MySpace, Facebook holding mobile social networking back

Social networking made the leap from desktops to mobile phones a long
time ago, and a new report suggests that MySpace and Facebook still
dominate even on the small screen. Too bad the two market leaders may
be doing more harm than good to mobile social networking.

The report, published by ABI Research,
says that nearly half (46 percent) of social networking users have
visited one such network on a mobile phone. Among these mobile
socializers, almost 70 percent of them visited MySpace, while another
67 percent hit Facebook. Even though the mobile social networking
landscape is rich with competitors, especially those innovating with
location-based services, no other network garnered even 15 percent of
mobile adoption.

It should come as no surprise that the most important activities to
mobile socializers are checking on new messages and comments from
friends (50 percent of users), and posting status updates (45 percent)
to let others know what they are doing.

“The social network is increasingly becoming a central hub for
communication across online and mobile domains for many consumers,”
said research director Michael Wolf. “To a degree, it allows them to
centralize messaging, communication and even digital media consumption
through a centralized property on various screens. We believe this
centralization of a consumer’s digital lifestyle through social
networks will only increase adoption of mobile social networking in
coming years.”

While
the experiences of mobile social networking websites and applications
like those for Apple's popular iPhone are certainly growing
increasingly sophisticated, they are also hindering the adoption of the
next holy grail in social networking: location-based services. Facebook
and MySpace have yet to harness the advantages of location technology
even on the desktop, and a storm of location-based social networks are
capitalizing on the fact that these two giants are asleep. Networks
like Whrrl and Yelp are offering location-based reviews of events and restaurants, while others like Brightkite and Loopt
allow friends to easily tell the world where they are for meeting up
and creating public gatherings. Location information is a powerful
thing, and our gadgets are finally at a point where they can harness it.

Unfortunately, all this innovation may go to waste once Facebook and
MySpace finish their research and steamroll the market with their own
location-based features some day. After all, MySpace has been a bit
preoccupied with a return to its musical roots, and Facebook seems to have become gun-shy on privacy after the invasive advertising snafu of Facebook Beacon. In the meantime, smaller innovators could very well be lining up to have their shoulders stood on by giants.

From : http://arstechnica.com/

Google takes aim at drunken messaging

The forward-thinking folks at Google have implemented a novel solution to prevent regretful drunken digital correspondence to friends, family, co-workers, and loved ones.

Gmail engineer Jon Perlow is introducing Mail Googles, a new feature that will tease the bean before ill-conceived late night and weekend emails can be sent out.

Mail Goggles are presently available in the Labs tab on Gmail settings. Once activated, users can select the days and times when they're most likely to be recreating in a fashion unsuitable for CC'ing the entire office. Default settings are the tender hours between 10 PM and 4 AM on Fridays and Saturday.

Before an ill-conceived email is allowed to make its rounds, Mail Goggles offers the constitution a checkup by asking a series of math problems that must be solved in 60 seconds. Several levels of difficulty are available for drunken savants.


While there's still no cure for the (scientifically quantifiable) "Beer Goggles" effect, at least now Sarah, Hideous, and Bent are less likely to be conjured from the painful past due to an inadvisable excess of spirits.

On that note: Google should definitely extend this thinking to Android. Lonely late night calls can be just as dangerous. ®

From : http://www.theregister.co.uk/

YouTube Adds Click-to-Buy Links

Google will add click-to-buy links to its popular YouTube video-sharing service, letting customers purchase songs and video games they see mentioned on the site.

The links will take users to online stores such as Apple's iTunes or Amazon.com, according to a posting on Google's blog. The program, only available in the United States for now, will expand to include additional content and partners.

Google aims to squeeze more revenue out of YouTube, the most popular video Web site, by moving beyond the advertising that gets posted alongside clips. Google, which gets most of its sales from text ads next to online search results, also is testing the idea of inserting ads into videos.

Web Ad Revenue Declines

U.S. Internet advertising revenue dipped slightly in the second quarter from the previous quarter.
ad_icon

According to a report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers, online advertising revenue totaled $5.7 billion in the second quarter. That was compared with $5.1 billion in the second quarter of 2007 and $5.8 billion in the first quarter of this year.

This is the market's second straight decline. In the first quarter, ad revenue fell from the $5.9 billion reported for the fourth quarter of 2007.

