Harman shows off its upcoming JBL docks and speakers, we go eyes-on

Harman announced a fair amount of JBL-branded speakers back at IFA, but that wasn't all it had to announce before the year goes out. Today we met with in the company in NYC, where it was ready to show off even more of its upcoming wireless and dock speakers. In fact, don't tell Harmon that the 30-pin connector is on its way out, as its $199 OnBeat Venue (seen above and $139 OnBeat aWake are ready to pair up with your last-gen iOS devices. The Venue is rated for a peak output of 30-watts and features a stow-away dock a tweeter and woofer combo for both stereo channels, component outputs for use with TVs, an obligatory 3.5mm jack and Bluetooth if you'd prefer to go wireless. The aWake shrinks things down to about 13 watts, and features a digital clock so that you can use it on your bedside night stand -- despite its small size, it'll easily dock an iPad. Both systems also work with free JBL apps for iOS that'll enhance the experience. According to the company, it's also working on solutions for the Lightning connector, but wouldn't reveal any hard details.

Gallery: JBL Onbeat Venue and aWake Bluetooth speaker docks eyes-on

Moving along to dedicated speakers, you might recall the SoundFly BT, which recently got outed during its trip to the FCC. The 20-watt Bluetooth-equipped unit is strictly intended to plug directly into wall outlets, having only a status light with no inputs or buttons. It'll set you back $149 when it hits shelves, and if you tack another another $50 you can get an AirPlay-equipped version instead. We gave the BT a quick listen and it sounded surprisingly big with a fair amount of bass extension -- impressive considering it's petite and it plug-friendly design. A Harmon rep even noted that the hotel we were in was interested in procuring some for its rooms. Sadly, the units aren't remotely water-resistant, even though our demo area was a bathroom.

Gallery: JBL SoundFly BT and Air eyes-on

Lastly, we're actually most intrigued by the $59 Harman / Kardon BTA 10 dongle. The nearly matchbook-sized box connects to any speaker via its 3.5mm jack, allowing you to stream over Bluetooth 4.0 on the fly. Power is supplied via a micro-USB cable, and a blue indicator light lets you know that it's powered up. Harmon's mainly created it to add Bluetooth functionality to its non-wireless speakers, but it can be used with any speaker of your choice. We're also told that it overs very high-quality, despite being Bluetooth, thanks to some in-house development dubbed as TrueStream. There's no exact word on when all of these units will hit shelves, but you can peek the galleries for better looks -- check the source link for full details.

Gallery: Harman / Kardon BTA 10 Bluetooh Adapter eyes-on

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, Portable Audio/Video

Harman shows off its upcoming JBL docks and speakers, we go eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/KG2sMi_ax2A/

LAWSON SOFTWARE LAND SOFTWARE

BlueStacks partners with AMD to bring 500,000 Android apps to millions of Windows PCs

BlueStacks, the folks who brought Android apps to Windows and Mac computers via their "Layercake" emulation magic has announced that they are partnering with AMD to offer access to Android apps on Windows computers using AMD's storefront. At current count, BlueStacks figures there will be over 500,000 Android apps available to over 100 million Windows computers.

That's a lot of apps on a lot of computers.

As part of the partnership, AMD will be launching and Android-app centric space on the AMD AppZone. Don't let the importance of this one slip away from you. What it means is that users (that's us!) can surf to the AMD AppZone, click on an icon, and a working version of the app will automatically download, configure and install on the computer. I tested it with the Pulse app, and I'm pretty impressed. Making it easy to deliver your content means more people will use your content.

Another benefit of the AMD BlueStacks partnership is the GPU and APU optimization AMD has done for their processor architecture. AMD powers many mid-range consumer computers, and owners now have an easy portal for apps. Lots of apps.We're not sure how this strategy will play out, but we expect that as Windows 8 touch screen enabled devices begin to proliferate, it's a market worth tapping into. Hit the break for a short video and the full press release.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/9foJcjDTGuM/story01.htm

SAIC ROCKWELL AUTOMATION

Nokia Lumia Premium Pricing Won’t Help Windows Phone Adoption

How much would you pay for a Nokia Lumia 920 and 820? Photo: Noah Devereaux/Wired

When the premiere Windows Phone 8 handsets arrive on U.S. shores later this year, they could be too costly to woo new buyers.

Details about the pricing and availability of Nokia’s upcoming Lumia 920 and 820 Windows Phone 8 handsets have emerged. Europe was first to get the numbers on Thursday.

The unsubsidized cost of the higher-end Lumia 920 is around $800 U.S. — based on Thursday’s exchange rate, and prices vary slightly between European countries. That’s noticeably more than the unsubsidized cost of competing Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S III, and price-wise, puts the Lumia 920 on par with Apple’s new iPhone 5. The middle-tier Lumia 820 is around $650 unsubsidized.

