Source: PC World

So as you may have heard yesterday, a new iPad has been announced.  Many speculations have been going around regarding the specs that it will ahve, but finally now we have all the details.

As far as the user experience of iOS goes, not much have changed.  There is a partial integration of Siri, but it is only for dictation, so i am sure may of you will be disappointed.

In the mean time have a look at the differences between the iPad 2 and the New iPad.

The case that I am reviewing today is the standard black color.  The case comes in a nice cardboard box with silver ISSENTIEL Logo and name, and the case is also kept in a nice material pouch for extra protection during shipping.

The first thing that you will notice is the soft feel of leather and the handmade craftsmanship of the case.  The front cover is very thin and has a  slightly spongy padding under the leather for feel and protection.  The case feels great in hand and the grip feels secure enough that that it won’t slip out of your hand.

I have chosen the regular black case, but there is one variety that they have with a white stitching on the edges, that gives a very nice accent to the case.  The back, sides, and inside of the case are covered with nice soft leather also.

In order to get the phone inside the case, all you have to do is just push it in.  Once inside the case, the  iPhone feels very snug and secure, and will not come out without some extra help.

The cover has a flap that grips the iPhone when closed, ensuring it doesn’t open accidentally and yet doesn’t offer any real resistance when opening the cover to use the phone, so you should not wary that the flap will scratch the phone.  Overall the design is simple, elegant, and very functional.

The back of the case is simple except for ISSENTIEL embossed logo on the bottom of the case, and a cutout for the camera and flash at the top.  The function buttons are all very accessible on your iPhone with cover closed, and this is very important when listening to the music or talking on the phone.

I personally have always like the flip type cases, primarily for the complete protection of the phone, but some people do not for couple of reasons.  For instance, the cover flap may get in the way when talking on the phone, or rotating the phone from portrait to landscape. This is not an issue with the ISSENTIEL case, but rather a side-effect of all the Flip Cases on the market, and something to consider when shopping for a case.  To me this is a complete protection for the phone and a piece of mind.

Just to sum it up, the iPhone is completely covered and only very slightly larger than a naked iPhone.

It is very slim and does not add any extra size to the phone, and at the same time it does not compromise on the protection.  The feel of the leather is fantastic, and the handmade craftsmanship shows it.  When you hold it in your hand, the case screams quality, and it looks great.  A special thanks to ISSENTIEL for providing me with the iPhone case for this review.  You can visit their Website for many more cases and covers for different types of phones and tablets.

Noreve was very kind to provide me with a sample case for a review.

First thing to notice is that Norive ships their cases in an easy access plastic packaging that encapsulates a nice box where the case and belt clip reside.  After taking the case out of its packaging, I was greeted with: the case itself, a Noreve-branded screwdriver, and Noreve’s  ratchet type belt clip system.

Ratcheting belt clip attaches to the case by a screw and a gear-like piece of metal that you see in the picture above.  Once those are secured onto the back of the case, you can simply slide the belt clip onto the “gear,” and you’ll be ready to go.

Once attached, the belt clip moves with ease but feels very solid.

I am not a big belt clip person so I have never really found the use for it, but I am sure many of you will use it daily.  I prefer to place my phone in the pocket, which brings me to another note about the case.

One important thing for me about the case was always to make sure it’s not very bulky, and this is where Noreve case shines.  It wraps the phone nicely without being too bulky in my hands or in my pocket, and gives enough protection all around.

Moving on to the functionality of the case, on the above picture you will see the right side of the case when the case is closed.  The screen is closed and protected, while  the side buttons (power and volume rocker) are perfectly accessible.

Here’s the bottom of the case. One thing you will notice that the bottom speaker is covered but since I never make phone calls with the flap closed, this should not be a problem.  At the same time, it serves another purpose, and it’s to prevent dirt from getting into the bottom speaker.

The top of the case has a stiff flap that holds the case closed.  I have found that the easiest way to open the case is to put my thumb slightly below the flap and my other two fingers on the top corners of the case, and it opens up without any problems.

The top also leaves the headphone jack completely exposed, so you can use those your headphones without any problem.

The back of the case houses the opening for the camera and dual LED flash.  The cutout is made perfectly not to obstruct ether the flash or the camera.

