Shuttle Kicks off New Sweepstakes Featuring R.U.S.E.

Shuttle today officially kicks off its new sweepstakes with one of the most highly-anticipated video games of the year, R.U.S.E., to promote the Ultimate Everyday Gaming PC which is available in two configurations — the Shuttle J1 4100G system and Shuttle SG41J1 Plus barebone.

“R.U.S.E. is one of those game-changing titles that industry insiders think will take the entire RTS [real-time strategy] genre to another level,” said Nicolas Villalobos, Director at Shuttle Computer in North America. “As t he game-changer in small form factor PCs, we’re excited to collaborate with Ubisoft on this project and re-introduce Shuttle’s ‘Ultimate Everyday Gaming PC’ to the world — the perfect small form factor budget gaming rig.”

Shuttle J1 4100G (System)

The Shuttle J1 4100G, which features the Intel G41 Express Chipset, has been expert configured for everyday gaming and entertainment. It delivers full throttle performance for all your gaming sessions. With some of the fastest processors and graphics inside, supporting up to Intel Core 2 Quad and 8GB of DDR3, the Shuttle J1 4100G more than meets the demands of today’s hottest games — it straight out exceeds it for more realism and intensity than ever seen before.

Shuttle SG41J1 Plus (Barebone)

The Shuttle  SG41J1 Plus barebone comes with a Shuttle G41 motherboard, support for Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Pentium Dual-Core, and Intel Celeron processors, support for up to 8GB of DDR3, Intel X4500 graphics, 5.1 channel audio, a Shuttle J1 case measuring 11.8″ x 7.9″ x 7.3″, and a highly-efficient 250-watt power supply which can handle up to a GeForce GTX 460 should users wish to upgrade the graphics.

Technorati Tags: Contest, R.U.S.E., RTS, SFF, Small Form Factor, Sweepstakes, Ubisoft, Ultimate Everyday Gaming PCs, XPC

Intel Developer Forum - The Future Saved a Seat for You

Sept. 13-15, 2010, the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) will be in its 13th year.   This is where Intel Corporation and high-tech industry executives, designers and engineers come together to share their latest innovations and vision for the future of technology. Spanning the hardware and software worlds of wireless mobility, home, enterprise and future technology and research, IDF will focus on Intel’s directions for the next year and beyond. Guided by the theme, “The Future Saved a Seat for You,” the event will unveil Intel’s plans for its Intel Core, Atomand Xeon processor families, and the software and platforms around each.

More than 150 leading companies from around the world will have hands-on demonstrations of their newest innovations and future technologies at the IDF Industry Technology Showcase.

Day 1 Keynotes

• Opening keynote with Paul Otellini, president and CEO.
• “Performance Computing: Making the Extraordinary Ordinary” with David Perlmutter, executive vice president and general manager, Intel Architecture Group.

Day 2 Keynotes

• “Creating the Experience Continuum on Intel Architecture” with Renee James, vice president and general manager, Software and Solutions Group.
• “Smart, Connected, Transformational – Fueling the Continuum of Computing with the Intel AtomProcessor” with Doug Davis, general manager, Embedded and Communications Group.

Day 3 Keynotes

• “Context: How it Will Really Change Everything” with Justin Rattner, vice president and director, Intel Labs, and chief technology officer and Intel Senior Fellow

Technorati Tags: Conference, CPU, IDF, Intel

ARM’s Gives Details on Cortex-A15 Based on Eagle Architecture

ARM today gave a name and details to its future Eagle mobile architecture. The Cortex-A15 can scale up to 1.5GHz in a dual-core format and can even work in quad-core versions up to 2.5GHz. It’s built for future 32 nanometer manufacturing and should shrink down to a smaller and more efficient 28nm over time.

The architecture itself builds on top of the already dual-core A9. It still supports more advanced out of order code execution, but builds on this with theoretical support for up to 1TB of memory. It can even support the hardware virtualization of another OS.

Apple, TI, Samsung look to be target customers, who like like customize the chipt for their own uses in phones, tablets and other mobile devices.  Devices with this new architecture should hit the streets in 2011.

