange 9140 will improve communications with remote workers and customers and provide lower Skype calling costs. TIC's employees in the UK and Spain will be able to make, receive and transfer Internet-based Skype calls over standard office phone systems. Employees will dial into ...
BSkyB & Sony join for PSP video on demand service
by Janet HarrisBSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting) has entered into a joint venture with Sony to make video on demand available to the 2.3 million PlayStation Portable owners in the UK and Ireland in early 2008. The joint venture company have equal board level representation from Sky and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. The service, which will be the first PSP video download service in Europe, ...
Iogear's HDMI Switch clears cable clutter
by Janet Harris
If you are fed up of the tangle of cables connected to your HDTV, Iogear's new HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) switch could be just what you need.
The switch connects an HDTV to devices such as a DVD Player, video games console, Apple TV or media server, with just one HDMI cable, ...BBC iPlayer: technical issues but content good
by Janet HarrisThe BBC launched an open beta version of iPlayer on 27 July, an on-demand TV service delivering BBC TV programmes direct to the PC. BBC iPlayer allows UK licence fee payers to download programmes broadcast in the last seven days from all the BBC's network TV channels. Once a programme has been downloaded, viewers have up to 30 days in which ...
Sharp's LC-37D7U 37-inch LCD HDTV
by Franz Bicar
If your looking for a reason to have your friends come over, then Sharp's LC-37D7U 37-inch LCD HDTV is the right way to go. This LCD television is from Sharp's Aquos collection and gives a slick titanium based design that is ready to go ...
July 30, 2007
Just two weeks after the launch of the Samsung SGH-G600 5 mega-pixel camera phone, details are emerging of the company's second 5 mega-pixel offering - the SGH-G800.
The SGH-G800 is packed with features including a 3x optical zoom, Xenon flash, a large 2.4in QVGA screen, HSDPA connectivity, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 ...
Samsung adds second 5 mega-pixel camera phone
by Janet Harris
Just two weeks after the launch of the Samsung SGH-G600 5 mega-pixel camera phone, details are emerging of the company's second 5 mega-pixel offering - the SGH-G800.
The SGH-G800 is packed with features including a 3x optical zoom, Xenon flash, a large 2.4in QVGA screen, HSDPA connectivity, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 ...First wireless USB products certified
by Jan HarrisAccording to the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the first wireless USB (WUSB) peripherals to have officially passed the Wireless USB (WUSB) 1.0 Certification Program are on their way to market. The products will both complement and compete with other short-range wireless technologies such as ultra wideband (UWB) and the wireless high-definition interface (WHDI). The first certified WUSB products will mainly be hubs ...
Rise in illegal downloads
by Lin FreestoneEntertainment Media Research, Europe’s foremost entertainment research consultancy, has published its fourth annual Digital Music Survey. Of 1,700 people questioned, 43% admitted they were illegally downloading tracks. In 2006, this figure was 36%, and in 2005 it was 40%. There was a fall in the percentage of people concerned about the risk of being prosecuted. Only 33% stated that the risk ...
Samsung announces cutting-edge HDTVs
by Janet Harris
Samsung has announced two new lines of innovative LCD HDTVs which should be available in August from a variety of vendors, including LG Electronics, Philips, and Sharp.
One new line - the 71 series - features a 120-Hz refresh rate. This is twice as fast as the 60-Hz of standard LCD TVs.
The 71 series ...IPTV to feature at the IBC 2007
by David AllenThe IBC 2007 show, in September 07 will be featuring for the very first time IPTV, this is a great boost for the industry as it proves to every one that IPTV is here to stay and is a great recognition of the potential that the industry has and for the strides that it has taken over the past couple ...
XLeague.TV partners with EVS
by Janet HarrisEVS, the broadcast solution provider, has entered into an alliance with XLeague.TV, the first British TV channel dedicated to competitive gaming. XLeague.TV, which was launched on Sky Channel 279 in May, will be the first channel in the UK to operate EVS's cutting-edge production technology within a next generation gaming environment. XLeague.TV provides a series of online video-gaming competitions and programming focused ...
