FMC (Fixed Mobile Convergence)

FMC (Fixed Mobile Convergence): "Teknologi IMS membawa dampak pula terhadap jenis layanan yang akan berkembang. Layanan yang akan berkembang adalah layanan yang berupa konvergensi layanan yang merupakan gabungan dari wireless dan wireline. Dengan adanya permintaan pasar yang seperti itu maka dibuat lah suatu teknologi yang bernama Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC).

Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) merupakan suatu konsep yang berdasar pada penggunaan protocol yang sama untuk jaringan fixed, seluler maupun internet.

Konfergensi adalah bersatunya layanan telekomunikasi, teknologi informasi dan penyiaran dimana penyelenggaraan jasa telekomunikasi merupakan kegiatan penyediaan atau pelayanan jasa telekomunikasi melalui media apa saja termasuk TV, siaran, radio, dan multimedia. (sumber : media law ombudsperson).

Fixed Mobile Confergence (FMC) telah menjadi isu sangat menarik di lingkungan industry Telekomunikasi, terutama karena mendorong penghematan baik dalam biaya capital (capital expenditure) maupun biaya operasional operator.

Dengan adanya konvergensi ini diharaplan layanan multimedia berjalan pada perangkat (terminal), tanpa melihat mode akses  dan arsitektur  jaringannya  masing-masing.

Dengan  kata  lain operator yang memiliki fixed network, mobile network   maupun internet network  dapat mengintegrasikan  teknologinya  menjadi  satu pada pada layer core networknya (packet switching backbone broadband yang berbasis IP) yang dikenal dengan  istilah Next Generation Network (NGN). Hal ini berdampak posistif pada perkembangan layanannya yang ditawarkan dan billing system-nyapun dapat dibuat  terintegrasi, yang pada akhirnya  memberi nilai  tambah (value added)  yang  signifikan pada penggunanya.

Dampak Konfergensi

Yang merupakan dampak dari adanya konfergensi adalah :

1. Berubahnya gaya hidup masyarakat

2. Bisnis

3. Regulasi

Dengan adanya dampak tersebut dibutuhkan solusi-solusi yang dapat memperbaiki akibat dari dampak-dampak negative tersebut.

 

Gambar Fixed-Mobile Convergence (Sumber: ZTE)

SOLUSI FMC (Fixed Mobile Convergence)

Evolusi dari sistem berbasis circuit switched menjadi paket switched telah menghancurkan jurang pembatas antara layanan suara dan data. Hal ini member dampak yang besar pada bisnis tradisional yang memberikan pemisahan antara suara, data, jaringan mobile dan broadcast.

Format yang saat ini dipakai adalah suara, data, teks, dan gambar tetapi yang akan datang menggunakan format multimedia yang merupakan penyatuan dari seluruh layanan tersebut.

Perubahan tersebut dipengaruhi oleh kebutuhan pengguna jasa telekomunikasi. Kebutuhan tersebut antara lain:

1. Multi layanan suara, teks, gambar, video, data atau internet

2. Perpindahan teknologi yang halus

3. Banyak layanan yang dapat diakses oleh satu nomor.

4. mobilitas

5.Harga yang tetap.

Bagi operator kompetisi menjadi semakin ketat karena bergerak dari kompetisi terbatas menjadi kompetisi penuh karena mempunyai banyak keuntungan antara lain pelanggan yang semakin banyak dikarenakan semua jenis layanan dapat diakses dalam satu operator, penyebaran pasar yang semakin meningkat serta adanya penjualan silang layanan sehingga operator dapat menjual layanan mobile kepada user yang dilayani oleh operator jaringan fixed. Saat ini ada beberapa penyedia jaringan fixed mobile convergence, yaitu nokia Siemens network, dan Avaya nokia network.

Masing-masing dari penyedia fixed mobile convergence mempunyai solusi yang berbeda-beda yaitu :

Nokia – Siemens network

Persaingan yang terjadi antara operator bukan hanya dengan operator penyedia layanan (fixed, mobile, cable, dan hybrid) tetapi juga dengan internet servis Provider dan content provider sehingga para operator harus membangun strategi Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) yang cermat supaya dapat bersaing.

Nokia Siemens network mempunyai solusi yaitu dengan menyediakan integrasi layanan dengan biaya yang efisien dan kemampuan interopabilitas agar bisa bekerja di berbagai domains dan layanan. Nokia Siemens network juga menggabungkan layanan suara, pesan, dan multimedia untuk banyak device.

Melalui kerjasama dengan banyak operator dan provider Nokia Siemens menawarkan Mobile dan fixed off Switching, Solusi Perkabelan dan aplikasi IMS.

Ada beberapa hal penting yang harus dilakuka oleh operator supaya dapat bertahan dalam kompetisi untuk mendapatkan simpati dan loyalitas dari konsumen antara lain :

1. Pengurangan kerumitan jaringan

2. membuat layanan – layanan yang terbaaru sehingga konsumen tidak bosan

3. Operasi yang efisien biaya.

AVAYA NOKIA NETWORK

Kemajuan teknologi komunikasi yang baru dan yang semakin canggih dan dengan harga yang relevan yang merupakan faktor pendukung kehadiran komunikasi bergerak (Mobile Communication) telah mengubah gaya hidup masyarakat modern.

Pada waktu yang bersamaan perusahaan-perusahaan telekomunikasi mulai bergerak meninggalkan jaringan yang terpisah antara suara dan data menuju jaringan yang terkonvergensi yaitu dengan menyatukan suara dan data.

Walaupun kemajuan dalam dunia komunikasi bergerak dan IP telephony yang memberikan dampak yang baik tetapi usaha ini dilakukan secara terpisah. Diman komunikasi seluler berfokus pada pengembangan produktivitas dan permintaan konsumen yang sering bepergian tetapi IP telephony lebih berfokus pada penyedia fungsi telekomunikasi ekslusif di dalam kantor yang tidak bersifat mobile sehingga perlu adanya usaha untuk menyatukan keduanya supaya menghasilkan produktivitas yang lebih baik.

Avaya dan Nokia melihat kesempatan untuk menyediakan komunikasi yang inovatif dan  mudah diimplementasikan yaitu dengan menggabungkan keduanya.

Avaya dan Nokia mempunyai solusi fixed mobile converegence yaitu dengan mengubah operating system symbian menjadi virtual office pone yan menyediakan suatu interface untuk terhubung dengan Avaya Communication Manager.

Solusi yang ditawarkan memungkin pelanggan dapat menggunakan satu nomor dengan satu voice mailbox (kotak suara) yang akan memudahkan pelanggan untuk mengatur akses komunikasi yang mereka gunakan. Solusi ini juga dapatm digunakan oleh pelanggan dengan menikmati fitur-fitur yang ada dalam jaringan fixed Mobile yang tidak tersedia pada layanan seluler seperti call-coverage pada jam-jam libur, dialing yang singkat dan lain-lain. Selain itu user dapat mengganti kedua mode secara bergantian.

