They launched 3 cameras; Sony Cyber-shot TX200V, Cyber-shot WX70 & Cyber-shot WX50 but one caught my attention.

The Cyber-shot TX200V seems to be a high specification point and shoot digital camera. Wait for it; it features an 18 Megapixel Exmor R CMOS Sensor. Yes, you read right 18 Megapixels.  It also features a 5x f3.5-4.8 26-130mm Carl Zeiss lens and a 3.3-inch 1.2-million dot resolution touch screen OLED display. It is also waterproof to 5m and is also freeze- and dustproof. So it seems that this little digital camera packs a very big punch and takes a beating from extreme conditions.

The look of the camera is greatly reminiscent of an iPhone. I actually initially thought it was an iPhone (when looking at the back of the camera) but that changed when I saw the Sony branding.  One other interesting thing to note is that this is a new product and not an update of an existing model.

Can this be seen as a fight back against the impact of cellphone cameras? Definitely, as the Cyber-shot TX200V makes a statement. I wonder whether the technology found in the Sony Cyber-shot TX200V could make an appearance in a specific line of cellphones that Sony could make. Either way this little digital camera is packed with features that will make your head spin.

Last year approximately 448 rhinos suffered an untimely demise at the hand of vicious poachers. And…according to rhino scientists, should the poaching continue at the rate it is currently going, the population of rhinos in Africa will drastically decrease by the middle of 2012. “Not to mention that it takes a million times longer for one to even be born!”

But how can we all help prevent it all from causing a complete extinction??

Rhino Force is here to help conserve and prevent these majestic animals from being killed and used for monetary gain. Rhino Force is a group of conservationists who are trying to save the African rhino.

In an attempt to combat poaching and help SAVE the rhino population, Rhino Force has created a bracelet that serves as a symbol and spirit that is required to stop the poaching in South Africa. Their target is to sell 1 million bracelets, which will help raise money and fight the WAR against those who are responsible for causing the death of rhinos. PriceCheck is giving you the chance to support this great cause by purchasing your bracelet right here.

Sometimes we feel powerless  – but there is so much you can do to help. The Afrika Expeditionary Force is, above all, a message of hope. Get involved. Do something small to change the world.

Brought to you by PriceCheck.co.za.

Prizes are kindly sponsored by Buyitatcost (Samsung 32” LCD TV) and Kalahari.com (R600 worth of vouchers).

(Click on links below for examples)

    Gone With The Wind.

  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

     Just Another Day.

    Friends.

      There’s Something About Mary.

The great thing is, no matter what this day means to you and however you spend the 14^th of Feb, this competition is for  anybody who would love to win these prizes!

 Tell us which romantic comedy you actually enjoyed watching.

 Tell us your favourite romantic movie.

“I enjoyed watching (your above answer). With @Buyitatcost, @Kalahari.com and @PriceCheck I could be kitted out by winning the Samsung 32” LCD TV and R600 shopping voucher  with their Valentine’s Day Competition. You could too – see how here: (http://bit.ly/xiw8hr).”

“I love watching (your above answer). With @Buyitatcost, @Kalahari.com and @PriceCheck I could be kitted out by winning the Samsung 32” LCD TV and R600 shopping voucher  with their Valentine’s Day Competition. You could too – see how here: (http://bit.ly/xiw8hr).”

Make sure you TAG us (PriceCheck, Buyitatcost and Kalahari.com) by starting with a ‘@‘. You have to ‘LIKE‘ us first (you do, don’t you?).

Please only one entry per person per day but you can enter every day if you desire! If you enter more than once on the same day, the entire day’s entry will not count. The more entries you have, the better your chances to win.

This competition is open to South African residents only.

Winner will be randomly selected.

   Samsung 32″ LCD TV sponsored by Buyit@cost.

   R600 worth of Kalahari.com vouchers so you can choose and buy your favourite romantic movie DVDs.

January 31^th 2012 @ 12 o’clock – February 14^th 2012 @ 11am. Winner will be announced @ 2pm.

Good luck!

The Company sold 37.04 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 128 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 15.43 million iPads during the quarter, a 111 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 5.2 million Macs during the quarter, a 26 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 15.4 million iPods, a 21 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

“We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.”

Apple has added $38 billion to their business in the last 12 months. Yes, I said billion. What is very interesting to note is that the iPhone is becoming more central to Apple’s success. Secondly, Tim Cook also mentioned during the Analyst call that iCloud has seen a high adoption rate.

I think Peter shared earlier the number of customers that had signed up for iCloud, and it’s already over 85 million, so it’s incredible that this has happened in just a few months’ period of time. We’re thrilled with it, and the response from customers has been incredible.

