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Super Inflight services from Emirates
August 29, 2003 at 9:00:00 AM CET
Emirates’ inflight service - attentive crew, superior cuisine and fine wines with movie and music channels in each seat - plays a major part in its recognition as a top airline.
Top-flight personnel
Emirates’ multi-lingual cabin crew members are hand-picked for their courtesy and efficiency and, with the rigorous training they undergo, the highest possible standard of service and safety is assured.
In 1992, Emirates was the first airline in the world to install personal video systems on all three classes of its aircraft. The B777-330 offers a choice of up to 18 channels of video entertainment with a wide range of programmes and an audio system of 22 channels with CD quality sound. Passengers in Business and First Class also have individual video cassette players and can choose videos from a library of up to 50 films in eight languages.
The Airshow route map facility, with moving map display, shows the route network, flight path and altitude details. Two external cameras beam pictures of take-off, landing and en route scenery directly to the cabins’ main screens and to personal video systems.
Emirates’ Economy Class was recently named “Best in the World” by Skytrax, following an internet poll which attracted more than four million voters.
Keeping in contact
Emirates was the first commercial airline in the world to install inflight telephones and fax machines in every aircraft in the fleet. On the Boeing 777, all seats in each class feature individual satellite telephones and calls are charged at $5 per minute. Passengers can also use the phones to call others onboard.
Other facilities include a central fax machine and a laptop computer recharging terminal.
Airline taps 2 local firms for retrofit projects
By Bryan Corliss
Herald Business Writer
Two aerospace companies with Snohomish County ties have won contracts to undertake one of the biggest airliner retrofit projects in the past two years.
Matsushita Avionics Systems of Bothell will provide in-flight entertainment systems, and B/E Aerospace workers in Marysville will do engineering and program management work for Malaysia Airlines as it overhauls the interiors of 32 jets.
The airline announced in August that it plans to spend about $185 million to create new first-class and business-class cabins, and install new seatback entertainment systems in 17 747-400 and 15 777-200 jets in its fleet. The work will start in fall 2004, and the first refurbished planes will re-enter service in November of that year.
In first class, B/E will install personal seating pods that adjust to each passenger’s height and that convert to lie-flat beds. The amenities will include mood lighting, elegant cabinets and closets, electronic window shades and custom lavatories. Business-class passengers also will get fold-down seats in a redesigned cabin.
All divisions of B/E in North America and Europe will be involved in the project, said Max Kuniansky, a spokesman at B/E corporate headquarters in Wellington, Fla.
The role of the Marysville division will be to do the engineering work — calculating how the new seating arrangement will affect each airplane’s structure and performance, and figuring out new wiring schemes. It also will handle overall management of the project.
Matsushita Avionics Systems, which has its world headquarters in Bothell, will provide its new System 3000i in-flight entertainment systems throughout the plane. The system provides audio and video programs on demand. Passengers can start and stop their movie or music choices whenever they wish.
In addition, Malaysia will roll out a number of additional features using the MAS system in the future. That will include e-mail, short message services, Internet connections and live television
Mpio HD100 revenues have not been booked yet. Numerous deals with Digitalway.... so......accountants will decide the best course.....
Thales IFE
http://www.thalesgroup.com/avionics/products/download/topseries.pdf
Thales operates its Digital Content Management Center in Irvine, California;Audited by the Motion Picture Association of America, the Thales facility is certified as a highly secure, excellent facility for handling digital content. Serving as your content“integrator,” Thales is pleased to support your business with services such as creative services, account management, traffic
All this is an adapter and cradle. They are made for many cars. F10 just happens to make the CD changer that Toyota uses that this kit fixed. It is not an Eclipse unit and has NOTHING to do with the HD project.
The major difference is no Voice Nav on the Mpio HD100 (although a few sites mistakenly list it). RP has confirmed we get royalties for each MPIO HD100 sold (no amount given to my limited knowledge).
As far as selling this unit in the United States? It has been reported that the US was originally off limits for this unit, but my guess would be that if no major OEM has been found to pick up the 0-1000 in the US market, that we would welcome Digitalway selling here. Digitalway now being sold in major US chains including Best Buy. We should hear something soon.....
MPIO Car kits found MONTHS ago. Rehashing MPIO revenues? LOL Come on guys...............
Earlier than this
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=1099797
it will be rather interesting how money is made ,on this stock .
It is rather interesting how money is made on ANY stock.....
Connexion by Boeing(SM) Selects Eutelsat for In-Flight Satellite Connectivity
SEATTLE and PARIS, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Connexion by Boeing, a business unit of The Boeing Company , has signed a contract with leading satellite operator Eutelsat for satellite transponder capacity for Connexion by Boeing's mobile broadband information services. The provision of transponder capacity covering key areas of Europe and Asia provides additional momentum for the full-scale introduction of high-speed connectivity for airlines and passengers seeking real-time access to email, company intranets, the World Wide Web and entertainment content in flight.
Based on the agreement, Connexion by Boeing will lease capacity on Eutelsat's SESAT satellite, which is located at 36 degrees East and provides a footprint stretching from the eastern Atlantic Ocean across the European continent and as far east as Central Asia. Eutelsat previously provided Connexion by Boeing with satellite capacity over the North Atlantic and Europe during successful three-month service demonstrations with Lufthansa and British Airways. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Connexion by Boeing's service offers a permanent two-way connection between an antenna installed on the plane and the SESAT satellite. Airline passengers will be able to send and receive e-mails, access their firewall- protected corporate intranets and the World Wide Web, use a range of on-line shopping services and consult travel and tourist information -- all in real- time. Airline operators also will benefit from access to real-time crew and aircraft data.
