2009 September

September 30, 2009

Zen launches Wholesale Partner Programme

by Jan Harris
Zen Internet has launched a Wholesale Partner Programme, which promises to help members grow their businesses. The programme, which is in addition to Zen’s existing partner programme, will give partners access to Zen’s Leased Lines, IP VPNs, Managed Hosting and other services at competitive rates, and with comprehensive support from the ISP. Andrew Saunders, Zen’s Head of Product Management and Marketing, said: ...

xG Technology promises mobile VoIP

by Jan Harris
VoIP technology is great at saving its users money, but it does have some disadvantages – you have to be connected to a computer to use it, and VoIP calls are blocked on some networks by cellular companies concerned that they are missing out on revenues. There is also an issue with quality, as cellular networks are not designed for Internet ...

Guardian prepares paid-for Apple iPhone app

by Darren Allan

The Guardian newspaper has revealed its intention to produce an app for the iPhone. It isn't the first paper to do so, although it's looking likely that it will be the first to charge for the privilege. The Guardian's Digital Director, Emily Bell, confirmed this in a statement to the Paid Content blog, in which she said: “It’s still in ...

Project Canvas STBs for Christmas 2010?

by Janet Harris
Next year could see Project Canvas Set Top Boxes (STBs) appearing on Christmas shopping lists, as Richard Halton, the BBC’s IPTV programme director has promised they will be in the shops before Christmas 2010, subject to approval by the BBC Trust. The STBs are expected to cost between £100 and £200 and will offer a common electronic programme guide (EPG) so ...

Google Wave splashes on 100,000 beta-testers

by Darren Allan

Google Wave, the search engine's upcoming “personal communication and collaboration” tool, is inviting 100,000 users to join its beta. And those users will be able to invite five further buddies to give the service a try. Wave is essentially a mix of email, instant messaging and document sharing, allowing multiple users to communicate, edit text, share photos, videos, links and ...

LG GD510 touchscreen phone arrives in October

by Darren Allan
LG has unveiled a new phone, the GD510, which the company is billing as an easy to use streamlined and stylish touchscreen affair. Also known as the Pop, the phone boasts a 3 inch touchscreen, a 3 megapixel camera, 8GB of memory and a user friendly browser and media player. No other specifications or details have been released, save for the fact ...

Five brings live football to the Apple iPhone

by Darren Allan
Channel Five is set to release an iPhone app which will allow users to watch the UEFA Europa League matches it has bought the rights to. Starting with tomorrow night's clash between Celtic and Rapid Vienna, the app will stream live coverage of all Five's Thursday night fixtures throughout the tournament, which will run through 2009 to 2010. Weekly highlights will ...

Symantec says botnets produce 88% of spam

by Darren Allan

According to a report published yesterday by Symantec's MessageLabs, botnets are now responsible for sending 87.9% of spam. One of the most prolific offenders is the botnet Rustock, which has experienced something of a recent upsurge in activity. It is responsible for 10% of spam by itself – so now you have a name to curse when you receive ...

Two million FTTH connections in Europe

by David Allen

One of the latest studies of European broadband services shows that, despite the current financial worries, the number of households and small businesses that are connected to the broadband network is increasing. What is more interesting it the amount of fibre to the home (FTTH) broadband connections. This report shows that there are now over two million customers using ...

T Mobile offers mobile broadband gift packs

by David Allen

The mobile broadband provider, T Mobile, is launching a promotion that it hopes will encourage new customers to sign up for its brand of mobile broadband. The idea is gift packs! These T Mobile gift packs will be available in either three or twelve monthly options. They make it easy for the new customer to get online fast and ...

Europeans want open internet

by David Allen

The European Union (EU) has the internet in its sights and does not look like it is going to give in easily when it comes to net neutrality. Currently there is a debate going on that should decide the EU’s position on this matter. This concerns internet service providers who control the speed of the internet depending on the ...

iWoot offers Freeview on the move

by David Allen

Digital TV has become so popular these days that it is moving from the home to portable devices. The iWoot is a portable media player and 3.5 inch digital TV that comes with Freeview already built in and, unlike a certain Sat Nav system, there is no antenna. It comes with a SD card slot, will play WAV and ...

UK TVs prefer Digital

by David Allen

Much has been made of the big digital TV retune due to be carried at lunch time today, so it is appropriate to find out exactly how many homes in the UK have already switched over to digital TV. Currently it has been estimated that around eight out of ten TVs in the UK are able to receive to ...