Referensi:

The IMS: IP Multimedia Concepts and Services in the Mobile Domain, Miikka Poikselka, John Wiley & sons, Ltd (ISBN: 0-470-87113-X)

Abdi Zaenal (2006), Industri telekomuniksi : Lokomotif pertumbuhan ekonomi dan kemajuan bangsa

IP Multimedia Sub System (IMS), Overview and Applications', 3G Americas, July 2004.

Mobile broadband, Gunawan Wibisono dan Gunandi Dwi Hantoro, 2008

Source : http://gaskarysistelgo.blogspot.com/2010/04/fmc-fixed-mobile-convergence-t-eknologi.html

IP Multimedia Subsistem

IP Multimedia Subsistem: "

A. Pengertian IMS

IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) merupakan susunan jaringan berbasis paket yang bersifat fleksibel yang setiap operator jaringan bisa atau mungkin untuk menghadirkan multimedia dan layanan-layanan yang menguntungkan bagi operator. Teknologi IMS ini menggabungkan teknologi wireless dan wireline dengan layanan suara dan data. IMS muncul diawali dengan kehadiran teknologi softswitch , IMS ini adalah awal dari konsep NGN (Next Generation Network). Dengan IMS Internet dapat diakses oleh setiap orang di berbagai lokasi.

Prinsip IMS adalah mengatur session untuk setiap layanan. IMS juga membantu Operator untuk memperkenalkan  layanan-layanan yang baru seperti Webbrowsing, WAP dan MMS. Selain itu dengan IMS kita juga dapat membaca E-mail, menonton film, atau ikut video conference dimanapun kita berada dengan menggunakan perangkat 3G.

Jaringan 3G ini bertujuan menggabungkan dua aspek yang sangat penting dalam komunikasi yaitu internet dan komunikasi seluler. Elemen kunci dalam arsitektur 3G adalah IMS, yang berfungsi untuk menyediakan akses seluler dimanapun ke seluruh layanan internet. Standar IMS mendukung banyak teknologi akses jaringan termasuk GSM, WCDMA, CDMA 2000, dan WLAN.

Protokol sinyal utama yang digunakan pada IMS adalah Session initiation Protokol (SIP) yang merupakan standar yang diajukan untuk komunikasi multimedia antara pengguna yang berinteraksi dengan suara, video, dan IM.

 

B. Konsep IMS

Konsep IMS adalah memberikan layanan internet di berbagai tempat dengan meggunakan teknologi seluler. Dari sisi pengguna, IMS memberikan layanan komunikasi person-to-person dan person-to-content dengan berbagai model komunikasi, meliputi suara, teks, gambar dan video, atau kombinasinya, dengan cara yang sangat personal dan terkontrol.

Dari sisi operator, IMS memberikan  kemajuan yang sangat penting pada konsep arsitektur layering dengan mendefinisikan sebuah arsitektur horizontal, dimana service enablers dan common functions dapat di gunakan ulang untuk berbagai aplikasi. Pada konsep NGN dengan softswitch (wireline), seluruh session layanan yang timbul akan dilewatkan pada call manager (softswitch) baik data maupun suara.

Gambar 2. Call Control (Voice) dalam konsep NGN (Softswitch) (sumber: TEKELEC)

Softswitch pada awal lahirnya lebih banyak diarahkan pada layanan suara, oleh karena itu  maka session yang ditimbulkan untuk layanan data menjadi tidak efektif dilewatkan pada satu server tunggal (softswitch). Hal ini dikarenakan, database pelanggan yang terlibat dalam layanan data tidak seluruhnya menggunakan layanan suara, demikian sebaliknya. Dengan konsep IMS ini maka ketidakesfisienan  dapat diatasi dengan menggunakan IP Sub System (server) yang akan mengatasi layanan berdasarkan fitur - fiturnya, dimana setiap layanan akan dimengerti oleh session yang dibangun. Dengan IMS ini juga, kita dapat menggunakannya untuk membangun multi layanan dengan satu session, yang dapat menjadikan proses komunikasi yang dibangun lebih efisien. Dalam hal ini protocol SIP (session initiation protocol) akan sangat berperan.

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) pada dasarnya dibuat khusus untuk jaringan mobile agar dapat memberikan layanan telekomunikasi berbasis IP.

Gambar Multimedia Session dalam Konsep IMS (sumber: TEKELEC)

Teknologi IMS juga diperkenalkan oleh lembaga Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) yang bergerak dalam bidang jaringan mobile, khususnya dalam pengembangan konsep jaringan Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Lembaga 3GPP2 telah mendefinisikan suatu referensi arsitektur, functional splits, spesifikasi protocol dan lainnya. Selain mendukung fitur utama, dapat dimungkinan pula pengembangan aplikasi oleh pihak ketiga melalui Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), integrated access dan charging.

 

Konsep IMS diperkenalkan di dunia telekomunikasi untuk memenuhi kebutuhan jaringan dan pengguna dengan spesfikasi sebagai berikut:

· proses pengiriman layanan komunikasi multimedia dengan karakteristik real time dan person to       person dengan basis IP (seperti voice or videotelephony), demikian juga halnya dengan komunikasi person-to-machine (seperti layanan gaming).

· Mengembangkan layanan komunikasi multimedia real-time dengan non-real-time (seperti video live streaming dan chatting).

· Mampu melayani dan berinteraksi dengan layanan dan aplikasi yang beragam (seperti mengkombinasikan presence dan instant messaging).

· Kemudahan dalam melakukan setup multi layanan dalam satu session tunggal atau multi session secara bersamaan.

 

Arsitektur IMS

Arsitektur layanan IMS adalah susunan yang membantu jangkauan yang luas dan pada jaringan ini dimungkinkan fleksibilitas Protokol SIP. Arsitektur IMS bisa mendukung multiple application servers yang menyediakan layanan telepon tradisional (POTS/PSTN / PUBLIC SWITCH TELEPHONE NETWORK) dan layanan seperti halnya instant messaging, push to talk, multimedia messaging, video streaming, dan lainnya.

Arsitektur IMS mempunyai tiga lapisan,yaitu :

• Lapisan Transport dan Endpoint

Kedua lapisan ini berfungsi untuk mengatur (menyambung dan memutuskan) pensinyalan SIP (service internet protocol) untuk membentuk session dan menyediakan layanan bearer seperti mengubah suara dari format analog atau digital menjadi paket IP yang menggunakan Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP).

• Lapisan Session Control

Didalam lapisan session control ini terdapat Call Session Control Function (CSCF) yang berfungsi menyediakan registrasi dan melakukan proses routing dari pesan pensinyalan SIP ke application server yang dituju. Interworking antara Call Session Control Function (CSCF) dengan lapisan transport dilakukan dengan tujuan untuk menjamin  semua layanan yang melaluinya. Dalam lapisan ini termasuk juga informasi registrasi end user yang sedang melakukan komunikasi (contohnya IP address), informasi roaming, layanan telepon (contohnya informasi call forwarding), informasi layanan pesan instant, dan pilihan voice mail. Di dalam Lapisan session control termasuk Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF), yang juga bekerjasama antara SIP signalling dengan media gateway (seperti H.248). MGCF berfungsi untuk mengatur distribusi dari session melalui multiple media gateways. Sedangkan Media Server Function Control (MSFC) berfungsi untuk menyediakan fungsi yang sama untuk media server.