"This agreement adds another element to our plan to introduce the benefits and richness of real-time, two-way data and entertainment connectivity in flight," said Joe Shaheen, Director of Operational Services for Connexion by Boeing. "More importantly, it provides the satellite resources that will allow us to bring this innovative capability to airlines that operate routes between Asia and Europe, which serve some of the most personal technology- intensive markets in the world."
CEO of Eutelsat Giuliano Berretta said: "Eutelsat was delighted to accompany Connexion by Boeing during the in-flight demonstration phase earlier this year and to see the high commercial interest and technical performance of this innovative product. We are proud to have won Boeing's confidence and to be providing them with capacity for the introduction of a full commercial service. This new contract is fully in line with a key company objective to expand and diversify the scope of satellites for new broadband applications and demonstrates the ability of our fleet to adapt to new business opportunities."
Connexion by Boeing will begin the installation of its service onboard commercial airliners in early 2004.
About Connexion by Boeing
Connexion by Boeing is the mobile information services provider bringing high-speed Internet, data and entertainment connectivity to mobile travelers. The service is currently available today to operators of private and executive aircraft in the U.S. The Boeing business unit recently announced definitive service agreements with Lufthansa and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) to equip their fleet of long-haul aircraft with the service beginning in early 2004. In addition to a successful service demonstration with British Airways, Japan Airlines also has announced its intent to install the Connexion by Boeing service on its long-range aircraft. For additional information, visit the Connexion by Boeing web site at http://www.boeing.com/connexion .
About Eutelsat
With capacity commercialised on 23 satellites that provide coverage from the Americas to Far East Asia, Eutelsat S.A. is one of the world's leading satellite operators. Eutelsat's satellites broadcast more than 1,300 television and 800 radio stations to an audience of 107 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Its capacity is also used for corporate network solutions and positioning and messaging services for professional mobile networks. In the Internet market the company provides capacity to telcos, broadband service providers and ISPs for Internet backbone connections, Internet access and multicasting. Eutelsat has also developed a range of broadband products for professional users and consumers that are routed through its multimedia platforms in France and Italy. Its D-Star and D-SAT services are for two-way broadband communications and its OPENSKY(TM) service offers consumers high-speed Internet access and delivery of rich multimedia content. http://www.eutelsat.com/
The aircraft also introduces Northwest's new, fully interactive in-flight entertainment system, offering both World Business Class and coach customers a wide variety of music, movies, short subject programs, games, shopping, and in-flight information, all "on demand."
The new system permits customers the freedom and flexibility to start, pause, or stop any of these options at any time. World Business Class seats have a 10.4 inch video screen, which is 50 percent larger than the screens found in business class seats on other U.S. airlines and many international airlines. Coach seats have an individual 6.5" screen.
no drinkin, no fartin........speak for yourself lol eom
MXP-100 $69.95 includes 128mb @ Buy.com
http://www.buy.com/retail/clearance/product.asp?sku=70011520&loc=114&sp=1
As reported, the majority of profits from HP/Softeq/Disney/e.Digital project on their way..................
FWFW Digitalway MPIO now at Target
http://www.target.com/gp/search.html/ref=sc_dp_ln_6_0/602-5569056-5390255?field-manufact=Digital%20W...
AVC Technology Opens U.S. Office Under the SOUL Brand Name; OEM Manufacturer of Over Two Million MP3 Players Plans Sales Expansion
BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 2003--AVC Technology Limited, a subsidiary of Hong-Kong based AV Concept Holdings, today announced the opening of its North American headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. AVC's SOUL(R) branded product line of MP3 digital audio players and storage devices uses advanced compression technology to offer competitive prices for today's music fans.
"AVC has a proven track record in producing lightweight, high fidelity audio devices for top brands such as D-Link, RIO (SONICblue) and iRiver," said Keith Kravitz, Vice President of U.S. Operations for AVC Technology. "The explosive growth in MP3 music players, expected to reach 9 million units in 2006, creates the market opportunity for AVC to introduce the SOUL(R) product line while continuing to serve as OEM supplier to leading consumer electronics distributors."
"AVC is recognized worldwide for its innovative engineering and marketing services," said Billy So, AVC's Hong Kong based Technology Director of Operations. "The popularity of this music format has enabled AVC to introduce a new line of lighter, more powerful players using flash memory to store hundreds of consumers' favorite songs."
U.S. retail channels for the SOUL(R) line of MP3 players include CompUSA and Circuit City. Online sales are available at http://www.Soulplayers.com and http://www.Instantdrive.com.
MP3 technology has revolutionized the entertainment industry. Now consumers can easily download literally an entire collection of their favorite songs in digital format to a lightweight, portable device using a simple USB computer connection. The new SOUL(R) player is about the size of a pack of chewing gum and can store many hours of music for easy listening any time, any place. An FM tuner and voice recorder are conveniently included in the SOUL(R) players.
About AVC Technology
AVC Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong based AV Concept Holdings Limited, manufactures portable MP3 players and related devices. The firm also offers a full range of marketing and engineering services to resellers, with a successful production record of over two million MP3 players packaged for leading consumer electronics distributors. AV Concept Holdings is publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
For more information visit the company's website at http://www.avconcept.com/
All trademarks, trade names, registered trademarks, or registered trade names are the property of their respective holders.
--30--PP/mi*
CONTACT: SOUL, Boca Raton
Keith Kravitz, 561/995-7779
keith@soulplayers.com
or
Clientize, Boca Raton
Margaret Grisdela, 561/417-5533
mgrisdela@clientize.com
Hitachi Ships High Performance 4GB Microdrive; Continues to Innovate in Storage Miniaturization
Retails for $499??? LOL
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 25, 2003--
4GB Microdrive yields 70 percent increase in performance from
previous generation
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies today announced that it is now shipping qualification samples of its 4GB Microdrive to consumer product manufacturers worldwide. The one-inch diameter drive features a data transfer rate that represents a 70 percent increase from the previous-generation Microdrive. The new drive will also continue its tradition of offering a significantly lower cost-per-megabyte than competitive solid-state memory solutions.
