New Technology Reviews!.: Australia

Aussie retailers skirt Apple injunction to sell Galaxy Tab 10.1

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="215" mce_src="http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3429/tab101540x359.jpg" src="http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3429/tab101540x359.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="324" />Apple won a major victory in its “thermonuclear war” with Android in Australia, where the civil court upheld a sales injunction against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab based on Apple’s practical and design patents. But the courts are no obstacle for the determined, and a collection of crafty online retailers are still selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 down under. Like Prohibition smugglers they get their stock from outside the continent and sell the tablets as import items, exploiting a loophole in Australian law.</div>
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Naturally Apple isn’t happy. The American company has forwarded copies of the injunction to eTail Solutions and and MobiCity, two of the online shops currently selling the contraband tablets. Other retailers currently offering the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to underserved Aussies include import specialist Expansys, Techrific, dMavo and eBay, though not all of these have been contacted by Apple. According to an eTail Solutions manager, to stop the sales Apple would have to also win an injunction against Samsung where the tablets are being imported from, in this case, Hong Kong.</div>
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Retailers are still prohibited from purchasing the tablets directly from Samsung, but Samsung is trying to overrule the courts’ ruling with an appeal. If that fails there isn’t a whole lot Samsung can do, since Apple has flat-out denied any sort of appeal. Similar cases between Apple and Samsung are being waged all over the world, with troubling developments here in the United States as the circuit judge in charge of the case declared Samsung in violation of some of Apple’s technical patents.</div>
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Aussie retailers skirt Apple injunction to sell Galaxy Tab 10.1

Apple won a major victory in its “thermonuclear war” with Android in Australia, where the civil court upheld a sales injunction against ...

Samsung steals some iPhone 4S thunder down under

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="155" mce_src="http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/791/samsungpopup.jpg" src="http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/791/samsungpopup.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" />Samsung figured it would take the chance to do a little scrapping out behind the gym with Apple with the iPhone 4S set to launch in Australia this week. Samsung set up a little pop up store right next door to the big Apple Store in Sydney and then offered the very nice Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone in limited quantities for $2. Apparently, the geeks in Australia were more interested in the Android smartphone than the iPhone 4S.</div>
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According to reports, the line in front of the Samsung store is longer than the line in front of the iPhone store. I’m surprised that fights between the Android geeks and the iPhone 4S geeks didn’t break out. There was a catch to the smoking good Samsung deal though. There are only ten of the Galaxy S II smartphones offered at the bargain price each day.</div>
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Apparently, the Samsung store is up and running until this Friday and then it will close. You had better count the folks that are in line to be sure you need to stand around at all if you want one of the smartphones. The iPhone 4S will go on sale in Australia this Friday so the Samsung store is closing as the iPhone 4S gets ready to start selling.</div>
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Samsung steals some iPhone 4S thunder down under

Samsung figured it would take the chance to do a little scrapping out behind the gym with Apple with the iPhone 4S set to launch in Aust...

Samsung officially postpones Australian Galaxy Tab 10.1 launch

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Samsung originally planned to host a media event on August 11 for the Australian launch of its Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it has now officially been postponed, according to TechCrunch. Over the past couple of days, Samsung's story has changed multiple times. First it said the Galaxy Tab would launch in Australia despite Apple's patent-related complaints to Australia's Federal Court. Then, Samsung said it had no plans to launch the Galaxy Tab in Australia in the first place, and its decision had nothing to do with Apple's complaint.</div>
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The latest update on the matter seems to be a combination of all the previous takes. Samsung chooses not to classify the situation as<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">withdrawing</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the Galaxy Tab from sale since the launch hasn't happened yet. The company also states that the decision to postpone the Australian launch is directly tied to the current legal situation with Apple. Samsung appears to be trying to work around the patent battle by producing a specialized Australian variant of the Galaxy Tab, but the unit is still in production with no ETA for a launch, and TechCrunch speculates that launching a variant of the same product may violate the spirit of the agreement.</div>
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Samsung isn't characterizing this as an injunction against the Galaxy Tab's launch, but rather a mutual agreement between it and Apple as part of the ongoing "look and feel" patent dispute between the two companies. Another hearing on the matter is scheduled for August 29, but a final resolution to the case may take years. Meanwhile, in the United States the ITC has agreed to review the case, and the Commission has the power to impose an injunction against US imports of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 if it agrees with Apple's position.</div>
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Samsung officially postpones Australian Galaxy Tab 10.1 launch

Samsung originally planned to host a media event on August 11 for the Australian launch of its Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it has now official...

