Passion for Technology
May 17, 2011
Epson holds 2nd ‘Fusion’ media event
Epson Fusion Media Adventure 2011 brought us to Mabini, Batangas last weekend. One of the highlights of the event was scuba diving at Twin Rocks off Anilao’s coast.
This years’ “fusion” is the second of Epson Philippines’ annual event intended to sum up the highlights of the company’s marketing and sales efforts in the country (The first “fusion” was held in Bicol last year). The event also provided a glimpse of what’s ahead for Epson in the next few months.
According to Jay Lavarias, Epson Philippines’ business systems group head, the company posted 14 percent over all sales growth at the end of fiscal year 2010 versus 2009 with the following breakdown: inkjets and laser printers, 17 percent; business systems, 11 percent; visual instruments, 13 percent; and commercial and industrial, 18 percent.
Lavarias said that Epson product offering will further address lowering of total cost of ownership in 2011 with 13 new models that set to be launched for the corporate market.
“With focus on the corporate segment, Epson’s first foray into digital label press addressing the labeling and packaging business will be introduced, while expanding our product range of A3+ and roll media for large format papers,” Lavarias said.
New POS printers designed for other applications outside retail including aviation, healthcare and logistics will also be offered by Epson in 2011.
New all-in-one models previously designed as passbook printers for banks will be made available for related industries such as bills payment centers and education sectors.
For visual instruments, Epson is geared to expand beyond traditional use of projectors by enhancing its portfolio of home theater projectors equipped with 3LCD technology. “3LCD is a sophisticated, innovative technology that uses 3 chips to deliver vibrant, true-to-life images for the most demanding business and consumer audiences,” Lavarias said.
Epson Philippines’ targets 17-percent over-all sales growth for fiscal year 2011 with 73-percent growth for the commercial and industrial group and 47 percent for visual instruments. This is due to expansion of product portfolio for new markets that are expected to bring bigger sales growth. Targets for inkjets and laser printers and business systems are 17 percent and 8 percent respectively.
Roe Dillera, Epson Philippines’ marketing communications and public relations head provided a sneak preview of the global corporate vision of the company dubbed “SE15 Vision” of Seiko Epson 2015 Vision.
“We will pursue perfection of our three precision mechatronics-based core technologies – Micro Piezo, 3LCD, and QMEMS technologies) and create products and services that exceed customer expectations in the printing, projection, and sensing domains,” Dillera said.
Oct 8, 2010
Aug 19, 2009
Green footprint is all over the tech world
Green is in. The recent noise to make computing efficient and friendly to the environment has pressed the IT sector to hook up on a new paradigm of providing “Green IT.” From enormous equipment in high-tech data centers to consumer products such as mobile PCs and phones, the IT world is abuzz with green initiatives.
Encouraging the practice of using technology resources efficiently, reducing the use of hazardous materials, and promoting recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste, the green hype has caught up with IT companies to take their share of making this world a healthier place to live in.
Technological innovation thrives with
social responsibility and efficient resource use
Studies show that the energy need of the rest of the world out paces renewable and non-renewable resources. Production of toxic materials thereby heightens while toxic wastes and Greenhouse gas emissions increase.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency with the task to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications, affirmed in a recent conference in Indonesia that information and communication technologies (ICT) can both be a cause and a potential cure for climate change.
Perceived as a major part of the problem and a key to the solution, the ITU stated that ICT can play a vital role in combating climate change. They can be used for remote monitoring of climate change and gathering important scientific data like using telemetry or remote sensing by satellite. New smart technologies can also usher in a whole new generation of energy-efficient products, notably in next-generation networks (NGN).
The ITU pointed out that the proliferation of ICT products in homes and offices, and their deployment throughout the world, places an increasingly heavy burden on energy consumption. Energy demands caused by high-tech lifestyles in some countries are now being replicated in others.
The late night glow in homes and offices emanating from computers, DVD players, TVs and battery chargers is all too familiar. And the move to "always-on" services, like broadband or mobile phones on standby, has greatly increased energy consumption compared with fixed-line telephones, which do not require an independent power source.
The ITU underlined an active commitment to promote the use of ICT as a positive force to reduce greenhouse emissions and to find ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. The agency said it will support and facilitate scientific studies aimed at implementation of new measures against the negative effects of climate change.
Tech companies tumble in green list
The latest edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics saw the rankings of the world’s biggest consumer technology companies drop significantly as a new criteria that measures impact on climate change was added. The list was first launched in August 2006 as a challenge to electronic companies to “green” their products, from production to disposal.
In the new list, out of the 18 electronics companies evaluated, eight companies including Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG Electronics, Toshiba, Motorola, Philips, and Sharp scored above 5/10. Last year, only two companies, Sony Ericsson and Sony scored above 5/10.