Hitachi's 4GB Microdrive is the world's smallest hard disk drive, weighing just over a half an ounce (16 grams) and equivalent in size to a matchbook. The miniaturized hard drive is designed for users who demand maximum capacity for storing large quantities of high-resolution digital photos and video, MP3 music, electronic games and other large files. The data storage available on the 4GB Microdrive is roughly equivalent to a full-length DVD movie or 75 hours of high-quality digital music.
Consumer product manufacturers that are evaluating the new Microdrive for compatibility with current and future products include Blaupunkt, Kodak, Minolta Co., Ltd., Nikon, Olympus, Pentax Corporation, Sigma and Sony Corporation. Many of these industry-leading companies already support Hitachi's current-generation Microdrive in their consumer electronic devices.
As we migrate into a world of mobile computing and communications, we will see significant growth in portable devices that use more data and have greater storage requirements,' said J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., principal analyst, MobileTrax. 'The new 4GB Hitachi Microdrive provides the capacity necessary to satisfy the skyrocketing need for affordable, high-capacity data storage in portable devices.
Miniaturization Leadership
The 4GB Microdrive is a major storage capacity breakthrough and the first of many storage miniaturization advancements that are being made by Hitachi's world-class product design and development team. The new drive will use ultra-miniaturized components, including a new read-write head that is half the size of its predecessor and results in a 40 percent decrease in the height at which the head travels above the disk platter. The new head technology, called the femto slider head, opens up a next generation of head slider technology.
The 4GB Microdrive is an illustration of Hitachi's commitment to leadership in the high-growth area of storage miniaturization. 'Microdrive has been the crown jewel of our miniaturization efforts for the past five years,' said Tsuyoshi Takahashi, general manager, Emerging Markets Business Unit, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. 'There is nothing else available on the market that offers a better combination of storage capacity, compact size, performance and affordability.'
Product Compatibility and Availability
Hitachi's new 4GB Microdrive (officially known as the Hitachi Microdrive 3K4 series) is designed to the Compact Flash Type II industry standard and is compatible with a wide variety of devices that accept CF+ Type II media. The 4GB Microdrive is formatted at the factory using the FAT32 file system to remedy the 2GB limitation of the FAT16 file system. Therefore, when used in a digital camera, the camera must support a FAT32 file system. For additional information about the new Microdrive, please visit http://www.hgst.com /.
Hitachi will continue to offer its current 1GB Microdrive to customers throughout the world and is planning to introduce a 2GB version of the Microdrive later this year. The company expects the new 4GB Microdrive to be available on retail shelves in major markets this November at a MSRP of $499.
Hitachi will participate, through its development partners, in major industry events such as IFA Berlin in August to demonstrate the 4GB Microdrive and discuss the underlying technology in greater detail.
About Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies was founded in 2003 as a result of the strategic combination of Hitachi's and IBM's storage technology businesses. The company's vision is to enable users to fully engage in the digital lifestyle by providing access to large amounts of storage capacity in formats suitable for the office, on the road and in the home.
The company offers customers worldwide a comprehensive range of storage products for desktop computers, high-performance servers and mobile devices. For more information on Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.hgst.com .
OT: Dell escalates PC price war to a new level
Sales growth shows market moving in positive direction
Compiled by staff and wire reports
Saturday, August 23, 2003
When Dell Inc. slashed prices again this week, you could almost hear the groans in Palo Alto and Poway, Calif., the hometowns of rivals Hewlett-Packard Co. and Gateway Inc.
Like the really smart kid in class who messed up the grading curve for everyone else, Dell has reset the bar for the personal computer business.
Dell makes only pennies on the dollar -- analysts estimate 5 cents to 6 cents -- on its PCs. But competitors, including H-P and Gateway, lose money.
Dell's overhead is lower, so it can sell for less. So far, H-P can't change that, although it claimed on its conference call this week that its PC costs are within 1 percent of Dell's. H-P's Personal Systems division slipped back into the red after two quarters of profitability because of what Chairwoman Carly Fiorina said was overly aggressive pricing.
The PC business is one that only Darwin could love. Cutthroat competition has claimed plenty of brands, including Packard-Bell, Compaq, Micron and CompuAdd. Others have been marginalized, including Gateway and Apple.
To understand the growing pains of the PC industry, look no further than the television set.
When the TV was new, it was bulky, came only in black-and-white, and people had to have one. Then color TV arrived, then cable, VCRs and video games. At each step, buyers rushed out to get a new set to keep up with the new technology.
But between sales bursts, times were slow with little growth. That's where the PC industry has been for the past few years, in a slump that not only has affected PC makers but also many tech industries that once fed solely off the PC: hard-drive makers, chip manufacturers and network equipment providers.
PC sales are on the upswing again. Worldwide PC sales were up 10 percent last quarter compared with a year earlier, according to research firm Gartner Inc. In the United States, sales were up more than 11 percent.
Not since the frenzy before the Y2K scare has the PC industry seen double-digit growth.
"This market is definitely moving in the right direction," said Loren Loverde, who tracks PC sales for market researcher IDC. "There's a chance the results are driven by aggressive short-term pricing, so I wouldn't throw caution to the wind, but these are very good results."
Loverde says mainstream adoption of computers can be compared with the widespread adoption of televisions, with one significant exception.
"They had very rapid growth and then they matured," he said. But unlike the television, the personal computer continues to evolve with faster processors, bigger hard drives and increased capabilities, leading to a shorter replacement cycle.
Gartner analyst Charles Smulders said: "The PC has been written off several times in the last couple of years. But I see it as a household and business appliance for a long time to come."