      • Layer Application Server

Lapisan ini ada application server yang menyediakan layanan end user logic. Arsitektur IMS dan pensinyalan SIP ini punya kemampuan yang fleksibel untuk mendukung berbagai macam variasi dari application servers untuk mengkomunikasikan  layanan telepon dan non telepon .

 

Selain itu IMS juga mempunyai fitur – fitur yang dapat mendukung kinerja IMS antara lain

1. Platform umum dengan komponen yang dapat dipake ulang.

2. Biaya pemakaian dan penataan yang lebih kecil dibandingkan menggunakan teknologi lain.

3. kombinasi dari fungsionalitas dari setiap solusi.

4. Konsisten, interface terbuka untuk pengembang pihak ketiga.

5. Konsistensi bagi pihak end user dengan dimungkinkannya roaming tidak terbatas hanya ke layanan home network.

 

 

 

 

Referensi :

The IMS: IP Multimedia Concepts and Services in the Mobile Domain, Miikka Poikselka, John Wiley & sons, Ltd (ISBN: 0-470-87113-X)

Abdi Zaenal (2006), Industri telekomuniksi : Lokomotif pertumbuhan ekonomi dan kemajuan bangsa

IP Multimedia Sub System (IMS), Overview and Applications', 3G Americas, July 2004.

Mobile broadband

"

Square Connect SQ Blaster Review

Square Connect SQ Blaster Review: "

One puck to control them all

Square Connect’s SQ Blaster solves a problem we’ve been grappling with for some time now: Integrating control over the devices we manage using the Z-Wave home-control protocol (especially lighting) with control over the devices we manage using infrared, all with a single universal remote. The fact that this hardware/software combo is inexpensive is icing on the cake.

Inexpensive is, however, a relative term: The SQ Blaster’s $200 price tag is pricey if all you’re looking for is a basic infrared repeater (although some kits, such as $320 Niles Audio’s RCA-HT2, are priced a lot higher). But the SQ Blaster does much more than just repeat IR commands, and it’s many times cheaper than custom-installed systems that accomplish the same tasks. The system consists of the SQ Blaster unit itself, (a puck fabricated from your choice of cherry wood or environmentally friendly bamboo), a three-headed IR emitter cable to control your home-theater components, a USB cable, a USB power adapter, and software that turns your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone into a universal remote control.

Square Connect fabricates the SQ Blaster from wood to help it blend in with your decore.

Square Connect licenses a comprehensive IR code library, and the SQ Blaster can learn IR commands for any esoteric devices that are not in its database. The system taps your Wi-Fi network, so there is no line-of-sight requirement, and it links to Mi Casa Verde’s Vera (reviewed here) for Z-Wave control. The SQ Remote software is free, and you can install it on multiple iOS devices and copy your control settings to each one. The software can control multiple SQ Blasters and multiple Veras, too.

Our evaluation kit came with two options that we didn’t actually need: an IR signal splitter cable ($10) and a long-range IR blaster ($12). If you don’t need any of the cables or the power supply (the device can be powered by a computer or any common USB power supply), you can purchase just the SQ Blaster and software for $180.

You can place the puck either on a table in front of your entertainment center (it has three built-in IR emitter lenses), or you can plug in the emitter cables and stash the puck inside your entertainment center. The components in our home theater are hidden behind wood-panel doors, so we put it inside the cabinet and glued the emitters to our A/V receiver, satellite set-top box, Blu-ray disc player. Thanks to the SQ Blaster’s removable antenna, the device had no problem connecting to our wireless network.

This is how the SQ Remote software looks running on an iPad.

Once you’ve accomplished that step and installed the SQ Blaster software on your iOS device, the real work begins: configuring the software to do your bidding. This consists of informing the software of the devices you wish to control and downloading the appropriate IR commands for them. In the next step, you assign activities (watch a Blu-ray disc, for instance) to what SQ Connect calls Control Pads. These are represented by simple icons arranged in a carousel motif on the iOS device’s screen; you swipe your finger tip left or right to bring the Control Pad you wish to use or program to the fore.

You can design each Control Pad to be as complex or as simple as you wish. In this shot, the SQ Blaster is using the Z-Wave protocol and a Mi Casa Verde Vera to manage everything from the home's lighting to its door locks and HVAC system.

Configuring the Control Pads for all your IR and Z-Wave is a bit tedious, but it need be performed only once (at least until you add or swap out gear). Once you’ve finished, you can create macros to execute any series of commands (turn on the A/V receiver and set its inputs and outputs; turn on the Blu-ray player and video projector; drop the screen from the ceiling; close the shades and dim the lights; and start the movie) with a single button press.

Square Connect’s SQ Blaster and SQ Remote, combined with your existing iOS device and a Vera, form a powerful, do-it-yourself home-control front-end rivaling custom-installed solutions that cost several times more. Programming the system is time consuming, but the icon-oriented software eliminates most of the pain. Our only major complaint is that there’s no Android support.

"

Angry Birds will come to WP7 on April 6

Angry Birds will come to WP7 on April 6: "


It ia said that Angry Birds, the best-selling iOS game, as well as five other well-known games  will all become available for WP7 on April 6.

Android Will Likely Be Getting A Blackberry Messenger App

Android Will Likely Be Getting A Blackberry Messenger App: "


While most Android users don’t likely spend a lot of time thinking about what’s going on in RIM’s land of Blackberry, it has been revealed that one of the popular smartphones’ mainstay features,

Weekly News–Thing that you can’t miss this week

Weekly News–Thing that you can’t miss this week: "
The weekend is here, and it is time to celebrate. Here is the short list of items you might be interested in checking out if you crave even more Android news!

“Share This Application” is on Android Market Now

About WordPress : Load Balancing WordPress Site

About WordPress : Load Balancing WordPress Site: "

At some point, you hit the performance limit of a single software stack on one physical server. That’s when you may load balance your WordPress site with one or more additional servers. It could be for scalability to handle more request, or as a failover precaution to increase the availability of your site. Whatever the reason, load balancing your site gets you both of these features, but it is a complex issue. We are just going to briefly discuss some the challenges you will encounter when attempting to load balance a dynamically generated site.

First and foremost, you need a means to load balance. Simply, you can use round-robin DNS and bounce between your servers as needed. This will cause problems, especially with session cookies. You will need a legitimate load balancer to handle this. The load balancer could be a software package like Pound (http://www.apsis.ch/pound/).

The second challenge is keeping your dynamic data in synchronization between your two (or more) web front ends. Consider that your site administrator could effectively log in to either web front end, post new content, and uploads a graphics asset to the uploads directory. However, the next request could be load balanced to other server, where this content may not exist.

Let’s look at the uploads directory first. This content is uploaded from the WordPress Dashboard to the uploads directory of that WordPress Installation. By default content is upload into /wp-content/uploads/. However, you can change the uploads directory in your Settings – Miscellaneous Dashboard. Depending on where you set your uploads folder, you could also reap the benefit of having shorter asset URLs.

At this point you have options. One options is to have shared folder that both web servers can access. Most likely this would be an NFS/Samba share on your third server, which server as your MySQL server. A second option is to use resync or similar tool to coordinate uploads between the two servers and make sure each jas the same assets in place.

