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Gains came mostly from users upgrading from Firefox 2, while only a small portion came at the expense of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

Firefox 3 has experienced rapid market share gains since its release in mid-June, helping to push the Mozilla browser’s overall share to more than 19%, a Web metrics firm said Wednesday.

Since its release June 17, Firefox 3’s worldwide usage share has soared to more than 4%, Net Applications reported. In the first hour of its release, the latest version of the open source browser grabbed 1% of the global market.

Firefox 3’s gains came mostly from users upgrading from Firefox 2, the firm said. However, a small portion of the gains, 0.4%, came at the expense of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

IE’s market share fell to 73.01% in May to 73.75% at the end of June, Net Applications’ numbers showed. Firefox overall increased its share during the same timeframe to 19.03% from 18.41%.

Since August 2007, IE’s share has declined from 79%, while Firefox has risen over the last 10 months from 14.65%, according to Net Applications. During the same timeframe, Apple’s Safari browser has increased its share to 6.31% from 4.71%. Much of that increase in usage is apparently due to soaring sales of Apple Mac computers, which ship with the browser.

In an InformationWeek review, Firefox 3 was found to be much faster than the previous version, primarily due to fixed memory leaks and bugs. In addition, developers had added timesaving features to streamline usage, and paid particular attention to tools that make it easier to identify favorite Web sites and return to them.

The new version, however, isn’t perfect. New security features were found to be unreliable and likely to lull naive users into a false sense of security. While moderately expert users were unlikely to have a problem, from a security standpoint, InformationWeek found Firefox 3 a step backward.

The rumours of the Eee PC are everywhere but we can officially reveal that it will be in stores in the next two weeks!

Whether you call them mini-laptops or Net-Books, there is no getting away from it, Asus is leading the way in terms of variety and choice. In less than a year it has brought no less than four different versions to market, starting with the 701 up to the imminent arrival of the Eee PC 1000.

However, this will be added to in the next couple of weeks with the arrival of the Asus Eee PC 904. The chassis is the same as you’ll find on the Eee PC 1000, which is the 10-inch model of the range, but with a subtle difference: the screen will be the same 8.9-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) display used on the 901.

Confused? What this means is that while the screen sits in a bezel it helps keep the weight and price of the machine down. More importantly, it means you’ll be able to take advantage of Asus’s new fuller-sized ‘Comfortable’ keyboard instead of the smaller ‘Compact’ one.

The thinking behind the 904 is to offer a full range of machines from the entry-level 701 through to the 10-inch 1000H, with those looking for a larger keyboard but slightly more cost-effective option opting for the 904.

Whereas the pricing of the 1000 will start at well over £300, the 904 will retail for just £269 (inc. VAT), when it ships in mid-July.

To hit this price point there are other differences. For instance, you won’t find an Intel Atom inside. Instead, the 900MHz Celeron M used in the 900 will power the 904 and be backed by 1024MB of memory. As with the 1000, you’ll find an 80GB laptop hard drive in there and it will ship with Windows XP as standard. Asus is claiming a weight of 1.4kg.

With the announcement of the Eee PC 904, Asus has also re-aligned the pricing of its Eee PC 901. The model will now sell for £299 (inc. VAT), instead of £329 (inc. VAT) as initially announced, main it even better value.

[Source:3香港新聞稿]

2008年6月30日

香港和記電訊宣佈iPhone™ 3G收費計劃 iPhone™ 3G售價低至零港元 所有月費計劃均包括最少500MB數據用量

七月一日起公眾人士可於網上預先登記

香港，二○○八年六月三十日 ─ 和記電訊（香港）有限公司（「香港和記電訊」）今天宣佈，為iPhone™ 3G用戶推出四項特別設計的月費計劃，iPhone™ 3G售價更低至零港元，每項月費計劃均包括最少500MB數據使用量及無限網內收發短訊。此外，更包括多媒體及內容服務使用單位，供客戶利用 iPhone™ 3G瀏覽由香港和記電訊提供的多媒體內容，下載圖片及串流錄影片段，以及股價及新聞等文字內容。

蘋果iPhone™ 3G糅合iPhone™所有革命性功能，配合3G網絡，瀏覽速度較第一代iPhone™快一倍†。iPhone™ 3G更內置全球衛星定位系統，以提供增強定位流動通訊服務；而iPhone™ 2.0軟件更包括可支援Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync，及數以百計根據最近發放的iPhone™ SDK而開發的第三者應用方案。

