Samsung's IT News Highlights

Below are highlights of the latest news from across Samsung’s key product categories and across the CED industry:


Samsung and Industry-Wide CED News Highlights for 6/2/08


HDTV News:
· Engadget HD - Samsung's Blue Phase LCD technology gets detailed - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/01/samsungs-blue-phase-lcd-technology-gets-detailed/
· CNET - Philips 42PFL5603D review (LN52A650) - http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/philips-42pfl5603d/4505-6482_7-32815331.html?tag=bubbl_1
· I4U - LG Launches New Stretched LCDs - http://www.i4u.com/article17735.html
· Engadget HD - Westinghouse's 16-inch PT-16H610S portable LCD reviewed - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/31/westinghouses-16-inch-pt-16h610s-portable-lcd-reviewed/


HDTV FYI:
· EE Times - Wireless HD preps for large-screen debut (Samsung mention) - http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208401268
· Engadget - Time Warner Cable looks to bring internet content to TVs - http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/30/time-warner-cable-looks-to-bring-internet-content-to-tvs/


Blu-ray / DVD / Home Theater News:
· Yahoo! Tech - Cheaper Blu-ray players finally on the way? (Samsung mention) - http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/22160
· Engadget - Toshiba knows no shame, plans to release super-resolution DVD player - http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/30/toshiba-knows-no-shame-plans-to-release-super-resolution-dvd-pl/
· AV Revolution - Philips BDP7200 Blu-ray Player - http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-video-players/blu-ray-players/philips-bdp7200-blu-ray-player.html
· CrunchGear - Blu-ray sales see massive increase, finally outselling DVD - http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/05/28/blu-ray-sales-see-massive-increase-finally-outselling-dvd/
· Engadget HD - BDA granting 11 China-based manufacturers with Blu-ray licenses? - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/01/bda-granting-11-china-based-manufacturers-with-blu-ray-licenses/
· AP - Blu-ray DVD format may not dominate for years - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iOjP449CjK1vfEVQ_1gCCs31zJkwD911E8OG0
· Switched - Blu-ray Slow to Catch On, May Not Dominate for Years - http://www.switched.com/2008/06/02/blu-ray-wont-dominate-for-years/
· Engadget HD - Poll: Are you replacing your DVDs with Blu-ray Discs? - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/31/poll-are-you-replacing-your-dvds-with-blu-ray-discs/
· Dealerscope - Blu-ray Discs Coming to Supermarket Kiosks - http://www.dealerscope.com/story/story.bsp?sid=108003&var=story


Blu-ray / DVD / Home Theater FYI:
· Blu-ray - Just bought a Samsung BD-P1500 for $287 - http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=51942


MP3 Player / PMP / Camcorder News:
· Hollywood Today – Pets get a home at MTV Home suite (S2) - http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/?p=4844
· Electronic House - Rock ‘n Roll with Samsung’s ‘Pebble’ MP3 Player - http://www.electronichouse.com/article/rock_n_roll_with_samsungs_pebble_mp3_player/C157
· PC Magazine - Samsung YP-S5 - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2314477,00.asp
· GearLive - Samsung La Fleur T10 MP3 player - http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q208-samsung-la-fleur-t10-mp3-player/
· CRAVE – CNET - Shuffle backlash brewing? - http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9956656-1.html
· Gizmodo - iRiver Spinn Analog PMP Gets UK Release Date - http://gizmodo.com/394342/iriver-spinn-analog-pmp-gets-uk-release-date
· CRAVE – CNET - Iriver T7 Stix and L Player set for U.K. launch - http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9957042-1.html
· Engadget - Thanko's solar-powered DAP urges you outdoors - http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/31/thankos-solar-powered-dap-urges-you-outdoors/
· Gizmodo - RCA Releases New Mini-Camcorders With Expandable Memory, Water Resistance - http://gizmodo.com/394412/rca-releases-new-mini+camcorders-with-expandable-memory-water-resistance
· Engadget - Creative's Vado Pocket Video Cam unboxed on video - http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/31/creatives-vado-pocket-video-cam-unboxed-on-video/


Corporate News:
· Newsday – Despite strains, sponsors look for Olympic boost - http://www.newsday.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-beijing-hopeful-sponsors,0,5249151.story


General Industry / Trade / Competitor News:
· CRAVE – CNET - Best Buy to recycle electronics for free - http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9957196-1.html
· I4U - Circuit City Survey Finds what Dad’s Want for Father’s Day - http://www.i4u.com/article17743.html
· TWICE – Best Buy Tests Free Recycling Program - http://www.twice.com/article/CA6565908.html
· Electronic House – Best Buy Trial Recycling Program Hits 117 Stores - http://www.electronichouse.com/article/best_buy_trial_recycling_program_hits_117_stores/

Canada AM – Should You Buy Your Hi Def Movies From Sony, Apple, Or Microsoft?

Now that the "Format War" is over, it's time to take a serious look at Blu-ray. Is it worth buying? Will the prices drop later? And with High Definition movie services launching online from Apple and Microsoft, will it last?