AUTOMOTIVE

GM May Mortgage Headquarters

General Motors said it is looking to take out a mortgage on its headquarters complex as it tries to raise operating cash in an era of tight credit.

The automaker's top real estate executive said GM will make a presentation tomorrow to the Detroit police and fire pension board to see whether it is interested in investing in the Renaissance Center, a seven-tower complex on the Detroit River.

GM took out a $626 million mortgage in 1996 to buy the buildings and pay for millions worth of improvements.

The automaker paid off the initial mortgage when it expired in May, and since then has been looking to raise cash with another financing deal.

Continues : http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Verizon Wireless, RIM Unleash a Storm

Until recently, Verizon Wireless was the undisputed leader of the U.S. wireless industry. While AT&T (T) claimed more subscribers, Verizon Wireless came out ahead on virtually every other important yardstick of wireless company performance—including revenue, profit margins, network reliability, and customer-service rankings.

Then came the iPhone. Dallas-based AT&T signed on as the exclusive carrier of Apple's (AAPL) iPhone in the U.S., mounting an impressive counterattack that has knocked Verizon Wireless back on its heels. Thanks largely to the iPhone, in the past 12 months alone AT&T has attracted 9.2 million new subscribers, nearly 40% more than the 6.6 million lured by Verizon Wireless, which is owned by Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vodafone (VOD).

Now, Verizon Wireless is firing back—with the BlackBerry Storm, the first-ever touchscreen phone from Canadian smartphone maker Research In Motion (RIMM). On Oct. 8, Verizon Wireless and RIM said that beginning in November, the device will be available exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S. and to Vodafone customers in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Verizon Wireless will be the exclusive Storm carrier for as long as the device is sold, the companies said.
Under Two Flags

Like Apple and the backers of the Android mobile operating system did for their respective handsets, Verizon Wireless is also opening an online bazaar where customers will be able to download a range of games, tools, and other applications for use on the Storm. On Oct. 9, the company will release a toolkit designed to help software developers build applications for the store, dubbed the App Zone. "Our goal was to bring one device to the marketplace under the flags of two companies," Verizon Wireless Chief Marketing Officer Dave Lanman says.

Verizon needs all the firepower it can muster. The most recent version of the iPhone, released in June, seems to have bolstered AT&T's assault on Verizon Wireless. Of U.S. consumers who purchased the new faster iPhone through retail outlets in August, 30% switched from other mobile carriers to join AT&T, according to a report from the research firm NPD Group released Oct. 6. Among those who switched, 47% migrated from Verizon Wireless, while another 24% switched from Deutsche Telekom's (DT) T-Mobile and 19% from Sprint Nextel (S). "We have no way of knowing how accurate those numbers are," Verizon Wireless spokesman James Gerace said of NPD's numbers.

Early reviews of the Storm have been favorable. The onscreen keyboard is more tactile than the iPhone's, making typing easier and more accurate. The Web browsing capability of the Storm marks an improvement over previous devices from Research In Motion, though it doesn't quite match the elegance and utility of the iPhone's Web browser and its pinchable touchscreen technology, says BusinessWeek Tech and You columnist Stephen Wildstrom. And the Storm is a truly global phone—the first to work on the high-speed wireless networks of both Verizon Wireless and Vodafone. "It should serve as Verizon's strongest response to the iPhone yet," says Ross Rubin, an NPD analyst.
Marketing Push for the Holidays

Verizon Wireless execs play down comparisons with the iPhone. "I'm not here to talk about them," Lanman says. Research In Motion has built a brand known for enabling business users to gain access to their e-mail with a secure yet stodgy device. Over the last few years, though, the company has rolled a new line of sportier devices that have been popular with consumers.

The Storm, says Lanman, is designed to appeal to both consumers and business people. Verizon Wireless plans a big marketing push for the yearend holidays. "There is a gap in the market and we will bridge that gap," Lanman says. "We think it's worthy of investing significant marketing dollars."

