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MacBook Pro takes bullet like a champ
We're not exactly sure what Apple's impact test procedures are for MacBook Pros, but a bullet in the side makes quite the statement. A mugging victim in Brazil avoided a trip to the ER thanks to his trusty bodyguard, a seemingly bulletproof MBP. According to the image holder (who isn't the victim or MBP owner), the lappy continues to function, although it isn't clear to what extent. Obviously, popping caps to to the top, bottom, or not-so-centered spot on the side might result in a less a heroic outcome, not to mention a busted machine. As far as brawn goes, MBP ain't no Toughbook, but at least it took one for the team.[Via Random Findings]
South Americans countries hem and haw over HDTV standard
While it's admittedly unfortunate that the world just can't agree on a single high definition broadcast format to use around the globe, boundaries have already been laid across most of the first world nations. Many South American countries, however, still haven't chosen which format to support, and proponents for both ISDB and DVB are lobbying intently to get their support business. As we suspected early last year, Brazil has finally made its choice, and will take in ISDB as it looks to create more local jobs by manufacturing the equipment from within in new construction factories. Brazilian officials were even able to solicit $2 billion in Japanese funding to erect a "local semiconductor factory be financed by Panasonic, Toshiba, NEC, and Sony." Argentina, however, wasn't swayed one way or the other by the snazzy presentations it saw, and enters 2007 with an "undecided" bid. So as unfortunate as it may be, it looks you'll probably be picking up a separate portable tuner for almost every nation you visit, but hey, at least some things are universal, right?
Encore's Mobilis to compete with OLPC XO, Classmate PC in Brazil
While we didn't exactly expect the educational, beneficial, and "world-changing" laptops that are headed out to children all across the globe to battle it out like Intel and AMD, we guess a little competition can't hurt too much. Just days after getting word that Intel's Classmate PC would be tackling OLPC's XO, only to be joined by a dark horse Indian offering shortly thereafter, we now know precisely who that lucky third wheel is. Encore Software will reportedly offer up "around 50" of its Linux-based Mobilis machines for evaluation within Brazil, setting up a three-way grudge match between Doom-playing ultraportables. The machines will supposedly sport 7- to 7.5-inch LCD touchscreens, six hours of battery life, VGA output, Ethernet / 56k modem, optional GRPS / GPS modules, optional biometric scanner, stereo speakers, microphone, audio in / out, and a bevy of "hot keys" to activate your typical office applications. Although we've no idea how much Encore hopes to make off these things, we sure hope they prepped those demo units for battle before mailing them out.
Intel's Classmate PC to go head to head with OLPC in Brazil
Given the quite disparate price points -- around $400 for Intel's fledgling Classmate PC, $140 for the cute little OLPC -- we would think the two different machines wouldn't be treading on each other's toes too terribly much at this time, but that doesn't seem to be the case in Brazil. Intel just committed to donating 700-800 of the Classmate PCs for a large in-school evaluation. Brazil will be pitting the laptop up against an OLPC prototype they just got in the mail, along with another similarly education-bent laptop from an Indian company. "We're going to put it in the classroom and see how it does," says Jose Aquinto. Walter Bender of the OLPC camp welcomes the competition: "The only way the price is going to continue to go down is competition in the marketplace." Sure sounds like they're getting it.
