Sunday, February 7, 2010

Thai bourse promotes investment at Money Expo Pattaya

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) continues its mission to promote knowledge about personal finance planning and investment alternatives, under the theme “Increasing value to your saving, increasing your investment money,” in SET in the City Zone at Money Expo Pattaya. The event will be held for investors in Chonburi and nearby provinces for the first time this year, at Royal Cliff Beach Resort, during February 5-7.


“This year, SET plans to hold activities throughout the year to promote knowledge and understanding about saving and investment, supporting investors nationwide to manage their finances through different financial products. Our activities will facilitate investors’ easy access to information. The first event will be in Chonburi, followed by Bangkok in May, Nakhon Ratchasima in October, and Chiang Mai in November. Moreover, SET plans to consistently hold seminars and training courses on its new products,” said SET President Patareeya Benjapolchai.

“Holding activities for investors is one strategy to increase SET liquidity in 2010, as it will help investors and others understand about SET financial products, including the new ones to be launched this year. These products increase investment opportunity and can be used as risk management tools for investors,” added Ms. Patareeya.

Chonburi is the center of industrial and agricultural production in the East. With its strong potential for saving and investment of the people in this area, eleven securities firms with a total of 18 branches service the largest area in the East. SET, therefore, will hold SET in the City Zone at Money Expo Pattaya as the first event this year, under the theme “Increasing value to your saving, increasing your investment money,” noted SET Group Head, Product Development Kesara Manchusree.

“Today, people are looking for investment alternatives that give more return than bank deposit. This event will focus on providing investment knowledge to the public to diversify their savings to different financial products, including equities, derivatives, gold futures and mutual funds, particularly derivatives which currently is receiving great attention from investors, as derivatives accounts reached 29,546 in total (as of end-2009), an increase of 89% over 2008,” said Ms. Kesara.

At this event, leading securities and asset management companies will provide investment consulting, account opening services for all products and seminars by executives from securities companies and leading analysts everyday at 13.00-15.00 hrs. In addition, contestants can apply for the online competition SET-TFEX Click2WIN 2010.

Moreover, participants will have a chance to receive numerous souvenirs. SET in the City Zone at Money Expo Pattaya will be held at Peach Convention Hall, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pattaya, Chonburi during February 5-7. For more information, please contact S-E-T Call Center at 0 2229 2222 or visit www.set.or.th

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Players at Full Tilt Poker Raise Over US$580K in Support of Haiti Relief Efforts

More Than 22,700 Players Donate to Full Tilt Poker's 'Aid for Haiti' Campaign

Players at Full Tilt Poker helped raise more than US$500K, in support of relief efforts for Haiti, through the 'Aid for Haiti' campaign. More than 22,700 Full Tilt Poker players made donations in the aftermath of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, January 12th.

All funds raised were donated to the Red Cross
(http://american.redcross.org) , Doctors Without Borders
(https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org) and UNICEF
(https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6680&6680.donation=form1).

Each player who registered for an 'Aid for Haiti' tournament donated their tournament entry fee to the cause. Additionally, players contributed through 'no play' tournaments, which allowed them to donate without playing, and by donating directly to the Full Tilt Poker 'Aid for Haiti' account.

Players donated more than US$290,000 in the space of seven days. To further aid relief efforts, Full Tilt Poker has pledged to match all funds raised, bringing the current total to over US$580,000.

Players can continue to support this worthy cause by transferring any amount of money, starting at US$5, to the 'Aid for Haiti' account. For information on how to transfer funds, and more details on the 'Aid for Haiti' campaign, please see http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/aid-for-haiti.
About Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt Poker(TM) is the host of a worldwide virtual poker cardroom service. It is not in the business of betting or wagering and does not participate in the games as a player. It merely provides a service to those who wish to test their skills against others for fun, prizes or money. It is duly regulated and licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and in the United Kingdom by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. With innovative graphics, superior customer service and a safe, secure interface, the software is geared to enhance and personalize the online poker experience. Although virtual poker is legal where the games are hosted and played, it may not be legal where individual players are located. Players at all skill levels may download the software at www.fulltiltpoker.com but it is their responsibility to determine if participating in the games is permitted under the laws of the jurisdiction where they are located.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Microsoft Unites Software and Cloud Services to Power New TV Experiences

Version 2.0 of award-winning Mediaroom TV platform enables subscription TV providers to deliver more entertainment content to more types of screens, using a single cloud-based infrastructure.


