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- Apple To Cough Up $2.2M Over Misleading Australian iPad 4G Ads
- Bad Guys, Prepare Yourself For The ReconRobotics Throwbot XT Reconnaissance Robot
- Phantom Fireworks Uses Nook Tablets To Help Customers Preview The Boom
- Panasonic CEO: We Have No Plans To Invest $630M Into Olympus
- Huawei Launches $149 Activa 4G For MetroPCS, Cleverly Avoids Competition With Its First U.S.-Bound 4G LTE Device
| Apple To Cough Up $2.2M Over Misleading Australian iPad 4G Ads Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:36 AM PDT  Here in the States, we’re usually fine with faux-G being called 4G. T-Mobile does it with its HSPA+ service, and AT&T called its HSPA+ 4G for a long time too before it rolled out LTE. But I guess people are more picky down under, where the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission had accused Apple of misleading the public with its iPad ads touting 4G service. According to The Australian, the company has now agreed to pay approximately $2.21 million to make amends, despite the fact that Apple had already agreed to refund customers who thought they would get 4G LTE service with the new iPad. See, the iPad’s LTE chip is only compatible with the 2100Mhz and 700Mhz bands. Though the 700Mhz band will be freed up for wireless devices around 2013, it’s currently tied up with television broadcasts. The only other option for 4G LTE service in Australia is Telstra, which runs on the 1800Mhz band, which the iPad can not access. To be fair, Apple makes no mention of 4G LTE on its Australian site at this time, instead referencing “ultrafast wireless.” Though, it’s unclear if that’s been changed since meeting with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Apple’s also facing a similar situation in Sweden, where a nearly identical story is playing out. The new iPad is being sold and advertised as a WiFi + 4G device despite the fact that it isn’t compatible with any of Sweden’s 4G LTE bands. Again, the 700Mhz band is used for television while the 2100Mhz band only serves up 3G wireless connectivity. Of course, $2.2 million is pocket change for Apple, but it may force the company to rethink its international advertisements.
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| Bad Guys, Prepare Yourself For The ReconRobotics Throwbot XT Reconnaissance Robot Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:19 AM PDT  If you’re anything like me, a seasoned veteran of all things CSI, Dexter and GI Joe, you understand the value in a discreet robotic camera such as the ReconRobotics Throwbot XT Reconnaissance Robot. The presser describes the Throwbot XT as a throwable, mobile micro-robot — I’ll just say the robot is awesome. This little robot can pipe live audio and video to the good guys ready to save the day. Unfortunately the Throwbot XT isn’t coming to a Walmart near you. This little guy is meant for real work and not for keeping an eye on the cat. It’s designed to provide audio and video reconnaissance to military and SWAT teams. The robot itself only weights 1.2lbs and can survive a 120 feet throw. ReconRobots states it’s “exceptionally quiet” and thanks to an automatic infrared optical system, it can provide surveillance even in complete darkness. The capture media is feed wirelessly to the handheld Operator Control Unit II. No word on pricing or availability, but it really doesn’t matter. You probably need a DoD or NYPD credit card to order one anyway.
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| Phantom Fireworks Uses Nook Tablets To Help Customers Preview The Boom Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:03 AM PDT  Everyone’s favorite roadside explosives purveyor, Phantom Fireworks, is now offering “firework previews” on a fleet of Nook Tablets that will be available in stores. The tablets will will allow customers to view photos and videos of the fireworks they’re buying and will streamline retail operations, allowing customer service reps to place orders at the customer’s side. The Youngstown, Ohio-based company is one of the first to use cheap, entry-level tablets on the show floor. Fans of snailnet will appreciate the method of video distribution: “All the demo videos are stored and uploaded onto a secure digital (SD) card at the Phantom Fireworks corporate office in Youngstown and shipped out to the different showrooms across the country.” This presumably reduces the need for the local sites to have a fast Internet connection. Quoth Phantom PR: “The tablets provide a fantastic tool for our customers to demo fireworks before they buy them," Kendall said. "It’s always about improving their customer experience in the showrooms. With the Nooks, we have the ability to turn customers onto Phantom products they've never experienced or purchased, which is a great thing.” This also points towards an interesting trend. Obviously Phantom Fireworks locations don’t need to look as fancified so the Nook Tablet – or a Kindle Fire, for that matter, although the sneakernet SD card swap system wouldn’t work, – is a perfect device. It’s solid, has an acceptable screen, and the floor staff look automatically cooler for using it. Coupled with their excellent Fireworks.com URL it looks like these Phantom folks are pretty darn plugged in for the second place that you visit before you go drink in your cousin’s back yard.
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| Panasonic CEO: We Have No Plans To Invest $630M Into Olympus Posted: 08 Jun 2012 06:36 AM PDT  On Wednesday, reports circulated that Panasonic was interested in injecting a $630 million capital investment into Olympus Corp, but Panasonic CEO Fumio Ohtsubo has stepped up to squash these rumors. According to Reuters, he said that “there isn’t any” plan to invest in Olympus. This is unfortuante news for the beleaguered camera company, which is most definitely in trouble. After hiding investment losses for the past 20 years, the entire accounting scandal was uncovered in November of last year, pushing the company down a spiraling path. Olympus is teetering — even drowning — with Reuters reporting a 4.6 percent equity of total assets for shareholders, which is well below the usual 20 percent that proves financial stability. That said, the firm was looking for a strategic investor to pump some cash back into the company, with Panasonic topping the list of potential suitors. Kyodo News Agency originally reported that Panasonic was ready to spend around $630 million in capital for Olympus, but Mr. Ohtsubo said, “I don’t know where that information came from, not from us.” Other potential investors include Sony, FujiFilm, and Samsung, though it’s unclear if any of them will find Olympus’ medical business attractive enough to forget what Japanese media was calling the biggest corporate scandal in Japan since the 90′s.
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| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 05:21 AM PDT  Huawei has been relatively quiet of late. Aside from Ascend D Quad smartphone we saw announced back at MWC, the company hasn’t been very present on U.S. shores. But with LTE hitting its stride, the company has today announced its very first 4G LTE handset: the Activa 4G. MetroPCS will carry the prepaid device, which is a Android 2.3 Gingerbread-powered handset. It sports a 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen with a 5-megapixel rear camera (LED flash-enabled) and a VGA front-facing camera for video chat. “We are honored to bring our first 4G LTE device to U.S. audiences with the support of MetroPCS’ powerful and expansive network,” said EVP of Huawei Device USA Michael Chuang. “MetroPCS is committed to providing customers with advanced, flexible and affordable smartphone options through its no-annual contract services, and is the ideal partner for Huawei’s entrance into a new era for smartphones and handsets.” While Huawei is a bigger player in Asia, the company has yet to make waves here in the States in any tangible way. That said, MetroPCS seems like a good fit for this device as it won’t have as much competition from other flagship devices as it would on Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint. The Huawei Activa 4G is available now in MetroPCS stores and online for $149, which is a little high for a mid-range device, but you can make it back up by being free from a contract.
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:18:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:18:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:18:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:18:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:18:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:18:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:18:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:19:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:20:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:20:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:20:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:20:00 AM
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Posted By e Readers Tips to e Readers Reviews at 6/09/2012 05:20:00 AM
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