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Samsung Launches YH-920GS Audio Player Offering Compatibility To The Online Music Service Napster
SURREY, England, May 20 /PRNewswire/ --
Samsung today announces the launch of the YH-920GS the first product to be co-branded by Samsung Electronics and Napster in the UK. This innovative Digital Audio Hard Drive and Storage Device, coupled with Napster 2.0 Music Service, marks the beginning of a partnership to improve the experience of consumers using digital music.
The YH-920GS is seamlessly integrated into the Napster 2.0 client so you can transfer songs from the client directly to your YH-920GS via USB 2.0. With 20GB of built-in memory (over 5,000 songs) this sleek and durable player offers solid performance with a range of excellent features including an FM tuner, tuner recording to MP3 and line-in MP3 encoding.
The player, which can also be used as an external hard drive device for data storage, measures 59 x 106 x 16 (WxHxD mm) and weights 149.5g. It offers a built-in 3.7V rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery allowing over 10 hours of playback time and accessories include remote control, carry case, ear buds, USB 2.0 cable and install disk.
On announcement of the partnership Eric Kim, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Marketing Operations and Digital Solution Centre at Samsung Electronics, says 'The Samsung Electronics and Napster partnership enables us to offer a seamless experience from selecting and downloading legal music from Napster to enjoying that music on the Samsung player. Together, we will develop a line of offerings that will deliver an unmatched customer experience using superior products with Napster's unique and extensive content'.
About Samsung Electronics
- The world's fastest growing brand for the second year running (Interbrand, 2003)
- 66,000 employees worldwide
- 83 facilities in 50 countries
- Total sales in 2001: US$24 billion
- World's no. 1 manufacturer of DRAM, SRAM, TFT/LCD, CDMA Handsets, Colour monitor, VCR and microwaves
- Annual R&D investment: US$1.82 billion
For more information, please visit www.samsung.co.uk
S.Korea's iRiver eyes big boost to sales
Reuters, 05.20.04, 7:46 AM ET
BANGKOK, May 20 (Reuters) - South Korean computer audio equipment maker iRiver Inc said on Thursday it expected to raise global sales to $1 billion by 2007 from $450 million projected for 2004, and last year's $250 million.
iRiver executive Marilyn Chen told reporters a large portion of additional revenues in the next few years for the firm, which is wholly owned by South Korea's Reigncom Ltd <060570.KQ>, would come from fast-growing Chinese and Russian markets.
"China and Russia offer the most promising potential and our sales there should grow very fast," said Chen, who was in Bangkok to launch iRiver products at a local computer show.
Microsoft Corp (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people) has enlisted iRiver and Creative Technology Ltd <CREA.SI> of Singapore to develop a device that plays movies and stores digital photos as well as MP3 songs, called the Portable Media Center, in a bid to build a share of the fast-growing digital media player market.
iRiver plans to launch its new Personal Multimedia Player in South Korea and the United States in August, Chen said.
iRiver launched 10 models of portable MP3 players for the Thai market on Thursday, where it hopes to capture a 45 percent market share within six months.
Chen estimated that iRiver held a 23 percent global market share in the portable audio and multimedia player sector. She said the company enjoyed a 55 percent share of the Korean market and a 43 percent share of the sector in Russia.
($1= 40.76 baht)
Copyright 2004, Reuters News Service
Tin LOL eom
It appears KLM has 44 737 variants. How many flights do the 737's fly to Middle East? Business seats per flights?
http://www.klm.com/generic/bin/145_35410.pdf
http://www.klm.com/dk_en/
Also, larger KLM fleet is already equipped with IFE....
Hope takeover does not effect deal???
Easyjet protests Air France takeover of KLM
18 May 2004
AMSTERDAM — British budget airline Easyjet has lodged an objection to the Air France takeover of KLM, claiming that the deal will reduce consumer choice.
Easyjet has filed a complaint with the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, claiming that the European Commission was wrong to approve the takeover, Radio Netherlands reported on Tuesday.
In its petition, Easyjet asserts that Air France already dominates the French market more than any other national airlines. It also alleges that the Air France takeover of KLM will further reduce consumer choice, forcing prices up for French travellers.
The legal complaint aims to convince the court that the EC decision approving the takeover should be overturned. The interests of consumers must always come first," Easyjet chief
Ray Webster said in a statement.
The EC is unimpressed by the legal challenge, but a spokesman for EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said Easyjet is quite welcome to go to court, Dutch news agency nu.nl reported.
The commission is satisfied with the takeover of KLM by Air France and claims that adequate measures have been taken to safeguard competition. The new Air France-KLM holding company will give up 94 landing rights to its competitors.
"That is pro-consumer and pro-newcomers," the spokesman said.
The takeover also got the go ahead from shareholders earlier this month as Air France announced that 89.22 percent of the Dutch airline’s shareholders had offered their holdings to the French carrier.
But despite the large majority offering their shares, Air France extended its all-share offer to 21 May in a deal which will create the largest European airline and the third-biggest carrier in the world in terms of sales.
The takeover will see the French government reduce its stake in Air France from 54 percent to 44.7 percent of the Air France-KLM holding. KLM will take control of 19 percent of the new holding, while Air France will claim 37 percent.
[Copyright Expatica News 2004
OT: Aerospace Notebook: A380 for Virgin Atlantic delayed
One plane would be about the same number as Alaskas add on order LOL
By JAMES WALLACE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
A knight of the British realm, Sir Richard Branson has never been one to resist making a colorful splash on the world's aviation stage.
At the Farnborough Air Show outside London two years ago, Branson, the flamboyant billionaire chairman of Virgin Atlantic, took delivery of the first Airbus A340-600, the world's longest jetliner, bearing this motif: "Mine's bigger than yours."
With Branson surrounded by the kind of lovely ladies usually found on Page Three of the British tabloids, the Airbus plane was christened at the air show by supermodel Claudia Schiffer.
