© William Hook

GSM cell phone technology has taken the world by storm, and there is a growing demand for branded unlocked cell phones. These phones are designed to work with different worldSIM cards, so they can be used anywhere on different international networks. This is quite different from the typical locked phones that you can get through the major service providers. These locked phones will not identify a SIM card from any other carrier, which basically means that the customer can only use that provider's network. This can be annoying because you are stuck with that service provider for a defined period of time. Fortunately it is not too hard to get a GSM phone that is unlocked. There are online stores where these phones can be purchased at discounted prices, including some under $150. These stores not only sell unlocked handsets from the major brands, but also accessories including chargers, docks, headsets, GPS, speaker phones and more.

Electronics and car companies in Japan, affected by fuel shortage, lack of transport, damage to the factories and power cuts are badly affected by the disasters. Electronics maker Sony said that five of its plants were making digital camera, flat-screen televisions and other gadgets were severely affected and have stopped production after the earthquake.
Other electronics producers, Toshiba and Canon, were forced to halt production of all electronics items owing to difficulty in getting new parts and power cuts. They cannot say for sure when the production will resume.
Electronics companies NEC, Nikon Corp and Panasonic restarted production in some of their plants making electronics parts, but say that it will take them a long time to reach optimum production point.

© MJ/TR (´･ω･)

© Andrew Feinberg

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced the winner of its 2011 Mark of Excellence Awards today at the Electronic House Expo (EHX) 2011 in Orlando Florida. The awards were presented by the Consumer Electronics Association's TechHome Division.

The Mark of Excellence Awards recognize outstanding innovation and achievement in custom home electronics products, services and installation. The Award entries were reviewed and judged by an independent panel of judges from the electronics industry who are experts in Supplier, Systems Integrator and Training and Support categories.

Roland Graham received the TechHome Leadership Award for his contributions to the electronics industry as founder and president of HDHomes.tv, an online video platform that delivers home technology video content. Graham has built a strong reputation in both commercial and residential global electronics projects.