Technology Round-up: Sony Chief Pushes Online Plane For Recovery

Recently, I have discovered an article which I thought would be very interesting to many people because it involves an opponent to one of the greatest and lately most popular and cutting edge as far as entertainment and technology.

Sony has been noted in the article for expressing intentions of pushing for their idea for their Sony Online Entertainment Service to not only rival but to surpass their anticipated Apple products and Apple Services. I also believe and agree with points in the article about Sony be able to produce better qualityhardware than Apple possibly, if succesfull leading to users switching to Sony products and services.

With Apple already HUGE with their iPods and iTunes markets it will be tough but Sony plans to do something similar. The Sony Online Entertainment or Service will provide a link for Sony users such as Playstation Network, Sony Pictures, Sony Music, Sony Internet Video Link and Sony Computers to be able to all link together on a Sony Network Serviced for all of their users and concepts.

This Article was discovered in the New York Times > Technology > BITS > "At Sony, a Plan to Link Enternainment and Devices" By: Hiroko Tabuchi

Howard Stringer, a Sony Chief Executive came up with the idea to merge their entertainment business aspects with their devices heads Sony which is based out of Tokyo and also had two low income years and is looking to make a very large and unique come back which I must say. In my own opinion is going to be a tough daunting task. The fact that it seems Sony's Executive team is aware of this and knows they need to put together a winning formula before pushing forward with a power move such as linking all their devices to a network. For instance most mobile phone device purchases or mobile music player purchases would based on majority lead towards iPhones, iTunes and iPods with their intent would change those statistics to Sony's favor making their products more popular than Apples. Although Sony's Ericson phone, mp3 player hasn't ranked at the top of the markets yet they would do well in other areas of their networks component such as Playstation, which has been very successful thus far in addition to a recently successful PSP and their always popular except in a recession their TV and computers have always faired above average.

The above picture expresses Sony's vision/goal for competing with Apple. Looks very similar doesn't it?! Because there model is so similar to Apples iTunes/iPod and so on I can wait to see what the future holds for Sony's new endevour to regain their footing in all their markets. So, over the next few weeks and months keep your eyes and ears open for any gossip about Sony! They could possibly attempt to storm the market place in force, either succeding and beating or competing with Apple or failing and not being able to measure up to Apple's products. Since Sony has never executed this strategy before and says they are trying to perfect their formula for success, will they abandon there newest concept if they dont feel they can compete with Apple? I believe that the answer to that question is. Yes, they would abandon they project if not expected to explode into the newest hottest technology for multimedia and entertainment users.

Technology Round-up: Intel sells it's own reader to the Health Care Market

This week I discovered an article about how the company Intel and how they have released their new Reader as well as their focus and sales in the health care market. Intel, a company well known for their primary products found in 80% of computers. Although, Intel has been dominating the market demanding processors, microprocessors and processing chips. They have recently embarked on expanding their business into the health care market with their recently developed "Intel Reader" a palm-reader, by just pointing the camera at books or groupings of words it interprets the area you focus the camera on and plays an audio of what it reads. It can also be called a txt to speech product.

Article Discovered From: New York Times > Technology > BITS > Intel Sells It's Own Reader for the Health Care Market > By: Ashley Vance

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The reason why I chose to point out this new technology this week is because, recently many new projects for companies involved with developing technology have produced products like the new Intel Reader where a "smart" camera can diagnoss and interpret what it sees for the user. For instance, last week I mentioned the new "Sixth Sense" technology. Well, this week I am presenting the Intel Reader because I believe it is an extremly constructive way to use our new technoloy to help others in need. Case in point, the Intel Reader is focused on reaching the Health Care Market to aid people with dyslexia and blindness. It could also aid a student read books by scanning their material and repeating back to them via audio.

Intel has always just had their brand name on other user products like PC's a notebooks. However, in the case of the Intel Reader they have decided to keep it all their own. Costing on average $1,500 compared to competitors similar products costing between $5,000 and $10,000. Part of the reason for the cost difference is that Intel used the Atom Processor, one of their own processor products as the heart of this device, making it almost a full blown computer. Which is why they chose not to add in wireless capability, they did not want students to be going online with it. The Intel Reader is already popular with people who have poor or no vision and will most likely grow more popular due to it's low cost.

