TOP PICKS: Tech coupling

By Siti Syameen Md Khalili | 0 comments

Tis’ the season to wed! Gizmos are now common additions to marriage matters, be they gifts or dowry. Siti Syameen Md Khalili suggests 10 gift ideas

Samsung Multiview MV800

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Samsung Multiview MV800
1.Featuring breakthrough design that gives flexibility in photography, the MV800’s FLip-Out touch display doubles up as a camera stand for low-angle, high-angle and self-shots. RM999, samsung.com.my

Hisense Full HD LED24T28P TV
2.This 24-inch full HD LED model is slim and stylish. It features HDMI and USB inputs and a display that delivers a vibrant visual output. RM599 during the promotional period at Courts stores nationwide, courts.com.my

 LG BD550 Blu-ray player
3.Slim and compact, this model supports full HD display of DVD and Blu-ray discs with 1,080p upscaling through HDMI connectivity and DivX format. RM399, lge.com.my

Sony Special Edition Digital Photo Frame
4.The model DPF-D720/BQ offers 2GB internal memory, memory card slots, video and music playback, and slide show function. Its 7-inch display has a glittering finish. RM499, sonystyle.com.my

Panasonic Mini Hi-Fi System SC-VKX20
5.They met at a karaoke joint? Well, the SC-VKX20 makes for a good addition for the new home as it has full karaoke function on top of support for MPEG4, DivX, JPG and MP3 files. RM799, direct.panasonic.com.my

Tizz Bird F30 media player
6.This smart media player offers 1GHz CPU, Gigabit Ethernet support, USB 3.0 connectivity and Android 2.3 OS so couples can easily enjoy their streamed videos, music and photos. Plug in an external drive, hook it up to the TV and friends and family can view their entire wedding picture and video collection. RM869, ideatools.com.my

Philips Induction Cooker HD-4917
7.With a variety of cooking programs, this model promises to cut cooking time by a third, so couples can have more time to enjoy their meals together. RM269 for registered members at hlk2u.com

Toshiba Rice Cooker RC-10NMFIM
8.This micro-computer rice cooker is equipped with Hagama Pot, which offers water convection technology. It also features Rapid Cook as well as clock and timer on its digital screen. RM245 for registered members at hlk2u.com

Canon Selphy CP800
9.This model can produce postcard and card-sized printouts of your treasured photos in borderless 300 by 300dpi quality quickly and easily. RM549, canon.com.my

Osim uRelax
10.Portable and suitable with most standard-sized chairs, the uRelax offers Shiatsu, swing and rolling back massage options for days when couples are too tired to pamper each other. RM498, osim.com/MY/home.aspx

PIXELS: Ever the ICT advocate

By Siti Syameen Md Khalili | 0 comments

TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad has received the ICT Lifetime Achievement Award from the National ICT Association of Malaysia for his many contributions to the local ICT industry.

Tun Dr Mahathir (3rdfrom left) was presented the ICT Lifetime Achivement Award at PIKOM’s 25 anniversary dinner

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The former prime minister, credited for much of the success of the country’s ICT industry, was presented the award by Pikom’s newly elected chairman Woon Tai Hai at its 25th anniversary dinner held recently in Kuala Lumpur. The event was a culmination of a series of activities that Pikom had lined up to celebrate the year.

Also present at the event was Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili.

-Ultra-sleek computing

THOUGH not the earliest to launch the ultrabook in the country, Toshiba didn’t disappoint with its Portege Z830, the world’s lightest and thinnest 13.3-inch computer.

Featuring second-generation Intel Core processors and Toshiba’s EasyGuard technology, it also comes with ports, slots and a solid-state drive for better storage capacity.

At 15.9mm at its thickest point, the Z830 weighs just 1.1kg, yet packs in an eight-cell battery. With a 13.3-inch HD display with LED backlighting, WLAN, Bluetooth 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet LAN, the model offers mobility without compromising function. Its spill-resistant keyboard, 1.3-megapixel webcam, 128GB SSD and up to 6GB DDR3 memory should delight users, too.

The top-of-the-line model with Intel Core i7 processor goes for RM4,799. Another option with Core i5 is priced at RM3,999.

Toshiba has also come up with two Android Honeycomb-based tablets: the 10-inch Regza AT100 (RM1,599) and 7-inch Regza AT1S0 (RM1,899). The smaller tablet sports 16GB internal memory, mini-USB, micro-HDMI and micro-SD card slots, while the bigger one offers up to 32GB internal memory, full-sized USB and mini-USB, an HDMI port and SD card reader. Both feature 1GB DDR2 RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth and HSPA+(3.5G) support, a five-megapixel rear camera, two-megapixel front camera, and GPS function.

Then there’s Toshiba’s Qosmio DX730 all-in-one desktop PC, which at its highest specification offers Intel Core i7 Quad Core technology, NVidia GeForce GT540M 1GB DDR3 video RAM graphics, 2TB hard disk drive capacity, a Blu-ray ROM drive, multi-card reader and advanced multimedia features. The RM3,599 package offers Core i5 processor while the RM4,299 package has Core i7.

