Computer Hardware News: 26/07/09

 

DELL TAKES STRONG STANCE AGAINST EXPORTING E-WASTE
Bangalore
The Financial Express  The Hindu Business Line  

Dell became the first major computer manufacturer to ban the export of non-working electronics to developing countries as part of its global policy on responsible electronics disposal.

Dell’s electronics disposition policy now exceeds the requirements of the Basel Convention, which bans the export of certain electronic waste based on its material or chemical composition. By expanding its definition of electronic waste to include all non-working parts or devices, irrespective of material composition, Dell aims to help prevent the unauthorized dumping of electronic waste in developing countries by requiring that equipment be tested and certified as “working” prior to export.

These additions to the company’s disposition policy reflect Dell’s long-standing commitment to responsibly manage sensitive electronic waste through final disposition.

SMART INFOCOMM TO MARKET HYUNDAI PRODUCTS
Kochi
The Hindu Business Line

Smart Infocomm has entered into an exclusive licence agreement with Hyundai Corporation to bringing in an array of 3-D surround sound speakers for IT and electronics segment for selling Hi-Fi home theatre, computer speakers and headphones under the brand Hyundai.

The products would be manufactured under the supervision of both the companies and imported to India. According to the agreement, branding, sales and marketing, after-sales and manpower will be the handled by Smart Infocomm in India. Hyundai is planning to launch a wide range of models in the next one year, a press release said.

Smart Infocomm has been in the forefront of futuristic technology products, and in the last few years has introduced to the market a range of highly innovative and incredibly stylish IT peripherals and digital audio and video accessories for the growing computing and digital world.

Sherif Usman, Head, Strategic Business, said the range offers a comprehensive array of specialty products. Smart Infocomm was the first to introduce hi-end 12 mega pixel web cams with unique face track technology, noise cancellation headphones, flexi keyboards, wireless mouse, writing tablets and speakers, and today enjoys a market share of 25 percent, he said.

The company has offices in India, the Middle East and Europe. Smart Infocomm the brand is registered in 80 countries and is planning to roll out its range across SAAC countries this year, he said.

The Hyundai products would be marketed by Smart Hyundai, a division of Smart Infocomm Ventures Pvt Ltd, under the brand name SMART. Krishnan Ramaswamy, Head, Operations, said the total projected revenue is Rs 250 crore, of which Hyundai products will contribute approximately Rs 100 crore.

Hyundai products will be available in all leading retail IT, electronic and music outlets across the country. The company is also planning to launch 25 exclusive experience zones in major malls and has already got nine service centres in major cities.

There are also plans to open another seven service centres before the end of this year, he added.

INTEL STARTS PROCESSOR RATING
Dilip Maitra, Bangalore
Deccan Herald

Intel has recently unleashed its advertising campaign that rates its processors from 5-star (at the top end) to 1-star (at the bottom). These ratings, however, exclude Intel’s cheapest processor Atom used in notebooks, a device mainly used for Internet browsing. The Intel processor ratings are designed to help customers decide which processor is best for his or her needs. The consumer need may vary from high-end graphics processing, heavy gaming capability or simple data processing with multi tasking ability. In the promotional communications on ‘processor ratings’ one has to just look for stars next to the processor badges to determine their different levels of processing power.

The matrix
In the rating matrix, broadly divided between desktop and laptop, each processor is assigned rating between one and five stars depending on a combination of features, including cores, GHz, cache and other technologies. More stars indicate greater features and increased capabilities compared to other Intel processors. Talking to Deccan Herald, Prakash Bagri, Director-Marketing, South Asia, Intel Technology India said “The primary objective is to help consumers with simple communication on processing power of various chips.” Intel’s new move is expected to help individual computer buyers who, most of the time, get bogged down by the technical jargons. Traditionally, most chip makers, including Intel, used megahertz to describe their microprocessors’ relative performance and to show their different features. But for most consumers they did not mean much, beyond numbers.

FOR OLPC, IT’S A SEASON OF SOARING HOPES
Sumali Moitra, Kolkata
The Times of India (Kolkata edition)

Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) — whose attempts to raise its India presence have moved in fits and starts so far — is hopeful that its luck would change under the new UPA dispensation.

“While we have been able to make our case successfully to a few state governments, the change at the central government gives us an opportunity to impress upon the new education leadership of the nation the critical role OLPC can play in making India a nation that relates to the future rather than the glorious past,” OLPC India president & CEO Satish Jha said.

Jha was responding to a query on the OLPC gameplan to scale its India links following the UPA’s return to power. “Professor Negroponte will be glad to visit India whenever the government invites him or an important opportunity comes his way,” he added.

Since last year, senior OLPC officials, including Negroponte, have been aggressively making pitches to various state governments and corporates on how partnering OLPC’s ‘XO’ laptop initiative could help them do their bit for promoting education among under-privileged children. However, the global downturn, apart from worries on the cost of deploying ‘XO’ laptops, has made several prospective sponsors tread more cautiously than OLPC would have liked.

OLPC — which had originally intended to price its ‘XO’ laptops at $100 — had dismissed the earlier UPA government’s promise of offering a $10 laptop as a “political statement” rather than a display of technological prowess. Jha had also hit out at the previous government for claiming that OLPC had failed to bring down the price of the ‘XO’ because it couldn’t sell its products.

WACOM UNVEILS NEW PEN TABLET
New Delhi
The Hindu

Japan-based Wacom on Monday unveiled ‘Intuos4’, a new professional pen tablet that is loaded with a range of software applications.

Aimed at professionals like photographers, designers and artists seeking optimal control and improved productivity, the pen tablet comes in four sizes and priced between Rs. 14,000 and Rs. 42,000.

The next generation ‘Intuos4’ is capable of capturing the slightest nuance of pen pressure against the tablet surface, while its refined and intelligent industrial design provides real advancements in looks, comfort and control. The ‘Intuos4’ grip pen features Wacom’s new proprietary ‘tip sensor’ technology, offering users near-zero starting pressure for the most natural feeling experience of any digital pen.

Wacom Asia Pacific Marketing Manager Glenn Tsunekawa said “the lightest touch will activate the pen, emulating the same feel, response and results derived from working with traditional art tools.

The range of input options will please even the most discriminating professional.”

While ‘Intuos3’ sold 15-lakh units, Wacom expects the new professional pen tablet to surpass the 20-lakh-mark.