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February 29, 2008

100 million views since 4oD began

by Dave Nixon
With all the exposure about the popularity of the BBC iPlayer service and one side saying the bandwidth it uses has an insignificant effect and the other sounding warning notes, it is easy to overlook that Channel 4 has its own streaming and download service 4oD. 4oD launched way back in January 2006 and has had some 100 million views and ...



Tiscali boss shown the door

by Dave Nixon
Tiscali SpA has changed Chief Executive Tommaso Pompei with board member Mario Rosso and designated that the for sale signs may in reality be going out. Pompei will stay on as Director until the endorsement of the 2007 financial results. Even though no authorized word has come from Tiscali, reports at Reuters indicate that Italy's Fastweb, Vodafone and BT Group have ...



Virgin Media publishes Q4 2007 results

by Dave Nixon
Virgin Media have released their results for Q4 2007, ending December 31st. The figures show possibly one of the finest quarters since the NTL/Telewest merger into Virgin, with an on-net customer net accumulation of 24,400, up from 13,000 last quarter ('on-net' refers to where Virgin operate their own cable network). The TV service has unquestionably seen the end of the recession that ...



Users concerned over privacy issues

by Dave Nixon
Profiling the audience for television programs has occurred for years with advertisers eager to get air time for their adverts when their market audience is viewing. The internet altered that and very frequently advertisers know very little about advert viewing. Phorm, the people behind a new advertising agency are aiming to amend this by tracking the kinds of websites people ...



Mobile broadband gaining ground on ADSL and cable

by Jan Harris
A report in PC Pro suggests that mobile broadband technology, such as 3G data cards, could overtake traditional fixed-line connections, such as ADSL and cable, within the next two years. Comparison site, Top 10 Broadband, has noted a 50 per cent increase, month on month, in sales of mobile broadband, over a six month period. Mobile broadband has the advantage of flexibility, ...



Microsoft announces Vista price cuts

by Janet Harris


Microsoft announces Vista price cuts
Microsoft has announced plans to cut the retail price of its Windows Vista operating system in 70 countries, at the same time as it ships Service Pack 1, Vista's first major system update. The company hopes that this will encourage customers still using Windows XP to switch to Vista. Boxed ...



iLounge leaks iPhone SDK details

by Janet Harris
iLounge leaks iPhone SDK details The iLounge website, which focuses on Apple's iPod and iPhone devices, has leaked information about Apple's iPhone Software Developers Kit (SDK), prior to its debut at the forthcoming Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, to be held in San Francisco on 6 March. According to the site, sources familiar with the SKD claim that it ...



4oD registers 100 million views

by Janet Harris
Channel 4's streaming and download service 4oD, has had 100 million views and downloads since its launch in January 2006. What's more, the popularity of the service is growing rapidly, with the number of people using PCs to access 4oD up 110% since 1 January 2008, with six million streams or downloads. Usage is even greater via other platforms - 4oD is ...



Toshiba announces Regza CV HDTV series

by Janet Harris
Toshiba announces Regza CV HDTV series Toshiba has announced its new Toshiba Regza CV series of LCD HDTVs, which will replace their C series. The CV series is designed for customers who want to upgrade to HDTV from an existing high specification CRT or older analog LCD TV. Although the company hasn't revealed the price of ...



Mobile broadband taking off

by David Allen

Mobile broadband taking off
There are reports that say fixed line broadband could be going the same way as a fixed line telephone, which means that the broadband companies will need to be on their toes when it comes to service and internet connection speed. It could even be possible that within two years mobile broadband packages will be ...



ISP’s to hand over website activity

by David Allen

ISP’s to hand over website activity
This is not a new government scheme that checks up on what everyone is doing on the internet, but rather a form of targeted advertising, BT, Talk Talk and Virgin Media have been impressed in what Phorm can offer them and their subscribers, but the remaining three of the big six broadband ...



FX gets fifth series Nip/Tuck

by David Allen
 
FX gets fifth series Nip/Tuck
There is to be huge a marketing campaign ahead of the fifth series of the US hit show Nip/Tuck which will be shown by FX instead of SKY One who have shown all of the previous four series. The marketing will take place in cinemas, newspapers, open air, internet and of course on ...



Channel Four and BBC Worldwide

by David Allen
 
Channel Four and BBC Worldwide
The BBC have been talking about letting BBC Worldwide go, either through a float or merger this has raised several questions about the future of the service. But it looks as if there may be a solution that would suit all and keep the BBC Worldwide service going. Apparently Channel four could be ...