Tim Mattox, a marketing vice president for Dell, said consumers are putting more emphasis on digital music, videos and photos, and are turning to the PC to make the new digital lifestyle an enjoyable experience.
"Ultimately, the capability to store that data, and in some cases manipulate and enjoy it, is becoming more prevalent," he told the San Jose Mercury News recently. "How we share is becoming a more significant trend. We see the PC continuing to play a role in content management and sharing of that content within the home."
Other traditional players in the PC food chain say they are hoping the trend will help them reinvent their own businesses.
Richard Rutledge, vice president of marketing at disk-drive maker Western Digital, jokes that the hard drive has become a digital closet, a place for people to put their music, photos and video files. The arrival of electronics devices that depend on storage, notably gaming consoles and digital video recorders, combined with the news that PC sales are back up makes for a bright spot in the hard-drive business.
But that's not to say the slowdown in PC sales hasn't had an impact on the hard-drive industry. In the past few years, there has been consolidation and restructuring within the industry to make the operations leaner.
"During the slowdown, we restructured and got lean, mean and thin," Rutledge said. "Hopefully, we won't get fat, dumb and happy."
The new Dodge Super8 Linux/MP3 Car
Dave Conabree on January 17, 2001 11:10 AM EST
The Dodge Super8 Hemi® concept car is DaimlerChrysler's newest execution of Passenger Priority design. Borrowing cues from Dodge trucks and sport-utilities, the Dodge Super8 Hemi is an all-American sedan - yet one reincarnated with a tall stance that enhances visibility, comfort, space and ease of entry and exit for both driver and passengers.
"The Dodge Super8 Hemi embodies the culture and essence of American optimism," said Freeman Thomas, Vice President - Advanced Design Strategy, DaimlerChrysler Corporation on the occasion of the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
"The concept's use of technology adds acclaim to our commitment to innovation excellence," said Buckley. "Emulating our pioneering design team, we constantly strive to initiate bold technological concepts that deliver meaningful appeal. With the Super8, form truly does follow function."
The vehicle-internal computing architecture consists of four Single Board Computers that each run a certified standard Java Virtual Machine (JVM) on top of a Linux operation system. The software architecture for the in-vehicle computers is based on a 100 percent Java device platform called "deviceTop" from the Espial Group.
The Infotronic system is directed by a voice recognition system or through its liquid crystal display integrated into the instrument panel. The use of JavaCard technology allows for personalized access to the system. Voice commands allow drivers to keep their eyes on the road while controlling the vehicle's audio system, climate control, phone and security systems as well as allow access to the driver's smart home appliances or home security system.
Said Buckley: "When you're driving and remember something that you should have done at home or work, you can verbally remind yourself and tell your computer to e-mail that message to your home or office all without touching a keypad."
For rear occupants, two LCD touch screens on articulating arms are mounted to the backrests of the front seats, enabling a fully Internet-accessible in-car environment. Among the many features, rear passengers have access to an "Are we there yet?" application that gives real-time trip status information, such as a map display, estimated time of arrival or distance to the destination. Rear passengers can also play a custom location-based on-line trivia game with other vehicle occupants or even with players in other vehicles. In addition, rear occupants can retrieve pictures from the family's Internet-enabled home security camera, for instance, to check up on a pet left home alone.
Further emphasizing its grasp of modern technology, the Dodge Super8 Hemi comes equipped with a Sirius Satellite Radio. This offers digital quality radio, ensuring clear reception coast to coast from more than 100 unique news, sports and entertainment channels, of which 50 music channels are commercial-free. Additionally, a media beaming application enables wireless transfer of digital audio (MP3) and video (MPEG) files between a home entertainment system and the car while the car is parked in the driveway or garage.
With the Dodge Super8 Hemi Infotronic system, drivers and passengers can seamlessly access time-critical information, do convenience shopping, listen to MP3 music or digital quality radio and interact with the home environment, while children play games in the rear seats -- all personalized, all in real time, all on demand, and regardless of location.
Which industry leaders are involved with the Espial Partner Program?
Sun, Intel, IBM, NEC, OTI, Kada, Esmertec, Just Systems, MontaVista, WindRiver, QNX, PTSC, Tao, Applied Data Systems, Insignia, NSIcom, SavaJe, Skelmir, and Lineo.
http://www.espial.com/
Come on! A two bit broker with inside info on e.Digital? LOL What a joke. With info given out like "we would find out why soon", his advise is not even worth two bits! I cannot believe someting so insane actually happened. And this guy gets paid and people actually listen to that POS? LOL
Thanks. I was looking under HDD players. Silly me lol eom
O-1000 gone from CNET?
I have been on CNET and only can find O-1000 by using search. It is not listed with other HDD players?? Maybe it is just me.....I hope I hope.....
Rio Nitrus Review
The lightweight Nitrus may not offer nearly as much storage as the iPod for the money, but a good software package helps you forget that.
The good: Compact, slim design; clean sound; easy operation; long battery life; 1.5GB 1-inch drive.
The bad: No recording function; no FM radio; no remote; no carrying case.
By Eliot Van Buskirk, August 22, 2003
It goes without saying that when it comes to portable electronics, smaller is almost always better. Newly acquired Rio's 1.5GB Nitrus breaks the latest size barrier by being the first MP3 player to feature an integrated 1-inch hard drive, as opposed to the 1.8-inch drive found in devices such as the Apple iPod. We wish that the Nitrus were cheaper than its current list price ($299), which is the same as the entry-level 10GB iPod's. But it's a slick player that will be worth the cost for users who want better battery life, are looking for a smaller package, and feel that 20 hours' worth of music is plenty to listen to on a given day.
