The $199 iPhone?

Fortune reports that AT&T is preparing to offer a $200 subsidy for buyers of the next-generation iPhone, widely expected to be introduced this summer. It writes that since the new, presumably faster models will start at the same $399 base price as the current iPhones, that will drop the effective price to $199.

I certainly assume that Apple and AT&T are working hard to get the iPhone to a price that puts it within reach of the most people. Fortune writes that AT&T has found that iPhone owners spend twice as much as the average customer because they buy data plans. (This is consistent with what AT&T said to investors on its earnings conference call last week.)

But as reported, there are some bits of the story that don’t make sense. Fortune wrote that AT&T will offer the subsidy to people who buy the phones in its stores, but not to those who buy in Apple stores. I can’t imagine that Apple would want to sell iPhones for even a dime more in its stores than in another store. (Apple keeps exceedingly tight control over its pricing.)...more

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV

This week's edition of the regular Critical Reception column examines online reaction to Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV, which debuts this week to a Metacritic-averaged score of 99 out of 100.

Grand Theft Auto III was a landmark release for the series, its genre, and the PlayStation 2 console, earning widespread critical acclaim and a devoted following among gamers worldwide. Its follow-ups, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas, earned equal amounts of praise and retail success.

With expectations running high given the quality of its previous entries, many wondered if Grand Theft Auto could measure up to series standards in its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 debut. The end result appears to be a runaway hit with critics so far, earning a spate of perfect scores and a Metascore of 99 out of 100....more

New 3G iPhone will hit stores on June 9

The 3G iPhone will be announced June 9, the likely date of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ keynote at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, analysts said in research notes on Thursday. The 3G iPhone will be the “first of an impressive wave of new products” from Apple, wrote Citi analysts Richard Gardner and Yeechang Lee. They also expect an updated Mac laptop and iPod lines. The Apple conference is scheduled for June 9-13 in San Francisco. In addition to a 3G iPhone release in early June, the 2.5G model could have a “minor casing change” and a price drop to between US$299 and $349, compared to the current $399, wrote Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research, in a research report.

Those predictions are consistent with a February prediction Gardner made that 3G iPhones will be announced by midyear. The 3G iPhone release will help Apple meet its target of shipping 10 million iPhones in 2008, Gardner wrote at the time. Apple is confident it will sell 10 million iPhones this year, officials said during a conference call on Wednesday to discuss the company’s second-quarter earnings. Apple sold more iPhones than expected during the quarter and iPhone inventories were not enough to meet the strong demand.

Source: Yahoo

[BAK2u] Sneak Preview - BAK2u new website

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Original: BAK2u.com

Who Needs Another Social Network?

When it comes to becoming a force in social networks, Google and Yahoo have tried and largely failed. To be sure, Google has Orkut, which is popular in Brazil and the Philippines, but not the United States. For its part, Yahoo has largely pulled the plug on Yahoo 360. But it is clear that MySpace and Facebook (and Bebo in the United Kingdom) remain firmly on top of the social network heap.

So now Google and Yahoo are taking another tack — turning themselves into social sites without building a social network.

“We are not trying to be another social network,” said Yahoo president Susan Decker on Tuesday, during the company’s earnings conference call. “Rather, by linking users’ favorite destinations and content, with their friends’ families and communities, we can deliver better relevance on a scale that no one else has achieved.” Two days later, the company’s new chief technology officer, Ari Balogh, speaking at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, elaborated a bit on the idea. “We don’t think of social as a destination,” Mr. Balogh said. “We think of social as a dimension.”..more

China has most internet users in the world

China is one of the most heavily populated countries in the world, but it is also has a large proportion of poor citizens without access to technology. As a result of the huge numbers of Chinese citizens the number of internet users in China is growing rapidly. The Chinese government commonly censors the Internet and has only recently begun allowing Chinese citizens to have access to English-language websites. According to numbers released from the Chinese Ministry of Information, China now has 221 million internet users. This number is up significantly from the end of 2007 when China reported 210 million internet users. At the end of 2007 the U.S. had 205 million internet users. The Chinese Xinhua News Agency quoted the Chinese Information Ministry as saying, “Despite rapidly increasing the Internet population, the proportion of Internet users among the total population is still lower than the global average level.”

