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Internet Could Win Nobel Peace Prize

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internetThe internet is in the running for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

You may think this is very Scandinavian concept because this week Finland residents will have the right by law to access a broadband connection at a mandated speed (at least 1 Mbps, with a goal of 100 Mbps by 2015.)

Yet the Nobel nomination actually follows a campaign by the Italian edition of Wired magazine.

Following the Dynamite-inventor’s will, Alfred Nobel's Peace Prize is to go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

Riccardo Luna, Wired Italy's editor in chief, says (quoting Tim Berners Lee, the biological father of the internet): "Internet is not a network of computers anymore, but a network of people."

Luna adds: "It is the greatest social interface humanity has ever had. It is a weapon of mass construction. As we have put out in the official manifesto of the campaign, 'digital culture is promoting a new kind of society through communication and education'. And communication and education are the roots of a peaceful world."

TIME Magazine has its famous MAN OF THE YEAR award. In 2007, the cover showed the Award winner as a computer with a mirror for a screen and the text “You. You control the Information Age.”

I think that qualifies us to claim (if we win the Nobel in October) that we are multiple award winners.

The prize money shoud be about $1.4 million. If they give to us internet people, by my calculation, you’ll get your check for $0.00025.

These days, thanks to internet making it so easy to share what’s on your mind, you can’t even get a full penny for your thoughts.

Go Internet for Peace Prize

Next Bluetooth Devices Will Rock

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Bluetooth Medical

Bluetooth SIG formally adopts the full spec for Bluetooth low energy that will create a new ecosystem of innovative products and apps that will change the way we think about the things around us.

Bluetooth low energy is not just a variant of the existing Bluetooth spec: it’s an entirely new standard optimised for low power and internet connectivity. It marks a change in short range wireless, providing a new short range connection for a new decade.

Anything that we touch or use can employ Bluetooth low energy to send its data to the net. Think fitness devices, personal healthcare, watches and more...

Go Bluetooth Version 4.0

DSGi Changes to Dixons Retail Plc

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CurrysDSGi dropped the Dixons retail brand in 2004 and went with "Currys."

That 2004 name-change also inspired the "DSGi" corporate moniker. Now it's back to the future and DSGI will re-brand the organization under Dixons Retail Plc.  With its first annual profit in three years, Dixons has transformed more than 200 stores across the group since 2008. Transforming the corporate name is probably just one more change that had to be made with Best Buy Europe breathing down its neck.

Reformatted stores perform well: average gross profit is up 20% versus the rest of the chains. And average gross profit up 50% in the megastores and 2-in-1s.

Pure internet sales (under Dixons name) hit 1.4 billion pounds, and 16% of total Group sales of 8.5 billion pounds (at fiscal year-end in May 2010).

Go DSGi Changes to Dixons Retail Plc

Pocket Projectors: 142 Million Units by 2018

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DisplaySearch reports pocket projectors will grow from 500,000 units and $117m in revenues in 2009 to 142m units and $13.9 billion in 2018, (70% CAGR for revenues and 88% in units).

"There were over 130 new pocket projector models released in the market in 2009, along with the first releases of embedded projectors into the market. Despite this, pocket projectors still face challenges of low brightness, short battery life and high price. Continuing progress in all the technologies surrounding pocket projectors will be needed to achieve the expected growth," notes Jennifer Colegrove, Director of Display Technologies.

Now stand-alone devices dominate the pocket projector market which will reach 45m units and $8.9 billion in 2018. DisplaySearch says embedded/dedicated projector shipments will surpass stand-alone in 2014 (as limitations in consumption, size, brightness and price improve). Embedded pocket projectors will reach 97m units, $5 billion in 2018.

Go Display Search on Pocket Projectors

20% of TVs in Europe Will be Net-Ready

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More than 20% of flat panel TVs shipped in Europe this year will be able to connect to the internet, says Futuresource Consulting.

By the end of 2010, the installed base of connected TVs will increase to 15 million devices, nearly 10% of the total number of flat panel TVs in use.

The next step for manufacturers, says Futuresource, will be to add more compelling video services, including paid-for movie streaming that will create revenue-sharing opportunities with content owners, aggregators and application developers.

Futuresource expects "sophisticated services", including major catch-up TV services and VoD services, to offer greater competition to the premium subscriptions offered by Pay TV operators.

"In Europe, four of the major brands have already launched connected TV products that go beyond basic home networking functionality and allow delivery of over-the-top web services," says David Watkins, research consultant at Futuresource.

"… Although initially limited to high-end and mid-range products, we're going to see web connectivity feature on an increasing number of products next year, becoming standard within two to three years...

"...We expect content to be the next battleground and a key driver for connection and usage, particularly through interaction with social networking sites and access to recently released movies."

Go Connected TV & Blu-ray Market: W.Europe

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