Studio Press

This is unbelieveable!!!! I saw this at http://forum.mypdacafe.com/viewtopic.php?t=10015 There is no Info on Celcom's Website, sadly this promotion states that it only available at Gelugor, Georgetown and Perai. If this promotion is true, then the real wireless data war has just begin!! I bet that Digi will reduce their unlimited Edge/Gprs package charges. Hope you GUYS can comment on this...

ASIA Telecoms, recently awarded the Network Service Provider NSP(1) licence by the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission, will soon operate as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). The licence enables the company to operate mobile services without setting up their own base stations but through strategic partnerships and tie-ups with other established network operators. It also lets Asia Telecoms operate out of its own mobile switching centre, issue its own SIM cards and offer its own pricing plan fully independent from that of the host mobile operator’s network. The company will operate through a network code with the 015-99 prefix. In a statement, Asia Telecoms chief operating officer A. Sritharan said the company has launched a series of events to raise brand awareness and act as a prelude to the major launch of the MVNO at the end of the year. The exercise is estimated to cost up to RM100 million. Over the years, the company has grown from a premier telephony service provider with a focus on the corporate sector, to a major player with services ranging from discounted calls for corporate customers to Internet Protocol telephones for the residential market. “These new offerings cater to all the telecommunication needs of our individual and corporate clients. “We are proud to take Asia Telecoms clients and users to a new platform of technological services,” Sritharan said.- Bussiness Times

It was all about convergence at the CommunicAsia information and communications expo this year, with manufacturers introducing everything from full-blown multimedia devices to digital broadcast television and music players, all integrated into the slim form factor of a mobile phone.

This issue, TAN KIT HOONG takes a quick look at some of the interesting products on display at the exhibition halls.

MOTOROLA introduced a number of new phones and products in funky colours but the one that definitely stole the show was the highly-anticipated Motorola Q, a Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphone tricked out with a keyboard with the slim styling of the Razr series.

This mobile communicator-type device has been setting the online world abuzz with rumoured reports since it was announced at the end of 2005.

Various delays later, the phone, which currently supports CDMA, is finally officially out and thankfully, it’s still a pretty exciting device.

Running on Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone edition, the device comes with a Qwerty keypad and scroll wheel in the style of RIM’s BlackBerry devices. It even supports push e-mail with Microsoft Exchange 2003 and has true multimedia capability with a large 320 x 240-pixel screen and 1.3-megapixel camera.

The device’s built-in Windows Media Player software supports most of the popular compressed audio and video formats, including MIDI, AAC, WMA, MP3, MPEG4 video, and WMV.

Rounding off the feature Where’s Ming?

One of the other interesting products at the Motorola booth was the Ming, which is currently only released in Hong Kong and China but is due to eventually make its way into other markets as well – the phone is the latest update to the Linux-based phones that the company has been producing for a while now.

The Ming still runs on Linux with handwriting recognition built-in (important in countries where Chinese character entry is easier if written by hand) and has a much nicer overall design.

The phone has some other interesting features built in however – for example, you can use its 2-megapixel digital camera to capture a photo of a business card and the phone’s character recognition software will convert the card’s information into text and then attempt to put this text into the appropriate categories automatically.

Apart from just phones, there was a plethora of interesting Bluetooth products on offer as well, ranging from headsets to a funky controller called the S705 Bluetooth SoundPilot, which supports the A2DP Bluetooth profile.

The A2DP profile is an industry-standard Bluetooth profile which allows the S705 Bluetooth SoundPilot not only stream audio, but also to control the audio playback wirelessly (to skip songs, control volume, etc).

Unlike the usual integrated Bluetooth headset, the S705 is a little Pebl-like device which allows you to plug in any standard stereo earphones into its standard 3.5mm stereo socket.

Interestingly, the device also has an integrated microphone so you can answer phone calls if you’ve paired it to a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone.

Also notable was Motorola’s Portable Charger P790, which comes in all the colours of the new Pebl series.

This portable charger contains a large 1700mAh battery so you can carry it with you when you don’t have a power socket handy – the P790 is said to offer two full charges for most Motorola phones and plugs right into the miniUSB socket found on most Motorola phones.

Best of all, when you do get to a power socket, you can charge both the portable charger and the phone at the same time by plugging the wall socket charger to the portable charger connected to the mobile phone.