Aside from introducing the new criteria, Greenpeace said it also tightened the requirements on electronic waste (e-waste) and toxic chemicals. The newly added energy criteria, the group said, require companies to show their political support for global mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In the previous survey, improvements in the take-back programs of mobile phone manufacturers Nokia and Motorola provided a big lift in their standings. The Greenpeace scorecard cited Nokia’s improvements in its take-back program in the Philippines and Thailand.
Gaming company Nintendo remained in the cellar, not moving from last place since Greenpeace started the survey. It managed a paltry score of 1 (0.8 in 2008).
In a statement recently released to the media, Greenpeace stated, “the information and communications technology (ICT) sector currently accounts for 2 percent of global GHG emissions, equal to the aviation industry. As one of the most innovative and fastest growing industries, Greenpeace expects the sector to take leadership in tackling climate change by reducing both their direct and indirect climate carbon footprint.”
Listed below is the score of the 18 technology companies surveyed in Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics:
Nokia (7.45 points) – Scores top marks for leading competitors on toxic phase out
Samsung (7.1 points) – Holds second position for commitment to reduce absolute emissions
Sony Ericsson (6.5 points) – Up two places with better product energy efficiency reporting
LG Electronics (5.7 points) – Up two places but needs to eliminate hazardous chemicals from all products
Toshiba (5.5 points) – Moves up two places with an extra point for promising to cut GHGs
Motorola (5.5 points) – Scores higher and climbs two places because of use of renewable energy
Philips (5.3 points) – Falls from 4th to 7th position and needs to put its commitment to responsible recycling policies into practice
Sharp (5.3 points) – Rises from 9th to joint 7th place with its energy efficient products
Acer (4.9 points) – Put 16 new models of a monitor that are almost free of hazardous chemicals and climbed two places from 11 to 9 but still need to sort out the power cord
Panasonic (4.9 points) – Advance from 12th to 10th place for energy efficiency and pvc free product range but still bad on e waste
Apple (4.7 points) – Drop one position to 11th with no change in scores but get kudos for their green MacBook
Sony (4.5 points) – Plunges from 5th to 12th place for inadequate commitments on eliminating hazardous chemicals, e waste policy and cutting GHGs
Dell (3.9 points) – Stays at 13th place because of backtracking on toxics phase out
HP (3.5 points) – Is at 14th position and has no products on the market free of toxic substances
Microsoft (2.5 points) – Loses a point for a poor recycling policy but stays in 15th position
Lenovo (2.5 points) – Down two places with no set timeline for toxics phase out on all products
Fujitsu (2.4 points) – Debuts second from last with no products that are free of hazardous chemicals
Nintendo (1 point) – Stays put in last position with a glimmer of hope with partially pvc free consoles
Encouraging the practice of using technology resources efficiently, reducing the use of hazardous materials, and promoting recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste, the green hype has caught up with IT companies to take their share of making this world a healthier place to live in.
Technological innovation thrives with
social responsibility and efficient resource use
Studies show that the energy need of the rest of the world out paces renewable and non-renewable resources. Production of toxic materials thereby heightens while toxic wastes and Greenhouse gas emissions increase.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency with the task to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications, affirmed in a recent conference in Indonesia that information and communication technologies (ICT) can both be a cause and a potential cure for climate change.
Perceived as a major part of the problem and a key to the solution, the ITU stated that ICT can play a vital role in combating climate change. They can be used for remote monitoring of climate change and gathering important scientific data like using telemetry or remote sensing by satellite. New smart technologies can also usher in a whole new generation of energy-efficient products, notably in next-generation networks (NGN).
The ITU pointed out that the proliferation of ICT products in homes and offices, and their deployment throughout the world, places an increasingly heavy burden on energy consumption. Energy demands caused by high-tech lifestyles in some countries are now being replicated in others.
The late night glow in homes and offices emanating from computers, DVD players, TVs and battery chargers is all too familiar. And the move to "always-on" services, like broadband or mobile phones on standby, has greatly increased energy consumption compared with fixed-line telephones, which do not require an independent power source.
The ITU underlined an active commitment to promote the use of ICT as a positive force to reduce greenhouse emissions and to find ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. The agency said it will support and facilitate scientific studies aimed at implementation of new measures against the negative effects of climate change.
Tech companies tumble in green list
The latest edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics saw the rankings of the world’s biggest consumer technology companies drop significantly as a new criteria that measures impact on climate change was added. The list was first launched in August 2006 as a challenge to electronic companies to “green” their products, from production to disposal.
In the new list, out of the 18 electronics companies evaluated, eight companies including Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG Electronics, Toshiba, Motorola, Philips, and Sharp scored above 5/10. Last year, only two companies, Sony Ericsson and Sony scored above 5/10.
