Synaptics Introduces Advanced Touch Experience in Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820

Press release:

Synaptics Introduces Advanced Touch Experience in Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820

Super Sensitive Touch™ built on ClearPad™ Series 3 enables enhanced touch support on Nokia’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphones

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Sept. 5, 2012 – Synaptics Inc. (NASDAQ: SYNA), a leading developer of human interface solutions, today announced that the new Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 will be the first smartphones in the world to use a new advanced multi-touch experience based on the Synaptics ClearPad capacitive touchscreen sensing technology.

Synaptics ClearPad Series 3, the premier mobile touch solution for premium high end smartphones, has raised the bar for high performance touch on the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 with the introduction of support for gloves and fingernails.

Previously, people were unable to use their smartphone touchscreens with gloved fingers or long fingernails, requiring them to remove their gloves, or awkwardly position their fingers with long nails in order to operate their phones. For the first time ever, ClearPad Series 3 technology instantly optimizes the touch experience by automatically detecting the presence of skin, gloved fingers, or fingernails, giving users a seamless multi-touch experience regardless of input methods.

“With Synaptics’ continuous innovation on touch, we are able to pioneer new technologies that improve smartphone user experience,” said Kevin Shields, senior vice president, Smart Devices, Nokia. “Nokia has been a leader in display technology, and we are setting a new standard with Super Sensitive Touch technology on the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820.”
Nokia’s flagship Windows Phone 8 device, the Lumia 920, features an impressive smartphone display based on exclusive technology called Nokia PureMotion HD+. With better than HD resolution, overdrive technology for keeping moving images pixel-perfect and sunlight enhancements for easy viewing even in the brightest sunlight, the 4.5 inch display of the Lumia 920 produces a totally immersive experience. PureMotion displays are super-sensitive with any touch interaction, enabled by the ClearPad Series 3 technology.

“We are excited to participate with Nokia as they unveil their first Windows Phone 8 devices by enabling advanced features such as gloved finger support,” said Kevin Barber, senior vice president and general manager of Synaptics Handheld Division. “Synaptics and Nokia have partnered for many years and we’re pleased to continue the innovation with the introduction of these new devices.”

ClearPad Series 3 offers up to 10 finger full-time tracking and fast refresh rates, with industry leading signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR), delivering high performance to the most demanding smartphones. Synaptics’ patented SignalClarity™ technology improves tracking accuracy, finger separation, and environmental and electrical noise robustness for an unmatched user experience. Synaptics’ Design Studio™4 (DS4) accelerates the ClearPad development cycle by enabling customers to evaluate and optimize the performance of their touch experience, enabling OEMS to implement their custom ClearPad sensor solution more efficiently.

For up-to-the-minute Synaptics news, follow @SynaCorp on Twitter. For more information on Synaptics’ products and solutions, please visit www.synaptics.com.

About Synaptics
As a leading developer of human interface solutions which enhance the user experience, Synaptics provides the broadest touch solutions portfolio in the industry. The ClearPad™ family supports touchscreen solutions for devices ranging from entry-level mobile phones to flagship premium smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs. The TouchPad™ family, including ClickPad™ and ForcePad™, is integrated into the majority of today's notebook PCs. Synaptics’ wide portfolio also includes ThinTouch™ supporting thin and light keyboard solutions, as well as key technologies for next generation touch-enabled video and display applications.
(NASDAQ: SYNA) www.synaptics.com

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Lenovo Announces Smarter, Slimmer Android Tablets at IFA

Press release from Lenovo:

Lenovo Announces Smarter, Slimmer Android Tablets at IFA

 Latest Tablets Offer Optimized Multimedia Experiences at Attractive Price Points

IFA 2012, Berlin– August 30, 2012: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced that it has expanded its Ideatab® product line with the Ideatab S2110, A2107, and A2109. Powered by the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system, the new product lineup provides smarter, slimmer tablet designs with a variety of multimedia options at attractive price points.   

 

“The newest line of Ideatab products provides an option for everyone who wants to keep all of their favorite books, songs and movies at their fingertips, no matter where they go,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president, and president, Mobile Internet and Digital Home business.  “Whether consumers crave a pocket tablet with 3G connectivity or seek a premium entertainment tablet for games and graphics, Lenovo has it, and at every price point.” 

