Friday May 16, 2008

- Thalys launches its Internet service in the trains - Lionel - 13:47:05

Source : Thalys

After a long phase of tests, Thalys launches officially its offer of Internet on board its tracks.
The access will be free for the travellers of first class, and will cost 13€ each way for the others or 6,50€ for one hour. The system functions via a satellite connection, which connects in a transparent way using system of the 3G+ telephone in the tunnels.

[translation by crispin]

- Canal+ promotion at Free.fr - Lionel - 13:41:17

Starting today 12:00 and for the next 10 days, the owners of Freebox TV will be able to profit from the entire bouquet of Canal+ at no charge.
The two companies put the package to assure a maximum coverage of the event, Free having also, exceptionally, sent an email to the subscribers.
It should be said that the stakes are important for the two companies, Canal+ is always on the search for new subscribers, and Free, which anticipates the slow down in the growth of ADSL (the market will soon be saturated) wants to get more money from each subscriber.

[translation by crispin]

- Orange will distribute the iPhone in many countries - Lionel - 13:33:58

Orange in a press release announced to have signed a contract with Apple enabling them to distribute the iPhone in the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Dominican Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and also to the African Orange markets

The Swiss, just like the Italians, will thus be entitled to a competition between operators.

[translation by crispin]

- Les ultra portablesprovoke a shortage of small sized LCD screens - Lionel - 13:29:33

Source : Digitimes

The arrival of the first model of the EEE PC created tension in the market of 7" LCD screens which were developed, and primarily intended for little more than for the numerical photo frames/screens.
With the arrival of a model equipped with a 8,9" screens and with competitors making clones of them, it is now the turn of this format to be in heavy demand. All the current production and those to come have already been taken.
The situation could quickly become rather delicate so manufacturers of machines will diversify their products and propose them with 10" screens; these are currently less in demand and thus not too expensive.
If one looks at the very fast changes of ranges in this new market, one notes that it is still far from being fixed in a general format. All the manufacturers try to find the best low cost recipe and to try and get an advantage over their competitors.

[translation by crispin]

- Sharp Unveils its Direct Methanol Fuel Cells - Lionel - 08:41:32

After Sony couple of days ago, Sharp unveiled its Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. The company announced to have achieved the world's highest power density for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) for mobile equipment, with a result of 0.3W/cc. According to Sharp, this new technology could make it possible to develop fuel cells that have almost the same volume but a longer continuous-use lifespan than lithium-ion batteries, which are the main type currently in use.

However, there is no availability date for such fuel cell, and we will most likely have to wait for years before seeing the first fuel-cell powered-based device hitting the market.

[translation by Linathael]

- Firmware update for the RocketRAID 3522 card - Lionel - 07:45:26

HighPoint Technologies has released new firmware for its NCV-Express RocketRAID 3522 card. This new firmware allows the use of the above connected disks as startup volumes with the lastest Mac Pro and Xserve.
This card is reviewed by our friends at AMUG, adds 8 external SATA II ports on the machine where it is installed. It is also compatible with the major sleep problem of Mac Pro (this is to be confirmed with the new firmware).

http://www.hptmac.com/US/product.php?_index=43

[translation by crispin]

- AT&T manages the shortage of the iPhone - Lionel - 07:33:01

Source : http://www.appleinsider.com

In order to manage the shortage d' iPhone that prevails in the United States and to try to satisfy its customers, AT& T has ordered its sales outlets to refuse to sell more than one apparatus per customer.
To buy more, it will be neccessary to get permission from the shop manager and a good reason has to be supplied. To ensure that these rules are respected, the company henceforth requires a credit card payment identifying in a formal way the purchaser.
It is amusing to see how much the scarcity of a product can make it sexy, even after a year, and exactly the day before its face lift.

[translation by crispin]