PGi unveils new online meeting offering 'GlobalMeet'

PGi, a provider of virtual meetings, has unveiled GlobalMeet offering, that brings together audio and web conferencing into one complete offering for simple, cost-effective meetings.

The new GlobalMeet is a cloud-based offering, that requires no downloads for meeting guests, and enables users to schedule, start and manage meetings directly from their desktop or mobile device, and connects participants automatically.

In addition, the new offering lets users escalate from an audio conference call to a Web conference including screen-sharing with the simple click of a button.

PGi founder, chairman and CEO Boland Jones said the company designed GlobalMeet to support the way people really work and they streamlined and simplified the user experience to enable users to focus on the meeting at hand, rather than wasting time navigating clunky and complex technology.

CBR

Dialog Semiconductor unveils 2D to 3D video conversion chip for smartphones, tablets

Dialog Semiconductor, a provider of integrated display, audio and power management semiconductor offerings, has unveiled a real time 2D to 3D video conversion chip DA8223 for portable devices, including smartphones and tablet PCs.

The company said the device also integrates a parallax barrier screen driver that lets users view 3D content without the need for glasses.

The IC analyses each 2D video frame and creates a layered depth map, isolating foreground and background objects, and from this, each original image pixel is mapped into left and right eye pixels that, when viewed through a parallax barrier filter on the display module, renders the 3D image directly.

The DA8223 integrates the complete 3D conversion process, which means there is no extra load on the host application processor and no external memory requirement.

Dialog Semiconductor VP corporate development and strategy Mark Tyndall said using the DA8223 their customers can, without compromising battery life, create a truly unique offering; products with immediate access to unlimited 3D content.

Tyndall added, "The hardware based 2D-3D conversion technology requires virtually no software development and uses a tiny fraction of the battery and compute power of competing application processor based software-approaches."

Compatible with 3D capable displays from 3.8 inch smartphones up to 10 inch tablet PCs, the DA8223 supports still images and video at 60fps and able to display 3D content in both portrait and landscape formats in real-time.

The 5x5mm 81-ball UFBGA chip can be mounted on the PCB, between the application processor and 3D display, or on the display module as a chip-on-flex.

The company said that device samples will be available early in 2011, and expects mass production from the second half of 2011.

CBR

Fujitsu launches docomo smartphone REGZA in Japan

Combines capabilities of a smartphone with the benefits of conventional mobile phones

Fujitsu has unveiled new docomo smartphone REGZA Phone T-01C, which will be available in Japan from NTT DOCOMO, beginning 17 December 2010.

The T-01C is an Android-based smartphone that combines capabilities of a smartphone with the benefits of conventional mobile phones including features like a 12.2 megapixel high-resolution camera, Osaifu-Keitai mobile wallet functionality and water-resistance.

The new smartphone is equipped with Mobile REGZA Engine 3.0, a processing engine optimised for smartphones that is based on the resolution technology employed in Toshiba's REGZA LCD TVs, which enables the T-01C users to watch TV, YouTube, and other videos with high image quality.

In addition, the T-01C is equipped with features that have been requested by users of conventional mobile phones, including IPX5/IPX7 water-resistance, Osaifu-Keitai functionality, one-segment infrared communications, and the ATOK Japanese input system.

The REGZA Phone T-01C employes the original NX!UI home-screen interface, which enables users to access their favorite websites and keep a constant eye on Twitter.

CBR

IBM launches new cloud services for IT service desk operations

IBM has launched new online software services that enables automation and control of IT Service Desk functions. The new services add to IBM's software-as-a-service offerings, enabling automation of a range of IT services critical to maintaining business operations.

To meet the demand of automating IT functions, IBM Tivoli Live - service manager enables clients to start with IT Service Desk functionality, for instance, and grow into more extensive IT automation services as a company's needs change in IT management areas

Since Tivoli Live - service manager is delivered on the IBM Cloud and based on a subscription model, the service reduces the upfront capital investment and management required by on-premise deployment, the company said.

The service is based on a common platform and architecture that IBM clients use today as on-premise software, where companies need no additional hardware, software licenses or engage in extensive software configuration.

IBM's Tivoli Live - service manager provides a portfolio of automated functions for IT service management.

Customers can use IBM's cloud-based, software-as-a-service offerings in combination with on-premise deployment of other IBM software offerings, with the assurance that they work together regardless of the consumption model.

Clients can also integrate both Tivoli Live services for a broader service management environment, the company said.

IBM's IBM Tivoli Live - service manager's comprehensive suite of integrated services includes Incident and problem management, IT asset management, service catalogue, change, configuration and release management

CBR

Red Hat launches Business Rules Management System

Active decisions with easy business rules development, access and change management

Red Hat, a provider of open source offerings, has launched Business Rules Management System - JBoss Enterprise BRMS 5.1 - as part of its comprehensive open source middleware portfolio, JBoss Enterprise Middleware.