  

Ideatab S2110

The Ideatab S2110 is a premium entertainment tablet with an optional detachable keyboard dock to provide a true PC+ experience that moves easily between the tablet and PC worlds. At just 8.69mm and only 580g, it is one of the thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablets available today. The tablet’s IPS (In-Plane Switching) screen with 178-degree viewing angle and unique 10-point multi-touch display is ideal for two-player gaming, and a Micro-HDMI port enables full HD viewing of 1080p on an HDTV. When attached the to the keyboard dock, the S2110 delivers double battery life for up to 20 hours of activity, as well as an SD card reader and USB ports to connect a thumb drive, external hard drive or mouse. The S2110 is also equipped with a 5Mp, auto-focusing rear-facing camera and an LED flash, in addition to a 1.3Mp front-facing camera, 1GB memory, WiFi connectivity, and a textured back cover that provides a more comfortable grip.

 

Ideatab A2107, A2109

The Ideatab A2107 and A2109 are affordable tablets that offer essential entertainment, social media, and productivity capabilities—all protected by the same metal alloy roll cage inspired by Lenovo ThinkPad products.

 

At seven inches—the same size as a standard book page—the A2107 display is designed for on-the-go reading, Web browsing and email. The A2107 also provides hassle-free entertainment with two speakers, a micro-SD card, Bluetooth 4.0, a built-in FM radio, 720p HD resolution, and up to ten hours of active use. In addition to a WiFi model, a 3G version gives users anytime, anywhere information access and fast A-GPS capability.

 

With a powerful quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU and graphics card, the A2109 is an optimized entertainment tablet that features a 9-inch, four-point capacitive display with 1280x800 resolution, 1080p output via the tablet’s Micro-HDMI port, and two speakers with SRS TruMedia audio enhancement. At just 570g with a sleek metal shell backing, the A2109 also includes 1.3 megapixel front and 3 megapixel rear-facing cameras, dual microphones, GPS, a Micro USB port, and up to 16GB of storage with MicroSD card support up to 32GB.

 

Pricing and Availability¹

The Lenovo Ideatab A2109 and S2110 are available now with prices starting at $299 and $399 respectively. The A2107 will be available later in 2012. All products will be available through Lenovo sales representatives and business partners in the US.

 

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter andFacebook.

 

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company – and the second largest PC company in the world, serving customers in more than 160 countries. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the Company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina.  For more information, see www.lenovo.com.

 

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¹Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

Motorola to Cut 20% of Work Force, Part of Sweeping Change

The following is an excerpt from an article in 

The New York Times
Monday, August 13, 2012

Motorola to Cut 20% of Work Force, Part of Sweeping Change

By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Motorola Mobility, the ailing cellphone maker that Google bought in May, told employees Sunday that it would lay off 20 percent of its work force and close a third of its 94 offices worldwide.

The cuts are the first step in Google’s plan to reinvent Motorola, which has fallen far behind its biggest competitors, Apple and Samsung, and to shore up its Android mobile business and expand beyond search and software into the manufacture of hardware.

The turnaround effort will also be a referendum on the management of Larry Page, Google’s chief executive, whose boldest move has been the $12.5 billion acquisition.

Though Google bought Motorola partly because of its more than 17,000 patents, which can help defend against challenges to the Android operating system, it also planned to use Motorola to make its own, better smartphones and tablets.

One-third of the 4,000 jobs lost will be in the United States. The company plans to leave unprofitable markets, stop making low-end devices and focus on a few cellphones instead of dozens, said Dennis Woodside, Motorola’s new chief executive, in a rare interview.

“We’re excited about the smartphone business,” said Mr. Woodside, who previously led Google’s sales and operations for the Americas. “The Google business is built on a wired model, and as the world moves to a pretty much completely wireless model over time, it’s really going to be important for Google to understand everything about the mobile consumer.”

But some analysts wonder whether Google can succeed in the brutally competitive, low-margin cellphone business.

“Ninety percent of the profits in the smartphone space are going to Apple and Samsung, and everyone else from Motorola to RIM to LG to Nokia are picking up the scraps of that 10 percent,” said Charlie Kindel, a former manager at Microsoft who writes about the mobile industry. “There’s no real sign that’s changing anytime soon.”

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Second Annual Dell Storage Forums to be held in Boston and Paris Unite Industry Leaders, Customers and Partners in Discussion of the Current State of Data Management

Note to Visitors: We have moved!  For current news and information, please visit us at our successor blogs: http://JBK-BizTech.blogspot.com and http://JBK-Current-Events.blogspot.com.  Thank you.

In response to strong demand from Dell customers and channel partners, Dell Storage Forum will take place on June 10-13, 2012 in Boston and on Nov. 13-16, 2012 in Paris.

For more, click the link below:

http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/secure/2012-03-29-dell-storage-forum-data-management.aspx

Computerworld Recognizes Dell for Support of Childhood Cancer Research

IDG’s Computerworld Honors Program has recognized Dell as a 2012 Laureate for its commitment of funding, employee engagement and cloud computing technology in support of childhood cancer care research globally. The annual award program honors visionary applications of information technology promoting positive social, economic and educational change.

