QuiText has launched its text message support programme in South Africa. Now smokers trying to give up will have no place to hide…
South Africans now have success to QuiText’s SMS support programme for smokers wanting to quit.
Smokers in South Africa today are facing unprecedented pressure to quit the habit from advertising and social peers and a gradual shift in global awareness. Many smokers have either tried to quit or want to, but many attempts end in failure due to busy lifestyles, lack of preparation or support. According to QuiText founder, Chris Jones, many people who want to quit are simply put off by authority telling them what to do all the time.
"As an ex-smoker, I can sympathise with what many smokers who want to quit are going through. It can be truly exhausting trying to rationalise why you continue to smoke in the face of overwhelming evidence that shows it's really a bad idea." Jones said.
"At QuiText we're trying to cut to the chase and provide a simple, optimistic approach to quitting which doesn't conjure up the feelings of dread many smokers feel when seriously considering giving up. It's about starting afresh and not looking back."
QuiText is based in Sydney and was founded in 2007. The QuiText website and text message service provides smokers with the motivation and support they need to quit smoking and embark on a smoke-free life.
For more information about QuiText, visit its website at www.quitext.com.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Mobile quit smoking service reaches SA
A tiny player with a big sound- Sandisc Sansa Clip
SanDisk Corporation, the second largest seller of MP3 players in the United States, has introduced the colourful Sansa Clip, a tiny MP3 player that boasts an array of cool features, as well as distinctively big sound for its small size.
SanDisk Corporation, the second largest seller of MP3 players in the United States, has introduced the colorful Sansa Clip, a tiny MP3 player that boasts an array of cool features, as well as distinctively big sound for its small size.
Perfect for the fitness buff or traveler, the compact Sansa Clip comes with a fashionable clip for wearing, FM radio with recorder, microphone, long-lasting rechargeable battery and a bright screen for exceptionally easy navigation of tunes. The Sansa Clip is expected to be available at manufacturer's suggested retail prices of R699.00 for a 1 GB player and R999.00 for the 2GB unit.
"Don't let the Sansa Clip's size fool you," said Keith Washo, SanDisk retail product marketing manager for the Sansa Clip. "This tiny player packs a powerful, feature-rich punch. We're excited to bring music lovers a new, cool-looking player with great sound and audio offerings in a body that's smaller than a match box."
Consumers can also show off their style by choosing from an array of colors. The Sansa Clip comes in sleek black, candy apple red, hot pink and ice blue.
The Sansa Clip is loaded with exceptional features:
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Superior sound - one of the best sounding MP3 players on the market.
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A fashionable wearable clip for hands-free portability and effortless enjoyment of digital music on the go.
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Large, bright (OLED) screen with a simple user interface that makes it easy to choose playlists or songs sorted by title, artist, album, genre.
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FM tuner and recorder with 40 presets for listening to sports, tuning in at the gym or your favorite music station.
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Built-in microphone to record thoughts while exercising or on the go. Rechargeable battery with up to 15 hours of life2 - one of the most competitive battery performances for a MP3 player of its size on the market today.
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Solid state flash memory for skip-free playback of music
The Sansa Clip supports many music download and subscription services, including Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic and others. It's designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of popular music formats such as MP3, WAV, Audible (for audio books) and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files (such as those WMA files purchased from music stores). The Sansa Clip can also play "DRM-free" MP3 downloads.
The player is expected to be available from retailers in the U.S. and Europe in September 2007, with other regions to follow shortly thereafter.
Source : http://www.gadget.co.za
Gumba Gumba shares your music in bed or on the go
In South Africa it’s called a Gumba Gumba, township lingo for the Boombox. The portable player with big sound has been around for a long time, starting with the cassette tape, and then including a CD player. Now Philips has reinvented the boom box for the digital age, with their AZ1330D.
A while ago my trusty and somewhat dated bedside clock radio went up in smoke. This started me searching for a more up to date replacement. When I went looking, I could find some really good but very expensive alternatives. Much to my amazement, there were no simple, well-priced units of reasonable quality out there. A Tivoli unit was considered as the sound was great, but no alarm and the high price decided me against it.
And then, along came Philips with a new range of units, from sleek mini hi-fi to Boombox style units, all with alarm clocks, radios and, best of all, a dock for my iPod. The unit I favor is the AZ1330D.
More and more most of us are storing their music on our computers and using some type of iPod or MP 3 player for when we are on the move. So, simply put, all my favorite music is on my iPod and, being able to dock the iPod and listen when I want, where I want, is really useful.
The Philips unit has a built-in iPod dock, with adaptors for all iPods, both current and older, as well as a digital AM and FM radio, along with a CD player for those of us who still buy CDs. One useful feature: the CD player will play MP3s as well as Microsoft’s proprietary WMA format. So it’s a universal player if ever there was one. All of this is a sleek and fairly compact unit.
How does it fare on the Gadget 5-question User Test? Let’s take it for a run:
Is it ready to use?
