July 23, 2008
2008 New York International Latino Film Festival: Suzuki Auto Hits Red Carpet With Actors Nick Cannon, Melonie Diaz and Jay Hernandez
Rising Latina star Melonie Diaz receives Suzuki 'Way of Life!' Award.
Automaker presents NYILFF opening night film 'American Son,' starring Nick Cannon, Melonie Diaz and Jay Hernandez.
Photo: Melonie Diaz arrives at a screening of her new film "American Son" at the New York International Latino Film Festival's opening night, presented by Suzuki Auto, Monday July 22, 2008 in New York. (AP Photo/Suzuki Auto, Jason DeCrow)
Suzuki Auto made a star appearance as the presenting sponsor of the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) opening night film "American Son," featuring rising stars Nick Cannon, Melonie Diaz and Jay Hernandez. Suzuki's sponsorship of the NYILFF, which runs from July 22 through 27, 2008 in New York City, is part of the carmaker's ongoing effort to connect its brand and products with a wide range of Latinos -- a segment that represents nearly 10 percent of Suzuki new vehicle sales.
As part of the festival's opening night activities, Suzuki presented its first ever "Way of Life!" Award to Latina star on the rise Melonie Diaz. The award recognizes Diaz as a flourishing young Latina actress that embodies the authentic, bold and dynamic qualities of Suzuki's "Way of Life!" brand philosophy. Included with the award, the automaker presented a $2,500 cash donation on Diaz's behalf to the Manhattan-based Latin American Theatre Ensemble/El Porton del Barrio (LATE), a not-for-profit theater group responsible for the development of dramatic and literary talent from within the Hispanic-American community of New York City.
Photo: Suzuki Equator
Photo: Suzuki Forenza
"The Suzuki brand is about confidently exploring the world and discovering one's ability to live life to the fullest, and we're glad we've found a like-minded partner in the New York International Latino Film Festival," said Gene Brown, vice president of marketing for American Suzuki Automotive Operations. "Just as Suzuki is dedicated to providing fun and exciting products that reflect our customers' 'Way of Life' attitude, the festival shares a similar commitment to providing exhilarating and culturally relevant entertainment for film fans."
The 2008 NYILFF is presented by HBO (Home Box Office, Inc.), and made possible with the additional support of Official Sponsors HBO Latino, Heineken, Suzuki Auto, TBS & TNT, American Airlines, The Hollywood Reporter, Daily News/VNY, Telemundo, Time Warner Cable's New York City Region, 103.5 WKTU, WNBC and Impre.com.
The NYILFF is one of the leading film festivals that focuses on the urban Latino experience and presents the work of the hottest emerging filmmakers from the U.S. and Latin America. This year's festival includes screenings throughout the day and evening, industry panel discussions, music showcases and an exclusive partnership with Australia's Hola Mexico Film Festival, all tailored to reach the diverse and generational Latino audience.
Source: Suzuki Auto
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Music: Sony Ericsson launches three new Walkman™ phones and the next generation music accessories
To coincide with the Walkman™ phone's third birthday, Sony Ericsson has unveiled three brand new mobile phones giving music on the go to more users.
Photo: Listening to Song with Sony Ericsson W595 Walkman™
Today, Sony Ericsson unveiled its latest innovative additions to the Walkman™ phone family: the W902, W595 and W302, and seven new music accessories. Sony Ericsson is unveiling phones and accessories with superior sound quality and pioneering features, which, according to the company, "Take Walkman™ phones beyond music and expectations with fantastic extras such as great imaging and video capabilities."
Photo: Sony Ericsson W595 -- Listening to Music
"Since the launch of our first Walkman™ phone in 2005, Sony Ericsson has continued to pioneer a superior mobile music experience - and the 77 million Walkman™ phones sold to date are testament to this commitment," says Ben Padley, Head of the Music Category at Sony Ericsson. "With this latest range of phones and accessories, we are offering high quality sound and a rich feature set that cements our position as a leader in the music phone category. We are pushing the boundaries of what people think is possible and are offering best-in-class sound quality and our most exciting Walkman™ phones to date. The list of pioneering and innovative features found on Walkman™ phones continues to be unmatched in the industry. Features like the music recognition application TrackID™, SensMe™, for matching your mood to the music and Shake control to change tracks with the flick of your hand make Walkman™ phones stand out from the rest."
Photo: Sony Ericsson W902 Walkman™
Photo: Sony Ericsson W595 Walkman™
Photo: Sony Ericsson W302 Walkman™
According to Sony Ericsson:
• The W902 makes the users listen to music the way it should be heard: true to original. It's also a mobile phone for those that want it all, with a five megapixel camera and great video capturing and sharing capabilities.
• The W595 Walkman™ is for those who want to share sounds with their friends. Store and play more than 1,900 songs through the built in stereo speakers. Plug in the in-box sharing jack to listen silently to your tunes with a friend or Bluetooth™ your sounds to Sony Ericsson's range of wireless speakers.
