Quick review of new MSI C-Series laptops

MSI has recently updated its C-Series notebooks with four new models, namely the CX640, CR640, CX480 and CR480, all of which come with the latest second generation Intel Core processors.

The notebooks come with F1 racecar-inspired styling, with an F1-style push start power button and a sleek "crystal diamond" finish.

The C-Series comes with either 14in (CX480) or 15.6in screens (CX640 and CR480), and runs on either the built-in Intel graphics or the nVidia GeForce GT250M graphics card.

Other notable features include SRS PCV Sound for high-fidelity audio, optional USB 3.0 ports for fast data transfer speeds, optional Bluetooth 3.0 and up to eight hours battery life. Prices start at USD 666 for the base model with an Intel Core i5 processor.

Quick review of new MSI C-Series laptops

MSI has recently updated its C-Series notebooks with four new models, namely the CX640, CR640, CX480 and CR480, all of which come with the latest second generation Intel Core processors.

The notebooks come with F1 racecar-inspired styling, with an F1-style push start power button and a sleek "crystal diamond" finish.

The C-Series comes with either 14in (CX480) or 15.6in screens (CX640 and CR480), and runs on either the built-in Intel graphics or the nVidia GeForce GT250M graphics card.

Other notable features include SRS PCV Sound for high-fidelity audio, optional USB 3.0 ports for fast data transfer speeds, optional Bluetooth 3.0 and up to eight hours battery life. Prices start at USD 666 for the base model with an Intel Core i5 processor.

Quick review of new MSI C-Series laptops

MSI has recently updated its C-Series notebooks with four new models, namely the CX640, CR640, CX480 and CR480, all of which come with the latest second generation Intel Core processors.

The notebooks come with F1 racecar-inspired styling, with an F1-style push start power button and a sleek "crystal diamond" finish.

The C-Series comes with either 14in (CX480) or 15.6in screens (CX640 and CR480), and runs on either the built-in Intel graphics or the nVidia GeForce GT250M graphics card.

Other notable features include SRS PCV Sound for high-fidelity audio, optional USB 3.0 ports for fast data transfer speeds, optional Bluetooth 3.0 and up to eight hours battery life. Prices start at USD 666 for the base model with an Intel Core i5 processor.

Archos gives the home phone an Android upgrade

Pioneers of Android Tablet devices, French company Archos has turned its hand to the home phone in a bid to push the aging product into the digital age.

To create its sleek and desirable Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, Archos streamlined the often-outdated device to match smartphone standards, added the Android operating system and refreshed it with forward-thinking technology.

"Compatible with any ADSL box or phone line and using standard DECT protocols the Archos 35 Smart Home Phone is a light and stylish home phone that brings users contact sharing with their Android smart phone, MP3 ringtones, caller photo display as well as access to thousands of Android apps, web surfing, emails and video calling," said Archos.

The handset is equipped with a built-in front-facing webcam that enables consumers to use the device to make high definition video conference calls, to watch over their baby monitor from a separate room or as a remote surveillance device.

It also features a 3.5in touchscreen, email access, WiFi connectivity, and the ability to download games and applications.

During a press event in Paris, the company also took the wraps off a less-useful hybrid Tablet and music player product called the Archos 35 Home Connect. The clunky-looking Android device follows in the footsteps of Sony's Dash personal Internet viewer and the Chumby 8 - great products if you want an expensive feature-rich alarm clock or photo viewer, less enticing if you were hoping for a portable, full-featured Tablet.

Archos gives the home phone an Android upgrade

Pioneers of Android Tablet devices, French company Archos has turned its hand to the home phone in a bid to push the aging product into the digital age.

To create its sleek and desirable Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, Archos streamlined the often-outdated device to match smartphone standards, added the Android operating system and refreshed it with forward-thinking technology.

"Compatible with any ADSL box or phone line and using standard DECT protocols the Archos 35 Smart Home Phone is a light and stylish home phone that brings users contact sharing with their Android smart phone, MP3 ringtones, caller photo display as well as access to thousands of Android apps, web surfing, emails and video calling," said Archos.

The handset is equipped with a built-in front-facing webcam that enables consumers to use the device to make high definition video conference calls, to watch over their baby monitor from a separate room or as a remote surveillance device.

It also features a 3.5in touchscreen, email access, WiFi connectivity, and the ability to download games and applications.

During a press event in Paris, the company also took the wraps off a less-useful hybrid Tablet and music player product called the Archos 35 Home Connect. The clunky-looking Android device follows in the footsteps of Sony's Dash personal Internet viewer and the Chumby 8 - great products if you want an expensive feature-rich alarm clock or photo viewer, less enticing if you were hoping for a portable, full-featured Tablet.

Archos gives the home phone an Android upgrade

Pioneers of Android Tablet devices, French company Archos has turned its hand to the home phone in a bid to push the aging product into the digital age.

To create its sleek and desirable Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, Archos streamlined the often-outdated device to match smartphone standards, added the Android operating system and refreshed it with forward-thinking technology.

"Compatible with any ADSL box or phone line and using standard DECT protocols the Archos 35 Smart Home Phone is a light and stylish home phone that brings users contact sharing with their Android smart phone, MP3 ringtones, caller photo display as well as access to thousands of Android apps, web surfing, emails and video calling," said Archos.

The handset is equipped with a built-in front-facing webcam that enables consumers to use the device to make high definition video conference calls, to watch over their baby monitor from a separate room or as a remote surveillance device.