The global average for percentage of Internet users in a country is 19.1%; China only has an average of 16%. Chinese authorities expect to have 280 million internet users by the end of 2008. The internet is an outlet for Chinese citizens to voice opinions in a country where traditional new media is strictly controlled. The lack of control over the internet compared to the control China exerts on other forms of media led Chinese President Hu Jintao to call for a purification of the internet in 2007.

Skype offers unlimited long-distance plan

Internet calling company Skype said on Monday that it would offer an unlimited long-distance calling service for customers who want to reach friends and family without computers or Internet access.

Skype, owned by eBay, is one of the best-known Internet calling firms which allow free calls among Internet users. Users pay to call landlines and mobile phones, but the fee is often lower than standard long-distance services.

The company said it was offering unlimited calls to landline and cell phones in the U.S. and Canada for $2.95 a month.

It also offers unlimited calls to phones in 34 countries including Australia, China, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, for $9.95 per month, it said....more

[BAK2u] Verey I for Windows Reviews (bloggers)

We like to thank the bloggers for taking the time to play with the newly launched software: Verey I for Windows.

http://www.ignorantsoup.com
http://www.jialat.com
http://ridz.sg
http://loganized.blogspot.com
http://www.hanneng.net
http://arzhou.com
http://www.alicecheong.com
http://lookykrill.blogspot.com

[BAK2u] Anti-theft software Packaging

Hong Kong partner, DTGNS.com

iPhone 3G

It's official - the iPhone is coming down in price.

We've just been on the blower to the Carphone Warehouse who confirmed the 8GB version will be reduced from £269 to £169 from tomorrow (16th April). The 16GB version will stay at £329.

This will pour petrol on the flames of the rumours going around the web that a 3G iPhone is just weeks away.

And don't fret if you just bought one - the good folk at Carphone Warehouse will give a £100 voucher to those who bought an 8GB one in the last 30 days.

Source: T3.com

“Drive it like you stole it!” GadgetTrak Sponsors The Oregon Trail Rally

We are excited to announce that GadgetTrak is a proud sponsor of this years Oregon Trail Rally. Expected entrants include defending Rally America champion and extreme sport icon Travis Pastrana, DC shoes founder Ken Block, BMX legend Dave Mirra, Formula D champion Tanner Foust, and some of the fastest rally drivers and co-drivers in North America. GadgetTrak will have a booth at the fan event at Pioneer Square in Portland Oregon on the 16th as well as at Portland International Raceway for the first stage of the rally.

For more information on the race visit www.oregontrailrally.com
See you at the races!

Source: GadgetTrak.com

New version of Nintendo DS at E3

A new version of Nintendo’s blockbuster DS handheld could well be revealed at this year’s annual Electronic Entertainment Expo. According to video game company Enterbrain, a new DS model may be on the way with added functionality, but it is unclear if it would be an official successor to the Nintendo platform. Bloomberg Japan reports that the head of Enterbrain, Hirokazu Hamamura has predicted that the new DS model will be revealed during E3, the world’s biggest video game trade show.

The prediction is in step with a statement Nintendo made earlier this year. “All I can tell you is what we announce during E3 is gonna be fantastic,” said company VP Reggie Fils-Aime in an interview with MTV’s GameTrailers. The DS first launched in the US in November 2004, so it is about time for a new model. A refreshed version of the system, the DS Lite, came out in 2006 and effectively phased out the original model. However, there is no difference in functionality with the Lite. According to Hamamura, the new DS will likely include the ability to play back music and movies, and also an additional slot for external hardware components.

TG Daily

[BAK2u] HKiShop 會展 Show - 國際資訊科技博覽

How to recover lost or stolen Apple products

With the popularity of Apple iPhones, iPods and laptops, they tend to be a big target for theft these days. So what do you do if any of your Apple products are lost or stolen? Will Apple help you find them? Will AppleCare cover you? Will AT&T help you? These are some of the questions I will answer in this article, along with a special Dateline NBC video called ‘To Catch an i-Jacker,’ that tracks recovery of stolen iPods.