The unit is well packaged with simple instructions. Plug it into the wall, select radio and you are ready to go. To insert the iPod, you need to find the correct adaptor from among the box of adaptors supplied. The instructions are clear but, like most men, I fiddled with the gadgetry until I found one that fitted my iPod.
Is it easy to use?
Once plugged in, use is really simple, as all controls are large and well marked. Operation is intuitive and simple, and the supplied remote works well. The unit uses 6 D cells to keep it portable, and again these are easy to install. The manual is a little dense but well numbered and logical, for those who read those things.
Does it deliver on its promise?
Gumba Gumba oh yes. Loud and clear, the Philips sounds good. It’s not audiophile quality, but really decent. It has bass boost for those that want big bass, and a relatively clear and honest sound. It does not play extremely loud without distorting, but is more than good enough for most of us. The radio performs well on FM, with good discrimination between close stations. On AM, for those who want it, it’s fine with little interference. The CD player and iPod dock operate as expected and make the unit really versatile.
Is it innovative?
The world is full of multipurpose iPod docks with radios and other features. A portable radio, CD, and dock is nothing really new. However, Philips has put together a high quality, logically set up, and well-specced unit that I enjoyed using. In short, not innovative, but a good example of blending new digital technology with useful features.
Is it value for money?
The street price is in the region of R1000. At this price, taking into account the features and the options, as well as the decent build and sound quality, I would say that this Philips unit is very good value for money. It sounds nearly as good as the expensive iPod dock’s out there and has some useful features that most don’t offer, such as the built-in CD player.
My search for a replacement bedroom radio alarm and music player has just ended. The Philips will replace my old smoking radio alarm, which will now retire after 20 some years of good service, and yes it was also a Philips.
Source :
Sunday, July 22, 2007
LGE launches Dual HD Player in SA
LG Electronics will be launching the “Super Multi Blue” dual-format, high definition disc player in South Africa during the third quarter of 2007. The disc player blends the latest technologies, offering unprecedented flexibility to consumers who seek the convenience of both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD content.
The advanced dual-format high-definition disc player, (BH100) has already been launched in the US market and is the world’s first player with the capability to play both next-generation disc formats, addressing the challenge of the current format war. The player is ideally suited to LG’s expanded lineup of Full HD 1080p plasma and LCD HDTVs, delivering the best video possible in the highest display resolution format.
“We have developed the Super Multi Blue Player to end the confusion caused by the current competition between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. Customers are no longer forced to choose between the two formats,” said Charlie Kim, Product Manager, Digital Media, LGE South Africa. “As Full HD TV is already gaining significant ground, we are hoping that the Super Multi Blue Player will play the trigger role in expanding and advancing both Full HD TV and high-definition DVD market volume together.”
In addition to offering Full HD 1080p picture quality from high-definition discs, the player incorporates interactive functions based on BD-Java, which allows advanced menus and functions to be displayed over the video of Blu-ray discs. It is also capable of accessing and playing audio-video content from HD DVD discs in full HD resolution. Users will still be able to access LG’s software-based advanced menu for HD DVD. Regardless, the capability to play movies in both formats is a huge consumer benefit.
The introduction of the Super Multi Blue player will ultimately eliminate the end consumer confusion and hesitation in the high-definition disc marketplace. The LG unit supports various A/V formats, including MPEG-2, VC-1, H.264 video, MPEG1/2 audio, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, DTS and DTS-HD audio, and includes multiple inputs/outputs such as HDMI out, component / composite video outputs, and optical / coaxial / discrete 5.1 channel audio outputs, among others.
The unit incorporates elegant backlit touch sensor buttons along with an ergonomic remote control that gives the user command of the next-generation home entertainment experience.
Source :http://www.gadget.co.za
Richard Branson foreword
The patience of the cellphone networks’ customer is being tested, says Sir Richard Branson in his foreword to Arthur Goldstuck’s latest guide to the hi-tech world, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Going Mobile, launched this month.
Arthur Goldstuck, founder and editor-in-chief of Gadget, has released his latest guide to the hi-tech world, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Going Mobile. The book follows in the tradition of his previous books in demystifying an increasingly complex world, and includes a foreword by Sir Richard Branson, head of the Virgin empire.
In this case, it is the world of the cell phone, the laptop computer and all the wireless connectivity options that connect the two with the rest of the world. Goldstuck highlights the extent to which the cellphone has changed our lives, yet keep becoming more and more complicated to use.
He says in his introduction, “The humble cellphone was easy to use in the beginning, but it has evolved in the opposite direction to that of the Internet. It has become the ‘smartphone’, which really means that you have to be pretty smart to get it to operate in a smart way. Or at least, you need to be pretty patient.”
The same applies to dealing with the networks, on whom we depend for our communications lives.
As Sir Richard Branson says in the foreword to the book, “Every second South African has been able to become a cell phone user despite all the odds and despite even the most optimistic forecasts not anticipating such widespread uptake. And despite numerous obstacles, ordinary South Africans have found a way to make the mobile world work for them.”