-Screen options

DELL has three new devices to boast of: the Latitude ST tablet, XPS 14z notebook, and Inspiron One 2320 all-in-one touch-screen desktop.

The 10.1-inch Windows 7 Latitude (RM2,380) is designed for mobile professionals and corporate users. The XPS 14z (RM2,999) is one of the thinnest full-featured notebooks to come in a borderless 14-inch screen but in a 13-inch form factor.

For those who prefer a larger screen, there’s the 23-inch Inspiron One 2320 (RM1,999), whose screen also doubles up as a TV.

THL eyes Yahoo’s US ops

by : http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/30/business/9998734&sec=business

NEW YORK: Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL) is interested in buying the US operations of Yahoo Inc, breaking away from other bidders that are for now eyeing either a minority stake or teaming up with the Internet giant's partners in Asia, sources said.

THL was hoping to do a leveraged buyout of Yahoo's US business which could be worth US$5bil to US$6bil and draw on its experience running other media assets such as Nielsen Co, Clear Channel and Univision to turn around the ailing company, the sources said.

In taking this approach, THL was charting a different path than other private equity firms such as Silver Lake, KKR and TPG, which were expected to put in bids for a stake of up to 20% in the company, sources said.

Microsoft Corp was helping to finance a possible Silver Lake investment in Yahoo, which had a market value of about US$19bil, the sources said. Another group of firms, including Blackstone Group, Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman, was in talks to team up with China's Alibaba Groupand Japan's Softbank Corp, they said.

Another twist: Bidders are jockeying for the best position to eventually forge a deal for Yahoo, betting they can turn around the company’s fortunes with better management.— Reuters

Any deal for Yahoo is still some time away. But THL's interest adds yet another twist in the behind-the-scenes maneuvering as bidders jockey for the best position to eventually forge a deal for Yahoo, betting they can turn around the company's fortunes with better management.

The Internet pioneer has seen growth stagnate in recent years due to competition from the likes of Google Inc and Facebook, and is currently without a permanent chief executive officer as it tries to regain relevance in the new dotcom era.

Yahoo's board fired CEO Carol Bartz in September and started the strategic review, which has been complicated by the different agendas of players with a say in the situation, including its Asian partners, co-founders Jerry Yang and David Filo, the board and shareholders.

Yahoo, THL, Microsoft, Blackstone, KKR and Silver Lake declined to comment. The other private equity firms were not immediately available for comment.

Several other parties including THL were expected to sign confidentiality agreements later this week which would give them access to Yahoo's financial information, the sources said. TPG, KKR, Silver Lake and Microsoft have already signed confidentiality agreements with Yahoo over the last few weeks allowing them to prepare offers for a minority investment in Yahoo.

Their investment could come in the form of a private investment in public equity (PIPE) transaction. PIPE investors typically received stock at a discount to the public market valuation, so price could prove to be a sticking point in a deal, especially when the board might have other options before it, the sources said.

The board “is going to make decisions on how to pursue a PIPE deal,” one of the sources said, adding that the company and the suitors had different value expectations.

Keeping the initial investment below 20% would allow Yahoo to avoid putting the proposal up for a shareholder vote.

“Yahoo has to decide whether they need to cram it down shareholders' throats,” the source said. - Reuters

New Nokia smartphone fails to turn tide

by : http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/22/business/20111222091750&sec=business

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia's long-awaited Windows phones may be too little, too late in the smartphone war dominated by Apple and Google, despite positive reviews by handset critics.

Its first Windows model, the Lumia 800, has won little interest from consumers, with only 2 percent of Europeans in the market for a smartphone saying they would pick it, according to a survey by Exane BNP Paribas.

Analysts said there was nothing particularly wrong with the sleek-looking handsets, other than a sofware glitch on some models affecting battery life, but consumers were just not biting.

Smartphones using Microsoft software have just a 2 percent market share, compared with Google Android at around 50 percent and Apple at 15-20 percent.

"There isn't much room left for a third ecosystem. The smartphone market is consolidating fast," said Bernstein analyst Pierre Ferragu who rates Nokia a "sell".

Nokia's shares have fallen over 20 percent since the October 26 launch of the new phone, with investors fearing Nokia would be unable to claw back the market share it has lost in the past several years to rivals like Apple.

Phones using Nokia's old Symbian software, which it decided to dump in favour of Microsoft, are still in circulation and outsell Windows phones 10 to 1.

But as Nokia keeps shifting to Windows, sales of Symbian have a lot of room to disappoint over coming quarters and some analysts are warning of lower dividends and weaker-than-expected earnings ahead.

Now even Microsoft has started to hedge its bets, making its software increasingly available for rivals to Windows Phone.

Smartphones are built on mobile computing platforms, and the most modern combine web browsers, navigation systems, cameras and portable music systems. A so-called "feature" phone -- a market Nokia still dominates -- has far fewer of these applications.

FIRST STEP?

Nokia officials defended the Lumia, and a spokesman said there was "positive momentum" while declining to give any data. One executive argued that Nokia had never counted on the first Lumia phones to lead to a quick turnaround but instead expected it to be the first step towards recovery.