• The new W302 Walkman™ is packed with impressive features in an affordable no-compromise slim handset. Targeting all audiences, the phone comes complete with a two megapixel camera, FM radio, TrackID™ and 512MB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2).
• The next generation of accessories includes three new sets of speakers, the MBS-200, MBS-400 and MPS-100, to help music lovers go beyond the individual and play music directly from their mobile phone. Enhancing its music accessories collection Sony Ericsson has also introduced three new stereo headphones, HBH-IS800, HPM-88 and HPM-66 for the optimal listening experience.
Sony Ericsson is a top global industry player with sales of over 100 million phones in 2007. With operations in over 80 countries including manufacturing in China and R&D sites in China, Europe, India, Japan and North America. Sony Ericsson was established as a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London.
Source: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
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July 18, 2008
Blog Influence in Print Media is Growing Rapidly: Cision
Print Media Needs to Develop Strong Blogger Relationships.
Photo: A Professional Blogger
Rapid acceleration of blog and blogger mentions in top mainstream print publications emphasizes the importance of proper blogger relations.
Cision, the leading provider of media research, distribution, monitoring and analysis services, today released figures that clearly demonstrate the growing influence of blogs in the mainstream print media. A study of the top 20 national magazines and newspapers shows that over the last 5 years, the number of times blogs and bloggers are mentioned in articles has increased more than 16-fold.
Photo: A College Blogger
Cision discovered that the top 20 national magazines and newspapers mentioned blogs and bloggers 13,066 times in the one-year period ending June 30, 2008. That compares to only 795 times in 2004 and 2,179 times in 2005.
"This stunning growth in blogger influence magnifies the importance of employing common sense when contacting bloggers," said Peter Granat, Cision Executive Vice President. "Knowing the blogger and his/her focus is the critical element in a successful blog relations campaign. While many blogs are highly visible in their own right, the growing influence with the mainstream media elevates their importance."
Photo: Newspaper Readers
Photo: A Magazine Reader
"As stories with origins in the blogosphere begin to spill into magazines and newspapers, the benefits of developing relationships with bloggers continue to grow," Granat said.
Photo: A Journalist using Blogs for information
Other recent research confirms the growing reach of the blog. Brodeur Partners, a leading public relations and communications firm, noted in a January survey that 57 percent of 178 journalists contacted said they read blogs at least two to three times per week, while 18 percent said they spend at least one hour per day reading them. The PRWeek/PR Newswire Media Survey revealed that nearly 40 percent of the participating journalists employ blogs to find topics for stories, 30 percent use them to find experts, and nearly 58 percent use them to measure sentiment.
Photo: Man at Newspaper Stand
Publications included in the Cision research are:
• Arizona Republic
• BusinessWeek
• Chicago Tribune
• Cosmopolitan
• Dallas Morning News
• Entertainment Weekly
• Esquire
• Financial Times
• Houston Chronicle
• InStyle
• Los Angeles Times
• Money
• Newsweek
• New York Times
• People
• Time
• USA Today
• Vanity Fair
• Wall Street Journal
• Washington Post
Cision provides integrated services and software solutions for reputation and campaign management, media monitoring and research of media contacts. Cision operates in the US, UK, Sweden, Canada, Germany, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and China, and has partners in another 125 countries.
|GlobalGiants.com|
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Posted by Editors at 6:39 AM | Link to this Post
Sneak Peek from Beijing
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Photos: Sneak Peek from Beijing: New Satellite Images of National Stadium and Aquatics Center captured by DigitalGlobe. (Photo Credit: DigitalGlobe Inc.)
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Posted by Editors at 6:02 AM | Link to this Post
July 16, 2008
US Automobile Buyers Want Advancements in Alternative Powertrain Technology: J.D. Power and Associates
Small Cars and Hybrids Lead the Automotive Environmental Index Top 30.
Photo: Smart Fortwo
View Larger Picture
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study released today, while most automotive manufacturers have shifted production to focus on smaller vehicles, nearly 70 percent of consumers say they want manufacturers to invest more in existing and emerging powertrain technologies.
Photo: Lexus RX Hybrid
Now in its third year, the Alternative Powertrain Study examines the reasons why consumers consider or avoid alternative powertrain vehicles, such as hybrid, flex fuel and clean diesel fuel models. The study includes the Automotive Environmental Index, which combines U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publicly available information related to fuel economy, air pollution and greenhouse gases for 2008 model-year vehicles and J.D. Power and Associates' voice of the customer data related to stated fuel economy. Feedback from verified vehicle owners is also used to help determine the relative importance of these environmental factors.
Photo: 2008 Nissan Sentra
The study finds that more than 80 percent of consumers believe that the United States is currently faced with an energy crisis. Only 18 percent of these consumers believe this issue can be addressed by focusing on small vehicle production with better fuel economy. Approximately 30 percent of consumers believe that auto manufacturers should continue to produce a comparable vehicle lineup with a focus on hybrid-electric, clean diesel and flexible fuel vehicles, while an additional 39 percent believe manufacturers should focus on developing emerging technologies not currently available in the market, such as fuel cell and electric vehicles.