The Storm should help slow customer defections from Verizon Wireless, says Matt Thornton, an analyst at Avian Securities. "The only caveat is if they cut the iPhone's price again," Thornton says. He adds that the price—about $200 for a low-end iPhone 3G—is so low that Apple and AT&T don't have much more room for reductions. Verizon Wireless execs declined to specify their pricing, but most analysts believe the company will charge about $200 for the Storm, provided the customer signs up for a one- or two-year contract.
Watching the Numbers

To gauge the true impact of the iPhone 3G in recent months, analysts will be closely watching third-quarter earnings reports from both carriers. AT&T reports earnings on Oct. 22, while Verizon Wireless reports on Oct. 27. The Storm's impact won't be seen until the fourth quarter, the results of which are typically reported in January.

From : http://www.businessweek.com/

Game|Life the Video 30: Nintendo's Media Summit

SAN FRANCISCO -- Nintendo is still going after casual gamers and all
their casual money, but at the company's recent game preview event
here, it also showed some interesting games that hard-core gamers will
enjoy.

On today's episode of Game|Life The Video, we speak with
representatives of Capcom, Activision, and High Voltage and ask them to
tell us about their awesome and violent Wii games: Dead Rising, Call of Duty, and The Conduit.

As always, if you're having trouble viewing the embedded video above,
this week's episode of Game|Life the Video is also available on Wired.com's YouTube channel and on iTunes.

From : http://blog.wired.com/

Nintendo: Digital Downloads Shouldn't Cut Into Physical Sales With DSi

Nintendo isn't expecting digital downloads to take over the retail
games business with the launch of its new DSi handheld, Nintendo Of
America President Reggie Fils-Aime toldVentureBeatin a wide-ranging interview,
but it's a "nice added business model. ... We'll be able to see the
sales growth and plan for it. But I guess similar to home consoles, the
consumer will want an experience that's best delivered through physical
goods, simply because of the memory size required." Nintendo hasn't
disclosed the amount of flash memory that will be in the DSi model.
Fils-Aime also discussed the recession, risks Nintendo takes on new
technologies, competitors and venture capitalists.

The economy: Fils-Aime: "This is a challenging macro-economic
problem. If you look at history, the video game market hasn't suffered
terribly during recessions. It's because consumers view our products as
strong values. A $50 piece of software that you can play forever is
inexpensive compared to taking a family of four out to a movie. Having
said that, if the market continues its turmoil, if unemployment
increases, we could be in something worse than a recession. At that
point, all bets are off. We are competitive with other entertainment choices. But we depend on consumers having discretionary dollars."

More after the jump...

Going after Apple?:"We
always viewed ourselves as competing in a larger entertainment space.
It's not just video games but music, movies, and TV. You, as a
consumer, have 1,440 minutes in a day. You work, eat, sleep or go to
school. All of the time that's left is what we compete for. That's
always the way we looked at it."

VC:"I'm somewhat concerned that some believe that if you invest
a lot of money in a piece of software, that alone will make it great.
We've been clear thatBrain Age, which has sold more than 22 million
units through last March, was built with a very small team on a small
budget. It's not about the dollars." He doesn't want to return to the
Internet boom when "some companies took pride in how much cash they
were burning through each week. It's not a great thing. I hope the
dollars are following ideas."

Source : http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Honda Taps Sony to Ramp Up Its Ad Strategy

In an unprecedented move for Web advertising, Honda is buying all the online and mobile advertising space sold by Sony Pictures Television for a week starting Wednesday to promote the launch of its Honda Fit.

While it's not uncommon for advertisers to buy all the available ad space tied to a particular TV show or single Web site to drown out the competition, Honda's half-million dollar deal with Sony takes that strategy a step further by extending across all Sony's mobile and online entertainment and third-party sites in the U.S.

Marketers have long been concerned about breaking through the crush of advertising on television. Now, with marketers following consumers online in droves, advertising clutter is becoming a major issue on the Web as well. The average Web surfer is exposed to thousands of online ads a month -- and remembers very few of them.

"The fact is, that like any part of the media landscape, it is harder and harder to break through," says Edmund Purcell, vice president and interactive management supervisor at RPA, American Honda's advertising agency. "We are not just throwing up a banner that could be passed over."

The Honda Fit campaign, aimed at metropolitan people who like small, fuel-efficient cars, includes ads on Sony Pictures' site Crackle, where viewers can share user-generated video. Ads will also appear on sites and music videos linked to Sony's music label Sony BMG, and on mobile networks Sony partners with, including wireless carriers Sprint and AT&T.

