Apple Updates the iMac
April 28, 2008
Apple today updated its all-in-one iMac line with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and the most powerful graphics ever available in an iMac. With prices starting at just £799, iMac includes faster processors with 6MB L2 cache and a faster 1066MHz frontside bus across the entire line, and 2GB of memory standard in most models. The 24-inch iMac now offers a 3.06GHz Intel processor and the high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics as options, extending iMac’s lead as the ultimate all-in-one desktop computer for both consumers and professionals.
“The iMac’s gorgeous aluminium and glass all-in-one design has been an incredible hit with our customers and is just one of the reasons Mac sales are growing three and a half times faster than PC sales”, said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the latest Intel processors, a faster new graphics option and more memory, customers now have even more reasons to love the iMac”.
Packing dual-core performance into the convenience of a striking all-in-one design, the new iMac includes faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors across the line; a 1066MHz frontside bus; up to 4GB of 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory; and a widescreen flat-panel display supporting millions of colours. For the first time, the 24-inch iMac features an optional NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB of video memory, to deliver up to two times standard performance for graphic intensive applications*. Providing the latest in high-performance connectivity options to quickly and conveniently transfer digital photos, music and video, iMac includes built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking for up to five times the performance of 802.11g**; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; Gigabit Ethernet; built-in iSight video camera; a total of five USB 2.0 ports (including two on the Apple Keyboard); and one FireWire® 400 and one FireWire 800 port.
The iMac furthers Apple’s commitment to environmental progress with highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminium. Every model in the iMac line is rated EPEAT Silver and the power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements for power consumption. Customers who purchase any qualifying Apple computer can recycle their old PC or Mac for free via the Apple Recycling Programme.
Every Mac in the Apple lineup comes with iLife ‘08, the most significant update ever to Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto and a completely reinvented iMovie, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing. Every Mac also includes Leopard, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system which features Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac***; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock and major enhancements to Mail and iChat. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a Mac over the Internet while on the road.****
Pricing & AvailabilityThe new iMac line is available immediately through the Apple Store (www.apple.com/uk), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers.
The new 20-inch 2.4GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of £799, includes:
- 20-inch widescreen LCD display;
- 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066MHz frontside bus;
- 1GB of 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
- 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
- ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
- built-in iSight video camera;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
- mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
- built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
- the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
The new 20-inch 2.66GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of £949, includes:
- 20-inch widescreen LCD display;
- 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066MHz frontside bus;
- 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
- 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
- ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
- built-in iSight video camera;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
- mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
- built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
- the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
The new 24-inch 2.8GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of £1,149, includes:
- 24-inch widescreen LCD display;
- 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066MHz frontside bus;
- 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
- 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
- ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
- built-in iSight video camera;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
- mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
- built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
- the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
Build-to-order options and accessories include: a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB of video memory and up to a 1TB Serial ATA hard drive on the 24-inch iMac; up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM and up to 750GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.66GHz 20-inch iMac; and up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM and up to 500GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.4GHz 20-inch iMac. Additional options include: Apple Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse; AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station; the AppleCare Protection Plan; and pre-installed copies of iWork ‘08, Logic Express 8, Final Cut Express 4 and Aperture 2.
Apple Announces iPhone 2.0 Software
March 6, 2008
Apple today previewed its iPhone 2.0 software, scheduled for release in June, and announced the immediate availability of a beta release of the software to selected developers and enterprise customers. The iPhone 2.0 beta release includes both the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) as well as new enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide secure, over-the-air push email, contacts and calendars as well as remote wipe, and the addition of Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to private corporate networks.
“We’re excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community with potentially thousands of native applications for iPhone and iPod touch,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPhone’s enterprise features combined with its revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface and advanced software architecture provide the best user experience and the most advanced software platform ever for a mobile device.”
With the iPhone SDK, third party developers will be able to build native applications for the iPhone with a rich set of APIs, including programming interfaces for Core OS, Core Services, Media and Cocoa Touch technologies. The iPhone SDK will allow developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch™ user interface, animation technology, large storage, built-in three-axis accelerometer and geographical location technology to deliver truly innovative mobile applications.