‘What [Nokia] is hoping for is to be the Porsche or the Lamborghini of smartphones. The problem is, the brand has no caché.’

— John Pliniussen,
Queens University

European pricing is always higher than U.S. pricing, and carrier subsidies will undoubtedly bring these prices down when the phones hit the market. But these early numbers indicate that Nokia’s flagship Windows Phones will likely cost the same as the phones from the more established manufacturers like Apple, Samsung and HTC, all of which sit around the $200 mark in the U.S.

This is problematic for Nokia, once the leading phone-maker in the world, that is now struggling in the smartphone market. It needs a high-profile hit to break its downward slide. And the best way to guarantee a hit is to undercut your rivals on price.

“If Microsoft and Nokia want to see significant adoption, they must simply make the devices cheaper,” says Random Salad Games co-founder and Windows Phone developer Jake Poznanski.

Microsoft’s nascent smartphone OS is currently struggling, commanding only a meager 3 percent market share. Redmond execs have publicly stated that consumers just aren’t aware of the Windows Phone platform, and that Windows Phone 8 will change this. Microsoft and Nokia — the two companies buddied up on Windows Phone development last year — have high hopes for these new Lumia handsets, and they expect them to boost adoption of the Windows 8 platform.

But pricing will play a key role in whether smartphone buyers will take notice.

“There are two types of buyers: One that buys on price and one that buys on brand,” Queens University business professor John Pliniussen told Wired. He says buyers will either come in with a budget and look for certain functionality, or fall back on brand alliance and buy a familiar phone, like the iPhone, for a premium price.

But when it comes to Nokia, Pliniussen says the Lumia prices don’t make sense. “I think what they’re hoping is for it to be the Porsche or the Lamborghini of smartphones. The problem is, the brand has no caché.”

Nokia Germany is pricing the unsubsidized Lumia 920 at 649 euro (around $836) and the Lumia 820 at 499 euro (around $642). Nokia Italy has announced slightly lower pricing, with the Lumia 920 at 599 euros (around $771). In Russia, the Lumia 920 will cost 24,990 rubles (or $803) and the Lumia 820 will be 19,990 rubles (or $643). The phones will be available in Q4, or more specifically, November.

Some comparison: an unsubsidized Samsung Galaxy S III costs $550 in the U.S., 449 pounds (around $728) in the U.K., and usually between 490 and 530 euros (around $630 to $682) in Italy and Germany. The new iPhone 5 starts at $650 unsubsidized in the U.S. In the United Kingdom, the iPhone starts at 529 pounds (around $857).

As prices for competing phones indicate, the Nokia Lumia line will likely cost less in the U.S. than Europe. And for people getting two-year contracts, it would not be surprising if the Lumia line is subsidized to a point where it costs the same as other high-end smartphones — typically around $200.

Poznanski says he “suspects that Microsoft and Nokia will ensure a post-subsidy cost exactly on par with the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III, and we will continue to see a slow but steady growth of Windows Phone.”

That’s an optimistic outlook, but professor Pliniussen says even if the pricing ends up the same as the more popular phones, that hardly means consumers will come clamoring for the Lumias.

“But why buy a 920? What is the lipstick on this that justifies [the price]? The case isn’t prettier. It doesn’t purr. I don’t see it. That’s why it won’t work,” he said.

“Windows Phone 8 has the same functionality. That won’t work. No one cares. You have to have something that kills Apple or Android. This doesn’t kill it, this is just different,” Pliniussen says.

And that’s the tune that both Microsoft and its hardware partners have been singing: Windows Phone 8 is different. The devices are different, colorful. But now that Nokia is giving people a sense of pricing, “different” might not be enough to give Windows Phone 8 the push it needs.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/nokia-lumia-premium-pricing-will-hinder-windows-phone-adoption/

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES (IBM) INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

An Adorable Strawberry Knife That Feeds My Unfortunate Kitchen Gadget Addiction [Kitchen]

My kitchen is the size of a walk-in closet and has less drawer space than the dresser in my bedroom. But does that stop the constant influx of novelty kitchen gadgets and uni-tasking tools? Seemingly not. I don't even really like strawberries, but that doesn't mean I won't be finding a spot to cram this cute and colorful $12 berry-prepping knife from Kuhn Rikon. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Izk4zlC9pSs/this-adorable-strawberry-knife-feeds-my-unfortunate-kitchen-gadget-addiction

AVNET BHARTI AIRTEL

The US Military Has Designated Julian Assange and WikiLeaks as Enemies of the State [Wikileaks]

Documents released by the US Government under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed what we've more or less known all along: The government really freaking hates Julian Assange. So much so that it has deemed him an enemy of the state. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/5S8IvyZ5mjs/the-us-military-has-designated-julian-assange-and-wikileaks-as-enemies-of-the-state

SYKES ENTERPRISES INORATED SYBASE