News

• NEC seeing double with dual-screen smartphone

  Japan's NEC has come up with a different way to answer consumer demands for bigger screens on smartphones. Rather than use a single, larger display, which makes the entire phone larger, the company has fitted a second screen to its Medias W handset that folds out when needed to double the display area.

• Japanese ad platform mixes image recognition, GPS, time data

  One of Japan's largest ad agencies will soon launch a new ad platform that mixes image recognition software with GPS and time data from smartphones to link consumers with product information.

• NEC rolls out OpenFlow for Microsoft Hyper-V

  NEC this week unveiled a virtual switch for Microsoft's Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V hypervisor which is designed to bring OpenFlow-based software-defined networking and network virtualization to those Microsoft environments.

• New NEC server has built-in batteries for backup power

  NEC's new high-end server contains swappable battery packs, intended to provide backup power without the need for an external uninterruptible power supply (UPS) in data centers.

• Japanese team targets 24Tbps optical fiber by 2014

  Three of Japan's tech giants will work together to increase data transmission speeds over optical fiber, aiming for 400Gbps per channel by 2014.

• New Splashtop variant to let you access Ubuntu desktop from anywhere

  Ubuntu users in need of a way to reach their desktop via a smartphone or tablet can now use Splashtop Streamer, just like their Mac and Windows peers, thanks to a new beta release that supports the Linux-based operating system.

• NEC data center units to use convection to cut power use by 30 percent

  NEC is working on a new type of small data center unit that uses convection to slash power usage by a third, even in Japan's hot, sticky climate.

• NEC is working on a suitcase-sized DNA analyzer

  NEC is working on a suitcase-sized DNA analyzer, which it says will be able to process samples at the scene of a crime or disaster in as little as 25 minutes.

• AAPT to acquire Nextep from NEC

  AAPT announced it has agreed to acquire the Nextep DSL business from NEC Australia. The deal is part of a long-term partnership between AAPT and NEC, AAPT said.

• Japan group to build smart power grids that treat energy like network data

  Using concepts from IT and networking, a Japanese consortium plans to develop large-scale energy grids that will handle power the way the Internet handles data, using "routers" and "service providers" to efficiently manage and direct the flow of electricity.

• In pictures: A closer look at the NSW Rural Fire Service digital video wall

  The NSW Rural Fire Service recently installed a video wall comprised of 100 NEC LCD screens in time for the bush fire season.

• NSW Rural Fire Service uses digital video wall for bushfire season

  Replacing an aging projector setup with a digital video wall made up of 100 NEC LCD screens has already proven its worth for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) after it was used in the recent Blue Mountains fires.

• NEC to sell mini computer with eye projection screen

  NEC said Tuesday it will sell a wearable mini computer with a head-mounted display that projects its screen onto the naked eye.

• NEC says new technology doubles lithium battery life

  NEC said Monday that it has developed a new lithium-ion battery technology that doubles the life span of conventional models.

• In pictures: Village Cinema's new video wall

  Cinema's Jam Factory complex in Melbourne gets an upgrade from its plasma screen setup.