Safran
Latest
Morpho's NFC / WiFi-enabled keyfob brings wireless payments, card management to the everyman (video)
Not interested in picking up an NFC-enabled smartphone? No matter -- Morpho's got you covered. The outfit was demonstrating a newly finished Simlink NFC keyfob here at Mobile World Congress, intended to provide contactless payment capability for those who lack it in their existing mobile. Rather than stopping at just payments, this dongle also supports frequent flier cards, membership accounts and pretty much any other members-only situation that may ever use NFC check-ins and registration. There's even a WiFi module here and an onboard web server, enabling any WiFi-enabled phone to immediately see your most recent transactions as well as what data / cards you have stored on the device. We're told that the onboard battery can last around a week if you don't use it continuously, and a simple micro-USB connector is responsible for charging. The only unfortunate part is the size -- it's hardly inconspicuous, but we're guessing revision two will lose quite a bit of weight. This particular model should go on sale by the end of Q4, with pricing to be determined. Head on past the break for a brief demonstration, you big spender, you. %Gallery-116875%
Sofinnova snaps up Sagem from Safran, Sam sizzles steaks
Remember back in those freewheelin' days of 2006 when men were men, phones were phones, and Motorola was rumored to have been seriously considering taking Sagem off Safran Group's hands? Yeah, well those days are long gone; Moto's a mere husk of what it once was at the peak of the RAZR craze, and as for Sagem, they're getting ready to fly the "under new ownership" banner in front of headquarters. Venture capital firm Sofinnova has purchased 90 percent of Sagem for around €220 million ($343 million) off current parent Safran, intending to rename it Sagem Wireless (don't get too crazy with the name change there, guys) and turn it into an all-ODM shop not unlike fellow French firm ModeLabs. Roughly half of Sagem's staff will survive the transfer intact, while most of the rest should be offered jobs in Safran's other lines of business or firms in which Sofinnova holds a stake.[Via mocoNews]
Xbox Live casting call: "Must look great in bikini"
X3F readers may recall the announcement in late March that web production company Safran will soon be producing original short video content for Xbox Live's Video Marketplace. We now have new details regarding the upcoming content thanks to G4TV, which is reporting a casting call for one of the original programs. The unnamed program is to be directed by James Gunn (director of the sickeningly funny horror film Slither). According to G4TV, the show sits somewhere between South Park and Wonder Showzen (make of that what you will). Oh, and we've forgotten what is perhaps the most important detail: one of the acting parts up for grabs is "Girl in Bikini." What sort of acting chops do you need to play this part? Apparently they're looking for someone who is "super hot, good with comedy," and just in case you weren't sure, "MUST LOOK GREAT IN BIKINI."So, we should expect these videos to be tasteful and worth watching then?[Original image: brainware3000]
Safran to produce original content for XBVM
Microsoft and the Safran Digital Group have just settled on a deal that'll have Safran creating six short running series' that'll premiere on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace sometime this Summer. Safran, who we're told is a new web production company, will more than likely create content targeted towards the 18-34 demographic with media in the horror, comedy and science-fiction genres. Details are still extremely light as we are yet to hear whether the content will be available worldwide, distributed for free or advertiser driven. And, if by chance, the video shorts end up being free and entertaining, we'll make Safran an honorary member of our elite cool kids club.[Via IGN]
Sony Ericsson hooks up with Sagem for low-end lineup
We know that the cellphone makin' game can be rough, Sony Ericsson; we really do. Sometimes you've just gotta take a load off. Heck, your fellow European in the Big Five, Nokia, washed its hands of much of its CDMA responsibilities through a deal with Korea's Pantech, so we can totally understand wanting to offload your low-end R&D and manufacturing duties to SAFRAN Group's Sagem. Of course, Sagem is a little closer to home -- France, to be exact -- than those Korean folks, so you should have a pretty easy go of it keeping your rebranded stuff in check. In fact, you're so uptight about it that you've decided to open a new office right in Sagem's hometown of Cergy, France, dedicated to the low-end segment. We look forward to seeing what y'all come up with -- let's just try to make them a little more believable than the "Nokia" 6315i, mkay?