So just imagine what Branson might have been planning in 2006 when his airline was due to take delivery of the second A380 superjumbo from Airbus? Singapore Airlines gets the first one.
But this week, Virgin Atlantic announced that the delivery of its first A380 had been pushed back 18 months, from July 2006 into late 2007. It will take five more after that.
By then, however, Branson's A380 will be an also-ran, not a pacesetter.
What gives?
Some industry observers suggest that Branson may be leery of taking one of the first of the new superjumbos. The early A340-600s that Virgin Atlantic took in 2002 reportedly had some minor problems, such as with the flight entertainment system. Typically, these kinds of "teething" issues for new jets are eventually resolved.
Officially, Virgin Atlantic said it remains "absolutely committed" to the A380, which can carry up to 555 passengers on two decks. One reason for asking Airbus to delay delivery of its first A380, according to Virgin Atlantic, is the lack of progress in getting Los Angeles International Airport ready to handle the world's biggest commercial jetliner.
Back in December, Branson said he had written to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and asked him to intervene.
"Los Angeles has been the slowest of all the early A380 airports to get its act together," Branson told the industry publication Flight International at the time.
He raised concerns that A380 passengers would have to be bused across a busy runway to the terminal buildings at LAX.
Initially, Virgin Atlantic was to operate its A380 between London and New York, followed by service to Los Angeles.
After the Monday announcement by Virgin Atlantic, officials at LAX released a statement saying the airport would be ready to accommodate the A380 when the first plane arrives there in late 2006.
An airport spokesman questioned why the airport was being singled out by Virgin Atlantic.
The A380 does present challenges for airports. Most operators want two bridges, one for loading the top deck with business and first-class passengers, and a lower bridge for loading the bottom deck.
Bigger gates are needed.
Although the A380 will be certified to operate from conventional 148-foot-wide runways, shoulders may be needed. That's because the outboard engines on the 261-foot wingspan of the A380 would hang out over grass, presenting a potential fire hazard. In some cases, taxiway turn areas must be widened.
Although the A380 will have an unprecedented maximum takeoff weight of more than 1.2 million pounds, the 20-wheel landing gear will distribute the weight so that loads are actually less than for some current large jets.
Airports that initially will handle the A380 have said they will be ready for the huge plane by the time it enters service in 2006. These include JFK in New York, London's Heathrow and Frankfurt, Germany.
Virgin Atlantic cited another reason for pushing back delivery of its first A380. More time is needed to develop the customized cabin innovations on its A380s, the airline said.
That rings more true than concerns about LAX. After all, Branson has talked about bringing a new kind of flying experience to passengers on his airline's A380s. He has mentioned having bar lounges, casinos and buffet-style meals.
Regardless of the reasons for the delay, the news from Virgin Atlantic was something of a public-relations setback for Airbus and the A380.
Some commercial airplanes people at Boeing were quick to suggest, privately, that this might be the first cracks in the A380 program.
Boeing has long maintained that Airbus has badly misread the market for a plane the size of the A380, which will supplant Boeing's 747 as the biggest commercial jetliner.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Airbus played down the development, stressing that no other airlines among its launch customers had requested a delivery delay. Airbus has so far won 129 firm orders from 11 customers for its A380.
But yesterday, an Air France executive told Bloomberg New that Europe's largest airline would delay delivery of its first A380 by four months, to April 2007. The reason: The airline's chief financial officer said more time is needed for completion of a terminal at Charles de Gaulle Airport that will handle the A380.
Dell Digital Jukebox to sync with desktop Linux, Apple declined offer to support iPod
Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 08:58 AM EDT
Lindows, Inc. announced today the commercial support of the Dell Digital Jukebox (Dell DJ), a portable MP3 music player for desktop Linux. MP3 players are tapping into the expanding Linux desktop market by offering Linux music fans simplicity, portability, flexibility and value for a personalized music experience.
Dell DJ support is available for Linux through the Lsongs music player and offers users an easy way to manage their music portfolio. By engineering the hardware and software to work seamlessly every step of the way, Dell DJ users can easily update their music library's content and playlists.
To use Lsongs and Dell DJ together for music management and playback, users simply install Lsongs with one click from the Linspire software Warehouse (www.linspire.com/lsongsplayer) using CNR technology. Once plugged into the USB port of a Linspire computer, Lsongs automatically recognizes the Dell DJ without any user configuration required. The Dell DJ will appear in the Lsongs interface ready to synchronize music from a user's music library with a single menu command. This easy sync mechanism, allows users to quickly transfer music to their Dell DJ, or if they prefer, can elect to use the "drag and drop" function to add and delete songs.
"We talked with Apple Computer about supporting the iPod but they want to keep that a closed system," said Michael Robertson, chief executive officer of Lindows, Inc in the press release. "Linux users should seriously consider the Dell DJ if they're looking for an affordable MP3 Player."
The Dell DJ is a solid value with its sleek design, long battery life, large storage capacity, and easy-to-use controls. Starting at $199, the 7.61 ounce Dell DJ can pack thousands of songs and comes with a choice of 15GB or 20GB capacities, and a rechargeable battery providing up to 16 hours of continuous music playback. The Dell DJ also features a 2-inch backlit LCD display, a front-mounted scroll barrel for one-handed operation and a digital voice recorder.
At www.linspire.com/lsongs visitors can view screenshots, review a complete feature list, obtain Lsongs, and find a Dell DJ to purchase. Lsongs brings simplicity to creating, managing and enjoying digital music. Software features include the importing and converting of an unlimited number of songs, organizing an entire music collection with easy-to-use commands, listening to MP3s, audio CDs, or hundreds of streaming Internet radio stations, and creating custom music CDs of your favorite songs.
LOL It is so secret even their site is unaware of it.