Virgin Media logs onto the net

by David Allen

The cable broadband and TV provider, Virgin Media, is adding another platform from where its content can be accessed, with the launch of the Liv Channel on the 23rd October. This web based platform will be free of charge and is going to offer lots of short form content through various websites and social media platforms, on a ...

V lands on Sci-Fi channel

by David Allen

The long awaited remake of the science fiction show V, in which scenes of aliens invading the Earth had viewers riveted to their TV screens during the 1980’s, is coming to the UK and will be shown on the Sci-Fi Channel. The announcement follows a deal between the Sci-Fi channel’s parent company NBC Universal and the producers of the ...

Panasonic shows off 3D TV model

by David Allen

The electronics giant Panasonic has been showing off a new 3D television. It is a fifty inch plasma screen TV, which gives viewers using active shutter glasses a true 3D image. This is a huge TV and it could have good prospects, but the lack of information on price and availability are a little disappointing. However, further details ...

Digital TV saves Primeval from extinction

by David Allen

It was not that long ago when the plug was pulled on the popular Saturday evening show Primeval. This disappointed a lot of viewers, but ITV has been struggling with loss of revenues and so the case was closed. But now, in what can only be described as a dramatic turn of fortune, Primeval is to be given another ...

Apple Tablet PC rumours suggest Summer 2010 launch

by Darren Allan

It's turning out to be a busy day down at the Internet rumour mill, with speculation rife about Apple's possible Tablet PC. It all stems from a report by the Editor in Chief of the iLounge blog, which claims that a reliable source has confirmed a number of facts regarding the Tablet. The first point being that it definitely exists, ...

Toshiba launches energy efficient Intel CULV notebooks

by Darren Allan

Toshiba has announced a pair of new laptops based on Intel CULV power saving technology. The Satellite T110 and T130 will both sport CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processors which are efficient enough to provide a battery life of up to 11 hours, Toshiba reckons. According to Toshiba, users will be able to further “maximise the efficiency of their laptop ...

September 29, 2009

Mobile Interactive Group achieves exceptional growth

by Jan Harris
Mobile Interactive Group, a London-based mobile and digital communications group, achieved a 74% increase in revenue to £68m in the year to the end of April 2009. During the year, the company successfully launched a new mobile internet publishing company, Kilrush, and it has its sights set on further growth, both at home and internationally. Kilrush secured a major deal with ITV, ...

Verbatim announces Nano wireless laptop mouse

by Jan Harris
Verbatim has released a 2.4 GHz wireless laptop mouse with a tiny USB receiver, not much larger than a penny. The Nano mouse can be used with both PCs and Macs and comes in black, red, pink and blue. Its high-resolution laser sensor can operate at speeds of up to 1,600 dpi and offers precise movement control. It is priced at £24.99 each ...

Microsoft wheels out free anti-virus protection

by Darren Allan

Microsoft will officially launch its Security Essentials application later on today. The program has been under development for over a year now. It's designed as an easy to use affair, providing basic protection against the major malware threats floating about online, with a light system footprint. However, it isn't intended to replace the more heavyweight security suites from names such ...

Half a million lottery grant for Bletchley Park

by Darren Allan

Bletchley Park, home of the Enigma code breakers in World War II, is to receive nearly £500,000 of lottery funding. The large Buckinghamshire manor house has been open to the public since the nineties, and this money was much needed because the place has fallen into a state of considerable disrepair. However, the lottery cash won't solve Bletchley Park's problems ...

Callforeign and TynTec in SMS deal

by Jan Harris
TynTec, which specialises in mobile messaging services has entered into a partnership with VoIP provider Callforeign. CallForeign will use TynTec to deliver SMS messages to mobile phones, sent either from the Internet or from a mobile application. The ability to send SMS messages internationally via the Internet promises significant cost savings for Callforeign’s customers, who will be able to log on from ...

Resident Evil 5 remix claws way onto X360

by Darren Allan

It seems that Capcom's Resident Evil 5 Alternative Edition, the horror shooter set to showcase the PS3's new motion controller next spring, will also be seen on the Xbox 360. What's the point of that, you cry? Well, motion control support isn't the only difference in the remix of Resident Evil ...