Apple has licensed Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft and is building it right into the iPhone, so that iPhone will connect out-of-the-box to Microsoft Exchange Servers 2003 and 2007 for secure over-the-air push email, contacts, calendars and global address lists. Built-in Exchange ActiveSync support also enables security features such as remote wipe, password policies and auto-discovery. The iPhone 2.0 software supports Cisco IPsec VPN to ensure the highest level of IP-based encryption available for transmission of sensitive corporate data, as well as the ability to authenticate using digital certificates or password-based, multi-factor authentication. The addition of WPA2 Enterprise with 802.1x authentication enables enterprise customers to deploy iPhone and iPod touch with the latest standards for protection of Wi-Fi networks.
The iPhone 2.0 software release will contain the App Store, a new application that lets users browse, search, purchase and wirelessly download third party applications directly onto their iPhone or iPod touch. The App Store enables developers to reach every iPhone and iPod touch user. Developers set the price for their applications—including free—and retain 70 percent of all sales revenues. Users can download free applications at no charge to either the user or developer, or purchase priced applications with just one click. Enterprise customers will be able to create a secure, private page on the App Store accessible only by their employees. Apple will cover all credit card, web hosting, infrastructure and DRM costs associated with offering applications on the App Store. Third party iPhone and iPod touch applications must be approved by Apple and will be available exclusively through the App Store.
During the beta iPhone SDK program, a limited number of developers will be accepted into Apple’s new iPhone Developer Program and offered the ability to get code onto iPhones for testing. The Standard Program costs $99 (US) per year and gives members an iPhone SDK and development tools; access to pre-release iPhone software; technical support; the ability to get code onto iPhones for testing; and distribution of applications via the new App Store. The Enterprise Program costs $299 (US) per year.
In addition to these new iPhone network and security features, the beta iPhone 2.0 software provides several new Mail features such as the ability to view PowerPoint attachments, in addition to Word and Excel, as well as the ability to mass delete and move email messages.
[Source: Apple]
Microsoft Announce Office Live Workspace
March 4, 2008
Microsoft today announced the public availability of Microsoft Office Live Workspace beta (http://workspace.officelive.com), the new Web-based extension of Microsoft Office that lets people access their documents online and share their work with others. Office Live Workspace was among the first entries in the new wave of online services in Microsoft’s software plus services vision previewed last fall.
Office Live Workspace is now available worldwide in English. People can sign up for free at http://workspace.officelive.com and will be granted immediate access to the service. Microsoft is also unveiling a number of new Office Live Workspace features, such as an activity panel, notifications, direct links and multifile upload.
“Today’s announcement moves us further down the path of bringing a software plus services experience to people at home, work and school,” said Stephen Elop, president of the Microsoft Business Division. By combining the rich client experience of Microsoft Office with flexible, intuitive service offerings, we’re providing seamless computing experiences for our 500 million Office users worldwide.”
Access Anywhere, Share and Extend the Microsoft Office Experience
Office Live Workspace lets people organise documents and projects online and work on them from almost any computer. People can save more than 1,000 Microsoft Office documents to one place online,* and access and share them via the Web. They can view and comment on documents in the browser as well as create simple Web lists and Web notes, and share documents in real time through integration with Microsoft SharedView.
Microsoft has also added several new features to Office Live Workspace, based in part on feedback from early beta participants:
| • | Activity panel. A new activity panel shows all the activity in a workspace at a glance. |
| • | Notifications. People can now receive e-mail notifications about changes made to their workspaces or documents. |
| • | Direct links. People can now bookmark their workspace or a workspace item via a unique URL in a browser window. |
| • | Multi-file upload. People can now upload several files simultaneously by simply dragging and dropping from their desktop. |
| • | Improved sharing. New sharing functionality includes an easier user interface and auto-completion of e-mail addresses. |
Apple Introduces New MacBook & MacBook Pro Models
February 26, 2008
Apple today updated its popular MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook lines with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, larger hard drives and 2GB of memory standard in most models. In addition, MacBook Pro includes the latest NVIDIA graphics processors, now with up to 512MB of video memory, and Apple’s Multi-Touch trackpad, first introduced in MacBook Air. All Mac notebooks include the built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain and built-in 802.11n wireless networking
The new MacBook Pro features the Intel Core 2 Duo with up to a 2.6 GHz processor with 6MB of shared L2 cache; up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory and up to a 300GB hard drive, plus NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with up to 512MB of video memory. Every MacBook Pro now includes a trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it possible to zoom and rotate photos in iPhoto or Aperture 2 or browse web pages in Safari; an illuminated keyboard that makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls and a built-in ambient light sensor, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the brightness of the display for optimal visibility.
Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook and MacBook Pro models are now shipping.
The 2.1 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,099 (US), includes:
- 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
- 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
- 800 MHz front-side bus;
- 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
- 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
- a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
- Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
- built-in iSight video camera;
- Gigabit Ethernet port;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
- two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
- Scrolling trackpad; and
- 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:
- 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
- 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
- 800 MHz front-side bus;
- 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
- 160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
- Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
- built-in iSight video camera;
- Gigabit Ethernet port;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
- two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
- Scrolling trackpad; and
- 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:
- 13.3-inch glossy widescreen 1280 x 800 display;
- 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
- 800 MHz front-side bus;
- 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
- 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
- Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
- built-in iSight video camera;
- Gigabit Ethernet port;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
- two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
- Scrolling trackpad; and
- 60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to up to 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a 160GB or 250GB hard drive, Apple USB Modem, Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter, Apple Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.
The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:
- 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 LCD display;
- 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache;
- 800 MHz front-side bus;
- 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
- 200GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
- NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
- DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video adapter sold separately);
- built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
- built-in iSight video camera;
- Gigabit Ethernet port;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
- ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
- two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
- Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
- 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.5 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:
- 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 LCD display;
- 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
- 800 MHz front-side bus;
- 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
- 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
- NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 memory;
- DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
- built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
- built-in iSight video camera;
- Gigabit Ethernet port;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
- ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
- two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
- Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
- 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.5 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:
- 17-inch widescreen 1680 x 1050 LCD display;
- 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache;
- 800 MHz front-side bus;
- 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
- 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
- NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 memory;
- DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
- built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
- built-in iSight video camera;
- Gigabit Ethernet port;
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
- ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
- three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
- Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
- 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
Google Apps Team Edition
February 7, 2008
Google today announced Google Apps Team Edition as the simplest and fastest way for groups of employees and students to collaborate within an organisation using Google Apps. Once users verify their business or school email address, they can instantly share documents and calendars securely without burdening IT for support. Team Edition can easily be switched to Google Apps Standard, Premier or Education Edition for communications and collaboration across the entire company.
“More than half a million businesses have already chosen Google Apps to collaborate and share information across the organisation,” said Dave Girouard, vice president and general manager of enterprise, Google. “With Team Edition, groups of individuals at school or work can just as easily get the benefits of Google Apps by simply signing up online.”
Once a user has signed up for Team Edition using a verified business or school email address, they can instantly invite others to join, or easily identify people within their organisation already using Google Apps, to collaborate and share documents. Together, teams of people within a business or school can:
-
Work on the same document, spreadsheet or presentation (instead of emailing changes in multiple copies of the same attachment)
-
Publish documents and calendars for the team to view and update
-
Access information from any computer, even mobile phones with Google Apps, there is no hardware or software to buy, install or maintain, so businesses can quickly begin to collaborate with minimal up front investment. Google Apps Team Edition currently includes:
-
Google Docs to create and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations
-
Google Calendar to arrange meetings, set schedules, and publish event information
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Google Talk for instant messaging and free PC-to-PC voice calls
-
Start Page where users can access their Google Apps services and customised content
“Our business has been tripling every year, and we needed better tools to help us keep up with the growth. So we started using Google Docs and Google Calendar with our personal accounts to do things like coordinate customer visits and work together on documents, even when we’re travelling separately,” said Paul Laurie, co-founder of Walking Tree Travel (walkingtree.org), an organisation that leads educational trips abroad for high school students. “We’re thrilled Google Apps Team Edition now allows everyone at Walking Tree to be connected automatically.”
Google Apps Team Edition lets colleagues and departments at work, or study groups at school, immediately begin sharing information within a domain. In addition, the Team Edition can easily be upgraded to Google Apps Standard, Premier or Education Edition for full administrative control, such as the ability to set default sharing options, decide which applications are available on the network, or determine who has access. When organisations switch to Google Apps Premier Edition, they also receive business integration capabilities and 24/7 support, including phone support for critical issues.