Onboard Entertainment
In order to offer the best service aboard without compromising our low fares, our aircraft are not equipped with onboard entertainment. Feel free to bring along some reading or games to make your experience with us even more enjoyable!
Laptops Seen as Hot New Trend in Travel Accessories
Laptop computers have become the new "must have" on-the-road travel accessory, according to a recent study conducted by KRC Research and commissioned by Toshiba's Digital Products Division. In fact, laptops now rival cell phones as the technological travel accessory for keeping in touch with home and work. Of 600 laptop owners, 72 percent take along their laptops on vacation compared with 79 percent who bring their cell phone.
People who take their laptops on vacation also spend substantial amounts of time communicating with work and home. Seventy percent of laptop vacationers spend their time on laptops either staying up-to-date on happenings at work or sending and receiving email. Half (50 percent) of respondents traveling with a laptop log onto the Internet five or more days on a week-long vacation and, of those logging on, 45 percent say they typically spend 30 minutes to an hour on the Internet.
"Going on vacation no longer means losing touch with life back home," Doug Baker, director of KRC Research, said. "Computer manufacturers are making it that much easier to connect with colleagues, friends and family from anywhere in the world with lighter and less bulky laptops."
The research also shows that for those respondents who typically travel with a laptop, use of technology accessories on vacation has shifted from entertainment to connectivity. Only 30 percent of respondents were likely to bring popular entertainment electronics, such as portable CD and MP3 players, while 9 percent bring DVD players on vacation. Seventy percent of laptop vacationers say having their laptop on vacation is important.
Alaska does not have THAT many flights that need IFE. They are adding the digEplayer as needed as they expand. Are they being used yet on their flights to Mexico? Quite a few flights daily.
The player is popular, but you have to have a use for them. Not a big order, but still moving forward.
American: Changes in the air
NO IFE YET But many concepts remain on the table for discussion.
Carrier could adjust everything from airfares to seats
09:23 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 18, 2004
By ERIC TORBENSON / The Dallas Morning News
Months into an aggressive reassessment of American Airlines Inc.'s in-flight services and its fare structure, results from the research are starting to trickle out.
The Fort Worth-based carrier will keep expanded legroom on the vast majority of its jets, deciding that customers value two to four inches of extra space. American officials had thought about moving seats closer together again to increase its capacity at very little cost.
American agent Brad Richey motions for the next traveler to approach the ticket counter at D/FW on Monday. After considering offerings such as satellite television at every seat, American will, at least for now, focus its efforts on giving more passengers power ports. The thinking: Many passengers already tote their own entertainment, but they could use electricity from the plane. ,
And American is expected to experiment again with some kind of simplified fare system. American chief executive Gerard Arpey has already been presented with a plan but has told airline executives it needed more work.
Major changes to American's business plan aren't imminent, airline officials cautioned. But serious revisions remain likely over the coming months as the airline works through the research it's gathered from a core team of 100 front-line employees who were brought together in January to help change the airline. Reports from teams of the employees are due in a few weeks, covering everything from how passengers get their bags to how they respond to various fares.
"It's an ongoing continuous improvement process, just as we've done with our cost cutting program," said Roger Frizzell, a spokesman for American. They're "looking at our customer service and looking for options on how we can improve our interaction."
Strategy
A smattering of details could emerge Wednesday at parent AMR Corp.'s annual shareholder meeting, including an announcement that American will upgrade about 100 planes previously operated by Trans World Airlines. The carrier posted on its Internet site the news that the planes would all receive in-seat power ports. ,
The focus on strategic planning contrasts sharply to last May's AMR annual meeting, when Mr. Arpey unveiled his turnaround plan and the carrier's fate remained uncertain. Now Mr. Arpey wants to sharpen his company's swords to battle discounter airlines such as JetBlue Airways Corp., especially in the Northeast.
"Any time you can do even something minor for passenger comfort, it's a lot better than a kick in the butt," said industry consultant Darryl Jenkins, a visiting professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "Everything is going to help."
Here's what could change, analysts say:
Customers' experience
All areas where American customers have contact with the airline are being "process mapped" and evaluated for improvement.
For example, American's business class airplane seats aren't competitive with new offerings from trans-Atlantic competitors, and the airline may invest millions for improved seats that can lie completely flat like a bed.
Also under consideration: Raising the quality of items such as toiletries in amenity kits handed to international travelers. Meals and other services offered on pricey overseas flights also could improve.
Much of American's growth is focused on international flying, where it faces far less discount competition and has found better results lately. American has added Asian routes and wants to find new ways to grow its limited Pacific schedule.
As for in-flight entertainment, American realizes it offers an inferior product to discounters such as JetBlue, which has free satellite television at each seat. But Mr. Arpey is wary of investing millions for new systems in each of its planes, which can add up quickly in a fleet of 726 aircraft. But many concepts remain on the table for discussion.
Mr. Arpey seems to favor providing the infrastructure, such as electric power and possibly Internet connections, relying on customers to bring their own notebook computers and portable DVD players.
Airfare
Mr. Arpey has sent his executives back to the drawing board on pricing, according to a source close to the airline.
Analysts and consultants expect American to experiment, though it probably won't shake things up to the extent of its ill-fated Value Pricing simplification, which wreaked havoc throughout the industry in 1992.
"They're going to have to do something," said Mr. Jenkins. "They still do have some pricing power out there, but it's a lot less than they have before."
Corporate fliers are chaffing at paying high walk-up fares at American and other traditional carriers.
The premium of flying at short notice on a traditional carrier can easily reach $1,000.
Discount carriers are forcing American and others to lower those top-end prices by expanding their service onto traditional airlines' top routes.
Transcontinental routes previously served as American's bread and butter.
Now yields, or what passengers pay per mile to fly, are down nearly 20 percent on key cross-country routes, thanks to discounters.
New price structure?
