On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

Voddler and Dolby Laboratories implement Dolby Digital Plus audio in the latest mobile version of the Voddler video-on-demand (VOD) service.

Launched at Mobile World Congress on select Nokia smartphones (N9, 700, 701, 603, 803, and the upcoming 803) the Voddler app streams full movie with "true" 5.1 Dolby-powered surround sound.

The Voddler online library offers movies and TV series from 35 studios for customers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland,  with the option to either purchase, rent or purchase titles.

Go Voddler Launches World's First Dolby Digital Plus Movie Service to Mobile Devices

The GSMA presents the "Connected House" of the future at Mobile World Congress 2012, Barcelona-- a model home of the future where virtually everything runs on wireless connections, from health monitors to social networking.

Powering the house are technologies from AT&T, KT and Vodafone, together with partners Accenture, Airbiquity, AQ Corporation, Cisco, Ericsson, Garmin, Herit, Intel, KTH, Modacom, Qualcomm, Rsupport, Sony and Zelitron.

Offerings inside include the Blue Libris emergency response system (a mobile health monitor) and Digital Life IP-based remote monitoring and automation platform from AT&T, the "Exmobaby Connected Baby Pajamas" (keeping tracks on sleeping babies) and what the GSMA describes as "a social media vending machine."

Meanwhile Vodafone shows off its energy management solution tracking lighting, heating, air conditioning and power consumption.

Robots also make part of the GSMA vision-- the KT Kibot robot teaches children reading, singing and even different languages, while offering "smart home" and monitoring services. Guess the babysitter's days are numbered, then.

Go GSMA Connected House at MWC 2012

Samsung adds yet an other tablet to the Galaxy series at Mobile World Congress 2012-- the Galaxy Note 10.1, an upsizing of the Galaxy Note phablet with Wacom S-Pen support.

Looking very similar to the Galaxy Tab, the Note 10.1 runs on Android 4.0 and carries a 10.1" WXGA display, 1.4GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM and up to 64GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD slot). It also has x2 cameras (3MP back, 2MP front) and connectivity via HSPA+ 21Mbps radio, wifi and Bluetooth.

More interesting is the S-Pen support-- with a number of optimised apps such as an updated S Note note-taking app, with new shape- and formula-matching functions. The tablet also includes pre-installed versions of Adobe Photoshop Touch and Ideas, complete with pressure sensitivity support.

Samsung also plans to release the S-Pen SDK, which should boost developer support somewhat.

Go Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

UK retailer Maplin Electronics names John Cleland as new CEO, starting from March 2012.

Most recently Esporta (the fitness chain acquired in 2011 by Virgin) CEO, Cleland has extensive retail experience-- holding senior roles at Asda, Walmart Japan, Somerfield and B&Q.

The hiring reunites Cleland with current Maplin chairman (and ex-Somerfield chairman) John Lovering. The two (together with Paul Mason) turned Somerfield around before selling it to The Co-op in 2009.

Lovering says "He [Cleland] will be instrumental in implementing our growth plans on the high street and through multi-channels."

Go Maplin