The digital hub (iTunes etc) was the value driver for Apple in the past 10 years. iCloud will become the central value driver for Apple in the next 10 years in my opinion. As an iCloud user I can say that in a space of a few months it has become a feature that I cannot live without. Couple iCloud with Dropbox and your files “follow you” on multiple devices without having to worry whether you saved it on this or that device…  The results also highlight something interesting and it is that consumers are willing to pay a bit more for a premium device as long as it delivers on performance. I wonder whether this result was part of the legacy that Steve Jobs left for Apple Management as I guess the result would have made him smile and be very happy.

SET A GOAL:  AND the reason’s for doing what you are doing. Very important. Write down a list of the things that you would like to achieve, and the reason for each goal. More important – Let’s not forget what all the hard work is for! This reasoning behind your goals will most certainly give you enough incentive toward reaching your ultimate goal. You could most likely take on the Rocky approach. Be like Rocky – run up those stairs, hear the music blaring in the air and pump your fists! Also – just watch it and you’ll understand!!!

GET YOUR MIND WORKING: SO cliché but… the mind really is powerful, and you need to train your brain to give it the willpower it needs to get your body to do anything out of the norm. Daily affirmations such as ‘I am an unstoppable force to be reckoned with’ is the way to go. You simply have to decide that this is what you want and take one step at a time… have you seen the movie Limitless yet? I am sure you could train your brain to be GREAT without the use of a pill – we don’t really live in the Matrix do we?

EXERCISE REGIME: The next step is to do your research and actively put together an exercise plan. Just don’t forget that everyone is different. Your limitations may be someone else’s strong point. So please don’t injure yourself over someone else’s exercise plan in the first week, giving yourself a reason to quit early from possible permanent damages! In that case,  a physician before-hand may be a good idea. This is where every movie about the fat kid, who you haven’t seen in years turns out with the perfect 6-pack is applicable. Think “Just Friends” starring Ryan Reynolds and be the guy who shows up everywhere looking AMAZING!

Walking – if walking is the only thing you know how to do – you’re on the right track. Think, The Proclaimers’ “I would walk 500 miles” and march or walk to the beat of those drums or guitar riff. Brisk walking does the world of good. Once you have reached a level where you are starting to feel a gain in stamina & strength – either walk for a longer period of time or add on an extra day or two in a week, or maybe even start jogging. Otherwise going to gym is a GREAT way of toning, honing, stretching and shaping. There are a great deal of equipment, classes and personal trainers that will help you get into the best shape possible. If the gym is not for you, and group classes is not for you, check out popular work-out DVD’s like Yoga, Tae-Bo or Zumba and start your own fitness regime at home.  .

And lastly, don’t let your stomach be a waste basket –your body always keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down.  Even if you have a friend who is able to eat anything he/she wants without gaining weight  and it makes you go green with envy – don’t fret, his/her body might look great on the outside but very harmful things could be happening on the inside. So, get to know your OWN body, do a LITTLE research and get to know how things work but establish an eating plan of your own – A diet recommended for some (famous or not), may not always work for you.

It doesn’t get easier, but you sure as hell get stronger in the process, and the stronger you are, the better you feel! Say ‘no, thanks’ to that second helping. If there is dessert, have a spoonful of someone else’s – do not deprive yourself of those small things in life, you’re only human after all…

Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide.  Mr. Heins said that RIM has a strong foundation on which to build. “We have a strong balance sheet with approximately $1.5 billion in cash at the end of the last quarter and negligible debt.  We reported revenue of $5.2 billion in our last quarter, up 24% from the prior quarter, and a 35% year-to-year increase in the BlackBerry subscriber base, which is now over 75 million.”

Remember Balsillie and Laziridis have made it known that they intended to try and save the company. I think the lack of an objective person at the helm of RIM is a concern. Heins has done the expected things, by stating that BlackBerry (RIM) is a great company and that it has great potential.  Media reports seem to indicate that Heins is an engineer and not a business executive, yet the RIM board wanted him to take over from the departing co-CEOs. Would the logical thing not be to have the business evaluated and then start to look for a potential buyer?

If I was a RIM shareholder, I would ask if Thorsten Heins has been given a period of time to fix the Canadian cellphone manufacturer? The question over a time period is justified as it ensures that not all value is lost before a potential suitor can be found  The concern for me as an outsider is that the downward spiral seems to have hit the share price hard and ensured that a dark cloud surrounds RIM. The damage may already have been done with regards to RIM..