American and other airlines aren't financially strong enough to support an overhaul in ticket pricing because such a change would cost tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue, at least initially, Mr. Jenkins said. But the alternative is losing even more of their best customers.
The new structure would probably be a combination of cheaper last-minute fares and more expensive leisure fares to help make up some of the lost revenue.
And the new system wouldn't work well on routes with discount competition, where Southwest Airlines Co. and others are the ones setting the prices, he said.
The world's largest carrier has lost a lot of swagger on Wall Street as attention has focused on low-cost, low-fare darlings such as JetBlue and AirTran Airways Inc. American fights a difficult perception that it's a high-fare airline.
Image adjustment
Dan Garton, American's executive vice president for marketing, said in a recent interview that the carrier launched a campaign in New York that doubled the perception among residents that the carrier offered low fares. The bad news: the new number believing the carrier has low fares rose to just 14 percent.
"It's a start," he said.
The carrier is giving plenty of thought to refreshing its image with consumers and hopes to lean on its strengths – experience and global reach – to reintroduce itself.
As it works through the decision-making, American has purposefully slowed down some thinking in order to let the employee-led committees study issues and make presentations, said Mr. Frizzell, American's spokesman.
Summer bookings are strong, and the airline is reluctant to make huge changes now – with the busiest travel months around the corner.
Many of the changes may be announced in coming months but probably won't take effect until the fall or even next year because the airline planning cycle can be pretty long.
"No stone is going to go unturned," Mr. Frizzell said.
E-mail etorbenson@dallasnews.com
OT: Founder & Apple to Deliver World's Best Digital Music Experience to Chinese Customers
Tuesday May 18, 4:30 am ET
CUPERTINO, Calif. and BEIJING, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Founder, one of the largest PC suppliers to the Chinese market, and Apple® today announced that every Founder PC will come pre-installed with Apple's award-winning iTunes® digital music jukebox software beginning next month. iTunes works seamlessly with Apple's iPod®, the number one digital music player in the world, to deliver an unbeatable combination for music lovers in China. With iTunes, Founder PC users can easily import music from CDs, create custom playlists, burn custom CDs and take their entire music collection with them on their iPods.
"Digital music is becoming very important in the Chinese PC market, and Apple's iTunes is the runaway market leader," said Wei Xin, chairman of Founder Group and Founder Technology. "As the first Chinese company to bundle this innovative software with our PCs, we are excited to provide our customers with the world's best digital music experience."
"Around the world, iTunes has revolutionized the way people manage and listen to their digital music," said Rob Schoeben, Apple's vice president of Applications Marketing. "We are teaming up with Founder to deliver an easy-to-use, seamless music experience to millions of Chinese customers."
iTunes for Windows includes all the same great features that made it the best digital jukebox software for the Mac®-no hidden charges for extra features, MP3 and pristine quality AAC encoding from audio CDs, Smart Playlists, and the ability to burn custom playlists to CDs and MP3 CDs, burn content to DVDs to back-up an entire music collection and share music between computers via Rendezvous(TM) over any network, cross-platform. Further information about Apple's digital music products can be found at www.apple.com/itunes and www.apple.com/ipod.
As an IT group specialized in software and hardware, access equipment, solutions and services, Founder Technology is committed to high-tech, high-quality innovation and development. Supported by the Beijing University and Founder Group, Founder Technology has been actively innovating its existing products and business, and its vision is to become a large IT enterprise with specialized manufacturing facilities and product lines, effective management systems, as well as strong R&D capabilities. Founder Technology is engaging in various international cooperation projects and on the way to becoming an international group. Further information about Founder can be found at www.foundertech.com.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.
NOTE: Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Mac, Mac OS, iTunes, iPod and Rendezvous are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
MP3 Sales March 2004
Total March 2004 Dollar Volume $45,554,700.
Rank_Brand__________March '04 Unit Sales
1.____Apple___________________34.9%
2.____Rio_____________________15.2%
3.____RCA____________________11.1%
4.____IRiver_____________________8.5%
5.____Digitalway_________________8.0%
All others_______________________22.30%
Source: NPD Group / NPD Techworld
Apple fails PC Pro group test of MP3 players
[PC Pro] 17:52
Apple has failed to take the crown in a PC Pro group test of MP3 players.
In the Labs test of 18 portable MP3 players - to be found in the forthcoming July issue - PC Pro found Apple's popular iPod lacking in comparison to cheaper, more feature-rich alternatives.
'There are some fantastic lesser-known alternatives,' said Nick Ross, senior writer for PC Pro. 'The iPod is over-priced when compared with these competitors. It also falls down on battery life, with some portable MP3 players lasting three times as long, while its lack of support for Windows Media files will upset many PC users.'
Note that the group test covered both 'solid state' players as well as 'hard disk-based' players such as the Apple offerings.
MP3 players in the public psyche
Thanks almost entirely to Apple, MP3 players have utterly invaded the public psyche. Even people who don't know what MP3 players are, want one. However, while the masses throng to the trendy adverts those who tarry a while may be surprised to learn that the world of portable players extends a whole lot further.
But first let's look at the less obvious reasons for buying one. First off, many sport FM radios - some of which are recordable. Others offer internal voice recorders which render Dictaphones, and the like, redundant. Some even offer voice-activated recording, which not only saves on batteries and storage but also allows basic surveillance - great - if that's your thing.
At the higher end, iRiver's iHP-100 series has optical inputs and outputs making it a high quality recording and playback device. A more ubiquitous feature is the ability to transport files between PCs - very useful for those with computers both in the office and at home.
But why stop with music? Why not listen to audio books - some players even allow you to set bookmarks. They're also incredibly useful for learning languages as many players offer multiple playback functions which can, among many things, allow you to repeat clips over and over again.