Today at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft Corp. is announcing Microsoft Mediaroom 2.0, the next version of the world's most deployed Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) platform.

Mediaroom 2.0 will enable television service operators to provide their TV services to more subscribers than ever before, delivering more content to more screens than the previous version of Mediaroom - both inside and outside the home.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100106/SF33691)
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

Mediaroom 2.0 is scheduled to be available for operators to start testing beginning next month. Mediaroom 2.0 can be deployed by operators as their entertainment cloud powering the delivery of a complete television service, including cloud digital video recording (DVR), on-demand features, interactive applications, and access to both operator-hosted content and externally hosted content such as Internet TV. The operators' service can be enjoyed by their subscribers on multiple screens including the TV (with

Mediaroom set-top box), Windows Media Center, Web browsers (for Windows-based PCs and Macs), Xbox 360 and compatible smartphones.

Also new with Mediaroom 2.0, service providers will now be able to offer their existing on-demand TV service to their entire broadband customer base using their existing set-top box inventory, thereby expanding their service footprint beyond the reach of their IPTV network. The same on-demand service can also be enjoyed on Windows 7-based PCs using Windows Media Center,* as well as on Xbox 360. Service providers also can offer subscribers access to their on-demand programming remotely using a range of Web browsers running on Windows-based PCs and Macs and, in the near future, on compatible smartphones.

Mediaroom 2.0 also adds support for Microsoft Silverlight and Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming for the access and delivery of on-demand content. This enables viewers to enjoy an exceptionally high-quality playback experience, because IIS Smooth Streaming adapts the video stream to the user's network connection to enable optimum video quality. In addition, support for Microsoft PlayReady preserves the service providers' ability to secure their content libraries and monetize consumer experiences.

"Our strategy with Mediaroom is to combine the power of client software and cloud-based services to greatly enhance the way consumers experience digital entertainment. We want to make it easier for consumers to find and discover great content, to watch, listen and engage in new ways, and to do so

anywhere and on any screen," said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president for the TV, Video and Music Business at Microsoft. "Mediaroom 2.0 is a key milestone in our strategy, providing the software platform to power operators' service clouds to reach more screens, and more people, with more content than ever before."
More Screens

Watching TV on a PC is a growing trend. For some, it is a second or third screen in the home or is used for watching TV when on the go. For others, the PC may be their only screen for TV. Mediaroom 2.0's new support for Windows Media Center in Windows 7 means operators can now deliver their premium TV services, including live high-definition (HD) TV, DVR and on-demand programming, to virtually any Windows 7-based PC with no additional hardware tuner required. In addition, DVR and on-demand content can be enjoyed on Xbox

360, a broad range of Web browsers for Windows-based PCs and Macs, and, in the near future, playback on compatible smartphones while on the go.

All of this gives consumers more freedom in where and how they access their TV service, with the benefits of a familiar experience across multiple screens. For example, they could start watching a show on one screen and finish watching it on another. They also could build a video queue on their smartphone and watch it later on their TV or PC. While traveling, they could watch recorded TV on their smartphone and later watch an on-demand feature film in HD on their laptop, accessing the same storefront they enjoy at home.
More Networks

To date, Mediaroom deployments have been delivered over a fixed-line managed Quality of Service (QoS) IP network. By integrating IIS Smooth Streaming technology into Mediaroom 2.0, Microsoft enables operators to offer a premium, HD-quality video-on-demand service, with minimal buffering and fast startup times, even over IP-based networks of varying bandwidths.

This significantly expands the service reach for operators and enables them to serve customers on fixed-line as well as wireless and, in the future, mobile broadband networks. For operators wishing to deliver only on-demand TV-video services to customers via the Internet, Mediaroom 2.0 includes a set-top box client that supports this functionality and is designed for self-installation by the subscriber. This client is upgradable to full Mediaroom functionality without the need for hardware changes.

For consumers, this advancement means that more people in more places will be able to experience the benefits of cutting-edge Mediaroom-powered TV services than has been possible before. It also means that whatever the speed of their network, they will enjoy an optimal viewing experience thanks to
built-in support for IIS Smooth Streaming.
More Content

Consumers are demanding access to ever-larger libraries of content, and IPTV operators are looking to meet this demand and further differentiate their services by augmenting their existing content lineup with TV and video from the Web. With Mediaroom 2.0, operators can now easily bring together live and on-demand TV with externally hosted content from Internet TV partners and other Internet-based content sources, all in one place with a consistent, easy-to-use interface. New support for playback of content protected using PlayReady, Microsoft's advanced content access and protection technology, further expands the base of potential content for operator TV services. In addition, operators can further distinguish their services with

applications that provide rich interactivity and seamless blending of Web and TV content using the Mediaroom application development platform, Mediaroom Presentation Framework.