Photo: 2009 Honda Fit Sport
Photo: 2009 Ford Focus RS
"Nearly 80 percent of consumers believe that gas prices will continue to rise, which will have a significant effect on the vehicles they will consider," said Mike Marshall, director of automotive emerging technologies at J.D. Power and Associates. "However, some consumers still want more than small cars to choose from in the auto market. They still want their SUVs and pickup trucks, except with better fuel economy and more environmentally friendly."
The study also finds that the percentage of consumers who are considering a hybrid-electric vehicle is up from 50 percent in 2007 to 62 percent in 2008. Consideration for flexible fuel (E85) capable vehicles -- which are designed to run on gasoline or a blend of up to 85 percent ethanol -- has decreased slightly from 2007 (47% vs. 43% in 2008), while consideration for clean diesel demonstrated the most notable decline from 23 percent in 2007 to only 16 percent in 2008. The drop in consideration for diesel technology may be attributed to the substantial increase in the relative price of diesel since 2007.
Photo: 2009 Saturn Astra XR 3-door
Photo: 2009 Pontiac G5 GT
Among the top 30 models in the Automotive Environmental Index, Toyota has the highest number of vehicles (6), followed by Chevrolet, Honda and Nissan with three models each. Additionally, eight models in the Automotive Environmental Index top 30 are hybrid-electric vehicles. They are:
Ford Escape Hybrid
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Honda Civic Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Lexus RX 400h
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Toyota Prius
Photo: 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Coupe
Photo: 2008 Chevrolet Aveo LT
The remaining models in the Top 30 Automotive Environmental Index are:
Chevrolet Aveo
Hyundai Accent
Nissan Sentra
Smart Fortwo Coupe
Chevrolet Aveo5
Hyundai Elantra
Nissan Versa
Toyota Corolla
Chevrolet Cobalt
Kia Rio
Pontiac G5
Toyota Matrix
Ford Focus
Kia Spectra
Pontiac Vibe
Toyota Yaris
Honda Civic
MINI Cooper
Saturn Astra
Honda Fit
MINI Cooper S
Smart Fortwo Convertible
The 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study includes responses from more than 4,000 consumers who plan to purchase a new vehicle within the next two years. The web-based study was fielded in May and June 2008. The voice of the customer components of the Automotive Environmental Index are derived from the 2008 Alternative Powertrain Study and the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Initial Quality Study.
Source: J.D. Power and Associates
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Posted by Editors at 10:06 AM | Link to this Post
July 15, 2008
Americans Viewed 12 Billion Videos Online in May 2008
U.S. Internet users viewed more than 12 billion online videos during the month of May 2008, representing an increase of 45 percent versus year ago. This was disclosed today by comScore (NASDAQ:SCOR) through its Video Metrix service.
In May, Google Sites once again ranked as the top U.S. video property with 4.2 billion videos viewed (representing a 35 percent share of all videos viewed), with YouTube.com accounting for more than 98 percent of all videos viewed at the property. Fox Interactive Media ranked second with 778 million videos (6.4 percent), gaining 1.3 share points versus April. Yahoo! Sites ranked third with 347 million (2.9 percent), followed by Microsoft Sites with 246 million (2.0 percent). Hulu.com, a joint venture of NBC and Fox featuring full-length broadcast TV programs, debuted in the tenth position with 88 million videos being viewed (0.7 percent).
Top U.S. Online Video Properties by Videos Viewed
(May 2008)
Total U.S. -- Home/Work/University Locations
(Source: comScore Video Metrix)
Property ------------------ Videos (000) ----- Share (%) of Videos
Total Internet ----------------- 12,086,273 ---------- 100.0
Google Sites -------------------- 4,205,700 ------------ 34.8
Fox Interactive ------------------- 778,168 -------------- 6.4
Yahoo! Sites ---------------------- 346,825 -------------- 2.9
Microsoft Sites -------------------- 245,899 -------------- 2.0
Viacom Digital -------------------- 206,047 -------------- 1.7
Time Warner [Excl. AOL] -------- 145,113 -------------- 1.2
ABC.COM -------------------------- 126,589 -------------- 1.0
Disney Online ----------------------107,876 -------------- 0.9
AOL LLC -----------------------------104,681 ------------- 0.9
HULU.COM --------------------------- 88,284 ------------- 0.7
[Rankings based on video content sites; excludes video server networks. Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video.]
Nearly 142 million U.S. Internet users watched an average of 85 videos per viewer in May 2008. Google Sites also attracted the most viewers (83.8 million), who watched an average of 50 videos per person. Fox Interactive attracted the second most viewers (60.8 million), followed by Yahoo! Sites (40.2 million) and Microsoft Sites (29.5 million).