IPTV focus at NAB 2008 in Las Vegas

by Lin Freestone
The NAB 2008 conference and exhibition will be held between 11 - 17 April at Las Vegas Convention Centre in Nevada. Of the 111,028 visitors in 2007, there were more than 27,000 international attendees representing 163 countries. NAB 2008 will expand its IPTV offerings with a new conference series and super session providing telecommunications and wireless professionals with insight into converging ...



Three Star channels added to GekTV in US and Canada

by Lin Freestone
Star and GekTV are launching three Mandarin language Star channels on the US-based GekTV IPTV platform on 15 March 2008. The three channels are Star Chinese Channel, an entertainment channel in Taiwan; Channel [V] Taiwan, a music channel; and Star Chinese Movies, which is dedicated to Hong Kong films. Star is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation, and broadcasts over 60 ...



Prices Set For New 4 Series Chipsets From Intel

by Rohan Parker


Prices Set For New 4-Series Chipsets From Intel
Prices have been released by Intel for their new 4 series chipsets which will be launched in the second quarter later this year. Intel have also announced an extra product to be a part of the 4 series, the P43. The reason behind the inclusion of the P43 - ...



Intel To Scale Back Centrino Shipments

by Rohan Parker


Intel To Scale Back Centrino Shipments
Notebook makers have stated that Intel is planning on reducing the amount of Napa Refresh and Santa Rosa notebook products in the second quarter of this year in an effort to push their new Centrino 2 (Montevina) as their new key product. Projections for sales of the Montevina show that ...



Explorer 8 is set to be released by Microsoft

by Alan Harten
Explorer 8 is set to be released by Microsoft
Internet Explorer 8 is being beta tested by Microsoft's software testing community. This is expected to be followed quite shortly by public beta testing, after the trials are completed, which should be by the beginning of summer. The new Internet Explorer 8, will replace Explorer 7, which has ...



February 28, 2008

Ofcom demands clarity on telecom charges

by Jan Harris
Communications regulator, Ofcom, has produced draft guidelines for telecom and internet firms, regulating the additional charges companies can demand from customers. The regulator devised the new rules in response to complaints from customers about additional charges for paying bills by cheque or cash, ending contracts early or paying bills late. Under the guidelines, which cover home phones, mobile phones, broadband and pay ...



Firefox 3 expands search functionality

by Janet Harris

Firefox 3 expands search functionality
Firefox 3, the latest version of Mozilla's web browser, has been revamped to improve the search function for users. The browser, which is undergoing its third stage of beta testing, features a combined search and bookmark tool, accessible via the url bar. If a user types a word into the url bar, the ...



Sky extends HD offering with three new channels

by Janet Harris
Sky extends HD offering with three new channels Sky is extending its HD line-up with three new channels - Sky Sports HD 3, Sky Movies Premiere HD and FX HD. The channels will be launched in March and April this year. FX HD will be a bespoke channel, as opposed to an FX simulcast, and around ...



BlackBerry Pearl 8110 available on T-Mobile

by Janet Harris
BlackBerry Pearl 8110 available on T-Mobile T-Mobile UK and Research In Motion (RIM) are launching the new BlackBerry Pearl 8110 smartphone in a ‘Blue Slate’ colour, along with a new price plan. T-Mobile's model has the same consumer-orientated features as the model launched on Vodafone in January. The compact and stylish phone includes a 2 megapixel camera, integrated ...



IPTV unit launched by Sri Lanka Telecom

by Lin Freestone
Sri Lanka Telecom has set up a subsidiary to broadcast IPTV to its broadband customers. The company plans to invest $1m in the initial launch of the SLT Visioncom unit. Sri Lanka Telecom considers that IPTV is a value-added service with strategic importance in the future broadband service portfolio of the company. Sri Lanka’s telecommunications company had more than 54,000 ADSL broadband ...



Three more HD channels from Sky

by Lin Freestone
Three more HD channels from Sky
Throughout March and April, Sky is planning to add Sky Sports HD 3, Sky Movies Premiere HD and FX HD. The channels will air between 7pm and 2am. FX HD will be a bespoke channel rather than an FX simulcast. Sky estimates that 90% of its output will ...



Nokia 6682 Phone Review

by Franz Bicar
nokia-6682.jpgThe subject of today's review is another Nokia smartphone, the Nokia 6682. The 6682 is a consumer oriented phone. This is clearly portrayed via its fashion-friendly candy bar style pearl case and its 1.3 megapixel camera that can function as a digital camera and as a camcorder. However, its not just these features that makes ...