The third challenge is your dynamic data that is store in the database. Assuming your database is not the bottleneck and the reason for load balancing, you could use a third server as your database server. Both web server can then read and write from the same source. This can be a more secure deployment architecture when your database server is not directly addressable on the public Internet, but it also creates a potential single point of failure. Technically, you are only load balancing the front-end web server situation.

Adding a second database server increase the redudancy the problem of keeping two MySQL database table in synchronization. MySQL server can be configured for replication in master-slave set up. Technically, this again, is not load balancing, because only one server is being accessed at a time, but this type of configuration does provide additional redundancy. Changes to the master MySQL database are replicated to the slave database in near time via a journaling log. Should the master database fail, the slave has a full set of data for manual cut over.

Finally, there is also a special WordPress-specific solution for multiple database servers. HyperDB was created by Automattic to handle the requirements of WordPress.com traffic. HyperDB is a full replacement for the built-in WordPress database access layer and includes functionality for using multiple databases, sharding or partitioning your database across multiple servers, and also replication and tiered failover. Unfortunately, the documentation is far from complete.

"

Within Temptation - Where Is The Edge

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Review

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Review: "

B&W remains the king of all Apple-centric audio devices

The iconic Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin hit the market in late 2007 and instantly established the high-water market for iOS speaker docks, both in terms of price and performance. B&W has now bested itself with the all-new Zeppelin Air, which adds wireless audio streaming, a beefier amplifier, better drivers, and more without adding a dime to the price tag.

The Air in the new Zeppelin’s name springs from its support for Apple’s AirPlay technology and it might be the first non-Apple product to use it. The new Zeppelin retains its iPod dock (more on this in a moment), but you can also stream music wirelessly either from any late-model iOS device or from your iTunes library on your computer or server using your existing wireless router (provided the router is configured to allow 802.11g clients). Install Apple’s new Remote app on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad and you have a very good remote control for the system.

B&W's Zeppelin Air is an exquisite iPod dock and music streamer.

You can also set up a multi-room audio system by placing additional Zeppelin Airs in other rooms inside your home. But the Zeppelin Air/Apple AirPlay combo is no Sonos killer: First and foremost, if you’re streaming music from a single iTunes library, every Zepp must play the same song. Second, if you’re wirelessly streaming music from your iOS device, that stream can be directed to only one Zeppelin Air. And third, since AirPlay relies on your existing wireless router, other traffic on your wireless network—especially video streams—can limit the number music streams in flight (although AirPlay can use wired network connections, too, which would eliminate this limitation). We also prefer the manner in which the Sonos remote control allows us to manage that system’s song queue (we’ve yet to find a better solution for creating and manipulating playlists on the fly). These are all limitations imposed by Apple’s Technology, not B&W’s, and none of them make the Zeppelin Air sound any less glorious.

Design Changes

The most important of the Zeppelin Air’s many design improvements is the manner in which it interfaces with the iPod: The dock on the new model taps the iPod’s digital audio output (carried on one of the pins inside the iPod’s docking port). B&W’s engineers not only put a high-end digital-to-analog converter (an Analog Devices’ AD1936) inside the new speaker, they also plopped an Analog Devices’ ADAU1445 sample-rate converter and digital signal processor in the signal path. The sample-rate converter element inside theADAU1445 upsamples the bitstream to 24-bit resolution and a 96kHz sampling rate and then passes the signal on to its DSP element, where it’s massaged with a custom algorithm. (B&W didn’t reveal any details about what its DSP algorithm does to the bit stream before it’s passed on to the DAC for conversion to analog.) The first-gen Zeppelin also had a DSP and a DAC, but it relied on the iPod’s analog audio output. This new design choice renders the new speaker dock incompatible with older iPods that don’t have digital audio outputs, but that’s a trade-off we’re perfectly happy with.

The Zeppelin Air utilizes a high-end sample-rate converter/DSP and a top-shelf DAC.

If you’d like to use the Zeppelin Air as a computer speaker, simply connect it to your PC’s or Mac’s USB port and it will function as a USB audio device. If you’d like to use it with a digital media player other than an iPod (or with an older-generation iPod that doesn’t have a digital output), plug the device into the Zeppelin’s aux input (this input can accept either an analog mini-jack plug or a digital mini TosLink plug). The Zeppelin Air’s remaining I/O ports are Ethernet, composite video out (for docked iPod’s only—you can’t stream video to the speaker dock), and AC power.

In addition to the new silicon, the Zeppelin Air is outfitted with new one-inch Nautilus tube tweeters (the same drivers used in B&W’s astounding MM-1 computer speakers http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/bowers_wilkins_mm1_computer_speakers_review), a pair of newly designed 3.5-inch mid-range drivers (placed further out to the sides of the enclosure to improve stereo imaging), and a five-inch woofer. Where a single 100-watt amp drove all the speakers in the first Zeppelin, the Zepplelin Air features five discrete Class D amplifiers that deliver 50 watts to the woofer and 25 watts to each of the other drivers. The enclosure retains the same unconventional look as the original, but this model is fabricated from a glass-fiber composite material (the original was formed from polycarbonate ABS).

We’re not big iTunes fans, but the Zeppelin Air is intimately tied to that software. And while it annoys us to no end that Apple refuses to support our favorite lossless codec, FLAC, we re-ripped a number of favorite CDs and encoded them using Apple Lossless before loading them onto an iPod Touch and iTunes running on a MacBook Pro for our listening tests. B&W tells us that no matter which other codec you choose for your music, AirPlay will convert it to Apple Lossless on the fly before sending it over the network.

Performance

The original Zeppelin sounds fantastic, but the Zeppelin Air sounds even better. After performing blind listening tests comparing the sound quality of a docked iPod Touch to the same song (Steely Dan’s “What a Shame About Me,” from the band’s Two Against Nature CD) streamed over our wireless network, we began to wonder if AirPlay was compressing the audio before streaming it. High-frequency sounds, such as the drummer’s high-hat cymbal and certain guitar strokes, just didn’t have quite the same sizzle. The discrepancy was extremely subtle and we would never have noticed it if we hadn’t been listening so carefully. When we queried B&W about this, they informed us of the aforementioned Apple Lossless conversion and suggested that the degradation we detected might actually be the result of jitter (timing errors) in the wireless transmission.

The Zeppelin Air had absolutely no problem filling our 247-square-foot home theater with sound; in fact, several people came into the room thinking they were hearing the B&W CM8 tower speakers and PV1 subwoofer we featured in the January/February issue of Maximum Tech. The five-inch woofer rendered the honk of Doc Kupka’s bari sax in Tower of Power’s “Squib Cakes” (from their Back to Oakland CD) so fat it was almost lewd, while the mid-ranges and tweeters enabled us to hear every crack, splash, and stroke of Dave Garibaldi’s incredible drumming work.

The Zeppelin Air isn’t a great choice for a multi-room audio system, unless you’re satisfied with playing the same song in every room of your house (even if you have a multitude of iOS devices and/or computers with iTunes libraries, there’s no way to control all of them using a single device), and we don’t like being limited to Apple Lossless as our only high-end codec. The $600 price tag puts this high-flying device out of many people’s reach; but if you’re an Apple fan, the Zeppelin Air is one of best audio systems you can buy.