It also features a 3.5in touchscreen, email access, WiFi connectivity, and the ability to download games and applications.

During a press event in Paris, the company also took the wraps off a less-useful hybrid Tablet and music player product called the Archos 35 Home Connect. The clunky-looking Android device follows in the footsteps of Sony's Dash personal Internet viewer and the Chumby 8 - great products if you want an expensive feature-rich alarm clock or photo viewer, less enticing if you were hoping for a portable, full-featured Tablet.

Gadget charges cellphone from boiling water

A Japanese company has come up with a new way to charge your mobile phone after a natural disaster or in the great outdoors - by heating a pot of water over a campfire.

The Hatsuden-Nabe thermo-electric cookpot turns heat from boiling water into electricity that feeds via a USB port into digital devices such as smartphones, music players and global positioning systems.

TES NewEnergy, based in the western city of Osaka, started selling the gadget in Japan this month for 24,150 yen, and plans to market it later in developing countries with patchy power grids.

Chief executive Kazuhiro Fujita said the invention was inspired by Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left 23,000 people dead or missing, devastated the northeast region and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

"When I saw the TV footage of the quake victims making a fire to keep themselves warm, I came up with the idea of helping them to charge their mobile phones at the same time," Fujita said.

The pot features strips of ceramic thermoelectric material that generate electricity through temperature differentials between the 550 degrees Celsius at the bottom of the pot and the water boiling inside at 100 degrees.

The company says the device takes three to five hours to charge an iPhone and can heat up your lunch at the same time.

"Unlike a solar power generator, our pot can be used regardless of time of day and weather while its small size allows people to easily carry it in a bag in case of evacuation," said director and co-developer Ryoji Funahashi.

TES NewEnergy was set up in 2010 to promote products based on technology developed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan's largest public research organisation.

It also makes and markets equipment to transform residual heat from industrial waste furnaces into electricity.

The company says the pot will be used mainly in emergency situations and for outdoor activities, but also has uses in developing countries.

"There are many places around the world that lack the electric power supply for charging mobile phones," Fujita said.

"In some African countries, for example, it's a bother for people to walk to places where they can charge mobile phones. We would like to offer our invention to those people."

Gadget charges cellphone from boiling water

A Japanese company has come up with a new way to charge your mobile phone after a natural disaster or in the great outdoors - by heating a pot of water over a campfire.

The Hatsuden-Nabe thermo-electric cookpot turns heat from boiling water into electricity that feeds via a USB port into digital devices such as smartphones, music players and global positioning systems.

TES NewEnergy, based in the western city of Osaka, started selling the gadget in Japan this month for 24,150 yen, and plans to market it later in developing countries with patchy power grids.

Chief executive Kazuhiro Fujita said the invention was inspired by Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left 23,000 people dead or missing, devastated the northeast region and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

"When I saw the TV footage of the quake victims making a fire to keep themselves warm, I came up with the idea of helping them to charge their mobile phones at the same time," Fujita said.

The pot features strips of ceramic thermoelectric material that generate electricity through temperature differentials between the 550 degrees Celsius at the bottom of the pot and the water boiling inside at 100 degrees.

The company says the device takes three to five hours to charge an iPhone and can heat up your lunch at the same time.

"Unlike a solar power generator, our pot can be used regardless of time of day and weather while its small size allows people to easily carry it in a bag in case of evacuation," said director and co-developer Ryoji Funahashi.

TES NewEnergy was set up in 2010 to promote products based on technology developed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan's largest public research organisation.

It also makes and markets equipment to transform residual heat from industrial waste furnaces into electricity.

The company says the pot will be used mainly in emergency situations and for outdoor activities, but also has uses in developing countries.

"There are many places around the world that lack the electric power supply for charging mobile phones," Fujita said.

"In some African countries, for example, it's a bother for people to walk to places where they can charge mobile phones. We would like to offer our invention to those people."

Gadget charges cellphone from boiling water

A Japanese company has come up with a new way to charge your mobile phone after a natural disaster or in the great outdoors - by heating a pot of water over a campfire.

The Hatsuden-Nabe thermo-electric cookpot turns heat from boiling water into electricity that feeds via a USB port into digital devices such as smartphones, music players and global positioning systems.

TES NewEnergy, based in the western city of Osaka, started selling the gadget in Japan this month for 24,150 yen, and plans to market it later in developing countries with patchy power grids.

Chief executive Kazuhiro Fujita said the invention was inspired by Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left 23,000 people dead or missing, devastated the northeast region and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

"When I saw the TV footage of the quake victims making a fire to keep themselves warm, I came up with the idea of helping them to charge their mobile phones at the same time," Fujita said.

The pot features strips of ceramic thermoelectric material that generate electricity through temperature differentials between the 550 degrees Celsius at the bottom of the pot and the water boiling inside at 100 degrees.

The company says the device takes three to five hours to charge an iPhone and can heat up your lunch at the same time.

"Unlike a solar power generator, our pot can be used regardless of time of day and weather while its small size allows people to easily carry it in a bag in case of evacuation," said director and co-developer Ryoji Funahashi.

TES NewEnergy was set up in 2010 to promote products based on technology developed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan's largest public research organisation.

It also makes and markets equipment to transform residual heat from industrial waste furnaces into electricity.

The company says the pot will be used mainly in emergency situations and for outdoor activities, but also has uses in developing countries.

"There are many places around the world that lack the electric power supply for charging mobile phones," Fujita said.

"In some African countries, for example, it's a bother for people to walk to places where they can charge mobile phones. We would like to offer our invention to those people."