The digital TV mystery

by David Allen
 
The digital TV mystery
It seems that despite all of the advertising that has appeared in the media and on TV around a third of the population of the UK are not quite sure as to what they will have to do about switching their TV over to digital. But in a report by the National Audit ...



Sharp LC-65SE94U HDTV

by Franz Bicar
sharp-lc-65se94u.jpgSharp's LC-65SE94U HDTV is setting a new standard in today's television market. The Special Edition AQUOS SE94U Series sets a new standard for large-screen flat-panel LCD TVs. Instead of single-colored bezel, the LC-65SE94U sets a new design with its graceful, artistic form that enhances any room's decorations. With its FULL HD 1080p resolution, ...



Virgin Media adds new customers

by David Allen

Virgin Media adds new customers
The last three months of 2007 has proved to be very productive for the Broadband, TV and Telecom company. First they posted the first revenue growth of the year, which was £621.9 million in the last quarter of the year. But something that is more precious to companies than cash, customers: they managed to ...



Customer service to be free at BT

by David Allen

Customer service to be free at BT
It is the one thing that many people desire, the ability to call up their ISP and talk the customer services people for free which would take out all of the frustration with being left on the phone waiting to be transferred to another department. But BT are looking to do just ...



Setanta Christmas adverts ok

by David Allen
 
Setanta Christmas adverts ok
The advert for Setanta Sports which showed everyone a gold clad Santa named Setanta Claus played by the sports commentary legend Des Lynam, this advert which was shown just before Christmas had thirty six people running for the their phones to complain that it was sexist. This is because there is a mention ...



TD-SCDMA sales in China level off

by David Allen
During the fourth quarter of 2007 a total of 72 billion yuan's (US$969 million) worth of TD-SCDMA equipment was purchased by China Mobile Communications, China Telecom and China Network Communications. This is about the same as was purchased by the company's in the previous quarter. China Telecom and China Network both followed the lead of China Mobile, and began setting ...



HTC supply smartphones to Emobile

by David Allen
Taiwan-based manufacturer High Tech Computer (HTC) will soon start shipping the HTC TyTN II 3.5G phone to Emobile, a Japan-based mobile telecom operator. Emobile will sell the device as the S11HT. The S11HT utilises and Windows Mobile operating system and is powered by a Qualcomm MSM 7200 400 GHz processor. Emobile will be using the phone, together with the ...



UK public not ready for digital TV switchover

by Alan Harten
UK public not ready for digital TV switchover
The National Audit Office (NAO) has made a statement claiming that a full third of the population of the UK is unclear about just how to prepare for the impending switchover to digital TV broadcasting. The NAO also states, half of all retail staff involved in digital TV sales do ...



February 27, 2008

Guest-Tek deploys WiFi at Center Parcs

by Jan Harris
Guest-Tek International Group Ltd has secured a deal with holiday company, Center Parcs, to deploy its OneView Internet platform at Center Parcs' Sherwood Forest resort. The WiFi network provides wireless high speed Internet access (HSIA) for guests at the resort, with Guest-Tek offering HSIA support to guests, around the clock. The Guest-Tek WiFi network can be accessed from Premium accommodation on the ...



Google extends InVideo format to partner sites

by Janet Harris
After successfully using its InVideo advertising format on video-sharing site YouTube, Google now plans to extend it to its video partner sites. The format will allow advertisers to run a single contextually-targeted video overlay campaign across a large network of sites. Internet TV platform, Brightcove, is supporting the trial service. InVideo uses text and graphical overlay adverts which appear semi-transparent over ...



Panasonic upgrades 103-inch plasma HDTV

by Janet Harris
Panasonic upgrades 103-inch plasma HDTV Panasonic has announced an upgraded version of its 103-inch plasma set, which it launched last year. The Panasonic TH-103PF10UK, one of the company's 10-series, has a full 1080p HD resolution. It also features better wall mounting configuration than its predecessor, along with improved video processing technology which gives a sharp image when viewing ...



Samsung i640 available on Vodafone site

by Janet Harris
Samsung i640 available on Vodafone site Vodafone is offering the Samsung i640 phone, a successor to the Samsung i620, on its UK website. The Samsung i640v Vodafone live! slider phone is a tri-band GSM/GPRS, 3G handset, with a two-megapixel camera and integrated memory card slot, expandable up to 4Gb MicroSD. Battery life is better than on the earlier i620 ...