"

European Customs Begin Seizing PS3 Shipments as LG Wins Injunction

European Customs Begin Seizing PS3 Shipments as LG Wins Injunction: "
Sony has been dealt a severe blow by a European court in its ongoing patent battle with LG. According to the Guardian, the latter has been granted a preliminary injunction on the import of PS3 consoles into Europe by the civil court of justice in the Hague, thus requiring European custom officials to seize all PS3 shipments for at least 10 days.

14 Images and Hands-On with Motorola's New Atrix 4G

14 Images and Hands-On with Motorola's New Atrix 4G: "

We were lucky enough to get our hands on Motorola's much-touted Atrix 4G phone with the accompanying laptop accessory. You can dock this phone with an HD display, mouse, and keyboard, or you can use the laptop dock. By doing so, you immediately turn your smartphone into a laptop. The OS uses a "Mobile view" to display the phones' onscreen functions, but you can also use an Apple-style quick-launch bar at the bottom of the laptop dock to access other applications and functions.

We'll have more thoughts later this week, but for now, here are some initial impressions:

-The phone definitely takes a back seat to the laptop dock/chassis. It's Macbook thin, and we like the sleek black matte body. It's heavier than it looks, weighing about 3 pounds.

-It's cool, and the laptop screen looks great. We plugged the Atrix into the dock behind the phone, opened the laptop dock up, and we were typing on the keyboard and using the mousepad like any other laptop. 

-In non-docked mode, the phone is fast. In docked mode, however, we were surprised by how pokey this thing runs. 

-We're puzzled as to why a Google OS device would use Firefox as its primary browser as opposed to Chrome. Very strange.

 

 

"

Motorola Xoom: First-Look and Early Impressions

Motorola Xoom: First-Look and Early Impressions: "

Five days into our magical journey of discovery with the Motorola Xoom, we’ve made the following three conclusions: (1) The web browsing and email functions of the Honeycomb OS are fantastic, (2) live Android widgets on a 1280x800, 10.1-inch touch screen are a revelation, and (3) people who complain about the Xoom’s weight and power button location either passed judgment too soon, or still haven’t overcome their iPad separation anxiety. 

On our end, we’re still not quite ready to issue a final review verdict on the Xoom. That will come later this week, after we’ve had more time to dive into Motorola’s hardware, and (if all goes according to plan) compare it against the iPad 2. But for now we can share the following testing notes.

Web Browsing

Notice that the active browser tab is highlighted in a lighter shade of gray. Hitting the down arrow next to the Maximum PC label would bring back the browser's tool bar (which annoyingly disappears when you scroll down a browser window).

The Xoom is essentially a Honeycomb reference design—insomuch that Motorola customized neither the desktop nor the core apps. So the tablet reveals Honeycomb in its purest, most undiluted form. And, boy howdy, Android 3.0 kicks ass in the tablet app we use the most.

Within just a few minutes of use, we were loving the browser’s tabbed windows, which allow you to see all your open URLs at a glance, just as you can with any modern desktop browser. Want another window? Open it, and it joins its mates at the top of the interface. Open another. And another! You can open up 16, and any that are obscured can be finger-swiped into view. Tabs are essential for a 10-inch browser window, and its ludicrous that the iPad makes you hit a vague, featureless button to see a grid arrangement of all your open browser window. 

We also like the Honeycomb browser’s large, distinct refresh button, and its app-specific options menu, which, among other features, gives you quick links to a “Find On Page” search (a function that’s relatively clumsy on the iPad) and a “Share Page” feature with direct hooks into Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and Bluetooth. The browser itself seems pretty well-optimized: Page loads are quick, and page scrolling is faster and more responsive than on the iPad. 

That said, The browser’s object-caching during loads unnerved us at first: When you hit a link, the app’s cool, laser-blue progress bar immediately progress about 10 to 15 percent – but nothing happens on the page. You wait, and wait, and -- BOOM! -- the entire page then loads, quickly, in one fell swoop. This contrasts greatly with iOS Safari, which loads more like a desktop browser -- i.e., a little at a time, drawing the page as objects are downloaded. 

Is the Honeycomb way “bad” per se? No. It’s just different, and will probably alarm you for the first few hours of use.

The bigger Honeycomb browser faux pas comes in the lack of Flash support. The Xoom and other Honeycomb tablets won’t support Flash until Google bakes in Flash Player 10.2 sometime this year, hopefully before the end of Spring. But, jeez, even the Samsung Galaxy Tab includes Flash (version 10.1). Sure, it’s not an effective version of Flash on Android, but at least it’s present, and you can turn it on and off at whim. 

Email

Compared to any other phone or tablet mail app, the Honeycomb Gmail app offers a welath of user options -- exposed right on the main interface. In this screenshot, the email message body font is set to 'Huge.'

The Android phone version of email was so unsatisfying, Samsung prettied it up and reformatted it for the 7-inch Galaxy Tab. No such triage is necessary for the Honeycomb version, however. Besides being fast and reactive, the Xoom’s email interface is purposefully simple, makes great use of the 10.1-inch screen format, and exposes important user options right where you can find them -- on the main screen itself. 

When you first set up your mail account and download all your mail, you see a list of mailboxes on the far left, and a wider list of all your Inbox messages on the right. Tap a specific email message, and the left hand-column morphs from a mailboxes list to your Inbox message list. Simultaneously, the message you tapped expands to consume the broad chunk of real estate on the right two-thirds of the screen. In the contextual Setting options -- exposed right at the top of the mail app -- you can set message font size anywhere between “Tiny” and “Huge,” report a message as spam, or “mute” an annoying email thread that’s just dragging down your day . But these examples are really just the beginning of all the options that the mail app exposes right on the surface. Some people don’t like too many app options. But we see them as opportunities, and we appreciate that Android puts them front and center.

Widgets, Screens and Animations

In this shot of just a small portion of the Xoom's screen, we see widgets for the Honeycomb Calendar app, Analog Clock, WeatherBug and Twitter. Widgets run right on the home screen, pushing data in real-time, and all without having to launch an app.

With a 10.1-inch screen, and a luscious 1280x800 pixel grid, the Xoom offers generous pastures on which to graze your widgets. Sure, it’s a shame the Android developer community hasn’t yet created any super-sized widgets to take advantage of the new OS, but at least you can widget your way to your heart’s content across five home screens. Widgets are a huge feature advantage over iOS.

The 1280x800 widescreen aspect ratio also plays to the Xoom’s advantage. Compared to the iPad, it offers a decidedly larger, not-letterboxed viewing window when watching HD content. Overall, the screen isn’t as a bright and brilliant as either the iPad’s or the Galaxy Tab’s, and this is one area -- screen quality -- where we’ll probably see other “big screen” Honeycomb tablets trump the Xoom in short order. The screen errs toward a cooler color temperature, and its colors lack saturation and richness. 

High-def, wide-aspect-ratio video not only plays without hesitation, it also appears in a larger window than on any other Android or iOS device currently available. 