香港和記電訊流動電訊營運總裁龍佩英表示：「iPhone™ 3G勢必帶動流動數據用量躍升。用戶將熱衷使用革命性的iPhone™ 3G，隨時隨地探索流動互聯網及交換資訊。我們預計，以通話分鐘掛帥的月費計劃已不能滿足新一代客戶的需求，他們期待可安枕無憂地使用以流動數據為本的收費計劃。為了讓客戶盡情投入流動互聯網世界，我們重塑流動通訊服務的收費模式，推出四項以數據為本的收費計劃。」

iPhone™ 3G月費計劃*詳情如下：

*上述所有月費計劃均包括無限收發網內短訊，客戶需簽訂廿四個月合約。

香港和記電訊今天同時宣佈，為廣大市民推出網上預先登記計劃，省時方便。由二○○八年七月一日零時零分起，客戶只須登入http://iphone.three.com.hk即可進行網上登記。香港和記電訊將於七月七日中午十二時正，從已登記人士中隨機抽出五百名幸運兒，他們將可參與七月十一日假海港城海運大廈展覽大堂舉行之「iPhone™ 3G First Day Sale Gala」活動。屆時，他們將快人一步擁有iPhone™ 3G，並會獲贈限量版iPhone™ 3G皮套。有關發售及「iPhone™ 3G First Day Sale Gala」的詳情，香港和記電訊稍後將再作公佈。

†根據3G及EDGE測試。實際速度將因應基站情況而異。

Apple has filed for a new trademark with the European Trademark Office, simply entitled Thinnovation. Apple has been using the term in slogans ever since it revealed the MacBook Air on January 15th, inserting it primarily into web and print advertising. These uses are the focus of the International Classifications in the trademark filing; the trademark would also apply to installation and maintenance, as well as educational and training purposes.

Class 38 covers all manners of communications, from including not only websites and television but radio, concerts, movies, sports, e-mail, online music services and dozens of other possible variations. Less expected may be Class 42, which would protect the term in contexts involving programming, data recovery and security services, along with software delivery and miscellaneous consultancy operations.

[Soure: ithome.com.tw]

例如蘋果可以申請.apple，eBay可以申請.ebay，Google可以申請.google或是紐約市可以申請.NYC，各界估計業者申請新頂級域名的費用將在10萬美元以上。

全球域名管理機構（ICANN）在本周於巴黎舉行的第32屆國際公開會議中作出了幾項重要的決議，包括鬆綁頂級域名申請政策，開放企業或社群能夠申請特定的頂級域名，以及支援各國語言的國際化域名。

目前全球約有200多個頂級域名可使用，包括以各國縮寫為字尾（例如.tw或.jp）及共通的頂級域名（如.com、.net、.org）。以往 ICANN限制申請頂級域名的業者資格，而且必須經過冗長的檢驗程序才會接受新頂級域名的申請，但新政策則開放任何商標業者或社群得以申請特定的域名，例如蘋果可以申請.apple，eBay可以申請.ebay，Google可以申請.google或是紐約市可以申請.NYC，同時減少審核項目，期望可大幅擴充全球可使用的頂級域名。

完整的新政策將在明年初出爐，ICANN預計在明年上半年開始接受新頂級域名的申請，採用新政策的頂級域名最快則可在明年下半年問世。各界估計業者申請新頂級域名的費用將在10萬美元以上。

即使放寬頂級域名的申請限制，但ICANN仍列出幾項避免糾紛的政策，例如將自動保留商標域名，或是剔除可能會與現有域名衝突的申請，以及審核是否違背道德及公共規範等。

此外，ICANN也將著手解決國際化域名的技術及管理問題，所謂的國際化域名指的是採用各國語言的域名，目前ICANN的域名系統僅支援37個羅馬字母，早在多年前各個國家就開始發展自己語言的域名，包括台灣及中國，但由於當時ICANN系統並不支援，因此多半需要額外下載外掛程式等讓使用者用中文輸入網址以找到相對應的網站。

為了符合各國對國際化域名的需求，ICANN將針對各國域名的多語言展開支援，例如支援中國.cn頂級域名中中文的輸入，或是支援阿拉伯語系國家輸入阿拉伯文的網址等，新的國際化域名亦可望在明年出爐。

ICANN主席Peter Dengate表示，ICANN對國際化域名的支援特別是對亞洲、中東、東歐及俄國等市場的未來非常重要。

Google Inc. is learning that changing the cellphone industry isn’t easy.

The Internet giant and more than 30 partners announced in November a bold plan for a new breed of handsets based on a suite of mobile software called Android. At the time, Google said it planned to have the new phones on the market by the second half of this year.

Google now says that the handsets won’t arrive until the fourth quarter. And some cellular carriers and makers of programs that work with Android are struggling to meet that schedule, people familiar with the situation say.

T-Mobile USA expects to deliver an Android-powered phone in the fourth period. But that launch is taking up so much of Google’s attention and resources that Sprint Nextel Corp., which had hoped to launch an Android phone this year, won’t be able to, a person familiar with the matter said.

China Mobile, the largest wireless carrier in the world with nearly 400 million subscriber accounts, had planned to launch an Android phone in the third quarter but it has run into issues that will likely delay the launch until late this year or early 2009, a person familiar with the matter says.