At 2 ounces and 3.25 by 2.5 by 0.75 inches, the Nitrus has design specs that sound more like those of a flash-based player than hard drive-based one. (Unlike the official specs, these measurements were taken at the largest points on the device's curved chassis.) The player's outer rim is rubberized, making it easier to grip and less vulnerable to damage if dropped.
In terms of style, the Nitrus presents a clean, slick, mini radar-detector-like appearance, with a shiny black front and a bare minimum of well-placed buttons that make it simple to operate with one hand. A jog dial on the upper-right corner handles navigation on the backlit LCD, which has a high enough resolution (96x64) to display the advanced menu system found on previous Rio products. A red laptop-style multidirectional control in the center of the front panel handles playback and some navigation functions, while a sturdy Hold switch on the back of the player prevents accidental button activation.
No in-line remote or carrying case is included (in fact, all you get is the player, an AC adapter, and Sennheiser earbuds), and neither is offered as an accessory at this time. Since the device is meant to be toted in a pocket, this isn't major faux pas, but a thin, protective case could prevent scratches from keys and other in-pocket objects.
The Nitrus's small, light design makes it suitable for jogging, but jostling the player while it's in the process of reading from the hard drive to the flash-memory buffer can cause your music to skip and may ultimately damage the device (it has 90-day warranty). Rio claims that it is indeed suitable for jogging--and it might be--but you're probably better off with a high-end flash player if you're looking for an athletics-oriented unit.
While it lacks extra features such as voice recording, an FM radio, and line-in encoding, the Nitrus has everything you need for MP3/WMA playback and more. Among its onboard features are a five-band graphic equalizer with moving high-res sliders, as well as six EQ presets; nine midtrack bookmarks (great for audiobooks); resume and shuffle/repeat functions; a date/time indicator; and a stopwatch.
Rio Music Manager is a polished, powerful tool for transferring tunes to the Nitrus.
For loading the player with tunes, Nitrus comes with impressive syncing software that makes its 1.5GB capacity actually feel more like 10GB, so long as you don't mind connecting the device to your PC (sorry, no Macs) every few days. Rio Music Manager 2.0 offers a plethora of powerful automatic and manual syncing options. Not only can you transfer individual songs, you can sync specified playlists, albums, artists, or genres and even set an exact percentage of new music to send to the device upon each syncing session. Multiple profiles let you set up different syncs, which can be manually executed later with the click of a button. For instance, you could delete your French-pop playlist and specify that Rio Music Manager transfer '70s jazz onto the player in its place. The well-designed program has too many other outstanding syncing tweaks and stylistic touches to list here, but suffice to say that the company has broken new ground with this software package.
A note about connectivity: While the Nitrus does not show up as a removable drive, it comes with a simple app called Rio Taxi, which allows you to transfer data files of any type to the device's hard drive and subsequently onto another Windows computer running the software.
Performance
With its new line of portable players, Rio made a concerted effort to offer superior battery life, especially compared to the iPod. According to company specs, the Nitrus's internal lithium-ion cell lasts up to 16 hours--an impressive claim that our testing verified.
In terms of sound quality, the Nitrus's squeaky-clean 93dB signal-to-noise ratio competes with that of the best-sounding MP3 players. It puts out 8mW of power per channel, which drives the included Sennheisers to deafening levels and provides ample power for higher-end headphones such as our reference set to reach high volumes as well.
Connecting to a USB 2.0 port, we transferred a playlist with 100MB of music onto the player in 72 seconds, for a transfer rate of 1.39MB per second. Understandably, transfer time was slower over USB 1.1, at 0.45MB per second.
Toshiba debuts smallest HDD MP3 player
By Tony Smith
22/08/2003 at 11:40 GMT
MP3 Player
Toshiba has launched what it claims is the thinnest, lightest and smallest hard drive-based portable music player yet to grace the market.
And, looking at the pictures the company supplied, we have to say, probably the sexiest one too.
The player, the Gigabeat G20 MEG200J is just 1.27cm thick, a smidge thinner than the 1.55cm iPod. It measures 8.95 x 7.65cm and weighs 138g - the iPod is 10.25 x 6cm and weighs 158.76g.
Inside its limited edition dark "sapphire" blue or standard aluminium shell, the Gigabeat packs in a 20GB 1.8in hard drive. More square than the iPod, the Gigabeat resembles a miniDisc player rather than an MP3 player. The device will play MP3s, but Toshiba is touting its support for Microsoft's Windows Media Player 9 format, which presumably means its DRM'd to the hilt.
The G20 features a small, 160 x 86 backlit LCD screen. Tracks can be transferred to the device via its USB 2.0 port, which can also operate as a USB 1.1 connection for older host computers. The built-in Lithium-ion battery provides enough charge for up to 11 hours of playback - more than the iPod's eight-hour battery life - though that's likely to be much reduced when the machine has to decode WMA9 files.
The Toshiba player has a built-in equalizer, but it seems limited to off, enhanced bass, even more enhanced bass and loud settings.
The Gigabeat G20 M200J is due to go on sale in Japan in October. It will ship with a recharge/connectivity cradle and stereo headphones with remote control pod. ®
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/32469.html
New Look Qantas International Fleet a Feature of Ongoing Investment Program
SYDNEY, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 21, 2003--Qantas said today it would offer new seating and interiors on almost all its international aircraft by the end of next year as part of its ongoing investment in new aircraft, aircraft enhancements, product and service.
The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Geoff Dixon, said a highlight of the program was Skybed -- a new, state-of-the-art, cocoon-style sleeper seat -- that will be installed on all 30 of the airline's 747-400s from next month and seven new Airbus A330-300s that will be delivered between June and December next year.
Qantas' new International Business Class, to be launched next month, will feature Skybed as well as specially trained, dedicated Business Class flight attendants; new food and wine; a new service style; a self-service bar for drinks and snacks; premium quality noise cancellation headsets and luxury amenity kits.
