Nikon Introduces New PROSTAFF 7 Binoculars

Nikon Vision Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, is pleased to present two new PROSTAFF 7 models, the 8×42 and 10×42. With fully multilayer-coated lenses and prisms, including phase-correction-coated roof prisms and high-reflection mirror coating prisms, the PROSTAFF 7 binoculars series offers a brighter image and higher resolution. The rubber armoring provides durability and a nonslip grip for comfortable holding.

Positioned between the Monarch and the Sporter EX series, these first PROSTAFF 7 series models deliver higher optical performance at an attractive price.

 

Key Features

All lenses and prisms are multilayer-coated to achieve brighter images.

Phase-correction-coated roof prisms deliver high resolution.

High-reflection mirror-coating prisms enhance image brightness.

High-eyepoint design provides a clear field of view, even for eyeglass wearers.

Turn-and-slide rubber eyecups with multi-click facilitate easy positioning of eyes at the correct eyepoint.

Waterproof up to 1 m/3.3 ft for 10 minutes and fog-free with nitrogen gas

Rubber armoring for shock resistance and a firm, comfortable grip

Eco-glass optics that are free of lead and arsenic are employed for all lenses and prisms

 

Nokia shares plummet following Q2 sales warning

Analyst says abandoning Symbian before release of Windows Phone handsets likely to have hit Nokia sales

Nokia has warned that sales for the quarter ending June 30 will be well short of the €6.6bn it had previously predicted, and the firm may not make a profit for the quarter.

In the previous quarter Nokia made €690 million profit on €7.1 billion in revenue, but revenue this quarter is expected to be substantially below that figure, with margins short of the 6 to 9 per cent the firm had predicted.

The dip in the current quarter may be the result of dealers and consumers reacting to the firm’s decision to announce it is discontinuing its Symbian operating system before bringing smartphones running Microsoft’s Windows Phone to market.

The warning for the current quarter has sent the Finnish mobile maker’s share price tumbling more than 17 per cent to a 13-year low, and has added to concerns the firm is unable to cope with the shift towards smartphones.

Nokia has withdrawn its 2011 predictions, saying it was no longer “appropriate” to provide targets for the year ahead.

Though Nokia is still the largest smartphone maker, its share of the market has halved to 20% over the last two years, and its share of the total handset market has slipped from 33 per cent to 29 per cent in the last year alone.

The firm is now pinning its hopes on a partnership with Microsoft announced in February.

However, Ovum devices and platform analyst Nick Dillon (pictured) told Mobile News that the poor Q2 performance may be partly due to the firm underestimating the impact of the announcement.

“Looking back on it it’s quite understandable how that has been badly perceived by the market.

“They are in this limbo at the moment, they’ve killed off one platform, but they haven’t got any Windows Phones in the market. From the consumer perspective as well, they aren’t going to buy into that.”

Nevertheless, Dillon said that he is “relatively confident” that Nokia will be able to meet its target of getting a Windows Phone handset out before the end of the year.

“Their next challenge is to differentiate their products against the growing number of OEM’s who are going to produce Windows Phone handsets.

“At the announcement in February, there was an allusion to the fact that Microsoft were giving Nokia free reign to customise the software as it sees fit. It will be interesting to see if that will be superficial or something deeper to make the handsets really standout.

“Of course the flip side of that is it starts to threaten the platform more widely, and that is something you would expect Microsoft to push against.”

 

Recover Deleted iPhone Text Messages, Contacts, Calls and More with the iPhone Spy Stick

If you want to spy on your cheating mate who owns a iPhone now you can with the iPhone Spy Stick.  The iPhone Spy Stick allows you to easily recover all their text messages, calendar appointments, calls, contacts lists, pictures, videos and even find out where they went by downloading the phone's map history.  The iPhone Spy Stick looks like an ordinary USB flash drive so no one will suspect that it's a professional grade forensics tool.

Android Plants vs Zombies Out, Free & Proud

It’s been a long time coming, but Android can finally claim gaming parity with the iOS. Sure, there are nowhere near as many games on the Android Market, nor are many even as good, but this here is what we call a psychological milestone. Add to that the fact that it’s free today on the Amazon App Store all day today and you get something closer to a psychological millstone.

For now, the game hasn’t been optimized for tablets, but Amazon it should work on most of them , provided you don;t mind a bit of fuzz around the corners. To those of you who have been boycotting Plants vs Zombies until the Android version came out, congratulations, you’re about to dive into something truly special. Everyone else, I’m probably just keeping you from replaying and enjoying a classic.

French & Spanish Online Stores shuttering by Nokia

No actual shutters will be involved unless Nokia had the store servers over by the window, but the fact of the matter is Nokia’s own digital storefronts in France and Spain, confronted with aggressive pricing from third parties also compounded by carrier subsidies, will be bidding adieu and respectively hasta la vista.

“Prices are too subsidized by the carriers and sales were low, so they will keep providing support,” according to a Nokia rep. “Plus, people kept asking where the Android section of our store was, it was getting embarrassing,” he would have supposedly gone on to say if injected with truth serum.

