Less than a month ago, Harrah’s Entertainment and Microsoft Corp. placed their newly developed product, called Microsoft Surface, in a Las Vegas internet cafe/bar called iBar. The product itself is a 30inch table-like display that allows individuals, or even groups of people, the opportunity to interact with objects and computer applications through touch. No mice or keyboards required. The other remarkable thing is that the surface can recognize objects and devices that are placed on it, from a basic water glass to cameras and phones. Through the Microsoft Surface interface, digital information on electronic devices can be taken out and manipulated, and even transferred from one device to another. It’s a pretty hard idea to grasp, and I’m sure I didn’t do the best job explaining either, so I found a promotional video below to help out…
Apparently Microsoft is only selling these things commercially right now- At&t wireless stores are also among the group that currently use Microsoft Surface. You can go into a store and compare At&t cell phones by simply placing the two onto the table surface. It will recognize the phone models and display all their information automatically! Its such a cool concept; I can’t wait until they open it up to the public.
With just over a week until the launch of Apple’s new iPhone on July 11th, it appears that Apple stores will actually start selling the devices at 8am, and not at the 6pm time they marked for the original iPhone. This is probably because signing up for the monthly cellular plan will take a while, and needs to be done in store. Anyway, I found a photo of the line forming outside the San Francisco Apple store; if you want an iPhone on the first day, it looks like there will be some serious competition! 150 People already!
Last Friday, Virgin Mobile announced their intentions to buy off Helio, the mobile handset provider, from SK Telecom for 13 million shares in Virgin Mobile USA class A stock, the equivalent of about $39 million. This, combined with their launch of an $80 unlimited flat rate calling plan with no contract, shows the company setting its sights on a more professional class of consumers, a clear contrast from their current youthful customer base.
In acquiring Helio, Virgin Mobile USA will not only get over 170,000 subscribers (who spend more that 3 times more per month than the average Virgin subscriber), but will also get Helio’s stylish handsets and access into the emerging 3G market. Cellular-News reports that the typical Virgin customer spends only about $20 a month on pre-paid plans, but the purchase of Helio will allow the company to target consumers who spend between $40 and $70 a month.
Hopefully this step towards a new market will pay off and Virgin Mobile will be able to capture more US customers. The acquisition of Helio will most definitely be a step in the right direction, but the risk remains very high, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to steal market share from such dominant national carriers in the US. Either way, more competition in our mobile service can’t hurt right?
I just realized when I went to renew my license at the DMV the other day that the Hands Free Driving law comes into effect on July 1st… Less than a week away! Anyway, while I was studying to take my driver’s test again (next time I’ll definitely remember to renew it), I saw the details and just thought I’d spread the word.
The basic law says, as of July 1st, it is illegal to drive while using a mobile phone in CA, unless it is through some form of “hands free” device . The law also sets a bar at 18 years old—if you are a driver under 18, you are not allowed to use a cell phone at all, headset or not. The minimum fine for first offenders is $20, and then $50 for subsequent convictions, but the DMV is quick to point out that this is the absolute minimum—fines can be up to three times these amounts. That would be a real expensive call! I guess the moral of the story is don’t use your cell in the car; if your state is light blue, dark blue or black, it’s probably not worth it… Or maybe just carpool more so that your friends and family can screen calls for ya.
A lot people have been coming to our blog looking for info on the Blackberry Thunder. With the new iPhone 3G being just around the corner, I have been wanting to do a iphone 3G vs. Blackberry Thunder comparison for a while. Unfortunately, the data (especially for the Blackberry Thunder) is rather limited. This is what we know so far.
The Blackberry Thunder is running on Verizon in the US. The iPhone 3G is for AT&T of course.
Both have a full touch screen.
Both support mp3s.
Hmm… both of them are black?
See, that’s how little info we have on the Blackberry Thunder. But we do have a possible picture of the Blackberry Thunder / Verizon Thunder / Vodafone Thunder / Blackberry 9500 / or Blackberry Storm (the old nickname before Blackberry said that it’s not true). Again, all the pictures of the Thunder were made by BoyGeniusReport. Click here to read all the background info here:
Now take a look at the iPhone 3G. Click on the image to see the specs on Apple:
So what’s the conclusion? I have no idea. I think it’s too early to tell what the Thunder has so far. Maybe we can get a better comparision once Blackberry releases more data on the phone.
I just ran across this article a little earlier today. Sorry, I know it was written a couple months ago, but it’s still good regardless. Apparently, UK has been trying to make sending money to family and friends much safer for everything by creating a new customer charter for money transfer companies.
As you can imagine, getting the funds safely overseas is a major concern for everyone. The UK Department for International Development writes:
People in the UK send an estimated £2.3 billion a year to loved ones in over 50 developing countries – a key source of overseas funds for many economies. Yet many find the process difficult and insecure.
Charges vary widely and the total cost to send £100 to some countries can range from less than £4 to as much as £40.
They decided to start a site called http://www.sendmoneyhome.org, aimed to allow “consumers to search international payment companies and compare transfer methods, costs, and speed of transfer.”
So next time you want to send money overseas, make sure you do some homework first. When it comes to money, especially with your family and friends, there’s nothing better than having a peace of mind that your funds will get there safely.
We shall call this the “use your phone” series. If you live in NYC, fly Delta, and like to fly from LaGuardia, you can now test out this new “check in with your cell phone” thing! Here’s a little summary:
If you’re flying Delta Air Lines out of New York’s LaGuardia Airport, you can now flash your cell phone to get onboard. On Tuesday, the airline rolled out a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to test out a “paperless check-in”–passengers download a boarding pass onto their cell phones and have it scanned by the TSA at the airport’s security checkpoint as well as when they board the plane.
Less than a month ago, Harrah’s Entertainment and Microsoft Corp. placed their newly developed product, called Microsoft Surface, in a Las Vegas internet cafe/bar called iBar. The product itself is a 30inch table-like display that allows individuals, or even groups of people, the opportunity to interact with objects and computer applications through touch. No mice or keyboards required. The other remarkable thing is that the surface can recognize objects and devices that are placed on it, from a basic water glass to cameras and phones. Through the Microsoft Surface interface, digital information on electronic devices can be taken out and manipulated, and even transferred from one device to another. It’s a pretty hard idea to grasp, and I’m sure I didn’t do the best job explaining either, so I found a promotional video below to help out…
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