Ads will be tied to Sony-created digital programming across third-party sites as well, including social networking sites MySpace and Facebook; video sites YouTube and Hulu; and the virtual world Gaia Online.

Sony's digital programming includes minisodes, which are TV shows cut down to five-minute episodes for the Web and mobile; CSpots, which are original short-form videos that appear online and mobile; and Sony Pix, which are full-length films from the studio's library available via online and mobile.

Consumers often have a hard time remembering standard digital display ads, but a marketer can make more of an impact if they sponsor all the advertising space on a particular site, says Alan Gould, co-CEO at IAG Research, a Nielsen firm that tracks the performance of advertising. With online videos, if one marketer is the sole sponsor of the content, the impact of the ad can be stronger than TV, he adds. "It's more challenging to get your online display ads noticed in the first place, but once you do capture the site visitor's attention, the branding can be very powerful if you own the environment," says Mr. Gould.

Sony says it plans to pursue the Honda model with other advertisers in the future. "It's a perfect fit for what branded messaging on the Internet could be, or should be," says Amy Carney, president of ad sales at Sony Pictures Television, which sells all advertising connected to Sony's television, movie and music content across its own and third-party partner sites.

It's the not the first time Honda has tapped Sony: previous campaigns have included a contest on Crackle. Honda's latest deal with Sony is part of a broader Honda Fit promotion that includes TV ads, which started appearing at the end of September, an animated game, a Web site and a promotion with MTV Web sites set for early 2009.
Gap Hopes to Win Sales in Election

Gap Inc. is the latest marketer to try to profit from the presidential election.

As part of a campaign it will announce Wednesday, Gap's namesake chain and Web site will sell white T-shirts that say "Vote For _____" for $15 each and store windows will feature images of 70 real people who filled in the blanks on their T-shirts at Gap events over the summer.

Gap has also posted online (at Gap.com/votefor) videos of actresses and other famous people talking about how they would fill in the blank. Viewers at the site have a chance to send virtual "Vote For _" buttons to Facebook users.

Select Gap stores will sell limited-edition "Vote for ____" buttons designed by 10 artists, with $1 from each button purchase going to Declare Yourself, a nonpartisan group aimed at encouraging Americans to register to vote.

The campaign, Gap's first with an election theme, was developed in-house. It's part of the San Francisco retailer's effort to refocus on core customers in the 25 to 35 age range after trying unsuccessfully to skew younger.

"There is an enormous amount of enthusiasm and passion for this year's election" among people under 30, said Marka Hansen, president of Gap North America, who wouldn't disclose the cost of the campaign.

Other similar campaigns encouraging young people to vote have been launched by American Eagle Outfitters Inc., which this summer started selling "Vote" T-shirts, and Lucky Brand, which in late August partnered with Nickelodeon and Viacom to offer election-themed kids' T-shirts.

Marketers pursuing election themes has reached fever pitch this year, ramping up earlier than usual during the primary races.

"Younger target audiences are impassioned and involved at an unprecedented level and brands want to tap into that," said Mark DiMassimo, chief executive and creative director of New York advertising agency DiMassimo Goldstein.

Source : http://online.wsj.com/

Sony Ericsson W595 Joins the Sony Walkman Range

Sony Ericsson have been busy of late releasing a multitude of new Walkman phones, the latest addition to the W-Series range is the new Sony Ericsson W595, a direct upgrade to the extremely popular W580i with enhanced technology, new features and a similar but improved design.

The Sony W595 Walkman phone looks very similar to the previous W580i but its form it more squared and this phone offers the latest Walkman music software and stereo speakers for sharing music whilst with friends.

Other features to note include TrackID, Shake Control, Walk Mate, Video Blogging, Access to Online Music Store, 3.15 megapixel camera, large 2.2 inch display screen and 3G services with video calling.

The Sony Ericsson W595 is a Walkman phone built for sharing, this sliding mobile phone features built in stereo speakers and a stereo Share jack allowing for a second stereo headset so that two people can listen to the music player.

The W595's Walkman player supports several file formats including MP3 and AAC and with 40mb on board memory expandable further via an M2 slot, users will not be short of places to store their favourite music tracks.

With Shake control activated, press and hold the Walkman key, then flick the wrist - a vibration lets the user know that the track has been changed - a new song from the current playlist is selected randomly then played automatically.