Review of Nokia transferring 2,800 staff to Accenture

NEW STRATEGY: Nokia is outsourcing its Symbian software development to Accenture and transferring 2,800 workers to the firm as the Finnish handset maker pushes ahead with plans to introduce its first Microsoft Windows phone this year.

Nokia Corp has completed a deal to outsource its Symbian software development to Accenture, including the transfer of 2,800 workers to the global management-consulting firm.

The announcement came two months after Nokia disclosed the plan as part of its aim to cut costs by US$1.5bil by 2013, including 7,000 global layoffs, and catch up with top rivals in the tough smartphone market.

The Finland-based company faces strong competition from Research in Motion's Blackberry, Apple's iPhone and Google's Android, as it continues to see market share fall. Last month it issued a big profits warning.

Nokia's share price has plunged in recent months and recently has been trading at multi-year lows of around US$6.05.

Nokia said Accenture PLC will provide it with software services through 2016 with the personnel transfer expected in October when the deal closes. Half of the workers are based in Finland with another 1,400 in China, India, Britain and the United States.

Besides the personnel transfer, Nokia has said it plans to lay off 4,000 people by the end of next year, mostly in Denmark, Finland and Britain.

Another step
In another move to improve services, Nokia will integrate its NAVTEQ mapping unit with social location services operations to develop "a new class of integrated social location products and services for consumers."

The struggling company, which claims more than 1.3 billion mobile customers, said it wants to provide new products and support for bringing the Internet "to the next billion."

It said the plan includes to develop platform services and local commerce services for device manufacturers, application developers, Internet services providers, merchants and advertisers.
CEO Stephen Elop said that focusing on location and commerce was "a natural next step" for the company.

"We will provide next generation social-location applications and commerce to differentiate Nokia," Elop said. "We also aim to extend our content and services offerings to all consumers by making them available to partners and customers on a wide variety of devices and operating systems."

Since 1998, Nokia has been the biggest seller of cellphones, but in the first quarter of this year Apple overtook it as the world's top handset vendor in revenue terms - reaching sales of US$11.9bil on shipments of 18.6 million devices against Nokia's revenue of US$9.4bil on shipments of 108.5 million units.

Although Nokia sold 432 million devices last year - more than its three closest rivals combined - its market share continues to fall. At 29% in the first quarter, it's at its lowest level since the late 1990s.

Wait and see
Even more damaging has been Nokia's inability to meet modern challenges of the smartphone market, the lucrative sector in the handset industry, where Nokia used to be the leading innovator.

Although it sold 24 million smartphones in the first quarter, 13% more than in 2010, its share in the sector plunged to 24% from 39% a year earlier.

Nokia has unveiled its N9 smartphone, based on its new MeeGo platform, but the handset received mixed reviews as markets are waiting to see the company's first Windows Phone.

Elop has said that the Windows-based phone will be launched later this year with bulk sales expected in 2012.

In February, Nokia announced a major strategy shift when it partnered with Microsoft Corp, saying it will gradually replace Symbian and MeeGo platforms with the Window-based software that will become the main software used in its cellphones.

Review of Nokia transferring 2,800 staff to Accenture

NEW STRATEGY: Nokia is outsourcing its Symbian software development to Accenture and transferring 2,800 workers to the firm as the Finnish handset maker pushes ahead with plans to introduce its first Microsoft Windows phone this year.

Nokia Corp has completed a deal to outsource its Symbian software development to Accenture, including the transfer of 2,800 workers to the global management-consulting firm.

The announcement came two months after Nokia disclosed the plan as part of its aim to cut costs by US$1.5bil by 2013, including 7,000 global layoffs, and catch up with top rivals in the tough smartphone market.

The Finland-based company faces strong competition from Research in Motion's Blackberry, Apple's iPhone and Google's Android, as it continues to see market share fall. Last month it issued a big profits warning.

Nokia's share price has plunged in recent months and recently has been trading at multi-year lows of around US$6.05.

Nokia said Accenture PLC will provide it with software services through 2016 with the personnel transfer expected in October when the deal closes. Half of the workers are based in Finland with another 1,400 in China, India, Britain and the United States.

Besides the personnel transfer, Nokia has said it plans to lay off 4,000 people by the end of next year, mostly in Denmark, Finland and Britain.

Another step
In another move to improve services, Nokia will integrate its NAVTEQ mapping unit with social location services operations to develop "a new class of integrated social location products and services for consumers."

The struggling company, which claims more than 1.3 billion mobile customers, said it wants to provide new products and support for bringing the Internet "to the next billion."

It said the plan includes to develop platform services and local commerce services for device manufacturers, application developers, Internet services providers, merchants and advertisers.
CEO Stephen Elop said that focusing on location and commerce was "a natural next step" for the company.

"We will provide next generation social-location applications and commerce to differentiate Nokia," Elop said. "We also aim to extend our content and services offerings to all consumers by making them available to partners and customers on a wide variety of devices and operating systems."

Since 1998, Nokia has been the biggest seller of cellphones, but in the first quarter of this year Apple overtook it as the world's top handset vendor in revenue terms - reaching sales of US$11.9bil on shipments of 18.6 million devices against Nokia's revenue of US$9.4bil on shipments of 108.5 million units.

Although Nokia sold 432 million devices last year - more than its three closest rivals combined - its market share continues to fall. At 29% in the first quarter, it's at its lowest level since the late 1990s.