Branson continues, however, to say that “The complaints and protests that have come from so many sources should long ago have been a warning signal to the industry that the customer’s patience is being tested. What has worked until now is not going to work as well in the future. Because the customer knows: there is always a better way.”
Goldstuck’s book is geared towards showing users of mobile technologies just how to achieve that better way, with guidelines on how to choose phones and laptops, how to set up wireless networks at home and in small offices, and a directory of WiFi hotspots around the country – including a listing of free hotspots, where laptop users can connect to the Internet at high speed at no charge.
Mobility 2006, the research project that Goldstuck led for his company, World Wide Worx (http://www.therworx.biz), informed much of this book, by provided him with a broad understanding of the needs, expectations and experience of South African businesses and individuals, as they attempt to go mobile.
Funded by First National Bank, Virgin Mobile and Verizon Business, Mobility 2006 confirmed what many have suspected for a long time: South Africans do want the latest communications technology, but not for its own sake. It must offer them an easy, convenient route to their destination, and the destination is effective and efficient communications. This book aims to provide a roadmap to help reach that destination.
Source :http://www.gadget.co.za
Saturday, June 30, 2007
iPhone Madness Hits US after Gadget Launch
The Apple iPhone, the most-anticipated gadget debut in years, went on sale Friday in the United States, with thousands of impatient buyers streaming into stores.
In the five months since Jobs announced Apple's move into the mobile phone business, the iPhone has become the most widely-anticipated product launch in recent memory.
The phones, which retail for USD 499 for 4 gigabytes of storage or USD 599 for 8 gigabytes of storage, meld a phone, Web browser and media player.
Apple, which was to begin selling the phone online late Friday, has said shoppers will be limited to two devices apiece. AT&T, the exclusive carrier, plans to sell one iPhone per customer and at company stores only.
Source :http://www.novinite.com
Apple iPhone launch draws gadget geeks, hired help
Kristian Gundersen flew from Norway to New York to be among the first people to buy Apple's media-playing iPhone. He described the day as one of the best of his life.
"It's a dream come true. ... It's Christmas, birthday, New Year's all rolled into one," said the 23-year-old graphic designer who lined up for nearly 12 hours to buy the music and video playing phone.
"I'm a Mac addict," he said, referring to Apple Inc.'s trademark computers. "I got on a 10-hour line for the 'Lord of the Rings' (movie), but it is nothing compared to this. This is a historic event."
Gundersen was among several thousand people who lined up -- some for up to five days -- outside U.S. Apple stores and outlets of AT&T, the exclusive iPhone carrier for the next two years. Stores opened at 6 p.m. local time in each U.S. time zone.
The iPhone melds a phone, Web browser and media player and costs $500 or $600, depending on the amount of memory.
Technology gurus have praised the gadget as a "breakthrough", but questioned whether people would be put off by its use of a smooth touch-screen instead of a keyboard, and its relatively slow Internet connection.
Albert Livingstone's wife thought he was crazy for lining up overnight in Chicago outside the Apple store.
"It's the newest toy. I'm 62 -- I don't have much time left to buy toys," said Livingstone, who stood in line with his friend Mark Stevenson, 50. They rented a room across the street and took turns to sleep.
But not everyone could understand the excitement.
"It's just a phone!" a San Francisco construction worker, driving by the Apple store in his pick-up truck, yelled at the waiting crowd.
Despite a limit of two iPhones per person, Grant Johnson, 41, managed to get his hands on three when the doors opened at the Apple store on New York's Fifth Avenue. He had asked a girl in front of him to buy an extra one.
"I'm keeping one and selling the other two, I'm trying to get $1200 for them," said Johnson, who had queued up for 25 hours. "I haven't slept in a day and a half," he said. "I need a nice hot shower and a bath."
"WE STINK"
On a mild summer's day in Chicago, 50-year-old business consultant James Budd joined the line at dawn to buy an iPhone for himself and for his 95-year-old grandmother because he hoped it would be "simple enough" for her to use.
But other high-flying professionals who couldn't escape work paid others to do it for them.
A tongue-in-cheek Citigroup research note on Apple even gave tips on how "to obtain an iPhone ASAP on Friday," advising clients to "send whoever is the newest and most junior at your firm to stand in line."
Young entrepreneurs sought to make a quick buck.
In Walnut Creek, California, a group of college students arrived at the Apple store at dawn on Wednesday to nab the first 10 spots to sell on Web site www.iwait.org.
"We're exhausted, we're having trouble speaking -- and we stink," said 18-year-old organizer Josh May.
Terry Austin, a 23-year-old New Yorker, waited in line for 27 hours outside Apple in New York.
"I feel good, it was fun," he said when he walked out clutching his purchase. When asked if it was worth it, he answered: "We'll find out."
Source :http://in.today.reuters.com/