aBOUT SAMSUNG ATIV S

Design

Samsung's Ativ S bears a very strong resemblance to both the Galaxy SII and SIII, to the point where it feels like one of those phones retrofitted with WP8 software.
Physically, the Ativ S has two major accomplishments under its belt: it's the thinnest build of any Windows Phone 8 device and it has the largest screen. This alone makes it deserving of attention from consumers.

That AMOLED display is 4.8-inches, just a little bit bigger than the WP8 device with the second largest screen, the Nokia Lumia 920 at 4.5-inches. At 306 pixels per inch, the display is actually less dense than the HTC and Nokia competition, but you'd never know it with your naked eye. This large, well-lit display really makes those Live Tiles sing, and the viewing angles are nothing short of spectacular. Even in bright sunlight we had no trouble looking at the Ativ S.
The body of the Ativ S isn't bad to look at either. It has a long, brushed metallic exterior, like a Galaxy S3. Don't let that chromed appearance fool you though, just like the S3 the Ativ S is all plastic.
The Ativ S's slim body and metallic design give it a mature, subdued appearance that we find appealing. Consumers who found the candy-colored HTC 8X too playful or the Lumia 920 too obviously plastic will be delighted with it.
However, the Ativ S is so slick it's downright slippery. It almost slid out of our hands on a number of occasions. That's not something that would ever happen with a grippy HTC 8X or 8S. Hopefully there will be stylish flip covers for the Ativ S, just like the S3.
Inside, the Ativ S packs power. It doesn't have an S3's quad-core, but its 1.5 GHz dual-core is nothing to sneeze at. There's also 1GB of RAM, and the option of 16 or 32GB of internal memory.
Fans of removable batteries and micro-SD cards rejoice, the Ativ S has both. Just like an S3, the thin backplate is removable, revealing a 2,300 mAh battery, micro-SIM and SD card slot. That, combined with ample internal memory, makes it ideal photos and videos.
As with the S3, the backplate is shockingly thin. Taking it off always made us feel like we might break it, but it held up well to multiple removals, and the bending we subjected it to.

On the rear you'll also spy an 8-megapixel lense and LED flash. There's also the long, thin speaker grill we often see on Samsung phones.
The top right side of the Ativ S has the lock/power button used for waking the phone and turning it off. On the bottom right lies a dedicated camera button, a signature of Windows Phone 8 design. It's a choice we agree with, as it's very convenient for grabbing a quick shot.

On the left side is your standard volume rocker. It should be noted that all three of the buttons sit somewhat loosely in their sockets. You can feel them move around as you press them, and hear them click if you shake the phone. As with the iPhone 5  it's a small detail that detracts just the tiniest bit from overall premium feel of the phone.
Overall, the Ativ S is a very handsome, smartly designed phone. While long, thin and metallic has become something of a standard design for Android devices, this is a new look for the revamped Windows Phone. It sets it apart from the more colorful competition, and while some consumers may balk at its size, a subdued, thin look plus removable storage and battery make it a very viable option.

Samsung Ativ S

Samsung Ativ S

Not wanting to miss out on the Windows Phone 8 party, mobile giant Samsung has its own handset on the way, in the form of the Ativ S.
Taking design cues from the extremely popular Samsung Galaxy S3, the Ativ S offers up a solid Windows Phone experience and is ready to challenge the likes of the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC 8X.
The Ativ S is an intriguing proposition packing a huge 4.8-inch display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, huge 2,300mAh battery and an 8MP rear camera.www.facebook.com/technoimti

HTC 8S

HTC 8S

The HTC 8S in second in line to the Windows Phone 8 crown at the Taiwanese firm, with the flagship 8X still the show at the top of the tree.
However that's not to say the 8S should be ignored, it's still a perfectly capable and well designed handset which won't cost you a huge amount of money.
The 8S will go head to head with the mid-range Lumia 820  with its fancy array of colour options, 4-inch HD display, 1GHz dual-core processor and the welcome addition of a microSD card slot – something which is missing from both Nokias and the 8X.
An advantage HTC has over its rivals is its partnership with Dr Dre and his Beats Audio technology – enhancing your music with added bass to really get the party started.

Pakistan's First Hydroelectric Project Powered by IBM

Armonk, N.Y. - 03 May 2013: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) Remaco, the builder of Pakistan's first private sector hydroelectric power scheme, has selected IBM (NYSE: IBM) software to streamline operations and help meet the business challenges of running the $235 million plant. The addition of this power source will replace about 135,000 tons of imported oil, reducing carbon emissions and saving Pakistan approximately US$100 million per year in fuel costs.¹



Pakistan's first private hydroelectric plant powered by IBM
Courtesy: (TNB) Remaco

Demand for electricity in Pakistan is growing rapidly in tandem with an increasing population. Currently, the total power generation capacity of Pakistan is 23,538 Mega Watt¹ (MW) with energy consumption having grown by almost 80 percent in the last 15 years². The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) forecasts the country’s electricity demand will increase to around 40,000 MW by 2020¹.

TNB Remaco, and Operation and Maintenance Contract Partner with builder Laraib Energy Limited, recently completed the 84 MW New Bong Hydroelectric Power Complex, which is located on the Jhelum River in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The plant is expected to help meet Pakistan's growing energy needs by adding an estimated net annual of 540 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy to the national grid, and will enhance the water power generation capacity of Independent Power Producers (IPP) by 40 percent.³ 

“To be a global one-stop service provider for power-related works, we have to continue serving our customers with high-end quality services through transformational use of technology. IBM’s solution will play a vital role in running the systems efficiently and helping pave way for rapid and full scale development of Pakistan’s hydropower potential,” said TNB President Che Khalib.

TNB Remaco selected IBM asset management software to automate its manual systems to provide predictive maintenance while helping to meet increased resource demands. Previously, finalizing approvals and searching for relevant information was a time consuming task as data was scattered across multiple systems. The IBM software provides TNB Remaco’s power plant with a single, consolidated view of all their energy data as well as asset and service management data, enabling employees to make better informed decisions about the plant's operations. The solution will also assist in planning inventory to meet precise maintenance demands, making the correct parts available at the right location whenever needed.

“The hydropower project operated by TNB Remaco plays a critical role in adding needed energy resources to Pakistan,” said Deepak Advani, General Manager, Cloud and Smarter Infrastructure, IBM. “IBM’s Smarter Infrastructure software not only helps automate business process and better manage resources at the plant, it will also create an interconnected system that enables plant operators to make more informed decisions to efficiently run an energy complex.”

With global electricity demand expected to grow more than 70 percent by 2035⁴, hydropower, along with other renewable energy sources will become critical. By 2035, renewable energy will account for almost one-third of total electricity output.⁵ Helping Pakistan tap into new energy resources underscores IBM’s commitment to helping companies across the globe operate more efficiently as they work to meet rising energy demand.

IBM Smarter Infrastructure technology used by TNB Remaco includes IBM Maximo software. The software provides condition-based maintenance capabilities and ensures physical assets are safe, reliable and available to support an organization’s business goals.
                                     
For more information on IBM Maximo software, visit: http://www.ibm.com/tivoli/maximo.