Dell reveals web services plan

by Janet Harris

Dell reveals web services plan
At a press conference in San Francisco, Dell announced plans to offer web-hosted IT monitoring and tech support. Dell is following major players such as Amazon, IBM and Google into the software-as-a-service (SaaS) market, which is developing rapidly. Dell has been paving the ground for the move for quite a while. It acquired ...



LG Viewty KU990 Review

by Franz Bicar
20070917lgviewty.jpgWith todays camera phones, its not uncommon for people to think that the device they are seeing is a camera inside a cell phone. Of course, what with the high-tech features and the different camera functions, you feel as if you are really holding a stand-alone digital camera. With the LG Viewty KU990, you get all ...



Channel Fours VoD a success

by David Allen
 
Channel Fours VoD a success
4oD the video on demand service from Channel Four has been deemed a big success as they are reporting that over one hundred million downloads or streams have been made, this is since its launch in December 2006. If this is compared with the BBC’s iPlayer, it has reached seventeen million since ...



The new ITV offerings fail to impress

by David Allen
 
The new ITV offerings fail to impress
The new year saw sweeping changes to the ITV set up, with the ever popular New at Ten being brought back as the channels flagship news service, the idea behind this was to enable the channel to introduce some drama back into the nine o’clock time slot. The channel has been ...



Kangaroo pops up in June

by David Allen
 
Kangaroo pops up in June
The video on demand service that many people have been patiently waiting for - Kangaroo - will be launching in June this year. The channel has been developed by the BBC, ITV and Channel Four and will be showing a mixture of content from all of the channels, which is what makes it ...



Free to view adult content criticised

by David Allen
 
Free to view adult content criticised
Regulator Ofcom has issued to warning to digital TV broadcasters with regards to explicit adult content that is becoming available on free to air channels, in the warning they state that they may introduce new tougher regulations when it come to how adult content can be shown. The body found that several ...



Nortel working with Taiwan manufacturers to develop WiMAX

by David Allen
Nortel Greater China's president, Jackson Wu, has announced that Nortel Networks have started developing 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology. The company has also been in talks with Taiwan-based manufacturers trying to get them on board in the development of 4G CPE. Nortel's partners in Taiwan, Zyxel Communications and Quanta Microsystems, are both expected to ship substantially more WiMAX products because they ...



Dual-Core Sempron To Ship In China

by Rohan Parker


Dual-Core Sempron To Ship In China
According to motherboard makers, AMD is upping the challenge to Intel's dual-core Celeron line in China, by releasing a rival product, the dual-core Sempron, which like the Celeron will be aimed at the entry level market. The first of the range, the Sempron 2100+ processors have a 65nm process and have ...



3.8 Million Notebooks Expected To Ship For ECS In 2008

by Rohan Parker


3.8 Million Notebooks Expected To Ship For ECS In 2008
According to sources within the company, ECS (Elitegroup Computer System) are expecting to have shipped 3.8 million notebooks by the end of the year. This would be a hefty increase of 26.67% from last years sales. ECS currently holds the position of OEM for the Intel ...



Statement From ECS After Raid

by Rohan Parker


Statement From ECS After Raid
In the aftermath of a raid yesterday, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), has released a statement outlining the company's stance on the issue. The Chinese-language newspaper, The Liberty Times, reported that the company is under investigation because of allegations surrounding the company's take over of Uniwill Computer. Prosecutors in the case ordered the ...



JVC LT-42E478 42-inch LCD TV

by Franz Bicar
jvc-lt-42e478.jpgJVC's brand of widescreen high-definition television has brought a new dimension to home entertainment systems. The LT-42E478, from JVC, is one such product engineered specifically not only for people who loves extreme audio visual experiences, but also to fit and influence the artistic minds of home decorators. The 42-inch LT42E478 television, with stylish cosmetics, ...



Nokia’s concept slim, lightweight and bendable phone and computer.

by Alan Harten
Nokia’s concept slim, lightweight and … bendable phone.
Finnish corporation Nokia, the world's largest producer of mobile phones has announced that, in conjunction with the UK’s University of Cambridge. They have developed a new type of mobile phone known as Morph. This technological leap for cell phones uses new innovations in conceptual nanotechnology, to allow cellphones of ...



February 26, 2008

Pick and mix shortly with Sky Picnic

by Dave Nixon
The picnic product choice from Sky has been feasible for some time, but it appears it is entering the final phases of testing with employees now able to use the system at home. SkyUser has a little more information on the service. The initiative behind Picnic is that rather than obliging users to acquire a bundle people can pick and choose which ...