But at least RGB blue comes through bold and brilliant, and this is important for Honeycomb’s very subtle – but still quite sexy – interface animations. For example, when you reach the bottom of a list (say, in Android Market), and can’t scroll any further, a cloudy, blue “fog” will appear at the bottom of the interface element. And then there’s the blue laser progress bar in the browser, which we’ve already mentioned. Both effects are cool, and we hope to find more Honeycomb animations as we explore the OS and apps more thoroughly.

When you scroll to the bottom of a list and can't go any further, the top of the open window shows a hazy blue animation. It's subtle, yes, but we love these clever gesture cues.

The Physical Beast Itself

We’ll end this little progress report with some quick-hit observations about the hardware design, and all the experiential nuances it’s delivered so far.

• We appreciate the Xoom’s non-metallic chassis. This is a very, very, very small quibble about the iPad, but its aluminum back-plate gets cold during the winter months.

• Early reviews have complained about the Xoom’s rear-mounted power button. Oh, get over it! What, you can’t find the button? It’s on the back! And it’s very well-positioned when you grasp the Xoom with two hands.

• That said, we don’t like the volume rocker controls. They’re barely perceptible nubbins that are hard to find along the edge of the tablet. And when you push one down, you can barely tell whether you’ve depressed anything. We’re not impressed.

• Some incredibly nitpicky reviewers have also dissed the Xoom’s weight -- which is a whopping 50 grams more than the iPad. That’s 1.76 ounces, people. Are we mice or men? Both devices are easy to hold in our man hands. In fact, we’d hazard to say the Xoom is more comfortable to hold in one’s grip, precisely because it’s a tad bit squatter. It’s a pleasing, agreeable formfactor, and we like it better than the iPad’s.

• Finally, props go to Motorola for engineering a relatively thin black border around the Xoom’s active screen area. It’s about half an inch, where the iPad is a tad over three-quarters of an inch. The Xoom’s bezel allows enough room for “fingerprint duty,” but not so much space as to mar the overall hardware aesthetics.

 

So that’s our early scoop on the Motorola Xoom. What other features do you want to know about? Just put your requests in the Comments section of this article. And please check back soon for our first-look Xoom video, and the final Xoom review. With the iPad 2 just around the corner, the tablet wars are primed to get vicious!

"

Smart TV Primer: What's the Status of IETV?

Smart TV Primer: What's the Status of IETV?: "

Is convergence ready for prime time?

More than a decade after Windows 98 introduced us to WebTV, there are loud rumblings in the tech world about the resurgent interest in convergence. Remember convergence? It is the almost mythical integration of everything that’s good out there; television and the Internet, entertainment and interaction, video and live action, peanut butter and chocolate…okay, maybe not that last one.

In short, convergence is everything that your Home Theater PC (HTPC) offers now. If you’re not willing (or able) to build or buy your own HTPC, and you must have Hulu on your HDTV, then consider IETV aka Smart TV. With the current crop of boob tubes hoping to wow and impress you in a way that 3D TV hasn’t yet, manufacturers are increasingly offering in-set options. We’re talking Facebook and Twitter, people! Right there on the big screen! We're going to tell you all about the muddled minefield of IETV, the next big battle for your eyes, ears and wallets.

Acronyms and Background

As with any technology, there are acronyms galore in the world of smart TV. Here’s a quick list of some of them:

IETV – Internet enabled TV. Basically, a television with a wireless or Ethernet connection which allows some level of interaction with the Internet (Interaction here means two-way communication), also called ‘smart TV’.

IPTV – Internet Protocol TV. This is a system of streaming television content over broadband. This could be live TV or video on demand (VOD). IPTV requires a very fast connection in order to deliver television content as well as separate Internet content and/or VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) over the same wire. IPTV is popular in Europe and in some Asian countries, and in some areas of North America.

DLNA – Digital Living Network Alliance – Sony introduced this group in 2003 in an attempt to standardize the rapidly emerging technology which allows us to take and watch pictures, listen to music and see video. Most  major manufacturers are onboard with DLNA, including LG, Samsung, Intel, Microsoft, and Verizon. Apple is not. DLNA devices are often easier to get along with, helping you avoid wonky, one-off devices that may or may not work once you get them home. Besides looking for the DLNA certification on technology that you are about to purchase, you can also certify your PC using the Media Share setup in Windows Media Player 11 or higher. Once you do that, all of your DLNA devices should be able to communicate and share with each other.

Android – OK, it’s not so much an acronym but it  is everywhere these days. Although Android is generally known as a mobile OS, you can find it on some smart TVs as well. Android-based technology aims to  give you the world at your fingertips, whether you’re walking down the street, sitting in a coffee shop or sprawled out on the couch at home.

The Great Divide – Browser or No Browser?

While IETVs or smart TVs may seem pretty confusing at first, it all comes down to one main difference: whether the technology (set top box, TV or console) has a browser or not. For less than $100.00, you can get some level of smartness for your television. For a bit more, you can get  smartness and the freedom to surf the ‘net - without being locked into the confines of whatever apps or widgets some manufacturer thinks you’ll like. 

Right now, only Sony and Logitech offer browsers. These two companies have taken the jump into smart TV earlier than anyone else by partnering with Google TV and, hopefully, this eagerness will pay off for their customers. Watching TV through a browser makes the whole TV/Internet experience better, in our opinion. Integrating the TV experience seamlessly with the web experience is what this whole thing is about, isn’t it?

We think that most of our readers would insist on Internet access and interaction with their smart appliance. Oddly enough, some manufacturers have decided that a browser isn’t required, that you really don’t want to see web pages on your family room wall. Time will tell if these guys have their fingers on the pulse of their buyers or if they’re just behind the times.

Widgets, Apps and Buttons

Before we get into the players for today’s smart TV game, we’ll explain how you get around the Internet if you don’t have a browser at your fingertips. Both types of smart devices offer similar navigation systems, whether you are able to extend your Internet activities with a browser or not. Surf to any manufacturer’s site and you’ll see that they all are utilizing buttons or icons whichtake you to the respective web page. Facebook and Twitter are fairly consistent offerings as is Netflix.

Beyond that, you’ll have choices like news, sports and entertainment buttons that instantly (more or less) connect you to other sites. Samsung, Sony, and LG  have dozens of options that you can choose from once you bring them up on your TV screen with your remote. Each manufacturer handles the menu differently. (More details on that later.)

Aside from the buttons, which are essentially bookmarks,  Android based devices will soon see the option to download apps, the same  way you can on your Android-based handheld device. Pretty much any app that you can use on your Android phone should be available for your TV. Right now, armed with your Android phone, you can shoot images back and forth between devices as well as being able to control your smart TV  with your Android based cell phone using the Harmony app. Ah, we’re sensing nirvana here, folks.

 

---

 

The Up-to-the-Minute Line-Up

Internet Enabled devices come and go in the blink of an eye, it seems. Here’s a list of the major players from bottom to top as of this moment. In a week or two, maybe a month, heck, maybe by the time you refresh this page, things may have changed dramatically. If you haven’t noticed, we’re avoiding Google TV for the moment, simply because of it’s  current state of limbo with it and the networks. Farther down in this article we’ll give you the current status of Google TV.