Once a Mediaroom 2.0-powered service is deployed, subscribers will be able to enjoy the content they want to watch in one place on their TV or PC - no more having to visit a multitude of sites to find what they are looking for or connect a PC to the TV. Instead, they will be able to easily find and watch TV shows on demand across different networks using one easy-to-use guide, or simply search through the programming available to find the shows they'd like to watch, all in a consistent playback experience.
More Revenue

According to analyst firm Screen Digest the top five Mediaroom customers generate on-demand average revenues per user (ARPUs) that are on average three times that of the incumbent pay TV operator in their market. Mediaroom 2.0 includes a compelling new on-demand storefront that further enhances the monetization potential for Mediaroom service operators. The new on-demand storefront is designed to help drive subscriber usage and satisfaction by providing a richly visual browsing, discovery and playback experience, and offering easy access to other elements of the operator's service directly from the storefront.
Mediaroom 1 Mediaroom 2.0
Screens -- TV via set-top box -- TV via set-top box and Xbox 360 and Xbox 360
--Windows 7-based PC via Windows Media Center
-- Internet browser on Windows-based PCs and Macs
-- Compatible smartphones
Networks -- Managed QoS IP network -- Managed QoS IP network
--Unmanaged broadband IP network (Internet)

Content -- Operator-ingested -- Ability for operators content only to ingest TV content and
link to Internet content (TV and other audio-video content)
About Microsoft Mediaroom

The award-winning Microsoft Mediaroom Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and multimedia software platform is the most widely deployed IPTV platform in the world. Mediaroom is driving the future of television by enabling broadband service providers to deliver new connected TV and entertainment experiences to consumers worldwide. It provides new ways for consumers to experience TV as part of their connected, digital lifestyle, while also creating new business opportunities for broadband service providers, hardware

manufacturers, content creators, advertisers and application developers. Over 20 of the world's leading service providers across four continents have selected the Mediaroom platform to drive their digital TV services. More

information on Mediaroom and the opportunity to deliver the best in TV plus all your media in one place is available at http://www.microsoft.com/mediaroom .
About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
* All versions of Windows 7 except Windows 7 Starter.
SOURCE: Microsoft Corp.

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other

Sunday, January 17, 2010

AMD Brings Next-Generation HD Gaming and Multimedia Features to the Mainstream

– ATI Radeon HD 5670 is the first graphics card with support for Microsoft DirectX 11 and ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology for under $1001 –


AMD introduced the ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics card, the latest addition to the award-winning line-up of the world’s first and only graphics products to fully support Microsoft DirectX® 11 gaming and computing, as well as new innovations such as ATI Eyefinity technology. Priced at less than USD $1001 the ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card enables a superior HD gaming experience in the latest DirectX® 11 titles, employs ATI Stream technology to boost performance in video playback and productivity applications,2 and helps enable the full Microsoft Windows® 7 experience.

Big performance, small price: The ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card delivers up to 620 GigaFLOPS of compute power and GDDR5 memory, delivering unprecedented gaming performance for under USD $100 in the latest DirectX® 11 titles such as Codemaster’s Colin McRae™: DiRT® 2™, EA Phenomic’s BattleForge™, GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat™ and Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 as well as DirectX® 9, DirectX® 10, DirectX® 10.1 and OpenGL titles. In some of today’s most popular games, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics processor showed a more than 20 percent performance improvement over the closest competing product in its class.3

Panoramic computing hits the mainstream: The latest in ATI Eyefinity technology enables up to three displays to be used with a single ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card4, delivering the most immersive gaming experience with a graphics card for under $100.