Pace Make £6.1 million Profit
by David AllenUK set top box manufacturer announces a huge £6.1 million profit for the year ending June 07. This is really remarkable considering that this time last the year, the figures were entirely different, as the company posted a massive £15.6 loss. While revenues were £386.5 million, compared to a the sorry figure of only £178.1 million last year, with nearly four ...
KT launches IPTV in Russia
by David AllenThe Korean telecommunications company KT who recently announced that that intended to launch IPTV into the Korean IPTV market through their TV brand Mega TV appear to have hit a bit of a snag. Apparently there are some legal complications in Korea which mean that broadcasting in real time cannot take place, naturally with this taken away from them the ...
Ofcom orders VoIP services to allow 999 calls
by Jan HarrisNew proposals published by Ofcom, the regulator for the UK communications industry, require VoIP service providers to allow users to make 999 emergency calls by early 2008. Recent research by Ofcom found that up to 78% of VoIP users who cannot use their service to call 999, either thought that they could call the emergency number or were unsure if they ...
Panasonic TH-50PH9UK 50-inch Plasma HDTV
by Franz Bicar
Plasma panels had a considerable drop on its prices and the Panasonic TH-50PH9UK is of of these models that also delivers a superior picture performance. The set is in the $3000 - $4000 range and will give just about any plasma set with the same size, features and price ...
July 27, 2007
This may look like an ordinary USB flash drive, but you would then be surprised to notice that it is in fact a device which will bring a whole new world of entertainment to you PC. To enable this transformation AMD have introduced two devices, the ATI TV Wonder 650 combo PCIe and the ATI TV wonder 600 USB. The PCIe is ...
AMD provides TV and DVR through the USB port
by David AllenThis may look like an ordinary USB flash drive, but you would then be surprised to notice that it is in fact a device which will bring a whole new world of entertainment to you PC. To enable this transformation AMD have introduced two devices, the ATI TV Wonder 650 combo PCIe and the ATI TV wonder 600 USB. The PCIe is ...
The Ultimate Phone in the P series
by David AllenASUS the mobile technology giant based in Taiwan. Are apparently getting ready for the launch of a spectacular “Candy Bar†type phone, that will feature dedicated GPS and a full strength HSDPA, this will add some really impressive speeds, possibly even up to or around the 3.6 M bps while downloading to the phone. The processor will be a massive ARM ...
Thomson Paragon transmitter selected by Arqiva
by Lin FreestoneThomson, a world leader in digital video technologies, has been appointed by Arqiva, the independent broadcast transmission provider in the UK, as its supplier for high power digital television transmitters for the BBC. Arqiva has ordered 24 new Thomson Paragon IOT (inductive output tube) transmitters to service its BBC contract, which involves delivering two digital multiplexes. Arqiva’s contract with the BBC involves ...
New offering from Samsung
by David AllenConsumers are remarkably informed when it comes to buying electricals, and this is no different when it comes to digital cameras. So it is no surprise when the camera manufactures begin to add more and more technology into a smaller casing, all for a really low price. This would apply to the new Samsung S85, which has the look, feel and ...
Expansion of municipal Wi-Fi networks predicted
by Lin FreestoneLatest research from analyst Datamonitor has outlined the opportunities for network equipment vendors and their channel partners in targeting the global market for wireless local area networks (WLANs) deployed within enterprise locations. The report predicts a strong expansion in the number of city-wide broadband wireless (Wi-Fi) networks. Spending on related UK and USA networks is expected to rise from $900m (£439m) ...
IPTV in the Czech Republic takes off
by David AllenTelephonic O2 has managed to more than double its user base in less than six months, at the beginning of the year they had 16,000 subscribers, that figure is now 38,000. Also with the same time frame the company had 526,000 ADSL access points, whereas at the beginning of the year this figure was only 56,000. Obviously with these figures there ...