New Rokr

Another product worth noting is the next generation of Motorola’s iTunes phone, the Rokr E2.

The Rokr E2 improves upon the E1 by including an SD (Secure Digital) card slot for memory expansion of up to 2GB, a 1.3-megapixel camera, FM radio and the ability to stream stereo audio to a Bluetooth stereo headset

Samsung’s Q

The Samsung i320 is the South Korean company’s answer to the Moto Q, and it’s a case of one-upmanship here – the i320 smartphone also runs the same Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphone operating system. It even has a landscape orientation for the LCD screen and a Qwerty thumb keyboard thrown in.

In fact, since it runs Windows Mobile 5.0, it has all the software features of the Motorola Q.

The phone has a miniSD slot and is supposed to support GSM/GPRS networks. Overall, the Samsung i320 is a little narrower and thinner than the Motorola Q and looks pretty good in black.

We’ll certainly be keeping an eye out on the availability of this Samsung mobile phone.

Rotating LG

LG had one of the largest booths at CommunicAsia and apart from the skimpily-clad girls, this South Korean manufacturer also had lots to show off, although most of the phones were CDMA versions unlikely to make it into this country.

One interesting model was the LB1500, a CDMA phone with a 2.2in (320 x 240pixels) screen, a miniSD slot and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

Those features are pretty standard these days but what really caught our eye was the funky screen, which can rotate 90° on its axis so you can view it in landscape mode without having to turn the whole phone on its side.

The LB1500 supports terrestrial DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting), a digital transmission system for delivering audio and video over the regular television broadcasting airwaves. set is the latest Bluetooth supporting the A2DP profile which can stream stereo audio to a Bluetooth stereo headset.

While the current version of the Moto Q only supports CDMA networks, the really big news is that the people at Motorola have confirmed that a GSM version is due “by the end of the year” although no exact date has been set. -theStar

A recent research study has revealed that consumers across all age groups consider

Microsoft Office to be foremost among the features they would wish to have on their mobile phones in the future.

The research was carried out through ORC International’s new online mobile consumer panel – ORC OmniPanel. Findings from the study underline the growing sophistication of mobile phone users, along with consumers’ evident liking for multi-function handsets and devices.

Demand for the MS Mobile office suite – cited by 45% of the sample – narrowly finished ahead of Mobile TV (44%), which was a firm future favourite among 16 -24 year olds. Just over one in ten consumers interviewed claim to be using these features already.

While unsurprisingly a QWERTY keyboard is required (by 39% of respondents) to bang out those e-mails, reports and spreadsheets, the next features most in demand were radio (32%) and image manipulator/photo editor (31%).

However, when asked what factor most influenced the selection of the handset at the time of the last upgrade, the highest proportion of consumers interviewed (31%) stated that they were driven to purchase because of the overall design and style of the phone. The next most important driver was that the phone should have a camera.

Divisional manager of ORC International’s telecoms practice, Neil Ferguson commented: “The findings have highlighted the challenges faced by the mobile industry in balancing the very strong purchase drivers of fashion and functionality. Handset ease of use will also continue to have a dramatic effect on ARPU. However, the research demonstrates that users will increasingly demand a higher specification OS and UI with superior application capabilities. Therefore, the challenge faced by the industry is in reconciling terminal design and functionality, with users’ media requirements at affordable prices.”

More than 500 consumers were interviewed via the ORC OmniPanel – a specialist, on-going consumer insights research service. The next wave of research will take place in July 2006 and data will be based on the responses of more than 2,000 respondents.

FOR the past decade and more, private hospitals have run barcode-based information systems. Those ubiquitous black-bars are seen on labels attached to disposable items, medication, pieces of medical equipment whether large or small, and even on the wrist straps issued to patients – anything, and indeed anyone, that a hospital needs to keep track of.

But now, there is a new generation of technology for tagging objects and people, the radio frequency identity (RFID) tag.

The traditional barcode is in essence a number, coded and printed on a tag, that points to information stored in a remote system. This was an excellent innovation in its day, but by current standards it limits direct access to that information, says Siemens Business Services RFID expert Daniela Schmieg.