(Jim Balsillie (left) and Mike Laziridis(right))

RIM will be acquired by someone for the right price. The board has already turned Amazon down to the dismay of RIM shareholders. Heins has mentioned in the press that he is considering licensing RIM technology to other cellphone manufacturers. That is a good idea in order to make revenue but I think it is too late. It does seem that the power has shifted and I wonder whether the departure of Balsillie and Laziridis is to be seen as a peace offering for the vocal shareholders.. Welcome aboard Mr Heins, I don’t think anybody has a clue how difficult your reign at the top of RIM will be…

When the late Steve Jobs was working with author Walter Isaacson on his biography, Jobs mentioned that the next industry that Apple wanted to disrupt, was textbooks. Education and technology is currently a hot topic and first mover advantage could provide Apple with hefty returns.

In the book, Jobs tells author Walter Isaacson that the he wanted to transform the textbook industry by hiring textbook writers and having them feature the textbooks on the iPad.  Jobs then wanted to offer the iPad for free so that Apple could circumvent the state certification process, something that Jobs thought was “corrupt.”

I think the announcement will focus on providing teachers with the opportunity to create “lesson material” that looks like published content without the costs attached. The future of education provides all technology companies who are willing to make an investment, a huge chance to play a central role in the lives of their users. Imagine being able to study via a tablet and then gradually being more tempted to acquire other devices. All of the big technology companies (Google, facebook, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple) are trying to cut out the middlemen whom interact with their users.

Being able to directly engage with a student will ensure that potentially long term relationships are created. Apple just wants to be the first port of call…

The Kodak story is one that represents the change in photography. Once upon a time Kodak sold the majority of the photographic film used in old school cameras. Then the significant movement to digital came and Kodak it seemed had no plan how to cater for it. It is very sad that a company so intertwined with photography is staring bankruptcy in the face.

The last few weeks have seen Kodak start court cases against companies for infringing on patents which they own.

Earlier this week Fujifilm got a notice of a legal court case:

“Kodak has long been in discussions with Fujifilm, asking the company to do what more than 30 other companies have done already and take a license for their use of our pioneering digital imaging technology,” said Timothy M. Lynch, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, Eastman Kodak Company. “Kodak has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing this technology.”

“Not only have we failed to reach an agreement, but Fuji resorted to filing suit against us in October in what was a thinly veiled attempt to redirect attention from their continued use of Kodak patented technology.There’s a basic issue of fairness that needs to be addressed. The failure to appropriately compensate Kodak for the unauthorized use of our patented technology impedes our ability to continue to innovate and introduce new products.”

Earlier in January they filed a court case against Apple & HTC:

A complaint filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) specifically claims that certain of Apple’s iPhones, iPads, and iPods, and certain of HTC’s smartphones and tablets infringe Kodak patents that relate to technology for transmitting images. Kodak also alleges that certain of HTC’s smartphones infringe a patent that covers technology related to a method for previewing images which is already the subject of pending actions against Apple. Separately, Kodak filed suits today against Apple and HTC in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York alleging the same infringement.

The patent suits can be seen as the last ditch effort for funds in my opinion. Kodak has struggled with its transformation in being a digital photography printing company. The Kodak moment it seems has come and gone or will it return?

Apple’s most popular products (iPhone, iPad, iPod and a few MacBook Air’s) all use flash memory to store content (Music, Apps, Documents, email etc).

Anobit has produced two generations of Genesis SSD technology. The intellectual property that sets it apart from other SSD manufacturers is a controller that uses firmware called Memory Signal Processing (MSP), a type of ECC.

It seems that Apple became aware of the Israeli company (having already incorporated their technology in Apple products) and swooped in quickly to acquire the company before any of their rivals did. Apple’s previous acquisition Siri became an integral part of the iPhone and I expect the same for Anobit.

This can definitely be seen as a talent acquisition as 75% of the staff from Anobit are engineers.  They will join Apple’s engineers (reportedly a 1000 in total) designing their latest chips etc. Due to the competitive nature of consumer electronics, even popular companies like Apple are struggling to find top talent. This acquisition is also the first that Tim Cook has done since taking over as CEO of Apple. The question is now; how does Apple’s opposition respond to this acquisition?

Acer might also want to be checking on their legal team as I suspect Apple will challenge them on the intellectual property of  their cloud product. The naming of the product plus the product information does have a number of similarities to those found from Apple.

One example of the similarities:

The explanation of the cloud service

AcerCloud (on the left) and Apple iCloud (on the right), the similarity is definitely there.

It seems Acer has joined Samsung in liberally using Apple products as examples for their future products.

From all the early press releases coming out of Las Vegas, it seems consumer electronic products (such as notebooks) with accompanying cloud storage are something that all manufacturers are considering. Whether they can execute it like Apple is another story..