IPTV up in the air
by David AllenIt would seem that there is a totally untapped market for IPTV. The marketplace is on every commercial aircraft that ferry people around confined in a small tight space. IPTV would work very well in a situation similar to this. Virgin have already adopted a video on demand service on its fights, this offers the ability for passengers to select movies ...
Orange UK prepares for IPTV
by David AllenLater on in the year Orange UK will be launching its digital TV service and in preparation for this they have been keeping busy by forging partnerships with some pretty impressive suppliers for their video on demand content. Amongst the suppliers will be Disney ABC international Television, this will allow Orange subscribers to watch a selection of on demand movies from ...
BT’s Q1 results show success across the board
by Lin FreestoneBT has recorded its results for the first quarter to the end of June 2007. Revenues have risen by 3% to £5,033m across the group as a whole. Pre-tax profit also grew by 3% to £658m, compared to the same period in 2006. The results mark the twenty-first consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth for BT, with earnings per share before specific ...
UT Starcom wins contract for IPTV
by David AllenThe contact was put out to tender by China Telecom, and is to provide its Rolling Stream end and end IPTV solutions for a brand new IPTV network in the North West China region of Ninqxia Hui. UT Starcom will supply all the equipment needed to run a complete IPTV operation; this will include the streaming servers, and the set top ...
Ofcom review of 999 call provision by VoIP operators
by Lin FreestoneOfcom has revealed a consultation document that sets out its proposed approach to regulating types of Voice over Internet Protocol services (VoIP), which allow users to call ordinary fixed or mobile phone numbers. Ofcom requires VoIP operators to offer access to the emergency services via the 999 operator, as with standard lines. At present, VoIP operators can voluntarily offer 999 services, ...
Panasonic TC-32LX60 32-inch LCD TV
by Franz Bicar
One of the most attractive HDTV sets you can find in the market today is the Panasonic TC-32LX60 32-inch LCD TV. It comes in a stylish black and silver frame with an elegant swivel stand. It has a native resolution of 1,366 x 768 which can display every detail of ...
July 26, 2007
Small independent record label Superfrothco has become the first record label to release their signings record albums on a flash drive. It would appear that they are rolling this out right across the companies catalogue, so that any future orders for older albums will also come on a flash drive. This is a unique way of promoting bands, by only using ...
The first record label to use only USB flash drives
by David AllenSmall independent record label Superfrothco has become the first record label to release their signings record albums on a flash drive. It would appear that they are rolling this out right across the companies catalogue, so that any future orders for older albums will also come on a flash drive. This is a unique way of promoting bands, by only using ...
MyWaves sees impressive growth
by David AllenSince launching in Dec 06, MyWaves has found that its services are in great demand. In fact over one million users have already signed up to use its services. This has established MyWaves as one of the fastest growing carrier independent mobile media company. Access to MyWaves is provided after a short sign up process, once a member the user will ...
Complaint against Tiscali upheld by ASA
by Lin FreestoneThe Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint made against Tiscali that it broadcast a misleading radio advertisement. BT and two members of the public challenged the ad on the grounds that the emphasis of the 30 second advertisement was on a £9.99 introductory price, and the significant condition that the price rose to £14.99 after three months was not ...
Babelgum has plans for IPTV
by David AllenBabelgum is often compared to Joost. But although there maybe similarities between the two, Babelgum is seen as more of the grown up in IPTV, and to prove this they plan to offer users professionally produced content, which is available through channels that learn about the users likes and as a result will push new related content their way. So ...
New chief executive for BT Wholesale
by Lin FreestoneBT has appointed Sally Davis as new chief executive in charge of its wholesale division. Sally Davis will take up her new post at the beginning of September 2007. She worked with several communications companies in the US and the UK prior to joining BT eight years ago, where she has been recently acting as Chief Portfolio Officer. The role of ...