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I think that this is a great article and technology round-up because this a great idea for a company who has exhasted its expansion in a certain area to try somthing new and different. But, what is really great is when the company tries to expand by using what they do to help others and contribute where they can in the health care field.The intent with this device as well as the intent for many of Intel's future projects is to help people in the heath industry and find more uses for their products to help doctors and hospitals.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/intel-sells-its-own-reader-for-the-healthcare-market/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Technology Round-up: Adding a "Sixth Sense" to your cell phone

This week I discovered another very interesting brand new technology written about by the New York Times. I feel the the New York Times does great job discovering the latest and greatest innovations and concepts. It's because of this that I was so intrigued about the article they wrote about a new technology reffered to as the Sixth Sense Technology.

New York Times > Technology > Bits > Adding a "Sixth Sense" to your cell phone. By: Vikas Bajaj

First off, many people including myself would never have thought they would have lived to see technology like this, because it is a complex integration of life around us through our cell phones. What this means is our cell phone has become in this instance can soon contain this new software which allows users to interact with anything in front of them via their cell phone while using their fingertips in mid air. Understandably it is a far fetched concept but it is also very interesting and on the brink of the cutting edge of technology. Sounds crazy, but here is a link to see and believe it. Here is a link to a YouTube video which gives you an informative explanation of the Sixth Sense as well as a visual of the new product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLEEiQZOYDs

As the Article explains, the "Sixth Sense" was created at MIT and is a combination of a camera and a projector working together with software for a cell phone to sync all three components. Although it seems bulky to be worn around the neck it is still considered to be a prototype and will most likely see an upgraded version after its initial testing and feedback phase is complete. Amazingly this new technologically advanced product only costs about $350 to make a single unit, assume that there will be minor increase in price before a final product is released to mainstream markets. The purpose of this new technology was chalked up to the new popularity with touch screens and using our hands and finger tips to interact with the most common of devices like our cell phone. Primarily combining a way for people to interact with the world and digital world with a sixth sense. This means that is you were standing outside looking at your house and wanted to take a picture you could hold your hands up in front of you and form a square with your two thumbs and index fingers. Then look through the square at your picture and bend your thumb to snap the picture. This is a fascinating feature amoung many others that will blow your mind.

After recent development talks between creators of the Sixth Sense at MIT and corporations like LG and Samsung, it comes to no suprise by me that those companies would be interested in a new innovative product such as this. Also at the same convention which the Sixth Sense was introduced was another product with many of the same ideas in a different format to look out for soon. A company called Wipro Technologies called their product an augmented reality system which is basically a pair of glasses with lots of technology accopanied by a back pack..But it allows similar new concepts to happen much like the Sixth Sense.

Technology Round-up: Autonet Mobile WiFi

This week I discovered an article about a company called Autonet who for over the past three years has spent their time implementing solutions to their new product allowing wireless internet to be available in most automobile's. I feel this is an interesting topic to read about considering the recent exponential growth of how much families use the internet on a daily basis. Well autonet seems to be another innovative way to allow internet users to not be without internet in yet another place like our vehicles.

The article is called GM to offer $500 Autonet Mobile WiFi Option in Select Vehicles > Engadget
By: Darren Murph

As expected higher end car makers such as Cadilac have already made the option of WiFi available to their newest customers. However, Autonet's CEO Sterling Pratz out of San Fransisco, has recent partnerships with many GM brands and other car manufacturers soon to follow. They say to expect to see dealer installed possible options for Autonet WiFi in many of this coming year new vehicle especially SUV's, crossover's, trucks and mini-vans. The reason for this is because the technology is so new and semi pricey it seems logical for them to target the more family driven vehicles allowing people in the back seats to enjoy watching movies online, facebook and surfing the web. While people in the front seats will be able to stream internet radio through their automobiles now as well. Autonet is expected to be approximatley $499 for installation and at least $29 per month to activate. Once activated it will produce an internet connection for users so long as they are within 150 feet from the car. Which should not be a problem for most people.

I think that the Autonet product is a great piece of new technology to add to our lives, which is why I chose to share this article with you. It will enable many small businesses to stay connected as well as teams to communicate more frequently. Also families are able to use the internet when traveling which aids long car rides for children. It can only make us wonder where we will be able to access the internet next! Check out the movie clip below found on Jay Leno's Garage site, with Jay Leno and Sterling Pratz, Autonet's CEO!

Clip from Jay Leno's Garage

Technology Round-up: Sony's 360-degree 3D Display (blows minds)

This week I found an article which involves a prototype developed by Sony which was very intriguing because of its most recent use of ever evolving technology. The article which was featured by Engadget is titled: Sony’s 360-degree 3D display (blows minds) By: Thomas Ricker

Sony has recently discovered a brand new exciting way to display images and graphics via a 360-degree 3D display no larger than a blender or a small coffee maker. Just a short time ago Sony presented their new invention/creations prototype a Digital Convention Expo in Tokyo and people have been ranting and raving about their new prototype technology which they are being very careful to not let out any specifics or secrets. The only note they would make about how they were able to develop this new display was the fact that they utilize LED lighting display technology similar to what has been used in many devices people have been using for years.

