Wednesday, February 6,2008 @ 4:00pm
Briefly: ScanSnap S510M review
In brief: We've posted a Fujitsu ScanSnap S510M review, Polk Audio products will soon show up in Apple stores, Northwestern students used iPhones to gauge Super Bowl ads, Nielsen has Yahoo!/Microsoft merger metrics, and Tessera has acquired Fotonation ... We have posted a review of the Fujitsu ScanSnap S510M, which seems to be the one exception to various negative assumptions about scanners. It is a small scanner, about the size of a loaf of bread (11.2 in. × 6.2 in. × 6.2 in.), and weighs only 5.9 lb. The paper feeder can hold 50 sheets and it can scan a variety of paper sizes, including 8.5 x 14.17-inches (216 x 360 mm) down to 2 x 2-inches (50.8 x 50.8 mm). At best, the ScanSnap can scan color documents at 600dpi, black and white at 1,200dpi, and Duplex at 0.6 pages per minute to 1.2 images per minute.
Polk Audio products in Apple stores
Polk Audio has announced that its new I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 and miDock Studio models will soon be available at more than 170 Apple Store locations and the Apple Online Store. Beginning in March 2008, Apple's retail outlets throughout the U.S. will sell Polk Audio's I-Sonic Entertainment System 2. Among the product's features: the iTunes Tag button on the I-Sonic ES2's front panel and remote control allows consumers to tag songs broadcast by HD Radio stations. The I-Sonic ES2 stores information about the tagged songs in its memory and transfers the tags to an iPod when docked.
Northwestern students use iPhones to gauge Super Bowl ads
Using a new social networking platform called MIMIEO, graduate students at Northwestern University polled thousands of fans during the 2008 Super Bowl ads. After each quarter of the game broadcast on Fox on February 3rd, the student's website compiled feedback from fans on how much they liked the ads, and whether the commercials will influence future purchasing decisions. The new technology will allow users to submit feedback from multiple sources simultaneously to include: Facebook (using the PickMe application) and the iPhone.
Yahoo!/Microsoft merger metrics
Nielsen has some interesting metrics regarding the potential Yahoo!/Microsoft merger. "If Microsoft and Yahoo join forces it will be the most important event in the Internet industry this year, without a doubt," said Ken Cassar, vice president, industry solutions analytics, Nielsen Online. "The combined entity would be visited by 86 percent of U.S. Internet users, account for 15 percent of all time spent online, and represent 59 percent of online display ad impressions sold, really the most significant revenue generator today for most online publishers."
Tessera to acquire Fotonation
Tessera Technologies has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire FotoNation, a provider of embedded imaging solutions for digital still camera and mobile phone applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Tessera will pay $29 million in net cash with up to $10 million of additional consideration, contingent upon certain milestones over one year. This transaction is subject to various standard closing conditions, and is expected to close in February 2008.