Western Digital WD TV Live Now Available

Is BluRay players and titles too expensive for you? Now here is a great way to enjoy your Full Hi-Definition experience at less expense. You can now play back up copy of your friends Bluray movies through WD TV with .mkv support plus more. Enjoy internet access through WiFi, browse your favorites clips on YouTube, listen to internet radio via Live365 and view your online photo collection via Flickr. The SRP is Php 7,998.00 which is available for 6 months zero interest (price based on villman).

Fore more details visit: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=735

WiDi HD Wireless Technology by Intel

Finally it is official, Intel lunched its WiDi technology. This will allow you to connect your laptop to your HDTV wirelessly via WiFi, stream HD video and audio all you want. You will need a i3 or i5 powered laptop to do that plus the adapter box which will cost you around $100.

Bluetooth 4.0 Specifications Unveiled

Bluetooth low energy is a big part of the new specs

Bluetooth is one of the many technologies that many of use couldn’t get through a day without using. It connects us to our phones, our cars, and a myriad of other devices we use for entertainment and work. The Bluetooth SIG has announced the release of Bluetooth Core Specification 4.0 and an enhancement to the specification called Bluetooth low energy is also part of the package.
Bluetooth low energy will allow a myriad of devices that were previously unable to utilize Bluetooth to take advantage of the specifications and connectivity it offers. Bluetooth low energy will be ideal for markets like healthcare, sport and fitness, security, and home entertainment. The Bluetooth SIG claims that devices using Bluetooth low energy can last for years with power from common coin-cell batteries.

“With today’s announcement the race is on for product designers to be the first to market,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director, Bluetooth SIG. “Bluetooth low energy modules for all sorts of new products may now be qualified – this is an important step towards our goal of enabling new markets with Bluetooth wireless technology. For example, the Continua Health Alliance has already selected Bluetooth low energy technology as a transport for the next version of its guidelines.”

Hallmark features of Bluetooth low energy include ultra-low peak, average, and idle mode power consumption. Low cost is a main feature and the specification allows for multi-vendor interoperability and an enhanced range. Bluetooth low energy has a maximum range of over 100 meters.

Data transfers with the low power specification will be at 1Mbps with very short data packets of 8-octet minimum and 27-octet maximum. The specification uses adaptive frequency hopping common to all versions of Bluetooth and operates in the 2.4GHz ISM band. Latency for the spec is as low as 3ms allowing an authenticated session to be established and data sent in a tiny amount of time.

The specification is also very secure with full AES-128 encryption using CCM to encrypt and authenticate data packets. Bluetooth low energy uses 32-bit access addresses on every packet for each slave allowing billions of devices to be connected.

“Today’s news from the Bluetooth SIG is an exciting step forward for technology in mobile health and wellness devices,” said Rick Cnossen, president and board chair, Continua Health Alliance. “Our selection of Bluetooth low energy for the Continua Version Two Design Guidelines extends exciting new capabilities to manufacturers and consumers alike, as well as enabling additional use cases within the Continua ecosystem.”

Bluetooth low energy allows for two types of implementation — single-mode and dual-mode. In dual-mode, the Bluetooth low energy functionality is integrated into an existing classic Bluetooth controller. In single-mode, ideal for highly integrated and small devices, the spec uses a lightweight link layer for ultra low power idle mode operation. The new specification will usher in a new range of connected devices and Nokia is already at work on integrating the tech into products.

“Nokia has been committed to this ultra low power wireless technology since its Wibree technology development. Now we are happy to see the adoption of the Bluetooth low energy specification, which will open up new market opportunities and space to innovate for the industry. The wide manufacturer base behind Bluetooth low energy technology and the combined industry effort will result in exciting new user experiences in the mobile space,” said Markku Verkama, Director, Devices R&D Nokia.

US firm to open call center in SM North

MANILA, Philippines – Stream Global Services will open its first call center in the country in the newly renovated SM North in Quezon City.

The US-based firm, formerly known as Global BPO Services Corp., is constructing a 1,500-seat facility at the sixth floor of the newly opened SM North Annex.

The company will start operating its facility this June.

Stream Global operates a temporary site at the Allied Bank in Makati City.

With the newly renovated Annex SM North, which is located along the main EDSA thoroughfare, is now being billed as the world’s third largest mall with a total area of more than 90,000 square meters.

SM has likewise attracted operators like TeleTech and companies like American computer firm Dell, which also operate mall-based facilities.

“Call centers like operating in malls because one, it is accessible for their employees because we have our transport terminals and two, we are able to satisfy their requirements in terms of food places, for example,” said Annie Garcia, president of SM Shopping Center Management Corp. (SCMC).

SM SCMC operates 33 SM malls all over the country and is set to open a couple more this year including one in Naga City (in the Bicol region), according to Garcia.