The easy-to-use Walk Mate application stays activated all throughout the day, it keeps track of how many steps walked and how many steps left to reach a daily average health goal. Users simply place their phone in ytheir pocket and they are ready to go.

A built-in FM radio, 3.15 Megapixel camera with support for video recording and a secondary VGA camera for face to face video calling, Bluetooth v2.0 and HSDPA connectivity for high speed browsing and downloads make the Sony W595 a music phone and much more.

The Sony Ericsson W595 offers support for a wealth of file formats, users can simply drag and drop from their PC to the phone via the accompanying PC suite and then listen to and manage all their music on Sony Ericsson's intuitive Walkman player with Shake Control applications.

The Sony W595 allows users to enjoy data speeds at a substantial1.8 MBit/s (megabits per second) or 3.6 MBit/s in downlink with new HSDPA technology. Users can download music, games, video clips and make & receive video calls at the touch of a button, the W595 also gives access to 3G services such as the latest news and sports headlines, new movie trailers and upcoming music videos.

The Sony Ericsson W595 has been initially made available on Orange pay monthly contract tariffs in the UK, however this new Walkman phone is set to be released on further UK networks in the very near future.

The Sony W595 is a well thought out upgrade to the previous Walkman model, its new features and technology will appeal to the original user base aswell as those seeking a fashionable, functional and fun mobile phone.

About Phones Limited: A price comparison website for the latest mobile phone deals from over 20 leading UK mobile phones retailers and networks resulting in over 200,000 deals compared daily. http://www.phoneslimited.co.uk/

Source : http://news.ecoustics.com/

Sony Ericsson W595 Joins the Sony Walkman Range

Sony Ericsson have been busy of late releasing a multitude of new
Walkman phones, the latest addition to the W-Series range is the new
Sony Ericsson W595, a direct upgrade to the extremely popular W580i
with enhanced technology, new features and a similar but improved
design.

The Sony W595 Walkman phone
looks very similar to the previous W580i but its form it more squared
and this phone offers the latest Walkman music software and stereo
speakers for sharing music whilst with friends.



Other
features to note include TrackID, Shake Control, Walk Mate, Video
Blogging, Access to Online Music Store, 3.15 megapixel camera, large
2.2 inch display screen and 3G services with video calling.

The Sony Ericsson W595
is a Walkman phone built for sharing, this sliding mobile phone
features built in stereo speakers and a stereo Share jack allowing for
a second stereo headset so that two people can listen to the music
player.

The W595's Walkman player supports several file
formats including MP3 and AAC and with 40mb on board memory expandable
further via an M2 slot, users will not be short of places to store
their favourite music tracks.

With Shake control activated,
press and hold the Walkman key, then flick the wrist - a vibration lets
the user know that the track has been changed - a new song from the
current playlist is selected randomly then played automatically.



The
easy-to-use Walk Mate application stays activated all throughout the
day, it keeps track of how many steps walked and how many steps left to
reach a daily average health goal. Users simply place their phone in
ytheir pocket and they are ready to go.

A built-in FM radio,
3.15 Megapixel camera with support for video recording and a secondary
VGA camera for face to face video calling, Bluetooth v2.0 and HSDPA
connectivity for high speed browsing and downloads make the Sony W595 a music phone and much more.

The
Sony Ericsson W595 offers support for a wealth of file formats, users
can simply drag and drop from their PC to the phone via the
accompanying PC suite and then listen to and manage all their music on
Sony Ericsson's intuitive Walkman player with Shake Control
applications.

The Sony W595 allows users to enjoy data speeds
at a substantial1.8 MBit/s (megabits per second) or 3.6 MBit/s in
downlink with new HSDPA technology. Users can download music, games,
video clips and make & receive video calls at the touch of a
button, the W595 also gives access to 3G services such as the latest
news and sports headlines, new movie trailers and upcoming music
videos.

The Sony Ericsson W595 has been initially made
available on Orange pay monthly contract tariffs in the UK, however
this new Walkman phone is set to be released on further UK networks in
the very near future.

The Sony W595 is a well thought out
upgrade to the previous Walkman model, its new features and technology
will appeal to the original user base aswell as those seeking a
fashionable, functional and fun mobile phone.