Wait and see
Even more damaging has been Nokia's inability to meet modern challenges of the smartphone market, the lucrative sector in the handset industry, where Nokia used to be the leading innovator.

Although it sold 24 million smartphones in the first quarter, 13% more than in 2010, its share in the sector plunged to 24% from 39% a year earlier.

Nokia has unveiled its N9 smartphone, based on its new MeeGo platform, but the handset received mixed reviews as markets are waiting to see the company's first Windows Phone.

Elop has said that the Windows-based phone will be launched later this year with bulk sales expected in 2012.

In February, Nokia announced a major strategy shift when it partnered with Microsoft Corp, saying it will gradually replace Symbian and MeeGo platforms with the Window-based software that will become the main software used in its cellphones.

Review of Nokia transferring 2,800 staff to Accenture

NEW STRATEGY: Nokia is outsourcing its Symbian software development to Accenture and transferring 2,800 workers to the firm as the Finnish handset maker pushes ahead with plans to introduce its first Microsoft Windows phone this year.

Nokia Corp has completed a deal to outsource its Symbian software development to Accenture, including the transfer of 2,800 workers to the global management-consulting firm.

The announcement came two months after Nokia disclosed the plan as part of its aim to cut costs by US$1.5bil by 2013, including 7,000 global layoffs, and catch up with top rivals in the tough smartphone market.

The Finland-based company faces strong competition from Research in Motion's Blackberry, Apple's iPhone and Google's Android, as it continues to see market share fall. Last month it issued a big profits warning.

Nokia's share price has plunged in recent months and recently has been trading at multi-year lows of around US$6.05.

Nokia said Accenture PLC will provide it with software services through 2016 with the personnel transfer expected in October when the deal closes. Half of the workers are based in Finland with another 1,400 in China, India, Britain and the United States.

Besides the personnel transfer, Nokia has said it plans to lay off 4,000 people by the end of next year, mostly in Denmark, Finland and Britain.

Another step
In another move to improve services, Nokia will integrate its NAVTEQ mapping unit with social location services operations to develop "a new class of integrated social location products and services for consumers."

The struggling company, which claims more than 1.3 billion mobile customers, said it wants to provide new products and support for bringing the Internet "to the next billion."

It said the plan includes to develop platform services and local commerce services for device manufacturers, application developers, Internet services providers, merchants and advertisers.
CEO Stephen Elop said that focusing on location and commerce was "a natural next step" for the company.

"We will provide next generation social-location applications and commerce to differentiate Nokia," Elop said. "We also aim to extend our content and services offerings to all consumers by making them available to partners and customers on a wide variety of devices and operating systems."

Since 1998, Nokia has been the biggest seller of cellphones, but in the first quarter of this year Apple overtook it as the world's top handset vendor in revenue terms - reaching sales of US$11.9bil on shipments of 18.6 million devices against Nokia's revenue of US$9.4bil on shipments of 108.5 million units.

Although Nokia sold 432 million devices last year - more than its three closest rivals combined - its market share continues to fall. At 29% in the first quarter, it's at its lowest level since the late 1990s.

Wait and see
Even more damaging has been Nokia's inability to meet modern challenges of the smartphone market, the lucrative sector in the handset industry, where Nokia used to be the leading innovator.

Although it sold 24 million smartphones in the first quarter, 13% more than in 2010, its share in the sector plunged to 24% from 39% a year earlier.

Nokia has unveiled its N9 smartphone, based on its new MeeGo platform, but the handset received mixed reviews as markets are waiting to see the company's first Windows Phone.

Elop has said that the Windows-based phone will be launched later this year with bulk sales expected in 2012.

In February, Nokia announced a major strategy shift when it partnered with Microsoft Corp, saying it will gradually replace Symbian and MeeGo platforms with the Window-based software that will become the main software used in its cellphones.

Sony Ericsson goes Android with new phones

Mobile-phone maker Sony Ericsson unveiled two new Android models in a bid to grab more of the burgeoning smartphone market.

The company, a joint venture between L.M. Ericsson and Sony Corp, plans to launch the Xperia ray and Xperia active models during the third quarter, its chief marketing officer Steve Walker announced.

The new models should help the company expand its 11% market share of the Android segment, Walker said.

"Android smartphones is a rapidly growing part of the market, and we see our share within that market growing," Walker told The Associated Press.

London-based Sony Ericsson, which saw its phone unit sales drop 23% in the first quarter from a year earlier, is moving away from cheaper phone models and seeking to take on Apple Inc's iPhone, Research in Motion's Blackberry and Nokia Corp's N9 in the higher-priced smartphone segment.

By 2015, about 60% of mobile phones sold in the Asia-Pacific region will likely be smartphones, up from 20% in 2010, Walker said.

"We made quite a fundamental shift in strategy and decided to focus a large part of our effort into smartphones, to focus on the mid- and high-end part of the business," he said. "In many markets, we see a dramatic shift from feature phones to smartphones."

The company said in April that smartphones accounted for more than 60% of its sales during the first quarter.

Sony Ericsson's latest models that run on Goggle Inc's Android platform, the Xperia ray and active, will likely be priced below the high-end Xperia arc, Walker said.

Xperia active is water resistant and works if fingers are wet or sweaty, while the Xperia ray seeks to combine a sleek design with a device that is 9.4mm thick.

Sony Ericsson also plans to introduce a less expensive model that highlights the texting service and is aimed at teenagers, Walker said.

Sony Ericsson goes Android with new phones

Mobile-phone maker Sony Ericsson unveiled two new Android models in a bid to grab more of the burgeoning smartphone market.