Top U.S. Online Video Properties by Unique Viewers
(May 2008)
Total U.S. -- Home/Work/University Locations
(Source: comScore Video Metrix)
Property --------- Unique Viewers (000) -- Average Videos per Viewer
Total Internet ----------------------141,657 --------- 85.3
Google Sites ------------------------- 83,828 --------- 50.2
Fox Interactive ---------------------- 60,760 --------- 12.8
Yahoo! Sites ------------------------- 40,197 ----------- 8.6
Microsoft Sites ----------------------- 29,471 ----------- 8.3
Time Warner [Excl. AOL] ----------- 24,612 ----------- 5.9
AOL LLC ------------------------------ 21,670 ----------- 4.8
Viacom Digital ----------------------- 21,260 ----------- 9.7
Disney Online ------------------------12,385 ----------- 8.7
ESPN ----------------------------------- 8,425 ----------- 8.9
ABC.COM ------------------------------ 7,747 ---------- 16.3
[Rankings based on video content sites; excludes video server networks. Online video includes both streaming and progressive download video.]
Other notable findings from May 2008 include:
• 74 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.
• The average online video viewer watched 228 minutes of video.
• 82.2 million viewers watched 4.1 billion videos on YouTube.com
(50.4 videos per viewer).
• 54.8 million viewers watched 703 million videos on MySpace.com
(12.8 videos per viewer).
• 6.8 million viewers watched 88 million videos on Hulu.com
(13.0 videos per viewer).
• The duration of the average online video was 2.7 minutes.
Source: comScore, Inc.
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Posted by Editors at 10:27 AM | Link to this Post
July 10, 2008
Apple iPhone 3G on Sale Friday, July 11
Over 500 Native Applications for iPhone & iPod touch Available at Launch.
Apple® today announced that more than 500 native applications will be available on the iPhone's App Store when Apple's iPhone™ 3G goes on sale tomorrow. These applications will be available on Apple's new App Store, enabling customers to wirelessly download them directly onto their iPhones and start using them immediately. More than 125 applications are being offered to iPhone customers for free.
The new iPhone 3G combines all the features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast*, built-in GPS for expanded location-based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs hundreds of third party applications available through the new App Store which is a built-in application on every iPhone running iPhone 2.0 software.
The App Store on iPhone works over cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which means it is accessible from just about anywhere, so users can purchase and download applications wirelessly and start using them instantly. Applications are free or charged to the user's iTunes® account and the App Store notifies the user when updates are available for their apps. The App Store is also available in iTunes (www.itunes.com) running on a Mac® or PC, which syncs applications to the iPhone or iPod® touch using a USB cable.
The App Store will offer over 500 native applications from hundreds of companies around the world in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.
In addition to the App Store, the iPhone 2.0 software update includes enterprise support, contact search, complete iWork® and MS Office document viewing support, the ability to delete or move emails in bulk, saving images from emails, a scientific calculator, parental controls and support for 16 additional languages.
iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with customer availability in 22 countries--Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US--on July 11.
"Just one year after launching the iPhone, we're launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO.
According to Apple, iPhone 3G gives users ever faster access to the Internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world. iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. The new iPhone 3G also makes it easier to multi-task with simultaneous voice and data communications, so with iPhone 3G you can browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while you are on a call.
Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to do real-time mapping and track your progress with GPS technology, mass move and delete multiple email messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or email them to your iPhone and easily transfer them back to your photo library on your Mac® or PC. According to Apple, iPhone 3G delivers a 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback.
iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMe™, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online "cloud" to native applications on iPhone, iPod® touch, Macs and PCs. With MobileMe email, messages are pushed instantly to iPhone, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads, and push keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically updated on other devices.
Source: Apple
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July 6, 2008
THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES AND 'THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR' TO BE PRESENTED IN MULTI-NETWORK 'TAKEOVER' BY NBC UNIVERSAL
Beijing Olympics and Upcoming Epic Adventure Starring Brendan Fraser and Jet Li Receive Joint Promotion with Innovative Co-Branded Feature.
NBC Universal announced that it has assembled all of its family units to promote two enormous August events in China -- the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the next chapter in the blockbuster Mummy adventure series. According to NBC, this is to be done through a co-branded spot that represents "the most comprehensive synergistic effort ever mounted by NBC Universal". The piece features settings and characters from "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" and athletes seamlessly blended in sequences in which the action from the film transforms into Olympic events. It premiered on July 1 on all NBC networks and will run throughout August.
The NBC announcement says that "THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR" hits theaters worldwide on August 1, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games coverage begins on NBC on August 8. The blockbuster global Mummy franchise takes a turn as the action shifts to Asia for the next chapter in the adventure series, "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor". Brendan Fraser returns as explorer Rick O'Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor (Jet Li) in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China to the neon-lit streets of post-war Shanghai and high into the spectacular Himalayas. Rick is joined in this all-new adventure by son Alex (newcomer Luke Ford), wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) and her brother, Jonathan (John Hannah). And this time, the O'Connells must stop a mummy awoken from a 2,000-year-old curse who threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service.
Doomed by a double-crossing sorceress (Michelle Yeoh) to spend eternity in suspended animation, China's ruthless Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 warriors have laid forgotten for eons, entombed in clay as a vast, silent terra cotta army. But when dashing adventurer Alex O'Connell is tricked into awakening the ruler from eternal slumber, the reckless young archaeologist must seek the help of the only people who know more than he does about taking down the undead: his parents.