Meanwhile, the Android software has yet to win broad support from large mobile-software developers. Some say it is difficult to develop programs while Google is making changes as it finishes its own software.

Read the rest of this entry →

[Source:ZDNet.com.tw]

Nokia（諾基亞）週二宣布計畫手機軟體商Symbian剩餘52%的股權，價值約2.64億歐元。

此外，Nokia表示已經跟好幾家電子製造業者組成Symbian基金會（Symbian Foundation），推動Web應用的開發好讓消費者可在手機上使用。該基金會計畫提供統一的平台，使用共通使用者介面框架，所有基金會會員都可採免權利金的授權模式來使用。

「我們的目標是變成全球使用最廣泛的軟體平台。」Symbian執行長Nigel Clifford在聲明稿中表示。

此舉顯然朝著剛發表iPhone 2.0的蘋果，以及已經積極進行Android手機平台的Google而來。

Nokia原本就有個Ovi品牌，透過遊戲、社交網路與地圖服務，積極發展自家的Web應用與服務生態系統。

目前加入此一非營利Symbian基金會的支持者包括AT&T、LG Electronics、摩托羅拉、 NTT Docomo、 Samsung Electronics、 Sony Ericsson、 STMicroelectronics、 Texas Instruments與Vodafone。

Nokia目前擁有48%的Symbian股權，Symbian是目前手機最常見的作業系統，現在該公司則希望以每股3.647歐元價格收購剩餘股權。

Symbian其他股東包括Ericsson、Sony Ericsson、 Panasonic與 Siemens 都已經同意接受此案，Nokia表示，Samsung預期也將會接受。

[Source: Nokia.com]

Newest Nseries device enhances the mobile lifestyle by merging new technologies and Ovi services

New York, NY, USA - Starting today, convergence craving consumers across the United States can set their sights on the newest Nokia Nseries device to hit American store shelves, the Nokia N78. Combining advanced mobile features such as integrated A-GPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and high-speed HSDPA connectivity on North American 850/1900 MHz networks, the Nokia N78 is perfect for enjoying new Nokia services such as Nokia Maps and Share on Ovi. Along with this full suite of data features, the Nokia N78 has also been engineered for maximum voice and messaging performance as well. Now available through select consumer electronics and wireless retailers, online retailers and at the Nokia Flagship Stores in Chicago and New York, the Nokia N78 retails for approximately USD 560. Specific information on retailers offering the Nokia N78 and other Nseries devices can be found at www.nseries.com.

“Offering the robust feature set expected from an Nseries device, the integration of these features with Nokia’s new suite of Ovi services is what makes the Nokia N78 a perfect companion for a connected and mobile lifestyle,” said William Plummer, Vice President of Go-to-Market for Nokia. “Whether using GPS to find my way across town, adding geotag information to the images I capture and upload to Share on Ovi, or using the FM transmitter to listen to my music collection through my car stereo, the Nokia N78 keeps me connected and entertained wherever I go.”

Each Nokia N78 includes a free three-month trial navigation license for the Nokia Maps service, which enables users to calculate routing information, provides details on up to 15 million different points of interest, and gives audible and visual turn-by-turn directions from point A to point B. With the integrated A-GPS, users can ‘geotag’ images they capture on the Nokia N78 with location information. With this information images uploaded to Share on Ovi or other selected image sharing sites can include not only when the picture was taken - but also where the picture was taken, even displaying that information visually on a map.

For music fans, the Nokia N78 combines two exciting features - a digital music player and an integrated FM transmitter - to enable a complete audio experience. With storage for up to 8GB of music on an optional MicroSD memory card, a music collection can be easily shared and enjoyed in the home or car by playing it wirelessly through the FM radio.

Yet another useful tool that the Nokia N78 offers is widget support enabled by Web Runtime technology. This functionality allows easy mobile access to valuable online information, including weather, sports, news and more. A wide variety of widgets are available through the Download! client on the Nokia N78 or through the MOSH mobile content distribution platform at http://mosh.nokia.com.

To further enhance the overall experience of the Nokia N78, a variety of Nokia Original Accessories are also available. Offering exceptional sound in an over-the-ear style headset, the Nokia Stereo Headset WH-600 offers the perfect blend of comfort and sound quality. If the occasion calls for sharing tunes with a friend, the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Speakers MD-7W offer full range sound in a compact easy to carry package. Unlike most portable speakers, the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Speakers MD-7W features 3D sound, dynamic compression for optimal audio at all volume levels and dynamic bass control for powerful low frequencies.

About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobility, driving the transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of mobile devices with services and software that enable people to experience music, navigation, video, television, imaging, games, business mobility and more. Developing and growing our offering of consumer Internet services, as well as our enterprise solutions and software, is a key area of focus. We also provide equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Media Enquiries:

Nokia, Americas
Media Relations
Tel. +1 972 894 4573
Email: communication.corp@nokia.com

Nokia
Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34900
Email: press.services@nokia.com

www.nokia.com