To sign up for Google Apps Team Edition or learn more, go here
Yahoo! Gives Small Businesses Room to Grow Online
February 6, 2008
Yahoo! Small Business today announced a new service that gives small businesses unlimited room to grow online. The new Yahoo! Web Hosting service includes unlimited disk space, data transfer, and email storage space, for one low price of $11.95 per month. The new plan offers small businesses a simple, inexpensive solution for launching a new business or growing an existing one online, while eliminating worries about bandwidth and storage limits. With more than 1.5 million customers, Yahoo! Small Business is one of the world’s leading providers of reliable, secure hosting services for small businesses.
Yahoo!’s unlimited hosting service has “easy-to-use web” site design tools that allow business owners with little or no technical knowledge to quickly create professional-looking web sites. Yahoo!’s service also includes a free domain name, 1,000 personalized email accounts, live 24-7 toll-free customer support, and a new 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
To help small businesses generate leads and get noticed online, Yahoo! automatically submits its customers’ web sites to top search engines. In addition, web site building tools automatically optimize customers’ sites to be found by search engines. Other features help convert site visitors into customers including automatically generated maps and driving directions, business contact information on every page, compelling content guides, and lead submission forms. Yahoo! Web Hosting also makes it easy to quickly attract web site traffic by providing discounts on marketing services such as sponsored search advertising and email marketing.
“Yahoo! has taken a major step forward in delivering more value to small business owners looking to grow through the Web. Whenever you reduce costs and complexity for small business owners, you add tremendous value to their companies by freeing them to focus on their core businesses, and not worry about technical issues like bandwidth and storage — which they don’t understand,” said Sanjeev Aggarwal, vice president for SMB infrastructure solutions at AMI-Partners. “This is an aggressive move to lower the barrier to entry for small business owners, and significantly boosts the value Yahoo! offers small businesses looking for complete solutions for getting online.”
The unlimited-service offer follows a series of significant enhancements to Yahoo!’s hosting solution that focus on making it increasingly easy for entrepreneurs to quickly create attractive, high-quality web sites, including:
- Award-winning tools that guide small business owners through a simple, step-by-step process to open their businesses online;
- Web sites that are optimized right out of the box for lead generation;
- High-impact, professional site designs created with specific types of small businesses in mind, from attorney’s offices and home-repair services to accountants and spas;
- One-step email setup and an award-winning online email interface;
- A lead-capturing tool that automatically sends the business owner an email whenever potential customers submit contact information or request service from the business;
- Detailed guidance on how to develop compelling content for each page of the small business owner’s web site
Google and Postini Announce New Security Products
February 5, 2008
Google today announced a series of security products Powered by Postini that deliver message filtering, encryption and archiving for any business environment. Google’s new security services work with any mail system, including Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange, and Novell Groupwise, and with pricing starting at $3 per user per year can accommodate the budget of any business. Customers can sign up online and immediately begin to improve the security of their email.
“As threats rise in volume and complexity, and compliance requirements pile up, IT is struggling to find the resources to keep up,” said Scott Petry, director of product management, Google. “Now, Google can take care of this for you. Organisations of all shapes and sizes can get access to Google’s industry leading security and compliance technologies.”
Companies of all sizes are seeking solutions to the challenge of security and compliance. For instance, outbound message filtering helps prevent sensitive data from going outside the company firewall, which could result in identity theft or compromise a client’s personal information. Also, increasing industry regulations are creating demand for better message storage, with quick and easy retrieval.
Businesses can choose the Google security and compliance services that best suit their needs:
Google Message Filtering
* Postini’s industry-leading service for filtering incoming spam and malware
* for companies looking to handle the growth of spam, virus and other email threats, and want to shift the burden off of on-premises resources
* $3 per user per year
Google Message Security
* includes Google Message Filtering, plus enhanced virus detection, outbound processing, and content policy management
* for companies worried about growing external security threats and internal risks, such as email data leaks or content compliance violations
* $12 per user per year
Google Message Discovery
* includes Google Message Security, plus one year of message data archiving, retention, and discovery
* for companies seeking to reduce security exposure, and improve legal discovery readiness and message compliance
* $25 per user per year for one year of archived data (additional years of data retention available separately)
The new packages are part of the Google Apps platform and are available immediately at www.google.com/a/security, direct from Google, and through channel partners, and can be deployed within hours. The Google Apps suite also includes Gmail(tm) email services, Google Docs(tm) for documents, spreadsheets and presentations, Google Calendar(tm) shared calendaring, Google Talk(tm) instant messaging, and the Start Page feature for creating a customizable home page. Policy management and 90-day message discovery services are also available at no additional charge to Google Apps Premier Edition users.