As the monarch roars back to life, our heroes find his quest for world domination has only intensified over the millennia. Striding the Far East with unimaginable supernatural powers, the Emperor Mummy will rouse his legion as an unstoppable, otherworldly force...unless the O'Connells can stop him first. Now, in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor", the trademark thrills and visually spectacular action of the Mummy series will be redefined for a new generation.
"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is helmed by director Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious, xXx) and written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (Spider-Man 2, television's Smallville). Reprising their roles as producers in the series are Bob Ducsay, Sean Daniel, Stephen Sommers and James Jacks.
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios. Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBC, "America's Olympic Network," owns the exclusive U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games, television's most powerful property, through 2012, which includes Beijing in 2008, Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012. The 2008 Olympic Games from Beijing, China, will represent the 11th Olympics broadcast by NBC, a record for the most Olympic broadcasts by any network. From August 8-24, 2008, NBC Universal will present an unprecedented 3,600 hours of coverage, highlighted by NBC in primetime with live swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball and more than 2,200 hours of live streaming video for the first time on NBCOlympics.com. In August 2004, 203 million viewers watched as the networks of NBC Universal -- NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Telemundo, and NBC's HD affiliates -- offered a then record 1,210 hours of Olympic coverage from Athens.
Source: Universal Pictures
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June 30, 2008
World Mobile Leaders to create one Open Mobile Software Platform
Foundation to be established to provide royalty-free open platform and accelerate innovation.
Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and NTT DOCOMO have just announced in London their intent to unite Symbian OSTM, S60, UIQ and MOAP(S) to create one open mobile software platform. Together with AT&T, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone they plan to establish the Symbian Foundation to extend the appeal of this unified software platform. Membership of this non-profit Foundation will be open to all organizations. This initiative is supported by current shareholders and management of Symbian Limited, who have been actively involved in its development. Plans for the Foundation have already received wide support from other industry leaders.
To enable the Foundation, Nokia announced plans to acquire the remaining shares of Symbian Limited that Nokia does not already own and then contribute the Symbian and S60 software to the Foundation. Sony Ericsson and Motorola announced their intention to contribute technology from UIQ and DOCOMO has also indicated its willingness to contribute its MOAP(S) assets. From these contributions, the Foundation will provide a unified platform with common UI framework. A full platform will be available for all Foundation members under a royalty-free license, from the Foundation's first day of operations.
Contributions from Foundation members through open collaboration will be integrated to further enhance the platform. The Foundation will make selected components available as open source at launch. It will then work to establish the most complete mobile software offering available in open source. This will be made available over the next two years and is intended to be released under Eclipse Public License (EPL) 1.0.
The Foundation's platform will build on the leading open mobile software platform, with more than 200 million phones, across 235 models, already shipped by multiple vendors and tens of thousands of third- party applications already available for Symbian OS-based devices.
"Ten years ago, Symbian was established by far sighted players to offer an advanced open operating system and software skills to the whole mobile industry", said Nigel Clifford, CEO of Symbian. "Our vision is to become the most widely used software platform on the planet and indeed today Symbian OS leads its market by any measure. Today's announcement is a bold new step to achieve that vision by embracing a complete and proven platform, offered in an open way, designed to stimulate innovation which is at the heart of everything we do."
"Establishing the Foundation is one of the biggest contributions to an open community ever made," said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia. "Nokia is a strong supporter of open platforms and technologies as they give the freedom to build, maintain and evolve applications and services across device segments and offer by far the largest ecosystem, enabling rapid innovation. Today's announcement is a major milestone in our devices software strategy."
"The complete, consistent platform that the Foundation plans to provide will allow manufacturers to focus on their unique differentiation at a device level" said Dick Komiyama, President of Sony Ericsson. "Sony Ericsson believes that the unified Symbian Foundation platform will greatly simplify the world for handset manufacturers, operators and developers, enabling greater innovation in services and applications to the benefit of consumers everywhere."
"Motorola has long been a leader and advocate of open software for mobile platforms. We're excited to be joining Nokia, Sony Ericsson, NTT DOCOMO and others in leading this open source effort to form the new Symbian Foundation and unite the Symbian ecosystem," said Alain Mutricy, Senior Vice President, Platforms & Technology Office, Motorola Mobile Devices. "Also, Motorola, together with Sony Ericsson, will be contributing UIQ technology to the Foundation and will work with UIQ as they are refocusing as an important supplier in the new Symbian ecosystem. This will be a great addition, as the Foundation will be able to leverage UIQ's unique experience, which includes expertise in touch technology."
"DOCOMO welcomes this development and we look forward to moving our Symbian based devices and service onto the Foundation platform. We are also willing to contribute our MOAP(S) assets to the Foundation. This is a very positive step in further increasing the adoption of the Symbian software and creating an even more open, consistent and complete platform. The Foundation software will enable us to enjoy the benefits of a global platform in bringing new, leading-edge services to the Japanese market. It will increase efficiency and help us provide our wide customer base with the most advanced mobile experiences." said Toshio Miki, Associate Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Communication Device Development Department of NTT DOCOMO.