The company, a joint venture between L.M. Ericsson and Sony Corp, plans to launch the Xperia ray and Xperia active models during the third quarter, its chief marketing officer Steve Walker announced.

The new models should help the company expand its 11% market share of the Android segment, Walker said.

"Android smartphones is a rapidly growing part of the market, and we see our share within that market growing," Walker told The Associated Press.

London-based Sony Ericsson, which saw its phone unit sales drop 23% in the first quarter from a year earlier, is moving away from cheaper phone models and seeking to take on Apple Inc's iPhone, Research in Motion's Blackberry and Nokia Corp's N9 in the higher-priced smartphone segment.

By 2015, about 60% of mobile phones sold in the Asia-Pacific region will likely be smartphones, up from 20% in 2010, Walker said.

"We made quite a fundamental shift in strategy and decided to focus a large part of our effort into smartphones, to focus on the mid- and high-end part of the business," he said. "In many markets, we see a dramatic shift from feature phones to smartphones."

The company said in April that smartphones accounted for more than 60% of its sales during the first quarter.

Sony Ericsson's latest models that run on Goggle Inc's Android platform, the Xperia ray and active, will likely be priced below the high-end Xperia arc, Walker said.

Xperia active is water resistant and works if fingers are wet or sweaty, while the Xperia ray seeks to combine a sleek design with a device that is 9.4mm thick.

Sony Ericsson also plans to introduce a less expensive model that highlights the texting service and is aimed at teenagers, Walker said.

Sony Ericsson goes Android with new phones

Mobile-phone maker Sony Ericsson unveiled two new Android models in a bid to grab more of the burgeoning smartphone market.

The company, a joint venture between L.M. Ericsson and Sony Corp, plans to launch the Xperia ray and Xperia active models during the third quarter, its chief marketing officer Steve Walker announced.

The new models should help the company expand its 11% market share of the Android segment, Walker said.

"Android smartphones is a rapidly growing part of the market, and we see our share within that market growing," Walker told The Associated Press.

London-based Sony Ericsson, which saw its phone unit sales drop 23% in the first quarter from a year earlier, is moving away from cheaper phone models and seeking to take on Apple Inc's iPhone, Research in Motion's Blackberry and Nokia Corp's N9 in the higher-priced smartphone segment.

By 2015, about 60% of mobile phones sold in the Asia-Pacific region will likely be smartphones, up from 20% in 2010, Walker said.

"We made quite a fundamental shift in strategy and decided to focus a large part of our effort into smartphones, to focus on the mid- and high-end part of the business," he said. "In many markets, we see a dramatic shift from feature phones to smartphones."

The company said in April that smartphones accounted for more than 60% of its sales during the first quarter.

Sony Ericsson's latest models that run on Goggle Inc's Android platform, the Xperia ray and active, will likely be priced below the high-end Xperia arc, Walker said.

Xperia active is water resistant and works if fingers are wet or sweaty, while the Xperia ray seeks to combine a sleek design with a device that is 9.4mm thick.

Sony Ericsson also plans to introduce a less expensive model that highlights the texting service and is aimed at teenagers, Walker said.

Quick review of Sony's NEX-C3 camera

Sony's latest mirrorless camera, the NEX-C3, is touted to be the world's smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera.

Sony said the reduced physical size of the NEX-C3 has made the camera very light - it weighs 225g which is about 6% lighter than the NEX-3. It also has a rounded design and a streamlined grip shape for easy handling.

Additionally the NEX-C3 has a tiltable 3in LCD screen for composing shots at different angles.
On the inside, the camera has a large APS-C sensor that takes 16.2-megapixel pictures with quality that is on par with a regular DSLR camera, Sony claimed. Aside from that it also records 720p HD videos.

The camera will come with a new Photo Creativity interface that has simplified photography terminology for novices, though the traditional interface for aperture/shutter priority and manual functions are still available for experienced users.

There's also a new picture effect setting that lets users preview a variety of effects like Toy Camera, Pop Colour, High Contrast and Posterisation before snapping the picture.

On top of that, other notable features include 3D sweep panorama, Auto HDR, Handheld Twilight and Anti-Motion Blur. The NEX-C3's battery has also been improved to offer 400 shots per charge.

The camera will be available here next month but no official price has been announced yet.

Quick review of Sony's NEX-C3 camera

Sony's latest mirrorless camera, the NEX-C3, is touted to be the world's smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera.

Sony said the reduced physical size of the NEX-C3 has made the camera very light - it weighs 225g which is about 6% lighter than the NEX-3. It also has a rounded design and a streamlined grip shape for easy handling.

Additionally the NEX-C3 has a tiltable 3in LCD screen for composing shots at different angles.
On the inside, the camera has a large APS-C sensor that takes 16.2-megapixel pictures with quality that is on par with a regular DSLR camera, Sony claimed. Aside from that it also records 720p HD videos.

The camera will come with a new Photo Creativity interface that has simplified photography terminology for novices, though the traditional interface for aperture/shutter priority and manual functions are still available for experienced users.

There's also a new picture effect setting that lets users preview a variety of effects like Toy Camera, Pop Colour, High Contrast and Posterisation before snapping the picture.

On top of that, other notable features include 3D sweep panorama, Auto HDR, Handheld Twilight and Anti-Motion Blur. The NEX-C3's battery has also been improved to offer 400 shots per charge.

The camera will be available here next month but no official price has been announced yet.

