(Credit: Eee PC News)

There are no detailed specifications available, but Asus seems to be readying a 12-inch Eee PC.

Following in the footsteps of Dell, the Asus Eee PC S121 looks a lot like the slim and stylish Eee PC S101, except for a smaller bezel to fit the …

Orginal post by Darius Chang

LG Electronics on Tuesday announced new alliances for its Network Blu-ray Disc Players. LG is now adding CinemaNow and YouTube to its lineup.

Netflix was LG’s first partner on the instant-streaming front. In fact, LG was the first manufacturer to stream movies instantly from Netflix on a Network Blu-ray Disc Player. By adding CinemaNow’s library of TV shows and videos — and YouTube’s viral video community, with its growing catalog of HD offerings — LG is priming the pump for the sale of its new Blu-ray products at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

As millions of U.S. consumers view and download movies or TV shows through the World Wide Web, they are demanding easier ways to access composition and more home-entertainment options, according to Tim Alessi, LG’s director of product development.

“From Blu-ray to instant streaming, from Netflix to CinemaNow and YouTube, LG is bridging the gap amidst [...]

Orginal post by dhiram

China is starting a long-delayed introduction of third-generation mobile phone service, setting off a politically charged scramble by foreign and Chinese equipment makers for up to $41 billion in orders.

Chinese sales could be crucial for suppliers such as Motorola Inc., Alcatel-Lucent SA and Nokia-Siemens Networks as global demand slumps. State media say the largest Chinese carrier, China Mobile, expects to sign up 100 million 3G subscribers — more than most nations’ entire mobile markets — in the next three years.

But how much business the universal equipment makers can get depends in part on whether regulators try to boost China’s high-tech industry by ordering wireless carriers to buy domestic products. Beijing has tried to use such restrictions to nurture other fields, prompting complaints by the United States and other trading partners.

The leading domestic competitors are Huawei Technologies Ltd. and ZTE Ltd., ambitious upstarts with government support that already sell [...]

Orginal post by dhiram

Shares of Apple Inc. fell as much as 2 percent on Tuesday after technology Web site Gizmodo reported a “rumor” that Chief Executive Steve Jobs’s health was declining.

A spokesman for Apple declined to comment on the rumor.

When asked about Jobs’s health, the spokesman said “if ever Steve or the board of directors decided that he was no longer capable of doing his job as CEO of Apple, I’m certain they will let you know.”

Gizmodo quoted a “solid source,” which it did not identify, as saying that Jobs’s “rapidly declining” health was the real reason behind his decision to cancel a keynote speech at next week’s MacWorld conference. It titled the report “rumor.”

Apple shares had been trading up 1.5 percent at $87.92 before moving sharply lower. The stock soon after recovered to trade down about half a percent at $86.15 by mid-afternoon.

“The main reason why Apple shares have sold [...]

Orginal post by dhiram

Which retailers will thrive in 2009 and which will have an uphill battle? A survey of customer satisfaction during the holiday season may shed light on those issues.

Amazon and Netflix delighted online shoppers, according to the annual Top 40 Online Retail Satisfaction Index from ForeSee Results and FGI Research. Meanwhile, satisfaction with Web sites for Circuit City, Gap, Home Depot, HSN, Neiman Marcus, and Overstock fell below industry standards.

Researchers relied on the methodology of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to examine how successful the top 40 retail Web sites were. The study found that a highly satisfied online shopper is 73 percent more likely to purchase online, 38 percent more likely to purchase offline, and 75 percent more likely to recommend than a dissatisfied Web shopper.

“In a recession, knowing that improving customer satisfaction with your Web site can engender that kind of loyalty and [...]

Orginal post by dhiram

Bloggers are taking another bite of the Apple, but analysts say they may have bit off more than they can chew. The rumors on Wednesday speculated about a bigger, better iPod touch with a larger screen.

TechCrunch said three independent sources pointed to a new iPod touch with a seven-to-nine-inch screen planned for the new year. It said prototypes have been seen and held by one of its sources and Apple has given the nod to manufacturers in Asia.

Apple said in April it had sold 10.6 million iPods. And Amazon.com has reported that the second-generation iPod touch was one of its biggest sellers that holiday season.

Some bloggers think the device will be mentioned at Macworld but not be available until late 2009.

‘Tweener’ Device Unlikely

A larger iPod touch has been in the works for some duration at Apple headquarters, one source said. The holdup has been whether consumers [...]

Orginal post by dhiram

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin told media outlets that week that he is willing to drop a porn-blocking provision to win approval of a free U.S. wireless broadband service.

Under the FCC’s Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) plan, frequencies in the 2155-2180-MHz band would be auctioned off, with the winning bidder mandatory to devote up to 25 percent of the spectrum to a free Net broadband with a minimum download rate of 768 Kbps.

“The most crucial thing was that the winner be mandatory to offer free broadband,” Martin said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I am doing everything I can to still move forward with that item.”

One Last Chance

The FCC’s proposed composition filter was intended to prevent minors from accessing objectionable materials, while at the same instance giving adults an opportunity to opt out. However, the proposal raised concerns among freedom-of-speech advocates and public-interest [...]

Orginal post by dhiram