First Class customers will also see improvements in seat comfort and cabin enhancements including new bathrooms and amenities.
"The new product and service we offer our international customers will be exceptional, maintaining our reputation as one of the leading airlines in the world," Mr. Dixon said.
"These latest initiatives also build on the recent $300 million refurbishment of our 747-400s, including a new inflight entertainment system that offers in-seat videos in Economy Class, larger personal screens and PC power in Business and First Class and in-seat telephones in all classes."
Mr. Dixon said Qantas was also:
-- refurbishing its six 747-300s, installing Dreamtime Business Class seats and new seats in Economy, in-seat inflight entertainment, new interiors and enhanced cabin lighting and PC power in Business Class;
-- opening a new lounge at Los Angeles Airport, following the opening of new international Qantas Clubs in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Bangkok, and Honolulu;
-- introducing a Short Message Service (SMS) system from late September, offering a reply facility that will be a world first; and
-- installing a unique LED mood lighting system in First and Business Class on the 747 fleet. The system offers light schemes that coincide with cabin activities and time of day to increase customer comfort and relaxation.
Looking further forward, Qantas will take delivery of 12 Airbus A380 aircraft from 2006. These aircraft will revolutionise international air travel and offer even greater personal space and comfort.
Domestically, Qantas is continuing to invest in new, two-class Next Generation Boeing 737-800s.
"This is part of a fleet strategy that will increase the commonality and efficiency of both our international and domestic fleets," Mr. Dixon said.
"Our four A330-200s, which currently fly domestically, will operate internationally with the seven A330-300s that will be delivered in the second half of next year.
"
The 767-300 fleet, which currently operates internationally, will replace the A330-200s domestically, operating major domestic routes together with the growing 737-800 fleet and our refurbished 737-400s.
"Overall, we will have a younger fleet that offers customers a better product as well as improving reliability and on-time performance."
In the domestic market, Mr. Dixon said Qantas was also:
-- opening new domestic Qantas Club lounges in Townsville, Darwin
and the Gold Coast following the opening of new or upgraded
lounges in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide;
-- further upgrading meals on all domestic services;
-- continuing to enhance the Qantas internet site with a booking
engine that has made it faster to book online and easier to
choose the right fares.
Other recent domestic initiatives include:
-- a new, simpler domestic fare structure that allows business and leisure travellers to mix and match one way fares to
combine affordability and flexibility to better suit their
individual travel needs;
-- self-service QuickCheck kiosks at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
and Canberra domestic airports, to streamline the check-in
process.
--30--HB/la*
CONTACT: Agnes Huff Communications
Agnes Huff, PhD/Jill Kochendorfer, 310-641-2525
ahuff@ahuffgroup.com
KEYWORD: AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL ASIA PACIFIC
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRAVEL TRANSPORTATION AIRLINES PRODUCT
SOURCE: Qantas
Prices from 01/19/99 through 04/22/99
Date Volume Ask/High Bid/Low Close
---------- -------------- -------- -------- --------
01/19/99 400,700 0.09 0.07 0.08
01/20/99 562,300 0.09 0.08 0.08
01/21/99 352,900 0.09 0.08 0.09
01/22/99 202,200 0.09 0.08 0.08
01/25/99 187,500 0.08 0.07 0.07
01/26/99 453,900 0.08 0.07 0.08
01/27/99 360,700 0.08 0.07 0.07
01/28/99 4,603,400 0.11 0.08 0.11
01/29/99 4,051,200 0.15 0.11 0.14
02/01/99 7,590,500 0.21 0.15 0.19
02/02/99 9,304,400 0.31 0.17 0.19
02/03/99 3,824,800 0.20 0.13 0.16
02/04/99 8,753,800 0.25 0.17 0.25
02/05/99 9,129,100 0.31 0.24 0.25
02/08/99 5,285,400 0.26 0.19 0.23
02/09/99 3,501,100 0.25 0.20 0.22
02/10/99 1,680,300 0.21 0.18 0.19
02/11/99 3,516,900 0.25 0.19 0.23
02/12/99 1,554,400 0.26 0.20 0.22
02/16/99 1,754,700 0.23 0.19 0.21
02/17/99 915,000 0.22 0.18 0.19
02/18/99 2,455,400 0.23 0.19 0.21
02/19/99 1,272,800 0.21 0.19 0.20
02/22/99 876,500 0.21 0.18 0.20
02/23/99 1,218,400 0.21 0.19 0.21
02/25/99 530,700 0.22 0.19 0.20
02/26/99 1,813,100 0.21 0.18 0.19
03/01/99 728,900 0.21 0.19 0.20
03/02/99 570,400 0.21 0.19 0.19
03/03/99 541,500 0.20 0.18 0.18
03/04/99 919,700 0.19 0.17 0.17
03/05/99 816,000 0.18 0.15 0.17
03/08/99 839,500 0.18 0.15 0.18
03/09/99 652,500 0.18 0.17 0.17
03/10/99 521,500 0.18 0.17 0.18
03/11/99 909,100 0.18 0.16 0.17
03/12/99 399,100 0.18 0.16 0.17
03/15/99 676,300 0.17 0.14 0.16
03/16/99 675,500 0.16 0.13 0.13
03/17/99 1,067,500 0.16 0.13 0.15
03/18/99 324,000 0.16 0.14 0.15
03/19/99 455,600 0.16 0.14 0.15
03/22/99 537,500 0.18 0.14 0.16
03/23/99 842,800 0.17 0.15 0.15
03/24/99 506,100 0.17 0.15 0.15
03/25/99 484,500 0.16 0.15 0.15
03/26/99 833,300 0.16 0.15 0.15
03/29/99 412,000 0.16 0.15 0.15
03/30/99 379,200 0.16 0.15 0.15
03/31/99 203,100 0.16 0.14 0.16
04/01/99 389,100 0.16 0.14 0.16
04/05/99 724,700 0.16 0.14 0.15
04/06/99 1,358,700 0.16 0.13 0.15
04/07/99 1,027,300 0.17 0.01 0.16
04/08/99 3,608,200 0.21 0.16 0.20
04/09/99 5,032,000 0.22 0.21 0.21
04/12/99 3,634,400 0.23 0.22 0.22
04/13/99 13,699,000 0.34 0.22 0.30
04/14/99 21,215,700 0.81 0.30 0.61
04/15/99 11,212,800 0.66 0.55 0.56
04/16/99 6,142,500 0.62 0.40 0.48
04/19/99 3,791,500 0.55 0.50 0.54
04/20/99 4,447,900 0.55 0.39 0.48
04/21/99 14,076,800 0.80 0.56 0.72
04/22/99 7,392,600 0.90 0.67 0.68
CDR LOL Nice try eom
Didn't we have a gap to fill? tia eom
owd3
"The 10Q states they estimate they need something like $800k for the rest of the year, right?? Well with only 4 full months left in the year, they are basically saying they need to cover the entire burn rate for the rest of the year!!! How can this be?? "
ARE YOU SURE THEY ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FISCAL YEAR? LOL
???