Quick review of Sony's NEX-C3 camera

Sony's latest mirrorless camera, the NEX-C3, is touted to be the world's smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera.

Sony said the reduced physical size of the NEX-C3 has made the camera very light - it weighs 225g which is about 6% lighter than the NEX-3. It also has a rounded design and a streamlined grip shape for easy handling.

Additionally the NEX-C3 has a tiltable 3in LCD screen for composing shots at different angles.
On the inside, the camera has a large APS-C sensor that takes 16.2-megapixel pictures with quality that is on par with a regular DSLR camera, Sony claimed. Aside from that it also records 720p HD videos.

The camera will come with a new Photo Creativity interface that has simplified photography terminology for novices, though the traditional interface for aperture/shutter priority and manual functions are still available for experienced users.

There's also a new picture effect setting that lets users preview a variety of effects like Toy Camera, Pop Colour, High Contrast and Posterisation before snapping the picture.

On top of that, other notable features include 3D sweep panorama, Auto HDR, Handheld Twilight and Anti-Motion Blur. The NEX-C3's battery has also been improved to offer 400 shots per charge.

The camera will be available here next month but no official price has been announced yet.

Internet braces for not-coms

WASHINGTON: Coming soon to the Internet - website addresses that end in ".bank," ".Vegas" and ".Canon."

The organisation that oversees the Internet address system is preparing to open the floodgates to a nearly limitless selection of new website suffixes, including ones in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts.

That could usher in the most sweeping transformation of the Domain Name System since its creation in the 1980s.

More than 300 suffixes are available now, the bulk of them country-code domains, such as ".uk" for Britain and ".de" for Germany.

Hundreds or even thousands more suffixes could be created, categorised by everything from industry to geography to ethnicity.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will meet today in Singapore to vote on its expansion plan for domain names.

If ICANN approves the plan as expected, new domains could start appearing late next year.

The new system could bring innovative branding opportunities and allow all sorts of niche communities to thrive online.

But businesses worry that they'll have to grab their brand names before others do. New suffixes could also create confusion as consumers navigate a Web with unfamiliar labels.

It's also possible that the new names won't make much difference because many people these days rely on search engines and mobile applications to find what they are looking for online.

Consumers don't type web addresses into browsers nearly as much as they did 15 years ago when talk of a domain name expansion began.

"Most people don't pay a lot of attention to website addresses anyway these days," said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Land, a website that covers the search industry.

From a technical standpoint, domain names tell computers on the Internet where to find a website or send an email message. Without them, people would have to remember clunky numerals such as "165.1.59.220" for "ap.org."

The monikers have grown to mean much more, however. Amazon.com Inc has built its brand on its website address, while bloggers take pride in running sites with their own domain names.

ICANN has already allowed two major expansions of the addressing system. In 2000, it approved seven new domains, including ".info" and ".biz." It began accepting new bids again in 2004. It has approved and added seven from that round, including ".xxx" for pornography sites this past March.

Under the expansion plan now before ICANN, future applications would be streamlined and open to all companies, organisations and individuals.

That has set off a virtual land rush.

Organisations that operate new suffixes will be able to collect registration fees from websites that want names. The fees could add up to millions of dollars a year if a website is popular enough.

A group of entrepreneurs in Las Vegas is vying to operate a ".Vegas" suffix. They have the city's endorsement and consider ".Vegas" a way to unify local merchants, entertainment venues, residents and even businesses beyond Sin City.

Former professional hockey player Ron Andruff is working with international sports federations to bid for ".sport." He expects sports leagues, teams, athletes, equipment makers and fans to want websites with a suffix that defines them better.

Two groups - one backed by the Sierra Club and the other by Greenpeace and other environmental organisation - are separately seeking the right to operate a ".eco" suffix.

Big business will stake claims, too. Printer and camera maker Canon Inc plans to apply for ".Canon". Trade groups for bankers and financial-services companies are working together to explore bids for ".bank", ".insure" and ".invest" for their member companies.

Issues a-plenty

New domains offer fresh branding possibilities for companies to identify themselves online in "a more relevant or a more localised" way, said Pat Kane, a senior vice-president at VeriSign Inc, which operates ".com" and ".net."

Although suffixes added over the past decade haven't been as popular as ".com," there has been demand for an expansion because nearly all of the most desirable ".com" addresses have been taken. There are more than 94 million registered under ".com."

The thinking is that new businesses setting up shop online might prefer a simple name that ends in ".bank" rather than "TheBankDownTheStreetFromTheSupermarket.com."

The expansion plan before ICANN had been delayed, however, largely because of concerns that new suffixes could infringe on trademarks and copyrights.

There's also worry that new suffixes could deceive consumers, create new platforms for hate groups or lead to website addresses ending in obscenities. ICANN spent years crafting guidelines and creating procedures for objecting to applications.

ICANN already has approved rules for some countries to claim suffixes that spell their names in languages other than English. The new plan opens that up to Chinese and Arabic versions of ".bank" and ".sport" as well.

It won't be cheap to operate a domain name suffix. The application fee is US$185,000, and winners will have to pay US$25,000 annually after that.

Disputes are likely as different groups go after the same domain. ICANN may auction off domains if multiple parties have legitimate claims. Legal fees could also pile up as trademark owners and governments file objections to certain applications.

Trademark holders, in particular, fear they would have to register a lot of addresses they don't need or want simply to keep others from using them. Microsoft Corp, for instance, would not want websites addresses such as "Microsoft.software" and "Microsoft.computer" used to commit fraud or sell pirated goods.