"Mobile phones have turned into sophisticated multimedia computers and smart phones continue to grow in popularity," said Kris Rinne, Senior Vice President of Architecture and Planning at AT&T. "The Symbian Foundation will reduce fragmentation in the industry and holds the promise of incorporating leading technology and the most mature software into a unified platform for the entire industry. This will create an environment that will encourage and enable developers to build compelling applications that will positively affect our customers' lives and support AT&T in offering its differentiated services to consumers."
"Joining the Symbian Foundation is an ideal opportunity for LG to broaden our commitment to providing our customers with the best possible mobile experience" said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "We believe that open mobile platforms will contribute to advance the mobile industry. At LG we will play a leading role in creating a better mobile environment, working with the Symbian Foundation to provide our customers with smart new features based on this open platform."
"Samsung Electronics is committed to Symbian as one of the future platforms for our mobile devices and believes that establishing the Foundation is a visionary move in positioning the platform as a proven open platform for future development. We are delighted to be playing a significant role in that future by joining the Foundation board. We have already used Symbian and S60 software successfully to deliver appealing devices and see these steps making the platform even more attractive for bringing the latest technologies and services to the market" said Dr. Do Hun Kwon, VP & Managing Director, Samsung Electronics Research Institute.
"ST sees strong consumer demand, across all segments, for a richer multimedia experience," said Monica de Virgiliis, General Manager of the Wireless Multimedia Division, STMicroelectronics. "This new foundation synchronizes and harmonizes the mainstream software approach to address this need and makes the software widely available. We anticipate this will fuel the growth of multimedia-capable devices and we are excited about being able to leverage our long-standing leadership in consumer digital multimedia to satisfy more and more consumers."
"TI has long supported open platforms, and we are excited about the formation of the Symbian Foundation. We believe the new structure will remove barriers to innovation in the mobile industry by providing a common platform on which exciting next-generation applications and services can be built," said Greg Delagi, senior vice president of TI's Wireless Business Unit. "Manufacturers can get a head-start on development with TI's proven OMAP-based Symbian S60 software development platform. Combined with the Foundation's open collaboration model, this will allow more developers to harness the performance and multimedia capabilities of the OMAP family to accelerate improvements in the mobile user experience."
"Vodafone believes this is a significant step in driving mobile innovation for the Internet as well as creating a richer mobile experience for our customers" said Jens Schulte-Bockum, Vodafone's Global Director of Terminals. "We have been challenging the industry to reduce complexity and focus on fewer operating systems. This step will help to drive even faster innovation, as well as enable operators to accelerate time-to-market for compelling and varied new services."
"Fujitsu is pleased to be one of the first supporters of plans for the Symbian Foundation," said Hideyuki Saso, president of the Mobile Phones Unit at Fujitsu Limited. "Fujitsu has long been an innovator in the development of handsets based on the Symbian OS, launching our development efforts in 2001 and commercializing the world's first Symbian OS-based 3G smartphone in 2003. Over the past seven years, we've brought a broad range of innovative, high-performance Symbian smartphones to market while collaborating with NTT DOCOMO on the development of MOAP(S). As a handset vendor, Fujitsu looks forward to supporting the development of the unified Foundation platform, and to developing future products based on the platform."
"This new initiative brings together the rare combination of a proven software operating system and an open source model, creating a unique platform to drive innovation in the mobile handset," said Scott Bibaud, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Mobile Platforms Group, Broadcom. "Broadcom's participation in the Symbian Foundation is consistent with our goals of enabling differentiated software solutions while providing a time-to-market advantage with our advanced mobile platform products."
Foundation members share the vision that the Foundation will unify the software platform, supercharge innovation and accelerate the availability of new services and compelling experiences for consumers and business users around the world. The combined platform is already one of the most advanced and widely used mobile platforms, making it highly attractive for all ecosystem partners, including developers, mobile operators, content and service providers and device manufacturers.
The Foundation is expected to start operating during the first half of 2009, subject to the closing of the acquisition of Symbian Ltd by Nokia.
Symbian is a software licensing company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the market-leading open operating system for mobile phones. Symbian licenses Symbian OS to the world's leading handset manufacturers. Symbian has its headquarters in London, United Kingdom, with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, India, China, Korea, and Japan.
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Posted by Editors at 2:00 AM | Link to this Post
June 21, 2008
U.S. Olympic Team Advertising Campaign by Bank of America
Advertising celebrates America's strong voice of support for Team USA.
Bank of America, the Official Bank Sponsor of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, has announced the debut of its U.S. Olympic-themed advertising campaign.
The multimedia campaign rallies support for Team USA(TM) through the company's signature Olympic-themed programs -- America's Cheer(TM) and U.S. Olympic Team Banking -- and includes a new national television commercial, as well as print, radio, online and point-of-sale advertisements.
"Unlike any other sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games are the only time when an entire nation cheers for one team," said Anne Saunders, Brand and Advertising executive, Bank of America. "Our new campaign captures the passion and spirit with which Americans everywhere are cheering on the extraordinary athletes who will represent the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games."