About Phones
Limited: A price comparison website for the latest mobile phone deals
from over 20 leading UK mobile phones retailers and networks resulting
in over 200,000 deals compared daily. http://www.phoneslimited.co.uk/

Source : http://news.ecoustics.com/

National business in brief: AMD is selling plants

Fast-food company Yum Brands Inc. said Tuesday that
its third-quarter profit grew 5 percent as surging sales in its
operations in China more than offset a sharp decline in U.S. results.

The
parent company of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut reported worldwide
same-store sales growth of 3 percent, marking its 20th straight quarter
of global same-store sales growth.

Net income for the three
months ending Sept. 6 rose to $282 million, or 58 cents a share,
compared with $270 million, or 50 cents a share, a year ago. Wall
Street had forecast earnings of 54 cents per share. Revenue rose 11
percent to $2.8 billion.

AMD is selling plants

Advanced Micro Devices Inc., the chip maker struggling to take on Intel Corp., will spin off some plants as part of an investment of up to $8.4 billion from the Abu Dhabi government.

The
cash infusion is a lifeline for AMD, which may report a third straight
loss this year and is falling behind on investments needed to keep up.
Intel spends more on plants and research than AMD makes in annual
revenue.

UBS insider case

The former chief lawyer for UBS’
investment bank has agreed to give his $6 million bonus to New York and
pay $500,000 to settle an allegation that he dumped his investments in
auction rate securities after getting a company e-mail warning that the
market was in trouble, state officials said Tuesday.

Attorney
General Andrew Cuomo of New York said the payment will resolve an
insider trading investigation of David Aufhauser, who recently resigned
as general counsel at the bank.

As part of the deal, Aufhauser
will give up a $6 million bonus that he had been scheduled to receive
from UBS. The state will get the money instead. He will also pay a
$500,000 civil penalty.

Bulletproof deal

Armor Holdings Inc.
will pay $30 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly made and
then sold defective bulletproof vests to law enforcement personnel, the
Justice Department said Tuesday.

Armor Holdings, now a subsidiary of British defense conglomerate BAE Systems PLC,
allegedly had information that showed ballistic materials known as the
Zylon Shield “degraded quickly over time” and were unfit for use by
state and local law enforcement agencies, according to the government
settlement.

Armor Holdings denied any responsibility for wrongdoing related to the government’s complaints in its agreement.

Ad subtraction

Advertising
forecaster ZenithOptimedia sharply lowered expectations for ad growth
Tuesday, saying an uncertain economy will lead to reduced spending
through next year.

Even before the latest economic troubles,
retailers and car dealers have been cutting spending in anticipation of
lowered sales, while employers have placed fewer help wanted ads as
they trim payrolls, ZenithOptimedia noted.

The company now
expects ad spending in North America to grow 1.8 percent in 2008,
compared with last year. That’s down from the 3.5 percent rise the
company had forecast in June. Ad spending is expected to grow 0.9
percent in 2009, compared with this year, down from the previously
expected 2.7 percent. ZenithOptimedia expects improvements in 2010,
with a projected year-over-year growth of 3.9 percent.

Pfizer realigns

Pfizer Inc.
told employees worldwide Tuesday that it is replacing its current
geographic divisions with new units centered on primary care, specialty
care and operations in emerging markets.

The new units, which
will begin operating at the beginning of next year, will have complete
responsibility for functions, including strategic planning, sales and
marketing, and even drug development — testing experimental compounds
in people and tinkering with them to come up with the best dose.

From : http://www.kansascity.com/

Asus in time for Xmas

The Eee PC S101 will go on sale next month in Australia for an estimated $899, a local Asus spokesperson said.

The S101 was launched to great fanfare in Taipei overnight, with the company dubbing it the "fashion-friendly Eee PC".

The
new model will run on Windows XP Home edition, and comes with 16GB
solid state drive, 10.2in screen, WiFi connectivity and 1GB RAM. It is
available in three colours - graphite, brown and champagne.

The overseas model has a Linux variant.

Its
predecessor, the Eee PC 1000H, costs around $699 but tips the scales at
1.45kg. The S101 weighs around a kilogram and has a less rugged look to
it.

Almost all major notebook vendors have jumped onto the netbook bandwagon. Dell, a late entrant, launched its Inspiron Mini 9 for $599 earlier this month.

From : http://www.australianit.news.com.au