OLPC XO user interface demo vid hits the web
While we saw the OLPC XO-1's OS emulation earlier this week, not everyone (including us) took the time to set up the necessary software needed in order to run it. Luckily, we've just gotten a better glimpse (via an online video on the next page) at how the XO's software actually runs. Although Linux-based, the XO-1's operating system appears to have been very much simplified, with menu bars and icons being kept to a bare minimum. Most notably, the entire desktop interface is entirely pictographic, with no title bar menus and very little in the way of pull down commands, which probably makes it easier to teach kids who may still be learning how to read. The YouTube video shows some of the various standard applications that come with the XO-1: Firefox, an unnamed instant messaging program, a variant of Abiword (word processing), and an application called eToys that looks like a combination of traditional computer games (such as Chinese Checkers) combined with something resembling the children's art program Kid Pix. One quick caveat to you soon-to-be-XO-1-toting Libyan kids: we will so pwn you at Chinese Checkers.[Via Slashdot]
Xbox 360 launches in Brrrrrrrazil
The Xbox 360 had a launch party in Brazil last week, and announced that they will be selling the system there beginning December 1st. Marcelo Vega of Xbox Today was at the shindig and snapped some pix that he was kind enough to share with us. Brazilian girls playing the 360? Sign us up, please. Vega said the crowd erupted in cheers when they announced that Gears of War would be available at launch (hey, we would too), and were extremely excited to see such an official Xbox presence instead of the numerous pirate consoles. According to the Babelfish translation, the event was "hosted in a house of events in the unglued quarter of São Paulo." Nice! Check out more pix after the jump. Viva Brazil! [Thanks, Marcelo!]
Quanta builds the first ten XO-1 prototypes
Just as we'd previously heard, Quanta has indeed built the OLPC's first ten prototype machines (now called the XO-1), according to a report on DesktopLinux. These first machines were hand-assembled in order to make sure that the next round of 900 is up to snuff. We're not sure if 50 of those 900 will be the first order of test machines that have been slated to head to Brazil, nor if Thailand is getting any as an enticement to lure it back into the fold. In related matters, OLPC News has estimated the true five-year cost of a single laptop, including training, maintenance and Internet access to be in the neighborhood of $1,000 -- which, if correct, means that mythical $100-ish per laptop target price makes these green lappies a bit more unattractive to their prospective buyers. [Via Slashdot]Read - DesktopLinuxRead - OLPC News
Viva Brasilia! 360 in Brazil next month [update 1]
Microsoft announced its plans to launch the Xbox 360 in Brazil yesterday. Microsoft's launch will mark the first time that any company has officially introduced a console in Brazil. Until now, gamers were forced to import/pirate their gaming goodness. The Brazilian 360 bundle will be available on December 1st and will include a Premium 360, a media remote, Kameo, Perfect Dark Zero, and Project Gotham Racing 3. The price for the bundle will be R$2999 (US$1400!). The price seems exorbitant, especially considering 360s are already unofficially selling for half as much. Games will run R$169 (US$79). According to our tipster, many titles will be available (in Portuguese) this year -- including Gears of War. Xbox Live should launch shortly after launch.Speaking of the launch, David Cervantes, Director of Microsoft's Latin America games and entertainment division, said, "We have learned in Mexico and Colombia that when we come ahead of our competitors, our market share can double just by being the first. If we get a critical mass, it's very difficult for us [to] lose our lead."Microsoft's continued policy of launching in as many territories as possible -- they launched in India last month -- may have a profound effect on how the next generation pans out. With more international money to be made, the 360 will only become more attractive to developers. Also, this gives foreign developers a reason to develop games for their own territories as well. With games coming mostly from Japan, America, and western Europe for decades, it will be interesting to see how many more international players join the 360 development scene. Would any of our Brazilian readers care to comment?[Via Joystiq. Thanks, Lobato]Update: Brazil will be recieving PGR3, not PGR4. Unless they have a form of time travel of which I am not aware.