The inside of the case is  embossed very neatly with the company logo.  The leather feels very nice and soft, and it smells great!

Well it looks like this may be it, finally. The Verizon Equipment Guide has been updated with the official launch date of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus set for December 9th. As we all know, nothing is set in stone unless it has been officially announced by Verizon Wireless, but it looks like its time to get your wallets ready and arrange to be at a Verizon store Friday morning. Good luck to you all who is waiting for New Galaxy Nexus!

Source: DroidLife

The crew at SlashGear got their hands on a few spy pics of the upcoming ASUS CrossHair IV Extreme. The board features an AMD 890FX chipset with dual BIOS, Phenom II X6 support, a Lucid Hydra 200 chip and support for ASUS’ RoG Connect with remote Bluetooth control.

What really makes this board stand out, isn’t the compatibility with all Socket AM3 Phenom and Athlon CPUs, it’s the inclusion of Lucidlogix’s  Hydra solution, which allows users to mix-and-match GPUs (makes and models are no matter here) in order to create the most from whatever graphics cards you have sitting around.

Stay tuned for more details.

• Demonstrating PayWizard, the powerful payment system that also captures valuable marketing information to help broadcasters and content owners provide a better service
• Launch of the eWallet top-up service to allow consumers to easily purchase digital media from various sources and across multiple platforms
• Example of PayWizard in action – Racing UK
• Partner announcement – KIT digital, Tangerine

NAB 2010, Las Vegas – 12 April 2010 – At NAB 2010 MGt, the leading provider of billing and customer management software, will be demonstrating its enhanced payment and billings service, newly branded as PayWizard, which helps digital media content owners to monetise content and build closer relationships with consumers by simplifying the payment process. At the heart is an eWallet that provides a simple and efficient payment gateway service, allowing consumers to purchase digital media from a variety of sources using a single ‘top-up’ account.

In today’s multiplatform world digital content owners have a wide variety of outlets where they can sell their products, whether online newspapers, music videos or online games, but managing the process while maintaining a good service can be problematic. PayWizard – which currently manages more than 10 million customer transactions and bills more than $400 million annually and is fully PCI compliant – not only deals with payment transactions but also provides the tools to enable content owners to collect valuable marketing data about consumers, provide critical reporting capabilities, and offer a range of customer support services.

Jamie Mackinlay, Commercial Director, MGt, said, “It might seem like the last and most obvious piece of the content monetization puzzle, but the payment system is really important in order to create a simple easy-to-use service and to build a close relationship with the customer. Unlike other payment and billing tools, PayWizard allows the content owner to keep, analyse and use vital marketing data – where the customer has been, what they have bought, what their purchasing habits are – in order to improve their service, personalise the customer viewing experience and provide additional opportunities to sell more content.”

PayWizard’s value-added service allows merchants to quickly set up their online offering by providing technical integration services in order to connect with multiple platforms, and the necessary operational infrastructure and services such as reporting and content tracking, which would require heavy investment in time and money to set up independently.

PayWizard also provides a top-up payment device for digital media consumption. Instead of having to register personal and bank account details on individual sites, the consumer would register with PayWizard for a single ‘eWallet’, nominate payment details and choose how much to top up and how often, and would then be able to use their account quickly and easily on any site that is signed up to the PayWizard service.

“PayWizard is an attractive offer for all sizes digital media companies, allowing them to offer an easy and secure billing service, with the additional benefits of PayWizard, for a relatively small outlay,” Mackinlay said. “We see PayWizard becoming the common currency for digital media transactions.”

In addition to PayWizard, MGt will also be demonstrating its Profile Software Suite, which provides robust support for specific end-to-end applications such as subscriber TV and IPTV. MGt can be found on Booth SU9506R in the Broadband Lifestyles Pavilion.

ABOUT MGt

MGt is a specialist provider of payment and billing services, media consumer software and outsourced solutions for global Telecommunications, Media, Technology, Entertainment and Retail markets.

For over ten years MGt has developed an innovative and unique Tier 1 managed service platform that, along with our staff of over 1,000, annually manages more than 10 million customer contacts, bills more than $400 million and fulfils more than 4 million items.

MGt today provides a unique services package that includes: hosted billing and payment solutions, subscriber management software for digital media platforms, end to end IPTV solutions and a full outsourced customer management capability.