Add-ons

Roku – Available in three versions, Roku is the only product that you can add to your current setup that’ll put you back less than $100.00. While Roku’s widget selection is rather limited, you still get a pretty good bang for your buck (without  an official YouTube offering, unfortunately).  Note: The Roku device will not play your own videos or music, just material from the Internet. Check our full review of the Ruku HD XR.

Apple TV – Tiny, cool looking, but basically useless as far as anything interactive goes, Apple’s sub-$100 Apple TV lets you watch movies, pics and videos (yes, including YouTube) on your current TV set. Heavily integrated with all of Apple’s other products (iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc), there’s even an app which allows you to stream or control everything from your handheld Apple product.

Boxee Box from D-Link – D-Link has shown up with a $200.00 oddly shaped box that streams Internet-based material to your current TV set. Netflix, Vudu, MLB and the NHL (and other sources) are available but not, at this writing, any networks. As with Google TV, the networks are blocking the box but, for all you HTPC users, they aren’t blocking the unboxed version that you can run on your PC. Here’s what we thought about the Boxee Box.

Logitech Revue – The Revue is equipped with Google Chrome as well as Google TV but, since Google TV is virtually useless at this point, you’ll have to figure out if a browser and some apps are worth the Revue’s $299.00 entry fee-since there are cheaper alternatives for  pretty much everything the Revue does. The Revue is offered at a discounted price by Dish Network but a $4.00 monthly integration fee will apply. Dish is, so far, the only entertainment provider that has grasped the smart TV concept.  Get the Revue review here.

Smart Blu-ray players – Right now, for under  $150.00, you can get a Blu-ray player that is just about as smart as anything else on the market today. For example, Sony has the BDP-S370 which will stream NetFlix, YouTube, etc. as well as play your own material through your home network. Add the Blu-ray capability and we’d say you’ve got just about everything you need…except a browser.  Samsung has the BD-C5500 for about the same price, complete with Samsung Apps which extend your entertainment possibilities dramatically.

A quick note: Check the specs before you buy. Do you need 5.1 sound? 3D? We’ve given you some basic ideas here, but there are a full range of options and prices out there .Let your needs and your wallet steer you in the right direction.

Game consoles – With a rudimentary browser, Blu-ray capability as well as all kinds of media sharing and game options, the Sony PS3 is a viable contender in the smart TV arena. Add to this  the standard (and upgradable) hard drive and you will agree that Sony was ahead of the curve back in 2006. If you just use your PS3 for games, you’re missing out on a lot. Xbox 360 fans aren’t left out either – Microsoft’s game console can stream Netflix and ESPN, has Windows Media center capabilities and also offers downloads from its Zune marketplace.

Internet Enabled Televisions and What They're Offering

Most major television manufacturers now offer buyers at least a minimum of Internet connectivity. Some, such as Toshiba, eschew a browser completely while others; LG and Sony for instance, offer browsers only on certain models.

If you’re confused about who offers what, head over to Amazon and do a search for ‘smart tv’and start clicking on the different models of televisions. Almost every product has a video available which gives you the low down on what each one offers.  The Amazon videos are short and informative, quickly giving you all the basic information you need. Once you get a feeling for each manufacturer’s offerings and, hopefully, having narrowed your search, then you can check out your favorite model on its own website

Remember, what you’re reading was current when it was written. Things change. Sony has just announced that the Opera mini browser will be available on some of its Bravia line. They also offer Google TV on another line of sets. If you’re thinking of taking the plunge into smart TVs, do your research online and in the store. Change is good but with smart TVs, it’s can get pretty confusing.

Here’s a rundown of what some manufacturers are offering at this moment.

Toshiba – With probably the leanest offerings as far as smartness goes, Toshiba offers two levels of access: NetTV, with the usual apps such as Facebook, twitter and Pandora, with either YouTube or NetFlix. Their more expensive models come with ‘Enhanced Net TV’ which includes YouTube and Netflix as well as Blockbuster.  According to various reports, there is no browser in Toshiba’s future.

Vizio – A click of a button on the remote brings up the Internet icons across the bottom of the screen on the Vizio XVT series of smart televisions. You can keep an eye on whatever you are watching and scan the Internet icons at the same time.  The remote also includes a slip-out QWERTY keyboard for updating your status on Facebook while you’re watching TV.

LG – LG uses something called Netcast to access its selection of Internet apps. A menu pops up, covering the whole screen, and you select which Internet portal you want. Text input on the screenis a bit tedious we think, and there is talk of a browser being available very soon. LG also offers the BD590 smart Blu-ray player equipped with a 250 gig HD for around $200.00.

Sony – Of all the manufacturers we looked at, Sony seems to have grasped the smart part of television better than anyone else. Sure, they are in limbo as far as Google TV goes but so is everyone else. What really won us over was the simple but very effective presentation on the website.

Except for the techno bubble sound in the background, the Sony flash presentation is head and shoulders above any other manufacturer’s information page. All of the features are explained plus Sony eases some of your stress by answering common questions about Internet TV, all on the same web page. Every other manufacturer basically gives you the runaround when you’re hunting for the details you need- as if they aren’t really sure of what they’re offering - but Sony puts it all out there for you on their sonystyle.com site.

Sony also offers a cool keypad/scroll/touchpad remote with their smart deviceswhich is the closest thing we’ve seen to a mouse/keyboard combo yet.  You’d probably feel more comfortable using your thumbs to input text but it’s a lot better than waving a motion controller around in the air for your LOLs.

Add Google Chrome to all of this and you’ve got a pretty complete package. Once Google TV gets straightened out, if it ever does, Sony should jump to the head of the line with their nice array of products (and premium price tags).

Google TV – At this point in time, all of the major networks have blocked Google TV. Everything is on hold until Google works a deal of some sort with at least some of the biggies. This may take some time, as Google isn’t known for its finesse when it comes to dealing with partners, but at least  Google has tried to master convergence. Sure, there have been some bumps in the road but the concept itself is very strong. Time will tell if Google TV will be a success. Not everything that Google touches turns to gold but we feel that Google might just have a winner with this one. In a year, we’ll know more about where this is all going.

In Our Wildest Dreams...What we’d like to see on our IETVs.

With enormous amounts of LCD or plasma real estate hanging on our walls, why are we limited in what we can choose to watch? PIP is great but why stop at two onscreen boxes? Any live sporting event that is streamed over the Internet begs for multiple feeds. Why not allow us to choose the camera we watch? Think of a center box with the normal feed in it surrounded by boxes with the feeds from the other cameras in them. That would give us ultimate control. We could check out the cheerleaders, for instance, or the fanatics in Philly, or the action on the line during a scrimmage simply by choosing which camera feed is shown in the center.

Anyone who reads this is a pretty intense computer user. We’re used to multiple screens, busy desktops and multi-tasking. Many of us aren’t content with just watching a movie or a TV show and taking a break during commercials to Facebook or twitter. We’re used to doing both at the same time. Add chat into that equation and we’re back to the HTPC concept. Or are we?