U.S. Cellular Launches The HTC Merge, LG Genesis Coming June 9th

Just a quick update for those keeping tabs on the LG Genesis (which, up until Verizon decided not to offer it, was previously known as the “enV Pro”) for U.S. Cellular: look for it to hit the shelves on June 9th for $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

In other news: that $149.99-after-rebate pricetag is the same thing they’re asking for the HTC Merge, which hit their shelves as the sun came up this morning. (And for those paying extra close attention: yep, the very same HTC Merge that Verizon decided to delay forever until eventually deciding to not sell it in their own shops, but to allow third party retailers to sell it to those who requested it. It’s a very special week of hand-me-downs for U.S. Cellular, isn’t it?)

ViewSonic V350 Finally Ready for Launch

Dual-SIM Smartphones out there that can be enjoyed by people, who have multiple service providers, are so rare of a scene in the marketplace, this is because the ViewSonic V350 is a few of its kind that is being presented to customers. Aside from being able to cater two SIM cards, there are also other features that can be considered as fair for this caliber of device. First of all, it runs on an Android 2.2 operating system, presented via a 3.5 HVGA touch screen display.

The operation speed of the phone is considered decent with its 600MHz processor and 512 megabytes of storage. Networking and connections for the Smartphone can be done via WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. Other additional features that makes it a phone worth the wait is a 5-megapixel camera, a music player, standard 3.5mm headset jack, and an access to apps via the Android market. With everything ready for the taking, the ViewSonic V350 is ready to instigate.

Source: Unwired View

 

TDK starts mass production of transparent OLEDs, makes texting and walking safer

TDK is taking those transparent OLED screens we saw back in October and putting them into mass production. The 2.4-inch, QVGA (240 x 320) UEL476 display has a transmittance of 40 percent, but obscures light passing through the front so others won't be able to read your text messages from behind. Obviously, these aren't going to find their way into high-end Android handsets, but they may have a home in fashion phones like Lenovo's S800. And, you know, they seem perfect for SMS addicts who can't stop their thumbs from flying even while walking. Check out the full PR after the break.

Show full PR text

TDK Starts Mass Production of See-Through Type High-Definition Organic Electroluminescent (EL) Display

Tokyo, May 31, 2011 - (ACN Newswire) - TDK Corporation has started mass production of a newly developed see-through passive matrix type QVGA organic EL display (product name: UEL476) from this Spring, a world's first*.

Organic EL displays are formed through thin-film techniques, using organic material that emits light in response to an electric current. High brightness, wide viewing angle and other favorable characteristics make this display type very easy on the eye, and since it also achieves fast response, Organic EL displays have been adopted for wider use in flat panel displays. All organic EL displays from TDK employ the passive matrix principle. The newly developed see-through type is mainly intended for use as the main display panel in mobile phones and other mobile devices.

The see-through type organic EL display for mobile applications has a field angle of 2.4 inches, transmittance of 40 percent, and brightness of 150 cd/m2. Compact mobile electronic devices such as mobile phones these days require a display that is appealing also from a design point of view. The newly developed product is a see-through type, but is constructed so that the display contents cannot easily be seen from behind, to protect the user's privacy.

TDK started developing organic electroluminescent materials in 1991, establishing an in-house R&D framework covering the entire process from molecular structure design to chemical composition and device evaluation. As a result, a proprietary long-life material and thin film layer configuration, as well as an optimized mass production process were developed. Development of a white organic EL element was started in 1995, culminating in a final product in 2000.

The use of the color filter principle means that the service life of the each Red, Green and Blue color of RGB elements is identical, and color shift is absent. Furthermore, favorable temperature characteristics allow a wide operating temperature range from -20 to +85 degrees C.

Development efforts are ongoing, with a view to widen the range to include various color products, as well as towards further improving precision and longer service life for all types.

Glossary

-- Passive matrix drive principle: One of the methods used to drive organic electroluminescent elements. A grid of vertical and horizontal electrode lines is used to drive a line of pixels each. By contrast, an active matrix display uses a dedicated TFT (thin film transistor) to drive each pixel separately.
-- QVGA: Abbreviation of "Quarter Video Graphics Array", featuring a 320 x 240 pixel grid.

Main applications

-- Mobile phones, mobile electronic devices etc. requiring a QVGA color display

Main features

-- See-through type achieving high brightness (150cd/m2)
-- Display contents not easily viewable from rear (for enhanced privacy)
-- Transmittance 40%

Main Specifications
-- Display area: 36.0 x 47.9 mm
-- Number of pixels: 240 x RGB x 320
-- Brightness: 150 cd/m2

* Current as of May 2011, TDK data.

About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762; US: TTDKY) is a leading global electronics company based in Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize "ferrite," a key material in electronics and magnetics. TDK's current product line includes ferrite materials, electronic components and ICs, wireless computer networking products, magnetic heads for HDD, digital recording hardware and advanced digital recording media. For more information, please visit www.global.tdk.com.

Nokia's online stores go offline in France and Spain

Nokia's "around breakeven" outlook announced earlier today is discouraging at best, and now it looks like the company has begun shuttering online stores in response to growing competition from resellers, which offer lower prices on the same hardware. So far, online stores in France and Spain have been replaced with a closure notice, so customers in those countries will need to turn to third-party vendors to get their smartphone fix. European online stores in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, and the UK remain open for business, but low online sales figures (and the inevitable death of Symbian) mean we may see more countries falling offline in the near future. "Prices are too subsidized by the carriers and sales were low, so they will keep providing support," a representative from Nokia Spain told us today, so as expected, the shutdown only affects sales operations -- of course, you'll still be able to turn to your local Nokia site for support.

[Thanks, Reppu]