Apple Adds New iPhone & iPod touch Models
February 5, 2008
Apple today added new models of the iPhone and iPod touch which have double the memory, doubling the amount of music, photos and videos that customers can carry with them wherever they go. The revolutionary iPhone now comes in a new 16GB model for $499, joining the 8GB model for $399. iPod touch now comes in a 32GB model for $499, joining the 16GB model for $399 and the 8GB model for $299.
“For some users, there’s never enough memory,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod and iPhone Product Marketing. “Now people can enjoy even more of their music, photos and videos on the most revolutionary mobile phone and best Wi-Fi mobile device in the world.”
Pricing & Availability The new 16GB iPhone is available immediately for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and AT&T retail and online stores. The 32GB iPod touch is available worldwide immediately for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) through the Apple Store Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only. iPhone and iPod touch require a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later and iTunes 7.6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) or later and iTunes 7.6.
Amazon.com to Buy Audible.com
January 31, 2008
Audible.com the online provider of premium digital spoken word audio content, specialising in digital audio editions of books, newspapers and magazines, television and radio programs and original programming. Through its web sites in the US and UK and alliances in Germany and France, Audible.com offers over 80,000 programs, including audiobooks from well-known authors such as Stephen King, Thomas Friedman, and Jane Austen, and spoken word audio content from sources including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Fresh Air and Charlie Rose.
“Audible.com offers the best customer experience, the widest content selection and the broadest device compatibility in the industry,” said Steve Kessel, Amazon.com’s senior vice president for worldwide digital media. “Working together, we can introduce more innovations and bring this format to an even wider audience.”
In recent months, Amazon has announced a number of innovations in the digital space, including Amazon Kindle, a revolutionary wireless portable reader that provides instant wireless downloads of more than 90,000 books, blogs, magazines and newspapers to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display.
Under the terms of the agreement, Amazon.com will commence a cash tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of Audible.com for $11.50 per share and will assume Audible.com’s outstanding stock-based awards, for an aggregate transaction value of approximately $300 million which includes Audible.com’s cash and short-term investments at closing.
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close by the second quarter of 2008.
Source: Amazon.com
Amazon to Begin International Rollout of Amazon MP3
January 27, 2008
Amazon.com today announced that in 2008 the company will begin an international rollout of Amazon MP3, Amazon’s DRM-free MP3 digital music store where every song is playable on virtually any digital music-capable device, including the PC, Mac, iPod, Zune, Zen, iPhone, RAZR, and BlackBerry. Amazon MP3 is the only retailer so far to offer customers DRM-free MP3s from all four major music labels as well as over 33,000 independent labels.
“We have received thousands of e-mails from Amazon customers around the world asking us when we will make Amazon MP3 available outside of the U.S. They can’t wait to choose from the biggest selection of high-quality, low-priced DRM-free MP3 music downloads which play on virtually any music device they own today or will own in the future,” said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President of Digital Music. “We are excited to tell those customers today that Amazon MP3 is going international this year.”
Launched on Amazon.com in September 2007, Amazon MP3 offers Earth’s Biggest Selection of a la carte DRM-free MP3 music downloads, which now includes over 3.3 million songs from more than 270,000 artists. Every song and album in the Amazon MP3 music download store is available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software and is encoded at 256 kbps to deliver high audio quality. Amazon MP3 customers are free to enjoy their music downloads using any hardware device; organize their music using any music management application, such as iTunes or Windows Media Player; and burn songs to CDs for personal use.
Most songs available on Amazon MP3 are priced from 89 cents to 99 cents, with more than 1 million of the over 3.3 million songs priced at 89 cents. The top 100 bestselling songs are 89 cents, unless marked otherwise. Most albums are priced from $5.99 to $9.99. The top 100 bestselling albums are $8.99 or less, unless marked otherwise. Buying and downloading MP3s from Amazon MP3 is easy. Customers can purchase downloads using Amazon 1-Click shopping, and with the Amazon MP3 Downloader, seamlessly add their MP3s to their iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries.
Amazon is not disclosing a specific launch timeline for individual Amazon international websites.