Technorati Tags: Appel, ARM, Eagle, Mobile Phones, Samsung, Tablets, TI

Best Buy to Sell Kindle

Amazon signed a major deal today that will let it sell the third-generation Kindle at Best Buy stores sometime in the fall. Both the Wi-Fi only and 3G versions will arrive at the same $139 and $189 prices as on Amazon’s own pages. The Kindle DX isn’t part of the plans.

The agreement follows Deals with Staples and Target.

Technorati Tags: E-Readers, Kindle, Retail

COMCAST4U - Manage Your Services with SMS

Comcast has been finding new ways to reach out to its customers and make it easier for them to dialog.  They have the twitter account Comcastcares and now they have launched in Philadelphia COMCASTU.   COMCASTU (short code 266278) is a SMS text service which gives customers instant access to many of the most frequently requested account functions.  COMCAST4U even allows users to text a “CALLME” request to have a Comcast customer care representative call them back directly, per Comcast in just a few minutes.

National Roll-Out Over the First Half of 2011

COMCAST4U is now available at no additional charge to Comcast customers in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, New Jersey and Northern Delaware. It will roll out nationally over the course of the next few months, with most customers expected to have access by the first half of 2011.

Customers can easily sign up or deactivate at any time, as often as they like, and can set and manage their preferences from the COMCAST4U portal, located at http://text.comcast.com. Users simply register their mobile phone number.  By registering for COMCAST4U, customers will receive periodic text messages providing updates and information about their Comcast products and services.

Examples of Periodic Text Messages

• Appointment Reminder – provides appointment details 24 hours in advance
• Payment Confirmation – confirms a payment has been received and posted to an account
• Service Alert Information – provides information on potential service interruptions
• Account Due/Past Due – alerts the user when an account is past due or late

Sample Commands

Command		Response
NOW		Provides a list of what’s on TV at that point in time
PRIMETIME		Lists that night’s primetime TV lineup
VOD		Offers highlights of On Demand content
SPORTS		Delivers sports schedules and scores
CALLME		Places the customer in queue to receive a call back from Comcast
BAL		Provides current account balance
OUT		Advises if the address is experiencing a known service interruption
HIT		Sends a reset signal to equipment
NOAPPT		Allows customers to cancel scheduled service calls
LOC		Offers the address of the nearest payment center

Technorati Tags: COMCAST4U, Comcastcares, Customer Service, SMS

Moms Want to Help Others Develop Apps

Appsnminded, a mom-run app development company with over 40 apps in the iTunes App Store alone, has launched a new website targeting fellow women entrepreneurs.  With App*solutely Easy, Appsnminded shares their success by bringing their unique insight, experience and counsel to women entrepreneurs looking to start their own app development business. The AppEasy site includes a 30-minute how-to Tutorial Video, Industry Resources, Articles, Interviews, Links and a Q&A Forum.

Intended to make the process easy and simple, App*solutely Easy takes the user step-by-step through the process of starting an app business, including: how to open a business bank account, establish an app developer account, source graphic design professionals & assets, source coding and technical professionals, develop marketing & PR strategy, establish advertising plans and more.

“We are regularly contacted by moms that have really great app ideas, but have no clue what to do with that great idea,” says Cara Hall. “We decided to share what we’ve learned because, while daunting at first, it really is a rather easy, fun and financially rewarding process, if you know what to do.”

“It was just the natural next step for our business,” added Jennifer Noonan. “We feel the app biz is a ‘perfect-fit’ for fellow moms and entrepreneurial spirits. We’re really excited to be helping other women create an exciting career for themselves!”

App*solutely Easy’s site content will be updated weekly with information for its members—the most up-to-date Apple info for developers; interviews with top producers; important contact info and much more. Members can even post detailed questions and receive one-on-one advice and support.

Jennifer Noonan and Cara Hall started making mobile apps in December of 2008. With a focus on kid-centric, mom-approved apps, Los Angeles based Appsnminded has created over 45 apps for Apple, Android and Microsoft mobile devices.  More information can be found on their website at www.appsnminded.com/appsolutelyeasy

Technorati Tags: Apps, Business, Development, iPhone, Moms, Women

Amazon Buys Amie Street to Help Power Music Efforts

Amazon today acquired Amie Street to improve its music efforts. The site will be shutting down its store with and will now focus on Songza, its recommendation-based Internet radio service. Customers will have until September 22 to use what’s left in their accounts but will get a $5 credit on Amazon MP3 if they have a US Amazon account.