Vodafone clinches iPhone deal

by Janet Harris
Vodafone clinches iPhone deal

Vodafone has won a distribution deal with Apple to sell the popular iPhone in the UK and Ireland, from early next year. The phone was previously only available through O2, but will be available through both Vodafone and Orange when O2’s exclusivity deal ends. Customers can register their interest in the iPhone 3G and iPhone ...

Take-up of triple-play services continues

by Janet Harris
The take-up of triple play services – broadband, telephone and television – by digital TV customers, is continuing to grow, according to Ofcom’s latest ‘Digital TV Progress Report’. The proportion of BSkyB customers taking three services increased from 11% at the end of 2008 to 16% by the middle of 2009, while Virgin Media gained 5% more triple play customers, with ...

Google Hot Trends to integrate with searches

by Darren Allan

Google has announced the integration of Hot Trends functionality to its main search results in the US and Japan. Hot Trends is a list of the top forty most searched for terms on Google, updated in real-time on the hour. Bringing this into the main Google search engine will mean that if a user searches for a hot topic, graphs ...

Dell Latitude Z wireless charging laptop announced

by Darren Allan

Dell's latest laptop, the Latitude Z, is a high-end offering which features wireless charging technology. It re-powers its battery by sitting in a wireless docking station that uses inductive charging technology (a bit like your cordless toothbrush, if you have one). The laptop will be very compact and lightweight, with a 16 inch 1600 x 900 display, an Intel Core ...

Recommendation Engines: when the rubber hits the road

by Neptuny
Neptuny received a huge interest and attendance at the latest IBC, which took place in Amsterdam last week, where Neptuny was exhibiting in the IPTV Zone. Neptuny presented ContentWise, the Recommendation Engine specifically designed for Digital Media content. Among the several improvements, which will be introduced later this month, for ContentWise 3.0, the most important feature is a user-friendly web interface to ...

Cinema style ratings to stop illegal filesharing

by David Allen

Most people are used to seeing age ratings on DVDs, games and at the cinema, so what about age ratings on broadband packages - could this be the answer to preventing illegal filesharing? According to Charles Dunstone, the chief executive of the Carphone Warehouse, adding age rated parental controls to broadband would give control back to parents. TalkTalk is already ...

BBC iPlayer to get Desert Island Discs

by David Allen

One of the BBC’s longest running radio shows, Desert Island Discs, is to join the iPlayer family, which means that any fan who happens to miss the show can easily catch up with a missed episode by using the catch-up service. The initial format for the programme was created by Roy Plomley and has been running for over ...

BT urges action against rogue phone companies

by Darren Allan

BT has initiated a campaign against what it calls the mis-selling of landlines by unscrupulous telecom companies. Working in conjunction with the Trading Standards Institute, BT hopes to persuade regulator Ofcom to take action against companies who dupe customers into signing up for their service. Various techniques are used to con people, including pretending to be from BT. Indeed BT ...

Need for Speed: Shift demo arrives on X360 and PS3

by Darren Allan

Electronic Arts has announced that the demo for its swift selling Need for Speed: Shift is to be made available for download on PSN and Xbox Live come October 1st. The demo of the critically acclaimed racer will feature four cars, including the BMW M3 and Dodge Viper SRT10, and two ...

Vodafone gets Apple iPhone sparking prospect of UK price war

by Darren Allan

Vodafone has announced that it will be stocking the iPhone 3G and 3GS in the UK. The move comes hot on the heels of Orange's iPhone deal which was revealed yesterday, well and truly shattering O2's exclusive on the phone. This is almost certain to spark off a three-way price battle, which is great news for consumers who want ...

100000 illegal broadband downloaders using BT

by David Allen

After giving BT a list of one hundred thousand customers suspected of being involved in illegal filesharing, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is disappointed at the lack of action from the ISP in preventing these customers from continuing their online activities. The creative sector employs firms to monitor alleged illegal activity. This involves monitoring IP addresses, but this method ...

Palm updates webOS to version 1.2

by Darren Allan
Palm has released an update for its webOS platform, bringing it up to version 1.2. The update adds a number of new features for Palm Pre users, just in time for the Pre's UK launch on October 16th. The new goodies include support for LinkedIn contact syncing, the ability to cut and paste emails and web pages, and a myriad of tweaks ...

BT attacks the Slammers

by David Allen

The phone and broadband provider BT has teamed up with the Trading Standards Institute to fight the growing menace of frauds where phone and broadband services are switched without the user’s knowledge, a practice that has become known as “Slamming”. BT is looking to the telecom regulator to take action against those firms that scam households into switching their ...