Siemens Business Services system architect for RFID Daniela Schmeig

In application, the RFID tag is basically an evolution from its barcode predecessor. RFID tags go where barcode tags go. But the instead of just being a number linked to information stored elsewhere, an RFID tag itself stores information.

“This gives more flexibility and reliability to the hospital’s information system as a whole,” Schmieg says. For one thing, doctors and nurses carrying RFID tag readers, perhaps attached to laptop PCs or personal digital assistants (PDAs), could retrieve up-to-date information from the patient’s wristband if the hospital information system is down.

This also saves time and reduces errors introduced by entering information more than once into a system, Schmieg says.

It was also convenient for doctors who could refer to or update patient records from the bedside, as they make clinical observations, prescribe medication or order medical procedures.

On the whole, implementing RFID in a hospital information system could help cut down on such errors as well as reduce the need for paper at such places as the nurses’ station in a hospital ward. This would reduce the clerical workload for nurses, freeing them to get on with actual nursing, she says.

Also, RFID tags are more physically robust than barcode tags, are reusable, and could be read through a patient’s clothing or bedding material – which is helpful in retrieving information when a patient is asleep.

Higher cost

So far, no Malaysian private hospital has converted from its barcode-based information system to an RFID-based one, according to Siemens Malaysia Sdn Bhd senior vice-president Alex Lim.

Lim says cost could be an issue, with RFID tagging systems costing about twice as much as barcode-based ones.

And while RFID tags cost from 15 cents (54sen) to US$10 (RM38) each – depending on data capacity and whether the tag is “active” (carries a radio transmitter), among other things – a barcode tag only costs as much as the paper it is printed on.

In addition, taking advantage of the RFID tags would require issuing doctors and nurses with IT equipment ranging from Tablet PCs to PDAs and laptop PCs. This would add to the implementation costs to the hospital, as well as raise potential security and privacy risks for confidential patient data if the devices are lost or stolen.

However, one luxury private hospital now under construction in the country, is considering having an all-RFID tagging system installed, Lim claims.

TRENDNET recently introduced the TEW-429UB, a USB 2.0 combination WiFi adaptor and hotspot detector.

According to the company, the device can access all three major wireless networking protocols – 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. The TEW-429UB also has a built-in hotspot detector and an LCD display.

With it, you can see if there’s a wireless network in the area; the type of security it uses; its signal strength; and what wireless standard it’s using – all without turning on your notebook.

The TEW-429UB is about the size of a large USB Flash memory drive and is powered by a lithium-ion battery, which charges itself when you plug the device into a USB 2.0 port.

It costs RM290 and works with any notebook or PC running Windows 98SE/ME/2000/2003 Server/XP.

For more information, contact Convergence Networks Sdn Bhd (03) 7859-1975. -theStar

I.TECH Dynamic (no relation to the publication which you are currently reading) has recently launched a couple of cool wireless Bluetooth headsets systems for the iPod nano and the fifth-generation video iPod: The BlueCON nano and BlueCON G5.

Attached to the base of the iPods via a dock connector, the BlueCONs use the Bluetooth v1.2 standard Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) to wirelessly transmit audio to a compatible headset or receiver.

The BlueCONs also double as iPod battery chargers, which is awfully convenient if you haven’t got an Apple-made iPod charger or a USB-equipped PC to charge your iPod.

The BlueCON nano is particularly cool because it also acts as a protective case for an iPod nano, and doubles as a tabletop stand when flipped over.

The BlueCON G5 and BlueCON nano cost RM499 each and are bundled with i.Tech Clip R35 Bluetooth headset/dongles.

The Clip R35 is particularly clever too – it can be paired with both your mobile phone and iPod at the same time, which means you can answer a call by simply switching the headset from iPod to phone mode. Plus, its battery has enough power for up to six hours of continuous listening.

Both BlueCON systems and the Clip R35 utilise the Bluetooth Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) too, which means that you can select tracks, seek, play and pause an iPod from the R35’s remote keypad. -theStar

MOBILE operator DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd has been named the Mobile Operator of the Year, Malaysia, by a regional telecommunications publication. DiGi chief marketing officer Chee Pok Jin received the award from Asian Mobile News at a presentation ceremony in Singapore on Thursday. This is the third award for DiGi this year. Frost & Sullivan Malaysia recently named DiGi the Mobile Data Service Provider of the Year. DiGi was also named the Best Prepaid Telco Service Provider by IT publications PC.Com.