But enriching your lives with music is prime purchasing reason. It's now simple to carry your entire music catalogue around with you or exercise without lugging a mechanical lump round with you. Music quality is universally great and battery life is superb. So to find out which player suits you best get PC Pro this Thursday. It's the one with the MP3 players on the front.
Here are the players reviewed:
Solid-State Players
Bang and Olufsen Beosound 2B
BenQ Joybee 110
Cowon iAudio 4
EZAV Xen EMP-200
iBead200
iRiver iFP-300 Series
iRiver iFP-500 Series
MPIO FL-100
O2 Digital Music Player
Hard disk players
Apple iPod
Apple mini iPOD
Creative MuVO2
Creative Zen Xtra
iRiver iHP-100 Series
Philips HDD060
RIO Karma
RIO Nitrus
Xclef HD-800
In-car iPod gadget unveiled
By Macworld staff
Dension Audio Systems will launch its ice>Link:iPod in-car interface at the Sunday Times Motor Show this month.
The device offers drivers iPod device control using their car audio systems. Supported vehicle and audio system brands include: Audi, BMW, Citroen, Ford, Honda, Peugot, Renault, Toyota, VW, Alpine, Blaupunkt, Kenwood and Sony.
Dension head of business development Lee Harris said: "Mass-storage MP3 devices are the future of in-car entertainment. In producing the iPod, Apple has created a product that is as big a change to the audio industry as the Sony Walkman was in the 1970s. The ice>Link:iPod spreads this change to the car audio market by making the Apple iPod easy to integrate to the vehicle entertainment environment"
ice>Link:iPod uses a direct cable connection to the car audio system and lets users control their iPod using the vehicle's existing audio controls, including steering wheel buttons. The ice>Link:iPod comes with a purpose-designed cradle that holds the iPod securely and charges the iPod while it’s in-car.
The device is available for first-, second- and third-generation iPods, though iPods with a dock connector can use the Dension-designed active cradles. Those users who don't have compatible car audio systems can still employ the connector if they have an auxiliary input on their audio system.
The Sunday Times Motor Show takes place from May 27-June 6 at Birmingham's NEC. The company will be exhibiting the new device in Hall 10, Stand 550.
The ice>Link:iPod connector will cost £79.99 (for aftermarket car audio systems) and £129.99 for factory-fit systems. It launches on May 24.
Hitachi to boost production of iPod disk drive
May 16, 2004, 8:05 PM PDT
By Reuters
The six-week waiting list to get a popular iPod Mini digital music player from Apple Computer is likely to get shorter by the end of the year.
Hitachi's hard disk drive unit said Sunday that it will spend about $200 million to double the disk drive output of its Thailand factory, including the 1-inch, 4GB disk drives that are found in the iPod Mini.
Production of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies' Microdrive will rise to about 2 million units per quarter by the end of the year, from 200,000 in the first three months of this year, said John Osterhout, who manages Hitachi GST's Microdrive program.
In March, Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple said it would delay global sales of the iPod Mini because it couldn't get enough of the hard drives to meet U.S. demand, which had then surpassed supply through June. Apple now plans to sell iPod outside the United States starting in July.
Apple's online store shows an approximate six-week wait for one of the popular music players, which come in five metallic colors. They cost $249 each and hold the equivalent of about 1,000 songs.
Osterhout said the market for small drives, such as its 1-inch Microdrive and the 1.8-inch Toshiba drive accelerated when Apple introduced the original iPod in October 2001. The original iPod uses a Toshiba 1.8-inch drive.
"The category took off when Apple introduced the original iPod," Osterhout said in a telephone interview.
Hitachi GST's Microdrive is also used in Creative Technology's Nomad MuVo MP3 digital music player.
Hitachi GST said that the Thailand Board of Investment had approved the expansion of the plant's capacity to 60 million units annually from 30 million. In addition to the Microdrive, Hitachi GST's 2.4-inch Travelstar drives used in laptops and its 3.5-inch Deskstar drives used in desktop PCs and personal video recorders are made at the Thailand plant.
Story Copyright © 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
I guess you did not read your own review of the Gateway player? LOL
http://www.austinv.com/content.php?review.18
"build quality was below average as well"
From you review
After ripping it out the package, the first thing I did was inspect the unit's construction and build quality. I expect a good fit 'n finish, and I was not disappointed.....
it has a solid, strong feel to it. There is no body flex. All the buttons and controls have a respectable firmness to them...
It has a sexy, contemporary appearance. This inspires the same kind of pride in ownership that you get with a new iPod....
The large, high-resolution LCD is the best of any DAP I've seen. It's both sharp and easy to read. The backlight is bright and uniform...
The scroll wheel deserves attention. This is my favorite style controller for navigation and volume control, rivaling the iPod's touch-wheel. It has a smooth roll and firm clicking-action. You can adjust volume quickly and precisely. This is useful for me at work since some songs play louder than others. It feels like an analog-style volume knob. Much better than the separate UP/DOWN buttons you find on most players.....
I find the controls on the DMP-X20 easier to use than Apple's iPod, especially the new iPods (version 3).
LOL There are more inconsistencies but why bother? People know your agenda. I cant wait for your review of Colliers peel off manufacturers label / add your own label HDD player. We all know how that review will turn out. LOL Unbelievable
The X20 has been pulled. Gateway sales has nada on it anymone. Strange since they just re-did the website with a great in depth X20 site. Mone left for sale. Zilch
New jukebox on the way?
They are using the AV300 Under 4" screen.Size, content etc ..no contest.
Archos AV300 as used by First Choice Airline
http://www.archos.com/products/av300_series.html
Qualcomm releases blitz of converged chipsets
by Sam Omatseye
May 13, 2004 1:33 PM EST
In what amounts to a market blitz, Qualcomm Inc. unveiled a series of chipsets covering the CDMA, GSM and W-CDMA technologies.