Our client list includes BT Retail, Sony Entertainment, BT Vision, Digital UK, Discovery Networks, Freeview, Move Networks, Orange, Top Up TV and Five.

For more information visit www.mgtplc.com

NAB 2010, Las Vegas – 12 April 2010 – Cintel International will be showcasing brand new products for film scanning and image restoration at NAB 2010 on Booth SL2816.

Cintel Sales Director Simon Carter said, “At NAB 2010 we are very excited to be presenting new workflows for film scanning and image restoration.  diTTo evolution is the first film scanner to be instantly switchable from pin registration to non-pin registration and also the first film scanner to include film grain management and image stabilisation tools.  It is the ideal film scanner for all applications & stocks types; from OCN ingest for digital intermediates, to dense print for restoration projects.”

diTTo evolution offers a modular and upgradeable solution to film scanning.  Building on the successful elements of the renowned diTTo scanner, including unequalled image performance, easy to use interface and the famous D/SCO – Dust/Scratch Concealment option, diTTo evolution additionally provides a fast shuttle capability, a non-pin registration mode for archive scanning, imageMill2 processing tools and a 3.2D density range.

Simon Clark, Cintel’s Business Development Manager, commented, “diTTo evolution offers solutions to all film scanning needs.  It can evolve from a simple-to-use, calibrated pin registration scanner for Digital Intermediate use with superb image quality to a multi-format, non-pin registration machine for shrunken and damaged film incorporating a full set of image restoration tools.”

imageMill2 is a new image processing platform adding network capabilities and data file management to the existing imageMill capabilities.  GRACE the noise and film grain management tool and STEADY, the real time image stabilisation application will be on show at NAB and a new Dust/Scratch Concealment option called ORIGIN is due later in 2010.

Simon Carter remarked, “imageMill2 will address the industry’s need for a fast yet simple-to-use Noise and Grain management tool for both data-centric Digital Intermediate applications and Restoration projects within one product.  With speeds in excess of 25fps for 2K and HD files, the performance of imageMIll2 is unequalled.  We are currently processing 4K files at 10fps and can also deal with SD files at twice real time.  With imageMIll2 you can truly ‘eliminate the wait’.

Cintel will also be demonstrating a new Millennium dataMill workflow utilising the Yoyo system from Yoyotta.  Film will be scanned to HD data in real time with the Yoyo system controlling both the film scanner and an imageMill processing engine.  This workflow offers a very simple yet powerful film scanning workflow with additional data management tools provided by the Yoyo system.

About Cintel

Cintel International has been providing film scanning products and post production solutions to the world for over 80 years and has constantly evolved and adapted to the requirements of the broadcast, post production and archive market places. www.cintel.co.uk

NAB 2010, Las Vegas – 12 April 2010 - Autoscript, the world’s leading teleprompting company and a Vitec Group brand, will present a range of high performance prompting solutions on Booth C6025 at NAB 2010. Demonstrations will include high brightness LED TFT flat screens, and the first fully-featured demonstrations in the US of the Xbox Ultra and X-Lite portable prompting systems.

Autoscript’s LED TFT flat screens utilise recent advances in LED technology to provide superior brightness, higher contrast levels, improved reliability and energy efficiency.

Based on the successful XBOX USB external box solution, the Xbox Ultra connects via USB port to a laptop or PC and provides enhanced features and capabilities which make it particularly useful for portable prompting. Now featuring four outputs, it can power twice as many on-camera units, and also features a smooth on-screen scroll on the computer screen, eliminating the need for an external preview monitor. The video output is standard composite PAL or NTSC and is compatible with all Autoscript on-camera units.

The X-Lite, which replaces the WinPlus VGA unit, is an entry level prompting tool which incorporates one output, and is suitable for simple pieces to camera and for educational purposes.

“Autoscript’s constant innovation continues to provide real-world solutions for every type of broadcast, from LED TFTs used on live entertainment shows to executive systems for announcements by world leaders,” said Brian Larter, Managing Director, Autoscript. “We are delighted to bring the latest and greatest in our range to NAB 2010.”