If a manufacturer can dish up a decent HD screen with a generic PC attached, something that would allow for some storage, BluRay and the new IETV interaction, the costs wouldn’t be high enough to drive customers away. We’re not talking about gaming or rendering HD video here, just some simple PC activities while we’re watching Modern Family. It ain’t rocket science!

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

We welcome your comments. Sign up and become a member of MaximumOC.com and let us know what you think about this or anything else you see here. If we’ve hit the mark tell us. If we’ve missed it completely, let us know why. Thanks for reading!

"

Fujitsu Bringing 'World's First Truly Wireless PC Display' to CeBIT 2011

Fujitsu Bringing 'World's First Truly Wireless PC Display' to CeBIT 2011: "

CeBIT 2011 gets underway in Hannover, Germany tomorrow (March 1). While the main focus of the event is information and communications technology (ICT) and not consumer electronics, the five-day expo will nevertheless feature a few consumer electronics innovations. One such innovation you might not want to miss is a 22-inch display that Fujitsu claims is the “world’s first truly wireless PC display.”

Fujitsu’s wireless display prototype features a wireless power technology, called SUPA (Smart Universal Power Access), developed by The Fraunhofer Institute  et al as part of a project backed by the German government. According to the company, the displays draw power from a transmitter antenna via magneto-induction.  The image from a computer can also be fed to the “park and play” monitor wirelessly using wireless USB, which has a maximum range of 10 meters.

“We are planning to introduce the first models incorporating totally wireless power technology to our LED-backlit display range within the next year,” said Rajat Kakar , Senior Vice President Workplace Systems at Fujitsu Technology Solutions.

“This is another technology innovation from Fujitsu, following on from our 0-Watt PCs and displays. In operation, there’s no difference in quality from the desktop image – except that we’ve consigned cables to the history books of display technology.”

"

Sony Rumored to be Prepping 17.7MP Smartphone Camera Sensor

Sony Rumored to be Prepping 17.7MP Smartphone Camera Sensor: "

According to CrunchGear, Sony may be preparing to step up the image quality of smartphone and point-and-shoot cameras with a new 17.7MP CMOS sensor. It's not just the crazy-high resolution of the sensor that makes this imaging gear special, the sensor is reportedly able to 'convert multiple pixels into single pixels simultaneously' making image compression 75% faster, reports The Nikkei.

The new CMOS imager has a processing speed of 34.8Gbps, which is five times faster than Sony's last generation cameras. This is necessary because the device boasts that ability to shoot video at full resolution at 120FPS. Of course, the device it is imbedded in would have to be capable as well, but even if it isn't, the extra speed could go towards things like continuous still shooting. 

There has been no official word from Sony on this possible image sensor. But the company has traditionally been a dominant force in the CMOS market, owning about 70% of it. We'd love to see this sensor in action, but more megapixels doesn't necessarily mean a better image. Only time will tell. 

"

Kindle Coming to an AT&T Store Near You

Kindle Coming to an AT&T Store Near You: "

When the Kindle first launched, you could only pick one up from Amazon.com itself. In the last year or so, Amazon has smartly expanded into brick and mortar retail chains. Now the Kindle will be available in yet another place, AT&T Wireless stores. As you may or may not be aware, the global 3G radio in the Kindle uses AT&T's network in the US.

AT&T will sell the $189 3G model of the Kindle 3 only. The Wi-Fi model wouldn't really offer them the same bragging rights. That's probably what it’s about. People live their Kindles, and AT&T may want to remind them that they have a hand in the product. It would be a pleasant departure from complaints about iPhone signal issues. Amazon is benefitting by getting the Kindle in front of more and more eyes.

One of Barnes and Noble's apparent advantages in launching the Nook was the retail environment they control. But they only have so many stores. Amazon can expand to many retail chains without competing with themselves directly on other products.

"

Motorola to Bring Webtop Experience to Future High-End Android Phones

Motorola to Bring Webtop Experience to Future High-End Android Phones: "

The Motorola Atrix 4G made a splash at CES in no small part due to its unique webtop docking experience. The phone can be attached to an HDMI dock, or laptop shell to run a full version of Firefox as well as some other apps on a larger screen. Venture Beat is reporting today that Moto CEO Sanjay Jha has told investors that the webtop experience will be coming to all 'high-end' Motorola phones in the second half of the year.

The Atrix is packing a powerful Tegra 2 dual core SoC, and upcoming phones are expected to continue that trend of uber-fast hardware. So it makes sense that they won't be arbitrarily keeping the webtop locked to just one handset. The Droid Bionic, which is going to launch on Verizon in the coming weeks or months, is an almost identical phone. 

Jha did not say if the webtop would come to existing phones as a firmware update. If anything, only newer phones are likely to get it via an update. We don't know if the webtop will require the use of docks on all devices (though Motorola did say the docks would be available), or if users will be able to fire it up on their own. Would you be more likely to consider a Motorola phone if it had this ability built in?

"

Scosche goBAT II Portable Charger and Backup Battery

Scosche goBAT II Portable Charger and Backup Battery: "

How many mobile devices do you have? How many times were they out of juice on your trips? If it happened often, Scosche goBAT II portable charger and backup battery may be helpful for you.

Scosche goBAT II is a portable charger that comes with built-in 5000mAh rechargeable battery. But unlike normal backup battery, goBAT II features four interfaces including two USB charging ports that can be used at the same time, a 2.1 Amp port for your iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, or other tablets, and a 1.0 Amp port for your iPhone and iPod. And the lithium-ion battery can recharge iPhone up to 3 times, iPhone 4 up to 2.6 times or up to 55% of iPad’s battery. Apart from that, the four blue LED lights let you know the status of the backup battery.

Scosche goBAT II portable charger and backup battery is priced at $89.99 USD. If you’re interested, jump to Scosche official site for more details. By the way, if you need more options, you might like to check the palm-size emergency charger, ZAGGsparq 2.0 portable charger, and more via “portable charger” tag.

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deface web dengan meta http-equiv

deface web dengan meta http-equiv: "

Salam kenal kk di forum http://forum.appgazebo.com/

wah apa lagi yang megang cuantik ui....
sekedar berbagi pengalaman....
pengalaman yang mengenaskan.... web ane di deface sama om hacker dari turki....

ni web ane..... jelek seeh tp ya... maklum lah.... dari wordpress...
blackid.tk
udah lah perkenalannya...
langsung ke tkp..



ini contohnya...
korban
pertama login dulu ke web yang menggunakan wordpress....
terserah mau webnya orang atau web pribadi
kalau webnya orang sarannya belajar sql injection, rfi, lfi, pokoknya sampek bisa nanem shell deh...
kalau shell2 yang ada bisa saya shere di sini kumpulan shell2
tp buanyak kok yang lain cari di sdar.ac.id

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="2;URL=http://stk31.com/l">

nah di atas adalah source buat ngederect web ke web lain.....
caranya jadikan source di atas sebagai judul dari post yang akan kita buat
kemuadian isinya terserah mau di isi apa saja....

hehe terlalu banyak bacooot dari tadi....
udah dehh coba sendiri aja......
selanjutnya terserah anda....

source : http://forum.appgazebo.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=286

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