The U.S. supplier made two announcements regarding the first phase of W-CDMA technology known as High Speed Downlink Packet Access.
The company rolled out a mobile station modem chipset solution known as MSM6280, which supports peak data rates of 7.2 megabits per second. The MSM6280 supports applications such as advanced graphics, video telephony and gaming. It also announced a chip known as RFR6275 to increase the network capacity of the same technology.
“Building on this architecture, manufacturers can develop a single-platform design for differentiated handsets, allowing manufacturers to offer their operator customers dynamic new wireless devices in support of increased data speeds,” said Qualcomm.
The company also announced three chipset solutions converging the three major air interfaces, including CDMA, GSM and W-CDMA. The products are the MSM7500 chipset, which covers CDMA 1x EV-DO Revision A and GSM/GPRS. It also is backward compatible with CDMA2000 standards. The second is MSM7200, which supports W-CDMA/HSDPA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE. The third is MSM7600, which supports CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Revision A and CDMA2000 1x EV-DV Revision D.
The company said the products “allow consumers to play the latest 3D online games, stay in touch with friends through instantaneous picture and video mail, capture live video of vacation memories, keep on track with interactive GPS and listen to MP3 tunes as well as maintain contact with the office.”
Qualcomm also said it has CMOS products that simplify radio design and promote cost reduction for CDMA2000, W-CDMA as well as GSM/GPRS/EDGE.
LOL Again....
owd3
In reply to: emit who wrote msg# 62915 Date:5/12/2004 9:51:10 AM
Post #of 62982
There is no website "update" procedure that would involve taking selective partners off the page.
" e.Digital was displayed in their partners link but now it's gone..."
if EDIG is gone, it is because Cornice wanted them gone. Texas Instrument, Portal Player, and Segmatel did not have to come down for an "update", why would EDIG?
Maybe Cornice doesn't like hypes using their name to sell EDIG stock.
At this point, is there rally anyone left that is naïve enough to buy into the whole website is being "updated" thing??
Digimax India Inc launches Omnifi- Digital Car Audio Player
Yohan Contractor
April 23, 2004
http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/showstory.jsp?storyid=5311
http://www.omnifimedia.com/products/omnifi_details.jsp?productId=12541
Omnifi's Digital Media Player(DMS1)is First Mobile Product in India to Facilitate Wireless Transfer of Digital Media from the Home PC to the Automobile.
The in-car Digital Media Player from Omnifi allows to wirelessly transfer CD-quality digital music, audio news and information updates from PC or Internet to Omnifi via 802.11b. The 20GB hard-drive (also upgradable to 40 GB) stores approximately 300 hours of digital audio content (MP3 or WMA). Includes DIN or surface mounted controller with LCD display, HDD cartridge & housing, wiring adapter, cables, and SimpleCenter software.
Omnifi facilitates users to easily stream the audio content stored on their computer hard drive or straight from the Internet to their vehicle without the burden of shuttling CD's back and forth. With the bandwidth 802.11B yields, a consumer's vehicle needs to be just 150 feet from the PC source in order to receive the signal. If the consumer's vehicle is outside this range, there is the option of bringing the shell-protected hard drive from the PC to the car using a standard USB connection.
With this new development in the mobile audio industry, Omnifi hopes to bridge the gap between digital PC-based audio content and a performance-oriented, mobile-based audio system.
The Omnifi mobile system consists of a remote-mounted, drop resistant, 20/40 Gigabyte storage unit. SimpleCenter software included allows for content scheduling, program syncing from the PC to the auto, complete organization of all of the digital media files and Omnifi's own News Center with hundreds of channels of information, and an easy-to-use 1-DIN front mounted digital media controller.
The Omnifi mobile system is expected to available in first week of May at all authorized Digimax India Inc car audio dealers.
Expected Price - Rs 50,000 + tax.
Motorola Targets iPod Market
Wednesday, May 12 @ 12:30:00 PDT
Motorola's new E398 may look like a cell phone, but Motorola's Chief Brand Officer Geoffrey Frost says its more like an iPod that double as a phone.
Motorola Chief Brand Officer Geoffrey Frost on Monday demonstrated the E398--a compact cell phone outfitted with stereo speakers, a digital camera and removable memory--at M.I.T.'s Designing Bits & Pieces Conference in Cambridge, Mass. The conference, sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association, focuses on work being done at M.I.T.'s Consumer Electronics Lab.
The E398 is slated to begin shipping this summer, according to Frost. T-Mobile plans to market the E398 in Europe this fall, and Motorola is still talking to carriers about offering the product in the United States, he said. Pricing hasn't been finalized.
"It's sort of a mini iPod that makes phone calls," said Frost, who was wearing the E398 around his neck during his presentation and demonstrated the unit's stereo capability. "It's pretty cool," he added.
Pictures and discussion can be found here:
http://forums.designtechnica.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4419
Article found VIA Mobile9
e.Digital technologies and the Cornice Storage Element are natural complements,” noted Kevin Magenis, Cornice president and chief executive officer. “The size and affordability of the Storage Element combined with e.Digital’s highly flexible MicroOS technology create the means for original equipment manufacturers to achieve their product goals of ”pocket-ability” combined with outstanding price and performance
Apple secures another iTunes software patent
May 12 2004
by John Borland
Apple has won a patent for the interface of its iTunes music software, underscoring the growing importance of the multimedia business for the company.
The US Patent and Trademark Office issued Apple a patent for its media player software interface on 4 May, along with several other features of the company's high-profile products.
Other parts of the iTunes software, including the ability to stream songs over a network to another copy of the program, had been the subject of earlier patents.
Apple has been the recipient of thousands of patents, ranging - in just in the last month alone - from the iTunes software components to the swivel arm joint supporting the latest iMac's flat-panel screen.