Aside from introducing the new criteria, Greenpeace said it also tightened the requirements on electronic waste (e-waste) and toxic chemicals. The newly added energy criteria, the group said, require companies to show their political support for global mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In the previous survey, improvements in the take-back programs of mobile phone manufacturers Nokia and Motorola provided a big lift in their standings. The Greenpeace scorecard cited Nokia’s improvements in its take-back program in the Philippines and Thailand.
Gaming company Nintendo remained in the cellar, not moving from last place since Greenpeace started the survey. It managed a paltry score of 1 (0.8 in 2008).
In a statement recently released to the media, Greenpeace stated, “the information and communications technology (ICT) sector currently accounts for 2 percent of global GHG emissions, equal to the aviation industry. As one of the most innovative and fastest growing industries, Greenpeace expects the sector to take leadership in tackling climate change by reducing both their direct and indirect climate carbon footprint.”
Listed below is the score of the 18 technology companies surveyed in Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics:
Nokia (7.45 points) – Scores top marks for leading competitors on toxic phase out
Samsung (7.1 points) – Holds second position for commitment to reduce absolute emissions
Sony Ericsson (6.5 points) – Up two places with better product energy efficiency reporting
LG Electronics (5.7 points) – Up two places but needs to eliminate hazardous chemicals from all products
Toshiba (5.5 points) – Moves up two places with an extra point for promising to cut GHGs
Motorola (5.5 points) – Scores higher and climbs two places because of use of renewable energy
Philips (5.3 points) – Falls from 4th to 7th position and needs to put its commitment to responsible recycling policies into practice
Sharp (5.3 points) – Rises from 9th to joint 7th place with its energy efficient products
Acer (4.9 points) – Put 16 new models of a monitor that are almost free of hazardous chemicals and climbed two places from 11 to 9 but still need to sort out the power cord
Panasonic (4.9 points) – Advance from 12th to 10th place for energy efficiency and pvc free product range but still bad on e waste
Apple (4.7 points) – Drop one position to 11th with no change in scores but get kudos for their green MacBook
Sony (4.5 points) – Plunges from 5th to 12th place for inadequate commitments on eliminating hazardous chemicals, e waste policy and cutting GHGs
Dell (3.9 points) – Stays at 13th place because of backtracking on toxics phase out
HP (3.5 points) – Is at 14th position and has no products on the market free of toxic substances
Microsoft (2.5 points) – Loses a point for a poor recycling policy but stays in 15th position
Lenovo (2.5 points) – Down two places with no set timeline for toxics phase out on all products
Fujitsu (2.4 points) – Debuts second from last with no products that are free of hazardous chemicals
Nintendo (1 point) – Stays put in last position with a glimmer of hope with partially pvc free consoles
Nov 24, 2008
CyberPress: I.T. Journalists Association of the Philippines
The Information Technology Journalists Association of the Philippines web site at http://www.cyberpress.org.ph/ posted a story on Monday about its newly elected officers for 2009.
BATANGAS CITY, Philippines – CyberPress, the country’s only organization of IT writers, also known as IT Journalists Association of the Philippines (ITJAP), has elected on Saturday its new set of officers for 2008 to 2009.
The election was held at the Taal Vista Heights resort in this city, right after the press club conducted a Writers Workshop on: “Legal Issues Affecting Online Reporting and Blogging” with Atty. JJ Disini as resource speaker. He is an MA graduate of the Harvard Law School.
The new CyberPress board members are: Jing Garcia, president (TechTimes Section Editor, The Manila Times, and Editor of Speed Magazine); Red Samar, vice president for external affairs (InfoTech
Section Editor, The Manila Bulletin); Melvin Calimag, vice president for internal affairs (reporter, The Manila Bulletin, editor of TechFrontiers Journal, and Contributor of ZDNet Asia); Tom S. Noda, secretary (reporter, Computerworld Philippines); Alma Anonas, membership chairperson (correspondent, BusinessMirror); Vernadette T. Joven, finance officer (reporter, Computerworld Philippines); Marlon Magtira, election and constitutional amendments officer
(editor, TechFrontiers Journal, PC Buyer's Guide Philippines/ PC Direct and PC Shopper); Maricel Estavillo, sectoral representative for online (editor, BusinessWorld); and Ed Geronia, Jr., sectoral representative for print (editor-in-chief, T3 Philippines).Calimag, the two-time president of CyberPress and now elected vice president for internal affairs, said the induction of the new officers will take place this coming December, coinciding with the organization’s annual Christmas party. The place and time of the event will yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, Garcia, in his acceptance speech, expressed optimism that CyberPress will grow bigger and stronger in 2009. “I hope everybody will do better” the newly elected president said, adding that he plans to encourage more membership in the IT press club.“We would reach out to other media companies and organizations in the regions of Visayas and Mindanao,” Garcia announced.