For such a small device the object is only 13 centimeters in diameter and 27 centimeters tall with a screen resolution of 96 X 128 pixels which is not very close to what we are used to viewing, considering High Definition 1080 pixel screens. However, the new Sony display has shocked many due to images being displayed surprisingly clear and sharp. Although, their concept with this prototype was to develop a 360-degree and 3-Dimensional display platform, many people could speculate it would not take long for them to develop technology to enhance the pixels and quality of the screen resolution. Moreover, the next step for Sony is going to be to take their prototype and make another with a much bigger screen, but this should take about one year to develop, where as the original prototype took three years to complete. After the completion of their larger one in 2010 they will be addressing the issue of applications of their product as well as release it into the market place.


Check out this video about the Sony 360-degree 3D display:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAS55_RngoQ

Technology Round-up: TV Stations Start Broadcasting to Mobile Gadgets

TV Stations Start Broadcasting to Mobile Gadgets

Found Article in:

New York Times > Technology > BITS > By Saul Hansell

This article was interesting because many people have been able to watch certain movies on their mobile devices via the web for the past few years. However, over the past few year in Asia watching movies via web and broadcasting TV channels via mobile devices has been extremely popular and American companies have not yet got involved in broadcasting TV channels to mobile devices until now. Having many more options when choosing something to watch when your on a long bus ride is never a bad thing.

Currently there is a group of people at Qualcomm who are introducing Flo TV, which will broadcast 20 channels to your mobile device for about $15 a month. They are also saying that there are over 70 channels affiliated with with this new broadcasting standard and that number has potential to grow larger. We should start seeing Samsung, LG and Dell amung the first companies to produce device with this new capability already installed. It seems the drawbacks for companies getting involved in this type of product in the past had to do with the fact that in Asia the same service had been offered installed on mobile devices for free, allowing multiple free TV channels on many mobile phones and devices all over Asia. I believe that this is a great new feature to the ever so rapidly improving and changing world of technology. A feature such as live TV channels on your mobile device seems appropriate since many people watch downloaded tv shows on to ipods and many other mobile devices to watch later. This allows those people and many more who will no longer only have the option to download movies or watch movies via web sites like youtube or hulu but, everyone will now also be able to watch over 70 channels broadcast to your mobile device. I belive this is going to be a great and popular feature for anyone when waiting in an airport or on a bus etc..

Technology Round-up: Low Expectations and Windows 7

This article was discovered in the New York Times and is about the brand new and awaited Microsoft Windows 7. The reason I chose to review this article was the fact that I have always been a PC/Windows user and although not satisfied with Windows Vista I have remained loyal to the Windows operating system primarily because I have never used a MAC or Apple and am not as familiar with how everything would work or be different. Moreover, there was a lot discussed as far as Microsoft’s new highlights in business and there past decade or so of ill-fated progress.

New York Times, Technology > Business > Low Expectations and Windows 7
By: Robert Cyran and Una Galani


This article starts off discussing how the majority of the past decade was not extrodinarily impresive for Microsoft. After their biggest recent hit operating system Windows XP, which was introduced over either years ago. Microsoft has since launched Windows Vista preceding what is to be available soon Windows 7. Expected to satisfy most of the user complaints about Windows Vista, Windows 7 was developed. Although their new operating system seems much much better than Vista only time will tell after their launch. Improved from Vista, Windows 7 is expected to be a faster system and have fewer delays for the user. Interesting fact, out of 1.2 billion PC’s worldwide, one-fifth use Vista and four-fifths use XP. Furthermore, many useres who kept older computers over the past several years to avoid upgrading to Vista like most businesses are approaching an average of six years, being the time it has been since most PC users have upgraded their PC.

More recently as well as developing Windows 7 and dealing with Vista issues, Microsoft has seen it’s newest search engine Bing begin to take off and formed a partnership with Yahoo. Although, these recent highlights with Yahoo and Bing, Windows 7 is expected to be a success. However, Microsofts market share and stocks depend on Windows 7 to have a good launch and be a successful to where the majority of windows users will invest in the upgrade. If it does not go well we could see them plateau a little bit, it surely will not help their business to produce another unwanted operating system but it seems they may be able to take the hit. Then struggling for market share and the next big thing would most likely be their ticket to the top again or possibly their demise.