I don't own edig presently & will not buy one share as long as this management runs edig .
This management is not leaving......therefore you will not be buying any e.Digital stock.....therefore.......why the heck are you spending so much time here?
Besides, didn't you say you were done posting here?
If you just need someone to talk to, email me.............lol
Cornice makes major drive
Storage firm, industry have high hopes for tiny drive
http://www.corniceco.com/partners/index.html
http://www.corniceco.com/customers/index.html
By Erika Stutzman, Camera Business Writer
August 16, 2003
A new storage firm is grabbing the attention of everyone from investors to gadget-makers — something that has been notoriously hard to do in the down economy.
Kevin Magenis, president and chief executive of Cornice Inc. of Longmont, said the company's secret to early successes has been simple: It made something that people want to buy.
"We felt there was an opportunity in consumer electronics, if we could meet a certain price point," Magenis said. "The customers said, 'If you build it, we will buy it.'"
And so it did.
Cornice makes a one-inch, 1.5-gigabyte drive for products like MP3 players, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and digital cameras. Its drive, which can hold more than 30 CDs worth of MP3s, is already being used by customers including RCA, Samsung, iRiver, Digitalway and Rio. The RCA MP3 player with the Cornice device is for sale at Circuit City; a Samsung digital camcorder — which will hold 2 hours of DVD quality data — will be in stores in October.
The drive is under $100, with a target price of $50, Magenis said, so the gadgets containing the cheap Cornice drives can sell for less — attracting the product makers who have their own price points to make.
Magenis said there are about two dozen clients using the Cornice storage element now.
"We're sold out for this year. Now, we're ramping to meet those orders," Magenis said.
He said the company will announce several more customers by year's end.
Unlike DataPlay — a local firm that made a powerful tiny disk for media — Cornice focused on what was currently available. DataPlay, which eventually declared bankruptcy then was bought out, relied on special players.
"We made a conscious decision not to go to the content providers," like the music industry, Magenis said. "We wanted the customers to be the people making the devices, the people making the decisions."
Magenis said his team decided early on that people will get content the way they want — "whether it's legal or illegal" like some music downloads.
But what end users didn't want to do is have to buy special equipment to access it.
"It's tough to change an infrastructure," he said. "In my house, with the teenagers, and the different stereos and the cars, etc., there are probably 24 different slots for CDs. We're not going to replace all of those for new media."
Another thing that sets Cornice apart, Magenis said, was its decision to keep very lean with about 50 employees.
"These other startups needed hundreds of millions of dollars. We use the best of everything; the best suppliers, the best contract manufacturers," he said. By outsourcing, the firm didn't need a huge amount of startup costs, he said.
Cornice won in the Computer Products and Services category in the Boulder County Business Report's IQ (Innovative Quotient) Awards, and was named to the 2003 AlwaysOn List of Top 100 Private Companies.
But Magenis thinks the fact that it has big-name clients and is already on consumers' shelves is more important than awards.
"We're kind of past that," he said.
Early investors to the firm included the company's leadership and Texas Instruments. At the end of May, the firm announced that it had raised $22 million from investors including CIBC Capital Partners, Nokia Venture partners and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
In the meantime, the company has been written up in trade publications — including PC Magazine — and has won accolades by industry analysts from groups including In-Stat/MDR, MobileTrax and TrendFocus.
In a prepared statement, Dave Reinsel, IDC research manager for hard disk drives, said: "Cornice's unique approach to its portable storage design offers a variety of strategic and compelling benefits to electronic device manufacturers and the people who consume their products."
Reinsel in particular praised the product for having the desired compact size, low cost and high capacity — the requirement sought out by industry.
And that's the key to Cornice's success so far — not its whiz-bang ideas, but a core product that meets the needs of today's gadget makers, Magenis said.
"We're not reinventing an infrastructure. We just wanted to make it cheaper and more convenient for people," he said.
Contact Erika Stutzman at stutzmane@dailycamera.com or (303) 473-13
Chuck I told her it was easy to find out LOL eom
Info is easy to obtain....eom
Majority of profit from the HP/SOFTEQ/DISNEY/e.DIGITAL PROJECT
was deferred to this quarter.....................
Reading Sentinel questions verbatim LOL
5000 mp3 wireless headphones to Disney! Possible add on plus large ad campaign...