Apple's complaint over Samsung Galaxy Tab earns ITC review

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Apple's "look and feel" patent infringement suit against Samsung has gained the attention of the International Trade Commission (ITC), which has the power to block imports of products if it determines they infringe on patents. According to Bloomberg, the ITC usually takes 15 to 18 months to complete reviews and decide whether or not to block imports.</div>
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Although the ITC has the power to block imports of products if it determines they violate patents, things rarely reach that point. Instead, the threat of an outright importation embargo usually forces companies to the negotiating table, where millions of dollars in patent licensing fees subsequently change hands. Notably, Samsung is not launching the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, though according to AllThingsD the company claims it has nothing to do with Apple issuing a complaint with the Federal Court in that country.</div>
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Apple has accused Samsung of willfully copying both the iPhone and the iPad in the hardware design of the Galaxy line, and a casual glance at the products does indeed show many design similarities. On closer inspection the differences between the companies' products become much clearer, however, so it may take the courts a long time to determine whether Samsung's products violate Apple's patents or not.</div>
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Apple's complaint over Samsung Galaxy Tab earns ITC review

Apple's "look and feel" patent infringement suit against Samsung has gained the attention of the International Trade Comm...

Sony Ericsson Announces Qriocity Video Service for Xperia Devices

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="183" mce_src="http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4766/semcvideoservice490x305.jpg" src="http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4766/semcvideoservice490x305.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" title="SEMC_video_service-490x305" width="294" />Today the good folks at Sony Ericsson have let the world know that a brand new video service for Xperia phones will be launching starting on August 1st, 2011. This service will allow users to either buy or rent movies and television shows, this service complimenting the mobile brand’s recently announced cloud based digital music service “Music Unlimited.” The video service Qriocity will initially be pushed to Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro in nine markets with localization of content and movies – that means if you’re in Germany, you probably won’t get the movie Purple Rain. Or maybe you love Prince over there too, I don’t know.</div>
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The nine markets of which Sony Ericsson speaks for the initial launch are the following: UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, Japan*, Canada and the United States. *Japan being the only market to have the service becoming available at the end of August instead of the start. This video service will be made available to a series of 2011 Sony Ericsson devices in the Xperia line, those being the mini and the mini pro first, the Xperia arc, Xperia neo, Xperia PLAY, Xperia pro, and Xperia acro through a software upgrade later this year. Furthermore, the service will be available instantly on Xperia active and Xperia ray when they launch as well.</div>
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This service will be what Sony Ericsson notes as an intuitive and user friendly way to both buy and rent TV shows and movies from a whole batch of their partners in the project. NBC, Universal International Television Distribution, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution amongst other local studies will be joining in soon. Latest releases from each of these studios will be available as well as an extensive back catalog for classic pictures.</div>
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Access the app as soon as it launches at http://www.qriocity.com/ and let us know how you like it. That said – are you the sort of person who rents or purchases video on a regular basis for your mobile device? Let us know!</div>
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Sony Ericsson Announces Qriocity Video Service for Xperia Devices

Today the good folks at Sony Ericsson have let the world know that a brand new video service for Xperia phones will be launching starting...

Apple adds 90 second song previews to some international music stores

Apple adds 90 second song previews to some international music stores

Apple has extended song previews to 90 seconds in some international iTunes music stores. As noted by MacRumors, the extended previews ...

HTC Desire S, Incredible S hit Australia

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="HTC Desire S Australia HTC Desire S, Incredible S hit Australia" class="size-full wp-image-221321 aligncenter" height="247" src="http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/1573/htcdesiresaustralia.jpg" title="HTC Desire S, Incredible S hit Australia" width="331" /></p><br/>Good news for our readers from Australia as two of the hot HTC smartphones are now available in the country.<br/><br/>The first one is the Desire S, which is the second (after Google Nexus S) Gingerbread-powered Android smartphone on sale in Australia. The price of an unlocked device is AU$649 which is about $674.<br/><br/>The other one is Incredible S, which is AU$20 cheaper than the Desire S. One of the reasons for the lower price tag is that it runs Android 2.2 Froyo, though that will be changed/updated in the near future.<br/><br/>Both the Desire S and Incredible S have been spotted at Australian retailer MobiCity and I’m sure the prices of the two phones will go down within a month or so. Moreover, soon you will be able to grab any of the two from mobile operators and save some cash with a two-year contract.

HTC Desire S, Incredible S hit Australia

Good news for our readers from Australia as two of the hot HTC smartphones are now available in the country. The first one is the Desire S, ...

Future of Business Mobility in Australia: What Lies Ahead?