OLPC Update: Brazil to get test machines, Thailand pulls out
We last heard from our friends at OLPC a mere 10 days ago, when the non-profit's latest computer moniker changed from 2B1 to XO. But OLPC News is now telling us that there's a few new updates from everyone's favorite pastel-colored lappy. First up is news from Brazil, where IDG Now! Brasil reports that the country will receive 50 test laptops from OLPC, making it the first nation to have actual, live, working models. Meanwhile, across the world in Thailand, the whole notion of a $100 laptop has now become a bit less attractive to the new military government. Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was a big fan of NickNeg's pet project, but sadly, his countrymen kicked him out of office in September, making Thailand somewhat of a tough sell now. iTeau, a Thai blogger, adds that Thailand's new information and communication technology minister has said that he doesn't think that XO will work, and has ridiculed it as a "toy." Read - OLPC NewsRead - IDG Now Brasil [in Portuguese]Read - ThanNews [in Thai]Read - iTeau's Dirt
Wii to tango with Latin America in December, price is high
During a recent games convention in São Paulo, Brazil (pictured), a representative of Lamatel (Nintendo's Latin American distributor) announced that Wii will be released in Brazil during the first week of December to the tune of 1,400–1,500 Brazilian reais (roughly $640–$690). Ouch! That smarts more than a hot Brazilian wax! Not that we ... I mean ... it was just a team bonding experience ... it's not like ... oh, never mind.But seriously, at that rate, who's buying? Just import. Of course, you may want to add some games to that overseas order. So far, only Twilight Princess is confirmed for launch in Brazil.[Link in Portuguese; Google translation; via NeoGAF]
Reports of four million OLPCs greatly exaggerated
Ah-ha, so it turns out those four million OLPCs may not actually be bagged after all -- big surprise. Apparently the mixup began when OLPC program director for Middle East and Africa Khaled Hassounah supposedly told DesktopLinux that Nigeria had committed to an order of a million units, and Argentina, Brazil, and Thailand were right behind them with "similar" orders of their own. Except not really. According to ZDNet UK, that information is flat-out "incorrect," according to OLPC, and that despite Hassounah's statements they're not yet prepared to distribute commercialized versions of the device. Taking pre-commercial device orders for something like the OLPC is absolutely nothing out of the realm of the ordinary in our opinion, but it seems like a little PR-spurned informational infighting has turned the project from "pedagogically suspect" to factually suspect overnight. Perhaps we should leave them to their device-making for now, and worry later about who is and isn't placing orders for quantities of computers large enough to make even the thinnest-margin manufacturers sweat and drool. [Thanks, Cyrus and Alexandre]
Four million OLPCs ordered, NickNeg sez boo-ya
Argentina, Brazil, Nigera, Thailand, you've made Negroponte proud. In fact, the man who is right now lined up to supply your respective nations with a million OLPCs a piece (give or take a few thou), is, as we understand it, at this very moment spiking OLPCs like he's in the end zone. According to OLPC program director Khaled Hassounah, Nigeria ordered of a million units, and spoke of "similar commitments" by the other three nations, so take that, India. Unlike the educational puppetmasters in Africa and South America, you apparently must not know a good thing when you see one. That or maybe you're investing those millions into bettering social welfare programs and upgrading other, more life-essential facilities before outfitting kids with lappies. Whatever you're doing with those millions, though, you're not putting a smile on NickNeg's face, mkay?[Thanks, David]
Brazil chooses ISDB for their digital broadcasts
Brazil is happy. They have their plan for their digital TVs done. Japan is happy. Brazil choose Japan's expensive ISDB format. Everyone is happy - except Japanese soccer fans as Brazil beat them the other day but that is a whole different story.This standard was chosen over ATSC and DVB. We used ATSC here in the States and it works fine, but ISDB has many benefits over our system; cost is not one of them. Brazil felt that the ISDB standard would fit their residents better now and in the future. This is the same system, by the way, that can send high-def video to your cell phone or car. The only downfall really is the cost. But then again if the States could avoid gas at three dollars a gallon and run entirely on ethanol like Brazil, then maybe we could be getting HDTV on our cell phones right now.
Brazil ponders HDTV standards
We've frequently fawned over DVB and Japan-only devices, now some of Brazil's top officials are doing the same thing. While Europe, Japan and the U.S. all use different standards for broadcasting high definition television, Brazil has not chosen yet. They will be visiting Korean companies like LG who are pushing the US standard, while Toshiba and Sony work together to promote the Japanese standard, and European companies pushing DVB before they make a decision. According to the article, they are likely to choose the Japanese standard in return for significant investments to build manufacturing plants in Brazil.