DIGI.COM Bhd, the country's smallest mobile operator, is taking marketing innovations to another level - by producing its own television programme called Ejen 016. Besides boosting DiGi's brand presence, the spycomedy programme is expected to highlight the uses of mobile technology."Behind the car chases and explosions, there are educational aspects on telecommunications," DiGi chief executive officer Morten Lundal said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.The 13-episode series, which will air over TV3 every Wednesday at 9.30pm starting July 19, is targeted at the mass audience."We expect to have at least two million viewers watching the programme, which is a good number," said Media Prima Bhd TV Networks chief executive officer Datuk Farid Ridzuan.Lundal hopes to grow DiGi's subscriber base from this initiative. Currently, close to 80 per cent of Malaysians already own a handphone. Analysts expect subscriber growth to slow down this year, after a strong mobile take-up rate last year.Lundal believes the TV series, which is in Bahasa Malaysia, will attract audiences across Malaysia, including the rural parts of the country.He also expects the programme to create more mobile usage from its customers, as mobile communication is more than just about making voice calls and sending SMSes. The company is offering exclusive Ejen 016 downloadable contents for its users, including wallpapers, screensavers, ringtones, mobile phone themes and caller tunes.It also offers Mobile TV, where users can watch future episode previews, highlights of past episodes, bloopers and never-before-seen scenes.

Ejen 016 stars Saiful Apek in the lead role, supported by Ida Nerina, Mustapha Kamal, Jehan Miskin, and Bob Kuman among others. TheTV series will also feature cameo appearances by other Malaysian stars like M Nasir, Linda Onn and Amber Chia.DiGi's production cost for the TV programme remains "top-secret". The company spent RM168.3 million and RM113.9 million on advertising and promotion in 2005 and 2004 respectively.

DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (DiGi) has awarded Siemens Communications a contract to expand its mobile broadband network over EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technology. The award from DiGi includes the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of base stations and associated base station controllers. DiGi’s chief technology officer, Jon Eddy says: "Ournetwork expansion and upgrade contains two important elements - significantly enhanceour EDGE network quality and performance and, extend EDGE coverage to more than 60 per cent of the country’s population." According to Joe Doering, senior vice president and head of telecommunications sector for Siemens Malaysia, "We are very pleased to further strengthen our partnership with DiGi to further expand its mobile broadband network and its commitment to have Malaysia’s widest high speed mobile coverage". -theStar

The evolution in mobile games - involving subscription & downloads - is set to continue in the next five years, with a growth in global revenues from $3.1bn in 2006 to approaching $17.6bn by 2011 according to Juniper Research. A rise producing a cumulative revenue stream of nearly $57bn over the next six years… According to Juniper, the Asia Pacific region has dominated the market since its inception, with Japanese and South Korean markets in the vanguard. Asia Pacific is forecast to contribute 38% of cumulative revenues from 2006 to 2011, with Europe contributing 31%, North America 22% and the rest of the world 9 per cent. The Juniper reportreveals that Mobile Games have come of age - no longer the poor relation of console and PC games. Mobile Games provide a different family with their own characteristics - satisfying an increasing need courtesy of evolving technology. The growth trend is set to continue, with the broaderelectronic games and entertainment industry acknowledging the rise in popularity of the mobile games industry according to its new status. Whilst the leading edge games technology will focus on 3D and multiplayer games, the greatest growth will come from the casual game sector. Female games players will also grow as a proportion of the market with a more even balance of genders using mobile games in the future. Bruce Gibson, Research Director at Juniper Research says “I think the mobile games industry has at last found its identity, and it is a strong one. There is a real demand for mobile entertainment and games are at the very heart of it. The casual games sector is going to be the market driver, even though it may not be at the leading edge of mobile games technology. Casual games make most use of the inherent advantages of the mobile platform. People want to fill ‘dead time’ with easy to use, but fun games. This is the same in just about every culture”. For a free whitepaper and further details of the new study ‘Mobile Games: Subscription & Download, 2006-2011 (third edition)’ visit www.juniperresearch.com. Alternatively contact Michele Ince at michele.ince@juniperresearch.com, Telephone +44 (0) 1256 830002/476200.