About Autoscript

Established in the U.K. in 1984, with headquarters in the U.S. and the U.K., Autoscript is the world leader in the prompting industry. Autoscript provides a complete range of PC-based teleprompters, the best designed and built hardware, PC cards and software, and – with its expanding line of intuitive accessories – is the new definition in prompting. Autoscript is a member of the Vitec Group.

For more information visit www.autoscript.tv

A Snapshot of The Vitec Group
Vitec is an international Group principally serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military, aerospace and government (MAG) markets. Listed on the London Stock Exchange with 2009 revenue of £315 million, Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers worldwide rely.  Vitec is organised in three divisions:  Imaging & Staging, Videocom and Services.

Imaging & Staging designs, manufactures and distributes equipment and accessories for photography, video and events.

Videocom designs and distributes systems and products used in broadcasting and live entertainment, film and video production and MAG.

Services provides equipment rental, workflow design and technical support for camera, video, audio, fibre optic and wireless technology used by TV production teams and film crews.

More information can be found at www.vitecgroup.com

• Integration with partners Video Technics and Comprompter provides flexible IT broadcast workflows
• Korean playout center CUDO installs OASYS workflow

NAB 2010, Las Vegas  – 12 April 2010 – OASYS, Video  Technics and Comprompter will join forces at NAB 2010 to demonstrate  rock-solid IT-based broadcast workflow solutions, based on over 50 years   of experience in the field.

Building on the joint marketing and  development  agreements announced at IBC 2009, the co-operation between the companies   now provides a product portfolio consisting of ingest, asset management,   editing, shared storage, archive, newsroom automation, master control  and automated playout. These can be configured in a variety of ways  to create a complete broadcast workflow of automation tools, or further  integrated with a huge range of other broadcast equipment and software,  providing the ultimate in customer flexibility.

Mark Errington, CEO, OASYS, said, “OASYS,   Video Technics and Comprompter are the true pioneers in the field of  automated live and pre-recorded playout solutions. Despite many a claim  from legacy system manufacturers to be at the forefront of a new  revolution  of IT-based broadcast workflow, our companies have only ever developed  IT-based solutions, and have a long history of delivering integrated  workflows – unlike organisations that have historically produced legacy  playout automation solutions and have only latterly changed focus. Our  experience, together with proven price performance, quality and unique  features, puts us squarely at the vanguard of this growing market, and  we invite visitors to NAB to come and talk to us about their specific  automation requirements.”

As well as showing the individual  software  components, the companies will be demonstrating suggested workflows  tailored to different broadcast scenarios, including a newsroom workflow   and a master control solution.

Mark Rivers, President and CEO, Video  Technics, said, “Video Technics is committed to offering simple and  affordable solutions to allow any facility to upgrade to a fully  digital,  file-based, and collaborative production environment.”

Ralph King, President of Comprompter  says, “Together we prepare, produce, and present a station’s newscasts  and other special programming day in and day out.”

About OASYS

OASYS is a leading international supplier of channel in a box computer-based automated playout solutions for all types of television channels. With over a decade’s experience in the development of playout systems, it has an unrivalled knowledge and understanding of a channel’s needs.  Based in London and with a worldwide distribution network, OASYS provides proven, cost-effective channel in a box solutions for broadcasters around the world – including the BBC (UK), The Concentra Group and RTV (Belgium), Levira (Estonia), INX (India), TBN (South Africa and Spain), Telesud (France), TVN (Poland), YLE (Finland), ImaginasianTV (USA),A-Pressen (Norway), Stimme der Hoffnung (Germany), Anadolu University (Turkey) and Ajman TV (UAE). For more information, please visit www.oasys.com

About Video Technics, Inc.

Video Technics, Inc., a pioneer in revolutionary systems development, supplies the global broadcast industry with innovative, feature-rich workflow solutions built around the company’s IT-based media servers. Video Technics’ Apella™ and NewsFlow™ products streamline the entire production process, and feature inherent proxy editing, embedded ingest/playout tools, and digital asset management. For more information visit: www.videotechnics.com.

About Comprompter News and Automation

Comprompter is a La Crosse, Wisconsin based company specializing in news and automation software for the broadcast and cable industry and services clients throughout the broadcast industry with newsroom and automation systems along with auxiliary newsroom software for elections, school closings, Internet newscast publishing, and voice activated close captioning. For more information, please visit www.comprompter.com