Disney! lol EOM
Good Guys reordered per RP..... eom
It's Rio and Creative
August 14, 2003
Rio Audio, Creative Labs Slim Down Music Players
By WALTER S. MOSSBERG
Ever since it was introduced in October 2001, Apple's iPod digital music player has been the unquestioned leader in its field. Its slick physical design, clean user interface, and great capacity and sound have won nearly universal raves from critics. And the public has agreed, buying over a million iPods.
Other companies have tried to follow suit, but failed. Their entries were lower priced, and some had higher capacity. But they were too bulky and had complicated user interfaces.
Now, two of the dominant players in portable digital music players, Rio Audio and Creative Labs, are back with a new round of potential iPod killers that are slimmer and easier to use than their predecessors. I've been testing two of the new models, to see how they compare with the latest iPods.
All of these music players are powered by hard-disk drives, so they can hold hundreds or thousands of songs. They are in a separate category from the very smallest digital music players, powered by "flash" memory chips, that can typically hold fewer than 100 songs.
One of the iPod's secrets was that it was the first device to use a radical new technology that crammed a lot of storage capacity into a very slim drive. Other players were much larger because they relied on bulkier disk drives.
But there is a new kind of hard disk on the market that's even smaller than the drives used in the iPod. Made by a small Colorado company called Cornice, these drives have much lower capacity than the iPod drives, but they are tiny.
Rio and Creative are rolling out small new players based on the Cornice drive. Both are also introducing somewhat larger players with higher-capacity hard disks. I've been testing two of these new products: the Rio Nitrus, which uses the new Cornice drive, and the Creative Nomad Zen NX, which uses a more traditional hard disk.
Rio Audio's Rio Nitrus
The Rio Nitrus, due out early next month, is a black, shiny, curvy little thing that weighs only two ounces, versus 5.6 ounces for the iPod. It's about as wide and as thick as an iPod, but is roughly 25% shorter -- three inches compared with the iPod's 4.1 inches. The Nitrus also beats the iPod on battery life, with a claimed 16 hours compared with just eight for the Apple player.
The Nitrus is the first hard-disk-based music player I've tested that's smaller and lighter than the iPod, plus it has a clean, music-oriented interface. Like the iPod, it shows key information about each song -- title, artist, album, time -- in crisp, clear text. And the menus are easy to navigate. Previous iPod wannabes were hobbled by ridiculous techie interfaces that stressed file folders and computer-type navigation.
The Nitrus comes with easy to use, simple software for transferring music from a Windows PC via a fast USB 2.0 connection. Unlike the iPod, it only works on Windows, not the Mac.
Unfortunately, the Nitrus simply wouldn't work with my brand-new Dell Dimension 8300 computer. Rio says there's a hardware incompatibility it's working to fix. The Nitrus worked fine with a 2002-vintage HP Pavilion.
But the Nitrus has two much bigger drawbacks that I think make it inferior to the iPod. The little Cornice hard disk inside the Nitrus has a capacity of just 1.5 gigabytes, compared with 10 gigabytes for the lowest-priced iPod. That means the low-end iPod has six times the capacity of the Nitrus in only a slightly larger package. The Nitrus holds around 400 typical songs, while the low-end iPod holds over 2,500.
And despite its much smaller capacity, the Nitrus is expensive. It will sell for $299, the same price as the 10-gigabyte iPod.
There's much less to say about the Creative Nomad Zen NX. It has iPod-like song capacity, but it uses a bulkier hard disk so it's much bigger than an iPod, even though Creative is touting it as "slimmed down and super cool-looking."
The Zen NX is a sliver and white rectangular box that looks more like an old Walkman tape player than a sleek digital device. It weighs nearly eight ounces and is larger in every dimension than an iPod. You'd have trouble fitting it in a pocket or small purse. Like the Nitrus, it works only with Windows, not Macs.
The new Zen has three notable features. First, like Rio, Creative has cleaned up a formerly bad interface and attempted to emulate the iPod. On the new Zen, music information is stressed, not things like files and folders and technical data. The overall navigation is much better, but still not as easy as on the iPod or the new Rio.
Second, the new Zen has a removable battery -- a terrific convenience. Extra batteries cost about $50 apiece. Creative claims a 14-hour battery life.
The Zen NX's key advantage is price. The 20-gigabyte model costs $249, less than Apple charges for an iPod with half the capacity. The 30 gigabyte model costs $299, or $200 less than Apple charges for a 30 gigabyte iPod. If you're willing to put up with a big, bulky box, the Zen NX is a bargain.
Largely due to a great design, the iPod still comes out on top, in my view. But its rivals are finally showing some promise.
Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com
'Two-month wait' for UK iPods
By Karen Haslam
Thursday - August 14, 2003
The UK has been hit by a shortage of iPods, with resellers complaining they are unable to keep pace with demand.
Neeley Casserly, marketing manager of Reading-based reseller Rapid Group, said: "There are supply issues with high-capacity iPods. At the moment there’s an eight-week delivery lag".
Meanwhile, Justin Huckfield – director of Nexus Graphic Systems – says that "iPods are bad news”, adding: “I just can't get them from Apple.”
Some resellers claim one problem is that Apple’s priority seems to be keep its own online Apple Store stocked with iPods. One reseller, who wished to remain unnamed, suggested Apple “must treat resellers with more respect if it wants to increase market share”.
Another reseller claimed to have been reduced to buying via mail-order and from John Lewis to meet demand for iPods.
All iPod configurations remain available on the UK Apple Store, although there is a two to three week waiting time.
An Apple spokesman said: "There is heavy demand for iPods, and the company is doing everything it can to keep up with this".
Demand has been huge worldwide. Most recently, Australia Reseller News reported a shortage in Australia, with similar reports emerging from Irish sources. The company sold its millionth iPod in its third financial quarter.
The product has become the ultimate celebrity trinket, with A-list owners including the Beckhams, David Bowie and Robbie Williams.