Interface elements have been a key point of concern for the company stretching as far back as the release of the Macintosh operating system, however. The company sued Microsoft for copyright infringement after early releases of Windows proved similar in conception to the Macintosh desktop concept, which itself was predated by work done at the Xerox PARC research facility.
Apple lost that copyright case, and has since relied more heavily on patenting components of its technology, as well as its hardware designs. Early in March, for example, it applied for a patent on the interface for its popular iPod digital music player.
An Apple spokeswoman said the company does not comment on its patents or patent applications, which are public record.
While software patents have become increasingly common in the past few years - leading to long and contentious strings of litigation over seemingly basic computing techniques - not all companies are taking Apple's approach.
A RealNetworks spokesman said his company had not sought any directly comparable interface patents for its 10-year-old media player software, for example.
John Borland writes for CNET News.com
New iPod maker signed
By Macworld staff
Apple has signed up a second Taiwanese iPod manufacturer, local reports claim.
Taiwanese firm Cheng Uei Precision already produces iPods for Apple. The latter firm is now expected to authorize Ji-Haw Industrial as its second iPod supplier, according to Taiwan's Computex Online.
Describing the iPod as creating a "market frenzy", the report explains that Apple's existing manufacturer "keeps receiving follow-up orders from Apple". The report adds that "mass delivery of the new model is expected to begin in the third quarter this year, aiming at 2.5 times the rate of growth".
"Deliveries are expected to commence from June or July this year", the report explains. This detail is consistent with Apple's announced intent to begin delivering the much-desired iPod mini globally in July, following faster-than-anticipated sales of the product in the US.
The report indicates the second manufacturer has been signed-up to deliver the USB and FireWire cables for Apple's products. The company also supplies Xboxes to Microsoft.
B&O site works well for me......Next! eom
Sony unveils long-awaited HDD music player
By Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
May 10, 2004 8:50 am ET
http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/05/10/sony/
Two and a half years after Apple Computer Inc. launched its iPod and began to steal thunder from Sony Corp., which had ruled the portable music market since the Walkman appeared in the 1980s, the Tokyo company unveiled the first hard-disk drive based music player to bear its name on Monday.
The Vaio Pocket VGF-AP1 has a 20GB hard disk drive and a 2.2-inch color LCD (liquid crystal display) screen with 320 pixel by 256 pixel resolution (just over QVGA). In addition to acting as the main user interface, the screen displays track information when songs are being played and displays, if available, album art.
On the right-hand side of the display is a touch-sensitive panel dubbed "G-sense" that is used to control the player. Users can navigate a series of on-screen menus by running their fingers over the panel in the appropriate direction.
The player is compatible with Sony's ATRAC3 (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding for MiniDisc 3) and ATRAC3 plus digital music formats, both of which include digital rights management (DRM).
By using Sony's Sonic Stage or Music Move software, both of which are bundled with the player, tracks in MP3, Windows Media Audio or WAV audio file formats can be converted into ATRAC and uploaded to the player. The software is compatible with Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, XP Home and XP Professional operating systems.
The Vaio Pocket is both larger and heavier than the comparable 20GB iPod model from Apple.
The Vaio Pocket measures 115 millimeters by 63 millimeters by 17 millimeters, compared to the iPod's 104 millimeters by 61 millimeters by 16 millimeters. The Vaio Pocket weighs in at 195 grams, which is heavier than the iPod at 158 grams, according to information from Sony and Apple.
In the area of battery life the Vaio Pocket easily beats the iPod, offering around 20 hours of playback compared to the iPod's 8 hours.
The Vaio Pocket will go on sale in Japan on June 5 for around ¥53,000 (US$472). There are no plans to sell it outside Japan at this point.
The player is the first Sony will sell under its own brand name, although it began selling a product under its Aiwa brand name earlier this year. The Giga Pavit player is based on a 2GB hard disk drive from Cornice Inc. and is on sale now in Japan for ¥35,000.
And we are to believe "according to rollingrock" instead of according to Mr. Falk?
OT: Continental Announces Inflight Entertainment Expansion, New And Improved Web Check-in Features
May 06, 04 / 5:14 pm
Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today announced several new additions to its convenient online check-in service for customers choosing to print their own boarding passes before they arrive at the airport. Starting today, any customer using continental.com check-in can print out a coupon for a free headset to use for viewing Continentals complimentary inflight entertainment. Further, customers are now able to print a receipt for a ticket purchase along with the boarding pass, matching the ease of using Continentals acclaimed eService Center kiosks at the airport. Checking in online gives customers everything they need to get through security and head straight to the gate.
"Were continuing to add features to our continental.com check-in, the fastest and easiest way to check in for a Continental Airlines flight," a Continental spokesperson said. "Continental.com check-in allows customers with or without bags to check in within thirty hours of departure, review or change seat assignments or frequent flyer numbers, print boarding passes and receipts, and now a coupon to enjoy our excellent selection of inflight audio and visual programming - all from the comfort of home or an office."
Continentals inflight entertainment service features a variety of music, full-length films and the popular Continental Visions, an array of shorter video segments including sitcoms, news and other informative shows. Inflight entertainment is updated monthly on all 240 of Continentals video-equipped aircraft. In July, Continental will increase the number of flights showing feature films by 10 percent.
The free headset offer applies to all customers checking in online that have at least one of their flights scheduled on a video-equipped aircraft with a flight duration of 1.5 hours or more.