Sony Blu-ray Player BDP-S300
$500
Blu-ray players are made by a number of different manufacturers and range in price from $500 - $1,000. Their main advantage is the ability to play movies in "1080p" resolution, which although considered the highest level of High Definition, it's worth noting that many people have a hard time seeing the difference between it and "1080i". Since the experience requires also having a 1080p television, and that you buy your favorite movies again on Blu-ray discs for $25 - $33 each, it is an expensive investment.

The movies do come with a number of cool interactive features such as on-screen menus and behind-the-scenes commentaries and documentaries, and right now on the market, it offers the best video quality and the experience of watching a movie on the format is undeniably spectacular.

However, this is the Age of the Internet, where a digital revolution has replaced compact discs with MP3 files and iPods. It’s difficult to think that that a disc format like Blu-ray isn’t going to be seriously impacted by the rapidly changing online world.

Will Blu-ray have a long lifespan? Can it last as long as DVDs or even VHS tapes did? Can it last a decade or will it be replaced in 2 – 3 years by something new?

Apple TV
$250 - $350

At least in the United States, Apple is now selling and renting movies in High Definition using the exact same iPod model that has given them success in the music business. Apple just announced yesterday that the latest market figures show that they are now the #2 music retailer in North America, selling more online music files than Best Buy has sold CDs. Wal-Mart is the only store beating them at the moment.

As with their iTunes music store, you buy the movie once, download it onto your computer, and can then copy it onto your laptop, iPod, or Apple TV where you can watch it in High Definition. It's not "1080p" like Blu-ray, yet, but it's still impressive.

The service only just launched last September and so far has sold over 7 million movies and is expected to launch in Canada by the end of this year. (right now you can purchase TV shows, music videos, or Pixar animated shorts).

One cool feature of note, the Apple TV allows you to watch YouTube videos on your television. YouTube recently announced that they are planning to launch a High Definition version of their video-trading website. Apple’s solution will be able to tap into that upcoming wealth of free High Definition videos.

Xbox 360
Pro - $340 Elite - $450

Microsoft has also launched an online movie store/rental service using their Xbox 360 video game system. Unlike Apple’s service, it is available in Canada right now. Owners can connect online to download movies in High Definition for rent/purchase. Again, it doesn't offer "1080p", but the experience is still very impressive.

The service only works with the Xbox 360 and currently offers just a small selection of titles from only a few movie studios. The service forces you to buy movies using "Microsoft Points" which come in bundles larger than the price of a single movie rental and here in Canada the service has experienced a number of technical difficulties, with many users unable to get their movies even months after paying for them.

Once you get past those hiccups, watching a movie is a great experience and shows that companies like Microsoft have the potential to become a serious competitor to Sony’s Blu-ray.

Samsung DVD-1080P7

$120

This DVD player takes you're existing DVD library and "upconverts" it to a High Definition format, and yes, with this new model from Samsung, even "1080p”. Basically the player takes the DVD video and stretches it to fit the higher resolution screen of an HDTV. It then uses sophisticated software to fill in all the holes and correct the weak spots. While the results are not true “High Definition" they are impressive enough to blow away your friends and neighbours.

The main advantage here is that you do not have to replace your current movie library. After you pay the $120, you never have to spend another dime.

Right now it’s best to still wait, wait for either the prices of Blu-ray players to drop again or wait for Apple’s iPod-based movie service to make them obsolete. Either way, the best solution to enjoy your big screen, HDTV is an upconverting DVD player. It’s a small investment with impressive results.

Overclockers Online covered Samsung YP-P2

Overclockers Online covered a story of Samsung YP-P2, one of the most advanced audio players in the world.

Here is the link for more information. http://www.overclockersonline.net/?page=samsung-p2

3rd Annual Bluetooth SIG Best of CES Winners

January 11, 2008
3rd Annual Bluetooth SIG Best of CES Winners

Tuesday night we not only celebrated a significant milestone – 10 years of Bluetooth technology! – but unveiled the winners of our 3rd annual CES contest. The competition was steep as each year manufacturers come up with new and interesting ways to bring Bluetooth technology to the consumer. The overall winner of the contest was the innovative P2 Widescreen Music Player from Samsung. This slim, lightweight device has great video and sound quality and easily connects to stereo headphones and cars alike (we showed it to several reporters while connected to another finalist, the Ford SYNC system). And this music player is soon to not be just for music – I understand a firmware update will make this handy product a phone as well. Congratulations to Samsung and all of our winners!

Winners of the Bluetooth SIG Best of CES contest (finalists indicated in parentheses):
* Overall – Samsung P2 Widescreen Music Player
* Headset – Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Stereo Headset [finalist: Motorola MotoPURE H12]
* Input – Logitech Cordless Desktop MX5500 Revolution Keyboard [finalist: Newton Peripherals MoGo Mouse X54 Pro]
* Music – Parrot DS1120 Bluetooth Speakers [finalist: Samsung P2 Widescreen Music Player; honorable mention Motorola RAZR2 V9]
* Transfer – Motorola T815 [finalist: Samsung SGH-i617 Blackjack II]
* Vertical – Ford SYNC, powered by Microsoft Auto [finalist: Baracoda ScanWear; honorable

https://www.bluetooth.org/mikesblog/

10 Reasons IT Should Not Support the Apple

10 reasons IT should not support the Apple

The Apple iPhone took the consumer mobile space by storm when it was released last June and quickly became one of the most popular smartphones available। Since then, business users who've purchased the device for their personal use have been requesting that their corporate IT departments support it.

