31/10/2007 by swordfish.

While looking around for a photo and video slide-show program that can be embedded into a web site I stumbled across SlideShowPro which has to be seen to be believed!

SlideShowPro is an ActionScript 2.0 component for Flash CS3, Flash 8 and Flash MX 2004 and is installed as an extension through the Adobe/Macromedia Extension Manager.

Once installed you can open Flash, drag an instance of SlideShowPro to the Stage and get designing.

On the stage SlideShowPro displays a live preview of itself which updates as you change the size, colour and visibility of all the in-line elements. In total there are more than 60 customizable parameters to play with!

To find out more about this wonderful Flash extension visit the link below:

slideshowpro.net

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31/10/2007 by swordfish.

I came across SlideRocket on Tuesday and this hosted software is near perfect for putting together professional quality slide and text presentations for delivery in person or remotely over the web!

The graphics, charting and slide options for SlideRocket are superb and easy to use.

This super tool has been developed using Adobe Flex and will be an asset to every web designer who needs to develop rich on-line slide and text presentations.

Sliderocket is still under development but you can find out more by following the link below.

www.sliderocket.com

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29/10/2007 by swordfish.

EBay division Skype and mobile phone group 3 have launched a mobile handset that allows Skype users to make free Internet calls to each other while on the move.

The companies said on Monday the new 3 Skypephone could also send free Skype instant messages, and that they hoped to sell “several hundred thousand” units worldwide in the fourth quarter of this year.

“We are optimistic that if you look at one or two years, (we will sell) millions rather than hundreds of thousands, but in the fourth quarter (2007) we are looking at several hundred thousand worldwide,” Frank Sixt, finance director of 3-owner Hutchison Whampoa, told reporters.

The phone is being launched in nine markets including Britain, Australia and Italy, with a roll-out into other countries under consideration.

In Britain, the phone will cost 49.99 pounds on a pay-as-you-go basis, and will be free for 3 contract users. It will be on sale in 3’s stores on Friday November 2.

3 have said the phone’s non-Skype tariffs are the same as on its other phones, with call minutes and texts priced the same way. The phone will have a special Skype button.

Source: Yahoo News

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26/10/2007 by swordfish.

Tesco Ireland is launching a new mobile telephone service with the aim of securing 5 percent of the Irish market over the next four years. Tesco Mobile, which will be launched on 29 October, will use the 089 prefix and offer just one pricing plan. The prepay service will charge EUR0.20 to any network at any time with all text messages costing EUR0.09.

Tesco is offering the service as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), piggybacking on O2’s network. Tom Britten, general manager of Tesco Mobile told ENN that the retail giant aims to have 150,000 customers and 5 percent of the total mobile phone market in Ireland within three to four years.

“We’ve spoken to a lot of our customers about their mobile phone usage. The message from them is that they are paying too much and that they are confused by different tariffs and price plans,” said Britten. Britten explained that Tesco offered a pricing plan that customers would be able to manage. “It’s a really simple, easy to understand tariff,” he said.

“We are committed to offering the best value mobile phone service. Complicated and expensive pricing plans have confused Irish consumers for long enough. Apart from great value, Tesco Mobile will introduce transparency and simplicity through one easy to understand pricing package with no hidden extras. Customers will also benefit from nationwide coverage on a world class network.”

Tesco Mobile will roll out a range of prepay handsets to 48 Tesco stores on the launch day. Mobile credit top ups will also be available in all 97 Tesco Ireland stores and at 3,000 other locations nationwide. Tesco Clubcard holders will earn extra points for all top ups and get double points when topping up at any Tesco store.

Source: Electronic News

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25/10/2007 by swordfish.

If you are building a new PC and plan to install two or more hard drives, a RAID set up can speed up your computers performance and even provide automatic protection against data loss from hard drive failure.

Our new help guide ‘How to Set Up a RAID Configuration on Your PC’ explains how you can benefit from this hard drive configuration.

Find out More

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24/10/2007 by swordfish.

The Post Office is to launch a national broadband service, using its 14,000 stores around the country to attract mostly older customers who have not yet taken up the service.

Broadband provision has become increasingly competitive and the Post Office said it would target people who wanted to pay in cash at its stores and customers between 50 and 65-years-old who are going online for the first time.

The service will launch on Monday, October 29, and the group said it hoped to sign up to 600,000 telecoms customers by April 2008 and 1.2 million by April 2010.

The Post Office, which is part of Royal Mail group, said it would offer speeds of up to 8 megabits per second through its five-year wholesale deal with BT which will provide the network and other support.

Source: Yahoo News

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