Copyright owners, too, worry they would have to devote more resources to fighting online piracy with a proliferation of websites ending in ".movies" and ".music" that distribute copyrighted content illegally.

ICANN has crafted rules meant to give trademark owners a first shot at claiming their brands. It would also have a process to quickly disable addresses that are clear violations.

But Steven Metalitz, a lawyer for a coalition of movie studios, recording labels and other copyright holders, fears ICANN won't be aggressive enough in enforcing the rules.

Still, supporters of the expansion believe it will create opportunities.

Juan Diego Calle, whose company operates the existing ".co" suffix, said that with more alternatives available, more businesses and groups will see that they can set up shop online with a catchy, easy-to-remember website that doesn't end in ".com." - AP

Internet braces for not-coms

WASHINGTON: Coming soon to the Internet - website addresses that end in ".bank," ".Vegas" and ".Canon."

The organisation that oversees the Internet address system is preparing to open the floodgates to a nearly limitless selection of new website suffixes, including ones in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts.

That could usher in the most sweeping transformation of the Domain Name System since its creation in the 1980s.

More than 300 suffixes are available now, the bulk of them country-code domains, such as ".uk" for Britain and ".de" for Germany.

Hundreds or even thousands more suffixes could be created, categorised by everything from industry to geography to ethnicity.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will meet today in Singapore to vote on its expansion plan for domain names.

If ICANN approves the plan as expected, new domains could start appearing late next year.

The new system could bring innovative branding opportunities and allow all sorts of niche communities to thrive online.

But businesses worry that they'll have to grab their brand names before others do. New suffixes could also create confusion as consumers navigate a Web with unfamiliar labels.

It's also possible that the new names won't make much difference because many people these days rely on search engines and mobile applications to find what they are looking for online.

Consumers don't type web addresses into browsers nearly as much as they did 15 years ago when talk of a domain name expansion began.

"Most people don't pay a lot of attention to website addresses anyway these days," said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Land, a website that covers the search industry.

From a technical standpoint, domain names tell computers on the Internet where to find a website or send an email message. Without them, people would have to remember clunky numerals such as "165.1.59.220" for "ap.org."

The monikers have grown to mean much more, however. Amazon.com Inc has built its brand on its website address, while bloggers take pride in running sites with their own domain names.

ICANN has already allowed two major expansions of the addressing system. In 2000, it approved seven new domains, including ".info" and ".biz." It began accepting new bids again in 2004. It has approved and added seven from that round, including ".xxx" for pornography sites this past March.

Under the expansion plan now before ICANN, future applications would be streamlined and open to all companies, organisations and individuals.

That has set off a virtual land rush.

Organisations that operate new suffixes will be able to collect registration fees from websites that want names. The fees could add up to millions of dollars a year if a website is popular enough.

A group of entrepreneurs in Las Vegas is vying to operate a ".Vegas" suffix. They have the city's endorsement and consider ".Vegas" a way to unify local merchants, entertainment venues, residents and even businesses beyond Sin City.

Former professional hockey player Ron Andruff is working with international sports federations to bid for ".sport." He expects sports leagues, teams, athletes, equipment makers and fans to want websites with a suffix that defines them better.

Two groups - one backed by the Sierra Club and the other by Greenpeace and other environmental organisation - are separately seeking the right to operate a ".eco" suffix.

Big business will stake claims, too. Printer and camera maker Canon Inc plans to apply for ".Canon". Trade groups for bankers and financial-services companies are working together to explore bids for ".bank", ".insure" and ".invest" for their member companies.

Issues a-plenty

New domains offer fresh branding possibilities for companies to identify themselves online in "a more relevant or a more localised" way, said Pat Kane, a senior vice-president at VeriSign Inc, which operates ".com" and ".net."

Although suffixes added over the past decade haven't been as popular as ".com," there has been demand for an expansion because nearly all of the most desirable ".com" addresses have been taken. There are more than 94 million registered under ".com."

The thinking is that new businesses setting up shop online might prefer a simple name that ends in ".bank" rather than "TheBankDownTheStreetFromTheSupermarket.com."

The expansion plan before ICANN had been delayed, however, largely because of concerns that new suffixes could infringe on trademarks and copyrights.

There's also worry that new suffixes could deceive consumers, create new platforms for hate groups or lead to website addresses ending in obscenities. ICANN spent years crafting guidelines and creating procedures for objecting to applications.

ICANN already has approved rules for some countries to claim suffixes that spell their names in languages other than English. The new plan opens that up to Chinese and Arabic versions of ".bank" and ".sport" as well.

It won't be cheap to operate a domain name suffix. The application fee is US$185,000, and winners will have to pay US$25,000 annually after that.

Disputes are likely as different groups go after the same domain. ICANN may auction off domains if multiple parties have legitimate claims. Legal fees could also pile up as trademark owners and governments file objections to certain applications.

Trademark holders, in particular, fear they would have to register a lot of addresses they don't need or want simply to keep others from using them. Microsoft Corp, for instance, would not want websites addresses such as "Microsoft.software" and "Microsoft.computer" used to commit fraud or sell pirated goods.

Copyright owners, too, worry they would have to devote more resources to fighting online piracy with a proliferation of websites ending in ".movies" and ".music" that distribute copyrighted content illegally.

ICANN has crafted rules meant to give trademark owners a first shot at claiming their brands. It would also have a process to quickly disable addresses that are clear violations.