According to Calimag, 2009 will be a more productive year for CyberPress. “We expect to accomplish more as a group,” Calimag said, as he informed that CyberPress is preparing to do its last workshop activity for this year also in December. The forum will be about Green
IT, an advocacy for companies to practice environment-friendly
technologies.
Now with a total of 31 members, CyberPress remains to be the only IT press organization in the Philippines. It is the first IT press club established in South East Asia (SEA) in mid-1996.The organization’s list of member publications are: BusinessMirror, BusinessWorld, Computer World Philippines, Enterprise, Gadgets Magazine, GMA News, TechFrontiers Journal, The Manila Bulletin, The Manila Times, Manual Magazine, Maxim Philippines, Outrage Magazine, PC Buyer's Guide, PC Direct, PC Shopper, PC World Philippines, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, PsiCom Publishing, Speed Magazine, T3 Philippines, Tech Frontiers Philippines, The Daily Tribune, and ZDNet Asia.
Sep 24, 2008
New iPhone rival
Google partners with T-Mobile to launch Android-powered smartphone
Google ventures the smartphone market with the introduction of T-Mobile G1, the first phone to feature the Android operating system. Android is a Linux-based software platform designed for mobile devices developed by Google in collaboration with Open Handset Alliance.
With features that directly compete with Apple’s iPhone, the Internet-centric G1 smartphone will initially become available in the U.S. and Europe at about US$400.
Manufactured by High Tech Computer (HTC), the T-Mobile G1 runs on Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz processor with 128MB of RAM. Its main features include a 3” 480x320-resolution touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard, 1GB flash memory, GPS, a microSD, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3.1MP camera and so on.
The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-installed with a host of Google web-based service incluing Search, Maps, Gmail, Calendar, Talk, Amazon MP3, and YouTube. The G1 also features Android Market, which includes a number of applications and mash ups.
With features that directly compete with Apple’s iPhone, the Internet-centric G1 smartphone will initially become available in the U.S. and Europe at about US$400.
Manufactured by High Tech Computer (HTC), the T-Mobile G1 runs on Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz processor with 128MB of RAM. Its main features include a 3” 480x320-resolution touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard, 1GB flash memory, GPS, a microSD, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3.1MP camera and so on.
The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-installed with a host of Google web-based service incluing Search, Maps, Gmail, Calendar, Talk, Amazon MP3, and YouTube. The G1 also features Android Market, which includes a number of applications and mash ups.
Sep 23, 2008
Singapore develops new GPS movie technology based on viewer’s location
I was browsing through the CNet Asia web site when I stumbled upon Isabella Chen’s Chick Click blog entry “Real spaces, digital memory” about GPS Film, a Singaporean government initiative project for developing a new motion picture technology designed for GPS-enabled handheld devices like PDAs or mobile phones. GPS Film automatically selects clips from an extraordinarily produced movie based on the location of the viewer.
Considerably a breakthrough in the movie industry, GPS Film will provide a new opportunity for the viewer to explore the actual environment via digital content. GPS Film’s "picture moving, not a moving picture" catchphrase sets a new type of movie experience where viewers don't just take movies on the road but movies will actually take viewers to the road.
According to the GPS Film web site,
In her blog, Isabella talks about dead spaces and dead times where people are forced to go through in between productive situations. She wrote,
Well, GPS Film would definitely give life to our dead brains during dead times. And dead spaces will actually take an important role in the process.
Click here to go to Isabella Chen's Chick Click blog.
Click here to go to Isabella's "Real space, digital memory" blog entry.
Click here to go to CNet Asia.
Considerably a breakthrough in the movie industry, GPS Film will provide a new opportunity for the viewer to explore the actual environment via digital content. GPS Film’s "picture moving, not a moving picture" catchphrase sets a new type of movie experience where viewers don't just take movies on the road but movies will actually take viewers to the road.
According to the GPS Film web site,
"GPS Film invents a new form of film-viewing experience by using the place and movement of the viewer to reveal the story.
"As the viewer travels by walking, bus, or taxi, the movie unfolds by passing through different areas.
"By exploring a park, a neighborhood, or even a city or country, GPS Film continually ‘reads’ the location of the viewer and plays scenes that are tied to those places. The more the viewer travels, the more of the film they see."
“The more time you spend in spaces like these, the more brain dead you become.”
Well, GPS Film would definitely give life to our dead brains during dead times. And dead spaces will actually take an important role in the process.
Click here to go to Isabella Chen's Chick Click blog.
Click here to go to Isabella's "Real space, digital memory" blog entry.
Click here to go to CNet Asia.
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