JBoss Enterprise BRMS is an open source business rules management system that enables active decisions with easy business rules development, access and change management.

The new offering includes rule engine and rules development tools, management system and repository, making it easier for a business analyst or auditor to view and manage business rules as encoded in IT application infrastructure.

The company said that the new offering enables business analysts, SOA and application developers to verify that the encoded rules implement the documented business policies.

JBoss Enterprise BRMS 5.1 enables businesses to reduce development time to update applications, SOA deployments and business processes with the latest business rules offering the business agility required to make active decisions regarding opportunities and competitive threats.

The new capabilities in JBoss Enterprise BRMS 5.1 include a foundation in the JBoss Open Choice Strategy, building on a wide range of rules authoring and development, deployment, and management options; and simplified rules services publication to applications, SOA and cloud deployments.

Red Hat middleware vice president Craig Muzilla said business rules systems are critical for businesses to retain their competitive edge by making active decisions regarding business events as they occur.

"The functionality of this architecture allows a business to change the underlying rules that govern such features as real-time insurance quotes, automatic discounts, linked frequent buyer programs and medical health records safeguards," Muzilla said.

CBR

Google unveils new smartphone Nexus S

Google has unveiled its new smartphone Nexus S that the company claims will change the way people buy almost anything by using their smartphone as a credit card.

The new smartphone is the successor of the earlier launched first branded smartphone 'Nexus One' by Google, mercurynews.com reported.

The online search giant said that the new smartphone will be available either unlocked or with a two-year contract from T-Mobile.

The Nexus S is built by Samsung, while Best Buy, a specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the US will sell the smartphone after 16 December, the news website reported.

Google said that the new phone will be equipped with the latest version of its Android operating system, which on the Nexus S is dubbed as "Gingerbread".

The phone will initially feature NFC technology, the short-range wireless technology that can be embedded in objects like movie posters, stickers and T-shirts, that will only gather information rather than export it.

With embedded NFC tag, a user could walk up to a movie poster, touch their phone to the poster, and see a movie trailer pop up on their phone, according to mercurynews.com.

CBR

NetQin launches system optimisation apps for Android phones

NetQin Mobile, a provider of mobile security services, has launched NetQin Mobile Guard 1.0 Beta, a free system optimisation and management application for Android 2.0/2.1/2.2.

NetQin Mobile Guard is designed to increase system performance while reducing the power consumption, keeping users in control of the amount of Internet usage, the company said.

NetQin Mobile Guard 1.0 Beta for Android devices features one-touch optimisation, network monitor, and power monitor.

The company says the new product comes with mobile optimisation scans to enable users to have their phones running at good speed, which includes an operating system scan for basic characteristics the phone possess.

Based on the results of this scan, the programme then generates a rating of the phone's optimisation status. The package also includes application and task managers that enables users to manually get into the system and choose to delete unnecessary items.

NetQin Mobile is a mobile security products provider offering products based on a cloud-computing model, including anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-spam, privacy protection, data backup and recovery, as well as data management to protect them against mobile security threats.

CBR

National Instruments launches new test management tool NI TestStand 2010

National Instruments (NI), a provider of LabVIEW software and hardware, has launched NI TestStand 2010, the commercial off-the-shelf test management software for automated validation and production testing.

NI TestStand enables test engineers build a software framework for accelerating the development of test sequences and minimises the total cost of ownership of maintaining test executive software deployed across many test stations, the company said.

NI TestStand 2010 is designed for a automated test applications within telecommunications, consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace/defense and other industries.

With the new NI TestStand 2010 Sequence Analyser, teams can collaborate on sequence development without spending time performing manual error checking.

The Sequence Analyser checks the code against standard rules to ensure error-free code after engineers create a test sequence and also helps engineers create their own custom rules within the analyser utility.

The three-way diff-and-merge utility complements the Sequence Analyser and provides teams with improved functionality for comparing and easily merging different files. This is especially useful for teams using source-code control software to manage the revision control of their test software development.

Optimised for use with LabVIEW, NI TestStand 2010 takes advantage of LabVIEW 2010 packed project libraries to enable engineers create modular test architectures.

It also integrates with LabVIEW projects and classes to help teams implement object-oriented programming and combat obsolescence by using hardware abstraction layer architectures.

Engineers using NI TestStand 2010 also gain support for symmetric multiprocessing to simplify access to LabVIEW multithreading for improved performance on multicore processors.

NI TestStand 2010 also supports the latest PC technologies with features including a redesigned .NET Adapter that takes advantage of chained calls with dot notation and many other .NET Framework improvements.

NI TestStand 2010 supports 64-bit integers and pointers, which simplifies migration to 64-bit code modules so engineers can develop more memory-intensive applications.

More Information: CBR

National Instruments