Be proactive and give your Apple products ‘Macsimum Security.’

Install theft deterrent software on laptops. Below are a few to consider.

• Bak2U

...more

[BAK2u] Review - Indonesia ' Tetap Tenang Meski Ponsel Hilang'

Animasoft-online.com

Technology Chief Quits Advanced Micro Devices

The chip maker Advanced Micro Devices said Friday that its technology chief, Phillip D. Hester, is leaving, becoming the third senior executive to depart in less than a year.

Mr. Hester, 52, resigned to pursue other opportunities, said Rob Keosheyan, a spokesman for the company, based in Sunnyvale, Calif. His last day was Friday.

A.M.D.’s pace of chip development fell behind Intel’s last year, contributing to five consecutive quarterly losses and a 63 percent slide in the stock in 2007. Henri Richard, the sales chief, left in September and David E. Orton, head of the graphic unit, left in July.

“Any time you have a cook leaving the restaurant, you get chaos,” said David Wu, an analyst at Global Crown Capital in San Francisco. He rates the stock overweight and does not own any. “The top chef has gone, that’s not good.”

This week, Advanced Micro said that first-quarter revenue would miss analysts’ estimates by more than $100 million and that it would cut about 1,650 jobs, or 10 percent of its work force...more

Yahoo Holders Seek Higher Microsoft Bid With AOL

Yahoo! Inc., resisting a $44.6 billion takeover by Microsoft Corp., may wring a higher offer out of the software maker after finding an alternate suitor in Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit.

A new partner may help Chief Executive Officer Jerry Yang turn around investor confidence in Yahoo. Less than a week ago, his options appeared limited after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer threatened to cut his bid if the board refused to give in. With AOL in the fray, a better price is possible, and the New York Times said today that News Corp. may join Microsoft's offer.

``Microsoft, if it wants to stay in the game, is going to have to increase its bid,'' Larry Haverty, associate portfolio manager at Gamco Investors Inc., said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. ``Yahoo is a strategic necessity for Microsoft.''...more

Microsoft Patches Critical Bugs in Windows Graphics System

Microsoft issued a critical patch for two vulnerabilities in the core graphics subsystem of Windows, one of eight fixes released Tuesday as part of its monthly security updates.

Microsoft released a total of five critical patches in its April security bulletin. Two of them fix bugs in Windows, two fix bugs in Windows and Internet Explorer (IE), and one fixes a vulnerability in Microsoft Office. The critical rating means an attacker could potentially exploit the flaws to hack into a victim's computer.

The other patches fix vulnerabilities in Windows and Office and were rated "important." Microsoft releases patches on the second Tuesday of every month, which has become known in the industry as "Patch Tuesday."

MS08-021 fixes two vulnerabilities in Windows' graphics device interface (GDI), one of three core Windows subsystems, that could allow a hacker to take over someone's computer if a user opens certain kinds of image files, according to Microsoft...more

[BAK2u] PCM Magazine review (Hong Kong)

[BAK2u] Mobile Mag review (Hong Kong)

[BAK2u] E-Zone magazine review (Hong Kong)

[BAK2u] Platinum Choice 2008 Award Hong Kong

Mr. Louis of DTG Neo Scientific Co. Ltd

We are pleased to share that together with our Hong Kong partner DTG Neo Scientific Co. Ltd, BAK2u won the Platinum Choice 2008 award.

DTG Neo Scientific Co. Ltd

Unit 506, 5/F, Metro Center II
21 Lam Hing Street, Kowloon Bay
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-31532222
Fax: 852-23647646
Email
Website

GadgetTrak in CBS news - New Directions In Combating GPS Thefts

In suburban Boston, opera singer Beth Grzegorzweski often drives to rehearsals alone at night and wants to feel safe.

"I find a GPS is best to get me home safely, especially in unfamiliar areas," she said.

Three months after spending $450 on her GPS, she found her car window broken, and the GPS gone.