Joost has over a million users
by David AllenIn around a year Joost a venture started by Niklas Sandstorm (Co Founder of Skype and Kazaa) and Janus Friis has managed to excite enough people to sign up and join in the party. Joost the IPTV start up which allows free access to YouTube like service, but without all of the problems that YouTube have found themselves in, with some ...
Leading IPTV provider to be at IBC trade show
by David AllenSysmaster Corp one of the leading providers of IPTV, VOIP and Wireless solutions, have announced that they will be exhibiting at the IBC trade show in Amsterdam in September this year. This is an excellent opportunity for the both the corporation and businesses interested in getting involved in some part of this fantastic industry. The Sysmaster Corp are at the cutting edge ...
LG 42LF66 42-inch HDTV
by Franz Bicar
The LG 42LF66 is another breakthrough by one of TV world's most prolific brand. This Korean company has given us, once again, a product with top-notch and brilliant quality on par with other sets on the market. The 42LF66 has retained the slim line appearance combined ...
July 25, 2007
The flash drive has come a long over the past few years, after all today you are able to buy food shaped flash drives and if we are honest just about anything else can think of comes in a USB flash drive these days. But ...
Flash Drive Wrist Band
by David AllenThe flash drive has come a long over the past few years, after all today you are able to buy food shaped flash drives and if we are honest just about anything else can think of comes in a USB flash drive these days. But ...
Panasonic launch another LUMIX
by David AllenIts always the way. You wait for a new camera from Panasonic and a whole lot come along at once. However this camera is slightly different to all of the others that have been released recently. This is the Panasonic DMC FZ 18, with its most stand out feature the 18 x optical zoom. This camera features, 8.1 mega pixel CCD, ...
Increasing broadband use by older generation
by Lin FreestoneBroadband use by people over 55 years old is now growing at a faster rate than the average European Internet user (26% year-on-year growth compared to 14%). New research from the European Interactive Advertising Association has found that 68% of people over 55 have a broadband connection. The study involved 7,036 random telephone interviews across the UK and northern Europe. This ...
Google’s success will continue in the UK
by Lin FreestoneBigmouthmedia, the digital marketing agency, has conducted a survey based on more than 1,100 responses, evenly split between male and female. The survey asked for opinions about Google, one of the five most popular sites on the Internet that is used around the world by millions of people. The survey reveals that the majority of British internet users - 53% - ...
Live Video Streaming on your Mobile
by David AllenFor someone who has ever wanted to show a live picture to someone else over a mobile phone, this would be great, but the technology is not quite up to it. But AT&T are looking into way of doing this, imagine sending over out a live video stream from a mobile phone! The potential for ...
OFT investigation into merger of Tiscali and Pipex
by Lin FreestoneThe Office of Fair Trading is to investigate the recent acquisition by Tiscali of the broadband and voice customers of Pipex, the UK's sixth largest broadband provider. The investigation, which will be looking for any potential competition issues, could delay the £210m merger for some time. The OFT is inviting comments on the merger to be submitted by 17 August. Conditions ...
Joost looking for more speed
by David AllenThe peer to peer streaming technology company Joost wants more speed and in order to get it they are looking towards Level 3 the network solutions provider. Level 3 has been chosen by Joost, to support its broadcast quality IPTV service. Level 3's deal with Joost will see them provide high speed internet access and ...
Korea's SK Telecom considers IPTV
by David AllenSK Telecom is at the moment Korea's leading wireless operator. But not being happy with that they are also considering an early entry into the IPTV market. But before they jump in feet first being the shrewd operators that they are, the company are going to set up a so called task force to look ...
Pioneer Elite PRO-940HD Plasma TV
by Franz Bicar
The Pioneer Elite PRO-940HD Plasma TV does not come cheap, but, its something that would take your breath away. This 42-inch plasma TV produces brilliant picture quality enclosed in a 1024 x 768 resolution that leaves videophiles gasping for air. Of course, all these high-end features and performance comes with ...