Created by BBDO New York, the campaign features images of Americans showcasing their spirited expressions of patriotic support for Team USA, with a voiceover that enlists America to "cheer your head off with America's Cheer dot-com and the U.S. Olympic Team will hear you all the way to China."
In addition to America's Cheer, the new campaign promotes U.S. Olympic Team Banking only available at Bank of America. The suite of U.S. Olympic Team-branded checks and Visa(R) Check Cards and credit cards enable customers to support America's Olympic athletes with every purchase with their card, while earning special rewards.
Photo: An image from Bank of America's U.S. Olympic-Themed TV commercial.
Bank of America's new campaign makes its debut on June 21 in conjunction with NBC's coverage of the U.S. National Team Trials for Diving. Thereafter, the new campaign will continue to run leading up to and during NBC's national broadcast of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and on NBC affiliates around the country in Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C.
America's Cheer: America's Cheer is Bank of America's grassroots campaign that provides an opportunity for all Americans to cheer on the nation's finest athletes as they prepare to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Whether it's an energetic video or audio recording, heartfelt letter or inspiring photo, America's Cheer invites the entire country to express their support for Team USA(TM) through the act of cheering.
Photo: Soccer Spectators looking at a Large TV Screen
To upload a cheer, individuals or groups can visit http://www.americascheer.com/. Cheers can also be recorded by visiting the America's Cheer(TM) mobile tour which is currently visiting 19 cities and 26 events, traveling 27,000 miles before its final stop in Detroit, Mich., on Aug. 24, 2008, a date that coincides with the Closing Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games.
U.S. Olympic Team Banking: In recognition of what the U.S. Olympic Team means to its customers, Bank of America has developed U.S. Olympic Team Banking, a new suite of Team USA-branded checks and Visa(R) Check Cards and credit cards that enables customers to support America's Olympic athletes with every purchase with their card, while earning special rewards for themselves. With every U.S. Olympic Team credit card purchase, customers can earn points to redeem WorldPoints(R) rewards for cash, airline tickets, hotel stays and for Bank of America U.S. Olympic Team merchandise, memorabilia and exclusive experiences. Customers can also generate contributions to the U.S. Olympic Team when they open a new U.S. Olympic Team checking account and with every U.S. Olympic Team Visa Check Card or credit card purchase at no additional cost to themselves. (One may visit http://www.bankofamerica.com/olympics to sign-up or to learn more about the many features and benefits of U.S. Olympic Team Banking.)
Bank of America's U.S. Olympic Team Sponsorship: Bank of America is widely recognized as a major corporate sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, creating opportunities for the nation's best athletes to represent the United States in world-class competition. Bank of America's earliest known involvement with the U.S. Olympic Movement dates back to 1921, when the bank provided leadership and financing for the Los Angeles Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games. In 1992, Bank of America signed on as an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team that competed in Barcelona, Spain, and has supported every U.S. Olympic Team since, including the American athletes who will compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 83 percent of the Fortune Global 500.
Source: Bank of America
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Posted by Editors at 6:13 AM | Link to this Post
June 16, 2008
2009 CADILLAC CTS -- DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
Cadillac is a brand of luxury vehicles, part of General Motors, produced and mostly sold in the United States and Canada. In the United States, the name became a synonym for "high quality", used in such phrases as "the Cadillac of watches," referring to a Rolex. Cadillac's current slogan is "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit," in reference to the inalienable rights mentioned in the United States Declaration of Independence. (Wikipedia).
Thanks to a remarkable blend of dramatic design, technology and craftsmanship, Cadillac CTS enters 2009 riding a wave of acclaim from critics and consumers.
According to Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager, "CTS is earning the acclaim of luxury buyers, the most discerning critics. It has earned a position as one of the premier luxury sports sedans, further strengthening Cadillac's historic resurgence into the top tier of global luxury brands."
The redesigned CTS has also been lauded for its safety. Features such as a robust body structure that helps absorb crash energy and six standard air bags - including a segment-first dual depth passenger frontal air bag, active headrests and head curtain side air bags - helped it earn a Top Safety Pick recognition by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
According to GM, CTS sales are rising sharply, with monthly sales increases consistently exceeding 50 percent. Changes to 2009 Cadillac CTS are evolutionary, comprising content and feature revisions that reflect market demands.
Photo: The Cadillac CTS Launch in China.
Vehicle Highlights
• Cadillac's award-winning luxury sedan
• Advanced 3.6L V-6 engine with gasoline direct injection technology
• Six-speed transmissions paired with all powertrains
• Rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models
• Six standard air bags including dual depth front passenger air bag
• Leading-edge electronics with Bluetooth connectivity
• Handcrafted cut-and-sewn interior trim
Design: At a glance, there is no mistaking the CTS for anything but a contemporary Cadillac. Signature exterior cues include vertically oriented "light pipes," horizontal spline lines and a dihedral-shaped hood. It also strikes a sporting stance, with a wide track, communicating a dramatic presence unlike most traditional luxury sedans and the car's performance capabilities
Interior elements: The CTS' interior emphasizes technical precision with elegant, hand-crafted details. Analog instrumentation is streamlined and defined by bright accents. An integrated center stack design, with either a satin metallic finish or genuine Sapele Pommele wood, blends into the lower instrument panel that sweeps forward and away of front-seat occupants. The hand-assembled center console leads seamlessly into the center stack, providing a sportier "cockpit" feel for the driver and passenger without compromising space.
