Longer Laptop Battery Life from ATI
The low-battery alert is now another 30 minutes away from coming, thanks to new technology from ATI that extends laptop battery power by more than half an hour.
The Ontario-based graphics chipmaker debuted its "Powerplay" technology Monday. Company officials said the new product uses a variety of techniques to change clock speeds and voltage settings when users go from AC to battery operation.
Powerplay is designed to work in laptops powered by ATI's Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics processor that was released two weeks ago. The technology's power-on-demand feature changes the core voltage and frequency, depending on what the user's activity on the computer is. The technology is supposed to ensure minimum power consumption even when the computer is in its highest performance mode.
TAB NSW Gets Automated Speech System
New South Wales TAB, the largest betting operator in Australia, recently implemented an automated speech recognition system to help it process phone bets during peak times.
The new system will compliment its operator-based PhoneTAB and touch-tone reliant PhoneTAB Keypad betting systems. PhoneTAB Express, as the new service is called, is voiced by an electronic voice, "TABatha."
TAB NSW's public affairs manager, Peter Fletcher, said the automated speech recognition system will be vital to retain customers and to better the quality of customer service. The rising cost of staffing support centers along with complaints about long waits for telephone assistance prompted the TAB to begin using voice recognition technology.
New ClearPay Technology Protects User's Identity
E-commerce payment option ClearPay is partnering with Safewww Inc. to integrate the latter company's "IDshield" software into the ClearChex electronic payment product.
Safewww is a two year-old, U.S.-based company that develops authentication methods to secure online transactions. The technology requires no additional hardware and is not identifiable to end-users.
Using IDshield, ClearPay will allow users to secure an online account that they can fill directly from their checking account. The system is supposed to be paired with software used by the Web merchant to alleviate concerns about identity theft. The new system is also meant to allow Web purchases without the use of a credit card.
GPRS from Motorola to Hit Lebanon in September
The leading GSM network operator in Lebanon, LibanCell, this week announced it will provide nationwide General Packet Radio Service, allowing high-speed Internet access via mobile phone to residents of that country.
Commercial service is scheduled to begin in September. The service will take place over Motorola's network and will be for users of Motorola cell phones.
LibanCell serves 385,000 customers.
Cell Phone Recycling Programs Can't Be Far Behind
It had to happen-disposable cell phones are due to hit the North American market in the first half of 2002.
Telespree, a San Francisco-based company specializing in "instant-use" wireless products, is planning to release the disposable cell phone in North America first and then introduce it to other continents.
The disposable phone costs US $30 to make and allows 60 minutes of airtime. When that hour runs out, users can purchase a new backing for the phone, called an Airclip, which contains another hour of talk time and a new battery.
Nokia To Supply Fujian Province with Broadband Access
Nokia and Fujian Telecom recently agreed that Nokia would supply its D50e broadband access to China's Fujian province.
As per the contract, Nokia will supply high-speed Internet access to five major cities and regions in the Fujian province, including its capital city, Fuzhou. The agreement allows for Fujian Telecom to start with a small investment and then scale up, eventually bringing the service to the whole province, which has a population of 31.5 million.