Continental Airlines is the worlds sixth-largest airline with more than 2,800 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Continental serves 149 domestic and 117 international destinations - more than any other airline in the world - and nearly 200 additional points are served via codeshare partner airlines. With 41,000 mainline employees, the airline has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and carries approximately 51 million passengers per year. FORTUNE ranks Continental one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America, an honor it has earned for six consecutive years. FORTUNE also ranks Continental as the top airline in its Most Admired Global Companies in 2004. For more company information, visit continental.com
OT: Frontier Airlines Flies Inaugural to Alaska
With Limited Time 'Double Miles' Offer, Frequent Fliers Can Earn a Free Round-Trip Ticket With Just Two Flights To/From Alaska
DENVER, May 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Frontier Airlines (Nasdaq: FRNT) will begin new service between its Denver International Airport (DEN) hub and Anchorage International Airport (ANC) on Sunday, May 9, 2004 with one daily non-stop. Frontier is recognized throughout the nation for its unique customer amenities including low fares, new Airbus jets, 24 Channels of LiveTV and Frontier's generous EarlyReturns frequent flyer program that allows travelers to earn a free ticket at only 15,000 miles -- the lowest in the
aviation industry.
To kick off the new service, Frontier is offering double miles to its EarlyReturn members who fly to Anchorage prior to June 30, 2004. As a result, members can earn approximately 5,000 miles each way between Denver and Anchorage meaning passengers will be awarded a free round-trip ticket (given at 15,000 miles) in just two trips. To enroll in Frontier's EarlyReturns frequent flyer program go to http://www.flyfrontier.com.
"While Anchorage is officially our 44th destination, today's inaugural flight represents more than just another city in our system," said Sean Menke, senior vice president of marketing. "Alaska and Frontier share a common bond
in that we both offer a unique experience -- Frontier's customer service, new Airbus aircraft and in-flight entertainment and Alaska's pristine beauty and extreme adventures. It seems only fitting to have an airline named Frontier providing air service to one of our country's last frontiers."
About Frontier
Currently in its tenth year of operations, Denver-based Frontier Airlines is the second largest jet service carrier at Denver International Airport with a fleet of 40 aircraft and employing approximately 4,200 aviation professionals. Frontier, in conjunction with Frontier JetExpress operated by Horizon Air, operates routes linking our Denver hub to 39 destinations in
22 states spanning the nation from coast-to-coast and to five cities in Mexico.
Frontier's maintenance and engineering department has received the Federal Aviation Administration's highest award, the Diamond Certificate of Excellence, in recognition of 100 percent of its maintenance and engineering employees completing advanced aircraft maintenance training programs, for five consecutive years. In August 2003, Frontier ranked as one of the "Top 10 Domestic Airlines" as determined by readers of Travel & Leisure magazine.
Frontier provides capacity information and other operating statistics on its Web site, which may be viewed at http://www.frontierairlines.com.
General Dynamics EMPOWERYES!
http://www.gd-ais.com/Products/Datasheets/AES/YES!productbrochure.pdf
http://www.gd-ais.com/Products/Datasheets/AES/YESFAQ.pdf
deBeer Agoura
I think what aps needs is to land an account with a larger airline
A well as CNN International
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/ADVISOR/05/07/inflight.entertainment/
This would not happened if they had digEplayers
So easy to use, no personal instruction necessary. Either that or the ladies could have whacked them up side the head with the digEplayer. LOL
Passenger groped two SIA stewardesses
Japanese man fined $4,500 for behaviour on Seoul to S'pore flight
By Selina Lum
A JAPANESE man was yesterday fined $4,500 for molesting a stewardess and using criminal force on another on board a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight.
Tomonori Daimon, 29, who oversees the South-east Asian market for his company, was on flight SQ 17 from Seoul to Singapore on March 14 when he laid hands on the women.
He pleaded guilty to using criminal force on a 21-year-old stewardess by holding her hips, and outraging the modesty of a 29-year-old stewardess by squeezing her buttocks.
A third charge, of using criminal force on the younger woman, was taken into consideration.
A district court heard that Daimon suddenly put his hands on the 21-year-old's hips while he was walking behind her in the narrow passageway outside a toilet.
About 30 minutes later, he walked past the older woman and squeezed her right buttock as she was showing another passenger how to operate the in-flight entertainment system.
Both women lodged a complaint through the captain, who radioed Changi Airport for assistance. Daimon was arrested when the plane landed.
Yesterday, his lawyer, Mr Irving Choh, asked district judge Kow Keng Siong not to jail his client, citing numerous cases of men who were fined for 'relatively minor acts' of molestation.
The lawyer said his client, who is married with a two-year-old daughter, had no previous criminal record. His wife is pregnant with their second child.
Daimon had had a little too much to drink, hence the cavalier behaviour, said Mr Choh.
He added that Daimon apologised to the cabin crew after the incident.
The judge noted that a jail term was usually given when the victim was put in fear and when the molestation takes place in a confined space or in the wee hours of the morning.
'In this case, the offence was committed in full view of other persons,' he said, before handing down a $4,000 fine for outrage of modesty and a $500 fine for the use of criminal force.
'iPod mini is best buy' – Which?
By Macworld staff
Friday - May 07, 2004
UK consumer watchdog Which? has declared Apple's iPod mini its Best Buy MP3 player – even though it won't ship until July.
The title compared a variety of solid-state and hard drive-based music players to arrive at its conclusion. Apple's iPod products beat off competition in the hard drive category from Archos, Creative, Philips, Rio and Thomson.
Which writes: "the iPod mini easily makes it as a new Best buy. It has only 4GB of storage rather than the normal iPod's 15 plus – which translates as about 1,000 rather than 4,000 songs – but, like the original, the mini's sound quality and simple design set it apart."
Which is effusive in its praise, saying: "If we gave marks for appearance, it would bump the mini's total test score up to at least 100 per cent."
Apple's iPod (15GB+) is also a Best Buy in the hard-drive category, scoring 78 per cent, while the mini takes 74 per cent. Philips HDD100 – the leading runner-up in the category – takes 63 per cent, despite its average sound quality (according to Which?).
iRiver's IFP-599T (cost £330, capacity 1GB) is the leading runner-up across both hard-disk and solid state categories. Even that product wins just 65 per cent approval, offering what Which? shows as average sound quality and good ease of use.