But Steven Metalitz, a lawyer for a coalition of movie studios, recording labels and other copyright holders, fears ICANN won't be aggressive enough in enforcing the rules.

Still, supporters of the expansion believe it will create opportunities.

Juan Diego Calle, whose company operates the existing ".co" suffix, said that with more alternatives available, more businesses and groups will see that they can set up shop online with a catchy, easy-to-remember website that doesn't end in ".com." - AP

Internet braces for not-coms

WASHINGTON: Coming soon to the Internet - website addresses that end in ".bank," ".Vegas" and ".Canon."

The organisation that oversees the Internet address system is preparing to open the floodgates to a nearly limitless selection of new website suffixes, including ones in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts.

That could usher in the most sweeping transformation of the Domain Name System since its creation in the 1980s.

More than 300 suffixes are available now, the bulk of them country-code domains, such as ".uk" for Britain and ".de" for Germany.

Hundreds or even thousands more suffixes could be created, categorised by everything from industry to geography to ethnicity.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will meet today in Singapore to vote on its expansion plan for domain names.

If ICANN approves the plan as expected, new domains could start appearing late next year.

The new system could bring innovative branding opportunities and allow all sorts of niche communities to thrive online.

But businesses worry that they'll have to grab their brand names before others do. New suffixes could also create confusion as consumers navigate a Web with unfamiliar labels.

It's also possible that the new names won't make much difference because many people these days rely on search engines and mobile applications to find what they are looking for online.

Consumers don't type web addresses into browsers nearly as much as they did 15 years ago when talk of a domain name expansion began.

"Most people don't pay a lot of attention to website addresses anyway these days," said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Land, a website that covers the search industry.

From a technical standpoint, domain names tell computers on the Internet where to find a website or send an email message. Without them, people would have to remember clunky numerals such as "165.1.59.220" for "ap.org."

The monikers have grown to mean much more, however. Amazon.com Inc has built its brand on its website address, while bloggers take pride in running sites with their own domain names.

ICANN has already allowed two major expansions of the addressing system. In 2000, it approved seven new domains, including ".info" and ".biz." It began accepting new bids again in 2004. It has approved and added seven from that round, including ".xxx" for pornography sites this past March.

Under the expansion plan now before ICANN, future applications would be streamlined and open to all companies, organisations and individuals.

That has set off a virtual land rush.

Organisations that operate new suffixes will be able to collect registration fees from websites that want names. The fees could add up to millions of dollars a year if a website is popular enough.

A group of entrepreneurs in Las Vegas is vying to operate a ".Vegas" suffix. They have the city's endorsement and consider ".Vegas" a way to unify local merchants, entertainment venues, residents and even businesses beyond Sin City.

Former professional hockey player Ron Andruff is working with international sports federations to bid for ".sport." He expects sports leagues, teams, athletes, equipment makers and fans to want websites with a suffix that defines them better.

Two groups - one backed by the Sierra Club and the other by Greenpeace and other environmental organisation - are separately seeking the right to operate a ".eco" suffix.

Big business will stake claims, too. Printer and camera maker Canon Inc plans to apply for ".Canon". Trade groups for bankers and financial-services companies are working together to explore bids for ".bank", ".insure" and ".invest" for their member companies.

Issues a-plenty

New domains offer fresh branding possibilities for companies to identify themselves online in "a more relevant or a more localised" way, said Pat Kane, a senior vice-president at VeriSign Inc, which operates ".com" and ".net."

Although suffixes added over the past decade haven't been as popular as ".com," there has been demand for an expansion because nearly all of the most desirable ".com" addresses have been taken. There are more than 94 million registered under ".com."

The thinking is that new businesses setting up shop online might prefer a simple name that ends in ".bank" rather than "TheBankDownTheStreetFromTheSupermarket.com."

The expansion plan before ICANN had been delayed, however, largely because of concerns that new suffixes could infringe on trademarks and copyrights.

There's also worry that new suffixes could deceive consumers, create new platforms for hate groups or lead to website addresses ending in obscenities. ICANN spent years crafting guidelines and creating procedures for objecting to applications.

ICANN already has approved rules for some countries to claim suffixes that spell their names in languages other than English. The new plan opens that up to Chinese and Arabic versions of ".bank" and ".sport" as well.

It won't be cheap to operate a domain name suffix. The application fee is US$185,000, and winners will have to pay US$25,000 annually after that.

Disputes are likely as different groups go after the same domain. ICANN may auction off domains if multiple parties have legitimate claims. Legal fees could also pile up as trademark owners and governments file objections to certain applications.

Trademark holders, in particular, fear they would have to register a lot of addresses they don't need or want simply to keep others from using them. Microsoft Corp, for instance, would not want websites addresses such as "Microsoft.software" and "Microsoft.computer" used to commit fraud or sell pirated goods.

Copyright owners, too, worry they would have to devote more resources to fighting online piracy with a proliferation of websites ending in ".movies" and ".music" that distribute copyrighted content illegally.

ICANN has crafted rules meant to give trademark owners a first shot at claiming their brands. It would also have a process to quickly disable addresses that are clear violations.

But Steven Metalitz, a lawyer for a coalition of movie studios, recording labels and other copyright holders, fears ICANN won't be aggressive enough in enforcing the rules.

Still, supporters of the expansion believe it will create opportunities.

Juan Diego Calle, whose company operates the existing ".co" suffix, said that with more alternatives available, more businesses and groups will see that they can set up shop online with a catchy, easy-to-remember website that doesn't end in ".com." - AP