Dell is being recognized in the “Emerging Technology” category for providing the secure cloud-based IT infrastructure for the world’s first personalized medicine trial for pediatric cancer conducted by the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research Consortium (NMTRC) and supported by The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen). 

For more, click the link below:

http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/secure/2012-03-29-dell-computerworld-cancer-research.aspx

New Software for Influx of Mobile Devices to Workplace

News release from IBM:

IBM Announces New Software to Secure the Influx of Mobile Devices to the Workplace

New York-based School System Looks to Mobile Management; New Software Secures Smartphones and Tablets for Apple iOS, Android, Symbian and Windows

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ARMONK, N.Y. - 31 Jan 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today introduced new software to help organizations better manage and secure the explosion of smartphones and tablets in the workplace, while also managing laptops, desktops and servers.

In addition to the new mobile security and management software introduced today, IBM also announced the acquisition of Worklight. Worklight accelerates IBM’s comprehensive mobile portfolio, which is designed to help global organizations leverage the proliferation of all mobile devices -- from laptops to smartphones and tablets.

As the mobile workforce is expected to reach more than 1.19 billion by next year, there are new pressures to connect personal smartphones and tablets to corporate networks and provide employee access to business data on them. At the end of 2011, almost half of mobile devices used in the workplace were employee owned according to IDC. This “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) trend raises additional concerns about managing security risks. Mobile exploits doubled in 2011 from 2010, according to the IBM X-Force Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report.

IBM Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices helps organizations support and protect the growing mobile workforce. Through this software, firms can use a single solution to secure and manage smartphones and tablets, as well as laptops, desktop PCs, and servers. It manages Apple iOS, Google Android, Nokia Symbian, and Microsoft Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices.

The software extends security intelligence to deal with the growing threats from mainstream adoption of the BYOD trend. Organizations can install the IBM software in hours, remotely set policies, identify potential data compromises and wipe data off the devices if they are lost or stolen. The software helps configure and enforce passcode policies, encryption and virtual private network settings.

“As the BYOD movement accelerates, it presents new opportunities and challenges for organizations. In order for them to take advantage of this trend, it is important that organizations have mobile security and management policies in place,” said Bob Sutor, vice president, IBM Mobile Platform. “The new offering from IBM will help organizations manage personal and enterprise-owned mobile phones and tablets across IT networks in order to minimize risk, increase productivity and enhance innovation.”

New York-based School System Automates its Computing Endpoints and Looks to Mobile Management
The Western New York Regional Information Center (WNYRIC) housed within Erie 1 BOCES, a regional public education services organization in Buffalo, N.Y., manages hundreds of thousands of computing endpoints for more than 100 school districts. IBM Tivoli Endpoint Management software automatically updates security protection and power management of its computers and servers across the school district. Before using the software, one of the ways to perform these functions was for someone to drive to each location and manually update each machine. IBM software will help the WNYRIC reduce energy usage through automating power settings of these thousands of endpoints, resulting in an estimated savings of $3.2 million in a year.

Now more of the district's administrators, teachers and students are looking to tap their district-issued and personal iPads, iPhones and Android devices to create lesson plans, communicate and share documents on their network. The WNYRIC is planning a comprehensive way to manage mobile security issues and compliance and has gotten early access to IBM Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices.

“Our school districts are looking for a way to manage and secure hundreds and potentially thousands of smartphones, laptops and other computers,” said Jill Holbrook, associate director of the WNYRIC. “Automating the computer updates and security protection across our entire network—including mobile—would speed our ability to provide more secure and efficient services to the administrators, teachers and students we support.”

Managing and Securing Mobile Devices throughout the Workplace

This new release of IBM Endpoint Manager extends IBM capabilities in managing the security and compliance of servers, computers and point-of-sales devices, such as ATMs and self-service kiosks to smartphones and tablets using mobile operating systems while addressing the unique aspects of those devices. IBM Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices enables customers to:

·        Safeguard Data -- Selectively wipe enterprise data when devices are lost or stolen and configure and enforce passcode policies, encryption, VPN, and more.
·        Provide Flexible Management -- Secure and manage employee- and corporate-owned mobile devices using a combination of email-based and agent-based management, while preserving the native device experience.
·        Maintain Compliance -- Automatically identify non-compliant devices and take action by denying email access or by issuing user notifications until corrective actions are implemented.
·        Unify the Infrastructure -- Leverage a single infrastructure to manage and secure all devices: smartphones, media tablets, desktops, laptops, and servers.
The IBM Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices is built on IBM’s 2010 acquisition of BigFix software.
For more information, please visit: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/tivoli/solutions/endpoint/mdmbeta/