Available heated and ventilated seats incorporate "thin-seat" technology for maximum occupant comfort and enhanced rear-seat leg, knee and foot room.
Clean, white ambient light emitting diode (LED) accent lighting is available, positioned in the door pulls, foot wells and recessed between the upper and lower instrument panels. The result is a dramatic effect similar to recessed lighting used in contemporary homes.
Powertrains: Direct injection technology helps the CTS offer more power while maintaining fuel economy and lowering emissions. The standard 3.6L VVT engine that produces 263 horsepower (196 kW) and 253 lb.-ft (343 Nm) of torque serves as the base engine in North America and is available in rear- and all-wheel-drive layouts.
All CTS engines are matched with fuel-saving six-speed transmissions, including an Aisin six-speed manual or an electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic. The Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic features driver shift control, which enables on-demand clutch-less manual shifts.
Craftsmanship and quietness: Every CTS features Cadillac's "cut-and-sew" interior process that combines advanced technology with the hand-rendered precision of expert craftsmen. Coverings for components such as the instrument panel, center console and door trim are cut, sewn and wrapped by hand. This enables details such as decorative French stitching and the near elimination of gaps and seams, for a superbly tailored appearance.
Quietness is another measure of CTS' craftsmanship. Detailed analysis of sound and vibration was lavished on the CTS during its development. This reduced overall cabin noise via improved body sealing and sound insulation. It also focused on tuning the quality of the remaining sound.
Driving dynamics: The CTS chassis enables a great balance of performance and luxury. The CTS features advanced chassis technology in the form of Cadillac's StabiliTrak electronic chassis control system.
Infotainment and vehicle technology: CTS incorporates the best attributes, advanced technologies and electronics, including:
• Integrated iPod/MP3 capability - Designed in consultation with the engineers behind the iPod and other computer and entertainment industry experts, the center console of the CTS is tailored for MP3 players, iPods or other digital music devices. They can be charged via a USB port, which also enables playlists to appear on the car's touch-screen, and steering wheel controls can be used to advance tracks.
• Hard drive audio system - A 40-gigabyte hard drive allows pausing and rewinding of live radio, as well as "ripping" tracks from CDs. The hard drive enables 60-minute "buffering" of the car's radio, meaning that passengers can "pause" a live broadcast in order to take a phone call, or even leave the car to run an errand, or simply rewind to listen again.
• Navigation system - The navigation system includes 3D imaging of more than 800 major landmarks in 39 U.S. cities, voice recognition and real-time traffic and weather data. This available system uses an eight-inch diagonal, high-resolution full VGA infotainment display head with full touch-screen operation. The screen can retract into the instrument panel when not in use.
• Adaptive forward lighting system - When equipped with the uplevel HID headlamps, the CTS also includes an advanced forward lighting system that automatically adjusts headlamp direction for improved nighttime driving visibility. The system is capable of turning the headlamps a maximum of 5 degrees inboard and 15 degrees outboard on each lamp.
• Available Bluetooth connectivity - CTS is equipped from the factory for Bluetooth wireless connectivity of cell phones and other electronic data devices. It enables hands-free phone connectivity, providing easier and safer calling and dialing.
Safety features: The 2009 CTS is designed to enhance Cadillac's reputation for providing safe occupant environments in luxury vehicles. Details include:
• Dual-stage driver front air bag
• Segment-first dual depth front passenger air bag
• Driver and front passenger side seat-mounted pelvic/thorax side air bags
• Roof-rail side curtain air bags, cover front and rear seating rows
• Front safety belt pretensioners
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Body structure with strategically placed high-strength steel
As with other Cadillac models, the 2009 CTS comes standard with OnStar with Turn-by-Turn Navigation, the first factory-installed, fully integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar. Turn-by-Turn allows consumers to talk to a live advisor, who in turn sends complete step-by-step directions to customers' vehicles through their OnStar system. These audio directions automatically play through the vehicle's stereo as needed, triggered by the OnStar system's GPS capabilities. This enables drivers to be led to their destination while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Source: GM
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Posted by Editors at 5:51 AM | Link to this Post
June 14, 2008
Paris Beach Volleyball Grand Slam: Henkel is the Main Sponsor
The Henkel Beach Volleyball Grand Slam Tournament 2008 will be held in Paris from June 16-22. This year is the fourth time the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam Tournament will be held in the French capital. And for the third time, Henkel is the main sponsor of the event, and will present its corporate brand name and seven product brands: Fa, Mir, Le Chat, Pattex, SuperGlue, Loctite and Schwarzkopf.
More than 200 matches will take place