The two didn’t provide terms of the deal, although it’s likely the deal is small enough that Amazon isn’t obligated to reveal details.

Amazon is one of the largest music retailers in the US, with 12% share, but most of its sales remain tied to CDs.

Technorati Tags: Music, Retail, Streaming

Samsung Plans Faster and Greener moviNAND Memory

Today at a forum in Taiwan, Samsung announced new high-performance embedded NAND flash chips for smartphones, dubbed “moviNAND.” The chips are available in 8GB and 16GB modules and enable more efficient processing. They are also the first to be fully compatible with the new high-performance e-MMC v4.41 industry specification.

At the same time, Samsung introduced ultra-thin five chip MCP (multi-chip package) storage that measures just 1mm thick compared to the current four-chip MCPs, which are 1.15mm high. The moviNAND-based MCP will arrive at the same time as the new flash.

The 8GB moviNAND flash based on 30nm-class, 32-gigabit NAND flash chips began production in late July, with the 16GB moviNAND, 20nm-class, 32Gb NAND flash arriving later in September. Current 30nm-class 32Gb NAND flash chips will be gradually replaced with a full line of 20nm-class 32Gb NAND chips for future moviNAND products later in 2010.

Technorati Tags: Flash, Memory, NAND

Skype Launches Channel Partner Program in the U.S.

Skype today announces the introduction of the Skype Channel Partner Program to help businesses who are looking to use Skype for their collaboration and communication needs. Recognizing that most businesses purchase their IT and telecommunications services through value-added resellers (VARs) or systems integrators, the goal of the Skype Channel Partner Program is to establish a qualified network of channel partners in the United States that can assist companies interested in using Skype to improve their productivity and optimize their communication costs.

Through the Skype Channel Partner Program, qualified Channel Partners will receive training, sales and marketing collaterals, customer tracking and reporting tools, as well as support and account management from Skype to help them offer a quality service to their business customers. Once trained and certified by Skype, Skype Channel Partners will be equipped to provide their own consulting, installation, configuration, maintenance and support services to business customers who wish to use Skype’s business solutions, including the Skype Business Client, Skype Manager and Skype Connect.

“We believe that small, medium and large businesses are looking for cost-effective, integrated real-time communications and collaboration solutions,” said David Gurlé, VP and general manager of Skype for Business. “Our certified Skype Channel Partners will advise and guide them on how to strategically adopt Skype for Business Solutions and get the most out of using them within their organizations. These ‘trusted advisors’ are selected by Skype based on relationships with business customers, the experience and know-how to provide complementary services, such as consulting, installation, training and local support, as well as hardware and software integration and industry-specific expertise. Ultimately, this Channel Partner Program will help us scale service and support for our business customers.”

Channel Partners will help businesses set up Skype and buy and use Skype products. For example, they will help Skype Manager customers use and manage the Skype Business Client on their desktop and mobile phones via business accounts or connect their existing private branch exchange (PBX) or Unified Communications (UC) systems to Skype using Skype Connect. They may also sell third-party hardware and software for use with Skype. Channel Partners will not be reselling any Skype products to customers; all Skype products will be bought directly from Skype.

Skype will also work with manufacturers of the IP-enabled PBX and UC systems that have already been certified as interoperable with Skype Connect to introduce the Skype Channel Partner Program to their existing channel partners.

VARs and system integrators in the U.S. may learn more or apply to become a certified Skype Channel Partner at partner.skype.com.

Technorati Tags: Partner Program, PBX, Skype, UC, VAR, VOIP

Samsung May Use Google TV

Samsung said at a forum today, and reported by Bloomberg, that the company was considering developing Google TV hardware. TV group leader Yoon Boo Keun told the media Samsung was “reviewing” the prospect of using the Android-based shell but was anxious about support in South Korea. Media producers would have to get behind Google’s platform in Samsung’s home country for it to make sense, Keun told Bloomberg and others in attendance.

The move would be most likely a hedge against Sony, which said at the Google I/O conference in May would release Bravia TVs using Google TV by the fall.

What this means for the Samsung Apps platform is unknown at this time.

Technorati Tags: Android, Google TV, Samsung Apps

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