<br />		<p>With mobile penetration exceeding 100% of Australia's population, the mobile phone is now undeniably part of the fabric of our lives. In business, mobile data has become the latest frontier for companies seeking greater responsiveness in the face of rising competition and customer expectations. For many organisations, geographical expansion and the continual search for a better work/life balance for their employees also mean increasing numbers of workers are spending more time outside the office and relying more on wireless technology to stay connected.</p><p>The first major milestone in Australian business mobility came when Telstra unveiled the BlackBerry wireless email solution in 2003. Since then, the other three mobile carriers along with a host of other wireless email solutions have flooded the market with choice and greater affordability. More than three years after its first debut, wireless email has now become the most popular business application being mobilised by Australian organisations.</p><p>As the mobile carriers continue to roll out higher-speed networks and mobile applications become more commonplace, the market is experiencing another significant milestone, where Australian companies are beginning to mobilise business process centric applications in a major way. Notable applications include customer relationship management (CRM) for sales and marketing personnel, workforce automation and inventory management for workers in the field, and industry-specific applications such as mobile transactions, location services and assets tracking.<br /><br>Challenges</p><p>The rapid growth in mobile business applications does not come without challenges, however. The additional data traffic mobile workers generate and their growing needs for a better user experience are putting considerable strains on the corporate network. As a result, companies with a growing mobile workforce are encountering the formidable task of ensuring their corporate infrastructure and business support systems can accommodate the change.</p><p>Technical issues organisations are likely to face include:</p><p>§	Network Readiness. More mobile workers accessing company data mean increases in traffic on the corporate network. Access to bandwidth-hungry business applications, as well as real-time and multi-modal communications, such as voice and video conferencing, makes network scalability and quality of service a critical consideration.</p><p>§	Remote Access and Security. As with wired remote access users, mobile workers using a wireless connection increase the risk of the corporate network being exposed to unauthorised users. Increasing numbers of viruses and malicious codes are also making their way to the mobile world.<br /><br>§	Wireless Standards. Despite its rapid developments, the wireless industry remains a highly fragmented market in terms of standards, with many incompatible - and proprietary - technologies each offering its own unique advantages. The large number of mobile device choices and operating systems available on the market today only serves to exacerbate the situation.</p><p>§	Mobile Device Management. Mobile devices used in an organisation, either centrally or individually purchased, tap into the company's network and databases, and must therefore be properly monitored and managed. Unmanaged mobile devices can bring serious security risks (viruses and hacking) to the organisation, as can the misplacement and theft of those devices.</p><p>§	Back-end Integration. Given the variety of back-end systems in an enterprise, it is crucial that mobile solutions integrate seamlessly with the existing infrastructure. Companies also have to ensure their applications are ready to meet the needs of mobile workers and the specific requirements of the mobile devices they use without substantial modifications to the databases or applications being mobilised.</p><p>On the business front, companies are facing the following challenges:</p><p>§	Cost Control. Implementing mobile solutions invariably involves for both upfront and ongoing costs. Obtaining accurate estimates of total cost of ownership can be difficult. In addition, businesses will need to take into consideration the cost of wireless connectivity which can be significant, particularly when there are no centralised subscription plans.</p><p>§	ROI Justification. Justification of the benefits, especially intangible or "soft" benefits like improved workforce productivity and business efficiency, can be difficult to quantify, and can vary greatly among the various types of mobile users. At times, companies may have to justify the lack of a demonstrable ROI instead.</p><p>§	Training and Support. The resources to support the mobile solution being put in place are as important as the solution itself. User training must take into account the existing knowledge and offer ongoing formal and informal training programs. The IT department's buy-in on technical support and user training forms a key part of a successful mobility strategy.</p><p>Convergence and mobility</p><p>Many Australian businesses are merging their voice and data communications onto one platform. That move, made possible by Internet protocol (IP) technology, is also allowing them to amalgamate traditionally disparate telecom and IT networks, simplifying the procurement and administration of technologies and greatly reducing costs.</p><p>With IP as the common enabler of the technology roadmaps of businesses and carriers alike, convergence is also blurring the demarcation between private and public networks. Since IP is at the heart of wireless radio and mobile device developments, it is natural for businesses to leverage their IP infrastructure and integrate mobility as part of their convergence strategy. In other words, IP is also melding wireless and wireline technologies, thus playing an instrumental role in helping organisations achieve advanced stages of mobility deployment.</p><p>Given mobility technology will become an inextricable element of the corporate IT infrastructure, future challenges will likely become even more complex. Therefore, it is critical that decision makers adequately address the early challenges raised here, or they will miss the opportunity to realise the full benefits of mobility and risk falling behind competition.</p>	<br />	<br />		<br />			<br />				<br />					<br /><br />						<p>About the Author</p><p>Warren Chaisatien is the Managing Director of <a href="http://www.telsyte.com.au" target="_new">http://www.telsyte.com.au</a> an Australian-based market research and consultancy specialised in the competitive intelligence of the converged communications market. Telsyte?s expertise is centered around the three core competency areas of Carrier & Broadband, Mobile & Wireless, and Enterprise Communications. Telsyte provides industry insights through custom research and consulting as well as ongoing research, including market reports and online databases.</p>					<br />

Future of Business Mobility in Australia: What Lies Ahead?

With mobile penetration exceeding 100% of Australia's population, the mobile phone is now undeniably part of the fabric of our lives....