Accelerate with ATI Stream technology: ATI Stream technology speeds up video transcoding and improves video playback performance with applications such as Adobe Flash, and helps to deliver video enhancements that produce better visual quality with sharper, more vibrant images.2

“AMD recently celebrated the shipment of its two millionth DirectX 11 graphics chip. AMD has already enabled DirectX® 11 support for the majority of the PC market and today’s introduction of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card is yet another clear indication of AMD’s commitment to address the strong market demand for DirectX 11-capable graphics cards,” said Matt Skynner, vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics Group. “Combined with the successful launches of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970, ATI Radeon™ HD 5800 series and ATI Radeon™ HD 5700 series, AMD has defined the DirectX 11 gaming experience like no other, bringing graphics innovations like ATI Eyefinity technology and ATI Stream technology to millions of consumers worldwide.”

“DICE prides itself on delivering the best possible experience to gamers, and ATI Radeon™ graphics cards help us to do that with Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 through the use of DirectX® 11 and our Frostbite engine,” said Johan Andersson. “The fact that AMD has now shipped two million DirectX® 11 graphics processors demonstrates how excited gamers are by the awesome performance and feature set of the latest ATI Radeon™ products.”
Supporting Resources
Pictures: See photos of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card, on Flickr
Product page: ATI Radeon™ graphics product information

Product page: Discover a new realm of panoramic computing with ATI Eyefinity technology

Video: It’s so easy to upgrade your PC’s graphics, even a monkey can do it· Video: See the performance difference DirectX® 11 makes in EA Phenomic’s BattleForge™, on YouTube
Video: Game developers share their thoughts on DirectX® 11, on YouTube
Learn more about DirectX® 11: See the difference it can make, on AMD GAME!
Twitter: Follow AMD graphics news on Twitter at @ATIGraphics
Facebook: Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook
About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, Radeon, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
1. SEP of ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 512 MB is USD $95.

2. ATI Stream technology works with applications that have been specifically encoded to take advantage of its features and functionality.

3. In games including FEAR (4xAA, 8xAF), Unreal Tournament 2 (4xAA, 8xAF), Prey (4xAA, 8xAF), Riddick - AoDA [4xAA 8xAF], Chronicles of Riddick AoDA (no settings; 4xAA, 8xAF; 8xAA, 16xAF), ET: Quake Wars [4xAA 8xAF], World in Conflict (no settings; 4xAA, 8xAF; 8xAA, 16xAF), Devil May Cry 4 (no settings; 4xAA, 8xAF; 8xAA, 16xAF) and Battleforge(no settings; 4xAA, 8xAF; 8xAA, 16xAF), the ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics card delivers game performance that is at least 20% faster than the competition. Based on internal testing, using AMD Phenom X3 8650 processor (B3 2.3 GHz), Gigabyte MA790GP/ASUS M3N-HT DLX motherboard, 2GB DDR2-800 (timings 5-5-5-12), Windows 7 RTM x64, ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics, 1GB GDDR5 775e/1000m, 8.69 ATI driver or Nvidia GT 240 512 MB GDDR5 550e/1340sc/850m, 195.55 Beta driver. All benchmark data based on 1680x1050 resolution.

4. To enable more than two displays you require one or more panels with a DisplayPort connector or an active DisplayPort adapter. The number of attachable monitors will vary based on model and operating system.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Full Tilt Poker's FTOPS XIV Starts Today

- Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) Offers More Than $16 Million in Guaranteed Prize Money Over 25 Pro-Hosted Events


FTOPS XIV, the fourteenth running of the Full Tilt Online Poker Series,begins today, Wednesday November 4th. Featuring 25 pro-hosted events, FTOPS XIV offers more than $16 million in total guaranteed prize money. There are six events that will guarantee at least $1 million in prize money:

- Event #1, a $200 + $16 buy-in No-Limit Hold 'em tournament with $1 million guaranteed, starting at 21:00 ET on Wednesday, November 4th

- Event #10, a $300 + $22 buy-in No-Limit Hold 'em tournament with $1.5 million guaranteed, starting at 18:00 ET on Sunday, November 8th

- Event #12, a $1,000 + $60 No-Limit Hold 'em 6-max tournament with $1.5 million guaranteed, starting at 21:00 ET on Monday, November 9th

- Event #17, a $300 + $22 buy-in No-Limit Hold 'em 6-max Rebuy tournament with $1 million guaranteed, starting at 21:00 ET on Wednesday, November 11th

- Event #22, the $2,500 Two-Day Event, a No-Limit Hold 'em tournament with a $2 million guarantee, with antes from the start, beginning at 14:00 ET on Saturday, November 14th

- The FTOPS Main Event, a massive No-Limit Hold 'em tournament with $2.5 million guaranteed, starting at 18:00 ET on Sunday, November 15th View the full schedule at

http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/promotions/full-tilt-online-poker-series/schedule.php .