Whether the iPhone proves to be a valuable business tool or a non-issue remains to be seen, but a new report from Forrester Research suggests that the iPhone may never get a chance to succeed in business. Forrester says IT departments should refuse to support the devices--at least for now--for the following 10 reasons.

1) The iPhone Doesn't Allow Data on the Device to be Encrypted

There's currently no way for enterprises to secure sensitive data on iPhones through file or disk encryption, according to Forrester. There's also no way for IT to enforce password policies since the decision to use a password (and when to change it) is up to the user.

2) The iPhone Does Not Natively Support "Push" Corporate E-mail or Wireless Calendar Syncing

Push e-mail (e-mail that is delivered to handhelds immediately upon receipt in a user's mailbox) is an essential feature for a business device because of the productivity such a feature enables, according to Forrester. If users need to physically retrieve messages--as opposed to having those messages pushed directly to them--they won't get them as quickly as possible and they'll waste time in the process. The iPhone can sync with Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes over IMAP and SMTP, Forrester says, but IT infrastructure must be tweaked accordingly or a separate gateway product must be purchased and even then mail is delivered only every 15 minutes. Apple's device also doesn't wirelessly sync with PCs, which means users must have access to the company's proprietary USB sync cable to retrieve calendar updates or contact changes, according to Forrester. If a meeting plan or location has been changed at the last minute, an iPhone user on the go could easily not get the notification in time.

3) The iPhone Does Not Run Third-Party Applications Without Voiding Its Warranty

Though Apple has promised a software development kit(SDK) for the iPhone so that external developers and businesses can create their own applications to run on the device, the iPhone does not currently support such applications--unless certain device components are hacked, which voids the phone's warranty. Companies that deploy, for example, sales force automation apps on mobile devices won't be able to port those applications to the iPhone until this issue is resolved.

4) The iPhone Cannot be Locked or Wiped Remotely

Forrester says the single most important feature of mobile device management offerings is remote lock and data wipe functionality, both of which the iPhone lacks. Apple doesn't currently offer any mobile device management software that's anything like the many offerings available for BlackBerrys, Windows Mobile or Symbian devices. Forrester doesn't anticipate any vendors offering such a product before mid-to-late 2008.

5) The iPhone Lacks a Physical Keyboard

The iPhone's touch screen interface and virtual keyboard may be cool, but it is not ideal for power users who e-mail and text message very frequently. The problem with the touch screen is that it doesn't provide tactile feedback, which makes it difficult to type without paying attention to every single key you hit. The faster you can type, the faster your messages get sent out and the more work you can do in a shorter amount of time. That's not necessarily the case with the iPhone.

6) The iPhone Only Functions in Very Specific Geographic Locations and It's Locked Into Carriers

The iPhone is currently only available through exclusive carriers in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, and it's locked to those specific carriers. That means that business users who travel internationally can't use iPhones in any other countries, even if those countries offer networks that are technologically compatible.

7) The iPhone is (Very) Expensive

The iPhone sells for double what the average BlackBerry or Treo costs. At $400, plus voice and data charges, Apple's smartphone is one of the priciest such devices on the market, even after a $200 price cut last fall. Corporations seeking mobile devices often consider price a selling point, especially since many device makers or carriers offer business discounts and service plans. Apple and AT&T, the exclusive U.S. carrier, don't offer any such discounts for business use.

8) The iPhone Is a First-Generation Device

No mobile device is perfect when it's initially released. In order for handset makers to refine their products, they often rely on their masses of users to highlight their weaknesses. Some of the iPhone's weaknesses are, according to Forrester:
-- it can be difficult to activate quickly-- battery life is weak/short-- sound quality is less than impressive-- it's currently only a 2.5 generation device, which means that data transfer speeds aren't as fast as they could be
The next iteration of the iPhone will likely address these issues. In fact, AT&T's CEO recently said a 3G iPhone is due in 2008.

9) Apple Doesn't Offer Replacement Batteries for the iPhone

Apple doesn't currently offer battery replacements for the iPhone, so users cannot carry backups to ensure that they never lose power। Forrester says that third-party vendors will likely begin to offer replacements in the near future, but because the device needs to be disassembled in order to remove a battery and insert another, the replacement process may not be simple enough for less tech-savvy users.

10) There's No Proof That iPhones Are Suitable Business Devices

The only large enterprise that is known to fully support iPhones is--surprise, surprise--Apple, according to Forrester. And it hasn't published any case studies or other support materials. Enterprises often make mobile device purchasing decisions based on the experience of their peers or industry analysts' recommendations, but with such information lacking about the iPhone, Forrester says it won't likely be making its way into many businesses anytime soon.