Over 20 million Freeview viewers need to retune

by David Allen

Tomorrow afternoon, over twenty seven million Freeview set top box and digital TV set owners will need to retune their equipment, or face losing some of the channels that have changed position on the Freeview programme guide. The retune is mainly to make way for Channel Five, as there are still some places around the UK where this is ...

Tiny mobile broadband module from Ericsson

by David Allen

Ericsson is working on what could be the holy grail of mobile communications, a device that is capable of connecting multiple devices to the internet at the same time. The device or module has just been demonstrated and is able to offer high speed broadband connectivity to Sat Navs, eBook readers, handheld games consoles and other devices. The Ericsson C ...

Sky+ saves Saturday night viewing blues

by David Allen

There have been some very heated debates over the Saturday evening scheduling of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and the ITV talent show The X Factor, as both shows clashed, forcing viewers to choose one or the other. According to BSkyB, over two million fans of both shows who subscribe to the Sky+ service, chose to watch one show ...

Pace ready to use Rovi tools

by David Allen

The UK-based set top box maker, Pace, will be using the Rovi Connected Platform in its next generation of set top boxes that are to be made for cable, satellite and other providers in the US. Rovi and Pace have been collaborating together for some time and this is just one development to come from this partnership. The Rovi Connected ...

Pubs could get Sky 3D TV first

by David Allen

UK pubs could be the first place to get BSkyB’s 3D TV service next year. According to the industry newspaper The Publican, Sky has already given the go ahead for loyal Sky-using pubs to get the new Sky 3D TV system before it is released anywhere else in the UK. This will mean that these selected pubs will be able ...

September 28, 2009

Intel and TransGaming announce GameTree.tv

by Janet Harris
Virgin Media chooses Cisco to support HDTV growth

Intel has entered into a partnership with TransGaming to launch GameTree.tv, which will bring on-demand gaming to HDTVs. The service, which will launch in sping 2010, will use Intel CE Media Processors to deliver on-demand games via internet-connected set top boxes and consumer electronic devices. Customers will have access to a ...

Digitalk receives Internet Telephony Excellence award

by Jan Harris
Digitalk Prepaid Mobile, a prepaid mobile solution for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), has received a 2009 Internet Telephony Excellence Award from Internet Telephony magazine. The solution is available on the Digitalk Multiservice Platform. Justin Norris, CEO and co-founder of Digitalk said: “The Digitalk Prepaid Mobile solution was designed to address the saturated mobile market to allow MVNO to exploit niche opportunities ...

First USB 3.0 device certified

by Jan Harris
The first USB 3.0 controller has been certified by the USB Implementers Forum, and several companies are hoping to have devices with the new, superspeed standard in shops by the end of the year. With the race hotting up, Buffalo and Freecom are both vying to get their Hard Drives to the market. Freecom announced its Hard Drive XS 3.0 last week, ...

Confucius’ Birthday celebrated on Google doodle

by Darren Allan

Google has been up to more logo hijinks today, producing a doodle to celebrate Confucius' birthday. The logo features Confucius replacing the “l” in Google, the letter which only yesterday had been doubled up on to celebrate the search engine's 11th anniversary. Confucius was born in 551 BC, which would make him 2560 years old today. The Chinese philosopher was famous ...

Swisscom and LG deliver hotel TV

by Janet Harris
Telcoms provider Swisscom has provided its IPTV solution to the historic Carlton Mitre Hotel at Hampton Court, London, on LG’s Series 300C fully interactive flat screen LCD TVs, As well as providing live HD TV and video on demand, the system provides wired and wireless Internet access through the hotel’s existing telephone system using innovative VDSL technology. Swisscom has provided an improved ...

LG Chocolate BL20 unwrapped

by Darren Allan
LG has announced the launch of the Chocolate BL20, the second phone in its Chocolate range (the other being the BL40). It will be released before the end of this year, and is essentially a more budget friendly trimmed down version of its BL40 big brother. (Which was rather budget terrorising, at around £400). Exactly how much it will cost hasn't yet ...

Apple breaks two billion downloads with App Store

by Darren Allan

Apple has announced that it has exceeded two billion downloads with its iTunes App Store. "The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a year, including more than half a billion apps this quarter alone," commented Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs. It's certainly an impressive milestone, although Apple didn't ...

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