"We had left the GPS unit inside the glove box that night, and the landlord downstairs heard the window smashed in," Grzegorzweski said.

Thieves in Jersey City, N.J., were busted when undercover cops discovered dozens of stolen GPS's being sold in the back of a clothing store - bought for a fraction of the cost and resold, according to Jersey City Police Sgt. Wally Wolfe.

The number of GPS thefts reported to police has quadrupled in just the last two years, from Boston (1,611 in 2007, up from 217 the year before), Houston (1,303 in 2007) and Denver (rising from 25 in 2006 to a projected 100 this year). Elsewhere, the number of thefts in Nassau County, New York, spiked from 130 last year to a projected 2,155 in 2008....

...
In Portland, Oregon, Ken Westin last year started gadgettrak.com, which installs software in your GPS and other devices (like a digital camera or iPod) to help catch a thief. When a programmed device is connected to any computer, their database checks to see if it has ever been reported stolen.

"If it has been reported stolen, it's going to gather information from that host system, such as the user name, the computer name, location information," Weston tells CBS News. “If you want to update your maps, you have to go in and plug that into a computer - and that’s when we can catch thieves.”

The fee is $12.95 to register one device, $19.95 for five. Gadget Track will give their information to police.

“We’re trying to find ways of working with law enforcement as well as pawn shops so that on the back end we can create ways for pawn shops and things like that to look up these devices to make sure they’re not stolen,” Weston says.

GPS manufacturers like Garmin and TomTom are trying to make their products less tempting to steal. New models now require you to enter a 4-digit pin number to work, the hope being if thieves know they can't use it, maybe they won't steal it....more

[BAK2u] Amconics Technology Pte Ltd - Wholesaler (Singapore)

BAK2u is pleased to appoint Amconics Technology as the wholesaler for Singapore market for its anti-theft softwares (phonebak series).

Amconics Technology Pte Ltd

#03-30 Sim Lim Square
No. 1 Rochor Canal Road
Singapore 188504
Tel: +65 63365988
Fax: +65 63360845
Email
Website

M1 Jukebox

M1 Jukebox is a music subscription service which allows you to stream an unlimited number of songs from the M1 Jukebox catalogue.

Upon subscription, a monthly fee of SGD$5.35 will be charged to your M1 bill. You will also be able to create playlists of your favorite songs and share them with other M1 Jukebox subscribers. And if you really like the song that you're streaming, you can even purchase its true tones or full track download!

Best of it all? $5.35 / month only!
http://www.miworld.com.sg

Google Docs: Your Online Office?

Over the next few weeks,Google will be rolling out a new featurethat allows Google Docs users to access their documents even without an Internet connection. For now the change only applies to the word processor, but similar capabilities are expected to become available for spreadsheet and presentation documents once the initial trials are complete.

This move wasn't unexpected. The updated Google Docs take advantage of the company'sGoogle Gearslibrary, a programming tool that allows Web application developers to synchronize online data with files on the user's local hard drive. It also intensifies the burgeoning competition between Google and Microsoft, which offers Web-based collaboration features similar to Google Docs in the form ofMicrosoft Office Live Workspace.Some pundits feel that online services like Google's are the Number One threat to Microsoft's dominance of the productivity software market. Myself, I remain skeptical.

Current fans of Google Docs will surely appreciate this new feature, but I still have a hard time seeing how a Web-based application could ever replace traditional word processing software for serious business computing. I have a hard enough time getting all the capabilities I want out of alternative office suites, such asOpenOffice.org.

And then there are the security and liability concerns. Having access to your documents from any computer anywhere is a powerful productivity enhancement, but quite frankly I work with a lot of documents that should never leave the walls of my office -- and I'm just small potatoes. Google, Microsoft, and other online application providers will have to demonstrate a serious commitment to document security before they can attract enterprise customers to these services, especially given the current regulatory climate.

How comfortable are you with shifting your business computing off the desktop and into the network? Do you see browser-based applications becoming viable alternatives to the apps of old? Or are they just another flash in the pan we call "Web 2.0"? Sound off in the PC World Community Comments.

Source: Washingtonpost.com