In fact, there are just as many analysts recommending a "buy" on the shares as there are "sell" ratings.

Those who are keeping the faith believe the new assault on the smartphone market may be enough to give Nokia a place at the table.

Many of them say the range of concerns over the Finnish company are fully priced into the shares, while the company's strong cash position and some prized patent assets could attract a takeover approach.

"With current, and upcoming models, Nokia can win back market share in both -- in feature phones and in smartphones," said Swedbank analyst Jari Honko, who rates the shares a "buy". "Today's share price does not take into account any recovery in the Nokia market position."

Optimists also cite an improvement in Nokia's product portfolio, which looked out of date when Stephen Elop took over as the chief executive in September 2010.

And while some argue there is no room for a third alternative to Google and Apple, some developers and operators do see room for more competitors in this market.

The 2012 Windows 8 upgrade could also attract a wider audience by making the way smartphones, tablets and PCs work more similar.

For investors, the biggest positive surprise could be an acquisition offer. After Nokia signed a deal with Microsoft, rumours of full takeover by Microsoft or at least buyout of smartphone unit have made rounds on a weekly basis.

Last week the stock jumped 4 percent when Danske Bank suggested Microsoft could buy Nokia's smartphone unit.

But even if investors do not get a rich buyout - online gambling company Unibet is putting odds on Microsoft buying Nokia in 2012 at just 1 out of 15 - analysts say the company's relatively-solid finances should at least offer some security.

Nokia had 1.36 euros per share of cash at the end of the last quarter. It also has a strong patent portfolio - on its own worth more than a euro per share - and owns top digital mapping firm Navteq and half of No. 2 mobile network gear maker Nokia Siemens Networks

Tech revolution saving the rice capital of Japan

By RASHVINJEET S.BEDI
rashvin@thestar.com.my

NIIGATA Prefecture in Japan is renowned as the country's rice capital. Some locals claim that the best rice and sake (rice wine) come from this region located about 250km from Tokyo.

To maintain the quality of the product, The Japan Agricultural Cooperative Echigo Santo in Niigata works hard to grow high value-added rice.

A lot of work goes into determining the best protein content of the rice as well as the ideal time for harvesting.

Once upon a time, the cooperative staff had to visually inspect the vast rice fields. Needless to say, this involved a lot of energy, time and resources.

Now that a satellite imaging and analysis system has been introduced, the cooperative staff no longer have to make painstaking visits to the rice fields.

They can now prepare, in the comfort of their office, “harvest maps” or “rice protein content maps” that predict the appropriate harvesting period.

As travelling to the rice fields is not necessary anymore, carbon dioxide (CO2) emission has been reduced by about 98%.

The system is one of Fujitsu's Green Policy Solutions, which makes use of ICT to reduce the load on the environment.

According to Atsuhisa Takahashi, Fujitsu Corporate Executive Advisor (Environmental Strategy), ICT is broadly and deeply penetrating every field and every corner of society.

“As we anticipated long ago, the effects include improved efficiency and quality and lower costs. ICT is also helping lower environmental load,” he says.

Until recently, he adds, ICT has been used mainly in the logistics, manufacturing, and financial fields.

“The Fujitsu Group wants to apply ICT to also help stimulate agriculture, forestry, and other primary industries directly linked to food and people's lives,” he says.

Fujitsu Group uses a diagnosis and evaluation tool called ECOCALC to quantitatively evaluate environmental load reduction effects.

The tool calculates costs and CO2 emissions based on a variety of factors including consumption of goods, transportation, office space, warehouse space, power consumption of ICT and quantity of data communications, Takahashi explains.

“We propose ways for our customers to use ICT to lower their environmental load,” he says, adding that solutions were tailor-made for the circumstance.

Other Fujitsu Green Policy Solutions include farmland management systems, production planning systems, distribution centre systems and electronic medical chart systems.

Takahashi says the last was introduced at the Anjo Kosei Hospital in Aichi Prefecture.

After the introduction of an electronic chart system and medical treatment imaging system, the hospital discarded about 300,000 X-ray films and reduced its film storage space from 200m2 to about 15m2.

While the quantity of film and warehouse space is reduced, electric power consumption by the ICT systems, however, will increase, he points out.

But after taking all the variables into account, CO2 emissions dropped by 21%.

ICT is also used in the forestry business, says Takahashi, citing the town of Nakatosa-cho in Aichi Prefecture, which is 84% forested and has an artificial mixed forest of cedar and cypress trees.

Takahashi says the town has undertaken an aggressive CO2 offset programme to maintain the soundness of this forest and to stimulate forestry.

To calculate the quantity of CO2 the trees absorb, a detailed vegetation distribution map of this forest must be prepared. A physical fact-finding survey would be costly, time-consuming and even dangerous.

However, using an image analysis technology employing high pass spectrum cameras, no personnel is needed to identify the types of trees.

Takahashi says the system can differentiate between “cedar and cypress”, a process that is difficult for people other than specialists to do by visual observation.

“Using this technology, it is easy to assess large-scale forest assets and to accurately judge the amount of CO2 absorbed by a forest consisting of different kinds of trees.

“These tasks have been difficult until now,” he says.