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

Two new events have been added to FTOPS XIV. Event #2 is a 7-Game tournament at 14:00 ET on November 5th, designed to test all-around poker skills. Event #18 is a cashout tournament at 14:00 ET on November 12th, giving players the option to cash out their chips while the tournament is still running. Each event offers a guaranteed prize pool of at least $150K.

Buy-in to either tournament directly for $200 + $16 or satellite into any FTOPS event for as little as $0.50 or 50 Full Tilt Points.

FTOPS XIV precedes MiniFTOPS, which will feature the same 25 FTOPS XIV events at only 1/10th of the buy-in. More than $3 million in guaranteed prize money will be won when MiniFTOPS runs between December 9th - December 20th.
See the full MiniFTOPS schedule at
http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/mini-full-tilt-online-poker-series/schedule .

To learn more about FTOPS XIV, go to http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/full-tilt-online-poker-series-gateway .
About Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt Poker(TM) is the host of a worldwide virtual poker cardroom service. It is not in the business of betting or wagering and does not participate in the games as a player. It merely provides a service to those

who wish to test their skills against others for fun, prizes or money. It is duly regulated and licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and in the United Kingdom by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. With innovative graphics, superior customer service and a safe, secure interface, the software is geared to enhance and personalize the online poker experience.

Although virtual poker is legal where the games are hosted and played, it may not be legal where individual players are located. Players at all skill levels may download the software at www.fulltiltpoker.com but it is their responsibility to determine if participating in the games is permitted under the laws of the jurisdiction where they are located.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

EA hooks Playfish, cuts jobs

       Electronic Arts plans to cut its workforce by 17% as it tries to align its business with a transforming video game industry.
       The company announced the lay-offs of 1,500 people just hours after it said it would pay at least $275 million to buy Playfish Inc, a maker of social online games popular on Facebook, MySpace and the iPhone. The lay-offs are expected to save about $100 million a year.
       "We are focusing on what works and what matters," chief financial officer Eric Brown said in an interview.
       Digital content makes up about 12%of EA's revenue. But it's growing, while industry sales from packaged video games are on the decline.
       The cuts are in addition to the 1,100 jobs the company already slashed this year as part of a restructuring plan to shift focus to hit games.
       On Monday, EA posted a net loss of $391 million, or $1.21 a share, in the fiscal second quarter, wider than the loss of $310 million, or 97 cents per share, a year earlier.
       The company behind games such as "Madden NFL 10" and "The Beatles:Rock Band" reported net sales of $788 million in the July-September period,down 12% from the same time a year earlier.
       These results only paint a partial picture of how EA performed during the quarter. When counting deferred revenue from packaged games with online components and games that are completely digital, EA reported adjusted earnings of $19 million, or 6 cents per share. That is up from an adjusted loss of $20 million a year earlier, and it compares with average analyst estimates of 7 cents per share.
       With the acquisition of the two-yearold start-up, Playfish, EA is diving further into the lucrative world of social online games, which tens of millions of people play on Facebook, MySpace, the iPhone and other platforms.
       Broadpoint Amtech analyst Ben Schachter said games on social networks "are a dynamic space, and the deal suggests EA sees a big potential for this market."

Sunday, November 8, 2009

New PS3 streaming service

       Sony and Netflix announced last week that PlayStation 3 owners will soon be able to use the console to stream movies and TV shows to their television sets or computers.
       Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. and the movie rental company said the new service would launch next month and would be provided at no additional cost to Netflix members in the United States.
       Netflix and Microsoft reached a similar deal more than a year ago involving the US software giant's Xbox 360 videogame consoles.
       Netflix, which lets members download films over the Internet or mails DVDs to their homes, has more than 11 million US subscribers.
       Sony has sold 9 million PS3 game consoles in the US and the PS3 last month captured the top spot in game console sales for the first time, according to industry tracker NPD.
       "The PlayStation 3 system has always been about more than just gaming,"Sony Computer Entertainment America president Jack Tretton said.
       "It will soon be the only platform in the industry to offer consumers such a variety of convenient options for enjoying movies and TV shows," he added in a statement.
       Netflix co-founder and chief executive Reed Hastings said the Sony agreement was in line with the company's strategy of making the movie rental service available on more devices.